Always dressed in the latest designer duds, Salome Uy may be presumed to be a lady of luxury and leisure. That’s until you get to know her and find out she is the complete opposite of her biblical name.

Salome gets up at 6 a.m. to prepare her 9-year-old daughter Stefani for school. By 8 a.m., she is in the warehouse of her husband, seeing the deliveries and paperwork of a bustling wholesale and retail corporation. She graduated cum laude from college and is a certified public accountant (CPA).

With her poise and polish, she is the perfect walking advertisement of her fashion designers. She is size zero.

Today, as she wears items from the Fall-Winter collection of Salvatore Ferragamo from Milan, she easily triumphs in her first modeling assignment. But she can’t wait to go home to be with her daughter, whom she fondly calls her “Mini Me.”

“At the end of the day, it’s not how much money you have, it’s not how famous you are. It’s the little things in life that count,” she says. “It is the smile you see from an act of kindness. It’s sleeping at night knowing you have been fair. It’s being contented and not wanting more. It’s having loyal friends and a loving family.”

What are your secrets to getting fit?

I have always been thin. I guess I am lucky; it’s in the genes. My weight has been the same for the past 20 years. I eat lots of fruits and raw veggies.

How does your parenting style differ from your mom’s?

When I was growing up, my mom was strict with us, but I could feel the love and care. But  my mom was also a nagger and I hated that. I don’t nag.

As a mom, I am both strict and liberal. I think I am doing okay when I know Stefani can be a bit scared of me, while at the same time she tells me everything. I guess it is every parent’s fervent wish that our kids grow up to be God-fearing, fair, hardworking and compassionate. I believe in leading by example. I do believe we give our unconditional love to our kids but we shouldn’t expect to be loved in the same degree. That is selfless love for me.

Do you have any favorite products or creams to use for the body?

I have always been a believer in the magic of a good night’s sleep. Ever since I was a kid, I would always be the first to go to bed. I have maintained this healthy lifestyle up to this day. We have dinner at 5:30 p.m. and we hit the bed by 8 p.m. No amount of beauty products can replace a healthy lifestyle. I try to eat healthy food at home. But when we are out, we eat anything, it’s the time to let go and enjoy life. I use La Roche Posay sunblock.

You said you don’t go out that much because you want to be home to supervise Stefani in her formative years.

One day Stefani came home from school with a test paper showing a very low grade. I talked to her and told her I am sad with her performance. She was teary-eyed and she promised to do better. When her dad came home, he also talked to her. Without budging from her seat, she said, “But daddy, we are family.” We were both dumbstruck with her response, not knowing to laugh or cry. My favorite time of the day is bedtime. By 8 we are all huddled in bed. She loves making fun of her dad. This is our lambing time as she calls it. This is the reason I limit going out at night. I have to choose my events because I don’t want to miss out on these moments. She is very inquisitive and possessive of my time and I feel guilty if I go out more than once a week. And I don’t go out when she has exams and, of course, if she is sick.

But how do you balance that and your work with going out to social functions? Do you exercise, go to a gym?

Being a working mom is sometimes tricky. But I think if you know your priorities in life, then you know which should be sacrificed. Family always comes first. If there is nothing really urgent at the home front, then I go out to attend some social events. Of course, being a girl, I love wearing lovely clothes and being all dolled up. I have a trainer who comes to the house twice a week. But this is more for health reasons rather than vanity. I have low-bone density and it’s doctor’s orders that I do some cardio (exercises) and weightlifting.

You’re a hands-on mother, a loving wife, and you look like a model at the same time. What’s a typical day like for you?

My day starts at 6 a.m. I wake up Stefani and we have breakfast at 6:15. Sometimes my hubby would join us. Then she gets ready for school. In the meantime, I do my morning rituals. I read the papers under the morning sun for 30 minutes. That is to get my dose of vitamin D from the sunlight. I leave the house by 7:30. When my hubby is out of town for his business trips, I work full-time in the office. My work involves preparing stocks for delivery and all accounting works as I am a CPA. I go home at 5 p.m. By that time Stef is studying with her tutor. We usually have dinner by 5:30. I let her watch a little TV or draw, which she absolutely enjoys. Then by 8, we are in bed. But when my hubby is in town, I can leave work by noon to have lunch with friends. Or I go to the salon, or visit my designer friends. I do enjoy this time for myself. Once a week, hubby and I go out to dinner. Stef would say “Uuy, they are going out on a date.” Once or twice a year, I travel with a group of friends. This is what I call my “me time.” I believe in the importance of recharging. This makes you miss your family and vice-versa.

Share methods you do that fulfills you as a mom.

I believe in leading by example. Lately, Stef has been asking me to buy her books instead of toys because she sees me reading all the time. She is compassionate to old people. It is important to be always fair and hardworking. When Stef was asked in school what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer was “I want to be a mother. I want to teach a child. I like to work in the office. I like to go to the salon.” This is the kind of stuff that makes me smile. This for me is what motherhood is about.