Ciri's Life Coach

Beauty is only skin deep. Or so we are constantly told. Yet the skin is incredibly revealing. From the flaky surface that releases skin when scratched to the shiny surface that leaks oil when squeezed, skin is usually one of the barometers of health. When you get wrinkles, your skin is telling you that its supply of collagen is depleting, a natural occurrence that happens as a result of ageing. There is a whole range of technology from facial micro-current , anti wrinkle creams to the more infamous Botox that can help "disappear" the lines. What your face can also show you, though not very broadly unless you get a penetrating skin analysis machine, is the extent of sun damage. It could show up in uneven skin tone and dark patches with rough, peeling skin. Sun damage is very difficult and costly to reverse, so the best strategy is prevention using sunscreen.

With the unexpected change in weather, sometimes hot then cold then chilly then rainy, it has made it necessary to buy rain coats, boots and gloves just to stay prepared. And, if there is one thing that can be a tricky buy, it would have to be a rain wear. What to buy, where and when to wear it, what colors are in, what fabrics are out and how much should you spend, are just some of the questions that run through many minds. When it comes to buying a coat, there are two things to consider: What appeals to you, and what your gut says about that coat you are eyeing.  

Grape fruit, a piece of melon or a fruit cocktail makes a delicious first course for lunch or dinner and in hot weather is often more acceptable than the usual appetizers. Juice from tinned fruits provides delicious cocktails, too. Mix them as you wish. Then add some dry ginger ale and, if you have it, a little raspberry vinegar. Tiny pieces of fresh fruit make the best garnish after the drink is iced and poured into glasses. If a thicker cocktail is preferred use equal parts of the pulp of grape fruit and oranges, breaking it into small pieces and removing skin and pips. Add a few halved and skimmed grapes and a little sugar and lemon juice and cool with ice. Here are a few cocktail recipes:

You may be on a diet or perhaps you are exercising a lot to lose your excess weight. As a woman carrying extra weight, probably makes you feel like you don't look your best. However, with a good haircut, certain things can be done to give you a slimmer look. Everyone has different hair and a different face shape, so to get the slimming effect, your hairdresser can try different tricks. If done correctly by a professional, you hair can be made to look its best and the face will reap the benefits.

Aside from iPhone 4s running with the same chip (A5 1GHz processor) that also appears on the iPad 2, a new antenna design, and a more hi-tech camera compared to its predecessor, iPhone 4. A new speech-recognition software, better known as Siri, is probably one of Apple's magical innovation. Siri, is one of iPhone 4s top new feature and it was designed to recognise voice commands by users to dictate text messages and conduct web searches, and also to schedule appointments. It acts as an advanced version of speech-recognition software found on other cell phones.

TV has never been this exciting since Saturday morning cartoons. Being the center piece of attraction in our living rooms, many of us lounge away watching programs. Now, when there's nothing interesting to see you can always turn to watching internet on television. By connecting your TV to internet you can get unlimited supply of television shows, music, videos, live concerts and even news. It's an adventure where TV meets the web, apps and search. So, here are devices that will enable you surf internet on your TV:

While dating, few people take the trouble to discuss important issues such as money and children yet these are issues that have the potential to topple even the most stable relationship if a couple fails to see eye to eye. Ironically, couples spend much more time, money and energy to create the perfect wedding, which is just a one-day affair, yet are willing to put just a fraction of these on their marriage, which they expect to last for a life time. When the marriage fails, the same couple wonders why it failed to work out. The following is a seven 'reality check-off list' that every couple should go through and question themselves before getting married:

A facial can be one of the most relaxing things you can do for your face, or it can be a nightmare that results in breakouts and even infections. If you have just started shopping for a facialist, or you've had a negative experience and are considering another try, here are a few tips to help protect your skin and your experience. Spa's Hygiene: Don't be afraid to check out the entire salon and ask questions. Any salon or spa that does facials should be spotless clean, not just the area where facials are performed, but the entire place. If it isn't, beware. Anyone who will be exposing your sensitive skin to treatments should be serious about cleanliness. Let the cleanliness and hygiene of those working in the salon or spa be your first indication as to whether or not you want to trust your face to them.

Tipping the waiter is supposed to be a show of gratitude. You sit in a bar to have a drink and when you are leaving, the person who was attending to you expects some money, besides the bill you have paid. The expectations vary with the person you are dealing with, their culture and the part of the world you are in. While tipping in some countries like Japan is an insult under circumstances, in other places, being given a gratuity is a much appreciated gesture. Nevertheless, tipping expectations are fast mounting in most countries. Restaurant waiters and waitresses, watchmen, parking attendants and hairdressers, all look at you to give them a little something for serving you. This may cause some controversy as some people view tipping as a form of bribe. Is rewarding these people with a little something legal?

A toothbrush is the most commonly used means of maintaining good oral hygiene. However, instead of cleaning the teeth and mouth, badly tended brushes may contaminate the oral space further following retention and survival of germs on toothbrushes on regular use and poor storage. The longer the toothbrush is used, the more the number of germs increases, and a re-contamination of the oral cavity with germs. Given the fact that very often people will traumatize themselves with their toothbrush, this trauma may become a potential portal of entry for organisms. Contaminated toothbrushes have been associated with repeated infections of mouth that come with inflammation and bleeding of gums and dental caries. There are also links between lingering oral thrush (yeast infection), cold, sore throats and the flu and contaminated toothbrushes.

Although Reuben Chemwala of Kipsabu of Kipsambu location, Eldoret County in Kenya is not a practising herbalist, his role as a Kalenjin community leader includes prescription of herbal medication to patients. He prescribes herbs used to treat most common and problematic diseases. For adults, ulcers is a source of health concern for the community and those who consult him claim the cure is not available in health facilities. Stomach ulcers is a chronic sore in the stomach or small intestine, caused by too much acid. It can be recognized by a chronic dull (sometimes sharp) pain in the stomach. It usually pains less, when the person takes milk. If that person misses a meal, or after he drinks alcohol or eats fats or spicy food. Pain is often worse particularly, during the night. If the ulcer is severe, it can cause vomiting sometimes blood. Stools with blood from an ulcer are usually black like tar. The only precautionary measures is a lifestyle change, according to modern medicin...

One way of getting financial independence is stating a business. Learning how to start a dog breeding business isn't for everyone, but if you have the knowledge about a particular breed it's a brilliant idea. But just like any other venture it takes a lot to start and run the business. Financing Your Seed Capital: Dog breeding venture is expensive and time consuming, if the correct standards are to be maintained. This includes 70 kg dog meal per day, costing $ 30. The dogs are also fed with milk, raw eggs, soup and other supplements daily. Training a dog is also a costly affair. This will cost $ 300 per month for every dog. Therefore, if your source of capital is a bank loan, It's very important to develop a plan of repaying it in advance so as to avoid instances of losing it all due to default. Perhaps a ridging loan from a relative might be a useful consideration. Other options which you can exploit to avoid defaulting includes starting the business small then growi...

A woman's love affair with the high-heel started way before our time. I remember my sister wobbling in my mother's high heels from the day she learnt how to walk. And with the trends and designs available today, what reason do ladies have not to be totally, uncontrollably in love with their heels? They can certainly mend a broken heart, make her feel like a million dollars (evidently, true especially with my wife). They make her look taller, her legs looking slimmer and her butt tighter and the list goes on... As  Manolo Blahnik rightly put it, "you put high heels on and you change" Today, high heels are a symbol of femininity and sensuality, but back in the 9th century, they were a form of practicality. Persian men wore high heels as a form of footwear that not only helped them get onto their horse, but also kept the foot in the stirrup. The evolution of this high-heel, like many other things, was adopted by the Europeans and became a symbol of sexuality...

Curtains are an important part of your decor scheme as they will affect the overall mood, look and feel of a room. Before choosing a style, start by taking into account the window itself, the architecture of your home and the amount of natural light the room receives. An attractive window is an architecture of your home and the amount of natural light the room receives. An attractive window is an architectural feature that must be shown off, not hidden behind swathes of fabric. However, if you have an unattractive view or an unattractive window, attractive curtains can do wonders to spruce it up.   Choosing a Style Your style of window treatment will also depend on the practical functions that such treatments serve in providing privacy. This becomes crucial if one lives in a flat or a cluster of town houses that overlook each other. Windows treatments can also help to keep out the cold. some homeowners opt to use heavy curtains during the cold months and light sheers du...

Football is about scoring goals by all means possible and some have been ranked the best in the history of the World Cup. For me, World cup is the 'Greatest Show on Earth" because all the World class players such as Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Torres, Fabregas, Eto'o, Kaka are all in one stage, gunning for football's ultimate prize. Here are some of the World Cup memorable goals, beginning with the one that remains indisputable since the '80s to date: Diego Maradona (Mexico 1986): He collected a harmless dead ball from Hector Enrique inside his own half. He peddled it towards the English goal, past defenders Brian Hodge, Peter Beardley, Terrence Fenwick and Terry Butcher before rounding off custodian Peter Shilton. That 10 second 60-meter solo run, provided the best World Cup goal ever, the goal of the century. Michael Owen (France 1998): Owen, then just 18, received a half line pass from David Beckham. He surged alone past three Argentine defenders, ...

While we are adept at scrubbing away dirt and grime from the obvious germ-ridden places such as the toilets and kitchen counters, our environment is choked-full of micro-organisms that lurk in surprising places. Fortunately, about 99% of them are not harmful to us, but the 1% of pathogens that are, do need to be taken care of. These viral or bacterial germs can cause anything between runny noses and potentially fatal infections. Here are some of the worst germ-ridden places around the house: Your 'WELCOME' Doormat: It serves as an ideal host to the germs that come laden on shoe soles of all the people who cross your threshold. Coliform, a fecal bacterium is present on almost 96% of shoe soles. so, no matter how much you spruce up the entrance to your home, the floor area near the front door is almost always the dirtiest in terms of germs that cannot be seen but are ready for a ride into your home. Always avoid putting your shopping bags and groceries on the doormat and do...

Cold sores are not caused by common cold as most of us think. They are caused by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 or simply HSV-1, which is passed on through contact with infected skin or body fluid. A cold sores caused by skin damage as the virus multiplies within the cells it has infected on the lip. It starts with a warning of red, irritated skin and itchy, painful blisters which form, break down and crust over before, healing. This lasts about a week. then after the first infection, the virus enters a nerve cell and travels up until it comes to a collection of nerve cells where it resides quietly in a dormant stage until it's reactivated. It then starts to multiply again and travels down the nerve to skin and causes the cold sores. The factors that reactivate the virus include stress, sunlight, fever, hence the name 'fever blister' and hormonal changes like those that occur around your periods. Cold sores are most contagious when the blisters are present and just afte...

Apart from the decor, one of the first things your guests will notice when they walk in is the music. Most couples opt for the tried and tested wedding bands without putting much thought into factors that should be considered while choosing the right entertainment. As much as it is your big day, you should also keep your guests in mind.So what should you consider before you choose your weeding music? Wedding Music Ideas to consider Have in mind your wedding theme to help you choose the type of song or entertainment that will complement and carry on the theme. For example, if you're having a Swahili theme, you can opt for some taarab music instead of a band that tries to sing in all the local languages. Consider the formality of the occasion. If you're having a formal wedding, for example, you can choose a band that plays classical or lounge music to create the perfect ambience. If you're going for an informal setting, the good news is you can play around with diffe...

Skinny 80's style jeans have made a huge comeback. They have been on the scene for almost three years now, and don't seem to fading anytime soon. Skinny jeans can look great, but only if you wear them right. The million-dollar question is: do you have to be skinny to wear skinny jeans? No! absolutely not. When most women don't even consider themselves skinny, why would they choose a jean labelled in such a way? Different from flared or boot cut jeans, skinny jeans are tight throughout the leg, tapering in toward the ankle. The leg openings are skinny. How Do You Wear Them? How to wear skinny jeans depends on several factors; your sense of style, fashion and ultimately, your confidence. Skinny-leg jeans look great on models and celebrities, but can real women pull off this runway look? Sure, if you follow a few guidelines: Skinny jeans don't have to be so tight that the side seams are about to burst. Try to get jeans that have a bit of stretch in them so you won...

Each one of us at different levels of our lives, have suffered a pain. Headaches are a common example of pain and one may need to take a painkiller. However, if abused, it may end up becoming the bigger problem than the headache. You take a pain-killer when you first start getting headaches because it is 'just a headache' but as the headaches become frequent and last longer, your use of pain killers also increase and before you realize it, you are addicted to painkillers taking as much as 20 tablets a day. When you finally go to see a doctor, you are shocked when you are told that the pain medication you depend on to relieve your headaches were actually the ones causing the headaches! You are the unintended victim of analgesic headaches caused by overuse of painkillers. Nearly all over-the-counter painkillers and prescription headache medicines cause analgesic rebound headaches. The cause is not the drug itself but the over use. PainKiller Side Effects A person with fre...