MARCHing On!

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As predicted, Feb was definitely Fab I must admit though that I still wasn’t able to translate it’s fabulousness into blogging. Still need to work on that.

Blessings still keep on coming, so I must remember to be grateful, and to share the love whenever and wherever possible.

Thank You for work that continues to challenge me.

Mostly, I’ve been keeping busy at work. I can’t say that we ended the month with more fabulous scores than January, but we did rally and got to a better standing than where we were at start of month. I can only hope the team Marches on for March.

Thank You for putting sense into my head and getting me on the road to financial maturity and security.

I added to my savings and increased my portfolio in February. Really feel good about that. Signed up for Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club before the month closed. Maybe I’ll get to write a review in a few weeks. For now, I’m still trying to see my way around. The downside is that this month we ate out a lot. We should definitely get back to having lunch at home or at our more affordable eating places, aka Becky’s Place.

Thank You for family time, and short trips. And for opportunities to appreciate the beauty of Your creation.

Five years ago, my parents and I took Esban to Paradizoo. On the same day this year, we went back, but with Amir in tow! It was such a fun, fun day.

We stopped by Rose and Grace Bulalo at Sta. Rosa, Laguna for lunch. Amir didn’t eat much but was happy to try feeding himself. He loved the soup of the bulalo though, he had a lot of it!

When we (finally) arrived at ParadiZoo, he was raring to go! He walked and ran a lot that afternoon and didn’t seem to get tired. He had all three of us struggling to keep up!

It took him awhile to warm up on the mini-pony ride, but he definitely loved having to feed the animals. He even walked straight up to a goat, but then backed off when it jumped up to meet his face hehe.

Thank You for good food, with good company.

There was the Pan de Amerikana brunch. A Valentine’s dinner (Eastern Time, because it was actually brunch time of the 15th Manila time) at Banapple. Dinner at the Chocolate Kiss. And a very satisfying lunch at our new favorite, Greeka Kouzina. It was our second time here, and we were not disappointed.

And the countless fast food drive thru take outs.

Thank You for friendships and the occasions to see them. Oh, and for photobooths too!

February was a month to celebrate many things, friendships included.

Rico and Jallen got married! We finally met Rico’s better half, on their wedding day on 2/23.  It was such a fun reception. Beautiful wedding. While we were all decked out, we went for coffee and movie at Resort’s World after the reception. All but three of us fell asleep while watching Bruce Willis!

The next day, Alfred and I went to my goddaughter Popot’s first birthday. Of course there had to be a picture with all of the original members of the YP-ACSEC core group We couldn’t fit anymore, not only have we all grown up, but all of them have had kids too. Ako na lang ang wala!

Alfred and I rarely have photos together. But we love photobooths!

We even got to connect with Arianne, a good friend from college, after the party. She lives in the area so I asked her out for coffee after the party. We spent a good three hours or so just chit chatting and catching up. Alfred didn’t complain about the time, good boy.

Thank You. Thank you, my dear readers for taking the time to visit!

I feel like there is so much more in February, that truly my cup runneth over. There were definitely times when I’d pause and think if this is the life I would have chosen given another chance, but then I realize I am better off than others. That I should be thankful for the life chosen for me. So I MARCH on, I MARCH forward!

What happened to your February?

Fab Feb!

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I have a feeling that February is going to be a Fabulous month!

That’s our Feb wall paper, the template is a freebie from Zoe Pearn. All I had to was slip in the photo of my Dad and my nephew. Don’t they look so happy? This photo was taken on the first of the month, when my brother and his small family dropped by the house after the little boy’s checkup. He had fever that day but he was so happy to see us it didn’t seem like he was having any downtime.

I am really look forward to what this month would bring, specially on the work side. This is the first month I’ll be spending with my new team (more on that later) and I am filled with hope that our goals are going to be within reach.

As for January, let’s not forgot to be thankful for the blessings we received:

• It was a record month for my Team. We ended with 7% higher CSATs than December, and we also hit our sales goal.
• I’ll be first to admit, having set a routine for the month, and having a smaller team, gave me less stress than I’ve had in the last year. But my team is growing this month so we’ll see how my newfound routine holds up.
• My Team Leads are showing progress in terms of coaching, and taking care of their people. We’re not there yet, but we will get there.
• On the Savings side – I have so far kept up with my goals and also increased my Stocks portfolio. The boyfriend has also begun turning over a certain percentage of his salary to add to our savings. It took some arm twisting, but he’s onboard. We’ll see if we can increase that % this year.
• We set a record high for going to the cinemas in January – we haven’t done this in a long time! I’ve seen a total of five (5) blockbusters in the cinemas. One More Try, Sisterakas, The Hobbit, Life of Pi, and Les Miserables.
• To watch Les Miserables, I went on a date with my Mom! Here’s a photo of her on the reclining seat at Gateway’s Platinum Cinema. The movie was just about to begin
• 
• Finally met my new godson Jonas! He’s so cute and big at only 5 months.
• 
• Spent an afternoon with good friends to see the newest baby – Julia Zemira! She’s the first daughter of my friends Reyna and Joel. Though they haven’t really asked me yet, I’m presenting myself to be Ninang!
• 
• My bestfriend whose family is all the way out in Dubai also asked me to be godmother to her first born, Kenzie! (See his photo collage here) Of course I couldn’t be there for his Dedication last week, but in spirit I definitely was with them. I have yet to meet him in person, but he already holds my heart in his small hands.
• Though I really thought I would be holding my purse tight in January, I bought two pairs of inexpensive but comfy shoes from Payless, and another bead for my Trollbeads bracelet. I named it my Troll bead, for all the Trolls that tried to put me down in December, unsuccessfully. Here’s the official photo of the Troll with Gems bead from the Trollbeads website, and its description is spot on for the qualities I realized I possessed because of this episode in my career.
• 
• I finished Catching Fire and Mockingjay of the Hunger Games series. Also Book 5 of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, The Last Olympian. My to be read list hasn’t been updated though.
• We also remembered the first anniversary of Papa’s Heavenly Birthday. We still miss him very much. We are grateful for the presence of family and friends who came to remember him and celebrate his life. Sadly, we had to bid goodbye to other uncles in January. Uncle Bawil who I last saw after one of my last therapy days in St. Luke’s last year. He had lost a lot of weight and was there for his regular checkup. We chatted a bit before I had to leave. We felt his absence in Papa’s memorial. Whenever there’s a celebration that calls for sacrificing pigs, he would be here bright and early, ready with his tools. Oh yes, we felt his absence.  Uncle Artie passed on a week after him. They were once housemates, all those years back when Uncle Artie first suffered a mild stroke that changed his life. I think I last saw Uncle Artie during the wake of his aunt, Mama Sen. And before the month ended Uncle Arthur also left for Heaven. I was very good friends with his youngest daughter Yaki and so I saw him a lot when were young girls. But the very last time I had an actual conversation with him was years ago when I was trying to make tennis my game. I was at his Requiem mass and heard his first born Manong Ronald speak about him, I realized that yes, he truly was a man of few words. No wonder I could remember only one conversation with him all these years. I am thankful to have known all these good men. They will always be remembered by their friends and families.

I feel like there was so much more in my January. Unfortunately I didn’t do a very good job blogging with only nine posts for the month. My Comments challenge wasn’t met either. That meant I spent more time sleeping in January. I felt like crashing on my bed or on the sofa just as soon as getting home from work. No complaints though.

So January was a blessed month and that gives me a lot of reason to be believe that Feb is going to be a Fab month!

How was your January?

December Roundup

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14 days into the new year and I have yet to give a shout out for the events/things/people/etc that made my December 2012 amazing. I guess I have been putting it off because that month didn’t take off so well, as I mentioned on my November 2012 sendoff post. But towards the last two weeks of the month, things picked up and all was well again.

Thank you for:

• > The two Christmas parties I got to attend – the official company Christmas bash at the PICC, and the Friendship Christmas Party that was SO. MUCH. FUN. Two parties. I missed the YP Christmas Party for the second straight year (a gathering with friends from ECPAT/YP-ACSEC).
• > Having spent a LOT of time with my family. My parents had full two weeks (or was it more?) of holidays, and my brother’s family was here the whole time. We got to spend the holidays with Amir! That was definitely the highlight of the month, if not of the year!
• 
• And I am so so proud of my nephew. He recognizes shapes and numbers, and a lot of things! He sat down to flip through this magazine and pointed out cars and buildings (which he calls towers). Also in the photo are the small transport-themed toys Alfred and I got him for his birthday.
• > Unexpected gifts! A pair of earrings is among the favorites! But the biggest one came from the boyfriend, he got me an iPhone5! Woot! I so love my new phone.
• > iPad Mini – I got this for myself. It’s engraved too: Live. Capture Life. Tell Stories. Then my blog URLs are there too. I’ve used it to blog twice so far, and it was a smooth experience. I’ll be using it more and more.
• > My new godson! Andrei, baby boy of my good friend Mayeen, was Christened on December 2. Hope to see a lot of you, and soon!
• > Amigurumi class! I made my first two Amigurumis after attending a class at CraftMNL. Here’s the red kitten I started during the workshop:
• 
• > Another “Start” at work. I was transferred to a new LOB in mid December and it’s been a smooth ride so far. Things are challenging, but not hopeless.

I’m pretty sure there are so much more I should be thankful for in December. But these are just among the few that stand out.

Perhaps it’s fitting to end with a very short prayer: “Lord, thank you for all the blessings that you have bestowed on us in the past year. Many times I have dwelled on what was missing, when I really should have focused on the fact that you have given plenty. Thank you for continuing to guide us as we navigate thru life. We can only hope to be the best stewards of Your creation, and we shall be mindful of that charge in all our days. Father, please continue to extend your patience, and keep on guiding me, until all Your plans for me are realized. Again, thank you. Forever, thank you. Amen.”

November 2012

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Not to dampen the Holiday spirit permeating the air right now, but I need to take a moment to breathe and just let out. I just feel a bit frustrated right now. Every once in a while it happens, I fall into a kind of funk. This time just wasn’t expected. Instead, I expected to be revved up and eager to go back to work after a week and a half of resting. I guess things don’t turn out exactly how we envision it, not all the time.

So to lift my spirits up, let’s just go ahead and crunch some bloggy numbers shall we?

For the month of November, Verabear.Net received:

• 2,296 page loads
• 1,667 unique visits

As for Between the Covers:

• 2,143 page views

I guess it’s not a lot, and only a fraction of these visit really make their mark (by leaving comments), but it reminds me that though some people we have in our lives may let us down, there are still a few more out there interested in the little spark of light we bring to this world. There are friends waiting out there to be found and made, they are there. Oh, and thank you, dear friends who take time out of their busy lives for me.

A few more things to be thankful for – November edition:

• New blogs on my Reader – Suger Coat It, Susan Weinroth, Find Momo (and others)
• The Ely Buendia Experience – just thrilled to be at a concert again, only my second for this year (which is an improved to 0 for last year?)
• Still having time to read books – Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, InkSpell, The King of Torts, The Dreams of Ada
• Bargain books from the NBS Warehouse Sale, and Booksale at WalterMart  
• Sleepovers and attending a birthday party with my nephew Amir
• Enjoying myself, with the company of friends and family at the SATS Fiesta, and seeing bats in flight at sunset.
• Good finds from the 10a Alabama fair including the Asia ACTs cards, Merry Macarons (they were sooooooo good, order from my friend for Christmas), and this dog plushie for Amir.

And, what do you know, I posted my first OOTD (outfit of the day) on Instagram, hah! Some of you would remember me posting about my bucket bag and my blue moonwalk shoes, here they are:

So. Thank you, Universe. I had a good month and December can only be better.

How was your November? What are you looking forward to in December?

October, So Over!

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October was like a high mountain that we struggled to climb, and we prevailed. At work, we had such a lousy first week of the month that we had to pay for it the rest of the time. Good thing though is that we learned what our true limits are, and that we have a reliable number one team. We, started from the bottom and made it to the top half in three weeks. Everyone else was on a downward trend too, everyone but us.  That tells me that we have the talent and the skill to be the top team, the only thing left is to remain vigilant, at all times.

Image source

Stress levels at work were so high, and well, it can’t help but affect what happens outside. I’ve eaten a lot and spent too much this month

I bought a new bag from a local seller. It’s cheaper than my last three bag purchases but I love it and I think it can withstand the abuse all my other bags take from me! My mom is ordering one for herself too. Here’s a photo of my violet bucket bag courtesy of seller, Basha Manila:

My shoe family welcomed three new girlie pairs to the fold. Two are from a local entrepreneur, while one was from Payless. I got CanCan and Moonwalk in Cobalt Blue from LuluSwing:

The Moonwalk fits very nicely, while I think that perhaps I should have ordered a size bigger for the CanCan. Nonetheless, I love them both and hope they don’t get worn out too soon.

I drove around a lot this month. One day I drove from work to Pasay to pick up Alfred, then rushed all the way to beat color coding to arrive at San Benissa in Fairview before 7AM. I made it with time to spare! On a different day I took my Mom to her appointment at the US Embassy. Since I couldn’t accompany her in there, I waited for her at my favorite Starbucks branch, with this view:

I took a nap there, despite the very bright sunlight, haha, and I mostly just looked out the window and observed the people walking, cars passing, and looked out to Manila Bay. Then I also read a few pages of my book, but that usually gets me sleepy when I lack sleep. Two hours later, Mom was ready to be picked up.

I bought shares from Jollibee (JFC), and I attended Module 2 of the Pesos and Sense Seminar Series. I haven’t quite blogged about it and it happened over a week again just before October ended.

I read My Friend Leonard, Grisham’s The King of Torts. I also started on The Dreams of Ada but I only finished that yesterday.

We watched one film in the cinema, Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles. It’s a local film that is touted to be cutting edge because it’s the first one shot entirely on a blue screen. The effects are surreal.

I’ve also continued with my physical therapy sessions, but often it’s only twice a week instead of the three times that was recommended. I have 2 more sessions to go and then I’ll be going back to the doctor with the PT’s assessment. I predict more sessions in my timeline. There were days when I felt like I was 100% back to normal, but then I have days when I feel the pain again. Perhaps it’s just a reminder not to take on too much all at the same time.

I’d met up with a dear friend and we shared a massage experience at Nuat Thai, before chatting each other up at this milk tea place nearby. This should happen with more friends, more often.

This is the first year in about eight years that I didn’t take charge of our annual Halloween party at 19th street. The kids still pushed through with it, but I wasn’t there. Di bale, babawi tayo next year, or maybe sa Christmas.

I am very thankful for October, because of the lessons it brought, and the laughter shared with family and friends at every opportunity. It definitely gave us the momentum to kick start an amazing November.

How was your October?