AB Home Vol. 4 Issue 20

LIVING QUARTERS

The way you decorate your home is a reflection of your personal identity.

Do you want to present ba-sic décor or do you want to do something that truly gives a sense of where your mind and heart is at. You can do things as you are accustomed or you can try new ideas such as these.

Silver and gold accentsWhat could be more elegant than silver and gold decora-tions (on every Christmas tree)? Give your home a shiny holiday makeover and watch it trans-

form into an upscale entertain-ing space with this easy holiday decorating idea. The cool luster of silver will contrast attractively with the rich glow of gold, and you can complete the look with simple white china and linens.

Christmas DevotionFor many of us, our décor choic-es represent an opportunity for us to reflect on the mystery of Christmas and its importance in our lives. Whichever part of Christmas you like best, wheth-er it’s the guiding angel or the nativity scene, reconnect with the traditions of Christmas by devoting your home to the many beautiful Christian customs.

Traditional ElementsChristmas is the time for tra-ditions, so you can’t go wrong

with classic décor that repre-sents the holiday. Think red and green, like winter pine trees and poinsettias, and all of the traditional motifs of the season.

PastelsMove over, Easter — it’s Christmas’ turn for pastel dec-orations! A pastel Christmas

is another way to take a break from the traditional Christmas color scheme, even if you limit the pastels to a centerpiece or the “extra” Christmas tree in a guest bedroom. Look for orna-ments in mint, aqua, pale pink, and peach to add a little whim-sy to your holiday preparations, or pick up a few celadon pieces to add a nice pale green.

A lot of people are going cleaning crazy around this time of year. How-

ever, many of the most me-ticulous cleaners among us still manage to miss out some im-

portant chores. When it comes to keeping your home in tip-top shape, these duties should not be left out.

Scrubbing GroutThis task sounds easy, but is probably the most time con-suming of all. There’s a lot of grout in a house, often in the bathroom, and we humans have failed to come up with a truly wonderful and easy way of cleaning it. So long hours of scrubbing can be involved if the grout has been ignored too long. Luckily, this task also has the most evident rewards, clean grout looks dramatically better than dirty grout, and will make any room seem brand new. Now, get scrubbing!

Snake the PlumbingThis is a chore that usually em-ploys the use of professionals. However, a DIY treatment is

not impossible. It’s an often un-pleasant task, but doing it your-self will teach you a lot about what’s been sitting in your pipes, and knowing that will help you keep them clean in the future.

Cleaning the Toilet TankAnother plumbing-related task, this can turn out almost impos-sible to accomplish if it remains overlooked. This can be worse especially if your home is in a place with hard water. The tank of the toilet needs to be regular-ly scrubbed. If avoided, neglect of this task can also result in a toilet overflow, or the breaking or malfunction of an important flushing mechanism. Toilets that don’t flush are useless, so remember, the water in the tank is clean, if you keep it that way.

Sweeping BehindKitchen AppliancesIf you’re like many folks, you’ve

forgotten that your stove can ac-tually be moved. Unfortunately, the kitchen is a great place for infestations to start if the ap-pliances aren’t regularly moved and swept behind. Refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, and any other moveable appliance should be carefully and regularly swept be-hind.

Clean That SewerMaybe you’ve never even con-sidered the fact that a sewer must be cleaned, or maybe you’ve been avoiding the task since you purchased your house over a decade ago, but there’s good news. There are folks who can do this nasty task for you, they’re called professionals. Don’t suffer through accom-plishing this task without the experts. Knowing that you can check this off your list with a quick phone call ought to make it much easier to accomplish.

Four Christmas Decorating Motifs To Consider

Commonly Missed Chores

Disclaimer: The views or opinions presented in this publication are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Employees of ABSTRACT MEDIA GROUP COM-PANY LIMITED are expressly required not to make defamatory statements and not to infringe or authorize any infringement of copyright or any other legal right. Any such article is contrary to company policy and is outside the scope of the employment of the individual writer concerned. The company will not accept any liability in respect of such article, and the employee responsible will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising.

www.abstracthome.com DECEMBER 2013 ABSTRACT HOME 1

Lights are a big part of Christmas décor. If you want to utilize lights to

create the perfect atmosphere, but you don’t want to waste money and energy we have some tips for you. We also have some safety tips mixed in here as well.

Unpack carefully. Lights break and glass cuts. So unpack your lights gingerly, looking for and replacing broken bulbs along the way.

Extension cords are your friends. Splurge on heavy-duty extension cords that are UL-listed for outdoor use. To avoid overloading, only link five strings of lights together before plugging into an extension cord.

LEDs cost less to light. LED Christmas lights use roughly 70% to 90% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. You can safely connect many more LED light strings than incandescent. Downside: Some think they don’t burn as brightly as incan-descent bulbs.

Solar lights cost nothing to run. Solar Christmas lights are roughly four times more ex-pensive to buy than LEDs, but

they cost zero to run. They’re a bright-burning, green alterna-tive. Downside: If there’s no sun during the day, there’s no light at night. The jury’s also still out on how long they last; they’re too new on the market for re-sults.

Dismantle lights sooner than later. Sun, wind, rain, and snow all take their toll on Christmas lights. To extend the life of lights, take them down immediately af-ter the holidays. The longer you leave them up, the sooner you’ll have to replace them.

Plan next year’s display on Boxing Day. Shop the after-Christmas sales to get the best prices on lights and blowups that you can proudly display next year. Stock up on your fa-vorite lights so you’ll have spares when you need them (and after they’re discontinued).

Permanent attachments save time. If you know you’ll always hang lights from eaves, install permanent light clips that will save you hanging time each year. You’ll get a couple/three years out of the clips before sun eats the plastic.

Find those blueprints. Instead of guessing how many light

strings you’ll need, or meas-uring with a tape, dig up your house blueprints or house loca-tion drawings (probably with your closing papers) and use those measurements as a guide.

Store them in a ball. It sounds counterintuitive, but the best way to store lights is to ball them up. Wrap five times in one direction, then turn the ball 90 degrees and repeat. Store your light balls in cardboard box-es, rather than in plastic bags: Cardboard absorbs residual moisture and extends the life of your lights.

Additional Safety Tips1) Make sure any frayed leads

or broken connectors are re-placed before use.

2) Tempting as it may be, never overload sockets with your Christmas lights as this could result in overheating, electric shocks, short-circuiting and potentially cause a fire

3) To cope with weather, exte-rior Christmas lights should either be low voltage - 12V or 24V - or protected by a Residual Current Device (RCD) that will automati-cally kick into action and break the circuit in the event of an earth fault. Cables should never be fed through

doors or windows, as this could cause damage.

4) Ensure that cables are fully unwound. They can over-heat and potentially cause a fire if they are left coiled on a reel.

5) Take care. Trailing wires and lighting leads are one of the most common causes of household trips and falls. Ensure that any cables or extension leads are not left across pathways, and cannot be easily grabbed by children and pets.

6) Never have any lighting equipment, decorative or otherwise, near a water source.

7) Turning off the Christmas lights before going to bed or when away from home will greatly reduce the risk of fire.

8) And if you need to buy new lights as last year's ones real-ly have seen better days, only buy from reputable outlets. There are lots of budget ver-sions out there, especially at car boot sales, but these are often not up to the required safety standards.

9) Always check for the Eu-ropean Standard CE mark when buying new lights.

10) Make sure lights you buy are suitable for the voltage they are being connected to.

What You Need To Know About Lights

LIVING QUARTERS

ABSTRACT HOME DECEMBER 2013 www.abstracthome.com2

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One of the most dreaded home repair problems one usually is plumbing.

These issues may not always be obvious, but they would more than likely cost you a lot of mon-ey in long-term damage to your home if not spotted right away. Be extremely vigilant with your plumbing and if there are any warning signs do not hesitate to call a professional plumber. If you are not sure what warning signs to look out for, the infor-mation detailed herein should help you.

• Faucets make a screech-ing sound when turned on. This happens when there is air in the pipes, which could possibly indicate that the air "bleed-off" system is not working correctly.

• You notice low water pres-sure. This can be caused by factors such as clogged pipes, a leak elsewhere in the plumbing or incorrectly sized pipes that are inad-equate to provide sufficient water pressure.

• Pinging, rattling or other noises from the plumbing can indicate that air has be-come trapped in the pipes.

• Enclosed spaces in your home such as crawl spaces should be inspected for wet spots or mold, which can in-dicate a leak.

• Poke your head under the sinks in your kitchen and bath. Look for wet spots ei-ther along the pipes or un-derneath them.

• If a sink has not been used

for a while, you may notice the drain smells bad. The P-trap (the portion of the pipes under the sink that prevents smells from coming back up the drain) may have dried up. Simply run the sink for a minute to refill the P-trap with water and see if that eliminates the smell.

• If your drains gurgle, this is a sign that there is a blockage in the pipe that is trapping air. Once the blockage is re-moved, the gurgling should stop.

• If the toilet frequently backs up and you need to plunge it, this may be a sign that the septic tank needs to be emp-tied or that tree roots have grown into the pipes and are causing a blockage.

• The water heater should be inspected for any signs of rust or corrosion on the tank or the pipes. If you have a gas-powered water heater, check the gas lines by putting soapy water on them and watching for bubbles, which could indicate a gas leak.

• If you notice brown or dis-colored water coming out of your faucets, you may have an old water heater that needs to be replaced.

• When the faucets are turned on, they leak water. This gen-erally indicates that the O-rings or washers need to be replaced. If the faucets drip when not turned on, they may have a mineral build-up or need to be replaced alto-gether.

• A drain that is slow is gen-erally a sign of a blockage in the pipe. You might be able to remedy this by using a commercially available drain cleaning solution to dissolve the blockage, or you can try using a plumber's "snake" tool to break up and dislodge the blockage.

• If possible, locate your main water shut-off valve and turn off the water to your home. When the water is turned off, check the meter to see if it is still running. If it is running with the water turned off, this may indicate a leak.

Identifying Plumbing Problems

LIVING QUARTERS


Nobody likes stinky sur-roundings, especially when those surround-

ings are your home. A fine fra-grance is a welcome addition to the ambiance of your abode. However, with so many people leaning toward going green, just buying an everyday air refresher may not be a popular choice. Why not opt for a homemade solution with the same fresh-smelling results? Here are some homemade fragrance options for your home. Deodorizing Spray[Air Freshener]8 drops lavender essential oil4 drops bergamot essential oil½ cup vodka½ cup distilled water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spritz into the air four or five times in areas you feel need

freshening, being careful to avoid your eyes when spraying.

Please note that green air fresheners work best in a misting

spray bottle or atomizer rather than a typical spray bottle.

For Alkaline Odors2 tables white vinegar at least2 cups water

Add the vinegar and water to a spray bottle. Shake to blend. Spray stains or problem areas generously. Don’t rinse for 15 minutes or so. If the odor per-sists, add another 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the bottle and spray again. For Acid Odors2 tablespoons baking soda or borax2 cups water

Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and pour into a spray bottle. Shake to blend. Spray problem areas generous-ly. Don’t rinse unless there is a residue.

LIVING QUARTERS

Skylights are as much a functional part of the home as they are aes-

thetic. These overhead windows which come in all shapes and sizes are great ways to introduce natural light into a space. Here are some of the benefits of in-corporating skylight architec-ture to your home.

Reduced energy consump-tion: The lessened dependency on artificial lighting can help re-duce the use of electricity by as much as 10 percent.

Reduction of mildew or mold buildup: Most diseases, espe-cially chronic respiratory prob-lems, are often associated with bacterial and fungal buildup in damp areas such as bathrooms. Natural lighting can naturally lessen the production of harm-

ful organisms. Sunlight is con-sidered to be one of the best natural disinfectants.

Healthy dose of vitamin D: Ample amounts of sunlight can prevent vitamin D and B1 defi-ciencies that may cause diseases such as rickets and beriberi.

Increased visual appeal to interiors: Natural illumination is still the best type of lighting system used in interior design. It can be a challenging, yet reward-ing task to successfully incorpo-rate natural light into a structure or building. Daylight provides better aesthetics, better color, better definition of space, and highlights architectural details.

There are also additional health benefits to using skylights.

Natural sunlight is a free and

available mood enhancer. It en-courages us to produce vitamin D and protects us from seasonal mood changes.

Poor lighting can cause eye fatigue and headaches, which can make us feel depressed or ill.

Insufficient natural lighting can trigger depression and even have a negative effect on our im-mune system.

Bright lighting stimulates the mind (which is why it’s great for task illumination) while dim illumination quiets our senses and can make us feel drowsy (which is why it’s great for the bedroom).

Natural lighting stimulates faster recovery from illness or operations.

Sunlight can help to lower blood pressure, which can lead to reduced stress and a variety of other health benefits.

Homemade Fragrance Options

Why Install a Skylight?


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In Trinidad and Tobago like anywhere else in the world, bad stuff happens. Having

an adequate emergency fund (EF) has and will always be im-portant; the idea of the current recession only exaggerates this point. When we face a finan-cial emergency, like an auto re-pair or unexpected medical bill, without insurance, how do we pay for this not budgeted item? Your credit card bill may be al-ready maxed out and you may be forced to rely on expensive pay-day loans or cash advances.

Having an EF in TrinidadImagine having a reserve of cash you could use to cover an emer-gency. You wouldn’t have to bor-row from next week’s paycheck nor put the balance on a credit card with a high interest rate. You could pull from your ‘sav-ings’ and you wouldn’t be left owing anything to anyone. Ex-cept those savings will be your EF.

The ideal emergency fund is

large enough to cover three to six months of living expenses. That way, if you lose your job, you’d have enough money to pay your bills for up to six months while looking for another. The self-employed person should try for closer to six months worth of living expenses.

This emergency fund does more than bridge the gap in your income. It serves as a safety net when unexpected expenses arise. Automobile accident – we know Trini drivers- sud-

den medical procedure, Tyrone broke his spectacles, again! We are constantly presented with these monetary challenges.

What Happens When You Don’t Have OneIf a financial emergency came up today, say you’re caught out on the shoulder and have to fork over $2,000 or go to prison… how would you pay for it? If you use money currently in your checking account, you risk miss-ing other bills. This spirals into an abyss of late payments you don’t want to venture into. You could borrow it, but could you really afford to pay it back with your next paycheck? Or will it roll over to the next, continu-ously?

Build and Use Your EFAn EF should be spent on things you need, not things you simply want. Not the latest Blackberry – trust me they’ll upgrade in 2 months and you’ll still be be-hind. Use only for true emer-

gencies.To deal with the temptation

of dipping in, keep your EF sep-arate from your regular checking and savings accounts. In fact, creating a separate fund, provid-ed just for these by local banks, is a good idea – out of sight out of mind!

If you’re like most people (like me!) you probably don’t have three months of living expens-es lying around. Building the emergency fund will take time. That’s perfectly fine. Start with what you can – that way you im-mediately have a small cushion in case of an emergency - and keep contributing until it’s at a realistic level. When you do break that bank for an emergen-cy, be sure to replace what you’ve used to be able to afford another emergency, yes, throughout life they’re gonna keep right on pop-ping up. As your lifestyle chang-es and living expenses increase; check your EF level to make sure it matches those needs.

HOmE OFFICE

The Importance Of An Emergency Fund


Adorn your tree with a multitude of

decorations and a crowded base for an

elaborate, but not overdone finish

ELEGANT IDEAS

That Christmas

Feeling


Stuffed animals are a great option to presents under the Christmas tree

ELEGANT IDEAS

12 ABSTRACT HOME DECEMBER 2013 www.abstracthome.com

A faux fireplace with decorations on the

mantle combines with a traditional tree to

create a holiday vibe

ELEGANT IDEAS


An all-white tree and backdrop symbolizes the purity and innocence of the Christ child while gold symbolizes he is King

ELEGANT IDEAS

14 ABSTRACT HOME DECEMBER 2013 www.abstracthome.com

A scantily decorated tree

is made up for with a rich

holiday-themed backdrop

ELEGANT IDEAS

15www.abstracthome.com DECEMBER 2013 ABSTRACT HOME

Even the best chefs are al-ways looking for the latest tips and tricks to getting

dishes prepared faster or tastier. This ten tips will boost your kitchen savvy and give you great results.

1A teaspoon of sugar mixed with your yeast and water

makes it raise better. Even if you are making bread you can use some sugar. Never mix salt di-rectly with the yeast and water mixture as the salt kills the rais-ing action.

2Add two teaspoons of vine-gar to Jell-O and it will keep

the Jell-O from melting when you serve it.

3To pare pineapple easily cut into rings and peel each slice

separately.

4Wrap parsley in foil first, then freeze. Shave off as

much as needed, rewrap and re-turn to the freezer. It will retain its flavor and freshness.

5For fried foods that require flouring, try pancake flour

for a change, it’s quite nice.

6When boiling milk, first stir in a pinch of baking soda.

This will help keep the milk from curdling.

7Pickle Juice uses: Use sweet pickle juice to thin salad

dressing or make French dress-ing with instead of vinegar. It’s much more delicious.

8Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water

when cooking rice, this will keep rice fluffy.

9For crisper salads: Place a saucer upside down in the

bottom of the salad bowl before filling with salad. Excess mois-ture will run underneath the saucer and this will help keep the salad crisp and fresh.

10Baking bread? Do not preheat. When you

light your oven, pop in the bread pans immediately and you’ll be amazed at the resulting lightness of the bread.

KITCHEN

Regular Cake Baking MistakesIf you end up baking a cake

which has a very uneven top, where one side may

be much taller than the other. There are several reasons that can cause these results. Here are just a few:

If you are baking more than one pan in the oven, you may not have adequate air circulation. If the side of the pans are touching or too close you can get results like this. When you poured the batter into the pan, you may not have tapped it down or spread it out to make sure that it was evenly distributed across the bottom. These cake mistakes create uneven cakes.

Your oven may be heating unevenly which will produce an uneven cake. You will need to test this by placing pieces of bread across every inch of rack space with your oven set at 300 degrees. After a few minutes start keeping a close eye on the

bread. Are any pieces browning faster than others? Once your

test is complete (before the bread starts burning) turn off

the heat of your oven and open the door to let cool a bit. Using a pair of tongs remove the bread. Your oven or the racks may not be level. While the oven is cool grab a common level to check and see if your oven is truly level.

Picking the right pan for making a cake is also impor-tant. If you are baking pies and breads, use a dark pan which will aid in browning the crusts better. When baking cookies or cakes, use a shiny pan. This will help prevent over darken-ing of the bottoms and sides. And if you decide to use a glass pan, don’t forget to reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees. You may also want to check for doneness a few minutes before the timer goes off. Make sure you used the right size pan. The uncooked mixture should fill the pan by no more than two-thirds.

Cooking Tips And Tricks


Christmas is a time when most of the baking is done in Trini households

and if you are looking for a twist on your oven baked goodies, these recipes are for you.

CRAN-ORANGE BREAD

Ingredients2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 3/4 cups white sugar1/2 cup butter, melted1 cup mandarin orange seg-ments, drained2 cups cranberries2 eggs3/4 cup milk3/4 cup sour cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon orange extract

DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans.In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and white sugar. Mix in the melted butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Stir in the cranberries and oranges. In a separate bowl or large measur-ing cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, vanilla and orange extract. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Divide the bat-ter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven un-til a toothpick inserted into the crown comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in the pans for a while, then remove from the pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.

CHRISTmAS FRUITCAKE

Ingredients1/8 cup chopped dried cherries1/8 cup chopped dried mango1/4 cup dried cranberries1/4 cup dried currants

2 tablespoons chopped candied citron1/4 cup dark rum1/2 cup butter1/4 cup packed brown sugar1 egg1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/8 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 cup unsulfured molasses2 tablespoons milk1/4 cup chopped pecans1/4 cup dark rum, divided

DirectionsSoak cherries, mango, cranber-ries, currants, and citron in 1/4 cup rum for at least 24 hours. Cover tightly, and store at room temperature.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 6x3-inch round pan or loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Whisk to-gether flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix into but-ter and sugar in three batches, alternating with molasses and milk. Stir in soaked fruit and chopped nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan.Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons rum.Cut out one piece parchment paper and one piece cheese-cloth, each large enough to wrap around the cake. Moisten cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Arrange cheesecloth on top of parchment paper, and unmold cake onto it. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with re-maining rum. Wrap the cheese-cloth closely to the surface of

the cake, then wrap with paper. Place in an airtight tin, and age for at least 10 weeks. If storing longer, douse with additional rum for every 10 weeks of stor-age.

SImPLE WHOLEWHEAT BREAD

Ingredients3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast1/3 cup honey5 cups bread flour3 tablespoons butter, melted1/3 cup honey1 tablespoon salt3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour2 tablespoons butter, melted

DirectionsIn a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 min-utes, or until big and bubbly.Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an ad-ditional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 de-grees C) for 25 to 30 minutes;

do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 table-spoons melted butter or marga-rine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool com-pletely

GINGER COOKIES

Ingredients2 cups sifted all-purpose flour1 tablespoon ground ginger2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon salt3/4 cup shortening1 cup white sugar1 egg1/4 cup dark molasses1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl.Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shorten-ing mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet.Bake in preheated oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.

Let’s Bake

RECIPES


6 Wedding Makeup Mistakes

When getting ready for weddings, many women think the

bigger the event, the thicker the makeup. Unfortunately that usu-ally results in brides who look like Ronald McDonald, or a ghost who just came out of mime school. This is a definite no-no for your big day. It is important that a blushing bride get her makeup just right. In order to do so, there are some key mistakes to avoid. We hooked up with our beauty experts and got them to share their wealth of experience on what no bride should do when it comes to wedding day makeup.

1. Too much makeupThere’s no faster way to make yourself look like a clown than applying too much makeup. Even if it’s the right color, too much lipstick will make you look like your Great Tantie Doris, and it’s liable to end up all over the place – including on your nice dress – in a few minutes. Packing on the foundation might be good in construction, but on your face it will make you look faker than an orange hundred-dollar bill. Makeup should not hide your ability to show your emotions. It isn’t botox. When it comes to mascara… less is definitely more.

2. Forgetting supplies Some makeup artistes will apply your makeup, take their payment

and go their merry way promis-ing you that no touch ups will be needed. Clearly, they either used a miracle makeup that only they know about or they are selling you a dream. You will need blot-ting papers or powder to control face shine before photos, lipstick to reapply and maybe sealer to prep for all those celebration kisses. Plus, some liner or eye shadow is a must for refreshing after tears. With that said, mira-cle makeup or not, always try to use waterproof mascara.

3. Pre - ApplicationProceduresBecause a wedding is supposed to be a once-in-a lifetime event, people get tempted to do drastic procedures to change or enhance their appearance pre-wedding. This is one of the biggest mis-takes that a bride can make and

the majority of brides do make it. Avoid rushing out to get the ex-treme facial procedures like peel-ings, tans, teeth whitening, and etcetera. The consequences could be harsh. Continue with your reg-ular skincare procedures, but also try to maintain healthy diet, and get enough exercise and sleep. You don’t want to apply makeup to raw, peeling and sensitive skin.

4. Choosing Bold TrendsTrendy makeup might be cool for that one-nighter with the friends at club Zen. However, your wed-ding photos are going to end up in a family album some day and five years down the road you will want to watch them without be-ing embarrassed. Don’t go for flashy colors that you might re-gret later on. And if you insist on bold colors for your eye shadow, or if you have wanted to wear fuchsia lipstick to your wedding ever since you were 7, make sure that you choose one colorful makeup item, and keep the rest simple.

5. Wearing too littlecoverageWear makeup to suit your skin type; you want more of a matte finish for the oilier skins and a radiant finish for a drier skin. The most important part of photography is the finish to the skin. You want the face to look flawless. For instance, if under

eye circles are not concealed properly, the eyes will get lost in the photo. We do appreciate the natural look, but your wedding is not a natural event and a tad more emphasis should be put on coverage than normal.

6. makeup that is not youMakeup should merely be an ex-tension of you. It should be used to enhance your look. Never choose to invent a new you on your wedding day. In other words, if you never wear much makeup, don’t walk down the aisle looking like you lost a fight with a tranny. Use the help of a professional to determine which look best suits you. Also, don’t try to influence the wedding party’s makeup look too much. Let them keep their personalities (and dignity) intact and wear looks that suit them. Don’t give everyone bright shad-ows to match the dresses. With that said, don’t let anyone overdo it with the makeup either. Be a leader and don’ let anyone spoil your wedding photos for you.

As an added bonus tip, wear a white top when you have a make-up trial run. A colored or a black shirt changes the whole color pal-ette. Or if you don't have a white top, put a white towel around your neck and take a few pictures like that. It gives a realistic idea of how the palette is going to look on the day.

BRIDAL


Have you made your Christmas shopping list? Still can’t decide what to

purchase for Mum or your sis-ter? Some families reveal subtle hints describing their Christmas gifts as Christmas Day nears so it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what they want. If not, ask them. Working with a budget is also a great idea because it makes it easier to allocate your finances so that you don’t go overboard and spend money on one gift while not having enough for the other. The key is to try to deter-mine a person’s likes so that the gift you purchase would suit their personality.

mom- Please don’t buy her any-thing for the house, this really upsets so mothers. Think about what she goes crazy over. Does she like shoes? What about a perfume set? Is there a handbag that she has been hinting that she wants throughout the year? These make perfect gifts. Don’t have enough money? No prob-lem. Make her something from the heart; collect beads and make

a chain or bracelet that only the two of you would own.

Dad- Dad’s are never fussy and the good thing about them is that they like gadgets. Forget the shirts, ties and socks; leave that for relatives who don’t know any better. Power tools are al-

ways a favourite; those’re their toys. Some fathers like to read so books are always an option. What about lovely pen sets so that they can use them while at the office? If you want a cheaper alternative, try framing a picture of the family so that he can put it on his desk in the office.

Brother- Depending on your brother’s age, he can be the simplest person to buy for es-pecially if he’s younger because they always tell you. Make it easy on yourself, just listen. Maybe they’ll want a new bicy-cle or that new truck they saw on the television. You buy them what they want and they’ll be the happiest little troopers on Christmas Day. Of course when they get older their choices vary but if he’s a gamer, buy new games or try to purchase items based on his likes.

Sister- This is probably the hardest gift that you will have to purchase since a girl’s prefer-ences change all the time. Ask her what she wants so that it makes it easier for you when purchasing gifts. If not, jewelry is never a bad choice for wom-en, whether it’s a pair of ear-rings or a nice watch. Does she have a crush on a favourite mu-sician? Buy the album or para-phernalia relating to the artiste. Girls love keepsakes and these would suit her style.

Holiday Gift Ideas For The Family

FAmILY


Handbags have the po-tential to flatter your figure and complete a

favourite outfit. You might end up carrying your handbag every day for months on end so it is essential that you choose one that is right for you!The tips below explain an easy to remember process for choosing the right handbag every time.

LengthThere is one easy rule to re-member here. The part of your body where the bottom of the bag sits will be accentuated. So, if you have small, boy hips, having a bag which sits on your hips will make your shape look more feminine. If you have large hips, try a bag which sits at your waist line, accentuat-ing the tapering of your waist and making you look slimmer. Handbags that sit at waist level will flatter most shapes in fact, so it is always good to have a bag of this type in your collec-tion.

SizeDon’t be tempted just to fol-low the fashion here, very small bags on very tall girls will get lost, and alternatively if you are

on the short side, you will be swamped with a large or over-sized bag!

ShapeTry to choose a handbag which compliments your own shape. To do this, think about your overall shape and buy hand-bags with opposite features. If you are tall and slim, choose a handbag which is rounded and slouchy. If you are short and curvy, handbags with strong an-gles will look great on you.

StyleThink about your general style. If you usually wear casual clothes, going for a very formal handbag is not a good idea! This can be tricky, so make sure you do a bit of research. Look in fashion magazines for mod-els wearing similar style clothes to you, then make a note of the types of handbags that they have been dressed with. You may not like that particular handbag, but note the style, and think about whether you would like it in a different col-our, a different material, or if it were slightly bigger or smaller. The main thing is to note the style, i.e. if it is a tote, a clutch, or a slouch shoulder bag.

Razor bumps occur after shaving, when strands of hair curl back and grow

into the skin. These unsightly bumps can show up on legs, underarms, face and for ladies the bikini area. Since this area is such a sensitive spot, certain precautionary measures should be taken so that these do not become a nuisance in the future. If applied correctly, these seven steps can help prevent the onset of razor bumps after shaving.

1Always use a new razor. The new razor would give a clean, sharp shave

every time rather than an old one with dull blades. Dull blades can mean more exertion and friction which can cause the area to become irritated.

2Use quality brand ra-zors on sensitive areas. It may cost a few extra

dollars, but a brand name razor can be the difference between a smooth shave and irritation, which causes razor bumps. Brand name razors are trusted and usually come with a per-manent body, so that only the heads of the razors need to be disposed.

3Keep the bikini area clean- Ensure that is area is washed properly and

if you have extra sensitive skin,

anti-bacterial soaps can be used to prevent infection and irrita-tion. Ensure that the underwear is not too tight so that it cuts into skin, as this can lead to irri-tation and cause problems when shaving.

4Soak the area before shaving. This may seem unnecessary to some but

soaking the area in warm water before shaving can help to open up the pores, so that hair re-moval can be made easier. You can take a warm bath before shaving, or apply a warm, damp washcloth to the area for a cou-ple of minutes.

5This one’s a given but for persons who are new to shaving or may have nev-

er heard of this rule, you shave in the direction the hair is growing.

6Maintain effective af-ter-care. Avoid putting creams or lotions on the

area, especially right after shav-ing. If the area is too dry, apply pure Vitamin E to the area and gently rub into skin. Creams that contain glycolic acid help to remove old surface skin cells and may help reduce the chanc-es of new razor bumps forming. Avoid lotions that contain alco-hol, even in small portions, as these will burn and irritate the skin

Preventing Bikini Bumps

POWDER ROOm WARDROBE

Choosing A Handbag


Stress should not be over-looked. Harbouring stressful habits can lead

to serious health problems in the long run. Eliminating stress from your life is crucial to your overall happiness. These three tips will help you deal with this problem.

Stay PositiveThis is a learned technique that can lead to a more joyful life and likely much better health, as those who are optimistic have an easier time dealing with stress, and are more inclined to open themselves up for opportunities to have positive, regenerative experiences. Try keeping a list of all that you’re grateful for and make a commitment to stop any negative self-talk.

Stay ConnectedLoneliness can be a major source of stress, so make a point to con-nect with those around you – even a quick chat while in line at the grocery store. Work your way up to volunteering, attend-ing community events, meeting acquaintances for coffee or tak-

ing a class to meet others with like interests.

Eat RightSchedule time to eat with-out rushing, and make sure to maintain optimal gut health by regularly consuming fermented foods, such as fermented veg-etables, or taking a high-quality probiotic supplement. Scientific evidence shows that nourishing your gut flora with the friendly bacteria within fermented foods or probiotics is extremely im-portant for proper brain func-tion, including psychological well-being and mood control.

Beauty isn’t all about makeup. After all, it’s not like we can wear

makeup to the beach (though some of us do, but that’s an-other article all together). True beauty comes naturally. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work to obtain your goals. With the Carnival season right around the cor-ner we found it fitting to share some fitness and diet tips on achieving the perfect beach bikini body.

A good exercise routine is vi-tal to maintaining a fine beach figure. Here are some tips:

• Abs. Flatten the abs with aerobic dance exercises that include bending and twisting.

• Arms and shoulders. Work arms and shoulders by us-ing a dual-action elliptical trainer, the kind where you move both arms and legs.

• Hips and legs. Whittle down your hips and legs by taking spin classes.

• Butt. Choose cardio ex-ercises such as running or walking – or use a stair climbing machine.

A healthy diet is also key to creating and maintaining a

body that your best critics would kill for. All you really need to do is stay motivated and focused and you'll see re-sults in no time at all. When counting calories, remember that one pound equals 3500 calories. A safe and healthy way to lose weight and diet is by reducing your daily calo-rie intake by 500 calories per day. Eat plenty of protein, stay away from high carb meals, sugar (unless it's natural sugar found in fruits). Opt for wa-ter over fruit juices and so-das and by all means, try your best to stay away from alcohol. They're empty calories that will counteract all of the hard work you've put in up to that point.

• Fruit salad with delicious seasonal fruits

• Low-fat yogurt mixed with low-fat granola

• Carrots, celery or bell pep-pers dipped in salsa or re-duced-fat hummus

• A slice of whole-grain bread with reduced-fat peanut butter

These tips should help you get your beach bod in gear during fete and swimsuit season. Get on board the fitness train and meet us in Maracas.

Three Tips To Be Stress Free

HOmE GYmmEDICINE CABINET

Life’s A BeachGet Your Body Bikini Ready


Not many Trinbagonians are keen on the idea of having pet snakes or

any exotic pet for that matter. Locally, people would prefer to eat reptiles (iguana comes to mind) than take care of them. Yet, there are instances where you will find pet snakes being bred in some households. If you are thinking about joining that rare fraternity, these tips should help to prepare you.

Some snakes do much bet-ter in captivity than others, so you'll want to choose a species that is known for health and hardiness in captivity.

Some snakes have wilder, aggressive temperaments than others. You'll want a type of snake that is easy to tame and is known for its good tempera-ment.

Some snakes are not in-clined to eat frozen, thawed ro-dents. Most people, especially novice owners, won't want to feed live prey to their snake, so a species of snake known to be a good eater – one that will be content with frozen/thawed ro-dents – is the way to go.

Some snakes grow very large as adults, and most people don't have unlimited space to keep a snake. A snake cage about four

feet in length is a good size for most homes, and a snake that grows to between four and five feet will be comfortable in a habitat that size. Please do not buy a snake that you will not be able to house when it becomes an adult.

Captive-bred snakes are generally healthier than wild snakes. The stress of captiv-ity on wild snakes makes them more susceptible to illness; wild snakes also typically carry a lot of parasites. Captive-bred snakes are generally easier to handle and more willing to eat frozen, thawed prey.

I do not recommend pur-chasing wild-caught snakes for several reasons, the most im-portant one being you are re-moving them from their natural habitat where, in my opinion, they deserve to be.

Car owners would always want their car perform-ing in tip-top shape.

Some would go even further and want an extra boost in perfor-mance. Well that is actually pos-sible and it doesn’t take much to get those results.

Clean out your car. The less your car weighs the faster it will go. If you are using your trunk as a mobile closet it’s time to find a new storage place for your stuff. If you keep your golf clubs in the trunk or you still have the heavy duty tools you used to help your mom with her landscaping, get rid of them. Not only will you be faster from a dead start but you will increase your mpg a bit as well.

Secondly, try to optimize where the rubber meets the road. How often do you check your tire pressure? Let me rephrase that. Have you ever checked your tire pressure…with a tire pressure gauge? Underinflated tires have a much larger “foot-print” meaning there is a greater amount of friction between the road and the car than properly inflated tires offer. Less fric-tion means less energy (power) required to overcome friction making more power available to go faster. Plus you can save big bucks on your gas bill.

A next tip for enhancing your car’s power is to reduce

friction inside your engine. En-gines rely on motor oil to lubri-cate internal parts and reduce friction. Conventional petro-leum based motor oils are sub-ject to breaking down and leav-ing damaging sludge if they are exposed to sustained heat (like when an engine is running). If you want to eliminate the pow-er used to overcome the excess friction caused by conventional oil switch to synthetic. Syn-thetic does not break down in heat (it was originally designed for jet engines) and is a must if you have a turbocharged engine or drive like you were on a race track.

Improve combustion. One of the easiest ways to get a big-ger bang out of internal com-bustion is to feed your engine cool air. Cool air is denser meaning it has more oxygen and it has a greater capacity to violently expand at combus-tion than thinner hot air. An easy way to get cool air is by in-stalling a cool air intake system. Basically these come as kits and take less than 2 hours to install. They move the air intake away from the engine to grab cooler air and then they send that air to the engine in a straight line unlike the bends and curves of a factory installed system. His will give you a significant in-crease in horsepower.

PETSGARAGE

Tips To Boost Engine Performance Recommendations

For Owning APet Snake


Ocean travel is a great thrill and relaxer to many and an absolute

nightmare for others. While the smell and sight of the sea might be beautiful to some, motion sickness on the water is a reality many others face. Your ocean journey need not be a harrow-ing experience for your health. There are measures that can help you deal with sea sickness.

Don't drink caffeine for at least 24 hours before getting on the boat, or on the boat. If you have a high intake of caf-feine you may temporarily suf-fer with a headache, which you won't want if you're feeling sea-sick

Don’t eat greasy, heavy and acidic foods, but do eat some-thing light an hour before the boat leaves so your stomach has something to process. Be wary of dressings on salads as they often contain vinegar, which is acidic and also fruit juices. If it's breakfast simple foods such as cereals and porridge are much better than a traditional Eng-lish fry-up. Ginger is also good

at preventing sea sickness and will act as a remedy and comes in several forms, including bis-cuits or cookies

Avoid alcohol on the boat and the night before getting on the boat. If you are on a ex-tended voyage it's a good idea to wait until you get your "sea legs" before taking on alcohol, caffeine or acidic drinks

A good night's sleep before a boat trip will help. It's dif-ficult if you're anxious about being sea sick, but it will help. Try to arrive at the boat relaxed and looking forward to the trip rather than dreading it

Once on the boat stay in a

spot with plenty of fresh air and shade but make sure you don't get too hot and take frequent sips of water to avoid dehydra-tion and on long trips or cruises eat light snacks rather than get hungry

Stay as far away from diesel and exhaust fumes as possible, and if you are on a smaller boat avoid leaving the engine run-ning unnecessarily, particularly when stationery as the exhaust fumes tend to come back into the boat

If you are on a fishing trip or sailing prepare your equip-ment preferably on shore or on board before setting off, there-

by reducing the amount of time spent below deck or searching in lockers, where you can't see and anticipate the boat's move-ments. Don't forget that the boat will move even when sta-tionary, particularly if people and equipment is being loaded at the same time and concen-trating on loading a boat can start the onset of sea sickness. If you do have to go below don't get sidetracked, and if possible ask someone else to go

If you are sailing running with the wind coming from be-hind the boat, is most likely to cause sea sickness as this point of sailing has by far the great-est rolling action. Instead sail a broad reach, which will take longer but will be more com-fortable

Once underway don't read, use binoculars or cameras for any great length of time and try to keep the horizon in sight, but don't concentrate or stare at it. Avoid staring at things that your brain would consider nor-mally stable, such as walls and furniture.

TRAVEL

Avoiding Sea Sickness


Abstract Home Is Published By Abstract Media Group, Premium Commercial Complex, San Juan, Trinidad, W.I. • Tel: (868) 638 1156/9 • Fax: (868) 638 1160. Printed By The Office Authority - Printing Division And Distributed By AMG

AB Home Vol. 4 Issue 20

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