Fighting the Nail Biting

Nail biting is a fairly common habit among children, teenagers, and young adults. Research suggests that 30% of children ages 7-10, 45% of teenagers, and 25% of young adults bite their nails.

People most often bite their nails when they're focusing on a different task (like reading, homework, or television), are bored, or are experiencing stress, excitement, or anxiety. Many times people don't even realize they are biting their nails because it has become a habit - some people bite their nails in their sleep.

Why is nail biting considered such a bad habit? Continual nail biting leaves your fingers red and sore and can even cause them to bleed. In some cases, you may get an infection on your fingers or in your mouth. It's also very unsanitary. Think of everywhere your fingers have been and all the germs that are being put into your mouth! Finally, nail biting is bad for your teeth and can cause permanent damage to your fingernails.

Many times, people who bit their nails are embarrassed to show their hands or fingers. Here are give suggestions for "fighting the nail biting" to help you break your habit and feel confident in your hands and fingers.

1. Maintain your fingernails by regularly trimming and filing them. If they are short and kept, you will be less likely to bite them.
2. Get a manicure regularly or use nail polish. If your nails look nice or you spend a little money on them, you may not be so inclined to bite them.
3. Coat your fingers or fingernails with a bitter-tasting nail polish. Every time you go to bite your nails, you will have a nasty taste in your mouth.
4. Wear gloves or put stickers or bandages on the tips of your fingers to remind you not to bite.
5. Substitute nail biting for a different activity like drawing, writing, playing with Silly Putty, or using a stress ball. Find a different technique like yoga or meditation to manage stress.

 

Replacing door speakers on the Volvo S40

While giving one of my friends a lift to the railway station on my old trusty Volvo S40, he somehow punched a hole through the speaker on the passenger side. I took it to the garage and they told me that it would take about £100 to replace the speakers and cover, plus the service. That was several months ago. I tried some DIY repair work on the speakers by putting super glue but that was a bad idea and it did not turn out well. The sound was terrible. In the end , I used the balancing knob on the music system to shut off the left speakers. It was irritating but I was not going to shell out almost £100 for one speaker. 

Anyway, one day while surfing eBay I chanced upon someone selling used speakers and covers from a S40 and without thinking much, I just bought them - all for £17.50.

I then went to YouTube looking for a tutorial video, I was sure there was bound to be at least one and I was right. 

It took me less than 10 minutes to replace the speakers with the new (old) ones and save myself around £80. 

New speaker in

Pop the cover on

The old speakers and cover

It is so great to finally listen to music with all the speakers on. 

Napping

 Napping

30-50% of college students enjoy napping. College students will nap at any time, and in any pace - sometimes in bed, on the couch, on the lawn in front of the library, or on a bench in a building.

Healthy napping can have benefits like increased relaxation, reduced fatigue, increased alertness, and improved mood. It can also improve our overall performance by improving our reaction time, memory, and decreasing the chance of accidents or mistakes.

However, there can also be some drawbacks to napping. Sometimes napping can make you more groggy or tired than before. Napping can also decrease your quality of sleep at night or intensify already existing sleeping problems. 

Here are some "do's" and "don'ts" to healthy napping.

DO keep naps shorts (20-30 minutes). This will decrease the chance you will be sleepier afterwards.

DO set an alarm to wake you up.

DON'T take a nap later than 4 in the afternoon. If you sleep later in the afternoon, it is more likely to affect your nighttime sleep. The best time to nap would be between two and three in the afternoon.

DO nap in a comfortable environment.

Car Designs Reimagined by Sabrina Chun

Some amazing artwork by artist Sabrina Chun which will appeal to all car lovers. Her Blackprints in minimalist designs in eye-catching inverse black and white are printed on recycled paper for the cardstock and the ink and solvent are soybean plant-based.



Check out her Kickstarter Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sabrinachun/blackprints-car-designs-reimagined?ref=live

Website: http://blackprintdesign.com

20 Ways to Incorporate More Fruits & Vegetables in Your Diet

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They are low in calories; contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals; and may reduce the risk of certain diseases. They are also quick and easy, and come in a variety of colors, textures, and flavors.

Here are 20 ways you can incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet:

1. Add some pizzazz to your vegetables by adding spices or using balsamic vinegar or olive oil.
2. Purchase pre-sliced or prepared produce if slicing and dicing isn’t your thing or you need to save time. (Note: This will be more expensive than doing it yourself.)
3. Replace your soda with a low-sodium vegetable juice.
4. Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, or your favorite vegetables to your morning egg.
5. Add sliced strawberries, bananas, peaches, strawberries or other fruit to your cereal or oatmeal.
6. Mash an avocado and use it as a spread or dip.
7. Dip your fruits or vegetables in low-fat yogurt, hummus, or a low-fat dip/dressing.
8. Make a smoothie using a variety of fruits and vegetables.
9. Add finely grated vegetables to sauces, soups, or casseroles.
10. Top your pizza with vegetables like mushrooms, peppers, onion, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, and spinach.
11. Replace stick vegetables for chips.
12. Grill vegetable kabobs.
13. Cut vegetables and keep readily-available in the fridge for a quick and convenient snack.
14. Keep a bowl of ripe fruit on the table.
15. Puree fruit for a sauce for poultry, seafood, or French toast.
16. Fill your sandwich with vegetables and some fruit for a sweet touch.
17. Bake a piece of fruit and top with cinnamon or drizzled honey for dessert.
18. Eat a salad for your main dish.
19. Keep frozen or canned fruits and vegetables on hand.
20. Bake thinly sliced sweet potatoes or kale to make chips.

Building a Morgan the old fashioned way

The Morgan Aero SuperSports

The MotoMan builds both a Morgan Aero SuperSports and a Morgan Traditional Roadster.

Part 1


Part 2


The basic price for the Aero SuperSports is £126,900 (including VAT) without the extra options.

The Morgan Motor Company is based in based in Malvern Link,Worcestershire, in the British Midlands.

Audi SQ5 TV ad

Watch the TV ad for the highly anticipated Audi SQ5 SUV.

Jaguar F-TYPE UK launch

Desire

Car that runs on water

Car that runs only on water from Japanese company Genepax.

The Truth about High Heels

The Truth about High Heel

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As a woman, you may have heard the phrase, “Beauty is pain.” We are constantly waxing, washing, shaving, tweezing, and waking up thirty minutes earlier for the sake of looking good. Although this phrase may often refer to the extra time, effort, and money we put in to beauty, in some cases, there is real pain that comes from our desire to look and feel beautiful. A classic example of this comes from our own shoe closet – the high heel.

One out of ten women wear high heels at least three days a week. Women of all ages and professions put on their pumps for work, class, religious gatherings, or social events thinking little of the pain and more about the outfit. In fact, 42% of women say that they will wear shoes regardless of the discomfort they feel. However, women should be aware of what this pain means and the effects that come as a result of it.  

High heels can cause a misalignment of your body. When you wear heels, more pressure is put on the ball of your foot causing you to tilt forward. In order to compensate and stand upright, we overarch our back backwards. This creates a strain on your hips, knees, and back that can create serious problems overtime. 

High heels also cause muscles to shorten. Neck muscles can tighten when our posture is off, our Achilles tendon can shorten since the heel is constantly raised, and our calf and lower back muscles can experience fatigue. In an attempt to counteract this strain, we may experience spasms in other muscles. 

Finally, wearing high heels may cause damage to our feet. High heels restrict our feet and especially toes to “unnatural” positions. The pain that results from this is intensified from the pressure that is added from the heel angle. Further, high heels aggravate bunions, and can cause calluses, ingrown toe nails, and corns.

It is important that we protect our feet! One study suggests that women as young as twenty-five can have permanent damage from wearing heels. We should invest in good shoes that support our feet and are comfortable. Does this mean we need to give up our heels for good? Not necessarily! Here are a few suggestions to limit the high-heel effect on your feet and body. 

1. Wear different heights of heels (especially low ones).
2. Make sure your heels are the right size – you don’t want your foot to slide forward.
3. Wear heels on days where you won’t be walking a lot, or bring “commuting” shoes for your drive or walk.
4. Use insoles to reduce the impact on your knees.
5. Wear pumps with a thicker heel to give you more stability and decrease the pressure on your toes.
6. Stretch the muscles in your hip flexors, hamstrings, and calves.
7. Give your feet a break. Incorporate flat shoes into your wardrobe and do not wear your heels for long periods of time.

Don’t make beauty a more painful experience! Treat your feet right, and you will thank yourself later. As one doctor stated, "Your feet are, quite literally, your base of support. If your feet aren’t happy, nothing above them will be…Take a closer look at your shoe selection and take small steps now to prevent big foot problems later."