Thursday, August 26, 2010

Ella's Potty Traning Part 2


Do you remember how we were able to save diaper fund and the world on Ella's part 1 of potty training? Guess what? After 5 months since that last post, I'd have to congratulate Ella for being able to proactively poop in the toilet! Yey!

I used a clever suggestion from a mom at Parents.com to tell Ella that the fishes eat poop to live. After watching "Finding Nemo" and learning that everything will eventually flow to the sea, she felt responsible for feeding the fish. Once the poop come out, she would always say "Now the fish has something to eat!" with a contented smile on her face! And she doesn't ask for a companion in the restroom anymore. She'll just call us when she's done!

That gets us down to one nappy a night...something we hopefully manage to eliminate before she turns 3!

Thanks Ella for not giving us a hard time as working parents...we love you a lot!

your every woman,

Saturday, August 21, 2010

I'm Lovin' 'Em!

I don't always have new things, but when I do, they're definitely worth more than what I paid for. Here are the new stuff I'm loving so far:



This set was opened for prebuy 2 months ago, and now it's here! A pretty set of pink brushes that includes:

1. Dual Fibre Brush
2. Powder Brush
3. Angled Blush Brush
4. Jumbo Concealer Brush
5. Multi-purpose Eyeshadow and Blending Brush
6. Pencil Point Brush
7. Contour Eye/Nose Brush
8. Flat Liner Brush
9. Angled Liner Brush ( for eyebrows and eyeliner )
10. Pointed Eyeliner Brush
11. Brow Spoolie Brush
12. Retractable Lip Brush

*extra brush, cure aqua gel and multipurpose mineral make up samples in the picture are freebies during the prebuy season and are not actually included in the set

Love how soft these brushes are! Perfect for sensitive skin! I already washed mine for the first time and only 1 hair shed off from one of the brushes and none from the rest! It's definitely a good investent for P1800 +shipping. Catch it at Beauty and Minerals' online store.


Fila Rubber Shoes

Got it at the Fila store at SM Megamall for Php 1690+, but was originally Php 3,300+. Fila is updating stocks and was on sale last weekend (...dunno how long the sale will last or lasted though). Plus Ella got free popcorn because of their movie theme! Definitely a good pair of shoes to match my fitness plan!

Human Heart Nature Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner

We originally use the moisturizing variant but since hubby had been complaining about my fallen hair due to breakage that litters our floor, I decided to get the strengthening variant for myself. I haven't noticed any difference yet since I've only been using it for a week... But the invigorating scent of Rosemary on the shampoo plus the refreshing minty sensation of the conditioner gets me excited about every shower! Available at Human Heart Nature's online store or from trusted resellers. I got mine from my colleague and friend Karen.

Shampoo:
50ml @Php 36.75
200ml @Php 109.75

Conditioner:
50ml @Php 44.75
100ml @Php 79.75
200ml @Php 129.75
500ml @Php 269.75

What purchases are you loving so far?

your every woman,

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I Believe in Thoughtful Parenting


Not everyone can be a parent. But everyone of us had been a child. And more often than not, we are the products of our parent's decisions and upbringing. However we behave in this world, is a result of our environment and what our parents did to equip us for such environment. Because of this, I closely research on human development and constantly try to come up with the best ways I could raise my daughter, Ella.

Come to think of it, if every parent take the effort of thoughtfully raising a child or children, the world will be a better place to live in with individuals who know how to successfully co-exist. Imagine a world where everyone knew how to love and be loved...Give and receive...Consider and be taken into consideration...Respect and gain respect... All because the parents took the extra mile to teach and lead by example.

It doesn't mean that only one parenting style will have to be applied on everyone. And it doesn't have to mean that the success or failure of the child would be solely dependent on the parenting style. As long as each parent's actions are carefully made in consideration of how it could affect the child and his/her future, everything else will follow. I can't say that I have always done the right things for Ella, but at least I did something.

Levi's wants to know what you believe in and who knows? You might be one of the 3 lucky winners to receive P1000 worth of Levi's gift certificates! Head on to Projectvanity for contest details! Goodluck!

your every woman,

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Why It Is Important to Plan the Family

*photo from www.soberinanightclub.com

I am a worry wart and an OC. Planning keeps me sane. In fact, if something doesn't go according to plan, I kinda freak out! ...But that is what my husband is for! Can you imagine messing up on a task you were assigned on? How much more planning should it take if you were to raise successful individials?

I must admit, there wasn't a lot of planning when I conceived Ella. But coming from a not-too-perfect family, Drew and I became very conscious of what Ella's future may hold. We were not born with a silver spoon, so it wouldn't be too easy raise a child...more so, children. Here are 3 major factors why we thought it wise to plan our family:

1. Financial Reasons.
There are a lot of expenses that entail having a child. Let me enumerate them:
-Prenatal Care and Delivery. About 200-1000php professional consultation fee for the OB; 300-500 per month for prenatal supplements.; 25-50k for a normal delivery and 50-100k+ for a caesarian delivery.
-Child's Health and Wellness. Aside from spending for the child's routinary health care and a must- have emergency fund, there is also an immunization scheme to prevent our darlings from catching illnesses. And my, was I shocked to find out how much some of them were. Not all vaccines can be acquired free from the government health center. You'll notice that the price of nutrition nowadays will take a significant percentage of the family budget.
-Child's Education. Have you kept track of how much it would be to send a child to good school? It's a lot different from how much was spent for us that I wouldn't want to think about preschool!
-Basic Necessities. Of course we all know what this is for.
-Leisure and Recreation. A family must be financially comfortable to be able to enjoy quality time with each other.

2. Women's Reproductive Health.
I really can't discuss this in detail. But let's put it this way, I have almost jeopardized Ella's prenatal life just because the timeline between her and the baby I had complications with wasn't too long. Ella had to be delivered via CS because of placenta previa. And when the placenta came out, the OB said it looked like leftovers.

3. Child's Hollistic Development.
This is something I'd like to elaborately discuss. I strongly believe that more than education, the best gifts parents can give their children is good upbringing and positive values. All of the parent's decisions can make or break a child's future. I am overly concerned about how the world can scar and mold the personality of my child, but I will not always be with her (...or them). The only thing I can do is make sure that I equip her (/them) with what she (/they) needs to emerge victorious in this life. Come to think of it, the most successful people aren't always the well-educated. Charice Pempengco, for instance, shouldn't have been where she is right now if not for the confidence and perseverance she acquired from the guidance of her mother.

We're working parents, which means not all of our time is spent with our kid. But when we're home, we make it a point that we contribute to Ella's hollistic development everyday. And if she's emotionally ready to be mostly on her own and accept a younger and more demanding sibling, then I guess we could add to the family! I don't think we can closely monitor 2 or more kids in the same age range while in their "kulit" phase.

So there! I know some people think that we should already give Ella a sibling, and I can agree that she may be ready, or may need one...or both. But I guess what I'm saying is that the whole family MUST be ready and NOTHING can be compromised.

Family planning isn't just a question of whether to use contraceptives or not. It's about planning the family's success. I really want this family to work and if planning can contribute to the family peace and contentment, I'm more than willing to take on the job!

your every woman,

Friday, August 6, 2010

My Natural Brow Shape

The first time my virgin eyebrows were touched was in 4th year High School when the school hired a person, who claimed to be the make up artist of the Sexbomb Dancers, prepared our faces for graduation pictures. Well, I sure looked like some dancer with very thin eyebrows afterwards! Since then, my eyebrows didn't appear to be in very good shape. I was just following the pattern from that first shave, although not as thin. I was inspired to follow this post when I saw Maybelline eye make up models from a Sundance brochure. I was so satisfied with the results! Check it out:



You can tell the difference with my Facebook profile pic! Now, I am the master of my eyebrow shape! It wasn't really easy, but here are some of the things I did that kept me from tweezing before the project is ready:

- Don't wear too much make up, especially on the eyes. You wouldn't want to draw too much attention on your eyes. I only used cheek tint and lipbalm the entire time.

- Don't look at the mirror often. I don't know if it's just me, but when I constantly see myself in the mirror, that's when I notice all the imperfections...then I tend to do something about them.

- Do clear stray hairs. If you feel like you are looking a little werewolfy everyday, you can tweeze hairs that are obviously away from your desired eyebrow shape. This way, your eyes would appear a little cleaner and brighter.

- Do comb your eyebrows. Make it appear like it has taken on your desired eyebrow shape even though you haven't tweezed/shaved it yet. You can apply clear gel or wax to keep the hairs in place.

- Don't rush into tweezing. When you finally notice that you have grown your natural eyebrow shape back, schedule a special time for the tweezing session that may take 15 to 30 mins.

After 3 months, I knew I was ready to groom my brows. I prepared a small mirror, a mascara spoolie brush to comb my eyebrows, tweezers and light gray brow pencil for the task. I did it after I put Ella to her afternoon nap so that I can't be pressured into settling for "pwede na". In broad afternoon light, I very lightly patterned the natural shape of my eyebrows and began tweezing from the outside coming in, one hair at a time. When I felt that I've already reached my desired eyebrow shape, I faced our big mirror to get a bigger view of my eyebrows and made tweaks from there.

It's totally worth the wait, you should try it too!

your every woman,