Live Life to the Fullest – Epilogue of Meaningful Life Adventure

“Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.”

My parents believed us when we were young that there is really a Santa Claus. I still vividly remembered they will asked us to wrote a letter to him to asked those special gifts we love to receive for Christmas. I love to believe it is true because these were my fondest childhood memories I cannot forget which I also passed the same traditions with my kids.

Reminiscing Santa is a wondrous part of connecting Christmas most especially if we will have a sneak peak of his home – the North Pole!

After my meeting in the northern part of the metro, I got a chance to visit Santa’s snowy village. Actually, it is a kinda a tour at the Sky Garden waterfalls façade of SM North Edsa that captured me the a giant Santa & Mrs. Claus Kissing and exchanging gifts. Cute!

Even kids were not here, the child in heart in me let me tempted to go from one displays to another. These were the places that I visited along the routes:

• Santa’s Den

A miniature house where Santa and Mrs. Claus are staying which truly encompasses the yuletide season with Christmas tree around, chandelier in red and a lot more spectacular displays that identify its true meaning.

• Mrs. Claus Kitchen

 Touring Mrs. Claus kitchen and seeing how she prepared her baked goodies is just one of the yummiest displays.  Since Santa and the elves are  pounding away preparing gifts in the toy shop, Mrs. Claus spends countless hours baking goodies as a treat.

• Santa’s Mailroom

This is Santa’s mailroom where all kids wishlist are collected.  Note that each letter is collated alphabetically!

• Reindeer Barn 

I still remembered all the names of Santa’s magical reindeers -  Rudolf, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blixen who flies with him  to bring the gifts flying around the world.

Other displays that I have seen were charming reindeers lined-up in the den.

Everyone have unlimited opportunity to visit each houses inside and outside take a photo opportunity just to experience Santa’s pool of fun.

What more best is seeing these people smiling which makes the ingredient of what a Yuletide season really means!

I will definitely bring my family and relatives here!

Below is the whole map for the North Pole Experience.

Visit their website at www.smnenorthpole.com and facebook at www.facebook.com/smnedsa

Holiday Mall Hours Schedule:

December 2 to 30 – 10:00am to 11:00pm
(except on Dec 3, 10, 16 to 23)
December 24 and 31 – 9:00am to 7:00pm
January 1 – 12:00nn to 10:00pm

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful” – Norman Vincent Peale

Every year, our family spent the New Year’s countdown at SM Mall of Asia and as always we proceed immediately at the bay to watch the fireworks, dinner and then go home. I did not have to glance to go around the mall before that or during Christmas season because I always though of a crowded yet a traffic place.

But my perception changes this year as decorative displays and live events are so extravagant that made me not missed to come over and let my eyes festive especially if I have enough time to dropped off.

I have personally seen the Grand Festival of Lights at SM Mall of Asia that showcased different themed floats. Why festival of lights? Each floats got those dazzling lights sparkled together with the performers with full get-ups, smiling and greeting around.

Overall, I love the sight!  I got thrilled  as all of the floats parade around the seaside boulevard of the mall.  Lies within me the childlike joyous feeling as I look around as if it is a magical Christmas.  A fantastic show indeed!

Now, I cannot wait for Christmas to come…

The Mall of Asia Grand Festival of Lights will have a spectacular show every Saturday until December 25 where parade of the floats will start 5:30pm that would last for one hour.

For more information, visit:

Website:  http://smmallofasia.com

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/smmallofasia

“Wouldn’t life be worth living
Wouldn’t dreams be coming true
If we kept the Christmas spirit
All the whole year through?”

Since Christmas is one of my favorite seasons of the year,  I cannot help myself to capture each moments that signal how wondrous this season is.

Name it – from malls, roads, offices, restaurants as in everywhere every time I got my camera with me or simply my cellphone camera, I can’t help it but to take pictures.  Maybe because I found the festivity around each decor so captivating that gave me those excitement and release a feeling of enlightenment.

I will be dedicating my first days of Christmas sharing those grandest decors I have seen whenever  I went out.

Shangri-La Plaza Mall fills up its wide top open spaces with gigantic goodies from colorful cones, candies, cupcakes, canes and gifts all over the atrium all lined up when one is going down to the mall’s escalator and also their main entrance.

Even my youngest daughter was very excited to run around the mall.  For her, this is just a magnificent yet a very yummy extravagant playground with a huge Christmas tree around!

They say that Christmas is really for the children.  Remarkably, seeing the happiness in their eyes  can see the essence of what a Christmas is .  Maybe yes, maybe not.

Definitely, Christmas must reside to everyone’s heart – young and old alike. That is the essence of what the spirit of Christmas afterall! Not only December, but all throughout this year.  Hopefully, we can experience Christmas with a joyous heart!

Form more information, visit:

Website:  http://www.shangrila-plaza.com/

Facebook Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficialfanpage

Don’t wait for time. Make it.

Don’t wait for love. Feel it.

Don’t wait for money. Earn it.

Don’t wait for the path. Find it.

Don’t wait for opportunity. Create it.

Don’t go for less. Get the best.

Don’t compare. Be unique.

Don’t fight your misfortune. Transform it.

Don’t avoid failure. Use it.

Don’t dwell on mistake. Learn from it.

Don’t back down. Go around.

Don’t close your eyes. Open your mind.

Don’t run for life. Embrace it. – Bigvai Volcy

“Do not forget to love yourself first because the more you begin to love yourself, the more love you are able to give.” 

After I got a fashion seminar about what a make-over is which I shared with this link, my quest to practically do my pampering begins.

Many busy people like me feel guilty and worried about taking time for themselves because of one heck of a workload.   There were times  we hate make-over because it  eaten up  a lot of  our time especially if we have many priorities in life.

Always be reminded that we have to take of ourselves.  No one will do that for you unless you decide to take time for it.  Why?

• Self-care is a one of the aspects to always stay at your best.  You create value when you contribute something to your well-being.  Your  self-esteem grows as you respect yourself.

• It combats also  burn-out and stressful feeling, a sort of emotional vacation that after you go back,  you are already  refreshed and relaxed

This would take only a few hours.  Leave the woes behind. I am telling you, you  will feel rejuvenated and  more productive to your normal routine after you come back.  Frankly, I just did!

What I am sharing with you is my extreme make-over, a plunge to myself, a gift, a reward.  This is afteall, living life to the fullest!

I scheduled my meeting  in the morning and free-up the whole day to block off  time which I suppose cannot be interrupted in my pampering sessions.  LOL!

Great that Going Straight Salon has this available branch visible to most of  the malls.  Love their  interior –  homey, cozy, yet sooo classy.  For 25 years, this salon pioneered their branding in hair straightening  and becomes a frontliner in the salon industry offering affordable price. What more, the salon also offered added services like foot and hand spa.

As I rushed up to the parlor, I decided to put a color highlight in my hair which I never done with my whole life.  This is really worth a try.   The procedure started by hair check of the expert,  washing with conditioner while massaging, style trimming, hair root treatment, wash again, applying highlight color and hair spa.

While coloring the hair, I maximized the time by simultaneously pampering my feet by spa, paraffin wax treatment, massage and pedicure.

Wow, now I love my feet more!  LOL!

To partner my feet with my hands,  I decided to tend also to my hands and arms with the same treatment – paraffin wax, massage and manicure.

Look at me now after the transformation with the series of make-over.   I simply love myself more!

Again, taking time to pamper to yourself is essential to your self-worth.  This is something you can turn to when you are anxious, overloaded or just a personal time to take a break from all facets of your responsibility as an employee, parent or a spouse.

Invest once in a while in these sample pampering routine. Do not ever hesitate.  Considered it as a treat to yourself.

Making time for rest and relaxation is important for your health and makes it much easier to stay in a positive mood.

Yes, there is really the  feeling of being relaxed, rejuvenated, and refreshed but mostly you know you did something good for yourself.

Consequences?

The more you begin to appreciate and love yourself, the more love you are able to share to others.  That must be the awesome feeling that you should have everyday.

Now live your life to the fullest!

For more information, visit:

Website: http://www.goingstraight.com.ph/

Facebook Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/GoingStraightSalon

“Express your creativity that truly reflects who you are.   Enjoy what you are doing and have fun with it.”

I always go with the simple shirt or blouses and then accessorize it.  I am comfortable with that.

I do not know if I am an old-fashion but I just felt we have to go with the style, out with the old and in with the new concept, be creative and take time to have a make-over once in a while.

To fill-out my relevant fashion updates, I attended The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s latest brunch series- Small Talks for Big Changes  — features Preview Magazine’s Associate Editor, Eunice Lucero that brings everyone up-to-speed with the latest from the Philippine fashion scene.

Ms. Lucero showed us gallery of pictures to inspired us how to dress more.  It was awesome!

There were also some motivational insights I got during the session:

• Look for comfortable and simple clothes
• Mix and match your clothes
• No need to spend tons of money just to revamp your personal appearance
• Try and use hairstyle that you don’t do often
• For the make-up, add a touch of blush and lipstick that make your persona more natural looking

Overall, one can make changes to each wardrobe.  A makeover is a great time to look great. Make sure that it is you, your personality, your uniqueness.

Do not mind others what they will tell or think about you. The hell with them!

Express your creativity that truly reflects who you are.   All it takes is a little imagination and gut instinct on what is going to make you the most impact in your life. But most importantly, enjoy what you are doing and have fun with your make-over.

Thanks CBTL ( The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) for gracing this event with Eunice over cups of gourmet coffee and tea.

For more information, visit:

Website: http://www.coffeebean.com.ph/

Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/coffeebeanphilippines

Hey you.

Yes, you.

Stop being unhappy with yourself. You are perfect.

Stop wishing you looked like someone else or wishing people liked you as much as they like someone else.

Stop trying to get attention from those who hurt you. stop hating your body, your face, your personality, your quirks. love them.

Without those things you wouldn’t be you.

Why would you want to be anyone else? Be confident with who you are. Smile. It’ll draw people in.

If anyone hates on you because you are happy with yourself then you stick your middle finger in the air and say screw it.

My happiness will not depend on others anymore. I’m happy because I love who i am. I love my flaws. I love my imperfections. They make me.

And “me” is pretty amazing.

“Marriage is not having a control of your life. To work it right, each person must be willing to share a life with you no matter what happens.“

Our 20th Wedding Anniversary was last November 16.  Since we did not have the luxury of time to go on a a long weekend vacation, what we did was to celebrate it by:

• going to mass

• out-of-town get-away at the lake

• eat-out

We definitely love to reminiscence everything and mostly be a memorable affair to the family.

That is how we commend the blissful years of marriage afterall!

But did you come to your mind what a marriage really is?  Is it really through thick and thin as the wedding ceremony complied us to a contract?  Is it a major life decision where one must have a way of knowing when the time is right to get married and who to marry?

I would like to share with you realizations that I learn about what a marriage is and how would you know if you are marrying the right person:

• Not being negative nor selfish with one another – helping each other with your own growth that will prepare not only intellectually but emotionally.  This can be done by being supportive and always encourage to stand on each own feet.  Expressing this kind of gesture promotes lot of respect and feeling good about each other.

• Be in love everyday not just saying “I Love You” in words but expressing it thru actions – kissing like hello and goodbye, hugging, constant communication by talking/listening, remembering/celebrating special occasions and missing one another by wanting to spend time

• Do not ignore problematic issues even it is a simple thing or aren’t that important.  Face it even those issues would hurt your feelings.  The way you handle conflicts would made your relationship more stronger as you face them together.

Yes, it does really take more than love to have a successful marriage.

One cannot be sooo perfect.  We have to remember that life is always a constant change afterall as well as marriage issues.  At least, for a relationship to work, one has kind enough to care and respect with one another differences and difficulties.

Other think that being married is not having a control on your life.  To work it right, each person must be willing to share a life with you no matter what happens.

To those who are married, never never lose those passionate feeling.  As much as possible, make it extra-ordinary everyday.  Continue to rekindle those vows but most especially love with each another.  Being in love is a happy feeling after all.

Like to end this post by sharing with you our simple gifts to one another – a heart cake for hubby and I got a gift from him – my favorite flower ever since,  pink dozen roses.

“Today I will allow myself to begin again reminding that I have the ability to make it happen day by day.  No ifs, no buts, just do it!”

I have posted my predicaments with this link – Chance to Change last November 2 as the way I am checking my key performance output in the past succeeding months that  make me realize I am quite unproductive.

Maybe they were plans that supposed to be done and disgusted on the result.   I have opened my dilemma to my best friend.  He told me to take even a one-day vacation then after that, write all my “things to do” stuff and prioritize them one by one.

Yes, I have followed his advices.  As I wrote them on my lists – I felt I was doomed again as I recognized all the activities in my plate are my priorities.  Actually I do not know where to start then because everything just cropped up to my mind.

Last recourse was to tell it to my hubby.  I have shown him my lists and reminded me what  I always advise him, that is – you have to go on and on and on! No ifs, no buts,  you have to do it, as in now!  His parting word – “at least it is much better to do something or anything comparing of not doing it at all”.

I don’t know if its timely.  But have you seen the new Globe commercial?

Yes, this is what I am feeling right now and it is just making sense!

The Globe commercial “Go lang ng Go” is about positive vibes. It is taking chances on the passionate things you really love to do with your life.

The hashtag tweet #TodayIWill Globe campaign is soooo viral that thousands took part sharing their own views that even celebrities also participated.

This included Smart endorser Anne Curtis that also posted “Today I will let go and let God” got by Pinoy Gossip Boy with this link.  One cannot deny the positivity of the advertisement that even a top beautiful endorser like Anne Curtis  in other telco network spoke her mind and tweet it!

LOL! True to her tweet -” let go” even if this means at the end there would be negative vibes on what she has done not thinking the result. As long that is how she feels, it is just A-ok!  Just go for it!  According to Pinoy Gossip Boy, this was already removed.  Honest mistake?  I don’t know, after all it is how she expressed her life.  C’est la vie!

I love quotes.  If the tweeps  from friends and celebrities will substitute those quotes then I would gladly keep this.  Here are some of them that I love reading over and over again:

Ever since, I captured the positivity yet the simplicity on how Globe do their ads as I also posted this in my previous post about “Live Big Your Way” with this link.

My thoughts:

Life is after all about risks and one can only do that if you only leap and really, really jump.

Do not wait just because we always look of analyzing things so much.  It is a waste buster.

You have to take chances.

No matter what it ended up and if ever we committed a mistake, it is just fine.  At least we try.   It doesn’t matter what others think.

At the end, we have lessons we grow to learn which makes us more a worthy person.

Again this is my share:

How about you, what will you do today?

“Running away from any issues only increases distance from the solution. Face it, solve it now. Because every new day is another chance to change something in your life.”

Photos courtesy of: http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net

OMG!  Another month is now over and I realized I am stuck as my productivity do not have that meaningful output.  I just felt I am useless having an “analysis-paralysis” syndrome again and again on what I am doing.

Just a checklist on the activities I have to do which made me freeze up:

• Some of the website projects I was involved with was in deciding stage
• Plans in making Live Life Fullest and Calamba-Online putting it in the next level like redesigning and put more posts was slowly no progress at all
• Improving more my training skills like reading a lot is regretfully I did not have the move to do it at the moment

Hey, what happen?   Definitely, I lost some of the control I have planned.

Sometimes I resolved myself to sleeping, woke up and tell to myself everything will be fine.  Still, as I assess myself, KPI (Key-Performance-Indicator) as a measure to my output for the day is very low.

If you look back to my past few posts, I made myself alone when I go out to reflect and really look for the cause of my behavior.  There were sometimes I was with family and friends just really to discover how come I am feeling this way.

After series of those events,  this what I found out – I was so occupied with work.

Even I attended business event – its work related.  Got the schedule my meeting with the client where my family will be near me – again its work related.  I got to take my coffee in a cafe, still it is a meeting and discussions.  Have woke up in the morning, stay late at night, getting the lists to be done even I have to eat breakfast first or take a bath.

Now I realized, do I really enjoy what I am doing?

Looking back, I got to do action points:

• We have to allow ourselves to begin again rather than feeling guilty.  It is done deal – past is past.  We have still the ability to make up, to recover.

• Still this is our life.  We have the ability to make it happen as our future is not yet written. It still depends on us on how we will run our lives.

Take time for yourself.  You deserve to have a break by being good to yourself.

I promise myself I will be doing this,  as in now – seeing my feet need a pedicure and a spa, doing facials for my face, plucking my eye brows and a lot lot more.

I will surely comeback, ready to rumble. LOL! Hopefully, I will be smarter because of these mistakes.

I would like to end my post with this thought and let me know how you have the chance to change also yourself for a better.

“Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.” – Wayne Dyer