Things I love to share are the ones that make my day when I wake up, or make me feel good about my self, or even better help me learn something new every single day.
Once I went to a beauty salon (it was a present for my birthday, I could not afford it myself...) and they gave me this "Cleopatra" treatment - if I remember it correctly - where they rubbed me all over for 30 minutes with a wet luffa sponge and a natural body peeling.
When the girl finished I touched my skin which felt like ACTUAL SILK!
It had never before felt like that, ever, so you can imagine my surprise.
I just could not stop touching my arms and legs trying to realize that this was the result of using luffa and peeling.
And that GLOW! Oh my lord!
So I decided to do it on my own at my house and I bought a luffa sponge (they are cheap) and along with a body peeling I made which is the same actually as the face scrub but instead of using sugar I put sea salt or grated almond and I also add olive oil (be VERY carefoul in the bath when you use olive oil).
Lately though I am in love with this wonderful Body Shop scrub and I use it regularly.
All this procedure pays off all year round!
Now that your face and body shine, we shall move to the next step.
If you ever travel to the USA, you have got to, simply HAVE GOT TO visitCheesecake Factory.
I am a cheesecake lover myself and the first time I entered a Cheesecake Factory store I felt like I finally found a purpose in life, and that was to taste every single one of the cheesecakes recipes they offer (over 25).
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first five ingredients together well. Pour into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Pour butter over top and bake 10 minutes more or until brown. Best when eaten warm.
My tips:
Instead of cheese or bacon etc, I like using thyme which gives a wonderful flavor to the bread and matches perfectly the beer.
She represents the spirit of the women in the '20s which is to be your own boss, to have fun, to wear whatever you like and makes you feel free, to know that sky is the limit.
But how do you achieve those - almost unreal - results that you seen on those magazine photos?
How can you make your face shine that way (without looking like a clown or something...).
First of all, you can't.
Most of the photos we see are sooooooo retouched that even the actual models / actors / singers do not look like themselves.
So now that this issue is behind us, we have to admit that some faces look really glowing and wonderful up close without the magic hand of the photographer pushing the right buttons.
There are some thing that you CAN do that will definitely make your skin glow and look beautiful.
First thing to do is to visit a dermatologist and see if there are any problems with your skin that you should be aware of.
Those zits may not be that harmless, or your skin could be more sensitive that you think.
Ask him to properly clean your neck and face in order to allow the pores of your skin to breath and accept all the beauty products that you will put on.
Your doctor should be able to guide you properly into the secrets of skincare, but focused on your skin type only, not by giving you random advice.
In case you are one of the lucky ones and do not face serious problems, then have your facial once a year and then take care of your skin every day.
Remember to properly clean your face everyday and wear those creams that are RIGHT FOR YOU.
Do not make the mistake of applying a cream that is too rich or too heavy for your skin, because you will get opposite results.
I did it once when I was 19 when I bought this luxury expensive day cream which was for women over 40 thinking that it would do wonders for me. Unfortunately I had horrible break outs within a week.
Of course I realized that it was not the manufacturer's fault, but mine.
I should have bought a product that was suitable for my age, my skin condition, my needs.
I really do not have much time to have manicures every week (or money to be fair) but I hate it when my nails are not looking "put together" at least.
The solution to my problem is the use of nail buffers.
They are so easy to use, you just follow steps 1-2-3-4 and ta-taaaaa your nails are shaped, shiny and nice in just a few minutes, without the worry of having to be extra super careful for the next couple of hours not to screw your nail polish.
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.
When you are smiling you show people a positive side of yourself.
You seem to be the king of the world or something, right?
It shows that you are an optimistic person and that is always a good thing!
But, before you decide to display your... "inner world"... you must first pay a visit to your dentist.
Once a year you have to schedule an appoitment where the overal condition of your teeth will be evaluated, they will be cleaned, maybe whitened a bit (not too much, I beg you) and then you will be ready to conquer hears of bosses, friens and lovers.
And do not forget, beauty is not in the picture perfect teeth, but in the soul and personality of a person.
Try to stay a child and don't take things too seriously ;-)
As we already said, your health is the most valuable thing on you.
If you want to live a better life you must first make sure that your body is in a good condition.
Since now you quit smoking you are ready to take matters more seriously.
Visit your doctor and have your annual check up.
Have your blood tests, urin tests, breast examination, pap test, chest xray, check your thyreoid and do whatever is requested by your doctors.
All examination is according to one's medical and family history as well as their age, general condition and so on and so forth.
Prevention saves lives and it could save yours as well.
Give the same advice to your loved ones and arrange for an all family or friends check up so that you can encourage each other and go all together. It could also get you better prices as well as a discount could be considered.
A good trick for you to always remember your annual check up is to arrange it around your birthday.
Your blood pressure, pulse rate, and the temperature of your hands and feet will all return to normal.
8 hours
Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.
12 hours
Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.
24 hours
Anxieties peak in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
48 hours
Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability peaks.
72 hours
Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lungs functional abilities are starting to increase.
5 - 8 days
The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.
10 days
10 days - The "average ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.
10 days to 2 weeks
Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in our gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.
2 to 4 weeks
Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.
21 days
Brain acetylcholine receptor counts up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
2 weeks to 3 months
Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.
3 weeks to 3 months
Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared.
1 to 9 months
Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean, and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.
1 year
Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
5 to 15 years
Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.
10 years
Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study), while risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus has also declined.
13 years
Your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006 study).
15 years
Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked.
20 years
Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study).
Additionally if we take under consideration the money factor, well... the numbers do all the talking.
Average price of a packet of cigarettes: 4 USD in the USA / 3.7 EUROS in Europe.
If you smoke one packet a day you have the following benefit:
4 x 365 = 1460 USD per year
or
3.7 x 365 = 1350 Euros per year
I can think of many things that can be done with that money instead of being thrown (or smoked?) away.
- Go on family vacation
- Have full annual health check-up (from head to toe... litteraly)
- Renew your wardrobe
- Renew your children's wardrobe
- Pay up the loan for a new car
- Have a mani-pedi every week
- Register at a good gym
- Fix your teeth
.................
The options are endless and it is really a pity to waste all that money
It is only a matter of making your mind up.
And I am not talking on the safe side here since I was a smoker myself and decided one day that this was not what I needed in my life.
Instantly I quit smoking (even though I had an almost full packet in my purse) and started feeling and looking better ever since.
I did not gain weight because I did not try to replace one bad habbit (smoking) with another (over eating).
I am definitely not perfect nor a robot, but I made my mind and I won!
All this procedure pays off all year round!
