Two weeks into the new year and the new decade and I’m finally blogging about the projects I want to do for this year. I revisited my 2019 projects too to see which of them I was able to achieve; would want to continue or restart for this year.

1.  Invisible Money Challenge

I started saving Php50 every time I got one. I was off to a good start but somewhere along in the middle I stopped. But I started it again in October and was able to save about Php3,000. And I’ve been continuing this practice since the year started.

Also this year, I decided to add to it. Every new Php10 coin I get, I will save.

I guess I just needed the right motivation to keep on doing it. Nope, not travel. Something else entirely.


UPDATE (January 2021):  I stopped some time in February and spent all the Php50 I saved on hair product. I restarted late last year and by the end of December, I was able to save Php1000. As for the Php10, well I decided to save not only that coin but also Php5, Php1 and 25 cents – basically any coin I got I saved and by the end of the year, I had saved Php500. 
I was initially saving it for personal training sessions at the gym so that I wouldn’t have to swipe my credit card again once my initial PT package was up. But well COVID-19 happened. So this is going to my Europe travel fund instead. I’m finally, finally saving for that! Perhaps by the time I raise enough money, the world would have gone back to normal (here’s hoping!) and it’s safer to travel again (no quarantine required!). 

2. GoodReads Reading Challenge 


As a booklover, this is one challenge I really love participating in. Sometimes I successfully meet the challenge (hello 2014, 2018!) and sometimes I fall short of the number of books I set myself to read (2019!).  This year’s goal – read 12 books! 

UPDATE (January 2021): 


Since I’ve been staying home and limiting my time outside, I’ve been able to read and as a result, I’ve been able to not only reach my goal but exceed it too.  

3. Be More Environment Friendly 


It’s a project I started last year – to do my share of helping to save Mother Earth. After all, we only have one planet! It’s not really easy to do in all honesty. But I’m trying!

  • Recycling brown paper bags (Drop them off at Silent Beads)
  • Recycling plastic bottles (Drop them off at Green Antz) 
  • Bringing my own tumbler for coffee now  
  • Gcash Green Forest – virtual tree planting by collecting green energy from using the app. Gcash will plan a real tree for you
UPDATE (January 2021): 

Since Green Antz had a collection schedule where they come to your house to collect your plastics, I was able to keep up with the goal of recycling plastic waste. I just had to pay for the collection. 
I’ve also been able to plant another tree thanks to Gcash Green Forest. And if you’re wondering if they do indeed plant a tree in real life, this article is proof of their green efforts. 
 
4. Blog More Often

I enjoy blogging. It’s my creative outlet. I often neglect updating my blog but I’m determined to change it this year! So really expect more updates from me! If you’ve been a regular reader of this blog, well… thank you! Guess you like all the random things that I share here.😄

UPDATE (January 2021):

I got 78.6k page views for 2020. That’s the highest blog traffic I’ve gotten since starting this blog years ago. Of course I credit that to blogging more often, engaging with other bloggers and promoting my blog. Thank you guys for reading! 
If you’d like to check out the top 10 most read posts of this blog from last year, here they are:
Movies and Series

3 Reasons to Watch La Casa de Papel – because why not? Money Heist is an exciting crime series!
Emily in Paris – just a fun series about a girl who gets the adventure of a lifetime in Paris! 
Love, Guaranteed – a light, romantic comedy film starring Damon Wayans Jr. and Rachel Leigh Cook 
Books

Jodi Picoult’s Sing You Home – my very first novel from this author. I’m not sure if this is the right genre to call it but it’s full of drama.  
The books that put me halfway through my GoodReads Reading Challenge – two more book reviews from two of my favorite authors, Colleen Hoover and Sophie Kinsella
Deenie – You can’t go wrong with a Judy Blume novel. Whether you’re young or old, Judy Blume novels are worth a read. 
Other Topics You Enjoyed Reading in 2020 

Weekend Dining at La Creperie – I rarely do a food review but my most popular blog post of all time is this food review of La Creperie.  
Beauty Benefits of Argan Oil – This beauty post is a guest blog that talks about the many many more benefits of argan oil that goes beyond hair care
Small food businesses to shop from this Christmas – This gift guide I made for Christmas contains suggestions of small food businesses I myself supported in 2020 and loved so I’m recommended them as well. 
The Luminary Store – As part of my goal to be more environment friendly, I wrote about this zero waste store that opened in our neighborhood 
 
This year’s projects list is shorter than last year’s but these are what I really want to do. I’m a firm believer more than ever that if something excites you or makes you happy, then you should do it!
I’ve also thought of my guiding word for the year: TIME. Time for friends and family. Time for me.  Time for work. Time to pursue things I love.