LANCOME PERFUME LA VIE EST BELLE

La Vie Est Belle in French means "Life is Beautiful". It's the latest perfume for women from Lancome. The fragrance  is centered on the idea of natural and simple beauty, freedom from conventions and the choice of one's own vision of happiness. It encourages an outlook on life, inspired by joy and pleasure in small things. The fragrance includes notes of Florentine Iris pallida, iris aldehyde, jasmine sambac, black currant, pear,  Tunisian orange blossom, Indonesian patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, and praline.

When I tried La Vie Est Belle, I liked it. It's a pleasant floral fragrance. Julia Roberts is the face of the ad campaign for La Vie Est Belle.

ZIPPER BOOKMARK BY ZIPMARK

Peleg Design studio has created a really nice looking bookmark,  in the shape of a zipper. The book marker comes in blue, red and green colors and would fit most types of book of varying sizes and thicknesses. Looks nice, doesn't it?

WEIGHT LOSS - CLEAN EATING CHALLENGE - DAY 1 TO 4

My simple vegetable salad (orange and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers and carrots without any salt or dressing)

Last year, I went on detoxification diet for two months and lost quite a bit of weight. I felt great, lighter and much healthier. This time I am somewhat doing something similar, it's called The Clean Eating Challenge.

What is clean eating? It's simple, you can't get healthy without eating healthy. Eating right is the answer to good health.  When you eat a lot of junk, sugary and fried stuff, it will definitely show through excess weight, lack of stamina or energy, and even cause life style diseases like diabetes and heart disease.  When you eat whole, healthy and fresh foods, you will begin to glow with good health. You will  have endless energy, less stress, experience weight loss, better skin, clarity of thought and mind.

I've been on Clean Eating since the past 4 days. I have stopped eating wheat and any wheat based items. I do have rice though, in moderate amounts.  I have included plenty of green leaves, vegetables (raw and cooked), fruits, lean meat, fish, milk and eggs for protein in my diet. I have been eating smaller portions and drink plenty of water - 8 to 10 glasses. I am totally avoiding all junk food, restaurant foods/take aways, sugary stuff, refined food, fried stuff (which I generally don't have in the first place) and I am using less oil for cooking, no saturated fats or transfats, no buffets, no artificial juices, no soft drinks,  and absolutely nothing canned, no processed foods or meats and nothing that contains preservatives.

You can have 3 small meals a day with 2 healthy snacks in between. Never skip a meal, especially breakfast. Snacks can be a piece of fruit, cucumber, banana, few nuts, orange, apple, pomegranate, few dates, cherries and so on. I have a cup of tea in the morning with a teaspoon of natural sugar. Though clean eating can be a bit overwhelming at first, you will get used to it in a matter of one week. After that you will be fine with the new changes as you begin to experience the difference and improvement in your overall well being. If you eat this way regularly, all the stuff you enjoyed earlier, will not matter anymore. Do you want to lose weight, are you ready to make small changes and eat and live healthy? I am here to inspire you (and myself), so why wait? Start now...start soon...don't wait until after the weekend.  I almost forgot...you have to exercise..walking, cycling, jogging, dancing, yoga, cardio, aerobics, whatever you choose.

I shall keep posting on my Clean Eating Challenge progress.

EXCUSES

What are your excuses for not doing things you have to? Enrich your life with committment and experience the joy and personal satisfaction of following through what you need to do, whether it's your chores, accomplishing a task or fulfilling a dream.

PAINTING OF A DEER

One of the hobbies my children were engaged in was different forms of art. It was the summer of 1997, when schools had closed for summer vacation. My son did his first painting in water colors of a deer. This was 15 years ago, when he was 10 years old!. It hangs in the corridor near his bedroom.  This is one of my personal favourites of some of his work as a child. Today he is miles away in Michigan,  U.S.A, and I get to see him only once year. I think he will be pleasantly surprised to see his painting put up in my post.....

HUMOR - HORSE RIDING

MY PHOTO FOR THE DAY - CRUNCHY DRIED LEAVES

One of the things I enjoy doing is walking through beds of  crunchy dried leaves found in certain parts of the park when I go for my walk. I like the natural scent of the dried leaves. The rustling and crackling sounds beneath my feet, as I walk through dried foliage is so soothing to the ear. Imagine, these leaves were once green and healthy beautifying the park, purifying the air, making their food in sunlight, and then came a time, they had to leave their abode to return to cradle of earth that nourished them. Here is a photo I took of crunchy dried leaves at the Salmiah Park.

COFFEE CUP YOU CAN EAT

How would you like drinking your coffee and then eating your cup? Venezuelan designer Enrique Luis Sardi created a coffee cup that you can eat. I'ts Cookie Coffee Cup that was created for Italian coffee brand Lavazza. 

The edible coffee cup is made of pastry with the interior covered in special icing sugar which works as an insulator to make the cup waterproof, and as a sweetener for the coffee at the same time !.

THREE SIMPLE RULES IN LIFE

WEIGHT LOSS - EAT, BUT DON'T OVEREAT

MY PHOTOS FOR THE DAY - CHILDREN AT PLAY IN SUPERMARKET

I think supermarkets should consider having a supervised play area where children can play or do some fun activities while their parents shop instead of children playing right amidst where hundreds of things are stacked and kept, for the children's own safety and to avoid things falling or even causing damage.

MUSEUM OF OPTICAL ILLUSION

Busan museum in South Korea is a unique trick eye museum that offers the viewer, magic of optical illusions.  The museum is huge, it provides a back drop for taking fun photos and it has a touch of humor to it.

REASONS FOR EXTRA MARITAL AFFAIRS AND HOW TO AFFAIR PROOF YOUR MARRIAGE

The goal of our life is to bring more love and truth into the world. We marry to assist each other in this process - Leo Tolstoy

Marriage is a sacred union and beautiful relationship shared between man and woman. One of the sadest and devastating things that can break up relationships and marriages is extra marital affairs. The possibility of an affair happens due to one or more of these several factors:

* Quite intentional

* Driven by emotions gone unchecked due to mutual attraction

* Constant access and working in close proximity with someone of the opposite sex who understands you, finds you attractive, listens to you, appreciates you or shows a deep interest in you, and get along with you fabulously, which you feel is lacking in your marital life.

* Being in constant company of your spouse's friend, cousin, relative whose company you enjoy, someone you totally admire or in awe of, that turns an otherwise platonic relationship into an affair.

* Inbuilt personality traits for infidelity - jumping from one affair to another, as they enjoy the secret rendezvous, the adventure and high,  until familiarity and boredom sets in and he or she needs looks for the next 'awesome person'.

* Neglect, spousal abuse or control, depression, where one is lonely and seeks love, affection and companionship.
* Emotional and physical incompatibility between husband and wife.
* Psychological childhood traumas where one was a witness to intense parental discords or messy divorce, where one grows up with emotional issues which is later reflected in one's own marriage and relationship with spouse.

In almost all cases, a spouse can sense if there is an affair. There will always be tell tale signs through behavior and change in one's schedule, personality and grooming. Some feel guilty yet carry on with the affair because they can't seem to 'get out of it'; they cannot imagine life without the presence of the 'other' person in their lives. Some don't feel guilty of an affair, if they are experiencing a failed or abusive marriage or if a person is hardwired for infidelity. In some cases, an affair can get so serious that it culminates in marriage after both parties divorce their respective spouses. In some marriages, the spouse in question has a stressful marriage or finds responsibilities of a family life consuming. As an anti dote, he/she gets entangled in an affair as an escape route. Affairs always happen through mutual attraction and with full knoweldge of what they are getting into. So the statement, 'I don't know how it all happened', is rather lame. The thrill, the adventure and temporary euphoria, it seems to offer, will at some point die out or face an end when the affair is found out or the time arrives to make certain life decisions.

People who are unhappy in their marriage and cannot make it work at all, can always wait until the marriage is nullified and then find a suitable partner to spend his/her life with. This will cause less agony than an affair which is a total breach of trust that causes inconsolable pain  to the person cheated upon. What can be done to affair proof your marriage?. It's important to do what's right , not what temporarily gives pleasure at the cost of hurting the family. It takes a lot of work, unconditional love, patience, integrity and committment to make the marriage work. Emotions are waves that come and go. Life always introduces us to people we like or admire or have a fascination for. It could be beause the other person is physically attractive or is endowed with positive qualities you connect with and makes a huge impression in your heart.  It's natural to get drawn to people we vibe well with like a magnet. Sometimes listening empathetically  to someone who complains about their spouse instead of dealing with their problems, is looking for a 'way out' which can turn a casual friendship into an affair .  It's how one handles one's emotions in various circumstances, that's important. What choices you make in situations you face. You always have the power to say no to yourself and aim to solidify your marriage. It's very important to put the person your married above everything else. If there is a lot of discord and unhappiness in the marriage, give marriage counselling a chance and see if things can be worked out.

It's vital to express your needs and understand your spouse's needs, be a good friend to your spouse, and not be overbearing or a nag or a control freak that drives him/her away. No one can tolerate verbal or physical abuse or constant aggression in a marriage. It's important to treat your partner with respect and kindness. Communicate with one another. Turn towards your partner and not away. Set personal boundaries so you won't get into an affair in the first place. Invest in your marriage. Do things of interest together. Be affectionate and express your love. Stay away from online dating sites if you are married. Remind yourself of why you married your spouse and the promise of love and faithfullness that you once made. Remind yourself of all the good qualities  your partner is endowed with and be grateful for the presence of your better half.  If you sense something is wrong and it's not your imagination and you are certain, you can always take courage to discuss it with your spouse and even confront the 'other person' before things get out of hand or messy. If you are experiencing a fairly happy marriage, water your garden and make it green and fragrant rather than looking at greener pastures lead by web of desires, which can be quite illusory when the intoxication wears off and reality sets in. Affair proof your marriage by intentionally nurturing your relationship.

BE CRADLED IN THE ARMS OF NATURE

DECORATIVE METAL ARTICLES

On Saturday evening while I was City Centre, I noticed they had a collection of cute metal decorative articles with happy faces, which would go well in children's rooms.

HUMOR - FACEBOOK CONTAGION

MY PHOTOS FOR THE DAY - ALKOUT MALL ARCHITECTURE

The small but beautiful Al Kout Mall is a pleasant place to visit. It's built by the sea. The mall has breathtaking musical fountains and water body which is so soothing to watch. There are a number of seating right beside the fountain, as the restaurants are located there as well. The fountain area is one of the more serene places to spend your time. The architecture of the mall is beautiful. Be it during day time or night, The Al Kout Mall can turn into a photographers delight. When I was there, the fountains weren't on at that particular time, but it's truly wonderful to watch when they are. I took these pictures on Saturday afternoon.

SHOE LADY DARELENE FLYNN'S HAS WORLD'S BIGGEST SHOE COLLECTION

Darlene Flynn, 57, of Romoland, California is known as the 'Shoe Lady'. Following her divorce in 2001, she spent the past 11 years collecting 16,400 shoes and shoe related items like furniture, art, badges, clothing, teapots, miniature shoes, soap and phones. She told in an interview with the North County Times: ‘I don’t know why it had to be shoes. I just love them and it kind of got out of control.’ Darlene Flynn's collection is estimated to be 500,000 $ dollars!