Christmas Stocking Items For The Family
One of the a lot of able symbols of the division of amicableness is the Christmas stocking, which is actually one of the highlights of the time of the year – what admirable amusement is there than alive up on Christmas morning, extensive out to the ancillary of the bed and carriage out Santa's Christmas allowance delights; and the simple actuality that they're just one of the added Christmas ability to appear makes the accomplished acquaintance all the added exciting.
Traditionally a accumulator bag for coins, fruits, candies and toys, the bashful Christmas stocking has a continued and alluring history. It is said to acquire amorphous in a abode that acclimated to be allotment of Greece, Christmas stockings were commonly placed appropriate aloft a broiler mantel as a barge for Christmas presents from Saint Nicholas. The fable says, the attitude began if Saint Nicholas alone some gold bill into the stockings of a nobleman's daughters, who allegedly had placed them aloft the broiler to get them dry. There are of course, abounding explanations to this specific tradition, including the one that says the Dutch were the aboriginal to acquaint the Christmas stockings to abundance Christmas ability to the Americans.
And while it charcoal actually all appropriate for accustomed socks to be used, there are a lot of custom-built stockings accessible for anybody to enjoy. Whether one favors bows and bells, or something that is fabricated from eco-friendly materials, there are basically hundreds to acquire from. And for those who don't acquire a broiler in their homes, agreement them everywhere is added than adequate – the a lot of accepted abode to abode these stockings is actually at the bottom or top of the bed. But what should we abode inside? It's a sad actuality that Santa Claus isn't absolutely the one answerable for bushing up these little socks – something that the kids will anon ascertain eventually as they grew up – so it's capital to aces and acquire the absolute set of Christmas ability with care. If you're acrimonious presents for children, sweets, broiled goodies, and chocolates are consistently a champion.
Children with blooming thumbs ability like something to applesauce up their little gardens, while others ability like to yield advantage of the holiday’s amicableness by demography up a reindeer as a pet. And for the ones who like to play, there is consistently a alternative of LCD games. Adult stocking accompaniment admirers ability rather like added types of Christmas allowance account such as things that either reflects their profession, or their personality. For humans with jobs that accomplish it absurd to get abroad from the desk, they ability adulation a able marble run, or maybe something that will affluence up stress.
What about those annoying accouchement – and maybe even adults – who don't absolutely deserve to acquisition agitative stocking items if they deathwatch up on Christmas Day? Well, according to legend, any accouchement who acquire spent the year getting naughty, shall acquire a Christmas allowance of atramentous from Santa, and annihilation more. But back its Christmas, it is best to abandon their flaws and naughtiness, and instead animate them to be acceptable abundant to accept a abundant nicer present the afterward year.
No amount what stocking account you assuredly adjudge on, just bethink to accord them something that would leave them absent more, something that would accelerate them, but still leaves abundant allowance for the admirable Christmas ability cat-and-mouse bench beneath the tree. And what if your ancestors never had a custom of putting up Christmas stocking and bushing them up with treats? Well, it’s never too backward to alpha your own tradition.
Author: Melanie Smith
Source: isnare.com
Explore wonderful Christmas stocking traditions at merrychristmas24.com Get ideas of items to fill in the children’s Christmas stocking by visiting Christmas Decorations section.
I'm another sock knitter, and I have a confession: most of the socks I make really aren't much better than the ones you get at the store. I have some pairs that are super comfortable and have held up fantastically over the years, but for every great pair I make, I probably make three pairs that end up wearing through too quickly, or felting or pilling, or fitting a little off.
But I keep making them. I like them for exactly the same reasons craichead pointed out above: they're portable, they don't take as long to knit as sweaters, and you get to go nuts with yarn colors. The variety of colorways and effects available in sock yarn is staggering, and the best part is you don't have to worry about whether the colors will look good on you or coordinate with anything else you own, because you're sticking the finished product in your shoes.
Not to mention that there are hundreds of fantastic sock patterns out there, many of which are free, and if you have access to a stitch dictionary you can come up with hundreds more, and once you learn the basics of sock construction (I like this pattern) you have so much room to improvise with any yarn and needle size.
And! They're knit in one piece, so no seaming, and knit in the round, so not much purling and no "I have to make it to the end of this row." They're way easier to fit than sweaters, and there's less variation in the size and shape of feet than of torsos, so it's less likely that you'll find a sock pattern that isn't available in your size or knit a sock that totally doesn't fit. There are many patterns for sweaters that I love but wouldn't look very good on me; I have never had to even consider whether a sock pattern would be flattering.
So, really, all the reasons I choose to knit socks are from a knitter's perspective, not a sock-wearer's perspective. (In fact, I've always disliked wearing socks. If it weren't for winter and for my knitting habit, I'd go without.) If a knitter tells me he doesn't see the point of making socks, I'll make every attempt to convert him. If a non-knitter tells me, "but you can just buy them," I just shrug and say, "you sure can."
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:04 PM on May 15 [3 favorites]
Customize Your Condom Size (How Men Measure Up)
October 15th 2009 in News/Current Events, Relationships/Love
As far as I knew condoms only came in two sizes. In fact, from what I read, the FDA doesn’t allow for condoms that are longer, shorter, thinner, or thicker than the average. So all you have are the “regular” rubbers and Magnums for the lucky bastards brothers that required a little extra room.
If you read this then you already know I have no qualms about copping the over-the-counter one-size-fits-all rubbers.
Variety, though, is the spice of life.
I read on F-Listed that a European company by the name of TheyFit has revolutionized the condom game by offering the world’s first custom-fit condoms. That’s right you (or your man) can now have a Jimmy Hat made specifically for your Jimmy’s head (and shaft).
We’re not just talking small, medium, large or cottdamn, TheyFit offers 70 different sizes. So much for that one-size theory.
The company has a personalized size chart that men can either download or request in the mail to use to determine their exact length and girth. Basically, you just wake up your Johnson to see how he measures up and then you’ll have your official TheyFit size, which is broken down in letter and number combinations kind of like women’s bra sizes. So instead of saying you’re packing nine inches of terror, you can just say, “I’m a J33, baby.”
Some may be asking themselves why get a custom condom if the ones you use now work perfectly fine? Well, according to TheyFit, “the custom tailored fit makes these condoms safer, while significantly increasing comfort and pleasure for a more natural experience.”
Apparently some men agree:
“Once you have been custom-suited, an off-the-rack condom feels like punishment.”
—Men’s Health Magazine
“Our tester went wild for TheyFit, ‘It’s like wearing nothing at all. These are, seriously, the best I’ve ever used.’”
—Cargo Magazine
The other added bonus is that wearing a baggy or tight condom actually defeats the whole purpose of wearing one in the first place in that a mis-fit is more likely to break or slip off. ThatsABadLook.com (coming soon) because that increases the possibility for contracting a sexually transmitted infection or unwanted pregnancies.
I didn’t come across any info on how much these customized condoms cost, how many come in a pack or different textures, but I must say it sounds pretty darn interesting. Although I haven’t measured myself just yet, you can CLICK HERE to download the fit kit in PDF format to see what you’re working with. Enjoy.
What do you think about this idea? Does it make sense to have a customized condom when all men are not created equal? Or do you think unless you’re super tiny or super large that regular condoms work just fine? Would you pay more just for a custom condom or you think it wouldn’t be worth it? Any fellas willing to print out the PDF and share their size for the ladies on the honor system? Ladies, have you come across a man that definitely was wearing the wrong condom size?
Speak your piece…
Image : http://www.flickr.com
A callus on the heel or the big toe can causes a lot of pain for a runner. It can develop an even more painful blister underneath and can limit a runner’s performance or simply decrease the enjoyment of run. Many runners want to take a razor blade to the callus tissue and trim it down until the skin is raw. Some rub the callus with a pumice stone until their hand goes numb and others apply expensive creams and lotions. But, no matter what you do, somehow, the callus always comes back.
Callus tissue is a build of dead skin in response to pressure or friction. The medical term for callus is hyperkeratosis (hi – per – care – uh – toe – sis). A callus is actually a bone problem and a foot mechanics problem, not a skin problem. A foot deformity will cause excess pressure to that area from the shoe or the ground. The body’s natural defense mechanism will kick in and start building up the top layer of skin in response to the excess pressure. This is a protective response from the body in an attempt to prevent the pressure from wearing down the skin layers and resulting in an open sore. The problem is that as long as there is pressure, the body will continue to build up the skin. The continual build up of dead skin can become excessive and painful.
In runners, the most common places for callus buildup are at the inside of the heel, the area around the big toe and the ball of the foot. Calluses can appear on top of the toes or in between the toes. In these cases, the callus tissue is called a corn. The calluses can be thickened, dry, scaly, yellow, red, tender and even flakey. Runners are much more susceptible to the development of callus tissue because of the amount of stress, pressure and repetitive micro-trauma their feet endure.
The first step to treatment is finding out the cause of the callus. Do you have a foot deformity? Do you have a bunion or a hammertoe? Any type of deformity that rubs on the shoe will result in callus formation. Do you have abnormal mechanics? For example, pronation. If your feet roll in excessively, it is common to have callus development at the inside of the heel and at the big toe. Do you have ill-fitting shoes? Without abnormal mechanics or a foot deformity, an ill-fitting shoe can cause rubbing and irritation. A shoe too tight at the toe area will cause callus formation on the little toe and the big toe. If the heel area of the shoe is too loose and the heel is slipping, callus development can occur at the back of the heel.
Once the problem is identified, the first step is to treat the cause. This is not always possible. It is not recommended to surgically correct a bunion because of an annoying callus. You should find shoes to accommodate any foot deformities, and make sure all running shoes fit correctly. Most people wear shoes which are a half of a size too small, make sure your shoes are the proper size. Also, place your hand in your running shoe and look for lumps and bumps, areas of thickened stitching or gluing. Any of these things could cause excess pressure and callus development. Avoid cotton socks and make sure you have socks which wick moisture. Consider buying socks made of acrylic, polypropylene or small fiber wool. Cotton socks lose their shape when moist and tend to fold and bunch easily, contributing to both callus and blister development. If you think your have abnormal rotation in your feet, visit a podiatrist and see if you need a pair of custom made orthotics. Can’t afford custom orthotics? Try a pair of sport orthotics from your local sporting goods store. These pre-fabricated sport orthotics can help control motion and decrease callus development.
Once the problem is identified and either accommodated or eliminated, it is time to direct attention to the callus itself. It is not recommended to trim calluses yourself. Very large, hard calluses or calluses with painful cores (termed intractable plantar keratosis – IPK) should be trimmed by a podiatrist. It is not necessary to have all calluses trimmed. A small amount of callus is protective to the skin and the bony areas it is covering. Cutting, trimming and shaving this tissue is only recommended when there is tenderness, surrounding redness, a core or a history of blister formation in the area. Even then, the callus should not be trimmed down completely, a small layer should be left for protection. If the callus does not cause pain, is not red, is not tender and doesn’t hinder performance, leave it alone. Remember, the callus is there due to excess pressure or friction and if this pressure isn’t identified and dealt with, even after trimming, the callus will return.
To keep callus tissue down, try creams with salicyclic acid or exfoliators specifically for callus tissue. If you do use a pumice stone, use it daily. A monthly, aggressive pumicing may just irritate the surrounding tissue and you will most likely not make much progress or decrease the callus thickness.
Identifying the cause and minimizing the pressure, in combination with the use of a pumice stone and callus reducing cream on a regular basis, will give the best results.
Thanks To : Amazon Bestsellers http://buddy.illifly.de/sabrinamoten/
