Welcome to my brain

It’s me, hi. :) Nice to see you here! I’m honoured to be part of your inbox. I’ll always try to be respectful of your time, and with every email I’ll make sure to share at least one helpful insight, if not pique your interest or leave you amused at my many projects and hobbies.

Here’s my first gold nugget.

By the end of this read, you’ll find out how I self-publish my children’s books. 😉

People have asked me, “How do you find time to do all of your projects?” or “Why do you have so many?”. The latter a question my husband asks me all the time, to his dismay.😬😂 As an artist, I can’t help but feel the need to create—designing, conceptualizing, planning… These all get me into the zone! TLDR; making things makes me happy. 😅

If you’re new here, these are some of my current hobbies:

• Making children’s books inspired by my son’s interests

• General sewing

• DIY home improvements (using power tools and going to Home Depot means a fun day for me)

• DIY skincare formulation (I completed an online diploma course for this for fun)

• Designing products (bags, shirts, notebooks, etc…)

• Montessori parenting

  …and other activities I have done way less, like photography and drawing.

I’m still trying to find a balance, since being a wife and mom of a toddler equates to way less me-time compared to when I was single… Some people go shopping or watch Netflix to unwind. This is my way to unwind! I’m sure other creative spirits will relate with me (if this is you too, hey there 👋🏻!).

Life lately

Late last year I’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug! I’ve been attempting various side-hustles in hopes of generating passive income (aka “make money while I sleep”). So far nothing has yielded substantial results. I do enjoy the creative process very much, but honestly, all my projects are in the _negative. If I have had any sales, I owe it to kind family and friends (thank you, you know who you are). ❤️

I plan to share more details about these side-hustles (everyone could use some extra $$$!), so if you’re interested in learning more about something specific, reply to this email!

Project updates

Children’s books

The sequel to my last book is available on Amazon now — Special Signs of Spring is a lovely book Donna, Olga and I worked on to teach your little ones about the beautiful signs of springtime! I love this version, especially when contrasted with Snowy Winter Wonder. If you have littles aged 1-5, I’d love it if you can check it out and leave me a review! 🌟 Here’s what one father wrote about the previous book, Snowy Winter Wonder:

And so here’s the next one~ 😀 

I’ve decided to give myself more time (and less pressure) to finish this series. So, watch out for Davey and Bunny’s Summer and Fall books in 2024! 🤗

Airplane Seat Extender / ✈️ hammock

A few of you probably subscribed for this specifically, so here’s the latest: I’ve been ordering some samples from China for the seat base. I rejected the first sample which had a thin base, though it packed lighter. One of my priorities is comfort, so we are sacrificing by taking some bulk. I’ll work on the second prototype hopefully this week…

I still believe I need to hire out market research if I really pursue making this an actual product. For now, the second prototype will be sent to my sister-in-law for future travels with her 2 year old.

It’s been interesting learning how this all works. Here’s what I know now:

1. You can find almost everything on Alibaba for bulk pricing.

2. MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is usually at least 500 pcs… which means, if I finalize a base for this product and send an order, it means I am committing tens of thousands of dollars and a substantial shipping cost, plus possible custom duties!

3. Your favourite products on Amazon or Shopee? They are likely from the same suppliers you meet on Alibaba… 😂 If I see something I like on a Facebook or Instagram ad that’s selling for $60, I go to Aliexpress or Temu and find it for $12. In Asia, I’d probably check Shopee.

Current favourite steal-deal find

In each email I’ll share a current favourite item or deal I would recommend to family and friends. Today, I want to share the travel stroller we used during our long-haul trip to Asia. We already have a reliable Evenflo convertible stroller we used since Dane was an infant, but it was too bulky and heavy for travel. I wanted something light, cheap, foldable, and one that comes with a carry-on bag so it doesn’t get dirty when checked-in. I know, it’s a lot to ask.😂 

But I did find a good one!!!

The Good:

• very affordable compared to other strollers with the same features

• lightweight at 15 pounds; easy to wield even for a petite woman like me

• easy folding system, with a collapsible handle like the ones in suitcases so you can drag it around if you don’t need it!

• can push and steer with one-hand

• small enough to store in the overhead cabin (apparently, but we didn’t prefer to do this)

• comes with its own storage bag! I really don’t like how strollers get dirty when checked-in

The Bad:

• wheels aren’t as durable as my Evenflo since they’re just plastic, so I wouldn’t use this as my daily driver

• its five-point safety harness is a little finicky; I can’t decide whether it is smart or a little annoying

• need to remove front wheels in order to fully store inside the bag, otherwise the bag doesn’t fully zip close (I was fine with the zipper partly open since most of the stroller was already covered)

• rubber handle has torn a bit since we used it heavily during our travel, mostly going around the airport and malls in the Philippines

Verdict

Overall, for the price and whole feature package I love it! I find myself grabbing it more than my old stroller just because it’s much easier to wield and lighter to use.

Golden nugget

Since this is my first email, I’m going to keep it short and sweet. As promised, I’m sharing how I’ve been able to self-publish my children’s books.

✨ Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) ✨ - here’s what you wanna know ‘bout it:

1. It’s free to join.

2. It’s free to publish your books, and you only pay for printing costs when someone orders (isn’t this amazing?! 🔥)

3. Amazon takes care of fulfilling and packing all your customer orders.

4. Amazon offers free shipping on your books (well, so far it looks like it with mine. A family member has confirmed my books have free delivery to the Philippines! 🥹)

5. There are Youtube videos that walk you through the process. I plan to make a shortform video soon from start to finish (nothing too detailed though).

And there you have it. Hope you found this interesting. I’ll continue to share about my projects and learnings. See you in the next email~ 👋🏻😆