Happy Friday: It's normal to Love oneself!

I can't help myself not to post these captured moments! Aside from the fact that I am with my coolest cousin, I so loved myself in these shots! 

I am just so pretty!! Hahahhaha!!

(Walang basagan ng trip)

I am really a fan of candid shots!! ^_^

These shots were taken last March 8, at Abrahm's Christening. 

Xoxo

Me: Tour Guide

I stayed in Malaysia for almost two years and I was able to visit some historical places there.  I made a promise to my friend, Eben, that when she visits Philippines, I will take care of her.
 

Then an opportunity came.  Jose is getting married and thus Eben decided to come over to attend the wedding.  Then at the same time, she decided to visit some of the places here in the metro.  My suggestion was to just roam around the city (Manila) because I dont want us to waste our time to travel to other parts of the country (we will do that next time). 

It's my first time to have a foreign national friend to visit and I was also excited to roam around! 

On our first day, Eben and I visited Intramuros and Luneta.  With the help of kuya and his Kalesa! 

 

 

I hate to admit, but everything we did was also my first time! ^_^

On our second day, we went to Mall of Asia and esplanade!

We had our lunch at KKK and Eben tried the Beef Kare Kare.

Then to the famous Bamboo Organ.

On our third day, we went to: 

1. Divisoria

Our transpo to Divi: 

Me and Eben riding the jeepney!
 

Eben was so happy to see very cheap clothes!!

2. Fort Santiago

Our transportation going to Fort Santiago.

On to the site seeing:

 

On our fourth day, the first stop was at Nuvali.
 

 

Then to SkyRanch in Tagaytay.

Before heading to Caleruega, we had our lunch at a nearby Carenderia -- boo me coz I was not able to take a snap! 

Now on to our wedding outfit.

Of course Eben will not forget the foodies! She tried everything that I gave her,  except ofcourse for pork. 

She also tried fish balls and buko juice!

I hope that you enjoyed your stay Eben! Coz I enjoyed being your tour guide because I also learned a lot! 

Looking forward for your next visit!

Muah!

Xoxo

DiY: Shorts Make over

As you know, I have a habit of Pinteresting and as much as possible I want to try things that are crafty. 

Let me share with you one make over that I did was extremely happy about! 

So I prepared the following materials: 

There you have the;

1. Jeans short

2. Scissors

3. Needle and thread

4. Lace

My first step was to cut the sides of the shorts and it will look like this: 

Then patch over the lace for an added umph to your jeans shorts!   You can also use other shorts, just choose the appropriate lace! 

There you go! 

Simple DiY but I was very happy with the outcome!! ^_^

Xoxo

Another First: cJ's 2nd Birthday

The look -- "Magpapaiyak ng mga babae".
When we were in Malaysia, I always see this cute baby boy in our condo and I so loved him because he is just so guwapo!

I wasn't able to attend his first birthday last year (I was in SG) but I was glad that I was able to attend his second birthday and to be the host of his party.

CJ is an angel and I always loved to hug and kiss him.
CJ, please do not grow up too fast!

 

Here are his lovely parents - Lianne and Charlie!
I would like to thank them for inviting me to host their only son's party!

 

 

His party theme was "Surf's Up" for boys right! -

Just the perfect theme for summer! I loved the personalized dessert buffet!

I am thankful for this opportunity.
This is the first time that I hosted a birthday party, and it was a lot more fun because I was supported and guided by Kuya Popoy!

I also enjoyed the food and the games!
Till next hosting stint.

Xoxo

Who moved my Cheese?

This book was written by Dr. Spenser Johnson together with his other inspirational business books!  The shortest that I have read thus far, just 2 hours because it's very simple and practical.  It is applicable to almost everybody and it's just amazing how one person can relate to another even if they are having a different life path. 

I think what's effective in this book is that  four characters were presented, everybody who will read the book can easily relate to any of the characters.

There is a quote that says "I can give sound advice but I cannot apply it to myself" -- same case here.  A situation is given to the characters and as a third person looking at the situation, it is likely that we will advice them of the same actions to take but if we are in that situation, will we do what we have adviced?

An interesting story that talks about how life gets complicated if we do not accept change as it happens.  Change is inevitable, it's the only constant thing in this world.  If we cannot adapt with the changes then it will be doubly hard for us to move forward.

Change happens any time to any one at any place and the best way to deal with it is to face it with an action plan! Here are the changes that may occur to us: 

- Changing schools

- Graduating from college

- Changing roles within an organization

- Changing supervisors or subordinates

- Changing companies

- Getting married

- Having children

- Change in financial situation

- Changing business strategy

- Changing location (home)

and a lot more that I can think of.  From simple to complex they are all the same.  So how do we deal with it?  

Simple: we accept the fact that change happens and we need to act fast in adapting to it.  Here are some tips that I learned from the book:

1. Recognize change even before it actually happens - this means being sensitive with the situation we are at and anticipating that change can occur.  In anticipating, we are preparing ourselves for what is about to happen and avoiding surprises along the way. 

 

2.  Let go of Fear - most of the time, its our fear that makes our decisions clouded.  We spend all our energy fearing what's beyond rather that directing the energy to finding better ways to do things.   We need to let it go because it will clear our mind on what we really need to do.  If we are afraid to move forward to an unfamiliar place then we will be in a "no good place" situation.  Sometimes (or most of the time) it will help us grow and mature as individuals if we (just try to) move out from our comfort zones.

3. Looking at change in a positive way - a change can happen as an effect of a difficult situation.  In any case, we need to look at changes as an opportunity for us to do better.  Another saying goes "If the door closes, a window will open" -- but let me add to that -- we do not wait for the window to open, we need to make it happen and act positively.

4. Simple is better - sometimes we, humans, tend to complicate things.  Though it's best to assess a situation and do root cause analysis (if something went wrong) it's also not good to dwell too much on it.  We need to act fast.

Now what's next? Let's all be ready for the change that we have been waiting for.  Let's anticipate, accept and act on the changes that comes along!

Xoxo

 

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

My favorite motto from Highschool until now is this: 

If you come early, you are wasting your time.

If you come late, you are wasting somebody's time.

If you come on time, you are wasting nobody's time.

So please come on time!

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I had the chance to read another Mitch Albom book and it's all about Time (the title was very clear :))
From the time that we were born up to this very minute, we are all bounded by time. 

Was born on November 15, 2007 at 11:15am

Was wed on May 22, 2010 at 2:30pm

Everything is time and motion, like every move is timed and this was how the story was presented.  One wanted to have more time (to live) and another wants time to stop (to savour the moment) -- but in reality, what do we really need?

If you ask me, I would have wished if there can be another day in a week; making it 8 days a week. I think it's enough time to go through the normal route of ones life.  And in that additional day, i wished that we can do more!! 

But that's not the way the world works.  Time is as it is, time! There is nothing we can do to extend it -- we can only live with it and make the most out of it.

How?? By being thankful, contented and happy.  Sometimes being too pre-occupied with things or fame makes us forget how precious time is and I mean spending each time to the things that matters most to us.  To the things that money can't buy but only time can give. 

Here are some simple examples on how we can make use of our time wisely: 

1. Spend more time with family - this is what you call "Emotional Insurance" (from the Last Lecture of Randy Pausch).  Creating memories that can last a lifetime is something money can't buy; because giving our laughters and cheers then recieving warmth and comfort from your family is just priceless.

2. Spend more time with ourselves - Health is wealth and thus it is important to also take care of our physical, emotional, phsycological self because it is from being healthy that we can give back. How? There are many ways and doing them effectively will make us more productive. 

3. Do something that interests you - may it be reading a good book, cleaning the house, painting, cooking, DIYing, crafting and many more -- things that can make you productive and fulfilled.  Things that you can pass on as a legacy and can leave a memory of you! Though internet surfing and watching tv might be classified as interesting, I say that it should be minimal.  Like Randy Pausch, I also believe that watching TV is an ultimate time waster. 

4. Do not over sleep - this is just me.  I believe that over sleeping is not "catching up on sleep", for me it's a waste of time! We need to get the daily sleep required per day so that we don't need to catch up on it on a weekend, where we could have been doing something productive - like cooking for our family. 

5. Work 8 productive hours - though this is something where we get a living, we are only required 8 hours per day to do this. Therefore, we need to make each minute of the 8 hour workday productive.

We all have our strategy on how we can make do of the time that we have here on earth because each precious moment that we live in is a gift from Him.  We then should be thankful because He made it all possible.  Giving thanks may require some time for us but it's always worth doing because it will be given back to us in thousand folds! ^_^

Xoxo

International Women's Day

Every year, this day (March 8) is dedicated to all the women out there who continuously living the dream! 

In my existence, I am thankful to be surrounded by powerful women who have helped me journey through this wonderful life.  This blog post can be as long as the encyclopedia if I elaborate all the women who have inspired me along the way, thus I am highlighting the ones who really had a great impact! 

In my Career: 

Ms Irva Cruz and Ms She Quito

- they were the first to believe! It was 2005 when I applied for an HR Assistant role in Accenture, where Pivot Table was an alian word to me, where MS Outlook is something new to me.  They believed in my potential, gave me the opportunity to grow my career in the HR world! My gratitude cannot pay them all, that's why I am paying it forward!

Dot Velasco 

- my forever HR "darling" boss.  I may not have a direct working relationship with her, but her mere presence made all the difference! She gave me the inspiration to mature gracefully!

Mamy Marly Pascual 

- my lead, who, despite my "emotional state" was always there to lift me up and motivate me to do more! She gave her full support and that support gave me the confidence to move forward! 

Pia Castillo 

- together with Gelo Lacanlale, equipped me with strategic and out of the box thinking.  To ask "why" five times and make sure I can get to the bottom of an issue.  To be able to exude confidence when talking to top executives.  They made me believe that everything is just possible if you just learn from mistakes and perfect your craft.

Ann Abesamis 

- my ultimate inspiration for poise and beauty!  She believed that everyone can just snap at any moment and that's fine.  She inspired me to be calm but firm, to be gentle yet strong.  She listened even if I was not uttering any word, she was sensitive with my needs and yet still expected high performance.  Lastly, she made me realize that I should be thankful if I recieved flowers on Valentines Day. 

Eunice Vaflor 

- she gave me the opportunity to think about what's important to me.  What motivates me to do more at work and who believed that I am also a human being who gets hurt! She made my work life so much light and fun.

Mimi Perez

- together with Alex Gasmena, gave me the opportunity to lead a team and to do what I believed needed for my team.  She believed that I can be more than I can ever imagine in my career.  She also valued what's important to me.  She made me realize that being strong is not a bad thing because it can help move mountains. 

Myra Arenas

- my current lead who is very gentle yet strong! My inspiration for work life balance and all about life.  My mentor for simplicity and elegance! Wish I can be like her when Im at the same age! ^_^

In my social life: 

Ochen, Tin, Athena, Kc

- My ultimate best friends! More than a decade of friendship and I am craving for more lunches, dinner, baby showers, birthdays, meriendas and a whole lot of kwentuhan and tawanan! They, who knew my love life and still accepted my decision.  They, who knew what I was thinking and what I wanted to say.  An extended family that I will be forever thankful! 

Leah Tanyag

- my forever work bff! This friendship that started years ago and is going to a decade now! She knew my deepest secrets and is very frank in telling me to "stop flirting".  She, despite our differences, still joins me in the pantry for a morning coffee, for our monthly frappe and for our endless shopping.  She is a sister from another mother.  She listens and take action. She who believes in me.  We may not always see each other (even if we are at the same building) but I always make sure we keep in touch! 

Kc Frayco 

- she is also my sister from another mother.  The person whom I never imagined to be close to my heart! We shared a lot of stories and pulled each other up to be inspired.  A friendship that came from my HR Academy days which I will be forever greatful. 

Rina "ba-Rins" Mendoza

- she never left me! In those times when I needed comfort and I needed emotional and psychological support she never left me.  With that I will forever be greatful! Even if we are miles apart, in my heart she is just one message away!  More than a decade of friendship is something worth keeping! 

Liza Ortile

- my pretty sis who is a another great inspiration to me.  I thank her for sharing her life with me and I value the trust that she has given. If all else fails, I know that there will always be hope because she made me believe there is! 

Beth Tangonan 

- my forever inspiration for all the praticality in the world.  I am stingy as I am now but I still learn a lot from her.  A perfect mom and entrepreneur, a good listener and a perfect friend that I can always rely on!

Ate Ytche

- she will be my forever inspiration may it be at work or at play! My favorite ate od them all, who understood everything that I went through.  She gave me the perspective in living the life that I dreamt of.  Made me feel I am always welcome in their home and accepts my flaws and misses! She inspired me to pray more and that prayers are really powerful.

In my Life:

Mama Inday

- she gave me the chance to explore life even if she knows I don't have wings! She is not the sweetest mother but you will feel that she wants you to learn on your own.  She was strict to me and yet gave me matching shirts and underpants.   She will move mountains if someone did something bad to me.  She made me realize that it's normal to have high expectations for family and made me feel that loyalty is important.  She always said that "it is better to give than to recieve".  She taught me how to be patient and kind, to be loving and respectful. She gave me the inspiration to be the best person that I can be! 

Mama Lena

- my (literally) second mother. She openly accepted me to be part of their family.  She is frank and yet caring and gave me the true meaning of loving your family.  She knows everything about her family and it made me inspired even more. She is always willing to help -- because helping is just her middle name and she can't do without it.  She is loved and respected by many! 

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Again, to all the women out there who inspired me to do greater things, from the bottom of my heart, "Thank You"!.

Continue to live and inspire because it will do a lot for our future generations!! 

Xoxo