An Affair with Mr John Green

You can find me in Instagram: rushingforbagels

It's been quite some time since I wrote a decent blog post for this year. Things happened and I just wasn't in the mood to write. I appreciate though a nice comment from a person at work who encouraged me to blog a post again just because the s/he thinks I have a gift with writing. It's nice to know that from someone I respect and look up to. So here I am. I dragged myself out of my peaceful sleep and wake up to a sunny Saturday to come back to you all and write something.

..and also in Twitter: @rushforbagels

If you have read all my tweets from two weeks ago, I was (and still is) in love with this great guy, John Green. When I read, I just read and I rarely check out other books by the same author unless that author really made me want to spend for his or her book again. And JG did.

There's a centralized theme in his books, I figured--the search for something. People spend life looking for that certain thing that we think would make our lives complete, that would make us happier, that would improve our way of living in such a way that we will forget we ever lived differently. We are searching for answers and dreams.

Sometimes, the act of looking for the good stuff IS the good stuff. You will learn so much about yourself in that journey for your happiness. It makes you realize whether the happiness you seek is the real one that you really want for yourself. Is it fed on you by society? Do you think it will make you complete just because some magazine told you it will? We are all hungry for direction that we take anything we can get from the people and things around us.

I was not a witness to the cruelty in the world.. But I have my share of disappointments and unpleasant experiences. From all those that happened to me, I learned that there's only one person who can answer the question "What makes you happy?" Guess who that person is. Not some psychic. Not even the Buddha. YOU. It's you. You're all what you need to know where your heart lies.

That's what I learned from JG's books too. He writes heartwarming stories that will make you want for more. His books are light reads but it keeps you thinking after finishing the last page. The constant thought of being one of his characters stays with me that living vicariously through the people he create became an entertainment for me.

Here are the books I enjoyed reading:
An Abundance of Katherines
Looking for Alaska
The Fault in Our Stars
Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Call me, Mrs Jones

Sunday is my new Friday.

It's my favorite day just because I get to spend the whole day with my family. Once you stay out of the house for more than 10 hours everyday, you get to appreciate family time more and more. Nothing beats good old mom and dad.. and of course, the obnoxious little bro. Tradition and routine is our specialty. We don't usually like adventure (thus my hesitation to camping and other uncomfortable activities). Planning ahead and being comfortable is our thing. That previous sentence actually sounded like our family = boring but promise, it's not.

We're a loud family. We speak our minds and we make kwento of the small details of our lives while we eat. Well, that typically leads to almost an hour of sitting and munching on some yummy meals. Dad wants to treat us to something new every Sunday so I try to document the special (and most delicious) ones. I don't always get to take photos because I become so hangry (hungry + angry) and I indulge in the food once it's placed on the table. But this time, I thought a 10-20 second wait is worth it just to have some evidence of my fantastic food trip.

Welcome to Mr. Jones!

It's probably the best American place I ever had the pleasure to dine in. I am loving the interior that screams 1980's American classic. It's not a fancy shmancy restaurant but it's got spunk. The sunlight shines through the whole restaurant from the glass wall. It's one of those places where the ambiance is just easy and fun. You can not easily find a bad thing about Mr Jones. It's clean and open and sunny. You can just tell from how the kitchen is exposed to the dining area. A single uninvited rodent or dirt will easily be noticed. But no, Mr Jones' kitchen is clean as a cat (the analogy just sounded right).

It's the part of the post where I will make you hungry. If I can marry Mr Jones and have all of what's in their menu, I definitely will! Their french fries are not only French. It has melted cheese, bits of steak, POTATOES! Wow, right? Every forkful of fries is a surprise. You don't know which other extra ingredient is in that fork. It has a very distinct taste that is almost addictive.

To balance your taste buds, the milkshake my brother got is the perfect palate cleanser. It's so.. well, milky. I appreciate that they don't waste anything since they also provide an extra glass for the part of your milkshake. It's like they make it in an amount where one huge glass can't contain it. So there's a part 2!

The mac n cheese made me forget my name. It's cheesy, and it had a lot of different kinds of pasta. Another surprising dish, really. Like the fries where every forkful is a fantastic shock, the mac n cheese is a combination of macaroni and other kinds of noodles that I forgot what they're called. I don't know how they mix their cheeses but it's phenomenal. Words cannot fathom just how yummy their cheese is.

The burgers are big and will fill an American man. Perfectly cooked and paired with simple fries. They don't scrimp in quality here. You ordered a burger, you'll get a BURGER! :)

Next time you're in Greenbelt, go straight to Mr Jones. It's in Greenbelt 3, the line of restos outside the mall. You'll love it, I swear. (If you don't, I'll personally treat you to lunch and force cheesy goodness to your suspicious tummy. I'm demanding like that. :D) I know it sounds expensive since it's located in a row of expensive restos, but this one is definitely worth your hundred bucks. It's not overpriced (price range: 300-500/meal) but it's over-delish! Head over there now. :)

Make things a little bit better

After a tiring day at work, I usually just zombie walk my way through the night by praying, reading and watching whatever sitcom is available on air. It's becoming a routine to me now. Sometimes I wonder why that kind of routine became my life. Last year was more colorful, less dull. The fact that I'm acknowledging it know is a way of acceptance. Acceptance comes with wanting to change things for the better. One day won't do it so let me share videos of my new favorite youtube channel--A Little Bit Better With Keri Glassman. It helps me improve my life in itty bitty ways that make a difference.

Easy how-to on DIY pillows

Hello Rushing for Bagels readers! I'm Tabetha from The Closet Intellectual & I am so excited to be guest posting this week.  When Charlene suggested I do a how-to post I knew just what I wanted to share-- & I've got a giveaway for you too {who doesn't love goodies after all??}.   I want to show you how to make a personalized sachet.  I made them for a party we had over the holidays-- we gave them to our guests as party favors & they were a real hit.   Okay, on to the supply list~* You'll need some solid color muslin or linen {I picked up a few yards of natural muslin},  fabric for the back of the sachet {you can use the muslin too, I just like the way using a patterned fabric looks}, coordinating embroidery floss, scissors, craft/embroidery needles, an embroidery hoop, some polyfil stuffing & some dried lavender or other sachet filler.  Supplies are available on Amazon {I've included some links}, or any craft/fabric/super store.  You can sew the sachet by hand or with a machine, no worries~*   

After you put the muslin in the embroidery hoop, its time to create your pattern.  Again, super easy.  Some folks suggest using a water soluble pencil for this next part, but I've found a regular pencil to work just fine-- the thread covers up the pencil marks. For party favors I simply wrote the first letter of each guest's first name.  For this how-to, I wrote a whole phrase.

If you have the time, the help & a reasonably sized guest list, this would be an adorable wedding favor {just imagine it with your names & the date, or a pertinent line from your vows...too sweet}. Anyway. I taught myself some basic stitches using this great site {say what you want about Martha Stewart, the woman knows her crafts}.  I found that using the chain stitch on the straight lines, the stem stitch when the lines curve & the satin stitch to fill in details {like the heart in my design} work just wonderfully & both are very simple. Embroidery floss comes 6-stranded, but 3 strands is much easier to work with.  Splitting the thread is simple-- just fan out the threads 3 on one side, 3 on the other, and gently pull.

Thread the needle, leaving a "tail" 3-4 inches long.  You don't have to knot the end, but you can if you like!  Now put on a good movie, or a TV series you want to catch up on & start sewing~*

Once you've gotten it embroidered, remove the muslin from the hoop & gently press it flat.  I decided to add a ribbon before sewing the sachet, so that I can hang it on a hanger in my closet.

Obvious statement: make sure you leave an opening on the bottom so that you can turn the sachet outside right & add the lavender & stuffing!

Add pinches of lavender mixed with the polyfil-- a little lavender actually goes a long way!  When it is stuffed to your satisfaction, sew it closed using the blanket stitch {also available on the site I included for the embroidery stitches}.

And voila!  You have a sachet!

Now for the giveaway! I'm offering one lucky winner the choice of either a large size {aproximately 8x8 inches} lavender sachet with a short phrase of your choice OR 3 small sachets {aproximately 4x4 inches} with a single letter on each!

I'll even try to match your preferred colors for the embroidery!

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Thanks for reading Rushing for Bagels friends & good luck on the giveaway!!

A treat for the weekend

Going inside home decor stores in the malls make me so warm and giddy inside.

I always thought of myself as a home maker, so interior decoration with a frugal twist is one of my life's passions.

I am attracted to simplistic and minimalistic patterns and designs.

I went with the family to Dimensione to buy a few laundry containers that also double as seats in my bedroom.

Almost all of their products have multiple uses, save space, and comes in a variety of colors. Many of the things in our house comes from D so I really love it here.

Before sending you off for an awesome Sunday, let me give you something to enjoy with.

Meet Julie from Smart Savvy Mama. She is a swap buddy of mine and is very generous to offer 2 months of ad space on her blog.

If you're on the lookout for great online and in store deals, you should definitely visit her now. She does product reviews and tons of giveaways too.

I asked her what inspires her. She told me,

"Finding AMAZING Deals! Last week at Kohl's, I found a super cute baby dress with matching bloomers. Originally $34 on clearance for just a little over $2 and that didn't include my 20% off coupon! Also kinda in love with the 90% clearance holiday section at Target. Scored some amazing stuff this past weekend."

Awesome, right?

Now for the treat! :)

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Be in on a secret

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Today is a happy day for me. The start of the year was hard personally.. But it's turning a new leaf now and I know it has nowhere to go but up. The challenges in my life remind me of how blessed I am and how strong prayer is.

Since it's a good day, I have more fuel to write my posts and continue making this blog grow. Everyone has their days when you just cannot write anything coherent because of problems at home, personal issues, or just a mood. It's okay though. I appreciate how honest I can be here and how supportive the blogging community is. It's a gift.

I am doing my second Secret Subject Swap today! Remember the first one? This is equally fun! My prompt is from 3 Monkeys and a Martini. Miss Martini asked me "What is your most prized possession and why?"

Aside from my ever loved ipad mini and phone, there is really one thing that I value most in the world. It's not actually seen or touched but felt. It would be friendship. The past few days, I have been tackling some serious issues and it is not easy. Everyday was a struggle and I usually pray every now and then for strength. But the good thing from what happened was I discovered who my real friends are.

That person who hugged you because she knows you needed support. She did not ask me the details of my grief. She just made her presence known---which is what I exactly needed that time.

That person who sent me a Facebook message telling me everyone loves me and that God is always with me.

That person who sent me text messages, asking me how I am and just reconnecting, out of the blue. The best friendships are the ones when you can connect again after a long time of not talking.

That person who asks you if you want to go out or do other stuff just to forget your problems.

That person who, with a few words, encouraged and empowered you a lot that it changed your life.

That person who covers for you at work and tells you to not worry about work for awhile.

Friendship, I realize now, is really precious and it makes me feel loved when I needed it most.

To start your day right, check out this feature by my friend, Helen!

You'd want to get on clicking

Yes, I'm with a real person in the photo above

My makeup collection is really boring. I'm planning to add a few more stuff in. I'm still researching on hypoallergenic makeup so as not to defeat the purpose of beauty by getting allergies when wearing cosmetics. Any ideas on nice hypoallergenic brands?

My family does not get dressed up very often. I myself lack the passion for fashion to really be ready to take photos of myself everyday for a blog. But if I were to choose my current crush of a color combo this week, it's this gold and white mixture. I love how the white tones down the glitter of the gold without removing the glamour.

During the 11-day vacation I very much needed and got the best of, I spent 75% of the time in front of my ipad playing Sims. It strained my eyes so much that I actually felt like my eyesight is struggling even more. I love wearing my glasses but not for long periods of time. It gives me a head ache. Does that ever happen to you? I still choose Sims though. It's fun.

It's a whole new year and I've been listing a lot of self-promises but one of them are doing DIY projects. It's just not me. But I know how to appreciate beautiful, hard worked art!

One of the hardest things I challenged myself to do (aside from being active--I have tons of resolutions) is workout almost everyday. It's real difficult, especially after a good 9 hours at work. So I try to make myself look forward to something by wearing cute workout gear. It's important to invest in quality but not to the point where you have to go all out. Catch any chance for more affordable workout wear.

DISCLAIMER: This is my way of promoting the works of my sponsors. I believe they all have quality posts that are meant to be shared and cherished. Visit the links embedded on the words, say hi, let them know i brought you to them. I am leading you to great blogs, I tell you.you can check out the previous one. Now, get on clicking! :)

Gotta go home for the holidays

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Totally jealous of countries that get to experience snow during the holidays. It feels more pure and magical. I've never been out of the tropical Philippines so I only get to stare at snow. I hope I get to feel it someday! It looks so beautiful AND I don't mind wearing stylish layers in the cold weather. :)

I cannot imagine any other place to spend Christmas and New Year's but with my family. Even if I get the chance to visit other countries, with all their fabulous scenery and remarkable holiday celebrations, spending the holidays with my parents and my brother will still be the easier option for me. It's different, I cannot be in any other place other than with them to make me feel at home. Thank you, Sarah, for reminding me how important home is.

Had a fun time watching this video from mommies! :)

I cannot stop myself from making new resolutions this year. The New Year just makes all the changes I want to do official and fulfilled. I know that resolutions were made to be completed and practiced religiously, no matter how challenging times and circumstances may be. BUT it's a bit more fun to just create resolutions for a while. Just create them. Just for the heck of it. Just to dream. Tomorrow, you can get serious about them. But today, just dream.

I admire the voice of my sponsor's renewed vision when it comes to blogging. When you read her post, all you can think of will be "she's right."

If you want to start the year right, it's good practice to do something nice and just make yourself feel good by sharing your life. We may be lucky enough to do what we do now (like blog, spend time with family, have babies, be healthy), but a lot are not as fortunate. We can do a lot, given the right chance and circumstance.

I'm stopping about all these new year stuff. Let's get back on random stuff. now, blog stuff. I feel sad whenever I get interesting comments from readers and I cannot reply because:
a. They do not embed their blog links in their comments--which I don't mind but it would help if you would so I can check out your blog as well.
b. They are no-reply bloggers. I want to reply to you so much and I can't. So change it now, hun!


DISCLAIMER: This is my way of promoting the works of my sponsors. I believe they all have quality posts that are meant to be shared and cherished. Visit the links embedded on the words, say hi, let them know I brought you to them. I am leading you to great blogs, I tell you. Now, get on clicking! :)

Claiming 2013

It's 2013! I cannot be any more excited. There's this feeling of excitement for new things and experiences to happen. Aren't you feeling this same beautiful emotion? I feel invincible. Maybe I am, I am blessed enough to feel like I can take on the world. :)

Given that I'm such a planner kind-of-person, I already made a list of what I'm claiming to achieve for next year. I am that advance, yes! Rhonda Byrne's "The Power" made a mark on me. It made me believe in positivity and attracting good things to happen to you. It's not a popular belief especially for those with challenging situations, but that's okay. We believe in whatever works for us, as long as we don't hurt anybody. :) The mantra is plain and simple: think happy thoughts. In times when you just want to scream your lungs out out of frustration, think of the things you want to happen. Good things. It might not magically happen in an instant but it can calm you down. It can prevent unnecessary drama and conflict from happening.

1. Reach 1,000 GFC followers.
I know bloggers say that it's not about the numbers when blogging. But it sure is!! Come on, you get so happy whenever you see that tiny box in your sidebar incrementing every day, right? I sure do. It's such a huge milestone for me to reach 1,000. It's my guilty pleasure after a bad day at work.

2. Finally get settled with a job I want.
This is probably the most important thing for me. I now feel so lost about what to do with my life career-wise. I've been in two jobs that are worlds apart from each other and I now want to do something else instead. It scares me to be brave. I have to be brave so I can leave this high paying job and start all over again in my search for a better way to earn money. "Better" because it will be something I enjoy and I can live with for a long, long time.
The good thing about having experience in different things is I get to learn a wide range of lessons as well. Now that I'm in a level where I have subordinates already, I'm learning a lot about interacting with people, and negotiating for win-win business situations. It's good training for the future.

3. Have a regular workout session.
Taking care of my body is essential to perform better at work and have more energy to do the things I want. I know I'm still young and I can burn calories pretty quickly compared to 30+ women but I know that there will be a time when that one slice of cake will last me two weeks before getting burned. I won't wait until that time to exercise. I'll start now.

4. Go to Enchanted Kingdom.
I love taking care of my boyfriend and creating opportunities for him to have some rest and relaxation time that he so much deserves. I am working towards planning an Enchanted Kingdom trip with him. I have to research when he's free, how to commute going there (and back), and how much everything will cost. It's so much work but still so much fun!

Yes, I'll be claiming a body like this too! ;)

5. Go swimming.

This sounds easy to spontaneously do but I always feel lazy whenever I plan to swim the next day. I am terribly afraid of drowning and open waters so I guess I make excuses to not go underwater. But that is about to change!

6. Read 20 books.
Reading is the earliest hobby I ever wanted and it has endured through all my years. I never regretted any book I read. It made my vocabulary wider and better. It made me a brave writer and speaker. It helped me avoid boring hours of waiting for my flight or for someone. It's something I shall always turn to.

7. Save enough money to buy myself a signature tote bag or a nice gadget.
My parents are the best. They really made me save money for my future from my monthly salary. They taught me the value of my hard work and up to now, they still spend for most of my expenses. I would like to live on my own but the familial culture in my country makes that hard. Family is our number 1 priority. So to be able to make myself feel independent and for me to appreciate the money I earn, I want to buy my own kinda-expensive possession.

8. Do a cleanse (Juju Cleanse or Juice Jab) five times.
Health is important to me and so I know that detoxification is part one of the slim down process. It's really hard my first time since I'm a huge eater. I eat when I'm hungry, I'm sad, I'm happy, whatever I'm feeling--it's my form of celebration. But then, with enough discipline and self-control, I can do a lot more of those cleanses.

9. Continue being "thankful" every morning and evening.
The first and last thing I do everyday is to list down the things I am thankful for and just send over a rush of love and gratitude to God. It's a nice way of waking up in the morning, and ending my day at night. :)

10. Be more active.
Aside from #1 and #5, I want to do more outdoorsy activities with my boyfriend. May it be going to the Mind Museum, playing lazertag or just join a fun run.. It'll be fun, I'm sure! It's a great way to make me look forward to doing something on weekends!

What do you want to do for 2013?

Photo via, via

OMG, CMG!

Late bloomer = me.

Remember when I told you that I just had a huge love affair with statement necklaces a few months ago?

I have a new affair now. With doll shoes this time.

When I was in college (and a small part of my work life), I am always in heels. It's tiring on my calves but it's worth it since it improved my posture. Flats tend to make me feel short and so, I don't mind strengthening my back that much. But still, flats are cute and I use them more now.

CMG shoes are my favorite. They offer a wide variety of designs and most of them are Php999. I only choose the designs from their Php999-collection. Quality did not suffer even if the price is lower than their usual offers. 

These flats do not develop calluses in the back of my feet and they are durable. Wherever I go, I feel safe that they are strong enough to handle the texture of the ground I walk on. They also have lots of colors for each design. You won't have to settle for anything less than what you want.

These are the plastic shoe containers that I use at home for my shoes. It's easier to organize and to check what's inside. I don't have to open the cover of the container anymore because I can easily see inside! These sold at Php150 for two containers. Two pairs of sandals can fit in one box. Real convenient if you lack space at home. Another idea if you don't have see-through boxes, you can place photos of the shoes outside the boxes to identify which are inside which.

Another shopping surprise are the CMG shoe boxes. This is a shoe box-slash-shopping bag! They don't use plastic or paper bags anymore because these already have handles.

I actually made use of these boxes as organizational tools in my cabinets at home. I have lots of little notepads, pens, figurines, and small thingies here and there. These boxes helped me get rid of those in a neater, cooler way.

I'm just in love with CMG. You.. What's your favorite footwear? :)