Ditch The Dumbbells And Get A Chin Up Bar

The chin up bar has become the most intimidating piece of workout equipment out there. The reason is because it is the one thing that will tell you exactly how strong you are. Forget doing a ton of curls or bench presses. If getting your head over the bar is impossible to do then you are not pound for pound strong. Focusing on getting better at chin ups is a must for anybody looking to get into shape.

Have you ever noticed what kind of people use a pull up bar? You will probably notice that they have a lean muscular figure. There is no room to build up a lot of bulk because you need the lean muscle to power through more reps. With not being able to add weight you have to do more reps. This is how you build lean muscle and endurance.

If you are looking for a back, bicep, shoulder, and core workout then this is what you need. Depending on what type of pull up you are doing, the bicep is going to take the brunt of the exercise. Reverse grip chin ups focus on back, shoulders, and abs. Wide front grip pull ups use shoulders, back, and your core. Close grip use shoulders, back, and core. Most people do not realize it but your core get a workout as it needs to keep the rest of the body in one place.

It is not uncommon to see people put on ten pounds of lean muscle within a month just from working on chin ups. Your body is the best resistance you can get. The chance of injury is very lower when doing them because gravity is doing all of the work and there are no free weights dangling around.

Many people who get use to doing them take a break from doing curls as they are getting better results from pull ups. It is more fun telling people that you can do 20 chin ups at one time then saying you curl 45 pounds. If you want to sculpt your upper body and arms then you need to go and get a P90X pull up bar as soon as possible and start trying to do them. Many people who do the P90X workout live by this exercise when they are done.

Special Lingerie for your Wedding Day

Introduction

When a woman (or man for that matter) gets married it is the most important day of their life . A great deal of time, effort and money is spent on making it the most perfect and memorable day so naturally everyone wants to look their best. Women hope to be at the peak of their looks and fitness. In biological terms it is a message to say a woman is in perfect condition to bear beautiful, healthy children for her mate. Most women go to extraordinary lengths to be the best they can be. Some lose pounds in weight; others spend lots of pounds on hair do’s and facials, not to mention the financial outlay on the dress. Just as important is the lingerie as this usually plays the supporting role. Much more attention is now given to the wedding lingerie for this important day. No self respecting woman would go to her wedding without having made the greatest effort to look her best from top to toe and that includes the underwear for the day.

Choosing the Perfect Bridal Lingerie

What to wear under your wedding dress? Whatever dress style you have chosen for your big day, having gorgeous bridal lingerie with the right balance between comfort, control, and sexiness is vitally important. Although it may not be much talked about it is essential to ensure the underwear is selected to provide the best possible outline and support to enhance your wedding dress. One person I know had the most beautiful slim line dress however because she was so slim she did not have enough bosom to fill the boned top. Altering the dress would have spoiled the line and proportion so she chose to wear a liquid filled bra which filled it out nicely and made all the difference.

Lingerie for the Wedding Night

As well as the undergarments for the wedding day, there is the consideration of the wedding night apparel. A special wedding night only happens once, so no matter what your body shape and size, choosing sexy lingerie can really make your honeymoon sizzle.

There is no one right answer to what you choose for your wedding night. You may feel self conscious about a certain part of your body and prefer to cover up. Lingerie is often a long term investment, so a selection of colours may appeal, but for the actual wedding night, white, ivory, or a soft light pink is a nice touch. If you have bought a exotic piece of lingerie for your wedding night you might want to let him use the bathroom first, or take a moment for yourself after returning to the hotel, so that you can take your time to put on your new sexy lingerie. You can then make your grand entrance and appreciate the look on your husband’s face. Of course you might decide not to bother at all and to simply peel off your dress in front of your new husband to reveal a garter belt. The main thing is that you feel good in whatever you wear, or are not, wearing. Sexy lingerie is something many women will want for their wedding night to make the most of their special time.

What about Plus Size Lingerie?

Most lingerie shops and online suppliers stock a extensive range of regular and plus sizes which are very flattering. Oprah’s comment on plus sizes was ‘don’t worry, your new husband already loves your body and will certainly enjoy it accented by sexy silk and lace’. Some men prefer girly lace and pink panties while others get aroused at the thought of black leather or a naughty red lacy number. You should be comfortable in whatever you choose, but also go for a style that your husband can really enjoy.

There is no such words as bridal lingeries because lingerie is both singular and plural.

History of Bridal Lingerie

Years ago young women would start putting away items in their bottom drawer in readiness for the day they got married. Once there was a prospective husband in sight they would spend the evenings sewing their trousseau in preparation for their wedding day and life as a new wife. Rich families would have the trousseau made for them with going away outfits and underwear and nightwear to last for many years. That way the new husband did not have to lay out money for his wife’s clothes for some time. Less well off families made these garments themselves and would make petticoats, bloomers and bust supports all sewn by hand. I remember my grandmother using a stitch known as shell stitch to hem petticoats giving them an pleasing scalloped edge.

The word trousseau suggests mostly underwear and nightwear for the bride although outer wear was also part of the itinerary. An article from the New York Times 1912 outlines a guide to ‘The Lingerie for the Summer Bride’. It states that ‘no wardrobe is so fascinating to gather and plan for as the trousseau’ It suggests that a dozen of all undergarments are required but if necessary 8 pairs of drawers (knickers to you and me) were sufficient, except for petticoats where six would be enough. It advises not to have too many clothes because the fashions might vary in six months and your garments would be outmoded. It says it is better to have a few good quality gowns rather than many cheaper ones. Although cheaper underwear would be acceptable as the cut would be just as good as for the more expensive items. To complete the bridal trousseau it was essential to have a negligee for the wedding night and the article advises two for the honeymoon.

For the respectable woman it was important to wear the proper clothes for different occasions. It seemed you were what you wore and your status in society was judged by your clothes. The richer you were the more elaborate and expensive the costumes. Naturally to be correctly dressed you would also have the appropriate lingerie to wear underneath. However the regular lingerie women wore on a daily basis would be the same on their wedding day, except that it would usually be new.

Even today there are some women who put on clean underwear to go out because of the traditions and how were raised. People would wear their old underwear around the house because it usually had holes in. The explanation for putting on their best underwear was, that if they had an accident they would not be shamed if they were seen wearing old underwear. Obviously this is a very outmoded idea now because clothes are so much cheaper and readily available than they used to be with the result that very few people need to ever wear worn out underwear.

Do you know that old saying: – Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? It is interesting how these old sayings are handed down and we still pay tribute to them when the time comes. When I got married I was well supplied with the borrowed as I had borrowed both the dress and the veil from different people. My satin shoes were old having been worn for formal dances and I had a blue bow on my underskirt. My main problem was having anything new so in the end I bought some lingerie to wear on the day.

Most of a bride’s bridal lingerie could be gifted during a bridal lingerie shower party.

The Bridal Shower

The Bridal Showers is a relatively new idea in Britain although it is common in the States. It is believed to have begun in Holland when a young couple who did not have a dowry were given gifts from the people of the town instead. This also suggests the beginning of the custom of giving presents when people get married, as dowries are not common place in our western culture.

The bridal shower term may have arisen from a particular party where one of the guests opened an umbrella full of gifts over the head of the bride to be. Hence the term ‘Shower’. Bridal showers have different themes and one is the lingerie bridal shower which is traditionally an all female event. A lingerie party involves more romantic gifts than the usual bridal shower. These parties are a great way to give personal gifts that are just for the bride herself or to share with her soon to be husband. The chief bridesmaid or matron, of honour is generally the initiator and hostess of the lingerie bridal shower. It is her job to invite the female friends and any family of the bride that would relish the party and then each guest brings a gift of lingerie.

Lingerie for Men

So far our focus has been on women’s Lingerie but in today’s more affluent society, even though there is a credit crunch, men are increasingly conscious of their underwear and how their bodies look in it. In the past men mostly did physical work so without any thought on their part, they developed strong muscular bodies when they were in their prime of life, particularly in the farming community where there was plenty to eat. However today men mostly have deskbound jobs and need to go to the gym and exercise etc to develop the muscle they desire. To go with their awareness of developing their physique men are now more concerned with the style of their underwear.

It is interesting how fashions seem to go full circle. Many years ago men wore Long-Johns in the wintry weather especially when they were working out of doors, now they have become stylish thermal underwear for sports activities. Also when I was young I remember my father wearing boxer type underwear. Then 20 years later Y fronts were the rage and there were the jokes about John Major wearing his Y fronts on the outside. In fact there was a serialised cartoon in the Guardian featuring John Major with his underpants on the outside. Then 20 years on again boxer shorts are back in vogue with a designer label. Even the latest brief boxer shorts do not look much different from the original version of the Y fronts, but they still call them boxers. And I won’t go into thongs and other specialist items of male underwear!

So be assured that lingerie is not just a subject for women, men also make it, design it, and buy it. Women aren’t the only ones who can wear something sexy on their wedding night so having bought all your own new underwear for your special day, how about kitting out your fiancée with some exotic new men’s underwear as well? Men like designer underwear too and may also enjoy some silky new boxers or a robe to wear around the hotel room.

There are only so many new ideas possible for mens underwear and those are already available in the stores and online.

Evolution of Lingerie

At one time the wearing of underwear was exclusively a masculine prerogative. Between 1830 and 1914 women relied on several layers of fabric under the dress and long skirts to cover themselves. The corset from earliest times was intended to create a body shape that disguised the natural form but over time it evolved to accentuate the bust and reduce the size of the waist.

Lingerie originally came into being for the purpose of covering the body for modesty and for personal hygiene. In the beginning these undergarments were designed all in one piece and were not exactly what we would consider sexy. But, with a little help from the French, the revolution in women’s underwear evolved as a sexy and deadly weapon when the revealing two pieces lingerie was introduced. From 1914 the Taly bodice came into being which consisted of silk fabric that surrounded the breasts for support, and we know it today as the bra. During this period women were socially empowered in conjunction with their release from the corset.

Between 1910 and 1919 Isadora Duncan the dancer deeply inspired lingerie fashion, by leaving off corsets to free the body for full movement of the dance. During the period between the thirties and fifties there was little sensual interest for underclothes; they were conservative and practical. This was probably because this period was just after the depression and then during, and just after the Second World War. It was a time of hardship and there were shortages of fabric, food and money, to such an extent that rationing was introduced in the early forties.

During the sixties the “hippie movement” generated a breakthrough attitude towards lingerie. Women were encouraged to burn their bra’s and allow their bodies to be free of constraint of any kind. However since the 80’s, lingerie has become a desired fashion statement helped by the sexual icons of the time such as Madonna. Ann Summers lingerie with her sales parties became the designer underwear to have. At the present time women choose with equal attention their undergarments and sometimes with more emphasis than the outer clothes.

The evolution of lingerie follows or maybe leads the changes in the status of woman. From being the victims of attacks and violations with no rights of their own (and no underwear), women have developed into what we know today. The modern woman is confident and strong and comfortable with her own power. Lingerie has become a sociological phenomenon demonstrating the authentic self of a woman and with that women have multiplied their spending on sexy lingerie and undergarments.

Conclusion

So whatever your preferences, a woman likes to spend time getting her bridal lingerie right. It has always been a time of female sharing and intimacy of what to wear and how to be on the wedding night. These days of course couples often live together before marriage sometimes for many years, so the old mixture of secrecy and excitement and even fear have all but disappeared. However the wedding day and wedding night are still unique times and undressing to reveal your underwear has its place. Choosing something different, more exotic or titillating will help make the event memorable and something special to be treasured in the years to come.

Baby Proofing check list

Safer environments for baby
Baby proofing your home is a task that should be listed as one of the most important things that you can do for your new born. This means you need to take a close look at the environments that your baby will face. It’s important to try to see things as a baby / toddler would. Achieving this comprehensively may not be as easy as it seems as we have unconsciously learned allot of our safety skills.

You will need to continually revise the measures that have been taken to make environments safer as the baby develops. Prior to introducing your new born to his/her new home, it is advisable to fix or remove potential household hazards.

In this article we try to share the options available for babyproofing your home.  We also present a built list of hints and tips to help parents that intend to do it without professional advice.

How to babyproof your home
We would say there are two ways to baby proof your home:

1.    Get the professional in they have reviewed many homes and are skilled in knowing what to look for, they even give you a list of all your requirements by room and a £150 voucher to spend against the products recommended

The down side is there is a reasonable cost for the service. The up side is that it will be done professionally; you should get recommendations as regards the best type of product to use and an estimate for installation costs.

2.    Get a number of publications read them and come up with your own bullet point list of items required. This may take a long time but if you have lots of time it may be a good option. Go around your home looking at and listing hazard centric rooms, objects, passage ways, doors e.t.c. as a baby would see them work assess the risks associated with the items when seen from a hazardous perspective e.g. bumping into, falling over, falling off, touching, licking, eating, activating, deactivating, drinking and hearing. Then take that list to a baby proofing shop and ask them to advise on the acquiring of the appropriate safety devices.

The down side is: that you may over do it or under do it; the amount of time it takes is protracted; you can’t be sure that you have all the best information and you may get advised to buy what’s in the shop as opposed to the product which is best suited to your requirement. The up side is that: You are more likely to retain the safety knowledge and you will not have to pay a fee for a professional to do it.

Both options will require that you are handy enough to fit the devices or that you commission someone to do it.

Protect Life offer a professional Home Safety Baby Proofing Consultancy Service (call 0871 050 0880 or send an email to enquiries@protectlife.com). When you book your Home Safety Baby Proofing consultancy via the web shop (www.protectlife.com), one of our team will call you back the same working day to schedule an appointment at a time that suits you. At a scheduled time a trained child safety consultant will arrive at your house and do a thorough safety walkthrough of your entire home with you.

The consultant’s trained eyes will point out potential hazards and dangers to your child. They will discuss ways to create safe zones for your children to explore which will be suitable to your home and your lifestyle. They will further recommend products to install and/or items you can remove to make your home more child friendly. Within three working days of our visit, we will provide you with a written report detailing our recommendations on how you can make your home a safer place.

The service features:

•    Fully Trained Baby safety consultant to visit your home at a time suitable to you.

•    Detailed and comprehensive hard copy report about every room of your home.

•    £150 Protect Life voucher redeemable against products or fitting cost Included in your report.

•    Detailed recommendations specific to the areas we have discussed at your home as well as general recommendations about maintaining a safe environment for your toddler to grow up in.

•    Our consultant will also recommend a range of products to solve areas of concern for you to decide which are appropriate to your level of safety.

•    The written report will include an estimate for fitting costs of the products required, based on time required to fit.

For further information: Call Protect Life to discuss your requirement on +44 (0)871 050 0880 (then select option 1) or send your requirement via email to enquiries@protectlife.com

Hints / tips to help you baby proof your home
The following is properly researched but is not an authoritative guide. It should be seen as useful hints and tips for newborns and infants under three months and for four months to one year (or until baby is walking).

For newborns and infants (under three months)

•    Use a modern crib that carries CE certification.

•    To prevent the crib from collapsing, try to ensure all bolts, screws and other hardware are securely installed.

•    Try to ensure that your child can’t slip between the mattress and crib. The mattress should fit snugly, you should be able to slide just one finger between the mattress and the side rails and headboard.

•    The slats on the crib should be less than 2 3/8 inches apart so baby’s head cannot get trapped between them.

•    Do not put heating pads, soft bedding, electric blankets, pillows or stuffed animals in a crib.

•    Try not to use a crib that has decorative cut-outs or elevated corner posts in the headboard as loose clothing could become snagged and cause strangulation or a baby’s head could become trapped there.

•    Use a safety belt when your baby is sitting in a swing or bouncy seat.

•    If you use a playpen with mesh sides, the mesh ensure it is free from tears or small holes to prevent an infant from becoming trapped.

•    To prevent fire keep nightlights at least three feet away from the crib, bedding and curtains.

•    In case of a fall, place a rug under the changing table and crib, it should cushion the fall a little.

•    Set your water heater to 120 degrees F or below.

•    Install and always use a safety belt on your infant’s changing table.

Be careful when buying used products and using hand-me-downs
•    Before you buy or accept any used item, make sure you review the Top 10 List of Recalled Children’s Products a survey found the products most commonly found in resale stores were recalled children’s products.

•    Family hand-me-downs (including family heirlooms) often fail to meet safety standards and can put your child at risk of injury or death. So low-cost shops and car boot sales are great places to shop for new parents, but many older items are ill advised and hygiene issues may be a health risk.

Four Months to One Year (or until baby is walking) Once a baby is walking, keeping your home safe will now become a daily exercise. Important things to watch for:

•    Shorten blind and curtain cords.

•    Keep any item that is small enough to fit inside a cardboard toilet paper roll out of infant’s reach e.g. balloons, nail scissors, coins and small toys.

•    Remove or replace the plastic end caps on doorstops with a one-piece design.

•    Drill breathing holes into any toy box in case an infant gets trapped inside. You may also want to buy toy boxes that have a removable lid or install safety hinges to prevent the child getting pinched fingers.

•    Cover every electrical outlet / power point in your home with a child-resistant appliance cover (plastic plugs may be easy to pry out).

•    Remove hanging toys from the cot as soon as your child can reach them.

•    Install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairways with two or more steps. (If using pressure-mounted models make sure they are strong enough.)

•    Try to know the names of all plants in case a child eats one of them. Houseplants should be kept out of infants reach.

•    Infant may use cot/crib bumper pads to climb out so remove them soon as your child can get up on all fours.

•    Lock any potentially dangerous substance in a cabinet which is out of infants reach. E.g. alcoholic beverages, laundry supplies, lighter fluid, fertilizers, household cleaning products, paint, charcoal, pesticides, insect spray, and medications (both prescription and non-prescription).

•    Pad sharp edges in the infants reach e.g. the edges of coffee tables and tile/brick fireplaces.

•    Place screened barriers around portable heaters, fireplaces and radiators.

•    Use fault circuit interrupters on electrical sockets near sinks and bath taps, they will generally stop the electrical current when an appliance gets wet.

•    Position audio/video equipment so children cannot pull them off.

•    Secure bookshelves, appliances, and freestanding furniture to walls as infants may use furniture to pull themselves up and stand.

Protect Life Home Safety department have a Baby Proofing section with a huge range of products to keep help you keep your baby / infant safer. Don’t leave it until tits too late brows Protect Life’s web site www.protectlife.com.

Quick Ways To Make Money

Are your metal bunk beds safe for your children?

Most families consider using bunk beds for their little ones to over come a lack of room or via the demands of the child. The one up one down design of bunk bed even though quite an thrilling adventure for small infants can be very unsafe; an average 85% of bed incidents are originated from bunk beds. There are many hazards families should be aware of when purchasing a children’s bunk bed.

Even though a fall single-handedly might considerably injur a kid, objects around the bunk bed may perhaps cause an additional risk. Objects such as blind cords are considerably dangerous; they could easily become tied around a kid’s head and many deaths have occurred because of the kid’s dressing gown cord getting tied around the throat during the fall. Such cases are very extraordinary however they do raise the question of how out of harm’s way our children are in metal bunk beds. Although, metal bunk beds are a fanatastic approach of construing a little accountability onto your child and as mentioned prior they are an excellent room saving tool, so they shouldn’t be dismissed completely.

Metal bunk beds are less dangerous now than ever. Improved equipment, better construction, and superior design have all contributed into a considerably less hazardous bunk bed than more than ten years before. Most bed bunk accidents are a consequence of horseplay, in fact, many injuries are from teenagers jumping around on the beds, especially college dorm attics and metal bunk beds. As long as safe behaviour are carried out, your infant should be alright. Educate them to under no circumstances jump on the top bunk and how to use the ladder correctly.

A Complete Guide To Bathroom Mirrors

Introduction

Central to the mythology of mirrors is Narcissus a Boeotian hero, who disliked those who loved him for his own natural beauty. He famously gazed into a pool of water and was so fascinated with the reflection, that he was unable to bring himself to leave the image. Not realising that the image he could see was of his own natural beauty, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the image, and he perished.

The concept of how the mirror works is quite simple. It stems simply from the reflective surface of still water and therefore nature plays its part. When you look down into a puddle or a dark pool of water, the smooth water reflects the light straight back into your eyes.

Mirrors work in a similar way, in that a mirror is made up of a coated glass surface which when a polished metal surface or metal film is applied behind the glass, light cannot shine through and so reflects the image back. Young children especially, are always fascinated when they look into a mirror for the first time and see their own reflection staring back at them. Anyone who has young children will remember the vision of their young son kissing their image on a mirror.My eight year old daughter loves sitting in front of her mirror doing her hair nearly as much as my fifteen year old daughter!

Where would we be today without mirrors? Mirrors are generally used for personal grooming or interior decoration and have developed from a luxury item into a necessity. There is an enormous variety of mirror shapes and sizes and over the years, mirrors have gradually developed to meet many different requirements. Today there is a large selection of mirrors to suit every requirement, ranging from small mirrors to large mirrors, framed, unframed and includes bathroom mirrors, decorative mirrors, illuminated mirrors, LED mirrors, shaving mirrors, compact mirrors and demister mirrors.

Away from personal use, mirrors are also used in industry as part of scientific apparatus such as cameras, lasers, telescopes and periscopes, to reflect light and used as tools in dentistry and medical care.Not to mention the beauty and hair salon industries.

History of Mirrors

The history of mirrors as far as we can see dates back over 8,000 years. The earliest known mirrors were made from pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring glass from cooled volcanic lava flows. In Anatolia in Turkey, examples of obsidian mirrors dated at around 6000 BC have been found. In south and central America, polished stone mirrors from around 2000 BC on wards have also been found. From around 3000 BC mirrors of polished copper are known to have been crafted in ancient Egypt. In China bronze mirrors were manufactured from around 2000 BC.

The first metal coated glass mirrors are thought to have been made in the first century AD, in Sidon, known today as Lebanon. The Roman author Pliny makes reference to glass mirrors backed with gold leaf in his Naturalis Historia, one of the largest reference books to have survived from the Roman Empire, which focused on natural and man-made objects and was written in around 77 AD. The Romans also created a technique for making crude mirrors by using molten lead to coat blown glass.

In the 10th Century Arabian Physicists, considered different types of mirrors, reflecting mirrors and parabolic mirrors and another discussed concave and convex mirrors in both cylindrical and spherical geometries. In undertaking various experiments with mirrors, finding the point on a convex mirror at which a ray of light coming from one point is reflected to another point was solved.

During the period of the 14th to 17th Centuries, across Europe a method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected by manufacturers. Venice was recognised for its glass making expertise and soon became a centre of mirror production using this new technique. Glass mirrors from this period were extremely expensive luxuries. Manufacturers also evolved in London, France and Germany.

The particular process of silvering to produce the first silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. He developed a process to apply a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nitrate. The process was adapted for mass production and led to the greater availability of affordable mirrors.

The evolution of the mirror over the years is quite interesting, if like me you love mirrors! It has developed from a luxury item to an item which is now taken for granted in daily use. Today, walk into any shop to look at mirrors and the selection is vast, with many technology features now finding there way into mirrors, to give added simplicity, luxury and decoration. 

New features such as Illumination, LED lighting and demisters now provide a huge bathroom mirrors range to choose from.

How are Mirrors Made?

The manufacture of mirrors includes the application to a suitable material of a reflective coating. Glass is the most commonly used material, due to its ability to take a smooth finish and its rigidity. Glass is also more scratch resistant than many other materials. 

Early mirrors were made of solid metal, bronze or silver and they were far too expensive for many. Metal is also prone to corrosion and because of polished metal’s low emissivity, antique mirrors were less suitable for indoor use. With indoor lighting at the time supplied by candles or lanterns, the metal mirrors reflected a much darker picturecompared to modern glass mirrors. 

In modern times ‘float glass’ is used in the manufacture of mirrors, which is a flat ribbon of glass which is run out of a furnace and along the surface of a bath of molten tin. The temperature of both the glass and molten tin is controlled to enable both surfaces to be made perfectly flat. There are now three common types of mirrors: plain – which has a flat surface, and the two spherical types of mirrors: the convex and the concave. The concave and convex mirrors can be used in an entertaining way, when used at fairgrounds or amusement parks to distort peoples figures reflected in them through bloating, stretching and shrinking, the person or object in front of them. I challenge even the most dour faced individual to stand in front of a mirror in a hall of mirrors without laughing at their reflection!

In some applications, a mirror isn’t a mirror at all. For example, when used in public conveniences, especially in public or factory toilets, where for reasons of cost and the need for greater durability, a single polished metal sheet is often installed as a form of mirror.

Different Types of Mirror

Throughout the ages, mirrors have been employed as symbols of truth, deception and vanity. Mention a mirror and you instantly know that if you look into one, you will see your own reflection staring back at you. The image you see will resemble your own appearance. In optical principles, the reflections in mirrors do not totally match the objects in front of them. When looking into the mirror, trace the contour of the reflection of your head in a mirror. The reflection may correspond in proportion, but will generally be half in actual size.
With such a variety and huge range of mirrors now available, much has been made of the amount of money spent in purchasing mirrors especially by women, although in this day and age with an increase in men purchasing cosmetics, some men will also be vain enough to carry a mirror.

The vain Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs famously asked her special mirror, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Mirrors are synonymous with truth.
Mirrors are frequently used in interior decoration to create an illusion of space, and to decorate and amplify the apparent size of a room. They will be used around the home, the office, a pub, club or restaurant to good effect. They work particularly well in night clubs, reflecting the many images of light in the club or room to create a feeling of a much bigger space.

Infinity Mirrors provide an effect of never reaching an end, known as ‘infinity breaking’ and are particularly effective when used in a dark environment. I remember experiencing this phenomenon for the first time as a child in a large department store lift, where mirrors where on all sides of the elevator car. For those who are not good in lifts I should think this effect probably does nothing to calm them, perhaps that’s why you don’t see lifts like this anymore Or is it just because I’m getting old and that was a particular style popular in the 70’s!

My next favourite kind of mirror after the infinity mirror is the heated mirror, these mirrors have a heating element or what is called a demister pad mounted on the back. The reason a mirror steams up when you have a shower is because the surface temperature of the mirror is colder than the air temperature and causes the water vapour in the air to condense on the mirror. Some bright spark realised long ago that it if you heated the mirror this would avoid it steaming up, brilliant!

For many years heated mirrors have only featured in very expensive bathrooms usually costing thousands, and quality hotels have used heated mirrors as a neat differentiator from the increasingly popular budget hotels and motels. Of course it is not until you step out of the hotel shower and see yourself in the mirror that you realise it is there! Whilst at the back of your mind you realise this is one of the reasons why this room is more expensive than the other hotel across the street.

Last week I heard the BBC Radio 2 DJ Ken Bruce state that the best shave you ever had will have been in a hotel, to which he attributed the benefit of the heated bathroom mirror as the main reason. I have to agree, and every time I stay in (nice) hotel I always have a really good look at the bathroom with a view to reproducing the best of its features in my own home.

Today instead of buying one of the many demister mirrors on the market you can actually just purchase a demister pad and fit it to your existing mirror.

In 1980, ska group The Beat had a UK top ten hit with ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’ and the bathroom is probably the location where we are most intimate with our mirrors. Many will say that it is not wise to look at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning, but the bathroom is often the first port of call in the morning. Many bathrooms feature a main bathroom mirror positioned on a wall and a bathroom cabinet with mirror doors. Other than the “oh my god” do I really look like that expression, the uses of a mirror or mirrors in a bathroom will generally be to aid the application of make up, hair styling or shaving.

One of the major problems with bathroom mirrors is that after showering or bathing, the mirror is steamed up. A recent addition in the manufacture of heated mirrors is the inclusion of a demister pad which clears the mirror for use in mere seconds. Imagine never having to again wait for the steam of the bathroom to disappear from the mirror, or having to open the window, before using the mirror to shave or apply make up. The bathroom mirror demister or steam free bathroom mirror is a great invention. Some manufacturers refer to these products as fog free bathroom mirrors and there is now a huge range available, again some with back lights, LED lighting and built in shaver points.

Demister mirrors and steam free bathroom mirrors are not the only recent developments on mirrors. As suggested above another reasonably new product is the back lit bathroom mirror. Illuminated mirrors maintain the features of a simple mirror, but will enhance any environment in which they are used with the addition of lighting. As with all mirrors, the range of illuminated mirrors is extensive, with a variety of sizes and shapes available. An Illuminated mirror with shaver point can also be purchased. Illuminated bathroom cabinets with or without shaver sockets are also available.

Mirrors with back lit LED lights will enhance any bathroom or environment in which they are installed. Being of low energy consumption LED, or light emitting diode, are more environmentally friendly than traditional bulbs. They are designed to withstand the wetness of the bathroom environment. So steam mist will not cause a problem. As a real luxury mirror, illuminated bathroom mirrors and bathroom mirrors with LED lighting can also include a demister pad, to demist the mirror in just a few seconds and an on/off sensor to activate the lights as soon as motion is detected in front of the mirror. Now bathroom cabinets are also available with inbuilt back lights, and LED lighting for that special something different in your bathroom.

As a bathroom accessory the mirror should come high on the list, in fact can you really have a finished bathroom without a mirror? The enormous selection of styles, types, shapes and sizes means that there must be a mirror to match anyone’s budget. Although some of the latest technological versions such as illuminated, back lit and LED mirrors could be considered to be luxury items, some are not as expensive as you may think.

There are some terrific new features which you can find on an LED mirror such as the hand sensor on/off switch to automatically activate and deactivate the mirror light without having to touch it.

Mirrors, Superstition and Auspicious Energy Flow

I have always loved mirrors, probably why I have ended up in the mirrors business! When I was at school I did a project on them, this was before the internet was invented mind so I trawled through piles and piles of reference books in both the school and local library for months. These days of course it would only take an hour on Google, kids these days don’t know how easy they’ve got it!

Once you get immersed in mirrors as I did all those years ago, or ‘mirros’ as I frequently misspelled it, and start researching them, you find that they play a major part in all aspects of life. Mirrors also feature in superstitions. One of the most commonly known superstitions is that someone who breaks a mirror will receive seven years bad luck. A popular belief for this superstition is that mirrors are a reflection of the soul and if a mirror is broken, then part of the soul is broken. Added to this, some believe that the soul regenerates every seven years in an unbroken condition, hence the seven years of bad luck. I bet you’ve always wondered why that was so I’m glad to share that with you!

It is also said that the mirror does not lie. A mirror can show only the truth. It is a very bad omen indeed to see something in a mirror which should not be there, a technique regularly used in scary movies! Some cultures also have a custom that a newborn child should not look into a mirror until its first birthday because its soul is still developing.

In the southern United States, it used to be customary to cover the mirrors in a house where the wake of a deceased person was being held. If a mirror was left uncovered or exposed, people believed that the deceased person’s soul would become trapped in any uncovered mirror. It was also thought that mirrors unexpectedly falling or mysteriously cracking were believed to be haunted.

In the ancient art of Feng Shui mirror placement is considered very important. There is a lot of information available about this, and it is a subject that can’t be covered in a mere paragraph or two here. But Chi energy flow can be influenced by mirrors so where the energy needs to be reflected, mirrors can be used for this to great effect. Personally I don’t really follow these rules, although my mum has mirrors strategically placed all over her house to redirect in-auspicious energy! One of the principles I do follow though is to make sure I don’t have any mirrors pointing at my bed, or the kids beds, as this is said to reflect your dreams back onto you whilst you are sleeping, which is not a good thing if it’s a nightmare!

Conclusion

A mirror is defined as a coated glass surface for reflecting images. There is a huge range of mirrors for scientific use, and available in many shapes and sizes. The most commonly seen uses of mirrors are for personal grooming and interior decoration. As a race we are thoroughly addicted to mirrors. Who can honestly say that they can walk past a mirror without taking a look at themselves?

Over time, mirrors have evolved from a luxury item to an item of necessity and many particularly women will always carry a mirror in their hand bags. However, today with technological advancements, some mirrors will be seen as a luxury, particularly those which include illumination, LED or demisting devices. As individuals we spend many hours of our life in a bathroom, so why not treat yourself to one of life’s little luxuries and indulge in a stylish bathroom mirror? After all, let’s be honest, who can really live without a mirror?

 

Ways To Deal With Head Lice

The thought of head lice may get you scratching your hair in horror but they are surprisingly common even in this modern age. Head lice are masters of survival and have managed to outwit man’s attempts to eradicate them over thousands of years.

They do this by being difficult to see until the hair becomes heavily infested with them. It’s thought that a person will have been bitten thousands of times before the scalp becomes irritated enough for the familiar head scratching to begin.

This is why using a head lice comb is so important. Although children are the most likely to catch head lice adults aren’t immune either. It’s very easy to catch lice off your own children. So comb your family at least once a month.

If you find any evidence of nits or lice you need to decide what to do about head lice removal.There are a whole host of home remedies for head lice available to you if you want to avoid the use of chemicals. They can however, be very messy and time consuming.

Modern over the counter treatments have come on in recent years and are a lot safer than they used to be. They are usually a lot quicker and less fiddly to use than natural treatments.

The choice is yours and with all the possibilities out there you’ll be able to find an effective head lice treatment that suits both you and your family. Just remember that most effective weapon in the fight against head lice is a good quality head lice comb that will find the little horrors however much they try to hide.

Remember if you are unsure as to whether or not your child has head lice seek appropriate medical advice.

Bifocal History

The American man of science, Benjamin Franklin, who endured both nearsightedness as well as presbyopia, devised bifocals in 1784 to obviate having to frequently alternate between 2 pairs of glasses.

Who knew that several centuries later Franklin’s invention would lead to the ideal computer glasses with the development of the occupational bifocal lenses.

The 1st lenses for rectifying astigmia were manufactured by the British astronomer George Airy within 1825.

Across time, the building of spectacle frames also developed. Early on oculars were contrived to be either held in place with hand or by maintaining force on the nose. Girolamo Savonarola advised that oculars could be held in place with a ribbon passed over the subject’s head, this in turn fastened by the weight of a hat.

The contemporary fashion of bifocal reading glasses, supported by temples passing over the ears, was produced in 1727 by the British lens maker Edward Scarlett. These designs were not at once prosperous, however, and assorted styles with attached handles like “scissors-glasses” and lorgnettes stayed fashionable throughout the eighteenth and into the early nineteenth century. The history of bifocal reading glasses is more you might assume, actually.

In the early twentieth century, Moritz von Rohr at Zeiss produced the Zeiss Punktal spherical point-focus lens system which dominated the eyeglass lens field for several years.

Despite the improving fame of contacts and laser restorative eye surgery, spectacles stay quite common, as their engineering has continued to improve. For example, it’s currently possible to buy frames constituted of special memory metal alloys that return to their correct configuration after being bent. Other frames have spring-loaded hinges.

Either of these designs offers distinctly better ability to resist the stresses of day-to-day wear as well as the occasional accident. Contemporary frames are likewise frequently made from substantial, light-weight materials like titanium alloys that weren’t available in earlier times.

Dealing With Autism

Although there certainly are a lot of things that can go wrong with an individual, the one thing that none of us want to think about are our children having to deal with autism and asberger syndrome.  Unfortunately, an increasing number of people have to do just that and until a cure is found, it seems that this is going to continue to rise.  At this particular time, it is thought that almost 5 out of every 1000 children are going to end up with this disorder. This is an unthinkable number and more research needs to be done in order to make sure that the problem is solved quickly.

Unfortunately, it seems that autism and asbergers syndrome is on the rise.  There are conflicting reasons as to why more people seem to be coming down with this disorder but here are two that are at the head of the pack.  Many people reason that it is as a result of the environment around us, perhaps even from mercury that exists in inoculations that we give to our children.  Other people, however, think that it is as a result of early detection as a result of raised awareness of this particular disorder.  Regardless of why it is happening, research is going to have to be done in order to find a cure so that it can be brought under control.

If you suspect that your child has autism, it is imperative that you see your doctor as soon as possible. While there is no current cure for this disease, your doctor has ways to help you and your child deal with this. There are also autism support groups for parents with children with this ailment to help parents better cope with this problem.

*Note that this article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to convey any medical advice. Always consult with a medical professional or doctor for medical advice.

Dog Collars And Training

There are many types of dog collars. These collars range from obedience collars all the way to pretty little designer collars.

Buckle collars are the most common type of dog collar. They come in two different forms being flat or rolled. You want to use rolled buckled collars for larger dogs and the flat buckled collars for smaller dogs. They are ideal for basic dog training.

Another type of dog collar is the quick release collar which has a snapping mechanism like those found on a backpack. These types of collars are less useful for using as training collars for dogs as the snaps can break especially when used on bigger dogs. This is not what you want when you’re teaching the dog stay command.

Some collars are designed especially for training like the choke chain and this works exactly how it sounds. It is a chain linked collar that chokes your dog when it reaches to far. Some people regard them as a wonderful teaching aid, others regard them as cruel.

Another type of collar is what is called a head collar. This collar is placed on your dog’s head and helps to prevent the dog from pulling when being walked. It is designed to only be used when walking your dog and not for everyday wear.

Always make sure that the dog collar fits properly by sticking your fingers underneath the collar. If a couple of your fingers can fit between the dog collar and your dog’s neck, then it is fitted properly. If you cannot then the dog collar is too tight.

Cunard Cruise Lines

Cunard Cruise Lines has been defining luxury in cruises for over one hundred and fifty years. Cunard is always at the head of the list for its world cruises, and deservedly so. They specialize in world cruises and draw many of their passengers from Great Britain. Three spectacular ships lead the Cunard Cruise Line family. The ship Queen Mary 2 is the only ship which has consistently scheduled transatlantic voyages. The Queen Elizabeth 2 has forty years in service, and in 2008 is celebrating her farewell season. In 2010 a new Queen Elizabeth will be introduced. The final jewel in the Cunard Cruise Lines tiara is the Queen Victoria, the newest addition to the Cunard family. Cunard has recently been recognized by Porthole Cruise magazine in their 10th annual readers choice awards. Cunard got top honors in Best World Cruise Itineraries and Best Transatlantic Crossings.

My review of Our Cunard Cruise Our Cunard Cruise was a large group affair, and a sensation carnival prevailed. We left from London and joined the Queen Victoria in Barcelona. Upon check in at the ship, there was a bit of a wait, perhaps 30 minutes, but admittedly about 10 minutes of that was part of our large group. Once we were sent on through, we were able to get settled in our cabins with complete ease, and had spectacular assistance from the porters in this area. We were experienced at cruising and had over a dozen cruises Royal Carribean between us as a group.

The cabins were extremely nice, and were rather larger than we had even imagined. Having been on 6 cruises myself, I can say that these cabins were larger and better situated than those I have had on other cruise lines. My aunt has herself been a lifelong cruiser and says that Cunard has the nicest cabins, and her cabin with a balcony was really beautiful, and I would love to have one for the next time.

The food was absolutely amazing; I cannot complement the food enough. Night or day, you can literally get anything imaginable and it will be amazing quality, and fresh. Cunard does not publish the recommended gratuity levels as some other lines do, and in situations such as those involving stewards. To add a tipping guideline would be a welcome addition.

For excursions Cunard really shines. It is rare to find an excursion while cruising that is made simple and easy, but Cunard has done it. Our group was considering skipping the Monaco excursion, purely because it can be such mayhem. However, the employees made it absolutely simple to board the launch together and enjoy an absolutely lovely day in a very beautiful city.

Cunard also helped a great deal when it was time for us to board our flight home. We knew we would have a long wait in Rome at the airport, but thought it could not be avoided, as most cruise lines want you to check out by 10 am or so. Cunard told us we ( the group flying to Britain) were welcome to stay on board and eat, and enjoy the ship until closer to our departure time and that was wonderful. My whole family appreciated it, especially the elderly members who would prefer to wait in comfort rather than a crazy crowded Italian airport. Our entire group will choose Cunard again for our next cruise, and we could not be more pleased with the overall experience. Cunard Cruise Lines has been defining luxury in cruises for over one hundred and fifty years. Cunard is always at the head of the list for its world.