It's finally October and my spooky cold craving heart is... well, I live in Texas so it's debatable if we'll even get to feel Fall this year since you know, global warming. It's literally 75 degree's right now. My hopes are not high. 

October already looks like a busy month for me and I'm not entirely sure in a good way. But I do have a ton of fun posts I'm planning to work on since spooky season is my favorite season.

I'll be talking about my annual October Reading Challenge that I've been doing since 2009, so crazy to think how many years I've already done this and it's lived longer than my desire to keep book blogging, though I do miss doing that work.

I'll also be talking about my Fall gaming back log... again. Because I really need to start these dang games lol. They've been sitting in my back log for years now. Along with a few others that just released that I want to try and talk about. There's a good amount of games I already play that have Halloween and Fall events that have already started. That may need its own post though.

It's also Filipino American History Month!

I always make the most plans to celebrate Filipino American History Month esp since my kids aren't surrounded with endless Filipino culture like I was and it sort of irritates me lol. I try my best to incorporate Filipino culture as much as I can but it's hard when you yourself aren't surrounded by it either. I always fear I'm losing my Tagalog and Cebano, despite the fact I run a Filipino small business that basically is run by language. 

So be prepared to see a ton of Filipino inspired or themed posts this month!

As always, my hopes and goals for this month have more to do on focusing on my well being, both physically and mentally. While I'm also in desperate need of refreshes in my life (then again, I say that every Fall) esp with my gaming desk and my dresser! I want to focus more on the things that bring me joy and less about anyone else's opinions or thoughts. Basically I want to focus more on me and less on people speaking to me in general lol.

So here's to October!

May your month be full of yummy treats, the ability to wear cute hoodies and oversized sweaters, the yummiest coffee you've ever had and lots of Fall themed joys! 

Every month -- well almost every month -- of this year has had a certain theme to it. Except July and August, I skipped those months. It's heavy emotionally and mentally for me anyway. I know I use to just power through my work, esp in those months, but I'm now learning and honoring that I don't fuckin HAVE to. If I don't want to, I won't. It's really that simple.

September's theme is the gathering season.

And I don't mean gather as in harvest. I mean, I could. But I meant it more so for gathering the things that bring me joy. Which some could argue I could possibly do less of that; and to those people, you can fuck off and I mean that with all the disrespect you think I do. 

Love Fall so much I named my daughter after it. So if you think I'm going to let anyone tell me how to celebrate or feel this season, you got me fucked up, foreal. LMAO. 

— ᨳଓ .

| bake something

Preferably something that will use this gd cinnamon sugar you seem to have 3 bottles of. But also something caramel apple themed. Or just take it old school and make caramel apples like how you did when you worked at Disney.

| create something using a new medium

Cross stitch? Finally dabble in perler beads? I'd say crochet but we've tried that a number of times -- but in our 20's -- maybe in our 40's we will magically just get it? Maybe? No? I mean, we could try. But I am leaning more towards the first two.

| network with new or existing vendors

Outsource glitter halloween stickers from a few years ago with new designs. Outsource more keychains and maybe test run an enamel pin this season. 

| revamp etsy + shopify

Start making etsy shops reflect seasons and holidays. Design accordingly. Your shop front is making an impression too. Same with shopify, as much as we hate dealing with shopify. Before the end of Sept would be nice, future self.

| draft reading challenge list

Round up at least 5 and at the max 10 books to choose from for this years annual halloween reading challenge. Yes you have a rough idea of what books to choose from, but narrow it down, for the love of whoever you worship, PLEASE.

| draft fall backlog list

These games in your back log deserve to be cussed about. Please include Switch 2 and MacOS games as well because we all know, most of these games will be played during the nighttime routine window. 

| health is literally wealth

Please start acting like it. That includes taking it more seriously and drinking water like it's your favorite side quest, esp since we're still hitting well over 100 degree days here. But also, focus on healing and on your medical situations. It's not going to be fun or easy, but it needs to be handled. Getting old does suck, it is difficult, these are new problems we're facing, but it's nothing you can't handle. Remember that.

Take self care, doing your night time routine and your monthly self care events much more seriously. Plus, you deserve self care time.

— ᨳଓ .

This month already looks and feels like it's going to be a ridiculously difficult month, I just need to remember to take my time, to allow myself time and grace and to take the things I NEED as a priority, and not a I'll get to it later assignment. And also that if it requires me to push myself, it's optional.

This blog has been getting over 10k views a month despite me not being as consistent as I was, thank you for the hits, I spent a lot of years building this blog, and I'm still trying to decide what direction I want to go with it, but for now, I am much more focused on my health.

I hope you all have a wonderful month ahead 

We did it.

We made it over half way through this hell of a fuckin year.

Jfc.

I miss the day when life was carefree enough to actually make plans and enjoy the summer time. But that's not exactly reality right now and it's fine, just like when COVID happened, you adjust. I also feel like I'm fighting with my blogger blog a lot more lately because of formatting and things... when it use to be all so simple. Not even going to talk about how long I've been fighting with adsense. Ugh. It is what it is though and it's all part of why I like doing what I do and have done since 1999, because despite the headaches and despite wanting to rip out my blogs throat (if it had one), I actually do truly enjoy the challenge it brings. Obviously if I've been doing this for over 25 years now lol.

This blog alone is 14 years old, damn. That's... wild to think about. About how much more different my life was when I started this blog, what I thought my life would look like and how much has changed since then. It's honestly a fuckin complete 180. Me 14 years ago would not believe what me now had to say if I ever saw her. 

July in Texas is a weird space and it only got more weird. It definitely makes me miss Florida "summer" even if the weather is insane. It's like someone who asked Threads "is Aug the best time to go to Florida?" and someone responded with "have you ever been inside an air fryer?" and I almost spit out my drink laughing. Because literally. July is also my Fall prep month, I'm not sure if I'm going to keep that going or if I'm going to wait until Sept to start all that. We shall see.

here are a few things i do want to do in July;

| revamp Etsy shops

Because I feel like after 3 years and esp after 5 years the shops need a revamp. I really want to revamp my business cards too but I also don't because I've grown so attached to them. My actual shops though could use a revamp and maybe even new product shots.. but that might be too ambitious right now lol. Small changes still count.

| declutter one surface in my room every week

I want to add more shelves to my room. I also want to reorganize my entire gaming set up, make it an easier place to be and sit down and work... or game. But my room needs a serious declutter. Especially since I have a storage unit and it makes no sense to not use if I'm paying for one. Also my vanity needs help. Between finishing product shots and filming reels, that stuff needs to get off my desk already lol. I hate that I put everything on my vanity as a hey get this product done soon and my eyes just graze over it either way lol. The product reviewer struggle.

| sketch more every night

I started attempting to draw Pomni from The Amazing Digital Circus, I wanted to make something for the girls since there isn't much TADC stuff for smaller kids. GRANTED they shouldn't be watching this in the first place but they do. They introduced me to it in fact. It's so funny.

Other than that, I really want to get back into sketching again. Blogging and writing has taken a bit of a backseat to my routine and my life lately... just because I needed a bit of a break from a lot of things. I'm starting to get back in the habit of it all, but I feel like my creative outlet needs a different medium for a bit also.

| try 3 new places to eat

This is a pretty common goal for me all around. Or one I've been adding to every monthly hopes post I've made for the last 20 years. It's a fun one that I enjoy, a lot. And even bonus if I find a place I actually really love.

| find one new favorite

Anything.

Snack, food, book, show, game... okay maybe not anything because I'd like to keep it in these categories but if I find something off the wall I keep coming back to, I'd gladly take that as well.

| finish the play test games i have queued up

I have about 3 or 4, currently. I've played 2, some are just longer demos so it's hard to say how I feel about them or what I think because you're not exposed to too much. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not the gamer who is expected to give certain games publicity because my mind would go blank. I use to be so good at this before kids and going to college and work full time lol but now it's like whaaaat are we talking about again. Or maybe it's just the current game I'm play testing because I see a lot of videos from cozy gaming creators talking about this game as if it's a full on release or something when in reality there's a lot of placeholders IN the game. It's wild.

So yeah, I really want to finish the game plays and write my reviews for them. There is one where I was doing play test on my iPad before they decided to move to Steam and the file doesn't cross over sadly, so starting over is a bit bleh but also, its nice to get a story refresh.

— ᨳଓ .

I'll try my best to write here a bit more consistently, but no promises. I thought I would once I got access to my OG Instagram account again but I haven't. I haven't even been back ON that account since I got it back. I miss what it was to me and how I just poured my soul into everything. But the last few months have shifted into something I wasn't expecting either.

Life has a strange way of working.

I hope you all have a wonderful month ahead 

We are in the 4th month of the year. That's 2 months away from hitting mid-year. I recently learned that time indeed seems to pass faster the older you get because of the things you've already experienced. It's really interesting and also really scary in a mind fuck kind of way. Not at all comforting.

It's my birth month and usually I celebrate my birthday all week. Since moving to Texas, I have not and it's making my soul itch, if you know what I mean. The older I get, the more I want to move back into my "you can't tell me how to live my life" era because since I fund my own life, I should be in control of my own life and my own time. It would only make sense.

I'm not here to even attempt to romanticize April, as much as I want to. Because let's be real -- April means rain and rain anywhere other than Florida is miserable. April means the bugs are suddenly more comfortable coming outside. April means Spring which means allergens are ready to wreck yo face. As pretty and as girly it is to romanticize April, I'm not going to bother this year. Hop on Pinterest if you're looking for that. Or Threads, it's all over the place.

Instead, I'm going to give myself the low spoonie goal + hope guide for my 41st year. And goodness, has it been a long one already.

        | celebrate your birthday your way

That means, fuck what anyone else has to say!! Do you boo, it's your day. Your week. YOUR MONTH. Be as loud as you use to be.

| declutter items not spaces

I read that decluttering items like clothes or shoes or like specific things like that instead of area's or rooms or drawers can be less overwhelming. And I kinda see how that's a thing.

| go back to eating more greens and adding more iron rich foods to your meals again

I hate that I lost sight of this. Depression does some weird shit but changing my diet was uncalled for lol. I'm usually really good about eating iron rich foods, whole foods, healthy fats, all that stuff. Texans don't believe in healthy eating and I don't know why I even let that get to me. Don't like it? Don't eat it. But leave me the fuck out of it. I know my body and I know what I stick to long before any of this, so step off, thanks.

| do what you can to create your cozy space

Walking into your room should feel like a deep breath. It should uplift your spirits every time you set foot. It should reflect who you are as far as fandoms, colors and scents. Do all the things you use to do to create your sanctuary of a room when you first moved out.

| figure out how to take 4k videos of Switch games

I really want to start making Pokopia and Mario videos but also Animal Crossing. I low key miss playing that but every time I get on I want to redo my entire island. But there are so many Pokopia videos I want to make! The base Switch capture isn't that great, which is sad since we're on the Switch2 now. Like? When did the image quality go down? I do stream and play on pc with my capture card that has a 4k setting. I'd just... have to figure out how to use it lol.

I'm also debating on installing Streamlabs on my MacBook Neo, but like... would that be a bit much?? It's not like I game heavy on it or anything. Or even at all. The games I usually play on my phone or iPad aren't optimized for the MacBook, does it stop me from trying? No. Is Steam installed on my MacBook? Yes.

| gentle self discipline

Do one thing for future you. Rebuild without guilt -- no matter how long it may take or how slow you may move. 

Slow movement is better than no movement - Kai Cenat

The two can co-exist, why not? Rebuilding does seem scary, especially after everything that's happened but you were this sort of person before any of this happened, before anything. You even majored and graduated in social media, like, come on. Stop it! You're good at what you do, you need to stop acting otherwise.

It's your birth month and if you don't celebrate big for you then who will? We know this already, again stop acting like you don't know. Be you. The loud, unhinged, unapologetic you.

How is it already Winter?! Wasn't it just Fall?! Time passes so much more faster as an adult and the fact that this is literally a fact blows my mind. How unfair. Wish someone had told me this was another side effect of adult hood lol.

Texas weather is crazy; we've gone from 30's and next week we're going back up to 80's. Clearly Texas doesn't play by seasonal themes. At all. Which wouldn't be so wild if it at least didn't make it Winter and Summer in one week.

I attempted to do holiday photos yesterday and it went... not as I expected what so ever. But at least I attempted, I guess? It's super difficult with kids who like to randomly just run off for any given reason. Like, this is why parents have those leash bags. Crazy kids. 

drink hot cocoa

see holiday lights

go ice skating

bake holiday cookies

refresh my gaming set up 

make one cocktail drink 

re-evaluate my shops & businesses for 2026

do a deep in my soul purge of non joyful things

It's now mid December and this post is late. December is always a crazy month for content creators, I've always had trouble juggling blogmas, vlogmas, reading, reviewing and trying new eats. Add in being a parent to very active kiddos and running several businesses... yeah it can be a lot lol. But I love what I do, which is why I've been doing it for over 20 years now, happily.

November wasn't as cozy as it could had been, but it was full of things that caught me by surprise and brought joys through out the month.

I also treated myself to a Switch 2 even though I said I wouldn't until the update for Animal Crossing comes out in January but the chance came up to grab one so I did, I deserve it! Working on your shit pays off, and the ability to get myself these two upgrades makes me feel so much more accomplished lol. 

It's been a productive month of blind boxes.

I found some Sanrio ones I was searching for in Plano and had to get them all. Or rather, two or three of each. The Tamagotchi Sanrio one on the top right I had to buy another 3 of because my kiddos stole my other haul of them. These are so cute they light up and they make really cute bag charms. I definitely need to get more! The Pochacco on the bottom right had to be straight up hidden because they would fight over him. So he's hiding on my bookshelf in my room right now lol. I haven't opened the others yet, I'm debating if I want to do unboxing blind box reels.

I blame working at Disney World and at D-Street when blind box Vinylmations was a huge thing. Ah, I miss those days and I miss working there. It was so much fun!

I do love my girls share the excitement and love of blind boxes and aren't sore losers about getting doubles. I just wish they wouldn't lose them lol! 

November was full of Wicked stuff naturally.

Ironically my 6yo was the one who was trying to convince me to go watch it. Act II isn't my favorite. I only like the first part with No Good Deed but everything else having to do with The Wizard I could care less for. Oh, and I want to see the slap happen.

It did hit a point where I was like how much Wicked stuff is TOO MUCH Wicked stuff? The 6yo picked up Wicked bath bombs and all the Glinda bubble bar from LUSH since it doubles as a bubble wand which is pretty cool. I picked up the skincare stuff which smells amazing. I hate how most of these collections at LUSH are super limited edition. I still have the Elphaba glitter broom bath bomb from the collection last year sitting on my shelf and I refuse to use it.

Compartes would do a Wicked collab. They even have an advent calendar on their website. I found these chocolate bars at World Market. There were several others but these were the flavors I was most drawn to. I'll probably put up reviews or a taste test reel up on my foodie blog. 

I haven't had an urge to get on social media all year and tbh, my nervous system has been just a bit more settled since. As someone who's been on social media and doing social media since 1999 and been on Instagram since it was iOS only in 2011, I am burnt out ya'll lol. I love sharing photos and things but on Instagram isn't it anymore for me. Plus with the rise of them just randomly deleting accounts? Yeah, nah. I'm not putting all that time and energy into something I can't control anymore. I've debated on going old school and getting back on Flickr lol. There's Behance but it's only for those with an Adobe Creative Cloud membership -- which isn't such a bad idea at this point. I have always hated the idea of TikTok, I don't know why. Maybe because I'm a Vine-er forever and TikTok is just a bootleg version of Vine lol.

I did find that studies show that being on TikTok does throw your nervous system, if I find the article again I'll come back and link it here.

 Like I mentioned, my gaming pc can now run Infinity Nikki.

I have so many thoughts about this game. I mean, it's a gatcha game so I mean, what could go wrong? My bank account says a lot lol. The fact you have to gatcha 2-3 of each outfit in order to upgrade it is nuts but so so addicting. And tbh I've been overly obsessed with gatcha games since the days of Neopets and GoGaia. Which weren't even games exactly, they were just websites that took your money lmao!

This game is beautiful and the game play itself is wonderfully done. There's SO much to do for a game that is focused on fashion quests and style off's. It's perfect for people like me who love to gather, craft and hunt for resources. The downside is that you cap your insights daily and they're time gated. So something takes weeks to get sometimes. Patience isn't my thing lmao. 

I enjoyed the whole story line with Giovanni and completing the Itzland quests. That whole section was really heartwarming. 

 I still have my eyes on this Oregon Trail ornament because how freakin cute?! If you were a 90's kid and played this on those pc's that only operated in black and green, you know how this tugs at your memories lol! I played it for awhile on my Switch and as an adult, it's much more stressful lmao. But hey, no one's died yet.

Speaking of Switch, I'm so against buying Switch 2 games. I mean $70 a game? In this economy? Ya'll are trippin. I'm thankful that most Switch games come with a free Switch 2 upgrade. I was recently gifted Paper Mario and I'm so excited to play this one! I've wanted it since it was released. 

My 6yo has the same habit as her dad when gaming: she looks at me in game when she's talking to me. I don't remember what we were talking about other than her demanding I get in the car in Roblox. Our Roblox game play is so random and chaotic lol. However she always comes up with the cutest looks and outfits.

November was of course spent decorating for Christmas! This year I went full on glitter. Nutcrackers are a thing I collect and this gold glitter one from Target has been one of my favorite new decor item's I've picked up this year.

Picked up a few of my favorite holiday snacks: I do miss when the Linzer Raspberry cookies had powered sugar on top of them, wonder why they stopped doing that. The Holiday Cookie Collection has been one of my favs since I was a kid but it was the asian market version. Same thing lol! The cookie sprinkled with coconut shavings is my favvvvv... so good.

I introduced the girls to the Terry's chocolate orange and I regret it lmao. In the month of Nov I bought maybe 4 of these because they kept jacking mine and eating it all. Ugh lol. My dad introduced these to me as a kid. I thought the concept of smacking it was so funny and now my kids do the same. 

Overall, November gave me a lot to be thankful for -- even if I didn't get to take my annual Disney World trip this year. I was surrounded by other little joys and things that helped calmed my nervous system as well as things I really needed to upgrade for the sake of my businesses so I can't really complain.

I'm lucky to be able to have and do the things I do, annually my kids take Disney World trips twice a year and that's way more than I got to take at their age, so I'm truly thankful to be able to gift my kids with those memories and experiences as they grow. 

Now to work our way through December and all the challenges that come with the holidays, time management and everything else.

I hope you all are staying warm and cozy this season! 

There are a number of things that I look forward to when all the Fall & Halloween collections start rolling out and Lush is one of them.

Over the years the collection has had some slight variations but the pumpkin crumble bubble bars and the ghostie bath bombs come back. 

This year they had a hollow pumpkin bath bomb that doubles as a tea light holder! I'm not sure how exactly that's suppose to work but you're suppose to put a tea light IN the pumpkin and after the tea light goes out you put the pumpkin in the bath...?

Don't worry, it's not an aff link, but ya'll need to see this.

 I don't know, I didn't grab one but I'm seeing this has become a trend of theirs in 2025, for sure. Weeiiirrrd concept. Since I no longer have a bathtub in my bathroom, I couldn't enjoy any of the bath bombs this time around, or the bubble bars, though I could had made the bubble bars work if I wanted to. Maybe treat the bath bombs like shower bombs? That seems like a bit of a reach though and it may dye my shower.

I did pick up a Pumpkin Spice Latte body wash (it has glitter) and a Snow Fairy body lotion because come on, once Snow Fairy hits shelves, I HAVE to pick it up. It's a must. I still miss the Snowcake soap they use to have, I can't believe they got rid of it.

Lush during Fall is one of the best things to see. All the pops of oranges and black. The vibe in there being extra cozy and all the delicious smelling soaps on display. It's definitely one of my favorite times of the year when walking into a Lush!

What are some things you typically pick up from Lush during this time of the year, or want to pick up?