Wish upon a star

In a few more hours, it'll be the new year. Instead of listing or asking for new year resolutions, I'd like to pose a different question:

If you had more time for yourself and money was not an issue, what things would you be doing regularly that you're not doing now?

Go on, don't be shy. And don't feel guilty about being selfish—it's just a wish list after all. So indulge and list as many as you'd like. Here's mine:



Monthly facials with a dermatologist
I was acne-prone as a teenager and I still bear the scars of my youth. My skin's still terribly oily too.

Weekly pedicure and manicure at a salon
I'm beginning to have a hard time remaining hunched over my feet while giving myself a pedicure. Age.

Laser hair removal
I don't know the frequency, but target areas will include the eyebrows (for shaping, not removal, okay), upper lip, armpits, bikini area, lower legs and toes (yes, I have hairy toes like a hobbit—but I sure ain't hobbit-sized!).

Hit the gym every other day
Except for my core exercises and stretching in the morning, I hardly get any exercise. Bad.

A concert, dance or play every month
I'd love to be able to watch more performances, and of all kinds.

Complete medical check-up annually
Not just the pathetic minimum our medical insurance currently provides.

A one-week vacation to a different place twice a year
I would have said two weeks each, but I know myself—I'd just get antsy and worried about the house and our dog.


I could go on forever…

I have my humongous pot!

Kinox, 18/10 stainless steel, 8.8 liters (about 9.3 quarts), steam release valve

And the sweetest things about it is, one, we got it at a 25% discount (took advantage of the post-Christmas sales going on right now) and, two, we bought it in a store where my husband has gift certificates which he won at a raffle so we spent all of 403 pesos (about US$10) for it.

Now my stews won't be forever spilling over!

(See My cookware wish list here.)

Creamy lips

I'm not very picky when it comes to lipstick brands. In fact, I only have two requirements. One, it has to be tasteless and odorless. (Much as I'd like to patronize local brands, it's next to impossible with lipstick—most of them stink! They haven't figured out the right formulation—they smell and taste like rancid oil. Yuck.) Two, I should not feel like I'm buying jewelry rather than just make-up. (Those high-end brands have appalling prices!)

What I am picky about is color. I've always at least half a dozen at a time because the lipstick I use has to complement what I'm wearing. (Not match—I'm not about to use orange lipstick just because I'm wearing an orange blouse!)

It took me quite some time to find a particular brown shade I wanted. I'd always pass by the make-up section during my monthly mall trips and I just couldn't find the right shade. Early this month, I finally did—from our office's Avon lady: My Lip Miracle Lipcolor in Brown Unbound (in the Philippines, at least—in Avon's website, the only lipstick I found in the same form factor is listed as Perfect Wear All-Day Comfort Lipstick).

Anyway, what surprised me about the brand was its texture. All the lip color I've been using the past several years are those ultra-light ones, the ones which feel like you're not wearing any lipstick at all (well, except for the glosses, that is). This one glides on like cream, and the feeling that I have cream on my lips actually stays. And I discovered (or is that re-discovered?) that I like it.

One by one

During a Q&A, in response to a question about how he handles his many tasks and responsibilities, our university president said, "Multi-tasking doesn't work for me. Trying to do many things at the same time makes me less efficient. The trick is to work on things one at a time. These young ones, they're always trying to do several things at the same time and end up doing nothing well."

I always thought of myself as a multi-tasker. But hearing those words made me realize that I'm not. There is a big difference between multi-tasking and many-tasking. Like our president, I'm more of the latter.

I'm also an inveterate to-do list maker. I have to be, if I don't want to forget all the things I have to do. I have a planner for meetings, dates and appointments, but I keep a separate notebook for the to-do's. Not for me those digital personal organizers, whether computer, cellphone or hand-held device. It's a real, honest-to-goodness notebook where I write both work and personal tasks with ballpens. I color-code them though: blue for personal, black for work. And as I finish each task, I draw a nice, thick check mark beside the item. Satisfying.

Have some water and fiber

So far, my husband and I have gone to four family/friends' gatherings, and we've four more scheduled until New Year (plus one more after, but I'm not counting that). This being the Philippines, all these gatherings center around food—mounds and mounds of food.

And whether it's potluck or catered, there's never enough healthy food, if you know what I mean. Beef, pork, dessert—that's it. Sometimes, there's chicken or seafood, but rarely is there salad or other vegetables. Pasta, noodles and rice are always the white kind, never whole-grain. My body's screaming for fiber and sweet, fresh vegetables!

This afternoon, after running errands, we ate at a small vegetarian restaurant where we both had our fill of tofu and mushrooms. And at home, we've stocked up on high-fiber muesli, brown rice, and whole-grain pasta. We just had smoked fish for lunch on the 24th, and my next dish will be a seafood and vegetable stew.

Nothing beats fiber for sweeping away all the excesses of the season, however. Okay, make that everyday! The huskier, the better. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals. Psyllium in particular has had lots of good P.R. lately, but I think that anything whole-grain should be good, as long as you don't get ones loaded with sugar too. I've discovered that the best time to have a high-bulk meal is breakfast—the full feeling stays with you the whole day. But to help the fiber do its job better, you also have to drink lots of water. (In fact, the psyllium fiber supplement I used to take had a warning: if you don't drink at least a liter of water a day with it, the fiber might clog your small intestines. Yuck. That scared me so I stopped taking it, even though I drink more than two liters of water a day.)

So if you come visit us, my offer of hospitality will be "Have some water and fiber!" They're good for you.

O blessed day!

Behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
Matthew 2:9


May the birth of our Savior
fill your heart with love and peace
on this blessed day and all throughout the new year.

Christmas Blessings
to you and your loved ones

Leave me a present, please?

And no, there's no real money involved—this is strictly virtual. Fun! I just wish I saw this earlier.