Lately, I've been all for social media accounts that are positive, motivating and into the same advocacies that I'm into. I also started unfriending, or unfollowing people that only spouts nonsense or just stresses me out (even if they don't intend to ~ kasi hello, it's not all about me, char!) 
And it felt really good. The purging, I mean, The time I usually spent stressing out on some random friend's post about politics, love or humblebrag I now spend on listening to productivity podcasts. With my own accounts, I actually limit my own posts on FB, IG & twitter to occasional videos and stories when the mood hits me. 
As what Lana said, LIVE IN THE NOW. Stop flaking on your own family and friends and actually spend quality time with them, not for the sake of something to post. Unless it's for a fun event or a blog ~ besides, nobody reads this anyway *wink* *wink* 
Till next!

Back when I read up on all these blogs, I thought to myself. How can these students manage to live alone with no income (unless freelancing)?

And I remembered, ukay and DIY lifestyle.

MINIMALISM.

Like the heftiest splurge would be on 2-3 choicest books on BOOKSALE (miss you Anonas).

Back then I couldn't wait to try living on my own. Now, all I can think about was how to cut down on my bills -_- #liveyourwage #adulting101

Well, at least I know I COULD live on my own without any outside help HEHEHEHE. Just have to learn how to be more mindful of my spending.

Or how to be more creative, whichever comes first.

Maligayang Araw ng Kasarinlan Pilipinas!

As it was a 4 day celebration for Philippine Independence at some major tourist attractions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we had to make a weekend of it in spite of the sweltering heat and dwindling funds ^^

First off, Happy Independence Day Philippines ~ and for UAE to celebrate it along with us is really heartwarming and truly one of the marks of this year's motto: UAE Year of Tolerance. Thank you UAE! #lovethecountryyoulivein

The actual date of our independence (kasarinlan) day is on June 12, 1898 - the 121st commemoration of our freedom from Spain. Despite it not being internationally recognized right away which led to the 2 treaties (1898 Treaty of Paris - which we did not recognize and eventually led to the Philippine-American war and the 1946 Treaty of Manila), June 12 was declared by then President Diosdado Macapagal on May 12, 1962 as a national public holiday to commemorate "our inherent and inalienable right to freedom and independence". Viva la independencia Filipina!

June 12, 1898: Philippine Independence Day Declared, The Philippine Reporter

The festivities started with a show from Burj Khalifa:

and a unique laser show in DFC (Dubai Festival City):

And best of all, we scored major discounts on Dubai Parks and Yas Waterworld!

Too bad we can't go to both -_-  but since it's the weekend and we know there will be long lines either way, we opted for the budget friendlier one: Dubai Parks & Resorts! #pinoylovesDPR

Our salvation: air-conditioned rides! WHEEEEEE!!

The promo was access to 3 parks for 1 ticket, but we ended up going only to one: Motiongate.

We started out pretty late so we didn't get to go on most rides but we had 2 hypertensives with us so best not to risk it ^^ although the Madagascar Mad Pursuit was one nice surprise! BWAHAHAHA

Iwan ang kaluluwa poses ^^

It was a super fun day to spend with family so thanks DPR! We'll surely be back (on a weekday and in pa-winter) to get on all the rides! *Ehem ehem Panem* HEHEHE

Mrs. A ♥

Finally A ---!

Still a part of the Wedding Preps Series though :)

After 4 months of requirements, seminars and wedding jitters (SRSLY), finally had the budgetarian civil ceremony slash elopement over and done with!

Firstly, we didn't want to make a fuss out of our civil union because the D Day festivities was already planned to a T later this year, along with all our funds. We only did it to cut down on the documents we'll be processing back home as I mentioned on an earlier post and as I realized ~ it's actually much better to have an intimate affair where the people attending are only your nearest and dearest. In our case, watching our small family and my colleagues hitting it off during our makeshift reception was really fun and heartwarming. We didn't get to do the beer pong but at least we were able to do the GOT S8 E6 viewing party (yes it's actually part of our program HEHE) and bond over our personal takes on it.

I watched a few vlogs as well on civil weddings on Youtube and I really liked the simplicity of it ~ in Japan all you have to do is just bring your family register and personal seal with your significant other and it's done! I watched Camie Juan again and her NY civil wedding (had this on loop one jitters-filled weekend) was so straightforward and simple and it made me feel that despite everything, it boils down to just the both of you and your commitment to each other.

DIYed the invites on Word and sent them out a week before the ceremony.

We received a call on the same week of our scheduled solemnization for the actual timing. Because of Ramadan, we were asked to come at 1:15 PM but we went there at least 20 minutes before in case we needed to do something else before the ceremony. Turned out to be a good call, final checks on the marriage contracts had to be done before we were asked to take our places in front of the podium.

The ceremony was presided over by the vice consul. We were 15 couples in total and I was the one wearing the simplest dress out of all the brides (Thank you Namshi!) which I got on sale for 71 AED (or 1,000 PHP). My sister and cousin signed off as witnesses while his sister was the designated P/V + chauffeur for the day.

Paying it forward: Enjoy 15% discount at Namshi. Use coupon code RFBCRAQ on your first purchase, just click on the images below and start shopping :) (Pics below from Namshi)

Backless ng slight! Pak! Sana by December ganyan na din ako kapayat! Pak!

I'm 5'1 so the mini dress became knee length which was fine because you have to be decent inside the embassy + RAMADAN. J just wore his Sunday best and luckily, his belt from aliexpress matched his shoes so he looked so snazzyyyy

We bought his shoes from Payless for only 60 AED! Imagine! AND it's MEMORY FOAM :)
My black strappies are my regular work shoes from SHEIN.

Bouquet from Lulu :) at 21 AED.

Fun after the ceremony ^^ We don't do adult affairs well HEHEHE

Over-all, the event lasted from 3 hours and off we went to prep for the boodle fight/reception.

Here's J, my eyebrows + me

DIY BOODLE FIGHT

Our simple yet sumptuous feast

(L-R)

Tinolang Manok with Papaya

Torta at Pritong Talong

Pritong Tilapia

Steamed Kangkong + Okra + Lorin's Bagoong

Adobong Manok

Buttered Shrimp

Ensaladang Kamatis at Itlog na Maalat

Tuna Sisig

&

Walang Kamatayang Unli-Rice

We booked a 3 fully furnished bedroom apartment, or should I say, my colleagues booked it as a gift to us ~ SHUKRAN sisters!

The day after: Me (slightly hung over) + J (fresh as a daisy) + my regular eyebrows :)

To think we started off as just me having this mammoth (WOTD) crush on him back in 4th year HS for his drafting + calculus wizardry and now we have officially tied the knot ~ HIHIHI landi! Chos! Lakas maka- A Love so Beautiful ♥

Now we can concentrate on our balik alindog program in peace. 

Thanks for the read!

Officially Mrs. A ♥

I Voted!

Random Marriage Thought #1

How do you know if you're emotionally prepared for a marriage?

Overseas Voting for NLE 2019

Time to do our part for the country!

When I did my passport renewal back in 2017, they mandated voter registration as well so I'm finally able to exercise my right to vote this year! :) Never too late yo!

Kaso Dubai, pero whatodooo at least I get to vote.

To view the complete list of senators & partylists, please click on the link 

But first, make sure you're on the list of registered voters by going to the nearest embassy's website and checking your name. Since I'm registered in Dubai, here's the link to their site:

http://www.dubaipcg.dfa.gov.ph/

Let's do our research and don't sell out :) Search their track records!

Voting is from April 13-May 13 - below is the schedule so you know when to go - just don't leave it till the last minute!

Wedding Preps: Getting A Marriage License in Abu Dhabi ✓

Time is of the essence for OFWs brides to be, and processing a marriage license is one of the musts that will need ample time to be processed prior to the ceremony. Since we don't have that luxury (the start of our annual leave is only two weeks before the 21st), we decided to do a civil ceremony here and then we only have to process our church requirements later on.

To get a marriage license in Abu Dhabi, below are the requirements to submit:
*Taken from Philippine Consulate - Abu Dhabi website:

• 1 copy of DFA authenticated NSO Birth Certificate (original and 2 photocopies)
• Transcription copy of birth certificate, if the copy issued by the NSO is not clear (original and 2 photocopies)
• 1 copy of DFA authenticated NSO CENOMAR (original and 2 photocopies)  (same with the entries in birth certificate)
• 3 passport copies of the contracting parties
• For ages 18-21, DFA authenticated Affidavit of Parental Consent (original and 2 photocopies)
• For ages 22-25, DFA authenticated Affidavit of Parental Advice (original and 2 photocopies)
• 1 copy of DFA authenticated NSO Death Certificate of parents (original and 2 photocopies)
• Signed Joint Affidavit of Two Witnesses and their respective 3 passport copies (Yes, signed)
• 2 passport-size pictures of the contracting parties
• personal appearance of the contracting parties
• Marriage Counseling Certificate

*In photocopying your NSO authenticated documents, make sure that the whole page is copied, as you will be asked to re-do if the bottom is not included. You can submit these in the below order (3 sets each, per applicant):

1. Passport copy

2. Residence visa copy

3. NSO authentication - cenomar (full page copy)

4. Cenomar copy

5. NSO authentication - birth certificate (full page copy)

6. Birth certificate copy

Note: names should all match, as well as your parents' in all documents.

Also, even if you already attended the MPC course in St. Joseph's Church, you will be asked to attend a Marriage Counseling session in Philippine Consulate - Dubai (yes, Dubai huhuhuuuuu). They will give you the nearest schedule and they will do the registration on the spot (mandatory). 

However, they will still process your license even if you don't have the counseling at this time. You can submit it once you come back for your license.

In addition, for Annulled / Widow / Widower:

• DFA authenticated Court’s Decision and Certificate of Finality of Annulment (original and 2 photocopies)
• DFA authenticated NSO Marriage Contract with annotation that the marriage is already annulled/void (original and 2 photocopies)
• DFA authenticated NSO records of previous marriages (original and 2 photocopies)
• 1 copy of DFA authenticated NSO Death Certificate of the deceased spouse

Once you all have your documents in order, you can go to the embassy from Sundays to Thursdays at 8AM-12PM and:

1. Get your queue number from the guardhouse (left side). 

2. Submit your documents and fill up the additional forms you will be given.

3. Register for Marriage Counseling seminar in Dubai

4. Pay 200 AED 

5. Return the receipt copy to processor and she will give your copy back, along with the Marriage Counseling schedule and date of license release.

To go to the embassy (from Al Wahda Mall), please see below:

DIY SG Trip for 2: The 179 SGD (500 AED) Challenge

Nearing our vacay, we encountered a few emergency expenses back home so our allotted budget was slashed to the basics. I knooow that it's imperative to have your emergency fund ready but whatodoyaniiiii hehehe... 

Anyway, good thing we had the major activities purchased months prior the trip so we just have to make do with the bare minimum. 

Ok, I'll be doing my budget breakdown for our based on my previously posted itinerary para masaya :) If you really have no choice but to stick to a budget like us OR you just want to try if you're able to do one and follow it religiously just to see if you can, then this one's for you! 

DIY SG Trip for 2: The 179 SGD (500 AED) Challenge aka ONE BIG FOODTRIP in SG

Day 1
7AM - Arrival in Changi Airport
8AM - Breakfast
9AM - Luggage check-in (Hotel 81 Gold - Geylang area near Aljunied MRT)
930 AM - Kallang Wave Mall (while waiting for hotel check-in at 2PM)
240 PM - Hotel check-in + rest
4PM - Ticket collection for Gardens by the Bay + OCBC Skyway at the Red Dot Design Museum
430 PM - Sightseeing at Marina Bay Sands, Esplanade, Merlion, Art Science Museum
8PM - Dinner at Hawker (Esplanade)

Budget Breakdown:

14.50 SGD - breakfast in Hawker, somewhere near Aljunied Station (2 Noodle bowls)
20 SGD - EZ link top up (our ez link cards were borrowed from my sister)
2.40 SGD - 2 ice cream with bread (near Esplanade)

2.50 SGD - water (7/11)
8 SGD - Starbucks 
3.10 SGD - Jollibean (Aljunied MRT Station)
10.90 SGD - Hawker (Esplanade)

Day 1 Total: 61.40 SGD

Day 2
1030 AM - Breakfast
1230 PM - Universal Studios Singapore

530 PM - Early dinner at Malaysian Food Street (just outside USS)

830 PM - Actual dinner at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken - Orchard Gateway (free, courtesy of a friend in highschool)

10PM - Drinks at Little Saigon Clark Quay (free again HEHE)

1145 PM - race against time to the last train to Aljunied

Budget Breakdown:

7.00 SGD  Pork Ban Mian (2) (Food Cherry)
4 SGD - RWS8 (Bus) - 1 SGD/route/person
4 SGD - Corndog (USS)
17.00 SGD - Fried Rice (2) Malaysian Food Street 
3.50 SGD - Iced Milo
4.00 SGD - Iced Red Bean Kacang
3 SGD -  Jollibean
10 SGD - Extra top up (due to lost EZ link)

Day 2 Total: 52.50 SGD

Day 3
11AM - Breakfast at Bugis Junction (Let's Eat)

1130 AM - Shopping for souvenirs at Bugis Street
1230PM - Flower Dome

1PM - Cloud Forest

3PM - Gardens by The Bay + OCBC Skyway

430 PM - Marina Bay Sands Mall
6PM - Power nap
9PM - Souvenir pahabol at Bugis Street (Last train to Aljunied was early! OMG)
1030PM - Late dinner at Food Cherry (Pork Ban Mian)

Budget Breakdown:

9 SGD - Breakfast: Curry Rice with Chicken Cutlet (2) (Let's Eat Bugis Junction)
10 SGD - EZ link top up
20 SGD - souvenirs
7.00 SGD - Pork Ban Mian (2) (Food Cherry)

2.65 SGD - Rice Crisps
0.75 SGD - Water
2.75 SGD - Toblerone

Day 3 Total: 56.75 SGD

Day 4
7AM - Train to Changi Airport
812 AM - Self-service kiosk check-in and bag drop
10AM - Breakfast at McDo (you can use leftover load from Ezlink and NetFlashpay cards here!)
1255 PM - Flight to Manila

Budget Breakdown:

7.00 SGD McDo Big Breakfast Platter
4.20 SGD- Sausage Mcmuffin
3.50 SGD Coffee
- purchased with leftover load on EZ-Link/Netflash pay cards
12.00 SGD - Big Breakfast Platter with Hash Browns + Milo + Wrap


Day 4 Total: 12 SGD

Total EXPENSES: 178.02 SGD

Our major expenses which we paid beforehand were:

Accommodation: Hotel 81 Gold
20 Geylang Lorong 20
Rating: 3/5

The hotel was a 10-15 minute walk from Aljunied station. This is quite far from the downtown area but we chose this because at that time it was the most affordable, and on the same MRT line (green) as the airport express.
SGD POWER: 203.91 SGD (554.29 AED) for 3 nights 2 days

Activities:
Voyagin - Universal Studios Singapore - 134.82 SGD (366.48 AED) (2)
Klook - Gardens by the Bay + OCBC Skyway + Red Dot Museum Access - 156.95 AED (2)

Wedding Preps: Religious Documents for MPC (Marriage Preparation Course - St Joseph's Church Abu Dhabi)

Here I am again, chronicling our journey to the altar ~ I just love doing this wedding preps series kasi I feel so helpful! Charot! Hahaha :P kidding aside, I am one lazy bride-to-be because I didn't do anything wedding related on our last vacay in Manila kaya now I'm cramming -_- and everything gets so expensive with the processing fees/ shipping fees/ misc fees that goes on top if you're doing everything from overseas - and you don't have a full time wedding coordinator.

Not that a wedding coordinator will help with your personal documents but you know what I mean.

Anyway, I read from a blog that to register for a marriage license at the embassy, you need to undergo a Marriage Prep Course (actually it's not required to do it first, you can just do it after you filed for a license but we didn't want to waste precious leave days just to go back and forth)  at St. Joseph's Church Abu Dhabi, usually held on Thursdays at 7:30 PM-9:30 PM and Fridays at 8:30 AM till 5. It's not every Th/F, they usually have a schedule so be sure to check the church website out before anything else.

To register for the MPC, you need to click on this link and fill up the form (separately) and wait for their email response.

TIMELINE: Registration on 17th Jan, we received the email on the 21st, asking for a copy of Baptismal certificate (if you're a Catholic) or just an Emirates ID copy and/ or passport copy (if not), to be sent prior to the next MPC schedule.

UPDATE: Make sure that the names on your baptismal certificates match your other documents as they will print your MPC certificates based on your baptismal docs only.

If not, you have to request from pinas to have it revised - and from there it's quite a process. The request should be made from the diocese of the church you were baptized in and you have to give your NSO authenticated birth certificate as proof but usually the revision only takes 2-3 working days.

Once it was revised and MIL sent it via FB, we reached out to the program coordinator. We went to SJC again and personally gave him the updated baptismal certificate with the MPC one and he revised it in less than 10 minutes! Shukran brother! :)

MPC Check! ✓✓✓

Wedding Preps: Wedding Rings Check ✓✓✓

I've been reading up on multiple blogs and femalenetwork posts for wedding suppliers that I'm inspired to do my own :)

Major suppliers will be reviewed after my wedding though hehe but in the meantime, I'll be posting the little details that I'm done with.

Supplier: Carcassone Gold and Diamonds LLC

Shop No. 5, Hamdan Centre, Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi, Po Box No. 42978

Ph: 02 6347676

We bought this in early 2018 so we can spread out our expenses for our dream wedding in 2019. Initially we planned to buy the rings much closer to the date (and in Manila) but once we heard that there was a 70% off promo in Hamdan, we rushed right over to check it out :)

The saleslady was a kabayan~very accommodating so we didn't have a hard time finding what we wanted: simple gold wedding bands.

Ganda! I love it ❤

Just recently, I came to know that the motto we had engraved was from US Marine Corps' :P but I originally got it from my favorite Precious Hearts Romance writer, Rose Tan so kebs!

Much love and can't wait for December ❤