BIR's EFPS - Advantage or not?

The world is revolving through business integration and paperless communication. Well, Philippines is trying very hard to keep up with the fast-phased technology around the globe. But how are we doing so far?

Let us start with the Government's mission to enhance their tax system.

Believe me, I am typing in this very moment while waiting for the Bureau of Internal Revenue Electronic Filing and Payment System or the most renowned EFPS to load.

Yes, it is a shame to see co-taxpayers struggle with the electronic technology of the tax office since they cannot see any improvements from the last three years.

The most horror story we ever get from this: GATEWAY TIME-OUT.

Hoping for a favorable action from the government before April 15 hits. This resentment of mine isn't a personal point of view. It's OUR point of view. Our mission to comply doesn't seem to align with your so-called innovative enhancement in the tax system.

-from Ms. Someone Who is Willing to Pay Tax Correctly.

xoxo. Agree!

Arabella's Closet

Hi Bellas!

I am glad to give you the following websites where you can find affordable, yet authentic classy accessories as well as fine and simple corporate attires. This online store can also customize your favorite accessories! Arabella's Closet is now open!

You may visit the following:

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/closetbyarabella
Twitter https://www.twitter.com/arabellascloset
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/arabellas.closet/

Arabella's flyer is also available below. Share them to all your Bellas!

You can also send your inquiries, order, or suggestions at arabellaschoice@gmail.com.

Let's keep

Happy Trendy Day! :)


xoxo.arabella

Focus on Your Dream

My husband is a member of Toastmasters. He receives magazines from this global organization on a regular basis, and I can't help but to read some of them. This June Issue, the International President Mohammed Murad, DTM wrote an article about how a person gave his passion and pride for his work in order to make his dream come true.

Arabella's take:

We tend to walk on several crossroads where we have to decide which way we take. There are pros and cons on every road. Sacrifices are inevitable. Realizations are at the end of each of them. But these roads are just roads. What makes us who we are is the decision we take every time we cross these intersections. 

 Dream. That's where we should be. Let's keep our eye on the finish line, and not on the fancy things and short-term happiness some roads offer.

xoxo.arabella


For more info about Toastmasters, please follow this link.

Just Borrowed

I was saddened by the trending pictures in Facebook seeing how children/babies became the subject of experiment of their parent’s foolishness and illogical sociability.

Three pictures are posted where a baby was tied in his neck and let him eat his food using only his mouth albeit the fact that he is nude in the cold hard cemented floor. My friend, Renz, also told me that there is another photo, where a woman, who probably the mother, took a selfie photo with her child with cigarette on the young’s mouth.

I hardly looked at the pictures. They made me sick and wanna puke. This is not morally right.

I verily believe that children are God’s blessing to a family. They are angels from heaven. They are just borrowed. 

BabyCakes

And a mother should feel blessed that amongst the women in this world, God chosen her to carry another being – a creation from Him. You can call pregnancy a miracle. And sure it is. And to get through the immeasurable pain of delivering a baby, is inexplicable. Let's say being a mother is not an easy job. But however hard our role here is, children should not be taken for granted. Ever.

Mothers, we watched our youngs during her nap time. Babies looked so peaceful when they sleep. Though fatigue and lack of sleep creeps all over us, it never came to our mind to leave them alone, right? To spend minutes or hours of our lives staring at our children already created a significant level of satisfaction. 

We lie them down in the most comfortable bed we can provide. We feed them. We bathe them. We tell them dozen of stories. We simply adore them.

We touch their arms and cheeks and feet. God so wonderfully creates a human being fragile enough for us to hold and cherish. And that's exquisite.

We never let even the tiniest single insect touch our babies' skin. We avoid too much noise that can wake our babies. That's us, mothers. That's how we care for them. That's the way of showing our love.

We are once a son, a daughter, a sibling. We are once a kid who plays around the park without minding about time, money, and work. We are once a child, who cries when we fell, but laughs afterwards. We are once a baby, who just sleeps and feeds and recognizes the mother who will always brought us to her arms – to hold, to hug, and to love.

It broke my heart to witness how the ethics and decency of people bent backwards where the social media now became the standard of goodness and popularity. But this I tell you. Lucky are those who can conceive a child for it bring nothing but a realization that there’s more to life than career, money, and success. Don’t let it pass.

xoxo.arabella.

Happy Mommy,
Happy Baby!

QLYSM

I married a man of enthusiasm and passion.

He, who never fails to surprise me, amazes me all the time. He acts mostly in unexpected ways that can melt everyone's heart. I always like that kind of attitude in him.

I married a guy who is more than proud to wear our wedding band than any other luxurious accessories.

The wedding symbolizes our forever promise to be together in this lifetime. Faithfully, he lives his life to that promise. And so am I.

I married someone who makes me his world.

A set of arms around me making me feel whole is what I always dreamt of. The attention he's giving me is a form of saying that I am secured and loved. With that, I am forever grateful to God for having him with me. He's definitely worth the wait.

I married the man of my dreams.

With him, I know that all my dreams already come true. He gives me the inspiration I need, the strength I require, the love I want, and the life I long to live. He completes me. How could I ask for more?


xoxo.arabella.

To Bloggers: An Open Letter

I honestly admire those bloggers that log on to their account everyday, write anything under the sun, post it, and voila! It's trending!

It's always been my dream to write. When I was in early highschool, I hardly finish this Sweet Valley High book I borrowed from my classmate back then. It's cute and kilig! I remember I tried (at least!) to do a Tagalog script or somewhat like a novel or those pocket book stories (with Aleia Martinez being my Bida Girl). But I never got the chance to even finish one Chapter. How loser am I!

Today, it's Wattpad that's keep those teenagers dreams to write come true. I can say that it's natural for teens to write and express their feelings through writing some fictional stories where they can relate. And thru this, Pinoy are getting more and more inclined into reading local writings which I think plays a big role in the publishing industries. Oh, my makabayan heart started it over again!

Back to bloggers!

I can say I am a frustrated journalist. Being an accountant as my profession now is definitely not within the immediate circle of writing. But hey, I love numbers too! Though it's not a perfect combination - if you know what I mean. Numbers and letters sometimes don't mix well. If you are good with Math, probably, English is not your favorite subject in school and vice versa!

Bloggers are definitely talented. They have other things to do too. Some of them work, or study, or manage businesses. But writing something significant to life is a never-easy-to-do-hobby. It takes a bulk of passion and interest for a writer to describe something in their blogs.

And with that, Kudos Bloggers!! I hope I will become one of those trending Bloggers like you!

Anyway, please vote for your fave bloggers on the annual social media congress by Blogopolis called “BLOGOPOLIS: Shifting Gears”. Here's the link! http://www.blogopolis.ph/awards/

Big Day Countdown: What to Do?

My BabyCakes is enjoying her stay in my tummy. She is already 40 weeks and 3 days but no spontaneous contractions are happening to me in the mean time. Although my doctor said it's normal, my excitement just keep on getting higher and higher. I have a lot of acquaintances who also got pregnant last year just like me. Seeing their FB page now with photos of their babies surrounded in their arms makes me a bit jealous and frustrated.

On the other hand, my husband, Jeryl always keep on reminding me that we must patiently wait for the will of God. That it is only Him who will decide on our girl's birthday. With that in mind, I always pray for God's guidance on my safe delivery and good health for our baby Athena. For now, I will just enjoy every kicks and punches of my BabyCakes while she is still inside me. Such a blessing! :)

Counting down the remaining days, what a mother like me has to do and accomplish?

• Check the finances - I always hunger for independence, not just physically, but also financially. Though we already have our baby's hospital bag prepared a month ago, it's harmless to always check the things to bring on my baby's big day. Today, we haven't bought her infant milk and diaper stacks as there's a need to see if our baby will have allergic reaction to any of those. This is also a way to avoid unnecessary expense on our part. It is also wise to double check our money reserves for the labor day. Albeit the fact that we already know the estimated costs in the hospital, some extra cash on hand will give us some peace of mind.

• Keep close to families - Comfort and relaxation will help us flush our exhaustion caused by the pregnancy. Most of the mommies who are expecting a child take their maternity leaves to spend time with families and the baby. I, for instance, took my leave a week before my estimated due of delivery to have some quality time with my immediate family, husband and my baby. It is very helpful that I am surrounded comfortably with people who are very supportive of my giving birth.

• Pray - Many mothers-to-be are experiencing mood swings during the latter part of the pregnancy that they become more emotional than before. Some are becoming excited and frustrated at times. Some are getting conscious about their body changes due to hormones. Nevertheless, it must be noted that these emotions are not permanent. We must keep our mind focused on our baby's big day and the concentrated on the happiness it will bring to us. Just like the saying, we should "Keep Calm and Stay Cool". Prayers are very helpful. In everything we do, we should pray. And during these times that we need to keep our faith to God more than ever.

True Love

As cheesy as the movies' themes nowadays, do people still believe in true love? 

Speedy technology and affordable cosmetics, will you be able to definitely find "The One"?

Why am I writing this? Honestly, I also don't know. The topic just crossed my mind yesternight when I tried so hard finding sleep. Whew!

True love? Yes, I believe it exists - but not for me. Just like a lightning. You know it's there and it strikes into something - maybe a tree, a house, an electric post, or even just in a plain lot. However, I don't see it coming to me! That's how I see true love.

But how do I come up with this very description? Let's see factors. One, society. I am in the midst of a changing environment. My parents raised me to become a conservative one, and it's because everyone else does. But now that I'm a grown up, life becomes more challenging and exciting. Teens do lotsa stuff I never imagined happening before. And so it goes.

Two, myself. I keep on changing my mind! Well, don't we, women? I also don't have the characteristics of an ideal girlfriend. Haha! Not that I'm boyish! Haler. Maybe I have this a little Westernized attitude in me. Blah blah blah... Oh well. Remove that spotlight away from me!

Three, lifestyle. It's more fun in the Philippines! Nothing I want to do with my life now but traveling, reading books, shopping, food tripping, sleeping and writing. I guess you see no love in the equation. Hahaha!

Looking at Pinoys, I know that true love makes people see life very positively. The world revolves only for us and that's why we look forward in falling in it. The hurt we feel when we broke up from love is less than the happiness we feel when we are in love. So hopelessly romantic!

But for me, I am stuck with my lightning-love comparison. Well, that's how I see it. I guess it's a matter of prospective.

Can anyone help me see the other side?

xoxo.arabella.

Aftershock!

I have created this one so long time ago. Having the opportunity to post it, I hope that you can relate yourself on this. It's somehow random but anyway, people close to me and who really know me can tell that most of the "HER" is me... :) enjoy!

xoxo.arabella.

Voila! Face Enhancer

Today at Arabella's corner, I'm going to show you how a little beauty enhancer made my face look different. Here is my picture before the application.

Hot It is

It's Labor Day today but I don't feel like I'm celebrating my capability as a working citizen. Thfe weather is so hot and I'm a bit sleepy.... However, I got the chance to see a friend which makes my tummy happy. Hahaha!

Speaking of food, who craves for a mug ice cream?! Look below for the mouthwatering desserts around the corner.

Blog of the Month 101

I still can't find enough time to start my blog for March but will try to do it this weekend. I'm going to share my experience watching The Script Tour! They are my favorite band, FYI. Their concert was awesome! Pictures to follow!! But to lessen the agony, here's one.

♡♥arabella♥♡

That's Forever

One step forward and two step back. Man, how we wish that it’s always the other way around. But that’s how the world works, right? We never know what the future holds for us. That mystery in life remains to exist. What else can we do when things turn out of the way we never expected?

It all started with a “Hi!”, or even “Oops! Sorry!” Nevertheless, everybody can just be the Ms. Congeniality or Mr. Meet-and-Greet. There’s no definite beginning in friendship unless you tried to talk it out on your daily journal- write the date and list the entire meetings you have in a day. Thousands of random people surround us. We cannot discount the fact that every day, people cross our roads without knowing who will stay or not.  They may see you, ignore you, or stop by the corner and have a chat with you.

We are aware that friendship is a slow growing thing. We never look at it as a short term-relationship. Sometimes we deal on what’s presently going on like setting up hang–outs, parties, and get togethers, or even planning road trips, food trips, and reunions.  And as time flies by, we barely noticed that those are the moments we cherished and treasured. Those jiffies that we spent time with them are the memories we kept deep in our hearts. And when we tried to look back at the past, we recall a series of laughters, tears, and even heartbreaks which makes us all stronger and braver.

Friendship. A life-long commitment. A sacrifice. A pure bond.

But in this relationship, we are aware that there is no assurance. Every day, we face into a battlefield, where the ending is but a question. We fought as a front liner who deals with the problems firsthand, accepting all the gunshots and hit back with revenge. We play hide and seek. When we have the opportunity, we attack. But when we can foresee losing the battles, we retreat. If someone retracted from the war, we decide. Should we continue to fight for the things we believe? Or quit at it because we don’t see the fairness anymore?

People change and that is an absolute thing. What keep us holding on to this is that we learn to adjust, keep up, and reinvent the relationship. Acceptance. The key to a good relationship is when you accept the person as a package. Whatever is there inside the box, you just hold it and admit it without any doubt. A friend is a gift, like angel in disguise (boo! That’s a bit mushy.) We feel blessed and safe with them. We share secrets, embarrassing moments, kilig stories and surprises. We do things together – drink, eat, sleep, watch movies, dance and sing. That’s why we always wanted to be with them. And even in the midst of the war, we know the honestly of our hearts and it always belong to friends no matter what.

I'm back to blogging!

Hi readers,


I'm going back to blogging and will start posting new blogs soon. It will be a continuous posting- defining various topics- on a monthly basis. Feel free to ask me anything you'd want to read as we go on.


It's goobloo time!


xoxo. arabella

Create a Catchy Blog out of a Trending Topic

There are money money money!!! Well here's the deal. You can earn money while simply doing your hobby. Nowadays, browsers became bloggers, and games became blogsite! Before you decide to follow their tracks, keep in mind some few reminders. Here's the list.

•  Get online. This is the fundamental and the primary source of blogging. Get your laptop, or even desktop, have a good connection on the web and voila! Everything was in your hands now! Make sure you have access to different social networking sites by creating accounts. It is not necessary, but it would be advantageous for you to connect to the internet once in a while, e.g., thrice a week, to get some updates on the hot issue the world is talking about.
• Be resourceful. Basically, it’s not only on how good someone into writing, but where he gets the ideas and insights he include in his blog. You tried to read other blogs and be inspired on how they create such. Pictures and video links are also important as it would appear bigger on the screen rather than text. A lot of online sites offer free customization of own sites which include themes, backgrounds, font styles, and more. Fire that search engine blazing hot!
• Become passionate. If it is something that you would do regularly, and it’s off the work, go for something that interests you. It could be a frustration, an outlet of emotions, a dream failed to fulfill, or even just a hobby. The essential thing is you become a slave of your own heart.          Further, love for work helps so much on striving to be the best, thus, continue on sharing the thoughts you have.
• Put respect on top. Everyone is responsible to everything they say, write, and do. Much of a hassle, it would be worthy to be careful on words you say online, rather than be carefree and create troubles over troubles. Ensure to specify your target readers- be it a group of teens, couples, working professionals, gamers, politics etc… Design a site full of information that most of your target viewers will appreciate and understand.

There are still lots of things to consider in blogging. As for beginners, it would be much helpful to go around these suggestions before you start anything. Don’t hurry and don’t get greedy. Take some time on creating your own site. You can earn money on this but become independent on that.