ESCAPING to the movies is one way I cope with a hectic day. Whether it’s getting settled in the theater seat with a bucket of popcorn on my lap or eating ice cream out of the container while I press “PLAY” on my DVD, watching a movie always puts me in a happy zone.

Your happy quotient for the day will of course be affected by the type of movie you see. It all depends on your personal taste too. My husband enjoys horror flicks. Even if they scare him sometimes, he finds humor in them. I, on the other hand, abhor them. I suppose it’s my hyperactive imagination. It’s the evening after that scary film I’m more worried about actually.

And so I gravitate towards lighthearted comedies, romance flicks, those with stories about the triumph of the human spirit. Throw in a bunch of chick flicks there too. They usually have happy endings anyway. If your day doesn’t seem to end very happily, then at least watch the happily ever after movie and hopefully it gets a little cathartic.

If it’s a movie theater I am in, I prefer sitting way back and smack center. The magic of the movies still has an effect on me — the dimming of the lights, the trailers, the crunch of popcorn… it’s thrilling! I’ve also seen some movies just by myself and it was one of the best ways to deal with a crazy day. Now if only cinema authorities would do something about those noisy viewers! And when I’m home, I just put on my pajamas, grab my junk food and get ready for a marathon. At least I escape into the world of film in my own home.

These movies, old and new, have uplifted my spirits — “Dan in Real Life,” “White Chicks,” “Love Actually,” “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset,” “Amelie,” “Sleepless in Seattle”… ah, so many!

What movies put you in your happy zone?

DESSERT is happy food, but it often is the most banned part of the meal. Isn’t desserts spelled “stressed” backwards after all? Truth is you can have dessert. Why fight a happy (if not THE happiest) part of your meal? Here are ten reasons why you should get dessert:

1. The more you resist, the more you’ll end up crashing into it. Go ahead and eat a small amout. Depriving yourself of that craving could build up your desire for it, and if not managed well, you might end up gorging on dessert. So why not give a small portion a go? And be a good girl or boy by keeping it in moderation.

2. You end the meal on a satisified note. After having a great or not-so-great main course, dessert can help wipe away all traces of that main meal (the “umay” factor) and make you feel more satisfied too.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

WHEN was the last time you sat back and did nothing? A little mindless indulgence, a daydream or two can help make you a little bit happier.

Block out your morning schedule. Sit on your couch. Put your feet up. Gaze into the ceiling and let your mind wander. Do nothing.

When on vacation, resist the urge to pack your days with wall-to-wall itineraries. Checking those must-see sites is indeed an experience, but so will hanging out idly by the beach, watching the waves.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

“YOU have mail, Sam!,” my cousin Jenny gleefully told her two-year-old daughter.

A look of surprise and excitement came upon my niece’s face. “Mail?,” Sam grinned. “For me?”

She then excitedly opened the letter together with her Mom. She was thrilled because her concept of getting a letter must have been limited to what she saw on “Blue’s Clues” (”We just got a letter, we just got a letter, we just got a letter, I wonder who it’s from!”). Having her own letter to open and read was a big moment for her!

[Read the rest of this entry »]

IT takes 21 days to build a habit, I’ve heard. There does seem to be logic to that. If you do the same thing over and over for a number of days, you’ll most likely end up picking up the habit without even knowing it.

Fixing the bed in the morning used to be a pain to me. After getting dressed for work, I would automatically get my office bag and step out of the bedroom, leaving our pillows and blankets in a mess. While it saved me minutes in the morning, coming home to a disorderly bed gave me a headache. I convinced myself it was high time I picked up the habit. The very next morning, I made the bed upon waking up.

There were a lot of snags along the way. It was hardly a therapeutic act, wrestling with the sheets and blankets. It didn’t help that I was counting the minutes to the rest of my morning rituals. I had to rush making the bed so I could heat my bath water, fix my clothes, take a bath, etc. Making the bed was a huge barrier for me.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

REMEMBER that favorite childhood toy of yours? Come on, take some time out to think about it. Forget about those papers that need to be filed for awhile. Focus on remembering that wonderful childhood toy.

Perhaps it was your very first BMX bike? Maybe Angel Face Barbie. Or a Magic Slate? A Voltes V toy (which may be worth thousands now)? Remember the good times you had with it. Remember how you felt playing with it.

And now, another question. If you were to give that toy as a Christmas present to someone, who would you give it to, and why? Who would you love to share those happy childhood memories with? Tell us about it. Share the love, share the happy memories.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

“I still believe in Santa Claus, maybe that’s just because I’m still a child at heart.”
– NKOTB

It amazed me every Christmas morning to see my stocking filled with goodies. Or if the present were too big to fit into my stocking (!), Santa’s presents would be neatly laid out on top of our family piano, or right next to my pillow.

If I think back really hard, I can say it was one of the purest joys I’ve ever experienced.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

I HAVE good memories of our family Christmas tree.

It was the constant in all our Christmas decorations as I was growing up. The trimmings and the balls would change according to the theme of the year, but the tall green plastic tree would be the family Christmas classic.

There are many pictures of my sisters and myself, holding silver sparkles and fringes, hanging candy canes made of plastic glass and spraying the plastic leaves with fake snow. My Dad documented a lot of those young Christmas years. Putting the tree up as a family was tradition, was something we looked forward to year after year.

The tree eventually evolved carrying paper poinsettias and silk ribbons. Gone were the days of technicolored balls and wooden soldiers. Perhaps all the kids in our home have grown, and the theme made a twist for the more sophisticated. A Victorian angel topped the tree, in place of the gold foil star of our childhood.

Year after year, fewer family members would be involved in putting up the tree together. I remember all five of us sprucing it up many years ago. After my youngest sister would top the tree with the star, my Dad would plug in the lights. We would all stand back, amazed by the rhythmic twinkling. It was Christmas, and we had our tree.

Last year, it was my Dad and my sisters’ boyfriends who put up our Christmas tree. My oh my, how traditions evolve, right? It was a funny sight when I dropped by my parents’ home and saw one boyfriend fitting the branches into the plastic stem, while my father held the base. It was eerie at the same time, as I wondered why I felt more like a stranger to this old plastic tree than family.

And through all those cycles of themes and family members, that tall green plastic tree remains constant. It’s seen various colors and various balls, different trimmings and different stars. It will remain unchanged to me, however. Whatever decorations cloak it, it is our tree — our family tree. It is, and will always be, the tree that has seen a lot of Christmas memories, my happy family Christmas memories.

HEY, c’mon, it’s okay
to have a little chocolate on your jeans,
a little nip in your nail,
a smudge on your cheek,
or dried up toothpaste on your shirt.

Keep calm. Breathe deeply.
Wipe it out, file it down, don’t panic.
It’s okay! Lighten up.

Hey, c’mon, it’s okay
to trip in front of your crush,
mispronounce a word or two,
draw a blank once in awhile,
wear mismatched shoes.

It happens. Breathe deeply.
Laugh it out, correct yourself, carry on.
It’s okay! Lighten up.

Hey, c’mon, it’s okay
to weigh extra today,
grab an extra scoop of ice cream,
have a bad hair day,
get lipstick on your teeth.

Move on. Breathe deeply.
Indulge, balance later, comb it down, wipe it off.
It’s okay! Lighten up.

These little things are not big enough for you
to wreck your day, your mood,
your beautiful smile.
These imperfections won’t and shouldn’t end your world.

Hey, c’mon, it’s okay!
Keep calm. Breathe deeply.
It happens. Move on.

Lighten up!

WHEN was the last time you went to a toy store?

Think about the last time you went into a toy store — not because you had to buy a present, not because the kids wanted to. When was the last time you went to a toy store just for yourself?

Once I stopped collecting Barbie dolls and stuffed toys, my enthusiasm for toy stores waned. My attention went to bookstores and boutiques. Toy stores were for babies, I thought as a teenager. My, my, what that teenage self would think of me now! Today, not a trip to the mall goes by without a visit to a toy store.

It started when I started tagging along with my husband, an avid toy collector. I used to be very impatient while he’d look at the details of robots and superheroes. I couldn’t wait to get out of the store. But when I started seeing toys from my childhood, toys I would have wanted as a kid, toys I suddenly felt like playing with (Tamagotchi!), I could feel the little kid in me jumping up and down.

And so I rekindled my happiness with toy stores. Now I find myself walking through the stuffed toys aisle and feeling myself become more cheery. I find myself looking through children’s electronic toys and shaking my head at how advanced they’ve become. I find myself smiling at the many Barbie dolls and dollhouses — wooden, animal, electronic. I’m a sucker for those “Try Me!” buttons and levers. I find myself being drawn to toy stores more and more. My worries fade away, and I’m a kid again.

Before, I wouldn’t stay 5 minutes inside a toy store. Now if they’d take out that giant keyboard from the movie “Big,” I’d surely be the first one on it and would not want to leave it till I mastered playing “Chopsticks.”

Make time to drop by a toy store the next time you go out. Forget you’re wearing that necktie and pressed slacks. Even for a few minutes, imagine yourself as that little five-year-old in a jumper, concerned with nothing more but maneuvering that remote control car or choosing Barbie’s next gown. Consider it a treat for the kid in you.