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,

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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,

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My New Stuff from Maybelline

This post is waaay overdue, but that's ok. These stuff have been widely reviewed over the Internet anyway...I'd just like to show how it fared on moi!

Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine Free Face Powder in Honey

Honey is the darkest available shade in the line. It comes with a puff, but I misplaced it, thinking that I would be better off with just a brush. Goes on a bit yellow but has a transluscent matte finish. Coverage is sheer...Blemished skin would need foundation and or concealer under it as it was meant to be finishing/oil control powder in the first place. Oil control is so-so: about 2-4 hours on my combination skin, depending on the environment. Although, I haven't compared the difference between brush applied and puff applied. Has an almost unnoticeable cosmetic scent. Hypoallergenic and non comedogenic, my skin didn't break out with it (especially 'coz I used mineral foundation underneath). Has SPF 18. Packaging is compact and lightweight. This is very efficient and affordable at P199, perfect for those who simply wanted a little extra to the no make up look on a budget. Also available in Light, Nude Beige and Natural shades.

Maybelline Magnum Mascara in Black

I got interested with this mascara because I thought it would be a great alternative to getting eyelash extensions. I didn't like how the brush is soaked the whole time in the product while on display at the stores. It made me feel as if the brush is not as perfect as the patented yellow curved brush in the ads. Product seemed to have clumped on the brush upon opening also. I wouldn't have been too meticulous about it if I hadn't used Covergirl VolumeExact first, which displays the brush outside of the product tube in the packaging. I understand that a little clumping is necessary if you really want volume, so this mascara is quite good in that department when applied on the eyelashes. But since my lashes sparse and scattered, clumping is not a good idea for me. Well, that's just me. A rave on this product can be viewed here. This mascara didn't flake on me and is waterproof indeed. In fact I found it hard to remove with Etude House's eye make up remover. But that make up remover didn't work too well on anything, anyway. I also noticed that my lashes have grown a few more hairs and is quite longer after a couple of applications, could be because of the Collagen formula. This P429 mascara is worth finishing if you already bought one, but I'm gonna go back to my HG Covergirl Mascara after it. Only available in Black.

Maybelline 2-in-1 Impact Shadow Liner in White Pearl

This is the best of the bunch...creamy and easy to apply. Just let it set about a couple of minutes after application and it should stand to its claims of being waterproof and smudge proof. I tried it on my waterline and it seemed to hold up until after my 9 hour work day, although not as pigmented compared to when it was applied. I'm dying to get Black to find out if the color would simply fade or if it will spread out on my oily lids and give me a racoon look. If it could be a good dupe to Urban Decay 24/7 liners, I'm getting all Chocolate, Forest Green, Ocean Blue, Dark Purple and Gold colors! Each sold at P359. A review of this product in Black can be viewed here.

BTW, do you know that Maybelline products are now available through Sundance Direct Selling? Look for a nearest Sundance seller to find out all the Maybelline products you can purchase on an installment payment scheme!

your every woman,

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Help...Mommies!

Our yaya bailed out again! And if you've been reading this blog, you'll know the many times we've had problems with helpers. Even then, I've been thinking about having a US family set-up where kids are left at day care the whole time the parents are at work. It will be the perfect set-up for us since we can't afford having one stay at home parent. Ella will learn how to co-exist with other people -children and adults, while learning how to read, write and all that stuff! She will also learn to be independent and that she cannot be the only one being attended too.

She's turning 3 this November. She already learned to control separation anxiety. She's already potty trained, both for number 1 and 2. She already drinks milk in a glass in the morning. She can work her way around with little supervision. The yaya set-up she grew up in is pretty much like the day care set-up with no mommy and daddy! ...But with more friends, more play, and more learning!

But now that I actually found a school, just a ride away from our house, that offers this kind of set-up... I want to know, is it really for us? Has anyone been through the same set-up? What are your pros and cons?

This development is scary, and a risky decision to make! Like I always said, parents decisions can make or break their children's future...I wouldn't want to break Ella's!

your every woman,

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Nestle Fitnesse' 14 Day Program

Update 08/06/2010: The 14 day period had passed but there still isn't any photo worthy difference on my figure, so I can't show off my shape yet. But there's already some personal satisfaction based on how my clothes fit better! I am going to continue the program until I get my desired shape...Plus exercise, which I haven't found time to do just yet!

I've gained too much weight and inches since my pregnancy with Ella and I've always blamed it on the CS delivery. Truth is, when I compare my photos from Ella's christening to my current photos, I realized that I'd have to put all the blame on me. So now that I've met a lot of women who went through pregnancy and CS delivery and still looked fabulous, I decided to challenge myself with Nestle Fitnesse' 14 day program!

The 14 day program suggests a low calorie, high fiber diet and replacing breakfast and one other meal with 30g of the cereal plus 125ml skim/low fat milk. Let's see how it works for me!

your every woman,

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