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Showing posts with label tips and tricks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips and tricks. Show all posts

May 19, 2017

Day 2773 - How to wear perfume if you are sensitive to smells

Do you wear perfume?



As a migraine sufferer I can be sensitive to smells.  Cigarette smoke, for example, can cause me an instant headache that leads to vomiting fairly quickly.  Walking through the original casinos in Fremont Street, Vegas (which don't have the good air control) had me racing to the nearest toilet with "head in the hands" pain and vomiting.

Being in a room full of dressed up ladies wearing their favourite scents can also cause me some significant nasal irritation.  Especially if those scents have been over sprayed.

Because of these sensitivities I don't wear much perfume.  I love the idea of perfume, but in practice it just doesn't bode well for me.



Having said that I have had my favourites over the years.

I was a big fan of Georgio Beverly Hills and Elizabeth Arden's 5th Avenue.  I also quite liked Calvin Klein's Eternity and Versace's Red Jeans Woman.  Yes, I'm showing my age.

Recently as the Hubster travelled home from New Zealand he asked what perfume I might like from Duty Free.  I umm'ed and aah'ed and then decided to go for something I've never had before.  Strangely enough I chose my new perfume based on the name.  Which is how I ended up with Clinique's "Happy".

So how does someone who is sensitive to smells wear perfume?


Tip:
Wear your perfume on your back!


I spray mine on the back of my head/hair and on the back of my shirt. This means it's not going up my nose all day but I still smell nice to other people. 

According to some perfume specialists, "spraying on hair and fabric is a better plan in any case as the oils sink into the structure of the fibres and take longer to evaporate" (Greatist, December 2015). Perhaps best not to spray on silk and other delicate fabrics though.


Tip:
Choose a light fragrance.

People with fragrance "allergies" can smell things at lower levels than others, so finding nice light perfumes is the key for someone who gets headaches from smells.


Tip:
Perhaps go with the "Eau de cologne".


According to Total Beauty, "Eau de cologne" is the least potent version of perfume which works better for those who are sensitive to smells.




Do you wear perfume?

What's your favourite?

Anyone else get headaches from smells? 

What are you perfume tips? 




May 12, 2017

Day 2766 - 3 tips on how to ease anxiety levels

Feeling a bit anxious?


I've noticed that I've been suffering a bit of anxiety recently.  Nothing major, I just seem to get jumpy occasionally and my face tends to go red from nerves at the most unexpected times.




There are a few things I've read that may actually assist with reducing anxiety levels.

1.  YOGA

The first one is yoga.

A groundbreaking study at Flinders University in Adelaide has found that yoga can actually alter the function of DNA.

According to News.com.au the study found that "chronically stressed women who practised yoga once a week for eight weeks experienced biological changes as well as positive psychological benefits".

Specifically the study looked at the gene associated with inflammation and immune response because chronic stress has been associated with elevated inflammation.

Participants found that after just one session of yoga their anxiety levels had dropped dramatically.  After 8 weeks they were feeling completely stress free.


2.  POTASSIUM

According to mentalhealthfood.net, a diet low in potassium can cause anxieties to emerge. Potassium deficiency can also cause irritability, fatigue, muscle weakness, cramps, Restless Leg Syndrome and chronic pain.

Livestrong suggests that foods high in potassium include beans, dark leafy greens, potatoes, squash, yoghurt, fish, avocados, bananas and mushrooms. They also say that the problem with potassium is getting the balance right as too much potassium can cause serious heart, nerve and muscle problems.

So if you want to stick to the more medium/low potassium foods to get your potassium levels up gently then lemons are a good middle ground.

Perhaps instead of a cup of tea in the morning a nice fresh glass of lemon water each day might do the trick.  The bonus is that lemons also support the immune system, aid digestion, repairs the skin, balances pH levels, cleanses the urinary tract, freshens the breath and reduces the appetite.  (Bodyandsoul.com.au)


3. LAUGH WITH A FRIEND

Apparently being around your best friend can decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol.  If your best friend just happens to be funny, then that's a bonus!

The Woman's Day recently suggested that you can cut your stress levels by 39% simply by hanging out with your funniest friend.

According to AuthorityNutrition.com laughing relieves anxiety because it brings more oxygen into the body and organs; stimulates and relieves the stress response; and relieves tension by relaxing the muscles.  In the long term laughter can also improve the immune system and our overall natural mood.

If your bestie isn't readily available, or they aren't particularly funny, perhaps a daily dose of a slap-stick TV show will help.





How are you anxiety levels?

Could you use some yoga, lemons and laughter in your life?



Note: I am not a psychologist nor nutritionist.  The above information is brought to you via my online reading.  

May 5, 2017

Day 2759 - How to neutralize hot foods in the mouth

Has spicy food ever brought tears to your eyes?


About 8  years ago when the hubster and I were on a little junket to the Big Island of Hawaii I accidentally ate a chilli.

How does one "accidentally" eat a a chilli?

It was small and it was in my Chinese food.  It was showing off a bit, sitting at the top of my dish wagging its chilli tail at me.  I knew it was there. It wasn't hiding.

I pointed to the chilli and said to the hubster "do I just eat this?  Is it very hot?"  to which he replied, "yeah, eat it. It's not that hot."

So I put the chilli in my mouth and chewed.  My husband watched with bug eyed awe.

"Holy shit, what did you do that for?"

I wanted to answer with the obvious "because you told me to" but I couldn't on account that the breath had been sucked out of me.  Tears poured from my eyes as my tongue burst into flames.  Breathing wasn't an option.  As my face got redder all I could do was cry.

When I finally remembered to breath through my nose I screamed "you said it wasn't hot!!"

To which he replied "I meant the food in general, not the bloody chilli. Of course the actual chilli is hot."

On hearing my hysteria the waitress came over with two little packets of sugar.  "Quick," she said, "Eat the sugar.  It will neutralize the chilli."

So I did and the flames were doused.

According to a "Journal of Physiology and Behaviour" study, sugar is indeed a hot food neutralizer.  Honey and sugar can both help modify any experience you may have with a pepper.

Dairy is also known to tone down the effects of spicy food which is why many cultures incorporate dairy in their spicy recipes.  Yoghurt is a well known condiment when being served curry.

Combining the sugar and dairy together, as in ice-cream, may have an even better impact.

So that's your little life hack for today.

Ever had a bad chilli experience?

Did you know that sugar can neutralize chilli?

Got any life hacks of your own? 


Information sources:  Livestrong.com, eatouteatwell.com, healthyeating.sfgate.com and discovery.com


Apr 29, 2017

Day 2753 - How to use Canva - a free graphic design package

This poster was made with Canva - a free graphic design package



As you can see by the above poster I'm busy today helping launch the 2017 soccer season at the Gungahlin United Football Club Gala Day.

The poster looks very fancy, doesn't it?

It literally took me 5 minutes to create via www.Canva.com



Whether you need to create fancy posters, invitations, blog graphics. Facebook advertisements, Twitter headers, menus, flyers ... Canva has a template for you.

To create the above poster I simply chose a blank poster size template to get me started.

I then added a free Canva background in a "quilting" style and change the colour to yellow.

Next I clicked on "Elements" and chose "lines" to create the black band across the top by resizing it to fit my purposes.  I then clicked "text" and wrote GUFC Gala Day, changing the text colour to white.  So that the black band stayed behind the white text I clicked on the black band and clicked "arrange" in the top right corner.  I then clicked "back" so that it was layered first with the text on top.

To create the "Saturday 29 April" text on its side it was just a matter of creating the text and then clicking on it so that it was surrounded by a dotted box, then turning it via the "rotate" option. I then clicked and dragged the text to where it needed it to be.

For the text inside the grey box I headed back to "elements" and chose "shapes".  I chose a square and then pulled and dragged the sides of the square to resize it, then changed its colour to grey.  I added a series of individual text boxes to create the information text in different fonts.

To add your own graphics such as the GUFC logo, simply choose "uploads" and "upload your own images".

For the soccer balls I did a search for soccer ball on Canva in the "search 1,000,000 images" box.  There are both free and paid images to choose from. These soccer balls were free.

I then added one and sized it, then dragged it to where I wanted it to go.  I used the "arrange" function to either bring it forward or send it into the background.  I then clicked on that ball and with Ctrl C I copied it and with Ctrl V pasted another one onto the poster. Again I resized it and dragged it to where I wanted it to be using the "arrange" function again to determine what layer it should be at.

When the poster is as you want it to be you can download it as a PNG file or PDF.

The great thing is you can create branded templates for creating very quick social media posts for your business or organisation.  This makes promoting your brand very quick and easy.




Canva is a great free resource and once you get more advanced you can then revert to a paid option for access to more images, the ability to create PDF pages with "bleed" and the option to download PNG files with transparent backgrounds.

Have you used Canva?

What other free packages can you recommend?

Anyone going to the GUFC Gala Day today?







Apr 20, 2017

Day 2744 - The Lovin Life Linky - The Mudita edition

What are we lovin' this week?



Well, I've got to say I'm struggling a bit this week.  The fibromyalgia pain with the associated migraines is close to doing me in.

As I sit here and wonder what it is I'm lovin' about life I find my focus shifting from myself to the joy of the people around me. You could say, I'm dabbling in a bit of "mudita".

Firstly, I'm lovin' that I just dropped the hubster off to the airport for his trip to New Zealand.  He's headed to the World Master's Games in Auckland for ten days of basketball.  Basically it's the Olympics for old people, so it's a pretty big deal.  Yay for him!



Secondly, I'm lovin' that my boy's soccer season is about to commence and he's finally had his first training session.  He's been very antsy of late just itching to get back on the field.  The recent selection to division one means he's back with the team of guys he played with last year which makes him happy. Yay for him!



Thirdly, I'm lovin' that casting season is about to begin for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week which means my girl gets to make regular trips to Sydney to try her luck in the big city.  She's working hard on her health and fitness right now, plus she's getting ahead of all her school assignments to ensure she's ready for the many days off school.  There's no guarantee that she'll get a spot, but at least she's putting her best foot forward. Yay for her!




Finally, I'm lovin' that I get to hang out with you guys for the day as you link up your Lovin' Life posts.  Yay for me!

The Buddhist teachings of Mudita is another great way to age positively.

Have you ever heard of Mudita?

Do you get pleasure from the joy of others?

What are you lovin' about life this week? 

Without further ado, let's get this linky started.


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The Lovin' Life Linky is brought to you by Team Lovin' Life: Deep Fried Fruit, Seize the Day Project, Write of the Middle, And Anyways, 50 Shades of Age and Lifestyle Fifty #teamlovinlife






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