lingerie tips

Bareback riding (without the saddle) was always something kids did. You grabbed your pony from the field, hopped on and away you went.

Today we barely function without saddles. While saddles help us look pretty or be more functional, bareback riding has many benefits for both posture AND confidence.

Bareback riding allows you to feel the true movement of the horse, and sends the rider information that is imperative for higher training. It is this very idea that correlates to English saddles having as little leather between the horse and rider as possible, especially in dressage saddles, where the flaps are thin and flexible.

This style is not particular to any discipline, and all disciplines and levels of riders can benefit from it. I ride bareback one day a week, and it not only improves my riding performance, but also tends to tune up the horse as well, as he/she is able to feel softer, subtle cues instantly, without the interference of leather.

Bareback also allows the rider to improve balance, strength, posture, flexibility and a side benefit of added confidence. As the horse moves, you are able to feel the muscle groups respond, and you gain a sense of where the horses’ feet are placed in each movement. Part of being a good horseman is the ability to connect with the horses body and feet. Many great riders will tell you that they feel as if they become one, almost like a centaur.

Riders are athletes. Regardless of the amount of riding you do, you need strong muscle groups. And strong muscles must stretch to be fully functional. Stretching while riding bareback gives you more room to move and gives the rider a better sense of balance. It cannot be done while your legs are glued to the horses’ sides. You must be free of tension, sitting with balance and freedom.

Longeing

This is a great way to begin, and remember to use a safe horse! Some people like to use the reins, but I find it best to tie off any equipment and just concentrate. Should the horse make any movements that are uncomfortable or alarm you, get off. Too many accidents happen because the rider stays aboard. If you find the horse may be quiet but not suitable while longeing, have the handler walk you around. Also, perform this within the confines of a roundpen, arena or any fenced area with softer ground. Never push the experience with an unsuitable horse. And wear a helmet! Many falls will dump you very close to the horses’ feet.

A great exercise that will prepare you for emergencies and give you better coordination is to practice dismounting. While walking, place your hands on the horses’ neck, push up and swing your leg over and jump down. If you do this enough times, you will remember it instinctively when you really need to dismount in a hurry. If the horse stops when being dismounted, reward him. You want to teach the horse to stop in case you fall off.

The weight (fat) of the horse will either provide comfort or be a hindrance. Thin horses provide a direct relation to the muscles, while chubbier horses provide comfort. Both will give you results, and while the middleweight horse may be best, if you have access to different body types you will only improve your learning. Overweight horses do tend to throw the legs out improperly, and you will lose the truer sense of balance, so use the chubby horse less frequently.

When you first start out on the line at a walk, concentrate on feeling balance. Are you tipping to one side? Try shifting your weight until you feel centered. It also teaches you how to make contact with your seat bones. Try to ‘match’ the movements of the horse, as opposed to being stiff and tight. While walking, do stop/walk transitions, again ‘feeling’ the legs beneath you and the muscles around you.

If you have a quiet horse, close your eyes and ‘feel’ - this practice will fast-track information to the brain, and if you do this regularly, you will find your improvements will come faster.

The trot and canter

Move slowly, at your own pace through the gaits. Never let anyone move you faster than you are comfortable, as you may lose all confidence and never ride again.

Often when you begin the trot, you will be thrown forward and back, sending mixed signals to the horse. If you work consistently, your balance will improve faster than the horse can be damaged. Remember, everything you do with your horse is training, even trying to ride bareback! Perfect practice makes perfect.

Speeding up

If you find the horse trots slowly in a saddle, but speeds up bareback, it is likely because you are gripping and moving your legs around and back. If that is the case, go back to the walk and regain balance by stretching and doing more exercises. Whenever you have a problem, go back to the slower gaits and work it out there.

Don’t use the reins to balance

Another problem that comes up with bareback riding is the use of the reins for balance. If you start to lose balance, grab the mane instead of the horses’ mouth. A horses’ mouth is a sacred place that should never know abuse, so try not to get into the habit of reaching for the reins.

Jumping Bareback

Jumping allows you to experience one of the more thrilling aspects of riding without a saddle. Before you venture into this, make sure the horse is capable and confident over small fences and poles. Start with ground poles or Cavaletti, moving from a single pole and gradually adding as you gain confidence. You can eventually do gymnastics on the longe line, but if you have progressed enough to begin jumping, you may want to ride free of the longe line.

Confidence

One of the best things you will walk away with is added confidence. Bareback riding involves a level of trust between you and the horse that riding in a saddle won’t teach as deeply. There is a sense of freedom, oneness and an exhilaration that’s hard to equal in any other sport. As you progress, you will find that your begin to learn balance intuitively, and I always state that in order to ride really well, you need to be able to move intuitively as opposed to mechanically. The only way to achieve this is to get out there and keep doing it. It’s like riding a bike: once you learn it’s with you forever.

April Reeves
Clinician, Instructor, Trainer
Horseman’s U.com

The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name comes from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less. It is by far the most popular breed and currently boasts a population of about 3.2 million.

Beginner Horseback Riding Lessons - History of the American Quarter Horse

In the 1700s, colonists on the eastern seaboard of the United States began to cross imported English Thoroughbred horses with assorted “native” horses such as the Chickasaw horse (a breed developed by Native American people from horses descended from Spain, developed from Iberian, Arabian and Barb stock brought to the United States by the Conquistadors). What they got was a small, sturdy horse that was quick and nimble and showed signs of superior intelligence and a willingness to work.

Settlers in the colonies entertained themselves by match racing their horses. Since the main streets of their small towns were usually the only straight stretch of flat ground available, so this was where the races were held. The main streets were short, often a quarter mile or less; the settlers bred horses who were sprinters; they could start fast and sustain a burst of speed for a short distance. These horses were so adept at sprinting they became known as the “Celebrated Quarter of a Mile Race Horses.”

The settlers of the west bred their horses to the Spanish mares of the area, which were already known as tough, hardy, independent range horses unequaled for cow-sense and endurance. The crosses produced horses that were compact and heavily muscled.

As the quarter horse breed continued to gain popularity, its gentle nature led it to be used as a riding horse and due to its strength was soon performing other work on many of the early farms. The breed seemed to have a natural instinct for working around cattle as well. When the settlers began surging west in the 1800’s, the quarter horse breed was the horse of choice of the early cowboys, being used for cattle round-up due to their speed and agile maneuverability and quickly became the horses that cowboys counted on for their daily duties. As ranches grew in size and importance, the Quarter Horse became a fixture in the west.

The American Quarter Horse was also used for sprint races. As a result, more Thoroughbred blood was added back into the developing American Quarter Horse breed, as well as the addition of Arabian, Morgan and even Standard bred bloodlines.

The American Quarter Horse is best-known today as a show horse, race horse, reining and cutting horse, rodeo competitor, ranch horse, and all-around family horse. Quarter horses dominate rodeo events such as barrel racing, calf roping and team roping. Other stock horse events such as cutting and reining are open to all breeds but also dominated by American Quarter Horse. These horses are not only well-suited for western riding and cattle work; they have also been trained to compete in dressage and can be good jumpers. They are also used for recreational trail riding and in mounted police units. Their even temperament makes them a great animal for new riders learning about horses.

The modern Quarter Horse has a small, short, refined head with a straight profile, and a strong, well-muscled body, featuring a broad chest and powerful, rounded hindquarters. They usually stand between 14 and 16 hands high.

There are two main body types: the stock type and the hunter or racing type. The stock horse type is shorter, more compact, stocky and well muscled, yet agile. The racing and hunter type Quarter Horses are somewhat taller and smoother muscled than the stock type, more closely resembling the Thoroughbred. Their coloring varies from bay, black and brown and includes chestnut, palomino, buckskin and grey.

If you are taking Beginner Horseback Riding Lessons, I hope the information above has benefited you.

Sara D. loves to write and horses are one of her loves. If you’re a beginner horseback rider, and you want to know some horse stuff before taking lessons, then this book is for you! Replace some of the ‘fear factor’ with the confidence to know that you have done a bit of preparation and feel armed with some really helpful knowledge to help you enjoy that first horseback riding lesson more! Sign up for lots of FREE horse information here!

A list of the top ten “must do”  things for a man to do on a first date, so that there will be a second date. Some of these things may sound very basic but they are crucial to remember for that all important first date to go well.These are not in any order whatsoever, as they are all important to impress the woman you are meeting, especially if you have only met her once, or more likely in this day and age, you have not actually physically met her at all.

1) DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR THE DATE.- If you are going to the theater, or for a nice meal then wear a suit, with either an open neck shirt or a tie, depending on your own style. If you are wearing a plain colored suit then wear a striped or patterned shirt. If you are wearing a pin striped suit then wear a plain shirt. If the date is less formal and it’s just a casual drink or the cinema then go for nice jeans and either a nice shirt or a stylish t-shirt.

2) WEAR GOOD SHOES - Apart from possibly personal grooming, it’s the first thing a woman will look at. Good shoes are a must! Modern, trendy and clean. They don’t have to be designer, just look good. Whether it’s trainers, casual or formal, choose the right ones very carefully and make sure that they go with your outfit. Don’t, and i mean don’t ever wear training shoes with formal black trousers as you would be as well just not going on the date!

3) ALWAYS HAVE A SHOWER OR BATH BEFORE YOU GO ON THE DATE - Sounds really obvious doesn’t it? Well i have known some men not to bother, and that is just a no no believe me! Don’t forget to wash your hair as well, even if you washed it that morning, WASH IT AGAIN!

4) PERSONAL GROOMING - Clean nails, clean shaved, brushed teeth are all essential to make a good impression

5) SMELL GOOD - Right guys, this is a must.You must never go out without putting on some deodorant and a nice aftershave but don’t overload it with the aftershave. If you smell better than her then you’ve got problems guys. Smell nice, but just enough for her to notice.

6) ALWAYS BE EARLY, TURN UP AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ARRANGED TIME. It does not matter if she is late and in my experience that could be up to 30 minutes. That’s a woman’s prerogative, so be early guys it always impresses.

7) ALWAYS OFFER TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING - Oh yes i know it’s 2008, and a lot of women are earning more than men, but there is no way in this world that after the meal is finished that you should let the woman put her hand in her purse for any reason. It’s a first date and the man pays, simple guys, so please don’t embarrass yourselves by even considering anything other than paying the full amount. NO WOMAN LIKES A MEANIE.

DON’T TALK ABOUT YOURSELF ALL THE TIME - If a woman thinks that you are more interested in yourself than her, then forget it guys.Talk to her, find out what she likes. Find some common ground and don’t bore her with your big stamp collection or the latest computer components you have downloaded for your PC. She wont be interested, so instead, find out where she likes to go on holiday, what music, films and food she likes.

9) DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR EX PARTNERS AND HOW BAD THEY WERE, IT WILL JUST MAKE YOU LOOK SAD AND RESENTFUL. ENOUGH SAID !

10) COMPLIMENT HER - compliment her hair, eyes, what she is wearing and how she looks in general. Don’t go overboard, and don’t do it all night or she will just think you are being a bit overbearing. One or two nice compliments during the night (but only if you are sincere and mean it) will go a long way to securing that second date.

title80s Theme Baby Showers/titlepHosting an eighties theme baby shower, is much like any other baby shower. These wonderful celebrations can take months of work, but it is well worth it; to see the smile on the mother to bes face. Like many times in life, there is only one celebration to go down into the lives and hearts of any one person; and a baby shower is one of these moments. For this reason, it is important to take extra care when you are planning a baby shower, regardless of theme, date, and budget./ppWhen you have decided to throw a baby shower for the expectant parents, the first step is to decide on a theme. The theme should reflect the parents personalities and lifestyles. One of the best themes for baby showers, is an eighties theme. This is for the simple fact, that the eighties are now coming back with an unforgettable edge; especially in the alternative genres. I would suggest with an eighties theme baby shower, much like any other that you have more than one party planner in your group; this makes it particularly easy on budget and time consuming tasks./ppWhat you will need to do first, is sit down with either a close friend or parent of the expectant mother; jotting down a list of people to invite to this wonderful celebration of life. However, if they seem unsure you may wish to talk to the expectant parents themselves (If this isnt going to be a surprise). This will enable you to provide an accurate list and number of people to your party./ppAfter you have compiled your list, you should then find a venue or home to hold the party. Keeping in mind the capacity of the place you will be holding the party, so that it doesnt feel stuffy. Remember when it comes to decorations, the eighties are known to be a very dynamic era. The decorations should reflect that with colorful and vibrant decorations, that represent the liveliness of that time. Placing up posters of different movies from the eighties; or even celebrities can help you gain a much needed leg up in the flavor of your party./ppYou may even ask that your guests come in costumes, that represent the nineteen eighties era. During this time frilly shirts for men with super skinny ties, and even op-art belts. While women often wore bananaram style overalls, headbands that were layered with mesh and lace; along with eyeliner, glossy lipstick, and glittery eye makeup. This will help you to achieve the look without the cost./ppLastly, no era theme baby shower is complete without the music. You may wish to do a google search to enable you to find some of the best tunes; whether it be the rock of the eighties or another genre of music. They tend to be fairly easy to find. Remember, this should be a fun and exciting time for the parents to be, so it is important to relax even during your party planning to have a little fun./ppShopping for a href=http://www.punkbabyclothes.net/shop/index.php?cPath=21_125_140 target=_blankinfant dresses/a and childrens apparel? Add style to your baby with a designer t-shirt, a black onesie or a funky diaper bag. We carry black baby clothes, rock toddler t-shirts, maternity apparel, punk baby onesies and a href=http://www.punkbabyclothes.net/shop_clothing.html target=_blank80s baby clothes/a Find the perfect newborn attire or matching mom and baby set for a new mother./pbrbr

titlePlus Sizes Market - A Happy Place/titlepThere are many plus size women who are willing to spend a considerable amount of money to buy clothes. Such facts leaves merchants and designers to penetrate the market for women plus sizes. What is even made easy here is that they noticed that women and girls in plus sizes want to be able to choose from various fashionable apparels./ppThe companies identify that plus size women, particularly younger ones, also choose color, novelty and trendy goods that are the same as their peers. This simply means one thing: plus sized women want the same selection as junior and average sizes. As such, it is not hard to offer plus sizes clothes in various designs and colors./ppUnfortunately, stores located outside of metropolis arent able or willing to give up retail space to stock a selection of larger sizes. It is then apparent that customers looking for plus sizes are the most dissatisfied with the store shopping experience. As a result, they order their clothes from catalogs. Some simply look for dressmakers to create clothes that fit them well./ppTo answer this need, companies have gone to online plus sizes stores. Here, women with plus sizes do not only see the items easily. They can also order instantly and have the items delivered to them right at their doorstep./ppAs more women in plus sizes shop online due to these advantages, more and more companies venture into offering plus sizes apparels online. Plus size women then are left with many options to choose from./ppIndeed, if women can spend for fashionable plus sizes clothes, online store owners need not worry catering to this market, and women in plus sizes in turn will get the fashionable clothes that they want. All in all, the plus size market is becoming one happy place for both customers and companies./ppCherry Bonachita offers plus size apparel through Cruz Plus Sizes. Please view a TARGET=_NEW href=http://www.cruz-plus-sizes.com/plus sizes/a for the apparels and learn how to order./pbrbr

Have you ever been invited to an event at a club or some sort of concert with friends where everyone was going to be dressed in full goth attire? If you have, then you may already know what it is like to be the only person in a group that is not decked out in the best gothic attire to match the current surroundings. Once you find yourself with another similar situation on your hands, it is best to nip it in the bud ahead of time and get your hands on a perfect gothic dress before hand.

Gothic dresses can come in many different styles and even colors, although the main color always seems to be black. To know the goth lifestyle is to fall in love with all of the dark romance and mystical nature behind it. Having a beautifully dark gothic dress to wear to any of your outings, events and occasions will make you feel like a gothic princess. You simply need to find one, or even a couple of dresses that will speak to your love of this lifestyle as well as the fashion.

Lace is always a perfect addition to any gothic dress. You can generally find lace in abundance around the sleeves, underneath as a sort of petticoat for the dress or even around the bust line as a gorgeous way to enhance the cleavage.

Velvet is also another staple of goth attire, which can come in the form of a full dress, complete with bell sleeves. You may even end up finding a dress that is made with silk that also has embellishments of velvet or even a stunning velvet burnout feature making an incredible pattern that is always desirable.

Satin is another common fabric used in many gothic dresses. With just enough silky shine, satin can make a lovely statement with even the darkest of attire.

No matter the dress you choose, you may find that there will be one or all of these great components. There are so many gorgeous gothic dresses that you can choose from today, you can really make a statement to your love for the goth lifestyle as well as the rich fashion surrounding it.

http://www.inkubus.com

Technology-focused collaborations form a foundation of corporate planning strategies today. Such collaborations can be in the form of strategic alliances, joint ventures, open innovation or other legal structures. Regardless of how the participants characterize and legally structure such collaborations, the most common motivation for forming such alliances is to pool technology and R & D resources. When technology and R & D is involved, it must follow that IP (”intellectual property”) ownership issues should loom large in the planning stage of the collaboration. However, my experience shows that the parties rarely give appropriate consideration to IP ownership in the agreements that are supposed to fully set out the rights and responsibilities of the parties.

I can say with authority that IP issues are not usually given proper consideration in collaborative agreements because my expertise in this area results primarily from helping clients after their collaborations have failed. My clients typically sought my help after their collaborations went sour and they sought to exit the relationship with at least some valuable IP rights intact. In each of these situations, it was apparent that if my client had come to me for advice while they were executing the general business and financial parameters of the collaboration agreement, they may not have needed me to fix things on the back-end. Put simply, if I had been brought in on the front-end to put a fine point on IP ownership issues resulting from the collaboration, I would have been able to prevent questions regarding IP rights from even being a question.

My perspective about the preventable nature of IP ownership issues was confirmed when I recently attended a meeting of professionals who focus primarily on strategic alliances and other types of collaborative ventures. In this meeting of just over an hour, I counted at least 5 instances where someone commented something along the lines of “when the relationship goes sour, the IP issues cause problems.” From the sighs that accompanied the mention of IP ownership issues, I obtained the clear sense from these seasoned professionals that IP was not only a big problem, but also a common occurrence in their collaborations.

Smart business professionals should realize that when a significant problem occurs on a frequent basis, there likely is a failure in an associated business process. This is the case for IP ownership issues: most of the problems I have addressed on the back-end of a failed collaboration were fully predictable and the resulting problems could have been reduced or eliminated by proper planning. But if common IP ownership issues are not difficult for an Intellectual Property and Patent Business Strategist such as myself to predict and prevent, why do such issues still occur with such frequency in the collaboration space?

The answer is fairly easy from my vantage point: patent experts are typically not considered as possessing essential business knowledge and, as such, people like me are not seen as necessary participants in a collaboration deal. This is true even when the primary reason for the parties getting together in the first place is to pool existing technology and to create R & D synergies that will result in acceleration of innovation to the benefit both participants.

Admittedly, we patent experts have facilitated our not being involved on the front-end of business matters by traditionally focusing our practices on obtaining patents and litigating them for clients. We have left business matters to business professionals and transactional lawyers because, as a highly specialized profession, we felt more comfortable in the area of our own expertise. Also, we have not generally reached out to educate others about our somewhat “arcane” area of legal expertise. Our knowledge has remained closely held within the confines of patent practice and, as a result, we have been problem fixers. as opposed to preventing problems before they occur.

Business and legal experts reside today in functional silos that effectively prevent communication and education. Unless these silos are broken down, it is inevitable that business professionals will continue to destroy corporate value by not sufficiently including IP ownership in their collaboration agreements. Patent experts can continue to create value for ourselves by expending efforts to preserve our client’s IP rights when the collaboration fails.

The definition of insanity was said by Albert Einstein to be “doing the same thing again and expecting a different result”. To this end, it is insane for business professionals who deal in the collaboration space to continue to struggle with IP ownership issues over and over again because there is no doubt that complications and disappointment will inevitably arise. While not all of these issues can prevented by up-front analysis, I can virtually guarantee that the cost and effort of resolving IP ownership after a collaboration failure will be considerably less when a business-focused patent professional such as myself is brought in at the collaboration planning and agreement preparation stage.

Jackie Hutter is Principal of The Hutter Group, a leading provider of IP (”Intellectual Property”) business counseling and competitive analytics to forward-thinking organizations that seek to maximize firm asset value by capitallizing on the power of intellectual property. She has over 13 years experience counseling innovation-driven companies, universities and business development and investment professionals in maximizing their firm intellectual asset value. Jackie was named a SuperLawyer(R) in Intellectual Property in Georgia in 2004, and she has been a frequent speaker on IP issues to her fellow lawyers. Jackie was formerly Senior Patent Counsel at a Georgia-Pacific LLC, where she had sole responsible for Dixie(R) patent matters and, later, the company’s Chemicals business. Prior to joining Georgia-Pacific, Jackie was a shareholder at the prestigious IP firm of Needle & Rosenberg, PC (now Ballard & Spahr), where she represented mulit-national companies, universities and innovators in protecting their IP to create maximum asset value. Jackie has also been a patent and IP litigator, which gives her a unique perspective in how to maximize firm IP value by avoiding litigation. Prior to attending law school on a full academic scholarship and where she graduated with honors, Jackie obtained her M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and she spent several years as practicing chemist at Helene Curtis (now Unilever). She is a named inventor on one U.S. patent. Jackie lives in Decatur, Georgia, in a groovy mid-Century modern house with her husband, 2 daughters and several pets.

Bare Plunges adhesive bras are providing a new symbol of liberation that allow women to wear that “barely there look” while still entertaining the concept of appropriate style. For most of us the bra has always been more like a straightjacket. And while bras are exemplified by fashion campaigns it’s often despised by most women whom detest the lack of freedom.

Sense Solutions bare plunges adhesive bras provide the perfect lift while securing concealment and the opportunity for woman to dress sexier with today’s more modern fashions.

It has always been suggested that a women must cover up and hide beneath a wave of fabric; the thought of showing any hint of cleavage with plunging necklines would imply a sexual invitation of some sort. Bare plunge adhesive bras eliminate the need for the traditional symbol of yesteryear’s enslavement. It offers options to choose from a wider assortment of modern apparel that reflects our feminine side.

These adhesive bras allow women to wear sheer, backless, strapless and other “barely there fashion” ensembles with transparent support. The Sense Solutions bare plunges adhesive bras also provide a more natural lift to enhance your cleavage without the straps, boning and wire that uncomfortable traditional bras provide.

A key element of the bare plunges adhesive bras is the quality of soft fabric that not only fits smoothly and comfortably but is reusable for more than 30 times. The bare plunge adhesive bra offers you thin edges that blend smoothly with your skin providing a more natural seamless look to your apparel. Hooks, straps and padding all take away from the visual effect of your garment. Not only are the elements of a bra uncomfortable but they can command attention for all the wrong reasons.

A woman who dresses with style and confidence is a force to be reckoned with. And those who are apparently uncomfortable with a traditional bra will wear it on their sleeve for all to see. A poker face is good for some but why suffer when you have exceptional options?

Bare plunges adhesive bras provide women the ability to choose alluring fashions for those open sided dresses and tops. Many women are undecided about adhesive bras thinking the straps will not hold securely to the skin, however this is unfounded. The adhesive inside the cups are strong and secure and available for cup sizes A to D.

Unlike traditional bras that don’t allow for a variety of wearable fashions, bare plunges adhesive bras allow you to wear anything. Wear any “barely there fashions” including backless, strapless, halters and sheer apparel.

Another common issue for women is protruding nipples and finding the right coverage and concealment. With Sense Solutions bare plunges adhesive bras, coverage is no longer a concern. The silicone blends in with your skin creating a natural seamless look while covering protruding nipples. A range of colors provides a natural effect and no one can tell what type of uplifting lingerie you’re wearing.

So take advantage of the new options that bare plunges adhesive bras offer us. They allow women to wear a multitude of flattering fashions while providing invisible lift and concealing our most intimate body parts.

About Sense Solutions:

Our company Sense Solutions provides women with a myriad of options to conceal discreetly and the freedom to enjoy any fashion ensemble. Bare Plunges adhesive bras are currently available online at http://www.SenseLingerie.com and http://www.RedCarpetSolutions.com

With the low prices and quality of our products, customers will see the benefit in our wonderful items.

Oh the excitement of preparing for your first baby. There is nothing that compares!

Don’t feel over-whelmed; it is a big job, but these tips will give you a good place to start. Good preparation now will help ease the transition once you bring your bundle of joy home and the reality of lack of sleep, diaper changing and early morning feeding sets in. If your nursery is prepared ahead of time and organized properly, both you and baby will have less stress and a place to be together.

Tip 1: Clear Out Clutter You should have a separate room for baby to call his/her own, if space allows. Clear out all items not related to the purpose of the room. Get creative and find another place for your home office and overnight guests!

Tip 2: Baby Closet As your baby grows, it will be very important for the closet in his/her room to be dedicated solely to items belonging to the child. Prepare now. Move items not baby-related to another area. Consider letting go of some items. This will save time after the baby arrives.

Tip 3: Creative Storage Space Babies require a lot of baby-related gear. You will need places to store everything. While shopping for furniture and other items, be sure the items have plenty of storage space included. Utilize vertical space by utilizing hooks and shelves on the walls. Put the dresser in the closet, if space provides. If you are utilizing a rocker and ottoman, get an ottoman with a hinged lid for storing baby blankets, etc. Utilize a hanging shoe bag near the baby changing table for storing powder, lotion and diapers. Get creative!

Tip 4: Baskets and Bins Decorative baskets and colorful bins are great places for storing items such as toys, books, etc. You can usually find them with cloth linings relatively inexpensively. They not only contain the baby clutter, but look great in the room as well.

Tip 5: Like Things Together A basic principle of organizing is to group like items together in the same place. Put baby bathing supplies (towels, wash cloths, powder, hairbrush, etc.) together in a basket for transporting to the area you will bath baby. Put changing supplies (diapers, rash cream etc.) near the changing station and put an extra set in your diaper bag.

Tip 6: Toy Storage There are many ways to store toys: toy chests, bins, baskets are just a few. Pick out your favorite item that fits in your space plan. Do not keep adding storage for toys. Most children have far too many toys and typically only play with a few items. Donate or garage sale the rest and keep the clutter to a minimum.

Tip 7: Give It Up Babies outgrow clothing, furniture, toys, etc. relatively quickly. You don’t have to keep everything. Pick only a few sentimental items to treasure (hand/foot print, baby shoe, first hair curl, special clothing item, etc.). Purchase special items to display or keep those items and discard the others.

Tip 8: Growing Space Children grow quickly. This means that they will out grow their current clothing. Have a special bin or basket for donating clothing that no longer fits and items your child no longer needs. Be sure to leave growing room in your child’s closet. As your child gets older, clothes, toys and other items will take up more room. Learn to leave some drawers and shelves empty. This will create less stress for you and your child. You eliminate being out of room again and again.

Have a happy baby homecoming!

These organizing tips are provided by Shelly Morton, professional organizer and owner of Straighten-Up-Now.com and Messy Makeover Yahoo Group

http://www.straighten-up-now.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/messymakeovers/

Most women become concerned that their tightening clothing will harm their child, however this isn’t true. There is no need to worry about your unborn child if your clothing is tight, as they are completely protected from any pinching or squeezing. While this is true, you aren’t completely immune yourself to the constriction, and discomfort that some tight clothing may cause. It is important to key up the right balance between comfort as well as fashion while you are watching your waist and bust line expand throughout your pregnancy. However, some women are steadfast in giving in to their growing baby bump. It is important to remember, that while your body is changing; it doesn’t mean that your fashion has to. There are several options available to every mother to be, whether it be at their mass market retail store or on the world wide web. There are things such as the traditional style dresses that are flowing and are typically made from fabrics such as lycra, that will allow for a comfortable figure hugging style, that will allow you to show off your gorgeous new body shape. Below I have compiled a helpful list of things that may help you ease into the transition of free as a bird, to mother to be in your fashion statement.

* Slacks or leggings which are cut for pregnancy in mind, that has extra room in the front of the pant construction. However if you are still clinging to your old pants, I would suggest purchasing a belly belt to aid you in keeping a hold on your bondage strap pants.

* for work you may want to consider a higher end slack; and teaming them with a long blouse. Some ideas to spice this up, is by wearing your partner’s larger sized button up tops and tossing in a tie to add a little edge. Some people also suggest purchasing things such as a maternity jacket, however you can wear a larger sized jacket just as easily as a maternity specific jacket. However if you do find yourself leaning to that side of things, I would suggest dressing it up with a little bit of your own personality using patches etc

* Layered clothing; which will allow you to peal away a layer or two if you begin to feel the heat of your pregnancy looming over you. However also keeping the ability to layer it back on, if your body temperature begins to decline.

* Purchase clothing that will allow you to breast feed after your child is born, this way you will gain a few extra months out of your clothing. That is of course, until you decide to shed those pregnancy pounds. This is also equally true when you are purchasing your under garments such as bras, when you are trying to accommodate your growing bust size. I would suggest purchasing nursing bras, if you intend to breast feed your child which will allow for a much longer life of your maternity under garments.

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