Cut and Specs

Yesterday, I had my pixie trimmed at the affordable salon near my home. 

I feel renewed whenever I have my monthly haircut. I feel grateful for the support of my loved ones in this difficult time as I am still able to pamper myself within my means. 

I received some Starbucks top-up from my loved ones, so I was able to collect enough stickers for a 2019 planner. My solo coffee sojourns have provided me with clarity amidst the challenges that my family is currently facing. 

I also returned to Elait for some hand-rolled frozen yogurt. Their desserts are delicious, but even better than that is their advocacy, which is hiring deaf servers who whip up these awesome treats. 

I continued enjoying my Monday as I went to Barkin Blends Dog Cafe at SM North Towers to spend time with my favorite doggos. 

This is still my favorite dog cafe because the dogs are treated well. They are walked outdoors and they have enough food, water, and updated shots. Best of all, they are happy and trained to be sociable with human guests- even with kids!

I drove home feeling warm and fuzzy after spending time with the furbabies. So imagine my heightened happiness when I received news that my wish for a new pair of plastic specs has been granted by @dearsunniessanta, the social media gift-giving arm of my favorite eyewear brand, Sunnies Specs. 

I am grateful to everyone who are helping me get through the holidays now that my dad is terminally ill. Self-care is important as it enables me to provide better care to my loved ones. I am definitely loved and I will pass it on this holiday season and beyond! 

Body Love

Recently, I’ve been getting body shamed for gaining weight. First of all, I tell people that I have hypothyroidism. They can research it online to understand my condition. My weight isn’t something I can control, but I try to manage it with daily exercise and a proper diet.  

I can say that for someone with hypothyroidism, I’m looking fine! 

Body shaming is something that we should stop once and for all. Rather than focusing on one’s weight, we must look for factors to compliment. Traits like intelligence, generosity, and substance must be given more importance than weight. ​

I hope that when you have the urge to body shame someone, you will think of people like me who struggle with it, but do our best to win at life. And if ever you get body shamed, do know that there is nothing shameful about you. Just smile, and tell people that they are being rude. And try to make your day better with a workout and a healthy meal!​

Day 4: Designing my Life with Intention

I am at a point in my life where everything has to be intentional. I am already thirty-one years old. I know myself well by now and I am no longer wasting my time with people, experiences, and things that are not going to positively influence me.  

Today, let me teach you how to begin designing your life with intention so that you can live more meaningfully.  

I am inspired to design my life with intention!  

Reese Fernandez-Ruiz of R2R was so sweet to have included this handwritten note.  

I love this book so much, I have given copies as Christmas presents in the past! 

With Word of Mouth friends Char, Dianne, Brian, and Rucha  

My first time at NCAA! 

I was into philately back in grade school. I guested on the show Tipong Pinoy back in the day (and I spoke about my love for stamp collecting) so it was a treat to pose by this backdrop!

My delicious mushroom risotto from Ilustrado  

1. Live like a winner. I won this R2R passport case and signed copy of The Genius of the Poor by Tom Graham. It all started when I listened to the In Good Company podcast. I supported the podcast since they began releasing episodes because I have been supporting social enterprises like R2R for nine years now (my first R2R purchase was a clutch in 2008!). When they had a giveaway, I joined and of course, I was glad to be one of the lucky winners. Now, you might be thinking what this has to do to “Living life like a winner”. Well, I would not have intended to support social enterprises and handmade business if I did not have a healthy dose of self-respect and self-love. By buying from these social enterprises, I am sharing this love to the artisans and communities whose dignity is being restored with every purchase made. This makes me feel like a winner because I get to share my love. I listen to podcasts that spark joy and uplift my mood. In the end, I live life like a winner and I am inspired to design my lifestyle around my intention to thrive, grow, and win!
2.  Attend events that can inspire you. I am inspired by cultural and artistic events which could inspire me to elevate my taste for a quality life. By immersing myself in stories, artworks, performances, and music, I get to feel, process how these feelings correlate to my experiences, and have a chance to empathize more as I go along. For example, I attended a Word of Mouth storytelling event at the NCAA auditorium at the beautiful walled city of Intramuros. I got to see my friends Char, Dianne, Brian, and Rucha and we also had lunch at Ilustrado. I felt renewed and restored after listening to stories and catching up with friends over delicious food. I couldn’t really ask for more on a rainy Sunday. 
3. Be mindful of the choices you make. My Girlboss Workbook by Sophia Amuroso begins with an oath, which allows me to promise to myself that each choice I make must be deliberate. I blog about pursuing wellness through mindfulness, so I’m all for being deliberate with my choices. It begins with asking yourself if each choice is going to be good for you. If it will help you become a better person, then go for it! Remember, mindfulness begins with self-love. Separate your emotions from the love you feel for yourself. Make sure that you love yourself first. From there, all your choices will be deliberate. 

From the Girlboss Workbook

Design your own life with intention, and be sure that each choice you make is deliberate. Don’t ever lose sight of your self-love. Lastly, do not give up when you experience setbacks. Choose to move forward. After all, each new day is another chance to redesign your life!

 ***Comments are welcome at speakoutsam@gmail.com***

#funonfleek

It was thrilling to win a talk pass to the Filed #FunOnFleek planner launch. I have admired the brand since its early days, and I have already purchased their Scribble planner before. I submitted an entry on their Facebook competition, where I said that I wanted to amp up my creative journaling with the inspiration I will get from the talks. Before I knew it, I already had a pass in my inbox and I was good to go!

It was held at Century City Mall, which happens to be a specialty mall I like. Attending the event was a no-brainer, as I also wanted a planner for 2018. I was welcomed by a room full of like-minded ladies and true to its #FunOnFleek theme, a ball pit! I dove right into it and took a few selfies which was show how happy I was to feel like a kid again for a few minutes. 

Rizza Lana made time management doable in her life! 

The first speaker, Rizza Lana, shared her insights on Time Management. She owns three businesses: Whim Manila, Le Cat Coffee Shop, and Lana Skincare. Here were the key points from her talk:

Time Management Hacks

1. Prioritize
2. Write, write, write
3. Know what motivates you
4. Break down your goals into tasks (yearly, monthly, weekly)
5. Delegate tasks
6. Celebrate small wins
7. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just start

• Align your yearly, monthly, and weekly goals
• Deadlines help
• Stick your to-do list behind your phone or make it your wallpaper
• Set alarms for using social media
• Reward yourself whenever you achieve something

I find it admirable that at twenty-seven years of age, she already found a Time Management system that works for her. This takes commitment, and I will surely try setting an alarm when I go on Facebook (which eats up a lot of my time).  

Rhea Bue inspired me with her story. 

I also enjoyed Rhea Bue’s talk on blogging and PR. I may not be a vlogger yet, but I learned how tedious the process is from Rhea. She said that it is better to review products on blogs, but vlogs can work for a single makeup product. If there are a group of products being reviewed, a blog entry will offer a more detailed overview. It would help if the product and swatch photos are unfiltered. Also, personal thoughts will enrich your entries. So whether you blog or vlog, it is important to make each review personal. 

The same goes with events. A blog entry will cover more information, and it will allow you to include more photos, quotes from key people, and important details. A vlog can only cover the highlights of an event. A video can work as a teaser, but a blog is your main entry.  

For travels, she prefers to blog because she shares her itinerary, photos, and tips on budget and survival tips. Travel blog entries can also provide your readers with personal interest stories. For instance, if you are a bibliophile, you can write on a trip to a bookstore or a local library. If you like coffee shop culture, you might want to try a cult third-wave cafe. It will make your entry stand out amidst the sea of travel blogs.  

My key takeaway from her talk was that at the end of the day, a blog should be a form of storytelling. Blogging is a venue to share your life and answer potential questions from your readers. And by injecting your personal style, you get to develop your own voice and remain consistent.

Maan and Roma Agsalud of Common Room  

Another talk that resonated with me was the Passion Talk by sisters Roma and Maan Agsalud. They are the duo behind Common Room, which is a shop that sells handmade items. I visited their store several times already, as I also support handmade because they are objects with a story. They shared how a passion for crafting led to their first brand, PopJunkLove, which sells cute plushies. They have since incorporated their first brand into Common Room, where they host other handmade merchants’ items along with their own.

While I am not a businesswoman, I was triggered by their talk primarily because their passion resonated with me. I learned that taking action to pursue your dreams is the secret behind realizing them to fruition. Lack of money should never stop you from making it happen, as there are free venues on social media where you can test your brand (or your blog). Lastly, you should never make excuses for your dreams, because there are concrete actionable steps to start making them grow. And as Roma has emphasized, growth takes time, so you might as well start small and build on your dream.

My new planner sleeve and Keepsake journal 📓  

A cute planner for a sleek 2018! 

Of course, my #FunOnFleek experience will not be complete without a Filed Planner! I purchased a Keepsake Planner and personalised sleeve to help me manage my time and ideas in the coming year. While I am passionate about my blog, I still prefer to outline and plan my posts using pen and paper. I am happy that this local planner brand makes me excited to plan ahead and get my dreams from paper to reality. 

I enjoyed my time, as it was really a lot of fun. Those were only three talks I enjoyed, but there were other speakers as well. I chose these three because they have inspired me the most. If they can do it, then I can be a better version of myself too!