01 November 2010

Reasons Why To Give Gifts at Christmas?

It is hard to imagine celebrating Christmas in the modern world without thinking about giving gifts. But, have you ever thought to yourself, “Why do we give gifts at Christmas?” In some ways, the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is a very ancient tradition. In other ways, giving gifts at Christmas is a relatively new development, as well.

In the Christian religion, the practice of giving gifts at Christmas is traced back to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that were given to the Christ child by the three Magi. The magi were kings from the East, wise men who traveled a great distance following a star, to find the Christ child and to bring him gifts. The visit of the Magi to the Christ child was originally celebrated on the Feast of Epiphany on January 6th. Over time, the tradition of giving gifts came to be more associated with Christmas than with Epiphany. It is the time from Christmas to Epiphany in the Church calendar – from December 25th through January 6th – that is recognized as the “twelve days of Christmas” from the old Christmas carol.

To be certain, the ancient Church did not “celebrate” Christmas as much as it “observed” Christmas as a holy day. It wasn’t really until the modern era. The tradition of giving gifts to loved ones at Christmas became more and more popular as the middle ages ended and the modern era began. Various countries and peoples began to make gift-giving a regular part of the holy day (or “holiday”) over a period of time. By the time the Americas were settled, giving gifts at Christmas was practiced by many of the settlers. The early Dutch settlers to America introduced St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, to the new world. The early French and English settlers, in contrast, were more likely to give gifts at New Year’s or at Epiphany.

Ultimately, a common Christmas culture developed in which gifts were given on Christmas. In the nineteenth century, the idea of gift giving took on new dimensions, as the works of O. Henry, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Nast all helped to shape our concepts of Santa Claus and other aspects of the holiday.

Today, we all give gifts at Christmas for our own reasons. For some, it is a way to celebrate the Christian holy day. For others, it is a special time to let family and friends know that you care by giving gifts. At times, giving gifts at Christmas becomes almost mechanical, and a chore; when this happens, it is worth stepping aside for a few moments to consider why exactly you give gifts at Christmas.

29 October 2010

Homemade Birthday Gift For Your Buddiessss

When thinking of homemade birthday gift ideas, consider your talents first. If you can cook, then you should make a food gift. If you are artistic, consider making a treasure box. The gift is even more special because of your involvement in the creation; you have put a part of yourself in the gift.

Homemade Goodies
If you enjoy baking, the possibilities for a unique birthday gift are endless. When looking for something for a young adult, you can't go wrong with a batch of their favorite homemade cookies. Get a decorative box, wrap the cookies in plastic wrap to keep them fresh, and then wrap them with ribbon. For adults, make homemade chocolates or truffles. Add a bottle of wine, put everything in a basket wrap it up with cellophane and you have a lovely gift.



 Treasure Boxes
One terrific handmade gift someone with artistic skills can make is a treasure box. A treasure box is a perfect handmade gift for man, woman, boy or girl. Everyone has treasures they want to keep. Treasure boxes can be simple or fancy depending on your taste and artistic ability. Simple wood boxes in assorted shapes can be purchased at a local craft store, and the rest is up to you. One of the nicest treasure boxes is a simple brown-stained box with a piece of scrimshaw mounted on the cover. A box adorned with beads or shells in patterns can be used as a jewelry box for a young lady. You can also decoupage shapes or magazine clippings to give the treasure box a fun and funky style.
Embrace your inner Martha Stewart, and create a heartfelt homemade gift. The time and love you put into its creation is bound to be appreciated. Thinking outside the department store and using your imagination will result in a memorable birthday gift.

Decorate Your Spectacular Diyas This Diwali

Diya is a small lamp and it is also known as ‘Deepak’ or ‘Deep’. A “Deep” is a traditional replacement of candles. The bond between Diwali and Diya is just unique. Diwali is the festival of lights and the Diyas bring light to the world.
Lighting a Deep as aarti before the Gods and Goddesses is a Hindu custom. These Deeps are also used for lighting the entire home and premises during all the five days of diwali festival.
The Deeps are filled with ghee or oil. They act as fuel for the diya and a wick, usually made of cotton, is adjusted in the diya.
 Here are some tips which will help beautify your Diya making it more attractive:-
  • Make your diyas look more beautiful by coloring them with different colors.
  • Decorate your Diyas with some small decorative glass pieces and stick them on the edge of the diya. When you light the diya the scene of reflection of the flame in those small mirrors will look just amazing.
  • Make dough out of wheat flour and water. Make diyas from this dough. With this dough you can make diyas of any shape and size of your choice. Also paint them to make them colorful.
  • While preparing the dough for the diyas, mix fresh petals of flowers with it. It will not only add some natural color to your diyas but the remains of petals attached here and there on the diya will also make it look stunning.
  • With the help of ceramic clay you can make shapes of flowers and stick them to the Diya. Paint it once the clay dries. This will give your Diya a cool look.
  • Decorate the diya with shells and Bindis .
  • One can also make Diyas out of wax scrapings. Scrape out the melted wax from your candle stands. Collect them in a steel bowl. It would be nice if you collected them in a star shaped or a circular bowl. Heat it on a slow flame till it turns into liquid. Do not forget to stick a wick into the wax when it is in the liquid form. Let the wax cool. You will get a Diya which is in the shape of a bowl. Paint the Diyas and light them around your house.

27 October 2010

Best Gifts for Pregnant Women




Many husbands, partners or family members want to buy gifts for expecting mothers, but don’t know exactly what to choose. Some things that were great before might be inconvenient for pregnant women. It is well known that pregnant women change their taste and smell during pregnancy. So, buying a perfume a pregnant woman may not be the best idea.
 
It is better to stick to the gifts that are related closely to pregnancy and personal care. Most women are excited to become mothers and enjoy their pregnancy very much. Gifts that will make pregnant woman to look beautiful and feel special during pregnancy are the best gifts for expecting mothers. 

Not all gifts are suitable for all trimesters. Some presents will make your wife happy in the first trimester, while some will allow her to live easier with her big belly in the last trimester. Either way, a future mother will be very happy with any present she gets, because the intention and the love from future father or partner are the most important.

Perfumes: - The Romantic Gift For Her




It’s one of those big events: her birthday, the anniversary of your first date, or a holiday like Christmas or Valentine’s Day. It might just be that you want to surprise her, cheer her up after a hard week at work, or show her how much you love her. The pressure is on to find a romantic gift.
Have no fear. Women love romantic gifts, and among the items at the top of her wish list is probably fragrance. If shopping for fragrance fills you with trepidation, read on. We have some pointers to help you pick the perfect fragrance gift

Know the basics.
Although it isn’t essential to fragrance shopping, knowing some of the basic information about perfumes and products can help you make an informed decision. So here’s a quick overview.

Types of Fragrance: Perfume is the most concentrated version of a scent sold. It just depends on her preference: some women want their fragrance in its most concentrated form, and will apply only a drop or two; other women actually prefer the cologne form so they can apply it liberally and not worry about overdoing it.


 Kinds of scents: Fragrances usually fall into one of several scent categories:

            Green or Fruit scents
            Floral scents
            Chypre scents
            Oriental scents

    Find out her perfume habits: Her personal style alone isn’t enough to go on. You need more facts. Many women have a favorite scent that they wear all the time. Others tend to keep two or three, each unofficially sanctioned for a particular type of wear: one for every day, one for evenings out, maybe a third scent just for special, romantic occasions. Some like to try new scents each season and might wear anything, any time.

    21 October 2010

    Gift Indian Silk Saree on this Auspicious occasion of DIWALI

    Every year, Indians wait enthusiastically for Diwali in order to indulge in merriment and celebrations. One of the most important Hindu festivals, Diwali is the time when one gets together with friends and family for some truly exciting and memorable moments. The few features of this traditional and exuberant festival which makes it so very special are delicious sweets, scrumptious food, spectacular fireworks, beautiful glowing diyas and gorgeous Indian Designer Outfits. Find a gorgeous selection of Diwali Clothes for men, women and kids at Cbazaar, that would help make this Diwali truly magnificent!




    Being a traditional festival, Indians don traditional outfits during Diwali. Nothing can be more traditionally Indian than silk and it is for this reason that silk dresses or silk clothing is most preferred during Indian festivals such as Navratri or Diwali. Contrary to Designer Sarees which are more contemporary, Silk Sarees have been around for quite some time now and this is one of the prime reasons of Silk Sarees being a timeless classic. Throughout the ages, Indian Silk Sarees have stood out for their premium quality and their regal luster. India produces one of the finest qualities of silk and Indian Silk Sarees available online at Cbazaar are a true testimony to this. Women draped in lustrous Silk Sarees for Diwali is a sight that’s common in India during this festive season. Diwali Silk Saree Collection at Cbazaar includes Silk Sarees in rich shades and the most preferable amongst them are Red Silk Saree, Black Silk Saree, Brown Silk Saree, Golden Yellow Silk Saree, etc.

    Apart from the zari woven pattern that is characteristic of Silk Sarees,
    Diwali Silk Sarees found online at Cbazaar also flaunt embroidered design to enhance its beauty.Cbazaar’s collection of Diwali Silk Sarees are found featuring zari embroidered design accentuated with gorgeous embellishments such as beads, sequins, kundans, bugle beads, etc. Typically, Diwali Sarees feature a good amount of sparkle and dazzle. Therefore, Cbazaar’s selection of rich Silk Sarees with their sheen coupled with the sparkle of embellishments makes the perfect Diwali Saree that’s classic yet gorgeous!

    06 October 2010

    Is your Girlfriend cheating you?

    Cheating has plagued love lives for generations. Sometimes, one never finds out about an affair a girlfriend has had. However, there are certain signs which might give one a clue as to whether (and exactly to what limit) the girlfriend is cheating.

    The first sign of infidelity by a girlfriend in a relationship is her general disinterest in anything that the two enjoyed doing together previously. Sometimes this disinterest is blatant. For example, if a couple watches a movie together, and afterward she can’t remember anything about the movie, then she might be deeply distracted by something. This disinterest then might graduate into a series of unexplained cancellations of plans.

    Another sign of infidelity is an inexplicable display of guilt. One way in which guilt manifests itself is avoidance of the person who the guilty party feels is being hurt by her actions. The cheating girlfriend is therefore prone to generally avoiding the injured party – either by not taking calls or by not meeting for that ride or walk the couple used to like so much. Guilt can also cause pre-existing levels of intimacy to plummet.

    Of course, there are countless other signs of a new lover: a sudden increase in her monthly expenses and car mileage; a splurge on cosmetics and clothes; a chronically non-reachable cell phone; an increase in overtime at her job without the accompanying increase in her paycheck, and so on. Also, if you notice a sudden increase in the number of her distant cousins, friends, ex-classmates, college friends, and so on, beware: she might be cheating.

    Girlfriends having an affair have to be extremely well organized; their schedules are therefore punctiliously maintained. An affair is just an extension of a girl’s daily life: she has to find time for the accomplice between family, work, social life, and the injured party. Keeping a big secret is a very tiresome job, and only the coolest, most calculating people can actually keep such a secret. If your girlfriend is not very resourceful and she is keeping a secret, she will probably falter somewhere and maybe blurt it out to you herself.