by The Toad

Shopping for a great gift to give your girlfriend can be a bit frustrating if you don’t know exactly what she likes. Actually, it’s not that hard to figure out things that she likes if you can open up your ears and listen to what she says about fashion, makeup, handbags, shoes, jewelry and other girly type things. Maybe she won’t talk to you directly about these things because she knows you’re not that interested. But, she’ll talk to her mom, sister, cousin or girlfriends.

Next time she’s on the phone with a female relative or friend, or having an in-person conversation, perk up your ears and listen for clues for items that make her joyful. You’ll often hear phrases like “I love it” or “I really want one of those” slip from her lips. If you can’t get any clues this way, then just ask her to write down a list of 10 things that she’d love to get as a gift. This more direct approach will relieve you have having to do a lot of guesswork.

You can also come up with some great girlfriend gift ideas by looking at the clothes she likes to wear, her jewelry, type of high heel shoes, whether or not she wears stockings, what kind of perfume she sprits on her neck and wrists, what books she likes to read, what her favorite food is and other stuff.

If you want to surprise her with your gift, then you’ll need to become a bit of a detective. When she takes her shoe off, look inside it to see what size she wears. Pick up a t-shirt or blouse that’s laying around and see what size the tag says: XSmall, Small, Medium, Large or XLarge. If you can, take a look on top of her bedroom dresser or inside bathroom cabinets to see what brand of perfume she likes.

To get you started, here are some gift suggestions she may like:

Silk Blouse – most women will have use for a nice, silk blouse. Silk is soft and smooth and feels great against the skin. She can wear it with a pants suit, dressy skirt or even a pair of jeans. To be safe, stick with these colors: white, black or red.

Cashmere Sweater – a cashmere sweater is considered a top-of-the-line luxury clothing item because it is soft in texture and wears well. Cashmere sweaters are definitely more pricey than regular knit sweaters, so she’ll understand the value of this gift right away. There are pull over styles and cardigan styles – either one is a good choice. Stick to neutrals like: black, brown, gray or tan.

Animal Print Handbag – women love animal print handbags and these are really fun and funky. You can find a variety of this style in prices ranging from to 0. Popular prints are: zebra, leopard, cheetah, snake, crocodile and giraffe.

Pashima Shawl or Scarf – a pashima is a large shawl made out of rich material that a woman can wear as a light cover up. Pashimas can be worn with a cocktail dress, a suit, or any casual outfit. They’re very versatile in how they can be wrapped around the body. There are a wide variety of colors, so you’ll need to know what colors your lady likes.

Jeweled Tennis Bracelet – if you want to see her eyes open wide, present her with a dazzling tennis bracelet with either sparkly diamonds or cubic zirconia stones. Real diamonds will cost you more than cubic zirconia, but no matter what your budget, either version will look gorgeous on her wrist.

by The Toad

The bridal shower is constantly evolving, and some couples are moving to a non-traditional version of the bridal shower: the couples shower. While bridal showers used to be reserved just for the ladies, this new take on the bridal shower allows the groom, groomsmen, and fathers to get more involved in the wedding and celebration process. So, if you are planning your first couples shower, here are some great ideas to make your couples shower less girly and truly get the men folk involved!

Try to choose a more unisex theme. It’s okay to go ahead and use the wedding colors your couple has already decided on, but try experimenting with a new, less feminine take on it. You can do that by incorporating less flowers, and romantic hints. Another great idea is to make the theme of your shower revolve around something both parties enjoy. For instance, if your couple loves the outdoors and likes to go hiking and camping together, maybe you could have an outdoor theme or if they both love to go to the movies, maybe you could have a red carpet premiere theme. Either way you go, just be sure you are doing your best to make it about the couple and not just the bride.
Minimize the games. Bridal shower games are quite popular. Most of them are serious and invoke quite a bit of laughter, but men don’t really get as much enjoyment out of toilet paper bride as women do, so the best way to ensure that all your guests (women and men) have a great time is to minimize the number of silly games you play. If you need a few games to pass the time, you may want to consider games that get the bride and the groom involved, as well as some of your guests. A great game would be your own take on the newlywed game which is always fun and is guaranteed to get everyone laughing and having a great time.
Where there are men, there must be food! Everyone knows the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so the key to a great couples shower is the food. And no, cake and punch are going to cut it. You need to have plenty of appetizers and finger foods to go around so your guests don’t go hungry. Another idea is to have your couples shower at a local restaurant and offer a selected menu for your guests to choose from when they order. While this may be a pricey option, it’s a good option if you have the funds and you really want your guests to get plenty to eat.
Depending on your location, you may want to offer the men an alternate route when it comes to the gift opening segment. While your male guests may be interested in the gifts for the groom, most men will probably become bored since most of the gifts are cooking and decorating related. So, if you have the opportunity you may want to provide your male guests with another option such as a sporting event on TV in another room or a game of horse shoes or baseball outside. Just be sure you instruct them to dress appropriately depending on what you are going to have them do.

by The Toad

OK ladies; let’s get down to drinking business! Nights at bars and nighclubs always tend to have something to do with beautiful cocktails. Those colourful, sweet, fruity and often creamy beverages that we sip on for hours really do make a great night out. We sip and sip and it isn’t until we stand to head to the dance floor that we realize just how much alcohol was in our glasses.

Cocktails have certainly developed over time. Traditionally, these nice blends were a real treat to cover up the bad tastes of badly made beverages throughout the bars and clubs of the 1920′s. The period of prohibition saw the banning of cocktails because they were seen as drinks with intoxicating liquors. However, comercialisation of the popular mixers started in the 1960′s when books and films made specific references to martinis. Since then, cocktails have taken on a life of their own with all kinds of explicit names, and interesting combinations of fruit, vegetables, alcohol and spices.

I’m the first to the bar when cocktails are on offer. I love tasting all kinds of new and strange blends, but there are a few which are truly amazing. Here are my top five favorites.

Five: Manhattan

In the 1870′s, Iain Marshall mixed a drink at the Manhattan Club in New York City for a dinner hosted by Winston Churchill’s mother. The success of the dinner gave the drink a place in the hearts of New Yorkers where people would go to bars and nightclubs asking staff to make the Manhattan Club drink. Many authors have written about the cocktail including William Schmidt in his 2007, The Flowing Bowl. Unlike other famous cocktails, the original recipe has remained untouched and is still made from Rye, Vermouth and Angostura Bitters with a garnish of Maraschino cherry.

Four: Pina Colada

The life of the Pina Colada is confusing. The origin and who actually created this baby has been argued for years. Consistent tails say that the Pina Colada [Spanish for strained pineapple], was discovered by Roberto Cofresi. This Puerto Rican pirate used the cocktail to boost morale among his sailers in the 1800′s. The drink was originally made with coconut, pineapple and White Rum however, as South America’s culinary skills developed; coconut cream was used adding a smooth, milky texture to this bar and nightclub favourite.

Three: Singapore Sling

While working at the Raffle Hotel in Singapore, Ngiam Tong Boon created a masterpiece. He poured Gin, Heering Cherry Liqueur, Cherry Brandy, Cointrueau, Dom Benedictine and Grenadine and the Singapore Sling was born. Throughout history, bars and nightclubs everywhere have sold the famous drink and the hotel where the drink started its life has become somewhat of an icon. The original recipe can still be found in the hotel bar. Bar staff still serve Singapore Slings in the same way [tall], but it’s not mixed in the traditional method. Today they are premixed and dispensed using an automatic dispenser to combine the alcohol and the pineapple together more evenly and faster.

Two: The Bellini

This gem was created by a Venetian named Giuseppe Cipriani between the years of 1934 and 1948. Cipriani was the founder of a popular bar in Venice and developed the drink made from Sparkling Wine [usually Prosecco], and Peach Juice to be sold in his venue. He dubbed the now famous cocktail the Bellini because of its pink colour – a prominent shade found in a painting by artist, Giovanni Bellini.

One: Cosmopolitan

The eternal girly cocktail made famous through Sex and the City, the Cosmopolitan was born in 1985. Bartender, Cheryl Cook created the cocktail because she found it strange that people in bars and nightclubs would order martinis just to be seen holding the stylish glasses. She wanted to create a drink which was visually appealing, simple to drink and served martini style. Historic recipes by Cook read that the drink needed Absolut Vodka, Citron, Triple Sec and Cranberry Juice. However, in 1987, the drink got a facelift by New York bartender, Toby Cecchini who introduced Cointreau and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Start sipping!

By Nastasia Campanella

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by The Toad

Who says bodybuilding has to be tough, rigid and manly? Well yes, gaining muscle mass is the prime effect after a weight lifting regimen. But muscle mass does not mean those shiny bulky thing that professional weight lifters sport. Of course, it doesn’t help to dispel this popular perception with these hulks becoming the ubiquitous poster boys of any bodybuilding ad.

Bodybuilding is tough and rigid for those who want to achieve muscle mass of epic proportions. It is no secret how professional bodybuilders work very hard to achieve such bodies they are parading on stage or along the beaches. But think of weight training as just another form of exercise that will help you achieve modest results such as a leaner body, less fat around the waist and better stamina and strength to face daily challenges. This is applicable whether you are a male or a female and no, you don’t get kicked out of the gym for not doing it as hard as those muscled guys do.

Not Just for the Boys

There are compelling reasons to say that bodybuilding is also for the females. It can be a girly thing then. Topping the list the health benefits women can get from lifting weight. It helps increase strength, improve bone density, increase metabolism and decrease fat. These four results are important for women’s health. Improved bone density will make you less prone to osteoporosis in your advanced age. Increased metabolism will help you burn fat easily without resorting to “starvation” diets so commonly practiced by many women.

Decreased fats will positively benefit over all health as a leaner body is less prone to lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and heart problems. Increased strength helps promote better independence for women. While women do not have to knock – off their partners in a sparring match, women can do well by using their new found strength in activities and tasks that allows them to cross gender stereotypes.

Definitely For Girls

Like with any other exercises, weight training helps slow the aging process. It helps improve muscle tone and prevent sagging of the skin in the various parts of the body. It also helps build stronger bones giving you an improved posture, and a bone structure that is less prone to old-age bone problems in the future.

Now, that is the good news, and a very girly concern too. Women now have more than just Botox injections, anti-ageing creams and skin toning lotions to combat the ageing process. A good way to staying young now comes with a good weight training program. Enhancing muscles and trimming fats are the best way to prevent a sagging body look when you reach the ripe age. While it is a fact that you cannot escape growing old, you can actually prepare for such years and age gracefully without the excess skin and brittle bones.

Bodybuilding Fun

Muscle toning and increasing body strength does not have to be a grim exercise. You can actually enroll in a fun and laid – back weight training program in many gyms nowadays. You can also recruit a number of female buddies to weight lifts with you and have a fun time together at the gym. GP 

Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Republican National Convention in 2004.

by akatrya

Are you curious what else you can play online besides violent fighting games or games geared towards young boys? You may be surprised at all the options for girly games that are available online.

Online Games for Girls

Many of the existing online games are created for girls who are not interested in the same things as boys. The girly games you can find include games that are all about glamour and fashion but also other kinds of games as well. If you are tired of playing car and war games with your brothers here are some suggestions to help you find girly games online.

Online Games of Dress Up

The most common type of girly online game are the games that allow you to dress up characters. These can be plain dolls that you can dress up or characters from a Disney movie or even celebrities. The dolls are wearing just their underwear so you can put whatever clothes and accessories on them that you choose and give them any kind of look you want.

There are dress up games online for all interests including music lovers and animal lovers. Girls will love showing off their creativity and style while playing online dress up games.

Online Games with Make Up

If you are not so into fashion maybe you love doing make up. Many online games let you make up online dolls with whatever kinds and colors of make up you want. The games usually include any kind of make up you can imagine like sparkly eye shadow, blush, all colors of lipstick and lip gloss and more. The games usually include any kind of make up you can imagine like sparkly eye shadow, blush, all colors of lipstick and lip gloss and more. You can give the online dolls a style that is unique and creative.

Games with Anime

Other online games are based around popular anime characters. In some of these games you get to choose clothes for the anime characters from your favorite shows. Other games are more complex and let you play through different scenarios with the characters.

Fun with Cooking

Some online games let you experiment with different cooking styles in the kitchen. In some of these you have to beat the clock and make a dish that passes inspection by a certain time. You usually get points based on how well you prepared the food and how quickly you prepared it. In some of these you have to beat the clock and make a dish that passes inspection by a certain time. You can pretend to run a whole restaurant alone in some games.

Games with Bratz Dolls

Many of your beloved characters have games online including Bratz dolls. There are games where you get to choose clothes and accessories for Bratz dolls and more complex games created with flash. You will have fun choosing from the many options and finding just the right outfit for your Bratz doll online. The flash games for Bratz dolls can include activities like solving puzzles or singing.

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