Ilocos Escapades: VIGAN CITY

Time spent away from any screen of sorts is time spent wisely. Trust me. Because that's the time when you become more alive. So during the holidays, I decided to give my loved one the best gift I can think of, that is being present. I believe that time can be one of the most precious gift one can give because it is something you can never get back.

Okay, now, I'm not quite sure if that intro has anything to do with today's post. Well, I'm hoping it would somehow make sense. Today, I will be writing about our trip to Ilocos last month. I don't want to dump everything in one post so I decided to make this a travel series (or sort of like that).

Things to Do in Your Spare Time

With the Bar Exams over, we now have a lot of time to spare. It's like freedom for us. And since I practically have all the time in the world to do everything and anything, that is until I find a job (which is hopefully soon), I made a list of things that will keep my jobless self busy for a while.

Catch up on your TV series

During our review, we missed a lot (almost the whole season) of our favorite shows. So after the bar, the first thing B did was to download all the episodes we've missed. And then we had a series marathon until our eyes bled. Haha

Update your resume and Find a Job

Why? Because we've all got bills to pay, right? While taking a little break or vacation while we await the results of our exam sounds so tempting, it's about time to up our adult game. Hello reality! Yesterday, I took an exam for a possible employment and I'm hoping to hear from them before Christmas.

Update your blog

Due to being overly busy brought about by law school and the review, I admit I have neglected this blog a few times or so. But despite such shortcomings, I still refuse to give up this blog for some reasons. This blog was my escape from the crazies of law school and now that I have time in my hands, I'll try to be more active as  I can. Currently, I am going back to each and every post, salvaging those broken photos, and sending back to drafts those posts that I think shouldn't have been published in the first place.

Learn a new recipe

I'm thinking maybe a no- bake cheesecake? Christmas is just a few days away. And here in the Philippines, Christmas is a time for families to get together and catch up with life over food and drinks. This year would be a little special for our family because my grandmother and aunts would be coming home for the holidays. It will be nice to prepare something for them.

Find a new hobby
Like an adult coloring book, maybe? I know I'm a bit late on this, but I only got my freedom back remember? Thank you to my generous sister for getting me colored pencils. I just realized it's not that easy as those you do in art class back in grade school, I can't even finish a page in one day! But it's still a good way to pass the time.

Go some place new
I have always loved going places, more so the places I haven't been to before. I don't even mind long drives, in fact, I enjoy long drives. I like appreciating the sceneries on the road. There's always a thrill in being in a new place and learning about its history. This year, I volunteered to plan the holiday trip for the family. I almost gave up at first, but I'm happy to say that our trip is pushing thru.

Read a new book
Haven't we had enough reading during our review, you may ask. Yes, but that's all law stuff. So now that I'm done with law stuff, I figured I'd go back to one of my first love, that is reading fiction novels and short stories. I have a downloaded a copy of Grey from a few months back, but which I haven't really had the chance to finish. Currently, it is still sitting in my reader waiting to be read.

Fix your playlist
I've been meaning to do this, really. But I realized that I have little or no patience when it comes to organizing playlists. I give up after 5 minutes! So I just let B do the fixing. Haha. And when he's into it, he's into it. No one can disturb him.

Daydream

Because, why not? Heck, you can dream all you want, it's free for all. These days, most of the things I daydream about is the future. The future can be scary and exciting at the same time.

There, this is what keeps me (us) busy these days. If you have any suggestions on things you do during your spare time, by all means put it in the comments. I would be very happy to add them on my to- do list.

Be Brave Love Deeply Shine Brighter

Well hello all, I'm happy to be back. This will be my first entry after we hurdled one of the toughest licensure exams in the country.

As soon as September hit the calendars I started scouting a planner for myself for 2016. Why? Because it's never too early to prepare for the new year ahead of us! It was a tough choice between one datebook and the Belle de Jour Power Planner. For one, both planners are really cute. Both also reflect my style and each has a unique feature of its own. Having considered all circumstances, I decided to go with the latter, because it's more affordable. Who knows, maybe I'll go for the other one in 2017, when I already have a stable job, and income for that matter. But for now, I went with the smarter choice.

I chose the power planner in leather. The cover is so sleek, by the way. Plus, I love the motto on the cover too. It's pretty on point, agree? It retails for Php 680, but since I ordered it days after it was released, I got it on sale for Php 600. I was surprised by how fast my parcel arrived because it was already on our doorsteps in less than 24 hours.

My favorite features of the planner were the pages for your 2016 goals and the whole spread of the Dream board. With it, I can easily visualize my goals for next year and what I want to achieve in life. It also gives me something concrete to look back to during the times I will feel lost. As of now, I have already started jotting down on these pages and hopefully will be able to fill them up before 2015 ends.

Of course it came with the BDJ 2016 Lifestyle Card which entitles the holder to discounts from partner establishments. That, is besides a number of coupons included in the booklet too. With it, the possibilities are endless!

I know I made the smarter choice because I was even able to get one for my sister too, as a gift this Christmas. Am I a good sister or what? I know. *pats myself on the back*

If you want one for yourself too or maybe as a gift to your friends this Christmas you can visit their website, and choose from their planners the one which best suits you. I think they still sell at a discounted price. Now this is a way to jump start the new year!