A Better + Happier + Healthier 2018

Another start of a new year!

For most of us, the start of the year always prompts us to self-reflect on ways on how we can be better. Last year, I added simple changes to our dietary routine. Simple changes that I'm sure we can maintain. As I've said, it’s all about the small changes that you can maintain which will reap huge health benefits in the long run.

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It's just been a week into 2018, and I have decided that in addition to living a healthy life, I also want to work on being a better and happier person. I have drawn up a short list to help me achieve that.

1. Put my phone away when my family is home. 

My work requires me to be online a lot, but for this year, as soon as my family is home, I will put my phone somewhere that's not so accessible so I can't just grab it. Sometimes, my intention is to just quickly answer an inquiry, but then since I'm already online, I often find myself mindlessly checking. Without even knowing it, 1 hour na pala ako sa phone, scrolling through my feed.

Not only does this distract me from spending time with my family, but I also set a bad example to my kids whenever they see me constantly checking my phone.

2. Start and end my day with a prayer.

As Christians, prayer is our greatest privilege. I have a lot to be thankful for in my life, and praying gives me a chance to give thanks, to give praise and to glorify Him.

It is a time for talking to God and growing closer to Him. Prayer is a wonderful way to focus time and attention on seeking God's plan for the day ahead and to thank Him for the day that just ended. But I admit, there are times that I just say a very quick prayer, especially on days that I have a full schedule. For this year, I want to be intentional in setting aside time for prayer.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14

3. Do something kind for someone else. 

I don't know about you, but doing good deeds boosts my happiness. The kinder I am. the better I feel. I read a quote somewhere that goes, "Love & kindness are never wasted. They always make a diffence. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless the giver." 

If you think about it, being kind to others is ultimately being kind to ourselves. Afterall, we are the recipient of the fuzzy, warm feelings that our acts of kindness gives. Those feelings help us attract more of the abundant things we want out of life.

4. Continue to be mindful of what my family eat.

I have written a lot about how we have a lot of food restrictions in the family. My girls are gluten intolerant; as such, we keep our consumption of gluten to a minimum para di din sila mainggit.

This year, I have made a conscious decision to minimize my intake of sugar, as well. I have a family history of diabetes and so I have been trying to eat as little sugar as possible. I have a sweet tooth talaga, kaya this one is really hard for me to do. So far, I've been successful naman by just giving myself a small treat on the weekends.

Wish me luck here!

5. Join the rest of my family in being active

I don't really have any exercise regimen going, unless you coung going up and down the stairs exercise? Hahaha. I have always though that my lifestyle is active enough to make sure that I don't gain too much weight. But because I am getting older, I feel like I should get into a regular physical activity starting this year.

I am thankful that my family is quite active, they inspire me to be active as well, but all these activities create a ton of sweaty clothes and towels, which never smells good. Naku, lalo na when the kids forget them in their training bag for a few days.

This has been one of my challenges the past year. My husband and kids would sometimes complain that their freshly washed clothes would smell funky after they put them on for just a few minutes. Nung una, my husband thought that the labandera was not doing a good job of washing our clothes so he kept smelling newly laundered shirts in his closet, if the clothing smells funky, nilalagay nya ulit sa hamper para ipalaba.

Has this ever happened to you? Freshly washed clothes suddenly smelling like pawis again soon after you put them on? It's so frustrating, di ba? I even had the labandera try adding vinegar to the final rinse, but there's still a slight offensive scent that remains.

It's a good thing I discovered Downy Antibac during one of my grocery runs.

As soon as we started using Downy Antibac, my husband and kids stopped complaining about their clothes smelling bad.

Using Downy Antibac, together with our usual laundry detergent, does an excellent job of keeping all of our clothes fresh and clean smelling. This is because the technology used in Downy Antibac doesn’t just mask odors, it prevents the growth of 99% of germs which is the cause of funky smell on clothes.

  

I am going to be sticking to this Downy variant from now on. Let me share with you why:

1. Antibacterial Protection. Downy Antibac doesn't just mask odors, it prevents up to 99% of germs that causes malodor on your clothes. It keeps you feeling fresh and smelling good even when you sweat. If you have an active family, then you surely know how valued this is. 

2. Softness.  The fibers of clothes break up and get rough due to constant washing. Downy Antibac ensures that clothes and towels are softened for added comfort. I have to admit it's one of my life's simple luxuries that after taking a bath I'm able to have a soft and plushy towel to wipe myself with, and to put on silky soft clothes that smell good.

3. Protection.Downy prevents friction between fabric thread, helping clothes retain elasticity and color. Colors of clothes stay true and resist fading, making your clothes look new longer, even after repeated washing.

4. Subtle but Long-lasting Scent. The scent is subtle but long-lasting. I love the way our clothes smell, it's not an overpowering kind of scent. It's muted but it's the kind of scent that you will look for, and I don't just mean when they are freshly laundered. Even weeks after washing, the clothes still smell so good when I pull them out of my closet. 

5. Easy Ironing. Our laundrywoman observed that when using Downy Antibac on her final rinse, clothes have less wrinkles and are easier to iron. Win-Win... it saves her time, and it saves electricity.

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