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A Guide to Melons!

July 4, 2008 By

The best melons feel heavy in one’s stomach, give off pleasant aroma, and yields slightly to gentle pressure at the stem end. Ripe ones keep for up to three days in the fridge; wrap cut melon well to ward off refrigerator odors.

Watermelon An icon of summer, this fruit ranges from 8 to 20 pounds. Most have green skin, marbled with yellow, and bright red flesh. You may have been taught to thump a water melon to check its ripeness, but that doesn’t really work. At their pick from June through August.

Cantaloupe With raised, netted skin and highly aromatic, flavorful orange flesh, cantaloupe actually separate from the vine when ripe. So, look for the smooth indentions on the stem end. (If picked too soon, a bit of stem might still be attached.) Freeze chunks of cantaloupes for your morning smoothie. Available June through November.

Honeydew It’s name perfectly describes this melons flavor – sugary yet fresh. If unripe when picked, honeydews will never reach full flavor, so choose fragrant melons with pale-yellow velvety skin that slightly tacky. Wedges wrap in prosciutto make a scrumptious appetizer. Available July through October.

Sprite this honeydew offspring has a high sugar content, tastes a bit like peer, and weighs in at 1 to 2 pounds. Choose those that are white with brownish-yellow mottling. On sale only in summer, this super sweet little treats are worth seeking up.

Crenshaw (Cranshaw) Crenshaw are large ( 5 to 9 pounds) and globe shape, with pointed stem ends, furrowed yellow skin, and sweet and succulent golden-pink flesh. Dig in and it with a spoon or a puree for a chilled soup. Available July through October.

Filed Under: home ideas

When you’re feeling down: 10 questions to lift your spirits

July 4, 2008 By

1. What are the chances that next year at this time, I’ll feel no better?
2. What would I tell my child or my bestfriend if she were in my shoes?
3. What difficulty did I live through in my childhood that makes me think this problem is insurmountable?
4. Does this current challenge reveal a core weakness in me, my relationships, or my work that I am better of knowing about today than I would be five years from now?
5. When I overcome this problem, in what ways will I be stronger?
6. If I lose everything that’s at stake at this moment, what do I still have of value in my life?
7. Who are the people I love most? How much time would I dwell on my current losses if I got the news that just one of them was very ill?
8. What do I already have in my autobiographical “bank” – such as children I’ve raised, people I’ve helped, animals I’ve sheltered, or career goals I’ve reached – that can never taken away from me?
9. If I were writing a short story or a screen play about my life, how would I have the main character (me) turn this problem into an advantage?
10. Has this struggle thought me that someone in my life is a true friend?

Filed Under: thoughts and ideas

Dealing with excellence

July 2, 2008 By

Parents of student achiever should remember:

Show your child plenty of affection that is not attached to their successes Academic excellence in children is often notice and praise, so they sometimes tend to believe it’s the only reason they are liked or loved. They need to feel and know that they are wonderful and interesting individuals, regardless of their gold medals and high grades.

Encourage him to seek peers who have the same interests Your child is bound to encounter other children who are not as accomplished, so it’s important to instill in him that aiming for excellence should be the standard; not the exception.

Avoid giving them the impression that they will always be the best in class or the most awarded This may lead to frustration when they enter broader settings (like entering a university or finding a job), and find out that there are other who are better. The key is to let them know that there are also other brilliant people like them.

Filed Under: thoughts and ideas, tips tips tips

Facts about cervical cancer

July 2, 2008 By

If you think cervical cancer and related diseases can’t happen to your daughter, think again. They’re cause by certain type of common virus called HPV. 8 out of 10 women could be infected with HPV during their lifetimes. And she is most vulnerable now in her youth.

In the Philippines, cervical cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death in women in 2004. In 2005, 7277 new cases and 3807 deaths due to cervical cancer were estimated to have occurred. This meant that there were approximately 10 Filipino women deaths each day due to cervical cancer.

Did you know that there are several are several ways to help prevent cervical cancer and other diseases cause by HPV? These are things you can do know to help protect your daughters’ future.

Learn everything you can.
Do everything you can.
Talk to a doctor today.

Filed Under: health info

10 ways to Jump-Start a Good Mood

July 2, 2008 By

Here’s a host of easy tricks that reduce stress and boost bliss – and don’t cause much time or money!

Chew on Chocolate There’s a reason why biting into a candy bar feels heavenly – chocolate sends feel good chemicals throughout your body.
Tune in, Chill out A study published that listening to slow-tempo music like classic or easy-listening songs reduce heart and respiratory rates.
Breathe deeply Recent research suggest that talking long, deep breathes for just 10 minutes a day can lower blood pressure. By breathing deeply, the body gets the oxygen it needs to function at optimum levels – plus the technique is free and portable!
Schedule a short Nap In research participants who nap for ten minutes in the afternoon experience a bigger boost in mood and cognitive function than groups who nap 5 – 20 or 30 minutes.
Get into the Glow Sunlight triggers the body to produce vitamin D. For most people, just 10-20 minutes will do. Lack of vitamin D has been linked to depression in some studies.
Stop and Smell the Herbs In a study the smell of lavender relieves feelings of tension after anxiety-provoking tasks. Get your favourite bath soap or candle in a lavender scent.
Bond with Bowzer Research found that a few minutes of playing with four legged friends’ raises levels of good-mood-inducing brain chemicals serotonin and oxytocin.
Shop Around Study shows that shopping releases the joy-inducing chemicals dopamine in the brain. Even browsing activates the pleasure center in the brain.
Hit the Pavement A recent study published that a 30 minute walk can bring on feelings of well-being.
Where a Rainbow Want a burst of peep? Sleep into something red and yellow. Research has shown that such “hot” colors trigger a chemical reaction in the body that mimics a mini adrenalin rush.

Filed Under: health info

Why doesn’t he understand me?

July 2, 2008 By

In general, men focus in hierarchy and women in connection. Boys always use talk to negotiate their status within a group, while girls use talk to negotiate closeness. This difference can cause misunderstanding with apologies, for example when a man makes some small transgression, his wife might feel that if he’d just say, “I’m sorry,” it would be over. But he won’t, and then you end up arguing about why he won’t apologize. For many women, an apology means, “I care that I let you down; I care about you.” If he doesn’t apologize, it’s like he doesn’t care. But for men, asking for an apology is a demand that he publicly humiliate himself. He thinks apologizing is a sign of weakness, and that you’ll use it against him, because that what another man would do. So when you say, “why won’t you apologize?’ he hears, “I caught you in an error and I’m going to rub your nose in it.

Filed Under: home ideas