Questions To Ask On A First Date That Will Guarantee A Second One

First dates can be terrifying. They can be great. Neither of you knows what you're really getting into. Is this a good person? Could I see myself dating them in the future? It's always hard to say, but asking these 4 questions can get you some answers.

1. "Do you usually follow your head or your heart?''

This question can be a great way to get right to the core of someone's personality. This can reveal the answers to other questions, like whether your date is more interested in science or art, or whether they try to understand their surroundings in more of an emotive or a logical way. Of course, your date probably falls somewhere in the middle, and just because they might be the opposite, it doesn't mean things won't work out. You could go even further with this, and give your date a specific number of things to name, though that could potentially really put on the pressure. This question is a great way to figure out where your date's priorities lie--are they more into material goods, or are they completely passionate about helping charities? Again, there's no right answer, just an answer that might be more right for you.

2. "What's most important to you in this world?"

You could go even further with this, and give your date a specific number of things to name, though that could potentially really put on the pressure. This question is a great way to figure out where your date's priorities lie--are they more into material goods, or are they completely passionate about helping charities? Again, there's no right answer, just an answer that might be more right for you.

3.  ''What are you currently reading?''

Hopefully it's something, but if they say "nothing," that's definitely useful information. Where do they get their news from? Do they prefer fiction, nonfiction, or poetry? This is a great way to find out the way someone thinks, and can lead to some fun conversations and debates. 

4. "Do the ends always justify the means?"

What lengths is your date willing to go to to get something they want? This can be hugely revealing of your date's personality, and might tell you a thing or two about what a romantic your date is.

source: http://www.dose.com/style/24027/4-Questions-To-Ask-On-A-First-Date-That-Will-Guarantee-A-Second-One

Jambalaya Recipes

Today, I will be putting you through how to make a delicious meal called 'Jambalaya''. Jambalaya is more of our local concoction rice but very flavorful and full of spice. Jambalaya originates from the French Quarter of New Orleans and Spanish. So, we are going to try our hands on this. Below are the recipes needed to prepare this delicious meal.

Recipes

* 3 Tbsp. olive oil
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 1 white onion, diced
* 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
* 1 lb. turkey sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
* 3 cups chicken stock
* 1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
* 1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 tsp. thyme, crushed
* 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or Red pepper or Chilli Pepper
* 1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
* salt and pepper (optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce)

Methods

* Heat 2 tablespoons. olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.

* Add celery, onion, bell peppers, and garlic.

* Sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked.

* Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine.

* Continue saucing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked.

* Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, bay leaf, thyme, and stir to combine

* Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally. (Don't forget to stir, or the rice may burn on the bottom of the pan.)

* Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and pink.

* Remove bay leaf and season the jambalaya with salt and pepper and hot sauce.

* Remove from heat and serve with optional garnishes if desired.

And at the end of it all, you have something like this

Source: http://rachelatyson.blogspot.com.ng/2016/01/21-day-fix-chicken-sausage-and-shrimp.html

7 Steps For Maintaining Braids or Twist

Let’s be honest, Braids take a lot of time and cost a good bit of money. There are several reasons you may choose to get braids for yourself or your daughter, and we know most of them. So, to make sure that your investment goes a long way we have some steps for you to take. Who wants to spend money or time making their hair look good with braiding only to see it go down rapidly after 2-weeks? Absolutely Nobody.

If you do the following things you will be in a much better position after you decide to drop upward a huge amount of money or MAD hours in a salon.


7 Steps for Maintaining Braids or Twists

1. Protect Your Hair At Night

A silk headscarf or a satin pillowcase or Satin Hair Bonnet will help keep your braids from drying out. Your edges will also remain fresher. Doing both may sound like an overkill but many women lose their headscarf during sleep, only to find their braids pressed up against a moisture robbing cotton pillowcase. Keep frizz down and hairstyles in tact with these materials.

2. Keep your Scalp Moist

Break out a Spray Bottle and spray your thirsty roots. It only take a couple of minutes to moisturize your hair. Just like every other living thing on this earth, your hair needs moisture to survive. The number #1 moisturizer for your thirsty roots is water…PERIOD!

3. Avoid Unnatural Products For Keeping Your Braids Moisturized

Avoid mineral oils like the plague. Yes, your braids need to hold as much moisture as they can for that optimum look. But, did you know that “Mineral Oil” is the key ingredient in most of the popular braid moisturizers? Don’t use them! Instead, use natural oils like coconut oil or almond oil. To seal in the moisture a leading option is Apricot Castor Oil. You can use it to seal entire braid strands or just your ends. The oils are really good for scalp soothing and retaining important moisture. If you need a non-greasy feeling moisturizer simply use a natural leave-in conditioner.

4. Wash Braids Bi-Weekly (Minimum Recommendation)

A daily buildup of dirt or sweat can cause pores to clog and product build up. This is a recipe for disaster of a scalp and hair. You can make use of a Shampoo to wash your hair and a T-Shirt Towel for drying without creating much frizz.

5. Reduce Up-Dos, Pulling and High Manipulation

Constant styling and high ponytails or up-dos pulls on your hairline. Consistently pulling on your hairline will weaken your thirsty roots. No need to destroy your edges over styling. Simply limit these kind of styles to 1 or 2 times a week instead of daily.

6. Redo Your Edges After 4 to 6 Weeks

On average, hair grows 1/2 an inch per month. This means after 4 weeks you have some new growth and the braids around your front hairline…(Edges) can begin to look a bit rough. 2-months in you will feel like you are pushing the limits of HOTNESS. Let’s take care of this by simply taking out the braids along the edges. Detangle and conditioning that hair before re-installing those few braids you took out. To control your edges, use an Edge Control Cream.

Reminder: Your edges are fragile and NOT taking care of them properly while in braids can cause some serious Eye DRAMA if you know what we mean.


7. Don't Wear Braids For Too Long

Some women have been able to effectively wear braids for 4-months with serious care. We recommend a maximum of 2 months. New growth can cause the hair to be pulled on from heavy braids or constant tugging from them. Sleep patterns and daily movement can weaken or damage the new growth from consistent stretching. Fragile ends or breakage goes totally against “Protective Hairstyle” so please,  Be Careful!

These 7 steps for maintaining braids or twists should keep you looking nice. You should definitely get your moneys worth of wear. Your thirsty roots will also remain beautiful as you experience healthy hair growth.



Source: http://thirstyroots.com/maintaining-braids.html

6 Easy Fixes for Snoring

You may be among the 45% of normal adults who snore at least occasionally or you likely know someone who does. He (or she) may be the brunt of jokes at family gatherings. Snoring is really a serious business. Daniel P. Slaughter, MD, an otolaryngologist and snoring expert at Capital Otolaryngology in Austin, Texas says, For one, a snoring spouse often keeps the other person from a good night's sleep, which can eventually lead to separate bedrooms and also create real problems in a marriage,".

Not only is snoring a nuisance, but 75% of people who snore have obstructive sleep apnea (when breathing is disrupted during sleep for short periods), which increases the risk of developing heart disease, Slaughter says.

Causes of Fatigue and Sleepiness and How to Fight Them

1. Change Your Sleep Position

Lying on your back makes the base of your tongue and soft palate collapse to the back wall of your throat, causing a vibrating sound during sleep. Sleeping on your side may help prevent this.

"A body pillow (a full-length pillow that supports your entire body) provides an easy fix," Slaughter says. "It enables you to maintain sleeping on your side and can make a dramatic difference." Taping tennis balls to the back of your pajamas can also stop you from sleeping on your back, "Or you can recline the bed with the head up and extended, which opens up nasal airway passages and may help prevent snoring. This may cause neck pain, however." If snoring continues regardless of the sleep position, obstructive sleep apnea may be a cause. "See a doctor in this case,''.

2. Lose Weight.

Weight loss helps some people but not everyone. "Thin people snore, too," If you've gained weight and started snoring and did not snore before you gained weight, weight loss may help. "If you gain weight around your neck, it squeezes the internal diameter of the throat, making it more likely to collapse during sleep, triggering snoring,".

3. Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol and sedatives reduce the resting tone of the muscles in the back of your throat, making it more likely you'll snore. "Drinking alcohol four to five hours before sleeping makes snoring worse,". People who don't normally snore will snore after drinking alcohol."

4. Practise Good Sleeping Hygiene

Poor sleep habits (also known as poor sleep "hygiene") can have an effect similar to that of drinking alcohol. Working long hours without enough sleep, for example, means when you finally hit the sack you're overtired. "You sleep hard and deep, and the muscles become floppier, which creates snoring''.

5. Change Your Pillow

Allergens in your bedroom and in your pillow may contribute to snoring. When did you last dust the overhead ceiling fan? Replace your pillows? Dust mites accumulate in pillows and can cause allergic reactions that can lead to snoring. Allowing pets to sleep on the bed causes you to breathe in animal dander, another common irritant. "If you feel fine during the day but obstructed at night, these things may be contributing to your snoring,". Put your pillows in the air fluff cycle once every couple weeks and replace them every six months to keep dust mites and allergens to a minimum. And keep pets out of the bedroom. Beware before spending money on special pillows designed to prevent snoring. "They may work if it props up your head, which fixes nasal issues, but can cause neck pain."

6. Stay Well Hydrated

Drink plenty of fluids. "Secretions in your nose and soft palate become stickier when you're dehydrated''. "This can create more snoring." According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should have about 11 cups of total water (from all drinks and food) a day; men require about 16 cups.

Overall, get enough sleep, sleep on your side, avoid alcohol before bedtime and take a hot shower if nasal passages are clogged. "These simple practices can make a huge difference in reducing snoring."



http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/easy-snoring-remedies

5 Side Effects Of Divorce On Children

Going through a divorce can be painful, not just for the couple, but also for your kids, which often tends to get sidelined.  “It’s no secret that children of divorced parents are more likely to get divorced,”. “Studies indicate that the daughters of divorced parents have a 60-percent higher divorce rate in marriages than children of non-divorced parents, and sons have a 35-percent higher divorce rate. Part of the reason is that when parents are divorced. It seems to send a message in a non-direct way that divorce is acceptable.”

Top 5 side effects on Children of Divorced Parents:

There are children who have grown up to be happy individuals, in spite of coming from a divorced household. Hence, a divorce may or may not have an impact on a child’s mental well being, depending upon his emotional quotient. Here we’ve listed down few possible negative impacts that your child may go through during the divorce.

 1. Anxiety:  It’s all new for him. With the sudden change of things, anxiety and stress become inevitable. While you may not exactly be able to control this, it is always a good idea to avoid divorce-related discussions while your kid is around. Many psychologists and researchers believe that a kid experiencing a divorce could end up being anxious during dating, which may have an impact on his own relationships in future.

2.  Pessimism:  Witnessing a marriage crumbling can be a shaky experience, especially for a young child who isn’t acquainted with the seriousness of the situation. This may cause him to develop a pessimistic attitude towards relationships and possibly even life. Experts believe that if you treat your ex-spouse with dignity and respect, it helps your children learn that disagreements don’t need to lead to a complete breakdown in a relationship.

 3. Trust Issues:  If the divorce is a result of betrayal or any extra marital relationship, it is very important to keep those discussions away from your young child. Trust issues are common among kids who have witnessed their parents separate due to different relationship challenges. If you’re parting ways with your partner due to an affair, explain it to your child sensitively.

 4. Social Issues:  Kids who have experienced their parents getting divorced are also known to have social issuesand may be self conscious and shy, even as they get into school. Such children of divorced parents behavior varies from normal ones like they often find it difficult to get into relationships, and even if they do, they may not be able to experience a fulfilling relationship.

 5. Performance:  Studies have revealed how kids who have witnessed divorces and broken relationships are much more likely to show disrupted performance in academics and other activities. Your kid may also have developmental problems as opposed to kids who have been bought up in a happy family.

Other Issues:

Children having experienced divorce may also develop certain extreme mental and physical health problems, studies have revealed. A child who has witnessed his parents undergoing a break-up is more likely to:  Drop out of school, Commit suicide, Have an inclination towards crime, Have an increased susceptibility to sickness, Suffer from chronic stress, Have a higher risk of stroke, Develop smoking habits, Have poor social skills, Have an increased risk of an early death.

The statistics are shockingly true about how divorce has detrimental impacts on a kid’s well being; though inevitable as it might be, it is always a good idea to think of better ways to handle relationship issues. Your child will thank you all her life for not scarring her with harmful divorce aftermaths.


Source: http://www.momjunction.com/articles/side-effects-divorced-parents-children_0022338/?ref=popularsidebar

How to Cook Chinese Rice.

Are you a Chinese rice lover? Have you longed to learn how to cook Chinese rice? If that's your case, be sure to read this article about the easiest way to cook yummy Chinese rice for anyone! I have longed for this, now its here. I have searched and googled for what Chinese rice is called because i know Basmati is Indian rice, Jasmine is more Vietnamese or Thai rice but I haven't found the name for Chinese rice. Moving forward we can try using our local rice and I bet you, the taste is going to turn out fine. Below are ingredients and steps in the preparing of Chinese Rice;

Ingredients;
Rice
Eggs
Pepper
Onions
Soy Sauce
Chopped Meat
Corn
Brocolli (Optional)
Vegetable Oil

Steps:

1. Cook white rice in a rice cooker or whatever you'd like to use.

2. Once the rice is done, put as much as you want in a bowl.

3. Cook some scrambled eggs with vegetable oil. Afterward, put it in a bowl.

4. Cut up some onions and peppers. Put in a bowl with corn and cooked broccoli (optional).

5. Turn on a pan on medium (maybe a little higher).

6. Add whatever amount of vegetable oil as you need, depending on the size of the pan.

7. Spill in the onions, peppers and everything else you added in the pot/pan. Add a little soy sauce (as much as you want).

8. After about 2 minutes, you may pour in the eggs and the rice.

9. After you have poured the rice in the pan, pour about 1/2 a cup of soy sauce (depending on how much rice you added in the pan) and mix everything up.

10. Keep mixing everything together until you see that the rice has gone from white to a brownish color (caused by the soy sauce), and that the onions and peppers have fully cooked.

11. Optional: If by chance you have any chicken that is cooked, you may warm it up, cut it into little pieces and add with everything in the pan.

12.  Now you may serve the Chinese rice! Some people put it into a small round bowl, then flip the bowl upside-down onto the plate so the rice is served in a neat mound.

Warning: Do not add too much soy sauce. If you choose to, do not add any salt to the rice.



Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Chinese-Rice

Clothing Tips Every Girl Should Know

It’s something we do every day — wear clothes! So, it somehow makes sense that we all have a few clothing tips and tricks up our sleeve. Everything from style and fashion to little tricks that help with all of the dilemmas we have with our bra straps, tight jeans, and uncomfortable shoes. These are all clothing tips that made me think “Why didn’t I think of that?!”. So, I thought I’d pass the wisdom on for other people that wear clothes. I figured there were a lot of you, so here we go;

1. Tucking Jeans Into Boots

No more fat ankles!! Most of my jeans are boot cut or straight leg (guess I’m just not a skinny jean kind of girl). This poses a problem when it comes to wearing boots — not only does it make it hard to zip them up, but I’m sometimes left with bunched up fabric that is uncomfortable and unflattering! If you have a similar problem, here is a nice little trick to tucking those non-skinny jeans into your boots.

 2. DIY Bra Strap Concealer

This clever clothing trick not only keeps your bra strap concealed, but also keeps your wide neck shirts from falling off of your shoulder. Smart! All it takes are a few thin strips of fabric and sew-on press studs.

3. Double The Layers, Half The Frump

A slimming trick! Just about every girl could use this. Wear a form fitting tank top between your sweater and button-up shirt to keep your mid section from looking frumpy. This is especially helpful if the button-up is a bit baggy, as the tank will press and flatten it against your torso, hiding bunched up fabric and the outlines of the buttons.

4. Stretching Jeans To Fit

Ok, so you’ve maybe gained a few pounds, your jeans are getting tight, but not enough so that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Been there, done that! You can’t stretch them several sizes, but you CAN stretch them enough to make them fit comfortably.

*Instructions: First, get your jeans damp. You can even put them on and then sit in the tub for a few minutes. This eliminates the process of trying to get them on while they’re wet. Or, give the areas that are too tight a good spray with a spray bottle. Now wear them around the house for about 30 minutes doing lots of stretching, lunges, squats and perhaps some yoga poses (funny, right?). Now that you’ve gotten a good work out in (that’s just a bonus), take them off and let them hang dry. Repeat that process again once they are dry. You should now be able to breath a little easier!

*Stretching Them Length Wise: If you want to stretch them length wise, get them damp, lay them on the floor, put your foot down on the waist side to hold them down, and then grab the bottom of one of the legs and pull it firmly towards your body about 10 times. Repeat this process for the other leg.


5. Chewing Gum Catastrophe 

Its been a long time since I’ve had a chewing gum casualty (stuck in my hair once in 3rd grade), but just knowing that it could strike at any time is a good reason to know this tip on how to easily remove it from clothes and other fabric — ICE! The idea is to get the gum as cold as possible. This hardens it and makes it easier to just scrape off. This trick also works for furniture and hair. Good to know!

6. The Smart Way To Fold Lingerie

Yeah, I have a few of these fancy pieces of lingerie that I will never wear. I have them hanging in my closet! How stupid am I? They are just so awkward; I’ve never even considered trying to fold one. Turns out there is a really clever way to fold them to fit in a drawer quite nicely.

7. Choosing Necklaces For Necklines

I’ve never really given this much thought, but pairing your jewelry with your neckline certainly makes a difference! Your necklace choice should compliment your outfit; the neckline of your shirt or dress being the most important thing to consider.

Source: http://www.listotic.com/31-clothing-tips-every-girl-should-know/7/