Cocoon Method: Cheap Way to Curl your Hair

I love curling my hair. It makes me feel so feminine! 

I have been finding ways to curl my hair cheaply without using any heat. This cocoon method definitely fits the criteria, so yay!

End result

Rocking my curl hair :)

Selfie Galore

Cocoon up close

Running Challenge Completed

My friend and I tried the Nike+ App Challenge (PUT UP OR SHUT UP). It was both our first time. This is how the app basically works: when someone invites you for a challenge, and if you accept it, then the challenge will begin at the time set by the one who invited you. You don't have to run together, though.

And guess who won? ME!!!!

I have to cover my friend's name for privacy purposes

We run 6 miles. It was a fun experience. It feels like someone beside you is challenging you. I have no choice but to show my running prowess. haha!

It gave me an excuse to reward myself with frozen yogurt on my way to the library.  :) I was torn between Coldstone ice cream and frozen yogurt, but I'm really glad I decided to have froyo, its cheaper and healthier!

Frugal Tip: Flaunt Your Real Skin Color

Summer here is in full swing and I would like to tackle a sensitive topic about skin color and skin whitening.

Okay, I admit I was once obsessed with whitening my skin. I grew up in a country where fairer skin is valued.  When I was little, while playing outside, my mom would call me to go in before I'd get too dark. Growing up, the media tells you that fair skin is beautiful. Filipinos are bombarded with commercials about whitening. We watch teleseryes with actors and actresses who have whiter than white skin. We are basically surrounded with reminders that our natural skin should be altered or else..... Even Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere has fair skin as fine as an onion skin.

When I came and live abroad, the idea of what color of skin is beautiful completely shifted.  I realized that it depends on the culture. Most people here love and worship the sun , while Filipinos hate the sun. Most people here would strip in their backyards when the sun is out , while Filipinos would use umbrella when outside. When I see someone using umbrella  during summer, I would therefore conclude that is Asian :)

 I still use lotion but with no added whitening . I noticed that my skin tone changes. I go from light brown with prominent yellow undertone to deep brown depending on the season. My employer once came up to me and said  "I'd love to have that golden tan skin of yours". What?!?!?!   

Why do we love to alter our skin tone? The reason dates back to when the Philippines had been colonized by Spaniards, Japanese and American. Those 3 races have fair skin ,and in those colonization days, fair skin meant authority and superiority. Fair skin also meant that you were a very important person who don't work in the farm. This is what we call colonial mentality.   That, I think,started it all and to this day, whitening industry is a booming business in the Philippines.

Let's talk finance and whitening products. Regular soaps and lotions are less expensive than those soaps and lotions with added whitening stuffs sorcery.  I heard from a good friend that a regular lotion he usually buy cost PHP 130 with 532 ML whereas lotion with whitening products are much more expensive. The soap with added whitening stuffs are more expensive than those regular soaps.

Since I love Cocoa Butter, these would be my go-to lotions when I get home
These are cheap lotions I'd like to use!

 When you are trying to save money and you are looking for an area in your life where you can cut back, you should take a serious look at your beauty regimen. Maybe you can forgo that glutathione pills you are taking and what not. I even read that a woman spends PHP 94,000 a year on all the beauty regimen that includes glutathione injectables and all. MY GOSH, that's some serious dough!

Again, I'm not looking down at people who use whitening stuffs coz I came from that. Skin should be enhanced, not altered.  

Embrace your real you.

Accepting that I am beautiful with my natural skin color was not an overnight thing.  Habits are hard to change and it took a huge will-power to let go of all the whitening stuffs I was used to. Surround yourself with tv shows and programs that has actors who have natural brown skin. Look at local celebrities who has morena skin and idolize them.  Those were the steps I took so I can let go of my whitening skin obsession.

Again, skin should be enhanced, not altered.. Embrace your real you. 

Curling My Hair Cheaply

I have been curling my hair this way. This, I think, is the cheapest way. If you have plenty of time, you can certainly do this. 

When you hair is wet, part it two ways and twist it. Like this: 

Keep twisting. When you are doing something, twist. When you are having breakfast, twist. When you are doing anything or whatever, twist.Twist until it dries. Then, voila, you'll have the cutest curls!

It works for hair that isn't stubborn, you know, that kind of hair who doesn't have its own mind or that kind of hair that "sumusunod sa gusto mo". This  lasts longer on me.

Advantage:

• Heatless

• No need of fancy curling equipment

Disadvantage:

• Time consuming coz you need to twist the hair till it  dries

• Doesn't work for all hair type, specially those kind of hair that is not easy to style and you need tons or hairspray to be able to keep the style last longer.

I hope this frugal tip on curling your hair works on you :)

My Frugal Workout Routine

I love eating! I love carbs! I can eat challah all day! Ohhh, and croissants,too! Don't forget the pearly white jasmine rice! Yummers!

I grew up chubby or fat, whatever you want to call it. I envied those people who can pull out sleeveless tops! I had Brazo de Mercedez-like arms , so I never got to wear sleeveless tops when I was a teenager! Ugh!

 But now? ahem... allow me to brag a little bit. Let me show my before and after pictures:

Before (130 lbs)                                             After (105 lbs)

Let me tell you my workout routine. :)

My Workout Equipment:
Two 1 liter of Milk Jug filled with water
Two 6 lbs of dumbbells bought at Thrift Store
Chair
Floor

NOTES: 

• I start every workout with  Two Minute Ab Exercise.
• I wait 30 seconds before starting another set of exercise.

My Workout Schedule:

Monday-  Chest and Triceps ( My problem area and my least favorite workout :( )

•  Two Minute Ab Exercise
• Flat Bench Press  --3 sets, 20 reps
• Bench Dips          -- 3 sets, 12 reps 
• Seated Triceps Press -- 3 sets, 12 reps
• Triceps Dumbbell Kickback-- 3 sets, 12 reps

Tuesday - Abs

•  Two Minute Ab Exercise
• Crunches -- 3 sets, 25 reps
• Leg Raises -- 3 sets, 25 reps
• Bicycle crunches -- 3 sets, 25 reps

Wednesday - Legs

•  Two Minute Ab Exercise
• Lunges -- 4 sets, 20 reps
• Straight Dumbbell Deadlift -- 4 sets, 20 reps

Thursday - Back and Biceps

•  Two Minute Ab Exercise
• Dumbbell Row -- 3 sets, 20 reps
• Hammer Curls  (dumbbells vertical)-- 4 sets, 20 reps
• Hammer Curls  (dumbbells horizontal) -- 4 set, 20 reps
• Butt Blaster Workout -- 3 set, 20 reps

Friday-- REST--- REST-- REST-- REST-- REST-- :)

Saturday

• 3 Mile run for 30 minutes

Sunday

• 3 Mile run for 30 minutes

That's it! It takes 15- 20 mins every workout except the weekend runs. Special thanks to my good friend who gave me this routine ideas! I have been following this routine religiously for almost 2 years now and it feels great seeing all the pounds go!

For food that I have been eating, click here.

Frugal tip: Jogging as a Pastime

 The chirping of the birds, the sound of a rushing river, the sight of the green trees, the audible sound of a woodpecker pecking a tree trunk, the chipmunks and squirrel carrying and collecting acorns, the geese and the occasional turtle here and there- these and a good run are what I look forward every weekend.

Jogging for 6 miles every weekend has been my form of relaxation. I am an early-riser and I would hit the trail as early as possible, but I do exercise caution coz you never know if there is a bad guy lurking nearby. I stay in an area where there are lots of jogger and Park Rangers just to be safe.

I used to jog 12 miles (6 miles Saturday and 6 miles Sunday), but I suffered from runner's knee which was super painful. I even thought of giving up jogging because of the pain. So, I settled for a 6-mile weekend run (3 miles Saturday and 3 miles Sunday).

I don't listen to any music while jogging, but I do carry with me my iPod Touch with a Nike + App that records my miles and average pace.

Started recording my runs since March of last year, but I have been running long before that

I also carry my IPod to snap a picture occasionally.

Fall

A Misty Winter Morning

A Frozen River

A Frozen Pond

Geese

A Rare Black Squirrel

The beautiful green

I will miss these kind of stuffs once I'll be back to the Philippines. I thank God for letting me experience what it feels likes to be living in a country with four seasons.

Frugal Tip: Dare to Cut Your Hair?

One of the skills a frugalista should master is how to cut her/his own hair.

I've been to a professional hair saloon five times, which ranges from $30 to 60 dollars every visit not including tips. That's PHP 1,500- 2,400! I also tried going to a beauty schools that offers $14 a cut for their students to practice, but I don't have much luck.

As my quest to a cheaper alternatives, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I could try a DIY approach to cutting my hair. Is it possible? Hmmm...

I googled and voila, lots of information popped up. As I searched deeper, I realized that it's doable. Huzzah!

I am no expert with cutting my own hair, but I should say that its decent, plus it saves me tons!

Note: Items mentioned below were bought prior to minimalism and extreme frugal lifestyle.

So I bought myself a thinning scissor, coz my hair is so thick it could feed an entire civilization if my hair is a kind of food. I also bought a hair layering blade. Between the two, I use the thinning scissor more, but I could live without it as there are cheaper alternatives out there, like a regular razor. I am using a regular scissor which, they said, is not advisable coz it might damage your hair.  I say, so what?! :)

DIY Side-swept bangs perfected! Yahoo!

Since I am a visual learner, You Tube helped me a lot. But you should be careful watching beauty related stuffs in You Tube because beauty gurus tend to recommend stuffs to you, which they said are "must-haves", but aren't. They are just paid to do that. Been there, done that. A lot of unnecessary make-ups and stuffs that were accumulated by yours truly, which are cluttering my life.

This is one of my frugal tips as an OFW. You can't get a PHP 100 haircut here so might as well learn the tricks to cut your own hair.

Learning a skill takes time, practice and patience.