Sunday, March 28, 2010

Whiter Eyes With Rohto Eye Drops!

I was lucky to have had the chance to try this product after reading about it from Cosmetic Candy and watching it on Michelle Phan's Lady Gaga Bad Romance Look on youtube.


I have perpetually red eyes caused by late night shifts at the call center. Red eyes don't complement eye make up, and I wished I could have whiter eyes. No eye drop here in the Philippines can ever do the trick.

eeewww...red eyes!

They were true when they said that it stings the eyes big time! I was greatly amazed at how Michelle Phan managed to keep her eyes open while applying this on her eyes, because I cried and wasn't able to open mine until after 3 minutes! But they were also true when they said that once the stinging sensation is gone, it does make your eyes whiter!

taaadaaaaaaah! pearly white, 5 minutes after 1 drop of curse-inducing Rohto!

This is perfect to let your eyes pop up while wearing a dark smokey eye. I wish it was mine, but was hubby's cousin's, sent from the US by a relative. In the US, the 13ml bottle of this can be purchased for $6.79. That's about Php 305.

Anyway, I posted a video of how Michelle Phan used it for her Lady Gaga Bad Romance Look:


your every woman,

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Sticking With The Enfa Formula Milk Range


I kept on telling people that most of our salary go to Ella's milk and diapers. Hearing this, people have been suggesting that I switch to a more affordable milk now that she's older. But I'm not complaining. I just tell it because it's the truth but it was my choice to spend on Enfa milk range instead of a couple of other choices for formula in the market. Why?


Because of its high levels of fatty acids especially DHA. I know I haven't read much about it enough to educate people that it's important. All I know is that it is naturally found in mother's milk and is supposed to enhance a child's health as well as mental capacity (...alongside proper guidance). I was only able to breastfeed Ella for less than a month. So even though there is limited research about how formula nutrients can be compared to breastmilk's , I'm still willing to take the chance. For my daughter, there is no compromise!

Believe me, I've scouted the market for formula that could replace Enfagrow for 2 year old Ella and I was surprised that some of them don't even have DHA. Not to say less about them... I just prefer to get more from milk.

What milk do you give your kids and why?

your every woman,

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Ginisang Monggo

I don't know why Filipinos commonly serve this on a Friday. Can anyone please let me know? Anyhow, here's how I cook ours.


Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole onion cut into strips
1 tomato cut into strips
1/4 pork cut into small bits
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp iodized salt
a dash of sugar
2 cups water
2 cups monggo beans
2 bundles of chili leaves

1. Wash monggo beans and soak in water overnight.
2. Saute pork in onion, garlic and tomato.
3. Add soy sauce, salt and sugar.
4. Cook until meat is tender and ready to eat.
5. Add monggo beans, chili leaves and water. Cook for another 15 minutes.


your every woman,

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Managing Separation Anxiety

It breaks my heart to see my daughter cry everytime we leave the house, but we have to go to work. Otherwise, we'll all starve to death or leech on our parents.


We used to sneak behind her back or plan to make her sleep before we leave. But then we noticed that it made her a very clingy, attention-hungry baby as soon as she sees us again. Because of that, rather than escaping her separation anxiety, we decided to face it and manage it. Now, separating from her is easier and seeing her again is the best thing in the world. How did we do it? Here are a few tips:

1.Ensure quality time with your toddler when you're off work. It's like you're encouraging your child to be fed up (sawa) of you in a good way. We want her to have good memories of you to keep and look forward to when you're not together.

2.Keep your toddler busy during the last few hours of your being together. Let her watch her favorite shows or play with her toys alone or with whomever will be left in the house. We want them to feel that having fun is not just by being with you.

3.Prepare to leave an hour before you really need to. This keeps you from worrying about being late for work since you have a couple of minutes to spare with your anxious toddler. The calmer you are, the easier it will be for your child to calm down too.

4.Discuss your errands with your child. We want her to at least get the idea of why you needed to leave and where you are off to so that she could understand how separating from her is inevitable but temporary. Assure her that you're going to be back as soon as possible. If the toddler is old enough, you can also teach him/her how to tell time and what time you're going to be back.

5. When your toddler displays separation anxiety, acknowledge her feelings. Let her know that it's ok to be sad because you feel it yourself and you know how it sucks that you can't be together.

6.Offer them something good when you return so that they can look forward to it the next time you have to leave. It's not just because of the goodie they'll receive, but it's extra assurance that you're going to return because of what you promised to bring.

Ella sometimes still cries whenever we leave, but it's controlled. She doesn't think of ways to stop us from leaving anymore. And we part with goodbyes, see-you-laters and I-love-yous more now too. Isn't that wonderful?

your every woman,

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Make Your Own Birthday Guest Book!

Hi! This post is waaaaaaaay overdue! But it could still be handy!

I remember celebrating Ella's birthday at Jollibee, but as we all know, their guestbook would be a small stapled book with Jollibee or any seasonal character in the background and entry lines for guest name and address. Not that I have anything against it, but I wanted Ella's guestbook to be really pretty and have messages meant for her to read when she's older. So I made my own and I sure am proud of it...Here's how to make one:

1. Choose craft paper that is not too soft for the pages. Have it bound at any local book binding shop if you can't bind it on your own (I'd rather leave the binding to experts!). Specify how the book should be bound: where the binding will be placed (along the length or the width), whether the cover will be hard bound or paper back, etc. Make sure that the outside part will be blank!

2. Cover your book with a softer kind of craft paper, just like you would when you're covering books with plastic. I used pink wrapping paper with yellow sun symbols. Once you're done, we want to hide the tapes on the inside part with a pretty paper. As you can see, I used pink colored paper and concealed the part where the first page and the lavender paper met with a lavender colored ribbon.

3. To get a picture frame, like what I had on Ella's guest book, cut a cardboard in the shape you'd like to frame your picture with. Spread glue on one side of the cardboard and paste small bits of cotton. Cover the cotton topped carboard with craft paper. It could be the same paper you used to cover the book with or a different but complementing type. Paste your picture on your book and cover with the frame you made.

4. Design the rest of the book and let your imagination fly!

5. Adorn pages of your book with pictures and captions about the birthday celebrant, and make your guests write something for him/her too! Provide your guests with pen colors that complement your book's design.

I made mine for Ella's first birthday way back November of 2008, before I even started this blog. I got my inspiration from Shutterfly who makes photobooks. And even though photobooks are already available at local picture shops these days, they could get a little pricey!

So if you want to save on a guestbook and let your creative juices out, start making one of these for the nearest occasion in your family!

your every woman,

Goodbye Old Layout!!!



I've been wanting to revamp this blog because I, myself, found my page a but difficult to navigate. Thanks to Ipietoons for providing me with a this very cute layout! I'm just not sure if the animated header would make browsing the page slow... Please let me know what you think! Thanks!


your every woman,


Monday, March 15, 2010

Weddings and Marriage


Yesterday was another one of Manny Pacquiao's fights and that meant long intervals between technical support seekers calls. I was used to reading beauty blogs that haven't been blocked by the company's firewall during free time. However, there was a scarcity of new posts...Maybe because it was a weekend? Maybe because Manny won?

I turned to browsing Filipino weddings instead and came across a handful of gorgeous wedding photos! However it dawned on me, that having a wedding such as the ones I saw from Mimi+Karl, ErronOcampo, Cherryblocks and The Color Artistry would have to be very expensive. And to be honest, I wouldn't want to spend that much on something that's only going to happen in a matter of hours.

Forgive me, but I don't intend to bash couples whose budget for their weddings was something I can only dream of winning in lottery. Even I have always dreamed of having such a wedding when I was younger. But since I messed up a bit and ended up with a mediocre (but extremely happy...) life, I'd rather spend a couple of years' savings on my daughter's education, a business, car/s and real estate.

Ergo, I think I've decided, that I'm going to either have a civil wedding, or a very simple church wedding with only close relatives and friends as guest. It will be sooo simple that our photographers will be our DSLR friends (good thing the gadget had been a fad...), our outift designers would be myself with the help of my would-be-sister-in-law, my make up artist would be myself (Everyone else would have to be their own make up artists too, unless they'll be willing to pay a professional!), invitation and souvenir maker would be the computer, and the caterer would be my aunt and brother.

I don't know how this is going to materialize, or if the wedding will be something to remember. What I do know is that my marriage to seal the bond I have with the man I love will be a blast.

Now if I become uberly rich in 2 years, then by all means...Call the wedding experts!


your every woman,

Sunday, March 14, 2010

10 Reasons Why I Should Win a Pair of VNC Shoes

I may sound a bit greedy
As this is already my second entry
But I can't help but be needy

For pair of shoes that is a beauty


So now I post ten reasons
Of why I should take the prize

To help you with your decision

And picking me would seem so wise

1. Because I'm a mommy and Mothers day is fast approaching...

2. Because I plan the budget and I know there isn't enough for a new pair of shoes in the next couple of months...

3. So that my daughter would have another pair to try and act mommy:

4. Because to be honest, these are the only shoes I interchange everyday:
5. Because all the shoes above are budget shoes, and I've never had a branded one...
6. Because it's difficult to find a good pair in my size of 5 1/2...

7. Because I didn't have a good shoe story to tell for
The Red Shoes contest when I entered...
8. So that I'll have something to look forward to instead of thinking about sad cold nights at the call center...

9. Because I took the time and actually thought of this entry even though I'm a busy working mother...

10. Because I would really love to have a pair of VNC shoes...please?

I hope the 10 reasons I presented here
Could win the prize I want so dear
But celebrating your website's year
by far, the best reason to cheer!

Happy Anniversary Animetric's World!!!

your every woman,

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Happy 1st Birthday Animetrics World!

If it wasn't for this website, I wouldn't have known all the discounts, freebies, promos, and events I've been joining. Thank you Animetrics World! And to your brilliant author Rowena Wendy Lei: you're such an inspirational mommy! :D

And because you're generous enough to give away your favorite things, I'd like to get myself the Neutrogena Wave. I wanted to buy it on my own, but hubby would not approve buying something else to clean my face 'coz I got hands (-Men!)! Anyway, I made you this video:




Hope you enjoyed it!


your every woman,

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Happy 4th Birthday Beautynomics!

When I started loving beauty and make up again about 2 years ago, Beautynomics were among the first websites I was constantly getting inspiration from. And now that it's 4 years old, I believe it's high time that I pay my respects!


Happy Birthday Beautynomics! Thank you for spreading your love of beauty to women everywhere! May you continue to inspire more women to be at their most beautiful, even when on a budget!


And now, Beautynomics wants to thank you too! Whether you are already a reader of the blog, or mere looking around, Beautynomics wants to share the blessings by giving away lots of BEAUUUUUUUUUUTIFUL prizes! Just click on the link below for more details about the giveaway!

Beautynomics Turns 4


your every woman,

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Skin Hour's Skin Shade Review

It's summer time! And we can't get enough of the sun! But we should've known by now how much UV rays can cause premature ageing or worse, skin cancer. So we should always be protected!

I have already posted about how much I love Leyende's A Place in the Sun sunblock, but my skin changed over time and the formulation of that sunscreen became a bit drying for me. It was said somewhere though (can't remember the site), that one may need to moisturize first before applying the sunblock, as it comes off with a matte finish. However, being the budgeteer that I am, I needed a multitasking product that would moisturize my skin and protect it the same time. That's when Skin Hour's Skin Shade came in.

got mine from The Good Earth

I can say that Skin Shade is as good for the face as it is for the body. It's affordable at Php350 per 50ml bottle, provides spf30, has creamy consistency:

...has all natural ingredients and does not give off a white cast when applied.

no white cast on flashed photo

It moisturizes my dry/combination skin well, so I guess it wouldn't be too favorable for my oily skinned friends. Even my skin gets a bit oily in the middle of the day...good thing oil blotting papers were invented!

One thing I didn't like about it was the smell! I'm not sure if it's lavender but for me it smelled like some scented insect repellant. It triggered my allergic rhinitis on the first few applications until my nose got used to it.

How about you..what sunblock do you use?

your every woman,

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Custom Made Bronzer

One of the perks of using mineral make up is that you can use it in a gazillion of ways! And you don't have to worry about missing a color because you can easily mix them.

I realized this the best when I wanted a bronzer. Something that wouldn't be too obvious and would just give my face a hint of color when I wear a no-make up look. Our bi-weekly budget was too tight to give me some money for a new bronzer. Good thing I had a lot of multipurpose minerals!

I mixed Luminare mineral eyeshadow in Matte Soft Brown, Ellana blush in Affection and Ellana multipurpose minerals in Dawn and Desire. I wouldn't be able to give exact measurements, but the ingredients were posted in order of greater quantity in my bronzer. There's no mistake in doing this anyway, just mix, mix and mix to get the shade you want!

mpm's mixed on a large plastic container and transferred to an mmu sifter

I personally don't like to mix to get my foundation shade because it's too complicated for me (Imagine having a different shade of foundation every mix?). Eyeshadows, blushers, bronzers and highlighters which can be mixed in smaller amounts, without worrying about copying the exact shade next time, are my thing for now.

without flash vs. with flash...notice some golden shimmer with the color

I can't get very good lighting to show my whole face with the bronzer on...But well, that was my purpose anyway --a no make up, healthy and glowing skin look!

Like it? Try it!

your every woman,

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ellana Pure Blend Mineral Foundation in Macchiato

I'm really happy when I found out that Ellana came up with a foundation shade darker than Caffe Latte! I was used to Luminare Mineral Make Up's Mellow Sunset because the make up itself is not oily and it matched my skin tone perfectly. But since I'd have to cut costs due to my recently limited vanity budget, I'd have to find something more affordable.

I, thinking that it's a relatively new foundation shade (although I'm not sure how new it was on their line), got mine from the website instead of the weekend kiosks at SM Malls. This one is their Pure Blend variant, the concealer-foundation in 1, which is Php420 per 6g. I also indulged myself with their baby buki brush, which is nice, soft and definitely a good buy, considering its price at Php300 apiece.

I used to think that Ellana minerals are a bit too oily for my liking. But this one is not oily AT ALL... maybe because of the variant...maybe because my skin is drier now...I can't tell! But I definitely love the way it appears on my skin! It evens out my skin tone, like I don't have make up on!

bare, just washed face vs. face with Ellana pure blend foundation in macchiato

This is the overall appearance of the foundation on my face plus a bronzer I made myself (more on that soon) applied on my cheeks! (My forehead looks like an airport doesn't it?) This shot was taken while I was playing with my make up last night...under normal lighting in our living room.

I believe I'm not the darkest skinned yellow undertoned person here in the Philippines, so I hope Ellana comes up with deeper shades. Moreover, it's summer and it's almost inevitable to be under the sun, so skin will get darker. Their products are one the most affordable quality mineral make ups I've tried, so it would be very nice if they can cater to a wider range of darker skin.

your every woman,

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Do You Speak English With Your Kid?

click pic to view source

I wanted to be multilingual, but that would have to take a back seat for now because I became a mommy early. Now that I have Ella, I wanted to give her an edge in life by helping her learn how to comprehend and converse in another language...starting with English (because that's the only other language I know). I do it by talking to her in English the minute she was returned to me at the hospital where I gave birth to her.

I'm very sorry to admit that I didn't learn how to speak very good English at school. In my time, even the English teachers in private schools don't pronounce English words correctly (...except for Mrs. Chua, English and Reading teacher at the elementary school I studied in.). It was a good thing that I love to read and watch shows where English was spoken because I couldn't have learned better conversation English elsewhere.

I guess it's safe to say that I speak English well that my customers at the call center, more often than not, don't recognize that I'm offshore. But I noticed that when I'm talking to people who don't normally speak in English, I feel awkward and my English sounds differently. It sounds very Filipino. Which is not a bad thing, but you can't help collecting these looks and remarks from other people about you being "trying hard" or "feeling mayaman".

I don't get why some of our very own people react in such ways even though they know how English is such a beneficial language to learn. Such reactions make Filipinos not want to converse in English out of shyness. And if you don't practice it, you're never gonna be able to efficiently utilize it...especially during the times when you need it the most, such as an impromptu speech at school, a job interview, or answering a beauty pageant question.

Some of my American customers don't even have correct grammar but they sound good. It's as good as it sounds when we speak Filipino. And that's because they have been living with it in as much as we have been living with our language.

So I will continue speaking in English with my daughter. And if we get lucky, I'll encourage learning other languages like Mandarin and Spanish. She's gonna absorb it more when she's young compared to if she learns it later. I don't have to sound really nice or always have the correct words to say. She'll learn that in school. What I'm teaching her is the confidence to speak the language.


your every woman,

Playing With Your Children

When you initiate play with your children, you not only give them the time of their lives, but you also give them a few steps ahead. Because other than play, how else is their young mind going to enjoy learning?

By the time your child is born, play should've already started. There are a lot of resources online and in print that you can use as reference to tailor progressive play, suitable for your child's growing needs. Here are some of the games Ella and I used to play or have been playing:

Newborn

Singing
I've read that pleasant sensory perception help develop the earliest brain connections. These will lay the foundation for all the information your child will learn as she grows older. For starters, try songs with repeated lyrics, syllables and melodies. This way, baby gets to memorize them quicker. I used to sing "BaaBaa Black Sheep", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "The Alphabet Song" in succession because they all have the same melody. Ella did think that these are all one song when she was younger, but she eventually learned the truth. But she was able to sing correct melodies of songs before she turned 1...before she even learned how to correctly pronounce the words.

2-3 months

Bright Colored Pattern Cards
Colors like red, black and white are the first colors baby sees. When Ella was in this stage, I removed the bling blings on her musical mobile and replaced them with cardboards that have solid red, black and white patterns I made myself using art paper.

Ella rummaging through her toy box

3-6 months

Reach and Crawl
Since babies' visual perception should already be clear but this time, we want to play with toys that may stimulate the urge to reach and crawl, and eventually, to stand up and walk. Rattle balls and cute stuffed toys were Ella's staple toys in this stage.

Ella doing her close-open routine at 4 months

Saw Saw Suka and Close-Open
As soon as our baby starts to open their hands, we want to teach them what it is used for. And the best way to do that is through these hand games. There were a few people who actually thought it was "
bastos" for my daughter to hand signal "saw-saw suka" when she was 4 months old. And even though I kind of know where they're coming from, I still find it stupid.

Ella playing an alphabet board game at Gymboree

6-10 months

Building Blocks and Puzzles
We were able to get Ella this set of blocks that function as building blocks, shape filler, and picture puzzle. Right after she turned 1 year old, she already knew how to fill the shape spaces and all other shape puzzles after that.

playing dress up
10 months

Pretend Play And Dress Up
You may think that pretend play should be for older kids. But you can actually pretend very simple things or things that the kid will eventually need to do. The first things Ella and I pretend played with was sleeping...and then eating...then cooking. And now Ella knows how to pretend to do just about anything under the sun. If you come to think of it, pretend play is one of the most effective ways you can teach kids what's going on in the world because you can't possibly do everything at home unless you pretend! Through pretend play, you can introduce concepts that child will eventually recognize on tv, outdoors or in school.

Ella trying to catch bubbles with her friend

Bubbles
Blow bubbles for your kid to stimulate the urge to stand up and reach. When she grows older, she'll want to know how to blow bubbles on her own which opens the way for further knowledge...like playing wind instruments in the future!

Dance
You don't have to be a great dancer. Any move that coordinates as much body parts will do. When Ella hears music, she can't help but move even when she's feeling too lazy.

morning "pasyal" at Bacolod

12 months

Active Walking and Running Around
We have a schedule for bringing Ella outdoors or to the playground in the morning and in the afternoon since she was a baby. But when she learned how to walk and run, it was such a blissful part of the day for her. Make sure to protect your child's knees with jogging pants or leg warmers!

Picture Cards and Books
Pick cards that have a single image on each one. The images should have 2-3 syllable names, simple colors, and are preferably one to 2 dimensional. These are only my preferences by the way. I figured that given the simplicity of the images, the child will learn them faster. So far, the cards and books we used for Ella helped her recognize the things she sees, however they may look like, anywhere.

Action Songs
This is the best time to introduce parts of the body through songs. Among our favorite action songs were "Eency Weency Spider", "Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes", and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

Name That Body Part
Point obvious body parts first like the head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet. As the child grows up, proceed with teaching specific parts like knees, neck, elbows, shoulders, etc

There you have it! Ella's 2 now but it doesn't mean that the stuff we played above no longer applies to her. Learning is an ongoing process and so is play. We can only make them more complex as we go along. And who knows...when you're on your sixties, you could be playing golf with one of the world's best golfers that is your kid?!

Have fun!

your every woman,