Houston, Texas Weight Loss Programs For Brides-to-be

Wedding season may be over with fall approaching, but Houston brides-to-be can get a head start on that perfect-day perfect-figure now. There’s nothing worse than scrambling around with wedding preparations, so why add on to the stress by being self-conscious about your weight? Whether you need a weight loss program that’s private and personalized or focused on group motivation, the diverse city of Houston has a myriad of choices to get you in shape for your wedding day.

Fit Athletic Brides (FAB) Club at the Houstonian Hotel 

The fabulously luxurious Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa is located on 18 acres of wooded private property and has a program specifically designed for brides-to-be. The Fit Athletic Brides Club or FAB   creates a tailor-made program to follow your timeline up to the big day. FAB focuses on weight loss through cardio training and sculpting combined with nutrition counseling. The Fit Athletic Brides Club at the Houston Hotel also offers relaxation and stress therapy through Yoga and massage.

North Houston Adventure Boot Camp for Women

For brides that are looking to get in shape fast, Justin’s Adventure Boot Camp for women offers a four week outdoor course. If you’re feel lazy and unmotivated or self-conscious about going to a gym, North Houston Adventure Boot Camp is the choice for you. Get in shape and get motivated fast in a secure all-female environment; Justin’s is the only all-female boot camp in North Houston and features a “no client left behind” policy so you’re sure to get the attention you need. North Houston Adventure Boot Camp for Women is also a great option for brides who are getting married sooner rather than later. Participants follow an intense program of daily workouts that feature everything from army style training, such as jump rope and obstacle courses, to core conditioning and games.

The Train Station

The Train Station is a personal training studio for women in Houston that offers everything you need to get lean, long, and trim for your wedding day. The Train Station provides personal training specifically designed for each individual client. You can tone up and slim down with strength training sessions, or finally get that perfect dancer’s body with pilates classes. Beach brides can get ready for the water by signing up for Aqua Fitness classes in the fabulous outdoor pool. Personal trainers at The Train Station will help you manage your pre-wedding weight loss with nutritional counseling, to ensure your reach your goal in time for your big day.

New Zealand Photography Schools

When choosing where to study photography, there are few places in the world that can compare to the natural beauty of New Zealand. It’s vast mountains, rolling green hills, and tropical style beaches provide every backdrop that an aspiring (or professional) photographer could ever hope for - whether you’re shooting landscapes or scouting the perfect location for a fashion shoot.

New Zealand has many schools to offer for ambitious photography students, providing everything from digital workshops to traditional four year Bachelor degree programs with a foundation in film photography. Here are some of the best photography schools in New Zealand:

Design & Arts College of New Zealand

Located on in Christchurch on South Island, the Design & Arts College of New Zealand is government funded and home to over 400 art students from all over the world. The D&A College of New Zealand offers a two year Diploma of Contemporary Photography program for anyone who wants more than a workshop, but isn’t quite ready to invest four years. Students participating in this program study the fundamentals of photography, including black and white film developing, digital imaging, and studio lighting.

South Seas Film & Television School

The South Seas Film & Television school is located in New Zealand’s largest metropolis, the city of Auckland on North Island. The South Seas Film & Television school offers something for everybody in digital photography education. Students can choose between a full time Diploma in Digital Photography, one week short courses, or customized workshops in digital photography. At South Seas, students learn about the latest technologies in digital imaging and multimedia.

Whitecliffe College

The Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, located in the heart of bustling Auckland, is the perfect choice for serious photography students interested in mastering all aspects of photography. Students can participate in a four year Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography program, with a specialization in just about any aspect of traditional film photography. The curriculum includes 35mm, medium format, and large format film developing and printing, studio lighting, natural lighting, and black and white printing.  Students can even specialize in color film and transparency processing and printing.

Quay School of the Arts

The Quay School of the Arts is another choice for the serious and dedicated photography student. The fact that it’s located in the smaller city of Whanganui on North Island makes it a great, low-key alternative to the metropolis of Auckland. At the Quay School of the Arts, students can obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography after completing a four year program. Students learn the foundations of traditional photography, such as 35mm black and white film developing and printing, but the Quay School of the Arts adds a touch of fun by encouraging its students to use plastic cameras, toy cameras, and pinhole cameras. They also teach rare antique processes such as cyanotypes and palladium printing.

How To Make Long Distance Calls Online For Free

The Internet offers plenty of free solutions for things that used to be expensive. Making free long distance calls online is just one of the ways you can cut your bills significantly while feeling closer to your friends and loved ones.

There are many applications that offer free video calling online, but only Skype offers free video calls, free Skype-to-Skype calls, and reduced rates for computer-to-telephone calls. Skype is by far the easiest way to make a free long distance call online. Keep in mind that you will need a headset or your computer’s internal microphone in order to make and receive free long distance calls on your Mac or PC.

1. Download a free copy of Skype for PC or Mac from http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/. Make sure the person you want to call has also downloaded Skype. This is because Skype has great long distance rates to call telephone numbers, but calls between Skype users are always 100% free anywhere in the world.
2. Create your Skype name. If you’ve never used Skype before, you’ll need to create a Skype name to be able to sign on. Open up Skype on your computer once the download has completed and you have launched the application, click on “Don’t Have A Skype Name” which will open the “create an account” window. Now you can choose a Skype user name and a password.
3. Find your contact. You can add friends, family, and other contacts to your Skype Contact List by either pressing “add a contact” in the left corner of the Contact List window, or by selecting “search for Skype users” from the Contacts menu. You can search for people you know on Skype by using their email address or full name. If you’d like to invite your friends to join Skype, you can do so by selecting “Share Skype with a friend” from the Contacts menu.
4. Make a free long distance call online using Skype. Once you have downloaded Skype, set up your username, and found your contacts you are ready to make your free long distance call online. Open up your Contact List and find the person you would like to talk to. Be sure to check the icon next to their name - a green check means the Skype user is online. Click on the contact you want to call and their details should appear in the Contact List window. Click the green call button to place your call. You should hear a ringing, which means the call is going through. When your contact answers, you will be able to hear them and they will be able to hear you. You have just made a completely free long distance call online!

The Best Resort On The Mayan Riviera

When jetting off to the Mayan Riviera, located on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, it’s not easy choosing a resort. Sun-loving tourists have a myriad of choices of where to stay, but the Royal Playa del Carmen is by far the best Mayan Riviera Resort to be found on this 100-mile stretch of Caribbean coastline. Shop till you drop in the chicest boutiques or treat yourself to a pampering session - this resort offers everything.

Accommodations

Choose your own level of luxury, with regular rooms or suites. For those who want to opt for an ultra-luxurious stay, beachfront walk-out and swim-up suites are the way to go. These suites offer the privacy of a villa with all of the benefits of an all-inclusive five star resort service. Even if you decide to go with a regular room, you can still spend the day lounging on the beach in their large outdoor canopy beds.

Spa

After a long day of snorkeling or scuba diving, you can wind down by getting pampered at the Royal Playa del Carmen’s in-house full service spa. The spa is not only eco-friendly and holistic, but also features Mayan inspired treatments such as the “Temazcal,” which is a pre-Columbian stone steam bath. Plus receive a choice of Polish or Oriental massages, as well as traditional skin treatments.

Nightlife

While other Mayan Riviera resorts also offer luxurious spas, such as the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, they do not have much to offer in terms of nightlife and after-hours entertainment. The Royal Playa del Carmen features over twelve bars and restaurants and a twenty-four hour all-inclusive VIP lounge.

Shopping

The Royal Playa del Carmen has a myriad of boutiques for those who want to refresh their vacation wardrobe and an art gallery that features exhibits by Mexican artists. This added convenience means that if you want to maximize your beach time, you do not have to leave the resort to go souvenir or gift shopping.

The Royal Playa del Carmen has been given a prestigious 4 star rating by the Lonely Planet guides, and has received various awards including the coveted Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Award 2010 and the International Start Diamond award.

The Royal Playa del Carmen
Av. Constituyentes No. 2
Playa del Carmen, 77710, Q. Roo, México
Tel +52 984 877 2900
Fax +52 984 877 2967