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Journaling Secrets

Thursday Letter #11 | Planner Season

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Love my new office space 😍

In the journaling and planner community, September is known as ‘planner season’. It’s when notebook brands start rolling out their new lineups for the coming year. Two of the popular ones I always look forward to are Hobonichi and Traveler’s Company (both Japanese companies).

It’s kind of like when Apple announces the new iPhone each year. I know I’m not going to buy every release, but I’m invested in seeing what’s new. It’s the same with these two big brands. It’s just so fun to browse the new cover designs and themes for 2026, and also temptingly look at all their planner offerings in different layouts and sizes. But in my heart, I already know the single thing I’m going to get. I know that I’ll be sticking with the same planner I’ve been using these last two years: the simple and uncomplicated Hobonichi Day-Free in A6 size.

But alas, I was wrong.

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Life Money Diaries Secrets

Paycheck Routine

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I have a very complicated budgeting system, so I won’t go into every detail. I have an expense tracking app, an Excel file, and I track every cent—if you ask me how much we paid for our Instapot back in 2019, I could tell you (it’s $67.19). In short, it’s a whole thing (but it’s an obsessive-compulsive’s dream).

Today, I just wanted to share what I do during paydays. I remember our abundant months when I’m not waiting for paydays to arrive. Back when I was confident that if I forgot to allocate funds to our different money buckets, I know that our bank account had enough money to cover all the auto-debited bills. Oh how I miss those days.

June 2013 (this is my old app, I use Money Lover now)

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Career Insights Secrets

The Okayest Employee

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I’ve downloaded the LinkedIn app again just to take a peek of what’s out there. I even  received two messages about remote job opportunities na para bang alam nilang babalik na ko sa trabaho soon. Pag nakauwi na ang Mama sa Pilipinas, I will be in my full-on job hunting mode.

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Happy Things Life Secrets Vietnam

Happy Things #27 | Choir Days + Best Foot Massage + O’s

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The ultimate throwback

May pagka-bitter ako dahil wala akong video footage nung bata pa ako. Understandable naman kasi hindi naman uso ang mga smartphones noon. Pero tuwing nakakakita ako ng mga rare footage ng random people nung bata pa sila, nakakainggit. Tsaka pag nanonood ako ng Kardashians tapos ipapakita nila yung mga old videos nila, ang sarap lang panoorin. Very active ko pa naman nung elementary ako, ang dami kong extra-curricular activities na ang sarap sanang balikan.

Na-surprise na lang ako nung pinuntahan namin yung kaibigan ng Mama dito sa Calgary. Inimbitahan nila kaming mag-lunch sa bahay nila at may nabanggit si tita na pinapanood daw nila nung minsan yung mga lumang videos nila. Tapos andun daw ang Mama sumasayaw kasama yung ibang momshies. Tapos ako rin daw nandun (??) Wait. What?! Matutupad na ba ang wish ko? Haha!

Turns out, ka-choir ko pala yung anak ni tita at na-record nila yung isa sa mga performances namin. Nung una, ang nahanap nilang footage ay yung sumasayaw ang mga Mama, tapos nakalagay sa date stamp, September 1999. So nag-calculate na ko at if ever totoong nakasama nga ako sa video, 10 years old pa lang ako nun! Sobrang excited na ko. Pero ayoko pa masyadong mag-expect kasi baka wala naman ako or baka hindi na nila mahanap. Hanggang sa nakita ko na yung muka ko sa screen at tawang tawa na ko, and at the same time, super amazed. Ang cool. Thank you universe sa unexpected gift and thank you sa sosyal kong ka-choir noon na may camcorder! 😄

Periodt.

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Family Life Secrets Vietnam

Life Updates | TSITP + HUH?? + VCC

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1.

Sa sobrang baliw na baliw yung dalwa kong pinsan sa The Summer I Turned Pretty, hindi nila mapigilan na magkwento sakin kahit wala naman akong gatiting na idea sa story nun. Alam ko lang na libro sya at meron syang TV adaptation pero yun na yun. Alam rin nilang hindi ko alam kung anong pinagsasasabi nila but it doesn’t stop them from talking about Belly, Condrad and Jeremiah. Hindi nga sila yung, “Ate panoorin mo! Maganda!!” Hindi. As in diretso lang sila agad sa mga ganaps kaya litong lito ako. Ang alam ko lang kilig na kilig sila kay Conrad, hate nila si Jeremiah, at super frustrated sila kay Belly. So ako tuloy, mapapatanong sa kanila kung bakit. At sa kaka-bakit ko, nagkaron na ko ng idea at nagkaron na ko ng interes panoorin pagbalik ko ng Canada.

After almost isang oras na kwentuhan about TSITP, sabi ni Isabelle, “Para tuloy gusto ko ulit panoorin mula season 1.” So ayun. Sinimulan din namin at naintindihan ko na rin kung bakit sila nababaliw dun sa tatlo. Hindi pa ko masyadong makausad sa season 2 kasi nasa episode 3 pa lang ako. Pinaparaya ko kasi sa Mama yung TV para hindi sya mainip.

2.

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Free Posts Life

Jet Lag

It’s 3:30AM at three hours na kong hindi makatulog. Kakabalik lang namin dito sa Canada two days ago at expected ko na yung mga ganitong nights na sira ang tulog ko. Medyo sabog yung utak ko ngayon pero na-miss kong magsulat dito. And I’m typing this on my new laptop! Well, technically hindi sya bago kasi laptop ‘to ng kapatid ko. Nag-switch kami ng gadgets. Nasa kanya na yung iPad Pro ko at nasakin na ngayon yung MacBook Air nya. Sakto kasi gusto ko nang magkaron ng bagong laptop na hindi na kelangan isaksak para lang mabuhay, at si Tricia naman, gusto nya ng iPad para daw madali syang mag-take notes when talking to clients.

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Free Posts Life

Ramblings #55

I miss you.

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Family Life Secrets

Life Updates | Family Reunion + Zombie Finger + Booked & Busy

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Two weeks na ko dito sa Pilipinas at kakagaling ko lang sa sakit. Wala pa ko sa isang daang porsyentong lakas kasi medyo punga pa rin ako at may konting sakit ng ulo. Hindi pa rin maayos ang tulog ko. Nagigising pa rin ako ng 2AM then hindi na ko makakatulog ulit. Pati sa pagta-type ngayon hirapan ako kasi na-sprain ko yung daliri ko.

Halos kakagising ko lang at dito ako natulog sa in-laws ko. Everytime umuuwi ako na hindi ko kasama si Kenneth, I make sure na matulog dito ng ilang nights to spend time with my in-laws. Looking forward ako lagi na mag-stay dito kasi dito ako nakakabawi ng tulog. Parang ito ang aking mini spa retreat after ng mga sunod-sunod na activities with my family.

1.

Nung hinahatid pa lang ako ni Kenneth papunta sa airport, di ko talaga maramdaman yung excitement paguwi. Umiyak pa nga ako sa byahe. Hirapan pa rin akong i-accept na hindi ko makikita ang Mommy pagdating ko.

Kaming mga nasa abroad, halos sabay-sabay yung flight namin pauwi kaya medyo kagulo sa family group chat tungkol sa updates kung nasan na kami. At the same time, merong lungkot, kasi na-iimagine namin ang Mommy na nakikigulo sa sobrang excitement. Ito yung pinakahihintay nya. Na makumpleto ang mga anak nya. Pero hindi na nya naabutan.

Merong nag-message sa group chat ng, “Mommy andito na sila 😢” at “Ito ang matagal nang inaantay ng Mommy.” Hays lalo na kong naiyak.

2.

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Life Secrets

Thursday Letter #10 | “So live.”

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Two days before my period, biglang bumagsak yung mood ko. That was a week ago at hindi pa rin ako nakaka-recover. I thought the mountains would cure me kasi galing kami sa bulubundukin nung weekend. For a moment yes, aliw na aliw ako sa mga bundok, lalo na at first time namin dumaan sa highway na yun so iba yung mountain views. Pero after being distracted, andun pa rin yung off feeling.

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Free Posts Hobbies Ramblings

Ramblings #54

Show Your Work by Austin Kleon