Todays Lady

Image by Mark Stosberg via Flickr

n our electronic age, it seems that everyone is either Twittering, Facebooking, MySpacing and so on. If you're not on the net, well, you're not connected. Guess who else is joining us on the net? You guessed it - the sexual predator.

A recent study done in February 2009 by MySpace revealed that they had over 90,000 registered sex offenders on its site. This is after a strict policy of not allowing sex offenders access. They promptly removed them. Guess where they went? Sentinel SAFE, a security technology firm that helps social networks identify sex offenders, found over 8,000 of them were lurking on Facebook. Needless to say, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So you know they exist, but what can you do to protect yourself? Here are a couple of common sense checkpoints to keep in mind when you are posting online.

• Make sure that your "friends" are your trusted friends and note your security protocol as to what folks can and cannot see on your page
• Take a look at the pictures you are posting, especially of your kids. Are there bus numbers, school names, house numbers, recognizable landmarks in the background?
• Eliminate dates and times of where you are going or have been. It makes it way too easy to stalk you.

Remember, that once a predator can connect you with your child, all they need are a few basic details regarding pets, vacations, schools, employment and friends to convince your child they are not a "stranger" and to let them in the house, pick them up or leave your neighborhood.

Always look at what you are posting from the other side. Ask yourself, if I wanted to hurt my family, how could I use this information? Once you have the answer, fix it so it cannot be used or limit who has access to the information.

In today's world, sexual predators have more access to information about us than they ever did. Let's not make their jobs any easier by leaving the "internet door open" for them to come in.

Image by sean dreilinger via Flickr

Fall is a time of transition. Not only do you need to prepare your skin for the cold months ahead, but it's time to transform your look from light and airy to soft and classic.

Focus on a few beauty basics - skin, make-up, fashion and fragrance - and you'll have all you need for a fantastic fall.

Great skin is always in

As the weather gets cooler and drier, your skin needs extra moisture to keep it supple. Keep warm weather memories alive with a scent reminiscent of summer and try Coconut Milk Body Lotion from The Body Shop. Treat yourself to the finest ingredients

- ethically sourced community trade virgin coconut oil from Samoa - and get soft, smooth and deliciously scented skin. Pucker up Autumn lips are washed in soft color. International make-up artist Chase Aston says this fall is all about the perfect pout and recommends Colourglide Lip Color from The Body Shop. Aston shares his tips for luscious and gorgeous lips: * Use a lip liner for added definition and to help prevent feathering. * Enhance the natural color of your lips by gently gliding on lip color. For added pout power, use a lipstick/concealer brush. * Look for a shade that complements your skin tone . With 37 shades, you can easily find Colourglide Lip Color that works for you.

Ultra-modern eyes

This fall, dramatic smoldering eyes are what's fabulous.

To achieve fall's hottest eye looks, Aston gives these sizzling tips:

* Smudge together forest green, shimmering grey and lilac to create a chic, modern, smoky eye.
* To create an intense, sultry eye look, look for a palette that features a warm trio of rich brown, golden copper and shimmering sand hues.
* Try a metallic eye definer. Alone, it can be used to line and define or use it to complement your favorite eye shadow. "Choose shades that contrast your eyes to make them pop," says Aston. "Apply color to the eyelid or along the lash-line as an accent for impact."

Bundle up

Classic, "back to basics" clothing was all the rage on the fall runways. This season's must-have piece is the crisp white jacket that works with everything from jeans to a little black dress. The key accessory to sport is perfectly fitting with the chill in the air - gloves. Half gloves, fingerless gloves and long gloves are gracing the arms of starlets walking the red carpet and go with everything from rugged parkas to dainty and ladylike skirts. If you've got a special occasion to dress for, or if you're just plain feeling glam, the gold dress, inspired by the rich tones of autumn, is the choice for your holiday parties.

Image by Roby© via Flickr

Don't rely on someone else, like a husband or boyfriend, for your financial security. Educate yourself about money management and investing..

Set goals - it's key to financial success.

Don't use money to make yourself feel good. That type of high is fleeting. Instead, do things that promote self-respect and creativity so you don't have to seek those feelings through spending money.

Spend less than you earn - it's the secret to creating wealth..

Get an education. People with college degrees make on average significantly more money than those who don't have degrees.

Build an emergency fund. Without one, losing your job or incurring a large unexpected bill could force you to take on heavy credit card debt, and could put you into a financial hole that will be difficult if not impossible to dig your way out of.

Be involved in the day-to-day management of your family's finances, and talk about money with your spouse.

Don't take on your partner's or spouse's debt when you marry. Wait until you're both out of debt before tying the knot, or protect yourself with a pre-nuptial agreement. They're not only for the rich.

Don't let the fear of losing money, fear of failure, or fear of the unknown stop you from investing.

Learn from your money mistakes. Don't let them hobble you.

Your financial security is dependent on your attitudes and beliefs about money and your willingness to take your financial future into your own hands.

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When it comes to 2010 fashion trends we're facing a year of subtlety and tradition. And while many of us will be wearing classical silhouettes and subdued colours we'll all be in need of making them pop; after all, doesn't every fashioniser want to stand out from the crowd?

For women that 'stand out' look is just about to get a whole lot easier thanks to the hottest trend for shoes in 2010: thigh high boots.

Originally I tipped that this trend would enter the wardrobes of fashion forwards women in Autumn (Fall)/Winter 2009/2010, but you've all gone ahead and worn them anyway. Yes, Summer may just be about to reach the Northern Hemisphere but seasons be damned. You want your thigh-high boots, and you want them now!

It didn't seem all that long ago that boots on women fell strictly into two domains: equestrian pursuits and 'come fuck me' boots. Thankfully society's hang ups about women in knee-high boots have long since vanished, as has a penchant for overly conservative boots. And women's boots in 2010 will be anything but conservative.

Yes, over-the-knee boots are back with a vengeance but this 2009/2010 shoe trend won't stop there. In fact, the top of your boots will be going much higher: thigh-high boots are going mainstream.

Over-the-knee and thigh-high are undoubtedly the hottest shoe trend for women in the Autumn (Fall)/Winter season, but while they scream 'sex' make sure they don't do it in the wrong way. Let's not forget, that both styles of boots are also the domain of those lovely women one sees quite frequently at night ensuring that cars don't linger for too long near street corners. So to avoid the "I wonder how much she charges" glances I recommend you also avoid two main things with any pair of over-the-knee or thigh-high boots you decide to invest in: chunky heels and a high-sheen patent finish.

Materials

If patent is to be avoided (and PVC never to be considered), then what materials do I recommend? Genuine leather, of which you're safest investment choice is classic matt black or brown. If you want a more unique colour leather, your other big choices for 2009/2010 are olive greens, greys (see Rodarte and Topshop Unique) or cream/neutral tones. Suede, the other big choice for this trend, is very much the go be it in black, brown, grey, maroon, or pretty much any other colour variation. One other material you might look at incorporating into your 2010 over-the-knee boot collection is shearling or wool lining, which makes for cosy aviation-inspired looks akin to those seen at Antonio Berardi.

Styles

Classic: for a classic or elegant take on the over-the-knee boot, your best bet is to go for a slim-fitting suede pair with a round or tapered toe. Look no further than Hermes or Isabel Marant for some perfect examples of styles that will stand the test of time.

Rock: the right pair of tight black leather over-the-knee boots screams rock-chic; tough, but sexy. Check out Ohne Titel, Yigal Azrouel, Barbara Bui and Jean Paul Gaultier for some key examples.

Futurism/Cyberpunk: building upon the cyberpunk influences of recent years, some designers have thrown an element of dark futurism into the thigh-high boot mix. Particularly evident in the wound-and-bound effects of boots by Rodarte and Topshop Unique, this is a trend I expect we'll see more of in coming seasons.

Quirky: if none of the above is quite bold enough for you, and you really want to stand out this winter, there have been many other less subtle takes on this trend to hit the runway. Louis Vuitton introduced metallics and top-to-toe laces, while Hussein Chalayan's garter-topped thigh-highs are nothing short of brazen. Do be warned though; if long-term wearability is what you're after then this is probably not the road to go down.

One other thing that you should avoid: wearing thigh-high boots in place of pants, leggings or other form of leg covers as we saw on the Prada 2009/2010 catwalk.

Where To Buy: This far out from the 2009/2010 collections actually hitting stores it's hard to guess how many smaller boutiques are already stocking above-the-knee and thigh-high boots. So do what you should always do: seek out that 100% unique vintage pair.

If vintage footwear is not your thing than refer to any of the collections from the aforementioned designers to get some more inspitation.

Article written by Daniel P Dykes.

Traditionalist and futurist are two of the labels applied to Daniel, but he sees the two as being in perfect balance. With a keen eye on the future and his finger on the pulse he helps keep fashionisers everywhere ahead in the fashion stakes as Fashionising.com's lead fashion trend analyst. Believing that the late-2000s credit crisis will be ultimately good for fashion, Daniel sees a future for fashion where grounded in traditional values; where luxury fashion again comes to represent quality production as opposed to being solely label driven.

Currently based in Melbourne, Daniel is Fashionising.com's Editor in Chief and Chairman.

http://www.fashionising.com/trends/b--Thigh-high-boots-over-the-knee-boots-trend-2010-1603.html

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

Everybody wants to be healthy, right? Although there are some things we can't control about our health, there are many things we can. By developing healthy habits that we practice on a daily basis, we can tip the odds in our favor for living a long and vibrant life.

1. Drink more water. Most people don't drink nearly enough water to properly hydrate their bodies. If you simply consider the fact that the human body is about 75% water, it helps to understand the importance of drinking the recommended daily amount of 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses. The problems associated with improper hydration and the benefits of proper hydration are too many to list here, but consider this one: Inadequate fluid intake and dehydration increases the risk of developing kidney stones. If you've ever suffered the pain of a kidney stone, that knowledge alone could be enough to prompt you to drink up.

2. Eat less food more often. Many people believe that the best way to lose weight is by skipping meals and eating less often. The truth is that when you skip meals, the metabolism slows down and you burn less calories and fat. t's better to eat five or six small meals and snacks (eat every three hours throughout the day) to keep the metabolism going. Include a protein (cheese, fish, lean meats, nuts, eggs, milk, etc.) with each meal or snack to help prevent glycemic (blood sugar) spikes that can lead to weight gain.

3. If it's white, don't bite. White bread, white rice, white sugar--these are all processed (refined) carbohydrates that have been stripped of their natural vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Stick with more natural foods like whole wheat bread, brown rice, and stevia (a natural sweetener). Processed foods that contain limited amounts of natural fibers and nutrients may fill you up, but they can still leave your body malnourished. Natural foods contain the fibers and minerals your body needs to function properly.

4. Give your liver a daily cleansing. For most of us, our livers are working overtime to filter toxins from the air we breathe, the foods we eat, and the things we drink. Like any filtering system, the liver needs to be cleaned occasionally to help it operate properly, so another good healthy habit to develop is periodic detoxification. For a good natural detoxification, squeeze half a lemon in 8 ounces of water and add stevia to taste first thing every morning. The lemon juice helps clean out the liver and also balance blood sugars naturally.

5. Get moving. There’s no way around it—if you really want to get and stay healthy, exercise is a key factor. Research has proven that consistent aerobic exercise prevents obesity and insulin resistance that can lead to type 2 diabetes. Exercise has proven to be just as effective as a particular oral diabetic medication in sensitizing the insulin receptor sites to allow glucose into the cells—and you don’t need a prescription! Of course, the benefits of exercise reach much farther, including cardiovascular health, stress reduction, muscle toning, and sleep enhancement.

6. Get your sleep. Sleep rejuvenates cells and helps in the healing process and also helps to maintain and boost the immune system (e.g., the chances of catching a cold increase if you haven’t had a sufficient amount of sleep). Lack of sleep also leads to stress, which leads to increased cortisol release, which leads to weight gain. How much is enough? For most adults, approximately 7-8 hours of sleep a night is about right.

As we all know, there's no time like the present to start on the road to better health. Start these healthy habits today and in no time they will be a natural part of your daily routine!

Dr. Tina Marcantel is a naturopathic doctor practicing in Gilbert, Arizona. For more information about her practice and to read many more articles by Dr. Marcantel, please visit her Web site at http://www.drmarcantel.com.