Make-Up Tips For the African-American Woman

Hello and welcome. This is an article that is GREATLY needed. At least I think it is. I started wearing make-up around the age of 14 and when I started, it was the WRONG shade for my skin tone. So! I am trying to speak out for all the Beautiful, Brown-Skinned Black Women that have as hard a time finding make-up as I do. So, let me give you a little background on me.

First of all, Black is beautiful, and the darker the berry the sweeter the juice! That being said, at 14 I was a little blackberry without a clue. When I first started wearing make-up it was just lipstick and it started out being my mom's Fashion Fair. My mother who is light-skinned and has a daughter who is dark-skinned. Needless to say her lipstick did NOT match at all. I was even referred to as a dark-skinned Ronald McDonald by a previous ex-boyfriend!

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So, I believe that us brown-skinned and dark-skinned women need a little extra help because it is more difficult for us to find make-up that matches in drugstores, or make-up that is affordable. Plus Cosmo and Glamour and all of them always be talking about great make-up for spring, but uh, hello did you forget black girls like make-up for spring too? So, I feel your pain. I am a self-appointed make-up aficionado, and would like to offer my experiences as well as some products that are FABO and not so much fabo. So... without further ado, let's get started!

Make-Up Tips For the African-American Woman

JUST AN FYI: These are all make-ups that I have had to use through trial and error so I am sharing from EXPERIENCE!

FACE: I find it hard to find a good foundation, and full-coverage make-up that is affordable so here are some wonderful finds that I have found that are both.

1-Cover Girl Queen Collection Natural Hue Liquid Foundation- Spicy Brown

PROS- it is good at matching skin tones that have yellow or red undertones, spreads easily and if you only need moderate coverage gives you a good bang for your buck. It is affordable ranging about 6-8 bucks, and you can find it in most drugstores, and grocery stores.

CONS- If you have dark spots and blemishes, this will NOT offer you the coverage you need! Not even close, okay? It also wears off quickly so you would need to reapply often. The bottle is upside down with a little spout, so if you pour out too much, you cannot put it back in the bottle and in these times of economic crisis er' little bit counts am I right ladies?!

Also, if you have problems matching your skin tone because you have BOTH yellow and red, or maybe blue and red undertones, this collection may not be for you because there is not a vast selection to choose from, so you might need to move on. Other shades that are good for brown-skinned to dark-skinned gals, and some of you fellas! Rich Mink, Sheer Espresso, and True Ebony.

2- Cover Girl Queen Collection Natural Hue Compact Foundation

PROS-It will give you more coverage than the Liquid Foundation. That's it. That's about all I can think of.

CONS-Unfortunately, it rubs off QUITE quickly. It is also tinted slightly differently than the liquid foundation so I found it harder to match my skin tone. Also, when it was warm outside it wipes RIGHT off, and revealed every blemish on my face! LOL, it also wipes off on your clothes, stains your hands, the whole bit. It's moderately priced as well, so if you want to look nice for a date at night, going somewhere cool, it's a quick fix, but I wouldn't wear it to the club, or a carnival, anywhere that will be warm, or sweaty. It also comes in the same.

3- Black Opal True Color Liquid Foundation - Black Walnut

PROS-Awesome Coverage. There is quite a bit in the bottle so it will last you quite a while. It is an upright standing bottle with a generous opening, so if you pour out too much, it won't be too difficult to get back into the bottle, so you can SAVE, SAVE, SAVE! I wear foundation every day, sometimes wash my face and re-apply if going out that night, and this bottle lasts me about a good two months or so. You will find that it ranges from about 8-12 bucks... depending on where you live. So it is a great buy.

CONS- If you have combination to oily skin, WEAR POWDER, and keep it with you! During these upcoming warm to hot days, you may look really greasy in the face. But if you keep Blotters with you, or powders, you should be okay. Also, it might just be that MY skin tone changes, so if that is the case disregard, but I find that when I go to buy a new one, the shade might not match like the previous one, so be mindful of that.

Another con is that Black Opal Products may be a little harder to find in stores than other products that I mention. I don't know if it's that they're not that popular, or what, but whenever I look I always find them in either Rite-Aid, or CVS. So, happy hunting. Other colors good for brown-skinned girls... Carob, Suede Mocha, and Ebony Brown..... And for you borderline caramel to brown-skin girls, Hazelnut!

4-Maybelline Pure Make-Up (Shine Free Foundation with H2O) - Cocoa (Dark 3)

PROS- Very affordable, easy to find. Located in Most drugstores, supermarkets, Wal-Mart. Costs range about 5.99-10 bucks, depending on your region. Full coverage, doesn't clog your pores, spreads easily.

CONS-Upside down tube, so you will have to be exact about how much is needed for your face, cause if you use too much... it will go to waste. Limited colors for darker skin tones. They only have THREE shades for women of OUR color. Dark 1- Tan, Dark 2- Caramel, and Dark 3-Cocoa. I have used the Cocoa. It is way too dark for my skin-tone.

However, the Caramel Dark 2 is too light. So, if you are pressed for money and don't have the money to experiment, I wouldn't waste my time on this product. They have FIVE shades dedicated to light, FOUR for medium and only three for us darkies??!!! Leave this product alone, unless you happen to match EXACTLY. Good luck evading the lady who tries to watch you when you try to sample the products in the store!

5- Black Radiance Color Perfect Oil Free Liquid Make-Up- Cocoa Bean

PROS-Very affordable! VERY! Somewhat accessible. Costs about 5.99-10 bucks, and you can find it in a lot of Beauty Supply stores, CVS carries it. Spreads evenly, good coverage, get quite a bit for your buck. Also, comes in a jar with an open spout, so if you have too much, you can put it back in there. Gives you a nice matte finish.

CONS- Cocoa Bean does NOT match my skin tone! But I also have strange undertones going on with my skin, so that could be why it is so difficult to match. When you apply this make-up it dries a different color, it's crazy. There's this... weird... applicator thingy, not sure what to do with it, but it just got in my way basically. Says it is good for all skin types, but I have very sensitive skin on my face, and I found that within thirty minutes my face was suffocating and I needed to wash it off. Other shades to try are Brownie and Mocha Honey.

6- L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Make-Up- Nut Brown

PROS-Oh my goodness you guys this make-up was awesome! Spread really, really great! Matches wonderfully for a yellow undertone. Really does a brown-skinned girl justice. Light, so your skin can breathe. Good coverage for girls with blemishes. Pretty easy to find, and I say that with hesitance, because 7 times out of 10 they will carry all BUT the shades for brown-skinned. Um, I find them at Wal-Mart, Walgreens..and that's pretty much it.

CONS- This product has SPF and I am VERY allergic to sun block so it broke me out something terrible. Kind of hard to find. It's a little more expensive than the previous products mentioned. MMM, I would say about 10.99 and up. You may be able to find it on sale. Also, there is not a whole lot in the bottle, so use sparingly if you can. Other shades to try.... Soft Sable and Cocoa.

7- Revlon Color Stay Make-Up with Soft Flex - Mahogany

PROS- Pretty easy to find in most drugstores. Colors are good for brown-skinned girls. Kind of affordable. A little on the higher end but about 9.99-12.99 for this product. The coverage is okay... Not the best, but if you are looking for light to moderate coverage this is a good product.

CONS- Now, I found that Mahogany did not match my undertones that great. I know.... Again with the undertones. It dried and made my skin look a little grayish and chalky. There is not really a good selection to choose from for darker skin tones. Has SPF6, bad for me, but good for anyone who is not allergic. Also, again, if you don't have the undertone problem.... Other shades to try... Cappuccino and Mocha.

And lastly but CERTAINLY not least...

8- Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse - Cocoa (Dark 3)

PROS- OH MY GOSH...... loving this product!! (sing song voice) this is the current make up I am using now! It def does what the commercial says. It covers your pores, and gives you a great finish! Maximum coverage! Need NO concealer, well... maybe a little bit, but I don't use any. It is very affordable, anywhere from about 7-10 bucks. I found it right at the Kroger grocery store, so it should be available at most drug stores. It has a nifty little nozzle that squirts out and it's really convenient. It is also whipped feeling, and I apply with my fingers.

It just glides right on, and begins covering all my pores and dark spots, and its not too heavy, I don't have to put on a bunch. The top also comes off, so if I over-squirt, I can put it right back in the bottle. There's lots in the bottle, and you don't have to use a lot for coverage. I think I bought this bottle a month ago and I still have a little more than half a bottle left. It's great! I love it. Hopefully this will be the end of the road for me, but usually it isn't!

CONS-Again, it's Maybelline, and you know they don't cater to the brownies, so there are only three shades of this color which is aforementioned Dark 1, Dark 2, Dark 3. Dark 3 of this particular make-up works really well for me. Weird the other Maybelline product Dark 3 didn't work, but oh well. That's the only con I can come up with for this product so far.

So, in closing, I know a lot of people are saying well what about MAC? MAC, well first, MAC isn't exactly what I would call easy or easily accessible. MAC is usually found at a counter in a dept store, or MAC store in the mall, and both close around 9 pm. I am a girl on a budget, and I can't afford to pay 15-25 bucks for make up that doesn't seem to last very long, actually. And also, with my sensitive skin, MAC gives me a rash. I have tried the Studio Tech Compact in NW50. If you don't mind paying a little bit more then here are some other shades to try... NW45, NW47, NC50, NC55, and NW55.

PS, I have tried Clinique, the shade wasn't worth mentioning because it made me look gray and gave me a rash. Fashion Fair is good too if you can find it, but again, a little out of my budget right now, and usually can only be found in a dept store or the mall. I haven't worn it in years, so I do not remember the shade. But Fashion Fair offers a BUNCH of shades for us chocolates!

I hope this article helped a lot. I will continue to discuss blushes, concealers, lipsticks, and glosses, mineral powders, bronzers, eye shadows....ahh! Most DEF eye shadows, my favorite, and beauty tricks... some ghetto.... Hope you enjoy! Happy hunting ladies.

Make-Up Tips For the African-American Woman

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Direct TV Internet - Is Direct TV Internet All it's Cracked Up to Be?

One day my wife came in from picking up our kids at her sister's house and wanted to know why we didn't have Internet service through our Direct TV subscription. She said her sister had just gotten it and loved it. I didn't want to tell her I didn't know Direct TV even offered Internet access. She looks up to me and thinks I know everything there is to know about any topic she has questions about. So I let her think it. (Hey, who's it hurting?) I told her I hadn't gotten around to finding the best deal yet, but I'd look into it.

Several days later I finally took a few minutes and poked around online, looking for information on Internet service from Direct TV. I did a MASSIVE amount of searching, wading through a bunch of nonsense, and came away with three and only three sites that are worth your time. I decided to bookmark those to come back to later when I had more time. I've listed them below so you can check them out for yourself. Anyway, a few more days went by, and my sister-in-law calls the house and wants to know if we've gotten Direct TV Internet service yet. Well, all that did was stir up my wife to nag me about why I hadn't done what I said I'd do. So back to the computer I went.

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This time I was a bit more careful and took my time looking over first one site then another, but I just ended up going back to the same three sites I had bookmarked earlier. (Remember, the links to them are at the end of this story). I found all kinds of information I needed to make a smart decision about Direct TV's Internet services.

Direct TV Internet - Is Direct TV Internet All it's Cracked Up to Be?

Seems it doesn't matter where you live, they're able to get the Internet to you, whether it's through your existing phone lines or via satellite. I even ran across an article in one of my searches that says Direct TV will be offering Internet access through your power lines, and that's going to be totally sweet when it gets rolled out nationally.

And Direct TV is partnered with several well-known companies in the communications industry in order to provide Internet access to you, no matter where your house is. Heavy hitters like AT&T, Verizon, Wildblue and others I'm sure you're familiar with.

According to the sites I've referenced below, there are times when you can find substantial savings when you bundle your Direct TV and Internet access together. The promotions vary, which is why it's important to order through a site that stays current like the ones below.

Anyway, we finally got it and the wife's happy...for now. And I have to admit, I am too. Internet access through Direct TV is light years faster than our old dial-up. Looking back, I can't believe I waited so long. Fortunately, you don't have to. All you have to do is click the links below and you can find the best deals running right now on Direct TV's Internet services. It costs nothing to click, and who knows, it might save you a bundle.

Direct TV Internet - Is Direct TV Internet All it's Cracked Up to Be?

When it comes to getting the best deal on Direct TV's Internet service, here are the only three sites I found that you need to check out. The first one I'd recommend is this Direct TV Internet article at DigitalTVDojo (these guys really do it right!). You should also take a few minutes and check out the Direct TV Internet page on Squidoo, and this Direct TV Internet article on Hubpages. You'll be glad you did.

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Do You Feel Like Giving Up?

There are times in life when almost everyone has thought about giving up. Frustrated and feeling like nothing is working for them, a person can get to the point of saying, "What's the use in trying anymore?"

Reaching that point in life, most of the time a person chooses one of two courses. If someone is really discouraged, they can choose to accept their "plight in life." They see their dreams or goals as unattainable. They believe that for them, "This is just the way that it is."

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But others choose a different path. Yes, they too may be discouraged. They may very well be very frustrated and feel like giving up. But, instead, they choose not to give up. They choose to keep trying.

Do You Feel Like Giving Up?

Life is not without challenges and setbacks no matter who you are. With the current economic situations many of those challenges seem to be magnified. It can be tempting to think, "Why bother trying anymore?"

This is not only true with economic challenges, but with relationships, illness, special projects; it's true with any number of different things. But no matter what it is you are thinking about "giving up" on, before you do, consider two important questions.

First, why was this important to you in the first place? Whether it is a relationship, a job promotion, a dream of yours, a new business, moving to a new city, etc., why was it important to begin with? Really be honest in answering this question.

Secondly, do you feel like quitting because it is no longer important to you, or, because it hasn't worked out yet like you expected it to? Here's a key in answering this second question: if it no longer important to you, then it really isn't a big deal to abandon it. But, on the other hand, if you are feeling sad and remorseful in giving up on something, then it is still important to you.

If something is important to you, I don't believe you ever have to quit. Your goals and your dreams are yours. The desires of your heart are deeply personal and they are very important because they are yours. The Bible states that God will give you the desires of your heart, so He must think they are important as well.

So, if something is still important to you then you can either give up, or, you can refuse to quit. I know that refusing to quit is easier said than done. I've been there in my life many times.

Here are some keys that will help you to stay on course and not quit.

It really takes no more effort to focus on a negative than it does to focus on a positive. So many times when we are ready to give up and quit we are focusing only on the problem. All we see is that we do not have what we desire. That tempts us to complain and blame.

Put your focus back on your goal, back on what you desire. Yes, you need to track your status in terms of accomplishment, but keep your main focus on your desire.

Dismiss and let go of worry, doubt and fear. The greatest detriment to success is fear of failure. Put your trust in God. His message to you is, "Fear not." So, when you have those feelings of fear, toss them out and replace them with thoughts of confidence; Say, "I can do this!"

Next, write down a plan, any kind of a plan. It doesn't have to be 10 pages long. As a matter of fact, if you can only write one or two things down that's fine. That's your plan right now.

This is very helpful especially if you feel like you are at the end of your ropes and that you have already tried everything. That doesn't matter now. You have decided not to quit, so you are now re-grouping. Just write something down. You can add to it later, but you need to start somewhere.

Doing this helps to eliminate the worries of how and what and where. Instead of looking at past setbacks you are now focusing on a solution. Here is what I am going to do right now.

For example, you may simply write down, "pray." That's fine. Maybe that's all you can do right now, today. Then tomorrow, you add to it, "Evaluate what I have been doing."

After a time you can add lots of things to your plan such as: what you will continue to do, what might need adjusting, what new things you can do, what additional information you need to learn and who can you get help from.

If something is indeed important to you, then don't quit. Have confidence in God and stay persistent. The learning when you stay on the journey is invaluable, and as many have said, many times more fulfilling than actually achieving the goal or dream.

Finally, refuse to think or utter anything negative about your dream or goal. Always speak positively about it. I will get there. I am making progress. I am moving forward. It doesn't matter how slow the progress, what matters is that I am moving forward because I refuse to quit.

Do You Feel Like Giving Up?

Michael A. Verdicchio offers a FREE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP to, "Enriching Your Life Now!" as well as a FREE NEWSLETTER at http://www.ConfidenceAndJoy.com He also offers a FREE series of articles on success at http://www.ReducingStressAtWork.com
Michael is a husband, father, minister, author, and broadcaster. He has ALSO been the voice on numerous projects and productions including Mike's Pep Talks!

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Should You Let Your Car Warm Up Before Driving?

Remember those cold mornings when you were a kid? Dad would go out, fire up the station wagon and come inside to drink coffee while the car warmed up. Warming up the car just makes sense, right? Actually, it does not.

There is an old saying that just because 50 million people say something, it doesn't make it true. This is very much the case with the notion of letting your car warm up. You've heard you are supposed to do it and, logically, it seems to make sense. The only problem, of course, is it is nonsense if your car is fuel injected, which most are these days.

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First things first - your father was not wrong about warming up the old station wagon. Cars used to have carburetors to handle the fuel input into the engine. Carburetors were not precise instruments and they worked better when warmed up. By letting the car idle, the engine would warm up. Heat would rise and the carburetor would get nice and toasty.

Should You Let Your Car Warm Up Before Driving?

Nearly all modern cars have ditched the carburetor approach. Now, they are designed to use electronic fuel injection systems controlled by computer programs and processing units. These new systems do not need to a warm up period. The programs work right off the bat. When the car is cold, the programs will adjust the fuel flow to come up with the most efficient engine performance solution. As the car warms up, the software program will continue to adjust the fuel mixture.

Ah, but what about lubrication? Letting the car warm up gets the oil moving around and so on, right? Again, we have to look at how the modern car works and the products that have been tailored to it. Modern oil does not come from the ground directly to your car. It is processed, refined and tweaked to create certain properties. One of them is a "stickiness" that causes the oil to bond at a molecular level with the engine parts. This means that there is effectively a layer of oil on the parts at all time, even before you start the car!

The desire to fire up your car and let it sit while warming up is one you really have to fight. All you are accomplishing when you do this is wasting gas and kicking out fumes from the tailpipe. Time is money. Get a move on!

Should You Let Your Car Warm Up Before Driving?

Dirk Gibson writes about issues surrounding auto parts for http://www.DCJAutoParts.com - buy inexpensive parts online and save money by doing your own repairs.

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File a Motion to Dismiss the Foreclosure Lawsuit to Get More Time to Save Your Home

Once homeowners fall behind on their payments by a few months, the bank will inevitably begin the process of filing foreclosure paperwork. In states where the lender must (or usually does) go to court to be able to have the home auctioned, a lawsuit is filed against the owners. This is when the clock starts really ticking against borrowers, who must file an answer to the bank's lawsuit, but there is a step that may be taken even to delay the process at this initial juncture in the legal process.

When homeowners are served with a foreclosure lawsuit, they are typically given 20-30 days to file their answer with the court. In the answer, they are able to respond to the allegations the bank made in its complaint, state any affirmative defenses, and claim any defenses to the lawsuit. This is when borrowers can really start making the bank defend each of its positions or attack the lender's ability to bring the lawsuit in the first place.

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But homeowners can take a step even before filing their answer that may buy them some extra time and force the bank to begin defending its legal action against the borrowers. Filing a Motion to Dismiss before the answer will put the entire foreclosure process in the courts on hold for a time until the Motion to Dismiss can be ruled upon by the judge in the case. With the slow speed at which many courts operate in the country, this simply maneuver can buy homeowners an extra month or more even before the bank can get a foreclosure judgment on the property.

File a Motion to Dismiss the Foreclosure Lawsuit to Get More Time to Save Your Home

This is also a way to eliminate a lawsuit very quickly without spending more time defending the bank's arguments point by point in a formal answer. The federal rules of civil procedure state that it is not necessary to file an answer to a complaint until a Motion to Dismiss has been ruled upon by the court. It is also important to note that this legal tactic may be called by other names in other states; for example, it may be referred to as a Demurrer o a Preliminary Objection, depending on the state laws and rules.

One way to begin arguing against the bank's lawsuit without filing an answer addressing the entire complaint is to file a Motion to Dismiss based on the bank's inability to bring the lawsuit in the first place. Homeowners can state that the bank has not shown it even owns the mortgage for it to have a claim to any of the borrower's property. If the bank does not have a right to collect the mortgage payments and foreclose, it is not the party in interest and may not bring a foreclosure lawsuit against the owners.

Especially if the mortgage or note with assignment proof is not attached to the complaint, the bank may have trouble showing it is legally allowed to foreclose on the house. Simply filing a copy of the original mortgage or deed of trust is also not quite good enough, as these documents are a matter of public record. The bank must produce evidence that it is the current owner and assignee of the original note.

Insufficiency of process is another defense homeowners can use to file a Motion to Dismiss before addressing the actual substance of the bank's complaint. When banks do not correctly follow the laws and rules in serving the borrowers with the paperwork, the lawsuit is not valid and may be thrown out of court until the lender can get it right. This is mostly a matter of being familiar with the state and local rules of procedure and pointing out which ones the bank and its attorneys have violated.

Jurisdiction and standing are also issues homeowners may raise in a Motion to Dismiss because they force the bank to prove that it is able to bring the lawsuit and that this particular court has jurisdiction over both the homeowners and the issue. If really pressed on the issue, it is doubtful that the bank's attorneys could prove jurisdiction with facts and evidence, rather than mere legal opinions backed by nothing but fancy legal language designed to trick non-lawyer borrowers.

No matter what defenses they make in their Motion to Dismiss, though, homeowners need to be aware that this tactic only puts the foreclosure on hold until the motion can be ruled upon. It does not stop foreclosure entirely, and the clock will begin running out again if the motion is denied.

For this reason, homeowners need to prepare for more than just this one hearing, and should be working on other solutions to foreclosure, as well. Filing the motion, just like requesting a delay of the sheriff sale, is one more good way to get more time, but homeowners who do not have a long-term plan to save their home will end up homeless anyway. It is much better to use these ideas in context, rather than as an end in themselves.

File a Motion to Dismiss the Foreclosure Lawsuit to Get More Time to Save Your Home

Nick writes articles to provide homeowners with relevant foreclosure advice, resources, and tools that they can use to save their properties while they still have time. His site examines various methods to do this, including defending foreclosure in court, stopping a sheriff sale, obtaining a foreclosure refinance, and more. Visit the site to read more articles on how the foreclosure process works and how it can be stopped before the bank sells you home: http://www.foreclosurefish.net/

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Drive Green - Learning to Cruise Lightly on the Earth

Cars take a tremendous toll on the environment and they're at the heart of our fuel inefficiency in North America. We're in love with our cars and the freedom they provide us, but they're poisoning our air and driving our climate to change more rapidly than the earth can handle. According to the US Energy Information Administration, vehicle size, fuel consumption, and number of vehicles per household have gone up steadily over the last few decades. In fact, 2001 figures put average vehicle miles per household over 1,000 gallons per year, costing us between ,400 and ,300 in fuel annually.

With the cost of gasoline skyrocketing, fuel efficiency is on everyone's mind. Thankfully, short of getting rid of your car and walking, taking public transportation, or carpooling (which are great options!), there are some things to improve your carbon footprint, and save money in the process.

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Green-up your driving habits

Drive Green - Learning to Cruise Lightly on the Earth

Without even touching your car's engine or changing the fuel we use, you can improve how much carbon dioxide it emits by paying attention to driving habits. Start off by planning out your errands so that you stay close to home-after all, the fewer miles you drive, the less fuel you consume. And while you're planning, try to group tasks so that you can run several errands at one time. Cold engines wear faster and produce more pollution, so combine your trips so that your engine doesn't have to warm up with each time.

But while it's good to be as efficient as possible when driving around town, don't make the mistake of leaving your car running while you're in the store or picking up your kids from school. Believe it or not, idling for just two minutes is equivalent to driving over one mile, so shut off your engine, even if just for 30 seconds. And if idling is unavoidable, set the gear to neutral, which cuts noise pollution and produces fewer emissions.

Now, on to actual driving techniques. Did you know that the faster you go, the less fuel efficient your car runs? We're all in a hurry, but slowing down even by just 5 mph can have an impact on how much fuel you burn every month. An optimum speed for reduced emissions, according to many environmentalists, is 55 miles per hour (mph). You can get even more out of each tank by using your cruise control, which further increases your vehicle's efficiency.

Another good driving tip is to drive more smoothly. Rapid accelerations and heavy braking actually causes your car to guzzle more fuel, so it's in your best interest to even out your driving habits by cornering and braking steadily, accelerating gently, and maintaining consistent speeds.

Finally, if you're on the road on a hot summer's day, know how to cool your car efficiently. There's a lot of confusion about whether you should use your air conditioner or open the window to cool off. On the one hand, you don't necessarily want to make excessive use of air conditioner refrigerants like HFC-134a (a greenhouse gas), but on the other hand, you don't want to decrease your car's efficiency. So what's the answer? Generally, if you're driving over 45 mph, it's more efficient to run the air conditioner in order to avoid drag, but if you're driving any slower than that, open the window and let your movement do the cooling.

Baby your car

You can do even more to improve your car's efficiency by making sure it's constantly in good repair. First, be sure to take your car in for regular maintenance, because when your car is properly tuned-up, it runs more smoothly and burns less gas. If you're a do-it-yourself mechanic, just be sure that air filters are clean, fluids are topped-up, and everything's running without a hitch.

One of the most important maintenance things you can do to reduce your car's emissions is to ensure your tires are properly inflated. Driving on under-inflated tires not only wears them down more quickly, it also diminishes your fuel economy by as much as 3.3 percent (one percent for every pound drop in tire air pressure). It's a simple, low-cost way to seriously reduce your fuel consumption.

Finally, lighten your load by ensuring you're not carrying around a lot of dead weight. Empty out the back seat, your trunk, and the glove box of heavy items you don't need. And while you're at it, get rid of your rooftop rack except when it's in use to further increase your cars ability to burn fuel less quickly.

These simple steps will certainly go a short distance to driving more greenly day-to-day. If you really want to improve your overall carbon emissions record, consider purchasing a new hybrid that uses far less fuel to begin with. You'll be well on your way to living carbon-free!

Find out more:

- Energy Information Administration - Household Vehicles Energy Use
- US EPA Fuel Economy [http://www.fueleconomy.gov/]

Drive Green - Learning to Cruise Lightly on the Earth

Kate Williams is a wellness coach and health educator. See more of her articles and information about "green" topics especially creating non-toxic homes at Safe Clean for Kids. (http://www.Safe-Clean-For-Kids.com) More health information at Kate's blog: Joy In Health. Contact Kate: Kate at Safe-Clean-for-Kids dot com or telephone 1-877-260-3661

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How to Deal With a Break Up

How to deal with a break up? Ending a relationship is the hardest thing to do. You are looking for answers but you see none and you keep crying and getting depressed. You keep asking yourself how to deal with a break up and start to feel alone and dumped. Breaking up or getting dumped is the most painful thing you could experience in a relationship. A mutual attraction that bloomed into a joyful and lovely relationship is hard to end when one or both became uncomfortable due to a lot of reasons. It hurts and it's hard to accept that the person you love is no longer with you now and you need to learn how to deal with a break up.

At this stage when the break up is new you have to learn how to deal with a break up. Cry if you have to, it's alright. Allow yourself to grieve; it's the first step of healing. For men, it's okay to cry, you are a human being who is deeply hurt. Cry if you need too, but of course you have to be discreet and don't just cry anywhere because people might think you are getting crazy. You are hurt but you still have the responsibility to keep your sanity and keep your self in tact.

Save Up

Break ups doesn't always mean its permanent, sometimes it does mean you and your partner need space to think things over. Getting back together after a break up needs time. Use the time and space you both have to think things over. You and your partner can think clearly and may realize the importance of getting back together.

How to Deal With a Break Up

While you have your space to find out how to deal with a break up, there are things you can do to feel better. One thing is talk to people close to you or share your feeling with someone. You will feel better if you talk about your feeling to people close to you and cry on the shoulder of a friend or a family member.

Discovering how to deal with a break up includes loving yourself more. Do not blame yourself if the relationship needs to end. It's not your fault, relationships are complicated and most people go through rough times when it comes to relationships. If you start to blame yourself, you will get depressed and even lonelier. Think of the good qualities you have and be in the company of your friends who will always remind you of your good qualities. To know how to deal with a break up is to realize that you need to love yourself more. You need this to get through the loneliness of break ups. Take care of yourself and don't appear too depressed and sad. To deal with a break up with positive attitude will attract positive things and you will feel better if you will only think of positive things.

While you figure out how to deal with a break up, this is also the time to enjoy and do things you want to do. If you enjoy going to the gym with your friends then do it. If you love to teach children or be involved in community work, now you have all the time to do it. You may discover new things or rediscover yourself. Give yourself time to heal and think things over. This is good for you and your partner and when you finally see each other again you may see things differently and with new perspective.

How to Deal With a Break Up

Did you know that there are couples who have worked things out and get back together for good? You can mend your broken heart and bring back your lover. If you seriously, seriously want to bring back the love of your life visit Love and Relationships.

Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including how to deal with a break up.

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