2014 Monthly Goals 2014 – January

There are so many things I want to do and buy for the year 2014 like buying a new flat screen TV, tiling my front porch and redoing my entire bathroom/comfort room; but due to a legal battle that I am involved with, I might not be able to do much this year.

I work hard and I want to see results from my hard earned money so I came out with monthly goals that I can use as a guide. I don’t earn much so I know that I won’t be buying that flat screen TV I really like on the first month but I am saving a portion every month that will allow me to buy the TV in a year.

So, my January Goals are to:

ü Participate in the 53 weeks saving challenge and save P500 ($12) for the first month.

ü Save 50 pesos ($1.2) a day for a total of 1550 pesos ($37) and have our printer repaired.

ü Buy the January Glamourbox (a beauty subscription box) that costs around 600 pesos ($14.2). And…

That is pretty much it. It’s not that much but when you are a single mother like MUAH then you know that every single cent counts. I know the Glamourbox is not a need but I count it as my only splurge since I don’t go out, I don’t but clothes or any other kind of things for my own as most of my money goes to food and electricity.

What are your goals for the month of January? Do share it with me at the comments below and let’s try and do it at the start of every month and evaluate our goals at the end of each month.

I love you and miss you all!

Grandma's Famous Home Remedies for Colds

Source The counter cold, also called cold or cold, is a highly contagious infection that attacks the upper respiratory system. It differs from the flu because the symptoms of the latter are stronger with high fever and more coughing, And the recovery time is longer while the cold is milder and healing is faster. It is important that people do not consume antibiotics because it will only manage to mask the symptoms and delay the healing process. Hence the importance of the natural choice by home remedies.

The most common symptoms of a cold include:

• ü  Running nose
• ü  Sneezing
• ü  Stuffy and runny nose
• ü  Painful and itching nose
• ü  Headache
• ü  Watery eyes
• ü  Cough

Famous home for cold that your grandma will swore it works a hundred years ago and it will work for a hundred more years. Others may consider these as myths but hey! These recipes exist for a reason!

• Ø  Mix a tablespoon of honey horseradish enough for chest congestion. 
• Ø  Make infusion of one teaspoon of bay leaves, a cinnamon and sage in a cup of water and boil.
• Ø  Heat, but not boiling, a cup of milk, where you should pour a tablespoon of butter and black pepper or you can use butter and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger more honey to taste.
• Ø  Stir two tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of hot or cold water and drink three glasses during the day.
• Ø  Prepare a mustard plaster for chest congestion caused by the common cold or flu.   To do this, make a paste with equal parts dry mustard and flour mixed with warm water.   Apply and plaster, should cover the breast with olive oil.
• Ø  Apply saline drops to the nostrils. Saline recipe: 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup of warm water.
• Ø  Keep a clove of garlic between the teeth and the inside of the cheek, lightly bitten, but without chewing or swallowing; it will help fight colds and nasal congestion.
• Ø  A remedy very popular by grandmothers is sweating. Using small very thick glass tumblers called "bankas" that burns inside a paper or cotton. Then apply these to the back of the patient Once cooled, a vacuum is formed, according to tradition, is a sign that the infection has been removed from the body.
• Ø  Inhaling steam for 10 minutes twice a day.   For this, you must cover your head with a towel and, with eyes closed, inhale the fumes coming out of a bowl with boiling water. To enhance the effect, inhaling steam from eucalyptus or juniper infusions.

Some tips to avoid colds:

• Stay away from people with colds
• Wash hands frequently especially being with the patient
• Do not share towels or utensils with someone with a cold

Some tips to feel better if you have not been able to avoid

• Rest for the body to invest all their energy to heal
• Avoid smoking
• Eating properly not abuse fats because the body would have to devote resources to digestion, rather than overcome infection.
• Avoid excessively hot or cold foods, as they can irritate the throat and mucosal damage which slows healing.
• Drink plenty of fluids, but do not contain caffeine. When the body is well hydrated with water, juice, etc.., more effectively combat the cold. However, you should not take any liquid. Drinks with caffeine or alcohol should be avoided, because they predispose to dehydration of the body, which favors cold stay inside.

Some recommendations to unclog the nose:

• Increase the humidity in the air with a vaporizer or humidifier.
• Staying upright or with the head slightly raised (with several pillows) when lying down, and that congestion is compounded by having his head in a low position.

The 7 Most Popular and Best Diets to Lose Weight

Source

Women always tend to go to break diets and indeed the promise of dieting is the New Year's resolution most popular in the world. Going on a diet is easy, but keeping it is not.

No wonder that even when there are so many wonderful diet plans in the world, very few people succeed.

If you are really determined to get in shape, then you could start with any of the best weight loss diets listed here.

1. Atkins diet - You should be familiar with the name of this diet invented by Dr. Robert Atkins in 1972, it is one of the most popular diets and reliable out there. Not only will it help with your weight loss in the short term but many fitness experts also recommend this diet for long-term goals.

It is a diet indulgent apparently no carb heavy restrictions as such, the only thing you cannot touch are breads and sweets.

Itchy Scalp

Source

The scalp starts to itch without warning for the most part due to the abuse of hair care product or the products you use that are too aggressive. Sooner or later, your head begin to erode in that part. It is recommended to use proper products and not to abuse products like shampoos, dyes, hair gels, hairspray, especially hair cuticle oil that when exposed to the sun could not only cause scalp itchiness but damage your hair altogether. It is strongly recommended to use gentle products.

Keep Your Hair Healthy even with Constant Hair Drier

Long and shiny hair is the envy of many girls. Our crowning glory can certainly attract a lot of attention from other people and the pressure to keep it healthy and beautiful could lead to many products and salon jobs that could only ruin the hair.

Source

Years ago, ladies with curly or frizzy hair have to use multiple products to tame the frizz that take months before result is seen and to live with the frizz and the curls until that day comes. But in today’s generation, a simple hair drier is all it takes to make any hair straight and shiny.

But, like the skin, our hair may burn when it is exposed to too much heat. At controlled heat, the drier will evaporate excess moisture and straighten the in the process but too much heat is a big NO - NO!

Keep your hair straight and healthy even when using a hair drier. Take these 5 easy steps to keep your hair healthy.

1. Protect – too much heat will damage your hair; think how much your hair goes through if you do this practice every single day for work or school? Protect your hair from further damage by using products like creams, serums and oils that is activated by heat forming a film that will protect the hair during drying. There are many brands available in drugstores and supermarkets; find one that you can afford.

2. Read the manual - You can use your drier if you handle it properly and your manual can tell you exactly how to that.

3. Respect your limits - Those who have oily hair should make sure that the drier is more than 5 cm away from the roots. The heat stimulates the production of the sebaceous glands that will produce more oil.

4. Dandruff – Limit using driers if you have dandruff as heat is a factor for your dandruff to itch and may even lead to seborrheic dermatitis.

5. How much can you handle? - It doesn't mean that you can take the heat that the hair can too. If the heat is too much when you hover your hands near it then it is too much for your hair too.


Learn how to blow dry frizzy and curly hair from this lovely YouTube Guru!!!

Win free Classic Glasses from FIRMOO - International

I’m sure netizens around the globe heard of FIRMOO.COM already. Firmoo is the World's Most Popular Online Eyeglasses Store who have always been committed to offering customers the best quality products at the most affordable prices which start at 8 dollars- 80%-90% lower compared to that in local store.

Firmoo currently has a program that helps you get your first pair totally free! Yes, first item is free and you only have to pay for its shipping fee. How cool is that??

But for now, Firmoo has agreed to sponsor me again and not just to review their products and services but to sponsor a giveaway! Aren’t Firmoo the best? This is the second time Firmoo would sponsor my blog, read my review.

The Prizes!

Prizes may vary depending on number of participants. Once participants reach 50+ Firmoo will give a pair of glasses from their Classic Series.

-                      1 winner of one pair of glasses from the Classic Series!

 If participants are less than 50 firmoo will give 6 winners a eVoucher worth $20 each that you can use in their site. And most of their glasses from the classic series are less than that!

-                      6 winners of eVoucher each worth $20!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can use your TWITTER account OR Email account for Google Friend Connect (GFC) found on the sidebar!!!

- Leave your comment together with your email add

- the winner will receive an email and must respond within 48 hours

Good Luck and tweet everyday for better chances of winning!

Learn more about how to place an Order, Shipping and Tracking!

Chicken Empanada

I have recently been counting my calories as part of my weight loss journey. And ever since I started paying more attention to what I eat and been going to the gym at least 2 – 3 times I week, I have lost 8 pounds already!

I lost those 8 pounds in a span of one month which we all know is at a healthy rate. 

I have been scouring the internet for delicious and healthy meals that is low on calorie and friendly on the pocket. One of my favorite lunch this days are this flaky Empanada that is 143 calories per serving only. Now how great is that??? 

And the best part is, you experiment with different fillings- may that be different kinds of meat or vegetable! And it’s very friendly on the pocket at 20 PHP per pockets! Now how great is that? 

Recipe for the flaky dough is from Marian Blazes! Cut the dough recipe into half.!

Filling: Makes 8 regular sized empanada!

½ cup ground chicken 

2 tbsps oyster sauce 

1 tbsp cornstarch 

1 large onion 

1 tbsp brown sugar 

¼ cup water 

2 tbsps oil 

Salt and pepper 

•  Vegetables may also be added like potatoes and carrots. 

Instructions: 

1. In a wok heat oil and add onion until translucent. 

2. Add chicken and brown a little. 

3. Mix in Oyster sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and mix carefully. 

4. Mix water and cornstarch and pour into wok. Mix until think and cut the heat.

Preparing the Empanadas!

Knead: Turn dough onto lightly floured surface until smooth.

Divide: Divide dough into balls in a size enough to hold inside your closed fist.

Fill: Roll out each dough into a an 8-inch round. Divide filling    evenly among rounds, spreading it over half of each and leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Fold: Brush border of bottom halves with water; fold top halves over filling to enclose completely. Press edges to seal with your fingertips, then crimp firmly with a fork.

Baked for 20 minutes at 250 degrees. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating. best eaten the nest day when its cold with hot coffee.

Lifestyle Change... for real this time, I hope!

I know I was gone for more than a year but life has been really busy and good since second half last year until now. 

I don't want to go into details yet on that part yet but I will soon.

I have so much to tell all of you but the one thing that I am very excited about is how I am changing my life now. As in big changes! 

• I stopped smoking! ,
• Eating healthily now 1200-1500 calories per day and,
• I started going to the gym again

Best part of all is that I was able to influence my sister to eat what I eat and to go to the gym with. It’s kind of our thing now!

This blog will undergo changes to accommodate these new changes in myself. 

Banana Muffins w/ Gooey Chocolate

I love making muffins and breads out of bananas not just because bananas are available in the Philippines all year round but because I simply love it hot and soft with my coffee on a rainy day or just about any day.

My New Avs from Firmoo!

After two weeks of waiting a package from FIRMOO.com finally arrive and I am loving it!!!

Two weeks ago while playing Battle Tetris in Facebook, an advertisement on it's sidebar invites bloggers from all over the world to link there website url in exchange for a pair glasses/shades caught my attention and I immediately requested for a pair.