Buying Jewelry for Mother?s Day or How To Buy The Perfect Gift for Mom Without Getting Ripped Off
Jewelry can be the perfect gift for mom on Mother's Day, but there are pitfalls, especially if you rush at the last minute. Procrastination and a lack of knowledge can be rewarded with overpaying for a piece of jewelry or even worse, being ripped-off.A gift of jewelry can be expensive. Asking friends, family and co-workers if they can recommend a website, brick and mortar store or local crafts person can help. Checking with the better business bureau is also a commendable approach.When you are shopping, ask the salesperson to write down any information you might rely on to make your purchase and before you buy, ask for the store's refund and return policy. When ordering online, keep printouts of the web pages with details about the transaction, including refund and return policies if you're not satisfied.Six Smart Shopping Tips for Mother's Day and Beyond1. There's a big difference between 14 karat gold and gold-plated jewelry. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. Gold-plated describes jewelry with a layer of at least 10K gold bonded to a base metal. Gold plating eventually wears away, depending on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.2. If you're buying a watch, determine whether you want one that runs on a battery or one that must be wound daily. Ask if a warranty or guarantee is included, how long it lasts, and what parts and repair problems it covers. Also ask how and where you can get the watch serviced and repaired.3. Know the difference between laboratory-created gemstones and naturally mined stones. Stones created in the lab are visually identical to stones mined from the earth. The big difference is in the cost: laboratory-created stones are less expensive then naturally mined stones. But because they look must like stones mined from the earth, they must be identified as lab-created. If you want a naturally mined stone, ask if it has been treated. Gemstone treatments? such as heating, dyeing or bleaching? can improve a stone's appearance or durability. Some treatments are permanent; some may create special care requirements. Treatments also may affect the stone's value.4. Ask whether pearls are imitation or real. Real pearls are made by oysters or other mollusks; imitation pearls are man-made. Cultured pearls are made by mollusks with human intervention; and irritant introduced into their shells causes a pearl to grow. Real pearls that are not cultured are fairly rare and expensive. The cost depends on the size, usually stated in millimeters, and the coating or "nacre" on a real pearl, which gives it its iridescence.5. When you're buying a diamond, consider four criteria: cut, color, clarity and weight, usually stated as carats. Each factor affects the price. Color is sometimes "graded" on a scale. However, scales are not uniform: a "D" may be the best color for one scale, but not for another. Make sure you know how a particular scale and grade represent the color of the diamond you're considering. A diamond can be described as "flawless" only if it has no visible surface cracks or other imperfections when viewed under 10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader.6. One final tip, Mom's love longer (i.e. 24") gold or sterling chains with gemstone pendants. And you can almost never go wrong with the very popular omega-style chains in various widths in sterling silver or gold.For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of "How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off." This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com
Fly Fishing the Tide Rips for Coho Salmon off the Northwest Tip of Washington State
Tide rips are one of the most common areas to fly fish for salmon at Neah Bay. I'm addicted to fly fishing tide rips for coho salmon in the saltwater. The stronger the current and the rougher the water, the more I love it.Tide rips are a general term used by many people but not always meaning the same thing. Many people define tide rips as where two opposing currents meet. Others define rips as any ripple caused by current on a glassy sea. Both are correct, but I think of tide rips as where huge amounts of water are moving causing the ocean to resemble a river. This can be caused by current crossing a shallow bar or reef (the northern tip of Waadah Island is an example of this) or where a large volume of water is constricted and/or crosses a shallow (or not so shallow) reef. A prime example of the latter is where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean north of Cape Flattery. The water in these areas can go from glass calm to rough in a very short time.The rough water is where I spend most of my time fly fishing the rips. The movement of water is also moving large amounts of feed (mostly baitfish like herring and anchovies) into the tide rips. The fast, turbulent water disorients the bait, making them easy prey for aggressively feeding coho salmon. The salmon use the current as a massive marine conveyer belt that brings them an easy supply of food. The chop on the water also seems to make the salmon less spooky and they will hold in the upper part of the water column, which puts them well within the fly fisherman's reach. All of these factors combined make fly fishing tide rips one of the best experiences in northwest saltwater fly fishing.We've found the conditions that concentrate salmon within reach of our flies. Now we have to enter the prime water. This is where things become interesting. I mentioned the rough water previously, and I must add even more caution to those attempting this type of fishing for the first or even the one hundredth time. Many times, the top end of the tide rip will contain breaking waves, much like rapids in a river. In the beginning start fishing rips that are not as strong. Look for days with less tidal movement to get used to the way your boat drifts and how to cast flies while being tossed around before casting flies in stronger tide rips. A sound boat is necessary. You need a boat that's a minimum of 18' long to deal with the strongest rips. Make sure you have all the safety equipment required and more. Life jackets, VHF radio, and a GPS are absolutely required. Make sure your engine is tuned up and operating properly. This is no place to have a breakdown.Okay, you are now in the rip holding the cork of a fly rod with a baitfish fly pattern in your other hand. What now? It depends a bit on how your boat drifts through the current. My boat drifts straight with the current, but others drift sideways. For me, I cast straight across to up-current a bit. Usually the boat is drifting slower than the current underneath, so casting a fly up current will give the fly more time to sink and still allow you to strip the fly back to the boat across the current. I usually strip the fly back at varying speeds. Often, I'll start the retrieve very fast and then slow it down as the fly gets closer to the boat. I think the initial fast burst gets the coho salmon's attention and the slower strips with pauses is what triggers the coho salmon to strike the fly.The tide rips can also be a great place to try casting poppers for saltwater salmon. Bringing salmon to the surface is a thrill.Of course, an article can only get you so far. Time on the water is the key to being confident fly fishing the saltwater for salmon in Washington State. I hope you will give the Olympic Peninsula a shot for your saltwater fly fishing adventures.Chris Bellows, owner of Topwater Charters, Inc, which runs fly fishing charters off the Washington Coast. His websites offer more information about Saltwater Fly Fishing and Neah Bay Halibut
Take The Clothes Off Your Rooms and Let Them Breathe
Its summertime and the livin' is easy or at least you want it to free, easy and comfortable in the summer heat. We all want to lighten up and just breathe and move freely in the summer. You want to feel cool and comfortable from being bundled up all winter long. You can lighten the way you feel in your home at the same time by undressing your rooms. I love to decorate with quilts over tables and darker accessories during the fall and winter. Now that it is summer, I want to lighten my look by removing the dark quilt covers and leaving the wood of my tables bare. I take down the dark accessories and bring out the light pastels that are packed away. I feel like I can breathe easier when I do this and it is more fun when we aren't looking at the same old brick-a-brack every day and every season.If you want to lighten the feeling in the bedroom, take the clothes off the bed and let it get comfortable too. Remove the comforter or heavy bedspread. Put light airy pastel soft bedding and sheets on the bed instead of the darker colors that have been there all winter. It's time for carnation pink, mint green, lemon yellow and peachy peach. I even take off the winter white creamy colors. I like white in the summertime for a bedroom when it is blinding bright white. The cool crisp feeling of white sheets against the skin in the summer is very refreshing and promotes a restful night. White goes with everything so bring it in and add your summer color wherever you want. When we're hot, we have a tendency to wear more white in the summer. Maybe we do that because white looks good when skin is tan, but why not just keep cooler with white in the bedroom. An all tonal white on white bedding suite is fabulous. It might be too stark in the winter, which is exactly why it's perfect for summer. Smell your way to breathing freer by bringing in fresh flowers from your cutting garden. Let the colors pop with your white bedroom. It is a stunning look and you have the added benefit of the fragrance of fresh flowers.Change more than the bedding if you want to. Go all out and repaint the walls for added freshness. Put up new artwork and clean thoroughly to remove all of that winter dust that has collected from the heating system. Open the windows and let the sun shine brightly with the breeze blowing. Go through your closets and lighten everything there too. Wash all of the windows, curtains, dry clean the draperies and just remove the winter from the room. There is a reason we feel so good when rooms are clean and fresh. All of that dust that has collected not only gets in our lugs, but subconsciously; we know when things are light and fresh. We like that feeling of newness and renewal. Get rid of things that don't belong or that you know you won't wear. If you haven't worn an outfit in 2 years, you probably won't. Give it to the nearest charity or have a garage sale. When you lighten the load around you; you will feel better and more comfortable as well. Don't let those "things" that you don't need weigh you down. Breathe freely and move more comfortably around your house. We want to feel warm and cozy in the winter, but shed yourself of anything that is confining and let it go.Don't hold on to things you don't need and lighten your surroundings with lighter colors and less stuff. You will feel free and comfortable all summer long.Bev Marshall is a successful freelance writer, certified Aromatherapist and Feng Shui consultant. Her many articles offer guidance, suggestions and common sense ideas to change your life. If you are interested in products and information regarding bedding, baby bedding, mattresses, comforters, bedspreads, duvet covers and more you can find her articles at http://www.bedding-4u.com