One of his own firsts was that he created the very first flower garden in the grounds of the White House, generating a generation of Presidents involved in ongoing beautification of the White House grounds.

But it was Mary Catherine Hellen who brought into the Adams’ Family a most interesting first.

For sometime she had flirted light-heartedly with the President’s two older sons, never quite sure which one to choose. She did lean slightly to George Washington, the eldest of the boys. After all, there was always a certain amount of prestige, and often a definite financial reward in marrying the first born. But in her heart of hearts, she had to admit George Washington was not a lot of fun to be around. Only in his early twenties, up to his eyeballs in hock, he also seemed to spend a lot of time around the cocktail cabinet ? and not only at the happy hour.

John, the younger son, on the other hand, appeared to be on the straight and narrow, despite managing to get himself expelled from Havard. Though, if she were to be frank with herself, he wasn’t exactly averse to the cocktail cabinet either.

But dash it all, she had set her heart on a President’s son for a husband, and there weren’t all that many of them around.

So on 28th February 1828, John married his Mary in the White House. The room was an oval, named by posterity Blue, but brilliantly red on this occasion. At the reception Mary sparkled as, supported by President Adams, her now father-in-law, she sashayed and do-si-doed to the Virginia Reel.

Many may not have been aware that she was creating history. In the first instance, this was the first time a son of a President married in the White House. Since then quite a few President’s daughters have done it, but so far no sons.

But the second first was her own desire for originality. She had delved deeply, as brides tend to do, into wedding customs and traditions, agonising about how to dress, what shoes to wear and how to adorn her hair. With one eye on what brides across the ocean deemed acceptable, she hoped to find something that had not yet become de rigueur for the English bride.

And she found it.

On her wedding day she came down the aisle in white satin and pearls ? which was to be expected ? and with orange blossoms in her hair which wasn’t.

It would take another twelve years, and a wedding of Queen Victoria, before orange blossoms became the flowers that no self-respecting bride could do without.

Vlady, an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant, is an author of "The Complete Book of Australian Weddings", "The Small Organisation Handbook", and an ebook, "Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle?" which you can see on Vlady’s website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com

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Milestone Birthdays can be a lot of fun. One idea for celebrating a milestone is a roast. One of my favorite themes for a birthday roast is a memorial.

The first thing you will want to do is send out the birthday invitations formatted like an obituary. A cheesy black and white picture of a younger version of the decedent adds a touch of legitimacy to the document. If you or any of your cronies have a flair for creative writing this can be a very warm and funny tribute, as well as a keepsake for all attendees.

The location for the roast or memorial should be as somber as possible and decorated as such. Be sure to greet the guests in your with your most solemn and understated demeanor.

Just before the festivities begin have your pall bearers bring in the cake, unlit. Make it as realistic as possible and give the pall bearers the honor of having a place of honor once the cake is brought in and placed in the appropriately.

The roasters are your eulogists and your obituary will set the tone for what tack they take. If you want to make the guest of honor wildly successful than you will want to set that down in the obituary, If you want him to be a depraved soul who it will be difficult to find something nice to say, then that is something you want to include.

Liberties and poetic license should be the order of the day. The way the honoree met his untimely demise should fit with his interests or something somewhat unique to them. Most of us remember the Mary Tyler Moore episode where Chuckles the clown was killed by a rogue elephant while dressed as a peanut. What more could you ask for in humor or irony?

Another idea is using cap guns for a 21 gun salute. This could be used if the honoree met his end in some form of “heroics”. Friends and family could be bogus people from his fictional biography.

Additionally be sure to hand out black armbands at the door if folks did not have enough foresight to bring their own. Black crepe paper is a good cheap way to supply these. Black party hats with veils made of black pantyhose or some other translucent material can also be made.

A milestone birthday roast disguised as a memorial can be and should be a lot of fun. You will have fun planning it and producing it, and if done well it will be a birthday party that folks will talk about for years to come.

Visit the the author’s website for more milestone birthday gifts and ideas.

About The Author

The author, Mike Hamilton has develops websites including his latest one www.itsurbirthday.com.

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Some of the first things you’ll spend money on when you decide to get married (besides the ring) are the wedding invitations. While you want your invitations to be classy, unique and of good quality, you’ll probably also want to find ways to save on wedding invitations as well. Here are the top ways to send out invitations that you can afford—and that your friends and family will be impressed with.

Keep your guest list small.

The more people you invite to your wedding, the more invitations you’re going to have to send out, so take a little time to create a guest list that you and your spouse will be satisfied with—and one that will fit your budget. Let your friends and family know when you’ll be getting married as soon as you can, so that they can tell you if they’ll be able to make it. For those who won’t be able to attend, you can send alternate invitations on different paper that may be a little less expensive, so that your loved ones can still keep a reminder of your special day. Now is not the time to be extremely polite—this is your day, and you deserve to have the people you love at your ceremony. Just because people know that you’re getting married, doesn’t mean they all have to come to wedding. Remember, the more invitations you send out, the more people that will show up, the more reception dinners you’ll have to pay forand the list goes on. Keeping your guest list small will help you to save on other wedding costs as well, so choose wisely.

Make your own invitations.

If you’re especially crafty or know exactly how you want your invitations to look (and haven’t seen this look in stores or online) you may want to consider making your invitations yourself. This way, you can save money, and add your own special touches to make an invitation that really is unique to your ceremony and your relationship. Of course, you may still have to ask for help, but if you need friends and family to give you pointers on the invitation design or provide supplies for you to use, you won’t have to pay for labor. You can also be sure that no one will have your invitations, and this will be another way to give guests the impression that your wedding will be an event to remember. You can also look online for wedding invitation templates to follow if you want to keep things a little more traditional, or aren’t quite ready to try your hand at such a crafty task. Here are some sites that may help: www.southworth.com, www.yourinvitationplace.com, and www.theweddingplace.com.

Use less paper.

Your invitation doesn’t have to be two or three pages; you can save the story of how you met for the wedding video or the wedding programs in order to cut costs. A single sheet invitation will usually save you money, and looks very classy and sophisticated. If you want to add photos to your wedding invitations, you may want to use a photo of wedding rings, or a picture of you and your fiancé as a backdrop, and include all the information about the ceremony on the same sheet. Using one ink color and a smaller border can also help to save money. The key is to make your wedding invitations look interesting and tasteful enough for people to want to attend the ceremony, and you can definitely do this without spending a whole lot of money. After all, you want to save for that fabulous dress and great reception—these are the things that will keep your guests remembering your day for years to come.

About The Author

Michael Ferrell is the owner and operator of PerfectLoveLetters.com - Discover how you can quickly and easily create a romantic love letter in only 3 minutes guaranteed to swept your lover off their feet- without writing!

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First, you will have to decide how much you can afford to spend. Then, with your budget in mind, choose the material you want your ring made of.

Wedding ring materials can be:

• 14K or 18K yellow gold, classic and still very popular for wedding and engagement rings
• white gold, which is gaining popularity because it looks stylish and very modern. Also white gold can be worn with silver or platinum jewelry and it goes with most fabrics
• platinum is one of the hardest metals, which in itself makes platinum a suitable symbol for enduring love. It is also very pure: while 18 K gold contains only 75% gold, most platinum jewelry is 95% platinum.

Platinum rings look similar to white gold, are very elegant and stylish, don’t scratch and don’t loose their look with the passing years. Platinum rings are the most expensive but, considering that you will wear your ring for the rest of your life, that doesn’t really matter for many couples

• titanium is long lasting, light and not very expensive, so it has recently became a very popular material for wedding rings. Titanium rings are similar in appearance to white gold rings but they are so light that you can hardly feel one on your finger. Titanium is a particularly popular material for men’s wedding rings

When choosing the material, think of what would work best with your clothes and the other jewelry you usually wear. Is your jewelry box filled with gold or silver? If your favorite pieces are silver, it is a good idea to get a white gold, titanium or platinum wedding ring. Alternatively, you could get two tone ring - usually made from white and yellow gold. This type of ring would match silver jewelry as well as gold.

Some women also want to match their wedding rings with their engagement rings. This is certainly something to take into consideration, if you plan to wear both rings on the same hand. Another option is to wear your wedding ring on the left hand and your engagement ring on your right hand - in which case they should probably still be the same color, but don’t have to match so closely.

Which wedding ring style to choose?

There are many styles available, so everybody can find a ring to suit their tastes. When it comes to style, though, the first thing you have to decide is if you both will wear similar rings or if each will select one that expresses his or her personality. The most popular styles are:

• Traditional plain bands - even though they are plain, they will always be stylish and fashionable. These are also best suited for men who aren’t accustomed to wearing jewelry
• Bands with beaded edges are a little more elaborate
• Two-tone bands which can be worn with either gold or silver jewelry
• Celtic wedding rings are really hot how. Covered with ancient knotwork designs, they look really stylish
• Solitaire rings with a single precious stone
• Solitaries with accents - rings with a large stone and several smaller stones around it
• Channel diamond rings

The best gem stones for wedding rings

Diamonds are unbeatable favorites for wedding rings and with good reason - not only are diamonds the most beautiful and expensive of all precious stones, but they are also the hardest. Other hard stones are rubies and sapphires. Gemstones like amethyst or aquamarine are too soft, which makes them unsuitable for a wedding ring that you are going to wear every day.

No matter which style and material you chose, you want a ring that would be comfortable on your finger. For this reason it is always best to go with a ring that is smooth around the edges.

Tanya Turner is a wedding jewelry expert and a founder of http://www.Man-Wedding-Rings-Guide.com, where you can find unbiased information about all types of wedding rings with pictures of most popular styles of wedding rings.

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Sole proprietor, Inc, LLC, - What does it all Mean?

Your childcare is a business. While you may not need to formally create a legal business, there are options to consider if you have an especially large operation, or employ more than one person. From a legal standpoint, different types of entities provide limited liability. This is something you would want to discuss with a lawyer. Different entities also provide different tax advantages and disadvantages. The type of entity really depends on the business and how many people own the business. An accountant should be able to advise you on the best entity for your situation.

What can you deduct on your taxes? Any why would you want to?

Each time you claim something as a deduction on your taxes, you reduce the amount of money the government can tax. By reducing that amount, you can reduce how much tax you pay, letting you keep more of your money.

A simple rule of thumb to remember is any ordinary and necessary business expense is deductible. Keep in close contact with your accountant, and find one if you don’t have one. Regular meetings or discussions with the accountant will help in working through what is considered ordinary and necessary for your business. Be sure to keep in mind all the expenses you incur when doing business - ie., don’t forget things such as mileage on your vehicle. Trips to the bank to deposit your weekly daycare income, for instance, is an ordinary and necessary business expense that is deductible.

Who has time to file receipts after a day with the kids?

Even though resting from your busy day sounds better than filing you receipts for groceries that week, stay on top of your paperwork and make sure you keep records of all the money you spend on your business. From the IRS point of view, the more records and documents to substantiate your position, the better. Invoices, receipts, credit card statements, bank statements and cancelled checks are all good evidence of the expenditures incurred. There are also several accounting programs - available at any store that sells computer software - that are inexpensive and work great for tracking expenses and providing useful financial reports. Several online companies sell software specifically for childcare providers.

Be sure to set up a filing system for your records. It doesn’t need to be fancy, as long as it makes sense to you and you can find your records once tax time comes around.

Keep work and personal expenses separate

Having a separate checking and savings account for your business will make keeping track of your finances a lot easier. Sure, you have to balance another checkbook, but you’ll know that all money in and out of those accounts has to do with your business. Also, consider getting separate credit cards for the business. When you use all of these accounts exclusively for business, it is much easier to put all your records together, rather than trying to separate out what is business and what is personal.

Ahh, taxes. Where do we start?

Tax laws are so specific to your state and city, that it’s hard to give even general guidelines. You may want to check with a local accountant or state and local tax authority to find out if there are any special rules, permits or taxes that you may need to run your business. Paying your taxes quarterly might be an option, so you can spread the payment out over the year instead of paying it all at one time.

About The Author

Melissa Newby is the cofounder of www.daycarematch.com.

Bob Sawicki is a CPA practicing Tax and Financial Planning in Madison WI. He can be reached at sawicki@tds.net.

melissa@daycarematch.com

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Although she had heard of internet dating and saw the ads, she had hesitated to take what she imagined was a rather drastic step. What would her experiences be like? How would she find someone online? What were the risks?

If you are in this situation then quite likely you’ve considered venturing into online dating to meet someone.

Our lives are increasingly dependant on technology as opposed to face-to-face contact. It is not at all surprising that millions have already ventured into online dating as a way to find a relationship rather than waiting for a chance meeting.

But what are some of the findings as researchers spend more time analyzing the behavior of online daters?

In a study reported on CBS News, 15% of Americans with internet access have visited an internet dating site. 27% of them were 18-29 years old. Obviously online dating is a popular pastime.

The same study showed that 33% of unmarried internet users thought that dating online was a safe way to meet people although 34% acknowledged knowing someone who had a bad experience.

In another study reported by BBC News, online dating was seen as a way for women to feel empowered in relationships. The conventional inhibitions that they had in face-to-face relationships were replaced by a more upfront and in-control attitude when given the anonymity of the internet. Could this improve their chances at finding a perfect relationship?

Professor Helen Petrie was quoted in the BBC interview as stating “There are people who lack interpersonal social skills and would find it very difficult to meet people in bars. They may find it easy to meet in an internet room, but they still have the problem of meeting them face to face and if they have gone too far with the internet relationship, they may find that traumatic.”

The truth is, many individuals find the anonymity of online dating encourages a certain amount of exaggeration or lying. While some claim that we always hide things at the beginning of a relationship, trying to put our best foot forward, the internet makes it easier to hide such things as facial expressions, income, marital status and even criminal records.

So while you may find, like Carly, that finding a relationship in the ‘real’ world is difficult - if you are still considering online dating it is wise to use caution and common sense. Be careful what you say about yourself and try to verify as much information as possible before meeting or personally contacting anyone you’ve met online and never meet them alone.

Mike is an advisor for Online Dating. He has been tagged as an “Expert” in the topic of Online Dating for the past few years for his extraordinary advice. http://online-dating.eclicksoft.com/

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Most tend to follow the traditional vows of love, cherish, sickness, health, better or worse but many woman are understandably uncomfortable with the traditional obey part! That stems from a different time when that was expected.

Writing your own vows can be very emotional and are therefore words to cherish. Writing them into your order of service allows everyone to enjoy these special words with you and provides an excellent keepsake of the day.

Some couples are religious and this will be reflected in the words they choose. If you are to be married in a religious ceremony then it would be wise to check with the officiant incase there are words that you may not deviate from.

Other couples favour a more light hearted approach and opt for non-traditional secular vows and some even prefer the humorous approach!! Believe it or not you can get vows from Dr Suess!!

Whatever you choose to do, and there is plenty of choice out there, make sure you pick words that have special meaning for you and your partner and ones that you are both comfortable with.

Enjoy your day!!!

Wedding Vows

Lorna Mclaren has an information website http://www.a1-ourwedding.com that can help advise you on most areas of your special day from the comfort of your armchair!

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A moving checklist can keep you from forgetting important things, like turning on the utilities in your new home. You’ll want to make your own list of things to be done, but you can start with the suggestions below.

Moving checklist - One Month Before

• Make reservations with moving company.
• Notify friends and family and give them your new address.
• Submit change of address forms to post office.
• Get documents for school transfers, if you have children.
• Have a garage sale or otherwise lighten the load.

One Or Two Weeks Before

• Arrange utility shut-offs and new connections.
• Transfer banking accounts to new location.
• Return books to library, rented movies, etc.
• Transfer prescriptions to new location.
• Clean house and dispose of things that won’t be moved.
• Start packing and labling boxes.
• Pack an “essentials” box for arrival, with toiletries, paper plates, etc.
• Make moving plans (make hotel reservations, get maps, etc.).

Moving Day

• Start early and remember to eat.
• Double check every room and storage area.
• Turn off lights, lock doors.
• Leave the keys with the new owner or real estate agent.

You will undoubtedly have many more items to add to your personal list. Start writing down anything you think of as soon as you know you’ll be moving. Will the phone be on when you arrive at your new home? Will you have to return across the country just because you forgot about a safe-deposit box that has the family jewelry. The best way to avoid problems like these is to start early on your moving checklist.

About The Author

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. See a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500 on his home page, or go straight to the section on real estate investing: http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com/investing-in-real-estate.html.

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Let kids tell you what they think of Christmas and they will speak of images full of snow, caroling, putting up Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas gifts and the irresistible magic and wonderment. For everyone else, Christmas is a whole 30 days (even more for some) of headaches and stress.

This doesn’t have to be so. Who says you can’t enjoy the yuletide season like kids can? This article will give you a few tips on how to celebrate Christmas with less of the stress and more of the ho, ho, holiday fun.

I bet you’ve heard this a gazillion times, but I guess once more doesn’t hurt until you take it to heart: do your Christmas shopping early. Beat the mad rush and escape your kid’s heartbreak when you find out that the very last (insert name of their wanted toy] that sells like hotcakes here) has been won in a duel by another overzealous parent. So Shop early and avoid the scuffle.

And no, Christmas doesn’t mean you have to be a Stepford wife whipping up delicious Christmas goodies from scratch. Doing this will definitely eat up time on your hands to actually enjoy the things you cooked or baked. Order your food ready-made, pop it in the oven for a few minutes, and no one will ever know. It’s your little secret, everyone’s happy, and Christmas will be full of merrymaking from then on.

If you need help with your holiday preparations, then by all means, ask for it. Is Christmas not a season of goodwill to all men? (And Women?) More often than not, you will come out with better relationships, a long overdue chat, or discovering kindred hearts. There’s no better time of the year.

Learn to let loose and let the small things go. Trust me, no one will care about whether the food’s a little late as long as they’re enjoying each other’s company. Hey, it’s Christmas. In fact, you might get carried away by the excellent time spent with each other yourself. Just don’t forget, there’s still food cooking back in the kitchen. I mean, Christmas will cause you to be a little more cheerful and forgiving than most other days. Your guests are really there for the joy of your company - not just for the food.

K.I.S.S. works real well. In other words, keep it simple, sweetheart. Sure, your guests will no doubt be impressed by excellent Christmas decorations, but the whole point of Christmas is to enjoy each other, and pretty soon, after some interesting conversations, they won’t even notice the Christmas tree is not a real tree. Don’t go overboard on the decorations and preparations. Simple pine-tree scented candles can do wonders to your Christmas-inspired ambience.

Lastly, keep in mind what Christmas is all about, it’s all about giving and caring, it’s all about the season of happiness and delight, it’s all about magic in the winter air. It’s about innocent kids secretly staying up all night so they may have a glimpse of Santa and his reindeer. Remembering what this season is all about will keep you from going overboard and from going crazy with endless preparation. Christmas is about each other, not about competition. It’s the memories of each other that last in our minds, not the Christmas decorations.

About The Author

David Arnold Livingston enjoys shopping online for gifts and recommends as a Christmas gifts resource:

http://www.rechristmas.com/

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In fact, when came to me for some dating advice, he told a story about the last woman he dated, how she literally stalked him for three months after their relationship ended, one day calling him a “Nazi,” the next calling him the sweetest guy on earth. It got so bad he decided to sell his house and move out of state. No joke, this is a true story.

However, this is NOT the first woman like this he’s dated. In fact, most women he’s dated are like this. Now, you might think this guy is bad looking and broke, a complete loser who just can’t “do any better.” The truth, though is this: the guy’s 6′2″, in good shape, could pose for GQ, and does very well financially. And, he can be a fun, witty guy to hang out with. Why then, did this guy come to me for dating advice?

There are actually several answers to this question (and we don’t have time to cover all of them today), but many of them have to do with what’s called “map/model of the world,” both his and theirs. We’ll talk about his in a later episode-for now, just realize your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. Obviously he’s got some work to do on his inner world, and he is taking my dating advice seriously, but for now let’s talk about map/model of the women he dates.

Just what is “map/model” of the world, and how will this help your dating? It’s simply how each individual human being views the world-the sum total of our internal representations. Let me give you an example that will clarify this. Let’s say you and I are listening to the radio and a particular song comes on. You hate it, but I like it. Why? Because we both have different maps/models of the world. Although the “input” (in this case the song) was exactly the same, the “output” (our reaction to the song) was different. Our “maps” create the differing output. How we view the world is different. How each man responds to my dating advice is different.

When you’re screening women to see if they’re worth spending time with, you want to uncover as much of their map/model of the world as possible. Why? Because how they’ve behaved in the past (based on their map/model of the world) is how they will behave in the future. And if the past behavior they’ve exhibited is bad, their future behavior will be worse. (Take my dating advice on this one!)

When my friend told me during this dating advice session about his experience with this “crazy woman” I asked how they met, what she said to him. It took me 15 minutes of listening to him for me to determine, simply based on what she said to him, that she was a “nonstarter”, someone I would NEVER start a dating relationship with. Why? Because she’d described several instances of psychotic/stalking behavior in past relationships. But, since he wasn’t actively uncovering her map/model of the world, and making decisions based on it, he got into a horrible relationship. I would have avoided dating her completely.

So just how do you uncover a woman’s map? By asking, “elicitation questions” and actively listening. You want to look for common patterns of behavior that reoccur in her past relationships. Awhile back I met a woman online and we met at Town Lake here in Austin for a walk. As we walked, I simply asked her about her online dating experiences. Over and over she said, “oh he kept following me, but he was a loser.” Then I asked her about her relationships, and she kept talking about how guys “cheated on her all the time.” How did she know they were cheating, I asked? Well, she said, because I would drive by their houses, and strange cars would be in the driveway. My dating advice to anyone who exhibits this attitude is… don’t walk, run!

Now, if I’d pursued ANY type of dating relationship with this woman, what do you think the outcome would have been? She would have driven by my house, looking for “strange cars” and then she would have accused me of “cheating.” And then she would have come to my place of work at odd hours to “confront me.” Why? Because that’s what she did with all the guys who “cheated on her.”

Obviously I never met with her again, even though she was cute. But many guys not heeding this very important nugget of dating advice would have, because they were paying attention to looks, not uncovering her map or model of the world. And the next six months of their lives would have been HELL.

Listening for map/model of the world is a valuable skill to develop, and some of the best dating advice I can give anyone. You will find that uncovering someone’s map of the world will save you much frustration. So? I’ve got some homework for you guys. As you go throughout your day tomorrow, actively listen for

other people’s maps. Get them to tell you stories, and listen for recurring patterns of behavior, both good and bad. Develop this skill, and utilize it, and you’ll be able to avoid a lot of heartache, and enjoy a lot of pleasure.

About the Author: John Alanis, “The King of Let ‘em Come to You”, is author of the “Women Approach You” system at http://www.womenapproachyou.com. His blog is at http://www.johnalanis.com

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