A balance LIFE..

It's a long weekend here. It was public holiday on Friday, now I still have my Saturday and Sunday, yay. Yesterday I was having a family gathering and as always, the gathering brought good feelings and of course, smile on my face. At the end of the day I was thinking about having a balance life. A life that somehow can give us a balance between our personal and social life, between our inner thoughts and at the same time letting insight from other to interrupt our thoughts. I always believe that life is always about balance. There won't be a "Yin and Yang" concept int eh first place if people don't believe in a well balance life. Here a few tips on a well balanced life from Essential Life Skills.

Tips for living a well balanced life

1. Take care of and nurture yourself.

   You cannot accomplish anything if you're unhealthy. Get plenty of rest, exercise and eat properly. Many people think they can burn the candle at both ends, eat junk food, get very little exercise, and still function adequately. You may be able to get away with this for a while if you're quite young, however, at some point this type of life style will catch up with the best of us. Burnout is a real possibility.

   You may want to set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music. Or, allow yourself to unwind after a hectic day by reading, meditating or taking a nice hot bath.
   

2. Know what your priorities are.
   Balance doesn't mean do everything you can. Examine your values and decide what's important to you, then set your boundaries. You may be in the process of building a career, starting a family or going to school. Depending on what stage you're at in your life, your focus and energies will be different. Try not to become overwhelmed by juggling too many big projects in your life at once. Maybe planning a wedding is not a good idea when you're studying for the bar exam. Nor, is starting a family when you are unsure about your career direction, or relationship status. Not knowing what you want and trying to do everything at once can be a recipe for disaster instead of the road to leading a well balanced life. Try not to bite off more than you can chew.


3. Create an efficient mindset.
   Be organized and plan ahead. Take time at the beginning of each week to assess what needs to be done. Make a to-do list in a planner or calendar for upcoming appointments, exams to write or study for, or meetings to attend. Be sure to assign recreation and quality time for yourself and your family as well. Taking time to connect with family and friends will recharge your batteries and make you more efficient in the long run.


4. Expect the unexpected.
   Rather than get stressed and upset, allow yourself to roll with the punches when something you have no control over happens. You may get stuck in traffic, your computer could crash or your child could get sick with the chickenpox. Stuff happens. We've all experienced the unexpected. If you accept that anything can happen at any time, it's less likely it throw you off your stride when it does. Be able to adjust your game plan.

   Note also, that there are times when achieving balance may not be possible. For instance, you may have a family or career crisis that needs your immediate and undivided attention. It may require an exceptional amount of your time and resources. When that happens, do whatever it takes and when things go back to normal take time to refresh and rejuvenate yourself.
   

5. Maintain a positive mental attitude.
   Begin each day with the intention of making the best and most of it. It may not always go as planned, but it can go more smoothly if you put it in perspective. Part of living a well-balanced life is learning how to deal with adversity, unforeseen events and uncertainty. If you practice not letting things get to you, you will not only learn to live a well balanced and less stressful life, you will learn to live in and savor the moment. Once you've done everything you can within your control, let your life unfold. Be prepared for the future, but don't worry about it.

(source from Essential Life Skills - images from dropular and flickr)

Pugs for Hugs

Aren't they adorable? Somebody please find me other words to express how cute these pugs are. Does anybody knows why pugs always looks so sad? Everytime I see the faces, I feel like hugging them=( I do hope it's just the face but they feel happy inside...just can't wait to see them wag their tails. However, have you seen their faces when pugs smile? So cute. It's like they really know how to brighten someone's day. One source said that "Pugs are the ultimate companion dog, Pugs are affectionate, devoted, trainable, sweet, and up for any game you're willing to play."

(image sources: theanimalblog, chee blog, weheartit, vi.sualize.us , flickr)

...who walks humbly

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Yesterday I felt like my emotion was playing trick on me. It's like I've been tested by my emotion to see whether I am mature enough. I was about to explode because I was so angry of something that I am sure was not my fault but then I took a deep breath and think think think that it's not worth my energy to argue with someone who didn't even know about what is right and what is wrong. So, there I was, be in my silent and think about nothing else that controlling my emotion while at the same time working out my logical sense.

Did I pass the test? I guess so, I don't know exactly. All I know that, that thing happened for a reason. Maybe it really was a test for me, whatever it is I am sure that I can learn something priceless yesterday. However, out of nowhere I found this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. It's about a mature person. The quote really hit me and now I am sure that I was the one "who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life". Thank you Dear Eleanor Roosevelt for giving me strength when I needed it=)

“A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

(image from here)

Emotional improvement

How to change your life to a better way? Most of the time I think our emotions play important life when it comes to improving our inner life. When I looked it up on Wikipedia, it says that emotion is associated with mood, temperament, personality, and disposition. Can we say that emotions are feelings? I think so. Emotion can show how we truly feel about something. Furthermore, emotions affect our behavior and how we perceive things. I can say that sometimes my emotions can play tricks on me. Once or twice I feel like I don't know which way to go because of my emotional condition. You know that woman tend to use their emotional side more often than man, right? I stumbled upon this list on this website, the list shows us the points that can improve our life by making improvement on our emotional side.

Emotional - Improve your emotional life with these simple strategies to improve your health and relationships.

• Make an effort to be happy: Whether you actually feel happy or not, make it a point to attempt happiness. It will help you feel better, as well as others around you.
• Consider religion: If you’re not a spiritual person, consider becoming more involved with religion to improve your emotional well-being.
• Stop taking things personally: Although it may seem to the contrary, know that not everyone is out to make your life harder.
• Be optimistic: Put a positive spin on things and feel better about the future. This inludes staying positive about your romantic prospects.
• Know when to lose sleep: Sometimes, you have more important things to do than sleep, but they key is knowing when that should happen.
• Step out of your comfort zone: Make it a point to step out of your comfort zone once in awhile. It’s a great way to advance yourself.
• Get rid of ill-fitting clothing: Clothes that don’t fit right will just make you look bad and feel worse about yourself. If you love a piece, but it just doesn’t look good, consider getting it tailored.
• Spend time with a child: Look at the world through a child’s eyes and get inspired. You’ll learn to appreciate simple things and see life with excitement.
• Pamper yourself: Take care of yourself, whether that means getting a pint of ice cream now and then, or just getting a spa treatment.
• Celebrate your successes: When you’ve accomplished something great, take a moment to feel good about it!
• Quit your technology addiction: Although you may love your BlackBerry, you’ll feel a whole lot better if you just step away from the screen for a while.
• Set goals: By setting goals, you’ll give yourself something to strive for and look forward to.
• Feel good about yourself: Make a decision to improve your self-confidence, and you’ll feel better. Others will notice it, too.
• Be thankful: Every now and then, take some time to acknowledge all of the good things you have in your life, big and small.
• Cut yourself some slack: Avoid inventing your own impossible, stringent rules that you have to stick to-they’ll only make you feel nervous and guilty.
• Let go of the past: Don’t hold grudges-let go, and you’ll free up emotional space.
• Don’t be dramatic: Stop inflating small problems, or you’ll make yourself more anxious than you need to be.
• Express yourself: Let your emotions come out through art, writing, or other forms of expression.
• Meditate: Take some time out every day to have an inner dialogue with yourself.

(source from here - images from weheartit, flickr and here)

Paper Cups..

Who would've thought that paper cups can be so fun? I found this on Imagine & Make. This one is called ABC PAPER CUP.

Be organized

I love to see things that are organized. I always keep my wardrobe and room neat. I arrange my books based on the type of books, I sort my CDs on an alphabetic order, I stack my clothes based on the colors and so on. Some people find it quite annoying when I can't stand seeing something that are out of place. My boyfriend even said that I have an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I don't feel offended because that's just the way I am. Sometimes we even laugh when I unconsciously rearrange things that are not mine, like in a restaurant or in a grocery store haha. So, here are some inspirations for those of you who want to be organized. The decor below are so great. I love it all. So neat, so organized, everything is in its place.

(images from countryliving, houseandhome, housetohome)

Splendid truths..

Truths are always the main thing when it comes to a relationship. I think there are no other things that can compare to the trust that can be build as a bridge that connects two people. Here are four splendid truths. The truths that you can build between you and yourself, in other words, between your logic and your feeling. I love the title because it has the word "splendid" on it =) It's a short list about the truth on happiness. I found this from The Happiness Project. Maybe some of you might think that it's all common sense, but I think we often forgot about those ordinary and common thoughts.

Four Splendid Truths

1. First: To be happier, you have to think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.
   
2. Second: One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.
3. Third: The days are long, but the years are short.
   
4. Fourth: You’re not happy unless you think you’re happy.

(image from vi.sualize.us & weheartit)

The way you look tonight

Have you noticed that there are so many versions of an old song titled "The Way You Look Tonight'?. It is one my my all time favorite songs. Even my favorite movie (My BestFriend's Wedding) use the song as one of the soundtrack. Love it so much. Basically I love all versions of the song..Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Michael Buble.

The last version the I'm currently love is the one which Kris Allen (American Idol 8) sings. The song sounds so lovely. His voice is so soothing. I don't know why but it always sounds good when someone who often sing rock songs finally get the urge to sing slow and soothing song. I have here three versions of the song. Kris Allen, Michael Buble and Tony Bennett. See which version do you like the most. For sure this song will be on my wedding song playlist

The Way You Look Tonight

Some day, when I'm awfully low,
When the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight.

Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm And your cheeks so soft,
There is nothing for me but to love you, And the way you look tonight.

With each word your tenderness grows, Tearing my fear apart...
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose, It touches my foolish heart.

Lovely ... Never, ever change. Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it ? 'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight.

Cheesecake love..

I love Oreo so much, I love cookies and cream, I love cheese cake. When I first saw this recipe I was madly in love...you can call it a triple LOVE. Do you want to know what the recipe is? It's called Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes. Don't you just love the way it sounds? I love it for sure. Not just about the taste, but the size is also perfect. I always love to have bite-size cake. I got this recipe from Handle the Heat. which was adopted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. I am sure I'm gonna give this recipe a shot.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

Makes 30 (Note: I halved this recipe and it was very easy)

Ingredients:

• 42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Be energetic

How are you today? Wednesday is here. Last weekend I had fun and the last two days of the week have been a busy day too. Now I feel a little bit exhausted. Feels like I left some of my energy somewhere. How do you feel when you have lots of things to do but somehow you feel a bit tired? I think everyone wants to feel energetic.

I found this tips from Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project. It says that energetic is a key to feeling happy. I do believe it. I believe that when you feel energetic, you always have the cheerful feeling and I do believe that when you do things cheerfully, you will get the best result. That's because you have to pressure doing the things. Remember that energy is like happiness, it is contagious. So you might as well be energetic so people can feel the energy when they are a round you=)

Eight Tips for Feeling More Energetic.

1. Exercise—even a quick ten-minute walk will increase your energy and boost your mood. This really works! Try it!

2. Listen to lively music.

3. Get enough sleep. If the alarm blasts you out of a sound sleep every morning, you’re not getting enough—and it matters.

4. For some people, taking a 10-30 minute nap is a big help. I can’t nap, myself, but my father has been known to take three naps in one day.

5. Act energetic. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up. Also, because the way we act influences the way we feel (to an almost uncanny degree), by acting energetic you'll make you feel more energetic.

6. Talk to friends. I’ve noticed that if I’m feeling low, and then run into a friend on the street, I walk away feeling much more energetic. Reach out if you need a boost. This is true for introverts and extroverts alike.

7. Get something done. Crossing a nagging chore off your to-do list provides a big rush of energy. For a huge surge, clean out a closet. You’ll be amazed at how great you feel afterward.

8. Do NOT use food. It’s tempting to reach for a carton of ice cream when you’re feeling listless, but in the end, all those extra calories will just drag you down. In general, be wary of the urge to treat yourself when you're feeling low.

(image from here and vi.sualize.us )

Star Home..

Want to have a peek to the home of the stars? Here you go. You can see here a glimpse of their house. We have here Seal and Heidi Klum in their kitchen, Jessica Alba and Cash Warren, relaxing beside the pool, Kara Dioguadi, Kate Walsh and Christina Aguilera. Each has his/her own style of decor. All picture from Instyle.

Seal and Heidi KlumJessica Alba and Cash WarrenKara DioguadiKate Walsh Christina Aguilera

If I had...

I found this really great writing about life by Erma Bombeck who was an American humorist and had the longest running columns in newspaper history. There writing is about what would someone do if they had to their life to live over. What would you do? I personally don't know the answer straight away when someone ask me the same question. But this writing can surely help us to see precious things we have in our life that we shouldn't take for granted. Not those big things happen in life but in fact, those are the small but meaningful things and thoughts we often have in our life.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculped like a rose before it melted
in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more
while watching life.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realising that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's"

. . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute . . .
look at it and really see it . . . and never give it back."— Erma Bombeck

(images from johner.com)

Sunny day..

The last couple of days have been so hot here in my place. The rain seems to hide somewhere. I love the warm of the sun since I am living in a tropical climate country. But if the sun is too hot, sometimes I can't stand of the humidity and the heat. So, I was browsing for a summer house and found these images from House to Home. Don't you think it's cute. I can imagine myself being in one of those cute little room on one sunny day, drinking lemon tea, reading book and just do nothing all day=) How's that sounds? FUN...

Tom Munro

All the photographs below were captured by Tom Munro. A photographer that I just found out a couple of days ago. I always love to see works of a famous photographer, not just the photo itself but the actual meaning of the image, the clothes, the colors, the setting, the people who's in the photo and so on. Below are the images of My fave Dustin Hoffman, Jude Law, Victoria Beckham, Scarlett Johanson, Leonardo DiCaprio by Tom Munro. You can see his other work on his website here.

Life lessons

Life always offers us continuous lessons. As we live our life, we always have to be able to pick up the good things that life offers to us. Even if something bad happens, there's always good reason behind it. These are the things that life taught us, we didn't learn this from school but from life.

Gratitude is a simple way to make yourself feel happy.

Sure, I was probably told that I should be grateful. Perhaps because it was the right thing to do or just something I should do. But if someone had said that feeling grateful about things for minute or two is a great way to turn a negative mood into a happy one I would probably have practised gratitude more. It is also a good tool for keeping your attitude up and focusing on the right things. And to make other people happy. Which tends to make you even happier, since emotions are contagious.

First, give value. Then, get value. Not the other way around.

This is a bit of a counter-intuitive thing. There is often an idea that someone should give us something or do something for us before we give back. The problem is just that a lot of people think that way. And so far less than possible is given either way. If you want to increase the value you receive (money, love, kindness, opportunities etc.) you have to increase the value you give. Because over time you pretty much get what you give. It would perhaps be nice to get something for nothing. But that seldom happens.

Be proactive. Not reactive.

This one ties into the last point. If everyone is reactive then very little will get done. You could sit and wait and hope for someone else to do something. And that happens pretty often, but it can take a lot of time before it happens. A more useful and beneficial way is to be proactive, to simply be the one to take the first practical action and get the ball rolling. This not only saves you a lot of waiting, but is also more pleasurable since you feel like you have the power over your life. Instead of feeling like you are run by a bunch of random outside forces.

Mistakes and failures are good.

When you are young you just try things and fail until you learn. As you grow a bit older, you learn from - for example - school to not make mistakes. And you try less and less things. This may cause you to stop being proactive and to fall into a habit of being reactive, of waiting for someone else to do something. I mean, what if you actually tried something and failed? Perhaps people would laugh at you? Perhaps they would. But when you experience that you soon realize that it is seldom the end of the world. And a lot of the time people don’t care that much. They have their own challenges and lives to worry about. And success in life often comes from not giving up despite mistakes and failure. It comes from being persistent.

(source from Henrik Edberg. from here - images via tumblr)

Expect the Unexpected things..

When you are waiting for something to be happening, do you leave some space for unexpected things? I think it's always wise to do that. It doesn't make you a pessimist but I do think it makes you become a person who are able to face the reality. Sometimes reality bites but sometimes reality offers us the best things that life can offer.

I found this article by Michelle Starkey about how we have to learn to release some of the expectations that can limit us from what can be happening later on. Here's what I think about the logic sense, if we focus more only on the expectations, we put less attention on the process on making the expectation occur. In this case, we give less effort on making things to happen. On the contrary, if we know what to expect later and now we're focusing more on the process...therefore we'll get better result=) Things You'll Need:

• Open Mind
• Trust
• Faith

Expectations. We all have them whether we realize it or not. Trouble is, they can limit us in many ways. Learn to release expectations and lead a more fulfilling life!

1. First, look at your life and current situations. What are they the result of? Were you consciously making choices or taking action or is you life merely a by-product of limited thinking?

2. Courageous Cougar - What do you expect? You expect your parents to have unconditional love for you, your spouse to read you mind, your children to behave themselves in public, life to treat you fairly and more. What if these things don't happen? Then what? You may feel cheated, slighted, unlucky, disappointed or depressed.
3. Sly Fox - Learn to become peaceful with whatever has happened in your life, what is occurring now and whatever the future brings by developing faith. Faith comes in many forms and from many sources: other people, nature, spirituality and your religion.
4. Lone wolf - Take nature, for example. Do you think the coyote goes out at night and EXPECTS to catch a rabbit for dinner? Probably not. He goes out, howls at the moon & sniffs around a bit. Maybe a bunny is nearby, maybe not. He doesn't know and he doesn't really care. He knows he is going to eat eventually and isn't going to starve to death. He trusts his abilities and has faith in nature.
5. Wise Owl - Expectations are limiting. Having them is a way of setting limits on your achievements. You may say, "I expect to be a multi-millionaire by the time I'm 35 years old." This may be viewed as goal setting, but in reality you may be selling yourself short! You may have reached that goal by the time you were 25, who knows?
6. Peaceful Dolphin - Let's face it, things don't always go according to plan and that's okay! Your plan may be not be the best one anyway. As a matter of fact, going with the flow is good advice. When we relax, trust and release our pre-conceived notions we attain inner peace. And isn't that one of the most valuable assets we humans can possess? I'll close with one of my favorite sayings: God's plan works, your's doesn't!

(source from eHow - image from flickr, ffffound, flickr)