Lunes, Nobyembre 16, 2015

10 things that I should have become or done before I get married

I have been telling myself, I am the worth the wait, I may not be the prettiest but I have a lot to offer for my future husband. Lately though, I am not feeling great about myself, about my life. I am my biggest critic and I know I am a work in progress but I just think that there are too much to work on. So, to calm me down, not to over think the future, just keeping my faith to God because God is so invested in my happiness he won’t let me down, I did a short soul-searching. Instead of me thinking what the root cause is why I am still single, instead of looking for my Mr. Right, I have decided to be Ms. Right and eventually, God will lead my Ian Veneracion-type of a husband (I really do not have a crush on Ian Veneracion but I had a dream that my husband who loves very much looks like him). So here we have the 10 things that I should become before I consider myself as Ms. Right.
11    I have to be happy. A relationship will not make a person happy. An unhappy single when in a relationship or get married will just be an unhappy person in a relationship / unhappy married person. Your partner should compliment you not complete you.
22     I have to be financially free. I want to give the best for my future kids and I am not really the type of woman who wants to depend 100% to her man especially financially and so I have to make sure that all my debts and what not are taken care of.
33     I have to be 105 lbs. That has always been the dream.
44     I have to have paid my dues and have done my part in volunteering or breaking my heart for the less fortunate. If anyone knows the story of Bo Sanchez, how he lived with old people for three years, I want to do something like that but not actually living my job. I just basically want to give something that I have, which is my money, my talent and my time. I am more of an action type of person. I just don’t want to give to church; I really want to do something about it.
55     I have to have a very good and close relationship to God. When you love someone or when you are in a relationship, God should be the center of it. I think that’s the secret of a happy marriage. I cannot inspire and disciple someone to be close to God if I am not.
66    I have to be healthy. There is only one me and I have to take care of myself. I need to ensure that I am healthy. If I am healthy, eventually, everything in the outside will fix itself.
77     I have to have taken care of my vices or at least control them. This is something that I have been focusing on lately. I really don’t want to talk about them right now but hopefully when the time comes to be with my Mr. Right, I do not have vices.
88     I have to be secured. I had issues in the past with my insecurity and I am proud that I have taken care of that after battling with self-esteem issues for most of my life but we’ll never know if it comes back and becomes an obstacle in my relationship.  
99    I have to learn how to love. I mean romantically, I seem to have approached life and relationship like a business transaction where in I should always get my ‘return of investment’. I don’t know how to explain it but I just hope I can love again the way that I loved before wherein I will just love and not wait for anything in return.

110 I have to start my wedding fund. Again, I do not want to be financially dependent on my husband so it’s best to be prepared. 

Linggo, Nobyembre 15, 2015

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished



The reason why it took me so long before I posted something is because I do not want to be subjective and emotional and just be negative and be some blogger who rants about her life or whatever. In all honesty, I just experienced this recently, in my line of work, it is important that you have some type of emotional deposit with the people that you work with. The downside to that is that people become familiar with you and when you are to give them constructive criticism, they do not see it that way, they see it as an attack or they feel that you do not want to do a part of your job. I really do not want to say more about it but I have to admit, I also have my own mistake, I was not very good in handling the situation at that time. I am not good in articulating myself so it may have appeared that I am annoyed with the person instead of his actions. I was able to be in contact again with the same person, I really do not have a choice, I have to be professional but if that person still feels the same way towards me instead of just reviewing himself, I do not think I am the losing part here. I have recognized the errors of my ways and see it as a learning experience. This quote is something that I have to bear in mind because I know that in the future, that person will not be the last ungrateful person and may translate my action into something negative instead of beneficial for them.   









Linggo, Nobyembre 1, 2015

The Last Witch Hunter: Review

My sister and I saw this movie last Saturday and since we used my last free ticket, it's not like we felt so bad that we saw a not-so good movie. Well, we only had few options when we went to SM Muntinlupa. My options were between The Last Witch Hunter and Goosebumps and I decided to go with Vin Diesel over Jack Black. I guess, I was expecting too much from this movie that's why it was so easy for me to be disappointed.



So, this is about Kaulder who is the last Witch Hunter, he became immortal when he killed the Witch Queen. During his lifetime, he is being assisted by what they call a Dolan and unfortunately they are just named by numbers. The 36th Dolan played by Michael Caine retired and was replaced by the 37th Dolan played by Elijah Wood. 36 died on his last day as Kaulder's keeper. Kaulder felt that he was killed by magic and this is where the story got interesting. Apparently, there was a plot to bring the Witch Queen back and Kaulder is supposed to stopped that with the help of a witch bar owner who is also a witch and a dreamwalker named Chloe.



For some reason, there is just really something wrong with this movie. I was expecting this to be a "Wow" despite the low marketing whatever of this film maybe they were thinking, let;s just let the people know that Vin Diesel made another action flick and people will be expecting it to be like Fast and Furious only a little supernatural and hope that they will buy it. So it just did not meet expectations, the characters are so disengaging. They are just not interesting. They are just not properly built up for people to have sympathy for the characters. I could not even care for Chloe's loss when her friend Miranda died. I got over the next minute after I learned of Elijah Wood's betrayal. I'm not sure but Kaulder says more than act more. He did some witch hunter stuff but not enough for one to be really amazed. I don't know maybe it's the script but there's really something about this film that made me feel that it did not meet its potential given with Vin Diesel as leads. Elijah Wood is supposed to be a supporting but he appeared to be just I don't know more of a special guest? The movie's resolution really did not make sense to me, he is still the last Witch Hunter, the Witch Queen's heart is still beating that's why he's still alive, he just switched loyalty of some sort because now, Chloe became his official sidekick and driver instead of the organization that kept up with him all this years. He is acting more of a freelancer which really did not make much sense, I mean, the first Dolan just lied of where his immortality came from but it's not they caused his family's death for his alliance with them to be broken in the end. They meant to use him as a weapon that's why they kept him alive all this years so I don't get the ending, maybe because they are planning to make a franchise but to be frank, I am not that interested for the sequel.



Oh well, the movie is not all that bad though, I can say it's enjoyable and any time that it will show up in my cable movie channel, I would still watch it over reruns.

My goal for October



So it is now November, let me just tell you a brief story of my life. Last year, around September, after my birthday, at 133lbs, I decided to lose weight and apparently I did but of course during the course of the year, I fail to continue with my diet and with my workout, although I did not gain all of the pounds that I lost, I still gained some weight. I was at 130lbs. I also reviewed my life and I did not imagine my life to be like this. Well, it’s not that I am not happy right now; I am just expecting a different story. I decided that I wanted to take charge of my life and for the last 3 years, I kept on telling myself that I will be 105lbs but that did not seem to happen. I told myself at the end of 2015, I will be 105lbs. I did the juicing diet for a week on the third week of October and my weight dropped to 122lbs but then, I stopped it for the final week of October and because of my schedule and weather, I am only able to exercise during my rest days. October ended and I am at 126, I am a little bit disappointed myself but a weight loss is still a weight loss. I will just work harder for this month so that I will end November at 113 lbs.    

Do not Rush


As the preacher said in the Feast session that I attended, unless bombs are falling off from the sky, we should not rush into things. The talk series at that time is about relationships and getting married but I think this applies also in other aspects of life, like business, career, etc.

Why shouldn't we rush things? 

Well, I remembered an episode of The Mentalist, the locksmith died. His wife tells the story of how he first unlock a safe but she does not remember what was in it. It was the mystery that excited and motivated the locksmith to unlock the safe, what I am saying here is life is not just about the end goal or us reaching our dreams and ambitions but the journey towards it. So for this week, my dear readers, I just want you to remove the pressure, smell the flowers and enjoy the ride. Do not rush things, as I always say or type, God is so much invested in your happiness, He will not let you down, just trust in Him and in His perfect timing, things will happen to you. Your prayers will be answered. 


Linggo, Oktubre 11, 2015

A review on Etude House AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot (20ml)

Description(from the box): Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress, AC Clinic delivers trouble care. Pink Powder alleviates trouble swelling on contact to minimize damage. It comes with cotton swabs for application. Non-Comedogenic & Dermatologist Tested.

How to use: The pink powder spot bottle is to be used at night and should not be shaken. The Q-tip that is included in the box should be dipped afterwards and apply it directly to the pimple. The other bottle, pink powder water, should be used during the daytime and to be shaken.

Results: Well, the pimples dried and disappeared in 3 days time even the larger and the cystic ones. The pimples became much more controllable and do not leave much of a scar.  
I highly recommend one to use other AC Clinic products to get the full effect of the line against acne but the AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder is a good place to start. Mine at first only lasted for a month because of the horrible case of my acne, I would add toner and alcohol so just for me to use the remaining pink powder in the bottle and it extended its life to up to another month. I would continue repurchasing this until my war against acne is over. It sting a little on open zits but it works. It dries up and heals after a few days. It just has that medicine smell but it really did not bother me. Some bloggers say that it stained the pillowcases but I really did not experience that despite me lying on my tummy whenever I sleep. If you already have the other products, the pink powder spot is the last step. Compared to other pink powder spot treatment, this is cheaper and yet effective.

USAGE ORDER: Cleanser > Toner > Lotion > Cream > Pink Powder Spot




***Disclaimer: I am not paid by Etude House and I am not sponsored by any way. I purchased them in my own judgment and with my own resources.***

When people are becoming unbecoming


This week, I learned something about myself. I still have to learn a lot of things and I should higher my walls. I am always seeing the good in people and I am so trustworthy but then again, there are people who has changed a lot and all you have to say is “That is sooooo unbecoming…” and I am just now in conflict with how you can still see the good in everyone but protecting myself.
·         Trust only a few people, one to three is good. More than that is risky.
·         Keep on smiling and keep on killing people with nothing but humility and kindness, eventually they may just be guilty on being mean to you or something. I have seen the episode of Charmed entitled Used Karma and it really helped the sisters be saved from demons’ dark plans and what-not because of centuries of good karma. I sort of believe that.
·         Do not complain but call out or ask when you see something is wrong. Do things in a constructive way to avoid conflict.
·         Always be mindful of people around you.

·         Do your best, one may never be perfect but one can always be better. 

Hawaiian outfit... patterns on patterns

We were asked to dress-up at the office for the Luau Party. I decided to wear a floral cropped top and floral jogger pants. Patterns on patterns was a no-no before but when you think about it, that’s not really the case, it’s up to how you wear it and the colors should complement each other. So in this ensemble, as you can see, the top is light and the bottom is dark. I paired it with my blue heels and blue button down cotton shirt. (Seriously, it was still an office environment; you really do not expect me to wear just that.) With the floral pattern, patterns have to be of different sizes so that you can balance them. With my top, since I am already wearing a light color which makes things bigger than they actually are, the patterns on my top are smaller compared to my pants, the patterns are bigger. See how it harmonizes the whole outfit.


Sabado, Oktubre 3, 2015

My first week of dieting


If you have been following my life, you know that I have been trying to be 105 lbs, which is my weight right before college. I wanted to prove that your work does not define your health/weight, it's your lifestyle, if you choose to be healthy then you will find a way. Anyway, I have given to temptation over the past few weeks and now, I am back to 130 lbs (Thank God, I am able to say it, nareach ko na ang acceptance). I really wanted to be 105 lbs by 2016. So I am back to running and unfortunately this week, I am only able to run thrice but I am able to eliminate rice in most of my meals. I will be weighing in this week and hopefully, I have lost a pound or two. I really wish to share my diet but in all honesty, I cannot remember them but here's what I did, I eat peanuts when I wanted to eat sweets, I eliminate rice in most of my meals except for the meal before I go to work, I included more veggies and fruit. I ate mostly lean meat but at one time, I had grilled pork and I enjoyed the fatty part of it and I am not ashamed to say it. Do not deprive yourself, if you feel that you worked hard enough with your diet, have a cheat meal, yes a cheat meal and not a cheat day. Actually, in a week, I allow myself to have 3 cheat meals, so maybe that's where people get the concept of cheat day because you have 3 meals in a day but I suggest that you do what I do, 3 cheat meals in a week and do not do them all in one day because when you do a cheat day, you tend to binge eat and lose the essence of your hard work in the last 6 days. Plus, when people do a cheat day, they tend to cheat not just on the meals but also on the snacks for that one whole day. For this week, I have decided to include 2 cheat meals, the one with the grilled pork and then I am eating out later. My go-to lean meat for this week was beef so if a certain type meat is not available in our fridge, I asked one of the beef burgers to be included in my meal.








    

Monea Power Dose Review


I read a few things about the Monea Power Dose so I decided to try it because it was not that costly and so far I have been using this once a week, along with other treatments for my dried (due to bleaching), other treatments that I used is Hair Keratin Treatment from Hortaleza and recently, I started using the Silk Scarf Hair Treatment from Etude House.  I was able to find the Monea Power Dose at Watsons in Festival Mall Alabang.  

It was easy to use, after shampoo and conditioner, I used the Monea Power Dose and waited for 10 minutes before rinsing.

This is my usual hair after the regular shampoo-conditioner ritual.




This is my hair after I used the Monea Power Dose, I took this picture after making sure that my hair is air-dried. I also like how light and manageable my hair becomes after I used this product. My hair does not have that straw-like texture. It feels like the life was resuscitated back to my hair. I will continue using it unless other hair treatments prove to be much better and more cost-efficient.   









Chosen outfit for the week


I know it was a rainy week, well, it has been here in Alabang. I still decided to wear this outfit last Monday to work. Still in the spirit of copying those, from weekend to work outfits, (comfortable and functional that can switch from work to something casual, something that is very helpful for ladies who commute and still want to dress up), I decided to wear my peach V-neck shirt and the floral pencil skirt with see-through cutout.

Do not forget to laugh


We all deal with pain and loss differently. I think it is important to express the pain that you feel so that you can easily pass by it but sometimes, they are not easy to go away but as long as you try to feel better and you do not lose the capability to be happy, I believe, everything will be alright. Do not let anyone tell you how to feel, just feel but make sure that the way that you deal with things is healthy. 

Sabado, Setyembre 12, 2015

Babe at 28


I am still a babe at 28! I just want to live my life to the fullest. I want to be the healthiest, happiest, prettiest and sexiest that I can every be in life. That is my wish for myself. I am not really sure why I am writing this blog maybe I just wanted to share. I was sort of depressed, months before my birthday because my life is not what I dreamed of. I was hoping to be married and have a baby by this time but then I had some soul searching and assessing of my finances and I was like, first it's not feasible and two, it's not what I wanted. I was enjoying the whole me doing yoga, trying new sports, running, tennis, swimming, etc and I am just really enjoying trying new things! For now, what I want is to be sort-of in love, work on my progress at work, still enjoy my sporty activities and try to be healthy. Here is my advise for ladies out there who thinks that life is not what they wanted or what they dreamed of. Pray to God so that you can discern what is best for you. Eventually, you will realize that wherever you are, this is where God meant you to be and God is so much invested in your happiness that you may not be happy right now but you will be and you will reach your dreams and you will become a blessing to everyone around you too. 

My Perfect Little Black Dress

It was a perfect day so it calls for the perfect dress...


My birthhday passed and there was no party but it was still special...



I was still adjusting to my new schedule so I was not able to push through with my birthday party plans. I am still grateful to everyone for making it a beyond my usual day.  

I learned that passion is not just something that you are enthusiastic about but something  that you are willing to sacrifice for. My work is my passion, I try to live a balanced life so do not call me workaholic. Haha. Work will be tiring and stressful but as long as you are open to changes and open to loving those changes, you know that you are prepared to advance forward. Never make a decision to advance forward to your career because when you enter such changes, you will be feeling a certain level of incompetence and if you do not have love, you will falter. 

Huwebes, Agosto 27, 2015

Enjoy the single life!

In the last couple of weeks, I have been very anxious because of the imminent changes in my life. I am turning 28 this September (I am not really one of those who worry too much when they get older, age is just a number), I am looking forward to some changes at work, new schedule, new team but it’s also bittersweet because I will be apart from people that I have spent years with. So, I think the anxiety has made me restless and I get to realize how single I have been. I am still far from my deadline to have a boyfriend but I don’t know, there’s this guy…. (haha, I really do not want to discuss him, how I feel for him, etc…), well, it’s not really about him why I think of this things, I guess the upcoming changes just made me think. Grabe, ang kalat ng isip ko in the last few weeks, ang dami kong inaalala na hindi naman dapat. Being the Catholic that I am, I prayed. I am one of those Catholics who strongly believe in saints’ intercession and over the past years, my favorite has been St. Jude but since I was so concern about my love life and my relationship, I ran to St. Anne, Mother Mary’s mum, she found Mary a man, she will find me to. Well, I was really just praying that the next guy that will be my boyfriend is my FOREVER, yeah, naniniwala ako sa FOREVER, no matter how many times kong ipagsigawan habang naulan na walang forever eh naniniwala ako dun. GOD is FOREVER, LOVE is GOD, therefore, LOVE is FOREVER, yan para sa mga Mathematician at Philo major, you have to agree to my logic, wala kayong choice.


So, there has been a couple of inspirations kung bakit bumalik na lang ako sa pag-eenjoy ng aking single life, I mean, it’s not that I did not enjoy it before or what but here’s the thing, totoo talagang nakakaattract ang mga babaeng confident at happy on their own kasi when I already come to terms na ok na ok ako sa pagiging single ko at wala akong dinedate saka naman naglilipana ang mga boys who want to date me. Boys talaga noh, ganda ko ‘teh. I think it’s really the personality that draws them in. Siguro dahil medyo busy sa work, I have no time to rest and for my extracurricular activities, I am starting to be miserable and overthink my life and I ended up feeling miserable. Anyway, I was reading this article sa Cosmo, I was so inspired by Laureen Uy dun sa article about her. Sabi kasi sa title, The Secret to Being Happy Laureen Uy, so syempre, babasahin ko ‘yan kasi nga malungkot na ako, lalo ko pa bang ilulugmok yung sarili ko sa negativity, siyempre, hahanap ako ng inspirational and motivational things around me. Haloooooo, mahirap na nga yung sitwasyon, demotivated na nga, lalo ko pa bang idedemotivate yung sarili ko? I love what she said about trying to love yourself when alone. It is a process, tama siya, ganyan peg ko last year eh, pero tanggap na tanggap ko na ang nangyari sa amin ng ex ko. You have to be happy on your own kasi you if you’re happy, you will attract the right one for you. Ganon talaga eh, hindi pa siya ang FOREVER ko. 



Isa pang nakainspire sa akin ay yung nabasa ko sa thepapist.org (here’s the exact post http://thepapist.org/st-anne-st-anne-send-me-a-man/), parang nagkaroon ako ng awakening sa faith ko kay God. Parang sinurrender ko na ang buhay ko at mga dreams ko kay God tapos alala pa ako ng alala para akong ewan. So, I stopped and pray again at nainspire ako sa naging message ng pari dun sa author ng post na enjoy lang ang single life kasi it’s your time to form yourself para ready na pag nagkafamily. You have to read the post. Now, hinihingi ko talaga yung intercession ni St. Joseph para maform na niya ang aking FOREVER at ni St. Anne para madiscern ko na ang aking relationships at future. To all single women out there, let’s not feel bad about the situation, it is never too late. It will never be too late, kung talagang raising a family or being a wife ang calling at dream natin, God will never fail us. He is just preparing the man that we deserve.  At sa mga mapang-asar na tropang guys, oo, minsan talaga nakakaapekto na yung pangungutya nyo na single yung mga dalaga niyong friends, instead of making them feel like it’s a big deal na wala silang relationship, why not be supportive sa mga endeavors nila. Treat them kindly and make them feel good about themselves and suppportahan niyo lang na tama ang choice nilang maging single. Yes, make them feel like being single is a choice and not because of missed oppurtunities or failed relationships or dahil may mali sa kanila. 

Let us just enjoy the moment, discover God's will and let's wait to be surprised. 

Biyernes, Agosto 14, 2015

Clarifying Shampoo

Hindi naman masyadong uso sa pangangailangan nating mga Pilipino ang Clarifying Shampoo kaya naman when it was suggested for bleach shampoo, I was curious. Apparently, if you put a lot of products or swim a lot or you just have hard water for bathing, you have to clarify your hair. Whenever you feel na mabigat ang buhok mo or its dull, it maybe because of the products that you have been using. I felt that because of my hair coloring, hair treatment, I ought to try using a clarifying shampoo but where can I get one? I was lucky to find one in Shopwise, it’s from Suave. It’s about P150, I was like “that’s too pricey!” and then I did my quick mental math, it’s 355ml so compared to the regular shampoo that I usually buy which I buy in sachets, normally P30-P40 for 6 pcs, about 10ml each, medyo mas makakatipid pa nga ako. 



It’s marketed as something that you can use daily pero sabi, hindi naman advisable na gamitin siya daily especially if you have colored hair kasi the color will fade faster. In my third session of bleach shampooing I used 80ml of clarifying shampoo, 80ml of light violet clear shampoo from VO5, just to cancel some yellow in my hair, 20g bleach powder and 80ml oxidizing lotion that I purchased from Hortaleza kaya hindi ko alam kung siya ba ay 6%, 9% or 12%, naubusan kasi ng bleach powder sa hbc na nabibili ko ng P90, grabe, para talagang nabasag yung puso ko nung sinabi na out of stock yung bleach powder pero blessing in disguise ata siya kasi for about the same amount, mabibili mo pala siya ng P25 sa Hortaleza, P50 pag kasama yung oxidizing lotion na 120 ml. look at the result, it sort of toned my triple toned hair. Hindi na talaga ombre ang dating, it’s just bad bleach and color job by an unprofessional pero as I have said, using the purple shampoo and clarifying shampoo somewhat toned it. Hahahahaha. 

Last week's three toned hair


Ang dami ngang naimpress sa light ng hair ko. Pinagtitinginan ako ng lahat, malamang nawirduhan kasi rare ang blonde sa Pilipinas, hindi pa nga siya ganon kablonde eh. I think my sister was impressed with my colors na she is now begging me to color her hair. Super pa yung pagkakalight niya ngayon, if you are going to compare the difference of the first and second week of bleach shampoo sa difference ng second at third week of bleach shampoo, parang mas matindi yung effect ng paggamit ng clarifying shampoo. Kasi yung from first to second, parang 1 lift lang pero yung second to third parang 2 lifts.  Refer to diagram, parang yung 1st week kasi ay level 5 tapos 2nd week, level 6 and then 3rd week, level 8.

See, parang kahit pano ngpantay-pantay na ng kulay






Biyernes, Agosto 7, 2015

Different shades of blonde

I knew there were a lot of shades of blonde but I never thought that I have a lot to choose from. So here are some samples from celebrities, I knew with my skin tone, any shade will work to my advantage (well I strongly believe that) although my mind is so set to being ash blonde. 

PLATINUM BLONDE

Adam Levine
Christina Aguilera
Lena Dunham

Kesha

ASH BLONDE

Pink
Katharine McPhee
Drew Barrymore

Carrie Underwood

GOLDEN BLONDE

Madonna
Dark Golden Blonde: Hayden Panettiere

Light Golden Blonde: Amber Heard
Kate Upton

SANDY BLONDE

Cate Blanchett

Cameron Diaz

Diane Kruger

Katherine Heigl
HONEY BLONDE

Honey Blonde with Highlights: Ashley Benson

Hayden Panettiere
Giselle Bundchen

Beyonce




STRAWBERRY BLONDE

Blake Lively
Jennifer Morrison

Nicole Kidman

Jessica Chastain


CARAMEL BLONDE

Nicola Peltz
Victoria Beckham
Nicole Richie

Bar Rafaeli
COPPER BLONDE

Asley Tisdale


Bella Thorne

Blake Lively
Rachel McAdams










Photo Resources:
http://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/hair/g965/ash-blonde-hair-color
http://hollywoodlife.com/pics/platinum-blonde-celebrities-pics/
http://therighthairstyles.com/50-phenomenal-blonde-hair-color-ideas-for-the-current-season/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/19/dirty-blonde-hair-color-photos_n_1683672.html
http://www.seventeen.com/beauty/hair/advice/g627/best-blonde-celebrities
http://www.ranker.com/list/hottest-women-with-strawberry-blonde-hair
http://www.youbeauty.com/beauty/celebrities-with-blonde-hair