The Articulate Pen

Okay, I have to admit that I never thought about going into business. I grew up with parents who own a business, and it just didn’t seem a lot of fun sitting at a desk all the time, writing receipts and talking to customers. I wanted something more exciting… honestly, my dream was to become a novel writer (and actually, it continues to be my dream, hehe).

Anyway, fast forward 20 years, and here I am, with my own business, to my surprise! It’s not a brick and mortar one, however, but an online one. I opened my online store, Baby Chic Boutique, in February of this year.  And so far, I am enjoying the fact that I have this business.

I first thought of the idea when I was looking for chic and lovely accessories for my baby girl. Just like any mom, I wanted accessories that were nice but affordable. And when I saw that there was a market for these products, I decided to sell accessories for girls.

Later on, I started carrying other products such as leg warmers and foot socks. And then when I become a cloth diaper lover, I decided to carry cloth diapers as well, specifically Baby Wizard cloth diapers. I truly fell in love with the fun and wonderful prints, and I love the fact that I’m helping the environment as well as saving money.

Of course, my main source of income remains my work as an online writer, but going into business has made me become more sociable, less afraid of things, and more willing to take risks. I’ve always been an introvert, but being a business owner has given me the opportunity to meet and interact with new people, as well as make new friends. It’s a great feeling.

Right now, I haven’t really gotten my ROI yet, but it’s okay. I’m excited about carrying new products, maybe other brands of cloth diapers, and more chic accessories for little girls. It’s an interesting journey that I started, and I’m not giving up any time soon. Though I may crash and fail in this venture, I don’t think I’ll have any regrets.

For many people, the words “cloth diapers” immediately evokes visions of the traditional lampin, with clips to match and a mat to be put under your baby so the bed doesn’t get wet. This is very likely the system that you used as a kid, but nowadays, most people think that disposables are a lot more convenient and less of a hassle. You use it, it gets soaked after a few hours or soiled after the baby poops, then you throw it. End of story.

But of course, that’s not the end of the story. That piece of disposable diaper you threw away has been dumped in a landfill somewhere, and it is estimated that it would take more than a hundred years for it to decompose. Wonderful, right?

Or not.

But there’s good news… cloth diapers of today have truly evolved from the traditional lampin that our parents used on us. They are now much more absorbent (can be used for two to three hours like a disposable diaper), they’re a lot easier to use (since they have snaps or velcro/aplix attached to the diaper), and they come in the most adorable prints! More importantly, they’re better for your baby, better for the environment, and are a lot more economical in the long run (especially now that they come in one size that fits newborns to toddlers).

Haley wearing Baby Wizard cloth diaper

To tell you the truth, I never planned on using cloth diapers. Well, I did use GDiapers for my firstborn when he was a bit older (around 1 year old), because I read that toddlers are potty-trained earlier when they use cloth, but it wasn’t very successful. I didn’t know there were a lot of options back then. [...]

The moment I read The Hunger Games, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second and the third book. The story is just so compelling, and you can’t help but empathize with the main characters and their situations. I admit that the first book is my favorite, while the last one is my least favorite. But don’t want to give too many things away… you should definitely try to read it, ‘coz you may be surprised how much you love it!

Now it’s showing in the theaters… and I really, really want to see it! I want to see if it did justice to the book. There are only a few great movies out there who have done justice to the book they’re based… Fight Club, The Notebook, and Harry Potter series to name a few. But I’ve been hearing raves about The Hunger Games movie, so I really hope I can see it soon…

Sadly, with a 3-year old and an exclusively breastfeeding 3-month old, the chances of that happening are incredibly slim. Still, who knows, miracles can happen, right?

This is an official entry to Dainty Mom’s Bloggy Goodies Contest, in celebration of the Dainty Mom blog’s 2nd anniversary.

I was a blogger before I became a mom

Though it may not be considered what is called “blogging” today, I was a blogger long before I became  a mom. I started a personal journal (also fondly known as the diary) back in 4th grade. It was where I shared my thoughts, my feelings, my deepest secrets. It shared my laughter and tears, my hopes and dreams. My journal was where I poured my heart and frustrations out. All the way to 1st year college, I maintained a written journal that chronicled my life. [...]

Can I just say that I love being a WAHM? For those who have yet to encounter this abbreviation, it means work at home mom. Though there may be some disadvantages to working at home (such as a lack of social life), I still have no regrets quitting my job as a nurse to be a WAHM. Here are 5 things that I love about it:

1. No need for commute.

Who enjoys dealing with traffic, hot waiting areas, pollution, and reckless drivers? Not me! Being a WAHM means I get to work right here at home without having to deal with the stresses of commuting.

2. I get to manage my own time.

Hate waking up at 6am so you can get to work on time at 8? Me too! This is why I love being a WAHM – I get to manage my own time. I can start work at 10am, take a break at 11, go back to work at 2pm… this can be a disadvantage to those who have no discipline, however, but it’s working well for me so far. Honestly, I appreciate the fact that no one’s looking over my shoulder, trying to see what I’ve accomplished that day.

3. I don’t have to trouble myself with dressing up.

Haha, being a WAHM means you can work literally in your pajamas. I try to avoid wearing ratty clothes though (my husband might disown me). But I don’t have to deal with the stress of choosing something to wear everyday (and ugh, I hated wearing our nursing uniform before – it’s just so hot and itchy!).

4. I can work as much or as little as I want to.

Ever had those tamad days when you just want to stay at home and be lazy? Well, I can do that if I wanted to! I can work as much or as little as I want, but of course, this also means that my earnings can go higher or lower, depending on the amount of work I do.

5. I always get to spend time with my family.

And last, but definitely not the least, being a WAHM allows me to always be here for my family. Though I may be busy with work at times, I still try to prioritize taking care of my two kids and spending time with my husband when he’s here. Honestly, it’s just hard to resist these two when they’re trying to get my attention:

So there you go… I just love being a WAHM.

“Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (February). For this month, we focus on back to basics. Participants will share advices – either the best breastfeeding advice they received OR/AND the best breastfeeding advice they can give to new moms.  Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.”

Breastfeeding can be a lot of work, and yet, it can also give you the utmost joy. I enjoyed breastfeeding my son when he was born 3 years ago; sadly, I only breastfed him for 8 months before I stopped due to reasons that seemed important at the time.

Now, I am once again breastfeeding my 7-week old daughter. It’s been a beautiful yet tiring journey, but I am loving every minute of it.

If there is one advice that I would like to give soon-to-be moms out there, it’s to…

[...]

Ever since I got pregnant again, I’ve enjoyed browsing through the nursing wear collections of different online stores. This is because I plan to breastfeed my baby when she comes out, and I do love how versatile and convenient nursing wear can be. But the problem for me is that most of them can be very expensive, with prices typically ranging from P1,500 to P3,500. Though some say they’re worth the expense, it would still be nice to have affordable options for nursing mothers out there.

And then I discovered Latch A Babe Nursing and Maternity Wear, who offer a range of nursing and maternity tops and dresses that are both nice and affordable. Prices range from P550 to P1,200. There are even some pieces that can take you from pregnancy to nursing, so they really make an excellent investment!

The Lazy Mama is currently holding a Latch A Babe Giveaway, and you can win a Latch A Babe nursing top of your choice or a discount coupon worth 20% off the quoted price of any Latch A Babe Wear.

I know I’d really love to win one of the prizes! I was actually considering buying some of the tops already before, but it would be so much sweeter to win a top or a discount. Here’s one of the tops that I’d love to get:

So head on over to The Lazy Mama if you’d like to join the giveaway too.