I get a lot of questions on Instagram about what types of tea I drink. I know, it's a super random question to get but because I'm trying my best to live a healthier lifestyle, I'm also trying to wean myself off of too much caffeine (
Now tea does have caffeine as well, so it's not like I've gone a complete 180 and stripped myself of caffeine, no. That would be CRAY-Z. But on most days I've been substituting my morning cup of coffee for a nice cup of tea. I've found that not only does it perk me up for my show, but it gives me that boost of energy and at the same time warms my belly (which is super comforting
It's crazy how many kinds of tea there are in the grocery store. I've tried my fair share and through trial and error, I've found some brands that I really enjoy.
Rambling aside, I thought I'd share with you guys some of my fave teas that will hopefully not only change the way you look at tea (it's not just for old people or for after meals anymore I promise!) but will encourage you to try and make healthier choices as well as be less caffeine dependent.
Despite my
When my friend (and awesome co DJ) Lexy told me that she was working on a makeup line, I went bananas. I seriously did. Lexy is one of those people that you just trust when it comes to makeup (among other important life stuff, duh) and her look is always on point. So when she asked me if she could send me their first collection of lipsticks, I was over the moon with joy!
Ladies, I give you, Slay Colors.
Hey you.
Yes you.
The one who feels like nothing is going right. Nothing makes sense.
How everything is a mess. You're a mess. Life's tough and you can't deal. This letter is for you.
And I guess it's for me too. I think I need to write this and read this too.
I know exactly how you feel. I feel it too. I've felt it before, I'm feeling it right now, and I know I'll feel it in the future. Life is tough. It's always been and it will always be. If life were easy then nothing would be worth it.
I recently learned at service that life isn't supposed to be easy. It isn't supposed to be fair. The world owes you nothing. Absolutely nothing. If you think it does, then you're in for a whole lot of disappointment.
Everyone, everywhere, is struggling. We all have our own problems and our own issues. No one's life is perfect- no matter how "perfect" it looks. We all have our own personal demons... and that's alright. That's how we grow. This letter is for you to realize that not only are you not alone in your struggle, but that at the end of the day, it too will pass.
Patience is key. As horribly cliche as that sounds, it's true. And it's definitely something I struggle with. I want things now. I want immediate results. I want the pain to go away. I want the blessings. I want the opportunities. I want the whole nine yards and then some. Now. Now. Now. But funnily enough, that's not how it works.
But don't be discouraged. This letter isn't here to tell you that things will never go your way or that you'll never get that breakthrough. You have to remember that our God is a God that loves us, cares for us, and wants what is best for us. Sometimes a "no" in our eyes is a "Not Yet" in God's.
A certain blessing we're praying for may not necessarily be a "no" but an "I've got something better" from our Father. Whenever I feel frustrated, sad, jealous or bitter, I always remember that God gave us His only Son in order to save us from sin. What won't He give us?
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| Photo from Faith Inspiration on Tumblr |
And then the comparisons and jealousy creep in.
"But how come they have it so easy?"
"They're not even that good of a person and yet they're so blessed."
"I'm so much better than them and yet here I am struggling."
"I've been struggling for so long. It's just not going to happen for me."
"It always comes so easy for them!"
Sound familiar? Yeah, I've said those things too. I still do. But what good will it do to compare ourselves to others? We'll just end up feeling miserable about everything. That's why we need to HOPE in the LORD.
Romans 8:24-25 "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
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| Photo from lyrics at your disposal on Tumblr |
I love that line: "Who hopes for what they already have?" It's so true. So painfully true. I recently learned at my small group discussion (Praise God I now have a Bible Study group of fantastic Christian women!) that God has already mapped out our lives, He's planned everything down to the last little detail. Everything has been placed and will continue to be placed according to His grand plan. We just have to trust Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
But... I'm not strong enough to go on. I can't go on.
Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
I'm not going to tell you that once you read your Bible God will speak to you, no. There are days when I pray and read and do my quiet time and I'm still met with silence. But another thing I learned is that silence doesn't mean God doesn't care- it means God is WORKING.
Yes, He's working.
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| Photo from Faith Inspiration on Tumblr |
There's only so much we can do in our very limited human capacity. But we have to remember that God is all knowing and He is perfect. Creator of all. He can handle our problems. No sweat, no biggie. So lift them up to Him. And have faith.
Take it from me, darling. Things do get better eventually. Sometimes it takes longer than expected, longer than you would've liked, but it does get better. And you get stronger.
The storm will pass. Believe it will.
He left us with a promise:
If there's one thing that my friends, family and boyfriend know it's that I love avocados. If you check my Instagram account (ooh there's a cheeky little plug for ya) you'll see that right beside my name is the avocado emoji (I was over the moon when Apple added it to the collection). It's just so darn tasty!
I love sharing bits of my day through my Instagram stories. It makes interacting with my friends and followers so much easier and quicker. I love sharing recipes and trying new dishes on there as well. Whenever I make one of my go-to comfort food dishes or healthier treats, I get tons of questions (
A couple of months ago, I started having a small breakout on my forehead. I wasn't getting any acne or pimples but I was getting these tiny white bumps that just wouldn't go away. I put zit cream, toothpaste and I would keep my toner-soaked cotton pad on the area for a minute but nothing seemed to work. The original bumps didn't go away either and instead they started multiplying. And quickly. I was getting stressed and frustrated because I don't normally have skin issues (
I then decided to finally see my dermatologist in Belo Connecticut. I had been going to Belo for a couple of years now for my back (I used to have bad back breakouts because of my old shampoo and laundry detergent) and for my laser hair removal. I scheduled an appointment and met with my derma and Cherry, the wonderful lady who used to treat my back. After a normal facial with peeling (and lots of pricking) my derma told me that my skin type had changed. Apparently I was no longer just "dry" but my T-Zone became oily as I got older. She recommended a new skincare regimen that consisted of purely Belo Prescriptive Products. Although pricey, I was ready to make sure that I not only never had to go through pricking again (because, ouch!!!) but that I would never get those pesky bumps on my face again. So I bought all the products and I've been happy ever since.
To all my fellow Filipinos:
Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan!
When my sister Trina told me she had a surprise for me one night I got excited. She's one of the most generous people I know and she's always constantly encouraging me and pushing me to write more about my love of makeup. I know that may sound shallow to some of you but I love collecting and reading up on makeup. It makes me happy, okay? Haha!
So when she busted out this surprise, I almost cried. Seriously. I had written about this palette a few weeks ago (I write for Project Vanity and I have a weekly column/roundup of all things new in the beauty world) and I never dreamt of owning it. I am a huge fan of BECCA Cosmetics. Ever since Trina gave me one of her blushes (the Flowerchild blush- it's amazing) I knew this was going to be a brand that I loved. It never makes me break out and every new product I try I end up loving- which says a lot about the brand for me. Although pricier than others, you really are getting your money's worth with BECCA.
With that being said, I decided to make a little review of the BECCA x Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette, since it's the latest baby in my growing collection. For those of you who are looking to buy a face palette, or want to try something new, this might be helpful.
