Rizal Park Hotel and Luneta

Yesterday, we celebrated my mom’s birthday at the Rizal Park Hotel. It was formerly the site of the Army Navy Club during the American period. Presently, it is a beautiful hotel with a sumptuous buffet at its very own Cafe Rizal. 

We enjoyed the food and the pretty ambience. I personally loved the pizza and desserts. It was also my first time to try chicken feet, and I was pleasantly surprised with its flavor. Coffee finished off our delicious meal.  

After lunch, we proceeded to Luneta to take pictures. 

I am grateful for the chance to enjoy good food and commemorate my favorite hero, Jose Rizal. I hope that there will be more opportunities for me to continue being nationalistic without having to take political sides. I simply love history and any place that will remind me of our rich heritage is definitely worth visiting. 

Chewy Beginnings

The past week has been challenging for me, but I am still here! I didn’t die, and I am still able to crochet, blog, and have fun!

I had a relaxing lunch at Scout’s Honor yesterday with my family. I had their pesto mealballs rice bowl. It was delicious! 

I also had their Americano and make-your-own cookie. Mine had a chewy base with dark chocolate, cream cheese, and Chocnut.  

My visit to any restaurant won’t be complete without a powder room break. Their washroom did not disappoint! 

I am digging their millennial pink walls and various frames. 

I had a lovely lunch, and I am so inspired to begin again. Here’s to more lunches and possibilities!

Niche at Work

I have been holding up well at work these past few days. It is my first time to work with a lean team, so I had to adjust fast. Also, we have an open plan office so I am getting used to working on a family-style table rather than on an assigned cubicle. 

I am enjoying it so far in the office, and the collaborative environment encourages me to interact with my colleagues. I am getting by with food, coffee, and a lot of self-determination. Yes, my model for thriving at work is similar to how I carry on with my workouts.

I see colors in the middle of monotonous palettes, and the same goes with the daily grind. I find joy in processes. I listen to music whenever the silence becomes deafening. In no time, the music motivates me, and I already have my own jam at work.

Rather than rely on life hacks in the long run, I prefer to set up systems for my job crafting journey. I am on it at the moment, and I am also becoming more flexible with organizing my tasks and assignments.

I am also helping myself get in the mood for work by dressing the part. As I have discovered in almost nine years of working, the right outfit can serve as an armor. It is my battle gear. And it really helps me focus on my tasks when I know that my getup is put-together and professional.

For sleeveless tops and dresses, I usually pair them with jackets or blazers as office air conditioning can get too cold. For short skirts, I wear tights or stockings if needed. I just like making sure that I look professional and not sloppy.

And whenever I have free time, I knit, crochet, read, or blog. I like keeping my mind active and alert.

I really think that my niche at work is something that I have already discovered. I just have to keep the faith that my work will continue to serve my own values too. I take 100% ownership of my work. I hope that I will continue writing my story as I speakworksam!

Thriving Locally

I had a fantastic weekend!

I started my Saturday and Sunday mornings with Zumba. I must say that I am glad to see progress on my abs. 

I also took brisk walks around my local park and took breaks on interesting nooks such as this grotto. 

I enjoyed freshly-baked bread from my neighborhood bakery. 

And yesterday, I rode a P2P to visit Common Room Alabang. 

I donated some old paper bags on-site to support their ‘no new paper bags’ campaign, which I think is really cool. 

But the main reason why I went there was to buy a handmade Tubbs the Cat doll from Pop Junk Love. They had selected dolls at 50% off for the benefit of Cribs Foundation. It was a win-win because I have always wanted to purchase a doll from them, and I love supporting charities!

I also browsed through the store and found old handmade favorites such as Knitting Expedition.

In the end, I refused to have Tubbs packed in a paper bag. He went home with me inside my spacious Knitting Expedition Tiyargo bag.  

Every visit to Common Room motivates me to continue supporting local and handmade! My heart is full now that I have a new stuffed toy, and it’s all for a good cause. Fitness and my handmade lifestyle are not just weekend norms, as I do practice them everyday. They only seem to get magnified on weekends because I have more time to explore places that define them. 

I look forward to more weekend adventures and handmade stories!