Personal Finance Flowchart

I've been surfing around and I saw this flowchart. Nicely done! :)
Click here for a larger view :)
From http://thepersonalfinanceapprentice.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-personal-finance-flowchart.html

Exercise!

I joined a fitness gym near our place since March which includes aeroboxing, step, hi-lo, zumba, and yoga classes from 7-9am. Mostly I enjoy the Yoga sessions since dancing is not one of my better skills. I find it amazing that mere poses can make you sweat so hard! We've been doing this pose and I'm a bit afraid my spine will not support my body that one day it'll break:


Picture taken from http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories

LOL, wishing for the best! :)

Atchie's Birthday Surprise!

Yesterday I compiled some old younger pictures of my sister as a birthday present to her and I'm glad that she liked it! Actually I forgot that it was her birthday earlier, and made this video, including taking the pictures for less than 2 hours with iMovie, and was done around 10pm. I was supposed to download the "Birthday" song from The Beatles but I couldn't get a copy, so I just picked one from my playlist, "My Girl", only later to find out that the lyrics were perfect for the video, ".. when it's cold outside, I've got the month of May". I almost thought that I wasn't gonna be able to upload it online after several failed attempts to upload it to Facebook or Youtube due to copyright infringement issues. Gladly, I was able to use Vimeo to export the movie, and was finished uploading a few minutes before midnight! Bitin nga lang yung video, d ko naedit masyado.. so here's the (semi) finished product!

Vivian's Birthday from Vicky Sy on Vimeo.

Note the subtle hint with regards to her age.. mwehehe.

Life of Pi

I recently watched a movie alone (again, for the 2nd time) because I was having a really bad mood at home and wanted to go out. I was supposed to watch it with a friend (actually I invited him impromptu) but he was stuck in the office so I just went on by myself.

Despite being alone, I managed to enjoy the movie.. hehe. In fact, I went home having a better mood. The visual effects of the movie just left me speechless I regretted not having to watch it on 3D. Ang Lee is definitely one of the best in terms of shooting fantastic nature landscapes and sceneries in his movies. I also bought the book earlier. Lol. I haven't read a full novel for a very, very long time and I was glad that after reading two chapters of "Life of Pi", I find that it's an easy read. Hopefully I get to write a review after reading the novel.

Royal Jelly and its Benefits

I've been taking Honeyworld Royal Jelly + Collagen since September which I bought way back 2010 in Singapore hoping it would treat my menstrual cramps and improve my skin. I stopped using this 3 years back after a few capsules because I was hypersensitive back then and had allergies upon taking it. Luckily, I tried it again last September and it didn't cause me allergies this time around. I thought of taking them since it will expire by March 2013 and it was a very expensive bottle (@around Sgd 200); at least half of it would not go to waste.

Actually, Royal Jelly is used by women who wants to get pregnant, lol. I thought it could cure some of my hormonal issues, too. True enough, my menstrual cycles were surprisingly regular, exactly 28 days for three months since I've been taking this medicine daily. I've always complained how irregular my periods were, so I thought it was interesting. I would recommend it for couples who want to get pregnant, haha! As for me, I'm not really sure if the cost of this medicine is worth it, plus I have to ask my sister to ship the product from Singapore if I wanted to continue taking it. I'm also not too keen about being medicine-dependent to regulate my hormones. Maybe I'll just do more exercise or continue taking if I complain about my hormones again.

Facial Clay Masks

I've been experimenting on different clay masks brands and so far, I've tried 3 types:

- Kaolin (China) Clay (Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque)
- French Green Clay (Burt's Bees Pore Refining Mask)
- Bentonite Clay (Aztec Secret)

So far, my favorite is the French Green Clay Mask from Burt's Bees (and it's the most expensive). According to this site,

With its high mineral and nutrient content and micro molecules (which enhance absorption), French green clay powder is often used in skincare treatments such as facial masks and body packs at spas. Because it's very absorbent, it's especially good for oily skin. This clay tones, stimulates, and cleanses the pores.

I used to buy this from Beauty Bar but it has since been out of stock so I tried Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque from Healthy Options. I think this is best suitable for dry to normal skin as it does not remove oil as much as the french green clay. Its main ingredient on the other hand is Kaolin Clay which is,

A very mild clay that gently cleanses and exfoliates without drawing oil, making it perfect for sensitive skin types. At the same time, its astringent effect is suitable for normal to oily skin. In addition to clay masks, the fine, fluffy powder is used in body powders and deodorants, soap products, and body packs.

The cheapest of them is the Aztec Indian Healing Bentonite Clay as it's just Php 400+ from Healthy Options. My sister loves this product and I bought her one to take home to Singapore.

Also called fuller's clay, it has absorbing properties and can be used as an exfoliant as it draws out impurities from the skin.

My final verdict is to use the type of clay that best suits your skin type. My skin has since been a moody, shifting from oily to dry to normal depends on the weather so I would probably also change products depending on the mood of my face. I usually apply it once a week so it won't be too drying to the skin and I also read that it may be irritating to sensitive skin. Nonetheless, I love how refreshing it feels to the face after applying it.

For more information regarding other clay masks and their uses: http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/claymasks.ph

Break the Loop!

I finally got to watch Looper, together with a "date" last Sunday. (Ayown eh!) We watched Skyfall and this movie. Ask me why I was so giddy to get out last weekend? Well, I just found out that my teammates at Sabre went to Dallas for training and will be in Krakow next year, barely two months after I resigned, so I wanted to chill and get my share of enjoyment for once! (Bitter mode! HAHA!)

Anyway, going back to Looper. The storyline was deserving of the positive response I've been hearing, definitely one-of-a-kind must-watch movie. I liked how the sequences of events tied up together, however still not up to par with the untouchable "Inception" on my list. The action sequences were mediocre and could have been better executed. I also thought something was lacking in the overall pacing of the movie, but still, it's really, really gooooood so nevermind my mumbling...

Sunday was a nice break from my routine \m/ and my date was nice, he told me that if I really couldn't stand staying in my old company, it's better to leave anyway, so who cares about Dallas? Anyhow, I am happy to be coding again since most of the work I had been doing at Sabre was checking log errors for the last months I was with them. I also am relieved to be working with my old pals at 77 :)