5 Minute Crafts Magazine - November 2019

FAMILY DECORS FOR YOUR HOME

November 2019 $5.99 (Canada) $3.99 (US)

Coffee Recipes DIY Ribbon & Decorate Cupcakes

november 2019

CONTENTS

“This is the month of nuts and nutty thoughts — that November whose name sounds so bleak and cheerless — perhaps its harvest of thought is worth more than all the other crops of the year.”

— Henry David Thoreau

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CONTENTS

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style

home

health

food

departments

GROWING PAINS Removing body hair is very popular in today’s society.

While there’s no quick-fix solution to stopping hair growth altogether

DECORATE THE WALLS Sometimes, just one small detail can drastically change the whole interior of a room, and help create a unique and inspiring atmosphere at home.

BLOATING PROBLEMS Many people suffer from excessive gas formation and an unpleasant feeling in their stomach. It causes discomfort and makes the belly appear bigger.

COFFEE BREAK Coffee is one of the 3 most consumed beverages worldwide. Many of us love its flavor and aroma, and preparing a hot or cold cup has become a part of our daily ritual.

EDITOR'S LETTER

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STYLISH LOOKS Getting a manicure at the salon may be relaxing but it’s also a time and moneyconsuming experience.

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SHOWER STEAMS Many people choose to take a warm shower, especially before bedtime. This habit can bring about many benefits, like improving blood circulation by raising your body temperature, relaxing your muscles, and helping you fall asleep. However, the steam that appears after taking a shower can be annoying because all surfaces — including your mirrors — end up covered with droplets of water.

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features

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LOVE, PARENTS Becoming parents is one of the most wonderfully lifealtering experiences two people can go through together. But when two become three (or four, or five!) romance can fall very quickly down the list of priorities, as sleepless nights become ‘sleepless nights’ for a whole host of new reasons.

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TASTE THE CUPCAKES If you’d like to have a sweet treat to share with your family, you can always make cupcakes really fast and use ingredients you already have at home. The great thing about simple recipes is that you can create different flavors by just replacing one ingredient.

living

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TAKE A BOW Making loops into a beautiful bow is not as easy as it seems. Fortunately, there are quite a few tricks that can help you to simplify the task.

For example, using a usual fork or a small plate.

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TRICKS & TIPS

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CHILL & DRAW COVER PHOTO © 5-MINUTE CRAFTS / YOUTUBE

PILAR GUZMÁN Editor In-Chief

FOOD DIRECTOR Annabelle Waugh FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR Julia McEwen HOME & GARDEN DIRECTOR Brett Walther MANAGING EDITOR Day Helesic TEST KITCHEN SENIOR FOOD SPECIALIST Irene Fong FOOD SPECIALISTS Jennifer Bartoli, Amanda Barnier ARTICLES EDITOR, FOOD Gilean Watts INTERN Jessica Bronstein ART CONSULTING DESIGN DIRECTOR Brendan Fisher ACTING ART DIRECTOR June F. Anderson SENIOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Henrietta Poon CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTORS Lisa de Nikolits, Leanne Gilbert FEATURES HEALTH EDITOR Kate Daley CONTRIBUTING HEALTH EDITOR Tralee Pearce SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Jill Buchner ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FASHION & BEAUTY Andrea Karr CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jacqueline Kovacs

COPY & OPERATIONS EDITORIAL OPERATIONS & ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Olga Goncalves Costa COPY EDITOR Stephanie Zolis CONTRIBUTING COPY EDITORS Ruth Hanley, Debbie Madsen Villamere ASSISTANT EDITOR Teresa Sousa INTERNS William Dixon, Thalia Gamage, Natalie Wong

EDITORIAL DEPUTY EDITOR Jessica Pollack SENIOR EDITORS Ariel Brewster, Sadiya Dendar, Simone Olivero CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Claire Gagne ASSISTANT EDITOR Kevin John Siazon COPY EDITOR Kelly Jones PROOFREADER Janet Morassutti INTERNS Emily McDonald, Arisa Valyear

ART CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Colleen Nicholson IN-HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHERS Carmen Cheung, Erik Putz

MARKETING SERVICES & CREATIVE SOLUTIONS General Sales Manager CAROLINE K. BRETON Creative Brand Director LAURA DENTON CONTENT DIRECTOR Kim Alison Fraser MANAGING EDITOR Renée Sylvestre-Williams MANAGER, STRATEGY AND IDEATION Stevie Gorrie STRATEGISTS Sarah Drake, Jessica Lee, Marcela Perez ART DIRECTORS Susan Jackson, Suzanne LaCorte, Peter Robertson JUNIOR COPY WRITER Victoria DiPlacibo SENIOR DIRECTOR, CLIENT DELIVERY Stefany Pierce CAMPAIGN MANAGERS Melissa Carmichael, Ivan McBurney, Rob Stephenson, Inga Terzopoulos

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION TEAM LEAD Carol Zephyrine RESEARCH SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST Eva Chau MARKETING , COMMUNICATIONS & EVENTS SENIOR DIRECTOR Tracy Finkelstein MANAGER Silvana Sciortino SENIOR SPECIALIST Erin Quinn SPECIALISTS Carlie McGhee, Summer Varty, Alyson Young SENIOR DESIGNER Colin Elliott CONSUMER MARKETING GROUP VICE-PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING Christopher Purcell GROUP CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Doris Chan PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGERS Yen Duong, Amanda Stone DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Jason Patterson DIRECTOR, NEWSSTAND SALES Pat Strangis

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Nancy Baker DIGITAL SOLUTIONS GROUP GENERAL MANAGER, NATIONAL PORTALS Ray Ostor

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER Pat Danaher DIGITAL COLOUR SPECIALIST Nicole Duplantis (on leave), Katarina Marinic

ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS CHAIRMAN + CEO Tony Gagliano VICE-CHAIRMAN John Gagliano PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER, SJC MEDIA Ken Hunt SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, REVENUE Lynn Chambers VICE-PRESIDENT, CONTENT & CREATIVE Maryam Sanati MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONSUMER REVENUE Allan Yue MANAGING DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & CONSUMER INSIGHTS Clarence Poirier MANAGING DIRECTOR, MARKETING Nadine Silverthorne DIRECTOR, CUSTOMER SUCCESS Terry Smith DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION Maria Mendes MANAGING DIRECTOR, Branded Content Sasha Emmons HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Jason Maghanoy DIRECTOR, MARKETING SPONSORSHIPS Jessika Fink

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5 Minute Crafts is published by St. Joseph Communications, 15 Benton Road, Toronto M6M 3G2. Montreal office: 249, rue Saint-Jacques, Bureau 201, Montréal H2Y 1M6. Vancouver advertising office: 180 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver V5Y 3T9. Contents copyright 2019 by St. Joseph Communications; may not be reprinted without written permission. Article proposals and manuscripts must be accompanied by self-addressed envelopes and sufficient postage; otherwise they will not be returned or acknowledged. While the publishers will take all reasonable care, they will not be responsible for the loss of any manuscript, drawing or photograph. ISSN 0009-1995. Single copy price: $4.99 + tax. Full subscription prices: Canada, 1 year (10 issues), $15 + tax. In U.S., 1 year, $45; foreign countries, $75. Indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index. Printed in Canada by St. Joseph Communications, Print. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. 5 Minute Crafts receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. 5 Minute Crafts, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. This statement does not apply to materials and/or pitches submitted by freelance writers, photographers or illustrators in accordance with known industry practices.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Labor Day Trips I

t was labor day weekend and though I had originally planned to drive with my husband and two boys from New York City to Portland, Maine, for one last summer adventure, we suddenly realized that we hadn’t spent a single weekend at home in Brooklyn. We christened our nomadic summer with a trip to Chicago for a wedding over Memorial Day and a road trip to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, the following. We spent the Fourth recreating for our boys a version of my husband’s Michigan lakeside childhood summers, canoeing, waterskiing, and swimming in the Adirondacks. During the month of August, we set up camp on Fire Island with a rotation of grandparents and friends. Our kids’ feet never once touched the mainland, while my husband and I traveled back and forth to the city for work, returning on weekends and then for a weeklong stretch. We all spent enough time without shoes and a proper hair combing to feel sufficiently feral, never quite shaking the sand out of our swimsuits. For the first time in years, summer seemed like it went on forever, the way it felt when we were kids. But when you reach the point where bare feet become impervious to a searing sandy stretch and limbs no longer require religious sunscreen application, you know it’s time to go home—time to file down calluses, to tame unwitting Kristy McNichol shags into picture-day submission. At the very least, we needed a weekend of minimizing the risk of reopening hardening scabs, now itchy with their shoals of new pink skin.

And so we decided to forgo one last escape in favor of the comforts of home. Only home through the eyes of a visitor, and with a couple of caveats: We vowed to eat only in restaurants where we had never been and to travel exclusively by bike. These tiny concessions, even within a five-mile radius, made us feel like we were still on vacation. We had Vietnamese sandwiches for lunch in Bed-Stuy one day, delicious pork ribs along the Gowanus Canal the next, and perfect ramen in Prospect Heights for dinner.

We discovered a tiny French antiques store in Boerum Hill we couldn’t believe we’d missed in the two years since it had opened.

Though the neighborhoods were familiar, the filter was different— the way a city you know so well looks through the lens of a foreign filmmaker or photographer.

PILAR GUZMÁN Editor In-Chief

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style GROWING PAINS

Removing body hair is very popular in today’s society. While there’s no quick-fix solution to stopping hair growth altogether

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STYLE Sugaring paste

Coffee and toothpaste mix

A bowl Sugar Water Lemon juice A wooden popsicle stick

Coffee grounds Lemon juice Toothpaste A bowl A spoon A wet napkin

1. Pour some sugar in a bowl.

2. Add water to it.

3. Now squeeze a lemon into the mixture.

4. Boil the mixture for 5-7 minutes.

5. Add the sugaring paste to another bowl to cool it down.

6. Mix the paste well with a wooden popsicle stick.

7. Apply the wax to your skin in the opposite direction of your hair (bottom to top).

8. Peel away the wax (top to bottom).

Hair conditioner Hair conditioner A razor 1. Apply hair conditioner to your skin.

2. Spread it evenly on the skin’s surface.

3. With the help of a razor, shave the hair in the opposite direction of your hair growth.

4. Your skin should now be super smooth and hair-free.

Threading Sewing thread A pair of scissors 1. Cut a piece of thread that should be the length of your forearm plus about 3 extra inches. The shorter the thread, the more control you have.

2. Bring the ends of the thread together.

3. Tie them firmly to create a loop.

4. Cut away any extra thread that’s not part of the loop.

5. Twist the thread loop in the middle by putting your hands on both sides of the loop and your palms up, rotating your hands a few times to create an intertwined thread in the middle.

6. To test the thread, hold it with your index and thumb on both sides and increase the gap between the right index and thumb with the twisted threads moving to the left. Repeat the step for the left side.

This is the threading motion that will remove your hair from your upper lip.

7. Now start threading in the opposite direction of your hair growth. Try not to move around a lot while threading as to avoid cuts.

8. Your upper lip is now hair-free.

1. Pour some coffee grounds in a bowl.

2. Squeeze a full lemon over the coffee.

3. Squeeze some toothpaste into the mixture.

4. Mix it well until it gets a paste-like texture.

5. Apply it to your skin and wait for a while.

6. Wipe it off with a wet napkin.

7. Your skin is now hair-free.

Turmeric paste

Aloe vera gel

Milk Turmeric Salt A bowl A makeup brush

Aloe vera A razor

1. Pour some milk in a bowl.

2. Add one tablespoon of turmeric to it.

3. Add a pinch of salt to the mixture.

4. Mix it well until it has a paste-like texture.

5. Apply the mixture to the makeup brush.

6. Dab it onto the area where you wish to get rid of unwanted hair.

7. Repeat it on the other side. Keep it on for a while and then wash it off.

8. The unwanted hair is now gone.

1. Apply some aloe vera gel directly from the plant.

2. Gently use your razor in a downward motion

Coconut oil paste Baking soda Coconut oil Lemon juice A wooden popsicle stick Napkin 1. Put some baking soda in a bowl.

2. Add a spoonful of coconut oil to it.

3. Squeeze a lemon into the mixture.

4. Mix it well with a wooden popsicle stick.

5. Apply it to the area where you want to get rid of unwanted hair.

6. Keep it there for a while. Rinse the area thoroughly and wipe it clean with a napkin.

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Honey charcoal paste Honey Charcoal A wooden popsicle stick A bowl 1. Pour some honey in a bowl.

2. Add some charcoal to it.

3. Mix it well with a wooden popsicle stick until it becomes paste-like.

4. Apply it to your skin. Keep it there for a while, then rinse it off well.

Sugar honey paste Sugar Honey Lemon juice A bowl A wooden popsicle stick 1. Pour some sugar in a bowl.

2. Add some honey to it.

3. Squeeze a full lemon into the mixture.

4. Mix it well with the help of a wooden popsicle stick. Microwave it for 30 seconds.

5. Apply the warm wax to your skin against the direction of your hair growth or downward to upward.

6. Spread the wax well in one direction. Determine one patch of skin to work on. Working on one patch of skin at a time instead of the whole area causes no mess at all.

7. Peel the wax away in the same direction or downward to upward.

8. Your skin is now hair-free.

STYLE

STYLISH LOOKS

Getting a manicure at the salon may be relaxing but it’s also a time and moneyconsuming experience.

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STYLE

Multicolored holographic nail design You’ll need a sponge, an eyeshadow makeup sponge, any kind of soft brush, and holographic nail powder.

1. Cover your nails with white nail polish and let it dry.

2. Take a sponge and draw stripes of different colors on it. The stripes should be close to each other.

3. Gently dab the sponge on your nail.

4. Remove excess nail polish from around your nail and apply a top coat. Don’t let it completely dry!

5. Apply some holographic nail powder to an eyeshadow makeup sponge.

6. Apply it to the nails moving from the top to the bottom of the nail and dabbing it into the nail to get a richer color if necessary.

7. Remove any excess powder with a soft brush.

8. Cover your nail with a top coat of nail polish.

Striped nail design Take a deep bowl and fill it with water.

You’ll need a toothpick.

Striped nail design You’ll need a flat brush and a thin brush.

To get the gradient effect on the thick stripes, first, draw lines on a palette (you can use a plastic plate, for example) with white and pink-hued nail polish close to each other. Then slightly mix the colors and dip the brush into the mix so that half of the brush is covered with the white nail polish and the other half, with a pinkish color.

1. Apply white nail polish and let it dry. Take a flat brush, dip it into the white-pink mix, and draw strokes starting from the middle of the nail and moving to the side.

2. Cover the nail with stripes moving from the top to the bottom. Let them dry.

3. Take a thin brush and dip it into some pink nail polish. Draw thin lines along the pinkish lines of the thick strokes. Start with the left side of the nail as not to wipe the stripes you’ve already drawn.

4. Draw thin stripes on the right side.

5. Cover your nail with a top coat of nail polish.

6. Your nail design is ready!

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1. Cover your nails with white nail polish and let it dry.

2. Dip a brush into blue nail polish and let a drop from the brush fall into the water.

3. Take some pink and yellow nail polish and drop a bit of them into the water as well.

Make sure that every new drop goes to the center of the circle that already has formed in the water.

4. Take a toothpick and move the nail polish from the sides to the center of the circle to form “petals” of the flower. Start at about the fourth inner circle.

5. Keep on forming petals until you transform half of the circle.

6. Move the nail polish to the outer side of the main circle to form the tips of the petals.

You can start with any inner circle.

7. Dip your nail into the water so that the part with the drawing stays on it.

8. Take your nail out of the water, remove any excess nail polish from around your nail, and cover your nail with a top coat of nail polish.

STYLE

Blue wave nail design You’ll need an eyeshadow makeup sponge, a thin brush, any soft brush, and holographic nail powder of different colors.

1. Cover your nails with blue nail polish and let it dry.

2. Dip a thin brush into a transparent base nail polish and draw a visible line across your nail. Make sure that the line is thick enough.

3. Keep on drawing lines along your nail until it’s covered with them.

4. Apply some holographic nail powder to an eyeshadow makeup sponge.

5. Gently dab holographic nail powder onto the nail.

6. Use holographic powders of different colors to create a gradient and achieve a 3dimensional visual effect.

7. Remove the excess powder with a soft brush.

8. Cover your nail with a top coat of nail polish.

Thin twigs nail design

Marble nail design You’ll need a thin brush.

1. Cover your nails with light pink nail polish and let it dry.

2. Take a thin brush and dip it into a lighterhued pink nail polish and draw a wavy line from the top to the bottom of the nail.

3. Gently blur the line.

4. Draw more lines on the nail and blur them as well. The lines should go in different directions to create a marble effect. When you’re done, cover the nail with a top coat of nail polish.

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You’ll need a special tool or a brush with a rounded end to draw dots on your nails.

You’ll need a toothpick or a thick needle.

1. Color your nails with purple nail polish and let it dry.

2. Draw pink dots on the nail using a special tool or just the tip of a brush.

3. Draw smaller white dots in the center of the pink dots.

4. Take a toothpick or a needle and move it from the top of the nail to the bottom to blur the dots and mix the colors up a bit. The result should remind you of a twig.

5. Draw smaller pink dots on the nail next to the first row of dots.

6. Draw smaller white dots in the middle of these pink dots.

7. Take a toothpick or a needle and move it from the bottom of the nail to the top to blur the dots and mix them up a bit. Again, the result should remind you of a twig.

8. Cover the nail with a top coat of nail polish.

STYLE

Emerald stone nail design You’ll need a thin needle.

1. Cover your nails with emerald green nail polish and let it dry.

2. Take a top coat of nail polish, apply it to your nails, and drop a bit of it onto the surface near your hand (you can use a palette). Don’t let it dry!

3. Drop a bit of black nail polish near it and add a bit of the black color to the transparent top coat drop with a needle.

4. Draw thin lines on your nails with the needle.

5. Keep drawing until you get the color intensity you want and your nails remind you of stones. Let the nails dry.

6. Your nail design is ready!

French manicure You’ll need a Band-Aid and tweezers.

1. Cover your nails with a nude nail polish shade and let it dry.

2. Take a Band-Aid and tightly apply it to your nail. Use tweezers to make sure the Band-Aid is tightly secured at the sides of your nail.

3. Take white nail polish and cover the tip of your nail with it.

4. Gently remove the Band-Aid with tweezers.

5. Apply a top coat of nail polish.

6. Repeat the process on the other nails and your nail design is ready!

Tip: You can use any colors to make your French manicure look more interesting.

Use any bright colors you want and position the Band-Aid as low or as high as you wish in order to get a unique look.

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home DECORATE THE WALLS Sometimes, just one small detail can drastically change the whole interior of a room, and help create a unique and inspiring atmosphere at home.

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HOME

Wall painting stencils

Simple stencils in the shape of clouds or raindrops can really add a little magic to the kids' rooms.

Wall stickers

If you aren’t confident with your painting skills, you can buy one of these beautiful wall stickers in the shape of a tree in a special art shop. You can also hang your family photos on the ’’branches’’.

Drawing on the fridge

A fridge like this will not only be pleasing to your eyes every day but also make your kitchen look truly unique.

Colorful wallpapers

Unique photographic wallpaper can let you ''travel'' to any place on the planet, or even turn the world upside down.

Chair cushions

These soft and colorful cushions can make any kitchen or dining room feel cozy and comfy.

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HOME Creative photo frames

There are plenty of interesting ways to arrange photos in your room. Try one of these to surprise your family!

Unusual lampshade covers

You can easily make a creative lampshade cover and paint it as you wish.

Wall panels

Wall panels always look nice in any home. You can try to make them by yourself - it isn't as difficult as it looks!

Decorative pillows

You can make knitted and stitched pillows or even one that looks like a doll. They serve as striking interior details which will definitely draw the attention of all your guests.

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HOME

Unique flower pots

There are lots of ways to make a flower pot play the role of a ’’spotlight’ in your room, regardless of what’s growing inside!

Embroidered pictures

A little free time and imagination are all you need to create cute and funny decorations like these ones.

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Be creative! You can make something unusual using even clothes pegs...

HOME

SHOWER STEAMS

Many people choose to take a warm shower, especially before bedtime. This habit can bring about many benefits, like improving blood circulation by raising your body temperature, relaxing your muscles, and helping you fall asleep. However, the steam that appears after taking a shower can be annoying because all surfaces — including your mirrors — end up covered with droplets of water.

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HOME Method 1: Vinegar and alcohol 1 tbsp of corn flour ½ cup of vinegar ½ cup of water ½ cup of alcohol Spray bottle Dry cloth

1. Put the corn flour in a bowl.

2. Add the water, vinegar, and alcohol.

3. Pour the solution into a spray bottle.

4. Spray the glass surface. Wipe the mirror vigorously until it’s clean.

Method 2: Shaving cream Shaving cream A microfiber cloth

1. Put some shaving cream on the mirror.

2. Lather the whole surface with the shaving cream.

3. Wipe the glass with a dry cloth until it looks impeccable.

Method 3: Bar soap Bar soap A microfiber cloth

1. Apply a layer of dry soap on the surface.

2. Rub the soap with a dry cloth until it disappears.

Method 4: Toothpaste Toothpaste A microfiber cloth

1. Put some toothpaste on the dry cloth.

2. Wipe the glass clean until you’ve removed all the toothpaste.

Method 5: Tea 1 cup of tea A spray bottle A microfiber cloth

1. Pour a cup of tea into the spray bottle.

2. Spray the solution onto the glass.

3. Wipe clean with a dry cloth.

Method 6: Olive oil Olive oil A cotton pad or a dry cloth

1. Pour a few drops of olive oil onto a pad or dry cloth.

2. Rub it onto the mirror.

3. Wipe with water, getting rid of any trace of dry drops.

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health

BLOATING PROBLEMS Many people suffer from excessive gas formation and an unpleasant feeling in their stomach. It causes discomfort and makes the belly appear bigger.

Keep in mind that it’s essential to determine the primary cause of bloating before starting any self-treatment and to illuminate all the risks of possible chronic and serious medical conditions.

Always consult your doctor first.

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HEALTH Go for a walk

Being physically active helps us to improve our bowel movements, making it more regular. In turn, this helps to release gas and prevent constipation. So taking a short walk can make your belly feel less bloated.

Don’t forget to incorporate physical activity into your everyday life to prevent constipation and problems with bloating in advance.

Check to see if you have any food allergies

If you suspect that certain products make you feel bloated, visit a doctor to figure out whether they’re responsible for your digestive problems. Many people are intolerant to some widely-used ingredients like lactose, gluten, wheat, and fructose, and their bodies react negatively when they consume them.

Don’t eat food that contributes to the formation of gas

Certain foods like beans, cruciferous vegetables, lentils, onions, and apples, cause bloating. If you notice excessive gas after eating them, limit their consumption.

It’s also a good idea to keep a food diary to track your reaction to different products.

Limit or avoid sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols are sweeteners like erythritol, maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol, which can be found in many sugar-free products like gum, ice cream, cookies, and energy bars. They’re an alternative to sugar, but they may lead to digestive problems including excessive gas formation if you consume them in high amounts.

Pay attention to how your body reacts to these products and limit them if necessary.

Consume less salt

Consuming too much salt makes your body retain water making you feel bloated. Pay special attention to the label when buying processed foods because they tend to contain more salt than homemade meals.

It’s better to not consume more than 500 mg of sodium per serving.

Add probiotics to your diet

Probiotics contain “good bacteria” that might help improve your digestion and reduce bloating. Some food products, like natural yogurts, contain probiotics, but you may also want to consult your doctor to determine the condition of your intestines and get a recommendation for taking certain probiotic supplements.

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Ditch carbonated beverages

Fizzy drinks that are filled with bubbles trap gas in your stomach, causing bloating. It’s better to reduce the consumption of these beverages and go for healthier alternatives like water with lemon, cucumber water, or peppermint tea instead.

Do abdominal self-massage

Put your hand above your right hip bone and move your hand up, close to your ribcage. Keep moving your hand clockwise gently rubbing your stomach. Make sure your movement covers both the upper and lower belly areas. Repeat for a little while. You should feel relief.

Stop the massage if you feel any pain or discomfort.

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LOVE, PARENTS Becoming parents is one of the most wonderfully life-altering experiences two people can go through together. But when two become three (or four, or five!) romance can fall very quickly down the list of priorities, as sleepless nights become ‘sleepless nights’ for a whole host of new reasons.

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Schedule regular ‘date nights’

Talk, confide, reconnect

Physical togetherness is important

Keep things playful

Date nights are important for any couple in a long-term relationship, but even more so for parents. Try and block out time on the calendar at least once a month to go on a good, old-fashioned date. Get dressed up, hold hands, and remember that you are still the same two people who fell in love.

Set aside a time each day - whether it’s once the kids are asleep, or in bed just before lights out - to talk. It doesn’t have to be anything deep or meaningful - perhaps something funny you read online or a weird dream you had the night before. Just stay away from anything that draws you back to mundanity - bills, the ‘to-do’ list, chores.

Touch has such an enormous impact on our sense of wellbeing in relationships, and yet when we have children we tend to transfer all our affection to the new baby and it’s easy to neglect our partner.

Even a night-time cuddle can be mission impossible if you share the bed with a wriggling toddler, so catch a physical fix when you can a fingertip touch in the hallway, one hand through the hair whilst cooking together, a kiss that lingers a second too long when saying goodbye.

Give each other time off

As much as we love our children, every parent needs time alone to recharge their batteries. Take it in turns to give each other some precious ‘me-time’ and your relationship and family will thank you for it. Hello Sunday morning lie ins!

Turn off technology

If you only have an hour before the baby wakes up again, make that hour count. If one or both of you needs screen time to unwind after the day, set a limit and then turn it off. Clear the toys away, light candles, put on some relaxing music and just “be”, together.

Nurture your own special “in-jokes” and rituals as a couple. My husband and I play a silly game, the rules of which have been refined over several years; every 24 hours, we race to tell each other (wherever we are, and using these exact words only) “I love you whatever you love me plus one - no returns!” It’s earned us some funny looks at the supermarket checkout, but it is something uniquely “us” that binds us together daily.

It’s good to be appreciated....

....and even better to hear it said out loud. Often we don’t verbalise enough how grateful we are for the littlest things, because we assume they are too insignificant to mention. Make a conscious effort to express your gratitude regularly - even if it’s only to say “I love to see you reading to our son”.

Look at what we did!

Remember that your child is the most perfect physical embodiment of your love. Each evening once they’re asleep and the toys and the mess have been somewhat cleared up, take some time out together to look in on them, take a deep breath and whisper (very quietly) “we made him/her!”

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food COFFEE BREAK Coffee is one of the 3 most consumed beverages worldwide. Many of us love its flavor and aroma, and preparing a hot or cold cup has become a part of our daily ritual.

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FOOD

Hazelnutflavored coffee 1 cup of peeled hazelnuts 1 cup of coffee beans 1. In a food processor, place the hazelnuts and coffee beans. You can add a few drops of vanilla essence and a pinch of cinnamon powder if you’d like. These are ingredients that will give the coffee more of an aroma.

2. Grind all the ingredients until they’re completely ground.

3. Store the coffee in a container with an airtight lid and in a cool and dark place away from the sun’s rays. This way, it will retain its aroma and texture for a longer period of time. Prepare your drink with the ground coffee as you normally would. You can choose to have, for example, an espresso, a cappuccino, or a latte.

Coffee ice pops with candy

Coffee syrup Chocolatecovered cones with iced coffee 1 ½ cups of sugar ½ cup of soluble coffee ½ liter of hot water 1 empty jar with an airtight lid

4 tablespoons of assorted candies ½ liter of cold coffee ½ liter of milk (or almond, soy, or coconut milk) 1 mold to make popsicles or ice cream 1. Place the candies inside the mold. You can use the kind you like the most and the quantity you prefer. The more you use, the sweeter your coffee popsicles will be. Then, pour the cold coffee into the container about halfway.

2. Pour in the milk to fill the mold of each popsicle.

3. Cover them. However, if your container doesn’t have individual lids, you can pop in wooden sticks. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

4. Unmold and enjoy your popsicle.

1. In a deep glass bowl, place the sugar and coffee.

2. Pour the hot water over them. Mix it well until a liquid consistency is obtained.

Taste it, and if you want it to be more concentrated, add more coffee.

3. Using a funnel, pour the syrup into the empty glass jar.

4. Seal it well and store it in the refrigerator. Pour the syrup into your favorite beverages.

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4-6 ice cream cones 1 cup of melted chocolate 2 cups of iced coffee 1 tbsp of colored sprinkles or crushed nuts (optional) 1. In a bowl full of melted chocolate, dip in the ice cream cones. Cover them halfway. Decorate them with colored sprinkles or crushed nuts. Then, wait a few minutes until the chocolate solidifies.

2. Pour the cold coffee into the cone, but don’t fill it completely.

3. You can add your favorite ice cream to the drink or top it off with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.

Coffee jelly drink 150 g of gummy bears 1 cup of water 1 cup of instant coffee Milk, oatmeal, or natural yogurt 1. Place the gummy bears and water in a skillet over low heat. Stir everything together until the gummy bears are melted into a liquid consistency.

2. Pour the mixture into a rectangular pan. You will see a thin layer form. Let it cool for about 30 minutes.

3. Once it solidifies, cut it into squares and scoop each piece out with a spoon or spatula.

4. The gelatin squares can be served over cold milk or oatmeal. You could also add them to vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt, depending on your preference.

FOOD

TASTE THE CUPCAKES

If you’d like to have a sweet treat to share with your family, you can always make cupcakes really fast and use ingredients you already have at home. The great thing about simple recipes is that you can create different flavors by just replacing one ingredient.

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FOOD Easy ideas to decorate your cupcakes

Vanilla cupcake 5.3 oz (150 g) of wheat flour 1.7 oz (50 g) of room temperature butter 3.5 oz (100 g) of sugar 1 egg 0.17 oz (5 g) of baking powder (or chemical leavening agent) Vanilla essence to taste 1. In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar until smooth.

2. Add the egg and then mix again until wellintegrated. Add a few drops of vanilla essence.

3. Add flour and milk alternately. Use a spatula to fold in the ingredients.

4. Grease the cupcake pans (you may use silicone ones) with some butter, and pour the batter in at ¾ of their capacity. You may also place a liner in each mold.

5. Bake at 350°F (175 °C) (low to medium temperature) for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center to make sure they are done. If it comes out dry and clean, you can take them out of the oven.

6. Let them cool off before removing them from the pan.

7. Your cupcakes are now ready to be enjoyed or decorated.

With marshmallows Place a marshmallow on each cupcake.

Bake until the marshmallow melts and looks golden brown.

Owl’s face Use chocolate frosting to decorate the top part of the cupcakes and shape it into the owl’s ears.

Open a sandwich cookie and place the halves on the cupcakes to act as the eyes.

Use multi-colored chocolate candy for the eyes and the beak.

You can add 1 tablespoon of orange or lemon zest instead of vanilla essence, if you prefer those flavors.

1.7 oz (50 g) of flour can be replaced with the same amount of cocoa powder to make chocolate cupcakes.

Cookie Monster Surprise filling Fill the pastry bag with blue frosting and use a special nozzle to get your frosting to come out in long strands like in the photo.

Frost the cupcakes with this to simulate the Cookie Monster’s fur.

Use marzipan for the eyes and half a chocolate chip cookie for the mouth.

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Make a hole in the center of each cupcake.

Fill it in with rainbow sprinkles.

Coat the sides of the cupcake with the frosting of your choice.

FOOD

Rainbow frosting Spread different colors of frosting on a square of plastic wrap.

Carefully fold it. Place the roll in a pastry bag.

Frost the cupcakes.

Strawberries and sprinkles Put a pastry bag in a glass and open it.

Spread some strawberry jam (or any flavor of your choice) on the inside of the bag. Then, fill it up with white frosting.

Decorate the cupcakes and add some rainbow sprinkles.

living

TAKE A BOW Making loops into a beautiful bow is not as easy as it seems. Fortunately, there are quite a few tricks that can help you to simplify the task. For example, using a usual fork or a small plate.

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LIVING

Method #1

Method #4

Materials a fork 2 multicolored thin ribbons scissors

Materials wire-edge ribbon plate metal thread

Take a fork and wrap one ribbon around it, looping it through the teeth (like a snake) until you get several rows. After that, take the second ribbon and thread it through, between the central teeth, so that you can tie the interweaving of the first ribbon.

Make a knot and take the fork out so that you can get a bow. Cut the ends of the ribbons with scissors. It’s ready to go!

Wrap the ribbon around the plate. The final size of the bow depends on the plate’s diameter: the smaller the size of the plate is, the smaller bow you’ll get. After that, remove the plate and tie the ribbon with a piece of metal thread in the middle.

The only thing left to do is to “fluff” the bow by arranging it into the necessary shape.

It’s ready!

Method #2

Method #3

Materials 4 bamboo skewers a sheet of cardboard 2 ribbons in different colors scissors

Materials long satin ribbon double-sided adhesive tape a pin scissors

This method resembles the first one, apart from the fork that is replaced with its analog, which allows you to make bigger bows. Skewers should be fixed in the cardboard, like shown above. Later you will wrap it with ribbons, exactly the way that we showed in the previous method.

Cut the tape into 5 equal pieces. Glue a piece of doublesided tape to the inside in the center of each section, and then adjust the ends of the ribbon to it by folding them.

Place all the segments folded in the aforementioned way over each other and fix them with the help of a pin. Your ribbon is ready to go!

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Method #5

Method #6

Method #7

Materials blouse ribbon or a neck scarf

Materials satin ribbons thread and needle glue a lighter hair barrette

Materials gift wrapping paper double-sided adhesive tape scissors

Wrap the middle of one blouse ribbon end around your fingers so that you can get the first loop. Make the second loop simultaneously with the first one from the rest of the ribbon. Loop the second end of the blouse ribbon through the first loop, tightening the second loop at the same time until you get a bow. It’s ready!

Take 2 ribbons as long as 4 inches each.

Fold the ends of one ribbon to its center and stitch them together. After that, without removing the needle, wrap the thread in the middle of the ribbon so that you get a bow. Then, stitch the second ribbon with the same needle so that you get a bow and wrap it with a thread so that you can adjust the 2 bows to each other.

Now take a small piece of ribbon. Lay the ends from both sides over each other and slightly burn them with a lighter. After that, glue them to the backside of the hair grip base. Glue the bow to the front part of the hair grip and wrap the free end of the short ribbon (the one at the backside) around it by gluing its end to the backside of the hair grip. It’s ready!

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Cut a sheet of gift wrapping paper into 9 equal pieces. Make a loop from each strip as shown in the photo above. Adjust the ends of each strip to its center with the help of adhesive tape. Secure the strips that you got between each other, slightly bending the ends so that you can get a voluminous bow. It’s ready!

TIPS & TRICKS

How to make a stylish case for your sunglasses in just ten minutes Nowadays, it seems that a lot of cases for sunglasses have become so big that they barely fit in your bag.

MATERIALS a piece of light cloth measuring 30cm x 30cm paper scissors chalk (instead of this you can also use a marker or anything that leaves a visible mark) a needle, and some thread.

1. The first thing you need to do is print out or trace the template for your sunglasses case (below) onto a piece of paper. The size you need obviously depends on the size of your sunglasses. Once you've done so, cut it out using scissors.

2. Place the template on your piece of cloth, and draw around it with the chalk/marker.

3. Now carefully cut out the template on the cloth. Place your glasses on it to check if it's the right size and make adjustments with the scissors if necessary.

4. Now you need a strip of material about 1cm wide and around 35cm long. You can use the same piece of cloth that you used to cut out the above template, or another piece entirely - it doesn't matter.

5. Place one end of the strip of material at the center of the template, and sew it in place at two different points with X-shaped stitches

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CHILL & DRAW

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