2023 New Beginning

How long have I been away? I don't even know if I'm still welcome, or my followers have unfollowed me due to my inactivity. It doesn't matter anyway. My goal for this year is to stay in this platform as much as I can.

A SHORT RECAP of 2022

I couldn't remember when I actually stopped writing. Only I could recall is that I got really busy with the downpour of cake orders which made me refrain from my online activities, including my craft selling. I got overwhelmed and was so happy that many are starting to love and recognize my cakes. From foil tin pans, I upgraded my creations to big boxes of customized cakes. The good thing about cake business is that it sells out every month. In a month I get four to five orders per week for birthdays, christenings and other occasions.

So mainly, the cause of my inactivity is my cake business. As much as my brain wanted to, but my body isn't capable of staying late anymore.

Anyway, a lot had happened, still more about my cakes. There are so many challenges being a home baker. There was one time I got electrocuted by my oven. My oven had served for 8 long years. It's still functioning well, though, I know there's a part of it that's already grounded. But one day, as my husband went out of the bathroom. His slippers were wet that it made the floor really watery. It ran through my extension wire where my oven was connected. When I was about to put my pans inside I felt a little biting sensation in my ankle. I felt strange I pulled it back and then when I tried to put it back inside I realized it was electricity that ran through my feet and hands. So I took the pan out again and turned it off. Never used my old oven and cancelled, then refused the incoming orders. I lost a few orders after that.

Two days after, my sister in-law due to financial needs, decided to sell her TESDA earned oven. That was a freebie from their TESDA class and she thought she could never use that oven because she has her own big oven that she only use for family occasions. I bought it and started making cakes again. I was happy because the new oven had saved my electric bill. I had lesser consumption so I earn more.

But I had another problem. Inflation. As the days passed, prices of goods kept increasing. Almost everyday, gasoline, grocery items, fare rates, everything went up high and has gotten worst over time. Until last December, I was a little upset as I found out that my profit dropped 60% from the previous year. After that, I decided to pause my baking activities. I may have a passion in baking but maybe not in business, so I guess, I should refrain myself from exerting so much effort just to earn less.

The above pictures are just a few of my creations.. I guess, I should just look at them and say good bye for now...

2023 goals

I don't really have the "goal" for this year. I still believe that whatever comes is a blessing. Every year I would only pray for good health and peaceful living. Some situations made me think of things that I should accomplish this year.

One is a better and bigger apartment space. Ours was a disaster. Since the day we transferred in this place we have encountered health and financial problems. I don't know but the environment says it all. It's unclean, to be honest. It has enough space but there are animals and we are the unfortunate door who became the "cat's CR". My kids gets amoeba or pneumonia. Our walls get wet when it rains and the ceilings have leakage. Another thing is the bathroom floor that floods every time someone throws their laundry water from the 2nd floor because according to the plumbers, there's no proper tubing in our units. I have complained this several times but the owner didn't act on it. So my husband and I decided to look for another apartment and hope we could find a better and affordable one.

The kids are growing so fast that we couldn't fit in our motorcycle. We get wet during rainy days and so I wanted to invest even on a second hand car. We can use this if ever I go back to my baking business, too. I just pray that we don't spend so much this year so we can buy this as it is now a necessity for our family.

We have debts that I wanted to fully pay, so I'm really hoping for opportunities of earning more this year so I could re align my finances.

I wanted to visit my grandparents on my father's side and same as my husband who wants to visit his father's grave in Nueva Ecija. It's been a while that we haven't visited the place and we wanted both kids and their great grandparents to see each other.