ARE PEOPLE KIND, GRATEFUL AND PERSEVERANT AS YOU?

Do you assume that everyone is just as kind, grateful, perseverant  as you are? 

(News Flash : No they are not!). 

Still be kind, grateful and perseverant anyway. 

AMAZING VARIETY OF SWEETS DURING RAMADAN

Though I write posts and articles on eating healthy, deep inside I am lover of sweets. All the supermarkets, hypermarkets and bakeries have an big variety of freshly made traditional sweets during Ramadan. What a visual delight!. Visual...that's a restriction I have to follow.  I did buy a few of my personal favorites though.  Would have loved to buy more, and its just the two of us - my husband and I, and too many sweets is definitely not good for us.  And if we buy in plenty, we are bound to eat it so we are trying to exercise restraint.  Here are photos of sweets displayed at City Centre. My all time favorite is kanaafa. 

MY PHOTOS FOR THE DAY - FOUNTAINS 360 MALL

HUMOR - MOTHER VISITS SON'S PLACE

A mom visits her son for dinner who lives with a girl roommate. During the course of the meal, his mother couldn't help but notice how pretty his roommate was. She had long been suspicious of a relationship between the two, and this had only made her more curious....

Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between him and his roommate than met the eye. 

Reading his mom's thoughts, he said, “I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you,we are just roommates."

About a week later, his roommate came to him saying,

“Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the silver plate. You don't suppose she took it, do you?"

He said ,"Well, I doubt it, but I'll email her, just to be sure." 

He sat down and wrote :

Dear Mother:

I'm not saying that you ‘did' take the silver plate from my house, I'm not saying that you ‘did not' take the silver plate But the fact remains that it has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.

Love,

your son.

Several days later, he received an email from his mother which read:

Dear Son:

I'm not saying that you ‘do' sleep with your roommate, and I'm not saying that you ‘do not' sleep with her. But the fact remains that if she was sleeping in her OWN bed, she would have found the silver plate by now, under her pillow…

Love,

Mom.

THE SECRET OF PATIENCE

Patience is not an ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting - Joyce Meyer

When we wait for things to change or wait for something good to happen, we are told to be patient. Sometimes the indefinite wait and not knowing what is in store or inability to predict an outcome when things are not in our hands can be stressing to the point of inflicting fear, worry and even bit of chaos. There is no 'one' answer to everyone's worries. How one person approaches a problem and tries to resolve it may or may not work for another person.  Each of us  have our personal guidance system inbuilt in us. We all have our own path to choose and our own decisions to make. When we stop the chatter in our minds, we become calm which allows our intuition, inner guidance and signs prepare us for making decisions.

The more we charge our intent with a positive attitude, our vibrations attract into our life, what is most suited for us. It's important to have more than one plan, so if plan A does not work, there is an alternative that we could resort to, plan B or a plan C. And remember, there is always an invisible power that guides you navigate through storms of life and reach you to your goal. Sometimes the universe surprises you with it's own plan that would wash away all your fears and worries, bringing you contentment, which surpasses all other plans. 

While you wait for things to work out, it's not only important to be patient but also keep a good attitude. 

GOOD READ - SALT SUGAR FAT HOW THE FOOD GIANTS HOOKED US

IF YOU WANT TO FEEL RICH

I would say it's great working, earning and getting 'rich'. But most importantly, when you count your blessings, you truly feel rich.

TOOTH PROBLEMS, DENTAL HYGIENE, VISIT TO THE DENTIST - THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW AND DO

When you visit a dentist whether its for scaling, tooth filling, gum disease, root canal or tooth extraction, it's important to ask questions, especially if it's your first time. Whatever might be your age, whether you have a problem or not with your teeth, its good to visit the dentist to ensure your teeth are in perfect condition. 

Dental hygiene is of absolute importance. If you have swollen or bleeding gums, toothache, tooth decay or plaque, don't ignore it. If your oral hygiene is not good, this can affect your health. The toxins from your untreated tooth problems can affect the rest of your health, your organs, your brain, your heart, believe it or not. If you have gum disease due to plaque, a periodontist will treat you. No matter how well you brush your teeth, it's worth going for scaling of your teeth twice a year or as your dentist advises you.

At the dentist, request for your entire teeth to be been x-rayed. Once the dentist goes through the x-rays and scrutinizes for problems, you will be told what dental services you will require. Now what I want to highlight is asking your dentist questions. If he tells you, you need tooth filling or a root canal, ask him the reasons why you require it, because it's important to know what caused your tooth problem in the first place, so you can take care of the rest of your teeth and keep them healthy. If your dentist tells you that you have tooth decay and your tooth or teeth has to be extracted, ask him if he can 'save' the tooth, by removing the decayed area and inserting filling material or replace it with a crown, or perhaps he can save the tooth by doing a root canal. Extraction should be the last resort only in extreme cases. 

When you go for any of the dental services, almost all the time, you have to keep your mouth wide opened for them to perform their task. It would take time in certain cases to complete the procedures. Unless you have a natural wide mouth, it can be quite uncomfortable. Before starting the procedures, ask the doctor to explain the procedures step by step and how long it's going to take to complete it. This would you help you know, how long you have to keep your mouth opened. I know it sounds funny or weird to ask, I'll tell you why because I am getting at it. Ask the dentist to apply the gel on your mouth /lips so you don't have to suffer discomfort while you stretch your mouth wide open. Remember, the skin on the outer corners of your mouth can turn dry and could crack when stretched too much or hurt later on. That's why the application of the greasy gel is important.  If any of the procedures on your teeth are deemed as painful, ask for options like injection for numbing the pain or local anesthesia. 

It was the first time in my life, I went for tooth filling recently and I 'thought' I was fine during the procedure which took 45 minutes. When I came home I realized, the skin around my mouth was hurting as I had to stretch wide open for a long time, because the gel to avoid such a discomfort was not applied to my lips or around my mouth. I didnt even know about it.  Two days has passed and my skin around my mouth is dry and it hurts.  To continue the story, after the permanent tooth filling procedure, the dentist would ask you to bite and grit on something several times,  to ensure the filling is not sticking out and rubbing against the tooth below or above and is ensured to stay in a manner that's comfortable for you. So bite well and hard so the filling material does not stick out even slightly causing any inconvenience, otherwise it will be very uncomfortable while chewing food later on.

Tooth decay, or dental caries is caused by bacterial destruction of tooth enamel when the mouth is not properly cleansed after eating. Residues of food particles build up on the tongue, gums as well as between the teeth, providing a medium for bacteria to grow. Bacteria loves the sugar that directly from the food you eat or when the saliva breakst down the carbohydrates into sugars.  The bacteria acts upon the sugars, producing acids that attack the dental enamel. Through time, these acids break down the dental enamel that results in tooth decay.

Bacteria acting upon food residues turn into plaque, which later hardens and become difficult to remove. Dentists usually do scaling to remove this. Plaque when untreated, causes gum disease and even loss of teeth. The toxins from plaque and tooth decay travel into your stomach and cause health problems that affect vital organs and the brain eventually. Gum disease and tooth decay are leading causes of bad breath and no amount of brushing can cure that unless you get these issues treated. 

Most of us brush our teeth in the morning and at night and that's not enough. It's important to rinse your mouth after each time you've eaten something. Brush three times a day after your breakfast, lunch and dinner, and floss at night. Clean your tongue with your toothbrush after brushing. And its good to use a mouth wash as well. 

GIRGIAN : A FUN FILLED TIME FOR CHILDREN DURING RAMADAN

Girgian (prounounced as Ger-gi-yaan) is a fun filled time for children in the gulf regions. Children go around in groups wearing beautiful traditional or modern attire, singing girgian songs and filling their bags and baskets with sweets, nuts and candy given by neighbors and friends. Now a days, there are Girgian celebrations, parties and entertaining events specially for children. Malls, supermarkets and shops have started to sell beautifully decorated colorful girgian bags, boxes and baskets filled with all kinds of enticing sweets for children. Even adults become children again, celebrating Girgian along with them. I'ts a beautiful time of Ramadan. Girgian falls on the 13th day of Ramadan and lasts for 3 days. I love Girgian as it reminds me of my childhood days and the fun we had as children collecting candy from all our neighbours. I enjoy going the malls and all the famous supermarkets taking pictures of girgian decorations and candy. It's a visual treat. 

Here are some girgian gift articles I saw at City Centre

MY PHOTO FOR THE DAY - GIOLITTI INTERIORS

Giolitti's interiors looks beautiful. (Grand Avenues)

INSPIRATION - PROJECT HAPPILY EVER AFTER - ALISA BOWMAN

I received an article in my mail this morning and I thought of sharing it with you. I haven't put up the whole article, you may visit Alisa Bowman's website to read more.

"I start every day writing in my journal. It’s a way to get out all of the bad stuff, so I’m better able to focus on the good. My journal is not a happy or blissful place. It’s a dark pit of doubts and fears.....

Most of us have a near constant stream of negative thoughts running through or minds. Some of it is directed at strangers, some at relatives and inlaws, some at friends and, yes, some at our spouses and even our children. Unless you make a practice of watching your mind–either by journaling or meditation–you might not even be aware of the toxicity you mentally lob toward others throughout your day. 

Most of us keep this nastiness to ourselves, and that’s a good thing. If we all had the ability to read one another’s minds, I would imagine that the world would become an angrier, sadder place". - Alisa Bowman

This is an excerpt from the article, "He secretly read her journal, now what?", Project : Happily Ever After  (What it takes to stay happily married by Alisa Bowman)

Visit her website Project Happily Ever After

ATLANTA ZOO

If you are visiting Atlanta, Georgia, it's worth visiting the beautiful zoo. Here are some photos from our visit in May.

Gc WATCHES

I was at Grand Avenues last week and noticed Gc watches for women. I've put up photos I took of two watches for ladies that  looked simple yet elegant. The gold is around 120 K.D and the rose gold one is around 170 K.D.

Gc brand of watches for men and women was founded by Paul Marciano in 1997. He is also the founder of the GUESS fashion and lifestyle brand. The shop I went to, didn't have all the Gc pieces. The Gc website has a beautiful collection. Click below to view.

Gc watches website 

HUMOR - FATHER, SON AND HOMEWORK

A young boy refused to do his homework, and his father was trying to convince him to do it. He said to his son: "When Abe Lincoln was your age, he was studying books by the light of the fireplace." 

The son replied: "Well, when Lincoln was your age, he was President!"