TOTAL Update

before-------------------after 18 days

after 4.5 months

It might not really show in the pictures above, but the truth is, there is really a very big improvement on my face. I can see it and others too, in fact i've gotten some positive comments. But it's still nothing compared to what you see on TV, I mean the results and all ( we all know that it's computer manipulated or some lighting effects). But I am so happy, not only with the results, but I have learned to religiously take care of my face. I've taken it forgranted until I decided to use this product. It has not been in my daily routine to cleanse and moisturize, but now it has become a part of me. Isn't that great?

Read more...

Tease Me Not...Please

Did you know that I'm a sucker for "koreanovelas"? As much as possible I don't like to miss an episode shown on TV(I only watch koreanovelas on GMA 7, I'm a certified kapuso). But that's not my worry anymore since N gifted me with a portable DVD player for christmas. Now I can get to watch it on the player, BUT forgive me, I buy the original pirated copies at Quiapo for only 50 pesos(they say it's original coz it came from China)...what can I do? I really don't know where to buy the original copies. When you go to Quiapo, you'll be overwhelmed by the titles you see, everything is there, from desperate housewives to america's top model. Just be careful though, keep your eyes and ears open for raids, you might be one of those picked up.

Have you ever experienced being teased by your partners the moment they see you in something they find funny or inappropriate? When N saw me in that headband, he couldn't stop laughing and started teasing me, sarcastically saying, "oh what a nice piece in your head". He did it non-stop, even until now, when he remembers it, I still get a teasing. Now I don't wanna wear it, I can't take the teasing anymore, it's just too much. Is there something wrong with the headband? Or it's me? Oooops, don't bother to answer, harhar!

Read more...

Hot Spots

I guess all of us want to have a spic and span home...here are a few things that may do the trick...I need all these pretty bad, even if you say we just moved to our new home =(

"Now what is s Hot Spot? When you walk into a room, the Hot Spots are the first thing you see, and when left unattended will gradually take over. Here's how we can find some hot spots in our homes. Take a walk around the outside of your home. Look for that "hidden" clutter you walk past every time you enter your front or back doors. You know, the boards leftover from an old project, the paint bucket that didn't get thrown away, the old furniture that has sat in the rain for a couple of years, the broken ladder or wheelbarrow that is too scary to use, or the broken bicycles, trikes, sandboxes, and other toys that your kids have outgrown.

See how much of this clutter, the both of you can haul out as a team. Do you have a lot of stuff in your yard that you want to fling?"

Come on, let's all do this together, I know it's hard, but when will we start? Not tomorrow or in the days to come...but TODAY...LET'S GO!

Source: click here

Read more...

Belly Dancing & Yoga

This is the reason why I look forward to Mondays and Fridays. Belly dancing class gets exciting more and more. Since we already had our first dance performance, teacher said that it's high time that we do "advance". "Advance" means having to incorporate a lil of yoga to our routine, to be able to be more flexible. There are a lot more benefits of doing yoga which I hope to achieve. Like improve more on my posture, increase my endurance and energy level, be able to have a sound sleep, improve balance, and most of all the flexibility factor. These are just but a few, and I hope to achieve more. For first timers like me, arrrrgggg, it's an agony, body aches all over, but it feels good and gets to be very relaxing. What a start for year 2007!

Read more...

MIA....I'm not

Oh dear....when will my internet connection be back to normal? As it is, it takes a hundred years for pages to load, especially blogger. Much as I want to make daily posts, make comments on the blogs I read daily, I just can't. So if I don't figure out in your comments section guys, it doesn't mean that I don't check on you. I just can't regularly wake up early, connection is faster in the early mornings, say 5 a.m., and i'm like zzzzzzzzzzzz at that time....okie?

Read more...

Tomatoes...Oily skin

Yeah, I saw it on TV one time...it says tomato is a remedy for oily skin. That got me interested...you see I have the most super duper oily skin, that type that you can fry or something, uh-huh i'm not kidding. Even if they say that you should be thankful that you have oily skin as it delays ageing, I get bothered all the time. It's every girl's dream to have a polished look, the one that you see on the pages of a magazine...shine free. So after seeing that thing on TV, I started looking for home remedies for oily skin in the net, and here's what I found that I want to share with you. I got particularly interested in the tomato thingy that I'm gonna try it =)

"Many of us tend to look at oily skin as a problem. Sebum is produced by the skin to protect and moisturize it. What is essential is the right type of oily skin care so as to have just enough oil on the skin. Most of the time, you can resort to simple home remedies for oily skin, be it simple face masks or fruit extracts. Learn the essentials of oily skin treatment so that you can enjoy your smooth skin for a long time, sans the problems of blemishes and breakouts. The advantage of having oily skin is that it shows age slower than other skin types.

Oily skin

Oily skin is characterized by shine and enlarged pores. On account of the high levels of sebum, the skin has a greasy shine and tendency to break out into acne. This is because oily skin tends to attract more dirt and dust. Oily skin can be a result of heredity or hormone levels. Generally teenagers are plagued with oily skin and acne breakouts. But sometimes-oily skin can continue way into adult years.

With age the flow of sebum decreases and the skin becomes less oily. Humidity levels can also be a cause for excess oiliness on the skin. Other causes can be cosmetics or birth control pills. Since there are more sebaceous glands around the nose, women with oily skin will notice that there is a tendency to develop blackheads around it. Some women experience oily skin only in some areas. This is a condition of combination skin.

Oily skin care

The first basic rule for oily skin care is to keep it clean so as to kill acne-causing bacteria. It is essential to unclog the pores with exfoliation to prevent breakouts. Washing your face with warm water and cleanser is preferable to using harsh soaps. Warm water helps in keeping the skin oil free. Antibacterial cleansing lotions can also be used to keep the skin acne-free. Mild acne medications have a drying effect on oily skin.

Choose cosmetics and facial care products with care. Oily skin make up items must be water-based since oil-based cosmetics can aggravate the oiliness and create blemishes. Clay masks and mud masks work well for oily skin. They remove the excess oil that is found in the skin. But do not excessively dry the upper layer of the skin with chemical products. Use of harsh products can leave the skin feeling taut and dehydrated. This may be counterproductive since the skin will produce more oil to compensate the loss. This is a reaction called 'reactive seborrhea', where the oil glands work at a frenetic pace to compensate for the loss of natural oils.

Treatment for oily skin

There is no magical cure for oily skin. Regular care and appropriate treatment of oily skin can go a long way in keeping it clean and blemish free. Massage your face with upward and outward motions when cleansing it. Using warm water to dissolve skin oil while washing it is a good treatment for oily skin. But do not use very hot water as it can strip the skin of essential oils. Do not expect results overnight. What is required is a holistic treatment of oily skin - internally and externally.

White or pink clay masks gently cleanse oily skin of excess oil. The darker brown clay masks are stronger and more effective on very oily skins. Apply a clarifying face mask couple of times a week.

Aromatherapy oils such as lemon, rosemary and cedarwood are said to be effective in treating oily skin. A few drops of any of these oils combined with lanolin can be massaged into the skin.

Topical Vitamin derivatives with ingredients such as tretinoin and isotretinoin are prescribed by dermatologists to tackle sensitive oily skins.

Products containing Benzoyl Peroxide also form part of the treatment for oily skin. They unplug pores and reduce bacteria.

Antibiotic creams and lotions such as erythromycin and clindamycin are effective in treating blemished oily skin.

Lotions containing AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) can help oily skin become softer and smoother.

Home remedy for oily skin
Fruit acids have shown a positive effect in oily skin treatment. They remove oil from the skin and yet retain the moisture. Home remedies such as cucumber juice, lime juice and yogurt are effective in keeping oily skin under control. A mask of Aloe Vera, crushed strawberries and yogurt is an astringent for oily skin. Keep it on for about 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water. Some simple home remedies for oily skin:

1. Puree 1 egg white, 1-tsp. Lemon juice, 1-tsp. Mint and ½ cucumber and apply it on the face for about 15 minutes.
2. A puree of fresh tomatoes works wonders on oily skin.
3. A facemask of tomato, lemon juice and oats must be applied on the cheeks, forehead and chin. Scrub your face with warm water. This home remedy for oily skin is ideal for blemishes.
4. A clay mask is yet another home remedy for oily skin since it draws out excess oil.
5. If your skin is excessively oily, mix in a few drops of eau de cologne. This not only helps keep oiliness away but also helps in refining the pores of the skin by acting as astringent, thereby preventing acne.

Take a diet that is rich in proteins, with plenty of leafy vegetables and fresh fruits. Restrict sugar and high-fat foods and junk food. Supplement your food with wheat germ, nutritional yeast and whole grains, beans and nuts. Drink plenty of water to keep the skin hydrated and flush out toxins.

Source: Click here

Read more...

World Pyro Olympics

This is Autralia, last year's winner.



We had the chance to watch the World Pyro Olympics last Friday, not from the Esplanade where you fully enjoy the fireworks, but from afar (D. Macapagal Ave.), we were not able to purchase tickets for the show. We still enjoyed it, but didn't like to wait for Polland, they started late and the kids got cranky, probably because they were tired from school. We planned to watch the following day, N having to go early to MOA just to get tickets, but too bad tickets are to be sold at 5 p.m. yet, he was at MOA when the doors opened. Hmmmm, maybe we'll just catch the last day, China and the Philippines showing their stuff.

Read more...

The Year That Was...

Yay! Finally I was able to get through blogger. Much as I have been wanting to update this blog, I've been having problems logging in. They say that it's gonna take until the 3rd week of January to have the internet connection "normalized", at least here in the Philippines. It's really frustrating using the internet nowadays, as it takes forever to load pages...oh well...now that I have connection, I have forgotten what I was suppose to write...hhhhmmmm...

Ok...lemme think...yeah...2006 was a pretty good year for me and my family, we've moved to our new house, kids did well in their studies, everyone was in pretty good shape, in other words a lot, a whole lot of wonderful blessings to thank the Lord for.

It was also in 2006 that I lost my father...I miss him dearly...I still cry at nights when I remember him...Whenever I see an elderly person who in a way looks like my dad, it breaks my heart. But it gives me relief just thinking that he is gone to be with his Lord and Saviour, away from all the physical sufferrings and pains.

I've been angry and disappointed a couple of times, and I have poured out my heart in a couple of rants. Rants that were made controversial by "some" people, unnamed subjects that were named again by "some" people, again "some" people getting interested only in the rants, remembering only those "angry" entries and forgetting all the rest...how ironic can that get?

Blogging has become a part of my everyday life...everything that is written down here is always IMHO...I've gained wonderful friendships in my "little space" in cyberspace, I've learned a lot just by reading the thoughts put into words by all my favorite links, to the point of rejoicing and even crying with them. Blogging has a positive effect in me and I believe that I have not hurt anyone in the course, because I have not mentioned and will never mention any names and it's only me and only me who knows who I am talking about. And for some people who wished that I stop blogging, nope it's not gonna happen. This is my personal space, my personal thoughts, I write what I feel, I keep this blog to have a record of what has happened in my life, happy or sad, wonderful and not so wonderful memories to look back to, something that you can laugh and cry about, something that will make you say, hhhmmmm...LIFE IS INDEED BEAUTIFUL!

Read more...

Happy Holidays!

Read more...

I am Disappointed Big Time

On my way there, I had mixed feelings, anger coupled with disappointment, and at the back of my head I was silently praying, Lord I hope not, as I know i'll be disappointed big time. True enough I was disppointed and heart broken, I didn't expect that she'd be doing it to me, as I am trying very hard to communicate with her, understand her, stoop 100 levels down just to get through. To borrow my son's famous line...Ahhhhh....This is Life! Indeed this is life and it's wonderful!

Read more...

My Newest Find

I'm dreaming of having this, but I know it's very impossible. Maybe if I was doing make up for a living, then it can be a dream come true. But for now, I should settle for the piece by piece that I have been buying, until I get the whole collection.

There are different brands of mineral make up available. I haven't checked all the makeup counters of all the malls we have here, but im very sure that these two brands are available locally.

Youngblood Natural Mineral Foundation (available at Beauty Bar)
"This incredibly unique silky powder is a foundation, concealer and powder all in one! It offers exceptional, high performance coverage, is easy to use and is non-comedogenic. The mineral foundation glides on all skin types beautifully to give natural, healthy coverage and a translucent glow."
I say it's true, it's a matter of knowing how to apply it, takes a lot of practice though, but the end result is really awesome. It's not sticky, and it doesn't get sticky at all even when you're already home ready to take it off. This is what I love about it, my finger glides when I touch my face...really!

Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil (available online locally)
"Designed to be worn over foundation, Mineral Veil is a perfectly sheer, matte finish powder that helps to eliminate shine while minimizing the appearance of pores. Cornstarch-based, it's as light as a feather, so all you see is shine-free skin. Ideal for all skin tones and types. Contains no talc, fragrance, or binders."

It didn't totally eliminate the shine, but it minimized it. I don't think any product can eliminate the shine on my face...you can even cook sunny side up with all the oil, harhar. It's ok though, coz they say that oily skin delays ageing...look at me...heh!

Bare Escentuals Glee (available online locally)

"Put on a happier face with Glee, an allover face color provided by Bare Escentuals. Apply it to those areas of your face that naturally glow when you are happy or excited. Achieving a happy glow is the inspiration behind this earthy-rosy mineral powder."

Be careful when applying this though, if you don't want to look like a clown. Again I say that the secret of mineral make up is in the application and of course you should have a very good brush to achieve even more.

Read more...

Attempts

These are the two struggles I'm facing right now, and I admit it's pretty hard. I started smoking fourteen years ago, on the day I married N. It was like..."sweet, can you light me one please?"...until I learned how to light my own. I didn't like it at first, but just like everyone, I got hooked to it little by little. I've had a few attempts at quitting, when I was operated on in the mouth, had severe cough, and if I start catching my breath. But all these lasted for only two weeks, and here I am back to it again. Two days ago, I decided again to quit, I felt that I couldn't handle the effects of smoking anymore, with just very little activity, I find myself catching my breath, and I get a little dizzy when I start to puff. So this made me decide to try quitting again. Since I started kicking this one bad habit, I might as well kick the other bad habit, that is, sleeping late at night. I normally sleep between 1 or 2 in the morning. I always pinpoint being an insomniac when asked why I sleep that late. But the truth is something is soooo wrong with my body clock and it has adopted to that setting, sleeping at two in the morning and waking up at nine or ten in the morning. It has gotten sooo used to that, that I find it hard to sleep before 12 midnight.

I know I am in the most difficult situation right now...so far I've proven myself for two days and still counting **keeps fingers crossed**, I'm positive that I can do all these by God's grace. Check on me once in a while ok? so I won't forget =)

Read more...

It's My Darling Boy's Birthday

Dear Josh,

I'd like to thank the Lord for giving you and your sister to our lives. You both are our bundle of joy and the apple of our eyes.

You are the person that can make me laugh all the time, even at the height of my anger, you always have a way to make me laugh with your funny statements. I love it when you throw kisses all over my face, I love it too when you lie down on my stomach when we're watching TV or when you simply stay close to me whenever we're in bed. I'm happy when you appreciate my cooking and when you simply say, thanks for the gourmet meal Mom. You always asks me if i'm happy when you bring home your report card and show me your grades, of course I am, I AM VERY HAPPY that you excel in school. This is also one thing that I appreciate in you. You know how to say you're sorry whenever you break my heart...I feel a different kind of high when you say "I LOVE YOU MOM" out of the blue...there are a lot more things you do that make me happy.

Please don't feel bad when your attention is being called. There are a lot of things that you don't seem to understand for now, I know how scared you are at the sight of needles and yet I get mad at you, it's because I want you to get well right away and I can't stand the sight of you being sick. I also get mad or sometimes scream when you take your time when you are being called to eat, it's because this is a very nice way to bond, talk about things that happened in school or just plain conversations. I also get frustrated when you don't concentrate on your studies, it's because I want you to excel. I always hear you say RULES....RULES...RULES...they suck. Please understand that discipline is part of growing up, this is what will mold you to become a better person. We don't set up rules in the house to make life difficult for you, please put that in mind. We all have to go through this, I went through this and I had the same reaction as you have, but now that I am a parent, I understand and I even thank Lolo and Lola (your grandparents) for doing so, coz it made me a better person. I know you'll understand all these when the time comes.

I pray that the Lord will always protect you from harm, that He will always give you good health and strength, that He will give you wisdom, and that He will grant all the desires of your heart. We love you very much Josh.

Happy 11th Birthday!


Love,

Mom

P.S. Now you see the reason why Dad didn't buy you the GameBoy Micro last Sunday. It's because we wanted to surprise you big time on your birthday. I just loved the look on your face when you got it...it's PRICELESS!

Read more...

All Set For Christmas

My angels finally finished putting christmas lights, after numerous trips to Divisoria to buy additional lights. IMHO, it's really beautiful, and I'd better watch out for the incoming electric bill...OMG! I have to work on the inside of the house though, coz it looks so plain, not as festive as the one outside. Maybe that would be my project for christmas next year and I'm already excited. I'd start buying/collecting materials maybe next month, so as not to hurt the pocket, rather than buying everything all at once.



The Big Santa Claus I wanted to have finally arrived...we got it at such a cheap/giveaway price, had it repainted and it looks new now. I'd have my picture taken next time so you'll know how huge it really is.

Read more...

G...Gealouxy...GIRLIE

G! Finally we met...you are such a beautiful and wonderful person. We had lunch at Podium along with Cuz, Toni and Tito Rolly. It was also the first time that I met Tito Rolly (everybody's Tito, young and old), he's such a funny sensitive guy. Anyways, We enjoyed all the food that was served, the conversations(it was like we have been friends for a long time, oh maybe we are - "cyberfriends").

Too bad Toni and Tito Rolly couldn't stay for G's "babystuff" shopping. Nope, she is not shopping for herself, but for her sister who is giving birth this Feb. See why I say she is wonderful? Really she is! After some shopping, we had coffee at Starbucks, talked about a lot of things, forgetting about the time and all. G, it was really great seeing you and hope to see you again hopefully with Kat this time.

Read more...

Performing for Family and Friends

We already had our christmas party in the studio where I attend belly dancing classes. We had fun performing for our families and friends. We got to wear the costumes and was able to do all routines that we were suppose to do in the so called "recital". Our teacher wants to call it a "mini recital" but I'd rather call it a performance. The audience really appreciated our moves, and I can see from their faces that they really enjoyed the show. I asked Isha to take photos coz N decided to take a video instead. Do I have pictures while performing you ask? NONE, as in NONE, and when I asked her, this is what she told me. "But Mom, I was enjoying the show that I didn't like to take pictures". So there, I don't have photos, but I have a video which I can't upload to YouTube right now because of the file size. I also couldn't edit it in Windows Movie Player, it does not support .VOB files. I need a hundred years to figure it out...so for now I guess these pictures will do. I had to crop/blur some of the pictures to show only myself, I forgot to ask them it it's ok to post our pictures in the blog.

Read more...

More Projects To Come

I got an early christmas present from my MIL when she came back from her vacation in Canada and the States. It's a slightly used Kenmore Sewing Machine given to her by her cousin. She had me in mind when she got it, probably because she wants me to own one. Yep, the sewing machine i'm using for all my previous projects is owned by my MIL too. Nope, I'm not returning yet the old one I have here, still have to get used to the new one...it's pretty frustrating coz there was no user's manual included. I had to figure out how it's operated, and lil by lil I'm learning which buttons to press, etc. So there...a new sewing machine means more sewing projects in the future...hhhmmm...I'm done with my belly dancing costumes...what's next?

Read more...

What TV Ads Can Do

What tv ads can to do our lives really...once again, I was lured in buying this product, even half believing if it can really repair in just 3 days, as what they claim. For me the answer is no, probably because of what my hair's gone through...countless rebonding, blowdrying, ironing, hair color, bleach, etc. I own the most abused crowning glory. But really, you gotta try this product...it has improved my hair condition, not to the bouncy, silky, soft hair that you see on the ad after using it for 3 days, not even close to it...but it had a very good effect on my hair. I had less falling hair, I can now go out of the house even without blowdrying and ironing, I swear!

Read more...

And The Winner Is...

strike 1, strike 2...strike 3...and the winner is...soooo sad but it's not you. You declare yourself a winner, in your eyes and to those of your kind. You love your crown coz you think they glitter with gems, but the truth is, it's a crown with toxic, smelly poop, sending a deadly stench across the miles...you are an expert in playing dirty games...what else is new? it's so you anyway...you get your way all the time, but I say your time will come...excuse me, I feel like throwing up ***pffffft***

and oh, did I tell you that my name is girlie MACAPAGAL-ARROYO? that my name is girlie MACAPAGAL-ARROYO? oh make that girlie BUSH...harhar...peacepiss out!

Read more...

A Very Slow Week 1

I dunno, but I found the past week really slow, despite the fact that we were working. We had work last Saturday, ending at midnight, had to wake up early the following day to leave for Baguio for another wedding coverage. It was our first time to cover a wedding in Baguio, but the 3rd up north. First two was in Ilocos Region. I was all excited to do the Baguio Wedding all because of this...

Baguio's climate allowed me to wear my boots...yes, I get to wear my boots also here in Manila, but always under my jeans. It's fun dressing up once in a while, a really big deal for me. Just between you and me ok? Baguio is equal to boots...haha! I was thinking of that the whole time, even waking up in the middle of the night, rummaging through my closet, choosing what dress to wear with it. Yep that was how obssessed (this word's too strong) keen I was on wearing it.

Twas a long weekend too...classes were suspended on Thursday because of Typhoon Reming. We were scheduled to go to 168 in Divisoria Friday, but decided to go Thursday, and it was a very good decision. 168 was all packed on Friday because of the holiday declared by PGMA. It was Isha's 2nd time to go to Divisoria, but she was like 5 or 6 when we brought her there, and it left a really bad mark on her...the smell and all. So everytime we ask if she wants to go to Divisoria with us, her answer would always be a big NO! But since she has heard a lot about that 168 Mall from her classmates, when I asked her if she wanted to come along, she immediately said YES without thinking, erasing all the memories she's had about Divisoria. She was overwhelmed by what she saw, all nice and pretty things at a very reasonable price. She was able to get her friends some christmas presents, was able to buy herself some stuffs too. And when asked again if she wants to go back some other time, it's a big YES for her, despite the fact that she got dizzy by all the movements. I too got dizzy, a first for me. I'm a certified Divisoria Momma, but there was just soooooo much people that day, too much to handle.

Friday was another bonding time for us...BAKING! It was Isha's time to bake in the house after she took baking class under Chef Jill Sandique last summer. She was the princess of the kitchen, as it was also a first time for me, so I was clueless and all. I used to help Mom bake cakes before, but I was like in elementary grade that time, I didn't know about measurements to turning on the oven. It was actually my first to use the oven. Everything turned out well except that we produced really HUGE cookies.





Josh really wanted to help...but couldn't wait, the pans that we bought at Chocolate Lover was big and wouldn't fit in the oven, so I asked our helper to return it and change it to a smaller one. There was no smaller cookie pan available, so we ended up buying the brownie pan instead, just to push through with the baking, excitement you know =) We were able to make chocochip cookies and I tried making crinkles from the readymix we bought in the grocery. I'm gonna make some adjustments with the measurements though, I find the cookies a bit too sweet. Hope we're gonna be experts soon...might turn this thing into a business...and while at it, I'm thinking of giving cookies as presents this Christmas!

Read more...