Little Miss Honey

A Lifestyle Blog about living an inspired life through travel, food discoveries and books

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IF BLOGGING IS DEAD, WHY DO I STILL BLOG?

July 5, 2021 by Little Miss Honey

little miss honey blogging journey

Social media landscape is very different nowadays. The focus is more on video-drive platform. People hardly read blogs these days because Youtube videos and podcasts are the preferred way to get content. Many of my blogging heroes – Bianca Gonzales (her last post was in 2017), Patty Laurel and Cat Juan (her last post was on Sept 2019). Most of them have shifted to creating content in Youtube and Instagram.

Why do I continue blogging when no one is reading blogs anymore?

In my blog post: My Blogging Journey in Restropect, I wrote:

I see clearly now that my blog is my outlet and my source of inspiration. I will accept blog projects that only aligns to my blog vision. I will blog meaningfully and intuitively. I will blog for my own pleasure and not to gain popularity. Going viral is far from my blog objective. I just blog out of pure indulgence as a writer, a lover of beautifully woven words.

little miss honey blogging journey

I blog out of my sheer love to write. I will blog even if no one will read it. If you enjoy reading my blog posts, you are welcome to stay and browse around. I now know that my direction of my blogging journey is towards sharing of my experiences as an expat, a woman exploring life’s surprises. I am in an adventure in life, living in a foreign country, with  my husband and three sons. And who knows where life would lead me and my family in days to come. Now after our adventure in Singapore, we have embark in yet another adventure here in Oman. I been sharing our life here for two years now. I also love to write on wellness, mental health, productivity and self-improvement. Stick around, if you want to read more on these things. I may restart my Expat Diaries Series where I interview expat around the world of their expat lifestyle.

I have also been active in Instagram lately. You can follow me at https://www.instagram.com/littlemisshoney/. I have completely abandoned Twitter and I put Facebook in the back burner. I been experimenting with Instagram reels recently and it seems like fun. It is very much like Tiktok but in Instagram.

Will I ever start a Youtube Channel?

In the Technology Adoption Life Cycle, I am often the Late Majority or even the Laggards when it comes to new concept. I am never the Innovators or the Early Adopters.

Credit

Sharing my thoughts and interests on the blog is already unnerving, how much if it is in video form. I will be so conscious of my mannerisms and the idea of video editing is giving me already a headache. But we will see….

Maybe on 2022? Let me know if I should start a Youtube Channnel or not….

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Blog, blogger, blogging, expat blogger, Instagram, instagram reels, Youtube

SOCIAL MEDIA + YOU & ME: A LOOK ON OUR CURRENT SOCIAL MEDIA USE

June 11, 2020 by Little Miss Honey

With the pandemic and being quarantined at home, we all find consolation in using our social media to its full potential. We use our phones even more. Many are reaching out digitally more constantly to our friends, colleagues and long-lost childhood peers. Several people would post inspirational quotes to share positivity to our family & friends. A few more would show off our new culinary skills or our latest fitness regimen. Some even started on a new online business.  

It wasn’t long ago when social media didn’t even exist in our lives (Hello fellow Xennials!). Now, having a Facebook account is tantamount to an identification or proof that you are still existing. Social Media indeed has its advantages if used in a positive and effective way. We can inspire people, have a greater reach on people, promote our brand, find successful business, find love (ya, that can happen too!) bridge distances and learn from others. However, like most things if used excessively or in a malicious way, it may have its cons and harmful effects.  

social media and its uses

Social media in general sadly seem to be getting more toxic and dangerous increasingly. Expressing personal sentiments can backlash at you if voice out opinions that is opposed to the ideals of some people. People are getting too sensitive that you rather keep to yourself to avoid adding more chaos to a chaotic world. Then there are dangers in sharing to the public: threats to the safety of my family and my own, manipulative & crazy people that would take advantage of your openness to the public, the opportunistic hackers (yes, my website got hacked and it caused me a lot of money),  the recent Facebook cloning scam and the possible accusation that you are an attention-seeker for putting yourself out there.

SOCIAL MEDIA & THE PAST

My first experience with Social Media is with Friendster. Remember Friendster? It was a very cutesy social media platform where you have your friends very similar to Facebook but in a more colourful & slam book-type of template. It has a special corner for your friends to create a touching testimonials of what an amazing  person you are. It also has a feature for you to know who is checking out your profile which is a sad news for silent stalking friends, haha. I was later introduced by my cousin in Canada to Facebook which I didn’t particularly like before. I hated the serious blue and white bland template. I hated the whole poking-me, sending like virtual gifts and virtual kiss features. My personal life during those times were also not in its best shape yet and I was dealing major undertakings & transitions in my life that I lost my desire to maintain any social media account. So 2007, I deleted all my social media accounts. I never missed it. But then those times, the world was not revolving around social media as compared as today.

I went back social media via Multiply after my pilgrimage trip in Sydney, Australia as a way to get in touch with the girls I travelled with during the trip. It was also where I started my blogging. Multiply allows a template similar to blogging platform to create articles with pictures. Then after attending my friend’s wedding in California, USA, I was encourage to get back in Facebook so we can share photos of our time in US, play online games together and keep in touch with friends scattered across the globe. I activated my Facebook account again and never looked back. I eventually joined Twitter and Instagram (My sister forced me. I just thought it was a filter app). I also moved my blog from Blogspot to eventually WordPress with my personal URL.

Social Media can be fun and entertaining. It can be addicting. It can be comforting and inspiring. But nowadays, we have became too attached with social media at it has replaced our real lives (IRL) to the gloss & one-sided view of social media.

I have to tell my close friends that not all in Social Media are real. Most of the time it is a filtered curated version of real life “

We have lost touch to what is more real, what is essential and time has been robbed from us as we mindlessly scroll up & up for more content & update on lives of people we barely even talk to in real life. As social media is talking over our lives, our time and unconsciously controlling us rather than the way around, this is a good time to step back and assess how we can use social media effectively and mindfully.

As I reflect on the several social media accounts that I have, I decided how I will use each account for what purpose, who are my friends or ‘audiences’, how I will control my privacy & the content I put and how I can use it effectively without it controlling my life. 

effective use of social media

FACEBOOK:

Most of my family & friends are in my Facebook friend list. However, like most Facebook friend list these days, there are many very distant relatives (that you have to politely accept), old schoolmates and workmates you barely talked to and some people who added you to take a peek on your private life like a seasoned investigator. Decluttering Facebook friend list can be painstaking task to do and the option to unfriend can be interpreted as a vengeful personal attack to the person being unfriended or blocked. The timeline of Facebook is like smorgasbord of so much information, endless quotes & memes and daily updates of things going on in other people life. Facebook has wonderful option to filter who you prefer to follow and you can unfollow the posts of those that bring negativity to your feed without them knowing & risk of bruising their ego if you unfriend or block them.

My uses for Facebook:

  • catch-up with with genuine friends and family
  • photo-album for memories, travel and kid’s milestones (I like their memories feature. I love looking back at the old photos of the kids)

I have my separate Little Miss Honey Blog Facebook Page which I post my new blog post links and sometimes, I share some of my Instagram post.   

TWITTER:

I hardly open my Twitter account these days. I even set it now to private and stopped linking my blog to my twitter. I hardly have any real-life friends in Twitter. I just follow very few people that post funny tweets like Pakalu Papito & Senyora or informative tweets like The Nerdy Derma & Fitz Villafuerte. Twitter is an excellent way to get quick information on any controversial issues or news, though be wary of fake news. It is the best place to vent out and say anything because nobody really cares what you tweet unless you are really famous. It is fun to check the funny threads and go to a hashtag on a silly topic you are currently interested & see hilarious comments. I also found that the customer services in most brands are very receptive at Twitter. I would get answers from bank, BPI when I have issues with my ATM card & they solved it. I also would get fast answer from my website hosting, GoDaddy at Twitter.

My uses for Twitter:

  • for ranting venting and post silly tweets without judgment 
  • to check on the latest news and current issues
  • source of random entertainment

INSTAGRAM

Apart from my Facebook Page for Little Miss Honey, my Instagram account is a subset of my Blog. It is a venue to market my blog  under the business account. I would collaborate with other brands and earn from my Instagram. I do have a some friends & families in Instagram but most of them are my virtual friends, blogger friends I met online & in events and followers of my blog/instagram. My Instagram is highly curated which is my venue to create a space of aesthetic inspiration while showcasing some tidbits of content of my blog. You can find me active sometimes on my Instagram stories. 

My use for Instagram:

  • space to market my blog
  • venue to collaborate with like-minded brands, bloggers/influencers, individuals
  • source of inspiration of my favourite celebrities & people

LINKEDIN

I create a Linkedin just in case I will need it eventually. It still needs to be updated. I hardly post anything there or follow a lot of people. I would occasionally peep in Linkedin and find noteworthy articles to read. I would also accepts to those people who wants to connect. 

My use for Linkedin

  • For job-seeking opportunities
  • Portal for career profile

Other Social Media:

I stopped using Snapchat except only if I want to use their filter but I never post there at all. I go to Pinterest for ideas & inspiration. I can be extremely useful for me, though I stopped creating boards. I dont have and will never create an account in TikTok.

I take careful measures to safeguard my privacy in social media even with my public blog. I kept out anything that would risk the safety of my family. I lessen my social media consumption and I avoid the habit of oversharing. Somethings are best kept to one’s self nowadays. I prefer my social media to be devoid of any negativity except in Twitter when I want an occasional outlet for disappointments & frustrations sans cursing, of course.

I even decided to create schedules when I can open my social media accounts to control how I spend time on my phone. I am trying to practice the habit of no cellphone 1 hour before bedtime. I would put my cellphone far from my bed & would switch to airplane mode. This is to lessen the exposure to electromagnetic frequencies emitted from cellular devices as well as to control the mindless scrolling in social media that can disrupt sleep patterns & waste our precious time.

How about you? How do you use your social media? Are you happy with your relationship with social media? Do you find yourself spending more time in social media than being present in your daily activities & with your loved-ones? This time is a great way to reflect on our social media use. It is good to check on how we can utilise social media for our own benefit instead of being controlled by the endless notifications, update and mindless scrolling.

Filed Under: Inspirations, Wellness Tagged With: EMF, Facebook, Instagram, social media, twitter

INSTA-FOOD STYLING AND MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY

February 13, 2015 by Little Miss Honey 5,646 Comments

http://instagram.com/littlemisshoney/

Insta-Food Styling and Mobile Photography

Last week, I was able to attend a workshop class organised by Bloesem. In my blog, I often take a lot of food pictures when I discover new restaurants or when I do restaurant reviews. I learned in my previous workshop with Bloesem, The Art of Visual Storytelling the  importance of taking good pictures for your blog and creating quality visual content . I know that I have a lot to learn as I go along in my blogging journey.

Trisha Toh from Malaysia, a popular Instagrammer together with Zara S from Bloesem Team teamed up to impart their knowledge in #Instafood- Food Styling & Mobile Photography.

IMG_3207.PNG

Credits: @trishates

Zara S from Bloesem

Credits : @zaaras

The class was held at Bloesem Creative Space in charming Tiong Bahru. Bloesem Creative Space never fails to inspire me. I love the decor of the place and the lighting emitting inside the room is just perfect for photography. When the class attendees were settling in, we were offered some drinks. I haven’t had my regular morning java yet so I had coffee before the class.

Insta-food styling and mobile photography

We were given a workbook that will guide us throughout the class. Inside the workbook features some of photos taken by Trisha Toh.

Insta-food styling and mobile photography

The class started with the introduction of the Trisha and Zara S. We, the class attendees, also introduced ourselves and what we expect to learn from the class.

Insta-food styling and mobile photography

The first part of the class was about the basic photo tips and how to utilise our smart phone into a tool in taking a perfect food shot. No need for DSLRs. We learn about technical concepts of lighting, rule of thirds, negative space and many others. We were also given examples of good apps we can use in editing our photos. Then, we were also taught how to style our food by creating a story, keeping the food fresh, choosing a good placement & angle and choosing good backgrounds & props.

Then, we were grouped into three and each group will practice some of the things we have learned on the teach. I have to admit, I was hesitant in styling and taking a photo of my creation(s). I don’t think I have enough instinctual creativity at the moment.

Everyone was busy styling the food and props that Bloesem provided for us and uploading the photo into instragram with the hashtag #bloesemclass.

Insta-food styling and mobile photography

Insta-food styling and mobile photography

Here are some of the my food styling photos. Please be gentle with me. I am still practicing. If there are some points for me to improve, do drop me a line on the comment box. I would gladly appreciate it so I can improve my mobile photography skills.

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Little Miss Honey’s #Instafood Photos

http://instagram.com/littlemisshoney/

http://instagram.com/littlemisshoney/

http://instagram.com/littlemisshoney/

http://instagram.com/littlemisshoney/

http://instagram.com/littlemisshoney/

Insta-food styling and mobile photography

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It was so much fun! We made a lot of mess in the work space though, haha.

Insta-food and Mobile Photography

(This is the real mess we made. No food-styling done here)

After our ‘hard work’, we had a yummy lunch made by Bloesem resident cook, Ruth.  She is an amazing cook. Her cooking is rich with so much flavour playing in our tongues. We has avocado pasta & toasted bread and lemon cake with coconut cookies for dessert. It taste glorious as it looks.

instal-food styling and mobile styling

instafood-styling and mobile photography

instafood styling and mobile photography

I learn so much from the workshop. It made me appreciate the creative process of food styling, the power of food and the wonderful world of food-stagram.

There is a great news for my friends in Amsterdam. Bloesem will be taking this #Instafood- Food Styling & Mobile Photography workshop in Amsterdam this March. For those interested, sign up here.

For more classes offered in Bloesem, click link.

Bloesem Shop
59 Eng Hoon Street
#01-79
Singapore 160059

Bloesem Creative Space
The place to be for all our Bloesem Classes
77 Seng Poh Road
#01-81
Singapore 161077

Email: info@bloesem.co

Filed Under: Inspirations Tagged With: bloesem, Bloesem Class, Classes, Expats, Food bloggers, food porn, Food Styling, Instagram, Mobile Photography, trisha toh, trishates, workshops, zaaras


Hi I'm Honey! I am a Filipina who has studied & lived in Saudi Arabia for a few years, worked in Singapore and is currently based in Oman with my husband & our three little boys. I am a medical doctor, a lifestyle blogger, travel junkie, a foodie and a bookworm. I hope I can drizzle a bit of sunshine and inspirations whenever you drop by my blog. Thanks for dropping by! See ya soon.. :)
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