Are you a Smart Shopper?

Personal finance comes with getting the worth of your money  everytime you purchase or shop.  What type of shopper are you?  Do you plan before shopping or an impulse shopper when an interest arises.

Following some simple steps can save you a lot of money and preventing you from being an impulse buyer.  Think of other things that you can spend with the savings you can get from being a smart shopper.  Here are some of the ideas:

Prepare a list before shopping

Write all the things you need to buy before shopping, this will give a sense of focus of what you need.  There is always a temptation to buy what you want.

Compare stores

Try to compare atleast two to three stores to get the best price.  One store may offer the best bargain price plus a good service

Discount Coupons

Collect coupons as many as you can from magazines,newspaper,supermarkets, e-coupons from the internet,ask your family to save coupons for you.  Bring them always in your so that whenever you need to shop, you can avail of the discount.  Clip and organize it in small envelope so you can easily get from your bag.

Ideas for Decorating your Home

Are you tired of having the same arrangement of your furniture and seeing the same thing around the house?.  Does your family photos have the same background?  The art of decorating  can be fun and your  creativity skills will be challenged as you give a new look to your home. Once you decide to work on it, try to check out home décor magazines, catalogs, see model houses, or browse the Internet to get new inspirations  so you can have enough preparations to it. 

Spending money is not an option in decorating your home, here are some decorating ideas to begin with.

Moving your furnitures to a different angle is the first step like the sofa, center table, etc.  You may also remove unnecessary furniture to give more space.  Proper spacing is for you to move around freely without bumping into each other or into the furniture always.  

Use fresh plants that are into small containers so that it can easily be moved, place them near windows where the sunlight passes through or place them outside when necessary.   Put candles with different sizes or some old collectibles you have that are just kept in your cabinet.

Replace and update your photos in the frames.  You might also want to change your frames (there are good but cheap frames in bargain sale) to accentuate the photos.   Frames with similar border and size looks best or from smaller to bigger frames.

When you are done with decorating and arranging your home, try taking pictures and see the result.  Be happy with it.

The Risk of Skipping Breakfast

Skipping breakfast is a common habit of some people especially those with stressful activities or schedule in the morning.  Some students and employees who rush going to school and office ignoring the need to take breakfast. 

Research shows that one of the worst practice is skipping the breakfast meal.  It is indeed the most important meal of the day.  It  helps prevent strokes, heart attack, and sudden death.  The attacks occur between 6:00a.m and noon with the highest rates during 8:00 to 10:00a.m

Platelet are tiny elements in the blood that keep from bleeding but these platelets can clump together inside the arteries due to cholesterol or plaque in the lining of the artery lining.  The most activation hours of platelets takes place during the morning and tend to form internal  blood clots. The good news is taking atleast  a light meal or very-low fat breakfast can reduce activation of the platelets.      

Eating cereal such as oatmeal, fat-free yogurt  with six ounces of grape juice or orange juice and a piece of fruit like banana is a light breakfast one can take.  A simple breakfast will keep the platelets sticking together, keeping the blood clots from forming, and prevent heart attack or stroke.  Having a good meal at breaks will also sustain the energy during the day.

What is Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD)?

Peptic ulcer   is a common acid –related disease among people especially those with stressful life.  It is important to know about the facts surrounding this disease to prevent from severe conditions of the stomach that could lead to other complications. 

Causes of Peptic Ulcers

Eating spicy food causes  stomach acids which help develop peptic ulcers.

 

Stomach infected with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori.  It is a spiral-shaped bacteria living in the acidic environment of the stomach.

Improper eating habits and stressful lifestyle. Because of so many activities at hand, most people tend to ignore proper eating habits.  Some skip breakfast or an important meal then eat a full when they are already feel the hunger.

Long-term use of certain medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines including mefenamic acid, aspirin, and oral steroids results to further development of 

Peptic ulcers.  These medicines reduces the protection of the stomach lining against the damage of the stomach acid.

Other causes includes cancerous tumors in the stomach and pancreas.

Symptoms of Peptic Ulcers

Abdominal discomfort for several days or weeks

Poor appetite and sudden weight loss

Bloating and nausea

Vomiting

When to consult a Doctor?

Seek immediate consultation if the symptoms includes sharp, sudden, persistent stomach pain, bloody or black stool, and a bloody vomit.  These may cause already a complications such as  perforation, bleeding, or obstruction inside the stomach.  An Endoscopy is one of the major test to determine Peptic ulcers which uses an endoscope instrument, a thin, lighted tube with a tiny camera on the end.  It would help in seeing the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum condition.

What is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)?

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is commonly known as acid reflux disease.  It occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, allowing acid to back up into the esophagus.

The digestive organs  affected by GERD are esophagus (tube that connects the throat to the stomach), duodenum (the first part of the small intestine which receives the digested food from the stomach) and the stomach (the main part where digestion of the food occurs and produces acid that helps in the digestion).

What can you do if you suffer from reflux?

 It is important that you consult a doctor when you experience the symptoms twice a week.  An endoscopy is a test for diagnosing acid related diseases. After diagnosis, possible treatment should be followed by taking the prescribed medicines.  If you are taking other medicines, it is advisable to inform your doctor since there certain medicines that can further increase acid.

If your lifestyle increases the development of the disease, changing the habit is best including food that aggravates the acid production in the stomach.  After taking a meal, take atleast three hours before going to bed at night to prevent reflux where the acid goes to the esophagus.  Losing excess weight and avoiding certain food or beverages helps reduce the risk of GERD.

Health Benefits of Banana

Banana can keep us from  various illnesses and conditions that is why putting banana as part of daily diet is essential to good health.

Constipation.  Banana is high in fiber and can help restore normal bowel action without taking any laxatives.

Hangovers.  Preparing a banana milkshake with sweetend honey helps to get rid hangovers.  The effect of banana calms the stomach and honey helps builds the depleted blood sugars.

Blood Pressure and Stroke.  The US and Food and Drug Administration already allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruits ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.   Banana is high in potassium and low in salt which helps in beating blood pressure.  The New England Journal of Medicine reports that eating bananas regularly can reduce risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

Heartburn.  Eating banana has a soothing relief for heartburn because of its natural antacid effect in the body.

Smoking.  The vitamins B6, B12 as well potassium and magnesium minerals found in banana help the body to recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  This disorder is common during winter usually  in European countries.  Banana helps SAD sufferers through its natural mood enhancer called tryptophan.

Mosquito Bites.  Try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. It helps reduce  swelling and irritation.

Productivity Tools: HTML to PDF Converters (Part 2)

Productivity tools for converting HTML to PDF.
Read  Productivity Tools:  HTML to PDF Converters

HTML to PDF Converter
Features:

• Easy to use software
• No installation needed
• Also converts HTML to other file formats such as bmp,png, or jpeg
• Other features includes headers and footers, page numbers, set page size, page orientation and PDF compression level, embed true type fonts.

PDFescape  

PDFescape is an online web online application service for PDF related services created by a California software company, Red Software.  Its eservices includes PDF reader, editor, form filler, and form creator which are easy to use without the need for download and installation of any software.

Here are the major features of PDFescape:

• PDF Reader. Open PDF documents in your web browser, rotate & zoom PDF pages, copy PDF content to your clipboard, search PDF text for terms & keywords, save and print your PDF, PDF thumbnail, bookmark, & link support.
• PDF Online Editor.  Add text, shapes, whiteout, create links to other PDF pages or web content, encryption feature, sign PDF through digital signature.
• Free PDF Form Filler.  Fill out PDF forms using existing form fields, customize fields with text, checkbox, radio, list, and drop down.
• Free PDF Form Designer. Add new PDF form fields, modify form style with fonts, size etc.
• Free PDF Annotator. Comment and markup PDF documents with its annotation feature.

These converters are compatible to latest versions of web browsers like Mozilla, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera.

Productivity Tools: HTML to PDF Converters

PDF (Portable Document Format) which is developed by adobe Systems, Inc.  PDF is designed for electronic exchange preserving the document fonts, photos, graphics and layout as it appears from the original document.  

A PDF reader software is required such as with Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this type of document.

This online HTML to PDF converters  productivity tool is good for internet users especially with bloggers, writers, website publishers as well as researchers who want to save a web page offline for further reference, archiving, and sharing. 

 

Web2pdfconvert
Web2pdfconvert let you easily convert a web page and be able to save it to your hardrive or share to social networks.  Simply cut and paste the webpage URL to be converted and click the "convert to pdf" button.  Here are the other options and features:

• PDF Security
• PDF page size and page orientation
• Document margin
• Document description with title, author's name, subject and keywords

Web2pdfconvert is made by Baltsoftware is  an information technology since 1997 who specializes in software development.  Their other application products includes MakeSurvey, FileJumbo, Online PDF Converter, Convert Center and Encrypt Easy.

Musical Instruments: Marimba, Flute, Vibraphone, Hawaiian Guitar

Musical instruments such as Marimba, Flute, Trumpet, Cello, Vibraphone, Hawaiian Guitar are not so popular instruments unlike with Piano, Guitar, Drums, and Violin.  Here are brief information on various instruments:

Marimba
The Marimba is a popular folk instrument in Central America which is similar to the xylophone  except that its tone has been prolonged and deepened by resonators which build up and enrich the tones.
View modern Marimba from YAMAHA Website 

Flute
Included in woodwind instruments consisting of a pipe with lateral holes and blown directly, without a reed.  The Chinese, Japanese, and Hindus all claim it from time immemorial, so as the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
Types of modern flutes are : 
Bass Flute in C
Alto Flute in G
Tenor Flute
Concert Flute in C
Soprano Flute in E Flat
Treble Flute in G

Vibraphone
Vibraphone ( also called vibraharp or vibes) is a percussion instrument  played in mallets held in both hands shaped like a xylophone.  It was invented in 1990 and became one of the major jazz instrument used by popular bands.

Hawaiian Guitar
Also commonly called the “steel guitar”, the distinctive sound is created by strumming the metal strings with a metal pick in one hand while at the same time the other hand change the pitch of the strings with a metal bar.

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Musical Instruments: Clarinet, Horn, Piccolo, Celesta

Musical Instruments: Carillon, Sleigh Bells, Chimes

Shopping for your Music Gears