Get Your Holiday Cards Ready Through Minted.com

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I guess I’m one of those people who are skeptical about giving out holiday cards. I was like, “Can we just get a piece of paper, simply write “Merry Christmas!”, and then get on with our lives? I was fixated at that thought because it’s stress-free and saves me a lot of bucks. That was until I received a gift that had a holiday family card on it. I have to say it was one of the nicest gifts I received and the holiday card did give a smile on my face especially since the sender is someone close to me. Thanks to that wonderful gift and card, I now have two vital reasons why Holiday family cards are essential:

1. It Makes Me Feel Special. Receiving a gift with a holiday card or simply just a card with a special message indeed makes me feel special and brings a smile to my face because someone actually remembered me and he/she actually took the time to write a nice message for me.
2. Gives me an idea of what the sender currently looks like. For families, especially those who don’t see each other very often, an (updated) family Holiday photo card is a very nice touch because it gives their families and friends an idea on what you, guys, look like now especially the kids. People get to see how big they’ve grown or they get to know how many kids does your family currently have.

Where do we get these cards?

Great quality holiday cards are available in Minted.com! They’ve got some ready-made formats for you to choose from for our cards regardless of the season (e.g. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Birthday, etc.). The site also had a mini contest where readers get to vote their favorite Holiday designs and here are some of the top-voted designs that I love:

I love how this card merged the Christmas season and their wedding. So if you're getting married in Christmas or anytime during December, this is a great card to use. 

This is one Holiday photo that stood out for me in their Holiday collection. It has a warm family feeling into it thanks to the Earth-themed colour. 

You may click here to see more of  Minted's Top-Voted Holiday Card Designs

You can find the perfect holiday card by going through the website’s holiday card guide. They offer lots of card designs that will definitely suit your style. They also offer FREE recipient addressing on all cards, from their original Holiday Cards to Foil-Pressed Holiday Cards to Letterpress Holiday Cards and more. Click this link for Minted's 5"x7" Holiday Cards

You can personalize the cards you want.

Personalization options are also included in the site where you can edit pictures, fonts, colors, shapes, paper upgrades, backers & interiors and free recipient and return addressing. They offer simple tools for you to use to do the editing yourself. 

Here's a screenshot of my work trying to personalize a card 

This year, Minted.com launched a NEW service called Text Us Your Photo. You can simply text them your favorite holiday photo, and your Minted stylist will text you back your photo styled in five holiday card designs - for FREE. Here's how it works: 

1. Text your photo to 415-31-CARD (2273) and answer a few simple questions, all from your mobile phone. 
2. Your Minted stylist will choose cards that are perfectly suited to your hpoto, and text you back 5 choices styled with your photo, greeting, and family name - all with the exquisite, unique design that Minted is known for. 
3. Your saved card designs will be waiting for you in your Minted account. Select your favorite design and check out!

Too busy to personalize the card now? You can buy the cards now and personalize them later!

Here's how it works:

1. Pick a card. Browse their beautiful selection of holiday cards to find your favorite. 
2. Personalize. Click "personalize" on the card's detail page. If you're not ready to add text, photos, or addresses, click "next until you reach the "add to cart" step. 
3. Choose "Buy Now, Personalize Later." Choose the "Buy now, personalize later" link instead of "add to card." Complete your purchase. 
4. Finish when you're ready. They won't print anything until you say so. Just come back to your account to finish personalizing. 

Visit Minted.com now to take advantage of their discounts + FREE shipping! 

For those who plan to make holiday cards, here are some essentials to take note to make card-making/card-giving easier: 

1. First of all, make a list of recipients on who you want to give out the cards to. They can be officemates, families, relatives, close friends, close friends you haven’t seen in a long time, or simply people you want to send a Christmas cheer to. 

2. For friends and family, it’s okay to address them casually with their first names. But for officemates or colleagues, you’re not close to especially to your seniors, it’s best to address them with their titles such as Mr., Mrs., Director, Doctor, etc. 

3. After writing their names, now comes your message. It’s best to write a short but heartfelt message to each and every one. For your friends or family, it would be nice if you would add a famous line or phrase you always use long ago or use a funny phrase that they could relate to. 

4. To close your holiday card, your signature is very important. I do get some cards that are already printed or they used stickers, and I understand completely that they use that to save the time and effort, but still, a simple signature would make a big difference to the card’s impact. 

Thanks for reading, folks! May you have a  stress-free Christmas. 

Travel Essentials

Image from Flickr 

Our family loves traveling and going to hotel staycations. Every summer, we choose a hotel in the metro on where we would want to stay to simply relax and unwind as a family. In planning your vacation, it's essential to take note of the things that we need to do or bring.

1.  If you’re flying your way to your destination, then it’s very essential to check your passport. Before scheduling your flight, double check the expiry date of your passport. Sometimes people tend to forget to check the expiry dates of their passports and that could be a great inconvenience if you’ve already planned and booked for everything.
2. If your passport is good to go, check some cheap flights online. Try to check at least 2 months before your desired date and you might discover cheap flights online. I do suggest checking out Malindo Airways especially if you’re going to Hong Kong, Indonesia, or other nearby countries because they do offer cheap flights.
3. Once you have your hotel/destination, do a research if there are nearby stores or supermarkets in the area so you’d know if you’ll bring just enough diapers or milk powder for your kid.
4. Preparing your bags. One, two, or even three travel luggage is up to you depending on how long you’re going to stay in your destination, but always bring a smaller bag or your usual carry-on bag where you will place your passports, wallet/cash, IDs, and the like. Also bring some plastic bags for dirty clothes and a separate eco bag for your toiletries.
5. Bring just enough clothes (don’t forget your underwear!) according to the duration of your stay. Sometimes we prepare our shirts, blouses, dresses, pants, or even our pajamas, but we forget to prepare our underwear which is a funny thing. If you're going swimming, then don't forget all your swimsuits/rash guards, sun blocks, shades, and the like. Hotels usually provide you towels if you'll go swimming in their pools.
6. Bring your deodorants, colognes/perfumes, your favorite shampoo/conditioner, toothbrush/toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash/soap, lotions (travel size as much as possible), make-ups for the girls, and other items that you use in your daily beauty regimen.
7. For those with younger kids, don't forget to bring their diapers, milk formula & bottles, clean bottled water, rash cream, vitamins, and the like. You might need to bring extra sets of clothes for the younger ones just to be sure.
8. Bring extra slippers. I personally recommend rubber slippers that you can use both indoors and outdoors for convenience. For the ladies, if you don't like flip-flops then bring any other shoes that's comfortable for you such as flats, light sandals, etc.
9. Next is your essential gadgets. We don't bring heavy DSLR cameras because they're too bulky, but if you still prefer to brings yours then that’s fine. In our case, we just bring our phone cameras and their chargers.
10. Don’t forget your emergency kit inclusive of Paracetamol for headaches and pains, and antihistamine for allergies. You can never tell if someone from your family would be needing some Betadine or alcohol for a cut or bruise. There’s also an 80% chance that you’ll get a headache from the weather or other reasons so you better have some Paracetamol. It would be a hassle if you were to go out and buy some in a drugstore while you’re having your staycation. Lastly, you can never tell when someone will have their allergy attack. It could be from the dust, from the mattress, etc., so it’s best to have an antihistamine in your bag just in case.

Image from Flickr

Thank you for reading my list. 

May you always be safe and happy in your travels!

Lemon Water Improved My Menstruation Cycle

Over the years, most of my menstruation period had been either painful because of dysmenorrhea or gas, or sometimes irritable because of the heavy feeling in my lower abdomen like a big chunk of my menstruation is stuck inside and couldn't get out. 

I used to drink a glass Coca-cola for it to flow out of me and believe me, it does work most of the time for some reason. My "light flow" becomes a "heavy flow" whenever I drink it.  I never questioned it because drinking a glass of Coke is just like quenching my thirst. 

But just this month, I decided to drink lemon water (water + freshly squeezed lemon juice) a day before my menstruation period and wow. All that gas I'm feeling in my tummy just went out one by one eventually. All the discomfort I was having during my previous periods, I did not experience in this one. And best of all, my menstrual flow became regular - not too heavy and not too light either. It's just right. 

So based on my experience, I do recommend you try to drink lemon water if you're having menstrual problems. My lemon water was chilled because I can't drink it if it's not chilled. It hurts my throat. 

Discover Why Chemical-Based Products for Hair Loss Might Not Work For You

Desperate times call for desperate measures. When you’re losing tufts of hair or seeing bald patches on your scalp, it’s but natural to feel the need to do something about it.

Pilaten Black Head Pore Strip Review

I've been looking for a pore strip for quite some time that could reach those tricky parts in the face such as the sides of the nose, sides of the lips, and such. I didn't give it much thought at first, but after noticing my face up close (I rarely look at the mirror up close nowadays because I'm so busy), I noticed I already got plenty of white heads! That's when I frantically started searching online for some pore strips. 

Pilaten Set of 5 for P70.00 in Lazada

Then I saw Pilaten Black Head Pore Strip in an online shopping site and I learned that it's not your conventional white pore strip that you just patch on your nose. It's a black liquid material that you can place wherever you wish to take out your black heads (on the face), so I thought to myself this is the product I was looking for. 

When the product arrived 2 days later, I tried it immediately. I simply followed the instructions written at the back of the pack: 

Directions: After cleansing, apply it evenly onto blackheads and wait about 30 minutes before tearing it off. 

While I was squeezing it out from the sachet, it was quite messy. It's just like trying to get a conditioner out of a sachet. Well, it was my first time so maybe on my second or third try, I can manage it more easily. So I simply applied it on my face like a moisturizer. 

TIP: To make it more effective, apply the Pilaten generously on your face/area you want to clean (e.g. nose, cheeks, etc.) 

After around 10 minutes, I can actually feel the liquid starting to solidify eventually becoming a mask/strip. After 40 minutes (I opt to wait for another 10 minutes to make sure it's dry enough), I peeled the black mask off slowly. This is what I found underneath the mask: 

Sorry, my camera can't get a clearer shot up close, but as you can see, the strip has gotten a hold of all disgusting stuff like white heads and some facial hairs. So I'd say the product is indeed effective. My skin also felt so smooth right after removing the mask. I had no negative/allergic reactions whatsoever. 

Conclusion: I recommend this product because it worked for me. But for those who have sensitive skin, you can try a small portion of Pilaten on a small part of your face 

Interested in getting a Pilaten Black Head Pore Strip? You can get it in Watsons Drug Stores or in Lazada.com.ph

Prettify Creamy Matte: My Daily Lipstick

On a normal sunny day, I suddenly received a package that includes one Prettify lipstick. Prettify Cosmetics is a new and fresh brand; a fun line of natural skin care and color cosmetics, all using quality natural ingredients from Korea. 

Asian Aesthetic Center: Freeze and Melt Fat Away Permanently

Is it possible to freeze and melt fat away? 

This is one big question that we attempt to solve but first, we must understand how body fat functions in our body.