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The RealReal is there for those who want to go all out this Valentine’s day. You know your beloved deserves to be pampered, so why not let the RealReal do the work for you? Then, all you have to do is choose something rather than stress out about a gift. The following are five gifts to give your wife or partner this holiday.

1. Mikoh One-Piece

It may be time to admit that the perfect gift for your beloved is a swimsuit piece. It is always hard to find the perfect piece. You need something that makes a statement and looks wonderful. Of course, it is always a good idea to look through your partner’s swim-wear to make sure you get swim-wear that your loved one likes. She might like this Mikoh Hawaii Hula one-piece. It is a classy and colorful piece that is not too trendy. It can definetly be worn a few seasons.

2. John Hardy Hoops

There are times when the best gift is jewelry. Your loved may like to show off jewelry from time to time, and wearing hoops is a great way to do that. This type of accessory simply does the trick from time to time, especially when she wants to look classy and chic at the same time. The John Hardy Two-Tone Palu hoop earrings are wonderfully designed, and the color could match any outfit. They are definitely worth the trouble, and they should make a great Valentine’s gift.

3. Gucci Loafers

Gucci loafers could also be the right gift. The Gucci loafers look stylish and comfortable. You want your loved one to walk on air, and why not let your Valentine walk in style, too? These are quite unique and should help make your partner feel special.

4. Rick Owens Beanie

If your loved one lives in a region that gets cold during the winter, you may want to consider this Rick Owens gift. The Rick Owens 2019 Wool Beanie looks spectacular, yet it is also a simple design that was made to be worn with almost anything. The natural fabric is soft but also warm as can be, making it ideal for any person who wants to stay warm and feel luxurious. You definitely cannot go wrong with this particular gift.

5. Fendi Bag Charm

Your partner may have a few purses, but there are some nice accessories out there. You can opt for a nice bag charm. These charms have a special way of revitalizing any purse in just one second. Fendi has a beautiful fox fur bag charm that your loved one can use with any purse. It will give all your loved ones bags a new look.

Hopefully, you find the perfect gift in this short list. Flowers are always a go too gift according to a company that offers hand bouquet in Singapore. Of course, you need to make sure you go with your heart when it comes to gifts, so make sure you are listening because it is whispering what your beloved really wants this Valentine’s.

The ability to perform at your highest level whether it is professionally, physically, or mentally can be a huge help in your overall quality of life. Too many people think it is not possible to be working at their highest level on a consistent basis. This is due to them not setting themselves up for success as they do not know what they are capable of. The best thing that you can do is take a proactive approach to your performance daily. The following are tips to help increase your quality of performance in a more regular way.

Eat With What You Are Doing Later In Mind

If you are going to hit a hard workout it is probably wise to avoid a greasy burger a few hours prior. Eat with what you have to do in mind later as this can make all of the difference. Drinking a cup of coffee at the right time can make you perky enough to meet with a boss that is not exactly your favorite or do a squat set that haunts your dreams. Take time to research what foods can be great for what activities at a health resource like Happy Body Formula. You might find that what you are eating actually has a negative impact on your performance.

Recovery Shakes/Supplements

People that exercise in an intense fashion need to be focusing on their recovery immediately after completing the workout. This window of time is optimum for recovery and allows a person to come back even stronger the next day. Chocolate milk has been shown to be great for recovery and many in the track and swimming community use it on a daily basis. Make sure that your recovery shake aligns with your goals as some can be quite high in calories.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is undervalued with some people being able to function with only a few hours of sleep while others need 8 hours or more. Each person differs immensely but knows how much sleep makes them feel great the next day. Far too many people stay up too late doing things that are worthless like binging Netflix when they could be getting their body/mind ready for the next day. If you are not getting sleep although trying seeing a specialist or looking into new mattresses can help.

Limit Alcohol Intake

Nobody performs at their peak when they have a hangover regardless of what people say of their younger days. This does not mean that you cannot have a glass of wine for dinner but do not continue drinking until you finish the bottle. The one aspect that many people forget about drinking alcohol is the immense appetite some people get. Downing a few burritos late at night might impact your performance the next day via stomach problems. Moderate your drinking to see if it impacts your performance and if it does not then you are not drinking too much.

Take the time to see where you want to perform at a higher level and set goals in place that will help you achieve this goal. You are capable of far more than you even think, start tapping into your true potential

Members of both genders hope to have better skin and are willing to try anything to attain it. The truth about skin is that it will take work as well as helping supplement natural oils with cleansing oils for the skin. Oils have been used for centuries as cleansing oils have done everything from softening skin to helping keep skin moisturized. Different oils have different benefits so a user could benefit from using multiple over the course of a day. The following are reasons that cleansing oils are the choice for softer and smoother skin.

There are plenty of skincare companies that offer cleansing oils but most have quite simple ingredients. Coconut and olive oil are used frequently to make skin soft and supple. Nut oils like that of the macadamia nut are also frequently used. The best thing that you can do with your cleansing oils is make them yourself as you know there will not be any extra additives that could be harmful to the skin.

Cleansing oils can also help remove makeup which can dry out the skin and become caked on. Keeping the skin moisturized in imperative when a person wants softer skin. Check out different brands of cleansing oils to see which has the purest ingredients and which can be made personally from home with just a few simply ingredients!

Hot peppers may seem like a fairly run-of-the-mill ingredient, but it could be the key to unleashing your brown adipose tissue (BAT) and getting rid of all that excess, unwanted fat.

Capsaicin (or Capsicum and industrially known as Capsimax) is the active ingredient in hot peppers and we’ve known about the fat burning power of Capsimax for years. Now though, we are starting to understand why in more detail, as more and more information becomes available about brown fat and its role in weight loss.

• What is Brown Adipose Tissue (Brown Fat)?

It’s understandable if people interpret the word “fat” as a negative thing. Sure enough, too much white fat is definitely a bad thing – known as obesity, and one of the single biggest health problems currently scourging the entire globe, most notably in the United States.

Actually too little white fat is a bad thing as well – after all, we need the stuff for a lot of metabolic functions and necessary processes all the way down to basic survival.

On the whole though, the amount of people without enough fat is a tiny number compared to the pandemic of obesity.

Brown Fat, on the other hand, we might want to stick around for our entire lives, and even keep growing if possible.

Why would we talk such utter profanity? – Because brown adipose tissue, or brown fat, or BAT, if you like acronyms – burns white fat…and white fat is the stuff that makes us look like wobbly pudding if we let it get out of hand. You see, brown fat has close family ties (i.e. stem cell lineage) with muscle tissue, which a lot of people could do with at least a little bit more of.

Found around our neck, shoulders, chest and spine, brown fat is incredibly powerful stuff considering we only have a few ounces of the stuff over our entire body.

When we were babies, it was essential for increasing our core temperature when we got cold – real survival stuff! Babies can’t shiver, and shivering is one of the methods by which we heat up as youngsters and adults. Therefore BAT acts as the radiator in lieu of a shivering mechanism.

• Shrinking White Fat

The heat comes from the mitochondria of cells – the little engine houses – as they kick up a few gears to warm the baby. By using fat to fuel the process they are essentially converting matter to energy and the stores of white fat shrink in the process.

As we get older we have less need for the system (because we can shiver) so the quantity of BAT doesn’t really grow. A few ounces to a baby was worth a lot more relative to the adult’s size.

The thing is, brown fat still can be activated – sleeping in a room at about 19 degrees celsius is one proven way – and it still burns other fat. It’s been found that people who naturally have more brown fat stores are generally leaner in body composition. And that’s why we want more of it, or at least, we want it to DO more!

• So Where Does Capsaicin/Capsicum Come In?

This ingredient is linked with lower levels of obesity in parts of the world where it is a regular addition to peoples’ diet. Clinical studies support this. Capsaicin has several effects which causes weight loss:

• Increases energy use through the activation of Brown Adipose Tissue
• Improves/increases lipolysis if taken before exercise
• Increases satiety (feeling of satisfaction from food) thereby acting as an appetite suppressant
• Sensory effect improves mood, reducing need for comfort food

There is still room for more study on Capsaicin but the evidence so far is piling up in its favour as an excellent and healthy fat loss ingredient.

Eating a whole lot of peppers might help get some of the effect but it probably isn’t the most practical method. Instead many supplements contain a refined extract which you are able to take in much higher concentrations, and there won’t be any hot-pepper burn either.

• What are the Best Capsaicin/Capsicum Supplements?

The trademarked industry standard extract is called Capsimax Most supplements containing that in a decent amount should give the desired effect. However, some products that have additional – synergistic – ingredients might tip the balance in their favour. More fat-burning for the same price, as it were.

A one-on-on with Raye Mitchell, author of How Women Negotiate From a Position of Strength.

Raye Mitchell, author How Women Negotiate From a Position of Strength, is on a mission to inspire women.  Mitchell is committed to helping women, particularly, young black women and girls, assert their power and better themselves.  For far too long the voices of women have been muted, their stories ignored, and their experiences dismissed.  Mitchell wants to help women find peace and common ground based on mutual respect and equality.

How Women Negotiate From a Position of Strength is an easy to follow, quick read. Complete with a step-by-step guide and an interactive work journal so the reader can instantly begin to blend thoughts and observations into an accountability plan with the insights captured in the book.

The book focuses on how to enhance negotiations with personal branding. Whether you are a woman making a decision early in your career, a mid-level manager, or a rising executive, How Women Negotiate From a Position of Strength helps you to master your rise-up in leadership.

Raye Mitchell inspired us, making us wanting to learn more.

 

Q. Why should people read your books?

A. I write about useable knowledge drawn from our common experiences as women, women of color and Black women.

Q. What is the core message you want to deliver to the world?

A. We are connected by our ability to build peace, find equality and be prepared to overcome set-backs and disappointments.

Q. What advice do you have for young black women and girls?

A. You are highly regarded, above average and brilliant contributing leaders designing a more better human condition of excellence. To beat the odds, be agile, be fair and be prepared to build bridges outside your comfort zones.

Q. What was the most rewarding part of doing what you do?

A. I love the prospects of helping someone get unstuck, breakdown barriers and personal obstacles to their personal success. I am a champion for hope and opportunity for all.

Q. Recommend a book from another author. Why should people read this book?

A. Standing Up After Saigon: The Triumphant Story of Hope, Determination, and Reinvention. Sharon Orlopp and Thuhang Tran.

This book inspires us all to hold on to what makes America work-diversity, inclusion, empathy and respect and not division, separation and isolation.

 

Rapid Fire Questions and Answers

Q.  Meat or Veggies?

A. Veggies

Q. The beach or the mountains?

A. BEACH

Q. Formal attire or yoga pants and a hoodie?

A. Yoga Pants

Q. Kittens or puppies?

A. Puppies

Q. Ninja or pirates?

A. Ninja

Q. Coachella or Broadway?

A. Broadway

Q. Selfie or group photo?

A. Selfie

Q. Alice in Wonderland or Lord of the Flies?

A. Alice in Wonderland

Q. Beyonce or Selena?

A. Beyonce

Q. Hardcover book or Kindle?

A. Hardcover book

Order your copy now on Amazon

Gabbing with author Laurel Anne Hill about her steampunk novel, The Engine Woman’s Light

Laurel Anne Hill is the author of the award-winning steampunk novel, The Engine Woman’s Light. The story is set in an alternate 19^th century California where steampunk and spirits are the new norm. A young Latina spiritualist is given a mission by her ancestors to save the lives of unwanted passangers on a train headed for misery.  Mysticism and adventure, the alternate reality of the novel incorporates Mexican and Native American cultures with steampunk enchantment.

Laurel drew inspiration for the novel from her own love for family, brushes with death, and belief in a higher power.  Step onboard the locomotive as we gab with the author of this exciting tale.

Q. What is something interesting/cool/unbelievable you discovered while researching your book?

A. I learned that my paternal Mexican great-grandmother, Hipolita Orendein de Medina, had been politically active, even in her teens. I also learned how to run a steam locomotive.

Q. Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?

A. I’m not sure about classical ghosts, but there are spirits out there. The spirit of my deceased husband, David, has made himself known to me upon a number of occasions.

Q. If your book was turned into a film/TV show, who would you tap to play the lead(s)? Why?

A. Hollywood isn’t known for its plethora of young Latina stars. Can anyone figure out how to call up the spirit of Selena Quintanilla-Perez? She might have some suggestions.

Q. Tell us something about you that no one else knows.

A. As a young child, I used to torture ants when they invaded the bathroom. Then I’d cry and apologize to their dead bodies.

Q. What is something you’ve always wanted to try but are afraid to?

A. For many years, I wanted to try sky diving. Fortunately, I grew out of the impulse before I grasped the opportunity to break every bone in my body.

Rapid Fire Questions and Answers

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars

The beach or the mountains?

The beach

Marvel or DC?

Marvel

Zombies or aliens?

Aliens

Alice in Wonderland or Harry Potter?

Harry Potter

London or Istanbul?

London

Selfie or group photo?

Group Photo

Kanye West or Taylor Swift?

May I ignore both of them?

Evening gown or yoga pants and a hoodie?

Evening gown

Cats or dogs?

Dogs

Find your copy of The Engine Woman’s Light on Amazon. 

An insight into the motivation behind the all-American book, Journeyman.

Mark Rose, author of Journeyman, has a fascination with the challenges humanity faces as technology rapidly evolves and interacts with science and society.  Rose goes back to a simpler time – colonial America – to take a look at America’s beginnings and the people who helped build our nation. During a tumultuous time in present-day American politics, Journeyman paints a refreshingly optimistic picture of America’s future using the colors of its past. Just in time for the 4th of July!

Mark Rose is the author of the new series Matt Miller in the Colonies. Journeyman, book one of the two book series, tells the tale of a 21^st century man who time travels to colonial America only to find himself trapped, unable to return home. Now he must learn the skills required to survive in the new world as he gains the trust and friendship of his colonial brethren.

 

Q. Your genre, time travel/sci-fi, is popular right now, why do you think that is?

A. We are all fascinated with having the power to travel back in time and fix our mistakes, or to know the future so that we can prepare. Humans are the only creatures on the planet that sense time. As a scientist, I believe there is more to time than just its tendency to pass, and that our minds are just on the very edge of comprehending this other dimension. When humans sense that something is possible, they usually find a way to make it happen. We will eventually master time travel because we’re motivated by a deep emotional need. Until then, we’ll live our time-travel fantasies through good stories.

 

Q.  What is something interesting/cool/unbelievable you discovered while researching your book?

A. There are a number of phrases that we use today that have their origin in colonial times. One example is the phrase “saved by the bell.” I always thought this had something to do with modern boxing, but it actually comes from the fact that people were sometimes accidently buried alive in the eighteenth century. Because of this, they began tying a string to people’s wrists before they were buried and they would run the string to a bell on the ground of the cemetery. If you woke up in your coffin and pulled the string, you were known as a “dead ringer.” The people they hired to sit in the cemetery and listen for ringing bells worked the “graveyard shift.” Their job, then, would be to dig you up as quickly as possible. That’s cool stuff.

 

Q. What is the core message you want to deliver to the world through your writing/books/stories?

A. I want people to resist the temptation to try to judge colonial Americans based on the standards of today. These were good people and they were very progressive for their time in history. Colonial Americans created a system of government that hasn’t been fundamentally improved since the writing of the Constitution in 1787. Granted, it took a while for us to realize their dream of equal rights for everyone and we may still not be there, but that shouldn’t detract from their legacy. The United States has pulled more people out of poverty and tyranny than any society in the history of the world, and we owe it all to colonial America. Our first feeling towards our founders should be awe, plain and simple.

 

Q. What book haven’t you read that you know you must?

A. I’m halfway through “Crime and Punishment.” I set it down and never finished. Also, I bought a copy of “The Origins and History of Consciousness” by Erich Neumann. He was a student of Carl Jung. I’m hoping both books will help me sort out human emotion and motivation. I’d like to use this information in my writing as well as a way to help me understand the increasing negativity in US politics. We live in the greatest society the world has ever seen and have historically low poverty rates, yet it feels like we’ve become more and more miserable. What does it take for a society to be optimistic and happy?

 

Q. What advice do you have for other writers?

A. 1. Plan a time to write and then sit there and write, whether you feel like it or not. I’ve heard a number of successful writers say that they’ve done their best work in those times when they have felt the least inspired.

 

2. There is no good writing, only good rewriting. It’s a lot more fun, too.

 

Rapid Fire Questions and Answers

Q. Guardians of the Galaxy or XMen?

A. Guardians of the Galaxy

Q. The beach or the mountains?

A. Mountains

Q. Zombies or aliens?

A. Zombies

Q. Sponge Bob Square Pants or Bugs Bunny?

A. Bugs Bunny

Q. Coachella or Broadway?

A. Coachella

Q. Chess or Candy Crush?

A. Chess

Q. Invisibility or mind reading?

A. Invisibility

Q. London or Istanbul?

A. London

Q. Hippies or hipsters?

A. Hippies

Q. Reading or writing?

A. Writing