Effective life

Top 7 mistakes people make with time management

2011-12-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

Working from your to do list! This might surprise you, but it's actually a big time management mistake many people make. Instead of working from your complete to-do list, it's crucial to set a top priority list with a maximum of six to eight items on the list. Set this priority list at the end of each day for the next day. You should work from this priority list, working on item one first until finished then move to item number two. Keep your to do list separate and complete items on this list when you have finished items on your priority list. Also, use your to do list as a way to remember what you MIGHT want to put on your priority list.
Checking emails constantly throughout the day. The biggest problem with this is that it interrupts what you are working on. Every time you are interrupted, you lose momentum and focus. Instead, check your emails in 20-30 minute blocks one to three times per day.
Becoming distracted by elements on your computer, for example email notifications that pop up when you get new emails.
Multi-tasking - doing too many things at one time and half completing all of them. This is much less effective than doing one thing at a time and completing each item before moving to the next. Every time you change to another task you lose momentum and focus. Instead, focus in solid blocks of time from 50 minutes to two hours. Multi-tasking is okay for easy activities such as driving and listening to an educational audio program at the same time, but for anything that requires complex thought, you need to focus on one task at a time. The biggest problem is leaving many tasks incomplete. Multi-tasking is actually okay when you complete each item that you are working on then move to the next, but then that wouldn't really be "multi-tasking" if you complete each task!
Working in an environment where you are prone to being interrupted by other people, phone calls etc. If other people come in and interrupt you constantly, this will be a big time waster. Your train of thought, momentum and flow are interrupted and you won't be able to focus on your priorities.
Starting your day by checking your emails. This can be a huge distraction. Instead, start your day with the top priority on your daily priority list.
Keeping emails in your inbox. If you keep emails in your inbox, you will likely read the same email five times before you action it. Your inbox is not meant to be your to do list. Instead, try to handle all emails when you read them. Either delete it, archive it, delegate it, action it quickly or if you can't finish the task at the time of reading the email, archive your email and put the action on your to do list. Keeping your inbox clear will also help you to keep your mind clearer and more focused. See more

Egyptian Life

2011-12-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

Daily life in ancient Egypt revolved around the Nile and the fertile land along its banks. The yearly flooding of the Nile enriched the soil and brought good harvests and wealth to the land.

The people of ancient Egypt built mudbrick homes in villages and in the country. They grew some of their own food and traded in the villages for the food and goods they could not produce.

Most ancient Egyptians worked as field hands, farmers, craftsmen and scribes. A small group of people were nobles. Together, these different groups of people made up the population of ancient Egypt.

Story Learn about a day in the life of two ancient Egyptian families.	Explore Experience the world of an ancient Egyptian nobleman
Challenge Play Senet, a popular ancient Egyptian game
This game requires Shockwave

Hatshepsut the Woman Who Was King

2011-12-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

Hatshepsut (1479 - 1457 BC)

Queen Hatshepsut (left) was the first great woman in recorded history: the forerunner of such figures as Cleopatra, Catherine the Great and Elizabeth I.

Her rise to power went against all the conventions of her time. She was the first wife and Queen of Thutmose II and on his death proclaimed herself Pharaoh, denying the old king's son, her nephew, his inheritance. To support her cause she claimed the God Amun-Ra spoke, saying "welcome my sweet daughter, my favourite, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut. Thou art the King, taking possession of the Two Lands." She dressed as a king, even wearing a false beard and the Egyptian people seem to have accepted this unprecedented behaviour.

She remained in power for twenty years and during this time the Egyptian economy flourished, she expanded trading relations and built magnificent temples as well as restoring many others. Eventually her nephew grew into a man and took his rightful place as pharaoh. The circumstances of this event are unknown and what became of Hatshepsut is a mystery.

(above) Queen Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el Bahri

Hatshepsut's successor became the greatest of all Pharaohs, Thutmose III, "the Napoleon of ancient Egypt." He had her name cut away from the temple walls which suggests he was not overly fond of his auntie. But the fact that she was able to contain the ambitions of this charismatic and wily fellow for so many years, hints at the qualities of her character.

(above) Inside the temple

(above) Parade' and 'The Army' are etchings made from drawings done at Deir el Bahri. 'The Army' represents a trading expedition to the Land of Punt (thought to be somewhere on the coast of Somalia) and shows Nehsi the Nubian general.

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Learning More About Cairo

2011-12-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

Cairo, mystical and strange. This beautiful capital city of Egypt is also known as The Triumphant City or al-Qāhirah. It’s a city bustling with activity and energy, home to many of the Egyptian tourist destinations.

If you plan to travel to Egypt, you cannot miss Cairo in your itinerary. It would be like simple unthinkable. Here in Cairo, you will get to feel the unique wonder of Egypt. Aside from being the central business city and seat of political power, Cairo has the Great Pyramids along its city borders, fabulous and historical sites like the Antiquities Museum, ancient temples, and the Cairo Opera House.

Life never seems to settle down in this capital city of Egypt. There is always something happening, and people milling around even in the wee hours of the morning. It’s a city that never sleeps. If you are looking for excitement and vitality, this capital city of Egypt is where you should go.

The beauty of this capital city of Egypt is the strange blend of ancient and modern, of old and new. Not just in its infrastructure, but also in its religion, practices and culture.

Thanks to Hollywood who has consistently featured Cairo, Egypt in many of its films, people from all around the globe are familiar with the sites in Egypt. One of these famous tourist spots is the Khan el Khalili souk which is a bazaar for shoppers looking for Egyptian fashion, jewelry, mashrabiya, leather, spices, fabric, glass, and carpets. It’s a shopper’s paradise because you won’t even be able to see all there is to buy in the course of a few hours only. Be ready to dedicated a couple of days just savoring the unbelievable products on display.

There are also street markets that are specifically designated for a particular item like the Tentmakers Bazaar which is famous for appliques, the Wekala al Balag for clothing and fabric, and the Mohammed Ali street for musical instruments.

It is very easy to move around this capital city of Egypt. Touring it on foot will take to places and nooks that you would not normally see on a bus. You could opt to have a travel guide bring you around (and this is advisable), but then if you are the adventurous type, there is nothing to fear walking around Cairo during the day.

Since this capital city of Egypt is the center of business and politics, there are many 5 star amenities available like the grand Four Seasons Hotel and the Marriot.

Come visit this enchanting historical capital city of Egypt. There isn’t another city like anywhere in the world. Whatever pre conceptions you may have of Egypt as a hot and dusty city – throw those all away because this capital city of Egypt will grip you in its embrace, creating moments that you will treasure throughout your life. Here, in this capital city of Egypt, it’s a tale of East meets West. Therefore, you can enjoy all the mysticism of the East with the modern conveniences of western influences.

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Places To See In Egypt

2011-12-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

There are many fabulous and famous places to see in Egypt. Many of them relate to the rich history of the country. Nowhere else in this entire world has what Egypt can offer. If you are planning to travel to Egypt, you have to include these places in your itinerary. It would be a shame to skip any of them.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

This pyramid is also known by other names like Pyramid of Khufu or Pyramid of Cheops. It is one of the oldest pyramids in the city of Giza, and the only Seventh Wonder of the Ancient World still remaining.

King Khufu, who is also known by his Greek name, Cheops, had this pyramid built for him. It took more than 20 years to complete, and it was the tallest structure ever built by men for almost 4,000 years.

Luxor

In Luxor which is located in the southern part of Egypt, near the Nile Valley, you have so many sites to visit. It used to be the religious capital of the New Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom.

Here, you can travel by desert to the Nile Valley and back to the busy metropolis, and all along the way, there are wondrous ancient sites and destinations to see.

For a little tweak in your travel plans, why not go on a hot air balloon ride over the city of Luxor. You can choose between sunrise or towards late afternoon, to see the sunset. When you are serenely flying way above the city, you will see Luxor in all its glory with the magnificent temples, and amazing mountain scenery. The entire trip is extremely breathtaking and unforgettable.

Luxor Museum

Full of artifacts and the history of Egypt, a visit to the Luxor Museum is considered a must stop site. Here in this amazing place, you get the feel of history as it unfolds before your eyes. Display of artifacts from the Theban temples to the Tutankhamen exhibits are awesome. You don’t even have to be a history enthusiast to appreciate the beauty of the Egyptian culture and history.

The Sphinx

Built over 4,000 years ago, during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre, the Great Sphinx is the most biggest free standing sculpture in the world.

It is said that the Sphinx has the face of this Egyptian Pharaoh but none of this has been confirmed, earning it the title Riddle of the Sphinx.
Visiting this incredible Egyptian wonder is something you absolutely have to do. The entire history of the Sphinx is fraught with drama and intrigue. Part of what Egypt is today can be seen in the history of the Sphinx.

Many of the famous places to visit in Egypt circle around its history and culture, but this is not to say that Egypt is just that. On the contrary, visiting Egypt is like seeing how well the ancient and modern world work together to make a great country well worth its claim of being one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world.

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Grand Festivals in Ancient Egypt

2011-12-18T12:05:00.000-08:00

by Ilene Springer and Jimmy Dunn

There was nothing better than breaking the routine of life with a grandiose festival for the ancient Egyptians. Religious or political, festivals allowed both rich and poor to put away their cares for a day or two, and sometimes longer, to celebrate the best of ancient Egypt.

From extant data we can reconstruct a cultic calendar for the major deities of Egypt, such as Amun at Thebes, Hathor of Dendera, Horus of Edfu and others. Frequently, inscribed on the walls of such temples are detailed lists of feasts, all presented in a systematic manner. Such festival calendars were also copied and kept in the scrolls of the temple archives. From these, we can often determine whether a feast took place within the civil calendar or according to the moon.

However, festival calendars tend to list the details of these celebrations, such as their date, the deity honored and perhaps a sentence concerning the involvement of a specific priest in a rather terse fashion. There in fact existed comprehensive records connected to such celebrations, but ordinarily we possess only a fraction of these original texts today. Fortunately, the walls of the the Greco-Roman temples at Dendera, Edfu, Esna, Kom Ombo and Philae provide additional information not included in the festival calendars, which allow us to reconstruct the events in greater detail. Furthermore, papyri scrolls and fragmentary biographical texts reveal intriguing and often hidden details such as processions, morning, noon and evening ablutions of the deity; chants; and speeches.

There was also the endowments required for the performance of these feasts. From the Old Kingdom onward, festival calendars also contained explicit references to the offerings that were required by the deities associated with these events. Particularly for major events, the economic support of the king was required. Much of our knowledge about this function of festivals is found at Medinet Habu, which presents remarkable details, such as the exact number of bread loaves, cakes, beer containers, meat, fowl, incense, cultic charcoal and such, which is listed beside each event. Even the amount of grain that went into making a certain type of loaf, or a specific type of beer can be determined by a specific integer that refers tot he cooking or brewing that was undertaken. This is called the "cooking ratio".

Frequently in the introduction of segments of the temple calendars, or placed next to the respective religious celebrations, are details of the provenance of such offerings, together with the amount of grain that went into producing a certain number of beer jugs or loaves of bread. In conjunction with the cooking ratio, we can therefore determine the exact amount of grain that was needed for these festivals. Hence, we can add up the total amount of grain that was needed for the subsistence of a cult, at least for the major ceremonies.

From this data, scholars have been able to determine quantitatively how wealthy a specific major temple was and approximately how many priests were necessary for the preservation of the .

Most of the festivals that we know of from ancient Egypt are cultic, rather than civil. There were probably plenty of civil celebrations, but our sources are mostly religious. For example we know that an annual celebration was established by Ramesses III to honor his victory over the Libyans (Meshwesh), who had unsuccessfully invaded Egypt, and another secular occasion was the coronation of kings, the date of which was frequently included in religious calendars. Since Sothis had no specific cult, the heliacal Rising of Sothis (the star Sirius) might be considered a secular celebration. This event was recognized as being very important because the reappearance of Sothis after a period of seventy days' invisibility originally marked the emergence of the New Year and later was thought of as the ideal rebirth of the land.

Most of the festivals took place were fixed within the civil calendar. They either took place on a specific date, or were spread out through a number of days. Such festivals are typically called "annual festivals" by scholars.

Although festivals were a very important part of the lives of the ancient people throughout Upper and Lower Egypt (many nomes or districts had their own local festivals), there were a few festivals that were known throughout the land.

New Year's Day (Wep-renpet)

The first celebration of the year was, of course, the New Year's festival. For the ancient Egyptians, this was not only the first day of the year, but also the time when rejuvenation and rebirth ideally took place.

Feast of Wagy

Seventeen days after New Year's day, there was also the more somber feast of Wagy, which eventually became associated with the festival of Thoth on the nineteenth day of the year. This event was connected with the mortuary rituals of ancient Egypt and was celebrated by private individuals outside of official religious circles as well as within the precincts of the major temples in Egypt. Our first evidence of this celebration is from the 4th Dynasty, making it one of the oldest in ancient Egypt. The original date of the festival was set according to the lunar basis and this was never discarded. Hence, during the historical period, there were actually two separate Wagy feasts, one set according to the cycle of the moon and a later one firmly placed at day eighteen of the first civil month.

The Festival of Opet

Centered in Thebes, this boisterous festival, known as the Beautiful Feast of the Opet, held in the second civil month and was set according to a lunar calendar. It was perhaps not as old a celebration as some of the other feasts, though during the New Kingdom particularly, the celebration of Opet was predominate. Its duration of twenty-seven days in the 20th Dynasty shows how significant the celebration became. However, we know virtually nothing about the celebration prior to the 18th Dynasty and the rise of Thebes.

Theban citizens and their guests from afar celebrated the fruitful link between their pharaoh and the almighty god, Amun, who in the New Kingdom became a state god. During the celebration it was thought that the might and power of Amun were ritually bequeathed to his living son, the king. Therefore, the celebration belonged to the official royal ideology of the state and, not surprisingly, witnessed the personal involvement of the pharaoh.

Because of the flooding, work was temporarily suspended in fields. The people joined in a dramatic procession honoring Amun that began at the Temple of Amun in Karnak and ended at Luxor Temple one and a half miles away at the south end of the city.

At Karnak, the people watched the high priests disappear in the temple. Inside, the priests bathed the image of the god and dressed him in colorful linen and adorned him with jewelry from the temple treasury including magnificent necklaces, bracelets, scepters, amulets and trinkets of gold or silver encrusted with lapis lazuli, enamel, glass and semi-precious gems. The priests then enclosed the god in a shrine and then placed the shrine on top of a ceremonial barque or boat, often supported by poles for carrying.

When the priests emerged from the temple, they carried the barque on their shoulders throughout the pillared halls and courtyards of Karnak. Then they moved into the crowded streets where people elbowed each other to catch a glimpse of the sacred vessel. Many a small Egyptian child was lucky to be placed on his or her parent’s shoulder to be able to see.

In Hatshepsut’s time, the complete journey was accomplished on foot, while stopping at different resting stations. Later, the boat was carried to the Nile and then towed upriver to Luxor Temple by high government officials who vied for the enviable honor.

The pharaoh himself was there to greet Amun and escort him to Luxor Temple. The people heard the steady beat of soldier’s drums and watched as men from Nubia danced to songs of devotion sung by the priests.

After reaching Luxor, the pharaoh and priests left the crowd behind and maneuvered the boat into the dark recesses of the temple. Incense filled the air. There was a ceremony communing with another holy image of Amun, Amun-Min, who inseminated the earth, according to the ancient beliefs of creation, and brought about plentiful harvests.

Now the pharaoh emerged from the sanctuary. The citizens greeted him wildly and praised his accomplishments; any wrongs he had committed were automatically forgiven. "He was once more the embodiment of divine strength and generosity, the source of bounty and well-being for Egypt."

During the Festival of Opet, Thebans could ask the god questions (oracles) that could be answered by a simple yes or no. A man might ask if his brother in another town was in good health, If the barge dipped forward, the answer was yes; if it backed away, the reply was no. Commoners were also allowed to put questions to a god in his temple. For these exceptional times, the fortunate citizens who were allowed into the temple were escorted to special audience rooms. The priests would convey the answers either through a concealed window high up in the wall or from inside a hollow statue.

More than anything, the ancient Egyptian population enjoyed the generosity of the gods during these festivals. During one Opet festival in the 12th century BC, it is recorded that temple officials distributed 11,341 loaves of bread and 385 jars of beer to the citizens.

The Festival of Choiak or Sokar

The festival of Choiak or Sokar rivaled that of Opet during the New Kingdom, but was a much older celebration. It was celebrated in the fourth month of the Egyptian civil calendar, lasting for six days during the interval of days 25 through 30, though by the Late Period, the festival grew to be much longer. Its importance is derived from its connection with the ancient importance of the god of the underworld, Osiris, and his link with the archaic powers of Memphis.

This festival is known from the Old Kingdom and it grew in importance due to the establishment of Egypt's capital at Memphis during the dawn of Egyptian history. We find it first mentioned in private feast lists of the Old Kingdom. However, it is also clear that the deity, Sokar predates the unification of Egypt and thus, Egyptian history itself.

The Sokar festival was indeed a somber celebration, completing the first season. The last days of the feast were in fact observed with no small amount of agony and sadness. This part of the festival soon came to be associated with Osiris, who was considered to be dead by the central date of the Sokar feast (day 26).

The Rebirth Celebration of Nehebkau

After the Festival of Sokar, it is not surprising that day one of month five had its own New Year's day of rebirth, occurring just five days after the death of Osiris. The intervening days were left for the eventual rebirth of the god and later connected to the rebirth of the king as the living Horus. Hence, the celebration of Nehebkau paralleled the New Year of the first day of month one, and evidently almost the same rituals and performances took place on both occasions.

The Festival of the Fertility god Min

This festival also opened a new season and was carried out in the ninth civil month, although its date was set according to the moon. It is perhaps not surprising that this fertility ritual is also known from Egypt's most distant past, though most of what we know of the festival is from sources that date from the New Kingdom onward.

In this celebration, the king cut the first sheaf of grain, which symbolically supported his role as life-sustainer of his people. It should be noted that this festival, associated with Min, was clearly one of fecundity and the virility of rebirth, and therefore the third festival of the year focusing on birth, with the agricultural aspect predominating.

The Beautiful Feast of the Valley

Another annual event for Egyptians to look forward to was again centered in Thebes, allowed the living to commune with their loved ones in the afterworld. It was held in the tenth civil month. Though the celebration can be traced back to the Middle Kingdom, it became important during the New Kingdom.

The festivities began at Karnak temple on the east bank where the sacred image of the god Amun was placed atop a ceremonial boat and carried down to the Nile by the priests, very similarly to how it occurred in the Opet Festival. Eventually, the image of the god Amun was accompanied by the images of his wife Mut and their child, Khonsu.

At the riverside, the shrines were loaded onto barges and towed across the Nile to the west to visit the pharaoh’s mortuary temple and the temples of other gods. This journey was attended by a very joyous and colorful procession of Egypt’s citizens. Acrobats and musicians entertained the masses of people who participated, while women played sistrums—a kind of rattle instrument that made a soft jangling sound like the breeze blowing through papyrus reeds. This sound was said to soothe the gods and goddesses.

The procession ended at the necropolis that was filled with tomb chapels where the ancient people honored their dead relatives by performing various rituals for them. Every family wealthy enough to afford a chapel entered the sanctuary and made offerings of food and drink for their dead. (Archaeologists have uncovered many offering tables and bowls that you can see in any major museum collection.) The celebrants themselves ate heartily and drank a lot of wine until they entered what was believed to be an altered state (including intoxication) that made them feel closer to their departed loved ones.

Though certainly different in many ways, these private affairs parallel some present customs of modern Egypt and other cultures in which people celebrate a holiday on the grass of cemeteries in which their dead ancestors are buried.

Heb-Sed Festival

One of the most significant aspects of this festival is that it was probably witnessed by citizens only once in a lifetime. The Heb-Sed Festival was usually celebrated 30 years after a king’s rule and thereafter, every three years. This very important ritual symbolized regeneration and was meant to assure a long reign in the pharaoh’s afterlife. The rituals were meant to bring back the harmony between the king and the universe and in the case of illness or just old age of the king. The official rituals were supposed to be performed after 30 years of a king’s reign, but there is evidence that the festival was sometimes scheduled earlier. It usually began on New Year’s Day—day one of the peret season—and started with an imposing procession, as did all ancient Egyptian festivals.

Many of the Sed ceremonies, dating from predynastic times, were performed in front of officials and commoners who were lucky enough to be a part of the festival. For this purpose, special courtyards were often built or reconstructed for the Sed Festival, with the throne at one end and the audience at the other end. The open court of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara seems to have been used for the function of Djoser’s Heb-Sed Festival. Sculptors also reproduced shrines of local deities for the Sed Festival to show the extent of the king’s power over all of Egypt.

Those who were privy to participate in this festival of the king’s revitalization witnessed several different rituals. One was the king giving offerings to the goddess Sechat-Hor, who had fed Horus (the king) with her holy milk—the drink of immortality. After that the nobles would come before the king and offer their services and rededicate their devotion to him.

What followed next was the most famous and important ritual to show the king’s continued potency, according to La Civilisation de L’Egypte Pharonique: the king would run around the field (or within the Sed courtyard) while carrying several ritual articles in his hands—the imyt-per—a list of possessions that basically gave the king the right to possess Egypt.

In the course of the festival, priests led the king into two pavilions where he received the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, symbolically renewing the crowning ceremony. In later times the king shot four arrows into the four directions to frighten off evil powers and to enforce the right of Egypt to rule over the world.

We can imagine that this most significant festival was accompanied by the usual feasts including lavish food, drink, music and dance. For now matter how serious the meaning or the nature of the festival, the ancient Egyptians knew how to celebrate with gusto.

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Temples of Egypt

2011-12-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Writing an introduction to ancient Egypt temples is considerably more difficult then examining any specific structure, for a number of different reasons. First of all, the term "temple" is misleading, and secondly, the term covers a huge variety of different structures that evolved over such a vast period of time that many people have a difficulty comprehending just how long a time this period spans.

The Ramessuem on the West Bank at Luxor (Ancient Thebes)

For example, think of the Roman Coliseum (in Rome). It is almost 2,000 years old, and most of us would think of it as very ancient. Yet, when the Romans first came to Egypt, they were awe struck by Egyptian temples, some of which at that time were already more ancient to the Romans, then the Roman Coliseum is to us. So we must consider the effect that these temples had on the ancient Egyptians. Imagine the feelings of old tradition and holiness felt by a young priest when he first enters St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. How must a young Egyptian priest felt as he strolled the courts of the much more temple of Heliopolis, which was much more ancient to him then St. Peter's would be to a young priest of today.

Webster's New World Dictionary defines temple as "1. a building for the worship of god or gods, and 2. A large building for some special purpose". For the second definition, they provide the example, "a temple of art". Neither of these definitions fit the ancient Egyptian temple very well, and yet, almost every religious structure in Egypt outside of the various types of tombs are almost always referred to as temples.

Certainly some of these "temple" structures do embrace both of Webster's definitions. In fact, it is difficult to imagine most any large, ancient building not falling under the second definition, including palaces and governmental buildings. However, our modern readers are more likely to think in terms of the first definition, that of a temple being a place of worship. However, this definition is simply too limited to fit even the structures that many modern Egyptologists better define as a "god's mansion". Even these temples sometimes had many other functions, acting sometimes as fortresses, administrative centers and even concrete expression of propaganda or royal retreats. However, it is difficult to define some other religious structures that are called temples as houses of worship or "god's mansions". They may have other political or all together different purposes.

It was the ancient Egyptian temple that received endowments. It was the mortuary temple and the cult of the dead king that funded the entire pyramid complex of the early kings, for example. Temples owned land, livestock and received donations, sometimes including the spoils of war, in order to support often large populations of priests, workers, and sometimes even an entire support town.

The Temple of Karnak at Luxor

The Temple of Karnak today remains the worlds largest religious structure, but what is perhaps even more interesting is that it might not have been, or indeed was probably not Egypt's largest temple. Certainly the Temple of Ptah in Memphis, though for the most part completely gone today, may have been larger. It was older, and located in what was often the capital of Egypt, and more often the administrative center of the ancient country. Other temples in the Nile Delta might have been just as large as Karnak, if not larger.

Sites such as Karnak, Dendera and Kom Ombo would most likely fall under the category of "god's mansion". They were more than religious "temples" however. While the god may certainly have been worshiped in these temples, it was also his symbolic home, if not considered his physical residence, and the functions of the temple were as much to serve his or her symbolic physical needs as they were for the god's worship. There was probably little or no "preaching" as such, or carrying the message of the god to the people by priests associated with these "temples". Rather the efforts were directed inward, towards the care of the gods.

Also, though we often make a very specific distention between mortuary temples of kings, for example, and temples such as Karnak, they were actually very similar. Kings were considered gods, and after their death, they required a "mansion" and the same attention as other gods. Both regular and mortuary temples served to keep the name of the king or god alive.

Temple of Dendera

The real distinction, religiously, seems to be in regards to structures that might not so easily be defined as "god's mansions". Nefertari's temple at Abu Simbel was certainly dedicated to the goddess Hathor, it would seem. But this also seems to be a situation where a "god's mansion" was built as much for political as for religious purposes. These great monuments at Abu Simbel, consisting of her temple, and the larger temple of her husband, Ramesses II, were not just temples. They were also reminders of Egypt's greatness to her southern neighbors. Other structures hardly fit within the "god's mansion" category at all. For example, Sed-festival Temples that celebrated the king's jubilees seem to have had a completely different purpose than "god's mansions", and ka Temples provided a residence not to the dead king, but for his soul.

Nevertheless, for convenience, we will refer to most religious structures other than tombs as temples in the remainder of this reference.

Dynastic era temples may be found throughout Egypt, though the ones that have survived time are mostly in the south. They were built for many different forms of worship, as well as other purposes. Some were major temples dedicated to major deities, while others were dedicated to a number of different deities. Some were mortuary temples, where the temple was dedicated to the deified dead king, and where he was worshiped and cared for by his cult. There were also valley temples, which were often no more than monumental gateways connected to the king's mortuary chapel by a causeway. There were all manner of specialized temples, such as Sed-festival temples, ka temples, sun temples, coronation temples and others.

Many of Egypt's temples became complex systems of buildings, added to by generations of pharaohs over sometimes thousands of years. Such temples include those of Luxor and Karnak, but others long destroyed, such as the Temple of Ptah. In fact, there are any number of northern temples, though long gone, that would have rivaled the southern temples that we most often visit today.

Most Temples had some sort of organized structure that evolved into a traditional, if somewhat varied floor plan. For example, the mortuary temple of 5th Dynasty kings invariably had an outer section and an inner sanctuary. The outer section would consist of an entrance corridor, followed by an open columned courtyard. Often, the pillars were inscribed with the king's name and title, and the northern columns would have scenes oriented to northern Egypt's symbolic gods, with a similar arrangement on the southern columns. Various additional minor chambers might also exist within the outer section, including, for example, an entrance vestibule or a guard station. Between the outer temple and the inner section there was usually a transverse corridor, and in the center of the long, west wall a doorway lead to the inner sanctuary of which the front section consists of a chapel with five niches for statues. Behind the chapel would be an offering hall, notable for a false door on the west wall that faces the pyramid, and before the door, an offering altar. Within the inner sanctuary there might also be additional rooms, such as vestibules and antechambers. Associated with both the outer and inner sections of the temple would be storage and other annexes to one side or both of the main temple components.

Non-mortuary temples often also had courtyards, chapels, offering halls, vestibules, antechambers, just like the mortuary temples. They tend to vary considerably in their style and elements, though temples built for specific gods tended to be more uniform (though not always). One of the major differences between mortuary temples and others was that the non-mortuary temples were very often added to, built upon and even usurped by various kings. Though in rare cases a mortuary temples, such as that of Djoser at Saqqara, became places of high holiness, and were built upon by later kings, most mortuary temples were never added to or usurped. They therefore most often were much more simple than major non-mortuary temples.

Latter temples took the form of fortresses, with massive entrance pylons and enclosure walls, huge courtyards, columned or pillared halls and inner sanctuaries.

Old Kingdom of Egypt

2011-12-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Main article: Old Kingdom

Graywacke statue of the pharaoh Menkaura and his consort Queen Khamerernebty II. Originally from his Giza Valley temple, now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The Old Kingdom is most commonly regarded as spanning the period of time when Egypt was ruled by the Third Dynasty through to the Sixth Dynasty (2686 BC – 2134 BC). The royal capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom was located at Memphis, where Djoser established his court. The Old Kingdom is perhaps best known, however, for the large number of pyramids, which were constructed at this time as pharaonic burial places. For this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as "the Age of the Pyramids." The first notable pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was Djoser (2630–2611 BC) of the Third Dynasty, who ordered the construction of a pyramid (the Step Pyramid) in Memphis' necropolis, Saqqara.

It was in this era that formerly independent ancient Egyptian states became known as nomes, ruled solely by the pharaoh. Subsequently the former rulers were forced to assume the role of governors or otherwise work in tax collection. Egyptians in this era worshiped their pharaoh as a god, believing that he ensured the annual flooding of the Nile that was necessary for their crops.

The Old Kingdom and its royal power reached their zenith under the Fourth Dynasty. Sneferu, the dynasty's founder, is believed to have commissioned at least three pyramids; while his son and successor Khufu erected the Great Pyramid of Giza, Sneferu had more stone and brick moved than any other pharaoh. Khufu (Greek Cheops), his son Khafra (Greek Chephren), and his grandson Menkaura (Greek Mycerinus), all achieved lasting fame in the construction of their pyramids. To organize and feed the manpower needed to create these pyramids required a centralized government with extensive powers, and Egyptologists believe the Old Kingdom at this time demonstrated this level of sophistication. Recent excavations near the pyramids led by Mark Lehner have uncovered a large city which seems to have housed, fed and supplied the pyramid workers. Although it was once believed that slaves built these monuments, a theory based on the biblical Exodus story, study of the tombs of the workmen, who oversaw construction on the pyramids, has shown they were built by a corvée of peasants drawn from across Egypt. They apparently worked while the annual Nile flood covered their fields, as well as a very large crew of specialists, including stone cutters, painters, mathematicians and priests.

The Fifth Dynasty began with Userkhaf (2465–2458 BC), who initiated reforms that weakened the central government. After his reign civil wars arose as the powerful nomarchs (regional governors) no longer belonged to the royal family. The worsening civil conflict undermined unity and energetic government and also caused famines. The final blow came when a severe drought in the region that resulted in a drastic drop in precipitation between 2200 and 2150 BC, which in turn prevented the normal flooding of the Nile.^[14] The result was the collapse of the Old Kingdom followed by decades of famine and strife.

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Pyramids & sphinx

2011-12-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Among the major tourist sites, there is only one considered to be “The major” and on top of any list – The Pyramids of Giza

There are three main Pyramids here, which were built in the 4th Dynasty (circa 2550 B.C). The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built as tombs for Kings (and Queens), and it was the exclusive privilege to have a Pyramid tomb. However, this tradition only applied in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Today there are more than 93 Pyramids in Egypt; the most famous ones are those at Giza.

Now let’s go for a little tour around the site of the Pyramids and try to explore the magnificence of the area:

The Great Pyramid of Khufu
The Great Pyramid of Khufu is by far the most famous Pyramid in Egypt, the biggest, tallest, and most intact. After its construction it became one of the “Seven Wonders Of The World”, and today, it is the only one of them remaining. For a period of 4300 years, the Pyramid was also the tallest building on earth, until the French built the Eiffel Tower in 1889 to take that accolade.

Khufu’s Pyramid is built entirely of limestone, and is considered an architectural masterpiece. It contains around 1,300,000 blocks ranging in weight from 2.5 tons to 15 tons and is built on a square base with sides measuring about 230m (755ft), covering 13 acres! Its four sides face the four cardinal points precisely and it has an angle of 52 degrees. The original height of the Pyramid was 146.5m (488ft), but today it is only 137m (455ft) high, the 9m (33ft) that is missing is due to the theft of the fine quality limestone covering, or casing stones, by the Ottoman Turks in the 15 Century A.D, to build houses and Mosques in Cairo.

You will find that the entrance of the Pyramid is located at the northern side, the same as almost every Pyramid in Egypt. On this side there are actually 2 entrances, one is the original, and is 17m (55ft) above ground level, and the other one is a man-made forced entrance located below it. Created in the 9th Century A.D by Khalif El-Mamoun, who was seeking the treasures that he thought might have been kept inside the Pyramid. He sent out stonemasons to open up an entrance, and they cut it midway across the centre of the northern side. Their tunnel goes almost 35m into the Pyramid, and was crudely cut, and at the end it connects with the original inner corridors of the Pyramid. Nothing was found inside, as it was plundered in antiquity. Nowadays visitors, to the site, use Mamoun’s entrance to gain access into the Pyramid, as it is actually considered to be a shortcut.

Please Note: If you attempt to go inside the Pyramid, you will have to bend down all the way till you reach the burial chamber!

From the main entrance of the Pyramid there is a long narrow corridor with low roof that descends for more than 100m (330ft), which takes you to a chamber, located about 24m (79ft) below ground level, which is an unfinished burial chamber with very little fresh air inside, and is inaccessible today.

Almost 20m (66ft) from that descending corridor there is another corridor connected to it, which takes you up into the heart of the Pyramid. This ascending corridor ends up at one the great parts of the Great Pyramid, the “Grand Gallery”! It is a large, long, rectangular hall, which is 49m (161ft) long, and 15m (49ft) high, with a long tunnel, at the bottom, that takes you the 2nd chamber, which is famously known as the “Queens Chamber”. It actually has nothing to do with a Queen, and was given this name by the early Arabs, who went inside the Pyramids and gave it its name. It is commonly believed that it served as a magazine, or a storeroom, inside the Pyramid.

When you ascend the “Grand Gallery”, you will find, at its end, an entrance to the 3rd chamber, which was the real burial chamber of King Khufu, and this is where you will find his stone sarcophagus, which was made out of one block of granite. You will find this chamber to be really amazing, it is rectangular in form, has a flat roof, and is built out of granite that was brought from the city of Aswan, which is located 1000Km (625 miles) away. The roof consists of 9 slabs of granite; each one estimated to be around 50 tons in weight! Above the roof of the burial chamber, the Ancient Egyptians built 5 small relieving chambers so that the huge pressure, of the weight above, would not cause the burial chamber to collapse. These 5 chambers are also made of granite, and are about 1m (3 ft) above each other. The tops of the first 4 are flat, the 5th one having a pointed top to divert the enormous pressure of weight away from the burial chamber. Both the northern and southern walls of the burial chamber have two small tunnels with rectangular entrances. They are small, and once were thought to go all the way through the outer sides of the Pyramid, though no exterior openings have been found, and are believed to be “star shafts” that served a certain purpose in the ancient cult connecting the King with the stars. If you need to know more about these small tunnels, and their connection to the stars, it is a long story! I guess you will need to come to one of my lectures!!!

One last point! The Great Pyramid is the Pyramid of the great Egyptian King, Khufu. The name “Cheops” is also associated with this King and his Pyramid, the name being given to him by the Greeks. Though both names are generally accepted, Khufu was used in this description because it was his birth name! The same goes for Khafre (Chephren in Greek) and Menkaure (Mycerinus), and their Pyramids are described below.

The Pyramid of Khafre:
Khafre’s Pyramid, or the 2nd Pyramid, is easily recognisable by the layers of its original casing stones that still remain near its summit and this, along with the fact that it actually stands on a higher part of the plateau, gives the impression that it is taller than the Great Pyramid. An optical illusion, as it is only 136m (446 ft) tall, with sides of 214.5m (704ft), a surface area of 11 acres and an angle of 53 degrees. It also has lost some of its original height through the years, once being 143.5m (471ft) tall.
The only similarity to his father’s Pyramid is the entrance in the same, north facing side. There are no corridors leading into the heart of this Pyramid, the burial chamber being underground, and a long descending passageway has to be negotiated to reach it. This entrance is 50 feet (15m) above ground level, leading to the narrow passage, which descends at a 25-degree angle into the large burial chamber, which measures 14.2m by 5m by 6.9m (46.5ft by 16.5ft by 22.5ft). To take the weight of the pyramid, the roof of the chamber is set at the same angles as the pyramid face. A large, black sarcophagus is found in this room.

A lower corridor is directly under the upper corridor, and once contained a portcullis that could be lowered to prevent entry as well as an unfinished burial chamber, which was cut from the bedrock and, it is thought, unused. Like the upper corridor, this one has a 25-degree slope, it then levels out, climbs slightly, and eventually the 2 of them join together. The united passageway then leads to the burial chamber.

The Pyramid of Menkaure:
Khafre’s son, Menkaure, built the smallest of the 3 main Pyramids on the Giza Plateau. This one was only a mere 65.5m (215ft) tall, nowadays 62m (203ft), with sides of only 105m (344ft) and an angle of 51.3 degrees. It is thought that this Pyramid was altered during its construction, and made a lot bigger than originally planned. The original, smaller Pyramid had a simple descending corridor and burial chamber, but when it was enlarged, a new corridor was built with 3 portcullises and a small panelled chamber. Later still, another burial chamber, along with a storeroom were added at a lower level. This Pyramid, like its 2 neighbours, has a north facing entrance.

Apart from the size, Menkaure’s Pyramid differed from the other 2 in the choice of casing stones. Whereas the Pyramids of his father and grandfather were completely cased in fine, white, Turah limestone, Menkaure’s Pyramid was only partly cased in Turah limestone, from about 15m up! The first 15 metres was cased with pink granite, which had come from Aswan, the last of which was taken by Muhammad Ali Pasha (1805-1848) who used them to construct his arsenal in Alexandria.

The Great Sphinx:
The Great Sphinx, or as the ancients knew it, “Shesib Ankh” or “the living image”, has to be one of the most recognizable constructions in history. Think of the Sphinx and you automatically think of Egypt and the Giza Plateau. Sculpted from soft sandstone, many believe that it would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried in the sand for so many long periods in its lifetime. The body is 60m (200ft) long and 20m (65ft) tall. Its face is 4m (13ft) wide with eyes measuring 2m (6 ft) high. It faces the rising sun, and was revered so much by the ancients, that they built a temple in front of it.

The 18th Dynasty King, Thutmose IV installed a stele between its front paws, describing how, when Thutmose was a young Prince, he had gone hunting and fell asleep in the shade of the Sphinx ‘s head. Thutmose had a dream where Ra Hor-Akhty the sun God, talking through the Sphinx, spoke to him, telling the young Prince to clear away the sand because the Sphinx was choking on it. The Sphinx said to him that if he did this, he would become King of Egypt .
Thutmose cleared away all the sand and s after 2 years, the god fulfilled his promise to the price and he was made king of Egypt

Today, part of the “uraeus” (the sacred cobra at the forehead ), and the nose are missing (not shot off by Napoleon’s men as many believe, but were destroyed by Muhammad Sa’im Al-Dahr, a Sufi fanatic from the Khanqah of Sa’id Al-Su’ada.
In 1378, upon finding the Egyptian peasants making offerings to the Sphinx in the hope of increasing their harvest, Sa’im Al-Dahr was so outraged that he destroyed the nose!). There are parts of a beard in the Cairo and British Museum in London which reputedly belong to the Sphinx, but many Egyptologists deny this, as the style of beard found, does not relate to the “nemes” that The Sphinx wears – different Dynasties!

Because of the soft sandstone, the Sphinx has been repaired many times; sometimes the repairs causing even more damage! Also, due to the wind, humidity, and pollution from modern Cairo, its condition is still deteriorating, and the present renovations are a never-ending task.
I hope this gave you a glimpse of information about the Pyramids of Giza.

Information you should know before you go:
The Giza pyramids Plateau opens at 08:00 AM and closes at 1700
Winter times are ( 8:00 — 16:30)
Ramadan times are ( 8:00 –15:00)
Entrance ticket to the site cost – 60. LE
Entrance to the Solar Boat Museum – 40 LE
Entrance to Khufu’s Pyramid – 100 LE
Entrance to Khafree’s Pyramid – 20 LE

Before you visit the site of the Giza Pyramids, you have to know the following facts:
It is forbidden to climb the Pyramids. You are only allowed to climb up the stone steps that lead to the entrance, which is 55 feet above ground level.
it is strongly advisable to e Wear good walking shoes.
If you wish to take a car onto the site, you need to get a car parking ticket. 2 LE for a small car, 5 LE for minibuses, 10 LE for a coach.
The best time to go the Pyramids, is in the morning between 0800 and 1200. – or 156:00 to 17:00
If you wish to go inside the Great Pyramid, there is an extra ticket for this that will cost you 100 LE. You will find the ticket office for the entrance to the Great Pyramid in front of the north-eastern side of the Pyramid. Sometimes is quite difficult to get this ticket, as the amount is limited to a certain number of visitors. They sell only 300 tickets daily, and they are divided among morning and afternoon. They sell 150 at 0800, and then, at exactly 1300, the other 150.
If you wish to go inside Khafre’s Pyramid, you will have to get an extra entrance ticket – 20 LE. In addition to that, they charge 10LE for cameras.
As for Menkaure’s Pyramid, it is now closed for restoration. The Pyramids are opened on a rotational basis, usually it would last for a year, so that restoration work can be done.
If you want to get a camel or horse ride, the best place for this are the stables at the foot of the Pyramids plateau, it is cheap and safe.
In order to get rid of the vendors, simply say “No, thank you! “ or “La Shukran” and they will go away Believe it or not, it works.
As for the street vendors Don’t say the word “Emshi”, like many of the guide books will advise you, it is simply means get lost, and you don’t want to offend anyone in there , after all they are just trying to make a living. Here are Some useful Arabic words for you.

Tip: If you don’t want to pay the extra entrance ticket for any of the above mentioned pyramids Pyramids and still want to have similar experience of being inside one, then go the eastern side of the Great Pyramid and you will find there three subsidiary smaller Pyramids (one was for the Khufu’s daughter, one for Khufu’s wife and the third one for Khufu’s mother). Two of these Pyramids (his wife’s and his mother’s) are opened for visitors, and there is no extra charge to get in. All you need to do is show your site ticket to the guard and you will be in!
If you ever feel that you need to go to the toilet while you’re conducting your visit, then the best place to go is at the boat Museum which is located in front of the southern side of the Great Pyramid. Just tell the people at the entrance that you only want to use the toilet and they will let you in.

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First say

2011-12-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

If you love someone

2011-12-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

Wedding Etiquette

2011-12-17T15:45:00.001-08:00

A little boy at a wedding looks at his mother and asks, "Mummy, why does the bride wear white?"

His Mum replies, "The bride is in white because she's happy, and this is the happiest day of her life."

The boy thinks about this for a moment and then says, "Well then, why is the groom wearing black?"

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New Year Resolutions for Internet Junkies

2011-12-17T15:42:00.001-08:00

1. I will try to figure out why I *really* need 7 e-mail addresses.

2. I will stop sending e-mail to my wife.

3. I resolve to work with neglected children—my own.

4. I will answer my snail mail with the same enthusiasm with which I answer my e-mail.

5. I resolve to back up my 10GB hard drive daily...well, once a week...okay, monthly then...or maybe...

6. I will spend less than one hour a day on the Internet.

7. When I hear "Where do you want to go today?" I won't reply "MS Tech Support."

8. I will read the manual.

9. I will think of a password other than "password."

10. I will stop checking my e-mail at 3:00 in the morning.

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Wake Up!

2011-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

A teacher is droning on and on in the classroom when he notices a student sleeping way up in the back row.

The teacher shouts to the sleeping student's neighbour, "Hey, wake him up!"

The student yells back, "You put him to sleep, you wake him up!"

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Natural Beauty

2011-12-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

Natural beauty is the ideal many people strive to achieve when they purchase makeup, creams, shampoos and other forms of cosmetics. But what really constitutes natural beauty, and how can it be achieved?
Many consumers, in an attempt to cleanse, tone, moisturize, shine, color, enhance and so on, have overloaded their skin and their cabinets with too many needless products. Experts have found that 63 percent of all women complain of having developed 'sensitive skin', and many of these complaints can be traced back to an overcomplicated skin care regimen. In contrast, the needs of human skin are simple. They are cleansing, moisture, nourishment and protection. Skin which suffers from burning, reddening, pimples, rashes and other symptoms similar to these may be caused by or made worse from adverse reactions to the cosmetic products overloading many women's cabinets. Often many of these products claim to alleviate or eliminate the very symptoms they are causing.

Beautiful skin can be obtained by making good choices for your skin, such as using cosmetic products and make-up which are truly natural. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, water and healthy oils (such as polyunsaturated fats, essential fatty acids found in flax seed oil, olive oil, etc.) all assist in achieving and maintaining healthy skin. Lastly, adequate rest, sleep and exercise also contribute significantly to beautiful skin.

Simple Skin Care Steps:

Gentle cleansing - depending on your skin type or preference, choose a natural soap
Toning - use a toner which is alcohol-free, infused with essential oils
Daytime moisturizing - light or rich skin moisturizer
Nighttime moisturizing - use facial oils formulated with essential oils

Choose make-up which is made with all natural ingredients and colors, regardless of one's age. All faces look fresh and naturally beautiful when colors which reflect the earth's vibrant range of hues are applied. Rainbow-like colors, or deep, dramatic shades cannot be obtained naturally in make-up without synthetically derived colors. These colors rarely look natural, are often trendy and go out of style quickly.

Great looking skin does not mean flawless, masked skin. Rather, lets reconstruct our notions of what constitutes 'beautiful skin' and 'beautiful faces', because perfection does not exist in the natural world, nor does it exist in human beings. Computers, cameras, lighting and other sophisticated technologies create "flawlessness", to create an ideal image no one can attain. Instead, beautiful skin and natural beauty is skin that is free from harmful chemicals, hydrated from within and on the surface, fed with balanced nutrition and wise food choices, and regulated with reasonable exercise. A positive outlook on life and an optimistic perspective also contribute to natural beauty, inside and out.

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Natural Weight Loss

2011-12-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

We are wary about the number of ‘all natural' herbal products being pushed by manufacturers for weight loss. But don’t worry, there are still a number of natural weight loss methods you can use to drop the pounds while feeling good about your health.

Shedding pounds is essential to improve the health of those suffering from this prevalent condition. However, rapid weight loss with aggressive diets subjects key bodily organs, specifically the liver, to excess stress. Experts claim that regular body cleansing is a natural way to mitigate this stress and help the body lose weight more efficiently.

When people make drastic changes to their food intake to lose weight, the liver is required to work overtime to flush out excess fat and toxins. That's why body cleansing is so important -- it's a natural, safe way to protect your body from the strain of these radical diets and avoid future health complications.

While there are a number of approaches to body cleansing, taking herbal supplements is a healthier, less disruptive way to purify the body on a daily basis.

Herbal teas have a remarkable history of beneficial cleansing effects on the body. Herbs such as those contained in Wellements' Daily Detox Tea protect your health during weight loss without reducing your nutritional intake. It's essential not to sacrifice your health when you're trying to lose weight.

Other methods of body cleansing include detoxification diets, which usually involve fasting or a liquid diet, with the gradual reintroduction of certain whole foods. Some programs also encourage colonic irrigation, otherwise known as an enema, which cleans out the colon and lower intestines.

Herbs support the body's normal cleansing process, naturally removing toxins that build up due to processed food, pollution, stress and hormone-based products. Many organic herbs have antioxidant qualities, and increase metabolism by offering a natural stimulant without caffeine

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Natural Manicure

2011-12-17T13:38:00.000-08:00

Hands are one of our most expressive features that need to be moisturized and cared for to keep them looking their best. Often we spend personal time on your face and hair but don't think twice about the way that our hands look... could it be that our hands are our most neglected feature?

Make it up to your hands by pampering them with a manicure and a hot home-made cocoa butter treatment!

Basic manicure

Soak your hands in a bowl of warm water for 3 minutes and apply a tablespoon of heated moisturizer or home-made cocoa butter hand and nail treatment. Work the moisturizer into the base of each nail.

Use a small piece of soft cotton flannel or cuticle tool to gently push back your cuticles on each finger and thumb. Trim your nails and remove any jagged edges.

Massage a dab more of the butter into your hands and fingers one by one, working into the palm of your hand and up your wrist. If possible, have a partner perform the massage on your hands and fingers so you can relax.

Buff your nails with the flannel cloth or the buffered side of a nail file but be careful not to buff so hard that your nails burn.

Cocoa Butter hand and nail treatment

In a double boiler heat and melt the following items:

2 tablespoons Beeswax
2 tablespoons Cocoa Butter
4 tablespoons Jojoba Oil
1 tablespoon Anhydrous Lanolin

When melted remove from the heat for several minutes until it is only warm. Add 20 Drops Sandalwood and Rosemary Essential Oil and stir again until it is completely mixed. This mixture can then be stored in a jar for up to 4 months and requires no refrigeration. In cold climates, it may harden slightly but can be warmed and will soften prior to use. A jar of homemade hand and nail cocoa butter treatment would be a wonderful addition to a gift basket filled with nail polish, file, cuticle scissors, nail buffer or nail clippers.

Protecting our hands

Depending on what type of work you do, your hands can receive a lot of abuse from weather, harsh chemicals and cleansers, dirt, grease and heat. Our hands can become dry, cracked and rough with thick hard fingernails and unattractive calluses.

Wearing gloves when possible can certainly help protect our hands from the elements but applying a good moisturizer frequently can be a wonderful protective coating as well.

To avoid sun damage blotchiness and premature aging of our skin we need to remember to use a good sunscreen of at least a SPF-15 or more.

Avoid soaps that have a high alkaline content. They can strip your skin of it's natural oils and leave it dry and tight. Choose a mild gentle soap that is pH balanced to keep your hands young and supple.

You can also soak your hands in a citrus castor oil solution strengthen weak and brittle nails. Add 5 Tablespoons of Warm Castor Oil to 10 Drops of Orange Blossom Essential Oil and Sandalwood for a refreshing citrus soak. Soak your fingertips for about 10 minutes and then manicure as normal and follow up with a moisturizer.

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Natural Makeup

2011-12-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

You see ‘natural’ in print everywhere these days, but in the true sense, there are very few such industries out there. I mean really natural. And I’m not referring to toiletries. No, this is makeup, like paint, but from non-chemical sources.

All of the truly natural cosmetic companies in the world share common standards of purity. Their makeup is biodegradable, does not contain synthetic chemicals and is never tested on animals. It is highly recommended for allergy sufferers as well as persons with MCS, multiple chemical sensitivities. If a dermatologist advises no makeup, there is an alternative. Thus, to many people, natural is the safest proven makeup.

Why bother? The reason to start paying attention to who is truly natural is because with minimal FDA regulation for cosmetics, there are many toxic and carcinogenic ingredients found in so-called natural body care products. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found that over 800 of the chemicals available for the use in cosmetics (not only makeup) have been reported to the government as toxic substances.

“Aren’t you afraid of bacteria?” one usually asks when I inquire about organic purity. Indeed, such a curse is the greatest threat to a natural cosmetic manufacturer. With chemical preservatives, a typical gal doesn’t worry about the chemicals she’s putting on her skin. Even though it soaks through her skin pores and into her bloodstream. Makeup wearers are poisoning themselves, but the idea of ingredients not being protected with chemical preservatives is scarier to most.

Why heck, women have been eating an average of four pounds of lipstick in their lifetime without any reported problems. Mascara wearers have absorbed fallen bits of plastic and synthetic materials into their eyes daily without ever going blind. Why not leave well enough alone?

As always, times are changing. Consumers and manufacturers are increasingly concerned with the amount of chemicals we absorb in our daily lives. But cosmetic education doesn’t originate from standard media and teaching is just one of the many challenges these few businesses are facing. Their accomplishments and determination deserve respect.

If you haven’t had a skin reaction, don’t freak out, just start reading labels. If you do have a skin problem, stop using what you have, see a dermatologist and start reading labels before you use anything else. In either case, don’t panic about this. Simply become more aware of ingredients and think more about the products you purchase as a result.

Now about reading labels, do you think the average consumer knows what all of those foreign-sounding ingredients are? Do you know how to draw the line between natural and synthetic? I am still having a difficult time reading labels. I even have an expensive chemical dictionary to help. I never studied chemistry before and I find that trying to analyze ingredients from the label makes me feel pretty stupid. But as an eco mentor, I must learn who and why each manufacturer qualifies as one of the special few natural cosmetic industries. I reiterate there are few, less than a dozen, truly natural ingredient makeup sources. Each one of those few has limited offerings.

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Sunburn Treatment

2011-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

Sunburn is a painful reminder to us during hot, summer days. Fairer skinned people are higher prone to getting sunburn more than darker skinned people. We have all experienced sunburns, whether is a light burn or a heavy burn. Here are some home remedies to help out in the home.

There are 3 types of burns. 1st degree, 2nd degree, and 3rd degree burns. 1st degree burns are described as having the red color and pain. 2nd degree burns are accompanied by the red, pain, as well as water bubbles.

If the bubbles are more than 2 inches in diameter, seek professional help immediately. DO NOT POP THEM!! If there is a discoloration in any of the oozing, again, seek professional help immediately!!

3rd degree burns are all of the above and including patches of white skin. This is the most dangerous form of sunburn. It is best to seek medical attention immediately!!

If there are any red or white streaks, go to the nearest ER and seek professional help. There are many forms of home remedies for the first 2 burn degrees.

1st degree and 2nd degree burns can easily be handled by placing cool compresses to the damaged area. You can also use over the counter medications but try to stay away from medications containing "cane or caine" at the end. People are sensitive to the pain relief medications. DO NOT PLACE OIL BASED PRODUCTS ON BURNS!! The old wives' tale about placing butter on the burn can actually do more damage. The oil based products can cause the pores of your skin to clog and keep the burn from 'breathing', thus creating infection.

Try taking a cool shower. NOT COLD. Taking a cold shower or bath can cause the body to go into shock. If you wish to take a bath, you can add vinegar to your water. The vinegar will take out the sting from the sunburn. You can also cook oatmeal and add it to your bath as well.

If you live near a creek, you can use the bottom stalk of the plant called "Touch-Me-Nots". Take the root section off the plant, and chop them into the blender. Though it looks gross and nasty, the juice from this plant, will take out the sting and itch. This also works well with poison ivy too. You can also use Calamine lotion to help relieve the itch. Freshly steeped chamomile herbs can help relieve the sting associated with sunburn too.

Potatoes can be used to relieve the pain from the sunburn. Take 2 potatoes and wash them well. Cut them into tiny chunks and place them into a blender. Liquefy the potatoes. If they are looking dry, add a little bit of water. Pat the areas with the potato juice. Wait until dry and then take a cool shower.

You can also make an oatmeal pack. Cook oatmeal and wait until it is cold. Place in the refrigerator if necessary. Again, taking a shower to remove the oatmeal pack.

Once you have accomplished all of this, use Aloe Vera to add moisture to the burn. Ingest larger quantities of liquids as well as keep an eye out for signs of infection. Look for an evaluation of temperature too. If there are any signs of infection, seek professional care at once!!

DISCLAIMER: These are home care tips only. These tips are not to replace your regular health care provider. If unsure at anytime when you receive your sunburn, call your health care provider for assistance.

To protect yourself next time against sunburn, use sunblock and replenish it according to directions. It is best to replace the application 30 minutes to 1 hour before the next one is due. Apply immediately after water fun or sports. Wear light and loose clothing. Wear large brimmed hats as well as the correct type of sunglasses. The sun has been known and proven to cause cataracts in extreme cases.

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Natural Hair Growth

2011-12-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Hair is composed of strong structural protein called keratin. This is the same kind of protein that makes up the nails and the outer layer of skin. Each strand of hair consists of three layers.

An innermost layer or medulla which is only present in large thick hairs.
The middle layer known as the cortex. The cortex provides strength and both the color and the texture of hair.
The outermost layer is known as the cuticle. The cuticle is thin and colorless and serves as a protector of the cortex.

Structure of the Hair Root

Below the surface of the skin is the hair root, which is enclosed within a hair follicle. At the base of the hair follicle is the dermal papilla. The dermal papilla is feed by the bloodstream which carries nourishment to produce new hair. The dermal papilla is a structure very important to hair growth because it contains receptors for male hormones and androgens. Androgens regulate hair growth and in scalp hair Androgens ma cause the hair follicle to get progressively smaller and the hairs to become finer in individuals who are genetically predisposed to this type of hair loss.

The Hair Growth Cycle

Hair follicles grow in repeated cycles. One cycle can be broken down into three phases. Each hair passes through the phases independent of the neighboring hairs.

Anagen - Growth Phase: Approximately 85% of all hairs are in the growing phase at any one time. The Anagen phase or growth phase can vary from two to six years. Hair grows approximately 10cm per year and any individual hair is unlikely to row more than one meter long.
Catagen - Transitional Phase: At the end of the Anagen phase the hairs enters into a Catagen phase which lasts about one or two weeks, during the Catagen phase the hair follicle shrinks to about 1/6 of the normal length. The lower part is destroyed and the dermal papilla breaks away to rest below.
Telogen - Resting Phase: The resting phase follows the catagen phase and normally lasts about 5-6 weeks. During this time the hair does not grow but stays attached to the follicle while the dermal papilla stays in a resting phase below. Approximately 10-15 percent of all hairs are in this phase at an one time.

At the end of the Telogen Phase the hair follicle re-enters the Anagen Phase. The dermal papilla and the base of the follicle join together again and a new hair begins to form. If the old hair has not already been shed the new hair pushes the old one out and the growth cycle starts all over again.

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Natural Hair Care

2011-12-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

Natural hair care that can be done in the privacy of your own home for a fraction of the cost of salon treatments.

Many men and women spend tons of money in beauty salons for simple things they can do at home with a little time and research. The benefits are not only the money saved but also the convenience and privacy of doing it in your own home. However, the idea of home beauty care conjures up images for some of Lucy Ricardo in the episode where she wrecks her hair before her big night out.

First is eyebrow or mustache waxing. I recommend getting a buddy to help with this one. Depilatory wax is sold over the counter at any drug store and can be heated in a crock-pot filled with water or in the microwave. Just be sure to test on your finger before applying to the skin around your eye. The wax should be very warm, not hot. Apply the wax to the unwanted hair, then apply a strip of cheesecloth over it and gently press. Wait a few moments for the wax to harden then quickly remove the strip. Pulling too slowly causes unnecessary discomfort.

Second is conditioning treatments. You can get the packets or containers of cholesterol or deep conditioning formulas at beauty supply stores or use warm (not hot) olive oil. Apply the conditioner of your choice, and then wrap in a warm towel that you can heat in the microwave (again test for heat before applying). Leave on while you relax or have a cup of coffee and then wash or rinse your hair (if you use the oil you may want to shampoo). This will give you shiny renewed hair for pennies a treatment.

Next are highlights. If you are going for an all out color change, going to a salon would be preferable unless you know what you are doing, but its easy to add a glossy sheen to hair that has not been colored. Simply buy an over the counter highlight or hair painting kit, which comes with full instructions and an applicator brush. Or if you just want to add some shine, mix up a batch of lemon juice, apply and go sit out on your patio in the sun for a while.

If you like long, stylish nails you would do well to learn to do them yourself to save tons of money in professional maintenance.

Facials can also be done using ingredients from the fridge. Try an mashed avacodo mask to moisturize, egg white to decrease oil and cucumbers to refresh tired eyes.

Last, but most importantly is style. Armed with as supply of hot rollers and some styling gel, you can create a variety of looks. If you have a roommate, or a hairstyle buddy, you can try looks like the French braid or cornrows on each other. If your hair is short, add some volume with a few small rollers or spike it up a little with some gel. Add accents like beads and barrettes that you can purchase at the local dollar store and you have a multitude of possibilities. Books on hair styling can be found at the library or local books store. Have a styling party and invite friends over to lend their expertise. The more ideas you share, the more possibilities you have for your home salon.

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Natural Body Care

2011-12-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Natural body care is healthy skin care. It consists of using only natural oils and lotions on the skin as opposed to lotions and ointments derived from unnatural chemicals.

Natural healthy body care is good body care

You will find that natural healthy body care is very beneficial because you are caring for your skin with only the most natural ingredients around. Fruit extracts, vitamins and minerals are considered to be the most natural and therefore these are what you will find in your natural products.

Your skin will respond well to natural body care products. After all, we eat fruit and vitamins for inner health. Why wouldn't it be just as health, if not healthier, for our outer health as well? Try natural body care products and have natural healthy body!

You can find natural body care products in many health stores. Stores that sell organic products generally tend to have the natural products for which you are looking. Try finding yourself some products at one of these types of stores.

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Basic Skin Care

2011-12-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

Daily skin care depends on the basic skin type which is generally predetermined. By taking regular and proper care, the physiological character of the skin type can be checked.

There are 5 types of skin:

Normal: Skin is neither oily nor dry. The moisture and oil content are well balanced.
Oily: Skin has a greasy and shiny look. Pores are often enlarged with blackheads and tendency for acne. More common in adolescent as their sebum secretion is more.
Dry: Due to lack of sebum and moisture, the skin looks and feels dry to the touch. Epidermal cells do not hold adequate natural moisture resulting in premature wrinkling.
Combination skin: This is the most common type. It is partly oily and partly dry. The T-zone, i.e. forehead, nose and chin is oily, while the rest of the face is normal or dry.
“Mature” skin: Skin starts maturing after 25 years of age. The natural oil and moisture level drops, the muscle tone is decreased, blood circulation becomes poor. All these lead to a dry, wrinkled and shallow skin. Decrease in metabolic rate gives a puffy look due to accumulation of metabolites.

Steps of basic skin care:

Cleansing

Effective means of removing dirt, sebum, sweat, dead epidermal cells, bacteria and cosmetic.
Normal and dry skin should be cleansed twice a day, whereas oily skin needs more frequent cleansing, i.e. 4-5 times a day.
An ideal cleansing agent should have a neutral or a similar pH value of the normal skin, i.e. 5.5-6.5.
Commonly used cleansers are soaps which have a pH value between 11-14. Soap and water are okay for oily skin, but they should be sparingly used in normal and combination skin and avoided in dry and mature skin.
Alternative to soap and water are various cleansing creams milks, lotions, foams, oils, gels and liquids.
These cleansing formulations have three main ingredients, i.e. oil, wax and water modified by manufacturers in varying proportion on to suit the skin type.
Liquid paraffin / baby oil can be used as a cleanser for dry skin.
Special treatment – a scrub cleanser which contains tiny particles of crushed nut shells or polished plastic in a cream base can be scrubbed for 1-2 minutes on the face once a week in all skin types and twice a week in oily skin. This cleanser exfoliates dead cells and mildly stimulators blood circulation.
All type of cleansing is followed by thorough wash of face with tepid water.

Toning

Usually toning follows skin cleansing to remove any trace of grease or dirt. It helps to restore the skin’s normal pH after cleansing.
The active ingredients are alcohol and water.
Skin toner, refresher, tonic and astringent are the same. They are available in varying concentration of alcohol to suit the skin type. Oily skin needs more alcohol whereas dry skin needs less alcohol content.
Toning is an optional step between cleansing and moisturizing.

Moisturizing

Skin is a reservoir of 20% of the body’s total water content.
The water or moisture content governs the skin’s softness and suppleness.
In normal environmental conditions the skin protects its water content by:
1. The sebum which reduces water loss
2. Natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) which retains moisture in the epidermal cells and
3. Finally the cementing lipids between the cells which act like a water tight barrier.
The natural water content is often threatened by environmental factors, hence the use of moisturizers.
Moisturizers act as a two-way barrier, they replace source of the water loss from skin and also prevent its evaporation.
They are used after cleansing the skin. Moisturizing products fall into 2 major category.
1. Humectants/Oil in water emulsions – lotion form.
2. Occlusives/Water in oil formulations – cream form.
Lotions should be preferred for day time use and in normal and combination skin and very sparingly used in oily skin.
Creams can be liberally used in dry skin 2-3 times a day. They may be used as night creams on normal and combination skin.
These moisturizers get absorbed into the skin, plumping out the fine wrinkles, giving a false illusion of eradicating the wrinkles.
Most moisturizers contain a sun-screen factor thus protecting the skin from the UV radiation while moisturizing it as well.

Facial skin care

Facials are supposed to stimulate, relax, cleanse, tone-up and rejuvenate facial skin. Corrective facials are aimed at correcting common facial conditions like dry or greasy skin and superficial wrinkles while preservative facials aim to maintain the health of the facial skin.
A facial is carried out in the following steps:
1. Skin analysis to know the type of skin, selection of correct skin care product and the necessary facial.
2. Cleansing
3. Toning
4. Steaming
5. Blackhead extraction
6. Massage – it stimulates the cutaneous blood vessels, nerves and facial muscles.
7. Facial masks and packs-these cleanse, tone, dry or moisturize the skin. They are of 2 types – setting and non-setting.
8. Toning.
9. Moisturizing – this is usually the final step of a facial, but if the client wants can be followed by application of facial cosmetics.
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Clean Skin Is Happy Skin

2011-12-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

One simple way to take care of your skin is to keep it clean. Keeping your hands clean is especially important because your hands can spread germs to the skin on other parts of your body.

When washing your hands, use water that's comfortably warm. Wet your hands, then lather up with a mild soap. You should lather and rub everywhere, including the palms, the wrists, between the fingers, and under the nails. Rinse well, dry thoroughly with a clean towel, and you're done!

You'll also want to use water that's warm, not too hot, when you take a shower or bath. Use a gentle soap to clean your body. Don't forget under your arms and behind your ears! Your face needs attention, especially as you enter puberty and the skin on your face gets more oily. It's a good idea to wash your face once or twice daily with warm water and a mild cleanser.

If you look in the drugstore, you'll see shelf after shelf of skin care products, but kids don't usually need anything more than a gentle soap. Talk to a parent or your doctor if you have questions about what to use on your skin.

If you have dry, flaky, or itchy skin, you might use a moisturizing lotion or cream. When choosing a moisturizer, pick one without a lot of colors and perfumes. Petroleum jelly can work for some kids. If you are worried about pimples, look for a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (won't cause pimples).

With pimples, you might think that scrubbing your face is the way to get rid of them. But actually, your skin will be less likely to break out if you clean it gently, using your fingertips, not a rough washcloth. If you have trouble with pimples, talk with your doctor about which cleansers are best to use.

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DIY! 17 Star Hair and Makeup Looks to Try

2011-12-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

Jessica Alba’s Makeup

“The muted cheeks, alluring cat-eyes and monochromatic palette looked especially pretty against Jessica’s gorgeous skin tone,” says makeup artist Fiona Stiles, who used Revlon makeup and EcoTools brushes to create a sophisticated face for Alba.

DO IT YOURSELF!

Skin: Use Bamboo Foundation Brush to apply PhotoReady Foundation in Caramel. Set the base with PhotoReady Powder in Medium/Deep, then use fluffy Bamboo Finishing Kabuki Brush to apply ColorStay Mineral Blush in Honey to cheeks.

Eyes: Cover lids with the pearlized gray shade of ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in Sterling Rose, and add a bit of the same gray under the lower lashes. Apply Luxurious Color Eyeliner in Black Velvet at the outer corners, working the color into the lash line with Smudge Brush. Finish with a few coats of Grow Luscious Mascara in Black.

Lips: Smooth on ColorBurst Lipgloss in pale Crystal Lilac.

Try a new makeup look on yourself using our Virtual Makeover tool.

Ashley Greene's Hair

“I wanted Ashley’s hair to be sexy and architectural, so I focused on a deep side part and super-shiny finish,” says celebrity stylist Ted Gibson, who used products from his own line on the actress.

DO IT YOURSELF!

Prep: Start by spraying roots with Build It Spray, a blow-drying agent that volumizes hair. Then, carefully create a deep side-part in a diagonal direction. Keeping this shape, blow-dry hair until perfectly smooth.

Style: Run a dab of Tame It Shine Lotion through hair to protect from heat. Separate hair into small sections and use a flat iron to create a gleaming, stick-straight finish.

Set: Finish with Beautiful Hold Hairspray.

Try a new hairstyle on yourself using our Virtual Makeover tool.

Camilla Belle’s Makeup

“To create a look that harmonized with Camilla’s bold black-and-rust dress, I focused on shades of copper, bronze and apricot,” says the actress's makeup artist, Vanitymark founder Brett Freedman.

DO IT YOURSELF!

Skin: Start with Murad’s lightweight Energizing Pomegranate moisturizer; let sink in. Then, use Makeup Forever HD foundation and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer in shades that match your skin tone.

Eyes: Smooth M.A.C Eye Shadow in gray-brown Shroom on the brow bone and define the crease with M.A.C Eye Shadow in beige Wedge. Next, fully line eyes with Shiseido Automatic Fine Eyeliner Pen in Black; let dry. Top with Prestige Liquid Eye Liner in copper Legend. Define brows with Vanitymark Brow Powder.

Lips: Apply Benefit They're Real Mascara in Black on curled lashes.

Try a new makeup look on yourself using our Virtual Makeover tool.

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