Wedding Planning: Benefits of Online Wedding RSVPs
November 30, 2009
Want to manage your wedding guests with style and ease? Forget about multiple checklists and trying to decipher the illegible handwriting sent in by your wedding guests. The days of sorting through scattered mail-back response cards and calculating, then recalculating your guest counts are gone. Thanks to the internet, there’s a better way to approach the entire RSVP process for your wedding!
Online wedding RSVPs, one of the most recent developments in the wedding industry, have skyrocketed in popularity among brides and grooms looking to efficiently handle their guest list. Receiving RSVPs online is an inexpensive way to stay organized and have a bit of fun with the helpful extras that some online RSVP systems offer.
So how can you have your own wedding RSVPs online? It’s very easy! There are a few free sites offering a basic RSVP service, or you can purchase a complete personal wedding website which will, among other things, give you the capability to have your wedding RSVPs set up and online in minutes. Other brides and grooms simply choose to include an email address, however, the advantages of a full service wedding RSVP system can be numerous and well worth the small fee.
A Gathering Of Friends For The Fall Season
November 30, 2009
A Gathering Of Friends For The Fall Season
by: Janell Sewall Oakes
The signs of fall are unmistakable in my part of the country. Golden aspens shimmer in the crisp breeze and crimson leaves float through the air. Weekend visitors flock to apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and intricate corn mazes that farmers have carved into their fields. Canned food drives and Coats for Kids programs are in full swing. The comforting aromas of warm soup and a crackling fire fill our homes. Just as the animals prepare for colder weather, there is something almost instinctual about our desire to make the most of the last days of temperate weather, stock up on autumn’s colorful offerings, count our blessings, and nurture, not just those we love, but the community as a whole.
Now that we’ve comfortably settled into our school routines, gathering friends together around the dinner table becomes a Friday night tradition. With my friends, this started in late September, when Susan casually mentioned that she’d made a big pot of chili (too much for just her family) and it would save her freezer space if we would bring the kids over and help them finish it. Within hours, there were six adults sharing stories around the kitchen island and nine children planning a circus in the playroom. The next week, Lee called to say he’d just brought home a new fire pit for the backyard and had soup on the stove. Once again, the week’s tensions fell away as we gathered around the campfire, laughing and roasting s’mores.
Tips to Avoid Overspending on Credit Cards
November 29, 2009
Tips to Avoid Overspending on Credit Cards
by: Dennis Becker
Shopping or buying things is one of the guilty pleasures in life and with the presence of credit cards, spending seems to be more like a habit and way of life. Credit cards make one’s life easier but it could also make one’s life a living hell once you find yourself drowning with credit card debt.
For people that are not yet in this situation, good for you (and read on anyway to make sure you recognize the danger signals) but for those who are just inches away from that situation (or worse), pay attention because this might actually save your life from overspending your credit cards.
1. Know your credit limit
The first thing that you should know is your credit card limit so that you know if you are going overboard. Always keep in mind that once you cross that limit, there is no turning back.
2. Set your own credit limit
Aside from the credit limit set by the credit card company, it is advisable that you set your own credit limit that you can follow. It would be good if it is significantly lower than your standard credit limit so that you could actually be in control.
The Avenger v/s The Angel
November 28, 2009
I’m writing this for women and for men. I have to share this with you all. I met a guy a few months ago. He seemed like a decent guy. I met him at a restaurant, and we kind-of hit it off, so when he asked me to go out, I said yes. We became friends so to speak, on the phone or when I saw him at the restaurant. I started having doubts about him though when he would make plans and change them all the time, like I was on his schedule and had no life of my own. So finally I said forget it, this isn’t going to work, it was even hard for me to be friends with someone who was so inconsiderate, so I told him not to call anymore. I saw him a few more times after that and he begged me for one more chance. I said to him, "this is it if you don’t keep the plans, your just out of luck because I am only giving you this one opportunity". He called that weekend and I went out with him the next day. The date went fine, we had a lot in common and we had fun, he made me laugh and that was important, He said he knew what it was he wanted and he hoped we could see each other again. I agreed and left it at that.
Weddings - Who Pays For What?
November 27, 2009
Of course, times have changed and there are occasions where the traditional ways to pay for the wedding do not apply. But if you are like most people, here’s the breakdown of who exactly pays for this thing (should you continue this traditional pattern):
The Family of the Bride -
All of Ceremony (flowers, decorations, announcements, programs, church fees, photographer/videographer, wedding favors, etc?)
All of Reception (music, food, wedding cake, decorations, flowers, etc?)
Wedding gown and accessories
Father’s tuxedo and mother’s outfit.
The Family of the Groom -
The rehearsal dinner
Groom’s cake (if applicable)
Father’s tuxedo and mother’s outfit.
The Bride -
Groom’s wedding ring and wedding gift
Gifts and luncheon for the bridesmaids
The Groom -
Bride’s wedding ring and wedding gift
His own formal wear
Corsages for both the mothers and gifts for ushers
Gifts and luncheon for groomsmen
Fee for marriage license
Honeymoon
Other payments:
Formal wear for groomsmen and gowns for the bridesmaids should be paid for by themselves
Any formal clothing for children who are in the wedding ceremony should be paid for by their respective parents
Surviving Life After Divorce
November 26, 2009
After divorce, the most important thing you can do is to move forward sensibly. Here are ten steps to help you on your way back to a fulfilling life.
1. Think single. As obvious as it may seem, you’re no longer one half of a couple and that can take some getting used to. After all, life as a single woman is very different to the life you’ve been leading for a major part of your life. Take time to understand the changes that are happening in your life and don’t expect it to be easy.
2. Remind yourself that it’s ok to be single. In a society where single women are often looked down at by their married peers, they can easily find themselves believing that they’re failures; that “real” women are involved in loving, lasting relationships. That simply isn’t true. More and more women are choosing to remain single, or to break out of unfulfilling relationships, something which shows strength rather than weakness. Surviving means believing in yourself and your capabilities as a single woman.
Gift Cards - Does The Perfect Gift Need Perfecting?
November 25, 2009
Gift Cards - Does The Perfect Gift Need Perfecting?
by: Mark Askew
Gift cards seemed to be the ideal way to please every recipient. But gift card recipients are realizing that not all gift cards are alike. And gift card givers are learning the same goes for recipients. Does the perfect gift need perfecting? Is there a way to get around this?
You have a list of folks you want to send gifts to. Many are out of state. Then there are your immediate siblings. Some you know well. Others? You just don’t have a clue as to what half of them like? So you consider giving them a gift certificate. After all money doesn’t grow on trees. The fact is with the cost of gas doubling over the past few years, inflation on our heels and the growth in family reunion attendance, offsetting the cost of gift giving by finding low priced items that every body loves has become an even greater challenge then it ever has been. Thus the growing popularity of gift cards.
The Easy Way To Do Your Wedding Planning
November 25, 2009
The Easy Way To Do Your Wedding Planning
by: Shaunta Pleasant
Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting, and yet one of the most nerve wracking, times in any person’s life. There are many things that must be done in order to successfully host a wedding and the reception.
It is important to start planning as early as possible to make sure your big day is even more special than you have always imagined.
== The Rings ==
Of course, choosing the ring is a vital part of any wedding planning. After all, the exchange of rings is what seals the ceremony and makes the couple man and wife.
Most couples will want to shop for their wedding bands together, so that they can agree on a style and setting. With so many different metals and finishes available, this process may take longer than you think. Be sure to leave plenty of time for this important part of your wedding.
== The invitations ==
The happy couple will of course want to include as many family members and friends in their celebration as possible, and this means ordering and mailing perhaps hundreds of invitations for a large wedding.
How to Have a Sizzler of a Honeymoon! Article No.1
November 24, 2009
Henry Vlll and Elizabeth Taylor, who between them had fourteen spouses, would have had quite a few headaches planning their weddings. There would be the obvious ones ? Shall I wear white for my marriage to Eddie Fisher? After all, even though this is my fourth wedding I am only 27 and white looks magnificent on me! And the less obvious ones ? Should I invite all my ex ex ex wives’ relatives to the wedding? For if the truth be known, I’ve always been more fond of them, than of her.
But the greatest quandary for all couples, whether marrying for the first time or the eighth, is the choice of a honeymoon. That special spot that will be a source of wonder and conversation for years to come ? possibly even for ever!
There are those who swear that surprising the bride is one of the better beginnings to a perfect honeymoon. But only if the couple have identical expectations of what a perfect honeymoon is - say the wives who were surprised, but not impressed.
Then there are those couples who select a place because it promises either constant activity, or no activity at all. Again, it works only if both partners are either lethargic, or active.
Mom’s Imagination - Open 24/7
November 23, 2009
Mom’s Imagination - Open 24/7
by: Sherri L Dodd
Walking on one of the wooded trails around my older son’s school, I noticed a man walking with a child that resembled my toddler, clothes and all. They were on the trail a small distance above mine separated by a ravine. I was not absolutely sure about the accuracy of my increasingly-aged vision, but nevertheless hurried to reach the trail head where we would both merge upon the parking lot. Now obviously I knew I had safely dropped my toddler off at his preschool that morning, but still wondered why was there such a striking resemblance? As I drew near I noticed the bleached-blonde-haired gentlemen hastily packing the child into the passenger front seat. My heart began to settle since I realized the child was a bit older and not my son, but I continued to approach anyway. The man slammed the door to the silver Volvo wagon with slightly tinted glass and executed a quick jog to the driver’s side. As I emerged upon the road, they drove past me. I noticed that the boy in the front seat was around six, however, as I scanned the back seat passengers of the passing car, I did see my beloved toddler strapped tightly in the driver’s side back seat, his expression marked with a curiosity of “where am I going”. PANIC! I could not believe what I was seeing! It was him! I started chasing the car and tried to retain every bit of information I could. Driver - man in his late thirties, beach bum style hair and clothing, approximately 5′11” and slightly stocky. The car color, year and license plate with only a local dealer’s advertisement were burned into my memory. I continued to pursue the car and as it sped from the scene, the sinking feeling of helplessness weighed on me. I didn’t want to stop the chase for I would lose sight of the direction, yet I needed to call someone in the seemingly vacant neighborhood to launch the Amber alert and summon the police. I screamed for help. “Please someone help me!” I began to cry, sobbing and shouting “No! No! No!”
