Everyday is VALENTINE'S DAY

Ahhhhh. the smell of LOVE is in the air.. I can smell it pretty strongly, can you? A day of hearts, of love and lovers and everything else that spells 
L-O-V-E. It's the time of year again where the color Red is the color you see the most everywhere. But I can't help but wonder why do we only emphasize it on the 14th of February? Can we not celebrate love everyday?


I have been married to this man for 14 years. And like most marriages, ours was not perfect. We both have to face the daily struggles of married life, budgeting finances, personal differences, clashing of opinions and so on and so forth , all these makes it all so real. But life marches on, no matter how much we wanna slow down for a while , breathe a little and savor love more often. Our fourteen years have not been an easy ride. Our ability to cope, react and accept each others differences , and faith in what we have  I guess, was what helped us get through some very rocky patches . And in life's bittersweet and ironic way, these rocky patches was what made us stronger and our love to grow deeper.

The kind of love we now have was way much different that the one we had 14 years ago. Ours is now nestled inside a quite confidence and a deeper passion. We still work on our marriage. I believe love requires practice everyday. There will be days that we will connect like two perfectly fitted pieces of a puzzle, yet there will also be days that we will both choose to retreat in our own separate little corners to find the strength to love another day. And being true to the vow we both made fourteen years ago, we will be committed to make it work because we believe we can.


Yes, indeed love is complicated but the simplest way to understand it is to  embrace it and all it's  complexities. There will be more rocky patches ahead, more struggles, more fights and more making -ups but we both know these are all just pit stops to the finish line. Our love may bend at times, but it wont break.


And so I say, celebrate love not just on Valentine's day but everyday. Celebrate love between couples, friends, families and everyone for that matter. Go ahead. Love TODAY.TOMORROW.ALWAYS.


Happy Love Day everyone !!!


Just my two cents...xoxo

The Day the Earth Moved

Our mother earth is as complex as the universe, so they say. So complex that sometimes or oftentimes things that we have no control of whatsoever happens. I have witnessed a lot of tragedies, calamities in my existence. Some mild to moderate, some really beating us pretty hard. Typhoons, floods were a common thing but earthquakes?  I can barely remember or if there even was , luckily we weren't directly affected.


I am a person of great faith and even in the most crucial times of our lives, I guess our faith is the only thing that we can hold on to. February 6 was just an ordinary day for me. Typical Monday that it was. I was up to do my usual daily chores. Then at around 11:58 am something happened in faraway Cebu that made my world stand still. A 6.9 magnitude quake hit Cebu and most parts of the Visayas. I was numb. My initial reaction was to grab my phone and call my mom but to no avail all I got was "connection failed". I was terrified to my wits and was so worried I couldn't think clearly. Then I got a text message from my sister that they were ok and safe. i have never been scared in my entire life. It pains me to be so far away from my family while something critical was happening. I guess that was the time I prayed the most .


Relief came to me when finally I was able to talk to my mom . They were a little shaken up, panicking but safe. I guess it was another a-ha moment for me. After Ondoy, this event was another realization that indeed life is short and is full of uncertainties. As swiftly as the days pass,  time ticks too. And so I say, live each day as if it were your last. Do things you have long been wanting  to do, value the people you love, waste no time for we never know what the future brings.


Life is  short. Make it count.

Just my two cents...xoxo

It's the LOOOOVEEEE Month :)

It’s February and you know what that means? chalky heart candies with messages on them like “I wuv u”, heart shaped cards, over sized boxes of chocolate, and red decorations everywhere! Yes ,Valentine’s day is coming up, which makes February the month of Love. My eyes will be tired of seeing red again this time of the year. But hey , I'm not complaining. I love Valentines day.

But for me love shouldn't be celebrated only on a day in February, love should be celebrated everyday of the year. Love and all its complexities is everywhere around us : in our homes, workplace, even the streets we live in. Love exists between families, brothers , sisters, friends , neighbors , and of course between couples.

So come on , I encourage everyone to celebrate love, not only on the 14th but everyday. Life is short and we can only live each day once. Go out there, hug a friend, be kind to a stranger, call your family, kiss someone passionately. In any form and in any way you can, show love. Because after all , LOVE is what makes the world go round .

Just my two cents...xoxo

25 Things to do (more often) before I reach 45.

Over the years I have been writing my Bucket List and all the things that I wanna do when I reach 30, 40 blah blah blah. And as the years passed, boy I tell you, my list grew and grew..whew! I have yet to complete the 1000 things I wanna do before I die, so for now, i'm sharing the things I wanna do  before I reach 45. 

There are just some things you must experience just because they take you away from the mundane. Make a goal to try at least 10 of these and know exactly what I mean.

1. Ride a motorcycle and let the wind run through your hair.
2. Get high-heeled shoes to add some inches to your height, to make your legs look longer and to build some confidence.
3. Take a walk under the shade of a row of trees.
4. Wake up early enough to catch the sunrise. Sunsets are pretty too but it is more difficult to catch the sunrise, which makes it more rewarding.
5. Go scuba diving!!!
6. Hold hands with someone you love, or like.
7. Have a professional take your picture. Have yourself styled. It is for keeps.
8. Watch Life is Beautiful, the movie. Be patient with the subtitles, it is worth it. If you did not catch the movie, search everywhere for the video.
9. Wear something so sexy to shock even yourself. Just to make people who take you for granted realize what a hot babe you are.
10. Read an old love letter.
11. Wax your armpits, and while you are at it have a bikini wax as well, It will change your life.(oouuuuch)
12. Get a radical haircut and forget all the stupid excuses like he’ll get mad.
13. Bake some bread when you’re feeling blue. ( this is going to be hard !)
14. Light some scented candles in your room and write in your journal. Inspiration will hit.
15. Drink café mocha in a café corner, and sit alone in the late afternoon sunshine. ( been doing this often now )
16. Do yogahhh!
17. Invite your grandparents out for lunch and talk about the past – theirs!
18. Take a lavender scented-bubble bath. ( will have to look for a place with a tub now! )
19. Memorize a love song in a foreign language and sing it to him over the phone. For starters, try Besame Mucho. (yuck!)
     20. Go bungee jumping. ( promise i'll do this )
    21. Watch a movie alone.
    22. Go on a trip alone.
    23. Learn how to drive.
    24. Learn to play a musical instrument.
    25.Make love often . ( 3x a week or 3x a day ?)
    
    
    Hmmm, sounds good enough for me.. I guess I have to make another list when something else comes to mind. But for now I think this will do. Go on... make your list and just have the time of your life.
    
    
    Just my two cents...xoxo

New Leaf

I know , i know... I admit.. Guilty as charged again . Sorry to have been missing in action for the past months...A lot ( as in a lot ) has happened I don't even know where to start ...hmmmm. Well for starters, how is 2012 treating everyone? I hope it is off to a good start for everyone as it is in mine. My 2011 was a combination of both good and bad ...There were promising months, times that gave me smiles and there were also my share of not so good times where tears found its way unintentionally to fall from my eyes :(. But hey , it's the new year and new years marks new beginnings right? So no need talking about sob stories and heartaches..it's time to welcome the year with gladness and optimism.


I love new beginnings, new years in particular. For me every new beginning is a blessing. An opportunity to start anew, throw whatever is ugly and start a brand new you. Beginnings are the times to welcome change, hope, faith and a new page in life. Like a tree who looses all its leaves in Autumn, there will always be the coming of Spring where a new leaf grows..

So enjoy life, embrace the new year with gusto.. After all  we only live this life once.


Just my two cents... xoxo

sometimes, somewhere, somehow

   Sometimes people come into your life & you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or help you figure out who you are & or who you want to become. 

    You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, professor, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger), but when you lock eyes with them, you know at the very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way and sometime things will happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, & unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming these obstacles that you would have never realized your true potential, strength, will power, or heart. 

        Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by mean of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness & sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without this small test, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe & comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless. 

       The people that you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you will become Even the bad experiences are learned from. In fact, they are the most poignant ones. 

       If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love & how to open your heart & eyes to things. 

      Make everyday count. Appreciate every moment & take from those moments everything you could possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before & actually listen... Let yourself fall in love again, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right too. 

      Tell yourself that you are a great individual & believe in yourself. For if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make your life anything you wish.....Create your own life & then go out & live it with absolutely NO REGRETS. Most importantly, if you love someone tell him or her, for you NEVER know what tomorrow may have in store. And learn a lesson in life each day you live. 

          just my two cents...xoxo 

Random Acts of Kindness

I was in church yesterday hearing mass when something struck me. I was sleepy ( sorry Lord) during the homily, and so to keep my eyes open I decided to do people watching. i enjoy doing this. I have been doing it since I was little, just letting my eyes wander and looking around at people , trying to read minds ( feeling David Blaine) or just merely observing. Then as I was looking around , i can't help but notice little stories around me. There was this little girl around 5 or 6 yrs old although quite naughty teasing her baby brother then grabbed his feeding bottle and fed him. Then there was a man who offered his seat to an old  lady who just came in, a boy around 12 y.o carried his baby brother for his mom and said " ako naman kakarga ma! ".

Scenes like these touch me ..and then I thought wouldn't the world be a much better place if everyone did little acts of random kindness? If little kids can do it, why can't we? I believe kindness is contagious and should be a worldwide epidemic.. I have been offered kindness many times in my life and I guess it is just fair to pay it forward. It is truly a win/win situation. the person you are being kind to benefits through your help while you in return feels good having helped another.

So where do you begin?

To get you started, I have listed 20 ideas below.Put them into practice and also create your own:-

1. Send someone a hand written note of thanks.
2. Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason.
3. Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
4. Help an elderly cross the street.
5. Smile to everyone you meet.
6. Call a family member and just say I love you.
7. Give up your seat in the train for somebody not just an elderly person.
8. Compliment a waiter or a server in the restaurant.
9. Send someone a small gift anonymously.
10. Stop and help someone replace their flat tire.( can i really do it? )
11. Let someone jump the queue at the bank.
12. Call a friend and tell her/him you miss them.
13. Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.
14. Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.
15. Hold the train door open for someone rushing to get in.
16. Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.
17. Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.
18. Talk to a homeless person and have a “normal” conversation.
19. Pick up some rubbish in the road which would otherwise be lying around.
20. Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.

And the list goes on and on.. These may be simple acts but will greatly make an impact on somebody else's life. Happy people creates a happy environment, thus a better place to live in for everyone. And remember, you only get what you give. :)

What goes around is sure to come around – happy helping :-)

just my two cents...xoxo