To look beautiful and young is dream of every person, especially girls dream to look younger mostly. It’s no matter how old you are you would like to look young and smart. There are a number of beauty tricks that can take the years off you. These beauty tips will make you look young and you will start feeling young too.

The unhygenic environment around us along with inevitable aging deteoriates the beauty of eye unless we make a concious effort to take care of it. Here are few healthy tips which will help making your eyes an asset to you whole of your life.

Is it unreasonable for your husband to want a sexy wife? What if you just had a baby and it seems like an impossible task to lose that baby belly? You may be thinking, “He should love me just as I am!” The stress of being a new mom can be overwhelming without thinking about losing weight and counting calories.

Some of the harmful ingredients you should avoid include parabens, fragrances, dioxane, petrochemicals such as mineral oil and certain types of alcohol (benzyl, methanol, isopropyl and SD alcohol). It is important to note that your skin has pores and anything you put on it is absorbed into your bloodstream.

Every woman would like to look beautiful because most people say that beauty means having one of the most comfort things of life. Getting your beauty is not a simple thing because you need to do some tips to make it real. But, you can do it if you want to.

Moving your body is extremely important not only for your skin, but for your health as well. Do anything that you think is fun. It is always better to exercise some than none at all.

As we age, our skin starts losing elasticity. This is due to reduction in the levels of collagen, a protein that is responsible for keeping the skin elastic. The anti-aging creams work by restoring the elasticity of the skin and reducing the dark spots. Though every skin cream has a different formulation, the most common ingredients used are retinols.

A make up tip for teenagers concerning eyes is that less is certainly more. Too much eye make up can cause you to appear clownish or can create a needless harshness. Stick with naked colors like peaches, pale pinks, & tans for eye shadows, using just slightly darker shadow along the fold of the eye lid for sharpness.

This involves improving the overall look of the face with the help of surgeries. There are various things that come under facial surgery like removal of wrinkles, refined features, and skin sagging as well as changing the contours of the face to make it look more beautiful. Both the female and male gender can go for these surgeries.

Stress is the biggest beauty culprit. Try to be positive and love every day as a new adventure and get joy from all the little things (so many cost nothing). Drink 8 glasses of water a day and use a moisturizer.

The best way to whiten your teeth is with a Sonicare toothbrush. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth it. Don’t you love the way your mouth feels and looks after you’ve just had a professional cleaning? Now you can feel that way after every brushing.

Read About Health and Lifestyle Also Read About How to Look Beautiful and Buttock Augmentation

The first step towards creating a Gorgeous experience of your self, life and others is to begin within cultivating Gorgeousness within yourself. Everything that you experience in your outer life is the direct result of what you experience in your inner life. That is why, to make this Christmas a truly gorgeous one – where you look, feel and express dazzling gorgeousness, you need to fist cultivate that on an inner level.

Yesterday was the first day in the Grand Gorgeousness Christmas Experiment. That IS what I called it . . . wasn’t it?! I used the three techniques below to put the first foundations in place for a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Why not try them out yourself and join a wave of women who are snatching the reigns of their gorgeousness and taking it to dazzling new levels.   

Numero Uno – Pamper your gorgeous Self

The first step towards gorgeousness is feeling a sense of comfort and peace with ourselves. Because gorgeousness is all about self love, self nurture and self celebration of who you re RIGHT NOW, it’s important to demonstrate those things to your body and soul. Allocate a few hours this evening to a proper pamper session. As you sink into a hot, bubbly bath, breath deeply and focus on relaxing. Release all of your fears, worries, anxieties that usually preoccupy your mind. 

Numero dos; Reconnect to your own unique gorgeousness “look”

Unless you know what your idea of gorgeousness is, you won’t know what it is you are looking to experience. Our internal navigation system – the subconscious mind – needs an image of what you desire, if you are to begin experiencing it. Once you are feeling really relaxed and cleansed, wrap yourself up in a warm dressing gown and sit somewhere quiet. Imagine yourself on Christmas day looking, feeling and expressing yourself as if you were TRULY gorgeous. How would you smile? How would you stand? How would you enter a room and express yourself to others?

Create a vivid, shiveringly gorgeous picture of that in your mind. Now tell yourself that you are already that gorgeous person, because YOU ARE! The sooner you begin to realise that, the more you will become like that and the ultimately you will experience yourself like that.

Numero tres;  Focus on vibrancy, health and well being

It’s well known that whatever you focus on you will get more of. Have you ever woken up in a bad mood and the more cranky you feel, the more problems occur, the more your stress levels sour and the fouler your mood becomes? The reason this happens is because of the way the subconscious mind works. Because our brains are bombarded with thousands of pieces of data, every second, our subconscious mind will deliberately only filter some of them into our awareness. The way it knows what information to filter in is by referring to what we are consciously focusing on. So, if we’re thinking “I am stressed. God, I am SO stressed!”, we’ll filter in more evidence to support our feeling of being stressed . . . ie, kids arguing, kitchen messed up – again, cats under your feet, fill in the missing blank.

However, once you know how the brain works, you can consciously choose to focus on what you want. So instead of thinking, “Oh my God, look at this body! Look at these wrinkles. Look at my scraggy hair!” you can focus on “Actually, my hair is a lovely colour. My body is curvy and sensual. My face expresses the beauty of Who I Am.” The more you focus on looking for your own, natural, unique gorgeousness, the more you will begin to see it.  

Each time you look in the mirror or catch a glimpse of yourself, think a positive thought. Make it into a game. How many great things can you find about your inner and outer self? Have a laugh with yourself . . . Start enjoying your own company.

It’s my 5th week of pregnancy and it just hit me; I’m both happy and scared at the thought that I’m going to be a mommy. We called our family and they are all excited for us. My parents had 7 children so they were supper excited to hear that their 35-year-old daughter was finally pregnant. Surprisingly, it was my dad that was the most excited and that means so much to me. My dad and I have had our differences over the years, so this was really special to have him on my side. He just loves children and would really love more grand kids.

But one thing that is scaring me is how much weight will I gain. Will I get fat? What if I don’t lose the weight after I’m pregnant? I know it’s because I’ve had weight issues in the past and don’t ever want to be like that again. It took me awhile to lose all the weight I gained in college! I know most women in America today have weight concerns.

Then I read this: This is from the Bob Gass ministry.

“Beauty, the…kind…God delights in.” 1 Peter 3:4 TM

Inner beauty

A lady was applying face cream when her little girl asked, “What’s that you’re putting on, Mom?” “Moisturizer,” she replied. “The saleslady said it would make me beautiful.” With an honesty only children have, she replied, “Mom, I don’t think it’s working.” There’s nothing wrong with looking good, but there’s much more to you than your clothes and your hairstyle. Plus, you can go broke fixing up the outside, because “what Mother Nature giveth, Father Time taketh away!” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To find beauty we must carry it with us.”

It’s a big mistake to focus on the outside and fail to appreciate the inner qualities God’s given you. Solomon said, “Beauty is…[not lasting]” (Pr 31:30 AMP). When God made you He didn’t just decorate the outside, He gave you “inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind…God delights in.” However, because Peter also talked about “fancy hair, gold jewelry…fine clothes” (NCV), a few well-intentioned people have used that to create a legalistic standard by which to measure and judge others. Does the Bible teach us to dress appropriately? Absolutely. Paul writes: “I…want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety…appropriate for women who profess to worship God” (1Ti 2:9-10 NIV). But when you focus on the wrong area you get the wrong results. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1Sa 16:7 NIV). Don’t allow what you see on TV or in the mirror to define your worth. Work instead to develop the kind of inner beauty God commends.

These scriptures really helped me when I was struggling with a poor body image. Is anyone out there like me? We’re you worried that you wouldn’t look the same after you had your children or am I the only one?? Please write me back and let me know.

http://www.PrayForYourBaby.com

A couple days ago, I recommended the dark Firefox theme Black Stratini. I recommended it too quickly because I've already found a better dark theme called RulerDark; RulerDark simply has higher aesthetic value than Black Stratini – I also like how the font-color is not overly dark like it is in Black Stratini (which makes it difficult to read what's typed on the screen at times.)

Anyway, be sure to check RulerDark out!

Posted via email from HikiCulture – A Forum For Reclusive People (and Hikikomori) {HikiCulture.Com Site Blog}

Check Out Our Cool New Affirmation Apps:

Check out our new affirmation apps for Apple devices or search i-mobilize on the iTunes store. The Affirmation Spot is developing these motivation apps in partnership with i-mobilize. Click an app to view it – Love Magnet, Sales Booster, Confidence Affirmation, or Full Body Scan, and many more.

We live on an amazing planet. It is full of beauty and diversity to treat the senses. I found this wonderful video on YouTube tonight highlighting our planet’s majesty. The music matches the imagery to create six minutes that will get your day off to a fantastic start.

Stay inspired!

Ray

2009 Affirmation

“This year I am absolutely committed to being the person I came here to be!”

Nikon D300s + Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC at 50mm f/5.6 ISO200 1/30 Second, Post in LR3 Beta and Photoshop CS4

Until today (literally), I’ve tried my hardest to stay away from using Photoshop to edit my photographs. I’d open up the program and think “Oh man, what in the world do I do with all these tools….what’s this layer thingo? Agh, forget it,” and that’s as far as I’d get.

Today I had a lot of time on my hands. I’ve got a fever and sore throat that kept me away from work, so between naps and copious amounts of tea, I’ve begun studying how to use Photoshop CS4. The result is the image you see above. This one of Bridget’s favorite close-ups from our little impromptu shoot on Saturday evening (being out in the cold that evening is probably what made me sick!).  Most of the editing and retouch was actually done in Lightroom 3 Beta, including brightening the eyes and spot removing blemishes, as well as minor adjustments to color.

In Photoshop CS4, I quickly fell in love with the stamp tool, which allowed me to very easily remove lines on her face, particularly under her eyes, and bring out a little more detail in her hair. Here’s the shot straight out of the camera for reference:

Nikon D300s + Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC, same settings as above, SOOC

Huge difference here! (Bridget still looks very lovely of course). This image was a great catalyst for my beginnings in the world of Photoshop. In all, the entire process took only about 10-15 minutes from start to finish, showing how a little touch-up work can go a long way in portraiture. What really impressed me is how seamlessly Lightroom works with Photoshop. Once I was done with initial editing in Lightroom 3 Beta, a Command + E keystroke (Mac) opened the image in CS4. When I finished with CS4, I simply saved the image and closed the window, which brought me right back to Lightroom 3 Beta with the CS4 edits applied. Doesn’t get any easier than that!

Here's the touched-up version (top) right over the out-of-camera image for easier comparison

Her nose is a little red from the cold, but I’m sure that’ll be fixed as WordPress seems to desaturate my photos! What gives, WordPress?! They look how I want them too while I’m editing the HTML, but as soon as I publish the post, the colors look off. Different browsers seem to render the colors differently as well, so I’m really not sure what you’re seeing if you’re reading this! Oh well….

And so, with my fear of Photoshop gone, I’m going to hit the books and see if I can’t really see what this program can do. I’m excited!

*Cough Cough*

]]> http://kakonged.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/touched-by-fire/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:18:42 +0000 kakonged http://kakonged.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/touched-by-fire/

…or fight till the night falls? I’ve lost and given up too much to let it die. To much at stake to diminish the light. Even the dark won’t stop me. I feed off of you…

All I have left is to prove myself wrong….

Here is one more shoot of the beautiful Alina Vacariu.  This one is a little patriotic.  I have a lot more photos from my shoots with Alina, from pretty to fashion to sexy.  They can be seen “Almost Nude”, “Fashion” , “Fashion 2″ and “Wig”.

Enjoy!

Michael Creagh

http://www.michaelcreagh.com

.

Buy my Book!

http://www.blurb.com/books/455779

http://highartweddingphotography.com

Check back at http://michaelcreagh.wordpress.com as I update it weekly.

Jennifer Lopez loves her Christian Louboutins so much that she wrote a song of praise for the red-soled shoe label. Lopez performed “Louboutin” at last night’sAmerican Music Awards in custom-made Christian Louboutins, of course. The lace peep-toe platform booties boasted a super-high gold glitter heel, but stiletto queen J. Lo managed them like a pro (it was those pesky sneakers that were responsible for her fall). We found a similar pair of Louboutin booties (just swap the glitter for leopard print) perfect for your holiday party circuit!

For more:    http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20278123_20322024_20708224,00.html

© All images are copyrighted by their original authors.
© 所有圖片版權皆為原創者所有.

My small slice of the world has been wrapped up in soft grey tissue paper.

And sprinkled now and then with pearls. In this case, the luminous moonstone white of the swans bobbing upside down in search of food.

And just when I think the soft grey clouds are winning, I catch sight of a splash of tinsel, a dab of gold.

We have to embrace the grey too. After all, it is a part of life’s mosaic.

And look – the soft grey pastel tones have a near-magical quality!

What greys will you embrace today?

To see other colourful parts of the world, please visit: That’s My World!

“…my soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is;
so I say, “My endurance has perished;
so has my hope from the Lord.”

Remember my affliction and my wanderings….
My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

{lamentations 23}

Presenting the Excellently overly-dramatic trailer for Reflections in a Golden Eye, a dated yet still shockingly relevant Technicolor ode to lustful homosexual repression and voluptuous heterosexual conformity (based on the Excellent 1941 novel by Carson McCullers), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando (due to the violently, untimely death of tragically Excellent Montgomery Clift, following a chic Beverly Hills party at would-be co-star Elizabeth Taylor’a home).

IS it me or is there a noticable tension between Daniel Mink and Tim Temple? Temple keeps heaping praise on the Renato timepieces but Mink keeps making snarky comments and one wonders where Daniel’s comment regarding being nice because you “never know when your paths may cross again” is directed.

Might the two have a history? It’s quite possible that Mink could have approached JTV or even Shop At Home? It is conceivable that Mink approached other networks after Renato “left” ShopNBC? Could it have been Mr. Temple that derailed any deal? I suspect that the JTV team would have been reluctant to work with Renato because of the complaints from consumers of the diamond quality and clarity, as well as the questionable origin of some timepieces presented as Swiss Made.

A pattern that I’ve noticed with callers is that they are clearly Camp Jim or Camp Tim. I also notice that Tim Temple never makes any mention of Jim Skelton; instead referring to the period that Skelton took over as “The Watch Program”. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have yet to hear Jim Skelton say Tim’s name or Temple saying Jim’s name.

And did you hear John from Texas? Renato watches gave him the will to live?!

A few years ago I decided I didn’t like the term resolution when it comes to describing New Year’s Resolutions.  It sounds self-defeating.  When I thought about it some more a word popped out to me that sounded more encouraging.  That word is REVOLUTION. To me that word sounds more exciting and encouraging when it comes to changing one’s life for the better.  Resolution sounds like you’re resolving some huge conflict.  How depressing! I want to be excited about changing my life, not feel like it’s something that I have to do, but something that I want to do.

Thanksgiving is this week and then next month will be Christmas and then 2010 will be here.  I remember thinking the year 2000 sounded big and scary.  The year 2010 sounds futuristic.  I love the idea of a fresh start.  A day when I can wake up and feel like my world is brand new.

The list for New Year’s Revolutions usually consist of:

* weight loss

* eating healthy

* exercise

* family time

* being happy

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!

I decided I better start brainstorming my NYR’s for 2010 so that I can be ready for when January 1st rolls around. The above list is classic.  A lot of people wants to look thin, young and beautiful.  They want to have many beautiful possessions that show how well they’re doing financially. These things are great to a degree, but I know I’m aging (I’m already getting gray hair ACK!) and I also know that finances go up and then they can go down.  Here is my little Revolution list for 2010:

1.  I want to like myself for who I am.  I’ve grown a lot in coming to terms with accepting myself as more of a tomboy than a girlie girl. I want to be comfortable enough to take myself out for a movie and enjoy it.  It’s refreshing to not feel the pull to have to keep perfectly in-style with society’s choice of clothing.

2.  I want to work on my relationship with my immediate family.  I want to communicate better even when it might be easier to remain silent.

3.  I want to enrich my marriage so that it can be the best that it can be spiritually, physically and verbally.  I want to show how much I value my husband each day in unique ways.

4.  I want to work on cultivating quality friendships vs having a lot of acquaintances who don’t truly know me 100%.  Having a small circle of honest friends is worth more than a whole tribe who doesn’t know you at your very core.  As I’m getting older I’m learning that friendships come and they go.  Some are forever and some are for a season.  I would love to have an older sophisticated woman mentor me as I’m heading toward my 40’s. I’m actually looking forward to turning 60 some day.  That’s all thanks to Judi Dench.

5.  I want to deeper my spiritual walk.  This past year I  was making progress and then I chickened out.  I sense that God is putting me through a spiritual dry spell, so that I can learn to lean on Him.  I just can’t seem to find a church home. Either that, or I’m being rebellious and stubborn.

Well the clock has struck 9 and I better go get some decent sleep.  I’m looking forward to 2010, are you?

Growing up, my brother was an absolute fanatic of this man Wilfrido Vargas. From the Dominican Republic, Wilfrido brought such a passion for an art form called merengue that his following was immense. He was the premiere merenguero at one time, spawning super massive classics ( HOMBRE DIVERTIDO, BALLE DEL PERRITO, The immortal EL AFRICANO just to name a few) that still live to this day. His approach to the music made him a standout from day one. To show how in tune this man was, he at one point would include raps in his songs when the genre was just getting on its feet here in the states (EL JARDINERO). He blended styles and swagger that were unique to only him and his awesome band. The following video is an example of his illness. The band is in Barranqilla, Colombia rocking the shit out of the audience. If only I was there….

Peep the pop locking at the 3:15 mark….SUPER EPIC!!!!!!

This weeks Blog is going to focus on quick and easy skin care, makeup and hair fixes for the big day.  I am throwing in some great links that will take you to advance copies of Black Friday ads, coupon codes and online check-out codes for even greater savings. There is even a FREE  App for your iPhone or iPod Touch to help you throughout the day

Now, for the http:///www.hollycosmetics.com Black Friday WEEKEND Special Event. It is our way of saying we are thankful for you – our customers.

• Receive a 10% discount on your total order when you CALL IN YOUR ORDER TO OUR TOLL FREE LINE, 800-222-3964. Offer expires at 10 PM Monday, November 30, 2009.

1. Plan Ahead – do your homework.

• Check out the links, pre-released ads and make a plan of attack.
• Fill out your shopping notebook with a page or more per store you want to visit.
• Clip the coupons you will “really” need.
• There is one simple and single thing to remember about Black Friday, you will never get or be ahead of the retailer. This year you will find items being limited in the amount the store has and sold only during certain time periods. Be sure to list that information on your notebook pages.
• Be sure to check online for even better deals, before heading out on Friday. You may need to stay up late and log in after midnight for some of the extra special sales.  What you miss online this week will most likely show up again on Monday, which is known as Cyber Monday in the online world.

2. Get plenty of sleep – plan your morning the night before.

• Lay out the clothes you plan on wearing.
• Fill the coffee pot and set your alarm Thursday night.
• Layout the makeup and skin care products you will be using in order on the bathroom sink. It will amaze you how much faster you will get things done.
• Allow yourself at least 45-minutes to get up and out the door.

3. Look your best – in the shortest amount of time.

• Hair – Brush it straight back and if long enough, fasten into a pony tail.  If your hair is short, brush it back and put on a headband. Time: three minutes.
• Makeup – Wash your face and pat dry. Apply liquid moisturizer to the back of your hand and add a touch of your liquid foundation to it. Mix with your fingertips and just-like-that, it’s a tinted moisturizer, two steps in one. Apply all over face.  Dust lightly with loose powder, hit your cheeks with a blush and your lips with a neutral/natural/gloss lip color. Apply a taupe or light brown eyeshadow to the entire eye area. If you must – apply mascara and you are ready to go. Time: five minutes.

4. Clothes for the day – the key word is comfort!

• Dress in layers if possible. Put on your jeans, a tee, a sweat shirt, hoodie or sweater. Add a lightweight jacket (one you can easily folded up and put into your tote bag while you are in the stores). Of course, comfortable shoes go without saying. But the next item, you will find odd – two tennis balls for your tote bag. You will thank me for that tip when your are in pain and need a break. Find a place to sit down with a refreshing drink in hand. Remove your shoes and get out the tennis balls. Put one under each foot and roll your foot back and forth. Ahhhhh, heaven.  Do not give the tennis balls to the person sitting next to you – you will need them again later in the day.  Break over – get out there and shop!

6. Be kind to your shoulder and arms  – use the proper handbag and tote bags for the day.

• This is not the day to carry your world with you. Find the smallest handbag your own and hopefully it will be a cross-body  or fanny-pack style. This is not the day to carry your world with you. Be sure to include your money, credit cards (see below) check book, any meds you will need during the day, headache remedy and at least one bottle of water.

7. Public safety – for yourself and your personal banking information.

• You will need your personal information cards, your check book and any credit cards you feel you will be using that day. Leave the rest of them at home. When using a debit card, look around to see how close the person next to you is standing. Protect your PIN number! If you give it a thought, just say credit card instead of debit card. It will go through just the same and you will not need to enter your PIN number. You will need an envelope for your receipts. Do not let the check out staff put them in your bags. Put each receipt in the envelope as you get them. NEVER PUT ITEMS IN YOUR TRUNK WITH THE RECEIPTS IN THE BAGS.

8. Prevent yourself from getting overly tired.

• Shopping bags cause stress on your hands and arms, so take along the fold up totes that are available everywhere these days. When you start noticing that you are dragging along it is time to make a trip to the car and off-load your items to the trunk. Again, watch out for your personal safety. If you feel uneasy or have  the feeling someone is following you, make an immediate U-turn and return to the store.  Just because your car is closer than the store entrance, it is not a safe place to be.  Walk up and join other shoppers going into the store – there is safety in numbers. Ask a store security person to walk you to your car the next time.

9. Plan on having breakfast, lunch and a couple of snacks during the day (and dinner if you are still alive).

• Nothing huge, just quick protein-filled items (Cinnabons do not count). Be sure to drink at least one bottle of water every hour to keep yourself hydrated. Breakfast should be traditional breakfast foods, high in protein. Have a salad for lunch. Snack on nuts, cheese and crackers.

10. Enjoy the day!

• You are not going to live or die by the bargin’s you manage to score on Black Friday, so enjoy the day. Buy gifts you want to give (or better yet, receive), not the cheapest thing you can find. Don’t worry about gift wrapping, even if it is free. You can usually return to the store and receive that service later as long as you have your receipt.

Finally – the inside scoop on what will be on sale Black Friday and that great TGI Black Friday App.

The FREE TGI Black Friday App for iPhone and iPod Touch is available from iTunes. You will find it under the “news” category.

In an article by Rebecca Kern for US News and World Report, Daniel de Grandpre, editor-in-chief of DealNews.com suggests reviewing the stores’ policies before you arrive to shop. He also suggests finding out if the store has a limited amount of the “doorbusters”.  ”the early bird gets the special treatment tis year, de Grandpre says, as some stores, lie Best Buy, reward early risers with vouchers guaranteeing specific items customers want before the stores open”. You will find a listing of big-name retailers’ hours for Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday this year.

Search the online Blogs for Black Friday shopping. While researching this Blog I found the following items…

• On Black Friday, you can buy one cashmere sweater or scarf and get one free at Banana Republic.
• Victoria’s Secret will have “Pink Friday” specials beginning at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, with select stores opening at midnight, and will offer a free Victoria Secret tote with a $60 purchase.
• Bath & Body Works will offer a VIP Bag that contains over $100 worth of products for $15 with a $40 purchase in its stores. The bath products retailer will open the doors at 6 a.m.
• Target will release its specials on November 25 at target.com/weeklyad and will have an online-only Thanksgiving Day sale. Customers looking for Black Friday deals will receive maps listing the store’s specially priced items. They will also receive a $10 gift card when they spend $100 or more from 5 a.m. to noon on Black Friday.
• Macy’s will also offer specials on jewelry, apparel, and luggage from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Black Friday, as well as 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 28. Deals include diamond accent earrings for $34.99, ½-carat diamond studs for $199.
• Amazon.com will offer its Black Friday specials from November 23 through November 30 at amazon.com/blackfriday. Deals include up to 70 percent off diamond stud earrings, a KitchenAid Pro 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer for $299.99, and Fujifilm 10 megapixel J28 for $79.99.

Time to check the links for extra savings;

The MakeupandBeauty Blog has all the discounts on cosmetics and skin care information for you.

http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/beauty-tips/black-friday-beauty-its-a-jungle-out-there/

All Discount Coupon Codes. Com has tons of coupon information for you.

http://alldiscountcouponcodes.com/home/2009/11/07/black-friday-2009-coupons-deals-and-discounts/

Shopping Promo Codes is a gold mine of free shipping codes.

http://shoppingpromocodes.com/home/2009/11/12/you-can-get-even-better-deals-on-black-friday-2009-with-our-free-shipping-coupons/

A subject that I have given great thought to, and done a lot of reading on lately is overtraining. Overtraining is a syndrome in which a person trains too intensely and/or too often so that the body does not have enough time to recover between workouts. This happens frequently when someone is training for a specific event, game or competition but is not limited to athletes. Conditioning requires a balance in preparatory activity and rest because it is necessary for the muscles to repair themselves by given rest. There are many physiological as well as psychological warning signs or symptoms of overtraining syndrome. The following are some of the physiological signs:
- Lack of energy/ feelings of lethargy
- Soreness and muscle/ joint pain
- Increased injuries
- Decreased immunity to sickness
- Decreased appetite
- Insatiable thirst
- Insomnia
- Unwanted weight loss
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Decrease in training capabilities
- Elevated heart rate
- Hormonal changes (which may also create changes in menstruation)

And the following are some of the psychological signs:
- Irritability
- Depression
- Loss of enthusiasm for sport/ fitness routine
- A compulsive need to exercise

That isn’t to say that just because you worked out 5 times last week and this week you don’t really feel like working out as much and you feel kind of sick and irritable, you have overtraining syndrome. If you find that you’ve been working out 6 or 7 times a week for the last 8 months and suddenly you realize you’re on a plateau and you are just finding you have less of a desire to continue working towards your goal, or towards training for that triathlon, and you are just always tired and sore and irritable because you feel like all you do is work out, then overtraining might be something to look further into.

One way to test the physiological signs of overtraining is by the orthostatic heart rate test, developed by Heikki Rusko while working with cross country skiers. To obtain this measurement:

1. Lay down and rest comfortably for 10 minutes the same time each day (morning is best).

2. At the end of 10 minutes, record your heart rate in beats per minute.

3. Then stand up

4. After 15 seconds, take a second heart rate in beats per minute.

5. After 90 seconds, take a third heart rate in beats per minute.

6. After 120 seconds, take a fourth heart rate in beats per minute.

Well rested athletes will show a consistent heart rate between measurements, but Rusko found a marked increase (10 beats/minutes or more) in the 120 second-post-standing measurement of athletes on the verge of overtraining. Such a change may indicate that you have not recovered from a previous workout, are fatigued, or otherwise stressed and it may be helpful to reduce training or rest another day before performing another workout.

If you think you may be a likely candidate, one of the first things that professionals recommend is rest. As hard as it may be, stay out of the gym for 24 – 48 hours. Let your muscles repair themselves. You will feel much better after you have rested and caught up on well deserved sleep. Hopefully your desire to get back into the gym and kick butt will recover during that time off as well. Get a sports massage. Make sure you are getting the proper amount of nutrients for the amount of exercise you do each day. Continue back with your training but periodize your workouts according to what is necessary. Cut back on frequency and intensity if necessary. The further into overtraining you get, the more likely you are to become sick or sustain an injury. And while it’s easy to think that exercise is always good for you, there is such a thing as getting too much of a good thing.

Hello All You Beautiful People,

Not sure what your skin type is? Check out this quick self test from my favourite makeup book The Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual.

xoxo

Look at your own, clean, unmoisturized skin in the mirror. Is the overall texture flaky (dry), shiny (oily), or smooth (normal)?

How does your skin feel after you wash it with your current cleansing regimen? Tightness through the forehead is an indication of dry skin.

How does your skin normally look by midday? Is there oil breakthrough or dryness even though you have moisturized?

What lifestyle factors are influencing your skin’s current condition: stress? Hormonal fluctuations? Sun exposure? Diet?

Does your skin have noticeable sun damage? How are your protecting yourself against the sun?

Image courtesy of amazon.ca