Desperate?

I have had read different weird personal ads on the paper many times but this one really caught my attention and made me say "ayayay!"

Missing Connection 

Looking for handsome brunette male who was in line at the Customer Service counter at Walmart around 12:30pm on June 22.  I am the redhead. We talked about my cats and the dust buster I was returning. I thought for sure you would ask for my number but you didn't, so here it is 123-456-6789. Ask for Hillary.  (I changed the phone number and the name to protect the lady.)

She is an example of a liberated American girl/lady.

I have showed this ad to my son and his reaction was "We don't have that in the Philippines, do we? Poor girl, she must be desperate..!" 

I agree with him. 

Well, I posted this ad for a change of topic :D

Thanks for hopping!

Retaining Youthful Beauty

When it comes to skin, I can say that I am not blessed. My Dermatologist told me that the type of my skin is dry. When I got here in US, I have noticed that my skin got worse, perhaps because of the weather and the foods that I eat. It became more dry and kinda wrinkled. This really bothered me a lot so I made research on line how to combat wrinkles and rough skin.

Check this out:

Being beautiful on the outside is all about keeping the face young and looking healthy. We know that the absence of wrinkles and sags, as well as having taut, toned, smooth and glowing skin are the signs of youthful and healthy beauty. 

Some go through so much just to maintain the vigor and agelessness of their faces, so much that they would spend a fortune on face lifts and other procedures that would keep them looking as close to 18 years old as possible. 

There is, however, an inexpensive way of retaining youthful beauty, and that is through observing a regular facial fitness routine - that is, exercising the muscles of your face. The idea behind facial fitness is similar to the principle of doing a body workout: by exercising, you build up the muscles of your body and keep them toned and firm. 

 Face. By exercising the facial muscles regularly, the muscles will be lifted enough to remove the sags, and the skin - sunny glow will be smoothened enough to remove the wrinkles.

The blood circulation to the face will also increase with facial exercises, enabling the tissues of the face to repair themselves more quickly. 

Maintaining a regular facial fitness routine is easy. It only takes a few minutes of your time and it can be done while watching television or waiting for the stoplight to turn green when driving. Here are a few sample exercises for different areas of the face. 

Forehead. This will smooth down the wrinkles of the forehead. Place your fingers just above your brow. Then, with your fingers, pull the skin down. At the same time, try to raise your eyebrows. Repeat this ten times. 

 

Eyelids. To deal with crows' feet at the corners of the eyes, put the thumbs at the corners of the eyes and then shut your eyes tightly. Then, with your thumbs, pull at the skin towards the forehead. Repeat this ten times.

For sagging eyelids, hold your index fingers close to the brow bone. Afterwards, raise your eyebrows. At the same time, try to close your eyes. Again, repeat this ten times. 

 

Cheeks. Form an 'O' with your lips and try to push them forward as fast as you can. Then release the 'O' and smile as widely as you can. Repeat ten times. 

Lips. Push your lips outward in a pout as far as you can, then smile. Or you can suck on your finger as hard as you can. Once again, repeat ten times.

 

Neck. Arch your neck backward and place your hand on your neck just under the chin. After that, let your hand slide downward and push at your collarbone. An alternative to this one would be to push your lower lip outward as far as you can and tilt your chin up toward the ceiling, resting the hand against the collarbone as you are doing so.

 

Chin. Push your lower lip upward as high as you can. You can also press your thumb on the bone just under your chin and then push your tongue against your lower gums as if it is trying to meet your thumb. Another thing you can do is to tilt your chin up and massage the flesh under it with your thumb with strokes directed towards your neck. These exercises will take care of the double chin. 

Just like in total body workouts, facial fitness exercises take time. However, if you truly want to see results on your face, try doing this once or twice a day, five times a week. You will be able to see changes in around a month or two. 

Let's get rid of the wrinkles girls and be beautiful inside and out!

(Credit to Google for the Photos)

Home Hair-Repair!

If your hair is suffering from a lack of luster, split ends or general malaise, don’t despair. The solution might be as close as your kitchen. Here are some of the top treatments people swear by when it comes to adding life to their locks.

Mayonnaise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to soften hair and leave it shiny? Then mayonnaise is the conditioning condiment for you. Comb just enough mayo through your hair to coat it lightly. Then leave on for 30 minutes before shampooing out per normal. For a deeper conditioning treatment, place a shower cap on top of your mayo-coated locks and leave on for longer (even overnight if you’re feeling extra dry). Other interesting uses? Next time you get gum stuck in your hair, rub Mayo in until the gum dissolves right out.

 

Eggs

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally! A way to benefit from eggs' natural proteins without the cholesterol! Crack a few eggs and beat together in bowl. After shampooing, massage through your hair and leave on before rinsing out thoroughly. This treatment should help repair or strengthen your hair follicles -- leading to silkier locks with good body. Alternate ideas include whisking one egg yolk together with a dash of olive oil and 3/4 cups warm water.

Vinegar

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Used for centuries as health tonic, this tasty, tangy acid can help remove residue that dulls your hair. Add about a tablespoon of vinegar to your hair as you rinse it. And if you have an itchy scalp or dandruff, try massaging full-strength apple cider vinegar into your scalp before shampooing. In addition to adding shine to your hair, vinegar is also known for its skin healing properties.

 

Avocado

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talk about green goddess. Once you're through with this rich hair mask you'll be ready to take on the world. Combine an avocado, one egg yolk and a dash of olive oil and massage it through your hair. As with most of these treatments, leave on for at least 30 minutes. Then shampoo, rinse and condition as normal. And remember, even if an avocado is past its prime for your salad, you can still use it on your hair so it doesn't go to waste.

Beer

Some people use beer as a styling tonic, but you can just as easily benefit from this brew as a conditioner. Shampoo and rinse as usual. Then pour one bottle of beer through your hair and massage through from scalp to ends. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. And don’t worry; if you rinse well enough you won’t even smell the hops on your hair. You’ll just be left with shinier hair with more beautiful body.

Let us try these recipes girls!

(Credit to Google for the photos)

Inconstant Me

I've been making changes in all kinds on my blog lately. For many times I have changed the titles of my posts, my blog description, profile photo, settings, colors, to name a few.

The latest that I've changed is my blog template. I thought I did not like pink or any pinkish shades because these colors represent femininity. There is nothing bad with these colors though but it 's just that pink doesn't fit my strong personality.

But  as I was browsing different kinds of template, this is the only template that captured my taste, maybe at this moment only, who knows what I'm going to like in next ticking of the clock :D

I so love this new appearance. I hope you'll like it too. Constructive comments are welcome!

Have a nice Monday Philippines!

A Refreshing Scenery

I haven't updated my blog for awhile because my family and I have gone to California for 2 days for a job related purpose. While on our way back, I wanted to get pine cones from pine trees which are just scattered everywhere alongside of the road. I'd like to make a Christmas decor out of pine cones.

So my son took a left turn going to a junction to find a  good place to park the car to get pine cones. We were kinda curious on the  sign that says: "June Lake Loop", so we decided to continue driving to see what's in there.

We were very surprised to see the beauty that has captured our eyes. The scene was so amazing! The lake looked serene and at peace. There were several boats that were drifting. Few people were fishing. It was just a small place but there was a boutique, steak house, lodging houses, etc.. The place was totally awesome!

My son parked the car in a "hilly" road, overlooking the lake.  I was like, "Wow! What a beautiful place!"  It was like a hidden place for us to discover. We really enjoyed the refreshing green scenery that God has created for us.

Hubby picked up a perfect-shaped  pine cone and gave it to me. I also wanted to pick up one or two but I was too occupied posing in the camera for souvenir photos, lol!

Sweet Memoir

It's been 12 long years since my father passed away.  We didn't have that typical father-daughter bonding but I have unforgettable moments with him.

As we celebrate Father's Day today, I reminisced the good times with him and the lessons I learned back when he was still alive.

I had a kind of "complicated" childhood. I grew up with my grandparents but my father had been there to visit me as often as he could, bringing a  new dress for me. He'd been there during recognition programs to pin the  ribbons I got as an honor pupil. Many times I cried every time he had to go back home.

When I was in high school, I stayed with my aunt's house and my father had explained it to me why I had to but I was too young to understand the reasons. As often as I could, I'd go home every weekend since it was just a ride away from home. Whenever there's meeting at school (PTA) my father had been there to attend for me and for my other siblings. We've always bothered him whenever we need something even if it was only sanitary napkins that we needed.

He was kind of a disciplinarian when we were still young but when we became teenagers, every time we had done something wrong, he'd wake us up very early in the morning like 4:00 o'clock, to discuss it with us.  Then we usually ended up crying because we felt ashamed of what we had done or we felt remorseful for our wrong doings.

For some silly reasons, I became a rebellious child. I got married at a very young age and got separated at a very young age too. During those hard times of my life as a single parent, my father never neglected me. He'd never quit guiding me although many times I'd given him too many head aches.

There were three things that I learned from him which I can't ever forget . Firstly, "Don't put yourself into a compromising situation." He said that when my life was in a limbo. Too hard to explain here.

Secondly, "Live within your means. Don't get yourself into debt just because you bought something you WANTED. If your money is enough for fish, don't buy chicken." He said that when I got my first salary.

Thirdly, "Education is the path to success". He elaborated  further that there is no place on earth for uneducated people,  something to that effect. He told that  when he encouraged me to go back to school to get a degree. 

Wherever he is now, I know that he is happy because all his 7 children have finished a degree through God's blessings.

When  he died, it was like part of me had died too.

Fernando. That's the name of my father.

Happy Father's Day Pa! I miss you very much!

Name Game

I am feeling exhausted while scribbling.. err.. typing this post. It's my Monday and the hotel is perfect-filled. We have  two sister hotels and both were also sold out. Summer is coming very soon. It  technically starts in two days. And it means super busy. Super busy for  paper works  and super busy  for early check-outs in the morning. (The hotel business is dead during winter time.)

In busy nights, I am more careful in doing my bucket check to make sure that  the name of the guests and its corresponding room number in the registration paper should be identical to the folio number in the Credit Card receipt. It's kind of boring, really. But it makes me smile and sometimes makes me laugh while doing it when I translate the guest's last name to Tagalog, (not to mention the spelling.) I like these last names: Sweet, Ham, Bacon, Money, Bright, Countryman, Creamer, Heart, King,  Ball,  Power, Young, Love, Brown, White, Black, Gray, Green and many others. I find these last names weird: Breedlove, Growcock, Licking, Oldfather, Stress, Hornbaker, Pendygraft, Sailorchartier, Touchstone, to name a few :)

Among our regular guests, Mr. Jerry Rich  is my "favorite" because he is unforgettable. Unforgettable in the sense that he carries the name of my past and present husband. My estranged hubby's name was Jerry and my current hubby's name is Rich, kind of bizarre, huh?

Oh, by the way, I just checked-in Mr. Ro***d Manyheads, a Canadian. "Manyheads", what a last name!

Fresh Flowers from a Neighbor

I was checking my latest post using hubby's computer in the living room when the door bell rang. I ran to my room to hide because I was wearing my sleepwear and I looked horrible. Hubby opened the door and  I heard a voice of a woman said, "Hi! How are you guys?" It was Marlene's voice, the wife of hubby's long time friend who lived across the street.

Hubby convinced me to come out to say hello back but I declined. I was kinda grumpy already because he was insisting and it irritated me. Hubby said she brought flowers for us that she picked up from her garden. I  thought how thoughtful she was. But I was too hard to move.

I did not come out from my room until she left.  When I saw the flowers, I was touched! They  were freshly picked and truly beautiful! Hubby said Marlene brought them with the vase already. She is such a sweet lady!

Now I am having guilt feelings. I realized how crappy  I was for not coming out to talk to her. I know for sure that she won't  be staying long since she knew that I work night shift and I have to sleep very soon.

I grabbed my camera, took a  photo of the flowers and started typing this post. This is dedicated to her. Thanks for the flowers Marlene!

Hair Loss!

It's been bothering me lately.

I've noticed too many strands of hair fell every time I comb my hair. Pardon me, I know it looks gross, but yes, that's my hair in the photo. I get more if my hair is wet though I use wide tooth comb. Pretty alarming huh?

This really scared me. My hair is thin and I don't want to be bald, gees, I can't imagine myself.

I just done researching  the reasons of falling hair and  its possible natural treatment as well. These are what I have got:

Hair loss is typically normal.

Everyone loses between 40 and 120 strands a day, depending on how much hair you have, your age and your hair's growth cycle. People with fine hair tend to have more of it and therefore will lose more of it than their thicker-haired sisters and brothers. Your hair also thins as you get older, particularly after menopause for women. But unlike aging men, the thinning tends to stop after awhile.

Here are common causes of thinning and hair loss:

1. Seasonality. You'll lose the most hair in the fall -- typically November and December when hair reaches maturity in its growth cycle.

2. Diet. Hair loss can occur through poor dieting. According to dermatologist George Cotsarelis, M.D., director of the University of Pennsylvania Hair and Scalp Clinic, iron deficiency may be the cause. He states in the April 2006 issue of "Ladies Home Journal," it might be worth checking your levels with your doctor and take a supplement if they're low.

3. Aging. As we get older, follicles shrink, producing skinnier, shorter strands; then the follicles start to die off. That rate and the extent of that process is a matter of genetics.

4. Pregnancy. Some women experience hair loss with pregnancy or as part of post-pregnancy hormonal changes. Other women experience hair loss when going on or off (usually off) the birth control pill.

5. Illness or intense stress. Sometimes hair loss occurs as a result of illness. Stress, excessive weight loss, iron deficiency and thyroid problems can also cause hair loss.

Natural treatment for hair loss:

Lime juice can be applied to the scalp and allowed to dry for some time before taking a head bath. This will arrest fling hair by keeping the scalp clean and healthy.

Using Castor oil as hair oil regularly will also help in preventing hair from falling.

Applying coconut milk all over the scalp is also another effective solution for falling hair.

Mix equal amount of warm Castor and almond oil and massage over scalp at least once a week

Daily application of coconut oil mixed with lime juice on the hair is also beneficial.

Aha! I'm having two things in mind now that probably caused my dilemma. I think it's number 2 and number 3!

I would try the lime juice first, err.. no, I will cook "ginataang monggo" today, so I might try the coconut milk instead. The problem is, there is no available fresh coconut milk  here.. Hmm, I would  try the canned one. Or maybe I would try the lime juice first since we can get it fresh here. Maybe Castor oil!  Whatever.

Have you had the same problem before? How did you treat it? Is there any treatment you can share to me? I would appreciate it very much.

Happy Wednesday USA, happy Thursday Philippines!

The Casino

is a public place for gambling and other sort of entertainment. Basically, its purpose is for fun and entertainment only but  for other people, it is the place wherein they can take home a lot of money should they win. There are numerous kinds of games that you can choose to play for you to bet either minimum or maximum amount.

This has been my first time to write about my observation inside the Casino floor while working at the Front desk. Every night I witness a lot of people losing their money in the slot machines (we don't have table games though we used to have it). Sometimes I'll just pretend that I haven't notice anything when they pass by at the desk with a gloomy face. I feel sad seeing them leaving the casino without nothing except their Credit Cards with outrageous charges.

Well, there are also people that are leaving with huge money with them but they would come back the next day and then lose the money again.

What's in Nevada?

Hi! Thank you for dropping by at my page.

I have been living  in the United States for two years and 2 months now. I live in  a small town in one of the "deserted" places in Nevada State. I would like to share this post to all my readers who are living in another State and in another country as well  to give an idea about the place where my family and I've  lived in.

1. Nevada State is also known as "The Silver State." It has no State Income Tax, no Corporate Income Tax, no Estate Tax, no gift tax, no inventory tax and no personal income tax. Please don't ask me to elaborate these different kinds of taxes because I don't have answers. I honestly don't have idea on what are these taxes all about, hehehe! I meant, I am too lazy to exert effort to search them on the net.

2. Gambling and Prostitution ( in form of regulated brothels) are both legal here (except in Clark and Washoe county). There are seven Casinos in the town where I lived, not to mention some grocery stores and gasoline stations that have slot machines. You have to be 21 years old to play in the casino.The casino staff will ask for your ID if they doubted your age to make sure you are in the legal age to gamble.

Brothels on the other hand, are of course existing even in this small town  as advertised in the road ways but I don't know how many of them.

3. It is a mountainous  state and Mining (Gold, Silver and other Minerals) is the major source of income.There are more or less 10 mining companies in my town and its neighboring towns. Hubby  works in the mine and hubbies of my Filipina friends also work in one of the mines here.

4. Aside from miners, there are also hunters and cowboys. Hunting is a popular activity here  but it is regulated by the government. You have to have a license to hunt and you have to hunt during hunting season only.

There are ranchers so basically, there are also cowboys. I bet you've seen them in good old western movies, yes, and they are real here, exactly the same looks. Rodeo and other cowboy competition is famous here but I haven't witnessed one since I got here.

The first time I visited the Chamber of Commerce Office here, I was stunned to see quite a few numbers of huge mounted wild animals displayed inside which are donated by hunters and the old saddles, old pair of boots, hats, etc, which are donated by ranchers and cowboys.

5. There are Potato farms and a Potato factory here.

6.  There is no age requirements in job ads here.You can get a job even if you are already in your 50's and 60's as long as you are able. You can get hired as haul truck driver, water truck driver , heavy equipment operator even if you are an old woman as long as you can make it. Isn't that nice? No age and gender discrimination. I wish Philippines were the same.

7. Bank transactions are fast and easy. You can update your account thru phone and of course Internet,  if you want to deposit or pay your bills, you just drive-thru and voila! you are done in 5 minutes!

8. We have festivities like Hot August Nights in Reno and 50's Fever here in Winnemucca wherein the latter will be held every Aug. 1-3. Runnamucca is also famous here. They are the  Big Bikers from all over the country gathered and have fun for 2 days.

9. We have different kinds of racing like drag racing, stock car racing, mule racing, among others.  We also have Rodeo competition in different levels as I have mentioned earlier, also craft fair, Basque Festival, etc.

10.The serving size of the foods here is really big  and it is very hard for me and for my kids to eat that much. (I think, this is one of the reasons why many Americans are fat including hubby, hehe!)

11. Everyone buys in bulk. No sachet or small size packaging. I guess, the same is true with other States.

12. There are more older people walking every morning  with their dogs as their form of exercise than younger ones. I have been walking for more than 2 weeks already and I saw young lady only once.

13. Don't be scared when the other person next to you is carrying an oxygen tank (small thin tank ) with small tube on his/her nose trying to breath while browsing the books in the library or while shopping,  or while gambling, etc. When I first saw one, I was  terrifed but hubby said it's a normal sight here. I just saw one in the Post Office this morning.

14. People working in the museums and charitable institutions are volunteers only and mostly they are very old people.

15. There are a lot of Mexican or Hispanic people here and I have a very good friend named Josefina who is an excellent cook. I just love her  Beef Tostadas. Sometimes if not all the time,  people would think I am a Mexican. I dont know why. I am always proud to tell them that I am Filipina, in thought, in words and in deed!  Bwehehehe!

16. More post about this topic later. I  still have so many things to share about this State.

17. Oh, I almost forgot, in big cities like Las Vegas and Reno, weddings can be arranged real fast and it can be done in a "drive-thru" wedding chapels. Ayayay!

Too bad divorce can be processed  real fast too.

Thanks for reading!

(Thanks also to google for some photos I posted here.)

Special Ice Candy ala Bechay

I was invited to a graduation party by a Filipina friend and I thought I need to bring foods or drinks as my contribution. Since the party has to be held at a park and that the temperature was supposedly 80 degrees, I thought to bring something that is "frozen, cold or icy". I wanted something unique so I came up with this ice candy. I don't know if it spells "iced candy" or ice candy. Whatever :)

Anyways, I had avocado in the refrigerator so I made it as flavor. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, avocado is a vegetable here in US not a fruit so I doubted it  if Americans would try it. But I was sure  my kababayans would get crazy about it. I was right :) And not only my kababayans but also Hispanic and some white people. Hubby, who said he won't ever eat avocado with milk, tried it and liked it although at first he didn't know how to eat it. I remember there was an old American lady in the party who asked for more and there was nothing left anymore. She was really sad and I felt sorry for her.

It was a blast!

Are you interested with the recipe?

Here it is:

avocado, diced

1 can Nestle cream (big)

1 can condensed milk (big)

1 can evaporated milk (big)

6 cups water

white sugar

ice candy wrapper

funnel

Procedure:

Put the water in a big bowl

Pour in the carnation evap. Mix well.

Next, pour in the condensed milk

Then the avocado

Next, the Nestle cream

Put sugar to taste until you reach the desired sweetness

Make sure to mix all the ingredients very well to get the "ice creamish" texture.

Pour 2 inches or more in the ice candy wrapper using the funnel.

Freeze.
After 3 hours, you'll have the most creamy ice candy you have ever had :)
Sell or serve!

Note: Try other flavors like buko, mango, chocolate, halo-halo ingredients, boiled monggo ( red or green), cream style corn, fruit salad ingredients, jackfruit or langka, etc.

Have a happy day everyone!

A Racist Joke

It's June already! Wow, I can't believe that we have done halfway in the calendar already. Time flies that fast! Well, it's a go signal for the classes to get started. And oh, June is my Mom's birth month.

I almost forgot, it is also this month when everyone wishes to be a bride or groom. I am wondering now how many couples will have their vows become "official" this month.

Speaking of  wedding vows, let me share this joke with you.

It happens!

DIVORCE?!

A Polish man moved to the USA and married an American girl.

Although his English was far from perfect (like mine), they got along very well until one day he rushed into a lawyer's office and asked him if he could arrange a divorce for him.

The lawyer said that getting a divorce would depend on the circumstances, and asked him the following questions:

L: Have you any grounds?

P: Yes, an acre and half and nice little home.

L: No, I mean what is the foundation of this case?

P: It made of concrete.

L: I don't think you understand. Does either of you have a real grudge?

P: No, we have carport, and not need one.

L: I mean. What are your relations like?

P: All my relations still in Poland.

L: Is there any infidelity in your marriage?

P: We have hi-fidelity stereo and good DVD player.

L: Does your wife beat you up?

P: No, I always up before her.

L: Is your wife a nagger?

P: No, she white.

L: Why do you want this divorce?

P: She going to kill me.

L: What makes you think that?

P: I got proof.

L: What kind of proof?

P: She going to poison me. She buy a bottle at the store and put on shelf in bathroom. I can read, and it say: "POLISH REMOVER!!!"