PERKY JESSIE

Surprise! Surprise!! I got married last August 21!!! Actually, I haven't posted yet in my personal account our wedding photos and even change my relationship status and surname but it doesn’t matter. So this is how our wedding went:

Less than a week of planning because lockdown announcements and restrictions were uncertain during those days (Our agreed date is Aug 7 then moved to 30 but then Laguna was put under MECQ so religious gatherings are not allowed until 31). We came up instead with a new plan wherein we change location and venue where intimate gathering will be allowed. From 55 guests, we're down to 18 (1 officiant, 3 witnesses, 5 immediate fam from bride's side, 7 immediate fam from groom's side, bride & groom). Simple ceremony, no entourage, no reception but with take out snacks and only 1 supplier on the day (Photographer). We started around 3:00pm and finished before 5:30pm.Thankful that we did not encounter any disaster (Chill bride here!) and looking forward on 2nd wedding (With friends and relatives and reception).

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Hi, how’s everyone? I have been inactive for months and I missed sharing my time and life with you.  Pandemic is still not over (And far from over if you are living in the Philippines *roll eyes*) but we must not let it control our lives especially our future so here I am sharing the events in my life since the start of this year:

Since I have a break from work and I’m about to turn 32 this month, why not share some things I have observed with myself and learned the moment I reached 30s. I might not be able to include everything but I will try, I promise:

1. Fashion

During my teenage years and 20′s, I love to follow the trend but lately I don’t care anymore. Comfortable and something I can wear on repeat, for a long time and on any occasions are my new criteria. My go to is Uniqlo (Insert Tita Jokes. Lol) as I am into plain shirts and loose pants (anything that isn’t hugging my legs that much) especially when I go out for errands.

In fact, I decluttered my closet and get rid of a lot of clothes that doesn’t serve me well anymore.

2. Spending/Money Matter

I used to spend my money more on makeup, clothes, food (including eating out), shoes, bags, IG filter apps and non-sense stuff (for the gram. lol) but since my interest shifted and I have more responsibilities already, my usual expenses are for groceries, vitamins, paying bills (association dues, house, insurance, electricity, telephone/internet) and savings,  

Sure I still have money for online shopping and leisure but expenses during adulthood will leave you looking for extra income.

3. Sleeping Pattern

Staying awake until 7 in the morning is something I do for fun before (Either chatting with someone, out drinking with friends or workmates or simply browsing the net) and what is funny now is that at around 7pm, I am yawning all the time already and knocked out by 9pm onwards. HAHAHAHAHA! I even sneak napping during lunch break at work. That is how tired I am already at this age. Lol. 

4. Social media

Obviously, I am still here in Tumblr and I still have IG, Twitter and FB but less active unlike before. I keep my profile picture updates to Only Me setting, I don’t post or tweet that much, I browse more on FB groups like Home Buddies, WaWies and our municipality’s page. On YouTube, I watch DIYs, minimalism lifestyle, financial advise and fitness.

5. Relationship

I keep my circle small already, I became very careful in choosing who to know my life details. I realized the difference of acquaintance vs real friends. Though I am too lazy to communicate, please know that we are still friends *grin*

 Also at my 30s, I found the one I will marry *heart heart*.

6. Health

I think I do not need to elaborate on this anymore but, yeah, suddenly there are health concerns like migraine and back pain. Like seriously?

Though there are huge differences in my life already as I welcomed the big 3-0, I am still excited on what’s coming especially I am about to get married and move out of our house (Hopefully before this year ends) to start my own family.

My fiancé and I decided to spend Valentine’s Day at our future home as restaurants will be crowded for sure despite of pandemic. We actually had two celebrations: 1st was last Feb 13 (above photos) wherein we just setup our front garden with some of the props he used during proposal and some items we had at home already and capped off the night with green tea while exchanging gifts. I think we just spent around 90php for this night for the box of tea. Hahaha! We no longer bother to have dinner as we were still full. 2nd was on the actual day and we just cooked pancit canton for merienda (photo posted on my IG stories) and chilled again in our garden.

I am excited to have more celebration like this in the future with my husband-to-be even stay at home style! Looking forward to cook for him/us, decor the house and have quality time together.

How was your Valentine’s Day, lovies? :)

I’ve been trying to practice minimalism for a year now and, to be honest, it is not that easy. There are times you would not be able to control yourself buying stuff you do not really need because you are stressed, sad or you believe you deserve these certain things (aka reward system). You may tend to forget to be mindful when buying things or lazy on tidying/organizing stuff or just lost your purpose as our lives became different because of the pandemic.

But since I got engaged last December 2020 and will soon start on planning my wedding and build my own family, I want to have sustainable life and fully transition to become a minimalist. Just remember that minimalism is not only about aesthetics, saving money and owning less, it is mainly simplifying your life and living intentionally and sustainably.

So let me share to you some of the items I plan not to spend money on for this year as they (a) no longer serve my life on purpose (b) eating up my income (c) are nice-to-haves only.

Even though 2020 turned out to be different from what we expected and put us in a situation that we are not prepared for, I am still grateful that there are still winning moments in my life.

1. Losing weight - During the start of lockdown I also started doing dirty keto and Chloe Ting’s 2 Weeks Shred Challenge. My weight went down from 58kg to 51kg in span of almost 2 months but I had to stop because I experienced back pain for almost a month. When I returned to work around June many noticed my weight loss despite of being hiatus from exercising for a month but I kind of decided to gain weight again. Currently, I’m 54 kg and happy.

2.Being insured - I used to reject some financial advisors the past years because I have other priorities but, fortunately, I can afford to get insured already. I have 2 policies: Set For Life and KanMend under FWD.

3.PPS implementation - My team and I were able to implement new system despite of doing things remotely due to our new work plan. We had some delays but we still managed to deploy the system in production before the year ends.

4. Spoiling myself and my family - I think Christmas 2020 was the very first time I really splurged fro myself and my family. I gifted perfumes which I bought from Rustan’s during the Black Friday sale. I still reached around P20k for 6 items only but no regrets. I also finally gave in gifting myself something from Pandora. I plan to buy charms whenever I had achievements in my 30s (PS: I will turn 32 this year. lol).

5. Decluttering - I’ve been decluttering my stuff since the previous years but this time I was able to let go a lot of shoes and clothes. I was not prepared before to do this as I love having different kinds of shoes and clothes but as I matured I realized I no longer need majority of this stuff as my interests and taste in fashion changed. Also, the joy I see on the faces of the receivers of my stuff were priceless.

6. Getting Engaged - We actually talked about getting engaged within this year but to be honest I thought it won’t put through as it is hard to plan things out during this timing but he made it happen before the year ends. This is it!

If you were following me on my other social media accounts, you probably know already that my boyfriend proposed to me last December 19, 2020 💍✨

He managed to pull off this surprise proposal with the help of my twin sister, bffs and his sister-in-law. I seriously have zero idea that the proposal will be within this year due to the pandemic but he made it happen. He asked permission to my family through chat only because we were always together and he cannot manage to talk to my family alone but it is okay, we all understand the situation. During the proposal my family was on video call with my twin sister so they still witnessed the event even though not being physically there due to safety protocol (The proposal took place in our future house and since they are seniors they were not allowed to go out).

I let a week passed by before posting on my social accounts as I want to process this life event on my own and, honestly, until now it still feels surreal. I am excited and nervous at the same time as we plan our wedding together!

Even though we are still fighting the virus and we have no idea when this pandemic will really be over, I would like to share some of my realizations based on my experiences with the new normal.

1. Essential Clothes

As going out became limited, I discovered what type of clothing I need in my closet. I thought what I have in my closet before the pandemic hits were the basics I needed already as I used to declutter time to time but it turns out that there are still pieces that no longer works for me. Printed or floral tops used to be my favorites but now I don’t want them anymore. I still kept few pieces in my closet but I know I will still choose neutral and plain tops whenever going out.

2. Makeup Collection

Since we were required to wear face mask and face shield, I realized that I can go on a day without wearing makeup. I used to apply full makeup on my face everyday when going to work or whenever I go out but when the safety protocols were implemented I was able to go out just wearing tinted sunscreen and eyebrow gel. Because of this I reduced my makeup collection and decided to stick with the essentials. I will blog about this soon.

3. Corporate Life

 We were required to report back in the office around June despite of having active cases in our company and that is because business is business. Our employer needs to keep the business up and running and that is something we have to comply with. We are still grateful though as we did not lose our job and had option to work from home twice a week.

4. Anxiety

During the first few months of the pandemic I would not deny that my anxiety spiked up especially the times when we started going out (Reporting to work, running errands, etc). There are few nights when I will suddenly wake up in the middle of night and felt my heart was racing and my body was going numb. Also, every time I got home, I worried that I might have been infected which resulted to me not to being able to sleep well at night and whenever I wake up in the morning, I immediately check my temperature and sense of smell. I just cannot wait for this phase to be over.

5. Household Safety Protocols

I am not sure if it was only in my household but it was so hard for me to implement safety protocols in our house especially with senior citizens. I remember one time they took it negatively when I reminded them to sanitize whenever they came back from supermarket or wherever. They often forget to wear face mask when talking to our neighbors or with passing vendors in front of our house. There was also a time when some of my relatives from Metro Manila suddenly went to our house here in Cavite to celebrate a birthday as a surprise and of course I can’t just turn them away. 

6. Small/Local business

A lot of businesses closed down but I observed that there were also increasing number of small and local businesses opened during this time of pandemic and, of course, I supported some here in our municipality. I also started thinking of opening one some day when I am ready and have the resources already.

7. Being unproductive

It is okay if what we did throughout this time is to binge watch, browse on soc med feed, sleep in or just be lazy. We should not compare ourselves to others who lost weight, started a business, became vloggers/youtubers, etc. Do not pressure yourself on doing things you don’t feel like doing.

I know these are not in depth realizations but I hope you still gained something from this post.

Christmas is fast approaching and I am excited despite of this pandemic because it is also my favorite season. Yes I use Christmas as an excuse to buy myself anything I want as a reward but also because I love shopping gifts for those I love. As of today, I am almost done buying gifts and I am very much looking forward to our Christmas break.

Let me share below my wish list in preparation for 2021:

This entry has been sleeping in my drafts for few months already and since I have enough time as I am currently working from home, why not finally finish and publish this.

One of my “resolutions” for 2020 is to stop buying new lipsticks and make use of those I currently have and received during Christmas season (I was gifted 4 lippies and they are in different shades. Yay!!).

-- Just in time in this pandemic, I was not allowed to go out, hence cannot shop for unnecessary stuff plus we wear surgical mask all the time so no need to apply lipstick everday.

So here are my current lipstick collection:

-- Mostly are about to expire (12m) even though I haven’t used much yet :(

I know that with what’s currently going on in this world, it is hard to remain positive or happy but despite this pandemic and being on quarantine since March, there are still things I am grateful for:

My family’s good health condition.

Celebrating 31st Birthday and giving away relief goods.

TMP allowing as to WFH again after reporting to office for the whole month of June until July.

God’s never-ending provision.

The  most awaited turnover *wink*

Giving tips to delivery riders and seeing them smile.

Video call with friends

Growing my own snake plant.

Samyang Cheese. Period.

Car dates with the boyfriend.

Reconnecting with one of my close friends after 5 years.

Blair’s 7th Birthday.

Surprise food deliveries from friends.

Supporting local online shops.

Cute terno pajamas.

“You exceed my expectation” evaluation from my Thai boss.

Losing weight in the first 3 months of quarantine.

Recovering from back pain for almost 2 months.

Successful surprise for Mom’s 60th.

Few year ago I attended a financial training in Ortigas together with some of my colleagues and few people from a different company. The training was paid by our company as it is one of our privileges and I am really thankful that I was given this opportunity to learn for free. As I learned a lot from this one-day session, I would like to share to you some of the helpful tips in order to save money and avoid being broke or in debt especially during unforeseen events like the current pandemic as many have lost their job or source of income.

1. 70-20-10 Principle

This means that only 70% of your income should be spent on your usual expenses, 20% is for your savings and 10% for tithes or charity.

2. “Kurot” Principle

Even though you have huge income, you should avoid being a big spender. Think wisely before spending your hard-earned money.

3. Avoid using credit cards

Especially if you don’t have self-control. Be mindful also of the interest rates and due dates to avoid being in debt and be sued.

4. Stick with your grocery list

This is to avoid overspending and buying things you don’t really need. Also, go in the grocery with a full stomach so you won’t be tempted to eat in food stalls or restaurants before or after your grocery.

5. Learn to say “No”

It is our need as human to socialize but we must also learn to turn down invites especially when we have priorities and we lack budget already.

Do not also forget to:

Build your emergency fund that will cover 3-6 months of your regular expenses.

Invest in Life and Non-Life Insurance.

Have at least 3 source of income: Whether invest in business or stocks.

Share your blessings to Church/Give to God.

For me, I practice the 70-20-10 principle, I save 1k every cut-off for my emergency fund aside from my savings (I keep 3k every cut-off in my savings account then all bonuses I receive I transfer in my passbook account), I joined the Kuripot Pinay Challenge, I keep all the 20php bill and use it for my Me-Time (To avoid spending my Savings or extra money), I do DIY projects at home, I track my expenses in an excel template and lastly, I bring food for lunch and snacks at work. For insurance, I invested in FWD Set For Life and for business, I do not have yet but I am considering as I want to retire earlier from corporate life.

It will be very helpful if you track your monthly expenses so you will know how much you actually spend and if it is time to have another source of income. I highly encourage everyone to do any of the tips above especially those who are still in their teenage years so that you will not regret in the future and wished you have started sooner. You do not know how difficult adulting is yet especially when in comes to saving and pending your own money.

Last Christmas I received this beautiful H&M bag from a very special someone and honestly this is the perfect gift ever since I committed myself to practice minimalism this year.

I am the type of woman who uses different bags everyday at work just because I wanna justify my need of having lots of bags but when I got this one I decided to use this every work day except when I will attend zumba session after office hours.

This bag has four (4) compartments that I find useful and great for organizing my stuff.

Top view:

Since I have started decluttering my closet last year, I began to consider practicing minimalism. I know it is not as easy as it sounds like but I want to give it a try. I want/need to get my principles and life together but not quickly and drastically, I want it to be on my own phase. Watching minimalism videos at Youtube became my habit before I sleep and from the youtubers/vloggers I was able to grasp and understand the concept and helped me as a beginner.

Below are few of the changes or resolutions I am currently practicing as I start my journey on being a minimalist. 

Wallet - From big/fancy women’s wallet, I switched to pouch and a clutch wallet wherein I can also keep my phone.

Makeup - I made a commitment to myself that I will not purchase new cosmetics unless I ran out of it or emptied it and will repurchase. Also, I do not apply makeup on my face on a daily basis anymore. For office, just my sun screen, eyebrows and lipstick -- sometimes eyeliner too. For malling, just switch sun screen to foundation then add blush -- no retouch. For running errands, just lip tint.

Clothes - From four (4) storage down to one (1)! I did giveaway a lot of my clothes to my nieces during they Christmas visit last year and some others as donations to Taal victims this month. Because of this I also practice the 10x10 challenge wherein I will wear 10 items to create 10 outfits for 10 days. Also, before buying new clothes I will go to thrift stores first because why not?

Subscriptions - I unsubscribed to some makeup pinay vloggers, unfollowed some people and online shops in Instagram, removed some friends in Facebook, cancelled some e-mail subscriptions and my VSCO membership,

Treading and (gel) manicure and pedicure - To also save money, I will only set an appointment to my fave salons accordingly whenever there is an important event I need to attend. Yes pampering yourself is part of self-care but I realized I can deal with my messy brows daily and I know how to cut and clean my nails.  

Bags- I have a lot of bags because I love them but last year I also gave away some to my nieces and aunt. What I chose to keep are the following: Work bag (blog post soon), Gym bag, Travel Bag (Back pack / hand carry bag / luggage), few sling bags, tote bag and church bag.

Bujo - From dated or undated planner that I decorate time to time, I switched to a slim work-life planner which was a gift from my colleague last Christmas. I am satisfied with it and I am no longer fooling myself around on trying to be artsy or creative. Haha!

Digital Balance - Just discovered I have a screen management time on my phone. This is to lessen my browsing time and do other sensible stuff. For weekdays, 3 hours screen limit and 5 hours for weekends. My phone disables the icon of my app when I reached the limit already.

Blog layout - From paid layout to free blog theme! Simple and neat.

Skin care - I do not practice or complete the korean skin care, my basic routine is: Cleanse, tone, moisturize and protect (Sunscreen at AM).

I never thought that I will be able to cross out Batanes in my travel list this early. Thanks to my work friends who patiently waited for the seat sale promos available and managed to book us a flight even if they will lack hours of sleep! Fyi, I have no luck on seat sales that is why I leave it on the hands of my friends. Hahaha!

Anyway, it was last May 2019 when this trip happened – just weeks after my Thailand trip but good thing I saved up money for this! I don’t have the copy of our itinerary anymore but I believe you can find a lot on the internet.

Sharing below are few of our travel photos:

Some of the places we visited:

Foods we were able to try and flowers spotted around:

Group photos:

Solo pictures:

In general:

Batanes is a indeed a majestic place.

Can be an expensive trip but worth every cent.

Nice, disciplined and honest people.

Quiet and peaceful surroundings.

Simple and traditional way of living.

Organic food available.

With van, tricycle, motorcycle and boat transfer available.