Baking Soda for Beauty

TEETH
1> Tooth Paste: Mix 3 parts Baking Soda with 1 part salt. Add 3 teaspoons of glycerin to form paste. Just before using add little water & use like normal paste.
2> Tooth Whitener: Once a week, mash a ripe strawberry and add a tsp of baking soda to it. Apply the paste on your teeth and brush after 15 minutes. This will keep your teeth naturally white. Baking soda will remove all stains from tea, coffee and tobacco.
3> Mouth Wash: Add 2 teaspoons Baking Soda to 250 ml of water. Gargle in mouth swirling through teeth. Spit don’t swallow.
4> Toothbrush: Soak tooth brush in a mixture of water and baking soda, overnight for a hygienic, teeth friendly toothbrush.
HAIR
1> Clarifying Shampoo: Add a teaspoon of baking soda to shampoo bottle to remove buildup and to improve manageability
2> Clean brushes and combs: To remove natural build up of oil and hair product residue, soak combs and brushes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a small tub or basin of warm water. Rinse thoroughly and allow them to dry before use
3> Dry shampoo: Mix 1 part baking soda, 1 part baby powder. Apply the mixture to the roots of your hair and comb through. This mixture will absorb excess oils and freshen up your hair. (For a fragrant touch add 3 drops of your favorite essential oil to the mix)
4> Chlorine-damage: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with 50ml warm water. Apply to hair & rinse off.
FACE
1>Exfoliate1: Scrub your way to a brighter skin by scrubbing the face gently using a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Wash with cold water.
2> Exfoliate2: Mix baking soda with oatmeal in your blender, add water to make paste, scrub face gently & rinse with cold water.
3>Exfoliate3: Mix some baking soda with facial cleanser. Use circular motions to apply gently then rinse as usual for visibly soft skin.
4> Aftershave Rinse: Make a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in 1 cup water for a soothing aftershave rinse.
5> Acne Mask: Combine baking Soda with just enough purified water to form a thick paste. Apply the paste on acne prone areas for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water. Moisturize with oil free moisturizer. Repeat daily for 1 week, then on every 3rd day.
OTHER USES
1> Soothing Bath: Add ½ cup of baking soda to your bath water for smooth, refreshed skin.
2> Smooth Feet: Mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water. Soak your feet for desired amount of time. Then, create a paste of baking soda and water and gently scrub your feet with it.
3> Bath Oil: To create bath oil, you will need 4 tablespoons of baking soda, ½ cup of honey, ½ cup milk, 16 tablespoons of sea or cooking salt, and ½ cup of baby oil. In a large bowl, mix the baking soda, honey, milk, and salt; stir well. Massage with mixture and bathe as usual.
4> Soft knees & elbows: To smooth rough skin elbows & knees make a paste of baking soda and water and rub on skin. Rinse away with warm water.
5> Soften cuticles: Apply a paste baking soda to your cuticles, leave for 5 minutes
6> Odor remover: Remove fish, onion, or garlic odor from hands with a solution of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water or liquid soap. Rub mixture in your hands, and rinse off
7> Antacid: Take 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.
8> Deodorant: Apply some baking soda like the talcum powder, after bath to avoid smelly armpits, without clogging the pores.
Hope this series has been of use , check again for summer skin care routine, tips, recipes and remedies.

Easy Basics using Microwave

Get more juice from citrus fruitGently warm a lemon, lime, or orange before squeezing by hand or using a juicer – Heat on full power for about 10 seconds.
Peel peaches or tomatoesPour water into a deep microwavable bowl or a glass measuring cup. Bring to a boil. Drop tomatoes or peaches in the water for only a few seconds each. The skin will loosen and peel off easily.
Dry fresh herbsLay a small bunch of fresh herbs between paper towels . Microwave on full power for 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool, then check to see if they are dry enough to crumble. If not, continue to microwave, 30 seconds at a time, until the herbs are completely dried. Store in an airtight container.
Peel onions Place onions on a covered microwave-safe plate and cook for 1 to 2 minutes at full power.
Remove outer skin from garlic clovesPut the cloves in a custard cup and microwave at 80% power for 30 seconds. Allow the cloves to cool enough so you can handle them, then lift away the skin.
Blanch fresh vegetablesPrepare the vegetables as desired – wash, chop, peel, slice, etc. – then place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a small amount of water, cover, and microwave on full power for 3 to 4 minutes per pound, stopping to stir and re-arrange halfway through. Drain, then immediately plunge the hot vegetables into ice cold water to quickly cool.
Melt butter, margarine or solid Ghee…Microwave 1 stick / spoon of butter or margarine or 1/2 cup of ghee on full power for 45 seconds to 1 minute .
Freshen chips, biscuits and snack crackers…Microwave, uncovered, for about one minute on full power.
Add Moisture
Fruits – Sprinkle a little fruit juice or water over dried fruits, cover with plastic wrap and microwave 1/2 to 1 minute at High to moisten and plump them.
Tortillas/Crepes/Cakes/Rotis – Wrap tortillas or crepes in damp towel and microwave at High 1/2 minute or more to soften them.
Reheating dried leftovers - Add Water or sauce when reheating dry leftovers. A tablespoon of water or sauce is sufficient, and will not change the flavor of food or cause overcooking. Moisture creates steam for even reheating.

Love, Sex & Dhoka (Betrayal)

Just saw LSD, and even though the movie does not provide any answers, it made me ask some.Every guy or gurl goes through all these atleast I did.I’ve been supposedly in love so many times, and yet never been in love. First there was attraction, but when the guy was mine, all I could do was compare him with other guys.While murmuring sweet nothings in his ears I would be thinking of all the faults in him ( how he eats with his mouth open, how he drools etc etc)
Then there was a guy I was dating but was not in love with, he used to emotionally blackmail me ( more in detail in some other post ) and I wasn’t able to breakoff with him, at the same time I fell in love with a close of friend of mine – he was just perfect from my point of view – caring , romantic, best friend, could make me laugh n all
Everything was going on just fine , till my extra possessive boyfriend got to know about my new love & my cheating heart. At the same time the love of my life had a one night stand with his close friend. betrayal met betrayal & my heart got broken in the whole process.
Some may say that after all this I did not deserve love in my life, but I fell in love again, this time with a guy much junior to me , knowing that relation has no future still…
Now, both of us are helping each other find our life partner – someone who can be our soulmate & the love of our lives…

Passport Office Woes

BACKGROUND
Needed a passport in a hurry , lost my last passport & have to go to Germany in May ( just moved into a global profile, which will require loads of travel )
STORY
Landed at passport office at 11:30 A.M , based on time given to me by my agent ( yeah went for one , didnt have time to get my paperwork done). The agent helped me complete my paperwork , while I sat in comfort & had a nice glass of juice.
Then, came shock of the lifetime – I had to to pay 3 times the fees as required by passport authority to these torts. Couldn’t turn back then as the papers were already signed & done.
But, all said & done about the fee part it took me only an hour to get the whole paperwork processed at the passport office, while there were huge queues inside waiting for their chance since the morning. The callous attitude of the passport officers towards the throngs was to be seen to be believed.
There was a young lady in queue who had a 10 month old babe with her- but she was made to move from queue to queue to get her work done, in the summer heat.
Made me wonder when will our processes improve so that young mothers & elderly people will not have to suffer, when we dont have to depend on torts to get our passports ready on time.
But till that happens, go ahead answer this simple poll

Hi...

Hi All…
This is my first entry as I start blogging my daily adventures.
Right now just lazing aroung in my bed, trying to get this blog on its feet before I rush to passport office . Lost my passport & need one on urgent basis for going to Germany…
Will post in detail tonight, about my passport office adventures. Will publish this now to get my first post out of the way.