Monday 27 March 2017

DOGGIE DENTAL HYGIENE: PEDIGREE DENTASTIX

Hi lovelies! If you've followed my blog or social media accounts for any length of time, you'll know I'm a huge dog lover and my Chihuahua, Belle, is my absolute world! So, when the lovely people at Pedigree got in touch as asked if they could send Belle some Dentastix to try, I was super excited! These aren't just tasty treats for our favourite little fluffy babies to enjoy though, they actually help with a very important part of caring for our pets.

Dental hygiene is something we take very seriously ourselves but can often be overlooked when it comes to our dogs, however, without properly caring for their teeth and gums, dogs can can develop dental diseases. This is obviously bad enough on it's own as they'll suffer from soreness, rotting teeth and gums and bad breath, but the bacteria from these diseases can also enter the dogs bloodstream and damage their liver, heart or kidneys, which is super scary! Of course, brushing your dogs teeth is a very effective way of keeping them plaque free, however using Pedigree Dentastix daily has been proven to reduce tartar build up by up to 80%! As you can tell from these pictures, Belle absolutely loves them as she just treats it like any other treat! I notice as well that when she eats these, she really does use her whole mouth, this is down to the X-shape, meaning it gets right into her teeth and gums and helps to scrape off any nasties that are building up! I like that these take her a lot longer to eat than most other treats too, meaning she's unintentionally taking a good amount of time to really clean those pearly whites!

When it comes to cleaning your dogs teeth otherwise, it's best to start early, when Belle was a tiny puppy, we bought her some doggie toothpaste (never use regular toothpaste, it's poisonous to dogs!), and a toothbrush. We were told by the vets to use toothbrushes made for dogs or a very soft children's toothbrush. Letting the dog lick the toothpaste off your finger at first to get used to the taste (though usually they're meat flavoured and they love them anyway!), then slowly introduce them to the toothbrush. Gradually touching their mouths a little more day by day also helps them get used to your fingers being around their mouthes, meaning they won't feel the need to bite down when you try to put a toothbrush in there! Persistence and being gentle is key when it comes to this, perhaps giving your dog a little brush time, followed by lots of praise (and maybe a dentastix treat!) when they've done good will soon teach your dog that brush time is fun time!

Do you have any dental hygiene tips for dogs? Does your dog love dentastix as much as Belle? Let me know!

Photobucket

Saturday 18 March 2017

REDESIGNING HOSPITALS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENTFOR PATIENTS

healthcare center is a certain organization that deals with the patients and their families through their tough times brought by the mental or the physical illnesses. The healing environment inside the hospital with its clinical excellence soothes the victim’s pain by reducing the level of stress and fatigue. These therapeutic institutions also take a good care of the safety and security of its patients and the members connected to it. The well-managed recovery centers focus completely on the well-being of its patient and their families.The ways of redesigning and reconsidering the exterior part of the hospital to make the visitors feel at home are given below:

1The peaceful environment inside the hospitalA goodenvironment inside as well as outside the hospital primarily reduces error related problems. It helps one to concentrate better. A peaceful ambiance always reflects kindness, compassion and takes care of the patient’s welfare. A desirable hospital provides a better environment to its patients. A healthy environment has an exceptional ability to heal its patients faster and better. Lesser noise outside the hospital creates a peaceful area. The walls of the treatment center could be made sound proof for this purpose. A policymaker and designer should consider redesigning the hospital environment before anything else. A fresh, curable, proper surrounding enhances the comfort and privacy of the patients.

2. Some positive and motivating distractions: A positive distraction elevates the mind by developing positive feeling about oneself without any harmful side effect. The word distraction basically throws light on directing the attention on bad, useless happenings to something constructive and motivating. It helps in reducing pain, depression, stress and other psychological disorders. The interior and the exterior area of a good hospital should contain photographs and paintings and framed motivating quotes. An aquarium or an artificial nest with handmade birds can increase the level of patience of the child visitors. A distraction that helps the patients, especially the children to look forward to a new sunrise is no less than a blessing.

3. Proper lighting system: A hospital should have a proper lighting systemA good illumination creates a better understanding of the system and the surrounding. It gives a clear idea about the well-being of the institution. This encourages the safety of the visitors, the doctors, and other staffs. It also builds a refreshing and positive surrounding conducive to the welfare of the occupants. A better lighting system positively influences the regular performance of the hospital staffs and even motivates the patients and the visitors. Besides working on the well-being and performances, proper lighting makes the activities inside as well as outside the building more comfortable. A better view always creates a better impression for a commercial building.

4. Installation of artificial plants: For a visitor to spend a few hours inside the hospital it could be a distress. But an artificial garden or a small green space encourages him to deal with the delay by affecting the mental health outcomes positively. It is also refreshing for the environment inside the hospital area. Silk plants are safe and are a healthy alternative to low maintenance. Artificial plants make the interior of a health care center energetic, authentic and lively. An exotic variety of silk plants enhances and beautifies the grandeur of the space. These easy to support and faux trees create a unique makeover for the garden area. Artificial trees can even save us from watering daily, pest control, and trimming and can deceive the onlookers anytime for them being real green trees.

5. Waste-recycling program inside the hospital: The hospitals generate huge amount of waste material to supportregularity in the well-being of its patients and visitors. Each health care center should come forward and create methods for the proper disposal of the harmful wastes. There are certain wastes that are poisonous to both its people and the environment. They could be disposed of regularly. The area should have a proper organization for the easy recycling of garbage. The recycling of the fluorescent lamps and tubes and other electronic and electrical wastes need a regulardisposal and check up by the maintenance department of the hospital. The useless but harmful machinery such as sphygmomanometers, the computer monitors, and batteries and other waste materials containing huge amount of mercury, lead and cadmium could be removed from the waste area as quickly as possible. Focused and positive efforts could be taken to clean the surroundingand enhance and signify the patient’s well-being and welfare.

6. Regulating the use of energy: The use up of energy is mostly responsible for emitting harmful carbon dioxide gas encouraging air pollution. Since the hospital works for 24 hours, the usage of energy for heating, lighting and essential purposes is more than other commercial institutions. Reducing the use of electrical energy and using solar lamps instead of electric bulbs can regulate the energy level in a positive way. Air Conditioners inside the hospital area consume huge amount of energy that could be controlled by improving the thermal insulation and maintaining the system adequately. The regular maintenance of the electrical connections improves the safety and security of the hospital. This can prevent the buildings from catching fire. Also, the authority should increase the number of fire extinguishers inside the hospital to handle accidents before it creates a huge loss.

7. Pure and clean hospital area: One of the main priorities of a reliable health care center is to have a clean surrounding that prevents any kind of infection to the patients and their families. Good behavior goes hand in hand with good hygiene and both are equally influential in improving the well-being of the patients. Every hospital should have a proper toilet facility and a good drainage system. With proper water supply and clean soap bars so that the visitors can wash anytime. A clean hospital area should promote permanent recovery of the patients by supporting cleanliness.

Friday 10 March 2017

HEALTHY HAIR MUST HAVES


Hi lovelies! As many of you will know, I'm getting married this year, so with my Wedding day approaching, I've been doing all I can to grow out my hair. Of course, growing your hair one thing, but growing longer and healthier is another story all together. So, today, I wanted to share with you all a few things that I've been doing and products I've been using that have been helping my hair to grow longer and stronger.

A Good Quality Hairdryer
High quality hair tools are essential, a hair dryer like the Panasonic hair dryer above is much better for your hair as it has a 'healthy mode', which drys your hair quickly to avoid excessive use of heat on the hair. Dryers that use special technology to reduce heat damage really are worth the investment in my opinion, as if you have a good quality hair dryer that dries your hair quickly and leaves it looking healthy and smooth, there's less need for extra heat from other appliances. This one in particular is on my wishlist at the moment and is definitely worth checking out if you're serious about upping your hair-care game!

Regular Trims
Possibly the most important step in trying to grow your hair longer and healthier is getting it trimmed regularly. It sound counterproductive, but until December last year, I was only getting my hair trimmed every 12 weeks or sometimes even longer and despite the not very regular cuts, it was taking a seriously long time to get any longer! This was because by the time I went to get it cut again, the ends were so split and broken that whatever new length I had had to be chopped off! Hair that is trimmed little and often appears to grow faster because the ends are kept looking healthier, split, straggly ends can actually make your hair appear shorter! My hairdresser only cuts off a bare minimum, but as I have it trimmed every 6-8 weeks now, it has time to grow an inch or so, so having half an inch cut off each time means that I am slowly but surely getting towards my goal of super long, swishy mermaid hair. I should also mention that it is important to get a hairdresser that will be honest with what you need, but also listens to what you want, a scissor happy hairdresser that lops off 3 inches every time you go will not help if you're trying to grow out your hair!

Softer Hairbands
I think this is one that is really quite overlooked as I know I definitely did before! I'm not really one for tying my hair up too often, so whenever I did, I'd grab whichever hairband I could find without too much thought about it. However, tight, harsh hairbands can do serious damage to your hair, they cause friction which can eventually snap and break your hair. Scrunchies like the one above can seriously help to reduce damage to your hair (and they look super cute and retro too!). Especially if you tie your hair up to go to bed, switching to a hairband that's softer and more gentle on your hair is much better and will dramatically reduce damage.

Hair Oil & Serum
I've found a new love for hair oil and serums recently and this has made a huge difference to my hair. I use Macadamia oil on my hair to keep dry, split ends at bay and just a little bit every time I wash and dry my hair has been making my hair feel a lot better, which in turn makes it look better. This along with a little serum makes my hair look and feel smoother and healthier, which I find means I use less heat. No product can actually repair damaged hair, however, when your hair looks and feels dry and frizzy, it's easy to use too much heat trying to style it, so products like this really help to keep your hair more manageable.

Sulphate Free Shampoo
I've also switched to sulphate free shampoos lately and I think that it's made the world of difference. My hairdresser told me that sulphates are also in washing up liquid and help to cut through the grease on dirty dishes, which sounds pretty harsh for your hair if you ask me! I've tried a couple of different ones and don't have a paricular favourite yet, but I'm certain my hair has actually been growing faster since using the sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. It's also softer and much less falls out in the shower. The actual growth could be a coincidence but I've definitely noticed a difference in the condition of my hair since I've thrown out the harsher products so I'd thoroughly recommend going sulphate free!

Less Frequent Washing
On the topic of washing our hair, this one does prove the most challenging for many of us, but washing your hair less frequently absolutely makes all the difference in the overall condition of your hair. Washing your hair too often strips your hair of its natural oils leaving it dry and prone to breakage. I tend to wash mine every other day or every three days if I can. I used to think I had to wash my hair every day, but in doing this I trained my hair to get oilier faster as it was trying to quickly restore the natural oils that I was constantly stripping out. Over time, my hair has almost got 'used to' being washed less often and I'm in the process of trying to stretch it out so I can go to every third day rather than every other day. In doing this, dry shampoo is an absolute life saver. I only really use Batiste as I find it feels the lightest on my hair. I know some people dislike dry shampoo, but I think if you use it sparingly, it's much better than over-washing!

So, that's it! Those are my tips for healthier hair, I don't claim to be a hair expert as I'm sure you can tell, but this is what I've been doing and what's worked for me!

What are your top tips for healthier hair? I'd love to know!

Photobucket

Wednesday 8 March 2017

KAT VON D SHADE AND LIGHT EYESHADOW QUADS


Hi lovelies! I said in my last post that from now on, im only going to write about products that I truly want to write about, whether that be because I think they're really great or a bit shit. This time though we don't need to worry about the latter as I'm going to do a little review of some new love's from Kat Von D. In today's post I'll be showing you two of the Shade and Light Eyeshadow quads and let me warn you, you may not want to read on if you're trying to save your money!

Wednesday 1 March 2017

GUEST POST: TIPS FOR CHOOSING AN OUTFIT FOE A FIRSTDATE

A successful first date depends on many factors. Although communication and building relationship is the most important thing, the very first impression is always made by our look. It tells everything about our taste and lifestyle, so dressing on a date is an art. Moreover, guys usually wish to see a perfect lady next to them, whether they invite you just to have a good time, or for building serious relationships.
So, here we have seven ultimate tips to create a perfect look on a first date, which were taken from one Russian woman for marriage. You know, such girls take care of their appearance attentively.
1. Choose the best clothes you have. No doubt, the first date is a special occasion in every girl’s life. However, nowadays it is rather easy and informal, so you may dress jeans with some stylish blouse or a t-shirt. The only condition is that they should be the best of their kind in your wardrobe and emphasize your best traits.
2. Embellish your look with accessories. If it seems too ordinary for you to wear something casual, complete your appearance with accessories. Stylish earrings or bracelet make you look more elegant and coquettish. Also, chose small purse so not to overbalance your image. Going on a date with massive purse will make your vis-à-vis think you’re impractical. Take only necessary things with you: keys, phone, and cosmetics. They will fit into a small purse.
3. Dress comfortably. It doesn’t matter whether you go on a walk or plan to sit the whole evening in a café. Your well-being at this stress-filled occasion is more important. Don’t wear clothes you can’t breathe, sit or walk easily. Your discomfort may be revealed at once and positive impressions will be darkened. To avoid some unpleasant surprise chose the outfit you wore before.
4. Be feminine. The best way of looking stunning and seductive is emphasizing your femininity. Skirt or dress is perfect choice for a first date; there is nothing hotter than a woman wearing a dress. However, if you feel awkward or don’t have anything appropriate for your situation, skinny jeans will also make you look sexy. Don’t be afraid to show a little skin, but do it modestly. Don’t wear something too short and your breast should not be exposed too much.
5. Match the occasion. There are tons of options where to go on a date. You can chat in a coffee house for a couple of hours, go for a walk in downtown, relax on a picnic in park, watch some nice comedy or even ride a bike around the city. According to this, clarify your type of date in advance so that you can work on a perfect image. It will be ridiculous when you go on a romantic picnic wearing high heels.
6. Look natural. A modern girl never leaves her home without make up. When it’s time for a first date, most of us mistakenly think the more make up the better. However, looking stunning is possible even with minimum cosmetics. Pay attention to your skin, use light foundation and powder to make it fresh and shiny. Don’t overdo with eyeshadow and lipstick, choose neutral colors. Your partner will be happy to see beautiful and neat girl, not a doll.
7. Take care about the details. Manicure, hairstyle, and scent complete your image for the first date. Spend a little bit more time in a shower and pay more attention to all the minutiae which can ruin your look.