Clutterless is stress less. Period. A clean workspace is a sure fire way to unhampered efficiency. Seeing a cluttered desk - be it your physical desk or your desktop, creates an imbalance, definite to cause a drop in your productivity.

Maintaining a clear desk may seem evasive enough even as you think about it. But conquering your mess need not and for sure is not that difficult or elusive after all. Think about it, its yours and you are certainly in control.

So how would you go about it?

• First, clear your desk of real trash - this may be an apple core, toffee wrappers, Styrofoam cup - just about anything that truly classifies as trash.Junk it this moment!
• Next, assuming that paper makes a large part of your clutter, there is but one way to clear this - Going through each and every paper in your desk.
  Form 4 bunches.Have three folders and a trash can handy.
  1. Bunch 1 - Papers that are currently being worked on.
  2. Bunch 2 - Papers that need to be saved for records.
  3. Bunch 3 - Papers whose importance in the near future is something you are not sure of.
  4. Bunch 4 - Papers you absolutely do not need.

  Now put bunch 1 in a folder and put it in the most accessible place, say at the topmost compartment of your draw. Put bunches 2 and 3 in the other 2 folders, probably in the last, which you are less likely to use.
  No prizes for guessing where bunch 4 goes - right into your trash can!

• Now that your desk mess is done with, wipe your desk down. Smells clean and looks good.
• Perform bunching in the same manner for your draw and clean up.
• As an incentive,get a flower or a plant on your desk - again looks good and breathes new life into your workspace.
• Wait, you aren’t done yet. Unless you run through the whole routine say once a week or at the least once in 2 weeks, be prepared to look at a messy desk again.
• The easiest would be for you to maintain it in this manner ever and how would you do that - A place for everything and everything in its place!

Don’t stop by applying this to just conquering desk and draw mess, but extend it to your desktop and pretty much anywhere else you work and see yourself getting super-productive!

So, now go on - declutter and perform better than ever!

More decluttering

• Leo’s workspace productivity hack
• Declutter your desk right now!
• Get back your productivity

A make-over on your feel-good to-do list? Start with the easiest - a haircut!

Well styled hair can give an instant lift to the face. Add in a dash of colour and you are great to go.

Your hair cut depends mainly on the type of your hair and its density. Hair types can be broadly categorized into fine, medium and coarse. The density is how much of hair you have on your head and is either thin or thick.

Hair types and haircuts:

1. Fine
   Fine hair has the lowest micron count of all the hair types - 50, which directly translates into the smallest circumference. Its weightless, flyaway and usually straight. Falling to perfection as a shimmering sheet when left loose, fine hair fails to hold style making it the most difficult hair types to style. In addition to its inability to hold styles, the absence of volume is something to be kept in mind when getting a hair cut.
   An ideal hair cut for fine hair would be short and one that would incorporate layers giving an impression of volume and bounce. A really chic look would be to have it shoulder length with the layers in the blow dried facing inwards and the layers in the back facing outwards - none too blatantly though.
2. Medium
   Medium hair is synonymous with normal hair, neither too thick, nor too thin - just right and anywhere between 60 and 90 microns. If your hair is of this type, consider yourself blessed. Trust me. The best hair type to have - holds styles real well, is of the right thickness and texture, which opens up an endless avenue of hair cuts for you to try.
   Although most haircuts look good on medium hair type, the best, in my opinion would be a medium length cut with subtle layers and soft curls, giving an unparalleled touch of femininity to your look.
3. Coarse
   Just as difficult as the other end of the scale, coarse hair is extremely difficult to maintain, much less to style! The weighing down of this type is an important factor to be taken into consideration when styling. A short to mid-length layered cut would look good for this type. Combine a deep conditioning treatment with your haircut appointment for the perfect results.

Of equal importance is the thickness of your hair, when deciding the haircut. As a general rule, go for layers and intensify based on your hair type.

In addition to the above factors, your face type needs to be considered too with regards to the length of your forehead and your jaw shape, when thinking especially of getting fringes.

More snip-snip help

• A definitive guide to hairstyles from hair-style-salon
• Visual make-over

Its been quite a long time since I have written anything, so I thought I would make it back with a double dose of my four-part series on essential oils associated with the signs of the zodiac.

The first part of this post will deal with aromatherapy specifics for the fire signs (as I promised in my earlier post) - Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.

Aries

1. Rose
   The raw energy of Aries and a fully blossomed rose may not seem to go together, but imagine the intense blood red of the bloom and the its presence in this list is fitting. The rose’s therapeutic fragrance in addition to calming the mind and getting the body into a state of harmony, is a very strong love perfume
2. Pine
   Pine and my promotion of its clean fragrance may be getting a little too familiar for my readers. Keeping it short and sweet, pine’s fragrance characteristic of freshness and vitality, makes its frequent appearance well derved, indeed!
3. Lemon
   Lemon - Not a stranger to us, be it in terms of its refreshing flavour, both to the tongue and to the .nose. Since we are more concerned about the latter here, it has an interesting combination of being energizing as well as calming on the mind and body. Not only does the humble lemon work as a stimulant, it doubles up as a blood purifier too.
4. Cinnamon
   As I mentioned with pine, Cinnamon pops in here again with the fire sign of Aries. Its spicy and stimulating fragrance works on you as energizing tonic and a heady aprodisiac

Leo

1. Rose
2. Patchouli
   Patchouli does lend itself to the flamboyance of a Leo, both in terms of its colour (either of a light golden yellow or of a deep golden brown depending on the distillation method) and its rejuvenating fragrance.
3. Musk
   Musk is something I can very distinctly relate to a Leo’s sense of ’sweep-you-off-your-feet’ - intoxicating, exhilirating and extremely exciting. A very physical perfume, affecting your instinct deeply.
4. Lemon

Sagittarius

1. Pine
   (As I promised earlier, no more words from me on Pine, look up at Aries)
2. Musk
   Musk is as becoming on a fiery Sagittarius as it on a flamboyant Leo.
3. Muguet
   Relatively unknown and unheard of, muguet is a variation of the very famous lily of the valley. Its extremely rare, because it apparently grows only in a small area in France. As with anything rare, its priceless in its virtue. Think French, think sensuality and that is exactly what this embodies.
4. Myrrh
   Fiery Sagittarius and musty Myrrh go together awakening spiritual zeal within.
5. Hyacinth
   Sprouting from the blood of the ill-fated Hyacinthus, a lasting tribute to love and youth, the hyacinth works as a sedative curing insomnia and calming.

Air Signs

Now, getting down to the air signs - Gemini, Libra and Aquarius

Gemini

1. Violet
   Produced from both the leaf and the violet flower itself, the oil affects the body as much or even more than it affects the mind, which makes it an oil to be reckoned with. In addition to its calming properties, it is interestingly used to draw out introverts!
2. Lavender
   Calming, relaxing and balancing, lavender is essentially Gemini!
3. Heliotrope
   Marvelous in its distinct blend of scents, heliotrope is derived from Heliotropium arborescens, a flower originally from Peru. Heliotrope’s fragrance combines in itself a dash of the woody with the fruity and a hint of vanilla, exuding a unparalleled smell!
4. Mimosa
   Mimosa reminds me of a cocktail I had of the same name . Dreamy and ethereal, a fragrance leading to a starry world, rich in imagination. The perfume truly gets the creative juices flowing , what with all the imagination spurring and artistic thought awakening!
5. Frankincense
   Frankincense is prepared from the resin obtained from the bark of a boswellia tree. Frankincense is of supreme importance in religion (The three wise men in the Bible carried gold, frankincense and myrrh.) The perfume is clarifying and promotes a sense of awareness, which is of extreme importance in spiritual pursuits.

Libra

Calm, gentle and fresh - Just as these words personify Librans in all their glory, the 3L-oils manifest the same.

1. Lily of the valley
   Floral and fresh, Lily of the valley is a very soothing fragrance.
2. Lavender
3. Lemon

Aquarius

1. Jasmine
   Well known and well loved fragrances the world across, Jasmine’s stimulant and aphrodisiacal properties are not new to us.
2. Lavender
3. Patchouli
4. Lemon

I hope you have enjoyed this series on aromatherapy and astrology. Now that you know your fragrance, immerse yourself in!

Breakfast is easily the biggest meal of the day, and one that could do with a dose of health as much as taste. The tastiest breakfasts, not only need to be healthy, but also easy to make and quick to cook. The first breakfast food that crosses my mind as I write this is oats(Of course, that’s what I was going to write, my post title says so!).

I hope none of you are smirking up as you read this and even if you are, I am sure by the end of the post, you are going to be looking forward to eating oats.

First, a bit of background on oats. Did you know that only 5 % of the otas grown worldwide is used for human consumption? What about the rest - you ask? Its used for feeding horses! Thats right and here I am convincing you to eat more of horse food, hmm…

The health benefits of oats are innumerable and if it helps horses, no reason it shouldn’t help you. After all they say - As healthy as a horse (If you remember this from Ghost rider, you really need to get a life!). Oats are a great source of vitamin B1 and their dietary fibre, being rich in a component called beta-glucan helps reduce cholesterol. The carbohydrates in oats are absorbed slowly by the body, keeping you fuller for long, which makes it the perfect breakfast for people trying to lose weight, and it is established that oats help in long term weight loss.

If you still aren’t nodding your head in approval for oat-filled mornings, maybe the following recipes will help:

1. Oats and Muesli Super Crunch

   Necessity is truly the mother of invention. I came up with this when I was short on milk and muesli for breakfast.

   What you need:

   • Quick cooking oats (I prefer Quaker) - 1/2 cup
   • Muesli - 1/4 cup
   • Milk - 1 1/4 cup
   • Sugar - to taste

   How do you do it:

   • Cook the oats in milk adding as much sugar as you like. This should be of lesser consistency than the usual porridge oats and easy flowing.
   • Now take a serving bowl and 2-3 minutes before you are going to serve it, layer the bottom of the bowl with muesli and pour the oats on top and garnish it with some walnuts, or the healthier flaxseeds.
   • You are ready to go in 2 minutes.

   “As you dig in to the oats, finding the muesli at the bottom is a nice surprise and that makes the breakfast very interesting” said my husband and the effort (not a lot as you can see) is well worth it.

2. Good old oats with apples and cinnamon

   This is the best-ever pick me up on a lazy morning, and double the fun, if its a cold morning. I am a great fan of fragrances, and cinnamon is the right start to a great day.

   What you need:

   • Quick cooking oats (I prefer Quaker) - 1/2 cup
   • Milk - 1 1/4 cup
   • Sugar - to taste
   • 1 medium sized apple cut into fine pieces
   • Cinnamon powder (I like McCormick)

   How do you do it:

   • Cook the oats in milk adding as much sugar as you need. I have maintained the consistency of the earlier recipe as we are going to be adding a lot of apples.
   • After the oats is done, mix the finely cut apples, and some walnuts or flaxseeds if you wish.
   • Just before you dig in, generously sprinkle the cinnamon powder over and you are bang-smack at the start of a great breakfast.

Tangy tomato oatsy-soup with buttered toast and grandma’s oats upma on part 2 of Quick, healthy and tasty Oats!

More oatsy-oats recipes

• Mr. Breakfast’s American oats recipes
• Authentic oats - Hamlyns Of Scotland - Breakfast recipes
• CDKitchen’s breakfast oats recipes

Does your seemingly unending to-do list at work, make you stagger and rather wish you could stay at home (effectively making it longer!) ? Have you had, at the end of a day, a feeling of unproductivity, although you have kept your nose to the grindstone through the day?

If you have answered in the affirmative to either or both of the questions, I should warn you my friend, of an illness gripping you this very moment as you read these very words - Being unorganized! Be it work or home, a sense of structure is essential for you to have a calm and relaxed day (or at the least, as relaxing as it can afford to get).

One of the most invaluable qualities at a workplace is a person’s capability to perform their respective tasks in its order of importance. This is truly of inestimable value. But how do you get to prioritizing your tasks, if you are not even sure of what they may be?

• Start early

  Early, not as in early morning, but the previous night. Based on the work done at the end of the day, create a to-do list for things you would want to get done the next day, numbering them in their order of importance.

• Incorporate get-to-work changes

  Review your to-do list as soon as you get to work in the morning (like most of the world) and incorporate changes from tasks that may have come up over the night or early in the morning.

• Stick to it through the day

  Throughout the day, keep your to-do list at hand, and modify as necessary and as things come up.

I have been trying this out for the past few days, and I must tell you that the sense of direction and feeling of satisfaction as I tick an item off as done has been going down pretty well with me.

Look forward to more on Workplace fixes - Declutter and perform better!

Having a daily beauty routine is one elusive thing with us mentally painting a picture of tediousness. So is there an easier way to maintain a routine which would not only keep you happy, but also leave you with enough time on your hands?

1. Cleanse
   Healthy skin or hair is strongly characterized by its cleanliness, which lends a wholesome glow. So the first step is simple. Keep your skin and hair clean.
   
   
   • Skin
     While a vitalizing cleanser will wake your skin up in the morning, a gentle scrub will work wonders for you in the night, delicately cleaning your skin at the end of the day. My personal favorite is Aveeno’s skin brightening daily scrub, with its soy extracts and microbeads working a charm!
   • Hair
     A wash everyday with a mild shampoo like Dove’s daily moisture therapy shampoo will keep your hair happy and shining. Shampooing your hair at least once in 3 days will help your hair keep the dust and grime of pollution at bay.
2. Moisturize
   Be it your skin or your hair, enhance your countenance and get brighter with the right amount of moisture.
   
   
   • Skin
     A moisturiser that is just right for your skin is essential for the moistuirising ritual - neither too oily or dry to the extent of being flaky. Again Aveeno scores here with its Clear complexion daily moisturizer. I am a huge fan of the moisturizer silk-to-touch texture both on your hands and your skin.

     Usage of a night moisturizer is highly beneficial to your skin by restoring and rejuvenating your skin during its time of rest, helping you wake up to great skin everyday. Palmers cocoa butter is the best I have used till date.

   • Hair
     Moisturizing your hair can have 2 parts to it - either before a wash, by means of a deepapplication of oil on the scalp and hair (OR) after a wash, by application of a leave-in conditioner or a serum.
     The best oil to apply on before a wash would be slightly warmed coconut oil, which not only relaxes you, but also imparts a hearty shine to your hair after the wash.Dove’s daily moisture therapy replenishing mist, would be a perfect after wash moisturizer, helping you keep your hair in place and silky smooth.

A simple and effective morning routine and an evening routine encompassing the above would probably be the greatest gift you could give yourself!

This post is the second in a four part series dealing with essential oils associated with the signs of the zodiac. Its the sign of the earth this time - Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.

Taurus

1. Ambergris
   Ambergris is a gray waxy substance produced naturally by sperm whales and is present in this list due to sweet and earthy odor. It acts a tonic and stimulant, strengthening the brain and the heart.
2. Patchouli
   There are a couple of essential oils that are associated with more than one sign, and patchouli is one of those many . If you remember from my earlier post on water signs, patchouli is used as a tonic and a body-mind balancing oil, in addition to it being used widely as a skin restorative and rejuvenating agent.
3. Musk
   Musk - The very word triggers off a heady, earthy and a sweep-you-off-your-feet fragrance. It essentially awakens your instinct and spurs on your body’s capacity for self healing.
4. Jasmine
   As I mentioned with Patchouli, Jasmine makes it entry again with the earth sign of Taurus. Stimulating and emotionally healing effects makes Jasmine very essential indeed

Virgo

1. Rose
   Extremely becoming of a very feminine Virgo, the rose is rightly popular for its use in matters of the heart. Calming and powerful at the same time, without being a sedative, rose either as an oil application or a body gel would set the mood for your day as well as your night right!
2. Lavender
   Lavender’s therapeutic properties of soothing and calming the body and mind make its reappearance in this list justifiable.
3. Patchouli
4. Honeysuckle
   Honeysuckle evokes in my mind memories of the sweet and earthy fragrance of the yellow and white tiny blossoms. This oil works more on your emotions than your body making it a very nostalgic perfume.
5. Wintergreen
   The name itself, in my opinion lets us on in its refreshing properties. Used to relieve muscle pain and for general wellness, wintergreen’s energising and rejuvenating properties are put to good use in general medicine.
6. Bay
   A staple in your kitchen, bay is known for its stimulating and tonic properties, enhanced by its intoxicating fragrance.

Capricorn

1. Carnation
   Carnation too makes a renetry here, due to its uplifting and stimulating effects on the body.
2. Pine
   The clean fragrance of pine again is something I have already talked about.Not only does it promote a clarity in the thought process, its refreshing and revitalizing effects on the brain reflect instantaneously on the body too.

If your sign still hasn’t come up, do wait. Fire signs and their essential oils in the next post!

” Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love “- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand’s quote on the perfect cup of coffee is something I relate to with every sip of coffee I take. Be it a tumbler of Madras filter coffee or a quick shot of espresso, his words hold.

As much as I love filter coffee, a cup of espresso goes down just as well with me. But it is extremely difficult (and quite trying on your purse strings too) to pop in to Cafe’ Coffee day every time you wish to have a cup of black coffee. I have a simpler way and that is to have that cup of black coffee at home. So how can you make it and what do you need?

Ingredients

1. 2 teaspoons of coarsely / not very finely ground coffee (ideally freshly ground)
2. One and a quarter cup of water. If you want it stronger, you can reduce it to one cup.
3. Sugar to taste. Do try to add as minimal as possible, to retain the flavour of coffee.

Make your cuppa, right now

1. In a saucepan (that’s what I use, earthenware is better) boil the water.
2. The water should be boiled to a point where it has just started bubbling out. Once this stage is reached, pour the water into another container and keep it aside.
3. Now put the powder in the saucepan from which the water has been removed.
4. Pour the boiled water into the saucepan and onto the powder.
5. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes.
6. Strain it out and have your cup of black coffee!

A few pointers to make your coffee taste good, every time you make it:

1. Try to use freshly ground powder alone. If you are a regular black coffee drinker, make sure to stock up just a week’s worth of powder.
2. Do not reheat your coffee and have it as the flavour would be lost and it would taste very different.
3. Do not ever add milk/ creamer to this. This is a definite no-no and borders on insult of the sanctity of the coffee.
4. Do not go for a second degree coffee. Once the powder is used, toss it out.

Black coffee is probably one of the purest form of coffee and in my opinion the most. So, go ahead and sip away!

Blacker and hotter!

• BBC’s comprehensive guide on making black coffee (complete with different equipments and methods of preparation)
• Douglas Taylor’s good cup of black coffee