February 2017 - Halo Halo | Bullet Journal, Blog Post Ideas and More

Hey guys!

So I've been getting into art recently ever since I started watching art videos on YouTube, specifically HulloAlice. Her videos inspired me to pick up a paper and pencil to draw again. I'm not really an artist, I'm just a mere beginner as you can tell from the picture above but I am looking forward to improve my art skills.

I noticed that a lot of YouTube artist are good at watercolor painting, including HulloAlice, and so I decided to start using watercolor as my first medium as well. I noticed that I wasn't good at markers or using color pencils in coloring to begin with so who knows I might have a chance with this one.

As I was looking for some good quality watercolor palette, I stumbled upon Prang Watercolor Set and got really excited because I saw some YouTubers use it and my friend, who is an artist herself, recommended it to me as well because it was that good. But when I saw the price I got really upset because it was out of my budget, National Bookstore was selling them for PHP 459 (about $9.13). I don't know if it's inexpensive for you guys but here in the Philippines it is already on the expensive side for a watercolor set but it's probably worth it for those who are really really into watercolor painting.

I really wanted to buy some watercolor set that day so I went to look for some other brand and found this set recommended to me from the lady in the store. She said it was a dupe for the Prang Watercolor Set so I got really excited and they were selling it for PHP 89 (about $1.77) which I was happy about.

I got myself a brush as well for PHP 52 (about $1.03) because I knew the brush that the watercolor set comes with isn't that good in terms of quality.

Here are the swatches of the colors. As you can see they are really not that pigmented and it is absolutely not a dupe for the Prang Watercolor Set. I was happy that it was affordable for a beginner like me but was quite disappointed that it wasn't pigmented enough. But nonetheless I will make it work somehow, I will be using this 'till I get the watercolor set that I really want so wish me luck!

I really like how the purple, mint green, and light blue color had came out.

That is it for today thanks for reading!

Hey guys!

I feel like it's been such a long time since I've posted yet again but in reality it has only been a week since I posted my last post, Lazy Girl's Guide To Fitness, you can go check it out if you're interested it'd mean so much.

A week ago I was grocery shopping with my mom and I got bored so I decided to roam around and found an aisle solely dedicated to face masks. I found some other interesting ones but what really stood out for me is this Glorious Mud Facial Mask.

I bought this Glorious Mud Facial Mask because I thought the packaging was cute and it's affordable with the price of PHP 112 (about $2.24). This is from Beauty Formula, they actually had a bunch of these available as a facial exfoliator and facial wash.

I was really fascinated by the color and texture of this since it was my first time seeing a facial mask that is actually true to its name, a muddy color. It wasn't sticky to the hands making it easier to apply on my face.

I'm not bias. Here's a brief review of what I've immediately noticed after using it on the first try.

PROS:

The clay smells amazing
It has a soft texture
It's easy to apply to the face since the clay isn't sticky at all

CONS:

It dries up too fast, I don't know if that's a facial mask thing but I don't like the way it dried on my face

Actually this facial mask promises that it can control excess oil & dirt and absorbs impurities & unclogs pores. I noticed that after trying this on for the first time, my face completely contradicts the dryness that I've felt when it was on but after washing it off, my skin was so soft and felt so smooth like never before. I also noticed that some of my pores were unclogged, but some stubborn parts weren't.

But overall, I am pretty happy with the result.

SUMMARY:

Rejuvenating: Glorious Mud Facial Mask is affordable and available at PHP 112 ($2.24)
It controls excess oil and dirt
Unclogs pores too
The texture of its clay is really soft and isn't sticky
It has an amazing scent
Easy to use
It is suitable for any skin type

Hey guys!

According to an article I've read online, one trip to the gym once a week is enough for you to make up for the days you've been busy with at school or at work; however, it is a must that it needs to be two and a half hours long (150 minutes).

The one who conducted this research, Dr. Ian Janssen, said and I quote from the article: "The findings indicate it does not matter how adults accumulate their 150 weekly minutes of physical activity."

Now for someone who just started going to the gym two weeks ago, this was great news to me since the only time I can go is during the weekends. If you're one of those students or people like me, who's busy during the weekdays, then listen up because I'm about to tell you how you can make that one trip to the gym completely worth it.

I have three things that I want to talk about today (a) what you want to improve with your body, (b) creating a routine, and (c) motivating yourself.

[But before discussing anything about that at all, I just want to say that I am not a professional when it comes to this. I only want to share with you guys what I believe you should do first if you're thinking of starting going to the gym or working out.]

A. What Do You Want To Improve?

I think this is something you will need to consider about first before anything since this is where you're going to base your workout routine on. There are four types of exercises to consider: Endurance, Strength, Balance, and Flexibility.

1. Endurance (Aerobic)

Increases your breathing and heart rate.

Sample exercises:

Brisk Walking or Jogging

Dancing (Zumba)

Flat Dumbbell Press

Seated Row

Squats

Military Press

Preacher Curls

Dips

Standing Calf Raises

Sit-ups

Cardio Workout

(3 sets 20 to 25 repetitions, 1-2 minutes rest between sets)

2. Strength

Makes your muscle stronger.

Sample exercises:

Lifting Weights

Using Resistance Bands

Goblet Squat to a Box

Push-ups

Inverted Row

RDL from a dead stop

Standing one arm dumbbell press

Assisted pull-up or Cable pull-down

(Circuits 2-5 Reps per exercises 6-10)

3. Balance

Sample exercises:

One-Legged Balance

Leg Swings

One-Legged Clock with Arms

One-Legged Squat

Single-Leg Dead Lift

4. Flexibility

Stretches your muscle and can help your body stay limber.

Sample exercises:

Shoulder and Upper Arm Stretch

Calf Stretch

Chest Stretch

Seated Butterfly Stretch

Shoulder Stretch

Trap Shrug

Back Stretch

Bicep Stretch

References:

Go4Life (types of exercises and their definitions)

Gym Professor (endurance exercises)

Nia Shanks (strength exercises)

Active (balance exercises)

Body Building (flexibility exercises)

B. Creating A Routine

Now that you know what you want to improve with your body whether it's endurance, strength, balance, or flexibility now it's time to make your own routine.

I've listed down some exercises you can do in each one of the exercises above and if you want to create a routine out of them then by all means go for it. But there are also already made routines you can easily follow floating around the internet.

I barely go to the gym so Blogilates is one of my favorite site or my go to YouTube channel whenever I workout at home. Cassey Ho has everything covered for you from arm workouts to butt workouts, she has printable workout sheets that you can print or you can just save the image on your phone, or you can exercise along with her as you watch her workout videos.

What I like about Blogilates is that she had created a playlist on her channel, separating each different targeted areas so it would be easier for us to navigate ourselves over her channel. It's easier as well to create your routine from them since you could just pick out any video that you like from each playlist and create your own workout routine.

What I like to do at the gym is that I try to do two exercises on each area on my body using the machines available there, for example I do 3 sets 15 repetitions on the Seated Cable Row Machine for my back, rear shoulder, and arm since those are the muscles that is being used.

You'll need to know the uses of the machines and their targeted muscle area, here are some sites I've listed down for your reference:

A Beginner's Guide To Gym Equipment and Workout Accessories
The Only 7 Gym Machines Worth Using
How To Use Machines At The Gym Other Than The Elliptical | Her Campus

Creating a routine is simple. You just need to pick out the ones you enjoy doing, pick an exercise for each muscle group (arms, abs, legs, butt) then do 3 to 5 sets of each 20 to 25 repetitions. Or you can search Pinterest as well for guidance if you're skeptical.

C. Motivating Yourself

Why do you want to get fit in the first place anyway?

Whether it's because you got inspired by your favorite celebrity, got inspired by a friend, or just simply wanting to look the best version of yourself... just keep remembering where that fire came from for even thinking of wanting to get fit or start working out in the first place.

When I saw myself in the mirror, I thought I was average. Too average. I wasn't thin, I wasn't fit, I wasn't toned, I had cellulites on my upper thighs, and it got me thinking 'how does it feel to have a fit body?' I knew I was too lazy to work on my own, that I needed some motivation, and so I got a friend to start and workout with me. And it actually worked.

I was inspired by the thought of wanting to have a fit body and I was motivated by a friend to actually go to the gym and start working out at home. Because I used to hate the idea of going there [gym] and now I absolutely love it.

So if it means that you need a friend as well to motivate yourself to workout then go get a friend and start working out together. It doesn't help if you're both lazy though, constantly finding excuses not to go, now that's a major no.

I hope this post had somewhat helped you in someway, let's stop procrastinating and start working!