2021 Belle de Jour Power Planner Review

I am getting a lot inquiries and praises about my Belle de Jour Power Planner I posted on my Instagram account. That's why I decided to make a review.

PROLOGUE

2020 was such a challenging year! As what I've posted in Facebook, I called it a year of realizations and lessons on what really (should) matters in life. I wasn't able to get a real deal planner (got a simple one) for 2020 so comes November, I started browsing Lazada and Facebook for planners that would fit me and serves me well. I started adding to cart but couldn't find it in my heart to check out (he-he). 

Then, I saw Belle de Jour Power Planner on my Facebook timeline. I cannot remember if it was a sponsored post because I was too excited when I saw the designs. I checked the videos, Facebook comments and designs and immediately went to Belle de Jour Power Planner website, searched for the aesthetic version I wanted and checked out. That's how fascinated and stunned I was.

THE REVIEW

Dislcaimer: This is not a paid review. This is entirely my personal view. All pictures/images used on this post (except the first one) belongs to Belle de Jour and I asked for their permission to use them on this post.

Click here to see the live version of the Belle de Jour Power Planner

DESIGN - This is the cover design I've chosen among those which are available for 2021. To me, it looks like an empowered woman who is ready to slay the whole year round with calmness and grace. The cover is hard, the picture of the Bella girl is glossy and the logo is holographic as it claims. 

12 SPECIAL PAGES  It has 12 special pages. According the BDJ Website, some of the pages were designed to help its owner find clarity and purpose to live a meaningful life. I couldn't agree more. From goal settings to mood meter, monthly checklist, the dream board are just some of my favorites. But the "Power Up your Year" page is really empowering. It has 12 spaces, one for each month where you can write  your power up word. It served as a guide on how I live my daily life. For January, I wrote "GROW"....with a mindset that I water myself daily in all aspects so that I can give more to others. The word also became the theme of my Instagram account haha! It's exciting!

It has monthly calendars where you can write birthdays or most important errands. It has space for good habits you want to focus on. But on the vertical weekly layout, there's these special spaces for things you want to accomplish for work, the community, personal errands and the things I am grateful for. There's also spaces below which I used for bible verses and inspirational words I read everywhere. It also  has QR code from their partner brands. It will lead you to videos on how to improve your life. 

Now the add ons.... it has elastic garter to keep the planner intact, the back pocket is actually spacious and it didn't came empty. It has a booklet called "Perks of a Bella". It's full of deals and discount coupons from different brands like Revlon, Bayo, Serenitea, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jergens and Zalora to name a few.

It has 2 colored ribbons which is very helpful in tagging the different parts of the planners which I constantly use. It also came with 2 magnetic bookmarks which are unique and trendy way to mark this powerful planner.

The Belle de Jour Power Planner is not just an ordinary planner and organizer because it is a guide on how to achieve your best self and your full potential in a year.

And if you're thinking if it's too late to get a planner, no it's not! Head over to  Belle de Jour Power Planner Website  to get yours. It has complete details regarding delivery, ETA and mode of payment. They also offer customization on some modes of payment. They have COD payment method and that is what I opted for. The cons is that you cannot avail the customization. But I am okay with that. There's a disclaimer which reminds everyone that delivery might take a few days or weeks due to community quarantine in different delivery locations, but mine was delivered on time.

You can also shoot them a message on their Facebook Page. They are very helpful and accommodating.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Education in the Philippines

The impact of Covid19 Pandemic on education is undeniable.  June 6, 2020 - It is with a heavy heart that the management of St. Francis Learning Center of Porac Inc. released their statement regarding the current situation of the school. They decided to stop the operation due to financial losses. Such dire situation was aggravated by circumstances brought about by Covid19 Pandemic.

It is not the only school that is closing in the Philippines in this time of Covid 19 Pandemic. A lot of them actually, especially the small ones. In recent interviews aired on televisions, administrator are reluctant to resume operation this school year in fear of not only loosing a profit but also of not having enough financial means to support their staff. The Department of Education is gearing towards the road of online and modular learning in the coming months and maybe a blended learning when it is safe for face to face learning. Imagine the situation for private schools:

1. No outsourcing of books for the learners. It is not practical and they won't be useful because students need simplified learning kits. (They'll stay home and parents will be the one to guide them). (Loss income on books)

2. No outsourcing of notebooks as well because learning kits will also serve as the activity sheet. (Loss income on notebooks)

3. No tuition fee hike. They wouldn't feel comfortable adding an amount to their current tuition fee. Financial matter is another issue right now. And maybe, others would think that their current fee is still unreasonable knowing the children would spend most of their time at home.

4. Miscellaneous fee would be put on a hot seat. We all know that such fee was being spent for the children's welfare at school (But like I sad,  the percentage of the children spending their time at school ranges from 5 to 0 %).

Why am I talking about this?:

First I am a public school teachers whose heart goes out to all the private school teachers who will lost their job, and second I am a mother whose son was affected by the situation.

It was and still a heartbreaking moment for all of us-parents. Such institution was my son's second home. We enrolled him there because we wanted him to have a solid foundation in education. With their individualized learning approach and some sort of follow the child phase, we found the perfect school for him according to his needs. 

Now, we are all like lost in the limbo. With the current circumstances of increasing Covid cases in the Philippines, we are not in a position to scout for another school which would fit his needs. We are left with almost 0% choice. There are lots of other schools out there I know. It is just heartbreaking knowing the place where we entrusted him will no longer offer him care and most especially educational support.

Covid19 and Education are not the prefect match. NO chemistry at all (sigh).

Using Student Feedback to Improve Teaching

There are so many hot pressing issues in the nation and one of them is the opening of classes for school year 2020-2021. I know this is inevitable and the only thing I can do it to be positive with all that is happening and equip myself so that I wouldn't be caught off guard and unprepared.

In preparation for the "New Normal" in education, teachers joined webinars and organizations that offered online self-paced courses to improve their craft. I did as well! But today, while I was on the process of putting together a syllabus for my students, my planning redirected me back on my learners's "Feedback" (which I asked them to write last school year). 

In preparing a lesson, I consider the interest of my students and their behavior while inside the classroom. For the first grading you won't have an interest inventory of students because this is the first time you'll get to know your student. For my planning this year, I will use the feedback I got from my students last year.

In a research paper published at Digital Commons of the University of Nebraska, it was stated that the direct daily observers of the professor's classroom teaching performance are the students in the classroom. It backs up my claim that student survey can be utilized not only in improving the teacher but for school improvement too because the output of the teaching force is a reflection of the institution which nurtures them.

image created in Canva

Let me share how I organize the feedback so that I can easily utilized them to my advantage. 

• First thing first, when asking for feedback from your students, you may prepare a survey questionnaire. But for me I like to make it more personal and less formal. I just use guide questions and write them on the board for the students to answer. Do not forget to add an extra number where student can write whatever they want to say. 
• Instruct your students not to include their names on the paper. That would make the student survey less scary for them and less subjective for you.
• Collect the survey / feedback and read them at once if you have the time. Use paper markers like Stabilo or Faber Castle to highlight important details.
• Organize the feedback into bullets. You may write them or create a neat list in Canva. I like to write mine in a paper and add some doodles. Group them according to the similarity in nature / context.
• On the opposite side of each bullet, write down the actions that you plan to do to improve or to meet their feedback. (feedback without action is a waste of time, paper, and ink - especially the one that needs improvement).
• Use your list of feedback vs. action to your advantage. Execute your action for the feedback that can still be improved at the moment while save those which aren't applicable at the time for your next class.

Some are afraid of the feedback or student survey. But this is a great tool if you want to improve the teaching process. Do not be afraid because as what Ken Blanchard said and I quote "Feedback is the breakfast of champions".

Where do Mommies get their Energy?

Whenever I see other moms on social media looking so fresh and like they are having the best time of their life, the question "where do these moms get their energy?" pops my mind. What prompt me to ask the question? Well, let me give you a glimpse of my not so busy life.

I am a full time working mom. Yes, I spend 8 hours or more in school and yes, I am a teacher! (see the exclamation ha-ha). Not just your regular teacher though (not bragging - just explaining). A regular teacher would and supposed to be handling 6 teaching loads with "does related" work stuffs on the side. While me......I am handling 2 teaching loads only (nice right?) but wait, there's more. I am the school ICT leader (I am taking care of data management and school ICT facilities) and also, I am the Teacher-In-Charge in our department which means I am doing administrative other reports too.

Now, here is the real deal. I am a full time too, to 2 kids (8 and 1 year old - both boys), 3 kids if husband included (the hardest kid to raise, right? ha-ha). My eldest is in 2nd grade. The school service would pick him up at 6:30. Getting him ready wouldn't be much of a tedious work if he's not a picky eater. There's a canteen at school but the he's requesting for home cooked food. So I wake up at 5:00 am to prepare his lunch and snacks. Wakes him up at 5:30 and have him get ready (not to mention the I'm still sleepy, waking up and getting back to bed again things).

In the middle of the food preparation and waking up the school boy, my youngest would wake up, cry for mama to pick him up and not wanting mama to leave his sight (now you're getting my point, don't you). The father's willing to help but the boys love mama so much that they always asks for mama...and of course the tatay is a playmate.

When my school boy was off to school, I'll begin making the bed after waking the husband to prepare the breakfast, eat then play a little while with my youngest. at 7:30 I'll prepare my self for work. Husband would take charge in playing with the youngest. My time at school starts at 9:00 am and ends at 6:00 pm. Husband would pick me up at school when he finished his work early. Off to home we go, then go back to the market to pick stuffs for our picky eater. Food preparation and assignment time now (yes, we do assignments because my boy only trusts mama with his school works).

After dinner, our school boy would sleep at 8:00 pm, while the younger would sleep at past 11:00 pm. Then history repeats itself again. Now please do not blame me when sometimes I would wish for someone to take me to Mars,...no wait...take me to Neptune rather.

How am I?

My last post was dated July 2019 and it was my 7 months postpartum. Writing is something I really love to the core of my bones. There were days I miss the old times where I could tick the keyboard at any time of the day when I feel the urge to write and share something. Those were the days that my time were all mine to spare.

It's a mixed emotion reading the next post. It was March 2017 and I wasn't married yet. Now, I have two kids. I have a family. My time were not all mine to spare. Where did all those months, weeks, day, hours, minutes and seconds went? How did they just slip through? I actually feel guilty questioning how time went by without me noticing. I have kids and a husband...of course majority of those time were spent for them. I was just asking maybe because my old free spirit self is longing to be back and fused with my self now. I kinda forgot who I was when I embraced the new chapters of my life.I thought it was the best and noble thing to do. But I once read and I quote, "You cannot give what you do not have".... and in order for me to give the best of me to people I love, I should love and take care of my self first. It was indeed amazing how life passed by in the blink of an eye, but lessons were engraved in my heart and mind. Motherhood has taught me things for sure I will never learn if I didn't become one (those things will be on separate posts).  

As for now, I am trying to juggle and manage time for the family, work and hopefully on getting my self back together again. My desire for this year is to find the free spirit me who I lost in the process of improving the other versions of me.  

Image edited using Nichi

It's okay, I just forgot who I was in becoming who I am...but WELCOME BACK!

Paperless Post Review

I am in my most creative mood the past few months.  What's more interesting was that I was able to use my creativity in making others happy.  A friend of mine talked to me regarding her daughter's 7th birthday. She asked me to make her an invitation. I was all giddy about the idea and said yes in an instant. People who received the invitation inquired about it and to make the story short, I got clients. 

What I noticed was they all asked me to send a soft copy of the invitation on their emails or Facebook messenger to be sent to family and friends who live far away. That is being practical and environmentalist without them knowing for they are going paperless. After all, we are living in a digital era and the influence of social media is immeasurable.

Now, I am not only in my creative mood, but in an entrepreneur mood as well. I scribbled plans and brilliant ideas. Why not create a different packages for my future clients to choose from.

One of the packages would include a digital invitation with an element of surprise. My adventure led me to the idea of a paperless digital invitation. I consulted Goggle and it led me to "Paperless Post". It is an online platform where you can make digital invitations and email them directly to your family and friends.  Now this is what makes Paperless Post interesting:

1. Their platform offers a surprising element because unlike sending a copy of the jpg format of the invitation, Paperless Post templates include a digital envelope. The content wouldn't be revealed...not until they opened the envelope. 

Photos from Paperless Post

2. Using the platform of Paperless Post will make you environmental friendly. Need I say more?... it's paper less people, imagine the trees you'll get to save.

3. It will save you a lot of resources (paper, inks, ribbons, enevelopes)

4. They have an affiliate company who could print you a copy of the invitation if you really wanted a hard copy to keep.

Photo from Paperless Post

5. If you're creative enough, you can use Paperless Post platform in creating designs not only for invitations but for posters, flyers, brochures and other materials. They have different designs that you can play along. Imagination is your limit.

6. You can upload your designs. Amazing right?

7. Signing up ia free. Go over at Paperless Post and secure your spot. Unleash your creativity while saving mother Earth.

Happiness is a Decision

I just felt the eagerness to write again, although I find it hard to come to terms with the words to express my thoughts. Last night while I was taking a break from school works I spent a good 30 minutes browsing the repository of my old sentiments and memories. Time really flies so fast. It seems like yesterday when I used to ask myself where do broken hearts go. It made me laugh and feel a bit shy though. I never thought I was that corny and heartbroken to have written those words. Gee, I want the earth to swallow me. But I am a living proof that no matter how deep the anger, hate, resentment and hurt is, if you are determined to live a new life, there's a place waiting for you. A place you can call home. And after all those years I can look back to the past, feeling all giddy and happy for all the people who touched my life in both ways.

And if I would be given the chance to go back in the past, I wouldn't take that chance. It's a chance I would not trade the life I am living right now. It is indeed true that the past would bring you steps closer to your happiness. 

My Heart's Current State

"Going back to a simpler life

 is not a step backward"

~Yvon Chovinard

          As a child, I was raised with the simplest life you can ever imagine. No new clothes, if they're not necessary, never following the latest trends. I thought others were luckier than me but the truth is the contrary. I wasn't born in a well off family and I could not always get what other children had, but my family made sure I get the education I deserved. I didn't graduated from a prestigious school and I also didn't graduated with a degree of my choice. Let's just say that I grabbed the opportunities presented to me that time. Whatever the course is, as long as I can finish college. I may not get to choose the course I wanted, but looking at all the things around me and the kind of life I have today, I am blessed beyond compare.

          One of the things I am thankful for is the work I am gifted with. I AM A TEACHER. Though other people think we are undervalued, I dare say I feel overvalued. The feeling is indescribable. Maybe that is what you get when you get to do what you love to do. 

           So many things have changed since my last two (2) posts. I collected tons of teaching materials, survived 2 RPMS conferences, attended seminars, created actions plans and had sleepless nights and the list can go on and on. But I could say that I am one of the happiest person roaming the planet. I already found one of my purpose and that is to touch lives forever. Some would say it's exhausting, well yes I couldn't agree less. But anything done with pure love, joy and dedication could reap the fruit of fulfillment. A very expensive reward not everybody in the world was given the chance to enjoy.

              I am very blessed to be called, chosen and enjoy the oozing satisfaction, love and happiness in teaching. 

           

Tomorrow is the first day

"A teacher's purpose is not to create student's in his own image,

but to develop student's who can create their own image"

~Anonymous

Tomorrow is the first day of S.Y. 2013-2014. If you'll going to ask me if I am ready to face my students, well, "YES I AM" (emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually). Tomorrow will be the orientation day and that will mark the student's first impression on us as a teacher. To deviate from the traditional set-up of the orientation day of letting the student's write a lengthy essay of what they learned from the previous school year, I created some activities to prepare them for the 180 days of learning their course.

One of the activities I am thinking is to ask them what they expect from their teachers. We often established classroom rules to guide our students and we thoroughly set our expectations, making us forget that our students were humans too, with needs to be tended and voices to be heard.

I'll post some interesting answers next week, when the schedule gets a little friendly.

Changes

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. 

Don't resist them  -that only creates sorrow.

Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like"

~Lao Tzu

Image from here

Late last year, I was thinking of doing something that will bring a major change in my life. I hate changes. But if there's one thing I learned in life,  that is to embrace the changes. It wasn't easy and it didn't just occur to me overnight. I put much thought to it. Finally, after months of contemplating I came to a final decision. After 12 years, 4 months and 3 days, I AM GOING HOME.  I can't say for good, but for the time being.

Early this month, I filed my resignation letter. It wasn't easy too, thinking about the friends I'll left behind, the place I learned to love, the lifestyle I embraced and everything this place has to offer, not to mention my 5 years of stay in this company. But with all their heart, they granted my request, with warm wishes for my success in my new endeavors in life, knowing that I am answering the call of my vocation. The profession, I think I was really called for. 

This was also the reason why I wasn't able to join some events. I was busy with my requirements, travelling for 5 hours going back and forth but couldn't divulge the reason to everyone unless I was taken in. 

And so after all the exhaustion, I'll be back to teaching in a science high school where I graduated. When I filed my resignation, we're all teary eyed. But we're over it now. My friends and I were so excited about what the coming months and years has in store for me. I already have seminars and training lined up for the coming school year.

Leaving the city maybe bittersweet, but it's a decision made for the best. And I wouldn't want to say "goodbye" but rather "see you soon".

An Open Letter

To the jeepney driver:

     Whenever I set my foot on your vehicle and whether I like it or not, I entrust my life to you. I beg you to please be calm and if possible, refrain from driving like you're on a drag racing. It is your duty to make sure that the unloading area is accessible to you as each passenger may tend to say "para" anytime, thus, I urge you to stay on the right lane. And if and when someone says "para" while we're on the middle of the road, please don't stop right there and then. I don't want to die a double death (heart attack and car accident).

     And for all kind of sake, please refrain from texting while driving. Our precious lives were in your hands. 

p.s. it's okay to wait for passengers, just don't wait for the invisible ones.

To the passengers:

     Be reasonable to understand that the drivers can't just drop you anywhere you want. Don't be mad when they follow the rules. More so, always remember you're on a PUV, be considerate to pass the other's fare like they did for you. Sit properly because PUV's seats were meant to be shared. And for the girls with long free flowing silky hair, please hold it when the wind is blowing before it wiped out what's left of my face.

Jeepney -  the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating. Wikipedia

Para -  the word we say that signals the driver to stop the vehicle so that we can get off. I don't know where it really came from and I am not in my utmost inspired mood to do the research but according to about.com it is a Spanish preposition to indicate a destination. That made sense, after all we were once a Spanish Colony.

photo credit

The Road to Sagada

Last year marked the beginning of new friendship through common friend. We've only shared our thoughts and emotions via Facebook, while we're oceans and miles away from each other. There are differences but comes also the common grounds: our love for pictures, scenic beauties and the desire to travel. So we came up with the perfect plan to pursue our desire and started it all by planning the trip to Sagada. It took us almost one year of planning, inquiring and searching to make it all happen.

Since me and my friend were the ones in the Philippines then, we took the responsibility of putting it all together, from transportation to accommodation; from the tour guide to itinerary.

Matter of fact, we were used to just paying our share of expenses and our other buddies will do all the hardwork. So this travel to Sagada is a memorable one for us, because it's our first time to do it all on our own while the rest were in Boracay.

And the long wait was over. It was a mix emotions for us considering some of my friends dreamed of stepping into the land of Sagada way back high school days. And the dream was fulfilled last week in time for thanksgiving. When the other side of the world was celebrating for their bounties, we're in Sagada, celebrating and strengthening our  lasting friendships and forming new ones.

Detailed story of our trip coming up. Just needed a few days to think how to sum it up. Cheers!

The Time Keeper

This is  a story about the meaning of time

I first saw the cover of this book while updating my list on Shelfari. Released last September 04, 2012, it is now one of New York Times Bestseller in Fiction. I barely browse for new books cause I always purchase  mine at Booksale. Anything that caught my attention and has a good blurb will do, no matter what the release date it. But this book really had me at first glimpse of the cover. I fell in love with the pocket watches and not to mention that this was brought to us by Mitch Albom, the one and only author of Tuesdays with Morrie. 

Although I love to read, I don't do book reviews. I tend to spoil the fun for those who haven't read it yet (spoliler yeah) due to excitement. And for the record I won't do it still. I just want to leave you with remarkable thoughts I found so compelling to share and who knows might lead you to browse for the book at goodreads  and understand the real essence of time. 

• "It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be" - Old Man
• "Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers the paralyzing fear that other creature endures. A fear of time running out". - Old Man
• "We all yearn for what we lost. But sometimes, we forget what we have". Dor
• "With endless time, nothing is special. With no loss or sacrifice, we can't appreciate what we have". - Dor
• "There is a reason God limits our days. To make each one precious". -Old Man
• "When you are measuring life, you are not living it". - Dor

When all you can do is dream

Whenever I find myself in the middle of a traffic or on sleepless days, I do dream about wonderful stuffs instead of counting sheep on my head. And when I say wonderful stuffs, that includes endless things including the plan of my dream house and everything in it.

What a cozy place to read isn't it? Opps, I mean to live. But heck, seems like every part was meant to jive well with my reading hobby. And speaking of reading, just in case you're concerned or you care about my hobby marathon sort of list, you can click here.

photo credit by number 

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

Life is just a cup of cake

I saw this photo while browsing Pinterest. Of course there is where people go when they would like to see mouth watering diy's, outfit style, home decor and furnishing and anything in between. 

photo source

How true that life is just a cup of cake I asked myself and suddenly I had a trip down memory lane. Maybe it was triggered by the fact that I saw someone last week ( a close family friend) whom we've lost in touch with since I moved to my new place. Like the old story, I was so eager to get out of the place then, hence, I never had the chance to drop by and bid my proper bye for now see you soon thing.

Okay, so I saw the couple when I was running errands. We did a little hi and hello and what's your number cause I am running late for a meeting. I sent them a message as soon as I boarded the public vehicle (I doesn't do it usually - the texting on PUV). I thought what made them lose weight was the old age factor, but I learned that their only child was battling cancer for three years now. That is exactly the number of years (almost) since I moved.

I really don't know what to feel, but if there's one thing I am thankful is that they are keeping their high hopes and strong faith. Really, that couple  earned my respect then and I awe them more now. 

Honestly, I felt shame. Comparing what they're going through, mine was just a piece of cake, but I almost let my world go tumbling down. 

Please include them in your prayers, that God's plan for their lives would be administered perfectly no matter how hard it maybe.

Caleruega

Had you ever been in a place that made you gasp, like the only word you managed to say was wow and after that you can't get enough of the place and you wanted to stay there forever?

That's exactly what happened to me during our trip to Caleruega in Nasugbu Batangas. Just a few laughter and chit chat away from Tagaytay. This trip was more of like a tradition between us friends to go to a place where we've never been each year to celebrate our birthday, but more than that, I am also in a journey. A journey to visit 7 churches I'd never been and so far this is my fourth. I'll blog about the others soon, but for now, let me show and share the experience on this majestic prayer and renewal place.

Close to nature, closer to God is indeed true. The moment you set your foot on it's boundaries, your burden seems to if not vanished will lighten. A perfect place for prayer and be close to God.

There's a Sunday mass at 11:00 a.m, so be sure to be there early. So serene and peaceful on the outside and so humble in the inside.

Transfiguration chapel

Lush green tress which made the place awesome and the air so pure. Gazing above would feel like you're somewhere in Forks. 

And the stairs and pathways below were breathtaking. If you knew me well you know why, but if not, be aware that I love bricks. Seriously, I can sit there.

And, do you see that white portion, in the midst of the green vegetation? Guess what is it? No clue? Okay, scroll down and you'll see. Be patient, let's hike up and down to reach that spot.

To get to that special place, you have to walk down the road, pass their cafeteria and down the steel bridge to the Koi pond.

Their Kois were so big and so healthy. Stress free fish. I'm a little envious.

After the Koin pond, you have to pass through this hanging bridge. It's a bit long, but it's not that shaky and you'll enjoy it, I swear. Even for those who have acrophobia. Not to add that it's so romantic.

And here it is. An open air chapel where you can enjoy the other side of Caleruega, where the grass is more greener, the slope is higher, there's no stairs but just a trail, the air is a wind and the journey is worth the destination.

I told one of my friends that if I'd be gone missing, she knew where to find me but instead she said that she will plan my wedding and  that will be in this place. Tsk, tsk. And speaking of wedding, (information below was copied from the leaflet  they provided us. There's an entrance fee of Php 30.00)  the place is open to activities like retreats, recollections, prayer &renewal workshops, study research, youth camps, marriage and family encounter celebrations, skills training, leadership seminars, arts, music, and liturgy workshops and environment and agricultural-related activities.

They have various facilities available for each activity. For reservation guidelines and questions, you can email them at caleruega_philippines@yahoo.com or visit their Facebook page a for more information.

Notes:

• You have to ride a tricycle to get to the place from the entrance at Evercrest (if you're commuting). Don't forget to get the number of the trike driver so you can send him a message to fetch you up, because transportation out isn't available from the inside.
• They have a small cafeteria and there is not much food variation. If you're planning to stay longer, you can bring your lunch and eat there. A nice place for picnic. 

She broke her heart

"Everytime your heart was broken,

a doorway cracks open to a world full of new beginnings,

new opportunities"

-Patti Roberts

That's one of the thoughts I hold on to, when mine (heart) was badly broken. Brought not by courage or rational thinking but rather driven by the necessity to move on with life. 

But that's not the case for everyone. When the very organ that sustains life is put to test, the bearer can take various actions: either mend it or let it rot cell by cell. And when you chose to mend it, different actions can be taken. You can apply what was said above and explore new horizons or even distract yourself with a new love prospect. It works in some ways and it worked for me once but not always. It's a case to case basis.

When a friend of mine had her heart broken, she resorted to diverting her attention to a new love prospect. Not bad, I know. The only thing she did wrong was rushing things, like plucking a young mango fruit from the tree out of excitement without thinking that the fruit will rot in a short span of time. No matter how we tried to persuade her to take things slow and give her heart an ample time to heal, she did it anyway. Needless to say, everything didn't quite went well so this time, I thought she broke her heart. The hardest part now is to repair the heart which is dealing with two heartbreaks. 

Long story short, what will you expect from a relationship when both parties hadn't had the chance to know each other and accept each other's differences. It's like hunting for a unicorn in the deep blue see.

I don't want to go into details but I shared the story anyway so others could benefit from it. While such things worked for others it may not work for you so better be careful with your decisions. And it's better to mend your broken heart naturally, let time heal all wounds and believe me when I say, you will be proud of yourself in the end. It's like reaching the heights of Mt. Everest. 

And remember, love is like a mango fruit. You have to wait for the right time, so you can enjoy the sweetness it has to offer.

The Story of Stuff

The Story of Stuff. 
The video is quite long but definitely worth your time. 
Simple illustrations full of substance.
An eye opener and an act of awareness.
Go watch it. You won't regret it.

The Story of Stuff from Long Island Pulse on Vimeo.

Confession of a once in hiatus blogger

I have to make a confession. Aside from the fact that I am really busy, I lost the desire to blog about just anything. I thought I needed time to think so I stayed away for a while, maybe in that way I can sort things out. My busy work schedule, what is happening out there which made my world go round and not to mention why I lost interest with something I so love doing. But even on those quiet times when I stayed away from the blinking cursor, I had to admit that I really missed this thing called blogging and the people I've come to know called friends.

Where did the old time went? It dawned on me that one of the factors why I had a temporary distaste to share anything was because I am missing old folks who were also away right now: blog friends who are in hiatus and those who decided to quit for good alike (if in any case you're reading this, which I know you do, just want to let you know that I'm missing you).

Reality knocked me down. It's not blogging that I want to stay away with, it's the prying eyes. I know this fact ever since and it's a shame I let it take the best of me. Everytime I try to write something, they ended up on my drafts and they soon piled up. One proof that I want to share it but afraid to do so.  

...............Until..................

One day, I realized that we're blogging for different purposes. Some wanted to share their thoughts while it's an outlet for others. One blogger once told me that I should always remember that I am also blogging for myself. When several people take interest of your writing, somehow you would feel happy but itchy and watchful as well. You would consider their feelings and thoughts, fearing that you would hurt someone unintentionally along the way or would cross the line somehow. But blogging is about respect too. Respect for other people's feelings and opinions. Bloggers have different genes and creative abilities and so as their way of sharing. With that I rest my case especially when I read the words below:

Each of us has a fire in our hearts burning for something.

It's our responsibility in life to find it and keep it lit.

This is your life and it's a short one.

Don't let others extinguish your flame.

Photo borrowed from Talentedo

A blog which is home to gorgeous photos 

and few words full of substance.

For the Bucket Listers

This is a news for all the people out there who loves to do bucket list,

for all the people who are good in crossing out items in their list

and, for all the people who are not so good with bucket list

LIKE ME.

I discovered Day Zero Project from one of the blogs I am following last year and

started doing my own list early this year.

Personally, I love attaining set goals but when it comes to bucket list,

I always suck BIG time.

That is why I love Day Zero Project.

There you can create your own list and they will gauge your performance.

It's very easy. And the amazing thing is that 

you can complete 101 list in 1001 days.

No pressure at all, you can adjust your time and wait for the right moment

while crossing out the rest on the list which are easier than the others.

If you are interested, grasp the insight here. The idea was better explained there.

And since most of you folks are good with bucket list,

and you might already ran out of ideas before you turned 30,

no problem, there are wonderful and crazy ideas over there.

Like:

40 things you want to build

18 things you want to listen to

20 things to watch

and so on. Believe me, new ideas are sprouting everyday.

If you are interested, go over there and start your list. It's not late yet,

remember, you'll have 1001 days and the timer will start once you started your list.

I had my list there, but was set to private cause some were too personal, involving other people

whose identities I want to keep private in respect of their privacy.

But I have a tab up there if you're interested.

The page is yet to be updated.