Ever since Eve took that first bite of the apple, the human race has been obsessed with beauty.

The truth is we begin the aging process just as soon as we pop out of the womb. Every day of our lives our bodies slough off and regenerate new cells. The speed at which that process takes place when we are children is vastly different as we get older.

Every day you are bombarded daily with commercial messages and beauty tips that attempt to lure you into believing that the most recent miracle drug is just what you need to fight off the ravages of Mother Nature.

We are living longer as a whole. Singularly, that can be a curse or a blessing, depending on your perspective. The best route to natural beauty and healthy skin is to take care of what you have. Sounds simple, doesn¡¯t it? The truth is that your skin takes a beating from the environment every single day. Here are some of our favorite beauty tips for keeping your skin fresh and healthy:

1: Stay hydrated and do it with plenty of water! That does not mean soda, caffeine or any other type of liquid, even if it is low cal. Soda (even diet soda) has a high concentration of sodium. Sodium retains fluids. You need fluid that will hydrate and flush your body free of toxins. Make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses a day!

2: Protect your skin from harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. We all love the sun. We love being in it and we love having a beautiful tan. The truth is you can poison yourself with too much sunshine. UV rays cause skin cancer and if that isn¡¯t bad enough it causes your skin to age faster than it should, contributing to unsightly wrinkles. If you must play in the sun, make certain you are using an adequate sun screen. Don¡¯t leave home without it!

3: Keep your skin clean. Use a soft warm cloth. Skin does not require scrubbing. You will do more harm than good if you do.

4: The best cure for wrinkles is to never have them in the first place! If you are like most of us, you didn¡¯t listen to your Mom when she tried to tell you to stay in the shade, stand up straight and stop squinting!

5: Eat healthy. Knowing how and what to eat, can make a huge difference in how you feel. Improper eating habits can cause depression, weight gain, illness and an overall lethargy.

Weight gain causes your skin to stretch. As you get older, it loses it's elasticity and you're left with sagging skin. The best solution to this is to maintain a proper weight.

A rule of thumb for eating habits are...don't eat more calories than you consume. Don't go one single day without doing something extra and physical for at least 30 minutes per day. This can be three ten minute walks. Or 30 minutes of vigorous aerobics, or 12 minutes of weight lifting and 18 minutes of walking.

6: Don't worry, be happy. A happy outlook appears to trigger the release of endorphins. Endorphins relax the cardiovascular system and cytokines which alert the immune system to pay attention in detecting abnormalities like cancer cells. Listen carefully to yourself. If you have put yourself down since childhood, over a lifetime, negative subliminal messages can take their toll by turning you into a pessimist. Spend one week writing down the phrases you use in your ¡°self talk.¡± Chances are you will find that you repeat a dozen or so phrases over and over again that reinforce that negative image. If you know about them, you can change them. Outer beauty and inner joy go hand in hand.

Here are a few quick tips for increasing joy, hope and optimism that will work no matter what your age:

Make a list of at least 50 great things that happen to you every day.

Laugh a lot. You¡¯ll heal your body and your mind.

Discover a new challenge each month.

Try meditating for just five minutes each day.

7: Sex After 50 ¨C Ha! How many of you jumped ahead to this section?

The importance of physical intimacy actually depends on the couple. An alarming number of men used to give up on sex after 60 and many women used to feel that their sex life ended with menopause. Thankfully, that is no longer the case.

Sex at middle age can actually become better and more satisfying than ever before. Maturity gives a couple more experience in lovemaking. The children are usually grown and left home. The pressures of building a career and day to day life are usually less stressful than in younger years.

Is beauty really skin deep?

The answer is yes and no. It¡¯s a paradox, isn¡¯t it? True beauty begins from the inside out. Don¡¯t you wish there was some way to ¡°wriggle your nose¡± and regain that soft skin you had as a child? Well, until someone comes up with the true ¡°Fountain of Youth¡± we are stuck with what we have.

Just remember that getting older doesn't have to mean getting old.

"Two thousand dollars for one suit? Are you crazy? I don’t have that kind of money to spend on one suit! Yes, I am well aware of the quality and that it is well worth every penny. I just can’t justify spending that much on one garment. Oh... but I sure would love to have an Armani."

Rest assured that if you hear yourself in the above comments, you’re not alone. Countless businessmen would love to have fancy designer suits, but their budget doesn’t allow for it; champagne tastes on a beer budget... understood! There’s a way you can get one or more of these suits without costing you an arm and a leg. If you could buy one for anywhere from $15 to $300, and it wasn’t stolen goods, would you? Read on.

Definitions about what makes a man’s suit a "Designer" item vary. One eBay seller’s definition is "any brand of pre-owned suit that has sold on online auctions for $300 or more." The definition continues, "See for yourself. Do a search on completed auctions for MEN’S SUITS. Sort High to Low in price and see what brands repeatedly come up."

Here are some of the brand names classified as "designer": Acquaviva, Barberini, Baroni,Belvedere, Brioni, Canali, Charvet, David Eden, Dolce & Gabbana, Enrico Venturi,
Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi, Gene Meyer, Gianni Manzoni, Gionfriddo, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Leonardo Valenti, Luciano Carreli, Natazzi, Nino Bertini, Otello, Prada, Rossetti, Trussardi, and Versace.

Where are you going to find these suits? If you want to pay under $20, you will need to start hunting at all the thrift/second hand stores. Yes, you will indeed find them there, but you need to search. If you don’t mind paying a little more, try going directly to eBay.

If you opt to hunt for your suit, here are a few simply tips for thrift stores. Don’t expect these wonderfully made designer suits to jump out at you. And don’t expect to find a boatload of them all in one place. It is truly a matter of treasure hunting.

Thrift stores, estate sales, storage unit auctions and garage sales will be your best hunting ground. Not to discourage you, but it won’t be uncommon for you to look through 100+ suits until you might find one "good" one. The good news is that after you have a little experience under your belt, you will be able to whip through an entire rack of suits in mere minutes. You will be able to quickly tell just by the look and feel of the garment, which ones are quality. Take your list of "designers" with you and become familiar with the brands you want.

Hint: You will probably need to have a circuit of approximately 10-12 second hard stores that you frequent, hoping to hit the mother load. If you’re intrigued in the quest, shop a minimum of once a week at each locale! Your efforts will eventually pay off.

What kind of woman likes to go bargain shopping? Any woman who wants more bang for her buck and just about any woman with a reflection and a pulse.

And because we help women of all shapes, sizes and economic backgrounds, we know that bargain shopping is a must for a lot of women. New clothing is a luxury they just can’t afford.

However, economics aside, every woman, no matter how little she has, wants to buy herself something new. So, read on and learn how to enjoy the splurge with none of the guilt.

Here are the five ways to look like a million on a minimum wage.

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Let us marvel you with our psychic powers. How much prep time do you put in before you go shopping? We know what your answer is going to be. Zip. Right? You just get that primal urge or that extra space on your credit card and off you go. All we ask is that you take two seconds to take a deep breath what you need, how much money you have, what’s in, what’s out

Your first step is to go shopping in your own closet so you can make a mental or written note of what you want to add to it. See what needs to be replaced or if there are any basics you’re still missing like tops to go under blazers or shoes that go with everything. You know the drill. Then try to think of a few classic pieces that might help to stretch what you already have like a white shirt with a French cuff or a little black dress.

2. KNOW WHAT TO BUY

What should a shopper look for when buying a “bargain”? Check the merchandise carefully. Is it well constructed? Are the seams stitched properly? Are there loose threads? If there is a pattern, does it match at the seams? If a store is selling seconds that are slightly flawed or irregular, there should be a sign or a tag from the manufacturer telling you so.

If merchandise is marked down, make sure you know why. Check for rips, tears, dirt or make-up smears. If you find a problem that’s easily cleaned or repaired, check with the sales people to see if you can have the item at an even bigger discount.

3. TIMING IS EVERYTHING

The best time to find bargains? Discount stores offer bargains all year round. But you can catch great buys at your favorite retail watering hole faster than you can say ... holiday. And there’s a slew of them. If you can time your urges, try to make them coincide with the following dates.

HOLIDAY SALES -- President’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter/Spring Week, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, The Day After Thanksgiving(A big one!), After Christmas and After New Year’s.

And there’s more! In addition to the racks that every store keeps permanently stocked with sale items, each individual store or chain has developed their own schedule of advertised sales.

STORE SALES — Liquidation Sales, Fire Sales, Manager’s Sales, Summer’s End Sales, Winter’s End Sales, Anniversary Sale, Inventory Sale and Closing Sales. (Some stores use the “Going Out of Business” banner to get you in for jacked-up prices. Some have been going out of business for years.)

Then every few weeks some stores will have a “take an extra 25% off” sale just for the heck of it. So, if you’ve seen a “must have” item but it falls into the “can’t afford” column, just keep your calendar and local paper handy. Don’t just check the advertising pages. Flip quickly to the business section. If the economy is down, stores will be using the “sales” bait to get you in.

4. WHERE TO GO

If you want movie stars, try Betty Ford. If you want bargains, hit outlet and off-price stores. And don’t think they just get the items that didn’t make it in the big time. They also get items that are overstocked, discontinued or that stores just had to get rid of to make room. It’s like buying retail but without the cost. Try the following --

Department Store Outlets — 9.9% of your major department stores have one. Just check with your favorite and ask where they’ve stashed theirs.

Factory Outlets — Check your Yellow Pages for the one nearest you. Beware: quality can vary widely. Some items are not the expensive designer pieces you expect from the manufacturer.

Off-price Stores — TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Dress for Less and the mother ship, Loehman’s, to name a few.

Discount Catalogs — There are catalogs that specialize in discount items like Chadwick’s and Bedford Fair. Some established manufacturers like Clifford and Wills puts out several sales catalogs each season.

The Internet — We offer discounted fashions on our site but you can also recommend searching out the “clearance” pages on the websites of your favorite retail outlet or manufacturer.

Discount Chain Stores — Target, K-Mart etc. They’re stocking great basics these days — like cotton shirts and anything made of denim.

Television Home Shopping — This is a way to shop for basics in your bunny slippers. Often, during late night, they will have fashion close-outs for even better savings.

Resale Boutiques — The very rich clean out their closets and bring their clothes here. They’re a great place to buy honest-to-God real designer labels without the sticker shock. Check your local Yellow Pages.

Thrift Stores — Check out a thrift store swarming with the very young and hip . Find out the day the “buyer” is in or when the store gets its deliveries. That way you get first shot at whatever comes in.

And don’t forget the obvious haunts that you just may have overlooked. Garage sales are good bets but go early on Saturday. And if you need the right blazer for a job interview or a dress for a one-time only social occasion, there’s always the closet of someone you love. And see if there’s something they want to get rid of. One woman’s fashion mistake is another woman’s “find”.

5. BE IN CHARGE

The question you must ask yourself before putting down your hard earned plastic for a bargain is, “Why am I buying this?” If it doesn’t go with two things in your closet, put it back! It is a waste of money. Either you will never wear it or you will have to buy more things to go with it.

When it comes to bargain shopping there are two categories:
Impulse and Laser Guided. Don’t buy anything you don’t love or need. Don’t let a sales person, friend or well-meaning stranger talk you into buying anything that you’re not comfortable with. They don’t have to wear it in public, you do.

The information in this article comes from decades of personal and professional experience. We are not ashamed to admit that we are card carrying members of the Imelda Marcos Center for the shop-a-holic and that our book was a form of occupational therapy. Happy shopping!

As men and women all over the world share their warmth on these cold wintry nights, a celebration of love looms on the horizon, and with it, the promise of the coming spring, The rituals of Valentines Day so often consists of a box of chocolates and some roses, followed by dinner, and an expectation of some better than the usual sex. Ever wonder if it could get any better than this? It can.

Here’s a wake up call to men of all ages. It’s up to you to make it better. Take hold of the reins and do the unexpected. Surprise your baby and she’ll surprise you beyond your wildest expectations. Give her some sexy lingerie for, then sit back and enjoy the show! Lingerie – the gift that keeps on giving!

Women love to look pretty, men love to look at pretty women, so what’s the problem here? Granted, most men’s ultimate goal is to get their women naked, but throw into the equation a tightly laced bustier with a skirted garter and fishnet hose – heck, getting there is half the fun!

Lingerie comes in many styles and materials and is conveniently available online (for those of us who don’t particularly want to make a trip to Victoria’s Secret). Online lingerie retailers ship their products discreetly in plain boxes so as not to spill the beans to the neighbors, your wife, or the person you want to surprise. And there’s good news for those men who like their women big: plenty of stores out there that offer plus size lingerie, up to 3X!

With all this in mind, men need to become educated consumers in a world of lingerie that is primarily dominated by women. It is for this reason that I have taken it upon myself to write this informative Man’s Guide to Women’s Lingerie”.

Corsets and Bustiers: a history of lingerie

As recently as the 1830's, the corset was thought of as a medical necessity. Being that women were the weaker sex, they needed the support of a laced corset to hold them up for any length of time. Girls from the ages of two or three began their lives being strapped in daily to a tight laced corset. Unfortunately for the women, by the time they reached their prime they were unable to stand or sit upright for very long without getting the "vapors".

Early corsets were made from canvas, (plenty of that around from all the sailing ships) and had laces all the way up the back pulled so tight as to make it darn near impossible to draw a deep breath. Needless to say, the prevailing fashion (or fetish) of the day was a very small waist line.

Today’s modern corset is made from softer and suppler materials such as silk, satin and lace, (as well as leather) to name a few. It is designed to accentuate a woman’s curves, not to alter them. For many men there is nothing more arousing than the sight of a willing accomplice all dressed up in a tight, laced up leather corset, and it’s a turn on for the women too!

Out of the corset evolved the bustier, predecessor to the modern day brazier. It seems that men even back then liked to see their women’s breasts pushed up and squeezed together! A bustier is basically an underwire bra that extends down to the waistline. Traditionally with a lace up front, today’s bustiers can fasten in a variety of ways. Zippers, snaps, hooks and eyes, (remember the trouble we had undoing bras in high school?) even Velcro seems to get the job done. Keep in mind the fastenings when considering a lingerie purchase. The removal of these garments can at times try a man’s patience. Remember the times when you’ve been asked to take it easy and
slow down? Do it now and savor the moment!

Another popular lingerie design is what’s known as the Teddy. Similar to a corset in design, a teddy is a one piece suit that starts out as a bustier, extends down between the legs as a thong, and ends up fastening to the back of the bodice. Simple by definition, teddies can take the form of something resembling a harness, to a full fledged zippered, hooked, and laced corset with an attached thong. Many teddies come with garter belts attached, adding endless possibilities for some naughty, bad little girls’ psychopathic imagination to run wild with.

For the truly innocent, perpetual virgin nice girl look, consider the Baby Doll. A short mini hanging to the waist that can be worn with or without the matching bra and panties, the baby doll is usually made from some sheer, lightweight material with varying degrees of transparency. The baby doll lingerie style gets its name from; well…you figure it out!

Today, ladies lingerie is easier than ever to shop for. Do a search on lingerie and you’ll find a multitude of reputable lingerie dealers and merchants. Browse through their catalogs and you’re sure to find something that stirs your, um…interest.

Sizing is an issue that must be dealt with, and a good lingerie site will have size charts easily accessible. While lingerie is generally pretty forgiving size wise, (a lot of lingerie is marked one size fits all) you should know at a minimum if she’s a small, medium or large. If you see sizes like 32, 38, etc….why don’t you just ask her her size!

When shopping for lingerie, keep in mind that a gift of lingerie should stimulate both you and your partner. Get her something that you like, and don’t be afraid to push the
envelope! Lingerie encompasses a huge variety of styles; from a couple of pasties and a thong to an elegant satin and lace gown with matching bra and panties!

Do not overlook the possibilities of Leather Lingerie. Leather has become mainstream and is not just for bikers and sado/masochists any more. Women love the feel of leather on their bare skin, and peeling off a tight leather teddy is a real treat!

Lingerie for your baby and you can’t lose! Give her a gift of lingerie, and you do yourself a favor! The gift that keeps on giving – all year round!

Most women have two types of bras: everyday use bras and sports bras. No matter what type of bras you wear, however, there are few things more uncomfortable than a bra that fits poorly. The key to being comfortable in your own skin, and feeling confident when you leave the house, is having a bra that fits correctly and comfortably; this can be achieved simply by knowing how to find a bra that fits.

Everyday Bras
Getting proper measurements is the best way to begin. Most lingerie and some department stores offer this service upon request. When you know your measurements, you can begin by looking for bras that most closely fit women of your general size.

Next, you should try on a variety of bras. Do not just choose one style of bra and then “go with it.” Find a style that you think fits your personality and provides superior comfort. Under wires add to the support of the bra, while thicker padding adds inches. Take into account how you will wear the bra, and what kind of clothes you have to ensure that the bra will not cause discomfort when worn with other clothing.

When trying bras, lean forward from the waist and use the straps to pull the bra away from your breasts so that the breasts fall into the cups in a natural fashion. Make sure the band is snug, but that it does not dig into your flesh. This is the same rule for the straps. You want them snug for proper support, but you do not want them digging into your skin. Remember that bras stretch out over time. So, buy a bra that fits correctly when on the loosest clasp and with lengthened bra straps. Then as the bra stretches you can tighten straps and move to the tight clasps.

Oddly enough, it is a good idea to swing your arms, walk around, and jump in order to test support and comfort. These are all activities that you will be participating in while wearing the bra, and so it is important to ensure that you will be comfortable no matter what you are doing.

Sports Bras
The first thing to do is to select the size that is closest to your proper size and then try the bra on. Sports bras often go over the head, but some also fasten in the back or the front. You should sense for comfort, making sure that the band and the straps are not digging into your skin. If you are rather large-breasted, you need to make sure your bra has adequate support without adding pressure to the shoulders.

Most of the comfort with a good-fitting sports bra has to do with construction and material. Make sure that all liners and metal parts of the bra have plush linings to prevent irritation from exposed metal or plastic pieces. Additionally, find out the fabric content. You want something with a lycra lining to wick sweat away from your skin, and also something that provides adequate support. A cotton/polyester/lycra blend is a good choice for bra materials because it will wick while being supportive (while straight cotton is supportive, it does not wick sweat away from the skin).

Finally, as with a regular bra, make sure that you jump around to understand movement. When one is a size D cup, a compression bra is a good idea, as it will help keep from causing discomfort. Women with full D cups and large should look into encapsulation bras to better contain the movement.

And, no matter what sort of bra you are looking for, there are a few general tips:

• Try on all bras, as manufacturers have different sizes. You might be a 34C with one bra maker but only a 32B with another.

• Allow your bras to air dry. This will keep them from shrinking in the dryer or having the padding shifted into odd lumps. You should also use a delicate cycle or lingerie bag when using a washing machine to wash your bras.

• Buy several bras when you find one you like in order to avoid finding yourself out of luck if the style is discontinued.

• Make sure that you can return the bra if there are problems, especially if you are purchasing the bra online.

T shirts can provide a lasting impression on your life and those around you. Through simple illustrations and slogans they immediately show your current feelings or opinions.

Vintage t shirts will bring up situations from the long ago past. They can be anything from funny to rude and offensive, to sayings, to your favorite rock band of yore,
to baby tees. And don't forget putting a t shirt on your dog. Ugh.

In my own experience I have been a cancer survivor for 5 1/2 years. In my first summer my struggle inspired my sister-in-law to get active in the Tacoma, Washington Relay
For Life program of the American Cancer Society. Every spring they host a weekend walk and fund raiser. A large part of that walk is the Survivor's walk celebrating all
those people currently battling cancer and those who are cancer free.

All the survivors walking in that event are given purple tshirts with the Relay For Life logo on the front. On the back is the saying: I Am... Living Breathing Inspiration.
I love wearing my t shirt with that saying on it both for my own feelings and for the inspiration of those around me.

Another situation involved a camping/hiking trip my partner and I took several years ago in the Columbia River gorge near The Dalles, Oregon.

This was the year the Sesquicentennial of the Oregon Trail was being reenacted. A replica of the 1843 wagon trains was in progress coming all the way from the mid-west to
Portland, Oregon. When we joined them they had arrived in The Dalles and were camping out at a large fair grounds. After square dancing the night before, we set out on foot
hiking with the train for that day's journey, a distance of about 18 miles.

When we got up the next morning and were about to leave the train, we came on a fellow in a wheelchair who was selling t shirts. He said they were his own original design, in this case a fine pencil sketch of the Oregon Trail at Barlow Pass. I bought one on the spot both to support him in his efforts and for my own memory of the occasion. I
still wear that tee shirt and think of the fun my girl friend and I had on that trip.

The next obvious use of t shirts is if you're a sports fan. In my own case as a long suffering Seattle Seahawks fan, I still wear the tattered t shirt I bought in 1983 that reads
"1983 Play-Offs" along with the team logo on the front. I guess that hasn't been the last playoffs we've been in, but it sure seems like it.

So get out there and express yourself with a t shirt. Buy one or get online to design your own. I think every aspect of life has been shown on a t shirt and every new
experience that shows up seems to wind up on a tee shirt.