Stephanie Linus Daily

Author: stephanielinusdaily

  • Congratulations To Tuedon Morgan, The First Nigerian To Reach The North Pole!

    I love it when people set goals for themselves and achieve those goals despite how challenging the circumstances may seem. It is worth celebrating!

    I am inspired by a story I just read of a lady, Tuedon Morgan, who has set a record as the first Nigerian to participate in one of the world’s most grueling sporting challenges, the North Pole Marathon. She did not only participate but finished the marathon successfully. The Nigerian who proudly waved her flag at the end of the race was among the 45 competitors who entered the event on April 9th, with participants from different countries and races.

    The race is no small feat. The North Pole is run on Arctic ice floes, with 6 to 12 feet separating you from 12,000 feet of Arctic Ocean. Remember, this marathon is not run on land – it is run ‘on’ water, frozen water, in the high Arctic. To protect the athletes from polar bears or other dangerous animals during the race, snipers were placed around the running circuit.

    Hers is a story of a woman who knows what she wants and sets out to achieve it despite the odds. I am truly proud of her and so happy to see the Nigerian flag at the finish line.

    Well done!!!

    Tuedon Morgan 1

  • Monday Matters: Now That The Elections Are Over…

    Hi SL Fabz!

    I hope you had a cool weekend.

    For the past few weeks, we’ve been in ‘Election Mode‘ in Nigeria. Now that its over, many things have returned to normal. I won’t forget in a hurry the anticipation of the Presidential Election results as Nigerians all over the world were glued to their TV Sets, Radios or Computers following the announcement of the results. Many of us turned into mathematicians overnight as we calculated the results being announced.

    But beyond the results, the Elections taught us many things. First, the legendary phone call, made by President Jonathan to General Buhari, before the final results were announced nipped, to a good level, whatever violence that might have erupted in the bud.

    Putting all these into context, factoring the history of election violence in the country and how easy it is to incite violence across ethnic and religious line in Nigerian one could see why indeed that sole act of President Jonathan is more than commendable. And when the Governorship elections came, some incumbent Governors followed suit as they congratulated the winners, accepting their loss in good faith.

    The manuscript of the call goes thus:

    President Jonathan: Your Excellency

    General Buhari: Hello Your Excellency

    President Jonathan: How are you?

    General Buhari: I am alright Your Excellency

    President Jonathan: (laughs) Congratulations

    General Buhari: Thank you very much Your Excellency

    President Jonathan: Yeah, so how are things?

    General Buhari: Well I would congratulate you more…

    President Jonathan: one of these days you should come so we sort out how to plan the transitional period

    General Buhari: Thanks Your Excellency, Thank you very much

    President Jonathan: Okay… Congratulations

    General Buhari: my respect Your Excellency…

    The Elections also taught us the power of the vote. Many people believed their votes wouldn’t count, or that the ‘political godfathers’ would put their own candidates in power regardless. But we saw from the figures and the reaction of candidates who didn’t win that they accepted the results, and to a large extent, the results were fair.

    Probably, don’t quote me, no candidate would be contesting the election results and that sounds like a good thing. In some cases, my preferred candidates didn’t win, but I accepted the results, and I’m glad many Nigerians did. It shows that we can still be united as people with different tribes and different choices.

    In all, I’d say Nigerians are the true winners!

    So I ask, now that the Elections are over, what have we learnt as a nation? What have we gained, what mistakes have we made, and how can we learn from them?

    Let’s discuss!

  • 5 Things To Put In Your Fridge That Aren’t Food

    Did you know the shelf-life of some items can be extended if they’re kept in cold, dry areas? From beauty items to some common tricks, here are five non-food items to put in your fridge for best results:

    1. Medicines: I’ve always kept medicines in the fridge right from my childhood days. The instructions for preservation of most drugs actually advise for storage in a cool, dry place such as a fridge. Not freezer!

    2. Batteries: You’re supposed to keep batteries in a cool, dry location, making the fridge—at around 40°F—an ideal location. The low temperature prevents electrolyte fluid, which is what allows the current to surge into battery-powered objects, from depleting.

    3. Lipsticks: Lipsticks, just like most makeup items can “go bad” over time. This is because the oxidation reactions cause some of the oils to spoil. The problem with storing lipsticks in the fridge however is that you may see tiny droplets (sweating) forming on the lipstick over time. For those colors you only wear every once in a while, or for tubes that seem to last endlessly, it might be worth keeping them cool.

    4. Eye Cream: Putting your eye cream inside the fridge for a while to cool will help with depuffing after a long night or an early morning.

    5. Envelopes: Here’s a new trick: If you want to open a sealed the envelope without messing it up, simply stick the envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. When you bring it out, you should easily be able to pop the adhesive with a knife or letter opener.

    What NON-food items do you keep in your fridge and/or freezer?

  • Fashion Nostalgia: Rocking the Fro’s Again

    One thing I have discovered about fashion – and culture in general – is that it evolves so much that each trend or fad, seems to exist in the origin of the former. Old school is becoming new school, and new school was the old school of yesterday.

    The Afro hairstyle is one that has remained timeless right from the 80’s when it became very popular among black American communities. Though it became less popular in Nigeria at some point, however, it is refreshing to see guys and girls these days rocking the Afro look in grand style.

    Kinky and Curly hair is becoming a strong contender for its Indian, Brazilian and Peruvian counterparts, and Nigerians are gradually embracing it more.

    So where next do you see this “hairvolution” going? Would Jerry curls make a grand re-entrance, or would we be going about in oversized sweaters? What ‘old school’ trend is gradually becoming hip again?

  • Talk To Steph: I do every thing a wife does but he hasn’t proposed

    A StephanieDaily reader, Ify, sent in this touching email:

    Me and my boo have been dating off and on for the past four years. We started in 2011, took a break when he traveled out for his Masters and got back together in January 2014. We both dated other people while he was away. He dated a white girl while I dated an older guy (old enough to be my Dad, age difference is 25 years) but it was actually a real relationship without financial benefits. So for me it was like dating a regular guy. I am a very independent lady. I don’t earn so much but I can take care of myself and pride myself on that.

    Anyways, my boo was mad when he found out that I had dated someone that old. He said I was a runs girl and that I had ruined the picture he had of me before he traveled. He still wanted to be in relationship with me and we started one. There were a couple of occasions when we would fight and he would bring up the past but with time that stopped.

    Fast forward to December 2014, we were robbed while I was traveling for the Christmas holiday and his car was stolen with all my luggage in it. I felt guilty and still feel guilty his car was stolen because he was going to drop me off at the park when the robbery happened. 2015 began and things have been very tight for us. We live together and we both make use of my car. We both have loans we are paying off. He has school loans, I have loans from the office. I have been the one providing for the both of us for the last 2 months but I don’t feel the strain. I do it because I love him. But I noticed recently that his temper is really short. He gets angry at the slightest provocation and says I don’t respect him. The thing is I don’t get where this sudden need to be respected is coming from because I do every thing a wife does when I haven’t even been proposed to. Every fight we have had this year is about me being disrespectful and I don’t understand it.

    I love him, but I don’t know if I can continue with this relationship with him being angry all the time. I’m scared he might get violent one of these days. Should I stay or should I go?

    Dear Ify,
    I know you must be very confused right now about the situation in your relationship, and I understand. Firstly, I’d like to point out that your boyfriend’s ego has been bruised with the loss of his car and his financial situation. No man finds it comfortable having a woman take care of his needs and that’s probably why he is taking it out on you. The ‘respect’ he is looking for is probably missing in his own eyes because he sees you have the financial advantage over him.
    On another note, I’d like to say that living with a man you are not married to is not the best choice to make. The fact that you do everything a wife does is no guarantee that he will marry you. I’d like you to think deeply about this and make a good decision that will be best for both of you.
    I sincerely wish you the very best and hope you find peace soon.
    SL Fabz, do you have any advice for Ify? Drop it in the comments box.

  • Why Women Should Sleep More Than Men

    There is a lot of information on the internet supporting the fact that women live longer than men. This time, researchers are also saying women need to sleep more. According to Jim Horne, a sleep expert, women need a time advantage of twenty minutes more than the men, because they tend to multitask , and do a lot of things at once, therefore they use more of their brain than then the men.

    Researchers from Duke University have discovered that, compared to men, women experience more mental and physical consequences from inadequate rest.

    According to the research, women suffer more than men, both mentally and physically, if they are forced to skimp on their sleep. As well as a higher risk of heart disease, depression and psychological problems, sleep-deprived women have extra clotting factors in their blood, which can lead to a stroke. They also have higher inflammation markers, which indicate developing health problems.

    The study estimated men and women’s respective needs for sleep by assessing their ability to deal with insufficient rest and noticed a sharp difference between genders. The results showed that women had more depression, women had more anger, and women had more hostility early in the morning.

    So, guys, if the woman in your life woke up grumpy this morning, don’t be too hard on her. It is, apparently, only natural.

    To all you ladies, I would say you treat yourself regularly to a good sleep. Today might be a good time to start, don’t you think?

    Have a restful day!

  • 8 Amazing Kitchen Tips To Make Cooking Easier

    It’ a beautiful Saturday and I’m sure like me, some of you would be spending some time in the kitchen.

    To make your cooking experience easier, here are some interesting kitchen tips I’d like to share with you:

    • Always wash your meat thoroughly with lime or lemon. It kills off all the bacteria & gets rid of all that awful smell.
    • When boiling rice or pasta always add a tablespoon of butter. It gives it wonderful aroma & makes it taste even nicer.
    • Always wash rice thoroughly before cooking at all times. This way you don’t need to parboil the rice. Especially Basmati rice.
    • If you don’t like the skin of chicken and you happen to be the one taking it off, all you have to do is get a cloth or napkin, place it on top of the chicken part & pull the skin off. Easy!
    • If you aren’t sure how fresh your eggs are, place them in about 10cm of water.Eggs that stay on the bottom are fresh. If only one end tips up, the egg is less fresh and should be used soon. If it floats, it’s past the fresh stage.
    • If you over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato, the potato will absorb the excess salt.
    • For burnt rice, place a piece of white bread on top of the rice for 5-10 minutes to draw out the burned flavour.
    • Don’t store your bananas in a bunch or in a fruit bowl with other fruits. Separate your bananas and place each in a different location. Bananas release gases which cause fruits (including other bananas) to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer.

    Do you have any more kitchen tips to add?

  • Caption This

    This is 9 year-old Jane Richard who lost her left leg during the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing.

    Two years after that sad incident that also claimed the life of her brother, she is on the road to recovery and runs around in a state-of-the-art prosthetic limb that lets her walk, run and even dance.

    Her smile is so so amazing!

    How would you caption this photo. I call her ‘Sunshine‘.

    jane richard 2

  • Let’s Vote In Peace

    Hi SL Fabz,

    It’s another Election day in Nigeria!

    Today, we will be going to the polling booths again to elect the gubernatorial and state assembly candidates of our choice. These positions are no less important than the Presidential Elections.

    The Polling Stations are about to open, and we are eagerly anticipating.

    In most cases, the governors actually have more direct impact on the people than the presidency. Let’s not forget this. Don’t let anyone intimidate you into voting for someone you don’t believe in. And as we do so, let’s vote in peace.

    Have a fab day everyone!

  • A Prayer For The Orekoya’s

    I have been following the shocking and unfolding story of three kids who were kidnapped from their home in Lagos recently and it just breaks my heart.

    Three children from the Orekoya family: Aderomola (11 months old), Adedamola (4 years old), and Demola (6 years old), were kidnapped by a nanny while their parents were away. The shocking part of this story is that this happened the same day she started working in their home.

    Now, I’m reading online that the nanny has finally gotten in contact with the children’s family and is demanding a N15million ransom! How cruel.

    I sincerely pray for the bottom of my heart that these innocent kids are OK. I also pray they are found soon and returned to the safety of their parents and loved ones. Their parents must be going through an unimaginably difficult time right now and my heart goes out to them.

    SL Fabz, join me in saying a word of prayer for these dear missing kids.