My Life story! | The Life Allergic: the Dangerous World of Dining Out

Anyone with a food allergy, or a family member/close friend/significant other with a food allergy, knows that one of the most terrifying, anxiety inducing phrases masquerades as a seemingly innocuous invitation, “I’m starving, aren’t you? Let’s grab a bite to eat!” (followed closely by “Of course it’s safe! Well, I mean, there’s only a little bit of <gluten/dairy/eggs/nuts/soy/shellfish>, and that can’t hurt, right?”) We have aquired skills that allow us to escape these pitfalls and potentially life threatening situations like a ninja – slipping in and out of these invitations with nary a whisper of insincerity, ungratefulness or arrogance. We have learned that, while spontaneity can lead to fun, exciting and exhilirating adventures, it can turn dangerous — even deadly — in the blink of an eye.

I’m not saying that I live in fear, or that I don’t dine out; but I take precautions that folks with food allergies wouldn’t dream of — calling restaurants well in advance; calmly, clearly and politely explaining my situation and asking what we can do to make dining there a pleasant experience for everyone; researching restaurant options (seriously, thank god for my iPhone and the Yelp! and UrbanSpoon apps — user comments and reviews can be unbelievably helpful when dealing with food allergies!); planning as far ahead as possible and always having a back-up plan; and always, always bringing my best attitude — I really think this may be the most important one of all.

Having food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances is extremely difficult — it doesn’t always feel that way, but when spur of the moment plans arise and you have little choice but to opt out or sit quietly while everyone else enjoys <the best fish and chips in the universe/the most amazing ice cream ever/ecstasy-inducing cheesecake/etc> and you know what?

It sucks.

Now get over it.

It has been 10 years – almost my entire adult life – since discovering that I have Celiac Disease (an auto-immune disease treated by eating a strictly gluten free diet) and it isn’t really any easier. But having the right attitude and perspective is key: while food plays a significant cultural role in nearly every society, it isn’t the end of the world. You are not going to starve to death by sitting this one out and eating later; everyone will not stare at you like a three-headed mutant because you chose a safe salad over a potentially hazardous burrito; and no one is going to join your pity party, either. I’ve been there, I know how it feels when you want to go so badly, but you know it won’t end well. It hurts.It’s like the charming, handsome football captain with a full-ride to Stanford just asked you to the prom and you can’t go because your busted ankle could give out on the dance floor — well, but maybe it would be okay, I mean, it’s just one bite dance right? How bad could it be?

(And that train of thought right there? Dangerous. Flashing red lights, “Do Not Enter!” signs, black and yellow chevrons, a blaring siren, the whole shebang — basically, bad news bears. Stop, abandon the foodie-lust and remember that it’s just not worth getting sick/ending up in the hospital/breaking out in hives/turning your digestive tract inside out on the porcelain throne.)

You have to keep everything in perspective: in six months/a year/five years am I going to remember/care about/ponder the potential of/lament over the bar/restaurant/party/barbecue I didn’t go to or the waffle cone/creme brulee/prime rib/curry that I couldn’t eat? Probably not. If you want to go, go — just remember thatyou’re there to have fun and be social with food, not the other way around. Always bring a back up snack or have a gameplan to grab takeout or stop at the grocery store on your way there or back — just don’t end up wallowing in the loneliness of being the only one who can’t participate because you have a specific health condition or dietary restriction — it’s out of your control, so let it go.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that I’m immune to social pressures or that I don’t mind sitting at a table watching everyone else eat/drink/be merry. I still feel left out when coworkers and friends want to go out for a drink and I can’t enjoy the microbrewed ales or the best-ribs-this-side-of-the-Mississippi; but I don’t let it stop me. I used to politely decline these invitations with an elegant excuse, if I gave one at all, justifying my abstinence by reasoning “it’s easier for everyone if I just don’t go,” And sometimes it is — the only thing worse than being the only person who can’t enjoy the food/refreshments/mind-blowing-doughnuts is being the person who issued the invitation or suggested the outing — how can you enjoy the world’s most amazing pizza when your friend/guest/girlfriend/first date can only look on with envy? You can’t. 

And I know I don’t need to go into how much more fun it can be when you decide to embrace spontaneity, throw caution to the wind — and things go horribly wrong. Usually it’s either: a) an unpleasant situation develops with the waitstaff/proprietor/management/server/barista and everyone has to pay for it or b)everything is going great until your waitress/server/chef/bartender comes sprinting up to your table and says, “How is your <vegan/gluten free/dairy free/specially prepared><food that was supposed to be free of something else>?” (you know which conversation I’m talking about – it goes like this: “How is your dairy free pasta?” “You mean, gluten free? Right?” <pause> “But you said dairy free, right?” or “That’s what I meant!”<awkward laughter>) or, my personal favorite — “wait, don’t –! Oh. Well, a little bit isn’t going to kill you, right?”

All that being said, there’s a really fantastic article in this week’s Washington Post on the topic of dining out with food allergies, the trials and tribulations of special diets.

Image Sources:

Mystic Country CT

via Foodista | The Life Allergic: the Dangerous World of Dining Out and Memoirs of a Foodie.

New idea: “Mama and Me” Journal!

What a great idea that will provide a lifetime of memories! It will also get your child interested in writing and reading and journals. You can both make it together also. Love it!

Download the girly “Mama & Me” label AND the boyish “Mama & Me” label 

via Mama Jenn: “Mama & Me” Journal.

What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died?

What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died?

By Natalie Wolchover | LiveScience.com  

Perhaps you’re a cat lover. Perhaps you abhor the lazy critters. Either way, when you see a cat lounging on an armchair, napping all day but for the occasional stretch or window gaze, “useless” is by no means the last word that comes to mind. Cats, beloved or otherwise, don’t radiate the message that they’re indispensable, hard-working members of the household, or the world.

But, in fact, they’re just playing it cool (as usual). Experts say that if all the world’s cats suddenly died, things would quickly go to hell in a handbasket. 

Cats, both pets and strays, may fool us into thinking that they depend on our food and trash for survival, but according to Alan Beck, professor of veterinary medicine and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, they’re expert predators with adaptable hunting behaviors.

 “They are a significant predator of small animals, and can survive as almost solitary animals when the prey is scarce, while thriving in high density when the prey is abundant,” Beck told Life’s Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience. 

And that’s just why we’d miss them. By killing mice and rats in barns and grain storage areas, cats are vital for keeping those pests in check. In India, Beck said, cats are believed to play a significant role in lessening the amount of grain loss caused by consumption or contamination by rodents. In other words, it may be true that humans feed cats, but without cats, humans would have less food in the first place. [Why Do Cats Bury Their Poop?]

So, how dramatically would the rodent population increase if cats suddenly vanished? It just so happens that several scientific studies have been conducted that paint a vivid picture. A 1997 study in Great Britain found that the average house cat brought home more than 11 dead animals (including mice, birds, frogs and more) in the course of six months.  That meant the 9 million cats of Britain were collectively killing close to 200 million wild specimens per year — not including all those they did not offer up to their owners. A study in New Zealand in 1979 found that, when cats were nearly eradicated from a small island, the local rat population quickly quadrupled.

And if the rodent population shot up, this would of course trigger a cascade of other ecological effects. On that same island in New Zealand, for instance, ecologists observed that, as rat numbers increased in the absence of cats, the population of seabirds whose eggs rats preyed upon declined. If the approximately 220 million domestic cats in the world all bit the dust, seabird populations would likely fall worldwide, while the populations of non-cat predators that prey on rats would be expected to increase.

“All species have an impact,” Beck said. 

And let’s not forget the emotional toll that a mass cat death would take on us humans: “In this country, cats are much loved by many. While there are more dog-owning households (38 percent) than cat- owning households (34 percent), there are actually more domestic cats than dogs because cat owners own more of them. Cats as pets have always been appreciated for the contact, relatively low maintenance, and pedomorphic (child-like) face and general morphology.”

Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter @nattyover. Follow Life’s Little Mysteries on Twitter @llmysteries, then join us on Facebook.

• 10 Species Humans Will Likely Kill Off
• The Secret Lives of Outdoor Cats Revealed
• Why Do Cats Land on Their Feet?

I am a cat lover…in case you couldn’t tell from the page… This just is icing for the cake! 🙂

25 Ways to Reduce Food Waste Page 2 | Care2 Healthy Living

Waste Less Food

Cutting back on food waste is one of the best ways that you can save money and help the planet at the same time. When we send food waste to the landfill, it breaks down to produce methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Here are some ways to make a difference.

1. Don’t shop hungry. I know, I probably sound like your mother, but this is great advice. When you hit the grocery store on an empty stomach, you’re much more likely to buy more food than you need and have to toss spoiled food down the road.

2. Plan your meals and make a list. This goes hand in hand with that first tip. Instead of heading to the store without a plan, take some time to decide what you’re going to cook in the next week. Inventory your cabinets to see what you have, so you don’t end up picking something up that was already in the pantry.

3. Get organized. When you get back from the store, don’t just shove everything into the pantry and the fridge. Take this opportunity to move things that are expiring soon so they’re front and center. You’ll be more likely to use them before they spoil that way.

4. Don’t worry so much about “best by” dates. Often, those are more to cover the producers than for your own safety. I highly recommend the StillTasty database to see if your food is still good. Of course, if something smells funny, has turned a disturbing color, or the packaging is puffed up, it’s better to toss it.

5. Compost. If you do have food that spoils, don’t throw it in the trash! Compost it instead and transform your waste into precious food for your plants.. There are so many surprising things that can go to the compost bin instead of the landfill.

Waste Less Water

We waste a lot of food in the kitchen, but what about water? Don’t send excess water down the drain! Try out a few of these waste-reducing tips instead!

6. Use a dipping bowl. How many times do you turn on the tap to rinse your fingers while you’re prepping food? Instead of running the faucet, keep a small bowl of water to dip your fingers in between tasks. Of course, you still need to wash your hands before you start cooking, and you’ll want to rinse them under the tap then, but for just getting a bit of tomato goop off your fingers before you dice the onions, a small bowl will do the trick.

7. Turn off the faucet when you wash your hands. Speaking of washing your hands! Do you really need to run the water while you scrub? Instead of running water the whole time, wet your hands under the faucet, then turn it off while you soap up. You can turn it back on to rinse and save a few gallons of water while you’re at it!

8. Use less power. Did you know that it takes billions of gallons a year to keep a power plant running? By skipping unnecessary electric appliances, you can indirectly cut back on water waste in your kitchen. For example, do you really need an electric mixer to stir up that cookie dough? Grab a spoon and save some power (and water!) instead!

9. Reuse your water. We dump a lot of usable water down the drain in the kitchen. When you finish boiling a pot of pasta or beans, don’t pour the water into the sink. Instead, drain it into a large bowl. When it cools, you can use it to water plants in your garden.

10. Wash smart. Instead of washing your dishes under a running faucet, fill the sink up with water to wash them instead. If you have a dishwasher, make sure it’s totally full, rather than running a wasteful half load.

Reduce Cooking Waste

Food and water are pretty obvious when you think about the kitchen, but what about packaging waste? Here are some ways to cut back on the food packaging that you’re sending to the landfill.

11. Buy whole foods. Processed foods often come in a lot of crazy packaging, like plastic bags inside of cardboard boxes, or disposable plastic trays wrapped in cellophane. Opt for whole foods like nuts, grains, fruits, and veggies to cut back on packaging waste.

12. Bring your own bag. By now, I bet most of you bring a shopping bag to the store, but what about when you hit that produce aisle or the bulk bins? Skip a bag all together for items like apples and potatoes. If you’re picking up items that do need a bag, like rice or dried beans, opt for a reusable bulk bag instead.

13. Consider the packaging. No one expects you to completely give up convenience foods. We live in the real world, and sometimes quickie convenience items can save the day when you need to put a quick meal together. When you’re buying convenience foods, take a look at the packaging. Is it recyclable? Compostable? Are there unnecessary bags within bags within boxes? Opt for convenience products that come in minimal or reusable packaging.

14. Choose reusable food storage. Instead of wasteful plastic baggies and aluminum foil, store your food in reusable containers. Think glass Mason jars or glass jars that used to hold juice or pasta sauce. To get residual smell out of a glass jar, put two tablespoons of baking soda and 1/4 cup water into the jar and shake well. Follow that up by putting 1/4 cup water in the jar and shaking again to get any baking soda off. Let the jar dry, and you’re ready to store your food waste free!

15. Ditch the paper. Instead of paper napkins, invest in a set of cloth napkins that you can use over and over. You can also ditch the paper towels and clean up spills with rags instead.  (except for the fact you use more water for this!)

Reducing Waste with Food on the Go

Whether you’re packing your lunch or putting together snacks for a road trip, there are lots of little ways that you can waste less!

16. Pack a waste free lunch. Use cloth napkins instead of paper, reusable utensils instead of plastic ones, and go for a bag and lunchbox that you can use over and over. Want more waste-free lunch tips? Check out more details here!

17. Snacks without the waste. I always like to have some kind of little snack on me when I’m out and about. That way, if I get hungry on the go I’m not tempted to pick up a bag of chips. Choose snacks that come in natural wrapping, like apples and bananas. If fresh fruit isn’t practical to stash in your bag or your car, put your snacky foods into a reusable container, like an old jelly jar.

18. Bring a bottle. We all know that bottled water is not ideal from an environmental standpoint, so be proactive when you’re out and about. Stash a reusable bottle of water in your bag that you can refill instead.

19. Keep a napkin on you. So many food places only offer up paper napkins, so be prepared! Keep a cloth napkin in your bag or your car, so when you’re eating out you don’t have to go for disposable paper.

20. Bring a box. Restaurants are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to food waste, and those giant portions are partly to blame. Next time you’re dining out, bring an empty container to take home your leftovers so you can say no to the Styrofoam containers that most restaurants offer as to go packaging.

Waste Less When You’re Cleaning

Cleaning the kitchen comes with a whole other set of waste. From chemicals down the drain to the packaging itself, there’s lots of waste associated with cleaning up the kitchen.

21. Stretch that soap. Before tossing that empty dish soap container, see if you can’t make that soap last for a few more dishes by just adding water!

22. Make sponges last. If your sponge starts to smell a little bit funky, you don’t necessarily have to toss it! Use your microwave or dishwasher to clean a sponge and prolong its life.

23. Make your own cleaning supplies. Kitchen cleaning supplies usually come in disposable, single-use plastic containers. You can cut way back on the waste by whipping up your own cleaning supplies from natural ingredients. You’ll save on money and materials!

24. Opt for natural cleaning supplies. If you are going to buy cleaning supplies, it’s a good idea to opt for natural, biodegradable ones. You don’t want to wash your dishes in harmful chemicals that pollute our waterand aren’t so hot for us, either!

25. Use less. So many people use far more cleaning supplies than they really need. It only takes a tiny bit of dish soap to clean a pot and probably fewer squirts than you’d think to clean off the counter. Be a miser with your cleaning supplies. You’ll replace them less often and reduce waste in the process.

What other ways are you guys reducing your food-related waste? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

via 25 Ways to Reduce Food Waste Page 2 | Care2 Healthy Living.

Zero-Calorie, ‘Inhalable’ Caffeine

Wow…I can’t wait to get my hands on this! I hope they are refillable though. The health benefits seem very positive and the inhaler seems akin to the 5-hour Energy product in ingredients, though more effective and definitely faster than that or coffee. I can’t wait to try this, but I also know that nothing surpasses the self-gratification of sipping on a nice, hot, steamy cup of joe.

AeroShot, a new product that delivers “inhalable” caffeinated puffs, and has got productivity-obsessed technophiles buzzing.

AeroShot Inhalable Caffeine

AeroShot’s delivery system is a light, plastic inhaler that shoots lime-flavored puffs of powdered caffeine to the tongue, where it is instantly absorbed. Each inhaler contains three puffs, providing a total of 100 mg of caffeine — about as much as in a large cup of coffee.

The product also contains 100% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12. It’s sweetened with stevia, an herbal sweetener that is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar and has no calories.

AeroShot was invented by Harvard biomedical engineering professor David Edwards, who also created a similar no-calorie inhalable chocolate product called Le Whif. “I have a background in developing inhaled drugs and vaccines and I was fascinated about bringing that idea to a new way of eating…

Full story at: What We’ve All Been Waiting For – TIME Healthland

Things To Do When Facebook Is Down

 VIA Jeffbullass Blog.

What do you do when your computer gets hit by a virus and you need technical help to fix it and it is 5am in the morning?

Well, that’s what happened to me a few weeks ago and the perturbation of deciding how to best use my time was not a pleasant experience.

I couldn’t write my daily blog, I couldn’t write or send email, there was no online reading being done or research that I could perform as my web world was offline.

In fact working out what to do when your digital centric universe decides that it is not going to play with you takes some creativity.

So after realizing that I couldn’t even grab a coffee as it was too early in the morning I decided to be really innovative …. and proceeded to clean and tidy my desk!!

So what do you do when your world revolves around your Facebook pages? Well one of the top stories during the week was the fact that Facebook did stop working for a few hours.

Here are my 20 Tips on what to do when Facebook is down, feel free to add some more in the comments.

1. Get on to Twitter and send tweets telling everyone that Facebook is down (along with millions of other people tweeting that Facebook has crashed) creating a social media apocalypse that crashes Twitter
2. Clean your desk ..again
3. Buy Google shares
4. Ring your friends and actually have a conversation with awkward silence
5. As you can’t fix the fence on Farmville, go and wash your real car
6. Send an SMS to your friends announcing to them what they already know.. Facebook is down
7. Read your children a story
8. Do your tax return
9. Write that proposal for your client that you have been meaning to do for days
10. Send another Tweet that Facebook is “still” down
11. Write a blog post about Facebook being down and the implications for society and our reliance on social media
12. Start using Instant Messenger again
13. Start planning to create a Facebook competitor
14. Get out your 100 point bucket list and discover that there is not one digital goal you want to achieve before you die on the list
15. Start a family
16. Call your girlfriend and suggest that you have a bit of fun!!
17. Email your 1,000 friends and tell them that Facebook is down
18. Poke someone with your real finger… then hire a lawyer for sexual harassment
19. Start a knitting club
20. Do some work

What did you do when Facebook was down?

Image by escapedtowisconsin

This totally cracked me up. So what do you do when you can’t post, blog or tweet? Any ideas out there, besides watching TV? lol

Wiki How to: Smize

VIA Wiki How to Smize: 8 steps with video.

Smizing is Tyra Banks’s secret to a stunning photo. Smizing is considered to be a look that involves smiling not only with your mouth but through using your eyes – smiling with the eyes – hence, “smize”. The term was coined by Tyra Banks on the thirteenth episode of America’s Top Model,^[1] and it has infiltrated all modeling photography approaches ever since.

If you’re looking to smize, or you’re keen to get your photography subjects to smize, here are some insights on how to achieve it.

EditSteps

1. 1
   

    Think of something relaxing

   Relax. One of the major causes of a stiff appearance in photographs is a stiff bodily pose brought about by anxiety and nerves. Seek to remove the tension from your body using deep inhale and exhale exercises (if you’re a Pilates,yoga, meditation, or martial arts devotee, you’ll already know about doing deep breathing to relax). Shake your body around a little to loosen up; if you can’t do this because of the clothing and makeup you’re wearing, at least stretch and wriggle as much as you can. Visualize calm scenes in your mind and think peaceful, positive thoughts. The process before you is but one process in life, one of many, and you’ll do just fine.

   • In one way, you’re aiming for what is known as the “Duchenne smile”,^[2] which is a genuine smile that pushes up into the eyes. On the other hand, you’re trying to create an eye smile without necessarily being genuine, and that is a whole lot harder to do successfully. So you’re going to have to rely heavily on relaxing as best you can and entering that happy place on command!
2. 2
   

    Choose a focus point

   Choose a focus point. It’s important that you can center your viewpoint so that your eyes aren’t darting about everywhere and creating a sense of being unsettled or uncertain. By selecting a focus point, you have somewhere to aim your look and steady your gaze. People and things to focus on include: the photographer, the camera, the person motivating you behind the photographer, an object at the right height where you’ve been asked to gaze, or an item of food you really would rather be eating.

3. 3
   

    Start with laughter to set the spirit in train

   Laugh. If the shot is one where you’re able to laugh and smile outwardly, then do so. Think of something funny, even if it involves the photographer’s clothing or something amusing that’s happened to you in the past. If you can’t laugh on the outside, laugh inwardly. What other funny things can you conjure up in your mind that will have your body responding with mirth without a mouth smile resulting?

   • Laughing creates a more natural pose because it relaxes and calms you.
4. 4
   

    Practise tilting your chin so it’s “just right”

   Tilt down your chin very slightly. This causes you to have to glare a little from out under your eyelids, in order to feel like you’re looking out properly. And this will help achieve the smize look.

   • Don’t overdo the chin tilting. This will lose your neck and have your face looking down, rather than gazing with a smolder at those viewing your photo.
   • Tyra also recommends pulling your shoulders down, feeling your head pulled up by a string, and facing forward.^[3]
5. 5
   

    Focus on the mouth.

   Focus on the mouth. At this stage you’ll need the guidance of the photographer. Are you smiling openly with the mouth, giving the mere hint of a smile, or looking awfully serious mouth-wise? It gets harder the more you have to keep your mouth closed but that makes getting the smize right all the more important, so that you still portray the smile in your face even when your mouth isn’t complying. If you can, practice the smize with your real smile, a very large forced smile, slightly parted jaw, and closed lips. Your jaw should be just open enough for you to stick the tip of your tongue between your teeth. Do this in front of the mirror to see how your face responds each time to the smize and until you find the best look for your photos (unless you’re a model, in which case you’ll need to get each of the mouth positions perfected).

   • Avoid pouting. Reminiscent of something goats do during mating season, the pout doesn’t look that sexy on most people unless they’re really adept at getting the angle right pulling a total look together. Pouts are for petulant people in a tantrum mindset; leave it out of your mouth shaping skills.
6. 6
   

    Eye smiling takes practice when it’s forced

   Prepare your eyes. The first thing to practice is a little squint that only uses the eye muscles and no other facial muscles. Practice this in front of themirror until you feel you are able to perform a small eye squint without disturbing the rest of your face.

   • Don’t stare; you will notice as you attempt the smize, your temples shift back if you’re getting right because you’re actually slightly reshaping the expression and shape of your eyes themselves. And the only way to really have that happen is to let the upperfacial muscles move ever so slightly as you position the gaze, and then not move again! Just keep practicing – and watch videos of Tyra Banks doing it. For example, in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZhRz6DZSrM, you can see Tyra Banks’ face change ever so slightly in the upper region as she shifts herself into the smizing position after what she terms the staring position.
7. 7
   

    Smize.

   Smize. Once you’ve practiced the various parts of the face separately, put it all together and start to smize. Once again, use a mirror when you’re first learning so that you can see what look you’re achieving (or not achieving). Squint just a little (a lot less than your practice in the step before), allow the hunger seep out of yourgaze, and focus on the point you’ve chosen with all the happy longing and smouldering in the world.

   • Seek to exude warmth from your eyes. Without warmth, your eyes will appear soulless and empty.
   • Don’t think “cheese” – think “smize”.
   • Try to stay natural in your mindset. While you might be dolled up to the nth degree, you can at least exude that quality of being natural in whatever state the makeup artists have placed you.
8. 8
   

    Be effusive and playful.

   Be effusive and playful. Even if you can’t actually look like a kitten rolling around with a ball of yarn, have fun with what you’re doing. This takes you right back to the first step of being relaxed but it also involves lifting up your energy and spirit with playfulness and a sense of fun in all that you’re doing. If you’re enjoying yourself because you’ve chosen to find it fun, this will shine through into the photos. Cameras don’t lie even if the airbrusher does; it will pick up your inner sense of fun if you’re willing to let it shine through.

   • Messing around and having fun results in a natural and yet alluring photo; it shows that you’re a little devil-may-care, in control of your destiny, and confident all at once, and that’s sexy. Just be sure that messing around falls in line with your photographer’s deadlines.

EditVideo

EditTips

• Concentrate on the makeup. If you’re a model with makeup artists, you don’t need to be concerned about this but for those of you who are doing this for yourselves, correctly chosen makeup can enhance the smize. Avoid shiny makeup as that will show up a lot of imperfection in a photo. Use translucent powder or dab blotting paper over your makeup to minimize the shine. Also, avoid dark makeup; lighter makeup will help bring out the sense of eye-smiling whereas dark makeup can simply make you appear fierce and foreboding in a not-very-sexy way. See How to fix your makeup for great looking photos for more ideas.
• Eyeliner placed only on your upper lids can help to make your eyes seem larger. Also, curl those lashes and make them appear larger; they’ll enhance the wider-eyed look.
• Ensure that you look good as a whole, hair, makeup, clothing, the way you’re holding yourself, etc. A good appearance and posture increases your confidence and allows you to be more in the flow.
• For the photographer – if at all possible, avoid using a flash. This will reduce the chances of imperfections showing up on the model’s face.
• Check your teeth before having the photos taken; there’s nothing worse than having something stuck in them before a photo shoot!
• Check out the videos and photos of Tyra Banks smizing. Also, you might like to check out a few Twitter profile photos for some excellent examples of smizing; for example, Emma Robert’s Twitter profile picture shows an example of a natural shot, while Kim Kardashian’s Twitter profile picture provides an example of an airbrushed, structured shot.
• Keep practicing!

EditWarnings

• Remember, an amazing profile picture will only set up people for a fall when they meet the real, natural you. Still, it’s what people have come to expect of online personas versus the real you, so rock it for all it’s worth!

EditThings You’ll Need

• Mirror
• Patient photographer
• Photos to learn from

EditRelated wikiHows

• How to Smile
• How to Smile When You Think You Can’t Smile
• How to Smile Like You Mean It
• How to Smile when You Think You Have Bad Teeth
• How to Smile With the Eyes

EditSources and Citations

1. ↑ http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=smize
2. ↑ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080111224745.htm
3. ↑ http://wendyista.blogspot.com/2009/05/tyra-teaches-you-how-to-smile-with-your.html

The Jack-O-Lantern

The story of the Jack o’Lantern comes from Irish folklore.  Jack was a crafty farmer who tricked the Devil into climbing a tall tree.

When the Devil reached the highest branch, Jack carved a large cross in the trunk, making it impossible for the Devil to climb down.

In exchange for help getting out of the tree, the Devil promised never to tempt Jack with evil again. When Jack died, he was turned away from Heaven for his sins and turned away from Hell because of his trickery.  

Condemned to wander the earth without rest, Jack carved out one of his turnips, took an ember from the devil, and used it for a lantern to light his way.He became known as “Jack of the Lantern.” 

Smokey Eyes How To

Via Glamorous.▼

Smoky eyes

Smoky eyes have become a classic party eye makeup look. The secret of this trend’s popularity is that smoky eyes can change your face dramatically, transforming the girl-next-door into a stylish diva.

Once you learn and master these application and blending techniques, the transition will take you only a few minutes. You can then have irresistible-looking eyes, even if they are not big or bright.

Colour

You will need one black eye pencil, at least two colours of powder eyeshadow, and dark mascara to produce a fantastic smoky eyes effect.

The base colour should be a rich shimmery (not metallic) powder texture. Choose a shade slightly darker than your skin tone. You may choose neutral beige or grey colours for a soft and sophisticated look; or use a bright base for a dramatic look.

The contour colour must be a dark, matte, or slightly shimmery colour. Choose between dark brown, blue, green, or purple, depending on the colour of your attire. Use black with any outfit for a stunning effect.

You may add a third shade to your smoky eyes: a slightly shimmery highlight colour applied just under the eyebrows. This will enlarge the eye area and also soften any demarcation lines that remain after blending. Your normal facial powder can produce the same result if you are aiming for a more sophisticated look.

Choose soft black eye pencil or kohl for an enhancing all-around contour. Never use liquid eyeliner; it is for crisp lines, not the soft and sultry look we are aiming for here.

Black thickening mascara and stronger-than-usual eyebrows are in tune with smoky eyes makeup.

Application

Outline your eye contour with a black eye pencil, all the way around. Make the line thicker along the upper lashes.

With a brush or a sponge applicator, apply your base colour eyeshadow on the mobile eyelid and above the crease, about halfway to the eyebrows, blending slightly.

With a pointy sponge applicator, apply contour colour eyeshadow all the way around your eyes, blending it well with the pencil line.

Half-close your eyes and apply contour colour in the crease.

You will now need to define the outside corners of your eyes using a horizontal “V” shape. The position of the pointy end of the “V” will control the apparent shape of your eyes.

With a medium-sized soft round brush (you can also use a flat one, holding it sideways), blend the eyeshadows on the upper eyelid. With a flat brush, blend the eyeshadows on the lower eyelid.

Repeat your contour colour application with a sponge, as many times as needed to achieve a deep shade. Blend again with brushes after every application.

Apply highlight colour eyeshadow or facial powder under your eyebrows to ease the blending of the dark contour and add some volume to your eye makeup.

For an irresistible deep regard, outline the inside contour of your eyes with eye pencil. Use darker-than-usual eyebrows and lots of mascara to finish the look. Your eyes should now be smokier then ever before!

To keep your bright eye makeup in balance, try a stronger blush, and keep your lips pale with a light gloss application.

This is next on my list to master in the makeup world, along with feather false lashes. 😉

U.S. debt crisis in plain English

Don’t let all the zeroes fool you.

Family is one of those Big American Buzzwords.

And no matter what your family looks like, whether you get along great or hate each others’ guts, everyone agrees on one thing: money matters.

If the USA is one big family–who’s the family financial planner?

If we can choose, I don’t want anyone handling our money who could LOSE SIX BILLION DOLLARS IN SHRINK-WRAPPED CASH.

Whatever, I guess that’s still only a fraction of the Army’s air conditioning bill.

Something’s gotta change.

Via http://matadornetwork.com/change/the-u-s-debt-crisis-in-plain-english/

On a similar note…

Via http://twitter.com/ColeenMonroe Coleen Monroe

Holy maxed out credit cards, Batman!

This analogy works in part because of a general mentality that debt (even crushing debt) is acceptable in the States. In most other places I’ve traveled, people are much more in tune with just how much debt costs in interest and how long it lasts. Many places other than the States, it is extremely difficult to get credit. Here it’s usually only possible to own a home if one takes out a 30-year mortgage and is in debt to the bank for the whole time!

If we are willing to be in debt for most of our adult lives in our private lives, why would the public life be any different?

America is a debtors’ colony formed by European rejects and those seeking freedom and mercy, and it was built on that. I did grow up with the notion of not buying something until you had saved the money for it or not spending money and buying something you can’t afford, until I got older and realized that this just isn’t feasible now. It is ALL set up on credit and inflation. Unless you started with a lot of money or wait forever, you’ll never have anything you need or want unless you borrow money for it. People don’t usually build their own houses now or grow their own food. Jobs are outside the home, and the home is “purchased” based on the job and location. Society now dictates our choices unfortunately. I’m not even going to get into the US government debt…