It's funny I've got this odd feelings of I don't know. I usually get thrilled when it's the last month of the year- yeah, December. However, I've got this weird feeling of wanting to hibernate, hide and not be found. I just felt so heavy inside. Am I exhausted? Maybe. I could even find myself in tears randomly. I want to shout to the whole world how my life seems not falling into places. I felt so damn heavy but I just couldn't express it. I want to shut myself from people but I just can't since I felt so obligated to work for the rest of my life.

And the funny thing is I've got no one to confide all this heaviness I felt inside. No, not my family, they already have a  burden to carry I just don't want to add up to what they might be going through as well, not even with my friends. The life I have right now is full of pretentions. I pretended to be okay, to be cool, to be fine-but honestly NO, I'M NOT. I'm not totally okay. 

Somebody might question my faith- Yes, God knows what I've been through right now. I even question my faith as well. Am I really have that faith or the life I have right now is just so overwhelming.

I think I'm a failure.

I failed as a Mom

I even thought I failed as a teacher, a worker, an employee.

My kids? I failed them as well. 

I failed in so many areas of my life.

How about my husband. No, he won't understand and he never will be.

I just failed as a person. I have so many regrets that I know I can't take back. I can't undo the time. That is why I am kind of mad of myself because I failed myself. All my dreams will always be just a dream. My life is too far from what I have dreamed of when I was a kid. Far from what I have imagined in my teenage years.

I don't know why my thoughts are so filled with pessimism.

But all I know is I AM TIRED.

Calling all Kagayanons! 

Big Bad Wolf Books is getting ready to make a big splash at the White Water Rafting Capital of the Philippines! Ending the year with a bang, the Big Bad Wolf Unite on a Mission to 1M New Reader campaign heads over to Cagayan de Oro. Big Bad Wolf Books is set to light up the 5th floor of SM CDO Downtown, from December 6 to 16, at 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.

After kicking off this year’s tour with its first-ever event in Cagayan de Oro last February, Big Bad Wolf Books is thrilled to go full circle to hold its final book sale of the year for the last hurrah of its 1M New Reader Mission. The mission was first launched during the first Manila stop at Parqal, Aseana City. Now, it’s the Kagayanons’ turn to join in on the reading fun!

Big Bad Wolf Books has been visiting cities across the country, bringing exciting book sales to boost this meaningful initiative. With Cagayan de Oro as its final stop for 2024, Big Bad Wolf Books hopes to inspire even more people to discover a love for reading and experience the transformative power of books. Indeed, they aim to make a difference by changing the world one book at a time!

In pursuit of its mission to onboard 1M new readers, Big Bad Wolf Books also seeks to extend its reach far beyond the book sale. As part of its commitment to improving literacy in the country, Big Bad Wolf Books opens its Red Readerhood counters for donations. Attendees can purchase books from the book sale to donate to DSWD. This partnership and the collective effort of book sale attendees have allowed Big Bad Wolf Books to deliver reading materials to children, schools, and areas that have limited access to quality books. Through this initiative, Big Bad Wolf Books is not only inspiring new readers but also nurturing the next generation of thinkers, learners, and leaders.

The holidays will be in full swing soon, and Big Bad Wolf Books is making sure that no fun or festivity is spared. Going full throttle, Big Bad Wolf Books is bringing unbelievable deals, unbeatable discounts, and an amazing collection of books so that no Kagayanon will leave empty handed. From heart-racing mysteries to wonder-filled children’s stories and soul-soothing reads, the book sale is a treasure trove of great reads. Even more good news, this extensive range of books are available for up to 95% off with prices going as low as P20. With Big Bad Wolf Books, there’s a perfect book for every age, interest, and budget.

Just in time for the season’s festivities, Metrobank is returning with Big Bad Wolf Books with its exclusive offer of 0% 3-month installment promo for single-receipt purchases worth at least P3,000. This special offer gives book lovers and holiday shoppers the perfect opportunity to bag even more great finds at the book sale. Big Bad Wolf Books began its 2024 chapter with an awesome book sale in Cagayan de Oro, and as the year comes to a close, it returns to finish strong with an unforgettable book sale. Jaw-dropping deals, an ocean of books, and an extra merry time awaits, so mark your calendars for Big Bad Wolf Books’ anticipated return to Cagayan de Oro. Follow Big Bad Wolf Books’ social media pages for the latest updates!

For more information regarding Big Bad Wolf’s current and upcoming Book Sales, you

can visit their website or check out their social media accounts (Facebook |Instagram)

About Big Bad Wolf Books

The Big Bad Wolf Books was founded by Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng in 2009 and first launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In the words of the company’s founders, Big Bad Wolf aims to cultivate reading habits, increase English literacy worldwide, and build a new generation of readers by making books more affordable and accessible to everyone.

One of the company’s best highlights is its book sales, which is popular among readers around the world. As a global reading advocacy initiative, the sales aim to encourage people of all ages to discover the joys of reading, inspire them to pursue their dreams, and, importantly, empower them with the knowledge to realize them.

Big Bad Wolf Book Sale has toured 15 countries and 37 cities. Among these include different cities in Asia like Malaysia, Cambodia, Manila, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. The company has also begun branching out to book readers outside the Asia Pacific, having held book tours in Tanzania, Kenya, and the United Arab Emirates.

Raising kids these days is really quite a challenge. I have three kids, my eldest is a boy who is now on 7th grade while my two girls are still on their primary grades. My youngest daughter was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, good thing she is highly functional but just can’t control her sudden burst of emotion. She was in therapy for almost a year but due to financial constraints, we were not able to continue our sessions. However, I noted all the therapist's recommendations for her. One of her recommendations was ZERO SCREENTIME. However, there were just situations where I allowed her to use the phone for me to focus on my work. I just limited and prohibited her from watching YouTube videos. She loves to draw but also loves to explore all my mobile games. I purposely installed an Anti-Stress App on my phone so she could use it and in the same manner, could help her develop her auditory skills since she loves listening to sounds especially ASMR videos. 

My other kids just can’t get enough of their phones as well which makes me mad sometimes. My eldest daughter is into animation, that’s what took most of her screen time. My son is into piano tutorials too. But from time to time, they love playing mobile games which I dreaded the most. But somehow, I could not totally blame them because I played mobile games too. I have installed a lot of game apps on my phone so I could have something to dwell on while in a long queue, or when I just couldn’t sleep. I also installed PC games through a friend’s help. Playing on a PC is much preferable since it has wider screens. I also recommend it to my kids but for a limited time. 

Lately, I discovered one website that almost has every game that I love. It’s educational too so it’s okay for my kids. If you happened to visit www.culinaryschools.org they have hundreds of varied online games at culinaryschools.org/kids-games/ . You might be asking what a culinary website has to do with online games, well, most of their games are food-related! It’s a fun way of learning how to do things in the kitchen. When I showed it to my son he was amazed with Cooking Boiled Egg! 

They also have an ingredients conversion calculator. I remembered following a recipe, yet I had difficulty converting pounds to grams! Aside from different online games, the website also has some powerful weight loss tips at https://www.culinaryschools.org/blog/weight-loss/. 

I entered my data on their weight calculator and I was alarmed because I am already obese! Good thing I’m a work in progress with my weight loss journey. I have a feeling that this website could help me pull this off. If you are curious about it, just visit https://www.culinaryschools.org/blog/weight-loss/ for more helpful tips!