Top 5 Romantic Activities in London

London has always been a top tourist destination for those looking to discover Europe, however when it comes to a romantic getaway, couples tend to think of Paris as the capital city of love. Whilst there is a certain seductive charm about France, what with all the delicious cuisine and quality wine, London is fast become a sought after destination for couples looking for a romantic trip for two.

Here is a list of London’s top 5 most romantic outings:

Champagne Capsule on the London Eye. To celebrate Millennium, the London Eye was built to provide a vantage point across the entire city. It has since become a London landmark, with thousands of tourists taking a ride on the vast wheel every day. Love can often be find high in the air when couples choose to book a private Champagne Capsule experience on the London Eye. For 30 minutes couples can be left to enjoy the romantic view of London in the privacy of their own capsule (which on arrangement can include canapés).

A Night-time Stroll Along the Southbank. For romance on a budget, a hand-in-hand stroll along London’s famous Thames Path can be the perfect makings of a romantic evening. Couples can soak up the alfresco dining and wine bar atmosphere whilst listening to the sounds of the rivers lapping waves. Trees are lined with fairy lights and often street performers provide perfect ambient music.

Dinner in the OXO Tower. For a good old fashioned romantic wine and dine, London’s OxoTower Restaurant, Bar & Brasserie is a simply breathtaking fine dining option. Situated on the top floor of the Oxo tower, lovers can watch boats glide by on the Thames during the day, or witness London’s glittering lights reflected in the river by night.  There is also an intimate outdoor balcony for couples to enjoy the views.

A Picnic in Regents Park.  This is another option for those wishing to be rich in romance but tight in budget. There is noting quite like a walk through a beautiful English rose garden and then settling down to a picnic on a blanket. Here couples can enjoy picturesque garden surroundings whilst munching on their strawberries and gazing into one another’s eyes!

A Trip to the Theatre.   

London’s West End theatre has been a destination for London’s high society for years, so why not treat your other half to an unforgettable night at the theatre. There is something extremely passionate about sitting in plus read seats, sipping champagne and watching one of London’s latest theatrical triumphs. Couples often can’t resist the romantic classic Phantom of the Opera or the hypnotising music and vivid costumes in The Lion King. A trip to London’s theatre is the perfect opportunity for couples to get dressed up and make a real night of it.

Rebecca is a writer and Arts Journalist for CheapTheatreTickets.com, a London theatre news, reviews and ticket site. Rebecca is fan of all things cultural; she loves ambling through art galleries or sitting down to watch a good piece of theatre. Rebecca is also a fan of a fine wine!

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How Baby Massage May Reduce Crying

The benefits of infant massage are manifold. In fact, a number of the benefits of baby massage are not only for babies -- they are also reassuring and comforting parents who want to do the best for their baby and provide as much care and comfort as possible.

Why massage a baby?

Baby massage offers a wonderful way to bond with your son or daughter and many parents are delighted to learn that a number of studies have shown regular massage can reduce crying, alleviate symptoms of colic, enhance the baby’s immune system and assist with the development of better sleeping patterns. It comes as no surprise that these are highly desirable ends for parents and babies.

For mothers experiencing postnatal depression, there is some evidence to show that baby massage can help to overcome some of the effects and symptoms of depression and build the emotional connection that exists between mother and baby.

Points to know about baby massage... should you use a baby massage oil?

●      If a baby is healthy, it is usually safe to massage him or her from birth onwards. Use of a gentle, natural baby massage oil is generally safe and can enhance the experience of the massage.

●      While baby massage can reduce crying, it is generally not recommended that massage be used as a technique to calm a baby that is already upset or distressed. However, baby massage has been proven to fix specific conditions such as wind, colic, constipation or reflux.

●      There is no need to massage your baby for a particular length of time -- you may massage your baby for as long or short a time as you both wish. However, as a baby becomes familiar with the experience, it is advisable to start with shorter massages.

●    A baby should never be forced to be massaged. In the event that your baby exhibits signs of tiredness or irritability while being massaged, it is best to stop and try again at another time.

●      If your baby wants to change positions, allow him or her to do so. You can learn a lot by observing your baby’s behaviours and body language.

●      Infant massage is most successful if you are able to relax and follow the same pattern in the course of each massage -- this way, your baby will learn what to expect.

●      Playing soft music as you massage your baby can also deliver benefits as your baby may form an association between the music, relaxation and even going to bed.

●      Baby massage should never be too deep or hard, but it should also not be too light.

Infant massage and crying:

Crying is often a huge concern for parents, who feel distressed and compelled to ‘fix the problem’ when their baby is upset. Many parents feel their baby cries too much and are interested to learn techniques and strategies to soothe and comfort their child.

A number of studies have shown that for infants, older babies and toddlers who receive massage, there is a reduction in the amount of crying time. There are many reasons why this is the case, but because baby massage can help to relieve wind, colic and even constipation -- just some of the reasons babies cry -- it is definitely feasible that this connection is made.

Similarly, when massage is an enjoyable and relaxing experience for a baby, he or she is less likely to cry and more likely to enjoy this component of their daily routine.

Infant massage is important for many reasons and can deliver some very positive and desirable benefits. There is an ever-increasing belief that baby massage can reduce crying and, when this is considered with the other potential benefits of the practice, it is apparent that baby massage is good and worthwhile for all babies.

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Aggression - Signs, Types and Cures

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This modern world has thrown open a lot of competition between people. One has to be on their toes to stay a step ahead of everybody. This has led to a lot of aggression in people and it starts to show in their behavior. While sometimes aggression may appear to be a good thing to seek personal development, it can be harmful and is a worry.

Many people fail to realize the difference between assertiveness and aggression. While assertiveness deals with making bold assertions and making things clear cut, aggression cam be quite hostile and intrudes on the path of others. One may not realize that he/she is aggressive in their behavior but some simple analysis will reveal if he/she possesses aggression:

• The person is hostile and defiant. He/she is hard to stay or work with
• He/she always has a fighting mentality and a tendency to harm others
• The person may feel like abusing others and sometimes derives pleasure from it
• He/she has utter disregard for property belonging to him/her or to others

The sense of domination is so strong in the persons that they have the least care for others or do not feel much what other persons may feel. Aggression may occur in different forms and types and results in different ways. The various types of aggressive can be:

• Physical form of violence is a form in which the aggressor intends to harm another person, the receiver, causing him intense pain, suffering and at times even death. This generally occurs in persons who have anger issues or severe frustrations
• Verbal aggression is another form where the aggressor makes use of threats, abuses, screams, taunts, sarcasms, yells and others
• Non-verbal aggression deals generally with intimidations. Clenching of the fists, bruxism or clenching of the teeth, a daring and glaring look, stalking and destruction of property of the receiver are the signs of it
• A person may also be passively aggressive and he/she is generally negative in his/her behavior. The person is angry but cannot or do not wish to show it. His/her reaction will generally be in the form of feeling upset, giving angry looks, showing displeasure, sulking, subconsciously underperforming a task etc.

It is a need to deal with aggression otherwise the person may go into trouble and may begin to develop mental problems. They may form borderline personality disorder, anti-social personality, attention deficiency, hyperactivity, utter defiance etc. People may also turn to alcohol, drugs and may become addicts.

For reduction of aggression some simple steps may be followed which will have a positive impact. If one is aware that he/she is aggressive and wishes to control it, then half the work is done.

• First and foremost thing is to eliminate the root cause of aggression. Analyzing oneself will help a lot in this regard
• Having found out the cause/s of aggression, it will be unwise to carry on repeating it again and again
• Have control over yourself and try to keep a cool head as much as possible. Do some deep breathing and relax your mind
• Try to be more acceptable towards others. Realize that a situation that aggression may actually deteriorate a situation rather than improve it
• If nothing works then do not shy away from seeking professional help. Sometimes there are anger management courses that help to reduce aggression levels

It is to be remembered that to get temporary results sometimes a little bit of aggression doesn’t hurt. However, in the long run this may not be the case and it is wiser to in control and be assertive rather than be aggressive to reach one’s goal.

Dr. Williams is a registered practitioner, he has specialized skills in doing suboxone treatment, bipolar treatment and anxiety disorder treatment, how ever he also writes informative articles about child psychiatrists, mental illness in children and other  topics related to mental health when he gets free time.

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Depression – The Signs and Treatment

We all know that our world is full of miseries and failures that may prove to be too much to handle at times. Repeated failures will no doubt put us in a downward spiral of life and throw us into the pit of depression. Once we go into depression it is our belief that there is no way to get out of the situation. However depression can be well treated and the patients can be cured.

Before beginning of the treatment one has to understand the different signs that are generally associated with depression. Some of the signs are:

• People will suffer from insomnia and will remain in conditions of wakefulness. Sometimes they will wake up very early in the morning
• There will be a drop in concentration levels and they will be unable to focus their attentions on anything. Their thoughts too will be incoherent and random
• There will be a drop in the levels of physical energy and a continuous sense of tiredness will engulf the person
• People tend to lose their appetite and eat less and so there will be a loss in body-weight. There may be at times just the opposite happening and they will begin to eat more. In addition to that they will lose interest in almost anything and everything that they had been associated with. In a sense nothing will appeal to them
• The thoughts of failures and insults all through their lives will start to cram up and will attempt to destabilize the minds. This may lead to a feeling of guilt, bad and sometimes even anger for not having done something at the right time
• There may also be some physical pains associated with depression that will lead to feelings of pain in the stomach, body aches etc
• People also feel the burden of failures that will bog down an individual. The burdens may creep up as being an unsuccessful son/daughter/brother/sister or a failure in life and being a hopeless cause
• As part of severe depression people sometimes harbor thoughts of killing themselves and even making attempts to do so
• They also turn towards alcohol and drugs to divert their minds elsewhere

People who suffer from depression can be treated by a variety of methods. No method can be foolproof and the treatment changes as and when the situation demands:

• A very basic form of treatment is exercising. This will increase the blood circulation and flow of blood into the brain. The most thing of all is that it will help clear the mind off the negative thoughts that tend to follow in idleness
• Trying to find some social support. It is a self-effort. Agreed that it is quite hard during that period as the mind doesn’t like to feel something but if one has the desire to get out of it then one has to make the effort
• People are encouraged to follow a diet of carbohydrate rich food as it helps produce serotonin which in turn will lead to feelings of well being and wellness
• Allow the person to get more sleep which in turn will help relax his nerves and keep his mind fresh
• The reduction of stress is a major factor in reducing depression. This can be achieved through changes in lifestyle by throwing out stress related factors like too much work or unsupportive relations
• Being brave and asking help from a therapist. This too is a self-effort. The practitioner will prescribe medications like Prozac, Paxil etc. as  he deems fit
• Finally, psychologists help to clear out the problems and help one to lead a normal life

The root causes of depression differ from individual to individual and each case should be treated accordingly. Patients might not respond to a way of treatment which had been successful in another case. Sometimes even a mixture of methods is needed to find the right cure. Obviously it goes without saying that a person suffering from depression needs a lot of support from his associates.

Dr.Williams has been working on subjects like mental disorders, depression treatment, mental health and now he loves to share his experience through his articles about anxiety disorder treatment, st louis psychiatrists, depression treatments and many more.

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Annoying Mosquitoes

I didn’t capture any blue thing lately; therefore I share another 'For Better or Worse' Comic –my favorite comic- here.  

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I’m so relate with this. My husband never feels bothered with mosquitoes. He keeps sleeping well. I always wake up every time I hear its sound by my ear. I guess –like the comic’s saying- he depends on me to get rid away of these annoying critters. 

Before, I used an electric mosquito racket but now I always put on an electric anti-mosquito every night. It works and it’s so practical; I’ve never had problem with mosquito while sleeping anymore. How do you get rid of mosquitoes from your bedroom?

Blue Monday

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Marty's Friends

 Marty is a zebra character in Madagascar the cartoon movie. I've captured some of his friends that live at the Ragunan Zoo (Jakarta, Indonesia). Right on their afternoon snack time!

Zebras are very famous with  their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals.  Unlike their closest relatives like horses, zebras have never been truly domesticated (source:Wikipedia).

Camera Critters 

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Updating Your Life Insurance

Keeping you insurance policies up to date is crucial because the last thing you want is to try and claim and realize your policy is outdated. Not only that, but not making sure your policies are up to date may even lead to a lapsed insurance policy. This is how people end up thinking that they are insured only to find, when disaster strikes, that they are not.

So you can imagine the pain that would be caused if you lost your loved one and later realised that their life insurance policy had lapsed. This would really be pouring salt on the wounds. So keep good records on your life insurance and be sure to contact your insurer on a regular basis to make sure everything is up to date.

Do You Need to Update Your Life Insurance?

You may even need to update your life insurance details and not even know it. Because our lifestyles are changing so too are our healthy and unhealthy habits. For example, a smoker will pay more for life insurance than a non-smoker due to the increased risk. So if you change some of your habits then make sure you check with your insurance company to make sure you are paying the correct premium.

Getting a Better Deal

Getting the best deal is not as hard as you think and it may just be a matter of shopping around for a great price. Be aware though that cheaper is not always better in the insurance industry as it may simply imply less coverage or stricter conditions on claiming. Life insurance is no different to car insurance and you may be covered for ten thousand, a hundred thousand or millions depending on your policy.

Be sure to call around to various insurance companies and make a list of the details so you can compare them later. If there are some that are close you might want to call the insurance company to see if they can offer you something better. Make sure you tell them about the other policies you have found.

Finding Additional Insurance Policies

There are many great insurance policies that you can add to your life insurance coverage. Just look at some of the products that can assist you and your family to carry on financially in any disaster:

●   Income protection insurance – if you are the main breadwinner of the household and you are seriously injured, what will you do for money?

●      Funeral Cover – this type of insurance will pay your family very quickly so they can cover the cost of a funeral.

●    Accident and Injury Insurance – this will help you cover costs in the event of injuries and is very good for helping with expensive medical bills.

Adding a Spouse or Family Member

You should also look at updating your insurance policies so that you can add your spouse or partner. This can save a lot of money in the long run and make sure you are both covered should anything terrible happen. So keep your life insurance details as up to date as possible and don’t be scared to call your insurance company to see if there are any products better suited to you.

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