Scribbles: For the Love of Writing and Cutie Patootie Stationery

HEART by Artistic Dreams by Abby Sy haul last year

I write for a living. 

It’s bloody different if I were just writing for myself and I were cursing in between pages of leather bound diaries because of how bad my day went. What if things turned out for the best? There would be a litany of gratitude that’s about two pages long. 

I’d like to think any person who still writes entries on a journal would react the same way. But-let’s go back to writing for a living.

I do. I write for a living. 

My adage is: If you need technical or creative outputs, call me. But I sure dang won’t complete your thesis for you-(edit, sure I could do that, spot grammatical errors and misspelled words, but don’t let me do all the writing for you, your thesis grade is something you have to earn). 

All my writing and brainstorming can sometimes get lost on pad paper. In fact, I’ve lost pad papers all over the place. 

This is where notebooks come in handy. I even plan my blog posts in notebooks and keep track of my writing assignments and meetings in notebooks. There’s the ever-present to-do list, structure of most reports I have to do (a concept note has a different format from that of an executive summary), and dates of meetings. 

With my need for stationery, I’ve decided to introduce a new feature section of my writing materials purchases which I do frequently. Allow me to tell you which gel pens are good, which post-it-notes do stick, and where to get cheap and cute notebooks, and useful executive gifts appropriate for professionals. School’s about to start next month, let’s also see how we can maximize a school supply budget for the kids, shall we? 

Stick with me, friends. Scribbles is the newest section here on Raisie Speaks. It’s birth is inspired by my need and love for writing and cutie patootie stationery. 

What’s your must-have writing instrument? Let me know!

Unboxing Glamourbox Secret Santa for December 2013, For the Naughty and Nice

It doesn’t matter if one is naughty or nice, every gal deserves a pampering box for Christmas doesn’t she? Now who’s with me? One thing great about Glamourbox’s Secret Santa goodies is that the items inside suit both the naughty or nice gal. 

I got my sis a box, sort of like a thanksgiving and advanced Christmas present for being my errand girl and I am so glad it made her day. This should put off a few weeks worth of whining for more Christmas presents from her. And of course, I got her to do this unboxing post for you! So, wannna know what she thinks of the Glamourbox Secret Santa for this month? Let my sis do the talking!

 

Firstly, the box is noticeably bigger than BDJ and Saladbox, does it mean more premium items? We’ll see. It’s came in a brown box that helped preserve the Secret Santa box’s shape. Pretty clever. The GB sticker was glued and the tissue was ripped because of it and almost damaged the curation card. And for the big reveal- this box is loaded! Not bad for a one-time subscription fee of only Php 590.

Holika Holika CC Cream- this one is my favourite, though I can’t wait to try it, it’s too small (yes I know that what I am getting is a sample size), but I want more product to compare how well it works on me. 

Pure Mellow Multi Puff-I am clueless with what this does because the instructions are in Korean, they remind me of marshmallow!

 Avon in Only Imagine- A full sized fragrance in this box! But admittedly I’m not too keen on floral scents because I like citrusy ones more. But maybe somewhere along the way, I might learn to like it-though it’s quite appropriate for the holiday season. 

The Cream Factory Bath Cream in Avocado- Another full-sized item and an instant favourite! It smells so good, I am going to use it right away!

Zen Zest Kitchen Fragrance in Choco Cappucino- This can be used for a room freshener too. It has a nice, sweet coffee house aroma to it.

 BONUS

Paula’s Choice Oil Absorbing Mask and Antioxidant Concentrate Serum- I just regret that it’s sample size but let’s see. 

Fabulosa Necklace- I’m afraid that it might irritate the skin, but pendant is cute. So if it irritates my neck, I could just replace the chain and still keep the pendant.

 Strip It Hair Removal Voucher- Not really into waxing so....

So that’s it for today’s unboxing post. Thanks to my Sis for sharing her thoughts, though she noticed that there aren’t any cosmetics in this box, and I hope you can also gift your family members some things that they deserve for this Christmas. For this set of photos, I used my phone camera because my digital camera has decided to give up on me, so that also means I have to save up for another one that has better stabilizer and faster shutter speed for those high action shots during events. PS: Thank goodness for scheduled posts! =)

I Got A Surprise for Mom's Birthday + Her Thoughts on the Pampering Gift Set

It's not really a good idea to let my Mom wait until her birthday to open her present. Once she finds out that she has presents, she opens it and there goes your pretty wrapping paper.

Originally, I bought her an October BDJ Box and hoped to get a bouquet of pink roses to go with it. But since I already scouted the contents of this month's BDJ Box, I decided to give her this one instead.She isn't really a fan of makeup, but this pampering box just hit the right spot and she is happy.

I got this really pretty ONE Naturales Forget Me Not gift box from Granton World for only Php 560. I paid with Paypal on a Monday and it arrived on a Saturday. It's my first time to shop in the said site and for every purchase, my account gains rewards. As for this first purchase, I got credited 1100 points already which I could exchange for future rewards items in the site. Not bad. Not bad at all.

You can tell why my Mom is really happy with this surprise. It's organic and has four pampering products inside. She really liked the box that is a cross between a crate for fresh produce and a cigar box. It's cute alright! Looking at it, one can get the feeling that there is an assortment of fresh goodies inside. 

Well, at least it's something similar to fresh produce. The labels on these cuties can testify! 

   

A closer look, here's something new that I am glad to have discovered today: Sweeten My Skin After Shower Skin Conditioner Bar. Instead of sticky lotion, all you have to do is use this. It smells of shea butter and the scent is really mild and refreshing. It's great for getting ready in the mornings. 

The body soap is really sweet smelling. No wonder because it's made of sweet honey. It's also said to be safe for sensitive skin. Mom doesn't have sensitive skin, but at least it won't cause her skin problems. At first whiff, she already told me she's afraid to use it because it might use it up in no time!

And to complete the box, there's body butter in Shea My Body and a body scrub in Citrus Peel. I took a peak before giving this to my Mom and it smells so darn goooooood. It's thick as far as creamy is concerned! As for the body scrub, the scrub makes use of sugar, so one would know that it makes use of organic and premium ingredients, but it's too runny and spills all over the place. It has a sharp, citrusy scent to it. 

I wish I could include a smiling photo of my Mom with her present but she is too shy. But it works for me that I went with my gut and switched presents instead. Mom is happy. =)

On Fragrances: Don't Know Which Fragrance To Gift Her? Why Not Try A Gift Set?

Do you want to gift a special lady a memorable fragrance but do not know which one to get?

With the number of choices when it comes to fragrances in the market, it is made difficult for you to choose the right scent that could tickle your senses, making it the right fragrance to gift that special lady. Be it your mother, sister, girlfriend or bestfriend,you can either come close or way-off the target when it comes to shopping online especially if you are not too familiar with the scents.

A quick and easy way to lessen the chances of gifting the wrong perfume gift would be to try a gift set. Gift sets usually contain the following:

• The fragrance, body lotion and shower gel, deodorant stick or,
• A small collection of perfumes from the same line

What is great about gift sets is that you can give it as a sample buffet of different fragrances and it also doubles as a whole pampering experience for that very special person. It is a thoughtful gift where you can not go wrong. 

My personal favourite is the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Variety Perfume, it has four different varieties of the EA green tea line, three out of which I have not tried yet. You can get all of the featured gift sets here at 99 perfume and save as much as 80% off the regular prices from malls and boutiques. 

Green Tea Variety Perfume by Elizabeth Arden for Women

Why should you purchase from 99 Perfume? You can see from the customer reviews that you can get signature perfumes at a lesser cost.

"Prompt shipment and delivery at a good price. No problems" - G Helton, GA, USA

"Fast shipping, Product arrived as advertised. Thank you " - A Wheeler, AZ, USA

"When I saw the price of the perfume I was a bit skeptical... I saved almost 50% on my cost and I got the real deal..." - Tessa Pressage, FL, USA

Go on to 99 Perfume and look for your favourite fragrances so that you can shop and save at the same time! 

Deluxe Fragrance Collection for Women Perfume 

Womens Five Stars Collection Perfume By Five Star Collection For Women

World of Women Fragrances

Calvin Klein Gift Set Perfume By Calvin Klein For Women

212 Sexy Cologne By Carolina Herrera For Men

Now tell me, would you want to gift any of these to a special person or would you want to be gifted instead? =) 

Our Flores De May @ Pamucutan

No, it's not me who attended Flores de Mayo in our barangay. To tell you honestly, I don't have a memory of attending Flores de Mayo except for one occasion where I just stood up to recite prayers in front of the kids who were my age. I think that's it. I just went for a single day and that's it. Lol what a memory. It must be because I attended a Protestant elementary school despite being Catholic because it was near our house and even if I had my first communion, I don't remember where it took place. Now talk about bad memory!

Flores de Mayo is an annual activity where Catholic children spend the afternoon learning prayers and listening to praise songs as well as bible stories. I think the bible stories really get their attention. The whole activity lasts from the first day of May, ongoing throughout the weekdays and until the last day of May where everybody else meets at church for the culmination. Now this is my favorite part. Even if I no longer attend Flores de Mayo, my family is always approached by the coordinators for a little help. In return, we share what we could give to the children. And this is what we always prepare for them.

We went to town and shopped for the school supplies that we were going to hand out to the children. We also added some treats like biscuits, small chocolate bars and also cakes. Why school supplies, you ask? School is just around the corner and we thought that the little contribution could help motivate the kids so that they would do well in school.

We showed up at exactly three o’clock in the afternoon to help distribute the goodies at the church. So each kid received a notebook, a one-foot ruler, pencil, sharpener and eraser as well as some treats. Even our aunt contributed for the children.

The only thing was that the letter arrived on the day of the distribution itself, even if we were already shopping for the supplies two days earlier. We prepared supplies only good for sixty children and nobody told us that there were more children. But at least we gave what we could. I felt sad for the children who went home without our goodie bags but we have already thought of ways to remedy that. 

How about you? Did you attend Flores de Mayo? What did you do during summer when you were kids? Share your thoughts with me! =D 

Journals Collection (?)

I didn't realize I had that much journals and notebooks already in my possession. I've approximately consumed thirteen diaries and journals since I began writing in fifth grade and they are all kept in a box on the second floor of our house because we are fixing the floorboards as of now.

Here are just some of the unkept journals.

Just sharing...

I'm a sucker for lined paper in hard binding... 

Top Left: Shadow in Shadow Journal, Top Right: Happy Panda in Blue

Bottom Left: British Council Journal, Bottom Right: Gray 2012 Planner

This was a present last Christmas by someone really special 

Shadow with lotsadoodley-doo 

And scraps and pieces of what happened to me this year

I yet have to decide what to do with this yellow thingy... 

With this divider inside...

The blue panda smiles like creepy. also a gift from a friend

With different page designs at every flip

Some more 

And this planner is just so heavy

With cartoon-like divider inside

These are all presents really, and people already know that gifting me is easy, either it's books or journals...

Hahaha...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Valentine Flowers

Flowers are a traditional gift on St. Valentine's Day. And during this special day, flower prices double uncontrollably. If work or school keeps one busy by getting to the nearest florist on February 14, or the wallet just isn't cooperating and the result is a run out of roses, do not worry too much. There are other flowers that are just as romantic and meaningful.

Orchids are simple, beautiful and long-lasting. My grandmother used to take care of a whole range of orchids, of different colors and types. Orchids represent (I didn't realize just until lately) love, beauty, seduction and refinement. They dwell in in semi-tropical regions in Asia and South and Central America.

Lilies are a representation of beauty. They stood for tenderness and were referred to the voice of the muses in Greek poetry.

I think that Daisies are the friendliest of flowers. They mean innocence, loyalty, love and purity. The daisy was described by Chaucer in his writings as the "day's eye."

Roses are always the classic blooms to find their way anywhere on Valentine's Day. They are considered to be the most romantic and beautiful flowers to give to someone special. 

Here in Zamboanga, I got a chance to chat with the florists in good ol' San Jose Road. They said that prices this week are still at regular rates, from Php 130-180 but beginning Monday of next week, that's February 13, bouquets will be priced at Php 300-900. 

This as the demand of flowers has increased, and some of the suppliers are based in Cebu. Awaited stocks were supposed to arrive Tuesday morning but were delayed and shipped later, arriving on Thursday afternoon due to the earthquake and its aftershock in the Visayas area.

Stall owners have now included balloons beginning at Php 35-50 depending on sizes and desings, artificial flowers and other novelty items to sell in celebration of Valentine's Day creating a one-stop shop in the local floral row.