Types of Bed Pillows

Our pillow is very important piece of bedding that provides comfort for your body and is the key to a good night’s sleep. Along with your mattress, you’ll spend 1/3 of your time on your pillow so it’s good to know what type of pillow works best for you. In order to find the best pillow for your needs, you’ll need to know the different types, support, and sizes. Here is a list of these different types of bed pillows, along with a little information on support and sizes, which will help you find the pillow of your dreams.

Fill and Pillow Types

• Natural Fill Pillow is feather, down (fluffy insulation under feathers), or a combination of both. These types of pillows and filling offer comfort by conforming to your head and neck. The fill power, which is how much filling included within the pillow, will be listed on high-end down pillows. The higher the fill power, the more lofts the pillow will have, and therefore, it will be more durable. (Note: Natural fill pillows labeled “allergy free”, means the fill has been sanitized of all impurities, can still affect allergy sufferers.)
• Synthetic Fill Pillow is a man-made fill, customarily polyester. Synthetic pillows are the inexpensive $5 pillows normally found in discount department stores. They have shorter life spans and do not conform to the head and neck like natural fill pillows. These pillows and filling are hypoallergenic and most affordable.
• Poly Cluster Fill Pillow is a synthetic fill of polyester clusters coated with silicone to feel and move like down, which conforms to your neck and head. These pillows are great for allergy sufferers because it gives the softness and allure of a true down pillow without the down and high cost.
• Foam Pillow is made of solid pieces or chunks of foam. These pillows are an inexpensive alternative to Memory Foam but more often found and used for decorative pillows.
• Memory Foam Pillow is a dense, sponge-like pillows that molds around the neck and head for extra support. This pillow contours are perfect for sleepers who prefer a firm pillow or have neck and spine issues.

Magazine Racks

Magazine racks provide the perfect spot for magazine overflow, allowing you to organize your collection in style. There are many different styles, sizes and types to choose from; consider your personal tastes and available room in your home to determine which magazine rack will work best for you.

In general, you can choose between freestanding, wall-mounted and rotating magazine racks. Freestanding magazine racks are great if you want to move your magazines around easily, and are available in a wide range of styles and sizes. A wall-mounted magazine rack might work great for a home office or even a bathroom, and a rotating magazine rack lets you keep multiple stored in an easy-to-view set-up.

To see a variety of styles, sizes and types or magazine racks, check out different styles here:

Homemade Moisturizer Recipes

There are thousands of moisturizers on the market, but if you want a natural moisturizer from ingredients you have at home, give these recipes a try. Before liberally applying any moisturizer to the skin, do a spot test to make sure that the moisturizer does not irritate the skin.

DIY Body Moisturizers

If you’re looking for an easy homemade moisturizer that can also be relaxing, add a few drops of rosemary essential oil to bath water and take a long soak. If you want to get rid of those fine wrinkles around your eyes and lips, dab a drop of castor oil around the eyes and lips before bedtime.

A number of homemade moisturizers use avocado or avocado oil as a main ingredient. Avocados not only soften and moisturize the skin, the sterolins in the avocado also help reduce age spots, heal sun damage and fade scars.

Homemade Avocado Body Moisturizing Rinse Recipe

Here’s a simple avocado moisturizer that will make your skin glow:

• Mix 1 mashed avocado, 1 mashed cooked carrot, 2 tablespoons honey, one beaten egg and 1/4 cup yogurt. Blend until smooth.
• Spread mixture over dry skin areas and leave on the skin for 15 minutes.
• Rinse with warm water and follow with a cool water rinse.

Homemade Moisturizing Facial Masks

Facial masks are a great way to not only clean the skin, but to moisturize it as well.

Here’s an avocado face mask recipe for oily skin:

DIY Avocado Face Mask for Oily Skin

• Mix 1 mashed avocado, 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a blender for 1 minute.
• Apply mixture to face (avoid the eye area), especially to oily areas.
• Leave on for 20 minutes.
• Rinse in warm water until all of the mixture is rinsed off.
•  Follow with a cool water rinse.

DIY Avocado Face Mask for dry Skin

Here’s an avocado face mask recipe for dry skin:

• Mix together 2 tablespoons avocado, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 egg yolk.
• Apply to face and leave on for 10 minutes.
• Rinse with warm water followed with a cool water rinse.

Homemade Hair Treatments

Try these treatments for dry damaged hair, and hair that needs a quick boost in shine.

DIY Avocado Coconut Hair Mask

If you have dry or damaged hair, try an avocado and coconut milk hair conditioner:

• Mash an avocado until very smooth.
• Add 1/2 cup coconut milk and mix well.
• Comb the mixture into the hair.
• Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Rinse out avocado mixture with warm water. Follow with a cool water rinse.

DIY Rosemary Hair Treatment

This recipe will leave your hair shiny and smooth. The addition of rosemary essential oil will stimulate hair growth:

• Mix together 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 olive oil, 4 drops rosemary essential oil, and 1 teaspoon Xanthum gum.
• Store in an airtight bottle.
• Pour a small amount into the palm of your hand and gently massage into the scalp.
• Wrap hair in a shower cap or warm towel.
• Leave on hair for 30 minutes.
• Shampoo and rinse with cool water.

Growing Strong Nails

Dry, splitting and thin fingernails are unattractive. Improve the health of your fingernails with this nail strengthening moisturizer that strengthens nails and pushes back the cuticles:

• Pour 2 teaspoons castor oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon wheat germ oil into a small bottle with a lid.
• Shake well before each use.
• Place a drop of the oil mixture on each fingernail and rub into the nail and cuticle area.
• Leave on for 5 minutes.
• Wipe off with a cotton ball or soft cotton cloth.

Alleviating Cracked Heels

Cracked heels can be painful. Here are a few recipes that will cure those dry feet and get you back in a pair of sandals:

• Mash 1 ripe banana and spread it on the cracked area of the foot. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off with cool water. Use on a daily basis.
• In a blender, mix 1 ripe banana and 1/2 of either an avocado or a coconut. Apply paste to the cracked heels.

When experimenting with homemade moisturizers, make a small amount at first and test the recipe on a small patch of skin to make sure there are no adverse effects. Your kitchen cupboard is full of moisturizing ingredients. Recipes with milk, yogurt, essential oils, honey and a host of other ingredients will leave your skin smooth and radiant.

Kitchen Knife Guide

Shopping for kitchen knives can be a confusing and frustrating task. Walk into any department store and you’ll be assaulted with dozens of choices for knife shapes, blades of high-carbon steel or stainless, full or partial tangs and hard or soft handles.

Here’s how to cut through the clutter of kitchen knife choices.

Understanding Knife Anatomy

• Spine: The top edge of the blade.
• Heel: The end of the exposed blade, where it is the widest.
• Cutting Edge: The sharp edge of the blade used for cutting.
• Bolster: Where the blade and handle meet. This adds to the balance and weight of the knife, and isnot frequently included on lesser expensive models.
• Handle: The dull end of the knife, often covered, to allow the user a safe, comfortable grip.
• Full Tang: The section of the blade that continues through the center of the handle.

Types of Kitchen Knives

• French Chef’s Knife: for chopping, slicing and mincing. It is the “big dog” on the counter for most kitchen prep. Use it for cutting fruits and vegetables, chopping nuts or dicing any number of food ingredients. The best French Chef knives will be 8-12-inches long, with a forged blade, a comfortable handle and a full tang (the blade extends the length of the handle and firmly riveted).
• Utility Knife: halfway between a French Cook and Paring Knife. It is ideal for cutting lettuce and cabbage, slicing, peeling and carving. For fruits and berries, it is perfect for sectioning and slicing as well as other tasks requiring more delicate cuts. Choose a Utility Knife with a forged blade, a full tang and a comfortable handle.
• Paring Knife: useful for small cuts and delicate prep. Frequently used for peeling, trimming and paring fruits or vegetables, slicing berries or decorative shapes and cuts. Buy a model with a forged blade, a full tang and a handle that fits comfortably in the hand.
• Boning & Filleting Knives: specialized blades for removing raw meat from a bone or carving fillets from fish. Usually 6-inches in length, the filleting knife is a more flexible blade than the boning knife.
• Carving or Slicer Knife: they are usually 8 to 14-inches long with a thin and very sharp cutting edge for carving cooked meats. The serrated version is used to cut sandwiches and other delicate food items. The blades should be forged and feature a full tang.
• Cleaver: available in various sizes ranging from 5 to 10-inches in length, it uses a heavy rectangular blade to chop or deconstruct raw meat. It easily cuts through bones with it’s broad and heavy blade. Choose a blade that is forged with a full tang.

Best Blade Materials

Most kitchen knives will be made from one of four basic materials: carbon steel, stainless steel, high-carbon stainless steel or ceramic. Carbon steel can be sharpened to a very sharp edge, but it dulls easily after several uses. Stainless steel on the other hand, does not hold a very sharp edge but can maintain that edge much longer than carbon steel. High-carbon stainless steel has a very sharp edge and can maintain that edge longer. Also, high-carbon stainless knives are stain resistant. Ceramic knives are incredibly sharp knives that will hold an edge up to 10 times longer than metal alloys. The downside is that they are fragile and can chip or break in half if dropped.

High-carbon stainless steel knives are the most popular due to their ability to hold a sharp edge for a long time.

Start with 4 Knives

Good kitchen knives are expensive. But, they can last a lifetime in the home kitchen. Buy the best knife you can afford and it will provide year after year of good service. Start with four basic knives: French chef knife, utility knife, paring knife and a boning knife. This modest set will take care of most kitchen tasks without draining your budget on cutlery that’s never used.

Beautiful Breathtaking Hotels In Hawaii

When choosing a luxury hotel, it is very important to rely in the expertise and knowledge of Luxury Hotel Experts' travel advisors. Luxury Travel is by definition a combination of great experiences tailor built to match or exceed the traveler’s experience, starting from the time you make the call to book a Wailea-Maui Luxury Hotel.

This are just but few breathtaking and luxuries hotels that are in Hawaii.