Friday, December 31, 2010

Thank You Lord For Another Wonderful Year!!!

Thank you Lord for another fruitful year! You have given me and my family numerous blessings in all aspects of life and because of that, I dedicate this post to you! Cheers!


1. 23 Followers on this blog... you are all sooo beautiful! Thank you!

2. Lots of make up opportunities. And hopefully, more to come!


3. My promotion and my new team... (Not to mention a new job for my brother and promotions for 2 of the best ladies in the world, Karen and Mye...Congratulations peeps!!!) Love you guys!

4. Drew's insurance through Sunlife Financial: Another saving opportunity (and give saving a double meaning!) Thanks JD!

5. My cousin to take care of my little princess...Finally, my mind is at peace!


6. A healthy and happy family!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

your every woman,

Thursday, December 30, 2010

My Make Up Wishlist

What got me loco into make up is eye make up! I am very much fascinated at how different eye make ups can change one's whole look! That's why if you've noticed, it is the eyes I focus on mastering on my make up play!

Because of this, let me share to you my up for grabs this 2011...

Dollface Cosmetics' 120 COLOR EYESHADOW PALETTE (P1300)

or I can settle for Dollface Cosmetics' 88 COLOR EYESHADOW PALETTE (P800) if i don't have enough money...
Beaauty and Minerals Charm Pro Brush Set (P3200)! I've been lemming for this since it came out and obviously, I haven't had enough moolah to buy it..YET!
Urban Decay Little Sins - a set of travel sized eyeshadow primer potion. I can't finish a full bottle in six months so I might as well get the travel sized lovelies!

And last, but definitely not the least because I'm sure this is the priciest of the lot...
Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils! Need I say more?

But then again, if it costs more than 3k, I'll have to think really hard about buying it. If it costs more than 5k, I would settle for Urban Decay Jackpot (P2,250 from Carefreeshopper)- contains 9 travel sized 24/7 pencils in popular colors and 1 full sized Zero!
I don't know if I will ever get enough money to get these...So for now, I'm ok with just pictures! After all, I'm still incorporating The Secret in my life!

Happy New Year everyone!

*Thanks to the following for the photos:


your every woman,

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Sugar Plum Fairy

One day, a fairy decided to buy new lipstick from Wet n Wild. She picked a color she had never worn before...Plum!

But then, she found out that it was no ordinary plum lipstick! She magically turned into something different!

She became the Sugar Plum Fairy!

...so she posed

and posed...

and posed...


and posed...

and posed some more...

But when she removes the lipstick, she turns back into her simple self and go back to sleep with her baby...

Goodnight! :D


Sugar Plum Fairy by Wet n Wild. Available at SM Department Store's cosmetics section for P299.75!

your every woman,

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I remember a homily one Sunday. Jesus was talking to Santa Claus saying "You know what Santa? I envy you sometimes..." Santa answered, "Why do you envy me Jesus?". Jesus said "Because people remember you more on MY birthday...".

Let's not forget that before anything else, it's the celebration of Jesus' birthday today and how He was sent to save us!

Merry Christmas!!!



your every woman,

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Another True Love From Human Heart Nature!

Human Heart Nature has never stopped wowing me with its earth friendly products. Just recently, it came out with a mineral make up line which was sooo tempting because it's mineral minus the hassle!

Say hello to Boracay Bronze!

It's their darkest foundie shade! Perfect for my morena complexion!

What I love about it:
-Compact
-All natural
-Affordable at Php425 (INTRO PRICE AT Php 395 SO GRAB ONE NOW!)
-Has rice powder that effectively keeps my facial oil at bay
*It even minimizes eyeshadow creasing sans primer!
-Doesn't reflect light too much like how most minerals do

Here's a picture of me with my friend, Mye, at a recent rock & roll themed company party:


No more whiter face for me!

your every woman,



Thursday, December 2, 2010

Kitchen Beauty: Let Your Nail Polish Dry The Fastest

DIY mani and pedi? I'm sure at some point, you've been so impatient or in a hurry to wait for your nail polish to completely dry! I often do mani and pedi the morning before a night shift. Which means that I'd have to sleep afterwards to prepare for work. And then...hello hairline scratches! (Can you tell I'm OC?)

So if your favorite nail polish doesn't come in a quick dry variant, here's a solution I got from Drew's aunt!

Allow 5 minutes for a coat of nail polish to set and dip your fingers (/or toes) to iced water for as long as you can handle the cold, like this:


Once you remove your fingers (/toes), let the water dry naturally on your nails. You can wipe the rest of your hands (/feet) that got wet with a towel, by the way.

Repeat the process for succeeding coats of nail polish and allow longer dipping time for the last coat. Just remove and replace your digits if it's too cold for you!

After this, you can do the oil tip (applying oil to your nails to reduce friction with another surface) if you're really OC.


your every woman,

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

10 to 26 Update: Never Think Twice (When It Matters)

It's been what? ...3 Mondays since I've updated this series? I'm not trying to escape the initiative nor prematurely terminate it just because I already got promoted (which was why I started this in the first place...). I've just been too busy recently, I don't even have time for Ella and Drew! Indeed, with great power comes great responsibility!

Nevertheless, it still provides me great pleasure AND improvement when I continue these initiatives. So for my next one, I choose not to think twice!

Haha! I know, I know... It's been a cliche to always think twice, even several times, when coming up with a decision. But have you ever felt awkward about continuing to do what your instinct suggested you should but reason told you to think twice about? Haha! Yes's here and there eh?!

You see, I'm not a people person. I'm like...autistic! (Does it show?) Apart from the people I have grown to love, I really get weirded out just by being around other people. I feel like everything I do and everything I am can be criticized just because of that ONE encounter! And then I'll be too careful, too unnatural... and will eventually dread a future encounter! That is not healthy. Isn't it? Especially with the kind of work I have... That is why I have to really reach out. Because even if I think about doing all my previous initiatives, but then I think twice about them, I'll end up not doing them and miss the opportunity to be better.

With that said, I'd like to share a picture of my brother:


Haha, I guess it runs in the family! :D


your every woman,

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Determination + Prayer = My Promotion

When I was in college, I've always thought that the call center is for people who aren't competent enough to get a decent job. When I sought for a job at a call center, I had this thinking that I'm capable of doing other things for a living, it's just that this job pays more. Moreover, my being an academic achiever would not only get me a job, but also get me promoted to the highest position possible the soonest.

You know what I found out? ...that my assumptions are not true.

I worked for 2 other call centers, each for about a year, before working for my current company. Was I promoted in the previous call centers? No! But there's always this reasoning that my tenure wasn't long enough, or there's politics in the process, etc.

And then I moved to this company.

At first, my pride took the best of me. I never focused on my calls. I never gave a damn about scores. I never made an effort to know processes by heart. And I did all of these because I thought success would come naturally. Especially when the shortlist comes out with my name on it. Then I'd go through a race to promotion only to be left out by most people that are about the same tenure as I am. I blamed it to politics, AGAIN... and the fact that I can't kiss people's asses like some do.

And then I didn't get shortlisted anymore.

I believed that I was doing the best that I can in the most legitimate way possible. Those people who got incredibly high stats got them by disconnecting calls and manipulating data. At least I can boast about my intergrity.

But then Drew got promoted.

What could've been thought of as a family milestone became one of the biggest blows to my ego. Drew wasn't an academic achiever...but he also didn't kiss people's asses...and he doesn't illegally manipulate his calls to get better stats.

So what does that say about me? Does it mean that the honors I got in school is not reflective of my intelligence? I thought I'd still get away by telling everyone "Masungit ksi ako e. I was raised this way. I don't get around people too much. Kaya dissatisfied ang rating nila sakin."or "Kaya ako may markdown sa QA." If you were someone who actually heard me saying these, were you convinced? I wasn't...Drew wasn't!

Drew drilled a hole in me that I wasn't able to fill that easy. He told me "So ganyan ka nalang? Dahil ganyan ka lumaki, hanggang jan ka nalang? Ok!" But I knew in my heart that I'm not just that...I started finding out what's wrong.

So I never really tried to understand how I am being measured? I studied the technicalities of all the measures. I never really tried to feel for our customers' concerns? I treated them as real people. I thought of developmental tasks as non-beneficial extra work? I considered them learning experience. And it wasn't very easy! There were times when I just wanted to give it up. The fact that my daughter was growing up fine was one consolation that I could be doing a good job somewhere else, and maybe I shouldn't be career woman.

Then I got shortlisted again! ...for two positions!

However, all the extra tasks plus the fact that I'm not a natural achiever on call center measures must've taken it's toll on me when after managing 3 months of being a performer, my stats suddenly flunked. Meaning, if I don't get any of the two higher posts, I'd have to maintain another 3 months of high stats before I can dream of another shortlist.

Too bad the first promotion process didn't go as smooth as I wanted it to be. I ended up not making the cut and I knew that it was mostly because I wasn't very confident.

I doubted myself all the more after not getting the first promotion. I knew that the other one could make or break me. There were a lot of what ifs. But because it was my only and best chance, I can either decide to accept my fate, or do something.

...And I did.

I proactively studied, not just the requirements of the job, but the correct and efficient behavior expected of someone in the position. I created initiatives to improve my confidence and people skills. I created an inspiration board that acknowledges everything that's important to me:



And more importantly, I prayed...hard!

"Lord, I give everything to you. You know what my heart wants but You also know what's best for me. Because of this, I don't wish to be promoted. Instead, I pray that You help me bring out the gift of wisdom and knowledge that You've given me. In your best judgement, You have given me these gifts and it's about time to show them. So that whatever happens in this promotion cut, I know that I did not let You down."

Those words helped me sleep well at nights before each promotion stage. The faith that the Lord is with me on every step helped me answer questions comfortably. And you know what?

I got the post!

"You don't have to be perfect to be called a winner. Mohammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao wouldn't be called the greatest boxers if they've never lost a fight. What's important is how you pick yourself up after a fall. That's what makes you a winner."

Have an inspired day everyone!

your every woman,

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Recipe of the Day: Cream Dory Fillet

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe here. That's because we haven't been eating quality food recently! (Hello canned goods!) LOL!

Anyway, here's how Drew prepared one of the best fish fillet's I've ever tasted...Honestly!

Ingredients:

1/4 kg of cream dory, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 egg
1 pack of McCormick's Chicken Breading (garlic flavor)
1 pack of tempura crumbs
1/2 tsp iodized salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Dip: garlic mayo with ground black pepper

1. Mix egg with 2 tsp McCormick's Chicken Breading
2. Mix 3 tbsp breading with 3 tbsp of tempura crumbs.
3. Dip each piece of cream dory on the egg mixture first, then dip on the tempura crumbs mixture.
4. Deep fry until golden brown.
5. Serve with the garlic mayo dip.



Hope you like it!


your every woman,

Monday, October 25, 2010

10 to 26 Update: Socialize Outside of My Circle

Ok, so I've made friends, now what? I think it's time that I go out with people other than those I usually hang out with...like the people I got to be friends with from my previous initiative... or my husband's work mates...


...or my friends' other friends! Wow, there're are a lot of choices! And hanging out with them not only means being a wallflower, but actually talking and interacting with them!

Will you invite me please! Thanks!

your every woman,

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

10 to 26 Update: Making New Friends

Hmmm...I seem to be updating this series on the wrong day. Anyway, I found out that it's really nice to ask your own questions because not only was I able to give the right tone and follow up questions to my inquiry, but I actually get all the information I need without looking silly! Haha!

Keeping in mind from my previous initiative that people, even strangers, don't bite...my new initiative for this week is Making Friends! I've been recently promoted and part of the promotion is a leadership training. It's my first time away from the comfort of the team I've been with for almost 3 years, so you can imagine how weird I must've been around new people! I think it's high time that I start getting to know more people and be comfortable with them!

image source from copyright information

And even though this initiative is supposed to be for real interactions, I would love to make friends online too! Care to be my friend? You can follow this blog for a start! *wink*

your every woman,