Letters and Being Caught up

by frugirl on April 22, 2013

in Personal

letter-writing

Writing has been an outlet for me since my snail mail letter writing days more than 15 years ago.  I used to have many pen pals, but only two really stood out for me, and I still remember and think fondly of, today.  J and K.

I met J at the temple my parents used to drag me and my sisters to.  We became close friends, and I don’t even remember how we started writing letters to one another, but we did.  Every week, when we’d see each other, I’d have a letter for J and J would have a letter for me.  I remember pouring my heart and soul into my letters, and really try to reach deep into the little wisdom I possessed at 13 and express it on paper.  I really wish I could read what I wrote then.

When I started high school, J moved away, and even though we still kept in touch via letters, our frequency would be less and less.  Eventually, it would be a Christmas card once a year, and eventually we stop writing.  But in high school, I met K who became one of my best friends.

We started writing letters to one another.   I remember the first time I got a letter from K, I knew it was the most beautiful letter I’ve ever received.  You see, K had beautiful hand writing, and not only that, she’d write on beautiful stationary and take the time to decorate her letters with pretty stickers and thoughtful quotes.  We’d drop letters off at each other lockers every day (?), and it was always such a joy for me to see her letter there when I picked up my books between classes.

I haven’t written a letter in a really long time, and my hand writing is now atrocious, but I still think back to those letter writing days.  It was poetic and beautiful how a letter can connect people.  Sharing my loneliness, sadness and joy by pouring my heart out and take comfort knowing someone would listen and understand what I was going through.  These letters were a crucial part of shaping the person I am today.

At first glance, blogging could be seen as something similar to writing letters.  And though there are obviously similarities, I would argue that a letter, for me, is connection at a deeper level.  So, I’ve been kinda stuck for a while, having lots of post ideas, but not getting around to writing them down.  As silly, as it sounds, I am a lazy perfectionist at heart.  If I can’t make it “perfect”, I’d just rather not do it.

But the thing is, writing used to be therapeutic for me.  A way to unwind and share parts of my life with whomever is interested.  But now, I’ve put this notion that whatever I write should be “worthy” or be interesting and”researched”, and it’s stressful.  And it’s just because of this silly notion and pressure that I put on myself.

So, going forward, I’m going to stop taking myself so seriously, and treat these posts more like letters.

Yours truly,

Frugirl Signature

 

 

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Review: Daniel Thompson Part 1

by frugirl on April 11, 2013

in Beauty

skin-care

I first heard of Daniel Thompson on an episode of Gail Vaz Oxlade’s “Princess”.  It was an episode where one of her Princesses spent a ton of money on beauty products, and Gail brought in Daniel Thompson, also known as the “Beauty Myth Buster”, to set her straight. Basically, Daniel took a look at her stash of goodies and told her that 1) she doesn’t need a different moisturizer for the eyes 2) the defense against wrinkles is sunscreen.  He also made suggestions to replace her current skincare regime costing several thousand dollars with one that was waaaaay less using drugstore products.

After than episode, I was curious about Daniel and started following his blog.  I really liked the information he presented, and when I saw there was an opportunity to meet him in person, I jumped at the chance.  He had a  meet and greet in a Yorkville department store last December, and I dragged my friend along with me.    I was super excited to meet him, and imagined that I would be like the “Princess” and he would show me that I could have great skin for less.  Keep in mind, this was following my bout of acne, and I was more desperate than I realized to clear up my skin.

On the day of our meeting, I packed my bag full of all the skincare products I used, and lugged the ridiculously heavy bag from my apartment all the way to Yorkville, so I could show him what I used (just like on “Princess”).

I had a one-hour free consultation with him before his private event at the department store launching a new collection in his line of cosmetics.  The consultation started with Daniel asking me what my skin concerns were, and what I have been doing to treat me acne.  He seemed very knowledgeable about acne, and was very empathic, sharing his own experience, as well.  He also seemed very knowledgeable about skin care, explaining which ingredients I should be looking out for, and to keep in mind though many products may contain the right ingredients, their pH level might be too high or too low for it to work properly.

Looking back, I believe that was the point where the “lessons” stopped and the “sales pitch” began.  When I asked if he wanted to see what I used and give me feedback, he responded that he didn’t need to see what I brought because it would be not superior to the products he has developed.

He started off with his cleanser, which he claimed was a make-up remover, cleanser, toner and exfoliant, all-in-one.  He explained that the ingredients would work immediate to start lightening my skin and help fade my acne marks. He demonstrated this by taking my hand and applying the product to the back of my hand, working it in for a minute or so – it felt a little awkward, because he was holding my hand, but I just went with it.  Sure enough when he was done, the colour on one hand was noticably lighter than my other hand.

At this point, my friend also took the cleanser and applied it to her hands and commented that she didn’t notice a difference on her hands.  Daniel didn’t respond, and instead, introduced me to his moisturizer, which he claimed was also smart enough to only “activate” if  was no excess oil on the skin surface, so I would never end up with greasy skin, but my skin would still be moisturized.  Then he introduced me to his sunscreen foundation and mineral powder, and the brushes he used to apply them.  He applied the products to my face, and finished off with lipstick, blush and eyeshadow.

The department store staff had almost finished setting up for the private event at this point, and it was hinted to us that we would need to leave soon.  Daniel asked me what products I would like to purchase and showed me all the products that he used on me.  I knew I didn’t want the blush, lipstick or eyeshadow, and there was a “deal” with the cleanser and moisturizer.  I debated on getting the sunscreen foundation because I didn’t have the right brush at home.

In the end, I went all out and got the cleanser + moisturizer ($125), sunscreen foundation ($70), mineral powder ($62) and make-up brushes ($100), bringing my total with taxes to $403.  As we were walking back, my friend tells me she was trying to let me know that Daniel had pulled a magician’s trick on me when he demonstrated the cleanser’s lightening effects.  By holding my hand up, it allowed the blood to drain, resulting in that hand’s colour being lighter when compared to the other hand.

Aaahhhhhhhh…..  (Light bulb goes off)  It was at that point, that I realized… I was really, really desperate to find something that works, and might have been suckered.  I don’t deny that Daniel is very knowledgeable, but I got the feeling that I fell hard for his sales pitch.

This post has gotten quite long (I meant for it to be an introduction to the actual product reviews), but I’ll save that for Part 2.

So, dear readers, have you ever been “suckered” into a sale, like me?  If you have tried his line, what are your thoughts?  Any guesses for which of his products worked for me?

Cheers,

Frugirl Signature

 

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My Inspirations for a Healthier Diet

by frugirl on April 4, 2013

in Food, Goals

Ever since my last bout of acne last year, I have been researching more on the effects of my diet on my skin and on my energy levels.  I’ve finally got my acne under control now, and it really comes down to a combination of healthy habits including eating well, getting enough sleep and using the right products.

The more I start to focus on eating better, the more I realize how poorly I ate before.  It was no wonder I was feeling low on energy all the time, and my acne flare ups were all over the place.  In addition to incorporating more healthy foods (i.e., fresh veggies and organic meats) in my diet, I also try to incorporate more “super foods”.  Because why just eat normal foods when you can eat foods that are super good for you, right?  :)

Eating better will be a lifelong goal and journey for me, but I thought I’d share some great resources whom have opened up my eyes to better eating. [click here to continue reading …]

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Google Reader Woes

by frugirl on March 13, 2013

in Personal

As many of you have probably heard, Google is shutting down Google Reader as of July 1, 2013.  I have loved Google Reader dearly, and used it daily for the past 5 years.  I never understood why Google never put more resources into such a great product, and like many of you, I was super bummed when they disabled sharing of feeds in fall of 2011.  At least I have 3 months to search for another RSS feed reader.  If you have one that you use, please feel free to share in the comments.

Even though I am upset, I do realize this is completely a #FirstWorldProblem.   And, yes, the world existed before the internet.  And also before Google Reader.

Since I have the attention span of a 7-year-old, I started thinking about my life before the internet, and put together this short list.

My Life Before the Internet

Before Grooveshark and Streaming Music … I would use my parent’s boombox which looked something like this, insert a blank cassette tape, wait for the DJ to play my favourite songs, and press “record” at just the right moment. Sometimes, I’d get a bit of the DJ’s voice at the beginning or end of the song.

Before Googling Lyrics…. I would play my “pirated tape” and stop after each line so I could write down the lyrics.  Then, I’d press “play” to hear the next time, stop again, and repeat and repeat for each song.  Sometimes, it would be really hard to decipher certain lyrics, and until this day, I still sing most of these songs with my incorrect lyrics.  Oh, and then I discovered the “pause” button.  Which made my young life so much easier.  Such is the wonder of technology (or so I thought!).

Before E-mails and Blogs … I used to have penpals.  I had two penpals whom I still keep their letters.  I wrote letters first to J from grade 7 until high school, even after he moved away.  Then in high school, K and I would exchange letters.  We’d drop off our letters for each other in our lockers, and I still remember the joy each letter brought.  I poured my heart into those letters, and I’m curious to read what was on my mind back then.

Before Google Maps… I used a book of maps, which I still carry in my (parent’s) car, which I prefer over using a GPS.  I am notorious for getting lost, but I find that looking at a “real” map, as opposed to a Google Map printout helps me better orientate my bearings.

Before Google and Search Engines … I remember going to a library and checking out reference books, and photocopying pages from the Reference books that could not be removed from the premise.  I remember the librarian teaching us how to find books using those cards database filing system (with physical cards).

Before Online Job Applications … I remember applying to co-op jobs in college and some people would print their resume on heavy-duty-fancy paper to submit to prospective employers.

Before Digital Cameras/Facebook/Picasa/Flickr … I remember taking a photograph, and not knowing how I’d look until the film was developed (unless it was a Polaroid :) ). Then, I remember arranging the pictures in a photo album, and having to choose which ones I would send to relatives, and which ones to keep.

Before Cell Phones… I remember calling my friend’s house and leaving a message with their parents.  It was normal to not reach someone all the time, but they always called you back.

That was a lovely stroll down memory lane.  I’d love to hear what your memories before technology or the internet in the comments!

Sincerely,

Frugirl Signature

 

 

P.S. I’m loving Kelly Clarkson’s song “Catch my Breath” and it’s been on repeat all night :)

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