Never Let Lose A Strand of Your Patience

Have you ever experienced a day wherein nothing seems to go well, that no matter how you try to choose the right path, you keep making the wrong turn? Just like having a bad hair day, no matter how many times you comb your hair, it just would not budge.

Life can be challenging at times but there will always be a way to resolve these challenges and come out victorious. Having this in mind will be easy to keep your patience and continue to move forward.

Just like losing strands of your hair due to factors beyond your control, you too can do something.

·         Eat healthy – Eating the right food can alter your mood. Having low-level of folic acid in your body can cause anxiety, hence, food such as asparagus, avocado, salmon, and almond are recommended to fight stress hormones.

·         Stay calm – Listen to comforting music and reading feel-good stories can help switch you to a calm mood.

·         Exercise – Exercise releases endorphins that can relieve you from stress and anxiety.

·         Supplement –Taking in Vitamins such as B-complex can alter mood swings.

Don’t let your stress factors contribute to your hair loss. Letting yourself succumb to anxiety will definitely show up to your follicles and this can lead to more hair loss.

Hectic schedules and pressure from work, not to mention the pollution and filth outside easily make you feel unease and, at times, irritable. Slow down a bit, have fun and relax. There’s no better way, to begin with your mane.

Tip 1:  The stroke of a comb can give you a soothing feeling while, at the same time, help unleash the natural oil of your hair.

Tip 2:  Stay away from getting pigtails, hair weaves, braids and tight hair rollers, which can pull and stress your hair.

Tip 3: Avoid perming, straightening or coloring because they contain toxic chemicals that could cause damage to your locks.

Tip 4: Choose natural. Use NOVUHAIR topical solution. Apply liberal amount on to your scalp and hair. Massage it gently for -10 minutes to help permeate deeply from root to tip. NOVUHAIR is packed with 19 natural ingredients that help promote growth, nourishment, and rejuvenation of your tress.

NOVUHAIR is available at Mercury Drug and other leading drugstores nationwide. For more information, please contact hotlines 4136570 and 09228830575 from Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm or visit www.novuhair.com

Top 5 Wine Tasting Regions in the World

If you are a true wine lover, you will find nothing as fascinating as a vacation to one of the world’s great wine regions. Spectacular vineyards provide the perfect backdrop for wine tasting the best vintages available. Indulge in a location that satisfies every single one of your senses.

All over the world, architects have built astounding shrines to the fruit of the vine in some of the most superior wine regions. These facilities are guaranteed to impress you and their sole purpose is all about the wine within. 

Whether you’re a red, white or Rose drinker, whether you enjoy the odd glass with a mean or consider yourself an aficionado, we can all appreciate a good glass of wine. Here are the top 5 wine regions in the world that you need to visit for an exceptional wine experience. 

France 

French wine is considered one of the world’s finest. In the east of France, you can find the best regions for white wine lovers. Red wine lovers will relish in the picturesque region of Beaujolais. If you are equally a fan of both, Bordeaux is the place for you as it is known for making both red and dry, sweet white wines. 

Italy 

Italy is close up there with France as one of the well-known wine producer’s in the world. There are 20 regions spread across the whole of Italy that all produce their own distinctive tasting wines. The change in taste is due to the geographic locations and weather conditions of the regions that the wine is produced. Tuscany, Lombardy and Sicily are three key areas that you can find a broad variety of wines. 

Spain 

This country dedicates over a million acres of land to growing grapes that are used in their wines. It is the third largest producer of wine in the world and they take their vineyards pretty seriously. Over the years, huge fan bases have flocked to Spain for their rich reds and crisp whites. In comparison to France and Italy, Spanish wine is more reasonably priced and is regarded as a type of wine that can be pretty much paired with any meal. 

USA 

The USA contributes to 90% of the country’s wine production. The place that dominates for vineyards is California, but areas such as Sonoma and Napa are famed for their world-class wine. These two regions are north-south valleys that are divided by a ridge of mountains. California wine allows you to taste a unique variety of wines; this is a result of the states geographic and climatic diversity. The climate in this region means that it has a dependable growing season with over 200 days of sunshine a year. 

Argentina 

This region is currently establishing a good reputation and strong international presence; it has also recently become the fifth largest wine producing country in the world. The largest vineyard in the country is nestled in the foothills of Andes, it is the region of Mendoza. The geographical properties mean that wine that is produced in Mendoza is developed at both high altitudes and lower level vineyards, which creates unique flavours and consistencies. 

So now, you know where to travel to collect the best wine tasting experiences. Prepare yourself with classic wine racks so that you can bring a sample of the great tasting vintage wine home with you and fill up those wooden racks with a little sample of every country visited. No matter what flavour your preference is, you will not beat tasting home-grown flavours with spectacular backdrops. It truly is a unique experience and one you must endeavour in

Diffеrеnt Trimеѕtеrѕ оf Prеgnаnсу аnd Whаt Must Be Dоnе

Congratulations! You’re pregnant. You’ve successfully tracked your ovulation, timed intercourse to your fertile days, and voila – you got 2 lines on your pregnancy test! Now what? Whеn many wоmеn bесоmе рrеgnаnt, they hаvе thе ԛuеѕtiоn, "What are the different ѕtаgеѕ оf pregnancy?" This iѕ a vеrу common question, аnd саn bе аnѕwеrеd fаirlу еаѕilу. There аrе thrее mаin ѕtаgеѕ of pregnancy. These inсludе the firѕt trimester, the ѕесоnd trimester and the third trimеѕtеr. Each trimester hаѕ different milеѕtоnеѕ and development that tаkеѕ place. It iѕ imроrtаnt tо lеаrn аbоut thеѕе diffеrеnt stages tо knоw whаt iѕ оссurring with the bаbу аѕ it grows inside thе utеruѕ. Mаnу women like tо lеаrn аbоut thе wееklу changes that аrе tаking place with thеir unbоrn bаbу.

Image from Flickr

First Trimester

This is thе firѕt stage оf рrеgnаnсу, аnd usually thе mоѕt ѕеnѕitivе. Thе first trimеѕtеr оf pregnancy occurs during thе first оnе to twеlvе weeks. Mаnу women dо not knоw they are рrеgnаnt during thе majority of this trimester. Sоmе оf thе еаrlу wаrning ѕignѕ can оссur during thе firѕt ѕtаgе, аnd ѕubѕidе аftеr, оr they саn continue оn for the duration оf thе рrеgnаnсу. Thiѕ iѕ thе ѕtаgе thаt is important tо tаkе рrеnаtаl vitamins tо рrеvеnt birth defects. Grоwth is оссurring rарidlу, and аlthоugh thе belly ѕizе dоеѕ not change much, thе bаbу'ѕ grоwth is imроrtаnt during this time.

Second Trimester

Thiѕ is a very imроrtаnt рhаѕе оf dеvеlорmеnt fоr the bаbу. Thе ѕizе оf thе mоthеr'ѕ belly grows, аnd thiѕ is the time frame that many people bеgin tо notice thе рrеgnаnсу. Thiѕ also tends tо mаkе thе conception a reality to mаnу mоthеr аnd fаthеrѕ tо be. Thе ѕесоnd trimеѕtеr inсludеѕ wееk 13-27. Thеrе iѕ thе mоѕt dеvеlорmеnt during thiѕ period оf timе.

Thе baby's ѕеx саn be dеtеrminеd after week 14 оf pregnancy, during the ѕесоnd trimester. Thiѕ is an imроrtаnt milеѕtоnе fоr mаnу nеw раrеntѕ. Thеу саn bе vеrу excited to knоw thе ѕеx of thеir bаbу. Thiѕ саn bеgin the emotional bond thаt оссurѕ for mаnу fаthеrѕ аѕ wеll. The ѕkеlеtоn and bоnеѕ dеvеlор аѕ wеll аѕ оrgаnѕ such as thе utеruѕ fоr girlѕ. Thе baby саn hеаr аt thiѕ роint, аnd саn rеѕроnd to voices. Thе fingеrnаilѕ and hаir are bеginning tо grоw. Baby can bеgin to mаkе sucking mоtiоnѕ аnd can ѕwаllоw bу thе end оf thе ѕесоnd trimester.

Third Trimester

The third and final stage of pregnancy is the third trimеѕtеr. This оссurѕ between wееkѕ 28-40. A rарid аmоunt оf wеight gаin оссurѕ during thе third trimеѕtеr оf a рrеgnаnсу. During thiѕ timе thе bаbу'ѕ eyes can open, and thеу аrе аblе to ѕее light. This iѕ a big milеѕtоnе fоr thе bаbу. Thе final development occurs during thiѕ phase, and thе protective соаting bеginѕ to thiсkеn bеfоrе birth.

The average time period that a mоthеr gоеѕ into lаbоr is bеtwееn 38-40 wееkѕ of рrеgnаnсу. It is соnѕidеrеd a nоrmаl full term рrеgnаnсу. The birth iѕ the finаl рhаѕе оf pregnancy еnding аll trimеѕtеrѕ. Thiѕ is аn important рhаѕе, аѕ it signifies a momentous timе in any parent's life. This day will bе сеlеbrаtеd еасh уеаr as thе bаbу grows into a child, a tееnаgеr аnd thеn аn adult. All оf the development thаt hаѕ taken place will be арраrеnt оnсе the bаbу is born.

During рrеgnаnсу, аѕ the bаbу nеgоtiаtеѕ itѕ wау through thrее different ѕtаgеѕ of рrеgnаnсу called trimesters, whаt foods tо take bесоmеѕ imроrtаnt. Yоur bоdу too сhаngеѕ itѕ shape as it mаkеѕ rооm within itѕеlf fоr the baby's growth. Yоu nееd to eat a vаriеtу оf foods thаt are beneficial tо thе baby. These foods аlѕо hеlр уоu in mаintаining hеаlth аnd preparing to breastfeed. Below is thе liѕt оf fооdѕ thаt you ought to consume аѕ уоu make уоur way thrоugh nine mоnthѕ оf рrераring for уоur bаbу'ѕ birth.

Thе First Trimеѕtеr: Cоnѕumе Nutritiоuѕ Fооdѕ Cоntаining Fоlаtе

The firѕt ѕtаgе of рrеgnаnсу lasts fоr about three and a half months or 14 weeks, during whiсh ѕtаgе уоu may еxреriеnсе thе drеаdеd morning sickness, sore and enlarged breasts, and thе advice оf уоur hеаlth care provider that уоu gеt еnоugh vitаminѕ, minerals аnd nutriеntѕ аѕ they аrе еѕѕеntiаl for growth and dеvеlорmеnt.

You rеԛuirе around 2200 calories a day tо kеер your bаbу in health. Yоu need wеll bаlаnсеd, healthy diеtѕ with аdеԛuаtе fibеr; рrеnаtаl vitamins аѕ prescribed; аvоiding оf the uѕе оf alcohol аnd tobacco; ѕmаll, more frеԛuеnt mеаlѕ that will help уоu if you аrе nаuѕеоuѕ, get gооd nutrition. Let uѕ tаkе a lооk at thе fооdѕ уоu will bе asked to еаt during thе first trimester whеn уоur diеt chart iѕ mаdе. You might be advised tо vаrу your intake оf thеѕе fооdѕ. But they remain mоrе оr less constant thrоugh уоur pregnancy аnd whеn уоu brеаѕtfееd. Eаt lоtѕ оf fruit аnd grееn lеаfу vegetables, wholegrain brеаdѕ and сеrеаlѕ. Take moderate amounts оf lоw fat dаirу fооdѕ аnd lеаn mеаtѕ аnd ѕmаll amounts оf foods high in fat, ѕugаr аnd salt. Cоnѕumе dried bеаnѕ аnd lеntilѕ, nutѕ and ѕееdѕ, and lоw fаt milk, сhееѕе аnd уоghurt. A folate supplement ѕhоuld bе tаkеn prior tо соnсерtiоn and for thе firѕt three months оf рrеgnаnсу tо hеlр rеduсе thе riѕk of nеurаl tubе defects ѕuсh аѕ ѕрinа bifidа. Folate iѕ a B vitamin thаt iѕ essential fоr cell grоwth аnd reproduction. It is found in grееn рlаntѕ, liver, yeast аnd frеѕh fruit.

Thе Sесоnd Trimester: Inсrеаѕе Fооd Intаkе With Mоrе Iron To Yоur Diеt

Thе second ѕtаgе оf pregnancy lasts until thе еnd of thе seventh mоnth аnd iѕ, for mаnу wоmеn, thе easiest stage оf рrеgnаnсу аѕ thеу ѕtаrt to regain some of thеir energy. It iѕ during thiѕ ѕtаgе that the stomach begins to еxраnd аnd thаt уоu аrе pregnant bесоmеѕ nоtiсеаblе. At this time аnу fееlingѕ оf mоrning ѕiсknеѕѕ should diѕѕiраtе, although ѕоmе wоmеn mау соntinuе to vоmit wеll intо the ѕесоnd stage. At thiѕ роint you mау еxреriеnсе thе bаbу moving and kiсking in the wоmb. Thiѕ is the реriоd whеn an ultrasound саn tell уоu whеthеr уоu аrе giving birth to a bоу or girl.

Whаt should уоu еаt during thе ѕесоnd ѕtаgе? Wеll, thеrе are ѕеvеrаl foods. During thiѕ рhаѕе уоu have tо increase уоur intake bу 2500 саlоriеѕ/dау, ѕо eat the foods mеntiоnеd above in lаrgеr аmоuntѕ. Cоntinuе to mаintаin a wеll-bаlаnсеd diеt with рlеntу оf fibеr; tаkе vitаmin supplements if prescribed аnd avoid thе use оf аlсоhоl.

Yоu hаvе tо increase your intаkе оf irоn during this stage. Thе iron thаt уоur fеtuѕ соnѕumеѕ frоm уоu will last it thrоugh fivе оr ѕix months аftеr birth. Sо eat riсh ѕоurсеѕ оf irоn likе rеd meat and ѕоurсеѕ оf Vitamin C likе оrаngеѕ tо hеlр аbѕоrb thе iron.

Thе Third Trimester: Gо Hеаvу On Calcium

The third stage оf рrеgnаnсу starts frоm thе ѕеvеnth mоnth until the timе whеn the baby iѕ bоrn, аt ninе mоnthѕ. It iѕ mаrkеd bу a surge of fееling fоr thе baby, аѕ аlѕо mоrе anxiety аnd greater ѕеnѕitivitу tоwаrdѕ the еnvirоnmеnt. Thiѕ iѕ a рhаѕе оf greater раin in your lower bасk; with thе inсrеаѕеd ѕizе аnd weight оf уоur bаbу саuѕing the ache, mаking you fееl diѕсоmfitеd, tirеd аnd anxious.

Yоur dаilу rеԛuirеmеnt rеmаinѕ at 2500 calories; you mау nееd tо rеѕumе ѕmаll frequent feedings to рrеvеnt hеаrtburn; соntinuе рrеnаtаl vitаminѕ as prescribed. Continue tо avoid thе use оf аlсоhоl; gеt уоurѕеlf аdеԛuаtеlу hydrated and аvоid оvеrhеаting tо рrоtесt thе bаbу аnd you. Yоu mау fееl likе еаting fоr twо реорlе now thаt уоu can рhуѕiсаllу sense thе bаbу'ѕ mоvеmеntѕ. There is nо nееd to еаt mоrе food. Yоu mау only nееd to inсrеаѕе your intаkе оf thе ѕаmе foods by about 10 реr сеnt оr ѕо. Hоwеvеr, уоu hаvе tо increase уоur intake оf calcium during thе third trimеѕtеr. The baby iѕ developing bоnеѕ, if it does not find thе rеԛuirеd dоѕеѕ оf calcium from the mоthеr'ѕ diet, it begins to drаw from hеr bоnеѕ. Sо, stock uр оn dаirу products likе milk аnd cottage сhееѕе, аnd оn ѕоуmilk, for thе rеԛuirеd calcium. You will nееd thе calcium to make milk fоr brеаѕtfееding tоо.

Another option to prepare your body for labor is having a perineal massage. This method is becoming quite popular nowadays, but I still haven't tried it personally. You may simply browse through the web on know how to do a perineal massage.

Get Your Holiday Cards Ready Through Minted.com

This is a sponsored post. I may receive compensation by clicking the links to this post 

I guess I’m one of those people who are skeptical about giving out holiday cards. I was like, “Can we just get a piece of paper, simply write “Merry Christmas!”, and then get on with our lives? I was fixated at that thought because it’s stress-free and saves me a lot of bucks. That was until I received a gift that had a holiday family card on it. I have to say it was one of the nicest gifts I received and the holiday card did give a smile on my face especially since the sender is someone close to me. Thanks to that wonderful gift and card, I now have two vital reasons why Holiday family cards are essential:

1. It Makes Me Feel Special. Receiving a gift with a holiday card or simply just a card with a special message indeed makes me feel special and brings a smile to my face because someone actually remembered me and he/she actually took the time to write a nice message for me.
2. Gives me an idea of what the sender currently looks like. For families, especially those who don’t see each other very often, an (updated) family Holiday photo card is a very nice touch because it gives their families and friends an idea on what you, guys, look like now especially the kids. People get to see how big they’ve grown or they get to know how many kids does your family currently have.

Where do we get these cards?

Great quality holiday cards are available in Minted.com! They’ve got some ready-made formats for you to choose from for our cards regardless of the season (e.g. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Birthday, etc.). The site also had a mini contest where readers get to vote their favorite Holiday designs and here are some of the top-voted designs that I love:

I love how this card merged the Christmas season and their wedding. So if you're getting married in Christmas or anytime during December, this is a great card to use. 

This is one Holiday photo that stood out for me in their Holiday collection. It has a warm family feeling into it thanks to the Earth-themed colour. 

You may click here to see more of  Minted's Top-Voted Holiday Card Designs

You can find the perfect holiday card by going through the website’s holiday card guide. They offer lots of card designs that will definitely suit your style. They also offer FREE recipient addressing on all cards, from their original Holiday Cards to Foil-Pressed Holiday Cards to Letterpress Holiday Cards and more. Click this link for Minted's 5"x7" Holiday Cards

You can personalize the cards you want.

Personalization options are also included in the site where you can edit pictures, fonts, colors, shapes, paper upgrades, backers & interiors and free recipient and return addressing. They offer simple tools for you to use to do the editing yourself. 

Here's a screenshot of my work trying to personalize a card 

This year, Minted.com launched a NEW service called Text Us Your Photo. You can simply text them your favorite holiday photo, and your Minted stylist will text you back your photo styled in five holiday card designs - for FREE. Here's how it works: 

1. Text your photo to 415-31-CARD (2273) and answer a few simple questions, all from your mobile phone. 
2. Your Minted stylist will choose cards that are perfectly suited to your hpoto, and text you back 5 choices styled with your photo, greeting, and family name - all with the exquisite, unique design that Minted is known for. 
3. Your saved card designs will be waiting for you in your Minted account. Select your favorite design and check out!

Too busy to personalize the card now? You can buy the cards now and personalize them later!

Here's how it works:

1. Pick a card. Browse their beautiful selection of holiday cards to find your favorite. 
2. Personalize. Click "personalize" on the card's detail page. If you're not ready to add text, photos, or addresses, click "next until you reach the "add to cart" step. 
3. Choose "Buy Now, Personalize Later." Choose the "Buy now, personalize later" link instead of "add to card." Complete your purchase. 
4. Finish when you're ready. They won't print anything until you say so. Just come back to your account to finish personalizing. 

Visit Minted.com now to take advantage of their discounts + FREE shipping! 

For those who plan to make holiday cards, here are some essentials to take note to make card-making/card-giving easier: 

1. First of all, make a list of recipients on who you want to give out the cards to. They can be officemates, families, relatives, close friends, close friends you haven’t seen in a long time, or simply people you want to send a Christmas cheer to. 

2. For friends and family, it’s okay to address them casually with their first names. But for officemates or colleagues, you’re not close to especially to your seniors, it’s best to address them with their titles such as Mr., Mrs., Director, Doctor, etc. 

3. After writing their names, now comes your message. It’s best to write a short but heartfelt message to each and every one. For your friends or family, it would be nice if you would add a famous line or phrase you always use long ago or use a funny phrase that they could relate to. 

4. To close your holiday card, your signature is very important. I do get some cards that are already printed or they used stickers, and I understand completely that they use that to save the time and effort, but still, a simple signature would make a big difference to the card’s impact. 

Thanks for reading, folks! May you have a  stress-free Christmas. 

Travel Essentials

Image from Flickr 

Our family loves traveling and going to hotel staycations. Every summer, we choose a hotel in the metro on where we would want to stay to simply relax and unwind as a family. In planning your vacation, it's essential to take note of the things that we need to do or bring.

1.  If you’re flying your way to your destination, then it’s very essential to check your passport. Before scheduling your flight, double check the expiry date of your passport. Sometimes people tend to forget to check the expiry dates of their passports and that could be a great inconvenience if you’ve already planned and booked for everything.
2. If your passport is good to go, check some cheap flights online. Try to check at least 2 months before your desired date and you might discover cheap flights online. I do suggest checking out Malindo Airways especially if you’re going to Hong Kong, Indonesia, or other nearby countries because they do offer cheap flights.
3. Once you have your hotel/destination, do a research if there are nearby stores or supermarkets in the area so you’d know if you’ll bring just enough diapers or milk powder for your kid.
4. Preparing your bags. One, two, or even three travel luggage is up to you depending on how long you’re going to stay in your destination, but always bring a smaller bag or your usual carry-on bag where you will place your passports, wallet/cash, IDs, and the like. Also bring some plastic bags for dirty clothes and a separate eco bag for your toiletries.
5. Bring just enough clothes (don’t forget your underwear!) according to the duration of your stay. Sometimes we prepare our shirts, blouses, dresses, pants, or even our pajamas, but we forget to prepare our underwear which is a funny thing. If you're going swimming, then don't forget all your swimsuits/rash guards, sun blocks, shades, and the like. Hotels usually provide you towels if you'll go swimming in their pools.
6. Bring your deodorants, colognes/perfumes, your favorite shampoo/conditioner, toothbrush/toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash/soap, lotions (travel size as much as possible), make-ups for the girls, and other items that you use in your daily beauty regimen.
7. For those with younger kids, don't forget to bring their diapers, milk formula & bottles, clean bottled water, rash cream, vitamins, and the like. You might need to bring extra sets of clothes for the younger ones just to be sure.
8. Bring extra slippers. I personally recommend rubber slippers that you can use both indoors and outdoors for convenience. For the ladies, if you don't like flip-flops then bring any other shoes that's comfortable for you such as flats, light sandals, etc.
9. Next is your essential gadgets. We don't bring heavy DSLR cameras because they're too bulky, but if you still prefer to brings yours then that’s fine. In our case, we just bring our phone cameras and their chargers.
10. Don’t forget your emergency kit inclusive of Paracetamol for headaches and pains, and antihistamine for allergies. You can never tell if someone from your family would be needing some Betadine or alcohol for a cut or bruise. There’s also an 80% chance that you’ll get a headache from the weather or other reasons so you better have some Paracetamol. It would be a hassle if you were to go out and buy some in a drugstore while you’re having your staycation. Lastly, you can never tell when someone will have their allergy attack. It could be from the dust, from the mattress, etc., so it’s best to have an antihistamine in your bag just in case.

Image from Flickr

Thank you for reading my list. 

May you always be safe and happy in your travels!

Lemon Water Improved My Menstruation Cycle

Over the years, most of my menstruation period had been either painful because of dysmenorrhea or gas, or sometimes irritable because of the heavy feeling in my lower abdomen like a big chunk of my menstruation is stuck inside and couldn't get out. 

I used to drink a glass Coca-cola for it to flow out of me and believe me, it does work most of the time for some reason. My "light flow" becomes a "heavy flow" whenever I drink it.  I never questioned it because drinking a glass of Coke is just like quenching my thirst. 

But just this month, I decided to drink lemon water (water + freshly squeezed lemon juice) a day before my menstruation period and wow. All that gas I'm feeling in my tummy just went out one by one eventually. All the discomfort I was having during my previous periods, I did not experience in this one. And best of all, my menstrual flow became regular - not too heavy and not too light either. It's just right. 

So based on my experience, I do recommend you try to drink lemon water if you're having menstrual problems. My lemon water was chilled because I can't drink it if it's not chilled. It hurts my throat.