SimplyMaggies

A few weeks ago my husband and I went on a trip to the southern part of Sicily, namely Siracusa (Syracuse in English). This is an incredibly beautiful and charming town, which is nearly 3000 years old.

The town is well-known for its ancient history (mainly Greek), culture (it lures many an artist), art, amphitheaters and architecture. It is also known for its connection to Archimedes and the fact that it was a major city in the Mediterranean in the ancient times. Siracusa is located on the Ionian Sea on the south-east coast of Sicily, which gives it its beautiful sandy beaches and turquoise shade of the sea.

There are many places worth seeing in Siracusa but if you go to only one place, it has to be the small island of Ortiga, which is picturesque in its beauty. Taking a stroll down lungomare or into one of the tiny streets will be worth your while. And when you come out into the main square, you’ll see amazing architecture of the white-washed cathedral and the buildings surrounding it. You can even admire it from one of the many cafés lining the side of the square.

Other sites worth taking a look at are the Roman amphitheatre (one of the largest ever built in ancient times); stone quarries located near the theater with its most famous one, Orecchio di Dionisio; the fountain of Arethusa where the nymph hunted by Alpheus took shelter there; and archeological museum. There are many more places to see and a short day to spend there simply doesn’t seem enough.

It is definitely one of the more charming towns in Sicily and even if only for the white-sand beaches, it is worth a visit.

I have recently seen “Kung Fu Panda” simply because my husband and I don’t have any children it usually takes some time before we go down the list of all the movies we want to see we make our way to the cartoons (well, you can’t really call them cartoons anymore, can you? They are mostly computer animated these days). So, after a few months, we finally decided it was time…

“Kung Fu Panda”, starring Dustin Hoffman, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu, is a story of an average panda bear named Po, who loves kung fu and dreams about becoming the famous Dragon Warrior. Through events that are beyond his control, he undergoes the training with the kung fu Master. The filmmakers came up with some funny scenes for the training part of the movie, which is pretty substantial but light in mood.

Moreover, Po is a good-natured character and (even if you might have figured out the end of the movie) you find yourself keeping fingers crossed for his success. And Po is very likable, mainly because he is fat and cuddly (as any panda bear would, I imagine). This seems to be something to which children respond very well. 

Although computer animated films can be quite incredible (no pun intended), as it is in the case of “Kung Fu Panda”, sometimes I miss the good old cartoons…But this one is quite beautiful, I must admit (even if grudgingly…). So, if you have kids and for some unforeseen reasons they still haven’t seen “Kung Fu Panda”, it would be a good idea to buy the DVD for your home collection.

photo credit: Pingu1963

In our constant search for the newest and best beauty products out there we often forget that the simplest solutions tend to work best. Our mothers and grand mothers used the natural remedies fro many things (beauty included) and it has been proven to work. So if you are fortunate enough to live in the climate where many types of fruit are available throughout the year, use the fresh fruit to make masks. And for those who live further north—frozen fruit works as well, since it was picked in its ripest and has a lot of nutrients. Just remember to thaw whatever fruit you decide to use for your masks.

Beautifying fruit mixtures can nourish your skin, moisturize it and purify and exfoliate. Some even have stress relieving properties. They work so well because the fruit is full of vitamins, minerals and alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids.

Here are some simple recipes for all-natural beauty masks:

• Purifying for oily skin

You need: 6 large strawberries+ 1 Tbsp of thick cream or Greek style yoghurt

Clean the strawberries and mash them with a fork, add cream or yoghurt to make a mixture. Apply it to your face for 15 minutes, then wash off with warm water. Follow with a toner for oily skin.

• Moisturizing for normal skin

You need: 2 peaches+ juice from half a lemon

Peel the peaches and remove the pit, cut in chunks and blend with lemon juice until smooth mixture if formed. Apply mixture to your face and keep on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and follow with a moisturizing gel or light cream.

• Nourishing for dry skin

You need: 1 banana+ 2 tsps of honey

Mash the banana with a fork and mix with honey so you’ll get a consistency of a mousse. Apply to your face, neck and chest and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and follow with a good nourishing cream.

You should use fruit mask once or twice a week on clean skin. If your skin is sensitive, it is advisable to check first whether you will develop a reaction to the fruit ingredients in your mask before actually applying it. The best way to do it is to apply a bit of a particular fruit behind your ear. If a reaction develops (e.g. redness), do not use that fruit. You may still be able to use other fruit but keep in mind to check first.