Surprise Your Girlfriend

While the flower is no longer practical, what to choose as the present for the special day is a big question for the boys. Chanel perfume, necklace and ladies bag have their own merits. Nowadays, one pair of shoes can be a great gift. For example, someone takes a pair of MBT shoes as the present to his girlfriend who is full of life. And the effect is satisfactory.

Flower is fantastic, but not necessarily practical. The obstacle in penetrating girls' thoughts is due to the reason that the girls' minds are always varying. Everyday can be an unusual day when you pick gifts for her if your girlfriend want it to be, such as the Valentine's Day, the Christmas Day, girlfrend's birthday, even the most ordinary day. Selecting a gift with meaningful contents and deep connotation is a big headached. But the girlfriend's angry is very terrible. The boys by all means come up with ideas to send a significant gift to their own girlfriends. Which would be the best one, Chanel perfume, necklace or ladies bags? Chanel perfume is too pricey to obtain for the not rich boys. On the other hand, if you are a sort of person who is never short of money, the perfume is the perfect one, it can convey the information of your love to your girlfriend, and reflect your promise to her, for she will see you really splurge on her. One can easily find the necklace or a finger ring has a vague meaning. It can help you send a message of your inside feelings to her, but it is confined to the special occasion like proposal. Ladies bags are the first choices, in girl's world, bags never seems to be enough. The topic of bags can never come to an end. You can do well enough with the present which is prepared for your girlfriend by sending diverse bags. Now, one pair of shoes can be a great present. For instance, someone takes a pair of MBT shoes as the gift to his girlfriend who is energetic. And the effect is satisfactory.

Interestingly, a pair of shoes also can be the gift. It is a "reasonable, and unexpected things." It can unconditionally turn out to be a surprise, which can win your girlfriend's heart. Moreover, it costs a little. I think that the great present should include something meaningful and not necessarily be dear. Sending gifts to your girl in accordance with her hobby and characteristic can be wonderful. One of my associates receives a present which is a pair of gymnastical shoe branded MBT shoes which emerges quickly with unstoppable trend is now a fashionable pursuit. It doesn't cost as much as the others, but can also make her thankful. You can sense her happiness with little efforts. My buddy is a sort of sunshine girl who likes the open field activity. In views of her active characteristic, a pair of MBT shoes with fitness function is proper. When you would like to buy the gift for your girlfriend, you must know her style preferences. If she is an active girl with a little bit carelessness, and you send her a pair of high-heeled shoes, then absolutely, I can predict the result. Don't do things without preparation. A girl look likes a book, you should read it tenderly to your full heart, and you will be the last winner.

No matter what is the present, a pair of mbt shoes or others, it can be the perfect gift as long as it can explain your sincere thoughts and your mighty love to her. Send your beloved one a surprise with a pretty gift, and your love for her will be forever.

Common Fashion Mistakes

Your makeup is applied, your hair is styled, and you're ready to go out. But wait... There's nothing that can spoil your look more than a conspicuous fashion faux pas.

Here's a list of the top fashion mistakes made when it comes to clothing and accessories. You may have noticed them on other people but you haven't committed them yourself, right? Have a look around and think again. These mistakes are more common than you think and many can be applied to men as well as women.

Your clothes don't fit correctly.

Wearing baggy clothes can add pounds. Clothes that are too small accentuate unsightly bulges. Don't buy anything thinking that it will be "just right" if you gain or lose weight. Live in the moment and look good now. If the size of the tag bothers you, cut it off or black it out with a marker. Seriously.

Wrinkled clothing.

That great suit or dress won't flatter you unless it's wrinkle-free. Avoid this fashion mistake and buy clothes that don't wrinkle or keep an iron handy.

Dressing too trendy.

Don't try to satisfy every trend in one day. You'll probably just end up looking silly.

Mixing two seasons in one outfit.

Your pieces will contradict each other. Stick with one-season fashions.

Evident bra and panty lines.

Wear proper fitting undergarments underneath your clothing. If they do fit you properly and you still have lines, then your clothing is too tight.

Exposed undergarments.

Not so much for play but a definite mistake for professionals. Keep your bra straps properly adjusted so they're not hanging out. If your pants are low-rise, your panties should be too.

Too much white.

White makes you look larger so limit this color. Don't even think about wearing white slacks or pantyhose unless you want to add bulk.

Your skirt or dress is too short.

Be comfortable. Make sure you can sit down without having to worry about what areas you're exposing.

Wearing too many colors at once.

This will make you look undecided. Stick with one to three colors

Too many prints.

Don't try to mix and match prints or you'll look way too busy. Patterns don't look good on everyone. If you're one of those people that look good in just about anything, choose a pattern on the top or bottom, not both.

Using the wrong accessories.

Top off your look with accessories that match your style. Choose the correct length necklace. Short chains and chokers tend to make your neck appear shorter and larger. Don't over-accessorize.

Wearing multiple shades of denim.

Skip the head-to-toe denim. It's unsightly and will make you look completely unorganized. Instead, choose one piece or consider a denim handbag to carry with casual attire.

Dark colored clothing, light colored shoes.

Or visa versa. Keep your clothing and shoes in the same color family. White and black go with anything, but don't make the mistake of mismatching light and dark colors.

Large shoulder pads.

This fashion trend went in and out the 80's and hasn't re-emerged. If you do wear shoulder pads, make sure they're thin and unobtrusive.

Wearing open-toed shoes with rugged toenails.

If you want to expose your feet, pamper them and get a pedicure. Don't think for a minute that people won't look at your toes.

Wearing worn out shoes.

Why ruin your look? If you have a favorite pair of ragged shoes, save them for non-public outings.

The History of Fashion Fads, by the Decade

As the decades pass, fashion fads are often characterized by politics, popular movies, music and famous celebrities. History shows that designers also dictate trends by changing styles often, allowing themselves and clothing manufacturers to keep making money off of our our strong desire to be fashionable and trendy.

1950s Styles

The 50's marked the era of conservatism. After the end of WWII, families flourished, thus, the "baby boomers" children. Women's small waists were often the result of a corset or cinch belt, worn with dresses or knee-length skirts. High heels or saddle shoes were the popular choices for shoes.

Poodle skirts and pony tails dominated, with designer Bill Blass Jeans for a more casual, practical style. Accessories included the unique cat-eye glasses, sometimes worn with a chain.

Men looked clean-cut, a-la Jimmy Dean, wearing flat top and crew cut styles that were very short and easy to care for. Gray flannel suits dominated the workplace and slacks were often worn for casual, everyday events.

1960s Fashion Fads

The 60's began the "groovy" time when the babies of post WWII were growing up and finding their own style. Youth took precedence as they became the largest population in the United States.

The beginning of the decade began with women wearing knee-length dresses leftover from the 1950s. Later on, mini-skirts, hot pants and go-go boots showed a generation breaking away from their conservative parents. Bouffant hairstyles ruled, with hair accessories for adornment and to hold a complicated style in place.

Men still enjoyed crew cuts but lost the bland, basic colors for brighter, eye-catching styles. Casual shirts were plaid, button down and polyester suits and pants were appropriate for the workplace.

"Flower Power" and "Free Love" were all the rage when the 1969 Woodstock "Summer of Love" concert took place. Bell-bottoms became a hot fad that emerged once again decades later. Beaded jewelry was the funnest, must-have accessory to show individuality.

1970s Decade

The 70's marked a freer, fun-loving society when the women's movement prompted them to burn their bras, sparking true liberation. Tube tops were comfortable and sexy whilst mini-skirts and hot pants allowed more show of leg.

Long, flowing dresses and skirts with feminine, floral prints were the style for those not yet ready to join the others. Colorful, tie-dyed t-shirts became popular fads for both women and men, none of them appearing identical.

Girls often wore culottes to school, not near as daring as their older sisters. Colorful, crocheted ponchos and satin jackets provided style and warmth on a cool, summer night.

Hairstyles were feathered, thanks to Farrah Fawcett who set the trend for long layers and lots of fluff. Not only did women cut their hair to be like her, they wanted to be blonde. Brunettes began adding highlights to give themselves just the right touch of blonde. Braver ones completely bleached out their hair.

Corduroy and denim fabrics were a popular choice for men, available in pants, suits and blazers. Along with disco music, the movie "Saturday Night Fever" brought high-waited suit pants and leisure suits.

1980s History

What can be said about the 80's fads? From hair to jewelry to shoulder pads, it's big everything. The long, teased hairstyles, makeup became much bolder. Besides the somewhat "scary" factor, this decade sums up some fun music and styles that we'd rather forget.

1980's fashion1980's fashions for women were primarily long t-shirts and sweaters worn over leggings or tights. Influenced by the movie "Flashdance," off-the shoulder styles were were seen on just about everyone who kept up with the latest styles. Legwarmers looked not only sporty, but stylish as well.

Mini-skirts never lost their appeal and the 80s were no different. Denim minis in various colors worn with colorful high-heeled shoes were popular with the younger crowd. Jelly shoes were cheap and provided a more casual look.

Spandex was introduced to the mainstream and was often mixed with other fabrics. Denim included stonewashed jeans, ripped and with holes for the hip crowd. Parachute pants were popular for men and boys and allowed comfort when hip-hop music required freedom of movement.

1990s Fashions

The 90's mark the end of the century with hope around the corner. Styles were not nearly as outrageous as the 80's and were toned down with classics as well as new styles. Waistlines were creeping down, leading to the hipsters becoming popular once again in the next century.

The younger generation who expressed their individuality enjoyed grunge, gothic or a classic, vintage look. On the other side, preppy styles were for the high school and college kids who wanted to show their clean-cut status. was popular for jackets, pants, purses and belts. Available in a variety of colors, wearing durable leather showed style, status and practicality.

Marrying later in life, women became dedicated to bettering themselves with higher education and good jobs. The demand for comfortable styles was undeniable. Many businesses allowed work attire to become more relaxed and some toned down their dress code to "business-casual." Some companies began allowing Fridays to be completely causal, resulting in fun and higher productivity.

How to Choose the Best Fitting Jeans

By far, blue jeans are the most important clothing in today's wardrobe. Because they are durable and can be worn with just about anything, they are universal.

Why is it that you have one or two favorite pairs that you wear most of the time? It's probably because you have found a style and color that looks best on your shape. Unfortunately, they eventually wear out, you gain or lose a few pounds, or you throw them out for a new trend.

If you would rather go to the dentist then shop for new jeans, you're not alone. Just the thought of trying on multiple pairs of jeans in the fitting rooms can make the strongest of us cringe in fear. We've got some shopping tips to help you find a pair that will flatter your figure and cut down on the stress involved when you find a pair that looks great on the rack -- but not so good on you.

Plan Ahead

Set aside plenty of time when you begin your quest for a good pair of jeans. If you're in a hurry, you'll probably make some bad decisions and end up returning the jeans to the store.

Choose a Good Fit

Don't buy jeans because you like the size on the label. Sizes and cuts vary widely by the brand, so start with your general size range and don't be reluctant to choose a size larger than what you usually get. A comfortable pair of jeans that fit well will look the best on you.

The Darker the Color, the Better

If you're concerned about extra weight, stay away from light-colored or stonewashed jeans. Dark (indigo) blue and black denim jeans with some added Lycra will make you look slimmer and will go with just about anything. Choose angled back pockets to help minimize your backside and stay away from jeans that have no pockets at all.

Look for a Long Hem

When you go shopping, wear a pair of shoes with heels that are similar to what you usually wear with jeans. For thinner-looking legs, the hem of the jeans should cover a good part of your shoes and almost reach the floor. Keep in mind that when jeans shrink, so can the length -- so it's better to go with the longer pair.

Go with the Boot Cut

Stay away from large flare legs that will add bulk or skinny legs that look silly. Boot cut jeans have just the right amount of curve at the bottom of the legs to look stylish and make your legs appear longer.

Trends are Ok

If you've been dying to try a pair of low-rise hipsters, go ahead. Just make sure that you're comfortable wearing them and they aren't so low that you've got too much showing. Wear a pair of bikini panties underneath so you don't have "granny panties" ruining your fashionable look.

Get a Second Opinion

Take along a friend who is also shopping for jeans. Sometimes a different perspective is all you need to point you in the right direction. If you both like how a pair looks on you, chances are, it's a good choice.

Reduce Fading

To minimize fading, wash your jeans inside-out, in cold water with a mild detergent.

How to Dress Slimmer

Body weight fluctuates. While not everyone can be a small size, the clothes you wear can make you look thinner, or (gasp!) larger. It's your choice. You don't need to completely cover your body if you have extra weight, and not every one of these tips will work for you. Find out what flatters your figure and stick with it. You have some great features, so accentuate the best and accessorize the rest.

One caveat. A small weight gain may make your clothes feel tighter, so it's a good idea to have some "fat" clothes available for those occasions. Don't feel bad. Every woman experiences this but there are ways to neutralize the problem. These tricky tips for clothing, color, and accessories will tell you how to dress slimmer, and ultimately, look thinner.

• Find a good fit. Clothes that are too tight or too baggy will make you appear larger.
• Choose darker solid colors such as black, navy blue and gray.
• Dress monochromatic, all in one color, top to bottom, no patterns.
• If you want to wear patterns, go for smaller ones that overlap.
• Avoid horizontal stripes. Look for thin vertical and and diagonal lines for a fluid look.
• Select bold accessories to draw attention away from trouble spots.
• Avoid bulky sweaters and sweatshirts.
• Always try on clothes. Different designers have different size charts.
• Avoid pleats. Flat front pants and skirts are instant slimmers.
• Low-rise pants that hit just below your navel will lengthen your torso.
• For longer looking legs, skirts should fall right above the knee.
• Forego the frills. Extra ruffles and material add to your overall size.
• If you have a large bust, invest in a good support bra.
• Avoid shiny fabrics such as velour and satin.
• High heels add height and shapes your legs. That's why you always see runway models in heels.
• Dark panty hose will make large legs appear thinner.
• Stay away from patterned leggings.
• Wear undergarment foundations such as control top pantyhose and shapers.
• If you prefer wearing a sleeveless dress, cover your upper arms with a sheer, elegant shawl.
• Choose open collar shirts, v-neck shirts, and scoop necklines to make your torso appear longer.
• Avoid small handbags. Stick with a medium-sized bag in proportion to your body.
• A dress with a matching coat can hide bulges.
• Match your belt and shoes to your skirt or pants to make your legs appear longer.
• Don't tuck your shirt in. Buy those that fall just below your waist, but aren't too long.
• You can still wear bright colors, just not on your problem areas.
• Avoid too-tight pants that cling to your hips and thighs. Instead, try trousers with comfortable legs and wide cuffs.
• For longer, thinner-looking legs, opt for an asymmetrical, tiered skirt.
• If you're a petite woman, wear the highest heel you're comfortable with to add some height.
• For longer-looking legs, match your socks and shoes to your trousers.
• A thick waistband helps flatten the tummy.
• Like chunky jewelry? Don't overdo it. Choose one large piece and keep the others in proportion to your frame.

Colors Make a Fashion Statement

Women are generally drawn to colors that flatter their figure and complexion. Your favorite color doesn't always appear in your wardrobe if it doesn't do a thing for you. If you're the majority, the color you most often choose to wear is the image you want to reflect, and the color that makes you look and feel good.

Lets have some girly fun! 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, you know that black is versatile. Wearing black clothing makes you appear thinner, giving your self-esteem a turbo-boost.

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

Red - Bold and vibrant, you like to be the center of attention. Red portrays the adventurous side of you that's undeniable.

Blue - Fun-loving and free, blue clothing attracts independent women who are comfortable with their inner-selves and achievements.

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 match. 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 a down-to-earth, natural beauty. While somewhat stubborn, you're still "the girl next door," who likes to have fun.

Jobs Involving Emotional Labor

Emotional labor is an art of creating situational facial expressions or mood modifications as part of perfectly performing one's job duties. Usually, emotional labor has some noticeable effects on targeted people such as clients, colleagues and superiors, etc. The term 'emotional labor' was first coined by a sociologist by name Arlie Hochschild. She defined this term as 'The management of feeling to create a publicly facial and bodily display.' Emotional labor is the art of managing expressions so as they coincide with organizational or occupational expectations. These occupations usually involve masking of personal feeling and moods.

Forms of Emotional Labor

There are two forms of emotional labor. They are:

Deep Acting: This refers to modification of personal thoughts so as to get right expressions on the face or in the voice. This requires an antecedent-focused emotion regulation.

Surface Acting: This refers to masking or faking of expressions without actually changing internal thoughts and moods. It is like creating an artificial persona. This requires response-focused emotion regulation.

Professions Stressing on Emotional Labor

Here are some broadly categorized professions that highly stress on emotional labor.

Entertainment Industry
Audiences opt for entertainment industry as a way of getting positive feeling and entertainment in their lives. It is a temporary escape from their own problems to experience some fun or to get a view of other people's lives. This industry is successful only because its artists are able to create a different image of themselves.

Actors: For a long time, people have been fascinated by the lives and acting skills of actors. But the fact is that, actors have to put in a lot of emotional labor to create the right image and impact on the minds of their audience. Eg: An actor performing a romantic scene or an emotional scene should be able to get the right expressions on his face and right tone to his voice. They have to get under the character's skin to feel the mood and change accordingly. A noteworthy personality who used emotional labor all his life is actor Charlie Chaplin. He had a lot of personal sorrow but he had the talent to bring the right emotions on his face when he was acting. His movies are voted as classics to this day.

Singers: As far as singers are concerned, they have to modulate their voice and change their moods to give a 'feel' to their songs. Eg: A singer singing a really happy song has to be in the right mood to give the best performance. If the singer is very sad, then it is difficult to bring a happy tone in his voice.

Some other jobs that require emotional labor are radio jockeys, program compere, circus/ carnival artists, etc.

Hospitality Industry
Close on heals of entertainment industry, is the hospitality industry. It can be easily said that this industry actually runs on the quality of emotional labor displayed. Apart from the creation of good ambiance and provision of good facilities, experts stress on the warm and pleasant service by hospitality staff as the most essential factor to gain customer loyalty.

Airlines Crew: Considered to be one of the most challenging and stylish careers, airline staff such as airline crew and ground staff have to display a warm and cheerful exterior to make traveling a pleasant experience for their customers. Even under times of crisis like bad weather conditions or airline technical issues, the staff has to be emotionally intelligent maintain a calm and pleasant expression.

Hotel & Restaurant Staff: Some of best hotels and restaurants have been popular and continue to be popular due to their staffs' 24x7 efforts to excel in emotional labor. There are some specific rules laid down for success of this industry and these rules have to be adhered to by all the staff. Experts say that a customer can be made happy by exuberating joy when serving him.

Health Care Industry
People visit medical facilities not only to get a proper medical treatment, but to get an overall hope for successful recovery from their health problems.

Doctors & Nurses: Doctors and nurses have often been quoted as manifestation of gods by many cultures. They are expected to create positive vibes and nurture hopes of recovery and survival in the hearts of their patients. A calm and positive behavior by medical team often boosts a patient's willpower to fight against diseases.

Psychiatrists & Counselors: Most of the patients visiting psychiatrists and counselors have some or the other psychological issue which they feel difficult to surpass. This profession often demands that psychiatrist and counselors keep aside their personal problems and reflect a cool and calm exterior to help the patients with mental rehabilitation. They need to be encouraging and most importantly good listeners. They need to maintain a soothing tone and create a facial expression that helps patients open up to them about their problems.

Customer Service Industry
Jobs under customer service can either be direct or indirect in nature. Some direct customer services are provided by banks, insurance companies, etc., while indirect customer services are popularly provided by BPOs. People employed in direct customer services are often expected to modulate their voice and carry a pleasant facial expression to achieve customer service excellence. One can create customer loyalty by being sympathetic to customer's problems, by being a good listener and by reflecting knowledge and confidence in voice and facial expressions. Similarly, in the field of indirect customer services, the service providers cannot be directly seen but they can win customer's attention by excelling in techniques of voice modulation. Often employees are expected to gain product knowledge and learn the customer's regional language and accent. This makes the customer feel as if he is talking to a knowledgeable person from his own region or community.

Though usage of emotional labor is essential for success of any business or profession, it has some deep impact on the people who actually apply it. Modulating expressions and changing moods can take an emotional toll on these people. Many have reported that jobs with emotional labor are highly stressful and have a high possibility of professional burnout. In the run to provide the best service, one's own psychological needs and moods get affected. Although many people thrive on the positive aura created by their jobs, some turn to options such as meditation, substance abuse, alcohol addictions, etc., as a means to calm their nerves. It is indeed, a tough task to perform emotional labor.

Vegetable Glycerin for Hair Growth

Are you searching for solution to take care of your dry and brittle hair? Using vegetable glycerin is a good option for solving this problem. It's natural, it's herbal and whats more, it is a tried and tested formula since ages. Glycerin is a natural carbohydrate extract from vegetable oils. It is soluble in water as well as alcohol. Glycerin itself is a very good solvent for many other substances. It is popularly used to make medicines as well as cosmetics. It is odorless and transparent with a sweetish taste. It has a syrup like consistency which makes it an excellent ingredient in soaps and shampoos.

How Glycerin Helps Hair Growth?

Glycerin has valuable natural properties very similar to an emollient that can soften and soothe rough, dry and brittle hair. Most of us have a problem of brittle hair and split ends because of dryness of hair and scalp. However, glycerin seeps into the epidermis of the scalp and softens it from within. Glycerin has a potential to absorb moisture and humidity from the air. This can be proven by keeping a bottle of glycerin open overnight. When you check the bottle in the morning there is accumulation of water in the bottle along with glycerin. This property of glycerin, as a humectant is most essential for retaining moisture within the scalp and boost hair growth. Vegetable glycerin is popularly used in hair care products like soaps, shampoos, conditioners, hair gels, hair oils, etc.

Glycerin Recipes for Beautiful Hair

Recipe #1 - Aloe Glycerin Gel

Ingredients
Aloe vera gel and vegetable glycerin solution.

Procedure
Mix 150 ml of aloe vera gel with approximately 50 ml of vegetable glycerin solution. Store in a closed plastic bottle. This solution needs to be stored in a refrigerator. Use the solution as a hair moisturizer.

Recipe #2 - Glycerin Hair Spritzer

Ingredients
5 tsp of grapefruit extracts, 3 drops essential oil, 3 drops vegetable glycerin, 1 tsp aloe vera gel and 8 oz of pure water.

Procedure
Mix vegetable glycerin, aloe vera gel, essential oil, grapefruit extract and water in a clean container. Now use a funnel to pour the solution in a clear glass bottle.

Recipe #3 - Herbal Oil Gel

Ingredients
2 tbs vegetable glycerin, 5 drops of lavender oil, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbs jojoba oil/ coconut oil, 5 oz of pure water

Procedure
Mix the desired quantities of vegetable glycerin, honey, lavender oil, jojoba or coconut oil and water in a container. Now use a funnel to pour the solution in a clean glass bottle. The bottle should be tightly corked and stored in a cool dry place.

Recipe #4 - Chamomile Shampoo

Ingredients
2 tbs of vegetable glycerin gel, 4 tbs of plain non-fragrant soap powder, 8 tsp chamomile tea powder and 2 cups of water.

Procedure
Boil the water in a clean container. Use a clean handkerchief and tie the tea powder tightly within it. Now drop the tea pouch in boiling water. After the tea extract oozes into the water, add the soap powder and glycerin gel to the solution. Remove the solution from heat and let it cool down. Wait until the soap powder has thoroughly dissolved in the solution. Use a funnel to pour the shampoo into a clean plastic bottle. Store in a cool dry place.

These were some of the uses of vegetable glycerin for hair growth. However, I have one word on caution for all those who wish to try out vegetable glycerin. Some of you may be allergic to glycerin and its usage may result in irritation to skin and eyes. An accidental ingestion of vegetable glycerin may cause sore throat, dry mouth and more thirst. And finally, avoid usage of glycerin if you are diabetic.

How to Handle Overconfident People

We can find many people around us who appear so confident in their thoughts and actions that others tend to doubt their own judgment, looking at the confidence of that person. Later on, we find the person's judgment to deliver disastrous results. Such people, who are too confident of what they believe in, fall under the category of overconfident people. So, you may wonder what makes overconfidence different from confidence. Overconfidence leaves a person with no anxiety due to which he fails to analyze the pros and cons of his decision and feels what he thinks, is right. Improper analysis of the negative outcomes often lands him in problems. Confidence, on the other hand, maintains a required amount of anxiety in a person. This anxiety forces him to think of all the possible outcomes of his decision which ultimately, lands him on the right path.

Overconfident people are often annoying and difficult people to be around with. They fail to acknowledge other's point of view and consider their thoughts and actions as best. Overconfident people at work, try to be the center of attraction and try to convince people to agree to their decisions. Apart from work environment, these people tend to interfere in others' matters and take decisions on their part which may go wrong.

What Causes Overconfidence?

Availability Bias
People tend to become overconfident of their decisions because they fail to see that is not visible to the eye. They narrow down their vision and do not think about what else can happen if their decisions go wrong. This makes them think that their decisions are right and will bring fruitful results.

Anchoring Bias
Another reason for overconfidence is anchoring bias in which a person tends to make up his mind on a particular thought or idea and is not willing to shift his thoughts away from it. This nature brings only that particular thing in his mind as the right option and makes him overconfident on that issue.

Confirmation Bias
Overconfidence is also a result of confirmation bias. The person is inclined towards a particular perspective and wants others to support him for that, without giving much thought to the perspective that might be the right one.

Hindsight
People become overconfident by believing in the predictions for certain issues. They think what has occurred before will definitely happen once again and do not consider the uncertainty associated with it, which may land them into trouble.

How to Deal with Overconfident People?

I will be telling you some ways to cope with overconfident individuals, and while doing so, it is necessary that you keep your calm and patience, while putting your point across.

• Creating awareness in a person having overconfidence can be the simplest way of handling such people as some of them might work on changing their behavior once they are aware of it.
• Counterargument with an overconfident person can be a good option to make him realize the shortfalls in his thoughts and actions. Think of the points that would prove his prediction or decision wrong and tell him, so that, he identifies his fault and takes a right decision.
• Tests and feedbacks can greatly reduce the overconfidence. A person taking a wrong decision due to overconfidence should be confronted with trivia questions pertaining to the issue so that he instantly realizes that he has insufficient knowledge on the subject and the decision he would be taking based on the insufficient knowledge will not be right.
• Scenario analysis helps in creating a picture of the future in case of a particular scenario. When overconfident people give a deeper thought to analyzing the scenarios, they realize the possible outcomes due to their overconfidence and will know exactly where they are going wrong.
• A fault tree might help in dealing with an overconfident person. Asking him to prepare a fault tree diagram will help the person to study all the possible paths he can take and the potential troubles that can arise. This will reduce his overconfidence on a particular path which he was considering fault-free.

Overconfidence is associated with overconfidence bias. A person with over-inflated belief strongly feels that he has expertise in a certain skill. This often lands him up in trouble. An example of such an individual would be a person considering himself as an 'expert Futures trader'. Overconfidence on his prediction leads him to investing huge amounts of money in the stock market, which ultimately makes him suffer heavy losses.

A person lacking confidence has lots of doubts. He is not convinced by his known decisions and this makes him suffer from extreme anxiety and low self esteem. It is therefore necessary for a person to build self confidence that is at optimum level so that he can take right decisions. But, it is equally important to keep a check on the confidence level so that it doesn't become a little too much to turn into overconfidence.

Ways to Cool Yourself Without Air Conditioning

Come summer, and with the mercury slowly rising, we switch to air conditioning for comfort and to make us feel cooler. But what would you do if the air conditioning system fails, or you move into a house or a new office space and haven't installed the air conditioning yet? The thought is enough to make us break out in a sweat! But here are some very useful tips you can try out, which will keep your cool during summer without an air conditioner.

How to Cool Yourself Without Air Conditioning?

• Install a ceiling fan. They are an excellent way to cool you down when air conditioning is unavailable. Check the ceiling fan direction. Ensure the blades move in an anticlockwise direction, so that they draw in the air and circulate it around the room, cooling it. Remember to switch off the fans when you leave the room. Ceiling fans cool you, not the room. You can also try going in for a whole house fan installation (this may be an expensive option). These fans not only keep the home temperature lower, but also prevent heat to seep through the ceiling, as they cool the attic too. Another option is to use a swamp cooler. They use the technique of evaporative cooling and are a good option in very dry conditions, as they double up as humidifiers as well. Outdoors, you can also use a mist fan to cool yourself down.
• Dress appropriately. Wear loose fitting, light colored cotton clothes. Light colors reflect heat, as opposed to dark colors which absorb heat.
• If you have resin or leather furniture, cover it with a white (or light colored) bed sheet or other fabric, including the carpet. This will help since sitting on leather will actually make you feel a lot hotter.
• If your house is surrounded by a lawn or garden, plant trees that throw ample shade on the building. These will automatically keep your house cooler by blocking direct sunlight. Grow creepers and vines on those walls of your house which get hotter.
• As soon as the first rays of the sun filter through your window, it's time to close all blinds and draw the curtains. Keep the doors closed. Do not open the doors and windows till the sun goes down. In the evening, open all windows to let fresh and cool breeze to enter. Allow for cross ventilation.
• If you are home, instead of sitting on sofas and chairs, sit on the floor. Bare floor works wonders, but if you have a carpet, use a soft sheet as a spread. Warm air is lighter than cold air, and hence it rises. If you happen to have a basement, spend your time there to escape the heat. Being underground, it's bound to be cooler.
• Watch what you eat (and drink). Avoid munching on greasy, oily food. Eat small snacks. Stock up on seasonal fruits and have plenty of watermelons, cucumbers, pineapples, etc. Gorge on salads. Load the fridge with ice creams. If you like it, eat spicy food. There's a reason why people residing in hot places eat spicy food. They make you sweat more, which eventually cools you down. Sip on iced water, or have iced tea. It can be refreshing. Go easy on caffeine and alcohol though. They act as diuretics and can actually dehydrate your body.
• Wet and wring towels and then hang them in windows, or near a fan and point the flow of air directly towards you. Or spray some water on your T-shirt and sit in front or below a fan. Don't drench the T-shirt if you are wearing it or you will be shivering in no time! Buy a big block of ice from the gas station and place it in a big dish or a shallow tub and position it between the fan and you. Take delight in the cold breeze around you! Or wrap a tightly wrung wet towel/handkerchief around your back and neck to prevent overheating. Splash water on your face, wrists and feet. This will lower your body temperature making you feel better. Soak your feet in a tub of water for a few minutes. Cut thin slices of potato or cucumber and place them over your forehead and eyes. It will instantly rejuvenate you. After a shower, apply baby, cornstarch, or menthol talc on your body for an instantly cool feel. Tie your hair up; keeping your neck free from loose, open hair will not make you feel so hot. Take a dip in the swimming pool. Nothing is more enjoyable than a cool, long swim. Sit in the shade to dry yourself off.
• Turn off all sources of heat, especially those not in use. Turn off the fans, lights if they are left on, shut down the laptop. To heat food, use the microwave instead of the gas stove.
• Read books and watch movies about cold things, like Ice Age, Happy Feet, March of the Penguins, etc. When you see or think of something cold, you may feel cooler, albeit not physically.
• If your car lacks air conditioning, hunt for routes lined with trees which provide good shade. Install reflective tints on the windows to prevent the car from heating up, which also protects it from the harmful UV rays. (Check with the DMV if window tinting is permitted in your state.) Roll down the windows and push back the sun roof to allow breeze to come in. Several low-priced 12 volt fans can be found at auto parts stores, which can be placed on the dashboard, attached to the rear view mirror, or plugged into the cigarette lighter receptacle. They circulate the air, cooling you down.

Remember, humans have lived for millions of years without air conditioning. If you give it some time, your body will acclimatize itself to a hotter environment. If the heat gets unbearable for you, visit the library, mall, or some public place which is air conditioned. Most of the above mentioned methods are not only economical, but environment friendly too. So why not help the earth by turning to greener ways to combat heat, and avoid using air conditioning at all?

How to Deal with Sadness and Loneliness After Divorce

Divorce is traumatic, and the broken relationship signals the loss of all your commitments and promises you had made together for your future. You may or may not have wanted it to happen, but the chain of agonizing events it triggers can be hard to deal with. When you got married, you always thought you would spend the rest of your lives together. Never once did you believe that the union would end in a bitter breakup. But life doesn't always turn out to be a bed of roses. Divorce can be all the more painful when children are involved, for them the absence of a parent from their lives can be very hard. A negative outcome of divorce can be insecurity and the inability to put your faith in the persons you love. This means harboring a twinge of resentment in your heart, and keeps you from opening up to the people who want to help you out in your time of need. This will only plunge you deeper into depression and not help you in getting on with life.

Recovering from a separation depends on your will power and courage. If you think that this is a permanent phase and that you have no way out of it, it won't help matters. There is no need for you to feel that the happy days of your life are all over. This is just a temporary phase, and it's solely up to you on how long you want to make it last. The sooner you deal with your problems, the faster things will start taking a turn for the better, and you will be able to start life anew. Here are some guidelines on how to overcome the sadness after your marriage has ended.

Dealing with Sadness and Loneliness After Divorce

• Getting over a divorce does not happen in a flash. It can be a lengthy process. It's not wrong to mourn the loss of your spouse. Give yourself time to compose your feelings. Have patience. Forgive yourself and your spouse. Whatever happened is water under the bridge. It's time to pick up the pieces of your life, plan for the future, and move on.
• Do not mask your feelings. The intense anger and pain built up inside needs to be shown the way out. Cry and scream if you want to. Get it over with. Negative feelings bottled up inside can be mentally and physically draining.
• Surround yourself with the people you love and care for. Do not sever any relationship with your friends and family. Don't forget you will need all the support you can find to get through this turbulent phase in your life. Do not hesitate to discuss your problems with them. Plan activities with them just as you did when you were happily married. Initially, it will prove tough. But you will realize that a day spent in the company of friends can seem surprisingly wonderful, and you may even realize you did not think about your spouse or the divorce when you were with them!
• Get rid of all your spouse's personal belongings in the house and return them or just discard them. The more you see those things lying around in the house, the sadder you will feel. Rearrange the items in the house. Or even better, move into a new apartment. A change of scene can work wonders to uplift your mood and view life from a different perspective.
• Pursue a hobby. Maybe it was something you never had time to do when you were married. Now that you are on your own, take it up again and immerse yourself in it. Or cultivate a hobby which will keep you busy for hours at a stretch. Join a hobby group, and find others who share the same interests as you do. An added benefit, apart from learning a new activity, is you get a chance to meet new folks and make friends!
• Go back to work as usual. Spending the day with your coworkers and doing your office work may seem mundane and not appeal as much, but it's a sure shot way to keep your brain and mind occupied elsewhere, other than the recent breakup. Your marriage has ended, doesn't mean your job has to end too!
• Join a divorce support group. Meeting people going through the same emotional turmoil will give you a chance to know more ways of overcoming the loneliness. Do not shy away from seeking professional help. Visit a therapist or mental health counselor, if you feel that the depression is taking a toll on your well-being, and pay heed to your family and friends' suggestions. Remember they want to see you happy and are only trying to help.
• Take care of yourself. A bout of depression sees people either gorging on food all the time, or not eating anything at all. Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet and keep up with an exercise regimen. Visit your doctor if your health is deteriorating. Pamper yourself. Buy new clothes, visit a spa or a salon, get a new hairstyle, and see the rejuvenating effect it has on your senses!
• Try to get a hold of things and plan for your future, your post-divorce life. Before the divorce, perhaps your spouse was in charge of the household finances, but now since you are on your own, you have to pay the bills. Collect all important bank-related documents and get your finances back in order. Financial security is fundamental in getting your life back on track after a divorce.
• If you have children, do not neglect them. They may be too young to understand the reason why a parent is missing from their lives, and you have to help them overcome this feeling of anxiety and insecurity. The negative effects of divorce on children may not be as obvious as those in an adult. As a single parent, your responsibilities towards the kids increase twofold. Be open with them, and encourage them to discuss their feelings with you.

Dealing with life after divorce is an arduous task, and how you manage your life and regain your self-esteem is subject to your mindset. Never forget that you can and you should get on with your life, for your own sake as well as for the sake of your loved ones. Structure your life such that you are back to normal again. It will take time, but the sooner you accept the situation and take matters in your hands to amend them, the sooner your life will change for the better.

How Long Do Car Tires Last?

Tires manufactured today are more durable than ever before. They are made of steel, rubber and fabric woven together. Over 1 billion tires are produced every year. However, it is still important to be very well aware how long can you use tires before you make the replacement. The life expectancy of a tire greatly depends on its maintenance, environmental conditions and the driving style of the driver. Did you know? As long as 40 years ago, the average life expectancy of a tire was not more than two years! It is best to change your tires after every 6 years at least. Because before you bought your tires from the dealer, they may have had been in his inventory for more than a year. Even if a tire may be unused but manufactured 5 years ago, it should not be used for more than a year. After tires hit a life span of 6 years, they should be discarded. This is because rubber loses its elasticity and resistance properties over the period. This may not always be noticeable and it is hard to test whether a tire has reached its expiration period even by a professional. However, you should not use this as an excuse to not get it checked by a professional at least after 5 years of use. Every automobile manufacturing company mentions this date in the owner's manual.

They best way to know your tire's life expectancy is to check its tread count. It refers to the tread count number printed on the sidewall of your tires. The sidewalls also bear the date of manufacture of your tire that starts with DOT followed by a 4 digit number that stands for the number of week in the year in which the tire was manufactured. Every tire manufactured according to the specifications of the U.S. Department of Transport, must bear a tread count number. If your tread depth, after years of use, has become 4/32^nd, its time to ditch them. However, the only glitch you may face here is that every manufacturer has his own method to rate his tread wear. Every company is allowed to choose their own standard for relative comparison and subsequent tread rating of its tires. However, the UTQG rating denotes the durability of the tire with respect to the standard tire whose rating is 100. Go for one that is the highest, it will last longer.

Factor Affecting the Life Expectancy of Tires

Climatic Conditions
If you stay near the beach or if it rains a lot in your area, the chances are the moisture in the air will ruin the rubber too soon. Go for a snow tire if that is possible and then replace it according to the season. The tread designs on a snow tire or a winter tire helps it to create more friction while on the road. Also, they are made up of softer rubber compounds.

Road Conditions
A bumpy ride can also reduce your tire's life expectancy. In fact, if you are a rash driver, too much friction will wear out your tires in less than 5 years.

Exposure to Sun
Simply put, the more the exposure to the sun, the sooner the tire ages. Rubber and the sun do not get along well. So, park your vehicle in shaded areas to avoid interaction of the rubber with the heat. If you live in tropical regions, consider buying tires for a high speed. Research shows that they last longer.

Frequency of Use
If the tires were used infrequently, they are prone to becoming unusable within a short span. This is because when they are not on the road, but parked, their standing period is a lot. This causes flat spots which will in turn create imbalance, increasing friction.

Quality of Maintenance
How long you can use tires depends a lot on how you took care of it in the first place. When the tires are neglected or the wheel alignment is not correct, it will accelerate the aging process of the tires. If you notice that your tires have started to wear out from the edges, it is an indicator of improper wheel alignment or inflation. Also, if you did not store your tires properly or appropriately to their utility when changing them between seasons, they will deteriorate quickly in the storage period. At all times, make sure the inflation pressure in your tires is optimum with a quality air gauge. The maximum inflation pressure allowed for your tire is mentioned on its sidewall. This is, however, not recommended level.

Other Factors
Avoid exceeding the total limit of weight allowed for your tires to carry. If your tires can together carry not more 5 persons. Try not to exceed this limit else it will put unnecessary pressure on your tires which is not good for their health.

Tips to Increase the Life Expectancy of a Tire

• Park your car in shade. The rays of the sun gradually alter the chemical composition of rubber and deteriorate your tires as well as your car's body, over a period with regular exposure.
• Always dry out your garage before you park your car. The water, consumed from car washing, can deteriorate your tires if its sits in your garage. The moisture will cause them to soften. The chemical compounds in your car washing kit may also react with the tire's material.
• Regularly clean your tires. Check inflation pressure and wheel alignment.
• Also, regularly rotate your tires.

Technology today, will soon lead to the manufacture of tires with a tread wear of as much as 80,000 miles. Do watch out though, wearing out of the tire differs from its aging process. Tires are perishable and when it wears out, it becomes absolutely unusable. Aging, on the other hand, means that tire is deteriorating and on its way to wearing out. But, a tire may become unusable if it speedily ages even before it wears out. This is why buying used tires is a safety risk because they have already undergone wear and tear. If you stay in the colder regions, never use your winter tires all throughout the year, especially summers. You need to replace them with all-season tires or summer ones. Keep a check on your spare tires too because they are often the most neglected ones. In fact, you should rotate them too at regular intervals. This means after 10,000 miles you should make the rotation along with the spare tire so your tires last you for around 50,000 miles. You could improve the life expectancy from 6 years to 10 years. The right maintenance of your tires can help ensure that they stay in good condition and durable.

Tips for Color Washing Furniture

We recently visited a creative arts studio. The room was filled with an air of creativity all around, what impressed us was the furniture that was a part of the interiors. A rusty and country look dominated every piece of furniture, it was simply stunning. It was not a fancy layout with the most expensive finishes, but a simple yet creative idea. The technique of color washing furniture is creating superb finishes and the out come is a special make over to old furniture. It is one of the most popular techniques among the different furniture painting ideas.

Furniture makes up most of the interiors and color washing furniture is just the right and inexpensive way to revamp even the smallest piece of it. Color washing rules a washed and rusty look, however, you can choose different color washing techniques, contrasts and colors that can give you a variety of looks as per your tastes and style. It will change the complete look of the furniture. Not only is it used for coloring walls but also for making creative items, for furniture, and more. It is an easy process that can be mastered. If you thought making furniture look pretty was just a task for skilled hands, you might just want to try color washing furniture. The only skills required here are creativity, creativity and creativity. For beginners and the not so beginners, here are some tips on color washing furniture that will make color washing an easy and fun experience.

How to Color Wash Furniture
Color washing is done by coating a surface base color with translucent latex paint and glaze mixed with another color. This is done in layers, and the effect is a great combination of luster and texture. Most commonly color washing is done using a paint brush, however, you can use many other things like a sponge, or hard cloth, etc. Below mentioned is a detailed way to color wash furniture.

• The pattern should be decided first. When you color wash, it will give you a specific texture and effect. You may want to try this on a small part of the furniture first, or even a small piece of cardboard. For beginners too, it is advised to first try it on another surface, before the final hand on the furniture.
• Now the materials you will need are: painters tape, rough cloth, paint brushes, paint colors that you wish to color wash the furniture, and sand paper.
• Furniture that can be painted can be anything like old chairs, tables and even cabinets. Whatever the texture of the furniture, a color wash can be easily applied.
• Cover any flooring or other area properly with cloth, to avoid spoiling and coloring unwanted places and things. Next if there is one part of the furniture that you do not want the color wash in, cover it with painters tape. Or if you want a different color or texture in a certain part, cover that part with tape.
• Take sand paper, and smoothen out the surface of the furniture, you can use a 200 grit sand paper. But do so very lightly, if you want some texture of the wood to be seen. Once finished wipe the piece of furniture with a rough cloth. Paint the furniture with a base color and leave it to dry, at least for an hour.
• After it is dry, use glaze mixed with the desired color, and coat the surface of the furniture. The proportion can be in the ratio of 4:1. That means 4 parts of glaze for every 1 part of paint. You can use a hard brush, or sponge or cloth for this. It depends on what kind of texture or finished surface you want. A soft cloth will give you a very subtle color wash, while a sponge can be used for moderate texture, a brush will give you fine lines.
• You can either give crisscross strokes, horizontal or vertical strokes, or you can even give a circular finish. Use your creativity here. A sponge can be used in a circular motion for a color wash, while a brush is best used for lining and crisscrossing. You can also stipple the surface of the color wash with a hard brush.
• When this coat is semi dry, you can dab a cloth or use a soft brush to soften the look further. You can also use one or more coats of glaze, depending on the final output that you want.
• During this process, the base color is also seen. You can also see the wash of glaze and other contrasting color on the top coat in the color wash. You can create stunning contrasts, texture, depth and designs when color washing. Experiment on a small card board first to check what will look best. You can also coat with transparent latex varnish.

The color wash style and combination will also depend on the type of furniture. The place or area that it will be kept. For an open porch, lawns and gardens, used earthy and rustic colors with textures, crisscross or simple fine lines. The dining areas can have more warm colors. The living room can have fun colors, while the bedroom can be a little subtle by using sponge or a cloth used for color washing.

Color washing is a simple yet unique way to redesign your furniture and create a different and new look. It can be used just on any surface and anything like on walls, artifacts, ceramics and more. It can also help you retain old furniture with a new look, which is good for the environment too. So thinking of refurbishing? Think of color wash. Simple. Stunning. Creative.

Tips to Deal With a Womanizer Boyfriend

It's sad that you fell for those two roving eyes. Love, care and trust are pillars that build the base of a beautiful relationship. But in a relation with a womanizer, these are the least and last expected things. Before proceeding to deal with this complex situation, keep in mind that it is only in the rarest of rare cases that a womanizer will come out of his playboy image. But you should not lose hope and try your best to mend his ways before breaking the relationship. Some tips to deal with a philanderer have been discussed in this article...

Signs of a Womanizer

As I had mentioned, roving eyes classify a womanizer. It is innate in him to stare at other women and fantasize them. He enjoys the thrill of chasing many women and then dumping them after fulfilling his motives. In some, this lecherous mentality results from a past heart break or rejection, it can also stem from fear of rejection from the present relationship. No girl can tolerate this behavior from her boyfriend. It can be difficult for you to bring the person back on track and you should try doing it only if you want to see a future with him. The signs of a womanizer, although similar to the signs of a cheating boyfriend, are far more serious.

• He knows the ways to attract women and how to use them.
• He wants variety in life and so is always on the lookout for new victims (girls) to fulfill his sexual motives.
• He can't stop staring lecherously at other women.
• He is very good at conversations and will make you feel he loves you and only you.
• He wants to be surrounded by women to give a boost to his male ego.
• He flirts with every other woman even with you around.

How You Should Deal With Your Womanizer Boyfriend?

Confront Him
It must have often happened with you that you two had gone out for a date and you had caught him openly staring lustfully at some other hot woman. If you catch him red handed, without wasting a minute, you should confront him then and there. Tell him that this is not expected in your presence or absence. Ask him how would he feel if you do the same thing. Make your presence strong in his life and try to spend as much time with him as possible.

Test Him
If you really want the relation to work and want to teach him a lesson or two for life, you should strain him emotionally. Put forth before him the examples of other couples who are deeply committed to each other. Make him jealous by hanging out with other guys. Analyze his behavior after this and only then decide to take the future of action; that is a breakup. Ask and question him about his childhood and past relationships and see how he reacts to it. Judge him and look if there is any tint of goodness in his mind.

Serve an Ultimatum
Once you have decided that the guy is not going to change in his ways, and is still fantasizing about other girls, serve a final ultimatum of breakup. But please talk out your fears and expectations to the guy and tell him in clear thoughts what are your expectations are from a relationship. Tell him that you cannot handle this behavior and want a serious relationship. Don't let the sugar coated talks and false promises (for which you had fell for him) melt you and forgive him. Keep in mind, he is a Casanova and mending his ways is no easy task.

Keep No Expectations
Last but not the least, keep no expectations from a womanizer. As I had said earlier, if you are in relation with a womanizer, it will be a lot better for you to keep your expectations the least. This is a bitter truth, but is a fact. Try your best to modify his mentality but keep no expectations of commitment, marriage, honesty and even love. Well can this be called a relation then? Absolutely not. Give a deep thought to what and why you are into it and decide for yourself.

These were some tips to deal with a womanizer boyfriend. I hope you know you are with a wrong person for whom love and relationships are a playground and women sadly, are his toys. Being with a womanizer holds no future sense. If you are still in the early stage of the relationship, stay away from it and if you are quite into the relationship mend his ways or prepare yourself for a breakup.

Effects of Silent Treatment

'Silence speaks louder than words', is that really true? Yes it is, and many people use this as their weapon to get their loved ones to their knees. This is known as the silent treatment. It is a way to express your anger or your desire by not saying anything or by just keeping silent. And the fact is, it works most of the times as it affects the psychological condition of the other person. But, do you know the silent treatment is a form of abuse which can cause serious effects on the person's psychological condition? People who use the silent treatment just to get the attention of their loved ones are the most common abusers. They use it as a game and just keep a check on whether the person who is getting abused is responding or not. But, all such people should understand that they are not just affecting the person's sentiments, but are also checking their patience which may even lead to the end of their relationship.

A long silence may be taken completely in the wrong way. You should understand at what time and in what condition you should use this treatment. Everyone of us may have received or used this treatment at least once in our lifetime. Anything in a limit is good. Similar is the case with the silent treatment. If you use this treatment once in a blue moon and limit it to one or two days, then the person can understand the reason behind this behavior and may even realize his/her mistake. But using this type of behavior every now and then or for a longer period of time may create a gap in your relationship. Hence, it is very important to understand whether you are able to handle such a situation or not. Many people say that they use this behavior just to calm themselves when they are angry. But later you need to clarify this to the person who is the victim of your silent behavior as lack of communication can also harm your relation.

Silent Treatment Effects and Consequences

The silent treatment is very effective and it really works, but it is a very painful thing when you are at the receiving end. Hence, many a times, questions like is the silent treatment a form of abuse, arise which to some extent, is true. Following are some of the effects which will help you to understand how it can help and how it can be harmful for a healthy relationship.

Psychological Effects
The silent treatment initiates a feeling of ostracism, which affects the brain in the first place and the brain's anterior cingulate cortex starts detecting it as pain. This pain depends upon the intensity of the person's ignoring. Silent treatment is usually used against the loved ones as it makes the most impact. The pain detected by the brain then makes the victim feel lonely and rejected. It lowers down the self esteem and the person thinks his/her life is unworthy. It causes a great harm to the sentiments of the person and specially in case of children. This condition may even cause critical conditions and permanent damage to the child's psychological conditions.

Feeling of Guilt
Well, if you are using this treatment in order to make the person realize his mistake, then you will succeed for sure. But, the mantra to get success is to use it as your last weapon. Using it in even a small mistake will not help; instead it will start affecting your relationship with the person. Extending your silence even after the person has realized his/her fault may start raising questions on your ego which again is harmful for your relationship.

Anger and Frustration
The silent treatment can easily make the person frustrated. He/she may even get angry and will try to do anything to make you speak up. In case of children it is very common, as many a times they don't realize what wrong they have done or how severe their mistake is. This can make them frustrated, angry and even violent. Hence, try not to use this treatment with children.

How to Deal with the Silent Treatment?

Men and women respond to this treatment in a different way. Researches show that women try hard to win back the attention, whereas men do not show any reactions after a certain period of time. Following are some of the simple points which can be very helpful in dealing with the silent behavior of the person and minimize the pain, especially when you are at the receiving end.

• Try to find out what exactly is wrong between you. If you know what mistake you have committed and are guilty about it, then go forward and apologize. Do not wait for the person to break his silence.
• Keep your egos aside. I am asking this to both the people, who use this treatment and who are at the receiving end. Ego can break the relationship.
• Do not use this treatment on children as any mistake done by them can be forgiven. You can explain to them about the mistake they have done. Using such type of behavior will do more harm to your child than any other punishment especially when they don't know what the mistake is.
• Give space to your loved ones to understand the situation, but do not wait for a long time as it will deepen the gaps in your relation.
• Discuss the problem without hurting each others' feelings and try to see things from his/her perspective also.

I have personally never used this treatment against anyone, but I have been on the receiving end a lot of times, and believe me it is very hurting and painful to see the person you love ignoring you. As I said it can work, use it only when there is no other option left. But I think speaking out and discussing your problems will be more helpful than just giving a cold shoulder to each other.

Alternative Uses of Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is a preparation of 97.5% concentrated or 100% pure ethanol or isopropanol in water. The chemical formula of rubbing alcohol is C₃H₈O. It is absolutely undrinkable as it can cause poisoning inside the body, if ingested. It is inflammable and widely used in the medical world to disinfect skin and surgical equipments. When applied to skin, rubbing alcohol has a cooling effect, causes dilation of blood vessels and evaporates quickly. Its alcohol concentration may vary from 68% to 99%. Rubbing alcohol is denatured with additive poisonous chemicals that render it unfit for drinking. This ensures that the alcohol solution is used for other purposes. So, rubbing alcohol is not taxed heavily and, hence, is available at a cheaper rate as compared to your drinking alcohol. You may have been traditionally using it in your households as an antibacterial cleaning agent for tables, kitchen slabs, floors, thermometers and kids' toys. It's also often used to disinfect wounds, cuts or bruises after washing with soap. However, apart from being used in hand sanitizers, there are many other alternative uses of rubbing alcohol.

33 Uses of Rubbing Alcohol

1. Gadget surface cleaner: Did you know? Your laptops, personal computers, screen, printer heads, magnetic tapes, Mp3 players and especially your cellphones, carry a lot of germs and bacteria on their surface. This is because they may be dusted but not disinfected regularly. This makes them a favorable breeding ground for germs. If you are getting acne only on one side of your cheek and it is the side you use to talk over the phone, it is because the bacteria on your phone get transferred on to your skin and cause break outs. You can dab some rubbing alcohol on a cotton bud and use it to clean the surface of your cellphones, keyboards and mouse.
2. Astringent substitute: Mix equal parts of rubbing alcohol with water and gently apply all over your skin with a cotton swab. Let it dry, then wash after 15 minutes. Follow up with aloe vera gel. Use this cheap astringent once or twice a week for normal skin and thrice a week for oily skin. It helps reduce oiliness and take off dirt from the skin's surface. Do not overuse and do not use for prolonged periods else it can cause severe irritation, cracks and flakiness. Always do a patch test to check for skin sensitivity.
3. Shoe stretcher: This was one use of rubbing alcohol, I must say, I was relieved to find. You can often end up buying shoes that are a size smaller because your feet changes sizes about 10% during the day. That is one shoe size. Did you know? Feet of lean people become longer during the day, while obese people have a widening effect on their feet. It is said that rubbing alcohol can help you increase your shoe size. Apply a thin coating of rubbing alcohol on your shoes and inside the soles and let them work the magic.
4. Cut down water weight: Mix a gallon of Epsom salt and 5 to 8 bottles of rubbing alcohol in hot water. The temperature of the water should be as high as you can handle. Soak in the tub for 45 minutes and then head straight to bed. This is a secret used by wrestlers to get rid of excess water weight before a match. You will lose almost 4 pounds overnight.
5. Hair highlights: It can have a drying effect on your hair and may weaken it. However, this is how rubbing alcohol should be used to get natural orange tinged blonde highlights in your hair. Mix rubbing alcohol with water and spray on your hair. Then, comb through it. Rubbing alcohol has a bleaching effect on your hair. The outcome of the highlights' color depends upon your natural hair color. This method is best suited for dirty blondes. Do apply generous quantities of a conditioner or a heavy duty oil like coconut oil, olive oil or avocado oil, later.
6. Head lice treatment: Some people have been using rubbing alcohol to kill head lice with positive results. It is not recommended for children and you should absolutely avoid its contact with your eyes at all costs. Dip your comb in rubbing alcohol each time you use it through your hair. Or you can simply apply rubbing alcohol to your hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. The results are instant.
7. Ear wax removal: If you have trouble with excessive accumulation of ear wax, dab some rubbing alcohol with vinegar, in equal parts, into your ear. This solution will dissolve the wax. Clean with a soft cloth. Repeat once in every two weeks.
8. CD cleaner: You can now clean your CDs and DVDs by spraying some alcohol on its surface to wipe off any fingerprints that may cause them to skip often.
9. Athlete's foot: Rubbing alcohol can prevent athlete's foot from worsening as it dries out the skin when applied and hardens it.
10. De-frosting windows: If your room windows or car windows have frosted, spray some rubbing alcohol to melt the ice instantly. In fact, you can use it to clean mirrors and glass windows in the winter to avoid fogging and also to give them a shine.
11. Disinfecting eye glasses: To clean eye glasses, use rubbing alcohol to disinfect any germs or bacteria on it. Eyes are very sensitive and can easily catch an infection that your spectacles may carry.
12. Nail paint remover: If you have run out of your nail paint remover, you can dab on some rubbing alcohol on cotton to remove your nail paint. I just tried this one yesterday and it works like a charm.
13. Wash fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are cultivated with heavy use of pesticides which can throw your hormonal levels off the balance once ingested. Studies suggest that when rubbing alcohol was used to wash apples, it reduced the percentage of bacteria present on the skin of the fruits to as less as 5%. Spraying rubbing alcohol also helps prevent fruit flies.
14. Insecticide: Rubbing alcohol works as a safe insecticide to get rid of garden pests without harming your plants. In fact, you can spray some on you mattress to get rid of bed bugs too!
15. Dry out lesions: If excessive itching due to insect bite has caused lesions on your skin, dab a little rubbing alcohol on it to dry it out. You don't even have to really wait for a bump after you have been bitten by an insect. Just apply some rubbing alcohol on that area. Also, you can use it to cure infection caused by piercings.
16. Reduce swelling: When applied to a swollen patch on your skin, rubbing alcohol can help soothe and reduce it a bit. The rubbing alcohol is a rubefacient and will bring blood to that area to reduce the blue-black spots on the skin. Or, you may also use it to make an ice-pack in the ratio of 1:3 with water. It will prevent absolute solidification of water, making it slushy and more bearable on skin.
17. Osteoporosis: The above method can also be used to soothe joint pain and swelling.
18. Glossy fixtures: To remove grim residue and bring shine back to lamps, candles, metal fixtures such as door-knobs and taps, clean them with rubbing alcohol.
19. Jewelry cleaner: If you need to clean the alkaline deposits off your jewelry, let it soak in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes and clean with a cloth. It will bring back the shine to your jewelry. Rubbing alcohol always works on metal.
20. Candle cleaner: Apart from cleaning the candle stand, rubbing alcohol can also be used to wipe the dust off the candles which is otherwise difficult due to the waxy texture. Your candles will look as good as new.
21. Stain removal: If your clothes have ink, grease, wax or blood stains on them, let the spot soak in some rubbing alcohol for a while and then wash. It will completely remove the stains.
22. Tick removal: An alternative use of rubbing alcohol is to remove ticks from your cat or dog's coat. Ticks hate alcohol and will immediately loosen their grip from the skin. Use tweezers to pull them out. This is a less painful and safe method to remove ticks without bacterial infection.
23. Shoe stink removal: If your shoes have been stinking a lot lately, spray the soles with rubbing alcohol and leave it at a sunny spot.
24. Nail fungus: Soaking your hands or feet in a tub filled water and rubbing alcohol can help get rid of bacterial growth under nails. Do this daily until fungus vanishes.
25. Sterilizing tools: You can use rubbing alcohol to sterilize your Swiss knife, scissors, kitchen knives, chopping board and razors to prevent infection.
26. Prevent sweat stains: Sweat stains are often found on shirt collars, armpits, inner elbows and knees. To prevent these stains, wipe skin with rubbing alcohol. It works like a natural antiperspirant.
27. Stains on marble/granite: Rubbing alcohol easily dissolves stains of permanent markers and crayons on non-permeable surfaces like marble and kitchen counter-tops. It is also useful to clean the stickiness left if something sweet like honey or chocolate syrup is dropped on the floor.
28. Removing stickers: To remove the price stickers off utensils and clothes without leaving the sticky glue on them, pour some rubbing alcohol on the tag and let it sit for 10 minutes. Rubbing alcohol is a dissolvent and will peel tags off easily.
29. Disinfecting air freshener: Mix a tablespoon of fragrant oil with half a cup of rubbing alcohol and spray in your rooms for a long lasting scent.
30. Odor removal: You can apply rubbing alcohol to your palms if they stink after chopping onions or garlic. It removes the odor just like a sanitizer.
31. Soothing body ache: Since it brings blood flow to the skin's surface, an alternative use of rubbing alcohol is as a substitute to massage oil. It instantly cools and relaxes the muscles.
32. Clean white boards: If your white dry erase boards have blue-black spots from the use of markers, you can make them look as white as new by cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Isn't this wonderful for classrooms too?
33. Other household uses: Other uses of rubbing alcohol include cleaning the sticky grim and dust off chimneys and blinds. Dip cleaning cloth in rubbing alcohol and wipe off the dusty area.

You can easily get your bottle from the chemist's shop. Make sure you keep it away from children as they may ingest it. It is converted into acetone by the liver. Drinking rubbing alcohol can cause blindness, nausea, severe headaches, giddiness, drowsiness and may lead to coma. Also keep it away from fire place, gas burner and other sources of fire as it is easily inflammable and can start a fire. Always remember to keep your bottle of rubbing alcohol away from natural dyes, painted surfaces and lacquer or pearl-finishes. It is known to strip oil and moisture. By the way, have you heard about the use of rubbing alcohol for acne? Yes, rubbing alcohol can take away your beauty woes too! I am sure you must be really surprised reading some of the alternative uses of rubbing alcohol here. Well, don't just keep it sitting in your medicine cabinet anymore.

Are Blind Dates a Good Idea?

You meet that couple so obviously in love, and they laugh as they tell you that it all started when a friend of my friend knew this guy, and my friend thought we'd get along, so she set us up and now, here we are. You are just beginning to believe in the fairy tale quality of it all, when along come some party poopers, who go on about how their blind date turned out to be a real disaster, and what were they thinking, and no more blind dates for them. Thank you very much! And that makes you cynical all over again. Shucks! You start to question the sanity and logic behind the whole idea of blind dates and come to the conclusion, that whoever thought of blind dates was probably not in his senses when he did, or really desperate enough to let anyone set him up with anyone. But then, there is also that part of your brain that's telling you that there is no harm at all in blind dating. What about the other couple, you argue with your cynical side? Oh!, those are rare instances. What could be the worst possible scenario if you don't like the person you are set up with? You may be bored senseless throughout the evening, wishing you were somewhere else. You won't have to meet him ever again, if you don't want to though. So as long as you follow some simple blind date tips, there is no real harm, is there? Umm, not really I guess...

Blind Dates...

Present New Opportunities
When you date, you usually go out with someone you know, and this can be extremely frustrating sometimes, if you've been out with a few people and yet not found someone you click with. You are open to the idea of meeting someone new, but since the horror stories of internet dating leave you faithless, why not let someone you know, set you up with somebody else? This person may turn out to be totally different from what you would have chosen for yourself, but who's to say you won't enjoy the company? Could turn out to be the right thing after all.

Are a Great Way of Meeting New People
So maybe you didn't really like the person romantically or think of him/her in a lustful way. But you have to admit to yourself that you had an amazing evening, talking about music, food, and discovering that you share similar tastes, or enjoy and appreciate the other person's taste. The only fallout of this scenario is that you may end up with a really great friend, if not a life partner. That isn't bad at all, I don't think so. Gaining a new friend, who you can share your interests with, hang out with, and maybe even joke about your "blind date" with as an inside joke, cannot possibly be a bad thing.

Let You Know How Other People View You
If you are brave enough to find out, that is! Maybe a friend of yours found a passion for music in you, that you were not yet aware of, or if she thinks that you are stubborn and strong willed, it is likely that she would set you up with someone similar. (Because let's face it, although they say opposites attract, I'd never set up a vivacious, bubbly, sporty girlfriend, with a nerdy, introverted, sulky, and intellectual guy I know.) What you see in the other person is a faint reflection of how the person who has set you up sees you, and most likely even your date. If what you see is not very nice, maybe it is time to introspect?

Are Great Because You Don't Have to Make the Decision Yourself
Sometimes, as it turns out, our friends know us better than we know ourselves. Our fears, insecurities, strengths, and weaknesses. They may set you up with someone, who, if you'd known him socially, you'd have thought was way out of your league. But here, you don't have the chance to underestimate your worth. You are spared of over analyzing, over worrying, over fusing, under estimating your worth, that someone is too, good for you so how can you ask him/her out. What if they laugh in your face, etc... You have the person chosen for you. And all you have to do is dress up suitably, and go with an open mind to have a good time.

Fall-outs of a Bad Blind Date...

You may end up spending a not so pleasant evening with someone you'd rather not be with. Maybe you'd want to forget those few hours of your life even, if the company is really that uninspiring. Or you may find yourself inflicted with violent suicidal and/or homicidal tendencies, albeit temporarily... Jokes apart, getting frustrated and wanting to bolt are possibly the worst things that can happen on a disastrous blind date, and if that happens to be the case, you have the option of not calling the person again. Or it may turn out that you got really unlucky, and got a really clingy and needy individual, who now insists on calling you now and then, trying to convince you to go on another date, and that can get really annoying. In such a case, it is best to be polite, but very firm and tell them that you are not interested in dating them and that if they don't stop calling, you may have to seek help from the authorities. That should stop them. But the chances that you will be set up with a person who turns out to be the next Jack The Ripper, are, let us face it, hardly one in a million, if that.

Internet Dating...

Internet Dating is another type of blind dating, only this is the riskier version of it. When you meet someone on the internet, there is no guarantee that the person you are talking to is who he/she claims to be. Which is scary enough in itself. And the chances of finding a stalker, or weirdos/psychos on the net are much higher than we'd like to think. In such a case, there is also no real, foolproof way of finding out the real identity of such people, and my personal internet dating advice would be to avoid it as much as possible. But, if you want to go ahead with it, if you think you've found someone genuine, then at least agree to meet up in a very public place. Strictly avoid private or semi private places. Make sure you inform someone close to you, when you are leaving on an internet date, and tell them the exact location of the date. The internet is the perfect cover for mentally unbalanced or twisted individuals, who pose as handsome boys or hot girls, and are on the lookout for easy 'prey'. And innocent, trusting young girls and guys are easily lured into this trap. You may be caught up in a situation that is way beyond your control, and scary as hell, and then it is difficult to get help. That doesn't go to say that everybody is fake. But don't trust too easily, and be a little paranoid when it comes to internet dating.

With being set up by a mutual friends, the risk of catching a psycho is almost eliminated, and you can breathe much easily. It may turn out to be a great date, or a dull one, so go without too many expectations. The whole idea is to have fun and get to know someone entirely new. Who knows, you may just click! Think about the endless possibilities, of meeting someone that may turn out to be "the one" for you, or even gaining a friend in the process. That's how it goes, see? To witness a miracle, you have to believe in it first...

Why Do Girls Like Pink and Boys Like Blue?

We all know boys are always taught to be tough while daddy's princess is the delicate flower. Well, we have all been through it. Tell me, if you ever caught a male friend "pink-handed", pun intended, with a pink lighter or a pink shirt, wouldn't the word 'feminine' come to your mind even if you didn't snigger or jeer at him? Well, once one of my classmates dropped in at my place at a very short notice. He came inside and kept staring at my room baffled. Then, he exclaimed, "Your room looks like a candy shop, worse it reminds me of my sister's Barbie's room!". I did not know how to react to it. I looked around... Yes!... The room was pink, everywhere. The cupboards, dustbin, bed linen, curtains, doormat and lots of my things were pink. In fact, I was wearing a pink tee with pink flip-flops. I did not do it consciously. I just picked out all the pretty things from the store. So, why is it most girls like only pink? I am sure a guy wouldn't buy any of the pinky things I did. Maybe the answer is in our biological make up.

Why do Girls Like Pink So Much?

According to scientists, the simple explanation why do girls like pink so much is that since prehistoric times, the role of a woman was that of a food gatherer and berries were a staple food, along with other nature's produce, for humans back then. Fruits, especially berries, mostly had purplish, reddish or pinkish undertones that signified ripeness. These scientists support the theory that women developed a better color vision than men to spot the rip fruits in a green vegetation by psychologically becoming hard-wired to pick out red and pink over centuries. Also, females easily express emotions and when a woman blushes, their cheeks appear flushed with blood and the color tone of the skin changes to shades of red. Pink is a shade of red too. When a child is sick, even then they skin has a reddish undertone. Women pick up on subtle and indirect clues fairly quicker than men and are more in sync with feelings. Since women have basically been nurturers, they are sensitive to all shades of pink and red. For long, the color pink has been associated with beauty and tenderness.

As I pointed out earlier, traditionally, most parents tend to decorate the room of their baby girl with pink, females become preconditioned to like pink ever since they are little girls and instinctively buy pink things. This explains why women who played with toy cars and G.I. Joe's as little girls and were tomboys through adolescent years, are less disposed towards a liking for pink.

Why do Boys Like Blue So Much?

However, yet another research indicates that both men and women, biologically, prefer blue but men do not have any special inclination towards pink. Blue represented a clear blue sky and water in the stone age which are good signs for human life to thrive. However, women have still been more fond of pink according to the observations made. According to the observation made in this study, even while selecting shades of blue, they preferred those that had in pink and lilac undertones to them. Every where, in this age of consumerism, maximum products aimed at females are manufactured in the shades of red and pink, further strengthening this tradition. Women are very sensitive to color and easily recognize even slight difference in shades of the same color. This reminds me of brides who are always so particular about the shades of the table cloth, napkin, flowers, crockery and everything else.

So, why do girls like pink has little do with any genetical preference and is simply psychological due to social gender differences between the role of a man and a woman in the society since stone age, as it has been propagated by world theorists. This is even when not all cultures associate pink with femininity. Now do my feminist friends hate pink?

My sister happens to be one of those few girls whose room was blue while growing up while mine still continues to be pink. I will tell you what, most of my male friends always get very comfy in my room. They say its very relaxing and they love it. Getting in touch with the feminine side? As I said MOST girls like pink, not all. I think with women breaking the stereotypical concept of a female's role, more and more girls have individual choices that are not restricted to liking pink. Yes, it is a nice color to look at but so are others. It doesn't mean that it is every girl's favorite color. My room may be pink but it is probably because all the pretty things come in pink. And yes, to be clear off the record, I would like to live in a house with absolutely white interiors with a minimalistic design and a splash of colors here and there. Still too feminine?