When our moms used to take us anywhere (in my case, my grandma), they would always hold our hand and remind us never to talk to strangers. Today, it is even more important to talk to your kids about how to deal with strangers just in case they get lost in a crowd. You know, I’ve always recounted how I got lost in the crowd in my hometown. I can clearly recall what happened. I was holding on to my grandma’s skirt then I just got lost. That’s a cute story to tell people, but now that I’m a mom, losing my child in a crowd is scary… so scary it gives me nightmares.

So, if you’re travelling during the holidays, you have to be prepared for crowds, particularly the big holiday crowd in market places or shopping malls. The risk of losing your child in a crowd is triple if you’re in a foreign country. One of the best ways to introduce this subject is to talk to your children in a way that will not scare them or make them frightened of others. Try to that not all people are bad, but they should be very careful never to go with strangers anywhere.

If you’re leasing your vacation home, like outer banks vacation rentals, make sure your child knows how to pronounce the name of the general area where you’re staying. Most of the time, kind-hearted people will bring the lost kid to the place where his family is staying.

Some work at home moms would rather enter a business that’s closer to home, like one that involves cooking, preparing drinks and cleaning up. Living in a small village with a lot of residential houses, I always see new mom entrepreneurs try their hand at small cafeteria management. If you’re thinking of putting up your own, here are some tips for you.

Besides the legal stuff you need to do, you have to understand who you’re cooking for. If you’re in a residential area, the stuff you serve must have something special, like a certain taste no one can duplicate. Remember, your customers can cook their own, so why should they buy? Attend a seminar on native delicacies and go for the recipes that needs special equipment. Choose recipes that the average person won’t bother with because of the complex cooking or preparation procedure.

Next, sanitation. Spruce up your kitchen, change the tiles and improve the water flow. You can also look into several sink designs and install water purification equipment or at least a new faucet (see Grohe faucet for inspiration). You never know when the health and sanitation people will come to visit so you need to be prepared.

It’s not difficult to start dreaming of earning online. I know it was easy for me to get swayed into the concept of working on the internet, building websites and helping marketers sell. So I went for it, without looking back. But I needed to do something to make the decision final. I don’t know why but I felt there was something holding me back from really embracing my decision to leave my job and work online.

Maybe it was the fear that I was venturing to a whole new world. Maybe it was the loneliness of leaving a job. You get lonely when you leave something that has occupied your thoughts for a very long time, even if the experience was bad. You’ve made friends in your old company, and though they may still be around after you leave, you’re throwing out a huge part of your common denominator with these people. There’s also that fear of never connecting with them again because maybe… just maybe… your job was all you had in common.

Sad to say, it sucks just knowing that you’ve made your decision, but you’re so close to going back because your fear is getting to you. Fortunately, there is a solution to that.

Buy something that will help your new enterprise in a big way.

It doesn’t matter if all you can afford is one of the many refurbished laptops being sold online, or a small website that contains only your portfolio. As long as you get something that will make you feel invested in your new world, get it.

It’s weird how taking the plunge was easy after that. I got something that cost me a huge chunk of my savings and I needed a way to pay for it. So I embraced the decision, by making myself unable to turn my back to it. I got my laptop on installment though, which is good for me because I felt like I was renting it until I can finally afford to buy it. Worked so well that I’m now looking to buy new investments for my business.

One of the most challenging aspects of gift-giving is shopping for men. With women it’s easy… the lot of us can use a few more bags, shoes, accessories and jewelry. Heck, we’ll even go ga-ga over flowers. But male relatives are a lot harder to choose gifts for because, seriously, if you give your dad a tie again… he might just guess that you really didn’t know what to give so you settled for what you settle for each and every year during Christmas (and father’s day).

My suggestion is to get gadgets. Not the tech stuff (though if he’s a new tech fan, you can always grab a new iPod case for him), but more of the “handy guy around the house” type of gadgets. To name a few, maybe a box cutter that no one around your neighborhood really has. Or a new, more efficient wrench for fixing the leaking faucets. Being handy with tools is a guy thing.

Another alternative is to give them new clothes. Men are into fashion but not as much as women. They’re more likely to wear the clothes you gave just because they liked it, and not only because they look good with something else they’re wearing.

Hope this post made you more “gift aware”. Have a fun Christmas!

Most Filipinos abroad miss the Philippines during December, partly because it’s Christmas and they want to be with their family, and partly because of the biting winter season in other countries. In mainland manila, once the weather goes below 18 degrees, we find ourselves wishing it’s summer again. Now imagine what some of our countrymen have to deal with in countries where the temperature can go below zero celsius. It’s the kind of chill that you can only handle if you have an electric blanket wrapped around you.

Besides the chance to wear cold weather clothes, I look forward to showing my son what Christmas is about. I want to point out stars and Christmas decor in the church, on the streetlamps and on houses in the neighborhood. I also want to teach him the basics of non-commercialism during Christmas, although I really don’t know how to start. I guess it’s a mom’s instinct to buy all the good toys and gifts for her baby during Christmas. Seriously, I find myself wanting to buy more stuff for him whenever I see another kid wearing a funny hat, or fashionable shoes.

I even forget sometimes that I have a son and maybe a pair of Dora themed gloves won’t suit him. But… maybe I can manage to teach him about the REAL meaning of Christmas even if I pile on the gifts and go crazy for holiday bargains. Maybe.

I also look forward to going to bazaars. And, you’ll probably find me yapping about the time when I used to sell in bazaars during the Christmas season. I can’t help it. I loved that experience, even if the profits from those ventures were meager. I used to sell trench coats and bath items, and generic Christmas gifts that most people would simply grab and go.