Naturally Natural Wax

Wax is an ingredient that is used for various purposes. One of the main uses of this is in making candles. However, did you know that there are various types of wax? In making candles, the most commonly used type of wax is paraffin wax. However, those who are conscious about their health do not prefer candles made from paraffin wax because they are not clean. When burning, you would notice that paraffin wax candles have black smoke coming off of it. Also, they leave behind black soot. Just imagine yourself inhaling that black smoke. You would not want that, now would you?

There is a clean alternative if you love candles but hate the fact that there are those which do not burn cleanly. This alternative is candles that make use of natural wax. Yes, there is such a thing known as natural wax. The various natural waxes actually come from plants or sometimes even animals. However, the main animal wax that is used is beeswax.

Beeswax is another type of wax and it comes from bees. These insects actually use beeswax in creating their hive. To have some beeswax, those who culture bees usually take the hives out and then remove the honey. When all the honey inside the hive is removed, the hive is then melted and that is the wax that is used in creating candles. Of course, that has to go through some processes first. The melted beeswax is filtered to remove any impurities. Beeswax is usually yellow in hue. Another type of natural wax is carnauba wax. This one comes from Copernica Carifera and that is a plant. It can be found only in Brazil's northeastern part. To get to the wax, the leaves of the plant are harvested. They are then boiled and the wax then floats.

Soy wax is also another natural wax and this one comes from soy beans. This was discovered just in 1991. To get the wax of soy beans, they are first crushed to extract the oil. The oil is then hydrogenated to create the wax. Soy wax has been one of the popular ingredients in natural candles.

What Are The Main Aspects Of Learning Chinese For Kids?

There is a wide advancement in the technology being made by China. For that reason, it has become the strengthening part of modern economical era. Parents want their children to learn this language, because of the reason that they want their children to groom fast. They want them to become a part of the future world. In future, there is a chance that the Chinese companies will spread all over the world and in order to work along with those companies there are different jobs which they might be offering on different qualifications. For that purpose the Chinese might be necessary for the employees to be known about. Therefore, if you are thinking of adjusting your child with the Chinese language programs, then let me brief you about it.

How To Learn The Chinese Language?

In order to help kids learn the Chinese language, the main thing is that you should develop the interest of your child in this specified area. If your kid will get involved in this learning program, then he or she will definitely learn the pronunciations, vocabulary and the other necessary tools of the learning programs quickly. His or her confidence level might get improved too.

To learn Chinese for kids, there are the flash cards also being made available. They are helpful in knowing about the alphabetic, numeric and the pronunciations of the Chinese language as well. Normally the British council has introduced a number of the free flash cards which are helpful in learning the Chinese language.

There can be an installation of the games in the flash cards. These can be helpful for the child to enhance his or her intellectual abilities easily. These games are the best part of learning for an individual.

Benefits Of Learning?

There are a number of the benefits concerned with the Chinese language programs.

a) It is helpful in gripping over the Chinese language easily.

b) These programs are helpful in providing an efficient flow of words very fluently.

c) Your punctuations, comprehensions and the words vocabulary will get improved easily.

d) There is a confident step of the child in the future.

e) Communication skills of your child will get improved.

f) This will be helpful in opening different opportunities for your child in the future.

g) Sometimes, the learning of different languages helps in changing the point of view of many people, for that reason this is the best way of changing the mindset of your child.

h) The Chinese history is very old, learning the Chinese culture will be helpful in knowing about the different aspects concerned with the Chinese history.

Therefore, you should push up your child to adopt the different programs for learning Chinese for kids. Many of these programs of learning Chinese for kids are available free. In many schools of America, the programs of how to learn Chinese language? has become the part of their study. They teach the children about the modifications and the pronunciations of Chinese language.

Why has Unemployment and Inflation Fallen in the UK

In the past 15 years, unemployment has fallen from a peak of 3 million to under 900,000. The claimant count shows that the % unemployed is close to 3% a big drop from 10% in 1992. The Labour Force Survey also shows a drop in unemployment, although it does shows a slightly higher rate of unemployment (4.5%). Inflation has also fallen in the UK. CPI inflation is currently 2.1% very close to the government's target of 2%. This low inflation rate is in contrast to the 70s and 80s when inflation was often in double figures

Reasons for the fall in Unemployment

1. Long Period of Economic Growth.

The UK has experienced the longest period of economic growth on record. Growth has been close to the long run trend rate of 2.5%, this stable growth has enabled firms to expand and create employment. It is also important that the growth has been sustainable. The UK has largely avoided the boom and bust economic cycles which characterised the 1970s and 1980s.

2. Flexible Labour Markets

There has been increased labour market flexibility which has enabled some workers to get a job. For example, there are more part time and temporary jobs, these flexible job contracts have encouraged firms to offer more employment; however, it is also been suggested that the employment created is less permanent. Proponents of the flexible labour market argue that higher unemployment in France and Spain show that flexible labour markets are important for keeping inflation low

3. Decline in Structural Unemployment

The lower unemployment in the UK is partly due to improvements in education and training and geographical immobility. Better training has held fill up labour shortages. The New Deal has also played a role in encouraging and motivating people to get back to work. It is hard to quantify how much this has actually reduced unemployment but it is likely to be significant.

Why is Inflation Also Low

Quite often a fall in unemployment leads to a rise in inflation. This is what Phillips curve analysis predicts. However, the UK economy has enabled a fall in unemployment without causing inflation. This is due to several factors.

1. The growth has been sustainable.

The MPC have avoided an economic boom. Aggregated Demand has increased at a similar rate to Aggregate Supply and this has enabled inflation to be kept under control.

2. Global Inflation is low.

The UK's low inflation has been helped by low global inflation. Until recently, commodity prices have not been increasing. But, the main factor is the downward pressure on prices from developing countries like China. Helped by better technology and low labour costs many goods, especially electronic goods, are experiencing falling prices.

More on Inflation Predictions in the UK

Forecast for the Future.

The slowdown in house prices and global growth could cause a slowdown in growth. At the moment, the prospects for a recession are limited as the economy is still growing reasonably well; the MPC have also room to cut interest rates if necessary, to boost aggregate demand.

If the economy slows down, inflationary pressures should fall. Although quite recently the MPC warned of rising cost push inflation from energy prices and food prices. This could lead to both higher inflation and higher unemployment.

More on: Inflation Predictions in the UK

Bridesmaid Gifts - What Can I Buy Them

You have recently starting planning your wedding. You have purchased most of your wedding accessories already. You bought for most of the groomsmen, but when it comes to the ladies you do not know what to get them. Well below I have listed some different types of bridesmaid gifts that you can purchase for your them. These gifts are all made by Cathy's Concepts.

3 Piece Pamper Me Terry Cloth Cosmetic Bag Set

This set of terry cloth cosmetic bags will give all your toiletries a home. Features an easy clean lining, pink trim details and zip top closure. Available in white terry with pink trims. Embroidery design features a spa beauty equipped with mask, cucumbers, ruby red lips and "Pamper Me" text written below.

Large bag measures 10" x 7" x 3". Medium bag measures 7" x 4" x ¾". Small bag measures 7 ½" x 3" x 1 ¾".

Bridesmaid Toiletry Case

Have your bridesmaids travel in style with this sassy toiletry case! It's the perfect bag to carry everything from makeup to toothpaste to last minute necessities! Its soft suede finish comes complete with a removable mirror, individual inside compartments, carry handle, easy clean lining and a high heeled bridesmaid logo. Measures 6" X 4".

Available colors:

* Light Pink with white trim and embroidery

* Lavender with white trim and embroidery

* Aqua with white trim and embroidery

Hanging Cosmetic Case

Organization never looked so good! This travel bag has everything you'll need to travel in style. This black and white polka dot bag features four easy zip compartments, a pocket flap for smaller brushes or jewels, frosted easy clean lining, leatherette handles and trim, and a hook attachment for hanging.

May be embroidered with a script name or script monogram in your choice of Medium Pink, Apple Green, Aqua, Lavender or Red at no additional charge.

Measures 10 ½" x 8" x 4" closed.

Personalized Wristlette Bag

Perfect for a night out on the town or for inside your handbag. Smooth synthetic fabric accented with colored leatherette wristlet strap. Features a lightly padded nylon inner lining.

Limited quantity available in black/pink or black/blue trim. Black/white is no longer available.

Measures 7 1/2" x 4" x 1 1/2".

As an added value, may be personalized with up to three block initials or a script monogram at no additional charge.

These are just a few of the many different types of bridesmaid gifts that you can purchase online. These gifts have been made by Cathy's Concepts. These are all very high quality gifts. Cathy's Concepts is a innovative leader in the wedding industry. You can find many different Cathy's Concepts products online. So just browse around and we are sure that you will find the perfect gifts for yourself or your bridesmaids.

US Marines - A Strong History Of Bravery And Service

The United States Marines are a highly specialized branch of the U.S. Military, known for their rapid deployment and amphibious warfare abilities. The mission of the Marines is triple-pronged; to defend or seize naval bases and other land operations as needed, to develop equipment and tactics that will advance the capabilities of amphibious landing forces, and to perform other duties as directed by the President.

Created on November 10, 1775 as the Continental Marines, this small force originally consisted of infantry soldiers who served aboard naval vessels, defending the ship, engaging in combat during landing and boarding actions, and manning any raiding parties.

Having been involved in every armed American military conflict since, the force quickly evolved. During the War of 1812, Marines participated in frequent frigate battles, which were some of the first American victories in this eventually lost conflict. Though they still fought, the Marine forces experienced decline and disorganization in the latter part of the 19th century.

It wasn't until the Spanish-American War of 1898 that the Marines entered what is often considered their formative years. During the conflict, Marines were responsible for leading forces ashore and were able to demonstrate their invaluable ability to deploy quickly. This was when the Marines seized Guatanamo Bay, a base still used today by the United States Navy.

The Marines continued to play a crucial role in the first World War, and would capture America's imagination and pride in the Pacific battles of World War II. Marines were absolutely essential to the success of difficult island battles such as Tarawa, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima, a seize made famous by the infamous flag-raising photograph that is so often used as a symbol of victory and military commitment.

Today, Marines are very focused on infantry development. Their philosophy emphasizes the importance of close combat, rather than depending solely on strategic bombing or more distance-oriented battle. Prized for their ability to deploy rapidly, their loyalty, and their proud traditions, the United States Marines are an integral part of the United States' Department of Defense.

Outspend Your Budget With Budget Hotels

As somebody once said, "there is no income you cannot outspend." Some may think the idea absurd, but it's true-and the key lies in proper budgeting of funds. The same holds true for traveling; travelers have got to want to put every expense in its proper place and range. With Budget Manila Hotels, people are guaranteed affordable accommodations without sacrificing value and service.

In an effort to make quality accommodations accessible to people, budget hotels in Manila put affordability on top of the list of factors involved when it comes to choosing hotels. The good part is that high quality and great service is not sacrificed in the process. These hotels may range from those ranked with three stars or lower, and includes some of the smaller type of hotels such as motels, inns, and apartelles.

One may find that the rooms in Manila's budget hotels are a bit toned-down, lacking the magnificent grandiose trappings of the bigger and brighter skyscraper cousins of theirs. But basic as these accommodations may be, they provide the bare essentials of hospitality services: a comfortable bed, spacious rooms filled with multimedia options, and adequate furnishings including hot and cold showers, bathtubs, and even mini-bars. Rounding out the diverse feature set are air conditioning, in-room wireless access to the World Wide Web, and phones equipped with international direct dial.

Travelers will surely find that they've got all that they need within reach, given the convenience that Manila's budget hotels provide. Shopping malls, business and financial establishments, banking facilities, places geared for entertainment and nightlife, and world-class restaurants and bistros are located all over the metro and very accessible from the budget hotels. Transportation should provide no hassles, as these hotels are found along major routes and on accessible thoroughfares.

There are also facilities that can provide the guest with a well-rounded hotel experience. More often than not, budget hotels have diners and small restaurants attached to them, to provide one with the local cuisine specialties. There may also be basketball courts and other sporting facilities within the building. Gyms and spas are also available in some of the bigger budget hotel chains.

Budget hotels can be found in practically every corner in Manila. From along the busiest main roads to the most intimate backstreets, there is one ready to cater to the weary traveler. This is why one can further optimize his or her trip; he or she can book a budget hotel that is near the purpose of the trip. Doing this requires some effort and research, but could gain additional savings and allow for better convenience on top of what is offered in every hotel.

So, there really is a way to outspend one's income-in this case, it is really more of outspending one's budget. Booking at Budget Manila Hotels ensures the traveler that his or her money is money well spent. No-nonsense and quality accommodations, coupled with absolute convenience and heartfelt service-these are the qualities that make Manila's budget hotels stand out from the rest. Book your reservations today and enjoy all that Manila and the Philippines can offer-all at very affordable rates!

How to Save Money in Buying Office Supplies

There are tips on buying office supplies that are sometimes not revealed due to the impact and nature of competition. We hope to expose these 5 tips so that small and medium size businesses can take advantage of these cost cutting measures and compete in these ever changing economic hardships.

Tip 1

Take advantage of Big-Box store credit cards! These credit cards such as the ones offered from Staples and Office Depot offer rewards and discounts that often times will save the small and medium size business 30-50% on their office supply purchases.

Tip 2

When buying office supplies, first calculate how much you intent to spend on an annual basis and then contact 2-3 office supply vendors and negotiate a big-volume based discount based on an annual basis. More than often and especially in these economic times more and more office supply vendors will be willing to fight for your business.

Tip 3

Buy office supplies that are generic and not brand name. Honestly you can save an additional 30-50% off your office supply purchases annually if you stick with generic office supplies. You don't have to pay a little extra for brand name, generics work just as well and save the small and medium size business thousands of dollars every year.

Tip 4

Negotiate extended terms. It's not unusual to contact your office supply vendor and ask to extend your payment terms up to 90 - 120 days versus the normal 30 day payment terms. But word of caution! Before you do you should also consider hanging a carrot in front of them. In other words promise to purchase additional office supplies or increase your volume for them. They'll be more inclined to offer you payment terms if they get something in return.

Tip 5

Find more local businesses that can help you purchase larger amounts of office supplies. A great tip is to start a small office supply buying group with other businesses that purchase similar office supply products and negotiate a huge discount. You can add as many small and medium size business partners to your buying group as you can manage. The best way is to get a programmer to write a small application to help manage your purchases from all companies in your group. If you need help, you can post the job on guru.com or elance and programmers will bid on your job. You could get it done for pennies on the dollar.

We hope you see value in these tips and execute as many as possible to help give small and medium business a fighting change in these economic times. If you need advice or if you need help in saving money on your office supplies you can contact us at anytime.

Finding The Right Business For You: Keep Good Company

If you're thinking about getting involved in network marketing, choosing the right company to work with is essential. Get involved with the wrong outfit and you will be doomed to failure from the off.

As an absolute minimum you need to be sure that the company you decide to work with is financially sound. If not how will they pay your bonuses and commission? And since you want them to pay you, and then keep on paying you, you will want to have some confidence that they will be around for a good long while.

You will also want to avoid being scammed or ripped off in any way. This is easier to do than you might think - but there is a downside.

One of the tell-tale signs of scammers is that they don't stick around for too long. They set up their scam, collect the money and then close down before they get caught. Often they will reappear a short time later with a new scam or with the same scam under a different name.

And the same thing is true for operations which are financially unsound. They tend not to be around for very long - but for different reasons.

One of the best things you can do when choosing which company to get involved with is to select an operation which has been going for some time. It's not a guarantee of success by any manner of means - but it does mean you are much less likely to lose your money through illegal activity or incompetence on the part of the company.

It's a simple enough strategy which if followed will protect you - there's just one small problem of course. In many cases the best profits to be had will be with new, innovative companies who have no track record. At one time companies like Microsoft, Amazon, etc. were upstart startups with no history but plenty new ideas. It would have been good to get in on the ground floor with one of them - right?

Of course, for every fledgling mega star out there, there are probably a few thousand flops doomed to failure. Going by the numbers it probably makes more sense to avoid organisations without some pedigree - but risk and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. If your personality is such that you are prepared to take a little more risk then you may be rewarded - just don't invest more than you can afford to lose.

If you do decide to get involved with a relatively new company, in the hope of gaining higher profits, then do a little research to try to minimise your risk exposure. Something as simple as an advanced search on Google with the company name and "scam" as the search terms can yield results. It's also worth checking out the various forums that exist to help you avoid being scammed.

In addition to avoiding being scammed, you will definitely want to know that the company you are getting involved with has a good support structure in place. This is especially important if you are new to home business and this is your first venture into network marketing.

Make sure there is a dedicated support line and email address for distributors/affilliates and also check out what training is made available. Even if you have years of experience in other business ventures you will still need help with some of the fine details in the early stages.

Do a little investigation into not only the amount but the type of training you will be able to access. Basic training should be included in your startup cost - any serious company knows the importance of training and will expect you to go through at least the basics.

However, you should beware of any company that tries to charge you extra each month for training - it could be that training fees form a significant part of the company's income stream. since we want to be involved with companies that have genuine products then this should ring alarm bells.

Key Characteristics of The Perfect Company

Has a history that you can review. Financially sound. Good support structure in place. Good training - included in your startup costs.

How to Create a Super Secure Password (That's Easy to Remember!)

We all know the importance of creating passwords that are not only difficult to guess but that are also different for each site you visit. (For instance - if someone gets the password to your email, because you used it on another website, they can quite easily get your password for everything thanks to "password reminders").

I'm not even going to go into the risks you are exposed to by having it written down on paper in your notebook or in your drawer.

Here is how to create a super secure password that's easy to remember!

Step 1

Choose 6 random characters, that you will be able to remember. Try jumbling the name of something familiar. (I used my surname for this example and switched the first half of the letters with the second half.)

For example: mastho

Step 2

Make 1 or more of the characters uppercase.

For example: maSthO

Step 3

Add your lucky number to the third position. (or another position you will be able to remember)

For example: ma3SthO

Step 4

This is where it gets exciting. You need to develop a code that relates to the web address you are entering the password. For example, if you using this for your account at www.google.com.au your code might be to use the first and last letters of the domain (g & e) and then move 3 letters ahead in the alphabet (g becomes j and e becomes h). Add these to the end, the start or the middle (wherever you will remember - in this example, I will add them after the number).

For example: ma3jhSthO (If you were to use this password and code on say www.yahoo.com it would become "ma3bnSthO")

Tada! You know have a password that is quite easy to remember, is unique for every site and unless you tell someone your secret code, no one will be able to guess it!

5 Basketball Moves You Must Practice

Practice will make you a better basketball player. You will hear that over and over because it is true. However, you may not know what to practice if you are part of an organized team. You may wonder what you should be practicing to make your game better.

Here are five essential basketball moves that you need to practice and master in order to be the best player you can be. Some of the moves you can practice alone, but others will require a partner. If you can find someone to practice with every time you practice that would help you out. Plus it helps to keep you focused and motivated.

Move #1: Dribbling

Dribbling should be practiced often. Predictable players are targets, and your ability to manage and maneuver are directly related to you dribbling skills.

You should practice dribbling in a straight line as well as agility drills where you dribble in a wavy line or in other patterns other then a straight line down the court.

It is nice to start and end practice with some dribbling drills.

Move #2: Passing

You will need a partner for practicing passing. You should practice the different types of passes. You can start with one type, like the chest pass and then move into another type of pass like the bounce pass. Then you can alternate between a few different passes.

One great way to practice is to start by standing still and warming up. Then you should move down the court as you are passing. It is important to incorporate moving passes since the majority of passes on the court will be while you are moving.

Move #3: Shooting

Shooting is almost a given in practice. Most people only practice shooting. While shooting is important it is not the only part of the game. However, you always should practice your shots.

Make sure to practice shots from all around the court. You should practice a variety of shots like slam dunks jump shots and lay ups in addition to set shots.

Move #4: Guarding

Guarding is an essential part of basketball. You should practice guarding both offensively and defensively. You have to be able to stop the ball and stop other players.

Drills should be created that help you to learn how to anticipate moves and how to move efficiently.

Move #5: Rebounding

Rebounding is all about control. You have to be able to get the ball after a basket or the other team may just get it and your chance to score is lost.

Rebounding is something you can practice over an over by yourself, but it is best done with a partner. You want to make the basket and try to rebound. You want to have them make the basket and you grab the rebound.

Mix it up and work until you master all these skills. You want o be able to do them all efficiently and with good technique. This will allow you to be the best player you can be.

Dealing With the Effects of Tinnitus

Quite often persons troubled by this disorder have a great deal of difficulty getting adequate rest at the end of the day. Such persons are constantly searching for some new therapy or treatment which might be beneficial for this trouble. The difficulty is due to loud "ringing" in the evening when not surrounded by the normal noise of daily life. To the sufferer, it seems almost as if their head is stuck inside of a constantly ringing bell, keeping them awake.

One type of therapy for this problem, which can be used for those persons who are experiencing difficulty sleeping, involves masking of the noise. This modality employs white noise to distract the individual from the ringing in his or her ears. This type of treatment, however, is only of short-term benefit.

Unfortunately, white noise can only be a temporary treatment. If the sufferer is wearing the masker, he will have some relief from the noise. However, once the masker is removed, the noise returns immediately. Because of this shortcoming, tinnitus sufferers prefer to have treatments that are much more effective in allowing them to sleep longer and more soundly.

Melatonin, taken in supplemental tablet form, has been proven to be a great natural remedy for sleeplessness and comes highly recommended. Over the counter melatonin tablets are easy to be found, but should only be ingested under a doctor's care. Never take a melatonin in large doses or at an inappropriate time of day lest it conflict with your body's natural production of melatonin.

Scientists studying these difficulties have discovered that beta carotene, which is of the ingredients present in carrots can greatly reduce the ringing sound. This can be verified by the fact multiple treatments include high doses of Vitamin A. These two metabolites are converted in the human body, serving all necessary needs. It is difficult to overdose on these substances since they are water soluble, and easily eliminated by the body.

People who suffer from tinnitus welcome any treatment which helps lessen the ringing in their ears. A new treatment using melatonin and beta-carotene has been welcomed with open arms. Another treatment which boosts the immune systems of people with tinnitus is daily doses of Vitamin A. When their immune systems are healthy, it has the psychological effect of making the ringing in their ears seem less bothersome.

Child Recliner - Constructed with Love

Child size recliners have become a very popular gift over the past few years. I currently have over 500 of these recliners in over 2-dozen styles ready for the holiday season. But how do these great chairs come into being?

I recently took a trip to visit several manufacturers of kid recliners. These manufacturers come in varying sizes, from shops with only a handful of employees to full blown factories with hundreds of workers. Surprisingly, the child recliners were all made in a similar fashion, regardless of the size of the manufacturer.

Let's start from the beginning. At some point each of these manufacturers decided to build child recliners. They all have someone, usually the owner in smaller shops, who creates patterns for anything they're going to create. This person probably took an adult recliner, ripped it apart and created miniature patterns for the child recliner. Two sets of patterns are created, one for the material and another for the wooden frame.

The material is then cut to the pattern. Imagine metal tables laid out end to end for 50 feet. Fabric is rolled out across these tables. Because time is money, the fabric is laid out 10 to 20 layers thick and cut to the pattern all at once. The pattern is laid out on top of the fabric and marked with chalk. To make the cut, an electric or air driven knife is used that resembles the electric knife you would use to cut up a turkey on Thanksgiving.

Once the fabric is cut, it goes to the sewing station. The factories I visited all had row upon row of sewing stations set up. The smallest shop had 10 stations while the largest had closer to 100. The pre-cut fabric is sewn together leaving various holes so that the fabric can be put onto the chair and the padding can be inserted.

While the fabric is being prepared, another set of craftsmen are creating the frames. Depending on the chair, they are cutting either hard wood or plywood based on the previously created patterns. They use table saws, band saws and various other saws to shape the wood. Everything is done using stop blocks created long ago to speed the process. Once the wood is cut to pattern, it is combined with a pre-purchased lift mechanism using several techniques depending on the quality and cost of the chair. Staple gun, gang nail, air gun and screws are all used to hold the frame together.

At this point the frame and fabric are combined. The fabric is stretched over the frame and tacked or stapled into place. Usually a combination of tacking and stapling is used. Tacking can create some nice effects in visible areas, while stapling is the standard and used anywhere people won't see.

Once the fabric is attached to the chair, the chair is stuffed with fiber foam. The foam is blown in using a special machine. You can view something very similar at any Build-A-Bear(TM) workshop.

Some final stitching is done to close up the hole where the stuffing entered and voila, a fantastic child recliner is born. It is then wrapped in a plastic bag and put in a specially sized both, ready for delivery.

You can view this article including pictures on my web site at http://www.kidrecliners.com/getarticle.aspx?articleid=7

Pictures Of Fat Kids

OK everybody has a problem with photographs. Unless you are a photographers dream or the latest supermodel we all have a problem with our photographic image. We have our good days of course but poor lighting, poor complexion, red eye and a long list of problems may cause us concern when we see our image in all its glory It is said a picture tells a thousand words. If it is true pictures of fat kids still tells a thousand words, a thousand often-unpleasant words.

If the picture is one of you or your family how does it make you feel? People say lots of things when looking at a picture or photograph "isn't that cute", "what a great smile", "don't they look so happy" etc etc. however it matters little what they say out a loud most would agree that it is not right to see pictures of fat kids. Fat kids do not look healthy, they don't look right to the eye. Cruel yes but the truth sometimes is.

When looking back through your family album you may come across these same photographs of you or your family and you say to yourself "boy was I a chubby kid", "look at that puppy fat". That's great if you have since moved on and shed this image. Maybe it was just a short phase that you grew out of, a growth spurt maybe! The problem at the moment is that in the 21st century the chances of seeing a family picture without some fat or overweight people in the frame is getting ever more difficult to find. The statistics are coming ever more frequent and the trends are all going the same way. That way is up. The average weight is going up especially for our children. Not just up but substantially so, up to the point where it is common to hear words like obese, clinically obese and life threatening in the same sentence. Also equally alarming these statistics also show that kids that reach these proportions are more and more likely to remain so in their adult life and so attracting all the ailments and problems that come with it.

What causes this to happen you may ask, it didn't happen when you were a kid. Rose tinted spectacles may cloud our memories but things are different today, very different. Children in the 21st century live a completely different lifestyle to that of their parents. In just one generation of a family the world of the child has changed dramatically. Just look at some of the inventions that have made yours and my kids lives so effortless. The cell phone, remote controls, Internet chat rooms and the WWW, convenience foods, the play station, fast food/poor quality food and 24-hour access to virtually everything. Is it any surprise that the amount of energy we exert in our every day activities is dropping so much. As parents we can no longer expect our kids to be energetic, its not part of their lifestyle. We cannot leave it to our schools, after all lack of exercise and poor nutrition is one of our main complaints with our education authorities. As parents we need to take the lead when it comes to our children. We need to take stock of our family life and look at how our kids get their references and influences. We send them to school for their learning but by far the majority of their education comes from the family and their peers. It's informal, continuous, visual, emotional and very powerful. With all the distractions in this world how often do you hear people say" he's just like his old man or "like mother like daughter. As parents you need to take the lead and get your kids back into shape. You need to influence their diet their activity levels and provide their motivation. Here are 3 great ways to make a powerful impact 1/ Eat more healthy food in the house (5 portions of fruit or vegetable a day)

2/take regular exercise (30 - 60 minutes of fairly vigorous exercise 5 days per week)

3/ Lead by example, educate your self then educate your children

Did you know that many children at age 12 do not know where their food originates? Start today to make a difference to your self and your charges. As an adult you must take responsibility for yourself and your actions, you must also be responsible for your children. What will people make of your family album in the years to come? It matters little what the content of the photo may be, the obvious enjoyment or the significance of the surroundings. People will see pictures of fat kids even if they are also overweight, regardless of what they tell you.

The Consciousness of Chocolate

Throughout all the vivid memories of life, the sweetest ones I can remember seemed to have had a distinct connection with chocolate. As a child, chocolate was a form of currency. My earliest memory of abundance was being the one clinging tightly to a scrumptious bar of chocolate among a sea of friends who were willing to do just about anything for even a sliver of cacao gold. As soon as the wrapper came off, chocolate was like an edible super power that had the ability to interrupt any tantrum or frustrated emotional state. It had the power to deem anything in my focus at the moment, completely irrelevant as long as the chocolate was being passed my way.

Chocolate, as it came and went in its many forms throughout my life, was a symbol of sweetness. No matter what was happening and how important I believed it to be, the chocolate would appear as a reminder that all is inherently well - and that like the chocolate, at my core, this sweetness is actually what I am.

This realization, of course, would be twenty-eight years in the making, even though the signs were there all along. The fact was that every time I ate a piece of chocolate, it became clearly impossible to focus on the endless thoughts running through my mind, while simultaneously enjoying the chocolate that ignited each taste bud like an explosion of flavor, all at the same time.

The chocolate didn't seem concerned with waiting around for me to end my thought. It was there in the very moment I found it, and whether it melted in its wrapper, in my hand, or in my mouth, it remained an experience I could always enjoy if I honored it with focus and attention.

As spiritual maturity slowly woke up, I began to see these subtle teaching chocolate had always offered, not only as a symbol of sweetness, but as the sweet truth of life underneath all the noise, goal-setting and finger-pointing.

Chocolate was even revealed as my first meditation teacher, whose disguise was everything it needed to be, gently pulling my attention from the compulsion to change, fix, and judge my experience of life into simply sitting for a moment and enjoying what is here right now.

To anyone else, it might just be an oddly-shaped object or something else to see and touch in this living experience of space and senses. Once you open the wrapper, however, the deeper teachings become available as you hold and taste the distinct flavor life continues to offer, unable to fully immerse yourself in the experience, unless whatever was important a moment ago begins to fall out of focus. It is in this moment when the sweetness of life simply disguised as chocolate begins to reveal itself to you.

The teaching of chocolate showed me how my thoughts aren't as important as I once imagined. I can look back at all the times I was caught in my mind ranting about someone or something that had unjustly caused suffering in my life and all of a sudden, I was offered a piece of chocolate or as I now see it, life's funny way of telling me it was time to meditate.

I would eat the chocolate and as I did, the thoughts weren't there as they were before. Now it was the joyful consideration of how wonderfully the almonds and dark chocolate blended together, as the chocolate pointed to the arbitrary nature of thought by offering me an opportunity to fully enjoy life, just as it is.

The chocolate would soon be eaten and I wouldn't be able to remember what I was thinking about and even if I did, I couldn't get back to the same emotional pull that made it so important only a few moments ago. If I was truly meant to keep thinking about it, how is it that it could be so easily forgotten or destroyed by the dharma of chocolate?

Chocolate became the kryptonite my pointless, self-indulgent thoughts could never rival. One by one thoughts would come and go, vanishing from a mind that once labeled each one as true, vital and necessary to dwell on, and in the end, all that was left was a teacher called chocolate inviting me to be one with the sweetness of life.

The teachings transformed my entire perspective of life. I am truly humbled by this gift of clear vision that now sees a beautiful world, as whole and unique as each piece of chocolate that somehow found its way to me.

© Copyright 2008 True Divine Nature, LLC