Diwa Daily

  • I want to work at (insert location)

    I read that asking a child, or anyone for that matter, what they would like to be growing up is problematic. The question demands that you select and identify with one specific occupation. It leaves no room for changes in decision, interest, or preference. Moreover, if you come from a family that expects you to…

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  • Read before you sign

    I’ve come to believe that important life lessons are learned through either advice or hands-on experience. The latter, more often than not, is the best and most painful teacher. It’s also the teacher whose classes I keep attending with or without intention. ? This week’s lesson I had to (re)learn is to read before you…

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  • I deleted 6,000 tweets in one month

    Every time I log in to Twitter (@heysstef), I get distracted by the 18.4K tweet count glaring at me from the side of my feed. I couldn’t shake off the urge to bring that number down, no matter how senseless and time-consuming the task was. Did I really post that many tweets? What were those…

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  • Bright Books: Beautiful Journals Giving Light to a Child In Need

    Socially responsible stationery—it’s everything a paper collector like me could ask for. I get to bring ideas to life while helping others in need. You can just imagine my joy when I stumbled upon Bright Books by Amy O’Shea. Founded in 2009, her experience in Uganda with the Arlington Academy of Hope inspired her to…

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  • The good stuff happens at the end of 2017 (UPDATED)

    If you peruse through my 2017 planner, you’ll find a section called “Good Things That Happened” where I note down my small-big wins in life and work. The past few months these Good-Things-That-Happened boxes are filled up with all kinds of achievements and events that kept me away. It’s wonderful and frustrating at the same…

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  • 8fit: Get back in shape without breaking the bank

    It was on the third week of May 2017 when I decided to change my lifestyle. I wanted to lose weight, be more active, and prevent myself from becoming sick. Unfortunately leaving the house and going to the gym wasn’t an option for me yet. My 3-year old son throws gargantuan tantrums when he knows…

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  • The loudbasstard eco-friendly amplifier

    While traveling home from our 2013 family trip to Macau and Hong Kong, I stopped by the souvenir shop at the Mactan Cebu International Airport and spotted this blue-green bamboo creation with the name loudbasstard carved on its side. Founded in Cebu on that very same year, loudbasstard is an eco-friendly natural music amplifier cut…

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  • The Viarco Desenho 250 – B Pencil

    Discovering Baron Fig and CW Pencils (New York) last 2017 was like being sucked into a wormhole filled with beautiful notebooks and pencils. These guys introduced me to this world of paper-pencil lovers that feels right at home. I learned about pencils from all over the world, of different colors and brands, pencil grades and…

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  • The art of letting go

    The black elastic bracelet—its wooden pendant carved 04/21/09 I left inside the drawer with printed copies of his conversations. They’re peppered with sweet good-night wishes, promises of a future where we’d always hold hands. I included the pair of innocent silver promise bands he bought for us. These lasted longer than my wedding ring. For some…

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  • My Life Zodiac Wheel (and How You Can Make Your Own)

    Over the weekend, I worked on this small fun project to help me achieve two things: enjoy my passions to the fullest and celebrate life through focus and accomplishment.  I created this to address and eventually silence a crucial personal issue. For so long I’ve felt like a lost hummingbird darting to and fro, dabbling…

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