Wanted: Satisfaction!

Written by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur


"Newsweek" recently published an article on "Mommy Madness." (Feb. 21, 2005) Judith Warner writes of "the push to be perfect," thatrepparttar type of hands-on mothering society expects of women today is "utterly incompatible with any kind of outside work, or friendship, or life." Jeff Opdyke, who writesrepparttar 130093 "Love & Money" column inrepparttar 130094 Wall Street Journal recently moved with his family from New Jersey to Louisiana so that his wife Amy could take a new full-time managerial position (she had previously worked part-time). Overrepparttar 130095 course of three columns, he wrote ofrepparttar 130096 difficult tollrepparttar 130097 move andrepparttar 130098 change in roles had taken on him, his wife, and their eight-year-old son. When it was Amy's turn to speak, she told of feeling overwhelmed and struggling to balance her high-pressure job with a busy family. Life just wasn't working as she had pictured it would.

Yes, motherhood is hard, but mothers are notrepparttar 130099 only women who suffer from a chronic case of dissatisfaction. Society is somehow always telling women that we should be doing something or being someone other than who we are right now. If we are single, people ask when we are going to get married. If we are married, people ask when we are going to have children. If we have children and go to work, we should be at home. If we have children and stay home, people wonder why we are "wasting" our education. If we are young, we should look older. If we are getting along in years, we should frantically chase that fountain of youth, whether it comes in a bottle, a pill, orrepparttar 130100 operating room. We should be thinner, prettier, and more successful. We have internalized these messages to such a degree that our loudest critic just may berepparttar 130101 voice inside our own heads! We try so hard to measure up to some ideal vision of whom we should be and feel defeated when we don't meet that perfected version of ourselves.

So, then, how do we stoprepparttar 130102 cycle? How do we stop defining ourselves by whatrepparttar 130103 world expects us to be, and instead focus onrepparttar 130104 life God intended for us? First, we must embracerepparttar 130105 idea that our worth comes from God, not from our personal achievements or our possessions. God shaped us in our mother's womb. He knows us and loves us for who we are and where we are right now. Yes, we may be a little rough aroundrepparttar 130106 edges, but as long as we keep trying to live each day according to God's will, we are working at making those edges smooth. The old adage that "God isn't finished with me yet" has a great deal of truth to it. We are all works in progress.

How To Clean Gold Jewelry

Written by Ben Sather


Gold jewelry to a woman is priceless. Although gold jewelry comes in many different styles and colors,repparttar care and cleaning procedure for all golden treasures remainrepparttar 130091 same. Good common sense is your best guide, and these important tips on how to clean gold jewelry will help you keep your exquisite pieces lustrous and shining.

Gold is tarnish-resistant, but it can get dirty or smudged. Lotions, powders, soaps, even natural skin oils that we use regularly can cover your jewelry and cut down their brilliance. Jewelry cleaning removes any such build-up or residue and restoresrepparttar 130092 original sparkle and shine to make your precious jewelries last a lifetime.

Although numerous commercial products are available to clean gold jewelry, most often water and a mild detergent is sufficient to restorerepparttar 130093 radiance, and a soft brush helps to gently clean intricate filigree designs and stones. Sometimes it can be helpful to soakrepparttar 130094 gold jewelry in a solution of one part ammonia and six parts water for up to sixty seconds. It is imperative to dry and polish your gold jewelry with a chamois or soft cloth after cleaning.

Jewelry polishing cloths are an effective and inexpensive way of keeping your bits of gold glittering and radiant. These essential cotton cloths help to remove tarnish and to buff jewelry to look as good as new. Avoid wearing jewelry while in contact with household chemicals, such as chlorine bleach as this can discolor or damage your gold jewelry mountings.

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