urges on splurges

Splurged!

That means I’m beyond my level of tolerable stress.

These were my purchases:

purchases at watsons

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Nutri-Oil Serum @ Php242.00

Your 40ml goes a long way. Mine lasted for more than a year (Good thing it doesn’t have an expiration date). I don’t apply it on my entire head of hair but just on the tips where hair is driest. I use it to tame my unruly hair specially that I work indoors on an airconditioned room (it doesn’t fully tame my hair, but it’s more manageable when I use it).

A+ for extra shine it gives (my unhealthy hair looks a little healthy)

A++ for its advanced nutri-oils of natural coconut and almond oils that nourishes (so it’s not just faking a healthy hair but reparation through nourishment at the same time).

WHY I STICK TO IT: it’s non-greasy so your hair can still sway naturally with the wind. Once you forgot to use it, your hair will still look normal (compared to other products that damages hair because of residues ---you stop using the product and you’ll be faced with the truth that you damaged  your hair and so you have to keep using it until you kill it).

Dove Hair Therapy @Php155.00 for 180ml

This is my third tube. Compared to the ordinary Dove Conditioner,this one has another stripe for revolutionary nutria-oils. The ordinary Dove conditioner doesn’t really works well with my uber dry hair but this hair therapy works double on nourishment.

White Stripe for the conditioner

Yellow Orange Stripe for the revolutionary nutri-oils treatment from Coconut, Almond and Sunflower Oils)

WHY I LOVE IT:  

• Again,it’s non-greasy and won’t make your hair limp.
• Lesser time needed to rinse (compared to other conditioners I tried)
• I love it when I squeeze the product out of the tube,it looks like a two toned icing on aStar tip (like those piped icing we see on cakes):D

                 

Jergens Ultra Healing @Php104.00 for 100ml

This one’s great for dry skin (‘nuff said)

WHY I THINK IT’S FOREVER FOR THE BOTH OF US: You can see the difference. Aside from the usual benefits of a lotion, Jergens comes with an unscented variant so it doesn’t clash with your perfume (if you’re using one) and doesn’t trigger nausea when you’re travelling (specially on a bus) plus doesn’t annoy anyone that are sensitive to strong scents.  (That anyone includes ME!)

It’s an ultimate find (I swear!)

BIO-OIL @495.00 for 60ml

I bought another BIO-OIL. The one I presented on my previous blog found its way to my cousin.

purchases at National Book Store (NBS)

YES April 2014 Issue with Qen on the cover (I promised myself that I’m buying a copy and so tadah!)

Stallion Island Series 16- This is for my collection. I have already completed the Stallion Series and they are now releasing copies for Stallion Island Series and Stallion Revisited. 

Pocketbooks have lesser effect on me now compared to when I was still in college, but I never missed a single book from the previous series and so I’d like to stick with completing the other series. (ehehe). The whole Stallion Series collection inspired me to excel in whatever field I’m into, to be goodly unique and establish my values, that sex isn't a proof for love and that everyone has a chance in love and war (not the bloody war though)…that each of us will soon encounter someone that would make us feel that we’re worth it and that the other person is worth it (too) and etc…*winks

I read them because it makes me happy.  They were my pick-me-upper in college. Dramatic pocketbooks are not for me because I believe I've had enough drama in my life already.

Stallion Series is light, truthful and conservative and the characters have their character.

Stylized by Liz Uy- the ultimate splurge! This served as that blinking red warning that maybe I’m really sort of stressed.

Why would I buy stylized? A small hardbound golden book full of pictures and illustrations that costs Php395.00 and Liz Uy’s book signing tour was last week, so why did I bought it? I don’t know why, but my only regret in buying the book was that I’m way too late for the book signing and picture taking.

Then a phone call came from a long lost friend. No matter how many Jurassic years it would take before his next call, he always call at the right time (where right time means I’m feeling down, sad and tired) matter what kind the conversation is, the calls never fail to leave me smiling (inside, outside and beyond :D). If only he called an hour earlier, I could’ve saved myself from splurging. 

Neweiz, my purchases are consumable, except for the books but I’ve had my happiness recharged enough to last who knows when.  

I’m loving life!

Bio-Oil now available in Cagayan de Oro City

At last, after  visiting all Mercury Drugstores and Watson in Cagayan de Oro (which to no avail kept on telling me “sorry ma’am, it’s out of stock”) ,  finally I'm able to purchase my first Bio-Oil. I’ve stumbled upon this product through product reviews 2 years ago. At that time, the product was not yet available in Cagayan de Oro (or in the Philippines) and though it is offered online (Walgreens,Walmart,eBay and Amazon) I had second thoughts for fear of product imitations. 

It is just an enough reason to smile more now that Bio Oil is now available on Watsons and Mercury Drugstores at a price of Php495.00 for a 60ml bottle. This product is vouched to be effective on stretch marks  but it is also used for other skin problems like scars,uneven skintone,ageing skin and dehydrated skin.

Bio-Oil is a Specialist skincare oil that contains the breakthrough ingredient PurCellin Oil.

•  with Vitamins A & E
•  has Calendula,Lavander, Rosemary & Chamomile OIls
•  for Face and Body 
• Non-greasy
• Rapidly absorbed
• Hypoallergenic
• Suitable for Sensitive Skin

Directions: 

Massage in circular motion until fully absorbed 

Ingredients:

Paraffinum Liquidum

Triisononanoin

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate

Isopropyl Myristate

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil (Chamomile Oil)

Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavander Oil)

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary Oil)

Calendula Officinalis Extract (Calendula Oil)

Glycine Soja Oil

BHT

Bisabolol

Parfum

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Amyl Cinnamal

Benzyl Salicytate

Citronellol

Coumarin

Eugenol

Farnesol

Geraniol

Hydroxycitronellal

Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cylohexene Carboxaldehyde

Limonene

Linalool

CI26100

Made in South Africa

Distributed in the Philippines by Aspen Philippines Inc.

I’m yet to give a product review since I just got the product. For purchases visit any Watsons Store or Mercury Drugstores near you.

Yes! Magazine April 2014

Yes! (insert jumping mini me here)

Yes! (insert crazy waving of arms)

Yes! (insert wide toothed smile here)

I cannot contain my poker face  when Enrique Gil  will be on the cover of Yes! Magazine April 2014 issue. The magazine issue for the month will be featuring an inside look on Gil’s house as well as that of Heart Evangelista's. A bonus would be Iya and Drew’s wedding and Lot Lot de Leon meeting her  Papa Don .

I just know that this issue's content will be flowing over the pages.

I’m definitely buying.! 

Ayt!

humble bumble bee

Butterflies always serve as inspiration for “not famous yet,but will be famous soon” defense. Remember the story of the caterpillar who envied the butterfly? Or  the one where the caterpillar was teased by fellow worms as being ugly and always eating ? The caterpillar spends the day munching on leaves,crawling,wraps itself in a cocoon and goes to sleep (to sleep?) and struggles to come out of it. There are many version of the butterfly story. Metamorphosis is always used as an effective theme for presentations and performances. It always inspire people that each has its own time to flourish and that we undergo stages to become beautiful creatures in sight and might. The “Overcome to become” state of thinking.That we may not understand fully what and why we undergo certain situations but we trust that it is part of a greater plan that is good and beneficial for us.

When I was younger, I always see myself like the caterpillar and always hopeful that I’d become a colorful big butterfly rather than the small yellow ones . As I grew older and became capable of pointing thoughts out intelligently (haherm!) and most of the time crazily, I realized I don’t want to associate my kind of life with butterflies  anymore. 

A butterfly flutters everywhere and I am the “first and forever” kind of person.  A flutterby just don’t fit my ideals maybe because I now seem to have established my preferences on some values. I don’t want to just flutter by, admired at, collected and displayed.

Now that I’m older, I wanted my life to be like that of a bumblebee, one that belongs to a community and has a specific part/task to do; one that contributes by getting a share of the work. A bumblebee that goes out in search of flowers to pollinate and brings precious nectar to a home that is waiting. One that stings when threatened (and if I sting, I will not die and that I can sting again). One that values hard work ,perseverance and experience.

A humblebee that is busy.  Yes, I wanted to be just like that.

“ aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway”

Aerodynamically it cannot fly when compared to that of an airplane model because bumblebees have large bodies and small wings. Mechanically, it can, because its wings don’t glide (like that of an airplane). The wings beat about 200 times per second and please read more to know the secret of their flight.(by clicking here)

Because it doesn't know it cannot fly, It flies anyway: usually what hinders us from flying are the negative things people tell us and mostly the things we tell ourselves. Yes, sometimes, ignorance is a bliss. When you don’t know, you just do your best and continue doing your best.

And even if someone told the bees that they cannot fly, they will fly anyway:  so I’m saying do not let other people initially calculate your capabilities. They usually sum up your abilities by what they see (your frame, your brand name etc.) .  That is because they lack additional factors to consider in solving the equation to what’s your worth is. Give them the values but then, even if the values are given already, there is no fixed or general equation that can be used for in calculating. So when someone tells you “you can’t”, you try (first)! You know yourself way more than anyone else.

Like the flight of the bumblebee I’d like to live life like this. Full of enthusiasm (breathless but alive!)

..as I grow older, I change perspective. As I experience more of life I realized there's a huge difference in merely "seeing life" than "actually living it". As life reveals its harshness,I pray that I won't take flight and leave my dreams behind..I pray that,just like a bumblebee,I will take flight against it and fight. (so help me God.)

P.S. The lifespan of a bumble bee might be shorter as that of 5 days (ooops!)* and so I'll just say, It's not the number of years you live but how you lived your years that matters. A life of quality and substance will leave a legacy that will last nthyears.

*a butterfly's lifespan ranges from 3-4 weeks to a maximum of a year.

Single on Marriage

I've been sick these past few days and missed 2 major exams for the finals. Instead of worrying myself from unfinished projects,special exams to face and unfinished tasks at work which I cannot do anything as of that time, I tried to give in to taking long hours of sleep and doing nothing which was so so boring. Good thing I can watch TV from my cellphone. Bad thing is that, I kept on flipping from one channel to another on advertisement parts plus the shows and topics didn't interest me. (need I say too that it's late night already). I resorted to sticking with Hope Channel Philippines and surprisingly seriously listened to Pastor Lowell Teves of Filipino American SDA church .

He spoke to youths in what seemed like a conference held in Bukidnon.  He spoke of relationships,from the dangers and truths on relationships among young people to using phrases like "opening happiness" "the real thing" to elaborate the topic about premarital sex and love (he might've also used 'give in to your thirst'). It was very educating and I think we need more of that. We need more of constant reminders. Sadly I wasn't able to jot down notes about that. What I managed to jot down was about the marriage topic. 

The Five Stages of Marriage:

1.The Paradise Stage 

       where everything is perfect. This usually lasts 3 months from the wedding.

2.The Unmasking Stage

      disappointments and misunderstandings begin to creep in. You'll start wondering whether you married the right person or not and sometimes you'd think that you were wrong indeed. In the words of Ellen White "Never entertain the thought that your marriage was a mistake".

There is unmasking because in the courting stage people usually put their best foot forward ( pray that the other foot is a better one ). Always trying to impress (and forgot to show what are they when they are depressed and distressed).

3. Adjusting Stage

       This is the break-in period.  The talk,talk,understanding part. Where proper communication is highly stressed as a vital component in any relationship.

       a. Civil War Stage-where you argue in public (huh!?Best to argue at home I think)

       b. Home Front Stage- arguing at home.

When you argue at home, do not do it in front of your children. Children are very intelligent and observant (They learn from what they see and hear) and you wouldn't want them to think that their mother is 'idiot' and their father 'stupid'(just because they hear you say that to each other)

4. Enjoying or the Suffering Stage

This can be the dessert or the desert stage.

 

the DESERT stage

The DESSERT Stage

5.Sweet ending or the Bitter Stage

(and I was lost on this part)

It's good to have the stages numbered It gives a sense of control. Imagine jumbling all of those and I think that's what marriage is more about.

*I remember reading  The Compleat Marriage by  Nancy Van Pelt when I was in highschool (and forgot already what's in it,I just ran out of books to read that time). Listening to a Pastor from SDA church reminds me of home,we have so many books by PPHSDA books at home. From healthbooks to bible stories...OMG they literally supply good books.(now I'm off-topic,guess I'm not fully recovered yet)

the 15-minute coffee break

Things are getting more complicated at work, so is with time that seems not enough to complete the usual tasks. I do not know why, does time fly faster nowadays or is it just me working slow paced?

 Imagine picking up something and dropping it somewhere. (I mean literally drop!). That’s how I feel right now, not the picker/dropper but the thing picked and dropped. Shocked and feeling broken with the need to adapt fast and chase time, I do not have the time to fancy fix the cracks. Everything seems to take the red mark for *urgent and *important and I have to mentally number priorities. How do I sort all number 1 priorities?

Worrying is my number 1 pimple grower and in a matter of 6 hours I grew a few giving me more worries.

I’m at work! Shhhh! You might say, how come I’m busy and find time to post a blog entry. I just gave myself the 15minutes coffee break when a thought popped out while I was cracking numbers on my keyboard a while ago. You see, I was trying to assure myself that these time of pressure shall pass and later (hopefully sooner) all will be normal again. But would that be not too late to fix the cracks? Yes, this time shall pass and  sooner we shall be having another type/kind of time (a better or a not so better that what we have now) and as time continues to tick, we’ll be forever busy living the PM (present moment) and the cracks will remain as cracks until someone in the future will pick you and drop you again causing  the pieces to shatter.

It is so sad to think of such horrible future. (maybe it’s just my hormones raging for the day). I am consoling myself and it’s an unending row of feel good.not so good.feel good and not so good again .(All the more frustrating!) and poof! Just like someone picking up something and droppin’ it, Life dropped a thought on me drenching me that caused me to wake.

RFTD: 03.05.2014

Cracked? That’s good! It’s where the light gets in and it is where the water will seep in. These will nurture you causing you to grow.

There I go… now I feel better. I’m back to the numbers . CIAO.

I never thought blogging has the same effect as that of a mug of coffee.

*I wonder what kind would I be when I grow. Would I become a tree?or a flower? I just hope it’d be a tree that blooms flowers and bears fruits ;)

Fake it 'til You make it

I survived my first two years at work. I hope I didn’t screw up. Last year,we were given evaluation sheets for us to evaluate our co-workers and it’s pretty bothering me how’d I fare in their judgment. I know, I’ve been inconsistent at work last year and I’m sort of freaking out for the results. It’s too late to turn back time and become an outstanding employee, but not too late for next year! Evaluations like this is the only way to measure an employee’s performance objectively.  I wonder how they do the measuring thing by computing points from the boxes you’ve checked. Nevertheless, what’s clear in here is that, the results will be the basis of your current year’s salary and workload (salary raise? promotion? or demotion?).

 

If you want to have impressive evaluation from your co-workers, take the following points that you need to work on ,or if you’ve got the points already, then it’s time you try harder in maintaining them.

^ be prompt. It’s good to be early but what really counts is that you’re on time. It’s no use to come to work very early on some days and come in late the rest of the days.

^ be present always. Or should you call in absent, it should be for a valid reason . (so don’t go calling your boss that you’d be absent just because you woke up late…it’s better you don’t give reasons at all if you feel that you’re just being lazy for the day)

^provide a fast but correct output. What is an on time report if the values are wrong and on the other hand, what is error free report when it’s no longer needed? So you see? You got to manage your time wisely. If you think you’re a slow paced worker, then you start way ahead of time. You’ll get better in time.

^As much as possible, do not put off tomorrow what you can finish today.

^Do not refuse additional tasks that are given from time to time. Especially when you got the time to spare and when it’s in line with your field of work. Tasks given from time to time are like training sessions given to you (if ever you get a promotion or a new assignment)

^Show off some other skills. Trouble shooting is a good one.  Explore the endless things you can possibly do with an excel sheet or what you can do with used staple wires.

^Say thank you and Please.

^be cordially friendly...and know what the word 'cordially' means

^Work and think for the company. Whatever your reasons are for working, remember that the company is paying you money that you are using for your other activities in life. If you want those activities (like living) to continue then you should strive to keep the company alive and growing.

^in the most shortest possible phrase “you got to be passionate about your work and all else will follow”

(when you’re fired up with working, you come to work on time, perform well and the rest of what I cited above will become natural that you won’t have to force yourself to do great at work) .

I’ll always believe that checklists and checked boxes are not that reliable, for we don’t really know what a person got and has to give until we work with them. But then ,if companies go with the “try to hire and fire later” trial and error process ,’twill take them time and money, so let’s better satisfy what’s on the checklist eh? Saves time,money and energy…for both parties. Whether you want to keep the job(obviously) or not (really?), always strive to leave a lasting good, if not great impression. 

....and when you come to the point where you seem to perform poorly at work, remind yourself why you're working in the first place.

These are my realizations in my duration at work, and it's so hard to fake things because eventually you'll find you can't make it. And so,I hope you'd learn from my short experience and do things right the first time..because it pays off in time.