Beauty & Wellness #5: The truth about sitting long hours

Got this email from a friend...it is quite interesting and informative. So, I saved the images and thought of sharing it to you guys and gals....Stay Healthy!

Beauty & Wellness #4 : Scrubs = Exfoliate!

Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin's outermost surface, and has been used for many years.

If you want your skin to look healthy and radiant, exfoliate regularly.By mildly abrading your skin with exfoliating agents, you will remove the surface layer of dead cells. Afterward, fine lines will be less visible and your complexion will glow.

Me, I have facial, body and foot scrubs that I use to exfoliate my skin. Here's how often I use it...
The facial scrub: 3-4x a week, body scrub: 1-2x a week and foot scrub: once a week (since I'm not going out that much right now, but if I am, I use it 2-3x a week)

You will feel the smoothness on your skin after using body scrubs. So try it, it will just take a little of your bath time!

the current products i'm using :)

Our Schoolboy

Meet the only schoolboy in our house - Hero Miel.

He is the first baby in our family,son of Ate Cielo & Kuya Mel. The only grandchild that my Mom was able to see and take care of.

bonding time :)




Lola Cora giving her pasalubong from SG to Hero Miel

 

He graduated as First honors in his Kindergarten class in Our Lady of St. Therese Academy (OLSTA) last March. Now he is a Preparatory pupil in Our Lady of Mercy School (OLOMS).
His mom, Ate Cielo, takes time to teach him every night. Though she is already tired from office works, she makes sure that she checks his notebooks for assignment and help his son do that. Then on weekends, she does re-caps and also advance reading to make sure that Hero will be able to understand his lessons.

Happy & Proud parents with the Honor boy :)

Hero Miel is a perfectionist by nature and is short-tempered. That's why, when he made an error in what he is doing, he gets upsets easily and started to cry - this is when world war III begins at home hehe. Cause, when he starts to cry and fed up with what he's doing, his mom cant do anything to pacify him and at the end, his mom loses her patience and the war begins...

weekend study session

We are so proud of his achievements (be it personal or academic). And though he is sometimes vying for attention in the house with his sister,Meciel and at times with his cousin,Jamy, you will see that he also knew how to be a 'kuya' (elder brother) to both of them.

The 3 Kings - Christmas School Presentation

Linggo ng Wika - 1st Place in Talumpati

Proud Mommy

Precious Meciel,Jamy & Hero Miel

He is turning 6 on November and as he grows, he can be sure that we will always be there to support his dreams.

J-o-l-o-g-s!

Friday is a jologs day for Remy and me. Why? Coz were gonna watch a movie... Transformer 3 is the latest craze,and Remy asked to watch ... Temptation Island instead- and I agreed! ("Let's give the movie a chance" - hehe, this is one famous line I remember we used in my college days when we're doing a movie reivew:)

Jologs is a Filipino slang term or word used to describe persons, things or events who or which are poorly made, dirty-looking, corny and cheap. It is at times equated with "baduy," another Filipino word which means "out of style."

Many Filipino linguists including sociologists agree that the term originated from 'diyolog' which stands for dilis (anchovies), tuyo (dried fish) and itlog (egg) — the food of the poor. And it was used like this: "Oh, look she eats diyolog." Later it became "Look, diyolog, o." Until the 'diy' got changed to 'j', hence 'jolog'.

And a lot of people think that watching filipino movie is  'jologs'. And I think that way too. Don't get me wrong, our movies can be 'cheap' at times -in terms of 'budget or financing',especially to indi-films but doesn't necessarily means it's not good. It can win awards here and abroad at times... And comedy films are usually 'corny' - but let's face it, that though it's corny, we're watching and enjoying it! We even post some of its line as out FB status - admit it! haha

Ok, so now, let's go back to our movie date. We watched at Sm Fairview cinema. Movie ticket costs Php 150/pax, open-seat (choose your own seat when you get inside).

Temptation Island is a remake of the 1980's sexy-comedy film. It stars five of the sexiest pinays (I'm the sixth haha) and the movie highlighted that. In fairness, it was good and not as boring as I thought. And the exchange of lines amongst the actresses were nice. And though I'm not a fan of Lovi Poe, i liked the way she posed for the camera in one of the scenes on the yatch ( she was asked to pose for the cam & she said she doesnt want then seems to think a little then agreed to it, she suddenly strike a pose - raised one of her foot up the bar stool,the high slit of her gown allowed her to do that making her long legs exposed and project a fierce face - it looks like one of the poses of my friend,edge hehe)

Well, my friend and I enjoyed the movie. We waited for the credits of the movie to know where in Ilocos Norte did they shoot it - it was in Playa Tropical Resort -*thinking* how about visiting it? :) And same scenes of the new and the old movie was shown at the end so that the audience will get to see the difference and/or the resemblance...

After the movie, we bumped to some old friends, and they we're surprised we watched it. At the end, Chedeng said that she will be looking for the original movie and will give us a copy so that we can compare it. (Chedz, we will be waiting for it hehe :)

Jamy turned 2!

How time quickly passed...It's now time to say Happy 2nd birthday Jamy!

Jamy is the third baby in our house. He is the son of my sister, Charmy and brother-in-law,Jay.

I was away when he was born and even when he turned one year old. But I got to see him online before when I was chatting with my sisters.

He was so little and fragile back then...

photo courtesy of Ate Jen,our neighbor

Then he learned how to crawl,stand and walk a little when he turned One...

dress rehearsal before his 1st bday celeb

And now, he has learned a lot of antics to make us laugh...Knows how to run and ride a small bike not just to stand...

Now that he turned Two, we our proud to say that he is our baby JAMY, and that we loved him more.

Here's some pictures from his birthday celebration.

Jamy is watching the lighted candle and checking his cake

double checking that all are singing happy bday song :)

Santillan family

He loves to be with other children

the celebrant is so happy - with Mommy and her officemates

c-o-u-s-i-n-s  :)

with kuya Hero,tita Indang and ate Meciel

So Happy opening his gifts!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMY! We love you and we will always be here for you.

GOD bless you little boy.

I ♥ Reading!

Some people find reading...boring. Some find it entertaining. Some educational. While others, dont give a damn...

Me, I love reading! Its makes you use your brain more - imagining the scene, the hero (*wink*)...to know new words...and to look for its meaning in the dictionary (yeah, that's what I do if I really cant get it from contextual clue hehe)

I know,some may call me a lame reader cause most of the novels I read are fictional and romance (haha, who cares, I enjoy reading it!:) But I also like reading horror and sci-fi novels as well as inspirational books.

Well, no matter what kind of book you read, it's still nice to know that YOU CAN READ! Hope that more children will be expose to this habit rather than to video or computer games...

A book a day...is...365 books in a year!

Brazo de Mercedes and Coffee

-29June2011-

Today marks the 43rd wedding anniversary of my Mom and Dad. I remember when we were still young, we used to have a program in our house and we prepared presentations for them...We sing, dance and make an effort to show how much we love them.

We memorized their wedding song and used to sing it to them at the top of our lungs haha...those were the days..... And though they're no longer here with us to celebrate this special day...We know that they are having good times up there (pointing in heaven)...For sure they're dating now!

And here's brazo de mercedes (mom's fave) and coffee (dad's addiction hehe) for the two of you...

And while you're eating, let me play your song....

http://youtu.be/ySfBbWxo9QU

 "The Wedding" by Julie Rogers, from 1964.

You by my side, thats how I see us,
I close my eyes, and I can see us,
We`re on our way to say I do-oo
My secret dreams have all come true-oo.

I see the church, I see the people,
Your folks and mine happy and smiling,
And I can hear sweet voices singing, Ave Maria.

Oh my love, my love this can really be
That someday you`ll walk down the aisle with me,
Let it be, make it be that I`m the one for you,
I`ll be yours, all yours, now and forever.

I see us now, your hand in my hand,
This is the hour, this is the moment,
And I can hear sweet voices singing, Ave Maria.
Ave Maria, Ave Mari-i-a.

Ate Cielo's Special Puto

From Wikepedia:

Puto is Philippine steamed rice cake, eaten as is or with butter and/or grated fresh coconut or as accompaniment to a number of savory dishes for breakfast .

But in our case, instead of rice we use All Purpose Flour.

-24 October 2010-

Ate Cielo was given a Special Puto Recipe by her officemate . One fine Sunday, Ate Cielo was energetic so,she decided to try it. This is her first attempt in making Puto, so we're joking that we wouldn't want to try it.

But after tasting it- - -whoah! It really yummy! (I'm saying this not because I'm her sister but because it's the truth. :)

Well, now what we're wondering when is she going to make some again? hehe

Here's the Recipe in case you'd like to try it:

3Cups All Purpose Flour
3Cups Fresh Milk
2 Tablespoon Calumet
1 Cup Sugar
1 Box Cheese for Toppings
1 Star Margarine

Mix all the above.
Use a fine filter to get a balanced and smooth mixture. (You can also use a mixer, if you have)
Steam for 20 minutes.
You can add flavor like Pandan or fresh Langka (finely chopped) if desires.

Beauty & Wellness # 3 : Relax,have a massage!

According to Wikepedia, Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being.

According to me - I need a massage today!

My 'ate' (elder sister) is not feeling well so she asked me if I'd like to go with her for a massage. Of course, I'd love to. I like going to spa & massage centres to relieve me from stress and body tensions. It allows me to relax and be pampered.

We went to ByG Salon in SM Fairview. I've been here for a few times already and I must say, the service is good and the price is affordable. One hour body massage (traditional filipino massage) costs only Php250. I've been to different massage outlets in SM Fairview and this is the cheapest but have a nice ambience and good massage. The room is good for 2 people with curtain partition and scented candles.

Other massage parlors in SM Fairview that I have tried:
Panda Zhu
-tried the promo: Php399/2 for 45 mins plus Php150 (footsoak with 10mins back massage)
-service and massage is great
-soothing room ambience
-will GO BACK here

Nisce Skin & Facial Salon
-this is always fully-booked, so I thought service is great
-reserved for 2 pax massage - which is Php350/hr per pax
-room ambience not good  (very well lighted that you cant feel relaxed)
-the therapist didnt even ask me what kind of massage I want and just started massaging me (what I want is  Swedish/Shiatsu Massage that I told her after she started)
-will NOT GO BACK here for massage

King Massage
-Php 350/hr
-common room for 4 pax
-service and massage is good
-can still GO BACK here in case other massage parlor is not avail

I forgot the other one that I tried for foot massage before...the one who did the massage was a guy (first time that I let a guy do my foot massage) well, that caused some bruises on my legs due to the hand pressure done (maybe its because he's a male that no matter how light he seem to massage me, the pressure is still hard for my legs)

But anyway, stress or not, its still a good time to go and have a massage -just to relax... or just to pamper yourself.

Red Packet

A red envelope or red packet (known as hóngbāo in Mandarin, Ang Pao in Min Nan, Lai See in Cantonese) Sae Bae Don in Korean, and Lì Xì in Vietnamese) is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions by Chinese and other East Asian societies.

I was rummaging my things today when I found a red packet.  This is already a 4-year old packet that I've been keeping. Where did I get it?

It was (I think) Feb 18,2007 when we were invited by our trainer Say Kheng (we call her SK) to their house on Chinese New year. Since we were new in Singapore (barely a month that time) she wants us to feel and celebrate the occassion. It was really nice of her to do such for our batch. So we headed to their house.

Aside from the food & drinks that they offer, her mom gave each one of us Ang Pao. They say it was a tradition for married people to give red packets to unmarried ones. (well, it pays to be single! haha) We didnt even expect such as we dont know how they celebrate CNY.

Since we were just starting work there, it was a tough time for us financially. So, I think some of my batchmates have already used the "Ang Pao" given to them.

But mine, I kept it.Because I believe it will bring good luck for me - financially :). I just peek at the envelope before but didnt really count how much is inside. Well,its only today that I learnt that there were SGD6 inside. Well, lucky me, I still have money - to keep! :)

Beauty & Wellness Regimen #2: Facial Wash

It's worth to pay attention to the kind of stuff you put on your skin as it's your body - you should know! hello?! hehe

Today, lets talk about Facial Wash! Do you still use soap for your face? (yup,at times) Do you use the same one as the one you use on your body? (nope) Well, here's my say...

I use Papaya soap once in a while for my face, especially after I trip. Travelling exposes me to the sun and may darken my skin tone (even if I put sunblock). So whenver I go home after a trip, aside from my regular facial wash, I double it up with papaya soap.

And if you're not into facial wash yet and would like to switch to it, I suggest that you first buy small sachets or trial packs of the products you'd like to try so as to test it on your skin. And if irritaion or discomfort is felt -Stop using it right away!

For me, it has always been Pond's facial wash - I must have tried all their product lines already as my skin is already 'hiyang' (accustomed) to it. I have a ranged of different ponds facial wash that i use regulary. The Clear Solution (green), I use to avoid blemishes,the White Beauty (pink) - to lighten my skin, the Age Miracle (red) - to regenerate my skin cells (i started using when I hit 30 - i felt the need to use it hehe) and the last addition is Pure White (black) - for deep cleansing (which I totally agree!) It's the black one that I always use first when i get home as it thoroughly clean my face while not drying it.

im not their model but i trust this brand for my face

Aside from this brand, I have an added 2 more facial wash from The Body Shop few years back. It's both Tea Tree base so I use it to avoid/minimize blemishes. At first, I only use the Tea Tree Oil facial wash then when this brand introduces the Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash which is Anti-Imperfection - of course, I grabbed it right away. :)



my tea tree oil facial wash is about to say goodbye,good thing i still have the Blackhead Exfoliationg wash

It's ok to ask your friend and immitate what kind of product they use on their face/skin especially when you see that they look good or better on it. But be careful, as not all that looks good on others will also look good on you.

So check it out first, try a small amount ...then if it works, it makes you feel young (or younger :) and beautiful - go and use it for the rest of your life! ;)

Beauty & Wellness Regimen #1 : Facial Mask

I've put on my Tea Tree Oil Face Mask and now ready to write my blog. :)

Funny how I started to take seriously a beauty regimen for my face a few years back when I'm about to reach the big 3-0! Well, a girl is a girl! Meaning - Beauty conscious! hehe

When I was still working overseas, my housemates (Marcky & Edge) and I have what we call a "Beauty Day". It's usually on weekends,normally on Sunday (except when we have scheduled to see a movie on that day). It's kind of our bonding moment while pampering ourselves. I normally do my own pedicure (manicure- only occassionally), put hot oil on my hair & facial masks.

On my left-Marcky with Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask, Me & Edge (the on my left) used Tea Tree Oil Face Mask

Facial mask is really good for the skin, it cleanses and elimate impurities on your skin, soothing, relaxing and makes you look younger as some masks tightens skin. I personally use two facial masks from The Body Shop:

Tea Tree Face Mask (As advised to me, use Tea tree product to have Blemish-free skin)
Best if you want to: Leave skin feeling deeply cleansed and refreshed with an instantly cooling mask that helps remove impurities and absorb excess oil while soothing and calming blemish-prone skin. (Price SGD30.90)Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask (As per experience, it tightens skin & makes you feel young:)
Best if you want to: Detoxify and deep cleanse your skin with a weekly mask that uses natural ionic clay action to draw out impurities and control excess oil. (Price SGD32.90)

Go pamper your skin to feel fresh & young! :)

Bahay Kubo - Meciel's version :)

Bahay Kubo - Meciel's version
17June2011

Meet Meciel, my niece, 2 yrs & 8mos.

I think she is almost 2 yrs old when she started to speak. After that, she doesnt want to keep quiet anymore haha

Her cute antics are always making us laugh! At her stage, she used to copy her brother's action (brother is Hero Miel - 5 yrs old). So they both like to take pictures, dance (do tumblings,vertical & splits!) and like to sing. They love to sing and dance to the OST of telenovelas and cartoons - that's why they always prepare themselves at the beginning and ending of each episode (where the OST is normally played:).

Bahay Kubo is the very first song that she was able to completely memorized and here it goes...

She's really a smart kid! And I hope you guys like her version of the song!  :)