bianca gonzales

I MISS THE OLD PERSONAL BLOGS. DO YOU?

October 24, 2021 by Little Miss Honey

I miss the old personal blogs back in the days…. Do you?

I really loved reading blogs back in the day, especially when I discovered the blogs of Bianca Gonzales, Patty Laurel, Cat Juan and even KC Concepcion blog posts at Multiply account. I love the tidbits of sharing they do in their blogs from their movie recommendations, meet-up sessions with their friends, their travels and their thoughts on love & life. Those days, the blogosphere wasn’t as saturated like it is today. There were less of those curated posts. There were no sponsored posts. The blogs have no specific niche. They were just personal blogs that people come to visit to read & enjoy the sharing.

Then suddenly, blogging became so popular in the internet. Everyone started to blog. Blogs became more promotional and lost its charm. Even my favorite blogs became too commercialised and too niched.

In 2008, I tried my hand in blogging too (with apprehension) all for the love of writing. I love writing. I love pouring my thoughts into strings of sentences. I love documenting my experiences with my own words in lengthy paragraphs. So I started my blog. I started in the defunct Multiply the transferred to Blogspot.com or now called Blogger.com. Then I eventually got my own url: https://www.littlemisshoney.com.

Initially, I just enjoyed writing for writing sake. I would write anything that I fancy. But there was a nagging urge for me to monetised my efforts and to gain bigger readership to affirm that I am an “real blogger”. When I was already working and living in Singapore, I took my blogging seriously. After I got my own url under godaddy.com, I hired a blogging coach. Then I got a website designer. I joined online blogger groups. Then (magically) suddenly, I have brands and PR company emailing me to work with me. I would get lots of free products that I would review. I would get free hair and nail services, I would get to try yummy foods from restaurant for free. I would get free passes from concerts to playgrounds for kids, etc. I got to earn a few dollars from some collaborations too. It was fun times. But sometimes, if I accepted too many collaborations, it took the joy of the whole thing and it became just a task to do. It did lit me up anymore like it used to. It became almost unauthentic and too promotional.

In addition, it is advised by experts that blogs must be niched. Goodbye to personal blogs and lifestyle blogs. They say, you cannot just write about anything. They say, you must stick to your niche which I try my best to follow. I think I found one which is an expat blog – to blog about my journey as a Filipina working abroad from Singapore and now in Oman.

But I miss the freestyle writing of yesterdays’ blogging (though yes, I am aware also that blogging has been dead for so long. My favorite bloggers stopped blogging in 2019. Hello Vlogging!). So I decided to get back to that. I will, of course, still write about my expat adventure but along with it, I will share a smorgasbord of what peak my interests. Would you like that?

P.S. My thoughts on Vlogs

Vlogging is the “in” thing these days. Everything is moving towards video-based storytelling. Look at Instagram, promoting reels. Most vlogs now are sponsored and have lots of ads interjected within the video but then again, it is already considered a legit livelihood. I have so much respect for vloggers. I could imagine the hardwork and time they put in to create one video. I think it is amazing. But after giving it some thought because I mentioned I am mulling over the idea to start an Youtube channel by next year. I realised it is really not the platform for me. I could not sustain the energy to create a vlog weekly. Maybe in the future future, who knows but definitely, not in the near future or definitely not next year

BOOK OF THE MONTH: PAANO BA ‘TO?! BY BIANCA GONZALEZ

July 7, 2015 by Little Miss Honey 1,424 Comments

My sister bought me this book because she knows I would like this one and I am a fan of Bianca Gonzalez. Bianca was the one who influenced me to start blogging actually.

Paano Ba ‘To?! is a book a few decades delayed for me. It would have helped me tremendously if I read a book like this when I was a teenager. Yes, this book is perfectly written for the ‘younger-than-me’ generation but there are other topics that would still be relevant for a mommy in her mid30s.

The book is divided into topics about:

Family

Friendship

Love

Career & Money

Failure

Fashion & Beauty

Purpose

Self

Bianca would start a chapter with a little introduction and proceed with Question & Answer part. There are questions for Bianca and she would answer and give her advice like a well- meaning Ate (older sister). She would also have parts where she would get good role model celebrities that would share their thoughts and experiences on a particular topic. I am happy to see admirable celebrities that took part in this book like Rissa Mannaquil-Trillo, Iza Calzado and Toni Gonzaga. After every topic, there is an activity for you to do and jot down your thoughts.

Reading this book can allow you to take a glimpse of Bianca’s life without her over-revealing too much and not making it like an all-out autobiography. Rather what it does, it gives the readers some guidance in their life’s crossroads and answers some burning questions they wanted to ask someone ” who knows better” & has been through it.

The book looks very much like a book for teens with its fun doodles in the pages of the book. Every page is different from the next. Bianca collaborated with talented letterer, Abbey Sy for the beautiful calligraphy of inspirational passages on the book. Inside the book contains stickers for you to customize your book.

I would keep this book and if I am blessed with a daughter, I would love to give this her.

How about you? Have you read this book already?

WHY I BLOG?

April 9, 2014 by Little Miss Honey 3,554 Comments

Why do I blog? In my previous blog post, I mentioned how I discovered blogging. I am a lover of beautiful words and new discoveries. I am such an avid fan of Bianca Gonzales’ blog. She was blogging way before her PBB stint and before she was a big celebrity that she is today. I like that she blog for the love of blogging – the sharing of informations and discoveries. Her early blog has no advertising ads, no guestbloggers, no giveaways or other propaganda to increase site traffic. She was just blogging because she wants to blog. She didn’t even pressured herself by updating her blog daily or every two days. Even with this carefree approach to blogging, she manage to influence a lot of people and won “The One” award in the 2012 Globe Tatt Awards for her strong influence through her blog. She is also busy as the editor-at-large at Meg Magazine and holds a Sunday lifestyle column, Ten Things You Should Know About at Philippine Star. Now that she is one of the recognisable names in the showbiz industry, she still have the same concept in her blogging. I admire that. My blog is born through my admiration for Bianca Gonzales’ blog and my love for writing.

Blogging is certainly popular nowadays. Besides, Bianca Gonzales’ blog, I have discovered other blogs I enjoy reading. And with popularity comes the advertisers and profit. It would be great to be doing what you love to do and earning from it too, right? Though I noticed that some of my favourite bloggers lost a bit of their personalities and signature charm after doing a lot of sponsored posts. I guess the trick to it is to strike a balance of doing sponsored post but still being you.

But for those who wants to venture into making blogging as a source of livelihood, there are people who have succeeded. Look at Bryan Boy, Jenni Epperson, Cecile Van Straten, Gary Pepper and many more. It takes patience, handwork and time. They are amazing bloggers and earning a lot too!

I saw this book that is perfect for those who plans to give up their job and do blogging full-time. Though I have to caution you to read it first before quitting your current job, ok? Grace Tan is a award-winning Singaporean business and lifestyle blogger who quit her job and is very successful in the blogosphere.

Grace Tan’s blog is called Working with Grace. It features interviews with famous individuals. In her book, she narrated her gutsy move of quitting her high-paying job to blog full time. She also have very practical tips and advices in making it asa successful blogger and earning well. She invited popular Singaporean bloggers to share tips and experiences as well.

I would love to earn through blogging but right now, I don’t have the courage to do it full-time. I am still comfortable with the ‘no-pressure’ blogging. I just blog whenever I want to. I don’t get frazzled that my site traffic is not increasing or that my rank in the topblogs gone down on a certain day. Maybe someday I will put on my “this-means-business” mode when it comes to blogging. But of course still remembering to keep my own unique way of blogwriting without being too influenced by ads. That is why I admire Bianca Gonzales for keeping that kind of ‘no-pressure’ blogging mentality still.

Anyways, to my blogger icon, Bianca Gonzales, congrats on the engagement with basketball player JC Intal.

Here is a link of her post about JC’s “kilig proposal at the airport: J & B