Curbside Stories

I have the typical Asian hair--long and black--and like other women, regardless of race, I also have problems with hair fall and dandruff. I am picky when it comes to hair products and styling my hair, in fact, I have never used a dye. My hair fall problem and dandruff began in my late 20's, probably because of the amount of stress I always have to face at work and I have oily scalp. I have tried various products that promise to get rid of my problems, in fact, I have been loyal to this famous shampoo brand for years but it still doesn't give me the results I need. I finally stumbled upon a Tea Tree Shampoo by Maple Holistics. It's main ingredient is organic tea tree oil that is known to cure acne and various fungal infections. It also has antiseptic properties and may be used on cuts, abrasions, burns, insect bites and boils among others. Other than its therapeutic properties, it also has cosmetic benefits like promoting hair growth by creating a protective layer on t...

Ever since I took over a vital company position, I barely have breaks. I almost forgot what the word meant. And it took a toll on me. We all need to have a break, even robots need them. You are prone to wear and tear as much as they are. Have a break, before it's too late.

Angelina Jolie recently revealed that she underwent double mastectomy last April as a preventive measure following the discovery that she is carrying a cancer gene. The chances for her to develop cancer dropped to 5% from 87%. Her mother died of ovarian cancer and seeing her mother throughout the battle and her six young children were the motivations for her to do the procedure. She also considers the removal of her ovaries. I think it was heroic of her. It was a courageous feat to sacrifice the removal of a part of her femininity and choose to live longer for her to see her children grow up. I remember the famous Miss Universe 2013 question "What is the essence of being a woman?" that was confidently answered by Sushmita Sen of India. After 10 years, it was only now that it was answered most profoundly. Her revelation made us think that we do have options for our health and our happiness. Sometimes, we have to give up a part of ourselves to someone or something that...

I don't know about you but whenever I am stressed, I go to a different place. It is not necessarily a far place, just a different ambiance or away from the source of the stress.

I heard Jessica Simpson is pregnant... Again! She gave birth just a few months ago to a baby girl. In the news, she said she is excited to be a mom again. What do you think about being pregnant after giving birth? I dread the scenario. I personally think that our body should be given enough time to recuperate from pregnancy stress and the postpartum depression that inevitably comes with it. I wanted to give full attention to my newborn and with another pregnancy along the way, it would divide the attention. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. It is a journey of nourishing yourself and the child in your womb but a mother's work doesn't stop at giving birth. It is a continuous process of pouring unconditional love between her and her child.

I had a serious fall earlier this day. It was raining and the floor was slippery. I lost balance and fell on the left hitting my head hard. I heard a nasty "thud" sound. I was not able to get up quickly because I passed out for seconds. When I was able to see, although blurry, I immediately got up but it felt different. I had difficulty breathing. I went to the kitchen and sat for a while. After a few moments I passed out again. My grandmother had me lay down while she was wiping dirt off my head and leg. I had scraped my leg and bruised my wrists. My head hurt so much. I went to the hospital for a check up because it was the first time I hit my head that hard and the first time I got drowsy because of a fall. The doctor asked me several questions including if I vomited and still feel dizzy. The doctor requested me to have a skull x-ray just to check if I have fracture. After a few minutes of waiting for the result, the doctor said my skull does not have any fracture. I gav...

My mom told me that when she was pregnant with me, she's fond of eating pineapples... we call it in the Philippines as pinaglihihan. Pineapple is not one of my favorite fruits because I don't like my food sour. I won't eat it unless somebody tells me it is of the sweet kind. So why did I cook a dish with pineapples? I don't have much ingredients in my kitchen. The things that are available are chicken, evaporated milk, bell pepper and pineapple tidbits. I was thinking of cooking adobo but it was just last night that we had soy sauce based dish for dinner. Well, it turned out delicious... my son could attest to that because he only eats chicken when it is barbecued, fried or if it is adobo. If you like to try this dish, here is the recipe:

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In the Philippines, aside from summer being the season to enjoy the beach and the pool, it is also the season for young boys to undergo a ritual... a passage into manhood... circumcision. It is commonly done every summer since there are no more classes. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin that covers the tip of the penis. In other countries, it is done before a newborn leaves the hospital. In the Philippines, it is commonly done to young boys of age 10 to 14. Parents who choose to have their sons circumcised is often based on religious beliefs, hygiene, or social and cultural reasons. My nephew just had the ritual. It was hilarious. But, I am proud of him because he took it like a man. Next school year, he can now boast to his male classmates that he is no longer a baby but an adult... an adult who is ready to take more responsibilities.

After my much needed whole body massage yesterday, I went to Nail-A-Holics Nail Salon and Spa to give my feet a little pampering they deserve.  I was impressed at how the salon looked. It was my first time to go to the place but the moment I walked inside, I immediately felt at-home. The ambiance is perfect for a brief relaxation experience. The walls were painted with turquoise accented by white, green and brown... pretty much like your are staying inside a house overlooking the beach. There is also a mural of the beach to complete the feel. The very friendly and courteous lady who cleaned my feet. I actually didn't feel ticklish. I chose to have Water Drift Spa Pedicure. As soon as I was seated on their couch, a lady handed me three pillows for me to comfortably sit as if the couch wasn't comfortable enough. And then I was offered fashion magazines--which I enjoyed reading--to keep me busy while waiting for the whole process to end. A basket full of...

I need not go to Chicago to have my hair blown by the wind. Where I am right now is enough for me to experience the wind. It has always been like this in the Philippines when the snow from other parts of the world starts to melt and the Northeast monsoon gushes towards the Southeast. If I could no longer bear to shower directly from the shower head, it is already a sign that I should stock up on products with moisturizers and thick clothes to keep me warm and moisturized 24/7. A lip balm to lock in moisture thus preventing chapped lips. Burt's Bees nourishing lip balm , $2.99 at Small Flower. If you look pale without lipstick, here is Lip Fusion  Balm by Fusion Beauty . It will give your lips color and then moisturize it up to 6,000% if you use it continuously for 4 weeks. That's a lot of moisture! Get this at Beauty.com for $22. The face needs as much moisturizing as the lips. Try this Sephora instant moisturizer , $20 at Sephora. This has HydroSenn+ that not only...

I got so clumsy today that I sprained my right ankle. Now, I could not move around the house without watching my steps and reaching for something I can hold on to. Photo from A. D. A. M . Sprain is a medical condition wherein one or more of the ligaments of the ankle is over stretched, torn or partially torn. Sprains happen when the ankle rotates beyond its normal range of motion like what happens when you trip, you fall or jump and then you lose balance. There are three types of ankle sprain: 1. Inversion ankle sprain (this is what happened to me). This happens when the foot becomes too much inverted (you turn your foot inwards). In this type of ankle sprain, the lateral ligament--anterior talofibular ligament--of the ankle becomes over stretched. According to studies, 90% of ankle sprains are inversion type. 2. Eversion ankle sprain. This is the opposite of inversion. The medial ligaments become over stretched when this type of sprain happens. 3. High ankle sprain. This least...

Today I thank my son's pediatrician who did not charge me for consultation. My son was sick since Wednesday due to cough and colds. I took him this afternoon to his pediatrician and he was given antibiotics and cough syrup. He is cordial and you can sense genuine care for his patient. He talked to my son about what he should not eat while he has cough as if he's talking to his own son. My son nodded to each reminder from his doctor as if he truly understands. God bless you, Doc!

I will turn a year older in just a few weeks and I am already making plans on how to celebrate it. My initial plan is to celebrate my son's birthday on my birthday since his falls on a weekday and mine is on a weekend. I am excited already. I am not going to have a big bash, I just wanted to celebrate it with my loved ones. And since it is my birthday, I think I deserve to at least make my very own birthday wishlist. I love reading books and one of the books I would like to have is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series . I went to the bookstore yesterday but they do not have a stock. So, hopefully before this month ends, I can get my very own copy. You see, I would like to go back to being a child every once in a while. =) This is a weird item to have on a birthday but I love to cook so if I get a new cookware set , it would be highly appreciated. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue is my most favorite perfume of all time. A refill would be nice. Haha! I have been using ...

I had a day of pampering and I love it! I think I should do it more often. I left the house at around 1PM after my Aunt took my son to their house to be a nanny for a day. I left 30 minutes after.  My hair before the liberating and much needed hair cut. It is dryer than the Sahara. It was not my plan initially to pamper myself from head to foot, I only planned to have a haircut. But, the moment I sat on the salon chair and a salon assistant gave me a back massage while waiting for the stylist, I said to myself I need to have a good body massage.  I am wearing my favorite cropped pants. The salon has a comfy chair, I can sit on it all day . The stylist snipped 6 inches of my hair... it was a liberating moment for me. Imagine having to dry my waist long hair each day... tedious! I could not understand why some people cry over cutting their hair short. Anyway, after 30 minutes of sitting in the salon, the stylist said I am good to go. My hair is still long but has laye...

I've been too busy lately that I don't have time to relax and pamper myself.  I feel so guilty and I can sense my body is complaining already.  I will make up for it by, of course, going to the spa and have some treatments.    The last time I had total pampering was a year ago when I won a spa gift certificate together with a friend.  It was awesome.  I will probably have a massage, foot spa and facial.  The more complicated and expensive treatments will follow later.   I am kinda "afraid" of complicated treatments because of what my friend told me about her experience in one of spa centers in Cali.  She's from Dallas and just went to Cali to attend the wedding of her cousin.  A day before the wedding, she went to a spa and had a facial and body massage.  The massage was heavenly, as it relieved her of stiff shoulder muscles, but, the facial didn't.  To make the long story short, she had an allergy and had to take a...