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Baby Showers On A Budget | Baby Announcements

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Honoring the arrival of a new baby or child to a family, whether through a traditional birth or the adoption process, should be a joyful and stress-free event.  But lets face it: as is the case with any party, the day can be hectic if you haven’t prepared and you try to push the event beyond your budgetary boundaries.

There are a number of traditional arrangements that can be managed on a shoe-string.  Here’s a sampling:

Your Guest List and Invites: Put your computer to good use and send out invitations on line.  Try smilebox.com, where you can use photos and other digitized graphics to create your own invitations, blog on them, add details about your event, add a map, and send via e-mail to all your guests.  Save more money down the road after the arrival of your new baby by revamping your saved party invitation to create fabulous first birthday photo invitations.

Feeding Your Guests: You don’t have to be rich to create delicious party foods your guests will remember.  Here are a few treats you can make ahead of time and without an oven or a fancy kitchen:

Fruit skewers
Pasta Salad with veggies
Microwave mushroom tops with parmesan cheese
Home made humus and pita chips
Chocolate chip cookies
Strawberry shortcakes

Entertain: These games are inexpensive to put together:

•    Guess the expectant mother’s girth: guests cut pieces of ribbon, yarn or string, or even toilet paper, to a length they believe matches the mother-to-be’s tummy circumference
•    Taste test: blindfold guests and have them identify baby food by taste.
•    Diaper toss for prizes.
•    Photo Mystery: Have guests each bring a baby picture of themselves, pin on a board and then take turns guessing who’s who for a prize.

Don’t forget: You can use photos from the baby shower to create one-of-a-kind keepsakes that can be used to make birth announcements later on.

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Dark Knight A Top 2009 Halloween Costume Pick| Halloween Costumes

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

With the success of Warner Bros. “Dark Knight” it’s a pretty sure bet that among the leading Halloween costumes this year will be Batman, the Joker and some of the other characters from the wildly popular film that has garnered eight Academy Award nominations, including one for best supporting actor for Heath Ledger who passed away last year of a drug overdose.

Critics have put Ledger’s performance as the show’s villainous “Joker” in the category of onscreen brilliance, which is a pretty big accolade, considering the number of well-seasoned actors who have played the roll in the Batman film series, such as Jack Nicholson, and the show itself.

Both adult and child’s Dark Knight costumes are available and, in addition to the Joker, there is of course the Batman costume for the trick-or-treaters who prefer to be the good guy.

Not in to the darker side of dressing up?  There are plenty of other options, including some very fancy Mardi Gras costumes—feather masks; beaded masks; flowing Venetian gowns; court jester costumes, and all the accessories you can imagine for a fun and lively costume that says “party” like no other choice available and can be worn for other occasions.

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Greek Life Style Popular As Ever On Campus | Greek Tees

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Styles may change, and so do the attitudes and outlooks.  But the Greek lifestyle promoted on campuses across the country, whether through the activities of a fraternity or sorority, the wearing of Greek tees and other symbolic accessories, is alive and kicking.

Cal State University Dominguez Hills’ Greek students contend 71 percent of Greek students, or students involved in sororities or fraternities, graduate from college, compared to 50 percent of those that don’t.

Their GPAs are higher, and the skills and training that they receive by being part of Greek culture are considered to top the list of those skills employers of the best-performing companies expect and look for when making hiring decisions.

These attributes can help you boost your chances of landing a job more quickly after college is over, improve your interviewing skills, give you confidence and, perhaps most importantly, help you learn to connect with others and work as part of a team.

They include:

• Real-World Experience
• Leadership Qualities
• Personal Presentation
• Attitude
• Communication Skills
• Computer Skills
• Problem Solving
• Customer Service Oriented
• Proven Track Record
• Adaptability-Drive-Initiative
• Ability to Learn
• Preparation for Interviews

So, if you’re thinking about joining a fraternity or sorority on campus, you can count on boosting your chances of success upon graduation as you make your way out into the working world.

But remember: Greek life is supposed to be fun, too.  So put on the Greek tee shirts, get involved an enjoy yourself.

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Will Low Rise Jeans Ever Hit Bottom?

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Trends have come and gone since low rise jeans for men and women became part of what was then termed the counter culture, or hippie culture—one closely associated with the rock and roll movement and of course, the evolution of the psychedelic drug scene.

What started with hip huggers and bell bottoms in the 1960s has evolved into a full-on fashion phenomenon: sexy low rise jeans seem to be the fashion of choice by not only rock stars and wannabes, but young girls and women well into their late 40s, as well as boys and men of all ages.

These lowrise jeans are much, much more than a pair of pants.  Let’s face it: they’ve become part of the fabric of the wearer’s identity; a status symbol of sorts that seems to, if only on a socially shallow level, have the authority to define who’s “IN,” and who isn’t.  They are not part of the outfit, they ARE the outfit.  Tops, shoes, hair and accessories are built around the jean, not the other way around.

They come in all colors, shapes and sizes too, so there’s little room for leaving anyone out of the mix.  They also come adorned with jewels and fancy stitching; back-pocket labels with Beverly Hills price tags; ripped, torn and intentionally shredded for a fully worn effect.

Is there any chance that, like most trends in fashion, the super-low denim pants could be pushed to the back burner to make way for higher-waisted versions?  Hard to say, particularly when you consider how quickly the super high-waisted jean made its runway return last year and then seemingly faded into blue.

Off Topic Breach: Private jet charters and an escort service seemed to go together; however, the legality of Internet advertising of escort services is questionable. Escort services are usually described where companionship is hired for a night of entertainment or for more a night of intimate but non-sexual services, such as massage.  If you have a legitimate ethical escort services and are in need of Escort SEO, there are many places on the web that may not service you unless you can provide evidence of a permit or license.

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Other Resources

Modern Fashion Symbol

Mek denim jeans are not a new fashion but they are a modern fashion symbol. They can be worn loose for comfort and casual wear or tight and body hugging for a sexy night out. You can even find office workers replacing their suits with Mek jeans and cotton shirts as more companies accept it as casual wear for work. Jean manufacturers may be producing jeans for play, but they have not forgotten their working past. Some fashion brands foster the image of jeans for work as their selling point, particularly for men’s jeans. However, fashion designers know how popular they are!

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Old-School Advertising Makes A Comeback | Wood Propellers

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Lets face it, with the Internet fast-becoming the first place the majority of consumers go when it comes to buying products and services, it’s getting tougher and tougher to stand out among the crowd.

But if you still run a brick and mortar business, you may want to consider some unique signage to give your company an old-school charm, attract customers and give folks, if nothing else, a little nostalgia to warm their hearts and remember you by.

An antique doctor sign, or one for the dentist’s office, is a great way to give your business a personal touch with a sense of humor that is likely to appeal to your younger customers just as much as it would those with a few years under their belts.

Do you run a bed and breakfast? What about collecting old fashioned lake house signs for hanging either inside the house or outdoors, as a way to remind your customers of the joys of a true, lazy summer vacation lakeside, some place far, far away.

Perhaps you operate a small private charter plane company and want to decorate your office space with some unique fixtures.  What about a giant antique wood propeller to get passersby to notice you?  These antique propellers are replicas of WWII versions, and are a perfect way to make a statement, look great on a mantel, a wall space, or even hanging outside your office doors.

Word of mouth is still one of the best forms of advertising around, regardless of how Googleable you are.  So don’t let high-tech trends keep you from remembering to offer your customers a visual when they come to see you face to face, or just happen to be driving by.

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