I have once shared that I have a bamboo tea organizer for our tea bags at home. However, the Husband and I also like drinking loose leaf teas. Some loose leaf teas are packaged in plastic and must be stored in an air-tight container to maintain its freshness.
Here’s how I store our loose leaf teas:
I buy a couple of 600ml containers.
I cut out the packaging. Then place the name of the tea on the surface of the container and stick it with clear tape. I also include the expiry date of the tea.
I transfer the loose leaf tea unto to the container and seal it properly. These containers are kept inside our pantry.
Other options for storing loose leaf teas: spice jars or spice bottles.
Health and Well-being
I received a this forwarded email from a dear friend and found the suggestions below very insightful. May we all have a blessed season of Lent.
Fasting, praying and almsgiving are the three penitential practices that we are asked to engage in during Lent. In addition to fasting and abstaining with the rest of the Church on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent, we are also challenged to make individual sacrifices appropriate to our own spiritual condition. However, before we choose something to give up for Lent, it’s important to assess our current spiritual state:
- What habits do I engage in that are destructive to my spiritual health?
- To what material things am I too attached?
- What areas in my life are unbalanced?
- To what do I devote too much or not enough time?
Only after asking questions like these are we are ready to decide what to give up or what to add to our lives during Lent. The following list is meant to be an aid in this process. Use it as you need based on your current circumstances.
“Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God.”
–Pope Benedict, Lenten message, 2009
The Usuals:
1. Give up candy/sweets.
2. Give up television time.
3. Give up eating snacks between meals.
4. Give up or limit soda or coffee.
5. Give up or limit video games.
6. Spend more time with family.
7. Give to the poor.
8. Do an extra chore each day.
9. Perform a random act of kindness.
10. Spend more time in prayer.
Prayer:
1. Pray a book of scripture using lectio divina.
2. Attend Mass on a weekday (every day if possible).
3. Pray the rosary each day, alone or with your family.
4. Prayerfully read Abandonment to Divine Providence.
5. Make a special prayer notebook and list all the people in your life who need prayers; pray for them each day. Add someone new every day.
6. Learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
7. Make a commitment to attend Eucharistic Adoration regularly.
8. Commit to examining your conscience each evening.
9. Pray the Jesus Prayer throughout the day.
10. Pray the Angelus each day at noon.
For Those Addicted to Popular Culture:
1. Switch from regular radio to Christian music radio or Catholic talk radio.
2. Avoid shows with gratuitous sex or violence.
3. Give up or limit watching sports on television.
4. Listen to only classical music for the next 40 days.
5. Drive to work in silence each day.
6. Read a work of classic literature.
7. Read a Catholic classic.
8. Read a story to a child.
9. Sit in fifteen minutes of silence each day.
10. Write a letter to God each day.
For Internet Users/Bloggers:
1. Set time limits on overall online time.
2. Limit Facebook time.
3. Limit Myspace time.
4. Resist making or adding to lists that rank people.
5. Share one spiritual video with your online network once a week.
6. Blog about the poor once a week.
7. Add a spiritual blog to your blog reader.
8. Subscribe to a prayer podcast like Pray As You Go or Pray Station Portable.
9. Leave an encouraging or positive comment on a different blog each day.
10. Help a new blogger by sending traffic their way.
For Those Who Need to Be More Grateful:
1. Each week, write a letter of thanks to a different member of the clergy, beginning with your bishop and parish priest.
2. Each week write a thank-you note to your parents.
3. Write a poem of praise for each person in your family.
4. Get a stack of sticky-notes and write one sentence of thanks each day and stick it to the bedroom door of each person in your family so that by Easter they each have 40 sticky-notes.
5. Find the psalms of thanksgiving or praise in the Bible and pray them.
6. Write a list of the ways God has blessed you and add to it each day. This could be done in a notebook or on a big poster hanging on your wall.
7. At dinner each evening ask your family to share one thing for which they are grateful.
8. Make a CD or iPod playlist of praise and worship music and listen to it each day.
9. Make a point of saying “Thank You” a certain number of times per day.
10. Help your children write thank you letters to their teachers.
For Those With Lives Out of Balance:
1. Go for a walk each day with a loved one and talk about life and faith.
2. Take the kids to the park each week for some carefree time.
3. Give up fast food and give the money to charity.
4. Exercise each day.
5. Spend at least half an hour each day in meaningful conversation with your spouse.
6. Go on a Lenten retreat.
7. Pray with Sacred Space each day.
8. Commit to a daily 3 Minute Retreat.
9. Begin the online 34-week Retreat for Everyday Life.
10. Give up your most unhealthy habit.
For Those Who Need Spiritual Nourishment:
1. Read the documents of Vatican II, especially Gaudium et Spes.
2. Read The Cathechism of the Catholic Church or The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.
3. Sign up for adult formation classes at a local parish.
4. Join a Bible study.
5. Attend Stations of the Cross at a local parish.
6. Find a spiritual director.
7. Read The Imitation of Christ.
8. Listen to a free Catholic audio book from Maria Lectrix.
9. Read Introduction to the Devout Life.
10. Read a spiritual autobiography (i.e., Augustine’s Confessions, Story of a Soul, Journal of a Soul, Witness to Hope)
For Those Who Need to Increase Their Service to the Needy:
1. Volunteer at soup kitchen or other food program.
2. Coordinate a food drive at your parish, school or place of employment.
3. Find out who in your parish is sick and offer to visit them or bring them food.
4. Call your local Catholic Charities office and volunteer.
5. Begin making visits to a nursing home.
6. Help an elderly or disabled person in your neighborhood with yard work or other difficult chores.
7. Become a hospital volunteer.
8. Become part of a prison ministry team.
9. Coordinate a clothing drive.
10. Make rosaries and give them away.
For Those Who Need to Be More Active in Their Parish:
1. Become a lector.
2. Volunteer to become an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist
3. Volunteer to help with the parish youth group.
4. After each Mass stay awhile and introduce yourself to someone you don’t know.
5. Join the Knights of Columbus.
6. Offer to be a Confirmation sponsor.
7. Volunteer to be an usher.
8. Offer to help with funeral dinners.
9. Help with the RCIA program.
10. Volunteer to do lawn work, cleaning or other needed maintenance for the parish.
Potpourri:
1. Begin to receive the Sacrament of Penance weekly.
2. Give up foul language.
3. Give up gossiping.
4. Read and study Healing the Culture.
5. Study the life of a different saint each day.
6. Cook dinner each night for your family if someone else normally does.
7. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
8. Carry extra food in your car, purse or backpack to give to street corner beggars.
9. Begin practicing socially conscious investing.
10. Spend a week meditating on each of the seven principles of Catholic social teaching.
11. Make breakfast each morning for your family.
Conclusion:
Lent is a tremendous opportunity for spiritual growth. I hope these suggestions re-energize you on your spiritual journey. If you try one or more of these ideas, or if you’d like to share your own Lenten practices, please leave a comment.
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When we were newlyweds, we used to buy bottled juices from the supermarket. But after a few months, we stopped because we found that bottled juices contained lots of sugars. Other than bottled juices we don’t buy softdrinks because (1) I never liked the taste of softdrinks and (2) it is unhealthy. The Husband used to drink softdrinks all the time but developed the discipline to drink water or tea instead. Although from time to time, we get exposed to softdrinks or bottled juices (parties, dining out or simply because there are no other beverage choice), we make sure that what we keep inside our home are more of the healthy drinks. Some benefits of not buying bottled juices and softdrinks: we get to save money, we developed the discipline of drinking lots of water, the chance of avoiding illnesses related to drinking beverages high in sugar and chemicals.
For years, I have just eaten fruits as it is but when I learned the benefits of freshly-juiced fruits and vegetables, I lusted for a juicer. Last year, in order to have freshly-juiced fruits and vegetables, I used a blender or a food processor. But the texture of the juice was different from the ones that come out of a juicer. So when the Husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas last year, I said, “Just give me a cheap juicer.” Luckily he found a medium-sized juicer on sale before Christmas.
From an article I’ve read, here are some of the benefits from drinking freshly-juiced fruits and vegetables:
More absorption. When you drink your fruits and vegetables you absorb up to 80% more of the nutrients. That is a massive amount of minerals, vitamins, etc. that you would otherwise be missing out on.
More fruits and vegetables. People in today’s world are not eating anywhere near the required amount of fruits and vegetables. Jucing them allows you to pack more into your day thus helping your health.
Good for your organs. Juicing your fruit reduces the amount of work your digestive organs have to do and has been shown to increase the health of the liver, kidneys, etc. This kind of thing leads to better immunity and overall better long term health.
Weight loss. If you drink fresh juice you are likely to lose weight. The body loves natural foods like this and responds really well. You also don’t need any sugar and kick start your metabolism without the calories
(source)
I’ve started juicing at the start of the year and we’ve been enjoying fresh juice at home most days of the week. What I do is have a “juicing session” at least once or twice a week (usually on weekends) to save myself time and effort.
I started with juicing fruits and lots of carrots–I love carrots so I always include it.
Two weeks ago, I started adding more greens such as celery and cucumber. Next time, I’ll add beetroot and green peppers.
I don’t follow a recipe. I just go with my gut feel and my sense of taste. So far, my juice have resulted to just the right balance of sweetness and tangy from fruits and a bit of earthy taste from the from the veggies.
If there’s one tip I can give you about juicing, it would be NOT TO ADD SUGAR, please? While I know some veggies may have a bitter taste or some fruits may be sour, the best solution is to add naturally sweet components such as Carrots and Apples.
It takes time and effort to juice. I know other people who started juicing only to get tired of it. The thing with juicing is you still have to cut and peel your raw produce and then afterwards you need to clean up the juicer.
To make my juicing worthwhile, I do it all in one go. I cut and peel my raw produce, then juice them up. Right after juicing, the Husband and I will each have a tall glass of juice as I was told that fresh juice should be consumed within 15 minutes or else it will lose its nutrients.
The rest of the juice are kept in plastic bottles and goes straight into the freezer. So far the most number of bottles I’ve made from a juicing session are from two-three bottles. I drink a bottle of juiced fruits and vegetables during the week, usually from Monday to Wednesday. That’s becomes my dinner. If I drink a bottle of juice for dinner, I don’t eat anymore because it is filling. Other than cutting down on carbs and sweets, drinking juice for dinner twice/thrice a week is a way of giving my body a break from eating solids.
I’ve heard about juice detox being practiced by some people nowadays but I haven’t done a whole day detox. Maybe one day I will, if I need to. For now, I do feel healthier that I’ve incorporated drinking freshly-juice fruits and vegetables in my lifestyle. Although it is a bit of a challenge to juice at home especially when I’m busy, I’m enjoying the process of making our own juice and loving the benefits it does our my body.
I first saw The Face Shop when I vacationed in Manila but it was only when I traveled to Seoul that I found interest to shop there because in Seoul, they give away a few freebies and samples. When we passed by one of their branches near our hotel, they were giving free gifts if you purchase a certain amount. I decided to try their lipstick and blush and they turned out to be good products for me. In return, they gave me a bottle of Rice Water Bright Make-up Remover and lots of sample sachets from their moisturizing line.
It was only in Sydney that I got to use the Rice Water Bright Make-up Remover they gave me and I love it! My skin loves it too. Other than removing make-up, it moisturizes my skin, keeps it soft and doesn’t cause me any break-outs. I don’t even have to wash and moisturize my face anymore after I’ve used it at night.
I believe there is a branch of The Face Shop somewhere in Sydney but since I work in the city, I couldn’t be bothered looking for it. Thank goodness for online shopping, I get to buy my Korean make-up and cleansers online.
A few weeks back, as I was running late to meet up with the Husband in the city, he called me and said, “Guess what? They’ve opened a branch of The Face Shop in Townhall”. What joy! And what a relief to have a branch so accessible to one of the train stations we frequent.
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| The endorsers of The Face Shop: Kim Hyung Joong (from the KDrama Boys Over Flowers and Playful Kiss) Park Min Young (from the KDrama City Hunter) |
Now that I have access to The Face Shop, I can try out their other products which I find reasonably cheaper than other brands.
Customers are welcome to bring home posters of Kim Hyung Joong so I got a few to give to my mum and whoever may like him. See how massive the poster is (below)…spell HUGE hehe.
Speaking of trying something new from their store, I bought the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam last night. I figured since I’m already using the make-up remover, why not try the cleansing foam too. I love it as well. I easily felt that my skin is simultaneously being cleansed and moisturized while I use it. It doesn’t make my skin oily too.
If you would like to visit The Face Shop, it is located at The Galleries Victoria (500 George Street, Sydney).
Last weekend, I alloted a few minutes sorting our my lipsticks and lip glosses. The last time I de-cluttered all of my make-up was in March but I thought I should re-visit my lipsticks and glosses once again and throw away some which I think may already be expired.
I de-clutter my make-up every six months for two reasons:
(1) to make sure that I don’t put anything on my face that is already expired
(2) to remind myself that I have enough supply because sometimes when I go to the shops and find good deals, I get tempted to buy new make-up when I don’t really need it.
According to what I have read in articles online, lipsticks and lip glosses should only be kept for one to two years from the time you used it. If you forgot when you bought your lipstick, throw it out when it smells rancid. That means, it is spoiled and should not be used. Lipliners last up to three years. For lipliners, they could last from three to five years.
Nowadays, I’m going for having minimal stuff and would like to cut down on purchases that I don’t really need and adds clutter. My de-cluttering last weekend resulted to throwing out three lipsticks and three lip glosses. I feel good having just the reasonable amount of lip essentials to cover my needs.
After de-cluttering, I now have a reasonable amount of lip essentials that should last me for awhile.
My Lipsticks
(from left to right):The Face Shop’s #7 and #10. One of my great finds when I travelled to Seoul. I found that their lipsticks doesn’t dry my lips and glides smoothly when applied.
Magic Lipstick from Mercury Drug. A cheap find of mine. Just a small amount and I’d have very red lip colour for hours.
Clinique’s Bamboo Pink, 27 After Party, Raspberry Glaze and 12 Read-y to Wear. Clinique is my favourite lipstick because I always it easy to find colours that suit my skintone and their lipsticks doesn’t make my lips dry.
I used to buy pink and orange lipsticks but what currently I do is combine one of my red lipsticks with my nude (The Face Shop’s #7 and Clinique’s Bamboo Pink ) lipsticks and voila! I am able to create a new customised colour.
I used to buy pink and orange lipsticks but what currently I do is combine one of my red lipsticks with my nude (The Face Shop’s #7 and Clinique’s Bamboo Pink ) lipsticks and voila! I am able to create a new customised colour.
My Lip Glosses: Nivea Cherry Kiss and Clinique’s Bamboo Pink, Kissy Fit, Mystique, Air Kiss, Juicy Apple and Bonfire. I buy a few lip glosses for moments when I need some lip shine.
My Lipliners: Siren by Australis and Fleur by BeBe. I don’t use lip liners all the time because I forget that I need to use them! I only have two: a red shade and reddish brown shade.
Care for my lips during the day: Carmex and Burt’s Bees. I could never live without a lip balm. There are days when I’d forget to put colour on my lips (even at work, I forget to put lipstick on) but always I will have lip balm on. I hate having dry lips. I never thought I’d find a good lip balm for me until I found Carmex and Burt’s Bees. Carmex is the best for me, hands down. I love Burt’s Bees too because of it’s cooling sensation to the lips.
Care for my lips during bedtime: Vaseline Petroleum Jelly and Lucas’ Papaw Ointment. These two are found on my bedside table because I won’t be able to sleep without putting anything to moisturize my lips. I alternate between the two depending on my mood.
Need tips on applying lip colour? Read How to Apply Lipstick.
Would like to know the shelf-life of your make-up? Check out Expiration Dates of Beauty Products and What is the Shelf Life of Make-up?
Pucker up and have a great weekend!