Weekends are love, no? I simply love weekends because - I don't have to go to work and also because I have more time for myself. Work has been pretty crazy lately as it is the year end when we are closing the books for the financial year.

So I decided to whip something nice for myself since I don't get to eat food which I like every other day because there are really limited choices over at my workplace. Not to mention that I ain't getting my much-needed vitamins and nutrients, we all know how unhealthy outside food are.

Initially, I wanted to make shepherd's pie but the supermarket near my place ran out of minced beef hence I decided to make something else instead. While I was doing groceries, I realised that the items (honey, vinegar) which I bought are organic. Talking about buying organic food, I must say that I was pretty much influenced by my Mom ever since she started buying organic brown sugar and other condiments.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to keep a food diary which records what I eat. And that explains the rest of this post.

I am sure that the quote below is not foreign to many.

Basically, it means that the kind of food consumed by one impacts directly on one's physical and well-being. Its true girls! Even though I love nachos and other junk food like ice cream, I do try and limit myself to them. Eating healthier and keep track of what you eat not only help you maintain or lose weight, I found that it benefits my skin too. For instance, if I had a unhealthy or heavy breakfast, I will try and eat more healthily for my lunch or take a lighter lunch. And I do try my best to incorporate more veggies and fruits in my diet. Its very important to eat more fruits and veggies as the fibre in them will aid in detoxing. I see a difference in my weight and skin condition once I cut down on fruits and veggies or when I eat junk food. I am not saying that you can't indulge in junk food, once in a while is fine but definitely not all the time!

I woke up very early today wanting to watch Glee but I was so upset when I found that the next episode will only be aired in February on Fox. Hence, I made potato salad to cheer myself up.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 medium-sized potatoes
4 slices of ham
1½ tbsp mayonnaise
Marjoram leaves

Directions:

1) Boil potatoes for 20 minutes or more until you can pierce a fork through without much effort.

2) Drain potatoes with cold water and let it cool before cutting it into bite-size.

3) Cut ham into squares.

4) Using a large mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise together with the potatoes and ham evenly.

5) Sprinkle marjoram leaves and chill in the refrigerator before serving.

As easy as A-B-C, ain't it? For a healthier option, cut down on the mayonnaise, replace with mustard or substitute with sweet potatoes instead.

Remember, potatoes are high in carbohydrates hence it is advisable to consume with care.

If potatoes are not quite your cup of tea, try a making a green salad instead.

As I was experiencing quite a headache during late evening, I decided to increase my intake of vitamins through - consuming a salad. It works as leafy veggies are high in vitamin E which helps to reduce migraines. For those of you whom have had experienced migraines before, you will know how bad it is. Instead of wrecking your head the next time you experience a migraine, try drinking lemon/lime juice and have a salad. It works your migraine away, the natural and healthy way!

Ingredients:

7 pieces of iceberg lettuce
1 tomato
½ Japanese cucumber
1 large lemon/lime

Directions:

1) Wash the iceberg lettuce and tear them into smaller pieces.
2) Slice tomato into slices after washing.
3) Slice Japanese cucumber into slices after washing.
4) Arrange ingredients according to your liking.
5) Squeeze ½ a lemon/lime for a tangy taste.

I prefer to use Japanese cucumber over the usual cucumber because it has more crisp and smaller seeds (if any). The lemon/lime juice not only replaces your usual salad dressing, but it makes the veggies more crisp too.

What do you do with the remaining other half of the lemon/lime? You make lemonade or lime juice from it! Squeeze the juice and dilute it with water. You can add honey if you want but I like to drink it without as a perk-me-up.

If you think that's it, you're wrong. Because.. you can use the remaining pulps from the lemon/lime to exfoliate your face for a clearer and brighter complexion.

1) Flip the lemon/lime over (as shown on the right of the picture above)

2) Hold the sides of the lemon/lime and use it to massage your skin in circular motions.

3) Rinse well with water

Lemon/lime is especially good at combating oiliness. However, it should only be used once a week and it is a must to apply moisturizer after as it can be rather drying on the skin. Acne-prone and sensitive skin types should take extra precaution in using this, always try out on a small patch of skin first to see if it is compatible for your skin type.

I was thinking since I am showing you girls the DIY Lemon/Lime exfoliator, I might as well show you what the rest of the ingredients used in the green salad can do for you.

Cut the top of a tomato and sprinkle sugar on top. I prefer to use fine sugar instead of coarse sugar as the latter is too harsh on my skin.

Hold on to one end of the tomato and gently massage it in circular motions. By doing so, the tomato juice will penetrate into your skin, thus making your skin softer, reducing the size of your pores and soothe acne. A word of caution - do not massage with pressure on areas where you suffer from acne as it will aggravate the condition.

What's better than cucumber slices to reduce puffy eye bags and dark eye rings? Cucumbers have whitening properties and it reduces the swelling and tiredness in your eyes after a long day.

Why do I love DIY/homemade skincare such as exfoliator and eye masks? Well, its all natural, easy to make and at the same time economical!

I have tried all the DIY/homemade skincare which I have listed above and have not experienced any allergy reactions. However, everyone's skin has a different level of tolerance, hence I advise testing on a small patch of skin prior to full application.

Do you have any favourite DIY/homemade skincare to share with me? Or have you tried any of the DIY/homemade skincare that I have listed above? Do let me know how did it work for you alright? (:

Before I end this post, I would like to share this song - Sorry that I loved you by Anthony Neely. I keep hearing this song on the radio and I thought that it is by an American. Turns out that I wasn't too far from it as it is by Anthony Neely whose his dad is an American and his mom is a Taiwanese. His features are to die for, especially those eyes! Anyway, he shot to fame via One Million Star. Enjoy the song.