One of the main reasons why mothers choose to stay at home is because of their children. Our next WAHMspiration is no exception. But it is through the work-at-home lifestyle that she has found her wings and flew to a more "blissful" life.

I am beyond happy to feature this very WAHMderful lady, who also inspired me to embrace the work-at-home lifestyle and to "rock" at it :)

She is the founder of my most beloved WAHMderful Community of Work-at-Home-Moms, a support group and "sisterhood" of WAHMs in facebook.

Without further ado, my WAHMspiration this month is Martine De Luna.

Martine has been married to Ton for 7 years, and they have two kids: a 5-year old boy, Vito, and a baby girl, Krista . They live in a quiet neighborhood in Quezon City, and enjoy taking short trips out of town, dining out, and playing at the park!

Get to know more about her and her blissful WAHM lifestyle...

Hi Martine! Please tell us about what you do...

Martine: I am several things: a digital media coach, a freelance writer for magazines and websites, a copywriter for brands and agencies, a blogger and workshop teacher. I think it's a great profile, don't you? 

I am a "multipassionate marketing communications service provider," if you want to get technical! 

I work primarily with women bloggers and women-centric brands and businesses, and provide them with coaching on digital media, or copy solutions for their marketing materials, whether blogs, social media or print publications.

Ooh, I love the word "multipassionate"! How do you typically spend your day as a WAHM?

Martine: The day usually begins with me bonding with Krista and preparing a simple breakfast, usually cereal, eggs, fruit, toast. I have smoothies when I am in a rush! 

I usually have Skype calls in the morning, after which I spend some time with Vito doing writing exercises and drawing or arts & crafts. Then it's time to make lunch (or reheat leftovers). We eat all our meals together, as a family, which is very important I think. 

Afternoons are for napping with the kids, and maybe some TV time. By 4PM on weekdays, my husband starts work, so I need to manage both kids' merienda or activities. Dinner together, then bath and bed time for the kids by 8:30-9PM. I work maybe three more hours into the late night, when I do my writing and blogging. 

Maybe I do this three times a week only, because on the other nights I'd rather slow or wind down with my favorite tv show and another smoothie! 

Looks like you've got WAHMing under control. But how did you start? When did you realize that you’d be a WAHM and how did your husband react to the idea?

Martine: My firstborn was the catalyst. He didn't want to take the bottle of expressed breastmilk anymore, after he began solids. 

At the time, I was teaching at a school while doing freelance writing work on the side. I decided then to look for a home based job so that I could quit the school job. By the end of the school year that year (2010), I had a work from home job as a creative director for a U.S.-based SEO company, which let me work flexibly during Philippine hours and paid me more than my office job. 

It was a sign from God, I thought! So I quit the school job and transitioned smoothly to working at home. 

In 2013, I quit the SEO company (which had evolved into a web development company by then), and started to do freelance coaching for people who wanted to develop their online brands and personas through blogs and social media.

What are the challenges and successes you encountered?

Martine: Isolation can be a big challenge, but that's why I founded the Wahmderful Community back in 2012. As a group, I believe the WAHMderful Community of work at home moms takes care of the need for fellow WAHMs to connect. It began with the Facebook group in 2012 for work at home moms in manila to connect and share their experiences, post job leads, experience community. 

In October 2012, Manila Workshops helped develop the first WAHM workshop, which we have been doing for three years now! Many women from among the group have become good friends, too, beyond the FB group, which is always a good thing.

Could you share some tips for everyone else who’d like to take the chance and work from home?


Martine: Working from home is more than a type of work setup. It is a lifestyle that all members of the family should agree with. 

If a wife wants to work from home, she must have the support of her husband and vice-versa. It's a team effort to keep a balanced household and family dynamic. 

Before taking the leap towards home, moms and dads must agree to the kind of work they'll be doing, the work arrangements and home office space, the division of household tasks and the raising of the kids. 

Thank you for time, Martine. You are truly a WAHMspiration!

Get in touch with Martine or find her through the following social media links:
Blog: www.makeitblissful.com
Website: www.martinedeluna.com (work)
Facebook: Facebook.com/makeitblissfulblog
Instagram: @martinedeluna
LinkedIn: https://ph.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Martine/De+luna

Cheers to a WAHMderful Life, 


If you're a Work-at-home Mom and would like to share your WAHMderful life with the rest of the world, I'd be happy to feature you for WAHMspirations. Send me an email with the subject WAHMspirations Feature, to mangelicastro@gmail.com

Becoming a Work-at-home-mom is one of the biggest decisions I've made in my life. And I'm glad I did, because in the three years I've been living this lifestyle, I get to see my children grow and be a big part of their young lives. Other than that, I've also discovered a lot of ways I can earn from home...and believe me, I have tried a lot of things - from selling ice candies, working as a Virtual Assistant, doing freelance graphic design, just to name a few.

As long as it's manageable, I try to grab every opportunity I get to be able to earn and save, and help with our family's expenses.

So, I was happy to find out about this free guide on starting up a simple Internet Business by Selling e-Books. If your an avid ebook reader like me and you have Wattpad, Kindle, or Buqo on your smartphone, then perhaps this business idea can be a great opportunity too!

If you're pondering on what to do and how to earn some extra income or if you're probably considering a work-at-home job, then this guide can help you. I just read it, and now I'm thinking of the many topics that I can turn into a possible ebook. It's very easy to understand, Jon even uses Tagalog in this guide.

Who is Jon Orana?

Jon Orana is the Founder of Negosyo University. He is an author, successful entrepreneur, marketing consultant, and a business coach.

A former corporate slave himself, he’s now inspiring and teaching people on how to start their dream business so they can escape their 9-5 jobs.


He's the creator of one of the most successful online business training in the Philippines such as Blog Academy, Money Tree System, and Internet Business Master Class.

What's the Guide About?

In this free pdf guide, Jon shares a lot of tips on starting up an online e-book selling business. 

In it you’ll find out...

• The simple 3-step process that you can easily follow to succeed in this business, 
• Jon’s best-kept trade secrets in this business and how he sold over P24 Million in the last 36 months, 
• and why this is a better, more profitable business than traditional ones... and a whole lot more!

Download the FREE pdf guide, and you might just be able to start your own profitable business selling ebooks! 

This guide is just the beginning, as Jon will be reopening his program, Internet Business Master Class (IBMC), for the third time on September 14. This is a live two-month online (webinar) mentoring program that teaches people step-by-step tips on how to start an online business selling e-books and digital product.

Check it out first and this might be able to help you.

You can download the FREE pdf guide HERE.

UPDATE, as of September 7: Enrolment is now open for the IBMC: http://www.negosyouniversity.com/ibmc/registernow.php

Cheers to a WAHMderful Life!

Hello there!

I'm so happy to be featuring another WAHMspiration here on the blog. Just a little back story, I started this blog segment earlier this year, because one day it just dawned on me that I wanted to share more about the world of WAHMs.

I've been a member of the WAHMderful Community of Work-at-Home-Moms for quite a while now, and I have noticed how diverse and amazing mothers can be, not only in earning for their family, but also in juggling parenting and housekeeping all at the same time. And I guess this is what you may call the Modern Mom!

One of the outstanding, modern moms in our community is Ginger Palma Arboleda. You might know her from her blog, Mommy Ginger, or her notable venture, Manila Workshops. Yes, she is that Ginger in the recent Wilkins commercial :)

Ginger is happily married for 5 years to EJ, the Chief Technology of Wunderman Manila, and they have a cutie-patootie of a daughter named Zeeka. This self-professed workaholic loves meeting new people and talking about business. But on her not-so-busy days, she loves spending time with her family going to malls, watching movies and TV shows. Oh, and she also loves running and practicing yoga.

Get to know more about her happy, busy world through our interview...

Hi Ginger! Thank you for opening up to us. Would you care to tell us more about your work?

Ginger: I am the entrepreneur behind Manila Workshops, a brand which promotes continuous learning by creating workshops that help people achieve their personal and professional goals in life. 

I am also a co-founder of TUTI Group, which is a tech start-up that creates mobile applications and handle digital marketing strategies for clients.

I am also the blogger behind, MommyGinger.com, ManilaReviews.com and ManilaFitness.com. I have been professionally blogging for 7 years. 

I am also a business coach for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. I have my own program called Love the Leap that helps these people create a solid and a viable business plan and marketing plan. I launched a YouTube Channel called GTV, which presents videos on entrepreneurship and managing your own business.

Wow! that sounds like a lot to juggle. So how do you typically spend your day?

Ginger: I really don’t have a typical day! Haha! Each day is different for me, but basically, every day is a constant challenge of juggling different roles and different responsibilities. Each day for me brings new opportunities to learn more about the world.

When did you realize that you'd be a WAHM, and how did your family react to the idea?

Ginger: It was really when I found out that I was pregnant that I took my “racket” (which was Manila Workshops) and decided to take it seriously. I don’t really jump into things without planning (although in defending ideas, I get emotional sometimes… haha!), so when I had that thought of resigning to become an entrepreneur, I discussed it with my husband. We both weighed and assessed everything and we decided that this could actually work. 

It's wonderful that you have a very supportive husband. But what are the challenges and successes you encountered when you finally decided to become a WAHM?

Ginger: The challenge was really getting the business to take off. It was just “me” doing the daily tasks and completing all of the responsibilities. I didn’t have a team that time to help me. After a few months, I started adding people to the Manila Workshops team. For the first full year in business (2013), we conducted and managed 33 workshops. On our second year (2014), we had 71 workshops. This year, we are planning and have marked more that 100 workshops in our calendar.

Amazing! Goes to show how hard work and perseverance really pay off! Can you share some tips to those who’d like to take the chance working from home?

Ginger: You have to plan properly before you decide to work from home. It’s a big decision that will entail more roles and responsibilities to fulfill. You have to have the proper mindset. 

Thank you for your time Ginger, you are truly a WAHMspiration!

Get in touch with Ginger or find her in the following social media links:

Website: GingerArboleda.com / ManilaWorkshops.com
Blogs: MommyGinger.com / ManilaReviews.com / ManilaFitness.com
Facebook Page: facebook.com/mommyginger
Instagram Page: @mommyginj
Twitter Account: @mommyginj
Youtube Channel: GTV Channel
Email Address: ginger@mommyginger.com

Cheers to a WAHMderful Life,


If you're a Work-at-home Mom and would like to share your WAHMderful life with the rest of the world, I'd be happy to feature you for WAHMspirations. Send me an email with the subject WAHMspirations Feature, to mangelicastro@gmail.com

Hi there!

This is a new blog segment that's been lingering in my mind for the longest time now; I realized that I wanted to share more about the world of WAHMs. 

I’ve been a WAHM for almost 3 years, working as an Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant, and a Freelance Graphic Artist. When I explain my “work” to other people, I can see it in their eyes and reactions that they really don’t get it. But who can blame them if they don't have an idea about WAHMs?

Being a Mom alone is a lot of "work" already, so do you ever wonder what work-at-home-moms do on a daily basis? Or the various types of work they do?

I'll be featuring one WAHMderful mom each time, aiming to inspire everyone (yes, everyone, not only moms and women) that this "life" is indeed possible!

So without further ado...

My first WAHMspiration is Marge Trajeco-Aberásturi. I have yet to meet her personally, but I feel so close to this lady already, not only because we're both Batangueñas but also because we've exchanged emails and messages so often that I consider her a good friend.

Marge was a former career-driven corporate executive, now a family-centered WAHM, married to a former corporate genius who just recently became a WAHD. She's also more known in cyberspace as The Happy WAHM. 

And why wouldn't she be happy? They have been gifted with three lovely children. Their eldest has graduated from high school this March at age 15. The middlechild is finishing 6th grade as independent homeschooler and looking at taking the ALS this summer, and their youngest is in 4th grade, also independently homeschooled.  

Basically, they are interest-led homeschoolers, where the kids are given the freedom to learn on subjects they are most interested in.

Know more about Marge in our interview...

Hi Marge! Tell us about your work. Please enlighten us.

Marge: Knee-jerk response would be… I’m a virtual assistant. But in reality, virtual assistance is just the niche that I have specialized in. A more “profound” answer would be… I’m an entrepreneur. Or a mom-preneur, just to be more specific about it.  

I’m basically a business person. I create my own opportunities.  

When I started out, the only thing I knew was transcription.  I trained as a medical transcriptionist, and I was a transcriptionist for about eight months. Then I felt that I was ready for growth, so I ventured to virtual assistance, which is more the niche that I felt I could grow in.  It also gave me the opportunity to do things that I used to do as a manager, and learn about the nuances of other businesses.  I started from the bottom, doing clerical tasks for small to medium-sized businesses in the US, Canada, UK and Australia, all the while soaking every information I come across with like a sponge.  I enrolled in online classes. I attended webinars and workshops.

Marge is also a speaker for various workshops, talking about what she does best, being a WAHM :)

Wow, it sounds like you do a lot of work! How do you go about your typical day as a WAHM?

Marge: My day starts with a cuddle in bed with my youngest child, who at 9 still co-sleeps with us. Then saying goodbye to my eldest child who has to leave the house at 6:30. There is an optional cuddle time with my middlechild after that. Optional because she sleeps downstairs, and she doesn’t always come up to our bedroom. Then the smell of brewed coffee would pull me out of bed and go downstairs for breakfast. 

The husband is in charge of the kitchen, so breakfast would always be ready by the time I go downstairs.  House chores are divided among family members because we have not had househelp for the past nine years. We have trained the kids to help out, giving them age-appropriate chores, like folding the laundry, setting and clearing the table, putting away their own things, keeping surfaces free of dust, etc.  So house chores are done after breakfast, before homeschool.  

Our schedule is fluid, like on mornings of Monday and Wednesday, the homeschoolers practice piano, then they go off to lessons after lunch. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, they sit down with their Dad for Math/Science/History lecture.  I’m in charge of English/Filipino/Hele/AP and some projects. 

There are days that we have to skip lectures, when I have hard deadlines, or when we have errands like doctor’s appointment or if I have to meet with clients in Manila.  

More often than not, I take one kid with me to meetings, making it an educational field trip and bonding time. My VA work officially starts after lunch, with breaks to attend to questions that the kids throw my way.  I work in pockets of time, because I maintain several clients. I assign one to two hours of work for each client, allowing me to focus on a particular task. 

My work day usually ends at 12MN. 

Marge's workstation slash home office

And I'm loving her little hobby and craft corner too!

When did you decide that you’d be a WAHM? How did your family react to the idea?

Marge: The decision was made for us by circumstances, actually. Working from home was farthest from my mind, because I had a corporate career goal. But my third pregnancy was really difficult, and I gave birth really prematurely. My son stopped breathing 5 times, and the neurologist was not sure if there had been oxygen deprivation in his brain. Her advice was for me to forget about my job for two years, and personally take care of the baby. 

A parent has to be present at all times, to watch out for signs of any delay in development. But of course, I could not just sit around the house taking care of the baby, because my pregnancy and delivery left us in debt. We could not afford for me to be idle, so while my son was still in the hospital (he was there for two months), I enrolled in a medical transcription course and studied on the stairs of the hospital right in front of the NICU.  

The whole family supported our lifestyle shift.  My mother-in-law even gifted me with a pedal for my transcription software.  

Motherhood truly is a wonder, how you can do a lot of things for your child. I'm happy everything turned out well for you thereafter... but what are the challenges and successes you encountered in between? 

Marge: It was a steep learning curve for me, to start working online.  I was not even computer-savvy at that time, let alone internet-savvy. So I built my confidence from the ground up. 

But the challenge was not in my lack of knowledge or skills. The real challenge was staying connected, because we live in the province and providers are limited. It can be really stressful to be working online, and your internet connection is not reliable.

Successes... I have a long list. But short story is, I found my fulfillment as a woman, as a wife, as a mother and as a business person in WAHMing.  

You are indeed THE Happy WAHM! :) Can you share some tips to those who’d like to take the chance working from home?

My first tip:  Assess yourself and find out if WAHMing is something you will love doing for a long time. Working from home is not for everyone. It’s not about how much you earn.  It’s about the lifestyle.  Because it is a lifestyle that you embrace.  

My second tip:  When you have decided that WAHMing is for you, then set yourself up to be disciplined.  Because you will be working alone, there is no one but you to keep you in check.  You have to have that commitment to succeed, so you won’t cheat on your time, or your performance. 

And third:  Have a value proposition.  Whether you are a writer, a VA, an online shop owner, or a graphic artist, you have to have a value proposition.

What’s a value proposition?  It’s that one thing (or two) that will set you apart from the other writers, VAs, shop owners or graphic artists.  Like for an online shop owner, are you making it easy for your customers to order from you? Do you reach out to them, find out how you can serve them better, or are you the type who would set up a process, and leave the customers to follow your process or bust? 

Thank you for your time Marge, you are truly a WAHMspiration!

Get in touch with Marge or find her in the following social media links:
Facebook Page:  facebook.com/HELPforWAHMs
Twitter: @TheHappyWAHM
Instagram:  @TheHappyWAHM
Blog:  http://thehappywahm.com
Business site:  http://margeaberasturi.com
Contact email:  marge@margeaberasturi.com


Cheers to a WAHMderful Life,


If you're a Work-at-home Mom and would like to share your WAHMderful life with the rest of the world, I'd be happy to feature you for WAHMspirations. Send me an email with the subject WAHMspirations Feature, to mangelicastro@gmail.com

I've been seeing a lot of 2014 Year in Review in my Facebook News Feed. It's nice to have a glimpse of your family and friends' year highlights. I wanted to make mine, but decided to just document it here in my blog, for a more personal touch, don't you think so?

2014 was a year of Family get-togethers for me. We had a baptism, 3 birthday parties, 1 wedding, 2 Family Reunions, 2 Staycations, 1 Long Trip to Ilocos, and numerous Family Days-Out: Parks, Zoo, Farm, Museum, etc.

Here are the highlights of my year...

January

Hailey's Baptism and Kiel's 2nd birthday

February

Enchanted Kingdom (Daddy and Kiel's first Time)

April

Lola Celsa's 90th Birthday



Our 3rd Wedding Anniversary at Tagaytay - Bulalo, Horseback riding, Fish Foot Spa, and Staycation at Crosswinds.

May

Paradizoo



Ilocos-Pagudpud-Vigan Trip

June

Ate Josephine's Wedding

July

Kiel in the hospital - After Typhoon Glenda dwindled and left Manila with a blackout, Kiel suddenly had a seizure and we rushed him to the hospital. Turns out it was a febrile seizure due to high fever. This was his first time so we were very afraid. Imagine! We rushed him to the ER in our pambahay clothes! 

Ok lang makulit, basta wag magkasakit...

August

Bowling Day with Yayas - My husband had this idea to do a "team building" for our 2 yayas. Turned out they were better at Bowling than us! Haha.

October

Trick or Treat

Dimayuga Family Reunion

November

Hailey's 1st Birthday Party

Joson Family Reunion

December

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

This was also a productive year for me as a Work-At-Home-Mom. I got to work on various projects for Artique, mostly projects for WAHMs like me. I feel so blessed to have a wonderful Network of WAHMs in our Facebook Group. Shoutout to Martine, Meme, Marge, Ginger, Sharon, Liza, Raquel, Ginny, Rigette, and Elizabeth, among others, who have trusted me in doing graphics for them. I still have a few pending projects for some of you, promise I'll finish them soon! Hehe.

But most importantly, the main highlight of my year are 3 special people who fill my heart with love and bliss... that eventhough I get dead tired at times, it's all worth it at the end of the day.

Just look at those adorable faces :) they are God's blessings to me.

Hope you had an amazing year too. 

Here's to a more prosperous 2015 ahead!

Wishing you a Happy New Year,

I have always been a lover of Art. My childhood memories are mostly of drawing and doodling in my sketchpads and spending time finishing my coloring books...

And that passion I can never forget. EVER.

When I was in college, I was thinking of shifting to or taking another degree in Visual Communication or Interior Design. That's how much I love the Arts! I have had my fix of Interior Design when I designed our 36sqm. condo unit. Good thing that my husband and I meet eye to eye when it comes to aesthetics. Hopefully, we get to design our own house before we're 30! 

Interior Design Sketch Concept. This is what I gave the contractor, together with
hand-drawn perspectives and reference images. The pictures that follow are
actual pictures, they're a little outdated, since I haven't taken a picture of the
unit recently, so there's still no evidence of a toddler living here (haha).
I'll remember to take a pic of it's present state soon.

Although I may be a full-time mom and may not practice Landscape Architecture for almost 10 months now, I have been doing graphic design as a sideline lately. I consider it a FUN hobby too! I've always had the knack for designing, being an avid Adobe Photoshop-er since highschool. And now, thanks to my online shop and VA work, I know some basic html and CSS codes and even Adobe InDesign.

When I was pregnant, I was planning on being a Stay-At-Home-Mom already. I was excited to take care of our little bundle of joy. But it has also been at the back of my mind that I try to somehow find a work from home job so that I can help my husband earn for our family.

Setting up an online shop was one of the first things that popped into mind. The idea came to me when I was shopping online for baby stuff, specifically cloth diapers, for our then bun in the oven. Most of the online stores I came across were managed by fulltime moms! And they were so very friendly, and had quite a network of mommy customers too! I was more inspired into setting up my own shop when we attended the recent ExpoMom in Rockwell just last May 2012. Their theme for this year was "The best of modern motherhood". It celebrates the joys of motherhood in different forms. You can check out the amazing mommy badges here.

I used this mommy badge on my facebook wall then. I was
fresh from resigning from my office job, and this badge
really helped express what I feel: I want to be a hands on mom :)