I remembered today that I had a Prime Video subscription that was still ongoing, and so I went and unsubscribed my account. Unfortunately, I found out that the renewal date was just yesterday so I got charged again for a month's worth of subscription. Oh well, I might as well check out some of the titles that are available in that streaming platform, and this was where I saw Chemical Hearts. I guess it's your typical teenage love movie (spoiler: it didn't end in a fairytale way), but it's a kind of a transition point in a young person's life wherein innocence is lost because of exp ..read more

This book is another one of my discoveries in the Kindle Unlimited library. I have been seeing the term "somatic" in terms of yoga exercises in my Instagram ads, and so I got curious what this really means. And so, upon a quick search in the Kindle library, I found this book, which I chose to borrow to learn more about the topic. It was a nice read, very introspective. I was reminded of lessons that I already knew, but needed some reminding. The concepts that the book teaches overlap with the holistic wellness that I have learned in other wellness fields, and I am grateful to have stumbled ..read more

I've been wanting to do another tarot session using the Phantom Wise Tarot deck (of which I recently purchased online). This deck consists of 78 cards based from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, each adorned with paintings crafted by Erin herself. It's been some time since I last delved into a tarot spread. However, perhaps sparked by the recent total solar eclipse, I felt the pull to consult the cards again. Or maybe I just found myself at a juncture wherein I'm craving for deeper connection with my inner voice, because it has been chaotic inside my mind. ? My usual tarot rit ..read more

This is a new method of setting goals that I learned from Ali Abdaal's Feel-Good Productivity book. I am excited to apply this for my goal setting process moving forward! ?WORK Mission. Volunteer for a cause (blood-donation + Red Cross training) Why is it important? This will give me a sense of fulfillment because I am giving back to the community Actionable Items: Add to calendar the scheduled activity  Research and inform myself about these activities Document on the blog my experience and learnings How to track progress: N/A (one-time tasks) Money. Process reimbursements Wh ..read more

It's better late than never! I just published a new podcast episode discussing the results of my goals set for Q4 2023. As an overview, here are the results: ? Career - prepare and execute the purpose of the trip ? Financial - be closer in my goal of having my own place ? Personal Development - continue Toastmasters ? Spiritual - deepen my mindfulness rituals ? Educational - pick up trainings ? Relationship - establish boundaries ? Physical and Health -  cut off habits that no longer serve me 5/7 Finished! Wohoo! ? ~o~ Legend: ? Finished ? Aborted ..read more

The Celestial Kingdom Duology, authored by Sue Lynn Tan, is composed of two books, entitled Daughter of the Moon Goddess (book #1) and Heart of the Sun Warrior (book #2). Both books were published in 2022. Daughter of the Moon Goddess was included in the Goodreads Choice Awards for that year, nominated for Best Fantasy and Best Debut Novel. Both books are set in the Celestial Kingdom world, with Xingyin as the heroine of the story. She is the daughter of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, and both books follow her adventures around the Celestial Kingdom. Xingyin resides on the moon with her ..read more

Since being introduced to the magical world of Kindle reading, I just could not get enough of it. As a bookworm (I've been doing Goodreads book challenges since 2013), I just love the adventure of being lost inside a book, and it just became more convenient, now that I have a Kindle. I have mentioned on the blog before how I was so enthralled by this reading device. There were lots of choices of titles and materials on the Kindle online library. I can browse for titles of my next read on the Kindle itself or search via an online browser. It’s so convenient — with just a few clicks, I ea ..read more

The sky was a beautiful hue of blue that day, and the setting moon was still visible in the horizon. On this peaceful day, we laid to rest one of the most generous souls I know. It's a very curious thing how certain experiences change our lives permanently. The world, as we see it, changes drastically before and after that event. One of those events is experiencing death. Witnessing death in the Harry Potter wizarding world results in one having the ability to see thestrals. It's a taboo, even in that magical world, and every witch and wizard that realizes that they can now see the ..read more

Photo taken at Shirakawa-go, Japan I just came back from a two-week international trip with friends, and since coming back, I was just feeling overwhelmed and all over the place. I felt restless, and I was losing interest in everything. It was a sign that I was entering a slump phase again. I tried to confront these feelings. I tried journaling, but I couldn't seem to find the words to truly express what I was feeling. ? And then slowly, things started to become clearer. I have realized that I was not feeling grounded, because during those days of the trip, I wasn't able to listen t ..read more

It's been a while since I got hooked reading a novel. I thought this was because of my shortening attention span (due all the doom scrolling that I have done on social media ?). However, I realized it just depends on the material that I am reading. In this case, I was able to finish three books in a matter of weeks. That says something about how good the series is. I'm referring to the "Shadow & Bones" trilogy, written by Leigh Bardugo. The series has been picked up by Netflix and created two seasons for the adaptation of the novel.  I have first encountered the Grishaverse (as the ..read more