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10 Best Post-Apocalyptic Novels

Posted on by Posted in Books and Literature .

If you still can’t get enough of post-apocalyptic movies, try these novels with more detailed worlds and unforgettable characters.

1.  Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (1959)

Considered as one of the books that first discussed nuclear fallout, most of the events take place in a small town called Fort Repose. One of the residents of the sleepy town received warning from his brother in the form of a quote from the book of Revelation.

2.  A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miler, Jr. (1959)

Told from the point of view of different characters spanning a thousand years, most of the events are centered in a monastery and the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz. These monks are dedicated to the preservation of science and the protection of the books from mobs who think knowledge should be destroyed.

3.  Earth Abides by George R. Stewart (1949)

It is the tale of humanity’s rebirth from a disease that nearly wiped out the population. Isherwood Williams, one of the survivors, was lucky to be in the mountains when the cities collapsed. He returns home to find everyone was gone.

4.  The Postman by David Brin (1985)

Gordon Krantz was wandering the wasteland with no clear destination in mind until he discovered a cache of mail in a postal van. He decides travel in order to give hope to people by telling them that the country will be restored soon.

5.  The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard (1962)

Robert Kerans is part of team of scientists sent to map a boiling lagoon, but soon found that he has to live in the area with a few other people after the others fled elsewhere.

6.  Blindness by Jose Saramago (1997)

The story is told from the point of view of various characters who are feeling the effects of an epidemic of blindness. The loss of sight resulted in a breakdown of civilization.

7.  Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky (2005)

Survivors of a nuclear holocaust now inhabit the metro stations underground. In time, they have developed into bickering states, as humans tend do. The story follows Artyom and his quest to find out who the Dark Ones are, creatures that might have come from the surface and have been attacking the survivors.

8.  One Second After by William R. Forstchen (2009)

The residents of a small town suddenly lost their communication lines and electric service, a small inconvenience that later plunged a modern society into panic because is not prepared to live in a world without its conveniences.

9.  Emergence by David R. Palmer (1984)

A little girl is orphaned following a bionuclear plague nearly kills off all of the humans. She doesn’t know, however, that the plague has not affected her because she is a new species of human with better survival chances than the others.

10.  The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951)

Two disasters are about to wipe off the remnants of the human species. The first was a plague of blindness probably caused by a meteor shower, then the survivors are picked off by a plant species, triffids, that were probably accidentally released.

4 Homemade Bread Recipes

Posted on by Posted in Food .

Making bread isn’t a challenge. In fact, it is easier and more fun to make bread at home than purchasing the usual loaf bread at the bakery. Here are delicious and easy-to-make bread recipes you must try.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter, 1 lightly beaten egg, 1 ¾ cups buttermilk, 1 cup raisins or currants, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 4 to 4 ½ cups flour

Preparation: Preheat oven to 425°F while whisking flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Gradually whisk in butter and raisins/currant until the mixture looks coarse. Next, whisk in egg and buttermilk to slowly knead the dough until stiff. Add more flour if dough is sticky then gently knead into a round loaf, however, be careful no to knead too much. Place dough in a greased baking sheet, score the top with a knife, then bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

 

French Bread

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 ½ cups warm water, and 3 ½ to 4 ½ cups flour

Preparation: In a bowl, mix water with yeast, salt, and honey. Let mixture sit for at least 5 minutes to wait for foam to appear on top. After 10 minutes, add flour then knead the dough until the ingredients are fully combined. Form dough into a loaf and cover with a towel for 20 minutes. While waiting, preheat oven to 400°F. When ready, score the top of the dough then bake for 16 to 20 minutes.

 

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients: 2 cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 ¼ cups sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons, 1/3 cup sour cream, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a baking pan. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and ¾ cup sugar in a bowl then set aside. In another bowl, combine milk, egg and sour cream. Pour this wet mixture into the first bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. In a third bowl, mix together ½ cup sugar and cinnamon.

Using a fork, mix in the sugar-cinnamon combo in the batter by swirling, taking care not to stir too much. This will create a swirly pattern on top. Bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, create an icing by mixing 2 tablespoons of milk with powdered sugar. Pour this on top of the freshly baked bread.

 

Cheesy Breadsticks

Ingredients: 12 ounces mozzarella, ½ cup milk, 3 cups flour, ½ cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast, 1 ½ tablespoons sugar, 1 cup warm water, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and parmesan

Preparation: In a bowl, combine yeast with sugar and water. Let mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes before adding milk, salt, and a cup of flour. Whisk thoroughly before kneading the dough. Meanwhile, pour ¼ cup melted butter on the bottom of a baking pan then place the dough on top. Wait for 15 minutes for the dough to rise, then spread the rest of the butter on top. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, mozzarella, and parmesan then bake for 20 to 25 minutes in 350°F.

How to Manage Your Time for Work-Life Balance

Posted on by Posted in Work Life .

Singaporeans are among the hardest working people worldwide. Although hard work is typically good, there are some who lose control of their work-life balance. This can be the cause of stress build-up and general tiredness at work. So, here are some things to take note to keep your time balanced at work.

Plan your day
Plan your schedule for the day and stick to it. Strictly following your schedule will typically help you finish your tasks as quickly as possible. Set a time for each activity you have for that day and try to finish your tasks at the time you set. Don’t worry if you start or finish late, as long as you try your best to follow your schedule.

Prioritize
When you have your schedule sorted out, it would be helpful to do your most important tasks first. This takes off a huge burden of your shoulders as you are able to finish a major assignment as early in the day as possible. This also allows you to erase your unnecessary obligations or at least cast them aside until later when you have no more things to do.

Delegate the work
Many people have reservations about delegating with their co-workers. Some don’t share work with others because they think that if they want it done correctly, they will have to do it themselves. There are also others who are afraid to delegate because they assume others might think of them as lazy and taking advantage. But if you think about it, you’ll never get done with anything if you demand to do everything yourself.

Don’t allow yourself to be distracted
Minimize distractions by putting your phone out of plain sight or blocking social media sites during work hours. Obviously, when you allow yourself to be distracted and procrastinate, you get less work done. You say to yourself, “I might be able to do this at home later so I’ll just scroll through Facebook for a while.” Now, you’re already doing work at home, even though you could’ve finished everything in the office.

Keep your work environment clean
Can you imagine that one time when you had to look for an important file and you took an hour to do so just because you have a messy pile on your desk? Keeping your place clean and organized will do you wonders when it comes to productivity. Have a clean work environment can also reduce stress and anxiety during work.

Relax
Relaxing doesn’t necessarily mean going to a foreign country for a one-week vacation. It can simply be meditating for 10 minutes or taking a walk outside of your office for a while. Many people seem to think that relaxing in the office is only a waste of time. But taking a break from work even for just minutes will usually boost your productivity throughout the day. Just remember not to relax too much.

How to Overcome Self-Doubt and Boost Your Confidence

Posted on by Posted in Self-Improvement .

Make no mistake, everyone doubts themselves from time to time. But when that little voice starts to take over, it holds you back from all the opportunities and challenges you may face in life. Even so, there are many ways to overcome this and live life confidently.

Take action
If you want to start with something, just do it. It’s very easy to think to yourself, “Oh, I’ll go to Gymmboxx and lift some weights,” but nothing really happens because you’re just thinking it. When you keep it all in your mind, that’s when thoughts of self-doubt coming swimming around. That’s why it’s better to just take action and experience it for yourself. That way you’ll know that you are capable of doing it.

Don’t compare yourself with others
Comparing yourself to others is both a cause and an effect of self-doubt. This is also fairly overwhelming because of social media, where everybody just flaunts their success. But, you should learn to stop comparing your success with that of others and remember that each and every person has his/her own journey to take.

Take a break
Move your attention to something different and take a moment to relax. When you’re able to take a step back, you will be able to clear your mind of doubt and look at things in the bigger picture. You’ll also have a new perspective and maybe even have a fresh take on the things you want to do. It will be easier for you to make decisions and take action when you’re free from negative emotions.

Improve your own skills
If you’re confident with your own skills, you typically will not have to worry about making mistakes knowing that you’re already good something. Constantly sharpen your abilities so that you will always feel confident about yourself all the while also improving on your weak points. You will be able to remove self-doubt and feel more competent when taking action.

Get advice
Even though it is important to work on improving ourselves, having other people to lean on will also do just as much for us. When you keep your thoughts to yourself, everything becomes biased and you’ll only be blinded by your inner critic. Don’t be afraid to seek help from loved ones, friends, mentors, and etc. Chances are, they see great things about you that you don’t see in yourself.

Recognize that not everything is about you
Self-doubt will easily take over if you overthink and worry about what others think of you. Take the example of going to the gym. You may feel anxious because all the buff people are looking at you seeing how scrawny you are. That’s really only your mind playing tricks on you. People don’t really care much about what you’re doing because they’re too busy with themselves.

Natural Insomnia Cure: How to Fall Asleep in 6 Steps

Posted on by Posted in Self-Improvement .

Insomnia can be difficult to contend with, especially when you tried everything from cutting out substances to setting a regular routine, only to no avail. But there’s still hope.

If you haven’t had any luck trying to fall asleep normally, try this out instead:

1. Turn off the lights
Artificial lighting throws off your body’s natural circadian rhythm, so it’s important to expose yourself to natural daylight as much as possible and reduce your sources of artificial lighting as the day ends.

This improves your chances of having your natural rhythm kick in again, and you’ll find yourself feeling tired and sleepy.

2. Get the right amount of exercise at the right time
Before you drag yourself to the gym, keep in mind that this doesn’t mean running a marathon or lifting weights. Simple aerobic exercises, such as walking or riding a bike, can be good for improving your chances of getting sleep.

3. Use lavender
If you’re not already familiar with essential oils or fragrances, lavender’s calming properties can help you unwind and fall asleep after a long day. Simply place a small amount and dilute it with water before switching on the diffuser.

You can also apply it as an oil, as it provides nutrients such as vitamin A, calcium, and iron, and even reduces anxiety and fatigue.

4. Enjoy a long shower
If you’re feeling particularly tense about not being able to get some sleep no matter how hard you try, you might benefit from taking a relaxing shower.

Our bodies’ circadian rhythms are not just sensitive to light, but are also sensitive to temperature. This means that our internal clocks start to signal our brains that it’s time to rest when it gets cold. Your breathing slows down and your heart rate drops as a result.

5. Drink tea
While you should absolutely avoid any sources of caffeine when you already have trouble getting the shut-eye you need, there’s no problem enjoying a cup of tea to wind down after a long day.

6. Practice deep breathing exercises
This will come in handy if you find that you have anxiety or a lot of racing thoughts keeping you awake even when you want to fall asleep.

While it may seem difficult at first, it’s important that you focus on your breathing. Your mind will eventually clear itself after a while and you will be able to get some rest more easily.

So the next time you really want to fall asleep but can’t, forget the sleeping pill – simply do the following, let yourself unwind, and drift off gently until you close your eyes.

Sweet dreams!

How to Pick the Right Mattress for Your Bed

Posted on by Posted in Home Decor .

When it’s time to ditch your old bed and find a new replacement for your bed, you’ll quickly find that doing so is not easy task.

A little over a third of your whole life is spent asleep, so when you get the chance, you want to make sure that time is spent as comfortably as possible – and here’s how you can find the right bed to get a good night’s sleep in:

1. Consider quality.
Mattresses are expensive, so don’t skimp out on them! Going with the cheapest option you find might just be something that will disappoint you once your bed starts sagging and no longer supports your weight.

While quality mattresses aren’t exactly cheap, they don’t have to be too expensive either. Aside from finding the right size for your bed, you want to consider the brand as and give it an actual test by lying down on it if possible.

2. Factor in your weight and sleeping position.
Weight has more to do with choosing a mattress than you think: support, feel, and the mattress’s cooling all depends on how heavy you are.

Here’s how you can choose the best firmness level depending on your weight:

• Light (less than 68 kilograms) – If you belong in this weight category, it’s best to get a bed with medium firmness to make sure it doesn’t sink too much.
• Average (68-90 kilograms) – Most beds are made for the average sleeper, so you can choose the industry standard of medium firmness to give you the best support and comfort.
• Heavy (90+ kilograms) – Firmer beds help to provide better support, and heavier spring beds allow for better cooling.

Different people have different ways of sleeping, whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach, or even switching between different positions throughout the night:

• Side-sleepers experience a lot of discomfort and pain on their hip joints and their shoulders, so a medium soft bed allows for the equal distribution of pressure.
• Stomach sleepers need equal weight distribution to keep the spine from curving. Medium firm beds are a great choice here.
• Back sleepers benefit best from medium firm beds provide the best amount of support and contouring for the spine, and allow for proper support and structure.

3. Choose the right type and material.
This is where your personal preference and experience comes in when choosing the right bed. Different mattresses come with different types and materials, such as the following:

• Inner-spring – Springs are one of the most affordable options out there and are extremely durable. They also allow for greater air circulation.
• Latex – Great cooling and comfort, with a good bounce, responsiveness, and without any off-gassing and odors.
• Memory foam – Memory foam conforms to every inch of the body, but tends to retain heat.
• Hybrid – A combination of the three types, providing all-around support, bounce, and cooling, but easily the most expensive.

The Don’ts of Taking Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted on by Posted in Health and Wellness .

You’ve probably heard about the many benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV), such as how it aids weight loss and helps improve your complexion. With almost every article saying all of the amazing things about ACV, it almost sounds too good to be true. To kill all your doubts and ensure you get the most benefits from your ACV concoction, knowing the don’ts of taking it are just as worth knowing as its dos.

1. Drinking it straight
On one hand, it can do wonders for your health—from improving your heart health to losing weight. On the other, it smells and tastes awful. That is why many would prefer to take it in one, quick, undiluted shot, and then eat something else immediately to mask its awful taste. If this is how you prefer to take your ACV, it may do more harm than good to you due to its high acidity content. Do yourself a little favor and dilute your ACV with water. Not only will it be a lot gentler for your throat, it’ll make it more palatable, too.

2. Sipping directly from the glass
Even if it’s diluted, ACV is still extremely acidic. Because of its very high acidity level, it can damage your teeth. To keep ACV from thinning your tooth enamel, do not sip it directly from the glass. Drink it through a straw to minimize contact with your choppers.

3. Starting out strong
If ACV is miraculously good, the more you consume the better, right? Well, think again. Too much of good stuff is bad stuff—and ACV is no exception to that. Especially if you’ve just started ACV, make sure you’re not drinking too much of it. Ease into it. This helps you gauge how your body will react to it. The safest, don’t go more than two tablespoons at a time.

4. Drinking it right before bed
While drinking ACV before a meal is a good idea, drinking it just before hitting the sack is not. Taking it before going to bed is not advisable because it can creep back up your esophagus, even if it is diluted in water. Regardless what time of the day, remain upright at least for half an hour after drinking your ACV concoction.

5. Applying it directly on the skin
Drinking ACV isn’t the only way to enjoy its benefits: you can also banish acne and get clearer skin by applying it on to your face. But just like drinking it, there is a right and wrong way to do it. Stick to one part ACV to eight parts water for gentle cleansing with apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar could be the answer to your health needs, but only if you use it correctly. So, heed these advices to guarantee the most benefits from this miracle ingredient.

5 Hygiene Habits That Are Actually Bad For You

Posted on by Posted in Hygiene .

You probably think you’re doing the right things to improve your health and your appearance, like taking a bath everyday, using a hand sanitizer and brushing your teeth after every meal. As harmless as they may seem, some of these habits can either have short or long-term effects on your health. Be the judge of your own habits and find out if you really need to do such stuff or you can go moderate with it to minimize its negative effects to your overall health.

1. Brushing your teeth after a meal
Those who are extremely conscious of their oral hygiene often goes brushing their teeth right after every meal, but it isn’t healthy for your choppers. That is because some foods, especially those that has citric acid in it, can weaken your tooth enamel, and brushing your teeth right after eating can damage the enamel in it already weakened enable. Dentists suggests waiting for at least half an hour, so the saliva can neutralize the acidity level of your mouth before brushing.

2. Washing your hair every single day
Although many of us have been trained to wash our hair every day, your locks could be paying the toll. Shampooing your hair every day strips away your strands natural oil, leading to dry and brittle locks. Instead, wash your hair every other day to allow your scalp to produce oil and naturally condition your hair with it.

3. Taking bubble baths
Soaking yourself in scented suds in the tub could be a relaxing way to unwind after a busy day, but doing so regularly can leave you with irritated skin and even yeast infection. The harsh detergent and artificial fragrances in your favorite bath bombs can strip your skin of its natural oil and can mess with the pH level of your private parts. It’s okay to reward yourself with relaxing bath, but only do so occasionally.

4. Covering your sneeze with your hands
Covering a sneeze with your hands is better than sneezing in the open, isn’t it? Nope. Sneezing into your hands and then touching other things later on is a recipe for contamination. Know that the most serious respiratory diseases are spread through objects touched by contaminated hands. For the sake of the people around you, sneeze into your elbow.

5. Moisturizing too much
If your skin feels itchy and dry, it seems a natural reaction to slather some lotion. However, it may not be the best solution. According to dermatologists, excessive moisturizing can create tolerance, which trains your skin to produce less natural oil and making it drier in eventually. To avoid this problem, apply a single thin coat of lotion or try using an oil-free moisturizer instead.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to keep your hygiene in check, but make sure you’re doing it correctly. Too much of everything isn’t good, so keep everything in moderation for a balanced health and well-being.

Everyday Things That Can Cause Acne

Posted on by Posted in Beauty Tips .

Having pimples can be a big problem for many. Sometimes it can even negatively affect self-esteem and confidence. Acne can be unavoidable, but there are also ways to mitigate its development. Hence, it is important for us to know what things are our breakouts.

Genetics
One of the main reasons that we get acne is because of our genetics. If your parents have a history of acne, the chances of you getting some will also be very likely. Your hormones will determine how sensitive you are to acne, or how oily your skin can be, and etc.

Stress
Another big reason why we get acne and have breakouts is stress. When we are stressed, our hormones can fluctuate in an unusual manner, affecting our skin negatively. This results to an influx of sebum, which then leads to frequent and more severe acne.

Your pillowcase
One may disregard his/her pillowcase, but unchanged pillowcases can house dirt and bacteria that can influence the presence of acne. Naturally, we are always shedding dead skin cells, especially when we are asleep. Thereby, try to change your pillowcases frequently.

Smoke
Smoke from cars and cigarettes can also be bad for the skin. When we are exposed to smoke from vehicles, some toxins can attach to the skin causing inflammation and flare-ups that can lead to more acne. This is the same case with smoke from cigarettes. But when you do the smoking yourself, it dries out your skin and prevents proper distribution of collagen. When this happens, your pores become irritated and you may get more wrinkles.

Hair products
Hair products like shampoo, hair wax, and even conditioners can cause acne. This is because when they are not rinsed properly, they can enter the pores. This results to clogging, which eventually leads to pimples, and even acne on your chest, back, and hairline.

Touching your pimples
Don’t touch your pimples! No matter how tempting it may be, poking or pressing on your pimples can be very bad for your face. If you pick on a pimple, you’re either spreading the bacteria or pushing it deeper. Acne scars are also the result of a wound caused by forcibly picking a pimple.

Not washing your face (well)
If you want to get rid of, or avoid getting acne, you should wash your face as you get home or before going to bed. All the sweat, dirt, and oil that’s been built up in your face the whole day will settle into your pores and cause more acne and pimples if you don’t wash it away. The takeaway here is to simply implement proper hygiene, it can give you more benefits than you would imagine.

Eating too much junk food
Obviously, these things are called ‘junk food’ for a reason. Junk foods have no proper nutritional value, in addition to being produced in nasty oil. They contain too much carbs that can lead to inflammation all around our body.