Wolf Tanning Bed

How Different Civilizations Used Bronze?

2009-05-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

Bronze has long been the ideal metal for the casting of bronze sculptures and all the many other historic formations of daily living. When it comes to the sculptures made of bronze, historically this was the chosen medium due to the ease of the crevices being filled perfectly within every detail, which creates the highly delicate details of artist works.

The medium of Bronze has always been adored by the artist due to the malleable ease and admirable for its long lasting durability. The cultural group of the Egyptians utilized bronze to cast various artistic figures, statues, weapons and even tools such as hammers, protective armor, and so many other functional pieces required in the Egyptian culture.

The Egyptians are far from being the only culture to use bronze for most everything during the ancient times. Greece and the Greek culture also had a passion for bronze. Two of the surviving Greek masterpieces are the Zeus o f Artemisum and the Delphic Charioteer. There have also been the works found of Etruscan artisans that includes a chariot made of bronze that had been discovered at Monte Leone, and a bronze Capitoline Wolf.

When it comes to the Romans, bronze statues were made in the numbers of thousands, not to mention all of the many other elements made of bronze by this ancient culture. Along with the numerous numbers of statues, there were bronze upon doors, furniture, and utensils. There were also candelabra bronze pieces that had been discovered within Herculaneum and Pompeii.

The utilization of bronze during the medieval times was mostly used for crafting such items like domestic items for home use, utensils and various types of ornaments. In Italy, during the Renaissance, the Italian sculptures designed absolutely magnificent bronze pieces of a wide array. Some of the most outstanding bronze works of art are the Ghiberti's Doors that are upon the baptistery of Florence, along with the many sculptures of such talented bronze artists like Cellini, Giovanni Bologna, Donatello, Pollaiuolo, and Verrocchio.

England also has had its bronze age with many monumental effigies dedicated to the Monarchs, and France hit their bronze age height during the 18th century with gilded bronze furniture mounts. There are many modern bronze sculptors like Epstein, Rodin, Lipchitz and Brancusi. Bronze is a medium not only of beauty but of useful necessity too and it is a material vital to the present as much as the ancient past.

Anita Satin Choudhary writes for Ivory and Art Gallery. Browse the gallery for unique collection of artifacts ranging from Bronze Sculptures to Netsuke and Silver Art.

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Feeling Frisky? Herbs for Fertility

2009-05-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

For thousands of years knowledge of the herbs and wild plants that could increase fertility were the secrets of the village wise women. But after the holocaust against European Wise Women (the "burning times") and the virtual extermination of Native American medicine women, this knowledge virtually disappeared. In fact, many people erroneously believe that "primitive people" had no means of controlling the likelihood of pregnancy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Many common plants can be used to influence fertility, including red clover, partridge berry, liferoot, wild carrot, and wild yam. Some of these grow wild, others are easy to cultivate, and, with the exception of wild carrot, all are also readily available at health food stores.

One of the most cherished of the fertility-increasing plants is red clover (Trifolium pratense). Common in fields and along roadsides, it has bright pink (not really red) blossoms from mid-summer into the chilly days of fall. A favorite flower of the honeybees, the tops (blossoms and appending leaves) are harvested on bright sunny days and eaten as is, or dried for medicinal use. The raw blossoms are delicious in salads and nutritious when cooked with grains such as rice or millet.

To make a fertility-enhancing infusion, I take one ounce by weight of the dried blossoms (fresh won't work for this application) and put them in a quart size canning jar. I fill the jar with boiling water, screw on a tight lid, and let it steep at room temperature overnight (or for at least four hours). Dozens of women have told me that they had successful pregnancies after drinking a cup or more (up to four cups) a day of red clover infusion.

It is especially helpful if there is scarring of the fallopian tubes, irregular menses, abnormal cells in the reproductive tract, or "unexplained" infertility. It may take several months for the full effect of this herb to come on and pregnancy may not occur until you have used it for a year or two. You can improve the taste by including some dried peppermint (a spoonful or two) along with the dried clover blossoms when making your infusion. Treat the father of the child-to-be to some red clover infusion too!

That little evergreen creeper that carpets some parts of the woods around your house is partridge berry (Mitchella repens), also known as squaw weed, supposedly because of its ability to enhance fertility. (My teacher Twylah Nitsch, grandmother of the Seneca Wolf clan, says that "squaw" is a slang term meaning "schmuck" or, in the proper term, "penis," and therefore should not be used in denoting a plant meant to be used by women.) Keep an eye out this spring and see if you can catch Mitchella blooming. Then you'll see why she's sometimes called "twin flower."

Interestingly, when the paired flowers fall off, they leave behind but one berry to ripen. (The shiny red berries you've noticed in the forest winter or spring. Yes, they are safe to eat, but leave some for the partridges.) The symbolism of two flowers forming one berry is certainly a suitable icon for fertility. I make a medicinal vinegar by filling a small jar with the fresh leaves, adding apple cider vinegar until the jar is full again. A piece of waxed paper held in place with a rubber band and a label (including date) completes the preparation, which must sit at room temperature for six weeks before use. I enjoy up to a tablespoonful of the vinegar on my salads or in my beans.

By mid- to late-May, the yellow blossoms of liferoot (Senecio aureus) enliven my swamp (in upstate New York) and the neighboring roads where there is adequate water and rich soil. A powerful medicine resides in all parts of this lovely wildflower. As the root has a dangerous reputation, I restrict myself to using only the flowers and leaves, which I harvest in bloom, and quickly tincture. (For instructions for making your own tinctures, please see any of my books.) Small doses of this tincture (3-8 drops a day), taken at least 14 days out of the month, will regulate hormone production, increase libido, normalize the menses, relieve menstrual pain, and improve fertility. The closely related Senecia jacobea and Senecio vulgaris can also be used.

Wild carrot (Daucus carota), better known as Queen Anne's lace, is such a common roadside plant that most people are amazed to learn that it is a proven anti-fertility herb. In addition to being the wild cousin of carrot, it is related to parsley, dill, caraway, anise, celery, cumin, and a (now extinct) plant whose seeds were the birth-control of choice for many a classical Greek or Roman woman.

The aromatic seeds of wild carrot are collected in the fall and eaten (a heaping teaspoonful a day) to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. In one small study the effectiveness rate after thirteen months of use was 99%. As modern scientific medicine reports that one-third of all fertilized eggs are passed out of the body without implanting in the uterus, this method of birth control seems in complete agreement with nature.

Of the hundreds of women currently using this anti-fertility agent, I have heard virtually no reports of any side-effects. Note that many books caution you to beware the danger of confusing poison hemlock and wild carrot. Poison hemlock is rather scarce in our area, and, at any rate, does not smell or taste of carrot (as does Queen Anne's lace), so I believe this warning to be a red herring. In addition, wild carrot leaves have small hairs on them, while the leaves of poison hemlock are smooth.

Another anti-fertility herb that has been tested by small groups of modern women is wild yam (Dioscorea villosa). Since birth-control pills were originally made from this plant, it is not at all surprising that it has the effect of blocking conception when taken daily in rather large doses: either a cup of tea or two capsules taken three times a day.

Does it have detrimental effects? Current studies are too small to show any, but there is a possibility that there could be. Interestingly enough, if wild yam is taken in small doses (a cup of tea or 10-20 drops of the tincture daily from onset of menses until mid-period) it increases fertility! In either case, the effect seems to be triggered by the large amount of hormone-like substances found in this root. When taken daily, these substances may be converted into progesterone, thus decreasing the possibility of conception. When taken for the two weeks preceding ovulation, these substances may be converted into LH and FSH, hormones that are needed to make the egg ready to be fertilized.

Other common weeds and garden plants of our area that have been used to increase or decrease fertility include stinging nettle, oatstraw, pennyroyal, Jack-in-the-pulpit, rue, and parsley.

The earth is full of wonders, and green magic abounds. As more and more women remember that they are wise women, more of the wonders and the magic will be revealed. May your days be filled with many green blessings.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

Susun Weed

PO Box 64

Woodstock, NY 12498

Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at http://www.susunweed.com

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Self Publishing A Book Is Inexpensive and Simple

2009-05-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Self publishing a book has to be one of the most satisfying things you can do in your life. You will increase your value to society by offering information to people who seek it. You will have opportunities be offered to you without even looking - we are talking amazing and interesting opportunities you never considered possible before you wrote a book. You will make money while you sleep - internet bookstores do not close, they are open 24 hours. The question, however is how are you going to make it happen? Many people are thwarted by the idea that self publishing is only for the rich with an abundance of time on their hands. That idea could not be further from the truth.

Okay, well the truth is that ten years ago self publishing was for the rich who had an abundance of time on their hands. Sort of, it was called vanity publishing and it was mainly for folks who wanted to see their name in print. That was the perception anyway. Some very famous authors have self published including Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Upton Sinclair, ee Cummings, Virginia Wolf, Henry David Thoreau and even John Grisham. Some pretty famous writers got their beginnings in self publishing.

Okay so now you know that some very famous people have self published and that self publishing used to have a negative connotation. Today, with the invention and proliferation of internet usage, self publishing is now available to anyone who has something to say. In fact, it is so simple and inexpensive that there are almost 90,000 small publishers.

What makes it so easy?

Competition is a huge factor. Because the internet has made it so easy to publish, there are tons of fulfillment options, distributors, printers and even book writing tools. In fact, there are a number of tools you can use online to help you write and publish your book that are completely free. For example open office offers a word processing program. Weebly offers free website hosting and design and open source marketing tools.

In addition to free options and low cost printing there are an abundance of distribution and fulfillment centers. In fact Amazon.com is happy to help you sell your book and offers a variety of options ranging from letting you simply list your book to full fledged printing and publishing.

Additionally, the internet makes it tremendously easy to research for your book, including research for the target market, your competition, and research for the book itself. The internet also makes it easy to market your book. A website and a few tools to drive traffic to your website and your book can take on a life of its own.

Lastly, the internet makes it easy to become a publisher. All of the information you need from naming and establishing your publishing company to applying for an ISBN number can be found and implemented online.

The internet has made self publishing tremendously inexpensive and simple. All you need to publish a book is a little time and determination.

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Mars, the Mighty and Marvelous

2009-05-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Martius, the month of March, is named after him. So is the fourth planet from the sun and a bar of chocolate, but we know him mainly as the god of war.

If you lived in ancient Rome, his name would be as familiar to you as your own, especially at this time of year with all of the holidays and festivals dedicated to the City's favourite son. You would be choosing your prettiest ribbons, studying the form of the newest racehorse or bargaining for the best seats at a track and field meet. Or perhaps preparing for war overseas, for Spring was the beginning of the Roman campaign season.

There is a common belief that depictions of Mars show him as a warrior, but look a little closer and you see that he is no savage attacker but a disicplined soldier in regulation battle dress bearing regulation arms. As Mars Gradivus, he was the patron of the legions and a fitting role model for the highly trained Roman infantryman. It is his Greek equivalent, Ares, who has the character traits of the wild warrior.

For Mars was also the father of Rome. It was believed he had dallied with a Vestal Virgin who subsequently gave birth to the twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of the Eternal City, and so he was known as Mars Pater, the father and protector of all the people who lived within the gates.

He is definitely a male god, we use the astrological sigil of the planet Mars to represent men and masculine energy. Prominently displaying the arrow of action, it symbolises the male essence, the energy of yang - active and expanding. As an earlier fertility god he was Mars Sylvanus, responsible for the shoots of grain which thrust from the soil after planting.

In astrology, Mars is the ruler of Aries and signals the season when everything awakens, grows, rises and sprouts after winter. This is the planetary time of energy and action, with the element of fire bringing the very spark of life

The reddish tinge of Mars in the night sky made our ancestors think of blood, and consequently war, but don't for one moment believe that in modern times we are any more sophisticated. Even though we know the bloody appearance is caused by soil rich in iron oxide, (old-fashioned rust), the threat of invasion from the Red Planet plagued our imaginations only a couple of generations back.

Like all deities, certain animals are associated with him, in this case the wolf and the woodpecker, and his companions are Fuga and Timor, flight and fear. The moons of Mars are named in Greek for these companions, and before everyone becomes too confused about Phobos and Deimos, remember that Tuesday is also named for the god of war. The French have Mardi, the Spanish Martes, and it is Martedi in Italian. In English we call this day after Tyr, the boldest of the cold- climate gods, who inspires courage and heroism in battle, and is the Northern equivalent of Mars. Tyr has soldier-like qualities as well, he is noble and self-sacrificing. On the day of Ragnarok, he will kill Garm, the guardian of hell, but will himself die from his wounds.

So March is a month for action. Decorate your house with some red blooms and bring a little male energy into your everyday affairs.

Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant and mythologist. She creates ceremonies and Rites of Passage for individual and civic functions using ancient myths in modern settings.

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US Virgin Islands - The Local Secret Dive Spots

2009-05-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

The U.S.Virgin Islands offer some of the clearest waters in which to dive in the Caribbean. There are a host of dive shops available that can take the millions of tourists along well-beaten paths...but where do the locals go? Since I lived in St. John, I'll fill you in on some secret dive locations that you'll love to experience.

Although the waters of Haulover Bay can be finicky due to its location and remote openness, it offers a great little beach dive. One of the benefits, of diving this spot, is that you can pull your car up along the side of the road and haul your gear to the beach in a matter of minutes. Once you are ready, swim out and to the left; that's where you'll find the coral and most of the fish. The dive is best from 15 to 40 feet. When you are done with the dive, plan on relaxing as you gaze across the Channel at Tortola and the beautiful hillsides along St. John's coast.

Salt Pond Bay has become more of a tourist beach in the past few years, so expect to find plenty of people milling about in the crystal clear shallows. The main problem with this dive is the long hill that stretches down to the beach. Carrying your gear, plan on taking a fifteen minute stroll to the beach. This dive will also require quite a long swim out to the best spot; around fifteen minutes with a relaxed kick and air filled BC. If you don't mind the hike or the swim, you will be rewarded with a beautiful dive around a coral formation that just barely peeks above the waves. The dive is around 65 feet and, due to the swim out and back, should only be done by experienced and fit divers. You'll see many schools of fish and the occasional shark. If you're not into a long swim or seeing sharks, there is a small coral formation located almost dead center in the Bay; it's not as spectacular a view as the formation that is farther out, but you can still see fish and enjoy an easy shallow dive.

Newfound Bay can only be reached by boat, which has kept this spot a secret that only cruisers and locals know about. You can stick to the shallows for the best coral views. With an average dive of only 15 feet, plan on spending quite a bit of time underwater. There are a host of lobster hiding in the nooks and crannies, so keep a sharp look out for their antennas. The Bay is also where a huge barracuda hangs out, and since they're territorial, you might get lucky enough to see this giant gentle wolf of the sea.

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What Would Nutritional Medicine Authorities Do If They Had Heart Disease?

2009-05-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Our nutritional health is now recognized as a vital factor in determining whether we can prevent and reverse heart disease. With so much research evidence that supports the role food has on preventing heart disease, a consortium of world leaders in nutritional medicine have been asked what they would do if they were suffering from a heart condition. The common factors in each of their recommendations helps to simplify what we can do ourselves, to keep heart disease at arm's length.

Prof. Ian Brighthope M.D., M.B.B.S., D.Ag.Sci, FACNEM, FACHM* would:

Adopt an Anti-inflammatory Diet (Scandinavian or Mediterranean Diet): Fish and vegetables, high intake of fish oils, olive oil, garlic and onions, complex carbohydrates, reducing animal fats (apart from fish).
Stop smoking
Exercise more regularly
Reduce the intake of refined carbohydrates like white flour products and sugar.
Reduce alcohol consumption
Reduce stress

Patrick Holford is one of Britain's leading nutrition experts. Patrick is a pioneer in new approaches to health and nutrition, specializing in the field of mental health. This is what he would do to avoid high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks and strokes:

Eat good fats
Balance blood sugar
Have a good intake of vitamins and minerals
Reduce stress levels

Dr Dan Rogers is a trained Medical Doctor and Naturopath. He has been treating patients using integrative medicine since the late 1970's with noted success in treating patients that have been deemed "incurable" by medical practitioners or hospitals. He recommends we need to:

Treat the root cause of heart disease. By changing the internal biochemistry we will cure the disease
Almost all disease are improved by changes in diet and lifestyle. Improving the internal bio-chemistry of the body will develop healthy cells

David Wolfe is a leading authority on Raw Food and Superfoods. His recommended steps to better health are:

Drink 12 to 16 ounces of fresh vegetable juice everyday
Add super foods (foods with an extraordinary high level of vitamins, minerals, co-factors, enzymes and special chemicals) to your diet

The common ground from these experts is that the true causes of disease are:

Nutrition
Stress
Lack of Exercise
Pollution

Food is good enough to keep us alive but apparently not good enough to fix us when we are sick. Nutritional supplements are necessary because the foods most of us eat are grown in mineral-depleted soils. There is evidence that increased intake of certain nutrients reduces the incidence of heart disease, cancer and stroke. The good word from these nutritional authorities is simple: we live longer and healthier if we exercise, have a good diet and supplement.

* Prof Ian Brighthope is President of the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine. Professor Brighthope is a medical doctor & surgeon with over 20 years of practical clinical experience. He has specialized in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, with a particular interest in heart disease, psychiatric disorders.

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Kankakee Illinois History

2009-05-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

The historic Kankakee River Valley is widely known for the tranquil beauty and the splendor of the winding Kankakee River. This river runs fifty-seven miles by Kankakee Illinois hospital, passing through many communities both large and small on its way. Kankakee River is a precious clean-water resource, offering excellent fishing and water sports, as well as a lovely State Park which is available for everyone to enjoy. The river abounds with channel catfish, small-mouth bass, northern pike, and walleye. The park has a dozen boat launches, eighteen riverfront parks, and eight campgrounds to choose from.

The beautiful land of Kankakee River Valley, as well as its plentiful natural resources, are the result of minerals and debris left behind by three enormous glaciers which descended from Canada many thousands of years ago. The original inhabitants of what is now called the Kankakee River area were Potawatomi Indians, who called it Theatiki. Evolution of this term led to "Kankakee". Theatiki means wolf; or swampy place; or wonderful land. The source of the Kankakee River is the marshland of northwestern Indiana. The river enters the county midway of its eastern border; then flows irregularly in a southwest direction to near Aroma, midway between the boundaries to the east and west; and four miles above the southern line. Here it is boosted by the Iroquois River - a muddy stream which also rises in the Indiana marshes. To the Potawatomi Indians the Kankakee County area was the perfect place - a rolling landscape of beautiful river bordered thickly with groves of hickory, oak, maple, black walnut, and cedar. In places the land sloped gently down to the edge of the water; in other places the land rose in sheer bluffs of limestone high above the river. Abundant wildlife inhabited this area. There was no more varied nor beautiful a scenery to be found anywhere in the Middle West.

Settlers to the area began to come in the 1830's after the national government signed the Treaty of Camp Tippecanoe, and inexpensive land became available. A large portion of land in Kankakee County was originally swamp land, much of which was drained and put under cultivation by the sweat of pioneers' brows. While it was still swamp, it was the lair of horse thieves, counterfeiters, and general criminals on the run. When the swamps were drained, organized communities became possible. Kankakee County was created by the Illinois state legislature on February 11, 1853 out of the northern part of Iroquois County, and the southern part of Will County. The original six townships were: Aroma, Bourbonnais healthcare, Limestone, Momence, Rockville, and Yellowhead. At that time the county population was eight thousand. In 1855 two western townships, Essex and Norton, were annexed from Vermilion County by Kankakee County.

In the mid-nineteenth century, industrialist David Bradley established the Bradley Plow Works, which was later known as the Bradley Factory, to manufacture farm tools and implements. He was also author of the well-known Bradley Plan. Bradley was also an early patron of architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1900's. North Kankakee was renamed Bradley and incorporated in 1891.

The City of Kankakee itself grew beneath the shadow of nearby Bourbonnais Illinois healthcare, which was a French settlement. Nonetheless, Kankakee became the Kankakee County seat of government. It also, in 1855, became a depot on the Illinois Central Railroad.

If your looking for great healthcare in Illinois, visit Riverside Medical Center today. You can learn more about the Kankakee Illinois hospital, Bourbonnais Illinois healthcare or Bourbonnais healthcare.

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Design Challenge - Teen Dream

2008-12-15T06:36:00.003-08:00

You're a teenager, recently graduated from being a dumb pre teen who persuaded her parents to paint her bedroom walls purple, otherwise known as a super bowl design challenge, in some ways worse than a red brick fireplace.

On the plus side we already have an excellent quality medium blue rug and parents who say they will give you $100 to redecorate your room. You've saved $50 and two sets of Grandparents are each contributing $25 to the project.

First thing you need to decide, now that you are a teen, is what effect you want to create, modern with lots of black, white and gray, feminine with pink, white, and frills or in-between. What is appealing? Well, you say, help. How do I know? The answer is this. Cut the whole project down to size, human size.

Look around at the way your fellow teens dress and describe them. That should help. Some individuals, male female, any age, dress conservatively with colors blending well. Nothing screams out at you, neither jewelry, makeup, clothes design, hair color, hair style. It's all calm, restrained, selective, relaxed.

Do you like the effect?

Then there is just the opposite, 12 to 80. Everything screams: clothing, design and color, hair style and color, makeup, overly heavy and brash, jewelry in every place possible and impossible. Clearly, if they were prisoners, the ACLU would be screaming torture. But never mind, the effect is aggressive, vigorous, flamboyant, unrestrained.

So, how do you want your room, conservative or unrestrained, or maybe in the middle?

Most young people want somewhat flamboyant and if that describes you, keep purple walls. It will be a home run for achieving aggressive/flamboyant and also save money on paint. Find a bedspread you like, a solid color in any shade of blue to blend with the rug. So we have two colors, purple and blue. What we need is more purple. Find some curtains in a lighter shade than the walls. Now go to garage and yards sales and get a desk plus second hand tables for the bedside. We need flamboyant and here's where you get it. Paint the tables and desk fuchsia. Then get yourself three pillows for the bed, two in blue, one in orange or fuchsia. If you have money left over get, yourself a big white stuffed animal with an orange bow around its neck, to put on the bed. Please send me a picture.

If money is in short supply when it comes to the curtains, just buy white. Buy fuchsia or purple ribbon and make tiebacks. For wall decoration, look for posters with contemporary design using a combination of purple, orange, light green, fuchsia. If you buy prints with frames, stay with all the same wood color, or paint the frames either fuchsia or orange.

And remember, when you graduate from flamboyant /aggressive to calm and peaceful, you'll have a good start with your blue rug and blue bedspread. All you will need to do is repaint the walls, tables, and desk, and replace the curtains.

Want conservative? Paint the walls white tinged with yellow. Buy a white bedspread. Buy the second hand tables and paint them white. Buy three pillows for the bed, two in shades of blue, one in sunflower yellow. Curtains should be white. Your stuffed animal can be a tawny gold leopard with black spots or a white teddy bear with a blue bow. Your wall decorations can be posters with these colors. Essentially your room is blue and white with accents of sunflower yellow.

For something in the middle, do the walls in soft white with a hint of yellow. Now decide on what shade of the yellow family you like. Let's say it's sunflower yellow. Use that color for the bedspread and a lighter version of it for the curtains. Paint your bedside tables and your desk in a deeper yellow than the walls. Your room is essentially shades of yellow with a blue rug. Now you want to find some blue toss pillows for the bed and wall decorations with blue and yellow.

Oh, to be a teenager again, with purple walls, a blue rug, and an orange teddy bear!

You can find additional articles on Design Challenge on http://americanmadeyes.com/houseandhome/designchallenge.html

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The Best Laptop Desks - Xpad Laptop Desk

2008-12-15T06:36:00.001-08:00

You could never use the laptop on your lap for prolonged periods of time. The intense heat released by the laptop over long periods of time can easily cause lap burns and soreness. As 'heatless' laptops have yet to hit the shelves, those of us who love to use our laptops on the couch or on the bed would have to make do with a laptop desk.

Xpad is undoubtedly one of the best laptop desks in the market, depending on what you are looking for. It weighs a little under a pound has a very 'course' and minimalist design. It is also kind of a little chunky and bulky. Some have called the Xpad the ugliest laptop desk ever to be mad!

On the other hand, the Xpad scores well in terms of functionality. The pad has very minimal contact with the laptop (a small 'x' area on the sides). Because of this, a big portion of the laptop's bottom surface is exposed to air, creating a great cooling effect for the laptop. Despite the small contact points, the pad has a great grip on the laptop, holding it well in place even at a tilt.

Test results have shown that the Xpad laptop desk is able to cool a laptop be nearly 4 degrees. This figure is, at the time of writing, unmatched by any other models. It even has a non-slip rubber padding beneath to provide extra grip and heat insulation.

For me the practicality and functionality of the Xpad more than compensate for its compromised looks. It is 13 inches wide, perfect for supporting small and medium sized laptops.

For more information and reviews of the Logitech's Lapdesk and other great laptop desks, visit: http://laptopdesk.blogspot.com

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The Best Laptop Desks - Logitech Comfort Lapdesk

2008-12-15T06:35:00.003-08:00

Despite its name, it is usually quite uncomfortable to use the laptop from your lap. Laptops produce an extraordinary amount of heat, slowing roasting your lap into a pair of friend drumsticks. To solve this problem many companies have come up with laptop desks that are designed to comfortably support your laptop while you sit on a chair, sofa, or bed.

Most of the laptop desks in the market right now are electrically powered. They are usually fitted with some small fans to cool the laptop and come in shades of black and white.

Among the many models available in the market, my favorite laptop desk would have to be Logitech's Comfort Lapdesk. The lap desk is actually a high tech piece of cushion that shields your legs from the laptop's heat. It has a cool, space-age design that is good enough of a reason for anyone to get one of these.

The Comfort Lapdesk does is not electrically powered and does not rely on any fans to cool the laptop. The lower layer of the pad is curved upwards, creating an air chamber that allows air to flow through. This process cools down the laptop. The curvature of the pad also creates minimum contact with your lap. This laptop desk is at contact with your lap at only four points, minimizing the transfer of heat from the laptop to your lap.

According to Logitech's research, nearly 60% of all laptop users use their laptop while they are on a couch. Because of this, the design of the laptop desk is of such that it naturally tilts 12 degrees upwards. Here, you can comfortably use your laptop without having to bend your kneed up.

For more information and reviews of the Logitech's Lapdesk and other great laptop desks, visit: http://laptopdesk.blogspot.com/

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

Tanning Salons

2008-12-15T06:35:00.001-08:00

We have been hearing for generations from our parents "get out there and get some sun"; while they may have felt that this is healthy it is by no means a tanning salon. If you are one of the countless thousands of people each year that have an obsession with the old tanning beds, then you may want to take some time and understand what you are actually getting yourself into. These slim sleek beds that are tucked away in private rooms, are all the rage today. They take very little time for you to become bronze in color, and you do not have to do any work other than show up. While this may seem like an ideal situation for those tan lovers, there are some very serious side effects that can crop up as a result.

A UV Ray Is A UV Ray

No matter how you slice it, a tanning salon is nothing more than a sever concentration of UV rays. The sun is something that emits high traces of UV rays, and the doctors today are warning against too much exposure to the sun. What makes someone think that a tanning bed is actually safer than laying in the sun for several hours? The fact that the tanning salon is a concentrated and confined area of UV rays should be enough of a scare to keep the shops empty. Unfortunately, this is not something that will keep the people away as people still worship those golden appearances. The usual cost for a half hour in a tanning salon is about 30 dollars. If this is cheap enough to cook your skin UV ray style, then there will always be a following.

Started With Tanning Lamps

This trend of the tanning salons is something that actually started in the 70's and 80's with the introduction of the tanning lamps. These lamps that people could utilize at home, were all the rage back then. This is something that has been going on for some time, and for whatever reason people are still not heading the warnings of the medical society. The fact is these tanning salons and tanning lamps are anything but healthy for your skin. They release what out skin is very susceptible too, and this is not something that should be practiced deliberately. When you take the time to think about this, you have to come to the conclusion that people are far more concerned about vanity than health.

Costly Mistakes

One of the most troublesome issues with tanning salons is what it can potentially do to your skin after prolonged use. Doctors and skin specialists urge people not to continue with salon use, as it can result in issues such as skin cancer or deepened sunspots. In some rare cases people have been known to actually receive burns from the tanning beds that they spent time on, and this is something that can be very serious. It does not hurt to do some research prior to deciding if a tanning salon is right for you, some people swear by them and others will not go near them.

Linda Farington writes weight loss, diet plan, health, beauty and general well-being articles for the Lose Weight Reviews website at http://www.loseweightreviews.com

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

Five Sure Fire Ways to Experience Success

2008-12-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

I talk with a lot of entrepreneurs every week, and I have discovered some common themes that make them successful. Combining these with my own experiences, I've uncovered five main ways to keep you on track for success.

Follow Your Passion

It is not enough to want your own business. You must find the business that you are passionate about! Your business must be in alignment with your personal goals, values and passion. When I was growing up, I was heavily involved in theatre and dancing. I toyed with the idea of obtaining a degree in musical theatre and moving to New York to pursue a career on Broadway. However, I was cautioned not to do this unless I was wildly passionate about it because the rejection was so incredible and the industry was so competitive. Do these obstacles sound familiar? They are very similar to those experienced by entrepreneurs. However, when you do something that you are truly passionate about, it's easy to get out of bed and feel excited and energized by your work! In addition, it is much easier to find ways to stand out in a competitive market and to do great work for your clients.

Have a Vision

In business, it is critical to pay attention to the right details. Planning is crucial to success. It's a well-known axiom that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and yet I regularly hear from entrepreneurs who do not plan! Without a plan in place, it is too easy to get distracted by whatever happens to come your way. If the opportunities (seminars, speaking engagements, networking opportunities, article requests, etc) are not in alignment with your vision, they will take you off course, and you may not meet your end goal and your vision will become, well... blurred! Think about this before you say "yes" to the next thing that comes your way. If it is not going to help support your goals for this year, month, or week, your decision should be very easy. Just say no.

Find a Way to Be Held Accountable

Many of us go into business to be able to flex our creative muscle. We like coming up with wonderful ideas, but implementing them is not as fun as the big-picture thinking! Our new idea sounds great, and the potential revenue is exciting, but the tasks we need to do to get there are overwhelming and we can't seem to make any headway on the project! So we procrastinate and find other things to occupy our time, until we eventually take the wonderful creative idea off our "to do" list because we don't want to or know how to do the work to get us there. This is a waste of your creative spirit! Successful entrepreneurs find ways to be held accountable, whether it's through membership in a round table or mastermind group, forming an advisory board, entering a formal partnership or hiring a coach to keep them on track.

Spend Your Time on High-Payoff Tasks

Everyone knows that in order to stay in business, we must continue to bring in revenue. However, many entrepreneurs spend too much of their time doing activities that don't generate income! So what is an entrepreneur to do? Delegate! By outsourcing all the tasks that don't include generating money or building relationships, you will be able to use your newly found time to make more money! Your time for high-payoff activities (planning, forecasting, developing your marketing funnel, training, and so forth) will increase and in turn, your productivity will increase. There are many virtual professionals who you can hire to do the work you need to outsource and could include anything from accounting to administration and beyond. Once you do this the first time, be prepared to be addicted to this concept!

Focus

How many projects do you have going on at any one time? Or worse, how many businesses are you running at one time? I recently met a woman who has three businesses, and she was complaining that none of them were doing well. Gee, I wonder why? Having too many projects at one time, particularly if you do not have a way of managing each of them properly, means that you're likely to become overwhelmed. Pick a project or two and focus on those. You will feel so great to knock something out and will be motivated to continue onto your next task. If you are spread too thin, I can guarantee you that you will sabotage your chances of meeting your goals.

After assessing where you are in these five lessons, you can start to see what you need to focus on. Whether you feel confused, struggle with self-confidence or lack tangible results, I suggest taking action to find out if you're following your passion and determine your measuring stick for success. If you are easily distracted or overwhelmed, I suggest finding a coach who can help you align your goals, priorities and values to create the life and business you desire. By paying attention to these key areas, you can start to shift to creating a business that fits your lifestyle, not one that dictates it, which is one of my personal measures of success.

Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, publishes Smart Marketing, a free bi-weekly ezine featuring marketing tips, insider secrets and thought provoking articles designed to help the busy female entrepreneur become known as an expert in her field, build trust with clients and prospects and generate more income than ever before. Claim your free subscription today at http://www.richlifemarketing.com

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

What Causes the White Spots From Tanning?

2008-12-12T03:48:00.003-08:00

Many people find that if they use a tanning bed, they develop white spots. What exactly causes these white spots, and are they serious? Should you be worried about skin cancer?

Fortunately, for most people, these white spots are nothing serious. However, if they spread, you should go to see a dermatologist to confirm what they are.

Usually the spots are caused by pigment (or lack thereof), pressure points, fungus, or a reaction to your medication.

If you never developed these white spots previously and are taking a new or different medication, you should refrain from tanning and contact your doctor. Some medications do not react well to sunlight, especially UV rays from a tanning bed.

One of the primary causes of white spots are the tanning bed itself. Sometimes, the lights are spaced incorrectly, resulting in an uneven tan. If you own the bed, you may be stuck, if you are going to a tanning salon, you can change salons.

Another problem is pressure points. Most people will lie in a bed in one position for the 15 to 30 minutes they are tanning. As a result, they will develop pressure points where their body is in contact with the tanning bed. This results in reduced blood flow to these areas, causing the UV rays to be absorbed differently than the surrounding area. This causes a white spot.

Because they are lying still for long periods in a bed compared to being outdoors in the natural sunlight, more people tend to get white spots from tanning in a bed.

Again, for most people, this is not a serious condition. You can cut back on the amount of tanning, or rotate every few minutes when you use a bed, or apply a sunless stain over the spots to cover them.

To learn more about white spots from tanning, go to http://www.whitespot.cool-home-stuff.com now.

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

Get Help Buying a Tanning Bed?

2008-12-12T03:48:00.001-08:00

Wouldn't it be great to have your own tanning bed so you don't have to keep going to the salon week after week? Owning a tanning bed is not as simple as you might think. First of all, you must make sure to follow the instructions properly, or you could hurt yourself. Failing to heed the manufacturer's warnings can even be life threatening.

You must also consider the cost. Tanning beds are expensive. How many trips to the tanning salon do you normally make in a year? How many years will it take you to save that much money by tanning at home after taking account the energy costs to run the machine and the costs of any maintenance that may be needed? Is it worth it?

What are you gaining by not going to the salon? Why is it that you would rather tan at home? Is the convenience of tanning at home worth the added expense and risks? Do you know how to use a tanning bed, and how to maintain it so that it will continue to run properly?

If you are going to buy a tanning bed, make sure that you are prepared to learn how to use it correctly, keep it maintained and take heed of any warnings that you need to pay attention to.

Be sure to select a tanning bed that matches your lifestyle and budget. There are many types available. Owning your tanning bed can be a great experience if you take the time to consider the options and make sure you are making a choice that will fit well with your home and your life.

For more great info on tanning beds visit http://www.findtanningbeds.com a website offering tips, advice and resources on topics such as wholesale home tanning beds, commercial tanning beds and even choosing the correct tanning bed bulbs plus so much more.

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

Why Are Tanning Bed Lotions So Unique?

2008-12-12T03:47:00.001-08:00

You might have heard about tanning lotions. Well, how about tanning bed lotions? If you think that these two products are one and the same, you are gravely mistaken. Outdoor tanning lotions are a whole lot different from tanning bed lotions. The latter are the ones especially created for indoor use. More specifically, you are supposed to apply it on your skin minutes before lying in a tanning bed. And tanning bed is a device that triggers melanin production on your skin for that beautiful bronzed look.

While you might think that you can use regular tanning lotions on a tanning bed, you might have to scratch that idea. If you intend to use the tanning bed, use an indoor tanning lotion. However, if you want to go out in the sun and have fun, it is okay to go for the regular tanning lotions that are widely available at health stores.

The main difference between these two products is their composition. While they work relatively the same, tanning bed lotions are usually created for people who intend to go about their daily activities after soaking in some tan. This means that these lotions won't leave your skin oily or silky. They also won't stain your shirt. Most of these tanning lotions are unscented, allowing you to put your favorite perfume on even after applying some lotion on your skin. As such, you can use your lunch hour to apply the lotion, rest inside the tanning bed, and go back to the office to resume work.

Outdoor tanning lotions, on the other hand, don't work as good. Most of these lotions smell like you have dipped in the pool or have been to the beach to bathe. Also, they tend to make your skin feel oily that you have to take a shower to rinse it off. The sticky feel that outdoor tanning lotions provide is what keeps you from using the product on a tanning bed - especially if you intend to go somewhere else without taking a bath first.

So the next time you shop for tanning lotions, you have to specifically look for the one that says tanning bed lotion. That is, if you're looking for something to complement the tanning bed effect. This is also the same ones used at tanning salons situated all over. There are many brands available too. Choose the one that is perfect for your type of skin.

Sal provides expert information about tanning bed lotions by writing articles about buying the best tanning lotions and other topics.

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

Need Tanning Supplies? Learn the Top Supplies Needed For Your Tanning Bed

2008-12-12T03:44:00.000-08:00

If you currently have a tanning bed at home or even at your salon, you may be wondering what are the best supplies needed to achieve the best possible tan and to make sure your tanning bed is maintained properly.

Tanning Body Stickers

These stickers usually come in rolls of 1000 and have designs such as playboy bunnies, hearts, lips, cherries, dolphins, palm trees, and many more. These stickers are to be placed on the body prior to tanning. Where the sticker is affixed is where you would end up without a tan, therefore give you a tanning "tantoo". These stickers are great for measuring how dark you are getting after each session or how powerful a tanning lotion is.

Tanning Bed Cleaner

After each tanning session, you should wipe down the acrylics that you laid on with some type of cleaner. There are several cleaners you can use to disinfectant your tanning bed. They are:

Lucasol
Ultra-Clean (Unscented or Citrus Scented)
Australian Gold

These tanning bed cleaners are of medical grade and come in concentrated form.

Tanning Bed Goggles

Your eyelids are not enough to protect from ultraviolet light. Anyone using a tanning bed or even tanning outdoors should be using tanning bed goggles that block out both UVA and UVB rays. These goggles come in many different standard and neon colors.

These were just a few of the main essential tanning supplies. Tanning beds may also need parts such as tanning lamps, starters, ballasts, shocks, acrylics, replacement tanning bed pillows, and more. Most tanning bed suppliers online have these items readily available for shipping.

Sean Frye is the President of Sun Power Source which is a tanning beds and supplies distribution company. Sun Power Source carries three different brands of tanning beds for each level of tanning as well as Day spa type equipment such as the Thermojet Infrared Body Wrap System. For more information regarding opening a tanning salon, please contact Sun Power Source at 1-800-921-4020. http://www.sunpowersource.com For Tanning Tips such as replacing lamps, etc., you could also visit http://www.tanningtutor.com

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

Lower Your Bed Bug Liability Or Protection Against Bed Bugs?

2008-12-09T07:44:00.001-08:00

There is a Bed Bug crisis spreading through the hotel industry. Despite the fact that sanitation has little or nothing to do with Bed Bugs, lawsuits are being filed and reputations are being tarnished in the media and on popular websites. It isn't fair. But there are simplsteps a facility can take to protect their guests, their liability, and their reputations.

According to an attorney, who has defended several national hotel chains in Bed Bug lawsuits, he makes the following recommendations to hotel owners and managers to pro-actively prepare a defense against potential litigation:

Get a pest management professional to train your housekeepers to recognize early Bed Bug signs as they do their daily cleaning.
Have a written plan in effect to expeditiously deal with a suspected Bed Bug event.
- Immediately isolate a room suspected of infestation.
- Do not move affected guests to an adjoining room. Bed Bugs may travel up to 100 feet to find a meal.
- Do not vacuum or remove anything from the room.
- Do not lower the thermostat, as this may cause them to migrate to a warmer room.
Have a pest management firm in place.
Equip each room with a metal luggage rack, as Bed Bugs have a natural aversion to metal.
Equip each housekeeping cart with a checklist for inspecting beds for Bed Bug evidence in daily cleaning.

Because Bed Bugs suck the blood of their hosts while they're sleeping, there is a stigma in the minds of the general public that exceeds that of cockroaches, mice, and even rats. Attracted by the warmth of a sleeping person and the carbon dioxide they exhale, Bed Bugs may take 3 to 15 minutes to gorge themselves on a blood meal, swelling to up to 6 times their body weight. The host is not awakened by the bite because the parasite's saliva is equipped with a topical anesthetic. Therefore, people may experience scores of bites in the course of one night's sleep.

Bed Bugs usually hitchhike in luggage and not on people, so having a metal luggage rack open in a room may keep them from leaving the suitcase at all. Anything to keep guests from placing their luggage on the bed! Because of their aversion to metal, using metal bed frames and headboards is also recommended. A female, once impregnated by a male is pregnant for life and lays 2 or 3 eggs per day. So one pregnant female leaving a suitcase and making her home in a bed is just the beginning. Hatchlings in the first of five instars to adulthood are roughly the size of a spec of dust and will leave a bite like an adult. Mature Bed Bugs will usually feed every 2 weeks, but have been known to live over a year without another blood meal.

Because of the stigma and the sensationalism accompanying Bed Bug stories, the local media tend to jump on any reported encounter in a hotel, and play it up to their audience. Just one reported Bed Bug encounter in any of the popular on-line hotel review websites could mean the loss of hundreds of potential guests in a season, and could plague one's reputation for years. So the risk is great.

A facility is at even higher risk for Bed Bugs if they frequently entertain guests from outside the U.S.,especially those from Eastern Europe or Canada.

About the author:

Paul Morin, has been New England Sales Manger for Modern Pest Services for over 7 years and has inspected hundreds of commercial facilities in that time. Holding a Maine(pesticide) Applicators License, Paul has been a featured speaker at several venues, including Johnson & Wales University, the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, the Maine Innkeepers Assn, the Massachusetts Environmental Health Assn, and the Northern New England Environmental Health Assn.

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

Pamper Your Partner With Red Hot Bras & Lingerie This Christmas

2008-12-09T07:43:00.004-08:00

This Xmas pamper your partner to a festive, red-hot bra and lingerie gift from lingerie experts BeCheeky.

BeCheeky have a magnificent variety of ladies lingerie and bras across bra cup sizes A-G, and also night clothes and knickers in sizes 8 to 18. Their festive Red Lingerie collection offers lingerie in every shade of red - so whether it's cherry, cranberry, burgundy, ruby, tomato, scarlet or pillar box red, each and every bra & lingerie gift is gorgeously mouth-watering and sure to please your partner.

Recent research indicated that red was the colour men found the most pretty on a woman. Red has been all over the catwalks this season and is without doubt set to end Purple's control as the stylist colour on the fashion indicator by two thousand and nine. Intense, sizzling & a representative juxtaposition for the colours of passion and anger, red is brave & passionately amorous, so works a treat when worn as intimate apparel such as bras & lingerie, and as the colour of the Xmas season, sales of red lingerie rocket during Xmas and Valentines.

To help you get your particular lingerie purchase correct this Christmas, BeCheeky have a great selection of Buyers Guides covering how to measure your bra size, information for men, and a bra types explained series. With returns on Christmas presents extended until 14th January two-thousand and nine, shopping at BeCheeky.com is straightforward and stress-free.

The BeCheeky.com Xmas store includes stocking fillers from £5, bra gift sets from twenty-five pounds and for a limited time only you can enjoy getting 20% off selected lines and free delivery on United Kingdom purchases.

Top 10 Red Hot Lingerie Christmas Gift Ideas;

1. Silk Diamante So In Love' Knicker from Sista Shei

2. Antoinette Underwired Bandeau Bra by Panache

3. Cherry Bomb Lace & Silk Satin Plunge Bra from Mimi Holliday

4. Charming and sexy rose effect lace thong from Sensualle

5. Lola Hearts Chemise & Thong Set from Coco Box, Exclusive To BeCheeky

6. Jewelled mini-string by Lola Luna

7. Avant Premiere Half Cup Plunge Bra from Simone Perele

8. Polka Petrus Bow Thong by Mimi Holliday

9. Bed of Roses Kit from Lovers Choice

10. Amelie Bra by Miss Mandalay

Visit http://www.BeCheeky.com to see the whole set of lingerie and bras on sale this Christmas. For additional press info go straight to BeCheeky.com/press

For all further press enquiries, please get in touch with: Kim Cullum at kim@becheeky.com or instead call 44 0 1202 545 998

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

Slumber Party Birthday For Girls - Slumber Party Ideas and Games

2008-12-09T07:43:00.003-08:00

Girls love slumber parties! Go beyond movies, munchies and staying up all night with these fun-filled sleepover party ideas for girls! For stress-free party planning, order your slumber party invitations, decorations and party favors and start planning!

Invitations

You can create little pillows by folding squares of felt or craft foam in half to make pillow cases. If you don't sew, use a stapler, glue gun or fabric glue to secure the side and bottom edge of the pillow case. Stuff with a little cotton. Write the invitation on a 3x5 card and slip it into the pillow. Or simply include a mini "message" pillow when delivering your slumber party invitations.

Slumber Party Decorations

Fill your party room with pillows, blankets, couch cushions, bean bag chairs, and stuffed animals. Be sure to designate a large space in your home for your slumber party by arranging furniture and other items to create a comfortable "hang-out" space. Scatter inflated balloons in the birthday girl's favorite colors all over the floor. You can also hang pastel balloons (or other colors) and streamers from the ceiling and on the walls. For an additional touch, print out digital photos of your daughter (growing-up, crazy poses) to hang at various spots throughout the room.

Upon arrival, give each guest a personalized flashlight and a pair of slipper socks. Or use flashing strobe necklaces or princess headbands to greet your slumber party guests.

Slumber Party Activities

Make your own pillow case...

Purchase white pillow cases or have each girl bring one from home. Have die crayons (purchased at your local fabric store) on hand to decorate them. "Fix" the dye with a hot iron, according to instructions. There is no drying time required.

Star Lights

You'll need:

Frozen juice can
Rubber bands
Flashlight
Dark paper

Cut both ends from the juice can.

Fold the paper and cut small stars, diamonds and circles... similar to making snowflakes, but with less holes.

Wrap the paper cut-outs around one end and secure it with a rubber band.

Insert a flashlight into the open end of the can.

Turn out the lights. Turn on the flashlights and shine it towards the ceiling or wall. The girls will enjoy seeing the shapes appear.

Slumber Party Games

Sleeping Beauty

Lay out a "bed" with a blanket on the floor. Designate a player to be "IT". That player lays down on the blanket...and pretends to sleep. The other players try to wake her (make her laugh) with funny noises, songs, jokes, or phrases. When "IT" awakens, she then chooses the next player. If she stays asleep for the allotted time (usually one minute maximum), she wins a prize (plug bracelets, ring pops, cosmetic cases, or bubbles).

Black Magic

This is a game where there's a secret. Two people have to be in on the secret for the game to work. One of the two people goes out of the room, and one stays in. The person in the room helps the group decide on an object. Then the other person comes back into the room and tries to guess what object was chosen. The person who remained in the room, let's call her "Jo", points to different things around the room, and say, "Is this it?" Then the "seeker", let's call her Sally, either says "yes" or "no". The object can be anything, even a zipper or something discreet like that. The object of the game is for the other members of the group to figure out how Sally is guessing it, so don't tell the secret to the group. The secret is: Sally knows what the chosen object is because Jo points to a BLACK object before she points to the chosen object, thus the name, "Black Magic".

Food For Your Slumber Party

Most often at this age the girls just want to munch.

Provide a variety of fun and healthy "munchie" foods, such as

Veggies and dip
Chips
Juice
Water
Soda

Or serve the never-failing chocolate and cheese fondue. Kids love it!

Slumber Party Gifts For Your Guests:

Flash lights
Night lights
Hair brushes
Lotions
Digital photos taken during the party
Hot cocoa packets
Small boxes of breakfast cereal
Glow-in-the-dark accessories

Incorporating some of these ideas should make for a fantastic slumber party.

Bonnie Larsen is a mother of five children ages 6 to 14. She enjoys sharing her party ideas and helps make the party a success. For more resources on hosting a slumber party, check out this link for more sleepover party ideas and supplies.

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

For Men Who Are Physically Or Intimately Estranged From Their Wife

2008-12-09T07:43:00.001-08:00

A man recently came to me seeking help in his marriage with the following specifics:

• We've been married for 11 years but we have now been separated for about 4.5 months, living in separate houses about 30 minutes away from each other.

• We have two children, ages 4 and 6.

• No sex since our 4 year old son was conceived. The very last time we had sex was a few months after my son was born, so that would have been probably January or February of 2005. So nearly 4 years. However, on that one occasion, it was terribly physically painful for her even though she was "ready"... I assume because of recently having the baby, or being newly sewn up after some tearing during delivery. In any case, she actually cried so we stopped. The last time before that was when our son was conceived. So about 4 years and 11 months ago. That particular time was after a long time of neglect on her part, and she suddenly, basically attacked me. We didn't even go get any birth control because it had been so long for me that was the last thing on my mind. And I guess for her, it was just too urgent to worry about that. Well, needless to say, my son was a direct result of that encounter.

• My wife suggested separate houses. And strangely she was the one who also suggested that we go on weekly dates. Still can't really figure that one out.

• She tells me that she thinks about cheating on a daily basis. For example, we had just finished a date, where we played tennis. Then she asked me to go with her on an errand to Target. In the car on the way back I told her that I got a sense that she felt there was some sort of rush, so I asked her who or what was making her feel rushed, if anything. That's when she told me that she had reached her sexual prime, and that she was basically constantly thinking about cheating on me.

• She tells me that if I ever touch her she cringes inside.

• She says she doesn't know why she's not sexually attracted to me anymore, like she used to be.

• She told me late last night that she has made up her mind to file for divorce in January. She originally told me she wanted a divorce last February, a few days after my birthday and two days after my last grandparent's funeral. After about a month of doing all the wrong stuff (i.e. begging, pleading, etc.) she finally agreed to separation instead, to see if things could improve. So from February to July we lived in the same house and actually even slept in the same bed (even though I told her I'd be fine with sleeping on the couch) until we moved to a different state. At that time we moved into separate households, her to her Mom's house, and me to my Mom's house.

• Sometimes I get a response. There have been several times where she's allowed some affectionate touch. For example, one night while we were talking about politics, she let me tickle her back, and then she let me run my fingers through her hair and sort of a light scalp massage. While I was running fingers through her hair, she was hip to hip with me, turned and looking right into my eyes while we talked, smiling the whole time. A far cry from what she told me last night, which was that any time I touch her, she cringes inside.

• She agreed to see a marriage and family counselor, only on the premise of helping us handle things with the kids better. The counseling quickly turned to focusing on the marriage, in an attempt to rebuild the marriage in hopes of reconciliation. We continued to see a marriage counselor upon arriving in the new state, but after only 6 sessions my wife said she no longer wanted to go to couples counseling.

• Long before moving to the new state, during a counseling session my wife suggested that we go on weekly dates once we arrived in the new state. Both the counselor and I were surprised by this, but obviously I agreed to that, and figured it was nothing but a positive thing. It had also come to our attention in counseling that she pursued me fully at the beginning of our relationship (kissed me first, asked me out on two dates before I asked her out, said "I love you" first, said she wanted to marry me first, had a date for marriage first even before I knew that I wanted to marry her, after marriage she decided when it was time for our first child, our second child was conceived after she basically attacked me after having neglected the sexual relationship for quite some time.)

• We still go on a weekly date whenever possible. However, she has been out of town a lot of weekends with her Mother and other friends living it up.

• I am currently only employed part-time, out of my industry. This is partly due to the fact that I had been at home raising my kids during the past two years, while my wife attended graduate school. I am a graphic designer, so I freelanced from home to make enough for us to get by. Then with the move to the new state, that took a huge toll on my freelance so I am now working nights just to make ends meet, while still trying to find a full-time design job and/or freelance projects. I tell you all of these details because I am wondering if you think it will be simply impossible for her to respect me until I find something full-time in graphic design. Or perhaps some other way to make the same money as I was making before, when my wife was at home full-time with the kids and I was working in a design studio. I am doing my best, but I often sense that this may be a deal breaker for her. The irony is that I was supporting the family by myself until I quit my job to move to another state for my wife to attend school. But I know her mind is not focused on that. Only that currently it has been very difficult for me to find work.

• I should mention that she had been sexually abused at around the age of 5 by her Mother's live-in boyfriend.

• She had mentioned to my daughter that part of why she wanted the separation was to see if she would miss me. I don't feel like because of our situation, she's ever even had the chance to miss me. I think somehow she needs that. It also came out in counseling that she thrives on pursuing (like she pursued me during our courtship) even though right now she is retreating.

• She had told me that she is realizing that she is at her sexual peak (she is 31 yrs. old, so it's typically known for women to peak around that age range.)

• She also has started drinking, which is against our religious beliefs, and which she hasn't done since she was a teenager.

• She stopped wearing her ring from the time she said she wanted a divorce.

• She used to have only plain white panties, but last week I noticed that she has new colored, sexy panties. (Only from seeing them peek out the top of her pants.)

• Obviously all of these above things show that she is ready and willing to cheat.

• However, my confidence and true personality are back so strongly, that honestly I am not worried about my reaction or feelings if she chooses to cheat. I realize that the underlying reason she'd likely be doing that is as an attempt at achieving emotional intimacy. However, I am worried that she'd feel so guilty that even though I feel I could forgive her, I don't think she could forgive herself. I think that guilt would keep her from any chance of reconciliation.

• By the way, my religious beliefs prevent me from dating anyone else during the separation (as the book suggests for the 30 day no-contact period.)

• It has come out in our counseling sessions that the times in our sex life when the sex was fantastic were all the times when she initiated it. Whenever I initiated sex, by and large it was not a positive experience for her. The counselors have said that this is basically because of the abuse that occurred in her childhood. Do I still try to initiate sex? Or do I wait for her to do so? I have concerns that if I initiate it, she will feel pressured, pursued and possibly even controlled. And if I don't initiate it, I am pretty sure she probably never will. I would really appreciate some guidance on this.

Ok, so the above describes one man's specific situation. As it pertains to you, your situation may be worse or maybe it's not quite this bad. Now, there are a lot of angles and topics that could be discussed in the above but here are a few key points my experience in helping a whole lot of men tells me...

1. It's possible this man's case is an exception but in all the other cases I've encountered where the woman has been non-sexual for an extended period of time...then initiates a sudden, one-time, "we've got to have sex now" fling...and birth-control is avoided in one way or another...and then a couple of weeks later "pops" the news that she's pregnant...well, the fact is, she was ALREADY pregnant - usually from having an extended affair - and she needed a quick "encounter" to hide that...and a DNA-test eventually proved that out.

2. Now, whether this is true or not, I implore men to not let this change or alter their feelings for the child because the child desperately needs and wants their love regardless of who sired him. As far as the child is concerned, the man he or she knows as "Dad" IS his Dad and he doesn't want any other.

3. This also supports why this man's wife didn't have "feelings" for him like she used to.

4. The odd thing is, men have the reputation of being the sexual ones but in reality, experience has proven to me that many men will go sometimes for years without sex as they "hang" on to their so-called "marriage". In contrast, very few women will go for an extended period of time without sex. She'll either initiate a divorce quickly, or she'll find another man outside of the marriage...play that hidden game for some period of time...and then begin the process of dissolving the marriage. Again, this man's case may be an exception but it is an EXTREMELY RARE woman who will go for nearly 5 years without sex. It's my opinion that a big reason for this is that a man can "survive" on masturbation for an extended period of time whereas a woman needs more than masturbation can give her - and that's why she sooner or later finds a sex-partner.

5. This man's estranged "wife" IS playing him for the fool and having fun at his expense doing it. This man's wife has no care for him. She has no feelings for him. Believe it or not, this man is nothing more than fun and entertainment for her - at his expense:

a. She keeps tabs on you for the perverted enjoyment of knowing that his life is miserable while she "lives it up".

b. She wants weekly dates just for the perverted fun of seeing that she can still control him.

c. She strings him along (politics night) just so she can feel her perverted sense of power over him.

d. She throws jabs at him such as "thinking about cheating" just for the perverted pleasure of watching him squirm in anguish.

6. Now, what WILL happen at some point is she'll realize that this man has zero masculinity, that there is no depth of degradation he's unwilling to stoop to for her and the moment she realizes this is the moment she'll cut him out of her life as completely and permanently as possible. When a woman reaches this point, she'd rather sleep with a NASTY DIAPER than the EMASCULATED man who used to be her husband.

7. This man has LET his wife EMASCULATE him...a woman cannot remain attracted to a man that she controls and directs. From this man's statements, his wife has been controlling and directing him from the very beginning - which is why the sex disappeared long ago - which is why she most likely has been pursuing other men - or at the very least is ready to pursue them now.

8. There is NO pot of sexual gold at the end of the "self-subverting, self-sacrificing" rainbow. When a man says things like, "honestly I am not worried about my reaction or feelings if she chooses to cheat" he's just proving that he's not man enough to stand up for himself and what he wants and that people can walk on him and trample him at will.

Ok, having said these things, is there any hope for this man's marriage?

Well again, there's a lot of territory that could be covered here but I'll GIVE you the following:

1. The process a woman (and a man for that matter) goes through to "fall out of love" is this:

a. She mentally dismisses or minimizes all the good and pleasant memories and experiences she's had with her husband.

b. She mentally dwells upon and maximizes ALL the bad and unpleasant memories and experiences she's had with her husband.

c. She imagines a wonderful, happy future with ANOTHER man.

d. She repeats steps A through C until she reaches a threshold where she's totally disgusted by her husband

e. Now, it's merely a process of eliminating her husband from her life so that she can be "happy" with a new man.

2. I will first suggest that a man in this kind of situation seriously consider whether God is trying to give him a better wife. Pull out your Bible and read Ecclesiastes 7:26, "And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall ESCAPE from her". Consider also Matthew 19:6, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." And that the inverse is also true, what God has let be put asunder, don't try to rejoin. Related to that is 1 Corinthians 7:15, "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases". Pray about this for yourself...it may be that you need to go through the "falling out of love" process for yourself.

3. But, if a man is bound and determined to try to reconcile, then here is your only hope:

a. Do your best to REVERSE the "falling out of love process" in HER mind. Say things that cause her to remember when she first fell in love with you. Say and do things that help her imagine and re-experience those feelings. Say and do things that help her move into that "first love" state of mind. Every chance you get, describe in as much detail as you can - using as many of the senses as you can in describing - all the good and pleasant memories and experiences you've had together. Similarly, at the right time, you acknowledge the bad and unpleasant and then minimize it and counter-balance it with good. Basically, the process that's going through YOUR head right now is the process that you want to attempt to get going in HER head.

b. You've got to immediately become the most masculine man your wife knows. A mare NEVER controls or dominates a STALLION. Look at nature's examples of male behavior in the animal kingdom. You'll get the right ideas.

c. By demonstration, your wife must immediately become aware that she CANNOT control or dominate you - that you are your own independent MAN.

d. Your wife must see that good times and good experiences are enjoyed by those who YOU accept into your world and that you ONLY allow quality people within your world.

So there you have it...and whatever your case may be, I pray God help and bless you and take you to your highest good.

Now, create your own happy, sex-filled marriage Go to http://www.MarriedAndHappy.com/Catalog

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

Natural Cures For Insomnia - Read This For Better Sleep

2008-12-09T07:42:00.001-08:00

Natural cures for insomnia are what you should be after, not sleep medications, should you have problems with your sleep. Despair not if you can't sleep at night. It won't be too hard to find effective insomnia cure as there are many good options available to choose from.

Why You Should Avoid Using Sleep Medications

The reasons are many. While sleeping pills can help you sleep chances they can come with undesirable side effects. Those who have used certain types of sleep medications are known to have suffered side effects ranging from vomiting to dizziness. When under the effects of medications, there are still others who have been known to act strangely. There have been extreme cases where users, under negative influence of sleep medications drove while falling asleep. The highly undesirable side effects of sleeping pills don't just end here. Perpetual users over time can risk becoming 'hooked'. Worse still, many of the drugs upon consumption practically have little or no effects to treat or cure insomnia. At best they only offer temporary relief, not cure. As soon as the person who suffers from insomnia found relief tries to stop the sleep medications, he or she will likely face sleepless nights again.

No Pills - Just Lifestyle Changes

Natural cures for insomnia are undeniably the choice option as insomnia cure for those in dire need of finding effective insomnia remedy. Deliberate changes in one's lifestyle can be an effective component within a suite of natural cures for insomnia options. To establish and follow a regular and orderly sleep schedule as well as the ability to maintain such 'sleep disciplines' are crucial for any person who is currently struggling to fall or stay asleep. This is especially applicable to and needful for weekend late-night party goers who tend to sleep much later than they normally would do during the week. Improving sleep can be a bigger challenge for those who love to drink late at night.

Granted, you are not a weekend late-night party animal but are still looking for cures for insomnia. Taking a warmth shower, a glass of warm milk or doing some light reading just before bed is a form of natural cure for insomnia. Don't forget to do things that are straightforward but helpful. For example, practice and make it a habit to stop your mind from thinking or staying active as much as possible just before you sleep. Stress is a known major cause of insomnia. As a rule of thumb, the less stress, the less likely you will suffer from insomnia.

Natural Cures For Insomnia

If you are looking for good insomnia remedies minus all the adverse side effects, then go for natural cures for insomnia. We'll next explore the use of Valerian Root, Chamomile Tea and Honey as alternative natural cures for insomnia. Anyone eager to learn more about them should find the information to follow helpful.

Proper use of Valerian Root is known to be quite effective for promoting ease of relaxation and quality sleep. This is certainly one natural cure for insomnia option worthwhile trying. But keep this in mind. One has to be fully aware of known possible side effects being experienced by certain users that are attributed to the use of Valerian Root. It simply does not justify using Valerian Root as a natural cure for insomnia option to treat insomnia if the outcome is only to produce more and bigger problems that are actually worse off than the sleep depriving condition itself.

Chamomile is a common and natural choice, very appealing to anyone in search for a natural cure for insomnia. As a sleep-enhancing substance most often consumed as tea derived from the dried leaves and flowers of a plant by the same name, Chamomile has been proven and time-tested as a natural cure for insomnia and method of choice. Just one or two glasses of Chamomile Tea (which is quite easily purchased in any super mart) before bed can soothe and relax a person having difficulty sleeping enough to make him or her fall and stay asleep.

Honey is another commonly available, affordable sleep-enhancing option as a natural cure for insomnia that is known to help one sleep. It can be consumed as honey drink, added to and consumed as tea or just used in the form of bread spread.

The Best Approach - Not Forgetting The Root Cause

The possible causes of insomnia and reasons for insomnia vary highly from one person to another. To have them figured out quickly is not easy. Knowing precisely the root cause of insomnia can and will make deciding which natural cure for insomnia option to use a lot easier. Seeking medical advice from a doctor promptly is perhaps one of the most effective ways to determine the root cause of one's insomnia.

The best approach, even better than using medications for insomnia or natural cures for insomnia, is to actually figure out and deal with the root cause of your insomnia. With this approach, you are not just treating or masking the symptoms on hand. Instead, you choose to deal directly and effectively with the cause of your insomnia. You are now tackling the insomnia problem at its roots. Given enough time, an effective solution can be found and soon, your insomnia will leave you, once and for all.

Ray Young writes primarily on family and health matters. To learn more about Natural Cures For Insomnia, go now to see for yourself, Facts About Insomnia.

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