The feeling of exhaustion on my part started in November 2018, when I started pursuing further studies. The workload was doable but the adjustment period and wearing so many hats kept my hands tied. What was emotionally draining was sickness afflicted my family members and I. Indeed, I could not serve more than two Gods at the same time. I had to choose between my duties for my family over personal concerns which included blogging. Subconsciously I thought that I would be giving less for my family if I spent my time and effort updating my blog and social media sites. The mere fact that I would open my email, website, and social media sites made me anxious. I told my blogger friends that I would lie low for a while and asked if they could pitch in for my duties in maintaining BKS Moms Facebook Page, a mom page that I co-founded with them. I was so fortunate that they understood that I needed to rest and recover from burn out.

Yes, I was in a state of burn out for the nth time. I would usually be emotionally, psychologically, physically drained towards the end of every year but the kind of burn out that I had recently was so intense that I became confused and lost my sense of purpose. I questioned myself if I was doing the right thing. I doubted myself and felt that blogging wasn't for me anymore. 

Towards the start of 2019, I tried to finish my blogging and writing backlogs. But every time I do so, I would just stare on my laptop for a couple of minutes. Instead of wasting my time waiting for ideas to come out my head, I would just close it and send myself to sleep. I would feel so ashamed because I could not deliver on time. Despite it all, I was still grateful because most of the people concerned were understanding. Completing the tasks and delivering just for the sake of delivering made me survive. Mediocrity when it comes to work was not innate in me and it made me more sad and frustrated. The fear of handling more tasks and commitment made me decline invites and opportunities. I just wallowed. I knew that the reputation that I built would be tainted. I was worried but I was helpless. I was on the verge of depression but I did my best to perform in school and remained faithful in doing my mom and business duties.

I knew my priorities. I continued to be valuable and needed but no matter what I did, I couldn't escape blogging. Attending the "Game Plan for Success Batch 4" in April struck me. If I may say it in Filipino, "Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig at nagising sa pagkakatulog ng mahimbing. Para akong sinampal sa magkabilang pisngi." For this, I would like to thank Viviene Bigornia, founder of The Fulfilled Women, because every time that I would lurk in confusion, sorrow, and sadness, she was one of those few special people who would remember me and pick me up from being down. 

I read her book From Depressed to Determined and attended her Visual Boarding Workshop that helped me to start dreaming again for myself aside from for my family but the Game Plan for Success Batch 4 was the workshop that made me see the path to my goals much clearer. It made me realize the true purpose that I was trying to deny. It helped me see that my purpose was just right in front of me that I should not look far to see it. All I should do is to embrace it fully to reach self-actualization to be truly blissful. 

The workshop was light and straightforward but emotional. The speakers' and participants' sharing of experiences brought me to tears. That was the moment when I realized that all of us have crosses to bear and it is up to us on how to carry our own cross. The speakers reminded me that, "There is always sunshine after the rain."

I will not delve deeper into what we have tackled because I want you to experience it yourself. There is a huge difference when you are present in the workshop than by just reading about it through this blog. The Fulfilled Women Community members are so warm, genuine, and supportive. They will embrace you for who you are and will let you feel that you are valued and purposeful.

That's why I encourage you, my female readers to join Batch 5 of Game Plan for Success this coming June 1 and also don't miss the Vision Boarding Workshop on June 15! I assure you that all your dreams and aspirations will be aligned with what you are intended to do in this world. For more details, you may visit The Fulfilled Women on Facebook.

I was blessed to witness SM Supermalls and McDonald's National Thank You Week culminating activity in SM Mall of Asia's Central Atrium last Sunday, November 25, 2018. 

In line with this, from November 22 to 25, all patrons of McDonald's stores inside SM Supermalls who purchased a Happy Meal was entitled to get a free vanilla sundae cone from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. It was indeed an exciting promo that every family went gaga for!

It has always been an advocacy of those two power brands in the Philippines to celebrate the importance of family bonding moments to strengthen its values and relationship. That's why SM Supermalls and McDonald's leveled-up the Thanksgiving tradition among Filipino families with the online and on-ground celebration of "National Thank You Week" on the said dates.

On its second year of partnership, SM Supermalls and McDonald's continue to promote the importance of having an emotional bond of Filipino families as they make memories and celebrate their togetherness with or without any occasion inside SM Supermalls according to SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Marketing, Mr. Jonjon San Agustin.

As a digital campaign, SM Supermalls and McDonald's encouraged families to share their ‘thank you moments’ for a chance to win Php5,000 SM shopping money. All they had to do was simply taking a photo of themselves when they availed McDonald's Happy Meal with their free vanilla sundae cone using the #NationalThankYouWeek Photo App that could be accessed via www.smsupermalls.com until November 25. 

Moreover, the grand culminating activity was held for families on the last day of the week-long celebration as mentioned above. For only Php180, kids and kids-at-heart experienced SM Supermalls and McDonald's Thank You Town where everyone enjoyed a wide array of exciting activities and awesome technology games.

SM shoppers were able to sign-up for McDonald’s Stripes Run, avail of the new McCelebrations Birthday Party themes, and experience fun games and activities during the event.

Another great news that makes us proud to be Pinoy, SM Supermalls is the sole Philippine finalist in this year’s World Retail Awards, held last April 19 in Madrid, Spain. SM's "National Thank You Day," an integrated live brand experience campaign in partnership with McDonald's Philippines, made it as a finalist in the ‘Best Customer Experience Initiative – Mall Owners’ category. Isn't it amazing? Nothing beats the beauty of being grateful and celebrating precious moments with the family!

To learn more about this event and other updates from SM Supermalls, check out www.smsupermalls.com, and its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

I also invite you to see more of my snapshots of the #NationalThankYouWeek culminating activity HERE.

The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most." - John Ruskin

With the love of colours and a thoughtful spirit in mind, SM Megamall delighted shoppers with dreamy and magical #ChristmasSMoments at the launch of its Dreamagination: A Magical Holiday Spectacle celebration last November 8, held at the Mega Fashion Hall. It was indeed a wonderful feeling to see a dreamy and magical ambience of unicorns, rainbows, and candy-colored displays.

Develop a childlike fascination with life and people." - Jim Rohn

"Every year we challenge ourselves to come up with a theme that surpasses the grandness of the previous year. We are very excited about this holiday season because we know our customers would love this year's colorful and magical theme," said Christian Mathay, SM Supermalls Assistant Vice President for Mall Operations. Indeed, people from all walks of life will have a chance to rekindle their wonderful Christmas moments as a child and shall delight their childlike fascination as they visit Dreamagination.

During the media launch hosted by Tim Yap and Karla Aguas, the mall unveiled its 45-foot Christmas centerpiece, adorned with candy-colored jewels, rainbows, and iconic unicorn and you soldiers dolls.


SM Megamall welcomed the holidays with whimsical performances by local and international acrobats, such as the Twin Ballerinas Annika and Tisha; Eric Aranas as Toy Soldier and parkour stunts by member of Ninja Academy as Elf Jumpers; the awe-inspiring acts of global Vertical and Trapeze Dancers; and spiral pole and rope dancer Kristel De Catalina of Pilipinas Got Talent season 6.

I invite you to watch snipets of the Dreamagination: A Holiday Spectacle launch (Video Credit: Miss Reylen Castro of Made It Through Mum blog):

I became an active blogger in 2013. My sole purpose then was to write as a diversionary activity to survive the ups and downs of motherhood and anything in between. Aside from coherence and grammar, I was also very particular with photos that I would use for every blog post.

As a visual learner, I always believe that photographs speak more than words can express. They justify what the writer wants to imply without the use of explicit words that's why picture books not only cater to very young kids and the young at heart but to adults as well.

As always, I want my readers to read my blog post like they are reading their old picture books when they were still young. I want every word that I write to go hand-in-hand with the photographs that I provide. With the limited time and no patience in reading thick manuals and tinkering the features of my mobile phone and digital camera, I always opt to use them as point and shoot cameras. I always use their default features. Obviously, I love photography, but honestly, I want to do the endeavor as easy as possible. I am so lazy, am I not?

Well, before I learned the basic food photography workshop from Miss Joy Gurtiza of Joy Bites Blog, I wasn't satisfied with how I took photographs and how the output turned out. My friends would say that I could be very good in executing flat-lays and right angles. However, I felt the need to learn from an expert that's why I joined the workshop. After attending Joy's workshop, I was able to improve my photography skills even just a little because I learned that "Good lighting is needed to have the best results when you do photography." In that workshop, we were also taught about making our own diffuser and reflector, and of course, food styling.  After that workshop, I learned how to appreciate photography more.

Photo Credit: Manila Workshops

The eye should learn to listen before it looks.” - Robert Frank

The best images are the ones that retain their strength and impact over the years,regardless of the number of times they are viewed.” - Anne Geddes

Wherever there is light, one can photograph." - Alfred Stieglitz

In photography, there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated." - August Sander

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Who says that #Nutralac Moringa Oleifera (Malunggay) Leaf Food Supplement is only good for lactating moms? It's one of the best food supplements for adults to boost their immune system. Each 350 mg capsule is made with 100% Moringa Oleifera leaves and seeds, a very nutrient-rich vegetable that has been traditionally used for its therapeutic and health benefits due to its Vitamin A, Calcium, Protein, Essential Amino Acid and Phytonutrients content that aids in boosting the immune system. Nutralac is a whole food vegetable powder with no additives and preservatives. 😍 . Nutralac is proudly processed here in Philippines, manufactured by Northfield Laboratories, Inc. in Malolos, Bulacan. . Thanks, @uberliciousph and @launch_verbatim of #TrendspottingPH for sending these over! This sickly mama needs them now! 😍 . You too can have a chance to get a box of Nutralac Food Supplement with 30 capsules inside. It's one of the items added in the curry gift pack that I will be giving away to one lucky #AAPMReaderoftheMonth of #March. Haven't you joined yet? You may go to this link and follow the simple mechanics to gain entries. Thank you! 💚💚💚 . http://www.allaroundpinaymama.com/2018/03/vermont-java-kokumaro-curry.html?m=1 . . #allaroundpinaymama #aapmrecommends #health #wellness #allnatural #momblogger #mommybloggersph

A post shared by Gng. SJ Valdez | AAPM (@allaroundpinaymama) on Mar 23, 2018 at 2:09am PDT

No matter how sophisticated the camera, the photographer is still the one that makes the picture." - Doug Bartlow

Courtesy: Manila Workshops

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama once said, "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." Yes, women can do so much. They are innately driven and passionate. The journey towards their goal may be difficult and challenging at times due to wearing so many hats at the same time but nobody can put good women down. As long as their spirits are high, their minds and hearts are inspired, no obstacles can get their way. 

I am one of those women who believe that learning is a lifelong process. There is no retirement in learning. The learning process itself leads to a better version of one's self. Learning, like goal-setting, should be definite, clear, and concise in such a way that a person does not find it confusing and difficult to achieve. Moreover, learning is definitely more worthwhile and exciting if it's being done with like-minded women. More so, it is always great to be with passion-driven women.

Learning and goal-setting may be two different words and have two different meanings but they go hand-in-hand. How can individuals set their goals if they don't have the knowledge to do it properly?

That notion made me motivated to join The Fulfilled Women's Dreamer's Unite: Sisterhood of Ambitious Women Pursuing Their Goals. It was held in the afternoon of October 13, 2018 at GreatWork Business Campus in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. 

We watched the film, "Sing" (na may pa-popcorn pa ha?), which gave us a dose of inspiration to never give up against all odds at nadagdagan pa ang inspiration na 'yan by listening to Miss Ellie Tablada a.k.a. Practicallie Mom, when she shared the importance of being brave enough to pursue your dreams and looking for a support group like The Fulfilled Women that would motivate and believe in you while you're gearing towards your dreams and aspirations. 

Miss Karen Esmundo discussed insights about the importance and steps in making our very own mission and vision statements. With all honesty, I thought that it was very easy to compose my own mission and vision statements. But Miss Karen was able to guide us effectively and the mere fact that we were asked first to delve deeper into our own selves by doing the "Definition of You", mas naging clear ang process.

All that we are, the things that we can't live without, what gives our lives meaning, our core values, our strengths/skills, our past successes, and contributions make up our future. By listing down all these things, we can already define our mission statement (what you can do now to achieve your goals in the future or vision) and vision statement (what you ultimately want to become in the future).

Then Miss Viviene Bigornia facilitated the Visual Board Making where we used old magazines, cutting and pasting materials to put into something concrete and "visual" the things that we want to be or what we want to have. Tuwang-tuwa ako sa part na ito kasi dito lumabas lahat ng mga bagay na gusto kong mangyari sa buhay ko at ng buo kong family at ang sarap palang makita kapag sama-sama na sila sa iiisang board. This endeavor also helps us to become more motivated and inspired to fulfill our mission to achieve our vision. Ang galing! Naging swak ang talk ni Miss Ellie at Miss Karen sa vision board making!

Everyone's productive! Sa totoo lang sa sobrang saya ng workshop namin, bitin pa sa oras.

Simple lang naman ang pangarap ko sa family ko. I want us to spend more quality time together despite our very busy schedule. When my Bunso is matured enough (He is a child with autism.), I want our family to travel into different places both locally and abroad. I also want my kids to finish their studies in the best schools. I also dream of having our own vacation house na may malaking farm at magkaroon kami ng sarili naming sasakyan kasama ng brother ko at ng family niya sa USA.  Pangarap kasi ng Mommy ko na magkasama na kami ng brother ko in the future. Of course, health is wealth. As a family, we should never forget to practice good eating habits and maintain a regular exercise regimen to keep our body fit and healthy. 

Going back to school to finish a masteral degree in Special Education, learning martial arts na hindi ko nagawa noong dalaga pa ako, going back to baking, giving time to learn photography, magbasa ng marami pang books, more ways to earn and save for my family, being the best in what I do,  and spending more me time without feeling guilty ang aking personal dreams.

Siyempre, hindi mawawala ang raffling off ng goodies from the generous sponsors and showcasing of businesses of inspiring The Fulfilled Women Mompreneur community members.

The spirit of openness and camaraderie was evident na binagayan ng cozy atmosphere ng very functional na venue ng GreatWork.

I already told my female friends that this workshop could really bring out the best in a person. Kaya nanghihinayang sila na hindi sila nakapunta. I hope that The Fulfilled Women can have a re-run of this workshop. 

For more updates about The Fulfilled Women's workshops and to get a daily dose of inspiration, Mars, like its page or join its community on Facebook. Also follow @thefulfilledwomen on Instagram. Miss Viviene and the rest of the community members will embrace you wholeheartedly and will help you pursue your dreams and aspirations. Ang sayang makasama ang mga kababaihang hihilahin ka pataas. 

I know that you agree that there is some point in your life when you feel lost. You tend to ask yourself, "Am I on the right track? Am I doing the right things to achieve my goals? Do I really know what I want to be?" It is normal to feel that way sometimes because it shows that you are aware that you want to be successful and you want to be happier and fulfilled not just for yourself but for your loved ones as well. 

You are not alone in finding meaning and purpose in life. That's why after three successful runs of Game Plan for Success, The Fulfilled Women Community will be doing another inspiring workshop for all the ambitious, driven, and purposeful women like you to help you achieve your goals and aspirations! 

On October 13, 2018 from 1:00 to 6:00 PM, "Dreamers Unite: Sisterhood of Ambitious Women Pursuing their Goals" will be held in GreatWork Business Campus in 3rd Floor Main Building, Ben-Lor IT Center, 1184 Quezon Avenue to empower the other go-getter, driven, and passionate women in The Fulfilled Women Community. 

These are the things that you can expect from the workshop:

 

• Meet like-minded women who will support you with your dreams and goals 
• An opportunity to partner up or collaborate with other women in business 
• Be inspired to relive the dreams that you have buried in the ground long ago 

The following are the topics to be discussed:

 

• How to tap your inner giant and be empowered to reach your goals
• How to make a personal mission-vision statement and why you need one 
• How to create a VISION BOARD and why it works

The whole afternoon will be filled with fun learning experiences. Magiging sulit ang Php600 learning fee ninyo! Just a reminder that walk-in participants will not be accommodated anymore so please register before seats run out. 

You may register here: https://goo.gl/forms/mP6cjzUI5xDJns1J3

The learning includes materials, worksheet, snacks, and of course, siksik, liglig, at umaapaw na learning and inspiration! Wagi! 

By the way, all participants are required to bring old magazines and newspapers, a pair of scissors, and glue. 

The organizer will send further instructions once you are done with online registration and payment of the learning fee.

Kita-kits!