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The Old Anniversary Favourites

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Are you like me and struggle every time it gets to your anniversary? Buying those anniversary gifts is one thing, but getting it wrong can be a disaster!

My wife and I will often joke when it comes to our anniversary, often declaring the whole period of time as a time of regret. In truth, well at least on my part, I am still madly in love and am still enjoying almost every minute of my time with her.

I say “almost” because as with any relationship it has its ups and downs, that is married life. All being told though, it has been a good marriage thus far.

We have been together for eleven years now, though in truth it sometimes feels like twenty. Life is fairly good and we have a couple of beautiful but painfully testing children now who are both in primary school, which has given us both joy and stress all at the same time.

Anniversary Time Again!

The only problem I usually suffer with at this time of year is trying to decide what kind of anniversary gifts to get her. No matter what I get, it seems to be wrong.

I cannot get away with flowers and chocolates anymore, as much as I wish I could. I think if she saw me coming up the driveway with a bouquet and a box of chocolates, I would be made to eat the flowers and smell the chocolates…after she had trodden all over them.

This has led me to having quite a few dilemmas over the past few years, as I have never really been very creative when it comes to buying anniversary gifts. She already has loads of jewellery, her perfume collection is also massive and if I ever attempt to buy her clothes my fashion sense is way off.

Then if I try to buy her lingerie I get accused of buying something for myself rather than for her, which in many ways is actually true. She certainly is a fussy one!

However, I have since learnt that there are many sites online that specifically sell anniversary gifts, they have done the work for us, whilst being sweet and creative with their thoughts at the same time. You could opt for a romantic weekend away, an engraved locket or something simple such as a personalised bottle of bubbly.

A Smile…Result!

With our anniversary just gone I actually did opt for using one of these sites to get her some small anniversary gifts, which to be honest were not as expensive as I thought they might be. She was certainly much happier this year than last, which is my only true barometer; as long as I improve on the previous year I am doing well.

I actually got a kiss and a smile once I gave her a rather ingenious little anniversary message plate where I was actually allowed to customise it online before they delivered it to me. I simply gave them the date of our anniversary and how long we have been together, they then personalised it and added lots of cute little hand written messages. I added to this with an experience day that the site offers, I bought her a spa day where she can relax and take her mind of things. She can use this whenever she wants and simply has to call and let them know she is coming.

On top of that I bought personalized bubbly, took her out for a meal at a swanky restaurant and ended the night with a few hours snuggled up on the couch watching a romantic DVD. Ok that’s not really my ideal kind of movie, but whatever makers her happy!

She loved it all, each and every anniversary gift I bought her, so the whole day was a complete success. It has taken me over ten years of attempts but I have finally got it right on our anniversary. I just hope I can keep it going next year; I am already having new ideas already. One thing is for sure though, that site I used for the little personalised items has been safely bookmarked on my laptop.

So if you are struggling for anniversary gifts like me, hopefully you now have a good couple of ideas on how to be more successful in the future.

Six Edible Gift Ideas

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Do you have people on your gift-giving list that are hard to buy for? Or people that seem to already have everything? If these scenarios sound familiar, then you may want to consider giving these people something everyone enjoys – an edible gift! Edible gifts are a pleasure path for your recipients – especially when you give a delicious gift! These are our six favorite edible gift ideas, so feel free to follow suit or get creative and come up with an edible gift of your own – bon appetit!

 

1. Seasonal Mug with Chocolate-Dipped Spoon
With the cooler weather upon us, hot chocolate is the perfect compliment and practically everyone loves this childhood favorite hot drink. As a gift you can create a fun way for them to enjoy this all-time favorite. Pick out a mug that suits the style of the gift recipient, and with a plastic bag layer hot cocoa mix with marshmallows (just enough for one drink per bag). You can also add a special chocolate-dipped spoon to the gift as well. It is as simple as getting a plastic spoon and dipping it in some melted chocolate chips. For a more specialty boutique look, consider adding colored sprinkles (Christmas, Hanukah or even Halloween colors).  Wrap the spoon in cellophane and tie with ribbon and you are done!This is not only a delicious gift, it is also a great gift for anyone watching their wallet.
2. Jar of Cookies Mix
Along the same line as the hot chocolate mix kit, you can also do a cookie mix. In a large mason jar, layer the dry ingredients needed to make your favorite cookies, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin or even white chocolate macadamia nut. Then create a decorative card that shares your recipe and baking instructions, as well as what is needed to complete the cookie mix in the jar. These look really cute – especially when they are dolled up with ribbons and gorgeous cards. The cards can be hand-crafted or printed. This is a great gift for the sweet tooth in your life or even as a great housewarming gift.

3. Cake Pops
If do-it-yourself gifts are not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other edible gift ideas that you can buy (or make yourself if you are feeling gutsy). Cake pops are a huge trend right now – and give the right amount of sweet. Most bakeries, even Starbucks, carry these popular treats – so order up half a dozen or more and give away!

4. Cookie Bouquet
Another fun edible gift is the cookie bouquet. The neat thing about these are cookies can be so customizable – nearly any occasion can be celebrated with a cookie bouquet, especially when you have a good baker.  The bakers can make the cookies into shapes of surfers, golfers, your favorite sport and even cartoon. Then they are decorated with delicious frosting and you have a powerful and tasty treat to give away! These are great for kids, adults and even baby showers!
5. Wine of the Month
If your gift recipient does not have a sweet tooth, you will want to go another direction. One that may be a great option is signing your friend up for a wine of the month club. This will allow your friend the opportunity to experience many different types of wine. This is a pricier edible gift, but will surely be enjoyed!
6. Steak & Lobster
There are also a number companies that will deliver edible gifts to your friends’ and families. You can shower your friends and family with delicious delicacies like steak and lobster – all of which are sure to bring a smile to their faces and fill their bellies.
Apart from being a licensed veterinarian, Susan Wright is also a freelance writer. Susan enjoys sharing gift giving ideas for friends, family and pets.






Is “Style on a Budget” a Possibility in 2012 and Beyond?

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This article humorously questions whether style on a budget is possible or just a phrase thrown about the fashion industry aimlessly and is no more than words.

Budget Fashion

Immediately when you see the words “style on a budget” you think that it is very easy to attain such a condition. After all, there are enough stores that are selling discounted clothes that it is almost impossible not to achieve it. This is the sticking point, and where you need to start to listen, however. Buying random clothes from stores that sell cheaply is not necessarily buying great style, is it? At the same time, when you think of style on a budget it is almost inevitable to think of not spending much money.

Rather than looking at reducing what you spend on your shopping in terms of having to buy cheap items, we challenge that style on a budget is in fact a combination of factors, an attitude to shopping almost, rather than just changing where to shop.

Based on our belief of what style on a budget really means, what should you do to find it?

Know What’s You

How many things have you purchased in the last 24 months, only worn the once and then discarded them into obscurity at the back of your wardrobe? If you have done this, it probably isn’t because you immediately decided after wearing it once that you disliked it, but rather that you didn’t look very good in it in the first place.

By discovering your style DNA and knowing what are the best clothes, fits, and looks for you, you will save yourself a great deal of money on buying numerous outfits for the sake of it, just to find the right one by default.

Doing this will have the added benefit of bringing great confidence and panache to your style, and give you a more distinct look. Suddenly, you will always look amazing, and people will be wondering why. Whether you tell them your secret is entirely up to you.

Forget Always Shopping

Exhibit B in the case of too many unworn garments is because as soon as you see a shirt, or pair of jeans or trainers, you buy them. Then, you justify yourself by saying that you like them and that you have them in case you need them.

If you want to achieve style on a budget then you need to shop for things only as and when you need them, rather than just spraying money around needlessly because you see something you like the look of.

Be business-like in your attitude towards your style. It may not be the most exciting approach in the world, but you will see the benefits in your bank balance!

Stylepilot is an online fashion navigation for men offering shopping and styling tips on mens t shirts and more.

Saving Money With Strategic Fashion Shopping

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When reading about the incendiary amounts of money celebrities pay on saying in style it can be easy to assume that, in order to stay in trend, we have to spend a similar amount. Yet, when celebrities like Kim Kardashian brags about her collection of Christian Louboutin footwear, a collection which numbers over 200 pairs, it is also possible to see that it is practically impossible to do so – saving up for that many shoes would take many of us years and, by the time we’d saved the amount, the shoes would no longer be in trend. The good news however is that it is not actually at all necessary to spend such exorbitant sums to stay in trend and all it takes is a bit of strategic shopping to stay well within a much lower budget.

Don’t Buy The Latest Fashions!

To keep your bank manager happy it is always worth considering when the right time to shop is and when the right time to save is too. A first, easy step to make when considering how to save money is to actually consider shopping on things which aren’t actually up to the moment trends – rather than buying unfashionable clothing, the aim is to buy styles which will still be wearable in a year’s time. So, in the late nineties many ladies, no doubt overwhelmed by Spice Girls fever, bought platformed sneakers which, by the end of the decade, were completely dated and un-wearable. If they had plumped for a classic pair of heels, it is possible that they could still be wearing the same pair now rather than having to update their wardrobe every year. So, the key is to look for items, some of which will require a more expensive initial investment in, that are likely to last a while rather than just the season. As some items never go out of fashion, the LBD for example, look to purchase these instead of something you see celebrities wearing in magazines!

Mix and Match!

Mixing and matching your wardrobe is a great tip on how to keep your wardrobe lively too. It is possible by teaming different garments with different accessories to create whole new ensembles with completely different feels – for men this could involve teaming a blazer with jeans or with slacks; two completely different attires. Women have a much greater degree of freedom with this and can mix and match their shoes, tops, blazer and jewellery around to create new looks – by experimenting with a mix and match approach at first, it is easy to see that perhaps not as many new items are required for your new styles as you might initially have thought. So, rather than looking at buying new dresses consider how you could make it look stylish by switching up what you wear with it, be it different boots or a new bag instead.

Shop Retro!

Budget saving can also be made by looking in vintage stores and on-line at sites like E-bay. Some of last season’s biggest styles were decidedly retro – animal and floral print amongst them. By staying away from designer brands it is possible to replicate these looks on a much smaller budget. Looking for the original source of inspiration rather than their newer more expensive imitators can often leave you with your wallet much fuller.

Keith is a fashion writer who provided this article on behalf of Barratts Boots

Finding Italian Scarves For Every Man

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Cosmopolitan men have identified that Italian Scarves are a fashion accessory must. Choosing to wear one is a smart decision because they are smart accessories for today’s styles. Adding a bit of color to an outfit is easy to do with a scarf. Just as women have always enjoyed wearing evening shawls and wraps, men are finding that wearing great looking scarves not only add to the warmth of their attire, but make a fabulous fashion statement.

Men living in climates that are cooler than most have long understood the importance of adding a little cloth to the neck area can help keep the body warm. Cold weather demands a few extra steps to ensure comfort, and men living in such places can enjoy the benefits of Italian Scarves on a daily basis along with winter coats and jackets. Make no mistake though, there are many debonair men who enjoy the added fashion statement they make while wearing stylish scarves.

Fashion these days simply dictates that men wear beautiful scarves, and with the variety of ways they can be worn there is no reason every man should not make a statement of their own. Men’s scarves provide a great opportunity to add an accessory that will only add elegance to the look. They also make great gifts if you are looking for something special to give to a man.

While there are many ways to tie a scarf, one of the easiest is to simply fold Italian Scarves in half wrap them around the neck and pull the loose ends through the loop that was formed on the opposite end. Pull it tight or leave it a bit loose for the look you are after. However, you have to know that this is a favorite way to wear a scarf in all of Europe. It is very much Italian and looks quite elegant.

This look can be worn with a jacket of sports coat, but there is another one that men love to wear as well. Italian Scarves look great when they are simply wrapped around the neck a time or two with the ends allowed to flow freely over the shoulders. It keeps the neck warm and cozy with a splash of style when you are wearing a scarf.

Tying an ascot leaves a clean line while at the same time being comfortable to wear. This is the look that goes very well with those men who are interested in wearing nautical looking outfits. To tie one just unbutton the top few buttons on your shirt and wrap the ascot around your neck leaving one end shorter than the other. Pull the longer end over and then under the shorter and then back over again. The last step is to pull the top end under and through the Y at the neck. Leave the end loose for a great looking ascot.

Ilenia Romani is fashion blogger and model who wants her boyfriend to look dashing so she bought him a new mens wool scarf.

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