It has almost been two months since my last blogpost, and forgive me dear ladies for not being able to update. As I have mentioned in our Facebook page, the last two months had been a breath-taking roller coaster ride for my little familia and it needed more of my time and focus so I had to indulge.

Anyway, too much about me, let us talk about this exciting WAHM of the Week feature that was supposed to have been published in time for Valentine’s week. After seeing everything that she is involved with, I am wondering now where this WAHM gets her energy, and sources her creativity and baking prowess! And apart from being a busy WAHM and a hands-on mom, this mommy is also very active in her natural parenting advocacies such as breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and babywearing. In fact she is one of the “punong-abala” in the upcoming GCDC Event of Cloth Diaper Addicts of the Philippines.

So without further ado, let me introduce to you —

Happypinaymommy.com’s 16th Work-at-Home Mommy of the Week, Mommy Rika Roman of Sweet Indulgence by Rika and Mommy Bakes PH.

As I have mentioned, I am amazed as to how Mommy Rika is able to take care of hertwo boys Keiran and Kole, manage her two businesses, run her household, and keep an active social life fueled by her natural parenting advocacies.

She runs two businesses – Sweet Indulgence by Rika, which essentially provides artisan cakes, cupcakes, and pastries that are not just delicious to eat, but are really yummy to look at. Her other business is close to our breastfeeding heart – making super healthy and guilt-free lactation pastries that surely help boost breast milk supply.

Mommy Rika shares she was very involved in her career during her single days, and she managed to carry on until she was four months pregnant. Hyperemesis Gravidarium hit her bad that she had to quit the corporate world. Shortly after the birth of her first son, she found herself to be a happy Stay-at-Home-Mom but she knew her happiness can still be taken up a few notches by opening up a business.

And that was when Sweet Indulgence by Rika was born. Mommy Rika took her love for culinary arts more seriously this time, and opened up a business that has been well received by her clientele.

In spite of her hectic schedule, Mommy Rika makes sure her kids remain to be her top priority.

Let us take a peek into Mommy Rika’s life through the excerpts of our interview with her:

Happypinaymommy.com: When did you decide to be a WAHM?

Mommy Rika: Before motherhood, I was a career woman. I enjoyed the corporate world when i was still single until i got married. Everything changed when i became pregnant with our first child in 2009. My first pregnancy was a very sensitive one. I had Hyperemesia Gravidarium the entire 9 months. I tried to endure it until my 4th month of pregnancy, until i became sickly at work. My colleagues’ scent would make me throw up every now and then, my sense of smell was overly sensitive, i had difficulty coping up with the environment. I had to leave the corporate world in July 2009 when i got confined and decided to stay home to enjoy my pregnancy.

Our firstborn came on November 14, 2009, on my 25th birthday. I said to myself i will be a SAHM thereafter. Motherhood days were filled with bliss, but I longed being productive. Since i am well into culinary, I tried exploring baking. This sparked my interest. I love parties and celebrations, so I thought why not start a business about celebrations? October 8, 2010 we first launched our first business, Sweet Indulgence by Rika, a business which caters to custom artisan cakes, cupcakes and pastries. My WAHM-hood was born.

In June 2013, my second child was born and so did my advocacy for breastfeeding. We launched the second business on August 28, 2013. Another food business which focuses on helping breastfeeding moms increase their milk supply the healthy and yummy way, Mommy Bakes PH makes organic and low calorie milk boosting baked pastries.

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You may also want to read:

• Five ways to earn extra income from home
• Happypinaymommy.com’s WAHM of the WEEK #15: Mommy Isabel Allardo Jaranilla of All About Cloth by Zoey
• Local Cloth Diapering Information – local detergents that are safe for cloth diapering, locally available washing machines that are great for cloth diapers, Survival tips for Condo-living families etc.
• Food Business Ideas for Mommies
• Local Breastfeeding Information – Where to buy efficient and hardworking pumps, online shops that sell mother’s milk tea and other milk boosters, where to buy hands-free pumping bra and other pumping supplies
•  Legitimate websites that give online earning opportunities for Moms who would like to Work From Home
• Where to buy BumGenius Cloth Diapers locally

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 HPM: What made you decide to be one?

Mommy Rika: Being a WAHM never crossed my mind. Until I started feeling bored at home. Not that I did not enjoy motherhood, I cherish every moment of it, but I wanted to do more. The career woman in me was making herself felt. Creative juices just won’t stop flowing and just had to be unleashed.

HPM: What is the greatest challenge you have faced in relation to being a WAHM?

Mommy Rika: Being a mother is no piece of cake. Moreso being a mom to two active little boys, add to that being a WAHM without nannies. Time management is one of the greatest challenge, as well as juggling all the responsibilities expected of me. Tending to the kids who both vie for my attention all the time, client meetings and operations of two businesses sometimes makes me nuts, often a zombie.

HPM: What advice can you give to those who may want to become a WAHM?

Mommy Rika: Our children will always come first. Let us never forget, they are the reason why we opt to work, let’s not make our children compete for attention with our chosen careers. Our careers are nothing if we can’t be good parents.

HPM: Who inspires you?

Mommy Rika: My children, Keiran and Kollin. They are the sugar that makes my cakes rise, the frosting (that) brightens my smiles. Also, my parents, Miles and Erwin. They introduced the love for culinary to me as soon as I could talk. They brought me places and exposed me to various good food experiences hence my wide preferences for good food.

HPM: How does your husband/partner support you?

Mommy Rika: My husband is as supportive as I would wish him to be. He helps me in the kitchen, he also does the cake deliveries most of the time. He delivers from South to North or any place in the Metro. And when my hands are too tired kneading, baking and designing and yet i still have chores to do, he offers to do the laundry of Kole’s cloth diapers and sometimes whip up meals in the kitchen. Daddy isn’t as good as mommy in the kitchen though, at least that’s what my kids say.

 HPM: Can you tell us how your usual day/week goes?

Mommy Rika: Crazy. My day always start and ends crazy. Crazy happy, crazy cool, crazy mad and just plain crazy. Haha. I have boys, i guess that is expected. They never run out of energy, they are always running and playing around. The moment they open their eyes, they are up against each other rough housing already. There are times though when they feel like just being sweet and cuddly.

On an ordinary day, it starts with whipping up a breakfast of their choice, prepping my preschooler for school while my toddler constantly tugs my shirt for milk or hugs and rides my legs when I walk around. Soon as Keiran is picked up by his school bus, Kole and I would head to bed, breastfeeding time for him while admin work for mommy checking client inquiries, negotiating with clients on my mobile or sketching cake designs.

Once he falls asleep, lunch will be made and so on. I usually bake and design late evening till wee hours of the morning when the boys are asleep. Yes, I am a zombie like most WAHMs are . Sometimes i let them in the kitchen watch me work and learn how things go. It is challenging but it is all worth the love and happiness i am able to share with my kids, and the smiles our baked products give our clients. Making more momma friends from our clients is an added cherry on the top.

And like our past WAHM of the WEEK Features we also got in touch with a client of Mommy Rika.

Mommy Dulce Evangelista is one of Mommy Rika’s loyal customers for the past three years. “I’ve been ordering my cakes in Sweet Indulgence since 2013 and I’ve never gone to another baker since. This Cake Fairy has provided me and my family with scrumptious with very unique flavors and customized according to all my complicated designs apt for whatever theme our events call for.”

Mommy Dulce is just so happy with the cakes that she keeps on coming back for more. “I’ve known Erika since we were in high school so we go way back. But aside from this, she has also been an angel to us in helping me make my dream cakes for my family a reality.”

So there you have it. Hope you have been inspired with the WAHM experience of Mommy Rika. If you have a Work-From-Home-Mom that you would want to be featured, please feel free to head on over to my Facebook Page and leave me a message. Please hit the like button too so you could receive updates from Happypinaymommy.com directly on your newsfeed.

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

Leaving you with a video on baking with kids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMwqPC9TbuU

Business Ideas for Moms in the Philippines