5 Weird and Wonderful Creatures You've Probably Never Heard Of

There are millions of different species in the world. A trip to the zoo can provide you with interesting animal encounters. However, there are probably lots of weird and wonderful creatures you’ve never even heard of. Here are five quirky animals to discover.

Christmas Giving

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's such a wonderful season filled with holiday cheer. The economy should definitely thank God for Jesus Christ too since they're sales are probably highest every Christmas season. Children are probably demanding the new BB8 from Sphero or teens and that joe trohman guitar.

But this season is about giving, not receiving. It's so easy to mix these two up since there's nothing to receive if no one gives. What matters is we put emphasis on giving, not just what we can physically see like toys or gadgets, but more so on things we cannot see. This season, lets give Love, Forgiveness, Loyalty and Joy. Don't give, expecting to receive something in return. Like Jesus Christ, let's give out of the abundance of our hearts and as the fruit of our joy.

Random Ink Facts

I am terribly sorry for making you wait for an update like this. Real life has been so exciting and I am honestly struggling to balance my priorities. I just recently came home from a stressful two week clinical exposure in Psychiatric Health Nursing and will be camping with youth group this week. I'm dropping by so you know I haven't given up on blogging and I hope that you continue to look forward to more informative and relatable posts in the future. In no way can this compensate for anything, but I'd like to share an infographic with you. Recently, I found this one on inks. It's very informative (like duh) and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did!

Photo grabbed from the Stinkyinkshop.

I thought it was creepy enought to know that some inks are from bones and ashes, but blood! Nothing's more extreme than that! What piece of information did you find most interesting? Leave me some love below!

How To Have More Friends In College

I am sorry for totally random class-related photo

This semester, I've promised myself to stop being a social recluse. It's not that I intended to dedicate most of my college life to isolation, but late last year I realized I've unintentionally done so (as evidenced by my getting picked last in various partner-required activities, lack of lunchmates and shortage of yellow paper--this is related, I promise you!)

Review: PicStick Fridge Magnets

 

Hi, guys! I thought today I'd talk to you about my wonderful experience with the photo fridge magnet making brand, PicStick. Overall, my experience was smooth and hassle free. Considering they're from the UK and I live in a southern Philippine province, I was surprised to get my parcel on time. I remember that one time I ordered from Asos and had to pick it up from the post office (a long way from where I live--or maybe it's just my lazy bones), the extremely suspenseful wait was nearly enough to ward me off overseas ordering forever. However, since they sent it through Royal Mail air mail, I received the parcel in 13 days and regained my overseas-shopping confidence. Yay!

Random Confession Time

In all honesty, this blog doesn't give much advice. It's a narcissistic blog purposing to discuss things in my life to (a) make me feel better or (b) brag about the things that make my simple life really awesome. So yeah, I just wanted to get that out there.

Obstacle Course Race Training

I've done marathons and amazing races, but I have never done Obstacle Course Training. I find it very interesting and the people who involve themselves in it say that it's one of the most challenging yet very gratifying experience of their lives. Stumbled upon it while on the web and thought I'd share this to all y'all fitness junkies out there. I'm not (to say the least) very fit but this definitely makes my bucketlist (just right after 'get fit', haha)

Okay, read on for the Ultimate Guide to Obstacle Course Race Training:

Something Personal

Okay, I know it's only been weeks (lol) since I last posted but to me, it feels like it's been months. Looking at my blog archive since January this year, I realize how distant I've become. A quarter of the year is over and I realize all I've been posting about have been centered on the events I've gone to, unsolicited advice on how to live your lives, and everything remotely me. It might surprise you, but OhPenda dot Com is a personal blog (that's why I have all the good reasons to get worked up that my posts are becoming less and less narcissistic). My blog feels foreign to me, and although I've had positive feedback about this "new direction the blog is going", I choose to ignore that because this blog is not meant for your happiness, but for mine (so bushwhacks! Oh wait, I typed in muahahaha but it got auto corrected to bushwhacks -- what on earth?) Plus more people have said that they've missed my [alleged] deadpan writing than the other category (nursing has robbed me off my wordplay).

Tips for Healthy White Teeth

Keeping your teeth healthy and white may not be rocket science, but it does take some commitment and mindfulness. By incorporating some best practices into your teeth hygiene routine and employing the following tips, you can support good mouth health and enhance your smile.

Hoarding Facts and Fallacies That Will Surprise You

Did you know that half of all hoarders have a history of alcohol abuse? It’s true. Many of us feel a strong sense of disgust when we hear about hoarding and hoarders. “How could someone live this way?” Many times, these people are under incredible stress, have gone through a traumatic life event, or are or have been victims of abuse. Hoarding is also classified as a symptom of OCD and anxiety disorder. So, before you rush a judgment, here are a few things to consider.

What Really Drives Hoarding Behaviors

Hoarding is considered a disorder where the affected individual has difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because they believe they need them. In this sense, it’s an entirely psychological disordered powered by thoughts and perhaps subconscious ideas that drive the person to accumulate things, regardless of true need or want.

Often, the person will rationalize the behavior by stating that hoarded items may be needed or useful some day, that the hoarded items are somehow important, that a past mistake now drives current hoarding, that they don’t want to be wasteful so hoarding is necessary, or that a particular item reminds the person of someone they loved or lost.

Sometimes alcoholism and drug abuse are part of the hoarding mentality - the substances fuel the addiction to hoard. Other time, the person has a history of alcohol abuse and is using hoarding as a substitute addiction for the booze.

These people may or may not have attended AA, or other various methods aimed at curbing or stopping addiction without going through the classic “12 Steps” program. If a program has been successful for an individual, however, the addiction is erased. The symptom of hoarding indicates that the person still suffers from the same kind of addiction that led to the substance abuse and still needs help.

Hoarding: Fact vs. Fiction

Hoarders don’t hoard because they actually like the stuff they’re hoarding. That’s not the primary drive, even if they do like some of the things they keep. Many people believe that these people choose to make these hoarding decisions and that the hoarding is a simple thing to control or stop.

The reality is that hoarding is a complex psychological disorder. Sure, the person may have made choices that ultimately led to the hoarding behavior, but that behavior isn’t easy to change. It becomes its own addition where there are distinct brain abnormalities that won’t improve without treatment.

Believe it or not, some researchers believe that up to 85 percent of people with the disorder have a genetic predisposition to it. Finally, abnormal brain development, perhaps from early childhood abuse, malnutrition, or other external factors, may contribute to the development of hoarding.

Compulsive Hoarding Is Disabling For the Hoarder

Many hoarders don’t do it because they’re trying to annoy others. They do it because they’re sick. In fact, these people are often unhappy about their condition, have complete or partial cognitive impairment when it comes to their disorder, have social and family disabilities, have severe anxiety and depression symptoms, and have poor insight to the nature and severity of their problem.

Statistics

About 1.2 million people suffer from compulsive hoarding in the U.S.A. About 5 percent of the world population suffers from the disorder. Of that, 75 percent of hoarders are compulsive buyers and 50 percent of them acquire free items. What’s incredible is that 15 percent of hoarders know that their behavior is irrational. At the same time, all of them need counseling, and 70 percent who do pursue professional help respond positively to therapy and solve their problem.

Steve Tucker's psychological research centers around habitual behaviors. Through years of research and experience, he often writes about how one can take control of one's lifestyle through understanding and effective management strategies.

Why stick to the norm? Unique Cards for every occasion

With Easter right around the corner and the fact that we are now well into 2014, there are many occasions that we are hunting for those unique gifts for. Over the years our tastes have changed, we are staying away from the obvious and heading for the more unique choices the world has to offer; from handmade items through to one off pieces. However, there is one gift that is often over looked and this is the humble card. "A card is not a gift" I hear you say...well actually a card can be one of the most personal gifts you can give to someone. Not only are they perfect for customising towards the individual, you get a chance to give them a message that they will want to keep for a lifetime. This is not a bog standard birthday car, this is where they become an item in their own right. So to help you, here are some perfectly unique luxury greeting cards for this year.

Cards that can be turned into artwork - Glasgow City Scapes from Folksy

One thing I love about cards as gifts is that they can be so versatile. I have been given many handmade cards over the years, that are so beautiful I have turned them into their own pieces of artwork too be hung on my walls. These cityscape cards are a prime example. they are stylish enough to be placed into frames so that they can be displayed forever, they have a very modern feel blending nicely with modern art prints and they have been hand created to show a wide variety of city scapes. On top of being perfect for framing, they are blank so that you can leave you own personal message...something that is a must for me when I am looking for a birthday card or anniversary card.

Why not try knitting your own card? - Owl Knitted Card Kit from Knitola

Sometimes I find the act of making a card, the thought of doing it and the process, turns the normal into a great unique gift. This year I am going to be trying my hand at knitting my own cards. As Easter is all about new arrivals, why not knit a card fir a new bundle of joy and this knitted owl kit has everything you need. Now, I know that knitting a card seems like an odd way to create one, but I am going to have a go at embroidering a message inside, or you could sew hand made paper into the middle for your message. Most of all, imagine the person who is receiving this and how much joy they will feel that you have gone to so much effort.

Head to the past for inspiration...Art Deco Bird Card from Etsy

Vintage is all the rage at the moment and it is easy to see why. As the designs have already stood the test of time, what could be better than bringing them into the modern day? I prefer to find vintage post cards and re use them to create a card similar to this one, however if you don't have the time, then this card is perfect for a birthday, get well, leaving, new home card or any occasion really. It has a lovel vintage feel to it and would look great within a scrap book or a picture frame so that the receiver can enjoy it for years to come. Again, this is blank so that you can add your own personal message.

Since I'm away (camping with the fambam and Church), I've got a Guest Poster!
Cass is a writer and craft blogger who loves nothing more than spending her ddays covered in paint.

Keeping Your Dog Active During Winter

Everybody, meet Blake! He's a Terrier ^_^

When cold weather comes to town, you may feel like bunkering down and entering a state of hibernation so that you do not have to deal with the frigid outdoors. However, if you are a dog owner, you should know that dogs do not hibernate. In fact, according to www.Dogtra.com dogs need just as much exercise in the cold winter months as they do when the weather is nice. Not only is exercise important for your dog’s physical and mental wellbeing, but exercising with your dog can help you have valuable experiences that will strengthen your relationship with each other. Consider the six tips listed below for keeping your dog active during the doggone days of winter.

1 - Take Your Dog on Indoor Walks

While most gyms and other indoor facilities with a walking track do not allow dogs, you can take other measures to make sure that your dog gets his walk in right from the comfort of your own home. There are a few treadmills on the market that are specifically designed for dogs which can be used year around. If you cannot afford a dog treadmill but you have a regular treadmill, you can also train your dog to walk on that.

2 - Practice Commands

Being stuck indoors due to cold weather conditions creates an excellent opportunity for practicing commands with your dog. Basic commands such as “sit” and “stay” can go a long way in exercising your dog both physically and mentally. Also practice targeting with your dog by teaching him to touch his nose to the back of your hand on command.  This command will help your dog refocus whenever he needs to stop doing something.

3 - Play Games With Your Dog

Most dogs love the game “Hide-and-Seek”. Take advantage of this indoor friendly, simple game by throwing a treat for your dog to get him to go away and then quickly hide in another part of the house. Your dog will burn a lot of energy as he rushes around searching for you and it’s a great activity for reinforcing the command “come”.

4 - Challenge Your Dog’s Sense of Smell

Dogs have an incredibly strong sense of smell. Help your dog stay active while indoors by making him work for his dinner. You can hide his dinner in another room, in a box, or you can even create a scavenger hunt for your dog’s food in order to wear him out.

5 - Sign Up For a Class With Your Dog

Many cities offer classes for dog owners and their dogs such as swimming classes, indoor agility classes, and flyball classes. These classes allow you and your dog to run around and socialize with other dog owners and their dogs.

6 - Brave the Snow

Most large dogs can handle the snow, and with a little bit of bravery, you can too! For a great workout that will leave your dog’s legs toned and leave him completely exhausted, let your dog run around in the snow for 30 or 40 minutes. If you run around in the snow with your dog, you will come to realize that it’s not so cold outside after all and you will get a great workout too.

For more great tips on exercising your dog in the winter, talk to a dog training specialist today!  

Ohsome Designs - $12 Blogger Blog Design

Hey, guys! I know I haven't been around to fill this blog with some nonsense and sensical stuff lately, but I have a great excuse! I was just doing some minor finishing touches to my new webfolio / blogging services website Ohsome Designs. I'm so excited about it as I'm planning to do more layouts this year so I finally bought an ohsome domain (pun intended, yet again). To celebrate my opening, I decided to bargain 3 slots to my May queue for 3 Blogger blogs for only $12 or Php500! If any of you dear readers are interested, please email me at penn (at) ohpenda.com! As of April 12, 2014 (10pm - 08:00+), there is only one slot remaining! So get layed now!

The package I'm offering includes a custom header, sidebar bio, sidebar tags, social media buttons and a post signature.

Teeth Trends Gain Popularity Thanks to TOWIE Stars

Veneers and teeth whitening are ways to get a bright smile from your dentist. These techniques have gained some popularity over the last couple of years in particular due to some celebrity recognition in England.

The actors of The Only Way Is Essex, a popular British reality soap, are known for their dedication to current health and fashion trends. When their attention turned to their teeth, co-stars Chloe Sims, Joey Essex, and wedding singer James Argent decided to meet with cosmetic dentists to discuss ways to improve the cosmetic quality of their smiles.

Dental Veneers

Also called a dental porcelain laminate, a veneer is a thin shell that has been custom-made to be bonded to the front of a tooth in order to change its length, shape, color, or size for cosmetic reasons. A veneer may be made of porcelain or a resin composite. The porcelain veneer has the advantage of looking more like a natural tooth and resisting stains better. On the other hand, a resin veneer is thinner and the dentist has to remove less of the tooth surface in order to secure it in place. Most dentist recommend only having veneers fitted to upper front teeth, since the process is more likely to disrupt tooth structure and tissue on the lower teeth.

Veneers do not last forever. They require a dentist’s care for the entirety of their life, which is usually about ten years. After this, they must be removed and replaced by a dentist. Since your teeth have to be altered in order for the veneers to be put in place, you can never go back to your original look. For this reason, many dentists recommend considering other methods of tooth correction first. Braces, aligners, or composite bonding are more effective in the long run for straightening teeth; however, from a cosmetic standpoint, veneers are the fastest and most effective way to transform your smile.

After getting veneers, it is important to continue to practice regular oral hygiene. Brush and floss twice daily and visit your dentist at least twice a year for checkups and professional cleanings. Avoid drinks that may stain your new teeth, such as coffee, tea, and wine. It is also important to keep from grinding your teeth or chewing ice or hard candies. Veneers cannot be repaired if they are cracked or chipped.

Chloe Sims and Joey Essex chose to have veneers put in place. Judging by their tweets and the brightness of their smiles, they both found the procedure to be successful. Both stars have been proudly showing off their new teeth in the months since.

Tooth Whitening

James Argent opted for a tooth whitening procedure rather than veneers, and was happy with his results. For fans, tooth whitening may be a more economical option, as it is a much less expensive process. Tooth whitening may be a satisfactory substitute for veneers, since you can do it effectively over the course of a couple of weeks with at-home treatments prepared by the dentist. Dentists also offer laser whitening, which produces results immediately and is very effective. Alternatively, you may choose over-the-counter whitener products that can diminish stains and brighten teeth.

Talk to your dentist about whether you are a good candidate for veneers or tooth whitening processes. Whichever course you choose, always keep in mind that a good oral hygiene routine is critical for maintaining the beautiful smile you and your dentist achieve.

The Benefits of Using a Film Camera

The majority of new cameras sold in the United States today are digital. However, film cameras are still available, and are in fact the preferred method of taking pictures for many photographers. Film SLR cameras are often a little more expensive than comparable digital cameras, but if you are interested in the art of photography then the extra cost might be well worth it to gain a deeper understanding of your chosen hobby. Here are some of the benefits of choosing a film slr camera and accessories over a digital one.

Hands-On Process

Perhaps the biggest advantage of using a film SLR camera is that it allows you to become tech savvy about the photography process. While digital cameras automatically adjust to get you the shot you want, film cameras require manual adjustment to focus and zoom the camera’s lens. This allows you to get a better feel for the elements that make up a good photograph. In addition, film photography allows you the opportunity to develop your own shots in a home darkroom, an experience that many dedicated photographers cherish.

Higher Resolution

The higher resolution available with film cameras is generally most apparent when you make physical prints of photos. Unless the digital camera you are using is of fairly high quality, it simply does not contain enough picture information to make prints as detailed as the ones that come for even low-end models of film camera.

More Ability to Fine Tune Shots

The adjustment dials on film cameras give you more opportunities to make minor corrections to shots and get exactly the picture that you want. This is especially noticeable when you are taking zoomed shots of something far away, or macro shots of a very detailed subject up close.

Better Color Quality

Film cameras also often have better color quality and depth than their digital counterparts. Digital cameras subtly distort color information that is transferred to the camera, but film cameras have more accurate color sensors that allow for truer color when recreated in a photo print. Additionally, film cameras are often better at capturing the dynamic range between light and shadow. In other words, they make lit areas appear brighter, and shady areas darker.

No Shutter Lag

Shutter lag refers to the amount of time that the camera shutter remains open to take the picture. Film camera shutters stay open for only a split second, while digital cameras sometimes take a second or two to focus and record the picture. This can make all the difference when you are photographing a fast-moving object.

Initial Cost

Film cameras cost less to buy than digital cameras of comparable quality. However, keep in mind that buying film will probably make the costs even out over the camera’s lifetime.

Longevity of Images

Properly stored and preserved film photographs will generally last longer than digital prints made on a photo printer. Film prints are more resistant to decoloration and deterioration, and they are less likely to fade or become corrupted over time.

Taking pictures with film SLR cameras is something of a dying art form. However, dedicated photographers around the world are still keeping the tradition alive.

The More You Tell

I have a secret and I've decided to post about it before it eats me alive (yes, secrets have that tendency). It's a big secret but I've promised to not tell anyone about it (don't worry, it's not drugs or anything illegal or even remotely unethical). It's more of a surprise. Oops! Me and my big mouth. Well, unlike the One Republic song, I just can't give all my secrets away. Okay, I just wanted to use that song, lol. I'll blog about it when the surprise is finally here and I'll have no inhibitions talking about it. Meanwhile you'll just have to deal with me and my desperate efforts to guard that secret.

Meanwhile, while we're here to talk about it, how do you feel about keeping secrets?

Don't you just want to scream it at the top of your lungs or probably tell everyone involved? I have that urge sometimes but I try to relax myself and imagine their faces when they finally find out. Of course, I'm talking about Surprise stuff. I'm not talking about the other kind of secret that I normally wouldn't want anyone to know about (personal stuff). With those, I never have that urge to talk to someone about it. Sometimes I even want to forget about it.


Well, that's it for this perfectly random (because I just can't contain it) post. I'll see you tomorrow for a possible Cebu trip journal or a movie review of Divergent (yes, i'm totally procrastinating on writing about Cebu. I still haven't uploaded the pictures!)

My 4 Year Old Cousin

Guys, I'd like you to meet my four year old cousin, Leona Kristina, or better known to many as Kaye. She is quite the mischievous little thing, taking after her ohsome older cousin, me. My aunt, my mom and the people around us say we not only look alike, we react somehow similar too.

Short 400-word Speech for Students

#throwback to a photo of me delivering a speech at my friend Doshia's debut

In my English subject, we're required to write a speech about anything we want. After many a paper scrapped, I finally came up with this. I don't think it's my best (but it's too late to change the subject and outline now)

This is the manuscript to "Death to Death" of 465 words. If you ever use this, please credit to me, Penda Penn, and if possible please mention the URL. Thank You!

7 Things You Can Do On Your 20th Birthday

1. Wake up and thank God for the wonderful two decades of your life!

2. Go finish a requirement that doesn't respect your birthday at all.

It could be school or piano lessons or whatever. For me, my birthday just happened to fall on the day I graduate from my Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program. It was unfortunate that I had to spend most of my birthday hours here, but the consequences of not going are terrible. In the middle of it all though, I had the urge to grab a microphone and belt out the lyrics to 'Don't cha' (yeah, what programs do to me)

3. Collect your birthday benefits of clubs you're members of!

Zalora emailed me with a coupon code days ago, that's really nice of them. Also, World of Fun gives 20 tokens to their members on their birthdays for FREE!

4. Celebrate with your closest friends and family

I don't know about you, but at this point in life, extravagant birthday parties have lost their appeal to me. I'd rather have a small gathering with the people I love and care about most. This should be top priority after thanking God, but since this list is chronological (you always do dinner / lunch with the fam) this comes only at number 4.

5. Reply to the people who pretended to know when your birthday is on social media

Yeah, it's that time of the year.

6. Watch your favorite TV sitcom

Richard Castle and Kate Beckett (a.k.a CasKet), here I come!

7. Get your sleepy butt to bed

After a long day, you can finally get a good night's rest. That's what I'm going to do. Have a good one, blog lurkers!

Blogger's Business Card: Is It Important?

When I was just starting out blogging, business cards have always been my problem. Actually, my lack of business cards was my problem. I would go to events, meet the higher ups (I'm inherently very civilian) and they'd ask for my card. If only they were asking for a birthday card, that would have been easier to access! But no! They mean a calling card and I couldn't find a place who offered overnight print services.

As a blogger, a business card is a very important tool to promote yourself and your blog. Not only can the recipient of the card have the opportunity of contacting you, it also gives off a strong sense of professionalism to what you do.

Benefits of Being A Blogger With A Business Card: