My Girls Are the Greatest Collaborators of This Blog

Have you already seen my girls in the video we made for BabyLove Diapers? I said we because all four of us are in this blogging thing together. Well, technically, this is my blog. But they fully support this online endeavor of mine that any partnership I get, my husband R and the girls are also involved. Say, I need my signature affixed in a pdf file but I only know editing MS word file (lol) so I'd send them over to my husband. After a few minutes, as if I can already afford a virtual assistant, it's done. But since this is a mommy blog, Sophia and Samantha are my real colleagues here. They are the greatest collaborators of this blog. In fact, one of our major projects was the BabyLove video. Ate Sophia may be its main artist but it wouldn't be as fun if Baby Samantha wasn't there. After all, she's the one who uses diapers.

I'll try to expound my girls' online exposure here and there but speaking of diapers, BabyLove Philippines is giving away Similac Gainschool sample and P500 voucher that you can use on your next transaction for any BabyLove product you purchase! Hurry mommies 'cause this is from May 27 to June 2 only. SHOP HERE! And like them on Facebook, too for promo updates and more details: Click, click!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by BabyLove but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Currently | 04

Whew! Finally got to find time to update this loving blog. It's not that I'm too busy or that I'm taking this space for granted but sometimes, having a smartphone can kill a blogger's blogging mojo. Just like most social media enthusiasts, I'm into sharing snippets of my day on Instagram Stories and I interact more on my Facebook. I like that I can see the faces behind the comments on my posts. With here kasi, there's the anonymous option. Minsan kahit gusto mong chumika, nakakawalang gana if they don't want their identity to be known. Malay ko ba kung bad person na yung ka-chikahan ko 'di ba? On my Facebook that now has 57,000 plus followers, when there's a comment that won't do good for the community, I delete it. Mga nagmumura, mga halatang naghahanap ng away or yung spammer (haha). I have banned several people na rin because of going beyond what is proper. That's what social media management should be naman, right? As a blogger, it's my responsibility to share and make sure that we use these platforms responsibly. 

Anyway, speaking of blogging, I am sincerely hoping that the old school days of blogging will be back. Yung tipong bloggers just blog to bleed thoughts; to reach and inspire people. Nakaka-sad kasi to read blogs that are purely commercial na. Nakakatamad na tuloy magbasa. there's nothing wrong with monetizing blogs naman because I certainly do that, too but most blogs these days kasi (especially yung mga bago) write the same things na. So for my blog, as a promise to you and myself na rin, I won't change into that kind. After all, I have gone through a lot of rebranding already, haha! 

So to bring that old school blogging vibes back, here's my 4th installment of CURRENTLY.

Baon Serye Talks at Accenture

The only time I talked about my #baonserye passion project here was when I wrote this article about how I feel about my *15 minutes of fame*. I haven't done a full-length feature about it. Perhaps, the things that happened right after it went viral were a bit overwhelming that it kind of consumed me I didn't have the time to elaborate it here. Say, my fan page's inbox was flaming! I remembered I woke up with 60+ unread messages and what - thousands and thousands of followers. So intense. For this bloggy mom, who worked so hard to get at least a hundred people to follow me four years ago, getting 32k (as of this article) was truly nakakakilig! Anyway, I hope this post will suffice for now. 

Those were just, let's say, the first of many happy things that this passion project has given me. I got interviewed by Asian Parent Philippines and was featured in Psst.ph, a local e-zine. But the most rewarding of it all was when I was invited by Accenture Philippines to do a baon-making workshop with the Accenture Technology Women Leaders here in Manila. 

Tita D at PUP

PUP means Polytechnic University of the Philippines. It is where I finished my college degree some years ago. It is where I found friends, where I first had my heart broken badly, where I realized how emotionally strong I can be. In a nutshell, it might not have the cleanest wash rooms or the classrooms may be too steamy for people, it's still one of my most favorite places in the world. So when a PUP student invited me to talk to them about Internet Etiquette, around the time my #baonserye posts were trending and despite my busy schedule as a work-at-home mompreneur, I prepared for it wholeheartedly. 

At first, I actually didn't know how I'd start my presentation. What do these kids do not know about the Internet? What do I actually want them to always remember once they leave the university? How should I talk to them? Those questions I answered myself after going through the comments on my page. Some youngsters there called me Tita D. That's when I decided my brand will be a millennial aunt educating the new generation about using the interwebs. 

My People Are Those Who Love It When I Sparkle

A Facebook friend shared a photo of an inspiring quote on her wall and boy oh boy, I found myself turning on the computer again. "I have to blog about these thoughts!", I said. So here I am.

Disbelief is the most appropriate term to describe how I feel whenever I'd get so many "likes" on each of my post on the blog's page. Fine, is that too shallow for me to even blog about? Let us put it this way. Why do you even share it on Facebook in the first place when you are not even excited to get "likes", right? It can be different for other bloggers but honesty is one of my best traits so the heck to those who say *aspiring likes on social media is an illness*. It matters to bloggers. That is how you gauge your engagement with your followers. Simply put - no likes mean no connection. In fact, when I notice that a post doesn't get at least a single like, I delete it. And will just post it again to try. But thank God I have a loyal follower in the initials that come in IDP, who never fails to like each of my post on Facebook or Instagram. Luv yah, girl. You know who you are. *winks*

To get to my point, the quote on the photo says - "You will be too much for some people. Those aren't your people." And I was like, "Ohhhhhh, shocks. This is perfect. This is the best thing the internet has ever told me about blogging." 

Currently | 03

I like how I believe in the strength of words. There is power in words, really. When I told myself in the beginning of the year that I'd blog more this year, facing the Blogger dashboard has not become a chore. It just feels natural to share my thoughts here every now and then. I now feel freer. And what else can I say? My 4th blog anniversary just passed by! Fine, I need to write about my four years here in my tiny space in the cyber universe for posterity but I don't want to force myself and give you a litany of randomness. So instead, let's do a currently.

Currently...

THINKING. Of why some bloggers have to make things so complicated. I know that some of us here make blogging as their bread and butter and that earning from it is so cool (can't think of a better adjective, lol), thus, investing in it is a must. But why is it that when Instagram has announced of changing its algorithms, a lot of bloggers have reacted negatively about it? Instagram is just an extension of a blogger's site so no need to panic as if they will be losing their online life for good. I think they forgot that Instagram is all about community-building. A user has to follow people, like posts and comment to remain relevant. An in-depth explanation about the latest social media shenanigan can be read here. Sure, I loved micro-blogging on IG last year 'cause I was lazy to even turn on the computer but I realized that nothing beats creating content for the blog.  

SEEING. The scratches in my eyeglasses. I need to have its lenses changed asap. No, I want a new pair of specs. I've been eyeing (love the unintended pun) this one. Hope my trusty Hidalgo Street has like that. 

SMELLING. The fragrance of my Marks and Spencer silky talcum powder that I got from an event. I love sweet and saccharine scents for my body. 

HEARING. The silence of 4am.  

TASTING. Nothing, actually. Oh gosh, that makes me crave for sinangag and longganiza! My kumare gave us a kilo of batutay (Nueva Ecija's sweet beef sausage) last week. It's so good, I tell ya. 

TOUCHING. The crazy, getting-bigger lump in my left arm. Huhu. It's gross and thinking of having it taken out scares the hell out of me. I need my mama. 

EXCITED ABOUT. The results of Sophia's examination and interview at the new school. Yes, my husband and I decided to remove her from her current school. The reason why I shall blog about soon. I can't wait to share it with you all. 

HAPPY ABOUT. How steady things are in our domesticity lately. We sold our old car, kept the new and never returned to Uber. My work pays its monthly mortgage. Bebeng's Kitchen is doing fine. I had a few posts boosted on its Facebook page and fortunately, more people have come to known about what my shop has to offer. Having a business has its ups and downs but it's nothing that I can't manage. I don't think I'm in #girlboss levels already but I'm happy to feed my family the delicious food I bought from my hard-earned money while managing our home and raising a girl. 

PRAYING FOR. A beach vacation this summer. 

*Photo from Unsplash

Old and New

A quick hi.

As you may have noticed, I did a merging of my old Bebengisms page and the new Royal Domesticity page. But since the old one has more followers, Facebook chose to keep it. The number of likes merged but sadly, the photos didn't. Huhu. With that said, I'll be reposting photos on the page from my IG in the coming days as to kind of update that part of my cyber home. Please bear with my throwbacks and flashbacks and senti moments, mmkay?

Anyway, the merging of pages symbolizes that I'll be back to my old blogger self but with a new vision for the blog. No, not going back to doing coverage of events one day after another or having a slew of giveaway in a week (please do not unlike, haha). Instead, there will be stories of our simple and small family life that revolve around our dreams, the drama that pops in from time to time, and the delicious food we ate in between dealing with all those. 

No Clever Title: An Occasional Blogger's Year-End Post

Flowing; let it flow. That's what I'll just do with my thoughts here. I want to try harder and write my best as this is my farewell post for this year but the more I plan it, the less I feel about its need. Can we proceed? I have no idea how to do a proper segue now.

This site has given me so much joy and satisfaction. This site made me meet people I won't get to even say hi online. This site tested my character. This site validated my worth at some point. This site has been the extension of what I am and currently doing. If I had been hooked to hosting giveaways, it's because I love what I was doing. If for some I've been a looter and freeloader, it's because I found it fun. If I had been to every event, regardless if it has no relation to my brand, it's because I didn't know then that I shouldn't be doing that. 

After three years, I now know what I want to do with my online life.

In all honesty, I don't care anymore if I don't get invited to events or I don't receive packages after packages of products. It's not too important for me if I won't have sky-rocketing hits from readers. The end-all and be-all of this blog is my happiness. I believe that if I'm happy, the people who'd get to read my posts or see my photos will be influenced with whatever emotion I was conveying. 

So with that, I sincerely thank you if you are reading this. That means, you care for me and my happiness and not just what I can give you. If it's just 50 or 30 or 10 of you who visit my blog whenever I have a new post up, I am grateful for all of you. That means, I still matter. That means, people still read me. It sounds like I'm a hipster or something but it's not in the number of followers, right? Oh well, not if you really wanna be famous and do this professionally. 

Like I said, I'll just let it flow. And right now, nothing's flowing no more. Bye for now.

It's 2016 in a few hours. Happy new year to all of us! xx

*Photo by Unsplash

Currently | 02

Hello! I just got a day off from doing my hefty holiday orders over at Bebeng's Kitchen. I gladly welcomed the rest from dealing with jars galore, garlic, chili, vinegar or shrimp paste. I still didn't literally take a rest, though. I have online work (like right now) and I fixed the kitchen earlier. The girl also has serious school issues that made my and R's head ached badly. My meeting with the school principal didn't turn out well. No sane mother will allow her baby girl to be erred by an aggressive classmate, who keeps on picking on her. More so, to be judged for her sensitive and innocent heart. I felt that she was trying to justify the kid's erring ways.

Anyway, due to lack of latest posts here, I am doing my second randomness of my Currently series. Currently is a blog link-up initiated by Siddathornton. I have been seeing it done by the younger bloggers (ya, not the mom ones) but I only convinced myself to do it when I read this year's current it girl, Maine Mendoza, wrote her own series. Influenced by local showbiz's current it girl, yes. Here was my first. And now, indulge me to bore you with my segregated ramblings below. 

Currently...

THINKING. A lot. It's a mess to get into my brain right now but here are some: My daughter's classmate's behavior. The kid is obviously bullying my child. My kind and brave mini-me came home the other day with a blue marker stain on her shirt! She told me her classmate intentionally blotched it on; it was the same kid who also threw her sharpener just because he felt like it. Someday, as a bullied person myself, I'll share with you all what I've done as a mom to help my child cope with frustrations and anxiety as a result of her classmate's super un-cute antics. I guess, when all sorries have been said. Also, my and R's 5th wedding anniversary is in my thoughts. We'll be attending a wedding on that date so I don't know how we'll be celebrating it with just the two of us.  

CELEBRATING. Speaking of celebrations, I was on a high when our new Samsung with Digital Inverter Technology refrigerator arrived! It's so beautiful. It's dark gray with black accent. It matches my black and stainless La Germania oven. Sweet.  

BUSY WITH. I have a total of 520 jars of my savory sidekicks to cook (have already cooked 1/3 of the number) that I sell over at Bebeng's Kitchen. I'll also bake 42 dozens of oat cookies. Whew. The numbers are overwhelming but it's a happy problem so bring it on, foodies. 

PLAYING. Inside Out Thought Bubbles, y'all! My husband told me to install it. Little did I know, he's now on 100+ level. Kainez. 

READING. Aside from the requests and messages sent our way through the brand I'm working for's Facebook page, online articles about Senator Grace Poe's disqualification and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's electionovela (see what I did there?) were keeping me intellectually stimulated and politically entertained. I don't like that Davao guy. Sorry, not sorry. And I also learned about how elephant families are. Hence, this post's hero photo. I think we're like an elephant family. Not sure, though if my husband will agree that the females in the family are the boss. Hehe.

CRAVING FOR. Taho. So badly.

ANNOUNCING. The winners of my recent giveaway. It's on the previous post so if you joined, go and check if you won! 

Hey, care to give my Facebook page a like before this year ends as Christmas present? Will ya? Mwah! ♥

*Photo from Unsplash

Currently | 01

If you are keen to details, you may have noticed that the blog's look and color have changed. I'm also back to Twitter. Oh, you should follow me! I'm on #AlDub high most of the time. LOL. Clearly, there is an intention to do what I used to do — mainstream blogging and all that jazz. But this time, it's gonna be simpler: I'll bleed thoughts, edit it, and when it's published, I'll share it on Facebook. I might join comment exchange occasionally but I'll make sure it's not gonna eat me and my time like it used to. Sorry if my blog isn't inspiring or helpful or informative. No more series of giveaways, too. I just really wanna keep blogging because I love it. It matters to me. 

Do I matter to you to read this nonsense? I hope. 

OK. Enough of the melodramatics. I'm 31 and I write as if my first puberty hair just popped out yesterday. *rolls eyes* Anyway, let's get down to business.

Currently... 

READING. Tweets of AlDub hashtags. What a loser. Uhh, I just bought a book last month and I still haven't finished started it. Let's see if I can read a page or two, at least, before I sleep. I won't promise.  

LISTENING. Daniela Andrade's covers are ahhhmazing. La Vie En Rose is my favorite. 

THINKING. Espasol. Food again, yes. Secondary would be my girl's school field trip next week. I don't want to go but she has to so I will. Wth, motherhood.  

WATCHING. I got my first pay from my Community Manager job while the husband's home this past weekend. Coincidentally, a really great Filipino movie was shown (still showing, as of this writing) in cinemas. We watched Heneral Luna. I will write my thoughts on the impact of its message to me, soon. In the meantime, you can read my three-points-to-convince-you-to-watch-if-you-havent here. Puñeta! Ang ganda, ang galing. On a daily basis, it's Kalyeserye and Clark and Leah. Yes, mababaw ako. So whut?  

EATING. Fat, I'm getting fat. As much as I hate to see people allowing themselves to be swallowed by their fatness, that's what's happening to me. I don't have enough sleep (9-hour shift at work, house chores all by myself, I'm a mom,) so I resort to eating. I know, I know. It's a lame excuse. But can you blame me? Inihaw na bangus and ginisang munggo with tinapa are to die for.  

HAPPY ABOUT. I work full-time in my ratty, comfy pambahay and I can have my coffee any time I want to. Most of all, there's no need to travel for hours just to be stuck in traffic. Hence, the hero photo from Unsplash.  

WEARING. Maxi dresses are lurve. Something that's comfy to wear at home but decent enough to be worn when running errands. There's also been a silent agreement between me and my getting-older-self to choose black or white or anything basic. Again — I.am.getting.fat.  

LEARNING. My new job as a Community Manager of a multinational food and beverage brand. It made me think of going back to school, take my Masters and eventually teach Communication Trends and Breakthroughs. I got a badass 1.0 on that subject.  

WRITING: This blog post, obviously. I'm also drafting (for the nth time) my contribution for Make it Blissful. The reason why I can't finish it is still a mystery. *crickets, crickets*  

LOVING. My girl's surprising kisses when I'm busy at work. Or my girl calling me from the gate when she arrived from school. Or my girl's cuteness when I tuck her into bed. I love my girl.  

LOOKING FORWARD TO. Pray with me that I'd be able to get a helper soon so I can still do my kusinera duties at Bebeng's Kitchen. I'll be taking Christmas orders as early as next week but I need to present a holiday package to many of those who inquired about it. I need help from a help. 

So there, how about you? What have you been up to lately, currently? If you want to do this thing, too, I hope you'll link it back to me and comment your post so I can check it out. ♥

*Photo from Unsplash

Checking In

The hiatus was intentional. I was not missing at all, I'm still in the circulation. I may have taken a rest from this space but I was all over the messy, happy place that is the cosmic universe. I've been throwing photos taken from this city all the way to my one thousand plus Instagram followers. I've been cooking simple meals at home and sharing its recipes with my followers on Facebook. I pin for sanity or for the girl's upcoming party. Lastly, Twitter has absorbed all the unnecessary one-liner randomness I can think at the moment. Mostly showbiz stuff, not biggie controversies. I know I bid goodbye to the blue bird some months ago but you know, I kinda miss it. Yes, the bird. So I tweet my stupidities when I'm bored. It's not an avenue to showcase intellect, after all. 

I'm not sure how many of my past Bebengisms readers are still here. Just want to say hi and that I miss you. I miss this. I miss us. Whoa, it's like we got into a long romantic relationship that didn't end well! Ugh, too much teleserye. Pangako *coughs* Sa'yo. LOL. Seriously, whenever I'm here, although I know I won't see your reactions, I feel like I have thrown my thoughts in a big box of party where there are people waiting for me; for whatever I have to say. Or so I hope. 

I was daydreaming one day and decided that this blog will be full of stories. No whys, no reasons. 

If there's one thing that makes me crave for this blog more is that I have the freedom to write what I want to write. I can still go and have sponsored posts here (like that of Lysol) but the brands and collaborators are fully aware that my readers will hear my voice and not someone else.

I'd like everyone to know that I am happier now because I am blogging in my terms. 

Indeed, when you stay true to your purpose, whatever it is that you do (in this argument, this blog), blessings, the kind that is rightfully yours, will naturally come your way. It can be gifts from sponsors that you timingly need or a partnership that can put food on the table. But the best blessing I have received because of sticking to my guts was love. 

I felt more love when I promised to be genuine in every thing I say or do -- more love for myself that was forgotten at some point years back, married kind of love from my husband, sweet love from my baby girl, and understanding love from the people who accept me for who I am.

It is love that makes this ordinary blog extraordinary.

Midyear Prologue

Some of you might be wondering why this blog, of a once giveaway guru slash bekimama, has been directed to this plain and ordinary digital compilation of stories. Change happens, it exists; and I am more than glad it did here in my simple cyberhome.

You all knew Bebengisms as my kingdom here in the internet. At some point, I was called Queen B by some of my readers, who I used to call as my royalties. I find and felt nothing wrong with these labels. Like I said in my about me, I am a self-professed domestic queen. It's funny, though that some thought that I was feeling high and mighty upon calling myself as such; when in fact, it meant that I am a modern Cinderella in my own house. I rule here but I'm also a slave. It just happened that I love playing with words, labels even. So one day, I decided to brand myself as that. 

Now, after doing so, many of my virtual audience believed in it that they actually etched in their minds a Martha Stewart prosthetic on my face. I refuted that myth by showing how our royal dwelling usually looks like. Far from the pristine, minimalist houses you see on Pinterest, you began to realize that I live an ordinary life like anybody else. I felt that I am no longer the puny-brained blogger behind the wordy entries, I started to think that I became a friend to anyone who reads my blog.

Raising a Girl

So I posted a link to a YouTube video of a Kai Honasan song on my Facebook page and captioned it with some motherly statements. I then used a hashtag for emphasis, for added oomph. The day went normal for me and my girl - screen time like there's no tomorrow (sorry, too hot to go out), ate together like always and baked cookies for her afternoon activity. Then I posted a photo of her scooping a cookie dough and putting it carefully on the cookie sheet, in top view no less, and used the same hashtag.

The hashtag was #raisingagirl.

Making Bliss and Lovin' It

Have you been in that happiness-beyond-measure moment that you always don't want to end? We call that bliss, right? Guess what? We can choose to stay in that moment, despite life's most challenging situations. It's not easy, to be honest. Sometimes, all you want to do is to rant away and curse and just let your inner Hulk swallow you whole. I was that and more before I met Martine, who we all used to call the Dainty Mom. Yeah, yeah. If you are a reader since I started blogging, you know who she is in my life. She is one of those few, who encouraged me in her own little ways, and unbeknownst to her, how to follow my bliss. When I attended her workshop a year ago, I said that I'm gonna blog my best that year. I did! When she picked me to be on her team of blissmakers, I just didn't contribute articles — I followed and lived my bliss — I started Bebeng's Kitchen on July, joined the WAH Expo on October, and was invited to attend the Blissmakerie. In Martine's words, "it is an event that is a culmination of my lessons this year as I’ve been cultivating the community here at MakeitBlissful.com."

Three Promises for 2015

It's been a week since this year started and I still couldn't figure out how I'll start it over here, until today. I wanted my post to be as welcoming, as clever, as extravagant as possible. It's kinda a trend in the blogging world, you know. But then I thought, I can just be myself and type away! Obviously, that's what I'm doing now. At this point, I have so many things in mind that I can't single out what to share first. Hmm. Let me see. OK. 

See my new header? You like it? Blog's back to its clean and simple look and I'm loving it. I love how photos, mostly Pia's, can put colors on this site. That's one of my blogging promises (to myself and this blog's readers) that I hope I can keep — take better photographs. As a starter, my point and shoot's not kept and its battery's always charged. It's placed somewhere where I can easily grab it whenever I see something photogenic. Second blogging promise would be to never forget to write about our family's special moments, such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, trips and laugh-worthy stories. Down my blogging journey, I knew and felt that apart from sharing with you the life I have and lessons I learned, with the hope of inspiring and helping my readers, this is my online diary. This is where I can easily go back to memories. And I do that especially when I miss my husband or when I think I'm failing this so-called parenting thing. My own past posts are empowering me to go ahead and move along. To stay happy is my third and last promise. It's easier said than done, I know. I also know that I told you before that I will keep it real in this blog. Newsflash! Being real doesn't mean you have to be sad, controversial and too public. 

I'm aware of some people who don't like bloggers, who post nothing but beauty. I get them, totally. In fact, I get jealous of those bloggers. They're gorgeous, they wear the nicest clothes, they eat the finest food and what, they travel a lot. It's easy to say that maybe when you strip off their signatured clothes, they are actually miserable people at home. That's judging and it's not right. Perhaps, these bloggers only want to share sweet vibes with their readers. And I'd love to take that road where they traveled. You see, the more you post negativity, the more you attract toxic people hiding behind animosity. Sure, it makes one feel she's reached that certain level of fame when she gets to receive haters' comments. Oh well. I'd rather be a nobody than piss people off, really. At this phase, I'm not craving for attention anymore. I don't need too many friends. I'm fine with spa dates and practical gifts. Gone are those days of pretense and fake satisfaction. I can count my friends with my fingers (in one hand?) but I know I can count on them. Cheers if I can count on you. That means we're friends.

Happy 2015! But wait, as my royal reader, what do you want to read and see here?

The Little Bebeng is in Mommy Shorts!

I'm an extremist. When I want something, I make sure that I'd get it no matter what it takes. Kinda sound like I'm a brat, no? Well, when I was younger, I don't take no as an answer. Ha! Guess what, this little terrorist surely knows that, too. She really is her mother's daughter. LOL.

My then three-year-old terrorizing toddler

And speaking of being an extremist — when I like someone, I show it. I do the "PDA stuff" by existing, by communicating, by stalking, by supporting, by being there all.the.freaking.time. You see, in my journey as a regular mom blogger, I became a fan of really famous mom bloggers; not just those who think they are ha! As in like, NYC-based-who-reply-to-her-followers-and-earning-from-her-blog-kind-of-famous. I'm talking about Mommy Shorts. Try to read one post and you'll understand why I like her.

Two Women

Oh why, hello there.

To you who comes here often to check if I have a new entry, big hug! Thank you for not getting tired of me, for sticking around despite my sweet shortcomings. Do you know how many times I have been on hiatus? I've lost count, really. I sometimes wonder if there's a cure to this — this some kind of a disease that enveloped me these past few weeks. No, I'm not sick or anything. I just got really, really lazy to even go to my Blogger dashboard and check the pending comments. I actually wanted to quit.

Say what?!

MARTINE. It is true when my blog and writing mentor, Martine, said that our blogs must be connected to how we live our lives. OK. A little honesty here — I've gone through a crisis. Let's say, life slapped me with a harsh reality. So instead of just sulking in sorrow, I tried to solve the problem. The solution had something to do with a start of a new beginning and that new beginning includes an end. Did you get it? You see the connection between that and this? Whatever it is that you're thinking of right now, let it be. What's important is, I'm back. I.am.so.freakin'.back.

How will I not be inspired to go back to my cyber kingdom and bleed words again? See ladies, Martine gave me a Ree Drummond book! *virtual chest pop a la Maja Salvador lol* Wow, just wow. I felt like I'm on chocolate dextrose when I opened the package last Thursday. The Pioneer Woman is one of my favorite kitchen goddesses since I started my blogging journey two years ago, and to have her book is like cooking her food in Oklahoma, without smelling the manure-infested air.

Writing is My Bliss

So my dream to own and manage a food business is slowly coming true. When I made Bebeng's Kitchen happen, leaving my life as a "storyteller" has never occurred to me. I just took some rest to give way for my other passion that is food, that is cooking, that is fulfilling a basic need. Writing may now come second after my love for the kitchen but I think, I am still a writer.

Thanks to Martine for inviting me to write for Make it Blissful. Whenever I get to see my article published on her beautiful e-zine, it thrills me to bits. As of this post, I already have three blissful write-ups about food and relationships (See how they can be connected? Amazing!).

Blissmakers Tea Time at La Creperie, New Manila

I used to complain a lot about how things happened in my life. I used to rant almost every day in social media. I used to allow negative people to completely affect me. I used to block blessings because I was a bitch like that. All these had changed when I decided to make my real and royal life blissful. 

Four Tips for New and Aspiring Bloggers

One day, my cousin Camille of Lollies and Lipsticks told me she'll seriously blog. I can't remember how it started but we just found ourselves in the park of their neighborhood and doing a pseudo-blog mentoring. Since it was technically my first, I was random and rambling and well, real. I told her how I felt about other mommy bloggers, why I sometimes don't blog, what makes me want to go to blog events and what kept me going. If you religiously read my isms, I'm sure you'll be a bit shocked to know that some of the revelations that I disclosed during that time are hidden on my posts. You see, this may be a virtual representation of my passions, life and how I live it, but really, it's not the end all and be all of who I really am. There are things I think are better left unsaid as it can break me or other people. Like what I always say, it's just a quark of my royal universe. 

Wait. Where is this going?