P90X Mike Check

Hi everyone,<br /><br />I started P90X last month, wrote about it here and there and then went completely quiet about it. And you thought I quit, didn't you? Well, for once I didn't, although there were some moments that came very close. But then, I snapped out of it and told myself, "Dao, you're going this far, why do you want to stop now?"<br /><br />The truth is, I'm on week 8 of P90X, which means there are only 5 weeks left after this and I'm done with this round. While phase 1 (aka the first 4 weeks) was a delight, phase 2 has been a drag. Out of 6 workouts a week, only 1 is new. The other 5 I remember like they are the back of my hand now. On top of that, I find Cardio-X to be easy now. I can do it for the whole time and feel underwhelm. I can't believe I just said it. A P90X workout is not enough for me. On top of that, Yoga-X is just waaaay too long. And the weather has been hot and Aunt Flo was bothering me. Since I had a whole list of complaints, I skipped a few workouts here and there.<br /><br />This makes me realize why I did not stick to other workout schedules before: the monotony kills me. I guess I am one of those who needs to have a new workout routine every month. Since I consider doing another round of P90X after this, I am going to do a different module instead of Lean. I need the switch-up ;)<br /><br />Weight-wise, I did lose about 2lbs. Not a lot for 3 weeks but I take it. Surprisingly, during the whole time, I was bloating. The bloat was terrible and I had a hard time contracting my stomach. Then, my period arrived and brought me some relief. Immediately after Aunt Flo left, I weighed myself and I was delighted to find myself 2lbs lighter! Therefore, weighing myself everyday or even every week is not an option anymore since I know how much I can bloat. There was a 5lb difference before and after those days. From now on, I am going to weigh myself right after it stops and then compare it to the next event.<br /><br />From the beginning of P90X until now, I think I lost about 6 lbs. It's not a huge number but I do gain quite a bit of muscles. Therefore, the fat loss may be even higher (probably 10 lbs.) A shirt that I wasn't able to button in is now loose and right now, the only pair of jeans that I can wear properly is my dark wash skinny jeans. By the end of this round, I aim for a 10lb net loss and that is going to make my day.<br /><br />That's all for now, folks! Thanks for reading my ramblings.<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please support my blog by following and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

P90X Mike Check

Hi everyone, I started P90X last month, wrote about it here and there and then went completely quiet about it. And you thought I quit, didn&...

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Appearances

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Lately, I have been busy writing left and right. I have nothing to complain here as all my blogging life I have living up for this moment: the moment to be published in a magazine. I guess it is legitimate to say it is every blogger's dream to graduate to the big league. I was lucky enough to have my articles in three different magazines this month: two in paper and one online.<br /><br />One funny thing when I thought about all this: when I started this blog, I did not tell anybody. It was a way for me to let go of my own frustration about the lack of progress at grad school. Gradually, a couple of friends knew and then a couple of faculty members. It was not a big deal but a lot of them thought I should quit this and concentrate on my research, etc, etc. Little did they know of the real reason why this blog existed and I kept it up as much as I could until now.<br /><br />And then, bam! Dao got published! Had I listen to what people said back then, this would not have happened now. So, the morality of this story is to listen to your heart and follow your dream. It may take a while but you'll get there. In the mean time, you need to enjoy the journey and be thankful about it.<br /><br />Ok, now that I'm done with the moral lesson of the day, here are some snap shots of my published articles. They are in Vietnamese so please bear with me :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwcwFW7m7SNp3LCHK1fSHB9jFMLlnv86yfXw3E0eRvNrMKivJVRLL7FTAJi9bRz-Z4N8LZ-CJEA4_mFXBJ5vLsnyrVsZDCque4-1PuaCQmoQpXEdf92FvzkOW-KtmkiRYE9j1CWvFuMkU/s1600/IMG_6375.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwcwFW7m7SNp3LCHK1fSHB9jFMLlnv86yfXw3E0eRvNrMKivJVRLL7FTAJi9bRz-Z4N8LZ-CJEA4_mFXBJ5vLsnyrVsZDCque4-1PuaCQmoQpXEdf92FvzkOW-KtmkiRYE9j1CWvFuMkU/s640/IMG_6375.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /> First of, we have <a href="http://www.sgtt.com.vn/">Saigon Tiep Thi</a> ("Saigon Marketing" in English, I guess.) They have the tri-weekly newspapers and then the monthly issue which is more about beauty, fashion, and entertainment. I was commissioned to write 1 article, which then turned into 2. I submitted it and didn't hear about it for weeks until I was told that both of them got published in the same issue!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGwh8_iTDWLsuf6NCmzD1dl1safCe00gJApVj0eF1q8lEWaRqmPtG47NMenbRQh3hrOJ0nVuZJH-WDSkvXTef83qkYAUPAEbJTw1C6CEaMccmq4o5V3EuvTBxVO36FJqgmiLTpDqEuzwC/s1600/IMG_6376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGwh8_iTDWLsuf6NCmzD1dl1safCe00gJApVj0eF1q8lEWaRqmPtG47NMenbRQh3hrOJ0nVuZJH-WDSkvXTef83qkYAUPAEbJTw1C6CEaMccmq4o5V3EuvTBxVO36FJqgmiLTpDqEuzwC/s640/IMG_6376.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> First article is about olive oil. It's actually a translation to Vietnamese of <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/olive-oil-more-than-for-salads.html">this article</a> that I wrote for the blog a while ago.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8v2qMRVXLlOOVThv9zbZZmC4455mZE8VQA2jaOSlPdyGipk_GWAVRxBG4Wk7FQjG4TCX-VHUXjfLu_ivxdvcDWo90_36IWxPI_Yd6MNKrLdZ8JNyKTz-nBTcdAByDZyATZ-LsBg1M8m0/s1600/IMG_6377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8v2qMRVXLlOOVThv9zbZZmC4455mZE8VQA2jaOSlPdyGipk_GWAVRxBG4Wk7FQjG4TCX-VHUXjfLu_ivxdvcDWo90_36IWxPI_Yd6MNKrLdZ8JNyKTz-nBTcdAByDZyATZ-LsBg1M8m0/s640/IMG_6377.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Second article is about green beauty and why you need to read the ingredient list. It was more technical than the first and took a lot longer to write. I was surprised that it actually got a 2-page spread, which is really awesome!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOjecIxHPEfhjy4OUGqnwP77HJlHOzQFjcysjwquCz17DLEtXwOq981BfiWldEgL1oTzJ1XvCGq7KRpgg-xXQ6pZPc_dHi3i9rKyt5RJtC0KSzG0idg9O0UlbZIZUM5yL5qf0t8SXQVo6/s1600/IMG_6378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOjecIxHPEfhjy4OUGqnwP77HJlHOzQFjcysjwquCz17DLEtXwOq981BfiWldEgL1oTzJ1XvCGq7KRpgg-xXQ6pZPc_dHi3i9rKyt5RJtC0KSzG0idg9O0UlbZIZUM5yL5qf0t8SXQVo6/s640/IMG_6378.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLA64GgiBLAJX9EjKBnO2WaRATgPGd7zzKiKDQTO4fyJcXCav5uif5SO8cQXj5e8W2lqrhNtO4ZxvBojb4PHSD_0uXd2Qb2eUHiVQ_XaIFd9Mj17wmnNUinhs5gNVsaZxLuxZYMMc_YSP/s1600/IMG_6379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLA64GgiBLAJX9EjKBnO2WaRATgPGd7zzKiKDQTO4fyJcXCav5uif5SO8cQXj5e8W2lqrhNtO4ZxvBojb4PHSD_0uXd2Qb2eUHiVQ_XaIFd9Mj17wmnNUinhs5gNVsaZxLuxZYMMc_YSP/s640/IMG_6379.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp5MZaeAWsxJgTArbzZPYmBT44_7sGPdBAmcDmGltzriVLiSsrJfMGxCGu-QyXZmWW1AJsGfbp7zizgj57RWtY0I2egkw-J0LSxvkPlz6FyRnZdGOjPb_cA99PjkY3hqKnMuUHAz9zLCc/s1600/IMG_6380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp5MZaeAWsxJgTArbzZPYmBT44_7sGPdBAmcDmGltzriVLiSsrJfMGxCGu-QyXZmWW1AJsGfbp7zizgj57RWtY0I2egkw-J0LSxvkPlz6FyRnZdGOjPb_cA99PjkY3hqKnMuUHAz9zLCc/s640/IMG_6380.JPG" width="472" /></a></div><br />Then, we have Bep Gia Dinh ("Family Kitchen.") This magazine is going to become "Woman's Day" next year as they are in the process of buying the rights (at least that's what I heard from their people.) I wrote 1 article, didn't hear anything, and then went to the newsstand to see it in the newest issue. Right then and there, I had to buy the magazine to show to my folks :D<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYf6pe_Upn31rSXKLqYw-imJOpnQ_uBsJfqBuKlWAaB7HeIxFsE6gAJeZF_OEx33d0BkUG6WyLGMMmAJP3Ptwj5JxJQ7XKT0SmpoFptE7UxrK7ASeK7aoxKX_MEoa2fZnfLA5amsO3cVN/s1600/IMG_6381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYf6pe_Upn31rSXKLqYw-imJOpnQ_uBsJfqBuKlWAaB7HeIxFsE6gAJeZF_OEx33d0BkUG6WyLGMMmAJP3Ptwj5JxJQ7XKT0SmpoFptE7UxrK7ASeK7aoxKX_MEoa2fZnfLA5amsO3cVN/s640/IMG_6381.JPG" width="472" /></a></div><br />It's about sunscreen, a topic I'm passionate about since I started writing about makeup and beauty. Like the one about reading ingredient list, this one is also technical and I was so afraid that the audience might tune out. Luckily, the editor did a good job to edit it and made it look even more awesome.<br /><br />Last but not least, this came today: I made my first appearance at <a href="http://elle.vn/">Elle.vn</a>! I was asked to write about beauty innovations and I decided to write about hot makeup products that have make huge buzzes lately. <a href="http://www.elle.vn/content/5-my-pham-doc-dao-va-vuot-troi-nhat-cho-mua-he-2012">The article is here</a> and <a href="http://www.julujewelry.com/">Stephanie</a> was kind enough to point out that you can use Google Translate to read it in case you don't know Vietnamese. Thanks, Steph!<br /><br />There you have it, my published articles. I still have a couple more to write for the month and they are a lot of fun. Just believe in your dream and work hard on it, it will pay off in the end, trust me ;)<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /> P.S: Can I have some blog following and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscription</a> love, please?

Appearances

Hi everyone, Lately, I have been busy writing left and right. I have nothing to complain here as all my blogging life I have living up for t...

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My Inner Martha Stewart Unleashed

Hi everyone,<br /><br />I hope you had a lovely weekend. Mine was kinda crazy the moment I took a look around my room and realized how messy it was. Stuff were piling on top of my desk, the night stand, and the vanity table. Yikes! I have assignments to do and I could not work in that condition. The mess blocked my qi. After analyzing the situation, I came to a conclusion that my makeup needed some sort of division. The cookie tins don't cut it anymore. I had a hard time finding things from them. I needed a centralize unit.<br /><br />I decided right then and there that I would put the things I use frequently on the vanity table while the rest of the stuff is systematically stored in the drawer. I found a wooden tray that was small enough to fit the area near the wall and after sorting things out, I came up with a pile! I thought hard and fast and finally decided to use EnKore's <a href="http://youtu.be/69DGG4PZmEM">lipstick organizer method</a> to construct boxes with dividers. I didn't realize he already made something <a href="http://youtu.be/4uUmv0YqfOI">for the compacts</a> when I did the measuring and cutting. I just winged it myself. All was well, back-breaking well, and now I have a much, much more organized environment within my vanity table.<br /><br />Here are some pictures. My inner Martha Stewart is awesome but if you ask me, I would prefer someone to do it. This is some really meticulous work that I don't wish to do again anytime soon!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UiS-SDvUqneCEC5eFEsyevVUF-yAf27vdVxSlLwJzc28yAUzX_5LV9pSRUJNMi30kxipmq1kE7zGx4HeXMmQG_qe_FHcmHsvcguKCd9AlDKJs1TZ4wMyskBJvSE-qKVKU-jUUbX_qYZE/s1600/IMG_6356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UiS-SDvUqneCEC5eFEsyevVUF-yAf27vdVxSlLwJzc28yAUzX_5LV9pSRUJNMi30kxipmq1kE7zGx4HeXMmQG_qe_FHcmHsvcguKCd9AlDKJs1TZ4wMyskBJvSE-qKVKU-jUUbX_qYZE/s640/IMG_6356.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the essential things I use are on the table. It's amazing how 2 organizer boxes can make everything look nicer.<br />Before, it was just a pile laying at that exact corner but spread through 1/3 of the table</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbzjbYC90a1-dm7N1PdhTq8IFJYBje9-W_bxwCSZaroHdkDUw_y2OQ-yWUp-HK-_dX-QiWYa0sDbs2WrYofvUJ8Ke57oPV7I20AAiIwvq8BauRseYCTa_LlfDl-gbSSiNJZxweAqJVySB/s1600/IMG_6359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbzjbYC90a1-dm7N1PdhTq8IFJYBje9-W_bxwCSZaroHdkDUw_y2OQ-yWUp-HK-_dX-QiWYa0sDbs2WrYofvUJ8Ke57oPV7I20AAiIwvq8BauRseYCTa_LlfDl-gbSSiNJZxweAqJVySB/s640/IMG_6359.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcDydc3BbMgeRuQZTM2q5NKfv8BIKqvKPgKBn-7geHE_5NRzTSyeOmoMlxTNJX5L8P1cC5_0hgo9cLUB5n6q_fpY0HuB7PllAgR5VHt-p2RLov2dgCbTV07jGHEoRjRSBx9ef4Mlv9qiC/s1600/IMG_6361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcDydc3BbMgeRuQZTM2q5NKfv8BIKqvKPgKBn-7geHE_5NRzTSyeOmoMlxTNJX5L8P1cC5_0hgo9cLUB5n6q_fpY0HuB7PllAgR5VHt-p2RLov2dgCbTV07jGHEoRjRSBx9ef4Mlv9qiC/s640/IMG_6361.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I reused a wine box and made dividers for my eye shadows, palettes, lipsticks, pigments, and even false lashes</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJNpzTjC-7WazTZ_5m9t5OOZoJduJfexxzYeJ7ku4iiG6ARIdcLpA7JKVb_xcbcajOrCZvddkBw5iYwWt14Y4ewcNzOh0U7ZAGfAk37QN6lH1yuhANH-atcLkDOIZpFFoBKTscJTW0vFj/s1600/IMG_6362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJNpzTjC-7WazTZ_5m9t5OOZoJduJfexxzYeJ7ku4iiG6ARIdcLpA7JKVb_xcbcajOrCZvddkBw5iYwWt14Y4ewcNzOh0U7ZAGfAk37QN6lH1yuhANH-atcLkDOIZpFFoBKTscJTW0vFj/s640/IMG_6362.JPG" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lipsticks, cream blushes, falsies, and blush pigments</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Fy3rAKotro8rxrJVofW0JTKYnxJ-5vUkpeOTLpWATSFcW4Bal4ZBth5y7zl5Tx-jA3TJd9v06gtyMC5fISCKwfw3MUh1QPOztSP0E_L4hVZd6mVpzmzuq326UrFXyJ6A2RjD6vM1PU95/s1600/IMG_6364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Fy3rAKotro8rxrJVofW0JTKYnxJ-5vUkpeOTLpWATSFcW4Bal4ZBth5y7zl5Tx-jA3TJd9v06gtyMC5fISCKwfw3MUh1QPOztSP0E_L4hVZd6mVpzmzuq326UrFXyJ6A2RjD6vM1PU95/s640/IMG_6364.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eye shadow and eyeshadow palettes</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdnK1LRP4M4TgGsZ8QwXYJE_dl35nYODw8OjYyUvTZuqUhGxCsE_x0Xk4Qp_p247CqxeEA9FPHOUWSYI2SCuXhzgG74DvAdxvvCU0Zn8iHT2A-PtVtDf0xcMYqQGsRxogpSKW5bS_egY2/s1600/IMG_6365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdnK1LRP4M4TgGsZ8QwXYJE_dl35nYODw8OjYyUvTZuqUhGxCsE_x0Xk4Qp_p247CqxeEA9FPHOUWSYI2SCuXhzgG74DvAdxvvCU0Zn8iHT2A-PtVtDf0xcMYqQGsRxogpSKW5bS_egY2/s640/IMG_6365.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paint pots, pigments, and mineral makeup</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJrOIe4OQl4SZqU07I5ZeDWEpvPRINIB2oKck71hk0vSvVP0uIeReJGhTs6BijuCCxSr0IkhhD5xsnzwnecYtxhvx8yRpsN6zfZjheuIjHSRU8gwVMSutJVSLAzPKgaagJa-Z13CMMkWD/s1600/IMG_6366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJrOIe4OQl4SZqU07I5ZeDWEpvPRINIB2oKck71hk0vSvVP0uIeReJGhTs6BijuCCxSr0IkhhD5xsnzwnecYtxhvx8yRpsN6zfZjheuIjHSRU8gwVMSutJVSLAzPKgaagJa-Z13CMMkWD/s640/IMG_6366.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole drawer with other stuff.<br />Before, it was full to the rim and I had a hard time pulling it out. Now, everything is fine!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjgU0f4Bk7uTxyXhSzBw4Qhax2UUipEAKuWdowa-_woj0lwUVm6l4jOH00IKbJ5xwIrIljxnOotozojIVb8Uzq7o61YkV3LXQqJ9PThCGk38403sgo40CbD7SYI8WAg1Lo5Dx1TXARrj4/s1600/IMG_6367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjgU0f4Bk7uTxyXhSzBw4Qhax2UUipEAKuWdowa-_woj0lwUVm6l4jOH00IKbJ5xwIrIljxnOotozojIVb8Uzq7o61YkV3LXQqJ9PThCGk38403sgo40CbD7SYI8WAg1Lo5Dx1TXARrj4/s640/IMG_6367.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A much neater vanity table</td></tr></tbody></table>After I finished putting things together in my room, I felt like I could breath better. Moreover, the makeup now belongs to a system where I can find easily. While I hope to have more makeup, expanding and archiving them is not fun. Right now, space in the storage system is as expensive as Manhattan real estate.<br /><br />That's all for today, folks! Have you unleashed your inner Martha recently?<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please support my blog by following and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

My Inner Martha Stewart Unleashed

Hi everyone, I hope you had a lovely weekend. Mine was kinda crazy the moment I took a look around my room and realized how messy it was. St...

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Birth Control Pills - Not Everything You've Heard Is True

<div style="text-align: justify;">It seems that the same tired old wife's tales surrounding birth control pills are still popular today. These myths have been handed down throughout generations, and nothing can seemingly shake them from the public's consciousness. And while some may carry a small grain of truth, most of them have been completely twisted out of proportion throughout the years.<br /><br />One reason why young women still refuse to take birth control pills is because they're afraid that they'll get fat. They also may be afraid they'll break out in horrible acne, grow facial hair, or increase hip and breast size. None of these fears could be further from the truth. What the pill does do is regulate estrogen, which can initially cause some water retention and bloating (much like symptoms of a menstrual cycle). Switching doses or waiting until the body regulates itself, which may take a few months, will usually solve the problem. Generally, the pill has been known to decrease acne, or it may make no noticeable changes at all, but it would be unusual for it to suddenly cause it. Likewise, it does not produce facial hair or increase breast and hip size, although those areas may swell up slightly.<br /><br />Why then do so many women insist they have experienced some of these side effects? The probable answer is inaccurate cause and relation. The hormones in your body are changing, which may alter your mood temporarily. This alone can cause an increased appetite or added stress, which can cause weight gain or acne. Another reason could be that they begin taking the pill at a young age when the body hasn't stopped fully developing, meaning larger breasts and wider hips. Our bodies are constantly changing in small ways throughout our lifetime, but by changing medications some people become hyperaware of any small differences.</div><a name='more'></a><br />Has anyone ever warned you that taking birth control pills can cause cancer? It seems just about everything today has the potential to kill you or cause some devastating disease, and again the problem usually stem from incorrect cause and effect. Do women taking birth control get cancer? Yes. Is it because of the pill? No. In fact, studies show just the opposite. It is estimated that by regularly taking the pill women are 1/3 less likely to suffer from uterine or ovarian cancer. There has been no conclusive evidence linking the pill with increased rates of breast cancer either. Additionally, using the pill is very unlikely to cause defects in babies once you are ready to conceive as long as you quit taking them in advance.<br /><br />Not all truths about birth control are so rosy. There are possible side effects which commonly include nausea, headaches, mood swings, breast pain, and spotting. Many of these can be controlled by switching products and dosages, or by waiting for a few months until the body adjusts. In some rare cases more severe complications are possible, which is why it is important to consult with a doctor before starting.

Birth Control Pills - Not Everything You've Heard Is True

It seems that the same tired old wife's tales surrounding birth control pills are still popular today. These myths have been handed down...

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Ze Laptop Iz Alive!

Hi everyone,<br /><br />I was very nervous last week with my laptop going blank and a due date inching closer and closer. On top of that, I have a whole bunch of pictures in my computer that I would like not to be gone forever. I prayed long and hard before taking the laptop to the repair shop. A day and $150 bucks later, my laptop was revived! Thank you, Baby Jesus! It's a Saturnalia miracle!<br /><br />Also, thankfully, my brother's desktop was alive and well so I was using it for work. Surprisingly, I was more productive while working with a different computer for a day or two before I slacked off again :) Oh social websites, thou are time suckers!<br /><br />But on the other note, I am officially a published author now. Two of my articles were picked up by a magazine and published last week in the April issue. I was ecstatic and I'm going to post a couple of pictures of them soon! On top of that, I have a few articles commissioned already for the rest of the month. Which means I am going to be busy writing them and adding them to my portfolio.<br /><br />That's all for now, folks! Thank you for all the support while I was AFK ("away from keyboard" as in The Big Bang Theory season 2, haha!)<br /><br />Love you all,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /> P.S: Please continue supporting me by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

Ze Laptop Iz Alive!

Hi everyone, I was very nervous last week with my laptop going blank and a due date inching closer and closer. On top of that, I have a whol...

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Support Individuals with Disabilities

<div style="text-align: justify;">Support groups help individuals deal with change, personal experience and the grief of everyday emotions. Individuals with disabilities need support therapy in order to learn they are not alone and that the intense feelings they experience are normal. The roles of care givers must be to recognize that individuals with disabilities have the right to exercise the ability to make decisions in every aspect of their lives.<br /><br />However, as in all projects, challenges and obstacles are the norm. Participants may feel uncomfortable with opening up in the group therefore sometimes a staff presence may make the person feel more comfortable. Emotional outbursts, non-compliance, disrespect are all common adjustment factors in support groups. Another adjustment factor is attendance in which a participant may refuse to come to meetings depending on their moods. It is very common that an individual may come to the first meeting then never show up again but it is not anything for the facilitator to become discouraged about. Typically, immediate breakthroughs for any individual may take weeks, months or even a year to confront their issue or find out the approach they were using is wrong. Facilitators must emphasize that support groups are not "cure all" interventions. Like most interventions, effectiveness is measured inside the group and outside in the environment.<br /><br />There are many things a facilitator should expect but in order for the group to be successful, every facet must be consistent. Consistency is a very important part in counseling or behavior therapy techniques. Often times, individuals feel more comfortable with an activity when they are able to look forward to it. There are other things that may be consistent in an individual with disabilities life such as day programming, medical appointments or medication administration. However, support groups are strictly voluntary which can be exciting because it represents a change or a growth in a person's life. It is very important that the support group facilitator remain consistent with the frequency of the meetings to provide positive results.</div><a name='more'></a><br />Whether results are positive or negative, it is also important to keep control of the group. Sometimes when a person comes to a meeting, seminar or conference, they come to hear others talk. Subsequently, when the speaker does not engage the participants, the speaker ends up doing all the talking. To avoid doing all the talking, an easy approach would be to teach rather than listen. Each topic in each meeting should be considered a lesson that you are teaching your individuals. Rather than "teaching by telling", the facilitator can start the topic by asking the group a question, which leads to the topic and discussion. It encourages the individuals to think out the facts or concepts themselves. Another way for the group to learn is through scenarios and role playing. Group activities allow the individuals to review what they learn, focus on key points and identify coping techniques. Another benefit is to have an expert speak to the group to give his/her perspective on a specific topic. Many guest speakers bring different styles which add to significance of the group.<br /><br />The goal of a support group is for the participants to become part of a collective voice. Supports groups should be constructed to be non-judgmental. The group should create a safe environment for members to disclose their problems. By discussing their problems, the individuals become better informed which enables them to make right decisions. Conversely, better decision making reduces anxiety and stress. Supports groups build confidence for coping and participants become more equipped to analyze situations. The groups also improve communication with family members, staff and peers.

Support Individuals with Disabilities

Support groups help individuals deal with change, personal experience and the grief of everyday emotions. Individuals with disabilities need...

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A Quick, Quick Note about My Laptop

Hi everyone,<br /><br />I'm really sorry for the lack of posts lately. My laptop, the one I've been using since the end of 2009, decided to give me a finger by not working. It just does not turn on despite how hard I press the button. This is the first time I've had a problem with it as it has always been a good laptop to me. Right now, I'm worried because I do have a lot of stuff stored in that laptop. Even if it decides to die, I hope there's a way to retrieve all of my files. They may not cost anything but they do store a lot of my memories inside. Just think about all the pictures, documents, music files, and short video clips I have. I thought about not being able to see some of Belly's pictures again and it made me sad.<br /><br />Anyways, I hope for the best but prepare for the worst. If the worst case scenario happens, my D-SLR funding is going bye bye soon T_T And I do want a new camera!<br /><br />So everyone, I wish you the best. Until my laptop scenario works for the better, I guess there will be no updates for a while. Or there will be entries without pictures. We shall see!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br /> P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!

A Quick, Quick Note about My Laptop

Hi everyone, I'm really sorry for the lack of posts lately. My laptop, the one I've been using since the end of 2009, decided to giv...

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