September 28th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
Sometimes we just can’t sleep. It may not necessarily be a sleep disorder but we may have a lot on our minds, worried about money, anxiety over an interview the next day or our bodies hormones are just going awry. There are 3 different natural remedies you can use to help treat insomnia to relax your body and calm your mind.
Source: Snorezing
Disclaimer: Never overuse any of your herbal remedies, just like prescription medication or over the counter medication, they can have adverse side effects if not used in moderation.
Valerian Root: Valerian is also known as vandalroot or garden heliotrope. You can find it in your garden and make a tea from it or chew on it in small amounts. You can also find it in vitamin supplement form. It is used to help with insomnia and nervousness. It has proven to be an effective sedative.
Source: Herbal Extracts Plus
Source: Bouncing Bear Botanicals
Kava Kava: Kava Kava can be made into an herbal tea, found in stores as an herbal tea or can be taken in vitamin supplement form. It helps with relaxing muscles and reducing anxiety. It helps with mild insomnia as well. It is very helpful at inducing relaxation and calmness.
Melatonin: Melatonin is a natural secretion we produce in our pineal gland. It comes in supplement form and is used to cure mild to high insomnia. When overused, this particular remedy will lose its potency so take sparingly and only use when absolutely necessary. Try the other herbs first.
Pineal Gland | Source: Uplift Connect
There are many ways to help with insomnia and sleep disorders, but I found these natural remedies to be the most effective and work the best when my loved ones or I are having difficulty sleeping.
Link: sixdifferentways.com
September 25th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
I absolutely love shrimp. It doesn’t matter whether its shrimp scampi, cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce or grilled with garlic, I adore it! But for your pickier guests and especially for the summer, a grilled garlic shrimp recipe that is easy to make can make a nice and light entree for everyone to enjoy.
Source: anniesfoodblog
What you’ll need:
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 pounds raw jumbo shrimp (preferably peeeled and deveined)
- Ovenproof skillet
- Kitchen Scissors
- Kebab sticks or skewers (optional)
Firstly, if you get 2 pounds of raw jumbo shrimp and they aren’t already peeled and deveined, it may take a little extra time to do this but I can explain how:
Source: Serious Eats
Source: Simply Recipes
Hold the shrimp with the tail and the outside curve away from you. Use kitchen scissors or a small knife and cut through the shell along the top of the shrimp. If the shrimp still have legs on then, you can simply grab a hold of the legs and peek back.
Peel back the shell but keep the tail intact. Hold your peeled shrimp under running water. Next, you’ll want to remove the vein, which is actually the shrimps digestive tract. Just scoop it with a knife or fork, its usually a brownish sometimes green color.
Next, peel your garlic cloves, press or mince them. Add the olive oil and garlic cloves to an ovenproof skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes – make sure to turn once halfway through!
Then, cut 1 lemon in half and squeeze half of the lemon over the shrimp, give the entire dish about 10 shakes of salt and 4 twists (or shakes) of pepper.
Preheat your over to 200 degrees F and transfer your skillet to the oven to keep warm before ready to serve.
Source: Damn Delicious
You can add the garlic shrimp to a bowl or place on kebab sticks / skewers. The other half of the lemon and the lime is to be sliced for your guests to add a little extra squeeze of lemon or lime if they want and to add garnish on top of your dish.
Link: sixdifferentways.com
September 16th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
They say a way to persons heart is through their stomach, well, that can go beyond taste if you use the right ingredients. Some spices and foods actually activate different hormones and chemical reactions in the body that stimulate dopamine, serotonin and sex hormones.
September 12th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
We’ve heard about the little black dress that is perfect for mostly any occasion but cut and style plus all the extra accessories and accents count! I have a pear shaped body, meaning my top is smaller than my bottom, kind of shaped like a pear. I found the perfect little black dress outfit and all the extras which could look good on practically any shape or size!
Little Black Dress –
The sleeveless skater dress – this one by Divided is affordable $20 max and has a sexy low dip cut in the back for extra style
The front cut is classy and shows off the neck. This is a perfect balance considering the back is open.
The flair of the skirt is flirty and shows off your legs while keeping the hips and butt relatively hidden
September 8th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
Adult coloring has been on the rise in the past few years, the reason? Well, coloring is more than just a kid friendly pastime, it is also can serve as a meditative and creative practice that can help clear your mind, is easy to do and plus its fun!
You can find printable coloring pages online or you can buy an adult coloring book to keep around all the time and to save your colorful creations. The best part is you can choose what you want to color to fit your mood.
First, choose your tools. I like to color with sparkly gel pens. They are better for smaller outlines but you can choose crayons, markers, colored pencils. Next, choose what it is you’d like to color.
If you want to center yourself or figure out a solution to a problem, try a labyrinth or mandala coloring page.
Having a bad day? Choose a coloring page with inspiring or helpful affirmations:
If you are still having a bad day and want to get out some frustration, they have some pretty hilarious adult coloring pages as well (warning: adult content):
September 7th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
Whether you are an artist, writer, crafting guru or all about business, every position requires some level of creative juice to get the motors running. Sometimes, we don’ have the inspiration and worse yet, sometimes we just feel plain burnt out. Here are 6 different ways to help you get your creative flow streaming again.
- Take a hike or walk in nature – nature and all its beauty is inspiring to look at it, but its even more inspiring when we place ourselves within it and allow our minds to quiet enough to allow new ideas to come through
- paint, draw or color – have you ever seen those adult coloring books? If you aren’t comfortable painting or drawing, you always pick up a few crayons or those gel coloring pens and allow your mind to go blank as you fill in the spaces with color.
- put on your favorite music and dance – let the rhythm take you over, your mind is free and only your body is in entranced by the sweet sounds of music
- read a fiction book or graphic novel – its always good to pick up and read something creative, it will give you ideas and will always thrust you right back into that imaginative world
- try something new – if you always make the same dishes, try cooking something new or if you tend to run on a treadmill to get your heart pumping, try running outside instead. New behaviors can help create new perspectives.
- Take a vacation day or sick day – sometimes our juices are just simply drained, take a day off dedicated to health and rejuvenation, a little rest and relaxation can do the trick!
Each of these methods has worked for me and each seem to be devoted to clearing the mind, changing the action and spending some alone time in our inner world!
September 5th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
Put away those heavy grains and over-salted snacks – replace with a simple to make side dish or healthier mouthwatering treat – roasted brussel sprouts!
September 2nd, 2017 — Designer Stuff
Whether you are a seasoned chef or a cooking phobic, there are a number of neat tricks you can do to make sure your red meat is absolutely delicious!
- Always store meat in its own cooking juices – this enhances and preserves the flavor
- If you accidentally scorch meat, wrap it in a towel and cover the meat for five minutes before scraping off the burnt spots with a knife
- To reheat meat, use lettuce leaves in between meat slices to keep the meat tender
- To soak up any extra grease and to keep meat from curling (specifically bacon) place strips between paper towels, cook for 3 to 5 minutes
- Marinade your meat in white vinegar and oil (one to two parts). Add canned whole tomatoes to roasts as well. This will tenderize the meat and when marinating always keep in the fridge.
- Never push meat down with a spatula while cooking, you’ll dry it by squeezing out all its yummy juices
- If your meatballs fall apart while cooking them, refrigerate them 20 minutes before to keep this from happening!
- Use basil, thyme, marjoram, summer savory and rosemary when cooking red meat – you don’t have to use all at once, these are just the best herbs to use with red meat
Use these helpful red meat cooking tips and your dishes will come out perfect every time!
August 28th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
Even if you rarely drink aside from the occasional glass of wine, its always good to have your bar stocked for events, parties or impromptu visit by friends or family. Here are the best items to stock your bar with year around to keep you and your guests satisfied.
Hard Liquor
- Vodka – grey goose, belvedere, ketel one – good choices, pricier but better to splurge on one for less hangovers
- Gin- tanqueray, bombay, beefeater
- Rum – dark rums are ideal
- Tequila – gold label is choice
- Whiskey
Basic Bar Essentials
- Imported Beer
- Wine
- Triple Sec
- Angostura Bitters
- Amaretto
- Vermouth
Best Mixers
- Tonic Water
- Club Soda
- Grenadine
- Ginger Ale – great for stomach aches
August 24th, 2017 — Designer Stuff
This sexy dinner idea applies to both men and women and is a sure fire way to make your date swoon. Before you worry about how you look, think about what you are going to serve, ever heard the phrase, ” the way to a man (or womans!) heart is through their stomach?” Well, I love good food and when its made by the right person, it tastes even better.
Have a menu set – appetizer, entree, dessert and a nice bottle of wine
Serve foods that aren’t too heavy or smelly – you and your special friend don’t want to feel bloated, gasy or have bad breath by the end of the meal.
Use foods that are known to be aphrodisiacs. For example, as an appetizer you can serve oysters with a sprinkle of lemon juice and horseradish on top or artichokes with a basil and lime dipping sauce.
For an entree, try lobster tails with butter or a spice infused olive oil served with roasted asparagus seasoned with a little salt and pepper, you can also make a nice ceviche served over a rice pilaf.
For dessert, chocolate covered strawberries or mini fruit tarts with a drippy center and a fruit compote on top.
For drinks – a chardonnay or champagne is best
Don’t forget to add a few tealight candles at the dinner table or in the surrounding area. Lighting is important, not only can it change the way you look but the lower the light the larger your pupils dilate because they are attempting to take in as much light as possible to see – there has been research done that says larger pupils are more attractive because it subconsciously shows you are more interested in the person you are engaging with.
For preparation – take a shower, dress up in your most flattering outfit, keep it classy, sexy but also casual. Spritz a little perfume or cologne on the nape of your neck and a little in your hair. Pop in a breath mint and put on mellow music – jazz or soul work great.
After dinner – do a collaborative activity together, paint together on a canvas, make music, dance together in your living room, go for a night walk, write poetry and recite it to one another, give one another massages – do something that will bring you and your partner into a deeper state of connectivity