Tips to Minimize dryness in Eyes During Airplane Travel

Airplane travel often leaves your skin and eyes feeling dry. This is because the humidity in an aircraft cabin is usually less then 20 percent. The dry air may cause you some discomfort, but there is little risk to your health. Here's what you can do to minimize the dryness:

• Drink reasonable amounts of water and juices.

• Limit your consumption of alcohol, tea, coffee and caffeinated drinks. They cause you to lose fluids.

• Wear glasses instead of contact lenses.

• Apply a skin moisturizer

Simple Uses for your Old Stockings

Here are some ideas on how to squeeze out more uses from those old stockings.

• Wear on chilly nights to warm your legs.
• Since stockings are quite strong and elastics, use them to tie things together.
• Convert into cleaning rags for delicate surface like glass or porcelain. Perfect also for buffing leather shoes or bags.
• Make into stuffing for dolls or pillows.
• Cut off a segment and use as a headband to keep hair in place while you're doing house chores.
• Put one stocking over the other, then use as a basket to store garlic, onions or small fruits.
• Weave several stockings together into floor mats or macrame flowerpot holders.
• Put mothballs in a stocking to keep them from rolling around the closet.
• Roll a stocking to keep them from rolling around the closet.
• Roll a stocking around a sturdy stick - now you have something to sweep hard to reach areas or the toilet bowl.
• Patch up the hole of your window screen with a selection of stocking.

Insurance 101: Check Background of Both Company and Insurance Agent

Scout for financially stable company that will still be in existence when your child enters college, for example. Due to downtrend in investment yields, most companies recently became hard pressed to meet future obligations, leading to a local pre-need crisis that happened in 2005.

Also, avoid agent who is more concerned with making a sale rather than looking after your benefits and needs. if an agent comes to you pushing a product without even knowing what you really need, stay away from him.

TIP: Compare products and companies to get good value, but premium cost should not be your sole barometer. A more stable insurer will usually charge a higher premium.

To know the financial strength of a company, check independent rating agencies like Moody's Standard and Poor's at standardandpoors.com.

To know if your agent carries certain distinctions earned through classes or examinations, ask if they are registered financial planners or under Life Underwriting Training Council Fellow. Go also for those who have excellent record on after sales service.

On choosing between pre-need firms or insurance companies. Pre-need companies owned by large insurance companies would be very stable, as they are usually run by the same management teams and follow strict internal guidelines.

Insurance 101: Decide on the Type of Insurance Product Based on Accounted Need

A lot of insurance products are out there, with varying modes and periods of payment and premiums. But the two basic types of insurance you need to understand are term insurance and cash value.

Term Insurance: Here, you pay for the coverage on a specified time, and if you die within that time, your survivors get the benefits. Term policies do not build cash values, but there are types like a term convertible policy, which can be changed to whole life policy without a physical exam and is a good option for individuals who are aged 40 and below.

Cash Value. Aside from receiving the death benefit, the cash value is redeemable. Most common types are whole life or universal life.

• Whole Life: A life insurance policy that keeps you covered until your death as long as you keep paying the premium. The premium you pay will be greater than the term policy if you are still young, but decreases as you grow older, and goes directly to the cash value of your policy. You can borrow against your cash value, which is tax deferred and grows at a fixed rate.
• Universal Life: The amount of your premium, which you could vary from month to month, is credited to your cash value. You can borrow partially without putting your coverage at risk, but if your premium payments fall too low, your policy may lapse.

TIP: If a family is young and income is not yet ideal, it is recommended that the breadwinner gets covered first by less expensive products such as whole life or term.

Annual premiums are always cheaper. Usually, single pay policies cost less in the sense that you have advanced all your payments. However, single pay policies, because of cost, can only buy small coverage.

On the contrary, whole life insurance cannot finance a child's education because earnings such as cash value and dividends are lower. But combined with an investment portfolio, there is assured cash for the continuation of the family's income and children's education if the insured dies or is permanently disabled.

Insurance 101: Calculate Your Family's need and Paying Capacity

Know first how much insurance coverage your family needs and can afford. Rather than looking for a product first, determining your need should be the priority. Buy something you can afford so paying modes and options can be aligned with budgetary concerns, because a lapsed insurance policy is a waste of good money. In short, if you don't pay the premium on time, you stand to forfeit your policy.

Ideally, coverage is the amount that will allow your dependents to still live the same lifestyle without touching the principal of your investment.

TIP: Get a calculator and compute your current annual household expenses, assets, debts and other sources of income. It's handy to have your checkbook, credit card statements, and last year's tax return around. You can also check with a financial advisor to assess your family's need and paying capacity.

Simple tips to Organize Your Kitchen

Be more efficient with meal preps with these tricks:

• Place dry goods including milk powder, flour and sugar in clear plastic containers so you'll know when supplies are dipping low.

• Clear the counter so you won't have to move stuff around while cooking.

• Stow away rarely used appliances in the gap between the cabinet top and ceiling.

• Pack and put away anything unused in the last six to 12 moths. Donate or give away anything untouched for more than a year.

• Invest in drawer dividers to organize items and locate them faster.

• Add a bookcase or dresser, wheeled cabinets or rolling metal racks for extra storage.

What Is So Special About Friday Masses

Ever wondered what’s so special about First Friday Masses? In the 17^th century, our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mart and made the following promises to those who would be devoted to the Sacred Heart.

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.
2. I will give them peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessing on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. The all powerful love of My Heart will grant t all those who shall receive communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour.
    

Simple Guideline to Follow to Reduce The Risk of Rape

1. Do not indicate that you will be home alone.

2. Do not give your name, address, or telephone to strangers or people who seem untrustworthy.

3. Use dead-bolt locks on outside doors and keep windows locked.

4. Change door locks when a house key is lost.

5. Use peephole in the door before opening the door. Do not open the door for a stranger.

6. Keep outside entrances to the house brightly lighted.

7. Have car keys in your hand when planning to drive a car.

8. Check the back seat and floor of the car before entering.

9. Drive with the car doors locked.

10. Learn self defense techniques to gain confidence and to defend against a possible assailant.

11. Carry a device for making a loud noise such as a whistle and use it at the first sign of danger.

12. Do not hitchhike.

13. Do not leave a party, shopping mall, or other place with a stranger.

10 Ways on How To Let go of Past Loves

Its not that easy letting go of someone you love. Plenty of people are having a hard time letting go of past loves and are still attached to the memory of a past romance. Come unstuck with these techniques and discover yourself - happy and free. If you are stuck in an emotional tie that no longer serves you, it's time to set yourself free. Here are 10 fool proof ways to enjoy the present and release your past.

1. Get real about what was. According to pop psychologists, we are most magnetically attracted to people who embody the characteristics of our parents or early caretakers because we unwittingly seek in a partner someone who will re-open our childhood wounds. Our adult selves can finally heal those wounds, but the more negative those characteristics are(from critical and controlling to charmingly irresponsible) the more intense the attraction we feel.

We can get relief from out nostalgia for a past love by remembering that the intensity of the memory does not necessarily mean the relationship was best for us. Remember, what fueled the attraction may not have been love, but your soul's desire to heal the past.

2. Forget the merge-urge. Subliminally, people in love promise they will meet all of each others needs while having none of their own. This is why we long for the feeling of fullness again, of merged egos. But then it was an illusion and temporary and, in reality, it was not love. Had the relationship continued, you would have seen boundaries snap back in place, for no one would have made you feel that high forever.

3. Are you romanticizing? The persistence of a romanticized memory contains an addictive element but the element is not in the former relationship - it's in you. So toss out your rose colored glasses. Chances are you are romanticizing weaknesses as strengths. Was he self employed because of his independence or his inability to accept authority? A realistic assessment is empowering. Keep a cheat sheet of unflattering truths and refer to it when you slip into dewy daydreams. It is easier to let go of a human then a hero.

4. There's no such thing as "one and only". Repeat this 20 times. Ask yourself whether deep down you believe that remembering the relationship preserves it in some way. Write a new belief code, such as: "I have never left a relationship that would have made me happier than i am now." Don't mythologize as "one and only" someone who actually might have been unremarkable.

5. This is me -- free! Visualize yourself saying to a friend, "oh my gosh, I haven't thought about x-mas in years!" Absorb how fantastic you'll feel, how happy and energized, and say thank you for that. Remember that visualization is not about vision. It's about what you feel when you envision. Feel your freedom and cement it with gratitude.

6. Bury the memories. Your brain believes your body, sort of a reverse of the placebo effect. You begin to feel free of the past when you act free of the past! don't talk about the old relationship, don't note anniversaries, or send mental messages.

7. Turn to creativity. One of the best balms for emotional wounds is creativity, which is different from staying busy. Doing something creative, whether it is writing, drawing, composing lyrics, changing your hairstyle, planting garden, thinking of a great gift, or redecorating a room, connects you to yourself and a power greater than yourself.

And creativity is deeply engaging. It fills you from the inside out.

8. Be grateful. Swap longing reverie for gratitude. Be thankful for your blessings, for the good things in your life. This will help you from dismiss what you no longer have.

9. Exercise to exorcise the "ex". Go to the gym regularly, or go for a fun run. Regular exercise keeps your endorphin levels high and keeps you from falling into melancholy memories.

10. Shut the door on the uninvited guest. Do thoughts of a past love pop up at unexpected times? Respond to such thoughts as you would to a neighbor or acquaintance who drops by without calling first. Do a mental yawn and look for the nearest "exit".

Is the Guy You're Seeing Mr. Wrong?

Here's a nice article for ladies out their are having second thoughts about the guy they are dating. Do you have a feeling that the guy you're dating might be more of a dud then a stud? Take a look at some telltale signs.

• He is selfish. If the word compromise is alien to your man's consciousness, chances are he's only thinking of himself. Healthy men know how to make compromises, relationship experts say.

• He doesn't appreciate you. The guy you're dating should not only appreciate you but also respect you, your friends and family.

• He has no drive. Does your guy spend more time on gimiks with his buddies or watching TV than anything else? If he's busy doing things that don't take his life to new places, he might be a dud.

• He doesn't show emotion. To be in a healthy relationship, both parties need to be open and honest about their vulnerabilities - and not be afraid to show their emotions. If you find that you're giving more emotionally to the relationship than he is, it might be time to move on.

• He doesn't have a good relationship with his mother. If a guy's relationship with his mother is constantly strained, it's not a good sign for your relationship. He does not have to be a mama's boy but a guy - at any age - must have a loving and healthy relationship with his mother.

• He has no friends. Not having many friends, or having friends that are rude, is a sign that he's not easy to get along with. And men who are not easy to get along with must not impose themselves on women who seek a loving relationship.

• He makes you feel bad about yourself. Why would you want to be around someone who doesn't make you feel happy, successful and fulfilled? If he doesn't listen to you and constant;y puts you down, it's a sign of trouble.

• He's untrustworthy. if you are unable to trust your partner, you will spend countless time and energy wondering about his capacity to be honest and straightforward about your relationship.

Simple Tips To Help You Improve Your Relationship With Your In-Laws

Having problems with your relationship with your in laws? here are some tips to help you improve it:

• Be realistic. You have to accept that if there is anything you don't like about your in laws behavior, you cannot change it. Only they can change it. But you can change how you react to their behavior. So focus on your part and accept them as they are.

• Understand the deeper issues. You might think you just don't mesh well with each other, but sometimes there may be deeper reasons why you and your in laws cannot seem to get close. For example, your in laws coldness toward you could be because they feel threatened losing their son or daughter to you. Try to understand where they are coming from and bridge the gap.

• Make an effort to get to know you in laws better. It might be initially awkward to do this but it will get easier as time goes on. Invite them to lunch or call them. Get to know the persons behind the facade they present to you.

• Stay out of fights between your spouse and his family. As much as possible, let your spouse handle any difficult subject or confrontation with his or her family and relatives.

• Make you in laws feel welcome in your home. Treat them as valued members of the family, which they truly are, instead of inspector-generals, which is how you might feel. Your warmth and hospitality will rub off on them and improve your relationship.
  

Knowing The Colors That Match Your Personality

Colors make a fashion statement, people a drawn to the colors that flatter their figure and complexion, especially the women. The color people usually choose to wear is the image they want to project. Lets find out what fashion statement you're making with the colors you wear on an everyday basis and what the color of your clothing says about your personality.

• BLACK: Conservative yet sexy, black is versatile. Wearing black clothing makes you appear slimmer, giving your self-esteem a turbo boost.

• PINK: Traditional and charming, pink is feminine all the way. A pink and black combo is trendy twosome for women who like to add mystery to their otherwise girly image.

• RED: Bold and vibrant, red attires make you the center of attention. Red portrays the adventurous side that's undeniable.

• BLUE: Fun-loving and free, blue clothing attracts independent people who are comfortable in their skin.

• ORANGE: Extroverted and gutsy, orange means you like to stand out in a crowd. Never taking life for granted, you enjoy new challenges and have a tendency to come out on top.

• YELLOW: Always the optimist, you're athletic and outdoorsy. Yellow reflects a vibrant personality and great intuition.

• WHITE: Those who favor white prefer "safe" colors for a perfect. White can be a great accent for a deep, dark tan, adding sex appeal to the "colorless" color.

• GREEN: If you're hot on green, you're down to earth, natural beauty. While somewhat stubborn.
  

Should You Keep From Your Love One?

I saw a clippings at the library about relationships, and read an interesting topic, its a complicated one if you ask me, its about keeping secret from your partner. Its true when a man and woman marry, the two become one. So does that mean you cant keep secrets from your spouse anymore? Experts will say that even in marriage, people need boundaries and a certain amount of privacy. A wife doesn't automatically have the right to go through her husband's wallet or a husband to read his wife's emails unless permission has been granted. "The key is moderation," says therapist Terrence Real, the author of How Can I Get Through to You?(Scibner, 2002). "If a boundary is too firm, a couple can become detached and disengaged. If you set no boundaries at all, a couple becomes too enmeshed, which is unhealthy."

Be aware that privacy in marriage all comes down to an issue of trust. Since your relationship with your spouse is unique from any other couple's, only both of you can tell when it's a betrayal of trust to keep something secret or, inversely, to intrude another's privacy.

As a guideline, ask yourself the following questions when deciding when it's OK to keep a secret:

• Is this a harmless issue that i can keep to myself?
• Can I honestly justify why I'm withholding it from my partner?
• If my mate finds out about this, will it be a source of conflict?
• If my partner could see what I'm doing, would he or she be hurt or alarmed?

After you answer the questions and you're still in doubt( I know i was at first hahaha), chose openness. It's always better to come out clean than to withhold something to your partner. As one expert points out, the more that spouses need to keep private from each other, the more prone to instability the marriage will be.

Home Office Do's and Don'ts

If you intend to give up a real office to work at home. Here are tips for doing it right.

• Pick a conductive work area. Setting up shop in the bedroom or kitchen won't work. The best choice is a room with a door to serve exclusively as your home office, even if it's just a small storage space at the back of the house.

• Establish house rules. Set down office hours and a don't disturb if it's not an emergency policy, and have everyone observe it (or at least try to).

• Avoid distractions. Lock the door and wear earplugs if needed to drown out the sound of the TV set, the phone ringing or the doorbell chiming (unless it's the kids clubbing each other). The optimal time to work: between 12 midnight and 4 a.m.

• Dress up for work. Adopt your corporate routine - take a bath and put on proper office attire. Not bothering to change your duster will send the message that you're not taking your work seriously.
  

The Mindanao Toy Convention 2011 at Gaisano Mall Davao

The Mindanao Toy Convention this year 2011 was held at the Gaisano Mall Davao from May 2 to 8 2011. There was plenty of nice toys that were displayed some of it I'm not familiar with. Time really fly fast. Looking at all display I can only name a few I recognize. Here are some photos of the exhibit.

here we have Iron Man

Thor (I haven't seen the movie yet, I'll just wait till its available on DVD)

"Luke I am your father" Oh yes, ugly himself Darth Vader (Put your helmet back on dude your scaring the children hahahaha)

Silver Surfer

Captain America (I'm also waiting for his movie)

I'm not sure of his name I think its the Submariner

Of course the ever so popular Gundam

I know shes from the final fantasy, just can't seem to remember her name though (old age kicking in I think hahaha)

There is also some x-men characters like Phoenix and Rogue

Characters I don't know of, but manage to catch my attention

A Unique New York T-Shirt for my Brother

I have missed celebrating my brother Troy's birthday for years now. It's because his birthday always fall on the day of our company's retreat. I think its almost 10 years since the last time I have joined celebrating his birthday. So this time I'm planning to give him a special gift. I know it's the right time to give him a unique gift, since a week before his birthday celebration, he was promoted to a regular position in the bank he is working.

I tried looking some unique gift for him at the mall, but man, it's really hard trying to find one. I'm planning to give him a t shirt with a print of New York in it. It has been his dream to visit the place, especially the Statue of Liberty. Although I had found one, I'm hesitant to buy it, there would be plenty of people that would have the same design as his t shirt, because as I said I want it to be unique. So my last resort is to go online, and to my delight, I have found a great site that have plenty of new york t shirt. I'm sure he wouldn't find a single soul in our city that would have the same design of t shirt like his.

Money Management Secret of the Millionaire

Who doesn't want to be rich? of course almost all people want to be rich, me including. So how do we get rich? well its nice to know a thing or two from those who are rich themselves and to know their secret on how to be one. We might think millionaires have it lucky. Check out their answer below and find out some of their secrets:

• Start early to avoid financial pitfalls. Adrian Cartwood, 49, author of the blog, How to Make Million in 7 Years, lived frugally while building his technology related business. He said, "Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; there are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there."

• Believe that you can do it. According to Alan Corey, author of A Million Bucks by 30, who became a millionaire by investing in real estate, said that he read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires before he became one. "What I found was they all had an incredible self belief that they would be financially successful," he shared.

• Work Hard - and you'll get lucky. Donald Trump attributes his success to hard work, explaining in his book, Think Like a Champion, "If your work pays off, which it most likely will, people might say you're just lucky. Maybe so, because you're lucky enough to have the brains to work hard!"