Today is the last day of the school vacation. I was quite busy today. I began cooking early in the morning for my children's lunch as my hubby and I had to attend a wedding reception. We went there around 11.30. It was really hot today. My sis in law and I were supposed to welcome the guests but instead we became the guests. After the eating session ended, we went to our car. Unfortunately our car was blocked by two cars. We had to wait for about 15 to 20 minutes for the owners to move their cars. Some people were really inconsiderate for the others. They should know that they were blocking other people's car but instead they took their sweet time talking to their friends at the function. If not for my hubby, (he asked someone to announce the owner of the cars to move their car), we had to stay inside the car longer than what it should be.

Starting tomorrow, I will be very busy and I'm not sure I will be able to update my blog. I'll try my best to find some times to maintain this blog.

What's Your Birthday Colour

December 23rd - January 1st Red
January 2nd - January 11th Orange
January 12th - January 24th Yellow
January 25th - February 3 Pink
February 4th - February 8th Blue
February 9th - February 18th Green
February 19th - February 28th Brown
March1st - March 10th Aqua
March 11 - March 20th Lime
March 21 st Black
March 22 nd - March 31st Purple
April 1st - April 10th Navy
April 11th - April 20th Silver
April 21st - April 30th White
May 2nd - May 14th Blue
May 15th - May 24th Gold
May 25th - June 3rd Cream
June 4th - June13th Gray
June 14 - June 23rd Maroon
June 24th Gray
June 25 - July 4th Red
July 5th - July 14th Orange
July 15th - July 25 th Yellow
July 26th - August 4th Pink
August 5th - August 13th Blue
August 14th - August 23rd Green
August 24 - September 2nd Brown
September 3rd - September 12th Aqua
September 13th - September 22nd Lime
September 23rd Olive
September 24th - October 3rd Purple
October 4th - October 13th Navy
October 14th - October 23rd Silver
October 24 - November 11th White
November 12th - November 21st Gold
November 22nd - December 1st Cream December 2nd - December 11th Gray
December 12th - December 21st Maroon
December 22nd Teal

RED

Cute and lovable type, you are picky but always in love ...and liked to be loved. Fresh and cheerful, but can be "moody" at times. Capable with people, nice, soft, and that can love you for the way you are. Likes people that are easy to talk to, and can make you feel comfortable.
CREAM

Competitive and sportive. Don't like losing and always cheerful! You are trustworthy, and very out-going. You choose love carefully, and don't fall in love easily. But once you find the right one, you don't let go for a long long time.
TEAL

You are mostly interested in your looks. And have high standards in picking love. You think and make a solution precisely, and hardly make stupid mistakes. You like to lead, and is easy for you to make new friends.
GREY

You are attractive, and active. You never hide your feelings, and express everything that's inside. But can be selfish at times. You want to be noticed, and don't like to be treated unequally. You can brighten up people's day. You know what to say at the right time, and you have a good sense of humor.
GREEN

You get along well with new people. You are not really a shy person, but sometimes you can hurt people's feelings by your words... You like to be loved and noticed by your lover, but mostly you are single, waiting for the right person.
GOLD

You know what's right and what's wrong. You are cheerful and out going. It's hard for you to find the one you want, but once you find the right person, you won't be able to fall in love again for a long time.
PINK

You are always trying your best in everything, and like to help and care for other people. But you are not easily satisfied. You have negative thoughts, and you look for romantic love like in a fairytale.
YELLOW

You are sweet and innocent. Trusted by many people, and have a strong leadership towards relationships. You make good decision and make the right choice at the right time. And always dreaming of romantic relationship.
MAROON

You are intelligent, and know what's right. You like to take things go your way, which can sometimes cause trouble or not thinking about other people's feelings. But you are patient when it comes to love... Once you get a hold of the right person, it's hard for you to find a better love.
ORANGE

You are responsible for your own actions, and you know how to treat people. You always have goals to reach, and are competitive. When it comes to friendship, you find it hard to trust someone, but once you find the right friend, you trust them for ever.
PURPLE

You are mysterious, never selfish and get interested in things easily. Your day can be sad or happy depending on your mood. You are popular between friends but you can act stupid at times, and forget things easily. You go for person that's trustworthy.
LIME

You are calm, but easily stressed out. You get jealous easily, and complain over little things. You can't get stuck into one thing, but you have a capable personality for everyone to trust you and like you.
SILVER

You are imaginative and shy, but you like trying new things. You like to challenge yourself. You learn things easily, and like "Hard to get". Your love life is normally hard and confusing.
WHITE

You dream and have goals in your life. You get jealous easily and you don't react to things easily. You are different and sometimes thought highly by others.
OLIVE

You are warm and light hearted. You seem to flow well with friends and family. You don't like violence and know what's right. You are kind and cheerful, but don't envy other people easily.
BROWN

You are active and sportive. It's hard for other people to become close with you, but you fall in love easily. But once you find out you can't get something, you give up and let go easily as well.
BLUE

You have low self-esteem, and very picky. You are artistic and like to fall in love, but you let your love pass by, by loving with your mind, not your heart.
NAVY

You are attractive, and love your life. You have a strong feeling towards everything. And very easily distracted. Once you get angry at someone, it's hard for you to forgive them.
AQUA

Your feelings change suddenly and easily. You are always lonely, and like travelling. You are truthful, but listen and believe other people too easily. It's hard to find love for you, and you get lost in love easily. Sometimes you get hurt by love.
BLACK

You are challenging, and have the "guts". But you don't like changes in your life. And once you make a decision, you keep it that way for a long time. Your love life is also challenging, and different.

I Know the Answer Sir!

While visiting England, George Bush is invited to tea with the Queen. He asks her what her leadership philosophy is. She says that it is to surround herself with intelligent people.

Bush asks how she knows if they're intelligent.

"I do so by asking them the right questions," says the Queen. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Bush watches as the Queen phones Tony Blair and says, "Mr. Prime Minister, please answer this question: your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or sister. Who is it?"

Tony Blair responds, "It's me, ma'am."

"Correct. Thank you and good-bye, sir," says the Queen. She hangs up and says, "Did you get that, Mr. Bush?"

Bush nods: "Yes ma'am. Thanks a lot. I'll definitely be using that!"

Bush, upon returning to Washington, decides he'd better put the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the test. Bush summons Jesse Helms to the White House and says, "Senator Helms, I wonder if you can answer a question for me.

" "Why, of course, sir. What's on your mind?"

Bush poses the question: "Uhh, your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Helms hems and haws and finally asks, "Can I think about it and get back to you?"

Bush agrees, and Helms leaves. He immediately calls a meeting of other senior Republican senators, and they puzzle over the question for several hours, but nobody can come up with an answer. Finally, in desperation, Helms calls Colin Powell at the State Department and explains his problem.

"Now look here, son, your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Powell answers immediately, "It's me, of course."

Much relieved, Helms rushes back to the White House, finds George Bush, and exclaims, "I know the answer, sir! I know who it is! It's Colin Powell!"

And Bush replies in disgust, "Wrong, you dumb shit, it's Tony Blair!"


You can get more jokes from www.the-jokes.com

The Benefits of Stretching

From years of doing exercise such as jogging and hiking, I found stretching is essential before doing any form of exercise. Stretching is the deliberate lengthening of muscles in order to increase muscle flexibility and joint range of motion. Stretching activities are an important part of any exercise or rehabilitation program. They help warm the body up prior to activity thus decreasing the risk of injury as well as muscle soreness.

The benefits of stretching are many and have been proven through various studies over time. Stretching benefits people of all ages, and is intended for the young as well as the elderly population.

The Benefits of Stretching
According to the Mayo Clinic, the top five benefits of stretching include:

1. Increased flexibility and joint range of motion:Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Flexibility tends to diminish as you get older, but you can regain and maintain it.

2. Improved circulation: Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you've had any muscle injuries.

3. Better posture:Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.

4. Stress relief:Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress.

5. Enhanced coordination:Maintaining the full range-of-motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.

Proper Stretching Technique

It is essential to practice proper stretching techniques. Doing so will allow you to avoid any unnecessary injury. Tips to proper stretching technique include the following:
·

Warm up first

Stretching muscles when they're cold increases your risk of pulled muscles. Warm up by walking while gently pumping your arms, or do a favorite exercise at low intensity for five minutes.

· Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds

It takes time to lengthen tissues safely. Hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds — and up to 60 seconds for a really tight muscle or problem area. That can seem like a long time, so wear a watch or keep an eye on the clock to make sure you're holding your stretches long enough. For most of your muscle groups, if you hold the stretches for at least 30 seconds, you'll need to do each stretch only once.

· Don't bounce. Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears (microtears) in the muscle, which leave scar tissue as the muscle heals. The scar tissue tightens the muscle even further, making you even less flexible — and more prone to pain.

· Focus on a pain-free stretch

If you feel pain as you stretch, you've gone too far. Back off to the point where you don't feel any pain, then hold the stretch.

· Relax and breathe freely
Don't hold your breath while you're stretching

· Stretch both sides

Make sure your joint range of motion is as equal as possible on each side of your body

· Stretch before and after activity

Light stretching after your warm-up followed by a more thorough stretching regimen after your workout is your best bet

With your new-found knowledge of the proper techniques and benefits of stretching, it will be easy to incorporate this activity into your exercise/rehabilitation regimen. Here are a few good stretches to try:
· Low Back Stretches Three quick and easy exercises to stretch the lower muscles of your back.
· Morning Stretches Stretching in the morning is a great way to "waken" up your muscles, and get them ready for the day.
· Self Assisted Neck Stretches Stretches can be done with self assistance to obtain a more efficient stretch. Here you can learn how to perform self assisted stretches of the neck.
Although the benefits of stretching are many, is not for everyone. Conditions in which stretching should be avoided include:
· Acute Muscle Strains People who have suffered an acute muscle strain should avoid placing further stress on the muscle through stretching activities. The injured muscle should be given time to rest. Stretching muscle fibers in the acute period can result in further injury.
· Fractured Bones After breaking a bone, the fracture site needs time to heal. Stretching muscles that surround this injured area can place stress on the bone and prevent it from healing as well as further displace the break. Stretching a joint that surrounds a broken bone should never be done until cleared by your physician.
· Joint Sprains When you sprain your joint, you overstretch the ligaments that help stabilize the bones that form the joint. For this reason stretching early after a joint sprain should be avoided. As with fractures, these structures need time to heal and stretching too early in the injury will delay this process.

Happy Friendship Week

This is from my email today. It came from my 2 dear friends, Rahmah and Mid. I have to apologize to them as this email is incomplete. I couldnt upload tthe rose picture here, but will try again tomorrow. To all my friends out there, this one is for you.

Between Friends

Sometimes in life,

you find a special friend;

Someone who changes your life just by being part of it.

Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop;

Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world.

Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it.

This is Forever Friendship.

The sacred RED ROSE.

The Best Digital Camera

I went jogging at the Tutong Sport Complex's Track this morning with my hubby, my daughters, Erah and Ellie. Erah only did 3 rounds, Ellie 1 round with my hubby. He didnt do much running today as he has injured his ankle after playing football two weeks ago. I jogged for 10 rounds, which is equivalent to 4000 metres, I think. I wanted to go for 12 rounds but they had already waited for me in the car. So I had no choice, but to stop. Guess, what we did after that?. We went to one indian shop and we had 'roti kosong' for breakfast!! This food is high in cholestrol but yummy. I seldom eat this but since my daughter Ellie wanted to have this, so we all ate the same thing. Erah told me that it was just once in awhile. I planned to go jogging again tomorrow to 'clean up' the calories from the 'roti kosong' today.

Then we went to the city for lunch and went window shopping. We were browsing for the best digital camera. We planned to buy one, but not sure which brand, either a Canon or Nikon. I don't want to buy the compact one as it is difficult to focus distant objects. We are thinking of buying the SLR type, but they are expensive. The best one is usually expensive! Do you have any recommendations?

How Smart is Your Right Foot?

TRY THIS NOW! GOOD LUCK!

This is so funny that it will boggle your mind. And you will keep trying itat least 50 more times to see if you can outsmart your foot.
But you can't!!!

1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction!!!

I told you so... And there is nothing you can do about it.

Amazing Water Therapy

This Water Therapy is from my email inbox. It really caught my attention when I read the email. It seems that we don't need expensive medicine or supplement to be healthy after all.

It is believed that water can be beneficial to a person who has:

• Ophthalmic Hermorrhage & Opthalmia (Reddisheye)
• Irregular Menstruation
• Breast Cancer
• Laryngitis
• Headache
• Leukemia

Theraphy Procedure:

• Early morning, after getting up from bed, (without even brushing your teeth) drink 1.5 liters of water, i.e. 5 to 6 glasses. You may wash your face thereafter.
• Here it is very essential to note that nothing else, neither drinks nor solid food of any sort should be taken within 1 hour before and after drinking this 1.5 litres of water.
• If required, boiled and filtered water may be used for this purpose.
• It is difficult to drink this amount of water at one time, but you will get used to it gradually.
• Initially, while practicing you may drink four glasses and to balance two glasses after a gap of two minutes.
• You may find the necessity to urinate 2 to 3 times within an hour, but it will become normal after quite some time.

By Research and Experience:

The following diseases are observed to be cured with this therapy within the indicated days as below:

• Constipation - 1 day
• Acidity - 2 days
• Diabetes - 7 days
• Cancer - 4 weeks
• Pulminory TB - 3 months
• BP & Hypertension - 4 weeks

How Does Pure Water Act?

• Consuming ordinary drinking water by the right method purifies human body. It renders the colon more effective by forming new fresh blood, known in medical terms as "Haematopaises". That the mucousal folds of the colon and intestines are activated by this method, is an undisputed fact, just as the theory that new fresh blood is produced by the mucousal fold.
• If the colon is cleansed then the nutrients of the food taken several times a day will be absorbed and by the action of the mucousal folds they are turned into fresh blood. The blood is all important in curing ailments and restoring health and for this water should be consumed in a regular pattern.

My Photo Gallery

At last , this morning, I managed to get up early and went to Shahbandar Hill for my hiking/jogging. At first, getting up from the bed was hard, but thinking of how much I had eaten yesterday and missing the exercise session for 2 days forced me to get up but slowly. I took my digi cam with me because I wanted to take some photos of the area. It was really a long session today. Usually it only takes less than an hour to complete the trail, but today, it was over one hour. The reason was I took my time taking pictures of the hiking track. The weather was a bit cool because of the rain from last night.

I will not post the pictures here, but will post them on a page which I'm creating now. It will be my photo gallery of photos of Brunei from my perspective. I'm still uploading the pictures. Uploading pictures is very slow today, I'm not sure why this happened, probably there is something wrong with the internet connection.

Photos from the Picnic

I was frustrated when I wanted to transfer the file from my digi cam to my laptop. Most of the pictures that i took this morning were not there. I guessed I didn't save it after clicking the button. Another bad luck... Anywhere, here are just a few photos I would like to share with you.

Ellie and Me posing while playing kite.

This is Ellie playing with the sand with her toys. She loves to play here.

We were packing things ready to go home. My brother in law is seen on the trishaw with all the stuff from the picnic.

This is the eating session. The parents are still eating, while the kids are now relaxing, watching Tom and Jerry show from the portable DVD player that Ellie brought with her.

This is the view from the picnic area, windy and very peaceful.....

Spending time with family

I'm not sure whether to write a new post today. I'm so tired after having a family picnic today at 'our beach' (that's what we like to call it). The picnic place is just near our place, it's about a minute walk. It's become the family picnic area since my hubby and his brother in law cleared and cleaned the place.

Before I tell you about the picnic today, I want to share with you how I felt this morning. I had planned earlier to go jogging at the Sport Complex as yesterday we cancelled our weekly hiking at the Shahbandar Hill. I was already dressed up in my hiking clothing, but when we went downstairs, it looked like that a storm would hit our area. So we cancelled it and I went back to my laptop and continued surfing. I told myself that I would replace it by going jogging at a nearby jogging track, but that didnt happen too! Tomorrow I will definitely go to the Shahbandar Hill, if the weather permits though...

Yeah the picnic today.. The picnic was fun, lots of food...mmm..have to watch out my cholestrol level. I ate a lot of prawns ( my favourite seafood) which were grilled at the picnic site. I wanted to post some pictures here but my daughter has warned me earlier not to use the photos that we took today in my blog. She wanted to upload the photos in her blog. If anyone is interested to see them, the photos can be found in Erahdee blog. I will just upload a few photos here.

At the picnic, a few minor accidents happened. My daughter and my sis in law fell from the hammock while trying to lie down in there. Both of them are quite plump, so we all laughed when it happened. Then my youngest daughter fell off the ground from a trishaw while playing in it. She didn't cry though...a tough girl.. A few minutes after that, Sarah, my hubby's niece fell off from the swing. What an unlucky day it was. But it didnt stop there. The bad luck continued when we played kites. The kites were very beautiful. We had a bat shaped kite, a rainbow kite, a dragon shaped kite and the locally made kite. Most of the kites flew away uncontrollably because the wind was abit strong today. The biggest kite, that is the Dragon Kite flew away to the jungle nearby as the string broke due to the weight of the kite. Despite all the 'misfortune' we all had fun especially the children.

Cheap Trick

Been so busy at work these days that you can't seem to sleep well?

Wear a comfy pair of 100 percent cotton socks. Warming up your feet promotes dilation of blood vessels - the same thing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin does. Once your toes are toasty, you can slip off the socks

Should mothers be paid for housework and caring for their families?

A few days ago, while browsing through some newspapers, one headline caught my attention. It was about a Mom's job is worth over a hundred grand. According to the article, if mothers were to be paid for cooking, cleaning and caring for their families they could easily earn a six-figure salary.

In the survey, they found that the 10 most popular jobs performed by a stay-at-home mother would equate to a US$124,280 salary, including overtime, and almost US$75,000 for a working mother, in addition to her real salary.

The salary calculations were based on the top ten jobs mothers said they did at home and the hours they spent doing them each day. The numbers were then compared to the market value each job was worth.

The high salary calculations were due to lots of overtime hours. Stay-at-home moms reported over 90 hours in overtime while working moms claimed to put in 54.6 hours of overtime, on top of their paying jobs.

Hiking at Shahbandar Hills

This morning around 6.30 a.m my hubby and I left home for our exercise, that is hiking/jogging at our favourite place, the Shahbandar Hill. We go there three times a week and spend about one hour hiking/jogging. There are many trails found in that place, but usually we just take the nine- hill- trail. I love this form of exercise as it involves all parts of the body. I've been doing this since my little girl was 2 months old, and now she is 6. I found this exercise is good for my body and stamina. I can maintain my weight easily, I still weigh less than 50kg.

Since today is Thursday, most people go to work, they were not many people there. Therefore, there were a lot of monkeys on the trees and even on the ground. I was a little bit scared of these monkey as I visioned it climbing on my back. God! what would I do...Definitely I would scream and run up the hill. The monkeys at Shahbandar Hills are not afraid of people. They go near anybody who has foods in hands. I once saw, an old man surrounded by monkeys, like 30 plus of them, as he gave them nuts and crackers.

The place is very beautiful, especially in the morning. The only thing I don't like is the monkeys, too many hungry monkeys.

The Incredible Hulk

It's been awhile, I didnt watch any movies. I bought a few dvds but had not time sitting in front of the home theatre to watch the movies. I didnt even have time to watch my favourite tv series, the CSI. But today, my hubby took me and the kids out for lunch and went to the cinema to watch the Incredible Hulk. I had no idea what the movie would be like. I had watched the first Hulk movie and didnt like that and I thought this new one would be the same. But, after watching it, I think this movie is Incredible, from the directing to the performances from a first rate cast,a well paced action adventure with a soild story.The effects were outstanding, they pulled out an emotional range from the Hulk from anger to concern and caring.

New Breakthrough "Forced Money" System Just Released!

There's a "new" kind of website these days - one that "FORCES" MONEY into your pocket!

The days are now over where you were left with just "chance" on your side when it came to making MONEY on the Internet.

A brand new "technology" has been developed that makes websites pay you by "FORCE!"

Short of putting a gun to people's heads and making them take their money out of their wallets and pay you without choice, this new technology might as well be the exact same thing.

This breakthrough was developed by a New York Virtual Marketing Firm, and is taking the Web by storm!

Already some pretty famous names are taking note of this new "M0NEY making invention" that "forces" M0NEY out of the Internet directly into your bank account!

A spokesperson for the NYC firm boasted proudly:

"Imagine the Worldwide-Web as an ocean of M0NEY ... our new technology merely makes a way for YOU to be able to dig a big trench from that 'cash-sea' directly into your backyard!"

And that's obviously a pretty amazing feat to say the very least!

People get a webpage that's NOT ordinary by any means!

The webpage "captures" a huge segment of the daily visitors it receives and winds up upselling them repeatedly with a predictable conversion each and every time!

Plus, the webpage has a "built-in" device that allows it to generate "free traffic" without end!

So considering the fact that you get free traffic, along with a predictable and steady stream of sales conversions, you get a guaranteed source of endless income!

Additionally, the webpage you get already contains a PROVEN digital product that no online marketer can live without, and one that is delivered where all your orders are filled automatically by another firm on behalf of you, the webpage owner! (*And all at no costs!)

Not only that, but the webpage contains a video that makes further an irresistible offer so that people must surrender their contact information, and which also becomes a VAST double-optin list!

This list is maintained by yet another separate online firm on your behalf, and that has the HIGHEST track record for getting over 98% deliverability for follow-up emailings (the same that convert another 378% more sales for you!)

So in a nutshell you get:

o An amazing website!

o A website that converts sales automatically!

o A website that puts "forced" money directly into your pocket!

o A website that's run by another firm for you (at N0 charge!)

o A website that continues to promote for you over & over!

o A website that grows & cultivates a proven list!

o A website that functions automatically (so you never run it!)

o And a website that you get Free HOSTING for!

So as you can easily see you get the whole "Sha-Bang!"

Here are just a few examples of the successes people are having using this "Forced Money" breakthrough system:

---> "Lisa C." Got $44,047 In Just 97 Days

---> "Jay R." Got $102,033 In Just 32 Days

---> "Cal W." Got $317,951 In Just 17 Days

Without wasting another moment of your time, why not go to the new site that shows you how you can get this site for yourself (if you'd like) for next to nothing? ... ~~~>

http://eriylia.forcemoney.hop.clickbank.net/

*But I must warn you that they are only giving away a very limited number of these "forced money" websites that forcebly pour money into your pocket! - So please [for your sake] HURRY!

Benefits of Saunas

Recently, to be exact, last Thursday night, my family and my sister in laws and their families went to this new store. We had dinner there given by one of my sisters in law. After dinner we went window shopping in that building. There was this company giving 'free' screening on health, such as, blood pressure, BMI and BMR. Surprisingly, all of them in our group who took the test, were found not 'healthy'. Want to know what they were selling? They were selling this sauna machine which they claim can help to improve the quality of our health.

Can Saunas help in Weight Loss?

Saunas have been a popular tool for relaxation for a very long time. When saunas were first introduced, they were used primarily for relaxation of muscles and relieving the stress and tension that build up throughout life. As saunas became more and more popular and widespread, the people who used them regularly began to notice some very desirable side effects. Specifically, people began noticing weight loss as a result of using saunas.

Weight Loss – Myth or Fact

Many people are still incredulous about the reported weight loss through sauna use. However, the increased popularity of saunas all over the world cannot and does not lie. Studies have shown that frequent sauna use does indeed help in weight loss as the high temperature acts not only on the muscle tissue but also on the fatty tissues of the body.

Many people agree that saunas have indeed helped them with weight reduction. The question is how? It is not true that the heat of the sauna helps in melting fat. Saunas - natural or infrared - are unable to melt fat with the help of heat. What a sauna actually does is help the body get rid of its excess salt through sweating.

What does salt have to do with weight loss? Plenty – there are many medical reports which explain the connection of salt and gain of weight. This gain is not fat gain but water retention gain. When a person consumes excess salt, this is deposited under the skin and in order for it to stay non-toxic it will demand water. The more salt you collect under the skin, the more water your body will demand and retain.

The sauna helps you get rid of this extra salt and thereby gets you rid of the water weight that you have gained. If you want to maintain the weight loss you enjoy from visiting the sauna, you need to keep salt consumption to a minimum in your diet.

Hence, the sauna does indeed help you loose weight though not in the regular way of melting fat. The heat usually forces the body sweat out the excess salt and toxins and thereby reduced a great deal of your water weight. Combined with a healthy and salt free (or reduced salt) diet, you could enjoy the new found way of staying trim and healthy.

Those who have studied the effectiveness of saunas for weight loss have observed that side by side with the relaxation benefits of saunas, they do help with detoxification of the body and with weight loss, when used frequently. What could be a better combination? One takes a sauna for relaxation and relief from stress and ends up with weight loss and body detoxification.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Nutt

My Garden 3

These are some more photos of orchids in my garden. My daughter took the pictures yesterday morning. These orchids seldom produce flowers but since I added fertilisers for bouganvilla (not sure with the spelling though) almost all them now are producing flowers. The flowers last quite long and this attracts me to visit the garden everyday.

This one actually has a beautiful colour, but the photo is not very clear.

My New Blog

Today, I' ve created a new blog. It's about making money online. Since I started blog hopping, I found a number of ways making money online. I tried a few but until now, I have not recieved any cash or cheque yet LOL. Perhaps, it's because that I'm new to this and still learning. In the new site, a list of programmes or methods is included. You're all welcome to try the methods listed. I only have tried a few of them as I've been busy with my school work and housework. Now, that school break is on, I hope to try a few more. I'm not in any way an affiliate to the listed programmes in the new blog. You can access it by clicking the making money online on my navigation bar.

School Holidays

School holidays start today which means I will have my break too. The school vacation in Brunei will end on 29th June. I've been looking forward to this holiday since last month....yeah since my maid went back to her country with with lots of made up reasons. With her absence, I've been doing housework with the help of my beloved children and hubby. However, surprisingly, I don't feel stress out doing the housework even if I have to get up at 5 a.m to do the laundry and preparing breakfast and lunch for my family since I usually go to work before 7a.m and finish work at 3 p.m. I love doing these chores, I feel satisfied to be able to prepare everything for my family and to see how clean and tidy my house is, especially the kitchen. I even thought of quiting my job and be a full time housewife...The absence of my maid teaches my children to be independent and to do the housework. They clean the dishes after lunch and dinner and their bedrooms which they didnt do when the maid was around.

I planned to do some activities with my children this school break. We will take them fishing, shopping ( which my daughter Erah loves doing) and visitng relatives. My son and my daughter cant afford to do many activities as they will be sitting a big and important exam, which is the 'O' Level exam this October. As for me, I will try the new recipes that I found from the internet and that were given by my friends few months ago. I am thinking of baking different kinds of cheesecakes as my family loves eating them. However, I need to be careful with Erah as she is now a kind of overweight. She loves eating cakes and western foods and she often nags me to make lasagne and pancakes for her and I often tell her she needs to be dieting.

Tips to Stay Young n Happy Always :)

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them.. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him or her!

6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself. LIVE while you are alive.

7 Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

HEALTH TIPS

For those who have weight problems and do not have time to go to the gymn, here are some tips that I read from ediets.com. It is very important for us to have an ideal weight, apart from health reasons, it also helps to boost our self esteem.

.Burn Extra Calories: 10 Simple Steps!
1. When you first wake up, commit to 10 minutes of continuous exercise. Choose only three movements and perform each in succession without stopping for 10 minutes. For example, you can perform modified push-ups on Monday, followed by crunches for your abs followed by stationary lunges. On Tuesday, you can perform free-standing squats with hands on hips, double crunches for abs and close-grip modified push-ups (hands 3 inches apart) for your triceps. All in 10 minutes! Just take a quick breather when you need it.

2. Perform timed interval walking in your neighbourhood or at lunch. If it takes 10 minutes to walk to a certain destination near your office or in your neighbourhood, try to make it in 8 minutes. You can also do this first thing in the morning before work as well as on your lunch break.

3. If you have stairs in your home or in your work place, commit to taking the stairs a specific number of times. Tell yourself that you'll take the stairs six or eight times (no matter what).

4. While seated, perform some isometric exercise to help strengthen and tighten your muscles. For example, while in a seated position, simply contract the abdominals for 30 seconds while breathing naturally. You can also tighten and contract your legs for 60 seconds. Perform about three sets per area. You'll feel your muscles get tighter in just three weeks if you perform this a few times per week.

5. For about $15, you can invest in a pedometer. It's a small device you can carry that records the amount of miles you walk per day. Each week, simply try to add just a bit more to the mileage. For example, let's say you walk one mile total during the day in the normal course of activities. Simply try to make it two miles total the following week. Just make a game of it. You'll burn more calories.

6.Tired at night and just want to sit in front of the TV? Try this technique: Take periodic five-minute exercise breaks and perform some muscle-stimulating and calorie-burning exercise. For example, take five minutes and perform only ab crunches. Then, when it's time for another five-minute exercise break, perform modified push-ups for five minutes. Then for a final five-minute break, perform stationary lunges. Try to do as many as possible in five minutes and try to beat your amount of reps during each subsequent break. It won't seem daunting because it's only five minutes at a time, split over a 30 or 60-minute time frame. Instead of rest breaks, you'll take exercise breaks. You don't really need to watch that new commercial do you?

7. How about performing one exercise movement per day for 7 to 10 minutes? For example, Monday: free-standing squats for seven minutes. Tuesday: chair dips for seven minutes. Wednesday: crunches and hip lifts off the floor for seven minutes. Thursday: modified push-up for seven minutes. Friday: stationary lunges for seven minutes. It's quick, simple and teaches consistency.

8. Want things even simpler? Take the longest route every time you have to walk somewhere -- even if it's to a co-worker's office.

9. Double-up the stairs. Every time you take the stairs, simply take a double step or every other stair. It will be just like lunges and the Stairmaster combined. Great for the legs and butt.

10. Perform any of the above with your spouse or a friend. I'm sure you can find someone who is in the same situation. The support will give you more motivation and you just may find that you can create even more workout time for yourself.

Story Time: The Princess

Once upon a time there lived a king. The king had a beautiful daughter, the PRINCESS.

But there was a problem. Everything the princess touched would melt. No matter what; metal, wood, stone, Anything she touched would melt. Because of this, men were afraid of her. Nobody would dare marry her. The king despaired. What could he do to help his daughter? He consulted his wizards and magicians. One wizard told the king, 'If your daughter touches one thing that does not melt in her hands, she will be cured.' The king was overjoyed and came up with a plan next day, he held a competition. Any man that could bring his daughter an object that would not melt would marry her and inherit the king's wealth. THREE YOUNG PRINCES TOOK UP THE CHALLENGE.

The first brought a sword of the finest steel. But alas, when the princess touched it, it melted, and t he prince went away sadly.

The second prince brought diamonds. He thought diamonds are the hardest substance in the world and would not melt. But alas, once the princess touched them, they melted. He too was sent away disappointed.

The third prince approached. He told the princess, 'Put your hand in my pocket and feel what is in there.' The princess did as she was told, though she turned red. She felt something hard. She held it in her hand. And it did not melt!!!

The king was overjoyed. Everybody in the kingdom was overjoyed. And the third prince married the princess and they both lived happily ever after.

Question: What was in the prince's pants?



(Scroll down for the answer)






M&M's of course. They melt in your mouth, not in your hand. What were you thinking??

This article was an email sent by a good friend of mine. The tip given in this article really works. We've tried it with my youngest daughter who is six years old when she had cough and flu recently. She was able to sleep well till morning.

NEW USE FOR VICKS VAPORUB WOW!

I was raised, and raised my kids with Vicks. How come I never knew this? I can't wait for my next cough. Amazing ! READ IT ALL. It works 100 percent of the time, although the scientists at the Canada Research Council (who discovered it) aren't sure why. To stop night-time coughing in a child (or an adult, as we found out personally), put Vicks Vaporub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime and then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about five minutes, and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. This works 100 percent of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition, it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly. I heard the head of The Canada Research Council describe these findings by their scientists when they were investigating the effectiveness and usage of prescription cough medicines in children as compared to alternative therapies like acupressure. I just happened to tune in to a.m. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good due to the chemical make-up of these strong drugs, so I listened. It was found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime and in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly. My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100 percent! She said it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her. The coughing stopped in a few minutes, and believe me, this was a deep (incredibly annoying - every few seconds!), uncontrollable cough, and she slept cough-free for hours every night she used it. If you end up sick, try it yourself and you will be absolutely amazed at the effect.

Tips for Students

Tips for Tests and Studying
by Vinakro

Everyone has to do tests and exams sometime in their lives, it's an unavoidable thing. The following tips for studying before the test, and tips for during the test will definitely help you improve your marks.

1. Study over time - People tend to not worry about tests and assignments until the night before, in which they go crazy and try to cram everything into their heads. This doesn't work. When you learn something important, study a bit and revise on it every day. It could be just a few minutes, but it really helps.
2. Sleep - Always get good a good rest a few days before the test. 8-10 hours is normally pretty good. Sleeping gives back energy, and gives you focus. Sleeping 2 hours before a test will really affect your marks.
3. Don't eat heavy before a test - Don't eat large amount of foods before a test, as that takes blood and energy. After eating a lot, people tend to feel lazy and tired, which isn't good during a test.
4. Make sure you have all your equipment - Spend time before a test to check you have all your equipment needed for a test (Papers, pen etc). This may seem stupid, but when you come to a test without anything to write with, you will feel really bad. Trust me, this happens.
5. Try not to cheat - In a test, if you try to cheat (ie looking at someone else's answers), it really isn't good for you. If someone catches you, you may get marks deducted or even get failed automatically. Then if their answers are different, you start feeling uneasy; who's correct? You or them?
6. Read the test first - You should always spend some time at the beginning of the test to look over the questions, make notes etc. This will help, as if you blaze through, you may miss out something or make a vital mistake.
7. Don't do something blind - Don't answer questions as quick as you can; think over it first. If it's multiple choice, read the question carefully and consider the answers. Eliminate any obvious answers you know are wrong. Then consider the remaining ones, and guess only if you have to. If it's an essay, think of what you are going to write first, write a quick plan/draft if you can. Then get to the point; don't write anything unnecessary. The length of an essay doesn't mean anything.
8. Proof-read - After you have done everything, make sure you check your test. You never know when you missed a question, or made a spelling or grammar error. Simple mistakes may cost you a lot of marks.
9. Be confident - This is VERY important. You have to be confident in yourself, and not be anxious. If you are nervous, you may make mistakes, or waste time. Believe in yourself, find a good place to do the test, and be confident that you can do it. If you keep thinking that you'll fail, you tend to do worse.
10. Tips for studying - Studying is very important, and how people study varies. A few tips for studying:
Make a study plan -Plan out when/what you will study, and for how long.
Resources - Guides, practice books, information on your test topic etc will always benefit you.
Work with others - Although this isn't something you should do 100% of the time when studying, it helps. Study with friends; test each other, give opinions etc. Study with tutors; they correct your mistakes, and help you focus.
Study during differing times - Study during all kind of times; in the morning, during the day and night. Studying at the same time everyday will cause repetition and you will begin losing focus during that point of time, so keep it fresh.

Today's Menu: Sunday

Today I cooked 3 dishes for lunch. Two dishes are using belacan (shrimp paste)as one of the ingredients. The belacan is locally made that I bought from my sister's friend.

Sotong Masak Sambal ( Cuttlefish in Shrimp Paste)Ingredients:

Cuttlefish

Shallots

Garlic

Shrimp Paste

Dried Chillies

Oyster Sauce

Tamarind Sauce

Tomatoes

Green Chillies

Udang Tomato: Prawn in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• Garlic
• Shallots
• Ginger
• Oyster Sauce
• Tomato Sauce
• Chilli Sauce

Kankong Masak Sambal Belacan

My Garden 2