If you do a lot of grocery shopping or come home from shopping trips with plenty of bags, you might be struggling to find a use for them rather than simply throwing them away.

The good news is that there are many ways you can utilize the plastic bags lying around in your home, and when you use them well, you don’t have to keep buying them for different purposes. Here are a few things that you should be doing with your extra plastic bags right now:

Use them for your bathroom

Lining the trash cans in your bathroom and bedroom with plastic bags makes sure all your waste is in one place. Instead of getting special liners, using spare plastic bags from your grocery shopping is much cheaper. If your trash cans are rather small, you’ll also find yourself going through your spare plastic bags rather quickly, which means you will always be getting more out of your grocery shopping every time.

Save them for packing material

Single-use plastic bags can actually be reused in many ways.

Plastic bags are perfect as packing material for cushioning all kinds of fragile items, from everyday kitchenware to decorative vases to electronics and appliances that you might need for your work. One advantage plastic bags have is that aside from placing things inside of them, you can also stuff them inside larger containers to keep things from jostling in place too much.

Sealing paint cans

When you’re done painting for the day, you can make your paint last longer by placing the plastic bag first before the lid. Doing this will prevent any accumulated dry paint from chipping off the lid and falling into the can, which can affect the wet paint.

Keeping your fridge clean

 

The easiest way to keep your refrigerator clean when storing food in plastic containers is by wrapping them with a plastic bag before placing them inside. This works especially well when thawing meat in the fridge, since not only does it keep the fridge free from bacteria, but it also keeps any stains to a minimum.

You can also do the same for milk jugs or cartons, as well as for beverages and containers that tend to sweat. By covering them with plastic bags, you no longer have to clean up any rings formed by the falling droplets.

Ripen fruit faster

Place unripe fruit into a bag and seal it, but be sure to leave a little room for ventilation. Doing this traps the ethylene in the fruit, which will help it ripen much faster than it would uncovered. Adding a banana or a papaya in the bag also helps to speed up the process.

Freshly brewed coffee is an amazing experience, but if you enjoy brewing your own cup at home, you’ll usually find yourself with an endless supply of used coffee grounds as a result.

But don’t throw them away just yet! Here’s how you can make use of used coffee grounds at home:

1. Pest repellent
Coffee grounds can be a great DIY pest control material against ants because both the grounds and the acid can dissolve their exoskeletons.

To keep ants out of your home, simply lay down a 2-inch-wide line around the entrances. You can also mix the grounds with hot water and pour them over any areas or cracks that might house ant colonies.

And if you’re worried that you pets might have caught something in their fur, you can even use this to get rid of fleas or bugs.

2. Compost
If you keep an indoor garden in your HDB flat in Singapore, having coffee grounds is a great addition that you can use as fertilizer. They are both rich in nitrogen and beneficial to worms that process the soil.

However, just like any other compost material, you want to make sure that your “green” material balances your “brown” material, so remember to add just the right amount of coffee grounds to balance your compost.

3. Soap and shampoo
You can actually absorb caffeine through your skin, and with the use of caffeinated soaps and shampoo. Coffee is a great deodorizer, so it only makes sense that it’s used as an ingredient in your own homemade soap.

You can also get a handful of used grounds and massage them into your hair for an all-natural hair mask. Leave them for a while before washing out to shampoo and condition your hair.

4. Make antique-looking paper
If you have a thing for stationery and DIY arts and crafts, there’s more reason to keep the coffee grounds.
You can make paper look much older by dipping it in a soupy mix of used grounds and water and letting the paper soak for a minute before drying and brushing off the grounds.

When doing this, be sure to use paper that won’t dissolve easily in water and handle the wet paper gently.

5. Removing odors
Forget charcoal and deodorants – you can get rid of odors in your shoes with something cheaper.
Used coffee grounds are great at absorbing odors, so simply put them in a teabag and place them in your shoes for a few hours until the smell subsides. If you don’t have teabags, you can also use a coffee filter tied with twine. Be sure to position carefully for maximum effectiveness.

Out with the old, in with the new! New technological advancements happen every day, and while some industries flourish, others have fallen prey to these innovations.

But automation is not necessarily synonymous to jobless. In fact, many employees will not lose their jobs since their roles will be redefined to meet the ever-evolving needs of the society. However, there are still some jobs that will likely get extinct 10 to 20 years from now.

1. Cashiers
When the first automated self-checkout machines were tested, they were not immediately popular to customers. But although today’s versions of self-checkout kiosks are still far from perfection, the proliferation of these machines are undeniable. While it may take longer than 10 years for majority of cashiers to disappear, they are still on top of the list.

2. Postal Workers
During the 70s and 80s, many teenagers work as paperboys and girls. This entry level job was a legit stepping stone to the professional world—until the dawn of modern computers, which have slowly rendered it obsolete. Today, people rely on the Web for news, instant messaging and even online banking, that the need for snail mail is declining every day.

3. Travel Agents
More than a decade ago, travel agents and agencies were fundamental needs for frequent travelers. Not only they were able to filter available flights for you, but they can also book your accommodation and provide the necessary travel information of your destination. But with the advent of travel websites, like Google Flights and Kayak, people can personalize better their trips and do the booking by themselves for free.

4. Dispatchers
Our transportation today has become more and more independent with the array of rider apps available today. People planning to travel by land can conveniently plan their trip through their mobile phones and rely on technology to direct them to the fastest route while keeping track of their way in real time. Moreover, online applications, such as Google Maps, present people with a list of transit options available in a certain area.

5. Printers and Publishers
Printing and publishing is becoming an endangered industry nowadays. Technology has brought this industry to the digital realm, and we have seen the significant decrease in newspaper and magazine readership, and the rise of PDF and e-books. Although we will continue to publish periodicals and books, those who have been trained to do the job the old-fashion way or producing these reading materials will likely find themselves out of the job in the near future.

The unfortunate truth is, no industry is 100% safe from the influence of technology. But if we are able to adapt to the trend and technological advancements, the extinction of these jobs won’t have to mean joblessness for us all.

Not all migraines exhibit the same symptoms and even those symptoms differ in intensity. What makes migraine so complex, however, is that there is no clear explanation of its causes and even its triggers. Trigger factors, or precipitating factors, are the objects and activities that can cause a migraine attack, but they are not necessarily the cause of the illness itself.

Migraineurs have different triggers, and unfortunately, the only way to determine which factors can trigger an attack is by experiencing it. That is why it’s important to keep track of everything you eat and drink and the activities you perform everyday through a diary.

Common Migraine Triggers
Some of the most common migraine triggers that you should look out for are the following:

1. Stress, anxiety, tension, and shock
2. Caffeine (found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and cola)
3. Exercise (either the lack of exercise or too much exercise)
4. Muscle tension and head injury
5. Dehydration (do not substitute for water sugary drinks or beverages with aspartame)
6. Sleep (either lack of sleep or too much sleep)
7. Changes in routine, environment, weather, and sleeping patterns
8. Hormonal changes in women (some women experience migraine during their monthly period)
9. Exposure to high humidity, flickering lights, glare from lights, loud noises, and high altitude

10. Prolonged exposure to the glare of computer screens
11. Skipping or missing meals
12. Eating too much sugary food
13. Consumption of additives in food such as MSG, aspartame, and nitrates
14. Alcoholic beverages (including wine, which has tannins)
15. Cheese (contains tyramine)
16. Use of oral contraceptives (these induce hormonal changes)
17. Grinding of the teeth (this happens during sleep)
18. Perfume and other strong scents
19. Sexual encounters
20. Food triggers

The most common food triggers among migraineurs, besides cheese and alcoholic beverages, are beans (all kinds of beans), chili peppers, pickles, dried fruits, olives, red plums, avocado, citrus fruits, banana, pizza, yeast breads, processed meats, bacon, sausage, hotdog, whole milk, sour cream, chocolate, and vinegar. Migraineurs are often advised not to consume anything with alcohol, caffeine, preservatives, additives, artificial sweeteners, and yeast.

Managing Migraine Triggers
The list provided above should serve only as a guide and is not set in stone, so you might still be able to enjoy some of the food and activities listed above. Remember as well, that some migraine triggers might not cause attacks years later, while new triggers can also appear. Just keep in mind that you have to pay close attention to everything, especially the food that you eat.

Changing your diet and exercise can help, but don’t forget that drastic changes can also trigger attacks. Talk to your doctor about these triggers and take your migraine diary with you next time you book an appointment, so that he/she can recommend a treatment for each stage of a migraine attack.

What’s usually the last thing you do before you go to sleep? Is it to turn on the TV until you fall asleep over boredom? Is it to read a book until the words do not mean any more sense? Well, whatever it may be, we aren’t saying it is not effective, all we are saying is that there is a better way to end your day. What do you think it may be? Well, it is to be thankful. What we do not normally do is appreciate the little things that happen to us and this is what makes us discontent with the way we start our day the next day.

Ending your day with three different things to be thankful for is a great way for you to not only complete your day but also for you to be able to build confidence and serenity. Being thankful before going to sleep usually ensures that you will wake up with more confidence than you normally do. But before we talk about waking up, let’s finish talking about going to sleep.

Why be thankful? Because no matter where you are right now, you’ve been through a lot to get to that point and if you are at a bad point of your life, you have to be thankful for what you have because that will give you the strength and make you better throughout time.

There are a lot of things to be thankful for and we should definitely take notice in them until it becomes too late. Be thankful for what little you have because if you are not good at taking care of what you have now, you may lose it later on in the future.

Start your day with three things to do. The first is to acknowledge the problems you are going through. Acknowledgement of your problems does not mean defeat, it means that you know that you have a problem and once you are certain you have a problem, your problem is already fifty percent solved. Now you just have to figure out what to do about that problem. Anyway, let’s talk about the second thing to do.

The second thing to do is to set a goal for today. Whether it be work related or personal, set a goal for that day that you are most confident that you will be able to accomplish. It may not be too easy, but it must be something that you yourself want to do.

The last thing to do is to get up with confidence. Own your day before it happens. If your day doesn’t end up like it should, that’s okay. But you have to claim that it’ll be a good day even before it happens.

October is fast approaching. This means that, Oktoberfest, the season for beer drinking, is at our midst. This is the best time for anyone of any age and regardless of social status to get their belly’s ready for all kinds of brews available for the season. With that, here are some of the best craft brews worth tasting this season.

• Hooker

The Hooker Brewery offers its own Oktoberfest brew that provides a caramel taste together with a little bit of toasted malt.

• Heavy Seas Marzen

This is a beer brewed in March, available all year, but best tasting during October. Kinda weird isn’t it? Well, the taste isn’t as weird. It provides a toasted yet sweet crystal malt flavor that is enough to make a brew enthusiast come back for more.

• Autumnation

Brewed by Six Point Brewery, this craft brew is constantly considered one of the best beers around. It is a little spicy with a cinnamon and ginger finish.

• Harvest Ale

This is a brew made by the Founders Brewery in Michigan. It offers a rare taste that is sweet in flavor together with an herbal hop taste and a little bit of a citrus finish to add some variety.

• The Great Pumpkin Ale

The Elysian Brewing Company has developed this brew to give out a copper color intensely flavored with pumpkin and some sugar and spices.

• Octoberfest

Brewed by a craft beer pioneer Samuel Adams, the Octoberfest is one of the more popular brews during the season. It is also one of the best tasting craft beers out there probably because of it is brewed with five different roasts of malt together with some caramel and a hint of toffee for the added sweetness.

Quality time with your gal pals can come in many different ways. The important thing is that you’re having fun with each other’s company and taking some time off from your hectic lives. So if you and your friends are planning for some major girlfriend bonding, here are five creative ideas you may find fun and exciting for everybody.

1. Go For an All-Girls Getaway

Give the girls something to look forward to, like a fabulous island getaway, a shopping vacation, or a weekend retreat. For busy gals who cannot take a leave at work, plan an all-girls dinner and movie date, book a yoga class, or attend wine tasting with your friends.

2. Get Pampered

Every woman is pleased to get pampered at a spa. Go plan for an all-day spa indulgence with facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. Doing makeovers are also great for busy women. Make an appointment with a beauty expert and ask for beauty tips that you and your girlfriends can incorporate into your daily beauty routine.

3. Fulfill Your Dreams

Think about the things that you and your friends have always wanted to do. Maybe you have always wanted to take salsa lessons, cooking class, or belly dancing. Fulfilling your dreams with your pals can be a fun and wonderful experience.

4. Go On an Extreme Adventure

Nothing is better than conquering new adventurous experiences with your friends. Go surfing, bungee jumping, skydiving, or explore exotic places together. After the excursion, you and your friends will feel so much braver and well-accomplished.

5. Help Those In Need

Spend quality time with your friends in the most meaningful way by doing charity acts or volunteering with a community service organization. Visit an orphanage or hospital, feed the homeless, or help with the community’s literacy programs. Take this chance to bond with your friends, while helping those who are in great need.

No matter what activities you choose to do together, remember that there are countless of ways to make sure you don’t lose your communication with your friends. As what Carey Bradshaw of Sex and the City said, “Nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.”