Home how-to

1. Before you let something really get to you, ask yourself, "Will it really make much of a difference five years from now?" So if you burned the lasagna and have to order five pizzas for all of your guests, what will they remember in five years? Your screams from the kitchen? More likely, the quick-on-your-feet fix that didn't ruin the mood.

2. Curl your toes toward the soles of your feet as hard as you can for 15 seconds, then relax. Next, progressively tense and relax your leg, stomach, back, shoulder, and neck muscles in the same fashion. These exercises can be done anywhere and in any order, and they provide both physical and mental relief. They're also a great way to help your body and mind relax before falling asleep.

3. Sit or lie in a comfortable position, breathe deeply from your abdomen, count to five, and then exhale. As you inhale again, imagine that you're pulling strength into your body and that anxiety is being forced out when you exhale. Try doing this for five minutes twice a day, or whenever you feel tense.

4. Try to relax as much as possible in a comfortable and quiet environment, with your eyes closed, and breathe quietly in a slow, rhythmic fashion. With each exhalation, repeat a simple word or sound softly or even silently. Try to do this right before you take on a big project. It'll calm you down, let you collect your thoughts, and get you motivated to tackle the task.

5. Close your eyes -- or pick a spot about 10 feet away to look at and let it go slightly out of focus -- and then say the following phrases to yourself. Repeat two or three times until you feel noticeably relaxed: 

• "My arms are heavy and relaxed." (As you say this, relax your arms and shoulders as much as possible, and wait until you feel the tension ease up.)
• "My legs are heavy and relaxed." (As you say this, relax your leg muscles as much as possible, and wait until you feel the tension ease up.)
• "My mind is calm and quiet." (Try to rest your mind by imagining it's like a quiet pool with no thoughts rippling to the surface).

6. Visualize that you're on a beach, listening to the waves coming in, feeling the warm sun and gentle breezes on your back. Try to make the sounds and sensations as vivid as possible; concentrate for a few minutes on the pleasure and peaceful reaction they induce. It doesn't have to be a beach -- you might prefer imagining an erotic fantasy, a prairie wheat field, or some other experience, but be sure to include all the sensuous details.

7. Smile inwardly with your mouth and eyes, and say to yourself, "Alert mind and sound body" -- and try to achieve this. Now imagine that you're taking a deep breath through a straw all the way down to your abdomen, and let your jaw, tongue, and shoulders go limp while you feel a comforting wave of warmth and heaviness sweep all the way to your toes. It takes a little practice to get this exercise down pat, but it's very effective in a short period of time. And it can be practiced anywhere as often as you like.

8. Have on hand an MP3 player or Walkman with selections of enjoyable music so you can listen to it when you're uptight.

9. If the weather is nice and the surroundings are enjoyable, take a brisk walk or go window-shopping for 10 or 15 minutes -- to create a diversion or clear your mind.

10. Not having enough time to get everything accomplished is a major stressor. But it's also important to satisfy your personal needs. Make a point of taking 20 to 30 minutes out of each day to do whatever you want, including nothing at all. Pampering yourself can prove to be not only a pleasant stress-buster, but also a powerful stress-buffer.

SOURCE: 

My sister and her (boy)friends went to Sagada last weekend and brought home some watercrest for us.  I remembered our regular sunday lunch out in n Rose Bowl resto in Baguio and how much  i enjoyed this vegetable in the pata Tim. So i will cook (i hope i can pull it off) pata tim for dinner.

The husband will be gone for 2 weeks starting on Sunday. And my plan is to turn the house from its current dull stage to a festive abode. Went looking at artificial trees last weekend in Ali Mall, but they just seem to "ordinary".

Had some time surfing the web and came across this really cool site and made my creative juices come out... Sharing some rally cool ideas:

photosource here

Keep Brown Sugar Soft with Orange Peels

Certain items in your house practically scream "toss me" when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes.

But what about that jar of olives or Maraschino cherries that has resided in your refrigerator since before the birth of your kindergartner? Or the innumerable nonedibles lurking deep within your cabinets and closets: stockpiled shampoo and toothpaste, seldom-used silver polish? How do you know when their primes have passed?

With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.

Food


Beer
Unopened: 4 months.

Brown sugar
Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.

Chocolate (Hershey bar)
1 year from production date

Coffee, canned ground
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated

Coffee, gourmet
Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container

Coffee, instant
Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month

Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)
Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

Dried pasta
12 months

Frozen dinners
Unopened: 12 to 18 months

Frozen vegetables
Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month

Honey
Indefinite shelf life

Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)
Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days

Ketchup
Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Maple syrup, real or imitation
1 year

Maraschino cherries
Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

Marshmallows
Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months

Mayonnaise
Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Mustard
2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Olives, jarred (green with pimento)
Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months

Olive oil
2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Peanuts
Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

Peanut butter, natural
9 months

Peanut butter, processed (Jif)
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

Pickles
Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
Protein bars (PowerBars)
Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.

Rice, white
2 years from date on box or date of purchase

Salad dressing, bottled
Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated

Soda, regular
Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected

Steak sauce
33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Tabasco
5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

Tea bags (Lipton)
Use within 2 years of opening the package

Tuna, canned
Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

Soy sauce, bottled
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Vinegar
42 months

Wine (red, white)
Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines
Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked

Worcestershire sauce
Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened: 2 years

For more information, see:

How to Protect Your Produce
How to Save an Open Bottle of Wine

Household Products


Air freshener, aerosol
2 years

Antifreeze, premixed
1 to 5 years

Antifreeze, concentrate
Indefinite

Batteries, alkaline
7 years

Batteries, lithium
10 years

Bleach
3 to 6 months

Dish detergent, liquid or powdered
1 year

Fire extinguisher, rechargeable
Service or replace every 6 years

Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable
12 years

Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered
Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months

Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)
At least 3 years

Miracle Gro, liquid
Opened: 3 to 8 years

Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble
Indefinite

Motor oil
Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months

Mr. Clean
2 years

Paint
Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years

Spray paint
2 to 3 years

Windex
2 years

Wood polish (Pledge)
2 years

For more information, see:

The Right Way to Throw Out Medicine, Paint, Batteries
Earth-Friendly Cleaning Products

Beauty Products

All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.

Bar soap
18 months to 3 years

Bath gel, body wash
3 years

Bath oil
1 year

Body bleaches and depilatories
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months

Body lotion
3 years

Conditioner
2 to 3 years

Deodorant
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date

Eye cream
Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year

Face lotion
With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years

Foundation, oil-based
2 years

Foundation, water-based
3 years

Hair gel
2 to 3 years

Hair spray
2 to 3 years

Lip balm
Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years

Lipstick
2 years

Mascara
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months

Mouthwash
Three years from manufacture date

Nail polish
1 year

Nail-polish remover
Lasts indefinitely

Perfume
1 to 2 years

Rubbing alcohol
At least 3 years

Shampoo
2 to 3 years

Shaving cream
2 years or more

Tooth-whitening strips
13 months

Wash'n Dri moist wipes
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out

another blog. this time all about home-making.