work life

Friday, February 6, 2026

I discovered Milanote through one of my favorite YouTube creators, Darling Desi. She creates dreamy, cinematic videos with a beautifully curated color palette and aesthetic, and Milanote is the tool she uses for storyboarding and mood boarding her creative ideas. Watching how she organized her vision visually made me curious to try it myself—and I quickly understood why so many creatives love it.

Even if you’re not a content creator or designer, Milanote is a powerful tool for organizing ideas. You can collect colors, photos, notes, and to-do lists all in one place. It’s especially helpful for students, writers, and travel enthusiasts who enjoy planning visually (like I do!).

The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. You simply drag and drop elements onto your board. You can upload your own images or use free stock photos from Pexels to build visual peg boards. You can also add notes, create checklists, draw and scribble, and customize your workspace to suit your workflow and personal style.

Milanote also offers a mobile app, which makes it easy to capture ideas and inspiration whenever they come to you.

Happy mood boarding!

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

I’ve been in the market for a solid, professional pair of noise-cancelling headphones that can keep up with daily life—commuting, working or studying, traveling, relaxing, and even guitar practice. After weeks of research and going back and forth between Sony’s wireless noise-cancelling headphones and the Bose QuietComfort, I finally made my choice.

I went with the Bose QuietComfort in Sandstone, mainly because comfort was my top priority. I wanted something I could wear for long periods without ear fatigue or discomfort. After using these headphones for over three months, I think it’s time for an honest review.

Comfort

Hands down, these are the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. The ear cushions are soft and plush, with a barely-there feel that makes long listening sessions effortless. Whether I’m sitting upright, reclining, or even lying down, the fit remains comfortable—no sweaty ears, no pressure points, and none of that tight, clamped-in feeling.

If comfort is high on your list, the Bose QuietComfort truly lives up to its name.

Active Noise Cancellation

The noise-cancelling performance is solid and versatile, making it suitable for different activities. You can choose from various modes such as Work, Commute, Music, Quiet, or Aware, depending on your environment.

The full ANC doesn’t create that overly sealed, “plugged-in” sensation you sometimes get with noise-cancelling earbuds. Instead, it feels more natural while still effectively reducing background noise. Switching between ANC modes is easy using the shortcut button on the left earcup, which I find very convenient.

Bluetooth and Wired Connection

One of the standout features of the Bose QuietComfort is its low-latency, multi-device Bluetooth connection. Switching between devices is seamless, which is perfect if you’re juggling a phone, tablet, and laptop throughout the day.

It also supports a wired connection, which is a huge plus if you prefer zero latency. I especially appreciate this feature for guitar practice—paired with a headphone amplifier, the wired mode works beautifully.

Traveling with Bose QuietComfort

Traveling feels easier with these headphones. The Bose QuietComfort folds neatly and comes with a sturdy, easy-to-carry travel case that fits the headphones and wired accessories perfectly. It keeps everything organized, protected, and hassle-free—ideal for carry-on bags and daily commutes alike.

Final Thoughts

If you value comfort above all else and want a reliable, well-rounded noise-cancelling headphone for everyday use, the Bose QuietComfort is an excellent choice. It’s not just a pair of headphones—it’s something you can genuinely live in for hours at a time.

Friday, December 26, 2025


What is it about working or studying in cafés that makes it so addictive? Beyond the coffee and cozy ambiance, there’s something about settling into a corner table with your laptop that sparks focus, creativity, and motivation. The gentle hum of conversations, the clink of cups, and the sense of shared productivity somehow make it easier to get things done.

Even at home, you can recreate that café magic with I Miss My Café—an all-in-one virtual cafe web app that combines a Pomodoro timer, curated Spotify playlists, and a customizable café sound mixer. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to stay productive, inspired, and focused while saving both time and money—no coffee shop hopping required. Try it today!

Sunday, June 8, 2025


I'M A RENEGENERATOR!

Zone of genius: Adaptive problem-solving
Deepest aspiration: Overcoming challenges
Growth opportunity: Staying positive and motivated

Creative partner: The Luminary

What's your Adobe Creative Type? Find out in this online quiz. You can also create your AI Creative Type image on Adobe Firefly. Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 18, 2024


If you're like me who has trouble prioritizing things, this free Eisenhower Matrix printable and download from Frankie Magazine will get your life sorted out in no time. Here's to a more productive 2025!

 

Wednesday, June 12, 2024


Morning commutes and making it to work on time drastically cuts the time we can spend preparing a healthy, balanced breakfast. If you're on the fly you just grab coffee or a cereal drink on your way out of the door but that would not be enough to power you until lunch. Since I have no time to fuss over Pinoy breakfast preparations I always depend on this quick breakfast recipe to sustain me until lunchtime. Best of all, this meal is also full of antioxidants, nutrients and fiber necessary for good health.  

Check out the health benefits you can get from the ingredients:

Friday, October 20, 2023



Heads up, Ikea is now in our area!

The moment I have been waiting has arrived! IKEA Philippines which opened it’s biggest global store in Pasay City, Manila back in 2021 now ships nationwide. That means for folks like us who live outside of metropolitan Manila, we can now access affordable and well-designed products that can help build and improve our living spaces minus the hassle of travelling to Manila to visit the physical store. Minus the legendary Manila traffic, the massive physical store in MOA complex is actually an amazing retail wonderland to experience the full Ikea lifestyle--showrooms, restaurant, cafe and bistro plus the mind boggling assortment of products and design solutions.  Given that I live in Iloilo and it's impossible to bring home wide and bulky Ikea products without breaking the bank, Ikea's nationwide delivery is really the best news of the year. Depending on the size and weight of the product you're ordering, the shipping fee is still cheaper than a plane trip to Manila. The shipping rates are sensible and affordable given the super fast delivery!



 
Swedish hygge at IKEA store in Manila

The first two things I ordered online from the home office category are an Elloven computer monitor stand for my home office  and a Pluttis wallclock for the work office. Both have clean, stylish design and are highly functional. I especially love the bamboo drawer of the monitor stand that keeps my desk clean and organized. The drawer can store peripherals like mousepad, mouse and a bluetooth keyboard plus other essential school supplies like pens, notepads and a stapler set. With the help of Ikea I look forward to tidying up all the disorganized places in the house. I guess that's a goal I look forward to in 2024!





I ordered on a Friday and the items arrived 3 days after. Not bad huh? 



Delivered on a rainy afternon by LBC Express

Friday, August 18, 2023


Commuting in the City of Love is relatively easier compared to that of megacities. Despite a few traffic bottlenecks here and there you can still decently arrive to and from work in less than an hour if you live in the suburbs.The addition of modernized jeepneys or minibuses as I prefer to call them has indeed added a breath of comfort to an otherwise tiring commute. The buses are air-conditioned, have piped-in music (some even have TV) music and have fewer stops. Best of all,  with the introduction of tap to pay Panay Card another layer of convenience and comfort has been unlocked. No more digging into your bag or pocket for loose change or taking out your wallet in a crowded ride.  The last thing you'd want to happen if  you're in a SRO situation is lose your wallet while on transit! 

You can purchase a pre-loaded Panay Card for Php at the Festive Mall transport hub for Php 100. You can reload the card at the hub as well. It's easy to track your card balance as the receipt shows your remaining balance everytime you tap for payment. Easy huh?

For more info about Panay Card, visit their Facebook page. Tap the card. Take your seat. Enjoy the ride!

Thursday, August 10, 2023


 

Don't you just love the warm sound of lofi music? The analog quality of this type of music always puts me into full on relaxation especially after a hard day's work. For the record, I do listen to select lofi channels on Youtube when I'm at work and it turns down the stress levels to oblivion. Aside from the embedded video on top, here are other lofi channels that I'm super addicted to:

Sunday, August 21, 2022



I love cofee. At home I love preparing my own brew via my retro style Baumann espresso machine or through my Rilakkuma themed drip coffee set. Any which way, coffee makes my day! At work when things get busy and I  want a cup of caffeinated goodness iced coffee is the way to go! As much as possible, l always want my iced coffee sugar free and I ditch the dairy for almond or soy milk. 

I don't have a particular/singular  coffee house that I patronize. As there are a lot of coffee shops offering take-away and pick-up, it's fun to try them all out! Here are some of the must-try coffee shops to call for that instant caffeine pic-me-up:

1. Coffee Brewtherhood
2. Monkey Grounds Coffee
3. Starbucks
4. Neighbor Coffee
5. But First, Coffee

What about you? Do you have any particular local coffee brand that you enjoy at work. Tell us about it!
 

Saturday, February 6, 2021


I have always been the traditional, old skool pen and paper girl, relying so much on written notes and hardcopy files to do my work. Since the pandemic started, I have traded, albeit reluctantly my regular office desk set-up for a more flexible, remote online work environment where everything is almost paperless and cloud powered.  Gone are the stacks of folders, Post-its and print-outs that clutter my space.  In place are virtual shelves that house digital files, photos and music. Collaborative social networking office platforms also transcend space, time and distance between co-workers and for the last 10 months or so, I found them to be more effective than the usual office set-up. The pandemic really has accelerated my personal digital conversion to the point of no return. The only traditional thing left in the digital workspace is my cup of coffee ;).

Here are the traditional office items replaced by digital apps and platforms that encourage speed, efficiency and productivity in the pandemic era. Some of the apps are free and some are paid subscriptions. 

Old:
Small spiral notebook for lists, phone numbers, things-to buy
New:
Google Keep, Any.do app

Old:
Diary/Planner
New:
Elisi, Planner Pro app, Google Calendar

Old: Face-to-face office set-up
New: 
Yammer, Planner, Sharepoint on Office 365, Zoom, Google Meet

Old: 
Notebook, sketchpad
New:
Inkflow, Paper, Goodnotes, Sketches app

Old: Paper Post-its
New: Digital Post-it app

Old:
Physical files and folder management
New: Intranet, iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, Adobe Acrobat

Do you have any favorite digital office app? Let me know in the comments below. 

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