If 2012 was the Year of Living Bravely, what about 2013? Well, I'd like to think my 2013 was about taking things a little less seriously and just having fun exploring great books, movies, and music, with special focus on my fangirl-ing.


What better way to begin this year-ender post than by citing one of my favorite reads this year, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell? I was able to relate with its main character Cather so much, to the point it got a bit disconcerting because it felt like I was reading my own thoughts as written down by another person!

My best purchase this year (and possibly ever) is my Kindle I lovingly named Max. He made carrying books around and reading a lot more convenient so he's now my favorite companion while waiting as I'm almost always early for appointments. Through him, I read 32 books this year; 37 if we include rereads. My favorite is The Princess Bride by William Goldman, while notable titles include, in no specific order: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Lover's Dictionary and Every Day by David Levithan, The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, Books of Adam by Adam Ellis, and [although I still feel plot and character development were lacking, but the imagery was really exceptional] The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

When it comes to movies, I'd have to give the top spot to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, mainly because I think it's the best book-to-movie adaptation I've seen. Catching Fire is my favorite book in the trilogy, and I am very happy that the movie gave justice and added so much more to the book. Other great movies I watched this year include Gravity, The Princess Bride, Amélie, Monsters University, Frozen, and Stranger than Fiction. Of course, I should also note here the conclusion of [my other favorite trilogy aside from Christoper Nolan's Batman] the lowest grossing film trilogy of all time (Ethan Hawke's words, not mine!) Before Midnight. I loved all of these, and they remind me just why I love watching movies and why I love writing.

When it comes to concerts, I watched only three this year but they are all unforgettable: The Script, Smash Mouth/ Sugar Ray/ Gin Blossoms, and (my favorite among the bunch) Jason Mraz and the Superband. I missed Tegan and Sara but I'm hoping they'll be able to come back soon.

This needs a paragraph of its own: I was obsessed with Fun. and its vocalist Nate Ruess. I seriously think I have fallen in love with him. Like, really. He has such an amazing voice and great stage presence, and their band makes awesome music. I could listen to their songs all day. Here's one of my many favorites. I really, really, really hope they can come here for a concert soon.

You know what's another recent obsession of mine? One Direction. Hee. They've grown up into fine looking young lads and they could really sing! My favorite is Louis Tomlinson, and one of my most treasured gifts this Christmas is their Where We Are book given to me by Erica. Hee.

Other highlights of 2013 include: the last season of How I Met Your Mother and meeting The Mother; slowly growing my The Little Prince collection; disconnecting from all forms of social media for a weekend getaway with my closest friends; fully embracing my job and everything it entails; saying goodbye to a very dear friend who had to go abroad to work; my being a bridesmaid (for the first time!) to my friends Eric and Erica's wedding; becoming closer to my carpool-mates; fun weekend roadtrips to Casa Simeona with Alex, Anne, and Kira; realizing that although not everyone can get me and my quirks, I do have a lot of true friends; trying out boxing for the first time; dyeing my hair red; finally getting to try yoga (I even tried AntiGravity Yoga - never mind that it was disastrous LOL); and meeting Manix Abrera not once, but TWICE - and him leaving comments on Facebook photos I tagged him at.

So yeah, 2013 was a pretty awesome year. Thank YOU for sharing it with me!

I wonder what 2014 will be like? I'm looking forward to creating better stories!

Are you looking to have a hair makeover in time for the new year but don't know what hairstyle to try yet? This post might inspire you.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a Hair Workshop care of Toni&Guy held in the Toni&Guy Salon in SM Aura. This was before I had my hair colored so don't be surprised that my hair's black in the photos heehee.


In the workshop, we were presented the four major holiday hair trends as presented in London Fashion Week. This reinforces the point that our hair is part and parcel of our wardrobe and personality and however we style our hair should complement what we wear and how we wear it. Hair Meet Wardrobe, indeed.

Post-Party Tousle – Bedhead takes the stage with a lease on the effortless type of sexy. A generous of dose of Toni&Guy’s Sea Salt Spray provides the right feathery texture from a romp in the sheets. Paired with a staple leather jacket and a pair of beat-up jeans, this set redefines the after party. 

New Wave Idol – Glossy waves take the town with lots of polish. A swipe of Toni&Guy’s Shine Gloss Serum soothes flyways and frizz while providing a dose of classic cool. Pull hair into a low ponytail or an up-to-there bun to suit mid-calf skirts and the crisp sweater weather. 

70’s Screen Siren – Old Hollywood is making a comeback with voluminous waves and amplified shine. Smooth on some of Toni&Guy’s Volume Plumping Mousse and curl inch-wide sections of hair with some hot rollers. Top it off with a spritz of Toni&Guy’s Moisturizing Shine Spray, a slinky black dress, and a hot red lip. 

Bad Girl Sweep – Punk goes the distance with highly stylized locks. Toni&Guy’s Texturizing Glue provides the extreme hold needed for gravity-defying looks. Slick a rocking pompadour over clashing prints and skintight jeans to capture that don’t-mess-with-me attitude. 

Matt Max – Something’s appealingly off-kilter about this season’s razor cuts. Get the same piece-y definition with Toni&Guy’s Styling Pomade from the Men’s Collection. Prep for the day with contrasting plaid knits and the perfect leather boots, don’t forget those layers.

Poster girls for Toni&Guy's collections: Kira for Glamour, Carizza for Classic, and Alex and me for Creative ^_^

Here are more photos:

Alex and her Creative mullet-slash-pompadour, Paul looking like Ken doll, and me

Two Barbies and Ken! Carizza's Classic ponytail, Paul, and Kira's donya-vibes Glamour waves

Blooming Shen with her Glamour curls

We had the same activity the next day, this time with a different set of bloggers.

Sarah's Casual Alexa Chung-inspired 'do and Raiza's old Hollywood Glamour look

Arnie looking pretty with her Glamour curls

Tin and her Creative side-swept twist

I got my hair styled Creative-ly for both days, and here're the results:



How do you like it?

You know what the best thing about these hairstyles is? If we don't include shampoo, the whole process took less than ten minutes! We literally came in, had our hair styled, and came out without them having to cut our hair! It just goes to show that when it comes to makeovers, you don't really need to make any drastic changes; you can work with what you already have and have a fab hairstyle so long as you have the right products and tools! In this case, the right Toni&Guy products. Having said that, here are the products the stylists used on me:

Toni&Guy Volume Plumping Mouuse, used while the hair is still wet. Toni&Guy Flexible Hold Hairspray, for maximum hold without weighing the hair down, and Toni&Guy Styling Fibre for added texture

Here's a closer look on the four main collections of Toni&Guy together with style suggestions:






If you see me regularly, you might have noticed that ever since I attended this Hair Workshop, I haven't left the house in my hair's natural state (read: an oxymoron state of being limp yet big at the same time). I wake up extra early in the morning so that I'll have time to blowdry and style it. I will also post my current hair essentials so watch out for that. ;)

For the meantime, happy new year guys, and happy deciding what hairstyle to have this 2014!


Disclosure: I work in PR and Toni&Guy is one of our clients but all opinions are my own.

A few months ago, I was sent a press gift that contains two day passes to Beyond Yoga. I gave one to my officemate/ friend Rica, and we were finally able to use them earlier today. We went to their Bonifacio High Street branch and attended the 9:30 AM Vinyasa 1 and 11 AM AntiGravity® Yoga FUNdamentals classes.

First up: Vinyasa. Vinyasa yoga "incorporates basic poses with detailed alignment cues and instructions that give us a foundation towards taking our asana practice further, as well as restorative poses to calm the mind and body." Today's class focused on arm strength. I was so glad to be back on the mat after more than a month, and I felt so accomplished because even though I wasn't able to practice for quite a while, I found my stride quickly enough and was even able to push myself to do more complicated poses that I hadn't been able to do before! Yay, me!

It's a completely different story for me and AntiGravity®, though.

Before I left the house this morning, I even checked Youtube for AntiGravity® poses as a brief backgrounder. I remember thinking, "Oh, this looks easy, I'm sure I can do it." One of the BIGGEST misconceptions of my life, ladies and gentlemen.

AntiGravity® Yoga is done off the ground, using a silk hammock as a soft trapeze to support you as you perform yoga poses while suspended. Some of the benefits of AntiGravity® Yoga include decompressing of tight joints, relieving pressure while aligning the vertebrae, performing advanced yoga inversions without neck or back compression, and creating better body awareness while increasing overall agility.

I was able to do the basic aerial poses without any hitch; I was even able to do the Happy Baby pose. My problems started when we started with the inversions...

This is Rica doing the Hanging Bound Angle Pose flawlessly:


And - please understand how embarrassed I am about this, but I know I need to post it here so you can visualize how difficult it was for me - here is a photo of me attempting to do it again for the sake of a photo op:


Mind you, I was able to do it okay on my first attempt through the guidance and encouraging words of our trainors Mark and Aldrick. I was even able to last for more than ten breaths! The problem is, we were facing the mirror while hanging upside down and there I was trying to listen to Aldrick enumerate the benefits of that pose, when suddenly I lost my concentration and ALL thoughts ceased to exist. Instead it was replaced by a panicky voice saying, "I AM SUSPENDED MID-AIR! UPSIDE DOWN! I WILL MESS UP AND FALL DOWN AND MY HEAD WILL HIT THE FLOOR AND MY SKULL WILL CRACK OPEN AND I WILL DIE WITHOUT HAVING BEEN ABLE TO WATCH THE MOCKINGJAY MOVIES!" Priorities, right? All hope was lost and there was nothing else for me to do except to whimper that I couldn't focus and I NEED to get in an upright position stat. How ironic that I was wearing my Batman shirt, of all shirts. Tsss.

I tried to do the Shoulder Stand but panic and paranoia crept in again before I got to ten breaths. I didn't even attempt to do the Mosquito and Vampire poses anymore although they looked really cool.

I've talked myself into doing a number of brave things in my life: I have rappelled a steep cliff twice, had two impacted wisdom teeth extracted and undergone one minor surgery, had braces for four years, moved out of my parents' house, had a pixie cut for the first time, ran a 5K marathon, let go of a high-paying job to pursue something more suited for me, survived a couple of heartbreaks, had a Brazilian wax, and stood up for things I believe in even while losing friends in the process - but nothing prepared me for AntiGravity®. Can you imagine just how frustrating that was for me, considering I have been so excited to try it for so long?

In yoga, you constantly communicate with your body and acknowledge when you cannot sustain a pose any longer. You have to know your limits and be humble enough to not force yourself when you can't do it yet. Today, fear took over as I realized I am terribly scared of being inverted mid-air. Nevertheless, I am still glad I was able to hold it for quite a while before I needed to give up. Mark and Aldrick were very suppotive and even talked to me after class to say that it's normal and I will get through it after a few classes. I think so, too. And yes, maybe I can get the courage to try it again, but for now I guess I will stick to yoga classes where at least two of my limbs can stay put on the floor permanently.

I'm happier when I'm not hanging upside down, thankyouverymuch.

I hope I did not scare you out of trying it, though! Rica and our other classmates were able to do the more challenging poses, and I highly encourage you to try it, too. Visit Beyond Yoga's website to check their schedule of classes and rates.

Experiences are best when shared, especially with someone who won't laugh at your inability to hold an inverted aerial yoga pose, instead encourage you and take your photo as per your request LOL.

Thanks for coming with me today, Rica!

Aside from the AntiGravity® incident, I can honestly say I have considerably improved my asanas. No handstands or headstands yet in today's Vinyasa, although it's my personal goal to be able to do those by next year. Little by little, I will get there!

'Tis the day after Christmas, so let the preparations for the New Year commence!

One of my favorite things about the turning of another calendar year is picking out a planner for the year ahead. I'm still old school, you know. Even with two smartphones (one personal, one for work) and hundreds of productivity apps at my disposal, nothing beats putting pen to paper. My brain is wired to retain more information that way.

For 2013, I used a Moleskine Le Petit Prince planner. For this coming year though, I decided to get a Belle de Jour Power Planner. I've been a fan of BDJ ever since they started and I got my 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 planners from them. I stopped buying when I felt that the more recent designs left little room for customization though. See my customized 2012 Moonleaf Tea Shop planner here. When I saw samples of the 2014 version, I was sold! It was time to get myself a BDJ planner again. ♡

Imagine my delight when the Belle de Jour team emailed me saying they'll send me a complimentary planner! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


This arrived early this month, and I seriously had to restrain myself from jotting down anything before I could take some nice photos for posterity. Here are my favorite parts of the Belle de Jour 2014 Power Planner, although I took a photo of almost e-ve-ry part so, yeah, here you go. o(^▽^)o

Blank inside front pages I can fill with my photos with family and friends

A powerful quote

I refer to these as the monthly cover pages hee. I can also list down books read and movies watched within the month in that blank square at the bottom.

Weekly display I am really happy with all those blank spaces because blank spaces = more space to write on!

Each month is preceded by an article, with every single one aiming for self-improvement and empowerment.

And of course, what BDJ is known for: coupons! There are so many and I'm glad because I know I can use most of them! Some, I can give to my girl friends.

Coupon Tracker Very helpful in, uh, tracking the coupons you've already used, and what you still have left

2014 goals-in-a-glance I seriously don't know what I'm going to write there yet.

They say you can fulfill your dream better if you create a vision board, thereby inspiring you to work harder towards fulfilling it. I'm going to fill this dream board with stickers and doodles. I can't wait!

I already have a Menstrual Tracker app in my phone, but it might be helpful to have a "physical" version.

(Ulp) Bills Tracker and Cash Flow Tracker These will be very helpful to me when it comes to managing my finances. I swear I am going to be more responsible by filling out the fields here regularly.

2014 and 2015 in a glance

There is a compartment at the back with a plastic sleeve where you can keep your coupons in and STICKERS! Who doesn't love stickers, right?

As an added bonus to BDJ planner users, everyone also gets a Belle de Jour Lifestyle Card that offers a lot of discounts and freebies from partner establishments!


My favorite is the Free Upsize privilege from all The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf branches!

If I have any gripe about the planner at all, it's that I wish they didn't put ad spots in it. Or if they must, I wish those could have been as inconspicuous as possible. In any case, I've already collated some photos and quotes to print out so I can personalize my Belle de Jour Power Planner. Yay!


I will make my life a masterpiece by being more passionate (if that is even possible), feeding my insatiable hunger for learning, and saying YES to possibilities. Thank you, BDJ team. I can't wait to jump start 2014! I just know this coming year is going to be amazing!


Disclosure: The Belle de Jour 2014 Power Planner was sent to me for free as a "thank you" for my posts about my old BDJ planners. You can get yours by ordering online or by visiting the local bookstore nearest you.  All opinions are my own.

I seek magic, I seek adventure - those, I find between the pages of a book.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman has been in my to-read list for so long. Seeing that it is a cult favorite and one of the most referenced fictional works in pop culture history (most recent I've seen is the third episode of How I Met Your Mother's ninth season, Last Time in New York), I thought perhaps it would be a nice book to end 2013 with.


I finished it in less than 24 hours and I couldn't have been more right. I know I am generous when it comes to hyperboles but really, I regret not reading this earlier as it is definitely one of the most wonderful books I have ever read, even besting Neil Gaiman's Stardust in my personal list of favorite fairy tales.

What is it about, you ask? "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles." Royalty and pirates, too. I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't read it yet, but in a nutshell it's about a farm boy named Westley and a beautiful girl named Buttercup who fight against a war-loving prince and R.O.U.S.s (Rodents of Unusual Size), all for true love. "Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches."

I was so emotionally invested that when the storyteller said that Westley has died for the second time, I literally wanted to throw my Kindle against the wall. "Like Buttercup's, my heart was now a secret garden and the walls were very high." Yes, my Kindle is one of my most prized possessions, but such was the intensity of my despair. "It was too unfair. You expected unfairness if you breathed, but this went beyond that."

Even more than the plot, I was blown away by the literary device that William Goldman used. Because of the quite lengthy and elaborate introduction and asides peppered throughout the book, he made me believe that it was originally written by S. Morgenstern and he is just telling us an abridged version that includes all the "good parts" his father used to tell him, removing all the other satirical parts Morgenstern has supposedly put in. I found out the truth soon enough, heh. Because I have the tendency to obsess over books and movies I found awesome, I read up on the subject as much as I can. That's how I found out, heh.

Today, I watched the movie adaptation. Twice.

They removed several elements (like the Zoo of Death and Fezzik's back-story) and changed some things here and there, but the essence, fun, and wit of The Princess Bride was still there. Did you know that the book was written in 1973 and the movie was shown one year after I was born? Timeless, indeed. I loved it.

Rarely does it happen that a minor character captures my interest more than the main protagonists. In both movie and book, Inigo Montoya easily became one of my ultimate favorite fictional characters. He has such a soft heart and a sad back-story that it felt really good to see him succeed in the end. I wanted to cheer every time he's in the scene.

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I am so happy that I finally got to read the book and watch the movie. They certainly don't make them like they used to. Now watch me force my friends to read and see it, too recommend this to all my friends, too.

But really, who can look at Westley like this and not want to fight the world for a chance at true love? "This is true love; you think this happens every day?"

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The Princess Bride has earned its rightful special place in my heart. Looking forward to more magic and adventure. On to the next book!

Handmade gift tags because why ever not?

I hope everyone is having a grand time! And just because it's still relevant, I'm reposting here the Christmas mix-tape I made last year.

May your bellies be full and your hearts merry, and however which way you plan to celebrate this day, I pray you celebrate it with the people you hold most dear. From my family to yours, Happy Christmas!

Hola! How are you? And you? And you? Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet? I hope so! And I hope everyone's feeling chipper, especially now that there are only *gasp* a little more than 24 hours before Christmas!

As for me, I spent the whole weekend holed up in my aunt's cozy house in Valenzuela and I couldn't have been more refreshed and recharged.

All I did were eat, watch TV, check my social media feeds via my phone, read, and sleep. A lot. It was definitely cozy and quiet there. Maybe a little too quiet for my own liking because when I woke up this morning all I wanted to do was go home and get ready for work.

Except I didn't have work today. I have a five-day Christmas break and am not required to go to the office until Thursday. Quite a nice change of pace from my old job where we needed to go to work even during holidays, but the moment I got home for real this afternoon, I was itching to turn my computer on and answer some emails for work. I work in PR, and although I acknowledge that industries won't necessarily collapse nor the natural order of the world will be put in chaos if I leave those emails unanswered, I don't really want to wait until Thursday to reply. It didn't take me more than twenty minutes to answer everyone, anyway.

And since it was the last weekend before Christmas and I am thankful to enjoy the comforts of my aunt's house while the rest of the world are probably going crazy with last minute preparations, I decided on a holiday read to, you know, set me in the mood for the holidays or something - if I weren't in the mood enough hee.

Let It Snow is a bundle of three Christmas reads in one: The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson, A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green, and The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle. At first I thought the stories were independent from one another like those Shake, Rattle & Roll movies. It wasn't until I was beginning with John Green's contribution when I realized that the stories were all actually interconnected, like Love, Actually (a very astute observation, LOL). I finished it in less than two days, and I liked it because it's witty and funny and the characters are not without flaws. In short, very believable. I liked it, although I think I liked David Levithan and Rachel Cohn's Dash & Lily's Book of Dares more.

After reading Let It Snow, I checked my Kindle and noted that I was able to finish 32 books this year via Max. 37, if you count rereads. "Physical" books, I'm not sure as I wasn't able to count, although I know I read Books of Adam and Kikomachine Komix Blg. 9 this year. Resolution for 2014: make sure to note all books read so as to make sure I made good on my personal goal of at least 52 books before the year ends. Movies, too. I think I will be able to clock in at least two more books before 2013 ends, and so since I have a flair for the theatrics, I made myself go through the unnecessary drama/ pressure of choosing which to read.

I chose William Goldman's abridged version of S. Morgenstern's The Princess Bride because I have read far too many lists recommending both the movie and the book (it was even referenced in a How I Met Your Mother episode!), and because it has been in my to-read list for years now! I stopped at the chapter with Fezzik's story this afternoon, and I can't wait to go back to reading it right after I click on Publish.

I wouldn't want to take too long now. I just dropped by to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas, and I pray we don't forget why we're celebrating it.

Christmas jar (with nuts, almonds, walnuts, cashew, marshmallows, and chocolates!) from Healthy Monsters. All my aunts and uncles are getting one from me this Christmas!

Happy holidays, everyone! May your bellies be full and your hearts be merry!

This is a review of Anne Plaza's book In Over Head for Book Junkie Blog Tours. View the links of other participating bloggers and join the giveaway by visiting this link.

All she wants is to get even... 

Erika Apostol's quiet and unassuming life gets disrupted when she learns that Richard Javier, the very same person who broke her heart many years ago, is now back in the country. Her world is turned upside down as old feelings she thought were buried resurface to haunt her once more. 

Determined to give Richard a dose of his own medicine, Erika finds herself involved in an outrageous plan devised by her friends. They enlist the help of Jerome Gonzales, an attractive and charismatic DJ (with a playboy reputation), to pose as her significant other. 

As the plan goes in full swing, Erika discovers Richard's jealous side, and that there's something more to Jerome than meets the eye. Will this grand charade work out the way it should, or will she be left with nothing in the end?

Amazon | Smashwords | Goodreads | Paperback

My takeaway from all of this? Be honest to one another. You don't have to tell your boyfriend/ girlfriend every minute detail of your life, but at least tell him/ her about the stuff that matters. And if you're going to break up with him/ her, have the decency to say the real reason why. You owe it to the yourself and the other person. However much it would hurt, being honest is being kind and in the end, being kind is ultimately the most important thing.

I am not a chocoholic per se but I do love me a good batch of brownies. Meanwhile, my mom and siblings are huge chocoholics and brownie-lovers that whenever I bring home a box of Brownies! Unlimited (which are their absolute favorite), they'd end up fighting over it, albeit playfully. Imagine their delight when I took these home:

Are you curious about those packs of Brownie Chips? Well, imagine your favorite brownies. And then, imagine them being flattened very thinly and then made a little bit more brittle. Can you visualize it now? Great! The new Brownie Chips are actually the very first of its kind that I've seen, and I love it because it's so yummy and chocolate-y. Not too sweet, it's just right. If you'd like to try it for yourself, you can pick up a pack (or two, or more!) at all Brownies! Unlimited branches nationwide. 

My friends and I enjoying the Brownie Chips This photo was taken last Friday so my hair wasn't red yet. ^_^

And here's the most important news of all! Aside from the existing flavors of brownies we know and love, Brownies! Unlimited has added TWELVE new flavors to their menu!

Click the photo for a bigger look, you know you want to!

My favorite is the Red Velvet. I always make sure I get dibs on it every time I take home a box. These would make excellent gifts to your friends and colleagues, too! Flexible, too. Here are the boxes available together with their price points as a guide:

• Box of 4 for P90.00 - Red Velvet, Choc O' Malt, Sunburst, Kriss Kross
• Box of 6 for P120.00 - Rocky Road, Mississippi, Walnut Swirl, Potato Strings, Choc O' Chips, S'mores
• Box of 10 for P150.00 - Two pieces each of Black & White, Mississippi, Sunbursts, Kriss Kross, and Rocky Road
• Box of 12 for P220.00 - One piece each of all variants