A Show You'll Love: Bella on Lifestyle Network

A beautiful lifestyle is everyone's cup of tea. At least to consider our instinctive desire to live a life surrounded by the people we love  and, um,  the things we like to take joy in. All of us are steadily searching for things that make us feel better inside. And it's hog heaven when we find something or someone that perfectly echoes what we are searching for. 

I should know that the fine line between having a beautiful lifestyle like this is a sheer acceptance of the past, a little appreciation of the present, and an amount of enthusiasm to discover what we can do or how good we can still get in the future, by learning from ourselves or from other people. You and I deserve to know how to infuse this creativity to spice up our lives. 

Raise your hand if you want to start your life again with light and optimism. Ok, what I mean is that it doesn't have to be new year to let ourselves jump-start a life beautiful-- like how this newest show on Lifestyle Network is named-- Bella (which means beautiful in Italian). 

Confessions be made, I had one of the blissful-est of privileges to interview Bella (by a private message). Her modesty and thoughtfulness made me realize that she is,  indeed, beautiful. I feel overjoyed. 

Who is Bella?

Bella is a girl who loves everything beautiful in a sense that she believes in the beauty of life and she always tries to see the beauty in everyone. She is adventurous and loves trying new things and writing about her experiences. Her mission is to make every woman realize her true beauty-- inside and out.

Julia, Bella's friend who you'll be seeing in the episodes

What makes it unusual and relatively exciting is that the host of the show (Bella) is being kept a mystery all through out the season as she does the talking on a voice over. It's like a sort of blogging on TV, she says. It offers a fresh and utterly unique concept that no show has yet done in the past.  She also notes that her team is constantly working hard to improve every episode.

What you can expect from the show?

It was love at first sight when I watched the show premiered last July 19. And why not? Bella talked about tons of creative juices to doll up ourselves, throw a delightful party, and stay fit at home even on the rainy days.

She reveals that the show will have more interesting content and adventures on its next episodes-- fashion, beauty, fitness, travel, and lifestyle picks. Won't you love to watch a show that can fill your thoughts with new and creative ways to revamp? She is a good source for all things beautiful that you could possibly apply to yourself. Just believe in your capacity to make them happen. 

Know more about Bella in this video:

Here's a sneak peek of what (else) you can see on Bella:

Get bella-ful updates about her and the show on:
facebook @ facebook.com/mynameisbellatv twitter @ twitter.com/mynameisbellatv instagram @ instagram.com/mynameisbellatv
You can also log on to her blog/ website: www.mynameisbella.com 

"I hope you'll love it!"~ Wink, wink, Bella

This show is brought to you by

                       

How to be Attractive in 9 Easy Steps

The word attractive will, first of all, depend on how you define things as attractive. If being fit and well- dressed is your example of attractive, then it is probably what it is. Hence, it is relative. 

Err, attractive doesn't always mean erotic. But it's something that we do to appeal not only to the other people but to ourselves as well. 

Below are simple and easy steps, which I sourced out from an infographic, on how to be attractive:

1. Smile

2. Smell nice or don't smell at all

3. Dress for style and respect, not attention

4. Know what's going on in the world and have an opinion about it

5. Speak kindly of yourself and those around you

6. Have three hobbies that do not involve a screen

7. Get an education or save up for one

8. Make time for children, elderly, and those who need a friend

9. Always say thank you and return favors

Photo Credit:

pinterest (dot) com

weheartit (dot) com

5 Beach Travel Attires a Woman Should Always Have

Packing for a beach travel is as hard as packing for any other international vacation travels. Us women, most especially would want to make sure we load in our bags all the things we need for, let’s admit, picture takings. 

It’s frustrating to know that we are limited to few activities only because we overlooked one beach essential. 

It goes without saying that making time to plan outfits is obligatory. The catch-22 comes with deciding which one’s important and which ones to deliberately leave unpacked.

Continue reading if you agree that a beach travel attire should be comfortable, well-rounded, and stylish at the same time. Hence, the following beach day outfits:

1. Long-sleeved Beach Tunic Dress

Over midi & maxi dresses, tunic dress is tons more comfortable. It is quintessentially made with breathable types of fabrics so it is easy to dry and gives a more floaty and attractive look.  

Long semi-sheer sleeves particularly add versatility as they can be folded & sported into three-quarter sleeves for variety.

Depending on the color, tunic dress can be on-trend seasonally. Its natural light material serves as a wind break for our skin, avoiding the rather embarrassing and ghastly patterns of sunburn. 

Unlike other types of beach dresses, tunics are lightweight, allowing us to move freely without necessarily feeling bulky.

If looking comfortable yet feminine matters, there is no need to show extra skin because tunics are natural head turners.

2. Appropriate Body-Type Bikinis

This is honestly one of the most common fashion miscues. Some women spend needless amount on bikinis they like that don’t essentially flatter their bodies; because first, the bikinis don’t match with their body types.

Small on top:  Try triangular, string strapped bikini tops with fringes, ruffles, and frills to create an optical illusion and make your body a little voluminous on top

More belly: Try belted one piece to give it an hour-glass slender look. Black colored bikinis create the trick. Slightly loose tankinis and below-y bottoms flatter the extra love handles too.

Bigger booty: Try bottoms with rings to keep your added fag-end from riding.

Busty: Try v-neck bikinis to make it look slimmer. Definitely avoid bandeaus.

3. Beach totes

Tote is where you tuck your belongings in. It’s not edgy so it gives enough space for all the things you need to bring with you while taking a stroll. 

Find one with compartments. Your things become more organized when your bag is a multitask-er.

4. Thong Sandals

There are many flat sandals available, but thong sandals give a more secure grip on your toe fingers. They come in many designs so they can look chic and convenient. 

The pointing-forward look of the thong sandal straps gives the legs an elongated look as well.

5. Fedora hat

A fedora hat is a certified looker. It can glam up an entire beach outfit without having to wear excess bangles & necklaces. Paired with a good sunnies, fedora hats can go a long way. Plus it’s a good shade from unsolicited UV rays.

Let me, for the moment, share with you a little vain side of myself (wearing those 5 essential beach attires mentioned in this post)  from our recent trip to Caluwayan Palm Island Resort.

                                                         

A little fangirling : Posing the Daphne Oseña Paez Spark Magazine peg here. I'll try to do a better photo next time. Teehee!

Thank you for taking some time to read my blog! I hope you picked useful ideas from this post , whichever works well with your fashion taste.

Tell me what other essential beach attires you think women should  have?

On my photos:

South Long-sleeved Teal Tunic Dress [] Robinson's Department Store

Pigment Blue Thong Sandals [] Forever 21

Tribal Printed Tote Bag from Paris, France

    same on Etsy

Fedora Hat [] Zalora Philippines

Accesories [] South Shores

Photo Credits:

1st photo is a collage from images found on 

sheckys (dot) com

shop style (dot) com

google (dot) com (slash) images

A Mother’s Day Blog: If I Should Have a Daughter

Last year I blogged about the value of having fathers in our lives. And today I am posting a recognition to the people who play equal significance to us all-- mothers.

I find it hard to write anything really heartfelt about my mother. Before any cuss words be thrown up on me, I have a good relationship with her and I love her beyond faking.

One reason is, I have way too many laughing moments with her more than I thought. Good memories outweighs the bad.

I spent senseless years thinking that I don’t have a mother who cares about me. It sounds very trivial but that existed in my mind until I was sixteen.  But as tough luck and misfortunes came, I have seen my mother coming to the rescue without solicitations needed. She knew when to speak and when not to.

As I step a little forward towards maturity, I can see how she maintains her strength all through the years. She is able to carry on her youth despite being a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a daughter all at the same time. And if I’m being overemotional, I’d like to think that every daughter is entitled to feeling that way when talking about her mother.

Few things I like or dislike about her though is that first she isn’t a good laundry-maker. Let her do the washing and you’ll get your white trousers back in red and your black t-shirt in pink. I don’t know exactly how she does that.

Next, you’ll never work with her in the kitchen without leaving it messy afterwards. And by messy I mean total chaos. It’s either you get mad at her for it or you get used to it because there’s no way for her to change that attitude. She believes in speed more than cleanliness.

Third is that you can never take her to a concert because there’s also no way for her to care for music or yet you have to blush your butt from watching drama series on TV every night for 5 hours.

And fourth, God so help me she won’t hate me for writing this. (Love you Ma! :D) These are very minute details about my mother and I just love her for the way she is. Sometimes she just really makes me laugh.

Side note: Here's my mother reading a travel magazine in one of our recent trips to a local resort

But seriously, believe me when I say there’s no measure to a mother’s love; the same love that Mary has shown for her son Jesus. No matter how terrible or unreasonable a mother can be, she’ll still always be the last person standing for you after everyone has left. For sure you know that too. There is no break, time-out, or leave in being a mother. Until her last breath, you will always remain a son or a daughter to her.

As I write this post I have here beside me a book by a spoken word poet Sarah Kay. I could not help myself but cry at how she expressed the great importance of a mother in our lives. Here are the lines:

When a Man Treats Good a Woman

Image taken from weheartit.com

I want to talk to the men this time. When you deal with the woman of your life, how do you make her feel?

When that woman walks up to you and sob without trying to speak a single word, how do you usually respond?

When your relationship has taken you both into years of familiar togetherness, how do you cater to her wants and needs?

When a woman communicates a problem to someone, she is generally looking for empathy. When a man communicates a problem to someone, he is generally looking for an answer, said John Gray in his book “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”.

For a relationship to never lose its spice and let the affluence continue, it is said that both the man and woman need to extend an extra effort to do new adventures and new things to look forward to. True! 

But sometimes, when over familiarity breeds contempt and being together starts to become a bore, either the guy or the girl begins to take things for granted. Sadly, it happens unconsciously most of the time.  When it does, and no one in the relationship initiates to come to the rescue, both start to feel unappreciated hence unhappy.

Why is Being Feminine Better than Being Sexy

                

Image taken from weheartit.com

Someone who wears dress, speaks rightly so, and is able to give birth to a child-- a feminine that is. No need to be in tightly-fitted corset as how history describes it to be. What is considered “feminine” however varies from one culture to another (i.e. someone who gets married and submits to her husband is feminine to most Christian cultures while someone who is able to do tough labors is feminine to other tribes). 

But being feminine in general is something that exemplifies someone’s character as a woman.

There are women who capture a lot of people for their charm and personality; others though ensnare people like magnetizing music without even actually trying. They are the beautiful faces that most men find attractive to their almost delusive and futile desires. 

While there’s nothing wrong with how women fit themselves to shape good (Read: to be sexy), femininity is an influence that lasts longer and boosts better. And we’re not talking of plain aggrandizement. We’re talking of how femininity works at a higher advantage than simply pleasing.

Perhaps this goes to explaining that as women, we customarily associate ourselves into female preferences like learning how to bake, talking about the melodrama over cars that need tune-ups, and even desiring for a sexy body, sexy make-up, sexy hairstyle, and sexy outfit with gusto. But how will femininity give us pro?

Be aware that to be feminine is largely a matter of having good looks and good grooming. I don't mean that you need to look like Angelina Jolie; just start with the “physical level”. Gauge your wardrobe.

You absolutely have been looking for magazines or look books that would tell you precisely how to pull an outfit together-- with all the right accessories, shoes, and color combinations. Some if not all might have probably disappointed you with examples that are only suitable for fashion walk throughs. And I don’t want to put the same things forward. I want to share with you the best ideas. So ready your mind-and-heart-checklist.

A Woman's Question Every Man Should Know About

Let a woman ask you l Image taken from weheartit.com

           
  Many of us young hopeful hearts today go into relationships that in some way gratify our search for emotional happiness with our gender counterparts. We get ourselves absorbed into it for reasons like we get a sense of belonging to it, we benefit from the company and emotional attachment of the other person, or we prove a little something to ourselves that despite our mediocrity and personal defects, there is still someone who believes in us and in everything that we do.  

We eventually get a little less careful of ourselves because we are confident that someone else is there to remind us of our daily worth.

               Men in particular are entitled to every relationship’s beginnings since they are primarily the ones tasked to establish things in the love cycle. But does the idea mentioned in the previous paragraph really present the essence of a relationship— and marriage? 

Here is an excerpt written by Lena Lathrop from the book I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. Thanks to Sean Si for writing about this, it encouraged me to get my own share in influencing and spreading to you (every woman) the message to regard highly of yourself as one , and to you (every man) to reassess and dignify your view about us, your female equivalent. Read Sean Si's full article, A Woman's Question: God and the heart, God and You. Like Sean Si on Facebook.

A Woman’s Question by Lena Lathrop (I Kissed Dating Goodbye)

                             Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing

Ever made by the Hand above?

A woman’s heart, and a woman’s life -

And a woman’s wonderful love.

Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing

As a child might ask for a toy?

Demanding what others have died to win,

With the reckless dash of a boy.

You have written my lesson of duty out,

Manlike, you have questioned me.

Now stand at the bars of my woman’s soul

Until I shall question thee.

You require your mutton shall always be hot,

Your socks and your shirt be whole;

I require your heart be true as God’s stars

And as pure as His heaven your soul.