History of Mistletoe

The mistletoe, native to the forests of Northern Europe, is a parasite implant on deciduous and evergreen trees which produces yellowish flowers and waxy white berries. Its closest relative in North America has yellowish flowers and waxy white berries, and is also commonly known as mistletoe. Notably, it is the official floral emblem of the State of Oklahoma.

The name mistletoe came about from two Anglo – Saxon words: mistel which means dung and tan which means twig. And so, mistletoe quite literally means dung on a twig. Mistletoe infers that life can spring up from dung. This leeching plant grows and thrives on the dung of birds on the branches of trees. As a result, mistletoe became the symbol of vivacity and fertility.

The Christmas and New Year tradition of embracing for the bashful and kissing for the brazen under a sprig of mistletoe dates back to olden Britain. Also, it was prevalent among the Druids who were the learned class of the Celts.

The Druids celebrated the beginning of winter ( winter solstice ) by collecting mistletoe and burning it as a sacrifice to their pagan gods. To ensure a year of good faith, peace, and familial harmony, they hung sprigs of mistletoe around their homes. Twigs of the evergreen displayed visibly outside their homes welcomed relatives, friends, neighbors and weary travelers and the mistletoe within encouraged them to embrace shamelessly. Feuding parties or foes who happened to meet under trees that contained mistletoe were required to lay aside their weapons and settle their differences.

The Druids believed that the mistletoe had healing properties. It was often prescribed for female infertility and as an antidote for poisons of all kinds. The gathering of mistletoe was a ceremony by the highest priests using gold knives. Such a carefree rite of harvesting mistletoe is dramatically portrayed in Bellinis opera Norma.

The Celtic Druids were not the only people who ascribed so many marvelous attributes to the mistletoe, the Scandinavians, who called it mistilteinn; also believed that it was the plant of peace, the plant of hope and the plant of harmony. The Scandinavian lore claims that the mistletoe belonged to Frigga, the Scandinavian star of inclination, and the embracing and kissing custom is thought to have come from this notion.

Mistletoe was also used for a decorative green in the Roman Empire during their feasts of Natalis Solis Invicti and Saturnalia. Due to its ties to idolatrous festivities, the Church banned the use of mistletoe when Christmas on December 25 was officially recognized as the birth of Christ in the the fourth century.

As an alternative to the mistletoe, the holly was ironically proposed even thought it too had strong associations with atheist rituals. Nevertheless, the hollys white flowers were to signify the purity of Christ, the acerbic leaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christs crown and the red berries as drops of His blood. Thus, the Holly became a Nativity tradition, but, surprisingly enough, the churchs ban on mistletoe which was in effect throughout the Middle Ages still persists today.

There are ways that you can keep your home more energy efficient. One way is to seal up any air leaks that you find around your home. Air leaks can make chilly drafts throughout your home and have you paying more on your energy bill each month. It is important to find these air leaks and seal them up to prevent cold drafts in your home. Your windows and doors are a great place to check for air leaks in your home. Another thing you can do is to keep your heating and cooling system operating well. Have your heating and cooling system checked and maintained properly each year in your home by a professional. During the year you should check and clean the filters in your system on a regular basis.

Installing a new thermostat in your home could help keep your home more energy efficient. If you have a programmable energy efficient thermostat installed in your home this could help to save money each year. You can adjust the thermostat to a temperature that will be energy efficient in your home. Some thermostats have an energy star label just for helping you choose the right thermostat that could help you to save the most money. Change the light bulbs in your home with light bulbs that are more energy efficient. These energy saving light bulbs have the same output as regular light bulbs but use a lot less energy. They can last up to ten times longer then regular light bulbs and are a smart choice when buying light bulbs for your home.

If you have old appliances, you should replace them with the more energy efficient models to save on your energy bill. Most appliances now days are more updated and energy efficient and will use less energy in your home. When looking for new appliances try and find them with the energy star label on them. These items have been tested to save you money and are energy efficient in your home. These are just a few of the ways that you can save on your energy bill and make your home more energy efficient.

How much do you pay for electricity? Learn how to harness alternative energy with your own Home Made Power Plant

I was running on the treadmill at my local gym when a new mother hopped onto the treadmill next to me. Much to my surprise she was holding her baby. I asked her why she was carrying that new baby on a treadmill. She said she couldn’t bear to part with her little one, yet still wanted to get a workout in. After about ten minutes she was extremely tired and her baby was crying. Now what? Well within a few days I saw her again. This time she wasn’t at the gym. She was running outside the gym. She was jogging behind her nice, new jogging stroller. Mom was happier and her baby was happy too.

I have had several moms e-mail and ask “Is a jogging stroller right for me?” Well there are a few factors to consider.

First, if you prefer to run on the treadmill at the gym then you probably won’t need a jogging stroller. However, if you are like me and enjoy running outside and spending time with your baby then a jogging stroller is the best way to go.

When you choose to buy a jogging stroller don’t forget important safety features like a hand brake and wheel locks for easy stopping, safety belts and the five point harness. Your child’s safety should always come first. The five point harness is great for toddlers and small children.

Also consider your child’s comfort. You may want to look into a reclining seat and a canopy. It is also a good idea to wait until your child is holding his or her head up and sitting independently before using the jogging stroller. However, there are safety products you can buy if you would like to use your jogging stroller sooner.

When we’re running in cool or cold weather, we may be hot or comfortable in minimal clothing, but a child is not doing the exercise. Don’t forget to dress your little one in warm clothes, especially if you’re running or walking in the wind. Short runs are best with your child. Competing while pushing your running stroller is not recommended.

I prefer a jogging stroller versus a regular stroller because I enjoy being outside. I have found that my jogging stroller makes it a lot easier to push on non-paved roads and it moves at a faster pace

Natalia Bonner, Owner-mystrollerstore.com. For jogging strollers and other baby products I reccomend mystrollerstore.com.

For more information on jogging strollers, visit our web site.

Shaving is one of those activities that men endure, rather than look forward to. And for hundreds of years a metal blade scraped across the face has been how it was done.

Times have changed since then, of course, and these days you can find a new line of electric shavers which comes with an improved facial cream emulsion that makes shaving feel silky smooth. When you have less irritation on your skin, you actually help your skin maintain its youth. You look better too.

There is a range of electric shavers offers a Flex Tracker System. It automatically traces the curves of your face helping to protect against skin irritation. For those hard to reach curved areas of the face you want maximum skin contact and flex tracker offers just that. The flexing mechanism is what gives the head section of the shaver an ability to tilt back and forth. That grips the hair firmly by the roots, which gives a closer shave.

Glide Rings help the shaver move smoothly over your face. With a reduced friction while moving over your skin, the glide rings truly help the cutting surface to glide smoothly over your face. The Philips HS8060 Rotary Shaving System offers a glide ring system that smoothly follows the contours of your face.

The HS 8060 also has an integrated cartridge refill system. Just by pumping the shaving conditioner from the refill can you can ensure a continuous supply of moisturizing, smooth shave producing coverage.

There are many sites online giving information about the HS8060 .

Philips HS8060 Nivea Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System saves you time and energy – you don’t have to apply any moisturiser on you face prior to shaving. Wet your face and press the shaving conditioner button. The shaver’s cutting surface will then glide smoothly across your skin.