Wedding Rings

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Do you have any idea what the history of the wedding ring is? It originated back in Northern Africa in ancient Egypt along the Nile River where they used to take plants such as reeds and form them into rings which they would wear. They only lasted about a year.

The ring because it has no beginning and no end is a sign of eternity and the space in the center also signified and entrance to events known and unknown. Love vows being for eternity fit in well with the symbol of the ring of eternity.

As the rings originally only lasted a short time, they began to be made out of other materials such as leather, bone and eventually into metal, crude to start and then refined.

There were superstitions built up about the wedding ring as well such as the Irish folklore which said that it was bad luck to be made of anything other than gold. Other superstitions said that the ring being too loose would lead to a separation of partners through bad acts while too tight may mean painful jealousy or one partner being overbearing.

The wedding ring being worn on the third finger of the left hand also started with a legend in ancient Egypt where it was thought that the vein from the heart to the third finger on the left hand was direct. This legend was past along through the ages. This is not true for all part of the world however.

Up until the mid 20^th century it was only the women who wore wedding rings. At the time of World War II the practice of men wearing wedding bands came about perhaps as a sign of faithfulness to their spouse and to remind the men of their loved ones.

There is also a tradition which started in 1477 of giving a diamond engagement ring as a vow to marry. It began when Archduke Maximillian of Austria presented a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy.

You will find jewelers in almost any town of size or in any significant mall across the world. In cities such as New York you will find full blocks where the majority of what you see are jewelry stores.

Now if you do a Google search for wedding rings you will get 4.6 million results. If you search for jewelry you will get 303 million results. You will be able to find anything you are looking for online with price ranges from about $ 100 to thousands of dollars. There are wedding rings for men, for women, engagement rings for both. People without question do carry on this tradition and it is not expected to stop. For those who are really into this tradition and the significance of it there are always anniversary rings to add to the original ring. There is the tradition of the diamond and its roll in wedding and anniversary rings. This will be the topic of another story.

Natural Facial Skin Care Health

Technorati Tags: skin care,cosmetics,women

Most of today's "skin care" products have synthetic ingredients and petrochemicals. One might say that having these ingredients in constant contact with the human body is not optimum as these ingredients to varying degrees can be absorbed into the skin, body and the body's organs.

One could also say that the skin is the most expansive organ of the body and effects on the skin can be created by what is put on it from the outside and what is taken into the body. Have you ever seen the affect that being a heavy smoker can create on the skin. Heavy wrinkles and general aging are visible signs.

If one creates a highly acidic environment within the body from high intake of foods such as those containing sugars and white flour it has been said this can make it more difficult for the body and its cells to take in nutrients. One can treat his body poorly over the years and you will be able to see the price they are paying in their skin. And then one can do more unnatural things like take other drugs or medicines to correct it or get a face lift, but getting back to proper care in general for the body where one is educating oneself on what is healthy is another alternative.

If one were to go into the typical family's home in America and examine the different cosmetic products, one may find up to 25 products which can have hundreds of different chemicals. The question is, what effects do these chemicals have on the body and skin? There has been research done on some of them, however the testing of products which are applied externally are not as strict or intensive as the products one takes internally, so just because someone is allowed to sell them does not necessarily mean that they are safe and that you would want to put them on your face or bath your baby in them day after day, year after year. Do some research yourself and find out more about the products you use.

Something might be said about organic foods without chemicals and pesticides and drinking lots of water and the positive effects this can have on the body and skin to make them hydrate properly.

This information is not designed to be a scientific or medical authority on such matters but only to point out that there are other options to the many food and skin care products on the market today which may be sold and making someone a profit, but in actual fact are not always in the best interest of the consumer.

There are websites out there that give information about safe cosmetics such as http://www.safecosmetics.org. I hope the information above can act as a guideline in the way to approach skin care and general body health. Doing your own research is always advisable.

Are You Ready to Have a Baby?

Technorati Tags: career,family,pregnancy,baby

Are you a woman? If you are, have you been thinking about motherhood? If you have, you may be wondering whether or not you are ready to be a parent. While parenthood is occasionally unexpected, a large number of women and their partners plan and prepare for it. If that is the approach that you would like to take, there are a number of important factors or issues that you should first take into consideration.

Perhaps, the most important factor to take into consideration is healthcare. When pregnant, you will need to schedule regular prenatal exams. Towards the end of your pregnancy, these exams may be as common as once or twice a week. For that reason, healthcare should be taken into consideration. Do you have health insurance? If you do, does your health insurance cover pregnancy and prenatal care? If it does not or if you are uninsured, you may end up paying for the cost of your pregnancy alone.

In keeping the cost of having a child, it is also important to examine the costs after your baby is born. It is no secret that raising children is expensive. How are you currently managing, financially, now? If you are having difficultly making ends meet, you may be unable to afford the cost of a child. Of course, there are financial programs out there to assist, but you shouldn't rely too heavily on them. If you would like to have a child, it is advised that you take steps to financially prepare for doing so. These steps may involve increasing your work hours or eliminating unnecessary purchases.

Another factor that needs to be examined is your current living situation. Do you own your own home or do you rent an apartment? Regardless of whether you are a homeowner or a renter, do you have enough space for a child? If you do not, it may be a good idea to rethink your current living situation. Although many mothers like to keep their newborns in the same room with them at night, there will come a point in time where your child will need their own room. If you would like to buy a larger home or rent a larger apartment, you may want to think about doing so before you decide to become pregnant, as it may save you a considerable amount of stress.

Another issue that needs to be discussed is your partner or spouse's feelings on having a new child. Although it is more than possible for you to be a single mother, by way of a sperm donor, many women make the decision to have a child with a man that they love. Despite being more than possible to raise a child as a single parent, it is important that you seek assistance from the father. That is why the decision to have a child is one that you and your partner should make together. If you are married or if you have been with your partner for a long period of time, there is a good chance that they will be just as excited with having a baby as you are. If, at this point in time, you realize that you both have difficult goals and aspirations in life, the issue needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

When deciding if you are ready to become a mother, the above mentioned issues are all ones that should be taken into consideration. As a reminder, many women have children unexpectedly, but many take the time to plan and prepare for pregnancy and childbirth. If you would like to thoroughly examine your decision before getting pregnant, it is advised that you do so. You can research pregnancy and raising a newborn baby by speaking with your healthcare professional and other parents or by buying a collecting of birthing and parenting books, as well as by using the internet to your advantage.