Campaigns and Causes | Dream Big for Africa!

Malaria robs more children of their dreams than any other disease in Africa, killing a child every minute. But now, Smash star Katharine McPhee shares a dream with Malaria No More and that’s to end malaria deaths in Africa. She’s joined the fight by hosting the “Dream Big for Africa” campaign to give one of her fans the chance to accompany her on a trip to Africa! While there, you and Katharine will help deliver malaria prevention tools.

From now until February 16th, when you text the word “DREAM” to 85944, you’ll donate $10 to Malaria No More and begin your entry for a chance to travel to Africa with Katharine this spring*. Within 24 hours of donating, you’ll receive a follow up text message with a special link to an online form where you’ll enter your contact information and one sentence on your DREAM for Africa. On February 24th, 10 finalists will be notified and asked to submit a 300-word blog post and a simple 30 second video on why you’re the best person for the trip. The best blog post and video will be named the winner on February 26th.

Don’t wait to participate! You only have until February 16th to text. Details about the “Dream Big for Africa” campaign are here: www.MalariaNoMore.org/Dream

I'm sharing this with everyone because I'm a Social Good Mom, and because I care. :)

Mommy Knows Life | I Was Featured!

Remember my post about Yue and his cowbank? Well, this entry is currently being featured at Mommy Knows Life as Breena's favorite entry of the week!





Thank you, Breena! This is truly a great honor! And sharing my posts with you is always my pleasure.
Breena is the author of Mommy Knows Life and the host of Look Who's Snapping linky party and Life is About blog hop. Got photos and stories to share? Visit Breena's site and link up your entries! Trust me, it's gonna be fun! :)

Yue See, Yue Do.

"Mommy, thank you sa gift! Magpicture na din ako gaya mo!" (Mommy, thank you for the gift! I'll take pictures like you do), said the rugrat this morning.

Knowing that my son takes inspiration from what I do is such a wonderful feeling. I am both honored and humbled as a parent.

I'm sure his Daddy is, too.

 

Sharing the happiness on Wordless Wednesday (it's my first!), Rednesday, Toy Stories, Color Connection, and Happiness Is. :)

Today's Look | Smouldering Smoky.

I'm surprised I'm even posting this. Because today, of all days, is actually the worst time to do an FOTD post.

My skin was in such a troubled state this morning. I woke up with a patch of red, flaking skin right beneath my nostrils. This usually happens to me when the weather is cold and dry, so I wasn't too surprised about it. But what made things worse were the tiny red spots sitting near the tip of my nose. They were tiny all right, but plenty enough to be visible to the naked eye! I reckon I got these from the pore strips my brother and I tried over the weekend. (It was actually even worse for my brother, who had breakouts around his nose. Damn pore strips!)

Good thing my dilemma wasn't anything my BB cream couldn't handle. Whoever invented this wonder worker is truly a genius. Otherwise, I wouldn't even dare step out of the house, let alone take pictures of myself and post them on the internet.

And so after covering the impurities with a generous amount of BB cream and concealer, I dolled my eyes up with these.

Almay Intense i-Color Trio for Smoky Eyes.

I actually have four different smoky eye palettes, but this one is my most favorite. I love how the colors in this Almay Trio are bold enough to create smouldering eyes, but not too overpowering for daytime wear.

Smoked. :)

Now here's my other smoky eye palette. It's actually a face palette complete with a lip tint and blusher, which I used for today's look. It's a gift from my cousin in London.

The NEXT Look Face Palette.

Just to be clear, I used the blusher only. I'm not too keen about the lip tint because it's too sticky in an ugh sort of way. The first time I tried them on (which also was the last), my lips felt so unbelievably dry and icky. I don't want to touch that again even with a ten-foot pole.

Almay and NEXT.

I used this for my lips instead.

Avon Smooth Minerals Lipstick in Pinkberry.

And now for the final look.

Smoky is love! <3

I have the most hideous eyebags, I know. I'll try to catch up on the zzzs as soon as my Project Lee Jun Ki is finished. (I'm done with Time Between Dog and Wolf and Iljimae, and now halfway through Hero.) Also, I have a bunch of Korean cosmetics coming within this week; let's see how they'll be able to handle the abomination that is my dark undereyes.

As for the rundown, here's what I used today:

Avon Healthy Makeup BB Cream in Light
Avon Ideal Shade Concealer Stick in Almond
Ever Bilena Advance Perfect Eye Concealer in Light
Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell
Almay Intense iColor in Trio for Smoky Eyes
Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown
Avon Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Charcoal Gray
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black
The NEXT Look Face Palette (Blusher)
Jordana Double Length Lip Liner in Rose
Avon Smooth Minerals Lipstick in Pink Berry

I'll blog about my other smoky eye palettes next time. For now, I have to do something about these nasty dry skin and red blotches on my nose. I love how the weather is nippy and all, but I'm not loving what it's doing to my face! Ugh!

Linking the vanity here and here. :)

Genius at Work.

"Mommy, mag-drawing tayo," (Mommy, let's draw) Yue said to me this morning as soon as we were done having breakfast. I heaved an exasperated sigh. Not that I don't want to help him, it's just that my ability to draw can be described in two words. I suck.

My skills (or the lack thereof) pale in comparison to my brother (who is a graphics designer and web developer) and my sister (who has the knack for designing dresses, such as her wedding gown). Both of them obviously took after my Mum, who could have pursued a career in Fine Arts had my grandfather allowed her to. And that is why my stick figures and I, suck. Har.

Handing over some paper, a box of crayons, a drawing board, and a drawing board marker, I told Yue, "Ikaw muna mag-drawing, ha. Hugas lang ako ng plates natin." (You go ahead and draw while I clean the dishes first.) Not sensing that this was my escape route, he willingly obliged, settled down in his study table, and began to draw.

A few minutes later he came running to the kitchen. "Mommy, ang galing ko mag-drawing!" (Mommy, I'm good at drawing!), he exclaimed. And then he showed me this.

Yue's artwork, 23 January 2012.

One look at his drawing and I knew this kid is really something else. "Wow! Very good! Ginaya mo yung mga alien!" (You copied the aliens!") I said. Yue corrected me matter-of-factly, "Hindi po ah. Ikaw yan, saka si Daddy, saka ako." (Of course not. That's you, and Daddy, and me.) I was so touched and impressed by my son's genius that tears were threatening to well up in my eyes.

Hello, van Gogh! Proudly showing off his artwork.

"Very good ka talaga anak," (You're very good, my son) I said as I ruffled his hair and scooped him up for a big hug. "Syempre Mommy, ang galing ko magdrawing parang ikaw!" (Of course! I'm good at drawing just like you) he beamed. My three-year-old's unintentional sarcasm then sent me into a fit of laughter.

My son's smarts and congeniality has earned him praises several times before. Most of them even come from strangers, or random people that we meet while we're out in public (ie, at the mall or at the doctor's clinic). A friend even encouraged me to have his IQ tested and measured because he thinks Yue is really a genius. I didn't take it seriously, but this drawing is now giving me the thought. Especially after I found these.

http://gleigh.tripod.com/gftskills.htm

http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html

Must speak with Yue's pedia soon. :)