Author:Shelly Wu
ISBN-10: 1601630786
ISBN-13: 978-1601630780

If you’re like me and have this thing for Chinese Astrology, you will want to start the new year learning about your true life path with this book, The Definitive Book of Chinese Astrology.

Part 1 of the book will teach you about the Four Pillars of Destiny or better known as Ba Zi, the cornerstones of Chinese astrology. The Four Pillars Chart is derived from the Date of Birth of a person using the Chinese Solar Calendar, which is based on the return of the sun and the subsequent cycles of the sun’s orbit. The 8 chapters in Part 1 covers in depth details of how the Four Pillars can be used to forecast the destiny and characteristics of an individual and the relationships and interaction between the individual with the surrounding environment.

Next, the author Shelly Wu shares with readers about Zi Wei Dou Shu, or “emperor astrology,” known as the best-kept secret for millenniums and formerly accessible only to royalty.  The most accurate and profound divination tool ever discovered—a kind of Dewey decimal system of the universe—will help you identify your inborn capabilities, achievement potential, and life path. One word of caution though, this book may give you some basic information on Zi Wei Dou Shu but it will actually take you years to actually master this astrology.

In the final part,  you will learn about the Chinese astrological subspecialties, from the IChing, feng shui, and Chinese palmistry, to Face reading, 9 Star Ki, and what the combination of your western birth month and eastern birth year reveals. Included in this book is also an interactive CD-ROM which helps  readers create Chinese  astrological charts for themselves, their friends, and family. This will enable them to better understand  their destiny and assess their life options.

BUY IT : The Definitive Book of Chinese Astrology (EAN 978-1-60163-078-0, pages: 216, price: $18.99) was published by New Page Books. The book is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, and many other booksellers

Review copy courtesy of NewPageBooks.com

Hermes is a legendary fashion house and is well-known in the glamour world. The world famous Birkin bag has an interesting history and is named after Jane Birkin. It has gained popularity over the years and is a favorite amongst the Who’s Who of the fashion and film industry. Nicole Richie, Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Gwenyth Paltrow are some celebrities rarely seen without their Hermes Birkin Bag.

Posh Spice With Her Hermes Birkin

The Birkin bag is favored for its timeless elegance and ineffable style- an almost magical blend of ageless grace and continued modernity that makes it an ideal accessory for any age and season. You can have the bag customized and make it your own by adding a personal touch to it.

The size of the bag ranges from 25 cm to 45 cm. The material used is leather which is scratch-resistant and beautifully textured. The bag is available in a variety of colors, and the most popular choices include- ink, that is the darkest blue and potiron which is orange in color and its shine depends on your choice of leather.

You can also add precious metals to the clasp of your Hermes Birkin bag. Silver palladium, 24 karat gold, guilloche and ruthenium are some examples of the metals used.

These bags are entirely hand-made and are recognized as the ultimate status symbols.

Pictured left : Nicole Richie

1. www.joeytotes.com -  Joey Totes were designed to make it simple for people to get in the reusable bag habit.  Each bag stows into a tiny storage pouch that is sewn directly into each Joey Tote, so it’s impossible to misplace. Better still, each pouch can also store at least one other tote (two for the “Big Joey”), so all of the bags are conveniently kept in one place that’s still small enough to easily fit into a purse or coat pocket.

Great for use at the mall, the beach or even the gym, Joey Totes are made from rip-stop nylon, hold up to 40 pounds each and are machine washable.

2. www.reusablebags.com -Envirosax are for the environmentally-conscious consumer who wants a practical, stylish option to plastic and paper bags. Made of durable, waterproof, lightweight polyester, built for toughness and extra strength.

Design features include double-fabric handle for comfort, reinforced seams for added strength, and long handles for carrying over the shoulder. Each Envirosax Graphic Series bag rolls up into a tiny, compact package so it’s easy to always have one with you – small enough to stow into a glove compartment or a handbag. To use, unsnap its closure tab and unroll. The bag expands to hold the equivalent of two grocery plastic bags.

3. www.simplygreensolutions.com – Foldable Curve Bag is one of the most stylish reusable promotional bags in their collection. With its curved shape and unique fold-up feature, its easy storage without sacrificing style. Perfect if you’re looking for a unique bag for your organization or as a giveaway. Perfect for promotional and retail stores. Comes in non woven polypropylene only.

Some of you may recall that I ran a giveaway for FLABuLESS a while back. Well, FLABuLESS has now changed its name to TRES SLEEK.

For the benefit of my new readers, here’s a little background information about TRES SLEEK:

Founded in August of 2008 by Lee Stevenson TRES SLEEK is the first ever arm shapewear for real women. Lee saw a void in the shapewear market and TRES SLEEK was born. A pioneer in arm shapewear, Lee created these unique compression sleeves for the “everyday” woman to instantly smooth the arms and reduced the appearance of sagging and bulging skin. TRES SLEEK arm shapewear comes in four lengths long sleeve, short sleeve and cap sleeve, in two colors nude and black, as well as a variety of sizes. For more information please visit www.TRESSLEEK.com

While it takes hard work and discipline to stay in shape certain parts of the body can at times seem unresponsive to diet and exercise, leaving women frustrated and discouraged. TRES SLEEK, offers innovative, convenient and affordable solutions that slenderize, conceal, and reshape common trouble areas. The arm shapewear collection is available in two styles, the Pleine, and the De Quart; two colors, black and copper nude. Retail Cost: $29.95 and $26.95 respectively.

If you use discount code “TresSleekApril09” throughout the month of April 2009,  you will be eligible for 20% off your purchase at www.TRESSLEEK.com. Offer is valid for US and Canada only.

After a lot of surfing on the net, I’ve finally found something that might be ideal for him. My brother in law is an outdoor enthusiast who loves hunting, surfing, mountain climbing, snow boarding and hiking. So, I figured that we could get him something useful like those north face jackets, a set of new skis or even a backpack.

I had consulted the hubby and we narrowed down the option to the jacket and backpack. Even with only two choice of gifts, there were so many brands to choose from. And boy, they were not cheap! Getting a good quality jacket or backpack meant we had to part with close to $150. We preferred not to get those cheaper ones as they would be less durable for the outdoor lifestyle. So, a friend advised me to try to bid for those goods at eBay and you know what? I managed to win a bid on a jacket, which ordinarily would have cost $199. I got a brand new one at only $110, a discount of 45%. I’m sooo happy, I’m definitely bidding for more stuff from eBay this Christmas. Just to share, here’s a look at the jacket we bought (pictured below).

The great thing about wall sconces is you can find them in a bunch of different styles and finishes. If your home decor leans more toward modern and contemporary, no problem! Select a simple sconce with a stainless steel, aluminum or brushed nickel finish with glass accents. Avoid fixtures that feature a lot of ornate detailing, as those tend to be bit more old fashioned. Designer George Kovacs has a great line of modern lighting, manufactured by Minka. If your tastes are more traditional, then you might want to look for a design with ornate detail work in bronze with a bronze or brass finish. Tiffany-style wall sconces are also a great option. These lights feature beautiful stained glass elements that will add a pop of color to your hallway. Whatever your design aesthetic, there’s a wall sconce for you!

While I recommend hiring a licensed electrician to install your wall sconces, there are lighting options for those of you who don’t want to go through the extra trouble. Wall plug sconces make are a good idea if you have a shorter hallway to illuminate. The downside, of course, is hiding the ugly cord. Kichler and Lite Source make some nice wall plug sconces that you may want to consider.

Going “green” is a big trend right now, and for good reason! With rising energy costs, gas prices and the overall deterioration of the environment, it’s important to cut costs wherever you can. When it comes to finding eco-friendly wall sconces, it’s all about the bulbs! While your standard incandescent bulbs tend to be cheaper, it’s definitely a good idea to invest in some compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). These guys can save you money in the long run. If ever American home replaced one single incandescent light bulb with a CFL, we could potentially save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for an entire year! What’s more, CFLs emit a much cleaner, brighter light which will help brighten up your space more effectively. Additionally, you can look for light fixtures with that little “Energy Star Qualified” logo on the packaging and know that you’re making a smart choice. Oh, and just because you’re going green, doesn’t mean you have to skimp on style! There are plenty of fashionable sconces available in this eco-friendly style.

By having adequate lighting in your hallway, you make your home more inviting for holiday guests, you make your trips to and from the bathroom or kitchen much safer and you add style and personality. What more could you ask for in a purchase?

How many of you store folders and folders of great and memorable photo in your laptop and do nothing about it? I know I was guilty of doing just that but not anymore! If you nodded your head to my earlier question, I’d recommend you to create a EuroBook with all those wonderful digital photos of yours. After all, they are certainly not memories that you want to forget.

EuroBook is a new service provided by dotPhoto which gives user the ability to create customized, hardbound digital photo books, which in turn can be ordered online and delivered within 6 to 10 business days. EuroBooks are available in more than 200 configurations that vary in sizes, features, and price. What makes Eurobook software stand out from its competitors is the fact that it has a feature that groups photos together by colors, textures and matches background – giving the photo book a professional design look.

The Eurobook software is FREE to download and available at www.dotphoto.com or www.eurobook.us. Another advantage of using this software is you can create the photo books offline without worrying about Internet connections.

ORDER NOW : EuroBooks resemble “coffee table”-style books with high-quality professional binding as well as 135 pound paper. Pricing begins at $9.95 for the 5×5 inch, 26-page book. The popular Classic 8×11 inch EuroBook starts at $19.95. The Deluxe 11.6×11.6 inch EuroBook, which is perfect for special occasions and presentations, starts at $68.95. Pricing is also based on the number of pages and choice of cover material: soft cover, hard cover, linen, premium linen, booklet and faux leather.

Get your Eurobook in 3 simple steps:
• Download the free EuroBook software
• Create your book from your digital photos
• Place your order online

WIN IT : Thanks to dotPhoto, I am giving away two gift codes of up to $100 each for creating Eurobooks to two very lucky readers (one EuroBook each up to $100).

Here are the rules to participate:

• Visit www.eurobook.us and let me know in the comment section below which EuroBook will you spend your $100 gift code on.
• 3 additional entries if you Stumble This Post with a review
• Contest is open to US shipping addresses only
• Winners will be selected using the Random.Org number generator. Contest closes on 17th September 2008.

Basing their products on their own experience of British weather meant that one of Berghaus’ primary focuses became on layering. With the ever-changing British weather it became essential that outdoor clothing could keep the wearer warm and dry, but could also be removed to help keep the wearer cool. Although many international outdoor clothing producers also utilise layering in their products, they are likely to focus primarily upon their own climate when designing their product specification. Therefore, a piece of outer-wear that is produced in America is likely to have been developed to resist different extremes of cold, warmth and humidity and as a result may not be as effective when worn in a different country. Alternatively, it may be as effective, if not more so due to America’s vast number of extreme climates, but the added features for coping with these climates may mean that it is much more expensive to purchase.

The same can be said for outdoor footwear, Bergahaus have developed their footwear specifically with the British terrain in mind. Generally, the British terrain has a handful of conditions ranging from rocky, grassy, hilly, flat or even boggy, this contrasts the American landscape where all of these terrains are present in addition to desert conditions and areas of extreme cold. Therefore, it is likely that footwear purchased from America has been developed to a different specification and will not be as suitable for someone who hikes solely in Britain as a piece of footwear developed for use on the British landscape.

Despite the fact that many brands of outdoor wear are now manufactured to extremely high standards and contain many modern technologies that not only provide the wearer with optimum comfort, but also help them to achieve optimum performance, it seems that if you intend to trek in the UK then purchasing outdoor wear from a UK based company, such as Berghaus clothing, is the right choice to make. The first reason being that because the company is aware of the climate it is likely that they have tailored their product to meet the demands of that particular climate. The second reason for opting for UK made outer-wear is that their local knowledge means that their footwear will have been specifically designed to meet the needs of the British wearer. And as a final thought, although it could be argued that outdoor clothing from other countries may have a broader range of climates that it can help the wearer accustom to, it is worth bearing in mind that this extra technology is like to cost more, therefore if you only intend to wear your outdoor clothing in the UK, then purchasing an item made within the UK is surely the best choice.

Keep The Bad Stuff Out and The Good Stuff In

I have dry skin condition and as a result, also have mild eczema on my elbows from time to time. Thus, when I was offered to review Gloves In A Bottle, I was happy to try it out. I must admit, I did not really expect anything positive out of it as I have tried numerous products without much success.

For those who are not aware, regular hand and skin lotions only replace natural oils with artificial ones and offer temporary relief that does little to heal the skin. Therefore, constant use of these lotions can actually cause the skin to produce less natural oils.

Gloves In A Bottle is a shielding lotion and unlike regular moisturizers, it bonds with the outer layer of our skin and helps lock in the natural oils and moisture. Because Gloves In A Bottle becomes part of the outer layer of skin itself, it doesn’t wash off like conventional lotions. This is important for people like me who washes my hand constantly due to house chores. I do not need to deal with the hassle of reapplying moisturizers as this shileding lotion provides continued protection of up to 12 hours.

Verdict : I’ve applied Gloves In A Bottle to my troubled dry elbows for two weeks now and the eczema has somewhat subside. I am hoping to see more positive result on prolonged use of up to one month.

Meantime, for those who would like to try Gloves In A Bottle, you can request for samples or purchase it online here.

I was really amazed that I could shop at my own pace and slowly browse through the variety of Holiday Greeting Cards available at sites like Cards Direct. Last year, all I could do was just grab whatever were readily available at Wal-Mart. For this year, I’m even considering having those personalized Holiday Cards done. Imagine being able to have your own choice of design, custom verse and even my signature crafted into the card! It’ll definitely save me plenty of time signing off those cards! LOL. Seriously though, personalized signature would be great for businesses but I still prefer the good old fashion way of signing. It’s the little personal touch that matters most.

Now, check out my favourite design below. Is it cool or what? Wait till you receive the personalized version in the mail from me and I bet you, you’ll go green with envy! By the way, did I mention Cards Direct is currently having a Sale with 10%-40% off? Oh yes, they are!