†♥∞ Ericka Villongco @erickavillongco-blog - Tumblr Blog

La Familia

Hey all~ I know.. I’m as shocked as you all are. It’s been ages! Sorry for the little (or should I say looong) hiatus. Let’s just say life happened. But hey, I’m glad to be back! Our little family reunion inspired me to actually start writing and taking photos again. It’s true that doing what your passionate about makes you a lot happier on the inside. I'm a perfectionist. I’ve hindered myself a lot from posting on social media because so many people have something to say and it gets annoying at times. But then I realized, it doesn't matter whether things are perfect or not and it actually doesn't matter what people say, period. So here’s a start. I promise to TRY posting more often. We’ll see where this goes!

5AM flight to Caticlan, Boracay. Was half asleep taking this one on the plane earlier. I can’t tell whether I like day/night time better. Let me know what you think by commenting bellow?

We stayed at two beautifully designed beach front hotels located at Station 1 called Sol y Sombra Boracay. I found them over Instagram and instantly fell in love. Beauty and comfort come together in their thoughtfully designed rooms. I’m honestly more of a city girl so this was perfect for me! For bookings, you may contact Lyn at [email protected]

This hotel had a tad bit more character due to its antique furniture made from old shipwrecks. Each of the six rooms at Lugar Bonito will surely make you fall in love! _For bookings, you may contact Chiqui at +639173273970 _

And this is me taking my usual selfie by the beach.. Btw for those of you asking, I use VSCO Cam to edit my photos. I’ll be doing a separate blog post on how I edit them; soon so stay tuned! (’Instants’ App for the polaroid photo above)

So I met my baby cousin for the first time. He lives over in SFO and my gosh, I died. The motherhood instinct in me came out of no where! Not that I wanna be a mom anytime in the near future..but kids were never really my thing until I met this chubba wubbuhhh. He is tooooo cute! I guess you can tell how gigil I am.

Here’s Krissy being Krissy.

The only men in my life. (Yes, after 8 years ...I’m single. Better you hear it from me than Fashion Pulis or the tabloids >_<)

That’s my Uncle Dennis to the left, little boy Marco, Grandpa Jessie and My Dad.

Wont lie, I’m a little crushed on the inside. But this book I was reading in Boracay helped me through a lot. It’s called ‘A Return To Love’ A great read on loving and putting yourself first. And hey, who needs a boy when you have these four men.

La Familia. They’re all I need.

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They call 2013 "Year of the Selfie". I mean who doesn't love taking them? There's just something so therapeutic about getting dolled up, finding the perfect pose, angle and filter for the perfect Instagram #Selfie! Yes, I love vanity! Haha. But guess what? @CignalTV and @ColoursTVPH are sending one of you to the Grammys! Cignal is offering a channel called Colours, which basically caters to young women. They (Colours) position themselves as "a living magazine channel." Glamfest is a campaign they are currently running on Colours where they air special shows (some of them via live sattelite) like Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, The AMAs, and The Grammy Awards.

To hype up Glamfest, they are hosting a promo called #GlamforGrammys wherein their fans can take "glamselfies" for a chance to win tickets to LA for the Grammys. (See full mechanics here: https://www.facebook.com/colourstvph/app_451684954848385 The winners have until January 5 to send in their entries.

I had a ton of fun going through the selfies you girlies tagged me through Twitter and Instagram yesterday! So for the next couple of days, I will be posting a few more with a theme attached to it. Let's see how many of you babies are fearless enough to post a #GymSelfie, #ShamelessSelfie or maybe even a #BikiniSelfie? So watch out! Just the same, don't forget to #GlamforGrammys. Tag me @erickaxx & I'll retweet you! Also, watch out for my last selfie for the year 2013! I will be back to blogging religiously next year! I'm excited to post more photoshoots, reviews and girly advice for all of you.

A fabulous New Year to all of you! Much love,

Ericka xx

Attract love: Learn to love yourself first

Anyone is capable of loving another. But to be 'in love' and to have a balanced and healthy relationship, one must truly love themselves first. A good relationship is a balance of give and take. It could be really hard to take from your boyfriend if you feel you don't deserve their love due to your insecurities. Or it could be hard to give, if you feel that you need to take to feel loved. You have to be 100% complete as an individual before you can dedicate yourself to another. You should be able to look in the mirror and be satisfied with what you see and realize that the world is made up of all shapes and sizes. Although the sad reality is that too often, in relationships, people put too much emphasis on their outer appearances rather than what's on the inside. It's also important to not only accept yourself physically, but from within as well. Love a person for whats on the inside, not on the outside. If you only date people that look good physically, you’ll probably end up in a relationship that only looks good on the outside as well. When a guy likes me because he thinks I’m pretty, I tend not to pay much attention. When a guy gets to know me, then begins to like me for who I am & my personality, I’m far more inclined to give him a chance. They say finding love is like finding shoes. More often than not, people go after the good-looking ones. But in the end, they will choose the one that makes them feel comfortable. :)

My Fitlosophy

Let me start by saying everyone is beautiful - thin, fat, short, tall, black, white or asian. I am 5"2, 84 lbs and have only once or twice managed to gain enough weight to get over the 90 lbs threshold. I’ve always been naturally thin. I guess I’m what you’d call “petite” + I also have a fast metabolism. I’ve received a number of messages asking for more details about my workout routine/ fitness regimen. First step is to determine your body type. You can use the body type calculator to help you. Next, choose a realistic role model to help you. Some call it their "thinspiration" Mine are Miley Cyrus & Candice Swanepoel. Their bodies are to die for! A great tip is to cut out a picture of one of those gorgeous models from a magazine. Keep it on the refrigerator or nearby to remind you of your goal.

DIET! I would not recommend diet books or programs because once you lose the weight you will go back to doing what you did before and gain it all back. My sister once tried the master cleanse diet and was sick for one whole month, eek! Eat healthy and drink lots of water! Get in your cardio! You absolutely have to exercise. I usually do 30 minutes non-stop on the treadmill 3 times a week + 3 sets of 12 squats + 30 lunges + crunches to one full song on my iPod. Wanna know what's on my month's feel good/work out playlist? 1. Clarity - Zedd 2. Greyhound (Radio Edit) - Swedish House Mafia 3. Mirrors - Justin Timberlake 4. Love On Top - Beyonce 5. Million Voices - Otto Knows

*Special thanks to: Mary Silvestre for my dandy Tumblr layout! @marysilvestre | Gold's Gym | On Ericka: GAP Beige Sports Bra | FOREVER 21 Gray Yoga Leggings

Hearts all over the world

It is said that love is for all seasons. That's true, but there's nothing like Valentine's Day to remind your significant other that you've fallen in love with her 365 times over the past year. I am a hopeless romantic and since Valentine's day is just around the corner, here are some photos of my boyfriend, James and I. I always look forward to this time of the year when all the sap, cheese and big cheeky gestures of affection take place.. James and I have been together for 2 years now and we love doing absolutely everything together. He's made everyday seem special. It feels like valentine's day everyday. Photographed by Tricia Gosingtian. Check out her blog: tricia will go places | @tgosingtian. Styling by Marita Galvez | @marita_galvez

Pink and white roses from Island Rose & a beautifully made cake and pastry cupcakes from Dolcelli Cakes. Big thanks to Trocadero Bar and Restaurant | @trocaderobr 09175306590

The classic ways of showing your appreciation are always safe -- cards, chocolates, cupcakes teddy bears and roses. If you're a boy and currently reading this, then you're in the right place. Here are some tips on how to win her heart over on Valentine's day. Girls loooove jewelry. I personally am old fashioned, so something like a cutesy heart necklace and a single rose is soo romantic to me. Another great idea is to sing her a song or if you can't sing, do it the old fashioned way and make her a mixtape/iPod playlist. It's the little things that count. Remember, girls love attention. Go on a picnic, visit a carnival or maybe a divine spa treatment for the two of you?

But don't forget boys need some loving too! One of the best lessons I've learned throughout the beautiful relationship I have with James, is that love is about compromise. It goes both ways. Although picking out a Valentine's Day gift for a man can be tricky. Some flowers and a teddy bear just wont do. It's very important to know what he likes. Maybe surprise him with breakfast in the morning or decorating his room with balloons? It's always the thought that counts.

On Ericka: SM Department Store Floral Dress | FOREVER21 Wedges - On James: Zara Men Maroon T-shirt | Topman Light-washed Denim | Aldo Shoes

Don't forget to take lots of photos! A camera is an essential item to capture the memories of your special day! The polaroid photos were taken with The Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s it's a small, simple, alien looking camera that also carries a sense of fun hipster-like appeal to it. Got this camera last year around January in Singapore (also available here in the Philippines in Rockwell) and I instantly fell in love with it after my first picture. Although the film is quite expensive (500php for a pack of 10. It comes in rainbow/plain white film), I highly recommend to people that wish to keep pictures the old fashioned way. It could also be a cute gift for Valentine's day. *Camera in photo above is an OLYMPUS OMD

TIPS FOR THE LADIES:

Silence those negative voices in your head and let go of insecurity. BE BOLD - Keeping quiet about your likes, dislikes, beliefs and opinions in a relationship just because you want to be on the same page with a guy is a no-no. This can lead to fights farther down the road, when he finds out you actually hate his cooking, despise beer and can't bear to watch another one of his favorite movies DON'T HIDE YOUR QUIRKS - They make you interesting. Remember it's okay to be weird sometimes! LOOSEN UP - Stop worrying so much about pleasing him (and everyone else around you), and just have a good time. Life is too short to spend so much time and energy trying to be someone you're not.

Most importantly, be with someone who makes you happy. Be with someone who knows exactly what they have when they have you. Dating can cause us to hide who we really are, thinking it will help us find or hang onto a guy. There is no substitute for the real you, so don't change your personality to match what you think someone wants. Instead, stay true to who you are.

Much love,

Ericka ♡

#Valentines day #james reid #ericka villongco #relationships

Healing Heartbreak: From hate to love

We know, we know....you thought you loved him and that he was the ONLY one for you. You think there’s never going to be another guy that can fill the hole in your heart and no matter how hard you try, you don’t think you can ever love again (sounds like one of those old, sappy love songs your parents listened to in the 70s, right?) Well, finish the box of Kleenex, pick up the shattered pieces, and move on. Many teens suffer from heartbreak, but there are things you can do to lift your spirits and make you feel fierce again!

1. Talk it out. Call your friends and have a girl’s night/cry-fest. Your friends know what you’re going through and will be a there to lend a shoulder to cry on.

2. Feeling a little vengeful? Get rid of the things that remind you of him. Put his picture on a dartboard for target practice. Rip up the “cutesy” couple’s pictures you took. *Note: this is only acceptable and fun to do one time!

3. Don’t compare your new guy to your ex! It’s natural to be attracted to a certain “type” of guy, but just because your new man is similar to your ex, it doesn’t mean he shares the same “bad” habits.

4. The best thing to do? Let time heal your broken heart. Sometimes all you can do is reflect on what went wrong and learn from it. Don’t build a wall around your heart– you might miss out on a new love!

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†♥∞ Ericka Villongco