Tropical Rain

The first thing that you must do is to allow your teen to help make the choices. It is her room after all and as long as her ideas are not too extreme or expensive, you should allow her to express herself through the style of room she has. You will need to set a budget and stick to it of course but your teenager should help to decide everything from the type of wallpaper that goes up to the style of furniture she will have in her room. Perhaps the two of you could take a trip to a local home furniture store to look at bedroom furnishings. Or maybe you could sit down together and take a look around online.

If your teen has a television in her room, there are many innovative TV stands on the market today to choose from. Maybe she would like a futuristic TV stand made of glass and stainless steel which adjusts to the height of the furniture in her room. If she prefers a more low profile look there are plenty of sleek, low-rise wood and glass TV stands to choose from.

If she already has a good quality bed and you do not wish to buy a new one, consider having your teen paint the bed and create a do-it-yourself headboard. Throw a brand new set of sheets and a matching comforter on the newly transformed bed and it will appear as though the bed is brand new.

If your teenager owns a good deal of jewelry you might want to consider buying her a wall mount jewelry armoire. This type of organizer is very attractive, distinctive and is perfect for storing away and displaying large amounts of jewelry.

Finally, it is always a good idea to add a small sitting area so that your daughter has a place in her room to entertain friends. You can easily buy a small couch or a couple of bean bag chairs at a home furniture store that perfectly match the décor used. A pretty coat tree placed behind the door will provide your daughter and her friends a place to hang their purses and outerwear when spending time together.

As winter loosens its choke hold on the country, bleary men and women are beginning to see glimmers of hope that spring time is not far off. And while they’re more than happy to see glacial snow drifts melting away on city streets, many folks might not be too happy to see the toll that winter has taken on their bodies.

The winter of 2010-2011 was especially cold and snowy in many parts of the country, especially the East Coast. Blizzard after blizzard made getting outside for some physical activity challenging at best. Unless you lived in a building with commercial fitness equipment, you probably weren’t getting much exercise. And if that’s the case, you’re probably hiding a fair amount of flab underneath those bulky winter clothes. Fortunately, it’s not too late to get back in shape before warm weather is back for an extended stay.

The best way of getting started on your pre-spring exercise plan is to just dive in feet first. If you have a gym membership, but have been neglecting it because of the weather, go back there right away and resume your old routine. While there’s plenty of benefit to be had from exercising at home, there’s really no substitute for the quality workout you get from commercial exercise equipment you’ll find at the gym.

If you’ve hit a plateau with your regular workout, it may be time to hire out a personal trainer for a few sessions to get back on track. Mixing up your fitness routine is the best way of whipping your body back into shape.

And while a gym workout is one of the best workouts, gym memberships aren’t for everyone. Exercising at home takes a little more effort, but can definitely yield results. Putting together a home gym is not hard, but it can get expensive. Gym equipment from companies like Body Solid Fitness Equipment and Nautilus can be expensive but is worth the price. Unlike store brands, name brand gym equipment is built to withstand the rigors of repeated use.

Of course any fitness routine will need to be augmented by sensible eating habits. There’s no better time than now to cut back on junk food and soda pop.

Once you’re back in the fitness groove, you’ll be surprised at how quickly that winter fat starts burning off your puffy gut. If you get started right away, you’ll be certain to look great in that Spring Break swim suit.

Some people in our lives grace us by making our own lives a lot easier. There’s the friend who’s always willing to lend a hand on the big backyard project, or on moving day. There’s the mother who’s always there for us with a soothing word and a hot drink. And then there’s the person who has a distinct hobby that they’re really passionate about. These folks grace us by making it really easy to shop for them on holidays and birthdays.

One type of person that’s especially easy to shop for is the motorcycle enthusiast. After all, a motor cycle is just one big piece of equipment and lots and lots of accessories. And nothing makes a better gift for a hobbyist than accessories.

And with motorcycles, the aftermarket accessories can be pretty specific, almost to the point of being overwhelming. . For example, let’s say your friend rides a BMW 1200 Gs. There are literally dozens of BMW 1200 GS accessories available. This includes everything from bike bags to luggage racks and everything in between.

Almost any BMW motorcycle dealer should have some of these products in stock, and should be able to order them if they don’t. Online, sites like www.bmw-gs-accessories.com stock lots of accessories for all types of BMW bikes.

If you’ve spent any times around motorcycle enthusiasts, you know how much they love to talk about their last ride. That’s why the Contour camera makes such a great gift for the biker in your life. This wearable helmet camera allows bikers to easily make high definition recordings of their journeys and relive them any time they want.

What makes this camera different from other mountable camera for windshields is how easy it is to use and install. The Contour mounting system makes taking the camera on and off of your helmet almost effortless. And the whole system is made from durable, lightweight materials that make for a very comfortable fit.

Technology reviewers from Wired Magazine and www.gizmodo.com have gushed in their reviews about the contour’s ease of use and picture quality.

Contour also offers up the Contour GPS with built in GPS software. This feature allows bikers to synch up their videos to a map so that they can easily retrace their rides.

So give a big hand, and maybe buy a nice gift, for all those people in lives who make little things like gift shopping a lot easier.

The divorce rate for first marriages in the United States is currently hovering at around 41 percent and for all marriages, it’s closer to 50 percent. Given these astonishing statistics, it’s no surprise that wedding anniversary celebrations are something of a big event these days.

Five and ten year anniversary celebrations usually involve a major gift from the husband to the wife. For men who don’t usually do much shopping, this can be a big challenge. If you’ve been married long enough to celebrate a big anniversary, you also probably know better than to run into Target and pick out the first cubic zirconia earring set you see. A big anniversary calls for a well thought out, personalized gift that comes from the heart.

If you’re not sure what type of jewelry your spouse likes or wants, start out by looking at the jewelry they’ve already got. Does she have a lot of nice earrings, but not a single chain necklace? You can’t go wrong purchasing jewelry that compliments pieces she already owns.

Don’t be shy about seeking assistance from friends and family members if you’re not sure what pieces of jewelry she likes, or what pieces go together. This is exactly the kind of thing that sisters, mothers and mother in laws live for.

One jewelry style that’s very popular these days is the charm bracelet. This updated take on the classic piece of little girl jewelry is an ideal way to personalize your gift giving. Most jewelry stores have a large selection of charm bracelets charms that can be used to commemorate any number of life events. Common charms include wedding rings, baby pacifiers, and geographical landmarks (to commemorate a honeymoon). It would be a pretty unusual woman who was not touched by a gift as thoughtful as this.

Jewelry is really the ideal anniversary gift, even if you’ve already made plans to take a vacation to commemorate the date. There’s nothing wrong with surprising your spouse with a gift of jewelry while you’re on vacation. Consider having the gift mailed ahead so that the front desk clerk at the hotel can hand her the package when upon arrival.

Keeping a marriage together is a lot of work and that makes anniversaries all the more special. If you’ve made it five, ten, or even twenty years, reward yourself and your spouse with a nice piece of jewelry and a vacation.