The importance of good photography in our life

Our photographs tell us what is important to us. When you ask people what possessions would they rescue from their burning house, one of the most frequent answers is the photo album or a computer  - holding their digital images. It's so interesting that when panic mode hits, you're most likely lunge for you photos rather than for your valuable jewelry. This impulse to save our recorded memories is a powerful force that just show us the important role photography has in our life and our constant desire to distill and imortalize our most precious moments into images.

Photography preserves the most important events and people in our lives. Photos are our personal story, they construct a timeline of our lives, filled with faces and places that we love.  And they allow us to share our life and important moments with others. They allow us to share and communicate, and can convey all kinds of emotions! 

So yeah. Having good photos, that really capture the moment is very VERY important. But not every one can do that. We all have some amador photographer in us. And that's enough for every-day memories, vacations and family gatherings. But for important moments -- moments that you want to capture no only the people but also the feelings -- you have to with a professional photographer. Don't ask you cousin that own a professional camera to take pictures of your weeding. You will definitely regret it! 

So, how do you find the right photographer? It may not be an easy task, but you only have three rules:

1. Find a photographer that matches your style, your aesthetic. Some with the same sense of style as you. Because most likely he will produce something that he likes, and if you have similar taste, you will like it too.

2. Find a photographer who edits well. Editing can really change a picture, the mood and the feeling it conveys. You if you have an editing style in mind you should find a photographer that is capable of delivering that style with consistency. If you don't know what you want, go trough your prospect-photographer's portfolios and see if you like what you see. Just make sure that the photographer you pick has a consistent editing processes, and be sure to communicate the tone and atmosphere you want your photographs to give off.

3. Find a photographer who has a good personality. Your photographer will be everywhere with you. Up in your face all day long. And there is nothing worse than having a photographer who is too opinionated, too boisterous, or too awkward to be around. So find someone you really click with. That is positive and has has an upbeat personality. Try meeting him over a coffee and really get to know him, build relationship with him, turn him into a friend!

And how about where to find the right photographer?

You can google it, ask your friends for recommendations OR you can use Fixando. Fixando is an online platform that makes hiring profissional services very easy, including a professional photographer. It's really easy to use -- you just answer a few questions about what you are looking for, how much is your budget and this information will be sent to all the available professionals registered on this platform. They will then submit their proposals and you can compare the different professionals, check their portfolios and compare prices. Fixando is available in several 

locations, including Portugal. So yeah, if you are in need of a Photographer in Lisbon or Photographer in Porto or a Photographer  really anywhere else in the world, Fixando can help you.

Tips & Tricks | How to chose the PERFECT Sunscreen

Choosing the right sunscreen can be an overwhelming task -- or at least I know I used to feel overwhelmed when I had to choose a sunscreen. There are so many brands, so many different types, so many different options that I've ended up wasting money on sunscreens that were truly awful. 

I've done some light research on how sunscreen works, and what is best for my skin and I've decided to share that with you. Please feel free to correct me if you find anything wrong on this post -- I'm not in anyway professionally qualified to be making this suggestions but I have a background in science and I have some understanding in how these things work.

SPF is not the only thing that matters!

A good sunscreen should protect you from UVB radiation -- the one that gives you sunburns -- as well as from UVA radiation -- the one that goes deep into your skin causing photo-ageing, hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles, degradation of collagen and also skin cancer. 

However, when we look at a sunscreen we usually only the SPF factor. And when you see SPF 30, the 30 basically only refers to the UVB protection factor. There's usually no information about UVA. Here in Europe, the regulations say that UVA protection should be at lest one third of the the UVB protection. This means that a SPF 30 sunscreen is at least a 10 on UVA protection. But if you take a look at any sunscreen bottle, you won't find this information on it because most brands don't descoser it. You know that it has to be at least one third of the SPF and that is it. 

Also, when you apply a SPF 30, you know, the SPF starts to go away after a while -- that's why you need to reapply it. And of course the higher the SPF, the slower the decay rate, the better the protection! HOWEVER, there's no need to by sunscreen with extremely high SPF. 

Sunscreen with an SPF higher than 70 is generally only slightly better than SPF 50-70. Picking a sunscreen with a SPF 80 or 90 may just cause you to spend extra money for a product that is really no better. As the SPF numbers increase beyond 50, the amount they protect only increases very slightly. For instance, a SPF 50 blocks 98% of UV-B rays, while a SPF 100 blocks 99% of UV-B rays.

Water Resistant is also a bullshit label that brands put on their products to trigger you into buying a more expensive product. As soon as you go into the water, the sunscreen on your skin will loose its strength. You always need to reapply your sunscreen after taking a swim. Always!

Oh and btw, do you know how much product you should apply? We should apply 30 ml of product on your skin and reapply that exact same amount every two hours. 30ml corresponds to one shot-glass. No one really applies that much sunscreen, which means the actual SPF we have on our bodies is lower than advertised. Also, if we applied 30ml every two hours that bottle of sunscreen that usually lasts you the whole summer, would be only enough only for one day.

Different products for different parts of your body.

You should at least have one sunscreen specific for your face and one for your body. And both should be appropriate for your skin type. You can find all kinds of sunscreen, including sunscreen specific for you face even with anti-aging agentes.

Regarding of whatever type of product you chose, I recommend that you chose one with 50+ SPF for your face and at least 30 SPF for your body.

Also, if you have a scar or a skin wound that is recovering, you should always consider applying a hypoallergenic sunscreen right over that patch of skin to help protecting it a little more. New skin is forming, new cells are growing. The skin is trying to heal, and is much more sensitive. So it's much more likely to get sunburned! You can get post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, which can cause the scar to go from pink to brown AND you can also increase your risk of skin cancer! 

It should a product that you enjoy using!

Don't go buying a fancy-schmancy, expensive sunscreen that you can't stand because it has a very intense smell, or because it's hard to apply and leaves you all sticky. You should spend your money on something that you are going to enjoy wearing! It should make your skin feel light and nurtured and protected! 

My recommendations. Personally, I really enjoy Vichy's Sunscreen. They are not the cheapest but I think that they are really good, they feel really light on my skin and don't make me all sticky. My favorite line is the Ideal Soleil Bronze, that not only protects you skin but also helps you get tanned faster. Regarding Drugstore brands -- I'm really impressed with the new Garnier Solaire Sensitive Advanced line!

SixthContinent | HOW TO GET 50% OFF ON GAS and other stuff

I'm always very skeptical about Free stuff. I know that no one just hands you free stuff... And I'm not the kind to be looking for cheap deals. However, I've recently found of a site where you can buy gift gift cards for as a price lower than their face value. What does this mean? It means you can buy a 20€ gift card for half the price. Oh yeah. And one of the best deals they have -- valid in Portugal -- is a gift card for Cepsa! Yes, this means free gas! And this is why people are really raving about! I don't own a car, so for me this deal is useless, but I've bought a two Media Market gift-cards and I use them to buy some small appliances. And yeah, it's legit!

SixthContinent is an Italian online platform operating since 2013. It presents it self as a frugal social network, where part of its profits return back to the users. I know, it sounds far-fetched but hear me out. When you buy a gift card trough the website, you get cashback and credits that can be applied to your next purchase. You can even get this stuff for free!

SixthContinent basically distributes 6% of its profit trough all the community, and of curse the value dependes on how much was spent:

- 1% goes to all the country members that made the purchase

- 1% goes to the member that invite the user that made the purchase

- 1% goes to the member that invited the store

- 1% is divided by all the people you follow on the "Social tab"

- 1% goes back to the user that made the purchase

- 1% goes to SixthContinent.

Using this website my seem a little complicated at first, but trust me, it's worth learning how to use it.

You start by creating an account, using a valid email and your personal details. It's important that you use your real info. After your account is all set up, the website gives you 5€ + 5000 points for you to spend, and an extra 7400 points you fill up all your info.

There are two types of currency in this website -- Points and Credits -- and both can be used to reduce the price of whatever are you are buying. For example, if you have 12.50€, you can buy a 25€ Media Market card for half the price. If you have enough to cover the 25€, you can even get the card for free.

-- With my current balance I could buy a 25€ gift card and only pay 14.50€ and still get 1€ credited back into my account --

Every day the website makes that profit distribution and every day you get a few earnings. It averages on 0.40€/day -- which means you will receive at around 12€/month to spend. Without doing nothing. 

Also, if you login every day they, offer you 100 points/day + 500 points/week + 1000 points/month. It's nice but it it's not really worth the worry. If you happen to be able to login, do it, otherwise don't worry about it.

There aren't that many gift cards available in the Portuguese store. The Media Market one is cool, because you can buy bunch of stuff on Media Market. But the really good is one the one for Cepsa -- that as you can clearly see is a crowd-pleaser.

In the Spanish store you have an even better card -- an Amazon Spain Gift card! There are stores available for multiple European countries -- Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, etc, with different gift cards available, however I don't know if they're valid for Portugal. But the Spanish Amazon Gift Card you can definitely use on Amazon ES to buy some goodies -- I'm actually saving up to get one of those next! 

The bonus that they give you for signing up, it is only valid until the end of that month, and that's why I'm writing this post today. You should sign up and you can wait until the end of the month and then you can buy a gift card using your sign in bonus plus all the daily earnings that you are getting without doing nothing. The earlier in the month you sing up, the more daily earnings you'll get, the more money you'll have to spend.

Have you ever heard about this website? Have you tried it before? Tell me all about it in the comments!

-- This post is not sponsored in anyway. I learned about this website from the blog Poupa E Ganha and they have written a bunch of post about how much money they've saved using it. You can absolutely read more about it on that blog -- it's in portuguese -- 

How to take care of an expensive bag

Recently I bought my first expensive leather handbag. It's something that I've wanted for a while, finally I felt like it was the time to splurge. It's a Furla Like S in Onix. I spent a lot of money on this bag. And I want to give it the best care possible. I've done some research to see how I can ensure this handbag will last me a long time, and always look good. 

Here go some general tips.

The first tip is really basic: Be extra careful! Not that I'm not careful with my other handbags, but just try to avoid careless mistakes! To be more specific: 

1. Avoid handling your bag if your hands are dirty or if you have lotion on them.

2. Avoid squishing your bag or stuffing it with too much stuff, avoiding stretching it out. 

3. Avoid -- at any cost -- getting your bag wet. Apply regularly an water-repellent spray.

3. Keep your bag out of direct sunlight, or heat sources.

4. Rotate which handbag you carry regularly so that they don’t wear out too quickly.

5. Use a suede brush to clean and revive suede.

6. Regular use of a leather moisturizer will keep the leather supple and free of cracks.

7. Wipe your bag down on a weekly basis (when in use) with a soft cloth.

Keep the inside gunk free: Use pouches to store cosmetics and liquids, which will protect the handbag lining from spills. Avoid click pens at all cost, go for pens with caps instead. Better yet, put those in your pouch too, in case of dreaded ink leaks. And candy! Don't put candy in your bag. Just don't. 

Store them properly: up right position inside the cotton dust bag they normally come in. Good substitute: cotton pillow case. Never, NEVER, store them in plastic bags, because it this traps moisture. Cross the handles over each other to avoid wear on the bag and unclip any removable straps. If the bag needs something to keep it's shape up, stuff it with scarfs, or a t-shirt, or acid-free tissue paper -- it's really inexpensive on eBay, and you can keep using it over and over. I asked for some in the store where I bought my handbag and they were super kind and gave me enough to stuff my bag.

Products that were recommended to me:
- BÚFALO Leather Protection Spay. This spray nurtures and protects the leather and it can be used on anything that's made of leather around your house. It's cheap and It really helps keeping your bag smooth and beautiful. I got it a local supermarket.
- Waterproof spray for leathers. I've gone thought many cans of this -- from may different brands, I always get at my local supermarket... I apply it on shoes all the time too. It's perfect for suede!
- Magic Eraser (also known as melanine sponge). Bought a bunch of them off of eBay, really cheap. It's great for cleaning hardware and little decorations. Also works really good on shoes btw. You don't need any product, just a tiny but of water and it just makes everything shinny and lovely again.

How do you take care of you bags? Let me know your tips and what works for you in the comments!

Quick Tip # 6 | Biphasic Makeup Remover

If you wear any type of long-lasting, waterproof make up, you know that you need a really good makeup remover. For me the big challenge is to remove eye makeup. Specially waterproof mascara. I just hate, hate, not being able to remove every single bit dark speckle of mascara, and then waking up in the next morning with the biggest raccoon-eyes. I just hate it. What really works well for me is this Sephora's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. It is really good. I really like it. It's biphasic, and this means that it has an oily part and a water-based part. And yes, you need to shake it to mix them together. I've found that one of the best ways to use this is with a Q-tip -- the opening of the bottle is a small hole, just big enough for you to put a hold a Q-tip on it and let it soak with the blue-ish liquid without having any leakage. Than I use it to rub my lash-line, removing the remaining bits of mascara.

And since now I've stared to also started to wear Liquid Matte Lipsticks, I also use it on my lips to make sure I remove every little bit of lipstick. I know that the bottle says eye makeup remover, but it works perfectly fine for lips too.

Quick Tip # 5 | The BEST Make up discs

I've tried many, MANY, make up disks... You know, the kind you use to remove your make up or simple to clean or tone your face. And I've found out that these  from Cien are the best. I don't like the ones that feel like a cotton ball -- they absorve too much product and get all squishy and loose their shape in two seconds and become useless. These hold their shape super well. specially because they have stitching all around. The texture of the tissue is really good: they are two faced -- one side is more soft and smooth, the other has a little more texture, perfect to help clean and remove make up.

And the price is amazing. For 0.89€ you get 140 units. The cheaper ones from Wells cost 0.99€ and come with only 80 units. And they suck hard.

 -- Please be nice and supportive and click on at least one of the pictures! I'd do the same for you. Thank you! --

| Quick Tip#1 | Quick Tip#2 | Quick Tip#3 | Quick Tip#4 | 

Tips&Tricks | Saving money on Lush

By now you know that my love for lush products is bigger than life itself, right?! You know I really enjoy this type of natural, hand-made products. But they are SO expensive! Too expensive, almost. I really enjoy using them and it'a something that I happy to spend my money on, but I don't like to waste my money! I've been shopping regularly at Lush for a wile now and I've found out some things that are helpful for getting my money's worth!

1- After the different holidays, the thematic products usually are 50% off (or but one, get one free). This is an awesome opportunity to stock up on bath-bombs or bubble-bars! And this is specially good after Valentine's Day!

2 - If you are not using them right away, don't keep your bath-bombs in the paper-bag they come in. They will loose their fizziness, and you will be disappointed. Use a tin can. I have a big tin can -- you know, those that usually come filled with cookies -- and I keep my bath-bombs in it. There's a reason why lush sells tiny tin boxes for their products! 

3 - Usually you don't need to use a full bath-bomb to have fun. You can just leave it in the tub for a while, until the water has changed color and then, take it out. I can usually get 2 to 3 uses out of it. The same with bubble-bars -- just break off a bit, crumble it in your hands, and 

4- Lush gives out samples of pretty much anything. My favorite thing to ask for is the fresh face masks. Their fresh face masks are made with fresh ingredients and they have a very short shelf-life, and because of that you are supposed to keep them in the fridge. Well... I always end-up forgetting about it at the back of my fridge after using it once or twice! The little pot they give you as a sample, has enough product for at least two uses!

5- You can freeze fresh face masks and use them as you need. It's the best way to get your money's worth with the face-masks! I usually re-use the sample containers, I split the big pot into a few of the little containers as soon as I get home from the store, and I stick them in the freezer. Than I use whatever was left in the big pot, during the following days. This way I don't waste any product and I always have a face mask on hand, whenever I feel like my skin needs a little something! I try to freeze it right away, to keep all the freshness intact!

Before hitting the sales

Sales season is here again! It's awesome! During this time we can find such awesome deals that makes just wanna buy literally everything! But sometimes it's hard to focus one what we want to find and we end up but a bunch of stuff that we just bought because it was a good deal, and that we don't really need that much. So, I am leaving you here some tips of what to do to avoid wasting money!

1. Be like Eminem and clean up your closet: Trow away stuff that it is worn out, that don't like anymore or that you haven't worn in the last year.

2. Make a list: Define what you want, and what you need. And a budget! But give yourself some room for some impulse buying!

3. Avoid crowds: shop online or go in the morning. I hate having a lot of people around me, a lot of noise, having to wait in huge lines just to try something out. So I tend to shop online or to go in the morning. It's way less stressful.

4.Back to basics: invest in some good high quality basic pieces. Take advantage of the sales to get a nice, classic expensive bag, or a high quality coat. A really good piece will last you years and if it's a timeless piece you will always be able to wear it.

5. Accessorize it: invest in accessories. Again, if you can try getting a nice expensive jewelry for example. Or just buy a bunch of cheap statement pieces to spice up your closet!

6. Don't waste time with tinny discounts: it's worthless for me to get 20% off something that costs 20€. I'd rather not waste my time on those people filled stores and go get the same thing after the sales. 

Tips&Tricks | How to fix a tired face

Since I've changed jobs, I've been working a lot. I only sleep five or six hours a day, and yes of course I look like a zombie every morning. So I've came up with a small, simple and quick, routine so get rid of my super dark eyes bags!

The trick is to tackle public enemy number one : the puffiness. Cold water, cold cucumbers, cold towels. any of these work. Some people even keep a couple of spoons in the freezer and use it to de-puff their under eyes. 

I start my routine by washing my face with some cold water --  it's hard in the morning, I know, but trust me it works. I've been using a face wash from Kiehl's, pretty fancy and expensive, but it's AMAZING. After that, usually I moisturize my face and I head up to the kitchen. In side my freezer, I have some cheap power puffs that I'v bought online. And while I wait for my coffee to be ready, I putt them on my eyes for maybe 30 seconds. And it really helps me looking fresh as a daisy! 

On really bad bad days --  like the nights were I only sleep two hours and I have really dark circles --  I use a little bit of concealer and blush to make me look less like a zombie. No foundation tho, no one's got time for that! 

How do you deal with your zombie face?

How to find the PERFECT internet provider | StudentBroadband

If you are a collage student, and you are away from home, living on your own, you may only need broadband for part of the year - especially if you return to your parents home during the summer months.

Sometimes it can be particularly daunting to find a provider that allow you to have a short-term contract that allows you to cancel it by the end of the school year.

StudentBroadband.org.uk is a company that is  specialized in finding the best short term contacts thus allowing you to compare multiple relevante providers.

Taking into account your internet preferences -- if you want more mobile data, or fiber, or more download speed --  they help you find the package that fits your requests the best, within your budget. It allows you to compare the diferente offers, helping you find the best deals! And it's always a 9 month short-term contract, so you don't have to deal with all the nastiness of cancel the contract at the end of the year, when all you want to do is relax and party!

This is such an awesome system, and for someone like that that has lived for short times in different countries, it's a dream! I only wish this was available worldwide! I really think this is super useful, because there are so many different providers, and so many different options that it is super hard and time-consuming to find out what's the best option for you! And this is truly a life saver!

Tips&Tricks | How to get more followers!

There are a lot of blogger tips and advice out there. yet, I'm writing my own, I am not a very experienced blogger, but I've learned somethings along the way. 

I've red some blog posts where the blogger complaints about their blogs' numbers not growing : no new followers, small amount of daily views, not that much comments. And this bother a lot of bloggers. Sometimes they even end up giving of on their blog because they are not happy with their numbers. There are a few things that I do that helps me keep growing, steady and slowly, that do not take much extra time.

1- Visit other blogs and leave comments that are meaningful. Don't just copy-past a random comment like "Lovely Post" or "Very Interesting". Say something that is actually related to the post and you can also leave a question, so the other blogger comes to your blog and also leaves you a comment with the answer.

2 - Reply and return comments. Try to keep in touch with other bloggers. If someone takes the time to come to your blog and leave a nice comment, it is polite  -- to say the least -- to go to their blog and also leave a nice comment. 

3 - Leave your url in every comment. Every comment you leave, creates viability for your blog. so you should leave your url or a link to you blog in every single one. 

4 - Try to find two or three new blogs a day, follow them and leave a comment about their last post and end it saying something like :"Hey, you have such a nice blog, I'm following you. I would love if you could follow me too". 

And how to find new blogs? You can try to find them on platforms like Bloglovin' or you can just google a product + review +  blogspot and you'll most probably find very diffident blogs. Just make sure the blog is still active (if the latest post has maybe like a week or two).

5 - Don't unfollow blogs. I don't think that there are a limit of blogs that you can follow so there is no need to unfollow blogs, even if that blogger doesn't follow you. Don't forget that leaving a comment increases your blog's visibility.

I try to follow this tips. I try to use the time that I spend on the bus, in the morning and in the afternoon, to visit blogs, and to leave comments. This method is giving me 1 to 3 new followers each day  -- which I think is really good! 

Let me know if you already follow this tips and what do you do to keep your blog growing :)

Quick Tip #03 | Shower Puff

Using a shower-puff (or loofah or whatever you call it) will help you save a ton of body-wash. 

Just drop one blob of  your body-wash liquid on your loofah, scrub it around ib your hands until it starts foaming up, and that - usually- is more than enough for you to wash up your body.

And your skin will also thank you for the extra scruby-scruby.

I always buy mine at Sephora and the one I'm currently using is the one in the picture!


-- Please be nice and supportive and click on at least one of the pictures! I'd do the same for you. Thank you! --

| Quick Tip #1 | Quick Tip#2 |

Productivity Killeres at home and how to overcome them! | Luma Wifi

I hate working from home. I don't know exactly why but I can never ever really focus from home. I can't even work on my blog! And I've always been like this. When I was in college, I used to go to campus to study every day. And thank god my university has a few rooms that are open 24h for the students to go study and work, otherwise I don't know how I would be able to finish it. I spent so many nights there! And even today, I go to the office on weekends that I need to work. Or to Starbucks. I work better at Starbucks than at home!

And since Back to School Season is just around the corner -- can you believe summer is almost over?! -- I've decided to try and round up everything that I've found to be a productivity killer from my home and I tried to come up with some solutions for them!

1- Messy Desk

My desk, at home, is always messy. I mean, I have bills, junk mail, cords, products, old notes, and even cloths, on top of my desk And just the thought of having to clean up, clear some space, put everything where it belongs... Just kills my -- not that big in the fist place --  willpower. I'm sure this happens to you a lot too.

This has a very simple solution --  I need to be more careful where I leave my stuff. It is important to put everything in its rightful place right away. My mom always tried to teach me this. I guess she was right after all.

2- Food

Okey, I have to admit that food is one of the biggest distractions that I have at home. It just makes me waste so much time. Cooking, and cleaning up. Then I'm hungry again, I go to the fridge, than the pantry. I can't find any snack. I decided to go to the store, I buy a bunch of junk food. And the whole afternoon has just passed by. 

This problem is something I've already dealt with, and this has been working super well for me. I've been buying food that I can cook that don't need to much supervision. I really like thinks that I can just stuck in my oven, like fish sticks or something like that. And I eat it with some salad. No mess at all, and just one dish to wash. As for the mid-afternoon snacks, I buy individually packed oatmeal cookies, and I buy just enough to last me one week. And I only eat one. Because If eat more than one, I won't have it for the next day. And I try to feel my self up with water and tea.

3- TV-Shows

Some people have a problems restraining their-selves from social media, I have a problem restraining my self from watching 10 seasons of a tv-show in a weekend. And I have no solution for this. I just can't allow myself to start watching any new TV-show if I have things to! 

4- Slow Wifi

This is the thing -- I mean THE THING -- that annoys me the most in life. If I'm working from home, and I need to submit a file or access something from our cloud, and if the internet is not cooperating... OMG this just annoys me so much and makes me want to break my computer in half! 

Solution: Luma Surround Wifi! This is the best wifi system I've every seen. It's the best! It helps you create your home network, showing you where you should place the routers to have an optimized network, so you can have super strong signal in all your rooms! The system is composed by 3 routers that you position throughout your house. You can control the system using an app on your phone, and the routers themselves are just super cute! It is a bit expensive, but I honestly think it's wort it. I would love to have this system on my home! You should definitely check it out! The routers really look like a piece of decor! Amazing and functional! 

Can you work/study from home or are you just like me? And if you can, what is your secret?

Quick Tip #2 | Scrub it off

Scrubbing your armpits will help you keep odores at bay, because it removes the dead skin cells that my accommodate bacteria. And yep, it's bacteria that causes bad odores.

Keeping your armpits hair-free also helps.

-- Please be nice and supportive and click on at least one of the pictures! I'd do the same for you. Thank you! --




|Quick tip #1|

Quick Tip #01 | Soap & Water

Just washing your face with soap and water before going to bed, will make your skin much healthier and free of face demons. Cleaning and toning your skin is really important. even if you don't wear make up.

TIPS & TRICKS | I bet you didn't know this!

Today I want to share with you some information that is not common knowledge and I think it's really important. If you have been here for a hot minute, you know that since I got my braces I've became a little bit obsessed with oral hygiene and making sure that I'm doing the best I can to improve my oral health. Hereupon, I'm showing you here 6 facts that I didn't know before and that

completely blew my mind! All this information was given to me by my Dentist and Dental hygienist

I'm not in any form an expert about this subject, and if you are, and if I am saying something that is completely wrong let me know!

1- Mouthwash is not supposed to be used after brushing, but BEFORE BRUSHING. Mouthwash helps to release the pieces of food that are stuck in between our teeth. It should be the first step of your routine.

2- Unless you have braces, or gum problems, you shouldn't use Mouthwash with Alcohol in it. Alcohol is proved to cause cancer in your mouth and you should try to avoid it. My Dental hygienist was the one who told me. The alcohol is good if you have braces or gun problems because it helps not only to numb it but also to disinfect. Even so, you should not used it for more than two weeks in a row, or you should deglute it. I am telling you all this, but to be honest I need that burn of the alcohol to really feel like my mouth was really disinfected!

3 - Whitening toothpaste doesn't make your teeth whiter. Have you noticed how some toothpastes have like a sandy texture? The truth is that most whiting toothpastes are very abrasive for your teeth. When you are brushing with them, it's like you are exfoliating the top layer of your teeth enamel  --top layer of your teeth --  that is stained yellow. And yeah, of course that they will look whiter, but after several years of using this, your will lose this top layer and you will have a lot of sensitivity to heat, cold or acid beverages. I've actually noticed this before --  when I use Max White or Oral B tooth paste my teeth get super sensitive to temperature.

4 - You shouldn't rinse your your mouth after brushing. Toothpaste usually has a lot of fluorine. That is great for avoiding and preventing cavities! After brushing you shouldn't clean your mouth with water. Instead you should just spit out all the excess toothpaste and just leave some remaining in you mouth. Usually people do this with mouthwash -- after brushing, you gargle with mouthwash, then you spit it out and you leave some lingering around in your mouth...  but hey mouthwash only has (if it even has) 300-500 ppm of Florine. While toothpaste has around 1500 ppm!

5 - Softer toothbrushes are always better than harder one. The bristles on your toothbrush should be hard or medium, but soft. The strength of the bristles doesn't make your teeth cleaner. Again, it only hurts your enamel or your gums. You should always use a soft toothbrush, And you should never forget to brush closer to your gums --  because that's where all the junk gets stuck!

6 - Electrical toothbrushes do not clean your teeth better than a manual one. It's a misconception transmitted to us by this industry and marketing. In fact, my dentist told me that now-a-days electrical toothbrush are advised only for people that may not be able to do an OK job with a manual one, because their mobility or dexterity is compromised. Like kids or elderly people. Otherwise there is no point on investing in a electric toothbrush.

Did you knew these facts? If you know any other interesting tips and tricks, leave me a comment and tell me, please ;)

Organize your extra buttons efficiently !

Something that used to annoy the hell out of me was what to do with the extra buttons and little thing that come when you buy a new jacket or shirt. Usually, you never care about this, because you end up never needing one. But, a  few years ago I really needed a button for one of my favorite jackets and I could not find the correct one anywhere! My mom keeps them all together -- she has them all dumped in an old cookie tin... And there are hundreds of buttons in that container -- all shapes and sizes. Over the years they have pilled up and today there are so many that it is impossible to find anything. I wish I had a picture to show you. I always hated this "system" -- if you can even call that a system. And I have always tried to find new keep my own extra buttons organised, but most important, to be able to tell to which garment they belong to!

Some people say that you should sow them to the label of the respective garment, but I don't like that. I don't want to carry them around. Just to be able to find tem. This is the best solution I've found, it's easy and very simple! 

You know, usually the buttons come in a little plastic bag -- don't take them out! Leave them in the clear baggy. Then, use a small piece of paper that fits inside the bag, and write this 3 things:

- Type of garment -- e.g: jacket, blazer, shirt, etc

- Recognizable Characteristics, like type of fabric, color or pattern

- Brand

Just stick the little piece of of paper inside the plastic bag and now you can store the everything in a container, box or envelope, and still know where they came from!  --  I keep mine in a little lego box just because it's super cute!

These 10 extra seconds that takes you to write this 3 things will save you a ton of time when you'll need to find a button, if you ever need it -- but hey, better safe than sorry!

I hope you've found this tip useful! How do you store this tiny annoying things? :)

Planner 2016 | Tips to stay organised

Today I wanted to share with you my super cute planner that I've bought for 2016 and also some tips to stay organised and focused when you have a lot of things going on.

Isn't it cute? It's from MakeNotes. Check their website -- they have super cute stuff!
It's like an A6 size which is just the right size for me. I also like the fact that is has a plastic cover, and that's because I always stick some post it notes to the inside of the cover-- or even use sticky tape to tape "to do lists" -- this is my first tip of you.

1. Stick to do lists where you can see
Write down all you have to do in the front of you planner. This way you have everything in one list. I have a work list and an personal/blog list. But you can for example make only one list and just use different color for all the activities you have. Physiologically, this is very good because when you start crossing things in your list, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and it makes you work more. It is also good to put important dates -- like tests or birthdays.

2. Mark the current date
Use a post-it note or a book marker to mark the page with the current date. This will save you time finding the page where we are it's hard and this way makes it easy. Just try not forget to keep changing the post-it' place every couple of days.

3. Highlight days-off
Use a highlighter -- you know, like florescent yellow markers -- to mark weekends,  holidays, vacations, days-off. This is awesome, because when you look at it you will notice it better and you'll be more excited about it!

4. Use stickers to mark birthdays
I always buy a bunch of stickers and put one on the top of the page and I write the name of the person write next to it. Usually the planners I get only have time slots and I never know where to make note of birthdays. This is a great way!

5. Use a clamp to keep important documents
I usual clamp to the plastic front any important papers i need to keep - receipts, doctor stuff, business cards, etc. This helps me not to have a lot of clutter in my bag and makes everything easy to find.

I hope you like my tips. And let me know in the comments if also do any of this. Also, if you have any cool tips - share them!!

Must Watch | Easy Wrapping Hack

I've learned how to wrap presents like this a few years ago, and I have to tell you, it is the easiest way in the world to wrap a gift. The edges are always clean and neat, and you don't waste a ton of paper. And it's super fast once you get the hang of hit! Check the video --  they guy explains it really well.  If you learn it, I'll guarantee you you'll never go back to the old way of wrapping.

Today's lunch was different | Tips & Tricks

Hello y'all!!

Today I just want to share with you what I did today for lunch! I want to share this tip because I know some of you are starting college and I think this is a super nice thing that you can do in your own lunch hour!

So,... You know I don't really like meat right? -- Check out this post if you want to know more about it!

So when I have to eat out I always have a problem. And if it's something like a quick lunch, between classes or you know between work, usually it is is a problem for me. Usually I eat at my office's canteen. They usually have a vegetarian dish. But they make it in very small quantities. Usually it's enough. But today veggie the lunch was something that everybody loves -- quiche! YUUMS! Yeah but when I got there, there was not even one tiny bit left.! And the alternative was meat with more meat... So I decided to make it a positive experience and go eat in the park!

Me, and another girl from work, we decided that it would be fun to go eat in Eduardo VII Park, which if you don't know it's like Lisbon's central park -- a bit smaller, but same concept lol.

We stopped by El Corte Ingles' supermarket and bought nice things to eat -- from the ready to eat section. I bought a sandwich, some chips and water. And she bought a tuna salad and some cheese. I know this is not a very healthy lunch -- but I prefer it over having some gigantic chunk of meat. And I also know this is not vegetarian, but again I don't eat meat because I don't like the taste. And I like the taste of this sandwich. And this "bacon" is not bacon -- it's actually ham.

We sat down by the lake and we ate there.

I used to do this A-LOT when I was in collage. I've graduated kinda recently but it I haven't done this in a while... I would go to the nearest supermarket and buy something to eat and i would eat it in the park. Some supermarkets -- like PingoDoce-- they have actually food that they sell -- like take away. And if you ask they will warm it up in a microwave and give you a plastic fork and knife, and you can just take it and go it anywhere!

This is a great way not only to save some money but to escape the gigantic chaos that usually canteens and small restaurants have during lunch hours. And eating in the park is just a nice way to kinda relax a bit, and restore some energy to be able to deal with the rest of the day!

And look at this water bottle! Isn't it awesome! I didn't trow it away, and I think I am going to re-use it every day with regular tap water! It has such a vibrant color!