5 Things I'm Thankful For #30

This is my 30th "Thankful" post. I have 70 more to go, before I turn 30.


Can I do that? I guess I just need to be more grateful. :)


I am thankful for the following:


1. Kick-off event. Yes! My party-planning skills are again put to a test. I can do this!


2. Book Depository. Hard-to-find books can now be easily found in this website. UK-based company that offers wide range of book titles and free shipping to anywhere in the world! What more can you ask for, right? :)


3. Group Buying Sites. Yes, I am still thankful because I get to experience things that I do not intend to buy at their regular price. :)


4. Cebu Pacific. Php542 for a one-way ticket (MLA-HKG) in Sept. :)


5. Temple Run. Yes, this makes waiting time more worthwhile and enjoyable. :)




Thank you for reading this post.




*Apologize for the lack of enthusiasm. In a hurry, and not so much in the mood to write. My thoughts are all floating in my mind. Hahaha!

Another Birthday Post

Yes, I will be bombarding February (Oops, January pa lang pala) with Birthday-related posts. So, exactly one month from now, I will be celebrating my birthday. :)


Yes, I am excited. How many times do I need to say that? Hahaha!


Anyway, for those of you who are wondering what to give me. I am making your lives easier. So, you don't have to worry what I would like to receive for my birthday. (I hope some of you are really wondering. Or at least, I hope this post made you consider to include me in your 2012 birthday-gift-list)


If I win the lottery tomorrow, I'll definitely buy all these (and a lot more!!!)

This exact red mug (V-Day special) from Starbucks

Available in Fully Booked and Book Depository
Got Looking For Alaska already. And it's not even Feb yet! :)

Gold Flats from Call It Spring (Greenbelt 3)
Gold Leaf Pendant Choker from Chicify -- 
Update: I just checked, this necklace is on sale! It's a sign! Buy me! Buy me! :)
And I wasn't able to resist. I bought the necklace already. Baka mawala pa! Hahaha!

Revel Bar from Purple Oven (Kapitolyo, Pasig)
This is really a to-die-for dessert!
And of course, a jar of Nutella from your nearby grocery stores. :)

Yes, I love reading.
These I think are hard-to-find-books.
Found them in Book Depository, though.

I am competitive.
So, I'd love to have this board game.
Practice by myself.
Then play with friends. Hahaha!
Available in National Bookstore.

Please be the greatest friend* I can ever wish for and give me anything from the list. :)


How about you, what do you want for your birthday? Tell me. Even if your birthday's on November, I won't judge. I won't tell you that September's sooooo months away pa. Hahaha!




*Note: Yes, my dear cute sister, you can also be categorized under "friend"

February & Birthdays

The month of February makes me kilig to the bones. 
Not only because it is the love month, but it is also my birth month.


I get so giddy when Christmas is over. It's like a go-signal for me to get excited for my birthday. :)


I don't know where I got it, but I really have a thing for birthdays. (Read this and this).


So now that it's almost February, I want to reminisce and share with you pictures of 'surprising' events that I am currently missing... :(

Happy birthday, everyone! :)

This Is Exciting!

As an early birthday treat for myself.


And to add something to my 'to-do' list.


I gave in to impulse-online-shopping :)


Look at what I plan to do in February...

Images grabbed from CashCashPinoy

Now, who wants to join me? :)

Fun in the Philippines!

It's more fun, indeed!

Screenshots from It's Fun In the Philippines website

It really is fun! :)




I'd have to segue to the current book I'm reading, Inside Coca-Cola (by Neville Isdell). He was the Chairman & CEO of Coca-Cola for four years. And he's been to the Philippines! Wala lang, I felt the need to share it with everyone. Hahaha! More about the book in a separate post. :)

30 Things To Do Before 30 (as of Dec 2011)

I deleted some things. I added more. It can now be called 30+ Things To Do Before 30. :)

Those in RED & BLUE are updates. And the numbers beyond 30 were recently added. Yes, I'm aiming for a healthier me in 2012. So, the new additions to my list are mostly health-conscious. This just feels right for my Journey to 120 plan. :) 

1. Apply new color to my hair (some close friends told me that my natural hair color is just perfect, so I plan to change this 1st item on my list) Apply washable color to my hair (fair enough?)
2. Travel alone (where to? any suggestions?) WOOHOO!!! Cebu! :) -- and the list goes on.. Tuguegarao, Cauayan. :)
3. Go to Singapore with X (booked for June 2011!) -- can you feel my excitement> :)
4. Cook a 6-course meal for X (soup, salad, main dish - meat & pasta, dessert)
5. Exercise. Jog --- OMG! I lost almost 15 lbs. in 2 months. Isn't that great? Yipee for me! :)
6. Try the famous buffet in Makati Shang, Circles or Spirals (Thanks, X!)
7. Go out of town with my cute sister
8. Buy a whole outfit (dress, accessories, bag and a pair of shoes) in one day (DONE! Thanks to Stylebible)
9. Plan a birthday surprise (I did a minor one yesterday)
10. Get a promotion (Kinda DONE, although this is because of my new work)
11. Get a raise (DONE!)
12. Ride the Space Shuttle at Enchanted Kingdom (who wants to join me?) I rode the Battlestar Galactica in Universal Studios, that's enough, right? Hahaha!
13. Go back to Boracay (DONE - January)
14. Go to Puerto Galera (with X, J and G) (DONE -- Feb 12-13)
15. Learn how to clean the bathroom
16. Attend a High School reunion (DONE -- Feb 6, 2011) 
17. Reconnect with S or D (Done, with D. But no follow-ups. I don't think there'll be one anytime soon)
18. Write down at least 100 "5 Things I'm Thankful For" (I did 29 already)
19. Buy a designer bag (let me add: OR receive a designer bag as a gift) (FINE! A replica will do) NO! I'll buy the real one. You just wait! :)
20. Take a 1-week leave from work (DONE. Nov 30 to Dec 6!)
21. Have a my-favorite-movies-marathon for a whole day (My Best Friend's Wedding, Up Close & Personal, Clueless, Pay It Forward, Sound of Music, Annie) -- revising. (movie-marathon. period. So, that's around 5-7 movies the whole day)
22. Buy a new phone (DONE. Unexpectedly the other day. It's cheap, no worries. Hahaha!) I bought an iPhone!!!
23. Sing ONE (I repeat, ONE!) song loud enough to be heard by X (YES! And it's on video!)
24. Learn how to cook Adobo and Sinigang
25. Print at least 100 pictures from the past and make a scrapbook
26. (censored. hahaha!)
27. Surprise weekend get-away. I should drive.
28. Win a prize from Cebu Pacific's in-flight (or is on-flight?) games. (I think this will happen during my 'travel alone' time)
29. Go back to Baguio -- DONE! June 2011. :)
30. Say, _ _ _!
31. Write a book-related (e.g. Currently Reading, My Favorite Books, I Want This Book) post at least once a month. Starting November 2011.
32. Read and Finish 15 Books. (1 Delivering Happiness. 2-4 Hunger Games Trilogy).
33. Visit General Santos and take home a styro-cooler-full-of-Tuna-or-seafood-products. :)
34. Have a shopping-free-month. As in, no new clothes, no new voucher from group-buying sites, no new pair of shoes. I am excluding my monthly grocery list for our household. (Hmmm.. it wouldn't count as 'shopping' if I ask someone to buy it for me, right?)
35. No lunch-outs for a month. This includes food delivery. I should only eat baon that I or my sister or my mom cooked at home. Oatmeal, instant noodles can be included in my food-to-eat list as well.
36. No SOFTDRINKS for three-months-straight. Period. No erase. No exceptions.
37. No to Starbucks and other coffeeshop-drinks for three months, too. I can always enjoy Ate Lilia's ever-reliable brewed coffee in the office.

For items 34-37, I shall determine the definite months shortly. :)

5 Things I'm Thankful For #29

This post would have to be my "Thankful For" list 2011 edition.


I have a lot! So please don't limit me to 5. :)


1. X. For being himself all the time. For loving me. For everything.


2. J. For always being there for me. For listening to my endless rants. For bearing with my sob stories.


3. T. For listening to me. For allowing me to use your CC (Hahaha!).


4. My dearest sister. For cleaning my room. For tidying up my closet. For taking care of Peach. For being the greatest sister!


5. B Company. For teaching me that work is really hard.


6. E Company. For teaching me that work is really hard, but can be fun.


7. Timerixe Friends (Yes, we need to think of a new group name!). For your friendship. :)


8. B Workmates-turned-Friends. For creating the fun in hard work.


9. U! Happy Events. For the endless opportunities to push me to share my blessings with kids.


10. Peanut. For an exciting welcome every time I get home.


The list can go on and on, but would like to just thank everyone.


For everyone I met, I talked to, I spent time with, I shared food with, I partied with, I knew in 2011, thanks for being part of my 2011. :)

Hello, 2012!

I've been MIA for weeks (my previous posts are not counted as legit posts. I seem to use my blog as my tumblr, too. Hahaha!) and reasons for which are events to attend to, countless Christmas/NewYear get-togethers, endless meetings, deadlines, projects, and the list goes on...


Coming back from a 4-day weekend (Yes, I was on leave yesterday), makes me more tamad than usual today. Hahaha! I know I shouldn't be, so now I'm drinking my 1st coffee for 2012! :)


Anyway, I came across this post from Tara's blog and I've decided to start my 2012 blog posts by answering these questions as well. :)

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Travel international! Thanks to Singapore for my first passport 'stamp'. :)


2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I actually have forgotten already if I really 'documented' my resolutions for 2011. I will definitely write a set of things-to-do (alongside with my 30 Things Before 30 list). I'm sure these things-to-do will also be somewhat resolutions-related. :)


3. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, none. :)

4.Did anyone close to you give birth?
I consider Ems & Kay to be close friends of mine. So, Yes. :)

5. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? 
Savings! As in, I really need to learn and have enough self-control to save!

6.What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 1. I had a nerve-wracking, serious, and positive talk with someone so dear to me.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Losing 10. (And I hope -- err, I promised myself -- that I'll lose 10 more this 1Q 2012) :)


8. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope. :)

9. What was the best thing you bought? 
An iPhone (which I got from my Globe plan). A watch for the boyfriend.

10. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Hmmm, honestly, I don't get this question? Can someone explain this to me please? Hehe. :)

11. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 
Typhoon Sendong. I was in CDO the day after this depressing event happened.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Boracay. Singapore. Davao. Boracay. And a few more places in-between (work-related).
I almost forgot the group-buying sites! 

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Boracay in November. I was really, really, really excited because we didn't have any itineraries to follow. We just went there to relax and unwind. :)

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Alone. Not that I consider it my song, I just love the song. And oh, I love to sing it, too. (Alone though. Hahaha!)

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

• Happier or sadder? Happier
• Richer or poorer? Hmmm, shamefully poorer (I think)

16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Bake and cook. I think I haven't touched our oven the whole of 2011. I am sure I haven't done Lasagna or Shepherd's Pie. I need to bake and cook more in 2012!

17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating! Hahaha!

18. How will you be spending Christmas? 
I spent it at home with family. I slept 9pm, and asked my sister to wake me up 1130. She woke me up twice, but failed. I woke up 1230. Hahaha!

19. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I haven't fallen out of love since 2005. I am still and will always be in love, with X. :)

20. What was your favorite TV program?
Oh, this is tough. To be fair, I'm listing my top 5 TV Series. 
Revenge. Covert Affairs. CSIs (all three of them). Grey's Anatomy. Gossip Girl.

21. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is such a big word, don't you think? But still, I am thisclose to hating someone.

22. What was the best book you read?
Same with Tara's choice and recommendation, Tony Hsieh's Delivering Happiness. It just taught me a lot! I lent my copy to the boyfriend so he can also enjoy the book. :)
Oh, Hunger Games Trilogy, too. :)

23. What was your greatest musical discovery? 
I'm really not a music person, so any new song is a musical discovery for me. Hahaha!

24. What did you want and got?
New phone. Go to Boracay twice in 2011. :)

25. What was your fave film of this year?

26. What did you do on your birthday?
Celebrated my birthday in the office. Dinner at home.

27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Plain. Tried to move out of my plain-Weng-look (which usually consisted of black pieces). Explored a bit. :)

28.What kept you sane?
My friends.

29. Which celebrity figure you fancy the most? 
Auggie of Covert Affairs.

30. Who was the best new person you met?
Work-friends. The new company as a whole. If I have to name one, it would be my boss. :)

31. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011?
Hard work really pays off well. :)


Would you like to start your 2012 with these questions? Feel free to copy and paste, and of course, share me your thoughts also. :)


Happy New Year, dear readers! :)