All about accessories...

I am sooooooooo exhausted today. This evening was tough when my little one threw a bad tantrum! If you hear of a terrible two, I can't imagine how I am going to handle it since she is now 17 months. I REALLY hope she will outgrow this soon before I have a major meltdown myself T_T.

Tonight I decided to dig up my little treasure chest to go over what I have inside. I don't remember when I opened it last *_*

I LOVE accessories..especially earrings. I used to have tons of them and wore different pair on different day. Those days are over, I have no inspiration these days which is sad. They just sit there in the dark corner of my bathroom.

These are my favorite everyday items - they seem to match most of my work and casual outfits (which do not require much thoughts as what to match with).

As I dug deeper, I found several pieces that I have never even worn like this pearl necklace and earrings. I think they are pretty and I have no idea why I don't wear them.

My apologies for this pic, it is blurred in the middle..This ring has both white and black diamonds.

This necklace has pretty blue/greenish color.

I can't even tell you what I was thinking when I bought this one. This choker has that gothic looking but it is definately not something you can wear and walk on a street on a daily basis. The only day I can think of is on "Halloween" lol.

And last but not least..I bought this bag in May but haven't used it. I think I may be on the right track as far as adopting that "No Buy Policy". Why did I spend money buying these things and let them sit in the closet? I seriously need an inspriration to have fun with these items again.

No Buy Policy (Part III)

I thought I should clarify this a bit in case someone out there is interested in trying this policy. I had a total budget makeover earlier this year because the old method didn't seem to work the way I wanted it too.

My husband and I get paid on a bi weekly basis. Before we get paid, I'll jot down how much money we will bring home during that payperiod and what expenses we have until we get paid again. By doing this, you assign the job to every dollar you bring home. Whatever we have left after bills, groceries and savings, we can use that to treat ourselves (hooray!).

While I am not a devoted coupon hunter like most people, I think I am better at seeing "needs" and "wants". It does take some practice and it is just a matter of a "waiting game" (which is sooooo hard). You wait a few days and think if you really need it. Usually what happens is..if your desire is still going strong..you will end up getting it, if not you will save yourself some money.

This paragraph is not related to the above policy but I thought I threw it in with the mix. We are never frugal when it comes to food, my thought is I'd rather spend money on nourishing my body with good food than on medicine/treatment later on in life (which is going to be 100 times more expensive). We do cut down on eating out and it makes a different when you get used to homecook meals, plus it makes dining out even more special when you treat yourself on occasions. I find cooking at home to be very challenging. I had to admit that I failed about 100 times before. It is so hard when you work full time from 8-5 (plus having a baby to care for while a husband does shift work and is not home in the evening 5 days a week). You feel like you are starving by the end of the day and are too tired to get that pot and pan out of the cabinet, chopping veggies, preparing meat and on and on when you get home.

Back to the topic...the key to success is..knowing when to stop. Once that money is gone, it is gone..no more pulling from the emergency saving! This is hard but it makes sense. Emergency money is not for dining out or shopping. Saving is good but you do not want to be miserable by saving every penny and lose all the joy in life. Treat yourself on occasions, you will be a better saver. You don't want it to backfire you and blow out the whole plan. Moderation and flexibility are essential in acheiving this goal.

Beow are my two favorite male financial gurus/bloggers..they offer plenty of money saving tips and good source of financial managements (plus some humors)

http://www.thewisdomjournal.com/

http://www.frugaldad.com/

No Buy Policy (Part II)

The way I looked and managed my money as a single girl was a totally different picture. I spent them as I got them - as simple as that. Living with parents (like most Asian families) and not having the responsibility to pay bills really spoiled me..a little spoiled brat! I didn't see the importance of saving that much because I thought I lived with my parents so there was no need. I did some short term saving for clothes that I wanted or a trip I planned though so I never had to bother my parents for extra $$. One thing that I was quite proud of was I had never had credit card debt (I didn't have one to begin with).

My mother is an excellent role model when it comes to saving money. Her rules of thumb is never buy anything that you do not have the money to pay for and do not borrow from anyone. If you want something then save for it. I have applied her rules strictly and it helps me from getting into debts. My husband on the other hand has a different point of view. He sometimes doesn't want to wait to save. It took us a good while to finally be on the same page and tried a new game plan (despite the fact that we almost killed each other a few times but we did it!).

Having a baby definitely brings in a different outlook on my money management. With today's economy, higher costs of living and job insecurity, I am very concerned. If something ever happens to my job or my husband's, I want to be able to feed my child until we find a new source of income.

As we get older I think it also makes a perfect sense to look far ahead or consider some sort of long term saving/investments. We were successful at short term saving when we saved for a down payment on our new house in 2007. We were able to see our first home being built from the empty ground. It took us over a year to save $12k and it was much easier to save before having a baby.

While everyone has different goal, I am a true believer in saving. You do not have to starve yourself to death but putting that $20 into a saving a month can make a difference by the end of the year. You will never know when you will need them, the sooner you start the more you will have.

(We will see how far I can go with this policy!)

No Buy Policy (Part I)

I have recently adopted this policy in my family and we have been doing pretty good (I even pat myself and my husband in the back!). Let's keep our fingers crossed.

What is "No Buy Policy"? Very simple..do not buy anything other than paying bills, food and emergencies (what about those bras I just bought?! oh well..that was an exception since the deal was toooo good to pass). It was NOT easy when you are not used to refrain yourselves from buying stuff. We tempted to violate this policy SEVERAL times ourselves *_*

My husband and I ALWAYS wondered where all the money went because it seemed like we never made enough money. Our saving stayed right where it was at last year or even less because we kept pulling money from that so called "emergency saving" account to pay for non emergency related costs. Where did all our money go??? Eating out (3-4 times per week), clothes/makeups shopping, groceries, bills, and other unnecessary purchases clearly answered that silly question! I created a journal to keep track of our spendings but never put it to good use or used it wisely.

One day I decided to investigate our lost money and sat down with that journal in one hand a calculator in another. I just couldn't believe how much money we spent on things we didn't really need! We spent a good amount of money on groceries each week and still ate out about 3-5 times a week! Crazy..our meats and produces sometimes ended up in garbage because we didn't eat them soon enough. We simply wasted both food and money. Did I care so much about this in the past? No. Should I be more concerned about this from now? YES YES and YES!

Green Beauty

I have been incorporating safe beauty products into my lifestyle for 2-3 years now. If you are what you eat then whatever you put on your skin can get absorbed into your system as well.

Three years ago I was at a bookstore, I stumbled onto this book. It was about the danger of certain ingredients used in cosmetics/skin care products and what impacts they can have on your health. I found that quite interesting so I flipped through a few pages to read (it was so thick as I believed it probably listed almost every cosmetic brands available on the market!). I was surprised to see most products I used at that time contained these ingredients. I freaked out. So when I got home, I raided into my bathroom and applied my new knowledge by tossing those products away lol.

As I grew more interest and concerned about the dangerous side of those ingredients , I did some more research online and found the Environment Working Group (EWG) to be a really resourcful. They consolidate this gigantic database of cosmetics and personal care products along with what health risks and what those ingredients are. It is a wonderful source if you are interest in the green living.

As for me, my beauty products are not always 100% natural or organic. Some of the "all natural" products do not work on my skin. I can still break out from plant or flower derived ingredients. So I tend to choose the products that are ranked low on health risk instead (if I plan on using them long term). If I want some cosmetics that are ranked as high health risk items on occasions I don't see it as a big deal because it is not a long term usage.

I like to try different brands every time my products run out. I am more into skin care products than makeups (I get to that age where I have to caprure my youth before it is completely gone lol). Pangea Organics is the brand I am currently using. I heard so many positive reviews on Sephora so I thought I'd give it a try.

Egyptian Fennel Grapefruit & Sweet Orange Lip balm - my lips are always dry no matter what season it is or how much water I drink. I've tried almost every lip palms on the market including Burt's Bees, nothing works (except for Vaseline which works great at night..it is just too glossy & greasy during the day). This lip palm smells great and it moisturizes well. If you have similar issue, you may want to check it out.

I also bought cleanser, scrub,eye cream, cream and their balancing oil. I have been using them for 2 months now but not sure if I like them enough to purchase again. Their moisturizer is ver lightweighted so it is proably good for summer or normal/oily skin. My skin is super dry and I have yet to find something that keeps my skin hydrated. They do not break me out though. I just hope my skin like this organic line but unfortunately no luck so far :(.

Petite and Pregnant

A Walking stick holding a Basketball may help you visualize what I looked like when I had a baby bump 17 months ago. Weighting in at 89 lbs and 5'2" tall, seriously I didn't think I could even have a baby. Boy I was completely wrong....never understimate what your body is capable of. No matter how big or small you are, mother nature knows just what to do!

Below is my picture when I was only a few weeks into pregnancy

4 Months Preggo

Last but not least, a few weeks before I popped out that basketball

Crazy, isn't it? As stated in my previous post, I gained 30 lbs in 9 months. For super petite body like mine, I was very concerned about baby's health and development as I heard that baby whose mother is under or over weighted before pregnancy may have some complications at birth or later in life. To my surprise, I gained weight slowly and steadily..1 lb this week..2 lbs there..4 lbs here.

Your body slowly changes and adjusts as your belly/baby grows. For small framed ladies...your belly will be very visible because you don't have much fat elsewhere. Your body will start building and storing fat while your little bun is cooking to perfection (which unfortunately you may not be able to lose all fat). As long as you eat healthy 90% of the time, it is all good. I was serious when it came to eating healthy during pregnancy but I have to admit that I indulged (stuffed) myself with fastfood, cheese cake and ice cream on occasions.

Being petite and pregnant, I got a lot of compliments of how cute I looked with that little belly (I don't remember hearing such compliment when I was around 8-9 months though..little did I know I got past that cute stage lol).

Talking about the scariest part - that' s right - childbirth, it had always been my worst fear since the day I found out I was born as a female creature and could reproduce! You wouldn't believe I gave birth naturally which means no pain medication or whatsoever to help relieve the pain. It was absolutely NOT my option (trust me!) to go au naturale like that but my labor started and progressed quickly that doctor didn't have time to give me anything T_T. My little one wanted to see the world and she wanted to make an entrance NOW. Luckily the whole process from the time my water broke at home to the time I was on delivering bed pushing out that precious little thing was only 2 hrs and 30 mins! It was my first child so no one expected this whole express delivery. You hear people talk about 20+ hrs labor and I in fact expected the same wait.

However I was so blessed it was easy and fast - I can't imagine being in that kind of pain for another minute. The pain was soooooo INTENSE - my husband couldn't believe how loud I was..I was screaming on top of my lungs lol. If you are wondering what labor pain feels like I would describe it as a menstrual pain but much more intense + bowel movement (what a bad combo!) when baby passing along the birth canal. You will literally not feel any pain down there (you know where). I know it sounds crazy that a baby can come out from that part your body..once again..mother nature has already planned everything.

Over a year later, I am now at 95 lbs and quite happy with my current weight. My body is not what it used to be..no more flat or firm belly. I look healthier with that 6 extra pounds. My waistline and hip are not as tiny so I had to give up several pairs of jeans and pants.

For all petite ladies out there, embrace and cherish what you have. You are amazingly capable of several things not just childbirth. More importantly, we women are stronger than we think we are, spiritually and emotioally.

Thank you for stopping by :)

Have you thought about being a mom one day? What type of mom do you think you would be? Conservative mom, modern mom, fashionista mom maybe ?

First bra shopping!

Picture from thelittlebracompany.com

I don't go bra shopping that much to be honest. Last time I bought bras must have been at least a year (shame on me)!! I feel quite intimidated when go bra shopping. I tend to wear my bras until they fall apart (lol)...why?..because I am on a small side and it is not easy to find ones that fit!

Being pregnant was not bad after all, you gain weight and fat here and there and there is no reason to feel bad about it. I was literally super skinny before I was prego - 89 lbs (gosh..how can someone be that thin?!) to be exact. My weight jumped to 129 right before my baby was born..basically I gained 30 lbs througout my pregnancy. I had to change my bra size from 32A to something more comfortable. Just a month after my little was born, I lost weight and fat here and there. The fat where it used to build up in my boobs during pregnancy escaped my body as my weight dropped but not the fat in my belly lol (oh well). My chest is back to where it used to be (NOOOOO).

However, there is hope (finally). I came across TheLittleBraCompany.com and was sooooooo excited to find something that can possibly fit me. Based on the measurement tips on their website, my size turns out to be 32B. I was very hesitant about this as I was not sure how well it would fit me (and I hate returning things - I tend to keep and am stuck with my purchase). Today I am beyond excited when my two favorite bloggers posted TheLittleBraCompany sales aleart at Ideeli on their blogs and the prices are not too bad. I ordered two and I can't wait to get them.

LUNE

I first receieved Lune as a gift from my husband on my birthday. Since then, it has become my all time favourite fragrance.

Per Laura Mercier's website, Eau de Lune® is a true modern classic offering a romantic floral scent using a signature blend of white flower petals blended with mandarin and subtle hints of violet and ylang-ylang.

It just smells sooooooooo refreshing and sweet at the same time but not overpowering like some of the perfumes out there. It is truly classic, sweet and fresh. Just a spritz of this perfume can definately give me a little boost! I love it! I would love to try her two other fragrances as well.

The Beauty of Motherhood

Motherhood is incredible...you may not realize how much strenght and patience you have until you become a mother. There are challenges after challenges popping up along the way here and there . Not including those sleepless nights when you have to wake up 100 times and you feel like you are dying from sleep deprivation. Not including those days when you have so much anger towards your husband because you do not get the help you deserve and you are simply exhausted.



Motherhood gives you the kind of strenght that you never imagine you have, physically and spriritually. All of sudden, you feel stronger..you feel loved..you feel needed more than ever. You tell yourself everyday you can not get sick or die because you have this little person who depends on you..to feed..to cuddle..to kiss..to love..to comfort every single awaking moment.


Have your parents ever told you that you will never understand how much they love you and why they do what they do until you have a child of your own. I find this to be very true..I know my parents love me but I never realize the depth and meaning of this "unconditional" love until the day I have someone to share this feeling with.

*~Mom in Me~*

I was not a mother figure at all before my daughter was born period. The thought of me having a child had NEVER come across my mind (it was actually scary and painful ..i had this vision of baby coming out of that part that scared me to death!), well I hadn't thought about getting married either (with that said, I was really thinking about being single and dedicating my life doing good causes for the society since a relationship was too much work for me).

Well..heck what in the world happened to me then? I end up with one sweet husband and this adorable little bundle of joy whom I love to death. I would say things just happen..it happened to be the right person..the right moment. Never say never because you don't know what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes you have no control over what future brings but you do have an ability to choose whether to accept it or just let it go.

I chose to welcome this man and this baby into my life because my heart felt just right. I have been introduced to a whole new world of simple happiness and pure joy..something that I had never thought could bring such happiness. Life before hubby and baby was another story, my main sources of happiness came from clothes, shoes, makeup, good paychecks, a nice car, a great group of girlfriends..just to name a few. I never thought that a simple dinner in front of a tv with hubby can be fulfilling physically and emotionally..the fact that you are not eating alone. Or giving baby a bath can be so much fun and memorable to see this amazing bond with your little one.


However I do not like to label every woman as a mom. Not every woman is a mom and for whatever reason they have not to be a mom..I wholeheartedly respect their decisions.

Five years ago when I first got married, people got on my nerve every single chance they got to ask when I would have a baby. Baby will complete a family..baby brings so much joy and blah blah blah. I know it is a typical question and every couple gets..it still annoys me. It is the fact that I am not a child friendly person..I would rather choose a pet over a baby. Thankfully my parents and in laws didn't add even more stress to my life at a time.

I didn't think I would be as ready to have a child at the age of 25 as where I am now. Every person is different..some will be ready sooner than other. As for me I am ready and happy being a mom at this point in life :)