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How To Go Shopping In Your Closet

Some of us could stand to take a hint or two from some of the successful fashion stylists in the world today. A professional knows that to be successful you must be able to put together looks that will dazzle, from the items you already have in your closet. And girls, I don’t have to tell you what a gift it is to be able to take an ordinary item from our closet, and add a few accessories that will turn it into something extraordinary.

This ability certainly comes in handy when you don’t want to go out and spend a few hundred dollars on a complete new wardrobe. As we all know, a few key pieces can update your wardrobe and allow you many choices and options in rearranging and coordinating pieces, to create a complete new look out of something old, adding flair, style and originality to your good ole standbys.

For some of us, our jeans, t shirts and tennis shoes are the foundation which we base our wardrobes on. But as women, sometimes we want to put on something that’s going to make us feel a little more feminine, add a little charm and sophistication to our daily look. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with wearing our trusty jeans, we do yearn to break out of the doldrums and add drama to our style.

Try these trusted tips to add some pizzazz to old habits. Try adding that favorite pair of designer jeans you’ve been yearning for to your wardrobe. Sometimes, just switching from our trusted Lee’s to J lo, can make us feel more feminine. And of course, to spice up those jeans, add a pair of pretty espadrilles in a bright, feminine color, to make you feel sexy and fun.

Also, add a bright halter in the same shade as the espadrilles, along with an ankle bracelet, for a fun and flirty look. Pair that bright, summery sundress with your favorite espadrilles and blazer for a sophisticated but feminine look. Wear that favorite short skirt or shorts with a blazer and espadrilles for another fun look.

Dressing for work shouldn’t take a scientist either, rely on those same old staples to get you through the work week, just jazz it up a little with some of the following pieces and accessories. Combine bright colors that you normally wouldn’t consider a good match, but which are excellent for summer.

Like bright pink and orange, blue and green, colors that stand out and make you the center of attention. And if you just love those summery, colorful sandals, by all means, wear them to work paired with that favorite pencil skirt and ruffled blouse. Add a strand of white beads for that upbeat, funky office look. Cardigans are also an excellent feminine but useful staple item.

A bright cardigan goes well with anything, add a clutch bag in the same color scheme as your cardigan for an original look. Pair those black pants, which we wear to the office all the time, with a tiny top and espadrilles for a feminine and flattering look.

Our look can go from office to evening wear by the addition of an accessory or a change of shoes. If you wear flat shoes with those black pants to the office, change into heels and a glittery tank top for evening wear. Change your clutch from the lighter shades during the day to a bright red, or green for evening wear. Add an armful of glittery bangles at the end of the day, to take you from day to evening.

Add long, chunky necklaces to anything you might wear to the office or a jeweled belt and matching long, jeweled earrings for the perfect evening look. A short, silk halter looks great with pants, jeans and skirts, and is the perfect addition to take you from the office to the club in 5 minutes. Add a bright silk scarf to that little black dress to add flair and style.

An addition of an accessory or a change of shoes can brighten and change the look of any one of the trusted items in our closet. Its not necessary to spend hundreds on accessories or additions for our wardrobes. Learn to shop your closet and mix what you already have, with interesting pieces to create a new look.

How To Host A Successful Murder Mystery Night

Murder mystery parties can go disastrously wrong if the organisation and planning is poor. Here is a way for hosts to avoid the pitfalls.

It’s a party and the point is for people to enjoy themselves, but if the game descends into chaos with some guests playing along and others opting out, it can lead to disappointment.

A well-organised event is more fun, not less, because people can derive enormous satisfaction from participating in the game and solving the crime.

How Much Alcohol to Serve at a Party

Too much drink in the early stages can cause the event to fall apart and so the host should be canny about alcohol. It is usual for guests to bring their own supply of drink, but the host can cleverly slow down the effects by serving delicious, but lower alcohol drinks. Cocktails such as Buck’s Fizz or Bellinis that go heavy on the soft drink mixer and light on the liquor are a great solution. Served ice cold in lovely glasses they will delight guests and distract them from hitting the hard drink they may have brought with them.

Food for a Murder Mystery Night

Serving the food early is another way to stop everyone getting too sloshed too soon, but it’s important not to serve a heavy meal or too much carbohydrate as it could make guests sleepy.

A light finger buffet that can be eaten standing up so guests can still mingle works best.

How Hosts Should Prepare for the Party

The host should not drink at all as running an event such as this requires a lot of concentration.

Unless they can find someone to take charge for them, the host should oversee proceedings and should know the plot inside out. Most games provide a character for the host which enables them to take part in the game while ensuring its smooth running.

Learning Whodunnit

Some murder mystery games are extremely complicated, and become increasingly so with the number of characters involved. The host should learn all of the back stories and parts, so they can nudge guests back on track if they feel that someone may be veering off track.

When the number of guests starts to top ten, 12, or 14, then there is a lot for a host to learn. However, the bigger the party, the more fun it can be and games which have parts for 20, 30 or 40 people can be enormously amusing because there are so many sub-plots.

Hiring Waiting Staff or Caterers

Another good idea is to get some help. Hosts should hire waiting staff or enlist the help of a friend to help with the food and drinks and coats.

Whoever is helping should also have a character however, albeit a minor one, because this can add a great twist to proceedings.

How To Keep Weight Off During The Holidays

Maintaining weight over the holidays can be difficult with the multitude of seasonal parties to attend. But it not impossible to avoid gaining weight at Christmas. Here are some tips that can help everyone make it through to January with their waistline intact.

Maintain Healthy Eating Habits

It’s even more important to eat healthy during the holiday season than at other times of the year. The temptation of treats at every turn means that everyday meals should be healthy and satisfying. Good choices include whole grains, such as oatmeal or bran, at breakfast; veggie filled sandwiches or soups at lunch; and light dinners with lean protein such as chicken, beans or fish. By eating this way every day, anyone can afford to indulge once in a while.

Drink Lots of Water

Often people confuse hunger for thirst, so remember to drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Staying hydrated will keep everyone looking and feeling better, and may help prevent mindless eating.

Exercise Regularly

Working out not only improves mood but also revs up the metabolism so the body burns more calories every day. Whether it’s walking, yoga, or seasonal activities like skating and sledding, aim for exercise most days of the week. When possible, exercise outside during the day because exposure to natural light also improves mood as the days get darker in winter.

Limit “Holiday” Meals

Between office parties, family get-togethers and going out with friends, those two Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can turn into weeks of too much food with too much fat, not to mention the too-many drinks to wash it down. To avoid this, pick a few favorite events to indulge at, and maintain healthy eating and drinking habits at the other ones.

Eat Only Your True Favorites

When it’s that event you’ve been anticipating for weeks, don’t just grab everything from the buffet table, or that one meal could contain hundreds of calories more than the body needs. Choose only foods you truly enjoy and only eat at this time of year. Shortbread cookies and phyllo pastry appetizers could be the top choices, but pass up the chips that are available all year long.

Fight the Mental Battle

Too often, when people eat too much at one meal, they figure their entire diet is blown and they might as well just keep eating and drinking whatever they want. In reality, one meal is not a diet-buster. Keep your perspective and if you overeat once, get right back on track.

It’s possible to avoid holiday weight gain and still enjoy the holiday season. These few simple tips can help anyone decide when to indulge in Christmas treats and when it’s time for healthier choices.

How To Learn A Foreign Language Easily

The following tips aim to help you learn a foreign language a lot easier, without even having to leave the comfort of your own home.

We live in a melting pot. We are surrounded by different nations, people and cultures and yet we find it very difficult to learn a foreign language. Is the ability to speak a foreign language really only limited to the most eloquent and studious of people? How well do we remember the foreign languages we learned back at school? Traveling abroad is great but how often can we afford to do it? What other ways are there to study a foreign language?

Socialize

Form a circle of foreign friends, bilingual, if possible. Ask them to speak their language slowly in front of you. Encourage them to make a lot of examples, use their body language or even draw what they want to say, without resorting to translating everything for you all the time. That way you will be able to pick up some basic words and easy phrases a lot easier, while you will feel the need to be alert at all times. Being alert is necessary when learning a foreign language.

Read

Go to your local newsstand or bookstore. Start with easy learners and books for foreigners and evolve progressively. Get some good dictionaries. It’s important that you don’t hurry to change levels, as this will discourage you. Visit some of the online bookstores, like Borders, BN, and Amazon, where you can find a lot of books in their original language.

Get satellite television

It’s important that you hear the foreign language as much as you can and in its correct pronunciation. Record some of your favorite programs and watch them again and again. Try to pick up some words, which may sound familiar to you, and with the help of your dictionary try to form short sentences. Compare them with what is being heard on TV.

Interact online

I can never put too much emphasis on the importance of interacting with other people. Luckily, for those who don’t have the luxury of traveling abroad or meeting foreign people, there are online chat rooms, on the net, where natives go to interact with their “compatriots”. One example is Enlaces de chat Espanoles which offers various chat services for Spanish speakers. Here you can find another very famous chat room in France for French speakers who want to meet other people for friendship and more. Similarly, it is worth checking the websites of all major TV channels as the majority of them offer chat services for the diaspora living abroad. Use Google to find chat rooms in your preferred language and you might be surprised by what you are going to come up with. Students of the World is another very interesting site for foreign language students who want to make new friends from all over the world.

Listen to online radio and TV

Radio Locator is a very interesting site for those who want to listen to radio from the four corners of the world. Listen to everything from cultural programs in Paraguay to Australian folk songs to Italian language programs. Similarly, you can watch online TV from around the world on Media Hopper

Pronounce correctly

Pronunciation is equally important when it comes to learning a foreign language correctly. Fortunately, there are some good audio-visual TV programs which can assist you with this, as well as various language kits sold in the market. But you can also do that online. When it comes to picking up a foreign language via the Internet, aim to find websites where you can download audio files to help you study the language in its correct pronunciation. One website with such resources is Livemocha. The BBC has also got a site dedicated to audio and video courses in various languages.

How To Like What You See In The Mirror

Have you ever spent hours looking at that one spot on your face where the skin in not smooth? Have you cursed yourself for having huge thighs? Have you complained that your nose is not as sharp as you’d like it to be? Saying such negative things about your body does nothing for your self-image. Follow the suggestions made below to break the habit of having such an unkind attitude towards your body.

Be Kind to Yourself

This means going beyond thinking nice thoughts and learning to cultivate attitudes and behaviors that will allow you to feel good. Aim to like being in your own skin and enjoy the way your body moves and feels. Here are a few examples to show you how to do this:

 When you’re taking a shower, instead of rushing through it, enjoy the feel of your skin.
 When you’re dancing, savor the sensations of your hips swaying.
 When you’re sitting in the sun, notice the pleasure you get from the warmth on your skin.

Edit Your Self-Talk

Instead of focusing on all that’s bad about your body, why not follow every negative thought with a positive one. For instance, when you think, “I hate my hips,” change your thought to, “I may have big hips, but I have pretty eyes.” Furthermore, when someone says, “You have nice eyes,” say, “Thank you,” and smile. Remember that most men find self-confidence in a woman more of a turn-on than her flat stomach.

Observe Other Women

Do you think that all celebrities have the perfect figure, skin and features? Look again. Notice Julia Robert’s wide smile and Jessica Simpson’s cleft chin. The thing is, many successful and happy women rarely resemble the supermodel ideal. In fact, real women come in all shapes and sizes and it’s their differences that make them interesting and a joy to be around.

Think Spiritually

Ask a happily married man what attracted him to his wife and, chances are that he’ll say it was her beautiful mind. Understand that your beauty is not reflected in your body, but in your mind and, in your mind, you can choose to be the most beautiful person ever. Here are examples of statements you can recite regularly to help you watch what you think.

 I know that I have a good personality and shapely legs. So, the fact that my breasts are small is not important.
 It’s nice to hear him say I look good in this dress. My efforts to dress to flatter my figure are obviously paying off.
 I love the fact that my body looks like it belongs to a woman and not a little girl.

Banish Crash Dieting

Don’t crash diet because it doesn’t work. What actually happens is this: you only lose a small amount of fat before your body’s protection mechanism swings into action. It thinks that food will be scarce and your body holds on to fat, loses water and slows down your metabolism to conserve energy. When you go back to your normal pattern of eating, you have substantially slowed your metabolism so that it is burning off kilojoules at a snail’s pace. In short, your attempt to fast-track your weight loss backfires, making you prone to put on weight more easily. Instead, be patient and change your lifestyle.

Stand Tall

When you have bad posture, your stomach and breasts look larger while your legs appear shorter. Here’s a trick you can use to improve your posture immediately: imagine that you have a piece of string going up through the top of your head. The moment you picture this, your neck will extend, your tummy will tuck in and you will look slimmer and much more confident.

If you’re trying to break the habit of having such an unkind attitude towards your body, the suggestions made above will be a starting point. In time, you will learn to love yourself a little more every day to the point where you’ll have such a positive outlook that you’ll be a joy to be around.

How To Lose Belly Fat And Get Hot Abs

Do you want to know how to loose belly fat in one week? It can be possible for you to lose unwanted belly fat in just one week and continue to keep it off. You have to introduce certain methods that will enable you to see noticable results in a matter of weeks if not days and by seeing the changes you have made whilst losing weight as your clothes will become more comfortable to wear.

Many people want to lose belly fat especially when it comes to vacation time, as your holiday comes ever more closer you may want to wear a new bikini or swimsuit and may even want to impress a loved one.

One of the worst things you can do is go on a crash diet as this shocks your body into thinking you are starving so it stores exceess food as fat, thus letting your body lose vital nutrients and as your metabolism slows down you will actually gain weight.

If you stop eating altogether for long periods of time your energy level will drop and you will become very weak and light headed. The fastest way to lose belly fat is to increase your metabolism simply by eating the right foods to help you achieve this. Thease foods include:

Citrus Fruits, such as Lemons and Grapefruit

High Fibre Foods, such as vegetables and pulses and even chili and ginger. An excellent way to boost your metabolism first thing in the morning is a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as you have been slleping for at least 8 hours and your body needs fuel to get it going again. Missing breakfast is one of the biggest mistakes you can make whilst on a diet as some people believe it helps lose weight by simply not eating first thing in the morning. As a result of this your metabolism drops causing you next meal to be stored as fat because your body anticipates famine, tempting you to eat a sugary snack or some other fatty food by mid morning because your energy level drops as well.

By eating several smaller meals more often throughout the day instead of two or three large ones can help the weight loss process as your body is getting a continuous supply of fuel with plenty of vitamins and minerals. A greasy plate of fries will fill you up for a while, but this meal wont last long as your body will be craving proper nutrition.

Drinking plenty of water will eliminate the toxins in your body and will aid in the process if you want to lose belly fat in one week because thirst is sometimes mistaken for hunger.

The simple stomach crunch exercise helps strengthen abdominal muscles and with regular and consistent exercise will enable you to get that flatter stomach. Resistance training has to be the best form of exercise for losing belly fat. This both helps you build muscle and burn calories, so the more muscle you build the more calories you will burn. It is very important that you get at least 8 hours sleep as resting is needed in order for muscles to rest and repair themselves.

By combining a good exercise plan and with a calorie controlled diet it is possible to lose at least two pounds of belly fat in just one week, however you will have to alter your lifestyle if you want to keep that slimmer looking body.

How To Moisturize Your Face And Avoid Acne

Finding the balance of moisture and acne-free skin can be extremely difficult, especially if one is prone to breakouts. Unfortunately, it is easy to have both acne-plagued and dry skin while attempting to clear one’s complexion. The good news is that there is a way to help clear up skin while locking in moisture.

Wash Face Twice a Day

It’s a old saying: wash your face twice a day. There is both good advice and truth in that old adage. Washing one’s face twice daily helps keep blemishes at bay. It is important to wash one’s face gently and be sure to remove all dirt and oil. Exfoliating once or twice a week is also an excellent idea. It is crucial to wash one’s face right before bedtime since most blemishes appear during sleep. It is also a great idea to keep pillowcases clean so that acne has a less chance of developing overnight.

Use Blemish Control Wash

Unfortunately, washing one’s face twice daily may not be enough for most people. It is critical to keep an acne treatment plan that works best for you. It’s always an excellent idea to have a daily acne treatment regime because this is what helps eliminate acne.

What is essential to any daily regime is to use a blemish control wash that is soft and gentle on skin. Do not use the same soap one uses to shower with—often there are extra chemicals in such soaps that can clog pores. Many blemish control washes use salicylic acid which helps keep skin clear and glowing.

Use Moisturize with Salicylic Acid

After washing and using an acne prevention treatment, one has to moisture in order to keep skin from flaking. There are many different varieties available to moisturize skin and help protect against outbreaks. The key to soft skin that’s acne free is to treat acne and moisturize so that extra oil is not produced. Having dry skin can promote blemishes so it is important to maintain some degree of moisture in order to halt blemishes before they pop up.

Moisturizers that contain salicylic acid tend to be the best because they help keep acne at bay. The most important advice to remember is to be aware of what touches one’s face—including makeup. There are concealers that are specially developed that help hide acne while fighting it with enriched salicylic acid.

How To Prevent Urinary Tract Infection Naturally

Urinary tract infection, or UTI, can be quite painful. Many natural cures are available to prevent a urinary tract infection naturally.

Many women have experienced the pain of a urinary tract infection, or UTI, at some point. Reoccurring urinary tract infections are quite common. Men also experience UTI, but at a much lower rate. For many, the goal is to prevent a urinary tract infection naturally.

Prevent a Urinary Tract Infection Naturally with small Changes to Diet

Small changes to diet can go a long way toward preventing a urinary tract infection naturally. Studies have shown that eating yogurt with live, active cultures can help to encourage the growth of good bacteria in the bladder and kidneys.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that taking probiotics can also encourage good bacteria. It would follow that eating yogurt with live, active cultures infused with probiotics may help to encourage the growth of good bacteria, thus preventing bad bacteria from taking over the urinary tract.

Eat more cranberries and blueberries to prevent urinary tract infection naturally. These berries contain naturally occurring compounds which aid in keeping the urinary tract free from harmful bacteria. Another item to try would be dandelion root. This herb has been shown to cause slight bladder palpitations which help to flush out the system. Dandelion root also improves liver function.

Prevent a Urinary Tract Infection Naturally with small Changes to Lifestyle

The old adage about drinking eight eight-ounce glasses of water may have recently been debunked, but everyone should still strive to maintain proper hydration throughout the day. Drinking more water can be helpful for a lot of bodily systems, and it can definitely help to prevent a urinary tract infection naturally. If one feels a dry mouth, he or she is already dehydrated. It is especially important for those combating reoccurring UTIs to always stay hydrated.

A good habit to get into to prevent a urinary tract infection naturally is to use the bathroom whenever the urge strikes. If one feels he or she must go to the bathroom more frequently than every hour, she or he may already have a bladder infection. But taking a break every two hours or so is a good way to ensure all bad bacteria that may be present get flushed out. Holding it too long can cause the bad bacteria to grow.

Along with using the bathroom every so often, it is very important for ladies to go before and after intercourse. This will ensure the area is clean, preventing the build-up of bad bacteria if it does happen to be transmitted during intercourse.

Also, while in the bathroom, be sure to wipe front to back, not back to front. The most common cause of urinary tract infections in women is the e. Coli bacteria, which is commonly found in the anus. Using care while wiping after bathroom trips will ensure that the e. Coli bacteria does not get transmitted.

How To Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

For the average person weight gain is a result of eating too much and exercising too little, which is why weight gain over the holiday period is particularly common, as people choose to sit in front of their televisions stuffing themselves with food, rather than going for a walk or jog.

There are all those festive films and television shows which are just not to be missed, and besides who exactly wants to leave the warmth and cosiness of their home just to trudge through the snow in the freezing cold? Then there is all that food which simply has to be eaten before it goes off. Nobody wants any food to go to waste, and so everybody ends up eating more than they should.

It is therefore a good idea not to stock up on too much food over the holidays. In years gone by when shops were shut for longer than just a day or two, people had to make sure they had enough food to last. Nowadays, however, most shops are open the day after Christmas; there are even a few shops that open on Christmas Day.

The point is that the more food people buy in, the likelier they are to eat more, and it can be convenient to use the expiry date of an item as an excuse to get rid of it quickly (by eating it). Usually people find that they are also besieged by gifts of chocolates and sweets, anyway, which gives them another potential source of excess calories.

The holidays should be a time for relaxing, not obsessing over every calorie, but it is perhaps a wise idea for individuals to monitor their calorie intake; otherwise they may end up paying for it when they step on the scales after the New Year, or find that they can no longer fit into their favourite clothes.

If they want to prevent this from happening they should limit the amount of calories they consume by choosing healthier options, and by eating what they want but in reasonable portions. They shouldn’t use the holidays as an excuse for a two-week binge on all the food and drink they want, unless they are prepared to pay the price for it.

They should also consider getting more physically active, as it can be a good way for the family to spend time together without sitting in front of the television or at the dining table. They could go for a walk or a bicycle ride, or if it is snowing they could have a snowball fight and run around in the snow.

Going outside might not seem too appealing when it is cold outside, but individuals can console themselves with the thought of the extra calories they can consume when they get home without having to worry what the implications will be for their weight.

Sometimes it can be good for people to relax their routine a bit during the holidays, but it is important not to go overboard if they don’t want to have to spend the next few months trying to lose weight, and if they want to remain in control of their weight they can do so, as long as they stay focused on their diet and activity levels.

How To Prevent Ice Burns

Ever try to ice a strain or other injury with an ice pack only to find that it has caused an ice burn? Learn how to prevent ice burn when treating injuries.

Ice burns happens frequently. Whether it is a case of forgetting that ice or an ice pack is being applied or that the ice or ice pack is too cold, it has happened to many people. An ice burn happens when ice is applied directly to the skin for too long. It has the same properties as frost bite and can cause the same results.

What is an Ice Burn?

Ice burns are like frost bite to a specific area where ice has been applied for too long or at too low of a temperature. The blood in the skin of the affected area is slowed to a point where the applied ice can start to freeze it. Left for too long, this can cause serious tissue damage. This can happen very quickly, in only 10-20 minutes.

How to Prevent an Ice Burn

Ice burn can be prevented in a number of ways. One method is to put a barrier between the skin and the ice. Wrap the ice in a tea towel or something similar to prevent the ice coming into direct contact with the skin. Direct contact with the skin is the fastest way that ice burns happen. Another good tip for avoiding ice burn is to only ice the area for a short time. Many professionals suggest leaving the ice on for 20 minutes, then taking it off for 20 minutes.

How to Tell if an Ice Burn Has Occurred

An ice burn can be identified by examining the area. The skin will be white, rough and icy to the touch. There may be no feeling on the spot where the ice was applied. After some time, a bit of color may come back to the area, but sometimes in more severe cases color will not come back for longer.

How to Treat an Ice Burn

Treating an ice burn is very similar to treating frost bite. The affected skin needs to be brought back up to normal body temperature. Do not massage the area, as this may cause cell damage to the skin. Running a bath and slowly increasing the temperature is the most common way of treating frost bite. The more gradually the skin is brought back up to the right temperature, the better. Once brought back up to the correct temperature, use a burn ointment and wrap the burned area in a gauze cloth to prevent any contaminants from getting to the area.

Sometimes the skin will turn black and blue, as it is likely that a bruise due to the rupturing of blood vessels has formed. If the next day the skin is still black or purple, go to a doctor as there may be severe damage to the area. If left untreated, ice burns resulting in blisters can become infected.

As with all first aid, be careful, especially when using ice, as many people don’t think it could hurt, when in fact is has the potential to cause very serious issues. If there are any concerns about the health of skin or the severity of an ice burn, do not hesitate to go to a doctor.