People cope with loss and change in different ways. Some would stay in bed. Some would go on journeys for self-discovery. I'd normally binge on my favorite food 🍫 , watch a bunch of anime shows online, or shop online 🛍️ with absolutely no restraint. Nope. I agreed to go with the most unideal, impractical, and downright dumbest way to get through the loss of my grandmother. J and I got two new puppies. Not one. Two. Having two adult reactive dogs that had history of fighting and lashing at each other, I was so fearful of having another problematic dog that I wanted a second puppy to fulfill their socialization needs. I realized it was a stupid and ignorant assumption, and have beaten myself up for it multiple . . .
Eulogy
Rather than keeping the memorial's introduction and my eulogy behind lock and key, I want to share my Ama with the world. Ama, wherever you may be, I hope these words make you happy: Introduction Last Sunday, September 13th, we sisters reunited in fear and in courage to face one of our greatest fears—Ama, our beloved grandmother, passed away in her sleep three days after we discovered she was positive for COVID-19. It was a night each of us hoped and prayed would never happen—to witness a moment so crucial in our lives, yet not be by her side and hear her last words of advice, receive her final assurances, or feel the warmth of her skin before her soul took flight. This pandemic has pushed people to limits and heights no . . .
When the Yellow Bell Petals Fell
I've been afraid—afraid to sit down and face this blank space; afraid to write about the past three months; afraid of my incapability to talk about what's wedged deep within my heart. Each time I'm on this page of Diwa Daily, I divert to a written page on my journal, a tab on my browser, a notification on my phone, an email about 30% off for Black Friday—anything to make me forget about words. Perhaps I'm afraid of the weakness of my words, the possible phrases that would ensue from the quiet. It's my inner struggle, yet I feel her voice is calling me back. I feel she's been touching my shoulder and pulling me back to my desk this past week, maybe longer. Every time I do sit, I keep turning words like a Rubik's cube over and over . . .
10 lifestyle changes I made thanks to the pandemic – June 2020
I'm writing this after waking up from a 15-minute power nap. 💤 I started doing this recently to fight my unyielding tendency to wake up before sunrise, and not get enough sleep throughout the day. Since the pandemic hit the country and we've been staying home, the fam and I have been making significant changes to our lifestyle. 15-minute naps are just one of these little shifts and changes I'm making to make each day better and more productive. For June 2020's reflection, I'm looking back and sharing 10 lifestyle changes I made since our lives turned upside down at the beginning of the year: 01: Bought and used cloth masks Last March, J and I bought two N95 respiratory masks and a box of disposable surgical masks from a . . .
10 Kickstarter projects I backed (2017-2020)
Kickstarter's my gateway to many exciting products, from brand stickers to stationery to digital games. It's also where I discover creators, some I continue to follow to this day, such as Adam J. Kurtz, Angelia Trinidad of Passion Planner, and the fellas at Prepd. Although I've spent most of my time browsing the site and admiring creators who've taken the leap, I've backed several Kickstarter projects in the publishing, gaming, and design spaces. There are projects I'm still waiting for, projects I love and continue to use everyday, and projects I was disappointed with and stopped using as soon as I received it In the mail. Here are 10 Kickstarter projects I backed since being a member six years ago, and what I think about . . .
Showcase 📽️: Midori MD A5 Notebook
Here's something that hasn't happened in a while: a finished notebook. I can't remember the last time I filled the pages of a notebook anymore. I do, however, remember a time when it happened quite often, when I spent my days writing down all kinds of ideas, poems, stories, and journal entries. I keep thinking how that was my "Golden Age" and how much I want to recreate it. So much has changed since, so I'm taking things one day at a time. A simple notebook that is optimized to make writing easy.MD Paper Products I know, it's weird quoting the actual company. The Midori MD notebook itself was an absolute pleasure to use. It's the kind of notebook that doesn't let cover colors, branding, calendars and whatnot get in the . . .
Waking up to 30
If you asked 18-year old me what my life would look like 12 years into the future, I'd probably describe something far from what it's like this very day. At one point, I told Jayson with utmost confidence that I'd have the time of my life the moment I turn 30 years old. I'd drink, smoke MJ, watch standup comedy, go on a road trip, sing karaoke all night, and eat as much cake as I wanted. Well, things didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Luckily, my birthday did start out with love and gratitude. ❤️ My sister-in-law baked me a homemade chocolate cake for breakfast, which explains why I smelled cake baking in the oven at 10:30 in the evening the night before. I never expected anything like this that I rushed upstairs to . . .
Poetry, essays, and other creative writing are up on the Daily Pagerie
I've finally made time to publish some of my older creative writing work on the Daily Pagerie store. 🎉 There's a new Creative Work category where you'll find poetry, essays, and other creative writing that I've done in the past. They're digital downloads that'll save the product to your computer after going through the order process. These are the first three: Turns of Place (2019) is an intimate letter exchange between writers and friends, Stephanie Gonzaga and Johna Baylon, on travel, home, and the act of journeying. The project began in 2014 and has spanned a total of five years. It's a collaboration that has made not only our writing better, but our friendship stronger than ever. Mosaic (2015) is another collaborative . . .
Trello: My Go-To App for Keeping Life Organized and Dreams Alive
Every single morning for the past four years I'd wake up, launch my browser and, like instinct, open and view my Trello boards. It's one of the few apps I've habitually used for the majority of my working life. I use it for everything and anything that requires focus and organization: travel plans, building this blog, the online store to pair with it after, and personal projects dating back to 2014. Trello and I have gone a long way back (August 2013), and it continues to be my go-to Kanban app when I need to visualize any journey from start to finish. It's seen me through the ups and downs, have stood by as I tried other productivity tools, from GTD to Gantt to project management to other Kanban apps. But no matter how . . .
The Mossery Twinbook
I've used Mossery products since early 2018, but have been a huge fan of the brand for as long as I can remember. Their commitment to helping artists, writers, students, professionals, and the other folks through beautifully designed tools is inspiring. Mossery planners, sketchbooks, and journals are fun and customizable, with features to help you plan and achieve your goals, whether in life or at work. A few months ago, they launched the Half Planner + Notebook system. It's a 6-month undated planner and 96-page notebook rolled into one, and you can choose the format you prefer. Weekly horizontal vs. weekly vertical for the plannerRuled or dot grid pages for the notebook I placed my pre-order on my birthday, and received it . . .
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