November Rain

I'm not entirely sure why I entitled my post "November Rain". Perhaps, it's the fickle weather we're experiencing these days or maybe it's just me. I feel dark and gloomy about the fact that I only have two months to go before 2010 ends and it seems like nothing has changed with my list of unaccomplished projects... they still remain unaccomplished. My hectic hours at work are to be blamed, as well as the fact that I seem to be attending more blog events now. The rest of my so-called free hours are left to do house chores, watch my favorite DVDs and read some books. I don't even get to sleep a lot anymore. So what's new?! Sigh.

However, I am happy about the fact that my days last month have been filled with meaningful work and a lot of fun blogging events. And now that Halloween has just been over, which means that Christmas is almost here, that's a whole new reason to be excited about! ^_^

Anyway, gloominess aside, I still have hope. If only I can discipline myself to only take care of things that really matter, I know I can still accomplish my personal projects, even if not all of them. So let me rack my brain for a little while and think of a good schedule that I must keep (by hook or by crook). Hihi.

Nuninuninuninuninunu.....thinking....


Okay, here is my basic plan:

1. If I'm invited to events, attend only one-two events per week as much as possible. Choose the ones that I am passionate about and ones that I'd really enjoy. Like, later, I'll be at Resorts World for some food tasting and on Nov. 6, I'll be at Nido Discovery Center with my parents.
2. On Nov. 8, Monday, I should take the time to take care of my DTI application and business permits.
3. Do general cleaning and laundry once a week, preferably middle of the week, after work, so my weekends can be allotted for more important projects.
4. Avoid doing more than 10 hours of work per day from Mon.-Fri. unless really, really necessary.
5. Every work week, after work, I should allot 1 hour each day for beading, 1 hour each day for spa making, 1 hour each day for drums/guitar & keyboards, 20 minutes for biking, 20 minutes for Wii workout, 20 minutes for tarot.
6. On Nov. 11, I shouldn't stay so late at the Brownman Revival Gig. I should also avoid getting so drunk so I can still work once I get home.
7. On Nov. 13, I should accomplish all the things on my errands list (like buying my own mannequin, a couple of photo frames, baking ingredients, soap making ingredients, candle making ingredients, some potted plants and a wall mirror; have my nails done; buy new DVDs; check out Citibank promo --- I want a simple digicam with video recorder coz our Olympus digicam has been having problems for a while now).
8. On Nov. 14, Peter and I should continue with our windsurfing lesson plus camping & picnic.
9. On Nov. 15, I should start uploading my new supply of clothes.
10. On Nov. 16-19, I should urge Peter to finish processing papers for the Bulacan house, have the Yaris aircon fixed and schedule our Boracay trips c/o Panoly.
11. On Nov. 19, I should allot a few hours for HARRY POTTER screening. *Excited!*
    
12. Nov. 20 will be for baking, soap making & candle making, plus a few blog posts about my Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur trips if possible.
    
13. On Nov. 21, I should start packing for our Dumaguete trip.
14. Nov. 22-25 will be devoted to work and the scheduled personal projects.
15. Nov. 26-30 will be for fun, fun, fun!

Okay, it's settled then. Wish me luck!

Lots of MUSTs this August

Wow, we're now on the 8th month of 2010. I don't even wanna think about the things I haven't even done yet (like learn how to drive, read all my books, make spa products, learn how to surf and windsurf again, make homemade soap, regularly play with my guitar, drums and keyboards, etc...). Honestly, 24 hours in a given day is just not enough. I tried, Oh God, did I try. But it felt like I was killing myself and my marriage. Who really has the time to do all these things?! I'm no wonder woman. I try to be but... Anyway, I still have four months to attempt doing everything that's on my 2010 list. Maybe, just maybe, I can still hack it.

For this month, I intend to continue with my VA work. On Thursday nights, I have the Brownman Revival gigs to look forward to at 70's Bistro. On weekends, I hope to be more productive by hiring part time help to do house cleaning so I can make some more beaded accessories, concoct my own spa products, make my own soap and read my books ( I just recently bought Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Eat Pray Love, and 4 new double digest Archie comics. But of course, there are still tons of other books on my bookshelf which I haven't even touched yet. Talk about "takaw mata sa libro"), go surfing at the end of the month and windsurf in between all these activities. I think I need a miracle to be able to do all of these activities. LOL!

On August 10, I'll be claiming one of my policies with Prudential Life and invest it further in a small but manageable business. The amount is not that breathtaking but it will have to suffice. I hope I can make it grow for Popsy's sake. I just dunno how long it will take before I receive the cash. I hope it's not one of those irritating things in insurance companies --- When you need your money, it takes forever to get it, but if they wanna sell you some sort of insurance, mabilis pa sila sa alas kwatro. *Keeping my fingers crossed*

On August 14, Peter and I will be celebrating our 11th anniversary as a romantic couple. We're married 8 years now but those 3 years of just being boyfriend-girlfriend prior to our marriage marked the real foundation of our solid relationship. I have nothing planned and I doubt Peter has either. We'll just see how our days go and just do something at the spur of the moment.

I'm hopeful that August will bring us a lot of blessings and wonderful surprises. It's the month before the BER months begin. I really hope we can make the most of it.

Til my next post. Ciao!

The Limit is in the Sky this July

My goal starting this month is simple: Invest my time, effort and money in profitable and productive things BUT should be enjoyable and fun to do. In the event that it's just purely investment in fun, it should be an activity that will build my strength and character.

Having these rules in mind, I have made my new schedule:

TUESDAYS - SATURDAYS



12 midnight - wake up
12:00 - 12:15 - daily tarot reading, spells & meditation



12:15 - 12:30 - finish 1 chapter of Jack Canfield's book on success
12:30 - 1:00 - exercise



1:00 - 1:30 - brew coffee, cook food
1:30 - 2:00 - shower & prepare for work
2:00am - 12:00nn - work
12:00 nn - 1:00 pm - lunch, rest, watch DVD
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Do other projects, blog posts, etc.



3:00 - 4:00 pm - Play with my music (keyboards, guitar, drums)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm - clean the house, do other chores
5:00 - 6:00 pm - shower, read novel/comics
6:00 pm - 12 mn - SLEEP!


SATURDAY PM - SUNDAYS - MONDAYS

Saturday
AM - do laundry/general cleaning
1PM - 6 PM - Attend business seminars
6PM - 12 MN - groceries/parties/nightlife/date with Peter



12MN - 5AM - sleep

Sunday
5AM - 6AM - run or bike with Peter
6AM - 7AM - shower, breakfast, prepare for out of town wind surfing
7AM - 9AM - trip to Surf Kamp, Caliraya



9AM - 1PM - windsurfing
1PM - 3PM - Late Lunch
3PM - 5 PM - head back home
5PM - onwards - relax at home / beading time / make spa products


*above is the beaded necklace I made last weekend. I can't wait to do some more beaded accessories!

A Fool For April

Yeah... April is turning out to be one fun summer month and the heat is making me soooo lazy to do any work. I stopped doing two of my jobs and I'm thinking of whether to give up this third one. I just feel like bumming at the beach, or lounging at home so I can catch up on blogging about my travels, reading my books, doing my spells and  what-not. I guess March burnt me out so much  that half of what I planned to do like windsurf, visit Bolinao again,  and discover all the other lakes in San Pablo did not materialize. The only trip we did last month was our weekend of sunbathing  and shopping in Subic and our Anilao snorkeling day trip which I haven't even blogged about yet. Well, at least, I had my bathroom tiles changed and we now have a brand new front yard. Yipee! At least the money we worked so hard for went to something lasting, practical, and  productive for a change. ^_^

Sunset at Dampalitan Beach where we camped last weekend.

So, what's in store for me this month? Honestly, as long as summer is here, I want to concentrate on summer stuff like camping (we've only used our brand new Coleman tent once when we were in Dampalitan beach last weekend in Padre Burgos... we have to use it more often), more beach hopping, windsurfing & snorkeling, and finally  exploring all those other lakes in San Pablo, Laguna. In between trips, I want to finish reading all those new books I bought from Readers' Digest, and finish all those DVD series we bought early this year (Supernatural Season 5,  Dexter Season 5, Medium Season 5, Fringe Seasons 1&2, House Seasons 5&6, Grey's Anatomy Seasons 5&6, Vampire Diaries Season 1) and several other movie DVDs. In short, I just want to chill and relax this summer. I guess this is one of the perks of working from home. You can quit any time you want and find another job when you feel like it. ^_^ Of course, my drums, guitar and Peter's keyboards are always at hand to keep me company. I started playing other songs aside from This Is Me and Alone but I haven't got the time to memorize them yet. I'll let you know.

Our Coleman tent is the best!

Lastly, I hope to start making beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings again. They're the perfect accessories for my beach trips this month. We've already been to the white beaches of Padre Burgos in Quezon last Holy Week, and we plan to camp at Potipot Island in Zambales this coming weekend, then head to Sorsogon to swim with the Butandings and explore the Caramon Peninsula on April 17-21. On the final weekend of April, we hope to windsurf again and finally check out Sampaloc Lake in San Pablo. I guess it's a good plan.

I'll check in on you again next month. Enjoy your summer!

The Heat is On!

The heat is definitely on! And the only thing that I look forward to every week are our adventure weekend out of town trips when we finally hang out at the beach, discover new places, do some windsurfing, frolic in the waters, and hopefully begin surfing again and take scuba diving lessons.

I was not joking when I said in my last post that I work so hard. My gosh, I am literally living every weekday, from our bed to my work station. I seldom get out of my office, and when I do, it's because I feel so stressed and tired, and that's the only time I go down to clean the house a bit (coz it  relaxes my mind), do a batch of laundry (it's all automatic anyway), prepare a super quick meal,  or spend around 5-10 minutes playing with  drums and my guitar (yes, I'm still playing Alone and This is Me, the only two songs I have memorized), or tinker with our keyboards which I am still getting used to. And thank God for lunch and dinner breaks, I can watch my favorite TV series one episode at a time. (Right now, I just started with Desperate Housewives Season 6)... All to relieve pressure and anxiety that I sometimes experience when I feel so overwhelmed with my virtual tasks. Could I really do this? Could I really hack 3 virtual jobs for a long time? I am grateful though for being a virtual assistant. I still think it's the best job in the world coz you can have the best of both worlds. And it does make you earn lots of money if you know where to look and how to use your time.

It's just that with 3 jobs, sacrifies were indeed made on my part and I am getting used to it. I am getting used to not blogging every now and then; I am getting used to not checking my social networks every 5 minutes, I am getting used to the solitude I have when I'm fully focused on my jobs, and I am getting used to feeling more at peace. I didn't realize that I can consider all those social networking stuff as  clutter in my life. When I really had to make a decision, they were the first things to go. My life has been more calm since. Coz while some have been helpful, many of them have been  very distracting that I didn't realize before how much of my time was used (or maybe wasted) just updating and commenting on facebook, twitter, plurk, myspace, friendster, etc.   Anyway, these are just my thoughts for now since I have never been this busy before to the point that I couldn't even get up to buy myself some drinking water supply from our neighbor. Thank God for my husband who thinks of me when I can't even think of myself.

Anyway, I just needed to share my thoughts. I am looking forward to a  series of happy weekends with my hubby this summer. This weekend, we're hoping to do the two rides we weren't able to do two weeks ago: Superman and Silver Surfer rides at Treetop Adventure, then head to Dungaree beach in Subic. Two weeks ago, it was All Hands Beach we checked out and it was nice too. I'll do a post on that on my travel blog soon. Come Sunday, we plan to do a bit of windsurfing again then look for the other lakes in San Pablo.

Happy weekend, everyone and have a great summer!

Work Hard, Play Harder, Love the Hardest

Growing up as the eldest of three siblings, and with responsibilities beyond my age, I learned how to be efficient so I can still devote some time with activities that make me happy. I remember, when I  was just a kid, making stationery and origami during the rainy season made me feel so happy. When the sun  was out, I played tex, or football, or tumbang preso, or taguan, or shato with my friends. I was such a boyish little girl. I had more guy friends than girl friends. Go figure. Anyway, I digress. I just thought of these memories coz I'm still trying to make sense of the way I am currently living my life.

The second week of February was quite challenging for me. Like I told you before, I accepted another full time job. Now, why the heck did I do that when I was already living a beautiful life?  I work hard, I play harder and I love the hardest. I guess it has something to do with my being efficient and more productive. You see, if I'm not busy with my job or tinkering with my personal projects, I spend hours just checking my social networks, emails, blogging and watching DVDs. Sure they bring me joy but then again, I'd rather exploit all my resources making a living out of something I love rather than doing what I love but wasting my energy, time and not earning money from it. Besides, I want to fund my new water sports activity, which is windsurfing,  without using our savings. Plus, I still have plans of conquering my trauma in surfing and my fear of scuba diving so I might as well earn as much as I can so I can use my additional income to fund my new and old hobbies. ^_^ Then all my hard work won't be for nothing. Like what Peter's boss told him once, "I'll rest when I'm dead." Hehehe.

Windsurfing at Lake Caliraya

That being said, I am thankful for my jobs, the sleepless days and nights when I also  try to squeeze in my other projects, and our wonderful weekends full of fun and adventure! (We got a couple of trips planned this summer. See my travel blog) And despite everything, I was still able to accomplish the following last week:

Practice, perseverance, and visualization... these are the keys to perfecting any craft.

• I started with my windsurfing lessons last Saturday, yay!
• I got to play with my guitar and drums (see videos I placed on my sidebar). I'm such an amateur but I don't care. I just studied on my own and look, I can play some tunes!
• I continued reading my books.
• I consulted with my Tarot cards and I was able to make readings for some friends.
• My hubby helped me with the laundry
• I was still able to clean the house.
• I was able to blog.

The things that were taken from my schedule were:

• about 30 minutes of meditation
• about an hour of workout.... no more time to bike and exercise
• no more time to cook
• therefore, no more time for the other things I said I'd do!

Hmmmm...

Let me just get the hang of my new working schedule and I promise myself to make time even when there seems to be none.

This is my plan:

• Meditate while stretching and exercising after I wake up each morning. Kahit 10 minutes lang.
• Consult with my Tarot cards after breakfast.
• Read a few pages of my books for  5 minutes each hour.  
• Prepare easy dishes during my lunch break and while waiting for the food, I can play some tunes. I should start tinkering with our keyboards soon!
• Ask Peter to water the plants before he leaves the house in the morning and to fix our bed every morning too.
• Simple cleaning of the house in the morning and in the afternoon.
• Bike ride for only  a few minutes after 6 pm.
• Watch videos while I do my 2nd and 3rd jobs late at night and at dawn to keep me awake.
• Play  a bit of Wii boxing and/or Soulcalibur and No More Heroes for a few minutes to jolt me from slumber in case I feel very sleepy. 
• And on those weekends when we are not traveling, I will start making spa products and beaded accessories. 

Ok, that's it for now. I think I'm quite happy with what I came up with. Carpe diem, folks!

The Month of Love

Every time February comes around, people either dread it or love it. As for me, I've learned to be neutral about it. I've found out that for me, it is the best possible way to treat this month of hearts... with no expectations... coz that's when all blessings of love and prosperity come in.


Speaking of blessings, the month of February has started out flawlessly. During my first week, I was able to attend to several of my personal projects despite my hectic schedule and I felt quite satisfied and happy about it. To wit:

• Consistent bike rides in the morning.
• Tarot card reading for me and my friends. I've actually done several readings for myself since my last post but I just haven't published them yet. Plus, I am glad to be of help to friends and strangers who were in need of enlightenment. See my Wiccan Blog for an update.
• I memorized two songs using my guitar. They're two of my all-time favorite songs --- Alone by Heart and This is Me by Demi Lovato. Yipee!
• I read several of my books, a few pages at a time. I even managed to finish one (Earth Then and Now). See my Bookworm Blog for an update.

This week, I plan to accomplish the following:

• Basic Lessons on Windsurfing which I will do this weekend with my hubby as we go to Caliraya, Batangas to celebrate our Valentine's Day together, braving the waves and the wind. If you need suggestions on what to do on Valentine's, see my Travel Blog and you might just be able to pick an activity you want.
• Play the two songs I memorized using the keyboard this time.
• Memorize at least three advanced drum beats in level 2.
• Make at least one beaded accessory.
• Play with Wii boxing which will serve as my workout too.

It all seems so easy when I see my plan written down. But when reality kicks in, it can be a bit challenging, especially now that I have let go of one of my freelance jobs and replaced it with a more stable one... one that needs me to follow a regular log-in and log-out time. I feel blessed though and I believe I can do everything that I set out to do. Like I said before, it's just a matter of proper time management, commitment to work and proper focus. And of course, I will never forget what I learned from Oprah... that when the going gets tough and the tough gets going, I need to stop, refuel and recharge.  It also helps to eat the right kinds of food. Check-out my Self-Help blog for the whole article on this. and my Food Blog for the right kinds of food to eat to enhance your brain power and overall health. What Oprah shared on her book really enlightened me and gave me more will power and energy to go on.

And lastly, I believe all the mantras I've been reciting in my head during my meditations are really paying off.

" I am beautiful gorgeous, flawless, happy, healthy, smart, sexy and wealthy. I have financial and time freedom and I am enjoying wonderful new horizons of opportunities and I love my life!"

" Every day and in every way, I am getting better, better and better. All good things are coming to me. Money is easy and comes frequently and abundantly."

" My body is perfect and it knows what to do. I am my perfect weight and my perfect size."


Chat soon!

Carpe diem!

February is Here! What Have I Accomplished So Far?

The third and fourth week of January have been a blur because of work. I did most of the tasks I put on my agenda although there were some days when I was just so tired after my shift that I ended up glued in front of the TV watching 24 before going to bed when I should've played with my drums and guitars some more or started looking for an affordable driving school instead of just letting time pass by. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Anyway, I forgive myself. I'm only human after all. On the other hand, I did start to accomplish some of the things I said I would:

• I now cook simple recipes more than usual (including Peter's breakfast).
• I was able to memorize one song with my guitar.
• I'm getting better with my basic rock drum beat (if I have the time, I'll try to produce a video of myself playing with my instruments just to give me that extra push).
• I read a few pages of my books when I wake up and before I sleep (Oprah's Live Your Best Life, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love, Archie Comics, Paolo Coelho's Brida, Jack Canfield's Success Principles, Reader's Digest).

Furthermore, I would  like to take this opportunity to thank God and the universe for the additional blessings I  received last month:

• I went on an 8-day Asian backpacking trip with one of my best girlfriends (we explored Singapore, Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur) and cured my fear of flying in the process.
• I attended a free NLP (Nuerolinguistic) program in Cebu, all expenses paid (accommodation at Waterfront Hotel, buffet meals, and the free airline tickets).
• An additional job that provides additional income for us.

And so now, I face February, the second month of the year. I will be changing my routine a bit. Because of my trip to Cebu last weekend, my body clock shifted and I am now working from dawn til  afternoon  and sleeping in the evening instead of working from evening til morning and sleeping in the afternoon. I will maintain my meditation practices, of course, but my workout routine will have to be done after work. The same goes for the other projects that I want to accomplish. This month, I have to start incorporating the following into my weekday schedule and devote less time to DVD watching (good luck to me!):

• Level 2 of Drums
• Guitar playing (memorize a new song)
• Wind Surfing (one weekend)
• Making Beaded Accessories
• Biking / Wii / PSP
• Play Keyboards
• Tarot Card Reading

This does not mean that I will let go of the other stuff I've already started to accomplish. The way I see my plan is like this: By doing these little projects one by one, a time will come  when all of them will be a natural part of my daily routine. So even if I start doing something new, I will still be cooking, playing with my instruments, making beaded accessories, biking in the afternoon, etc. 

With that I welcome February! May it be filled with accomplishments, joy and more blessings. 

Carpe diem!

Chat soon!