2008 May « For the Love of Blush, Cake & Romance

Nicotinell: Nicotine Replacement

May 30, 2008 at 9:50 pm | In The Smoker's Room | 3 Comments
Tags: Cigarettes, Nicorettes, Nicotine, Nicotinell, Quit Smoking

It’s been one week now in my new “stop smoking” campaign… So far so good. One night in a desperate attempt to find Nicorettes (which were not available in 4 pharmacies I visited) one of the pharmacists suggested I try Nicotinell Fruit 2mg as a substitute. I’m not one for trying new things but I’m so glad I tried this. It has so many more benefits than Nicorettes do.

It’s softer to chew
It tastes better “fruit flavor”
I feel the effects more than I do with Nicorettes.
It’s cheaper

For anyone looking to stop smoking or to switch Nicotine Replacement Therapies, it’s worth a try. I am really happy with this choice.

Note: The Nicorettes I’m talking about in this post are regular flavor since that is the only type available in Kuwait. I think the Nicorette Mint are very good and have similar benefits to the Nicotinell Gum but unfortunately they are not available in Kuwait.

Related Posts:

The Downside of Nicorettes

Defying Age

May 30, 2008 at 9:27 pm | In Get Gorgeous | 2 Comments
Tags: Cocoa Butter, Moisturizer, Palmers, Shea Butter, Spf, Vitamin E

I’ve been in Kuwait for one year now and I have started noticing alot of differences in the quality of my skin, hair and nails. I’m not even 30 yet and my skin has the elasticity of a 50 year old. I even went to the doctor to see if it’s normal… but it seems that the environment (dry weather and the water) can severly affect sensitive skin. My skin is already dry by nature but with the harshness of the weather, it’s in need of damage control. In the spirit of doing things right, I went all out… doing research and shopping around and asking experts opinions and I came up with a solution that I hope will do good for me.

1. I upped my intake of fruits. Bought all different colors and am getting my 4 to 5 servings a day.

2. I’m drinking a ton of water.

3. I’m taking my multivitamins and also Vitamin C with Selenium which helps regeneration of skin (cell renewal).

4. I bought 100% Shea Butter from L’Occitane as well as Palmers Cocoa Butter Balm and Nivea Triple Action. The two butters claim to provide amazing skin benefits and have really impressive reviews.

Update: DO NOT (I REPEAT DO NOT) USE PURE SHEA BUTTER UNLESS YOU DO NOT PLAN ON SEEING ANYONE OR UNLESS YOU PLAN ON STAYING HOME. I put it on last night all over including my face right after my shower. Then Hanx decided to come by and take me out to dinner. I could hardly get my jeans on I was so sticky and according to Hanx, I smelled like cooking spray (u know the crisco they cream on pots to cook with). Yes it got the moisturizing job done – quite well I might add – but it’s not for socializing!

5. I’m making sure to keep my Clinique City Block as well as moisturizer in my purse at all times.

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The Benefits of Vaseline

May 26, 2008 at 9:39 am | In Get Gorgeous | 2 Comments
Tags: Dry Skin, Moisturizers, Tyra Banks, Vaseline

Ever since moving to Kuwait, my skin keeps getting drier and drier. I’ve decided to step up my moisturizing ritual religiously so my skin doesn’t get any worse due to the weather. According to various sources on treatment of dry skin, there are 4 types of skin moisturizers - the most effective being Ointments like Vaseline Jelly and Oils.

I tried the Olive Oil Mask and that worked wonders but I prefer that to be an intensive once a week thing rather than slathering on baby oil each time I get out of the shower. It can be quite messy. When I talk to people and look for the most effective moisturizer, it all comes back to Vaseline. Whether it be cream or the Jelly for more intense action, it seems to be the most popular answer to very dry skin.

I have tried using the pure Jelly as an intensive night moisturizer to test its effects and it was very good but it can be messy so I think I’m gonna invest in the cream and keep the jelly for severely dry areas.

More importantly, this little jar can be carried anywhere and apparently has alot more uses than I thought. Check out these 50 Beautiful Things you Can Do with Vaseline. Tyra Banks even swears by it.

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Beauty Secret: Olive Oil

Smoke Free: Day 2 of Hell Week

May 26, 2008 at 9:01 am | In The Smoker's Room | 1 Comment
Tags: Cigarettes, Quit Smoking, Smoke

I’m still alive. Yesterday was terrible. I was edgy and ready and waiting to pick a fight with anyone. Poor Hanx… He really handled the situation quite well by opting not to talk about anything. LOL. Although he was very supportive … we went to Sultan Center and stocked up on fruits and enough healthy food for a week. The good news is that I’m not craving for food this time around.

I had about 5 Nicorettes yesterday which kept me from wanting an actual cig. I think the worst part of it all was not knowing what to do with myself. I had so much free time on my hands.

Anyway today is a new day. I got enough sleep yesterday… I recall now from my last smoke free phase that sleep was so nice. It was refreshing and even if I didn’t get enough sleep, I didn’t feel as tired in the morning as I did when I used to smoke. So that’s one advantage I’m looking forward to.

That’s all for now!

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Smoke Free: Day 1 of Hell Week

Do You Remember This Game?? Try Your Luck!

May 25, 2008 at 3:39 pm | In Fun 'n Games | Leave a Comment
Tags: Game, Games, Smashing

A friend of mine recently found an old game that we used to play when we were younger called Smashing. I’m sure that all of you used to play it as well. Anyway, we’ve been obsessed with the game all day. So far I’ve reached Level 11. Basically you get 3 lives to pass all the levels you can, each time you pass a level, you get the password so you don’t have to keep going back to previous levels.

The game can be played online for free along with hundreds of other games. ENJOY!

Update: Today I reached Level 25.

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Smoke Free: Day 1 of Hell Week

May 25, 2008 at 9:06 am | In The Smoker's Room | 5 Comments
Tags: Cigarettes, Nicorettes, Quit Smoking, Smoke Free, Stop Smoking

As you can see, I did slip back into smoking after 4 very successful months of not smoking, although I had the help of Nicorettes for two of those months. This is what happens when someone is too confident in their strength against bad habits. So now it’s May 25, 2008 and here I am again at Step 1 of the entire agonizing process of withdrawing. I’m praying that this will be the last time because I don’t want to suffer complications now that I’m entering into my 30’s. It’s time to make up for my “cool 20’s” and be healthy.

Today so far has been ok but that’s only because I’ve been awake for 1 hour. I still haven’t had a Nicorette as I’ve decided to save those for moments of intense cravings. I fixed my new Quit date on Quitnet Daily Email Service so that they could start their daily supportive emails again. Just did some research also about what is going to happen to my body over 2 days, 2 weeks and 3 months. The funny thing about quitting is that you know this information and you’ve read it atleast a hundred times before but you still read it again because you need all the reassurance you can get. I also found this video that’s quite informational about the benefits of quitting smoking.

In my purse right now, you can find about 3 packs of gum, 1 pack of Nicorettes, 1 pack of candy and Panadol just in case. I am not sure how positive or lively my posts will be over the next three days until I get back into the Non Smoking swing of things. But please bear with me and wish me luck I’ll keep you guys updated on the experience because as we all know… Misery loves company

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A Thank You to Everyone Who Destroyed Lebanon

May 20, 2008 at 7:41 pm | In Eye on Beirut | 2 Comments
Tags: Beirut, Hizballah, Lebanon, Times

I am completely appalled by this month’s cover of Times Magazine entitled “The Divided World of the Middle East“. Our politicians should be ashamed that they allow outsiders and insiders to ensure that our country will never live up to it’s true potential. They should be ashamed that they allow publications sold all over the world to make sadly true statements like : “They (The Gulf) demonstrate that there is no reason why those two adjectives should not live in the same breath — or why Beirut’s fires, which were the symbol of a region’s past, should illuminate its future“.

They should be ashamed that all of the Lebanese kids have no place to call home other than the Gulf, Europe and America because they can’t come home. They have no security, no stability, no voice. Nothing but stress of making enough money to send home and the worry that their families will be ok.

Instead of respecting the beauty of Lebanon and the strategic position it has, they sell us all out so they can make a quick buck and get their 15 minutes of fame.

Congratulations! You ruined yet another summer! You managed to lose thousands of youth who were Lebanon’s future because you forced them to leave. And each and every one of them is desperate to get any other passport because they know that their own will not ever do them any good.

I am absolutely DISGUSTED!!!

The Blogosphere Suffers the Loss of a Heroine

May 20, 2008 at 11:03 am | In Around the World, Blog Files | 8 Comments
Tags: Blog, Blogosphere, Freedom of Expression, Hadeel Alhodaif

I was so disappointed to read about the death of young 25 year old Hadeel Alhodaif, who is one of the leading and most courageous outspoken bloggers of the Saudi Blogospere. Her blog “Heaven’s Steps” is a proud example of her wish for “Freedom of Expression” and an excellent example for young people in our region that sometimes your thoughts and hopes will not go unnoticed if you voice them. May her soul rest in peace.

A Quote to Live By

May 19, 2008 at 6:17 pm | In Blog Files | Leave a Comment
Tags: Change, Life, marriage, Quote

Samba commented on Angel’s post “From Cinderella to Bridezilla” using a quote by a Brazilian journalist called Luis Fernando Verissimo which says:

“When you think you have all the answers, life comes and changes all the questions”

This quote touched me alot because it is very very true. You never know what life is going to bring you. And as I commented in the Angel’s post, you think you have everything figured out and then overnight or over a second your life can change with the addition or subtraction of one single element.

As my own personal example: Within in the course of two weeks, I had went from being sure about my job and life in Lebanon to packing my suitcase to board the plane to Kuwait. And as of that moment that I got the job, the whole direction of my life had changed and all the answers that I had searched hard to find and had convinced myself to believe were no longer relevant.

I think if you really think about it too much, it can be quite worrying because that means that your future is not at all your own. But it can also be very refreshing that there is a path out there for you and so many new avenues you can take that you didn’t even know about.

I really did find this quote to be meaningful and I wanted to share it in case someone hasn’t yet got a chance to read Angel’s post on her preparations for marriage.

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From Cinderella to Bridezilla

May 19, 2008 at 3:16 pm | In Guestwriters, Love & Marriage | 9 Comments
Tags: Bride, Bridezilla, marriage, Stress, Wedding Day

Posted by Angel

Hello everyone, this is the first time I post something private online so forgive me for my lack of practice. I’ve enjoyed reading babycakes’ blog since its inauguration and I’ve immensely enjoyed both the articles and the feedback so I’ve decided to use this blog as my own kind of therapy during the stage I’m passing through now. You must have figured from the title by now that I am, in fact, a bride to be.

The day my fiancé proposed to me on a boat in the river that surrounds the city of Seville was without a doubt the happiest day of my life (so far at least) (I’ve always secretly dreamt of being proposed to on a boat, not quiet as big of a boat but rather a rowing boat…Bridget Jones / Old English Victorian era films effect )…and I was completely happy and relaxed during our two engagement parties…however I find myself not so relaxed right now with the wedding 3 months away. I find myself completely losing my calm. The symptoms began to show as soon as I came back from my trip back home to prepare for everything with my wedding planner, mother, sister and aunt. I was completely cool and composed. However, a couple of weeks after I got back I began to panic…and I’m not really sure why because everything is more or less taken care of and I’ve been good at following everything up…plus I cant wait to be married to my fiancé.. It’s just the wedding I’m flipping out about…I just keep wanting it to come out perfectly and for everyone to enjoy it (so whoever of you who are reading this and are going to honor us with your presence at the wedding you’d better tell me you had a good time, capish?)

Actually I’m lying…its not just the wedding I’m worried about…although I’m head over heels in love and not worried at all about my fiancé and our compatibility. He is truly my prince charming and I never thought I can be so happy, I find myself worrying about the future.. a year after the marriage we might have to move because of my work obligations and there are very big decisions that have to be taken very early on and that is scaring me. I’ve been moving around and away from home ever since I was 16 (12 years ago) and I just wish I can stop moving. Would the change change us?

I hate this habit of mine of thinking too far ahead and I try to stop myself from doing it but over and over again I find myself thinking and thinking and thinking. Is that what they call cold feet? Two weeks ago I took a week off and went away to visit one of my closest friends.. it was amazing being able to get away…I told her from the beginning I don’t want to even talk about the wedding. Being the oldest and first daughter and granddaughter to get married I had been a little overwhelmed with daily calls from my mum, sister, aunts, cousins, friends at whatever hour of the day to talk about it that I chose not to in that trip. You cannot believe how therapeutic that trip was for me.. I traveled around with my friend sometimes and we spoke about everything from politics (my vicious favorite subject),fashion, gossip and yes even guys, and sometimes I traveled alone and I was shocked at how much I enjoyed myself traveling alone…I thought ..I read (the kite runner.. an amazing book.. i couldn’t put it down until I finished it…it didn’t even bother me that i cried in public several times while reading it. Never have I enjoyed a book so much since teenage years.. highly recommendable…I went to the zoo and acted like a 5 year old kid. I didn’t check my email and hardly spoke on the phone, I was able to disconnect and enjoy being free.

However, the effect was temporary for with putting in the orders for the flower girl dresses and suit hunting with my fiancé I find myself starting to freak out again while my fiancé is super relaxed (actually he’s much more laid back than I am in general so maybe that’s it).

So my dear readers…I have decided to ask for your feedback.. for those of you who have gotten married or passed through something similar or very different, or those of you who have an opinion about this article that you’d like to share, or those of you who think I’m just plain weird and would like to give me a piece of your mind, please do…I need any help I can get and your opinions would be of great help ..

Thank you for listening and hope you all have a great day and life with stress free weddings…hehehe.

Angel