Swirls and Scribbles - A Lifestyle Blog

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How to Survive the Office Christmas Party

An office party can go one of two ways. It can either be a massive hit or, alternatively, completely cringeworthy, resulting in one of your co-workers (hopefully not you) collapsing in a drunken heap and having to deal with the consequences once they have recovered from their unnecessary hangover.

It depends on the environment in which you work in – if you’re all likeminded individuals, the Christmas party can be immensely successful and a perfect chance for you all to let your hair down and celebrate the festivities. There are several ways in which you can survive the party though, making sure that you can leave with your head held high, safe in the knowledge that you haven’t done anything to be ashamed of!

Dress up

Make a little effort, even if it is just a party where you work every day. Pick up a stylish party dress from George or accessorise an outfit to the max so that you stand out. People will see that you have made an effort and will respect you for that. After all, it’s Christmas – why shouldn’t you don your party dress to enjoy the festivities?

Control your drinks

Even if your Christmas party is at a venue with an open bar, don’t go overboard! Bad things can happen when you drink too much – don’t let it happen when your boss or MD is there! Stick to a couple of cocktails and leave it at that – or choose a virgin cocktail and people will think you’re knocking them back, when you’re not! Don’t pull a sickie

So many people will be tempted to call in sick if one too many drinks have been enjoyed but if you have attended a mid-week party, don’t make that call. Even if you have to drink copious amounts of coffee and take a couple of painkillers, make sure that you at least show up.

Go alone

While your invitation may mean that you could take along your other half or another guest, the great thing about office parties is that they give you a chance to mingle with your co-workers and enjoy their company away from the office desk. If you take along your spouse, you’ll be tempted to spend the evening with them, giving you less chance to really enjoy the opportunity.

Don’t talk about work

Talk to people about their hobbies, pastimes and what they’ve been getting up to. If you have a similar taste in films or music, strike a conversation about that so that people know there’s more to life than what goes on in the office. If you’re a parent, a conversation about children is easily done but make sure that the chat isn’t one-sided. Ask plenty of questions, be interested and get to know those co-workers that you don’t usually talk to. Make sure that you keep the balance between enjoying yourself and being sensible – after all, you have to work with these people! The last thing you want is to be the subject of those post-party whispers.

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In All Things Fit, giveaway

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In accessories, fashion

Arm Candy

If you’re new to Pandora and recently received, or purchased, your very first bangle bracelet or barrel clasp, with an extensive catalogue of 600 sterling silver, 14k gold and two tone charms, it is understandable to be lost from there on. The best thing to know is that these bracelets are not as fragile as they appear, and can actually hold between 17 and 20 charms, so there’s no need to make difficult decisions when choosing your charms!

The Bestsellers

Pavé Charms

The pavé charms are a very popular collection from the Pandora jewellery selection. It means the stones in the charm are put very closely together with lots of small stones. Pandora usually use light clear stones such as the Pink Pavé Light which look feminine or darker tones such as the Blue Pavé Lights or Red Pavé for bolder statements. The colour from these pieces is always dazzling. The best part about the pavé charms is you can use them with any other collections to mix up your bracelet, or even lots together to create a sparkle.

Heart Charms

Hearts have always been used in jewellery, and Pandora uses them within plenty of different themes, including the Pavé and Murano as well. The pavés have their own heart shaped theme, one even being a Triple Heart design. In particular the heart shaped Red Pavé Heart Charm uses red cubic zirconia which sparkles against the sterling silver of the charm. Heart designs are very fashionable at the moment and the category to find them is Love, although they can be gifted for many other reasons. The pendants set off the colours in a similar way to the pavés but are smaller hearts and dangle; they can include black crystal and clear or red cubic zirconia.

Murano Beads

These are Italian circular glass beads that use colours in a similar way to the pavés; for the dainty or for the fierce statement. The charm is made from sterling silver and glass which means the light, reflects from the charm and therefore mixes with the other pieces on your bracelet. It is always suggested to go for colours with the Murano beads, and there are plenty to choose from, including this Autumn’s new Green Faceted Murano Charm which is perfect for this season. They are exceptional if you want to create a colour coded bracelet where you choose your gems and Murano in sync with one another.

Once you have filled your bracelet with your chosen charms there maybe left over space that is not quite big enough to fill with another charm. This is the reason to use spacers. There are two types of sizes although they are usually around 1/3 of the size of a normal charm, and are still beautifully designed so they compliment the bracelet. They are also useful if you have many dangles, to stop them clashing against each other.

Whether you decide to choose a few charms on your bracelet or completely fill it, there are plenty of genuine gemstones or colourful combinations to be made from the extensive catalogue.

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In contest, Nuffnang

Blogopolis 2013: #IntoTheWild

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In advertisement, fashion

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In contest, Nuffnang

What influences you to try a new restaurant?

***Photo randomly grabbed from google***

Most of these days, it’s easy to detect what’s in and what’s hot in the market. Just by logging in to our social medias, surfing the internet and checking out the trending subjects, you will surely know what to buy, when to party, where to eat or how to do certain stuffs. In our world today, we have the easiest access to the information we needed. How lucky we are to have what we called the internet. Searching ideas, reading news, blogging, checking our emails can surely take our time when we are online. Not only that, it also influences us on our daily lives. For example, I am looking for a new restaurant to try. Which online resources I usually refer and influence my decision?

In my case, I have a list…

No.1 – Social Media

If people are tweeting and sharing non-stop, they keep on raving something good about this restaurant, I will surely check on it. There are times, you just want to be in and be one of the cool dudes who went there first. Another scenario is if my favorite celebrity has visited a certain place and recommends it by sharing a photo on Instagram or facebook or a tweet pic. I will visit it too.

No. 2 – Blog reviews

Just like any blogger, your opinion matters. That’s why before I go to a certain place I check on my foodie bloggers for their ratings about the food of the new restaurant. If they gave 5 stars out of 5, I will hurriedly be going there, as fast as a lighting thief. As a blogger too, I want my reviews to be honest and detailed so I could help other people and my readers to know the facts and my opinion as well. Let our voices be heard.

No. 3 – Mobile Apps

Trustworthy apps just like looloo and trip advisor are one of mobile application that I truly rely on. Their recommendations are a must. I never gave them a doubt. They help us discover the hidden paradise of a foodie.

In short, I check on social media sites, then google about the new restaurant, click on the reviews either on a blog or on the mobile app. If I am convinced, time for a scrumptious meal. Yey!