Ashlyn Crowsey Expert Guru

I have many passions, but I would say three of my greatest areas of enthusiasm and knowledge are relationships and people, creativity, and animals. I really enjoy relationships--studying and observing them, reading about them, talking about them, analyzing them, improving them, and of course writing about them. People are a large factor of relationships and I also enjoy learning, thinking, and writing about subjects such as children, parents, spouses, friends, significant others, and the countless other roles people take on in society. I have a lot of expertise in these subjects just from studying them personally in my life, as well as from taking several sociology classes. My second passion, creativity, is also a huge area of interest for me. I love all things creative. Whether it be writing, cooking, dance, photography, music, sewing, gardening, drawing, decorating, fashion, scrapbooks, or arts and crafts, I derive great pleasure from studying, doing, or writing about areas of creativity. Finally, animals are a significant subject of enthusiasm in my life as I grew up in the country with many, many pets, and always had an adoration for pretty much any type of living thing. For a while I was headed toward becoming a veterinarian before I discovered that writing would fit me better as a career and animals a side hobby.

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How to Make a New Kitten Feel at Home

If you are planning to bring a new little bundle of purr home to live with you, there are several things you should do in order to prepare for the kitten's arrival, and a few things you can do to make everything comfortable when he or she does arrive. In preparation for a kitten, make a trip to Wal-Mart or a pet store and gather the following items:

1. Kitten food.
2. A food and water dish designed for cats.
3. Cat toys. Kittens especially love balls, strings and toys with feathers attached.
4. A cat bed (so the kitten will have somewhere soft and warm to sleep).
5. A small or medium-sized scratching post.
6. A litter box. To reduce smell and mess, consider buying an enclosed cat litter box. These can be found at any pet store.
7. A kitty litter scooper.
8. And, of course, kitty litter!

When you have all of these items on hand, you are ready to welcome your new kitten into the family. When you bring your kitten home for the first time, let him or her explore for several minutes on their own. Then be sure to show the kitten where the litter box, food, water, and bed are located. When he or she is more comfortable with her surroundings, introduce some cat toys and try to get the kitten interested in playing. Once a kitten is having fun, he or she will feel right at home.

How Much Make-Up to Wear on a Date

When preparing for romantic dates, many women make the mistake of applying too much make-up. Their reasoning behind more make-up is that they want to appear as flawless and beautiful as possible. The truth is, however, that a lot of men prefer little to no make-up. Even though women may feel prettier wearing a “mask” that disguises any blemishes or wrinkles, having a lot of make-up on is not necessarily the way to win a man’s heart. Most men tend to enjoy a more natural look. The line that need not be crossed is when the make-up goes from enhancing your own personal beauty to changing who you actually look like and masking the features that form your uniqueness. For most dates, a small touch of foundation, eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss is all that is needed. Of course, there are always exceptions—-such as very fancy dates or men who take pleasure in heavier make-up. For the most part, however, the rule that "less is better" applies.

Traditional Christmas Decorations

If you are looking for some traditional Christmas decoration ideas to get your holiday off to a jolly start, here are a few to get you started:

String popcorn and cranberries. Thread a large needle with white thread, cook up some plain (no butter, no salt) popcorn, and open a bag of undried cranberries. Thread 5-6 pieces of popcorn, then a cranberry or two, more popcorn, and so on. When you are finished, use the popcorn/cranberry garland as a decoration on your Christmas tree, wreath, or mix it in with some Christmas greenery over the fireplace mantle.

Make paper snow-flakes. Kids will especially enjoy this activity. Take a sheet of white paper, fold it in half, then again, and once more. Then with some sharp scissors, cut out triangles or circles on the closed edges. Open the paper up, and you will have a snowflake-looking decoration. Punch a hole in one end and tie a piece of yarn to it, then hang it near a window for light to shine through. For added variety, use colored paper or glitter glue.

Hang stockings across the fireplace mantle or down the staircase railing.

Make gingerbread houses. Buy a gingerbread house kit or use a recipe to make your own gingerbread house pieces and frosting. Use candies to design walkways, trees, doorknobs and roof shingles. Sprinkle coconut over the "lawn" to make a snowy look. Then resist eating your masterpiece, and display it as a beautiful decoration!

Hang Christmas lights -- not just outdoors, but indoors as well! String lights around door frames, fireplace mantles, and stairway railing. Add Christmas greenery (such as holly and evergreen) to make an even prettier decoration.

Finally, spice up your home for the holiday with some cinnamon sticks tied together with a bright red ribbon. Use a basket of these as a centerpiece, or place them around the house for a surprisingly warm holiday fragrance.

How to be Organized in the Kitchen

Having an organized kitchen is not only helpful in meeting the end goal of making delicious food, it is imperative to enjoying the process of getting there. Cooking should be fun, and being organized is one of the "key ingredients" to an enjoyable time in the kitchen. In general, being organized means that every item has its own place where it belongs. This is often easier said than done. A few tips to get you started with an organized kitchen are:

1. If you have a pantry separate from the kitchen to store extra items you do not use daily, do so.
2. In the refrigerator, have a shelf or drawer for every "category" -- one for vegetables, one for fruit, one for cheese, one for meat, and so on. This way, when you are ready to make a salad you won't have to hunt through the roast beef and the peaches to find the lettuce.
3. Store all of your baking ingredients neatly on one shelf, cabinet or drawer in your kitchen. This includes everything from flour and sugar to chocolate chips and shredded coconut. Use a separate space for spices and herbs.
4. Leave ample workspace on the counters. It may be tempting to clutter the corners and backside with cooking utensils, small appliances and even food (like fruits or bread), but this will only lead to frustration when cooking time arrives. Do your utmost to find other places for items that want to take up your counter-space.
5. Finally, as much as possible, try to "hide" everything in your kitchen. Use drawers, cabinets, and enclosed shelving. This way, even if you have a whole lot of items in your kitchen, the space will appear clean and open. Having an organized-looking kitchen will help you focus on the meal at hand and you will be able to enjoy the process so much more without all the clutter.

Improving Sleep

Sleep is essential to feeling healthy and functioning well. Some helpful tips for improving the quality of your sleep are:

1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule every day.

2. Exercise regularly—this contributes to sounder sleep. Complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime, so your body will have time to settle down and cool off.

3. Avoid caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, soda, chocolate) close to bedtime. Caffeine can easily keep you awake.

4. Finish eating at least two hours before going to bed. Digesting food is not very relaxing to the body when it is trying to sleep.

5. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Even if you have to spend a little extra money on these items, quality sleep will be well worth it.

Road Running Safety

Every runner enjoys getting outside in the fresh air to enjoy a great run. Here are some tips on safety to keep in mind the next time you go for a routine or pleasure run:

1. If at all possible, stay on a sidewalk.

2. Run in the direction of oncoming traffic, so you can see the cars coming your way.

3. If running in the early morning, evening, or at night, wear or carry reflectors or reflective items so that cars, bikers, and other runners will be able to see you.

4. Stay in public places. Avoid dark alleys or trails that might stray far from the road.

5. Bring a friend. If no one is available, consider taking your dog.

6. Always bring a cellphone with you.

7. Clip a small water bottle onto your sportswear, especially if the weather is hot or humid. Avoid the risk of dehydration.

Getting Your Marriage Off to the Right Start

The honeymoon is over, and the long road of married life has begun. What can you do to make the adjustment easier and get your marriage off to the right start? Here are a few things newlyweds should consider doing as soon as they return from the honeymoon, if not sooner!

1. Openly discuss household tasks and who will do them. This might seem like a trivial idea, but when it comes down to it, an enormous amount of spousal arguments arise from things as simple as who is responsible for taking out the trash or cleaning the bathroom. Make a list of housework and divide responsibilities up so everything is clear. Even if a couple has lived together before marriage, it can be helpful to reestablish the "who does what" rules since your expectations (or your spouse's) may have changed.
2. Keep time for each other, even when life gets hectic. One of the best ways to do this is to have a weekly, uninterrupted date night.
3. Stay in touch with each other -- not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. Engage each others thoughts and don't forget to ask questions and listen just as you did before you were married. It can be tempting to seep into an "I already know you" attitude and grow listless about hearing your spouse out and engaging in best-friend type conversation. Do your utmost to make communication a priority.
4. Look to other married couples as an example -- not ten years down the road, but right away. Get in touch with married couples you respect and ask them questions, dig deep into their experiences, and learn from their mistakes.
5. Finally, keep a positive attitude. Don't take everything too seriously. Every marriage should begin with lots of carefree smiles and laughter, and stay that way. It takes work sometimes, but the payoff is well worth it.

True Teas and Herbal Teas

When walking down the tea aisle in the grocery store, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the selection of teas available. The vast array of colored boxes and different names can throw people off guard. The truth is, however, there are only three types of tea: true teas, herbal teas, and fruit teas. True teas are made from the dried leaves of evergreen shrubs called Camellia sinensis. This shrub is known as the tea plant. It is grown and processed in many Asian countries including China, India, Japan and Sri Lanka. Herbal teas do not contain any true tea leaves, but are created from a variety of herbs and spices such as rosebuds, peppermint, and cinnamon. Fruit teas are made from dried fruit such as apples, oranges, or berries, and are often blended with herbal teas.

Wedding Cake on a Budget

If you are like most couples preparing to get married, your wedding has a limited budget. For many, spending $1000 on a wedding cake seems outrageous. The good news is that you can have a beautiful wedding cake without spending a lot of money on it. Here are several ways you can have the cake of your dreams without breaking the bank:

Have a friend bake the wedding cake. Contrary to what you might think, baking a wedding cake is not all that different from making a birthday cake. If you have a friend (or a friend of a friend!) who has good baking skills, consider asking them to make your cake. One of the great things about this option is that homemade wedding cakes almost always taste better than those made at a professional bakery. This is because bakeries usually concentrate more on how the cake looks and less on how it actually tastes.

Another way to budget on a wedding cake is to select a small bakery rather than a large one. Smaller, independent bakeries tend to offer wedding cakes at a lower price than their larger competitors.

Consider having cupcakes rather than a wedding cake. This new trend has become increasingly popular, as cupcakes are less expensive and add a bit of fun and flair to the wedding reception. The cupcakes can be set on tiered trays to resemble a wedding cake. Wedding cupcakes can easily be made by talented friends or family, or at any bakery.

Starting Off Your Honeymoon

The wedding ceremony is over, and the newly married husband and wife are whisked off in a limousine to the nearest airport. Exhausted from the events of the day, they embark on a tiring eight-hour plane ride to reach their honeymoon destination. This scenario does not sound very relaxing, does it? A lot of engaged couples plan their honeymoon to be off in other states or countries, which is all well and good, but they fail to realize that leaving the same day they get married can send them into overload. Weddings are beautiful but generally somewhat stressful and tiring events. That is why it can be so much better to spend the first night or two at your new home together or a local hotel before setting out for a honeymoon elsewhere. This way, when the wedding is over, the married couple can relax a bit and feel rested for the next day when the plane takes off and their honeymoon kicks into full gear.