Spread Love This Holiday Season

‘tis the season to be jolly! Wouldn’t it be great if you’re an instrument to spread love this holiday season as Michael Jackson said in his song “Give Love on Christmas Day”? Start sharing your smile, believe it not, it would go way longer than a mile. Forget the past and lead a path to forgiveness. Never mind whose fault it was, just extend a hand and make amends. A simple “Thank You” lit up someone’s gaze. Don’t forget to utter such words coz it changes one’s perspective. Volunteer every now and then and help those who can’t seem to stand on their own. Being part of charity works may not seem to appeal to you, but you’ll be surprised how charity works on your being. Be spontaneous on doing kindness. It’s not like most would take advantage of it. It’s better to be kind than just being nice.

If LOVE is a virus, probably people would be grateful catching and having it then would like to pass it on. So, give LOVE and spread it! Nobody would complain.

Indulging Treat on Holidays

Treat doesn’t necessarily mean just food or object, especially on Holiday season. This season, try giving your partner a treat that will surely put him/her on cloud nine. This time, make sure that your man/lady will surely be indulged yet at the same time you will also enjoy your own treat with him/her.

Holiday is a time to chill and relax with your significant other. So, why not give your partner an extravagant getaway. Away from the usual surrounding and away from everything else but you. One weekend would be enough to let you and your partner spend quality time with each other. Yes, you are always together but when is the last time you were passionately intimate with one another?

There are many beautiful places to go to. Or you can just check-in in a nice hotel with plenty of amenities and have fun. Holiday is not just celebrating and partying. This season, make it a getaway! It’s ok to be lavish this time of the year as long as you are splurging it for your behalf.

It's Payback Time!

Our world is perfectly designed, engineered and powered by one great source i.e. GOD. He gave us Mother Nature to take care of us so we can live suitably. But we are not contented on what nature can provide to us. We want more and more. So, we created things that cater our needs and satisfaction. Never mind if we abuse the produce that nature had provided us. Never mind the consequence of our deeds as long as we live comfortably on our own pleasures. Never mind the effect we cause to the nature that is so faithful to continually provide us richness.

Now, look where we are! Look how we have been cruel to nature that lovingly nurtured our world. Floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms & typhoons, etc. devastating thousands of lives. Mother Nature simply putting it, “It’s payback time!” When will we realize the effect of our selfishness & greediness? When will it come to our senses that once we altered that had already been perfectly made there will be great tribulation?

Stop, Look & Listen!!! Mother Nature is crying. It is our time to nurture our one and only Mother Nature. It’s about time to clean up our mess! God has given us so much blessings, what do you do about it?

Aphrodisiac

The word seems exotic and intriguing yet it implies powerful effect - an effect that may change one’s acumen. An aphrodisiac is a substance that is used in the belief that it increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sensuality and love. It is a sexual stimulant that comes in various forms that thought to arouse sexual excitement.

Aphrodisiacs may be classified in two principal groups: (1) psychophysiological (visual, tactile, olfactory, aural) and (2) internal (stemming from food, alcoholic drinks, drugs, love potions, medical preparations). The second group is more popular since it can be acquired without difficulty especially when it comes in food form.

Here are some aphrodisiac foods that may be surprising to you:

According to www.gourmetsleuth.com, substances that "by nature" represent "seed or semen" such as bulbs, eggs, snails" were considered inherently to have sexual powers. Other types of foods were considered stimulating by their "physical resemblance to genitalia". It has been suggested that man's universal attribution of libidinous effects to certain foods originated in the ancient belief in the therapeutic efficacy of signatures: if an object resembled the genitalia, it possessed, so it was reasoned, sexual powers.

Asparagus
Given it's phallic shape, asparagus is frequently enjoyed as an aphrodisiac food. Feed your lover boiled or steamed spears for a sensuous experience. The Vegetarian Society suggests "eating asparagus for three days for the most powerful affect".

Almond
A symbol of fertility throughout the ages. The aroma is thought to induce passion in a female. Try serving Marzipan (almond paste) in the shapes of fruits for a special after-dinner treat.

Avocado
The Aztecs called the avocado tree "Ahuacuatl which translated means "testicle tree". The ancients thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled the male's testicles. This is a delicious fruit with a sensuous texture. Serve in slices with a small amount of Balsamic vinegar and freshly ground pepper.

Bananas
The banana flower has a marvelous phallic shape and is partially responsible for popularity of the banana as an aphrodisiac food. An Islamic myth tells the tale that after Adam and Eve succumbed to the "Apple" they started covering their "nudity" with banana leaves rather than fig. From a more practical standpoint bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, necessities for sex hormone production.

Chocolate
The Aztecs referred to chocolate "nourishment of the Gods". Chocolate contains chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain and a related substance to caffeine called theobromine. Chocolate contains more antioxidant (cancer preventing enzymes) than does red wine. The secret for passion is to combine the two. Try a glass of Cabernet with a bit of dark chocolate for a sensuous treat or let us temp you with our recipe for Chocolate Espresso Pots de creme.

Carrots
Another good reason to eat carrots--believed to be a stimulant to the male. The phallus shaped carrot has been associated with stimulation since ancient times and was used by early Middle Eastern royalty to aid seduction. High vitamins and beta-carotene. Perhaps a justification for a piece of carrot cake?

Oysters
Oysters were documented as a aphrodisiac food by the Romans in the second century A.D as mentioned in a satire by Juvenal. He described the wanton ways of women after ingesting wine and eating "giant oysters". An additional hypothesis is that the oyster resembles the "female" genitals. In reality oysters are a very nutritious and high in protein.

Vanilla
The scent and flavor of vanilla is believed to increase lust. According to the Australian Orchid Society, "Old Totonac lore has it that Xanat, the young daughter of the Mexican fertility goddess, loved a Totonac youth. Unable to marry him due to her divine nature, she transformed herself into a plant that would provide pleasure and happiness." Fill tall Champagne glasses to the rim and add a vanilla bean for a heady, bubbly treat.

source: www.gourmetsleuth.com

BOREDOM Equals Trouble

According to psychologists, boredom is an emotional state that is unpleasant, transient affective state in which the individual feels a pervasive lack of interest in and difficulty concentrating on the current activity.

Boredom does not exist because one is unable to keep himself busy. It may also exist even with the busiest person. Boredom is not the absence of activity but the despondency even in the presence of activities. It exists because one may find himself unhappy on the things he does or not. A person is jaded because he is dejected on what’s going on with his life. He find himself unchallenged and unmotivated. Eventually, he tends to be lax then becomes unproductive. Hence, boredom may cause a great deal of malady. Problems may rise because of it. It may effect low self-esteem or lead a person to great depression.

So, how do you fight boredom? Here are four things that may help you:

Be with friends. Don’t let yourself be too much occupied with work. Or don’t dwell being alone at home all the time. Gurl, you need to go out and be with your friends. Friends can help lighten up your load.

Change environment. Home to office or office to home, these are your daily pattern. It became monotonous to you. Once in a while, you need to break the cycle. Go out of town and have picnic with your friends or family. Don’t go to malls anymore since you would be also confined in an establishment with concrete walls just like in your office or house. Go to a place where ambiance is far different from where you work or live.

Pamper yourself. Work, work and work! That’s all you always do, be it in the office meeting deadlines or doing household chores. And you’re doing this for your family. But gurl, you need to take care of yourself too. Take a leave once or twice every quarter and rejuvenate yourself. You should have a pamper day for yourself. Go to your nearest SPA saloon and have a relaxing massage. Or you may go to your favorite beauty saloon and have your hair trimmed or have manicure and pedicure.

Meditate. Attend a retreat or recollection, so you can contemplate greatly. Meditation helps you relax and uplift your positive spirit.

Always live positively though things may come to you negatively.

Libido: High or Low

What would you do if your partner has low libido and yours is soaring high?

Libido came from the Latin word libīdō, which means “‘lust, desire’”. It is the sexual drive of a person. Levels of libido are different between men and women. It is I think the universal knowledge that men have high level of libido than women. Studies show that 40% of the women complain of lack of sex drive while men who has sexual dysfunction are only about 30%. But why with such difference? According to LowLibido.org, the reason is that female libido is much more complex than male libido. While male libido is mainly physically rooted, female sex drive can be influenced by a number of factors – both physical and emotional.

Low libido maybe reasonably comprehensible with women, but how about when the table is turned? Your boyfriend or husband has low libido and yours is high. This phenomenon may imply a problem in your relationship.

What should you do about it?
Probably the first thing to do is talk to your partner. Tell him that he needs to talk to his doctor. This is needed in order to ensure that a medical problem is not the cause for the low libido. The cause for low libido may turn out to be simply a vitamin deficiency or hormonal imbalance. If no medical problem is found, it may be a good decision to seek the advice of a psychologist or therapist. They may help examine and resolve underlying problems in your lives. If relationship factors and sexual intimacy are predominant for the cause of low libido, then it may be wise to see a sex therapist. You and your partner will discuss your relationship and sexuality during the therapy sessions and may even be assigned “homework” exercises that will help you improve sexual communication and intimacy.

Passion and intimacy are vital components in a relationship. We must not take for granted these two.

Start Trimming!!

Research tells that to gauge yourself if your health is at risk, measure your waistline. Your waist must only be half of your weight (kg). So, if you weigh 50kgs, you must have 25inch waistline. If your waist measurement is more than the half of your weight, then your health is at risk. You better start heading for the gym to trim your waistline!

Here are some ways to help you trim that body:

Run or Walk. Oblige yourself to run or walk everyday. When going to office is only a short distance to where you live, why not use your pair of legs rather than driving your car or taking a cab? This way, you save money (for gasoline and/or fare); yet you’re giving yourself a better shape of you.

Join a group exercise. If you can’t exercise alone at home, why not go to the gym near your office and join a group exercise? Choose your best time to go to the gym (before work or after work). Join group exercises so you won’t feel lazy. The group may encourage you more and at the same time you meet new friends.

Lessen your food intake. If you eat two cups of rice a meal, make it only one cup. If you have 2pc chicken a meal, have 1pc only. If you take 1 big slice of steak, just take half of it then share the other half to others. If you feel like munching before regular meals, make sure you stay away from sweet delights like donuts, cakes, etc. and also, never munch hamburger or fries. 1 slice of cracker is good enough for munching between regular meals.

Keep your body hydrated. Drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday. Less intake of water everyday may put your urinary tract in trouble, at the same time; toxins in your body may not be eliminated properly. Water helps your body revitalize.

In no time you’ll get the perfect shape and you’re putting your health in good condition. Remember, health is wealth! No matter what’s your status, your health must be your priority. If you’re healthy and well, you can really be what you want to be. You’ll have all the energy to work on your goal and ambition in life.

Fruity Delights

Everyone knows that fruits are beneficial to our health. Different kind of fruits gives different benefits to our body. There are fruits that are antioxidants. Some are body cleanser (detoxifier) and others boost our immune system. Just as the saying goes…”An apple a day makes the doctor away.”

Fruits are more abundant during summer season. So, let’s take advantage of this season and let’s have fruity delights in our every meal. Fruit blends are popular during this time. We can prepare and make different blends without feeling guilty of gaining extra pounds. We can take as much as plentiful with fruits! We can delight and indulge ourselves to any variety of fruits we want; yet we’ll never have to worry about getting any bigger.

So, what are you waiting for? Have your fruity delights now! You won’t get wrong with fruits.

MAYO Magic

Don’t think that mayonnaise is only for salad dressing, sandwich spread and/or other culinary purposes. Mayonnaise has other purpose than those things. It works wonder also to your hair. Yes, mayonnaise can serve as hot oil and give shine to your crowning glory. It makes your hair straighter. It helps protect your hair from drying and dull, especially this summer. Mayo can shield your hair from the heat of the sun. It protects it from drying up when you take a deep in the salty water of the beach.

How? It’s just 1-2-3 steps!
1. Brush your hair well make sure no tangles.

2. Apply mayonnaise evenly onto your hair just as you apply conditioner. The amount of mayonnaise depends on the thickness of the hair.

3. Wet and shampoo hair, then rinse.

So, before heading for any outing…do the mayo magic to your hair! Or you can do this once a week to maintain the shininess of your hair.

VINCA: Natural Exfoliant and Antiseptic

Do you know that cane vinegar can exfoliate your body too? It can also help heal minor wounds, cuts and burns. Yes, believe it or not, cane vinegar works wonders to our skin! This is so true especially when combined with Calamansi or Lemon extracts. I call this solution “VINCA” (vinegar & calamansi). VINCA is so easy to prepare, just mix ½ cup vinegar & calamansi extract (1 medium size) or 1 tbsp. lemon extract.

How do I know this? One day I got curious. I know for a fact that calamansi is a household remedy for stain on our clothes and vinegar is a good disinfectant. I thought of combining the two ingredients and make them as my whitening solution. Anyway it’s safe since they’re natural ingredients, I thought. And it’s the cheapest whitening ever. So, I was the guinea pig of my own solution. I’d been using it for two years now. Uneven dark spots are gone. Scars from minor wounds and burns are gone. My skin seems to be radiant.

Then I also discovered that VINCA is better than Betadine. You see, my eldest had a bad fall from biking and created a big wound on her knee and several scratches on her legs. For two days I applied betadine, but it seemed not to be working. Worst, it gave my child pus that hurt her knee so much. Desperate for a better remedy I thought of VINCA. And it worked faster! Just overnight, the wound started to dry up and close. My daughter could walk without feeling hurt and could straighten her knee right away. Now, we don’t have Betadine in our house. I just make sure I always have cane vinegar and calamansi.

Body Exfoliant
Apply the VINCA solution before starting your bath. Apply it to your whole body like applying rubbing alcohol. Let it dry for a minute. Warning: you might not like the smell (just like “kilawin”…hehe!). Rinse with lukewarm water and soap your body well, then rinse again. Rub your body with your thumb (to your legs and arms, and other parts of your body) as if you’re removing a dirt. Believe it or not, dirt will eventually come out. And that’s exfoliating! Then have a final rinse with cool water. Towel dry. Notice the smoothness of your skin. Do this once or twice a week. If your skin is too sensitive (there is too much redness and itchiness upon applying the solution), stop using it.

Antiseptic for minor wounds, cuts, burns and insect bites
Put a small amount of VINCA on a cotton ball and wipe it to the affected area. Let it dry and do not rinse. Do this 2-3times a day. Believe it or not, it heals faster than with Betadine. VINCA works well also with infected laceration (i.e. w/ pus). You can save the VINCA solution for 3 days, just keep it refrigerated.

I guess VINCA may be also use as first aid for sea urchin’s stings.

SUMMER RUSH

What’s the best time of the year that people are looking forward? Of course, SUMMER TIME! This is the time for wonderful vacation. The time to enjoy and have a relaxing vacation with loved ones. The time to plan a perfect getaway even just for one wonderful weekend. This is also the best time to use more energy, but at the same time…this is the best time to get lose those unwanted cellulites and fats.

Summer rush… it is a rush coz summer comes only in a short time in a year. That’s why many people are going ga-ga on this time of the year. This is the best time of the year! Summer can be one of the best times of the year, but don’t forget to be cautious on harmful things that come along with this time.

Be wary!

…stay hydrated most of the time. Take more than 10 glasses of water a day.

…stay away from nicotine…It dehydrates you faster than you’ll ever notice.

…stay away from caffeine…It adds anxiety more than you can imagine.

…stay healthy…Watch what you eat. Eat more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals.

...stay clean and cool. Take a shower 2-3 times a day. You sweat a lot during this time, so need much shower as you usually do. Don’t wait anyone to tell you that you stink!

…be a sleeping beauty. Take 7-8 hours sleep every night. Your body and brain rejuvenate during your sleep.

…be moist…Apply lotion / moisturizer to your body. Your body loses much natural moisture that’s why you need to replenish it or else your skin will sag.

…exercise…This is the best way to burn unwanted fats. Exercise can burn fats faster during this time of the year, so take advantage of it. Have a workout 20-30 minutes a day.

The V-day Your Man Won’t Forget

Chocolates? Cards? Gifts? There could be more exciting things other than these to make your valentine’s day unforgettable. This year, get out of the ordinary scenario during V-day! Give your man a V-day he won’t forget in his lifetime. It doesn’t mean that you need to spend a lot for this occasion. Gurl, you just need to be more creative and adventurous.

Set the Scene. Your bedroom can be the perfect location. Clean up and change the sheets a day before V-day. Your man definitely will notice this, thus you’re creating his mood and excites him a bit that you’re up to something.

Pamper Yourself. Go to a SPA salon and make yourself ready for the V-day. Man loves to touch smooth and silky skin.

Breakfast in Bed. Wake up an hour earlier than usual on V-day. Nothing more romantic than breakfast in bed. Prepare his breakfast but don’t try so hard to make it so fancy. Pancakes and hot chocolate / coffee will do. What matter most is your effort.

Dress-up for the occasion. Take a quick shower before serving breakfast. You are the present! So, dress up in cool red sexy satin lingerie’s. Use a mild scent cologne or perfume.

The rest is up to you. Do what you have to do while your man is having his meal. Entice and flirt if you must.

The New YOU! part II

Now that you decided to make a change, you can be who or what you want to become. It’s all up to you. Just remember… don’t try to please anybody so that they may like the new you. Gurl, you’ll fail doing it no matter how hard you try because you really can’t please everyone. The only person you can please is yourself alone. But by doing so, make sure you don’t step on anyone’s toe.

As you go along the path of change, consider these:

You are unique. No person is like you. Thus, be the best person you can be. Don’t compete for anyone else but you.

Optimism is the key for success. Being optimistic draws positive energy. Your life will be more buoyant if you take your endeavors with propitious manner.

Uncover new talent. Each of us has given gifts that maybe useful to ourselves or to others. One way to find out new gift is to expose yourself to different things. Engage yourself to different areas of activities. Vary your interests so that you may uncover your new talent.

The New YOU!

Are you tired of doing the same thing everyday? Are you bored of performing same chores most of the time? Don’t you wish for a change? Gurl, what could be a better start to have that change you wanted, but to begin it with you! Remember, change is the only constant thing in the entire world. Change is inevitable, that is why there is always innovation and evolution. And that includes YOU!

Here are some simple steps to start that change, so you can be THE NEW YOU!

Now make a list. List five things that you want to do but really haven’t done it for a long time or haven’t tried it at all i.e. scuba diving, bungee jumping, etc.

Experiment! Decide and take a risk if you must to do the things in your list. Find out what thrills will it give you, so you can have an experience worth remembering for the rest of your life.

Wonder for more adventures. Seek for more fun and adventurous activities. Don’t always confine yourself in just little corners of your life. Try to stretch your horizon. If it takes to learn new skills, do it so. Learning is never too late for any ages.

The “new you” will surely emerge if you are willing to make that change! So, what are you waiting for? Start working for a change!