Dressing Up: Fashion Trends for Women’s Dressy Clothes in Summer
Summer is an interesting one for dress clothes. Dresses and skirts, heels and lace – it’s all coming together for a colorful and at times ethereal look. Here are some fashion trends for women’s dressy clothes this year.
Florals
Floral prints come and go, and change in style – remember the cabbage roses of the 80s? Florals are back, but the cabbage roses are nowhere to be seen. 2012’s florals are all about movement. Florals are more systematic and less random this year, with almost symmetrical designs. Floral prints are showing up on dresses and skirts, and are particularly prominent on long, flowing styles.
Prints
Not to be confused with florals, prints full of whimsy are turning up on skirts and dresses and tops this year. Feathers, birds, fruit, trees, animals – it seems you’ll find any of these on dressy clothes in 2012.
Mint Green
It’s interesting how mint green has made such a misty splash this year. It started in spring and seems to have followed us into summer. It ranges in hue from a gray-ish sage to a true-blue mint, but you’ll see lots of it. Short, smart skirts, handbags, and simple tops are going green.
Orange
And then there’s orange. You’ll find this bold color on dressy sandals and even formal dresses. It pops out of florals and prints, and also in solids.
Smart Suits
It seems women’s suits never go out of style. In summer 2012, the look is definitely toward pastels and light fabrics. Many designers are including flowing, dramatic wraps to go with their dressy fashions this year.
Lace
Lace is popping up on shoes, handbags, skirts and tops in this year’s dressy clothes. High heels with lace coverings are making an appearance, and so are lace-trimmed tops and skirts.
Crochet
Crochet is definitely making a comeback! Even crochet swimsuits are out there. But in terms of dressy clothes, crochet jackets, shawls, and vests are making an appearance – an old-fashioned art transformed into a modern fashion statement.
Stripes
This year’s stripes are mostly bi-color – meaning black and white, mint green and cream, orange and blue, and so forth. Not a lot of multi-colored stripes are around, but all sizes of stripes from bold to subtle are making bold and fashionable statements on women’s dressy clothes this year – particularly suits.
Heels
Heels are in this year, especially wedge heels. Kitten heels are also purported to be coming back in summer 2012. For dressing up, you can find all sorts of high heels with chunky toes, and also bow sandals. Both look great with summer dresses and skirts.
Flowing
Long, flowing skirts are making an appearance alongside the short, smart suits. Natural hemlines swing on mid-calf dresses, and longer skirts and dresses have an almost ethereal look with light fabrics, pleats, wraps, and drapes.
Communication Techniques for Arguments
Many people don’t like to argue; others seem to love it. Whether you like to argue or hate it, feelings can get hurt and relationships damaged when people express their disagreements in inappropriate ways.
Have you ever considered that there are communication techniques for arguing? Here are some tips that may help you in your next confrontation.
Mr. and Ms. Right
It might be a good idea to let go of having to be right in an argument, sources say. Instead, make the goal of the argument be finding common ground. This means looking for compromises that can lead to an area or idea – however small – where you both agree. This makes you both right!
If You’re Right…
Ask yourself, what is the big deal about being right? In the big scheme of things, will being right make me a better person? Will it make others like or respect me more? Does this really even matter? It helps to ask yourself what it would mean, if anything, if you are right.
Don’t Be Defensive
It can be difficult not to jump to your own defense when someone is being critical…or if you perceive that they are being critical. One reason to hold off on defensiveness is that you may be hearing criticism when that isn’t at all what the other party means. Your perception may be off.
Another reason to hold off on being defensive is that you can’t really hear the other party’s points when you are formulating defenses in your mind. And you may not want to admit it, but hearing the other person is actually an important communication technique in an argument.
Why Listen?
As noted above, listening to the other party is important in an argument. You may not want to hear what the other party has to say, but the bottom line is, if you don’t hear them you can’t make your points effectively. You’ll miss the point and just cause frustration for both of you.
Have you ever listened to a debate and wished the parties would let each other finish what they’re saying? It’s frustrating to watch and experience. If you don’t listen to the other party, you may not even know what the argument is about!
Empathize
Try to see things through the other party’s eyes, even if it means acknowledging annoying behavior on your part. If the other party is angry because of something you did or failed to do, respond with understanding – “Yes, I can see how that would be annoying to you.” It’s amazing how empathy can sometimes diffuse anger.
Bacon Quesadillas
Ingredients
4 flour tortillas, (6 inch)
1 cup Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheeses
1/4cup Real Bacon Bits
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions
Heat oven to 400°F.
Put tortillas in single layer on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Cover half of each tortilla Cheese, bacon bits and onion, press together
Cook for 8 to 10 min. or until edges are golden brown.
Communication in the Workplace
Communication in the workplace is important, yet it often seems like co-workers and employees get thrown together without a lot of coaching as to how to make things work for the best. But good communication enhances work performance, helps the workplace run more smoothly, and generally makes for happier employees and managers.
Here are some success tips for communication in the workplace.
Conflict Happens
Many employees and managers don’t want to think about having conflicts, so they don’t consider how to handle them ahead of time. They’re not prepared when conflicts inevitably arise. Also, understanding that conflict is a normal (if somewhat unpleasant) aspect of working together helps you take the problem less personally.
Handling Conflict
Part of good communication is handling conflict effectively. Here are some tips for dealing with conflict when it happens in the workplace.
* Stay out of it when appropriate. The argument or conflict may not involve you, at least not directly, and getting involved may only complicate matters.
* Avoid generalizations if you are involved in the conflict, especially ones that use the words “always” or “never.” Be specific – instead of, “I am always asked to work overtime and my neighbor in the next office never is,” say something more like, “I was asked to work overtime three times last week, and I didn’t see anyone else being asked.” It’s better to present specifics.
* It’s not personal, most likely; conflicts usually arise because of something the manager is not doing effectively or some other outside issue. Try to look at your co-worker as your partner in solving the problem.
Make Sure Others Understand
When you ask others to do something for you or assign projects, make sure the people you’re speaking to really understand what you’ve asked them to do. It can help save a lot of headaches if you clarify with everyone and ask if there are any questions. Also, keep yourself open to questions throughout the project. Once again, a lot of problems can be avoided by saving employees from trying to figure things out on their own.
Connect
If you don’t like your job or just aren’t a natural social butterfly, it can be challenging to connect with others in the workplace. But it’s a good idea – you never know if that guy in the IT department you went to lunch with might advise you on a personal computer problem someday, or if there are interests you share with a co-worker in a neighboring office or cubicle that might lead to fun times outside of work. Maybe he/she has kids the same age as yours, or maybe he/she lives in your neighborhood.
And one more perk about connecting via good communication – if you ever want to leave your job, it’s good to have connections.
Brain before Mouth: Teaching Kids Appropriate Communication
The way kids communicate these days, it might be just as appropriate to also teach your kids to engage their brains before their typing fingers, too. Thinking before speaking – or typing – is crucial to interpersonal relationships at work, home, and elsewhere.
So how do you teach kids to engage their brain before their mouth? How can you emphasize appropriate communication in your kids?
Here are some tips.
Time-Outs (In a Positive Way)
When you hear the term “time-out,” you probably associate it with punishment. But a positive time-out can do wonders if it’s applied at various points throughout the day. You certainly don’t have to be religious to practice this, but you can also incorporate your religion into this exercise. It works like this:
* Choose a pleasant noise, such as a little bell, nice music, or whatever.
* Ring the bell, turn on the music, ring the chimes, or whatever you’ve chosen as regular intervals throughout the day (maybe 3 to 6 times a day).
* When this bell/noise is sounded, everyone who hears it must stop whatever they are doing or saying.
* Then everyone has to be silent and take deep breaths. You can pray, meditate, or simply work on re-focusing during this time.
* After about 3 to 5 minutes, everyone resumes activities.
The point of this exercise is to teach the brain to stop, refocus, and put things in perspective. The goal is to make it habitual.
Ask Why
If your kids say something inappropriate or gossip-y, ask them why they said it. In fact, you can have them write a paragraph or page explaining why they said what they did, and how they would feel if someone said the same thing about them. Having to engage in this somewhat lengthy exercise makes them think…and will hopefully make them think before doing it again.
Learning to ask yourself, “Why do I want to say this?” before actually saying it may save many a relationship in the future.
Consider Consequences
This is a bit easier when texting, emailing, or social networking than speaking, but the principle is the same: think about the potential consequences of what you want to communicate. If it seems good – “I’ll make people laugh!” – then tell your kids to pause and consider if the consequences are all good. For example, they may make people laugh with their comment, but who might they hurt in the process? While no one can predict everything and some people get offended at the oddest things, at least teach them to do the best they can in this respect.
Examples
Unfortunately, there are examples on the news every now and then of what can happen when someone is embarrassed and hurt by thoughtless words and actions. There are tragic examples of teens committing suicide because they were so humiliated by the words of their peers – and some of those words were probably not intended to be really mean; they were just thoughtless. But thoughtlessness could cost someone her life. Explain this in age-appropriate terms and let your child think about it.
A Birth Plan – Do You Need One?
Have you heard about developing a birth plan? If you’ve read pregnancy books and articles, you’ve probably been introduced to the idea. Many pregnant women choose to have one, and others don’t. If you’re trying to decide if you need one, here are some things to consider.
Interventions
If you have strong opinions about interventions, then a birth plan might be for you. A birth plan outlines clearly what your desires are regarding interventions like an epidural, episiotomy, and pain medication. It gives you a chance to research these things and present your desires before you’re in the middle of labor (when it can be kind of hard to think straight!).
Compatibility with Hospital Policies
If you’re giving birth in a hospital, you’ll need to make sure your plan is consistent and compatible with hospital policies. If there’s a conflict, you will either have to find out if you can get an exception, find another place to give birth, or compromise your plan.
And Baby Makes Three…or Thirty
Many women value their privacy during birth. If you do, consider a birth plan. In the plan you can specifically state whom you want to be present and how many people you want to be around while you’re in labor.
Everyone Needs to Know
Every person involved in your prenatal care and birth needs to know your birth plan. You’ll need to take it with you to every appointment, especially if you see different doctors throughout your pregnancy and if you don’t know which doctor will actually be at the birth (this is a common scenario in military hospitals). Your partner will need a copy, too, so he can be your advocate and mediate on your behalf, and he can help make sure the plan is being followed.
You Can Only Control So Much
One problem with a birth plan is that it may present a false notion that everything will automatically go according to plan. If you are easily upset when things don’t follow their prescribed order, you might want to re-think the birth plan idea. It might help to keep a frame of mind that says the plan is just an outline; your body may surprise you – after all, your baby may have his/her own birth plan!
Education
Creating a birth plan can be a great educational tool. To create a plan, you’ll need to research how birth is conducted in hospitals, birth centers, and in home births; you’ll familiarize yourself with common interventions and the pros and cons of each. You may come out of your birth plan experience with a completely different view of birth in general.
Benefits of Natural Childbirth
You may wonder why some (even many) women choose to give birth naturally. What are the benefits, if any? There are actually quite a few benefits of natural childbirth. Here are some of them.
More Alert Baby
Without medications, newborn babies are much more alert than those who were birthed under the influence of drugs. Mothers who give birth naturally may get a lot of comments on how alert their baby is! Nursing and bonding may be enhanced by this alertness, too.
Breastfeeding
Natural childbirth promotes a healthy breastfeeding relationship. As noted above, babies born naturally are more awake and aware, and this really helps them show interest in suckling. The drugs used in medicated childbirth can render a baby unable to focus and coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing for hours or even days.
Bonding
In a natural childbirth scenario, the birth “belongs” to the mother more than to the institution in which she is giving birth (if she is, in fact, in an institution – she may choose to birth naturally at home). This means that the baby is seen more as a part of the mother and less likely to be viewed as “owned” by the institution. Therefore, the baby and mom have time to bond together rather than having the baby whisked away to undergo a battery of hospital procedures.
Natural birth concludes with skin-to-skin contact, the importance of which has been shown in study after study. Babies born naturally tend to respond to their mother’s touch and interaction sooner and better, helping mothers and babies feel closer to each other.
Personal Satisfaction
Women who have a natural childbirth benefit from a strong sense of accomplishment. This helps them respond to and participate in the birth process, and can help offset post-partum depression.
Fewer Overall Interventions
When pain medication such as an epidural is administered, it may start a cascade of interventions. The pain may be relieved, but so are the other sensations, and the mother can’t feel what’s happening. This gets her out of synch with her body and its rhythms, including the urge to push, which may mean forceps or vacuum extraction. There is plenty of research on the damage that can be done by these interventions.
Faster Labor and Recovery
Generally speaking, natural childbirth goes a lot faster. Medications and interventions tend to slow down the process. Recovery for the mom is facilitated, too; in an unmedicated labor, the mother doesn’t have to experience the severe headaches and dizziness that often accompany recovery from an epidural. She doesn’t have to deal with the grogginess brought on by general anesthetic, either.
Benefits of Exercise in Pregnancy
A lot of research has been dedicated to understanding the importance of exercise in pregnancy. In fact, recent studies have shown that prenatal exercise not only benefits Mom; it benefits baby, too!
Here are some of the benefits of exercise in pregnancy.
Energy
Regular exercise during pregnancy is purported to give Mom more energy. This can be a real boon when you feel worn out and dragged down by your pregnancy.
Healthier Babies
A recent study in New Zealand found that women who exercised regularly during pregnancy (they used a stationary bicycle) had healthy-weight babies but the babies were at the low end of healthy weights. In other words, the babies could be thought of as “fitter” or more “in shape.” Researchers are hoping that this finding will help break the cycle of obesity and ever-larger babies that seems to be occurring today.
Birth Preparation
There’s no doubt about it – giving birth is a workout! Exercise helps get you in shape for the final marathon. It also helps strengthen bones, joints, and muscles. Depending on the kind of exercise you engage in, increased flexibility is another helpful benefit of exercise during pregnancy. The more limber and strong your muscles and tendons, the more likely it is that you will have a successful birth experience, sources say.
Recovery
Recovering from pregnancy can be a long process for some. It’s said that exercise helps facilitate that recovery, possibly helping you regain your pre-pregnancy weight and shape more quickly. It’s important not to underestimate the importance of rest during recovery, too – your body will “tell” you this in many ways, like prolonged bleeding, so exercising during pregnancy helps you take that well-deserved rest after birth without getting “too soft”!
Relieve Insomnia
Pregnancy can really make sleep difficult. Exercise may help; pregnant women report that regular exercise early in the day (right before bed made pep you up too much) improves their sleep.
Back Pain Help
The lower back can really hurt during pregnancy. Interestingly, strengthening the abdominals helps take some of the pressure off your back. Ask your doctor or midwife about stomach exercises that are safe during pregnancy to help strengthen your abdominals. (This may also help them go back after birth, too.) Exercises that include stretching the lower back can also help relieve pain.
Self-Esteem
For some moms, watching the numbers on the scale go up and only up can be very discouraging. It’s hard to remember that you’re growing a baby, and of course that adds weight! A woman’s blood volume increases, too, and the placenta, cord, and expanded uterus weigh more. It’s not just the baby adding weight.
Still, it can feel discouraging. Exercise can help you feel like you’re doing something proactive, that you’re taking care of yourself, and you can feel assured that the weight you’re gaining is healthy.
Beauty Tips for Summer
This summer, you can expect the heat and humidity that always comes along with all the fun the season offers. It can be hard to feel beautiful when you’re dripping sweat under a head of frizzy hair! Here are some beauty tips for summer so help you keep a glowing, vibrant look despite the heat.
Hydration
It’s pretty amazing how much thirstier you are in the summer than in the winter, and there’s a reason for that. You’re losing a lot of water in the form of sweat, and daylight hours are long, meaning more exposure to heat and the consequent sweat.
Keeping yourself hydrated in important. It helps prevent heat stroke, dry skin, and other health issues. Healthy is beautiful! So keep water handy wherever you are, and take it with you whenever you leave the house. You can also eat lots of hydrating fruits like peaches, plums, and melons. These are good for you, too, supplying lots of healthful nutrients.
Go Light on the Make-Up
Thick, opaque make-up can run and streak in summer, and frankly, it just looks stifling in the heat! Dark, thick eye make-up may streak and run when you sweat, too. Soft colors and light coverage are key. If you have blemishes, go with a concealer and a light, low-pigment base with sunscreen.
Avoid Sun Damage
In the old days, a tan was considered “healthy.” But now we know that it’s anything but! Tanning is sun damage, plain and simple, and the possibility of developing skin cancer is raised exponentially with each sunburn. Bad sunburns also peel and even blister, which doesn’t help your make-up efforts or your facial skin’s health and beauty. So wear light sunscreen daily – in fact, you can use a lightly pigmented sunscreen daily in lieu of base make-up.
Up-Dos
Summer is a great time to experiment with up-dos. Your hair can look frizzy or stringy in the humid, sweaty days of summer. Wearing your hair up also looks and feels cooler. Light clips and pins can keep hair up without a lot of accoutrements.
Speaking of hair, those with curly hair can avoid frizz by using gel (for thick hair) or mousse (for thin hair).
Long and Flowy
When it’s hot, no one wants to wear long pants and sleeves. But if you aren’t comfortable exposing these areas, go for the flowy look. It can be very beautiful and comfortable at the same time. Long skirts and light, flowy shirts can be quite flattering and still allow for ample air circulation.
Scallops and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
¼ cup of butter
½ pound of fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves of minced garlic (about 1 and ½ teaspoons)
1 10.5 oz can of chicken broth
1 medium head of broccoli, cut into florets
½ of a red bell pepper, diced
1 ½ pounds of bay scallops
3 Tablespoons of cornstarch
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
Directions:
Reserve ¼ cup of the chicken broth. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium/high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, bell pepper and remaining broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes. Add the scallops and cook 1 or 2 minutes more.
In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch, soy sauce and reserved broth until smooth. Stir it into the skillet and cook to thicken (about 1 minute). Serve while hot.
Wedding Gown Trends for 2012
Wedding gown fashions change from year to year, although the “classic” gown never quite goes away. But it’s amazing how many variations there are on this theme – a white dress – that designers have come up with over the years! Here are some of 2012’s wedding gown trends.
Strapless – Almost
Some women shy away from strapless dresses because they feel too exposed, or they just don’t like the look. In 2012, though, the strapless gown has a new look in a high, sheer neckline called an illusion neckline. The shape of the gown is strapless, but the top of the chest and arms are covered in sheer, lacy fabric. Sometimes the coverage sweeps to the side so that it looks almost like a sheer toga sleeve. It’s a romantic, mysterious take on the bold look of a strapless dress.
The Peplum Gets Another Tier
Peplums – where the top of a skirt is bunched in something of a balloon-like fashion and the bottom of the skirt hangs below – is making its way onto the wedding dress scene, but with a slightly longer top “poof.” Sometimes the top layer looks like a short skirt over a long one, fluffy light fabric overlapping the long gown. It’s a flattering style, concealing ample hips and reflecting the wedding cake with its multiple white tiers.
Underskirts on the Top
Remember the almost frosting-like swirls on last year’s gowns? This year, the swirls have a new look in the form of horsehair trim. There’s no real reason to call it horsehair, unless that harks back to the days when horsehair actually was used as a dress lining! It looks nothing like horses and nothing like hair, but it does remind one of foamy sea mists and mysterious fogs. Brides look almost wrapped in mist in these inside-out dresses. Sometimes it’s swirling and other times it lies flat, but the elegant sheer look is consistent.
Color
Yes, color is making its way down the aisle in 2012. Bridal gowns in blushing peach, pink, and pinkish beige go beyond the hints of color that have made their way onto wedding gowns over the last couple of years. These gowns are color from head to toe, and may remind you a bit of your high school prom – a wonderful way to marry your high school sweetheart.
Royal Lace
Princess Kate set a trend in wedding gown sleeves at the Royal Wedding. Close-fitting lace sleeves are showing up on all sorts of wedding gowns in 2012, an old-fashioned look yet somehow more modern than the puffed sleeve of Princess Diana in the 80s. The close-fitting, sheer lace sometimes can be found over the breast and up to the neckline of the gown, too.