Sep 08 2009

Baby beanies: The baby toy of all time?

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Baby beanies: The baby toy of all time?

Baby beanies haven’t been around that much since they were “born” only in 1994 when Ty Warner introduced the first baby beanies in the market. Not many people know that a baby beanie or more officially known as beanie baby were first made by him. He made the baby beanie to be more lifelike by giving it more air. In other words, there was less stuffing inside each baby beanie. The usual baby toys were stuffed to the hilt and they were stiff. While Ty’s beanie baby was half filled with stuffing and half filled with beans. Hence the name beanie baby. Other competitors sneered and said that his toys would not last long. But exactly the opposite is what happened!

Now, the “original nine” as they are officially referred to are the first nine baby beanies Ty Warner made. These are the Spot the dog, Squealer the pig, Patti the platypus, Cubbie the bear, Chocolate the moose, Pinchers the lobster, Splash the killer whale, Legs the frog and Flash the dolphin. Collectors have dubbed them as such since these where the first baby beanies available that were selling at less than $5.00 each. Each baby beanie comes with a short poem to introduce it to the toddler. This was written on a red heart-shaped tag that is attached by the animal’s ear.

Not much is known how many baby beanies are totally in existence since there are lines developed that create a family of baby beanies. The most famous is the teddy-bear baby beanie that was created. The basic pattern was just re-used and different colors were utilized to create a family. Different names were given to each teddy bear in keeping with the tradition of having a name. Some teddy bear baby beanies are usually used for commemmorative uses such as in the Fourth of July or there is a Diana, the Princess of Wales have been made as a commemmorative collector’s item.

However, the official baby beanies were mostly animal shapes such as cats and pigs, dogs and hippopotamuses. These are usually brightly colored and stylized to make them pleasing in the eye. The official baby beanie comes with his or her own name. It has its own date of birth. And most important of all, a short poem that describes its personality.

The baby beanie crazed happened in the late 1996 when a frenzied collection of baby beanies started. This prompted Ty Warner to retire some of the baby beanies to hype up even more the sales and marketing side of his products. There were people who bought wholesale in anticipation of the possible future value of a single baby beanie. However, as with other fads that easily rise and can be easily forgotten, the baby beanie craze was just another fad that quickly fizzled. Or what the expectation of those “investors” did not materialize at all.

Inspite of what happened, baby beanies are here to stay since babies usually prefer soft toys that they can easily hug and bite and hold easily in their hand. Baby beanies need not be in the same family of baby beanies to be appreciated. A colllection of baby beanies show the kind of personality the baby has or it speaks the kind of personality the giver has.

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Sep 07 2009

Save More on Cheap Wedding Dresses

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Save More on Cheap Wedding Dresses

Indeed, most thrifty women would opt for cheap wedding dresses to be used in their big day because this can save them more money for future use. In this day and age where money is more important than sentimental value, cheap wedding dresses are indeed the solution to couples or brides who are tight in budget.

One effective way of saving much money is by finding cheap wedding dresses in various stores out there. But, if you really want to save more money, the best option would be is to rent a wedding dress from as bridal salon. Here, you can wear signature pieces in a very cheap rate. The only problem is that you can’t keep the rented wedding dress.

If you want to keep your wedding gown and save money at the same time, cheap wedding dresses sold in bargain stores, consignment shops, thrift stores, and bridal warehouses would work for you. All you need to do is to carefully plan your budget, know your body type, familiarize yourself with various dress shapes available out there, know where to shop and you are ready to go.

The first thing that you need to consider in buying cheap wedding dresses is your preference. Before setting out to find cheap wedding dresses, it is very important first that you have envisioned the look of the cheap wedding dress you are looking for. You can do this by knowing your body type and the corresponding dress shape for it.

If you are tall, you are lucky because almost all dress shapes can fit you. Consider cheap wedding dresses that are two-piece items such as ball gowns, straight-line dresses, and others. The only major setback is that you might have a problem in finding the right size for you. If you are petite, avoid trying on cheap wedding dresses that are highly elaborated because these can only overemphasize your features. If you are pear-shaped, stick to empire cut or A-line wedding dresses because these will avoid you from showing off your not so proportioned assets.

After knowing your body type and the corresponding dress shape for it, now is the time to visit stores that offer cheap wedding dresses. Today, the most common place where you can find cheap wedding dresses include a bridal warehouse because they might have some leftover stocks from the last season and sell them half the price.

Another option is to look for cheap wedding dresses in various consignment shops in bazaars that are eager to sell their items because they need to transfer to another place or need to replace old styles and items with new ones. You can also look in stores that have season-end sale because they will sure offer cheap wedding dresses and other items in a very affordable price.

Also, try visiting nearby tailor shops because they might sell cheap wedding dresses that are out of the season in terms of style and design. If you find it offensive to wear cheap wedding dresses that are out of the season, you can ask a seamstress to make a wedding gown for you using simple cuts and cheap materials.

Another perfect option where you can find cheap wedding dresses is by visiting auction stores online. This might work for you especially if you have good experience in shopping online. In auction sites, many individuals are selling items such for cheap prices and you are lucky if you will find cheap wedding dresses in good condition.

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Sep 04 2009

Types of Birth Control

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Types of Birth Control

Contraception is a term used to prevent pregnancy. There are different types of them around. Some are used by men while others are for women.

There are two major methods of birth control namely barrier or hormonal. Aside from that, the other types include sterilization otherwise known as surgery, withdrawal, natural family planning and the simplest which is abstinence.

Let?s talk about each of them.

?The first is the barrier method wherein the male or the female uses a condom to prevent the sperm from ever entering the female?s uterus. The male condom comes in many brands, color and flavors and is usually made of latex rubber. This is placed over the penis when it is erect prior to intercourse.

The female condom on the other hand is made of polyurethane and is seven inches long. This allows it to protect the cervix, vaginal canal and the immediate areas surrounding the vagina. It is inserted into the woman?s vagina also prior to intercourse.

?Another barrier is known as spermicides. It is a chemical designed to kill sperm and this is available as foam, jelly, foaming tablet and as a vaginal suppository.

?You also have the diaphragm that is a soft rubber dome which stretches over a flexible ring that contains spermicides in the form or cream or jelly.

This is placed inside the woman?s vagina and placed over the cervix. Women should take note that this should not stay inside for more than 3 hours prior to intercourse.

?The cervical cap is a small cup made of the same material as a condom. It is also filled with spermicidal cream and inserted into the girl?s vagina and placed over the cervix.

?The last is the contraceptive sponge which is a soft saucer shaped device made from the same material as the female condom.

Now that we have discussed the different barriers, it is time to discuss about hormonal birth control methods.

Hormonal devices appear in the form or an implant, patch, pill or shot. They are designed to prevent the woman?s ovaries from releasing an egg monthly, cause the cervical mucus to thicken so the sperm will have a difficult time penetrating the egg or thin the lining of the uterus which reduces the chances of a fertilized egg from ever implanting on the uterus wall.

Some experts believe that they are very effective but they cannot protect you from sexually transmitted diseases or STD?s.

?Birth control pills can be acquired from your health provider. Depo-Provera is an injection that costs a little bit more than the pill and can prevent pregnancy for 3 months. Something similar to Depo-Provera is lunelle but this can only prevent pregnancy for up to one month.

?The Nuva Ring or vaginal ring is a flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina for three weeks before this is removed and replaced with a new one. The ring contains chemicals such as estrogen and progesterone that releases this into the body.

?The birth control patch works like the ring as it releases hormones into the body while the IUD is a small plastic device that contains hormones and copper and changes the cervical mucus to decrease the chances of an egg from fertilizing.

?Withdrawal is simply removing your penis out of the girl?s vagina before ejaculation. Sterilization closes the fallopian tubes permanently and this is better known as tubal ligation. Men can have the same thing and this is called a vasectomy.

?Natural family planning is simply controlling the number of kids that you want to have.

?Abstinence is not engaging in sexual intercourse at all that is perhaps the most effective type of birth control.

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Sep 01 2009

Gaining Weight Too Fast During Pregnancy

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Gaining Weight Too Fast During Pregnancy

Any obgyn will tell you that the recommended weight gain for pregnancy is 25-30 pounds. Some women will gain more, some will gain less. But how can you tell if you are gaining too fast during your pregnancy. Too much weight gain can increase your chances of a c section and put you at risk for being overweight after.

Some doctors say that if you put on more than 3 1/2 pounds in your first trimester and are of a normal weight you are putting weight on too fast. If you are overweight and put on more than 2 pounds, you are gaining too fast. Keep in mind though that even if you gain a lot in your first trimester, it doesn’t necassararily mean you will gain a lot your whole pregnancy.

Some women gain a lot in the first trimester because morning sickness has them only able to eat carbs and nothing else and still end their pregnancy gaining no more than 25 pounds. If however you find that your weight gain is still not slowing down once you enter your second trimester, there are some tips you can try to help slow it down.

First, cut out the useless calories. It is never a good idea to diet while you are pregnant but if you are gaining too much you do need to slow down the rate at which you are gaining. Apply some basic calorie cutting strategies such as using skim milk instead of whole milk, taking skin off your chicken and grilling or broil instead of frying or saut?ing. You will also want to cut out most of your sweets. These are empty calories that are providing no nutritional value to you or your baby.

Next, cut down on the fat you are taking in. Look at what you are eating and how it may have hidden fat in it. Some salad dressings can be loaded with fat, so you might want to try putting your dressing on the side. Watch how much oil you use when you are cooking or when you are going out to eat and stick to good oils such as extra virgin olive oil.

Get active! You could be gaining weight faster because you are not active. As long as your doctor gives you the go ahead, start a walking program. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your body and your baby. Not only does it help with your weight gain, but some women and doctors swear that walking through out most of your pregnancy could help ease the pains of childbirth. If you can not walk due to weather conditions you might want to look into joining a prenatal exercise class.

Lastly pay attention to what you are eating. So many people don’t pay attention to what they eat and find that they are overeating without even realizing it. How many times have you sat on the couch watching a movie and decided to have some potato chips only to realize that you have eaten the whole bag? Try to keep all your meals at the table and take your time while eating.

Even though you are eating for two, gaining just enough weight will not only make delivery and recovery easier for you, it will also make getting the weight off after pregnancy come off that much faster.

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Aug 29 2009

??Keyword: floral wedding favors

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??Keyword: floral wedding favors
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Floral Wedding Themes Enhanced By Floral Wedding Favors

A Wedding ceremony is an event that is overflowing with flowers; the bride s bouquet, the bridesmaid s bouquet, corsages, boutonnieres, centerpieces, table decorations, church altars, and the list is endless. Often times, a bride will decide to use one particular flower as her  signature flower for her wedding theme. Taking the time to locate thematic floral wedding favors to match the bride s signature flower is a great idea and extension of the overall wedding theme.

Calla Lily Theme Creates An Elegant Floral Wedding Favor

A popular wedding ceremony flower is the long stemmed white calla lily. This flower has a reputation of sleek elegance, sophistication and refined beauty. Bridal bouquets often consist of one single blossom wrapped with a colored ribbon. If the theme of the wedding is a calla lily, there are many different floral wedding favors that can be purchased to support this thematic choice. There are many different calla lily floral wedding favors on the wedding market today; hand painted candle cups with a single calla lily painted upon the glass, calla lily bouquet candles and ivory resin calla lily place card holders that can be used for a picture frame after the wedding service.

The Innocence Of A Daisy Makes A Beautiful Floral Wedding Favor

Spring and summer weddings bring to mind the image of innocent, young love. The daisy has long been a symbol of purity. This symbolic flower is a wonderful basis for a young couples wedding theme. When planning the wedding colors, using stark white table linens and butter colored accents, the initial image will resemble to flower theme. The daisy while simple is a very elegant wedding theme. Floral wedding favors for a daisy themed wedding might include hand painted candle votives with delicate daisy, plantable wedding seed packets. These packets would come with an attached thank you card printed with a small thematic poem or with the names of the bride and groom and their wedding date. Using delicate silver daisy silhouette place card holders will give the seating arrangements elegance and beauty and the guests can use these tiny flowers to hold a special picture at their own home. Another cute floral wedding favor is individual daisy labeled mint tins personalized with the names of the bride and groom and their wedding date.

A floral wedding theme provides a distinct color palate, design and image of what the wedding plan should focus around. If the bride has chosen one specific flower for her wedding theme, focus every effort on matching or complementing that color scheme. When shopping for a floral themed wedding favor, matching the chosen flower to the favor is a usually a very easy task to complete.

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