S	M	T	W	T	F	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Saturday, 28 June 2008

The Big 'O' on Art

One thing why I’m so blessed is that I got a brother who’s so much gifted with his bare hands. I don’t exactly know where he got his ability to draw or to paint, but huh, maybe it runs in the blood, heheheh… He is Omar. My family and I first notice his skills when he was still a kid. He drew too much and when he first stepped on school he used to join the poster making contest. He often won the contest until he became the constant representative of the poster making category. As I remember at the age of seven he was already sent to Cebu City, Baguio, Aklan and other places to represent his school.

He was a small but terrible boy by that time; now see how he’s gone far. He’s a total grown up guy, and he’s the artist of the fam. With his looks, oh, don’t bother! He got his own styles to amaze other humans, hahah! I used to get irritated the way he dressed up but later on I need to adopt everything he has in his life. I love this guy, and he’s the best bro that I have…. Aside from being a sister, I still try to be a great friend to him. We used to have the same likes when it comes to music, fashion, stuffs, and we even have common friends that make us more close to each other. And hmmmm… one thing I like most with this art guy is that he used to lend me money whenever I’m broke, hahahaha! That’s the good thing of having an utmost bro like him! I got some of his paintings here.

Check 'em out and see how awesome the art are...

7 ft. coconut painting

7 ft. shrub painting

3 ft. rooster paintings

7 ft. banana tree painting

8x8 ft. waterfalls painting

abstract painting

(other paintings soon to be posted)

Tuesday, 24 June 2008

TATS on AJ!

Angelina Jolie Tattoos

Oh hell! I didn’t even expect Angelina Jolie would have a lot of tats in her body since it was not all shown on all her movies… Sources (http://www.freetattoodesigns.org )said that AJ’s tats were covered with make-up every time she’s making a film. Her every single awesome tattoo is momentous so see what’s in her body and see where they are placed.

Angelina Jolie is a famous actress with a serious love for tattoos, she's regularly featured in celebrity news magazines and websites with one of her new tattoo designs. She has at least a dozen tattoos over her body and she also has quiet a lot experience with tattoo removal (see the end of this article for the tattoos that she had removed).

When shooting a film, her tattoos are covered with makeup. Each one of her tattoos have a special meaning.

Here's an overview with pictures of Angelina Jolie's tattoos:

This Gothic letter tattoo between her shoulder blades says "Know Your Rights". It's the title of a song of her favorite band.

This tattoo on her left shoulder blade was, just like the tiger tattoo, done by tattoo artist Noo (aka Sompong) Kanhphaiin in a hotel in Pathum Thani, 16 miles north of Bangkok. It is a Buddhist Pali incantation written in Khmer script, the language of Cambodia. It is there to protect her and her adopted Cambodian son Maddox from bad luck.

Here's the translation:

May your enemies run far away from you.
If you acquire riches, may they remain yours always.
Your beauty will be that of Apsara.
Wherever you may go, many will attend, serve and protect you, surrounding you on all sides.

This Arabic script tattoo on Angelina Jolie's right arm means "Strength of Will". It covers up the abstract lines tattoo she had done together with her ex Billy Bob Thornton.

This tattoo on her left underarm is the Roman number 13. She had it done because she doesn't believe in superstitions.

Later she had V MCMXL added to the tattoo. 13 May 1940 is the date when Winston Churchill gave a famous speech, in which he said: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat".

This tattoo on Jolie's left arm are the words of Tennessee Williams:

"A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages."

Angelina Jolie had this tattoo done in the presence of her mother.

This cross tattoo covers the little dragon with the blue tongue she had done in Amsterdam. Next to it is a phrase in Latin:

"Quod me nutrit me destruit", meaning "What nourishes me, destroys me."

Angelina Jolie had the cross tattoo done the day before she married Johnny Lee Miller in 1995. In her own words: "It was all symbolic, and it was a good thing, nothing dark."

This rune style tattoo on Angelina's wrist is the letter h. Depending on the source it is to remind her of her ex boyfriend Timothy Hutton or her brother, James Haven.

Angelina Jolie's tattoo for her children

These numbers are the geographical coordinates (longitudes and latitudes) from the locations where her children first entered her life.

N11° 33' 00" E104° 51' 00" : the place in Cambodia where Angelina Jolie's eldest son Maddox was born.

N09° 02' 00" E038° 45' 00" : the place in Ethiopia were her daughter Zahara was born.
S22° 40' 26" E014° 31' 40" : the place in Namibia (Swakopmund) where Angelina gave birth to her biological daughter with Brad Pitt, Shiloh (Hebrew for "the peaceful one"), was born.
N10° 46' 00" E106° 41' 40" : the place in Vietnam where Angelina's son Pax Thien was born.

The coordinates tattoo covers the place where the dragon tattoo and name of her ex husband Billy Bob used to be before they got lasered off. You can still see the dragon a bit.

This 12-inch long, 8-inch wide Bengal tiger tattoo on her lower back is Angelina Jolie's latest. It was done in Bangkok on July 8, 2004, during a 2 hour session by tattoo artist Sompong Kanhphai who also blessed it by chanting an ancient hymn. Sompong also did her Khmer tattoo. She had the tiger tattoo done to celebrate her Cambodian citizenship.

The tiger tattoo was done in the traditional Thai tattoo style with a manual needle. The tiger's tail covers her blue window tattoo.

Angelina wants to have yet another tattoo done in Thailand.

Removed or Covered Up Tattoos

This is Angelina Jolie's Asian dragon tattoo with the name of her second husband Billy Bob Thornton above it (added later). She had it removed after they broke up.

In an interview during the time of the tattoo removal procedure she said:

"I'll never be stupid enough to have a man's name tattooed on me again."

It took 5 visits to the tattoo removal clinic to erase the dragon and you can still see it a bit.

Jolie has 3 tattoos on her lower back: a tribal, a blue window and a tribal dragon.

The tribal dragon is now partly covered by the tiger tattoo.

The window is symbol for the fact that she always found herself looking through the window, wishing she was somewhere else. The window is covered up by the tail of the Bengal tiger. She had it covered because she is where she wants to be right now.

This dragon tattoo with blue tongue on Angelina's hip is covered up by the cross tattoo (see above). She got it in Amsterdam while she was drunk.

This abstract lines tattoo design on Angelina Jolie's right arm is a custom tattoo created by herself and Billy Bob Thornton. It is now covered up with the Arabic tattoo.

This tattoo on Jolie's left shoulder blade is the Japanese symbol for Death and it reminds her to live. She had it removed and now has the Khmer tattoo for her son Maddox on that place. This Japanese tattoo was her first tattoo ever.

This tattoo on her right arm is the Japanese symbol for Courage. Her ex husband Johnny Lee Miller had a matching tattoo, that's why she had it removed, it didn't feel like her own.

Other Tattoos

There are 3 more tattoos, but there are no pictures of them:

Angelina Jolie had a tattoo below her naval which is probably removed. It depicted energy waves. She had it done in 1998 by Daemon Rowanchilde @ Urban Primitive Body Design.
She has a tattoo in the pubic area referring to Billy Bob Thornton.
Angelina has the letter M tattooed on the palm of her hand, a remembrance for her mother Marcheline Bertrand, who passed away.

Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Distraught

Unexplainable emotions. Bothered. I don’t know what to think… I feel lost … The other night I cried… It’s because I’m missin’ someone else’s presence. Damn am so sad and helpless that I can’t help myself to get up in the morning to go to work plus the pain I got with my eyes… Now last night I found myself alone by the dawn sittin’ on the bed with a cigar on the hand thinking something out of nothing. Gosh! I just get out of the room after the smoke and standby by the corridor of my dorm staring at the moon that glistens by the night…. I find hard to convey myself then, and not even a single utterance could clear up what goes beyond my mind and heart….

I miss him.

Now it’s another day again for me to face the anguish that I felt for someone…. Oh hell! Can somebody just send that guy home for me?! Nah! I’m being stupid again…. Sacrifice to get the price…. I guess…

Sunday, 15 June 2008

StUfF tOYs

Actually, I’m a stuff toy maniac and a certified teddy hugger. I love collecting these things, and oops! Sometimes I do ask my friends to give me their cute stuffs whether they like it or not . My little brother has his own collections too and sometimes I used to steal it from him. Hahah, sounds funny but it’s true. I do have a lot of them at home where my hot momma put them together in a huge bag to keep them from getting unclean. I often buy them whenever I get attracted to the stuff and hell yeah even if I only got my last money for my expenses, I still intend to pay for it. oh well... these things make me smile especially when I'm depressed....I got some pictures out here so meet a few of them...

pussy (i gave it to sweet)

it's Bernie

Yellow Bunny

Pups

Snoop Dog

lil' mouse, kate, and Bernie

bhem's brown bear, and the other one is blue bunny

my scrapps

pussy kate

baby trolls

my cuddlers

bear cuddlers

G!fT$, giFTs, GiF+S

Look what I got!

I got a birthday present from one of my closest friend Meng. She gave me those cute Scrapps from Blue Magic. I love them on my feet cause they look so cool. Sweet gave me a red shirt as his gift before he left, 2 bear cuddlers from Em Em, and a pair of shoes from mah daddy.

thanks guys.. love them much!

scrapps

certified addict

it's the shirt that matters

bear cuddlers

the shoes

Saturday, 14 June 2008

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee!

Something to share with... and choose which are you.... a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will
never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about
her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how
she was going to make it and wanted to give up.
She was tired of fighting and struggling. It
seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three
pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to
boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs,
and
in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and
boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.
She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled
the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee
out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell
me
what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel
the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then
asked
the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the
shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the
coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter
then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had
faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being
subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg
had been fragile.

Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid
interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside
became

hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they
were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When
adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an
egg
or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that
seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and
lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but
changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death,
a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I
become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the
inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually
changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When
the
water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like
the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the
situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their
greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle
adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet,
enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and
enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the
best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes
along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a
forgotten
past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past
failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone
around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one
who is
smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Friday, 13 June 2008

gumamela

When I was a kid, my Grandmama has a Gumamela plant beside our house. It has lots of flowers where I used to pick and put them on my basket everyday. Sometimes she would get mad at me coz she doesn’t want to see the shrub without any flowers. So my cousin and I used to hide from her and picked them without her seeing us.... I would sometimes smile whenever I remember these scenarios for it was a part of my life of being a kid, somehow…..

A sure thing that everyone knows what is a Gumamela, right? They’re rarely can be seen now on some areas but if you’ll notice these flowers, you can barely appreciate them because of their color and its typical form as a flower. But I often wonder why these Gumamela’s doesn’t have any scent… hmmm….

A Hisbiscus or a Gumamela has an alternate and ovate leaves with a toothed margin. The flowers are large usually trumpet-shaped with five or more petals. They come in white to pink, red, purple, or yellow. Oftentimes, this kind of shrubs is used for landscaping. It is also known as a China Rose and Shoeflower. Here in the Philippines , Gumamela is cultured as an ornamental plant. As an herbal medicine, the Gumamela flower, leaves and roots are usually used. It has the following medicinal characteristics such as expectorant, diuretic, emollient, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anodyne and refrigerant.

http://www.mindanao.com/photoblog/wp-content/uploads/2007...

Saturday, 07 June 2008

Lyn's Gift

This friend of mine really make my day... Hmmmm.. on the other side of being lonely on this day, well... her blog really makes me laugh... thanks so much LYN... and thanks for always being a friend..

check this out !

http://edelyne.blogspot.com/2008/06/happy-birthday-pig.html

NaTaL

YEAH RIGHT! HAHAHA! IT'S MY DAY!

just love this thing. It makes me smile.


	We wish you great success and happiness for the year ahead. Have a Wonderful Day, LiNa

Monday, 02 June 2008

MeN...

I got this mail from a male friend, and yes... read what they say about men, hahah!

something to share with...

1. Men are like ...Laxatives ..... They irritate the crap out of you.
2. Men are like.Bananas ....... The older they get, the less firm they are.
3. Men are like ......Weather . Nothing can be done to change them.
4 Men are like .......Blenders You need One, but you're not quite sure why.
5. Men are like ...Chocolate Bars .... Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips.
6. Men are like ....Commercials ....... You can't believe a word they say.
7. Men are like Department Stores ..... Their clothes are always 1/2 off.
8. Men are like ......Government Bonds .... They take soooooooo long to mature.
9. Men are like .....Mascara . They usually run at the first sign of emotion.
10. Men are like .Popcorn ..... They satisfy you, but only for a little while.
11. Men are like Snowstorms .... You never know when they're coming, how many inches you'll get or how long it will last.
12. Men are like ........Lava Lamps ... Fun to look at, but not very bright.
13. Men are like Parking Spots ........ All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

Thursday, 29 May 2008

sweet on a journey

To be frank, I don’t know how I am going to act these past few days since I’ve known that sweet is leaving. Yeah, I do feel sad but it’s true. After we’ve made plans for both of us, I just didn’t expect that blessings will come that fast. His employer called from Singapore and he’s going to start a brand new whole life out there. And when everything seems to be okay now, I will live with sweet soon. Am so glad he’d made it. This could be the start of a new life for both of us and hope luck would always be on our side. This is a take by chance and taking an entire risk for career, life and relationship. I must be happy instead (well…tryin’ to)…

I love you sweet. I’ll stay with you all the time..

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Wednesday, 14 May 2008

R18

Of course, we all know the word… “puta.” And I don’t think so that no one knows it because every one do used it. Some people used them as their expression, and some used them to call other people with a bad impression. In our modern world, “puta” is commonly referred to prostitutes, but then most people used them as if they are only normal names and expressions. Frankly, even I used them for some reasons and mind yah, this word is one of my favorite utterances especially when I get mad, hahaha. It’s really normal I guess. Jose Pete wrote something that really amuses me. I’ve read this poem way back and I want to share it here with yah. It says something about the “puta” and what actually happens to “puta’s.”

It literally happens....

Lahat ng Hindi Ko Kailangang Malaman, Natutunan Ko sa Pelikulang For Adults Only
ni Jose Pete F. Lacaba

Marumi ang pulitiko, pero malinis ang budhi
ng puta.

Ipokrito ang pari, pero may ginintuang puso
ang puta.

Nagpapaaral ng kapatid na magpapari
ang puta.

Namumutiktik sa putang ina at anak ng puta ang malaswang bibig
ng puta.

Nalululong sa droga ang anak
ng puta.

Ayaw ng putang ina na ang anak niyang babae'y masadlak
sa pagpuputa.

Ang unang tikim sa luto ng Diyos ay ipinapatikim
ng puta.

Bukas ang simbahan kahit madaling-araw tuwing magdadasal
ang puta.

Nagbubulungan ang mga manang na nakakasalubong
ng puta.

Ginahasa ng tiyuhin ang puta kung kaya siya
nagputa.

Talak ng kahirapan kung kaya nagputa
ang puta.

Hindi nagpapahalik sa labi
ang puta.

Kapwa puta ang mga kabarkada
ng puta.

Magandang lalaki ang nag-aalay ng tapat na pag-ibig
sa puta.

Masungit na ina ng magandang lalaki ang nag-aalok ng pera para lumayo
ang puta.

Kung binabaril ang bidang lalaki, yumayakap at tinatamaan
ang puta.

Tanging kamatayan ang tutubos at magpapatawad sa kaputahan
ng puta.

Sigaw ng puta: Pare-pareho naman tayong
puta!

Actually it's a cake!

I want this lady bug cake on my birthday. hmmmm... with choco inside, hahaha!

yummy.......

My precious PANDA

panda

I have had a lot of friends… But one of the best friends that I always treasure is

M e c h e i l. Though I hate this name because of my ex-boyfriend’s ex before who quarreled me for some stupid freakin’ reasons, well, I’ve come to love her in some other ways. I used to call her panda and I’m her pig. We jive on so many things especially to non-sense things. We laugh so much and exchange some stupid ideas and laugh on it. We make extreme stories with crazy characters, hahaha… I’ve got no dull moments with her, that’s why I love her. But she too goes on serious things especially when she saw me cryin’ because I’m heart broken. She makes things easier for me. Though she can’t express her comfort on some things, it’s enough for me that I have her in a day to make me smile. I’m thankful I have a panda like her, and I’m going to keep this panda forever in my life.

Oh! It’s her birthday on the 17th of May! And I’m giving her the most delicious bamboo, hahahah! Mwah!

I love you pands!!!! Happy Birthday!

Alak pa!

your lucky bamboo

and of course, alak!

oh! birthday won't be complete without this! mwahks!

Saturday, 10 May 2008

stolen shot

taken by my officemate while walkin' with mah cloud 9, geeezzz

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Wednesday, 07 May 2008

FLOWAH!

I found this flowers somewhere else, and my gosh! I'm dying to hold them in real! grrrrrr...

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Funny stuff and jokes for Mom ---- just in time for Mother's Day!

It really feels great to make your mom laugh. Now... make your Mom's day!

Great Minds Think of Mom
After a long, exhausting day, a friend of mine headed home. On the road, he passed an elderly woman who was standing by a car with a flat tire. His conscience got the better of him; if that were his mother, he thought, he would want someone to help her. With a tired sigh, he turned around and drove back.

Just as he reached the stranded woman, a truck pulled up and a burly farmer got out. "Kinda reminds you of your mom, too?" the man asked as the two of them pitched in together to change the tire.
--by Katherine L. Houge

Your Biggest Fan
While waiting in a bookstore for a guest author to sign her latest book, I leafed through some of the Civil War novels she had written. The woman in line behind me commented, "Those are the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put them down."

Before I could reply, the author looked over and said, "Oh, cut it out, Mom!"
-- by Marilyn Kopp

DIY, but Mom's Way
While assembling furniture, my friend Debbie asked her roommate's five-year-old son to bring her a screwdriver.

"Do you want a 'Daddy' screwdriver or a 'Mommy' screwdriver?" the little boy asked.

Confused but preoccupied, Debbie absentmindedly said, "Bring me a 'Mommy' screwdriver."

The child came back and handed her a butter knife.
-- by Cori Cole

Head of the Household
My husband, Jeff, and I incurred several problems while assembling our new computer system, so we called the help desk. The man on the phone started to talk to Jeff in computer jargon, which confused us even more.

"Sir," my husband politely said, "please explain what I should do as if I were a four-year-old."

"Okay," the computer technician replied. "Son, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"
-- Contributed by Lena Worth

Surprise Greeting
As a working mother with an office in my home, I pride myself on maintaining a professional image. One key to that image is my answering-machine greeting, which is often the first contact clients have with me. I worked on making it sound upbeat and enthusiastic, and thought I had succeeded until a friend left this message: "Judy, this is Pam. I love your greeting, but do you know that you can hear your little boy in the background saying, 'Mommy, I gotta go potty'?"
-- Contributed by Judy Gaskill

Wonder Chef
To help a busy mother get away for a two-week vacation, my sister agreed to stay with the woman's three children. On the first evening, she cooked one of their favorite meals. To the youngsters' delight, dinner after dinner, she "guessed" what they liked. When my sister returned home, we asked her what the secret of her success was. "Each afternoon I would flip through the cookbook until I found a page that was ripped, smudged and food-splattered," she explained. "Then I would make that recipe. It worked every time!"
-- Contributed by Julie Holling

Peace and Quiet
Aunt Karen is the mother of two high-spirited young girls. When I called her one morning, our conversation was constantly interrupted by the din of kids screaming and chasing each other. "Could you hold on for a moment?" my aunt finally asked, putting down the phone.

Within ten seconds all I could hear was absolute silence. Then, "Okay, I'm back."

"But it's so quiet!" I exclaimed. "You must have complete control over those two."

"Not really," my aunt confessed wearily. "I'm in the closet."
--by Steve Brundage

Mom's Where
One evening after dinner, my five-year-old son Brian noticed that his mother had gone out. In answer to his questions, I told him, "Mommy is at a Tupperware party."

This explanation satisfied him for only a moment. Puzzled, he asked, "What's a Tupperware party, Dad?"

I've always given my son honest answers, so I figured a simple explanation would be the best approach. "Well, Brian," I said, "at a Tupperware party, a bunch of ladies sit around and sell plastic bowls to each other."

Brian nodded, indicating that he understood this curious pastime. Then he burst into laughter. "Come on, Dad," he said. "What is it really?"
-- by Kenneth W. Holmes

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15 Sleep Prescriptions for Worriers

Hmmmm.. because i worry too much and can't get enough sleep, I searched some tips on how I can get rid of it. It's really hard not having a good sleep especially for people who go to work the next day or for people who need to be busy the whole day. Mind yah, I did report to my office without sleeping the whole night, gosh! Just feel like im "high" , hahah! but for me, it's not cool either. Sometimes when I have a heart problem , say i had a fight with my boyfriend, hmmm... expect that i can't sleep at night. So, want to share some friendly tips out here. Maybe it could help you too...

Head Off Chronic Insomnia

When worry drives your life, studies show you're more likely to develop chronic insomnia. Here's how to prevent that -- and get a good night's sleep.

Reign in your work life. Give your heart to your work, but be a little more stingy with your time. Decide how many hours a week is reasonable to get your work done, add 10 percent in case you're wrong, then walk away.

Swim. Or run. Or bike. Or skate. Or skip rope with some kids on the neighborhood playground. You get the idea. Twenty minutes of aerobic exercise reroutes all the adrenaline that worry generates.

Work on stress. Since a study at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health revealed that stressful events are twice as likely to trigger sleeping problems in those who experience anxiety, keeping a lid on daily stressors is important. Skim over the stress-reducing tips on the previous pages, pick out your favorites, and use them to do just that.

Put worry on a schedule. "In today's busy world, we don't have time to do normal worrying until the lights go out," says Mary Susan Esther, M.D., director of the Sleep Center at South Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, and president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Yet everyone needs a worry time," she adds. The trick is to schedule it on a regular basis, early in the evening -- any time before 8:00 P.M. Sit down with a stack of 3 x 5 index cards and ask yourself, "What am I worried about?" Then write down one worry on each card. When you seem to have written down your last worry, go back to the first card, reflect on the worry it describes, and give yourself a reality check.

Does the worry involve a problem that you can do something about? If not, rip up the card. If there is something you can do, write down possible actions and tuck the card into a worry box. You can give it more thought in the morning and decide what to do.

Stay off ebay. In fact, shut off your computer altogether, urges Dr. Esther. A lot of people with worry insomnia are tempted to go online before bed and play computer solitaire or check eBay to see if they've won what they were bidding on. "But the computer is interactive, so you can't just watch, you have to respond," says the sleep specialist. "And that interaction is stimulating enough to keep you up half the night."

For instance, one Florida woman boots up every night around 10:00 P.M. She intends only to check her bids on eBay. Since she feels she has a sleep problem, she intends to be in bed by 11:00 P.M. But without fail, she's still online at 3:00 A.M. "What can I do?" she asks with a helpless shrug. "I just can't sleep!"

Head for the bathroom. Once you've shut down the computer and had your scheduled worry session, a warm bath before bed will not only relax you, it will also adjust your body's temperature to a point that signals your brain: "Hey, honey, it's time for sleep."

Hide the clocks. "Digital clocks blare time at you," says Dr. Esther. "It's normal to wake throughout the night, but if you look at a clock and see the time, it's likely to increase your anxiousness about not being asleep." If you need a clock to wake you in the morning, just turn its face to the wall right before bed. You'll hear it just as well.

Head Off Chronic Insomnia

When worry drives your life, studies show you're more likely to develop chronic insomnia. Here's how to prevent that -- and get a good night's sleep.

Swim. Or run. Or bike. Or skate. Or skip rope with some kids on the neighborhood playground. You get the idea. Twenty minutes of aerobic exercise reroutes all the adrenaline that worry generates.

Keep milk and cookies within reach. Milk contains sleep-inducing tryptophan, but you need carbs to get it into your brain. Dr. Esther likes cookies (low-fat, of course) as the carb, but you could substitute crackers if you'd prefer. There are tryptophan supplements on the market, but neither she nor the FDA recommends them; their safety is still in question.

Nix nightcaps. "Sometimes sleepless individuals will have a drink or two to help fall asleep," says Dr. Esther. "While it will shorten time falling asleep, alcohol actually causes more arousal as your body metabolizes it. The result is it shortens sleep.

"A glass of wine with dinner is okay," she adds. "But a glass afterward may have an impact on your sleep."

Treat yourself like a child. Create a nurturing postbath, prebed routine that's intended to help you wind down, says Dr. Esther. A little reading, a little soft music -- whatever makes you feel nurtured and relaxed.

"We tend to take care of everyone else before we take care of ourselves," says Dr. Esther. "That has to change."

Stop those thoughts. Once you hit the sheets, worry time is over -- especially about sleeping. There's a therapy trick called "thought-stopping" that works like a charm, says Dr. Esther. "If you find yourself thinking about tomorrow and saying, 'It's going to be a bad day because I'm never going to sleep,' immediately think: 'STOP. Don't go there. I know I've done this before. If I don't fall asleep, I'll get out of bed, flip through a magazine, but I am NOT going to focus on this stuff!'" Sounds simple, but once you try it, you'll find it works!

Restrict time bed to sleep time. If you're going to bed at 10:00 P.M., sleeping from 11:30 P.M. until 2:00 A.M., tossing and turning until 4 A.M., then sleeping until 6, you've gotten 8 hours in bed but only 4 1/2 hours of sleep. That's a huge mismatch, which can actually inhibit your sleep drive and cause insomnia all by itself. To prevent it, when you wake at 2, go read a book in the living room. Being up increases your sleep drive -- which could make you sleepy enough to fall asleep when you return to bed.

Schedule your sleep time. "Stick with it seven days a week," says Dr. Esther. Opening your eyes at the same time every morning triggers a series of biochemicals that, as the day winds down, tell your body when it's time to sleep.

Work with a cognitive behavioral therapist. In a study at the Université Laval in Quebec, researchers measured the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for GAD on insomnia and found that insomnia practically disappeared among study participants.

What's more, in 21 other studies involving 470 patients with insomnia from a variety of causes, cognitive behavioral therapy worked just as well as sleeping pills at increasing sleep and improving sleep quality -- and it was actually better than sleeping pills at helping study participants get to sleep faster.

Despite its intimidating name, cognitive behavioral therapy -- or CBT -- is simply learning new information about what keeps you from sleeping (the "cognitive" part) and learning how to manipulate your behavior (the "behavioral" part) so that it doesn't. It generally takes only four or five 30-minute sessions to effect change.

Unfortunately, certified cognitive behavioral therapists are scarce. To find one, visit http://www.academyofct.org and click on "Find a Certified Cognitive Therapist." Fill in your Zip code on the pop-up, and a list of therapists in your area will appear. If none do, you can visit http://www.cbtforinsomnia.com. The Harvard researcher who demonstrated the effectiveness of CBT vs. sleeping pills has taken his study and packaged it into an online program.

Seek a sleep specialist. "If you've been struggling with a sleep problem for almost a month, talk to a sleep specialist," suggests Dr. Esther. "You already know what your issues are, but a sleep specialist might be helpful by prescribing an anti-anxiety medication to use for a few weeks as you get control of your worries and establish better sleep habits."

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