Yesterday morning, before the trip to the farm, Mahal and I had a talk. I told him I was feeling overwhelmed with everything that’s been going on. We are still in the beginning stages of the farm even if it’s already been more than a year since we started setting it up. That’s coz farming is so dependent on the weather, the availability of “ingredients” for the mushroom fruiting bags, the people we hire and fire, the availability of water in the natural spring, etc. We haven’t yet really fully set it up, and we’re already thinking of setting up another business in Oslob — a bar — to complement their existing mini resort, Oslob New Village…
Author: MomTraNeur
VLOG – Envizion PH Summer Night – When ESL Teachers Get to Party in CDO
As promised, here’s a Vlog I made about that summer night I attended an Envizion PH party in Cagayan de Oro. You can watch it here below or head to my Youtube Channel. I hope you can subscribe! ^_^
Watch out for my next summer blog post! Til then!
Envizion PH Summer Night
How’s your summer so far? Having a blast? I hope so! As for me, so many things have happened the last couple of weeks from summer parties to eco advocacies (in celebration of the recently culminated Earth Week), to surprise trips, to farm activities, and more! and I am giving myself an ultimatum of sharing them all with you until this coming week. So watch out for a series of back-to-back blog posts and vlogs!
Speaking of summer parties, I had the pleasure of attending Envizion Philippines, Inc.’s Summer Party last April 13, 2019, held at De Oro Sagatech Resort in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City and I had so much fun. It allowed me to take a peek at their culture and how this company really makes it a point to make sure that their employees not only work hard but have the best fun as well. Who wouldn’t want to work for a company like this, right?
Experience the New Boracay – a VLOG – Check it Out!
In case you haven’t been to the “new” Boracay and you’re planning to visit, here’s what you need to know…
Head to my previous blog post for all the juicy details. You would want to be in the know, trust me!
I’ve also just published a related Boracay VLOG so you can see all the related video snippets we took during our stay. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/71tIac5KS_4
Or you can watch it here…
Do subscribe if you find it helpful.
That’s all for now! More posts about travel tips soon. I’ll be in touch. 🙂
Boracay 2019 – What’s New? Here are the Dos’ and Don’ts, Updated List of Authorized and Accredited Hotels, Government Fees, and More!
Mahal, Tuz and I have just spent 16 days and 15 nights in Boracay and boy, oh, boy, were we so glad we finally visited this paradise I consider one of my second homes! (Siargao and Oslob are the other two).
Here’s a little background on how Boracay became my second home: https://wp.me/p7jAsu-pa
If you were like me who haven’t been to Boracay right after it opened again last October 26, 2018, there are a few important things you might need to know before visiting this paradise again. After all, Boracay is touted to be the best island in the world according to the following:
Gulf News –
“Boracay landed the first place in Conde Nast’s “Best Island in the World” category, while “Cebu and Visayan Islands” and Palawan ranked second and third place, respectively.” – https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/philippines/its-official-worlds-top-3-best-islands-are-in-philippines-1.2177580
Top 2 in Asia according to 2018 Readers’ Choice Award –
“The aptly named White Beach is Boracay’s main draw, with powdery white sand and shallow azure water ideal for swimming and snorkeling.” – https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-10-20/top-30-islands-in-the-world-readers-choice-awards-2014
Connected Women Global Meetup in Cagayan de Oro
The world just celebrated International Women’s Day last March 8 and the days leading to that… well, ramdam ko lang talaga pagiging babae ko, lol! The last week has been such a roller coaster of a ride for me that I think I need a break… a long one if possible! Unknowingly, I was about to have my period (mine is irregular so unless I take contraceptive pills which I stopped more than a year ago, I will never really know when my next period will come, hence, my emotions going haywire whenever it’s about to happen) so you can just imagine how every little thing ticked me off and every little thing blowing out of proportion from March 1-8, in my personal life at least. In terms of work, it amazes me how I can still function and do my best in serving my clients. Kudos, really, to women out there! Being a woman, a 41-year-old mother to a 3-year-old toddler at that, who also works full-time and provides for her family, is one tough job to beat! (Yes, I am patting my back and yours as well. It’s our month after all!)
Anyway, now that I have my period, I can relax, sort of, and just focus on what needs to be done and there are a lot. Aside from work and a ton of laundry (lol!), I want to update my blog and share with you an event I attended last February 27 here in Cagayan de Oro City, which, in my own small way, has been how I welcomed the upcoming International Women’s Month at that time. And yes, I watched Captain Marvel recently too. But that’s another story.
This year is truly becoming a year of firsts for me. I normally don’t go to events because of lack of time and energy. But in the pursuit of personal development, I want to start going out of my comfort zone again. Hence, my decision to attend a Connected Women Global Meetup.
Suffice it to say that I learned a lot. And in case you are a social marketer, or a digital nomad, or a digital entrepreneur like me, or are interested in becoming one, then read on. I will list down below the things I learned from this experience where you might learn something new too: Continue reading
The Jonas Brothers Are Back!!! I’m a Big Fan Here!!! (IT’S ALL COMING BACK, IT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW…)
So…. since I found out the other day that the Jonas Brothers are back together and just released their new single SUCKER, I am over the moon!!!! I’ve been listening to all their songs again, over and over and over and over… (you get the picture, lol).
I know, I know, I know. I’m 41 years old, I’m a mom of a young toddler, but whatever!!! I’ve followed them since their early years and I’ve been watching on repeat their teen TV series JONAS, and their movie with Demi Lovato CAMP ROCK all throughout my 30’s! OMG! I bought all their CD albums and I just love them! I’m having goosebumps!!! I seldom admire artists but for some reason I really love them!!! Joe Jonas has always been my favorite, but, OMG, Nick Jonas has gotten so much more of a hunk over the years! Kevin is always charming. And boy do I also love Sansa, este, Sophie Turner (Can’t wait for the final season of Game of Thrones on April 14!!!) Continue reading
How to Travel with a 3-Year-Old Kid (A 2018 Travel Recap)
It’s March 1 already? How time really flies when you’re oh so busy and enjoying life’s ups and downs! I can’t believe that summer is here (despite the cool weather we’ve been having, which I’m grateful for, less use of air conditioning at home, lol) and it’s again time to head to the beach and travel some more! Actually, we’ve been heading to the beach since the start of the year (you can read a bit of background here): but of course, it’s a lot more fun when done during summer. Weather’s about to get hot (hopefully!) and perfect for the beach; Vacation from school is coming up for many students; and the Holy Week (April 14-21) seems to be just around the corner which means more holiday break for Filipino working parents. Whether you spend it at home, or visit churches, or explore places you’ve always dreamed of, summer is really the peak of travel activities in the Philippines and for some, it starts today. As I look back at the places we’ve traveled to in 2018, you might also get some ideas on where to go next.
Writing about how to travel with a baby / how to travel with a toddler has now become my tradition since I started this Momtraneur blog. It makes me look back with fondness at the previous year’s travel adventures we’ve had as a family and it makes me all the more excited to explore some more places we’ve never been to before or go back to our favorite destinations because they’ve simply become our second and third homes. It’s also a reminder for me to blog about those places we visited so expect more travel posts from me soon. I’m serious this time. This is also the 3rd gratitude post I was talking about in my Jan. 6 blog post – A LOOK BACK AT 2018… GRATEFUL FOR THE YEAR THAT WAS.
Moreover, it’s been different every year since our son, Tuz, was born. Traveling with a 0-1-year-old baby has been a little different from traveling with a 1-2-year-old baby, more so now that he’s three years old! Tuz has always been a hyperactive child and he just gets more and more hyperactive every single year! God help us! (Lol)
So without further ado, here’s how you can travel peacefully and happily with a three year-old-kid in tow: Continue reading
After the Storm Comes the Rainbow (I’m Back and Feeling Better Than Ever!)
Each year, it has always been my goal to write more, journal my thoughts and feelings more, and share my life on my blog. My blogs (both old and new) have always been my alter ego, my memory bank, my soul. I’m a loner. I’m an introvert. I have very few quality friends by choice and even in my young adult years as I was surrounded by so many friends and colleagues, I really didn’t open up much except to a chosen few. So blogging, for me, is very personal. Having said that, I can say that my blog has become my sounding board, my confidant, my best friend (apart from Mahal of course) and I am quite happy about it. My blog is just always here to listen to my woes, adventures, and excitements and it doesn’t judge. It just is… even when I don’t get to update it as much as I would like to. But when I do, like right now, it can be very cathartic. And if you happen to visit and read my blog, thank you. I appreciate it. I hope it wasn’t a waste of your time and you get something good out of it somehow. You can check out my self-help posts, I find them the most helpful if you’re not into purely travel and lifestyle posts.
I mostly blog for myself, partly because I easily forget things I’ve experienced, lol. No, really, it’s true! Whenever people would ask me, where to go or what to do in this place, etc., my first mental reply would be “Visit my blog coz I’ve already forgotten!” or my mind would automatically go “Shit, I need to check my blog coz I think I’ve already written about it.” LOL! Aside from documenting my experiences through photos, I’ve accumulated through the years, it’s still better to always have organized documentation of my experiences through my blog. At least other people who happen to drop by can get some information they need or some sort of inspiration when they need to. And whenever I need the same, I can always go back to my old blog posts.
However, whenever I feel down, exhausted, overworked or depressed, which I’ve been feeling since the second week of January… (first week was super fun since we were still on a Christmas and New Year high!), I find it hard to write. I am simply overcome with not-so-good emotions and it takes a while for me to get back on track. This is because whenever that happens, I’d go into survival mode and whatever positive energy I have left in me (if there is still some left), I would spend it on my main priorities which are my family and my work. I still want to be the best mother I can be for Tuz, the best partner I can be for Mahal, the best I can be for my clients. Everything else has to wait its turn based on its relative importance.
That’s what happened to me this first two months of the year, hence, my absence here and on my Facebook page and other social media accounts. To summarize: Continue reading
A Look Back at 2018… Grateful for the Year that Was
I am just full of gratitude these days. Aren’t you? And why shouldn’t we? Being able to wake up every day, be with our family and do meaningful work are actually more than enough to thank God for this wonderful gift of life He has given us. This is why my previous post was all about gratitude, for allowing me to have a career in the online world and live a dream lifestyle that I have chosen since retiring from government service in December 2007. This post will also be about gratitude as I look back to all the previous year’s blessings. And I believe, I have one more gratitude post to write after this. My heart is just brimming with joy that I need to express all of them before I burst out of utter bliss. ❤
Before I look back at 2018 though, I want to look back at the last 3 years since we’ve had Tuz.
In a nutshell… Continue reading
Attitude of Gratitude: A Decade of VA Life
It’s nearing the end of the year and as I was looking back at the events that transpired this year, it made me look even further back… back to when I was still struggling in the corporate world, doing a job I wasn’t happy with, like many people do, with all the commute, traffic, office politics, and stress that come with it. And I thank God for that fateful day as I was drowning while surfing the huge waves of La Union back in Dec. 16, 2007. Right then and there I told God that “should I survive these huge waves, Lord, I will quit my job and finally do what I wanted to do — be free”. And that’s what I did the next day! And I never looked back. Even my million peso retirement was not processed by me… someone else did because I didn’t want to even physically go back to my old workplace out of the emotional and mental trauma it caused me. When I say no to something, I really mean it. I didn’t want to be persuaded otherwise.
This was me ten years ago when I posted about doing freelance work for my very first VA client: Continue reading