INDULGE IN A 5-STAR DESSERT WITH THE NEW RED RIBBON CHOCOLATE WALNUT FUDGE WITH HERSHEY’S DARK CHOCOLATE
The new Chocolate Walnut Fudge with Hershey’s Dark Chocolate is available in all Red Ribbon stores and select booths for P680.00. Offered only this holiday season, it’s the perfect ending to any celebration.
Make your loved ones delightfully merry this holiday season with a unique gift as Red Ribbon Cakes by Design introduces a beautiful cake made especially for your Christmas festivities, the Santa’s Wish cake.
Inspired by the beloved icons of Christmas, Santa Claus, with his cherry-red hat, twinkling eyes and fluffy white beard, who brings joy and cheer to children and adults alike and Christmas trees that call to mind the one standing proudly in your home, Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish cake lets your loved ones revel in the joy of the Christmas spirit unlike any other. A truly special holiday cake, the Santa’s Wish cake is sure to bring much delight to any Christmas celebration.
Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish cake is made with moist and dense rhum butter cake with a layer of creamy caramel filling and covered in soft and smooth icing. The deliciously festive flavors combine for a true Christmas symphony of taste, certain to elicit appreciation from your loved ones this season.
To help you avoid the Christmas rush, Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish cake will be available on a pre-order basis at any Red Ribbon store from November 27 – December 15. Order now and add an extra special touch to your gift with a personal dedication on the cake.
Election time is fast approaching. Have you made up your mind who among the many candidates you will vote for? What would be your criteria for choosing your candidates?
It is so sad that there are self-seeking interests and ambition within the government and even in the church. People are seeking to play king, obsessed for position and recognition by others. Such self-serving interests and ambition often lead affluent candidates to place advertisements and hold press conferences to gain influence in an attempt to promote their own agenda. Sadly, these advertisements and press conferences often result in spreading rumors and tearing others down in an attempt at self-promotion.
These people think they have the gift of saving people. They see it as their calling to save all the poor, and enrich their lives. But most often such people have hidden agenda behind their actions. It’s not really love at all, but a way to promote themselves.
Although the call to serve is universal, some of us may have the wrong idea of service. We do not need to hold public office to be able to serve people. We do not need to have a title or position to serve our neighbors in need. We only are required to fulfill the duties placed before us by God in whatever state of life we are in with great love for God and our neighbor. We can give life to that love by doing our ordinary duties extraordinarily well for God’s glory. We can volunteer for ministries in the church or any non-government organization. We have to keep our eyes open to the needs of the world around us.
One has to mind his own life and affairs first, and it would involve getting one’s spiritual life in order, getting the planks out of one’s own eye that one might have the ability to help others in their failures and difficulties. How do we know who among these candidates who openly declare that they love the Filipino people so much are sincere? What we need to see is faithfulness—lives that back up their job or business with works and a walk consistent with their talk.
We cannot trust somebody who does not truly love God. How can somebody say that he loves God whom he does not see when he cannot sincerely love his neighbors whom he sees? How can somebody who cannot remain faithful with his/her spouse be faithful with the whole Filipino nation?
Who are those who, as children of the light, walk after the example of the Lord Jesus Christ? Who are those who abide in Christ by faith and walk in the pursuit of growth in love and holiness? Who are those with a real heart of service for the poor without any vested interest? Who are those who do not exploit and use the poor for their own self-seeking ambition? People who really love God are those people who obey and try to please Him in whatever they say and do, with or without any press people watching.
John Paul II said, “The deepest joy there is in life is the joy that comes from God, and is found in Jesus Christ.” We can find joy in serving God and ministering to His people. John 10:10 says, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” An abundant life is a life of love and holiness. A life of love and holiness is a life shared with others in service, not necessarily having the highest office in the government.
Exercising our right to vote is no joke. It comes with a big responsibility. The future of our nation especially the younger generation is in our hands. Let us pray hard. God uses emotions and conscience to speak to us. Come election time, listen to your heart, then go out and vote.
If you want to feel good, a clean, fresh face is a great starting point. Pond's recommends a simple daily cleansing routine. In just three steps you'll feel like you've just walked out of a health farm.
Knowing how your pores work is the first step in pore management. Pores are essentially openings in the skin, and there are two types: sweat glands and follicles, which secrete oil. Pores become clogged when oil, grime, makeup or pollutants accumulate as hardened plugs, and these plugs form blackheads.
Clogged pores occur most often around the nose, which has more oil glands per square inch than any other area on your face or body. When the duct is blocked, the waxy 'sebum' – that's the oil – trapped inside becomes infected and produces whiteheads, also called pimples or spots. Conventional methods of clearing blackheads and whiteheads include squeezing, but this is painful, it often leaves permanent scars, and it may lead to infection when the skin is broken. That means you're more likely to get acne.
Suction with a vacuum tube is often used in beauty salons, but that can cause broken capillaries and it isn't very effective: the treatment is superficial and may not remove deep-seated plugs completely. The best way to manage your pores effectively is a regular, thorough cleansing regimen to minimise the build-up of sebum and surface dirt.
A good routine would involve three easy steps.
Cleanse your face with a proper pH-balanced cleanser. There are different types of cleansers: some people like gels or liquids and others prefer solid bars. It's just a case of finding the one that's right for you. After cleansing your face, massage it for 1–2 minutes and then rinse it thoroughly.
Use a toning product to kill bacteria and remove any residual makeup. Natural ones such as tea tree oil and witch hazel are good: they have antiseptic and astringent properties.
Exfoliate with products such as scrubs, creams and masques to slough off dead skin cells and stimulate cell renewal.
In addition to keeping your face clean, you should resist the urge to pick at spots. Try using pore strips to remove debris in pores.
If you wear make-up, be sure to remove it thoroughly with a reliable remover: never go to bed without cleaning your face. Avoid using make-up and skincare products that may aggravate pore clogging. For instance, applying a cream that is too rich on already oily skin may lead to the accumulation of debris inside the pores. It's important to know your skin type.
If you exercise regularly, make it a habit to cleanse your face after every workout. Good skincare practices will help to keep your pores clear and your skin free of blackheads and pimples.
Source: Unilever
So many shoes... so little time :)
VNC celebrates its MID YEAR Sale!
Satisfy your foot fetish with up-to-the-minute trends
at half the price! Get strapped with fab finds at 70% off!
Visit VNC at Robinsons Galleria, Glorietta III, Robinsons Place
Manila, TriNoma, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Alabang Town Center,
Shangri-La Plaza Mall and SM North Edsa Annex.
Sale Period: starts June 26, 2009
Note: Re-post from Reliv website
An online obesity advocacy group leader recently revealed that about half a million Filipinos now suffer from obesity. This alarming figure is likely to get worse if we continue with our unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Now more than ever, YOU have the power to take control of your weight in the most effective, convenient and healthy way!
Thanks to Reliv’s Slimplicity® Weight Management System, you now have a reliable partner in winning the battle of the bulge!
The Slimplicity Weight Management System is a three-step program that helps you trim pounds and inches without losing muscle tone and sacrificing nutrition.
Just follow these three simple steps and you’re off to a great start to a new YOU!
Shake Those Pounds Off for Good!
What makes Slimplicity shakes so powerful are these supercharged pound reducers:
Speed Up Your Weight Loss!
Aiming for faster results? Make sure you take two Slimplicity Accelerator capsules an hour before mealtime to maximize these powerful ingredients:
Toss-it time: Six months for liquids; two years for powders
Insider info: You increase the odds of bacterial growth — and, hence, of breakouts or irritation — when you repeatedly dip your brushes and fingers into liquid foundation. Also, as it ages, foundation can go on unevenly, creating a streaky, inconsistent finish. “Oils rise to the top, and the consistency thickens,” explains New York City makeup artist Mathew Nigara. Powders present less of a problem because bacteria can’t grow where there’s no water. However, over time, powders with botanical ingredients like aloe or jojoba can become harder to blend and are more likely to crumble, as their trace amounts of water evaporate.
Toss-it time: Three months
Insider info: “A mascara tube is a dark, wet environment — the perfect breeding ground for bacteria,” says New York City optometrist Andrea Thau, O.D. “Preservatives in a mascara only work for so long.” Dr. Thau knows from firsthand experience: She once developed a sty from a makeup artist’s mascara wand. Plus, three-month-old mascara is a non performer. “It’s chalky and powdery, and any lengthening or thickening fibers often separate from the fluid, so the mascara stops going on in a smooth, even coat,” says makeup artist Cristina Bartolucci. To avoid hastening the demise of your mascara, never pump the wand — that pushes air into the tube, causing it to dry out faster. Instead, slowly draw out and twist the brush to scrape the tube’s interior and pick up product.
Toss-it time: Liquid eyeliners, three months; cream eye shadows, six months; pencil eyeliners and powder eye shadows, two years
Insider info: As they do with mascara, bacteria tend to flourish in liquid-eyeliner tubes, and the product dries out. Pencil eyeliners have a longer shelf life because you can create a fresh, clean surface each time you sharpen them. (Just be sure to regularly sanitize your sharpener with rubbing alcohol.) Powder shadows, like pressed powders, are less prone to contamination because they, too, lack water (if you wet them, toss after six months). But aging eye shadows have performance issues: They get packed down, making it harder to pick up pigment with your brush.
Toss-it time: Lipstick and gloss, two years; lip liner, two years or more
Insider info: Lipsticks’ water content makes them potential mini reservoirs of bacteria. No surprise, they also dry out with age, says New York City makeup artist Tina Turnbow: “They no longer look creamy on the lips.” Long-wearing formulas may have an even shorter life span since they often contain ingredients that evaporate more quickly than creamier formulas. Pencil lipliners, like eyeliners, may last a little longer since putting them through a sharpener removes the old surface.
Toss-It Time: One to two years
Insider info: When polish expires, the consistency turns gooey or stringy. Formulas are especially sensitive to temperature extremes and humidity, so avoid storing in the bathroom.
Toss-it time: Acne creams and other over-the-counter products that contain drugs are FDA regulated and usually carry expiration dates. But cosmeceuticals (products claiming to have anti-aging and skin-changing benefits) are not regulated, and once they’ve been used, they shouldn’t be kept for more than six months — or, if they’re in pump bottles, a year — says Wilson.
Insider info: “Some ingredients [such as vitamin C, retinol, and hydroquinone] degrade even more rapidly if they’re left in direct sunlight or exposed to air,” says Tina Alster, M.D., a Washington, D.C., dermatologist. Less frequently — but more alarmingly — certain products can actually become more potent over time, says Boston dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, M.D. The reason: Active ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid become more concentrated as their bases degrade, separate, or evaporate. And when proportions change, your skin may get irritated. To prevent problems, store cosmetics properly, discontinue use after six months, and look for products that come in a pump, which helps keep air out. Another option that’s starting to hit shelves: special jars that dispense creams through a tiny hole or slit when you press the top (an internal “floor” rises with each push).
Toss-it time: Six months
Insider info: Sunscreens are FDA regulated, and though they usually have expiration dates of at least one year, that date indicates the purchasing time frame. When you open a tube, water may start evaporating, causing the formula to eventually become unstable. Once that happens, the ingredients are no longer evenly distributed, so you may get a lot in one dose, but nearly none in another. Protect your tube by storing it out of the sun.
Toss-it time: One year
Insider info: Always close the caps of shampoos, conditioners, and styling products tightly. Otherwise, water and air can get in, breaking down the formulas or causing them to separate. (Good news for hairspray users: Aerosol cans are the best product protectors going, so sprays should stay good even longer.)
Toss-it time: Two years — or potentially many more
Insider info: “Eau de toilettes and perfumes can last for several years, as long as they’re kept out of humidity and sunlight,” says Robert Gerstener, co-owner of Aedes de Venustas, a New York City fragrance emporium. “Both of these elements can alter notes in a fragrance, which will then change the overall scent.”
Go for eco-friendly living, here are some ways:
When the weather permits, take down drapes, curtains, or sheers and shake them outdoors to remove surface dust. Then machine wash at the highest water level, adding window coverings after the tub fills so they can move about freely. Remove from the dryer and hang immediately. After washing sheers, dip them in a solution of 1 cup Epsom salts and 1 gallon hot water, and hang them over a shower rod or towel bar to dry. You won’t have to iron them.
Presoak washable fabrics in cool water with regular detergent for 5 to 10 minutes. Wash on the delicate cycle, then dry on the lowest heat setting. For a smooth fit, put slipcovers back on furniture while just slightly damp. Hint: Use a wooden spoon to tuck fabric into crevices.
Check care labels, but in general it’s safe to wash polyester- or down-filled pillows two at a time in the machine on the gentle cycle for 2 minutes. (Be sure to check seams on feather pillows for any gaps and mend openings, or they may burst when immersed or during the spin-dry cycle.) Toss a couple of clean tennis balls into the dryer with pillows to plump them up. Hand wash foam cushions in the tub or sink with a mild detergent and warm water. Air-dry.
For cotton, rayon, or synthetics: Presoak or use a prewash spray on badly stained items. Then wash on the delicate cycle (check label for water temperature; if not specified, choose cold-water setting) for about 5 minutes with regular detergent and oxygen bleach, if safe for the fabric. Put in the dryer on the gentle cycle, or line dry. For down-filled: Wash separately using a mild detergent and the delicate setting. Thick comforters may need an extra rinse cycle to remove all the soap. Add a clean sneaker to the dryer load to help down fluff back up.
Towel Care- use mild detergent when washing them.
Quick Touch-Ups
• Refresh pillows, comforters, and curtains by putting each item, along with a fabric softener sheet, into the dryer on the air-only setting.
• Mop up pet hair, light soil, and debris on washable slipcovers with a slightly damp microfiber cloth; use a lint brush on silk or delicate textiles.
• Dust off drapes, cushions, and fabric-covered chairs by vacuuming on a low setting (use upholstery attachment).
This is a very timely song...a story of great love.
Last March 18, I turned 39. As I was about to check on my kids, I was surprised to see these...
the banner (in their messy room, ha ha)
the cards, gifts and my kids' names on the heart shaped paper
the birthday poster
pop-up card made by Nicole
personalized birthday card
a note from Bea
a shampoo and bath soap from Gabbie
Nicole's gift
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