Just yesterday, I have felt some of the major symptoms of anxiety and it scared the hell out of me. My heart was pounding, my body was sweating, excruciating headache and nausea. When I try to vomit, I felt as if my jaws are about to lock like my whole body was crumbling. It was then I realized that my body was talking to me and I had to succumb to it. I turned on the air conditioning unit, lied down on my bed and emptied myself out – tried not to think of anything.

Men, did it scare me! I am fine now but the feeling has left a scar. I promised myself I had to let go. Anxiety for me is more than just emotions, it is my body’s defense mechanism against stress.

I guess I have to learn more on controlling these emotions. Now, I understand why a person who goes through these attacks end up in depression. I have felt it and if you do not recognize the symptoms, the fear can be paralyzing which may turn into a serious medical condition or a mental disorder.

The following day, I heard mass and asked for guidance and of course, forgiveness. Forgiveness because I have failed once again to let go and let GOD. I am only human and I cannot control everything that comes my way and I admit that. Accepting your weaknesses may seem very hard but it’s the first step to realizing there is something wrong and find a way to fight and turn these weaknesses into a strength. This way you let it work for you and not against you

On the other hand, nothing can beat retail therapy to fight any amount of stress . I just can’t help but visit my favourite department store and check out the latest in their women’s apparel section.

From then on I started, to give them their own piggy bank so they can put in their extra allowance with the promise that I would double up their saving come December. It was something they look forward to.

Growing up I was never really educated on the value of saving up. Probably because family was not that well-off and the money coming in was just enough for our daily expenses however, I came to realize that a person do not need to be rich to save up. In fact, your investment will bring you more cash flow than your regular income.

Cash flow and income may be profound terminologies for my children to understand so a simple piggy bank is the best way to start. I am a believer that children who learn to save at an early age will have a greater advantage in managing their finances when they grow up.

Aside from saving up, I also try to teach them to look for ways to get a good bargain when they buy their stuff. Like when they need to purchase a new pair of shoes, we try to look for scheduled “sale” or even gather coupons that offer a percentage off on any purchase.

It is never too early to teach kids the value of saving up, I know this will greatly help them when they grow up.

Life is a bliss and that is what I want to believe. Keeping a positive attitude helps me carry out the arduous but noble job of being a mother. Probably, the most important learning I have learned (and is continuously learning) is being a practical mom. Let’s face it, times are not that easy compared to the days when we were growing up. The practical side of me always go for things which can give the best value for whatever purchase I will make be it goods or services. Stingy? Kinda. However, I make sure that quality will never be sacrificed.

For instance, in giving proper nourishment to your kids, although one may find processed foods to be very affordable, this is one thing you cannot sacrifice. Because it is a fact that in the long run, eating processed foods will give you more problems.

I apply my being practical mom by looking at bargains, sale items, buying wholesale rather than the smaller packages. I believe these things give me more value for my money. Plus I refrain from being brand conscious, I get quality clothes and try to do investment dressing, where you can mix and match different clothing that can give you a different look each time.

In choosing household furniture and appliances, I try to buy them at a zero percent interest wherein I can pay monthly without being charged extra. Oh yes, how I wish I can buy design furniture but this is not feasible at this point in time. Maybe soon… trying to be positive at all times.

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” – Mark Victor Hansen

Just this morning, I dropped by Robinson’s Pioneer to buy dog food and do some errands. I find the dog food at Handyman a lot cheaper than the ones  sold in the regular supermarket.  And since I’m already there, I decided to go to the supermarket and do some purchase.

During this time, I realized that the brand of imported coffee which I use for my brewed coffee is a lot cheaper than the one I purchase at the grocery which I go to. I immediately shared it with my daughter and told her that I feel deceived. “Hahahaha…”, my daughter started laughing. She told me I’m so babaw (shallow).

I actually laughed at myself for being the way I am. What can I do I am just a sucker for bargain?

I frequent three grocery stores and I know which items are cheaper than the other. Even the way I prepare my day, it’s carefully planned so I get fuel efficiency. Gasoline prices are so high nowadays and I feel the need to save whenever I can plus it’s also Earth friendly.

In buying big ticket items, I carefully canvass all the stores available so I can get the cheapest price available. Can you just imagine me looking for a  discount auto insurance? Oh, yes! Even that, I just want to have the best value for my money.

As the bunso (youngest sibling), she still enjoys the perks of soliciting shopping money from us, mostly from my brother and my other sis since she knows that she can’t ask so much from me because I already have kids. But I do give in once in awhile.
Unlike me, my sis is the type who can stay at home all day. Retail therapy for me is when I engage my senses in choosing my shoes, clothes or even household embellishment while she chooses to go online and search for online sites.
Although I have tried to shop online, the first attempts were exciting but the subsequent tries, brought in some unexpected disappointments like the color do not match the displayed item online. I did not bother returning but I just told myself that I would be careful the next time.
I admire my sister’s persistence in looking for fab finds online. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’ll even join online auction just to get the things she wants. She will probably have her own online shopping store soon.

Gold is one of the most sought after means of exchange dating back centuries ago. Its beauty has made it a universal currency.

A lot of individuals nowadays are using it as an investment to protect them from fluctuations and depreciation. You can say that gold investment is a safe haven against any socio-economic and political instability.

How do acquire gold as an investment? Personally, I still have to learn about the ABC’s of Gold Investing. Investment advisors can educate you on how to properly invest on this precious metal. You can self –study and buy your gold in an outright purchase or even buy gold online. Obviously, you need to make sure that you’re dealing with a reputable dealer. Be sensible and conduct a background check for your safety and peace of mind.

In recent years, we have seen markets crash and having a diversified investment is one way protecting your life savings. As the old saying goes, “Do not put your eggs in one basket.”

Photo by The Lure Of Gold by bogenfreund on Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.

We were met by Kim Tanedo, one of the owners and also the Finance Director of the club. She explained that the 360 Fitness Club is not the usual gym that uses the traditional methods of exercising but they offer circuit training. Using only free weight and exercise accessories, the 360 circuit training can give you a total body workout in just 30 minutes.

The discussion is getting more interesting. Who wants to have all those machines anyway if you don’t know how to use them? To make it more fun, why don’t we just hit the circuit?

We started off with a bit of introduction as to how we should go about each station. The 360 Circuit has 20 exercise stations, including 10 active rests that combines cardio and strengthening exercises.

Huwaaat? 20 Stations? How am I supposed to know what to do next?

That’s the beauty of this club, it is designed to be in groups and circuit coaches are there to guide and motivate you whenever you feel like giving up. Oh yeah, tell me about giving up! The whole 30 minute workout will take you 3 rounds of those 20 exercise stations.

Doing the work out with iMoM was indeed a fun experience; the “encouraging” part did not only come from the circuit coach but from iMoM as well. Honestly, I am not as fit as I used to. My last gym visit was six months ago, that’s why on my second round I’m almost out of breath and on the third… I can no longer go along with our chit-chat but they pushed me to finish the session.

Honestly, it was all worth it! Whew! According to Ms. Tanedo, the whole workout will make members burn around 500 calories. There goes my McDonald’s breakfast

I admit that one of the major factors that’s keeping me from going back to the gym is that I tend to get lonely — it is hard to exercise alone and personal trainers are quite expensive. But with 360 circuit coaches, it’s like having a personal trainer. They are not only there to motivate but more importantly to teach you the correct form to avoid injury and ensure safety.

The club also offers exciting group exercises such as Latin Dance, Kickboxing, Power Yoga, Cardio strip tease and dance, Hip-Hop Dance Off and Cardio Combat. They are also the first one to offer group TRX training exercises in the country.

The club believes that fitness is more than just exercising but it’s a way of life, that’s why they will also be offering a health bar that will serve healthy meals that are low calorie. This way, I won’t need any diet supplements to squeeze into my old jeans again.

360 Fitness Club is located at 13^th Floor Strata 100 Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr. Road formerly Emerald Ave.), Ortigas Ortigas Center in Pasig City. Phone: (02) 577.7807 Mobile: (0917) 560.0360 or you can visit their website at http://www.completethecircuit.com/

As a mom, it gives me so much joy to know that my daughter is taking after my love for baking. I never had any formal culinary studies but for me having an interest in cooking is enough to make you want to concoct delicious meals that satisfies your palate. Well, of course, with the love for cooking comes the passion for food. A “foodie” is what I think I am. I love to experiment and taste different kinds of cuisines which make it harder for me to avoid gaining extra weight.

Just like when my daughter finished baking her chocolate chip cookies, I had to take a bite. Yummy! Especially when its fresh from the oven, I can’t help but get another one and another…. Oh, well there goes my diet.

Maybe it’s time for me to check out diet supplements at www.bestfatburningsupplement.com.

Here’s one reason why you should not starve yourself when you want to lose weight:  When you skip a meal, your body will starve and the tendency is to eat more than what you need on your next meal. So instead of doing yourself a favor, it has gotten you into a lot more trouble. The solution is to eat small servings at an interval of time. It is much better to eat small healthy servings rather than totally depriving yourself. In between meals prevents hunger pangs and gives you consistent amount of energy during the day.

When you want to lose weight, you need to find ways of promoting faster metabolism. This is the chemical process in which our body converts the calories that we eat into energy. And skipping meals or crash dieting will not boost metabolism, in fact, it even slows it down. Why?

When you’re body does not get the right amount of food at a certain time, it is threatened and goes into survival mode. It struggles to keep the calories and stores the fat, which means it tries to slow down your metabolism which is what you do not what to happen when you’re trying to lose weight. Many believe that they still have lost weight using this approach but any weight loss during these times would mostly come from decreased water retention and most often than not, you will not be able to sustain it due to loss of energy.

There are a lot of diet solutions out there but if you are trying to lose those excess baggages or just want maintain good health, the best way is to have healthy diet and fitness routine.

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I have seen the downside of having lots of children but for me it outweighs the benefits of having a big family. More siblings mean having more people to love, a lot more people you can depend on and a lot more people to connect and interact with during family gatherings and holidays. I have seen this magic happen with my husband’s family. I obviously haven’t met the rest of their relatives but we seem to have never ending reunions on his side of the family unlike on my end.

It’s lots of fun although you have to contend with different personalities but I actually consider it more of an advantage because it teaches you how to deal with a variety of individuals which strengthens your character and makes you work hard at being a team player.

Have I been blessed with lots of kids, I would probably opt to have baby accessories which will allow me to mix and match such as the multi-functional Baby jogger city select stroller. It’s functional and economical, perfect for expanding families.

Being a parent, the number of children is not the issue, it’s the quality of love and attention you give to your children that matters most.