Busy as a bee

My schedule is so crazy nowadays that I do not even have time to take a pause and indulge in some relaxing massage or a facial. I remember the last time I was this busy was when I was working and started selling baked goodies on the side. I go to work feeling like a zombie, because I need to finish my baking at 2am. Now, I feel like I look like a zombie, My hair color is starting to fade, my face is starting to break and my nails…arrrgh! But no worries, I shall have my “ME” after the Holidays and de-stress myself. Good thing, I still find time to squeeze in my exercise regimen, which I feel is the most important of all.

Even with all the toxicity, of course, I still don’t forget to look Fab I try to put on make up even just a hint of blush, a lipstick and of course, my mascara. Good thing I am blessed with a good skin type and naturally long lashes, teeheehee. Once I was asked by an office mate if I was putting on fake lashes and even inquired about the best eyelash growth product I was using. “Oh, this is my natural lash. I just placed mascara,” I replied with a smile.

Working in front of people has taught me to dress and look good even when I am busy, it gives me no excuse to look hideous. Oh that’s not me at all. Others tell me that when you are a SAHM (stay at home mom) that gives you a good reason not to dress up. I say No! I probably wouldn’t be wearing my usual office attire but I certainly wouldn’t wear anything crappy. You always need to look good, whether you are working or not.

Skin Station introduces the next generation Laser Hair Removal

Ladies, like me, worry a lot about unwanted hair especially when you need to wear those sleeveless tops or those sexy two-piece bikini. Isn’t it great if you do not have to worry about those unwanted hair?

Good thing being hair-free is no longer impossible. No more plucking, waxing and shaving and now with Soprano® Diode Super Hair Removal (SHR), it is virtually pain-free. Yup, pain-free! I tried the procedure and have compared it with the IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) technology — the treatment I used. With IPL, each pulse will have quite an uncomfortable pain resembling to a rubber band snapping on your skin which will only last for a second and is very tolerable, however, with Soprano® SHR which uses rapid pulsing diode with an in-motion treatment technology. In addition, it has a DualChill tip that covers larger areas of the skin with a sweeping motion that guarantees larger skin coverage and faster procedure with long-term results.

Soprano® Diode Super Hair Removal (SHR) is the most advanced technology in the US and SkinStation has brought the technology in the Philippines. So we can now enjoy a pain-free way to have a smooth, hair-free skin. Each session lasts for 10-30 minutes and is suitable for all skin and hair types. What’s great about this is that SkinStation offers this treatment at a very affordable price.

Soprano® Diode Super Hair Removal is available at SkinStation, Timog Avenue, Quezon City
Telephone No. 429-1929
Website: www.skinstation.ph

Making a Lifestyle Change

Since the start of the year, I have been making lifestyle changes and I can tap myself on the shoulder for keeping it until now. It’s the 2nd quarter of the year and although it’s really hard, I have made extra effort to remain faithful to a promise …. A promise to make a lifestyle change.

I have had it with yo-yo diets, it’s really the way I eat and the activities that needs to be modified. To persevere and remain with it will be the ultimate challenge.

Ageing is part of everybody’s life and we cannot stop it yet we can things to modify the effects on our body. For instance, if I go three times a week to the gym, I help my metabolism. This way I maintain the weight I have if not shed off some extra pounds. On the food that I eat, I go for 5 small meals a day rather that 3 giant full of servings. Plus I chose to have leafy vegetables instead of going for meat. Well, of course there are cheat days especially when you are on vacation or attending a feast. I am only human!

The most important thing I have learned is to get enough sleep and sleep on time. Although people think that lack of sleep can make them lose weight, however from my own personal experience it does the opposite. There was a time when my addiction to blogging and internet made me stay up to the wee hours of the morning … and made me really fat! I have since changed my habit and I can feel the difference not only in terms of the weighing scale but of my energy level as well.

As for vitamins, I can say I have been a fan of supplements that’s including my husband. It’s an admission that my diet do not meat the recommended vitamins and minerals needed by my body. I go for supplements that I feel I need the most like Vitamin E and Vitamin C. Once I hit the big 50, who knows what the doctor would prescribe, I might be looking into testosterone cream for women to increase energy and reduce the mood swings (wink!)

Facial Care

Ageing brings about change in our body. Metabolism slows down, wrinkled and saggy skin and a lot of other things that can cause anxiety and distress especially for women.

Hubby always teases me when I rush in the shade whenever I am outdoors, but I have every reason to do so. Aside from the normal ageing, 80% of skin ageing is brought about by sun damage. Sun exposure accelerates skin ageing and the development of wrinkles.

My regular facial care includes putting on regular moisturizer, sunblock during the day and of course regular facial treatments. The regular treatment helps my skin eliminate pimples, spots and blemishes. It’s like my usual blackhead remover especially for some one who has large pores, I need to make this a habit to rejuvenate my skin.

A facial treatment relaxes you, it’s one of my stress busters while it helps in soothing my skin.

As for the sun, although I cannot avoid it this summer… my sunblock is my best friend. Don’t dare go out without it!

10 Tips to de-stress yourself

Juggling your time between work, dealing with household tasks, taking care of the children can leave you feeling exhausted everyday. You also need to take time for yourself, take a deep breathe and de-stress yourself.

Identify your stressors – During the time that I was still working, I always find myself rushing back home to check on my kid’s home work. It leaves me feeling exhausted even though I am already home. I told myself and the kids that we should device something to make this activity less stressful. I asked them to do their homework on their own and my job would be just to check on them.

Identifying your stressor is the most important thing. Take a little time to jot down the tasks you do every day/week. Why is it stressing you out? Maybe it’s the activity or even the people involved in doing the activity. Find ways to eliminate them or just make it less stressful for you.

Be Organized - Take time to de-clutter. Organize and free up more space. When you see clutter, it prompts us to think about the things we need to do (backlogs). This activity does not only lead to an organized home/work space but it also de-clutters your mind. Try this and you’ll see positive results and will give you a fresh, new out look.

Don’t Whine – Always remember that the only thing you can control is yourself. Try not to whine over the things that you cannot control like the people you work with, the work place or your appointments. Instead, try to change the way you look at these things. If you keep on whining about things you cannot control this can cause so much energy drain on your part. Try to be positive in everything that you do.

Pick your battles – Learn to say no. Try not to dip your fingers into every little problem that comes your way. Learn to let go of things especially if it does not concern you. If you can delegate tasks, it can ease the burden on your end. Learning to let go of some things will have will free up not only some of your time but will also create some space for yourself.

Engage in physical activity – Give yourself an endorphin boost. Studies have shown that exercise helps to ease stress. Try brisk walking around the park, kick boxing or even yoga to help you de-clutter your mind. A regular exercise regimen is not only good for the mind but can boost our health too. This way you can also manage your weight and dwell your energy on weight loss pills that work.

Celebrate small achievements Give yourself a pat in the back once in a while. Go out with friends or schedule a weekend getaway with your family after finishing a project or a deadline.

Embark on something relaxing and creative – Squeeze out those creative juices and try to learn something new. It can be as simple as scrap booking or if you have the talent, you can try painting or even photography. These activities will give way for your mind to relax.

Live by the day – Worrying about what happened in the past and what you have to do in the future is a stressful way to live your life. Instead, take one thing at a time and focus your energy on what is happening now. Although it is always good to set goals for yourself but you have to work on it one step at a time. It’s a lot easier than to take giant leaps. Give yourself some time to breathe and try not to push yourself too hard.

Surround yourself with positive people and avoid difficult people. Among your friends and acquaintances, you know who they are –those people who whine about the little things in life and gossip about people. These people will drain your energy cause you more stress. It is much better to surround yourself with happy and positive people. These people will uplift your spirits and make amazing companions.

Be Thankful - An attitude of gratitude is one way of attracting positive things in your life. Learn to be thankful for the little things — your job, your family and friends, your house and all the comforts that you have and most importantly, the gift of life. Learning to be grateful is a wonderful to live life.

Photo Credit.

Want to Golf?

Hubs started getting addicted to golf when he resigned from the corporate world. Ever since, no week shall pass without him hitting the driving range or the fairway. No, I am not preventing him to engage in this sport. In fact, I am very happy that he has found a way to get a little bit of physical activity since he refuses to join me in the gym. My only request is that he puts on a sunscreen every do often to protect his skin… and he has been very diligent in doing so.

A couple of weeks ago, he decided to invite me.
Hubs: “Want to golf?”
Me: looking surprised… “Are you talking to me?”
Hubs: Yup. Samahan mo ako. (Join me, he says)
Me: Ummmm… Hon, I’ll go with you but I won’t play.
Hubs: Okay.

Really, I felt bad not being able to join him in this hobby of his. That’s why I accompany him whenever he asks me. In another conversation I admitted that I really do not want myself getting exposed to the sun. I was relieved that he understands me.

It’s enough that I sometimes worry myself with acne solutions, let’s not add the wrinkles and age spots brought about by the excessive exposure to the sun.

Oh well, at least I am still a supportive wife… going with Hubs when he needs me there.

In the comfort of my bed

If there is one thing I would like to go home to everyday is my bedroom, well cleaned and my bed neatly made. After a hectic day, my bedroom is my solace. It gives me comfort and let me relax and rejuvenate to prepare for another day ahead.

I personally believe that a comfortable bed contributes to a good night’s sleep and a good night’s sleep gives you the energy you need to perform efficiently the following day. Depending on my stress level, I sometimes find myself adjusting my pillows to conform to a position that I feel more comfy to give me better sleep. Lately, I have been thinking of looking at adjustable beds –if I can afford it, to give me the rest and relaxation I need with just a touch of a button. I think Hubs would also love the idea .

Bonding over a Facial

Two Sundays ago, I decided to drop by a facial center to have a facial and I dragged my teenager to join me. It was a spontaneous decision since I do not usually go out on a Sunday except visiting the family.

It was another “kikay” moment shared with my daughter. She’s finally old enough to have a facial. I have been wanting to bring her along, but I was thinking her face is too young. But the acne breakout on her face has been bothering me too so it was a way of helping her get rid of those icky stuff.

I have been teaching her the tricks of how to get rid of blackheads, but I guess her hormones are stronger plus the stress of her training and studies.

Her skin is better now after the treatment. I am looking forward to another bonding moment with my teenager.

Sleep is essential for our health

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” — Benjamin Franklin

Have you ever felt sluggish that whatever you do your body seem to respond in slow motion?
If you do, you probably did not have enough sleep the night before. Observe yourself. Sleep or lack of it impacts our physical and mental health.

I have personally observed myself lacking the energy to perform the day’s tasks whenever I am short of sleep. That even if I drag myself to finish a task, my body and my mind tells me that I cannot. Not only that, I tend to get irritable and find it harder to focus. After quitting the corporate world and started blogging full time, my excuse would be to sleep late because it’s the only time I can think properly –When the room is silent and everyone is asleep, that’s when the creative juices come out. To my family’s dismay, I kept this routine for almost two years.

My friends would even give me natural sleep aids to help me get better sleep but no, I can be a very stubborn at times. “I am a nocturnal animal,” that is what I proudly shout out.

Despite reading a lot of things about the importance of sleep to our body, I remain to be hard-headed until I came back from our US Trip and the jetlag hit me. I started sleeping early and I noticed that I had too much energy for the next day. It felt great! I did accomplish a lot of things and my kids are now happy that I can sleep with them. Not only did I notice the increased productivity but I realized that my skin has improved a lot. Most importantly, I seldom get sick (knock on wood!)

Sleep is not only essential for our mental alertness but it also helps our cells regenerate and boost our immune system. That’s why we get healthy glowing skin and increased ability to fight disease.

There is no doubt that sleep is indeed essential for our overall health and wellness. So if there’s one thing you should not scrimp on it is SLEEP!

Learning the basics of Photoshop

Recently, I enrolled in a basic Photoshop class with Leo Castillo of Photoworks Academy. I enrolled because I wanted to learn how to enhance my photos and with Leo as the teacher, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. I took up basic photography class with him and I truly appreciated his approach.

I was right! I learned the basic techniques of Photoshop and more– Less lecture but more on actual, hands on training. I never thought I would learn so much in four sessions coming from zero based knowledge, but I did!

After learning the basic skills, I thought it was enough but he included a couple of advanced techniques like the liquify, blur and other effects. I had fun throughout the session.

Now, I have learned that all those magazine covers are enhanced through Photoshop. It’s interesting how you can make a person appear younger just by some quick touches using Photoshop. Good thing I still wouldn’t have to do it on my own photo but if I have to, I’d probably do, just for appearance sake. But before that happens, like any other women out there, I am trying to delay the ageing process by using anti-wrinkle creams as early as now.

There are a lot of anti-wrinkle creams out there that are recognized by dermatologists, it’s up to you to choose the best that will work for your skin.

As much as possible, we want our beauty to be as natural as it can be not a Photoshop-ed beauty.

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