Monday, December 24, 2012

Holiday...

Hello everyone. How's your weekend? My weekend plans were ruined because of the massive traffic jam and also the continuous raining down here. My husband had a plan to go to the zoo to bring our daughter and I was going to attend my friend's wedding party. Turned out that we couldn't do any of our plans. So we just stayed at home...enjoying family time and the raining of course.

So have you got any plan for this year end holiday? Whatever plans that you have, I hope that you'll have a great time. As for me, I'm not going anywhere but I am surely going to spend the holiday with my family. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate....I will try to make postings on holiday (hopefuly I can). But if I can't..we will surely meet again on 2013. Happy holiday xoxo

(image via weheartit)

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Simple Rituals

Simple things can often be the most important things in our life or at least have important effect to our life. Below is a lost of 6 simple rituals that we can do everyday to create a potential day, written by Amber Rae from FastCompany



6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day


Here are the six simple rituals he uses to perform at his highest, which you too can begin implementing right away:
  1. Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so you’re naturally dehydrated in the morning. A glass of water when you wake helps start your day fresh. When do you drink your first glass of water each day? 
  2. Define your top 3. Every morning Mike asks himself, “What are the top three most important tasks that I will complete today?” He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn’t sleep until the Top 3 are complete. What’s your "Top 3" today? 
  3. The 50/10 Rule. Solo-task and do more faster by working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only one important task with 10 minute breaks in between. Mike spends his 10 minutes getting away from his desk, going outside, calling friends, meditating, or grabbing a glass of water. What’s your most important task for the next 50 minutes? 
  4. Move and sweat daily. Regular movement keeps us healthy and alert. It boosts energy and mood, and relieves stress. Most mornings you’ll find Mike in a CrossFit or a yoga class. How will you sweat today? 
  5. Express gratitude. Gratitude fosters happiness, which is why Mike keeps a gratitude journal. Every morning, he writes out at least five things he’s thankful for. In times of stress, he’ll pause and reflect on 10 things he’s grateful for. What are you grateful for today? 
  6. Reflect daily. Bring closure to your day through 10 minutes of reflection. Mike asks himself, “What went well?” and “What needs improvement?” So... what went well today? How can you do more of it?
(article from fastcompany.com - image via favim)

Monday, December 17, 2012

Solitude...

I am completely agree with the quote below. It's about being alone once in a while. I do believe that we must be alone every once in a while to be able to speak to ourselves in order to know what we feel inside without having an interference from other thoughts from other people. This doesn't mean that we'll be a loner or lonely, it's just those little time we can spend for ourselves. 

 
 We must become so alone, so utterly alone, that we withdraw into our innermost self. It is a way of bitter suffering. But then our solitude is overcome, we are no longer alone, for we find that our innermost self is the spirit, that it is God, the indivisible. And suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for our innermost soul we know ourselves to be one with all being.
- Hermann Hesse -

(image via favim)

Friday, December 14, 2012

Fluffy Pancakes

Here's a little something you can make in your kitchen this weeked. Is it just me or it's always good to have pancake anytime we want it? I love pancake, be it sweet or savoury. Look at the pancake image below...so very mouthwatering, isn't it? Fluffy warm pancake can always be the perfect comfort food...anytime! Here's a recipe of Lowfat Fluffy Buttermilk Pancake by The Realistic Nutritionist. Not only it's delicious but also lowfat..keep that in mind..lowfat. Words that can surely make you happy =) Have a great weekend everyone...


 Lowfat Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Yields about 8 pancakes.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Dash of oil for cooking

Directions: 

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda together.  Set aside. In another bowl, whisk the applesauce, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs together. Carefully add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients with a whisk (this will make the pancakes fluffy, do not stir with a spoon). Mixture will be chunky and lumpy (which is a good thing).
  2. Heat about 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan. Cook pancake on one side until the batter starts to bubble. Then, using a nonstick spatula, flip the pancake. Cook another 3 – 4 minutes, or until both sides are golden brown.

Nutritional information per pancake:

Calories: 155
Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 26.5 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 3.2 grams
Weight Watchers Points:  4


(image and recipe by nutritionfor.us)

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Rainy Mood




Do you love rainy days? I love rainy days so much. I am not a gloomy person but I do love rainy days so much especially if I can spend the rainy days at home =) I don't know why but the sound of the rain and the thunder can somehow make everything different, in a good way. Staying at home on a rainy day, listen to the sound of the rain is a bless. For those of you who love rainy days just like me, here a gift for you. I found a website about rainy days. It plays a sound of rain  so you can always hear the sound of the rain anytime you want too. Below is the link.



(image via pinterest)

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Cultivating Happiness


I stumbled upon this list of ways to cultivate your happiness by A. Irvin via Chrysalides. Happiness can be found everywhere. You don't need to look far to find it. It's up to us whether we can make something happy for us or not. 

50 Ways To Start Cultivating Happiness Today


SELF
    1. Learn about yourself through introspection.
    2. Define your core values and beliefs.
    3. Define your own purpose and direction.
    4. Love, value, and forgive yourself.
    5. Prioritize self-care (get enough sleep, healthy diet, relaxation, etc.).
    6. Live authentically.
RELATIONSHIPS
    7. Cultivate positive, supportive, and reciprocating relationships.
    8. Create healthy boundaries.
    9. Teach others how to treat you by loving and respecting yourself.
    10. Know the difference between dependence, independence, and interdependence.
    11. Seek relationships that cause your world to expand (your world should not feel smaller).
    12. Spend more time with inspiring people (and less time with negative people).
    13. Be inspiring to others.
    14. Don’t internalize or spread contagious negativity.
    15. Learn to ask for help, when needed.
ENVIRONMENT
    16. Simplify/organize your surroundings (get rid of excess).
    17. Design/create a personal sanctuary.
    18. Furnish your environment with inspiring materials (books, art, music, etc.)
    19. Enjoy a pet.
EXPERIENCES
    20. Be willing to learn and experience new things.
    21. Develop your creative skills and talents.
    22. Prioritize and schedule self-nurturing activities (pampering, self-care).
    23. Volunteer for a social cause.
    24. Seek peak experiences.
    25. Don’t wait for someday (start enjoying life today).
EMOTIONS
    26. Resist pessimistic thinking.
    27. Keep things in perspective.
    28. Accept that you can only control yourself and your own reactions.
    29. Don’t sweat the small stuff and choose your battles.
    30. Focus on the present (let go of the past, don’t worry about the future).
    31. Smile more.
    32. Increase your opportunities to share humor.
    33. Don’t allow negative moments to snowball (learn to bounce back quicker)
STRIVINGS
    34. Seek improvement over perfection.
    35. Challenge your self-limiting beliefs (you can achieve more than you think)
    36. Pursue meaningful goals.
    37. Find what you love to do and make it your life’s work.
    38. Redefine your beliefs about success (don’t confuse material acquisitions with success).
    39. Appreciate/celebrate your accomplishments and personal milestones.
    40. Give yourself permission to change your mind or direction when something isn’t working.
    41. Remember to enjoy the journey as much as the ultimate destination.
CENTEREDNESS
    42. Know that peace, love, and happiness are all generated from within.
    43. Learn to channel your awareness and attention (where your attention goes, energy flows).
    44. Learn to re-center and replenish using relaxation or meditation techniques.
    45. Recognize discomfort and boredom as a cues for change (versus distress)
    46. Seek fluidity over rigidity (become less resistant to change).
    47. Seek moments of solitude.
    48. When things change, embrace the new normal.
    49. Be thankful for what you have now, and live within your means.
    50. Practice gratitude.
    (article via angelairvin.com - image via: weheartit)

Amazing Cabin..

If there's one place I could be right at this very moment. I'd choose this place. It's a cabin located in the French mountains that I found on 1Kindesign. The place is amazingly beautiful. It's rustic (which I love), warm and also eclectic. So very perfect. The interior really fits my style. Here are the images of the oh-so-lovely cabin. 






Friday, December 7, 2012

Be Kind ..

Below is a quote of Mother Theresa that I always turn into when things didn't run smoothly in life. I think I've posted it before but I think it's worthy to post it once again as a reminder. It's about being a king, forgiving and good person. It's not an easy thing to be one but I believe that we, as a human, can always be the best version of ourselves. Have a great weekend everyone =)



“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. 
It was never between you and them anyway.” 
― Mother Teresa

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Mistakes...

In life...there were times when I regretted the things I've done or I haven't done. There were also mistakes that I regretted that make me feel like alway blaming myself for the mistakes I've done. Have you ever felt that way? For example, have you ever feel like you have failed to do something worthy for the one you love so much? What are you going to do about it? Do you blame yourself or you stand up, forget about the mistakes and continue doing the right thing to make it up?

I think blaming yourself on the mistakes is fine as long as you don't drown too long. I guess that it'll be worthy if we try to make it up as soon as possible. After all, we are only human that can easily make mistakes. We're not perfect but at least we tries our best to be the perfect person.

(image via sotrueteenquotes)

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

DIY Mug

This is such a great DIY idea for you if you have free time at home. It's called His+Her Sharpie Mug that I found on A Beautiful Mess. All you need is only a permanent marker. Write anything you like on he mug, make it for 30 minutes and done =) What a great idea ...


(image via A Beautiful Mess)

Friday, November 30, 2012

Perfect For You..

I stumble upon this quote from Bob Marley below and completely agree on every words he said. It's about a relationship you have with someone special. He may not be perfect, he may not be the one who you've always wanted but somehow the flaw he has makes him perfect..perfect for you =)

(image source: weheartit)

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Inner Peace


All that I want to say in this post is written on the image below. It's about peace. No matter where you are, peace can always be with you. It's in your heart. That is why inner peace is what we always have to gain. When you are busy and have no time for yourself, it's important that you have your inner peace. Below is an article from eHow about finding and achieving inner peace. 

How to Achieve Inner Peace


Instructions

    • 1
      Identify causes of stress in your life. Take some time to write down in a personal journal the various things in your life that cause stress; everything from work, to cooking dinner, to unloading the dishwasher should be included. It will help you get a good idea of where you are most stressed.
    • 2
      Set some time aside every day, even if just for five minutes, to meditate. Sit in a quiet place, put your hand on your heart and breath deeply. Clear all of stress and fatigue you have built up throughout the day.
    • 3
      Enjoy doing one thing at a time. Many people are overworked and too busy multi-tasking to see the abundance in their everyday lives. Focus on doing one thing instead of five and see how much more present and aware it makes you. Make yourself be fully immersed in any task you are doing and see how peaceful it feels.
    • 4
      Name your emotions instead of letting them just happen to you. Identify when you are feeling angry, stressed, tired, sad, happy, or indifferent. Give yourself the permission to feel whatever emotions you are having. Take the time out to talk to a trusted friend, spouse, or counselor if necessary to vent your emotions.
    • 5
      Analyze your spiritual or religious beliefs and really see if they correspond to what you really think. Suspend what you think you are supposed to believe. Really dig into your spiritual or religious teaching and examine it fully. Find a spiritual teaching (not necessarily a religion) that nurtures you and makes you feel comforted and loved to find true peace of mind.
(article source: ehow.com -  image source: weheartit)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Recipe of the week...

I was browsing on the net to find a recipe of something coffee or chocolate, and then I found this recipe from Girl Cooks World. It's a recipe of a "Frozen Hot Chocolate". The name sounds unique since it combines frozen and hot. The idea is to combine the hot melted chocolate with the rest of the ingredients into a blender. This will be very mouth watering. Enjoy the recipe. Have a great day.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

* 1 cup good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
* 1-1/2 cups half-and-half
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 3/4 cup sugar
* pinch salt
* 1-1/2 cups milk
* 6 cups ice
* pinch xanthan gum (optional)
* whipped cream
* chocolate shavings

Directions:

  1. Place the chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for one minute at 50% power. Stir. If necessary, continue heating in 30-second increments until chocolate is nearly melted (residual heat will melt any remaining chocolate solids). 
  2. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, sugar and pinch of salt and stir until smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk. 
  3. Pour the chocolate mixture into the base of a blender. Add the ice and a pinch of xanthan gum, if using. Process until smooth. Pour into four to six individual glasses and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Note: I used my Vita-mix, which has a very large base/container. If you have a blender with a somewhat small base/blender container you may have to process the frozen hot chocolate in two batches.
(image and recipe by Girl Cooks World)

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Keeping Up..

I feel that lately I've been missing out things happening in the world. Well, not that much but less than I usually know. I realize that I have to be more updated with new things, current news and so on. I really need to fill my brain with more recent stuff. What about you? What are you going to do when you feel that you left behind on something? The easiest thing is to open the web and to start reading. That is what I'm doing now to be updated with the recent stuff. Do you know that there are huge advantages when we always keep up with the recent news, things and other stuffs? Here are 7 reasons to make you always want to keep updating the recent things by Kelly Marcus from All Women Stalk.
                       

 

7 GOOD REASONS TO START KEEPING UP WITH CURRENT EVENTS 

1. It is easy

One of the best reasons to keep up with current events is also the simplest. With social media and the Internet, the excuse that it’s too hard to stay up to date with the news is completely invalid. Newspapers and shows are at your fingers at all times; you can even program some sites to give you updates when a new story is published. Try following some newspapers on Twitter or “like” news shows on Facebook to get updates whenever you get online.

2. IT MAKES THE WORLD SMALLER

The world is a big place, but when you are up to date about what is going on across the world in other countries, it can make the world seem like a smaller place. The news allows us to get a glimpse into the lives of people in different places and realize they are not so different from us. It is such a wonderful thing that we can be allowed updates by the minute of things happening across the globe.

3. IT IS EYE OPENING

Some people like to live in their own little bubble and worry about themselves. Keeping up with current events pops that bubble. Not everything is as perfect as we think it is in America. Hearing about the stories is such an eye opening experience. It really makes you appreciate all that you have, which is why it’s such a great reason to keep up with current events.

4. IT MAKES YOU CULTURED

Keeping up with current events lets you know what is going on around the world, and therefore lets you learn about different cultures. News stories teach you what is acceptable in some cultures and what is not. They also teach you how different daily life in other cultures can be.

5. IT IS A GOOD CONVO STARTER

Hate awkward silences? Well, why don’t you bring up that interesting news story you read about a few days ago? It will strike up an interesting conversation, and your friends are sure to be impressed about your knowledge of current events.

6. IT IS RELEVANT

You may think that a story about the Chinese economy is completely irrelevant to you, but in the current world where everything is connected, it has a lot to do with you. Something in one country can impact something completely different in a another country. So keeping up with current events will help you see the connections between the entire globe.

7. YOU WILL LEARN A LOT

Learning something new is one of the best reasons to keep up with current events. The news is there to teach and inform you. Take advantage of that source of information. I’m sure you will learn something new and interesting with every different story you read. And, best of all, you will be well informed about the world around you.
(article source: all women stalk - image source: favim)

Monday, November 26, 2012

Top Ten Regrets

Regrets always come at the ened. Of course, everyone knows that. It's like a universal knowledge that we always regrets thing at the end. And when we regreted the things we have done, all we can do is just feel bad about ourselves. But there are also things we regret for not being able to do those things when we can. Here's the list about the top ten regrets of our life that I found via news.com.au


The Top Ten Regrets Of Our Life

1) Not travelling more
2) Losing touch with pals
3) Not exercising enough
4) Not saving more money
5) Taking up smoking
6) Being lazy at school
7) Choice of career
8) Wasting years with the wrong partner
9) Eating unhealthily
10) Not asking more about our grandparents’ lives before they died

(list source: news.com.au - image source: favim)

Friday, November 23, 2012

Taking Advice

When someone give you a critic or advice, how do you react? Do you feel good or do you feel like you don't need inputs from someone else? Soemtimes I can feel good when someone gave me critic or advice but there were times when I don't feel like listening to the critics or advice that other people told me. But then I realize that we can't always control what other people think about us. And what we think is right might not be right to other people. It's just sometimes people can't find the right word to say those critics or maybe give you an advice not in the right time. Don't you think so? However, we should always have a big heart and an open mind to be able to hear and see what other people think about us or anything else. That doesn't mean that we always have to accept or reject their thoughts but enough for us just to know it. Here's an article I found on YouBeauty - "How To Take Advice", written by Art Markman, Ph.D. It's about taking or accepting advice that can do you good.  


How To Take Advice 

In the world of beauty, it can be hard to get advice. After all, whenever someone gives you advice, they are telling you (at least indirectly) that there is something about you that they suggest you change. That can feel threatening because we are often sensitive about the way we look. 

So, the first thing you have to do when getting advice is to treat yourself with some compassion. The person who gives you advice is not attacking you at your core.  Use their advice as a way to improve yourself rather than thinking of it as an indication that there is something deeply wrong with you. This idea seems simple, but in the moment it can be hard to do.

Second, when you get someone else’s advice, try to see it from their perspective. Research suggests that people often stick with their own opinion, even after getting advice. The reason for this is simple. You generally know a lot about why you are acting the way you do. You have your own reasoning and rationale. When someone gives you advice, it you might not see how their reasons could be any better or more valid than yours. So, in the end, you are prone to stick with what you are already doing.
To help you see the value of someone else’s advice, think about why they gave it to you. Remember that if they took the time to give advice, they want to find ways to help you improve. What might they see in you that would make that advice seem sensible to them? By understanding the reasons why someone else would have given you the advice they did, you become better able to integrate that advice into your life.
 
Third, try to get information from the people who are giving you advice about the best way to make a decision for yourself. You probably get advice from professionals. A hair stylist may suggest a new product. A salesperson at a clothing shop may recommend a new style. If you just select the product they recommend, it is hard to know what to do in the future. Take a little extra time and pick up some of their expertise. The more you find out about why this recommendation is a good one, the better you will be able to use that advice productively in the future.

Finally, it never hurts to get a second opinion. Everyone has their own perspective on problems, particularly when it comes to beauty and fashion. When you are thinking about a big change, get suggestions from a few different people so that you have a few good recommendations to choose from.  

(article source: youbeauty.com - image source: favim)

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Welcome Baby Boy

Hello everyone. First of all I'd like to say sorry for the lack of post lately. Last week we had here a long weekend. We had only 3 days of working days and the rest of the week was holiday. So, I'm back here with a very good news. My sister just gave birth to her first son =) I am soooo very happy. Happy to have a new nephew and happy that my daugther has a new cousin on her age now. We have this happy feeling to welcome him to become the newest family member. He's so cute. His name is Alaric which means a 'Noble Ruler'. Below is Aric's photo and my daugther Zilla visiting baby Aric for the first time yesterday =)



Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Change Your Mood

Have you ever been in a really hectic morning that instantly those things ruin your morning mood? It's like waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Feel irritating and annoying. It makes yourself become really grumpy and be in a bad mood for the entire day. But, I guess we can all decide the mood we're going to have for the rest of the day by changing the bad into a good mood in the morning. I hate being grumpy in the morning because it seems that the rest of the day will all be wrong..nothing will ever be right. Have you ever been in the situation?

If I were in that situation, I always tell myself that everything will be alrght. It is all just a morning hectic phase that I have to pass. First thing I do being in the situation is to take a sip of a really warm tea...seriously! I always do that. My first sip of warm tea can always make me relax. I'm a coffee lover but in this situation...tea is my remedy. 

And after that I always ty to sort things out by having a slow thinking on my mind about what has happened in the morning. Slowly I try to finish it one by one. And of course, I always keep telling myself that this hectic morning will be over...let's make it a happy day. Don't let a thing or two ruin the rest of your day =) Have a great day...

(image via favim)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Soup - Comfort Food

 It's been raining all day down here. And when it's raining, I often find something to eat or something warm to drink. today I was craving more into comfort food. Having a comfort food on a rainy day is one of the most wonderful thing right? I browse along the web and found this perfect recipe..simple and of course comforting. It's a chicken pot pie soup by Gina's Skinny Recipe. Look at the image below, looks so delicious isn't it? Well...hope you'll try the recipe. Have a comforting moment =)


Chicken Pot Pie Soup
 

Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup
 

Ingredients: 

  • 1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)
  • 2 cups water 
  • 4 cups fat free milk
  • 1 large celery stalk, chopped
  • 1/2 medium chopped onion
  • 8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms 
  • 2 chicken bouillons
  • fresh ground pepper
  • pinch of thyme
  • 10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
  • 16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
  • salt

Directions:

  • Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside. 
  • Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil.  
  • Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil.  
  • Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. 
  • Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  
  • Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add.  
  • Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

(recipe and image via skinnytaste.com)