Regardless of age, proper skin care, especially on the face, is a major concern for women. For most, looking and feeling good begins above the shoulders. Some at-home remedies for acne prone skin and symptoms of the aging process can be found at these sites:

Facial Massages Preserve Youthful Skin

A massage soothes tense muscles and can do wonders for our skin’s overall appearance especially on our face where stress and the aging process can cause wrinkles, puffy eyes, dry or sagging skin, and dark spots.
A facial massage, which helps to preserve our youthful appearance, provides nourishment to the skin and facial muscles in five ways. It enhances blood circulation to the face, optimizes epidermal cell turnover, tightens facial muscles, delivers nutrients to the skin cells and rids the skin of impurities and toxins. Read more >>

Managing Acne Prone Skin

Retaining a youthful clear, smooth and supple skin is an uphill battle waged throughout our life. The onset of puberty can wreak havoc upon the skin, especially on the face. Erratic hormones can turn a healthy and radiant complexion into an acne-prone disaster. Unfortunately, there is no way to eliminate acne but there are ways to minimize and manage the occurrence of unsightly blemishes. Read more >>

At-Home Beauty Treatments For Radiant Skin

Our vanity, fuelled mostly by a desire to find and keep Mr. Right, has resulted in millions of dollars being spent each year on face products meant to cleanse, whiten, soften and enhance skin tone. Cosmetic counters are not our only resource for recapturing the soft and supple skin we entered the world with. Health and beauty spas offering an assortment of facial mask treatments are conveniently located throughout the country.
Unfortunately, weekly visits to the spa are a luxury most can’t afford. Luckily, our vanity has planned for such an obstacle and offers a less expensive alternative, at-home facial treatments. At-home facial treatments, which can be made from ingredients already sitting in most refrigerator and kitchen cabinets, take only minutes to prepare and come at a fraction of the cost for professional facial mask treatments at the local spa. Read more >>

With April only days away I bid a fond farewell to those foods celebrated during March. For some deee-licious dishes featuring the incredible foods celebrated annually in March check out the following sites:

National Cereal Day March 7^th

Long before the birth of America, cereal, which was typically served hot from boiling oats, wheat, rice or corn grains that had been grounded into flour with water, was eaten for breakfast throughout Great Britain and Northern Europe. It wasn’t until 1860, however, when Ferdinand Schumacher of Akron, Ohio discovered that oat grains, when rolled flat instead of ground into flour had a more pleasant taste, that hot cereal became standard breakfast fare in the US. Rolled-oats and rolled-wheat continue to this day to be popular breakfast cereals on chilly winter mornings especially when snow has fallen overnight. Read more >>

Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Ever since I can remember, St. Patrick’s Day has meant leprechauns, shamrocks and a corned beef and cabbage feast at the end of the day. For most Americans, St. Patrick’s Day and corned beef and cabbage go hand in hand.

One of the most popular symbols of March 17 is Ireland’s bearded dwarf, better known as the leprechaun. Dressed in a green suit and cap, the leprechaun, unlike other Irish fairies, is grumpy, spiteful and very rich. If you catch one, keep your eye on him and don’t let him vanish because he may lead you to his pot of gold!Read more >>

Cutting Back On Caffeine Without Compromising On Taste

March is being touted as National Caffeine Awareness Month. This month long campaign is most likely intended to make those of us who rely heavily on coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drink beverages to get through the day more aware of some of the negative side effects that can occur with consuming too much caffeine.

Our fondness for drinking caffeinated beverages, both hot and cold, to keep us alert and on the go throughout the day can become problematic. Returning to the percolator or automatic drip coffeemaker for a second, third, or fourth cup of coffee can cause irritability, nervousness, anxiety, tremors, and sleeplessness. That mid-morning “pick-me-up” 12-ounce caffeinated soft drink, if exceeded, can cause the same negative side effects associated with overindulging in coffee. So too can steeping too many tea bags in one sitting.Read more >>

Something On A Stick Day?

March 28 is being hailed as “Something On A Stick” day according to the many food calendars circulating online, which highlight the many unusual food holidays celebrated across the United States annually.

There are a few “stick” goodies that come to mind. Lollipops, corn dogs and cotton candy to name a few, however, the real 5 star “stick” dish winner in my humble opinion is sate. Of course, I like lollipops, corn dogs and cotton candy as much as the next person but I love sate more, a lot more. Read more >>

Apple Dishes To Sink Your Teeth Into

Johnny Appleseed is not the only legend responsible for encouraging the consumption of apples in our homes. A few years back my daughter discovered her first loose tooth. As we were lying in bed one morning, she began to recount a story she had heard in kindergarten about the Tooth Fairy. Read more >>

The weather has been a bit “tempermental” lately in my neck of the woods, which means I’ve gotten reacquainted with some of my favorite DVD’s over the past few weeks. For others having to stay inside, like me, may I suggest a big bowl of buttered popcorn, your favorite soft drink and the following DVD’s:

The Contract

The 1996 movie, The Contract, starring Freeman and John Cusack, is one of my favourite movies. Hired assassin’s rarely come away looking like a good guy, however, Freeman’s portrayal of Mercenary assassin Frank Cardin is a stark contrast to the “shoot and kill” assassin mentality typically seen in Hollywood movies. By the end of the movie Freeman’s character almost pulls off a squeaky-clean get away.The movie begins in New York City where hired assassin Frank Cardin, played by Morgan Freeman, has assembled four fellow mercenaries to finalize plans for a contract hit. Read more >>

Pan’s Labyrinth

Mexican filmmaker and writer Guillermo del Toro’s three times Academy award-winning blockbuster motion picture, Pan’s Labyrinth, starring Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdú, Ariadna Gil, Alex Angulo, Doug Jones and Ivana Baquero, is sure to be remembered as one of the finest epic fairy tale films of the 21^st century. Taking place during the post civil war reign of Spanish general and dictator, Francisco Franco, the movie unfolds through the eyes and imagination of Ofelia, an 11-year old girl, played by Ivana Baquero. Read more >>

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising

Physicist John Stanton, played by John Benjamin Hickey, has recently moved his family from the US to accept a professorship in England. In the opening minutes of the movie John Stanton’s youngest son, Will, played by Alexander Ludwig, is portrayed as a normal 13-year old boy, who is daily subjected to the teasing and taunting antics of older brothers, James, Robin, Paul and Max, played by Drew Tyler Bell, Edmund Entin, Gary Entin and Gregory Smith, respectively. The similarities between Will and other boys his age end there. In fact, Will Stanton is far from the average teenage boy. Read more >>

Dragon Wars

“Dragon Wars is based on the Imoogi legend that only exists in Korea,” according to its director Hyung Rae Shim. The legend says: every 500 years a young woman is born who possesses a spirit power that can turn a serpent into the mightiest dragon of all. A good serpent will use this power to protect the universe while an evil serpent will use the power to destroy the world. Read more >>

The Da Vinci Code

As an avid fan of word games and puzzles it should come as no surprise that amongst my favorite movies is The Da Vinci Code. The movie, directed by Ron Howard, is based on the book of the same name by best-selling author, Dan Brown. Deciphering numerical codes, anagrams and a cryptex while being chased by the French police and followers of Opus Dei, Langdon and Neveu’s murder investigation unravels the Vatican’s “con of mankind” when they uncover the Holy Grail. Read more >>

To some, it’s a small pastry filled with meat or fish. To others, like Irma Rombauer and Marion Romabauer Becker, authors of “The Joy of Cooking,” they are the rich relatives of the meatloaf clan. To me, pâté is a gastronomical delicacy perfectly suited for a quiet romantic snack.

“Pâté,” says cooking instructor Rachel Rappaport, of Baltimore, MD, “is basically spreadable meat. It is most commonly made with liver and often contains wine, vegetables, and additional fat that had been added ………read more