What Not to Name the Baby Part IV!

Some people don't realize that when they are naming their kid they are sometimes naming him or her after a celebrity or even the top name for a pet currently. Here is the conclusion to my four part blog series on what it means to call a kid a name!

Madonna – This name belongs to such a superstar that it will be ridiculously hard for your child to attach this name to her own identity. It is a name that has basically been branded.
Maggie – It's a lovely name but it is the top name chosen by dog owners for their female pets in 2011.
Olivia – This is a hip retro name that actually means 'an army of elves.'
Oprah – Oprah is a noble woman to name a child after but whenever we hear this name we do not think of anyone else. This name might play havoc with your child's sense of identity.
Paris – Paris Hilton is a bright woman but her bimbo antics have made this more of a shallow name than it need be.
Portia – This is one of those Shakespearean names that sound very intellectual but its real meaning is 'little pig.'
Rasputin – This fine Old Russian boy's name is also the name of a Russian sorcerer who helped lead the last dynasty of Russian royalty to slaughter.
Regan – Once a beautiful name for a girl it is hard not to reference it to the possessed little girl in the movie 'The Exorcist.'
River – A beautiful name that is still associated quite a bit with River Phoenix who died of a heroin overdose outside Johnny Depp's Viper Club in the early nineties.
Ronald – This is a name that was once classic and that seems to have been taken over by McDonald's. It is hard not to think of 'Ronald' without thinking about Ronald McDonald. This is a name destroyed by corporate theft!
Sabrina – Both the television series Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Bewitched had witches named Sabrina on them that make it hard for people to take this name seriously.
Samara – Once a beautiful name for a girl it is now associated with the evil little girl ghost in the horror movie 'The Ring' (the one that climbs out of the well and kills people.)
Seth – This just seems to be a name associated with evil. It is used by a lot of followers of Satan.
Shakira – Your child will never be seen as herself as the name belongs to such a superstar singer.
Tabitha – Very few people think of this name without thinking of the baby witch from Bewitched.
Vlad – This majestic name is a bit too much like Vlad the Impaler who was also known as Count Dracula.

Hopefully you will refer to this list before you decide to name your child something too familiar from pop culture!

Parenting Tips
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Great Make-Up Advice for Mommies

Let's face it if you are a mom you do not want to look too glam, too slutty or too over-the-top. For one thing it can teach your kids all the wrong things about what people value in life you do not want to make it all about appearances. This is why parenting experts say you should minimize the amount of make-up you wear if you are a mommy.

So the point is to keep yourself looking good by wearing a minimum of make-up but if you must wear a lot of make-up then at least make it look like you are not. Studies have shown too that people who wear a lot of make-up look more hostile.

Most moms look a little tired so it is a good thing to use concealer. You can just dot it on wherever you have redness or blemishes and then maybe use a bit of light moisturizer and powder. This should give you the glow you need without having that 'mask-of-foundation' look that is more suitable for raising a child.

You also should not wear a lot of glitter on your face, unless your baby finds it amusing or it is something you are doing with your kids. If you are going to get out the disco glitter then make sure your kids share in the fun too. They love applying sparkles to their faces. Too much sheen can make you look a bit immature – a lot of glisten is more associated with teenagers.

Never underestimate the power of the plain face that is dressed with neutrals. Make sure that you are using simple glosses and neutral colors on your lips, eyes and cheeks. Forget going too dark and heavy. Black eyeliner and a lot of mascara can look almost clown like in the day. The same thing goes for bright red lipstick.

Sometimes it is possible to go too pink as well. Some colors look immature because they look too much like bubblegum or Barbie.

Yet another thing about wearing too much make-up is that it can sometimes smell. Sometimes it has a lot of fragrance in it and it can make your children sneeze or give them headaches.

Another good reason not to wear make-up is that it can get all messy and get in the way of your kids kissing you. You do not want to spend time redoing your make-up all day just because your kid decides to give you a big smooch.

Parenting Tips
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