Sharing with all of you my Digital Dreamboards.
I hope I inspire you with my positivity! Cheers!
Happy Friday!
Let’s all do the Happy Dance, okay, those who like the Harlem Shake, do as you please hee hee! (AND…one piece of advice, if you’re stressed, find custom stress balls and squeeze out those stressors away!)
“Nothing is lost if one has the courage to proclaim that all is lost and we must begin anew.” –Julio Cortázar
Hello 2013!
As early as December 29, I was so excited (and almost ready) to write new pages in my life ‘storybook’ for 2013 (well, and also about my recent good buy, this pair of alpinestars gloves) but the Holidays wanted me to just savor this melancholic last few weeks with my folks. So I decided to veer away from my blogs and just have fun. My folks are leaving on the 19th and I could not even imagine life without them. It seems like I am back to zero, dealing with homesickness-blues-wise. It was a sweet 5-month-vacay that is worth treasuring but we have to move on with our lives. With that being said, I have to make sure I take advantage of this blogging mojo before it slips away, hence, my first entry for 2013. What a mouthful of introduction for y’all hee hee 
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This year, I decided to participate in this group, MyOneWord.org yearly project. Just by picking ONE WORD that would inspire me for the rest of the year. I guess this is more doable than trying very hard to complete the Project 365.
For this year, my word of inspiration is FAITH. I know that the past 5 years was all about growing up with the Lord but there are still days I lose sight of how Big my God is. So this year, I am committing myself to not worry and just have FAITH. When days seem blurry and uncertainties keep knocking my door, I’ll just keep looking back to my ONE WORD for 2013 and that is FAITH. What’s yours?
Faith is exactly what it takes to get through uncertainty.
Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, – that’s knowledge. It’s in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it’s all darkness outside. Now is the time to keep that faith alive!
I assume the rest of my night will be long as TGL asked me to research on life insurance rates. I won’t blame him for bugging me at this time of the night as this has been in my procrastinator’s to do list for the longest time. At least before Chinese New Year, I would be able to clear out that list, including my Blogging to do list last year this month.
So how was 2011 for me, for us? and for you? If you have been an ardent reader of this blog, you would know that I was not as enthusiastic last year as I were in the previous years. It was not one of our best years. But guess what? As I was writing this entry (which took almost 3 weeks in the making), I realized I was too focused on the not-so-pleasant things err Divine delays, which covered up the amazing amount of blessings we received last year.
Indeed, 2011 was one of those years we received surmountable blessings we could never imagined receiving in just a span of 1 year.
***Thanks to MOMENTO App in my iPhone which helped me consolidate all the info in my FB, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr. It was easier to look back at the year that was.
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WORK-WISE: half of the year was fulfilling. nothing notable. was able to manage family life-work balance.
Hello 2012, I’m still here!
I know it’s been awhile. The Holiday rush has robbed my blogging mojo away for more than 3 weeks now. I have so many ideas to blog about but I just could not find the mojo (and time!) to write them down. But I will soon, like now. Let’s begin by changing the look of this blog, do you like it? I guess I am sticking with this template for at least 1 year. According to Feng Shui, Mandarine Tango/Orangey is one of the lucky colors of the Water Dragon year, I’m feeling lucky!
Also, I plan to leave behind all of the items in my Blogging to do list. I’m starting a new, the list just overwhelms me each time I look at the missed events and personal milestones I should have blogged about. So, I am starting anew, today, right now!
I came back to work this week and will catch up with it in a moment as we are preparing for our annual trade show booths then maybe, later, I will blog some more. In the meantime, here’s sharing 2 of my Mantras this year: AVOID ANXIETIES (career-financial-wise) & PEACE OF MIND (don’t sweat the small stuff/weed out negative vibes, people and thoughts).
TGIF! This jargon sounds like music to my ears! What a tough and busy week that was and today, being Friday the 13th seems to be my most awaited day of the Month. Relaxation here I come! 
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While my work has too much downtime today, I might as well write the second part of THIS entry. I know it took me almost a month to write Part 2 but I assure you it’s all worth the wait . Err, not my blog entry but A VERY relevant Blog I will share in this entry hee hee.
(warning: This is long, read only when you have time and don’t worry, I am still your friend even if you simply just scroll over all the way to the end .)
Like what I have mentioned HERE, it takes 21 days to form a new habit by consciously doing the same thing everyday. Excellence and Perfection can only be done through practice or repeated performances. When you are committed to a change in your lifestyle, you must commit to achieving it every single day of your life until it becomes a NORMAL part of your lifestyle.
I did a lot of growing up when we moved to a different country. The past 3 years was my turning point and I couldn’t be more grateful for this blessing, though there were a lot of struggles, this specific journey with MLS & TGL has been one of the major achievements of my life. Getting out of my comfort zone gave me a new perspective in life by always looking outside of my own little box. Not that we are fully-settled in here just yet, because we will still have to move to a new state and/or city, buy our dream home, and be fully satisfied with a job that God calls me to be in, I can clearly say that I have adjusted to the life here and finally confirms to myself that yes, we did the right and best decision of moving here.
I know my priorities so well and our finances are just in place (don’t get me wrong, no lucrative salaries and all, we just know now how to work and live within our budget). If I ever get disheveled from time to time, I just have to look over our family’s goals and priorities and will be back to my senses. This experience also thought me to purge and declutter not only in material things but in thoughts and relationships, more on this on a separate entry. I still have a long way to go in terms of maturing and all, but these 3 years were responsible for jump-starting the life that God has called on me. I think I am starting to know my ultimate purpose in life.
So, I started by creating 11 GOALS in 2011 which will focus mainly on Traveling Light, Living Simply and Embracing my Imperfections. I have so many other smalls goals that have to be distributed all throughout the year and tagged as small changes. Because if I do these changes all at the same time, I’d be a wreck in the end and will achieve nothing. This I got from my friend, IRMA. She has been making small changes this year. I swear she can write her own inspirational book. Check out her small changes entry below, it’s a growing list.
Small Change #1: Asking for Wisdom.
Small Change #2: Order your Life.
Small Change #3: Own your Purpose.
Small Change #4: Read your Bible.
Small Change #5: Develop your Prayer Life.
Small Change #6: Pursue your Spiritual Growth.
Small Change #7: Manage your Life.
Small Change #8: Live by Schedule.
Small Change #9: Care for your Home.
Small Change #10: Invest in your Marriage.
Small Change #11: Train your Children.
Small Change #12: Love your Children.
Small Change #13: Cultivate your Inner Beauty.
Small Change #14: Tend to your Appearance.
Small Change #15: Watch What you Eat.
My solid yet very tight group of friends has been one of God’s major blessings. He gave me just the right kind of people that will lead me towards His mission for me. In the past 3 years, I’ve seen friends walked out on me but the past 3 years, He also gave me new kind-hearted friends and solidified old friendships that I know will never walk out on me whatever circumstance we are in. This I know by heart because I learn how to value relationships now more than ever, again more on this on a separate entry.
Now what are the changes I have been doing by far?
Each month, I look at my 2011 Goals and choose small changes each month. So far, I’ve been very good at forming habits.
In January-I have learned to make the right food choices as My Weight has been an issue for me for the past 6 years! (yes, since I have given birth to MLS). I know that I have become an emotional eater and turn to food whenever I am stressed, sad, happy or excited. If food makes me happy, then I have to make the right choices. I am not a huge fan of fruits but this month up until today, I have been snacking on fruits, thus, better skin, better mood and a few lbs off the scale .
In February-I learned to love sweating it all out! WhoWhatWear states that working out gives Magic Sweat aka endorphins and I couldn’t agree more. I devote AT LEAST 90 minutes A WEEK of exercising whether thru Zumba vids, Running, Gym Workout, HipHop Abs, or Jillian Michael’s DVDs. Result: controlled emotions and a mellowed ME. I don’t need Anger Management after all, I just need to sweat it all out! My working out/exercise schedule becomes like a very important schedule I should not miss.
In March-I learned (and is still learning) to balance all of my life’s roles. Daughter of God, Wife to TGL, Mother to MLS, Daughter to my folks, Sister to my generous Sibs, In-laws to my ILS , Friends to my Friends in that order. I struggle at this and in fact is still trying my very best everyday. But one thing I have learned is to say NO and avoid multitasking when I am wearing my Wife’s and Mother’s hats! I learned to choose which thoughts to entertain, which article or blog to read (minimized my reader feeds) and even conversations to join especially when it comes to social networking. My mind and body can only take so much, so I have to keep saying NO to so many other things. I can’t believe how much time I have saved.
In April-in time for Spring Cleaning, I decluttered a lot of items in my closet. I vowed not to buy a purse from this month until April 2012. The last time I counted my purses, they’re a shocking total # of 35!!! I also started practicing Tightwad’s 30-day-challenge when you hold off purchasing an item for 30 days. Guess what, I saved on a lot of shopping money by practicing this challenge because I realized, I actually do not like it nor my liking wavers off after 30 days hence, I do not need it! Say for instance this nike sunglasses which I have been eyeing last month . Result: stronger self-control habit and clearer needs vs wants. More savings. The Key: Quality vs. Quantity.
This month, the month of May-I’ve improved my morning habit. I have been consistently up as early as 5am even if I sleep late. As much as possible I try to sleep at 10pm, even if it means missing out on my twitter and IG friends’ updates and have been backlogged with my FB feeds. I leave my iPhone in the dining table and never go to bed with it so I won’t be tempted to fire up my apps before going to bed. Result: More prayer time, relaxed mommy and wifey in the morning as I had my own ME time before my boys are up, no more rushing in the morning, meaningful breakfast convos with my boys and a made-up me at work! ooooh make-up perks me up in the morning!
By June, I plan to devote an hour to organize my photos and make a scrapbook and since it is a month for traveling, I plan to catch up with friends I haven’t had REAL conversation with, read: snail mails and phonecards will come handy this coming June.
In July-Driving will be my priority. An hour a day will be spent for driving related matters. Hopefully, by my birthday in September, we can now purchase my own car, our family’s 2nd and will be a confident driver.
August will be focused on finding what industry I am truly passionate about. Thus, praying and discernment on better job opps will be a priority.
September, my birthmonth. I hope to see the new me satisfied with my new weight and everything else. It’s all about maintenance this month.
October, I hope to see our savings bloated because of my abstinence in purse-shopping and other unnecessary shopping. This month, I will choose a charity where our family can share some of our blessings. November, hopefully my personal goals have been fully achieved that I can focused 100% of my time on bringing out a well mannered boy, and this article: 25 Manners Every Kid Should Know By Age 9 will come very handy again.
And then there’s December, hoping to make bigger plans with the husband as I have achieved my personal habits already. I hope to fully love myself so I could fully love and share 100% of myself to my husband/TGL, my son/MLS, folks, sibs, ils, friends…
I know it is too early to tell but I am proud about these changes I have been making in my life. For the first time in 32 years, I know exactly where I am going.
Oh and because you stayed with me till the end of this entry, here’s a little something for y’all, keep smiling!
Oh wow, we’re almost halfway through May and I have not blogged a decent personal update. It really has been a very toxic but fun start of the month. First, we got so busy with MLS’ 6th Birthday Celebration. Then, there were several social activities invites both at work and MLS’ school. By the time, I get home, I barely have enough energy left to blog 
I have not even visited Facebook for almost 3 days now, and yes, I am backlogged with uploading photos again, read: about 5 events=5photo albums. I just have to restrain myself from checking Facebook so I can finish online tasks when at home, this I say is far more important than FB for now. I hope by tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.
That and yes, my almost 4-year old Laptop died on me . As if these micrometers would do good but not! I was not surprised by my laptop’s demise because it served me well than it should, it has been my very first friend here hee hee. For the past few months, it has been showing signs of ageing and those signs were warning signs to me but I refused to upgrade because it has quite a huge amount of sentimental value. To begin with, TGL purchase it from his very first Black Friday experience (read: lining up from 12 noon a day before the sale and coming home at 6am the following day cold, hungry and tired but happy with my new laptop.) It has also been my weapon for blogging work.
So when it finally crashed down with this on the screen, I just had to let it rest even if my Brother, K insisted on resurrecting it.
![G](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2420/5710957388_191a2d7757_m.jpg")
I had to reconnect with my less than a year old Purple Netbook which TGL gave as a gift last year. Sad to say, I hate blogging on it, the tiny screen and keyboard make me really dizzy. So now, I am using TGL’s trusty old PC for blogging and my purple netbook for surfing.
I came very prepared as I have backed-up all of my files in my Red EHD, this was bought together with my dead laptop.
And then, yesterday, I began shopping for a new one. I almost got a purple slim VAIO laptop but instead, I will save for a Macbook Pro, my very first Macbook. As to when that would be? I do not know but I am willing to wait .
Oh and if you do not love Apple Products, I do not know what you call this thing. Fortunately, I know my priorities so well that I did not jump on the bandwagon and swipe without thinking. Despite my obsession with anything white from Mac, I do not need this iPad2. But it is a nice-to-have especially if you love games/apps, surfing a lot and it is the perfect business-presentation tool.
