Travel Plan Mistakes to Avoid.

Getting the most thrill out of travel destinations depends on how foolproof your travel plans are. How are some of the mistakes which you can avoid to enjoy your journey:-

Not booking enough connection time between two flights is one of the mistakes most travellers commit. You should have gap of at least / minimum an hour and a half between two connecting flights.


Most countries demand that your passport should be valid for 3-6 months past the date of your flight home. Also make sure that your passports have adequate blank pages.


If travelling abroad, book the tickets 3-6 months in advance. Sale schemes can save you a lot but figure out whether they are genuine, especially the terms and conditions like cancellation charges, date change penalty etc.


Airlines designate very limited number of seats on each flight as eligible for reward travel and these seats are sold quickly. Redeem your frequent flier miles by booking in advance.


While booking hotels, got for convenient hotels in stead of cheap hotels as taxi fares in certain cities are costly.


Before you leave, have adequate foreign currency as, if you travel to an unknown city, your problem will get worse.


While roaming in the city abroad, use your bargaining skills well if you like something and just buy it in stead of searching for another shop for better deals.


Sometimes, you may be forced to gate-check your hand luggage due to overweight or size of the luggage. Keep your valuables in a pouch and pack in to your hand luggage. You can remove this pouch and carry with you, leaving the hand luggage.


If you are having credit card and want to use it while travelling, know thoroughly about the fees for currency withdrawls, purchasing etc. Else, you will lose lot of money.

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Tips for Parents of Twins.

Are you a parent of twins? Here are some useful tips to manage them:-

Parent can set a routine for both the kids, be it for meals or nap times.


Doctors recommend that even in case of twins, mother should go for breastfeeding instead of bottled milk. If mother is not comfortable breastfeeding the twins at the same time, she can nurse one after the other.


To make life easier for the mother, she can call her parents or in-laws for a few months to help in bringing up the twins and also for household works.


If one of the twins comes down with a contagious illness, mother can reduce the risk of getting infected to other by separating another child and keep in different room.


As mother has to breastfeed two, her nutrition is extremely essential. She has to eat well.


As sleeping time for the mother might get disrupted, she can take naps during day-time when twins are asleep.


Mother should never hesitate to ask for help from her partner, friends and relatives.


Parents should respect their twins' individuality and understand their different likes and dislikes.


Dressing the two alike may look cute only during the initial years. However, this habit should be discontinued once they grow up.


As comparison leads to criticism and that can be very harmful to the child, parents should avoid comparisons. They should be treated equally.


Parents should give one-to-one attention to each kid as far as possible. They should be rewarded or punished individually for their behaviour.

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Deep Breathing - Need & Benefits.

Breathing is a process that moves air in and out of the lungs or oxygen thorugh other breathing organs. The benefits of breathing right are both physical and emotional.

Learning to breathe right can help us get rid of chronic pain, constipation, skin problems, anxiety and insomnia.


Breathing is the most important aspect of wellness. Most people breathe shallow, which affects their health. Learning to breathe deep can greatly enhance health.


Mastering basic lung functions reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and neutralizes the acidic effect in the body in minutes. As such, oxygen intake increases.


Breathing happens in the stomach and not in the nostril. That is why everybody should breath deep on a daily basis.


Breathing, if practized regularly, can positively affect our lung capacity. Increased blood flow to the brain and body has significant physical impact on our well-being.


A deep, fuller, expansive rhythm of breathing can trick the mind to relax as the nervous system in the brain picks up a new message.


The whole practice of yoga is designed to elongate the out breath as it is the out breath that determines the fullness of the next inhale.


Some of the most important benefits of deep breathing are : (a) Breathing right will expand life. (b) It prevents heart diseases. (c) It makes life longer. (d) It leads to better sleep. (e) You get rid of acidity and constipation. (f) It releases anxiety and alleviates depression. (g) You can experience deeply nourishing peace and relaxation. (h) It fights asthma. (i) You get rid of allergies. & (j) You will feel completely energized.

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Tips to be a Good Cook.

'Cooking's is much more than reading a recipe and to be a good cook, one needs some time to master the game. Here are some basic simple ways:-

If you want to be a good cook, start in the market to pick up the best quality vegetables, fruits and fresh meats.


It is better to the above yourself in stead of delegating to somebody else.


To be aware of what the food looks like and / or what it smells like at every stage, stay away from electronic gadgets like TV, Mobiles, Internet etc. This will help improvise and come up with a new addition to the dish.


To master yourself in cooking in the long-run, begin by practising a few basic food preparation like soups, omelette and rice-dal.


While / after cooking for the first time, figure out what went wrong with the dish.


You can repeat the recipe until you are satisfied with the result.


You can start with basic utensils (instead of investing in extravagant vessels & cookbooks). You should expand your kitchen only once you are confident.


Most important technique for becoming a good cook is, tasting the foods in various stages to know how it is coming along. Little tasting spoons are a must to try the dish which should be a part of your tool kit.


Before start cooking, make sure that you have kept everything ready for cooking as you may miss out something while cooking.

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Workaholism. Balancing Work & Life.

'Workaholism' is an addiction to work and it is a term that describes a person's obsession with work which prevents him / her from maintaining healthy relationships, outside interests, or even taking measures to protect their own health. Some truths about 'Workaholic' and tips to balance both work and life here:-

'Workaholic' is one who never stops to work, clocks in early to work, skips lunch, stays back till late night and even during weekends, spends time in resolving work-related issues.


According to a psychologist, "Workaholics neglect people close to them. They do not think that relationships closest to us actually need the most work". They put themselves under constant pressure because that is the only way they can function.


Workaholics have certain traits of an obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and they are often driven by insecurity and perfectionism.


Workaholics will not be able to relate to people outside work and even their family as they are working even at home.


They are prone to a lot of stress, which in turn, leads to find ways to de-stress through addictions such as smoking, drinking and caffeine. These result in to physical and mental health.


They lack skill set, attitude and knowledge to finish work faster. Workaholism affects people's emotional and physical well-being.


It is found that even workaholics are physically present with their families, their mind is pre-occupied with work.


There are even cases of workaholism which has led to 'divorce, separations, extra-marital affairs and children experiencing an unhappy childhood'.


Youngsters in their early 20's need to plan their work habits with care as it will impact their physical and mental health in the long-term.


Workaholics should choose their life pattern themselves (not governed by others).


They should avoid talking / discussing about work during lunch and dinner hours.


They should stay away from their laptops / mobiles for work related issues during weekends / holidays.


They can gradually reduce work hours without compromising on the quality of work.


They should never feel guilty for not working. Instead, they should develop skill sets and an attitude that will all them to finish the work within office hours.

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