Archive for the ‘maternity’ Category

Oprah! How To Get On The Oprah Winfrey Show

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010


Do you dream of being on Oprah Winfrey’s television show? Lots of people do. An appearance on Oprah is considered by many to be the pinnacle of success. Authors dream of having bestselling books as a result of an Oprah appearance, counselors imagine becoming the next Dr. Phil, and even celebrities get giddy about sitting next to Oprah.

Before pitching your story to Oprah, become familiar with how the show is structured. Oprah changes the show’s focus from year to year. Watch at least a full week of shows to learn the type of stories the show features and how regular segments fit into the show. As you watch, imagine how your story might be told on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Don’t send your pitch directly to Oprah Winfrey. Watch the credits to get the names of producers who work on the show. Send a pitch and media kit to the appropriate producer. Tell them why you think your story is right for the show, and how you see your story fitting into the format of the show. Include a copy of your book, a product sample, a short video, or other items that help make your case.

The Oprah.com web site is the best resource to help you land a spot on the show. The Web site includes a list of topics they’re working on for upcoming shows, and tells you how to contact the show to tell your story. There are links for getting your story into O, Oprah’s magazine, too.

You can also use the Web site to research regular show features and the topics of past shows. That knowledge can help you target your pitch to the show.

Remember that Oprah and her staff watch television, read newspapers and magazines, and listen to the radio. They are always looking for great stories. Get your story told in other media and they may find you. Doing lots of other interviews will also be great practice for when you actually make it to the Oprah set. The Oprah Winfrey Show is based in Chicago, so you might want to make a special effort to get publicity in Chicago media.

Know the show. Visit Oprah.com frequently to see what guests they are looking for. Follow up and contact the show when you can make a connection with an upcoming topic. And have a nice time in Chicago!

The Top Five Organizers for Christmas Ornament Storage

Thursday, August 19th, 2010


A great deal of time and money is usually spent decorating our homes for the holidays. After investing these resources, we do not want to risk losing our decorations to water damage, breakage, or by misplacing them. The best way to prevent this from happening is to purchase storage containers which are made specifically to store holiday items. It is important to buy enough of these containers to avoid overcrowding your decorations. After carefully packing away your holiday items, placing the storage containers in a safe place.

With the variety of storage containers available, it can be difficult to decide which container you should purchase. Here are some of the containers that you can choose from, as well as some reasons why they are a good choice.

Ornament Storage Boxes – Ornament storage boxes are used to store Christmas tree ornaments. They not only prevent your ornaments from being broken, but they also make it much easier to take down your tree. When you use an ornament storage box, you do not need to wrap your ornaments in tissue or newspaper. Ornament storage boxes are plastic boxes that are divided into smaller partitions. These partitions keep your ornaments from hitting against one another, which can scratch or break your ornaments. The plastic box is extremely sturdy, which allows you to stack your boxes of Christmas decorations on top of each other without the risk of crushing the ornaments.

Christmas Light Storage Box – Christmas lights are a storage nightmare. Christmas lights can easily become tangled and they can be difficult to store. If you manage to remove them from your tree or the outside of your house without tangling them in a hopeless ball, odds are that by next year, they may have found a way to tangle themselves. A Christmas light storage box is a plastic box that contains inserts for your lights. Each insert sits upright in the box, and in slots that run down each side. You remove one of the inserts and wrap a string of lights around it. You then slide it back into the box. By the time you have removed all of the lights from around your home, the storage box may be full, but each set of lights should be tangle free.

Wreath Storage Containers – Boxes made specifically for wreath storage are an excellent addition to Christmas storage. They provide a sturdy home for your wreath so that it is not crushed, and take up little room. A wreath is fragile and they can become damaged very easily. These boxes are an excellent way to prevent them from becoming damaged and they can last much longer.

Regular Plastic Containers – Many of the items that are used for holiday decorations do not have their own storage container. Train sets, stockings, candles and ceramic figurines are all part of the holiday scene, and need to be carefully stored. For these items, you may have to use a regular plastic storage container. These containers are not specifically made for what you are storing in them, so packing is more important. Use as small of a box as possible, and fill any empty space in the box with crumpled newspapers so that your decorations do not slide around.

Plastic Storage Bags – Plastic storage bags are an excellent storage solution for many holiday items. While they should not be used for breakable items, they are a great choice for oddly shaped or sized decorations. Plastic storage bags should not provide any real reinforcement, but can keep the item clean and shielded from sunlight and moisture while it is in storage.

With the combination of these five organizers, you should be able to safely store all of your holiday decorations. They all provide protection for your items from breakage as well as dust and UV damage. Once you purchase these organizational tools, take the time to carefully pack your ornaments, removing hooks before putting them in the ornament box. Make sure that all of your decorations are clean before packing them away. For ornaments that you can wipe clean, use a damp cloth. Soft or cloth items can be cleaned with a gently pass of your hairdryer.

A few extra minutes spent packing away your holiday ornaments can help ease the organizational headache that happens each year during the holiday season. Clean, well-packed ornaments, organized in containers made for the items you are storing, is the best way to ensure that your sentimental favorites make it safely from year to year. Next holiday season you should consider these storage solutions as they can greatly reduce the stress of locating your decorations. Many benefits are provided by properly storing your holiday items and the most important reason is that you can prevent your memorable Christmas ornaments from becoming damaged.

Pregnancy Massage Therapy – Using Acupressure to Induce Labor

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010


Maternity acupressure techniques date back to ancient times, when reflexology for pregnancy consisted of Chinese methods.  There were certain massage techniques marked as forbidden during pregnancy, because these pressure points proved to induce labor.  Later on, people realized these acupressure pregnancy points could be used during the initial stages of childbirth for exactly that purpose – to help bring about labor naturally, safely, and easily.  They also quickly learned that acupressure during labor could ease the painful symptoms associated with childbirth, relax the mother by reducing stress levels, and even help ease the baby downward by helping it descend into the birth canal.

Pregnant massage offers many benefits to women who are suffering from the back aches and pains associated with having to carry a child for nine months.  But pregnancy reflexology goes one step further, using specific pressure points within the body to trigger certain releases that are associated with the very beginning stages of childbirth.  Using acupressure to induce labor allows you to begin the process of labor from within the comfort of your home, triggering dilation of the cervix and starting the mild contractions that will lead up to having the baby.  Because you begin this process early, you get to fully and safely control the initial stages of childbirth.  By the time you get to the hospital, your actual time in labor will be enormously reduced – this is because the reflexology and pregnancy has already advanced your body through the beginning of the birthing process.

Continued massage during labor has even more benefits.  In learning how to do maternity acupressure, you are taught the pressure points that relieve pain associated with giving birth.  You also learn the pregnancy massage therapy techniques needed to reduce and eliminate stress, relaxing mom and promoting dilation of the cervix.  There are pregnancy reflexology pressure points that will help blood flow, and increase oxygen levels for both mother and baby during the delivery process.  The combination of these acupressure pregnancy techniques result in a shorter, safer birth for your baby, offering greatly decreased chances for a cesarean section, episomity, or other type of unwanted medical procedures outside of an easy, natural birth.

Maternity acupressure techniques can be learned by anyone, regardless of experience.  The reflexology points are easily accessible and they only need a gentle pressure with the thumb in order to activate them.  Your partner can learn them quickly and easily, and you can begin enjoying the pain-relieving benefits of this type of massage during pregnancy right away.  And acupressure during labor isn’t the only way to enjoy the benefits of these reflexology methods.  The massage during labor techniques you learn can also be used post-delivery, to help mom relax and enjoy reduced stress during the months and years afterward, while enjoying your baby.