Singa is Not Poor

Free trip to Singapore! I was ecstatic and shocked to find out it was one of the perks for being a finalist for Miss Resorts World 2011. Though I travel a lot in cyberspace, I've never left the country! I know right? Such a loser....

It was about 9a.m when we arrived in Singapore, right then and there, I noticed the difference. Their budget terminal looked way organized than our domestic airport. As we rode the bus on our way to the Star Cruise ship, I saw lots of buildings being built. The roads were wide and clean. I felt like I was in a dream. How many of us Pinoys have dreamt of such ideal living conditions?

The Philippines and Singapore, both have been colonized and went through several financial crisis like the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Back then, our economy was doing better than Singapore but why have we fallen in to a bigger hole into the abyss of economic instability? We use our natural resources and we don't put weight on sustainability. Undeniably, the Philippines is probably one of the most lenient when it comes to law implementation unlike Singapore. We abuse the concept of freedom and democracy another reason why our country's situation have been deteriorating for the past decades..When it comes to finding solutions we are living through trial and error which will never help us alleviate present conditions.

What is missing in our country that is in Singapore? I would definitely say majority of the Filipinos lack discipline, foresight and an iron fist. Our stubbornness as a nation will be our downfall. Maybe we have gotten used to second rate or should I say third rate living conditions. I hope not. Vision is what our country needs.

Singa will never be poor because they are driven, disciplined and united. I wish I could say the same thing for our country. If only I can afford to buy every Filipino plane tickets so that they can see that we can actually get more and do more for our country.

We need to wake up and stop living away with our current situation. The Philippines has always been a rich country, if only all of us realize that. There are no poor countries, only poor minds.

The Art of Letting Go

Letting go, one of the most difficult things we all have to face at least once in our lifetime. For us girls, it's really devastating dilemma. We tend to be more emotional than men. The pain experienced by the man maybe magnified a couple of times for a woman.

How do you say goodbye to all the hopes you've put out for that dream? How do you start picking up the pieces? How can you manage to leave everything behind?

I had my share of mistakes and blunders and I can't really  tell if I will still make those in the future. There are lots of years ahead of me and in life nothing is for certain.

When we let go, we give up the possibility. We accept that somethings are never meant to be. No matter how much it hurts, we must swallow the pain that goes along with it. People who never learn to let go will never grow. It is comparable with that of a pupa. If it resists the process of metamorphosis. She will never become a butterfly. The same goes for life. Whether it is going through a family problem, losing a loved one or something important, or being betrayed by someone, we must let go in order for us to grow.

As for me, I'm letting go of my ideals. I'm freeing myself from the notions programmed into me when I was a kid. I'm leaving behind fairy tales. I'm cutting myself away from all the drama. I've done stupid almost unthinkable and even pitiful things in the past just to hang on. I didn't want to feel alone, unloved and useless . I did quite a number of things that a sane stable girl wouldn't do. I don't want to be caught in the cycle. I want to stop obsessing about the norms especially on me being a hopeless romantic. It never did me any good. It just resulted in me getting hurt and disappointed. I'm taking a stand and putting my heart in my sleeve with caution and a renewed faith. Living life the way we should live it by keeping everything real and untarnished by my own delusions and frustrations.

It is in moving on that you allow God to take control. When we let go, we realize our fallibility . It is a courageous act of accepting our destiny. Happiness starts when we let go. Everybody deserves to be happy. We all should learn to let go one way or the other. It's high time that you and I take that little leap of faith. For once, face the unknown and entrust ourselves to God. Letting go is never easy but life same goes for life. It will never be easy, for cowards and for those who continue to live under the sheath of falsity. Hiding under what we perceive as norms is not living life the way it is supposed to be.

We should stand up and walk out of our history.  Besides, letting go isn't the end of world but the beginning of a new life.

Frustration

Lots of questions that linger in my mind...

Lots of whys...

Although I know all the possible answers...

None of it satisfies my mind...

I hate this feeling...

People's fallibility is keeping me from sanity...

Being surrounded by people who say they care about you...

But none of them have a clue of how you're really feeling...

It's hard when friends fail you...

When the one who makes you happy, is also the one whose hurting you...

When you're trapped in a world you can't escape...

Lost in the loneliness this world makes...

Dreaming of something you can never have...

Wishing for an escape that you can't make...

Left in the abyss of supposed happiness that's all fake...

GO VEGETARIAN

Vegetarian Foods: Powerful for Health

World-renowned figures as diverse as philosophers Plato and Nietzsche, political leaders Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, and pop icons Paul McCartney and Bob Marley have all advocated a vegetarian diet. Science is also on the side of vegetarianism. Multitudes of studies have demonstrated the remarkable health benefits of a vegetarian diet.

“Vegetarian” is defined as avoiding all animal flesh, including fish and poultry. Vegetarians who avoid flesh, but do eat animal products such as cheese, milk, and eggs, are ovo-lacto-vegetarians (ovo = egg; lacto = milk, cheese, etc.). The ranks of those who abstain from all animal products are rapidly growing; these people are referred to as pure vegetarians or vegans. Scientific research shows that health benefits increase as the amount of food from animal sources in the diet decreases, so vegan diets are the healthiest overall.

Preventing Cancer

Vegetarian diets—naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and replete with cancer-protective phytochemicals—help to prevent cancer. Large studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters.^1-3 In the United States, studies of Seventh-Day Adventists have shown significant reductions in cancer risk among those who avoided meat.^4,5 Similarly, breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in nations, such as China, that follow plant-based diets.6 Interestingly, Japanese women who follow Western-style, meat-based diets are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who follow a more traditional plant-based diet.⁷ Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer, including cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries, and prostate.

Harvard studies that included tens of thousands of women and men have shown that regular meat consumption increases colon cancer risk by roughly 300 percent.^8,9 High-fat diets also encourage the body’s production of estrogens, in particular, estradiol. Increased levels of this sex hormone have been linked to breast cancer. A recent report noted that the rate of breast cancer among premenopausal women who ate the most animal (but not vegetable) fat was one-third higher than that of women who ate the least animal fat.¹⁰ A separate study from Cambridge University also linked diets high in saturated fat to breast cancer.¹¹ One study linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The process of breaking down the lactose (milk sugar) into galactose evidently damages the ovaries.¹² Daily meat consumption triples the risk of prostate enlargement. Regular milk consumption doubles the risk and failure to consume vegetables regularly nearly quadruples the risk.¹³

Vegetarians avoid the animal fat linked to cancer and get abundant fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals that help to prevent cancer. In addition, blood analysis of vegetarians reveals a higher level of “natural killer cells,” specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells.¹⁴

Beating Heart Disease

Vegetarian diets also help prevent heart disease. Animal products are the main source of saturated fat and the only source of cholesterol in the diet. Vegetarians avoid these risky products. Additionally, fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels¹⁵ and animal products contain no fiber. When individuals switch to a high-fiber, low-fat diet their serum cholesterol levels often drop dramatically.^16,17 Studies have demonstrated that a low-fat, high-fiber, vegetarian or vegan diet combined with stress reduction techniques, smoking cessation, and exercise, or combined with prudent drug intervention, could actually reverse atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries.18,19 Heart diets that include lean meat, dairy products, and chicken are much less effective, usually only slowing the process of atherosclerosis.

Lowering Blood Pressure

In the early 1900s, nutritionists noted that people who ate no meat had lower blood pressure.²⁰ They also discovered that vegetarian diets could, within two weeks, significantly reduce a person’s blood pressure.²¹ These results were evident regardless of the sodium levels in the vegetarian diets. People who follow vegetarian diets typically have lower blood pressure.^22-24 No one knows exactly why vegetarian diets work so well, but probably cutting out meat, dairy products, and added fats reduces the blood’s viscosity (or “thickness”) which, in turn, brings down blood pressure.²⁵ Plant products are generally lower in fat and sodium and have no cholesterol at all. Vegetables and fruits are also rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.

Preventing and Reversing Diabetes

Non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset) diabetes can be better controlled and sometimes even eliminated through a low-fat, vegetarian diet along with regular exercise.²⁶ Such a diet, low in fat and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, allows insulin to work more effectively. The diabetic person can more easily regulate glucose levels. While a vegetarian diet cannot eliminate the need for insulin in people with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, it can often reduce the amounts of insulin used. Some scientists believe that insulin-dependent diabetes may be caused by an auto-immune reaction to dairy proteins.^27,28

Gallstones, Kidney Stones, and Osteoporosis

Vegetarian diets have been shown to reduce one’s chances of forming kidney stones and gallstones. Diets that are high in protein, especially animal protein, tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. These three substances are the main components of urinary tract stones. British researchers have advised that persons with a tendency to form kidney stones should follow a vegetarian diet.²⁹ The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that high animal protein intake is largely responsible for the high prevalence of kidney stones in the United States and other developed countries and recommends protein restriction for the prevention of recurrent kidney stones.³⁰

³¹

For many of the same reasons, vegetarians are at a lower risk for osteoporosis. Since animal products force calcium out of the body, eating meat can promote bone loss. In nations with mainly vegetable diets (and without dairy product consumption), osteoporosis is less common than in the U.S.,even when calcium intake is also less than in the U.S.³² Calcium is important, but there is no need to get calcium from dairy products. For more information on protecting your bones, contact PCRM for additional reference materials or visit www.strongbones.org.

Asthma

A 1985 Swedish study demonstrated that individuals with asthma practicing a vegan diet for a full year have a marked decrease in the need for medications and in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Twenty-two of the 24 subjects reported improvement by the end of the year.³³

Common Concerns

Some people still worry about whether a vegetarian diet can provide all essential nutrients. However, it is very easy to have a well-balanced diet with vegetarian foods, since these foods provide plenty of protein. Careful combining of foods is not necessary. Any normal variety of plant foods provides more than enough protein for the body’s needs. Although there is somewhat less protein in a vegetarian diet than a meat-eater’s diet, this is actually an advantage. Excess protein has been linked to kidney stones, osteoporosis, and possibly heart disease and some cancers. A diet focused on beans, whole grains, and vegetables contains adequate amounts of protein without the “overdose” most meat-eaters get.

Calcium is easy to find in a vegetarian diet. Many dark green leafy vegetables and beans are loaded with calcium, and some orange juices, non-dairy “milks,” and cereals are calcium-fortified. Iron is plentiful in whole grains, beans, and fruits.

Vitamin B₁₂

Vitamin B₁₂ is a genuine issue for vegans, although very easy to deal with. Found mainly in animal products, small amounts may be found in plant products due to bacterial contamination.^34,35 However, these plant and fermented foods, such as spirulina, sea vegetables, tempeh, and miso, do not provide an active and reliable source,³⁶ so vitamin B₁₂ must be obtained elsewhere in the diet. Regular intake of vitamin B₁₂ is important to meet nutritional needs. Good sources include all common multiple vitamins (including vegetarian vitamins), fortified cereals, nutritional yeast, and fortified soymilk. It is especially important for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers, and children to get enough vitamin B₁₂.

Special Concerns: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

During pregnancy, nutritional needs increase. The American Dietetic Association has found vegan diets adequate for fulfilling nutritional needs during pregnancy, but pregnant women and nursing mothers should supplement their diets with vitamins B₁₂ and D.³⁶ Most doctors also recommend that pregnant women supplement their diet with iron and folic acid, although vegetarians normally consume more folic acid than meat-eaters.

Vegetarian women have a lower incidence of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and significantly more pure breast milk. Analyses of vegetarians’ breast milk show that the levels of environmental contaminants in their milk are much lower than in non-vegetarians.³⁷ Studies have also shown that in families with a history of food allergies, when women abstain from allergenic foods, including milk, meat, and fish, during pregnancy, they are less likely to pass allergies onto the infant.³⁸ Mothers who drink milk pass cow antibodies along to their nursing infants through their breast milk. These antibodies can cause colic.

Vegetarian children also have high nutritional needs, but these are met within a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian menu is life extending. As young children, vegetarians may grow more gradually, reach puberty somewhat later, and live substantially longer than do meat-eaters. For more information on these topics, visit www.pcrm.org/health.

Further Reading

For more information on vegetarian diets, PCRM recommends:
• Breaking the Food Seduction, by Neal Barnard, M.D.
• Foods That Fight Pain, by Neal Barnard, M.D.
• Eat Right, Live Longer, by Neal Barnard, M.D.
• Food for Life, by Neal Barnard, M.D.
• The McDougall Plan, by John McDougall, M.D.
• Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease, by Dean Ornish, M.D.

References
1.Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. Br Med J 1994;308:1667-70.
2. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Eilber U. Mortality patterns of German vegetarians after 11 years of follow-up. Epidemiology 1992;3:395-401.
3. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R. Dietary and lifestyle determinants of mortality among German vegetarians. Int J Epidemiol 1993;22:228-36.
4. Phillips RL. Role of lifestyle and dietary habits in risk of cancer among Seventh-Day Adventists. Cancer Res (Suppl) 1975;35:3513-22.
5. Barnard ND, Nicholson A, Howard JL. The medical costs attributable to meat consumption. Prev Med 1995; 24:646-55.
6. Campbell, TC, Chen J. Diet and chronic degenerative diseases: Perspectives from China. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:1153S–61S.
7. Trichopoulos D, Yen S, Brown J, Cole P, MacMahon B. The effect of westernization on urine estrogens, frequency of ovulation, and breast cancer risks: a study in ethnic Chinese women in the Orient and in the U.S.A. Cancer 1984;53:187-92.
8. Giovannucci E, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Ascherio A, Willett WC. Intake of fat, meat, and fiber in relation to risk of colon cancer in men. Cancer Res 1994;54:2390-7.
9. Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Rosner BA, Speizer FE. Relation of meat, fat, and fiber intake to the risk of colon cancer in a prospective study among women. N Engl J Med 1990;323:1664-72.
10. Cho E, Speigelman D, Hunter DJ, Chen WY, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Premenopausal fat intake and risk of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2003;95:1079-85.
11. Bingham SA, Luben R, Welch A, Wareham N, Khaw KT, Day N. Are imprecise methods obscuring a relation between fat and breast cancer? Lancet 2003;362:212-4.
12. Cramer DW, Harlow BL, Willett WC. Galactose consumption and metabolism in relation to the risk of ovarian cancer. Lancet 1989;2:66-71.
13. Araki H, Watanabe H, Mishina T, Nakao M. High-risk group for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Prostate 1983;4:253-64.
14. Malter M, Schriever G, Eilber U. Natural killer cells, vitamins, and other blood components of vegetarian and omnivorous men. Nutr Cancer 1989;12:271-8.
15. Sacks FM, Castelli WP, Donner A, Kass EH. Plasma lipids and lipoproteins in vegetarians and controls. N Engl J Med 1975;292:1148-52.
16. Barnard RJ, Inkeles SB. Effects of an intensive diet and exercise program on lipids in postmenopausal women. Women’s Health Issues 1999;9:155-61.
17. Barnard ND, Scialli AR, Bertron P, Hurlock D, Edmonds K, Talev L. Effectiveness of a low-fat vegetarian diet in altering serum lipids in healthy premenopausal women. Am J Cardiol. 2000;85:969-72.
18. Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? Lancet 1990;336:129-33.
19. Esselstyn CB Jr, Ellis SG, Medendorp SV, Crowe TD. A strategy to arrest and reverse coronary artery disease: a 5-year longitudinal study of a single physician’s practice. J Fam Pract. 1995;41:560-8.
20. Salie F. Influence of vegetarian food on blood pressure. Med Klin 1930;26:929-31.
21. Donaldson AN. The relation of protein foods to hypertension. Calif West Med 1926;24:328-31.
22. Rouse IL, Beilin LJ. Editorial review: vegetarian diet and blood pressure. J Hypertension 1984;2:231-40.
23. Lindahl O, Lindwall L, Spangberg A, Stenram A, Ockerman PA. A vegan regimen with reduced medication in the treatment of hypertension. Br J Nutr 1984;52:11-20.
24. Appleby PN, Davey GK, Key TJ. Hypertension and blood pressure among meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans in EPIC-Oxford. Public Health Nutr 2002;5:645-54.
25. Ernst E, Pietsch L, Matrai A, Eisenberg J. Blood rheology in vegetarians. Br J Nutr 1986;56:555-60.
26. Nicholson AS, Sklar M, Barnard ND, et al. Toward improved management of NIDDM: A randomized, controlled, pilot intervention using a low-fat, vegetarian diet. Prev Med 1999;29:87-91.
27. Scott FW. Cow milk and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: is there a relationship? Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:489-91.
28. Karjalainen J, Martin JM, Knip M, et al. A bovine albumin peptide as a possible trigger of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 1992;327:302-7.
29. Robertson WG, Peacock M, Heyburn PJ. Should recurrent calcium oxalate stone formers become vegetarians? Br J Urol 1979;51:427-31.
30. Goldfarb DS, Coe FL. Prevention of Recurrent Nephrolithiasis. Am Fam Physician 1999;60:2269–76.
31. Pixley F, Wilson D, McPherson K, Mann J. Effect of vegetarianism on development of gall stones in women. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:11-2.
32. Hegsted DM. Calcium and osteoporosis. J Nutr 1986;116:2316-9.
33. Lindahl O, Lindwall L, Spangberg A, Stenram A, Ockerman PA. Vegan regimen with reduced medication in the treatment of bronchial asthma. J Asthma 1985;22:45-55.
34. Herbert V. Vitamin B-12: plant sources, requirements, and assay. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;48:852-8.
35. Rauma A, Torronen R, Hanninen O, Mykkanen H. Vitamin B-12 status of long-term adherents of a strict uncooked vegan diet (“living food diet”) is compromised. J Nutr 1995;125:2511-5.
36. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Amer Diet Assoc 2003;103(6):748-765.
37. Hergenrather J, Hlady G, Wallace B, Savage E. Pollutants in breast milk of vegetarians (letter). N Engl J Med 1981;304:792.
38. Allergies in infants are linked to mother’s diets. New York Times, 30 August 1990.

Dysfunction

There are times when I keep on thinking what's wrong with me?

Why do some people ignore me? Some people hurt me for no reason at all.

Then I realized that the dysfunction I have is being too self giving to the point that I allow others to hurt and exploit me.

I should be aware that no matter how kind a person I should not misinterpret.

I should never fall for someone who says things and yet fails to stand up to it. I should stop being kind to them in order to be kind to myself.

I choose to walk away from those guys that fail to appreciate, the problem isn't no longer in me.

I will no longer waste time for those who can't be a real friend or a real man.

I was keeping a single message for more than 3months and it was only til now that I realize that I was clinging to something that was never important.

I thank God for this insight. I've learned to have some self-love.

My Own Little Escape

When I was a kid, I can never sleep without hugging a pillow close to me. My mama can attest to the countless times when I would look for something to hug for me to be able to sleep. I never knew why I grew fond of it. As I turned 8 or was it 7, my mama gave me a small teddy bear and even til now I still have that teddy. From the day I received it til the time I got a new teddy bear, I never let go of it. I can never sleep without it.

It was only til now that I realized why I love having a teddy bear close to me when I'm asleep. It's because you feel cozy and warm without having to give something back in return. Teddy bears never reject you and they are always there for you when ever you need comforting. Up until now I still have a teddy with me in bed. It is the reason why I love being in my room. For it is when I am alone that I don't feel rejected. I don't have to worry about how people will think of me. I have peace when I see no one but my teddy bear. I don't have to try for someone to like me. I can just be me. The plain, crazy and invisible me. Sometimes things than happen in reality that are too much for one person to bear and sometimes the people you need the most are never there.

My little escape from the world is no big secret. I think we have the same secret.  Just me, my room and my teddy. Sometimes you have to escape to avoid losing yourself.

Political Conflicts

Last month I traveled all the way to Tacloban City, I screened and joined Ms. Pintados 2011, a yearly pageant held for the Pintados Foundation which was supported by the Province of Leyte. Little did I know of how complicated things are in that city. I found out that there was this long standing political turmoil it was Tacloban City officials versus the Leyte Province officials. Pintados Kasadyaan is a 25 year old tradition where Leyteños would compete through dance and pageantry in honor of Sr. Sto. Niño but about three years ago the government of Tacloban city started their own festival which was called Sangyaw festival. 

This year there was this move to completely put an end to the Pintados Kasadyaan festival. Even I was able to experience the effects of their political rift. We were supposed to have a motorcade around the downtown of Tacloban when all of the sudden the local traffic enforcers blocked our way saying that there was no permit given from the mayor of Tacloban enabling us to have our motorcade. We were then forced to go back to the Pintados office. However, we didn't let it put us down, all of the candidates decided to take it to the streets and walk. Then the pageant came and it was done and over with so I thought the rivalry was also over, little did I know things would still continue.

June 27,2011, the day for the Pintados Kasadyaan Festival as well for the Sangyaw festival. Once again the local traffic enforcers did not allow the parade of the Pintados. Instead they were forced to just hold the dance competition.

I do not take sides on this matter. I just wished that both parties would seriously think of the general public. Festivals are meant to foster merrymaking and camaraderie. I know the Tacloban government has the right after all it is their city but I wish that they would be more welcoming to the Pintados after all the Pintados has been there for 25 years. I know the local government want to bring their our identity through the Sangyaw while the Pintados Kasadyaan would like to continue their long tradition. I just pray that both parties will find a way to solve things equally, afterall it is the general public that is affected with the political fights. The government should always be for the people and not for individuals with high position. Let's learn to respect each other.

7 Challenges to Spice Up Your Life … | All Women Stalk

Is your life lacking in excitement? Are you feeling resigned to a life of dullness? Well, I hope that you have not given up on yourself. Here are 7 challenges that you can take on to add some spice to your life. These challenges will give you a whole new perspective on yourself and your life. Read on and be enlightened.

1. The 30 for 30 Challenge

This fashion challenge was started by Kendi Lea of Kendi Everyday. No, she didn’t ask me to write about the challenge. I just thought that this is a really interesting approach to fashion. You pick out 30 items from your closet (tops, bottoms, and shoes) and use them to create 30 unique outfits. The aim of this challenge is to be able to “shop your closet and not the stores”.

2. 101 Goals in 1001 Days

In this challenge, you list down your 101 goals. You then have 1001 days or about 2.75 years to accomplish them. This is a very interesting variant of the New Year’s resolution and list of goals people make. Instead of just one year or an indefinite timeframe, you have over two years to accomplish your goals.

3. One Blog Post Everyday For A Month

On the website of the National Blog Posting Month group, a theme for each month is announced. You can use this theme to come up with your daily posts. You can also write about anything that suits your fancy.

4. One Hundred Push Ups Challenge

Do you want to discover how fit you can be? Then this physical challenge is perfect for you. The goal of this challenge is to increase your strength using the hundred push ups training program. After continuously following their progressive training program, you will soon be able to perform 100 consecutive push ups.

5. 5-A-Day Challenge

If you have trouble getting the daily recommended serving of fruits and vegetables, then you could take on this challenge. The goal is to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.

6. Project 365

This challenge has many variations. You can either take a self-portrait everyday for one year; you can also write something everyday for one year; you can also take various photos of your everyday life. You can search for other variants of this challenge or you can make your own. The main goal is to be able to look at yourself and your lifethrough the outputs of this challenge.

7. 100 Thing Challenge

The 100 Thing Challenge was created out of the need to go against “American-style consumerism”. What you do is you pick out 100 things that are essential for you to survive. Every time you buy something new, you have to throw out something else. This is a wonderful challenge to undertake if you are suffering from a cluttered home or if you want to go minimalist.

You can only grow as a person if you constantly challenge yourself. Nothing will happen if you remain content with what you know and what you are right now. There will always be room for improvement and change. Don’t settle for anything less if you know that you can be better.

Are You A Love Addict?

Hi guys! So I was doing my usual web explorations when I came across this. Love addiction! I think with this digital age we are more vocal online than we are offline so I think love addiction is more rampant than ever. Wonder if you are a love addict yourself?

Here are some typical signs of love or romantic addiction:

• Frequently mistaking intense sexual experiences or romantic infatuation for love
• Constantly searching for romance and love
• Using sex as a means to find love
• Falling in love with people ‘met’ online yet hasn’t met them in real life
• Problems maintaining intimate relationships once the newness and excitement has worn off
• Consistent unhappiness or anxiety when alone
• When not in a relationship, misusing sex to mask loneliness
• Consistently choosing abusive or emotionally unavailable partners
• Giving emotionally, financially, or otherwise to partners who require a great deal of care-taking but do not or can not reciprocate what they are given
• When in a relationship feeling detached, fearful, or unhappy; when out of a relationship, feeling desperate and alone
• Using sex, money, seduction, drama, or other schemes to “hook” or hold onto a partner
• Missing out on important family, career, recreational, or social experiences in order to find, create, or maintain a romantic relationship
• Giving up, by avoiding sex or relationships for long periods of time, to “solve the problem”
• Being unable to leave unhealthy or abusive relationships despite repeated promises to self or others
• Returning to previously unmanageable or painful relationships despite promises to self or others not to

For those seeking a long-term a relationship, healthy romantic intensity is the catalyst that brings about the bonding necessary to sustain love and attachment. The beginning stages of a potential love relationship are the most exhilarating because that emotional state helps us to bond and attach. This is when how that date looks, walks, talks, eats, and thinks is the subject of endless fantasy, excitement, and late night phone calls. Romance itself, with or without sex, does encourage personal growth when we are open to learning. Only then can each new relationship offer insight and self-awareness. Most people easily relate to that “rush” of first love and romance, the stuff of endless songs, greeting cards, and fantasy, but understand that it is a temporary state and not the final product of a healthy relationship.

More than romance, intensity, or even great sex, real intimacy is an experience of being known and accepted by someone over time. Loving relationships develop in part as those first exhilarating times together form a foundation of a deeper, long-term closeness. It is that deeper closeness which ultimately feeds our hearts and keeps us content long after the rush of new romance has passed. 

Guide to Applying Makeup

Put on cosmetics in the right sequence for the best effect and minimal mistakes. 

Step 1: Eyes

Experts suggest applying eye makeup before any other cosmetics so colored speckles don’t fall onto concealer or foundation.  

Shadow goes first, then liner, then mascara.

Step 2: Concealer

For Dark Circles and Spots 
To counteract shadowy areas, use a finger to pat on a creamy cover-up that is a shade lighter than your skin.

For Blemishes 
Dab oil-free moisturizer onto spots first; this will prevent a cover-up from looking dry or cakey. Then apply a pore-clearing formula with salicylic acid.

Step 3: Foundation

If you need to minimize redness or discoloration, blend on a lightweight foundation sparingly with your fingers or a sponge.

Step 4: Powder
Choose one to give your cover-ups staying power (a sheer powder follows, for those who prefer that option).

Bronzing Powder 

For a sun-inspired glow, concentrate on the tops of the cheekbones and the tip of the nose. You can use a loose foundation in a deep shade

Sheer Powder 

For skin that gets shiny or to help set concealer, dust on a translucent formula. 

Step 5: Blush

Enliven a sallow or blah complexion with a color that is one shade brighter than you think you need, suggest experts. 

Step 6: Lip Color
This goes on nearly last so you don’t smudge it while working on the rest of your face.

Lipstick 

When you want the most finished, pulled-together look, pick a stick or a stain. Its rich pigments coat lips in a uniform color. (If you’re going bright or dark, apply with a brush for precision.) 

Lip Gloss 

For the sheerest effect, go for gloss. It’s see-through and light-reflecting, so it makes lips look full. Avoid highly frosted formulas, which can look dated. 

Step 7: Brows

 Finally, let the rest of your makeup dictate how much brow definition you need. If you’ve gone with a natural look, simply smooth hairs into place. When you’re wearing more color, apply a defining powder, then brush to blend.

All the featured make up products are of the same quality as of MAC and Chanel. Don't miss the chance to buy it for a lower price.

If you want to buy any of the featured products online please do visit:

http://www.marketphilippines.com.ph/floyd85 Or you can visit our facebook page for inquiries and more product details: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vital-Solutions/189653871074639?sk=wall

Batang Snatcher

Nabiktima ka na ba ng snatcher? Let me tell you guys of my experience.

It was late afternoon and me and my sister was walking along the streets when all of the sudden, I felt someone reaching in my back pocket. So I turned and saw a kid pulling out my purse. The kid hurriedly ran with my purse. I had just received a bit of my salary and I was planning to buy medicine for my sick dog. I went after him, I didn't even bother that I was running in the middle of an intersection! So I ran and I stopped upon seeing a parish guard. I asked for help and the first thing he said was, " Wala na yung bata malamang nakasakay na ng taxi." I was outraged since I can still see the kid running away so I pointed the direction. It was only that instant that he decided to run after it. The kid however managed to ride a jeepney and we lost him. I was so devastated with the money gone and my dog still sick. It so happened that the tanods of that certain baranggay saw me still trying to trace where the kid went off. They suggested that I should report it to the baranggay hall. We decided to just go home. I was crying because I worked hard for the money and somehow I blamed myself for being too lenient by not putting my money in a safer place. While we were on our way, the tanod called me up. He said they managed to capture the kid. So I went but to my disappointment, the money couldn't be recovered. The kid said there were four of them and so I went with the tanods to put up a blotter in the police station. The police officer was not surprised at all he said, "Hay naku! Nagnakaw ka nanaman? Ilang beses ko na kayo pinagsabihan." So he went to take the kid to the detention cell, I could hear the kid screaming. It so happened that the police was scolding the kid. I couldn't see what was happening and all I could hear was the squealing of the kid with every hit. This was one incident that I will never forget. I went home sad. Not because I lost money. I was saddened with the fact that kids who will eventually be the future of our country are exposed to the harsh world. Whatever happened to children rights? Were they even given the chance to live a decent life? The problems we face in the streets are just a reflection of our countries state. Children who are supposed to go to school and live a good life are forced to do evil things just to earn money. I then thought about the RH bill, will it be able to solve such problems? I don't think so. We have grown too accustomed of the freedom we have that we forget our responsibilities. We go on and do things without caring for the long term problems it has in store for us. We have lots of policies but it is only written in paper. For as long as we refuse to take responsibility and go on blaming one another or the government, we will only end up like a bunch of Filipinos who are on a sinking boat. We keep on complaining about everything but do we ever take a solid act to solve problems?

Back In Action

For the past few months, my internet was down so I couldn't post as much as I wanted to. Now that I have a new internet service provider. I'll do my best to write as much about things going around my side of the planet. Right now, I'm gearing up for a big pageant. Yes! Another pageant.... Lol. I'm proud to say that I'm one of the official candidates for Miss Mandaue 2011. This is not my first time trying this grand pageant. 2010 I tried made it to Top 30 but didn't make it as a finalist. Now I'm back and I'm gonna give it a good fight not like last time.... As for Dory, he took a big risk start of this year. He is now busy with his new business. He will be writing more of it sometime soon. He is pretty enthusiastic to the point that he even talks about it all of the sudden while driving. The start of this year was not easy for both of us. We had to deal with issues. Men are really from Mars and I'm one of those who are from Venus. Anyways we had a major fight which pretty much lasted for like two days. Anyways, good to know we both want things to work out and we communicate more than ever before. We are counting down the months before we reach our first year mark of being both insane. Keep you guys posted on everything on my side of the planet! :)