Events Blogapalooza 2014 - My First Blogapalooza Experience 12:53 PM Blogapalooza 2014 is my first Blogapalooza experience ever. To sum it up in one word, it was legendary! I was hesitant to register at first because I thought my blog is not that "big" yet. I'm glad I tried. Your blog doesn't have to be trending worldwide for you to enter Blogapalooza. Blogapalooza---rescheduled last October 11 due to the typhoon last month---was held in SMX Convention Center SM Aura in Taguig. It was also my first time in SM Aura. I arrived early and was like a kid on first day of school. Excited, a little apprehensive but generally happy to be there. (Click individual image to view in full size) Booths of sponsors showcased their products and services with their own gimmicks and offerings. Food and drinks were not a problem as there were free taste from sponsors. My friend Misai and I played Pop-A-Zit at the Flawless booth and got ourselves cool prizes; Flawless Stem Cell day and night cream and a pink beach towel. (Below) Misai having her feet assessed at Dr. Kong's booth. I had mine done earlier before she arrived at the venue. They offer this service to their customers at their store branches. This is accurately done so that you'll know which type of feet you have so you can buy the shoes with the right design and fit for you. Cool! My favorite booth was that of Sample Room. It's so girly! Sample room was created to allow bloggers to sample a product first before buying it at full price. You only pay the shipping fee which is 100Php and they will deliver the product for you to try and make a review of. Aren't they thoughtful and considerate? Check their site here. Other giveaways and displays we found exploring the venue: bowlers and shades from Easy Taxi pillows from Globe board games from Game Time wellness products from YSA cool shoes from Crocs Habitat For Humanity new look of Jergens Caronia nail products. They gave us samples after we posted our photo at their booth on IG. Natural stress buster Lactium. They gave us free samples. I think Misai found a new sideline Spotted: YouTube sensation Bogart the Explorer One of the fun activities I enjoyed was designing my own doughnut at the Krispy Kreme booth. 1. Wear your gloves. 2. Grab a doughnut. 3. Dip into the melted chocolate (heavenly!). 4. Sprinkle and design. I thought my design was a mess, but a stranger commented that she liked it. So, I guess there's still beauty in the mess that I made. :) (Read What Design-Your-Own-Doughnut Taught Me About Life) We stayed to listen to sponsors and endorsers who introduced their services and products. Bloggers and other celebrities also talked about the influence and importance of social media to consumers and public in general. The highlight of the event (for me) was the free food sampling and tour at the new Niu by Vikings. Oh, gosh it was a delight to both the palate and the eyes. The food were sumptuous, the ambiance so cozy, the service was superb and the variety of food and drinks to choose from seems endless. We were also given a voucher which entitles us to get a 10% discount on our next visit! Here are some of our pics. We were so satisfied we had to take a selfie. ^_^ It was an unforgettable and lovely Saturday. I was so full---of food, knowledge and enjoyment. Our muscles were sore carrying around the freebies, and we were so sleepy after filling our tummies at Niu. I went home exhausted, but I slept happy. I can't wait for Blogapalooza 2015!!! Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share. Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks! Subscribe to About Life And Love by Email
Rants Ramblings: It's One Of Those Days 3:07 PM If it's not making me productive, happy, or feel good, I don't have time for it. It's one of those days when I try with all my willpower to remember that difficult people deserve my kindness and understanding more than anyone else. It's when I try to remember the lessons I've learned from listening to inspirational talks and reading good stuff. It's when I have to look past and play deaf to people begging for attention. Like toddlers having tantrums trapped in an adult's body. It's when observing people, which I often do turns meh. It's when people look down on other people just because they sin differently from them. It's when people act righteous and self-important, focusing on other people's speck in the eye when they have a log in their own. When I have to ask myself again: why do people dish it out if they can't take it? Some are just plain one-sided. It's when character is put to the test, at which most undoubtedly and miserably fail. Once again I have to take a deep breath, and recall the lines: "It's their inner battle. It must be very, very, very hard to be living in their heads." It's when I have to stop myself from retaliating, and remember that some people are just. not. worth. my. emotions. It's when being a Christian is something I would most gladly give up temporarily, but can't. Because, what's the essence of being a Christian when I'm only good with people who are good to me? Even pagans do that, right? But, oh, I said that through gritted teeth. Today is when I question yet again the sincerity of the people around me. Who remains true when you're out of earshot? Why can't we just be consistent? Why do we associate honesty with bitchiness and settle for fake smiles and insincere hellos instead? So, yes, today is also the day I'm reminded why I'd rather be anti-social. Content to be on my own. Shut off from the rest of the world. Shrug and be like, whatever. Because the smiles I see are just as scary as the monsters behind those friendly masks. Because if it's not making me productive, happy, and making me feel good, I don't want to make time for it. Because though I have faith in humanity, some people seems hopeless. Have you had one of those days? See also: Unsubscribe From Other People's Drama
Home 8 Simple Housekeeping Tips I've Learned From Living Alone 2:42 AM I've decided it's time to live alone after going through a lot of traumatic experiences from sharing a space. I was hesitant at first. But, I'm glad I did. It's an ongoing fun adventure! Every day I'm learning to be a---dare I say it, homemaker. Here are 8 simple housekeeping tips I've learned from living alone. 8 Simple Housekeeping Tips I've Learned from Living Alone Housekeeping Tip #1: Schedule it. Schedule your laundry time (you'll save more if you wash your own clothes). Schedule your grocery trips. Schedule your house cleaning. Schedule even charging your gadgets. Scheduling saves you not only time but also electricity, water, and money.SenorgifHousekeeping Tip #2: Vinegar is magical! I didn't know vinegar can be so versatile. I used to think it just makes a good dip, flavor enhancer, or salad dressing. Here are some of its uses: 1. Showerhead cleaner. Wrap your shower head in a plastic bag with vinegar and let it stay overnight. Result: clean and disinfected showerhead in the morning. 2. Toilet, sink, and bathroom cleaner. The tiles and toilet bowl are cleaner if you wash them with baking soda + vinegar and rinse with water. 3. Ants deterrent. Put vinegar in cotton or drench used clothes with it.Place the cotton or clothes in the area where ants usually occupy (by the door or kitchen sink). These are just three of what I've learned first-hand, but through the internet, I've discovered that vinegar can also be used to:clean your PCclean the windowsremovecarpet stainsburnish scissorsunclog drainIt can also be used as a facial toner and dandruff remover! It's like magic! Giphy Housekeeping Tip #3: Baking soda power. My neighbor's cat loves to take a dump in the hallway outside my door. Sometimes I wake up not to the alarm but to that horrible smell.Sprinkling baking soda in the gap under the door almost instantly gets rid of the odor. It blocks the odor from coming in.I also use baking soda in scrubbing the bathroom floor and the kitchen counter.When used with vinegar, it can de-clog the sink. Bonus beauty tip: Mix baking soda with lemon juice for a homemade body scrub. Gfycat Housekeeping Tip #4: You can live without T.V. How many hours do you consume every day watching T.V.? Five? More? How many hours will that be in a week? Month? Years? What if instead of watching T.V. every day, you read books, work on the internet (and I said work, yes), or go out? Answer: you get a more productive life. And besides, what is it that you can watch on T.V that you can't on the internet? Giphy Housekeeping Tip #5: Unplug if not in use. Though turned off, appliances still use power when plugged. Unplug unused appliances especially before leaving the house to save electricity, and also to be safe.Live sustainably. GiphyHousekeeping Tip #6: Keep your food storage full and emergency kit ready.You'll never know when a storm or flu will hit you. Things you must always have: Food Oatmeal or cereal Milk or choco drink Crackers or biscuits Bread Peanut butter or your favorite sandwich spread Granola barPotable Water!!! Medicine/Emergency Kit Povidone Iodine Band-Aid Alcohol Ointment/Balm Cotton Bug Repellent Petroleum jelly OTC Antipyretic/Analgesic Medicine for different types of stomachache (Antidiarrheal, Antacid, Antispasmodic) Medicine for menstrual cramps Antihistamines for allergySanitary pad GiphyHousekeeping Tip #7: Clean as you go. You won't be having a hard time cleaning if you see to it that you keep things orderly. Put things back where you got them. Organize documents and label them for easy retrieval. Giphy Housekeeping Tip #8: Stick to your budget. Identify your needs and your wants. You can go ahead and splurge if you have extra. But, it's always better to live within or below your means. Giphy Living alone is getting to know yourself more. You learn things that you were oblivious to when you were living with your parents. Now I know how to read electric bills! I also realized that this is a good learning curve for the near future when I'll be blessed with my own family to take care of. Living alone is a good test to see how responsible and capable I could be. The best time of my day, for now, is coming home to a quiet, peaceful, and organized space. Every time I close the door, I can heave a sigh of relief and sincerely say, "It's good to be home." I couldn't do that when I was sharing a space.What housekeeping tips have you learned or would like to share? Excited to read them in the comments below.
Books Why We Need More Luna Lovegoods And Hermione Grangers 1:51 AM It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be. -J.K. Rowling We need more Luna Lovegoods and Hermione Grangers in a world full of Pansy Parkinsons. Well, this is not a review of the book itself, but a few of the life lessons I got from the Potter series. I love that quote because (1) I'm a Potterhead, and (2) because if you know Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson, you would agree. Luna Lovegood is one of the characters in Harry Potter that you will learn to love. She is weird, she was called Loony Lovegood because she's odd and she doesn't fit. Pansy Parkinson is your typical mean girl at school. She's not pretty inside and out. She sticks with people who thinks they're powerful and bully everyone. She talks trash about you and makes your life miserable. She's your worst nightmare. Hermione Granger is just as famous as Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. She's one of the popular trio in Hogwarts. So, I'll presume you know who she is. Why We Need More Luna Lovegoods And Hermione Grangers They speak their minds Luna Lovegood speaks her mind even if it means being the laughing stock of the school. She believes in what most people in her world think is baloney. She can make you uncomfortable because she points out the truth that no one else would dare. Pansy Parkinson may have a field day every time she say something foolish but she doesn't care. How many of us can freely say what we want to say like Luna? Humility Hermione Granger is the smartest witch of her age. Yet despite being number one in her class, she doesn't brag about it. Pansy Parkinson is not even half as smart she is but loves to call attention to herself. And she always say bad things about Hermione. Sounds familiar? In our world, those who are pulling you down are already below you. They're not half as successful as you are and since they can't beat you, they will try to discredit you instead. Sometimes people in your life will try to expose what's wrong with you because they can't handle what's right about you. -Anonymous Defining standards Luna Lovegood and Hermione Granger define their own standards. Luna has weird fashion sense that even Harry was quite embarrassed when he was with him because he was conscious of people laughing at Luna openly. But Luna doesn't give a damn about what people say. She's comfortable with who she is and goes for what she believes is beautiful that no critic can tell her otherwise. Hermione Granger is looked down for being a Muggle born (witch born from non magical parents). In our world, she is the favorite subject of bullying and racism. The name calling and the discrimination though didn't stop her from being the top of her class. Both girls were victims of harassment, verbal abuse and torment, but neither backed down or got intimidated. Neither stooped down to their critics' level. Talk about taking the high road. Unswerving loyalty Luna Lovegood and Hermione Granger fought with Harry up to the very end. Especially Hermione. She saw everything that Harry went through and she stayed with him loyally. Both Luna and Hermione are your ideal best friends---with unquestioning loyalty and who are willing to give up what they have and risk everything to fight with you and for you up to the very end. Standing out Luna and Hermione were brave enough to not go with the crowd. When everyone else were taking the easy way out by going with the majority, they were not swayed. They have independent minds. And I think it's beautiful that it so happened they found like-minded people. Friendship They value friendship. One of the many things I love about Harry Potter series is the way they all value one another despite being different. They all have uniqueness and quirks but when it comes to friendship, they all jive. Today, you'll seldom find people who are genuine and sincere. Sometimes you have to think hard and long before you'll know what the other person's motive is. Sincerity is a big issue. So when you find people who are real, it becomes a rare opportunity. Standing up for others Although both Hermione and Luna are victims of bullying themselves, they don't sit around and watch the likes of Pansy Parkinson bully others. They may sometimes stay quiet and ignore the name callings in the halls, but they do stand up for those who are being bullied. They protect other people as much as they can. Selflessness They both tried to stop the most powerful and evil wizard of all. While Pansy Parkinson would have followed and caved in to Voldemort's threats, they were both willing to sacrifice their youth, and put their lives on the line, fighting side by side with their friends who are just as young and vulnerable as they are. They're both selfless. Careless and brave yes, but selfless nonetheless. Irreplaceable Harry and Ron would have been lost without Hermione. She was the brain in their group. She thinks in advance and she thinks...well like a woman does. That saved them from a lot of trouble in their journey. Luna was the one who talked Harry back into his senses when he tried to isolate himself from the crowd. If it wasn't for Luna's carefree insight, Harry would have ruined his friendships and he would have been more vulnerable to Voldemort. She was also the one who was there when Harry felt alone. Men then, couldn't have done so much or survived without them. Both Luna and Hermione embody Girl Power. They are both fighters. They are both very smart and wise for their age. They are both looked down by the self-righteous and the fault-finders. But, they both remained confident, staunch and unwavering that no Pansy Parkinson can put them down or stop them. Photos and gifs from Google images. Header photo fan art by courtneygodbey Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share. Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks! Subscribe to About Life And Love by Email
Life Lessons Leave Your Baggage And Move On 12:17 AM If you want to move on, you need to learn to let go. -Bo Sanchez Originally written for and published on The Praying Woman Sins. Hurts. Problems. Past Mistakes. Criticisms. Limitations. Regrets. What is your baggage? Whatever it is, leave your baggage and move one. Leave Your Baggage And Move On Sins. Let go of sins. In our weakness, in our frailty we commit sin. We sometimes take the easy way out and compromise our values. After sinning, instead of repenting we choose to live in the shadow of our sins. Instead of facing the consequences, we let it define us. We sin and we feel like we're done. Like there's no more hope for us. Good news! Even the worst sinner can be has been forgiven. All we need is to accept the mercy from the Ultimate Forgiver, so we can forgive ourselves and move on. Let go of the baggage of sin and move one. Hurts. People will always, always hurt us no matter how much we try to live in peace with them. It's not about us, it's about them. Hurting people hurt people. People who are unkind to you have issues with themselves and not with you. You may have been abandoned by your parents. Your friend might have said something that hurt you in the past. Someone may have broken your heart. Yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, maybe a couple of years or a decade ago...it doesn't matter. You feel hurt and it's normal. It's normal because you care. It's normal because you're an emotional being. That abandonment, that betrayal, that pain hurt but it's not your end. It may feel that way, but it's NOT. Let go of the hurt. Leave your pain and move on. Problems. As long as you're alive, you will encounter problems. Problems may vary from minor ones---what to have for breakfast, to major ones---how to get out of your debts. Your problems will not be around forever. Behind every problem is a solution. Behind every trial is your triumph waiting. Leave your problems and move on. Past Mistakes. If you are alive today, it means you've made mistakes in the past. Nobody's perfect. Everybody fails. It is not the falling that will define you, but your getting up after the fall. Let go of your past mistakes and move on. Criticisms. Some people make it their life mission to scrutinize you, criticize you, and even shame you. Know this: if you've accepted your flaws, no one can use it against you. If you know your worth, no one can shortchange you or make you feel inadequate. How you see people is a reflection of how you see yourself. How you treat people is an extension of how you treat yourself. So when people only see the wrong in you, or treat you harshly all the time, take pity on them. They must be living a very hard life. They could be desperate for help. Again, it's not about you, it's about them. Let go of criticisms. They're just noise. Limitations. You may have been told by someone important to you that your dreams are too big for you, that you are unrealistic. Someone may have instilled in your mind that you are not capable. They're just as imperfect as you are. The only person who can limit you is yourself. Let go of limitations. Regrets. We have our could-have-been. We feel like we've missed something and regret our decisions at some point. We can choose to dwell in what we cannot change, or let go of the regret and make a brand new start. We can feel sorry for ourselves forever or make the mind-shift that everything happens for a reason. Behind all our baggage is shame. If we get rid of the shame, we get rid of the baggage and start to move one. We hang on to toxic people and stay in trashy relationships because we feel that's what we deserve. Because we're ashamed of ourselves, of our baggage. Bo Sanchez said, "You are not a garbage collector. Get rid of the garbage in your life." Gratitude defies gravity. When you feel pulled down by your past mistakes, turn it around and be grateful instead of who you are and what you have. You can't get on a plane unless you surrender your baggage first. You can't get on with life unless you let go of your emotional baggage. It's not easy, but you'll get there if you start shedding them now. Leave Your Baggage And Move On From Talk 2: Desperate of Women Gone Wild series at The Feast. Watch the video here. Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share. Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks! Subscribe to About Life And Love by Email
Lux Thinking Aloud Striving To Be Childlike 7:36 AM Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. -Matthew 18:3 Striving To Be Childlike I'm striving to be childlike. A child lives a less complex, stress free life. A child may worry, but not for long and not over serious matters. I am striving to be forgiving. Notice how easy it is for children to forgive one another? Sometimes, they don't even have to apologize. After a while, they start playing or talking again like nothing happened. No hang ups, no grudges. They forgive easily because they don't make a big deal out of it. They forgive easily because they forget about the offense. They put their friendship over their differences. And a little misunderstanding can't stop them from having fun. I want to be as forgiving as a child. I am striving to be trusting. The ugly part of being an adult is that you've been exposed to many events that somehow removed your ability to trust fully. Too many betrayals. Too many promises broken. Too many plans that did not pursue because somehow the people involved were not able to live out their commitment. It's sad really. You become too cautious you build a strong and tall wall around you to protect yourself from further damage, because you fear that you might not be able to take the hurt anymore if it happens again. I want to be childlike in the way I trust people. Like I've never been hurt before. Like I will never be betrayed again. The way a child laughs when he's being thrown high on air by his father knowing that he will catch him no matter what. I am striving to be dependent on God. I want to be dependent on God like a child is dependent on his parents. To wake up knowing that my day will be alright because my Father sees to it that all my needs are taken care of. That my way is safe. That my convenience is always considered. I am striving to be worry-free. Worry is not of from God, it's from the enemy. Because God does not want us to worry, He said that so Himself. A child is worry-free because He knows He's in good hands. He can sleep soundly in his parent's arms despite the chaos going around him because he is sure that he will be protected. That he will not be abandoned. That he is loved. I am striving to be childlike in a way that I never lose my sense of wonder. To look at things in amazement. To expect beautiful surprises in the face of uncertainty. To believe in miracles, in magic, and that all wishes come true. To be always in awe even of the little things that adults take for granted. To never stop being appreciative of even the small things and gestures. I am striving to be forgiving, trusting, dependent, worry-free, appreciative. I am striving to be childlike. A child who is confident that he is loved. A child who knows his place. A child so full of dreams and belief in himself. A child who is sure that he can do anything he sets his heart to. I am striving to be childlike, and you should too. This post is based on today's Didache Reflection. Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share. Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks! Subscribe to About Life And Love by Email Photos: Google images
