The Flashback Friday Playlist

It has been one week since Animusika, and I still have a hang-over. I can't help but smile, especially when I think about what Kean Cipriano of Callalily did to me, which is really, really sweet. Our story deserves a new post. ;) It was surreal to see Spongecola once again in the grounds of DLSU, performing. It was nice seeing Yael and the rest of the band feeling at home in their alma mater's arch rival. And Parokya ni Edgar's performance was one for the books! I've never seen Sam YG, Slick Rick, and Tony Toni take photos and videos of their performances! That night was crazy, totally!

In this playlist, I chose the songs which these bands performed on the last night of university week. Whenever these songs are played, I get flashbacks of my highschool days. And... as I type this, I just realized that these songs are nearing the decade zone already! Am I getting old? Hahaha! :p 

 

Magbalik by Callalily

Tuliro by Spongecola

The Yes Yes Show by Parokya ni Edgar

The Feels and the Chills

It has been two years since the last time I saw Up Dharma Down in the flesh. The band performed in the culminating activity during the university week of DLSU. I still remember that night, as if it happened yesterday. I did not join my college friends in the karaoke session in a nearby building because I wanted to see them play our favorite songs such as Tadhana, Indak, and Oo. The only thing I regret up to now is not getting a picture with the Armi Millare. If I see them again, I will not let this opportunity pass.

If you had read my entries that involve Up Dharma Down, you would know how much I love listening to the band's songs. Up Dharma Down is the contemporary equivalent of the Eraserheads, another legendary Filipino band; the band that started it all. People who listen to Up Dharma Down will agree with me if I say that their songs never fail to give "the feels" and the chills whenever you hear them on the radio, on the local music channel, or on your personal music players. When you listen to them, everything around you seems so magical, as if they sprinkled each song with a pixie dust. I must say, the songs the members write come from the heart. No wonder, a lot can relate to them.

I remember posting about Luna, the second single the band has released from the latest album, Capacities, and all I said was "asdfghjkl" because words cannot describe how I felt upon hearing the song and reading its lyrics. Ganyan sila kagaling, magiging speechless ka. ;)

Armi and the rest of the band did it again with Feelings. I was listening to the whole album this afternoon and it is another "asdfghjkl" moment for me. One thing is for sure: this is my second favorite from Capacities, next to Luna.

 
What are you crying for... when it's just a feeling...

God knows you can get through this...

I wanna know, do you feel anything for me?

Is there anything you like to say tonight?

Before I go... before I go forever...

The Friends

Quoting Elbert Hubbard, "A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you." 

This quote describes the two people close to my heart, Joy and Maggie. They are the kind of friends that you will forever treasure. They are the friends truly worth melting for. ;) Thank you for spending time with me last Saturday, Joy and Maggie! I'm so happy that finally, your paths have crossed. I'm looking forward to our next lunch or dinner date. Love you both!:)

The Upbeat Songs Playlist

Aside from welcoming the new year with a smile and positivity, I made a new playlist on my player. I've got a lot of plans for this month and one of them is to clean my room. Listening to slow songs doesn't make me productive at all. Hence, if I listen to happy and more upbeat songs, cleaning will be much more fun and productive. Here are some songs included in my playlist. ;) 

Feel This Moment by Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera

Work B**ch by Britney Spears

Clarity by Zedd featuring The Foxes 

These songs will keep you going and you might be dancing like nobody's watching. Hihi. :p

The New Year Goal

 

 I shall fill this jar with all the good things that will happen this year. Happy vibes all the way! :)

 

 Wishing you all a blessed and an amazing New Year! Let's make this year OUR year. ;)

The Last Day of 2013

Please bear with me. It's the last day of the year! ;)

The Year End Post

2013 was indeed a challenging year to me. Life was throwing lemons at me, and it was giving me options on what to do with them. Do I make a lemonade? Do I get salt and a small cup of tequila? Do I leave the lemons behind and do nothing with them? Decision making was not an easy task, and I'm glad that my family and friends and God were there to help me, to comfort me, to make me feel that I am not alone. The lessons I learned from my experiences, they will forever stay in my heart.

The Philippines had her fair share of ups and downs too. Calamities like the earthquake and typhoon Yolanda had visited the country and what they left behind brought tears to people around the world. Despite what happened, the Filipinos showed the world that giving up is definitely not an option. Filipinos may have all the reasons to be sad, depressed, (insert all the negative things that you can think of) but they chose to move forward instead. Even the strongest earthquake or typhoon will not let the Filipino spirit down.

In a few hours, the journey to 2014 begins. Some of us have started packing for the huge trip of our lives, and are ready to jump in the doors of the Year of the Horse. Some of us cannot wait to experience the awesome adventures that await them. Sounds exciting, yes? ;)

Just like Saab Magalona, I have started packing all the good memories that I will bring with me as I start my journey in the coming year. Inside my bag, I have also kept positivity, determination, humility, courageousness, and all the positive things to make this trip more worthwhile. My game face is on, and I am ready.

How about you, are you ready? :)

P.S. Thank you, God, for all the blessings You have given me, my family, and the people around me. :)

The Creative Juice

This is my third year making personalized Christmas gift wrappers. It all started when I decided to become resourceful and creative when it comes to gift wrapping so I could save money. Instead of buying wrappers, I looked for materials at home which could be good substitutes (for a wrapper). On my first year, I got hooked on making snow flakes and thank goodness my friends, colleagues, and family loved it. ;) Since then, I always make it a point that every year, I make personalized Christmas gift wrappers to make the recipients feel that they are special. Naks!

For this year, I got inspired by the two creative people I know, Ms. Alessandra Lanot and Bianca Regala. Well, I haven't met Ms. Alessandra Lanot but I visit her blog often because she makes one-of-a-kind crafts. She can turn a simple object to an extraordinary one. Who would have thought that an eraser can be carved and turned into a stamp? I admire her for being so creative! Ms. Lanot can make simple things look elegant by the touch of her hands. It would be an honor to meet her someday. Bianca, on the other hand, is my school mate in college. We know each other personally as we belong to the same department, College of Education, at De La Salle University. Just like Ms. Lanot, Bianca is very much into arts and crafts. Recently, she has taken a step to the next level as she shared her talent and passion to others by making kids and kids at heart happy at parties. You may check out her works on Instagram. :)    

The other week, Bianca posted a photo of her latest rubber stamps: gingerbread man, candy canes, and Christmas trees.I've always wanted to carve erasers but I didn't have much time. I took the chance on the start of our Christmas vacation and started carving erasers. My mom has a lot of craft papers so I asked her if I could have some. :)) The only things I bought were the stamp pads. The erasers have been with me since summer.

 

Got everything I need from my supplies! Thank you National Bookstore and to my other sponsors (a.k.a family and friends). Hihi.

Here's a preview of my Christmas wrapper. There was no available brown stamp pad that's why I used the multi-colored one for my gingerbread man. Anyway, I liked how it turned out. It required a lot of work, but I enjoyed stamping on the craft paper. It took me three hours, by the way. I used 2 and a half rolls of craft paper.

For the ribbons, I used green strips of corrugated paper and twisted red Japanese paper. Got my washi tapes from my friend Hazel to stick the ribbon in place. Also, I didn't print new cards this year. I used the remaining specialty paper that I have and cut its edges using craft scissors. The messages were hand written. See, it's from the bottom of my heart talaga! :p 

I posted the second picture on Instagram and tagged Ms. Lanot. After a while, when I checked my Instagram, I was so surprised and got so kilig when I read a message from her: She even liked the photo!

I was fangirling the whole time! Haaay. Now, I'm more inspired to carve erasers. My friend Mau and I are planning to have a stamp party soon. ;)

The Greeting

Christmas is not all about having new clothes and receiving gifts. It's the time of the year when we remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus. It's okay if you don't have new clothes or new gadgets this Christmas. As long as you are with your family and loved ones and you put Jesus in the center of your lives, Christmas will definitely be much merrier. ;)

May you all have a meaningful Christmas. :)

 

It's Time to Give Back

Last night, I rummaged through my closet and looked for clothes that no longer fit me or slightly used. While folding these clothes, I just realized that each one of them has been with me in my most memorable moments. The t-shirts have witnessed my "pagsusunog ng kilay days" in the library or at SJ walk and made me feel comfortable way back in college. The collared tops kept me company in our reporting, interview, and school observation days. The pairs of pants, on the other hand, have been with me through thick and thin,since my gradeschool and highschool days.

To my dear clothes, thank you for everything! Make new memories with your future owners as well, okay? :) 

 

The 90's Kid Collection

Last Friday, classes were cancelled due to typhoon. I had an attempt to clean my room, but I ended up cleaning these. Hahaha! I used to save my weekly allowance so I could buy an album of Britney, Avril, Christina, and the others. This was my collection before I went to highschool. Haay, those were the days. I wonder if kids today were familiar with cassette tapes and cds. Hmm, what do you think? :)

Luna by Up Dharma Down

"Ano nanaman itong gumugulo sa buhay ko

Bawat nakaw tingin sinasalo lang ng hangin

Minamasdan ang saya ng puso mo

sa piling ng iba..."

Here's the latest song from Up Dharma Down! Every line in this song gets me. This band never fails to give me so many feels. The chills... Asdfghjkl.

The Month of October

Just realized that I was missing in action for the whole month of October. My birthday month was a busy one for me. I had to meet deadlines and finish all the requirements needed in preschool. We were also busy preparing for PTC (parents-teacher-conference) and halloween party that's why I didn't have time to open my blog and update. However, I was more active on Instagram and I enjoyed sharing snapshots of the activities we did in school. :)

Hi, Frankie!

I remember surfing pinterest for a long time, looking for the "perfect" and "child friendly" Frankestein activity. Our directress gave us a heads-up that one of my students was afraid of Halloween in general so it was a challenge for me to prepare an activity that would make her change her perspective on Halloween. Anyway, I found this Frankenstein craft and I fell in love with it. It was originally a Frankenstein pudding but the total price of the ingredients was beyond my remaining budget so I thought of getting a green food coloring instead. In class, the kids mixed the green food coloring with water. They had fun mixing food coloring to water, and I helped them pour the colored water in their Frankie cups. I regretted not using jell-o though. Now I know what to do next time. ;)

The Goblin Goo

Ah, goblins. I googled how they look like and they don't look nice, at all. It was a challenge to look for a picture of cute-looking goblin too. :)) In my research, I read that goblins are mischievous creatures. Of course, I had to give the description a twist. I told the kiddos that goblins like to have fun. My set of kids this year like messy stuff so I thought of making a goo in class and just associated it with goblins. The kids and I, together with Teacher Abby and our teacher aid, made a goblin goo. We pretended like goblins having fun and doing icky stuff. Of course, in the preschool, you have to be imaginative. I'm proud to say that the goblin goo activity was a hit to our kids, and even to us teachers. ;) Unfortunately, we're not allowed to post photos of the kids so here's a sample of the goo we made together.

Monsters Inc. Popcorn Cups

 Of course, the Halloween theme won't be complete without the monsters. Monsters University was in my mind as I included monsters in my lesson plan. I associated Mike and Sully and pop corn to monsters and I told the kids that they like surprises and are friendly (remember, I had to twist the definition of monsters). So in our class discussion, I told the kids that just like Mike and Sully, pop corns surprise us when they "pop" inside the microwave. The kids didn't take their eyes off the microwave and they were really waiting for the bag to expand inside. Plus they liked their cups. Weeee! :) By the way, I also got this idea from Pinterest. ;)

Pinterest is indeed a library of ideas and a heaven for teachers. ;)

The Tenth of November

As I type this, I am still thinking of what happened in Tacloban, Iloilo, and other areas that were greatly affected by super typhoon, Haiyan (also known as Yolanda in the Philippines). I have been watching news for the past two days and it was really heartbreaking for me to see what the typhoon has left behind. Haiyan was indeed the strongest and most dangerous typhoon so far. In my opinion, it is as heartbreaking as the tsunami incident that Japan experienced three years ago. A lot of people lost their homes, properties, and loved ones. I was teary-eyed while watching the news. I prayed while Ted Failon (a Filipino reporter) was sharing his experience amidst the typhoon, and I wished it won't happen again. On the other hand, I felt really blessed because the wind, rain, and flood in our province were not as strong and scary. Luzon was spared from Haiyan's wrath.

I also commend the reporters who reported live while Haiyan was wreaking havoc. Their lives might be in danger, but they chose to brave the typhoon and do their job. It was pure passion and dedication. Hats off to Atom Araullo and his crew as well as to all reporters!

I wish I could do something to help. For now, praying is the least I can do. 

Please pray for the Philippines and help in any way you can.

Hello

Today marks the last day of September. In a few hours, my birthday month is about to begin and I don't even know how I feel about it. So much has happened this September and I'm looking forward to a better and brighter October. ;)

I'm thankful for all the experiences I had this month, whether good or bad. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I'm thankful for the people who have shared their precious time with me to give comfort and make my emotional baggage a little bit lighter.

Bring it on, October! :)

I know I posted this photo before but I'm going to post this again. :)

To one of my dearest friends, Thesa, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Thank you for always being there, for all the time you spent with me. I feel grateful for having a friend like you. God bless you more! :)   

Not a very long time ago, I remember thanking God for a wonderful opportunity given to me. I wasn't really expecting it to happen but it did. Never in my wildest dreams have I ever imagined that something like this special would happen in reality. I was wondering what on earth did I do to deserve this. Since that day, I have never stopped hoping, wishing, and praying.

  

Hindi rin pala talaga madaling umasa sa isang bagay na walang kasiguruhan. Kung pwede lang sana ibalik ang araw na iyon... 

I should stop living in my past, don't you think? It's been years.

The Rainy Sunday Playlist

It's a rainy Sunday afternoon and I'm not yet in the mood to work on preschool stuff. Hihi. Instead, I decided to put my earphones on and drown myself in the sea of music. ;) I believe that rain and music have this power to make people have this "this-is-the-life" kind of moment. For some reason, rain and music gives you that relaxing feeling. And with a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows on the side, everything becomes perfect. ;)

Made in the USA by Demi Lovato

Burn by Ellie Goulding

We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus

The Ninth Day of August

Guess the song that's playing on my iPod. :) Here are some clues: It's a Justin Timberlake song, and it is included in his latest album. Good luck! ;)