Search Results for: blog beauty and marriage

The Dirty Diaper and Your Child’s Health

According to a New York Times article, “In a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers led by Anita Kozyrskyj found that babies born by C-Section vaginally, and that infants who were breast-fed had a different recipe of bacteria in their guts than those who were given formula.” And when it comes to health, specifically digestive heath and the immune system, it is the bacteria, or bugs, that count. Studies have long shown that children who have been delivered by C-Section have greater risks of certain illnesses, such as asthma, diabetes and obesity, as do children who were … Continue reading →

Marriage Is a Gem

If you could describe the whole of marriage, how would you do that?  I think I would describe it as a gem, one that is meant to be polished and taken care of. But I would also describe it as having imperfections.  Nothing in this world is really perfect, is it?  You look close enough; you can usually find a flaw.  The same is true in marriage. Yet when you take a step back, looking past the imperfections and flaws, you see nothing but a beautiful treasure.  Women oftentimes will hold their hand at a distance, as they admire the … Continue reading →

Beautiful Inside and Out

After my husband left I felt far from beautiful. The sting of rejection was so strong I could barely get out of bed in the morning. It took all I had just to breathe in and out. I didn’t feel like getting reading in the morning. I didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything. I didn’t want to see anyone. I honestly just wanted to sit on the couch and wallow. I think I stayed in my pajamas for a week. I didn’t see any point in getting dressed when I was feeling so miserable. I was a mess … Continue reading →

Stand Up for Yourself Already, Cinderella

Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella,” the particular version of the story adapted by Walt Disney, is another fairy-tale-as-morality-lesson. Disney ditches The Brothers Grimm when he makes “Cinderella;” even more strangely the credits cite Perrault’s story as the “original,” when in fact the rags-to-riches trope is an ancient and global motif. Even ignoring that the Brothers’ Grimm version predates Perrault’s. The reason I’m so fixated on the issue of adaptation is because I found Perrault’s “Cinderella” odious. The main moral (which cannot be mistaken; the end of the story is followed by an explanatory poem titled “Moral”) is that it doesn’t really matter … Continue reading →

Preparing for Marriage from Childhood

We all know couples who have gone in for counseling before they get married to help them get their marriages off on the right foot. This kind of preparation is awesome. What we might not realize, though, is that we are actually preparing for marriage from the time we’re born. When we’re toddlers and small children, we internalize how our parents treat us. As we get older, we notice how they treat each other. These examples become our first and most impacting lessons in what constitutes a home and a family. If we were raised in an unloving home, we … Continue reading →

Beauty and Marriage

Knowing I was a big fan of Elizabeth Taylor Mick mentioned early this morning that she had died. The world has lost a great actress. Her career spanned seven decades and who could forget her as a beguiling young beauty in National Velvet or her great roles as Virginia Woolf? She was also extremely beautiful but it seems that her beauty did not bring her great happiness. As well as being remembered for her acting, and winning two academy awards, she is synonymous in some people’s minds with marriage and divorce. Eight marriages included her marriage to and divorce from … Continue reading →

M and Ms for Marriage

Yes, Mick and I have been at it again – talking about marriage and this blog. I mentioned I was having trouble coming up with some Ms for my Alphabetical blog and he came up with a beauty or three. Read on to find out what they were. Maturity Marriage needs people to be mature. No, I’m not talking about physical age because young marriages can, and do, work. But mature in their attitude towards marriage and toward their spouse. That can mean not still trying to live like you’re still single even after the wedding ceremony. It can mean … Continue reading →

Brangelina Adopting from India and The Woz Gets a New Gig

Eight months after giving birth to twins Vivienne and Knox, Angelina Jolie is prepping to cradle a new baby. According to reports, the raven-haired beauty and her famous beau Brad Pitt are planning to expand their multinational brood by adopting a child from India. The pair is already parents to three adopted children – 7-year-old Maddox from Cambodia, 4-year-old Pax from Vietnam and 3-year-old Zahara from Ethiopia. Brangelina also have three biological children, 2-year-old daughter Shiloh, and infant twins, who turn one in July. British newspaper the Sunday Express claims Jolie recently revealed her secret plans to adopt from India … Continue reading →

Katie Holmes’ New $43K Makeover and an Unexpected Hollywood Miracle

Recession? What recession? While the rest of the world (or at least us non-Hollywood types) is pinching pennies in these tough economic times, Tom Cruise’s wife is spending like there’s no tomorrow. Then again, maybe, Katie Holmes’ $43,000 makeover is just what the economy needs to help stimulate it. It’s just too bad she couldn’t drop the dough in her home country. According to reports, Holmes new longer do comes courtesy of some talented hair stylists in Japan. The UK’s Daily Mail claims Holmes shelled out £30,000 – which at today’s exchange rate comes out to more than $43,000 – … Continue reading →

Cleaning and Polishing Wood Floors

One of the things that have stumped me the most is caring for our wood floors. We love hardwood floors because of their beauty and the fact that they don’t promote allergies or asthma, the way traditional carpeting does. We had hardwood floors in our last home, and we have them in this one (with the exception of the the family room, the kitchen and the bathrooms). Over the years, I have tried a few different things to get the hardwood floors clean and looking beautiful. When we were showing our home, potential buyers commented on how lovely our floors … Continue reading →