How To Measure Yourself Properly

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Having correct measurements makes it easier to do clothes shopping. Your size could change from shop to shop so you should always have your measurements to hand. Here is how to measure yourself.

It is better to measure yourself in your underwear for a more realistic result. Do not pull the tape measure too tight. It should have some give to it.

Shoulder
Should be done from shoulder to shoulder in a straight line

Head
Measure around your forehead.

Bust.
Your bust measurements should be taken at the fullest part. If you are taken your bra size then you will also have to do under your bust too.

Waist
Your waist is usually the narrowest part of your body, and this is where you should measure. For the majority of women, this is an inch above your belly button. Don’t hold your breath in! It is better to know your actual size. Wearing clothes that are too small for you will just make you look bigger.

Hips
You should measure the fullest part of your hips. The part of which you sit down on usually. Not around the hip bones, which is what most people think.

Inseam
From your groin to your ankle bone. It is better to get a friend to help you with this.

Do not measure yourself around the time you have your period. You will be retaining water and your dress size will be bigger.

Once you have measured yourself put your measurements into this dress size site to see what dress size you are. It does both UK and US sizing.

Perez Hilton's "One Night in Austin" to Benefit The VH1 Save The Music Foundation

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VH1 will donate $1 to VH1 Save The Music Foundation in conjunction with Perez Hilton’s Annual Music Event For Every Check In on Foursquare at Any Music Venue Across the Country

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation has been selected as the benefiting charity of Perez Hilton’s “One Night in Austin” event at South By Southwest on March 17, 2012. Returning to Austin for the fifth consecutive year, this legendary series, produced by The BMF Media Group, will feature performances and DJ sets by an array of today’s top artists (to be announced the weeks leading up the show). There are a limited number of tickets available and can be purchased at $25 (General Admission) and/or $50 (VIP) at www.vh1savethemusic.com/perez. 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and its mission to restore instrumental music education programs in our nation’s public schools.

In conjunction with the event, VH1 will donate $1 to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation throughout the month of March for each check in on Foursquare at any music venue across the country. With each check in, participating individuals will receive the exclusive “VH1 Save The Music” badge. Through these combined efforts, the Foundation can receive up to $50,000 in donations, enough to restore a complete music education program. Users must follow VH1 on Foursquare to unlock the badge and trigger the donation at: https://foursquare.com/vh1.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Perez Hilton’s “One Night in Austin” this year,” said Paul Cothran, Vice President & Executive Director of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. “With Perez’s help, we will be able to generate a great deal of awareness for our cause, and with the additional fundraising boost provided by VH1 network and Foursquare’s generous promotion, we will be able to ensure that a greater number of children will not be deprived of access to a complete education that includes music.”

Since its inception in 1997, The VH1 Save The Music Foundation has provided more than $48 million in new musical instruments to 1,800 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of over 1.8 million children. Thanks to the generous support of celebrities like Perez Hilton and the VH1 Save The Music Ambassadors, including Katy Perry, Daughtry, Lupe Fiasco, Jordin Sparks, Matthew Morrison, Vanessa Carlton, AJ McLean and Gavin Rossdale, the Foundation is able to generate awareness about the importance of music in a child’s education.

“Music is the answer! For the first time ever, I am going to be selling tickets to my annual SXSW event! These tickets will GUARANTEE entrance to what is always the hottest party in all of Austin. This year, I have decided to donate all of the money raised through ticket sales to The VH1 Save The Music Foundation. It combines two things I am passionate about – music and inspiring youth. I can’t wait!” said Perez Hilton.

Using Perez Hilton’s “One Night in Austin” as the marquee event, fans are encouraged to use Foursquare to check in at various SXSW events as well as any music venue across the country throughout this month. With the support of VH1 and Foursquare and by simply checking in each time you enjoy live music, you can help The VH1 Save The Music Foundation raise needed funds to continue their work in American public schools.

VH1 will also be bringing several new documentaries through its VH1 Rock Doc franchise to SXSW. VH1 News, Tune (VH1 Music Blog) and the “Top 20 Countdown” hosted by Jim Shearer will be sharing highlights of Perez Hilton’s “One Night In Austin.”

For more information or to see how you can get involved, please visit www.vh1savethemusic.com or join The VH1 Save The Music community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vh1savethemusic and on Twitter at @vh1savethemusic.

Lenny Kravitz Supports UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Efforts

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Lenny Kravitz – GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer and actor—is using his voice and talent to do more than dazzle the stage and screen. He is throwing his support behind the global push by UNICEF and its partners to help save and improve the lives of millions of children and their families around the world by providing them with access to clean water and adequate sanitation.

“I was born in New York City and have always taken access to clean water as a given,” said Kravitz. “No child should die of diarrhea from drinking dirty water. That thousands of children under the age of five continue to die every day because they lack clean water and basic sanitation is simply unacceptable.”

Earlier today UNICEF announced that the world has met the Millennium Development Goal for drinking water, with 89 percent of the global population now with access. However, that still leaves more than 780 million people, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, without access. In addition, around 2.5 billion people—almost half the developing world’s population—lack access to improved sanitation. This all adds up to bad news for the children who are being left behind.

Kravitz will be appearing in Public Service Announcements and take to Twitter and Facebook with a message that all children can—and must—have access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Kravitz, who recently released the album ‘Black and White America’, and who will be starring in ‘The Hunger Games’ later this month, is joining forces with UNICEF to help mark World Water Day (March 22) and will send a global message of the importance of investing in children and providing them with clean water and sanitation.

In the United States, Kravitz will be lending his support for the UNICEF Tap Project by encouraging his fans and dining patrons across the country to pay $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free during World Water Week, March 19 – 25. With $1, UNICEF can provide a child with access to clean, safe water for 40 days, or 40 children with access to safe water for one day. Funds raised through the 2012 UNICEF Tap Project will provide children and families with clean drinking water in Viet Nam, Togo, Mauritania and Cameroon.

Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have serious repercussions on a child’s health, often causing diarrhea and other easily preventable diseases. Children, particularly girls, often miss school, because they are responsible for gathering water for their families, which can require many hours of their time. In addition, many schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities for girls, causing them to drop out of school. Without safe water, sanitation, and good hygiene, sustainable development is difficult to achieve.

Since 1990, UNICEF, governments and partners, have helped more than 2 billion people gain access to improved water sources and 1.8 billion people gain access to improved sanitation facilities. The efforts include drilling wells and installing water pumps, helping communities build latrines and teaching lifesaving hygiene to schoolchildren and mothers, and providing safe water and sanitation to communities during emergencies.

Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

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Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

Three quarters of people across the UK have too much clutter at home, according to a poll by Storage.co.uk. People love their “stuff” so much, they don’t want to lose it, even though they’ll never use it. The survey found that emotional attachment and the idea they may be useful one day are people’s top reasons for holding on to things they don’t need. Another common cause of clutter (one third of respondents) is the hope that their stuff may be valuable.

An unexpected find was that younger people are more motivated by nostalgia about the past than the older generation. Three in five 18 to 29 year olds cling to clutter because it brings back good memories, compared to only two out of five 50 to 69 year olds who hold on to clutter for the same reason.

As for decluttering habits, the survey found that women sort an area of the home more frequently than men, who mostly tackled the job once or twice in the last twelve months.

The main barriers stopping people from having a good clear out is lack of time and feeling they have better things to do, suggesting they struggle to put the task high on their list of priorities. In some cases, clutter can really get out of control and become a bigger issue in people’s lives. For around one in ten people clutter is damaging their relationships with others, affecting their health and sometimes having a negative effect on the amount of money they have.

Rachel Papworth from Green and Tidy, a professional declutterer and organiser, says: “We live such busy lives, it can be hard to make time for decluttering. If you’re struggling to fit it in, think about how much time you’ll save when you can easily put your hand on whatever you’re looking for. Plus decluttering saves money, protects your mental and physical health, and reduces your environmental impact”.

According to the survey, quirky items of clutter getting in the way at home include a train piston, “hundreds” of old train tickets for travelling to see a fiancé, a camel saddle, carpet samples for a would-be rug , an empty Rotastak hamster cage, seven inch white platform boots, “thousands” of LPs and a lifesize cardboard cut out of Justin Bieber.

Storage.co.uk surveyed men and women in the UK to find out attitudes and habits towards clutter as part of their National Declutter Week campaign to launch on 7 March.

Storage.co.uk is calling on all home occupiers to consider unused stuff sitting at home and to make a big decluttering effort in National Declutter Week from 7 to 18 March. Storage.co.uk has linked up with hospices across the UK to direct donations of saleable items. To view participating hospices, visit http://www.storage.co.uk/national-declutter-week/adopt-a-hospice.

BRITISH STARS HELPING TO SOLVE THE UKs GROWING GANG CULTURE

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Jaime Winstone, BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, Shortee Blitz, Bashy (AKA Ashley Thomas) and Clement Marfo Join Ex Gang Leaders, Dawn Butler and the Metropolitan Police in the ‘Fight Against Gang Crime’

Recent studies document over 250 active criminal gangs, with 176 gang rapes (involving 3 or more attackers) reported over the past 2 years*. Six months after the ‘London Riots’ – in which ten per cent of the youths charged were girls – the national government have announced that they will invest £1.2m of funding to help girls involved with gangs, who may be have been violently or sexually abused by male members.

However, former girl gang leader and youth charity owner, Jenifer Blake and SKET film consultant, Tracy Miller believe that “film and education is the key to tackling gang violence”. Tracey and Jenifer will be hosting a school ‘film screening’ tour alongside high profile guests, including actress BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, Bashy (AKA Ashley Thomas), Jaime Winstone, KISS FM DJ Shortee Blitz and music artist Clement Marfo to educate young people about the risks of being involved in a gang. There will be a screening of clips from the film SKET, starring Ashley Walters (about girl gang culture), followed by a Q&A and debate session at Westminster Kingsway College, on Thursday 8th March. Dawn Butler, representatives from The Metropolitan Police and The Home Office will also take part in the event.

Sket – Tackling Gang Crime Event

Jenifer Blake’s reign of terror lasted from the age of 13 to 37 and included robberies at knifepoint and drug dealing. Jennifer, who once hated the police and abused them on a regular basis, now has a Metropolitan badge and works closely with them as a liaison between gangs on our London Streets, and helped to keep the community safe during the Hackney Riots.

Now in her thirties, Tracey Miller’s biological father was a convicted pedophile and her mother was a manic-depressive who took knives out on anyone that upset her. To deal with all the hurt andpain in her home life, Tracey soon became a gang leader to protect herself.Tracey was shot in the Brixton riots and stabbed a man several time for disrespecting her.

The purpose of the event is to educate young people about the risks of being involved in a gang and the consequences. The film SKET will be used as a discussion point to raise awareness of the risks and consequences of being involved in a gang and as an interactive tool to generate debate around this.

Schedule of Events, Thurday 8th March:

9.30 am – Guests to arrive and be seated

10.00 am – Clips to be shown

10.30 am – Q&A begins

11 – 11.30 am – Media Photocall

* Women’s Resource Centre 2010

Street Fighter X Tekken: The Devil Within 8 Minute Film Hits The Web

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Street Fighter X Tekken has got so many people worked up into a storm it is incredible. The following Tekken short film, Street Fighter X Tekken: The Devil Within, is already being labeled as “epic.”. There is a whole load of action packed into this 8 minute movie and the costumes and hairstyles stay true to the videogame.  The film was released yesterday and over 114,000 people have viewed it on YouTube.

Thousand Pounds Action Company released the film to build interest in the Street Fighter X Tekken: Special Edition videogame for Xbox360 and Playstation 3. On release in the UK tomorrow.

Have a look below and judge for yourself – with so much action and so many moves packed into a mere 8 minute film it is clear that this production team has talent.

One question though still remains: Why oh why has a cinematic movie that remains as faithful to the game it comes from been so sorely lacking? Some times it really just needs fans who love the subject matter to make it happen.

Enjoy

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn_HaEf62h4&w=560&h=315]

 

Going Blonde For Spring?

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Kate Middleton may be a brunette but the allure of being blonde will never go away. Think Marilyn Monroe, Kate Winslet, Gwen Stefani , Debbie Harry and Madonna.

Before going blonde you should make sure you choose a shade that suits your skin tone. I once went platinum blonde. It really wasn’t a good look, I am too pale to carry it off.

If you have dark hair (mid-dark brown or black) you will need to strip you hair of its colour with a prelightner, and take your wardrobe and make up into consideration. Your hair has to suit your lifestyle.

Think of your eyebrows too, Madonna may have had black eyebrows and blonde hair in the 80’s but that wasn’t a good look then, and it isn’t now.

Also think of your roots, it you are low maintenance doing your roots a lot might be a bit much, so don’t go a very pale blonde.

The video below let’s you know everything you need to know about going blonde. It has advice on what kind of blonde to go for, how to protect your hair, and how long you should process your hair for the type of hair you have. All with no expensive hairdresser, but using Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour instead.

Lyndell Mansfield gives you her top tips in the video.

This post was sponsored by Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour.  

Brits Neglecting Health Due to Lack of Money.

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It seems the economical climate is really start to bite as Brits are cutting back on medical care.

New research by Sovereign Health Care has revealed that 63% of UK residents have delayed vital health care treatments to save money over the past 12 months, with women being the worst offenders (34%). Meanwhile more men (54%) than women (42%) said they will have to put back health related appointments this year in order to make their household budget stretch further.

The survey revealed that the economic climate has resulted in a growing number of people neglecting their health in order to try and save money. What’s perhaps even more worrying is that the vast majority of respondents (88%) say they would cancel or delay a health care appointment (such as dentist or opticians), rather than cut back on socialising and entertaining to make their money stretch further.

Although only 20% of those polled said they had been more ill over the last year, compared with previous years, 43% said they have been living with health care conditions such as a bad back, bunions and eye sight problems, as they can’t afford to get treatment – men are the worst culprits (22%). With these findings, it comes as no surprise to learn that 43% of women and 37% of men say it’s quite possible that they have forfeited their health over the past 12 months.

The survey findings also revealed that many people view certain complementary therapies as luxuries rather than necessities, including reflexology (91%), chiropody (73%) and physiotherapy (54%).

Russ Piper, Chief Executive of Sovereign Health Care says: “Delaying health care treatment is tempting when budgets are so tight, but neglecting your health is potentially more expensive and dangerous in the long run as you can increase both the severity of the problems you face and the cost of the treatment you need.”

He adds: “Treatments such as chiropody and physiotherapy can be costly, which is probably why people think of them as a luxury. However, they are beneficial for many people with health problems or injuries and they can be affordable with a health care cash plan as you can often claim back some of the costs.”

It’s not only physical health that is suffering due to the recession, but mental well-being is also being affected, with 81% of people saying they have grown increasingly more anxious about managing their household budget over the last 12 months – women were revealed as the most worried at 52%.