On Working at Home: Tips for Setting Up a Home Office

November 10, 2015 by Tina Leave a Comment

As a work-at-home mom, it’s quite challenging for me to do my daily tasks these days, especially since I am currently pregnant with three kids and no helper/yaya. I usually do my work at night or early in the morning, before the kids wake up. But being pregnant now, I’ve been more tired and sleepy, and it’s just SO hard to get things done! 😛

Not having a proper workstation or “home office” is also something that hinders me from being a more efficient worker. Before my pregnant belly got big, I used to work on our bed! But that wasn’t good for my back, so my husband tried to set up a makeshift workstation for me on his table in our bedroom (thanks, Honey!). It’s helped me a lot but I still dream of the day when I can have a proper home office! 🙂

Something cute and cozy like this, maybe? :)

I don’t know when that day will come — maybe when we finally have our own home (not one that we rent!) — but when it does, I’ll keep in mind the following tips for setting up a home office, as shared by James Stanley, a blogger and photographer at Bahay Kubo Interactive, based in the Philippines. I hope you’ll find his tips helpful too, especially if you’re working from home like me! 🙂

Top Tips for Setting Up a Home Office

One of the marvelous advantages of technology is that it gives you the ability to work from anywhere. Few things are as convenient as being able to work from the comfort of your own home. One of the main issues with working from home, however, is that if you don’t have a space devoted to your work you can become easily distracted and less efficient.

You can ensure that you get all of your work done when you do decide to work from home by building your own home office. If you’re considering setting up a home office and increasing your home-workload, here are some things to keep in mind.

Buy a large desk or table

There is nothing worse than trying to get work done on a table or desk that is too small for you to have all the necessary documents and technology you need readily available. If you’re going to create your own home office space, the first step to success is getting a desk or table that provides you with ample room to work and be creative.

You’ll need filing cabinets

When you’re at work important documents are filed in an orderly fashion, but at home things can occasionally get lost in the mix-up with other documents, such as bank statements and bills.

The best way to make sure that you don’t lose any sensitive information or important documents is by having a filing system inside your home office, and using it exclusively for work documents.

Get a comfortable chair

Nobody can work for an extended period of time if they’re uncomfortable, and one of the best things about working from home is that if you can get your work done quickly and well, you might have some extra free time on your hands. To maximize the amount of time you feel comfortable sitting and working, buy an office or desk chair that is comfortable and suits all of your needs.

Purchase a desktop computer

Plenty of people use their laptops to work from home, but if it is going to become a somewhat regular thing, then you might consider purchasing a home desktop computer. Most desktops will allow for increased storage, and will provide you with a valuable back up to your laptop should anything happen to it.

Of course, there are plenty of other extravagances you can buy to make your office all the more comfortable, but these pieces are bound to get you well on your way.

1st image by phaendin from FreeDigitalImages.net

2nd, 3rd and 4th images by Kevin Shorter, mrmanc and ClickFlashPhotos/Nicki Varveiser, used under Creative Commons license

On being busy and sick (Plus an invitation to the Salamat Nanay Art Exhibit and the Work-at-Home Weekend Expo!)

October 20, 2014 by Tina 4 Comments

I’m back! I know it’s been ages since my last post here. (Well, in the blogging world, I think 12 days between blog posts is considered “ages”!) I also know I said I’d try to chronicle our homeschooling adventures on a daily basis but obviously that hasn’t been happening, for many different reasons.

Mostly, it’s because I have been busy with work and, umm… homeschooling. Ha, ha! Not to mention the routine chores, etc. So I guess, in a way, and by default, I’m back to slow blogging then.

The month of October is flying by all too quickly… After I got sick and recovered, it was my husband’s turn to get sick. And then two out of our three kids. And now, it’s me again. I realize that it’s all probably because I/we have not been being true to my One Word for this year. Unhealthy eating and sleeping habits have taken their toll on me (and I guess, my family too)! I am re-committed to correcting that now though. Lord, help me!

In between being busy and sick, we also celebrated our eldest’s 8th birthday with a (last-minute) surprise party! Wow, time really flies!

I want to thank Max’s Restaurant for their great service — particularly their Scout Tuazon branch. You see, we had less than a week to prepare for the party (toldja it was last minute!), and they really helped us get everything ready. Since our guests were limited to immediate family and Tim’s godparents, we just opted to rent one of the function rooms and order from their set menus. We had a blast! (And no, this is NOT a sponsored post for Max’s! 🙂 )

So anyway, I’d also like to invite you all to two awesome events happening this week: the SALAMAT NANAY Art Exhibit on October 23, and the Work-at-Home Weekend Expo on October 25.

SALAMAT NANAY Art Exhibit

Here is more information about the exhibit, from our children’s art teacher, Dindi Manlapaz’s website: [Read more…]

Freebie Fridays: Free Work-at-Home Tips Plus An Invitation!

January 10, 2014 by Tina

It has been four months since I became a fulltime work-at-home mom or WAHM. It’s been an exciting and challenging time so far, but I praise God every day for this chance to be at home with our kids, and help support the family, too, as a helpmate to my husband. Of course, a lot of those close to me know that my ultimate dream is to be “just” a wife and mom, who works “on the side” because I want to, and not because I need to. (Yep, I’m being totally honest with you, just like Penelope Trunk says we should be.) But while we’re working to make that dream come true (thank You, Lord, in advance! ;)) I will count everything as joy and embrace the season of life I’m in now.

As we’re only ten days into the New Year, I want to take this opportunity to thank my sisters in the WAHMderful Life community for being with me every step of the way, especially when I was praying about resigning from my fulltime job. Martine was one of my confidantes during that time, and so was Mariel. Other moms like Marge and Ginger also gave bits of advice and inspiration. To all of you, even if I am unable to name you one by one now, THANK YOU! And thank you, too, dear friends, for journeying with me!

Anyway, if you’re looking for FREE tips for how to work at home, I found a FREE downloadable work-at-home guide here. You might want to check out the following links as well:

— The Facebook page for WAHMderfulLife.com, which I think is “buggy” right now, as I can’t seem to open the link, but still, it’s a good site with helpful tips, too.

The Work At Home Wife Website — Angie Nelson’s site has great tips especially for newbies. You can find links to some of them here.

The Work-at-Home Mom Toolkit on The Mom Writes.com — Prerna Malik shares the tools she uses to manage her home and business in this kit.

Pinoy 500 — This is not necessarily just for moms but for all freelancers, especially Filipinos. The site offers a FREE email course, and is owned by Filipino freelance “rock star” Celine Roque. I got to hear Celine speak at The Freelance Camp run by The Learning Curve last year.

If you’re looking to jumpstart your work-at-home journey, I hope the resources above are helpful.

BUT, if you want to hear actual work-at-home moms speak, then come join the WAHMderful Year-Starter!

About the WAHMderful Year Starter (Info from ManilaWorkshops.com)

Start the year right! It will be an exciting year especially for us, work-at-home moms/dads (and even single peeps) and for those who are planning to work-from-home this 2014! There will be a lot of classes in store for you and the first workshop will be on January!

ManilaWorkshops.com, Insular Life and the WAHMderfulLife.com collaborated to bring you the first workshop for 2014, entitled WAHMderful Year-Starter. This workshop will be on January 18, 2014 from 10AM to 4PM. The venue will be at Insular Life Makati Multi-Purpose Hall, 12th Floor, Insular Life Building, Ayala Avenue corner Paseo De Roxas, Makati City.

Our first WAHMderful Life workshop for 2014 is going to be epic! We’ll have a half-day time management strategy session, so you can eliminate stress and launch into your success this 2014! We’ll also have a morning brand & portfolio session, where you’ll learn how to get the clients you deserve.

The speakers for this event are Martine De Luna (MartinedeLuna.com) and Teresa Dumadag (FullLifecube.com).

Learning Fee:

Early Bird Rate: Php 1200 per participant (sign up and pay before January 10, 2014)

Regular Rate: Php 1500 per participant (rate on January 11 onwards)

Group Rate: Php 1000 for 3 participants (Kindly form your own group)

*Pay via BPI, UnionBank or Paypal *Includes handouts, lunch and snacks and a Certificate of Attendance *Early Bird Registrants gets a FREE Learning Circle Card which entitles you to a 10% on all workshops of Manila Workshops for 2014

To register, just go or visit the Manila Workshops website.

I hope to see you there! 🙂

P.S. If you registered for the Ready to Be Rich: Family Finances Workshop last year, you might already know that it was re-scheduled because of Typhoon Yolanda. The new date is January 11 (tomorrow!).

You can still sign up here. Don’t forget to use the Blogger Referral Code TrulyRichMom to get P200 off! 🙂

The One Where I Have Too Much to Blog About So I’ll Just Post a Video of Me on TV

December 17, 2013 by Tina 2 Comments

The title above is self-explanatory. I know I have months’ worth of things to blog about and I don’t know if I’ll EVER get around to doing so as my days (and nights!) are more about the kids, homeschooling, work and chores now. I am always amazed (and a tad envious — fleetingly envious, thank God!) at how all those homeschooling moms with more than three kids find the time to blog so regularly and in such detail! And, and, and, seem to do SO many fun and crafty Catholic activities with their kiddos! Take a look at Jessica’s Shower of Roses blog if you want to know what I mean! Or Jennifer on Catholic Inspired! 🙂

(FYI, I love their blogs and have found many inspiring and doable takeaways from them. Many of our family traditions have actually been inspired by Catholic blogs like theirs!)

Anyway, I digress.

Like I said, there’s too much to blog about now — I have posts (in my head) starting from way back in September! Or is it August?! Ha, ha! I need to get more organized soon!

In the meantime, here’s a photo linked to a video of me on a local TV show, where I was featured as one of many others who are now working from home. 🙂 Just click on it to watch the video. (Note to my non-Filipino readers and friends: It’s in Tagalog/Filipino.)

And now… back to beating those deadlines before the Christmas break! 😉

How have you been, friends? I’d love to know what’s been keeping you busy! 🙂

On Being Too Busy and Letting Things “Slide”

July 13, 2013 by Tina 11 Comments

I had already written a complete post with the same title as above on my phone yesterday, while Anne was asleep in my arms and the two older kids were watching Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, but for some strange reason, it didn’t get published! BOO! Anyway, it’s high time I told you guys what’s been going on with me/us! 🙂

I read a post yesterday on my friend Martine’s blog and I couldn’t help but relate to it — she wrote about stuff she has yet to write and stuff she’s been doing. I wanted to give her a virtual high-5 (and a hug too!) because I knew that she was (and still is, most likely!) as busy as I’ve been. (Right, Marts? Right?!)

Ever since my maternity leave ended, I feel like I’ve been “running” non-stop to beat deadline after deadline after deadline. (Sadly, I know I’ve missed a few — eek! Peace to all my teammates at the office!) It’s no joke working from home and taking care of a baby and ~~attempting to homeschool~~ homeschooling two kids and trying to keep your home clean and chaos-free. Seriously! How do those work-at-home-homeschooling-moms-of-more-than-three-kids-who-seem-to-have-it-all-together-and-then-even-take-the-time-to-document-everything-on-their-blogs-and-pin-stuff-on-Pinterest do it all? Ha, ha! (No offense if you’re one of those moms, OK? Seriously, you ladies rock!)

I certainly don’t. Do it all I mean.

And lest you have been deceived by my Facebook posts or tweets, take a look at what part of our bed looks like on a daily basis:

In the photo above, you’ll see my office-issued Mac, where I do my editing and writing, a book I’m proofreading that needs to be submitted by Monday, a brown envelope that contains more stuff to be proofread, two Language Arts books (readers) that I have Tim read from (when I remember to do so), my Bible (helps keep me sane most days), and an assortment of stuff that babies and kids need. Oh, and of course, a cute little baby who usually doesn’t sleep long enough ON the bed during the day for me to do chores and other stuff! (Yep, I took this photo earlier in the evening!)

Chores? Did you read that right? Yes, chores. The two helpers (or kasambahays to us Filipinos) we had hired last month (I mentioned them in my post about the Kasambahay Law) left one after the other. They stayed less than a month. (Long story, which I will not tell you anymore as it’s just a waste of time!) So yes, we are yaya-less and helper-less! Which, upon hindsight, may be a blessing in disguise after all!

However, let me be perfectly honest and tell you all that I have been letting things “slide” on the homefront, though we are “managing” so far:

The apartment has not been cleaned properly ever since our helpers left two weeks ago. You see, the last helper left one day before Anthony was to leave for Australia for the Hillsong Conference, so the kids and I ended up staying at my mom’s place first so I could focus on work (remember, deadlines!!!). We came home just before this week began and were only able to do the laundry and some light sweeping. So now, since we haven’t really cleaned the floors, etc., I just tell the kids to keep their house slippers on and avoid touching the floor with their hands. 😉 It’s a good thing no one in our family has asthma! (Oh, I was able to clean the bathroom this week though, so YAY ME!)

There are piles of clutter everywhere (again, see above photo). There are piles of books on the bed, and an assorted jumble of toys too. To avoid being buried by books and toys, I have the kids pack away their things in reusable bags and these multi-purpose bags we bought at SM. Hee hee! (I told myself we’ll finish de-cluttering one of these days! Hmmm… I wonder when that will be!)

Homeschooling, on GOOD days, consists of reading practice, writing practice (copywork/dictation/spelling), math exercises and religion lessons. Unfortunately, these past two weeks, good days have been few and far between. Most of the time, I have the kids listening to free audio stories or exercising their imaginations (i.e. engaging in pretend play). Oh to be brave enough to plunge into unschooling!

There are also days when the baby is given only a sponge bath — so thank God for the heavenly smell of babies, even when they’re all sweaty! Hee hee! 🙂

On a more serious note, we’ve been having discipline and behavior issues with one of our children, and this has also contributed to my stress. Ironically, I think the issues have come up precisely because of my stress (in trying to “manage” everything on my plate, which is already very full). So yes, I need to de-stress, not just de-clutter!

I also have many posts I need to write, especially for my AWESOME blog partners, including my newest one, Halo Philippines! Plus more homeschooling-related and parenting-related posts that I hope will be helpful to you all. 🙂 I’ve been receiving emails and Facebook messages again, particularly about homeschooling, so I want to write posts that I can direct people to in the future.

Ok… the baby’s awake now! That’s my signal to go. I have to get back to proofreading anyway. (I have successfully mastered the art of proofreading while nursing!)

But please, please believe me when I say I’ll be back. 🙂 In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment on my page or connect with me on !

Have you had a busy week too? Do you find yourself letting things “slide” sometimes? Leave a comment and let’s talk!