HONEY COLD CREAM
40g (approximately 1.5 ounces) fresh, good quality cold pressed safflower oil
40g (approximately 1.5 ounces) ) distilled water
10g (approximately 1/3 ounce) beeswax pellets or grated beeswax.
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon borax, if a white cream is desired, otherwise, optional.
Be aware that some people are allergic to beeswax. Exercise caution.
1 heat resistant microwave safe bowl with lid
1 hand whisk or wooden spoon
1 teaspoon or dropper
Kitchen scales
Heat resistant pot (small) to contain the cream
Ice cube trays
Freezer Storage Container
Instructions
Combine safflower oil and beeswax pellets or shavings into a clean, dry bowl. Microwave on low, gently, until the beeswax has melted.
Slowly drizzle the teaspoon of honey into the oil mixture, beating thoroughly. A dedicated blender or food processor works fine (dedicated meaning you keep a spare one for craft projects, and you do not use it for food preparation).
Using a teaspoon or dropper, slowly drop minute amounts of distilled water into the oil/wax/honey, whisking quickly the entire time.
Once you have incorporated all of the distilled water into the mixture, allow your cream to "settle" for at least five minutes. Water which has not incorporated will settle to the bottom, and the cream layer will rise to the top. Drain off and discard this lower layer of water.
Gently spoon one teaspoon of "cold cream" into each well of a clean, dry ice cube tray. Freeze until solid. (Optional: Spread a large, loose piece of plastic wrap over the try for easy removal of the cubes at one
I have used cold cream for many years and its one of my favorite cleansers, moisturizers and general soothing cream.
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Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Top 10 Interview Tips
1. Great interviews arise from careful groundwork. You can ace your next interview if you: Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is the state from which great basketball players or Olympic skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self chatter in your head through meditation or visualization prior to sitting down in the meeting. You'll focus on the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation.
2.Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic self, professional yet real. Engage in true conversation with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating the interview before it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions you'll be asked on a final exam.
3.Set goals for the interview. It is your job to leave the meeting feeling secure that the interviewer knows as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities, experience and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions, clear them up before leaving. If the interviewer doesn't get around to asking you important questions, pose them yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without getting your own questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews, especially with other key players.
4.Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Why should we hire you?" Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question about your meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing delicately about your personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if you sense they are present.
5.Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter. Don't write this letter lightly. It is another opportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon them in your letter. Writing a letter after a meeting is a very minimum. Standing out among the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider this follow up letter as an additional interview in which you get to do all the talking. Propose useful ideas that demonstrate your added value to the team.
6.Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on the shoulders of the interviewer. He or she has the responsibility of hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will need to be justified. "Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person fit the culture of this organization?" These as well as other questions will be heavily on the interviewer's mind. Find ways to demonstrate your qualities above and beyond just doing the job.
7.Expect to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself." This is a pet question of prepared and even unprepared interviewers. Everything you include should answer the question, "Why should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of achievements from your work life that closely match the elements of the job before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as much about the job description as you can before you respond to the question.
8.Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of what people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actions convey the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an interviewer to show interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that supports appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you.
9.Be smart about money questions. Don't fall into the trap of telling the interviewer your financial expectations. You may be asking for too little or too much money and in each case ruin your chances of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the job falls in. Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding of the scope of responsibilities of the job.
10.Don't hang out your dirty laundry. Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales that are inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. State your previous experience in the most positive terms. Even if you disagreed with a former employer, express your enthusiasm for earlier situations as much as you can. Whenever you speak negatively about another person or situation in which you were directly involved, you run the risk (early in the relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may have difficulty working with others.
2.Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic self, professional yet real. Engage in true conversation with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating the interview before it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions you'll be asked on a final exam.
3.Set goals for the interview. It is your job to leave the meeting feeling secure that the interviewer knows as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities, experience and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions, clear them up before leaving. If the interviewer doesn't get around to asking you important questions, pose them yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without getting your own questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews, especially with other key players.
4.Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Why should we hire you?" Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question about your meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing delicately about your personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if you sense they are present.
5.Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter. Don't write this letter lightly. It is another opportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon them in your letter. Writing a letter after a meeting is a very minimum. Standing out among the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider this follow up letter as an additional interview in which you get to do all the talking. Propose useful ideas that demonstrate your added value to the team.
6.Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on the shoulders of the interviewer. He or she has the responsibility of hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will need to be justified. "Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person fit the culture of this organization?" These as well as other questions will be heavily on the interviewer's mind. Find ways to demonstrate your qualities above and beyond just doing the job.
7.Expect to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself." This is a pet question of prepared and even unprepared interviewers. Everything you include should answer the question, "Why should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of achievements from your work life that closely match the elements of the job before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as much about the job description as you can before you respond to the question.
8.Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of what people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actions convey the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an interviewer to show interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that supports appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you.
9.Be smart about money questions. Don't fall into the trap of telling the interviewer your financial expectations. You may be asking for too little or too much money and in each case ruin your chances of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the job falls in. Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding of the scope of responsibilities of the job.
10.Don't hang out your dirty laundry. Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales that are inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. State your previous experience in the most positive terms. Even if you disagreed with a former employer, express your enthusiasm for earlier situations as much as you can. Whenever you speak negatively about another person or situation in which you were directly involved, you run the risk (early in the relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may have difficulty working with others.
Some Tips for fair complexion (Skin Care)
Hi,
Here are some tips to keep your complexion fair and lively.
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon juice and honey on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off.
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon and cucumber juice on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off. If your skin is dry, use honey and lemon juice.
First scrub your face with cucumber slices and then apply cucumber juice (with skin on cucumber) to your face, leave it there overnight and wash in the morning.
Apply a gram flour (besan) and turmeric (haldi) paste on face and neck. After sometime when it dries, scrub it off gently. This would gradually reduce body hair over a period of time.
For 15 days, apply a paste of gram flour (besan), milk (2 teaspoon) and lime juice (3-4 drops) on face and neck for 15 minutes and wash with water. You complexion should improve. Repeat every 2 weeks.
Apply yogurt to the face.
Apply grated white radish or its juice for fairer complexion.
For Babies: Massage the body with almond oil or any other oil once a week. Give baby a bath after 15 minutes.
Make a paste of honey, milk, yogurt, and ground sesame seeds in equal proportions and apply on face and whole body.
Mix honey with equal amount of almond oil. Apply on the face every night.
Mix oatmeal with yogurt and tomato juice and apply on the face. Wash it with cold water after 15 minutes.
Apply a mixture of 3-4 drops of lime juice and a grated tomato on face and neck for 15 minutes for 15 days. Wash with cold water.
Make a paste of turmeric (haldi) powder with fresh lime juice and apply.
Make a scrub of sandalwood powder mixed with almond powder or almond oil and milk. Massage gently on the darker areas like neck, around lips, below eyes, etc.
Cut lime in slices and rub on the face slowly 2 - 3 times. Leave for about 5 minutes, and then wash with cool water. Repeat 3-4 times a week.
Make a paste by grinding mint leaves in water. Apply on the face and neck for 20 minutes and then wash with water.
Make a paste by mixing a pinch of cinnamon powder to ½ teaspoon honey. Apply on the face every night.
Protein mask:
Make a paste of 1 tablespoon urad dal and 4 almonds soaked in water overnight. Apply it your face and neck and wash it off after half an hour. It will nourish your skin and also bleach it.
Make a paste of 4 almonds soaked in milk overnight. Apply it your face and neck before going to bed. Wash with cold water in the morning. Repeat daily for 15 days. It will make your skin fair.
Fair look, oily skin:
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon and cucumber juice on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off.
Make a paste by mixing papaya, honey, milk, and milk powder. Apply on face and leave for a few minutes and wash, your face will look fairer.
Apply egg white to your face.
Fair look, dry skin:
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of cucumber juice and honey on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off.
Here are some tips to keep your complexion fair and lively.
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon juice and honey on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off.
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon and cucumber juice on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off. If your skin is dry, use honey and lemon juice.
First scrub your face with cucumber slices and then apply cucumber juice (with skin on cucumber) to your face, leave it there overnight and wash in the morning.
Apply a gram flour (besan) and turmeric (haldi) paste on face and neck. After sometime when it dries, scrub it off gently. This would gradually reduce body hair over a period of time.
For 15 days, apply a paste of gram flour (besan), milk (2 teaspoon) and lime juice (3-4 drops) on face and neck for 15 minutes and wash with water. You complexion should improve. Repeat every 2 weeks.
Apply yogurt to the face.
Apply grated white radish or its juice for fairer complexion.
For Babies: Massage the body with almond oil or any other oil once a week. Give baby a bath after 15 minutes.
Make a paste of honey, milk, yogurt, and ground sesame seeds in equal proportions and apply on face and whole body.
Mix honey with equal amount of almond oil. Apply on the face every night.
Mix oatmeal with yogurt and tomato juice and apply on the face. Wash it with cold water after 15 minutes.
Apply a mixture of 3-4 drops of lime juice and a grated tomato on face and neck for 15 minutes for 15 days. Wash with cold water.
Make a paste of turmeric (haldi) powder with fresh lime juice and apply.
Make a scrub of sandalwood powder mixed with almond powder or almond oil and milk. Massage gently on the darker areas like neck, around lips, below eyes, etc.
Cut lime in slices and rub on the face slowly 2 - 3 times. Leave for about 5 minutes, and then wash with cool water. Repeat 3-4 times a week.
Make a paste by grinding mint leaves in water. Apply on the face and neck for 20 minutes and then wash with water.
Make a paste by mixing a pinch of cinnamon powder to ½ teaspoon honey. Apply on the face every night.
Protein mask:
Make a paste of 1 tablespoon urad dal and 4 almonds soaked in water overnight. Apply it your face and neck and wash it off after half an hour. It will nourish your skin and also bleach it.
Make a paste of 4 almonds soaked in milk overnight. Apply it your face and neck before going to bed. Wash with cold water in the morning. Repeat daily for 15 days. It will make your skin fair.
Fair look, oily skin:
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of lemon and cucumber juice on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off.
Make a paste by mixing papaya, honey, milk, and milk powder. Apply on face and leave for a few minutes and wash, your face will look fairer.
Apply egg white to your face.
Fair look, dry skin:
Apply a mixture of equal amounts of cucumber juice and honey on the face and whole body. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash off.
10 TIps 2 reduce Weight
1. Resistive Weight Training:
Do some resistive weight training 3 to 4 times a week using short rest periods between sets of 30 to 60 seconds. Work out no longer than 1 hour to keep your anabolic (muscle-building) hormones high and catabolic (muscle-wasting) hormones low. Over-training is a quick way to lose muscle along with fat.
Maintaining muscle is the goal, and it will help keep your metabolic rate high so that fat loss continues at a steady pace. Attempt to lose no more than 1 to 1.5 pounds of fat per week.
2. Avoid Long Duration Cardio:
Avoid traditional long duration cardio, instead perform HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) 2-3 times per week on alternating days or after weight training to burn fat and increase metabolic rate.
3. Watch What You Eat:
Watch what you eat. Beware of low-fat or fat-free products. Typically, these products are loaded with carbohydrates and while you are not getting the fat, you may be getting way too many calories from simple carbohydrates.
Avoid simple sugars and eat complex carbohydrates in moderation to reduce insulin output and prevent blood sugar fluctuations. Insulin is the main hormone responsible for storing body fat, and high insulin levels prevent the burning of stored body fat for energy.
High-carbohydrate diets are not the optimal way to lose fat while preserving lean muscle. Rely on complex, high-fiber carbohydrates such as oatmeal, lentils and brown rice. Avoid breads, pasta, white rice and other highly processed, low-fiber carbohydrate sources, as well as sweets.
4. Increase Lean Protein:
Increase the amount of lean protein you consume daily to increase your metabolic rate, increase anabolic hormones and prevent muscle loss during dieting. Lean muscle mass is the active tissue that burns calories and maintains metabolic rate.
The goal is to preserve the active tissue we want while encouraging the body to reduce the tissue (fat) we don't want. Eat high-quality, low-fat protein sources like skinless chicken, lean red meat and seafood during your weight loss program. High-quality protein supplements may be used when the diet does not yield enough daily protein.
5. Reduce Saturated Fats:
Reduce saturated fats whenever possible and replace with polyunsaturated fats such as flax oil and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are considered "good fats" and should be a part of your diet.
Research shows that omega-3 oils from many sources of fish like cod, flounder, haddock, monkfish, perch, red snapper, sea bass, salmon and tuna help improve health and fat loss. Essential fatty acids (EFA) are required for optimum health and fatty acid metabolism. Avoiding "good fats" is a sure way to sabotage a fat-loss diet and degrade your health.
6. Drink Water:
Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and help liberate fat stores to be burned as energy. Water intake is often cited as the most underrated and overlooked part of fat loss.
7. Eat Fibrous Vegetables:
Eat fibrous vegetables to increase transit time of food, improve digestion and improve weight loss. Increasing fiber intake from vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and other raw vegetables adds fiber, minerals and vitamins with very few calories. They add bulk to the diet while reducing appetite.
8. Several Meals:
Spread food intake over 5 to 6 meals per day. Distributing your food throughout the day will improve nutrient absorption, prevent blood sugar fluctuations and decrease fat-storing hormones and fat-storing enzymes. Simply spreading the same number of calories over 5 to 6 small meals per day rather than the standard 3 meals per day will improve fat loss due to the above effects on blood sugar, hormones and fat-storing enzymes.
9. Avoid Alcohol:
Avoid alcohol (or keep it to a minimum) while you're dieting. Alcohol contains nearly 7 calories per gram, and is easily metabolized and stored as fat. When you consume alcohol with a meal, your body will metabolize the alcohol first.
The rest of the calories and the excess alcohol calories inevitably will be stored as fat. Alcohol is generally regarded as empty carbohydrate calories because you get no other nutritional benefit as you would from the vitamins, minerals and fiber that you get from the carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables.
9. Be Snack Smart:
Be snack smart. When you must have a snack, make a smart choice. Avoid sugary or fatty snacks like chips and soda, crackers, nuts, frozen yogurt and so on.
Instead, try some air-popped popcorn (no butter or salt) or a slice of lean meat like turkey. When you space your meals to 5 or 6 a day, snacking becomes less important to you. Check the nutritional panels on your snacks for sugars and fats, remembering that fat-free does not mean calorie-free, and remember, excess carbohydrates in your diet will be stored as fat.
Do some resistive weight training 3 to 4 times a week using short rest periods between sets of 30 to 60 seconds. Work out no longer than 1 hour to keep your anabolic (muscle-building) hormones high and catabolic (muscle-wasting) hormones low. Over-training is a quick way to lose muscle along with fat.
Maintaining muscle is the goal, and it will help keep your metabolic rate high so that fat loss continues at a steady pace. Attempt to lose no more than 1 to 1.5 pounds of fat per week.
2. Avoid Long Duration Cardio:
Avoid traditional long duration cardio, instead perform HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) 2-3 times per week on alternating days or after weight training to burn fat and increase metabolic rate.
3. Watch What You Eat:
Watch what you eat. Beware of low-fat or fat-free products. Typically, these products are loaded with carbohydrates and while you are not getting the fat, you may be getting way too many calories from simple carbohydrates.
Avoid simple sugars and eat complex carbohydrates in moderation to reduce insulin output and prevent blood sugar fluctuations. Insulin is the main hormone responsible for storing body fat, and high insulin levels prevent the burning of stored body fat for energy.
High-carbohydrate diets are not the optimal way to lose fat while preserving lean muscle. Rely on complex, high-fiber carbohydrates such as oatmeal, lentils and brown rice. Avoid breads, pasta, white rice and other highly processed, low-fiber carbohydrate sources, as well as sweets.
4. Increase Lean Protein:
Increase the amount of lean protein you consume daily to increase your metabolic rate, increase anabolic hormones and prevent muscle loss during dieting. Lean muscle mass is the active tissue that burns calories and maintains metabolic rate.
The goal is to preserve the active tissue we want while encouraging the body to reduce the tissue (fat) we don't want. Eat high-quality, low-fat protein sources like skinless chicken, lean red meat and seafood during your weight loss program. High-quality protein supplements may be used when the diet does not yield enough daily protein.
5. Reduce Saturated Fats:
Reduce saturated fats whenever possible and replace with polyunsaturated fats such as flax oil and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are considered "good fats" and should be a part of your diet.
Research shows that omega-3 oils from many sources of fish like cod, flounder, haddock, monkfish, perch, red snapper, sea bass, salmon and tuna help improve health and fat loss. Essential fatty acids (EFA) are required for optimum health and fatty acid metabolism. Avoiding "good fats" is a sure way to sabotage a fat-loss diet and degrade your health.
6. Drink Water:
Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and help liberate fat stores to be burned as energy. Water intake is often cited as the most underrated and overlooked part of fat loss.
7. Eat Fibrous Vegetables:
Eat fibrous vegetables to increase transit time of food, improve digestion and improve weight loss. Increasing fiber intake from vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and other raw vegetables adds fiber, minerals and vitamins with very few calories. They add bulk to the diet while reducing appetite.
8. Several Meals:
Spread food intake over 5 to 6 meals per day. Distributing your food throughout the day will improve nutrient absorption, prevent blood sugar fluctuations and decrease fat-storing hormones and fat-storing enzymes. Simply spreading the same number of calories over 5 to 6 small meals per day rather than the standard 3 meals per day will improve fat loss due to the above effects on blood sugar, hormones and fat-storing enzymes.
9. Avoid Alcohol:
Avoid alcohol (or keep it to a minimum) while you're dieting. Alcohol contains nearly 7 calories per gram, and is easily metabolized and stored as fat. When you consume alcohol with a meal, your body will metabolize the alcohol first.
The rest of the calories and the excess alcohol calories inevitably will be stored as fat. Alcohol is generally regarded as empty carbohydrate calories because you get no other nutritional benefit as you would from the vitamins, minerals and fiber that you get from the carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables.
9. Be Snack Smart:
Be snack smart. When you must have a snack, make a smart choice. Avoid sugary or fatty snacks like chips and soda, crackers, nuts, frozen yogurt and so on.
Instead, try some air-popped popcorn (no butter or salt) or a slice of lean meat like turkey. When you space your meals to 5 or 6 a day, snacking becomes less important to you. Check the nutritional panels on your snacks for sugars and fats, remembering that fat-free does not mean calorie-free, and remember, excess carbohydrates in your diet will be stored as fat.
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