Mantra-How women can get best Shopping deals in 2013

Trick to get Best shopping deals for women

If you are woman and wants best deals for any type shopping read this blog….

Retail is the dominion of women; they shop to purchase both essential and discretionary goods, to relax, and to socialize. So it’s not surprising that women account for over 80 percent of consumer spending, or about $5 trillion dollars annually, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Men, in contrast, are reluctant store shoppers and much more focused, shopping only if they intend to buy a specific item and wanting to get in and out quickly.

A number of research studies show that much of this admittedly stereotypical behavior carries over to online shopping. The early days of online shopping were actually quite male-oriented as the selection of products was limited to computers, software, music, and consumer electronics. As tools for product and price comparison (the ability to do this without having to visit physical stores is particularly attractive to men) became available, males became even more enthusiastic about ecommerce.

Then as the variety of online goods expanded to food, apparel, home goods, and toys, females took to online shopping. However, web shopping lacked the social aspects of retail shopping and apparel merchants (especially luxury brands) were slow to move online. However, the arrival of social media tools, combined with better visuals and video, made the online shopping environment more enticing. Females can now share more of the online shopping experience and decision-making with friends and family.

 

LOOKING for a bargain?

Slipping into a pair of high heels will make you a better shopper. New research released today by the Brigham Young University shows that making your mind concentrate on your physical balance helps you think differently about your purchases and make you more likely to buy the best option. The research, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, says people with a heightened sense of balance are best prepared mentally to weigh up alternatives in possible purchases and buy the best product rather than the dearest or cheapest one.

BYU marketing professor Jeffrey Larson and Darron Billeter conducted the study that expands a growing area of examination into the link between physical sensation and decision making."If you're someone who tends to overspend, or you're kind of an extreme person, then maybe you ought to consider shopping in high heels," Jeffrey Larson said. The good news for people who find the idea of high heels just a little bit awkward is that it's not the only way you can get your mind into the best possible shopping mode. The research says anything that makes you focus on your balance will do the job.

In the study, the researchers looked at the improvements in shopping decisions when standing on one foot to buy a printer, playing a Wii Fit game while considering consumer choices and, ignoring the demands of generations of school teachers, getting people to lean back in their chair while shopping online.

The researchers said that their study did not put it to the test but it was likely that other optimum shopping experiences could be made while on a cruise shop rolling on the waves or while walking down an icy footpath.Flipping it around the other way, Billeter said that people should think about how their physical sensations were impacting on their decisions. "We need to sit back for a minute and consider, 'Is this really what I want, or are the shoes I'm wearing influencing my choice?'" he said.

Easy Tips to overcome back to school nervousness

Free Tips to overcome new back to school nervousness

This is my 5th blog on Back to School (BTS) deals and ideas. In the last blog we found info about high paying scholarships.

In this blog we will see how to deals with back to school apprehension.

Many kids may feel anxious about going back to school after a long summer break. Others may feel nervous about starting school for the first time. Whichever the case may be, parents can help ease the transition to back to school with these simple strategies.

Organize your home for back to school. A great way to ease some of your child's anxiety about going back to school is by getting your home ready for the transition. Strategies such as making school lunches the night before or establishing a comfortable homework area can help make kids feel more in control and relieve some of their anxious feelings.

The first day of school can be a stressful time for students starting out their college and university careers.  Nervousness over enrolling in a new school - maybe even in a new city - or returning for another year on campus can be counterproductive to academic and social life. Here are some new ways to deal with school-related stress.

What are triggers of stress?

People with anxiety start to overcome it by zeroing in on triggers and how their anxiety physically manifests itself.

Understand why feeling discomfort

Before you can take steps to reduce your anxiety, it is important to understand the nature of your discomfort.

What are the signs?

What thoughts and predictions contribute to my anxiety? Do I blush, sweat, shake, or lose my train of thought?

How to deals with Anxiety

 

1. To deal with stress, people must challenge their anxious thinking. Try to shift the way you think about social situations and look at them the way someone without social anxiety might think about them.

2. Try to purposely put yourself in situations which may cause stress so that you become familiar with them.

3. One of the most powerful ways to overcome anxiety involves purposely exposing yourself to the situations you fear, over and over again, until you feel more comfortable.

4. Take him for a visit to the school. If your child is starting kindergarten or first grade, he may be uneasy about going into a new building. Older grade-schoolers may be nervous about being in a new classroom or meeting a new teacher. To alleviate some of these concerns, ask your school about arranging a visit to school and meeting the teacher before school begins.

5. Make a couple of drives back and forth from home to school. Whether your child will walk, take a school bus, or be driven to school by mom or dad, helping him become familiar with the route to and from school will make considerably ease back to school anxiety. Even if your child is already familiar with the route to school, making a pre first-day run will remind him where school is, and help him feel more connected to where he will go on the first day back to school.

6. Go over the basics. Where will he hang his jacket? Where will he go to the bathroom? Where will he eat lunch? Knowing the answers to some of these questions will help make your child feel more comfortable in his new classroom.

How to decode healthy food side in Restaurant Meal?

Eat healthy in Restaurant in 2013

After the success of my blog on cook at home Restaurant-style recipes, I want to write a blog in which you can enjoy in Restaurant Meal via decoding healthy ideas.

How much healthy adult should eat?

A healthy adult should be eating around 2,000 calories a day, 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,500 milligrams of sodium. Any more than this and they increase their chances of becoming obese as well their risk of developing diabetes and serious cardiovascular complications later on in life.

However, more and more chains are serving dishes that on their own exceed the number of calories one should eat on a normal day and have almost five days' worth of recommended saturated fat intake.

The meals that win the top places when it comes to being unhealthy, according to Xtreme Eating, include:

The Country Fried Steak & Eggs combo at IHOP, which is a deep-fried steak served with two fried eggs, deep fried potatoes, and buttermilk pancakes all generously poured over with gravy and syrup.

The meal contains a total of 1,760 calories, 3,720 mg of sodium and 23 grams of saturated fat. It is the equivalent of having five McDonald's Egg McMuffins.

A combination of the Johnny Rockets' Bacon Cheddar Double Burger (,770 calories, 50 grams of saturated fat, and 2,380 milligrams of sodium) with a side order of Sweet Potato Fries (590 calories) and a Big Apple Shake, a shake which contains an actual slice of apple pie in it (1,140 calories).

In total this whopping 3,500 calorie meal (two days' worth) is equivalent to eating 3 McDonald's Quarter Pounders with Cheese along with large fries, a medium vanilla shake and 2 of their Baked Apple Pies.

Uno Chicago Grill serves a Deep Dish Macaroni & 3-Cheese meal which includes four cups of pasta loaded with full fat cheese and topped with a creamy Alfredo sauce. The meal has more than three and a half days’ worth of saturated fat as well a day's worth of calories (1,980).

Going out to eat can be fun, easy and a wonderful way to celebrate an achievement or catch up with friends. But do you find yourself getting anxious just thinking about dining out knowing how many dishes is loaded with calories? Although your woes are well-founded (some restaurants cram as many as 1,800 calories into one entrée), there are ways to beat the system!

Take a step back from ordering what "sounds good" and make a smart (and still delicious!) choice when dining out. Use these tips to help you choose something that is tasty, nutritious and comes in at a more appropriate calorie level. 

1. Decipher the menu

Know which culinary words are a "go" and which are a "no" when it comes to healthy ordering. Some culinary practices add much more fat, salt, and/or sugar to achieve the effect. Stick to menu descriptors like broiled, baked, marinated, steamed, and vinaigrette; methods like these are likely to be lower in saturated fat, high in good fats, and can be lower in calories overall. Check out this article for a complete list of words to watch for when scanning a menu.

2. Replace the side dishes with healthy choices

Many standard side items are fried, refined carbohydrates. Replace items like fries, onion rings or potato chips with whole grain or high fiber choices such as brown rice, steamed vegetables, or a plain baked potato. If there is an up charge, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth $1.99 to save hundreds of calories and get extra fiber, vitamins and minerals to switch from fries to veggies.

3 Start smart

Appetizers can pack in more than 500 calories, easily. For a "pre-meal snack," that’s closing in on most of our calorie goals for the meal before it even starts. If you are ordering an appetizer, stick to something light in calories like grilled shrimp or high in nutrients like steamed edamame. If the venue has fried shrimp on the menu, see if you can order it grilled. If there is not an optimal appetizer to choose, stick to a small salad with veggies and vinaigrette, a broth-based soup or water/unsweetened tea until your meal comes.

4. Behave with beverages.

 Drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, can pack in many calories during a meal, especially if the server keeps topping off your soda or you’re pouring from a carafe of wine. Whatever you choose to sip on, be sure to take the liquid calories and nutrients (or lack thereof) into account when choosing your meal. To really get the lowdown on the health of beverages, turn to this healthy beverage guide.

5. Do not get too buttery

Restaurants sneak butter into many unexpected places without spelling it out on the menu. Take initiative and ask if you suspect extra butter is used in preparing the meal you’re considering. Some common spots that butter turns up is on the bread (sometimes both sides) of grilled sandwiches, melted and coated onto vegetables, or added in with rice. Sometimes, holding the butter is not an option since many restaurants will batch cook dishes, but it’s definitely worth asking so you know exactly what you’re ordering.

6. Change the size (watch portions)

There are a few ways you can control the portion size of your meal. Some restaurants offer half portions or small plates right off the bat, but if it’s not advertised, ask. The venue you are visiting may be willing to split your plate, sell you half portions, or at least place half of your meal in a to-go container to take with you when you leave. Eating proper portions is half the battle when it comes to achieving calorie balance.

7. Slowdown in eating enjoy more environment

The ambiance of restaurants can be distracting, relaxing, grounds for a long meal, or all three. This type of environment can cause us to overeat or eat mindlessly. Take note of this effect, and consciously slow your eating and drinking. Sit back between bites, enjoy the conversation, and pay attention to how much of your meal you’re consuming, as well as whether or not you’re full.

8. Ask questions

The biggest factor in successful restaurant ordering is asking questions. The server is there to help, so don’t be afraid to tap into his or her knowledge. Asking for clarification is one area where many of us falter. Whether it's to preserve integrity or save time, ditching a request to explain what an unknown term means could lead to a poor meal choice (either in taste or nutrient quality). So when no one at your table can define broasted, carpaccio, or roulade, ask!

9. Don’t be shy to say putting dressing on side

One of the biggest reasons restaurant-goers give for not ordering exactly what they want is that they didn't want to "be a pest" or something of that nature. The saying, "those that ask, receive" is true when ordering dinner! The person prepping salads will only put your dressing on the side if you ask. If you do feel uncomfortable making requests, start small. Even asking for water with or without lemon is going to set you on the right path to assertive ordering. If you need more motivation, remind yourself that you are a paying customer and deserve to have a reasonable amount of choice in your meal.

10. Nix the extras

 

Extras can add on a quick 100 calories without us even thinking or blinking! Get into the habit of saying a polite "no thank you" when asked if you want extra cheese, Parmesan cheese on salad or pasta, or bread prior to your meal. Personal-size desserts are also in this category. Although they’re small, trendy and cute, then can still add up to 100 calories or more. After a meal that is likely over the 400-600 calorie mark, 100 extra calories "here and there" definitely add up.

11. Start substituting

Yes, it’s OK to substitute items on a menu! See tip #2 and make that switch. If a menu item sounds good, but you find yourself thinking "I would use a lighter sauce, like marinara, instead of alfredo," try it! Some great swaps to make that increase nutrients, decrease calories, or both are:

Asking for beans in place of meat

Ordering double veggies instead of choosing meat in pasta dish or stir fry

Switching to whole grain bread, rice, tortillas or chips if possible

Asking for slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or extra veggies instead of cheese on a salad

Replacing a cream sauce with a broth or tomato-based sauce

Easy and Practical Tips to fix Kitchen disaster/accidents (Cookies becomes too hard or lumpy gravy)

Print these ideas for daily kitchen use…

In this blog you will see some fix and some advice on making kitchen food making a fun activity. Kitchen accidents are part of our life. The person who cooks always has some bad days. Even the most experienced cook can be distracted and add too much salt, forget to set the timer, or omit a crucial ingredient. This advice will help you fix disasters and prevent them from happening in the first place.

 

1.         Keeping vegetables fresh for a longer time

To keep the vegetables fresh for a longer time, wrap them in newspaper before putting them in freeze.

2.         Removing skin of almonds easily

Soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

3.         Too much Salt in Soup

Place a raw peeled potato in the bowl; it will absorb the extra salt.

4.         Changing sour Yogurt taste

First drain water then add milk to make it as good as fresh in taste

 

5.         Peeling Garlic Cloves Faster

To peel garlic cloves quicker, microwave them first for 10 seconds.

6.         Avoiding browning of apple

Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning

7.         Biscuits/cookies fresh for long time

If you keep a piece of paper towel at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.

 

8.         Keeping Potato or Cauliflower white

When boiling new potato or cauliflower add a 1/4 of a lemon to the water - this will stop them from growing grey and keep them white so they can be used later.

9.         Making fluffy and light mashed potatoes

To make mash fluffy and light, just add 1 tsp of baking powder per kg of potato

10.       Cookies Becomes too hard

When you bake cookies and they come out too hard, simply put the cookies in a bag with a piece of bread overnight. The cookies will absorb the moisture out of the bread and will be soft in the morning.

11.       Use Vinegar for washing dishes

When washing dishes in your dishwasher, use white vinegar in the rinse compartment instead of those expensive rinse solutions. My dishes have never been cleaner and they actually squeak.

12.       Separation of Noodles

When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.

13.       Removing smell of garlic/onions from your hands

To remove the smell of garlic or onions from your hands rub a tablespoon of salt mixed with a little water and rub for a few seconds then rince under cold water.

14.       Keeping Green Chilies fresh

To keep the chilies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.

15.       Egg is Fresh or not?

Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is certainly quite old.

16.       Keeping Green Peas fresh

To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.

17.       To Avoid Crying when Cutting Onion

Cut the onions into two parts and place them in water for 15 minutes before chopping them.