Friday, November 03, 2017

Beautiful desks for work-at-home mamas

If you work from home like I do, you probably drool over those beautiful #deskgoals photos on Instagram (as I do haha). Pottery Barn sent me an article, "How To Organize Your Home Office for Increased Productivity," which I will publish below in a bit, but before I do that, lemme just show you mamas the desks and work tables available now at Pottery Barn. They are sooo nice!

This is the Juno Desk. I like its iron and wood aesthetic. As I get older and my life more full, I've found that I prefer to be surrounded by streamlined things—in design and function.


Although there is a thing about being too simple. I don't know how to feel about this Pittsburgh Crank Desk. It looks like it used to be a sewing machine. I do appreciate its lines. I think it appeals to the simplest design lovers, or steampunk fans.

Modern elegance—that's the Ava Metal Desk. It's so sleek and, my goodness, you have really keep this kind of table clear and uncluttered!

And this is me. My escritoire looks just like this except that mine doesn't have drawers. This Toulose Secretary Desk is right up my alley. It's simple and functional, has tons of storage space, and when my life gets too messy and chaotic, I can just hide it and lock it away hahaha. Totally love this desk!

Now here's the article Pottery Barn wants me to share with you, working mamas. Happy weekend, and rest well. Love lots from working mama me to working mama you!


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How To Organize Your Home Office for Increased Productivity

PRESS RELEASE - If you work from home, you know that the setup of a home office space can directly influence how productive you are. Working from home has its challenges, as it can be much harder to focus than it is in a traditional office environment. With a few simple design changes, you can increase your focus and productivity, even if your space is full of distractions. Pottery Barn has the organizational tools you need to organize your home office and increase your output.

OPTIMIZE YOUR DESK SPACE
The desk is the area where most or all of work gets done, so it is the most important element of creating a productive home office. Declutter the space by removing unnecessary papers and objects from the desktop. Only keep what is necessary, like your computer and a notepad, and stow everything else in bins or drawers. A desktop organizer can keep pens and post-its in order, without overwhelming the space.

USE BINS
Clearing your desk space is important, but it can be counterproductive if you simply move everything that was on top of your desk into one of the side drawers. Use bins within your desk drawers to stay organized. Keep necessary items like scissors, highlighters, and tape in their own compartment close by, and then sort the rest of your items based on how often you need them.

ORGANIZE YOUR FILES
Deal with the paperwork every day by filing those things that are important and tossing the others. Use a paper tray for paperwork that needs to be addressed in the short term, and get a filing cabinet for organizing papers you need to save. 

USE THE RIGHT STORAGE
One obstacle of having a home office is that many people want the space to look more personal than what you might find in an office building. This can make designing the space tricky, but it doesn't have to be. Using stylish bins or wicker baskets for storage can soften the space. An attractive storage bin can play double-duty, holding cords or office items while giving the room a homey feeling.

FIND THE RIGHT LIGHTING
Lighting also plays a big role in staying organized and focused. If possible, place your desk by a window to maximize the use of natural light. Use lamps with soft lighting throughout the room to create a space that makes you comfortable and inspired to work.

USE BOOKSHELVES
If you have books or materials you depend on for your work, bookshelves are a must. Categorize your books to keep everything handy and easy to access. Also take advantage of open space to display photos or other items that can tie-in the office decor with the rest of your home.

ADD VARIETY
If you have the room, add an additional chair or sofa to your home office to give yourself a different view from time to time. If you don't have this option, rotate the lamp on your desk or occasionally switch out pictures on the wall. Even subtle changes can shift your brain and help you stay focused.

MAKE IT LOOK NICE
Sometimes, putting in the effort to make an area look nice can be a big boost to productivity. Use attractive items throughout the home office to help you stay motivated to keep the area clean. Use bookends to make a bookshelf more attractive, or opt for matching desk accessories to give the area a coordinated look.

In the Philippines, Pottery Barn is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. and is located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central and at Estancia in Capitol Commons. 

Visit or follow www.facebook.com/PotteryBarnPH and @potterybarnPH on Instagram for more information.

*To be featured on Press Release Tuesdays, send it to frances@topazhorizon.com. Photos courtesy of Visions & Expressions.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Light therapy benefits on skin: Do they work?

Big confession: Before I get any treatment done, I devote a ton of research to it, but when I went to Flawless Face & Body Clinic for the Flawless Rejuvelite Mask Facial, I had been so busy I just said yes to it without knowing what it was. So when my aesthetician positioned what basically was a lamp on my face and I was bathed in blue light for 15 minutes, I went, "Okaaaaaaaay, what's this supposed to do?"


What just happened was my first every LED therapy. LED means light-emitting diode. These diodes are in the mask and they emit infrared light. There are different kinds of wavelengths per light, which is seen in the color of the light. Here's the list:

White reduces inflammation
Red promotes good blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
Amber stimulates production of collagen and elastin
Blue kills acne-causing bacteria on the surface and deep in the skin

The light is not your usual light because this penetrates deep into the skin and causes skin-beneficial reactions. And nope, this light doesn't damage skin at all. Because my main skin concern is acne, I agreed to the recommendation of Flawless to try the Flawless Rejuvelite Mask Acne Control Facial.

As you can see in my photo above, the light is blue. Blue light is beneficial to acne sufferers like me because it kills the bacteria present on the skin and also the ones deep in the layers, the bad bacteria that cause all the cystic acne that's so painful! I will admit that 15 minutes bathing under blue light was, well, not thrilling for me. But when I read the report made by the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that blue light therapy does wonders to pimply skin, I was sold because I love science!

Here's the excerpt from the article on the NCBI website:
"Phototherapy with visible light, specifically blue light, has been shown to improve skin condition in cases of acne and blemishes. It is further reported to control the condition before an outbreak occurs. This blue light therapy is clinically shown to control acne without harsh chemicals or prescriptions and improves the skin’s appearance. "

I'll do a proper review soon since I just started Rejuvelite and I want to see its full effects after a week or so. Meanwhile, to learn more about the LED light therapy that Flawless is offering, read this and then maybe you should give it a try! Right now, a few days after my first Rejuvelite Mask Facial, my skin looks really glowing. I think I've found my new favorite Flawless treatment!

Come back soon for my review!

JAN. 2018 UPDATE: Sorry it took a while but here's my review!

*This post is brought to you by Flawless Face & Body Clinic.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Feeling Comfortable In Your Skin: Tips For Success



Feeling comfortable in your skin is not a science. It is an art. Also, despite the title of this post detailing ‘tips for success,’ success is often defined in a much different way than any other form of goal setting. Feeling comfortable in your skin is not measurable. It is more of a felt experience, something you take stock of every day and become better at as your life develops.

It is a dynamic process which you must maintain at all times. It is something which can give you the means to pursue your goals with confidence. It could simply be standing up for yourself in a conflict. The only complete and total result you can bet on however, is the ability to feel satisfied in all avenues of your life.

Here are some tips for fostering this comfort:

Pay Attention To Your Health
While accepting your unhealthy lifestyle might give you peace from a mental perspective, your physical health will always be a cause for concern no matter who you are. Improving your health will result in your body feeling wonderful, Acceptance of a changeable flaw is always inferior to pride in what you have achieved. This could be as simple as following a diet plan, or working out in the gym three times a week to stay active.

People will often tell you that you should never change and instead accept yourself, but those people miss out on the joy of self-improvement, and the intrinsic confidence that brings. We need a burden to bear as humans, or we are not physically or mentally normal. Unless you are subject to a disease or your physician recommends you abstain from eating healthily and exercising, these two tips can go a long way in making your body feel a much more friendly place.

Consider Your Social Etiquette
How do you come across to people? Have you ever reflected on this fact? Most of us marvel at the prevalence of rude people in society, not thinking that we could ever be one of these people. Watch yourself and your interactions with people. How do you feel on the surface? How do you react to people around you? How do you communicate? Are there psychological or language barriers which keep you from fully integrating into the world around you?

This is common for people living in a society who are having trouble speaking the native tongue. Services like those offered by AJ Hoge can provide you with the tools and techniques to make a silver tongue part of your arsenal, not a weakness to make you feel insecure.

Dress Sense
Our clothing is not merely superfluous. It is something we wear every day, something which allows us to express ourselves. This can help you feel comfortable in your skin, because the clothing may as well be part of your form it’s so utilized. Clothing helps express who we are, how we’re feeling, among a whole other range of important emotional variables. If you don’t usually put much thought into your dress sense, consider working towards it and developing a sense of style you can be proud of. Not sure about your current look? Switch things up? Before long you might see your clothing style as a method of artistic expression, rather than the ‘vain adorning’ you may have previously considered it to be. When you find that perfect garment, you will feel the most confident wearing it than you could ever have done before.

With these tips, you will certainly feel more like yourself, and more able to enjoy your life.

* This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com for my rates. Photo from Pexels.