Even in my growing belly state,  my doctor still advised that I can exercise, and I should.  At first, I hesitated for the reason that it might harm the baby inside for reasons I don’t know.  But I guess, I am making my own ghosts so decided to do some little exercising around the house.

I have been exercising since my single girl days.  But I have to admit that I am not a gym lover.  First, because I am ashamed of exercising there in my spandex.  There, little miss insecure.  Second, my work was just too time-consuming that I just use that work-free time sleeping rather than trimming down in the gym.

So, I would like to share my home exercising equipment I take on the road that are enough to make you sweat out of physical exercise instead of anxiety over budget issues.

1. Dumbbells. Three to five-pound  weights per hand are ideal for fitness beginners who want to improve muscle tone without bulking up.

2.  Resistance bands. Essential for strength training, these lightweight,portable bands, can be adjusted to varying degrees of resistance and may be used  for both upper and lower body exercises.

3.  Exercise videos. Just be sure to pick one that has certified fitness instructors as advisers and matches your fitness level.

If you have a couple of coworkers who are into fitness, you can organize a fitness club  and have a professional instructor  who will most likely charge by the hour.  More members spell less cost per person.

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This is for the vain, not so vain, those who have the sense of cleaning themselves even once in a while. In our efforts to stay clean all the time, which isn’t really bad, we tend to overdo them and somewhat harm ourselves.

1.  Long baths

It is always relaxing to have a long bath to cap a stressful day.  This,however, is actually not good for our skin since excessive washing causes the loss of the natural oil in the outer layers of skin, making it dry.

How to prevent it:  When drying up after a shower, dab the skin, don’t rub.  Apply a light moisturizer right after.

2. Lipstick touch ups

Lipstick should be used sparingly,as they cause our lips to dry, most especially  the matte variety, which although it stays longer on you,takes the moisture out of your kissable lips.

How to prevent it: Coat your lips with lip balm or petroleum jelly before applying the lipstick. As an alternative to matte, use vitamin E or glycerin-enriched about lipsticks, as they not only keep lips beautifully colored but also well-lubricated.

3.  Excessive hair washing

Washing our hair everyday may make you feel clean.  In reality, though, it strips your hair and scalp of their natural moisturizing oils,leaving you with dmaged, brittled hair.

How to prevent it:  Make sure to shampoo your hair every other day for a silkier, shinier mane.  Apply conditioner after rinsing. Use those that contain little or no alcohol at all.  Or massage your scalp with drops of jojoba oil.

4.  Wearing tight clothes

Skinny jeans and tight capri pants constantly rub against your skin, making your intimate area sensitive.  Admit it - we often experience this uncomfortable feeling especially when wearing tight bottoms, yet we never bother to address it.

How to prevent it:  Use a mild feminine wash.

We may though that we are doing the right thing by being overly clean. Lesson learned, too much of everything is not good.

Believe it or not, peer pressure begins as early as the toddler years. For some it never entirely disappears

In varying degrees, peer pressure affects all of us. It fuels fads and influences what wristwatch to wear, what car to drive, and where to go for our vacations. And if even well-adjusted adults feel the pressure to measure up, imagine for a teenager. The teen years are very confusing times, as the child defines his personality, identity and sexuality. And they are more vulnerable to negative peer pressure because he spends more time with their peers than with you.

So, here are a few steps on how we can protect them,if not entirely, but at least to the extent where they won’t go the wrong way.

1. Set crystal clear boundaries - when they are young, rules give babies ab toddlers structure. As they get older, rules provide guidance and needed boundaries. They will try to test your values and it is important not to back down on your own rules.

2. Be a better listener - I know we are good listeners, but, the key is to step it up a notch. Develop a bond with your children that will make them go to you when their feelings are hurt. When your grade-schooler tells you he’s not part of the “cool kids” gang in school, don’t trivialize his feelings by saying “You shouldn’t be upset with that”. Listen to the complaints.

3. Talk with them about peer pressure - Tell your preteen about peer pressure before it happens. You can say, “One of these days, your friends will tell you it’s cool to smoke,drink alcohol, or try a joint, but always but always think about the consequences of your actions. Smoking causes cancer, alcohol can get addictive, and these can affect your grades..”

4. Keep ‘em busy - Your teens cannot hangout if their days are filled with productive activities such as sports, crafts, church choir or other social programs.

5. Do not attack your kid’s friends - Teens will take it personally if they will attack their friends. Instead of saying that their friends are losers or bad influences, try saying that they have shifted priorities and say the consequences which you can point out without being judgemental.

Bottom line is to stay involved in your child’s life no matter what age. Your role, and in the future, will be my role as well, is to guide but not decide for them. When you do, you help your child have the best chance of finding the right balance between their individuality and accepting group beliefs.

Fantastic! As we’ve all wanted David Cook won the 7^th season of American Idol. It was a breathtaking finale with David Archuleta giving it his all. AS Simon Cowell said, Archuleta’s performance was one knockout of a performance. The problem is, although he truly did well in the finale, America will judge on an over-all basis – meaning they will judge from the very start and unfortunately, Cook has had a following from the beginning (and that includes me).

As I was listening to my husband relating to me the break-up between Bob and his girlfriend; I began thinking what for me were the worst ways to be left behind.

1. He just disappears. This I think is one of those things that just keep you hanging. It becomes extremely difficult to move on when no closure has happened via some form of explanation why. Fear Kicks in and makes people insecure not knowing if there’s something worng with them.
2. He has a relationship with another woman. That hurts because cheating and lying are involved.
3. Through a friend. Can you believe hearing the bad news from the friend. This is just a piss off as it shows how cowardice the person is. It is also awkward for you as you feel that the whole world knows why you broke up.

Well Bob wants my husband to do #3. What an ass