Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, Titi. This week's subjects: Fascinator for corporate!!!, Menstrual Problems, and Ilona, Italian Restaurant

Fascinator for corporate!!! Let’s talk about how to bring a fascinator into the office without looking like you missed your way to a bridal shower. Hair matters. A lot. Low buns, slick ponytails, or soft waves keep the look polished and office-appropriate. You want “boardroom chic,” not “garden party chaos.” Placement is also key—slightly to the side, confident but not chaotic. Let’s talk accessories—less is more, babe. Skip the chunky earrings if your fascinator already has detail. Opt for simple studs or delicate hoops. Your goal is harmony, not a fashion argument. And of course, own it. The real secret to pulling off a fascinator at work? Confidence. Walk into that office like your outfit has a calendar invite. When styled right, your fascinator isn’t out of place—it’s ahead of its time. Because honestly, why should fascinators only come out for special occasions… when every workday is a chance to serve a look and be present!!!

Menstrual Problems. What are Menstrual Problems? Menstrual problems are difficulties or symptoms that occur during a woman’s menstrual period. They can affect the amount of bleeding, the level of pain, or the regularity of the menstrual cycle. These problems may be caused by hormonal changes, stress, poor diet, medical conditions, or lifestyle factors. Common menstrual problems include menstrual cramps (pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation), heavy menstrual bleeding, irregular periods (periods that come too early, too late, or are missed), headaches during menstruation, nausea or dizziness, lower back pain, fatigue and weakness. Foods that can increase menstrual problems may include salty foods (may increase bloating and water retention), sugary foods like sweets, pastries, and soft drinks (may increase inflammation and fatigue), caffeinated drinks such as coffee and energy drinks (can worsen cramps and headaches), fried and very fatty foods (may increase inflammation and pain), highly processed foods such as instant noodles and packaged snacks. And foods that can help reduce menstrual problems are spinach, beans, lentils, eggs, fish, banana, avocado, dark chocolate (small amounts), nuts, ginger, turmeric, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, milk, yogurt and cheese. We can also reduce menstrual problems by drinking plenty of water, applying a warm compress or heating pad to the lower abdomen, exercising lightly such as walking or stretching and getting enough rest and sleep and avoiding too much stress.

Ilona, Italian Restaurant, 1st Floor, Ayna Plaza, 3B Noi Fetreke St, Airport Residential Area, Accra. We were told for a good lasagna Ilona was the best so we booked a table for the evening. We could sit outside, on a sort of open covered terrace, or inside with the air conditioner. The set up is nice, spacious, Picassso style pictures on the wall, modern. Anytime I visit an Italian restaurant for the first time I’ll order a spaghetti carbonara, for me this is the testcase to see whether the cook knows what he is about or they are just opening packages and heating them in the microwave. Their linguini carbonara went for 260 GHC. For the lasagna their only choice was lamb lasagna at GHC 275. linguini carbonara Lasagna is slices of pasta with fillings between them, then in the oven with cheese. Main variations are beef, fish, and vegetarian.
Lasagna A tot of absolute vodka went for GHC 50, Ciroc is 90, a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water for 55 GHC and half liter of Heineken draft beer was at 75 GHC. Service was reasonable but a few too many waiters for too few things. The food arrived in no time, faster than you can cook pasta, and the lasagna was a sort of mash mash where the layers of pasta had been overcooked, you could not even cut pieces off it, a spoon was best. The minced lamb was rather tasteless. I am not a lasagna expert but for the carbonara I have my say. One softly fries diced onions in olive oil, then some garlic, then little cubes of smoked guanciale (salt cured cheek of a pig, if not available smoked bacon can do), the very lean fat from the guanciale will allow further frying and together with the onion and the garlic becomes the sauce, then add dry white wine which evaporates but which gives it extra flavour. Guanciale Take the ready cooked hot spaghetti, (be careful with the salt because the guanciale is also a bit salty), put a raw egg yolk through it, the heat of the spaghetti will soft cook the yolk which now becomes a lubricant for the spaghetti to “flow”. No cream needed. Add your sauce, some freshly ground black pepper and parsley and enjoy your spaghetti carbonara, or linguini carbonara. Add grated parmesan cheese according to your taste. I hope their cook reads this, he had added a bucket load of hot cream with a little molten cheese to the linguini and sprinkled a few pieces of thin dry fried bacon on top of it. And I think he forgot the salt. The cream made it extra heavy, I only managed to fall asleep after midnight. We did take away the uneaten half of the lasagna pudding because my friend has backyard chicken. This came with a nice paper bag and a carton container rather than the common polytene container, and they did not charge for it. A plus. Washrooms are neat and pleasant as well. Prices are inclusive of all taxes, but the bill took more than 10 minutes.

Lydia...

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