Happy Memories [3] : Family, Friends and Disney

Happy memories is going to be a post feature every Saturday that will be about happenings or just random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week.
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It's the last day of 2011 so this will be my last Happy memories post for  this year, but there would be more in 2012. I am claiming that I will have more and happier memories to share with you guys the next year.

Good times with my family never fails to make me smile. I had a healthy dose of laughs with them this past week and being with them means good food too, so extra happiness for me.

I met with my highschool friends this week. Although there were only five of us when we met last Tuesday (we are 15 in the group), it was good to see all of us changing for the better. We are even  able to talk about "mature" things now.

Can you guess who the characters are in the picture? Yes, you guessed that, right. Disney loves!  I watched Disney on Ice for FREE, c/o my boyfriend's sister. Although, I was made to sit alone (because of the ticket numbers), I still am very thankful for the experience. yay. Forgive the awful quality of the photo, I took it with my phone camera. I'll share more pictures when they post the ones from the DSLR.

I also met with my college buddies last Thursday. I was an awesome night as we reminisce how we all looked before and now.

With the thought of having great friends and family, I am glad to say goodbye to 2011 now. Happy New Year everyone!

End of year realizations...

2011 just passed by like a breeze. In exactly twenty-four hours, we will all be welcoming 2012, hoping that it will be a more wonderful and prosperous year.

Photo from We Heart It

The first quarter of this year was such a hard time for me. I was confused about work and life in general. I thought I was being left behind by everyone. I felt depressed and pressured. I thought of quitting my job and going some place else. I had to fix my messed-up life things and on the second quarter, I thought and planned how I should go on with my life. Everything fell into place on the third quarter. I went back to school, I made this blog and now, I have been working on my life plans. Everything is still a work in progress, but I am glad I know where to go, what to do and not to think about. The fourth quarter was basically dedicated to work and school and those efforts will also help me achieve my end goals.

It is always nice to bring the year to a close by reminiscing the lessons we have learned. The two things I value the most this year are PATIENCE and FOCUS.

I tend to be impatient when I really, really wish for something. When I want it, then I want it now. Please do not judge me, I am not a spoiled brat. I work (super extra) hard for things that I want but sometimes, things don't work and we just have to wait for the right time. I know now that things cannot happen as quickly as we want it.

As for focus, my boyfriend recently made me realize that I change my mind too quickly. I mentioned before that I want to try/do a lot of things. Sometimes, something "more" interesting happens while I am currently involved with another. I have the tendency to drop what I am doing so that I can try the new one. (Yes, I have attention span issues.) The boyfriend says that is never good for someone who wants to be productive. That when I continue to be like this, then I won't be able to accomplish anything.  So now, I'm trying hard to finish things one at a time. Less stress, more productivity!

For 2012, I know that I will be learning more. Hopefully, what I got from this year's experiences will make me a better person next year and in the coming years of my life. How about you, what are your lessons for 2011?

My first giveaway's winner!

Hello everyone! I've checked all the entries and made the draw via Random.org today. And the loot bag goes to....MICHELLE LALIC! Please reply to the email I have sent so I can send the prize tomorrow. Congratulations!

Thank you everyone for your kind comments and suggestions about the blog. I will surely be working on your suggestions real soon. Thanks for joining and Have a blessed and peaceful New Year!

Happy Memories [2] : Christmas

Happy memories is going to be a post feature every Saturday that will be about happenings or just random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week.
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Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope everything is going great at your end! Please forgive me for posting this late. I had to do some errands yesterday then I had to help out preparing our Noche Buena. Despite being tired, I had a blast!

Let's start with Monday. Because the students and teachers started their vacation three days earlier than us, we were able to enjoy working in the peaceful and quiet library. Yes, ladies and gents, it is never peaceful and quiet in the library when we have students, parents and teachers coming in. No pressure, no hassle. Perfect environment for a workplace.

Tuesday and Wednesday came by so quickly. We also had a luau for a Christmas party last Wednesday and it was fun! I even won a rice cooker in the raffle draw. I was ecstatic as it was my first time to win in a raffle.

Vacation started last Thursday. I was just glad to finish some errands before I left the bustling city. And on Friday, I was more than happy to finally go home and play with the doggies.

We shared laughters and stories last night. I was with my two sisters, two aunts,  my baby cousin and my boyfriend and his sister. It was our first time to celebrate it together and it all turned out nice. I even received some great gifts -- a yoga mat and a watch to name a few. :)

I know most of you are also having great times with family and friends. Please share the happy memories around by joining the meme. Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Memories [1] : Christmas shopping et. al.

Happy memories is going to be a post feature every Saturday that will be about happenings or just random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week.
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Hello dearies! First of all, I am extremely happy that I am finally making my first post for this meme. I was supposed to create the first one last week but I was too sad, because of the laptop incident. But yea, I am okay now.

I am actually pretty happy about this week, there was just one thing that made me super irked but generally, everything was fine. 

As it was the last week for the students, some dropped by the library and gave me presents. It rained pastries, sweets and chocolates in the library. Good for the sweet tooth, bad for the health. It was such a sweet gesture that even my heart was smiling.

It was also the last week for my MA classes. That means more yoga/pilates nights for me, but there are still some work to do so I am not completely free for the holidays. I was still in UP yesterday though as it was the lantern parade. I watched it with my BF and BFF. Lantern parades this past few years weren't the same as it  were when I was still an undergraduate. The lanterns from the College of Fine Arts, though, were still wonderful as ever. It was also my first time to see some sky lanterns.  It was just too bad that I don't have a good camera to capture all the amazing stuff I saw last night. Below are some photos I lifted from UP System's Facebook account.

 

The day was ended with a bang. Fireworks were great as usual, it was just unfortunate that some people were hurt because of an accident.

One last thing is that I am almost done with my Christmas shopping. Yes, I am one of those late shoppers. I am very disorganized this year, but I will definitely do better next year. I just started yesterday but I found  some great stuff that I'll try to share on my next post.

How about you guys, what have made you smile this past week?

To gift or not to gift, that is the question.

Hello dear readers! First, I want to thank everyone who already joined my first-ever blog giveaway! All your comments about the blog are very much appreciated. For those who want to join, click here.

Anyway, It's the season of gift-giving again! I have been debating with myself lately (Yes, I do that.) about giving gifts. We all have heard of "It's the thought that counts" right? But if you were the giver and not the receiver, do you really give gifts because you thought of that person or just because of kahiyaan? We all know that hiya (shame) plays a big part in our Filipino culture.

Photo from Weheartit

Personally, I would rather not give a gift if I am out of budget or if  I don't feel like it. I do not like giving gifts because I am supposed to. I would like to give because I want to. I would rather give a heartfelt letter or card than give someone something that I know s/he will not appreciate or will not make use of.

One more thing, are you guys in favor of recycling gifts?  I wonder what you guys think.Share your thoughts!

Space, Enter : My first giveaway!

Christmas is just around the corner and in lieu of the spirit of giving, I decided to have a small giveaway.  It would also be my way of saying thanks for coming here and reading what I write.

Lately, I have been trying some organic products and mineral cosmetics. Two of the brands I love are Human Nature and Ellana cosmetics.  So for this giveaway, the winner will receive:

From L-R: 50ml Human Nature All Natural Spray sanitizer, Human Nature Natural Strengthening
Shampoo, Human Nature Moisturizing Conditioner with Ellana Oatmeal Soap, Ellana Mineral-Tinted
Lipgloss in Taffy, Human Nature Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Orchid &  Human Nature Lip Balm in Peppermint

I really wanted to give a pot of mineral foundation from Ellana coz that's their "specialty" but I can't just pick any shade as it is based on skintone and under tone. That would be a little taxing so maybe I'll just do that next time.

Anyway, let's not make this post longer, here's how you can join...

A. Follow this blog thru Google Friend Connect. (MANDATORY. 1 pt.)

B. You have to follow @beforeiturn25 on Twitter. Tweet "Bee is hosting her first giveaway! Head on to: http://beforeiturn25.blogspot.com/2011/12/space-enter-my-first-giveaway.html @beforeiturn25." (2 pts.)

C. You have to answer the questions : What entry in this blog did you like most and why? & What improvement would you like to see here in the next year? (2 pts.)

and lastly,

D. Post about my mini giveaway in your blog. (+5 points)

After finishing this steps, leave a comment with the following details:

1. your full name

2. email address

3. Answers to letter B

3. GFC & Twitter usernames and the

4. blog post link.

This will run from now to December 25, 12 noon. A winner will be chosen via Random.org. Please make sure to leave an email address when you comment, because that is how I will notify the winner.

Join now and may the odds be ever in your favor!

This is open to Philippine residents only.

The death of my 4-year old friend

I can't believe I am writing a sad note instead of my first Happy Memories post. I am currently typing all these in my iPod touch and I find it hard and uncomfortable. So here's what happened...

I woke up early and went straight to my laptop to create the first post for my meme. I turned it on and was surprised that I didn't hear a beep (you know,the BIOS thingy). I restarted it twice but nothing happened. I just received the blue light signaling it was on, but the screen is black and blank.

We went to three different repair centers and they said the problem is the motherboard, which will cost me like 3500 bucks. I think that's a lot of money because my laptop is actually kind of ancient. It's the kind that doesn't have a built-in cam, with an old processor and low memory. But it works for me and I LOVED it.

I bought it four years ago, during my last year in the University. It helped me with my thesis. I used it for sending my applications for my first job. It was my only "appliance" when I first left home and decided I want to be independent. So you see, I have this extreme attachment to it. You might think that I am just being melodramatic, but I feel like I've lost a friend today.

Some changes + a new meme!

I have been MIA in the past few days, I know. It's just that I can't seem to keep up with everything that's been happening. But I'm back and I've got some new changes for the blog...

First off, I've just added  "Things I'm looking forward to" on the sidebar. I'm just that kind of girl, you know. Getting excited and giddy for things to come. It's my way of sharing great stuff that I am hooked to. It will also serve as a reminder for me, coz you know, I get senior moments all the time.

Next up  is the Space, Enter! feature. This will be a post asking readers to join a giveaway I am joining or I am hosting (hint, hint!).

The last thing is what I'm really excited about. I am starting a little happiness project for myself so I thought of hosting a meme that is somehow connected to it. It's called the Happy Memories.

It will be posted every Saturday and will be about a recent happening or random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week. I'm hoping that you guys will be interested to join me so I've included the code for the badge below.

<a href="http://beforeiturn25.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff471/beforeiturn25/HM-2-1.jpg"></a>

What do you guys think? Grab the badge and let's spread the happy memories around!