THE FEEL-GOOD DIARIES

Fix Dry Hair With the Miracle of Moroccan Argan Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Tue, 13 May 2014 20:50:00 +0000

On an exciting trip to Marrakech, I decided to make the most of being there, and stocked up on some Moroccan oil. I thought I'd try out the 'real' stuff and see if it was any different...

My hair is naturally coarse - the strands are thick and fairly stiff, and often have a life of their own. I also don't have very oily hair so it is quite dry as a result. I don't over-use conditioner though as that can dull the hair shaft making hair lack its natural shine.

Ta-dah! Moroccan Argan Oil Saves the Day!

The first time I used it was the other day when I went swimming with my newphew. Chlorine wrecks my hair for days after, so I covered it in the argan oil from root to tip, avoiding the actual scalp (about a teaspoon, maybe a bit less) and went swimming as normal. After shampooing at the end, my hair dried so silky and 'heavy' rather than its usual frizz!

I have now washed my hair a second time since, and it is still feeling silky and weighty (in a good way - heavy hair is un-porous and holds water in, it does not let it out from the cuticle).

So get your paws on some genuine argan oil (it is usually Moroccan), slap it onto that head, shampoo and condition, and voila! Silky smooth!

Top Personalised Beauty Tips for Making the Most of Your Looks and Dealing with Weight Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 12:07:00 +0000

Hair & Beauty, and Dealing with Weight & Shape Issues: Enhance What You've Got and Be More You!

Hairstyles and Face Shapes

Everyone's face and bone structure differs, and some people's faces fit into one of the following categories quite clearly, and yet for others it is harder to define. The advice below is a guide only, and ideal hairstyles depend on hair type and other factors as well as face shape.

Heart-Shaped Face

Characterised by a slightly pointed and narrow chin, and a wider top half of the face, possibly with high cheekbones.

Consider: Hairstyles with a fringe down to (or past) the eyebrows if your forehead is more prominent. Also hairstyles which add some width to the jawline - such as a bobbed style, or inverted graduation.

Avoid: Hairstyles which cover the jawline (such as a short graduation) as they will accentuate the wider top half of the face.

Round Face

Characterised by a short length from the top of the forehead to the base of the chin, a rounded chin and jawline.

Consider: Hairstyles which add length to the face, or limit the width. For a wider face, hairstyles which come on to the face at the sides may compliment you.

Avoid: Hairstyles with a fringe. A round face shape is usually short in length, but will look too short with a fringe, especially if you have a small forehead.

Square Face

Characterised by an angular jawline and width at the jaw.

Consider: Hairstyles with a graduation which frames the face and softens and angular bone structures. This sort of style can really flatter a 'chiseled' look.

Avoid: A blunt angular fringe if you have a square-ish jawline. It may cause you to look quite severe.

Long Face

Characterised by a much longer length than width and often a very slim jawline.

Consider: A fringe which reaches the eyebrows, to enhance the width of your face.

Avoid: A long style which either comes on to the face, or is one-length and covers your cheeks/cheekbones. This would enhance the length of your face further.

Oval Face

Characterised by a longer length than width, and no prominent widths at the jawline or otherwise.

There are no hairstyles which are specifically reccommended for an oval face shape, however a short graduation to frame the face might be flattering, or choppy layers might enhance your face shape.

Body Image & Dressing for Your Body Shape

Sometimes we just have to accept our body shape!

If you're overweight you can lose weight, but if you have a wider or longer bone structure you can't lose bone! (E.g. having wider hips, or having long legs). Knowing what contributes to your body shape in terms of your weight and bone structure is vital for self-esteem and 'locus of control' (what you perceive you can and can't control).

Lacking Height

Avoid: Mid-length skirts which hang from the hips. These are not really your friend because the length of the skirt is of course shorter than your legs, and your legs are already not particularly long as it is. This accentuates the lack of length and can create a 'dumpy' look. That said, if the skirt starts at the waist (higher up) and is A-line or puffy, it can be much more flattering.

Consider: Trousers and skirts starting from the waist. This creates length in the leg which is very flattering. Also tops with a cinched or narrow waist will create length in the lower half of the body. Heels can obviously add height but very high heels (especially chunky) can sometimes look overpowering on a very small frame, depending on the outfit of course.

Lacking Curves

Avoid: Straight-cut dresses and tops. These will enhance the straightness of your figure and it can look boyish, although it can look sporty and youthful. Tops and dresses with a narrowing at the ribs or above the waist can be quite unflattering to a modest bottom, and modest/narrow hips as they don't cling in the right areas. If you have a small frame try to avoid too much baggy clothing at once. If you have on a baggy hoodie for example it will look better with skinny jeans, not combats or boyfriend jeans. Too much baggy and you will look like you shrunk in the wash!

Consider: Tops and dresses with a narrowing at the waist. This will enhance the hips and compliment your narrow waist. Skinny jeans look good on skinny legs!

Being Very Curvy

Avoid: Leggings that are too tight - if you are overweight leggings can be unflattering unless you are quite toned. Leggings can however look very good on shapely legs. Try not to wear skirts or trousers which hang very high from the waist if you are big-busted - it can enhance and distort your top half. Stripes enhance sizes and roundness so avoid stripy tops unless you're comfortable with your curvy shape.

Consider: Dark colours will flatter you if you feel overweight but why should you stick to the shadows? Wear colours that compliment your skin tone and take the focus off any weight issues.

Baggy tops won't cling as much, and cardigans help to give you a little more fabric to play with, but again, why should you have to hide away?!

Weight Loss/Losing Weight

If you are trying to lose weight you must first accept what you cannot change, so you have a clear idea of what you can achieve. For example if you are lacking in height and have wider hips, your body shape will never be 'willowy' but it could be 'curvy,' petite' or 'shapely' - both have their pros and cons just like everything. You must think about which parts of your body will look different if you lose weight, and which parts will stay the same, or not change as easily. Learn to accept it and expect it, and build it into your weight loss plan.

It can help to buy some nice clothes in a size down, to give you motivation to fit into them, but make sure they aren't items you need to wear by a certain event or date as this may cause pressure and stress. Weight loss should be steady and not sudden, and it should be done by a mixtue of exercise and healthy eating, not obsessive bingeing and purging for example.

Skin Types and Skin Care

Oily Skin

Oily skin often looks shiny, and is prone to spots due to the over-production of our natural oil 'sebum' by the sebaceous glands in our skin. The T-zone is very often the most oily area, even if you have generally dry skin (forehead and nose area). For oily skin or oily areas:

Avoid too much washing. This sounds counter-intuitive, but the more you wash your face, the more your skin produces the oil you have just stripped away.
Wash regularly no more than twice a day, and establish a routine.
Don't use harsh products on your face - try to wash your face with just hot water, and use a gentle cleanser maybe once a day. Avoid any cleanser which leaves your face feeling tight or dry.
Exfoliate gently once or twice a week.
Use a light moisturiser for oily skin. If that still doesn't help, put your moisturiser on when you have a damp face (or hands when you rub it in). This will thin the moisturiser and leave less of it on your skin.
Have a few days a week without any make-up. This lets your skin establish a natural balance without any interferance from greasy make-up, or make-up remover
Don't touch your face with your hands throughout the day. The dirt and grime will clog pores and add to the problem.
Wash hands thoroughly before washing face.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is often flaky when rubbed, feels tight and can age faster due to the lack of lubrication from natural oils and the damage from movement and loss of elasticity. For dry skin or dry areas:

Always moisturise. If face feels tight it is lacking moisture badly
Don't over-moisturise. this will cause the skin to stop producing its own natural oils. (Once a day for daycream, and once in the evening for nightcream is ideal).
Exfoliate twice a week, but be very gentle. Dry skin is more fragile.
Eat more green leafy veg to make your skin produce more oil. Spinach is very effective.
Use an oil-based moisturiser instead of a water one in wintry conditions which can dry skin out (so can central heating)
Wash face regularly. Not too much, but keeping on top of it may stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum (natural oil). Twice a day is enough.

Eyebrow Shapes and Facial Grooming

Eyebrows must not be over-plucked! Don't underestimate the effect your eyebrows have on your face. Try not to pluck from the top of the brow, however the odd hair can be plucked if it will not create a bald area/patch or affect how the hairs around it will look. If you pluck from the top, the eyebrows can look stuck-on, and artificial. It is also impossible to keep a natural and consistent shape.

Eyebrows should arch naturally - follow the natural arch. They should start in line with the edges of the nostrils, but this is a guideline only. People have different shaped noses, so if in doubt don't over-pluck. Eyebrows should end in line with the outer corner of the eye (if you hold a straight line from the edge of the nostril to the outer edge of the eye).

NEVER:

Pluck from the top unless doing one-off hairs
Shave anywhere on the face (women)
Pluck a hair growing from a mole - cut it instead to avoid causing abnormal cells to form
Use products (especially perfumed) or warm water on the face after any facial waxing for 24 hours

Best Things For The Soul: How to Get Happy!

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:11:00 +0000

Best Things For the Soul...

Exercise

Any physical activity which gets the heart pumping (cardio) releases neurotransmitters in the brain which are responsible for motivation and reward. This in turn makes you feel positive, and we all know how important motivation is and how it affects us. If you feel motivated you feel a desire to do something, you might feel inspired or enthusiastic also.

Getting your blood pumping is also vital for circulation, which has a knock-on effect to other things, such as making your skin and hair healthier (as more oxygen and nutrients reach the cells etc).

Going for a walk or a jog is a good free way to get your blood pumping. Dance is also very good, and the creative aspect of dance also helps you express yourself which is really healthy.

Art & Crafts

Producing or viewing art is good for you. Producing it is good for expressing and exploring your emotions, and viewing it is good for a bit of inspiration. Either way, thinking outside the box is good for you, and anything from splashing a bit of colour around, to producing a masterpiece is enjoyable and good for you.

Crafts are also good, a little bit of sewing or jewellery-making never hurt anyone... Apart from using a needle maybe!

The thing about arts and crafts is that if you've got alot of thinking, or mulling things over to do, it enables that without compromising your thought processes, because it uses the motor skills and spacial awareness, and doesn't use the language part of the brain - leaving it free to wonder, and talk if you've got company.

Cooking

Good manual work like kneeding bread, and mashing potatoes can be a good physical task to allow you to express any pent-up aggression! It also feels good to make fresh, home-made food, and it feels even better to eat it.

Cooking is also a good practical task which doesn't require language or verbal thought-processes (as above).

Pets and Children

Animals and children have the ability to provide us with an enormous amount of perspective. The cuteness and cuddliness seem to make seemingly complicated troubles and woes ebb away. The instinct we have for protecting and caring for children and pets often takes on a powerful nature, over-taking our need to analyse and over-think everyday troubles.

Pets and children are also good for greiving and berieved people because they offer a little bit of escapeism - they have an agenda of their own and it can be refreshing to interact with them on a basic and totally different level than when you are talking to understanding adults.

Sleep

Sleep is a fundamental human need, and without it we become emotionally, psychologically and physiologically dysfunctional. Just look at any sleep-deprivation study and it will tell you what you need to know. Sleep is our body's way of healing, our mind's way of consolidating, our brain's way of re-generating. This is absolutley key to mental stability and emotional wellbeing.

After a good night's sleep, even the most complicated and deeply-etched troubles can seem far clearer and simpler. Okay they don't go away, but they do seem simpler, and if you've ever been consumed with worry or stress, you will know that this alone is valuable.

Friends & Family

Friends and family who make us feel good about ourselves, and whom we can be nothing but ourselves around are extremely good for us. With the stresses and demands of life, we can sometimes forget ourselves. Not who we are, but we can come close. Especially when we start a new job or course, and have to make new friends, or experience a break-up, or lose a loved-one.

When someone experiences change on such a level, they can be swept away with how they are expected to think or behave, and find themselves questioning themselves. Familiar friends and family have the wonderful ability to remind us what we are worth, and what we are about.

Nature & Environment

A natural environment can give you a great sense of perspective and refresh your mindset. It must be in our genetic make-up. All this technology and infrastructure of the modern world just has an edge of the unnatural about it. Getting outdoors, breathing in some fresh air and surrounding yourself with a clean, natural environment helps to give you a sense of perspective about the world and your place in it.

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

Relationship Advice Based on Psychology: How to Have A Healthy Relationship

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:57:00 +0000

Before thinking about romantic relationships in any detail, it is important to look at the reasons people have for wanting to have, or staying in relationships...

Below are unhealthy and healthy reasons for wanting a romantic relationship. Everyone has a relationship for a mixture of these reasons, however if your primary reasons for having a certain relationship are unhealthy, or you have more unhealthy reasons than healthy ones, it is time to think a little deeper about where your relationship is headed. If you’re not in one, maybe think about how and where you’re looking for relationships…

Unhealthy reasons for wanting a relationship:

To feel less lonely

To feel more appreciated

To feel safer

To be needed

To be successful

To gain self-esteem

To gain confidence

To have physical/sexual attention

These motivations for relationships are based on a lack of something or feeling that something is missing from your life. These motivations would exist before you have even met someone. Motivation for starting a relationship should not be superficial or self-centred. Too many of these reasons can lead to unhealthy relationships. For example if you want to be less lonely you may find you're placing most of your hopes for company on this one person. It can lead to unhealthy and unequal dependance.

You have to learn to love and accept who you are, before you can understand and appreciate someone else's love for you properly.

Healthy reasons for wanting a relationship

Spending time with someone special who brings out the best in you

Sharing emotions

Sharing memories

Committing yourself to someone you appreciate and care for

Knowing someone intimately and loving them flaws-and-all

Sharing experiences good and bad

Supporting each-other

Growing with one special person in all aspects of life

Building familiarity

Building mutual respect

Ideal Relationships

One of the most healthy relationship attitudes is that your spouse is free. They choose to be with you. You respect each-other and accept each other for who you both are.

Healthy relationships don't involve game-playing or manipulation. There is, however, a need for mutual interest, and both partners should be showing their commitment (perhaps in different ways) but you should be meeting each-other half way.

According to Psychological theorists, the love that you have in a serious relationship has three main 'components' - commitment, passion and intimacy. You need all three for a lasting relationship. Without committment you don't have loyalty and trust, without passion you don't have the drive and intensity, and without intimacy you don't have the familiarity and sharing.

Trust is vital for a healthy relationship - you need to know that you can trust your partner to be loyal and honest with you. As well as that (and harder to achieve) is faith - implicit trust and belief without proof. This is more of an instinct and you need to be very honest with yourself and your partner if this is missing, or not yet developed.

Being Assertive and Dealing With Confidence Issues With Effective Assertive Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 16:51:00 +0000

What is Assertiveness?

Tweet: Assertiveness is the gateway to getting respect and getting what you want.

There are four main approaches to communicating with people during any sort of conflict or confrontation, of which Assertiveness is the ideal approach. These are listed and described below for you to understand what assertiveness is, and is not.

Aggressive

People can become aggressive when feeling angry or defensive, and feeling threatened. Unnecessarily rude or intimidating behaviour, or even physical expression are all types of aggression, but even blaming your feelings or problems on someone else can be aggressive.

Examples might be: Shouting, swearing, shoving, name-calling etc. From abruptly saying ‘no’ to your boss, to shoving a kid to the floor in the playground, these are all aggressive behaviours.

Passive

People often become passive, timid or introverted when they feel inferior or want to take a back-seat. This is often seen as being a 'pushover.' It may not even be due to a feeling of inferiority, it could even just be laziness. However in terms of dealing with conflict or confrontation, passive behaviour is being submissive, agreeable, and/or accepting. This is good to some extent, however someone who is being passive is not likely to stand up for what they believe in or make sure things go their way.

Examples might be: Giving in and letting someone else get their way when you deserved yours, agreeing to do a task for someone that you shouldn’t have to do, or saying ‘sorry’ when you did nothing wrong.

Passive-Aggressive

People become passive-aggressive or sneaky when they feel angry or threatened but they don't want to make it obvious in-case of confrontation or they don't want to take responsibility for it. They are caught between wanting to be heard or have their say, but not feeling confident enough about how to go about it directly and honestly. This is often seen as being 'catty.'

Examples might be: Making hints about how you feel but not saying it directly, making jokes that aren’t really jokes – they are meant, deliberately doing something that will goad (or ‘wind-up’) another person, talking behind someone’s back (about them), or writing something on face-book that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. Even blame and avoiding responsibility can be passive-aggressive.

Assertive

Assertiveness is being direct and honest whilst still being polite, fair and considerate. Without assertiveness people's relationships can become very 'catty,' rumours can start, and misunderstandings can take place.

When people are assertive, they are decisive and composed. They directly say what it is they need and how they feel, and they take ownership of their emotions and experiences.

For example, imagine a group of your friends have forgotten to invite you to an important evening do. If you were being assertive you wouldn’t say ‘you made me feel left-out’ or ‘you didn’t care about my feelings’ because that puts the blame on other people – you’re assuming how they felt and what they did. If you’re being assertive you would say something like ‘I felt a bit left-out’ or ‘I felt a bit disappointed because I wanted to come.’ You know how you felt, so in stating it, you’re offering the truth, and the discussion can continue from there.

Assertiveness relates to confidence - knowing that you're making a valid point, truly believing in what you're saying, or even knowing how the other person is going to respond. If there's an issue, to be assertive you need to talk to that person to sort it out in a civilised manner.

Assertive people are not always right – but they admit when they are wrong and they take responsibility for their own actions. This isn’t easy, and does involve confrontation, but someone assertive expects this confrontation and deals with it instead of doing anything to avoid it.

It is important to remember that assertiveness is not part of a personality. Yes some people are generally assertive, but no one is assertive all of the time. Certain situations and certain people make us feel more threatened and more inferior, so then we resort back to being a little aggressive or even passive, or passive-aggressive.

Why is Assertiveness Sometimes so Difficult to Achieve?

It is our instinct to stick up for ourselves when we feel ‘wronged’ and to hide away when we feel threatened. These animal instincts lead to aggression and passive behaviour respectively. When these collide we can become passive-aggressive. A threatened cat will scratch, a frightened hedgehog will curl up into a ball. It’s sometimes an instinct we can’t fight, but we can be aware of it and consciously try to change it.

Assertiveness is a sophisticated and complex attitude and is unique to humans. We consciously decide to be assertive. It is normal to resort back to our animal instincts and it is important to know that everyone makes mistakes when confronted with conflict, disagreement, or any unfamiliar situation. It is the realisation of that mistake and the desire to rectify it through a civilised and constructive discussion that leads us on the path to assertiveness.

For more information and help with working on your assertiveness check back regularly for an update on my consultancy services. Alternatively contact me on the email address below for information. I am keen to build a service around what you want, so any feedback is valuable.

Improve Your Self Confidence & Self-Esteem With This Reliable, Psychological Help & Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 21:35:00 +0000

Self-Confidence is Being Sure of Yourself, Familiar or Even Comfortable

Confidence is being sure of something. You can be sure that you're right about something, you can be sure that you're going to enjoy something, you can also be 'sure of yourself' in general. This last point is the general idea of ‘self-confidence.'

People experience this feeling of self-confidence at different times and in different situations. It is caused by different things, and happens to some people a lot more easily than others. One thing is for sure though, there is not a soul on the planet who is simply ‘confident.’ Confidence is a state of mind, it can even be an attitude.

The Psychology of personality tells us quite accurately that some people can be pre-disposed to being outgoing or ‘extroverted’ - finding it natural and easy to express themselves with others, but it does not mean that they ‘are confident.’ Confidence is a by-product of a set of circumstances and it is something everyone can, and will achieve. You just need the right familiarity, comfort, and most of all you need to work out what it is that you want to feel and be confident about.

Other People and Your Self-Confidence

When people say to me ‘I just want to be more confident’ or ‘I want to improve my confidence,’ the first thought that goes through my head is ‘with what?’ More often than not, the answer to that question is people. ‘I want to be more confident with people’. This points to a general lack of confidence with your social skills, your personality, or how you come across.

Let’s say you’re starting a new job and you’re afraid to ‘be yourself’ because of what judgements or conclusions people might make from your behaviour. You think of something really funny to say - you know it’s not inappropriate - but you don’t know if anyone will laugh. Or you have a question to ask about one of your new tasks, but you don’t want to sound stupid. You’re immediately assuming that you’re going to make a bad impression, and that you have to fit in with what your new colleagues perceive as normal.

This is quite understandable as you are the ‘newbie’ but who says anyone new automatically fits in as ‘normal’? You’re new to the job and you don’t know anyone for goodness sake! How can you fit in and know everything straight away? If you stick to the shadows and play it safe, you make no impression at all, and even risk coming across as rude or arrogant. If you be yourself and ask questions, and express yourself you will seem much more ‘human’ and your new colleagues will be able to relate to you. Conversations will start a lot easier and you will be accepted – ta-dah!

Different people have different effects on how we feel about ourselves. Think of the enormous difference between how you feel with an awkward work colleague (or your boss even) and how you feel with your best friend. Chances are, you think differently, and even behave differently. When you’re around certain familiar people whom you feel respected by, you are much more likely to feel confident.

When you're feeling this way, you might be happy to speak out and say what you think, or happy to ask questions and express yourself a little more. This might be because you are 'sure' of the outcome and you're not scared or worried about what might happen. You know that if you tell a joke, it will be funny. You know that if you say something really silly you won’t be laughed at through ridicule, but it will be through endearment instead.

You might also feel confident with people who depend on you or respect you easily (such as children, or novices in your area of expertise) because you feel in control and authoritative, or assertive (which is covered on the Assertiveness page).

Self-Confidence as a Pre-Disposition

As mentioned previously, people with an extroverted personality tend to express themselves more. It might be that you are like this with some people and not others. It might even be that you choose not to be like this.

One thing is certain though – When people are very aware of and positive about how others see them, they are often more confident to speak out, try new things and express themselves.

This is because they don't have unrealistic fears about what might happen to them if they do. This attitude comes more naturally to some people than others, but it doesn’t mean you can’t train yourself to think this way. If you are a naturally submissive person, you might tend to accept authority easily. If you are aware of this you can train yourself to think ‘No, I am right. There is no reason for person X’s opinion to be more valid than mine’ or ‘What’s the worst that can happen if I speak out and voice this question? No one can tell me off or be offended, because I mean no offence.’

Authority and Your Self-Confidence

It is common for someone feeling 'shy’ or intimidated to underestimate their own authority or their own rights. They might fear that they will cause offence, or make everyone dislike them because of one comment for example. It is common to feel like this with new people because we don’t know them, or how they might react. We can’t second-guess what they are thinking. However if you have something to say which you firmly believe or understand, you will find it much easier to explain and stick by, so you won’t be as afraid to say it.

Some people feel very intimidated by a person in authority such as a boss. It can help to reason to yourself why they are in charge, and what they are in charge of. This might help you remember that they are not out to get you, thy just have a business to run for example.

Self-Esteem is the Value We Attach to Ourselves

It is a measure of what we think we are worth, how important we feel, and how much we feel we deserve to be happy and succeed. Someone with low self-esteem is generally unhappy with themselves and does not believe they are good enough or worth enough. This can be based on many aspects of how a person sees themselves (such as their looks, or academic weaknesses etc). It can be caused by a variety of experiences, most of which involve other people (family, school bullies, work colleagues etc).

Self-Esteem and its Relationship with Confidence

Self-esteem is linked to self-respect because someone who values themselves will usually respect themselves. Having good self-esteem, or valuing yourself does not always make you appear confident.

Some people are confident to speak out and express themselves, however inside they may not value themselves very highly, and therefore have low self-esteem, but higher confidence. Some people who are like this may find it easier to find self-worth or self-esteem from how they think others see them (e.g. by showing off, creating a version of themselves which comes across as 'confident' to others, or showing a general 'bravado'...)

Some people are quiet and dislike being the centre of attention, but they can still value themselves highly or have respect for themselves - therefore having high self-esteem and showing lower confidence. Self-esteem is important for achieving well. with good self-esteem you can believe in yourself and this will make you try harder and you won't give up as easily. You won't say to yourself 'well I knew it wouldn't work anyway' or the good old classic: 'I can't.'

High self-esteem and high confidence are the optimum combination to aim for. With both, you will be able to walk into an interview and ditch your nerves. You can simply roll your eyes and smile when someone beeps you for making a meal of a parallel parking manoeuvre. You can finally wear that piece of clothing in your wardrobe that you take out once a month and stow away again because it's 'too bold.'

What Self Confidence and Self-Esteem Are Not

Confidence and self-esteem are not the same as being arrogant, 'cocky' or big-headed. Arrogance is making others feel small or 'showing off' to make an impression to others, at the expense of dignity or modesty. Having high self-esteem makes you quietly proud and strong, not arrogant. When you have high self-esteem there is no need to show-off because all your self-worth comes from knowing that you're good at something, or valued - not from other people knowing it.

For more information and help with building your confidence and/or self-esteem check back regularly for an update on my consultancy service. Alternatively contact me on the email address below for information. I am keen to build a service around what you want, so any feedback is valuable.

Email: lise.griffiths86@gmail.com

Top Skincare Advice: Problems With Skin and How to Avoid Them

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 09:05:00 +0000

Enlarged Pores

Use toner everyday but don't forget to moisturise well afterwards as it can dry your skin out because the pores close and your skin produces or allows less sebum (natural oil) to naturally moisturise you.

Cool water on the face or a hydrating spray will close the pores, while heat opens them up.

Some people have larger pores naturally. Pore size is genetic also.

Oily Skin

Avoid over-washing and over-stimulating sebum (oil) production.

Wash your face with a mild and gentle cleanser and do it regularly twice a day and no more.

Avoid touching your skin with your hands when you don't need to.

Flaky Skin

Exfoliate with a good facial exfoliator. Doing this with a rough cloth is also good but these can harbour germs so wash them at a high temperature regularly. Moisturise well as this will keep the top layer of dead skin from drying out to fast. Avoid to much Central heating or air conditioning as dry air doesn't help dry skin.

Spotty Skin

Spots are a build up of natural oil on your skin. Wash regularly but not more than twice a day. Avoid harsh cleansers as they dry the top layer of skin but not the trapped sebum or oil beneath.

Squeeze white spots only. Do this when the skin has been soaked in warm water to open the pore and avoid any pinching as you will damage capillaries and this causes permanent redness in time.

This sounds mental but saliva actually helps get rid of spots. It must be the enzymes or something! A dab every few hours will do the trick and do it before bed.

Beat the Monday Blues with a Bedroom Make-Over: New Secret to Getting Up in the Morning!

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 21:55:00 +0000

Wake Up Happy

Cold, dark January, Monday mornings, and a messy bedroom. A recipe for a depressive mentality until at least 11am. I was determined to change this, and wake up happy. So I decided to make my bedroom wake-up-friendly.

A bedroom is a place to relax, so despite my affinity for bright colours and loud, dramatic artwork, I decided to calm down and think outside the box. I went to Homebase (Richard's favourite - not.That experience was enough to make anyone want to relax...) I walked along the aisles of paint (Richard huffing and puffing behind me, desperate not to identify himself with any form of DIY). Ignoring my urges for plush purple and bright aqua, I turned my attentions to 'forgiving' colours - easy to look at, and let's face it - quite bland (they always look more extreme on the wall). I chose duck-egg blue.

Then I chose my theme to compliment this. It's too easy to go for the same colour in the room's accessories, however too much of a colour can make you just sick to the back teeth of it. Also the room is quite small so I needed to break it up a little. I chose brown accessories and champagne silver. We luckily already had a luxury furry throw of exactly these colours so it looks great on the edge of the bed-frame.

To brighten the room a little, and emphasise space, I used mirrors from The Range - really good prices and lots of choice! I also added a couple of white ornaments from Dunelm Mill - the bird cage garland was £5 and the white wicker heart was just £3! These match well with the white-washed wall which blends to the ceiling. Leaving these walls white keeps the room bright and airy.

I also bought some false flowers from Dunelm to match the white and champagne colour theme. These face the bed so that the first thing I see when I wake up is pretty.

To encourage low, subtle, calming lighting, I bought a table lamp. I hate using the main light in the bedroom - it's so harsh and unforgiving. The lamp was from Wilkinson's - such economy, wow!

To set a 'feeling' or 'theme' we added a rustic clock from Lightinthebox.com (it was Richard's idea to have a French Roman-Numeral one, which was part of his Christmas present). This added a shabby chic feel, and I threw in some furry cushions from Next. These were £14 each, and are so incredibly big and soft. I also included some soft brown plain ones from The Range.

My other accessories are items I already had, and felt complimented the feel of the room. They add to the 'ambience' and promote a little inspiration on a dull morning :)

And there we have it, a calm, inspiring and pretty room, with colours that compliment one-another and are easy on the eye. Waking up in this room is so much more peaceful and inspiring that the plain white room with a clothes-covered floor I was used to since we moved in!

Black and Gold Party Nails to Beat the January Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 21:28:00 +0000

Black and Gold Leaf Party Nails - Whoop-Whoop!

Craving Something Shiny in these Cold and Dark January Months? These black and gold party nails look even better in real life. I have had so many people noticing them and I really recommend them!

2 Black undercoats - Maybelline Colourshow (approx £2.99 from Superdrug)
2 coats of gold leaf - Bourjois Paris (comes free with two items of make-up in Superdrug)
1 Rimell Topcoat

Lasted at least 1 week with no chips :)

Nail Art Ideas & Transfers

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Nail Art: Funky French Manicure!

I'm a creative person and I'm always itching to draw and paint, so of course, this is no different for my nails (when I can be bothered to make an effort with them!)

This design is a French manicure but instead of using the typical French white for the tips/free edges, I have used a subtle lilac with a lovely sheen.

The product is called 'Lunar Haze' from Boots - in the Natural Collection range. The iridescent shine is so lovely and it makes a subtle yet flattering finish when it's just used on the free edge of the nail.

Because the nail varnish is translucent you do need to follow the natural curve of the free edge as much as you can. This is so you don't have over-lapping lines where the nail varnish and the natural line marking the free edge meet.

Detailed Nail Art: Making Transfers

With details and patterns the thing that gets me in a flap most is having to paint with my left hand. I came up with the idea of transfers, and after looking online, I found that it is really easy to make your own nail art transfers!

1. Paint a layer or two of top coat onto some cellophane or plastic sheeting

2. Paint nail art designs on top in acrylic paint (or nail varnish but not too thick)

3. Paint a layer of top coat over this

4. Wait for it to dry

5. With your nail or a cuticle stick, scrape the edge of the top coat upwards to get an 'edge' so you can peel the design right off. Be careful of peeling only some of the design off - make sure the edge bit you've peeled is in an even line and you're peeling the whole length of the top coat.

Mini Garden Makeover! Small Garden Ideas for Brightening Up a Low-Maintenance Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 18:20:00 +0000

My lounge looks out onto the garden, and quite honestly I was sick of looking at this everyday:

So when we got back from our holiday, Richard and I set to work and changed it to this:

The things we changed were simple, easy and quick things to do for a low maintenance garden (as we both work full-time). We live in a 'new-build' house so the garden is small and the earth is not very nutritious as it was previously a brick yard! We have had to build this garden from scratch and here are some of things we have done:

1. Flower beds

A tiny garden can't take massive flowerbeds without looking overgrown and cluttered, so I dug narrow ones on one side, and a larger corner one at the back. I planted the taller plants at the back and put smaller/lower ones at the front. I also put some bulbs underneath the tree which will look lovely in spring.

The plants that are particularly nice colours and low maintenance are the Mexican Orange Blossom, which has bright green/yellow leaves, and the beautiful lilac iris. Also the Lupin is not in flower in the picture but is so pretty with little purple blooms in a pointed cone shape. These plants are really low maintenance and I have had to do nothing to then all year other than water them on sunny and dry days.

Lupins and Irises

Lilac and Yellow Iris

2. Trellis & limbing plant

The brick wall is not a pretty sight so I added a jasmine plant which smells lovely and will hopefully climb quickly and cover the wall in lovely evergreen foliage (and small white flowers in summer). Although a trellis itself is generally not bad looking and definitely breaks up the brick wall nicely.

3. Small tree

The curly willow makes a great feature at the back and in the corner. It will grow up to 6 meters which is just right for a corner like the one pictured, and not too near to the house.

4. Bike shed

We love having our bikes available so we took them out of storage and had a small bike shed put in so we can actually use them! Also the shed breaks up the monotony of the brick wall. We ordered our shed from Garden Buildings Direct

5. Hanging basket and ladybird ornament

I added a hanging basket to make the shed look more pretty and ornamental - as with the ladybird addition to the actual shed itself. A bike shed is just a functional garden building but add a couple of pretty items and it looks totally different.

6. Mini herb garden

Herbs smell amazing and they also make cooking more fun and delicious! I added them in small circular pebbled flowerbeds for a delicate and pretty look, and to make them stand out, and they have thrived. I used chives, lemon thyme, and corriander - which all thrive in the sun.

Make-Up Tips and Ideas: Be Creative, Be More You.

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:03:00 +0000

Make an Artist of Yourself: Exciting Make-Up and Hair Techniques for Spicing Up Your Look

Even the most 'natural' of us spend so much time on beautifying ourselves, why not add some excitement?

1. Add Some Colour

Mermaid Eyes

Best Suited To: Darker toned skin/olive skin (you can change the colours to pastels if you have paler skin). Make sure the colours match or contrast well with your outfit.

Products Used: Max factor 'creme puff' pressed translucent powder, Maybelline '24hr colour tattoo' (purple), Bodyshop metallics (aqua & gold). Rimmell Lash Builder mascara.

How: Prep eye area for blending and adhesion - remove excess moisture/grease with a babywipe and prep with translucent powder.Contrast metallic violet and aqua colours. Dab the violet brightly on the outer corners of the upper lids. Blend upwards to outer browbone, add a slightly pinker tone as you blend. Dab aqua under outer edge of lower lashline. Highlight browbone directly under eyebrow with a pale gold. Add black or dark mauve eyeliner to upper and lower lashlines. Add black mascara.

Contrast Eyeshadow Colours

You can add great va va voom to your look by contrasting colours. Every colour that exists has an opposite counterpart (google 'the colour star' for an image of this), but basically you can use opposite colours to create contrast. Examples could be blue and orange, or green and pink. Admittedly these combinations sound ghastly, but with some careful application (bearing in mind with this sort of technique less is more), you can achieve a look that pops!

You can also make your eye colour pop, or stand out by contrasting it with an eyeshadow, but subtly. Dark brown eyes contrast well with deep, dark aqua colours, blue eyes contrast well with oranges or warm pinks, and green or hazel eyes contrast well with lilacs and purples generally. The colour should compliment your eyes though - it shouldn't clash nastily.

2. Elongate & Add Shape

Egyptian Eyes

Best Suited To: Any skin/eye colour or tone.

Products Used: Max factor 'creme puff' pressed translucent powder, Bourjois colour intense eyeshadow (brown), black kohl eyeliner from Natural Collections (non-waterproof), Maybelline 'Scandaleyes' cat-like mascara.

How To: Prep eye area for blending and adhesion - remove excess moisture/grease with a babywipe and prep with translucent powder.Line the inner rims of the eyes with black non-waterproof eyeliner. Use mahogany or dark brown eyeshadow to line the lower lash-lines - sweep upwards towards the outer ends of the eyebrows. With the same eye shadow, line the upper lash lines and the outer sides of the eyelid, blending and fading towards the inner eyelid. Ensure the colour does not 'half' the eye. Add a bronze eyeshadow to the inner eyelids and inner halves of lower lashlines. Blend with the brown. Add mascara, sweeping lashes up and outwards for a cat-like effect.

Grecian Eyes

Best Suited To: Larger eyes. Any skin tone, any eye colour, although with dark eyes this look can be especially intense.

Products Used: Max factor 'creme puff' pressed translucent powder, bodyshop simple black eyeshadow, black kohl eyeliner from Natural Collections (non-waterproof), Benefit mascara.

How To: Prep eye area for blending and adhesion - remove excess moisture/grease with a babywipe and prep with translucent powder. Line the inner rims of the eyes with black non-waterproof eyeliner. Add black eyeliner to the lower lash line, carrying on in a straight line after the outer corner of the eye curves upwards. Add the liner the top lashline but only to the outer side of the eyelid in a straight line, avoiding the browbone. Add bright gold eyeshadow to inner lower lash line, and from the outer corner of the eye in a straight line in the middle of the black eyeliner. (Use pencil, liquid or gel eyeliner, depending on how sharp/intense you want this look to appear. You can even use black eyeshadow with a damp brush - I have used pencil and black eyeshadow for a more blended, subtle look).

3. Contour & Highlight

Shadows and highlights can be created with any number of products such as bronzer, shimmer, blusher and various powders. If it is shiny, shimmery or lighter than your skin it will highlight an area, making it stand out and look prominent. If it is darker than you skin tone it will create a contour or 'hollow' - making the area appear further away, concaved, or 'hollowed out.'

If you're creating a contour effect don't use any product more than two shades darker than your skin tone otherwise it will look severe and artificual, even blotchy.

Highlight cheekbones:

Smile and apply the highlighter to the 'apples of the cheeks' (the rounded areas). Blend a little and ensure the product adds lightness or shimmer to the area desired.

Product Suggestion: Benefit's 'Girl Meets Pearl' highlighter - great for adding a dewy pearlised shimmer to highlight cheekbones and other areas such as browbone.

Contour cheeks:

For a chiseled look, or to slim down the look of your face, shade the areas beneath the cheekbones slightly. Apply subtly. You may need to experiment a little. Apply only around the area underneath the cheekbones (nowhere near nose or mouth).

Shade a double chin:

To minimise a double chin you can shade it as you would for the contour effect. Use a shade darker than you skin tone and blend. Add a little highlighter to the chin bone area to further add to the effect of the 'double chin' receding into the distance/shadows.

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

Great Success of Black-Tie Easter Charity Ball & Auction for NACC

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:44:00 +0000

Recent Easter Charity Ball and Auction

For Crohns and Colits UK!

Funds Raised so far: £1,290

The evening was a great success! The 3-Course meal was delicious and the creme brulee was huuuuuge!

Our DJ from California Disco very kindly helped us out for free, enabling even more of the profit to go towards the charity! We had professional photographer Issi Grieg who kindly donated £2 from every photo to the charity, and the easter egg raffle was a great success, not to mention the hidden chocolates in the eggs yum yum!

The auction with fantastic prizes - such as afternoon tea at a 5 star hotel and a 4 star hotel stay-over for two - were an excellent success and my very own butterfly oil painting auctioned for £100!

Thank you so much to everyone who came along - your support is extremely valuable.

Background Information:

I met my best friend Claire at college when we were both just 16. She suffered a serious illness called Crohns Disease and she had an extremely rough time at college, including having to spend over 3 months in hospital, experiencing constant severe pains and cramps, and wearing a feeding tube on her face which went through her nose and into her stomach. She still got herself the highest grade possible (with ease might I add)!

Claire is the strongest person I know, and now - ten years on - our friendship is just the same and Claire has followed her enormously successful career as a paramedic. After we left college and followed our own paths, I met my husband Richard whilst Claire was travelling in Kenya. On our third date he told me about a condition he has which is called Ulcerative Colitis. It sounded just like Crohns so when Claire came back I was straight on the phone to her about it and she told me that it was in fact closely related to her illness. She couldn't wait to meet him, and when they were introduced they got on like a house on fire. I married him two years later.

Claire and Richard are so strong in the face of their illnesses that I often feel like I'm the odd one out. I'm the one who is bed-ridden with a cold, or is in tears over having to have a smear test, but these two are so extremely brave I don't know what I would do without their amazing strength and courage. These are two of the most important people in my life and they go through so much every day. I needed to do something to express my appreciation for them and what they go through, so I decided to raise as much money as I can for the charity which works for people with their illnesses - NACC, or Crohns and Colitis UK.

What better way to raise money for such an amazing cause than to throw an amazing, awe-inspiring, all-out black-tie Easter ball! Tickets are £28 each and it promises to be an extremely exciting evening complete with really fabulous auction prizes not to be missed! Fill yourself up with a delicious meal, dance the night away to rockin' tunes, preserve your fantastic outfit with a professional photograph, and be in with an excellent chance of winning some amazing prizes!

Crohns and Colitis UK aims to improve life for anyone affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease, of which the most common diseases are Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis. These conditions affect around 250,000 people in the UK, with debilitating symptoms and life-changing disorders. The website for this charity should you wish to find out more, is: http://www.nacc.org.uk

Best Relationship Advice Ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:10:00 +0000

Karl Pilkington:

‘Just go about your business and see if she joins in.’

What does this mean, you ask...

Well, first of all let's assume we can swap the 'he' for a 'she' if we so choose! It also has some truth to it. In fact, it's pretty sound advice for relationships. If you can just happily 'join in' then it must be easy. It must also be consistent with what you already want, and that's the key point.

Research shows that opposites do initially attract, BUT: research also shows that these relationships are much shorter-lived. Couples with similar life outlooks, morals and overall goals are the ones which are apparently more likely to last, and why would this be any different? It's common sense. We are far happier living and sharing our lives with people who want the same things as us in the bigger picture. Imagine how easy it is to grow apart from someone who wants to save up for a Ferrari when you desperately want to buy a house in the next year? And that's not even adding in different views about issues like drugs, whether you want children, and whether you will put family first or living in Australia...

If men really do see relationships this way, then we can assume they are lazy, BUT: We women are too aren't we? Yes, perhaps in different ways - it's pretty well established that we put a lot more thought into emotions, body language and what things mean, however we also want an easy life, just like men do. So yes, just 'joining in' sounds ideal to me :)

Quick & Easy Home Remedies for Hair and Beauty!

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:41:00 +0000

Top 10 Home Remedies

Beauty:

For Clearer Skin and Clean Pores: Fill a bowl with freshly boiled water (be careful!) wait a minute or so, and put a towel over your head, letting the steam bathe (but not burn) your face. Gently wash face afterwards and moisturise.

For Thicker Eyelashes: Apply a this coat of Vaseline or petroleum jelly onto eyelashes before bed every night and they will gradually start to feel naturally thicker (this also helps with hayfever-related eye problems in the summer).

For Smooth (Not Sore) Skin After Shaving: Use a thick/hydrating hair conditioner instead of shaving foam/cream.

For Whiter Non-Stained Teeth: Rub lemon peel over teeth to remove stains. It is acidic so don't do this more than once a month otherwise you could damage the enamel of your teeth if it is already weakened by acidic foods like fruit.

For Smooth Lips: Exfoliate them, use your toothbrush on them or better still, include them in your exfoliation routine.

Hair Care:

For Smoother De-Frizzed and Less Dry Hair: Apply about half a teaspoon of Olive Oil to your hair before washing. Soak in warm water in the bath, then wash out with conditioner (yes conditioner), then wash hair with shampoo, then re-condition the ends if hair is prone to dryness.

For Shiny Hair and Healthy Cuticles: Mix a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar with a mug of cool water and tip over hair after washing, and rinse with col water to take away smell.

For Shiny Hair and Healthy Cuticles: After warm shower or bath, rinse hair with water as cold as you can manage.

For Healthier Scalp and Shinier Hair: Eat salmon, mackerel, tuna or any other fish rich in Omega 3, twice a week.

For Less Hair Dryness and Producing More Natural Oil: Eat more spinach or green leafy veg.

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

Beat the Winter Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:42:00 +0000

Beat The Winter Blues! Enjoy a Winter Wonderland Instead... and Here's How!

Imagine a winter without Christmas cheer, without lights, without a little sparkly frost...

The darkest months are the easiest time of year to wallow and feel blue, and the hardest time of year for getting up in the mornings. A busy day full of things to buy and create, people to see, and Christmas cards to write just adds that little extra motivation in the mornings (it helps if you like Christmas)!

We humans crave natural light and some people even suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is a Psychological disorder where a person's mood is severely affected by the limited daylight hours. People affected can experience feelings of depression, along with the winter blues. There are special lamps which mimic daylight to help with this disorder, but you should try and get outside when you can. A crisp sunny day still exists in winter, you just need to wrap up warm and get up a little earlier to make the most of it. It also helps to embrace other cheery aspects of winter. Use candles, fairy lights and decorations to brighten up your home or office environment. Use music, food and drink to inspire and stimulate your other senses.

Fill your winter months with exciting things to do. Christmas is notoriously a busy social time of year and December is by far the page in the calendar which most resembles a busy social life. It is great to go to parties and evenings out with friends etc. Even if you don't quite feel like going out at first (it's cold, it's damp, and the duvet is invitingly close, the bed temptingly unmade), you really should make the effort. You know as well as I do that you'll have much more fun once you're there...

Enjoy Christmas, but save some money for January! The Christmas comedown and the winter blues are so much easier to get through when you have other things to look forward to. Keep that calendar full even if you're doing cheaper things and things that are free. Catch up with friends who were busy over Christmas, get outdoors and get some fresh air.

Decorate!

Hang 'winter' decorations so you can keep them up longer after Christmas

Place candles around your home to create a friendly and magical glow

Stuff clementines with cloves to create an intense spicy citrus Christmas smell

Use Christmas lights or fairy lights to create a magical and delicate light around doorways, windows and mirrors. This really adds a feeling of cosiness and banishes my winter blues most effectively!

I highly reccommend these classy 'Kasbah' and 'Maroq' lights for Christmas lights or just all-year fairy lights. They Kasbah ones are pretty little glass lanterns on a subtle white-ish string of cable. They are also not too Christmassy - I keep mine up all year round.The Maroq ones are dainty little silver globes with tiny diamond shapes cut out for the light to shine through. I bought my mum these and they are magical. She also keeps them up year-round.

Create!

Bake cookies and gingerbread. Use cinnamon and ginger to give your baking a Christmassy tang.

Create your own Christmas decorations and even make your own cards. An excellent activitiy with children.

Wrap Up!

Wrapping up against the winter elements is so much fun, and I love winter fashion. There is just something about the feeling of being warm and snug in your winter gear with the wind and snow (or rain of course) inches from your bare skin.

My favourite winter warmers:

Warm and snug winter boots
Funky and colourful woolly hats with giant bobbles
Onesies (Midwinter is the only time it is acceptable to look like a giant baby)
Scarves and snoods

Eat!

'Lebkuchen' - Traditional German Christmassy soft biscuits and gingerbread, spiced and iced, sometimes with chocolate and a syrupy centre. The best ones I have seen are in Sainsbury's and Lidl (the hearts in lidl are the best - covered in chocolate with a sweet jammy centre).

Bratwurst or big pork sausages. Most European Christmas markets have these. Christmas markets from Europe tour most UK cities and town centres in the run-up to Christmas.

Drink!

Mulled wine - THE Christmas drunk! Heat sugar, lemon and clementine peel, cinnamon, cloves and a little nutmeg with a little red wine to make a syrup, then add all of your red wine over a low heat and add a star anise, gently heating the wine for 5 minutes.

Hot chocolate - the cosiest drink, best enjoyed by a crackling fire! Choc-o-Lait is no ordinary hot chocolate - it is a lump of chocolate on a stick that you swirl in a mug of hot milk. Delicious!

Party!

Get Dressed up and go out...

Winter 2012-2013 fashion For us girls:

Chunky heels
Sequin jumpers
Cinched waists
Skater skirts (high-waisted and puffy)
Peplum skirts (high waisted with flaps/layer around hips)
Peplum tops (cinched waist with flaps/layer around hips)
Spiky studded heels

Socialise!

Spending time with friends is so good for the soul.

Make a special effort to see your friends at Christmas - everyone is so busy but life is too short...

Exercise!

Ice-skate at an ice-rink or a town centre or garden centre temporary rink.

Ski on a winter holiday or at a UK snowdome such as Milton Keynes or Tamworth, Birmingham. They have real snow and you can take a range of skiing and snowboarding lessons. Milton Keynes also have rubber donut ring sledging - no lesson required!

Wrap up warm and go for a walk in the crisp cold air - even better if there's a goal at the end like hot chocolate in a cosy tearoom. You'll feel exhilarated after a brisk walk, not to mention surprisingly warmed up.

Watch!

Elf (A Christmas film with Will Ferrell as the lead - hilarious!)
The Snowman (A short film with stunning vocals by Aled Jones, and no speaking. This adds to the magic)
Love Actually (A stupidly soppy but quite clever Christmas film - literally an all-star cast including Hugh Grant).
Home Alone 1&2 (Very silly but funny 90s Christmas films).
Muppets Christmas Carol (Funny, creative and cute spin on the famous Christmas novel).

Embrace The Beauty of Winter!

Sparkly frost
Christmas lights in people's windows
Crackling fires
Pure snow
Sunsets and twilight
Cosiness of the indoors
The sound of the rain outside when you have a steaming mug of cocoa

Fashion Feel-Goods & Tips for Winter 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:52:00 +0000

My Best Buys this Winter! Feel Good in Affordable & Fashionable Outfits...

If I don't feel fashionable, I feel frumpy. If I don't feel good about how I look it doesn't matter even if I look like a supermodel to other people - I just don't feel good about myself, and that is a recipe for a bad day... If I feel like a frump, I act like a frump and I can't bear it!

Stay Warm and Fashionable: The Importance of the Sequin Knitted Jumper!

The knitted sequin jumper seems to be an important item in the winter 2012 wardrobe! They can be found in pretty much any high street store as well as designer. This grey, silver and black one from Bank (£35) is a wam and loose-fitting jumper with chunky cuffs.

The knitted sequin jumper is a good wear - day or night, and can be dressed up or down. It seems to be quite a fundamental piece of clothing for this winter season.

Animal Print Matching Advice: What to Wear with Lepoard Print Boots

Lepoard print is one of the hardest patterns to match well without constantly wearing black with it!

This puffball high-waisted skirt from River Island is black with a fantastic subtly shiny mottled effect in teal blue (£30). It goes really well with high shoes and black tights. The teal colour compliments the colours in the lepoard print shoes (Dorothy Perkins - last year but you can get some excellent lepoard print wedges for £35 from River Island).

The necklace is black rope with metal beads in the colours of the lepoard print, but without actually having to match another actual lepoard print pattern - which we all know is impossible! The necklace is from Fat Face (from last year, but they have similar things this year - £15).

Keep Your Feet Warm and Dry: Best Feminine Boots for Rainy Days!

Trousers dragging in the puddles, damp soaking through to my socks... I've just had enough of it! Boots and skinny jeans are the way forward.

These leather boots from Office have a good solid small heel, cute buckle and zip detail, and they zip up on the inside leg all the way to the base. (£100 - Office).

These superskinny jeans are from River Island (£30). They are really tight-fitting so if you're like me and have no fat on you, you'll be at home in these... (No eye-rolling, I'm actually really self-conscious about it)!

Jeggings are a good, cheap alternative to skinny jeans and can of course be made warmer with tights underneath. There are some great choices in River Island for £20 and under.

Glam-Up for Cheap: Dress Up a Cheap and Colourful Plain Top!

Got a Christmas doo coming up and can't afford a new outfit? It doesn't matter - dress up a plain top with some matching jewellery and add a splash of colour to make it dazzle!

I had this plain green H&M baggy T-shirt and quickly needed an outfit for an evening meal so I just bought some gold accessories and a bracelet with a splash of pink, and the same green as the top (accessories totalling £8.00 from H&M)

Just think how boring this top would be on its own - the accessories transform it! Some skinny black trousers and heels just finished it off nicely.

Get Rid of Your Stress or Anger: The Joys of Sleeping Cats!

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:08:00 +0000

Angry? Stressed? Here's a new remedy you may not have heard before...

I've grown up always having pet cats. For the last 4 years since having moved out, I have really been missing having a cat around the house. Not just for cuddles, not just for cuteness, but I actually find myself more stressed without one. Gone are the days when I could wander into a bedroom to find a fluffy, snoozing, peaceful creature curled up purring away. Instead, I'm momentarily distracted by a dark pair of shoes in the corner of a room, or a bin bag waiting by the back door. No. It's not a cat, sadly, it's just an unfriendly inanimate object...

So, yes, I know some of you hate cats. Yes, I've heard it all before 'they're not as loyal as dogs' 'they use humans' 'they're sneaky and malicious' etc etc etc... But have you ever just looked at one when its sleeping, when you're full of the day's stress and angst? When you're outraged? Or just when you're plain irritated?

There's no denying that many sources of stress go a little deeper than just needing to see a peaceful sleepy feline, but sometimes when we feel wound-up after a stressful day, and feeling a little hard-done-by, a cuddly little cat (or a sleeping baby or puppy even) can help restore our faith in innocence, simplicity and peace...

Go on - just try it. Next time you're angry, go and find a sleeping cat!

Bad Hair Day? Tips for Healthy Hair and Why Hair Matters!

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:08:00 +0000

How Can I Have Healthy Hair?

Healthy Scalp, Healthy Hair

The missing link for healthy hair is the scalp. The hair outside of the hair follicle is made up of dead cells. It's state is more or less permanent if you take away chemical and heat treatments. However the scalp contains the hair follicles where the hair originates from, and the sebum glands which produce the oil that coats the hair.

The health tips below have a direct influence on the state of our hair:

Exercise - This increases your circulation and more oxygen reaches the cells in the body - including the hair follicle. The hair will grow strong and well-formed from a healthy follicle.

Omega 3 - This stops dry skin and improves circulation, which are both vital for a healthy scalp. The oil the skin produces is in the best quality with Omega 3 in your diet. this coats the hair shaft and protects it, making it super super soft and shiny! Omega 3 is in fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. It is also in some nuts.

Green leafy vegetables - These increase the skin's sebum-production (your natural oils). Guess what - this also works on the scalp! for oily and greasy hair this isn't a problem, just make sure you shampoo the hair twice when washing. Spinach is excellent for producing more sebum.

Fluids - Drinking water stops us becoming dehydrated - we are 70% water, including our skin, which of course includes the scalp. Again, your hair can't grow strong and healthy if it's growing from a damaged follicle.

Alcohol and Smoking - Nasty toxins pollute the skin and hair from within. If the scalp is not is good condition due to dehydration and toxins, the hair being produced will not start its life in the best condition - just think how it will look at the end of its life!

How Else Can I Make My Hair Shiny and Soft?

The 'shininess' of hair is down to the cuticle. These are tiny little scales, or layers seen under the microscope, on the surface of the hair shaft (the outside of the strand of hair). The flatter these cuticles are against each other, the shinier the hair looks, as it is smoother and reflecting more light (think of a shiny surface - it is smooth is it not?) Also, the closer the cuticles are against each other, the less moisture (water content) can get out - this is the opposite of 'dry' hair.

The cuticles are far too small to just 'flatten.' The chemical state of the hair and its physical state on a microscopic level need to be just right for the cuticles to be in good health.

The hair care tips below help you keep the hair shaft and cuticles in good condition:

Don't use too much product - a build-up on the hair shaft of product isn't good for the cuticles. Good products protect the cuticles but a build-up of plastic-based ingredients (usually ending in cone) is not good, and stops the natural oil getting through and nourishing the hair.

Do a cold rinse - The cold water after a hot wash does wonders to close the cuticle. The reasons are probably too geeky to describe, so just do it and see!

Stop straightening (or frying!) - Hair straighteners are the hair's frenemy! Thy make us look and feel great i the short term, but in the long term they are bad for us. The hair dries out and all the moisture is cooked away. This makes the hair brittle and dry. It might break off, and of course, what about the cuticles - they are not happy! Without the moisture and natural oils they lift up and even more moisture comes out.

Don't comb or pull when wet - This stretches the hair beyond its natural shape because hair is most fragile when it is wet. The hair becomes stretched and brittle if it is pulled at when wet. You can guess what that does to the cuticles. That's right, it messes them right up!

Tie hair up when its windy, and when sleeping - Avoid anything that gets the hairstrands rubbing together. This doesn't do the cuticles any favours.

Condition with a hydrating conditioner - A good quality hydrating conditioner locks in moisture and smooths the cuticle. Don't get conditioner near the scalp - it clogs the follicles and hinders the strength and health of new hair growth.

Look after coloured hair - Permenant and semi-permenant hair colour works by lifting the culticle so the colour molecules can go underneath. The cuticle has already been lifted so if we aggravate it further, it is not good. Colour shampoos are specially designed to keep the cuticle closed to lock in the colour molecules.

Apply neat shampoo only to scalp - The rest of the hair should only be cleaned with the lather. The shampoo works by lifting the cuticle a little, to get the grime and dirt away from underneath. If it is applied directly it can be too harsh on dry or brittle hair.

Use an acidic shampoo - An acidic balance helps to close the cuticle.

Macadamia oil - This is a very good natural oil to put on the hair to smooth the cuticles and protect the hair shaft. It helps stop the hair becoming tangled, which in turn stops the cuticles becoming stressed due to the hair strands rubbing and knotting together.

Why do I Care So Much About My Hair?

For the truth, look to Science - so let's look at this from a geeky perspective:

Evolution says 'survival of the fittest' - simply put, we choose our partners based on their health, youth, reproductivity and sexuality, and the best way we can tell this is by the way they look. We reproduce with partners who have these 'looks', and pass these genes down to our offspring and so on... 'How is this relevant to my hair' I hear you ask...

Well if we are healthy, we have shiny hair. Think of a pet dog - any good pet care book will tell you that your cat or dog's (or even chipmunk's) coat should be shiny if they are in good health. Well it is the same for humans.

Strong, shiny, abundant hair is a sign of good health and men are generally attracted to women who look healthy, reproductive and youthful. Men are generally 'programmed' to look for female partners with traits such as good skin, bright eyes, shapely figures, and of course, shiny healthy hair.

Women also look for certain traits in men including health, so we still pay attention to hair, but research shows this may be less so.

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

Welcome to The Feel-Good Diaries!

noreply@blogger.com (Home in Time for Tea) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:52:00 +0000

This is a fantastic new resource, blog, and consultancy service for:

Fashion, Hair and Beauty
Self-Improvement
Psychological Wellbeing
Confidence
Assertiveness
Body Image
Making the Very Best of Being You!
Blog posts and topics also include health, hair, beauty and all of the above

These services and resources are for everyone - male, female, younger and older!

Personal Development Consultancy

I aim to bridge the gap between 'self-help' and full-on consultancy. This website exists to aid personal development and provide guidance in many specific areas of self-improvement, Psychological development and wellbeing.

Browse the free information pages (see the column on the right) and please leave comments to let me know what you think. I want to build this service around what people want. What do you feel will help you? What are you looking for? Let me know - comment, comment, comment!

Very soon I will be publishing e-books and e-resources (some FREE!), and setting up the very useful and made-to-measure Consultancy Service.

Check back regularly for updates, as I continuously build-up and add to this website.

Text and Images Copyright © Lise Griffiths, 2012
All Rights Reserved

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