Blog Posts by Khristina

I knew I had to write a blog on this day. An International Woman's Day always gets me thinking. I ask myself, why is this day celebrated again? And moreoever, what is it that we want out of this day? More rights for women? Recognition in area of expertise? Stability in our workplaces? More power to women? Or maybe just flowers from our men to show us how special we are?

Remember that Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt movie, What women want? While it is understood that men keep asking this question all their lives, I sometimes wonder, don't we women ask that about ourselves too? What do we want? Do we know for sure?

This International Woman's Day 2011, I have a special question for all you women out there. What do you really want? Whether in the personal, social, mental or professional sphere, what are our deepest desires?

Make sure you write your biggest wishes in the comments space below. The best ones will be featured in this story.

Follow me on @KhrisBlogs.

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Let's face it. Old age and death are inevitable. But, according to this story from Men's Health, there are ways in which you can prolong your youth and "halt" ageing (at least for a while).

The reason I found this article very interesting was because the tips given here are so simple. These are everyday things we almost always take for granted. So, my leanrings from reading these tips are; stop getting complacent. Get up and take notice.

Take a look and see what you think!

• Live Higher Up

The science: A 2009 study of people in Switzerland found that those living at high altitudes had a 22 percent lower risk of dying of coronary heart disease.

Your move: Most people can benefit from taking in 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily, so eat more D-rich foods, such as seafood. (Salmon, tuna, and mackerel are good bets.) Or take a vitamin D3 supplement, says study author Adit Ginde, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado at Denver.

Must read on

Many of my girlfriends complain that they don't have their perfect LDBs yet. The LBD (little black dress) is a must-have for most cosmopolitan women; but getting one that compliments your body type the best is somehow terribly hard to find.

I was proud of my LBD ntil a couple of years back when I took it out to wear it for an event. It was a knee-length little number, with a chinese collar and tiny little white flower-engravings. It was beautiful. But then I gained a few pounds (ok, many pounds) and that figure-hugging dress was no more flattering.

In the photo: Penelope Cruz

But, for all you girls suffering from similar predicaments, here's something that may cheer you up. The following video is about a software that predicts the perfect LBD for your body type. Take a look at how it works.

Video: Customizing the perfect little black dress? There's an app for that.  

And if LBD is not your thing, check this out!

Here's one dress that you can wear, you won't believe, 12 different

What is your definition of happiness?

According to a London-based survey, "Britain's happiest couples are married but childless and less than five years into their relationship."

Read the entire story here.

The study has been commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council and will follow the lives of 40,000 households, interviewing 100,000 individuals of all ages, for at least the next 20 years. The data will be gathered every year in face-to-face interviews and made available to government departments, social policy units and academic researchers.

Some interesting findings:

• According to the data gathered so far, happiness with one's partner declines with the duration of the union and with a person's age. Marriages are happier than cohabiting unions, a trend that rises for better-educated people. In turn, children are happier with their family situation if their parents are happy.
• The happiest relationships are those less than five years in duration, between two people

For her big night at the Academy Awards, Oscar nominee Amy Adams wore a jaw-dropping $1,350,000 worth of bling from Cartier, according to a press release from the jeweler.

PHOTOS: 2011 Oscars: Red Carpet Arrivals

The Best Supporting Actress nominee, 36, wore a L'Wren Scott gown -- but the showstopping elements of her red carpet ensemble were her emerald and diamond Cartier jewelry, reports US magazine.

The Fighter star and new mom wore a platinum and diamond emerald haute joaillerie secret watch bracelet; worth $1.025 million, the bracelet features a 30.75 carat carved emerald and 575 diamonds (15.38 carats worth).

On her ears: Platinum and diamond 2-carat stud earrings, worth $35,000.

Follow me on @KhrisBlogs for more on the Oscars 2011.

Must-read stories on Yahoo! Lifestyle:

• Health dilemmas of 2010
• Did you know how many chemicals are in your daily make up kit?
• PHOTOS: Meet the most eligible bachelorette

BEAUTY & FASHION  |  PEOPLE  |  LOVE & SEX

Presenting to you two couples that are always in the public eye these days. While one is from Hollywood, the other hail from apna Bollywood. Both have a similar age difference, but opposite results to their relationship.

Exhibit A

Who: The current hottest couple in B-town, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan.

Age difference: A decade. Saif was born in 1970, Kareena in 1980.

Couple quotient: Well, what can I say; their chemistry is good. On the chat show 'Koffee With Karan', they both looked confident indeed of themselves, while still doting on each other like teenagers. The couple also admitted that they were planning to tie the knot sometime this year.

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Exhibit B

Who: Hottest teen country superstar Taylor Swift and Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

Age difference: Again, almost a decade. Swift was born in 1989, Gyllenhaal in 1980.

Couple quotient: The couple dated for just about a month. Gossip columns report that it was Gyllenhaal who

I must admit, I have been guilty of doing one or more of these beauty
sins. Everything from sleeping with makeup on (my excuse being 'I'm so
tired!'), or over-exfoliation, and of course, the icing on the cake: Not
getting enough sleep.

But why are these beauty sins so
problematic? Here's a story I found that explains just that. Take a
look, and not to mention, stop sinning!

Confession time: You may have seen the inside of a tanning
bed at one point in your life and/or popped a zit or two. We're all
guilty of committing a beauty sin, but we've discovered why those
indiscretions may be doing you more harm than you think. Read on to get
the full list, some may surprise you.

Sleeping with Your Makeup On

You went out with the girls, had one too many martinis and before you
know it you're face down on your bed passed out cold. You'll wash that
smoky eye off tomorrow, right? Not so fast. Aside from the fact that
your sheets are about to look like an imprint of the Joker's face in The

"'Tis the season to be jolly…"

And why not? The Christmas season is a time to indulge in the most
decadent, slurpy, chewy, and yummy homemade sweets and snacks. In our
country, we have a wonderful tradition to make homemade specialties and
gift them to relatives, friends, and neighbours on Christmas day.

But if you don't know how to make these Christmas treats, fret no
more! My dear friend Lisabelle Gonsalves wrote this recipe piece which I
am sharing with you. Make sure you try these out and let me know how
they turned out.

You can also share with me your own Christmas treat recipes.

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Christmas cake

A must-have for Christmas is the rich Christmas plum cake. And once you try it, you will be making it year after year.

Ingredients:

240 gms flour (maida)
200 gms sugar
4 eggs
120 gms butter
1 tsp. baking powder
360 gms raisins
100 ml rum
few drops vanilla essence
150 gms lemon peel
50 gms walnuts
30 gms crystallised