Getting Rid of the Toxic People in Your Life

Here’s something we can’t deny: there will always be people who will attack and sabotage us and our personal growth. Today, they are what we would call “toxic” people.

Unfortunately, they’re not just the colleagues we don’t see eye to eye with, but also those who are close to us like friends and family members. Even then, you have to try your best to cut these people from your life because your future might really depend on it.

If he/she isn’t necessarily close to you…

Of course, it’s quite easy to get rid of a toxic person if they’re not necessarily a close friend. You can just ignore them or avoid interacting with them! Sometimes you don’t even have to do anything at all. Or if there’s a person you’ve just met and you hear stories about how manipulative they are, for example, best not to befriend them.

But if it’s a family member…

If the toxic person is really close to you, like a family member for instance, this poses a bigger challenge. The first thing you should really do here is to take distance. Spending time apart from them will not only help you detach physically but also emotionally.

If you can’t do that or the toxicity still stays, express yourself in a calm and rational manner. It will be better for you to just call them out and let them know about their negative behavior than not doing anything at all. The most important thing to remember here is to never be aggressive, especially since Singaporeans are quite family-oriented.

Remember that it’s not going to be easy

When getting rid of toxic people, you have to remember that it’s never going to be easy. Even though they have negative attitudes, you’ve still shared good experiences with these people at some point.

But then again, if the negatives already outweigh the positives, you can’t hinder your own growth just to save a friendly relationship. Just remember that getting rid of these people will be a long process but you have to endure it for the better.

Keep it simple

Just keep everything simple! If you feel like explaining more details, just don’t. You feel that way because you get guilty for ending the relationship. But again, cutting ties with toxic people will be for the best. Just tell them kindly about why you wouldn’t want them in your life anymore without any unnecessary side-stories or details.

Create distance

Sometimes there are people who simply annoy us and that doesn’t mean they’re toxic. Chances are, you might not really want to cut ties with these people. This is really why the first important move to take is to create distance. By doing so, you’ll usually be able to determine if the person is just annoying or if he/she really is toxic.

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7 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Look More Expensive

Who wouldn’t like to make their home look more plush and upscale, right? Only problem is we’d like to do it without having to spending a lot of money. Here are seven ways to have a luxurious living space without the usual cost.

Put plants all over the place

Plants instantly transform the atmosphere of any room they’re put in, lending it a calming and refreshing vibe that speaks of comfort. (Even fake plants will do the trick.) Succulents and cacti are trendy today (and has the advantage of needing little care), but other plants like peace lily, bird’s nest fern, and snake plant have the additional benefit of improving air quality.

Update your light fixtures

One of the best way to modernize your home is by upgrading your lights by installing dimmer switches, which you can buy cheap at most hardware stores. For an additional touch of opulence, use modish pendant lamps (or even a refurbished chandelier) as lighting centerpieces for your living room and dining area.

Add antique pieces

Antique furniture and accessories give a sense heritage and pedigree to any room you put them in. Antique doesn’t always equate to something expensive: anything that you find in garage sales that are in good working (or displaying) condition is good enough. Your antique could be a divan or an accent chair, or small items like lamps and mirrors.

Use stylish throw pillows

For your living room, having colorful, artsy throw pillows will create a bon vivant vibe (even if you actually live a quiet and thrifty lifestyle). Placement doesn’t have to be limited to the couch: you can prop them on chairs, or place them at the center of the room in lieu of a coffee table.

Minimize clutter

Clutter makes your home look disorganized and, worse, shabby. So get rid of anything and everything that you don’t use and put items that you seldom use in a place where they won’t be seen – make exceptions of course for beautiful decorative items (but even then only display a few). Go all-out Marie Kondo on your home if you want to get the maximum effect of an expensive-looking home.

Have contrasting elements

A mix of texture and style lends your home a sophisticated energy. If you have a no-nonsense modern style décor, for example, enrich it with a choice traditional painting. Add a Turkish rug to a plain floor, use different fabrics for your throw pillows, use lighting to create light and shaded areas in every room.

Show an appreciation for art

Nothing speaks of culture and an erudite disposition like the ability to appreciate art. Now, you don’t need to display a piece by a master painter, even replicas and thrift store finds will already say that you have a rich taste and improve the look of your home. You can go for a single large statement piece or a series of smaller artworks.

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Benefits of Reading Out Loud to Your Kids

In our time today, you’ll see more and more parents use phones, tablets, and TVs to entertain their children. For one, this sets the children up for eye damage at such an early age. And for another, they’ll turn to their gadgets for fun instead of interacting with other children. We may not like to admit it, but this will have a profound effect on their mental and emotional growth. The classic and better way to entertain your child is to use books! Here are some reasons why.

Great way to spend some quality time together

First and most importantly, you get to spend more quality time with them. Having time to interact with their parents intimately is very important for a child’s growth. If you spend more time at work then at home, reading to your kids when they go to bed is a great way to make up for lost time. It can give them great memories as they grow up and it will surely strengthen your bond as a family.

It instills a love for reading

As said earlier, your kids can make great memories when you read to them. This is why reading out loud can be a great way to instill in them a love for reading. Because they understand how entertaining books can be at a young age, they’ll learn to pick books up as they grow older as well. Of course, this is important because books are the most common learning tools. So, when they go to school, they already understand the importance of reading!

It improves their vocabulary

Children learn by imitating others around them. That is why it’s usually better to read books aloud yourself instead of letting your kids do all the reading. In this sense, you have a better grasp of grammar and pronunciation, so your children will learn about those aspects better as well. Sure, it would be great if they learned on their own, but if you expose them early to vocabulary, they’ll have an easier time learning.

It teaches lessons and values

The truth of the matter is, you can dictate moral lessons or values to children. Rather, you can, but they might not understand it instantly. A better way for them to learn about values is through books. Children are more likely to learn their values because they imitate their favorite characters. They’ll have a hard time following and understanding constantly say, “Don’t do this.” or “This is what you should do.” Also, since they’ve already heard about the bad guys in books, they should also have a better understanding of what’s good and what’s not.

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Here’s Why More Women Should Lift Weights

You’ve been doing a lot of exercise lately and finally, you see some visible changes! As the days go by that you stop exercising, you notice that you’re starting to gain weight again. “I’ve done a lot of cardio already, why am I still gaining fat?” If you’re running out of options and your daily morning jog isn’t cutting it anymore, weight training should be your best bet. But then again, most women would turn away from the dumbbells and it is pretty understandable. But there really are a lot of benefits and this article will hopefully convince you so.

You really won’t bulk up

The biggest assumption women make when it comes to lifting weights is that they’ll look too big and muscular when they lift weights. This is actually a grave misconception only brought about by the sight of actual men lifting weights. But actually, women won’t bulk up like men simply because they don’t have as much testosterone which is one of the main factors for muscular growth. That means you’ll have muscles that look toned but not big and bulging. And this, of course, can help you achieve a slimmer look.

Strength training can improve your weight loss efforts

Although cardio is still the superior calorie-burning exercise, lifting weights also has it’s own advantages when it comes to fat-loss. For one, while you burn calories, you also build muscle. Earlier we used an example of how when you stop exercising, you start to gain weight again. The simple answer to this is gaining more muscle through weightlifting. If you have more muscles than fat, your body will adjust accordingly so even if you do stop exercising, you won’t gain unnecessary weight easily.

It can also help protect your bones

If you don’t already know, osteoporosis affects about 80% of women mainly as a result of postmenopause. This is because the body will no longer produce estrogen after menopause which leads to loss of bone minerals and weaker bones overall. Lifting weights, in this case, is said to be the best defense against osteoporosis. This is because one of the known benefits of weight training is that it increases bone density. Of course, along with a healthy diet, you can fight and eliminate any chances of such bone disease.

It’s also a great way to fight stress hormones

One of the biggest reasons you lose motivation to exercise is because of stress. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, don’t get this wrong, but doing too much in one session can actually increase your stress hormones. This is especially true when doing cardio or endurance training. The longer you run or stay on a bike, the faster your stress levels may rise. This is something you’ll rarely get when you lift weights though. You can do it for 45-60 minutes and you can already consider it a great workout. You burn calories, gain muscle, and don’t even have to do it too long!

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5 Ways to Eat Healthy Even on Budget

Most people see healthy eating as an expensive habit to maintain. Healthier food options tend to cost more and if you’re struggling to make the ends meet, even a single dollar can already make a huge difference. Still, the cost of eating healthy meals shouldn’t come in between you and your health. With that in mind, we listed some of the best ways on how you could eat healthy while saving your hard-earned money.

Create a Weekly Meal Plan and Grocery List

After knowing what items are on sale or in season, schedule a time each week to create your grocery list and meal plan. Doing this will help in ensuring that you’ll only purchase what you need, as well as in keeping you from spending money on things that’ll just go to waste.

Know What Foods are in Season

Visit the website of your favourite grocery store to see what foods are on sale and are in season so you could plan your meals accordingly. Also, check goods that are in season, and if possible, purchase local produce to cut back on your expenses.

Opt for Marked Down Goods

Most grocery stores in Singapore have a dedicated area for marked down goods that are closing in with their expiration date. Don’t be afraid to purchase and consume these products though. If you’re going to freeze the products within the next few days, check out this deal the next time you visit your local grocery store.

Choose Plant-Based Protein Sources

Meat is the number one source of protein, but it can get really expensive. So rather than having meat as your primary source of protein, opt for non-animal sources like lentils, chickpeas and beans instead. They can be cooked in different, delicious ways and are very affordable. With this, you’ll be able to get your daily dose of protein sans spending too much.

Repurpose Your Leftovers

Avoid throwing your leftovers in the garbage. Instead, store them in a clean container and eat them the next day. If you have the skills, repurpose your leftovers into a salad, a soup or a wrap. Just make sure that you use proper storage containers so your repurposed dish will last longer.

Healthy eating doesn’t always have to be expensive. All you need to do is be smart in purchasing your groceries and in planning your meals, and you’ll definitely be able to enjoy affordable and healthy meals.

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