When Writing Dreams Come True (Looking Back to My 2013 Writing Goals)

Earlier this year, I attended a WAHM (work-at-home mom) workshop, which had breakout sessions on freelance writing and virtual assistance. Because I wanted to further my career as a freelance writer, I attended the writing session. I learned so much from that workshop that it inspired me to create a list of my freelance writing goals for the year.  

It has been almost five months already since that day and so I revisited the list to see how far I've gone in terms of accomplishing my goals. I am so pleased to tell you that I have accomplished most of them already! Yay! So, what are my accomplishments exactly?

Well, my first goal was to Read, Read, Read. I have been able to read a lot during the past months. I've read blogs and websites of people whose writing styles I admire. The only thing I wasn't able to do was to read one book every week. Not to make excuses but with my present schedule, it's actually impossible. So, I just try to read one or two every month. Good enough, if you ask me.

I've also achieved my goal of educating myself more on writing. I've attended quite a few workshops already both physically and online. Also, I've achieved putting up my own professional website wherein I can showcase the work that I do. (Do visit www.janicetlim.com.) The only thing that I haven't done is to go back to journal writing. That's something I want to accomplish very soon. 

I have to say though that my most favorite accomplishment is to finally be able to write for a parenting site. On my list of goals, I did not specify any particular site but I actually had only one in mind. It is the site of Smart Parenting magazine, www.smartparenting.com.ph. I just love the magazine. I buy an issue every month. I did not mention it on my list, though, because I thought "What if I wasn't able to accomplish it"? People would know that Smart Parenting rejected me. Yikes! So, I opted to leave that detail out. Haha!

But I did apply just a few days after writing that list, with a lot of encouragement (and a recommendation) from fellow WAHMs who were already writing for SP online then. It took a while before I got a response. It took four whole months! I was actually beginning to think that they didn't want me. But it turns out that they did! The Managing Editor finally emailed me with a couple of writing assignments during the last week of May. She asked if was interested. Damn right, I was! I was so thrilled!!! It was really a DREAM COME TRUE!

Of course, I did my best with my first couple of articles. I had to interview people. Wow! It really felt like I leveled up already. Haha! I still can't get over the feeling. So, with much anticipation, I waited for my articles to finally be published. They couldn't give me a definite date, just that it will come out in June. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out today that my first article is now live on the site. Yay!!! Here's a screenshot of it. 

Click here to read the article

I hope you guys will read the article. I worked hard on it. :) Did you see my name? Haha! Happy dance! :) 

This is only the start of something good. I can feel it in my bones! :) I am looking forward to writing more articles for SP online. Who knows? Maybe next year I can transition to writing for the magazine itself. That would be another dream come true too! That's my new goal. Maybe I'm dreaming again.  But that's what you do when you've already accomplished a goal - aim for a new one. But for now, I'm super happy with this blessing. I am so blessed. God is so AMAZING! 

What Father's Day Means To Me (A Tribute To My Hubby)

For the past several weeks, I've had to endure being exposed to a whole lot of Father's Day - related posts. There are so many Father's Day sale announcements in my email, on Facebook and Twitter. They're on billboards and posters outside. Sentimental Father's Day quotes are everywhere on social media too. As a Social Media Manager, I too had to research and post a number of quotes, images and articles related to Father's Day and it was anything but easy for me. It was excruciatingly painful.

You see, I don't exactly have a good relationship with my Dad right now. In fact, I haven't spoken or seen him in three years for reasons that are too personal to share on this blog. It is because of this that I haven't really celebrated Father's Day with him for years now. This is also why Father's Day usually brings me so much pain.

So, I'm grateful that I found another reason to celebrate Father's Day. Even if I can no longer celebrate it with my own Dad, at least now I can celebrate it with my hubby. He has brought new meaning to Father's Day for me. Kai became Zoe and Ziya's second dad the minute he decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

He welcomed my girls into his life with much uncertainty, only because he had never really been a father before and didn't know what his role as their stepdad would entail. But even though he was uncertain at first, he loved them and cared for them like his own flesh and blood. He would sacrifice sleep just to accompany me to their school events. He'd spend for their stuff first before thinking of buying something for himself. He teaches them useful things so that they'd grow up knowing how to take care of themselves. He always thinks of them whenever he plans for our future. For this, I will always be grateful.

His role as a Dad became even more pronounced once we had Ziggy. Although I knew he wanted us to have a daughter, things changed once he first laid eyes on Ziggy. I know not having a daughter didn't disappoint him at all. Ziggy's coming into our lives gave me the opportunity to see a whole new side of Kai that I've never seen before. He's a hands-on, doting dad. He changes Ziggy's diapers and gives him a bath. He calms Ziggy down and puts him to bed. He plays with him and let's him discover the world. He tickles Ziggy, laughs with him, teaches him about cars and trucks and a whole lot of other cool stuff that I can't teach. And I can see the love in his eyes. I know there is nothing he won't do for Ziggy.

With Kai, I see that he's the kind of father I never had. And while this makes me feel a bit sad for myself, I am also happy that my kids have been blessed with him. That makes me truly blessed too. I can't ask for anything more. 

Happy Father's Day, Kai!

Book Review: The Mimosa Tree by Antonella Preto

Title: The Mimosa Tree
Author: Antonella Preto
Date of Publication: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Pages: 376 pages (paperback)

Purchase Links:  Amazon

About the Author (Goodreads):

Antonella was born in Western Australia to Italian migrant parents. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a major in Literature Language and Culture and a minor in Film and Television. Over the years she has worked on numerous film, music and writing projects, and while she has always sustained an interest in writing, The Mimosa Tree is her first completed novel. Professionally she has worked as a technical writer, trainer, graphic designer, gardener, ‘check-out-chick’ and most recently a counsellor and psycho-educator. 

Summary (Goodreads):

It’s the summer of 1987 and Mira is beginning her first year at uni. She’s got a radical new haircut, and an all-black wardrobe — she should be having the time of her life. 

But it’s hard to get excited about anything when you’re being smothered by your crazy Italian family, enrolled in a course you’re not interested in, and expecting nuclear warfare at any moment. 

Even a new best friend and the magnetic boy from art class can’t wipe away the image of a looming mushroom cloud. And Mira’s right. Her world is about to explode, but it’s not the skies she should be checking.

My Review:

The main character of this book, Mirabella Verdi, or Mira as she is more popularly called is someone who's not easy to like. She's different because she doesn't conform to the norm, much to the disappointment of certain people in her migrant Italian family living in Australia. She dresses differently, has weird taste in music and is a loner who doesn't have any friends. She gives people the impression that she doesn't care about anything. She accepts who she is and doesn't try to hide how different she is. 

It is because of these traits that I initially wasn't too fond of Mira. I couldn't relate to her. But I guess, that's what makes her character so effective. As a reader, I really felt what people in her life probably thought of her - that she's too weird, too depressed, too different. So, with that thought in mind I proceeded to read the book and discovered that there's more to Mira than I initially thought.

The beauty of this book is in its authenticity. If you're looking for an easy, light read then this is probably not the book to read. The seriousness of it's plot is for the mature reader. The story deals not only with Mira's growing pains as a freshman in university but also with her relationships with her family and friends. It tells of how much she loves her mother who has cancer, of her disgust for her father and of how she deals with two very different aunts. 

The story is actually easy to relate to but can be sad and depressing at times. But isn't life that way too? Life is not all about happy times and this novel does a good job in depicting a challenging time in one young woman's life. Although I have to admit, I got irritated with Mira on certain parts of the book because I didn't get her reactions to things. I didn't get how stubborn and difficult she was. But I guess, that's just part of who she is. 

One of the things I just didn't get was Mira's friendship with Harm. I get why she was attracted to him. Even good girls get attracted to "bad guys" too, right? But a guy who wears eyeliner? Okay, maybe that was just Mira's taste. However, the relationship was just too weird for me. I guess, in the end, Harm's character had a purpose though.

What I found really interesting is Mira's friendship with Felicia, who's her exact opposite. She's perky and funny and "normal". I almost expected her to be a mean girl so it was refreshing to find out that she actually liked Mira for who she is and saw through her tough act. Because in reality, Mira's actually lost and struggling to find her place in the world, trying to balance what she wants for herself and what her family wants for her. That I could relate to. 

I could also relate to her grief about her mom. I could relate to the times she wished that things can just go back to the way they were. I could relate to her fear of change and her fear of having to step up and be a grown up. I guess, deep inside, Mira's not that different from most of us after all. 

As a whole, I liked the book because it's refreshing and real. I'd recommend it for those who don't mind reading something serious. 

Rating: 4/5

Learn More About Me Thru Old School Blogging

Last week, my good friend Martine tagged me on her Old School Blogging post. I haven't joined a meme for a while now and thought it would be nice to do it again. I've always loved memes like this because I get to meet other bloggers and learn more about them. It's fun!

The Old School Blogging meme is actually hosted by The Miss Elaine-ous Life and co-hosted this month by Jennifer P. Williams. If you wish to join, just click on the image below. You can also tweet about Old School Blogging and use the hashtag #OSBlog and tag your friends.  

So, here goes:

A. Attached or Single? Very attached. Haha!

B. Best Friend? Kai, the one and only love of my life and partner in crime.

C. Cake or pie? Both! Depends on what kind, I guess. I love chocolate, mango and strawberry cakes. For pies, I love banana cream and apple. :)

D. Day of choice? Saturday. On Fridays I cram to finish the work I haven't been able to do during the week. On Sundays, I start worrying already about the week to come. So Saturday is the only day I get to just chill.

E. Essential Item? Just one item? I have many essentials but if I have to choose just one it has got to be my cellphone.

F. Favorite color? All shades of purple!

G. Gummy bears or worms? Both. Depends on my mood though.

H. Hometown? Manila, Philippines

I. Favorite Indulgence? Date nights with my hubby. TV series marathons. Reading a great a novel without interruption. Sleep. Massages.

J. January or July? January, because the year is still full of promise. In July, it rains A LOT in this part of the world.

K. Kids? Yes. 3 of them. Two tween girls and a toddler son. :)

L. Life isn’t complete without? Love. Laughter. Books. Hugs. Chocolate. Coffee.

M. Marriage date? Ummm, can we not talk about this? I've forgotten about my first one and the second one can not be planned yet. Suffice it to say that "it's complicated".

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 3 brothers and 1 sister

O. Oranges or Apples? Definitely apples. I'm not too fond of oranges.

P. Phobias? My dad. Don't ask.

Q. Quotes? Something that I can relate to at this time in my life is "Keep calm and sparkle on". Do read my previous post with that title to learn why. :)

R. Reasons to smile? Kai and my kids. Chocolate. Coffee. The smell of books. Rainy (not stormy) days. Coffee dates with friends. Writing.

S. Season of choice? Summer. I love going to the beach! I just don't like it when it's summer and I'm stuck in the city.

T. Tag 5 People.  Ditas, Christine, Denise, Louise, Tina

U. Unknown fact about me? It's not unknown to people very close to me but to others, well, most people don't know I can actually sing and dance. I was part of the Glee Club and Dance Club for a while in high school.

V. Vegetable?  Broccoli. Yum!

W. Worst habit? Worrying about everything. Yes, I'm (a bit) OC.

X. Xray or Ultrasound? Huh? I guess, ultrasound 'coz it reminds of being pregnant and I love it when I'm pregnant.

Y. Your favorite food? Hands down, it has got to be steak. I am a meatlover. So sue me. Oh, and I love all kinds of pasta too!

Z. Zodiac sign? Pisces.


Now, it's your turn! :)

My Work Was Published On Glam-O-Mamas!

For me, one of the best things about being a writer is getting to see your name on print. There's nothing like the satisfaction I feel whenever something I've written gets published with my name on it. That's because I don't get a byline every single time I write something, for instance when I write content for websites or social media. So far, the only times I've had my work published with my byline are those articles I've written for DailyGlow.com and for the Colgate Oral and Dental Health Resource Center's site.

So, imagine how excited I was when I learned that one of the press releases I've written was going to be published on Glam-o-Mamas' site with my name on it. Yahoo! :) I was so happy when I found out especially because although I've written other press releases before, this one is going to be the first one to be published with my byline and on Glam-o-Mamas too!

I love Glam-o-Mamas! If you haven't been to the site yet go to Glamomamas.com now. It's chock full of interesting and informative articles about modern parenting. I visit the site often and hope that I'll be able to contribute to the site more regularly as a writer in the future. 

For this particular instance, though, I was hired by my good friend and mentor, Martine of DaintyMom.com, to write a piece about Chichi Mary, which is an online store that offers fun, fashionable, one-of-a-kind clothes for girls. Thanks, Martine. I loved writing it and I love it even more that it has been published with my name on it. Haha! Proud much?

 Here's a shot of the beginning part of the article. 

Here's the bottom part where my byline is! :) 

Did you see my name? So cool, right? Well, go ahead and click here to read the entire thing. Don't forget to take a peek at the comments section below the article. There was someone there who made a nice comment on my write-up. :) Feel free to comment too, if you wish. 

Ahhh, I feel so good right now. Even though there are some not-so-nice things happening in the other aspects of my life now, at least, my writing dreams are coming true one by one. God has blessed me with so much and I am eternally grateful.  

Here's to more of my writing dreams coming true!

Keep Calm and Sparkle On

I haven't been feeling like my normal self for a little over a week now. I heard some news about something that has been troubling me for a few years and it's not good. Sorry, I can't share the private details here but what I can tell you is that it has been affecting me a lot. 

With "a lot" I mean, it's taking a toll on me not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well. I've been having anxiety attacks. This happens to me every so often for the past several years. I guess, it was brought about by several traumatic experiences growing up. The thing is, I was able to manage it before. It's a different story now. 

Most days I am able to manage it on my own in the sense that I am able to prevent it from getting worse. But there are just days when all I wanna do is hole up in bed and cry. When it happens, it's hard to breath. I get palpitations. My knees get weak. My hands get clammy. And when it gets like that, it becomes harder to control. It has gotten to the point where I had to proactively seek help because I don't want it to get even worse. 

First and foremost, I have to take care of my two-year-old son. I have to tend to my hubby and my two daughters too, not to mention the house and my clients as well. There are days when my mind just wants to give up. Wouldn't it be easier? But there is still that part of me who's a fighter. It's that part of me that has been fighting all these years. She's tired... oh so tired. But she's still there and I'm grateful for that. 

I'm not sharing this with you guys to depress you. I don't mean to be negative. I just want to let you know that even though I struggle every minute of every single day, I still feel hopeful that things will be okay in the end. I still believe that God has a reason and that He will find a way for my troubles to go away. I just need to find that strength within me to keep going. I need to find peace.

That is why when I saw this on Instagram earlier today, I could immediately relate. 

Source

When I saw this, I really felt that God was sending me a message. It's exactly what I need to do. Keep calm and sparkle. And it even came in purple, my favorite color! If that isn't a sign I don't know what is. 

I need to keep calm. I need to be still. I need to push my worries away so that I can function and see how I can solve my problems. I need to rise above my fears so that I can sparkle. I need to keep this in mind all the time. So, starting today this will be my new mantra.

I love this quote so much that I started searching for better images because this one's a bit blurry. I actually found a few but I chose this one below as my favorite. The image is clearer. The purple is more to my liking and when you say the phrase it's not "bitin" because it has the word "on" at the end. Haha!

Source

I'm feeling a little better already. I hope I can keep this up. 

Would you guys mind sending me a little encouragement?

Press Release: You're the 1, Dad!

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and Dads everywhere will rightfully be acknowledged by their families and shown extra appreciation for their continuous love and support. Make this year’s Father’s Day celebration sweeter with the country’s number one bakeshop, Goldilocks.  

Goldilocks is highlighting sweet delicacies that are sure to tickle the taste buds of Dads of all ages. There’s the enduring favorite, the Black Forest Cake, which now comes in roll size and single servings. On the other hand, the Cinammon Hugs, Ensaymada Hugs, and Caramel tarts will surely get a lot of hugs in return from dad. 

Stop by your nearest Goldilocks branch, or call 888-1-999 Go-Delivery to get a special treat for a truly special man in our lives