2015 Roundup

I wrote two things on my planner for my 2015 Bucket List—TWO very easy things: 1. Find a job, and 2. Get my SSS ID. OMG! Did I fail miserably! I mean, seriously, one year had passed, like 365 days since I wrote it but nada! Well, at least the find-a-job part was my choice to delay because every time I decided to start job-hunting something came up and I felt like the Universe was telling me “not yet” so I happily comply—at least I hope my interpretation is correct. As for the SSS ID part—holy crap! I completely forgot I ever wrote it!

My 2015 revolved around a couple of things: bazaars, accessory-making, travel, sleep, procrastination, food, TV, online surfing, hanging with friends, much down time and me-time. 2015 is what I would call the year of non-responsibility and live-with-what-you-got year. This is the supposed year that I had been dreaming of for the past four years now, wherein I survive and live without a job…in other words, be an unemployed-yet-not-so-miserable adult. Although I did survive on my savings, not having a stable income has been proven (by me) difficult…especially with my habitual spending attitude.

Stuff Accumulated this Christmas

Not belonging to an office got its downs and perks, for one, you both get to not receive nor feel obliged to buy gifts for officemates. This year, the gifts I got were mostly from kabarkadas and relatives, my favorites of which are or course the Herschel bag, the 2016 CBTL planner, and the cheque that I have not yet gotten from my parents...now I have something to survive on for the upcoming cash-drought season.

I've been more practical in buying Christmas gifts for others and myself. What I gave out were custom-made pouches by Teacup Ideas (the perks of having your own product,) while I bought myself only what I REALLY needed for 2016...like new pieces of underwear, cotton shirts, jogging pants, earphones and lotsa shorts. Help me, I'm poor. (-insert Kristen Wiig expression here-)

Let's go clockwise starting from the big bag:
1. Herchel Supply Hemp Collection: Little America Backpack
2. Forever 21 top (blue and white)
3. CBTL's The Giving Journal 2016
4. 70-200mm Lens Tumbler
5. Fake Nike Digicam Sling
6. Trader Joe's Coffee Spice Dry Rub
7. Soo Beaute Oriental Herbal Essence Mask (Ganoderma and Scutellaria-Ginseng)
8. Adidas Jogging Shorts (black and teal)
9. Designed by Zqfan Notebook
10. Le Petit Prince Notebook
11. Fullybooked Gift Card
12. Passport Case
13. Good Morning towel
14. Dove White Beauty Bar
15. Exped Charcoal Socks

Other gifts that are not on the pic are the foods because they're either frozen or half-way gone:
1. Victorias American Ham
2. A box of chocolate cake
3. Five Mini Frozen Pizzas
4. A bottle of Jarvi's Pesto Sauce
5. Three loaves of frozen garlic bread
6. A box of red velvet cake
7. A box of pound cake

--and oh yeah, the Mt. Pinatubo trek was also a Christmas gift. Yey for rich friends!! <3

Thank you...you! ;)

Snippets: Christmas in Boracay

Taken December 29, 2012...this was the time when the family decided to celebrate and greet the New Year 2013 in Boracay. I still remember how we convinced our mom to go with us, quite mean and firm actually since she wanted to do the usual yearly tradition of just staying at home and wait for midnight to strike, I plotted with my brother that we've already decided to celebrate on our own in Boracay with or without the rest of the family for a change...and that we could just celebrate the new year of 2014 together if they decide to stay. So yeah...she felt sad and pressured by that move that we ended up going with the whole family plus two other aunts for the new year. 

In rained real hard a few minutes before the clock struck midnight of the new year that we had to run to our hotel and celebrate our media noche over a can of sardines and a good laugh. When the rain subsided, we went out on the beach for the countdown and the fireworks display. The fireworks were meh but the experience was gold.

The Christmas tree was made out of seaweeds that had been piling up on the shores of Boracay for the past few years now...which is quite gross and sad. The snowman is of course made out of the fine white sand of Bora, while the rest are made out of random stuff at arms-reach from the spot.

Merry Christmas everyone! :3

Christmas Gift Wrapping Suggestion

When you're at point of friendship wherein you are so comfortable with each other that it doesn't bother you to wrap your present with something fancy, this is what you get. I used a crumpled piece of old newspaper found somewhere stuck in my brother's cabinet, and will be using the sando bag I got after buying can of sardines to protect the gift in case it rains. At least I'm concerned enough to wrap it in plastic, because we'll be hiking all the way to the lake at Mt. Pinatubo for our exchange gift...because we like to hassle ourselves for a different kind of Christmas party experience just because we can. 

Just like our friendship, no pretensions, what you see is what you get...but we know beneath that torn off page is a gift more valuable than the piece of canned sardines I bought it with. No, it's not tinapa! It's not edible either...but in all fairness to her, I made the effort to buy it off her wishlist. Of course, I got the easiest pick of the bunch.

Anyway...

Try it. It's recycled. It's economical. It's unique...and quite frankly, will be a fun memory the moment you'll see her reaction the moment you hand it to her.

QLC Moment #16

Ever since Facebook started featuring throwback photos in your timeline, stating the number of years it's been since you posted it made me realize that I can now count in decades. Statements like, "OMG that was five-eight-ten years ago...and that other thing was twenty years ago!"can now be stated as facts and not over exaggeration of years!!!!!!!!!!! Crap...certain memories can now be realistically labelled as "that-was-decades-ago". Oh yes, that bittersweet feeling of unconsciously aging will surprise you to no bounds when you one day realize that it's been THAT long. Does that make it a good thing?