Just for Fun: Holidays

Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts

A Great Way of Saying Thanks Throughout This Season of Christmas

Shendy

Christmas season is a very special time of the year, a special time to remember the people who mean a lot to you like your family and relatives, your friends and acquaintances, your colleagues and associates, and your clients. A simple yet heartfelt Christmas card for your caring family, loyal friends, supportive coworkers, and valued customers will go a long way for the coming years.

Most of us spend a lot of time in the gift card section of the local bookstore once a birthday, an anniversary, or any other special occasion comes around. It is so hard to find the perfect card which will best express our thoughts and feelings. If you are looking for the ideal Christmas card to give out to your loved ones then it's doubly hard. It should always be a tradition to give out Christmas cards to those who have made your life more meaningful for the past year and as a sign that you value your relationship with them and intend to keep it in the years to come.

Well, to cut back on the time spent looking for that special card, just put in mind these handy tips:

1. Personalize The Card - You can buy a dozen or so of the card you found, write a heartfelt note and sign your name. Better yet, if you are creative and have enough time to make your own Christmas card then by all means, do so. Your family and friends will definitely appreciate the thoughts and effort that go with every single card you send.

2. Be Sensitive - You have to be extra sensitive in choosing the theme of the card you send out. If you are not sure of the religious conviction of the persons to whom you will send the cards to, just send out nonspecific Christmas greetings so as to avoid offending them. If you are sending the card to your close friends then most likely you know them well enough to be familiar with their religious affiliation.

3. It's The Thought That Counts - Don't be too concerned if you are low on the budget, with the state of the economy today, almost everyone is on the same boat as you are. Sending out gifts or cards doesn't have to be expensive and luxurious. As the saying goes, it's the thought that counts. A simple card will mean a lot and it will be appreciated more that you'll ever know. So even if it's such a simple handwritten card, but one which shows your gratitude, then that's all that matters.

4. One More Thing - Paste a beautiful stamp commemorating the season rather than using the post meter. It's a little secret that allow the recipient to know how much you value your relationship with him or her. It would also be great if you can have the addresses of the recipients handwritten because it produces a more personal touch.

Remember to send a simple thank you card to your family members, close relatives, and coworkers. If you are a business owner, sending a thank you card to your associates, suppliers, prospects and customers this Christmas season will also show your gratitude for their contribution to the success you have in your business relationship.

By now, you know that a simple thank you card this Christmas is not as simple as it may seem. It means more than that. It is a token of thanksgiving and appreciation to everyone who had been part of your life and the Christmas season is the perfect time to let them know that. Let your creativity run its course and show off your knack at getting things done even with a meager budget.

Five Most Popular Christmas Ornaments

Shendy

Initially, eatable ornaments were the most widely used Christmas ornaments With time, their transition to beautiful glass bulbs and other important items began and all these became an important part of Christmas tree decoration. Five of the most popular ornaments of Christmas tree are illuminating ornaments, movable ornaments, musical ornaments, and Edible ornaments and attracting decorative pieces.

1. Illuminating Ornaments - Lightening of Christmas tree is an old tradition. Earlier it was lit up with the help of beautiful candles but now several things are used for the illumination of these trees. Nowadays, it is decorated by using exquisite electric lights, multicolored bulbs and dazzling electronic drapes. Illuminated Christmas ornaments are also amongst the costliest ornaments in the markets today, with their prices starting at $20 on the lower side.

2. Movable Ornaments - these are the latest in Christmas ornaments. With unique appearance, they are attracting almost every buyer. With the flexibility to move about, these ornaments are becoming highly popular. You can avail it in a price range, which is almost similar to the range of illuminating ornaments.

3. Musical Ornaments - You adorned your tree with illuminating ornaments and made it mobile as well. Now, add the musical temptation to your trees. Musical ornaments give a special mood to the celebration and make you more joyful. Besides, with the advent of advanced technology you can use different musical gadgets to decorate your Christmas tree. From gadgets capable of playing a few songs to gadgets having flash memories spanning over several GB s of space, there is a lot of variety these days.

4. Edible Ornaments- Edible ornaments have the oldest history amongst all the Christmas ornaments. They were the first to be used as Christmas tree decorations. Though in initial days there was nothing extravagant about edible ornaments, but, today people are using cookies, candies, chocolates and muffins to drape their Christmas trees- making them look and taste better. These decorations are very popular among kids.

5. Small attractive pieces - There is a vast list of small pieces, which offer a great look to Christmas trees. Many people use small soft toys to decorate their trees while ribbon, colorful crape papers, vintage star, wreath ornaments are also extensively used. These small ornaments not only enhance the splendor of Christmas tree, but also add more liveliness to the ceremony. Beautify the tree with all these ornaments and let people adore your great sense of embellishment.

5 Things To Consider When Buying Power Bank

Shendy

Do you often wish for a way you could get your smartphone or tablet to work for as long as possible? It is really hard to do without your favorite devices, but their batteries do drain out eventually even though they are designed to withstand a lot of use. You'll be able to deal with this problem easily by making use of a power bank.

You'll find many options available in the market these days, which makes selecting one quite a confusing task. Be sure to look for the following features when buying a power bank:

1. Capacity in mAh (milliamp hours)

The greater the capacity of the power bank the longer will be the talk or internet time offered by it. However, keep in mind that high capacity generally means that the bank will be thick and heavy and also more expensive.

2. Size
A battery pack should be the right size to carry around with you. If it is too large then it will take up a lot of space in your bag or carrying case. Large powerbanks tend to have very big capacity and can also be used to power a laptop.

3. Flexibility of use
If you, like most people, have multiple devices that need to be recharged, then it is best to buy an external battery that is compatible with a variety of devices. Be sure to verify this before making a purchase or you might end up having to buy more than one external battery. It is also a good idea to buy a device that can be used to charge more than one device at the same time.

4. Cost
This is an important factor since you would have already paid quite a bit of money for your smart phone and would ideally like to keep additional expenses under control.

5. Attractiveness
A nice looking power bank is a good buy because it adds to your overall look and style.

The right power bank or power pack can help you get the best performance out of your smart phone, tablets or other devices. You'll need to do a detailed comparison of the various external battery packs available in the market so that you can choose the one that suits your needs the best. Some of the best ones are ultra-thin and they offer extended battery life, albeit at relatively high prices, but they are definitely worth buying.

Best power bank enables you to get the maximum use out of your smart phone since you can easily double your phone capacity using it.

Top 10 Tips to Get Through the Airport Checkpoint Quickly

Shendy

Seems travelers love to hate the screeners at the airport. Dont forget, the front line personnel that you see as you produce your way toward the gate are just the worker bees. They’re not Congress and they’re not the huge wig choice makers. If at times they seem like robots, deviating extremely little from their spcheel, it’s because they've procedures that they must follow and deviating from the standard operation procedure isn't an option.

There are a number of things you are able to do yourself to speed things along. Listed within are the top 10 tips to help your visit to the airport security checkpoint hassle-free.

Have your boarding pass and government issued photo ID readily available. A few airports have someone checking your boarding pass and ID as you 1st approach your concourse, then shortly thereafter there exists an additional employee requesting for the equivalent thing. As a matter of fact they can be requesting for the equivalent thing, however these employees, typically 1 a federal employee and 1 a personal company employee, while searching at the equivalent thing, aren’t trying to find the equivalent thing. Every individual has a different role to fill. If you have to burrow for your purse or even wallet for these things, that will increase the hold off time. Make sure your boarding pass is pulled out of the airline envelope.
Have on tennis shoes or even known airport friendly footwear so you’ll avoid setting off the alarm on the hike through metal detector. Quite a lot of the time the screeners will encourage you to take your shoes off prior to passing through the metal detector. What many passengers fail to recognize is that many, many shoe manufacturers place steel shanks (supports) in the souls of the shoes. Just because you don’t see metal, doesn’t mean it is metal-free.
Laptop computers and streaming video cameras that utilize cassette tapes, not digital cameras, want to come out of their carrying case before passing through the x-ray machine. Have these things out of the case prior to you reach the table to divest your items.
Only undeveloped film with a speed of 800 or even higher should be hand checked. All more disposable cameras, film of one-hundred, 200 or even 400 speed and digital cameras are safe to pass through the x-ray. Know your film speed prior to reaching the x-ray machine.
If you have an inkling that your belt buckle or even larger metal watch will set off the metal detector, dislodge them while you’re waiting in line and have them ready to place into a bin.
Don’t have on pants or even suspenders that contain a lot of metal. If you can’t dislodge the metal before passing through the metal detector, you’ll be sent for extra screening, so increasing your hold off time.
Virtually all smell jewelry like rings, necklaces and earrings will not set off the alarm. Don’t bother wasting time removing them.
Yes your butt package, hidden money belt and wallet on a string around your neck must pass through the x-ray, have it ready to place into a bin.
Leave all tools, Swiss army knives, pointed end scissors, and bladed corkscrews for your checked bag. You are likely not to provide them onboard the aircraft for your carry-on bags. If your bag must be searched to find these items, it’s obviously going to increase your hold off time.
Strollers and pet carriers require to pass through the x-ray machine. Dislodge your infants and pets from this equipment before reaching the x-ray.

If you’re standing in line just waiting for your turn to hike through, utilise this time to your benefit. If everyone were already ready to hike though the metal detector Prior to it was actually their turn, the hold off times would be greatly decreased.

Next time you fly, instead of grumbling about the procedures that neither you nor the front line screeners can change, try having a few fun, being prepared and perhaps even thanking the screeners for doing their portion of keeping the aircrafts safe.

Best Time to go to Disney World

Shendy

When deciding on the best time for you and your family to visit Disney World, the main issue is usually the crowds. When visiting any major theme park, you are going to experience large crowds; And since Disney World is the most popular theme park in the world, there is hardly a day at the park without large crowds. If you do your research, you can find certain times of the year, January and September for example, that are less busy at Disney World. Even though you may enjoy shorter lines during these times, there are downsides to going at these less busy times of the year. For one, Disney has more festivities planned during certain times of the year like Christmas and New Years. For many people, it is worth fighting the crowds to be at Disney World during these times of major festivities.

Crowds are not the only factor when deciding on the best time to visit Disney World. It is also a good idea to take the weather into account. Many people assume that any time of the year is perfect weather in Florida but that is definitely not the case. The summer time can bring extreme heat and severe thunderstorms to the Orlando area that can ruin your day at Disney World. The brief showers are usually a great time to go inside and take a break. Some of the best weather at Disney World comes in the evening with mild temperatures so make sure to rest up during the day so you’re ready to go out at night.

Other tips to keep in mind when planning a trip to Disney World:

If you are ok with taking your kids out of school for a trip, do it! Any time other kids are at school is a great time to go to Disney World because you can expect smaller crowds and shorter lines
Keep a close eye on park opening and closing times so you can take advantage of late nights and early starts
Two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to go to Disney World because the crowds are minimal and the Christmas decorations are already up.

So when is the best time to go to Disney World? When it’s called the happiest place on Earth, every day of the year is the best time to go.

8 Things Not To Forget When Traveling to The Tropics

Shendy

Sometimes it is hard to pack for a place or climate that is new. When packing to go to the tropics there are some items that you don't want to forget.

1. Appropriate Identification: With tighter security these days it simply makes sense to carry a passport and photo ID. Also be sure to have identification for your children traveling with you.

2. Contraceptives: Well... If you think you will be getting down and dirty on your trip you should bring contraceptives.

3. Appropriate Clothing: Yes the tropics are warm but if a sudden storm rolls in it can get quite cool, fast. Always bring good shoes, pants and even a light jacket.

I find it is better to pack lightly, You never know when you will need to carry your luggage for a distance. 3 or 4 full changes of cloths will often be enough.

4. Sunscreen: SPF 30 minimum. Any less and you stand to get burned. A sunscreen should also contain either zinc oxide or titanium oxide.

Before leaving on your trip it is a good idea to spend some time in a tanning bed. This can give you a good base to withstand the intense sun near the equator.

5. Medication: Obviously bring any prescription medication but you should also think about Aspirin, Pepto Bismal and other pharmacy items.

Be sure to carry any medicine in the original package and carry copies of your prescription as well.

6. Guide Book: A guide book to the area that you are visiting can come in real handy. Besides showing you the attractions in the area it will also have important phone numbers in case of an emergency.

7. Cash: Having a credit card and travelers cheques with you is a must. Also carry enough American cash for 2 days of emergency living. You never know when a storm will knock out the power.

8. Snorkel: If you have any plans to go snorkeling you may want to bring you own snorkel and mask, or at least a snorkel. Rentals are shared by many people. If you are packing light a snorkel takes up almost no space.

5 Reasons to Take a Holiday in New Zealand

Shendy

Here are the 5 Reasons to Take a Holiday in New Zealand

1. Queenstown in the South Island is considered to be the "Adventure Capital of the World". You can bungy jump or go on a thrilling jet boat ride, go heli-skiing, sky diving, fly-by-wire, and luging to name a few. Both bungy jumping and jet boating were invented in New Zealand. New Zealanders have a saying about Kiwi ingenuity which is borne out in the tourist spots within New Zealand.

2. There is a wide array of different accommodation options to cater for all tastes. At the upper end there are Lodges which are the height of luxury. These lodges are ordinarily located in very scenic and secluded areas and all gourmet meals are included in the price. The price of this type of accommodation reflects the luxury and inclusions.

The next level of accommodation is hotels, from international 5 star down to 2 star for basic accommodation. The hotels will tend to be serviced on a daily basis and usually include one room and a bathroom. Hotel rooms will include tea and coffee making facilities, fridges and most hotels would include a restaurant.

A favored option for families is the ever increasing numbers of apartments. The apartments are generally self catering as opposed to a hotel stay but the advantage is that they provide more space and are self catering which means that you don't have to eat out all the time thus saving you money to spend on sightseeing.

Then we have motels. Generally speaking motels offer more space than hotels and tend to be serviced daily but do not tend to be as luxurious. Motels often provide a separate bedroom or two and sometimes cooking facilities. You would need to check this out when booking.

There are also an increasing number of Bed and Breakfast's. These vary dramatically and can vary from 5 star establishments to the fairly basic. If you enjoy "getting to know the locals", the B & B option could be a good one for you. Generally breakfast will be provided as part of the price. Dinner would be by special arrangement only.

If you are on a budget there are plenty of backpacker hostels to choose from which are centrally located and well priced.

3. New Zealand has a great culinary landscape. Being a small island country surrounded by the sea, there are a multitude of seafood delicacies on offer. The ocean surrounding New Zealand is cold water thanks to Antarctica being relatively close. Cold water fish tend to have a delicate flavor. As well as fish from the sea, there are large lakes which are trout and salmon breeding grounds. Trout can not be caught commercially so there is no danger of supplies running out. New Zealand is also quite big on game and most of the more up-market restaurants will have a game option on the menu. You will find that there are dining options to suit every taste and budget. New Zealand might be quite removed geographically from the rest of the world but it is quick to adopt new types and styles of food and the kiwi ingenuity mentioned earlier in the article is demonstrated in the food served in restaurants. There are coffee bars and cafes, wine bars serving food, pubs with restaurants, family dining options, buffet's as well as the more up-market al la carte options.

There is also a thriving wine industry in New Zealand. Wherever you go, you will see vines and many of the wines produced are top quality. If wine is your thing, you won't be disappointed. Marlborough located at the top of the South Island is one of the oldest and best known wine areas, most famous for production of Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand is also becoming very well known for producing excellent Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult wine to produce.

4. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you will know that the recent series of movies was filmed in different parts of New Zealand. New Zealanders are very proud of this and whilst traveling around you will come across many mentions of parts of the movies which may have been filmed in certain spots. There are also tours catering specifically to Lord of the Rings fans.

5. New Zealand has an interesting cultural history. It is thought that the Maoris who came from Polynesia settled in New Zealand about 1000 years ago. New Zealand became a British colony in 1840 after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. There are many excellent museums within the cities and towns which offer a great overview of the relatively short and violent history of New Zealand.

Visit Rome a Historical City

Shendy

Do you bear a passion for history? Are you interested in ancient architecture and temples? Do age-long and legendary activities beckon you? If so, then you must definitely explore the ancient lands of Rome, at least once in your lifetime. With an area of about 150 square kilometers, and a population of 3.8 million, Rome still stands tall in the vast field of world history. Whenever we come across Rome, Etruscan tombs, Republican meeting rooms, Imperial temples, ancient Christian churches, medieval bell towers, Renaissance palaces, and Baroque basilicas strike the core of our mind and we enter the superficial world of history and architecture. Rome takes us through the pages of history.

Rome is situated halfway down Italy's western coast, about 20 kilometers inland. Rome is a large city, though the historical area is quite small. A majority of the Rome historical sights are restricted within a reasonable distance of the central railway station, Stazione Termini. All the main Rome monuments are situated west of the train station in Rome. However, it is always advisable to use the map of Rome, once you arrive in Rome.

Attractions

The central attractions of Rome are the Palatine Hill and the Forum. Via Del Corso is located north from the Forum to Piazza Del Popolo, accompanied by Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain on the east. The Vatican in Rome is situated northwest of the Forum, across the River Tiber in Rome.

Rome offers a great deal of pleasure with the likes of the arrogance of the Vatican, the immemorial haunting memories of the Coliseum or the sheer thrill of going back to centuries ago of timeless history.

Rome offers you a wide range of excitement, adventure, and enjoyment. The thrill and sheer experience of Rome is very distinctive and unique. Rome gives you the liberty to thrive on wine, architecture, history, and sunshine.