An Easy Trick to Help Expand Your Vocabulary

There are many ways to improve and widen one's vocabulary. Let me share with you one technique I find very effective. I simply associate words with something personal for better recall. For example, words such as nauseated, faint, and giddy became common to me because I was able to relate them with the dizziness I suffered from for quite a time.

If I can't associate a new word to myself then I try to do so with people I know. Below are 3 examples. The definitions are lifted from Merriam-Webster.

1. laconic : using or involving the use of a minimum of words
                : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious

Although opportunities to use this word are rare, I haven't forgotten its meaning since the day I associated it with my friend Sheila. She is known to be "a man of few words." Her conciseness may not be marked by rudeness or mystery but the word still suits her especially since her maiden name is Laconico. 

          Sentence for recall: Sheila Laconico is laconic.

2. affable : characterized by ease and friendliness

This word is so easy to remember since I associated it with my colleague Chilet Afable. Just like its meaning, Chilet is friendly, pleasant, and easy to talk to. I just need to be mindful of the differences in spelling and pronunciation though. 

          Sentence for recall: Ms. Afable is affable.

3. levity : a lack of seriousness
              : an amusing quality

When I first encountered this word, I was reminded of its semblance with a term of endearment I had for a friend. I used to call Levy as "Levitiful" -- a fusion of her name and beautiful. When I looked up its meaning, I was happy to realize that I could connect it with Levy's personality. Group lunches with her were often filled with laughter because of her comic stories. 

          Sentence for recall: There's always levity with Levy.

Having a broad vocabulary brings many benefits which I prefer not to discuss for now. That topic deserves a separate blog. I have this theory that this technique or trick is effective because attaching a word to something personal enables it to be stored in the long term memory. I really hope this will help you memorize new words a little bit more effortless. Let's give some overused words a rest and the not so popular ones a chance.

Three Thrift Tips from a Shopaholic

Isn’t the title of this post a good tongue twister? Ha-ha! It’s even better if I include my name in it: three thrift tips from terrific tere. Anyway, enough of that. If you’re like me who is extremely fond of and energized by shopping but also has an extremely limited budget then you might find my tips worth trying.

1. Photograph the things you frequently buy. Most likely you’ll realize you have too much of the same type. Most girls seem to think that they don’t have enough lipstick, bag, clothes, and accessories when they can’t even fit them all in the storage bins. The next time you catch yourself reaching out for another lipstick to buy, take a look at the picture you took and be reminded of what you already have. You’ll probably end up putting that lipstick back on the rack.

My nail polish collection

Swatches of my favorite lipsticks

     2. Give locally-made products a chance. Cheap is not always cheap! Inexpensive items are not necessarily tacky or low quality. Below are some of my cheap finds which I'll continue to repurchase because they're really good.

This JThomas hair spray keeps my hair smooth and tangle-free. I remember convincing my friend Reg to purchase this when we were at Watsons. She too was amazed by how great this product is. I think this only retails for PhP150. 

This Careline cheek tint is one of my favorites. I like how it's easy to apply and gives me a natural blush. It costs no higher than a hundred bucks.

This may not be made in the Philippines but its price is comparable to the local colognes in the market.  I love the scent of vanilla. I use this before I go to sleep and its sweet smell helps me have sweet dreams.

-   3. Make a "can't resist list." Take some time to ponder on possible affordable whims and list them down. List down stuff you still don't have. Just in case you feel the urge to buy something during your next visit to the mall, take a look at this list. At least you'll spend on something you know you like and don't have yet.

  

     Others may not understand how individuals like me find happiness in this frivolous hobby. As much as I want to restrain myself, there are times when my self-discipline malfunctions. That's just how I am. I love to shop! Looking at the brighter side, at least I shop with a thrifty heart and thoughtful mind. Enjoy your thrifty shopping!

Battle Between Kojie San and Block and White Lotion (The Verdict)

The verdict is in! After 16 days of diligently applying Block and White Intensive Whitening lotion with spf 24 on my left arm and Kojie San lightening lotion wih spf 25 on my right arm, I'm excited to tell you that difference in shade between my arms is now visible!

I hope the pictures below can show the contrast. It really is more noticeable in real life. My right forearm is on top of my left. Can you see that the bottom one is lighter?

And so the winner is Block and White Intensive Whitening lotion! The truth is I really wanted Kojie San to win because I prefer its scent over B&W. It goes without saying that my right arm will be smothered with B&W starting tomorrow. 

Try to pair this with a good whitening soap to achieve fast results. I use Omni White soap and it proves to work well with B&W lotion. 

I hope this blog helps you on your quest to find lightening / whitening / brightening products that really work.

Battle Between Kojie San and Block and White Whitening Lotion (First Update)

It's been a week since I started on this experiment. I've been very diligent in applying these products onto my arms! Maybe it's too early to see any astounding difference in terms of lightening/whitening. Some beauty experts say there's a difference between lightening and whitening but to me, they're the same. I prefer the word lightening though but in essence they aim for the same thing anyway.

Well enough of the ranting. . . Here's a picture of my arms. Don't be scared or doubtful about my hairy arms. I am a girl with a great supply of testosterone!

My sister said that my right arm (the one slathered with Kojie San lotion) seems lighter. I really cannot tell. However, what I can say is that my left arm is definitely experiencing micro peeling. Is that a sign that Block & White is faster in inducing a reaction? I guess we just need to give it more time. 

Until my next update on this topic! 

Battle between Kojie San and Block and White Lotion

My late morning walks with my dog Jumbo have caused my skin to get darker. Since there is a school near our house, a lot of vehicles pass by the streets during early mornings. Jumbo is not the type of dog who will step aside at the sight of moving vehicles. Hence, we have to wait for the streets to clear before we can stroll around. Although my face is protected from the sun by my day cream, my body isn't. 

When I noticed the change in my complexion, I knew that I needed to protect my body from the sun's UV rays right away. I also wanted to bring back my old complexion. Before heading off to Watson's to buy a whitening lotion with spf, I decided to check the web for any blogs related to it. I wanted to buy something that was guaranteed effective by common people. I didn't want to rely on testimonials by paid models and actresses. Based on what I read, there were two local brands many Filipinas raved about. They were:

• Block & White Intensive Whitening lotion (B&W), and
• Kojie San body lightening lotion (KS)

I couldn't decide which one to buy until a brilliant idea came to mind! I decided to test both brands simultaneously. B&W had two variants: spf 16 and spf 24. The variant with lower spf was cheaper. Since KS had spf 25, I bought B&W with spf 24 so that they were more comparable. 

My experiment started yesterday. B&W was assigned to my left arm while KS was tasked to my dominant right arm. I applied the lotion before going out for our morning walk and before going to sleep.

This early, I must say that I'm leaning towards Kojie San. The cap is easier to open and the product is easier to dispense. The scent is mild, too. B&W's container may appear sleek but its cap is difficult to open. I'm scared that my nail polish will chip off each time I open the bottle. Also, the lotion smells like sunblock.

I have yet to see the results before I can make a conclusion. I'm using Omni White soap to assist in bringing back my old skin tone. Once I see visible changes to my skin, I will blog about it right away. Until then!

A Few of My Favorite Memories

Thanks to the little American girl who like me was having pancakes at Mc Donald's this morning. She was humming the tune of "My Favorite Things" from the classic movie Sound of Music. She inspired me to draw up my own list of favorites. However, instead of favorite things, I decided to go for favorite memories just to give it a twist. The song enumerated things that were simple so I stuck with that theme. I took out my handy-dandy pen and notebook and began to jot down whatever came to mind. They must be my favorites if they were easily retrievable from my memory bank.

This list contains a few of my favorite memories of events or experiences categorized as simple:

1. seeing the genuine and pristine expression of joy and excitement as my siblings opened their gifts during New Year's eve

2. experiencing snow for the first time

3. being serenaded by a stranger in the streets of New York

4. discovering that my college professor had a crush on me

5. gag moments with my friend Rina

6. unexpectedly receiving a glass of milk from my brother Sir Dan whenever I didn't feel well

7. listening to the folklore stories my grandmother used to tell me before I went to sleep

8. receiving surprise gifts from my mommy on ordinary days

9. grand opening of Lamano's bakery

10. using treadmill for the first time

I will definitely look back to this list just in case the dog bites, the bee stings, or I feel sad. I'll simply remember my favorite things and maybe, I won't feel so bad . . . 

THE END  :-)

Life Lessons from Three Trees

The lot my parents bought is blessed with fertile land. As you can see, our house is guarded by so many trees, most of which are dwarf type. These trees provide our home with so many benefits. It gives us shade during hot summer days, provides us shield against the windy storms, and gives us fresh fruits to enjoy. More importantly, some of these trees taught me some lessons in life.

1. Lesson from Guyabano Tree

I recently posted a picture in Facebook showing our guyabano tree finally bearing fruit. It felt like a reward to our family. You see, our house is often visited by neighbors and strangers because of our guyabano tree. They ask for permission to get some of its leaves to help them or their loved ones treat various ailments. Knowing how it could help them, we willingly shared our tree to those in need. Through this tree, I learned that little efforts to help such as simply sharing your tree, can give you sweet and unexpected surprises in the end. More than the fruit, it's really the well-being of the sick that matters.

The guyabano is near our center gate.

Finally, a guyabano fruit!

2. Lesson from the Coconut Tree

When I saw a young buco lying on the ground, I couldn't help but get mad at whoever removed it from the tree. Our coconut trees are dwarf type. Since their flowers and fruits are easily reachable, it's understandable how people especially kids are tempted to pick from them. There's a school near our house so I make it a point to watch over the palm trees especially during the students' dismissal time. I've caught children attempting to get the giant nuts a couple of times. I would shout at them from the window and shake my head from annoyance. I thought of wrapping the fruits in plastic or sack but my dad didn't agree to the idea. Despite my guard, such unfortunate incident still happened. 

Unlike a tall tree, a dwarf type gives us easy access to its fruits. We are spared from the difficulty and risks involved in climbing the tree. However, its advantage is also its disadvantage. The "bad guys" can just also easily steal the mature drupes or harm the young ones. 

Our stature in life can be likened to the coconut tree. Similar to the dwarf trees, rich people enjoy easy access to comfort. The downside is that the wealth they enjoy subjects them to be victims of harm, deceit, and theft as well. On the other hand, the poor who are similar to the tall trees struggle to survive. However, their daily battle has made them stronger, braver, and more tenacious.

So whenever we are in a seemingly disadvantageous place, we just need to look deeper to see the advantage it brings. And when you're in an advantageous place, exercise more vigilance and caution. Be ready for any disadvantage it may bring.

3. Lesson from the Calamansi Tree

I like calamansi! Pancit and palabok without calamansi is blah! Honey without calamansi is blah-blah! Fish sauce or soy sauce without calamansi is blah-blah-blah! Ha-ha! I'm glad that we have a calamansi tree at home. 

So what can our calamansi tree teach us? Apart from reminding us the importance of vitamin C, it also serves as a good reminder about life. As you can see from the photo, the branches of our calamansi tree are populated by many thorns. 

As you look up, you will see the abundance of cute and round calamansi fruits.

The reality of life is that some of our needs and desires can't be obtained without obstacles. Our way to the top won't be easy. The thorns will either prevent or intimidate us from reaching our goals. We just need to be wise and cautious. As we succeed in picking the fruits of our labor, life will be free from BLAH! Ha-ha!

Have a great life!