by rossanahead | Jun 19, 2020 | Recent Posts, Rossana Llenado, Smart Talk, woman
For most people around the world, 2020 is a year of stagnancy. Workers have lost their jobs, students have stopped going to school, and businesses have closed down. But for Ms. Rossana Llenado, founder and president of AHEAD – the leading and most awarded tutorial and review center in the Philippines, this year holds a lot of learning opportunities especially for Smart Super Women.
During her Facebook live seminar on June 18 – which garnered more than 51,000 views, 2600 comments, and 679 shares from different parts of the world – Ms. Llenado shared her views about different topics including life goals, marriage, family matters, education, mentorship, business, among others. She started her talk by introducing the 8 A’s of what a Smart Super Woman of today should be – alert, agile, adaptable, action-oriented, adept, agreeable, altruistic, and ahead-thinking. These characteristics are crucial in our wholistic growth as women especially if we want to become better individuals.
As a leader and visionary, Ms. Llenado highlights the importance of planning life goals in our success. According to her, the short-term goal at this time is survival. We have to make sure that we come out healthy and alive from this global pandemic. After that, we have to start thinking about our medium-term goals – whether that’s changing careers or improving our life in general. Lastly, we have to identify and move towards our end goal because everything we do should be of service to what we want to achieve in the end.
To become a Smart Super Woman, it is necessary for women to invest in themselves. This means exercising daily, making sure that we learn something new every day, finding a mentor, maintaining social connections, disconnecting from negative people, and always keeping the faith. Doing these things will mold and transform women into better versions of themselves especially at this time.
Being a woman is not an easy task because of the multitasking involved in our daily lives. A housewife is already a super woman given all the chores that she needs to finish every single day and a working mother is another kind of hero that we should all look up to. It is not an easy feat to do everything that’s why Ms. Llenado stressed that women should be kinder to themselves. Nobody is perfect and women especially, should never beat themselves for failing short of their expectations. Committing mistakes is normal and it doesn’t and will never make us less of a woman.
At the end of her talk, Ms Llenado emphasized that educators and parents should continue investing in their children’s education. South Korea and Singapore, two of the world’s most progressive economies managed to put their names on top because of their commitment to education. The current situation is not an excuse for students and for everyone to stop learning. For teachers and parents, this new normal is a challenge and also an opportunity to explore online learning channels such as AHEAD Alpha that offers online K-12, homeschool support, and assistance to schools that are transitioning to online.
It is true that the pandemic has changed our way of living. However, there are still many things we can do to transform the new normal into a “better normal.” It is not the time to be selfish with what we know. Rather, it’s high time for us to share our knowledge and be altruistic in our actions. For Ms Llenado, an altruistic act means doing more than what is expected from us. Now that schools have closed down, we can help parents and teachers by continuing to support students through different means of learning. As women, we can help other women grow and improve to become a Super Smart Woman for the better normal. Eventually, whatever good that we give out to the world comes back to us in tenfold. ∎
by rossanahead | Dec 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
Let’s face it. A normal day at work can be very hectic and stressful especially if your work has busy periods throughout a year. Your day schedule may be full and you may be running a lot of errands probably causing you to feel anxious and all over the place. Such instances are unavoidable with such a heavy workload — but don’t fret! There are very effective ways to cope with and manage the busy day ahead.
- Get enough sleep the night before.
Before starting a busy day, gear yourself up by aiming for 6-8 hours of sleep in order for your body to recover and heal. You’ll find yourself feeling refreshed the morning after and maybe even find yourself enjoying a good cup of coffee!
- Mind what you eat.
To prepare and gear yourself up for the day, it’s important to make better food choices. While it may be tempting to munch on that bag of chips and stress-eat, your productivity will lessen by eating such food. By making better food choices, you’ll be able to maintain an even blood sugar level to keep you focused and energized. Spread out small meals evenly within the day and you won’t find yourself immediately burning out and getting irritable.
- Get moving.
If you find yourself sitting in front of your screen for too long then maybe it’s time to get up and do some stretching. Stretching a little can help reduce some tension in your body caused by stress. You may also opt to walk around during your lunch break for 10-15 minutes to stimulate your senses and get yourself motivated.
- Set micro-goals.
This is a smart way to get things done within a day. Setting realistic goals will reduce your chances of feeling overwhelmed and anxious over the heavy workload. You need to be careful not to spread yourself out too thinly so as to not compromise the quality of your output.
- Squeeze in some quiet or ‘me’ time
Around the end of your busy day, allot around 5-10 minutes to do something you enjoy, whether it be taking a short nap, solving puzzles or playing a game on your phone, it always helps to unwind for a bit and then bounce back. Take the time to reflect on your day, what worked or what didn’t as means of self-assessment.
Nowadays, where people are living in the fast life, many forget or are unable to manage themselves properly to the detriment of their health and performance. With these five strategies that you can follow, your busy schedule won’t feel as dragging and you’ll find yourself accomplishing tasks successfully throughout the day.
Bibliography
Wilding, Melody. “5 Coping Strategies for When You're Feeling Anxious at Work.”
Themuse.com, www.themuse.com/advice/5-coping-strategies-for-when-youre-feeling-anxious-at-work.
Kren, Derek. “How to Manage Stress At Work During a Busy Period.” Huffingtonpost.com, 13
May 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-kren/how-to-manage-stress-at-work-during-a-busy-period_b_9957652.html.
by rossanahead | Nov 10, 2017 | business, Business Tips, career, environment, Existing Business, family
For us working Filipina mothers, blogs aren’t just a great form of entertainment but also a convenient method of learning. From mommy blogs, family blogs, style blogs, design blogs, cooking blogs, and all the other various genres of blogs that are out there, there is so much helpful, possibly life-changing knowledge made available to us online. Dive into this compilation of summaries and need-to-know information on a few delightful blogs!
Momma ‘n Manila
Mommanmanila.com
Who runs the blog?
Mish Aventajado, a “Filipina American mom of four lovely beings, one of which has an extra chromosome. Living in Manila. Yogini. Teacher. New Yorker at heart.” as she describes herself on her Twitter account.
What can you expect to read about?
“Thoughts on yoga, cooking, crafting, raising a special child, exploring, eating, playing, and living in Manila.”
Follow the blog if:
You want broad knowledge on a spectrum of topics. From special needs awareness to relationship advice to parenting hacks to exercise tips to food recipies to travel ideas to many, many more. This blog is filled to the brim with wisdom on a whole bunch of subjects that you will find relevant. Not only will it educate you with so much of what you need to know, but it also delivers enjoyable and entertaining insights as well.
The author on her blog:
“Through this blog, I hope to document the journey of finding myself through motherhood, learning through my children, my students, and my adventures here in Manila.”
Must-read article: 5 Things Your Kids Should See In Your Marriage (http://www.mommanmanila.com/5-things-kids-see-marriage/)
The Misty Mom
Themistymom.com
Who runs the blog?
Sharina Macainag, a “beauty junkie preposterously attracted to makeup and skincare”.
What can you expect to read?
Articles of tutorials, item unboxings, and features on topics such as beauty, makeup, skincare, hair, style, fashion, and motherhood. She also writes a monthly series of blogs on her favorite products, both beauty and non-beauty alike.
Follow the blog if:
You want to up your style game or stay up-to-date with the latest fashion, makeup, and hair styles. This blog is yet more proof that having children doesn’t mean you can’t keep up with your own style. It’ll inspire you to put together a great #OOTD, try out a new haircut, get the best products for your face and skin, and commit to many more aesthetic-related upgrades. Your kids will be amazed! Who says moms can’t have great style?
Must-read article: How Sleep and Skincare Worked Wonders for My Skin (http://www.themistymom.com/2017/06/how-sleep-and-skincare-worked-wonders-kojie-san-dream-white.html)
Mommy Peach
Mommypeach.com
Who runs the blog?
Peachy V. Adarne, “a mom to two daughters, wife to a loving husband, foodie by heart, a coffee lover and a froyo and yogurt junkie, and a law enforcer by profession”.
What can you expect to read about?
“Parenting and life as a mom and as a wife”
The author on her blog:
“This is where I also blog about our family’s travel, beauty finds, and OOTD’s — basically products, brands, or services which I have personally used or encountered.”
Bonus blog: The Peach Kitchen (thepeachkitchen.com) Peachy’s foodie blog!
Follow the blog if:
You’re interested in anything food-related. Whether you often wear an apron or not, this blog has a little bit of everything for everyone. There’s a ton of delicious dish recipes and handy kitchen advice for those who like to cook, but there are also new and exciting restaurant and product features, helpful diet tips, health hacks, and more. Take your pick, you’ll definitely find something that’ll pique your interest!
Chasing Dreams
Chasingdreams.net
Who runs the blog?
Rhiza Sanchez-Oyos, a “wife, mom, blogger, and dream chaser” who is a “self-taught Web Designer and Front-end Developer too”.
What can you expect from the blog?
Energizing articles focused on stories about her “family, marriage, life, dreams, and faith”.
Follow the blog if:
You want to be creatively stimulated. If your mind is ready and willing to be filled up with inspiration of all sorts. Whether to broaden your imagination so you can start up a new project, or to strengthen your motivation so you can continue striving on what you’re working on now. This blog will light a fire in your head, causing your creativity to intensify.
The author on her blog:
“I hope somewhere in the pages of this site you find the inspiration you need to pursue your calling too.”
Must-read article: How to Balance Your Family, Career, and Creative Passions (http://www.chasingdreams.net/2017/03/how-to-balance-your-family-career-and-creative-passions/)
So, there you have it! Of course there is still a multitude of other wonderful blogs out there, but this is just a hand-picked variety of some of the ones suited for working Filipina mothers like us. As you can tell, following these blogs are an enjoyable and convenient way of discovering new tricks in the kitchen, fresh outfit and makeup styles, up-to-date tips on motherhood and so much more. When you find some time—maybe when the kids are at school or you have a few free minutes at work—go check them out. After all, it would be a waste to miss out on what these powerful women and their inspiring blogs have to offer!
Featured Photo by Emma Matthews on Unsplash
by rossanahead | Oct 23, 2017 | Uncategorized
Women of today are very active in various industries. They play a huge part in the working class as well. Meanwhile, there are also those who choose to become housewives and take care of their growing children. These types of women lead very busy lives; and of course, they deserve some fun and enjoyment every once in a while. What better way to do so by finding a new hobby?
We have a prepared list of hobbies geared for the adventurous and explorative woman!
- Biking
This hobby requires you to have your own road bike but even so, it’s a great investment! It allows you to explore your neighborhood and at the same time you can get some exercise. Try this with your family, special someone or with your friends! Bike around your neighborhood or as far as your bike can go. It will guarantee your adventurous soul a lot of fun!
- Hiking
This hobby can be done during your free weekends and vacations. Join a hiking group or form your own and go back to see the beauty of Mother Nature! You’ll get to discover a lot of things and what better way to end your hiking experience with a nice sunset right?
- Acting
Who says that being adventurous is only limited to the outdoors? If you’ve always had the talent or the passion for acting and currently missing it, it’s never too late! There are available adult acting classes that cater your busy schedule. Besides improving your acting skills, it will surely give you a boost at your communication skills and confidence.
- Photography
No, you won’t be needing an expensive DSLR camera to shoot great photos. Be it your next trip, a craft you made or something you’ve eaten, surely someone will appreciate them! With the apparent rise of social media, specifically Instagram, you can share with your followers your adventures and give them the taste of what it feels like.
- Cooking or Baking
Explore your kitchen! Whether you’re good at cooking or you simply love to eat, this hobby is perfect. If you’re already good at cooking, why not try learning a new cuisine? Put a twist to a basic recipe or better yet, create your own.
- Camping
So there’s hiking in the list but of course, why not go the extra mile by spending overnight in a campsite? Experience the use of survival skills like making a campfire and enjoy some peace and quiet, far from the busy environment of the city.
- Wine Tasting
Sounds fancy and sophisticated but if your taste buds are in for an adventure of some good wine then it’s nice to indulge once in a while with the company some good friends. Join a local wine club and look for wine tasting events in stores and hotels near you. You can learn about different varieties and how each are made. Who knows, you might be hosting your own wine tasting session in the future!
- Wall Climbing
This is another whole body exercise that can greatly strengthen your core but at the same time, strengthens your mental abilities. As you climb, you calculate what your next steps will be to get you faster up to the top without wasting too much energy. There are several indoor wall climbing facilities now in the city where you get tutorials on the basics for a minimal fee.
- Gardening
If you were born with a green thumb, a love for plants and some space at your place then decorate it with a variety of potted plants, flowers or even vegetables! Not only will it provide your home will clean air and some color but the hobby is said to be very therapeutic. You can take pride in being able to skillfully grow healthy plants.
- Volunteering for Charity
While volunteering is not merely just a hobby, it is something definitely worth starting. Various places are in need of volunteer work especially places that were hit by calamities. Being able to commit your time for the betterment of other people’s welfare is a very fulfilling experience.
It is never too late to start something new. As many say, life is a continuous learning experience. For women whose souls are in want of adventure, give these hobbies a try! Reward yourself once in a while, ask a friends or two to join and lastly, don’t forget to enjoy!
Featured Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash
Bibliography
Davenport, Barrie. “40 Hobbies For Women To Strengthen Your Brain And Body.” Liveboldandbloom.com, liveboldandbloom.com/09/self-improvement/hobbies-for-women.
Moffat, Nichola. “35 Hobbies For Women.” Herinterest.com, 14 Apr. 2014, www.herinterest.com/hobbies-for-women/.
“30 Hobbies for Women to Help You Relax and Have Fun.” Ritely.com, ritely.com/hobbies-for-women/.
