"I Can Only Wear Gold Jewelry" - The Truth About Jewelry Allergies

I can only wear gold jewelry, everything else breaks me out. " How many times did I hear that exact phrase from my mother when I was a child?

Why does everything but gold break my mother out? Is that statement even true? When I started designing jewelry over ten years ago I decided to find out. I wanted to design jewelry for my mom that she could wear without fear of a breakout. Now I am going to let you in on what I have discovered.

My mother, like many people, developments contact dermatitis when her skin comes in contact with some types of jewelry. Her dermatitis is a result of an allergic reaction to the nickel found in many types of jewelry. Nickel allergies are very common, in fact one out of every seven people are likely to suffer from a nickel allergy. More often, women tend to suffer from nickel allergies than men. Allergy treatment can help with the symptoms of a nickel allergy. Unfortunately once the allergy has developed, a person will remain sensitive to nickel for the rest of their life.

Nickel is found in many types of costume jewelry, especially those that are mass-produced. It may also be found in other everyday items such as coins, zippers, eyeglass frames, and cellphones.

So why is my mom allergic to nickel, you may ask. For some reason, which science still does not understand, her body has mistaken nickel (or similar metals like cobalt) as a threat. In response to that threat, her body causes an immune response (aka allergic reaction) to get rid of the threat. This reaction causes her to breakout in an itchy rash. But others could have a more severe reaction to nickel.

Now that I knew what was causing my mother's breakout, I set out to find out which types of jewelry did not contain nickel.

First I looked at gold jewelry . Generally speaking, yellow gold (above 14 karat) will not cause an allergic reaction. However white gold may. White gold alloys contain nickel and other "white" metals to produce its silver coloring. One out of every nine people will react to the nickel in white gold.

Another form of gold jewelry is gold filled or "GF" jewelry. Gold filled jewelry metal is created when a base metal is coated with a layer of gold. Gold filled differs from gold-plated by the amount of gold applied. The layer used in gold filled jewelry is typically 50 to 100 time thicker that the layer used to coat gold-plated products.

Next I looked at silver jewelry. For those who are nickel sensitive, fine silver and sterling silver are great choices for "white" metals.

Fine silver is by definition 99.9% pure silver. Jewelry is generally not made of fine silver because the metal is extremely soft and does not withstand normal wear and tear well.

Most silver jewelry is made using sterling silver. Sterling silver is by definition 92.5% pure silver. In most cases, the remaining 7.5% metal is copper. Copper is infused to harden the silver and make it more durable. I use this type of sterling silver in my jewelry designs it is a great metal for nickel allergic people. Sometimes you can distinguish sterling silver by a "925" mark found on the jewelry. This is common on manufactured pieces, but may not be present on artisan jewelry.

Some other metals that are considered safe for people with nickel allergies are:

Copper - Copper jewelry is generally considered pure and not mixed with nickel or nickel alloys.

Platinum - Platinum jewelry contains 95% platinum and 5% of a secondary metal typically iridium.

Titanium - Titanium jewelry is both hypoallergenic and durable. It is a highly recommended metal for those who suffer from nickel allergies.

Niobium - This is a reliably new metal in the jewelry industry. It is a rare earth metal that can be anodized (naturally coated with beautiful colors). Like titanium, this metal is recommended for nickel allergy sufferers, especially those looking for a pop of color.

Since I have given you a list of safe metals, I thought I would also give you a list of metal terms to watch out for when you are shopping for jewelry.

Fashion or costume jewelry typically has base metals that include nickel. Sometimes these metals are plated; however that plating will wear off over time exposing the skin to the base metals. If you choose a plated metal, remember that it will need to be re-plated regularly.

Some have suggested that brass may be a hypoallergenic option. However my research has suggested that brass is sometimes alloyed with small amounts of nickel or even lead to strengthen the metal.

German silver or nickel silver is a metal to stay away from where jewelry is concerned. German silver does not contain any silver. The silver referees to the silver coloration of the metal. The color is derived from a combination of nickel, zinc, lead, and tin found within the alloy.

Surgical or stainless steel - Surgical grade stainless steel is made to be in the human body. However, the steel alloy contains between eight and twelve percent nickel. I have heard contrary reports about how safe this metal is for people with nickel allergies. Since the steel alloy does contain nickel, I would tend to avoid it, but some people swear by it.

If you do buy a piece of jewelry and are concerned that it may contain nickel, commercial test kits are available online. These kits contain chemicals that react in the presence of nickel.

Doing a little research can prevent a nickel allergy attack and still allow you to wear beautiful jewelry.

Kids and Computers - Part 1

Getting ready to start school today is dramatically different than it was when we were children in many ways. Children are more aware of the adult world, more sophisticated and certainly more aware of technology and the internet than was imaginable even a few years ago. So when preparing your child for preschool and kindergarten, we should be prepared that computers will play a large role in much of their early childhood education. From letter sounds to spelling tests, from research reports to science projects - there really is no portion of modern schooling that has not been affected by recent developments in computers and technology.

To best understand what your child will learn about computers and the internet in their first years of education begin by visiting the school. When children begin preschool and kindergarten, computer technology is not taught as a subject area like language arts and mathematics. There are no tests about computer components or the inventors of the internet. However, being familiar with the purpose and general use of a standard desktop computer will be helpful for children when they are allowed access to the classroom computer, often a small-group activity at first.

Today's teachers are finding that many students come with a reliably high level of knowledge related to computer usage and the internet, while others have no exposure to any computer technology. Having computer experience is not yet a prerequisite for most toddlers starting school, however for children with experience using a mouse and keyboard, many of the early tasks that they will accomplish with the computer will be easier than for those without any practice. When tasks are easier and more familiar, children generally enjoy them more and are able to go beyond the basics to get a head start on the fundamental skills being taught with the technology (rather than having to focus on just learning the technology).

So how do you give your child the right amount of computer experience before school? Start by accurately assessing what they already know. Many parents are surprised by what their very young children are able to learn from their friends, the modern cartoons on television, and by watching mom and dad use the computer. School-aged children are generally eager to have a conversation with their parents related to how much they know about computers, even if it's not entirely accurate.

Spend time with your child on the computer discussing rules and demonstrating some fun, safe activities that can be done online, like:

• Visiting family-friendly websites
• Searching for picture printables
• Coloring online pictures
• Completing fun skills quizzes

Time spent using a computer mouse can help develop hand-eye coordination, while learning to use a computer keyboard is a great way to practice basic letter recognition skills and early spelling. By beginning to develop these skills when they are young, you will help your child be more confident during computer time in the first years of school.

There are many other areas to consider when introducing modern computers to children, including online communications and internet safety. Part 2 of this article will discuss these and other more advanced topics further.

Important Role of Financial System in the Economy

The financial sector provides six major functions that are important both at the firm level and at the level of the economy as a whole.

1. Providing payment services. It is inconvenient, inefficient, and risky to carry around enough cash to pay for purchased goods and services. Financial institutions provide an efficient alternative. The most obvious examples are personal and commercial checking and check-clearing and credit and debit card services; each are growing in importance, in the modern sectors at least, of even low-income countries.

2. Matching savers and investors. Although many people save, such as for retirement, and many have investment projects, such as building a factory or expanding the inventory transported by a family micro enterprise, it would be only by the wildest of coincidences that each investor saved exactly as much as needed to finance a given project. Therefore, it is important that savers and investors somehow meet and agree on terms for loans or other forms of finance. This can occur without financial institutions; even in highly developed markets, many new entrepreneurs obtain a significant fraction of their initial funds from family and friends. However, the presence of banks, and later venture capitalists or stock markets, can greatly facilitate matching in an efficient manner. Small savers simply deposit their savings and let the bank decide where to invest them.

3. Generating and distributing information. One does not always think of it this way, but from a society wide perspective, one of the most important functions of the financial system is to generate and distribute information. Stock and bond prices in the daily newspapers of developing countries (and increasingly on the Internet as well) are a familiar example; these prices represent the average judgment of thousands, if not millions, of investors, based on the information they have available for these and all other investments. Banks also collect information about the firms that borrow from them; the resulting information is one of the most important components of the "capital" of a bank, although it is often unrecognized as such. In these regards, it has been said that financial markets represent the "brain" of the economic system.

4. Allocating credit efficiently. Channeling investment funds to uses yielding the highest rate of return allows increases in specialization and the division of labor, which have been recognized since the time of Adam Smith as a key to the wealth of nations.

5. Pricing, pooling, and trading risks. Insurance markets provide protection against risk, but so does the diversity possible in stock markets or in banks' loan syndications.

6. Increasing asset liquidity. Some investments are very long-lived; in some cases - a hydroelectric plant, for example - such investments may last a century or more. Sooner or later, investors in such plants are likely to want to sell them. In some cases, it can be quite difficult to find a buyer at the time one wishes to sell - at retirement, for instance. Financial development increases liquidity by making it easier to sell, for example, on the stock market or to a syndicate of banks or insurance companies.

Both technological and financial innovations have driven modern economic growth. Both were necessary conditions for the Industrial Revolution as steam and water power required large investments facilitated by innovations in banking, finance, and insurance. Both are necessary for developing countries as they continue their struggle for economic development. But the effective functioning of the financial system requires, in turn, the precondition of macroeconomic stability.

Facebook Freezes - Why Does Facebook Freeze? And How to Fix It

Facebook is a wonderful website that lets us stay connected with our friends. A great majority of users can not live without it. All people want this website to run without any problem. However, It becomes a serious concern when Facebook freezes. We can not use it properly and feel frustrated. Are you wondering what can be the reasons for Facebook freezing and how to fix it?

There are many reasons that account for this kind of freezing. I have mentioned the reasons along with the possible solutions. The suggested solutions are easy to act upon. An average computer user can take these steps and avoid Facebook freezing in his computer.

Small size of RAM makes computer slow. When we use many programs at once, computer gets bogged down. Uploading and viewing pictures or watching videos on Facebook can cause your browser to freeze. This problem can be cured by increasing the size of RAM. An increased RAM size will make sure that enough space is available to run many programs at the same time.

Corrupt Windows Registry causes freezing in computer. With the passage of time, Registry becomes congested and corrupt. Registry is most vital part of the computer system. It stores and use vital information. Cleaned Registry ensures smooth and fast computing. To repair Windows Registry you need to use the best Registry cleaner / System Optimizer software. It will solve this problem.

The most important thing that you can do to optimize your Facebook is to optimize your internet connection. To do so you will need to adjust internet settings. Not all people will be able to do this task manually. So it is recommended you use a system utilities software that provides the feature of internet optimizer.

One way to optimize browsing on your PC is to remove unwanted add-ons / extensions from your browser. Most of the time it is the slow browser that loads web pages slower than what is expected. To remove add-on / extensions from your browser simply go into the settings area of ​​the browser and disable the ones which are of least importance to you. This will remarkably increase browser performance ..

It is also recommended to clean system junk and browsers junk. You can do this through the system utilities software. Do not forget to run antivirus scan to make it sure that viruses are not the culprit behind slow internet and slow Facebook speed.

Re-download Java Runtime Environment (JRE). The JRP program files can be corrupt and cause issues with Java Scripts. Click Start | Control Panel | Programs Uninstall a Program. Click "Java Runtime Environment" and click "Uninstall" button. Follow the wizard and uninstall it. Visit the official website of Java, download setup and reinstall the program.

Check-out the list of Facebook applications to fix Facebook freezing. You may have authorized a number of Facebook applications. Click the Downward Arrow on the top-right side of the screen. Under left side panel, click Apps. Delete each Facebook application you do not require.

6 Clever Techniques for Maximizing Your Sales on Amazon

Selling on Amazon Marketplace is simple. But bear in mind that there are other sellers there too. You need to use a few strategies to get an advantage. Think of your Marketplace presence as a shop. What can you do to persuade buyers to buy from your shop? Here are a few ideas:

1. Choose a good display name when you first set your Amazon account up

Your display name is your 'business name' when selling on Amazon, which shows at the top of the listing when buyers search for products. This can be your real name, or a made-up business name. Amazon Marketplace Buyers tend to prefer professional- sounding business names rather than personal names. Try and include something that tells buyers why they should choose you rather than just a meaningless name. For example 'FastBargainDVD' might be a good idea if you're selling DVDs.

Remember, if you already have an account on Amazon which you've used for buying the name might not be ideal for selling - so change it or open a new account.

2. Take advantage of the option to add extra information to your listing

Remember you can add up to 2,000 characters of 'Comments' to your listing. So take advantage of this. Give buyers some reasons why they should buy from you rather than anyone else. Remember, Amazon buyers are hot on product condition and good service. So something like the following can really make a difference: A1 perfect condition. We despatch daily by first class post, specifically wrapped in bubble wrap.

3. List new as used

This is a real Amazon quirk. Strangely, it can be an advantage to describe new items as 'used'. This pulls in buyers looking for a bargain since they will look at the 'used' listings for a product before the 'new ones - ever if there is very little difference in the new and used prices.

Of course, it only works if you can afford to sell your item for much less than the recommended retail price. It is also not such a good idea if your item is likely to be bought as a gift.

4. Aim to sell at the lowest price

As with selling anywhere competitive pricing gives you an advantage. But it is particularly important when selling with Amazon because listings are presented to buyers in price order, cheapest first - unlike eBay where they are sorted by listing age. So it is a big advantage to get your listing at the top of the page. Sometimes cutting your price by just a few pence (eg £ 49.97 instead of £ 49.99) can get you at the top of the page.

If you can not price at the lowest price try to choose a price that gets you within the top three listings. Also try and give buyers reasons why they should still buy from you at a higher price, ie you do fast delivery or (in the case of a used item) your item is in really good condition.

Good tip. If you are the only seller it's still worth pricing competitively. This will discourage other potential sellers from coming in and undercutting you.

5. Send the goods ASAP

Because Amazon itself sends goods quickly Amazon Buyers tend to be a bit obsessed with fast delivery. Amazon expects you to send goods within two days but you should try to do it the next or even same day if possible. If you can - state that you do this in your listing. It can get you extra sales.

6. Post products reviews

On Amazon, buyers can post reviews on the products they buy. These can be seen by anyone thinking of buying that product from any seller. This is a really great feature of Amazon that's often under-exploited. As well as written reviews you can also post photos and videos if you want to.

Why Personal Finance Software Is Important

Why personal finance software is important

These days, technology has really revolutionized people's way of life, including their financial life. Back in the day, most people used a pen and paper to document their earnings, spending, and finances.

What is personal finance software?

Home finance software returns to a financial tool that enables you to prepare a budget, track your expenses, and check your overall finances. These days, there is no valid reason why you should be disorganized and mired in debt because there are many good personal finance programs that you can use to keep track of your money, plan your future, and completely control your finances. If you have a PC or laptop, you are lucky because you can easily find good home finance software at little cost. Application programmers have now catered for the high demand for these applications as they now come with all sorts of functions and capabilities that can save your money, time and effort.

Analysis

You can now analyze your finances unaided. However, this kind of analysis can be much easier if you have some accounting background. Finance software will analyze your important financial details. Details such as your monthly expenses will stick out. Many personal finance applications also allow personalization. If there is one particular aspect you want to know about your finances, you can simply create a specialized analysis. Many personal finance programs can also give you a monthly analysis-an excellent way to see how you actually spend your money on a monthly basis.

Budget creation

We all know the importance of a personal budget. But creating a real budget that you'll stick to is easier said than done. You can find a personal finance application that creates a realistic budget for you. Simply enter your basic information into the software and quickly create a simple budget.

Checkbook balances and bill payments

Sometimes you'll fail to pay bills on time. When it happens, interest rates are more than likely to shoot up. Fortunately, you can avoid this mistake once and for all. Look for a personal finance application that'll remind you when to pay your bills. Likewise, you can accomplish balancing your checkbook by just ticking a box. Sum up any amounts withdrawn from your account and check carefully anything that looks suspicious. Once you have everything on record, it becomes much easier to know how your finances are faring.

Trust yourself and no one else

When it comes to finances, it is best to keep track of all you have carefully. You may trust your finances with your financial advisor, but it is still important to know where every cent is at, always. With a personal finance application, your money will never be far away from you. Whether you are paying bills, balancing your checkbook, tracking your paycheck, or creating a personal budget, you should not live without personal finance software.

Fixing Computer Slow Downs

A computer runs slow because of a couple of reasons that might occur during its life time. A computer can go out of sufficient memory to perform a particular, especially a heavy task assigned to it. It can be a host of a couple of malicious software like a virus or a worm which eat up most of the memory of the computer and does not let any other application use the memory to complete its task. Most users wonder "how to make my computer faster than it is presently" as they are not actually able to figure out the actual problem which slows down their computer. It is very important for a user to figure out the cause which is slowing down their computer and hence they are not able to fix the problem properly.

The most common reason because of which most computers in the world become slow is the windows registry problem. The windows registry is said to contain the information about all the application programs stored in the system. On deleting an application from the system, the keys related to that particular application automatically get deleted from the windows registry. But sometimes due to some error like insufficient amount of memory or abrupt power cut, the system is not able to delete the keys related to the deleted application. As a result of this, the memory allocated to the deleted application is blocked and no other application can access that memory for completing their tasks.

This slows down the computer to a great extent. The only solution to this anomaly is to install a registry cleaner tool in the system. The cleaner tool scans the registry for any damaged or unwanted registry keys. It then cleans the registry by deleting all the unwanted keys and repairing all the damaged registry keys. After the cleaning work has been done, the registry cleaner saves the work done in a log and presents it to the user. It also creates a back of the registry before performing any task for safety purposes. This boosts the performance of the system to an absolutely new level.