Some would make this an excuse to take a respite from their daily healthy diet of greens and fiber.  But Christmas or no Christmas, you should stick to your healthy eating routine- at least for the sake of your waist.  So how do you resist all the gustatory temptation right at your fingertips?

Graze, don’t wolf down all the food.  Sure, most of the food at the table maybe stuff you haven’t eaten in ages, but that’s still not a reason to eat as if there was no tomorrow.  Simply graze over them, eat a little of each type of food served.  If you can, skip the really fattening ones.

Alcohol will most likely be a staple at Christmas parties, and you can still drink, but do so in moderation.  Otherwise, that bottle of beer will eventually find its way to your belly.

Brush your teeth.  Have you noticed how you don’t feel like eating after just brushing your teeth? 

If you’re having a party at a restaurant, split a serving of pasta with your friend.  Drink more water to fill you up.

You can still enjoy the Christmas season even if you’re watching your weight.  Discipline is all it takes.

With all the stressors associated with Christmas preparations: from picking out Christmas gifts for him or her to making sure your Christmas tree doesn’t look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it wouldn’t come as a shock if you find yourself shrouded in a cloak of sheer panic and exhaustion.

The last thing you need at a time like this is stress and fatigue.  Don’t you already get enough of that from the office?  Christmas should be about merry-making and pure, unadulterated fun.

In order to breeze through the Christmas season without being tangled up in a bundle of nerves, you can start by preparing a list of people whom you plan to give presents to.  Next to their names, jot down at least two gift ideas, so if the first one happens to be unavailable, you’ll have a ready alternative.

When it comes to shopping, do so before people crowd the shops.  The early bird does catch the worm.   If possible, do your shopping online for added convenience.   Also, remember to set a budget and strictly adhere to it.  This will spare you the worry of not having enough money left for other important things.

All it takes is careful planning, and you’ll have a stress-free Christmas shopping experience.

Image source: aboutpixel.de / eyes up © Christoph Ruhland

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. We put a lot of effort into choosing the right eye makeup just to enhance those peepers. More than these windows to the soul, we also give a well-deserved emphasis to eyebrows, as they do frame those windows and add drama to the overall look of those soul windows.

Just like auto estimating software, a certain degree of precision must be exercised when shaping our brows. If you pluck or tweeze in a harried way, your brows will definitely pay the price for it.

To get the perfect eyebrow shape, remember that the arch starts above the inside corner of your eye (over the tear duct), and it ends at the outside corner, right above your lashes. When you pluck, do it ever so gently- doing a hair or two each day- so as not to end up with a surprised look. Haste makes waste, even in eyebrow plucking.

After tweezing, use a special eyebrow gel- or even a bit of hair gel- to keep your brows neatly in place.

1. Babies grow up fast so it is wise to shop around for newborn and small sizes of baby clothing in small quantities.
2. Most newborn clothings are white.  White is a unisex color which means that your succeeding babies regardless of gender may be able to use them later on.  Further, white apparels will let you easily see insects or any tiny particles that may irritate or sensitize your baby’s skin.
3. Keep an eye on annual and festive baby clothing sale events as shops allow you to get hold of the best quality clothing at a very reasonable price.  Online shops such as The White Company frequently feature great deals and sales on their baby clothing collection.

One of the primary concerns of people wanting to get a tattoo is the pain factor. There have been numerous stories of people screaming out the door out of intolerable pain, or helpless crying while getting inked.

Truth be told, it’s not really so bad. It might help to know that only 1/16 of the needle actually penetrates your skin. Sometimes, the initial fear does help, as the body’s release of endorphins at the onset of fear helps to numb you a bit. After the first 60 seconds, it should be smooth-sailing.

It’s probably the fear of the unknown that overcomes anybody wanting to get a tattoo. Read up on the steps on getting a tattoo, so you’ll know what to expect.

Your reasons for getting a tattoo in the first place should overpower whatever discomfort you might experience during the process of inking. If you set your mind on the result, you’ll be better able to withstand whatever pain you may experience.

Why not take the opportunity this season to dress-up your home and host a get-together for family members or friends whom you’ve lost touch with already. Decorating your house for a Christmas gathering need not be costly. You can have Christmas decors that FIT your budget and look FABulous by recycling or redressing old decors and getting a few new ones for accents.

Cleanliness is next to godliness. It is also, without a doubt, next to good health. Keeping a clean home contributes a great deal to your family’s good health. One of the ways to keep your house as dirt-free as possible is by putting a doormat by your front door, or wherever people enter from the outside. Since our shoes are probably the worst harbingers of dirt, it would be wise to make it a habit to get your family and visitors to wipe their shoes off on the doormat.

Whoever said that doormats are boring couldn’t be any more wrong. Don’t limit yourself to the range of doormats on sale at the nearby mall. Nowadays, you can get them customized to match the overall theme of your house. Talk about being a doormat with personality!

Image source: aboutpixel.de / badminton eins © N N

It should come as no surprise that badminton is the world’s fastest racket sport. Players should have speed and agility just to be able to get that shuttlecock over the net. More than the hours of fun it gives its players, badminton is a sport which poses numerous health benefits.

Badminton burns fat. Since badminton is a fast-paced game, playing it will definitely get your heart pumping overtime. Badminton involves sprinting, lunges, and leaps, and these movements comprise an excellent cardio workout. Playing badminton for an hour, once or twice a week will greatly improve your stamina and up your metabolism, thus, you burn more fat. You hardly have to lift any heavy metal building equipment just to melt away fat.

It delays aging. Health experts say that playing badminton strengthens the bones, because the activity promotes bone-forming cells. So, you wouldn’t have to worry about osteoporosis hitting you. Moreover, badminton helps improve your balance and coordination which you normally start to lose as you grow older.

It relieves stress. Just like any sport, playing badminton makes your body release endorphins- happy hormones. You end up feeling more relaxed and sleeping like a baby once you hit the sack.

When choosing cufflinks for your man, always consider his personality.  They should reflect who he is, because they will project whatever image he wants to put out there.  Think about the color, material and design.  Also make sure that the cufflinks don’t stand out like a sore thumb.  They should blend well with your man’s outfit.  For instance, gold cufflinks go well with brown shirts, and silver links look best with lighter colored shirts.

Scrubs have long been used by nurses, surgeons and other medical personnel when performing surgery inside the operating room. These scrubs were green in color to avoid eyestrain from the reflection of bright operating lights. They were made of cotton or cotton/polyester blend and were laundered only in the hospital to maintain sterility. Eventually, scrubs were also worn inside the hospital and in any clean environment. Almost all patient care personnel and medical staff now also wear some form of scrubs while on hospital duty. These scrubs are easy to launder and were designed to have minimal places for dirt to accumulate to keep the environment free from contaminants.

Gone are the days when doctors and other medical practitioners were donned in lackluster surgical greens. Nowadays, scrubs come in hundreds of styles, colors, and prints. There are dozens of different brands to choose from including Dickies Scrubs. These scrubs also come in various sizes and can even be customized to suit your personal preferences. Now, medical practitioners can perform their life-saving work in comfortable and hygienic attires without sacrificing fashion, good fit, and appearance.