Friday, 14 December 2012
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
How to combat tired aching 'shoppers' feet this holiday
Photo source : <a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=4278&picture=flower-and-toes">Flower And Toes</a> by Petr Kratochvil
We all know that the holidays can really take its toll on your feet, especially since many people dash around like crazy doing serious shopping during the Christmas holidays. Aching feet can really make holiday shopping a nightmare as it tends to make one irritable, thus taking some joy out of what should be a festive mood. There are however, some simple tips you could use to alleviate this common shopping problem.
Remember that it is vital you wear appropriate shoes. It may be the holiday season and you may just have splashed out on a designer pair of high heels, but a trip to the mall to do your holiday shopping is not the right time to try and show them off! Research reveals that high heels puts stress on your lower back, so besides achy feet, you may also have a sore back to add to your list of complaints. Flat shoes, like sneakers are definitely the most sensible shopping option, provided the soles are flexible and that is has adequate arch support. You should definitely avoid slip-on sandals and try to opt for a more supportive sandal, preferably one with a strap around the heels. And do try to avoid wearing shoes that are too narrow at the toes, as that would become a nightmare to walk in for long periods of time.
How to make your own foot spa and pedicure
For those who do not have the time or privilege of having a foot spa treatment , do not worry as you could very easily create your own. All you need are two plastic containers ,water and perhaps some of your own favorite aromatherapy oils if you wish.Fill one container with cold water at approximately 15 degrees Celsius and the other with lukewarm water at approximately 38 degrees Celsius. You may add some of your favorite aromatherapy or foot spa oil to the lukewarm water. Soak your feet in the cold water for a few minutes.Then soak them in the fragrant lukewarm water for a few minutes. Repeat this a few times for optimal results. Towel dry,moisturize and file any rough spots and callouses.Finally clip those toe nails, push back those cuticles and if desired, add a touch of glamor by applying your favorite nail varnish. By Melanie Fourie
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Pulling a Holiday Potluck
Quick tips for pulling together a holiday potluck
Divide, conquer and enjoy
When your holiday-dinner guest list keeps growing year after year, it may be time to share the cooking. A potluck is a great way to share the load, and with just a little advance planning you can avoid ending up with 12 green bean casseroles on the dinner table.
"Don't be shy about assigning food categories to your guests," says Ginny Bean, founder and publisher of Ginny's catalog and www.ginnys.com."This eliminates the guesswork for them, too." Bean suggests you start planning four to six weeks out, and following these simple tips.
* Don't overlook the non-cooks. Include categories such as beverages and paper products, or ask non-cooks to bring flowers, candles or other items to decorate the table. Those who want to help but need something easy to do can do some of the shopping for you.
* Double up. Ask at least two of the guests to make different salads, two to make different potato dishes, two people to bring different green vegetables, and two to bring pies. Plan on making the turkey, stuffing and gravy yourself.
* Make sure someone brings kid food. There's nothing worse than having kids reject all the food at the table. Make sure there's ice cream or another dessert that appeals to kids, some sparkling apple juice for a special toast, and kid-friendly items like mac and cheese or yams with marshmallows.
* Pick your battles. If someone really wants to bring a certain dish that you don't particularly want, let them bring it anyway. You never know which dish might turn into a family tradition.
* Assess your appliance needs. Ask guests to let you know ahead of time if they'll need refrigerator, oven or range-top space. The added capacity of countertop ovens and microwaves can be a godsend for big holiday meals. Plan a menu with some dishes that can be served at room temperature so you don't have too many dishes that need to be kept hot. -
* Be prepared with extra serving plates, bowls and spoons. Somebody's bound to forget something. Also remind guests to label their serving dishes and utensils. Most regular potluck participants can tell tales about losing the lid to a favorite plastic bowl or discovering that the only casserole dish left on the table was not the one they brought.
* Don't attempt to serve all the food from one table. Place desserts on a table separate from main dishes and side dishes. Locate beverages in another area. For the most convenient self-service, arrange the buffet so diners can serve themselves from both sides of the table. Lay out the table in logical order: plates at one end of the table for guests to pick up and load with food, and utensils tucked inside napkins at the other end to grab once their plates are full.
* Strike while the iron's hot (and guests are in a festive mood). Before everyone leaves, set up the planning committee and solicit suggestions for next year -(BPT)
Holiday Health Tip
Quick Holiday Detox with Beetroot
Did you know that beetroot juice has been proven to effectively cleanse your blood? You could cleanse your skin from the inside out, your blood and detox with pure beetroot juice.So get cracking with a natural detox, especially if you have been over-indulging this holiday season.Detox now and enjoy optimal health and vitality for the rest of your holiday!
Cholesterol, the silent holiday season health threat
This Holiday Season, knowledge about health matters could prove to be vital.
The 'silly season' has dawned upon us and with that, comes parties and the over indulgence of unhealthy food. Cholesterol, if left untreated, is a silent killer and you should always try to keep high cholesterol in check if you are aware of having the condition.However, many people, the world over are unaware of the key risk factors associated with conditions such as atherosclerosis or familial hypercholesterolaemia. Familial hypercholesterolaemia is the condition whereby one is genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and is statistically estimated to affect at least one in every 500 South Africans.
If you're like 34 percent of American adults surveyed,* you may know your specific cholesterol numbers, but you may not know the significance of these numbers if you have high cholesterol. A survey conducted by AstraZeneca of more than 1000 American adults revealed that 63 percent of adults have heard of atherosclerosis, a progressive disease where plaque builds up in the arteries slowly over time.Adults with high cholesterol and additional risk factors such as obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or family history of early heart disease may be at increased risk for plaque buildup in their arteries.
The 'silly season' has dawned upon us and with that, comes parties and the over indulgence of unhealthy food. Cholesterol, if left untreated, is a silent killer and you should always try to keep high cholesterol in check if you are aware of having the condition.However, many people, the world over are unaware of the key risk factors associated with conditions such as atherosclerosis or familial hypercholesterolaemia. Familial hypercholesterolaemia is the condition whereby one is genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and is statistically estimated to affect at least one in every 500 South Africans.
If you're like 34 percent of American adults surveyed,* you may know your specific cholesterol numbers, but you may not know the significance of these numbers if you have high cholesterol. A survey conducted by AstraZeneca of more than 1000 American adults revealed that 63 percent of adults have heard of atherosclerosis, a progressive disease where plaque builds up in the arteries slowly over time.Adults with high cholesterol and additional risk factors such as obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or family history of early heart disease may be at increased risk for plaque buildup in their arteries.
Monday, 10 December 2012
How to prepare your home for holiday entertaining
Having a guest-friendly home is easier than you think!Here are some tips on making your home ready for entertaining anytime...
One of the many exciting and sometimes stressful parts of the holiday season is entertaining at home with friends and family. To prepare for their arrival you may be tempted to just clean the kitchen counters, toss a few extra towels in the guest bathroom and ignore the rest of the house. Instead, your visitors will enjoy the party more if they have full access to an open, organized and welcoming home.
Knowing where to start is the most important thing. Lifestyle guru Susie Coelho has provided entertaining tips for the home on HGTV, "Oprah," "Today" and "The View" and knows just what to do.
Getting away from home for the holidays
Holiday travel can be rewarding on many levels, from the enjoyment of being with those you love in a great destination to the pleasure of letting someone else cook holiday meals and clean up after guests. Whether you're a single person looking to celebrate the holidays with friends, a family gathering members together from many states, or grandparents seeking a special time with the grand kids, a holiday vacation has a lot to offer.
Monday, 19 November 2012
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Free Christmas Story,The Shepherds and the Angels, Adapted from the Bible
Captivate your children this Christmas holiday with some of the most enchanting Christmas stories for children of all ages for FREE. Here at Christmas Holiday Galore, you will find Christmas stories from the most well loved storytellers of all time.Calm children's anticipation on Christmas Eve with a wonderful tale or two and add to the excitement and wonderment of the season while doing so!They are all in HTML format with a PDF link attached to it so you can either read them online or you could just print the PDF and make your own Christmas story collection for future use. Also, a home-made Christmas story collection,with your unique personal touch could also make the ideal gift for children in your family and save you money!
And when eight days were fulfilled his name was called JESUS.
THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS
ADAPTED FROM THE BIBLE
And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood by them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you; ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace,
Good will toward men.
And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made
known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph
and the babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made
known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this
child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken
unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings,
pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned glorifying
and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen,
even as it was spoken unto them.
And when eight days were fulfilled his name was called JESUS.
Free Children's Christmas Story, The Christmas Masquerade By Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Captivate your children this Christmas holiday with some of the most enchanting
Christmas stories for children of all ages for FREE. Here at Christmas Holiday
Galore, you will find Christmas stories from the most well loved storytellers
of all time.Calm children's anticipation on Christmas Eve and throughout the holidays
with a wonderful tale or two and add to the excitement and wonderment of the season
while doing so!They are all in HTML format with a PDF link attached to it so you can
either read them online or you could just print the PDF and make your own Christmas
story collection for future use. Also, a home-made Christmas story collection,with
your unique personal touch could also make the ideal gift for children in your
family and save you money!
THE CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE By MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN
From "The Pot of Gold"
There were gorgeous carpets laid from the door to the street, and carriages were constantly arriving and fresh guests tripping over them. They were all children. The Mayor was giving a Christmas Masquerade tonight to all the children in the city, the poor as well as the rich. The preparation for this ball had been making an immense sensation for the last three months. Placards had been up in the most conspicuous points in the city, and all the daily newspapers had at least a column devoted to it, headed with "THE MAYOR'S CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE," in very large letters.
The Mayor had promised to defray the expenses of all the poor children whose parents were unable to do so, and the bills for their costumes were directed to be sent in to him.
Free Children's Christmas story, The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen
Captivate your children this Christmas holiday with some of the most enchanting Christmas stories for children of all ages for FREE. Here at Christmas Holiday Galore, you will find Christmas stories from the most well loved storytellers of all time.Calm children's anticipation on Christmas Eve with a wonderful tale or two and add to the excitement and wonderment of the season while doing so!They are all in HTML format with a PDF link attached to it so you can either read them online or you could just print the PDF and make your own Christmas story collection for future use. Also, a home-made Christmas story collection,with your unique personal touch could also make the ideal gift for children in your family and save you money!
He did not think of the warm sun and of the fresh air; he did not care for the little cottage children that ran about and prattled when they were in the woods looking for wild strawberries. The children often came with a whole pitcher full of berries, or a long row of them threaded on a straw, and sat down near the young tree and said, "Oh, how pretty he is! what a nice little fir!" But this was what the Tree could not bear to hear.
At the end of a year he had shot up a good deal, and after another year he was another long bit taller; for with fir-trees one can always tell by the shoots how many years old they are.
"Oh, were I but such a high tree as the others are!" sighed he. "Then I should be able to spread out my branches, and with the tops to look into the wide world! Then would the birds build nests among my branches; and when there was a breeze, I could bend with as much stateliness as the others!"
Neither the sunbeams, nor the birds, nor the red clouds, which morning and evening sailed above them, gave the little Tree any pleasure.
In winter, when the snow lay glittering on the ground, a hare would often come leaping along, and jump right over the little Tree. Oh, that made him so angry! But two winters were past, and in the third the tree was so large that the hare was obliged to go round it. "To grow and grow, to get older and be tall," thought the Tree—"that, after all, is the most delightful thing in the world!"
THE FIR-TREE*
*Reprinted by permission of the Houghton-Mifflin Company.
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
Out in the woods stood a nice little Fir-tree. The place he had
was a very good one; the sun shone on him; as to fresh air, there was
enough of that, and round him grew many large-sized comrades, pines
as well as firs. But the little Fir wanted so very much to be a
grown-up tree.
He did not think of the warm sun and of the fresh air; he did not care for the little cottage children that ran about and prattled when they were in the woods looking for wild strawberries. The children often came with a whole pitcher full of berries, or a long row of them threaded on a straw, and sat down near the young tree and said, "Oh, how pretty he is! what a nice little fir!" But this was what the Tree could not bear to hear.
At the end of a year he had shot up a good deal, and after another year he was another long bit taller; for with fir-trees one can always tell by the shoots how many years old they are.
"Oh, were I but such a high tree as the others are!" sighed he. "Then I should be able to spread out my branches, and with the tops to look into the wide world! Then would the birds build nests among my branches; and when there was a breeze, I could bend with as much stateliness as the others!"
Neither the sunbeams, nor the birds, nor the red clouds, which morning and evening sailed above them, gave the little Tree any pleasure.
In winter, when the snow lay glittering on the ground, a hare would often come leaping along, and jump right over the little Tree. Oh, that made him so angry! But two winters were past, and in the third the tree was so large that the hare was obliged to go round it. "To grow and grow, to get older and be tall," thought the Tree—"that, after all, is the most delightful thing in the world!"
Sunday, 11 November 2012
How to make fruitcake (Christmas chocolate fruitcake)
CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE
Ingredients: 2 1/2 c Flour 1/4 c Cocoa 1 ts Baking soda 1 ts Salt 1 ts Cinnamon 1/4 ts Cloves ground 1/2 c Butter 1 c Dark brown sugar 3 lg Eggs 3 lg Bananas mashed well 1/4 c Dark molasses 1 ts Vanilla 2 tb Rum 2 c Mixed candied fruit 1 c Candied orange 1 c Candied cherries halved 1 c Chopped dates 1 c Raisins 1 1/2 c Semi-sweet chocolate MINI -chips 1/4 c Flour Grease 2 - 9x5 loaf pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper and butter top of waxed paper. In a large bowl sift and mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Thoroughly mix first 6 ingredients in bowl and set aside. Mix and flour to coat last 7 ingredients. Set aside. Thoroughly mix (but do not cream) butter and brown sugar. (processor is fine) Blend in eggs one at a time. Add bananas, molasses, vanilla, and rum. Mix well. Mix wet and dry ingredients. Stir in fruit and chocolate morsels. Put in prepared loaf pans. Bake in preheated 350?F oven for 50 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to bottom. Remove from pans and cool on rack. Cool 1/2 hour then put in plastic bag. Let rest one day before cutting. This is a low, dense, rich, moist cake and often has a dent on top and sometimes with a small crack. Please not that this cake cannot be tested for readiness as chocolate morsels are fluid when baking is complete. Please take care not to over bake.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Frosty the snowman gets caught picking his nose
How to make eggnog
two or a living room full of friends and family.Enjoy! Ingredients: 4 Eggs 3/4 c Sugar 1/4 ts Salt 1 qt Milk 2 ts Vanilla 1 c Whipping cream 1 c Rum (optional) Nutmeg Method: Beat eggs, sugar and the salt. Heat the milk until hot. Add 1 cup of the milk to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour egg-milk mixture into the rest of the milk. Cook over medium heat til light, thickened (about 5 minutes). Don't boil. Add vanilla. Put the pan in a pot of ice water. Stir until cool. Refrigerate. At serving time, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the eggnog. Stir in rum if desired. Makes 12 servings
Photo credit: Flickr/Izik
Friday, 9 November 2012
How to relieve toothache during the holidays
HOLIDAY HEALTH TIP:
The holidays can be one of the most inconvenient times for a nagging toothache. You may have neglected your teeth prior to the holidays, and just as you arrive at your ideal holiday destination, be caught off guard by it or it may rock up just when you are about to attend a social gathering. If you are unable to get to a dentist, here is a quick natural remedy. Bear in mind that this is only a temporary form of relief and you should get to a dentist as soon as possible.
The clove remedy:
Soak an ear bud or Q-tip in clove oil and apply to the affected tooth.This should provide some form of temporary relief if your tooth is not that badly decayed as cloves comprises eugenol Eugenol is a local anesthetic used by dental health care practitioners, especially during root canal procedures. Please be advised that an excess of clove oil could potentially be deemed as toxic. The easiest way for you to derive the Eugenol you need for this quick remedy is to place 5 cloves in some boiling water and gargle, or crush 5 cloves and add some olive oil to it. By Melanie Fourie
The clove remedy:
Soak an ear bud or Q-tip in clove oil and apply to the affected tooth.This should provide some form of temporary relief if your tooth is not that badly decayed as cloves comprises eugenol Eugenol is a local anesthetic used by dental health care practitioners, especially during root canal procedures. Please be advised that an excess of clove oil could potentially be deemed as toxic. The easiest way for you to derive the Eugenol you need for this quick remedy is to place 5 cloves in some boiling water and gargle, or crush 5 cloves and add some olive oil to it. By Melanie Fourie
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
How to make fudge with condensed milk
The Christmas holidays are a time for pure decadence. We throw caution to the wind and indulge in the most delectable treats. For those of you who love fudge and find it to be a bit pricey at the stores(they can be at this time of the year), here is a trusted conveniently quick and easy recipe for the most delicious ginger and pecan nut fudge.It makes approximately 30 pieces and is also an excellent GIFT IDEA! Also, it's so quick to make and is cooked in the microwave in just a few minutes.Enjoy and Happy Holidays
Ginger and pecan nut fudge recipe
 |
| Ginger and pecan nut fudge - This image is in the Public Domain |
125g butter
1 can condensed milk
400g sugar
125ml chopped pecan nuts
50ml preserved and sliced ginger
Method
You will need a big microwave-safe glass bowl. Mix the butter, sugar and condensed milk briskly. Place the mixture in the microwave on high for approximately 2 minutes and stir well with a wooden spoon. Turn the microwave on high for an additional 2 minutes and stir. Leave to stand for approximately 1 minute.
Add the ginger and the nuts and stir. Grease your favorite baking tin and pour the mixture in there. Allow the fudge to cool.Finally, cut into squares.
Recipe and text Copyright of Melanie Fourie Publications
Monday, 5 November 2012
It's the most wonderful time of the year - Andy Williams
Ho ho ho! Welcome to my Christmas Holiday corner. Gather around closely, as I prepare to take you on festive joy ride as we anticipate the most special holiday in the Christian calendar, CHRISTMAS!What better way to kick start this site but with a wonderful Christmas song. Relax , grab a mug of hot chocolate or eggnog and listen to this great Christmas classic 'It's the most wonderful time of the year' by the legendary Andy Williams; guaranteed to bring on that familiar Christmas glee and feeling.Enjoy!
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