The Newlyweds' First Christmas

For couples being married this year, one thing that they will have to look forward to is their first Christmas spent together as husband and wife. It can be a magical time to spend with family and friends. Your first Christmas is also a wonderful time to establish traditions that you will celebrate for the rest of your life.

The holidays can be a very busy time. For newlyweds, they can also be a stressful time. You have to decide: do we spend the day with my family or yours? When the parents of each person are demanding their presence around the holiday table, it is easy to feel torn. Many couples handle this by alternating holidays. They spend Thanksgiving with one family, then Christmas with the other. The following year, they can switch where they go for each holiday. This is one of those solutions that may not entirely please anybody, but it is often the most equitable.

If your families live far away, or if it seems impossible to go to just one of them for Christmas, the newlyweds might decide that they are better off staying home. Perhaps you could extend an invitation to both sets of parents to join you to start a new holiday tradition. If they decline, well, at least the effort was made.

It is always very exciting to get your first Christmas tree together. If possible, make the event extra memorable by going to a farm and cutting it yourself. Traipsing through the snowy woods together searching for that perfect tree is a lot of fun. Afterwards, you can enjoy a cozy mug of cocoa snuggled in front of a crackling fireplace.

Decorating the Christmas tree is equally fun. Sometimes the bride or groom will have sentimental ornaments from their childhood that they want to hang, but often a couple does not have any of their own decorations. You can create a great homey tree without spending a lot of money if you make your own ornaments out of natural materials. Put on a classic Christmas movie, and watch it while stringing popcorn or cranberries. You can spraypaint pinecones a soft gold for terrific looking decorations that will last through the years. Other great natural materials you can try include orange slices (which look beautiful with white lights twinkling behind them) and star-shaped gingerbread cookies.

Every new husband or wife wants to make sure that their first holiday together will be one that they will always remember fondly. One way to do that is with a very special gift. The man might consider giving his new wife a handmade piece of jewelry to complete the set she wore for their wedding day. A fun way to present it is to hang it from the tree on Christmas morning.

Even if it just the two of you, be sure to have a real holiday dinner with all of the trimmings. It is an important ritual to establish. The meal will feel even more festive if you both dress up for it. Depending on your lifestyle, you could choose to go really fancy, with a beautiful dress and high heels. It is also a great excuse to pull out your handmade wedding jewelry. For more casual couples, dressing up might mean a festive sweater and a nice pair of wool pants. Just don't spend the whole day in your pajamas - that is not romantic.

Your first Christmas together will be one of the occasions where you get to decide what traditions from your childhood to keep and pass down to future generations. It is also a wonderful time for newlyweds to establish the traditions that will be important in their own little family. The first Christmas after the wedding is a joyous time - be sure to enjoy it to its fullest.

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Best Books for Young Adults

This guide contains recommended books for young adults between the ages of 13 and 21. The goals of this guide is to encourage young people to read. Young adult don't really hate to read, they just say, "I don't like reading", "this book is so boring", they just haven't found the right book to read, this recommendations below might give them some new ideas about what to read next. There are thousands of new books published for young adults each year we pick only the best one.

"Twilight (series)" by Stephenie Meyer

Author: Stephenie Meyer, Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2005-2008, Language: English, Country: United States, Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Young-Adult Fiction

Review: Twilight is a very dramatic but exciting love story between a regular, 17 year old, girl named Bella, and a gorgeous, nearly 100 year old, vampire named Edward. Bella is forced to move into the small town of Forks, with her father Charlie. There wasn't anything fancy in the town of Forks. It rains all the time, and the sun never seems to shine, this town has nothing great, until Bella finds the Edward Cullen. Once Bella finds the Edward, she can't keep thinking about them. I really enjoyed seeing Bella and Edward going through the ups and downs of their relationship, the fact that Bella and Edward have a mutant baby together just freaks me out to no end and gives me nightmares that keep me up at night. I fully recommend reading these books, enjoy this touching story that will leave you wanting more as you read into their romantic love story. Series: 1. Twilight (2005) 2. New Moon (2006) 3. Eclipse (2007) 4. Breaking Dawn (2008)

Similar Books: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Tithe by Holly Black, Eragon & Eldest by Christopher Paolini.

"Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson, Publisher: Viking, Pages: 278 pp (Hardback), Country: United States, Genre: Fiction

Review: Wintergirls is about an 18 year old anorexic girl named Lia dealing with anorexia nervosa. She wants to be thin, so thin that she disappears and her body is breaking down and dying because of it. The book begins with the death of Lia's best friend (also suffering from an eating disorder) who dies in a motel room all by herself. Lia not only deals with her anorexia, but with a broken family and cutting problems. This was definitely another amazingly heart-wrenching book written by Anderson about a painful topic that many girls are going through every day. For all of those who have read Speak, please take a look at Wintergirls! this is one of the best Young Adults books I have read.

Similar Books: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

"The Hunger Games (trilogy)" by Suzanne Collins

Author: Suzanne Collins, Publisher: Scholastic 2008-2010, Language: English, Country: United States, Genre: Adventure, Science fiction, Young adult

Review: The Hunger Games trilogy is a science fiction love story that takes place thousands of years in the future, where the United States is governed by one Capitol and divided into thirteen districts, the story is about a 16 year old girl Katniss Evergreen in a fantasy world called Panem (Latin for "bread") and who is "chosen" to fight in a to-the-death battle with other children in other districts, the winner of the Game will return with food for their district. The story is beautifully crafted and so unexpected. So many twists and turns that keeps your eyes glue to the pages. The first book was amazing it sets the story and fills us in on the history of Katniss Evergreen. The second book - has a twist in it that you don't see coming. The whole momentum of the story got slowed right down in the third book, the last couple of chapters in book 3 "Mockingjay" had me shedding tears for sure but she finally gets her happiness. I always enjoy reading a book that forces the reader to think deeper than what is simply on paper, and Suzanne Collins has mastered that with these books. The story is advertised as YA, but that doesn't mean it's suitable only for young adults.

Similar Books: The Maze Runner by James Dashner, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry

Author: Lois Lowry, Publisher: Bantam Books - 1993, Pages: 179 p. (paperback edition), Country: United States Genre: Soft science fiction, Dystopian fiction

Review: The Giver is an exceptional novel about everyday life in a community with no feelings, color, war, or pain, everything is completely organized. This book is written from the perspective of Jonas who is an 11 year-old boy and the main character of this story. He lives with his father and seems to look and act different than the other people in his community. Then all that changes for Jonas when he turns twelve and is selected to receive all the memories that the society has never known, memories that will change his life forever. I loved The Giver because the plot was very creative, the theme was magnificent, and the setting was vivid, Lois Lowry used great descriptive words to bring the book to life. It's one of the best novels to share with young people, a story that they will remember long after they have finished it.

Similar Books: Messenger by Lois Lowry, Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry.

"Harry Potter (series)" by J.K. Rowling

Author: J.K. Rowling, Published: 29 June 1997 - 21 July 2007, Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (US), Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), Country: United Kingdom, Media type: Print (hardcover and paperback)

Review: J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series was a brilliant work of literature and fantastic for helping younger readers build their vocabulary and learn important life lessons. For anyone who hasn't read the series and has just watched the movies, the books are a must read. For those of you who are anti Harry Potter I would like to point out some of the saving qualities of these books. First, Potter has good healthy, relationships with adults. Second, Potter has relatives and a professor who do not like him. He shows that not everyone in the world will like you but that is not a requirement to having a good life. The books encourage imagination and creativity. There are other reasons but I think that J.K. Rowling has reintroduced reading for pleasure to our young adults and that is a feat indeed. J.K. Rowlings has a fantastic imagination. Harry Potter has been translated in over 67 languages, and the last four books were the fastest selling books in history. I recommend everyone to read these books because they have something for everyone: fantasy and magic, action and adventure, monsters, romance and laughter, anyone at any age will enjoy this set. Harry Potter Series also in Best Fantasy Books of All Time Happy Reading to all.

Series:

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

Similar Books: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

Author: Markus Zusak, Publisher: Knopf, USA (March 14th 2006), Pages: 550 (Hardback & Paperback), Country: Australia, Genre: Novel

Review: "The Book Thief" is the story of Liesel a German girl living near Munich during the Nazi uprising. One walks through Germany in World War II, along with Liesel and her best friend. Liesel is a orphan because her mother and brother freeze to death. The other unusual thing about the Book Thief is its narrator, Death himself. Everyone in the whole world seems to adore this book, one that actually touched me, and even made me cry more than once. Considering that the book is set in Nazi Germany, one may expect to find a bit more brutality but its lighter, its at Young Adult reading level. This book has my highest recommendation if you like stories set during World War II, if you want to read about a girl with such strength and emotion that it'll tear your heart out.

Similar Books: The Messenger by Markus Zusak, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians (series)" by Rick Riordan

Author: Rick Riordan, Publisher: Disney Hyperion 2005-2009, Language: English, Country: United States Genre: Fantasy, Young-adult fiction.

Review: If you like adventures then you will like this book. A fun, quick Young Adult read that adds adventure as well as some history about Greek mythology, an awesome series, especially for fairly competent, but possibly reluctant, readers in 8th grade and up. The main character Percy Jackson 12-year-old teenage boy who sudden finds out his world is not what he thought it was and his life is suddenly full of magic, danger, and adventure. He is also being attacked by monsters out of Greek mythology. His mother brings him to Camp Half-Blood where he learns that he is the son of a god and a hero who has to go on a quest. I liked the idea of the Greek gods being located in the western hemisphere. I thought it was clever how Riordan incorporated Greek gods into the modern world in a very clever, fun way. Constant adventure and an easy to follow storyline keeps the attention of anyone and everyone that takes the time to sit down and open it, there is no excuse not to read this book because it is totally fabulous! Once you open it, it will keep you enticed all the way until the very back cover. It's not just a best book for young adults but for everyone, even us "adults" who still enjoy the kid inside us.

Series:

1. The Lightning Thief - June 28, 2005

2. The Sea of Monsters - May 3, 2006

3. The Titan's Curse - May 1, 2007

4. The Battle of the Labyrinth - May 16, 2008

5. The Last Olympian - June 12, 2009

Similar Books: Harry Potter Boxed Set by J.K. Rowling, Eragon, Eldest & Brisingr by Christopher Paolini.

"Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick, Publisher: Simon & Schuster - 2009, Pages: 391, Country: United States, Genre: Young adult, Fantasy, Romance

Review: Hush, Hush is the story written by Becca Fitzpatrick. It is written through the perspective of the main character, Nora Grey, an average high school student going about her business as usual until her Biology teacher rearranges the class seating and places her next to the sexy, mysterious, dangerous-looking new kid, Patch Cipriano. who is revealed to be a fallen angel with a dark connection to Nora herself. However, the reasons that Nora isn't the typical high school girl are many: she is independent, even at her age, because her mom travels a lot after her dad passed away. Her best friend Vee is obsessed with all the things Nora chooses to ignore - boys, shopping, and drama. The way the book was written was amazing. It never left you bored, or wanting to skip a few pages. I would defiantly recommend this book to girls mostly it's a romance book and it doesn't really seem to appeal to boys. Once you open the pages, you will not be able to put it down!

Similar Books: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, Torment by Lauren Kate, Nightshade by Andrea Cremer.

"Vampire Academy (series)" by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead, Publisher: Razorbill, Language: English, Country: United States, Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Review: The storyline is really great, and Richelle Mead uses flashbacks of what has already occurred to keep you guessing and to help fill you in at the right moment without giving too much away. Vampire Academy tells the story of Rose a seventeen-year-old Dhampir girl, who is training to be a bodyguard for her Moroi (Moroi are mortal vampires and wield the earth's magic elements fire, water, air, earth) best friend, Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir. In the process of learning how to defeat Strigoi (the evil undead vampires) in St. Vladimir's Academy, Rose finds herself caught in a forbidden romance with her handsome instructor, Dimitri Belikov, while having an unbreakable bond with Lissa. The story was an overall good read, the main character is independent and funny, to be honest it was better than twilight, while Bella is weak and dependent, Rose is the exact opposite, independent and strong. I loved watching the characters grow and develop especially Rose and Lissa. Throughout the series they mature so much and it is incredibly fascinating to watch. I will say that these books are for a more mature YA audience because there is mention of some more mature topics. I would definitely recommend this series. It's definitely my favorite vampire series!

Vampire Academy series:

1. Vampire Academy (16 August 2007)

2. Frostbite (10 April 2008)

3. Shadow Kiss (13 November 2008)

4. Blood Promise (25 August 2009)

5. Spirit Bound (18 May 2010)

6. Last Sacrifice [9] (7December 2010)

Similar Books: Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine, Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill, Chosen by P. C. Cast.

"Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson, Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (October 1999), Pages: 197 pp (first edition, hardback), Country: United States, Genre: Fiction

Review: Speak is a short novel packed full of tremendous emotions and that dealt with a tragic situation of 14 year old girl Melinda so realistically that it felt real. Melinda Sordino is an incoming freshman that called the police at an end of the summer party before high school started. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her. After that Melinda has been speaking less and less, to her parents and to the friends who have abandoned her because she called the cops during a summer party. Her parents begin to see that something is wrong. They want to help their daughter but don't know how to. This book is very well written from a teen's perspective, you really get inside Melinda's head in this book, you really do feel Melinda's pain, you just don't know the reason behind it until the end of the book, it's just unbelievable, how good the author is at doing this, the author does a spectacular job of capturing the essence of high school. Speak is a wonderful message of hope, with touches of black humor It's a very dark story but it is still funny too. I recommend this book to all young adults. Similar Books: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

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Save a Girl Child

Let's save a girl child and stand against the genocide that is taking place in the society. Feticide is the most dastardly form of violence against women. Since the technology for sex determination first came into being, sex selective abortion has unleashed a saga of horror in India. In fact nature intended the womb to be a safe space place for nurturing and grooming the foetus before the child could take birth. But today, doctors have made it the most unsafe space for the female child by unleashing the terror of feticide. Today a girl child is several times more likely to be eliminated before birth in India than die of various causes in the first year of her existence.

Save a girl child: Sex determination and sex selection

Although foetal sex determination and sex selection is a criminal offence in India, the practice is rampant. Private clinics with ultrasound machines and other latest technologies are doing brisk business. Everywhere, people are paying to know the sex of an unborn child and paying more to abort the female child. The technology has even reached remote areas of the country through facilities like mobile clinics. People are getting sex determination done even for the first child.

Save a Girl Child: Historical connection and overall discrimination against the girl child

Earlier when the technology was not available to know the sex of the foetus, the girl child used to be killed by putting a sand bag on her face or strangulating her or some poison used to be applied on the breasts of the mother. The irony was that neither mothers nor their family members used to express any kind of sorrow on the deaths of their baby daughters. Now the scenario has changed. With the help of new technologies one can easily detect the sex of the foetus. So the practice of female infanticide has been replaced by female feticide.

Save a girl child: Discrimination against the girl child and women

Female feticide and infanticide is not the only issues with a girl child in India. Actually at every stage of life she is discriminated and neglected for basic nutrition, education and living standard. When she is in the womb, she is eliminated before she can enter the world. If by chance she takes birth then at the time of birth her relatives pull her back and wrung her neck and after killing her she is thrown into a trash can. If she gets lucky to survive the early feticide and infanticide then her childhood is not more than a punishment with her brother getting all the attention with new shoes, dresses and books to learn while she is gifted a broom, a wiper and lots of tears. In her teenage, she misses nutritious food to eat and gets only the left over crumbs. During the age when she should be in college she is hurriedly "married off" leading to conditions where she remains ever dependant on others for her survival. She does not have either social or economic independence. Further her illiteracy, lack of education results in unwanted and early pregnancies, high fertility rate. This further aggravates the overall condition of females in the country. Again if this female gives birth to a girl child, the whole journey cycle of murder and discrimination begins all over again.

Save a Girl Child: Culpability of the Medical profession

As per some studies the industry of ultrasound and sonography, sex-selection and female feticide is around 500 crores in India and this is run through small clinics, midwives, unregistered doctors and big hospitals. They conduct the abortions very secretly and many a times they become the reason for the death of many women. Many Doctors are involved in this widespread malpractice to make easy money. Actually it is a very profitable business. The machines have become cheaper, so even a new medical graduate can quickly set up a business. It may be illegal but it's very rare that in India medical council debars anyone for ethical malpractice.

Save a girl child: Responsibility and accountability of the medical profession

It is high time that now Doctors are made responsible and accountable. In fact they are the ones who had aggressively promoted the misuse of technology and legitimised feticide. They created a weapon of mass destruction. Worst of worst some Doctors feel that they are doing a great social service and feel happy to provide this service to parents desperate to have a son, in the belief that they are preventing the birth of an unwanted child.

Save a girl child: The oblique way of sex determination

Today when the laws are getting stricter the method of revealing the sex is becoming more oblique. Now either the doctor will hand out blue or pink candy to the family members as they leave or make a remark during the examination by saying something like "Your child will be a fighter" or "The baby is like a doll." It is a clear fact that since the implementation of the legislation has taken place, the business has gone underground. The proof is the ever increasing number of feticide around the country especially in north India.

Save a girl child: Under-the-table fee for sex determination

Now the Doctors who disclose the sex expect an under-the-table fee for breaking the law, ranging from a few hundred rupees in poorer areas to several thousand in more prosperous regions. The plain and simple truth is that the medical fraternity has not been sufficiently regulated in India and there is no sufficient deterrent or awareness even among the medical fraternity which can prevent these malpractices from taking place in the first instance.

Save a Girl Child: The Actual problem in terms of figures

Let's now look at the figures which speak the truth for itself. According to the last official census figures, India with its nationwide ratio of 933 women for 1,000 men had a deficit of 35 million women when it entered the new millennium. Experts are calling it "sanitised barbarism". UN figures tell that about 750,000 girls are aborted every year in India. It as genocide: "More than 6 million killed in 20 years. That's the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust."

Save a girl child: Abortion of a million foetus in a year

Demographic trends indicate India is fast heading towards a million female foetuses aborted each year. In India, if the 1991 Census showed that two districts had a child sex ratio (number of girls per thousand boys) less than 850; by 2001 it was 51 districts. The irony is that the nation of so called goddess and mothers still follows a culture where people idolize the birth of son and mourn the birth of daughters.

Save a girl child: Income level directly proportional to sex selective abortion

Ironically, as income levels are increasing, sex determination and sex selection is increasing all over India. The most influential and affluent pockets have the worst sex ratios. Take Punjab for instance - 793 girls for every 1,000 boys against the national figure of 927. Or South Delhi - one of the most affluent localities of the Capital - 760. In many regions of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan; the sex ratio of girls for every 1000 boys was mere 745 or 754 or at 779 respectively. Based on the number of births in Delhi every year and the sex ratio across the capital - 814 girls for every 1,000 boys about 24,000 female fetuses are aborted in the capital every year, and about one million across the country.

Save a girl child: Warning of unexpected social problems in the near future

Abortion rates are increasing in almost 80% of the Indian states and especially in Punjab and Haryana. These two states have the highest number of abortions every year. UNICEF has warned that unless steps are taken to address the problem across the country, India will soon face unexpected social problems like men unable to find brides, gaps in the work force and increased trafficking of women.

Save a girl child: Answering ethical questions

The other side of the coin is the issue that attempts to regulate women right to abortion inevitably raise delicate ethical questions, but for a contrary like India this is not a pro-choice or pro-life issue. "Equality is a fundamental right," but where is the gender equality when one million girl fetuses are destroyed every year before birth itself. Therefore we need to understand the fact that our situation is really alarming and extraordinary and preventing this discrimination takes precedence over arguments about women reproductive rights.
Save a girl child: The taboo surrounding sex selective abortion
One more major problem is that despite the prevalence of the ghastly and inhuman phenomenon, the decision to abort a female fetus remains a taboo, and it is difficult to persuade women to talk about the issue. If women themselves become party to the problem then how can we ever think about finding the solution?

Save a Girl Child: Misuse of technology

The social evil of discrimination and marginalization of women and killing of girl child is ironically deep rooted in Indian ethos and the most shocking fact is that the innovative and hard high end technologies have actually helped in the brutal killing of the Indian girl child. Earlier it was infanticide. Now it is easier with feticide with technology at the helping end. Innovative techniques, like biopsy, ultrasound, scan tests and amniocentesis, devised to detect genetic abnormalities, are highly misused by number of families to detect gender of the unborn child. These clinical tests are highly contributing to the rise in genocide of the unborn girl child.

Save a girl child: The technology as the devil

In patriarchal States like Rajasthan where infanticide has existed for centuries, this new technology has many takers as it is easy and secretive. There are far less questions to be answered when you abort a girl child rather than kill a baby girl. Today, people pretend overtly that they are modern and that they do not discriminate between a girl and a boy. But when the actual situation arises they do not hesitate to quietly go to the next village and get an ultrasound done and even abort the girl child. Here the technology has become the uncontrolled beast and demon rather than the angel.

Save a Girl Child: Related & Associated issues

Apart from the means of killing of the girl child "feticide" is also one of the most common causes of maternal mortality. Law permits that the she sex of the foetus can be only determined around 14-16 weeks. Because of this most of the sex selective abortions are planned late and this leads to a very high chance of maternal mortality. Either way the woman suffers.

Save a girl child: Feticide a symptom of a larger problem

We must understand the fact that in fact Feticide is a symptom of larger and wider problem related to marginalization and discrimination against women through various social, cultural and economic bias and practices. Feticide is related to issues as varied as privatisation of medical education and dowry. For example Karnataka is a state in India with the highest number of private medical colleges. Here healthcare has turned into a commodity without proper regulation and control leading to terrifying consequences like illegal abortions and feticide.

Save a girl child: Affluent farmers and feticide

Another ironical phenomenon is that wherever agricultural green revolution has happened with resultant increase in income among farmers, feticide has increased. The connection is simple. With more landholdings and wealth inheritance the dowry demands has increased and therefore birth of a daughter is considered as an economic liability. Today, people don't even want their daughters to study higher as a well-educated groom is likely to demand more dowry.

Save a girl child: Male child selection in nuclear families

Even the creation of small and nuclear families have come at the cost of the girl child. Parents who are opting for one child are most likely to go for a male child rather than a female child.

Save a girl child: Demand Vs. Supply debate

Another issue that has been put forward by the medical community to absolve their own culpability in this whole malpractice is the demand and supply debate. Doctors say there is a social demand and they are only fulfilling it. They argue that social attitudes must change. However they are ignoring the fact that in this case supply fuels demand. The easier the technology is available the more likely is the chance of abortion and feticide.

Save a girl child: Tougher regulation and control

There is no option other than tougher regulation and control of the "technology and the medical practice" as technology in the hands of greedy, vested interests cannot be neutral. There is a law in place to prevent misuse of the technology and it must be enforced strongly. On the other hand the solution for curbing the increase of feticide can only work through increasing awareness and overall empowerment of women in every aspect.

Save a girl child: Need for female youth icons and role models

Women participation in workforce, having disposable incomes and their making a contribution to larger society will make a difference to how women are seen in the society. Female youth icons and role models are definitely making an impact in changing the overall perception of the society which has been highly discriminatory till now.
Save a girl child: Laws against violence and discrimination of women
Other issues which are attached to the overall discrimination and marginalization of women include the laws for violence against women such as dowry, domestic violence, rape which are directly in the control of a largely inefficient and corrupt police force which in fact is biased against women with its colonial hangover and resultant approach of doing things. In any case of violence and discrimination against women the whole onus and burden of the case is always put on the women involved.

Save a girl child: Urgent need for police reforms

It's high time that police reforms take place and the country gets a modern police force which is more sensitive to the issues of the society rather than the current one which exists to please the whims and the fancies of their political masters. Today even though good and tough laws exist still the offenders get away with ease. Just like many other laws of the country the law preventing sex determination and sex selection exits but enforcement is a big question mark.

Save a girl child: Myths to be shattered

Another myth that needs to be shattered is that feticide exists among illiterate and less affluent of the society. According to a survey there is a 28.32 % increase in the number gainfully employed and working women in India in the last two decades. But at the same time, what is more shameful and ironical is that there is a subsequent increase in the number of pregnancy terminations or abortions by working women.

Save a girl child: Abortions by working women

The reasons stated behind the practice of abortions by working women are: They want a small family; they want better career prospects; they want a male child and they do not want daughters. Many of these women justify sex selection and abortions because they think that if they deliver a baby boy then they are looked upon in the family. Also, they do not want their daughters to suffer the hardships a girl has to face. Besides that they find themselves unable to afford the dowry expenses the parents of a girl child have to bear. "Since maintaining the high living standards has become so expensive, who will save for her?" say modern mothers. These are the 'serious' reasons these literate and modern women give for not giving birth to a girl child. But they are forgetting that had their mothers thought the same way, they would have also met the same fate.

Save a girl child: The bane of consumer culture

Further the whole problem is just an extension of our consumer culture. If someone can afford to buy a Mercedes, they feel they can afford to secure themselves a son also. If they can pay for an ultrasound, then they don't need to have a daughter - that's the logic.

Save a girl child: Outdated social practices and their consequences

Dowry is a big issue for the urban elite because the amount which people are expected to pay as dowry is astonishing and ridiculous. Over that is the cost of the obscenely extravagant Indian weddings. Aside from the costs of dowries and marriages, there are other reasons why daughters are seen as less desirable like there is general belief that sons will look after their old parents and daughters are anyway to go to a different household and are therefore of not much use in the long run. The social and cultural settings are negatively biased against women. After marriage, a woman traditionally lives with the family of the husband, leaving her own parents to be looked after by a son, if there is one, in their old age. Sons carry on the family name and often the business, usually inherit the property and perform the last rites. All these contribute towards a negative bias against the girl child even before she takes birth.

Save a girl child: The misconception that poverty leads to feticide

From the above analysis we can clearly see that it's a misconception to think that this is a problem related to extreme poverty. It's quite rampant in upper and middle class families. Female feticide is very high in Punjab and Haryana - some of the best-off states in the country. Even money has not brought attitudinal change. In fact more money has led to aggravation of the whole problem. The mind-set remains - girls are not important, girls are a burden, and sons are more useful. With new lifestyle culture in India, when people are rich they want to spend their money on things, not on dowries or marriages for their daughters. So we can see that how social and cultural practices like dowry and extravagant marriages are in fact contributing to the overall menace of female abortion and feticide.

Save a Girl Child: Law against feticide and Implementation of the law

After almost a decade of delays, the Prohibition of Sex Selection Act came into force in February 2003, aimed at preventing the use of ultrasound examinations for sex determination. Any person including pregnant women who seek help for sex selection could be sentenced to a three-year prison sentence and fined 50,000 rupees, or ,200, while If any doctor is found guilty of this malpractice, he can face suspension of his registration by the state medical council.

Save a girl child: The Act that was passed in 2003

Pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostics techniques (prohibition and sex selection) Act, which came into effect on 14th February 2003, was as a replacement of the pre-natal diagnostic techniques (regulation and misuse amendment) Act 2002, that said any kind of sex selection in pre or post pregnancy is prohibited.

Save a girl child: Creating acts and laws not sufficient to deal with the problem

But these acts seem not to be casting much effect on the dark shades of human deeds. No case has come to court, and campaigners against the practice of prenatal sex determination complain that the legislation is impossible to enforce. Law is very well conceived and the need of the hour is legal literacy to ensure the law is implemented. Here the role and competence of the law enforcement agencies is a big question mark? In spite of all the stringent laws framed to curb the female feticide, the practice continues. The declining sex ratio between boys and girls poses a serious threat to the very existence of a balanced social order in India.

Save a Girl Child: Sensitization of the society

There is a need to sensitize the Indian society about the sex selection tests and the impending gender crisis. There is a need to advocate to the society about greater gender equality. Increase awareness about the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Act (PNDT), 1994 as well as its recent amendment passed by the Parliament that bans any form of sex selection tests is needed.

Save a girl child: Awareness in the society

Society has to be sensitized about the pitiable state of women in the Indian society of which selective sex abortion of the female foetus is one of the indicators apart from increasing incidences of violence and trafficking.

Save a girl child: Implementation of the law

Law needs to be strictly implemented and we need to increase compliance amongst the maternity homes, nursing homes, ultra-sound clinics, radiologists for registering their ultra-sound machines under the PNDT Act. Medical community has to be sensitized about the ethics of medical profession and the role they ought to be playing in improving the population crisis as well as sex-ratios in the country. It's also time to have a stricter and tougher regulation of the medical practice in India.

Save a girl child: Changing the attitude

There is a need to build a dialogue amongst the stakeholders as well as track inter-generational change amongst the women through various generations. Achievements of the successful women from different strata of the society as well as from different walks of life need to be highlighted to change the attitude of the society against women.

Save a Girl Child: Closing comments

There needs to be widespread visible contempt and anger in society against the "genocide" against women. Today nobody can say female feticide is not their problem when more than one million girl foetuses are been selectively destroyed every year in the country. It's high time we all did our bit to help save the girl child as time is really running out for the girl child in India. The disastrous consequences of what is happening today will be felt in another 10-20 years time. Therefore to prevent a horrible future the need of the hour is to realize our responsibilities and give a halt to this evil crime of killing the girl child in the womb itself. A determined drive can initiate a spark to light the lamp and show the world that we indeed are the land of the great goddesses and mothers.

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Thomas Train Bed - Sleep Soundly Little One

To have a Thomas train bed, all that is needed is a little imagination and the right supplies. From the official Thomas and Friends website there are sheets, blankets, and a bedtop. At one time there was even a canopy bed set sold, but only used ones are now available.

For the toddler engineer, a toddler bed that looks just like Thomas is available. The footboard has that cheerful face and there are wheels on the side with a cabin in the back that has a storage shelf on top for books and toys.

If a portable bed that can converts to a chair is what you have in mind, there is one ready for use. This is a great addition to have on hand for sleepovers or just camping out in the living room.

To convert a regular bed to a Thomas the train bed is easy. There are sets of 3 to 8 pieces of bedding for the transformation of a twin size bed into an engine for sleeping. This comes with a twin size comforter, 3 piece sheet set, a Thomas Sham, Thomas drapes with 2 panels and a window valance to make the transformation complete. This will set the theme of the room to a Thomas room.

This is what is available on the open market. For those fathers that are handy in the workshop, a homemade bed or a bed modified with the face of Thomas on the headboard would always be a winner.

Remember, the purpose of the Thomas train bed is for your little engineer to get a good night sleep.

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Selecting Comfortable and High-Quality Maternity Sleepwear

A mother-to-be deserves to have comfortable maternity sleepwear. It may not guarantee sound sleep every night in the weeks before the baby is due, but suitable and high-grade nightclothes will provide whatever comfort and relaxation is possible and add some fashion and style to the expectant mom's informal attire. Maternity sleepwear usually contains provisions for nursing after the baby's birth, so it can be worn over an extended period of time.

You should buy maternity pajamas in your normal size before pregnancy, unless you have added more than twenty-five or thirty-five pounds. You will also want to buy pajamas that are one or even two sizes larger if you are going to have twins - or more!

Most nightwear for maternity use includes variable bra sizes so it can be fitted properly and provide support plus access for nursing. If you purchase your nightgown or pajamas before the baby is born, then add one cup size to the bust so you can continue to wear it for nursing after the baby is born.

There are lots of styles of designer maternity nightwear available to suit your mood and personality, and you can choose from informal, playful, coquettish, steamy, or many other variations. In addition to maternity pajamas and nightgowns, you can also find camisoles, robes, and yoga pants for the expectant mother.

There are also three- and four-piece maternity and nursing sets that include pj's or a nightie, a robe, and a sleeper for the new baby. These sets are great gifts for baby showers as they are useful for the mother-to-be while she's at the hospital and before, and they're ready for the baby's use when he or she arrives. Thus they are a common addition to the expectant mother's wish list that she gives to family and acquaintances.

Great maternity and nursing styles, including the Pajannaman and MJs sleepwear, are offered by Majamas. These styles are both made of Majamas' super comfy material that is extra soft, moisture wicking, and stretchy, and includes pull-down access for nursing. The MJs feature pajama pants that are full length and fit under the stomach, while the Pajannaman has cropped pants that also fit beneath the stomach. Both types come with short sleeves and cross-over tops that support the bust. Majamas also offers fashionable maternity sleepwear styles in many lively designs and colors.

I hope this information will be a help to you as you select your sleepwear for your pregnancy, and that you will find clothing that will make you as comfortable as you can be during that time.

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Essential Kids Summer Camp Checklist

A kids summer camp can be a great experience for children and their parents. After you have made the choice of which camp to send your child to, it's time to plan for the actual camp program. How will you know what your child really needs? Most summer camp programs will send a welcome packet including a list of what to pack, whether it's a summer day camp or an overnight program. In case they don't or if you want to be fully prepared, here are some tips for creating a camp checklist.

For day camps, you would want to include swimming gear, like a towel, swimsuit, swim shoes and sunscreen. Add in hat, filled water bottles, sandals, an extra set of clothing, hat and maybe a lightweight rain slicker and sweatshirt and your child should be prepared for whatever heads her way.

If your child is on any regular medication or has an allergy, make sure the summer camp nurse knows about it and you have registered those medications. Include detailed instructions on how the medication should be administered and when they need to call you.

Some summer day camps provide lunch and snacks, others do not. If they don't they you will need to pack a lunch every day in an insulated lunch snack - include an ice pack to keep the food cool. Avoid sending peanut butter, nuts and chocolate as snacks since these are common allergy triggers for kids - and the chocolate will melt.

And don't forget to have snacks handy in the car when you pick them up after a long day of camping. Your children have been busy, busy, busy and waiting until dinner time will likely be too long.

For sleep away camp programs, the same basic list of items is needed except more. First off you will need to know how long the camp lasts, and whether or not your kids will have the chance to do laundry. If not, pack twice as many pairs of underwear and socks as days in the camp. For other clothes, a good rule of thumb is one t-shirt and shorts for each day of camp, a few sweatshirts or fleeces for cool nights, two pairs of pants, two sets of pajamas, flip slops, sneakers and several bathing suits.

And don't forget the toiletries - toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, comb and a hairbrush. Include two sets of washcloths and towels. Include toiletries such as shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, biodegradable soap, hairbrush and comb, two wash cloths and at least two towels. Include a plastic bag or carrying case to get these things to and from the shower. Other items might include bed lines, pillow, sleeping bag and a blanket, as well as a flashlight with extra batteries.

Most camps won't allow cellphones, video games, or music players, so check and see what your camp program's rules are. You might want to throw in some books or puzzles for quiet times and rainy days. And don't forget to label everything with your child's names or initials. A waterproof marker or fabric labels work well too.

With a little bit of planning, your kids summer camp experience can be a great one. When they're well prepared - thanks to you, your kids can focus on having tons of fun - the whole point of camp.

Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life

Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life
By Gene Griessman, PhD

            Many of us have an image of personal balance as a set of scales in perfect balance every day. But that's an unrealistic goal. You are in for a lot of frustration if you try to allocate within every day a predetermined portion of time for work, family and your social life. An illness may upset all your plans. A business project may demand peaks of intense work, followed by valleys of slow time.
            Balance requires continual adjustments, like an acrobat on a high wire who constantly shifts his weight to the right and to the left. By focusing on four main areas of your life - emotional/spiritual needs, relationships, intellectual needs and physical needs - at work and away from work, you can begin to walk the high wire safely.
            Here, drawn from my conversations with many high successful Americans, are ten ideas for balancing all aspects of your life:
1.      Make an appointment with yourself. Banish from your mind the idea that everyone takes precedence over you. Don't use your organizer or calendar just for appointments with others. Give yourself some prime time. Regularly do something you enjoy. It will recharge your batteries. Once you've put yourself on your calendar, guard those appointments. Kay Koplovitz founder of the USA cable television network, which is on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Koplovitz ran the daily operations of the network for 21 years. For more than two decades, there was always some potential claim on her time. Therefore she vigilantly protected a scheduled tennis match just as she would a business appointment.
2.      Care for your body. Having a high energy level is a trait held by many highly successful people. No matter what your present level of energy, you can increase it by following these steps:
Eat. Don't skip meals. Your physical and mental energy depend upon nourishment. Irregular eating patterns can cause a frayed temper, depression, lack of creativity and a nervous stomach.
Exercise. Over and over again, highly successful people mention the benefit of exercise routines. Johnetta Cole, president of Bennett College for Women and former president of Spelman College, does a four-mile walk each morning. She calls it her mobile meditation. The benefits of exercise are mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. If you are healthier and have more stamina, you can work better and longer.
Rest. A psychologist who has studied creative people reports that they rest often and sleep a lot.
3.      Cut some slack. You do not have to do everything. Just the right things. Publisher Steve Forbes taught me a lesson: "Don't be a slave to your in-box. Just because there's something there doesn't mean you have to do it." As a result, every evening, I extract from my long list to-do list just a few "musts" for the following day. If, but three o'clock the next day, I've crossed off all the "musts," I know that everything else I do that day will be icing on the cake. It is a great psychological plus for me.
There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself hard, disciplining yourself to
do what needs to be done when you hold yourself to the highest standards. That builds up stamina and turns you into a pro. At time, though, you must forgive yourself. You will never become 100 percent efficient, nor should you expect to be. After something does not work, ask yourself, "Did I do my best? If you did, accept the outcome. All you can do is all you can do.
4.      Blur the boundaries. Some very successful people achieve balance by setting aside times or days for family, recreation, hobbies or the like. They create boundaries around certain activities and protect them. Other individuals who are just as successful do just the opposite. They blur the boundaries. Says consultant Alan Weiss, "I work out of my home. In the afternoon, I might be watching my kids play at the pool or be out with my wife. On Saturday, or at ten o'clock on a weeknight, I might be working. I do things when the spirit moves me, and when they're appropriate."
Some jobs don't lend themselves to this strategy. But blurring the boundaries is possible more often than you may think. One way is to involve people you care about in what you do. For example, many companies encourage employees to bring their spouses to conferences and annual meetings. It's a good idea. If people who mean a great deal to you understand what you do, they can share more fully in your successes and failures. They also are more likely to be a good sounding board for your ideas.
5.      Take a break. Many therapists believe that taking a break from a work routine can have major benefits for mental and physical health. Professional speaker and executive coach Barbara Pagano practices a kind of quick charge, by scheduling a day every few months with no agenda. For her, that means staying in her pajamas, unplugging the phone, watching old movie or reading a novel in bed. For that one day, nothing happens, except what she decides from hour to hour. Adds singer and composer Billy Joel, "There are times when you need to let the field lie fallow." Joel is describing what farmers often do: let a plot rest so the soil can replenish itself.
6.      Take the road less traveled. Occasionally, get off the expressway and take a side road, literally and figuratively. That road may take you to the library or to the golf course. Do something out of the ordinary to avoid the well-worn grooves of your life. Try a new route to work, a different radio station or a different cereal. Break out of your old mold occasionally, with a new way to dress or a different hobby. The road less traveled can be a reward after a demanding event, a carrot that you reward your self with or it can be a good way to loosen up before a big event. Bobby Dodd, the legendary football coach at Georgia Tech, knew the power of this concept. While other coaches were putting their teams through brutal twice-a-day practices, Dodd's team did their drills and practices, but then took time to relax, play touch football and enjoy the bowl sites. Did the idea work? In six straight championships games!
7.      Be still. Susan Taylor, editorial director of Essence, sees to it that she has quiet time every morning. She regards it as a time for centering - for being still and listening. She keeps a paper and pen with her to jot down ideas that come to her. The way you use solitary time should match your values, beliefs and temperament. Some individuals devote a regular time each day to visualize themselves attaining their goals and dreams. Others read, pray, meditate, do yoga or just contemplate a sunrise or sunset. Whatever form it takes, time spent alone can have an enormous payoff. Achievers talk about an inner strength they find and how it helps them put competing demands into perspective. They feel more confident about their choices and more self-reliant. They discover a sense of balance, a centeredness.
8.      Be a peacetime patriot. Joe Posner has achieved wealth and recognition selling life insurance. Several years ago, Posner helped form an organization in his hometown of Rochester, NY to prepare underprivileged children for school and life and, he hopes, break the poverty cycle. You may find some equally worthy way to give something back through your church, hospital, civic club, alumni association or by doing some pro bono work. Or you may help individuals privately, even anonymously. There are powerful rewards for balancing personal interests with the needs of the common good. One of the most wonderful is the sheer joy that can come from giving. Another reward is the better world that you help create.
9.      Do what you love to do. As a boy, Aaron Copeland spent hours listening to his sister practice the piano because he loved music. By following that love, he became America's most famous composer of classical must. When I asked him years later if he had even been disappointed by that choice Copeland replied, "My life has been enchanting." What a word to sum up a life. By itself, loving what you do does not ensure success. You need to be good at what you love. But if you love what you do, the time you spend becoming competent is less likely to be drudgery.
10. Focus on strategy. As important as it is, how to save time for balancing your life is not the ultimate question. That question is, "What am I saving time for?" Strategy has to do with being successful - but successful at what? If others pay your salary, being strategic generally means convincing them that you are spending your time in a way that benefits them. If there is a dispute over how you should use your time, either convince the people who can reward or punish you that your idea about using time is appropriate, or look for another job. The "what for?" question should also be asked about the life you live. It is truly a comprehensive question and gets at the question of wholeness.

So what makes for a successful balance life? I can think of no better definition than the one given by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
     To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because I have lived. This is to have succeeded.