Author: areliscintron

Categories
#lent Aziza Saeed Chanel Easter Season FNO Hydramax learning experience makeup Maria Moutinho Mario Penailillo Soulful Sundays

What Do We Take with Us When We DIE?

Today is May 13th, Mother’s Day.  I want to do a special shout out to all the MOMS!  YOU GUYS ROCK!  It is also the last day of my second set of 40 Days and 40 Nights, a Lenten Season.  Technically we are in the Easter Season.  The Lenten Season ended officially on Easter Sunday.  (For more information on this topic visit a previous writing piece titled The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways…)  During Lent, I slipped and did the thing I gave up.  Shopping.  Had the event I attended occurred on a Sunday, then ALL would have been right with the world.  I bought makup.  In my mind it did not count as shopping, however, my friend reminded me that it did.  To buy things that I did not NEED, was considered shopping.  I agreed and made a mental note that if I were to choose shopping again next year, to give up for Lent, I would be specific as to what it included.  I decided at that point to start the 40 days over, once the official 40 days were up.  I did well.  The 40 days were almost up, and then a little over a week ago, I attended yet another Makeup event and I slipped.  Again.

From: Chanel.com

Instead of beating myself about it, I’ve decided to make it a learning experience.  Isn’t everything after all, a learning experience?  I did learn a lot about the upcoming trends in makeup for the Spring and Summer seasons.  I also got to highlight in my NEW Makeup Journal a quote that Chanel Makeup Artist Mario Penailillo stated, “Once you take care of your skin, makeup is easy.”  I nodded my head in agreement.  I’ve always liked the idea of makeup.  I just never understood it.  I would put colors on my face, but I never understood how to make it look like it was supposed to be makeup, AND NOT random colors on my face.  In my twenties, I only experimented with lipsticks and mascara.  It wasn’t until I sat down at a FNO event at a Banana Republic at the Trumbull Mall, with Chanel Makeup Artist Maria Moutinho at Lord & Taylor, that I realized just how important taking care of your skin really is.  I was introduced to the Chanel Hydramax Line and fell in love with my skin.  Prior to this I had been using over the counter, drugstore facial moisturizers.  While they initially left my skin feeling hydrated and protected, it didn’t last long.  I found myself wanting to put the moisturizer on several times a day.  Over time I began to learn about the different pieces that fit the makeup puzzle and I can now transform my face into something artistic.

@Cpigrun

The events I’ve attended, have taught me tricks, and exposed me to new colors and techniques.  As Jackie said in a previous post, “You can Lift Your Spirits with Fashion“.  It is also a fun thing to do with a friend.  Cristina’s eyes really sparkled that day.  If you’re not comfortable with makeup, its good to learn one product at a time.  Buying everything at once is overwhelming and its difficult to remember all the information about each one.  I will go over what I learned in an upcoming series.

For now, I want to say that while makeup makes me feel good, like shopping for clothes does, it is also my weakness.  I lecture my niece about not being so attached to material things, as we cannot take them when we’re gone from this earth.  However, I have not been taking my own advice.  I cannot lecture her on her wants of expensive sneakers, if I can spend 26.50 on a bottle of nail polish.  She pointed this out to me on Friday night.  At first I was a little angry, who is she to tell me this.  On thinking on it further, who am I to hide from a truth.  I must practice what I preach.

Today, the 80 days are done.  I can go on a shopping spree if I want to.  I find that I don’t.  I have a ton of clothes, shoes, makeup, accessories, books and I can go on forever here.  I cannot take any of these things with me when I go.  At the end of the day they are not important.  We fall in life, to get back up, dust ourselves off and figure out how to not fall again.  These last 80 days have strengthened my soul.  My falls have highlighted the things that are important.  We do not take our material possessions with us when we die and I ask God for strength to remind me of this in my weak moments!

Have any advice, tricks or stories to help me out on my journey to not be attached to material things?  Share them in the comments below or on the My Pocketful of Thoughts Facebook Page.

Until then,
PS:  If you happen to live in the 06604 area, make a trip to the Trumbull Mall’s Lord and Taylor and learn about makeup from Chanel artist Maria Moutinho or Aziza Saeed.  Tell them I sent you 🙂 
Categories
relationships Therapeutic Thursdays

Should We Come with a WARNING Label? PART DOS

Hello!  Upon thinking about this topic some more (Shall We Come with a WARNING Label?), I find it interesting that IF we were in a relationship, and a friend’s mirrored ours, we’d advise them to leave but not take our own advise. For example, if I were dating someone who told me they did not want to commit, and I stuck around because I was in love and believed that it would “all work out in the end”, and my friend told me he was in a relationship with a woman that did not want to commit, but he wanted to stay believing that she would change her mind. I’d advise him to let her go and move on. Explaining that she has already stated that she did not want to be in a relationship, so why believe she’d change her mind. If she didn’t realize already how awesome he was by now, who knows when that would happen, and he’d just be angry in the end. Which he shouldn’t be since she’d already said she didn’t want a relationship to begin with. I would see my situation as being different, because the person I’m in love with, will surely change his mind….not lol Then I’d yell at myself when I snapped out of it.  I’ve done this before so I know.  People tell you who they are, believe them.  Why do we not see these things for ourselves?  And if we do, why does one convince themselves that things will be different this time?  Is it that we secretly want the same thing, to not commit?  When did you realize it was time to let go? If you find yourself in a situation as stated above, ask yourself this, “what are you telling the universe you want?”  I remember watching The Wedding Date, and a line in the movie made so much sense.  The father is talking to Kat, the main character, that is still pining over the man who loved her for seven years and called off their wedding because he was sleeping with her sister(which she never knew), she’d brought an escort to her sister’s wedding (marrying another guy) to make her ex jealous…‘I remember reading a fascinating articIe in the New York Times Magazine once, where this guy said, “Every woman has the exact love life she wants.” You know what? I agree with him. But I refuse to believe that this is what you want, Kat.’   I do not believe that we want to be in relationships that bring us nothing but misery. The sooner you realize that the faster things will start to change in your life! Focusing on the positive, the happy things you want to come to be, will make it come. If you choose to focus on the negative, all the things you do not want, well guess what, you’ll get what you don’t want. On this terrific day, Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.

A penny for your thoughts?  What advice could you give someone trying to end a relationship (officially committed or not)?  How can a person take charge of their love life?

Until then,
DjRelAt7
 
 
Categories
djrelat7 Book Reviews Take Charge Tuesdays

Should We Come with a WARNING Label?


photo credit: elycefeliz via photopin cc

You walk into the supermarket, reciting the short list of items to pick up and out of the corner of your eye you see something that causes you to stop.  You take a double look, this one slower, to see a vision that makes you hold your breath in until you realize, oh I’m holding my breath. You realize you’re staring and you try and distract yourself with what you came into the store for.  But who are you fooling, you can’t remember a single item.  May you be so bold as to inquire if the lovely creature is taken?  Might you exchange numbers in hopes of starting something that will end in a happily ever after type scenario?

For you, the first encounter, might not have actually been the grocery store.  It might have been the gas station, the shopping mall, the dentist’s office, or dare I say a blind date.  One thing did lead to another and the next thing you knew you were in a committed relationship.  Regardless of how you got there you have to admit that you’re not alone.  There are many people out there, within a stone’s throw from you, that shares a similar story to your own.  You’re eyes met, a spark sprang into being, you fell madly in love and now you hope to end in a happily ever after type scenario.  You are now comfortable, as is your significant other, and you start to notice that all the things you thought were cute are starting to REALLY ANNOY you.  Before we enter into a committed relationship, Should we come with a WARNING Label?

I’ve been reading Committed, by Elizabeth Gilbert (A part DOS to her Eat, Pray, Love) and she gives a play by play of how her feelings went from never marrying again to understanding/researching marriage and her journey with Felipe.  The thing I love about this book so far are all the tidbits of history you read about marriage itself.  In chapter 4 she talks about the potential to minimize our dangers in premarital preparation.  If we look past our delusions of the person we love, and realize that no one can be perfect, that we all have our faults, can we not help the other person out by listing the items which, while they love now, might grow to ANNOY them.  Can we cross our fingers and hope that despite our long list of undesirable faults, that the person we love, loves us back anyway? 

When listing her faults, Elizabeth asks Felipe HOW can he love her still and he responds after a while saying, “When I used to go down to Brazil to buy gemstones, I would often buy something they call ‘a parcel’.  A parcel is this random collection of gems that the miner or the wholesaler or whoever is bulls&#@ting you puts together.  A typical parcel would contain, I don’t know, maybe twenty or thirty aquamarines at once.  Supposedly, you get a better deal that way -buying them all in a bunch- but you have to be careful, because of course the guy is trying to rip you off.  He’s trying to unload his bad gemstones on you by packaging them together with a few really good ones….So when I first started in the jewelry business, Felipe went on, I used to get in trouble because I’d get too excited about the one or two perfect aquamarines in the parcel, and I wouldn’t pay as much attention to the junk they threw in there.  After I got burned enough times, I finally got wise and learned this: You have to ignore the perfect gemstones.  Don’t even look at them twice because they’re blinding.  Just put them away and have a careful look at the really bad stones.  Look at them for a long time, and then ask yourself honestly, ‘Can I work with these? Can I make something out of this?‘ Otherwise, you’ve just spent a whole lot of money on one or two gorgeous aquamarines buried inside a big heap of worthless crap.”

We are fortunate, when we can find that special someone, who we love despite their flaws, and they love us back despite ours.  However, what does a person do, when they only took the time to look at the blindingly beautiful gemstones in their parcel and ignored the huge heap of worthless crap?  I’m sure we’ve had at least one of these moments in our earlier years of dating, where we stopped and realized, beyond all our wishing for the happily ever after, that this relationship was NEVER going to work out.  How did you end it?

I think sometimes, people do give us warnings.  They let us know from the very start, their character, their truth.  We tend to turn a blind eye on it, hence the phrase, Love is blind.  We see what we want, when we want to see it.  What did you do in that situation?  For a while I bought parcels, with the intention of examining it with a microscope before making any commitment.  If the amount of crappy gemstones outweighed the few beauties, then I gladly handed the parcel back to the seller.  Giving yourself time to examine the character of a potential significant other, is not something to do lightly.  If what you see is something you CAN commit to, do it, if not then don’t.  But love can blind us, and I think its only fair to yourself and to the other person, to use the ‘Rip the bandaid off’ technique.  Dragging it out only makes it worse.   

A penny for your thoughts! What advice could you give someone trying to face the fact that they got a bad parcel?  How can a person take charge of their love life?  

Until then,
Categories
About Me

Once…Spanish pronunciation: [ˈonθe]

The 11 Questions Tag

I was tagged by the talented Carmela, the creative mind behind Belladonna and Pure Love. I read her blog often and felt honored to be apart of the 11 people tagged. When you get the chance please do check out her blogs!

The Rules:
Post the rules…. Duh lol
You must post 11 things about yourself.
Answer the questions that your tagger posted for you.
Create 11 questions, then choose 11 people and tag them to answer your questions.
Remember to let them know you tagged them.
No tag backs…
Let the tagger know when you answered their questions.

11 Things About Me:

1.  I feel tall, even though my actually height is 5’3″….ok ok maybe its 5′ 2 1/4″ but I’ll go by my drivers license.
2.  I love the smell of freshly cut grass…it reminds me of college, when I would sit on the lush green lawn near the library, study and soak up the sun.
3.  I love to read, I’m currently addicted to Diane Gabaldon’s Outlanders Series
4.  I drive a VW Beetle Convertible named Mr. Blueberry Salsa.
5.  I’m working on a memoir…in my head that hasn’t reached paper yet.
6.  I believe that we are all children of God, created to do amazing things!
7.  I am a shop-aholic…currently working on this.
8.  I am the proud God Mother of 3 beautiful children; one day I hope to have 8 of my own.
9.  I have found my soul mate in Daniel Dias.
10. I help out with my church’s youth group on Friday nights; so if you want to do something I’m busy.
11. I want desperately to stop arguing with my mother….sigh!
12.  One day I will open a publishing company.

Carmela’s 11 Questions For Me:
1. If you had a reality show what would your theme song be?
A:  Celia Cruz’s Rie Y Llora

2. If you could have one super power, what would you choose and why?
A: To raise children and do it well…I don’t have kids yet but others who do, I’m convinced they have super powers 🙂

3. What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?
A:  Hippie, Stubborn,  Creative

4. What 3 words would a friend use to describe you?
A:  Crazy, Silly,  Dependable

5. Name one thing that you would like to do before you die?
A:  Leave a legacy to my future generations.  I want my grandchildren to flip open their history book and see their mama in the pages.

6. What is your favorite color?
A: I always like to say that I like all colors equally, because most days I really cannot choose one favorite.  Anything that evokes happiness. Happy colors are my favorite.

7. What is the most valuable life lesson you’ve learned?
A:  Tomorrow is a do over, no matter what you did or what happened today.  My grandfather taught me that.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
A: I would change my need to want to constantly buy pretty things.

9. What cause are you willing to fight for?
A: I’m a lover not a fighter.

10. What do you like to do in your free time?
A:  I like to read, if I’m not exhausted.

11. Name one woman that inspires you and explain why?
A: My mom, Ida Cintron, Her passion to do things her way, to do them well, for the good of others is something I can one day do without thought.  It takes a special type of person to dedicate their entire life to their children and household.

My 11 questions for you 🙂

  1. Have you ever thought of changing your name, if so to what?
  2. If you could do just one thing to bring peace to the world, what would it be?
  3. Do you think that Elvis is alive?
  4. Do you remember the teacher’s name who made an impact on your life?
  5. Do you know what your current credit score is?
  6. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
  7. If you could walk in someone else’s shoes for a day, who’s shoes would they belong to?
  8. If money were not an issue, how big would your house be?
  9. What is the next place on your list of places to visit?
  10. What scent makes you think of a particular memory?
  11. What book are you currently reading?

I hope this Fun Friday finds you well!  If it does not, what can YOU do right NOW, to change that around this instant?

Until then,
Categories
Beauty fashion Jackie Clark mesothelioma Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog My Pocketful Of Thoughts new writer Soulful Sundays Stay Tuned Therapeutic Thursdays

..the NEWest writer to bless the My Pocketful Of Thoughts blog…

I hope that you are well on this Therapeutic Thursday!  Today I am introducing the NEWest writer to bless the My Pocketful Of Thoughts blog.  She comes to us from the land NY, NY.  She does outreach work with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance.  She has a passion for fashion-from shoes to makeup, nail polish to handbags, and everything in between! Coupled with that she believes that all women need to feel beautiful, no matter what circumstances they may be facing. Women are powerful beings and WE need to realize it! Sadly, many women are hearing those devastating words ‘you have cancer.’ Despite a cancer diagnosis, women can still feel beautiful in their own skin. Fashion is a wonderful way to feel strong and confident. On Sunday she will share the reality of cancer and how women can say ‘YES I have cancer, but I am no less beautiful than I was before my diagnosis‘.
It takes a certain type of person to go out and make others feel good about themselves.  Please help me welcome Jackie Clark to My Pocketful Of Thoughts.  STAY TUNED!  Her post will appear this coming Soulful Sunday.  In the meantime check her out at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.
Until then,

Categories
handwritten thank you notes to future employers quitting your job recession Take Charge Tuesdays

Don’t quit…just yet!

Happy MONDAY!  I hope you had a fantastic weekend!  The other day I was chatting with a friend of mine, who is very dissatisfied with their current job and is itching to flip out on everyone and kick over their computer as part of their grand finale exit.  So, while that might sound satisfying to some of you reading this as well, I ask that you don’t quit…just yet.

If you are sitting there thinking, I can’t take this job another day, make sure you have one of the following done before you tell your boss PEACE OUT.

  • An emergency fund padded with at least six months worth of income (in this economy maybe more)
  • Another job lined up
  • Your brilliant business idea is NOW coming into fruition (YAY FOR YOU!!!)

Now the reason why I say to wait just a little bit more is that if you don’t have one of these in place you might find yourself in a bind. Unemployment was on such a rise that a 13 week extension of unemployment insurance benefits was signed into law by the president on June 30th of 2008. In Connecticut, I read that Federal Legislation, enacted on February 22, 2012 has extended the time that an individual can apply for and receive Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and Extended Benefits (EB) (26 weeks).   While they said in 2008 that we were not in a recession it surely felt that way.  Recession surely hit us and it still effects our pocket and any financial decision we make today. Not only that, but do you really need EXTRA stress in your life right now?

Once you do leave, go in peace.  DO NOT kick over your computer.  DO NOT flip out on anyone.  SMILE.  Pretend you are the king or queen of England and wave on your way out the door!

If you realize it is not possible to quit, just yet, make the most of your current job.  Figure out what it is that frustrates you so much and if there are ways you can turn that around.  Employers want happy productive employees.  What if you bring up your issues (in a calm, reasonable matter) and they’re resolved?  The answer is always NO until  you ask.  Always take a moment to be thankful for what you do have, for there are many, many, many people out there jobless and less fortunate than you are.

Share any advice below or on the My Pocketful Of Thoughts Facebook Page, on what you did when you were looking to quit your job or advice someone shared with you.

Until then,
PS.  When I was in the process of finding a job in my field, a good friend and co-worker of mine told me to make sure I sent off HAND-WRITTEN letters of thanks to anyone who interviewed me.  It could set you apart from someone who has the same credentials as you.  I do not know if that made any difference at all, but I have to say I like my job now and am thankful for all my experience in getting here.

Categories
Amanda Doerr Angelo Zucaro budgeting money charity daily deals fairfield county Fairfield University fairfieldcoupon.com Money Mondays New Haven county Quick Center for the Arts Richard Lewis

Move Over Groupon and Livingsocial…

If you follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you know that I am no stranger to the numerous daily discount deal websites.  I stalk these sites all day and all night, gladly sharing them with you since I cannot shop; not for another 50+ days or so.

The NEW comer of daily deals is Fairfieldcoupon.com.  On the scene since Mid-January, they began carrying deals for Fairfield County.  The site now caters to both, Fairfield and New Haven County.  The site is easy to use.  If you see a deal you like from an email, Facebook Page share or Tweet, you buy it.  When you share it and your friends also get the deal, you’ll get Fairfield Coupon Bucks good towards any future daily deal.  Then you use your deal!  The awesome thing is that when you do buy a deal from Fairfieldcoupon.com they share a portion of your purchase with the local schools and non-profit organizations that are important in the community.
This website has already done its first deal where 100% of the proceeds went directly to the Boys & Girls Village, a non-profit organization that helps At-Risk Children in Connecticut.  If you missed it, the deal was $22 for $45 tickets to “Laugh out Loud” event  Featuring Richard Lewis (Who currently stars in the HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm Show).  The event took place at Fairfield University’s (GO STAGS) Quick Center on March 31, 2012.
When we can take advantage of a great deal, save money, have fun AND support our local organizations, its a win win for everyone.  Not to mention it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside and who doesn’t want to feel that?  Clicking on the FairfieldCoupon.com banner below will bring you their latest deal.  Stop by daily as there are new deals everyday.
Until then,

PS.  You can stalk FairfieldCoupon.com Deals to by clicking on the FairfieldCoupon Banner below this post.  (look down)  Or their own Facebook Page OR their Twitter Page OR their website, FairfieldCoupon.com!  Happy shopping!

PPS.  The Boys & Girls Village offers really valuable child and family services.  They are a resource for any child or family struggling with emotional or psychological issues.  Please visit them at www.bgvillage.org if you have any questions or would like to figure out a way to help their cause.  Feel free to follow them on Facebook or Twitter.