Bodnant Garden

Once is a life time experience in Wales .. panoramic view of Bodnant Garden

Hadrian’s Wall

Most popular tourist attraction in Northern England, a UNESCO world heritage site built in AD 122, more info here 

Your future starts now .. (not when you retire)

As I’ve mentioned before, if I could share only one idea, it would be this: we get more of what we focus on.

Another version of this rule, taught on business courses (my MBA) the world over, is: ‘What gets measured gets done.’

So, I want you to take a little time to measure your progress as your new destiny begins to unfold. Keep a 28-day journal. Each day, write down at least three new things you’ve noticed about yourself or your life.

This may be a new behaviour that came naturally to you, or a different way of being in an old, familiar situation. Perhaps you found yourself being more confident at a party or social gathering, or you stood up for yourself at work.

Maybe you found a ‘lucky’ penny in the street, or just realised that without any extra effort on your part, things have been going your way.

You can use an inexpensive notebook or a fancy journal if you prefer. What’s important is you take the time to write down whatever you’ve noticed that is new, different, fun or surprising.

The very act of recording these changes will help to reset the way you perceive the world and amplify the positive effects of everything we’ve done together.

Here are a few important things to remember before we part:

1. It isn’t what you’re born with or what happens to you in life that determines your destiny — it’s the choices that you make along the way.
2. No matter what’s happened to you in the past, you’ll always have choices about how you move forward.
3. Absolutely everyone can be happy.
4. When we live fully in the present, we have more power available to us to do whatever it is we want to do.
5. The best way to predict the future is to create it.

Live your life without regrets

How does all this apply to living a life with no regrets? Well, if we were to state common regrets in terms of their ‘positive’ opposites, here’s what we might wind up with:

1. I want to live a life that makes me happy (not necessarily one that others expect of me).
2. I want to work smart, creatively and effectively (rather than just hard).
3. I want to build wonderful and lasting friendships.
4. I want to be even happier.

The scientific research shows the more clear and precise you are about what you want, then you are significantly more likely to achieve it.

However, a happy life isn’t just about achieving goals. To live a life that’s more fulfilling, it’s important to make sure you’re living according to your values — whether they’re to do with love, achievement, family, health, joy or helping others — every single day.

So, even if you don’t achieve all your goals on an exact schedule, you will be living a life of value, and will be significantly more likely to be heading in the direction that you want. Overall, this will ensure you’re living on your own terms and building your days around what matters to you most.

Scientific studies show that usually 80 per cent of your success will come from 20 per cent of your efforts.

Always Leave Office On Time

Perfect Burger

20 beauty hacks EVERY woman needs to know

1. Fix a broken blusher with a knife there's nothing more heartbreaking than dropping your make-up on the floor and watching the powder smash into a million little pieces. But rather than forking out for a new one, there's a simple trick to fix it. Sim

ply mix the powder with a few drops of salty water and smooth it back out with a knife.
2. Revive old mascara with salty water Saline solution also works a treat when it comes to reviving an old mascara tube. Just drop a few drops of the salty water into a dry mascara and it will re-wet it.
3. Dry your hair with a T-shirt Hairdressers don't advocate drying hair with a towel because it bruises your locks. But, if you're in a real hurry, use a T-shirt instead, which is much more absorbent.
4. Make your blow-dry last longer with baking soda Sprinkle some of this wonder product into your shampoo before you wash your hair and it will make tresses stay cleaner for longer by stopping product build-up.
5. Blot your face with coffee filter Stash some of these handy sheets in your handbag and reach for one when you get that afternoon oil shine.
6. Treat a spot with yoghurt When it comes to dealing with a pesky spot, we all know about the toothpaste trick, but did you know that full fat yoghurt does the job, too? Redness, inflammation and puss will be reduced thanks to the lactic acid, probiotics and fat within the yogurt.
7. Beat mascara smudges with a spoon There's nothing more annoying than applying mascara with precision, only for it to smudge on your eyelid. Next time, hold a spoon over your lid when applying the mascara to avoid this beauty blunder.
8. Moisturise lips with a teabag A damp teabag is the perfect solution for healing dry and cracked lips. Then, if you want to plump up your pout, mix your favourite lipgloss with some peppermint oil and you're good to go.
Use a teabag to moisturise dry and cracked lips - and you can use the lining to help strengthen a broken nailUse a teabag to moisturise dry and cracked lips - and you can use the lining to help strengthen a broken nail
9. Liven your lashes with a cotton bud A cotton bud and translucent powder combination can be used to boost your lashes. Apply one coat of mascara, then run the powdered buds along lashes before applying another coat and they'll appear more voluminous as a result.
10. DIY lipstick Can't find that perfect red lipstick in the shop? Create your dream lip colour by mixing eyeshadow pigments with some balm.
11. Bring your nail varnish back to life with hot water Revive gloopy old polish by popping it in a mug of boiling hot water for a few minutes.
12. Reduce a bruise with mouthwash Bruises aren't pretty, especially when they appear on your leg before a big event. Next time one pops up, dab a bit of mouthwash on the area in question and it will lose its purple tinge.
Want to plump up your pout? Mix your favourite lipgloss with some peppermint oil and you're good to goWant to plump up your pout? Mix your favourite lipgloss with some peppermint oil and you're good to go

13. Enhance your mascara in your bra Warming up your mascara can help it glide on better. Pop it in your bra for a few minutes whilst you apply the rest of your face and it will be ready to use by the time you're done.
14. Fix a broken nail with a teabag Breaking a nail when you've just had a glossy manicure ins't ideal. But rather than trimming it or filing it down, simply cut a small piece of tea bag, place it on your nail and paint over it to strengthen the nail.
15. Boost your perfume with Vaseline If you want to smell good all day long, simply smear some Vaseline over your pulse points (back of the neck, temples and wrists) before applying your signature scent.
16. Give your hair texture with a toothbrush Want to emulate Kate Moss' beachy, tousled waves without damaging your hair? Just reach for a humble toothbrush to tease and texturise limp locks. Add volume to your roots by dabbing some eyeshadow that matches your hair colour along the hairline.
17. Remove foundation stains with shaving foam Ruined your new white blouse with an orange splodge from your neckline? No fear, just spritz some shaving cream or foam onto your collar to remove it.
18. Powder the perfect pout To stop your perfect red pout from smudging, dip a cotton bud in some translucent powder and swipe it along your lip line to stop any bleeding.
19. Use a credit card to get perfect eyes Supermodel Jourdan Dunn swears by this simple trick, which involves holding a credit card above the upper lashes before wiggling the brush back and forth at the roots. Using a card allows you to get right into the roots of your lashes and boosts your look.
20. Use eyeshadow to boost your lips Give yourself a matte lip look by dabbing some eyeshadow onto your lips in a shade lighter than your lipstick.

Source :Daily Mail April 2015 

50 Books Every Child Should Read by Age 16

1. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
2. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis
4. Winnie The Pooh – AA Milne
5. Black Beauty – Anna Sewell
6. James and The Giant Peach – Roald Dahl
7. The BFG – Roald Dahl
8. A Bear Called Paddington – Michael Bond
9. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
10. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

11. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – J.K. Rowling
12. Matilda – Roald Dahl
13. The Railway Children – E Nesbit
14. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
15. Five on a Treasure Island – Enid Blyton
16. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
17. The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle
18. The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling
19. Charlotte's Web – EB White
20. The Tale of Peter Rabbit – Beatrix Potter

21. Watership Down – Richard Adams
22. The Hobbit – JRR Tolken
23. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – JK Rowling
24. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
25. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 ¾ – Sue Townsend
26. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
27. The Cat in the Hat – Dr Seuss
28. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson–Burnett
29. The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank
30. The Twits – Roald Dahl

31. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – L Frank Baum
32. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne
33. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
34. The Tiger Who Came to Tea – Judith Kerr
35. Green Eggs and Ham – Dr Seuss
36. The Day of the Triffids – John Wyndham
37. Bambi – Felix Selten
38. Tom's Midnight Garden – Phillipa Pearce
39. Little House on the Prairie – Laura Ingalls Wilder
40. Funny Bones – Janet and Allan Ahlberg

41. Where The Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak
42. Carrie's War – Nina Bawden
43. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon
44. The Magician's Nephew – CS Lewis
45. Northern Lights – Philip Pullman
46. The Story of Doctor Dolittle – Hugh Lofting
47. The Story of Tracy Beaker – Jacqueline Wilson
48. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
49. Curious George – HA Ray
50. Each Peach Pear Plum – Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Memories of London 2015 Summer

July 2015

Location :London UK

#Heatwave 

Financial Apocalypse

Now is the time to prepare. If you wait until things totally fall apart it will be far too late. 

The following are 12 simple things that you can start doing right now to prepare for the coming financial apocalypse….


#1 Become Less Dependent On Your Job 

Many people define a job as the state of being “just over broke”. The truth is that it is incredibly difficult to become financially independent working for someone else. Now, the truth is that most Americans would not be able to survive without a job, but what would you do if someday you suddenly lost your job during a financial apocalypse? Now is the time to start investigating alternate sources of income and different ways to build wealth. Today it takes the average unemployed American over 33 weeks to find a job. You may not always be able to count on being able to get a good job, and the economy is only going to get worse over the long-term. All of us should be operating under the assumption that any jobs we now have will someday be taken away.

#2 Get Out Of Debt 

Some people disagree with this, but unless society degenerates into complete chaos or we experience Weimar Republic-type hyperinflation, the truth is that your debts are going to continue to hang over you wherever you go. Getting out of debt can be completely and totally liberating. It will give you much more freedom and will make you far less dependent on your job. In fact, it looks like a lot of Americans are already moving in this direction. It was recently announced that 8 million Americans have stopped using their credit cards over the past year. Why not join them? When things start really falling apart and it is incredibly difficult for anyone to get a job, the last thing you want is a huge amount of debt hanging over your head.


#3 Reduce Expenses 

For decades, most Americans have been living far beyond their means. In the future, times are going to be really tough and we are all going to have to learn to tighten our belts. Do you and your family waste money right now? If you can eliminate that, you can live on a smaller income and you will have more money to invest in the things that are really going to matter.


#4 Purchase Land 

Real estate is still priced too high in most areas of the United States, but the truth is that you don’t want to wait forever to get your hands on a piece of land. If a “financial apocalypse” does happen, you don’t want to be stuck in a big city with no place to go. You always want to have somewhere that you can “bug out” to. The U.S. real estate market is continuing to struggle right now, so hopefully prices will come down even more and there will be some really great deals available over the next couple of years.


#5 Learn To Grow Food 

Another reason why you want to purchase some land is so that you will have 

somewhere to grow food if
you need to. 100 years ago almost all Americans knew how to grow their own food, and most of them also knew how to raise farm animals. Today, relatively few Americans have those skills. A great way to begin is by starting your own “survival garden”. If you are not already doing this, then why not start this upcoming year?


#6 Find A Reliable Source Of Water 

Water is going to become a very, very valuable resource in the years to come. It will be absolutely key for you and your family to have a dependable source of clean drinking water. If you do not have water you will not be able to survive for long. In the event of an economic meltdown, basic services such as power and water may not be there. So be certain that you and your family have an alternate source of water to depend upon.


#7 Explore Alternative Energy Sources 

This point is similar to the one above. Do you think that if a financial apocalypse happens that you will always be able to depend on the power company? The truth is that there is a good reason why so many Americans have been trying to go “off the grid”. Without power, life gets really difficult very quickly. But if you are generating your own power then you won’t have to worry about that.


#8 Store Supplies 

In the event of a major disaster or emergency, store shelves are going to empty really fast. If supplies are disrupted on a permanent basis, you may have to get by on what you already have in your home. So do you and your family have enough warm clothes, personal hygiene products and medical supplies to last for an extended period of time? Hopefully your local stores will always be able to supply what you need, but we need to prepare as if that is not guaranteed.

#9 Protect Your Assets With Gold And Silver 

The way that the Federal Reserve is abusing the U.S. dollar, it is only a matter of time before rampant inflation sets in. Even now, the U.S. dollar has already been seriously declining and precious metals like gold and silver have been shooting into the stratosphere. In the future, your paper money may not buy much for you at all, but if you have some gold or silver coins you can always exchange them for the things that you are going to need.


#10 Learn Self-Defense 

Did you see what happened at stores from coast to coast the last Black Friday? Americans were literally trampling one another just to get their hands on some cheap foreign-made plastic crap. So what do you think is going to happen once these people have been without food for two or three days? Now is the time to think about how you will defend your home and your family from crazed looters. It is not a fun thing to think about, but unfortunately we are heading for times that will not always be pretty.


#11 Keep Yourself Fit 

As Americans, we live such “cushy” lives. But when times get hard things will not be so cushy. In fact, the years ahead are likely to demand quite a bit of physical activity. So keep yourself in good physical condition right now. In the future you will be very glad that you did.

#12 Make Friends 

It is really, really hard to “survive” by yourself. Those who will thrive the most in the future are those who will have a community that they can depend on. Americans are always at their best when they work together. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your family and friends. In the times ahead the world will be a very cold place, and a little love and compassion will go a long way.

By Michael Snyder , 
End Of The American Dream

Quote of the day

DIY Art work

Weekend DIY Art work project with waste paper and covers at a local library.