Michelle is overwhelmed with stress and breaks down during step class. Check out these and other weight loss blogs from Michelle on www.singleparentmagazine.net.

By Michelle Linzy

Are you aware of what is happening in the beauty world this summer?  Are you still sporting last seasons look and need to be updated?   This article can help you get up to speed and get you out and looking like a celebrity.

There are a few hairstyles that will set the tone for summer.  Fifties Hair is back and you will need to channel you inner Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn and Grace Kelly.  Big sexy curls and waves are definitely the way to go on women with shoulder length hair.  Tyra Banks and a few other fashion forward stars are sporting the blunt bangs with both long and short hair.  The blunt bangs are perfect for our other spring hairstyle…the bob.   For those that are interested in a more edgy look, consider going short and dramatic.  Whatever you choose, you will be the principal character in your own movie with these latest hairstyles.

If you have lighter skin and tanning just doesn’t work for you, then you will be in this season.  Light skin with dramatic face makeup will be seen in magazines, award shows and entertainment media.  Be on the lookout for smoky, dark rimmed eyes along with the look made famous in the fifties…cat eyes.  Start shopping for those false eyelashes because big lashes are here and are being seen on top female celebrities.  Thick eyebrows and bright lips are making a comeback this season and you can be first to rock this summer trend.

Beauty is not complete without making sure the nails are in pristine condition and polished.  Dark nail polish is still in season, but instead of black, try deep burgundy and super rich dark reds.   If you need help with your new, updated look, turn to a professional stylist. They are ready, willing and able to make you into a beauty trend hit!

In Your Skin is Single Parent Magazine’s column for kids of all ages. Sierra and Milan get a chance to be “in the skin“ of another kid, athlete, musician, celebrity by living their life as they do. Sierra and Milan have to do everything that their “subject” does on a regular basis. Its gives them and other kids a chance to learn about another persons’ culture, traditions, lifestyle and appreciate the worlds’ diversity. Join them in their discovery of other people, other lives and other commitments. So get ready to be “In Their Skin” because they jumped out and Sierra and Milan jumped in.

Let My People Go

Rachel Whitlock, a Jewish, high school student, classmate and friend of Sierra’s welcomed Sierra and Milan into her skin during the granddaddy of all Jewish traditions, Passover. One evening during Passover, Sierra, Michelle and Milan were invited to the Jewish Passover Sedar at the home of Rachel’s great aunt and uncle.

We arrived in the evening and were welcomed by Rachel’s mother, Denise Whitlock who introduced us to the rest of the family and guests. Everyone there was warm, inviting and the home held over 35 people. The whole house was buzzing with excitement. Children were playing, tweens and teenagers talking along with texting Adults were greeting one another, bustling about the house helping to set the table and finishing up food preparations so we could begin the Sedar ceremony.

Everyone was seated at a long table that (reminded the Linzy’s of our table at Thanksgiving and Christmas) and ready to begin.

Sierra: Rachel, what is Passover for the Jewish community?

Rachel: Passover is the celebration of the exodus from Egypt. It lasts 8 days and Jews are forbidden to eat leavened food during this time.

Sierra: What does Sedar mean?

Rachel: Sedar means order and represents the order of how things happened in Egypt.

Sierra: What is traditional food eaten during the Sedar ceremony?

Rachel: The traditional food that is eaten has to be kosher and includes Matzah, Matzah ball soup, chicken and turkey.

Sierra: What does Kosher mean?

Rachel: Kosher means clean and is based on the Rabbi’s determination of what food is clean.

Sierra: Why did we cover the counters and stove burners at your house?

Rachel: Because the counters and stove burners are not kosher and the foil makes it kosher.

Sierra: What foods are included on the Sedar plate and what do they symbolize?

Rachel: Horseradish – bitterness Parsley – spring (dipped in salt water which symbolizes tears.)Lettuce – spring Egg – spring and offering done in temple on holidays Shankbone – symbolic of sacrifice

Sierra: Why is no bread allowed?

Rachel: No bread is allowed because when the Israelites fled Egypt, their bread did not have time to rise.

Sierra: What is the name of book we used during the Sedar and what is it and why did we use it?

Rachel: The name of the book is Haggadan. The Jewish follow this book for the Sedar ceremony on the first two days of Passover. It includes songs and explanations for everything.

Sierra: What is the name of one of the songs we were singing and what does it mean?

Rachel: One song is Diyenu; which is a proclamation of the sufficiency of God’s miracles in the exodus.

Rachel, thank you so much for letting me be “in your skin” during this time. I guess it is time for me to jump out of your skin and for you to jump back in.

Sierra and Milan Linzy

Single Parent Magazine would like to thank the Whitlock family for allowing us to come into their home, the home of their relatives and sharing Passover with them. We appreciate the time you took to explain everything and allowing us to take part in all aspects of this ceremony. Your hospitality was amazing and we love you.

Michelle Linzy,

Editorial Director

If you would like to be the “subject” of In Your Skin with Sierra and Milan Linzy and think your life is interesting, write to :

In Your Skin with Sierra and Milan Linzy

Single Parent Magazine

P.O. Box 870042

Stone Mountain, GA 30087

Saving $1 on deodorant can be difficult. After finding the coupon in the Sunday paper, you have to locate that elusive pair of scissors that always seems to get lost in the house, clip out the coupon and then remember to take that small piece of paper to the store on your next shopping trip. For one measly dollar, it hardly seems worth it.

But consider this: coupons saved Americans almost $3 billion dollars last year. That equates to about $1,000 a year for the average shopper. That seemingly insignificant dollar now seems much more important, doesn’t it?

According to the Promotion Marketing Association Coupon Council, an advocacy group providing education to coupon clippers, the average coupon is worth about $1 in savings, but when used effectively the impact of coupons can be huge

Here are some coupon clipping tips to help you get started:

Don’t just look in the Sunday paper.

Though 90 percent of grocery coupons are found in Sunday newspaper inserts, be sure to look in magazines, direct mailings, grocery store shelves and, increasingly, the internet for extra savings.

Richard Booth, who operates coupon portal www.findsavings.com, suggests using the internet to find better savings than traditional coupons offer. “The advantage to finding an online only coupon [is that there are] usually better discounts than at the local stores due to lower overhead for merchants to sell goods online,” he said. Personal finance writer Jeffrey Strain at www.savingadvice.com said to use the internet to target items you already purchase. “The Internet allows you to be proactive and seek out the coupons for products that you already use and like,” he said. With over $300 billion worth of manufactures coupons out there, you’re bound to find savings that work for you.

Organize.

Find a way to organize your coupons by type, expiration date and importance to your shopping list. This can range from buying an organizer to putting envelopes in an old shoe box. It is often helpful to arrange coupon types in the order that you shop at the grocery store for quicker savings. Whatever way works best for you, have those coupons ready for your next shopping trip.

Have a plan.

The website www.grocerycoupon-guide.com suggests creating a shopping list of items you normally buy and search out coupons for those items. Check flyers from different grocery stores to see if the item is cheaper at a store you don’t usually shop at. The savings is often well worth making a trip to more than one store. Picking the perfect shopping day can save money, as well. Strain said to base your shopping day on your particular store. “If your store offers double coupon days, that is the day,” he said. “Otherwise, it is more important to go when it isn’t crowded so you can get in and out.”

Involve the children.

In addition to providing excellent savings, coupons can also be used as a learning tool for children. Teaching children to clip and organize coupons not only provides bonding time for families, it teaches children math and number skills, how to set goals and the importance of budgeting, not to mention the value of a dollar. In the end you’ll get savings you can use and create smart shoppers as you go.

So keep those scissors handy and don’t forget to click around the internet coupon sites. Just a few minutes of your time can be worth big savings.

-David Rogers

Domestic Violence:

A National Epidemic

As one of the most under reported crimes in the United States, domestic violence has been identified as the single major cause of injury to American women, exceeding rapes, muggings, and even auto accidents combined. (Surgeon General’s Office) The law defines domestic violence as the use of force, directed toward a spouse or former spouse, a cohabitant or former cohabitant, or a person with whom the abuser has had a dating or engagement relationship. Thus, a domestic violence batterer may include any family member, including siblings, grandparents, or a roommate.

Statistically, ninety-five percent of all domestic violence is committed by men against women. However, men are battered by women as well. Domestic violence is a type of violence that cuts across all cultures, socio-economic groups, religions, ages, gender, or sexual orientation.

What should you do if you’re a victim of domestic violence? If a person is harmed, the first step is to contact the police. Based on their evaluation of the facts, the officer may issue an Emergency Protective Order, which will remain in effect for one week and will prohibit the batterer from coming within a certain distance from the victim of domestic violence.

What happens after the Emergency Protective Order expires? In California, victims of domestic violence can obtain Temporary Restraining orders (“TRO”), residence exclusion orders, stay-away orders and orders relating to child custody, child visitation, child support, property control, payment of debts, attorney fees and costs, as well as other orders geared to the each victim’s specific circumstances, such as retrieving property from the home.

A TRO can protect a victim at home, at work, at school or virtually any place else he or she may feel threatened. A TRO will go into effect as soon as a judge signs the order and it is personally delivered to the batterer. After fling for the TRO, the person requesting the order must appear at a hearing and may at that point request that the TRO be made “permanent”. This permanent order will remain in effect for three years, after which, the protected person can request that it be renewed.

Although a restraining order may lower the risk of ongoing violence, it is important to remember that the order is just a piece of paper which does not create an invisible barrier of protection. Although some may abide by this order, others may choose to disobey it. Always trust your instincts to guide you to safety.

by Paulette Galustian

For more information, contact the Law Offices of James P. Reape, at

661-288-1000, located at 23929 West Valencia Boulevard, # 404 in Valencia.