Clicks 365

A rich metropolitan environment ensures you access to many different types of services and activities. Depending on your personal preferences, you may find the night life of New York City more interesting than the outdoor activities common in areas like Seattle and Portland. Each area develops its own personality based on the mutual interests of its citizens.

Those differences in activities and interests may also produce different types of stresses. It is however a common experience that all major urban areas introduce unusual stress into the average individual’s life. Our ancestors, living free in a less crowded, more primitive world did not have to cope with pollution, overcrowding, complex schedules, and intense competition for resources.

As children we grow up with these urban stresses almost unaware of them — stress has become almost ubiquitous in our everyday lives. It is that anonymous ubiquity of stress that leads to some of the most profound influences upon our personalities and experiences. Some people are better shielded from these stresses; other people simply learn to cope with them better than most.

It is important that we build strong, resilient families as we raise our children so that the next generation is less adversely affected by the common stresses of metropolitan life. Sometimes, families need to seek out help. When looking for resources on family counseling Seattle families should keep in mind that different therapists have different approaches. A family must reach a profound level of understanding with their therapist in order to learn about and understand the feelings that underlie their conflicts and grievances.

When parents have difficulty adjusting to the stresses in their lives that difficulty is reflected in the health and welfare of their children. By seeking help in resolving troubling issues families work toward ensuring that their children grow to enjoy a happy, productive adult life. And parents may find that their own stresses are reduced — or better managed — as they learn about themselves and their feelings through family counseling.

Comments Off

Delivering roses is something everyone can and should do. This kind of pleasant surprise will make any man or woman’s day. And with the advent of Internet florists, delivering roses doesn’t have to be expensive.

Have you ever heard someone say that they can’t hear what you’re saying, because what you’re doing is so loud? That’s another way of expressing the phrase “Deeds, not words.” Delivering roses is the perfect deed.

You can make a big impression on someone by having roses delivered to them while they’re at the office. You could make an equally good impression by having them delivered to that special someone while they’re at home. The choice is yours, and much of it depends on how likely she is to be embarrassed by receiving flowers in front of all her co-workers.

I know one man who got a dozen red roses from his wife when she found out she was pregnant. So roses aren’t just for women who are in the process of being courted. I’ve sent yellow roses to my aunt to celebrate Mother’s Day, too.

When deciding which company to go with, you have a lot of options. But with roses, freshness counts. You can buy a dozen roses cheap, and have them delivered, but keep in mind that the cheaper the roses are, the less likely they are to be fresh. And roses that aren’t fresh don’t last long.

Also keep in mind that different colors of roses have different meanings. Red roses signify passion, so they wouldn’t be appropriate to send to your sister-in-law, no matter the occasion. On the other hand, yellow roses symbolize respect, which would make them perfect for almost anyone on almost any occasion.

Learn more about how and why to deliver roses at DeliverRoses.org.

Comments Off

The first step in planning a wedding shower is to produce a list of wedding shower ideas for a possible party themes. The theme of the wedding shower should take into account something that the bride-to-be loves. For example, you can use the favorite wife of the film as inspiration for the bride’s theme shower. Other ideas for wedding shower following themes: Hawaiian theme, Western theme, beach theme, tropical theme, theme xxx, or Victorian theme.

Then you have to take your ideas and apply them to decorate for the wedding shower. Your decorations should reflect the theme of the wedding shower, and they should provide an aesthetic function and a practical function. The wedding shower decorations that you will need to include: tablecloths, napkins, centerpieces, sunglasses, draping fabric, banners and wall hangings.

In addition to bridal shower invitations and decorations, your wedding shower ideas must also be translated into marriage promotes shower. The first types of marriage promotes the shower you’ll need are prices. Then you’ll need marriage promotes shower that you can distribute as game prizes. Finally, you’ll need marriage promotes shower which may be given to all guests just for show.

There are a large number of software titles that you can use to manipulate designs and text to create your own highly individual bridal shower invitations. You can also buy coloured card to print your design onto. You can use trial and error until you find the right combination and have a lot of fun whilst saving money. Your friends will love seeing your personality shining thru with your bridal shower invitations.

Comments Off

For those of you who face the task of choosing professional musicians to perform at your wedding, here’s some general information to make your selection easier. Your goal is to find someone who can cater to your exact needs; financially and professionally. Be selective! The wedding musicians you select must be able to provide the perfect ambience for your wedding festivities.

What’s the Difference Between Wedding Booking Agents and Self Managed Artists?

Who you hire should largely depend on the type of service you want for your wedding. It’s important to note that booking agents may not be musicians themselves; but instead may contract an individual or collection of artist(s). The financial sum you are quoted by a booking agent for your wedding is not the actual price the musician is getting paid. It’s very rare that a booking agent reveals what the artist(s) is actually getting paid. The fees quoted by a wedding booking agent are substantially higher than those of a self-managed wedding musician(s).

Self -Managed Wedding Musicians

If you’re on a semi-tight budget, you may opt for a self-managed artist/group to perform at your wedding. Basically, you’re cutting out the middle man. Booking Agents are business men/women. Theirs is a business which is competitive and expensive. Nevertheless, a higher price does not guarantee that the entertainment will be better. To find self managed artists in your area, try typing the name of your area and the words “wedding musician” or “wedding band” in your search engine. If you’re not satisfied with your results, check your phone book. If you have a friend or family member that can provide a recommendation even better. Just make sure that they have used this artist/band for a similar event. Otherwise, it isn’t a very strong recommendation.

Tips:

Always check a musicians credentials prior to signing a contract.
Ask if they have a sample recording from a previous client’s wedding
Make sure that your musician’s price coincides with a price quote given by at least two others
Make sure that all verbal agreements correspond with the written contract
Give an exact date and time for your musician’s services. Make sure this date and time are firm. Most musicians do not have flexible schedules.

Signing the Contract:

Terms of service should be agreed upon by both parties. If something seems unclear, always ask to have the phrasing clarified. Never sign a contract if it looks unprofessionally written. If you are having a theme wedding and require your band/musician to dress in theme attire make sure this is written into the contract.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planning guide about weddings. This article can be found in our wedding music category. You may publish our articles on your website only if you do not edit the article in any way, and include all html as direct links to our site.

Comments Off

Ask the Marriage Maven: Perturbed By Pornography

I just found out that my husband has been looking at pornographic pictures of other women on the internet. He says it’s no big deal, but I don’t feel comfortable with it at all. In fact, I think it’s disgusting. It’s hurting our relationship. Every time he’s with me, I’m wondering if he’s thinking about the other women. It makes me feel ugly… What can I do?

L.J.

A. First of all, don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m sure that you’re a beautiful person, and that’s the reason your husband was attracted to you in the first place. However hard it may seem, try not to compare yourself with the fantasy. There is only one you, and your husband knows it.

From your question, I take it that you’ve talked with your husband about his habit. That’s a great first step. Unfortunately, pornography is one of the most deceptive and destructive habits facing many married couples. In fact, the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families states that “approximately 40 million people in the United States are sexually involved with the Internet.” That’s just a fraction of the overall porn industry. So you’re not alone.

One of the best ways to get your husband to stop is to let him know exactly how you feel. You used the words “ugly” and “disgusting” with me. Have you used those exact words with him? He needs to know exactly what his habit is doing to you, your self esteem, and your view of the marriage.

Have the conversation knowing that the “battle” may not end there. Your husband may be addicted. Some signs of pornography addiction include (but are not limited to) secretive behavior, spending exorbitant amounts of time or money on the habit, and ignoring other responsibilities in order to engage in the behavior.

If you think your husband is addicted, here are some other resources that can help:

http://www.sexualcontrol.com/pornography-addiction.html
http://www.afa.net/pornography/addiction.asp
http://www.purelifeministries.org/
The Way of Purity Course (http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/enroll/enroll.php)
http://open-mind.org/Directory/index.php?ax=list&cat_id=9

Keishia Lee-Louis is the Editor and Publisher of www.Married4Good.com Her work has appeared on iVillage.com, BibleResourceCenter.com, and in numerous other printed publications.
Currently, she lives with her husband, daughter and son in metro Atlanta and is writing a book on marriage and relationships, which will be published Spring 2006.

Comments Off

As with anything else, wedding entertainment is a minefield. There are thousands of Wedding DJ’s, Bands, magicians and Singer’s alike out there, waiting, eagerly to take your money for a service that could be either fantastic, or not so good. The key is this: THOROUGH RESEARCH!

With this particular product, you can’t always see what you are buying until you have actually bought it. You can’t easily see the full product range as there are so many types out there. And when you’ve finally found something you like, can you have it? And will it be reliable enough to show for the biggest day of your life?

Here are a few simple measures you must take when researching and booking your wedding entertainment:

Use the Internet: You will find some of the largest directories for entertainers this way. Browse various websites for Bands and Singers. Use various search methods and phrases such as “London Wedding Singer” or “Wedding entertainment in Liverpool”, paying attention to sponsored ads that highlight your chosen phrases.

Take your pick! Once you’ve found something you like the look of you’ll want to find as much information on this service as you can, even before the contact stage. For example if it’s a band, do they have online demos? Images? Testimonials? You want to be at least semi-sure before you hand over an email address. Narrow it down to say, your favourite 5 bands, before you start any contact.

Obtain a quote and Availability: Money is always an option for most of us! I wouldn’t want to spend half of my wedding budget on a band or singer, no matter how good they are, so I’d be on the look out for realistic pricing. You don’t want to book someone who is overly expensive, but you also don’t want to pay £200 for a singer who will tell you “yeah, I’ll sing for you and I’m also a DJ!” When you first contact the entertainer(s), you would first enquire about availability for the date in question, then a price. Also how long will your entertainer perform for? Performance times can vary, though most singers and bands perform for 1 or 2 x 45 minute sets, depending on their pricing structure.

More information: If you can, get more information about their service. Can you visit them live? Do they have more demos? A repertoire? It is always good to meet up and discuss things in person, this way you’ll get a feel for who they are and what they do.

Book and Secure This of course is the most crucial part. Most Bands/ Singers will take a deposit/ booking fee (anything up to 50% is normal), so you must be completely sure of your choice at this stage. It is always wise to obtain an invoice, receipt and most importantly a contract of agreement.

This way you can be 99% sure that they WILL be turning up on the day and if they don’t, you have the necessary means to be compensated in full.

By this stage you are well on your way to having an unforgettable evening. You can then use the remaining time before your wedding day to liaise with the DJ/ singer(s)/ Band etc. giving them your first dance, requests, schedule and any other information they may require.

Organising wedding entertainment can be very stressful, even on the day, but if you make the right choices early and are prepared to research and book in advance, you will save yourself and your partner at least one set of Wedding worries.

This Article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

Biography:
Author: Luca Salamone
Website: www.vocalshow.co.uk
Biography: Luca is a professional trained vocalist performing for a variety of events including wedding receptions. Manchester Wedding Singer.

Comments Off

My husband and I have been pastors for over sixteen years,
serving in Protestant congregations and as campus ministers at a
large university. During that time we’ve presided over a lot of
weddings - probably close to a hundred between the two of us.
And one of the things we’ve discovered is that unless a couple
is an active member of a church or already friendly with a
minister or judge, one of the last things couples tend to think
about as they do their wedding planning is who will do
the ceremony.

Most couples work hard to find the perfect dresses for the bride
and bridesmaids, and the appropriate tuxes for the groom and
ushers. They ask nieces and nephews to be flower girls and ring
bearers, and book space for the wedding and reception months in
advance, in addition to arranging for catered food, the cake,
beautiful flowers, and a professional photographer. They order
the perfect invitations to be sent the appropriate weeks in
advance of the big day, select rings, and book the piano player,
organist, string quartet, and soloist. But one of the last
things many couples plan for is who will officiate at their
wedding. In fact, for many, it’s not even on the “to do” list
until the last minute.

I can’t even begin to count how many times someone has called
our office asking if we do weddings for non-members of our
congregation. We do, under the right circumstances, and tell
them so. Then they tell us that they are getting married in a
week. Or two days. Or tomorrow. And they wonder if we will do
their wedding. I’m not kidding. They made all of their other
wedding plans well in advance, the flowers are due to arrive on
time and the cake is just about to go into the oven, but they
forgot to arrange for who would preside over the spiritual
ceremony itself, not to mention sign the wedding license and
make the whole thing legal. And unfortunately, in most cases, we
can’t just drop everything and preside over their wedding, not
with that short notice.

Now I certainly understand that not everyone is a regular part
of a spiritual community, so you may not have a priest or pastor
or rabbi or other religious cleric standing by to do the
wedding. And that’s fine - being part of a faith community isn’t
everyone’s cup of tea, we each have our own spiritual path and
way of journeying on it. But if you are in the process of
planning a wedding, and don’t have a pastor or other cleric you
know who could do the ceremony, consider adding “Find an
Officiant” to the top of your wedding to do list.

The Officiant can be any ordained minister who is licensed by
your state to do weddings. Or it can be a judge or justice of
the peace. If you are on a cruise, the Captain of the ship can
marry you! Some folks ask their friends to get ordained online,
and then they have them do the ceremony - and that’s fine, just
make sure your state recognizes the ordination as legal.
Whatever the case, just make sure you find someone who is
licensed by your state to officiate. (If you don’t have a
relationship with the Officiant before the wedding, you can
expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $300 for your Officiant,
depending on: how much, if any, pre-maritial counseling is
involved; how much planning of the actual ceremony is involved;
travel considerations; and whether or not there is a rehearsal
to attend the night before the wedding. You can ask how much is
charged before your first meeting together - most will let you
know their fee up front.)

The bottom line is this - it’s your special day, you’ve put
hours of thought and planning and work into making it special.
Just remember, when you are choosing between prime rib and
salmon, and deciding between live music or a DJ, and trying to
figure out whether to have an open bar or cash bar, somewhere in
the mix make sure you include finding someone to actually
preside over the wedding. Because the simple fact is this - if
you don’t have an Officiant, there can’t be a wedding!

Comments Off