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6 Insider Hair Tips Everyone Must Know

When your hands grace the manes of multiple women and men for about 10 years, chances are…you will have some pretty interesting stories as well as insider tips to tell. And, that is what Ning Agoncillo shared with me the other day. Luckily for you, I am willing to share all her efficient hair tips for free!

1. SAVE ON ADD-ONS

If the salon that you frequent charges you with the shampoo and conditioner whenever you are getting a haircut, save on the add-ons by showering at home. Not only will you save cash but you will also save precious time.

2. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE NAMES

Different salons have different names for the same treatments. For instance one salon may call it Keratin Treatment while the other can call it Reborn Treatment. You must take the responsibility to inquire about the treatment process beforehand in order to compare the salons and to get the best price.

3. EVERYTHING CAN BE REPAIRED

Ning Agoncillo is one of those people who spend years perfecting their craft!

Image Credits: facebook.com/makeupbyningagoncillo?fref=ts

And, given the years of experience and education, she imparts that a good hairdresser is able to repair anything. If your hair has been suffering dryness and frizziness for years, do not fret because it can still become healthy! If you dyed your hair with the wrong shade, do not worry. You can outgrow and re-dye your hair.

4. YOUR HAIR CUT MUST COMPLEMENT YOUR FACE SHAPE

Your hair cut must complement and frame your face well. Square-shaped faces must keep their hair long with layers in order to highlight their face. Also, it is a must to avoid short hair cuts. While for people with round-shaped faces, getting a pixie cut is a good idea. And for heart-shaped faces, a medium hair cut with uniform layers will look nice.

5. KNOW THESE IF YOU ARE GETTING A TREATMENT

If you are getting a treatment, do know that you will stretch your dollar as well as maximize its effects if you steamed your hair in the process.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

6. YOU SHALL NOT INVEST ON EXPENSIVE SCISSORS

Investing on expensive stylist’s scissors is not advisable if you are not a professional or if you are not studying to become one. This is because the scissors need preservation techniques such as keeping it cool or not lending it to others in order to maintain its perfect setting.

How To Learn A New Language Without Spending A Dollar

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could easily upload foreign languages by putting microchips to your brain? Okay, maybe it sounds a tad futuristic and creepy too! However, it is not possible – yet.

Fortunately, you can learn to speak a new language confidently in a relatively short period of time. Here are some tips:

1. TAKE OUT THE EXCUSES AND FEARS

In order to learn a foreign language successfully, you must wash away the excuses and fear inside of you. Whether it is fear of making mistakes, fear of being ridiculed or fear of looking stupid, all your worries will only hold you back. Realize instead that communication is designed to understand each other and never to look down upon someone.

2. SET GOALS

Set an attainable and realistic goal to start with. While you are at it, reward yourself for every milestone you reached. For instance, you may begin with learning at least 50 words in 3-6 months. Then, slowly pick up the pace to learn the grammar too.

3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE ONLINE COURSES

Upon digging through all the free resources in the web, I found that two websites shine from the rest namely: Omniglot and Open Culture. Omniglot has a user-friendly interface that allows you to find the language you desire from the “language index” that is fixed alphabetically. Simply scroll down to find the course links.

Alternatively, you can browse through the collection of featured lessons provided by Open Culture. It consists of 48 languages including French, Mandarin, English, Spanish, and more. Simply download the audio lessons to your computer or music player (mp3 format) to pick it up easily.

4. DOWNLOAD AN AWESOME APP

Want a fun way to learn a new language? Then, download the gamified language tutor App called Duolingo. I am personally in love with Duolingo. More than just learning the basic phrases, it allows you to test your skills in written and spoken language. This is why “Yo entiendo Español.”

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

5. INTERACT IN THE NEW LANGUAGE

One of the best ways to absorb a foreign language is to interact with others. It will teach you naturally and spontaneously to express your thoughts instead of mentally translating every word before you say it.

Sources: 1 & 2

Eternal Benefits Of Waking Up Early

It was 5:30 in the morning and I heard my sister mumbling that she was about to for school. I had two choices: to doze off once more or to wake up and get things done. I chose the latter. And, I do not regret a single thing!

Waking up early has more free benefits that you can ever imagine! You do not have to wake up as early as 5:30 am, just by give yourself more time in the morning (e.g., an hour more) is enough. Pressing the snooze button is no longer an option once you hear the long-lasting benefits of waking up early…

1. PRODUCTIVITY

Waking up early gives you an opportunity to get more things done and to earn more in the process. Furthermore, mornings are usually the time when your brain is most focused and alert. Not to mention, there are fewer distractions in the early hours of the day anyway so you can really achieve more things, smoothly.

Aside from being productive, a biologist in Harvard named Christoph Randler found that individuals who wake up early are more proactive. Other studies echoed his findings and showed that early risers are better at goal setting, planning, and making decisions.

2. BETTER GRADES

A study conducted by Texas University found that students who consistently rise early each day scored better in their exams and overall grades. This is due to the fixed routine and regularly eating breakfast.

So if you are a student, it is best to wake up early than to sleep for long hours and rush to school. Who likes the pressure of hurrying up anyway?

3. MENTAL HEALTH

If treasure relaxation then, waking up early is perfect for you! Early risers have the luxury to give themselves more time to do the things they like such as reading the morning paper, preparing a healthy breakfast, and working out. These things may seem small but it will surely brighten up your mood!

Moreover, studies have shown that “morning people” are generally more optimistic and satisfied with their lives. In fact, Del Suggs who is the author of Truly Leading: Lessons in Leadership, suggests to begin your day with writing down three things you are grateful for. This simple and efficient exercise is rooted from the principles of Positive Psychology.

4. WORKING OUT

As I said, waking up early gives you more time to exercise. And, we all know that exercise either in the morning or at night, has bountiful advantages to your body. By making exercise a daily morning habit, you are able to stimulate energy to your body that will get you ready for the challenges ahead!

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

5. DIET

How many times have you heard the statement: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day?” Well, it is true.

Skipping breakfast is not recommended because your body needs nutrients to help you concentrate and function throughout the day. Also, skipping breakfast makes you more likely to crave unhealthy food and to overeat.

Your body has been on a “fast” mode all night while you were sleeping and you need to “break that fast” with a serving of healthy food.

Sources: 1 & 2

5 Things To Do When You Lose Your Wallet In Singapore

1. BE 100% SURE

Before you can confirm that your wallet is lost or stolen make sure that you did not just misplace it. Keep calm and carefully retrace your steps. Check if your wallet just fell out of your drawer at work, inside your car, or hidden at the sides of the couch.

Do not hesitate to call or to talk to the people in charge of the place you have recently been (e.g., restaurants or shops). And, if there is still no luck and you are 100% sure that it is gone then, you must proceed to number two.

2. CALL YOUR DEBIT AND CREDIT CARD ISSUERS

If your lost wallet contains your debit, credit, and ATM cards, you must immediately call your bank or card issuer. You will be happy that you acted swiftly and prevented any unauthorized withdrawals at the moment of your loss. Instead of canceling your cards, you must report your cards as lost or stolen. The bank or the card issuer has a procedure that will suspend the card to keep your wealth safe.

Then, you must replace your cards with new ones. According to a Singaporean blog, only POSB/DBS banks will deliver your new ATM card directly to you. While Maybank and UOB requires you to go down to their branches personally. They will require you to present your IC too and if you lost your IC, bring your passport along and proceed to number three.

3. REPLACE YOUR IDENTITY CARD

One of the most important things that you might have in your wallet is your Identity Card (IC). If you lose your IC and it is not stolen then, you may go straight to ICA to get a new one. Otherwise, you are required to have a police report or to present the completed Declaration Form NR 12. Bonded by the law, Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who lost their ICs are required to report it and apply for replacement within 14 days.

Please bring the following documents:

a. One recent passport sized photo (i.e., photo-taking services are available at the 2nd and 4th level of the building)

b. Police report or completed Declaration Form NR 12 if you are a victim of a crime

c. Passport

d. Entry and Re-Entry Permits

e. Malaysian IC (i.e., if it’s applicable)

Be ready to pay S$100 as a first timer. Subsequent losses will have to pay a fee of S$300.

4. FILE A POLICE REPORT TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Do not take your loss or theft too lightly. You must take this step in order to replace your IC if your wallet was really stolen. Furthermore, it will provide sufficient evidence if you become a victim of fraud or identity theft.

Be ready to answer the police officer’s questions such as:

When and where did you lose your wallet?

What are the articles inside your wallet?

If it is stolen, can you describe anyone suspicious?

Then, keep a copy of the report afterwards.

5. CHANGE YOUR LOCKS IF YOUR KEYS ARE INSIDE

If your keys are missing along with your wallet, you must change the locks to prevent the event of a break in. Even if your wallet was returned perfectly, someone could have easily made a copy of your keys and your information.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

It is better to be safe than sorry! 🙂

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

4 Tips You Need To Know Before Buying A Home As A Single Singaporean

According to the latest Population Trends report, single-hood rates are highest among lower-educated Singaporean men in their 30s and 40s and among higher educated women. It is clearly observable that the number of unmarried Singaporeans have been growing over the years but that does not stop one to contemplate about purchasing his or her own flat.

With the hefty housing prices in the market today, can an individual with an average income really afford a huge investment single-handedly?

To tell you honestly, the answer is YES!

It is possible, but you have to consider these few things:

1. KNOW ABOUT THE AVAILABLE SCHEME AND GRANT

In 2013, the government introduced a scheme that allows first-timer singles aged 35 and above earning up to S$5,000 a month to purchase a 2-room flats in “non-mature” estates. At that year, HDB launched 3,861 flats for sale in Sengkang, Bukit Merah, and Yishun under the Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise.

This relatively new scheme is called Single Singaporean Citizen (SSC). As you are aware of, before SSC, singles could only buy either private properties or resale HDB flats which can be costly! Thus, this will give a great opportunity for all the singles out there that are planning to become home owners despite of their average incomes.

Say you are an unwed Singaporean who just turned 35 a few months ago and you draw an average of S$3,000 a month, you can be entitled to receive the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) worth S$10,000. However, the eligibility of SHG is only given to first-timer citizen who is applying for a 2-room flat in non-mature estates. Furthermore, his or her average gross monthly income must not exceed S$3,250.

By knowing the available scheme and grant, one can safely conclude that owning a 2-room flat in Singapore is possible without the need to fork out loads of cash upfront.

2. ANALYZE YOUR BUDGET

Since purchasing a house is probably the biggest financial commitment you have at this point, it must be planned carefully. Before you start looking for a flat in the non-mature estates, know what you can afford as well as what you need to pay for first. Even if you are purchasing a new private property, you will need to reserve extra money to cover repair, taxes, and maintenance. Affordability is certainly a huge issue!

3. PROTECT WHAT YOU OWN

There is a huge sense of comfort and independence in owning your own home wherein you make your own decisions as days go by. Along with that comes the responsibility to take care of yourself. It is important that you have sufficient insurance to cover your health and your life.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

4. CONSULT THE PROFESSIONALS

As I said before, buying a home is a huge commitment to make. This is why you must take your time and do your research with the available resources you have. Aside from this, it is always a good idea to talk to real estate agents or to consult a financial adviser beforehand.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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