Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts

Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Your-Best-Skin-in-10-Minutes

Our facial skin is one of the first things people notice about us, yet—when our lives get super busy—it's also one of the first things we neglect. Sure, makeup can cover up imperfections, but having a genuinely pretty, natural glow really isn't as difficult to achieve as you'd think. For most folks (barring serious medical skin conditions like eczema) a simple, well-thought-out, 10-minute daily skincare routine is all you need to look great. And no worries if you can't squeeze it in during time-crunched mornings. Manhattan dermatologist Eric Schweiger M.D., says an evening skin regimen is actually much more important to maintain. These four easy steps will help you achieve a flawless face in next to no time.



Step 1: Cleanse
Dr. Schweiger says there's no need for a fancy, expensive makeup remover, so cut down on time and your beauty budget by thoroughly washing with a gentle cleanser that removes products and oil but doesn't over-dry.
Time spent: three minutes

Step 2: Moisturize
No matter what your skin type, you should slather on a light lotion to your face and neck every night. For this, Dr. Schweiger says to look for oil-free products that are also fragrance-free.
Time spent: two minutes

Step 3: Apply retinoids
"Of all the anti-aging and photo damage correction products on the market, retinoids have the most scientific evidence," explains Dr. Schweiger. He says retinoid creams, either prescription or over-the-counter, can be the most beneficial. "Retin-A, Renova, and Tazorac have been shown, in one month or two, to decrease fine lines and wrinkles." Three times a week use a pea-size amount on your face, and once or twice a week apply the cream under your eyes to banish those dark circles. Retinoids should always be applied at night since they can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
Time spent: three minutes

Step 4: Hydrate
"Toners are not necessary—they over-dry the skin and can actually increase oil production, and then the cycle is hard to break," says Dr. Schweiger. But he does suggest a final application of moisturizer after the retinoid cream to prevent redness and flaking, especially in the winter when skin is drier.
Time spent: two minutes

Really, that's it! Ten minutes of devoted attention is all your face needs before bed. If you follow these steps every evening, an a.m. quick rinse with face wash and a light SPF will get you out the door and on your way to a gorgeous glow.

Tuesday, 30 November 2010

6 Alternate Uses for Your Freezer

Eliminate unpopped popcorn
Don't you just hate the kernels of popcorn that are left at the bottom of the bowl? Eliminate the popcorn duds by keeping your unpopped supply in the freezer.

Remove wax from candlesticks
Grandma's heirloom silver candlesticks will get a new life if you place them in the freezer and then pick off the accumulated wax drippings. But don't do this if your candlesticks are made from more than one type of metal. The metals can expand and contract at different rates and damage the candlesticks.

Extend candle life
Place candles in the freezer for at least two hours before burning. They will last longer.

Unstick photos
Picture this: Water spills on a batch of photographs, causing them to stick together. If you pull them apart, your pictures will be ruined. Don't be so hasty. Stick them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then use a butter knife to gingerly separate the photos. If they don't come free, place them back in the freezer. This works for envelopes and stamps too.

Clean a pot
Your favorite pot has been left on the stove too long, and now you've got a burned-on mess to clean up. Place the pot in the freezer for a couple of hours. When the burned food becomes frozen, it will be easier to remove.

Remove odors
Got a musty-smelling book or a plastic container with a fish odor? Place them in the freezer overnight. By morning they'll be fresh again. This works with almost any other small item that has a bad smell you want to get rid of.
PLUS:

Thursday, 28 October 2010

6 Extreme Saving Tips You Can Use Now


When I started interviewing people for my book Generation Earn, I was shocked by some of the creative techniques people came up with to save money. The unifying theme was that people cut costs in ways that made their lives better, not worse. Instead of denying themselves splurges like new jeans or a new car, they learned how to cook their own food that tasted much better than anything served at a restaurant, or perfected their at-home tea and coffee brewing techniques.


Here are six ways you can start saving hundreds of dollars a month, while also improving your quality of life.

Don’t spend more than $30 on any item of clothing. Stores such as H&M, Forever 21, and Old Navy make it easy to buy cheap, stylish clothing. While you’ll probably need to make some exceptions, such as for a winter jacket, the vast majority of your wardrobe can be purchased on the cheap. Yoga studio owner Kimberly Wilson, who dresses in a way that would impress even Rachel Zoe, applies this technique so she can focus her money on growing her business instead. Wilson, who’s in her mid-30s and lives in Washington, DC, says she’d rather indulge in simple, daily pleasures than expensive shoes or jewelry. Estimated savings: $200 a month or more.

Party at home. Game nights and girls’ nights in have soared in popularity recently, which is no surprise given that a night out on the town means paying $8 or more for drinks and $50 or more when you include cab rides, cover charges, and meals. Gregory Go, 33, co-founder of Wisebread.com, invites people over for potlucks and game nights, which means he gets to spend time with friends for a fraction of the cost of a night out. As an added bonus, he tends to clean out his friends’ wallets in poker games. Estimated savings: $100 a month and up.

Give love coupons instead of gifts. As you plan your holiday shopping, consider this: Giving the gift of your time in the form of a coupon to take your mom to a museum, or out for tea, can be far more meaningful than buying her a cashmere sweater. Tim Kasser, professor of psychology at Knox College in western Illinois and father of two young children, encourages his family to give each other coupons for experiences, such as favorite meals or back rubs, rather than purchased gifts. For his sons’ birthdays, Tim typically gives them a special day with him, such as a trip to the local water park. Estimated savings: $25 a month or more.


Substitute fancy dinners with cheap date nights. Dining by candlelight at the most exclusive restaurant in town might seem romantic, but the bill can put a damper on those loving feelings. Instead, try these ideas, suggested by Alpha Consumer readers: Browse a bookstore. Sketch portraits of each other. Take dance lessons. Have a picnic. Go to a lecture or performance at your local college. Watch a model rocket launch. Estimated savings: $200 a month and up.

Turn your freezer into your very own “fast-food restaurant.” Kate Deriso, 39, a holistic health counselor in Sterling, Virginia, spends no more than $150 a week on her entire food budget for her husband and herself. They make their own breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and rarely eat out, because they’ve discovered they can make better meals themselves. She grows her own alfalfa sprouts to spruce up sandwiches and cooks one-pot dishes such as her favorite chicken and olive dish. She calls her freezer, which is stacked full of ready-to-eat leftovers, her “fast-food restaurant.” Estimated savings: $400 a month and up.

Eat before you go to restaurants. Ben, a thirty-something lawyer in Washington, DC, who works for a nonprofit and earns around $52,000 a year, buys a six-pack of bagels and a box of tea each week and skips the coffee shop. He also snacks on peanut butter and banana sandwiches before meeting up with friends at night so he can bypass the pricey entrees at restaurants, opting for cheaper appetizers instead. Estimated savings: $100 a month or more.

With these techniques, you’ll have fun hosting parties, holding cheap date nights, and inventing new meals and gift coupons, while putting a lot more money in the bank. Total Savings: At least $1,000 a month.

Friday, 22 October 2010

Money Saving Tips: Buy Halloween Candy in Bulk and Share


You can save a ton by buying Halloween candy in bulk, but it usually means you have to give out the same type of candy and get stuck with the same type that sits around the house until you throw it away. One way around this is to partner up with a friend or neighbor and split the leftover candy, so you will have a variety that your family can enjoy.

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Get 3 Ways To Improve Your Memory

There are Three Tremendous Ways to improve memory Status:

1. Vary Your Study Space:
Carey cites a study in which students who studied a list of words in a windowless room and again in a room with a view did far better on a test than students who studied only in the viewless room.

Surprisingly, that study was conducted in 1978, and still we haven’t learned.

“The brain makes subtle associations between what it is studying and the background sensations it has at the time, the authors say, regardless of whether those perceptions are conscious,” writes Carey.

Dr. Robert A. Bjork, psychologist at the University of California, L.A. and senior author of the research, states, “What we think is happening here is that, when the outside context is varied, the information is enriched, and this slows down forgetting.”

2. Vary What You Study:

The same principal may apply to what you study. Carey suggests that musicians and athleteshave known this for years. They practice cross-training. “Varying the type of material studied in a single sitting — alternating, for example,among vocabulary, reading and speaking in a new language — seems to leave a deeperimpression on the brain than does concentrating on just one skill at a time,” Carey writes.

3. Test Yourself Often:

It also turns out that when a student is required to retrieve information, say for a test, that information is re-stored in the brain in a more accessible way for future use. Carey reports that researchers don’t know why this is true, just that it is. “It may be that the brain, when it revisits material at a later time, has to relearn some of what it has absorbed before adding new stuff — and that that process is itself self-reinforcing,” he writes. “The idea is that forgetting is the friend of learning,” Carey quotes Dr. Nate Kornell, a psychologist at Williams College, as saying. “When you forget something, it allows you to relearn, and do so effectively, the next time you see it.” Practice tests, then, are powerful learning tools


Get 3 Ways To Improve Your Memory

There are Three Tremendous Ways to improve memory Status:

1. Vary Your Study Space:
Carey cites a study in which students who studied a list of words in a windowless room and again in a room with a view did far better on a test than students who studied only in the viewless room.

Surprisingly, that study was conducted in 1978, and still we haven’t learned.

“The brain makes subtle associations between what it is studying and the background sensations it has at the time, the authors say, regardless of whether those perceptions are conscious,” writes Carey.

Dr. Robert A. Bjork, psychologist at the University of California, L.A. and senior author of the research, states, “What we think is happening here is that, when the outside context is varied, the information is enriched, and this slows down forgetting.”

2. Vary What You Study:

The same principal may apply to what you study. Carey suggests that musicians and athleteshave known this for years. They practice cross-training. “Varying the type of material studied in a single sitting — alternating, for example,among vocabulary, reading and speaking in a new language — seems to leave a deeperimpression on the brain than does concentrating on just one skill at a time,” Carey writes.

3. Test Yourself Often:

It also turns out that when a student is required to retrieve information, say for a test, that information is re-stored in the brain in a more accessible way for future use. Carey reports that researchers don’t know why this is true, just that it is. “It may be that the brain, when it revisits material at a later time, has to relearn some of what it has absorbed before adding new stuff — and that that process is itself self-reinforcing,” he writes. “The idea is that forgetting is the friend of learning,” Carey quotes Dr. Nate Kornell, a psychologist at Williams College, as saying. “When you forget something, it allows you to relearn, and do so effectively, the next time you see it.” Practice tests, then, are powerful learning tools


Friday, 3 September 2010

Best Ways to Motivate Your Teen To Earn Good Grades in High School

Best Ways to Motivate Your Teen To Earn Good Grades in High School


As an educator, I would prefer that grades reflect the intrinsic value of learning rather than being work that earns a salary. However, education is also tied to the work world, which does reward with money. Young people may not develop a love for learning right away but the habit of study can develop that over time. Money for grades can motivate but must be awarded within the actual capabilities of the child. An arbitrary standard of money only for As may be too high for an individual kid so one must know what one’s child is capable of achieving.
—Guest John Stinespring

Fiendish Plan

For my 11 and 8 year olds my fiendish plan is to make an A worth an outrageous amount of money. Make the A worth the effort. They each have 6 subject areas in their report cards. I’d say making an A worth $20, a C worth $2 and a B about $8 - this will likely get their attention.
—Guest Scott Boyer

Working Together

The best motivation is to work together with your teen on self-change. Plan a mutually agreed upon date & time to sit down with your teen--don’t just pull him or her away from what they’re doing. At this time discuss 1 or 2 of your personal or professional goals with your teen & listen to your teen discuss his or her academic objectives with you. Once you decide on your goals, set specific but relevant short-term goals that will serve as stepping stones to your overall goal. In addition, set milestones & decide how you will measure the progress of your goals. Most importantly, decide how you will celebrate your successes. Create a plan to help you assess setbacks, obstacles, & possible failures. Teach your teen never to give up but to always come back with a PLAN B! Working with your teen on goals will help you bond, make the process more enjoyable & allow you to grow as an individual. Use each other for support & encouragement. You will be surprised what you can learn from one another
—IvanaPejakovic

Privileges

I have a 16-year-old in a dual enrollment high school/college program w/ a 3.5 GPA. He has always been motivated with privileges. If the grades slip, the privileges begin to disappear. It has always gone hand in hand with trust - to stay out later, to have friends over, to see certain movies, etc.
—Guest Sherry

Fairness

I don't think its fair that a student who makes F's or D's and they get it up to a C or B and they get praised and rewarded the a student who makes A's his/her whole life and are never rewarded then for making a once ever B or C and the get severely punished. That is just not fair and I am tired of seeing that in parents and schools.
—Guest Danny

Motivating your teen to earn good grade

This can be challenging. I found money motivators to be a temporary solution. But I do often talk with my son about how if he wants 'the finer things in life' one day with a good paying/satisfying job - he needs to get into college - and he can only do this with really good grades. That seems to be working right now. Also, in addition to sports, we require he do other types of extra curriculars like Science Fair that enhance learning/help him in class. This also encourages friendships/associations with the smarter kids in school. I believe that steering your child into the right peer group is a huge motivator. Peer pressure is a big influence at this age.
—chrismoy1

Ability needs to be considered

While getting A's is a great goal, not all kids can get an A in all subjects. I think it's damaging to reward the child who got 3 A's by just showing up and not reward the child who tried really hard and got C's. I think we need to make it clear that we expect assignments to be completed to the best of their ability and handed in on time. Then the grades they are capable of will happen. There should be consequences for not doing the assignments or doing a poor job. Most parents know what their kids are capable of. Don't make the standards to easy to achieve. But don't make your expectations so high that there isn't any point in trying because they'll never get there anyway. See where the child is currently at, then make the goal improvement...not the end result. ie: if they are failing a class, the first goal needs to be to pass...not an A.
—Guest Pam

Carrots and Stick

I prefer to use the carrot and stick policy. She does well she gets the predetermined reward, like - a toy or a dinner at a place of her choice etc, does poorly loses certain privileges like TV,computer time, etc. Seems to be working fine so far. Can't say for the future.
—Guest Aj

Get your kids in a good school

Get your kids in a school where the enviroment promotes them to learn for themselves. The better the school, the better the grades. If your kids don't like the school, why should they make good grades? Just makes them feel like no one cares. -Speaking from a student's perspective. Yes, money is nice, but you don't need to bribe your kid.
—Guest 17yr old

Rewards other than money

I reward with computer time. My girls love to be on you-tube looking up their favorite songs or playing video games so I reward each A with 2 hours computer or video game time, each B with 1 hour and 30 min for each C. If they get a D or an F, they lose their time altogether. It has started working recently, because they don't want to lose the other stuff they earned because of being lazy in one class!
—Guest Annette

Non-Payment

Hi - as an educator, life long student and mother of 4 - I believe that you set the best example by your own love of knowledge. I wouldn't dream of paying for good grades as they carry sufficient intrinsic rewards and make the kid look pretty good too!
—Guest Bonitaj

Works while it lasts....pros and cons

I rewarded with money for about 2 years, but when the economy turned and I couldn't afford to keep it up, her grades actually went down. She told me her incentive to keep working hard was gone when I stopped paying her! I think it's a great concept, as long as you can keep it up. I'm not sure what I can do this year to keep her motivated, although, it aggravates me because I was self-motivated. Now I tell her that her reward is A) self-esteem for good grades, B) getting into a good college C) getting a good job! It's not getting me very far and I wish I'd never started with the money in the first place. She's the one that will reap the rewards of working hard not me, she just doesn't get it yet (16 yr old).

Best Ways to Motivate Your Teen To Earn Good Grades in High School

Best Ways to Motivate Your Teen To Earn Good Grades in High School


As an educator, I would prefer that grades reflect the intrinsic value of learning rather than being work that earns a salary. However, education is also tied to the work world, which does reward with money. Young people may not develop a love for learning right away but the habit of study can develop that over time. Money for grades can motivate but must be awarded within the actual capabilities of the child. An arbitrary standard of money only for As may be too high for an individual kid so one must know what one’s child is capable of achieving.
—Guest John Stinespring

Fiendish Plan

For my 11 and 8 year olds my fiendish plan is to make an A worth an outrageous amount of money. Make the A worth the effort. They each have 6 subject areas in their report cards. I’d say making an A worth $20, a C worth $2 and a B about $8 - this will likely get their attention.
—Guest Scott Boyer

Working Together

The best motivation is to work together with your teen on self-change. Plan a mutually agreed upon date & time to sit down with your teen--don’t just pull him or her away from what they’re doing. At this time discuss 1 or 2 of your personal or professional goals with your teen & listen to your teen discuss his or her academic objectives with you. Once you decide on your goals, set specific but relevant short-term goals that will serve as stepping stones to your overall goal. In addition, set milestones & decide how you will measure the progress of your goals. Most importantly, decide how you will celebrate your successes. Create a plan to help you assess setbacks, obstacles, & possible failures. Teach your teen never to give up but to always come back with a PLAN B! Working with your teen on goals will help you bond, make the process more enjoyable & allow you to grow as an individual. Use each other for support & encouragement. You will be surprised what you can learn from one another
—IvanaPejakovic

Privileges

I have a 16-year-old in a dual enrollment high school/college program w/ a 3.5 GPA. He has always been motivated with privileges. If the grades slip, the privileges begin to disappear. It has always gone hand in hand with trust - to stay out later, to have friends over, to see certain movies, etc.
—Guest Sherry

Fairness

I don't think its fair that a student who makes F's or D's and they get it up to a C or B and they get praised and rewarded the a student who makes A's his/her whole life and are never rewarded then for making a once ever B or C and the get severely punished. That is just not fair and I am tired of seeing that in parents and schools.
—Guest Danny

Motivating your teen to earn good grade

This can be challenging. I found money motivators to be a temporary solution. But I do often talk with my son about how if he wants 'the finer things in life' one day with a good paying/satisfying job - he needs to get into college - and he can only do this with really good grades. That seems to be working right now. Also, in addition to sports, we require he do other types of extra curriculars like Science Fair that enhance learning/help him in class. This also encourages friendships/associations with the smarter kids in school. I believe that steering your child into the right peer group is a huge motivator. Peer pressure is a big influence at this age.
—chrismoy1

Ability needs to be considered

While getting A's is a great goal, not all kids can get an A in all subjects. I think it's damaging to reward the child who got 3 A's by just showing up and not reward the child who tried really hard and got C's. I think we need to make it clear that we expect assignments to be completed to the best of their ability and handed in on time. Then the grades they are capable of will happen. There should be consequences for not doing the assignments or doing a poor job. Most parents know what their kids are capable of. Don't make the standards to easy to achieve. But don't make your expectations so high that there isn't any point in trying because they'll never get there anyway. See where the child is currently at, then make the goal improvement...not the end result. ie: if they are failing a class, the first goal needs to be to pass...not an A.
—Guest Pam

Carrots and Stick

I prefer to use the carrot and stick policy. She does well she gets the predetermined reward, like - a toy or a dinner at a place of her choice etc, does poorly loses certain privileges like TV,computer time, etc. Seems to be working fine so far. Can't say for the future.
—Guest Aj

Get your kids in a good school

Get your kids in a school where the enviroment promotes them to learn for themselves. The better the school, the better the grades. If your kids don't like the school, why should they make good grades? Just makes them feel like no one cares. -Speaking from a student's perspective. Yes, money is nice, but you don't need to bribe your kid.
—Guest 17yr old

Rewards other than money

I reward with computer time. My girls love to be on you-tube looking up their favorite songs or playing video games so I reward each A with 2 hours computer or video game time, each B with 1 hour and 30 min for each C. If they get a D or an F, they lose their time altogether. It has started working recently, because they don't want to lose the other stuff they earned because of being lazy in one class!
—Guest Annette

Non-Payment

Hi - as an educator, life long student and mother of 4 - I believe that you set the best example by your own love of knowledge. I wouldn't dream of paying for good grades as they carry sufficient intrinsic rewards and make the kid look pretty good too!
—Guest Bonitaj

Works while it lasts....pros and cons

I rewarded with money for about 2 years, but when the economy turned and I couldn't afford to keep it up, her grades actually went down. She told me her incentive to keep working hard was gone when I stopped paying her! I think it's a great concept, as long as you can keep it up. I'm not sure what I can do this year to keep her motivated, although, it aggravates me because I was self-motivated. Now I tell her that her reward is A) self-esteem for good grades, B) getting into a good college C) getting a good job! It's not getting me very far and I wish I'd never started with the money in the first place. She's the one that will reap the rewards of working hard not me, she just doesn't get it yet (16 yr old).

Thursday, 2 September 2010

10 fascinating flirting facts

10 fascinating flirting facts

So you’ve mastered the art of eye contact and can beckon a romantic prospect with just a few coy glances… but do you really know all there is to know about the fine art of flirting? Just to make sure you’re up to speed, we culled some very surprising information that you can use to your advantage. Read on for some juicy tidbits that may up your meet-cute quotient in no time.
1. Flirting is good for you. Studies show that people who flirt have higher white blood-cell counts, which boost both immunity and health.

2. Think batting your eyelashes is enough? Wrong! All told, scientists say there are 52 “flirting signals” used by humans. Of these, the hair-flip technique is the most common.


3. In some places, flirting is illegal. In Little Rock, AR, an antiquated law is still on the books warning that engaging in playful banter may result in a 30-day jail term. In New York City, another outdated law mandates that men may be fined $25 for gazing lasciviously at a female; a second conviction stipulates the offender wear a pair of blinders whenever he goes out for a walk.

4. Why wait for Friday? Lots of people get their flirt on during their morning commute. A full 62 percent of drivers have flirted with someone in a different vehicle while on the go, and 31 percent of those flirtations, it turns out, resulted in a date.

5. Flirting need not occur face to face. According to the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of people who look for love online say they can easily flirt with someone via email or IM.


6. In the Victorian era, fans were the ultimate playful props that could communicate all sorts of messages. A fan placed near the heart meant “You have won my love.” A half-opened fan pressed to the lips was an invitation, saying, “You may kiss me.” Hiding the eyes behind an open fan meant “I love you,” while opening and closing the fan several times was a chastisement, implying, “You are cruel.” Given how much a fan could come in handy, it’s a shame they ever invented air conditioning.


7. These days, cell phones do the flirting for you. In one survey, half of all mobile phone users have texted flirty messages to keep things interesting while separated from their amour.

8. Watch out; you can overdo it. According to the Social Issues Research Centre, the most common mistake people make when flirting is maintaining too much eye contact.

9. Sometimes, flirty gestures aren’t what they seem to be. Research has shown that men tend to routinely mistake friendly behavior for flirting.


10. Flirting is universal. A woman living in New York City and one in rural Cambodia may not have much in common, but when it comes to attracting a little attention, they both employ the very same move: smiling, arching their eyebrows, then averting their gaze and giggling. Animals flirt, too: birds, reptiles, and even fish have their own way of making romantic advances. The moral of the story: If the simple sea bass can act cute in order to further a romantic agenda, you can, too — so give it a go!

10 fascinating flirting facts

10 fascinating flirting facts

So you’ve mastered the art of eye contact and can beckon a romantic prospect with just a few coy glances… but do you really know all there is to know about the fine art of flirting? Just to make sure you’re up to speed, we culled some very surprising information that you can use to your advantage. Read on for some juicy tidbits that may up your meet-cute quotient in no time.
1. Flirting is good for you. Studies show that people who flirt have higher white blood-cell counts, which boost both immunity and health.

2. Think batting your eyelashes is enough? Wrong! All told, scientists say there are 52 “flirting signals” used by humans. Of these, the hair-flip technique is the most common.


3. In some places, flirting is illegal. In Little Rock, AR, an antiquated law is still on the books warning that engaging in playful banter may result in a 30-day jail term. In New York City, another outdated law mandates that men may be fined $25 for gazing lasciviously at a female; a second conviction stipulates the offender wear a pair of blinders whenever he goes out for a walk.

4. Why wait for Friday? Lots of people get their flirt on during their morning commute. A full 62 percent of drivers have flirted with someone in a different vehicle while on the go, and 31 percent of those flirtations, it turns out, resulted in a date.

5. Flirting need not occur face to face. According to the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of people who look for love online say they can easily flirt with someone via email or IM.


6. In the Victorian era, fans were the ultimate playful props that could communicate all sorts of messages. A fan placed near the heart meant “You have won my love.” A half-opened fan pressed to the lips was an invitation, saying, “You may kiss me.” Hiding the eyes behind an open fan meant “I love you,” while opening and closing the fan several times was a chastisement, implying, “You are cruel.” Given how much a fan could come in handy, it’s a shame they ever invented air conditioning.


7. These days, cell phones do the flirting for you. In one survey, half of all mobile phone users have texted flirty messages to keep things interesting while separated from their amour.

8. Watch out; you can overdo it. According to the Social Issues Research Centre, the most common mistake people make when flirting is maintaining too much eye contact.

9. Sometimes, flirty gestures aren’t what they seem to be. Research has shown that men tend to routinely mistake friendly behavior for flirting.


10. Flirting is universal. A woman living in New York City and one in rural Cambodia may not have much in common, but when it comes to attracting a little attention, they both employ the very same move: smiling, arching their eyebrows, then averting their gaze and giggling. Animals flirt, too: birds, reptiles, and even fish have their own way of making romantic advances. The moral of the story: If the simple sea bass can act cute in order to further a romantic agenda, you can, too — so give it a go!

Money Saving Tips

When you have a teen who is active in clubs, sports and other school activities, you soon realize that they spend more of their after school time at school then at home.

Finding independence in a structured setting like this is good, keeps your teen involved with their peers and safe. But it can cost you if your teen is hitting the vending machine everyday to get a snack.
While its perfectly fine that they are hungry, anyone would be, snacks can cost up to $2.00 from a vending machine! Considering you can get the same bag of chips at the grocery store for fifty cents a-piece when you purchase a variety pack, the convenience cost of the vending machine is too much.

One tip that I learned the hard way: Get the snacks your teen really wants. Otherwise, they will sit in your cabinet untouched.