Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Salt painting is fun!
Looking for winter art and craft activities for kids ? Try raised salt painting. Vibrant colors when mixed with salt will make it interesting to paint. It is fun and kids will love this creative art. Kids mind imagine various beautiful things and it can be easily converted to piece of art with this salt painting.
What you need?
Watercolors or food colors
Droppers or paint brush
Cardboard, thick art paper
Salt (get cheap ones!)
White glue
How to paint salt? Painting salt is easy, fun and is creative work. Use cheap salt for painting work.
On the art paper ask child to make a design that
they love using pencil. Then using white glue let them mark over the pencil
design by slowly squeezing the glue. It can be thick or thin.
Once the basic design is done, tell them to
sprinkle salt over the white glue. Shake
the paper (canvas) and remove excess salt on a paper or bowl.
Next step is to use colors – if the water colors
are too concentrated and can be diluted using water – help child to dilute the
color.
Now, fun part for kids is, let them dip the dropper
into color liquids and drop the colors all over the salt design slowly. Another
way to pain the salt is use paint brush. Let them dip paint brush in colors and
slowly touch the wet brush tip on the salt. Tell them to mix colors and let
them choose the colors based on their imagination. Colors will travel on salt
and blend with each other. Within few minutes there will be a beautiful,
original painting by the child.
Once the glue completely dries, art will start
sparkling with vibrant colors!
Help kids to take photos of their beautiful salt painting. After few days paint can flake off. But the memory of fun painting and experience of learning new art should be with kids. Next time let them try some other new, creative art!
This thanksgiving try this delicious healthy recipe. Instead of fried foods, try this easy to prepare healthy veggie recipe that contains two of the most healthiest plants – Spinach and broccoli.
Both spinach and broccoli are rich with nutrients, vitamins and known to reduce cholesterol. Both have soluble fiber and rich source of iron and vitamin K. Kids does not like to eat broccoli or spinach because they feel both are tasteless. This recipe is a kid’s friendly recipe, can be served with bread rolls, and is good fit for the lunch box too.
What ingredients you need?
Finely chopped spinach – baby spinach or regular – 1 & 1/2 cup
Chopped broccoli florets – 1/2 cup
Carrot grated – 1/4 cup
Ginger grated – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
Green chilies chopped – 2
Chickpea flour or basin – 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Oats -1/2 cup
Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp (optional – one can replace this with cumin and asafetida)
Lemon juice – 1& 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt – to taste
Chopped cilantro – for garnishing
Preparation:
In a bowl add all the above ingredients , mix and knead. Then tightly squeeze till you get a nice ball or dough.
Make patties using your palms.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add very little oil (vegetable oil is preferred for kids)
Once the oil is heated, place the patties in the pan and cook them on medium flame. When patties turns golden brown on both sides remove them and place in a hot box.
Place the patties on plates, garnish with grated carrots, and chopped cilantro.
Serve patties with ketchup or green chutney.
For lunch box – place patties between the bread rolls along with little ketchup!
For many traveling is a nightmare as they feel sick while traveling. Whether the traveling short or long distance, it could lead to tiredness, nausea and vomiting. Most time bus, flight, car or boat – any of these travel means cause health issues in people whose body is sensitive for traveling. Motion sickness is disturbance in the inner ear. Continuous motion while sitting in a seat (or vehicle) disturbs the inner ear. It results in sense of wooziness and sensory organs get mixed messages to brain causing nausea and dizziness. There are many remedies for motion sickness one can try before stepping out for travel.
Try these remedies:
Eat less two hours before traveling. Don’t fill your stomach too much as traveling causes nausea and vomiting.
Drink lemonade: Prepare lemonade at home with lemon juice, sugar or honey. If allowed carry lemonade with you in a bottle. It reduces nausea symptoms.
Chew clove: Clove helps in controlling spasms and nausea. It also relieves lurching feeling. Keep one or two cloves in mouth and chew them. If you know you are going to get sick before traveling, get ready with clove in mouth and carry some more with you. It reduces the symptoms.
Ginger: Ginger is very effective remedy for nausea and vomiting. It reduces dizziness, nausea and brings back stomach inflammation. It helps to reduce intestinal contractions by neutralizing stomach or digestive acids. It prevents the sickness. Before beginning journey eat half an inch ginger with little jaggery or honey. Carry ginger pieces or ginger powder with you. You can add powder to warm water and a spoon of honey (if available) and drink. Ginger candies are also helpful. Carry a bottle of ginger candies with you.
Drink water: Carry a bottle of water and drink water to avoid dehydration in case you get sick.
Another recipe is, for ¼ tsp of nutmeg powder, add 1 tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp of peppermint leave (dried) and mix with ¼ cup sesame or olive oil. Mix well and massage this mix on stomach, wrists, feet and forehead. Keep this mix while traveling with kids, as kids get motion sick very easy than adults.
Chamomile tea: It helps to soothe stomach and relaxes body muscles. Drink one or two cups before your trip and if you get chamomile tea bag, carry few in your bag.
Citrus fruit peels: Carry citrus fruits (lemon, orange, tangerine) fresh peels in a bag. Keep smelling them in between to get relief from nausea.
Suck ice cubes: If you find ice cubes while traveling, keep few in a bottle and suck them to avoid dizziness and queasy feeling.
Acupressure for wrists: Slowly apply pressure on your wrists. Place the index, middle and ring fingers of opposite hand on the inside of your wrist, starting under the crease for about five seconds. This therapy reduces headache and nausea.
Beetle nut: Chew little beetle nut before traveling and carry some with you. Chewing beetle nut reduces sickness sensation in mouth and stomach.
Orange candies: Chewing orange or citrus candies will help too. Buy a pack of candies and keep with you.
For many modes of travel might also can cause
sickness.
While traveling in bus or car: Do not read books or look at phone. Focus on horizon. Keep head still and let the air vent turn towards your face. If possible, sit in the front seat or behind driver seat.
Air traveling: Do not eat too much, ask for vegetarian or
vegan food. Try to sleep as much as possible. Request for a seat near the wing
area.
On boat: Ask for upper deck and front of ship. Keep your eyes focused on horizon. Avoid looking at water. Do not sit facing backwards from your travel direction.
Carry extra carry bags or brown bags in case of emergency – like while traveling if you cannot control vomiting, you must be able to throw up comfortably while sitting in your seat and before making a mess.
Apart from diabetes, cardiovascular disease is one of the
leading causes of death. Our heart health depends on our diet too. If there is
an imbalance in our diet then it could lead to heart conditions, particularly
blockage or clogging of arteries. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are
two main reasons for clogged arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that are
responsible for transportation of oxygen rich blood from heart to parts of the
body. Arteries are structurally elastic, flexible and are strong.
Atherosclerosis is development of waxy substance inside
arteries. This is also known as plaque. Plaque is combination of fat, calcium,
toxic metals, cellular waste and LDL (low density lipoprotein). In addition,
blood clotting fibrin will also accumulate. Plaque development is a slow
process and can start at young age and develop with age. When plaque builds up
inside artery blood flows slows or stops due to clogging. It is called ischemia
where less oxygen reaches cells.
Reason for clogging of arteries are: Diabetes, high BP, high
cholesterol, overweight, elevated triglyceride, lupus condition, stress
particularly Type A personality, arthritis, smoking and inactive lifestyle.
Clogging of arteries leads to cardiovascular conditions like
strokes, heart attacks or and, peripheral vascular disease. Cardiovascular
disease is also known as silent killer as many times there will not be any
symptoms related to disease. Once the condition advances then we might see
certain symptoms.
Symptoms of clogged arteries depends on type of arteries
that are clogged.
Coronary artery: Arteries in the heart when
clogged it is known as CHD or Coronary heart disease. Plaque that is developed
because of high cholesterol blocks and narrows the coronary arteries. The
pressure causes pain called angina and the pressure will reach from chest to
jaw, neck, shoulders, arms and back. Shortness of breath and heartbeat varies.
Renal arteries: A blockage in renal arteries
leads to chronic kidney disease. It interferes in kidney function. Loss of appetite,
tiredness, numbness, nausea, edema of hands and legs are common symptoms. If
not addressed, it leads high blood pressure and finally kidney failure.
Peripheral arteries: Blockage in peripheral
arteries of leg, pelvis and arms results in pain and numbness. It can cause
severe infection that could be dangerous.
Apart from medications, diet mainly helps
to get rid of the clogging. Include following foods in your diet to stop
clogging and to increase good cholesterol level.
Garlic: Including garlic in diet helps arteries. Garlic is known for its blood thinning character. It slows down plaque formation by bringing bad cholesterol level down. It reduces stroke and heart attack risk.
Turmeric: Curcumin in turmeric is good for cardiovascular health. It reduces LDL cholesterol and plaque. It prevents inflammation and damage of arteries.
Ginger: An anti-inflammatory herb, ginger prevents plaque formation. It helps in bringing down triglyceride level and reduces total cholesterol formation.
Vitamin C (lemon): Lemon juice helps to strengthen heart and arteries. It increases HDL and reduces inflammation. Drinking lemon juice water without sugar or salt in the morning is good for heart condition and for overall health.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon boosts metabolism and lowers sugar level in addition it also acts on LDL cholesterol level. Including 2 to 3 grams of cinnamon in daily diet reduces cardiovascular disease risks.
Flaxseed: Omega 3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) in flaxseed has positive benefit on heart health. It is also rich in fiber and helps arteries by preventing atherosclerosis.
Fenugreek: Soak 2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds at night and morning eat soaked seeds in empty stomach. Fenugreek seeds and leaves contain trigonelline which is an alkaloid that has positive effect on diabetes and heart health. It reduces sugar and plaque formation in arteries.
Pomegranate: Punicic acid in pomegranate reduces plaque. Magnesium and selenium slows down coronary artery disease. Drinking pomegranate juice reduces thickening of arteries.
Spinach and leafy vegetables: Fiber rich green leafy vegetables are good for heart health. They provide no calorie and make digestion easy with digestive fiber. Leafy vegetables are good for losing weight and are also nutrient rich foods that prevent cholesterol build up in body.
Blueberries: Highly recommended for reducing diabetes and cholesterol – blueberries contain vitamins, antioxidants and soluble fiber. Including blueberries in diet reduces heart attack risk and inflammation.
Red wine: Antioxidants and resveratrol in red wineare heart friendly. Red wined lowers LDL and improves blood circulation. Consuming just one glass wine everyday is good for heart.
If you have any symptoms explained above in the article,
contact your doctor and get test done. Following a proper and planned diet with
heart friendly foods will reduce the risk of heart conditions. We are what we
eat, make better choice for better health.
There is a false notion runs in people mind who go to gym
for fitness and body building. The thinking also is, yoga and bodybuilding has
little common. Truth is, both are connected and body building and yoga improve
body. Yoga helps body builders in many ways.
Yoga helps to understand body and its
limitations
It improves flexibility
Yoga helps to stay focused and achieve goal
Yoga releases body stress and anxiety
Yoga helps to improve the body posture.
People who work to build body regularly lift weights. Weightlifting can shorten muscle and tighter. Yoga is a remedy for this and counteracts to increase the flexibility and reduces the risk of injury. While handling various types of machines during training, body also undergoes stress and wrong alignment. Including yoga in fitness practice will help to improve body posture and keeps vital organs in check. Yoga practice every day for half an hour improves endurance and stamina. It gives stability and balance for muscles.
Following poses help body builders to shape muscles well,
gives stamina, flexibility and strengthen core and other muscles.
Plank pose: Simple yoga plank is a challenging pose, holding plank pose in as straight line is harder and needs practice. The posture helps strengthen the core, stretches body allowing muscles to adopt around the collar bones and shoulder as muscle builds around the area.
Side plank: It offers the same benefit as the straight plank. It works on the butt muscle and tones thigh muscle.
Plow pose: An advanced yoga pose, has rewarding benefits for body builders. Bringing legs over head and feet meeting the floor, moving arms on side will totally stretch muscles in back and shoulders. Plow pose helps to withstand strain on muscles. It reduces fatigue buy improving blood circulation.
Bird dog pose: A simple pose that improves stability of muscle and lower back. It strengthens the core. Extending hands and legs in this exercise strengthens biceps and forearms.
Down ward dog pose: To keep body energize, to strengthen arm, leg, hamstring, calves, reduces loss of bone density. In addition, it gives strength to wrists, low back, decreases back pain that might be existing because of weight lifting.
Cobra pose: Raising chest and head above the ground by pushing hands on the mat improves lungs functionality, opens chest and strengthens spine. Firmer shoulder and abdominal muscle can be achieved by cobra pose.
Child pose: Child pose is the relaxing pose for all yogis. So, it helps body builders to relax too. Any back pain that one might have will be reduced by practicing child pose.
For body builders, maintaining correct posture is very
critical to avoid body injury. Balancing, focusing and keeping good posture to
achieve the goal is possible by practicing these yoga poses. Achieving
flexibility of various muscles is a positive aspect of these poses. In
addition, yoga poses will bring awareness to both mind and body and, brings
harmony between two and makes body building more meaningful and achievable.
Amla, Indian gooseberry is rich with vitamin C and has several health benefits.
It is a seasonal fruit and not available in all seasons. Sometimes you might find the frozen fruits in in frozen vegetable section.
There are different ways to store amla for all seasons and can use it whenever you want.
Dry amla: Wash and cut amla into small pieces and remove seed. Sun dry these pieces till pieces lose water and green color. It becomes dark. Store in an airtight container and use it according to your need.
Amla powder: After drying amla, one can make powder. Powder can be added to curry in smaller amounts.
Dry amla with salt: Wash and cut amla into small pieces. Put in a vessel, add salt. Mix well. After a day or two remove amla and sun dry till the color changes by losing water. Store salted amla in airtight container. Use it to prepare amla rasam or yogurt based dishes.
Freeze cut amla: Wash and cut amla. Remove water and store in zip lock bags for long term use.
Amla pickle: Wash and cut amla. Put it in salt. Mix well and leave it for few days in dark area. In between keep mixing the content and make sure there is no fungal growth. Once you feel amla absorbed enough salt, then add necessary spices – chilli powder, asafetida, little more salt – Take enough oil and season with mustard. Mix well and store in air tight container.
Amla juice: Another way to use amla is extracting concentrated amla juice and store it in a bottle.
-To prepare amla concentration you need, fresh amla – about a kilo and double folded cloth.
Wash amla in clean water. Cut into small pieces and take out the seeds. Transfer amla pieces into a mixing jar or grinder and prepare a paste. Transfer the paste to double cloth and squeeze it tightly and extract the juice in a bowl. Keep pulp in a separate plate. Repeat the procedure of grinding and squeezing with rest of the amla. From one kilo amla you will be able to get 500 grams of juice. Refrigerate juice in a bottle. You should consume this concentrated juice in next 2-3 weeks. For longer term use, one can add sodium lactate preservative (1 tsp). If you don’t like to use preservative then prepare the amount as per your need and use it before fungus gets in the juice.
Amla juice to drink: Take 2 Tbsp concentratedamla juice and to this add 3 tsp honey, ¼ tsp cardamom powder, 2 tsp sugar, ¼ salt and ½ cup water. Mix well and serve. Best time to consume amla juice is morning hours.
You can add concentrated amla while preparing lemon rice. Instead of lemon juice, use amla juice.
Drink amla juice with little honey in the morning to boost immune system.
Add to henna and apply on hair for hair growth.
Mix with oil and massage on scalp for hair growth and to avoid early graying of hair
It is a good laxative –It is alkaline in nature once enters the body and flushes out all toxins. Add one tsp of amla juice to half a glass warm water and drink in morning.
Mix concentrated amla (one tsp) with little honey and consume to reduce mouth ulcers and it also helps in taste bud enhancement.
Regular consumption of amla juice helps in improving physical weakness
Vitamin C content makes it a good remedy cold.
Add 1 tbsp amla juice to 1 cup water and add little salt and consume it – this helps to reduce the belly fat and reduces cholesterol level.
Amla juice with aloe vera juice helps to reduce hair fall issues!
Mix little amla juice with olive oil and massage on face. It reduces pigmentation and gives a clear skin.
It is good for diabetes – mix amla juce with Indian blackberry (jamun) juice and bitter gourd (karela) juice and consume half a glass everyday (seek your doctor’s advice if needed).
Two tsp of amla juce with equal amount of honey consumed everyday helps in reducing cold and cough.
Mix 1 tsp amla juice with 1 tsp ginger juice and add little salt and ½ cup water. Drink this to get good appetite.
Amla is beneficial for many such reasons. Because of these reasons, it is one of the preferred medicinal herb in Ayurveda and for home remedies.
Nail polish remover contains acetone, that helps to clean
many stuffs around the house. Try these hacks that will save you time and
money.
Remove marker from wall: Damp paper towel or an old towel with nail polish remover and clean the marker from wall
Clean stains from floor: Add a cup of nail polish remover to half bucket water and clean laminate floor, tiles. Do not use on wooden floor as it will remove polish.
Remove permanent marker from DIY art works: It is hard to remover permanent market stains. Use nail polish remove to the job especially if you messed up DIY art work.
Remove superglue: Removing superglue is tough job. Just soak the are by putting little nail polish remover
Remove paint from windows: While painting the house, some paint can also go on windows. Use nail polish remover to wipe that extra paint.
Remove scuff from shoe: Everybody’s shoe will have scuff mark. Some are tough to remove. Take little remover and clean the scuff mark from shoe surface to get fresh look and you are ready to walk with clean pair of shoe!
Clean keyboard: Dip cotton ear bud (Q-tips) in remover and clean the keyboard scuff marks
Sanitize razors – remove gunk between razor blade: Immerse razor in nail polish remover. It removes all gunk sitting from days. Once gunk comes out, wash razor using warm water.
Sanitize cosmetic tools: Your cosmetic tools will have all sort of dirt and could be messed up. Use remover to clean the tools. It not only removes unwanted stuffs, also sanitizes tools. Afterwards rinse the tools in warm water and dry.
Use it to remove melted plastic from surfaces: It can happen – plastic can melt and sit on vessels. Apply remover and melted plastic will come out from surface.
Remove ink stain from hands: Even good pens can leek and stain can stick to hand. Use remover and get rid of stain
Remove temporary tattoos: Some temporary tattoos are hard to erase. Using a soft cloth apply nail polish remover on the area and wipe it. After removing tattoo clean the are using water.
To remove stickers from glass and plates: Those china plates, glass plates or vessels can have hard to remove stickers. Remove using nail polish remover, just apply it on sticker, leave it for couple of minutes and remove sticker. Don’t forget to rinse the vessel afterwards.
Revive your favorite nail polish: After a while, nail polish will start solidifying. To revive it, add little nail polish remover, shake it and you will have your favorite nail polish back!
Polish metal jewelry & silverware: Using cotton ball, apply nail polish remover on your metal jewelry and polish it. Jewelry gets back its shiny look. Use it on bangles, ear rings, necklace, ankle ring etc. You can also use it for deep cleaning of silverware.
PS: While using it wear glouse and
apply on surface using paper towel, cotton ball or old towels. Acetone can be
strong for some. If you have breathing problems avoid using nail polish remover
or wear protective mask.
Photo by John-Mark Smith from Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/casual-classic-clean-couple-267326/
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay , Image by Sven Klitsch from Pixabay, Image by ivabalk from Pixabay (All images are free for commercial use)
