What is Zoroastrianism?

Simply put, Zoroastrianism is the name given to the religion and beliefs based on the teachings attributed to the Persian religious leader Zararthushtra (Greek Zoroaster, later Persian Zartosht). Mazdayasna (worship of Ahura Mazda) is the name of the religion that recognizes the divine authority of Ahura Mazda, the creator Zarathushtra discovered by studying nature and who was proclaimed by Zoroaster as the only uncreated Creator of all (God).

“Mazdaism” is a transliteration of Mazdayasna, which means “worshipper of Mazda”. Most of Ahura Mazda’s followers call themselves Zoroastrians or Behdini (followers of the Good Religion).

Who was Zoroaster?

Zoroaster is generally accepted as a historical figure, but dating the time Zoroaster lived is fraught with difficulties. The most widely accepted calculations place it around 1200 BC. C., which makes him a candidate for “founder of the oldest religion based on revealed scriptures”, while other estimates date his life between the 18th and 6th centuries B.C. c.

The Gathas and the chapter known as Yasna Haptanghaiti are all written in ancient Avestan and the language used in these passages is much older than the language used in other parts of the Zoroastrian writings which are called Avesta and which are written in what is called Young. Avestan. Old Avestan and Vedic Sanskrit are descendants of the Proto-Indo-Iranian language and Old Avestan Gathic is still quite similar in structure to Rig-Veda Sanskrit in language usage.

However, the Sanskrit of the Rig-Veda is somewhat more conservative in outlook and structure than the Avestan of the Gathas, so based on changes in languages, scholars date the Gathas to around 1000 BCE. C., more or less a couple of centuries.

** But note also that the problem lies in the age of the Rig Veda, which no one seems to know with approximate certainty. There are also those who think that the Gathas are older than the Rig Veda, Dastur Dhalla and some other linguists see the Gaatic language as more complex and archaic.

Most of what we know about Zoroaster comes to us from a variety of sources, the Avesta, the Gathas, Greek historical works, archaeological evidence, and oral history. Zoroaster was born at the cusp when societies moved from being primarily nomadic to a more settled agrarian lifestyle. He lived in an area of ​​the Middle East then known as Chorasmia (An area roughly occupying present-day northern Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan)

He was married, had three daughters and three sons, and was in his 30s when he received enlightenment. He preached for many years before his wife and children were converted, the first convert being a cousin.

These statements are all based on legends that have been woven into traditions. They probably contain some truths and facts, but there is no way to determine them and therefore they cannot be taken as historical.

Later Avestan writings make Zoroaster a kind of “superman”, who fights with demons and is tempted by Ahriman. The Gathas, however, show him as an ordinary mortal, perplexed by his call, completely sure of Ahura Mazda, and baffled by his lack of success. In time, he converted King Vistaspa, who reigned in eastern Iran, and with the king’s conversion, Zoroastrianism became a force in the region and there, as well as in India among the Parsees, it still survives.

Who is Ahura Mazda?

For Zoroastrians, God (called Ahura Mazda), is the beginning and the end, the creator of everything visible and invisible. Although it is recognized that the concept of “God”, like so many others, is slightly different in Zarathushtrian thought. Zarathushtra might be better considered, if we are to use modern terms to describe his doctrines, a panentheist, that is, he perceives a Supreme Being.

Thus, this Creator is immanent in Creation but also transcends it. In fact, as said, Mazda Ahura can be seen to contain the creation in some way.

Also, the very concept of Lordship and Sovereignty are different, Ahura, which is often translated as lord, was the name of a set of ancient arya gods who were totally abstract and lacking any form, they can best be considered as energy since they have no body, however. they are personal.

Furthermore, Mazda does not impose its will, but rather teaches, persuades, etc. Therefore, Mazda’s relationship with mortals is that of a partner, an ally, a friend, and even a soulmate)

This being that is the source of everything that exists. The name Ahura Mazda contains masculine and feminine elements. (Ahura, the Lord, is masculine, while Mazda, More or Super Wise or Knowledgeable, and More or Super Giver or Generous, is feminine).

Ahura Mazda, according to Zoroastrian belief, is the Eternal, the Pure and the only Truth. In the Gathas, which are the oldest texts of Zoroastrianism and are considered to have been written by Zoroaster himself, the master does not give devotion to any other deity besides Ahura Mazda.

What are the Gathas?

The Gathas are scriptures written in an ancient Indo-Iranian verse form. Gatha means ‘Song’. There are 17 Gathic hymns, they exist on their own and as part of the much larger Avesta. They are the earliest of the Zoroastrian writings.

What about dualism?

Perhaps the best known of the later Zoroastrian doctrines is the doctrine of dualism or ditheism. This posits that Ahura Mazda has two ’emanations’ called Spenta Mainyu (good mind) and Angra Mainyu (bad or evil mind). These became the later Zoroastrian belief in Ormazd and Ahriman.

This doctrine, however, is purely a product of later thought. In the Zoroastrian revelation, only Ahura Mazda will ultimately triumph over the ‘lie’ (Yasna 48.1). But not here or now. Because now human beings must choose which of the two ‘forces’ they will serve, the Truth or the Lie, this choice is a lifelong affair, but righteousness begins by making the first choice for Ahura Mazda and for the Truth.

Quote:“…Hear the best things with your ears, reflect on them with an unbiased mind. Then let each man and woman choose for themselves between the two ways of thinking. Wake up to my doctrine, before this great event that is coming to you the chose…” [Avesta: The Gathas: Song 3:2 (FreeTranslation)]

What about the converts?

There are two main groups that can be considered ‘cultural’ Zoroastrians, they are the Zoroastrian community in Iran and the Parsi community in India. The Parsees (refugees in India from the Muslim invasion of Iran) do not allow conversion at all. The Iranian community does but quietly and carefully because conversion from Islam is considered a crime in Iran.

But in addition to these groups, there are ‘Gathas only’ groups of Zoroastrian converts by choice springing up all over the world with the main centers for such groups in the US and South America. So, in fact, it is possible to convert to Zoroastrianism.

See also the article at: http://tinyurl.com/svs5k

What does Zoroastrianism teach?

This part of the article I have struggled with, the teachings of Zoroastrianism are deep and wide, but I believe the following quote is from:

http://www.zoroastrianism.cc/universal_religion.html is perhaps the best definition I have read.

Quote: “… Zarathushtra’s is a message about a spirituality that progresses towards self-realization, wholeness, and completeness, as a good creation of a totally good God. It is a message of freedom – freedom to choose, freedom from fear , freedom from guilt, freedom from sin, freedom from stultifying rituals, superstitious practices, false spirituality, and ceremonies. The God of Zarathustra is not a God of “Thou shall” and “Thou shall not.”

God in Zoroastrianism does not care what you wear, what and when you eat or where and when you worship. Instead, God cares how fair, progressive, and good you are.

1. God is not about fear, guilt, and condemnation.

2. God is Wisdom Love and Logic.

3. God plays no favorites and does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, gender, race, or class.

4. God treats humans with dignity and respect.

5. God is not a master of slaves, nor a despot, among his servants.

6. God is man’s partner and soul mate.

7. God is not Jealous, Wrathful or Vengeful.

8. Man is not sinful, fallen, or depraved.

9. God has no adversary and heaven and hell are states of mind and being.

10. Man was created to progress towards the likeness of God and eliminate evil from the Cosmos in partnership with God.

The Zoroastrian Religion presents humanity as the growing and evolving creation of a God who respects it and wants it to collaborate in the task of preserving, nurturing, promoting and refreshing this Living World and all that it offers.

A Zoroastrian is supposed to progress towards God (Ahura Mazda) by his own choices. Choose to do good and avoid choosing to do evil or evil. Zoroastrianism is thus humanity’s first truly ethical religion and teaches that mortals achieve their goal of God-likeness and spiritual fulfillment by fighting evil through good thoughts, words, and deeds…”

The man’s role in your life is to help you grow to higher and higher levels of achievement and wisdom. The man in his life, whether husband or boyfriend, provides both supportive comments and challenging comments. When feedback is understood, it provides growth for the woman whose goal is to continue to grow and achieve success in her life. The man in her life will also help her deal with the things that she doesn’t like to do or that she isn’t good at.

Growth through Balance

The role of man in the life of modern women will be expressed in different ways. If she is too aggressive, for example, the man might take the opposite side of her to remind her to slow down and pay attention to her health and the people in her life. If she loses strength and doesn’t progress in her career, the man might take the other side to remind her that she should get on with her career. Then the man in her life will lead her to balance and growth. Of course, this can be expressed in a variety of ways, from gentle reminders to complaints and outbursts.

A great man will tell you that you did a great job, you look beautiful, or that you were right and thank you. A great man will also do difficult things like tell you that the dress you’re wearing doesn’t look too good, that your breathing needs attention, or that you need to start exercising again. That feedback is harsh but necessary. If your man won’t give it to you, the guy in the office will! Of course, a great man tells you difficult things in a respectful way. If a man only praises you and is afraid to give you comments that are not so nice to hear, then he is not helping you. Similarly, if a man only criticizes and never gives nice-to-listen comments, he doesn’t help either. Giving both positive and negative feedback is true love.

If you don’t see how the man in your life is helping you grow, look closely and see the lessons before moving forward because lessons are repeated until learned. If the lessons are not learned, the next man turns out to be just like the one before making you ask “Why does this always happen to me?”

Unrealistic expectations and fantasies

Having unrealistic expectations about the man in your life will disappoint you. Some of the unrealistic expectations are that the man will complete you, he will always tell you nice things, he will take care of all your needs, he will make you happy and he will never let you down. These are unrealistic in the sense that you never always say nice things to yourself, you never always take care of your needs, you are never always happy with yourself, you sometimes disappoint yourself and others. If you are never 100% trustworthy for yourself and others, can’t you just let others be human like you?

You will always be disappointed if you compare your man to a one night stand; the adventure on Facebook; the guy in the movies or with the guy in your girlfriend’s story. If you really want to know what the guy you think is so cool is like, ask his wife!

Unrealistic expectations and fantasies lead to marriage and divorce. Many single people think that if they were married they would be happy. Many married people think that if they were single they would be happy. Single people fantasize that married people are happy because they have someone of their own, they don’t have to fight for sex, they can pool their two incomes, and they have enough to save and invest. Married people know that this is not always the case. Married people also fantasize that single people are happy, because they’re not ‘stuck’ with one person, they don’t have to ‘beg’ for sex from the same person, and because their income is theirs alone they have enough to save. and invest. Singles know that this is not always the case. My point here is for you to know that both single and married life have their own wonderful things and challenges. Don’t get married for the wrong reasons and don’t get divorced for the wrong reasons either.

Many people confuse infatuation with love. Falling in love is seeing only the positive and being blind to the negative. The infatuation that is the feeling of “in love” doesn’t last long because the moment you get close to someone, you start to see their other side. Love is seeing both the positive and the negative in your partner and continuing to be with them. A great man will love you with your positive and negative aspects. Don’t compare him to the boy who has a crush on you.

Get energy!

As a modern woman, list all your strengths and see how much power you currently have. On a scale of 1 to 10, how are you doing spiritually, mentally, vocationally, socially, financially, familial (family), and physically? In the area where your score is low, you will be challenged. For example, if you focus on your career, finances, and social, you will be challenged by others in family, physical, and other neglected areas. Make a conscious effort to empower yourself in all areas of life. Love yourself and others will love you. Be a great woman and you will attract a great man. The world is a mirror.

I think Romans 8:28 is one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible. It says this: “We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love him according to his purposes…” Isn’t that wonderful? I am amazed to know that God promises to always work for good in my life. This verse is especially comforting during difficult times in life. Our preschoolers are learning that life has its ups and downs too. Therefore, it is not too soon to begin teaching them the truth found in Romans 8:28: God will always work for good in his life. Here’s a fun preschool Bible school activity to help them learn this promise. I call it “1 – 2 – 3 Spell GOD”.

This is what you do:

For this activity, you will need to prepare 3 letter squares for each child that spell GOD. Make them small enough to fit in a cup, one for each child. I suggest you laminate the letter squares for long term use.

This is how to play:

After introducing the lesson, give each child their own cup filled with squares that spell GOD. Have the class sit in a circle. Instruct the children to put their hand on the cup and shake it. Choose a child to be “It.” You will walk around the circle as the class shakes their cups. At some point, the child who is “It” will tap a classmate on the shoulder and yell “1 – 2 – 3, spell GOD!” This is the signal for everyone to wave their letters on the floor in front of them and place them in the correct order to be spelled.

God. As soon as each child spells GOD, he will be able to stand up. The boy who was tapped on the shoulder now becomes “It” to play the game again. Finally, before each round of play, he recounts a situation in which God can work for good in a difficult circumstance. I have provided ten of these below along with what he should say each time.

1. God is so good and can work for good in my life even when I have no friends to play with. So, let’s write his wonderful name!

2….even when it rains all day…

3…even when I don’t have my favorite lunch to eat…

4….even when all the cookies are gone…

5…even when my friend is mean to me…

6…even when I feel sad…

7…even when my shoes are too tight…

8…even when I don’t get my way…

9….even when I feel bad…

10….even if I don’t get a toy when I go shopping…

Before you play this Bible school activity, you may want to present it as follows:

I want everyone to show me their happy faces. (Wait for children to respond.) Now, let me see everyone’s sad face. (Wait for responses). What kind of face does he make when his belly hurts? (Wait for sad face responses.) How about when you fall and hurt your knee? (Wait for responses). Always remember that God is with you when you are happy and sad. In fact, God can still work good things in your life when things are hard and difficult. That’s what our Bible verse says. Romans 8:28 says this: “We know that God works all things for good for those who love him according to his purposes…” Let’s play a fun game to help us learn that God will always work for good in our lives when we love God. We spell God, GOD. Now, let’s play “1 – 2 – 3 Spell GOD”.

In 1979, two Duke University students decided to replace the outdated Bulletin Board System used by the university for local announcements. The two students, Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis, with the help of Steve Bellovin, created the first Usenet package, called “netnews”, which took advantage of existing communications software on Unix systems called UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy). The servers, also called nodes, used a connection between the computing departments at Duke University and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

In 1980, the netnews software was renamed “A News” and released to the public. Other universities and research facilities began setting up their own Usenet nodes. As the number of nodes continued to grow, it wasn’t long before the amount of traffic exceeded the original scripts’ handling capabilities. “A News” was replaced by “B news”, developed by Mark Horton, a Cal-Berkeley student, and Matt Glickman, a high school student. In addition to using UUCP, “B news” also took advantage of the DARPA connection in cal-berkeley to provide a link to the ARPANET, a US government network similar in some ways to the modern Internet, which connected government agencies, major facilities of universities together.

In 1986, Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) was developed to replace UUCP, and a package called NNTPd was written to work with existing “B News” article repositories. Unlike UUCP, where each node sends articles to other nodes based on the article’s path, which could result in receiving duplicates, NNTP allowed nodes to query each other and only send articles that were missing from the other server. . This greatly decreased the amount of article traffic, and the “always-on” aspect of the Internet also reduced the time it took to distribute articles to all nodes. NNTPd also allowed newsreaders to run on client machines instead of requiring them to run on a node. Newsreader clients could connect to a server over the Internet or use a company’s ethernet network. This made it possible for users to only download articles of interest to their PC, instead of having to have a full feed to get all the articles in the groups they wanted to read, or an account on a node to be able to read newsgroups.

in 1987, “C News” was launched by Henry Spencer and Geoff Colyer of the University of Toronto, and over the next several years slowly took over the Usenet operation of “B News”. Unlike the “A News” ending, “C News” was mostly compatible with “B News”, and thus sites could convert to the new software at their own pace. By 1989, when development of “B News” was halted, most sites had already converted to “C News”. “C News” was still strongly tied to its Unix origins and was originally written using the Unix shell and awk to perform most operations. Successive releases of “C News” replaced most existing scripts with C Code to further improve performance. The modular design made replacing separate parts of the system with C Code a fairly simple affair. “C News” still used UUCP and modems to transfer articles between nodes, but NNTPd could be used to transfer articles over the Internet to newsreader clients and other Internet-connected nodes.

Also in 1987, a group of administrators, calling themselves the “Backbone Cabal,” took it upon themselves to reorganize newsgroups into logical hierarchies, which are the origin of the hierarchies we see today. The Cabal created the original 7 hierarchies, called the “Big Seven”, comp.*, news.*, misc.*, rec.*, sci.*, soc.* and talk.*. After some time and much campaigning, the Cabal also agreed to create the alt.* hierarchy, which was not administered by them, establishing what is known today as the “Big 8”. The alt.* hierarchy, which allows anyone with a bit of technical knowledge to create a newsgroup, is now the most popular and active hierarchy left on Usenet.

In 1991, “C News” was replaced by a package called InterNetNews (INN) written by Rich Salz of the Internet Systems Consortium. INN fully implements NNTP as a first-class service in news software, but it can still work with older UUCP transfers, although this functionality is rarely used anymore. The implementation of NNTP in the software, along with other design enhancements over “C News”, greatly improves the overall performance of the news software. Most modern commercial Usenet providers use INN or custom software based on INN.

There are many types of folding beds and they have a wide variety of benefits; from cost savings to being must-have and practical space-saving home office furniture items. As I live in Sydney, which has just been discovered to be the second most unaffordable city in the world, saving money and space has become an imperative. This type of bed has hinges so that it can be folded and stored.

Here are some of the benefits I found from having two foldaway beds in my Sydney apartment, as well as doing research online:

– Perfect piece of furniture for visits or unexpected guests. Saves you buying a traditional bed if it is only going to be used infrequently

– Packs away in seconds and takes up much less space than your standard bed

– You don’t have to break the bank by buying a regular bed, which is more expensive just to be able to accommodate your guests comfortably overnight.

– In addition to saving money, you will save on storage and can also be used for other purposes.

– Handy for people who live in mobile homes where space is at a premium and also for families who have moved to their new place and don’t have the funds to buy the full set of furniture.

– Some types of folding beds will allow you to take them with you and it is sure to be a better solution than sleeping on the floor.

– Some more affordable portable beds will be able to be hidden behind closet doors or placed under the existing bed or stored in closets or a garage.

– There are many options available by searching online for one that suits any budget

– The models that are currently being manufactured with memory foam can recover their shape without affecting the comfort or the physical characteristics of the mattress. These same models are more pleasant to sleep in, since they practically envelop the body when sleeping.

– The advantages are obvious for folding beds that use air mattresses, as they fold or deflate to an even smaller shape

– Easy to move and place in different parts of the apartment and unfolds quickly

– Also called futons, guest beds, folding, folding, or hideaway beds, these are easily transported for the kids, for camping, or other outdoor events.

– They come in all sizes, making them an ideal solution for both adults and children.

– Some of them will have an adjustable function, such as those once found in hospitals or nursing homes.

– When buying a folding bed, look at the robustness and closing action of the mechanism, a good mattress that provides good support, ventilation and is possibly made of natural materials such as latex.

In general, folding beds are very underrated, but they are very compact and convenient, almost a necessity in every modern home today.

Buying a stroller costs a lot of money. So make sure you do your homework before buying one. If possible, you should take the stroller for a test drive. This article is a practical guide that can help new parents find the right stroller for their baby. When you have read this guide, you will be able to choose a product that is safe, durable, comfortable and profitable. Let’s go ahead and check out the tips. keep reading

1.Security

Safety is the most important thing no matter what you are going to buy. Today, strollers must meet all safety requirements. Ideally, you should buy one that has a five-point strap for ease of use. Aside from this, you must also have reliable brakes.

Finally, be sure to look at the frame from different angles to make sure there are no sharp edges or holes where your baby’s fingers could get stuck.

2. Ease of use

The stroller must be easy to transport. Can it fit in your car or trunk? Can it be folded easily? Can you move it easily? It’s too big? Is it easy to clean?

For ease of use, you may want to answer these questions. If the answer to any of these questions is no, we suggest you consider another drive.

3. Storage

The unit you are going to buy must have a lot of storage space. For example, you should have a bucket to hold your diaper bag, shopping bags, and a small purse. Aside from this, you should have cup holders and other storage spaces to store your phones and keys.

4 canopy

The rains happen. Therefore, the stroller you buy should have an adjustable canopy that you can open in case it rains while you are still outside. Awnings help protect your baby from bad weather and the sun’s UV rays.

This feature may cost you a little more money, but the extra cost is worth it, as you won’t have to spend money on medicine in case your baby gets sick from the rain.

5. Newborn Ready

Ideally, the stroller should be ready to use for a 6-month-old baby. So you may want to look for a unit that has a reclining or padded seat or allows you to attach your bassinet or car seat. This will help you to use the unit right away, saving you a lot of time.

If the stroller isn’t ready for a newborn, you may need to purchase another one, which may cost you more. So it pays to do some research beforehand. After all, you can’t spend all your savings on a baby stroller. Making informed decisions is always a stroke of genius.

In a few words, if you are looking for a safe, comfortable, economical and durable baby stroller, make sure you follow the 5 tips that we have explained in this article. You should choose a unit that is light, practical and easy to move around.

OK, being a Team Beach body trainer, we get the lowdown on the new products that are coming out. So, in October of 2009, we had an informative webinar on a product called Rev Abs created by Brett Hoebel. Brett Hoebel is an international fitness expert and one of the most sought after weight loss, nutrition and lifestyle coaches in New York. He has also been in the fitness field for 15 years. In Rev Abs he has a system that he created called Abcentrics, which basically means that his movements target the abs from 6 different angles. Brett teaches you his favorite moves from this unique Brazilian martial art of Capoeira. So during the webinar I could see that everything he talked about made sense and Rev Abs was very low priced and required nothing more than a few bands or dumbbells. So I bought Rev Abs and it arrived about 5 days later. I opened it up and it came with 8 exercise DVDs, Fat Caliper, an exercise calendar, a nutrition guide (Do the 14-Day Slim Down: I Lost 13 Pounds in 14 Days), a Program Guide, and even an On-The-Go Workout called anytime/anywhere abs. It is a 90-day program divided into 2 phases of 45 days each.

The Phase 1+ 2 workouts are:

Abcentrics/ How to do Capoeira – you learn to shoot your abs for maximum results. 15 minutes

Fire up your abs – Calorie burning cardio intervals that work your core from 6 different angles – 40 min Phase 1

Power Intervals – High Intensity Cardio with Endurance Lower Body Interval Movement – 30 min Phase 1

Total Strength – A great full body workout! 45 minutes Phrase 1

Mercy Abs – It’s all about the abs in this lol-15 min. Phrase 1

Fat-Burning Sit-Ups: An Energetic Routine of New Sit-Ups and Cardio Combinations That Lives Up to Its Name – 40 min. Phase 2

Power Intervals 2 – Lower Body Endurance Moves & Crazy Cardio – 30 min. Phase 2

Strength and Endurance – This full body workout is no joke my friends! 30 minutes Phase 2

Ruthless Crunches – This abs workout has no breaks and hits the abs! 15 minutes. Phase 2

Rev it up Cardio is a great cardio interval workout that really gets the sweat flowing. 40 minutes Phase 2

The 6 angles I talked about above are Upward, Downward Flexion, Double Flexion, Torsion, Extension, and Lateral Flexion!

During my first week I couldn’t believe how sore my core and body were. I think I was really pushing hard because I was on the 14-day Jump Start program (I lost 13 pounds!). During workouts, Brett talks very positively about being a part of the fitness revolution and being a role model. He is also a very funny person. He says some funny quotes like when you start to get tired during a workout your mind kicks in to stop you, he calls it Chatter. When the speakerphone calls, Brett says to tell him to talk to the hand lol. Also Brett sometimes says that he’s the dues collector and when you work out if you work out right your back should be sweating so he goes and checks everyone to see if they’re sweating. He calls himself a member of the sweat police. He is a great motivator and coach and makes working out fun.

During workouts, Brett not only works on your body but also on your mind in a very positive way. He also has a conversation test that he calls the anthem to gauge his intensity during workouts. It’s like this Rev it High Rev it Low I’m very committed and ready to go. This will tell you if you are at the right intensity. If it is said completely without stopping, the intensity increases. I use a heart rate monitor that does the same thing as the talk test or the anthem. I really can’t believe all the inches I’m losing. I just did my last week 11/Day 77 workout and my results just keep getting better! I really liked the meals in the Rev nutrition guide, they really are effective and give me energy for my workouts. I added the Shakeology drink to my nutrition to make sure I was getting all my servings of fruits and vegetables. It doesn’t make sense to do everything you can to get fit and not do the same with your diet.

I believe in maximizing my results, not to mention that summer is right around the corner! I’m a big believer in Beachbody products, and I’m also realistic that it all depends on our initial efforts and determination to get the best results. It didn’t take me 90 days to get in terrible shape before p90x and Insanity, but I know I have a huge head start on a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family.

If you need a gift for a girl, you should check out Disney Princess and Me Dolls. Disney Princess and Me Dolls is a beautiful collection of dolls recently released by Jakks Pacific. These dolls are ideal for both children and collectors. The dolls have hand-sculpted matte finish porcelain faces and their eyes are made from the highest quality glass eyes called Macor eyes. Each doll’s hair is made from the finest hand-rooted hair imported from Japan. This type of hair is called Kanekalon.

The dolls in this set are:

ariel
dawn
Beautiful
Cinderella
tiana

Each doll wears her signature ball gown, which is crafted with exquisite detail and a metallic-finish tiara.

With each doll you will receive:

1 doll 18 inches
1 ball gown
1 pair of shoes
1 Princess Magazine (this is full of fun details about the specific princess)
1 princess certificate
1 royal invitation (your child is invited to join the royal family and will even receive a special letter on their birthday)

Each doll has an official trust mark on the foot and clothing to verify that it is an authentic item.

You can also buy accessories and new outfits for the dolls. There are pajama sets, a ballet set (with pointe shoes), a party wear set, a tea set, and a vanity set. You can also buy a dress for your child to match the doll’s dress! No girl would want to let that go.

Shopping for my own children is easier than shopping for my nieces and nephews. I seem to know what my kids like (maybe it’s the constant begging). But when I’m doing Christmas shopping for other kids, the game gets harder because I’m not sure what they’d like or what would be appropriate for kids their age.

An obvious solution is to ask their parents. That works fine, but if you don’t want parents to know ahead of time, where can you go for age-appropriate research information?

I found that two websites provide this type of data quite well. One is Amazon, though my favorite is one called Omaha-based Fat Brain Toys. The website is fatbraintoys.com. They have a retail store, but they also have this awesome website that gives great descriptions and reviews of the coolest, most unique toys you’ll ever find on a Walmart shelf, and they have these cool charts that show you what age of kid is really playing with the toy in question. Thus, a toy that the manufacturer thinks an 8-year-old would love is actually preferred by 5- and 6-year-olds. How would I know that without your help?

We have found this information invaluable in our Christmas shopping and I suggest you take a look if you are having difficulty finding the perfect gift. For once this year I don’t have to beg for a list from anyone, I can buy a genuine surprise item and know it will be one of a kind and loved by the kids I’m buying for.

Many people make a mistake regarding the dog and training: they think that a dog can be trained like the others, worse still, that all breeds can be trained in exactly the same way. Wrong.

One very important training tip to emphasize is that when it comes to dogs and training, not everyone is the same, just as many believe it or not. Each pup has its own unique personality just like humans. And if owners just remembered that important training tip, they might not be as frustrated with their pets’ training.

One dog training tip an experienced trainer once told me was that little ones should be given a different approach to training than bigger ones. Have you ever heard of Napoleonic syndrome? The shorter the… well, let’s leave it at that.

Basically, the little ones are braver in heart if not in mind; they have to compensate for their small sizes. While the bigger ones are just as brave, but they feel like they don’t need to show it because they already have the size and power. So if a trainer observes the quirks of the dog’s personality, he will know what technique to use when training the pet.

The dog trainer went on to prove that not all great dogs are born leaders or alphas. There have been many cases where the smallest of the pack is the leader due to his cunning and intelligence. It also helps if the smaller dog raised the larger dog since he was a puppy. Larger dogs bow to their elders, just like any human. No matter the size, the larger dog can give in to the reasoning of a smaller dog, especially when it comes to stalking. This behavior may be more observable in a household with both small and large dogs living in one household. Usually the big dogs are the muscles and the smaller ones are the ones who devise ways to manipulate humans.

When it comes to dogs and training, these personalities must be observed before the actual training can begin. There are some dogs that refuse to be trained until they see a smaller and older dog doing exactly what the trainer tells them to do. Big dogs wouldn’t want to look stupid in front of smaller dogs, so they go to great lengths to emulate the example of smaller dogs.

Trainers have long observed that most dogs would learn more quickly from the example of older dogs. Just like humans, they learn through observation and example. So don’t get frustrated when what worked for one dog doesn’t work for another. Talk to a trainer and get their opinion on the dog and the training and how best to approach the whole process. Perhaps the dog just needs the guidance of another dog. Usually he does the trick.