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	<title>LEMON SODA &#187; How-to</title>
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	<description>the benefits &#38; dangers of daydreaming</description>
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		<title>How To Approach Anyone</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/07/how-to-approach-anyone/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/07/how-to-approach-anyone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:59:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[how-to]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=1687</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Often we are under the impression that certain people are superior, unreachable. We forget that we are all humans, each with our own faults and strengths, so when it comes to trying to approach said holier individuals we crumble under nerves and fear of rejection and ridicule. It&#8217;s a self preservation thing, and we all [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1694" title="approach anyone - the devil wears prada" src="http://lemonlu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/approachanyone.jpg" alt="approach anyone - the devil wears prada" width="485" height="314" /></p>
<p>Often we are under the impression that certain people are superior, unreachable. We forget that we are all humans, each with our own faults and strengths, so when it comes to trying to approach said holier individuals we crumble under nerves and fear of rejection and ridicule. It&#8217;s a self preservation thing, and we all do it!</p>
<p>So how do you approach these people, break the ice and hold a conversation without feeling like a fool/embarrassed/inadequate/Bridget Jones?</p>
<h2>Your opening line</h2>
<p>First and foremost, find something to say. Who is this person? What may you have in common? For one, you&#8217;re in the same place. Maybe you both know the host, or you both opted for the assorted sushi instead of the mini burgers. Whatever it is, make sure you say it like you mean it.</p>
<h2>The art of smiling</h2>
<p>Don&#8217;t give your smile away right off the bat. After your initial brief introduction, wait a moment and take in the situation. Allow them to do the same and to reply — even if it&#8217;s just a &#8220;Hi&#8221;. Then flash your warmest, brightest smile at them.  It will make them feel acknowledged, like you genuinely want to stick around even if it means getting through a bit of painful small talk first.</p>
<h2>Eye contact</h2>
<p>Look them straight in the eye as you speak. Not only does it show respect, it shows you&#8217;re both on the same level. You have something to say and they want to listen.</p>
<h2>Converse</h2>
<p>Remember that you are holding a conversation, which means they should be doing some of the talking too! Be interested in what they say and ask pertinent questions (only if you are actually interested in knowing the answer!). Don&#8217;t get into heavy political debates; touch lightly on any subject that comes up while still letting your personality show through of course! If you want to win them instantly, all you have to do is talk about their favorite subject: THEM! Start with that ;)</p>
<p>Just remember to be your usual amazing self, that is always most important!</p>
<h3>How would you approach someone that slightly intimidates you?</h3>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>How to Stay Afloat When Everyone&#8217;s Trying to Pull You Down</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/06/how-to-stay-afloat-when-everyones-trying-to-pull-you-down/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/06/how-to-stay-afloat-when-everyones-trying-to-pull-you-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:38:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart Candy]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=1620</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Picture success. Your dreams coming true, small changes in the world like a clockwork shifting so that things finally fall into place for you. Maybe you&#8217;ve won the lottery, or you&#8217;ll be offered an amazing opportunity. Those sweet, sweet moments will inevitably be accompanied by a few bitter souls who feel the need to inform [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/2777505"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1622" title="fields" src="http://lemonlu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/stayafloat.jpg" alt="fields" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>Picture success. Your dreams coming true, small changes in the world like a clockwork shifting so that things finally fall into place for you. Maybe you&#8217;ve won the lottery, or you&#8217;ll be offered an amazing opportunity.</p>
<p>Those sweet, sweet moments will inevitably be accompanied by a few bitter souls who feel the need to inform you that it &#8220;isn&#8217;t <em>that</em> amazing&#8221;, or that they&#8217;ve &#8220;already been there&#8221; or &#8220;they&#8217;re past that stage&#8221;, whatever that all means. As always, our favorite jealousy cliché is unfortunately ever present.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s something about self esteem — we do whatever it takes to preserve it, and, as it goes, haters will always hate. They&#8217;re not hurting <em>your</em> self esteem, they&#8217;re trying to help theirs by stepping over you. It becomes tiring because some of these people just keep on pushing it to get some sort of validation, and it takes a lot of patience to dismiss them and to stay classy while you&#8217;re at it!</p>
<ol>
<li>It doesn&#8217;t matter if they&#8217;ve had something similar happen before with bad results because guess what — they&#8217;re not you! They may not possess the same psychological tools to confront difficult situations, so no matter how similar the experience, you&#8217;ll be going about it differently.</li>
<li>Obviously the experience will never be exact because your situation is not the same either! Just because they failed doesn&#8217;t mean you will. The fact that anyone would try to connect their failures to you alone is a big warning sign.</li>
<li>Be realistic and basically take everyone&#8217;s input (both positive and negative) with a grain of salt. Stay grounded.</li>
<li>Don&#8217;t spend too much time analyzing what everyone says, as that is energy you&#8217;ll need to put into your plans and dreams and success.</li>
<li>Judge the opportunity/success as it applies to you. If this opportunity or event is what success is for you, who is anyone else to say that it&#8217;s not enough? Things in life will only have the value you give them.</li>
<li>On a similar note, a small setback will only be as big as you allow it to be. Be wary of whose &#8220;advice&#8221; you heed.  It&#8217;s one thing to give advice and it&#8217;s a whole other thing to try to close doors. If any doors need to be closed, make sure you&#8217;re the one doing the closing.</li>
<li>Keep your focus. After all it&#8217;s your life and you&#8217;re choosing how to live it every second. If everything you do is based on someone else&#8217;s judgement, then isn&#8217;t that a bit like living their life?</li>
<li>Don&#8217;t give out too many details about your projects, what you hope to get from this amazing opportunity etc. This will only invite people to judge and criticize. Everyone seems to feel entitled to comment on everyone&#8217;s life nowadays, eh? The more you keep to yourself, the less they&#8217;ll be able to discuss.</li>
<li>That said, know who you can trust. Make these people your allies, and go to them in times of doubt. As with anything else in life, nobody can pull through entirely on their own. We are social beings and as such we need a good support system sometimes too!</li>
<li>Go for it. If it&#8217;s what you want, if the curiosity is killing you, if you just want to take a risk, then do it. You can be the judge of whether or not it was the right choice yourself.</li>
</ol>
<h3>So sugardrop, what do you do to stay afloat when everyone seems to be trying to drown you?</h3>
<p>P.S — Sorry for my absence! I&#8217;ve begun working six days a week so it&#8217;s taking a little while to adjust. But I haven&#8217;t forgotten you all ;)!</p>
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		<title>The Ultimate Guide to Making the Best First Impression</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/06/the-ultimate-guide-to-making-the-best-first-impression/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/06/the-ultimate-guide-to-making-the-best-first-impression/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:09:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifehacks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=1582</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[First impressions can be deadly, in the way that they give you a few seconds to present your essence and you don&#8217;t get a do-over. If you&#8217;ve never felt the pressure to make a good first impression then you are either a goddess by nature or you live in a cave. For those of us [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1587" title="kate winslet" src="http://lemonlu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/firstimpression.jpg" alt="kate winslet" width="320" height="451" />First impressions can be deadly, in the way that they give you a few seconds to present your essence and you don&#8217;t get a do-over. If you&#8217;ve never felt the pressure to make a good first impression then you are either a goddess by nature or you live in a cave. For those of us that don&#8217;t fall into any of those camps, here&#8217;s the ultimate guide on how to nail it! Get yourself together and radiate amazingness wherever you go ;) (Tips and video demos inside!)</p>
<h3><strong>The importance of self grooming</strong></h3>
<p>Let&#8217;s be completely honest with ourselves here. When you know nothing about a person, the only thing you have to go on are looks. So yes! Looks are definitely important. The way a person chooses to wear their hair, makeup, clothes etc. is your first hint about them. Starting from top to bottom:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> Hair should be washed and properly styled for whatever look you&#8217;re going for. Don&#8217;t try a technique for the very first time on the actual day! You have no time for potential disasters.</li>
<li> Eyebrows need to be groomed. No but&#8217;s. So get tweezing and trimming (though ideally this would have happened the day before). Fill them in with an appropriate shade if needed; do whatever you need to do so they look taken care of.</li>
<li> Makeup must be appropriate for the occasion. It&#8217;s best to try to go with a natural look as much as possible; you don&#8217;t want to look like you&#8217;re trying too hard. Neutrals on the eyes with a pop of lip color and you&#8217;re good to go! I&#8217;d say steer away from fake lashes and liquid liner. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>To help you out:</strong> (WARNING! may cause addiction! If you are ok with that, subscribe to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo">Pixiwoo</a>, you won&#8217;t regret it.)</span></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="340" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q2A0Fah4NHs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q2A0Fah4NHs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<ul>
<li> Any trace of mustache shall be waxed, immediately! (Or bleached) You don&#8217;t want any detail, no matter how minute, to make you feel uncomfortable or selfconscious.</li>
<li> Teeth must be brushed, obviously. If your teeth are just a bit yellowy by nature, you can go with some whitestrips the day before. You&#8217;ll want to flash those pearly whites every chance you get!</li>
<li> Nails should be taken care of. Ideally you&#8217;ll have a manicure done, whether it is with or sans color is up to you. Moisturize them. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>To help you out:</strong> <a href="http://www.lacquerized.com/2010/03/my-current-routine-products.html">an easy nail routine from lacquerized.com</a>! The entire site is a goldmine for anything nail related.</span></li>
<li>If your feet will be showing, these too shall be properly groomed! There is nothing more unsightly than peeling bits and longer than desired toenails on display&#8230;</li>
</ul>
<p>Do whatever you have to to look polished. Now is when details are amplified to the max, so don&#8217;t overlook them.</p>
<h3><strong>Proper attire</strong></h3>
<p>Really think about this one. Think about what most people will be wearing, first. Decide on an outfit that adheres to the dress code but that allows you to show your individual taste and personality as well! Most importantly, choose something you feel sexy and comfortable in. That will give you 50% of the confidence you need!</p>
<h3><strong>There is no &#8216;fashionably late&#8217;</strong></h3>
<p>Coming from a person who is perpetually late to everything, I advise you to watch your time! Arrive early to avoid making the person wait. Being on time shows that you are interested, that you didn&#8217;t leave everything til the last minute (like I tend to do&#8230;), and helps you avoid having to make unlikely excuses which your company will be less than thrilled to hear about.<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>To help you out:</strong> <a href="http://lemonlu.com/2010/01/get-ready-in-10-minutes/">How to Get Ready in 10 Minutes</a>, <a href="http://lemonlu.com/2010/01/looking-decent-on-no-sleep/">Looking Decent on No Sleep</a>.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Body language</strong></h3>
<p>Your body language often says more than anything coming out of your mouth. The two main things:</p>
<ul>
<li> Posture! Slouching only informs the world of how insecure you are walking through, or how tired and unwilling you might be (or appear to be!). Walking straight will just ooze elegant, not to mention enhance your top assets and hide that rebel tummy.</li>
<li> Hands. The big question is always: where do I put my hands? Whatever you do, do not put them inside any pockets and do not cross your arms! Keep them away from your face/hair and dress. If it&#8217;s a cocktail party, grab a drink. If it&#8217;s dinner, you&#8217;re saved!</li>
</ul>
<p>If you tend to be clumsy (like me), don&#8217;t be afraid to make light of your spilling your drink or dropping a bit of salad. Being able to make fun of yourself a little will not only show how confident you are, but it will also show that in spite of being so confident you are not up yourself, which is always a plus ;) <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>To help you out:</strong> <a href="http://lemonlu.com/2010/02/how-to-eat-tricky-foods/">How To Eat Tricky Foods</a></span>.</p>
<h3><strong>Small talk</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Do:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> Introduce yourself with a smile</li>
<li> Ask pertinent questions that you actually want to know the answer to</li>
<li> Give your own answer to said question</li>
<li> Look the speaker in the eye</li>
<li> Smile throughout the conversation to let the person know you are enjoying it (if it is pertinent of course!)</li>
<li> Speak about subjects you know a lot about</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Don&#8217;t:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> Talk about the weather</li>
<li> Dive into political debates</li>
<li> Ramble on about yourself</li>
<li> Make up random facts or talk about astrophysics if it isn&#8217;t your forte; just be honest. If something is brought up that you don&#8217;t know a lot about or haven&#8217;t heard of, just say it! You won&#8217;t look as stupid as if you pretend you know what they&#8217;re on about and then have no clue how to answer a specific question or how to give your opinion on the matter.</li>
<li> Forget your thankyou&#8217;s and please&#8217;s</li>
<li> Say no when offered something; sometimes people use these as icebreakers and a no would just make the next step incredibly awkward&#8230;if you want to be polite about it, you can always say something like &#8220;Yes I&#8217;ll have a bit of that thank you!&#8221;. Adding &#8220;a bit&#8221; or &#8220;a little&#8221; instantly makes everything sound nicer, doesn&#8217;t it?</li>
<li>If you aren&#8217;t speaking in your first language, don&#8217;t be afraid to have a bit of your accent come through! It can only be cute ;)</li>
</ul>
<h3>What are your tips for making the best first impression?</h3></p>
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		<title>How To Dine Alone</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/05/how-to-dine-alone/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/05/how-to-dine-alone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 17:29:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=1401</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is terrifying for some but necessary for others: the art of dining alone is not so complex once you&#8217;ve gotten over a few barriers and actually come to enjoy it! Maybe you&#8217;re pressed for time, or you love sushi but nobody you know does (gasp!). This actually happened to me once, but as my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/2202326"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1406" title="dining alone" src="http://lemonlu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/diningalone.jpg" alt="dining alone" width="288" height="368" /></a>It is terrifying for some but necessary for others: the art of dining alone is not so complex once you&#8217;ve gotten over a few barriers and actually come to enjoy it! Maybe you&#8217;re pressed for time, or you love sushi but nobody you know does (gasp!). This actually happened to me once, but as my love for sushi is above all else I happily went to my favorite restaurant and probably ate way more than I should have. But that&#8217;s besides the point.<br />
For those of us who enjoy it, there&#8217;s really not much to it: get to the place, order what you came for and sit back, do some people watching or gather your thoughts. Unfortunately (though less so nowadays) dining alone is often associated with loneliness, being single, outcast&#8230;So getting out there can be a little intimidating.</p>
<p>First of all, know that you are some of the best company you&#8217;ll ever have. So take yourself out for a treat! There&#8217;s nothing like being alone with your thoughts — you can think whatever you like without worrying about hurting anyone&#8217;s feelings or causing controversy, you can daydream about where this summer might take you&#8230;If you are still unsure, try the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Go somewhere you know so you&#8217;ll be familiar with what you&#8217;re ordering — no unpleasant surprises.</li>
<li>Try to get a table near a window, for easy people watching and daydreaming!</li>
<li>Make yourself comfortable. Good posture, no looking around anxiously. You&#8217;re having a meal, not waiting on the jury&#8217;s verdict.</li>
<li>If you are at a cafe, try the book trick. I personally would just take it easy and be friendly with the staff at a restaurant.</li>
<li>Make sure you&#8217;re looking good! Smile with your eyes, as you never know who might want to join you ;)</li>
</ul>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve overcome the initial barrier, you&#8217;ll be more at ease facing the world on your own! Take yourself out for a movie, shopping and then sushi lunch! Although if you don&#8217;t like sushi (again, gasp!) you could go for something else I suppose.</p>
<h3>What do you guys think about dining alone? Do you do it often?</h3>
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		<title>A Good Start to Any Week: Power Mondays</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/power-mondays/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/power-mondays/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:26:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=1242</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A little unusual for Monday, yes: it&#8217;s the first day of hell week, shark week, whatever name you have found appropriate for your working days. For me, everything seems to go wrong on Mondays as I haven&#8217;t completely woken up from a blissful weekend full of fun and cake. I tend to forget things, drop [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gemmacorrell/2756742142/"><img class="aligncenter" title="monday" src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/posts/powermonday.jpg" alt="powermonday A Good Start to Any Week: Power Mondays" width="500" height="500" /></a></p>
<p>A little unusual for Monday, yes: it&#8217;s the first day of hell week, shark week, whatever name you have found appropriate for your working days. For me, everything seems to go wrong on Mondays as I haven&#8217;t completely woken up from a blissful weekend full of fun and cake. I tend to forget things, drop everything, lose keys remotes and cellphones, as well as miss the bus. By the time I get home all I want to do is go to bed and let everything take care of itself. But preoccupying thoughts about looming exams and deadlines creep into my head, so I end up sitting around worrying and not being productive. Luckily for me I&#8217;ve found a few ways to disconnect (momentarily) so that I can charge back and own any and every obligation on my list.</p>
<ol>
<li>Accept the fact that it is no longer the weekend and you are now required to wear appropriate attire instead of pj&#8217;s (or nothing, if you prefer your natural state of being while in the house.)</li>
<li>Breathe in. Whatever it is you need to do, you WILL get through it!</li>
<li>Grab your planner. If you don&#8217;t have one (gasp!), get yourself equipped! Look at your week and fill in things that need to be done by which day. If you are a little OCD like me, deadlines go in bright colors and are highlighted once taken care of.</li>
<li>Take a look. Is there anything you can finish today? Start with a few small tasks so that you can feel accomplished.</li>
<li>Once you have crossed off a few obligations, try starting on a bigger one. The aim isn&#8217;t to finish but to get the ball rolling so that starting tomorrow won&#8217;t seem like such a hassle.</li>
<li>Set a time by which you will stop working.</li>
<li>Once this time has come, drop everything and run into the shower. Get rid of all the germs you picked up at work and slip into your pjs (or stay naked, if you are so inclined.)</li>
<li>Sit back, have some dinner and rest your mind. Some light reading, bad TV or mindless internet surfing are some good alternatives. Sleep will get a hold of you, so don&#8217;t fight it. An early night will ensure a clearer head come Tuesday morning!</li>
</ol>
<blockquote><p><img src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/hrt1.gif" alt="hrt1 A Good Start to Any Week: Power Mondays"  title="A Good Start to Any Week: Power Mondays" /> How do you guys fight the &#8216;Monday blues&#8217;?</p></blockquote>
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		<title>How To Deal With Rude People</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/how-to-deal-with-rude-people/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/how-to-deal-with-rude-people/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:49:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifehacks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positivity]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[The &#8220;R&#8221; factor, as my third grade teacher called it, is unfortunately the only way some people find to relate to others. It is impossible to steer away from the jealousy cliché, because it is one of the determining forces behind rudeness. Why are people rude? The possibilities are endless; it may spring from the need [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter" title="mr rude" src="http://www.lemonlu.com/imgs/posts/mrrude.jpg" alt="mr rude" width="400" height="362" /></p>
<p>The &#8220;R&#8221; factor, as my third grade teacher called it, is unfortunately the only way some people find to relate to others. It is impossible to steer away from the jealousy cliché, because it is one of the determining forces behind rudeness. Why are people rude? The possibilities are endless; it may spring from the need for self-validation, a bad day, a stressful situation, ignorance, prejudices&#8230;Whatever the reason, the key lies in your reaction to it.</p>
<p>Above all, remember that you are classy and polite; these are permanent conditions of your being, while temper is a passing state, so be wise about when to let it play a part. Knowing this will allow you to act accordingly.</p>
<p><strong>Those who brag</strong><br />
A lot of the time, these people are trying to convince themselves of something — of being capable, talented, rich, what-have-you — and the only way to gain validation is to shout it to the world, especially to people who they feel cannot obtain the same thing they have. The best thing to do is to let them shout it out as loud as they want. Though very tempting, replying with irony will only result in them believing they have made you jealous, which will be another &#8216;win&#8217; in their book. A simple reply will do.<br />
Another reason for bragging is attention. A person who brags usually does so about something they know will generate a response: &#8220;WOW! How did you do that?!&#8221; &#8220;Where did you get it?! I want one!&#8221; &#8220;You&#8217;re sooo cool!&#8221;. Again, this attention is self-validating, it makes them feel important. Look for a smug look on their face or a smirk; if present, attention is most likely their objective. Don&#8217;t give it to them. A simple reply will do.</p>
<p><strong>Those who belittle</strong><br />
Much like bragging, belittling brings the belittler a sense of power and importance. They have not found a way to be brilliant through self-merit and resort to trying to make others appear dull in comparison, so they will criticize everything from your looks, to your achievements, to your country. Basically anything that is attached to your persona is fair ground for bashing. Again, these don&#8217;t deserve more than a brief reply. Be polite, but don&#8217;t spend too much time around. Anyone who tries to make others feel like they are any less are too energy and time consuming so sticking around would not be the most interesting option.</p>
<p><strong>Those who snap</strong><br />
Snapping is a milder form of rudeness, mainly because a lot of the time it is caused by physiological factors (sleep deprivation, hunger, pain&#8230;) so we find it easier to forgive. I snap, you snap, we all snap sometimes! The important thing here is letting the person know that they are being snappy without reason. Often it acts as a wake-up call and the person will stop. Otherwise (like for instance bitter customer service people), <em>kill them with kindness</em>. Being overly nice and genuine will catch them offguard and will make them feel slightly stupid at the very least.</p>
<p><strong>Those who don&#8217;t appreciate</strong><br />
Giving should be done without expecting anything in return, but when I give I do expect a thank you, even if just out of courtesy. When I do give something, it is also because I imagine that the other person would have no problem doing something similar for me if the opportunity arose. A lot of people don&#8217;t have this sense of compromise though, which can be hurtful when it has taken a great deal of effort on your part. There is not much that can be done about this, except learn your lesson and refrain from putting any more effort into them.</p>
<p>Giving simple replies instead of ironic remarks does not equal to being passive and lame. If someone is truly out of line, demand respect, but do it <strong>with</strong> respect. &#8220;I only respect those who respect me&#8221; will only lead to more conflict and waste of energy. Simply call them out on it, and if it continues, <a href="http://www.lemonlu.com/2010/03/let-go/">remove them from your life entirely</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p><img src="http://www.lemonlu.com/imgs/hrt1.gif" alt="hrt1 How To Deal With Rude People"  title="How To Deal With Rude People" /> How do you guys deal with rude people?</p></blockquote>
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		<title>How To Look Decent in a Photo</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/how-to-look-good-in-photos/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/how-to-look-good-in-photos/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:27:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifehacks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how-to]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=1184</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So you went on a trip to Greece with your besties and get back home to load up all the photos on Facebook, only to find that you look hideous in most of them, with the exceptions of the ones where your face doesn&#8217;t show (like me, minus the Greece trip.) Everything new slightly throws [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" title="zoe saldana" src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/posts/lookgoodinphotos2.jpg" alt="zoe saldana" width="266" height="400" />So you went on a trip to Greece with your besties and get back home to load up all the photos on Facebook, only to find that you look hideous in most of them, with the exceptions of the ones where your face doesn&#8217;t show (like me, minus the Greece trip.) Everything new slightly throws us off, which is why seeing our reflection in the mirror every day can be more comforting to us; we grow accustomed to it and come to accept and even like it (except for those inevitable off days&#8230;). Take a picture of us from a completely different angle in a different light and watch as we can&#8217;t decide whether or not to tag ourselves in there. Maybe you don&#8217;t like your picture taken, or you&#8217;re slightly awkward in front of a camera.</p>
<p><strong>Natural beauty </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>It is picture day; the entire high school has woken up an hour early just to get their hair right and to practice in front of the mirror. BIG mistake. It was 9th grade and I was one such individual. Once the photographer tilted my head and rotated my body a thousand times, I let my rehearsed smile shine. The result: a fake smile, unruly hair and earrings hanging awkwardly in the wrong directions. The only year I actually looked decent, was the year I didn&#8217;t put any effort into it. <strong>Be natural, especially when smiling! </strong>Think of something funny enough to make you smile but not overly hilarious to make you scrunch your face awkwardly. <em>Tip: A real smile can be seen not only in the mouth but in the eyes.</em></li>
<li>Experiment, take self portraits if necessary. Find your best angle and play up to it in photos, but vary enough so that you aren&#8217;t pouting with your head tilted slightly at a 30 degree angle, hand on your hip in every single photo. Again, keep it natural and relaxed!</li>
<li>Posture! No slouching allowed, as it will make your belly pop out, your neck shorter and your boobage saggy. I struggle with this one, mainly because slouching is my natural state of being. I&#8217;ve tried to correct it, but I give up way too easily. At least photos are an incentive to be more aware of it!</li>
<li>Spontaneous photos tend to turn out the best, or at least are good at capturing the moment!</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Little touchups</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignright" title="rachel mcadams" src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/posts/lookgoodinphotos1.jpg" alt="rachel mcadams" width="300" height="400" /></p>
<ul>
<li>I&#8217;m not one to edit photos on Photoshop, regardless of where my pimple was, mainly because I find it tedious and it makes my computer incredibly laggy. Instead, I propose tackling those little things before the photograph is taken.</li>
<li>If your skin is slightly oilier than average, a few touchups with those little blotting papers should keep the shine out of your face in photos. I hear great wonders about pressed foundation as well but have never tried it myself! Any other tips to eliminate shine?</li>
<li>Concealer for panda eyes and little pimples or scars works, but don&#8217;t cake it on as this will show even more.</li>
<li>For a radiant smile make sure you take care of those pearly whites! Same for skin and hair. Personally I think hands well taken care of go a long way in completing a stunning look ;)</li>
<li>Remember the closer your hands/feet are to the camera the larger they will appear!</li>
</ul>
<p>The rest depends on your style and whether it lets your personality show through; Knowing how to dress for your shape is always essential, but I don&#8217;t believe that wearing patterns is necessarily bad if that is your style. If it works for you then it works, period!</p>
<blockquote><p><img src="http://www.lemonlu.com/imgs/hrt1.gif" alt="hrt1 How To Look Decent in a Photo"  title="How To Look Decent in a Photo" /> What tricks do you have for looking better in photos?</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Dealing With Nerves</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/dealing-with-nerves/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/03/dealing-with-nerves/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:21:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=1151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sweaty palms, racing heart, a little tug at the pit of your stomach&#8230;Nerves are physiological responses in anticipation of a certain outcome or situation.  How do you guys deal with them? They can be more or less intense depending on your personality and the type of situation; maybe you&#8217;re up for a huge speech, or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://ffffound.com/home/audkawa/found/"><img class="aligncenter" title="coping with nerves" src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/posts/dealingwithnerves.jpg" alt="coping with nerves" width="450" height="299" /></a><br />
Sweaty palms, racing heart, a little tug at the pit of your stomach&#8230;Nerves are physiological responses in anticipation of a certain outcome or situation.  How do you guys deal with them? They can be more or less intense depending on your personality and the type of situation; maybe you&#8217;re up for a huge speech, or you&#8217;re sitting by the phone to see if you got that job. I&#8217;m waiting for some pretty big news today, and while the event isn&#8217;t flashing constantly in my mind, it does make me nervous when I think about it.</p>
<p><strong>Anticipating an outcome</strong><br />
If you crashed your dad&#8217;s car, you&#8217;ll be nervous as you walk through the door because you are anticipating that he will get angry. If you&#8217;re about to give a speech, you&#8217;ll be nervous that people won&#8217;t respond well to it or you&#8217;ll say something ridiculous and embarrass yourself. These thoughts are mental barriers we set up, and we get nervous as we find them hard to overcome; we anticipate a negative outcome even if there is the possibility of a positive one (for instance, job interviews). I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s a surefire way to &#8216;overcome&#8217; nerves, but there are ways to make them less intense.</p>
<p><strong>When public speaking</strong><br />
This is probably one of the number one nerve-wracking situations for many. You&#8217;re about to give a speech to your entire class; everyone will be silent and the lights will catch any signs of nervousness. Generally you become more aware of your mannerisms because you feel observed, which will cause you to sway, or wonder where your hands should go, or whether you&#8217;re talking loud enough. To cope a little:</p>
<ul>
<li>Make sure you know what you&#8217;re going to say. Practice your speech out loud over and over like your life depends on it, changing things around a bit each time so that in case your PowerPoint messes up you know where to pick up the slack.</li>
<li>Use an audience. Grab your parents, siblings or grandparents.</li>
<li>Before the event (or class) begins, try standing around the front as people take their seats. This will help you familiarize with the space so that you can move around more freely.</li>
<li>Take a deep breath as you get ready to say your first words. Start with a strong voice so you can follow in the same pattern. Make the audience believe in what you&#8217;re saying.</li>
<li>Speak as though you were conversing; logical, bite sized sequence of events using natural language (not colloquial, but not extremely technical — specific enough to the subject area but easy enough that everyone understands.)</li>
<li>Be interested in what you&#8217;re saying and you&#8217;ll bring your audience with you; rather than focusing on whether or not you said something right, they&#8217;ll be trying to grasp concepts and put ideas together.</li>
<li>Once you&#8217;re done, think &#8216;that wasn&#8217;t so hard&#8217;. Remember this moment for your next speech!</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>When doing something for the first time</strong><br />
Skydiving. All your friends seem to have done it and they won&#8217;t stop raving about how amazing it is. If you&#8217;re deathly afraid of heights (like me), no amount of convincing will work on you; however if you&#8217;re naturally curious (though not exactly an adventure seeker) you might find yourself wanting to try this out. It&#8217;s your first time jumping off a plane though, and you are —with reason— scared as hell. In this case:</p>
<ul>
<li>Let it be known that you are nervous as hell. Communicate it to your friends who have done it, to the instructor and to the pilot if he&#8217;s around. You&#8217;ll get a biased response, but in this case you need all the positive feedback you can get: &#8220;It&#8217;s nothing!&#8221;, &#8220;You&#8217;re more likely to die from being struck by lightning&#8221;, &#8220;Nobody&#8217;s died from it — yet!&#8221;. You&#8217;ll still be scared as hell, but running these through your mind will help ease the tension (somewhat)</li>
<li>Know how to get out of it in case of an emergency. In skydiving, if your chute doesn&#8217;t open you might be in big trouble (that&#8217;s probably an understatement.) But say you&#8217;ve decided to go rock climbing and get stuck somewhere. Make sure you know what you need to do to get out!</li>
<li>Think about the risk and weigh it against the benefits. If it&#8217;s your first time asking someone out, think of the possible consequences. Worst case scenario: you&#8217;ll be rejected. Will you die? No. Will you be hurt? Most likely. But if they say yes, will it be the best decision you ever made? Then go for it.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>When taking an exam</strong><br />
You have a huge final on Monday. It will determine whether or not you graduate, and again, you are nervous as hell.</p>
<ul>
<li>Nerves will only block your mind, and in this case they will arise from uncertainty. So you need to start by making sure you understand the material. Reading over your notes 15 times will not help if you still don&#8217;t understand how protein synthesis works. Break down the information until you understand it, and then connect ideas and new concepts; this way, even if you don&#8217;t remember minute details in the happenings, you&#8217;ll still be able to tell the whole story.</li>
<li>EAT! I used to think this was a silly cliche, but it kind of seems obvious that if energy is required to process thoughts, and energy comes from food, then eating is a smart choice. Glucose is especially important in brain processes and is used up faster in the brain than anywhere else in the body. So have a hearty breakfast and a chocolate bar on your way to the exam and get thinking!</li>
<li>Right before the exam, if you really feel there&#8217;s so much information in your brain that it might fall out, jot it all down on the margins before you even look at the questions. This way your thoughts won&#8217;t be tainted by tricky wordings and you can refer back to them if they come up.</li>
<li>Divide your time, otherwise you might find yourself chewing away at your pencil until you realize time&#8217;s almost up. If it takes more than 5 minutes, leave it for later and move on.</li>
<li>Read everything twice. Once you&#8217;ve answered, read over everything once more. Make sure you haven&#8217;t been tricked and that you actually answered the question! Nerves can make you read words that aren&#8217;t there, turn negative numbers into positives or even make you think that the entire question is a trick.</li>
<li>When you come out, DON&#8217;T talk about the answers with your peers!! Everyone does this, it&#8217;s natural, we want to know how we did compared to the rest of the class and knowing that someone else put a for the first question makes us feel more secure. But if you find that your answers are completely different to everyone&#8217;s you&#8217;re likely to think you probably failed, when sometimes it may mean that you were the only one to actually answer right. Then you&#8217;ll just be thinking about it and feeling terrible until the official results come out.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>When approaching someone</strong><br />
A lot of times we want to complain, or ask someone for directions, or just talk in a crowded cocktail party. For some reason we are embarrassed, and can&#8217;t bring ourselves to do it.</p>
<ul>
<li>Firstly, remember people are only fellow human beings. They&#8217;ve also needed help at some point or wanted to complain that the fries are too salty. If you are nice about it there&#8217;s no reason why they won&#8217;t help you out.</li>
<li>Don&#8217;t over-think it. You&#8217;re at some event for a book that just launched and you find yourself alone. Instead of hanging over by the punch, go over to someone else. It may be easier to break the ice with someone who is also alone, or maybe two people. I don&#8217;t know about you, but if I&#8217;m also roaming around alone and someone comes up to me, I&#8217;ll be more thankful than annoyed.</li>
<li>Classic advice: if you want to be interesting, be interested. Ask genuine questions, reply with personal experiences or simply comment a bit on their answer.</li>
<li>Tip: if you aren&#8217;t speaking in your first language and can&#8217;t find a crucial word, say it fast in your own language. This way, the op will think they either misunderstood or don&#8217;t know the word. At the risk of sounding stupid, it is unlikely that they&#8217;ll ask you what it means, but if they do, just innocently say it again (in your language) and tell them that&#8217;s how you say it in your country.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>When making an important call</strong><br />
I&#8217;m not a phone person; I don&#8217;t even like calling for pizza, but sometimes you can&#8217;t avoid it.</p>
<ul>
<li>If you have to call someone important, or have something important to say but know your nerves will get in the way, the best thing to do is to write down key points you want to touch upon. Keep them in sight as you&#8217;re talking to the person. Before you dial, rehearse how you&#8217;ll greet them and lead into the conversation. The good thing about phones is the other person won&#8217;t see your panicked face, or your pacing back and forth as you try to calm the nerves.</li>
</ul>
<p>In the end, it all comes down to feeling under prepared (and therefore less confident) for a certain situation; prepare well and visualize success. Think of the moment the struggle is done and what you can gain from it. Life goes on whether you want it to or not, and even if it doesn&#8217;t end up being what you had envisioned it to be, it&#8217;ll still be Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday. By Monday you will barely remember the feeling, so get over it and try again!</p>
<blockquote><p><img src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/hrt1.gif" alt="hrt1 Dealing With Nerves"  title="Dealing With Nerves" /> <strong>What makes you nervous and how do you cope? Any strategies to help us calm down in the face of fear?</strong></p></blockquote>
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		<title>Hemingway&#8217;s Hack</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2010/01/hemingways-hack/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2010/01/hemingways-hack/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:28:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[ernest hemingway]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Not all of you lucky gals are cramming for exams like I am, but I thought we would all benefit from Hemingway&#8217;s Hack. Writer of The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway was definitely one of the greatest, whose influence reached writers like J.D Salinger. We&#8217;re all fascinated by lifehacks, by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="aligncenter" title="ernest hemingway writing" src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/posts/hemingwayhack.jpg" alt="hemingwayhack Hemingways Hack" width="400" height="333" /><br />
Not all of you lucky gals are cramming for exams like I am, but I thought we would all benefit from Hemingway&#8217;s Hack. Writer of <em>The Sun Also Rises</em> and <em>For Whom the Bell Tolls</em>, Hemingway was definitely one of the greatest, whose influence reached writers like J.D Salinger. We&#8217;re all fascinated by lifehacks, by tips and tricks to get a little bit ahead, the secret to success. Fortunately for us seeking souls, Mr. Hemingway left behind the key to his success:</p>
<blockquote><p>The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start. — <em>Ernest Hemingway</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Okay! So not the typical productivity advice you&#8217;d hear (get organized, outline steps, keep a schedule); none of that! Just let your mind go wherever it wants, let it conquer the wonders of your quest and when momentum is maximized: stop. Like a cliff hanger of a murder mystery. Then pick up right where you left off! Assuming you are a firecracker of bottomless wit and creativity, this is probably the best advice you&#8217;ve ever received. Like Tennis star Pete Sampras, retire with the gold.</p>
<p>For those of us who love working by a neat outline, checking off things as we go, this would be a giant leap. But ladies! If all else fails, why not give this a try? I will be taking said leap of faith tonight, and continue my studying tomorrow. Hopefully my subconscious will do all the dirty work while I am sound asleep. Who knows? I think it&#8217;s worth a shot!</p>
<ul>
<li>I found this gem via <a href="http://www.secondactive.com/2009/08/boost-your-productivity-with-hemingways.html">here.</a> Check it out!</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>Do you have any unconventional productivity hacks? Any slightly unusual habits that get your brain going?</em></strong><em></em></p>
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		<title>Goodbye, Frizzies!</title>
		<link>http://lemonlu.com/2009/12/goodbye-frizzies/</link>
		<comments>http://lemonlu.com/2009/12/goodbye-frizzies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:27:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luana</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How-to]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[hair]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lemonlu.com/?p=587</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My fine hair has been battling frizz eternally, and no matter how dry it is where I live, rainy days will be sure to ruin my life. It is a damn struggle. The worst periods of frizz fighting occurred while I was living in Hong Kong (thanks to the unbelievable humidity). At that point I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="goodbye frizzy hair" src="http://lemonlu.com/imgs/posts/frizzies.jpg" alt="frizzies Goodbye, Frizzies!" width="450" height="291" /></p>
<p>My fine hair has been battling frizz eternally, and no matter how dry it is where I live, rainy days will be sure to ruin my life. It is a damn struggle. The worst periods of frizz fighting occurred while I was living in Hong Kong (thanks to the unbelievable humidity). At that point I decided to give up on straightening and blowdrying and just let my hair naturally curl and frizz any which way it so pleased. I have to say that actually did wonders for my super damaged ends.</p>
<p>But you know the old &#8220;we want what we can&#8217;t/don&#8217;t have&#8221;, and so I have always been set on straight hair. Or at least wavy NON FRIZZY hair. Here are six main principles that years of trial &amp; error, frustration and hairbrush fights have taught me:</p>
<ol>
<li>Do not wash your hair every day! This will strip it of natural oil and your ends become dry. Figure out how long you can go without washing it before you look like you&#8217;ve had an olive oil shower, and keep that interval. I&#8217;ve always washed my hair every other day, but I&#8217;m finding every two days works as well! I have yet to try the wonders of dry shampoo, and I&#8217;m guessing that would reduce hairwashing by about a ton.</li>
<li>Do two rounds of shampoo, massaging the scalp for volune (great for fine hair). Rinse and condition from your ears down. I have found that it is actually better not to comb hair at this point, but that may be personal preference.</li>
<li>Before you jump out of the shower, rinse your with cold water to close the cuticles; this seals in proteins &amp; actually makes it look healthier.</li>
<li>Gently towel-dry your hair. Add a little bit of protecting serum and start blowdrying with cold air and finish off with hot air. Keep the nozzle on the hayrdryer so that the air hits exactly where you want.</li>
<li>Pick out soft hairbands to tie your hair up. I usually go for hairclips or bobby pins though.</li>
<li>Water, lots of water and protein based foods (hair is protein after all); healthy diet healthy hair! I&#8217;ve also heard salmon is good for its omega-3 fatty acids — did someone say salmon sushi? YUM!</li>
</ol>
<p>I&#8217;m sure some of these were no mystery to most of you, but man did it take me long to figure out the entire routine! <strong><em>What is your hair care routine? Any favorite products?</em></strong></p>
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