Spring/ Summer Getups 2010

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For those of us who were too busy with our own lives to make it to the Spring fashion shows somewhere around the turn of Fall 2009, no worries I got your back.

Here’s a quick rundown of ‘they said’ that we must wear for Spring/ Summer 2010, i.e what you found a few people wearing at last years end, what you would find some people wearing about now, and what you would find most people wearing around Fall of 2010, when it would be duplicated enough times to reach the mass market distribution.

Gotta love the fashion cycle. Just when you think you’ve nailed it, there is someone out there thinking that you are way behind.

1. LUCITE 

 

Gotta love throw-backs. You can be ‘in style’ without having spent a cent.

Spring season’s hottest accessories are of the solid, plastic, transparent variety, (think Plexiglas). 

I remember when plastic jewelry was in style, not too long ago, but it was the coloured variety. Well, these aren’t those times. The season’s ‘plastics’ are transparent.

Clearly, (pardon the pun) these accessories aren’t for the wallflowers, and can be worn as jewelry, shoes (platform soles and heels), bags, you name it.

Shoes

Don’t know, when I think of plastic accessories my mind always goes back to those plastic, glitter-filled, platforms that little girls and certain Grown folk wear. Remember those?

Anyways, these aren’t those, and if you select your plastic-soled, platformed shoes wisely you would look the epitome of fashion. Don’t however, and you will look like those aforementioned Grown folk. Feast your eyes on these Fendi babies.

 

 

 

The new breed of ladies called “Tigers” immediately come to mind.

Accessories

1. So that you don’t look too plastic, mix and match with metals

 

 

If plastic is just not your thing, some other jewelry trends are:

1. Bold jewelry.

Think bright/ striking and statement making, not necessarily large.

 

 

 

 

 

Not a big fan of transparent plastic jewelry myself, perhaps because I’m far from transparent. So I’d have to say that this trend appeals to me more.

2. Petals seem to be big too. 

From earrings to bracelets, as big or as small as you like it. 

 

 

 

 

For the uber femmes among us.

2. STRIPES

Spring usually welcomes the sailor, and you know how we at GC here LOVE lycra stripes as a fashion choice for the general public *side eye*.

Spring stripes are all H-O-R-I-Z-O-N-T-A-L so proceed with caution. Though most are black/ blue  and white or some combination of two colours, you can show your personality by opting to rock multicoloured,  horizontal stripes. Do limit your other accessories when choosing the latter. 

Unstructured (read WIDE), shorter than usual (read about belly button level) tops seem to be in stores everywhere. WHY? I have no idea. My advice would be to stay very far away. 

So long as you know when, where, and what your personal style limitations are you should be alright though. 

My advice is, unless you are a size 2, stick to stripes as your first or second layer and not your last. That would mean to avoid striped trousers, leggings and anything that can be called outer wear. 

Tip: Wear horizontal stripes where you think you can afford to add volume, i.e. a striped tee or blouse if you aren’t the bustiest, or a striped skirt if you’ve got the slim legs or athletic build (minimal hips)

And unless you’ve been successfully hitting the gym religiously for at least the last year, avoid 100% lycra stripes, no matter how great they look on the mannequin. 

Some stripey looks

 

 

 

Tricky? Yes, but cute if you can pull it off. At this length, not for the office though, unless you have a different kind of ambition.

An alternative could be:

 

Much safer.

In addition to stripes, plaid and chambray also seem to be getting a lot of play. Stripey-ish I suppose. 

Personally, I don’t really see the purpose of a striped shirt that’s also a boyfriend cut (read no darts or shaping to it, pretty much a boy can wear it) for a female, even if it’s Burberry, but I suppose it’s a look, so I’ll mention it anyways.

 

 

She looks as bored as this getup is. I feel ya’ girl, Next.

3. CUT OUTS

This cut out trend can be found anywhere from clothing to shoes, like oxfords; Wingtips, brogues and jazz shoes are all in this trend right now. 

Clothing

If you have assets that require maximum support, cut-outs that compromise the integrity of the fabric, and it’s ability to assist you with that support may not be the best idea. 

An alternative could be either:

1. Cut outs that are lined with sheer fabric 

2. Designs that give the appearance of cut outs, but do not affect the ability of the dress to provide support, like asymmetrical necklines or hemlines, i.e. no cuts happening within the bulk of the fabric itself, *cough* like right under the boobies.

 

 

.. and okay maybe not THAT high of an incline, though slits are very popular now…

3. Colour-blocking. Two toned apparel that gives the same idea as the cut out trend, but keeps your skin to yourself. 

 

 

or this type of look can work as well:

 

In addition to the obvious cut outs, ‘cold’ or  ’peek-a-boo’ shoulders as I like to call them, also seem to be pretty big, a safe alternative to the cut-out trend, either the classic cold shoulder or the updated ones.

For a classic ‘cold’ shoulder look:

 

 

This look also as the essence of the cut out trend, with updated colour blocking.

Or the ‘peek-a-boo’ trend:

 

Updated ‘cold’ shoulder. Feel free to switch up the shoes.

Or of course you can always do Hervé:

 

Hot.

So long as you’ve already organized your plan to keep the creditors off your back.

The other extreme end is also being seen, the super, duper, superhero strong shoulder look with the use of extensive shoulder padding. Wear with caution. 

Alternatively you can wear something that gives the ‘impression’ of strong shoulders like ruffled shoulders.

 

 

Much better I think, especially if you’ve already done the original 80s shoulder pads.

If you have issues with your arms, you might want to stay away from  these looks. 

Shoes

 

A fun alternative if you are into flats and ballet shoes.

4. SANDALS

Seems to be a hodge-podge, mish-mash of past styles for Spring 2010.

- Studs seem to be big, as well as ankle straps, in whichever heights you choose.

- After spending some years on the backburner, Wedges seem to be completing their comeback.

- And hope you guys didn’t throw out your gladiators from last year, and the year before… and the year before that, cause guess what? … they’re ‘back’. Surprise! They’re back, though not aaaaall over the pavement like they were last year. 

- Woven shoes and booties have a presence as well.

- Earthy accents like rope, raffia, jute, cork and natural wood are back  - typical spring.

- Platform sandals haven’t left us and aren’t going to leave us anytime soon apparently.

See some eye candy below.

Flat

 Embellished ankle strap

 

 Studs/gladiator-like

 

Here’s that clear plastic again.

 

Wedges

Studs and wooden heels

 

 

Gladiator-esq with embellishments

 

 

 

ohhh.. how ladylike.

Or, my personal favorite the Stilleto

Bandages and woven trend take. 

 

 

these babies…

 

And of course, platforms. Donatella was apparently inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland’ for her collection:

 

I believe, my dear reader, what you’ve just experienced is called a ‘Shoegasm’.

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POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

Spring Beauty Forecast
Mystery Fabric
Women | 6 Simple Style Rules
Dress Your shape | M-m-m-m-melons
Style | Shoe blues

Telephone Love | Texting Edition

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It can range from ‘innocent’ flirting to exchanging nude photos and basically channeling your own sex hotline. I used innocent in quotation marks cause come on, this is not high-school. We’re Grown so-and-so people.

There is nothing ‘accidental’ about flirting with someone in an extended convo thats happening via text. You can’t call on a body language loophole for example; you don’t ‘accidentally’ send a flirty message to someone, especially someone that you are NOT attracted to.  That’s like sexual harassment. Some argue that it’s only labelled such when the advances (male or female) are unwanted. But, that’s another entry, back to the topic at hand. 

‘Sexting’ is one of those hush-hush, iffy, soon-to-be taboo, relationship topics that’s made more of a big deal by the presence of technology. The same technology that’s evidently not going anywhere anytime soon, so we better either get comfy with the idea of talking about it with our partners, or make movements in such a way that we we never will have to.

It would seem that more technologically advanced we as a species get, the easier it is to engage in such activities, and it’s not just text with phone these days. Who texts anymore anyways? With all these smart phones around with wild abandon, text seems like snail mail.

Why not IM? It’s faster. Not only that, you can have a simple conversation that spans days, as the message is sent, and it remains on the phone until the person is in a position to read it – and respond, however long it takes. While on the other (the sender’s) end, anticipation builds, and builds. Considering how mundane and routine our normal lives can have a tendency to be, who wouldn’t welcome a little bit of fun? However, lewwe remember dat pressure does buss’ pipe eh. 

Then too, it’s not real. It’s a fantasy. You can escape the realities of your world and be who the hell you want to be. There is no time constraint, neither do you have to be in a particular place at a particular time.

It’s not an invasive activity; as long as there is access to a mobile phone there can be an escape. During a meeting in the board room, while you’re running your Saturday morning errands, while your significant other is taking a shower or, for the dare devils among us, reading a book/ meeting notes/ magazine in the bed while snuggled up in the bed right next to you. 

Talk about grey and fuzzy wuzzy.

- Is it technically wrong or is it technically okay? Are both of these arguments on the same side of one coin?

- Is it wrong only if you get caught?

- Is it only wrong when males do it but not females? 

- Is it wrong only when a certain line is crossed?  If so what is that line?

- Is it only only an issue when you make that jump from virtual to physical? Is that really a huge jump with the technology that we have today?

Some of us ‘virtually’ speak to people halfway across the globe more than we speak to people in our own households. 

- Is it okay if two people are single, consenting adults? Then, if there is an agreement of ‘consent’, is it okay that one shares the info with the world/ his/her circle of friends/ his/her bff? 

- Is it okay if it’s between bbfs who have no intention of being together, and are otherwise engaged?

- Is it just harmless interaction?

Can ‘sexting’ destroy a relationship or are people making too much of a big deal about it? Can ‘sexting’ actually save a relationships?

Does it count as infidelity? Should it?

Regardless of the technicalities, there is no denying texting ‘fun’ gone wrong. We usually don’t know when it’s happening, but we know when it goes too far. 

Some interesting tidbits about texting ‘like’/(love), especially if you find yourself threading in choppy waters:

1. Your texts are traceable.
No they don’t disappear just because you delete them off your phone. First there’s the other person who received the message, the people who may have then received a forwarded message, and last but not least your service provider/ whoever owns the server that’s transmitting the messages.

Text messages can stay on the server for an unlimited amount of time, and are accessible.

***UPDATE***

Well looky here. iPhone users now have the option of choosing how long a text message stays on the recipient’s phone, and can even choose that a ‘Delete on Read’ button. i.e. once the recipient opens the message he/she has 1 minute to read the message before it is deleted forever. 

Of course there are limitations, you can read more about online at the Apple Store.

The Blackberry Tiger Text app is scheduled to be launched in the middle of March 2010. 

2. They can be requested and used in court.

The court of LAW.

If you are married:
Legally your partner can request your texting records. For better or for worse/ two shall now become one… remember all of that fuzzy stuff? Legally you both have access to each other’s stuff. Increasingly, this form of ‘evidence of infidelity’ is being allowed in court. Recognize, especially if you have a whole heap of ‘ish on the line.

If you aren’t married:
If you aren’t married but your significant other’s name is on the bill that you are using, this also applies.

Be independent before you act independent.

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And that’s just the use of the phones. We haven’t started speaking about social networking sites and other such ‘day-to-day’ virtual yet social interactions that innocently (for real this time) engage in, in this world that we live in.

Businesses are incorporating the use of these applications to facilitate real-time decision making as well as a part of cost-cutting initiatives. Employees no longer have to travel to have a discussion, cue in Skype/ the webcam/ Googlewave. But when do the discussions end and the personal begin? Is there a clearly defined line, or does it only present itself when it’s clearly been crossed?

Sticky? Indeed.

Still, if you must ‘engage’, here are some  tips:

1. Intrigue rather than give specifics.

Make suggestions rather than be explicit. Develop code names or talk about talk about ‘it’ or ‘some’ for example. You don’t have to explain the how, why and where everything is going to be, and be done.

This will only sink you, further.

2. Think before you type

Easier said than done I know, because for years we’ve been telling people to think before they SPEAK. The advantage of text however, is that you actually HAVE time to re-read the text before you hit the ‘send’ button. Make the most of this advantage.

Another good rule of thumb is to only put out there you think you can, at most, survive after having seen it on CNN’s home page. 

3.Only text when sober.

As with calling, leaving voice-mails, and ringing people’s doorbells.

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Discuss.

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POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

Relationships | Deal breakers
Relationships | When Love is Over
Q/A: Mistaken Identity (Pt. 2)
Poll: What would you do?: Human Nature 
It’s not me, it’s you 

Welcome to GC 1.5

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Hola amigos de nosotros!

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How’s it been?

No it’s not your aging eyesight, nor is it a browser or ISP hiccup.

As part of the upgrade that we mentioned a few days ago, the Glamity Calamity homepage experienced a little downtime as we changed to faster, more efficient servers, but no need to ring the alarm… we’re back.

Of course, though an upgrade with a slightly different look, what you now see at http://glamitycalamity.com, is not the new design, do hold your hats for GC 2.0.

While we’re in the process of ironing out some of the new seams left behind from the crisp packaging, feel free to become a fan of GC by clicking the link below.

Become a fan of Glamity Calamity

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Glamity Calamity

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What a pain in ye eyeball.

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Mr. Migraine.

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What a pain nightmare.

The headache from hell that just keeps mutating, just before it starts to rot inside your mental.

The type of pain that makes you think that in your past life you used to butcher squirrels for coats and now karma has finally come to get you. Boo!

The type that can lead one to behead another for simply letting their little light shine… through an open window.

Keep that little light of yours under a bushel dammit you think to yourself, for all those tiny people drumming incessantly in your head is far from cute.

You’d tell the drummers to stop, but you risk opening your eyes, not that you’d see anyways cause your left eyesight went MIA-mi. Just the thought of your apparent lack of control over your body workings makes you smile… oh,…. there goes the little pa-rump-pa-pom-pom-ers again, only you know it’s not Christmas cause these guys come with a little fella in the band who scrapes his nails on the blackboard music sheet.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech.

Day in day out, there is no respite from this torture. Only death will save you now.

What is a migraine?

Trusty old Wikipedia says that a migraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily perceptions, severe headaches, and nausea. Physiologically, the migraine headache is a neurological condition more common to women than to men.

Just great.

The typical migraine headache affects one half of the head, is pulsating and lasts from 4 to 72 hours. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting,  increased sensitivity to light (photo phobia) as well as sound (phono phobia).

About one in three people who suffer migraine headache receive some sign that the migraine will soon occur. This can be some aura or experience in the form of an unusual visual, olfactory, or other sensory experience.

Interesting isn’t it? Not exactly being able to see into the future, but close. Still, this is nothing that migraine sufferers don’t already know. What we would really benefit from rather is how to STOP this beast.

Common migraine triggers

As it turns out, common triggers for migraine attacks include:
- Allergies
- Bright lights or sounds
- Odors/perfumes
- Stress
- Skipping meals
- Alcohol
- the Menstrual cycle and Menopause and
- Certain foods, including red wine, cheese, figs and diary products including chocolate*

Migraine Management

What the doctors say:

Knowing such, an important factor in migraine management is preventative treatment, which would largely be lifestyle changes – from proper nutrition plus perhaps taking nutritional supplements, increased exercise, to just plain avoiding the migraine triggers. Engaging in such constructive behaviour may result in reducing the duration, painfulness and/ or frequency of the migraines. 

Of course when all else fails, there’s always the option of reaching far enough to grab a handful of those pain killers, and swallow hard, not that I’m promoting drug abuse. Naturally, Smarty Pants, this doesn’tfix anything, it just eases the pain to allow you to get your life in order before the next attack that’s bound to happen if you don’t change something soon.

This however is not a fool proof remedy you say, as the surely the above only addresses the problem in about 60% of us, if so much. What about the others?

What the herbalists say:

Well, there’s always holistic medicine.

Thing is, as high as they may sound sometimes, their advice concerning migraines is pretty much the same thing, minus the crazy pill popping of course. 

Their view is that migraines are caused by a lack of serotonin to the the brain, and that lack of sleep, and the effect of foods, yadda yadda, are thought to be the causes. 

Some recommendations include increasing your intake of:

- Ginger,
- Water
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Food high in fibre.

Also reducing your intake of
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Soda and
- Salt as preventative measures.

Well there goes the fun. We come back to proper nutrition again. 

Direct sunlight is also thought by herbalists to cause migraines, so avoiding it may be a good idea. The idea goes something like this – when the sun rises, the very hottest rays irritate the blood vessels and cause them to shrink thereby causing pain. Moonlight walks are thought to help alleviate the pain. (See Ayurvedic Cure)

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Migraines are painful and debilitating. 

As a migraine sufferer, I decided to see if I could help myself and some of you, my suffering peeps out there, fight this horrible monster that attacks when least expected. Hope this helps

At the end if it all it seems like we are encouraged to:

Eat Better | Exercise more | Stress Less | Avoid Sun | Sleep

Seem easy enough. After all, according to GC if we do just that we’d alleviate a whole host of other issues as well.

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Forward ever…

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Sources:
Ayurvedic Cure – Migraine
Wikipedia – Migraine

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*For a full list see the Medicine Plus Medical Encyclopeadia.

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POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

Health Tip: Walk off worry
Nutrition | Gluten free breakfast
Natural vs. Organic
What’s your serving size?
Health Tip: Bambu, a coffee alternative
Munch stress away 

Skin Therapy | Saving Face

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Gone are the days where skin treatments (facials) were luxury. These days it’s a requirement to maintain the Sexy. Depending on the depth of your pocket, there are quality treatments and products that are available to address your skin’s individual concern. 

The following tips can be used by both men and women, although, in all honesty, women are normally more concerned about aging, possibly because society sees wrinkles on a woman as ‘old’ = Not-so-Sexyand wrinkles on a man as ‘experienced’ = Super Smoking Hot.

Double standard? Sure but whatevs. It is what it is, so let’s deal with it accordingly.

1. Schedule Face Time

Gone are the days where skin treatments are a luxury, we live in a world with too much stress, environmental pollution and chemically altered food for that kind of irrational thinking.

We tend to our hair and nails at least once a month, we change our clothing with the seasons or trends, we (should) maintain our teeth regularly, so what’s up with neglecting our skin?  How many faces do we have again?

Monthly skin treatments are required not only to target our individual skin challenges (acne, darkening or hyper-pigmentation, environmentally sensitized skin, aging or prematurely aging skin etc.) but they can also help us maintain well-hydrated, smooth, supple skin, you know… that thing ‘they’ refer to as maintenance. 

Talk with your skin therapist about setting up a skin therapy schedule that complements your at home regimen. Don’t have have an at home regimen? No time like the present to start – the sooner the better.

2. Use the right ingredients

Anti-aging products are all the rage, but as we’ve already discussed, not all products are created equal, largely because not all ingredients are created equal.

There is no regulation as to what a product needs to contain in order to be labelled ‘anti-aging’, as a matter of fact in some cases it only takes a hydrating ingredient, synthetically made at that, for a manufacturer to refer to a product as ‘anti-aging’. After all, all it takes is an hydrating ingredient to, (albeit temporarily), ‘smoothen out fine lines and wrinkles’.

Dry, wrinkly, sorry looking hands? Wet them. They instantly look a lot healthier, but that doesn’t mean that anything has been altered does it? And so what happens when the water dries? Dry, wrinkly, sorry looking hands again.

In reality, an ‘anti-aging’ product should assist in speeding the cell turnover (shedding) of your skin, in order that new skin be revealed. It is this ‘new’ skin that is partly responsible for having a youthful glow, as the presence of dead skin cells can give a dulling effect to the skin.

Typically, skin cell turnover occurs every 28 days, but starts to slow down after the age of 25. That’s pretty young isn’t it? So after 25, the skin doesn’t refresh itself as often and therefore assisting the skin with this task is recommended.  

One way of doing this is to mechanically remove dead skin cells by the use of scrubs (mechanical exfoliation), but this can often be a harsh process and as a result is not recommended for use more than 2-3 times a week. Further, this is not recommended if your skin suffers from excess oil production or is acne prone, as it this rubbing action can stimulate already overactive sebaceous (oily) glands. So what do you do?

This is where ‘anti-aging’ ingredients come in.

Products that contain ingredients such as ‘Lactic Acid’, ‘Glycolic Acid’ or “Retinol’ help speed the skin cell turnover process by chemically nibbling away at these pesky, lingering, dead skin cells (chemical exfoliation) to reveal a fresh layer of skin, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and brightening darkened areas.

‘Salicylic Acid’ not only serves as a chemical exfoliation agent, but it also works well at drying up acne flares and blemishes, as well as keeps over productive sebaceous glands at bay, so it’s a good ingredient to look for if your skin concerns falls into this category.

These types of ingredients are especially beneficial, as skin gets exfoliated without the harsh rubbing action on the skin by scrubs (mechanical exfoliation). There are many products these days that contain these ingredients, some like cleansers, serums and moisturizers for example, contain a sufficient enough of these ingredients to facilitate exfoliation, but in a dose low enough so that they can be used every day – very effective for maintaing, smooth, healthy, glowing skin daily. 

Always consult with your skin therapist before you start an at-home chemical exfoliation regimen, to protect both your health and the health of your skin.

3. Deal with blemishes effectively

Proper management of blemishes and breakouts is key to maintaining good skin, especially with skin that is prone to pigmentation, like darker or Asian skins.

In these cases, prolonged inflammation and/ or infection in the skin leads to darkening which can take months to disappear if at all. Urrrrgggh.

Keep a salicylic acid containing, acne-fighting spot gel for example, on hand always to immediately deal with blemishes that may pop up, and use a clay-based (kaolin and bentonite clays are the best) masque, for 5-10 minutes, to effectively assist in drawing out impurities from clogged pores. 

If you are into guerrilla warfare, using a cotton tip, dab a bit of hydrogen peroxide** on the blemish to immediately kill any infection and follow up with same said clay-based masque as mentioned above.

**Hydrogen peroxide is highly drying to skin and can seriously alter the skin’s balance (pH levels), so using this over an extended area or prolonged period is NOT recommended. Instead follow alternate instructions above. But, for an emergency on a hot date night every now and then? Sure.

4. Use sunscreen

Over exposing the skin to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays is the number one way to damage (read age) your skin, and sometimes irreparably so.

Be Smart. Incorporate a full spectrum sunscreen (one that protects against both UVA and UVB rays) into your daily skin care regimen – one that is either used alone or doubles as your daytime moisturizer. This simple activity can go a long way in preserving your youthfulness.

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POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

What is your skin cancer risk?
Skin condition | “Acne”
Anti-Aging Tip #5 – Use chemical exfoliating agents regularly
Fact Sheet: Microdermabrasion
Nutrition | Anti-Agers 
Ingredient Spotlight: Hyaluronic Acid

What is your skin cancer risk?

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Noone is immune to skin cancer. However some factors make some people more prone to skin cancer than others. Calculate your sun safety using the following guide:

Do you:

1. Have Blonde hair?

2. Have Light coloured eyes?

3. Freckle easily?

4. Burn before tan?

5. Have many moles in areas not normally exposed to the sun?

6. Experience/d blistering sunburns?

7. Live in a tropical climate?

8. Family history of skin cancer?

9. Work outdoors during the spring and/ or summer?

10. Spend a lot of recreation time outdoors?

Assign a value of 1 to each “YES” answer and then check the guide below.
 

Results:

7-10 – High Risk

4-6 – Medium Risk

1-3 – Low Risk

Of course, this is not a complete or absolute risk, as there are many other risk factors including age and gender.

Wear a broad spectrum sunscreen daily, one that protects against both UVA and UVB rays – a minimum SPF 15 on the face.

Always be aware of any new abnormal looking growths on skin particularly those parts that are exposed to the sun. Those who have a lifetime of sun exposure should be particularly vigilant. Make note of any unusual lesion(s) and/ or mole(s) and speak with your doctor/ dermatologist about it/ them.

Early detection is key.

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POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

Some morning controversy | Indoor Tanning
Anti-Aging Tip #6
Premature aging
Sun and Skin Types
Sunkissed beauty
10 Top Skin-Care Faux Pas
Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap

Some morning controversy | Indoor Tanning

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The Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA)  plans to soon launch it’s “Indoor Tanning is Out” campaign, and states that:

Indoor tanning before the age of 30 has been associated with a significant increase in the risk of melanoma, and recently sunbeds (UV tanning beds) were moved up to the highest cancer risk category—group 1— ‘carcinogenic to humans’ by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

And for all my peeps who choose indoor tanning to ‘base’ themselves before they go bake in the sun (whaaaaaaat?!!!) Errrr… nope. The only ‘base’ that you should be using is SPF 30+

The CDA further states

A tan will not provide protection from the sun on holiday. One of the busiest seasons for indoor tanning starts in January when many teens tan before spring break. A tan offers very limited protection from sunlight or burning. At most, a tan is the equivalent to a sunscreen with SPF of just 2-4. Not enough to keep you safe in the sun.

…[Indoor tanning] is especially dangerous because UV rays from sunbeds can be up to 10-15 times higher than that of the midday sun.  Prevention is key because melanoma, has become the third most common form of cancer in young Canadian women (second most common cancer in young Ontarians aged 15-34) years of age, and is mostly preventable.

There are even reports that individuals are going blind from indoor tanning. Apparently the UV rays are penetrating the eyelids and frying the retina…. *BLANK STARE*

What is melanoma? See here for information as provided by the CDA.

For tanning bed stories of actual melanoma survivors click here. 

Of course, the risk is higher for certain people than it is for others, based on things like DNA, skin colour, age and lifestyle for example. The most at risk are those who:

• are under 18
• have fair or freckly skin
• burn easily
• have a lot of moles
• have had skin cancer in the past
• have a family history of skin cancer
• use medication that increases your sensitivity to UV rays. 

Many antibiotics, birth control pills, blood pressure medicines, diabetes drugs, and pain relievers can increase one’s sensitivity to UV rays, so be sure to ask your doctor about the possible side effect of sun sensitivity of any of the medications that you are currently taking.

 But it’s not just Canada, the American Academy of Dermatology put out an ad years ago that stated pretty much the same thing:

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In Australia it’s a requirement to wear sunscreen. Possibly because Australians are generally light skinned, have an active outdoor lifestyle, the depleted ozone layer coupled with the country’s relatively clear skies and of course it’s location close to the equator. Also, I do believe  it is illegal for a child to be out and about without wearing sunscreen and protective clothing here. 

Protect yourself (face and body) with a broad spectrum sunscreen, i.e. one that guards against both UVA and UVB rays. Wear a minimum of SPF 15+ daily on your face and higher on your body. If you are at the beach the FDA recommends that sunscreen be applied every 2 hours to be effective, sooner if you are sweating or in the water, even if the sunscreen says that it’s ‘waterproof’.

Looking Oompa Loompa orange is so not sexy. If you don’t believe the hype that exposure to UVA/ UVB rays, natural or artificial, can lead to skin cancer, believe this: the fine lines and wrinkles, break down of collagen in the skin which results in a lack of skin tone, and soggy mopey skin, are all signs of premature aging which is one of the harmful effects of over exposure to these harmful rays. 

What are the benefits of indoor tanning again?

Appreciate and flaunt the skin you’re in.

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Source: Canadian Dermatology Association

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Relationships | Foul Romance

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Joe was sharing an experience that he had the other day. He was going deep sea diving but before he even hit the water he could not help but think that all the fish had died in the ocean. 

“Should I say something?” he asked.

I mean I know what I’d do. Speak up and ship on the hell out of that piece.

But, I understand that this is a sensitive issue. That’s like having to answer your girl’s question “Does this make me look fat”. Your answer should be that either it does or doesn’t, but nothing more. Nothing about the fact that with her ‘natural’ curves she shouldn’t be wearing that, or nothing about horizontal stripes. Nothing that descriptive.

Or for example, answering your man when he asks if he’s the best that you’ve had. Tricky? Indeed. But at least whether you answer it truthfully or not you don’t have to smell it. Ew. 

The way I see it, if you choose to keep your reaction to yourself, your libido surely will speak. For some of us this is more obvious than others, isn’t it Jr.?

So I say if it’s a fling; you are never going to see this individual again and you don’t want to say anything, reach for the phone explain “Damn” you forgot something and bounce. Otherwise, keep it missionary and get it over with quickly. I wouldn’t take the time to figure out if it’s just a bad day, because as far as one night stands go you gotta bring it or you get left behind. No hard feelings. No long talking. Anything that frowses or limps on Hit-it-and-Quit-it night needs no explanation. 

But if you are in a long term relationship or are are having ‘something’ with the individual, unless you want to live through that hell for the rest of your time together, it may be best to say something. 

Now ladies and gentlemen I’m no doctor, so I can’t diagnose this, but my layman point of view would be that seeing some sort of person who specializes in that area would be a good idea, especially if it’s a condition that’s persistent.

I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but from what I’ve learnt in life, everything is correlated. Assuming that it’s not an STD, it’s possibly harmless. If it’s something that just ‘popped’ up maybe it’s :

- Diet related.
Garlic and onions maybe? I’ve also read that asparagus can bring on the funk as well. A diet rich in fruit acids like pineapple is thought to keep the smell pleasant, but as far as if this is scientifically proven I have no idea. 

- That time of the month.
Lets just say not only the personality gets thick during PMS.

Then too, if you are getting it in with your girl regularly unprotected, (*side eye* but no judgements), remember that your spunk is living matter and, like any other protein, it stinks when it starts decaying. So… it could be your fault guys.

I’ve also read that it can be possibly linked to smoking or having multiple partners. Apparently the privates no likey too much mixing and mingling between the proteins. That thought alone can bring on the frowz.

I’d say that maybe it’s a latex allergy but if it funks before you even get it in, I’d second guess that. 

Some other common things you can ensure, well common to me I guess, are:

- Wear clean undies daily. 
- Wash genitalia daily. Even if, for whatever reason, you don’t shower daily at least clean up the privates.

Ladies some particular no-nos:

– Extended wearing of thong underwear.
Two different types of bacteria going on down there, don’t want to mix them up. 

- Mystery fabric.
It just can’t breathe in lycra and other fabric that’s difficult to pronounce. Polyester underwear with spandex leggings is not a good idea. Nothing can breathe in that.

- Excessive douching.
Dries out area and removes good bacteria, or so I’ve read.

But in general, getting checked by a doctor is your best bet, even if it’s just to rule out that it’s not an STD in hiding. I mean Valentine’s Day is coming up and all, lets keep it fresh. 

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Cucumber The Great

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I can make all sorts of jokes about the benefits of a whole, raw cucumber, but it’s not that kind of party today, at least not with this post. As it turns out the good ole’ cucumber can serve a lot of other purposes…

I was sent this information that was featured in The New York Times sometime late last year as part of their “Spotlight on the Home” series, that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

I haven’t tried them all yet, but maybe I’ll pick up a couple long, thick, firm ones and put them to a different type of use today

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite.  Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?  Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.  Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?  Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes?  Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?  Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints?  Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake?  Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Chomp, chomp. Tasty!

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Thanks for looking out Gis!

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Making light of it all

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You know that feeling you get when you realized that something just went terribly wrong?

For example the one that you get when you realize that you just royally destroyed something that’s not yours, either something you borrowed or something that you are supposed to keep safe for someone. Fear, panic, and maybe somewhere long after you get a flash of intelligence where you actually do something that can alleviate the situation perhaps. Then of course you have more fear. What is your friend going to say? How are you going to apologize? Then you start thinking down the line, how will this affect the friendship? This series of questioning is often followed by resignation, where you just take a deep breath and face your friend dead on, with your head hung in shame.

It’s been said that life is a tragedy in the short term but a comedy in the long term, especially where it concerns material things. Hindsight is really 20/20.

Thing is, even though in the moment you feel as though you just want to crawl through the crack in the floor and die, if you choose to retell the story to someone else, it would be almost impossible for them to resist the urge to laugh. And then, though you may be annoyed at first that the person isn’t taking your misfortune seriously, you can eventually see the light dawn in the horizon and you start to laugh yourself.

How silly you were! Trying to turn the electric burner off without using the knob, duh things will catch a fire. Eventually, things don’t seem that bad at all. Actually, you then realize that things could have been a whole lot worse. 

A gentle smile sometimes helps to diffuse difficult situations. The ability to laugh at one’s transgressions is truly indicative of one being comfortable with oneself – and with others. We are not perfect. Bad things happen, or at least they may seem bad at the time, but really things are not usually as bad as they seem.  So you stub your toe on the end table. After you stop rolling around on the ground, look back and try to see the humor in the situation. A good laugh at oneself never hurt anyone.

As a matter of fact, laughing is said to be very good for the soul. A smile is said to use less muscles than a frown. (okay but can some one please explain what good are those horrid laugh-lines are for? What the firetruck purpose does that serve? Every time one is seen, a frown soon follows, go figure.)

And if you are a regular here you will appreciate me putting in this: The Mona Lisa is a piece of art that always brings a smile to my face. In fact I must confess that I have spent many an hour standing in front of a mirror trying to perfect that very same smile.

As it turns out laughter is also used as an anesthetic. The dentists give you nitrous oxide  so that you can ‘laugh’ through the pain of a root canal, although the pain that lingers after the nitrous oxide wears away is nothing to laugh at.

All of this can be backed up scientifically. One Dr. Provine states that:-

- The much vaunted health benefits of laughter are probably coincidental, a consequence of it’s much more important primary goal: bringing people together. In fact, the health benefits of laughter may result from the social support it stimulates.

- Laughter plays a big role in mating. Men like women who laugh heartily in their presence.

- Both sexes laugh a lot, but females laugh more–126 percent more than their male counterparts. Men are more laugh-getters.

- The laughter of the female is the critical index of a healthy relationship.

- Laughter in relationships declines dramatically as people age.

- Like yawning, laughter is contagious; the laugher of others is irresistible.

So you see even the scientists are laughing. It is after all the best medicine.

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Forward ever…

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Source: The benefits of laughter.

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