BEST SELLER: Human Nature's Salon Care Shampoo and Conditioner

I am an official dealer of Human Heart Nature products. I posted my blog a few weeks ago talking about how I got into this business. It is just like your typical direct selling thing - where you can get the products only from the authorized branch (of course with discount, so you can sell it at a profit).

But one thing good about it this I am a fan too. I already used almost all their products (except of course, those for men products) and I find them very good. Most of their products involve nourishing the skin - Facial wash, Toner, Make-ups, Lotion, Body Wash, Soaps, and Shampoos.

But the best seller of all, (drum roll please.....) is the Salon Care Shampoo and Conditioner.

i.e. versus e.g.

Have you ever wondered what's the difference between i.e and e.g.?

I am more curious about the meaning of them since they looked like acronyms for me.

Let's see here  i.e. v. e.g.

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.

When it Rains, It's Four!

Sorry for the wrong grammar. But I just want to brighten up our day. :) I just saw it once on a FB post. How some people became grammatically incorrect. Hmmm..

(should be: when it rains, it pours)

Anyway, can you see how dark the sky gets when it's goin' to rain so hard? 

It's like evening. Gray sky. No sight of sun. Headlights on. 

No exaggeration here! But it gets really dim and gloomy before the clouds shower us their water.

(I remember during grade school days - it's nimbus clouds who bring precipitation, true?)

Then after the rain, the sky will be brighter.

Have you been stuck under the rain, unprepared? 

Did you surpass the storm?

Did you smile after?

If yes, then you are a strong person. Keep the spirit up! No dark clouds will ever stay long. 

Sabi nga nila, walang Forever.

xoxo.Arabella.

Writing is not Enough

The Story:

My immediate boss modestly relayed to me that our super boss has some few comments on our wordings in the report submitted for his review. He mentioned that our vocabulary was limited, and he recommended a dictionary. In my mind I said, WTF??!

I felt upset on what I've heard. I mumbled to myself, "Kaya nga ako ngba-blog eh! Para gumaling ako sa English!" It is painful to know that blogging is not an assurance that you would be ace in English. And I realized it the hard way!

Thinking about it, I asked my husband about this unsatisfactory comments. And he advised me to read business news, and learn from it. So now, I make it to a point to read at least one business article each day. Does this helps? I don't know. But the confidence in me started  to build up again.

The realization here: to be able to become the best, you need to exhaust ALL the available remedies. For example, if you feel like you are fat, and that you wanted to be slim, it is not enough to skip meals. You do exercise regularly. You eat healthy foods. You sleep enough. You drink lots of water, etc. And that's where you can achieve your goals.

And if you fail, never give up. You are lucky enough to know that you are heading the wrong way, and that there's still a room for recovery and advancement .

Although blogging is an easy going form of writing, and doing a business report, on the other hand, is a formal (and sometimes legal) writing, it is imperative that we are not impeded to unlock other potentials on hand.

xoxo.arabella.

Her First Hello

Sharing you the first glimpse of Athena Louise 10 hours after she was born (February 6, 2015).

She yawned, looked at me, and got back to sleep.

Sweet daughter mine!

What this Little Girl Did Made Me Jumped for Joy!

I am a first-time mommy. All are new to me. There are sacrifices, change of priorities, and blissful experiences which right now I know I wouldn't trade for anything else.

We celebrated Mother’s Day last May 10. I am happy to be with my daughter during that day. She just turned three months old last 6^th of May and her Daddy and I are very proud that she is growing fast and advance.

That morning, I know that she got a lot of sleep because her mood is light. She laughed at me and she didn't cry. After a while, she wanted to lie on her front so I helped her. I turned on the camera on video mode and talked to her like we always do.

Watch how happy she is and how she say some words I didn't expect her to.

Have you notice the last few seconds of the video? I told Athena that I love her. And it seems like she wanted to answer me the same words. To many, it’s just baby’s funny little noises. But to me, it’s what can be the sweetest words a child could say to her mother.

Happy Mother’s Day to all! 

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.

A Sign of a Promise

Yesterday, me and my fiance were supposed to go to a mall in Makati to buy some stuff for our home, but he had some petty arguments with someone dear to him, which set off his mood. So we postponed our plan and decided to do it later. On our way home riding a taxi, I noticed that he doesn't want to talked about what happened, and so I stayed quiet holding his hand.

And he squeezed my hand. Too tight. For too long.

Then I realized, maybe we don't really need to talk about it. Maybe he just wanted to feel me that I am there for him. Maybe he just wanted some peace of mind and he found it in me.

He is pissed, I can sense that! But the tightness of the hand proclaimed how he needed me. It gave me a reassurance of how strong we became together. Of how we became dependent when it comes to emotional struggle. Of how one should be sturdy when the other one is weak.

Until now, I never let go of that hand. And even if we are not together, I still think that he holds mine like how he did yesterday. It brings back memories of how problems dig you down, and how love lifts you up. It signifies two persons holding each other no matter what. It relives an important promise of being together for the rest of the time.

Pause for a Break

Five minutes more and I am going home from work. At around 5:40pm, I make it clear to myself that Work-Life Balance should be kept and so I would leave the office now. Otherwise, it will break my whole system as a human being. Yes! It may sound exaggerated but effective as it is.

At all times, we have to keep the balance in life. Some may say that we should take a power nap or a 30 minute break for the long day, or even a three-minute stop where you would not think of anything. Peace must come from within. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you must lock yourself in a library or plug ear buds until you won’t hear a sound. Let’s pause for a break where we can relax and rest, thereafter get back to work with such enourmous enthusiasm and energy.

 

My mantra now: I must go home. :)

Xoxo.Arabella

The Letter

Women are emotional. Agree?

Every move. Every word. Every action. Each has its own definite meaning.

And sometimes, things get out through cracks because of this.

Writing: a very timely work. What relation does it have with emotions?

It takes a lot of thinking - what to write, how to do it, and when to publish it. Writing is a form of outlet. A traditional and classic way of expression. A flow of feelings. A distinct but permanent proof of oneself. It balances emotion. It permits freedom. It serves as our wings to emotional high.

When you feel it, you know it.


So remember in all faces of writing...

Let the emotion move with every letter written, every punctuation placed, every space provided.

Let the hand work together with your mind - one and whole.

Let the harsh words left unsaid, the anger subside, the pain released, and the secrets be kept.

Let the world know now. Real time. Quick.









credits to http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/writing/images/27456811/title/writing-photo

Ms. Philippines Megan Young as Ms. World 2013!

That's my forecast! What is yours?

Oh I know! We have the same prayer - that Ms. Philippines will be hailed as Ms. World tonight! She has this beauty and poise and talent and confidence... what else?! just WOW.

But while we are waiting for the contest proper, let's have a recap of her awards before the final coronation:

On September 28, Megan Young was declared as the winner in the Miss World Top Model competition. Aside from that, she also bagged the fourth place in the multimedia contest and fifth place in the Beach Fashion Competition. I also noted that there are other awards she won, but I wasn't able to research about it. hihi!

Megan, who was just as young as 23, has really gave her earnest effort during her training for the Ms. World Philippines pageant. An example of exquisite beauty, Megan was given the chance to represent our country for the Ms. World 2013 competition in Indonesia. She is now having the time of her life as she dominates the contest by these special awards!

Just follow our Ms. World at Twitter and Instagram via @meganbata! So pretty eh?!

Few more hours and it's gonna be the coronation night! :)

Crossfingers!

And it's Friday!

Hello Blog and haler readers! :)

It's Friday today and everyone has already set their own dates, food trips, shopping schedules, sleep overs and believe me, overtime work.

One thing in common is that we would like to spend the night for ourselves, and as much as we could, we want to spend it with family or friends.

Friday is FREEday! We are individually free of worries, stress, sleepless nights etc... because we welcome weekends! :) Yeah. Everyone's dying for a break, I know...

Friday can also be FRIends DAY! :) Bonding moments.. Movie marathon, dinner, bar hopping, etc..
Cheers!

Friday may also be just another day of the week. Boring. But it happens!

So what's your Friday?

xoxo.arabella.

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.

IKLY

www.animetrip.net

Oo ikaw. Meron pa bang iba?

Tingin ka sa gilid. Oops. Walang tao. Sa likod? Oops. Pader yan!
Ikaw. 

It's Never Been That Easy

Anong konek sa title?

Wala. Dahil lahat ng ito ay kapwa imahinasyon ko lang.

Instinct. Kaya random. Abrupt. Kaya maikli.

Minsan nabasa ko. Sabi sa Twitter, ang tao daw parang panahon. Nagbabago.

Tama ba yun?

2012 Ends with a Blast

“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” ― Brad Paisley

That's supposed to be yesterday's quote! Oh well, food is best in Media Noche. Really! With my mom's special skills in cooking, diet is banned on our home! Food! Attack! :)

And since we are just a few to celebrate the New Year's Eve, what we do is we made ourselves contented with the fireworks around the area. Making some noise is a must! We have some fancy torotots and a firework belt. You know something so noisy.

January first: rainy day. Anyhow, I still need to go back to Makati for tomorrow starts the work mode again. As they say, no matter how long the vacation, it would never be enough. Family bond is one of the best bond we can have, especially in this time of season. It's tiring and all but it's worth every second, right?

I hope we all got our new year's resolution. Me? I'd rather be more healthy this year. So I wanted to become a bit sporty this time. Jog and badminton and all. Hope it last a year!

2013 is another year added to our lifetime. The alleged End of the World remains to be  a myth. God will know only when and only how this world will end. Let's put up our Faith to that high level. God bless everyone! 

xoxo.arabella.

Twitching Palms

I've already posted on my twitter account that my palms are twitchy for blogging. Yes, twitchy!!! Inspired by Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings, Inc. (oh, I'm so familiar to him, am I?)

It's worldwide knowledge- the mostly intriguing trilogy book written by Erika Leonard, birth name Erika Mitchell (c/o http://en.wikipedia.org) AKA E.L. James. 

The books became a talk of the town for months now having Mr. Grey became somehow ideal to some female- perfectly handsome, rich and the guy you would imagine get head over heels for you. But the thing is, this book series is a bit erotic (no... not just a bit!) and made it beyond the romance novel stories we are used to. Well, maybe PG is advised here. I don't want to spoil the story irrespective of few people who haven't read these. But in anyhow, I would say that this just too good to be true. it reminds me that love is just around, true?

Before I get sappy here, ideas afloat in the Internet that this E. L. James' story might be real- making it live on the big screen. It's now the trend in the movie world, however. We are very aware of Harry Potter, Twilight, The Notebook, and recently the Perks of Being A Wallflower hitting the big screen as once were written only in sheets. Nevertheless, lots of handsome leading actors are rumored to play Christian's role. And the list is growing, YKR? Let's see how they come up with the movie.

Just the same, I'm a wide reader of novels. So I can say I enjoyed these books also. I'm currently reading another series of books, and will tell you about that once I'm finished. Now I'm off the corner, i.e. laters baby!

xoxo,
Arabella

Dress me Anew!

Since I'm trying (big time!) to keep up with my blog updates, I'm now starting to customize the display of my blog. 


What makes a blog beautiful at the eyes of the surfers and readers are the moving things. It may be a flash or a marquee, or simply a video. These items add varieties to the topics and news embedded on the site. Well, some  can contribute to the site, making it look full and abundant with information.


Another is that, the colors and its combination should neither be dull nor overly shining! I may be needing some help here. There's a lot of styles and themes available online. I have the sample template and it's gonna be really hard choosing and picking! Should you have some great ideas to share, feel free to comment me! 

xoxo,
Arabella