Dec 31

The Green Wedding Gift List
By Sharon Jacobsen

With more and more couples opting for an environmentally friendly wedding, guests are increasingly finding themselves faced with the difficult question of what to give as a suitably green gift. Even at the best of times, buying a welcome gift for a bridal couple isn t the easiest task. Do they already have one? Will it match their colour scheme? Can I afford it? These are all questions you ll need to raise in order to find something suitable. But when it s expected to be an environmentally friendly gift, and you re not a greenie yourself, the problem becomes far greater.

The following are ideas that will help, and hopefully get you on your way to thinking up some of your own.

Plain, White Cotton Bed Linen
This should match any colour scheme, and organic bed linen is always welcome. The same goes for towels.

A Time Capsule
Create a time capsule containing items from each of their childhoods and tell them it s to be opened on their 25th wedding anniversary.

An Organic Gardening Kit
Seeds, hand tools and a beginner s guide to organic gardening.

A Composter
Buy a small bin to use in the kitchen too. Nobody likes to run out into the garden every time they peel a potato

A Rain Butt
Re-cycling water is important for the environment and plants prefer it to tap water.

A Gift Certificate
While it can sometimes appear rude to give cash, a gift certificate still allows the couple to make their own choice. This is especially useful if you re unsure of what they need or what their taste is.

A Donation to Charity
If they already have most of what they need (and few couples haven t already set up home by the time they marry, these days), make a donation to their favourite charity instead of buying something they ll never use.

It s also a nice idea to wrap gifts in something re-usable like a wicker basket, bath or kitchen towels or a canvas bag instead of the traditional wrapping paper. Not only will you be helping the couple keep their day green, they ll be receiving an extra gift, too!

For the sake of the world we live in, going green isn t a bad thing. With just a little thought you ll be able to find an appropriate gift for the couple and, who knows, maybe you ll find yourself buying green wedding gifts for non-green wedding, too.

You know what they say: every little helps.

~~+~~

Sharon Jacobsen is a full-time freelance writer living and working in Cheshire, England.

Although environmental and social issues are Sharon s first choice of subject, for a competitive fee she ll happily write engaging, informative articles on any subject from organic gardening to allergies.

To contact Sharon, or to download samples of her work and her rate card, please visit http://www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk

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Dec 31

What Every Bride Should Have: Bridal Jewelry
By Stephanie Tuia

On her wedding day, the bride will attract the most attention, glowing in her beautiful white gown and flattered in her accessories a necklace, some earrings, possibly a bracelet or tiara and most importantly, her wedding ring.

Because the bride’s wedding day will be one of the most important and memorable days of her life, she will want to “go all out” on this special day. For that, her bridal jewelry is a must.

Upfront jewelry-At front view, this jewelry will be a major focus. But you also have to take into consideration the neckline of the bride’s wedding gown. In a strapless wedding gown, almost any necklace will capture attention. A thin chain holding a jewel will be a beautiful accessory to flatter the neckline. On the other hand, an extravagant necklace with jewels surrounding the chain will sparkle lots of attention. In this case, this necklace will compliment a strapless gown.

Depending on the bride’s preference, a tiara is optional for the bride. Giving off an elegant look, wearing her tiara will make her look like a princess. And on her wedding day, she deserves to feel like a princess!

Earrings-A bride could do without earrings, but earrings will radiate the glowing bride’s face. Considered also as upfront jewelry, earrings will stand out the most when a bride has her hair up. Simple pearl earrings are the perfect touch, and will match the pure white theme of the wedding.

The wedding ring-Perhaps the most important accessory of all, the bride’s ring will be the highlight of her wedding day. The two bands, the engagement ring and wedding band joined together will symbolize the new bride’s union to her groom and recognize the new life they will share together.

The special thing about the bride’s wedding ring is that this bridal jewelry will be worn for the rest of her life. After the wedding, the honeymoon and years of marriage, she will still wear her wedding ring.

A bride’s wedding day will be treasured and captured in photo albums for children and future posterity. For that, let them see how beautiful you were in your bridal jewelry.

If you re looking for a specific piece of bridal jewelry, you need go no further than Harris Michael Jewelry.

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Dec 31

Seductive Playing Hard To Get - Why Every Woman Must Have A Spin To Her Game
By Christine Akiteng

I receive tons of emails that when squeezed down to the juice are all asking the same thing - how do we get men to call us after what we thought was a great date and to answer the phone when we call the nth time asking him why we haven t heard from him in a long time? How, how do we get men to pursue us? These women are confused as to why the guys they really like don’t seem to pay them any attention and the ones they can’t stand just don’t want to go away. They’ve tried kitty purring and they’ve tried playing “impossible to get” and the only thing still chasing them is their own shadow.

The truth is, I have been trying to avoid writing about this subject mainly because there are many confusing “RULES” on what women can do to become more successful with the male gender - and both extremes have large followings.

On one hand we are told that men have a fragile ego that needs stroking until your paws go sore. We are told pouting your sweet lips puerile-like and aaahing and oohing his every move will increase his feelings for you. Never point out his mistakes or try to out smart him. Verbal attacks or contradicting him hurts his feelings, so veil sharp criticism into tender kitty’s purrrrs. Flirting with other men will make him jealous, and he might even walk out. In short, smile often, lie down and pretend to be dead and - oooohhh - remember to purr-rrrr every time he asks you if are still alive!.

On the other hand we are told men pine after bitches poised as vixens who maintain their power, independence and autonomy by making men slave for their attention. And to be the bitch men queue to get her telephone number you must act aloof when he approaches you. Brush him off - persistently. Don’t show him how you feel - act like other things are more important than him. And when he calls you to postpone a date because he has some urgent business matter to attend to, tell him you already have another date anyway. In other words, play impossible to get, pretend that you do not like men and then they will come after you in droves..

Now, if I didn’t know that a lot of this advice comes from either Prude Goodie-Two-Shoes who has such a low-self esteem that she re-arranges her whole life around a man and acts like his helpless appendage or from Cruella de Vil who has suffered many disappointments that she wants to get back at the male race for all her misfortunes, I would have thrown up my hands and found me another career, because if women really followed either approach, it’d lead to misery for everybody concerned. We’d only have self-indulged mama’s boys or those nagging losers after us. Worst of all, we’d never find true love pretending to be who we are not. But again some women would rather take anything in pants than be all by themselves.

What many women don t know and men don t tell us is that men love the illusion of being the hunters and are thrilled by the thought of chasing a real (or imagined) foxy woman. So to get the men to pursue you, you must have some sort of spin to your game plan. What that means is that even if you are a tender-hearted gazelle or ram-butt like a buffalo but can put a spin to the chase, you are most likely be to perceived as game.

The “Spin” is universal in its appeal. A spin is different from “tricks” or deceitful acts. A spin is a little playfulness with a bit of mystery in it. It gives the sense of novelty or “newness” a code that seems to be pre-programmed in the male gene. It is what you do to build up intrigue with every lingering look, every expression, every body move you make him wonder what makes you tick and what s going on in your “sexy” head.

Like when I was still single and dating, I d have a guy come up to me (how I d make him come to me will be the subject of another article), he d usually introduces himself”my name is Denzel Washington” (I like to fantasize), I d shake his hand and say “nice meeting you Denzel” and stop at that. He’d then ask “and what is your name?” Playfully I ask “what would you like it to be?” Most guys are not ready for thisand I can literally see their testosterone level go up. Most of them laugh nervously, some even blush - those who can blush - and keep asking the same question. I just laugh and walk away foxy-like (notice I said “walk” away not “run away). For those of you who might not understand what a “foxy-walk” is, think Harley Berry in Cat Woman. Some follow me around and from their body language I can read that they are thinking “this is going to be interesting”. Others laugh, hang around a while and then go to mingle and meet other women.

I had guys go away and come back to ask for my name. And they can do this at intervals the whole evening. If I really liked a guy, I d in the course of the evening “accidentally” bump into him. And if he was interested he d ask for my name again. This time I ask him to call me anything that comes to his mind. Whatever he calls me, I smile and say “Thank you, from now on my name is Mystery” or whatever name he gives me and again walk away - foxy-like. I had guys steal up behind my back and call me by the name they gave meand I was always alertI promptly answered like it had been my name all my life

Once I met my match (or he thought he was). He sort of had my “number” because he was pressing all the right buttons. I found his direct, saucy and self-confident ways rather very seductive. This 40 - something white man reminded me of the boys in my native village - the cockiness and self-confidence I am yet to see anywhere else in the world. Their every look, word, touch and every breath is so alive with erotic electricity and without saying a word they pay your whole body compliments, ask questions just with eye expression alone. Their “come and get me” stubbornness can be irritating but at the same time you feel the tagging on your heart-strings and before you know it they got you hooked on that you forget they can t even read or write let alone recite the alphabet. How many men do you know can make you feel like a sex goddess and ravish you with just they eyes alone, Hmmm? Theirs is seduction in its purest form!

Anyways, my evening s heartthrob suddenly vanished and for the rest of the evening, ignored me. When I was just about to leave (I am sure he was watching me how else would he have known I was planning to leave…) he came and asked for my telephone number. I gave him a piercing look then said “Okay, even if you ignored me the whole evening - and by the way that really hurt, I will give you my number because you look like a lot of fun”. See, the message I was passing on was “I am also a lot of fun and you you have no idea what you are missing”. I wrote my number on a blank card - I didn t give guys I was interested in my business card because when they read “Dating Coach”, they d will never call, so I always had a nice set of blank cards.

He took the card and turned to go. And as he walked away, I called him and in a matter of fact said “Shawn, the best time to call me is between 10 pm and midnight” my work day doesn t finish until about 10 p.m.. He nodded. But it was obvious to me he was the kind of man who wanted to be in control and didn’t like a woman telling him when to call her. So I said “if a man picks up the phone, please just tell him that we met today” ( I had a male friend visiting from out of town). He walked back and asked “Do you have a boyfriend?” To which I replied “Call me”, winked and I left. He called me that very night. He wanted to know if I had a boyfriend and by the way he said “what is your name?”

Forget about “THE RULES” that only over-complicate everything. The real fact of the matter is that guys want women who can be down-to-earth, genuine and original. Women who are bold, assertive and flirtatious. They want the chase as much as they want the woman and they still want the chase to continue even when he’s married you. And if you want to keep his interest you must remain the woman he was chasing in the first place. Spins don’t have to be just for getting attention. If there is a connection and the relationship moves forward, come up with other new spins which feel natural and compliment your personality. A spin has got to be NEW and fresh every time - and mysterious - leaving LITTLE to his imagination. But don t paint the whole picture for him, it takes out the mystery and turns him off instead of on.

You see, when a man meets a woman he automatically imagines what life with her would be like. A spin gives men the mystery and challenge which for most of them (unfortunately for us women who want to be appreciated for more, like our emotional and spiritual strengths) means a woman who they can bond with mentally and sexually. I don t want to disappoint my “sisters of the move” but on a first or second meeting it is really hard to tell your emotional or spiritual strengths by just looking or talking for a few minutes and if you keep forcing it down their throats you are yesterdays toast. Bottom line is that men are first attracted to women who are uninhibited and look like they love fun just as much as they do. And the way they tell that is by how a woman “advertises her potential….cute, fun, smart, fun, self-confident, fun, sexy, fun, caring, fun… you get the picture . A woman who is so stuck-up is every man s nightmare, even for those guys who themselves are uptight.

There are more than a thousand ways for a woman to show that she can rock a man’s world without resorting to “cheap” selling or aggressive marketing. The other thing that turns men off is excessive concern over details or trivial matters - stop sweating the small stuff and look at the big picture. Do you want a man who loves you unconditionally or do you want a bunch of roses that wither away only after a couple of days? Hello? If you can get both wonderful, but if you have to choose, my dear sister, choose the man!

But what probably turns men off most is showing a desperate need for attention and affection. We women are born natural therapists but men are not. If you are the kind of woman who needs someone every now and then to listen to how bad your cellulite is or why your cat only eats cereal, get yourself a good set of girlfriends or call your mama or sister if you have oneand for God’s sake get yourself a life. Don’t’ pretend to have one just to get him to chase you, but a real life, a career, a hobby or volunteer at a children’s organization or elderly people’s home, so that when the phone rings you don’t drop everything else to go suck up to a guy and then wonder why the guys you really like don’t like you and the ones who don’t do a thing for you linger around like cheap perfume.

Girlfriend, my advice to all women is, if he is in sight and the day is right, don t wait for him to come to you, take matters into your hands and hunt him down - BUT remember men like the illusion of being the hunter, don t deprive them of their chance to do their hunting. You and I know too well, in the end the hunter gets captured by the game. And just in case you are interested … this “spin” thingy works magic in the bedroom too… The truth is, if your man isn’t challenged enough, he will go find the challenge elsewhere.

About the Author: Combining modern and ancient wisdom, internationally renowned Sexual Confidence and Dating Coach, Christine Akiteng has helped hundreds rediscover their many untapped and unique deep-down NATURAL and PRIMAL characteristics that make them incredibly attractive, desired and valued by the opposite sex. Her sassy, spunky and unique advice on captivating the opposite sex and creating a fulfilling sexual life combines self-awareness, a dynamic, free and spontaneous expression of the authentic self, mystery, spirituality and pure raw sensuality.

Christine s website: http://www.torontosnumber1datedoctor.com

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Dec 31

How to Be Romantic When You Have Kids
By Ron Zvagelsky

Not only do the day’s tasks take their toll on the relationship, but also many couples begin to feel very tired. Both parties may be working and then have to deal with the family responsibilities when they come home, or maybe mom stays home all day and eagerly waits for dad to arrive so he can help with the kids. This may be unfair to dad who has worked hard all day and wants to come home to take a break. Either way, one thing is certain- the romantic life suffers.

However, there is hope. Just because you have children, doesn’t mean that you have to throw away all romantic notions by the wayside. In fact, marriages are strengthened and become more stable when couples commit to spending time together and engaging in romantic activities.

The first area to consider is spending time together alone. When children come into the picture (especially babies) finding time alone can be challenging. New moms especially are tired and may even look forward to when dad comes home so they can get some rest. It is a good idea to set aside some time where the two of you can just be alone. If that means taking a nap during the day when the baby is sleeping, then do so. Once the baby or older children go to bed, take advantage of the time that you and your partner have alone. It may be a while before you find a babysitter and feel comfortable leaving your little one at home, but that doesn’t mean that you and your partner can no longer be romantic.

Here are some activities that you can do with your partner once your children are asleep:

Have a picnic by the fireplace

This is great for cold winter nights. Light a fire, lay down a blanket (or a bear skin rug) and have a picnic by the fireplace. Some wonderful items to include are: wine, cheese, fruit, or chocolate covered strawberries. Everyone agrees that there is nothing more romantic then firelight.

Sit outside on the patio and watch the stars.

A wonderfully romantic getaway (while not straying far from home) is to simply stargaze with your lover. By the end of the evening, you will be staring at the stars in each other’s eyes.

Take a bubble bath together

Nothing beats a large garden tub made for two, if you have a hot tub or Jacuzzi all the better. After the children go to bed, enjoy a relaxing evening in the hot tub or Jacuzzi. If you don’t have one or the other, a bubble bath in a large tub is just as enjoyable.

Play a romantic game together

Playing a romantic game together is a great activity that will help put you in the mood. There are many games available for purchase online or at your local novelty supply store.

Read a book to your partner

Just lying in bed together, snuggling and cuddling while reading a book to your partner can be very romantic. It beats watching the television or a movie and allows for plenty of discourse. Besides, when you read a book together, you will always have that time as a cherished memory.

Ron Zvagelsky has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Use PlanJam.com to find additional dating and relationship advice along with date ideas.

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Dec 31

Romantic Escapes in Colorado
By Alesandro Fillini

Colorado is one of the more popular travel destinations in the country. Romantic escapes and Colorado are a natural mix with stunning mountain views and plenty of opportunities to cuddle.

Romantic Escapes in Colorado

Colorado is a beautiful place to take a escape. The Rocky Mountains run through this state, one of only three that use latitude and longitude lines for its borders (which is why it is sometimes known as a “square” state), as well as the Colorado River. These different terrains make this state a great spot for those who enjoy the great outdoors, and cities such as Denver make it good for people who enjoy more urban pursuits. For couples, it can definitely be said that romantic escapes and Colorado go together well - there are lots of different locations throughout the state that are perfect for lovers.

One of the best spots that combines romantic escapes and Colorado is The Wyman Hotel and Inn, located in Silverton, Colorado. This inn/bed and breakfast is the perfect spot for a couple looking to recharge and reconnect with each other, with all rooms being equipped with queen or king size featherbeds to make sure that your stay is as comfortable as possible. There are a variety of different types of rooms available at the Wyman, from luxury rooms with whirlpool tubs, to three room suites, to the basic room (which is anything but). All rooms include breakfast with the nightly rate, and the common areas (such as the breakfast and sitting rooms) are amply equipped for comfort.

If you prefer, The Wyman Hotel and Inn also offers what they call a MAP rate for their rooms. This rate includes breakfast, afternoon tea and a wine and cheese hour (all included with the regular rate) as well as some extras. These include a candlelight three course dinner and either two glasses of wine per person or unlimited nonalcoholic beverages. The Inn also offers a Honeymoon special, which includes four nights of accommodations, champagne and keepsake flutes to drink out of, breakfast in bed one morning, and a box of chocolate truffles. A perfect way to spend a romantic stay here.

Another spot that brings together romantic escapes and Colorado is the Brown Palace Hotel located in Denver. This historic hotel is centered within the city, and it is a perfect way to see Denver while also staying at a charming and romantic hotel. The Brown Palace Hotel offers many different packages to enhance your stay, including the Light up the Night package. This includes one night of accommodations, breakfast served by room service or in Ellyngton s restaurant, two evening cocktail beverages, and a rose petal turn down service.

Colorado is known as being a state that s on the rugged frontier, perfect for those who enjoy camping, hiking and other outdoor activities. It is also a great place to take your next romantic trip - enjoy snuggling up together in the high altitudes of the Rocky Mountains.

Alesandro Fillini is with DailyRomanticQuotes.com - providing daily romantic quotes updated daily.

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