Christmas dinner probably the most elaborate and complex dinners you will have to prepare all year. Chances are there will be many friends and family members attending so you will want to make sure everything is just right. In order to help you do this, I have compiled a list of 5 things which your Christmas dinner table should not be without. I can help you with the setting of your table, but the responsibility of actually cooking the dinner remains in your hands.
The following list illustrates five things that you won’t want to forget at your Christmas dinner table this year:
- Food – Obviously….this one would be hard to forget. Nevertheless, it is very important and I want to make sure you have it on your table. There are many types of popular foods for Christmas dinner including roast turkey ham and many others. The food should be placed in the center of the table to begin with and then passed around the table from person to person until everyone has taken as much as they wish.
- Drinks – There are many types of drink which will want to incorporate into your dinner. Many individuals choose to have wine or other alcoholic beverages, whereas others choose to have pop, juice or milk. Make sure you have plenty of all forms of beverages. It is also important to make sure you have the right glasses for each drink, someone who is drinking milk will not want to drink it out of a wine glass.
- Napkins, Plates and Other Utensils – This category includes everything from napkins and plates to silverware and glasses. These are all very important and it can be very embarrassing if you forget to put any
of these utensils at any seat around the table.
- Crackers – No, I don’t mean soda crackers. Christmas crackers are a great way to add fun and creativity to any Christmas meal. For those of you who are unaware, Christmas crackers are large paper items (which are designed to look somewhat like a large candy) which have a “spark stick” in the middle. You pull both ends of the stick at the same time and the cracker will make a loud noise. Inside you will find a treasure of some sort, a joke, as well as a tissue paper hat to put on your head. There are all different types of Christmas Crackers including really high-end ones. These are fun and your guests will be sure to enjoy!
- Family and Friends – A Christmas dinner just wouldn’t be a Christmas dinner without friends and family gathered all around the table. Go out on a limb this year and invite at least 3 more people than last year. If you’re going to go out on this limb however, make sure you have enough seats around the table for all your guests.
Now that you are aware of the necessities for your Christmas dinner table, relax and enjoy the day as much as possible. After all the work you’ve done you definitely deserve to sit back and have a drink of your own!
Catherine Spelling is a retired interior designer who now uses her decorating talents to make holidays an eye catching event. She is a freelance writer for http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com – a site that offers tips for decorating your Christmas tree, picking out Christmas decorations online, tips for choosing LED Christmas lights, and more.
Alcohol Abuse information, tips, recovery and treatment.
HI would like to share with you a ritual I do every New Year’s that is quite involved and requires a lot of thought and meditation time. It is derived from an ancient Greek ritual for prosperity and fertility. As you may recall, ancient Mediterranean Kings and Queens used to wear garlands of bay leaves (as well as olive leaves) as crowns. Bay leaves, and often bayberry leaves, are often used in Alexandrian magic as well, as well to draw success in business and finances. I like this ritual because first of all it is very “white” and it also involves the writing down of your wishes. The writing down of your wishes on 108 bay leaves works in the same way as a positive affirmation. The stating of your goals and desires allows you to properly manifest them in real life. Every year I pull out my old bay leaves and sort through them and I am always astounded by how many of my wishes have actually been granted.
For this you will need:
a blank check
a gold or silver pen (but a green will do if you can’t get those colours)
Cinnamon incense
a green, an orange or a yellow or GOLD candle (whichever colour attracts you the most)
Orange oil, bergamot or success oil or Horn of Plenty oila package of bay leaves (whole)
an envelope
pretty ribbon
This ritual is for multiple wishes and is best done when you have at least two hours to spare in meditation and quiet. It is best done within ten days before or after the New Year’s. After the New Years or on New Year’s Day is preferable.
First of all, take a bath in your favourite bubbles (Calgon, take me away!) and put yourself in a calm and peaceful state. You can play some steady rhythmic music if you like – anything that puts you into a bit of a trance (chanting, new age.)
The first thing you are going to do is light the cinnamon incense. Cinnamon is related to the planet Mercury and symbolizes communication and quick results. Then I want you to scratch your name and birth date on the side of the candle. Put the candle plate that is wrapped in tin foil (to represent the moon).
Then I want you to take the blank cheque and write the amount of money that you think you would like to make this year or the amount you need to get out of trouble using a gold or silver pen. Make the cheque payable to the order of yourself and be sure to add a few more bucks in there as fun money.
The idea here is to make this cheque as pretty as possible. Decorate it with lucky symbols such as dollar signs, hearts and flowers so this money is brought to you with a sense of joy. Once you are happy with your cheque, and have signed and endorsed it and everything, I want you to anoint all four corners of the cheque with one or more of the oils mentioned above. To make it even more person adds a dab
of your personal perfume.
Place the cheque you wrote to yourself under the dish. Light the candle and say:
“In the name of the I Am that I Am I pray to the Archangels and their legions of light, I pray to the blessed Virgin and her angels of compassion for the following assistance and blessings”
Now open the package of bay leaves. There are two ways of doing this spell — in a really BIG way or in a more efficient manner. It depends how much time you have. When I did this on my birthday I used 108 bay leaves (or fragments of leaves because sometimes they crumble in the package) but you can use less if you like. I used 108 because it is a real magic number, but you can just do as many bay leaves as you can.
As the candle burns and the incense is burning too, I want you to write on each bay leaf, a single word that represents each thing you would like to happen in the near future. For instance, if you are looking for immigration status thing write the word “Citizenship” on the bay leaf. If you owe the dentist money write, “dentist bill paid”. If you would like a lover to return write “lover returns”. Each leaf has a wish written on it. On the leaf after write “high paying job”, on the next one “safety”, “security”, “soulmate”… Place the leaves in a circle around the candle in the shape of wreathe so that it looks pretty and keep on doing this until you are all wished out. Your candle should be circled by bay leaves each with a wish written on it.
This usually takes most people quite a while, and before they know it, the candle has burned down.
If you finish writing the leaves early that is ok too, keep burning the candle down to the bottom (so don’t get a candle that is too big.) After you have written a wish too, it helps if you “let go of it” and resign your self to the fact that the higher powers are taking care of it.
After you are done writing all of your wishes, I want you to say:
“I consider this done in this hour, in full power according to the will of God, helping all and harming none Amen.”
After the candle burns out, I want you to take the leaves and the cheque and put them in an envelope. Seal the envelope, wrap it with a nice ribbon, kiss it and put it in a safe place. Don’t look at this again for a year. Just rest assure that all is unfolding in the Universe as it should.
Blessings to all of you this New Year. xxx Samantha
Samantha Steven’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’s books about metaphysics click herehttp://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com
Country Christmas Idea: Milkweed Pod Poinsettia Ornaments
At first glance, milkweed plants and poinsettias don’t seem to have much in common. If you live in an area where milkweed grows wild, however, you can use the dried milkweed pods to make poinsettia ornaments for your Christmas tree. Here’s how:
1. Collect some dried milkweed pods. In the fall, the milkweed plants have already gone to seed but the dried pods will still be attached to the plant. You will need six “halves” of a milkweed pod for each poinsettia flower that you are going to make.
2. After you have collected the milkweed pods and have brought them into the house, put them in a warm spot for a few days or a week to dry out more. This is especially important if it has been rainy and damp outside.
3. Glue the milkweed pod halves together side-by-side in a circle so that they look like a flower. A hot glue gun works well for gluing the
pods together.
4. Decorate your poinsettia flowers with spray paint and glitter, or, if you don’t want to spray paint your poinsettias, just use glue and glitter. Mix and match and experiment with colors.
5. Glue a loop of string, yarn, twine or ribbon to the back of the poinsettia flower. Once the glue is dry, your ornament is ready to hang on the Christmas tree. You could also give these as gifts — four or six to set, or however many you want to give.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is a freelance writer in west central Wisconsin. She is the editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Assoc.) and is the author of the book: Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a Wisconsin Farm) (August 2003; trade paperback). Share the view from Rural Route 2 and celebrate Christmas during a simpler time. FREE SHIPPING on autographed copies. Free sample chapters on-line. http://ruralroute2.com; bigpines@ruralroute2.com
Unique “Drop-A-Hint” Plan Sends Your Gift Wishes Via E-mail
Sure, they love you and each year they try their best to find you the perfect gift. But let’s be honest, sometimes they need a little help. Here’s your chance to let your husband, parent, or special someone know exactly what you want. Sign up now for our Bragelet’s Drop-A-Hint feature and get the gift you long for at a price you can afford. You simply fill out the “Drop-A-Hint” form and your gift selection is e-mailed to your loved ones complete with ordering details. They can then sign up for our newsletters and be advised of upcoming specials so the next holiday you might really be surprised.
Bragelets were designed because Moms Love to Brag! More than just another piece of jewelry, this is a true reflection of you and your family and the pride and joy you feel towards them. Bragelets offers the finest in custom made jewelry including Mother’s Bracelets, Birthstone Bracelets, Name Bracelets and Charm Bracelets for Kids, and Baby Brags ®, the perfect keepsake or christening gift for the newest member of the family. All styles all custom-designed to your unique personality with the finest sterling silver letters, 14K gold-filled beads and Swarovski crystals.
But keep in mind gift giving is not just a once a year thing done at the holidays. You can present a special gift anytime to let someone know you truly care and make every occasion special.
Here are just a few of our Gift Giving Ideas:
For New Mommies — Bragelets ® New Mommy Bragelet ®
Dads, here’s your chance to show your wife just how much you care and how much you appreciate that nine months of sacrifices she made. It has everything from this mom’s new world rolled into one great bracelet with six charms included: Baby bottle, “spit happens” bib, pacifier, baby blocks, It’s a Girl OR It’s a Boy charm, baby booties and of course, the baby’s name in sterling silver block letters.
Baby Brags ®
The perfect keepsake or christening gift for the newest member of the family. It can be worn on their ankle first and then on the wrist for many years to come. In silver or gold, pink or blue, with porcelain letters spelling out your baby’s name. It’s a sweet tradition and looks great in a shadow box or baby book.
Mother’s Bracelets
What a great gift idea for the mom, wife, or grandmother in your family. Our mother’s bracelets are as
special as the names you have chosen for each one of your precious children. All styles are made with the highest quality sterling silver and 14K gold-filled beads available. See how everyone marvels at the bracelet you wear with your children’s name on it.
Lilbrags
Just like their Mommy, little girls love jewelry. And what they love even more is seeing their name on it. Bring a smile to her shining face with a special bracelet designed just for her. Better yet, surprise them with matching mother and daughter bracelets.
Family Birthstone Bragelets ®
The perfect solution for moms with large families or Grandmas with lots of grandchildren. Make it a family affair with Mom and Dad’s birthstones on the outside and the children in the middle. Or perhaps one Austrian crystal for each spoiled rotten grandchild. Add a charm to make it extra special.
Soccer Mom’s Bracelet
Moms why not show off what you are best known for — carpooling!! That’s right. — All you Soccer Moms out there unite! We have the classic “Mom’s Taxi” charm sure to be a hit at any PTA meeting.
Charm braceletsThese are HOT! HOT! HOT! Back by popular demand and gaining in popularity among the young and old alike, these bracelets will delight every age group. Looking for the perfect gift for your preteen or teenager, look no more — this is it.
Breast Cancer Bracelet
Sterling silver beads and pink Austrian crystals with hearts for love and cause ribbons to remind everyone how important this cause really is. With every purchase, Bragelets will donate $5 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to help find a cure.
So save your loved ones from wandering the malls at the last minute searching for the perfect gift. Sign up now for “Drop-A-Hint” and have an e-mail sent to them of exactly what you’re looking for. Don’t forget to do some shopping at our site too while you’re there. The prices are great and the service is exceptional. Bragelets at http://www.bragelets.com
Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA, Words From Home, Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business & the Home Office Recovery Plan. She specializes in publicity and book marketing and is president of Virtual Word Publishing http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and http://www.Publicity-VA.com. Articles are free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
Usually, the hardest part about Halloween is finding the perfect costume and top accessories for your ghoulish creation. Well, now it doesn’t have to be! With the countless, great resources available on the web, finding Halloween costume ideas for the adults, kids and the rest of the family will be the easy part! Now, you’ll just have to figure out what everyone wants to dress up as!
So where do you begin? Let us help you! Take the time to browse through our site for some great tips on creating the your favorite costumes. Think outside the box, and get really creative! Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling!
You can always do something traditional like a vampire, and add the flowing black cape, white shirt, pointed fangs, and the gruesomely red fake blood, or try something different and dress as a cat, ghost, skeleton, scarecrow, spider, or pumpkin.
To complete these costumes, most would require makeup, tights, hair dye, and a hat, if necessary. If you’ve got to wear a mask all night, just ensure
that the holes for your eyes and mouth are large enough so you can stay comfortable. If masks aren’t your thing, you can try something else and dress like a celebrity (Marilyn Monroe, or Donald Trump), or an action hero (guys always look great as Superman!). The possibilities are endless!
Why not try something really gruesome this year? Bring Frankenstein back to life, or better yet, be a mummy coming back for revenge! The important thing is to have fun with it, and let your imagination run wild. The more unique your Halloween costume idea, the better chance that you won’t have anyone else dressed the same as you at the party! So make this Halloween memorable, and enjoy checking out the variety of ideas available on our site!
About the author: Maria is the the author of “1st In Halloween Costumes” available at http://www.1st-in-halloween-costumes.com A great source for Halloween Costumes online! You can easily find and compare halloween sites offering quality adult halloween costumes, sexy halloween costumes, kidscostumes, pet costumes, and halloween masks.
Ah, the start of another year! In a groggy haze on New Years Eve, I promised someone (or was it myself?) that I would be good this year. I said I would draw up my New Year’s Resolutions – particularly after the roller-coaster year I had last year. Well, a promise is a promise. I can’t very well start the New Year by breaking the resolution that I was going to write my New Year’s Resolutions, can I? So, here it is, broken down into months being the control freak that I am.
JAN – Donate old PC to a Deserving Relative
After all, to give is more rewarding than to receive (but not quite as rewarding as to buy). So I guess it’s au revoir to my X86 sitting in the corner of my study. Now, who should I give it to? Who will appreciate my very first, very own PC? My 91 year-old Gran so she can learn to type? Or my 5 year-old niece so she, too, can fall in love with Frogger and Pacman I grew up with instead of playing with her PlayStation 2?
FEB – Start RDO (Rostered Day Out)
Negotiate with The Boss to work (offline, of course) in the park one day a month. I want to feel the breeze in my hair, the green grass underfoot and the occasional bird droppings on my head. I want to feel free as I prepare my daily status report. I want to pretend I’m unshackled even if the price I have to pay is grass stains on my suit. Just for once, I want to live like the lucky b!@#$%^s on those TV ads.
MARCH – Test Drive a Hot Spot
I can be savvy. I can be cool. Just because I don’t have the latest 3G video bluetooth- enabled combined PDA/Phone (yet) doesn’t make me a techno geek. I am techno sleek! In the month of March, I shall borrow The Boss’s Centrino laptop and test drive a Hot Spot. I shall sit at the café downstairs from work, sip coffee, pick at my friand and surf the net to check my share portfolio performance (yeah, as if). This will be the ultimate testament that I have lived – no, that I am really living – because I can work without being bound to power cables. I can say to the rest of the world, I have a WiFi lifestyle.
APRIL – Turn Multimedia PC into Karaoke Machine
In April, I shall make real use of my all-in-one multimedia PC. I won’t be content just using it to tape shows from TV, watch DVD with 7.1 channel output and play all my shoot ‘em up games. I will go one step further. I will transform it into a karaoke machine…in time for Australian Idol II. It used to life be in it. Now, it’s singing be in it. I even have proof. The Google 2003 Year-End Zeitgeist showed that Australian Idol was the most popular internet query in Australia (www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html). See, I’ve right there with the in-crowd. I contributed to the incredible stats. Go, Cosima! You go, girl!
MAY – Clean Up Electronic Files From Network/CD/Floppies
Yes, like Autumn pruning, this housekeeping task is boring but necessary. Also, I can’t afford to wait until Spring to commence the electronic file Spring Clean. At the rate I’m archiving, triple backing up and ghosting my files, I’ll accumulate another filing cabinet full of CDs between Autumn and Spring…on top of the three cabinet fulls I already have. Maybe I’ll get a 200 GB external hard disk…
JUNE – Stop End of Financial Year Madness
Oh, how I’d love to hate June…but all those end-of-financial year bargains! “Buy something now for a final chance to claim tax deductions this year!” I can already see the advertisement headlines. This June, I will not succumb to temptation and buy/upgrade a mobile phone, PDA, laptop or digital camcorder. Must tell self: “contrary to
self-imposed belief, I will not spontaneously combust from a mild dose of STAS (Sensible Technology Adoption Syndrome)”. I will sponsor a World Vision child instead. At $35 a month or $420 a year, it’s cheaper than a new PDA, laptop or camcorder. And tax-deductible too!
JULY – Expand My Horizons…Outdoors
There’s no reason to huddle myself in the house just because it’s cold. I must stop playing those video games. After all, it’s hardly healthy to pretend I am any of the following: James Bond, Lara Croft, Tony Hawke or Harry Potter. Go outdoors and enjoy the fresh, chilly air. I will ride a bike, bushwalk or hike. I will try bungy jumping, sky-diving, parasailing, absailing…Yeah, right! Who am I kidding?
AUG – Take Time Out to…Organise Photo Album
Something tells me the extreme sports challenge from July will not take. So this month, in my winter of house-bound discontent, I shall take to organising my photo album. I still have photos from my 1998 trip to Europe in three different shoeboxes (unsorted). I suppose that’s hardly surprising since I still have the 1999 Paris (my favourite) calendar hanging in the kitchen. So this month, I shall organise and scan all my photos from the last century…and take down the Paris calendar (sob, sob).
SEPT – Install PC Security…Properly
Install the latest virus-protection, firewall, surge protection, backup software and vigilantly check for updates. I know I’ve been lucky so far…goodness knows I’ve committed too many “install and ignore” sins. Better not push my luck. After all, I wouldn’t want my 23 episodes of 24 to be wiped out in one foul swoop before I’ve had the time to indulge in my round-the-clock Kiefer-Sutherland-thon!
OCT – Subscribe to Something Useful
I will stop compulsively subscribing to sites offering the latest bargains. As we head into the last quarter, I need more motivational sites that give me tips, advice and quotes on how to feel better, work better and be better. I need inspiration delivered straight to my inbox (since technology still can’t deliver it directly to my head). Inspirational messages like this Walt Disney quote: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Hmm, fast-track promotion, here I come!
NOV – Get Rid of Techno Junkie Addiction
As the year starts to draw to a close, I must curb my addiction to all the techno gadgetry. Last year, I failed miserably and ended up with three mobile MP3 players: a standard 128MB MP3 player, an improved model with voice recording (a feature I’ve not yet had the opportunity to use) and a 1.5GB mobile juke box (just because I need something to hold more songs to take on a planned 10 hour trip up the coast…which I still haven’t booked). This year, I must do better. I heard there’s no better way to cure an addiction than taking up a…hobby. Now, is there anything non-tech I want from eBAY?
DEC – End of Year Appraisal
As with any good New Year’s resolution, we must track our progress and compare actuals to our plans. Month by month, I want to know whether I’ve kept to my word. For example, by 31 Dec 2004, I don’t want to see that X86 still sitting in the corner of my study. Wait, I seem to recall saying something about getting rid of that X86 last year, or was it the year before that, or was it 1994? Whatever. There’s always 2005.
I hope you’ve had a chance to draw up your New Year’s resolutions. All joke aside, a wise woman once told me: “A goal is a dream with a deadline!” So, what are you waiting for? Get out your PDA, fire up Word, plug in the camcorder and set those goals. Most of all, enjoy the 2004 roller-coaster ride!
About The Author
Nancy Huang works as a business analyst and project manager. She is keen to build her writing profile and welcomes any requests for her write on demand service.
Not only will your home look overstaged but you can’t possibly decorate the whole thing and get through your other holiday activities. Here are a few tips to lighten the workload.
- Decorate only the common areas that will be frequented by friends and family.
- We shouldn’t have to say this, but here goes. If the Christmas tree is against a wall, do not decorate the part that is not seen by visitors.
- Add a holiday bow to a plain evergreen wreath. You can get very nice pre-made bows at any store that sells holiday decorations. Place it on front door and put poinsettias in the foyer.
- Add holiday trim to everyday decorations that are already in place.
- For an elegant but easy-to-do centerpiece, fill a crystal/glass bowl with water, add fresh cranberries, holly and floating candles.
- Stage holiday scented candles throughout the house. They will make the house warm and cozy.
- For outside decorations, take plain white lights and
extend them around the railings. Buy a roll of festive ribbon and matching bows. Use the ribbon to secure the lights to the railing by wrapping it around. Attach the bows to the end of the railings.
Remember, this is a season to be thankful and to rejoice. Enjoy!
Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The company’s creed is to provide its clients with the ultimate life management experience. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops on wardrobe, entertaining and decorating. For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net.
© 2005 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U
Several years ago, I was talking with a friend about howmuch I didn’t look forward to the holiday season. She respondedby telling me that she gave up the holidays. Her simple statement that she “doesn’t do the holidays” was powerful. I remember feeling shocked that she had actually opted-out. My shock quickly turned to curiosity. What did she do while everyone else was tossing the tinsel and getting all wrapped up in the holiday frenzy?
My friend is self-employed and her business usually slows downaround the holidays. She takes the time and does some thingsthat she normally doesn’t have time to do, like sit by a fire, read a good book or go ice skating on a favorite pond. She stays home. She relishes in the peace and quiet. She doesn’tagonize over spending time with her extended family and going through the motions of politeness. She doesn’t shop endlessly for gifts that she can’t afford or attend parties with food that only ends up giving her indigestion and added calories.
Okay, so her way of “not” spending the holidays may seemextreme to many of us. My point is that there are a myriad of choices when it comes to creating authentic ways to spend the upcoming holidays. Only you know what puts the “Bah” in your Humbug!
Spend some time now and reflect on what it is
that you mostenjoy about this time of year. What would bring you peace, contentment and joy this holiday season?
If you don’t have a plan for self-care, now is the time to make one that includes your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. A self-care plan will keep you centered and resilient.
What do you need to do for yourself on a regular basis in order to feel your best? Your self-care plan will also be your insurance against the flu and other viruses that just love to take up residence in a tired, worn out body. Take the time to be good to yourself.
Finally, prioritize activities that you and your family want to be involved in this year. Maybe its serving others who are in need by volunteering some time at a local soup kitchen orshelter. Decorating your home in celebration of the season.Cooking special meals and making gifts for friends and loved ones. Watching classic Christmas movies. Creating and crafting your own gifts. Enjoying the Christmas music and decorations.
Remember the antidote to exhaustion is whole-heartedness.What do you want to put your whole heart into this season?The answer could change your Bah to Ahhhhhhhh!
Nancy D. Bishop is a Life Coach and Inspirational Writer.She coaches professional women at midlife who are in transition. For information about her coaching programs visit http://www.yourlifeyourway.com
Ok, the end of October is approaching, and you desperately want some colored contacts for Halloween. Why? Well, possibly because no one else will have any, maybe because you like to go that extra yard when you dress up, or maybe you want to get your own back on one of the neighbours kids for frightening your cat. Whatever the reason, colored contacts for Halloween make a lot of sense.
But what do you choose?
Well, some of the more conservative colors like blue, brown or green probably wouldn’t cut it. These colors are too subtle and could be used for work maybe, or a dinner party where you are trying to impress. Animal eyes are pretty cool, but are they Halloween eyes? Cat’s eyes might be, but generally speaking, these special effects contact lenses are dance floor eyes. Take them to the nightclub and be the King or Queen of Clubs for the evening.
But for Halloween, what you need is something a little more scary perhaps. Maybe something red –
Vampire eyes maybe? That would blow little Johnny’s socks off, don’t you think? Or if we are going down the red road, maybe Zombie eyes would do the business. There is certainly a lot of choice for you. Halloween will never be the same again.
Or perhaps you just like being different. Well, some manufacturers will create custom colors for you. Be prepare to pay more though, because custom made contact lenses will not be stock items, and without the cost benefit of being mass produced, having a unique look could come a little expensive.
And by the way, most colored contact lenses are for cosmetic purposes, and come with zero power. This means that they make no correction to the eye, which in turn means that pretty much anyone can wear them.
The article was written by Charlie Cory, who is the owner of FX Eyes, a website dedicated to providing advice about buying special effects contact lenses online.
You can visit his website about special effects contact lenses.
Do you find it almost impossible to stay conscious and contentious about weight and nutrition during the holidays? Of course you do. More than half of all Americans are overweight: You’re not alone.
A new government study might give you a ray of hope though: The study shows that Americans gain only about one pound over the holidays. The study found that people participating were influenced by two main factors over the holidays: The level of their hunger, and the level of their activity. In other words: Those who reported being less active or more hungry during the holidays had the greatest weight gain.
So common sense says: If you can stay focused on dealing with just those two things, you’ll probably win your personal holiday weight loss battle. At the very least, you’ll win by not adding more weight to what’s already waiting to be shed.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of weight gain,” says Dr. Samuel Klein, the Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. “Preventing the increase in weight is a lot easier and better than actually gaining weight and then trying to get it off again.”
So the answer seems simple: Eat less and exercise more. The reality of implementation of course, is far more difficult.
The good news is that most of the people overestimate how much weight they’d gained over the holidays. Fewer than 10% gain 5 pounds or more.
The bad news is: The small amount of weight gained is never lost. One pound of weight gain is quite a small amount, but since it’s not usually lost again: The weight adds up over time – to obesity.
Now we all know there are tons of tips out and about this time of year, designed to help us keep from putting on that extra pound or two during the holidays. Unfortunately what’s usually not talked about is: The reality of day-to-day holiday stress and situations. Let’s explore the tips… along with their reality checks… in depth:
Weight Loss Tip 1: Stay active. The best thing you can do is try to stick to your normal schedule and routine.
Holiday Reality Check: It’s pretty hard to have any kind of decent routine in the busy months of November and December. Busy people tend to sacrafice yoga classes, long walks, and visits to the gym because they need time for extra things like decorating the house, cooking, cleaning up before the visitors get there, and of course: Shopping.
The Good News: Walking around the shopping mall and stores is great exercise, and so is cleaning the house. In addition to those activities, decorating can be quite intensive too: You’re climbing up and down to hang things; lifting, lugging, and dragging boxes out of storage; bending, twisting and turning to get it all looking just right. So don’t beat yourself up about not making it to the gym… you’re getting plenty of activity and every little bit helps!
Weight Loss Tip 2: Don’t let yourself get too hungry. If you go to a party and you’re starving, everything will look even more scrumptious than normal. And of course, you’ll eat much more because of it. Try starting each day with a good, solid breakfast – particularly something with protein. And when you’re at the party, try muching on the veggies to help keep you feeling full. These two things will help your hunger stay under control, and will in turn help you refrain from “gorging” on anything you see just because you’re famished.
Holiday Reality Check: We’re all very busy during the holidays, and it’s not always possible to remember to eat – let alone eat well – particularly in the morning when we may have already overslept and are now running late for everything. And eating healthy at a party isn’t always possible either: Not everyone in this country serves vegetable plates, salads, or fruit bowls. Sometimes the only things in site are junk: Chips, candy, and cookies.
Here’s a suggestion: Try taking your own veggie plate to a party where you know there won’t be one available. A quick and easy way to do this is simply buy a bag or two of pre-cut veggies and some ranch salad dressing. Alternatively, eat a decent meal before you go
to the party. Don’t overdo things, but don’t make it a light snack either. Eating first will help you to just “nibble” a bit on the worst of the holiday treats offered.
Weight Loss Tip 3: Stay away from the food. Literally. Just don’t go anywhere near the buffet table, appetizers, or treats… and you’ll be fine.
Holiday Reality Check: In most cases, the food is everywhere. And even if it’s not right in front of your face, you sure can smell it! Trying to just “stay away from it” is pretty unrealistic – and it can feel like torture for some of us. And for most people: When you can’t have something, you want it even more. So trying to stay away from the food will most likely just make you overindulge worse than you would have otherwise.
Try this instead: Allow yourself whatever you’d like. But with a catch. First: Take only half the amount you normally would. And take just one food item. Eat that and enjoy it without guilt. Then, wait a full 20-30 minutes before you get something else. Then repeat the process: One item, half the portion size as you normally would, enjoy it without guilt, then wait before getting something else.
Allowing yourself to eat gets rid of the mentality of “I can’t have it (and thus I’m more determined to have it)” It lets you enjoy the good food and the holidays, without beating yourself up. This is healthy and can help tremendously with the way you view food and eating in general. Only taking half of it though, will help you not take in as much calories, fat, sugar or other bad stuff you usually avoid. And then waiting 20-30 minutes before you get something else will help your body realize when it’s had enough… or too much. So you’re much less likely to overdo things, and feel horrible physically later.
Weight Loss Tip 4: Wear cloths that are slightly tight on you. This should help you feel full faster, and keep you from eating too much food.
Holiday Reality Check: We want to wear looser cloths because we’re looking forward to eating all that great food! Yes, wearing something tight might help us not go back for a second helping of potatoes… or it might ruin a favorite outfit.
In the end, how you approach this tip is up to you, and you alone. Make your decision and be happy with it.
Weight Loss Tip 5: Keep your portions small. Try to load up on salad and vegetables, and take just tiny amounts of anything else.
Holiday Reality Check: Taking just a “bite sized” amount of anything is going to put you into the have-not mental state mentioned earlier. You’ll feel as if you can’t have something, and you’ll want it all the more.
Try the tip noted above instead: Take half the size you normally would. Trying to have just a little bite of pie will whet your appetite for more, but having a whole piece is going a bit overboard – particularly if there’s 5 different pies for you to sample. So try actual sampling instead: Cut a piece half the normal size. This allows you to have a “whole slice”, and more than several little bites. Then wait about 20 minutes before you go and try the next pie. Even if you end up eating a bit of all 5 pies, by having a half-sized slice of each, you’ve drastically cut the amount of calories, carbs and sugars compared to what you would have had with whole slices. And you’ll still feel stuffed and satiated, instead of deprived and resentful.
So there you have it: 5 different, common holiday weight loss and eating tips, followed by the reality check of each, and a suggested compromise that should help you enjoy the holidays to their fullest, without depriving yourself of the great food we all look forward to.
Whatever you decide to do, remember to actually have Happy Holidays!
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© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professional published writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness, decorating, and gardening. Find more articles by Kathy at http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content/
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