It’s Planner Season….

And that means that I’m already in the market for next year’s planner.

Ever since I’ve entered the corporate world, I’ve listed all my activities and schedules in a planner because I can’t afford to miss a deadline. Time management is the key to surviving. All the more, I need to be better at it because I’m also in school.

I use a planner for work, school and sometimes blog activities and I’ve learned a thing or two about balancing all my activities.

It’s sort of become my standard procedure to look at planners that work for me at the end of the year and to scout and save up for the ones that I want to buy. It’s sort of my year-round companion so it’s worth the purchase. For this year, I went with the Best Things Are Yet To Come Mini Happy Planner. Because I also used it for brain dump and as a budget planner (occasionally a travel planner), I also write my thoughts on filler paper that I ordered online from Saffy Tenten. Because it became bulky, I also got the rose gold expander discs and that served me well throughout the year.

And as 2019 comes closer, I’m slowly going through my Mini Happy Planner and I’m also finishing its pages. Later on, it will sit on my shelf and join the other planners that have kept me company in the years prior.

It also means that I’m hunting for next year’s planner as early as now.

I’ve narrowed down the choices to two: the DYL Planner which I think will be helpful for school, and the MAMBI Classic which will be useful for work and other commitments, especially travel plans and budget. Other planners made it to the shortlist, but I’ll discuss the details later on.

Photo from Design Your Life Planner 2019

DYL Planner for School (Php 650)

I thought that I might give the DYL Planner a chance for next year. I was drawn into it because of the fun design, and because it has travel planner pages. Not only that, there are a bunch of helpful sections there as well, like finances and goals. As an added bonus, there’s a bunch of new accessories to match it with too. 

Accessories to match it with:

sticker book (Php 450)

coffee dessert clear stamps (Php 725)

gold foil leaves wide washi (Php 190)

vaporwave sticker flakes (Php 120) 

Classic MAMBI Planner for Work

I’ve used the Mini Happy Planner and I thought of giving the Classic size a try because of the bigger writing spaces and because I write a lot. I have this habit of dumping all my thoughts all at once in a given day, and because with what I do, details matter all the time.

I’m torn between the Mermaidesque and New Adventure in Classic size because I tend to gravitate towards mermaid designs and of course, anything that is travel inspired will definitely get my attention and keep me fantasizing for the next destination to visit.

Photo from Michaels Stores 

Mermaidesque

The Mermaidesque design is all about foiled details on a lovely color scheme of blue, purple and pink. I’m not sure though it the vertical layout will work for me as I’m used to the horizontal layout. So I went and searched some more in Michaels and found the pretty design in blues and violets. 

Photo from Michaels Stores

New Adventure

This design is for those bitten by the travel bug and I’ve thought of settling on this design to make use of all the travel-inspired stickers that I’ve received this year, while planning for the next escape. I thought of filling it up with filler paper for all those diary entries and then some project pages as well. The tricky part is checking and comparing rates and how to get the best deals from sellers here. 

Accessories to match it with:

Puncher (Php 920)

Sticker books (Php 850)

Happy Notes Fill Paper (Php 320)

Dot Grid Fill Paper (Php 320) 

Photo from Sheila Mae Ruiz on Facebook 

Starbucks 2019 Japan Planner

The 2019 Starbucks Japan version also caught my eye, because you know me, if anything has anything to do with mermaid, I’m down. I see that it can be a good school planner, besides school for me is all about preparing outputs and reports for class discussions and complying with requirements, so I don’t need that much extra pages for a school planner. However, I wouldn’t want to spend for drinks and collect stickers just to claim a planner because there’s no Starbucks branch in Zamboanga City and I’m lactose intolerant (LOL #sorrynotsorry) hahaha. Also, I know that there are people who hoard planners and price them insanely high as New Year comes closer. So I won’t be caught in the rush though.

So there, yeah. I’m going to save for my choice planners and then make the plunge before the year ends and so that I can set it up before officially welcoming 2019.

How about you? What are your planner picks for 2019? 

Unboxing Deco Art X Crafts Delight Beach Please Kit

Because of a weekend trip to the Eleven Islands here in Panubigan, Zamboanga City, I suddenly remembered that I have the perfect crafts kit to complement my experience and to journal with. Deco Arts and Crafts Delight launched a crafts kit in a box May of this year that’s just perfect for any beach theme. After all, BEACH stands for Best Escape Anyone Could Have, clever huh?

Best Escape Anyone Could Have (BEACH)

The kit came in a flat white box. I’m keeping the thank you card and using it in my notebook, nice prompt for gratitude if you ask me.

I begin all interest with washi, and for this kit there’s two, the umbrella and printed starry washi. And there’s my shell prop which I brought home some time ago, years ago maybe.

Washi from the kit

Here’s the collection of journal cards from the kit. The more colorful top ones are freebies from any purchases from the shop, (this isn’t my only purchase) the set doubles as a travel journal cards on the side. The bottom journal cards are the ones that are included in the kit and the cutest ones I like are the Waves, Lemonade and Bikini journal cards.

Summer and beach journal cards

The dividers are cute, and my favorite is the seashell, though the bikini one is also cute.

Dividers

 There are ten ephemera stickers and I really like the fishies, the seashell and pink lemonade.

Sticker ephemera

Lastly, the stickers feature functional, matte sheets that can be written on. I like the boxed quotes, they really relate to what summer and beach days are all about. I like the Weekend banner on the third sticker sheet and the cute beach accessories.

The sunscreen bottle can be a good reminder for me to always be equipped with sunblock and to remind myself that prevention of sunburn is always important.

Functional stickers

What do I think of it overall? The kit could have used some more beach or ocean themed washi for this kit. But I have some seahorse and seashell washi already. But the stickers and journal cards are something that I can definitely use.

The Beach Please kit is no longer available, but there are other kits to be launched from Deco Art and Crafts Delight. Be sure to watch out for announcements on Instagram, that’s where I place my orders.

Deco Art Instagram

Crafts Delight Instagram

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post. All opinion are the blogger’s own.

Unboxing Déco Art X Crafts Delight Tara Viaje Kit

It’s been a while since I’ve done an unboxing of a stationery kit, but this is sure one way to break the monotony of my blog and you know me, anything travel is always worth turning a head to.

For this month, Deco Art and Crafts Delight decided to launch a vintage travel themed stationery and crafts kit and boy oh boy, did it arouse my curiosity. Another reason why I raised my hand to this edition is because I have another leisurely travel scheduled next month (hello, long weekend) and it’s definitely going to be very useful for me.

I always prep a traveler’s notebook every time I leave, whether it’s standard or pocket sized, what’s important to me is preserving the memories, writing down thoughts and experiences while in transit especially if they involve the significant people I’m traveling with.

So…. On to the unboxing….

Burnt edges of Chinese Newspaper add a nice touch to the package

The packaging alone is a nice surprise, the twine and burnt edges of the Chinese newspaper ties up  with the vintage travel theme nicely. 

What's inside the wrapped package

Onto the other additions in the kit are two washi tapes, a wooden stamp and a crystal pen in a beautiful copper-ish color. Mental note: test it out later. The washis are a constant in any Deco Art and Crafts Delight subscription kit but the pen and stamp are a new addition to this set. Still a welcome touch. 

Vintage travel themed washi

Here’s a close up look of the washis.

More paper goods

A peak into some more of the goodies in the kit, there are doilies, ephemera, stickers and journal cards.

Journal cards 

Looking at the journal cards, my favorites are the vintage map, Say Yes to New Adventures, and My Goal Is To Run Out Of Pages In My Passport. That’s not far from the truth, sista!

Sticker ephemera 

Now the ephemera stickers are small, so I didn’t take them out of their little plastic pouch because I’m afraid to lose some in case. This reduces the need to bring a good glue during travel next month so it’s easy to just write away all the thoughts and experiences. 

Loads of vintage travel stickers

Lastly, there are the functional stickers that come with almost every monthly kit. But I think the newer additions are the washi strips and larger boxes. I'm not really a fond of the icon stickers but I guess I can find some use for my daily planner at work. 

It’s the first time that Deco Art and Crafts Delight launched a full kit and with the unboxing of this one, I can say that so far, so good. I hope that they can continue the vintage theme, like café, or fashion. But in case a mermaid kit comes up, you can expect that I’ll be one of the first to also sign up for it.

Would you care to get a box of this kit too? Simply reach out through Insta! As of this publication, there are only 2 kits left so you better hurry!

Deco Art Instagram

Crafts Delight Instagram

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post. All opinion are the blogger’s own. 

OMG Accessories: Holiday Jewelry Favorites for 2014

I guess jewelry is one of the most memorable gifts that anyone can receive this season. Why not? The right style can be worn to many occasions this time of year and all it takes is some mixing and matching. But the holidays call for some dressing up and meeting people. Here are some holiday favorites that can inspire you to accessorize. 

Sonja Necklace and Bracelet by Avon

With a statement necklace like this, you don’t need big earrings to steal the show. Let this elegant pair do the talking, they match any little black dress and nude pumps. 

 Charm Lockets by Achi Kaye

What makes these charm lockets special is that each one is unique. The charms alone have their own stories to tell. Also, they can be worn alone over a simple plain tee and jeans plus wedges to match. They can also be layered up with various long necklaces.

I gifted my mother a charm necklace that contains the charms that reflect her personality- a KitchenAid pink mixer, a pink flower, a pink cupcake and perfume. What’s great with a charm necklace like this is that it’s a good gift not just for Christmas but also for Valentine’s and even for graduation or birthdays. Good news if you are in Zamboanga, our family friend Achi Kaye, sells this.  I'm really just so happy that she made time for me despite the Christmas shopping rush and she assembled this for me. For only Php 1,100 this month, you can get three charms with your chosen locket styles. It's time for you to personalize your locket and if you reach a new milestone in your life, simply add a charm.

  

 Blue Charm Bracelet and Blue Bib Necklace

Do you have a costume party to go to but don’t have the time to make a costume on such short notice? Here’s an idea- grab a royal blue dress, wear accents of blue, braid your hair to one side, add pops of blue on your eyes, wear heels-yep, you’ve guessed it right. You can be Queen Elsa without the overused Disney character costume. 

 It doesn’t matter though if your jewelry falls in a smaller budget range. What matters is that you know how to match them with the pieces in your closet. Always aim for sleek styles and remember that less is more. 

I hope you're all having a good time with your loved ones. This is for you my dear readers. Happy holidays!