Snapshots from a summer weekend...

Neon orange flats look great for summer!

Fresh fruit juices are a heathy choice for quenching summer thirst. Hubby had a thick blend of fresh mangoes while I opted for a refreshing melon smoothie:

A long walk and healthful juices... A little too goodie good? Look what we had for lunch: good old KFC!

                                              - Big Sis.

PS: Lil Sis be proud of me, I'm posting this blogpost from my iPhone! Using the Blogger App :-)

20 iPhone Tips & Tricks

Big sis recently made the transition from the Android phone following to the Apple phone club.

Although she’s owned an iPad amongst her several top of the range gadgets for a while, here are 20 tips I’ve collated for her.

Basic shortcuts

1.       When reading a page in Safari/checking emails/messaging, tap anywhere along the status bar at the top to quickly scroll to the head of that page.

2.       Switching between apps without closing your current one can be achieved by double clicking the home button. This brings up a bar indicating all the ‘open’ apps, in the order that they were last used. Swipe along to find the one you want.

3.       Changing the song playing/volume of your music can also be done in the way above. This option’s located at the very end of the ‘open’ apps bar.

4.       The Notifications Centre is much the same as that of Android. Just pull down the page.

5.       If you added your Facebook/Twitter account to your iPhone you can update your status directly from the notifications screen. Siri too does the job if you don’t want to type out your status.

Calls

6.       Use the On/Off button at the top to quickly send a call to voicemail if you’re unable to take a call and the ringing/vibrating’s getting embarrassing.

7.       Alternatively when receiving a call pull up the handset icon on the bottom right hand corner of the call to choose from the various options. I have a “Sorry I’m driving” message I use. This can be created under Settings->Phone->Reply with message.

8.       Redial your last number called by just pressing “Call” on the keypad. It rings the last number called.

9.       Favourites: Add your most dialled/messaged contacts to this list. This will allow for quicker access to them on your phonebook as well allowing their calls when you use the “Do not disturb” option. Add me to this list!

10.   Do not disturb: This turns off all phone calls/messages (except your listed Favourites), notifications. You can set a time for this e.g. bedtime.

Miscellaneous

11.   Spotlight search:  I use this a lot. It’s pretty much a search tool for the phone. If you swipe to the left, you end up with a search bar and pretty much searches everything for the word typed.

12.   Save battery: Turn off your Bluetooth, location services, 3G internet when not required, they use up lots of battery otherwise. The same goes for Push notifications under Settings->Mail. Keeping it manual means your emails are refreshed only when you refresh them yourself rather than automatically. I do keep my Push notifications on as I prefer it automatically updated. Turn off apps that are used for calls or music after use e.g. Skype as they drain the battery faster. The most obvious battery saver would be the screen brightness found under Settings->Brightness.

13.   Weather and time: Add the cities you’re interested in for both options. To save battery you can choose to turn your hourly weather off.

14.   Screenshot: To take picture of your current screen, press the Home and On/Off button together. The screen should flash and if not on silent you’ll hear the camera click.

15.   Rotation lock: To stop the screen orientation changing especially when lying down, double click the home button and to the left of the Music controls press the rotation icon.

16.   Download Google Maps and YouTube. iOS 6 removed these from their defaults you know you got to have them!

17.   Wallpaper: Settings-> Brightness & Wallpaper. Here you can customise your wallpaper and lock screen to a photo you like.

Privacy

18.   Passcode: Maybe not on your iPad but definitely recommend for your iPhone. No fancy swipe patterns just 4 numbers like a pin. For a complex password got to Settings->General->Simple Passcode to change it.

19.   Siri: Now if e.g. you’d rather not have your Facebook status updated without you knowing, go to Settings and disable Siri when in locked mode.

20.   To prevent certain apps accessing your information location, contacts, calendar, reminders and pictures, go to Settings-> Privacy.

Sending Big Sis an iMessage now J

Lil Sis x

                                                                                               

Eat Yourself Beautiful – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Ideas for Beautiful Skin & Hair (aka 'The Beauty Diet')

Advertising gurus take advantage of the narcissist in all of us and churn out new potions promising everlasting youth on a daily basis. Most carry hefty price tags and are only minimal on results. But the fountain of youth is closer and more affordable than you think; just open your fridge!

Good old watercress for example, can give a branded wrinkle cream a run for its money. A study conducted by the Watercress Alliance found consuming two cups of watercress daily can show a significant reduction in wrinkles in just two weeks.

Who ever said beauty comes from within definitely got it right. We are what we eat, and the better fuel you put in the better the results you can expect out of your body. Being inspired by the likes of Oprah and other health-promoting sites online, I’ve put together a list of ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner to create a more beautiful you. Let’s call it the ‘Beauty Diet’ shall we!

Breakfast

Green Tea – wake up your senses and kick off your metabolism for the day with a cup of green tea goodness. Green tea has been proven to have twice the antioxidant power of vitamin C, and regular consumption will make your skin glow.

Boiled egg – eating an egg on a daily basis is great for your hair. Eggs contain biotin which promotes cell growth, is rich in vitamin B12 to keep your locks nice and strong, and has a high level of protein to keep you energized throughout the day. Notice I say boiled eggs, not scrambled in dollops of butter :-)

Orange juice – wash it all down with the goodness of oranges. Vitamin C promotes collagen production (the good stuff all the expensive creams claim to have). Collagen keeps your skin looking fresh and youthful.

Lunch

Green Veges – you can literally eat yourself into a facelift with green veges like spinach, kale and swiss chard. Stir fry them, toss them into a salad, or make a juice. These powerhouses of beauty are full of beta-carotene (an excellent skin oxidant) and lutein. Lutein scavenges free radicals that come about from daily stress and pollution and cause aging.

Avocado – often given bad reviews for being ‘fatty’, avocado really is a ‘good guy’ when it comes to looking great. Packed with vitamins A, D, E and K, an avocado is nature’s own sunscreen, and hydrates and protects the skin from within. It is also full of heart-friendly fats to keep your pump running smoothly.

Sweet Potato – delicious, filling and full of vitamin E. Need I say more?

Virgin Organic Coconut Oil – For dessert, skip the sugar and have a spoonful of this instead. Coconut oil has long been known to be a wonderful skin and hair moisturizer, but consuming a little everyday will keep you hydrated from within. Jenifer Aniston swears by this routine.

Dinner

Oily Fish – salmon, mackerel, sardines. High in good fats, oily fish makes your skin glow with goodness.

Turkey – if you are not a fish fan, go for turkey instead. Low in fat, turkey meat is rich in zinc and selenium which act as antioxidants to increase immunity. 11 grams of turkey also has 75% of the daily recommended protein intake for an adult.

Carrots – carrots are rich in both alpha and beta carotenes. These easily convert to vitamin A which aids in new skin cell production. No wonder Bugs Bunny has managed to stay looking young all these decades!

Dark Chocolate – great news for you chocoholics! Dark chocolate is actually good for you (in moderation of course). When choosing chocolate the darker the better as dark chocolate has higher cacao content. Cacao is rich in phytochemicals called flavonols that protect the skin from free-radical damage that causes aging.

Snacks

Nuts – nuts keep you full and are packed with goodness. A handful of almonds and hazelnuts with cover your recommended daily intake of Vitamin E.

Fruits – grab a handful of berries such as blueberries and strawberries, or reach out for good old kiwi fruit. These fruits are packed with Vitamin C which aid in collagen production and keep capillaries healthy. Eat a few dried apricots, these are high in iron and improve skin tone. Reach out for tangerines; they are loaded with lutein, and excellent skin oxidant.

So stop splurging on the beauty shelves and invest in stocking your kitchen with the right ingredients instead.

-          Big Sis.

Kiwi Shawarmas Doodle

Lunch-time doodle on a paper napkin... 
A Kiwi bird lunching on a shawarma = Kiwi Shawarmas :-)

- Big Sis.

Nose Piercings

I’ve been scanning the Cannes 2013 images and can’t get enough of Sonam Kapoor and her gorgeous nose ring. Let’s face it, the girl is drop-dead gorgeous and really knows how to make heads turn. But this time round it was her nose that was doing all the talking. Her ‘jacket-sari’ was a demure ivory white and this went beautifully with all the drama that her nose ring caused. It might have looked tacky on any other outfit, but Sonam paired the piercing with the right attire and carried it off with grace (I also loved her feline eyeliner!).

Nose piercings have been around for centuries, and have steadily gained more nods from mainstream fashion over the past decade. It is safe to say nose piercings originated from the Indian subcontinent. They were a part of a religious ritual where young girls entering puberty got their noses pierced. It was also believed that piercing the left nostril increased a woman’s fertility and helped in childbirth.

There are many other myths associated with nose piercing. In Mughal India the story goes that a certain promiscuous young prince used to pick up young virgins for his sexual rendezvous’. He would not only take their virginity, but their nose rings as well and in time he had a collection of these to boast of.

Nose rings, or ‘nath’ as they are called in India, have been a part of Indian tradition for centuries. Brides of India still wear fancy nose rings on their special day.

Nose rings have now become a part of mainstream fashion dispelled of myths and traditions. Many celebrities sport nose piercings, either as a stud or a ring.

Alyssa Milano

Miley Cyrus

Pink

Sonakshi Sinha

Kareena Kapoor in '3 Idiots'

A nose stud is very similar to an ear stud, but the post is much thinner and it has no closing. Instead the end is hooked and you can adjust the bend according to your nose curvature.

A nose ring is much the same but the ring curves all the way round.

It can be quite challenging finding a nose ring that fits your nose given everybody’s nose curves differently. I looked all over for one but always ended up with ones that looked oddly larger than my nose, or wouldn’t fit into the nostril at all. I finally got a jeweler to make me a very fine 22 carat gold wire which I put through my piercing, and as gold is soft and malleable, I pinched it into shape and trimmed off the excess wire. Here’s a pic of my nose ring (sorry it’s not a great click, I just took it with my phone):

Are you still contemplating on getting your nose pierced? A nose ring can accentuate your look. Your nose is one of your most prominent facial features, and a little drama there can be very alluring. You can go for the classic sparkle of a tiny diamond stud, or add a touch of rebellious boho glam with a bold nose ring. Getting a nose piercing is not like getting a tattoo. If you don’t like the look, you can take it off at any stage and it will heal up with hardly any scarring in no time.

Once you do get your piercing done, have patience and let it heal completely before you decide to change your stud. Hygiene is extremely important as piercings of any kind can get easily infected. When I got mine, I went camping a few days later and ended up with an infection that swelled up into a hideous boil. A friend recommended I put salt (the regular kind you sprinkle on your chippies) on the infection, and it worked like a charm. The swelling went down within two days and I have no scars at all.

I got my nose pierced at a tattoo parlor in New Zealand. The lady used a shotgun and I didn’t feel a thing. I was told to rotate the stud from time to time to let it heal evenly.

A friend of mine got hers done in India in the traditional wire way. Her nose was directly pierced with a gold wire and the wire was left in her nose as a nose ring till it healed. She said it was painful, but she had no infections (this is the same friend who recommended the salt bath for my infection).

I still get many compliments on my nose ring. I personally prefer tiny studs or the very thin nose ring I am wearing right now. It’s subtle and goes with everything I wear. But I would love to try a Sonam inspired style sometime soon… for a special, planned out occasion ofcourse!

-          Big Sis.

How to be Happy - A Dozen Tips to Happiness

What is happiness?

Happiness is a state of mind, and we have more control over our emotions than we think. Sometimes its the little things that make it click, other times we need to get out of our comfort zone, take the rocky road and follow our dreams.

I have a collection of quotes I've been saving off the internet, and I hope you find these little gems as motivating as I did.







1. Happiness is Gratitude

Gratitude is being satisfied with what you already have and loving where you are right now.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Happiness is Sharing

 

What goes around comes around, do onto others as you'd like to be done to, karma... sharing is loving, and you have nothing to lose but gain a great deal of love and appreciation. It's the little things that count...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

3. Remember You Can't Make Everyone Happy

 

Don't lose yourself in making others happy. There will always be negative people who are not worth your time and effort. Put yourself first.

 

 

 



4. Surround Yourself With Positive People

 

 

5. Happiness Is Self-Love

 

Happiness is an attitude, it comes from within. Don't depend on others, your surroundings or materialistic things to give you inner peace.

 

 

 

6. Love Yourself

 

How can you expect others to love you if you don't love yourself? When you love yourself, it shows in your confidence, your optimism and your attitude towards life and to everyone around you. You are unique, be proud of being you!

 

 

 

 

7. Get Rid Of Negative Emotions

Hate, self-doubt, envy... these are major road-blocks on the path to happiness. Dispell the negativity. Life is not a competition, work hard for what you believe in, stay positive and count your blessings.



 8. Live In The Present

 

The present is a gift, that's why its called the 'present'! We all tend to dwell in the past and worry what the future holds, but if we live our 'here and now' to the fullest, we leave far less room for regret.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 9. Keep The Faith

 

Life is full of ups and downs. We wouldn't appreciate true happiness if there was no hardship and sorrow on the way. Expect rainy days, but never lose hope.

 

 

 



 

10. Take Chances

 

Life is full of surprises. Opportunity comes knocking when we least expect it, and taking a risk can be a gamble. Follow your heart and you might be amazed by the outcome. 





 

 

  

11. Indulge In Yourself

 

Money can't buy you happiness, but there are always little things that can make your day. A little me-time, getting lost in a great book, a relaxing massage session, a decadent cupcake... indulge in yourself, because you're worth it (as L'Oreal ads say!).

 

 

12. Fake It!

 

When you just don't feel peppy enough, its ok to fake it. Smile like you mean it, and you'll soon be fooling yourself into a happier you. Trust me, it really works. Choose to be happy!

 

 

 

 





 

Today I've done less typing and let the quotes speak for themselves. I wish all my readers all the happiness you can handle :-)

 

- Big Sis.