Author Archives: schatzi

Why Online Shopping is Convenient

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Shopping online may still be fairly new innovation, but many people have become so dependent on it that they spend time on it every day. For these people, shopping online has become an integral part of their lives.

When you think about it, online shopping really represents a huge revolution in the way that products are bought and sold. There are millions of products available at any time of the day, and they can be ordered with just a few clicks. It’s exciting to think that we’re actually taking part in an era that will redefine commerce for quite a long time.

Years ago when the dot com bubble burst, it seemed that things weren’t so optimistic for online commerce. But today there are even more websites selling products and services, with the number increasing by incredible amounts every day. Whether these websites are selling something entirely new or just a new spin on an existing product, they’re appearing by the millions.

The good news for the consumer is that all this competition among e-commerce sites drives prices down and improves service. Keeping this in mind, you can wait to get the best deals as competition from other vendors forces websites to offer better prices.

Of course, many people are frightened by the possibility of having their financial information stolen when purchasing items online. You’ll always be able to find horror stories about stolen identities and credit card fraud related to online purchases.

However, theft of this kind happens much more infrequently than you might think. If you take care when shopping online and purchase items only from reputable stores, you can sleep easy knowing that your information is well-encrypted and has a very slim chance of falling into the wrong hands. There are also services that allow you to make online purchases while keeping your financial information private, such as PayPal.

This has the added benefit of concealing sensitive information regarding your purchases. Your statement will only display the name of a store without the details of the purchase. This means a lot to many people looking for privacy information as well. Many are often embarrassed to buy certain products that others may find out about, and protecting the integrity of any purchase via these means is very likely to make people more comfortable when they’re buying anything online.

For these reasons and more, online shopping is becoming a common activity amongst greater numbers of people every day. Expect it to keep up at this rate.

Lead a Healthier Lifestyle With Protein Rich Vegetables

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A lot of people today are trying to lead healthier lives and are becoming more conscious about their diet. If you are a vegetarian or just a person who chooses not to consume meat or fish products, getting sufficient protein in your diet may seem difficult. There are however, plenty of other sources of protein aside from meat where you can get your protein from such as protein rich vegetables.

As the name suggests, a vegetarian has a diet that has no meat products. The absence of meats from the diet means that most of your protein consumption must come from vegetables, fruits, nuts and cereals and grains. Unlike meats, protein found in vegetables tend to be less so a wider variety of these foods will need to be consumed in order to get a sufficient intake of the essential amino acids requires for correct bodily function.

Some protein rich vegetables that you may consider including in your diet are alfalfa sprouts, green beans, mung beans and sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, aubergine, cabbage, carrots, dandelion greens, squash and pumpkin. Other packaged vegetables such as lentils, kidney beans, chick peas and baked beans also contain plenty of protein.

One benefit of eating protein rich vegetables is that they don’t have as much fat and cholesterol which is generally present in meat and dairy products. Keep in mind though that everybody, even non-vegetarians, can benefit from eating vegetables that are rich in protein. If you want to lead a healthier life and lower the risk of heart diseases, indulge yourself in meals using vegetables that are high in protein.

How Can a Woman Look Beautiful?

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Most of the article contains knowledge that you already know. However, most of us forget these basic things that we need to pay attention to these details.

While every woman wants to look beautiful and be appreciated and tries many things that can add to her beauty, they tend to forget some of the basic necessities. Here are a few tips that can help you in making you look your very best.

1. Eat healthy food: The best way to take care of your looks and look glamorous is by eating a healthy and balanced diet. Healthy food is best for one’s skin and body as it is essential to give the right amount of nutrients for a normal body. A good and balanced diet can do wonders for your body. Make sure you cut down on your sugar and fatty intake as carbohydrates and fats lead to weight gain.

2. Adopt a daily skin care routine: Skin is primarily the most important aspect of a woman’s body. To flaunt a clear and blemish free skin, one should adopt a daily skin care routine. Always clean the face with a good cleanser and apply a moisturizer. If you are stepping out in the sun, apply a good sunscreen lotion. Apply a good night skin repair cream during the night-time to restore the lost skin nutrients. Toning is also essential as it balances the oil content of the skin.

3. Wear good fitting clothes: To look glamorous one should dress well. Properly fitted clothes are a must as it enhances the overall look. It accentuates the curves in the right places and makes a woman look curvaceous and voluptuous and not looking bulky and overweight. Opt for a well-fitted outfit near your thighs, hips and waist. Also wear good foundations to give a good shape to your body.

4. Accessorize properly: To enhance the overall look, you should choose the best accessory available in the market. Don’t compromise on quality and design. A good brand is a better investment than any cheaper brand. Money invested in a good product is worth it. Good brand name products tend to last longer and stay in style. Carry good designer handbags, belts, hats, shoes and fashion jewellery. Each can do wonders for your self-esteem and positive attitude.

5. Get the right beauty products: Always choose a beauty product that suits your skin and complexion. Good makeup enhances your overall look, and its purpose is to highlight your best features and hide your flaws and imperfections. So, choose the best make up. You can also consult a makeup artist.

Nailed – When a Salon Gets Caught With Less Than Perfect Nail Hygiene

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It is scary to think that when nail technicians use sharp metal instruments on sensitive areas like the nail cuticle, that some of them aren’t following the strictest policies and standards of health and hygiene. This article is a report on the statistics about the number of salons that might be skimping in this important area, and an informative suggestion on how to pay the right amount of attention to this important issue when you next get your nails done.

Recently, there was an interesting report on what happened when an investigative “shadow shopper” visited a number of fifteen or so nail salons, get their nails done there, and report on the hygiene levels. At first it seemed like it would be fun, even LUCKY to get my nails done for free like this. In fact there is no end to the daydreaming about what it would be possible to order if it were “sky’s the limit” on ordering treatments that you didn’t have to pay for….

Maybe a French manicure, perhaps a full set of acrylic nails, maybe some Nailart, or a “Natural” manicure. WAIT!!! DEFINITELY a pedicure….. Or I’ll “go crazy” and order some fancy Hollywood nails, nail tattoos, or other expensive additions. Yeah, and MAKE SURE that you give me the nicest, most expensive polish while you’re at it, because I’m not paying. How about that “Timmy Tailor” stuff? This is exciting…

But, as any dream ends, I woke up. Because the reality is that many salons, even for FREE, aren’t the nicest places to visit. In fact not only are there places that are bad to go to if one is paying, they aren’t even the greatest to go to if they are free, because some of them are way too unsanitary, even NASTY, to visit even when someone else is “footing” the bill, so to speak.

Anyway, according to the “hidden shopper” report, over fifty salons were visited secretly, and about a third of them were unsatisfactory when it came to the shopper visiting a place that wasn’t even clean enough to want to go to for free. That’s pretty bad, huh?

There was a standard routine. The person wanting their nails done was go to the salon, ask for a certain service (such as say they had never gotten their nails done before at all), and tell the technician that they hadn’t ever received it before. After they were done, the customer filled out a questionnaire about the product, service, cost and overall whether they were satisfied.

In the questionnaires, there were some standard problems that arose. Often clippers were operated without use of gloves, even if there were cuts or other problems on the stylists hands. Often other materials that should have been disposal were not. They were told that they were cleaned really well, though this is substandard. Some dirty items were even kept in the cash drawer between clients, and in general many work surfaces/stationed were not cleaned properly.

There were some particular quotes that were fairly alarming:

“The technician picked up the metal scissors… used on someone else’s feet… she used them to cut some skin from around her own nail. She then went to use them on me.”
“This salon had an overpowering smell that burnt my throat and made me feel ill.”
“The technicians washed the hand towels in the foot spas.”
“Counters and floors were dirty, instruments reused and technicians did not wash their hands at all.”
“The technician had open wounds on her hands. I asked her to put gloves on.”

There is one problem to look for, and that’s the presence of heavy fumes. That may indicate lack of ventillation. And the chemicals that are often used when acrylic nails are used are unsafe when breathed in high levels. If there is a very strong unpleasant odor, it is usually Methyl Methacrylate (MMA).

There are some ways to manage these potential problems when frequenting an nail salon.

1. Often if you are a regular client you can ask for items to be reserved for you and you alone, and you should ask for this service.

2. If you have recently shaved your legs you shouldn’t use the footspa, as there is the possibility of infection.

3. All implements that aren’t disposable should be clean and dry.

4. All services should be adequately explained to you.

5. All chemicals should be kept in clearly-labeled containers.

6. All metal implements which could penetrate the skin should be fully sterilized.

7. Don’t be shy to ask any questions about any procedure, particularly acrylic nail application and the chemicals used.

8. The salon should be obviously clean and tidy, with towels and hair strips replaced between each client.

9. Be sure to ask how to maintain each procedure at home,

10. Make sure each salon and stylist has proper licensing and accreditation.

Overall, you should have the standard that the salon not only pampers you adequately, when you go for that hair cut, nail service, massage or other service you feel that you are given the service you deserve. The atmosphere should be clean and tranquil, or how are you going to relax? And if you aren’t given adequate information, you won’t be assured that you are getting the best possible treatment for you or that it is something you are going to understand or know how to integrate into your lifestyle. You deserve the best when you relax and take care of yourself, so make sure you insist on it!