Lifestyle & Hobbies Archives | Page 127 of 159

Budget-Friendly Places To Find All Things Halloween

The eerie time of the year will grace our calendars once again. Yes! Halloween is just around the corner. And, when it comes to purchasing decorations and costumes that are around your budget, here are 4 shops you can visit:

1. SPOTLIGHT

A popular crafts hub, Spotlight sells different kinds of inexpensive Halloween decorations, table dressings, cake decorations, ribbons, novelty toys, party favors, and candies. All the crafts materials that you will ever need could be found here. Take advantage of their current sale of up to 25% off on all costumes and accessories!

Image Credits: spotlight.com.sg

Browse spotlight.com.sg for more information.

2. DAISO

If all the party goods in a shop cost S$2, you may never want to leave. Daiso offers Halloween decorations, toys for give away, glowing materials, and so much more. From spooky decorations to pumpkin holders and delicious candies, splurge on these timely treats and give them to the kids knocking on your door.

Daiso has several outlets in Singapore. Locate the nearest one, here.

3. CRATE & BARREL

Speaking of Halloween decorations, get designer pieces at reasonable prices inside the Crate & Barrel store. Crate & Barrel is full of beautiful festive items for Halloween. Kicking it off is a set of 20 Black Cats Paper Beverage Napkins. Also, you may serve appetizers in a beautiful glazed pumpkin plate designed by Barbara Eigen.

Image Credits: crateandbarrel.com

4. THE PARTY STUFF

The Party Stuff offers affordable decorations, balloons, tableware, party favors, cake decorations, and costumes.What I like about The Party Stuff is that they have party decorations for a wide selection of themes such as: Plaid Baby, Sports & Army Camouflage, Hawaii & Poker Night, Princess, and Superheroes. So, you will be able to customize your Halloween party.

Decorate your place by adding approximately 4 feet long white spiderweb for only S$2.95 per 20 grams or by adding reusable giant spider web with 4 spiders for S$13.90.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

The Party Stuff has 4 outlets nationwide, visit: thepartystuff.com.sg for more details.

How To Stay Healthy Despite of The Terrible Hazy Conditions

Our air quality worsened on Monday due to the shift in the prevailing winds that brought denser haze from Sumatra. In fact, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) entered the “unhealthy” range last Sunday according to the National Environment Agency.

For your knowledge, a PSI reading of 0-50 is okay, 51-100 is moderate, 101-200 is unhealthy, 201-300 is very unhealthy, and 301 and beyond is hazardous. At the time of writing, the 24-hour PSI readings from 1am-12am today ranges from 148-184. Yes! That is certainly unhealthy.

Short-term exposure to unhealthy haze can cause irritated eyes, runny or stuffy nose, dry or sore throat, headache, and fatigue. In some cases, it can even affect one’s heart and lungs that higher PSI readings can cause breathlessness.

So, how do you stay healthy despite the haze?

You must wear the N95 mask to ensure full coverage when you breathe. But, the best way is to stay indoors (with an air purifier and air conditioner) as much as possible!

While staying inside the walls of your home, you do not have to spend money or sulk in boredom. You can enjoy playing video games, board games, and a bunch of other activities like…

1. LEARNING SOMETHING NEW FOR FREE

Upgrade your knowledge and skills with the quality online resources that are available for free. There are two websites that I am fond of namely: Khan Academy and Code Academy. Khan Academy offers a myriad of courses and exam preparation modules. While, Code Academy offers classes in 6 different programming languages. You can definitely complete the course and be well versed in several programming scripts!

2. EARNING EXTRA MONEY

Use your free time to earn extra money by selling your underused and unwanted items on Gumtree or Carousell. Then, spend more time by cleaning up your closets and drawers in the process.

You may also complete some online surveys and get compensated with cash or redeemable rewards in websites such as My Survey and SurveyCompare.

3. QUALITY TIME WITH THE FAMILY

Lastly, use this valuable time to enjoy the company of your family. Catch up on the lives and the latest projects of every family member and indulge on a great session of cooking, games, or movies. These kind of moments are best spent with the ones you love.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

6 Insider Hair Tips Everyone Must Know

When your hands grace the manes of multiple women and men for about 10 years, chances are…you will have some pretty interesting stories as well as insider tips to tell. And, that is what Ning Agoncillo shared with me the other day. Luckily for you, I am willing to share all her efficient hair tips for free!

1. SAVE ON ADD-ONS

If the salon that you frequent charges you with the shampoo and conditioner whenever you are getting a haircut, save on the add-ons by showering at home. Not only will you save cash but you will also save precious time.

2. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE NAMES

Different salons have different names for the same treatments. For instance one salon may call it Keratin Treatment while the other can call it Reborn Treatment. You must take the responsibility to inquire about the treatment process beforehand in order to compare the salons and to get the best price.

3. EVERYTHING CAN BE REPAIRED

Ning Agoncillo is one of those people who spend years perfecting their craft!

Image Credits: facebook.com/makeupbyningagoncillo?fref=ts

And, given the years of experience and education, she imparts that a good hairdresser is able to repair anything. If your hair has been suffering dryness and frizziness for years, do not fret because it can still become healthy! If you dyed your hair with the wrong shade, do not worry. You can outgrow and re-dye your hair.

4. YOUR HAIR CUT MUST COMPLEMENT YOUR FACE SHAPE

Your hair cut must complement and frame your face well. Square-shaped faces must keep their hair long with layers in order to highlight their face. Also, it is a must to avoid short hair cuts. While for people with round-shaped faces, getting a pixie cut is a good idea. And for heart-shaped faces, a medium hair cut with uniform layers will look nice.

5. KNOW THESE IF YOU ARE GETTING A TREATMENT

If you are getting a treatment, do know that you will stretch your dollar as well as maximize its effects if you steamed your hair in the process.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

6. YOU SHALL NOT INVEST ON EXPENSIVE SCISSORS

Investing on expensive stylist’s scissors is not advisable if you are not a professional or if you are not studying to become one. This is because the scissors need preservation techniques such as keeping it cool or not lending it to others in order to maintain its perfect setting.

How To Learn A New Language Without Spending A Dollar

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could easily upload foreign languages by putting microchips to your brain? Okay, maybe it sounds a tad futuristic and creepy too! However, it is not possible – yet.

Fortunately, you can learn to speak a new language confidently in a relatively short period of time. Here are some tips:

1. TAKE OUT THE EXCUSES AND FEARS

In order to learn a foreign language successfully, you must wash away the excuses and fear inside of you. Whether it is fear of making mistakes, fear of being ridiculed or fear of looking stupid, all your worries will only hold you back. Realize instead that communication is designed to understand each other and never to look down upon someone.

2. SET GOALS

Set an attainable and realistic goal to start with. While you are at it, reward yourself for every milestone you reached. For instance, you may begin with learning at least 50 words in 3-6 months. Then, slowly pick up the pace to learn the grammar too.

3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE ONLINE COURSES

Upon digging through all the free resources in the web, I found that two websites shine from the rest namely: Omniglot and Open Culture. Omniglot has a user-friendly interface that allows you to find the language you desire from the “language index” that is fixed alphabetically. Simply scroll down to find the course links.

Alternatively, you can browse through the collection of featured lessons provided by Open Culture. It consists of 48 languages including French, Mandarin, English, Spanish, and more. Simply download the audio lessons to your computer or music player (mp3 format) to pick it up easily.

4. DOWNLOAD AN AWESOME APP

Want a fun way to learn a new language? Then, download the gamified language tutor App called Duolingo. I am personally in love with Duolingo. More than just learning the basic phrases, it allows you to test your skills in written and spoken language. This is why “Yo entiendo Español.”

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

5. INTERACT IN THE NEW LANGUAGE

One of the best ways to absorb a foreign language is to interact with others. It will teach you naturally and spontaneously to express your thoughts instead of mentally translating every word before you say it.

Sources: 1 & 2

Eternal Benefits Of Waking Up Early

It was 5:30 in the morning and I heard my sister mumbling that she was about to for school. I had two choices: to doze off once more or to wake up and get things done. I chose the latter. And, I do not regret a single thing!

Waking up early has more free benefits that you can ever imagine! You do not have to wake up as early as 5:30 am, just by give yourself more time in the morning (e.g., an hour more) is enough. Pressing the snooze button is no longer an option once you hear the long-lasting benefits of waking up early…

1. PRODUCTIVITY

Waking up early gives you an opportunity to get more things done and to earn more in the process. Furthermore, mornings are usually the time when your brain is most focused and alert. Not to mention, there are fewer distractions in the early hours of the day anyway so you can really achieve more things, smoothly.

Aside from being productive, a biologist in Harvard named Christoph Randler found that individuals who wake up early are more proactive. Other studies echoed his findings and showed that early risers are better at goal setting, planning, and making decisions.

2. BETTER GRADES

A study conducted by Texas University found that students who consistently rise early each day scored better in their exams and overall grades. This is due to the fixed routine and regularly eating breakfast.

So if you are a student, it is best to wake up early than to sleep for long hours and rush to school. Who likes the pressure of hurrying up anyway?

3. MENTAL HEALTH

If treasure relaxation then, waking up early is perfect for you! Early risers have the luxury to give themselves more time to do the things they like such as reading the morning paper, preparing a healthy breakfast, and working out. These things may seem small but it will surely brighten up your mood!

Moreover, studies have shown that “morning people” are generally more optimistic and satisfied with their lives. In fact, Del Suggs who is the author of Truly Leading: Lessons in Leadership, suggests to begin your day with writing down three things you are grateful for. This simple and efficient exercise is rooted from the principles of Positive Psychology.

4. WORKING OUT

As I said, waking up early gives you more time to exercise. And, we all know that exercise either in the morning or at night, has bountiful advantages to your body. By making exercise a daily morning habit, you are able to stimulate energy to your body that will get you ready for the challenges ahead!

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

5. DIET

How many times have you heard the statement: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day?” Well, it is true.

Skipping breakfast is not recommended because your body needs nutrients to help you concentrate and function throughout the day. Also, skipping breakfast makes you more likely to crave unhealthy food and to overeat.

Your body has been on a “fast” mode all night while you were sleeping and you need to “break that fast” with a serving of healthy food.

Sources: 1 & 2

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