How Would You Like to Compete With a Royal Wedding?

Spring brides all over Britain have been thrown for a loop by the announcement of the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Once the April 29, 2011 date was set, ordinary women who had already been planning their weddings for the last weekend of April suddenly realized that their wedding would definitely be playing second fiddle to the grand event. What’s an ordinary bride to do when she comes to find out that a royal wedding will be upstaging her big day?
While there is something kind of neat about sharing a wedding anniversary with a royal couple, there are also a lot of headaches associated with it. Brides who had previously selected the April 2011 wedding date which was chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton are facing an uphill battle to keep their wedding in the forefront of anyone’s mind for that special date. After all, the royal wedding will be a national holiday in England – how many of other women can say that about their wedding dates? The reality is that many of the wedding guests may be wishing that they were watching the royal wedding, when they are attending the one to which they were invited. For that matter, the bride herself may be interested in seeing the royal wedding on television!
So what is an ordinary bride to do when she realizes that her wedding will be in competition with the wedding of the year? One option is to change the wedding date. That is not as crazy as it sounds, especially for brides who were planning to get married anywhere remotely near Westminster Abbey or on any of the streets in the vicinity. Remember the legions of fans who lined the route which Lady Diana Spencer’s carriage traveled to take her to her wedding to Prince Charles? Surely that kind of scene will be repeated when Kate Middleton makes her approach to her wedding site in her custom bridal gown and royal jewelry, with all of the accompanying security and traffic snarls which you would expect. The ordinary bride who is getting married on April 29, 2011 may well find that just getting to her own wedding is a major struggle.
Of course, not every bride will be able to switch her wedding date, especially if deposits have already been made on the venue and vendors, so there will be plenty of women who share the royal wedding date. In that case, there are essentially two options: to either ignore the fact that there is another, more famous, wedding taking place at the same time, or to really embrace the royal wedding and to celebrate Kate and Prince William’s marriage along with your own. Show a film of Kate and Prince William’s vows at your wedding reception. Name the reception tables after famous places in the royal couple’s life (St. Andrews, Kenya, Westminster Abbey, etc.). Rather than trying to ignore the elephant in the room, embrace it.
Brides who wish to keep the focus on their own weddings despite the shared date with the royal wedding would do well to plan an event in a very different style. Competing with any royal wedding head to head in terms of style is an impossibility for most regular folks, so don’t even try! No matter how fabulous your wedding gown and custom bridal jewelry, they will not be instantly copied around the globe. No matter how happy the bride and groom are, their radiant faces will not be put on commemorate plates or postage stamps. So instead of attempting to put together a celebration with a grand style, go a different direction. Host an ultra-modern cocktail wedding in an art gallery or throw a picnic reception on a lawn out in the country. And of course, take heart that despite all the excitement of the royal wedding taking place on the same day as your own wedding, your family and friends will still be just as happy for you.

Fashion Style Tips For Women – How to Pick the Perfect Figure Flattering Dress For Your Figure

Luckily for us and our wardrobes, the faithful frock’s made a dramatic comeback. It’s no wonder we’ve loved dresses for so long and with good reason; this style staple is so flattering whatever your shape. Just think how fabulous curvy Marilyn Monroe or slender Audrey Hepburn looked in theirs. Whichever way you look at it, the dress has bags of pizzazz and is used by many women on the Continent in Spain, France, Germany or Portugal to create an effortless style statement. So why not steal a few top tips from Europe’s most stylish women on how to wear them?
Inch Losing Dresses Delivered to Your Door
What dress you choose really depends on your height and shape and with the right choice you could save inches outwards as well as adding inches upwards. So, where to start? If you’re slightly fuller in the bust like many British and German women you should probably steer clear of high neck dresses, instead, try going for a deep v-neck to balance out your heavier top half and lengthen your legs. Equally, for a rounded figure or apple shape, a dress with a pleated waist will help skim over lumps and bumps and give the illusion of a smoother, lither body. If you have a slender Mediterranean figure like the French and Spanish and crave curves, a great dress can help you you can say au revoir to the ironing board chest; try wild animal prints to give the clever illusion of a waist and with a great belt your bust will look bigger too. If a heavy bottom half weighs you down, disguise thighs with a classic wrap dress, just make sure there’s enough fabric to glide over the top part of your legs and bottom to flatter your fabulous form.
How to Accessories Dresses
Finally, dressing up your dress with seasonal or fashionable accessories really can make the difference between a fashion faux pas and a show stopping entrance. So ladies, think like your stylish European neighbors, play with on trend colors and always, always team with fantastic footwear like the Portuguese, a cute bag and if you’re an ex-pat in Europe, you know by now, that no stylish outfit is complete without those essential oversized sunglasses for instant Riviera style glamour.

Fashion Styles For Tall Women

There are many different types of tall women, long legged, long bodied, slim, hourglass; and it’s important to work out what your specific shape is – if you don’t already know. Often tall women get labelled as one particular category, which can be frustrating and very confusing when it comes to creating a wardrobe.
Keep these simple rules in mind:
– create layers to help balance your figure, for example, if you have a smaller bust, adding ruffle details and higher necklines will keep you in proportion, or if you have an undefined waist pop on a layered high waisted skirt and a belt to cinch you in and mimic curves
– long bodies require shorter top lines and higher waist lines, long legs need longer top lines and lower waist lines; so if you have a longer body than legs, invest in 50s style dresses and styles, but longer legs can layer long tops over jeans for a trendy day look
– the larger your bones, the bigger your jewellery; look at pictures of yourself in different kinds of jewellery, dainty and chunky, and decide which makes you look more in proportion, as well as which makes you look more like ‘you’
– tall women are really the only ones who can pull off couture looks and extraordinary shapes – oversized clothing looks awesome on taller ladies, as do short haircuts, bold stripe prints, printed tights, rompers/playsuits
Not only should you take your shape into consideration, but you ought to develop your own individual clothing style and taste – whether that’s a slightly androgynous, boyish look or a super sexy Amazonian style.
Essential items for any tall woman’s wardrobe:
– skinny, straight leg or slim boot cut jeans – a good fitting pair of jeans is a casual day staple, you can pair them with anything, and inject your own style personality when choosing them too
– well fitted jacket or coat – one of the secrets of the stars is a good fitting coat, no matter what shape
– waist belt – this is essential for helping define your shape, and adding curves to a tall frame
– scarves – any kind of scarves will do, but for those with a small chest, this is the best accessory to own for quickly adding a touch of glamour and making you look in proportion
– dresses – any girls best friend is a beautiful dress, but tall girls require several of these in their wardrobes to help them look feminine and flirty – there are several style which look great, try on all sorts to find one that really looks great on your particular body, halter, t shirt, oversized, fitted, bodycon, maxi, a-line, princess cut…
– flats – pretty and comfortable ballerinas are the most important addition to your closet, as they will be perfect for everyday wear and will go with anything if you have them in a few different colors.
Check out photos of these female celebrities over 5’10” for inspiration and ideas:
Blake Lively, Sophie Dahl, Nicole Kidman, Liv Tyler, Jodie Kidd, Elle Macpherson, Mandy Moore, Cameron Diaz, Rihanna, Queen Latifah, Elizabeth Jagger, Joss Stone, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, Famke Janssen, Taylor Swift, Uma Thurman, Geena Davis, Eleanor Roosevelt, Julia Child, Princess Diana, Erin O’Connor

Choosing Your Ideal Wedding Flowers

As well as everything else to be planned for your big day, you need to choose your wedding flowers, which for many brides is one of the most enjoyable selections they get to make while arranging their wedding. While some women prefer to have a very personalized bridal bouquet, others see their wedding flowers as a chance to keep their overall wedding theme running through every aspect of the ceremony.
A wedding bouquet is the finishing touch to your bridal dress, and a well designed one will enhance your ensemble, bring out your best features and coloring and complement your bridesmaid dresses as well. Wedding flowers are also one of the most prominent features in photographs, so make sure you are happy with them as they will be in your memory for a long time.
There are whole galleries online of wedding flower ideas to help inspire you, and some places allow you to buy bridal bouquets online directly for delivery on the day, which can be very convenient and cost-effective. There are plenty of forums and florists on the Internet which can give you starting points for flower arrangements and color ideas, and you can also look at photos of other weddings, bridal magazines and even in the window of your local florist to get your imagination going.
If you have a wedding theme idea, think how to integrate that into your bridal bouquet and other flowers. For example, you could add some shells to a beach wedding theme, or some sprigs of holly for a Christmas wedding theme. For colors, it is a good idea to have a swatch of your bridesmaid dresses to make sure you can get matching or complementing colors for both the blooms themselves and any wraps or ribbons.
You might want to pick one or two types of special flowers which you would like to feature; perhaps they have a special meaning for you or are associated with memories of yourself and your groom, or others in your family. However it is still a good idea to work within the seasons depending on when you are having your wedding party. Although popular choices like roses and lilies are usually available all year, many other flowers are seasonal so prices will fluctuate. If you want an out of season flower in your bridal bouquet you could have it imported but this can be very expensive so it is best to stick to locally sourced blooms if you can.

Recreating Vintage Fashion Styles

Vintage clothing is all the rage having gone from being a quirky trend to mainstream fashion. The celebs are doing it and so the masses have turned to it too.
To do the vintage look right you’ve got to have the makeup to match the clothes. If you don’t pay attention to what works on the makeup side of things, you could end up looking like a vintage disaster. Take a look at this guide to see how to successfully pull-off the complete vintage look.
Vintage Fashion Has Gone Mainstream
The world of fashion has fallen in love with the vintage look all over again. Models strut in exotic and elaborate vintage designs and designers are doing their best to create the old-fashioned feel by designing vintage clothes and accessories.
Vintage fashion does not stop there. Even makeup is getting the vintage makeover. Every decade has its own makeup trends and vintage fashion is now incorporating the appropriate trend to get the perfect look.
Retro glamour is the coolest thing now and celebrities like Adele and Dita Von Teese have popularized old-fashioned makeup and vintage trends for the masses.
It All Began In The 1920s
Makeup became a popular phenomenon in the 1920s. This era was characterized by the Flapper style, featuring a pale look contrasted by bright red lips. This vintage trend was punctuated with kohl eye-shadow and mascara for the dark eyes.
The 1920s was also the age of glorious rebellion. Models wore scandalously short hemlines rising to the knees in Boardwalk Empire shows. Women began showing off not just their legs, but their arms and hips also. Do not be stingy with the lipstick and eye-shadow when trying to recreate the vintage fashion look of the 1920s.
1930s – The Sophisticated Look Is In
The 30s saw makeup becoming more sophisticated and refined. Bow-shaped lips went out of fashion and focusing on the upper lip became the next vintage trend. The upper eyelashes received generous quantities of eye-shadow while the lower ones were left untouched. Pencil-thin eyebrows made sure that the heavy and made up look of the 20s was replaced by something more elegant.
The simple and sophisticated look dominated Hollywood, symbolized by the glamorous long gowns that helped enhance the overall elegant and sensual feel of vintage fashion in the 30s.
1940s – Functional Styling
Not surprisingly, vintage fashion in the 1940s was dominated by the military look. Dark foundation makeup and strong eyebrows were in vogue. Light red with a hint of orange was preferred for the lips.
1950s Vintage Fashion Gets A Makeover
The 50s saw Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn give way to Parisian couture trends dominated by designers like Jacques Fath, Balenciaga and Dior.
Post war, the feminine look was back in fashion and pink dominated the vintage makeup trends. Lips were given a voluptuous look with rouge and pastel colors applied with a lip liner to extend the natural border of the mouth.
How To Approach Vintage Fashion
If you are thinking of replicating vintage fashion trends, then make sure you choose your decade carefully.
The secret to making a success of any fashion style is to make sure you are comfortable with how you look, especially when venturing to new territory. Don’t be afraid to try new styles like the vintage look, but be sure that you still feel good. Any lack in confidence about your appearance will convey itself in your demeanour and is sure to result in failure.

3 Easy Steps To Learn English Grammar With Mini-Stories

While most English students struggle to learn English grammar, mini-stories instantly turned Rinaldo Guerreiro into a fluent English speaker. Now an English speaking maven, this former English student of mine now teaches others students just like himself in several different English schools. And he now creates his own mini-stories to teach his English students.
Junior is not a language geek. He was not ‘holed’ up in a cave 14 hours a day to learn English. He is just a normal, small-town person his English students can relate to. You too, can become an English speaking maven — and even teach others too — when you follow my grammar learning strategies below.
My Fool-Proof Plan to Mastering English Grammar With Mini-Stories
There are two major problems that English students face when studying grammar. The first is they spend way too much time focusing on the exceptions and waste time that could be used more profitably.
The second problem is that when they want to talk in English, they have to pause to remember all the rules and exceptions to the rules before they can say anything. That kills your fluency and makes you stumble over your words and sentences.
Using mini-stories and following these three simple steps will help you overcome both of these problems that most English students face with a single blow.
Step 1: Listen To Your English Mini-Story
Once you have a mini-story that focuses on the English grammar structure that you want to learn, you need to listen to it many times. This will allow you to begin assimilating the grammar structure before you begin to study the grammar rules. This will make it much easier to understand.
Listen to your English mini-story several times a day. And do this for several days. It is important that you understand the story well and grasp its internal structure implicitly before you try to memorize any of the rules. Otherwise the rules just won’t make sense.
Instead you want to use the grammar rules to explain what you have already seen in the story because that is how children learn to speak their mother-tongue. First they learn how to talk. Then they go to school to study grammar. So, why learn English any differently?
Step 2: Study Your Grammar Lesson
So, after you have listened to the mini-story several times and understand it, now it is time to study your grammar lesson. Now this is where most English student make the fatal mistake of getting bogged down in the details.
Most want to learn all the rules and exceptions to each rule…and waste lots of time where it isn’t profitable. At this point in you English learning process you want to speak English fluently like a native. And native speakers make lots of ‘grammar’ mistakes…which means that if you speak too perfectly you won’t sound like a native.
There is nothing wrong with that…if you are the head English professor in some fancy language university where you want to impress everyone. But if you’re like 99% of the English students I know — you just want to be able to express yourself clearly and easily.
So, don’t get bogged down in the details and all the exceptions to the grammar rules. Instead of spending weeks trying to learn how the grammar doesn’t work…you can spend just five minutes watching a quick video to understand how it does work.
Focusing on the basics…means that you can spend your effort and energy on what is most important — developing your fluency.
Step 3: Do Your Grammar Exercises
Now that you understand the basic concepts of the grammar structure…it’s time to put your skills into practice. So, this is where you want to do some basic English grammar exercises.
Not only will you be practicing what you are learning…but you will also be testing yourself which means that you will be able to evaluate if you really understood what you learned correctly.
Okay! I know I promised you three steps…but I wanted to give you an extra bonus step here that will really help you master the grammar structures that you are learning.
Bonus Step: Listen To The Grammar Mini-Story
For best results when learning something, you must compare it to something else. That way you can look at the similarities and differences between each one. So, what I always recommend that you do is listen to your original mini-story again…but this time with a different grammar structure.
For example, if your original mini-story was in the present continuous…you would now want to hear it in the past continuous or the present perfect. That way you can observe what changes between the structures and what remains the same.
Follow these steps, and you will master the English grammar structures quickly and easily so you can speak English fluently and proficiently like a native speaker in the least amount of time.

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Is It Safe To Use Natural Health Medicine On Toddlers?

Most parents who have toddlers know how often they come home from kindergarten or day care with a runny nose.
That is because our children often catch illnesses from other children in these closed environments. This is why administering natural health medicine on your toddler can be beneficial in more than one way; not only will it help cure those minor illnesses that appear from time to time, but it will also bolster your child’s immune system to prevent them before they even take root.
Natural health medicine can give your toddler that extra boost he needs to avoid illness. Natural health medicine is made in a way that ensures that the growing toddler recovers fast and is not held down by the common cold or runny nose.
In addition to being really effective, they rarely have any side effects, which as a parent is good to know. Most of them are based on soothing the body and will not make your toddler tired or sleepy.
But because they are ill, their bodies will need the rest so that they can recover quickly. Natural health medicine will also make them less prone to getting ill, which as a parent is definitely good news.
It is hard having a sick toddler because all you want to do is to take the pain away from them. And natural health medicine will help you do that so that your toddler is back on their feet in no time at all.
They will feel more energetic to continue exploring the wonders of the world; and their bodies will be able to sustain anything that they might throw at it.
A little research in the natural health medicine department will only be a benefit to you and your toddler.

Defining Your Personal Style

You may be wondering what exactly “personal style” means. Although the term extends far beyond clothes, we are referring to it in the context of fashion. Personal style is an artistic expression of yourself and your personality through appearance.
Each of us is unique. We have our own opinions, ideas and thoughts. That’s why finding your personal fashion style is important to create that distinctive look.
Creating your own personal style is one way to show people who are you, it’s like building your own brand. The clothes you wear say a lot about your personality. You want to create a look that is true about you to attract the people and attention that you want. Trends go in and out but your own personal style is something that defies the latest fad and endures over time.
Here are some tips to help you define your personal style:
Although everyone has personal style, not everyone knows how to express it. Think of the ideal you. Combine your taste, lifestyle, interest, desires, inspirations, aspiration and history together.
Next, try thinking of some words that you would use to describe yourself to someone who doesn’t know you or think of how you would like others to describe you. For instance, are you Conservative? Outgoing? Direct? Romantic? I call these your “style words.”
For instance, if you are especially romantic, you will probably find yourself drawn to ultra-feminine, tailored blouses and other items that have delicate lace, beading and handwork.
Now, take a look at your clothes. Do they match your personality or your “style words”? If so, you have defined your personal style. If not, you might need to go through the next step. Go through magazines such as Elle, InStyle, Marie Clare, Lucky, Harper’s Bazaar and even department store catalogs. Circle clothes and outfits that appeal to you. Now, using your words from above, determine if the clothes you like match those words or your personality. Go to the store, try on clothes that you think align with your personality. You will slowly begin to see how to make clothing choices that fit who you are.
By simply knowing what works for you will make your “what to wear” morning decision fun and easy. It will increase your feelings of confidence as you show the world who you really are. Having your own personal style allows you to set the trends among your friends. Being fashionable allows you to exude confidence and “own” whatever makes you look and feel your best.
Remember to have fun personalizing your unique look. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little and to be creative.
Every woman deserves to look Fashionable, Confident and Stylish. Are you ready to be “The Stylish You”?

Children Caring For Parents and Avoiding Medical Errors

Children caring for parents often assist in keeping track of their parent’s health records. This can be a daunting task as many seniors see multiple physicians who may prescribe several medications for a variety of conditions. Keeping good medication and medical records can help prevent dangerous medical and medication errors. Sometimes they do this by hiring a caregiver to come to their home, but others will often drop their parents off at a senior daycare on the way to their job and pick them up at days end.
There are many in home care services that are offered by independent companies who most often have to be licensed to provide senior assistance services in the home.
Those assisting seniors can help them keep an updated medication list (including over the counter medications) on a computer or in a notebook. An updated list makes it easier for everyone since the first question most doctors ask for is the patient’s list of medications and any changes since they were last seen. Even if they are not available for every appointment, the caregiver can ask about any changes and update and print this list for their parent. Expiration might also be followed to avoid trying to get a renewal for a much needed prescription.
Another good record those providing parent care will want to keep is a good medical history that includes conditions, past surgeries, hospitalizations, Dr.’s names numbers and emergency contact information. These types of lists are vital for emergency visits as well.
They can take these lists to every Dr.’s appointment along with a list of any other issues they or their family may want to address. These simple steps empower the medical professionals providing geriatric care, those caring for their parents and most importantly the seniors themselves.

Online Babysitting Services: How Do They Work and How To Choose The Right One For You

So you need someone to watch your children and have decided to look into online babysitting services. However, there are so many to choose from, including Sittercity, Care, Care4Hire.com, GoNannies, AuPairCare and 4Sitters.com, that it is overwhelming. To find the best fit for you and your family, you need to check out an assortment of sites. Each one will vary in everything from their fees and services, to their applicant filtering system and reputation, to the number of caregivers in their database. Some even provide contact information for pet sitters, housekeepers, tutors and eldercare services.
There are two ways in which online babysitting services work. With the first method, parents post a job and then the sitters who are interested and nearby contact them. This may be done via email or telephone. The parents can then respond accordingly. With the other method, parents can look at the profiles of potential babysitters and then contact the best ones. When searching, you get immediate access to babysitters. Simply type in your zip code and a list of local sitters pops up. When you click on a sitter, you may get a brief bit of information or their entire profile.
Some sites will let you preview and look for sitters without registering, so you can see the options. However, if you want to get the contact information, you need to be a member. Subscriptions may be paid for on a monthly or yearly basis. The best sites will give you a free trial period, perhaps for a week, so you can try it out first. If you like it, you often have to pay an initial registration fee, in addition to the subscription costs.
Be aware that not all sites do the same things. Some may simply interview the babysitters to create a profile but do not check references. Others provide the option of doing extensive background checks. However, it may cost extra or require you to increase your membership level. The best sites will have a multi-step screening process. In addition, the online babysitting services should have comments or referrals from people the caregivers have worked for in the past.
Most online babysitting sites also have a search filter that lets the parents narrow down the candidates. For instance, if you have a child with special needs, you can locate a babysitter who has previous experience with this type of child or someone with specific medical certifications. This search filter will help you save time. They can also help you find back-up sitters at the last minute, in case the scheduled sitter gets sick or you get an unexpected dinner invitation. Some sites, like Sittercity, even offer nannycam and video monitoring options.