Melody Jacob

Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger

Thought for the day It is tragic when your success becomes the cause of your downfall.


While we were waiting for the lady who was on duty in Newark castle to finish her break and open the castle doors, we decided to go to greggs and grab a bite, but even after that there was still time left, so we stopped by the Port Glasgow seaside, where we show the Skelpies
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Standing proudly at Coronation Park, Port Glasgow, are the magnificent 10-meter statues by artist John McKenna, affectionately known by locals as The Skelpies. These imposing figures, officially titled "The Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow," are a powerful homage to the town's rich shipbuilding heritage.

McKenna's work, completed in 2009, captures the essence of the countless local men and women who dedicated their lives to the bustling shipyards. More than just steel and concrete, these statues embody the spirit, hard work, and legacy of a community that shaped maritime history. Next time you're near Glasgow, make sure to visit Port Glasgow and witness these incredible testaments to a bygone era.


250ml of Oriflame Milk and Honey Gold Nourishing Hand and Body Cream—packaging

I recently got some Oriflame products, and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on them with you over time. This is not a paid collaboration; as always, I share my honest opinions about products I use on my blog.

Today, I’m reviewing the Oriflame Milk  and Honey Gold Nourishing Hand and Body Cream (250 ml).

I like scented creams, largely because of my mom—she loves them too. However, she has oily skin, and what I’ve noticed about heavily scented creams is that they often focus more on the fragrance and less on actually nourishing the skin.

With this product, the scent is lovely—pleasant and soft. The texture of the cream is smooth and feels good when applied. But the scent doesn’t last long on the skin. Also, while the cream is quickly absorbed, it tends to leave my skin feeling dry. It doesn’t moisturize deeply, and the texture is quite light. After applying it, I often find myself needing to use another cream to actually keep my skin from feeling dry.

Here’s what the website says about the product:

This rich and indulgent, delicately scented hand and body cream is formulated with luscious, organically sourced extracts of Milk and Honey. It intensively hydrates and nourishes for beautifully soft, smooth, glowing skin.

– Intensive 48h hydration
– Instantly boosts skin moisture by 59%
– Clinically, consumer, and dermatologically tested

The site also mentions that it contains beeswax, a natural wax emollient produced by bees and valued for its hydrating and protective qualities. It’s often used in skincare to relieve chapped skin and add a soothing barrier.

But based on my experience, the hydration doesn’t last more than 30 minutes. This is my personal opinion from using this product. It leaves my skin feeling dry and uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend it for people with dry skin. While the scent is beautiful, it fades quickly and doesn’t last.

This cream costs £12 and I will not buy it again.

Hand holding the Oriflame milk and honey gold nourishing hand and body cream
A businessman with a luggage and briefcase staring out an airport window at airplanes, with a big orange caution sign next to him. This is a picture of how to avoid business travel scams.

As a tourist, you should always be careful of your surroundings, but business travelers are also targets for travel scams. Business travelers are a very profitable target for scammers since they can use high-limit corporate credit cards and make many reservations at once.

The key to avoiding these problems is to learn how to spot them, whether they are international credit card fraud or flight fraud. We put up the most recent travel safety tips to help you recognize trouble, both at home and abroad.



How many people are impacted by travel scams?

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are often the targets of online fraud because criminals are getting better at it, especially when they utilize AI in phishing scams. A report by UK Finance indicated that small and medium-sized businesses in the UK lost £59.2 million to fraud in 2021, which is a 35% increase from 2020. The survey also revealed that 80% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) have been asked for personal information and money without asking.

You might not think so, but travel scams are more widespread than you think, especially when you plan business trips online. A study by McAfee Corp found that 30% of the respondents asked said they had either been a victim of an online travel fraud or knew someone who had. The same research found that 14% made payments through fraudulent platforms, and 18% experienced identity fraud.

How do travel scams affect those who travel for work?

There are both easy and complex ways to scam someone. Phishing emails and fake booking websites could trick business travelers. One typical approach is to construct a fake website that appears like a trusted site, but the URL is slightly different.

Digital criminals are also good at making fake invoices that appear like they originate from real suppliers. These invoices have a recognizable corporate logo and a registered office.

Some criminals can pretend to be a representative from a corporate travel agency and call your team to ask for payment information for a trip that is coming soon. But your company's travel policy should make it clear what the rules and budgets are for business travel, as well as which websites and platforms are okay to use. You can prevent these frequent phishing scams by only using reputable, approved sites like Booking.com for Business.

A hand carrying a virtual credit card with "5 Reasons" on a smartphone screen. Icons show how safe, efficient, and easy it is to track business travel.

5 reasons why virtual cards are good for business travel

When it comes to business travel, virtual cards can be a lifesaver because checks and cash are no longer useful in the corporate sector. Digital payment methods have taken their place over time. These are easier for both firms and individuals who travel for work and have many benefits. Virtual cards are an exciting step toward smarter business spending.

What are cards that are not real?

A virtual card is a digital version of your real bank card that you keep on your device. Virtual cards, especially for corporations, can exist without a real card. You can use it to pay for things in stores or online without having to touch anything. A virtual card has all the same information as a real credit or debit card, such as the
  • Name of the cardholder
  • Number on the credit card
  • CVV
  • Billing address
  • Expiration date
The difference is that virtual credit cards give online stores changing information; therefore, the verification code is different every time you use a virtual credit card. The 16-digit number is only valid for a single transaction at a specified amount.
Respiratory health harms often follow flooding: Taking these steps can help

After big storms, mold and other things that are left behind might be bad for your health.

One effect of climate change is that heavy rainfall and rising sea levels cause severe floods. When water rises quickly and rushes inside structures, it can cause instant injury, such as people drowning, suffering injuries while trying to find refuge or escape, or getting hypothermia after being in cold water without shelter or heat.

Flooding continues to damage communities in both obvious and less obvious ways long after news trucks leave and the public goes on. One of the less obvious dangers is that people are more likely to have breathing difficulties, including asthma and allergic responses. You can take efforts to lower the chance of flooding or the health hazards to your lungs once flooding happens, which is a good thing.



How does flooding cause problems with breathing?

Flooding can transport water that is polluted with heavy metals, pesticides, biotoxins, sewage, and diseases that live in water into structures. Some harmful substances stay in the dried sediments that are left behind. When you move or clean, this becomes minute airborne dust. The harmful compounds, metals, and biotoxins in that dried flood sediment are now in the air you breathe, which could be bad for your lungs.

Flooding doesn't have to completely cover buildings to cause respiratory complications. They looked at a lot of properties after Hurricane Ida and found that water got in through roofs, windows, and ventilation ducts. Some of these homes were more than 100 miles from the shore, where the storm hit hardest.

Mold development can also be bad for your health.

Mold is another widespread danger. It is a type of fungus that grows and spreads on wet or rotting organic materials. Indoor mold usually forms when there is a lot of moisture, which means there is an issue with water or moisture. After a flood, wet things inside buildings are the perfect place for mold to grow quickly.

Mold may grow in any climate, both indoors and outdoors. It spreads by generating tiny spores that float through the air and land in other places. There are no indoor spaces that are completely devoid of mold spores, but being around a lot of them can cause breathing problems like asthma, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis. So, flooding makes breathing problems worse by making it more likely that people will be exposed to higher levels of mold spores both inside and outside.

For instance, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the average number of mold spores outside in flooded areas was about twice as much as in non-flooded areas. The highest numbers of mold spores were found inside. A study of the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in the UK in 2007 found that water damage made mold grow faster and caused more respiratory allergies.

Mold can cause health concerns in kids more than in adults. A study of the respiratory health of young children in 30 Canadian areas found that homes with mold or dampness had greater cases of all respiratory symptoms, such as asthma, bronchitis, eye irritation, and cough. Other studies show that mold can contribute to the development of asthma in kids.

What steps can you take to protect your health from flooding?

After Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans, LA in 2021, it was discovered that there were similar characteristics in both housing and flooding catastrophes that had a big effect on respiratory health. The first results show that the age of a building's roof and how many safety measures residents took after the hurricane flooded their homes were two important determinants in whether or not there was a lot of mold inside. The effect on respiratory health also changed depending on the height of the flood water, how many days a week people were home, and how many safety measures were done when Ida hit.


Based on this and other research, we have some advice for you. Some of them are things you should do before floods or severe rain, and some are things you should do after. You might not be able to stop hurricanes or big storms from flooding your area completely, but following actions can help.

Before storms, flooding, or severe rains that happen every year: Keep water from getting in:
  • To stop leaks, fix the roof, clean the gutters, and seal the areas surrounding skylights, vent pipes, and chimneys. During storms and hurricanes, these parts of a building are some of the most likely to be damaged.
  • Get rid of trash in the drains and empty the septic tanks.
  • To keep heavy rain and floodwater from getting in, build barriers and plug up breaches in the outside walls and around the windows
  • Put in a sump pump to get rid of water in the basement and backflow valves on sewer lines to keep water from coming back into the house.
A close-up picture of an eye with a slight blur effect, which stands for fuzzy vision and the several eye disorders or health problems that the article talks about.

It is possible that blurry vision will go away on its own or continue for a long time. It can happen in one or both eyes. Some things that make your vision blurry are small and easy to fix, while others could be an indication of a more serious problem that needs medical treatment. Knowing what might be causing your vision problems will help you know when to get help and how to keep your vision safe.



What does it mean to have blurry vision?

When your vision is blurry, it signifies that it isn't as clear or sharp as it usually is. Things could look blurry, out of focus, or bent. You can notice that your vision is getting worse over time or all at once. It could be because of problems with the eye itself or because of other health problems that influence vision.

Things that often make your vision blurred

There are a number of common conditions that can cause blurry vision. You can frequently fix these problems with corrective lenses, adjustments to your lifestyle, or medications.

Errors in refraction

Dr. Joan Miller, an ophthalmology professor at Harvard Medical School, says that "refractive error" is the most common reason for blurry vision.

By bending (refracting) light to focus it on the retina, the eye usually makes a clear picture. When portion of the eye's optical system doesn't direct light correctly, it causes a blurred image. Some of the most frequent refractive errors are:
  • When the eye is too long or its focusing capacity is too powerful, it causes nearsightedness (myopia). This makes light focus in front of the retina instead than directly on it, which makes things that are far away look blurred.
  • When the eye is too short or doesn't have adequate focusing strength, it might cause hyperopia, or farsightedness. This makes light focus behind the retina instead of directly on it, which makes things that are close by look blurry.
  • Astigmatism is produced by a cornea that isn't formed uniformly, which causes light focus unevenly on the eye. This makes it hard to see clearly at all distances.
  • Presbyopia, commonly known as "aging sight," makes it harder to see things up close. As you become older, the lens loses its capacity to change shape, which makes things like reading harder.
You can fix refractive defects with glasses, contact lenses, or laser eye surgery. If not fixed, these problems can make your eyes tired, give you headaches, and make it hard to do everyday tasks.

Eyes that are dry

When your eyes don't make enough tears or when tears dry up too rapidly, you have dry eye. This can make your eyes hurt, turn red, and make it hard to see well. Here are some things that can make your eyes dry:
  • Getting older
  • Changes in hormones
  • Eye surgery
  • Some medications, such antidepressants and antihistamines, might make the symptoms worse.
  • Spending too much time in front of a screen, wind, smoke, or dry air, can also make the symptoms worse Autoimmune illnesses, like Sjögren's syndrome, can also make the symptoms worse
  • Diabetes and parkinson
You can feel better by using fake tears, taking breaks from screens, and utilizing a humidifier. Sometimes, you may require prescription eye drops or surgery to stop tears from draining.

Eye Strain

Reading, using digital devices, or focusing on a subject for a long time without taking breaks might make your eyes tired and make your vision blurry for a short time. Headaches, dry eyes, and trouble focusing are some of the other symptoms.

The "20-20-20 rule" says that every 20 minutes, you should look at anything 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This will help keep your eyes from getting tired. Using blue light-filtering glasses, lowering the brightness of your device, and making sure you have the correct lighting may also assist with symptoms.

A clear glass bottle of tea tree essential oil stands next to a fresh tea tree branch with green leaves, set against a clean white background, symbolizing natural remedies for skin conditions like acne and athlete's foot.

Could Melaleuca alternifolia oil offer a viable adjunctive therapy for conditions such as acne vulgaris or tinea pedis?
 

Tea tree oil, derived from the Australian Melaleuca alternifolia tree, is a prominent natural agent frequently incorporated into dermatological and trichological formulations. Its historical application spans centuries, primarily attributed to its purported antibacterial and antifungal properties. This article critically examines the scientific evidence supporting its efficacy in managing common dermatological conditions like acne, athlete's foot, and onychomycosis.

Composition and Mechanism of Action of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is a complex essential oil comprising over 100 distinct compounds, conferring its potential antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory attributes. These inherent properties underscore its widespread use in skincare, haircare, and various home remedies.

Commercially, tea tree oil is available as a pure essential oil (100%) or in diluted concentrations ranging from 5% to 15% as an active ingredient in topical preparations such as creams, gels, and cleansers. Research indicates that its mechanism of action involves compromising bacterial and fungal cell walls, thereby disrupting their growth and replication cycles. While in vitro and preliminary human studies suggest significant antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects, further rigorous human-based research is imperative to fully elucidate its clinical benefits and safety profile.

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“Peace From The Prince Of Peace” Saturday, July 12, 2025

Key Verse “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Text —John 14:25-31 Message Indeed, Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6). He is the One who removes all peace–disturbing factors, thereby securing peace for us. He has power over nature, and over mental, physical, spiritual, and psychological problems, as well as death. To enable us secure inner peace, he died for the sins of the whole world. The song, “It is Well with My Soul,” written by Horatio Spafford, is about how life can be challenging, and unpredictable, but by faith and trust in the Prince of Peace we can overcome. Spafford lost all his four children at once in the sea with the wife only surviving to break the news. The Holy Spirit gave him inner peace and composed this song which has become a source of comfort to multitudes in the body of Christ. We can get this peace by repentance and continual obedience to Jesus. If there is a storm in your life or family, call on Jesus who in the stormy sea declared, “Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Friend, have faith in Him. Quote Get this peace by repentance Challenge Obedience to the Prince of Peace gives inner peace. Prayer for today Oh Lord, help me to obey You, the Prince of Peace.
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