T.G.I. Friday's + More!

Hello everyone! Sorry for being really inactive on my blog lately. I've been really busy, and I'm posting this really late too. I just haven't been motivated to write posts lately. But I am back! Anyways, about two weeks ago, my family and I went to T.G.I. Friday's (Which you are all probably really familiar with.) We ordered tons of dishes and it tasted really great. I was really full by the end of the night & honestly, I could barely even move. (Hahaha!) Also here's just a random movie I'd like to recommend: Charlie St. Cloud (2010) it stars Zac Efron and it's over all just a good movie. Oh, and I'll also be going to Bangkok soon so be sure to stay tuned for more posts about that! Okay, I hope you all enjoy this post. 

Bottomless Iced Tea

Shanghai Chicken Citrus Salad

 

Nachos 

Baby Back Ribs With Fries

Living a Positive Life: Reclaiming Our Healthy Relationship with Mistakes (Guest Post By Sahar)

Hello everyone! This is a guest post by Sahar, check out her blog here.

There often seems to be a sharp contrast between what we say and what we do.  For example, most agree that humans are works in progress, that mistakes are inevitable, and that because they offer us much needed lessons, mistakes are a good thing.  And yet society is set up to punish us for our mistakes, making them instead a heavy, guilt-laden burden which can drain even the most positive individual of energy and optimism.

Thankfully, there are many ways we can reclaim our healthy relationship with mistakes.  There is one in particular, a simple one that can be applied pretty much immediately to just about everyone, everywhere.  It requires repeated daily application over the course of weeks, months, and sometimes even years.  

Mantras.  

Their efficiency in breaking negative patterns of thought as well as in establishing new ones is widely recognised.  One needs to find a simple mantra—from Scripture, a poem, a well-known expression, or even something original—and, in time of need, repeat it over and over, even claiming it as a touchstone in times of inner turmoil.  Mantras can be used to learn patience, courage, forgiveness, empathy, and pretty much anything else.

When it comes to separating guilt from mistakes, a few mantras can come in quite handy.  One of my favourites is, quite simply, to “have faith”—that my mistakes are a learning experience and that they are nothing to be ashamed of.  Another one I love is “I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life”—a great one to use when the urge to overanalyse a mistake occurs.  When the going really gets tough, “this too, shall pass” is a well-known and profoundly wise quote I resort to.

There are of course many, many mantras available, which is part of their benefit.  They are also free to find and to use ad nauseum.  But if you find a particularly powerful mantra, it can help to have a physical reminder of it.  You can write it out on a big piece of paper and stick it somewhere you know you will see it.  If you know how to draw, you can decorate your mantra; if you are good at calligraphy, well, you know what to do.  You can decorate it while reflecting on its meaning, using a meditative process such as the creation of a zentangle.  Or, if it a well-known one, you can choose to purchase a beautiful print of it by one of many talented designers selling their art on Etsy.  I also found that making an “Inspiration” board on Pinterest comes in quite handy!

Do you use mantras?  Which ones, and where do you purchase your prints?

Where To Eat When You're In The Philippines

Hello everyone! I participated in this link up called "In My City" (Hosted by: Tiffani @ Not Your Average Southern Belle) where basically it's a link up wherein some bloggers could show other bloggers and their readers around their cities and where they can eat when in that city. so anyway, here are my recommendations!

In Quezon City: 

 Co/Op 

In San Juan City: Calderón

Last Sunday, I ate at this restaurant called Calderón with my family. They're pretty hidden in San Juan City, Manila, but it is a really great restaurant, it's absolutely worth it. If you ever pay a visit to San Juan City and you're looking for a place to eat, make sure to stop by Calderón! They serve really great food and the service is really good too. It would really be devastating to miss out. 

Bottomless Iced Tea

Bacalao

Beef Salpicao

Gambas

Calamares

Paella Valenciana 

In Tagaytay City: Breakfast At Antonio's

We don't usually go to Tagaytay City but when we do, it's either a holiday, summer vacation or semestral break. Breakfast At Antonio's is a really great restaurant to visit and whenever we visit Tagaytay City, we always go there. 

Salad

BLT Bruschetta

The participants that joined the In My City link up:

Calee @ Becoming O'Connell, Savannah @ Always, S, Lisa @ Strum Simmer Sip, Julia @ A Southern Heart, Kathrynne @ Positivity in Life, Kristie @ Venga, Vale, Vamos

My Dog That #MissedTheMattress

Hello everyone! Before I start with the story of how my dog #MissedTheMattress, be sure to check out Casper! They're a mattress company that makes really awesome mattresses, and as stated "Just the right sink, just the right bounce. Two technologies come together for better nights and brighter days." on their mattresses page. They are the ones who have started this really cool campaign called #MissedTheMattress which I will be doing today!

Before I tell you the story on how she #MissedTheMattress, let me do an introduction first! Her name is Clover and she is a half Maltese and half Yorkshire Terrier (aka Yorkie). I got her around late 2013 or early 2014. Okay, so moving onto the actual point of the post (haha). One night, I came home later than usual, and knowing Clover, she always waits by the door to wait for me. My mom noticed her falling asleep by the door so she snapped this photo! I just found it really adorable when she told me the story behind it. :-)

Here's a photo I got from my personal Instagram account! When Clover was still a few months old, she used to still sleep in her bed. But now, she's already outgrown it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this post! 

Ask a Blogger Part 2

Hello everyone! Here's the second part! :-)

Question: What is the bravest thing you've ever done? 

Name: Laura Douglas

Blog: http://www.theworkher.com/

Answer: For me it was a huge step to launch my own website, The Workher. Though I had the great support from my fiancé, I was really going out on my own. I had this idea of creating a platform for young professional women and graduates and I just had to trust my gut instinct that it was worth it - and that I could pull it off. And I LOVE doing it. I'm so pleased I took that leap and just did it!

Name: Dominique Goh

Blog: http://dominiquegoh.com/

Answer: Regarding your question. my answer would be agreeing to parenting solo with hubby working overseas for an indefinite number of years.  Giving him the blessing to pursue his career ambitions while holding the fort and managing everything at home from household to the three kids. 

Name: Kaila Proulx

Blog: http://healthyhelperblog.com 

Answer: The bravest thing I’ve ever done is open up about my struggles with mental illness on my blog. This was somewhat recent and it felt like I was leaping off a ledge of cliff. I struggle with vulnerability and feel a lot of shame from the illnesses I have, so this was a HUGE step for me in my recovery. It was incredibly hard mentally, but it’s been so worth it. The love and support I’ve received in response shows me that other people can relate to my situation and that I am not alone. Being open and honest is a challenge in many respects, but it has the power to connect people on a deeper, more personal level!

Name: Dana Brillante-Peller

Blog: http://www.pellerini.com/

Answer: The bravest thing I've ever done - whoa that is a good question!  Hmmmm, the bravest thing I've ever done was snorkel with barracudas in St. John.  

Name: Daizchane Baker

Blog: Collegegirldai.com

Answer: The bravest thing I have done is change my major and future career plans. Since middle school, I knew that I wanted to work in fashion and that would be my major in college. When I applied to colleges I looked for ones with a fashion major. The summer before my freshman year, I had a change of heart. I realized that fashion wasn't my passion anymore but I invested so many years into that dream. I changed my major to public relations and haven't looked back since. 

Name: Kate Mitchell

Blog: www.katethealmostgreat.com

Answer: The bravest thing I've ever done is self-publish a book. I had to really put myself out there because I was publisher, editor, publicist, and writer all rolled into one.

Name: Morgan Grace

Blog: http://www.mgalamode.com/

Answer: The bravest thing I’ve done is actually what I’m doing now. Going through college and figuring out the rest of my life. Adolescence is the main time of self-exploration, and with all of the psychological factors of adolescence, added on schoolwork and career focusing can take a toll on so many people. I’ve managed to keep myself grounded and focus on what I want to achieve. Sometimes I really do feel like I’m missing a lot of the “fun” that’s supposed to happen in college, but I think I’ve reached a balance between work and fun for myself. College is really the time when you take your first steps on your own into adulthood, and just thinking about that gives me the chills.

Name: Dana

Blog: http://thewhisperbox.com

Answer: The bravest thing I've ever done was tell my parents about my boyfriend. To a lot of people, that doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment, but I honestly thought my parents would kick me out of the house if they ever found out I was dating. This happened about two years ago. My mom was fine with it. My dad flipped out and wouldn't let me finish explaining anything, but two months later, he came around. And yes, my boyfriend and I are still a couple <3. 

Name: Angela Tolsma

Blog: http://clutterboxtwo.blogspot.ca/

Answer: I'm in the midst of my bravest moment. January 2 I left my job, a job that was has been destroying my faith in humanity for the last two years. I left with no prospects and minimal references. 

Since that day I've been trying to rediscover who I am and figure out what I want to do with my life. There are days I feel amazing and so happy with this life's path, I want to build my blog into a business of helping people. 

And then there are days where reality hits and I fall into the black hole of depression. How am I going to pay the bills? How can I find a job that will hit on my skills? How can I build my blog into what I want when that path isn't clear. 

Everyday is a new moment. Everyday is a testament to the person I'm becoming. I am so thankful for the amazing friends I have for supporting me and while there are dream haters out there they are small in number. This year is a new challenge for me. My life is changing and I am going to bravely face the sun rise.

Name: Hannah Rupp

Blog: http://www.theoutfitrepeater.com/

Answer: What an interesting question. The bravest thing I've ever done was started my blog. Is that a lame answer? I just feel like if I knew all that I was getting myself into, I probably would have chickened out. Thank God for blind faith and dumb luck!

Name: Nicole Spataro

Blog: www.theinspirationcloset.com

Answer: The bravest thing that I have ever done was go on all of the roller coasters at Six Flags (I'm terrified of heights!)

Name: Mikkaela Salamatin

Blog: http://thesouthwesternprepster.blogspot.com/

Answer: I think the bravest thing I have done is chosen to stand up for myself against people who tried to use me and put me down. Nobody deserves to be disrespected, and when you don't actively do anything to stop it, the cycle will only continue. 

Name: Kayla Cruz

Blog: http://www.lostgenygirl.com/

Answer: When I was 22, I moved in with my boyfriend after dating for about a year and a half. The hard part about it was facing my family. I come from a VERY Catholic/Cuban family, so living with your partner before being married is a huge no-no. But I knew 100% that it was the right thing to do for me at the time. It was the right thing to do for my relationship. So I did it, and I had to own up to it and explain myself like an adult to my family. A year later, my boyfriend proposed, and we're getting married this coming November. It was brave of me to stand up to my family. It was brave of me to take the chance that the relationship might not work out. But looking back, I think it all worked out in the end. 

Name: Cory U

Blog: www.coryu.ca

Answer: I think everyday we have the opportunity to make brave choices in life. Talking to a stranger, lending a help hand, standing up to what you believe in are all brave choices. Sometimes even the simple act of getting out of bed & going about your day can be the bravest choice to make. Some days sure feel like that to me.

Just recently, I was given the opportunity to stand up for something that others may have feared or may have not taken the effort to do if they were in my shoes. I stood up for my rights as an individual against someone that treated me unfairly & unprofessionally. It's the scariest thing I have done to date. I'm still unsure of the outcome, but I know either way I feel better standing up for what I believe is right.

Name: Kendel Maxwell

Blog: http://www.littlemisadventures.com/

Answer: The bravest thing I have done would be moving to a new city! I decided that I wanted to change universities, so I applied and got accepted. I moved to a new city at the start of this year and it was the scariest, most intimidating thing I have done so far, but I love it. I like to be around people that I know, so forcing myself out of my comfort zone was definitely the bravest thing I've done! 

Ask A Blogger Part 1

Hello everyone! I've decided to have this "Ask A Blogger" segment on my blog because I've seen something similar on another blog although I don't remember which blog. But, I really hope you enjoy this segment of my blog! Let me know if I should do more and if you'd like to participate, look out for further announcements. 



Question: What is a difficulty that you've come across in your life and how did you overcome it?

Name: Danai Kadzere 

Blog: Living, Learning, Eating (http://living-learning-eating.blogspot.com)

Answer: I had a really hard time deciding between taking a well-paying, lucrative job offer in Miami after graduation or pursuing my dreams, but with much greater risk, on NYC. With the wncouragement of loved ones, I decided to pursue my passions and don't regret it. You're only young once and when you're in your early 20s a stable paycheck is generally not yet quite as essential to your happiness as being excited about your work!

Name: Kelechi Ohiri

Blog: http://thekelfix.com

Answer: One difficulty I've come across in life is learning to accept myself for exactly who I am and the way I was made. As a younger girl there was always something I wished I could change about myself. Some days I wanted to be shorter (I was the tallest in my class) and others I wanted to change the shape of my nose, etc. Learning to accept my body was no easy task but I did it by learning to take it easy on myself. I did things one step at a time and worked hard to make sure that I was excellent at the things I could control. Once I focused on my strengths and not what I thought were my weaknesses my entire outlook changed. Now, I love every single part of myself and it all happened because I was patient with myself. Everything else came with time.

Name: Zobia Alvi

Blog: www.TheEternityJournal.com

Answer: One difficulty that I've come across in my life is when I first started doing website design and creating my first small business at 16 years old and no one that I surrounded myself with believed in me. It may have been seen as crazy for some of my family members and friends that I would devote so much time and money towards something that may or may not be successful. In business, you have to take many risks and have to listen to criticism that is not at all encouraging and just push it off so you could focus on being successful. I overcame this difficulty because at some point I realized that others cannot stop me from doing what I want to do and that the only person that can stop me is myself. I learned that there will always be people trying to distract you from climbing the ladder to success, but they cannot do anything if you keep climbing and refuse to look back.

Name: Tessa

Blog: www.abrunettewithbaggage.com

Answer: The biggest difficulty I have come across in my life is accepting my body. As young women, we read articles, watch empowerment videos and see a whole lot of reality tv. This can really take a toll on how we view our bodies. I have always had a hard time accepting that I won't have that perfect Molly Sims flat tummy or that Kim K booty. I am who I am. Yes, I work out religiously and I maintain a very healthy lifestyle, but I can't change how I was created. I was always very active in high school and when I got to college and became a division 1 college cheerleader, being in little crop tops in front of thousands of people and on ESPN made things more difficult. Although I have not completely overcome this difficulty, I am working on it every day. I still work with trainers, I try not to finish the entire box of chocolates and I maintain friendships with people who could care less about what my body looks like! I have such a huge and amazing support system behind me that reminds me everyday, I am great no matter what. I don't need to meet anyone's "goals" or mental requirements except my own. We are all powerful women and we can all kick some serious a** if we put our minds to it.

Name: Nikki Vergakes

Blog: http://dsdstyle.blogspot.com

Answer: A difficulty I've faced in my life is balance. I love doing everything, but I feel like some things get the short end of the stick. I have two ways to deal with it. My first way of dealing with this is time management. My friends know me as the queen of time management. My second thing that help me if this quote: "Balance does not mean that everything gets equal attention, balance means that sometimes something gets more attention than something else, and vice versa.

Name: Sahar Sabati-Safai

Blog: http://www.saharsblog.com

Answer: When it comes to blogging, it has been very difficult to increase readership for a blog focused on topics heavier than most.  It is sometimes quite tempting to change the direction of the blog and set it straight in a genre that more easily attracts readers.  I considered doing this a couple of years ago, when my friends fashion blog reached the same number I had reached in three years in a mere four months.  But as I was working on rebranding my blog, I realised that I had forgotten why I had started it in the first place: to write about matters near and dear to me, not to achieve fame.  And so the urge passed, and I have been instead learning how to improve my writing, networking, and marketing skills.

Name: Lauren Douglass 

Blog: http://www.thearizonaprepster.com/

Answer: "One difficulty that I've had to overcome in life is moving to Arizona for college. Before my boyfriend moved to Arizona, I moved for college. Moving to a place where you know no one is very hard for an 18 year old. There are strangers, you're living with a stranger, and when your family goes back home you feel pretty alone. My roommate didn't stay in the dorm for the entire first month, needless to say we didn't have a great relationship. However, I did overcome this. It involved counseling with my college's counseling services but I also got involved around campus and talked to people in my class. I put myself out there and made friends. Once my boyfriend moved out to Arizona it was easier because I at least knew somebody from home and my life but I also had realized that Arizona is where I want to live beyond college. It was hard to overcome this challenge but I did and I'm now part of Her Campus ASU with some wonderful ladies, part of the Her Campus Blogger Network (where I found another Sun Devil) and my boyfriend and I have our cat Jingles! It may be a rough transition from high school to out-of-state college, but it does you no good to do wallow and sit by yourself! Put yourself out there! Make friends! Live while you're young!"

Name: Rebecca Pytell

Blog: http://strengthandsunshine.com/

Answer: One difficulty I came across was finding out I suffered from Celiac Disease right after my 13th birthday. It's already a difficult time (one year before high school) for a teen to get through, adding a newly found autoimmune disease could seem rather challenging. However, by learning about my disease right away and fulling embracing a new lifestyle of being 100% gluten-free (and vigilant about cross contamination and educating others to keep me safe), it became very easy to manage. Without this experience and life event, I don't know if I would have ever developed my love for cooking and blogging as much as I do now. I attribute my success as a blogger to having this disease and wanting to share with and help others like me (and with multiple food allergies or health issues) through the struggles and come out stronger, happier, and healthier!

Name: Sara Magnolia

Blog: www.saramagnolia.weebly.com

Answer: After completing my first semester of college in Florida I was having serious doubts about whether or not I made the right decision choosing to attend a school that was 1,500 miles away from my home in Massachusetts. I wasn't making the right friends, I wasn't enjoying my classes, and I was ready to throw in the towel. I began the application process to transfer to a school that would be closer to home. I did not tell my friends at school about my decision, but I did communicate my frustration and homesickness to my Mom who encouraged me to tough it for the rest of the year. During the second semester of my freshmen year I was determined to have an awful time to justify my desire to transfer schools. Well fast forward to my sophomore year, I got involved over the summer as an orientation leader where I met a lot of upperclassmen whom I had never met before. It was like a breath of fresh air to meet other students outside of my freshmen circles (i.e. freshmen dorms and Gen. Ed. classes). From there I realized that my college experience was completely up to me. If I wanted to love the school I was at it was all up to me to change my attitude and my outlook. I needed to have an open mind! From that point on I made a conscious decision to change my attitude and my experience changed as a result. I made so many new friends, I changed my major to one that I LOVE, I joined a sorority and a handful of other organizations as well. Now, as a senior who will be graduating in less than a month I am extremely glad that I chose to stay. I have grown to love my University and the organizations that helped to shape me into the person that I am now. 

Name: Quynh Nguyen

Blog: http://kwinsturr.com/

Answer: A challenge I have faced throughout my life was feeling lost. Lost to a point where I didn’t know how to move forward or what I wanted to do with myself. I wanted to develop a mindset that would help me look past challenges without it taking a toll on my well-being. The past years I struggled with unhealthy weight-loss and struggled to maintain the healthy body weight my doctors told me I needed to be. I was as low as 97lbs. Without going into too much detail, a lot of my adversities dealt with family, friends and my own character. It all built up for years, trapped in a bottle and when it finally bursted sadness was hard to overcome.

     What helped me get through these truly dark times in my life were the times I spent laying on my bed alone crying and asking myself, “How can I get through this? Is this out of my control?” As I kept doing this over and over, inevitably I found myself crying less. When I was finally able to be in a situation where it no longer affected me the same way it did before, there was no more need to cry for things I could not control. I was called a cry-baby, but guess what? I’m damn proud to be the confident and happy person that people know me as. Getting through this difficult challenge of feeling lost and helpless may have been easier talking to a friend or a therapist (as my doctor suggested), but what for? I wanted to empower myself with the ability to heal on my own without relying on others to tell me it’s okay, be silent, and simply tell me I’m overreacting.

     In reality, we all go through some kind of struggle. But the gift we have is the ability to choose how we respond to it. It won’t come easy but it takes practice and a lot of mistakes to learn from. Focus on developing. For every negative there is always a positive. 

My Current Workspace!

Hello everybody! I have decided to post about my "workspace" or just my where I basically blog on. I have decided to make this post because I've come across cool office spaces at WeWork. They are a coworking company that provides shared offices spaces. My desk is quite messy but it'll have to do for now since we'll be moving soon. (Which is really exciting yay!) If you want me to do an updated version soon, let me know. :-) 

Here I just have my computer, my pencil holder, pencil case, some random stuffed toys, planners, notebooks, my owl eye glass holder, a wooden "K" my friend Lysse gave me (she also has a blog, you can check it out here, she does DIYs and other awesome things!), a snowman that Marie gave me for Christmas; it's so cute, it lights up! and aside from all of that, there many other random things. (haha)

What I love about it:

There's this sort of "extension" table where I could just rest my elbow on and my chair (Not really seen in the picture) is really comfy as well!

What I would add to create the ultimate dream office environment:

Since I do have that free space on my wall that's above my computer, I would love to add motivational pictures that will inspire me to blog more. For example, my photos with family and friends and motivational quotes! Or maybe, vacation pictures/pictures of paradise. Also, to just simply organize it.

Make A Stylish Form For Anything! + Announcement

Hey guys! I've been thinking about creating this event for my blog. Since Positivity In Life is turning 1 on May, I was thinking of having this "birthday party" for my blog. It's just an event where you can meet fellow bloggers and share the blog love! I was planning to have this event on Google Hangout, where we could chat. But it isn't official yet. If you think this is something you'd like to participate in, please let me know in the comments below, check out my form here and please submit your form.

Just a few days ago, I've come across this really awesome website called JotForm. It was really easy to use and learn. Although at first, I was a little bit confused on how to make a form. But then after a few minutes, I was making tons of forms! I discovered it at the perfect timing too. Since, as you know, I am doing the event for my blog. I can see that JotForm will be able to help me in future professional matters. You can also visit their theme store where you can browse ready-made themes made by users, many are free but users can also set a price if they want.

Travel Diary: Hong Kong Day 4

March 19, 2015: Thursday

You know what they say "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." I have to admit, I was pretty sad when I realised that it was my last day in Hong Kong. So, I did what I did and made the most out of it! I made memories and tried out new things. Alright, so here's what happened on my last day in Hong Kong.

We rode a boat going to The Peak Tram so that we would be able to go The Peak. The Peak was a place full of shops and restaurant. 

The Peak Tram, like I said, lead to The Peak. It was a short ride but then it was really fun. The train went up a steep mountain to go to The Peak and down the steep mountain to get back to the station. No worries if ever you go to The Peak Tram, it's not scary at all! 

We ate lunch in a nearby noodle resto, then we had snacks at Sweet Dynasty (I had the Crispy Pork Bun!) Then finally, we had dessert at Häagen-Dazs. I had the Caramel Biscuit (I'm not really sure on what it's called) ice cream which was amazing! 

Again, some random pretty flowers... (Hahaha)

This view is just amazing. I am speechless.

So that concludes my trip to Hong Kong. I hope you guys enjoyed it, please let me know in the comments below if you want me to do more of these! :-)

Travel Diary: Hong Kong Day 3 — Disneyland

March 18th, 2015: Wednesday

Finally we're on Day 3 out of 4 already! Technically, it was 5 days but then we didn't do much on the fifth day. :--( So I would consider the 3rd day of our trip as the climax of our trip. We went to, yup you guessed it, DISNEYLAND! The happiest place on Earth. Our hotel was quite far away from Disneyland (we had to take like 3 trains to get there) so we spent the whole day there. It was tiring, but in the end, as always, it was really fun! 

I had this delicious Mickey waffle I purchased by the main street of Disneyland.

Cute little "Tsum Tsum" stuffed toys I found by the gift shops.

The MAGICAL parade, which I believe was called "Flights Of Fantasy" Although, I'm not sure. It was like my childhood in a parade!

Oh, you know, just some flowers... (haha)

Then after the parade, we went to the Golden Mickeys which was basically like the Oscars, except in a Disney version.

Then we rode some rides like the Grizzly Gulch, the Mystique Manor and the Tea Cups. 

Disney at night!