Nov 5, 2014

The Importance of a Strong Internal Support Group


You know those times when you need guidance, when you need support, and you feel like there's no one around you to lean on? We all have moments of weakness. Most times we are strong, but there are times when that strength fails. Those are the times when we need a support group, but it's not everytime we have one. Then we feel alone.

Nov 4, 2014

BMM Log: October 2014

So sad, haven't read much outside of school work. No worries, though, because these books are still worth reading. In the music front, I basically stuck to my default ones. And in the movies, *sigh* not much going on there. Can't wait for Christmas break and the end of the semester.

Books



Nov 3, 2014

Hear ye! Hear ye! #NoraRoberts

Nora Roberts' latest fantasy/magic book has been released. Well, it was released last October 28, I think, but since I was on hiatus, I'm just posting about this now.

You guys know I love Nora Roberts. I'm officially a fan, so I'll just simply, calmly, recommend this book to you instead of gushing about it. Blood Magick is the third book in her current series. There was some negative feedback when the first book came out as the characters seem reminiscent of her past Three Sisters Island trilogy. The circumstances of the characters are different, though, so that's fine with me. And any chance to read more of Nora Roberts fantasy books is welcome to me.


Nov 2, 2014

Halloween Travel List

Since I'm not over Halloween yet (hey, there's still Old Halloween on November 6), let me share with you my Halloween travel list. These are places I would love to go to during Halloween, just to soak up the culture and the atmosphere:

Salem, MA
the Hawthorne Hotel Oct. 31, 2014 Newsletter

How could I not include this? In Salem, MA,

Nov 1, 2014

Halloween Track

Spent last night listening to this on repeat:


Happy Halloween!

It's been a while on this blog. It's good to be back.

It's November 1 here in the Philippines, so many people in the cemeteries, so many people travelling to the provinces.

Aside from the customary cemetery visit, let me share with you my "traditions" during Halloween (some of them are so new I've only started doing them this year. *laughs*):

Watch Halloween Movies
Ah, my childhood. Every Halloween (my favorite holiday even against Christmas), I make it a point to watch at least one movie I've watched during childhood. I watched two this year:

 
The Halloween Tree: my absolute favorite! Halloween for me is this movie. Read the book, as well, for the full effect ;)

Oct 14, 2014

#Quoteivation: How to Get Over Frustration




It's the start of my week again and I'm getting by (more than getting by, actually). The past weekend wasn't as hectic as the one that came before it but

Oct 12, 2014

On the Color Pink and Being Different: Be You (Quote-ivation)




I know it has been said a lot. Be yourself, be who you really are, etc. But it's true. In life, there would be times when being you might not be the best idea, but

Oct 11, 2014

Oct 10, 2014

On College, Independence, and Self-pride: Excellence is the Norm (Quote-ivation)




People would tell you that college is very different from high school. It is. It's not just the people, the class schedules, or the lack of parental supervision. It's the standard.

Oct 9, 2014

Quote-ivation: Discipline is Key



I'm on a procrastination-fight roll. If you've noticed, my past posts have been about finishing a task, keeping yourself motivated, and inspiring inspiration. Behind all these is discipline.

Oct 8, 2014

Choice Metal: Sterling Silver

I'm very partial to silver. I wear sterling silver comfort jewelry (a necklace and a ring), a sterling silver watch, and sterling silver earrings. Yep. 

One reason I prefer silver is it doesn't tarnish. And it's easier to acquire than stainless steel (my go-to shop for SS is Unisilver). Another reason is that I have a fear of being held up by thieves during my commute. It's much less conspicuous if I wear non-gold-looking jewelry. That's my belief, anyway. And since I almost always wear black, the contrast between the black and the silver is really great. Though, according to my skin color, gold looks better on me, but I honestly think either way is fine.

Sterling Silver watch from Unisilver

On Inspiration: Force It (Quote-ivation)



There are times when you have to take it easy and pace yourself, and there are times when you have to force yourself to work because you're not sick, you're just lazy.

Oct 7, 2014

#Quoteivation: Criticism and Compliments


Today was a very good day for me - I'm on cloud 9. 

It didn't start off well at first; I only had three hours of sleep and that always makes me feel sick and cranky. But I pushed on. And it was fantastic.

Quote-ivation: Push!



I'm still not over how stressful last week was. I had a lot of quote-ivations running through my head just to get me through each day (see them here and here). Today's quote-ivation would probably still be running through my head for the coming week (it's running through my head now in light of everything I have to do). Push!

Oct 6, 2014

Oct 5, 2014

Oct 4, 2014

I'm Loving: Striking Truths

I believe words have power. They can hurt or heal. They can give energy where there was once none. They can give hope.

That's why I have my Quote-ivations up on this blog. They're not just for me, they're for others as well. I hope they've inspired others even for just a moment in time.

That's why when I find sites devoted to the power of words, I'm instantly hooked. Striking Truths aims to inspire, to deliver striking truths to people everyday. I suggest you check it out if you need some words of wisdom.

Oct 3, 2014

Crystals and Focus

I mentioned before how I always wear my Onyx ring. It symbolizes calmness, strength, and steadfastness, and it helps me have something to focus on when I need it.

I have other crystals I use for focus, meditation, or just something to hold on to when I need it:

From upper left clockwise: Citrine; Blue Lace Agate; Clear Quartz; Amethyst; Black Onyx

Citrine. A yellow stone, this is like the sun. Aside from being a stone of wealth, it's a "happy" stone, warm and uplifting like the rays of the sun. It does not require cleansing and could be used to uplift one's mood.

Oct 2, 2014

Totems and Guidance

There are times in one's life when one just needs to borrow traits from others, when one's character needs traits not inherent to it. - Donna (slothscribe)

I think that's why there are totems. They are representations of spirit guides, animal guides, who embody certain characteristics that could be of help to people who need them.

Do a quick search on the net and you'll find that your spirit animal usually appears to you through your childhood favorites, your dreams, and even just chance encounters day to day. Personally, I've always loved dolphins, not because I had any idea of what they represented but because I just loved them (and the sea). Then it became the wolf. So majestic. Independent. Powerful. Then I lost touch with the idea of them until college, when the chaos of everything that was happening just needed a guiding principle.

I bought these sterling silver pendants on Etsy from ShymaliLlamas some months ago. While I no longer wear them today (because I wear other jewelry), having them in my possession still comforts me. And the fashion statement of these pendants can't be ignored.

Oct 1, 2014

Comfort Jewelry

You know those jewelry pieces that you just have to wear otherwise you feel like there's something missing, like you're not prepared to face the day? That's how I feel when I don't have these with me. I wear these everyday. These are my comfort jewelry:


Saint Benedict Stainless Steel Necklace. Well, the pendant is stainless steel and the chain is sterling silver. Both are fantastic as they don't tarnish even in water. That's why I NEVER take this off, not even in the shower. When I'm not wearing this, I feel vulnerable, like there's an important thing I forgot to bring.

Sep 30, 2014

BMM Log: September 2014

It's the end of September, the first -ber month! Sooner or later, it'll be Christmas! But first, there's Halloween. Wheee!

September was hectic for me, to say the least. With the school semester in full swing, I had no time to read for myself; nearly all the books, the full-fledged novels, in my Book log this month were for school. Sigh. And I didn't get to watch any new movies! Que horror! (yep, I'm loving Spanish, can you tell?)

Books


See what I mean by the novels being school readings?

Sep 29, 2014

Quote-ivation: Just Start

This past weekend was a trial; I wasn't feeling well starting Friday and only got better late Sunday. Once I did get better, I had to face tons of school work but my motivation was non-existent. Honestly, I just wanted to lie in bed and sleep the weekend away. Of course, I couldn't do that so I made myself a mantra to get myself moving.


Just start. Don't think about anything but the task, don't overthink your steps, and just pick a place to start and dive in.

Quote-ivation: Pace Yourself. Listen to Your Body.

I mentioned yesterday that I felt off this week. I felt like I was coming down with a fever, probably because of muscle pains from a PE dance step coupled with just plain tiredness.

Last Friday night, I was sure that that fever was going to fully materialize. I was prepared to spend the weekend in bed fighting off sickness. I was also stressing because I had a lot to do for the next week: three papers to write, two books to read, and a whole lot of research to do. I contemplated even soldiering on even while sick. 

While there are times when it can't be helped to just do your work while sick, there are also times when what you need is to just stop. Stop and rest. No matter how full your schedule is, consciously step on the breaks and put those worries aside. Your body is important, the state of your health keeps you functioning. If you feel off, determine if you just feel lazy, uninspired, or truly on the verge of being sick. Pace yourself. Listen to your body. It you don't believe in what your body is saying, who will?

Sep 28, 2014

Weekly Wrap-up and Quote-ivation: Plan. Prepare. Prevail.


This past week was...off. I didn't feel that well and had some minor mishaps throughout the week (like when I forgot my change of clothes for PE or when I nearly forgot to read for a class because I forgot to put the reminder in my planner).

Sep 27, 2014

Pining for the Sand


With all this rain, I'm lemming for the beach. It's the -ber months, I know, but summer isn't far off (ish...).

The picturesque cove above is Twin Rocks Resort in Virac, Catanduanes (my mom's hometown :D ). Definitely check it out and add it to your to-visit list.

P.S. Fun fact: During the day, when the sun is high, the waters go into low-tide mode and recedes from the shore. Then you can walk where the water once was! Super fun.

Sep 26, 2014

Health Heroes: Items to Keep Healthy and Fit

Remember my post yesterday about me being out of shape? Well, I'm really serious about getting back into shape. So here are some of the things I'm currently using (or would like to use :P ) to keep healthy:

Health Heroes

Seven App. I featured this in my What's in my iPhone post. It's basically and exercise app that guides you through a 7-minute (or more, if you want) exercise every day. It goes from light to heavy and levels can be unlocked as long as you stick to your schedule and keep exercising every day.

Sep 25, 2014

Muscle Pains, Keeping Fit, and Yakult


Good God, my leg hurts. I was in PE class yesterday and we had these steps (it's a dance class) where you squat really low on the ground (the dance was tango, FYI) and support your entire weight on one leg. It seemed fine until the next day (today); my leg HURTS. The muscles are sore and I have a hard time going up stairs or flexing my leg to take my weight. 

This made me realize how out of shape I am. Before, I could go through one hour sessions of intense workouts and have minimal muscle pain the next day. Now, I can't even perform a simple dance step without being in pain the next morning. 

It's quite hard to be fit in college with all the stress and exams and lack of funds. But I think it could be done. A very simple way to do so (especially in UPD) is to walk instead of ride. The campus is large and, if time permits between classes or early morning or after classes, go a turn round the Acad oval. It's a relatively easy way to get your body moving. 

You can also stretch from time to time, especially if you sit all day. Just some simple reaching out of legs and arms could do wonders. A jumping jack is also advisable for some easy, simple heart-pumping action. 

It's also very important to eat well. Today I drank Yakult. It's not much but it's something. I'm gunning for one of those cleansing teas in the near future but right now, the tried and tested Yakult will do. 

However you want to do it, keeping fit is important. Now excuse me as I nurse my sore leg. 

This is not a sponsored post. 

Quote-ivation: On Personality Tests, Change, Choice, and Balance


I've always found it fun to take those personality test like the Jung Typology Test or the Myers-Briggs Test. I even once loved going on Quizilla.com (it was still not under TeenNick, I think) to take those "What is your Spirit Animal?" or "What color are you?" tests.

Sep 24, 2014

What's in my iPhone

The iPhone is one of the best things that happened to me this year. I use it a lot for college.

Here are the apps in my iPhone:


The apps are mainly divided into 12 categories. This makes it easier for me to search for an app and it makes the whole interface clean (thus saving my sanity).

The four at the bottom are the most used apps for communication, with the Settings for easy access to cellular data, and the Camera for daily snapshots of life and college readings.

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