Posts Tagged day

Becoming Fashion Slaves

14 June 2010

All women remember since they are young their mothers always telling them to have their hair brushed, to wear clean undergarments, to wear a little lip gloss. The ballet teacher will always complain about your posture or a little love handle here and there. The fashion industry also has its ugly face, sarcastically because of the ?€?perfect?€? women seen in television and runways worldwide. It is a world where the stress and pressure to remain thin reigns so much that even little girls as young as 5 years old are starting to worry about their bodies and becoming fashion slaves.

Fashion dictates an esthetic very difficult to achieve, especially for the younger generation. Some models are extremely skinny, some in an unhealthy state, and the younger girls believe that this is how they have to look, because these are the women they look up to and the women who sell the clothes that they want to wear. At an early age, every woman learns that to be successful in love or work; makeup, fashion and beauty always play a main role, but limits exist.

Some girls envision that being skinny is the same as being beautiful and this is the greatest misconception in this industry leading to mental and eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Beauty is skin deep, a beautiful body is not precisely the fit and skinny one, and teenagers for example are always making fun of the ?€?fat?€? girls at school.

Some advertising campaigns have tried to help this social problem by implementing real women in their ads for the consumer to consider the product even more just by confirming that you don?€™t have to be as perfect as the models that were associated with it before. Also, some designers and runway producers are implementing weight restrictions for models to appear on their shows, showing that they are healthy, since this has been some of the biggest polemic in the industry for the past years.

These dilemmas not only relate to the runway, it can also translate to a regular shopping day, not all clothing lines count with bigger sizes for regular bodies and this is a great downer for a girls shopping day out when you have skinnier friends who can fit in any mini skirt or tight dress. Clothing should adapt to people, not people to clothes because then, comfort plays a huge part on the depressing and mental problems this person can go through due to mental overweight issues.

It is true that the female image is used to sell everything, but it is important to know that these models selling the clothes are not perfect, it is a profession and their pictures get retouched and manipulated to accomplish the perfect form and figure. Health is not measured in numbers, being a size 14 is a reality in our population, but we can sometimes confuse being skinny with being healthy. You should always be yourself and quit being a fashion slave.

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Happier Marriage: Ten Tips For Creating The Marriage Of Your Dreams

14 June 2010

By Michelle Vasquez

Everyone wants a happier marriage yet few people know what to do to achieve it. So many times people look to their spouse to “complete” them instead of looking inside themselves to figure out how they can help their relationship thrive. Here are some ideas to get you started on the road to a happier marriage.

1. Overlook your spouse’s faults like you overlook your own. If you are honest with yourself, you will admit you have faults, just as everyone does. If you’re really honest with yourself, you will admit that you often overlook or dismiss your bad habits, while criticizing your spouse’s bad habits. Decide today to go easy on your spouse. Let go of the need to correct his faults and you may find him less critical of yours.

2. Decide what kind of day you want to have, and then create it. Yes, you can do this. A rainy day doesn’t make you have a “bad day.” You decide how to deal with things that are out of your control, like the weather, other people’s driving, your boss’s micromanaging, etc. You can choose misery or you can choose peace of mind.

It begins with what you tell yourself. For example: if it’s raining in the morning you can fret and tell yourself, “This is going to be a terrible day. I’ll get wet, people will drive like maniacs, and I’ll be late for work. This day is ruined.” Guess what? You’re right. Try this instead: “I am grateful for the rain. I’ll leave early for work and I’ll drive carefully. I can put on my favorite music and I’ll choose calm. This is a great day.” Your spouse will thank you when you decide what kind of day to have and her “bad mood” won’t bother you!

3. A kiss on the cheek at an unexpected time can create goodwill. If you have a habit of greeting your spouse with a friendly, “Where were you? Why didn’t you call? You said you were going to be here by 6:00,” take a deep breath and hold that thought. Try this instead: “I’m so glad to see you. How was your day?” then kiss him on the cheek and enjoy the rest of your evening together. Maybe your spouse will think you’ve gone crazy, but it will definitely be a change from the usual evening sparring match.

4. Always greet your spouse with a smile. Remember why you married her and let that warm feeling create your smile. Smiles are contagious; you’re likely to get one back when you practice this. When he calls you, answer the phone with a smile. You will feel differently when you smile and your spouse can hear your smile in your voice.

5. Add to this a bonus. Smiles and hugs go together like salt and pepper. We need human contact with the one we chose to marry. Hugs can melt away resentment and generate compassion. Virginia Satir, one of the key figures in the development of family therapy, declared that we need twelve hugs a day to maintain our mental health. How many hugs are you giving each other each day?

6. Always be the first to say, “I’m sorry,” even if you believe you were right (especially if you believe you are right). When you believe you are right and you’re willing to create distance between you and your spouse to hold onto your “rightness” you damage your relationship. Ask yourself if you want to win the argument or win the relationship. You can’t do both.

7. Make a daily habit of remembering what made you fall in love with him. If you only focus on your partner’s faults, you will quickly “fall out” of love. You can decide to focus on what you like and appreciate your spouse. This is not something to keep to yourself. Appreciate her and tell her. Daily. Appreciation has a wonderful benefit of coming back to you. People will do more for you when they realize you truly appreciate them and what they do.

8. Make blame an obsolete concept. It has no place in your marriage. Blame is so dangerous to the health of your marriage. Blame says you are a victim and your happiness is totally dependent on your spouse doing everything just the way you want it. Choose to take responsibility for what you can control: your own behavior. Before a blaming statement leaves your mouth, ask yourself what you can do to help your marriage.

9. Total honesty is not helpful. Discretion is better. Focusing on the good things you can say to each other is best. I think some people use the phrase “I’m just being honest” to say some pretty ugly things to each other. Sometimes people say they’re being honest, but they are really only expressing their opinion. Before you decide to say that “honest” thing to your spouse, think about how it will impact your relationship. Can you phrase it differently? Does it need to be said? Is it just your opinion? Think about it.

10. Ask yourself, “What can I do today that will bring me closer to the one I married?” Then do it. Keep it simple, using the examples above or creating your own. You have a creative mind and you can make this a daily habit. You will reap the benefits of a closer, happier marriage. Keep up these habits, building on them, and you can create the marriage of your dreams.

About the Author: Michelle E. Vasquez is a Relationship Coach and a Licensed Professional Counselor in San Antonio, TX. For more tips and tools to help you create relationships that bring you joy, visit http://www.michellevasquez.com and sign up for the free newsletter, Relationship Success, while you’re there.

Source: www.isnare.com

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Fashion and beauty for your Destination Wedding

14 June 2010

If you’re getting married overseas, there are a few extra considerations when it comes to looking good. It’s time to start planning your ‘princess for the day’ look!

Your wedding attire
there are two main considerations when planning your outfit for a wedding abroad. You need to find something that you will be comfortable wearing, especially if you’re getting married in the sunshine, and you also need to choose something that you can transport relatively easily.

If the temperature on your wedding day is likely to be very cool, a ‘floaty’ beach dress probably isn’t the perfect choice. Look for something that will suit the environment – more of a traditional ball gown-style-wedding gown, for example. Equally, consider accessories such as shoes. Pretty beach sandals aren?€™t the thing for walking around the castle grounds. Instead consider a high heel shoe.

What you wear for your wedding is entirely up to you and there are no real dress rules if you are marrying in the grounds of your hotel. However, if you have arranged for a religious service in a chapel or church you will most likely be expected to respect local custom and cover your head and shoulders. Also in some Eastern countries, such as Thailand there is a specific dress code. Your wedding coordinator or the relevant embassy will advise you.

Transporting and caring for your outfits
when you choose your perfect dress, speak to the designer or store about how best to transport it. It may pack well with plenty of tissue paper, or could be better kept in a dress bag.

Check with your airline for advice on transporting your wedding outfits. Some recommend that they should be boxed or packed into separate suitcases. They will then be placed into the hold. Others suggest that you use suit carriers and, space permitting, they will be hung in the cabin of the aircraft. Outfits can always be carried as hand luggage but this will restrict you to keeping the rest of your hand luggage to a minimum.

As soon as you arrive at your hotel, unpack your wedding outfits and hang them up. A warm and humid tropical climate should allow creases to fall out naturally. However, your hotel or your wedding coordinator can normally arrange for your outfits to be steamed if necessary. Alternatively, hang clothes in a steam-filled bathroom, which will help the creases drop out.

Hair and beauty
Hair and beauty treatments can be arranged when you arrive at your hotel, or you might even decide to book things before you arrive. If your hotel does not have these facilities, ask whether there is somewhere you can visit nearby. For total peace of mind, practice styling your own hair and make-up before setting off.

You’re likely to want to have a healthy tan on your wedding day, but basking in the sun before the wedding isn’t a good idea. As well as damaging your skin, you run the risk of looking more like a lobster than a sun-kissed bride. Pace your sunbathing on the run-up to your wedding or help nature along with a good quality fake tan. If you’re doing your own fake tan, be sure to practise well in advance.

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