Your 2010 Reflection January 4, 2010

“Often we don’t listen to who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.”

— Oprah

The quote above is from the weekly newsletter of Oprah. I have chosen the entry “Who am I meant to be” as one of the tools to help me make my reflections for the previous year and this new year of the Tiger. This is to help me assess what has happened in the past year and what else is about to come.

To take the quiz, click:

http://www.oprah.com/survey/omagazine/20091001-omag-meant-to-be-quiz

The result of my quiz covered about 90% of what I am as of now. Now you might be asking what is the point of taking this test? I think it is essential that we evaluate ourselves from time to time to check what and where we are in our life. By having a constant check of our goals, then we can track our life’s purpose. But then again, based on the finding I received I am a person who wants to be recognized so maybe my view may be different from yours.

There are several categories to be assessed on. By taking the quiz, you will be given a score for each category. The categories are listed below. After taking the quiz, you can check out the link below to see what is the best job for you.

http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/201001-omag-careers

The different categories are:

Striving to help
Striving to be recognized
Striving to be creative
Striving to be spontaneous
Striving to be knowledgeable
Striving to be secure
Striving to be in control

I hope you enjoy taking the quiz.

Happy New Year!!!

Scholastic Christmas Warehouse Sale upto 70% off December 14, 2009

This just came in from our fax. Scholastic is having a warehouse sale from December 3 to 15 in their warehouse found at #70 C. Raymundo Avenue Rosario Pasig City. You can also call them at 9001537 and 6284487. If you are going to the event, please register your name under Bev and Juvy.

Scholastic offers books, references, teacher materials, educational toys, manipulatives, gift items and a lot more. Prices of their items can reach as low as P30 only.

On the other hand, my greatest interest is their buy one get one promo. For every purchase of a Harry Potter set in paperback, you will get the Twilight paperback set absolutely free.

This is perfect for book collectors and fans of these novels. It is surely an amazing book deal and perfect as a Christmas gift this season.

____

I am not in anyway connected to Scholastic Books nor am I asked to plug their promos. I am only doing this as part of my advocacy to promote reading for everybody.

Free Ice Cream from GoNuts Donuts for the first 3000 fans December 4, 2009

According to their facebook site, “Become a fan of Go Nuts Donuts! First 2,000 fans get a FREE tub of Go Nuts Ice Cream. Succeeding 1,000 fans get a FREE double scoop of Go Nuts Ice Cream!”

Follow this link to sign up:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/GoNutsDonuts/71655053301?ref=mf

There are 318 fans as of 8:30 am.

Free YUMM gift pack coupon from Eden December 3, 2009

Hello cheese lovers out there. This one is for you. Kraft Eden Cheese will hold an event on December 14, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum. They are hoping to break a world record of 5,000 dishes which include cheese in the recipe. There has been acceptable surprises (for me) such as champorado with cheese but there are weird ones as well (again just my opinion) like adobo with cheese.

Anyway for you to get your YUMM pack aka (Your Ulam, Mas Masarap) just register in their website: http://www.sarapngbuhay.com/

There is a picture there of the items you will get in your YUMM gift. (It’s in the middle portion of the page with a label Yumm PacK). After registering you will receive a coupon via e-mail which you will have to present on the 14th to get your YUMM pack. You can also refer your friends for them to get their own packs.

I am not affiliated with Kraft Eden cheese nor did they ask me to promote for them. I am only sharing the good news and an opportunity to get a freebie this season to as many people as possible.

See you there gals and guys!!!

Free Christmas music download from Oprah until December 2 Philippines November 30, 2009

Dear Friends,

This is an offer with a very short deadline. You can download for free (so no guilty feeling of piracy) two new Christmas songs this season. The first one is called “What Child Is This” from Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige and the other one is “Silent Night” from Sugarland.

The link for these songs is:

http://www.oprah.com/article/food/partyplanning/pkgholiday/20091118-tows-free-holiday-download

You don’t have to be a member to get them. There is also instruction to get the songs. I have re-posted the instructions for reference.

Download Directions:

If you’re on a PC, right-click (Mac users: Ctrl-click) on a song link. Internet Explorer users, select Save Target As; Firefox users select Save Link As.
Select where you wish to save the file on your computer, and then click Save.
Once the file has been saved, go to the location where you saved the file and open the file to begin listening.

My favorite between the two is “Silent Night”. It’s just beautiful and so serene. Perfect to start my day.

If you want to get updates from Oprah, you can also become a member. Just follow their “How to become a member” instructions.

Merry Christmas everybody!!!

Beauty tips from Marie Claire November 17, 2009

After cleansing face, use this face mask before using your galvanic spa to ensure best results.

This is a perfect buy! Moisturizer, foundation/concealer, sunblock. What more can you ask for.

For a non-invasive version, try nu skin polishing peel and get that polished look like a goddess.

To get this glossy effect, try Revlon superglide. Wanna know how to get it for P200 only, PM me.

anti-aging cleanser, anti-oxidant to protect you from pollution, vitamin-C enrich face mask

I am in a very good mood today especially because I just found out that I passed the board exam. However, this blog will not be about that instead I will write on something I love to do when I am in a happy mood and that is to beautify myself.

I have always known that whatever you feel the moment you wake up affects your overall mood for the day. This will consequently have an effect on the things that you do, the people you deal with and generally your output for the day. Therefore, it is important that we have happy thoughts to start with to be able to share good vibes with other people as well.

That is why I am sharing Marie Claire’s beauty tips. I especially like their tips because they are not over-the-top and you can actually readily apply their advice. Some of the items they promote are also available in the Philippines. Girls, we don’t have to go out of our way, order abroad or scout online and pay ridiculous shipping fees just because we want to have that must-have-item. Take for example, the tinted moisturizer which I have been using for the past few months to replace my foundation. It is super lightweight, does not clog my pores, and has multi-tasks (moisturizer, sunscreen, foundation, concealer) which is perfect for Ms. busygurl like me.

I will post the list in four parts as there are 51 items in the original list. I have to admit I removed some items (especially those about tanning) because I do not promote that and besides we Filipinas like fairer skin (that’s why glutathione’s are selling like hotcakes here).

Without further ado, here is the first ten Marie Claire beauty advice:

1. Surprise! Concealer is only half the battle when it comes to fixing flaws. To perfect your complexion (no matter what your skin tone), try lipstick in a warm pink. “It distracts people’s eyes from blemishes and other imperfections,” says makeup artist Morgan Schick.

2. Overzealous tweezing can lead to emaciated brows and bald patches, where hair only grows back irregularly. Use a protein-spiked brow gel to stimulate healthy growth and brow fillers to shade in problem areas

3. Sure, it’s chilly in your bathroom in the morning, but don’t be tempted to crank up the heat in the shower. Hot water followed by cool, dry air leads to rough skin. To lock in moisture post-shower, pat – don’t rub – yourself dry, and coat skin in a thick alpha-hydroxy lotion.

4. For flawless skin choose a cleanser and moisturizer appropriate for your skin type that you can use A.M. and P.M., and then supplement it weekly with a purifying face mask. You should also consider using a nightly skin treatment that exfoliates dead skin cells

5. Trying to look well-rested when you aren’t? Avoid piling on the foundation. Use a tinted moisturizer instead, followed by a beige eye pencil – it counteracts any redness around your eyes

6. Large pores are caused by two things: genetics and age. Want to shrink them? Go to a dermatologist or a spa to get microdermabrasion treatments, a type of facial that gently sloughs off the dead surface layer of skin.

7. To accentuate your upper lashline without creating overly spidery fringe, apply a strip of false lashes meant for your lower lashes from corner to corner. They’re shorter than traditional falsies, so they’ll thicken your lashline without elongating it too much.

8. Keep your eyes open when applying liquid liner – otherwise your line will look uneven. Apply by drawing three dashes, one on the corner, one in the middle, and one on the inside corner of your eye. Then go back and connect the dashes for a smooth line

9. For full lips go for a glossy look. Try first outlining the perimeter of your lips using a concealer brush dipped in bronzer two shades deeper than your skin tone. Then, top pout with gold, peach, or coral gloss.

10. “To make the waist look narrower, use a white pencil liner to dot an egg shape on each side, starting below the rib cage. Fill in just this area with a self-tanner one shade darker than your natural skin and blend,” says Cindy Barshop, owner of Completely Bare spas.

Watch out for more!!!

Free food from Flapjacks worth Php250 September 17, 2009

Hello friends! I just bumped into one of those freebies again here in the Internet. Just register in http://www.flapjacks.com.ph/ and you will receive a text of your GC.

My past encounters with promos like this have always been fruitful like the one from Post-it and Krispy Kreme. So I am pretty sure this will be something you guys can enjoy. GC is valid until October 18 next month. Just in time for my birthday, so friends yu know already where we are eating!

Thank you to my friend Wendy and her blog Animetric’s World for sharing the good news. I am voting her for the cybershot online bloggers search in the food category. I hope your get in the top 3 darling!

August 1, 2009

Yesterday July 31, 2009, I had my first biophotonic scan. From what I understand, and I will not pretend that I know everything, the scanner will measure my carotenoid level. My carotenoid level, they say, is a good indicator of the level of antioxidants in my body. In turn, when you have a high antioxidant level in your body then that means that you are more protected to cell damage (aka aging) and cancer. So my friend Jeric, asked for my details regarding my lifestyle and diet. Then he asked me to place my palm behind this blue light scan and in less than a minute (I guess) the scanner was able to measure my score.

I got a score of 17000 which according to the grading scale is a weak zone. Still, compared to other family members who got scanned before me, I have the highest score. Still a low score is still a low score. And this is what this blog is going to be about. It will chronicle my antioxidant level using the LIFEPAK supplements I am using. And since I don’t know who is reading this or even if anyone is reading this all I can tell you is that this blog will be written in an objective and sincere manner. It’s like testing myself while nobody is looking. Will I even cheat to myself. I really want to know if there is going to be a difference in my health.

Now, since this is a no holds barred kind of thing, I have to tell you I am not drinking the full dosage. Because the recommended dosage is two packs a day. However, again let’s be honest, LIFEPAK is not really that affordable. Especially when there are brands like the sodium ascorbate, or what the say the basic “ascorbic acid”. Hahahahahahaha. Although, honestly I have used it. However, I did not feel any difference actually.

But at P5 per capsule and LIFEPAK with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrient at P28 per capsule. I’d like to know if my health investment will be sound. So till my next bioscan set next month!

Mother’s Day treat from Nestle at Rockwell, Makati May 22, 2009

The day before Mother’s day, I was invited to a special treat by Nestle. All you have to do is give them a call and reserve a slot for the Mother’s day event. They instructed me to bring a photo because there will be a scrapbooking activity on that day as well. This is the first time I have been to the Nestle office in Makati. The building was impressive and huge (like most buildings are, of course hehehehe). At the same time, I did not have a hard time looking for the venue because it is on the first floor to your left right after the door of the building. Usually the standby guards will look at your bag for inspection but in this building, they took my temperature instead. After informing me that I have a normal body temperature, they let me in. Before entering the events room, two ladies asked for my name for the raffle. Finally, they let me in. Honestly, I was surprised to see that there was a lunch buffet prepared for us. There was angel hair spaghetti (my favorite), chicken buffalo wings, bread with delightful spread on it (there is a french name for this which I can’t remember right now) and a platter of fruits. Yum yum! Good thing I haven’t eaten lunch.

Rowena with ber bag of goodies for scrapbooking

I decided to sit in front (as always) so I can appreciate and see everything that is happening. On my table I met a fellow blogger named Animetric (aka Rowena). We talked a little about a contest I joined which was hosted in her blog. Unfortunately, I did not win her Ponds contest but she told me that the three people who won had really awesome entries. Moving forward, the day officially opened with a talk from Dr. Lillian Juadiong. I learned from her the different love languages. Primarily, I have three love languages in my system namely: words of affirmation, receiving gifts and acts of service. The other love languages I am least inclined to is “quality time” and “physical touch”. 

To learn more about the different love languages, you may want to check out Gary Chapman’s book entitled ”The Five Languages of Love”. 

Scrapbooking 101 from Filstar

The next activity is my most favorite part in this event – scrapbooking. For this one, Ms. Carmel Carpio talked about the basics of scrapbooking. Then, with her partner we learned the tricks of the trade on how to capture that momentous day in our lives on a page. We were given an impressive kit but the winners for the best entries will get a bag of scrapbooking materials. I dreamt of getting a hold on that prize but I didn’t make it. Luckily, my seatmate  Rowena got it. Oh I am so happy for her but I would have been happier if it was me. (Bwahahahaha).

Finally, there was a make-up demo from Jigs. He apologized for being late because his grandmother is sick and in the hospital. Not only that, he has to leave really early becaue he has to be back in the hospital. I felt bad that I cannot give him my one hundred percent attention because my scrapbook is not yet finish that time. Still, I learned a few basic tips you can do if you only have 5 minutes to spare for make-up. If you are leaving in a hurry, you have to have at least these following things done: First, fix your brows. Second is apply an eyeliner. Third is  dab som color on your lips. I am not very sure but I think he included cheeks on the list. Sorry just like what I said my attention was not 100%. To the winners of the L’oreal, Elsieve and Kiehl’s goodies, congratulations. Again I am very happy for you but (I would have been ecstatic if it was me).

One lucky mom is getting a make-over

The event ended with every mother in the room receiving lootbags from Nestle and a yellow rose. I forget to mention that the yellow color was dominant that day because it was an event for Nido Fortified. When I reached home, I opened my bag and I felt a winner myself. There was Nido Fortified and cereals in a box. (I shared this with Manong Roso since his kids just came to Manila and they need milk. On the other hand, I can always buy Krel his milk). I got a Brainy baby video which I gave to my pamangkin who is more age-appropriate to watch it. And the rest of the stuff are mine. I have samples (in sachets) of L’oreal foundation, Kiehl’s moisturizer and my most favorite is the UV ray circle card that tells you the strength of the UVA and UVB rays after exposing it to the sun for ten secods. Amazing huh!

Thanks Nestle and Nido for this marvelous Mother's Day treat.

 

For more details on free Nestle cooking activities that are timely this coming schoolyear, check out http://wwww.nestle.com.ph/recipe/jmk/whatscooking_reserve.html

I am not paid by Nestle for writing this. I am just sharing my experiences and expressing my gratitude for inviting me in this event. That’s why I call myself “lucky” in the first place.

Go to Kyoto to study May 18, 2009

Hello everybody I received an e-mail about a scholarship program for budding artists or art students who want to study in Kyoto, Japan. Below are the information you need to contact the coordinators:
The Japan Foundation Manila 12th Floor Pacific Star Building Sen. Gil > Puyat Ave. , cor. Makati Ave. , Makati City
Tel:> 811-6155 to 58 / Fax: 811-6153
Email : email@jfmo.org. ph
Website:> www.jfmo.org. ph

The Kyoto Arts Center , through the Japan Foundation Manila is currently accepting applications for the Kyoto Art Center’s 2010 Artist in Residence Program, a program for young artists and researchers in art related fields – such as visual, the performing arts – who wish to cultivate creative collaborations in Kyoto . The program provides  accommodations and a studio (maximum of three months). Since 2000, 31 group of artists from all over the world have joined this program.

Application forms may be downloaded from their website: http://www.kac. or.jp

For any questions, feel free to contact the residency coordinator:
MS. AYS MATSUMURA
Residency Coordinatior546- 2 Yamabushiyama- cho, Nakagyo-ku Kyoto , Japan
Email: matsumura@kac. or.jp

A little background about the Kyoto Arts Center retrieved from http://www.tpam.or.jp/english/img/photos/VPJ-126-1.jpg on May 18, 2009

Kyoto Art Center, established in 2000 as a place for encountering various genres of arts and for the creation of the new culture, has wide variety of activities: performance and seminar of theater, dance, music, traditional folk arts, exhibition of contemporary art, Artist-in-Residence program, etc. The Center also offers the use of 12 studios to rising young artists in order to support their creative activities. The building used to be an elementary school built in 1931, and was renovated before its opening. Recently, it was registered as a tangible cultural property by Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.

Organization: Kyoto Art Center
Representative: Mr. ISHIDA Hiroya (Director)
Contact: Mr. ISHIDA Hiroya (Director) / Mr. KOJIMA Hirotomo (Art Coordinator)
Website：http://www.kac.or.jp