Glow by Lady E

M ost people sleep in on January 1st after a night of heavy partying. Me? I was binding my Lessons, Ink, & Grace weekly planners.

  J anuary 1. The start of a new year. The start of 2026. New year is the time for resolutions. I'm not one to make resolutions, because I know they're hard to keep. But this year, I'm doing something different. These aren't resolutions per se, but more of a lifestyle change.  I was journaling last night, 15 minutes before midnight. And I've had several realizations. The first of them was that I wanted to be more selfish this year. Our pastor said in one of his sermons, to think of the other person more. I did some self-reflection and found that my problem is I've been thinking of the other person far more, for far too long than myself. I have given and given so much of myself, my time, energy, effort, money to other people all my life that by the end of the year, I'm left with nothing.  That's why I decided that for 2026, I'll be a little more selfish.  Here are 5 things I'm doing for myself this year to fill my cup: 1. Give in to impulse buys f...

  I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I'm going through something. It just so happened that this trip is a blessing as it will help me think about what's going on and will help me see things from a new perspective. 

  Some days are quiet. Nothing grand happens. No one gives you flowers or takes you to a Michelin-star restaurant. But somehow, you still smile — because  your meal was served on pretty plates, your nails looked beautiful in the sunlight, and you used a new shimmer stick that caught the light beautifully in your mirror selfie. That, to me, is the art of everyday glow. It's not about sparkle or excess. It's about presence. 🍽️ Beauty on a Plate I usually make my own corndogs. But one day, I saw some frozen Japanese ones that were on sale at Landers, and I thought I'd grab it to taste commercial corndogs. I prepped a lot of oil in my small rectangular frying pan and cooked them. I didn't know that they burned quickly! My oil wasn't too hot as I can't place my stove on a high temp for too long as it will have an error. The corndogs just really burned fast.  What did I do? Put them on my Hello Kitty plate, of course! And that changed everything. It still looked p...

We live in a world where our screens follow us everywhere—from morning emails to late-night scrolls. But while technology connects us, it can also leave our eyes looking tired and feeling strained. I believe beauty is more than skincare and makeup—it’s how we care for ourselves daily. Protecting our eyes isn’t just health advice; it’s a beauty ritual that keeps our gaze bright, fresh, and effortlessly radiant. After all, when your eyes sparkle, everything else follows. Why Eye Care = Glow Care Digital eye strain, or computer vision syndrome, if you want to be fancy, is a common condition resulting from prolonged use of digital devices (computers, tablets, smartphones). It's not a disease but a collection of eye and vision-related problems. The discomfort and symptoms that one feels are caused by the unique visual demands of screen use.  ​Why Digital Screens are Harder on Our Eyes ​Staring at a digital screen is more taxing on our eyes than reading a printed page for several ...

  Number 1 My morning started noisy. My husband's alarm went off and he didn't turn it off quickly. I went back to sleep.  Number 2 There's a garbage truck driver who has a habit of honking his horn in long successions whenever he reaches the front of our window. It's terrible. The noise jolts me awake.  This happened several minutes after the alarm. I went back to sleep. Number 3 About an hour after, I heard my husband open the gate and start the car to leave for work. I tried to go back to sleep but after a few minutes of peace, my phone rang. It was another Orange Rainfall Alert. But it wasn't raining, so I said, we'll go to Century City later. And closed my eyes.  During this time, my brain was already awake. I tried to go back as I've only had 6 hours of sleep, but the Sandman has already left.  I told myself I could stay in bed a little longer, maybe scroll through old posts or imagine a new one. But the stillness felt uneasy, as if the world was holdi...

It was a very rainy Wednesday. I've been hearing the heavens roar for the past few days. The mood was somber. The wind, howling. I've been wanting to go out for a few days now, but the Orange Rainfall Alert I got this morning meant that there was a big possibility of flash floods. My son and I were supposed to go out, but decided to stay in the safety of our cocoon.  The Storm Within the Storm Noon was eventful. A glass broke in the sink and my son's finger got cut. I was eating a leisurely breakfast of Hokkien noodles and bread from France with chocolate chips when he rushed to me with a bleeding finger.  I went to Mama Medic mode and applied first aid on the finger. After the ordeal, I couldn't shake off the adrenaline pulsing through my body. A dear friend helped me ground again, reminded me to breathe, and carry on with my day. I didn't want to cook with all that negative energy that I was emitting, so I asked my friend to help ground me.  I cooked Crabs, Squash...

 Remember when moms say:  “You’ll feel all those late nights when you’re older.” I never partied until sunrise. I didn’t survive on coffee or late nights. I actually avoided sleep deprivation like the plague. But even with all that, I’ve come to realize that how we care for ourselves in our teens and twenties shapes how we look and feel in our thirties and beyond. Your skin remembers everything — The nights you didn’t remove your makeup properly. The weeks you lived on fast food and instant noodles. It adds up. I’ve watched enough K-dramas to know the line by heart:  “I don’t want to eat instant noodles at night. My face will be puffy tomorrow.” They know. And they’re right. That puffiness becomes a pattern. That pattern becomes texture. And later, you’ll wonder why your skin doesn’t bounce back the way it used to. Here's the thing: Your future self is built by your current habits. How you treat your body in your teens and 20s is what your 30s and 40s inherit. That one ba...

I got this Laneige Dreamy Lip Kit in Baguio. I was looking for a good lip balm for a few months before I discovered this.  The Body Shop Avocado lip balm is not cutting it. I wanted something light and more powerful. While in Watsons SM Baguio, I happened to pass by the Laneige stand. I saw the moisturizer and thought that I might give it a try (more on that soon). Anyway, I also saw this Dreamy Lip Kit and asked the attendant how much it costs. I think it's Php950 (I'm pretty sure it was under Php1000). What a steal for 4 pots! So, I immediately got it and the moisturizer.  It comes in 4 flavors - Berry, Mango, Peach Iced Tea, and Sweet Candy. I'm currently using Sweet Candy. There's no applicator. I use my Bobbi Brown Lip Brush. The container is very good, nice and sturdy and compact enough for traveling.  The texture isn't very thick, which I like. It feels very smooth and easy to apply. After application, I immediately feel my lips calming down. I ha...