Women's Interests

Self Defense For a Woman in a City is Important

2009-06-22T15:30:00.003-07:00

Self defense for women is now adding clarity to this subject. Self defense remains a complex topic that is made even more complex due to erroneous information out there. Self defense courses seek to reverse this problem. Far too often, teaching a woman martial arts is considered the cure all for any serious threat she may face. Whether the martial arts take the form of traditional styles or modern ultimate fighting systems, neither really address the serious concerns surrounding women's self-defense. Thankfully, through self defense classes, the ability to acquire a proper foundation in women's self-defense can be realized.

One of the main components of a serious self defense class would be the stressing of awareness on an environment. Awareness refers to the ability to be completely cognitive of your surroundings. This allows you to either completely avoided aggressive behavior, become less of a target, or employ the physical techniques you learned in your private self defense classes in a more appropriate manner. Since awareness is a major component that is stressed in the course material, the student's ability to preserve her safety is greatly enhanced.

Understanding how an aggressor behaves is important to successful dealing with such a threat. Now, the way to properly deal with the threat is to escape. By escaping, your ability to walk away from the situation safe and unharmed is greatly expanded. A solid New Orleans self defense program will present clear and detailed information on this subject. Many streetfighting programs may stress more direct engagement with an assailant but this is very dangerous and often unnecessary. Scenario training that centers on avoidance, awareness, and averting will usually provide much better and safer results.

Common scenarios could include recognizing danger when you step up to an ATM. Can you recognize people who may be willing to do you harm and, if so, can you extract yourself from such a difficult scenario safely? If not, then taking a self defense class would be a wise move.

However, there will come a time when it may be necessary to attack an assailant. While we would prefer that such a situation was completely avoided, such avoidance truly is not always possible. As a result, the need to take a defensive (or offensive) action will be necessary. And, of course, it is critical to do so in a manner that would be deemed effective. New Orleans self defense classes can ensure your response to a serious situation will be an effective one. This is how you will preserve your safety and avoid any serious harm from befalling you. Knowing you can deal with such a situation can definitely instill the confidence needed to act when a problem arises.

In short, any woman looking to preserve her personal safety is well advised to explore the options available through local self defense programs. They can provide the much needed information for improving personal safety and maintaining proper control over one's life.

The Mineral Make Up Revolution

2009-06-22T15:30:00.001-07:00

Mineral make up has hit the market with a healthy start, using infomercials for education and bringing bargain deals to the consumer. There are plenty of expert companies that have perfected all natural products, and all eager to earn your business. Finding the right mineral make up company for you may be determined by price, convenience or color choices. Natural cosmetics products include pure, earth based, skin matching foundations for a perfect complexion; mineral blushers for a hint of color; mineral bronzer for an all over, even glow; and every shade of eyeshadow you can imagine. Mineral cosmetics for the eyes come in an array of fashion colors from deep toned, matte finishes, to lighter glamor shades with sparkles and iridescent highlights.

Once you have purchased your mineral make up, it's well advised that you invest in quality cosmetic brushes, using a separate brush for each type of mineral cosmetics. Over sized brushes work the best for blending mineral powder makeup, as you'll sweep the powder onto your skin with large, light strokes to achieve your desired color tone. The amount of product you use, combined with the colors you select, will give you a custom finish - just like if you had visited a professional makeup artist.

For women with sensitive skin, mineral make up will deliver you a top quality product, free of chemicals and preservatives that are found in traditional cosmetics. The basic ingredients include zinc oxide, serecite mica and titanium dioxide, making these natural cosmetics safe for most people who may have suffered allergic reactions to preservatives. The market has flooded with exciting natural make up products to try, and shopping for cosmetics has never been so much fun.

For women just getting started in the all natural and organic makeup craze, you may have to shop around until you find your perfect color. Try starting with mineral make up foundation, and slowly build up your cosmetics collection from there. If you choose to buy everything at once, there are many good starter kits and options that will save you time and money. Shopping for mineral make up, like anything else, takes some research and wise planning, but that's part of the fun!

J.Lynne Cosmetics offers a wide selection of mineral makeup products for every skin type and skin tone. From loose powder natural cosmetics, to a wide range of mineral make up brushes, J.Lynne has everything you need to get started with their beautiful, natural looking makeup!

Five Sizzling Beach Styles For the Summer

2009-06-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

Summer may just be starting, and you might just be beginning to think about testing the waters, but in many parts of the country the beaches are sizzling. With temperatures soaring into the triple digits, beach goers that want to make a splash should be prepared before hitting the sand.

Summer fun can be easy, with a few cool summer styles to start you off.

Beat the heat with a funky new beach bag. Beach bags are hot, hot, hot, this summer and designer inspired over-sized bags at a reasonable price can be found almost anywhere near the beach. They're big enough to carry an extra swimsuit, cover-up, sunscreen and water bottle. And this year they are wild. Floral and glitter are the rage, turning the beach into a sandy runway. Experiment. Let your inner diva free...

Summer scarves are making a comeback and not just for accenting your wardrobe. Beach trotting fashionistas can be spotted sporting colorful floral scarves. Worn as an accessory to protect and keep your hair under control or as a swimwear cover-up, scarves are making waves this season. And they can be worn in a number of ways to keep you looking sleek and chic even on the hottest of days.

Glam it up with a pair of over-sized sunglasses. This summer's cool shades will protect your eyes in a variety of fun and funky colors, but spend some time and find the right fit for your face. And once you do, make a bold statement with a colorful pair and heads will snap in your direction. Who knows...you just might have someone ask you for your autograph.

Find your summer sole mate and step onto the sand with a sexy pair of thong sandals. You'll be the envy of every girl on the beach. So go get your pedicure now ladies and show off those pretty painted toes in a comfortable pair of trendy sling backs.

Look like a celeb and nurture your skin. Tinted moisturizer will keep your skin smooth and protected while giving you that healthy sun-kissed glow. Find an oil free brand that still hydrates your skin and you'll look morning fresh while knowing you're being good to yourself. So enjoy the summer under a beachside umbrella or big floppy hat and still look as if you're a true sun goddess.

These are just a few simple ways to look sexy and chic in the summertime heat...now anyone ready for a dip?

Juanita McClellan is a professional writer who resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband, Jim. In addition she has a home-based business selling a line of cosmetics and beauty products. You can find out more about her line of Mark beauty products on her website: http://www.mymarkstore.com

I'm Pregnant - Can I Have Alternative Therapy?

2009-05-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

Are you pregnant and hoping to enhance this experience by enjoying some complimentary therapy? You may have benefited from alternative therapies in the past and want to continue into your pregnancy but feel concerned about their safety at this time? Pregnancy is a special and thrilling time, and enjoying your pregnancy is a key part of looking after your and your babies well being. Pregnancy is a natural condition and our bodies have the wherewithal to cope with all the astonishing developments within us, but for some women it is a difficult time. If you are struggling with aspects of your pregnancy it is important to recognize that this is not your fault. Becoming a mother is amazing but it can be difficult too. The stresses and strains of life and the remarkable changes taking place within your body can leave you feeling exhausted and worried.

Throughout your life your physical and emotional health is vitally important for leading a well balanced, fulfilling life. When this is ignored it is all too easy to find the frustrating and stressful experiences mounting and becoming overwhelming. All of a sudden fun, laughter and the excitement of being a mum-to-be can seem like a thing of the past. One popular way to restore this balance is through complementary therapies. The use of such therapies can also benefit you and your baby when you become pregnant. There are many treatments that are safe during pregnancy such as hypnotherapy, acupuncture, homeopathy and reflexology. It is important to check the qualifications of any therapist you see and be sure to tell them you are pregnant so the treatment can be modified to you and your babies needs.

Reflexology is a well-established complementary therapy that has been used in various forms around the world since ancient times. Reflexology is not an invasive treatment that focuses on pressures points in the feet and hands. The perceptive, trained hands of a reflexology practitioner can identify tiny deposits and imbalances in the feet. By working on these areas, generally using hands only, the therapist can help to balance the whole body. Reflexology is a wonderfully relaxing experience. This specialized foot massage can help your body to handle the stresses of everyday life and cope with many of the common ailments associated with pregnancy. For example fatigue, mood swings, nausea and vomiting, swollen ankles and pelvic and back pain.

Now picture yourself slipping off your shoes and sitting back to enjoy an hour of blissful relaxation. This is a time for you to convey positive, relaxed, tranquil emotions to your baby. People confirm that a reflexology massage feels wonderful and can also provide time to breathe and enjoy your pregnancy.

During labor it self, it can be utilized for relaxation and pain relief. In the post-natal period, it is often brilliant for breastfeeding problems such as maintaining or increasing milk supply, postnatal depression and general relaxation. Research has shown that women who have regular reflexology treatments during pregnancy have far shorter labor than those who do not (on average one third as long). Reflexology is continuing to establish its reputation and regard through the positive results people experience. Empiric knowledge and research studies have demonstrated that those receiving regular reflexology during pregnancy have enhanced pregnancies and shorter birthing with less intervention.

The unborn baby also appears to enjoy Reflexology and it is common for babies to become very lively during a treatment. In some cases the therapist will be able to feel the baby growing - first a little like a tadpole, and then at times a bulge growing on the inner side of your foot, above the heel. Your feet really can reflect what is going on in your body particularly at this exciting time.

Reflexology is great in pregnancy because all you need to do is ease off your shoes and socks and sit back, usually in a recliner chair or on a couch. There is no need to worry about undressing or lying flat as the therapist really just needs your feet so you can easily find a comfortable position that suits all three of you The reflexology therapist, you and your baby!

The history of this specialized holistic massage shows how complementary therapies improved lives well before western medicine developed. The term alternative therapy is often used for treatments of this kind and this may be misleading. It could suggest that reflexology is a substitute or alternative to traditional medical care but it is not. It can compliment traditional medicine with great success but not be complete replacement. The treatment is not a replacement for medical care and advice from your health care provider should always be sought when you have health concerns.

If you choose to begin any alternative therapies during pregnancy you and your therapist will decide whether you wish to begin during the first three cautious months of pregnancy. At this stage, many women worry about the risk of miscarriage. Even though the aim of reflexology and many other holistic therapies is simply to bring about balance, it would be all too easy for a mum to feel that the treatment may have contributed in some way if the pregnancy ended during this time. To avoid doubt, many therapists ask mums-to-be to get back in touch after the first three months. However, there are practitioners who are experienced or who specialize in maternity treatments that may be willing to treat at this time, so please do talk to them

Every pregnancy is unique and you are your own best specialist. We all need guidance and support at this exciting time and it is important to seek out care that benefits you and your baby. Relaxing and looking after your physical and mental health may help you to enjoy this wonderful time and promote a positive, healthy and calm environment for your baby. It is an exciting journey to becoming a mum!

Many people find complimentary therapies very beneficial and enjoyable for adults, children and babies alike. If you are concerned about your health please do consult your health care provider.

How to Choose a Trendy Hairstyle For 2009

2009-05-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

For so many of us the way our day goes, is how are hair looks. This must be why they say a woman's crowning glory is her hair. There is no one hairstyle that works for everyone. So no matter how trendy a style is be sure you pick one that works for you. In this article we will try to give you some insight into the trendy hairstyles for 2009.

First, Bob Cuts, these are a classic cut that looks well on most women and works well with or without bangs. The great thing about this style is that it can be easily modified.

Second, Page Boy, this is basically a longer Bob Cut. This style is elegant for both younger and older women. but seems to be more popular with an older woman. It is an traditional style with the ends turned under giving it a rounded look.

Third, Spike Cuts, these can work for both a younger woman and a more mature woman. This is a style that is favored by a more active woman that requires a low maintenance hairstyle.

Fourth, Crop Cuts, this is for the woman who wants layers. It gives the illusion of hair with more volume. It can be worn with or without bangs. When the hairdresser does this cut they usually use a razor rather than a scissor.

Lastly, Long Hair, classic and lovely, whether worn loose or tied back. There was a myth that older women should not wear long hair because it made them look older. Now it is perfectly acceptable for an older woman to have long hair. Hair can be worn long and full with soft waves or the popular look today of being loosely tied back in a bun or knot. Which ever style you choose be creative and try new things.

Women's Safety Tip - How to Recover From Rape - Important Safety Tip For Women

2009-02-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

There are as many opinions on how to recover from rape as there are books, services, articles and blog posts on the subject. I choose to share mine with you because I've seen and read much from jaded, negative, cynical "victims" who are still living as victims. Your following their advice can only lead you to live as a victim yourself. I am one of the few rape survivors, I'm aware of, with a positive attitude about men, dating, safety and life in general, so let's get you on the same path!

1. Realize rape is not personal

Every attack, from name calling to rape and murder, is all about the attacker and the power-fix he or she seeks. Although you can put yourself in a dangerous situation, the blame always lies with the attacker.

2. Release it from your subconscious

Talking will prolong your agony and lead you in circles. Hypnosis, EFT, and other energy techniques that reach the subconscious mind (where the situation is filed) will help if you truly want recovery.

3. Check your self-esteem

After I achieved healthy self-esteem, I realized having it earlier would have prevented the rape situation in my life and many other less positive experiences.

4. Establish and enforce personal boundaries

Determine, ahead of time, what is acceptable and unacceptable to you to prevent yourself from entering dangerous situations. Doing this will boost your confidence, which results in healthier self-esteem.

5. Choose to live as a survivor

My definition of victim: "Someone who is currently being attacked." The rape is over; you cannot be a victim of it any longer. You can, however, choose to live as a victim of your own negative attitude like many of the aforementioned "authorities" on surviving rape.

6. Chin up, live life

Allowing a creep from the past to control your present and future is giving all of your power away. Women are the strongest creatures on the Earth; join the party!

So rape is something that occurred in your life as it did in mine. We move forward strengthened from what we've been through, not weakened because of it. In seeking information on how to recover from rape, make sure you want the life of the person you're taking advice from. I live positive, happy, grateful and abundant every day.

And now I'd like to invite you to get your FREE Instant Access to a 20-Minute TeleSeminar Audio entitled, "How to Release Fear, for Safety's Sake," and a sample Safety Quick Tip when you visit http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

You'll be invited to participate in a guided Emotional Freedom Techniques session with an international author and Energy Practitioner.

Herbal Breast Enhancers - Do They Really Work?

2009-02-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

Herbal breast enhancers have grown in popularity in recent times as women search for a non-surgical approach to making their breasts larger. Many women can't afford the expensive breast augmentation surgery or are not prepared to take the risks involved, and so they are looking for a more natural alternative.

The growth in demand for female breast enhancers has produced an influx of herbal products onto the market. Unfortunately, not all of them are high quality and ethical. Before deciding to use a natural breast enhancer, make sure you do some research and look for quality products that will work safely and effectively.

Herbal breast enhancement products contain phytoestrogens that stimulate the mammary glands to promote increased growth of the breast tissue. This enlarges the size of the breasts. The effect of this type of product may be short-lived, because of the fluctuation of the body's natural estrogen levels.

If there is an incorrect balance of estrogen-type elements in the herbal breast supplements, this could result in too much estrogen into the system. This would cause you to see some of the usual symptoms of an imbalance such as skin breakouts and an increase in cellulite. Other than this, there seems to be few adverse side-effects from using these breast enhancers.

There are several herbs and plants which traditionally have been used in folk medicine for breast problems, and these are some of the herbs that modern breast enhancers use individually or in different combinations. It is wise to check the quality of the herbal preparations before you buy. Search for a women's discussion group that features all natural breast enhancers and ask any questions you have.

There has been considerable attention created by these herbal products, and not all of it is positive. There is still some controversy among the health profession as to whether the herbal breast enhancers actually work, but there are many testimonials of women who are happy with their results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angie_Hairston

How to Increase Libido in Women

2009-02-23T17:33:00.000-08:00

Loss of libido in a normally sexually active woman can be distressing both for them and for their partner. The woman may not understand what has changed and why, whereas her partner may take the situation personally. If there has not been a problem with her libido in the past, the woman may want to look at issues that could have caused the sudden loss of libido.

Loss of sex drive can be caused by a number of things including illness, tiredness, stress, drugs or alcohol, medication, pregnancy, just having given birth or depression. The first step to correcting the situation is to try to determine the cause by looking at what has changed in her life in recent times. Some of the causes can be quite easy to fix - if she has started a new medication, this can be changed, for example.

Sometimes the cause of the woman's lack of sex drive is not a simple thing to determine. Therapy may help her uncover the reason and help her to deal with it. There are numerous preparations available to help in this area, some prescription drugs, and some herbal preparations. Sometimes a change in diet to include more healthy food choices is effective. Regular exercise is another method of easing the situation by helping to decrease stress and lethargy.

Recognizing that she has a problem with her libido is the most important step a woman can take to reverse the situation. She needs to talk to someone who will understand; a search of the internet will turn up groups of women who are also suffering from this fairly common problem. Being able to discuss the problem and ask questions, have support from women who have been there and get some strategies to help, will benefit her more than anything else.

How to Have a Classy Hen Night

2008-11-15T08:16:00.002-08:00

The day you finally get to "tie the knot" is on its' way, but first there's the hen party to organise. There are lots of hen night activities you could do as party of your classy hen night. Here's a few ideas to get you started.
One popular activity for a classy hen night is to have a Murder Mystery Night. This is a fun and entertaining evening, usually at a hotel or restaurant-type location, with professional actors playing out the story, with clues for you to solve.
Another good idea is to try a Cheese & Wine Evening. Simply pop down to your local supermarket and explore the huge range of wines and cheeses on offer. It's an opportunity to try new flavours you've never experienced before, and the variety also makes a great talking point for the evening. Try searching out local independent organic food stores and delicatessens to find unusual specialities and delicacies.
If you were thinking about having a daytime activity instead of the traditional hen night, you might want to consider pampering yourself and your hens at a Health Spa, or why not have an afternoon tea party or meet in a coffee bar. You could all the members of your party to bring along any photos they may have of you when you were younger, to add a nostalgic touch to the event. Museums, art galleries, exhibitions and events are also popular daytime hen activities - or perhaps explore the outdoors with a trip to the countryside.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have fun, relax, and enjoy the company of your friends and family at this special time in your life.

Hair Styles For Women 40 and Over

2008-11-15T08:16:00.001-08:00

When choosing a hairstyle for women forty years of age and over, we must first consider what the factors will be that has lead to the consideration of changing a hair style. Throughout a woman's life, she has travelled through her teenage years, young adult years to her mature years. I would like to refer these years as chapters in a woman's life.
A young teenage girl will have vibrant healthy hair that holds its natural color and wave. As we get older cell re-generation slows causing the hair to become dull and lifeless, even the pigment whitens leading to grey hair. When we hit forty years of age there will be several other factors such as, greying and hair thinning.
If it does not get any worse we will also have to consider why we want to change our hair style and where in our life will the hair style fit in. Is the hair cut because we have had enough of the same style or is it because we are re-entering the workforce after we have raised our family.
Just like looking in the wardrobe where we will see the chapters in our lives on full display. We will see our house clothes, our party clothes, maternity wear and our corporate clothes. Well once the children are out of the way, we will no longer need our maternity clothes as that chapter has ended in our lives.
The same with our hair. For a woman over forty to change her hairstyle she will need to consider why. Is the reason just for change, to cut away long time consuming hair or does your hair make you look older then you really are? No matter what the reason, changing your hair style is a major decision and one not to be taken lightly.
I have always advised clients that whenever they are contemplating change, to visualize that change and to see if it will meet their expectations and fit in with their lifestyle. Gather all the information you can such as photos from magazines, hair styling products and if they will suit your hair. This point is very important as some hair styles require different product to maintain, so you will need to know if the product will suit your hair or is there an alternative.
Talking with friends, family and your hair stylist will help you to make the correct choice, and remember, hair styles for women in their forties and over, still look great and making a change is making a change to build your self esteem and self confidence.
We absolutely love talking about hair styles when it comes to making a fashion statement. The most common questions I have been asked has formed my website. The site is packed with information dealing with all aspects of haircuts for women providing up to date information and resources.

Four Reasons to Eat Apples to Feel and Look Fabulous

2008-11-15T08:14:00.002-08:00

Do you remember an old saying about eating an apple a day to keep the doctors away? A lot of people underestimate the value of good old apples. The apple is one of the best whole fruits, a super food we must eat every day if we want to feel a.
Well, all whole fruits contain valuable minerals, vitamins, enzymes and fiber. You are wondering why apples?
1. Fiber.
Apples are rich in fiber pectin, which we, ladies, need a lot to have clear complexion, metabolic balance, low blood pressure. Pectin (soluble fiber) lowersnot only cholesterol but also body fats. How great is that?!! Apples improve indigestion, and also help with some digestive concerns (for example, if you have a diarrhea - have an apple; if you have a constipation-have an apple!).
2. Antioxidants.
Apple is full of antioxidants to fight free radicals (which, we know,can cause illnesses) and support our immune system, heart and brain.
3. Detox.
Apples and their juice are perfect detox/cleanse food which is beneficial for the liver. They cleanse intestinal tract with fiber which is also very helpful if you want to maintain a healthy weight or to loose extra pounds. The pectin in apples not only reduces cholesterol, but also removes toxic metals, such as lead and mercury, and the residues of radiation.
4. Energy booster.
It is also a perfect healthy snack and natural energy booster. Apples low blood sugar and make us happier and less stressful which benefit emotional depression. Nature gives us apples in the fall, when the nights get longer and seasonal depression might occur. Why is that?
But we have to remember that apples contain natural sugars, so we have to do some exercises to maintain the same weight if we decide to eat as many apples a day as we can.
And, unfortunately, apples contain the highest level of pesticides (along with peaches), and it means that we have to buy them organic (local only if you know the farmers and which fertilizer they use).
Let us remember about healing properties of apples and eat them with the seasons to feel and look fabulous.
Irina Wardas is a founder of NaturalCounselor.com and works with women who have stress or weight management issues and are experiencing increased appetite, mood swings, insomnia and lack of energy.
To get your free copy of her eBook " How to Feel and Look Fabulous One Step at a Time" go to her website: http://www.naturalcounselor.com
Don't forget to visit her Blog with health tips and recipes you can use every day.

Anti Aging Bras - What to Wear to Make Breasts Young and Perky

2008-11-15T08:14:00.001-08:00

When you are young and first have breasts, your breasts are typically perky. If they are heavy, they sag quickly. Even a young but well endowed woman can end up with droopy breasts if she does not take care. Gravity spares no one and all the weight will take its toll on your natural bra, the skin that holds up your breasts. Your best bet, from the moment your breasts develop is to start wearing bras when you are awake.
Support is everything. Even if your breasts are smaller, they may stay perkier longer, but as you get older, gravity will take its toll on you. On top of that, your skin loses its elasticity as you age and breasts, like everything else will sag.
So how do some women, in their forties, fifties or older have such fabulous bodies? They have gorgeous breasts to set off that perfect dress. Is it all due to plastic surgery?
Not necessarily. For one thing, these women take care of their bodies. They have great bodies to showcase because they watch their diet and exercise seriously, regularly, (possibly even daily) to keep their figures.
All that exercise, especially running and land activities will mean bouncing breasts, which doubles the effect of gravity as it jars the skin that supports your breasts. Support is critical. Smart women wear sports bras when they work out, jog, run, or engage in land exercises. Swimming is fine as the water supports your body, but anything out of the water requires decent support. No doubt, sports bras aren't that attractive but they are what you need to protect your breasts from the droop-inducing effects of gravity.
When it comes to that gorgeous, low cut dress, or any outfit they are going to be seen in, for that matter, they get their foundations right. They wear bras that actually hold everything in place, so that the clothes hang well on their bodies, making them look fabulous. Cosabella bras have the support necessary to give you the perky breasts that are oh so sexy. Invest in them so that your clothes will always hang well on your body. These are the well kept secrets of older women with great bodies.

Business Mums - How to Successfully Juggle Being a Mum and an Entrepreneur

2008-09-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

As mums we already have a busy life and it is a well known fact that women are great at juggling a hundred and one things at once. But when it comes to taking on a small business as well, things get a little more challenging. As any business mum already knows it can be challenging trying to juggle the children and a business smoothly but it can be done and you don't need to be 'superwomen'.

Organisation and a 'great well oiled plan' is the key if you wish to create a successful business and lifestyle.

When becoming a mum in business it is important to have a balance between your children/family and your small business, otherwise your new business will take over. A business doesn't grow over night so don't try and make it - a few extra hours a week will not achieve this.

If you want to create a successful professional small business you will need to make some decisions about when you are going to work in your business and who will look after the children at those times. So here are some great tips to help you successfully juggle both:

1. Have a routine and plan your day. Write down everything you need to do and achieve. Include personal and business goals and then put together a weekly action plan and daily task list. It will make it easier if you can dedicate set days to your business and then you can do all your business tasks on those days.

2. Separate your work and family time. Make a clear distinction between the two. Set time aside for your family and avoid working in family time. Trying to work with children in tow is not a great recipe for success and not very fair on your children.

• Set up an office environment away from the children. - This will help you to focus on work and be professional.

• When making phone calls - children will always interrupt so make your business calls when they are asleep or when someone else can watch them. It is not professional to make calls with noisy children in the background.

• Do the day-to-day running of the business. If you look after your children full time, working when the children are asleep can be a great option.

3. Have set working days. This will help you to focus on your business with no interruptions from your children. If you need some additional time to concentrate on the business then consider having your children looked after for a period of time each week by a relative or friend, Childcare or Family Day Care or a Nanny?

4. Get help from experts. If you try and do everything yourself, you will pay a high price - your health, family time and an unsuccessful business. Outsource tasks to experts; use their knowledge to help you grow your business. Recruit a PR person, a bookkeeper, an admin person etc.

5. Know what you want to achieve from your business. Having definite objectives will help you to work towards your goals. Break them down into smaller goals that you can achieve as you work towards your ultimate goals. It is much better than having everything going round in your head and being unsure whether you are actually achieving anything.

By following these few steps, your business will develop the strong foundations it needs to succeed. Remember, building a business takes time, and you must be patient and dedicated to be successful.

A great way to help you successfully juggle being a Mum and an Entrepreneur would be to connect with other business mums, just like you on our website. Get your free access by going to http://www.businesswomenunite.net where you can also discover tips and strategy that women just like you are using every day to grow profitable businesses!

MidLife Women - How We Change in Midlife

2008-09-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

"An increasingly insistent voice from deep within beckons us ...imploring us to explore aspects of ourselves that have been dormant during our years of caring for others and focusing on their needs." Dr. Christiane Northrup

There's definitely an up and a down side to getting older. For instance, who knew that perimenopausal symptoms, some of which, like poor co-ordination, seemed to oddly mimic early first pregnancy, could begin at age 43? I certainly wasn't ready for that and my mother, my friend and my Jin-shin-do practitioner had to tell me that what I was experiencing was perimenopause.

The initial stages of perimenopause seemed okay, but as the process deepened, my energy plummeted severely and I felt emotionally disconnected. As the hormone changes intensified, combining with my particular body biology and habits, I was quietly developing osteoporosis.

After I traversed perimenopause and became a menopausal crone, I began my counselling program at City University in Vancouver. My course started one month after I became menopausal, which I found interesting, and somehow fitting. My energy was more stable now, and the focus of learning skills to help me with my work with women gave my life meaning.

This new stage of my life also coincided with my aging mother, who was developing Alzheimer's by then, leaving her independent living situation and moving to our community, where my brother and I set her up in her own apartment with private caregivers for several hours per week. While I wasn't responsible for her day-to-day care, as my brother was her self-appointed case manager, the initial adjustment to having my mom 'in my backyard' so to speak, was pretty challenging. I was dealing with the stress of my first year in grad school (after about 20 years), and I was very stressed. Having my mother in my in my community meant that she was 'in my face', and old issues surfaced. Over the years it's been a chance to let go and grow for both of us however.

Despite the challenges midlife throws us, I've always seen this time as an opportunity to get to know oneself better. Something in us holds out an invitation to go down deeper into ourselves and to find out what it is that we yearn to do with the rest of our lives.

Through her 'Odyssey of Change' coaching program, Ellen Besso offers Midlife Women the opportunity to navigate the midlife maze and find joy & fullness in their lives.

Personal action plans include strengthening the body-mind connection; releasing beliefs that limit growth; & specific actions to move you forward into your ideal life.

Ellen is uniquely qualified to be your guide because she has personally journeyed through perimenopause and into an inspired life as a menopausal crone! Her professional credentials include certification as a Martha Beck Coach and an M.A. in Counselling from City University.

Keratin in Skin Care Products - Beware!

2008-09-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard about the importance of keratin to your skin health and the look of your skin. Keratin is important to keep your skin looking good, so it must be good to find keratin in your skin care products right?

Maybe.

First though, lets have a look at what keratin actually is.

Keratin is a "structural protein". It is tough and fibrous and helps hold your skin together firmly, and prevent sagging. As a structural component of our skin keratin has a major role in skin health. All good. This is found in a number of areas in our bodies, like our nails and teeth as well as our skin. As you can see keratin can be both hard and soft. It's hard in nails, for instance, and is soft in skin.

Keratin in our skin forms below the surface, and gradually works it's way up to the surface where it forms a protective layer. It is formed by what are known as keratinocytes, which are living cells which exist in our skin.

So isn't it a good thing if we see keratin on the label of our skin care products and anti aging products?

That depends. You see not all keratin is created equal, and some keratin is better than other keratin. You need the right type in your skin care products, or it won't do very much at all. I mentioned that keratin is found in various parts of the body, including the nails and skin. So most keratin that is used in anti aging skin care is derived from animal sources that contain keratin. In particular hooves, horns and feathers.

All these animal products are basically melted down and subjected to high temperatures, and extracted from these animal products for use in skin care products. However the problem is that the process used to extract the keratin, and specifically the heat to which it is subjected, changes it's form by a process known as hydrolyzation.

Hydrolyzation basically means that the chemical properties of the ingredient are changed. And for keratin, the hydrolyzation means that it is changed to a form that is no longer useful to our skin.

So is keratin in our skin care products good? No, not if it's been extracted by use of the traditional extraction process and it's been hydrolyzed.

Wait a moment though, because that's not the end of the story.

There is a small company in New Zealand that has found a way to extract keratin from the wool of New Zealand sheep in a way that does not lead to hydrolyzation. So the keratin is not degraded, and is still "bio available".Ie it remains in it's natural form. It's called "Functional Keratin".

So if you find this type of keratin in your skin care products then yes, that's good. Very good.

Problem is, the major skin care manufacturers don't use Functional Keratin because it's more expensive. And they are in the business of keeping their product costs down to keep profits up. So as long as they can say there is keratin in there, that's good enough.

So how do you go about getting your skin care products with keratin in them with the "bio available" form?

Can you get skin care products with keratin in them with the "bio available" form?

Yes you can. It's in a skin care range manufactured by a small niche skincare company and it's extremely effective. It's been described as "liquid skin" and works, according to current scientific studies, to stimulate the production of new skin cells to replace the old ones. This helps improve elasticity and firmness in the skin, both extremely desirable outcomes.

So to answer the original question, is it good to find keratin in your skin care products? No, not if it's traditionally extracted, it won't do much. Yes if it's Functional Keratin because it will do it's job of firming your skin and making it look healthier and younger.

Ahhh, but where do you find this tiny niche skin care company?

Want to know more about Natural Skin Care with Functional Keratin? Visit Peter's Website Natural Health-Natural Skin Care and find out more about Organic Skin Care Products at http://naturalskinhealth.com/

Soy and Menopause - Meno-Diet Hot Flash!

2008-08-25T17:21:00.001-07:00

Do soy and menopause actually have anything beneficial in common with each other. Has the soy menopause equation been hyped into the outer limits?

Treating menopause with a natural solution has been a huge quest for many women over the last decade. The search for natural remedies has led many to believe that the high phytoestrogen levels found in soy products will in fact relieve the symptoms of falling estrogen levels which occur with the onset of menopause.

With that in mind think about how the soy industry has been promoting soy products. Yes, soy is safe and has been eaten for centuries in Asian countries but look what the western media has done with it.

It's not like we in the western world would add turnips to virtually every food on earth. You now find soy in not only in tofu, miso and tempeh where it belongs but a huge variety of everything you can imagine.

Hot dogs, burgers, cheese, tons of cereals, protein powder and sports bars to just scratch the surface and we haven't even mentioned the soy milk and supplement market.

In exploring the signs and symptoms of menopause we have discovered that the main mechanism in symptoms such as hot flashes is vasomotor controlled.

A research study was conducted at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine looking at the effects of phytoestrogen soy supplements in women aged 45 to 55.

While some women reported a diminish in the severity of the hot flashes it had no effect on their frequency.

Another recent study and the Mayo Clinic has shown no benefits on menopausal women taking soy isolates which contain the high levels of phytoestrogens.

It appears that the soy isolates are just not cut out to work well to control vasomotor symptoms. In fact, soy isoflavones which are aromatase inhibitors actually lower the levels of estrogen your body makes which is far and away counter productive in trying to control those vasomotor reactions.

Bottom line? Is the soy and menopause relationship a farce? Maybe not in some women but caution does need to be considered in the actual amount of soy you consume on a daily basis.

Some studies seem to indicated that phyoestrogens may have a stimulating effect on the growth of cancer cells in breast tissue so like all things in life moderation may be a key here.

Remember, all people are different and will experience different results with different products. Some may benefit, some may not. It is up to you to be the judge.

It does appear that a well rounded natural approach is best effective in dealing with the signs and symptoms of menopause and these things include a healthy diet, exercise and a variety of natural products that work together in an overall plan.

There is much more information online about the signs and symptoms of menopause if you know where to look so log on and do some research. You will find there are a variety of ways to deal with menopause and one or more of those ways may be what you are looking for.

If you are looking for answers concerning Soy And Menopause cruise on by our website Menopause Signs And Symptoms and find out what many women are finding out and why. You to can beat the menopause symptoms hands down!

How to Enlarge Your Breasts Naturally?

2008-08-25T17:20:00.001-07:00

For years, many women of all ages have suffered embarrassment from having small, sagging or underdeveloped breasts, which often leads to low self-esteem. And they are looking for natural methods of Breast Enlargement.

If you have ever wished that your breasts were larger, bigger or more attractive and beautiful in shape and touch, there are practical, low cost, safe alternative that is completely natural: -

- Breast Enlargement pills or cream that is ability to naturally balance female hormones and promote breast size and firmness. Most women notice significant growth within 3 months. There are many different Breast Enlargement pills and cream to be chosen in the market, we need to know how to select highest quality Breast Enlargement pills and cream? Which will be better - Herbal Breast Enlargement pills that are made of natural ingredient or others in chemosynthesis component?

- There are some books that are telling you how to use your mind to increase the size of your breasts, like Hypnosis. Have you tried it and get good result?

I believe that most women want to have larger and more attractive breasts and really want to get most helpful information for them to select the best method or product for breast enlargement. And there are many women have success experience can share with others.

If you have any experience or have problem in selecting highest quality Breast Enlargement pills and creams, and want to find helpful information about this.

She Ain't Heavy

2008-08-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

I remember the turning point clearly. I was in the eighth grade, standing outside of the cafeteria in my lime green polyester skirt, when I discovered something that has been a constant and unwelcome companion ever since: a little roll of fat below the elastic waistband where there once was only flatness. I had recently started to feed myself chips and sodas as after school snacks, but I just knew my body would stay as trim as it always had. Based on the soft evidence before me, my body had no plans to abandon natural laws and cooperate with my new eating regime.

It became more than just speculation at that moment, that my body did indeed have a mind of its own. I'd had hints in the past, but I figured it was just slow to catch up. For instance, it didn't grow boobs when I wanted it to (nor were they as big as I would have liked, once they did show up). My period didn't start in the 4th grade, as I had fervently wished on the first star on many nights; it showed up in the 6th grade instead. While my body did bend and jump and run well enough to stay in shape for dance recitals, and make the cheerleading squad, the bump in my nose was surely keeping the boys away---and did I have to be so tall (5'3") for the school dance?

Now at almost 45, I find myself still in this battle with "my" body. Why can't it stay thin without exercise and eating right (whatever that means)? And am I going to have to have my flaws surgically altered at some point? I mean, the hundreds of dollars spent on products wasn't doing all that much. And my hair! Is it right for my features and couldn't it be easier to style in the morning? Is it too aging or does it make me look like I'm trying too hard to look young (which is exactly what I'm up to)?

Ugh. My body, as usual, just isn't cooperating. Admittedly, the damn thing is still here even with my decades-long smoking addiction (which is on its way out -again). And I'll also be the first to show surprise that for some reason, lately, I just don't have an interest in alcohol (and thank God, because that one definitely got in my way). Maybe that has to do with the long-overdo divorce? Hmmm. Maybe the small seed being planted lately in the media---where having a body that doesn't resemble a supermodel's is becoming something to tolerate---has taken root?

Intellectually, I get those Dove commercials with the plus-size models and I absolutely can't wait for the next episode of Carson K's 'How to Look Good Naked.' I get that we are all "supposed" to (is that an order?) love our bodies. You know, love yourself. Self-love. The "L" word. Well, I can say for certain that I don't LOVE my body despite its ability to put up with all sorts of interference and the fact that it actually does look a little better than the gals selling Dove.

All these years later, my body is still here--and still has a mind of its own--and that has to mean something, doesn't it? What I've done and thought and said up to now hasn't worked. So what will? My body is clearly not going anywhere and is definitely not going to defy gravity or physics in this lifetime. So now what?

What I know from years of therapy, journaling and Oprah, is that this goal of weight loss is NOT a complete-and-total-change-forever goal. There are two reasons that this goal is likely to be temporary once again:

1. Being skinny takes me out of what I lovingly call, the Girl's Club. By that I mean, I don't get to bitch about my body and its lack of desirability with my friends and female coworkers when I look, well, desirable.

2. The second reason this goal may be almost met and then abandoned, is that it makes me a candidate for sex. Eeek. While I am a big fan, it comes with a lot of complications. Hangers-on or a broken heart and plus I'm a MOM and we aren't sexy just in case you were wondering. I mean I'm actually gonna need the 15 lb. cushion to send that message. Right?

So back I go to eating right and exercising and sleeping more than 8 hours a night and taking vitamins. I'm on my way to looking good---once again. I am doing the bodywork I need to do to accomplish this goal, that I have accomplished and unaccomplished many times. This goal is all I think about, even now, while that little voice in the back of my head is saying, "Until the next time that you stop working out or start eating whatever you want or..." I know it. My body knows it. And frankly anyone that's been paying attention to my version of chitchat knows it. So what's different today?

Something shifted this morning. Something really important just kind of happened to me mentally. I'm not sure how, but I have a feeling as to why. I have been reading and listening to tapes and taking seminars for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is that it's my job. And with these new pieces of information and encouragement, I have recently declared (for possibly the 30th time in my life) that I will, once again, lose 15 pounds and look great soon. The Epiphany-- with a capital "E"-- that you've all been waiting/reading for is: why don't you relate to your body the way it has related to you and be your body's friend for a change?

This isn't the same thing, in my mind, as LOVING my body. That's not realistic for me. But my body has actually been pretty cool to me, considering the way I've been treating her. And she is a 'her', by the way. She sits quietly in the background while I take her for these roller coaster rides when I'm bored or angry or sad or lonely. The term "roller coaster ride" is my shorthand for binge eating or drinking or sex with just anyone. It's been my way of dealing with the outside world. My reasoning is to make myself/her incoherent on the inside and then the outside won't feel so bad. It hasn't worked yet, but when it does, I'll let you know. And in the meantime? She brushes herself off after each episode and gets up the next morning and keeps going.

I look down today and see my tired, slightly lumpy body as, quite possibly, the most remarkable creature I can think of-a true friend. This friend has hung in there despite my attempts to stop hanging out with her. She has really come through, even though she hasn't been given any encouragement from me to stay consistent and trustworthy. Admittedly, she is not very energetic and feels a little sad and there is that literal pain in my/her neck, but all and all, she's trying. She gets it done. Day after day.

If I really was carting around a friend at all times, how would I treat her, I wonder? Would I let her only sleep a little and not as much she needs? Would I feed her whatever's easiest? Would I let her sit all day on an uncomfortable chair while she works? Would I insist she wear shoes that hurt her feet so that she looks good to others?

Would I point out how puffy her eyes are and how her hair is doing that weird flippy thing on one side again? Would I compare her to the celebrities in People magazine and complain to her that she doesn't measure up? Would I tell a friend to skip some of her pap smears and mammograms because they are inconvenient and might show something she doesn't want to see anyway?

And of course my answer is no. I might share some things eventually and delicately, but I wouldn't blame her for these things. I'd point them out as possible improvements, if she is so inclined. And what isn't in my "friend's" power to fix? Then I would accept those things as part of who she is and like her anyway. Maybe even love her, if that's in the cards, as I get to know her again for the first time in thirty-plus years.

I am holding the idea of body-as-friend in my mind today. As I move throughout today (thanks to her) I will continue to focus my mind back to this bizarre, yet exciting, realization---my body is not my enemy and is quite possibly my friend. While I haven't been much of a participant in this friendship, she has, and I owe her big time. I may slip back into old habits, but I have the intention, at least for today, of making a new habit---treating my body like the lifelong friend she is.

She really has been a great one. I only hope I still deserve her.

Stephanie Goddard (Davidson) is considered a subject matter expert in workplace communications and specializes in leadership and interpersonal skills training.

Frequently appearing as a guest on radio programs and published in numerous articles on workplace communications, Stephanie is also a nationally certified trainer for Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; DDI programs; Ridge's People Skills for Managers and Individual Contributors; Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; FranklinCovey's Project Management and master certified in Achieve Global's Management Programs; as well as an instructor with the American Management Association.

Wife Burning

2008-08-22T18:03:00.001-07:00

The most inhuman and cruel practice of burning alive the wife on the pyre of her dead husband is being called "Sati". This demonic Sati has been in practice since ages and periodically, here and there we still here such painful truth !! What could be the fault of the women for going to this extremely horrible situation of sitting on the pyre of their husbands. In a narrow minded society where women were never respected for either their beauty or for their talents, marriage, dowry, service to the in-laws and other chorus of house keeping etc were superseded suddenly on the death of their husbands. It was immaterial, if the women were young or elderly, barren or have children - small or grown ups, boys or girls, it becomes her unpardonable fault to being alive while her husband departed her once for all.

It was not only in India that this practice of willingly or unwillingly accompanying the dead body of husband prevailed. In many parts of the world, this customary practice of burying everything that was used by the person, along with the dead, was very much prevalent. All the household things, clothes, ornaments, food items, crockery were buried along with his grief-stricken wife.

As the time passed, people realized the need to reuse the household articles and recycle the ornaments but continued with burning and burying the unlucky wife, a punishment for her being alive when the husband was dead. She was considered bad luck and an ill omen for the entire family and stood dejected and rejected.

On the ground or on a pulpit, a bed is prepared of dried wooden logs along with other inflammable fuel such as grass dried cow-dung made in the shapes and sizes of pizza. The dead body is placed over the pyre compelling the unlucky wife to sit near the feet of the corpse or laying her beside. The pyre thus covers the duo of one dead and one alive. Setting ablaze the pyre, the wife burning is carried out before the eyes of hundreds of people, relatives and unrelated general citizens of the area. The cries of the burning wife rend the thick smoke but do not rend anyone's heart watching this heinous crime.

At this present time in India, a section of the same people are somewhat kind to let the widow live as long as she wishes but she has to live entirely secluded, eating plain food without any spices, wearing plain white piece of cloth, with shaven head, walk barefooted and live without any adornment. What a tasteless life ! She is considered a living bad omen to the entire family and society. Hence, she is not allowed to come out before anybody during auspicious occasions such as marriage and is not allowed to participate in any matrimonial function with her status as that of a widow.

That is why women who have seen such a social boycott and degradation, disenchantment and dullness of life, choose to sit on the pyre of their beloved husband, ablaze themselves to gain the name of "Sati Savitri" rather than undergo this torture throughout their lives.

Unless the authorities come out clearly to ban such social boycott against women and punish publicly those aiding and abetting such a shameful and uncivilized practice, I am afraid; many more women will become Satis. The concerned men of that society should learn to respect their own women, allowing them to lead a normal life, chose the life style, and stay in dignity.

Neither the society can take pride nor make progress in any humanitarian sciences, punishing for nothing their own women by setting them ablaze on the pyres of their dead husbands. On the contrary they must come out and help the widows by offering whatever possible help they could, even dignifying the widows by marring them.

The Mid-Life Woman - Creating an Enterprise of Her Own

2008-08-22T18:02:00.001-07:00

It is exciting to see so many women in mid-life, women of the Baby Boomer generation, creating their own enterprises...whether they are starting businesses, authoring books, producing works of art, creating non-profit foundations, starting online businesses or establishing solo-service practices.

Some are making the leap and are leaving public and private sector jobs to start these enterprises. Some are straddling both worlds until they are ready to completely jump into their new lives. No matter the how, there seems to be a common thread among women as to the why.

What explains the reason for this movement of women...in their forties, fifties and sixties to start over, to create something new or to recreate their lives? The answers lie in both developmental and societal factors.

Now, most of us think of development as pertaining only to children but, in fact, development is a lifelong process from birth right through old age. Different stages of life will have us facing and hopefully mastering different developmental imperatives. Mid-life is truly a time of reevaluating and regenerating the self. It's about looking back on what we have accomplished and saying "That was good and I want to do more of it"; or "That was good, and I want to do something else"; or "That was never a right fit (did it to take care of family, didn't know the possibilities, etc.) and I really want to do something else".

Without this reevaluation and regeneration, people can lose hope...their sense of purpose...their sense of well-being. Without it, life becomes stagnant, predictable and lacks the spark of challenge. We've all seen people who are living like this...frustrated, unhappy, going to jobs they no longer like or even worse...hate, waiting for retirement, forgetting to even dream. Or people who are obsessed with preserving youth and indulging in the trappings of youth as a way to avoid facing old age.

A woman's desire to recreate herself by creating a new enterprise is a healthy and appropriate answer to this developmental imperative. It's discovering and bringing into reality more of who she is. And as a whole, we see that mid-life women are experiencing more self-awareness which in turn leads to more self-confidence.

Then there are the societal factors that have contributed to more and more women coming into their own. If we look back, we recognize the rapid development of the roles of women; we can see the leaps women have taken especially in the last 30-40 years.

There are so many choices that are now available...and women are seizing the opportunities. They see and appreciate their options and give themselves permission to exercise these options. Mid-life women are finally taking their longings to be and do something more...something different...and are saying "It's my turn". And as more and more women create through these new enterprises, the more abundant life becomes for us all.

Kate Sanner is the CEO and founder of Vivacity. As "Jump Instructor", Kate helps a woman on the verge of doing great things to take the leap into the life she has been dreaming of...whether it's starting a business, writing a book or fulfilling a life long ambition. Once a woman has made the jump, Kate then provides tools and resources so that a woman can continue to take herself to new levels and to maximize and monetize all her efforts for continuous growth, financial gain and success. She is also a podcaster, Ezine publisher and internet radio show host. To get a FREE copy of Vivacity's "The Think and Play BIG System"™, a 10 Step, 46-page guide,- a $57 value - that shows you how to bring your vision for your enterprise into reality and onto new levels, go to http://vivacitynow.com and fill in your first name and primary email address in the box in the upper right hand corner, then click on Yes, Send My System Now.

Successful Women in Business

2008-08-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

My wife and I often believe that women are undervalued in the workplace and that most women have the ability to become successful with their own home business. These days many more people are looking for an extra stream of income. The world wide recession is taking its toll on almost every working family in most of the countries around the world.

Starting your own home business can mean the difference between living a really successful lifestyle and just surviving by living on the bread line.

We have found that more men come to us looking for an extra stream of income or change of job than women. We have never really found out why this is, and it seems strange why more women never give the home business opportunity market a try. The women who do give the home business opportunity a go succeed as well as the men, with many women sometimes out performing men in the same identical home business opportunity. So come on ladies take a look at the possibilities for your future success.

We have no real answer to why more men than women come into this type of business opportunity, as women are just as capable as men when it comes to running a home business. We would go a step further and say that more women should give it a try because it can fit nicely around your family circumstances by working the hours you choose to work. Even if you have a part time or full time job this type of business can easily be done on a part time basis, leading to a full time income while working part time from home.

Times are getting harder as this world wide recession deepens, with fuel costs, utility bills, food and commodities all spiralling upwards. With all this happening We believe now is the time to seek out an extra stream of income, and become successful before you leave it too late.

These opportunities are there for anyone who has the desire for more income and a better life, there are no barriers or excuses because almost anyone can be shown how to be successful with a home business opportunity. We would love to see more women coming into this business, and we believe that women have all the abilities needed to successfully manage their own home business with ease.

Here are our top two tips when choosing any home business opportunity.

Choose your sponsor with care they can make the difference between you becoming successful or a failure in business.
Be sure that you have the backing of a team of experts as well as your sponsor.
If these two points are not firmly in place you could be on dodgy ground and your whole business be at risk before you even start.

Choose well and choose wisely, we wish you a successful and happy life whatever you choose to do.

Robert and Karen Waugh

If you are one of the many people looking for a better life, please take a look at what we are doing and see how we can honestly help you to achieve your dreams, desires and a better lifestyle. Take our FREE Tour and visit us at http://www.incomepool.com

How Smart Women Stay Connected

2008-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in a park recently watching my children play with their grandparents and all at once I heard this deep, booming voice from a distance say, "You must make contact if you want to stay in the game." I turned to my left and saw a coach working with a girl's softball team - instructing them on their swing and explaining the importance of making contact between the bat and ball at just the right moment.

This made me think about the idea of contact. For me, contact is about making connections in the relationships I care about - both personally and professionally. If you look up connection in the dictionary, its meaning is "linking things together, the joining of two or more parts or people." How are you linking people, things, and places together in your life? Are you connecting on a regular basis with yourself, your mind, your body, your relationships, and your creativity?

Given our busy lives as women, we have to be very intentional about making contact with others. Whatever path you choose as a woman - be it career-focused, family-focused, or an integration of the two, making contact and connections is important. Why? Because connecting is vital to our survival in this game called living a meaningful life.

I have the good fortune to spend quality time with many smart women. One of the things they all have in common is a great support system. From friends, family, colleagues, coaches, mentors - these women are clear that making contact and connecting is essential to their success on every level. Smart women know that a solid support system makes the painful times in life bearable, the stressful times more manageable, and the good times all the richer because they are shared.

I recently returned from a retreat with one of my Women's Circles where we spent time connecting with ourselves and with each other, and also making plans about the parts of our lives we wanted to become more intentional about. Each women created a vision for the next chapter of her life including who, what, and how she wanted to connect or "make contact" with the people in her world. When we are clear and focused about who we intentionally want to connect with, we become more present, lighter, and happier. Having a vision of what our next chapter will be - and who will be in it - is key to a meaningful life.

As summer begins to wane and you open your door to autumn, think about the connections and relationships that are so vital to your life. Because, remember - you must make contact to stay in the game!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a Certified Professional Coach and Professional Speaker. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops, teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website,http://www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com

Unorthodox Natural Vaginal Yeast Infection Treatments - Stop the Discomfort in 12 Hours

2008-08-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

If you ever had a yeast infection you know how uncomfortable they can be. Many over the counter drugs only provide short term relief without actually correcting the root cause not to mention the side effects associated with many over the counter drugs. An alternative is using natural vaginal yeast infection treatments.

Health studies show that many natural yeast infection treatments actually are more effective then over the counter drugs due to they tackle the root cause of why the infection started.

Yeast infections occur with your body has an unbalance in the good bacteria that resides in your body. Everyone has what is called good bacteria in their body to fight off infections. However, when bad bacteria enters into your body it creates an unbalance resulting in an infection.

So what natural vaginal yeast infection treatments work?

One of the most popular and effective is Yogurt from your local grocery store. It has been proven over and over again to be one of the best all natural vaginal yeast infection treatments. You see yogurt is loaded with the good bacteria your body needs to fight off infections and be healthy. No wonder yogurt is so healthy...

By applying yogurt to the infected area you get an bump in good bacteria restoring balance in your body to combat the infection. Now don't go and pour yogurt all over yourself. A popular method and a little unorthodox is to dip a tampon into the yogurt and insert into the vaginal area for several minutes.

I know...I know but it really does work.

This allows the good bacteria to coat the infected area and begin the process to restore balance. It may sound a little unorthodox at first but it actually is a natural and effective way to get rid of your yeast infection quickly.

Click HERE! and learn about additional highly effective natural cures for yeast infections giving you fast relief in as little as 12 hours! If you have the symptoms of itching and burning discomfort here is a all natural cure available to you Right HERE!

Miss America Pageant - Secrets Tips, Techniques and Tricks to Winning

2008-08-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Miss America is one of the world's popular pageants. Developed by the Miss America Organisation, the Miss America program exists to personal and professional opportunities for young women and to promote their voices in culture, politics and the community. The program gives young women a platform to express their view points, talents and accomplishments to audience at large.

Every beauty pageant participant world wide and needs to discover what it takes to win the best world beauty titles. We all enter pageants to be the best and win. It is important to look your best at all times to impress judges and get audience vote. I personally had a good share of the frustrations and heartaches of loosing in pageant, because of hard work, learning and perseverance I won at the end. Top world pageants like Miss America needs careful preparations, and lot of time invested in learning winning techniques.

First impressions last, and in pageants it is most vital to maintain positive habits and make time to discover how you can make head turning entrance and leaving a lasting impression that make you completely unforgettable. Judges are people and you have to impress them very well in order to get their vote.

Every competition has secrets to winning, participating in National and international pageants are a tough game, most contestants prepare years in advance. Those who can afford it hires experts trainers to coach them and others just buy good guidance books with all the secrets and tricks. Self enhancement and empowerment is important in winning any competition, as a contestant you must have knowledge and learn all the techniques, formulas used by former winners and experts, times changes too, so constant update on what is new in the world of pageants is important.

Imagine feeling so confident and beautiful, walking into a room and making heads turn. Imagine the ability to engaging people in conversation and feeling at ease, and most important leaving unforgettable impression on everyone you meet. Any aspiring pageant winner need to be equipped with skills to achieve all the above.

All of this is possible when you take time to invest in yourself. It is not everyone who was blessed with natural talent

Most of us have to learn to master the art of winning, and most times we surprise ourselves with the outcomes.

Weakness Of Women - Sara And Danny Boy - South Asian Women Now

2008-08-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

Many may believe that women in the Asian population are oppressed and dominated by men. This may be true in some cases but it is important to look at objectively. Has it been misinterpreted and hence misunderstood purely because of a few 'stories' exploited by the media? Or is there truth in this matter. Let's try to figure this out!

From experiences, observations and research conducted, I have seen the weakness of women and how, in a nutshell, 'what they bring on themselves'. Most young women I know in Asian culture are (to put it mildly) doormats. Look at it this way, I'm no feminist so don't go start thinking I am. This is based on what I've seen! It's very easy to blame men especially in this 'equality for all' era regarding issues faced by women but its simple, due to the nature of women, they are putting the pressure and giving into the pressure themselves.

Let me run you through an example, A friend of mine...hmmm...lets call her Sara, is contemplating marriage to a guy or should I say 'boy' (still pretty immature). Anyway! This 'boy' (lets call him Danny boy) can't offer her much with regards to security and..wait for it...equality! Sara knows of this but that dreaded soft spot she has for him is over shadowing her judgment, which is only human I guess but lets look at the equality side of this. Danny boy's criteria;

1. Doesn't want Sara to work with other men (keep in mind Sara's profession is in a male dominated field)
2. Talk to them in general even her own cousins! (I hear you gasp)
3. Wants to control her 'activities'

What a nerve, yes I know. However, Sara is justifying these actions to others around her but what Sara doesn't realise is that she's subconsciously convincing herself. A lot of people do that when they want something to work! But it needs to be noted that we're just kidding ourselves. Oh yeah, did I mention the tiny tiny detail that the above rules don't apply to our Danny boy?

Enough of the example (it's a true example by the way). More seriously, these issues are faced all the time and women are digging a hole for themselves. I guess they're thinking that they can have an influence and their own way after marriage but that isn't the case. Boys like our Danny boy here are mere control freaks whom show people a certain degree of respect, if you can call it that, before marriage but deep inside they know this will not be case after marriage. It's about power and control and owning something you can rear. You're no animal dear! What women don't know is that they're pretty much exchanging what they believe in, their career and aspirations and their friends for a one way marriage.

Do you really need a friend quiz to tell if someone is your friend?

2008-08-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

Q. I took a friend quiz in a magazine and it says that I don't make a very good friend. Can that really be true?

A. First, let me say congratulations! If the quiz said that you don't make a very good friend then you must have answered the quiz honestly, at least from the friend quiz author's point of view.

Now let's delve into the content of the quiz. The bad thing about a friend quiz is that it is automatically biased by the author's opinion of what makes a good friend.

For example: There might be a question that asks:

Your friend wants you to cover for her by telling her mother that she is sleeping at your house when she is really going to an all night party with her boyfriend. Do you say:

A. "No problem." B. "I'll do it but I'd rather not." C. "No way, you're on your own girlfriend."

What's the right answer? Well, the morally right answer is obviously "C". Would that make you a better friend that either "A" or "B"? Yes, actually, it would. There is a very good chance that something bad is going to come out of the all night party. Your friend could get drunk and become a victim of date rape, get injured or killed in a car accident, or get arrested if the police raid the party. As a good friend, you should care more about your friend's safety and security than her having a good time doing something that she has to lie about.

However, if the friend quiz rates you a snitch because you answered "C", then, according to the author, you're not a good friend.

Look. You don't need a friend quiz to know if you're a good friend, or if someone else if a good friend to you. Take the quiz for the fun of it, but don't take it seriously. Your heart knows if you are a good friend and what it means to have a good friend. Trust your instincts and not some stranger's value system. A person's friendship is far to valuable a gift to trust the results to a friend quiz.

She Loves You, He Loves You Not

2008-08-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

SHE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT

Who Is Some Who Loves You?

1. Someone who sees the best in you.

If you were lucky enough to grow up with healthy parents, you have experienced the feeling of having someone who has always looked at your good qualities. Many of us missed that experience. You will be a lucky person if you have found a mate who is always looking at your 'silver lining'. Too often today people are more than willing to judge you by your errors, not by your potential.

2. Someone who gives you the benefit of the doubt.

There are so many times in your life when you need that little edge, that little opportunity to take just that extra step. It can seem as if your efforts are going nowhere and although you want to keep moving forward, there are so many negatives staring you in the face. That person who knows things could go either way for you but takes that leap to believe you will make it is the person who is more valuable to you than gold.

3. Someone who watches over you.

You need a guardian angel who is there, waiting to catch you if you fall, ready to help you when you stumble, ready to pave the way for you when you cannot get moving. There are people who love you who do just that. There are people who do not make a big deal out of saving your bacon. Do you know who they are?

4. Someone to watch you back.

You never know these days who is waiting to catch you off guard, to make sure you don't do well, to sabotage your efforts. You like to think that people will rejoice when youdo well. Many don't. If someone 'has your back' and runs interference for you when you are trying to run the gauntlet through life, give that person a big 'thanks' plus lots of your attention.

5. The person who tells you we all make mistakes.

You hate to be around that judgemental, harsh person who reminds you, 'I told you so', when things so south. You don't need anyone else telling you what you already know. On the other hand there are people who just let you know that the only way any of us learn is through experience. When you have really ended up in the dumper and blew it, stay close to the one who knows that the person who hasn't done anything wrong hasn't done anything much.

6. The person who gives you advice from the heart, not from the head.

When the situation gets rough and some big decisions need to be made, it's fine to have people outline the pros and cons of a problem and give you 'head' answers. But if you need a nudge sometimes to tip the scales, you always listen to this person who knows you must do what will let you live with yourself and have self respect.

7. The person who won't be the 'yes man' who agrees with you

No one who loves you is going to give you the green light and tell you to let er rip if it's clearly going to be bad for you. It's sad that often you surround yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear. The one who loves you will tell you to get help for a drinking or drugging problem, to stop the extramarital affair, and to be a good and decent person.

8. Someone who tells you to knock back, smell the roses, and enjoy life part of the time.

If you are a person who is a real performer and doer, there are likely to be people around you who enjoy the fruits of your labor and want you to do even more. Sometimes you may even see yourself as only valuable when you are giving, doing, and performing. Listen to the person who tells you that life is short and you need breaks and some R&R. That is the person who is looking out for you and your health.

9. The one who smiles at you and means it.

The person who loves you looks at you with eyes that smile and mean it. Too many people give you that slick smile, that quick pat on the back, and then forget that you even exist.

The eyes are the windows of our soul and you can read into a person's smile if it is saying, 'You are a fine person and I want to be with you as long as possible'. Don't fall for any phony smile that attracts you off in another direction, only to leave you stranded and alone.

10. Someone who sees you as beautiful, inside and out.

You know you aren't perfect. There are only too many examples of you looking around and thinking that you have flaws and aren't like the people on television. The person who loves you sees you through eyes of acceptance with no conditions. As you gain a few pounds and your hair gets thin, the person who sees you as attractive, inviting, and appealing is the person who loves you all the way, no strings or demands.Nowadays, it's really important to know who loves you. Everything in our society is throw away, and many people have carried that over into the most important relationships in their lives. Think hard and look carefully.

Save Your Relationship and Your Sanity

2008-08-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Create Time To Share And Time On Your Own.

Establish time to spend together and time for yourself. Although you need the time together to nurture your relationship, it is important to have a good balance. You are not the Mini-Me of each other. You each have your own values, interests and needs. Make sure your couple time is about quality, not quantity. Set up boundaries so the family and friends know that this is your sacred time. Now, it’s time to shift focus on you. Having shared perspectives and similar interests does not mean that you have to participate in all activities together. Creating personal time for yourself is important for your personal growth. However, don’t use personal space as an excuse to not make time for each other. It is imperative that you articulate to each other the need for this time, so that no one feels neglected.

Be Patient with Each Other.

No one is perfect. It is important that you accept and love each other, quirks and all. Your relationship is a shared territory. It requires love, work and patience There is a learning curve in relationships and for some the learning never stop. There is a difference in how the two of you relate, interact and live. You come to realize each others’ strengths and weaknesses. View each other’s abilities and personality as a gift. Be more flexible in your viewpoints. Work on win/win methods, so that no one has to lose. It’s more important to understand and value each other’s viewpoint, rather than trying to agree or disagree with it.

Respect Each Other.

Respect each other’s values. Respect each other’s time. Respect each other’s space. Respect each other’s privacy. Respect each other’s weaknesses. Respect each other’s point of view. Respect each other’s faith. Respect each other’s friends and family. Respect each other’s job or career. Respect each other’s culture. Respect each other’s sense of humor. Respect each other’s character. Respect each other’s choices. Respect each other’s belongings. Respect each other through love.

Highlight What's Right.

Highlighting what’s right builds up, rather than tears down. Constant criticism diminishes self-esteem. This is why verbal and emotional abuse can be so damaging. No one wants to start or end their day with a laundry list of complaints. Take time to appreciate what’s going right in the relationship. Make it a habit of complimenting each other on something besides physical appearance. Build up each other’s confidence .Point out noteworthy or small tokens of appreciation. Take the time to show gratitude. When people feel good, they want to share that feeling with others.

Listen.

If we spoke less and listened more, it would eliminate many of our communication problems. However, humans are conditioned to listen with the intent to respond. When was the last time you listened attentively to your significant other? Do you listen and then try to solve a problem? Do you listen and then offer advice? Do you listen and then criticize or belittle? Do you listen and then self-reference? When you listen, it builds trust. Your significant other feels understood and will share more with you over time. The next time you see your significant other in a contemplative state, tell them you’re available to listen. .

Let Go Of Emotional Baggage.

It’s time to unpack your emotional baggage. You can not undo the past. Bringing past pain into a present relationship is like mixing dirty clothes with laundered clothes. The old emotions need to be resolved before you can be yourself in your current relationship. Emotional baggage contributes to insecurities, poor judgment, cynicism and indecisiveness. Trying to protect your feelings will hinder your freedom and growth. Think about why you continue to allow yourself to suffer with this pain? Is there someone you need to forgive? Are you carrying around resentment and guilt? Talk about the situation with your significant other, so they can have a better understanding of what you are going through. If the pain is too unbearable, seek professional help together or alone.

Marie Magdala Roker is a Personal Development Coach an Author of Successful Thinking for a Successful Life: How to Banish the Unhealthy Thoughts and Habits That Limit Your Success. Her Successful Thinking™ program is an affordable coaching resource that offers support and encouragement when there are roadblocks to success. You can find out more about the program at http://www.thinkandbesuccessful.com or sign up for her free Be Inspired newsletter at http://www.smartbeecoaching.com

A Little Lingerie Lingo

2008-07-17T16:52:00.001-07:00

When shopping for lingerie online, some of the item descriptions can be confusing, especially for those purchasing a gift for that special someone and are not familiar with all the lingerie terms used to described a particular fabric or style. So, let's cover some of these terms so you can be better informed when choosing your lingerie.

First, some commonly used fabrics you may not recognize. These are charmeuse, chiffon, jacquard, lace and satin. When you see these terms, the material/fabric of the item is being described. Charmeuse is a very satiny, very soft and flowy non stretch fabric. This fabric is typically used for chemises and camisoles, slips, gowns, robes, short sleeping sets, and even blouses.

Chiffon is a fabric of sheer silk or rayon. It is a lightweight material with a slightly rough feel to it. It can be made from cotton, silk or synthetic fibers, but is usually associated with silk or nylon and can be dyed to most any shade you like. Chiffon is very delicate and must be hand washed very gently. Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open web-like pattern. A Jacquard fabric has a pattern of some kind pressed into the solid background. It can be a flat or a raised pattern. It can be of any type fabric such as a knit or a spandex. Satin is a smooth fabric, as of silk or rayon, woven with a glossy face and a dull back.

Now lets discuss a how they describe an item having some sort of decoration on the fabric - this is called embroidery. So if you see an "embroidered lace babydoll", you know it's a lace babydoll with some kind of decoration or enhancement. You may also see the term 'appliqué'. This is a decoration or ornament made by cutting pieces of one material and applying them to the surface of another.

Men, if you are buying for your beautiful woman and she's self-conscious about her breasts hanging a little, you need to be familiar with the terms 'underwire'. Bustiers, bras, and other 'underwire' items have wire sewn into the fabric under the breasts to add support. You may also see items with 'boning'; these are rigid plastic or metal strips sewn in shape wear to give structure, support and body contouring.

There are several other fabrics available which you may be familiar with, such as silk, rayon and of course leather. There are also many other terms which we did not discussed, but the ones we went over will give you a little more familiarity with what's out there. Happy lingerie shopping!

Susan is the owner of Seduction Lane Lingerie. An online retailer of sexy lingerie, costumes and intimate apparel. Visit http://www.seductionlane.com for a vast selection of sexy lingerie at great prices.

MidLife Women - How Humiliating is That?

2008-07-17T16:51:00.001-07:00

Have you seen the tv commercial that focuses on a woman stuck in bumper-to-bumper highway traffic with her partner and kids? She squirms and looks very uncomfortable, embarrassed and maybe even in pain. Suddenly a porta-potty floats gently down from the sky! The woman relaxes and smiles, and a picture comes on the screen showing a popular disposable pad/diaper product.

I find this commercial disgusting and demeaning. It's just a grab for a new market using any angle possible. And it's downright silly too - having a toilet come down from the sky!

It's true that many women suffer from some urinary incontinence or urgency. Sometimes it begins after pregnancy and birth, sometimes with the hormone changes in perimenopause. Some women just 'leak' when they laugh from a young age. But I hardly think a disposable pad for incontinence (billed as the traveller's porta-potty) will make everything tickety-boo!

Yes, these products are helpful in some circumstances, but why, why, why, don't we hear about products that can tone, build and strengthen the bladder? This is a preventive approach and the products that don't heal the symptoms wouldn't be necessary (or not for many years anyway)? Can't our allopathic medical docs get on board with the idea of 'complementary medicine', like in Britain. When allopathic medicine combines with natural (i.e. herbs, homeopathics, mega-vitamins, trace minerals, etc.) we get the best of both worlds. If it's good enough for the Queen of England, why isn't it good enough for us?

Through her 'Odyssey of Change' coaching program, Ellen Besso offers Midlife Women the opportunity to navigate the midlife maze and find joy & fullness in their lives.

Personal action plans include strengthening the body-mind connection; releasing beliefs that limit growth; & specific actions to move you forward into your ideal life.

To find out more about Ellen's work and read articles written by her contact:
http://www.ellenbesso.com or http://ellenbesso.com/midlifemaze
info@ellenbesso.com 800 961 1364 - N.Am. or
604 886 1916 - Gibsons, BC

Women's Centres in Ontario - Helping Thousands on a Shoestring

2008-07-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

What is a women's centre? The definition is fairly subjective:

If you are a woman who is abused, a women's centre is a place to find guidance or a respite from life's difficulties.
If you are a new Canadian, a centre can offer an introduction and warm welcome to your community.
If you are a senior woman looking to connect with others, a women's centre can provide a network of friends.
If you are a young woman struggling with body image and self-esteem issues, it can offer support.
If you are a mother, a women's centre can provide lessons in parenting.
If you just need someone to talk to, a women's centre volunteer will listen.

Community Kitchens
Kitchen Table Literacy
Women's Business Clothing Project
Young Women's Outreach
Women's Family Law Clinics
Entrepreneurial Skills Training
Employment Counselling
Peer Counselling

In addition to these core services, which are usually offered at no charge, many women's centres offer workshops and seminars on topics pertaining to self-care and life balance.

If you read this list and thought, "I had no idea", you are probably not alone. Such is the reality facing women's centres in Ontario. To borrow a marketing term, these centres have trouble with their "brand". Although they provide valuable services to thousands of women across the province each year, they are not well known, even in their own communities. They are also easily confused with other services, like women's shelters.

Many centres were established to assist abused women (hence the association with shelters), but have expanded their range of services to help women of all ages and backgrounds through a variety of life's challenges - divorce, loss of employment, poor self-esteem, grief, and transitions to a new community or new life situation. And they do all of this on a shoestring budget.

Funding Challenges

Like many small agencies, these centres lack a consistent and reliable funding stream that would allow them to expand and promote their program offerings. Byfunding many centres through the Ontario Women's Directorate, the provincial government offers some stability. Although generous, government funding is not enough, so most centres rely on fundraising and donations to help cover costs.

In most cases, fundraising is still not enough. The amounts the centres raise are small in comparison to the need. Why? Women's centres spend the vast majority of their budget on programs, leaving little for marketing and publicity. Without a marketing budget, it is difficult to attract attention and fundraising dollars, especially when centres are competing against larger organizations with deeper pockets and the ability to mount large-scale fundraisers.

With nothing to spend on flashy events, most women's centres rely on small fundraisers, like bake sales, walkathons, and book sales. Some run larger events, like awards ceremonies, luncheons or dinners. And most derive some funds from the nominal fees they charge for membership in the centre. Combined, these small amounts are a great help, but they are not the consistent and reliable funding that many women's centres require.

Not that a lack of funding seems to be much of an impediment. Even while focused on making every penny count, the women running these centres never lose sight of their mission. They continue in their way, quietly and without fanfare, helping some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

That they can provide high-quality services on such a low budget shows resourcefulness, determination and ingenuity. Just imagine what these women could do if they had no worries about funding.

Women who live in Oakville, Burlington, Milton and areas can learn more about women's centres by visiting the Halton Women's Centre

A small sampling of programs from centres across Ontario demonstrates the tremendous diversity of services available.

Evelyn Mackenzie writes frequently on behalf of the Halton Women's Centre about women's issues and the value of community supports for women.

Women in Business - Playing Wonder Woman

2008-07-17T16:47:00.002-07:00

"The only difference between a man and woman climbing the ladder of success is that a woman is expected to put it in the closet when she's finished with it", said American cartoonist Barbara Dale. Is it surprising then that a working woman (and we mean one that holds a job outside her home) is actually some kind of Wonder Woman! Isn't it remarkable that women in business control over nine million ventures contributing nearly US$ 4 trillion to the economy? You have to ask, how on earth does she manage?

From the get-go, women in business have been given the big brush off. Read anything to do with business leadership and you'll find that the star cast features the same bunch of men. "Women" as economic beings! Definitely, nah! And yet, ninety percent of American women will need to fend for themselves financially at some stage of their lives.

Over half the jobs created since 1992 can be attributed to the women in business owning the firms providing the employment. According to a study conducted sometime back, the glass ceiling that undoubtedly exists in the corporate world is not the only reason why there are more and more women in business. The boredom that comes with a paid job, along with a working environment that usually stifles creativity has as much to do with it. A lady president of an organization that deals with issues faced by women in business says that turning to entrepreneurship is not something women do just to "feel good"; their reasons are grounded in hard nosed reality. And they're as successful as men because of it. Programs such as Women's "Brain" -Storming On The Playground™ provide a platform to women in business to share their motivations and experiences with like-minded people.

Yet, few would deny that there are some important differences between the men and the women in business. Men are good at creating and following a "top to bottom" hierarchy, and letting people know who is boss. Women, on the other hand create horizontal networks, and believe in nurturing relationships. Men will focus on business goals possibly to the exclusion of everything else, and fall back on logical reasoning during decision making. Women in business employ different techniques, giving greater importance to the process, or the means rather than the end. While men stand up for individual rights and entitlements, women are less likely to do so, preferring to go with group opinion. However, men are very good at mentoring and passing on their expertise to those younger or less experienced, but it's rare to see women in business mentoring others, especially other women.

Clearly, some of this can be explained by the fact that women are more concerned about fulfilling their affiliative needs, rather than satisfying their desire for power or money. No surprise that they put more emphasis on benefits such as flex time, child care facilities and retirement benefits.

And to those who wonder how women in business can ever be good "businesswomen", we'd like to present one startling fact - women owned firms outpaced overall business growth by over two times. If there are still any skeptics around, all we can do is to quote Barbara Dale once more. "I am a working woman. I take care of a home. I hold down a job. I am nuts."

Hi, I'm Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. If you like to work smart, check out http://www.SmartEntrepreneur.net It's full of articles and resources to help you start and grow your business successfully. Please visit us & download our special "Freebie of The Month" at http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/freebie-of-the-month.html

Bridal Shower Party Games and Ideas

2008-07-17T16:47:00.001-07:00

Different types of bridal shower party games must be considered for a bridal shower party depending on how well the guests know each other. It's generally good to have a mix of icebreakers and games played between people comfortable around one another.

To keep people from awkwardness, play music. Try to avoid written games-instead, have guests call out answers. Don't pick games that may embarrass your guests, and try to avoid personal topics.

Here are some possible games that you can arrange.

What Comes Next
Read the beginning of a known quote; the first person to shout out the rest wins.
For instance: You say "A stitch in time..." and someone calls out "...saves nine!" If the person calls it out before you finish your sentence, bonus points may be awarded.

Bride's Words
This one is for older audiences, so make sure young children aren't around. When it is time for the bride to open presents, write down (without her knowledge, of course) what she says as she opens each gift. After she's done, tell everyone that this is how she will describe her wedding night, and read the comments back to her!

Spice Guess
Collect as many spices as possible and place them all in unmarked containers. Have guests taste a bit of each and try to guess what spice is in the container. In the end, the guest with the most number correct wins.

Advice Compare
Sit in a circle, and have each guest relay the best and worst advice they've ever received from their mother or grandmother. Write these down; in the end, have the guests vote on the best "good advice" and the worst "bad advice". Winner of the best advice gets a prize, and the winner of the worst advice gets a booby trap! This game is best played with no more than 15 people.

Clothespin Game
Clip a clothespin to each guest's clothing as she or he arrives. During the party, if someone hears another person say the word "bride", he or she takes the other person's clothespin and clips it onto herself. At the end of the party, the person with the most clothespins wins. You can choose a word other than "bride"; however, be sure that it will be spoken often, but not too often.

Memory Game
Put twenty or so wedding-related small items onto a tray, and cover them with a napkin or tissue. Have your guests sit in a circle, and place the tray in the center for two to three minutes. Then, cover the tray again and ask your guests to write down every item they remember from the tray. In the end, the guest with most correct guesses wins, and penalties are awarded for items not on the tray (to prevent random guessing).

Bride's Outfit
Let the bride know ahead of time about this game. About midway through the party, have the bride leave the room quietly and listen from where she can't be seen. Then, ask about what the bride is wearing, whether her hair is up or down, what color her dress or shoes are, what her favorite food is, etc. Ask as many questions as you want; in the end, prizes are awarded to the people who missed least (or didn't miss anything).

Bridal shower party games is a unique way to turn a special occasion into a memorable party.

Written by Karin Koch: http://www.decor24.com Get more information on Bridal Shower Party Favors

Women's Safety Tips - 3 Common Mistakes Women Make About Personal Safety

2008-07-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Women are often targeted by attackers because we make a few common mistakes about personal safety that present us as easy crime victim prospects.

We tend to be accommodating, to a fault
We ignore our gut feelings
Automatic trust is common with women

A few things to remember as we get into more detail about the common mistakes we make that put us in danger.

Attackers are insecure, have low self-esteem, feel out of control of their own lives and choose to control someone or something else in order to feel powerful again.
Attackers look for those who appear weaker than they are (mentally, physically) to attack.
Attacks may be verbal, mental, emotional or physical.

Too Accommodating

Women tend to be accommodating because we want people to like us and we enjoy being helpful. Although these traits are not bad they may allow us to be taken advantage of and pushed too far. This is where an attacker, known or unknown to you sees weakness and opportunity.

Solution: Establish and enforce personal boundaries. Know what distance you are willing to go and go no further. This will keep you from giving your power away to someone else.

Ignoring Gut Feelings

As women, we are generally much more in tune with our intuition or gut feelings than men are. However, we also tend to overlook, ignore and justify actions that are not in line with our gut feelings in order to be liked and to be nice.

Solution: Realize gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with. They will always lead you the right way. Follow them.

Automatic Trust

Because women have been raised to be nice and do good things for others, we often trust untrustworthy people automatically. We can all think back to a time we trusted someone and should not have.

Solution: Trust you gut feeling (intuition) without questioning or trying to justify it. It doesn't have to be logical to be right. You will "feel" if someone is trustworthy or not. A good personal boundary to establish and enforce is, "If it feels wrong, avoid it."

Although women may be targeted by attackers, these safety tips will help all of us avoid the personal safety mistakes that portray us as good victim prospects.

Bonus Safety Tip: Women are stronger and more capable of protecting themselves than most will ever believe. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the "Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes" when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tip via email. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Women's Safety Tips - What's in Your Wallet?

2008-07-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Fellow women, ask yourself, "What is in my wallet?" knowing that several crimes can take place from just one stolen wallet. Of course you probably have a drivers license and credit card(s), cash, etc. But do you actually know what you would lose if your wallet was stolen this minute?

Wallet Safety Tips:

Photocopy the front and back of every card in your wallet.
Keep the copy in a very safe, yet accessible place.
Optional: Hand deliver a copy to a close, trusted friend or family member who you would call in an emergency.

Hour One Is Critical

The first hour is crucial when your personal information has been lost or stolen. The emergency numbers on the backs of your credit cards, etc. are important for you to access quickly.

Attackers are known for first filling up their gas tanks and then going on wild shopping sprees after stealing credit cards. This is common in the first hour and that is why you need those numbers handy.

The reason for the option of giving a copy to a trusted someone is that if you were to become missing, all of those account numbers can be tracked that much easier. Remember to hand deliver this info as email and text messages are not secure.

Identity Theft Prevention

It is always preferable to have a good identity theft prevention company on your side. There is plenty of information in your wallet to enable this crime to take hold of your good name and the life you have built. Many identity theft victims' identity is never restored completely. Just imagine that someone has purchased a house or vehicle with your name and credit and you are the one left to prove that you are the real you!

I tell the story of my own identity being stolen in my TeleSeminar series. Fortunately, my situation was much less serious than many but scary all the same!

Women are the promoters of safety in the workplace and family so please share this safety tip about copying the cards in your wallet with others. It will help all of us to be safer and less likely victim targets of thieves.

Bonus Safety Tip: Small purses are less likely targets for purse snatchers. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the "Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes" plus a free TeleSeminar replay about identity theft when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tip via email; a 52 week newsletter on Personal Safety. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Women's Safety Tips - Repel Or Attract Attackers, the Choice is Yours

2008-07-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Confident men, colleagues and friends are attracted to women with confidence and attackers are repelled by them. Confidence, hmmm, seems simple enough but is it? Self-image is what we think of ourselves. Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves and self-confidence is how we act.

Can confidence be faked? Temporarily yes, but if it comes across as arrogance, it can attract attackers rather than repel them.

I address confident body language in my article, "Women's Personal Safety Secret #2," which is important in repelling attackers. Below is another way you can become more confident, attracting the right people - repelling the wrong ones.

"What Would You Do?" Can Repel Attackers and May Save Your Life!

We hear about crime and often do nothing to prevent it from happening to us. A good habit to get into is thinking about what you would do if the same situation occurred in your life. Although a bit scary, thinking it through has several benefits.

You've acknowledged your vulnerability therefore, you don't look oblivious like most people do (attackers love oblivious people)
You have a plan of action which gives you confidence (attackers are repelled by confident people because they themselves are weak).
You are more aware of your surroundings and therefore may avoid situations of vulnerability (attackers hate aware people).
When you have thought things through, you walk more confidently and body language is the most common way attackers select victims.

So there you go. Just by simply thinking through a situation with you at the center, you benefit by being safer immediately attracting people who are confident themselves and repelling weak ones who will drag you down and or victimize you. Just being dragged down is a form of attack because it weakens you mentally and emotionally, which in turn, weakens you physically.

Gross Seekers and Arrogance

Although gross curiosity gives birth to rubber-neckers at crash and crime scenes, the magnitude of the situation seems to bounce off of those same people who very likely have their heads in the sand, ignoring their own vulnerability. The "head buried in the sand" syndrome causes those buried to look insecure in a dangerous situation or arrogant if they try to fake confidence. Arrogance is insecurity personified and looks opposite of confident.

As a paramedic in my early 20's, I still get asked, "What is the worst thing you ever saw?" Obviously, the question begs for therapy rather than an answer but the people who ask it are usually careless in their lives and know little about avoiding dangerous situations. Although unfortunate for them (and hopefully not tragic) this makes it easy for us to set ourselves apart from the general public by looking and being confident. Just the knowledge of what you would do in a certain situation makes your body language stronger without you even knowing it. Well, now you know it!

Remember:

Attackers may be male or female of any age
Attacks may be verbal, mental, emotional or physical
Attackers have a plan of attack - do you have a plan of escape?

Confident or Insecure?

Confidence can keep you out of dangerous situations and improves your physical health as well. It is obvious how confidence attracts confident people, friends, significant others and great coworkers, isn't it?

If you are a person who attracts people who are insecure, remember that your own confidence has to be in place to attract a different kind of person. You can only help an insecure person so much because self-image, self-esteem and self-confidence are all inside jobs. If you get dragged down, your self-confidence will suffer.

The concept of personal safety being quite dependent on confidence may be new to you but I'm sure you'll agree it makes sense. Remember that confident men, colleagues and friends are attracted and attackers are repelled by a confident woman.

Bonus Safety Tip: Holding your head up is the most important aspect of confident body language. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the "Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes" and free Personal Safety TeleSeminars when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tips; a 52 week newsletter on Personal Safety. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Women of Today - The New Super Power

2008-07-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

We talk about equality, equal wages, political correctness and acceptability in all walks of life. But it is worth considering whether these factors apply, when it comes to women. They are paid less in their work places and in the field of games such as Tennis. It's a kind of accepted saying that women work less than men and therefore deserve less! It may have been true in the past when women were expected to stay at home and look after the children and nothing more. But women have changed over the years: they have 'come out'!

Intelligent, sharp-witted, agile, independent and immaculately dressed; there you have it, 'The New Super Power', the women of today! She is capable of accomplishing anything, if given the chance. She goes out to work and return home in the evening, only to find that the evening meal is yet to be prepared! How many men do you find who are happy to show their culinary expertise in the kitchen? It is expected of women, but the reverse is true for men; of course there are exceptions to the norm. Men today are more willing, to try cooking, cleaning, change the occasional nappy and perhaps even to cope better when the wife earns more.

Gone are the days when she toiled at the kitchen stove all day long; she is aware of her needs and willing to fight for them. She expects to be given the respect she deserves, both at home and at work. Women were happy, to deal with the daily routine of ordinary life, parents' evening, swimming lessons, music and dance classes, sitting room full of coloring books and toys and still are, but they demand more. They have realized their intellectual potential and determined to do something about it! One likes to believe that the 'Dumb dame' stigma has withered in the wake of equal opportunity. She is still branded as 'Loud' if she as much as voices her opinion and would be snubbed if she happens to be more intelligent in certain circles. The dictum, 'Women should be seen and not heard' is still very much alive! Men still find it very difficult to accept new ideas when it originates from a woman.

Women on two wheels have become a familiar sight on the roads of most Asian countries during the past few years; it is not unusual to find a woman taking her whole family on her two-wheeler, children to school and husband to work and then manages to reach her office on time. It would have been inconceivable a few years ago! One can find even driving schools run by women just for women. She has a major part to play in every aspect of the family decisions and how it is implemented; at least she likes to believe that she does!

It is rather difficult combining a career and a decent home life, 'Super woman' though she is. She needs to feel supported and fulfilled. Is she stressed out? She may arrive at work feeling as if she has already done a full day's work, colleagues may doubt her commitment to her jobs, making it difficult for her. She may be told that children with behaviour problems were the products of families where mothers worked, despite her belief that children get more 'quality time'. Women of today expect their partners to contribute towards childcare and household chores. Most women even find time to help the children with their homework. It is a known fact that the women are in the fore- front, in the field of medicine, nursing and teaching, to name a few.

These days, women are even controlling their reproductive destiny to some extent. Contraceptive pills are not the only ones on their list, but emergency contraceptive pills, the Implanon, IUD/IUS, the patch and the injection are very much on their list of things to consider. They are aware and quiet willing to accept other methods when any of these fail. Women are determined to decide when they wish to have babies and how. They need, not just babies but the power to create an environment that is fit enough for their survival financially and socially. The welfare of their children, family and society is enshrined as the guiding principle in all their endeavors. Women are capable of considering their options and making evidence based choices.

Today's women are learning to avoid situations that make them stressful and it is a hard struggle to reach that goal. She has found music, yoga, aerobics, swimming, aromatherapy, massage and hypnotherapy that gives her the 'Quality time' amidst the multitude of chores! There will be a few who would class her as the 'High maintenance woman'. Despite all this, the new woman, 'The Super Power' has arrived' who still believes in the power and value of a family unit that she is quite determined to hold in high esteem.

I am a doctor working in the UK. I love writing and my articles have been published in the UK and abroad. My hobbies include reading, writing, gardening, cooking, watching films, listening to music, helping environmental causes. Etc.

Visitors to my homepage get the unique opportunity to read my monthly write up,'Corner' and articles written by me on various topics in two languages, English and Malayalam (the language spoken in Kerala, otherwise known as 'God's own Country'!)

Pain Caused by Ill Fitting Bras

2008-07-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

It is estimated that well over 70 percent of women wear ill-fitting bras. Not only does this lead to discomfort, it can actually manifest as actual pain over time.

Most people view bras as top down support systems. In English, this means they view the support being provided by the straps over the shoulders. In truth, bras are meant to be bottom up support system. The strap around the bottom of the bra is intend to carry 80 percent of the weight of the breasts with the cups and straps taking on the remaining weight.

Most women wear bras that rely too much on strap support. This can lead to physical discomfort that one might not always associate with the ill fitting bra. Let's take a closer look at some of the common pain issues that arise.

Shoulder pain is one of the more obvious problems of an ill fitting bra. The straps dig into the shoulders causing pain. For some, however, the problem is a bit more intense. The straps may dig into the trapeze muscle and nerves. This can lead to numbness and tingling in the arms.

A second area of pain that most women are familiar with is the back. When straps are carrying more weight than intended, they tend to pull the upper back forward and down. This creates poor posture and strain on the upper back. This can lead to aches and a knot in the middle of the upper back. As the back tries to compensate, it can also lead to significant lower back pain.

Neck problems are a third area of pain that can arise with an ill fitting problem. It can be easy to miss the cause and effect relationship, however. Pain can manifest in the form of headaches and shooting pain which is derived from pinched nerves. Running ones hands along the outer edge of the back of the neck can quickly reveal tight areas.

The vast majority of women wear the wrong size of bra. Smaller breasted women tend to wear bras that are to big for them. Plus size women tend to wear bras that have cups that are too small. If you are having any of the above pain issues, try changing to a different fitting bra. Remember - support should be from the bottom.

Challenges Faced By Women After Retirement

2008-06-02T07:47:00.001-07:00

While planning for retirement is essential for everybody, it is especially imperative for women. For example, although it is a huge undertaking for everybody to save money for retirement, the challenges and obstacles faced by women are varied and unique, which need to be considered while planning for their post-retirement life.

One of the most important factors to take into consideration is that women, on an average, have longer lives than men by about six years. This means, that compared to men, they will require extra money for their retirement. According to some studies made by demographer, most baby boomer women who are approaching their retirement age are expected to live well into their nineties. This implies that women will have to prepare for emotional and financial security during a retirement that could last more than thirty years, in many cases.

Another challenging factor typically faced by many women is spending less time in the work force. Studies show that on retiring, men put in 44 years of work on an average, while women account for just 32 years. The reason being that it is women who usually take a break from their careers to have and take care of their children, and sometimes even to look after aged parents.

Interruptions in the working life of women have important consequences financially. For example, when women stop working their Social Security contributions cease, which reduces their benefit from Social Security on retiring. It has been found that while men get $1008 per month as Social Security benefit on an average, women get just $774.

Interruptions to women's working life also results in making it harder for them to compete for raises in the salary and promotions. It is for this reason, along with others, that on average women are currently paid about 87 percent of men's pay on an hourly basis.

According to the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, women get about 50 percent less as pension compared to men. And even though they may be qualified to benefit from the pension schemes of their husband, these can decrease dramatically if the husband dies before the wife.

Besides, according to estimates made by the Securities Industry Association, as a consequence of various factors like women marrying later, increased rates of divorces and becoming widowed, women will usually spend more of their adult life being on their own financially.

Because of fewer working years and lower incomes, it is less likely for women to save for their retirement. According to surveys, compared to 65 percent of men saving for their retirement currently, only 59 percent women are doing it. This study also reveals that compared to 48 percent men who take part in retirement plans at the workplace, like 401(k), just 36 percent women do.

On top of all that, compared to men, women tend to invest more conservatively. Women, it has been found, have a lower tolerance for risk, which is why they have a tendency to invest more conservatively. Even though it may be wiser to invest more conservatively in many investment portfolios, being too conservative results in less savings and reduced investments for retirement.

Although women in America have made considerable gains socially, economically and legally in the past few decades, their working patterns and caring responsibilities still result in placing them at considerable disadvantage in the country's system of retirement.

Anna D. Banks, a passionate advocate for baby boomers in exploring their priorities, planning and setting goals for the next stage of their lives. Assisting her clients to attract and build a professional and personal life consistent with their values is not just a goal of Anna's, it's her passion. Her diverse work experience in business, education and financial services enables her to help the diverse population of baby-boomers with their life, career, and personal finance coaching needs. Anna is currently Adjunct Faculty at Essex County College, where she teaches Career Development & Management.

Author's Note:

Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please place a post on http://www.annabanks.com or email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com

The Women's Rights Movements And Its Startling Connection To Spiritualism

2008-06-02T07:46:00.003-07:00

At the time when Anthony, Cady, and other like-minded individuals were fighting for women's equality, Spiritualism was also gaining momentum as a religion. This controversial belief system is usually thought to have started with the Fox sisters in 1848. At this time, the young sisters were living in a cottage in Hydesville, New York.

One evening, the girls began hearing a series of knocks and raps whose source could not be determined. After some time, they realized that the sounds were really attempts at communication, and the girls soon devised a code so they could understand. Using a predetermined number of knocks to indicate "yes" or "no," the sisters were able to ask questions and receive answers. What they learned was startling. The knocks, it seemed, were coming from the spirit of a peddler that had been murdered and buried in the cottage's cellar. Once word about the spiritual communication got out, the Fox sisters became quite famous. They traveled to New York City and other parts of the country serving as mediums who could talk to the dead.

During this time, Spiritualism as a religion began to take form, and there were soon several followers. Many of the people who associated themselves with Spiritualism were political reformers, abolitionists, non-Christians, and other who bucked the conventions of 19th century society. As such, they were often criticized and unfairly judged by mainstream America, who deemed them immoral atheists who were poisonous to the God-fearing public.

As Spiritualism attracted more followers, the women's rights movement also gained momentum, and women and other proponents of equality sought a platform where they could lecture freely and advance their unconventional ideas. Like the Spiritualists, the women crying out for equality were considered a controversial bunch and were also treated as social pariahs in most segments. Christianity, as America's primary religion, still viewed women as secondary to men. Of course the feminists disagreed wholeheartedly with this, and as a result, many turned their backs on the Christian churches. However, in spite of their lack of a formal religious affiliation many of them were still spiritual people who sought places where they could worship or pray without having to sacrifice their beliefs in female equality. Spiritualism became their answer. Because the religion was more open to these "radical" notions, it became a haven of sorts for people who didn't agree with the traditional ideas of Christianity and the mainstream public. Many of the women's rights movement's strongest supporters had ties to Spiritualism, including Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Ascha W. Srague.

Though at first glance Spiritualism and the women's rights movement seem as though they would be unrelated, it is clear that at the height of the movement there were strong ties with the Spiritualist religion. With its more relaxed views on female equality and women's suffrage, Spiritualism was an attractive option for feminists and their supporters seeking an arena in which to speak.

If you would like to learn more about this topic, particularly where Spiritualism and the Fox sisters are concerned, visit http://www.ad-hoc-productions.com where you can find information about "Visions: True Stories of the Supernatural." This information and entertaining documentary will give you all the fascinating details.

Michael Keene is the producer of the award-winning documentary Visions: True Stories of the Supernatural. See the trailer at http://www.ad-hoc-productions.com/trailers.html

Baby Gender Selection?

2008-06-02T07:46:00.001-07:00

Okay, before you attempt to track me down and beat me up because of my headline, I would like to say that I'm entitled to "my" opinion! I personally do not see the benefits of having kids... I don't see how they could contribute to my overall goal of financial freedom. Yes... I know... that sounds very selfish and blah blah blah... but hey! Who cares? Can anyone give me one financial benefit of having kids? I didn't think so...

Okay, back to the subject at hand... I am the oldest of 5 children... and I'm the only one without kids! (And I'm very heterosexual, so don't even think it!) Fortunately, this article isn't about me and my personal preferences... This article is actually about the topic of "baby gender selection". Does it really work? Or is it just another overly hyped scam? Well, like I said previously, all of my siblings have kids... (or puppies as I like to call them J) a total of eight kids! 6 boys and 2 girls! My younger sister is she has five children! Seriously... five! The weirdest this is that they are all boys! What a coincidence! Or was it? No... Actually is was very intentional... and till this way, I still can't believe it...

You see, my younger is a huge brat! She's very spoiled and has always referred to herself as the "princess". The princess has always gotten her way for as long as I can remember... and for as long as I can remember, I've always hated it! Even in deciding that she didn't want to have any girl children! Now, how selfish is that? The princess doesn't like other females because she fills that they are a threat and my "steal" all of the attention from her... (can you believe it) I'm very serious about this... anyway, so the question of the day is... how in the heck did she do it?

Well, I've asked her for years how she managed to actually have 5 boys and zero girls... and for years she's always given the same answer. "It's princess magic, now get out of my business!" This was extremely annoying... so I decided to use another source because the curiosity was killing me! I mean, not that I wanted to actually use her "secrets" for myself (gross...) but I just wanted to know! So finally, I asked her husband... He wouldn't really go into much detail about it besides telling me that she had a e-book that she got online a while back about baby gender selection. Supposedly, it had a 98 % money back guaranteed success rate in helping decide the sex of a baby... Jack Pot! I knew it she didn't have that kind of "luck"!

She still has never admitted how she actually did it... but I know her secrets now... and that's all that matters to me! Now, I can sleep a little better at night knowing that little Ms. Princess is also "little Ms. Perfect!"

Love you sis!

If you would like to get more information about Gender Selection, click here, or go to http://Choosemybabygender.com

Single Parenting Problems - Mothers As Single Parents In USA

2008-06-02T07:45:00.001-07:00

Single mothers face a lot of problems while bringing up children in USA. Financial problems being the most important as ex-husband may not pay the court order money for child support. These mothers may not be able to do a full time job as a result they may not be able to pay for day care and may not meet the criteria for head start. Many are thus dependent on AFDC (aid to families with dependent children) or WIC (Women Infants and children). This dependence on welfare organization once established is difficult to break.

There are many reasons for the financial worries of single mothers. Although most ex-spouses fulfill their court ordered financial obligations regarding their children; a few of them do not comply with this court ordered support. The latter case not only results in extra psychological and physical burden on the single mother, it makes it difficult for her to fulfill the requirements of the child in regards to food and clothing. A lot of people may consider court ordered support as luxury; but on the contrary it is just enough to meet the requirements.

The children constantly grow so they require a regular supply of clothing and food. Education is not entirely free even in state schools. Similarly preschool children require child care, whereas day care is difficult to afford. More over the WIC or AFDC will not support the mother till the issue of court order is resolved. This means going back to the court again and making your ex-husband to pay either by wage garnishment or by any other legal way. It is not an easy task to find an ex- husband so the lone mother can do nothing than to rely on herself alone. This places the mother as well as the child in a danger of becoming homeless. These are the risks of single parenting.

It is difficult to afford daycare as they usually require up to $400 per month. Most lone mothers have to take a job. However with the daycare being so costly it may not be possible for the mother to work as well as look after her preschool children. The head start and the early start are good supportive programs but most of these mothers do not fall in the specified low income groups especially when receiving court support.

So they may not get any support from head start and have to bare all the expenses of daycare all by themselves. She might not get some help from the child's preschool also. Actually she belongs to the working community among poor. These and such are the problems faced by a single mum in America.

Short comings in the welfare system also effect these single mothers. These mothers are considered the same as any other poor social group by many federal and state programs which run WIC and AFDC. On the other hand these women are more likely to suffer from many psychiatric illnesses which then become a major hurdle in getting job or other financial assistance. As a result of which it becomes difficult for them to gain financial independence and they become permanently dependent on welfare.

As a whole the single mothers living in USA face problems which are quite different from others. It is essential that more funds should be allocated for them

Find out more help for single dad parenting and laws on parents rights from top single parenting for dummy resource portal at http://www.singleparentingfordummy.com

Who Would I Be Without My Roles

2008-05-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

"The woman who survives intact and happy must be at once tender and tough. She must... be in the unending process of convincing herself, that she, her values, and her choices are important...The pressure upon women to yield their rights-of-way is tremendous. And it is under those very circumstances that the woman's toughness must be in evidence."
Maya Angelou

What roles do you play in your life? Entrepreneur, Professional, Office worker, Mother, Partner, Daughter? It's a mixed bag. We live busy lives and fill our days with activities that go along with our roles. We multi-task, we juggle and we blend in an effort to get everything done.

Women love to connect. We play many roles that invariably involve connection with others. Our life is often defined by community. Researchers have been aware of this for many years.

Louann Brizendine, MD, author of The Female Brain says part of the reason we seek connectedness is a natural need for positive feedback from others. Studies have shown that even very young baby girls need eye contact and smiles to tell them that people are pleased with them. Grown women also tend to be more sensitive to and react more to guilt feelings than men do.

The interconnectedness we seek and often find through our roles can be very satisfying. However there is a potential downside. Because of our desire to connect with and nurture others, we may take our roles too much to heart. Sometimes we become so engrossed in them we're not really sure where we end as a person and our role begins.

This is when the trouble starts. Women often talk about feeling overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated in jobs, at home and in the community. It's a challenge to step back and see that there's often a link between our frustrations and the way we approach the many roles that make up our lives.

Eckhart Tolle says
"Pre-established roles may give you a somewhat comforting sense of identity, but ultimately you lose yourself in them...Authentic human interactions become impossible when you lose yourself in a role."

The tension between our roles and our own needs is compounded when we hit midlife. Until menopause our brains are programmed by "the delicate interplay of hormones, physical touch, emotions and brain circuits to care for, fix and help those around us..." according to Brizendine. She also reminds us of the feminist viewpoint that society reinforces us for pleasing others. Our brain circuits don't change completely in midlife, but the estrogen and oxytocin that provided the fuel for our caregiving have decreased considerably. This means our thoughts, our feelings and our very brain function changes.

There we are in the midst of demanding lives with myriad roles, responsibilities and schedules, and suddenly perimenopause with its attendant needs begins. We realize that we crave time to ourselves. We feel torn and sometimes we begin to rebel against our life.

Rites of Passage require isolation. The Midlife Passage is an important Rite of Passage for women. Susun Weed, author of Menopausal Years... the Wise Woman Way, advocates a Crone's Time Away during the intense period near the end of perimenopause when many women find themselves desperate to be alone. It's an opportunity to reassess our lives and rejuvenate ourselves. In the best of possible worlds we would all get this opportunity, but that's not the case.

Although an extended vacation, sabbatical or Year Away is ideal, women can and do remain at home and still take time for themselves. It's not hard to do a modified form of retreat even if at home if you give yourself permission to do so! The extent of your 'time away' depends also on factors such as children's ages and job or business flexibility. But where there is a will there is a way!

Many women are finding ways to change their lives and to take mini-breaks to rejuvenate and reassess priorities. My neighbour took a year off from all her community boards and activities to check in with herself. She discovered that she did not want to return to that way of life; she required a slower pace that allowed her to tend to her own health needs, resettle her aged mother, and enjoy group kayaking. This seems to work well for her.

Other women decrease their work hours to three or four days per week. Many single midlife women have moved to small communities like mine to begin new lives, following the lead of their intuition. They live simply and inexpensively and build a life of quality for themselves.

For some of us, only minor changes are needed to step free of the burden of our roles, for others nothing but a complete life change is required. Martha Beck refers to making change in our lives as "redecorating". She says:

"My devout hope is...that you've discovered that your life needed only a bit of redecorating, at most an extra room or two, in order to be absolutely perfect. But...in my [earlier] life unhappiness wasn't so easy to escape...I couldn't just redecorate my life to get out of those situations. I had to raze it to the ground, dig up the foundations, and start the whole thing over from scratch.."

We are so much more than the sum of our roles. More than we can possibly imagine in our wildest dreams. But in the push to fulfill our duties and responsibilities we sometimes forget this. When we take the time to pull back from our daily lives, when we seek the stillness inside, it is there that we find our true selves. When we allow ourselves to tune inward, we know what kind of 'redecorating' our lives need.

For more information about Self-care during the midlife years, the following may be helpful to you:

Susun Weeds' work:
http://www.menopause-metamorphosis.com/A_Menopause_phases.htm

20 Minute Retreats by Rachel Harris, pub. Henry Holt

First published in Timefinders Online Magazine

c 2008 Ellen Besso

Ellen Besso inspires and guides Midlife Women as they navigate the midlife maze and find joy & fullness in their lives. Working with Ellen, renew body, mind and spirit and dissolve beliefs that keep you from your ideal life.

Ellen's calling is to support and mentor midlife women and she is uniquely qualified to do this with 25 years as a women's coach and counsellor and as a fellow midlife maze navigator

If you yearn to:
· Clarify your midlife journey
· Move closer to your personal truth
· Connect with your body, mind & spirit
· Allow joy back into your life
· Realize your dreams

Any Plans for The Weekend?

2008-05-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and you are ready to tackle the weekend. Most people look forward to doing their own thing and enjoying the time off from work. A lot of us like to dine out, go to a movie or a concert or perhaps go dancing! Weekends are great for socializing and meeting new people. It's all fun and worry free, right? Wrong! With all the socializing activities going on during the weekend, there is also a lot of crime going on as well! Many crimes are committed on weekends because criminals have more people to choose from. They know that most people have their guard down and they take advantage of it. There is also more people under the influence of alcohol, which makes them an easy target for attackers.

It is important to remember to always keep your guard up, especially during these 2 socializing days of the week. I'm not saying to be on the lookout constantly, but to try to get into some good safety habits. Below are 5 good habits you should acquire and practice not just on the weekend but all the time.

1. Be aware of the world around you, don't go around like a zombie, not observing your environment or the people around you. It actually is more enjoyable to take it all in, instead of having tunnel vision.

2. Carry a self defense product with you at all times, such as pepper spray, a stun gun, personal alarm or a Taser. No matter how physically strong you are, you can always be caught off-guard or become distracted. Also, familiarize yourself with your self defense product. Know how to use it, learn what it is capable of doing to a person and if it runs on batteries, make sure it works. If your product is expired, like pepper spray can be, replace it as suggested by the manufacturer.

3. Always be aware of situations that can become dangerous. For instance, walking through a parking lot, in a public garage, isolated stairway, alley, or just in a place where there are few or no persons around that can help you if you get into trouble. In cases like these, you should have your self defense product readily available just in case you need it. This means take the product out of your purse, pocket or holster and if it needs to be turned on, turn it on and be prepared. This also includes going into the outdoors for a hike by yourself. Just because you are surrounded by nature, does not mean that it is safe.

4. Never leave a social gathering with a stranger or person you just met. Plan to meet with them again in a social environment, several times before taking the risk of trusting someone that could be a rapist or murderer.

5. Just like you are in the habit of picking up your keys before you leave your house, you should make it a habit of picking up a self defense product as well. A good thing to do is to lay it by your keys, this way you have it readily available to take with you when you pick up your keys and head out the door.

These safety tips, of course, are just a few things to remember and become used to doing on a daily basis. There are many more tips for safety on the internet that you can become familiar with. Have a great weekend and be SAFE!

WomenOnGuard.com was designed by two women who deeply believe in combating violent crimes against women before they happen by empowerment and prevention. WomenOnGuard.com sells non lethal, self defense products such as Mace, pepper sprays, personal alarms and stun devices such as stun guns. Protect yourself or a loved one and visit http://www.womenonguard.com and purchase a safety product. These products make great gifts that show you care.

Views On Women

2008-05-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Men and women are morally and intellectually equal. There are obvious physical differences between the sexes in terms of size and strength. Likewise, there are psychological differences, due to sexual roles, childbearing, etc. However, the point is both men and women survive on earth primarily by their minds i.e. their rational faculty.

In cultures, there is a direct correlation between the culture's quality of life, including general prosperity, political freedom, and the status of women. The abject poverty, political tyrannies, and general miserable conditions and attitudes in the Islamic world and Africa go hand in glove with the miserable status of women, including beatings, forced marriages, "honor killings", genital mutilations, foot binding, etc. At the same time, the prosperity and general quality of life in the Western world, especially the United States, correlate with the infinitely higher status of women.

Today, in this country, rap music is becoming progressively more obscene in its views towards women. Also, it's been pointed out that there are increasing numbers of web sites that demean the sex, either in terms of their intelligence or their "proper" roles as servants and vessels. Therefore, we can't be complacent as to prevailing attitudes anywhere towards women.

Women have demonstrated that they can handle virtually any occupation as well as men. Maybe firefighters and a few occupations relying on sheer physical strength have (very limited) degrees of exception. The point is these are borderline cases and don't invalidate the general rule.

Throughout my business career, from the 1960's to today, women have worked for me as actuaries, involving often intricate applied mathematics and statistics. These individuals always demonstrated ability equal to any male actuaries.

In summary, both men and women survive by their minds, and prosper to the extent they exercise their rational faculties.

Check out Norm's blog at www.noralyn.com

Norman E. Hill has written numerous industry articles. His book "Winner and Final Chairman" will be out in June 08. You can see more of Norm's thoughts at http://www.noralyn.com

Naturally Beautiful Spring And Summer Makeup In 10 Easy Steps

2008-04-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

How do you get that radiant look for Spring and Summer?
Spring and Summer 2008 featured lots of pretty new looks. Smokey dramatic eyes are favoured by some designers while bright red lips are other designers' choice.
Nude makeup is back, but so is that naturally pretty look that you might see on a radiant bride. Sort of. This season's look is more like a garden nymph.
One look that stood out was that green eyed beauty look. That's a head turning look at a garden party. Perfect for spring and summer.
Here's how you get that look in just 10 steps.
1. Cleanse, tone and moisturize your face. Get the base right if you want the makeup to look great.
2. Any zits? Hide them with a concealer. Keep your eyes fresh with an undereye concealer is your must. Get them sparkly with eye drops.
3. Apply your makeup foundation with a wet sponge or finger tips. Whichever you are more adept with.
4. Pick a little loose powder with a large powder brush. Dust off the excess and apply it over entire face, including eyelids (keep eyes closed).
5. Take a large blush brush. Dip it into bronze powder, coral blush or peach blush, whichever looks best on you. Dust off the excess on the back of your hand. Then use the brush and apply blush on forehead, cheeks and chin for an all over glow.
6. Apply green eyeshadow over the entire eyelid from lashes to crease.
7. Use a white or beige shimmer eyeshadow to highlight the brow bone.
8. Draw a fine line with kohl on your lower lashline and just above upper lash line. If you are blonde, use a brown liner. If you are brunette, use black.
9. Apply 2 coats of mascara on your lashes, allow the mascara to dry between applications.
10. Use a lipbrush to line and fill in lips with a peach or coral lipstick.
Find out your best version of this look at Spring And Summer Makeup For Your Coloring
for http://www.everythingbeauty.info the beauty portal.

A Few Tips About Pepper Spray

2008-04-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

Pepper spray will not kill anyone but it will stop an attacker by making their whole face burn! The irritation is so bad, that the eyes will swell up and shut, therefore making them temporarily blind! The pepper spray can make the skin and mucous membranes (nose & throat) so irritated that they will cough and choke. The irritation will last several minutes and give you time to get away.
It is unbelievable that such a simple product can help so much in moments as horrifying as this. But there are also 2 important limitations when using pepper spray, which you should keep in mind. First, pepper spray works best when sprayed right side up (just remember that your hairspray won't work if you hold it upside down). Second, if there is too much wind it is not recommended for use, especially if the wind is blowing against you because you might get sprayed back! The best kind of pepper you can get is Pepper Foam (found under Mace on our website). Pepper Foam works best because it is so thick and sticky that it saturates the attacker's face even in windy conditions. Pepper Foam, like most other pepper sprays, also comes with an identifying UV dye that can help identify an attacker and be used as evidence in the crime! There are other types of pepper spray available as well. You can choose the foam as mentioned previously, or you can choose from streams, gels, foggers and aerosols. Some pepper sprays also come combined with tear gas!
Pepper sprays come in many shapes and sizes. You can get pepper sprays in an injection molded holster with keychain, leatherette holsters with key chains, disguised as a lipstick, as a pen, a pager, a ring. It also comes in unique ergonomic forms such as the Guardian Angel pepper spray unit. There are even baton pepper sprays and pepper spray guns! Needless to say, there are many models to choose from.
WomenOnGuard.com was designed by two women who deeply believe in combatting violent crimes against women before they happen by empowerment and prevention. WomenOnGuard.com sells non lethal, self defense products such as Mace, pepper sprays, personal alarms and stun devices such as stun guns. Protect yourself or a loved one and visit http://www.womenonguard.com and purchase a safety product. These products make great gifts that show you care.

Status of Women

2008-04-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Women's Empowerment
INTRODUCTION
There is an extreme manifestation of unequal social relations between men and women within the family and the economy. The state fails to transform the existing social relations based on dependence, oppression and exploitation. Socio economic arrangements of sex / gender based disparity are reflected in lower wages for women, their under reporting in the labour force and the disadvantaged position of women in health and education. The constitution of India declared the equality of sex as a guiding principle. As such family should be basically an egalitarian unit founded on equal rights of the individuals who form a family. The subordination of women to men pervades family life in all classes and castes in India.
WOMEN IN INDIAN SOCIETY
A study on the status of women in Indian history is a difficult task for several reasons. The idea of better status for Indian women has been slowly evolving, through social and religious reforms and change. It had several ups and downs. In fact, the real emancipation of women began with education, occupational mobility, diversification of their roles, changes in child marriage, widow remarriage, sati and the like. Woman is the companion of man gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in the minutest details of activities of man and she has the same rights of freedom and liberty. Indian women have diverse multi-dimensional characteristics. They have progressive as well retrogressive, roles and values among several religious and caste groups all over India. Most of them are housewives. The urban women are better placed and have benefited from the existing opportunities for development at a faster rate than the rural. In the field of science and technology they now play a great role. They have many hurdles to overcome yet.
GENDER BIAS IN INDIAN SOCIETY
In a patriarchal society like India, repression of the women has always been justified as a natural thing. Indian thinkers and social activists did not take the issue of gender stratification very seriously. Indian Constitution and legislations provide equal status to men and women. According to Article 14 of the constitution, the state shall not deny any person equality before the law. But in reality, all women do not enjoy this equality of status with men. Especially in the home, married women are likely to experience relative inequality due to patriarchal mind sets, rigid sex role stereotypes and socio-economic powerlessness. In India, the family is mainly patriarchal and patrilineal which denies egalitarian gender relations. There prevails a great gender bias in society which stops women from coming forward on any front of life.
TECHNIQUES FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF GENDER EQUALITY
Conscientization of Women
Conscientization of women makes them aware about their social economic conditions, their duties and rights and the way to break the chains of their ignorance.
Building confidence in women
Unless and until, confidence is built in women that they are no way inferior to men and society, they will not be able to recognize their identity and their role in society. Change in social Attitude
We can make laws and enact legislations, but legislations alone are not going to stop atrocities on women. These can be stopped only when we in society build public opinion against these atrocities. For this, there is a need to change social attitude towards women.
Collective Awareness
Collective awareness should be brought amongst women about their roles and rights in the society. For this, action may be initiated through mass mobilization of women for their empowerment. Media can play an important role to bring about radical changes in the attitudes of people in society.
WOMEN'S STATUS
According to 2001 census the sex ratio is 933 females per 1000 males. The adverse sex ratio and its decline age groups has emerged as matter of concern in India. Preference for sons, intra-household gender discrimination and limited access to health care can explain this trend. India has enacted legislation banning the use of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex determination. Efforts are being undertaken for implementing a master plan of action to tackle the problems of violence against girl children through infanticide, sex selection and trafficking.
FIVE YEAR PLANS AND WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT
The approach to women's development in first five year plan (1951-1956) was not clear. Women were projected as beings in need of education, health and welfare services only. The Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) set up in 1953, undertook to promote a number of welfare measures through voluntary organisations. Manila Mandals were promoted for rendering essential services of education and health both by the CSWB and community Development program through the first and second five year plans. The third, fourth and fifth plans continued the same approach without giving any support to the strategies of development perspectives and empowerment of women. The sixth five year plan (1979-84) failed to remove disparity and injustice in both social and economic life. The seventh five year plan (1985-90) highlighted the strategy of direct attack on the problems of poverty, unemployment and the provision of gainful employment to the women and youth.
The strategy in eighth plan (1993-97) was "to ensure that the benefits of development from different sectors do not by-pass women and special programmes were implemented to complement the general programmes". Education and nutrition, legal literacy and "changes in social attitudes and perceptions in regard to the role of women were mentioned as essential for empowerment. The most dramatic development during this period was the passing of 73 rd and 74th (constitutional) amendment in 1992 making provision for reservation of one third of seats for women in the local bodies. The Ninth plan (1997-2002) declared the empowerment as one of the objectives of the plan. The strategy of empowerment of women was through women's Self-Help Groups.
NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN -2001
The policy document is devised into seventeen sections. A number of steps were taken to build a strong foundation for empowering women and making them participants in decision making. The goal of the policy is to bring about the advancement, development and empowerment of women. The objectives of this policy include full development of women, enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedom, equal access to participation and decision making to health care, quality education, employment, elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, changing societal attitudes, elimination of all forms of violence against women and building and strengthening partnership with civil society particularly women's organisations.
CONCLUSION
While a number of legislative measures were adopted to guarantee legal equality to women, in practice these measures could not reorient and redefine the new roles that women are expected to take up. Legislation alone cannot create proper environments for eliminating gender inequalities, and transform the unequal social relations based on oppression and exploitation. We need a radical reformation in the organization of economy along with a radical change in the structure of family, including reorganization of our attitudes towards gender relations. Women should be perceived as producers and participants, not merely clients for welfare.

Working Mothers - Time Managers Par Excellence

2008-04-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~ Margaret Culkin Banning
Mothers Day is a celebration of womanhood. The 21st century woman is confident, independent and caring. She knows her worth and does not wait for a man to give recognition to her identity. She is sure about her strides and knows where she is headed. Many of them have made choices that were unthinkable even a decade back. These choices speak of her courage, resilience and will power. They have catapulted themselves to the summit of the fields they have plunged into. Even when they have gifted new life to their families, they have not let their careers take a back seat, nor have they lost sight of the focus.
I'm sure you have seen them. Rushing on the road to catch a bus or cab with a child, sometimes even a toddler in tow, they are working mothers. They have made a conscious choice not to let their child come in the path of their career. It is not a logical conclusion that they are single; many of them are married with their partners earning enough to put bread on the table. Still they have decided to stay put on the path they have chosen. Economic independence is an integral part of modern life and they do not need to be told that. Single mothers, of course, have no choice but to go out and work. This does not mean that they do it grudgingly; they are very happy in their lives and would not give up this for anything.
Life for a working mother is tough, if not totally impossible. She has to strike a very fine balance, the scales of which make sense only to her. You or I cannot find possible explanations as to how she manages to straddle equally demanding paths. Her child is her priority but she doesn't ignore the client meeting to spend time with her child. She will do it nevertheless but she will also make a provision to come prepared for the client meeting. Her time-management skills can make a CEO make a desperate dash for his or her watch.
There are times when she has to handle critical issues which are high on the emotion quotient. Her child may find it hard sometimes to come to terms with the double life his or her mom is leading. The child may not be getting her attention when he or she needs the most. This may result in bouts of depression and a feeling of resentment against the mother. Then it is up to the mother how she handles it. It will require time, care, even cajole and lots of time. That is the ultimate test of a mother on the home-front.
In office, she may have to do a lot of hard work to prove herself and her seriousness about her work. Society holds a prejudice against her because she is a mother. She may also have to refuse promotions and offers which will ask her to cut slices of her time off her personal life. Other than these, a mention should be made of the numerous bills that she has to go around paying, groceries, shopping and the works. So to all those women who are working mothers, my salute to you. All those who are on track to this road, my salute to you too, for having made this choice. For nothing is more rewarding when you child smiles and opens the door for you after a hard day's work.

How to Look HOT in a Maternity Bathing Suit

2008-04-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Do you mean you could actually look good in a bathing suit and go to the beach while pregnant? Like even 8 months pregnant? Of course you can, as specially made maternity swimwear is available in many styles (even plus sizes) to accommodate your preferences and give you the look you want. You may even get a compliment on how beautiful you look being pregnant!
No, you don't have to wear an all black, oversized bathing suit...in fact, colorful prints will make you look prettier, flatter your skin tone and detract attention away from your large tummy.
Did you know that swimming is considered the best exercise when you're pregnant? So even if you live in Minnesota, it would be good for you to visit the local indoor (heated) pool and swim. See my website for specific swim strokes that are best and ones to avoid. But, back to the maternity bathing suit topic...
Are you one of those women who like to show their entire stomach when pregnant? Then just buy a regular bikini. No problem. But if you don't want to let it all hang out, then you should buy a maternity bathing suit that covers your belly, and looks classy as well.
The different styles come in variations of tankini styles, but are longer in the front. As you grow, the suit will still cover your belly, up until your ninth month. At 5 months, it may look a little long, but that's because it's made to cover your tummy in your later months.
A good maternity bathing suit is made with ties, not clasps. Why? Because with ties, when your bust and/or your belly gets bigger, you can simply loosen the ties and the suit will still fit you. Maternity bathing suits made to fit for your entire pregnancy save you money in the long run. You only need to buy one.
How many maternity bathing suits have you looked at on models who must be about 6 months pregnant - and they look tight around the stomach? I've seen many, and wondered, gee - how will that fit her in a couple more months??
One piece maternity swimwear is very pretty - if you don't mind your tummy sticking out, as you can definitely see your shape as the suit hugs your belly. If you don't want to look pregnant that much, then the full coverage styles, which are longer in the front are better for you.
When considering 2-piece styles, the bottoms should be cut low enough in the front so that your tummy grows above. The bikini bottoms don't necessarily have to have ties at the side, as there is enough stretch in bathing suit fabric that allows you to grow in the hips a few inches. Your hips don't normally get bigger when you are pregnant, providing you are putting on the right amount of weight.
When you're pregnant, and putting on around the recommended weight, you should only grow bigger in the tummy. SOME women grow bigger in the bust as well, but many do not.
OK, you've figured it out. I am plugging my products. But that's only because I am a mom and a designer of maternity bathing suits, and know what women need. My company has the trendiest fabric patterns, latest styles, and a great variety of one and two-piece suits to choose from.
Also, we make everything in Miami, Florida. That means its made in the USA - and when was the last time you bought a piece of clothing actually made in this country? You're doing a good thing by supporting American workers.
But check us out for yourself. We have only the highest quality fabrics and all our suits are made with soft ties, so that your maternity swimsuit will fit you for your entire pregnancy. And you'll look amazing! What more could you ask for?

Mid-Life Crisis For Females? 7 Steps For Averting Crisis And Helping Baby Boomer Women

2008-04-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

Mid-life is a time of transition. Are you feeling unsettled as your children don't need you in the same way? Your job is boring? Are you restless to be doing some meaningful? Perhaps you are thinking about an affair, or your husband is having one. Or, you are moody, cranky, teary.
The crisis is seeing your life as it is and wanting something else.
Here are seven steps for identifying the cause of your crisis and for moving beyond it.
1. Identify the cause of your crisis
In addition to the above issues, it could be your parents are aging or have died; a close friend or sibling is ill or getting divorced. What else is different or painful now?
2. Honor your past accomplishments
If you work, have children, have friends, have a life, you have experience and achievements. Big or small, don't dismiss them. They may be concrete, like arranging a fund raiser for your children's school, climbing a mountain, or learning to swim when you were afraid of water. Give yourself the credit you deserve and have earned.
3. Grieve lost opportunities
Of course there are things you wish you had done, things that never happened. They can be big like not marrying or having children; they can be less consequential but still important like not going to the college of your choice, or not buying the house of your dream. Giving yourself permission to grieve it makes it easier to move on.
4. Set your own expectations for this next phase of your life
Women's lives are guided by others' expectations -- whether or not you have been aware of it. For example, be heterosexual, get married, have children, be nice, don't be loud. By now, you either have or have not either met them. That leaves you free, now, to set your own. What you want to do with your life?
5. Prepare for other's reactions to your changes
If your loved ones see you as the good girl or helpful wife, they may have a difficulty letting you change. Or, they may be supportive - as long as it doesn't inconvenience them. Be prepared. They're being unhappy doesn't mean you have to let go of your plans.
6. Resist being pulled back
Family and close friends may be inconvenienced or scared to see you change and grow. Be firm; don't be lured back to your old way just to lower their anxiety about what your change means for them.
7. Get support
It's hard to step into uncharted waters without your usual support system, so find like minded women. Look for spiritual, religious, or personal growth groups. Consider a weekend retreat for Baby Boomers to help you move through this normal transition period,
Use these tips to help prepare for what you want next. It takes immense strength to change when you are in mid-life.
And, here's another tip. Unique Retreats for Women created just for this type of support and purpose. Check it out at: http://www.UniqueRetreatsForWomen.com I also invite to you to get your free copy of Rules To Enhance Your Friendships (another form of support) at http://www.DrKarenGailLewis.com, and click on Friendships under Special Offers.

Summer Must-Haves

2008-04-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

Warm weather is quickly approaching, and it's about time! Summer is full of laughter, sunshine, and relaxation-or at least it should be. Girls, there are certain necessities for the summer. Yes, necessities (even though your boyfriends or husbands may not agree).
• With warmer weather comes a wearing of swimsuits. So make sure you feel fabulous in yours. If you feel like it is time to treat yourself, buy a new swimsuit this summer. I've found that buying a new swimsuit will increase your motivation to work out. It is true for me. I just kept saying to myself, "Oh no, only 1 month until I will have to wear it out in public!" You'd be surprised at how much faster and how much harder you will work out.
• Wear sunscreen. I know a lot of younger women refuse to wear sunscreen because they want to get as much sun as possible-wanting a great tan. I used to be one of those girls. But you do really need to protect your skin. Just think: if you don't, you'll be leathery and wrinkly sooner than you normally would've been. You don't have to become a hermit and hide from sunlight; just be smart about it.
• Pedicures! Yes. Again, I say: necessity. You don't have to go get it done professionally. You can always do it yourself. Believe me; it can even make you more confident while you strut your stuff in your new swimwear. Pretty toes=big smile on your face.
• Get a few or a few dozen summer dresses. The best place I have found to find cute, unique, and lightweight summer dresses is in a dress boutique. Summer dresses are great because you can dress them up or keep them casual with flip flops. Both ways look fabulous.
• New hair. Treat yourself to a little change, whether that is a haircut or a dye job. Get something fresh and new. You will feel your confidence just jump.
• Sunglasses. Get some updated, trendy sunglasses. Or you can always stick to the classics that never go out of style. Just find some that you are comfortable and confident wearing.
• How could I not add sandals to this list? Yes, sandals, sandals, and even more sandals. With such a plethora to choose from, you really can't go wrong. Just find some fun, flirty sandals and you are good to go.

The Importance of Stun Guns For Women

2008-04-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

It was the early morning hours and Samantha was coming from the club that she had enjoyed with her two girlfriends, Sherri and Lana. They had all driven in different cars and parked elsewhere. As Samantha walked to her car, she stopped shortly as she remembered the ritual that she had to go through each time she would walk to her car. She stopped under the street lights and pulled her keys and stun gun from her small purse.
She scolded herself because this should have been done before she vacated the club building. She looked around and saw people going by, but minding their own business. She hoped no one saw her. She was a little tired, but knew that she had to stay alert for any possible attackers. She had learned in her self defense class how important it was to remain alert of ones surroundings. There were a few other people walking to their car, but from a distance. She observed her surroundings, which was another self defense tactic. Her stun gun was also one of the effective self defense tools that could save lives.
She had heard stories about stalkers and bad men who took advantage of women who walked alone and she had made sure to do all she could to protect herself and it paid off so far. She had encouraged both Sherri and Lana to do the same. She mentally prepared herself to call to make sure that they had gotten home safely. She had not gotten the opportunity to use her stun gun, but she vowed to use it if confronted by a stalker or an intruder.
What is the stun gun and how can it be effectively used by a woman?
Stun guns are self defense weapons that woman can use to protect themselves against crime. It is a hand-held device that releases a voltage on the intruder and produces shock waves. Stun guns are not gender specific. However, many manufacturers are seeing the need for specialized stun guns for women are they are becoming quite popular. This is because of the increasing number of attacks that women experience more than men do. Stun guns have become the self defense tool of choice for a lot of women including pepper spray as well.
How to use the Stun Gun
You would have to hold the electrodes very firmly on the person who is attacking you and place it on an area such as the upper shoulder and then you release it. Continue to apply pressure for several seconds until the intruder is down and helpless.
Is the Stun gun safe to use?
A stun gun is not harmful in any way because all it does is to shock the attacker and will not cause any permanent damage. Your goal is to render the attacker helpless. The effect from a stun gun is to the area that is affected and it does not pass through the body to harm any organs. It cannot kill anyone.
Is a stun gun legal to use?
Stun guns may be restricted in some areas, but for the most part, it is legal in most areas. You have to check your local area to find out before you purchase the stun gun.
Samantha got home safely and made the phone call to Lana and Sherri and found out that they had arrived home safely too. It felt safe to have a stun gun for self defense and she vowed to recommend it to most of her friends and anyone she met.
Steve Lane is a freelance writer of informational websites on personal self-defense and home security products including high tech surveillance. He is one of the leading writers on home security and personal self defense products in the country.
He started "Self Defense Shop" in 2004 to help people prevent crime in their lives. "Self Defense Shop" is an Internet business specializing in hard to find and unique self-defense and home security products that help people protect themselves, their family, home and business. His website includes self defense products like pepper sprays, stun guns, personal alarms, and self defense training DVDs.
His business is poised to meet the needs of security conscious consumers who want to protect their families, home and business in increasingly dangerous times with growing crime rates.

Gender Bias - Women, Utilize Talent and Innovation to Move Beyond the Glass Ceiling!

2008-04-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

On the cover of the April 2008 issue of Condé Nast Portfolio Magazine, is a picture of a woman's ruby red high heel pitted against and unmistakably underneath the toe of a man's business shoe. The feature article is titled: "POWER WHO HAS IT. WHO DOESN'T? The surprising news about gender in the office"
This article, written by Harriet Rubin, was such a surprise to me. After all it appears that women have made so much progress. I was beginning to believe that my writing about breaking the glass ceiling was old news. Or am I right on target with this subject?
To me, in my gut, something in the last few years just didn't feel right. Everyone was trying to tell me "oh no, it's not a problem anymore, look at all these women in PINK magazine!" Still the issues continue to creep into my conscience mind. I continue to speak to anyone; anywhere I can about women facing the barrier of career success, facing the challenges of breaking the glass ceiling. I continue to write articles discussing that very subtle gender curtain.
Then, vindication! Condé Nast Portfolio Magazine features an article and substantiated evidence that supports what my gut is telling me.
When compared to their male counterparts, women are statistically in worse condition financially than they were in 2005. (The Bureau of Labor Statistics; Catalyst and Condé Nast Portfolio research) In 2006 women earned 78.7 cents for every dollar earned by men which represents a decline from the 79.4 cents on the dollar earned in 2005 and marking only a 5-cent increase since 1991.
Women in the board room have not faired that well either. From 1995 to 2005 there was a steady increase in board membership for women, but in the last three years the numbers are flat. Women only represent 14.8% of corporate board seats in the Fortune 500. Within the same Fortune 500, 234 companies were represented by 3 or more female officers in 2006 and only 64 companies did not have a single female officer. The 2007 stats show an alarming 31 companies dropping below three female officers, down to 203, while 10 companies were added to the list of companies with zero female officers. Female CEOs across the board have also lost ground with 29% representing their companies in 2006 and only 27.2% in 2007.
Since the inception of The U.S. Department of Labor Glass Ceiling Commission in 1991 significant progress in these areas occurred and appeared to be gaining momentum. Since the '90s the major news catching awareness of this issue appears to have died down, leaving most to believe that the issue has disappeared. This may be the actual reason for the slow down in progress. Less publicity leads to less awareness. When we look at the feature players such as Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, on the political front, and the CEOs of Avon, EBay and Xerox on the corporate front, everyone in Middle America begins to believe that the issue has disappeared. What remains are men and women in the day to day trenches who face a lack of true leadership. The system is void of the ability to assist both men and women as they attempt to improve their interactions, improve productivity and respect, work in an environment void of the sexism and void of the gender curtain in their path.
Today, I believe that it is a grass roots effort that will solve problems and create progress. It's what we do in the corporations inside and outside of the Fortune 500, to improve the working relationships, policies and paradigms of all management levels, which will change the landscape over the next ten years. If we continue on the current path, progress will be slow and as our Condé Nast author Harriet Rubin laments, 2081 will be the year that true parity will be achieved.
I for one do not want to wait that long. I believe there are mentors with tools to move us forward today. "A Woman's Ladder To Success is Paved with Broken Glass Ceilings" is one of those tools. Men and Women can discover the underlying causes for that subtle gender curtain to exist. Once you are aware, then the challenge is to apply this wisdom to your personal career and your company's future success.
It's time for an awakening. Women cannot rely on the old school rules to solve the crisis of stagnation. Women need to utilize actual talent and innovation to step away from the crowd and create awareness of their true potential. In the March/April 2008 issue of PINK Magazine, the editors found 15 female innovators within Corporate America. The article is enlightening, pointing to the innovative ideas of the likes of Irene Britt, VP and General Manager for Campbell Soup Co. who took the V-8 product from weak in 2005 to V-8 Fusion in 2007. It's innovation of this caliber that sets these 15 women apart from the rest of the corporate crowd.
Read PINK Magazine this month, read "A Woman's Ladder To Success" and combine your talents with your innovative skills and presence and create a new level of success in your career.

Mother's Day - Remember Mother's a Homemaker

2008-04-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

"A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take."
- Cardinal Mermillod
The crux of feminist theory is the concept of the family. The family is the building block of the society and social scientists over the ages have designated the role of holding this unit together on women. This has not gone down well with the fighters of women's rights. They have objected strongly to this as derogatory to the independence of the woman. They have also stressed on the necessary of economic independence for the woman to raise her voice against male oppression. In the modern age, women have been able to throw off the shackles to a large extent. However, if a woman herself chooses to stay at home and raise a family?
Female students have a general tendency to work after they complete their education. If someone chooses a family life within the confines of a home, her peers may take it to be a rather timid and obsolete choice. I feel it's the choice of the individual that matters. If she chooses to be a wife and mother at home, we cannot jeer at her decision. Nor must we feel that she lacks in ability to go out there and rub shoulders with the competitive, inconsiderate world.
A mother staying at home has to take stock of a lot of things. She makes sure that the family wheel stays well lubricated. She helps her husband and children go out for work or education. She keeps them well fed. She takes care of their things and makes sure they are there at hand when needed. She takes care of the bills and other expenditures. She takes care of the finances and plans her savings according to the income of the household. So she does everything that an office manager would be doing. The difference is tat she is doing it on a microcosmic scale, but that does not talk lowly of her efficiency.
There lies another difference too. She does it out of love. The problem arises if her family does not appreciate that love and caring. That is where feminists who are against women staying at home have a problem. The lack of economic independence does compromise her position. Mothers have it particularly difficult if the father is not responsible to the children. Many mothers stay put at home in a loveless marriage for the sake of their children just because they do not have the means to step out of the threshold of stability and security. She has to bear the consequences of not earning a living.
It is very difficult to conclude which path is the best for a mother. It depends on individual calling. Homemakers need not be totally devoid of earnings today. They can do a lot of free lancing work from home which will take care of their expenditures, even if their first priority is the family. What we can do is to empathize with our mothers who are homemakers as they deserve all the appreciation that you can possibly assimilate. What we can also do is respect the sacrifice of love that they have undergone to make us have a better life.
Dorothy Smith is the author of this article wants to send information about the events & special occasions. Want to know more about mothers day or mothers day cards. Celebrate Mothers Day by sending mothers day wishes and other love you mom cards.

Sagging Boobs! Why and What You Can Do to Help!

2008-04-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Saggy Boobs! Is It Inevitable? The Why and the Ways You Can Help Your Boobs Stay Young!
Are you boobs losing their perkiness? Is gravity your enemy? Do your breasts point south? Are you aging gracefully? How are your genetics? Does your mother sag? What can you do? Unless you are a flat chested woman, you will eventually sag. Enjoy your perkiness while you have it! Let your boobies stand at attention! Learn why you sag and how to prolong your perkiness.
Why the sag? Breasts do not have muscles. They have ligaments, connective tissue, fat, and of course outside skin. Gravity pulls down the ligaments and skin can stretch which leads to sagging. Heavy breasts create a more gravitational pull creating more dropping. Gaining and losing weight helps some breast fat disappear; however, skin and ligaments do not retract accordingly which leads to sagging. With normal aging, we loose elasticity of ligaments and skin; therefore, our girls go south. With normal aging, we also have increased softening of breast tissue which lead to breast sag. Pregnancy also helps increase our chances of sagging earlier. Our boobs get heavier, creating more gravity and lose of elasticity. More pregnancies increase the chances of boob droopiness. Plus after weaning a baby, milk-making systems in the breasts shrink because they are not needed anymore. This creates more sag.
What can we do to stay perky? Face it, there is not a lot we can do to prevent sagginess; however, we can prolong our youthful boobies. Diet is a plus. Try to maintain your weight. If you gain and lose weight, you start to droop quicker. You can also help your skin keep it's elasticity through proper diet. Vitamin C, Omega 3 oil, and Flax oil do wonders for skin elasticity. Do not smoke. Smoking takes away from skin elasticity. Maintain your exercise throughout your life in order to prevent a yo-yo weight effect.
Plastic surgery and botox can do a short term fix. Short breast lift will prevent sagging in the short term. With surgery, there are always health risks. Botox, short for Botulinum toxin, can be injected into pectoral muscles. It raises the breasts by forcing the shoulders back and improving posture. It does not have the dangers of surgery but the long term side effects are unknown because it is poisonous in high doses.
The easiest way and best way to prolong the sagging is with a bra. A good supportive bra is a must. Wearing a bra counters the gravitational effect. Bras hold the breast tissue and ligaments in place. The band and the straps provide the support needed to keep some breast weight from pulling downward. It is especially important to wear a good fit bra for big busted women. Big boobs create more weight on the breast tissue and ligaments. A supportive bra prevents those girls from pulling and jiggling. Sports bras are a must for high-impact activities. A proper sports bra can prevent the ligaments from stretching out during high impact activities. Bras are your friend. They will help delay the inevitable droop (flat-chested excluded). Make sure they fit well and provide the support needed for the activities you are engaged in.
Some people ask about wearing a bra when you sleep to prevent sagging. There are opposing views on this theory. Some believe that the bra industry invented this ideas to sell more bras. Several models wear bras in the sleep. They believe it will help preserve shape and perkiness. Most scientists believe it makes no difference whether you wear a bra to bed or not in regards to sagging. When you sleep, you are not moving very much and there is less gravitational pull. Many say to go braless when you sleep to allow for circulation and easy breathing. If you decide to wear a bra when you sleep, at least wear a soft cup bra. Any idea to prevent sagging is worth a try.
Sagging is a fact of life for almost all women at some point during their lives. Pregnancy, weight fluctuations, genetics, breast size, improper fitting bras, diet, and the softening of breast ligaments and the loss of breast tissue with age are some of the main reasons. You can choose to accept your droopy breasts along with wrinkles and gray hair or you can fight. You can do steps to preserve your perkiness. These steps include wearing proper fitting bras, maintaining your weight, trying supplements, and possibly using the help of a doctor. Let your boobs stay young as long as possible. Let them stand up for you. Put off the saggy boobs for as long as possible.
Susan Gilbert is the owner of Diva Bras, http://www.DivaBras.com - Our company has gone to numerous local and International trade shows. We have talked to fit experts from the following manufacturers and more: Chantelle, Le Mystere, Goddess, Fantasie, Freya, Enell, Aviana, Simone Perele, Panache.

Ladies, Should You Get Your Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Checked?

2008-04-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

Bone density, or how thick your bones are, is currently tested using a bone mineral density test (BMD). The World Health Organization (WHO) has established specific guidelines about what constitutes abnormal bone mineral density. These guidelines are based on how far off the patient's results are from those of the average healthy young woman, using something t scores. Osteoporosis is defined as a t score of less than -2.5, which corresponds to a marked degree of bone thinning. If you have a t score of less than -2.5, you are in the bottom 1% in terms of bone density. Osteopenia is bone thinning that is not as severe as osteoporosis, and is defined as t scores between -1.0 and -2.5. If you have a t score in this range that means that your bone density is so low that only 16% of women would have such a result. As bone thinning progresses you could go from having osteopenia to osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) recommends BMD testing for postmenopausal women who have a risk factor for osteoporosis (smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, weight less than 127 pounds, family history of osteoporotic fracture, or prior vertebral fracture), and all women over the age of 65.
I believe the logic of this measure is deeply flawed -- to judge older women by applying standards for young women doesn't make any sense. The t scores are calculated by comparing how much a woman deviates from the bone density of a healthy young woman. That's like having a 70 year old run a 100 yard dash against a 20 year old, and then if he loses, saying that the older man has a disease. Bone density normally declines with age, and therefore there is no reason to think that this is necessarily a cause for concern. Yet today if you have an abnormal BMD test, defined as a t score of greater than 2.5, the NOF guidelines include advice to "talk to your doctor" and provide a description of medications used to prevent fractures.
For example, if you are a woman who gets BMD testing and follows the WHO criteria, there is a 50% chance you will be diagnosed with osteoporosis at the age of 72 (t score less than -2.5), and a good chance your doctor will recommend medication treatment. Your risk of having osteopenia (t score less than -1.0), for which your doctor may recommend medication to "prevent" osteoporosis, is 50% by age 52. In other words, according to the guidelines, half of postmenopausal women should be taking medication for osteoporosis. However, as I show in the next section, recommendations for so many women to take bone medications don't make any sense.
Also, even though BMD predicts fracture, and medications increase BMD, that doesn't mean they necessarily prevent fracture (at least not the ones that cause loss of function or pain). This is the old A equals B and B equals C therefore A equals C. Osteopenia causes fracture, and medication reduces osteopenia, therefore medication reduces fracture. Right? Not exactly.
Normally there are two kinds of cells that regulate bone turnover, osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The osteoblasts are actively increasing bone by laying down calcium and phosphate. Osteoclasts, in turn, are chewing up bone on the other end. In young people there is a balance of these two activities. When you get older, however, osteoblast activity declines, and so your bones get thinner. Popular osteoporosis medications get in between the bone and the osteoclast and prevent the osteoclast from breaking down bone. This leads to an increase in bone mineral density.
But what doctors and drug makers often don't tell you is that the medications used to treat osteoporosis, which I discuss shortly, increase the laying down of calcium on the outer, cortical bone, which is more densely packed. The inner bone, called trabecular bone, is less dense, but forms a lattice like network that is more important for the strength of the bone. With aging there is a loss of trabecular bone, therefore there is less area for calcium to be laid down. Therefore calcium is preferentially laid down on the outer, cortical bone. This may increase your BMD score, but it won't necessarily reduce your risk of fracture. And there are some particularly nasty side effects to deal with, which I will discuss below.
The research studies don't show much benefit for women without a prior history of fracture, and any benefit goes away after a few years. Based on that I say don't get your BMD checked, and exercise, quit smoking, and do other things to prevent fractures instead. If you have a history of fracture you can talk to your doctor.

Sexy Panties - The Necessity For All Women

2008-04-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today, sexy panties range from bikinis to boy shorts to thongs and g-strings. Most women own a collection of sexy panties as a part of their basic wardrobes. However, today's panties are a relatively modern invention. Provided here is a guide to sexy panties through the ages.
LoinclothsThe loincloth is believed to have been the earliest form of clothing. In warmer climates, the loincloth was often worn as the only garment. In colder temperatures, however, the loincloth was generally worn as a protective under layer beneath heavier clothing. Both men and women wore loincloths, and the sole purpose is believed to have been comfort and protection, not sex appeal. Sexy panties had not yet been conceived.
MedievalIn the Middle Ages, both men and women wore a type of leggings known as braies. Again, the purpose was functional, not sexual. Chastity belts are often associated with the Crusades, but this appears to be largely a mythological connection. Chastity belts appeared during the Renaissance, but were often worn by women trying to guard against sexual assault rather than those with jealous husbands.
The Age of CorsetryDuring the Renaissance, the straight, boyish look of the medieval period gave way to styles that enhanced the woman's figure. During this time, women wore layers of clothing, but underpants were generally not part of the ensemble. Pantaloons or pantalettes, long underwear made of white linen, became popular during the late 19th century to protect against chafing under crinolines and provide modesty with shorter skirts. Although pantaloons were not designed to be sexy panties, some sex appeal was inherent.
The bustle was briefly popular during the 1880s. Designed to exaggerate the size and shape of the buttocks, the bustle was an early example of sexy panties' use in enhancing the body. However, the bustle itself, consisting of a padded frame, was anything but sexy.
BloomersIn many ways, bloomers could be considered the precursor to modern sexy panties. Popularized by young athletic women in the early 1900s, bloomers were available in both underwear and outerwear versions. They generally fastened just below the knee and were an evolution of earlier pantaloons.
The 1920sThe 1920s ushered in the age of the flapper. Flappers were outspoken and liberal, and bucked societal norms. The modern age of lingerie can be traced to the flappers of the 1920s. It was at this time that sexy panties were truly born.
The 1930s to TodayStyles have, of course, changed over the years. Along with changing fashions, the idea of what is sexy has also changed dramatically. Through the 1930s and 1940s, practicality was still highly emphasized. In the '50s, a playful sexuality emerged.
The sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s allowed women to wholeheartedly embrace their sexuality. During and after the sexual revolution, sexy panties became available in a wide range of styles. Today, bikinis, thongs and g-strings are especially popular.
Amanda Cotterill has been involved in the sexy lingerie uk market for many years. This article outlines the benefits of women choosing sexy panties as if that needed much explaining! Please include this credit if you use this article.

The Perfectionist Trap

2008-04-27T15:09:00.001-07:00

"Some women feel that they have to be perfect in everything they do at work. They want all of their work and all of their ideas to be brilliant," reports Carol Deutsch, a communications consultant in Asheville, N.C. Particularly in a new job, Deutsch adds, women often hold themselves up to an impossibly high standard of performance.
New jobs -- particularly when they are the result of a promotion -- can be overwhelming and often cause women to doubt their abilities to perform well. "So much to learn. So much expected. Maybe I made the wrong decision," we often lament.
"The person in a new position may interpret her lack of knowledge about the role to mean that she isn't qualified to perform," acknowledges Joan Harvey, Ph.D., in her book, If I'm So Successful, Why Do I feel Like a Fake? "She might even begin to believe she has misled her employer about her abilities. These feelings of being incompetent cause the person to try to be perfectionist. She doesn't want to make one little mistake because she thinks that will be people's clue to her tragic flaw."
The best way to avoid the perfectionist trap? Expect to make mistakes, and forgive yourself when you do. Also, don't be afraid or reluctant -- as women often are -- to ask for help or advice.
"When you move into a new position, seek advice from two types of people: those who have many years' experience in a job like the one you will be taking, and those who have recently made the transition," recommends Donna Hansen, former police chief of Fort Myers, Fla. "The best advice I got came from a police chief who told me, 'Go with your own style.' No one can really tell you to do this or that -- you have to be true to yourself and do things at your own speed. Moreover, it's important not to model behaviors you don't like or that don't feel right, because that's what ultimately ends up giving us ulcers, heart attacks, etc."
In summary, don't expect too much too soon -- either of yourself or your employees. Take time to take charge. Get to know the people you'll be working with. And realize that you will make mistakes, and they won't necessarily stain your reputation or dash your career aspirations. By handling top-priority tasks well and getting the word out to the right people, your occasional missteps will be overlooked. Learn to live with the mistakes you've made ... and learn to move on!
Best selling author Connie Glaser is one of the country's leading experts on gender communication and women's leadership issues. Her recently published book, GenderTalk Works, provides an upbeat guide to bridging the gender gap at work. A popular keynote speaker at corporate events, she can be reached at http://www.connieglaser.com

Different Variety of Women' Perfumes That Exist

2008-04-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

Most people do not know that there is different body chemistry and because of that there is the need of different womens perfume. By understanding this many women can buy scents and fragrances that are suited to them. If you like wearing perfume and you do not know anything about all the types of perfumes that exist then it will be interesting for you to continue reading this article.
Types of Womens Perfume
It is differentiated first in the type of scent that it has. There are various scents that are available and it will be important for the wearer to find the one that is appropriate. Perfumes can be defined as being floral, oriental, woody, and fresh or fougere. This is basically the materials that they are made from. Floral perfumes usually will have the scent of a flower, woody will have the scents of different woods and fresh scent is most of the time made from citrus. By understanding these basic things, users will be able to choose the most appropriate fragrance for them.
Different strength for womens perfume
The basic type of strength that exists is true perfume. This type consists of a concentration of at least twenty percent of aromatic oils and usually come in a small bottle which is normally beautifully designed. Using this type will make sure that you have the full essence of a fragrance and therefore a great aroma. Unfortunately this type is also the most expensive one.
Normally an eau de perfume, eau de toilette or eau de cologne should be appropriate for the average person. These types are made from reduced concentrations of essence. Usually they are cheaper and also available in large quantities making them quite affordable for women that are looking for a perfume that they could wear on a daily basis. Given their cheaper price, it can be interesting for women to buy different scents of these types so that they could change regularly.
Knowing the difference in women's perfumes
It takes time for a person to learn all the different aspects of this subject but taking this time should prove to be very useful. As you become more knowledgeable in the perfume brands and groups, it will be easy to determine the scents of just by looking at the labels. This can be helpful if you want to offer womens perfumes as gifts for example.
If you would like more information on what and where to buy Perfume and receive a FREE Newsletter on the subject visit the authors site http://www.perfumehelp.com

Stepping Into Your Beauty

2008-04-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

"Stepping into Your Goddess Beauty From the Inside Out"
One of the most powerful things we can do in life is to recognize our own amazing power in being a woman. Our beauty resonates from the inside-out giving us an inward and outward radiance that shines forth to the world. It has come a time for your goddess wisdom, purpose, and truth to shine magnificently! How powerful and empowering beauty can be in life as you awaken your true God given abilities to do all you can with all that you have been given.
Recognizing your own magic will allow for you to apply new thoughts, senses, actions, behaviors, love, gratitude, and wisdom to your daily life fulfilling your existence in ways you have only dreamed of revealing. Each one of us has a set of values from most important to least important. When you list them in order of importance from 1-7 in terms of Spiritual, Mental, Vocational, Financial, Familial, Social, and Physical, you will see where you concentrate most of your time from most to least important, to then understanding where your dedication and time are focused.
When we are seeking to discover our soul mate, once the infatuation is diluted, we see that if we flip our own value set upside down, we discover the one we are with and their set of values. Your uniqueness is most appreciated when you live as you are according to your own values. Give yourself permission to shine forth revealing the amazing woman that you are. We at times subordinate to others versus listening to our own inner voice or intuition. Intuition is your spirit within whispering to your heart your truth of loving the life you live. Allow yourself to get into the game of life and take every breath you can toward each victorious step in grasping your dreams. This is where you become congruent with your mission in life. Inner wisdom begins to project an outward glimpse of the Grand Organized Design.
I am graciously dedicated to the discovery of the magical and inspiring gifts of femininity that allow our physical being to thrive in human potential and opportunity, and also to survive in the realization that within every perceived crisis is a blessed gift. Be filled with radiant vitality and mental clarity for living your authentic self. Thank you for spending this time exploring your beautiful nature and how to access your greatest powers. Every woman is worthy of deserving her dreams. I've noticed woman need help and support to reawaken their allure of femininity, and the independent successes that they dream of....The Secret to The Beautiful You is the gift of our soul, resonating with the minds mastery and our shining beauty that illuminates our lives, as we are all stars of the universe....full of light for generations to follow. Live with bold genius, knowing that sweat and tears, failures and challenges, and our hearts greatest calling will bring forth our feminine power in success and love for impacting feminine legacies.
Meditate with a calm heart words that lift and inspire such as: "I am healthy" "I am focused" "Vision" "Inspired" "Grateful" "Love" "Energize" "I love who I am" "I am empowering" "I am beauty" "I am Grace" "I am There" "I am inspired" "I love and therefore am loved" "I do whatever it takes" "I am beautiful from the inside-out" !!

Baby Gift Ideas And Mommy Sense

2008-04-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

With another baby coming along, you think of tiny little things that would excite the mommies, too. But being a veteran of three children does not always assure that you have the best taste for baby gift sets and mommy advice. What if you're no mommy yet?
Mommy Sense
Mommies are supposed to know what's best for their babies. If you're no mom yet, think like a mom when you're getting a baby gift set for the newest member of the family. Here are some useful tips to remember before you invest your money in a memorable gift for the baby:
* Know the gender of the baby.* Go for hypo-allergenic pillows and stuffed toys.* Get practical gifts.* For baby toy chests, be sure the item is certified non-toxic.
Since babies cannot appreciate gifts yet, get baby gift sets that make the mommies smile with contentment. Sensible gifts like feeding bottles and blankets make the grade because moms can stretch budgets when it comes to baby things.
For your part, this shaves off the time you spend poring over store catalogues for gift items for toddlers and infants, checking non-toxic and no-choke items while looking at the price range. That's what mommies do when they get things for their precious babies, it is safety first and budget next.
Extra Special Gifts
Of course, the firstborn of your best friends are extra special babies. The moment of truth has arrived. Your friend is now a mommy and you're still hoping to be one. Remember those high school and college casual chitchats about having kids? You'll remember that she wanted something truly special to celebrate her womanhood and in the same breath welcome the baby to the world.
Choosing the right baby gift can be a taxing exercise when it's your first time to get something for a special baby and when the occasion calls for extra special gifts with a personal touch. It's ridiculously funny that first time baby gift givers are petrified or anxious about the task of getting the right gift when baby can't have a say at all.
How about the gift of time? Spend more of your free time with your friend until she is out of the hospital, cook her favorite meals, and have a quiet celebration with her family at the hospital.
Or, you can splurge for your baby gift ideas - an oil painting rendition of the baby, a packaged CD of his baby pictures at the hospital, or a tape of cool lullabies. Baby jewelry for the posh babies will elate the fashionista mommies.
For the baby's visual development, you can make black and red or red and white mosaics for his mobile. Infants, contrary to belief, are not attracted to pastel colored stuffed toys and decals. But show them stark colors like black and red, they'll follow the color. So give them black, white, and red geometric visual treats, and they learn to focus and pay attention to details.
Or, you could a parenting CD for the first time parents who cannot make heads or tails of their roles when the baby is colicky, having tantrums, or bored. That would welcome the baby best to this stressed-out world. These baby gift ideas would be more than welcome.

Christian Dior Addict Perfume - A Great Success

2008-04-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Perfume has evolved a lot from the usage that was made of it from the ancient civilization. In the past perfume was used as a religious offering and it is thought that Cleopatra succeeded in winning over the Roman by using fantastic perfume. This idea of winning over new territories and new people is behind the creation of the Christian Dior addict perfume. This perfume has got a reputation of helping people to win over a partner.
Christian Dior addict perfume: Influence your man
If you are a woman and you want to win your man over then you should look no further. This is the one that you need. With it exciting perfume and fragrance it will surely help you in this delicate task. Although there are a lot of new perfumes coming onto the market, staying with a tried and tested name such as Dior should be a good idea if you want to win your man over.
There are various Christian Dior addict perfume on the market and you should take your time to find the one that is suited to you. You can choose among the floral, flowery, aldehydic, citrus, green, oriental, soft-oriental and also woody and watery categories. In the range there are also some excellent oriental fragrances that will provide a definite exotic touch and will particularly suit people that are looking for new experiences.
Christian Dior addict perfume usually carries a fresh smell such as the greens and pines and should be ideal to wear in the great outdoors. Also the sporty fragrance should provide a natural feel that will suit a lot of people. Another example of this type of perfume from Dior is the Christian Dior Poison perfume.
Christian Dior addict perfume is synonymous with floral fragrances. Although any other brand could have their own floral based perfume, perfumes from Dior truly embody the freshness that is obtained from floral fragrances. Another good example is the Christian Dior J'Adore perfume that has a mixture of floral notes and should please a variety of people with its jasmine and rose smell.
In the future if you are going to buy a perfume then you should really consider the name of Christina Dior. This designer is well renowned for the quality of its perfume and you should always trust them. Christian Dior addict perfume enjoys good reputation throughout the world and is well trusted by a lot of people. So there must be no reason that you do not trust it.

Fusion Hair Extensions

2008-04-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hot fusion is the method of hair extensions that uses a heat clamp to attach extension hair with keratin glue on the end to your natural hair. This method lasts up to four months, and may last even longer. It is recommended to use Remy virgin Indian hair which is the best possible and what I personally use for my clients, but often salons and beauty supply stores will sell hair that claims it is real hair, but is actually hair off the floor at barber shops, and throwaway hair that is dipped in a chemical bath, then coated with silicone to feel soft. However, the silicone coating sheds away after about 2 shampoos. Then, you are left with the throwaway hair attached to your head.
Many people with thinning hair think that there is no way to be saved, BUT THERE IS! Cold fusion or microlinks is a new extension method that is not offered by many. It is ideal for women with very thin or fine hair because the bonds are about as small as a grain of rice, and they barely weigh down your hair at all. This method also uses no heat, and lasts just as long as hot fusion. The only downside to this method is the higher price. The fusion method is 100x better than tracks because there is less glue, you can wash your hair as normal, and it is comfortable to wear.

How to Look and Feel Fabulous One Step at a Time

2008-04-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

Easy Steps to Feel and Look Fabulous.
Sometimes we complain we don't look beautiful any more and our skin is loose but, ladies, look into the mirror with a smile and you will see a gorgeous young woman again, am I right? Well, maybe we need a little bit of makeup and better light, so what? We are what we think about ourselves and what we believe in. And the most important: we always have to remember that we are unique. We have our own bio-individuality, our own blood type, our own body type, our own personality type. And we always can start over and become a healthier and better person. We also have to be strong and take responsibility for our own health, because if we don't take care of ourselves, who will?
There are some easy steps to start with, some easy steps to start feeling healthier and look better:
1. Drink more water. Water should be purified and not from the plastic bottles or containers. How much water do we need? It depends on your bio-individuality.
2. Eat the right foods.
Fiber. The indigestible parts of fruits, nuts, whole grains, beans and vegetables sweep toxins from your body and slow the speed at which your body absorbs sugars from food.
Healthy fats. Omega-3 fatty acids improve the metabolic function of every cell in your body, primary by reducing the inflammation. Increase your intake of fish, walnuts and ground flax seed. Olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties too.
Fruits, vegetables and spices. Eat fruits and vegetables as snacks and use spices-cinnamon, turmeric, garlic liberally. Try to eat more organic fruit and vegetables or at least from local farmers markets. To eat healthy means not only to eat small portions but also to eat better quality food.
3. Chew properly. To get started in the habit of chewing correctly, try counting the chews in each bite, aiming for 30 to 50 times. It helps if you put your fork down between bites. If under pressure at meals, take deep breaths, chew, and let the simple act of chewing relax you. Taking the time to chew will help you to enjoy the whole spectrum of tastes and aromas that make up the meal.
4. Exercise/Sweat. Any form of exercise helps. But don't forget to sweat - detox/clean up your system. Pesticides, chemicals from manufacturing, and metals such as mercury and lead from air, water and food circulate in the blood and wind up in body fat. The solution: sweat. Your body excretes toxins and waste in perspiration. Regular exercise should make you sweat (which is good for weight loss), but so will saunas and hot baths. Losing weight gradually -not crash dieting-will also help you prevent your blood stream from becoming a toxic dump.
4. Breathe. Cortisol, the hormone your body produces when you are stressed, increases your appetite and promotes inflammation. To reduce cortisol levels and normalize your metabolism, you must relax. Mind/body practices like yoga and tai chi can help reduce stress. But breathing is also effective. You have to be conscious of your breath for a few minutes every day. It relaxes and detoxifies your body.
6. Cook at home. The food we take into our mouth goes into our stomach where it gets digested and eventually assimilated into the bloodstream. Our blood is what creates our cells, our tissues, our organs, our skin, our hair, our brains and our thoughts and feelings. Learning to cook high quality food for yourselves and those you love can change everything.
Too much? I don't think so. One step at a time can help us to be healthier and happier. Let's start thinking about what we can do to feel and look better, no matter how old we are.
Irina Wardas is a founder of NaturalCounselor.com and works with women who have stress or weight management issues and are experiencing increased appetite, mood swings, insomnia and lack of energy. As a Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor, she helps her clients get healthier and happier naturally in a step-by-step enjoyable way for long lasting results. She works around food choices and lifestyle alternatives.

Write. Submit. Get Published.

2008-04-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

If you don't write, you can't submit. If you don't submit, you can't get published.
It might sound simple, silly even, but how many of us keep telling ourselves that we're going to write a book one day? Some day. When we have more time. When the kids are grown. When life doesn't demand quite so much of our attention.
Here's a newsflash: there is no such time. When I was in University, earning my English Literature degree, I couldn't wait to have a real job. I thought it meant I'd have more free time to myself. "Self," I said. "Just imagine coming home from work and being able to do whatever you want. No more exams to study for. No more Shakespeare to read. It'll be pure heaven!"
At this point, I can hear the lot of you with day jobs snickering. I now know how naïve I was. Having a day job means I spend fifty hours a week at work instead of the fifteen I was spending at school. Then I have to come home and spend time with my poor, neglected husband. And let's not even talk about chores. Those are still not getting done.
Bottom line: writing wasn't likely to happen unless I made it happen. So, I made a list of goals. Each day's goals are different, that way I can challenge myself and not feel like I'm stuck in a repetitive rut. I'm not proud to admit that I don't meet my goals most days, but that's okay. At least I try. And the book's getting written one word at a time.
But what if you have your novel / novella / short story written, and you don't submit it? Maybe you think it's not polished or professional enough. Maybe you think no one will like it. Or maybe you're simply afraid of rejection. These are all very good reasons, in your mind, not to submit your story to a publisher.
Newsflash number two: if you don't submit, you'll never get published. Ever. Publishers aren't mind readers. They don't know that you've written the next bestseller unless you show it to them, sell it to them. Yes, that means putting yourself out there, subjecting yourself to the inevitable rejections. And that's okay, too.
Join some writing groups, online or in your home town, the venue doesn't matter. What does matter is the support and the friendships you can form. Knowing that you're not alone, that there are many of us who put ourselves through this every day can encourage even the shyest writer.
So write. Submit. Get published.
I, for one, can't wait to read your work.

Older Women, Younger Men, and our Fascination with Them

2008-04-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

There’s a reason Sex and the City is so popular. Women everywhere are learning to celebrate being single and to stop judging themselves on the nature of their marital status. This new trend is fairly recent, but being single has finally become a distinction to be proud of. That’s not to say that women in committed relationships are missing out on this experience (we’ve all been single at some point), but whether you’re currently part of a couple or not, being single is no longer equated with being desperate, nor do single women rush to the altar at the first prospect of a long-term relationship.
There are, of course, the classic reasons while single women should rejoice: you don’t have to fight for remote control ownership, nor do you have to wash smelly socks and smellier underwear. You can control your own finances, and if you want to go on a shopping spree, you don’t have to hide the receipts and the clothes in the back of the closet. You can hog the bed, and all the covers. You can drool over Hugh Jackman and Johnny Depp without worrying about making anyone jealous. And you don’t have to fake an orgasm. Ever.
But there has to be more to it than that. What about the freedom of being unattached? Single women can go out with whomever they want, as often as they want, for as long as they want. And we’re not even necessarily talking about men. They can hang out with their girlfriends every night ‘till three in the morning without having to explain themselves when they get home.
And yes, there is the freedom to date as well, and the ability to enjoy the experience. Being careful and safe is still at the top of a single woman’s list of priorities, but that doesn’t mean she can’t have a blast. She can have dinner with a different charming man every weekend, or (lets face it), jump into bed with him, only to dish about the experience with her girlfriends the next day.
And for those of us who are in happy committed relationships, there’s always the thrill of hearing about the latest romantic mishaps from our single pals. We can always count on our single friends to brighten our days with their tales of romantic woe or incredible amorous adventures.
A single woman in today’s society must possess courage: the courage to go out there, have her heart broken, then do it all over again. She has the freedom to be independent, to choose, and to experiment. And when she does find the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, she’ll have a wealth of knowledge to aid her in making that relationship last.

Life As A Juggling Woman

2008-04-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

When we moved 6000 miles away from our families 22 years ago, I certainly never imagined I would be working in the business my grandfather established way back when. Way back when ... there was no internet, no low cost international telephone service, no e-mail, and no digital photography. My children are grown up now, and theoretically I COULD leave the house and find outside employment, but I have now chosen not to take that path. This time the decision is a calculated one.
Throughout my family's childhood and teen years, I solved the "where to be first issue" by working from home. My hard-earned M.Sc. degree in Human Resource Administration was shelved - although I would like to think I applied some of the key principles to running our in-house human resources. As a fluent English speaker in a foreign country, armed with the latest computer equipment in my own home when computers were fairly new even in offices, I opened an English-language word processing business out of a corner of my living room.
My clients came from the nearby academic centers and new hi-tech industry park. As word processing became more sophisticated, I moved on to desktop publishing and was soon creating books, brochures, and journals. I attended seminars, read the literature and soon expanded my services to offer copywriting and marketing communication. Over the years my portfolio grew and I felt a special frisson whenever I saw a company with my marketing material succeed.
All the while, the children were growing up, and although often pressured from the deadlines and demands of not one boss, but many -- as is the plight of the independent business person -- I was able to "be there" for them and participate in school and club events.
Over the years, I co-authored a book, established, published and wrote an online magazine with two women partners, and with them also built an online business. All this while, my children graduated high school, served in the army, traveled abroad, returned, left home, returned, had a baby, worked abroad, returned, got a girlfriend (who knows? he doesn't tell me anything...), and we built a house. Now I have a fabulous corner office looking out on the garden and my husband has his own sanctuary upstairs.
And then my father surprised me during a routine touch-base telephone call, which he later backed up with an e-mail note. "I've been thinking... Maybe you see a way to use the internet for our business? Is there a way you could direct something like that?"
Well, blow me away. I just happened to be at a crossroads. My husband was preparing to set out on a two-week long male-bonding trek in the Himalayas, I was recuperating from a torn miniscus operation, my son was nearing the end of his army duty, the downturn in high tech and in tourism had negatively effected my bottom line, I cherished drop in visits to my little granddaughter, and I needed an opportunity I could sink my teeth into.
When Joel headed east to trek, I headed west to create a new interface to a 90-year-old family business, Maurice Goldman Fine Jewelry.
Over the last eight months, the learning curve has been steep. Within 2 weeks of opening our eBay store, the fraudsters were running rampant.
David Bloom wrote in from Cremona, Italy, with ready cash for a $20,000 sapphire ring, and a strong recommendation that we use an escrow service to protect him from losing his hard earned cash. It's true that he never spoke about protecting us from losing our hard earned merchandise... At the eleventh hour, well, actually at 8 AM in my pajamas in front of the computer screen, with the aid of my calm and analytical husband, I avoided our first theft in the virtual world. We learned that not all escrow sites are created equal, and that the one our "customer" "recommended" was a fraud. In his last e-mail note to me, Mr. Bloom lamented that the site was phony, and that he had just suffered a loss of $20,000. Couldn't we have told him sooner?(!)
Other would-be sales included stolen credit cards (this is apparent when the buyer suggests that you take MORE money than you the posted sales price to cover charges), more fraudulent escrow sites, money transfer deals, and a bank check swindle. As Joel points out, the crooks are always a step ahead.
My work vocabulary has grown exponentially, as has my respect for the business world in general, and my father in particular. Our business issues are the same: to source new products, to market and sell to a growing customer base, and to avoid theft and fraud. But whereas my Dad deals with the real world, my business is virtual. I find the global reach of the virtual world tremendously satisfying and very neat. Customers tell us that our online presence means they can acquire goods otherwise unavailable in their small towns. So here I am in Israel, promoting and selling jewelry that is in New York, to customers around the world, without leaving the house. The process of building and handling the internet extension of our family business, and combining family, home and business brings me full circle. My cup runneth over.

"Your Perfect Partner"

2008-04-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

A woman we'll call "Jane" thought she was a great "catch" and a "perfect partner" but she wondered why her relationships always seemed to fail.
Here's what she wrote to us--
"I dated men of various ages and cultures but all my relationships ended up in disaster. I constantly searched, hoping for love to come my way. Then I started reading your newsletters. I carried a lot of personal baggage from my past and set unrealistic standards and expectations for my lovers hoping they would fail because I was afraid to fail. I was afraid they would hurt me and disappoint me, so I made sure I would be in control when they did."
In this situation, Jane has an incredible opportunity in front of her. She can continue as she has been, being fearful and attracting people who will disappoint her or she can learn from what she has discovered about her patterns from the past.
It's been our experience that we attract the people into our lives who show us what we need to heal within ourselves, new possibilities for the future, and the contrast of what we want and don't want in our lives.
We take the rather contrarian view that there are no relationship mistakes or failures and only opportunities to heal, learn, grow and experience joy.
Even though "Jane" thought her relationships were failures, each one was actually another chance to become more emotionally aware of what was going on inside her, what she wanted for her life and to give her an opportunity to heal and create new ways to do it differently.
What we have found is that we keep attracting the same type of person, not just intimate partners, and experiences into our lives until we heal the past and "do it differently."
Otto's car is a black Buick Century with leather seats. He's very hot natured and since we live in Ohio where the summers are very hot and humid, he suffers in his "hot" car. He loved the way the car looked on the showroom floor, but his day-to-day experience has given him a powerful lesson of what he doesn't want in a car. As you can imagine, he's made a clear intention through the power of contrast that his next car will not be black or have leather seats.
He had an opportunity to learn this lesson when he was 18 years old and drove a black Ford Pinto station wagon with no air-conditioning to Tampa, Florida at the beginning of August. He swore then as he sat in traffic with sweat dripping onto the steering wheel that he'd never have another black car.
Obviously, he hadn't learned this lesson so he needed to bring another black car into his experience.
The point is that Otto has finally learned from this valuable experience and will do it differently the next time, although he really likes a lot about his current car.
This story is an example of coming to an awareness of what you want and what you don't want and of learning from past experiences that are not "failures" but are opportunities for expansion and growth.
Please don't misunderstand us and think that we are recommending that because you don't like something about your current partner or job that you "throw them away" and get another "model."
What we are recommending is that you take the opportunity to become emotionally aware, like "Jane" did, as much of the time as possible. Decide that you deserve to have a great relationship and a great life, whatever that means to you.
We are inviting you to learn from the past and the power of contrast so that you can begin creating the life you want.
Here are some ideas to help you...
1. Whenever something is important to you, don't stuff it down and pretend it doesn't matter. Have the courage to share it with your partner.
2. Accept responsibility for your part in past relationships that haven't worked out the way you wanted them to work out. Look for reoccurring patterns that will show you where you need to heal.
3. Know that there's no such thing as failure in relationships, only experiences that you may not have enjoyed.
4. Embrace the idea that no matter what has happened in your relationships up until now, the future can be different.
So in a sense, each person who comes into our lives is "the perfect partner" for us if we use these experiences that we have with them to heal, learn and grow.

Skincare Tips for "All Skin Types"

2008-04-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

These all around tips are for everyone! It doesn't matter if you have oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, normal skin or even sensitive skin; all of these tips will work for you.
To minimize wrinkles, sleep on your back. When you sleep on your back, the effect of gravity on your skin is minimal. Besides, when your face is pressed against a pillow, you wake up to more puffiness.
Do Not go outside without sunscreen, even if it is for a short period of time, or on a cloudy day. This is absolute Best thing that you can possibly do to prevent wrinkles.
If your skin has a tendency to break out or get bumps, it could be your detergent. Try using with no dyes or perfumes.
No matter what your skin type is, the best cleanser is one that is water-soluble. For it to be truly water soluble, it should be able to be removed easily by splashing, and not wiped off with a wash cloth. Wash clothes can cause irritation to the skin. It should not leave a greasy residue, nor cause any irritation or dryness, nor burn your eyes.
To refresh your face after a long day, spritz some mineral water on it. You can also use a light spritz to set your makeup.
Warm skin absorbs ingredients in your products better. Make sure that your skin isn't cold. If so, apply a warm towel to your face.
If you use an alpha hydroxy acid, let it dry thoroughly before applying moisturizer. This will maximize the effectiveness of the AHA.
Be careful not to use an exfoliant or scrub to often. It can lead to irritation. For dry skin, 1-2 times per week is enough. For oily skin, 2-3 times per week is enouh.
All makeup lasts longer and looks better if you apply it to slightly moist skin. Dry patches alter the distribution of pigment. Before applying foundation, mist your face with water and pat with a tissue. You want it to be be slightly damp, not drenched.
My final and I feel most important tip: What you do today to take care of your skin will determine how young and healthy it will look five and ten years from now.

How to Attract a Man (Who Will Make You Happy for the Rest of Your Life!)

2008-04-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

"It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it."--Somerset Maugham
An educated, successful, and attractive woman (we’ll call Jane) reports that she “really wants to get married.” When asked what she’s looking for in a husband, her response is a blank stare. She just wants a husband, she says. She’s already picked out her engagement ring.
Most of her friends are married or getting married, and she’s sick of her mother’s weekly calls announcing the weddings of her grammar school classmates. She’s tried speed dating and singles’ dances. She’s made plans for drinks, only to endure the humiliation of being stood up more than once. She’s had blind dates, which invariably end with her getting out of some man’s car and hoping he’ll call again. He usually doesn’t, and she wonders what is wrong with her. She never considers whether she even liked the guy.
She has made marriage her goal. She may achieve it one day, but she’d be so much better off if she made a happy marriage her goal. She must rub the vision of herself in a Vera Wang wedding dress out of her mind. First, she must determine the qualities she desires in a husband, and also exactly what she expects from marriage. Otherwise, she could end up with the wrong man. The consequences range from a life of misery to death at the hands of an abuser.
Another woman (we’ll call Pat) has been married for twenty years. Her husband buys himself presents for her birthday, like the soap dish and wine glasses he wanted but she didn’t. More insultingly, he gave her Dr. Laura’s new book, The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands.
He has a rotten temper. Once, he threw their toddler’s Barney furniture off the back deck and smashed it into pieces because it cluttered the kitchen.
Pat complains that her husband monitors her spending relentlessly. He pitched a fit when she spent $2.95 on a pencil sharpener. He decides when the heat and air conditioning can run and at what temperature. One brutally hot day, he screamed at her for having the audacity to turn on the ceiling fan without his permission.
Pat maintains that her children love their father, but they don’t like him. They steer clear of him whenever possible, especially since his method of punishment is to lock them in a room and make them listen to Dr. Laura.
She and her husband both have good jobs, but she is “much better educated” than he. So, how did she get stuck with this creep?
Pat met him when she was 23. He was 29 and from another part of the country, which made him seem worldly. She was so flattered to be with an older guy, so caught up in having fun, that she forgot to take account of his values.
“He used to talk about how his grandfathers ruled the roost,” she says. “All the women in their family were beholden to their husbands. He even used to tell me the things his grandfather would do to his grandmother.”
This man told her flat-out that his family diminished women, but she was having too good a time to let it sink in. Twenty years later, she’s depressed, frightened, and unhappy. She has no self-confidence. Even though she has a good job, she is terrified to go it alone without her husband. She’s a prisoner.
Unless Jane raises her standards, she may find herself in Pat’s situation one day. She must stop being desperate. She should make a list of the good qualities she has to offer and read it whenever she starts to feel bad about not being married. She should make a list of the qualities she desires in a husband (“kind” should trump “rich”). Reading this list several times a day will help her attract men with these qualities.
She must stop viewing every guy she dates as a potential husband. She must observe a man coolly, rather than cling to him as if he’s the last bus out of the depot.
It’s critical that she listen carefully when a man talks about other women. Does he look up to his mother, or is does she still make his bed? Does he treat his sisters with respect, or is their main purpose in life making the potato salad? How does he talk about the women in his office? If his boss is female, does he resent her?
It’s key to see how he behaves among other men, as well. Is he always playing “top it” with the bigger car, the bigger TV, or the bigger whatever? If so, Jane should tread carefully. He’s insecure. Eventually, he’s going to take it out on her.
Women can learn much about a man by the way he drives. Does he tailgate? Does he weave in and out of traffic, or is he respectful of other motorists? Does he drive considerately in residential neighborhoods, or does he blaze through? Does he toss burger wrappers out the window at stoplights, or does he treat public property as he would his own?
It doesn’t matter whether Jane is 17 or 65. She must never make excuses for a man’s bad behavior because he might be her last chance. She must shut off the brainwashing machine. No woman ever has to get married! The single life can be fun and full of adventure. No woman should ever give that up for the wrong man. Marriage does not always equal happiness. Marriage does not always equal success.
But, if Jane plays her cards right, it could. Once she raises her standards for the men she’ll go out with, better men will appear. (This is a promise.) She won’t have to jump through hoops to find dates. The losers, abusers, and No-Show Joes she used to put up with will disappear. They’ll sense that she’s out of their league.
Jane will be on her way to finding not just a husband, but also a man who makes her happiness as important as his own.
Terry Hernon MacDonald is the author of How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams (Even if You're Not Rich, Thin, or Beautiful).

How to Be a Great First Date (and Get a Second!)

2008-04-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, you’ve scored a date with a sexy somebody for Saturday night, and you’re terrified you’re going to blow it. Don’t worry; if you follow these tips, you’ll do just fine. The bonus? None of them involves getting plastic surgery or renting a Jaguar for the evening.
1. The key to being a great date is to love yourself. Nothing is more attractive than an individual who regards himself highly. It doesn’t matter of you’re short, fat, bald or hairy in all the wrong places. You’ve heard the maxim, “You can’t love somebody until you love yourself,” and it’s true, but nobody else is going to love you until you love yourself, either. Self-love attracts love like a magnet.
2. Resolve to be yourself and only yourself. Don’t tell me you’re not interesting enough, good-looking enough, smart enough. Ask yourself: Do you want your date to like you for somebody you are or for somebody you aren’t? Right. Now, be yourself, and understand that maybe your date will like you and maybe he or she won’t. Either way, you’ll live. I promise.
3. Visualize quiet confidence. For several days before your date, visualize yourself sitting with him or her and feeling calm, cool, and attractive. Really feel it! See, hear, and feel yourself laughing easily. Feel yourself smiling. Practice this while you’re waiting to order your coffee in the company cafeteria. Do it in the Laundromat. Feel it until it feels real.
4. Make a list of all the things you have going for you. A great sense of humor? Compassion? Beautiful teeth? Are you an executive at an up-and-coming company? Write down your desirable qualities and read the list several times a day. Let it sink in. Knowing what makes you special will give you confidence and an inner glow on the big night.
5. Now that you know what makes you wonderful, keep it to yourself. No need to turn the date into an infomercial: Avoid mentioning that you’re considered the unofficial mayor of your town because you’re so popular. Don’t brag about how you trounced Texas Tess in the chili competition. Allow your date to make little discoveries about you. Trust him or her to see that you’re an excellent catch.
6. View your shortcomings as positives. A healthy person will be drawn to you despite the fact that you drive a 1987 Chevette, as long as you’re kind, considerate, and funny. If you’re ten pounds overweight, there are people who will find you sexy because they’ll perceive you as being slightly indulgent. If you’re a man who’s balding and consider it a disadvantage, decide to make it an advantage. Many women see a disappearing hairline as a sign of virility.
7. Have reasonable expectations of the other person. What’s more revolting than a paunchy guy who expects his girlfriend to look like Paris Hilton? Or, a woman in a dead-end job who turns her nose up at the guy driving the 1987 Chevette? If you want to find somebody who will like you for you, be sure to return the favor.
8. Don’t stereotype. All women are not desperate to get married. All men do not fear commitment. Purge your noggin of the nonsense the media have fed you about the opposite sex. Look your date in the eye and treat him like a human being, not like somebody you must manipulate. Treat your date as you would have him or her treat you. You will be successful beyond your wildest dreams.
9. Remember, it’s a date, not a job interview. Don’t view this person as a potential spouse. Remove the pressure. See him or her as an acquaintance you’d like to turn into a friend. That’s it. Break the ice with a compliment, but avoid making overly personal remarks like, “Wow, you look hot in those pants.” Something non-threatening like, “Nice shirt,” works well because it conveys that you think your date has good taste!
10. Stay away from sex. I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman, sex on the first date is bad news. Don’t even think about it! Having sex on the first date sets up all sorts of weird and uncomfortable expectations. Furthermore, you could end up with a deadly disease. Hit the sheets only after you’re sure you’re both healthy, and that you actually like the other person. It makes for much better sex.
11. Accept the possibility that you’ll be rejected. Maybe you and your sexy somebody will hit it off. Maybe you won’t. When I was single, I often reminded myself that even Bruce Springsteen (the biggest, sexiest rock star of the time) faced rejection by the opposite sex at one time or another. So have Britney Spears, Brad Pitt, and all the other luminaries we’ve been trained to envy. Everybody faces rejection. Everybody. Not just you!
After the date is over, decide whether you’d like to see this individual again. Stop fretting that you didn’t make a good enough impression and ask yourself if you even liked him or her. Review the evening dispassionately. Is he or she someone you would choose for a friend? Did you feel good around this person?
If not, it’s probably best to move on.
If the answer is yes, proceed accordingly.
Terry Hernon MacDonald is the author of How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams (Even if You're Not Rich, Thin, or Beautiful).

How to Dress for an Interview

2008-04-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

The dress code in most organizations is as different as the organization itself, so it is impossible to find an outfit that will work well in all interviews. What should you do? Do some investigating and find out how the employees dress and follow their lead but dress just slightly better.
Wear business-like attire, avoiding flashy colours, bold prints, logos and keep jewelry to a minimum. Wear clothes in which you feel comfortable and don't wear skirts that will ride up when you sit. Carry a nice attaché case or folder to hold your resume and examples of your work.
Before you leave home check yourself in a full length mirror and have one last look for rips, runs in stockings (take an extra pair just in case you get a run along the way) and buttons that are about to fall off. A few extra points:
1. Wear a fashionable suit or dressy tailored separates. Make sure they fit well and don't remove the jacket during the interview (don't laugh, I saw this happen).
2. Prepare your clothes for the interview the night before and try it on. Don't leave anything to chance.
3. If you are not wearing a jacket but choose to wear something more casual long sleeves are a must. Sleeveless garments should not be worn in a work environment and certainly not for an interview.
4. Never go without hosiery and don't wear sandals.
5. It has been said that you can look at a person's shoes and determine how wealthy they are - it seems shoes are the last investment. For an interview or business, wear shoes with a closed toe and closed heel and keep them polished without nicked heels or scruffy toes.
6. Pay attention to your hair. A stylish haircut is essential to a professional image.
7. Carry yourself with confidence; stand tall with your shoulders back. Portray a successful image by paying attention to details - tastefully applied makeup, the best garments you can afford and being prepared for the interview.
When you are prepared for the interview, which means knowing the job you have applied for, knowing your resume and how you fit that job, your self-confidence will become apparent. Taking care of how you look will give you one less thing to worry about so you can concentrate on selling your skills.
Don't forget to smile!!

Dating Tips for the Shy Woman

2008-04-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Dating can be an absolute nightmare for shy people. You want to meet the right person, but you’re too scared to do anything about it.
Introductions—sticking out one’s hand and looking another person in the eye—can be terrifying. The brain locks up as you scramble to think of something relevant to say. You fall apart as soon as you’re asked what you do for a living. You stammer. The heat rises in your face and under your arms. You’re suddenly incapable of forming a grammatical sentence. You think to yourself, “Why would anyone care about me? I’m really not that interesting!”
Fear not. Many shy people have succeeded in meeting new people and forming lasting, happy relationships. With a little practice, you can too. Here are some tips for taming your social terror.
1. Prepare a pitch. The question, “So, Sally, what do you do for a living?” is bound to come up, so have a ready answer. No need to brag about capturing the company Tidy Break room Award; just state clearly what you do for a living and don’t apologize for it!
2. Ask questions. People love to talk about themselves (okay, except for people like you), so ask questions. Come up with a list before you leave the house, i.e., How did you get into that line of work? Where did you go to school? Have you seen the new Brad Pitt movie? And so on.
3. When you fumble, turn the subject to the other person. Whenever you find yourself longing to throw a blanket over your head and crawl off, try saying something like “And what about you?”
4. Listen to what the other person is saying! This is important. Instead of fretting about what you’ll say next, still the wheels of your mind and listen. If a man tells you about his weekend on the golf course, and you know absolutely nothing about golf, just ask him what he likes about it, how he got into it, etc.
5. Smile. People respond well to people who smile. No need to grin like an idiot, but a disarming smile will get ‘em every time. Smiling conveys friendliness and approachability. Show teeth whenever possible. Avoid looking like a figure at a wax museum by practicing in a mirror before you leave the house.
6. Breathe. Whenever you feel your heart racing, breathe deeply and slowly. If you really start to feel uncomfortable (your face has become so hot you could use it for a wok), excuse yourself and go to the restroom.
7. Compliment the other person. Sincerity is key, so find something you like and mention it. You may be freaked out by the idea of complimenting a man on his soulful eyes, so mention his watch, suit, tie, or even his shoes. No need to go overboard: “Nice shoes,” will do it.
8. Stay on top of current events. You don’t necessarily want to bring up your stand on Bush v. Kerry during a first meeting, but be able to discuss less controversial issues intelligently.
9. Remember the weather! Some people have the “gift of gab,” the ability to make strangers feel like they’ve known them forever. They are fearless about talking about the weather, gas prices, whatever. Shy people worry that talking about mundane things will make them appear stupid. But seemingly dull subjects like the weather affect everybody. People relate to them.
10. Hold your head up. It’s the simplest, most effective way to look confident. Good posture, coupled with that fabulous smile of yours, gives you a “winner’s vibe.” You’re guaranteed to be a hit!
Be warned: These tips will not help you if you don’t leave the house. It’s just too easy to watch a Friends rerun for the umpteenth time instead of meeting people, but I promise you that Prince Charming is never going to climb through your bedroom window.
Talking to strangers can be uncomfortable, but with practice it will surely get easier. If you have a bad night, congratulate yourself for making the effort. When you have a good night, understand that you earned it. Know that countless wonderful nights are on their way to you.

Arguments - The Losing Side of a Relationship

2008-04-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

Arguments - The losing side of a relationship -In the 34 years that I have been doing psychic counseling, it is only in the past 10 years that I have been involved with couples counseling. One thing I have noticed with many couples, whether those couples are a man and a woman, two women, or two men, is that there is often a lack of real and meaningful communication. This lack of communication causes small conflicts to become heated arguments where issues are not resolved because both partners are trying to make their points and are not even listening to what the other person has to say. Nothing can ever be resolved when one person raises his or her voice with what only appears to the other person to be demands. The effect of this is that the other person feels as if they are being scolded like a parent scolds a child and this causes the person to close up in a defensive posturing attitude where they don't listen to what the other person is saying. This intensifies the problem because when the person who is relating the problem area in their life feels that they are being shut out, or ignored, by their partner there is no meaningful dialog which allows a resolution to be achieved. The only resolution to the problem is for one or both partners to bring the subject up again, which might only create the same result. Instead of being resolved this issue now smolders like a hot ember, and this can make for an emotional forest fire!
The way I try to resolve issues like this is to teach couples how to discuss issues instead of just yelling and having the entire situation turning into World War III. There are several steps couples can take to have a good, open, and loving discussion, and to reduce the friction in their relationship by learning to resolve the very important issues that cause them to misunderstand each others feelings.
One of the most effective steps I teach couples is to express their anger, fears, aggravations, and concerns to their partner. This allows them the freedom of opening up without the fear of confrontation. It is a very simple method, but has certain rules which must be followed.
One of the ways I teach couples to do this is to encourage them to write a journal to document the issues in their relationship which they feel are causing problems. Detail is very important here. They must also devote an hour of uninterrupted time each week for open discussion. This discussion has to occur on the same day, and at the same time, and becomes a weekly ritual for the couple. During this hour, each of the partners has 30 minutes to read from their journal. While each partner reads their journal, the other partner cannot interrupt, or make any comments. After this hour, I encourage each partner to spend some time alone, and to reflect upon what they have just heard. They must also remember not to have any discussion about what has just been said. However, they can add some of this new information into their journals for the following week’s discussion. This method is not a quick fix for a troubled relationship, but most couples are amazed that after several months they are now working together to resolve the problems in their relationship.
One of the most complex interactions we face in life is the relationship with our partners. There is often some initial spark which brings two people together, but for a relationship to thrive it requires communication, cooperation, and compromise. This is only one of the many techniques which can be used to help couple resolve issues, but by teaching couples how to effectively communicate, it helps to strengthen the foundations of their relationship.