There comes a time for everyone when they are down in the dumps and looking for ways to increase their confidence and sense of self-worth. Forcing yourself to be happier is not easy, but there are ways which you can take to ensure that you can battle the blues and give yourself a burst of confidence.

Life can hit us hard sometimes, but by taking the time to look after yourself and your mental health, building your confidence will extend naturally into your potential for happiness, and that’s something that you shouldn’t put off. With confidence and happiness often flip sides of the same coin, here are the best ways to improve both.

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Mark and I were at the checkout counter in Carrefour when I felt a grumble in my stomach. It’s almost two hours past lunch time, that’s why. So after grocery shopping, we decided to grab a quick late lunch at Grk Fresh Greek which is just right across.

Do you know what's worse than having a sprained ankle? Having a sprained ankle on a weekend! Yes, I got a booboo a couple of weekends back that I had to skip work and stay at home the following day which is, to make it worse, a weekend.

I love staying in on weekends, I really do. I also have no issues with just lazing around at home. It's just that, weekends are also the time when I get to prepare some home-cooked dishes, for Mark and I to binge on while lazing around.

Because of Mark's dietary needs, I always get his approval before I accept invites for restaurant reviews. I need to make sure that the restaurant serves something that's okay for gym buffs like Mark.

But when I knew that Casa Pinoy is serving isaw, which I have been having a huge craving for since we got back to Dubai in January from our vacation in the Philippines, I just immediately had to say yes!

Whenever I'm craving some Khaleeji food, Logma always comes to mind. We've tried it a couple of times and have always went home with happy tummies. Located just right next to Logma, is their sister concept, Sukkar. There's a limited seating area (only one table) inside a bakery-like setting; and a laid back al fresco dining area which is perfect during Dubai winter; just not sure I'd be enjoying as much during summer, though.

An Arabic term for sugar, Sukkar specializes in Khaleeji sweets as well as contemporary desserts that are infused with local flavors and ingredients like saffron, rose, karak, and pistachio. Apart from desserts, they also offer specialty shakes and coffee, and hot and cold drinks.

It gets really cold at night in Dubai during winter. It is also during this time when my hot soup cravings are at its peak!

It was a cold weekday night and I'm still at work when I suddenly craved something hot. I initially thought of having wonton noodles, but later on had a huge craving for ramen on my way home. I immediately bugged Mark about my cravings, so he went ahead to Burjuman Centre and found Umami.