Official List : 2013 Philippine Holidays and Long Weekends

It's 4 months before 2013 and as early as now, many hotels and airline companies, including Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, AirPhil Express, AirAsia and Philippine Airlines, that are offering seat sale promos for next year. I've actually booked flights for November on during Cebu Pacific's piso promo. So, for many people like us who love to plan ahead, it's good to know in advance the official list of 2013 Philippine Holidays.

These 2013 Philippine Public Holidays were announced by the Malacanang Palace through Proclamation No. 459. I'll keep the list updated as special holidays are announced.

Official List of 2013 Philippine Public Holidays

A. Regular Holidays

• January 1 (Tuesday) - New Year’s Day
• March 28 - Maundy Thursday
• March 29 - Good Friday
• April 9 (Tuesday) - Araw ng Kagitingan
• May 1 (Wednesday) - Labor Day
• June 12 (Wednesday) - Independence Day
• August 26 (Last Monday of August) - National Heroes Day
• November 30 (Saturday) - Bonifacio Day
• December 25 (Wednesday) - Christmas Day
• December 30 (Monday) - Rizal Day

B. Special (Non-Working) Days

• March 30 - Black Saturday
• August 21 (Wednesday) - Ninoy Aquino Day
• November 1 (Friday) - All Saints Day
• Additional special (non-working) days:
  • November 2 (Saturday) - All Souls Day
  • December 24 (Tuesday) - Christmas Eve
  • December 31 (Tuesday) - New Year's Eve

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)

• February 25 (Monday) - EDSA Revolution Anniversary

Islamic Holidays

For our Muslim countrymen, section 2 of the proclamation is for them:

SECTION 2. The proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha shall hereafter be issued after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijra) or the lunar calendar, or upon Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible or convenient. To this end, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shall inform the Office of the President on which day the holiday shall fall.

Once I have the dates, I'll update this list.

Long Weekends for 2013

For sure, you're interested in finding out about long weekends for 2013. It's the best time to go on a long vacation with family and friends para di bitin. ;)

• Holy Week - March 28-31, 2013
• National Heroes Day - August 24-26, 2013
• All Saints' Day - November 1-3, 2013
• Rizal Day and New Year - December 28, 2013 - January 1, 2014

I'll keep this list updated as soon as I get the official special holidays for the 2013 Elections and if they're going to announce the Chinese New Year as a holiday too.

See the complete details on Presidential Proclamation 459 on the government's official site or download the PDF.

Quick and Pretty Easter Cards

Though I have a knack for designing my very own personalized greeting cards, I have to admit, it does take more time than usual because most of the time, I get tons of ideas for the design and I end up changing the layout or template more than I should. I end up using a generic card that I'll hate afterwards. Discovering the beautiful art of digital scrapbooking made it even harder for me because I can't decide on what elements I should use and I end up over-designing a supposedly simple, but elegant card. Thank goodness there are sites like Minted.com to calm my creative side.

Since it's the Lenten season, let's take for instance the Easter Cards designs they have available on their online store. I love the simplicity of their designs. But, don't get me wrong. I love how they laid out all the elements to give you an eye-catching, unique design to make your card-giving more pleasing, even for the recipients. i would personally keep them if I received one of these cards.

I was checking out their catalogue of cards for Easter and was delighted by how cute the designs were. I checked out the preview of a layout I loved and I find it very convenient that everything I needed to know about how the end-result or actual card will look like is all laid out there for me to inspect. I can even change the color of some of the elements if I wanted, including the envelopes that'll come with them.

When you hit the Personalize button, you'll be given choices on what paper you want the card to be printed. There's a corresponding charge or additional price in case you preferred something else other than their signature paper.

On the next pages, you'd be prompted with the elements of the design you can change. And, then, the most important part, replacing the photo used on the card. You can either get it from your Photo Box or upload a new one. Afterwards, you can edit the text and the design for the envelopes. I tested it out and everything was easy and quick. No Photoshop or design application skills required at all.

Among all the designs I loved, these 2 are my favorites:

Lovely designs, right? Check out their website for more designs to choose from, whatever the occasion may be. No muss, no fuss. :)

2011 Thanksgiving Day 3 : I’m Alive!

I’m supposed to complete a 9-day Thanksgiving series of posts, but I wasn’t able to write anything for the past week. So, expect a bulk of new writings in the next days. I’ll just sum all my posts up afterwards. :)

When was the last time you stopped and thanked God for being alive?

With our busy lives and countless priorities and distractions, I know how easy it is to forget to be thankful we’re alive. And I know a lot of us, especially my fellow Filipinos, recently prayed and thanked God for being alive today after seeing the destruction and all the lives that were lost from typhoon Sendong. But, do we really need a drastic reminder like this to know how lucky we are to still be here?

It’s one of the things I’ve learned this year: I should be thankful for my life by living it to the fullest. I know I haven’t really done anything to do that, but I know that it includes doing what I love and following my heart, an integral part of reaching the path towards my purpose in life.

After we were spared from typhoon Pedring, I often think about what else I need to accomplish to make me and my loved ones happy. I still have my bucket list to fulfill. And I haven’t done anything major to give back or help my fellowmen. So, I don’t think I really have done anything yet to truly say I have lived.

I know the world ending in 2012 sounds like all crazy talk, but seeing what has been happening lately all over the world, it’s scary to think that we may be getting there. It might not happen next year, but eventually, I believe our world, as we know it, will end if we don’t act on saving our planet now.

For 2012 and from here on out, I vow to live my life and do things that I know will fulfill me emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I vow to thank God for being alive by sharing a little bit of myself with others in any way I can. And I vow to keep all negativity away and focus on things that I know will make me smile and keep me inspired to look forward to tomorrow.

Too Late for Christmas Shopping?

It’s almost Christmas and I haven’t done any of my gift shopping yet. We were supposed to go to Divisoria, but because of unforeseen circumstances, we had to cancel our planned Divi shopping this week. Next week, I don’t think I’d have time to go there too because my dad might be scheduled for eye surgery already and he’ll need our utmost care and attention.

This is why I’m now resorting to online shopping. Well, I haven’t really bought anything yet for my loved ones ‘cause I’ve sort of purchased some things for myself first. Hahaha. I know, I know. But, hey, I’ve bought a ton of stuff for Ken for his cooking and baking needs from Chocolate Lover. I already know what my nanay wants – the same makeup palette I got from Props Cosmetics & Tools (photo below) and a couple of lippies. Yeah, we now share the love for makeup. :)

 I can’t wait to come up with various looks using this palette. Lotsa colors! ^_^

For my dad, not sure yet what to buy for him. He usually loves receiving caps or hats to add to his collection (oh boy, he’s got tons!).

Now, for my closest friends, I’m thinking of buying vouchers for them from different restaurants and group-buying sites. I know they’ll definitely enjoy that, but of course, I’ve got to make sure the location of the resto will be accessible to them too. I’m just waiting for deals that I know they’d enjoy and will be all worth it.

A Year Older... Now What?

31.

Ugh. Just hearing that number now makes me nauseous. Call it over-reacting or whatever you want, but I feel so old today.

Some people may say that I'm too young to even feel this way towards being 31 years old. I can't really pinpoint the reason why, but I guess I never thought I'd be where I am now by this age.

Two decades ago, during a late night drinking session with friends, someone asked me where I see myself when I'm 30. I said I'd probably have at least one kid. No, I didn't say I'd probably be married or very successful in my chosen field. All I expected was to be a mother when I finally hit my 30s.

Now, I'm single and no baby on the way. And I'm actually okay with the former since I chose to be single, but it's the latter that's kept me thinking. As much as I'd like to elaborate on that, I guess it's better to keep the details confidential for now. Only my best friends know the story behind this.

Wait, don't get me wrong. I am happy with where I am now. I said HAPPY, not satisfied. Why? Because I know I still have a ton of things I can accomplish in my lifetime. What's keeping me from fulfilling my dreams, my bucket list? One word - procrastination.

My bro kids me, saying I have ADHD 'cause I can't keep my mind set to finishing one task first before moving on to another. But, I am well aware of what's happening, so I call it me procrastinating.

For the past years, I let my life continue on, barely making any changes that would impact my future or the path I'm leading. I've always said I'll live one day at a time. That might work for some people, but not with me. It hasn't worked for the past two decades, so I doubt it'll work for the coming years.

Today, on the first day of my 31st year on Earth, I vow to make my life more meaningful. I vow to surround myself with people who truly love me, who are happy when I'm around, who make me oh-so grateful to know I have them in my life, who shower me with positive vibes when I'm on my lowest low.

I vow to spend more time with my nanay. Though I consider us close, I haven't really spent any real bonding moment with her. So, this is the first thing on my list.

I vow to continue doing what truly makes me happy and what I genuinely love. I have to keep myself happy. And eventually, I want to be satisfied at the same time.

When my time comes and I have to pass on to the next life, I want people to look back at the times they spent with me and smile. Not because I travelled the world, or was very successful in life, but because they believed that I spent the last years of my life appreciating every second of my existence.

Thank you to everyone who greeted me on Facebook, through texts and even emails.

Thank you to all my friends who made my 31st birthday special by coming over to our home and celebrating with my family.

 My high school best friends May and Jaan (tell Martin it was nice to finally meet him!).

 My long-time friends Mhon and Erap – salamat sa di pang-indyan! ^_^

My dearest friends May (take 2), Saji and her partner Buena.

Thank you, bro, Kenneth, for preparing all the delicious dishes from last night. I know you were complaining, but I can see naman you were happy to do it kahit papano. *LOL*

Thank you, Nanay, for putting up with me and sacrificing so much of your life for our family. I hope and pray I get to show you how much I truly love and appreciate everything you've done for us.

And thank You, Lord, for keeping me grounded... for showering me with blessings, especially during those times that I'm in need... for keeping my family together no matter how stormy it's been the past months... for every success, failure, hardship, joy, and pain I've experienced in the past 31 years for they all molded me to who I am now... for all the friends who I know truly care for me in spite of all my imperfections... for those times when You remind me I have so much to be thankful for... THANK YOU.

It was indeed a HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME after all. :)

Someone Else’s Birthday Wish List (Most Probably)

I’ve mentioned a couple of posts back that my birthday’s coming up. If you’ve known me for years, you’d probably know that I LOVE giving gifts, especially personalized stuff. So, though I’ve got a couple of things on my wish list on my upcoming birthday, I actually have other thoughts on my mind – what to give my brother on his birthday.

In a few days, my brother and I will be celebrating our birthdays. Nothing fancy though. Just us and our closest friends. We’ve got home-cooked meals planned out. But, mostly, my brother will be cooking so I thought to myself, I should get him something, right?

My brother is one of the many people I know who’s very vocal about what he wants to receive on his birthday. You may say it just makes the job easier for his friends and family, right? Well, here’s what I think his wish list would include this year:

Kitchen Aid – For sure, this is on top of his list. I’ve been meaning to buy him one, but I’ve got a ton of expenses all lined up to be paid this year so I promised to him I’ll get him one next year as his graduation gift. *LOL*

I was actually thinking of a fund-raising for this by hosting a giveaway. Sponsors will help us raise money to buy him that Kitchen Aid and the participants will get a chance to win baked goodies from my bro. Not sure though if that’s too selfish or what. What do you think?

Apple Macbook Air – He’s been wishing for this since time immemorial! He’s the big fanboy of Apple products and he eventually convinced me to enjoy my Apple iPad (that I no longer own… but I’m hoping to own an iPad2 sometime in the future *LoL*).

A Kitchen Makeover – Yes, with all the bells and whistles. But, definitely, he wants a new oven, a sturdy wooden kitchen table, cabinets and more tools for his baking.

Toys – No, not the ones that grownups play with. The other day, we were at a toy store and he saw this couple buying their son a mini helicopter toy that can be controlled with a remote control (I don’t know what that’s called, but that’s how I’m going to describe it. Hehehe). He was like, “Gusto ko nyannnnn” (“I want oneeeee”) while tugging on the sleeve of my blouse. If I had the money, I might’ve actually bought him that fricking remote-controlled helicopter! *LOL*

Those are just 4 of what I know he wants to receive as gifts. But, do you know where I’m going with this?!

It’s My Birth Month!

Yayy! October’s finally here. I’m not really ecstatic about this, but I’m turning 31 this year. ARGH! I feel so old. It’s a fact that I can’t help but accept. :D

I haven’t finalized details yet on my birthday celebration. For sure though that Ken and I will have one celebration, like we used to do back when we were younger. Yeah, my nanay would usually throw a birthday party for Ken in the afternoon for his young friends, and my celebration will be at night. It did help cut the costs and effort of preparation and cleaning up afterwards.

This year, Ken and I decided to prepare home-cooked dishes for our dear friends who are invited to our intimate birthday celebration. We might prepare his well-loved buffalo wings, a cake, pasta dish, etc. I’ll just take care of the snacks, drinks (probably I’ll make a cocktail or something), and the finances. *LoL*

It’ll not be a big celebration, but I’m sure we’ll have a ton of fun with our closest friends. I just wish they all could come. ^_^

It's Been 3 Years?!

I was joining a fellow blogger's giveaway to celebrate her blog's third anniversary when I realized that this blog, Just Another Pixel, has been in existence for that long too. I completely forgot 'cause of everything else that got my attention.

 My very first header… LOL

Earlier today, I went back to read my very first blog post. It made me smile to realize that A LOT has changed. I've been through a long and winding (unsteadily and unexpectedly rocking from time-to-time) emotional rollercoaster the past 3 years, and this blog served as my space where I write about what I'm going through, what I'm thinking, my journey through life (I’ve been doing a ton of micro-blogging though on Facebook, Twitter and Plurk LOL). Yes, they may be some paid links and posts here from time to time, but rest assured that, for me, that hasn't hindered me from continuously writing the way I used to.

Some may not accept the way I write. Some of my friends say I'm too open. But, really, if you get to know me in person, that's exactly what my life is - an open book. So, I'm not afraid to let out my emotions, my thoughts on this space. I don’t reveal everything, just like in "real life". I have my own deepest, darkest secrets that none of my friends and loved ones know of. It's better kept that way, I guess. But, still, I write what I feel.

Anyway, here I am again, getting all wound up in my own mind. I'm just typing away. Deep inside, I'm truly happy that I started this blog 3 years ago. It has helped me a lot... not just the blogging part, but every aspect of it - the effects on other people who know me or are strangers to me up to now but I've affected in some way, what others think of me after reading my posts that some may consider controversial, the friendships and relationships I developed because of this blog and what I write about - these among those that I deem notable.

 Made this new layout in a hurry. And, yeah, it’s still up. LOL
Makeover badly needed!

I do miss blogging like this... and so I promise to write more on this blog. I miss the intimacy of writing and typing away like nothing else matters but what I think, what I feel, and the thought that someone out there is sincerely reading and understanding every line like they're in front of me, focused on what I have to say.

I'll be redesigning this blog in a few days. I just need to finish some important stuff. As much as I'd like to host another giveaway, for now, I can't 'cause of giveaways I'm currently running (here and here). Probably I'd just do that at the end of the year or early next year for My Favorite Things. :)

But, I'm joining the Pasko sa Agosto giveaway caravan in the coming days so stay tuned for that. :)

I've got a couple more personal posts lined up for publishing. I'm just waiting for the right moment to do so. I usually just type away kasi when I feel like it. ^_^

To everyone who's been following and reading this blog, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I wish I can all give you a hug. Oh, yeah, I'm a hug person. Hehehe.

Happy THIRD Anniversary to moi! ^_^

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First Yahoo! OMG! Philippines Awards Winners

Imagine how excited I was when I got an invite to rub elbows with celebrities in the local showbiz scene at the first Yahoo! OMG! Philippines awards night. It’s the purple (yes, Yahoo!’s color) carpet event where the most-searched celebrities are recognized.

A brief background on Yahoo! OMG!: The awards are based on combined Yahoo! Search and rich news contents from their celebrity and entertainment news site, OMG!, to recognize the top trending internet celebrities and those who have heightened their stardom by reaching out to their fans through the web.

There were 72 nominees in 18 categories and last June 21st, the Yahoo! OMG! Philippines Awards winners were revealed at a fantabulous party at Republiq Bar in Resorts World Manila.

Here are the winners:
(Pardon the photos. I should’ve moved closer to the front to take better photos of the people on stage. *sigh* Some of the photos here were borrowed from other sources. Please check at the bottom for the credits.)

Hottest Actor: Piolo Pascual Dang! I tell yah, he’s really HOT! We didn’t get a chance to take photos with him ‘cause he was in and out in a flash. This photo was taken by Myke when Piolo received the Clear Man Award.

Hottest Actress: Jennylyn Mercado

Funniest Comedian: Vice Ganda We wanted to take photos with her, but she seemed to be in a hurry. Next time, Vice! :D

A Chef in the Family… Soon!

The love for eating and cooking runs in the family. We all love being in the kitchen. We’ve ventured in food businesses before. And, so, it was just expected for one of us to truly make a career out of it – my li’l brother Kenneth.

Yes, although he’s already 23 years old, I still consider him my baby brother. :)

I just had a conversation with him and our nanay before I started this post. In about nineteen (19) days, Ken will be starting his culinary dreams in Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy in Timog, QC. He’ll be taking up the Grand Diploma in Professional Culinary, Baking and Pastry Arts. Woohoo!

I’m so proud of him. I truly am. And our parents are, too. Even though he decided to keep his nursing scrubs in the closet and set aside his Nursing license, our nanay is all out in support for this new phase in his life.

Not all of us are as lucky as my bro. I hope he knows that. At 23, I was still enjoying a wild, crazy life. It was only when I turned 30 that I realized what I really wanted to do in life. And so I envy Ken in a way ‘cause he already knows what he wants to accomplish in life at a very young age.

I’m really praying he’ll be successful in the food and beverage industry. He’s genuinely passionate about cooking. He’s also pretty skilled at it, especially in baking, so I truly believe he’ll go places, literally, as an aspiring chef.

So, I hope you’d join us over at Certified Foodies as he shares his journey to being a full-fledged chef. We’re all very excited! Can you feel it?! ^_^

Ken with Chef Terence, a renowned chef who shares his knowledge at Global Academy.

Mother's Day Celebration with my Family

It's been years since my family and I went out just for the sake of being together outside of our home. I guess that can be attributed to past wounds that finally healed over the past years. And, now, thankfully, we're closer than ever.

In celebration of Mother's Day, we all went out at the eve of this special day to treat my nanay and the whole family for dinner and a movie.

Armed with our Php 2,000 gift certificates from Kenny Rogers Roasters, we headed to SM North Edsa. We met my bro and his partner Jhay there.

 By the way, Jhay brought a bottle of Baileys Creme Caramel, as I previously requested, for us to drink that night. Unfortunately, though, my nanay dropped it for some reason. We weren't there when it happened. She felt so guilty, and also 'cause she knew how we'll react. Hahaha. She was so cute. We shrugged it off and opted for Tanduay Ice instead. ^_^

We ordered almost everything on the menu! Hahaha. Here are a few of the ones we ordered. We'll be posting more about them on Certified Foodies.

We were all so full by the end of dinner. We even had dessert - Chocolate Mousse and Crème Brulee. We also had 3 boxes of muffins and 5 Kenny Rogers brownies. Calories overload! But, it was all fun. :)

It was funny 'cause it took me about 4-5 shots before I got my tatay to smile.
He said he was waiting for me to count "1, 2, 3" for the photo. LOL

Here's a photo of us 4. Our last family photo was back when I was about to fly to Cebu a few years ago so I really wanted a more recent photo of us.

After dinner, we headed outside, at the Sky Garden, and posed for more photos. Here's me and my bro with our beloved nanay. Words aren't enough to express how much we love her and how grateful we are that she's our mother. I wrote about her here.

It's been decades since we had a photo with our tatay. I had them printed out so he'd have new photos to put inside his wallet (read this post – walang iyakan, promise?). I know he enjoyed that night, too, more than my nanay, I guess.

After the photo opps, we started strolling around the Sky Garden at SM North Edsa and inside the mall while we wait for the last full show.

While walking around, we found really good backdrops for more photos. I let my parents pose. It was actually the first time after almost a decade that I saw them together, truly enjoying, so I made sure I had a digital memory of it.

This photo of my nanay with the Scream 4 guy outside the cinema was just too cute for words! :))

Our parents wanted to watch Fast Five. But, my bro and I already watched it during the Teleserv Bloggers Night (will be posting about that next), so we decided to see Scream 4 instead, which we later so regretted.

Thanks, Jhay, for the movie treat! :)

After the movies, we all went home together. It was a short, but fun family date. And I really want us to have more of this. I'm already planning on the next one. :)

I love my family. We may not be perfect, we may not have a lot of money or a beautiful home with outdoor firepit... I may not have the ideal parents, and I may not be the ideal daughter, but we have loads of fun... our style! Thank you, Lord, for this family I belong to. I wouldn't be who I am now without them. ^_^

How did you celebrate Mother's Day?

Celebrating Mother’s Day

Tomorrow, it'll be Mother's Day. For me, it's one of the most important celebrations of the year. Why? Because it's a time when I get to honor the most important person in my life - my Nanay.

I may not have written about her as much as I'd love to on this blog. But, I can never put into words how much I appreciate her and how proud I am that I'm a daughter of someone who's kind, generous and capable of loving so unconditionally that she can sacrifice her happiness for the sake of keeping our family intact and sane. I know, some may say that how I described my appreciation of her is such a cliché already, but don’t judge ‘til you hear about everything she’s done for us. So far, only my close friends know the whole story.

I’m proud to have her as a mother ‘cause with her example, her love for us, my brother and I grew up to be respectful and generous human beings towards others.

No, she's not perfect. My nanay has her flaws just like everyone else. But, it's her flaws that make her uniquely the best mother in the world for us. Read on.

 

She's a good listener. I know we try to not tell her everything about our lives 'cause we don't want to cause her any more stress than she's already getting from her work, but she always wants to know what's going on with us. After a day's work, she'll stay here at my shop to ask how my business is doing and some personal issues. She does the same thing with my bro.

I feel guilty that there are times I’d ignore or dismiss her when she asks me how I’m doing. I sometimes don’t like talking about my problems with anyone ‘cause I’m used to dealing with them myself. I know my faults and I promise to not do that again.

She's an understanding mother. No, she's not the kind who'll tolerate our craziness or wrongdoings. But, she's understanding enough to let us do whatever we want so we can decide which path to follow. She, in her own ways, made us independent.

With the wild and crazy lifestyles my bro and I lived years ago, she managed to be so patient with us and accepted us for who we are. I know, we hurt her a lot of times in the past with all our wrong choices and decisions in life. But, she patiently waited (with a li’l nagging here and there) ‘til the time we came to realization of our mistakes. Because of that, I believe my bro and I have matured and became wiser. In short, she let us fall so we’d know how to stand on our own.

 

She's a generous woman. Her accomplishments as a Public Health Nurse are enough proof of how willing she is to help others. Yeah, you’d say it’s part of her job. But, she goes out of her way to help people. And, sometimes, we have to "scold" her so she'd know her limits.

I hate seeing her hurt by the same people she helped, so we try to make her realize there are bad people out there, just like what she did for us when we were younger. I guess her genuine intentions to help sometimes blinds her from seeing the bad in people. Oh, now I realize that's where my bro got his naivety.

 My nanay discussing about Family Planning at their health center.

She's hardworking and a good provider. She sent me and my brother to good schools. We both went to a private school from kindergarten up to high school. She financed our education up to college ALL BY HERSELF. She may have a li'l help from me back when I was still working, but it was mainly her sending my bro to college.

We sometimes wonder how she did all that. We’d usually both laugh about all the business ventures she tried to bring food to our table while sending us to really good schools.

We had to sell our home in Navotas because of some debts we had to pay off, but we managed to survive all that. Now, I can say we're doing better financially.

She's sending my bro to culinary school this July. Though it hurts her to see all her hard work of sending my bro to nursing school go to waste, she accepted the fact that my bro's passion is really in culinary.

She also helped finance half of the expenses of having to buy new computers for my business. I'm really hoping I can pay her off or make it up to her by doing everything we can to make her happy. She loves travelling so my bro and I are really determined to help fulfill her dreams of traveling around the world.

 

She's a cool mom. Anyone who's met her can attest to that. We got our fun-loving nature from her. Imagine this - she wants to watch Rihanna's concert when she comes back here in Manila. Hahahah. She loves to dance, sing and get-together with friends. She also ends up being the host at parties. Now, doesn't that sound familiar?! Hehehe.

Okay, if you didn’t get that, I love hosting parties or get-together too so… :)

My nanay dancing at their Christmas party last year. Cool outfit, ‘Nay! :))
I hope she won’t kill me for posting this hahahaha.

I’d dare you to stay with us for at least a week and, trust me, afterwards, you’d want us to adopt you. LOL. My bro and I are glad that our nanay is also our friend. :)

 

She's a strong woman. Imagine everything I mentioned in the previous paragraphs, having to support our family financially all by herself, the stress she’s getting from her job and from us (LOL), and how she managed to keep her head up high even after being financially and emotionally mistreated for being so kind and being an adopted child by her own relatives. And that’s just half of what she managed to survive.

I know she appreciates how much my bro and I support and love her. She knows we’ve got her back and we’d kill and die for her (Okay, I’m getting a li’l teary-eyed here). I know my bro and I played a big part in helping her survive all the trials she experienced in her life, but I still admire her for being strong. My bro and I got that from her. And we’re very much thankful.

MYMP - New Harmony & a New Album – Be There at the Launch this Mother’s Day!

I’ve always loved MYMP’s music – may it be their original compositions or their acoustic remakes. Never does a week go by without me listening to their songs. That’s why when I found out that they’re coming back, this time, with a new face on lead vocals, Juliet Bahala, I got pretty excited.

And, just in time for Mother’s Day, Make Your Momma Proud (MYMP – so suited for the celebration, eh?), is launching their new album The Unreleased Acoustic Collection at the Atrium in Robinson’s Place Manila at 5pm this Sunday, May 8th.

So, if you have no plans yet on where to bring your mom to celebrate their special day, why don’t you head on over to MYMP’s album launch for some soothing acoustic music that only Chin Alcantara and the rest of their band can deliver.

MYMP’s new album The Unreleased Acoustic Collection is now available in all Odyssey Music and Video stores nationwide, released by PolyEast Records. It’s priced at only Php 299.00 so let’s all support OPM and grab a copy!

We might be there for the album launch. I’d love to watch and listen to them live. :)

2010, The Year That Was - a Year-Ender Post

2010 has been a very fruitful year for me. I am oh-so thankful for all the blessings I have received last year and I am so looking forward to what's in store for me this 2011.

But, 2010 wasn't all sunshine and roses for me. I had my own share of struggles, a broken heart and a tearful goodbye. However, I believe all of them made last year very memorable to me and have opened a lot of doors to a lot of positive changes in my life. I'm stronger and more mature now because of everything I experienced in 2010.

Not only did a lot of changes happen, but also I met a lot of people who I know I want to be friends with for life.

In this post, I hope to share with you the most important moments in my life in 2010, both online and personal. I do hope, though, that you'd have the patience to bear reading this whole post. I would really appreciate it if you would. ^_^

 

2010 for blankPixels

2010 was the year when I started taking blogging more seriously. And it was only in January last year when I decided to also make money online with my blogs. Let me share with you the most memorable highlights of my blogging and online life as blankpixels.

First off, I have won many contests in 2010. The prizes range from gift certificates, prepaid load to gadgets! I won 2 Nokia 5230 phones (how lucky, right?), an Apple iPad from Sulit, a Globe Tattoo and Php 500 Globe load from Yugatech, Php 1,500 gift certificates from Pizza Hut, and Glutamax products, among those that are most notable. And I wish to win more contests this year! I'm now officially a contest addict. ^_^

I started 4 blogs last year - Certified Foodies, Pinay Reviewer, iCafe Blog and blankPixels - The Geek Side. And, I'm proud to say that the first 2 have gained a following, thanks to word-of-mouth, social networking sites, Adgitize and Entrecard.

I started making money online through my blogs. Not only through advertising, but through paid review / writing opportunities. However, I made sure that the money-making part did not affect my blogs quality. Most people say that they barely even notice any paid links on any of my posts. ^_^

Now, I make at least $100 per month. There was even a month that I earned over $250 from 2 of my blogs. Cool, eh? And I hope that the blessings would keep on coming.

But, aside from making money online, one thing that I am most thankful for is my blogs gaining followers and/or regular readers. I love reading and responding to comments. I also love the feedback I'm getting from my reviews and tutorials/guides. Expect more to come.

Last year was also when I gotten to meet a lot of my fellow bloggers. I used to be a silent reader / lurker. But, I told myself that I should find the time to leave comments and let other bloggers know that I'm reading their posts / contents. That didn't only gain me blogger friends, but it also increased traffic to my blogs.

During the last months of 2010, I met 2 bloggers who I now consider my 2 BBFs (best blogger friends LOL) - Eihdra of One Proud Momma and Make Money Online and Beyond, and Grace of Dress Up Your Blogs and Grace in Creative Life. I actually have an upcoming post especially dedicated to these 2 women. All I can say is I'm pretty happy I met them and would LOVE to hang out with them and my other newfound blogger friends really soon.

Last year was also my first time to host blog contests. There was Make a Wish and, of course, Thirty on 30 last October. In both contests, I received a lot of support from my fellow bloggers who willingly signed up as my sponsors and joined. I couldn't thank them enough!

This 2011, watch out for more contests on my blogs. I'm planning on hosting a contest for each of my blogs at least once a year. And then, at the end of the year, I'll be giving away my favorite things for the past year. Yeah, Oprah style! Well, not completely like Oprah 'cause she can afford everyone getting everything. But, you get what I mean, right? Hehehe. Keep posted for products or things I feature on my blogs because you'll never know if they'll turn up as one of my favorite things at the end of the year. I've seen a couple of bloggers doing this, too, and I've wanted to do this since I was done with Make a Wish, but because I had another contest just in October, I decided to postpone my Favorite Things contest for the end of 2011.

Aside from making money online and contests, I also got back into my love for graphics design. Last year, I decided to start designing blogs. My very first blog design project was One Proud Momma's. I now can design for Blogger and Wordpress. I designed all the layouts of my blogs and I've got 3 blogs lined up right now so keep posted for those makeovers. If you love my work, you can even hire me! Yes, I'll start my blog design biz this year so I hope you keep posted for my rates. They'll be affordable, I promise!

It's only the 3rd day of 2011 and all I can say is I'm pretty psyched with all the things I've got planned for myself as a blogger, online money maker and a designer this year. Wish me luck!

 

2010 for Michelle / Mhel

One of the major changes in my life happened last year when I ended a 5-year relationship with someone. It was heart-breaking, but mostly liberating. Most of my close friends would tell you how much they prefer the Mhel now than how I was during those 5 years. A lot of my friends missed me, even my family missed me oh-so much. And, most of all, I missed my old self. I miss being me. I couldn't thank God enough for the strength that He's given me to go through what I did. His plans for me seem to be playing out already so I'm just enjoying the ride.I'm also happy to mention that most people notice this certain glow, radiance on me nowadays. It could be that I'm taking care of myself more now, eating healthier, etcetera, etcetera. But, I believe it's because I'm happier now. I get to enjoy my life more now. No more fights (that usually get too physical), stupid arguments and too much negativity. My 50% optimistic and 50% realist self is back. The pessimist has been thrown out the window.

No, I'm not blaming my past relationship for all the stress I experienced. It was partly my fault, letting someone else control my life and choose what they think would make me happy. I'm back in control now. And I choose to be happy. Not completely though as I still break down and cry after realizing what has happened to me in the past half a decade. BUT, I choose to let myself feel those emotions because I believe it's an important part of this whole self-re-acquainting thing. I'm not completely regretful though. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and my loved ones (family and close friends) who already know about my story would agree that I'm now on the right path.

Because of that major change in my life, another old me returned - the traveler. I love traveling! I may not be the most adventurous woman out there, but I've dreamt of seeing the world before I pass on to the next life. And, I wanted to start with my own country, of course. I'm planning on buying a DSLR, and even possibly a Nikon binocular just so I can fully enjoy those sceneries and keep memories of them through my camera.

I guess the reason why the traveler side of me took a back seat was because I wanted to be with people who can jive with me, with my crazy trips, and have fun without thinking too much. Yeah, I already analyze and think too much, so I'd rather be around people who would let loose and be crazy / wild with me (wholesome and the other kind hehehe). Now, I have more time to spend with people who really get me, who know and accept me for exactly who I am. I'm hoping to travel at least twice a year to places in the Philippines that I have yet to see. Then, once that's done, I'm off to Asia and Europe! Woot!

When I launched our food blog last year, I started to realize that I am a certified foodie.  I love food and I also love cooking! I only stopped being the one in the kitchen 'cause my brother and my mother are great cooks. But, now, that's no longer stopping me from doing what I love. I love to cook, even when I was a kid when my mother taught me how to cook pancit for our carinderia back in the days. Yes, at age 12, I already know how to cook. And I know I would love to continue learning more now. I'm pretty excited about this! So, make sure you follow our food blog for my own recipes and my cooking adventures! :)

And, another major realization that I had last year, which I believe is one of the most important of all, is I want to be a MOTHER. Yes, I want to have a kid… or kids even! Seeing all those mommy bloggers talking about their kids on their blogs, watching my mommy close friends (especially Badeth and Chikay, who I both love so much!) share their stories about their beloved kids, aahhh! I would love to raise a kid of my own. I want someone to call me "mommy" or "nanay". Plus, I know I would be a great mom, my bro would be a caring uncle and my parents would be amazing grandparents. I've seen them care for other kids NOW so I KNOW my future kid/s would have a really great and loving family to spend their whole life/lives with. I just wish and pray that God would give me a chance to make this dream a reality.

I can go on and on about all the changes and realizations I experienced last year, but these ones had the most impact on me now and my plans for my future. I'm pretty excited about this and I'm hoping that someone would be there to make those fun future memories with me… together. So, I say wish me luck in the love department! ^_^

There were a lot of memorable happenings last year but all I've mentioned here are the most important ones. All in all, personally, 2010 may not be the happiest years of my life, but it definitely was the most intense and the only year wherein I felt, when it ended, that I actually grew up and matured as a person, as a daughter, a sister, a friend, and, hopefully a lover. Only time would tell.

Will post my 2011 wish list and resolutions next. And I've sworn to keep my promises fulfilled this year.

How was YOUR 2010?

My Best Friend's Wedding - Day 1 : Pangasinan

Here's the first part of my blog posts about our 5-day vacation to the northern part of Luzon. I hope you could bear reading my long posts and I hope you enjoy the ride. :)
On December 18th, my best friend May / Tina got married to her then-boyfriend/fiancé Freddie. It was one moment in my best friend's life that I wouldn't miss for the world! That's how important she is to me! :)

I received my invitation a few days before the wedding. Good thing May delivered it personally to me. Otherwise, we might have gotten lost! Hahaha. I thought she was going to make custom address labels so she could just mail them out instead of delivering each invite herself. But, I guess she felt it was important to deliver or hand out the invites herself. :)

Now, before I even tell you about the wedding, I just want to tell you a quick background behind our 5-day vacation. I asked my mother and brother to come with me to the wedding since I wasn't sure yet who else will be coming from Manila besides me. The original plan was to only attend May's wedding, stay for the night and leave the next morning. But, the whole idea of our North Luzon getaway started when my mother said she really wants to see Vigan. I, then, said since we're just a "few" (I'll expound on this later on so please, stay tuned!) hours away from Pagudpud, it'll be best we go straight there after. I also wanted to go back to Baguio for shopping and to visit the place again. Hahaha. Too ambitious for a 5-day vacation, eh? Read on!!