Carpe Diem

'Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.'-Horace

I'm sure we've all heard the phrase, 'carpe diem,' to seize the day. This phrase in it's entirety means to take fate into your own hands and do all that you can to make your life better. This is so important and so many people have lost touch with this idea. The idea that your future is in your hands and that you ultimately can change your future for the better seems so foreign to some people. This idea applies to so many aspects of life. Whether it's something materialistic, one's health, or even one's surroundings, they're all obtainable if you try.

The reason this idea came to my mind and pushed me to blog about it is because of several life encounters. Now, personally, I have been taught, whether it's by my parents or friends or even just life in general, if you want something, nothing feels better than taking action and working towards getting that something you want. Like I said, whether it be something materialistic or heck, even better grades, nothing feels better than knowing you got to your goal after lots of hard work. Therefore I am a strong believe of if you want something, work hard and get it. Because at the end of the day, it's a lot easier to work hard for something, rather than waiting for something to land on your lap.

So I guess the point of this rant is, whether it's a new handbag you want or that new lifestyle you want or something you just want in general, YOU have to go do something about it. And trust me, there is nothing more satisfying than working for what you want (good things come to those that wait.) Be proactive and always have that end goal in mind.

With that said, I want to win the lottery! Note to self: go buy a lottery ticket... jk!!(a girl can dream right?)

Midweek Skin Pick Me Up

Congratulations. You've made it half way through the week and it's time to treat yourself to a mini spa. You will need 4 things, a face towel, Dr. Bonner's Peppermint Soap, Naris Up Skin Conditioner and cotton pads.

What you shall do is take your shower as normal and add a couple drops of the Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap to the towel and soak and wring out the towel in warm/hot water a few times. Then place the towel over your face and leave it there. When the towel gets cold, soak and wring out the towel again and place it on your face again. You can repeat this as many times as you want, probably should stop before you get too pruney though. Then if you want, you can lightly scrub your face with the towel to wash your face.

Then once you're done with that, pat your face dry and then soak your cotton pad with the skin conditioner and the place the cotton pads all over your face for a quick make shift facial sheet mask like in the picture. Leave the cotton pads on there until it dries. Now your face will feel super soft and moisturized. Then apply any serums you use and moisturize as usual.

Now to talk about some alternatives. For the Dr. Bonner's soap, there are different ones for different skin concerns. I personally like the peppermint one cause it feels so refreshing. If you want to feel more relaxed, there's a lavender version. If you have acne prone skin, there's a tea tree oil version. Same with the Skin Conditioner, there are different ones for different skin concerns. I have the blue one which contains hyaluronic acid which helps to replenish moisture.

Happy hump day! The weekend is almost here.

Got Time, But No Money vs. Got Money, But No Time

Isn't it funny how that works? I remember when school was over and summer finally rolled around, hours were spent rotting at home doing nothing. Why? Because you can't take vacations when you have no money. Yeah, you'd go hang out with your friends and things like that, but it wasn't anything like traveling and exploring far away places. Ironically, that's when you have all the time in the world, no responsibilities or cares, but no money to go have fun. (Before all hell breaks loose, I totally understand that there are activities that can be done without spending a lot of money or any money at all. But what I mean is, hopping on a plane or in a car and going somewhere with all the time in the world.)

Nowadays, there is money in the bank, enough to take me across the world, but no time to go. The joys of being a grown up. I guess another one of those joys is, when you have time, but no one else has time. Sure, I can go explore alone, but it's not as much fun when you're alone. I love to share my experiences with other people because I have terrible memory so I will most likely forget something. And also, when you're able to share your experiences with someone, you have someone to look back with and laugh at silly things you guys might have seen or done, or remember little details that you have since forgotten. Plus, sharing is caring.

Back to these grown up problems. When you have a job, you can't just go, I feel like going to Disneyland today, peace out guys. There are responsibilities unfortunately. Since starting work, I don't think I've taken a vacation where I haven't checked my email or freak out in case my coworker feels like being incompetent that day. And I'm only gone for 2 days. And that's another thing, you can't take real vacations. Think about when you were younger and you and your parents packed up and went on a road trip or on vacation during summer break. You were probably out for a good week. When you're an adult, unless your employer gives you vacation time, you're not being paid for when you're not there. Sucks right?

I guess you have to find that balance as new obstacles are thrown your way. Sometimes you need that break to avoid getting burned out. I remember having to work 6 days out of 7 in a week. That got old real quick. That's why, I give nothing but props to those that work everyday of the week and on top of that, several jobs at once and over 8 hours a day.

At the end of the day, it's about finding that balance. It helps if your mentality is, work hard today so you don't have to work as hard later. I will get there one day. For now, time to figure out when everyone has time to go to Hawaii or something. Sigh. Grown up problems.

Shoe Haul: Never Pay Full Price

I think a good tip when shopping is, never pay full price for anything. Now I totally understand there are some items that just don't go on sale, like certain electronics or items from specialty stores. But for the most part, things do go on sale, especially clothes and shoes. So, welcome to this shoe haul post as well as how to save money post.

As many of you know, normally, TOMS shoes don't go on sale. You can visit your local Nordstrom Rack, and even then they're full price. However, I bet many of you didn't know that every so often, there are codes for $5 off for TOMS from their actual website. Say what? Yup. The last few times I've seen the $5 off, there was free shipping. However, there was one time where there wasn't free shipping. Another tip, wait for free shipping!!! If you take your $5 off, but pay for shipping, it's like you saved nothing at all. Might as well have gone to the store to pick it up. And if you're someone like myself that wears TOMS on a regular basis, it doesn't hurt to grab a pair for back-up. Also, some stores have Friends and Family sales that allow discounts on TOMS. That means time to stock up?? >.>

Now, time for shoes that DO go on sale. Like these Steve Madden KStudd Flats. Originally they're $50 before tax. I was able to get them for $30 before tax. The key here is to WAIT!! And to shop around. I got these from Piperlime which offers free shipping as well as free returns.

This goes for really any type other of shoe brand. Most shoes, with maybe the exception of classics, usually end up on sale. You just have to wait it out. And waiting it out not only saves you money, it also helps you figure out how much you really want those shoes. A good place to find Steve Madden shoes but for a fraction of the price, in stores, are places like Ross, TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack. I've actually seen these flats, but in a different color at Ross for only $16.99. Now that is steal.

For those of you who constantly shop online. Another great way to save is by using Ebates. Ebates is a cashback website that gives you back money as you shop. You only get a certain percentage back but if you do a lot of online shopping, these savings add up. Usually it's only a few percents cashback, but there are occasions where there is double cashback. Or recently, Ebates had their I believe it was 14th birthday and there was 14% cashback. That's crazy! 14% here in San Francisco basically covers tax and then some. You might be wondering, free money? There has to be a catch. Nope, no catch. If you want to sign up, you can click here.

Now to end with a question for you guys. What are some ways you guys save money when shopping?

Greasy Hair?

Do you have hair that gets greasy after a day? Well I have some tips and tricks that might help you with that greasy hair.

A little bit about your hair and why it gets oily. Your hair like your skin needs to be moisturized. The oil produced on your head help to moisturize your habit as well as your scalp. How quickly everyone's hair gets oily varies from person to person. Some peoples hair gets oily as soon as you wash it, whereas some peoples hair can go a few days without washing and it won't be super oily.

As a disclaimer, these tips are purely based on my own experience. They might work for you or they might not. Also, results sometimes are not instant because your body needs to get use to the change.

1. One thing important thing I do is I wash my hair every other day. I feel like, when I wash it everyday, more oils are produced because the shampoo is stripping away all of the natural oils, therefore your body produces more to make up for what you keep taking away.

2. When I wash my hair I focus the shampoo on the area closest to the roots and the foam through the rest of my hair. The reason for this is so I do not dry out the ends of my hair. The ends of your hair, unlike the roots of your hair, hardly ever get a taste of that oil/natural moisturizer your body is producing, hence dry ends. As for conditioner, same idea, but instead of focussing the conditioner at the roots, I only use conditioner at the ends of my hair.

3. Wash your hair first before washing other parts of your body. After you have put conditioner in your hair, get a clip and clip your hair in a loose bun while you do other things. This way your hair actually has time to absorb the conditioner before it's rinsed off. This would be a good time to shave your legs, exfoliate, or whatever else is a part of your shower time ritual.

4. Focus hair products such as hair serums, leave in conditioners, even heat protectants at the ends of your hair. There was a time in my life where I straightened my hair everyday. I noticed that heat protectants weighed down my hair meaning ugly flat hair, and it caused my hair to get oily very quickly. So, any extra products, save it for the ends.

And just some other random tips for oily hair is, look for shampoos designed for oily hair. Also try shampoos that are free of silicone and sulfates. If you're training your hair and transitioning from washing your hair everyday to every other day, apply some dry shampoo to your head at the end of the first day before you head to bed. This will help absorb some of that excess oil overnight.

Any oily hair tips and tricks out there?

A Bad Day...

Ever have one of those plain old bad days? Well, it really has been one of those days where Murphy's Law is in full effect. Within a 24 hour time frame, someone put a nasty dent in my car's bumper, I scratched the face of my watch that is less than a year old, I drop my phone that is less than a month old into water, and the lady at the movie theater lied to my friend and I telling us that there wasn't a lot of people watching 'The Great Gatsby' when we purchased our tickets. It really has just been a bad day. (First world problems, I know. But it's my day and I can call it a bad one if I want to.:])My patience has been well tested in the last 24 hours.

I think you know you've grown up when these things happen and you don't immediately freak out and panic. It's so easy to panic and go crazy about what has happened. I don't think I've ever been this calm when all these bad things are happening around me. I know that if it had been a few years ago, I'm sure my reaction would not be the same and I'd be stressing myself out beyond belief.

I remember watching an Asian drama where character said, "if a problem can be resolved with money, then it is not a problem." Keep in mind, these words came from a character that was well off and a CEO of some company. But if you think about it, it actually is true. All of the bad things that have happened today, they can all be resolved. It will cost a pretty penny or two to fix it, but other than that, it really isn't a problem. I guess another way to look at it is, at the end of the day, no one was hurt. The hit and run could have happened while I was on the road in the car. In which case I'd be in lots of pain right now. As for the watch and phone, both these items can either be repaired or replaced, no big deal. And the movie? It can be seen on a different day.

It's so easy to freak out and panic. But you always have to look at the brighter side of things. Although all in all the day has not been the greatest, there were a couple highlights. I was able to visit the Taiwanese American Heritage Festival which was pretty cool. I was also able to finally find the glass jars with handles on them so they can be used as cups! I remember the first time having an Arnold Palmer and it was being sipped out of a glass jar with a handle on it. Ever since, I have been on a hunt for them. So Although today has been a pretty bad day, there has been some ups to it. Also, I got great deals while shopping today.

I guess the message I want to leave you guys with is, stay positive! It's very easy to just get mad and hate the world and everyone in it, but you'll feel so much better if you just let it go. How do you guys deal with a bad day?