GottaLoveMom: September 2013

Arbonne Pure Mint Deodorant - is it good as they say it is?

I run.

I clean.
I work.
I network.
I clean.
I walk.
I do volunteer work...and yes, I'm on television! (that's something new!)

Every day I walk at least 5 miles just to get from one place to another. I'm always walking or running from one train station to the next, and I've been cleaning the house for the past 4 weeks!

And like everyone else, I don't like to sweat. I have tried quite a few deodorants and not one seemed to work -- keeping me dry, smelling fresh and safe to use, until...

A few months ago, I was having breakfast with my dear friend, Maria. And I noticed that her skin was flawless. She smiled and said that she takes care of her skin , don't we all? So anyway, I just thought she's born with it, so we went with our regular conversations about our college-bound kids.

And then a few weeks ago, we were having our monthly breakfast with friends and I noticed how beautiful her skin was (again) and that's when she mentioned a new product that she's been using and loving!

You're probably wondering, what does Jen's armpits got to do with Maria's flawless face?

Ha! That's when I was introduced to Arbonne. I'm not an expert on what the company does but all I know is that their products are natural, pure, safe and beneficial.

Arbonne's catalogue printed the company's ever green commitment: "At Arbonne, we are all about being green - always have been and always will be. From botanically based ingredients to forward-looking green improvements, being earth friendly has everything to do with who we are and how we choose to grow."

Pure, safe, beneficial. Sounded good on paper. But will it really work? Is there a difference? Will it cost me an arm and a leg?

I have super sensitive skin so I am still in the grueling process of figuring out what skin care products work for me. As soon as I get results from that experiment, I'll definitely let you know.

3 Comments

, by Jenjen Furer

relationships

Yes, this is the end...

By Marie Aunio

“And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” Khalil Gibran

Five years and eleven days. After all those years, I finally sobbed and said, “I love you. So much. So much.” In the midst of tears, I began whispering to myself all the things I loved about him and, as I did, waves of gratitude and affection come over me. Then I knew our life together would soon be over. Completely.

1 Comments

, by Jenjen Furer

motherhood

Our College Admission Process

Like many mothers, 12 months ago around this time, I was reminding my college-bound son to finalize his list of colleges to apply to.

Even though this was the third time I was sending my child to college, the process was different and nerve wracking.

There were a lot of what if's.

So in order to narrow down our choices and make the process not as stressful as it could have been, we did:

1) Start Early. Our college selection process started when my son was a freshman in High School. We documented every extra curricular activities and community service. We had a spreadsheet of how many hours he spent on each organization and how many hours he spent giving back to the community. This spreadsheet helped in filling in the college applications.

It was my son's responsibility to spend time going over the colleges' websites, identifying admission requirements, deadlines and academic curriculum.

We visited various universities. Our list consisted of schools I wanted him to visit, schools he really wanted to attend, and schools that might have a potential. We tried to cover the universities that were a train ride away. For the schools that required a weekend trip, we waited until his junior and senior years and focused on schools he was really interested in applying. We attended the information sessions and various campus tours.

6 Comments

, by Jenjen Furer

relationships

How We Celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

by Jenjen Furer and Roz Furer, as published in The FilAm magazine

I am blessed to have been married to a Jewish family. My four children get to experience a little bit of the Filipino Catholic tradition and a little bit of the Jewish family tradition.

Mom, as I call my husband’s mother, was born and raised in Brooklyn. Her parents came from Russia and passed through Ellis Island before settling in New York. Mom’s the driving force on why we get to celebrate the Jewish holidays. She believes that tradition and culture need to be passed on to the next generation.

Just like her own mother, Mom loves to cook. The kitchen is her favorite room in the house. Weeks before any holidays, she’d be baking and cooking and if she knew that it would make you feel better, she was going to do whatever she had to do to deliver her delicious matzah ball soup.

In September, our family celebrates Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

So I asked Mom about Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the Jewish New Year, is celebrated as a joyful welcoming of the new year or “The Day of Awe.”

Jews gather in traditional Synagogues, or other meeting places, and pray from a special prayer book called “Mahzor.” At special times during the service, with great respect and reverence, the Torah is removed from the Ark, and portions of the Torah are read aloud. At other times during the service a “shofar” or ram’s horn, is blown. It is a mitzvah, (blessing) to hear the shofar.

In the Catholic faith, we go to Confession and receive Penance. On Rosh Hashanah, it is believed, that God opens the Book of Life, and decides who shall live and who shall die. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as a joyful welcoming of the New Year, a new beginning. On Yum Kippur, Jews reflect on the sins of the past year and ask God for forgiveness by fasting for 24 hours and not working.

The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a time for reflection, repentance, and to pray for a good fate for the new year.

I asked Mom what does she usually pray for.

1 Comments

, by Jenjen Furer