Weddings A Mediterranean Wedding in the Balearic Islands 10:02 AM What makes an already magical day even better? For many people, it’s travelling to a beautiful country with warm weather, breathtaking scenery and the buzz of exploring somewhere new as you take the first step into married life. The potential downside to planning a wedding in another country is that it adds to the already stressful tasks on your list, as well as having to navigate the legalities of getting married abroad. If you are hoping to tie the knot on one of the stunning Balearic Islands – Menorca, Ibiza or Mallorca – here are some of the most important factors you need to consider. A Mediterranean Wedding in the Balearic Islands Accommodation for you and the guests When travelling abroad to get married on any of the Balearic Islands, accommodation will be top of the to-do list. You might leave it up to your guests to arrange their own accommodation, but if you are travelling with family and close friends who you would like to near before and after the ceremony, consider booking one or more of the luxury villas in Balearics. You can choose a villa with enough bedrooms for everyone or even two separate villas if you and your fiancé wish to be apart the night before the wedding (and alone for the wedding night!). Choosing the best time of year While there are no restrictions on when you can get married in Spain, you should select your month carefully. The most popular period for weddings is between April and October with most taking place in June and September. If you would like your wedding during the summer, it is best to book as early a possible, for example, at least a year in advance. It’s also worth noting that if you will be getting married outside in the summer, it would be better to have the ceremony later in the afternoon to avoid the full heat of the sun. Wedding ceremonies and the rules for non-residents Unless they are Catholic, non-residents of Spain will need to be legally married in a registry office in their home country either before or after the ceremony in the Balearic Islands. If you are getting married legally at home before the ceremony, you can bring a religious leader from home to bless the marriage. If one or both people getting married are Roman Catholic and would like to be married in a Catholic church, this is allowed even for non-residents. There will be some paperwork to complete at your local church so they can send the necessary documents to the Spanish diocese. Legal civil ceremonies have to happen indoors, but non-legal blessings can take place anywhere. Civil partnerships are legal but only for people who have lived in Spain for at least 2 years. The law regarding same-sex couples changed in 2005, and they can now be legally married in Spain. Choosing a venue and caterer Whether you choose Mallorca, Ibiza or Menorca, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a venue. There are luxury hotels, fairy tale castles, breathtaking Spanish mansions, rustic farms and, of course, the natural beauty of a beach or clifftop wedding. You will also need to consider catering as although some venues will provide food, this will not always be the case. Choosing a photographer Hiring a photographer abroad is the same as hiring one at home as you need to look at their previous work to ensure their style is to your taste, but you also need to consider language. The last thing you want on the day are communication problems between the photographer and your wedding party, so make sure your photographer is bilingual. Choosing a dress While you may have already found your dream dress, you could always go for the full Spanish theme and buy your dress when you’re there. There are some beautiful bridal boutiques on the Balearic Islands such as Rosa Clará on Avinguda Jaume III or Nuestras Novias on Carrer Paraires in Palma, Mallorca, as well as department stores which stock gowns by Spanish and international designers. Hiring a wedding planner Planning a wedding in your home country can be stressful enough so imagine doing this when your venue is in another country, your suppliers speak another language, and you have to arrange travel and accommodation for all of your guests. It’s perfectly doable, but to make the process run a bit smoother, you might want to hire a wedding planner who can take care of the small details so you can focus on the big picture. If you like this post, share it! Share buttons at the bottom and the left side corner. Thank you!
Listicle 7 Pros Of Working From Home 10:15 PM If you love what you do, it isn't your job, it is your love affair.-Debasish Mridha If you can work in the comfort of your home doing what you love, earning more than the salary you're receiving in your stressful job, and having more freedom of time, would you try it? When I discovered that this option is possible, the introvert in me got excited. I've had my doubts. But being stuck in a taxing job, the hassle of traveling to work and the 'overworked, underpaid' kind of life got the better of me. Finally, I bid my 9-5 life goodbye. Do I have regrets? So far, zero. The work is not stress-free. There are still challenges. There's no such thing as a perfect life, right? But that decision was the best career change I've made in my life. You too will love the pros of working from home once you get a taste of it. 7 Pros Of Working From Home 1. No dress codeOf course you still have to look decent when you have a video call. I have a weekly meeting with my current client on Skype but we do voice call only. That means I still get to wear my house clothes while working most of the time. I can dress up if I want to but hey, that's why I like working from home. No one's going to judge me even when I'm in my pajamas all day. As long as I deliver my work, my clients don't care if I've showered or not. Though I do shower before I start working to wake myself up. Just thought I'd let you know before you presume I work like this 👇 Gfycat Wear anything that makes you comfortable without worrying about breaking any rules. Because you make the rules. 💡 WORKING FROM HOME TIP: Invest on a good blazer or a presentable top/shirt that you can wear during an interview or conference call. Giphy 2. Commute to work no moreThe distance between your workplace and your bed is literally just a few steps away. Some even have their bed and their home office in the same room. No more hassle of waiting for the bus or cab. No more long lines and fighting your way in the crowd so you won't miss the train. No more danger of getting robbed on your way to and from work. Most importantly, there is no need to brave the weather just to get to work and not be reprimanded by your waterproof boss. Call Center Life 💡 WORKING FROM HOME TIP: Don't work in your bedroom especially on your bed as much as possible. This will help you stay productive and avoid the temptation of taking a nap on your working hours. At the same time, it conditions your mind that your bedroom is for relaxing and sleeping. So when you step inside the bedroom, your mind knows it is time to take a snooze. ❓ How is your daily commute to work? Share your craziest story in the comments. Giphy 3. No office politics or difficult people to handleDon't we all have that one annoying person at work we dread to see? Have you not put on your headphones and blasted music in your ears to block the noise of nonsense gossip around you? And does it not irritate you when someone who works less gets recognized more just because they're drinking buddies with the boss? Is your boss a toddler trapped in an adult's body throwing tantrums when things don't go his way? How many times have you faked a smile or tried to look calm because murder is sin? Sarcasmlol When you work from home, you eliminate this kind of toxicity in your life. Giphy ⭐ LIFE TIP: If it costs you your peace it's too expensive. Unsubscribe from other people's drama. Some people are not worth your time and emotion. 4. Choose your viewWhether you want to work in front of your window, in the kitchen, or practically anywhere in your house, you can. You can even bring your laptop or paper works outside, in the coffee or pastry shop for a change, or places specially created for people working online. Giphy Or better yet... 5. Travel with your workYou can bring your work with you wherever you go as long as it's convenient and you know you can still be productive. As long as there's internet and electricity, you're good to go. New place, fresh ideas. 💡 WORKING FROM HOME TIP: If you need to bring your work on your trip, make sure to set aside a day and time for work. You don't want to ruin a beautiful holiday. Personally, I don't advise bringing your work when you travel. Not only will it add to your luggage, it also beats the purpose of vacation. Pinterest 6. More time for yourselfDepending on the nature of your job, you can finish your work either on the time agreed with your client or whenever you want. It depends on your arrangement. Since you don't have to take the time to commute from home to office and vice versa, and there's no colleague inviting you to unwind after a stressful day at work, you have a lot of extra time in your hands. If you want to keep your day productive after working, you can run errands, clean your working area, organize your files, update your blog, watch a tutorial or inspiring speech or learn from other people in the same field. Or relax. Sleep. You need it. Catch up on your reading. Take a walk. Meditate. Work out. Serve the community. Get a massage. Find a new hobby. If you like to earn more, you can use your extra time to look for another client. You are the king of your time. You do you. Giphy 7. More time with what matters mostWhen you're working at home, you get to see the people or the reasons why you're working. You have the luxury of spending quality time with your loved ones. Go on a date with your partner. Meet a friend. Spend more time with your pets. One of our dogs sleeping ON my foot while I'm working. Had to capture that precious moment in-between editing. Clingy dog #1 Clingy dog #2 Now that I'm married, I get to spend more time with my husband. He also accompanies me when I need to work outside due to inevitable instances like power outage. That's an unplanned and productive date right there. You can't have it all. Like everything else in life, nothing is perfect. There are still challenges with working at home. 💡 WORKING FROM HOME TIP: Google and YouTube tutorials are your friends. When I first started, no one in my circle is doing freelancing. But because I was determined to make the shift, I researched about it. I attended seminars. As they say, if you want something bad enough, you find a way, not an excuse. Join an awesome group of freelancers. Here's one I highly recommend 👉 The Freelance Movement Workshop. This is where I learned freelancing hacks I wish I knew earlier. Once you've found your rhythm, you keep learning and improving your skills and you don't forget your why, you will find that the pros in this kind of work far outweigh the cons. ❓ Question for you: If you're already working online, what are you struggles? What do you think are the pros of working from home? If you're not yet doing this cool job 😏😎, would you like to know how? I'll be happy to help! Comment your answer below or fill out the form. Loading…
Life Lessons Lessons Learned On My Way To Getting There 1:25 PM If you do not know where you come from, then you don't know where you are, and if you don't know where you are, then you don't know where you're going. And if you don't know where you're going, you're probably going wrong. -Terry Pratchett They say life is a journey. But, sometimes it’s easy to feel like life is passing you by. One day you wake up and realize that most of your peers are now getting on with the plans you made together, and here you are; still drunk in love with your being single. It could be terrifying when negative thoughts start to enter your mind. When people make you question your choices, you begin to also doubt yourself. That is, if you do not have a solid conviction of who you really are, what it is exactly that you want and where you are going. On my way to "getting there", I've learned how to make the journey light and I'm sharing it here with you. Lessons Learned On My Way To Getting There Know exactly what you want. Where exactly is your 'there'? Living without goals is like driving without direction. You keep on going around in circles. You don’t get anywhere simply because you don’t know where you’re heading. If you know exactly what you want, you can change your strategies or change your timetable and still know it's okay because you haven't forgotten your destination. You have a clear vision of where you're going so you don't go astray. You may have stopovers or detours but you keep your eyes on the prize. What is it that you really want to do and where do you want to go? Giphy Be friends with people from all walks of life. Younger friends are fun to be with because their excitement and curiosity in life is contagious. They keep you young and updated. Friends who are about your age share the same sentiments. You can share notes about your past experiences, your present struggles and future plans. They are your reality check. Friends who are more mature or are ahead of you in this life journey could be amazing life mentors. They will guide you and help you avoid making the same mistakes they did. Entrepreneurs have different mindset and lifestyle from people in the workforce. See things from different perspectives by forming a friendship with business owners and employees. Every person you meet has a story and their story comes with lessons for you to learn. Giphy Do something today that your future self will thank you for. Have you ever looked in your old purse or other places you didn't expect to find money from and when you do find a bill you say, "Thank you, past self!"? No? Just me then? Okay. Learn how to manage your finances. They say money speaks only one language. "If you save me today, I will save you tomorrow." The people who laugh at your frugal ways will one day come to you and ask you for help. (True story!) Take care of your health and secure your future. Learn how to be truly rich. Click here. Enjoy the present, but don’t forget to save some for tomorrow. You don’t want to be begging for money when you’re too old or maybe too sick to work. Yes, YOLO! But you only live once so might as well not live miserably, right? That piece of steak looks good but is it really worth it when you know you're putting your life at risk? Not to mention the debilitating effect of the meat industry to the environment and of course the suffering of the animals just for you to get your plate of juicy steak. Your future self will thank you for your choices today. Choose selflessly and wisely for your health, for the planet you live in and for the future. Giphy Travel more. Visit a new place. Traveling changes your perspective. You realize that you are nothing but a tiny speck in the vast universe. Your major concern like your change of career, what other people would think, not having a date for Valentine's, not having enough clothes in your closet or not getting the latest gadget will become insignificant. CALVIN: If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently. HOBBES: How so? CALVIN: Well, when you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day. Imgur Help someone. Your job title, the trophies and rewards you received may be impressive and could give you euphoria. But there is a different kind of high when you're giving without expecting for anything in return. Help someone who is not capable of giving you back. At least not directly. Because kindness begets kindness. The love (or hate) you give will eventually come back to you. Have you ever been a part of a ministry and witnessed God's work through people helping other people? You will be amazed. Giphy Let go. You can never enjoy the present if you keep looking back at the past. As you age, you realize that some dreams are worth pursuing and others are not really your dream but someone's dreams for you. Like your parents'. Let go of the people who are holding you back. Let go of your excess baggage to make your journey getting there easier and lighter. What are the things that are weighing you down? Is it guilt? Forgive yourself and ask for forgiveness. Confess. Is it addiction? Seek help. Is it your inner critic? Learn how to silent it. Is it worrying about what people would say? Why does it matter anyway? Is it the limitation you set yourself? Change your mindset. Is it toxic lifestyle? Learn how to live healthy and live happy. Is it fear? Do it afraid. Is it your lavish ways? Simplify. Giphy Sometimes you get to your dreams fast, sometimes you will face detours. Sometimes on your way to getting to your goals, you realize life is more than just about pursuing a career and living according to what the society dictates. Sometimes you get lost and find a better dream, and sometimes you find...a better you. I'm getting to my next chapter. Just taking it slow, enjoying each step, but getting there. How about you? Where are you going and what lessons have you learned on your way to getting there?
Lux Thinking Aloud Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy 10:31 AM You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. -C. JoyBell C. As I grow older, there are crazy things I had to quit to be crazy happy. I have zero regrets in doing so. Are there things that are stopping you from living a life filled with joy? Quit them before it's too late. Don't get me wrong. I'm a believer of keeping on. That is, keeping on with the good things and chasing dreams. When it comes to the negative stuff, I am a quitter. Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy Quit crying over spilled milk When things are over and done, there's no use holding on to it. When an opportunity has passed and you failed to grab it, you'll never get it back by still wishing you should have or thinking about the what ifs. Should have, could have, what if. Simple phrases with a lot of weight to carry. Quit crying over spilled milk. You can always buy another. 😛 "Kids, you can't cling to the past. Because no matter how tightly you hold on, it's already gone." -How I Met Your Mother Giphy Quit living my parents' dreams for me I don't want to cause my folks any headache, so I let them choose my career for me. But in doing so, I was slowly killing my own purpose. Needless to say, I was miserable. You can never be happy living other people's dreams, even when you're doing it for your loved ones. That's because you have a different calling. Your heart wants to lead you somewhere else. Claiming other people's dreams as your own buries your calling deep down that when you finally want to do what you really want...it will take a long time to dig it out. You'll be walking around thinking, "But what do I want? What am I supposed to do?" So a friendly reminder to parents: let your kids discover what they're good at, nurture their gifts, and support their ambitions. Because whatever it is that they keep envisioning for themselves and gives them fire in the belly, that's what they're meant to do. That's their anointing. That's their purpose. You have no idea how much they can accomplish if you let them follow their passion. Giphy Quit waiting for things to happen I've delayed a lot of things and had to choose option B many times because I needed to wait. I needed to wait for someone to be available or I had to wait for the "perfect" timing. I've allowed stress into my life by beating the deadline because I've waited for inspiration to strike. I've waited for people to pay back money they borrowed when they obviously have no intentions to do so. I've waited for someone to accompany when I can totally go on my own. I've waited for apologies from people who never showed regrets. Waiting for things to happen is wasting precious time. It will drain you in the long run. Let go of things you can't control and make peace with yourself instead. Forgive yourself for waiting and for stealing your own joy by doing so. Giphy Quit chasing people Chasing people includes forcing myself to be friends with people who obviously don't want me involved in their lives. Some people may play an important role in a certain episode of your life, but you don't need them until the season finale to complete your story. Quit chasing them! If they want to be in your life, they will make an effort to be. Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love. -Mandy Hale Giphy Quit taking crap from others There's a very fine line between kindness and stupidity. The more you some people kindness the more they abuse you instead of appreciating and reciprocating your kindness. You have to accept the fact that there is goodness in everyone, but some people chose a different path. They've made their choice. Now, make yours. In this tough, cruel, wicked world (I like to be dramatic sometimes), you need to stand your ground or you'll be trampled over. When life pushes you around you have to push back. Quit settling I'm done settling for mediocrity. I'm done settling for second best. I'm done settling for a high paying job but is slowly turning me into a zombie. I'm done settling with housemates from hell, with friends who are pulling me down and hinders me from becoming more. I'm done settling with "just fine". I'm done accepting measly pays for my writing gigs. Giphy Quit toxic people Surrounding yourself with gossiping, procrastinating, condescending people will make you like them too. I'm not comfortable doing these things. I don't see myself doing the same things in the years to come. So I cut my ties with them. And boy, what a weight lifted off my shoulder. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. -Jim Rohn Giphy Quit being hard on myself I used to always blame myself when things don't go well. Even in relationships where it takes two to tango, I always thought it's solely my fault. Are you still wondering why this post is called Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy? I was crazy! Giphy Quit fixing things and people I tried to fix people who are otherwise happy with where they are no matter how messed up their lives are. I tried to make them see reason. I tried to mend broken relationships and in the process, I drained myself empty. But what's crazier is that I'v met a lot of people who are doing the same thing. This disorder is rampant. I think it's universal. We need to quit it quick. Giphy Quit fighting every battle I used to be feisty. It seems there's not a fight I would surrender to. I was fierce. Obviously, I was always exhausted and preoccupied with unnecessary things. I have little time left for self-improvement. I've realized that walking away from a fight is not cowardice, it's courage. Choosing which battle to fight is not lack of bravery, it's boldness. And some people just don't deserve your time and attention. Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. -Mark Twain Tenor Quit eating meat This is an ongoing argument in the society. And I know I mentioned here on the blog a few years ago that I went back to eating burger. But I've changed. Dare I say it, I am more enlightened now. Since I've originally written this article in 2016, a lot of things happened. From a happy carefree single gal, I got married. I quit my full time high paying job to freelance. I've traveled to different places I used to just dream about. And my dogs made me a better soon. They proved to me that animals are intelligent, sentient, kind and capable of showing love and loyalty. Sometimes, they're better than some humans. 🤷 I realized that if I will not support killing of dogs for food because they are family, why do I continue to support the torture and killing of other animals just so I can satisfy my cravings? If I will not allow anyone to hurt my dogs, why do I patronize businesses that test on animals, or use animals as commodity? It didn't make sense to say I love the planet, I support causes for the environment and I love animals when I have a dead animal part on my plate. Going vegan goes beyond diet. It's a lifestyle. It's not a hype that will go passé in the future. The future is vegan. Being vegan is about quitting cruelty and choosing compassion and kindness. I quit meat not because I'm crazy but because it's crazy to support the killing of animals for my palate's satisfaction. I quit meat because I love the earth...especially the animals. Giphy I didn't realize how crazy things in my life were making me miserable then. It took me years to finally let go most of them. I had to for the sake of my sanity. And because I have finally allowed God to fix me, and allowed myself to heal from my brokenness that caused me to do these crazy things. Loving myself more means I need to quit the things that are not contributing to my well being. I'm a quitter. And I am a damn happy one. What crazy things do you think you need to quit to be crazy happy? Gifs from Google images.
Life Lessons Life Lessons From Maleficent 10:02 AM Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I grew up watching evil Maleficent unleashing her wrath in the classic Sleeping Beauty cartoons. So when her story was made into a movie, I was ecstatic. I never thought I will learn a lot of life lessons from Maleficent but I did. A closer look on this villain I’ve been familiar with since time immemorial was a treat! Realizations on Maleficent: 1. Maleficent represents every one of us. Maleficent was born good. She believed in the goodness of men before she was betrayed and hurt. She wallowed in pain and hatred. She became vindictive and turned into the monster she and everyone around her never thought she could be. She did nothing to hurt anyone, which left her confused, lost and wrathful when she was used by the man she loved and trusted. I’ve read similar stories about villains who were good people (or creatures) before something awful happened to them and turned them into hateful beings. For Maleficent, it was losing faith both in love and in humanity. It was the betrayal that pushed her to be vengeful and curse the life of her “perpetrator”. Familiar, right? So human. Hurting people tend to do unreasonable and illogical things. 2. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But, Maleficent had a choice. Like all of us. She could either let her emotions control her, or master her emotions and control it. It is never easy to stay calm when you’ve given your all and your all has been taken for granted. The worst feeling in the world is the feeling of betrayal by the one person you love and trust. 3. Life has a twisted sense of humor. That which she despised and was obsessed with turned out to be the reason for her change. Another proof that behind every burden is a blessing. In every trial, there lies a treasure. Life Lessons from the First Maleficent Movie Forgive If we open our hearts to forgiveness, great things happen. When we close the chapter that has long been over, a new story starts to unravel. Tweet Don't wait for the person who hurt you to ask for forgiveness before you forgive. By then it may be too late. Before then, you may have turned into the person even you can't recognize. Decide to forgive now for your peace of mind and freedom, not for the other person. Forgive yourself for allowing that person to walk through your mind with their dirty feet. Stop hanging on to the past because it's already done. Stop beating yourself up for what happened in the first chapter of your life when the part of that story is already over. Freedom to choose There is evil in this world but it has no power over you, unless you allow it to. Every day, you make a choice. Life is about the choices you make. Mocha or latte. Save or spend. Work for your dreams or keep dreaming. Eat food that heal or food that harm. Spread kindness or hatred. Respond or react. Find a way or find an excuse. Smile or frown. It's up to you. What are you choosing today? It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. - JK Rowling What goes around... Kindness begets kindness. Hate begets hate. No matter how hard you try to be kind to everyone sometimes though, a broken person will come into your life and will try to hurt and break you. Control It’s okay to feel pain, and be angry when you’re hurt. It is a healthy response. It’s never okay though to live with the pain and let your anger control you. Tame that angry beast inside you. Make your own happiness Never let one person steal your joy. Don't make another person your source of happiness. Create happiness. Choose to be happy. If it's not making you happy, let it go. Stop hanging on to it. Greed destroys Greed will eventually destroy you. Envy kills. Negative and toxic feelings will eventually consume you if you will allow it. Hurting people hurt people. Misery loves company. People who are wounded tend to wound others. They are deep inside screaming for help and desperate for healing but don't know what to do. They feel empty but instead of looking at that emptiness as a gift and drive to be better, they end up filling themselves up with negativity. So, it shows in how they treat others and themselves. Know the story behind the story. I used to think that Maleficent was born evil. She just wants to spread darkness and despair. She preys on the innocent. I never asked why. I never tried to find out what happened to her. What drove her to become this evil? After watching the movie, I've realized that as adults, we understand the villain. Heck, sometimes we can even relate to them. Teamwork We all need a reliable back up to accomplish our goals. We need a team of people rallying behind us to do the impossible, to cheer us on or to simply support us. We need friends who believe in us and see our potential. Most importantly, we need friends who will point out the wrong but will never give up on us. Who is on your team? Power of words Word is the most powerful weapon anyone can possess. It can build and destroy a life. Be careful with what you say. There are words you can never take back. Lastly, never mess with a woman with a red lipstick. 🤣 I love knowing the other side of the story of the tale I've always thought I already know. The movie Maleficent is a perfect 5 for me. How about you? What life lessons have you learned from Maleficent? Image and Gifs from Giphy
