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If there’s one thing that girls of all ages love, it’s make up. Little girls are thrilled when they are allowed to put on their mother’s lipstick or use her pressed powder. Young women enjoy experimenting with different eye shadow shades until they find one they love and older women turn to make up as a way to help them appear younger. The one common thread that runs through each of these make up routines is the use of a mirror. With a lighted make up mirror, a woman can apply her cosmetics flawlessly so she looks perfect each time.

They make models of these make up must haves for women of every age group. Little girls who are getting a pretend make up kit would love a pink, plastic, lighted make up mirror. There are toy make up mirrors available that use batteries as opposed to electricity so they are completely safe for a little princess of seven or eight years of age to use.

When that little one begins to mature and is ready to start experimenting with blush, eye shadow and mascara, a lighted make up mirror makes a lovely gift. To a teenager receiving this gift they will feel more confident and special when applying their make up. A plus point for parents is that when a pre-teen or teenager has a make up mirror they are less likely to put on too much make up as they have a very clear view of exactly what they look like.

For those of us who are a bit more mature we also enjoy the convenience of having a mirror made just for make-up. However, you don’t have to restrict yourself to a lighted make up mirror that sits atop your bureau or desk. You can have a mirror built into the wall that is perfect for applying make up as well as anything else you need it for.

These types are very popular and can be placed in the home either when it is initially being built or during a renovation. A nice idea is to have a lighted make up mirror installed that has panels that can be moved. The outer two mirrored panels should be placed so they can be moved back and forth as to allow a better side view of the face. This really helps to avoid that annoying line of foundation we often see along the jaw line.

An electrical contractor is a must if you want one of these installed in your pre-existing bathroom. He or she will be able to place it safely on the wall and handle the wiring so the only thing you’ll need to be concerned with is how fabulous you look.

Life is full of little unpredictability’s. In fact, some are not so little. You just never know when you might need a Band-aid, or some antibacterial ointment. This is why first aid kits were invented. Do you keep one in your home? Now you may laugh at this question, but I guarantee at some point you will need one. That’s just life for you. I recall back when I was a kid and my parents always kept a first aid kit in the home, and the car, and the other car. Okay, we were just safe people. These days I have to consider the well-being of my loved ones. With a family you can never be too safe. That tiny abrasion could get infected under the right circumstances. Isn’t it better to take certain precautions and prevent it? They may sound obsolete, but I highly recommend first aid kits.

A few months ago my 7 year old daughter complained to me about a “boo-boo” on her shoulder. Well, first of all, I had to ask her why she was still using the term boo-boo. She scowled at me and asked me to have a look. It was just a tiny scratch. I didn’t really think anything of it. However, I was curious how she got it over night, while sleeping in her bed. I knew it wasn’t there the night before. In the end, I simply assumed she had scratched herself in her sleep. No biggie. It happens. Later that day when she came home from school, she still complained about the minute scratch. I kind of snickered and took a second look at it. I told her to wash it really well in the bathtub and it would be okay. However, that night when she was climbing into bed, she complained again about the little scratch. This is when I noticed the redness around it; like it was getting worse. It was time to break out one of the first aid kits. I cleaned it well with peroxide and then smeared on some Neosporin and a Band-aid. She was rather satisfied with this. The following morning I took another peek at the scratch. It looked as though it had started to become infected prior to my cleansing. There was a redness seeping down her arm that I could not see the night before in the dark bedroom. Anyway, I pulled out a first aid kit and repeated the cleaning and bandaging. When she returned from school, her wound looked much better. I took her to the family doctor for a check-up and it turned out that itty bitty scratch had become infected. The doctor told me that we followed the right procedure and fixed it with the aid of one of our first aid kits. Isn’t it time you acquired a few first aid kits?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are extremely uncomfortable bacterial infections of the urethra. They are far more common in women than men, but everyone of any age can get them. If you find yourself with a urinary tract infection, you’ll realize that it is in fact microbes that rule the world, and not us. UTIs are nature’s favorite way of reminding us whose boss.

The symptoms of urinary tract infections include a fiery, burning sensation during, after, or prior to urinating, and possible fever, chills, and sweats. They’re one of the more uncomfortable infections people commonly get, and can take several days or longer to recovery from.

So why do women get urinary tract infections so much more often than men? Well, for women the urethra is a fairly short tube that opens just above the vaginal canal. Because the vaginal canal is filled with microorganisms, that puts the urethra in an especially dangerous area; it’s a short trip for the natural bacteria of a woman’s vagina to find their way into her urinary tract. Women are especially prone to getting a urinary tract infection soon after sexual activity.

One of the best ways to prevent a urinary tract infection is frequent urination, especially after having sex. This is important especially for women, but also for men. Urinating within twenty minutes after sex drastically lowers your chances of developing a urinary tract infection. Urine naturally flushes the invading bacteria out of the urethra before they can get a firm grip. Many men and women simply never get urinary tract infections. Other people are especially prone to them, and will want to take extra measures to help avoid them if possible. Drinking plenty of fluid prior to sexual activity may help.

My first girlfriend had a predisposition for urinary tract infections. In the three years we dated she must have had at least five, mostly in the first year. When she began to take more serious measures to avoid them, they became a lot less frequent, so preventative measures can really help.

Once you’ve developed a urinary tract infection, the bacteria have formed a plaque or

By now, not only are people in the states but people the world over indoctrinated in the New York City photos of the worst day in the twenty-first century. And many of us have seen the before photos or have watched a television show featuring the skyscape of the area BEFORE 911 but airing months after. So we have felt the haunting presence of the beautiful twin towers, the representationally massive moguls, the symbolically twin tycoons. But the last few years have yielded some of the most heart-breakingly beautiful of New York City photos in which the central subject is the now known Ground Zero area. For example, Suzanne Plunkett’s photo coverage of 9-1-1 (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/special/photoessay/pages/attack_9.html) will remind you of the stunning, halting, frozen-in-time cavities that were once the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

But what I would like to call your attention to are New York City photos that have been taken post-911, and have been creatively altered in reverence, in memoriam, in commemorative care. Go to Worth1000.com (the site called Worth a 1000). Here you get more than New York City photos or 911 post or pre- shots. Besides thousands of modified cars (two cars melded to create an awesome prototype), gender swap creations (a celebrity of one gender is modified to have the attributes of the opposite gender), Renaissance painting revisited (the artists change the faces and bodies of a classic piece of artwork, so that a movie stars face and body takes the place of the original), and many many more oddities, you will find categories of photo-shopped, modified, creative constructions that turn the twin towers or Ground Zero into visions of empowerment.

You have to go to the Galleries section and click on W. There you will see a subsection titled WTC. Inside are stunning, creative pieces such as the following: in a couple of the re-done New York City photos, the twin towers have been re-built: they stand tall again, or taller that they once stood, reaching for the sky with the rest of the buildings against a cheerful clear blue sky. (And in the corner of the photo is the digital date, 1-18-09. Beautiful.

In another photo effort, the towers are rebuilt as turbo-charged futuristic architectural structures, complete with twin beacons beaming into the night sky. In another photo that has been crafted to appear to be a real photo, the towers have been replaced, and at their tops now bending they arc to form one single archway building. The sunlight is crafted to glint at the arch and to cast a teardrop-shaped shadow on the glistening water.

I won’t give away any more with my less than adequate descriptions. Instead, I send you to enjoy the redemption that is born of such loving, sensitive, and creative minds.

I’m often amazed to see the how grand and bizarre the fashion industry has become. For some reason it’s difficult for me to fathom people and their utter love for clothing. Don’t get me wrong! I like a decent pair of jeans as much as the next guy, but you won’t catch me forking out hundreds of dollars for a pair. Forget that. Not that my taste has any effect on the fashion world whatsoever. Oodles of young people are flocking to fashion design and merchandising colleges to better learn the business. Hey, I can’t say that I blame them. There is plenty of money to be made there. I’m pretty sure Tom Ford is starving these days.

When I asked my teenage daughter what field she wanted to pursue, she started rambling on about fashion design and merchandising. Hmm, big surprise! What teenage girl isn’t interested in the fashion world? As far as I can tell, they all go gaga over clothing, shoes, and accessories. Anyway, she began taking a high school course in fashion design and merchandising her senior year. Unfortunately she hated it. Now she is a bit torn regarding her future plans. She still dreams of a job in the fashion industry, but is naturally worried about whether or not she’ll like it. I told her to give fashion design and merchandising another shot when she heads off to college next year. And no one said she had to delve into this particular aspect of the fashion world. There are a few choices out there.

It’s certainly a tough business. If you truly want to see how things work, check out the Style network on occasion in order to see real fashion designers in their element. Or you can catch that little reality series “The Hills.” Although the main character in this show has plenty of money coming in from her folks, she’s getting a fine dose of the fashion design and merchandising world. You can see her work as an intern for “Teen Vogue” and get an idea of what’s expected of her. It’s definitely not all glitz and glam in the beginning, but I’m sure any successful fashion designer can tell you that. You have to be willing to work hard and vie with the many. The best place to start is a highly recommended fashion design school.