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Top Reasons To Smile Every Day

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Science has shown that the mere act of smiling can lift your mood, lower stress, boost your immune system, reduce pain, look more attractive and stay positive, possibly even prolonging your life. 

Try this test:

Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It’s hard, isn’t it?

Smiling can influence your feelings of positivity, even if it feels unnatural or forced. Regardless of whether or not your smile is genuine, it still sends the message that “Life is good!” to your brain and, ultimately, the rest of your body.

The physical act of smiling actually activates pathways in your brain that influence your emotional state—meaning that by adopting a happy facial expression, you can “trick” your mind into entering a state of happiness. This holds true whether or not your smile is real.

Even a simple smile can trigger the release of neuropeptides that improve your neural communication, as well as neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which can boost your mood. Think of smiling like a natural antidepressant.

We all know that stress can permeate our entire being, and it can really show up in our faces and makes us look less attractive. Smiling not only helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed but it can actually help decrease stress and boost our overall health by helping our immune system to function more effectively. It is believed that when you smile, immune function improves because you are more relaxed (those neurotransmitters again!).

Smiling Reduces Pain

Studies also show that smiling releases endorphins, other natural painkillers, and serotonin. Together, these brain chemicals make us feel good from head to toe, not only do they elevate our mood, but they also relax our body and reduce physical pain. Smiling is a natural drug.

Whether you’re trying to maintain your overall health or strengthen your immune system ahead of cold and flu season, smiling may help so, smile every day, as often as you can.

Friday, 1 October is World Smile Day 2021 so just to get you ready, here is a catchy Smile video.

A smile a day keeps the Doctor away? Who needs apples?

 

Text Effects in The Graphics Creator

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Just to add a bit of color to my life quickly am playing around with the Text Effects Templates

Color Your Life
Giraffe Friend
Greetings

I first used this software from Laughingbird Software way back in 1915 when it was called The Logo Creator. Since then it has grown and grown, with a wide variety of templates available to help you make your own creations very quickly. I use it nearly every day in my business, for social media posts and to add interest to my personal emails & messages.

With the desktop version you buy template packs and the software is included with the purchase. You have these forever with no extra payment. There are many different packs and I’ve added more and more over the years.

However, if you want access to ALL the templates, the online version with annual or monthly subscription is a great way to create your own graphics simply and easily.

Surfer

Creative Challenge for You

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Still stuck at home? Feeling Creative? Here’s a challenge for you.

Lito Leaf Art, the japanese artist that carves tree leaves to create magnificent scene

Leaf Art

from grocery stores inhabited by animals, to a rhinoceros washing the teeth of its calf, japanese artist lito leaf art carves the most amusing sceneries on tree leaves. using a very precise cut-out technique, a closer inspection of each piece reveals surprising details that create dreamy narratives.

See more here: Lito Leaf Art

Coloured Rainbows

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Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers worldwide!

Happy-Mother-s-Day

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day here in Australia & in many other parts of the world, though sometimes it has other names, such as Mothering Sunday (US).

More countries around the world celebrate Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday in May than any other day, many in March on the same days as International Women’s Day, but others have their own dates. Norway’s is on the 2nd Sunday in February,  many Middle Eastern countries use 21st March (the spring equinox) and others celebrate the day on the last Sunday of May or  for some, including France, the first Sunday of June if the last Sunday of May s Pentecost. ater in the year there are other dates for single countries, for example, the last Sunday of November for Russia.

coloured-rainbows-poem

Some history of Mother’s Day

The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. St Andrew’s Methodist Church now holds the International Mother’s Day Shrine. Her campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. Anna Jarvis wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started and to set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world”.

Cleaning Sprays

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With CoVid-19 still running rampant at the time of writing this post, many of our stores are running out of cleaning products, so thought it’s be a good time to remember some of the old DIY recipes so we can make some ourselves.

Spray cleaningVinegar cleaner

All-purpose and long-lasting, this removes grease and dirt. Ideal for stainless steel sinks, tiled and timber surfaces and plastic finishes such as fridge shelves and phones.

  • 2 cups white vinegar
    • 1 cup water
    • 25 drops eucalyptus oil

Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before use, spray onto a soft damp cloth and rub. No need to rinse.

Lavender disinfectant

Keeps bathroom surfaces safe and smelling sweet. It also makes a marvellous spray when ironing bed linen.

  • 25 drops lavender essential oil
    • 2 tbsp methylated spirits or vodka
    • 500ml distilled water

Add the oil to the alcohol in a clean, dry bottle and leave to dissolve for 24 hours. Add water and decant into a spray bottle. Shake thoroughly before use.


Scouring paste

This is the simplest cleaner of all for sinks, oven doors, stovetops and inside mugs.

• 4 tbsp bicarb
• 1 tbsp water

Mix the ingredients into a stiff paste and apply with a damp sponge. Buff with a dry cloth.

Bicarb cleaner

A general cleaner, this is safe for use anywhere in the home.

  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 1 tsp pure soap flakes
    • squeeze of lemon or dash of white vinegar
    • 1 cup warm water

Mix ingredients and shake until soap is dissolved. Spray and wipe with a sponge.

 

 

Poem of the Week 5April20

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Encouragement

We all need a little bit of encouragement to help stay positive in our CoVid-19 world. Little things help others who live alone & can’t go out, a phone call, a message on Facebook or other social media, links to funny things a laughing raises our vibrations. I’m mainly just ringing my friends who are alone and they ring me too. I’ve also been lucky to receive an early Easter goodies gift dropped off by a lovely friend, no not Easter eggs, but healthy things, a couple of avocados, some delicious Frankfurt sausages & some biscuits. Very much appreciated.

Encouragement