RT|WW - Nasty Little Fella

Lazy!

Mai's skin is starting to break out again.  I've been nagging her (every night!) to treat it with the acne solution I bought her but she is so lazy.  She claims she is too tired when she comes home from her OJT and she just wants to wash up and sleep.  Well, her acne will not go away if that's her attitude.  I hope she won't wait until it's all over her face before she finally does something about it.  Haay, kids!

Learning Something New

Rose, my store helper, is asking if I would allow her to participate in the educational program our baranggay is offering.  It's a 3-month health care seminar open to all the residents for free.  All they have to pay for are the uniforms and equipment.  I said, "Why not?"  health care careers are very much in demand all over the world.  I wouldn't want her to be a sales girl forever.  Sooner or later she'll start a family of her own and should she decide to live abroad, she has a special skill and can easily apply for a job.

Get Lustrous Hair With Eggs

An egg does more than make you feel strong and healthy.  It does more than give you clear eyesight and sharp mind.  The breakfast staple beautifies hair.  The yolks contain biotin, an essential B vitamin shown to help metabolize fats and carbs into keratin, a protein that builds healthy shiny hair.  Plus, it can help prevent hair fall and breakage.

Use it as a conditioning agent. Beat an egg as you do with a scrambled egg. Massage onto hair and scalp. Let sit on hair for 15 minutes. Then rinse with lukewarm water and shampoo as usual. Do this once a week and you'll never have to visit the salon for hot oil again.

Holiday Stress

Now that the holiday season is here, stress is a very unwelcome guest.  Between food preparation, shopping, gift wrapping, and taking care of your kids, good luck if you could squeeze even a little time to relax.  Your long list of to-do can take a serious toll on your skin, so if you want to look good this holiday season, try to eliminate tasks as much as you can. 

The iPhone App Store Link hubs found for the kids took out a lot of stress from me.  While I'm busy working, the kids are busy with their new iPhone applications.  Hubs read the Press Release from the paper the other day and immediately told the kids about it.  Well, actually it was the 3 of them who are enjoying the new apps, haha. It's like having 3 kids here at home, so you ca just imagine the mess when they're all here.  :(

Holiday stress can practically snuff out holiday merriment, so don't ever let it win.

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The Season For Sniffles

'Tis the season for the sniffles.  If you think you are safe from cold and flu season this year because you ate your immune-boosting sweet potatoes and got plenty of sleep, then you're wrong.  There are more than 200 viruses that cause colds and you are not safe from them no matter how healthy your habits.  The chances are big that the sniffles and sneezes will catch you.  Your defense?  The best multivitamin.  It may not totally defend you from catching the colds but it will strengthen your immune system and lessen the severity of the cold.

I need a kicker.

This is getting frustrating.  I am eating less and has increased my workout to an hour a day.  For two months I have been doing this but all I managed to shed off are 2 pounds.  Seriously, I am considering weight loss diet pills.  I have already checked several and I'm planning to start next month.  I'm not really into fast weight loss, what I want is a little kick to jump start it.

Problem Skin

Acne worsens during times of stress and sleep deprivation.  Notice how your skin breaks out whenever you are under an emotional turmoil?  It can do a number on your emotional well-being.  Some get depressed and anxious which only exacerbates the condition.  I found some helpful solutions at www.homeremediesacne.net.  If you think your acne cream is not helping your skin get better, the home remedies might just work.

RT|WW - Two Octopuses On The Ceiling

Snapped this when hubs and I had dinner at Oyster Boy.  I love the theme of the restaurant and the octopus is such a great idea.  Food was yummy too.

Vanish Redness

Now that it's starting to get colder, the redness on your skin will be back soon.  A beautifying soak is what you need to vanish redness.  This one will surely leave you blooming.  Here's what you should do:  In a food processor, combine 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until the mixture reaches the consistency of flour.  Sprinkle it into a warm bath, then get in and enjoy the water, the oats are packed with vitamin E, amino acids and silica that alleviate irritation, while cinnamon functions .  Wondering why as an antioxidant, antiseptic and antifungal to prevent rashes and infection.  Wonder why vanilla is included?  The sweet scent causes the brain to release serotonin, a brain chemical which boosts mood and suppresses appetite.

How Reading Helps

Take ten minutes a day to peruse books or magazines, and you'll fortify your defenses against colds within a week.  Well, I was surprised to hear about that, too.  But according to experts, reading stories or articles about other people stimulates the release of oxytocin, a bonding hormone that also counteracts the body's stress responses.  This hormonal shift can up the body's output of infection-fighting white blood cells by 20 percent.  So you see hubs, that's one more reason why I should get more Amazon books and magazines, LOL.  Shall we go shopping now?  :)

Christmas Is In The Air

Oh, Christmas is really around the corner.  But how come I don't feel it?  Lol, maybe it's just me.  The malls are decorated for the coming holidays and I've seen some people around selling artificial christmas trees.

  

I think I'll get one of those for the store.  It's mini, it's cute and already decorated with colorful lights and some ornaments. I can add a few more or leave it just like that.  I should start decorating now to feel the spirit.  How about you, have you put up a tree yet?

RT|WW - Frozen yogurt...

...with buttered pecan sauce.

Don't Leave Home w/o It

Coconut oils is not called versatile for nothing.  It's packed with fatty acids and is hailed for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties.  Put some oil in a small bottle or a few spoonfuls if it's in solid form in a resealable container and put it in your purse.  This carry-on multitasker will have you feeling beautiful wherever you are.

10 ways to use it:

1. MOISTURIZER.  Massage into hands, legs, feet and decollete - the oils' moisture-locking lipids will give skin a soft glow.
2. NAIL STRENGTHENER.  Work into nails to create a hydrating seal that will help prevent brittleness and hangnails.
3.  LIP BALM.  Dot onto lips to keep them supple.
4.  FACIAL SCRUB.  To restore radiance, add a packet of sugar to a dollop (or a few drops) of the oil and massage into your face, then rinse.
5. ANTI-FRIZZ SERUM.  Apply a dab to hair to seal the cuticle and repel frizzies.
6. DEODORANT.  Thanks to its bacteria-killing lauric acid, smearing on a glob of the oil will nix foot and body odor.
7. ACNE TREATMENT.  This is actually the first time I heard that it can fight acne.  When dabbed on breakouts, the oil's lauric acid will gently heal acne without dehydrating skin.
8. ANTI-ITCH CREAM.  Swipe a film over bug bites or rashes, letting the oil's anti-inflammatory agents soothe the skin.
9. LUBRICANT.  Sure, the oil is perfect for squeaky suitcase wheels, but a smidge also relieves "down there" dryness.
10. STOMACH SOOTHER.  Add a spoonful or a few drops to hot tea and sip.  The oil's antimicrobial acids will help ward off indigestion-causing bacteria and parasites.

Not So Good

Daily exposure to dirt and dust makes Mai's skin breakout.  I told her to schedule a visit to our Derma friend but she only has one day off a week and she usually wants to sleep and rest on that day.  OJT is draining all her energy.  Her friend recommended epiduo, so she asked if I could buy it for her.  I'm a little conservative when it comes to creams and meds applied on skin, so I asked my friend if epiduo is safe to use.  Well, I'm relieved that I didn't buy it right away.  My friend says she won't recommend it because it has ingredients that can be harsh on skin.  She told Mai to use tea tree or coconut oil instead.

Determined

To my friend Gina, dieting wan as unappealing as hiking up stairs.  She had witnessed enough of her family's weight struggles to know that she didn't want to yo-yo through life.  It was only after her brother had a serious health problem due to obesity that she realized she too,  had to shed off the pounds.  She started walking 30 minutes daily and have already lost a few.  She also checked weight loss pill reviews of some popular brands to aid fat burn.  She also sneaks a little exercise into every activity, like stretching while dusting the house.  Great job Gi!

RT|WW - Hapiness...

A Beautifying Scrub

A scrub that's sure to leave you blooming, ever heard of the coffee scrub?    Here's how to do it:  In a medium-size jar, combine 1 cup of ground coffee, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 of sea salt and 1/2 cup of almond oil. In the shower, wet skin and use a circular motion to massage mixture into cellulite-prone areas for at least five minutes.  Your scrub can be stored for up to 4 weeks.

Why it works?  The caffeine in the coffee grounds stimulates blood flow to help flush cellulite-causing toxins  while the coffee grounds target stubborn cellulites.  The brown sugar and sea salt whisk away dulling dead skin cells.  And almond oil's fatty oleic acid seeps deep into the dermis for extra smoothing and hydration.

RT|WW - Strawberry Mousse Cake