Farewell April/ Hello May!

Highlights of the Past Few Weeks
1. Partied at the Latin Wave Opening Night at the MFAH (Jacob and I were having so much fun dancing. We both fell! heheh)
2. Watched "Todus tus muertos" at the Latin Film Festival and enjoyed margaritas and fajitas afterwards on the patio of El Mexicana
3. Keeping up with the workouts: gaining some endurance in TAC class, return appearance in spin class, a bit of yoga, and some running
4. Celebrated Mother's Day: beautiful yellow roses, Kim Son buffet, and a lovely time with mom, dad, brother, and boyfriend
5. Went to the most chill baby shower ever - bbq, beer and friends
6. Saw Manny Pacquiou fight! Makes me proud to be a Filipino.
7.Re-discovering the frustration of keeping a food log
8. Continuing my work with my art class
9. Had two successful events - woohoo! (Two more to go until the end of the school year)
10. Food log is inspiring me to come up with more creative ways to eat my fruits and veggies

summer is upon us

We lucked out last week in Houston. The weather was mild and cool. Then over the weekend, my clothes were starting to stick to me uncomfortably. I consider dresses as the only option for office wear. And, things outside just started to be unbearable.

The thought of going outside for a run just no longer sounds appealing in the middle of the day. So, I made the walk over to the gym and gladly jumped in the pool for a Saturday afternoon workout. Reminiscent of the summers, when my mom would send us to swim class or you got to go swimming with good friends. I was happy to jump in and do twenty laps. There is something very soothing and calming about repetitively doing strokes in the water. It's almost like you can "space out" a bit and let your mind just focus on the movements. And, I think the next enjoyable thing about swimming is the access to the relaxing hot tub afterwards.

With summer rearing it's ugly head, the pool will be my refuge once again.

Highlights from Birthday Week

1. Indulged in a fabulous and relaxing reflexology massage to the Triple Tree Center
2. Had a great birthday dimsum brunch with my parents, brother and Jacob at Kim Son
3. Showed Jacob this great vegeterian Indian buffet off of Hilcroft
4. Creativity sessions: Mother Theresa quotes, art therapy sessions, and listened to an art therapy podcast
5. I heart books: purchased "Me Before We" and started re-reading "French Women Don't Get Fat" and "The Ignatian Workout"
6. Sweating by butt off during two yoga classes
7. Two total athletic conditioning classes
8. One fast (very fast) three mile walk with the boyfriend (I have three more runs/walks until I get my 20% Lululemon card from BON.)
9. Total Athletic Conditioning Classes (fun with jump ropes, burpees, pushups and jumping squats)
10. Riding my bike to meet with friends for cold beer and pizza
11. Making a green smoothie for the first time. Yum!
12. Indulging in an after-work manicure and pedicure
13. Quiet meditations (sitting still sessions and walking medition)

Dreams for the Weekend
1. Wrap my head around plans for four special events
2. Relax with friends and beau
3. Easter Mass with my brother
4. Indulge in some reading
5. Creativity sessions: more artwork, more painting, and more fun

Snapshots of Spring Blooms

Sometimes, you just have to surround yourself with fresh flowers. I've placed these right on my windowsill so I can see them while I'm reading and relaxing in bed. For $4 a pop, you can't go wrong with them. The purchase reminds me of all the bright yellow daffodils I saw at Waitrose while on holiday in England. They were just such a sweet pop of color on such a gloomy wintry day. Luckily, I am blessed with warm weather and lovely blooms on my windowsill, bedside table, and bathroom.


During March, the azaleas come out to bloom for a short season (almost 2-3 weeks). For me, it's one of the biggest signs that spring has finally come. They are nice to enjoy all over town, and I especially like them on the running trail.


I was a little heartbroken when I saw that this orchid bloom fell off Jacob's plant. :( The plant for the last few months had one bloom going on strong and another one sprouted out of nowhere. Then, bam! it just fell right off. Funny thing about it though - a week's later the plant now has three blooms and a few more buds. Sometimes we have to shed some things in order for us to grow.



Here is the rest of the lovely orchid plant. The petals are so unique. And even though it has been a challenge to keep up with it, I think its beauty makes it all worth it.

My Sanctuaries of Rest and Beauty

As you may already know, I love a nice soak in a hot bath at home. It is one of the nicest things I can do for myself after a long day. But, sometimes, I need a change of scenery and need to utilize the help of others. Like a good girlfriend who will honestly give her opinion on a dress purchase or a life decision, you should have your own dream team of people and a place to go to get rest and feel rejuvenated.

First things first... Is taking care of yourself a priority? Do you firmly believe that taking care of yourself will make you stronger? I know as a woman that may sound a little weird since usually a lot of women are so focused on giving themselves to a lot of people and they forget about themselves.

I also think your mother can set a good example of investing in yourself. It was my mom that took me to meet a make-up expert at the Clinique counter. And, she was also the person who took me for my first pedicure and eyebrow waxing. She knew that she had to teach me to look after myself and she was there to show me how.

Also, do you have a place to go to relax, to beautify, and to get rest?

When I was in Paris, I read about these places called hammams. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and didn't get a chance to make an appointment. When I returned to Texas, I realized that I didn't have to wait for another vacation to indulge in a spa moment. So, I did a little bit of research and tried to take advantage of what I had here in my own city.

Tony at King Salon: Since my hair is thick, unruly, and Asian, I need to rely on someone who understands me. And, Tony is my guy. I've been going there for years and most of my female relatives go there too. He just knows how my needs to be cut, and fortunately for me, I just pay him $20 for my hair cuts. This sure as hell beats the $75 over-priced haircuts I was getting at a fancy salon inside the loop. Tony's haircuts grow out well too, and I'm never disappointed. A haircut can make a huge impact on your look, and if cut properly, you shouldn't have to spend a lot of time trying to flatten it, shove product in it, or blow dry it to perfection. After getting a Tony cut, you should wash it, dry it, and put a tiny bit of styling wax and you're done.

Reflexology massage at Triple Tree Center: If you are willing to drive out to Chinatown, I think this is definitely worth the trip. Before this visit, most of my massages consisted of a membership at Massage Envy and the occasional chair massage at Whole Foods. The only problem was the amount of money I was spending. $55 per hour on the table or $1 a minute in the chair. It was too pricey for me to indulge in this.

My parents started getting their massages in Chinatown and told me that they were pretty affordable and good. So, I figured if my parents trusted these people, I should give it a shot, too. So, I paid a visit to Triple Tree Center and got the 60 minute massage for $30 dollars. (Yes!)

So it is a little bit different from your traditional massage. You walk in and sit in a chair that reclines flat. You keep your clothes on. So, I wore a tank top and leggings. You put your feet in a hot warm bath while a very strong Asian woman works on your ears, head, neck, shoulders and arms. Then, you remove your feet out of the bath and she massages your legs and feet. And in the end, she will work on your back and the backs of your legs. It is amazing! And, it is so much more affordable. If you do a lot of workouts or get stressed a lot, I think this is a great alternative to the pricey massages.

Mani/Pedi: I don't have a favorite place for this, but lately, I've been visiting Avalon Nail Salon right on the curve of Shepherd because they have always been consistently nice to me and their work has always been pretty precise. I like coming here right when they open. There usually isn't a line and you can relax in their spa chairs. They also do a very good job massaging your arms and legs and really like to exfoliate. As the warmer summer days start to come, I look forward to coming here. So, I'm not ashamed to wear my flip flops and sundresses.

Facials at Naked SkinCare & Waxing: I've been trying to add this in to my beauty regime. I really don't do much to my skin, but I felt like it was finally time for someone to give me some useful advice on how to take care of my skin. I decided to give this place a try. I thought the experience was very relaxing. Who doesn't like getting a dose of aromatherapy, facial massage, exfoliation, tingly mask, and moisturizer? I don't know if I'll come very often, but a friend of mine recommended that I should at least go seasonally.

Sauna and Hot Tub at the Gym: So, this is another way I've been unwinding lately. After a few laps in the pool, I love sitting in my gym's hot tub. I am usually the only one in there. It's a good way to melt away the aches in my muscles, and afterward, I like to finish off with some time in the dry heat sauna.

Weekend Review

1. Saturday Night was spent with good friends and the boyfriend. Before we met up with our friends, we enjoyed a very delicious meal at Jeannine's Bistro. I love moules frites. It was so good I had to write about it on my food blog!

2. We checked out the French Fete at the Museum of Fine Arts. I have t
wo museum memberships (so I can take a guest), and it was nice to finally go to one of the MFAH parties. This party did not disappoint! There was music, macaroons, a crepe stand, and off course a bar. As a member, you can walk up to the front of the line (apparently non-members had to wait 30 minutes to an hour - yikes!) and get complimentarey drink tickets. And, we were also able to see the Impressionists exhibit that is in town from D.C. It was very fun to look at art in a late night party atmosphere. Afterward, we had a wonderful after party drink at 13 Celsius.

3. Volunteerwork! I spent Saturday morning helping out Dress for Success with one of my good friends. (We actually met through volunteering many years ago!) We had a massive amount of sorting to do. I wish I had that much determination to sort out my own closets! It was also nice to enjoy an outdoor bbq on the lawn after putting away so many donated clothes.

4. Yoga! My goodness - yoga was very very very sweaty and challenging. I'm glad that I am able to challenge my body, and I can actually tell that my upper body is much stronger. I can do push-ups and burpees with less effort, but wow, Sunday class was a tough one.

5. If yoga is my challenge, swimming is my cooldown workout. I had my own lane at the gym and had the hot tub practically to myself. Love it when the aquatic amenities are not crowded. Doing freestyle and breaststroke is a great way for me to relax. And, the sitting around in a hot tub is the icing on the cake.

6. Got a facial at Naked SkinCare and Waxing! It was so relaxing especially since I never ever get facials.

Future Goals: Minimize my wardrobe and supplies. I have way too many clothes, and spring cleaning is a much needed project in my life. Since we are done with the first quarter, it's time for me to review my goals and see if I'm on track. Start thinking about future projects like career, races to run, volunteer work, and incorporating more "down time."

Highlights from this Lovely Spring Week

1. Meditations are getting a little better. I was able to try out morning medications each morning! Some where I simply sitting down quietly with my timer and some where I would play a song and listen. It can be challenging to sit quietly with yourself especially when your mind is racing with lots of deadlines.

2. Daily Cardio: I am glad to report that I've been working out more often. I think the hardest part of getting over some time off from exercising is just starting back over again. I have now logged in 16 runs at BON! I did two crossfit workouts, and went to yoga twice this week. I am looking forward to swimming and running this weekend.

3. Productivity: Sometimes it can be hard for me to just put my racing thoughts aside. So, I've been working with my planner pad and timer. I set out my MITs and place a timer for 45 minutes. I just put my head down and get to it. I pick one project at a time and cut out other distractions. This method has been working well because I give myself 15 minutes breaks for personal time or going for a walk outside.

4. Spent a lunch hour with a cappuccino at a bookstore. I adore reading through magazines. One of my favorites is Lucky. I like looking at their different fashion ideas for spring. That's where I snapped this cute photo of an adorable yellow dress. It gets me excited for warmer weather and getting to wear light, airy clothes.

5. Also, spent an evening doing a Bed Day. It was nice to pamper myself by planning not to do much of anything. I watched "The Kids Are Alright" and was highly entertained.