Do you know anything about the history of the invitation? Most likely you have received a formal invitation to a wedding and pulled out two envelopes and the invitation itself and the tissue paper within that. The reason for all of those extra materials lays in the history of the invitation. Long ago when people of the aristocracy would throw a party, it was common to send a note to all that were invited. Reading and writing was a sign of wealth and importance and so to send a note also set your stature.

Before the printing press all notes were handwritten and folded into a piece of paper to protect it from getting dirty. This is what we use today as an envelope. These envelopes kept the notes clean and unread, as they were all sealed with a wax seal to ensure privacy to both the writer and the recipient. Being hand delivered prior to the postal service we have today was also a dirty job, giving one more reason to enclose the note prior to sending it. The reason the evolution of two envelopes came about was due to the fact that there did not used to be addresses to people’s homes. This made for a very lengthy set of directions to be given to the deliverer.

After the printing press was invented, many of the rich could afford to have their invitations printed and it again served as some marker of stature to have them made this way. The reason for the tissue paper in the invitation came from this event. As the invitations rolled off the press they were still wet and couldn’t be stacked or the ink would smear. Therefore, the printers came up with the idea of the tissues to keep the ink from smearing onto the card placed on top of it. Know that you know they reason for two envelopes and the tissue paper, maybe we can be a little kinder to the trees and save some money by leaving those two pieces out of the invitation equation.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Party Invitations, etiquette, free party games, party planning tips to help complete your celebration.

Tags: entertainment, envelopes, family, fun, hand deliver, history, Invitations, press, printing, RSVP, tissueentertainment, envelopes, family, fun, hand deliver, history, Invitations, press, printing, RSVP, tissue

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As a parent, it’s my job to make sure the movies my children watch are appropriate. I don’t rely on the standard movie rating system.

Why?

The standard movie ratings are given by a group of parents that are part of a committee called the film and rating board, which is part of the Classification and Rating Administration. The following quote, taken directly from www.flimratings.com, explains the process:

“As a group they review each film and, after a group discussion, vote on it’s rating, making an educated estimate as to which rating most American parents would consider appropriate.”(emphasis mine)

If the members of the film and rating board don’t know me and my children, how can they have any idea of what I would consider appropriate? They can’t.

I do admire the work the group does and I’m glad they exist. But, even though this system is generally good, I have seen many that I don’t agree with. I personally review the movies my children watch before I allow them to watch.

You have to be careful because anyone can miss something. And it seems, at least at times, the movie makers try to slip things in on us. If the film and ratings board misses something, there’s a good chance that another set of eyes will catch it.

The bottom line? My children are mine, not the children of the film and ratings board. I will decide what is appropriate and what isn’t.

Joey Phillips has been a movie buff all of his life. Visit his website, Online Movie Rentals to find the best movies and places to rent movies online, as well as movie reviews and articles

Tags: family, family entertainment, movie reviews, movies, parentingfamily, family entertainment, movie reviews, movies, parenting

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Working 9 - 5, raising a family, worrying about the mortgage and trying to make time for all the people, pressures and demands in your life can take its toll. You need a break from time to time and because it is so essential that you use your holiday time for completely unwinding and de-stressing it is absolutely critical that you pick out the best holiday destination each time and avoid wasting your days away, your hard earned cash and your quality time with loved ones.

This guide to choosing the best holiday destination for you covers the top ten points you should consider when planning that next getaway.

1) The Time Of The Year - when are you planning on taking your next holiday? Certain destinations are only attractive to holidaymakers at a given time of the year because of climatic conditions. Think carefully about when you’ll be travelling and then examine the rainfall and temperature charts for your shortlist of destinations and make sure it will be neither extremely too hot or cold or wet or windy when you plan to holiday.

2) Your Budget - your budget will have a major bearing on where you travel to and also when you can travel. Travelling out of season on a last minute package holiday will of course save you lots of money, but there are other ways to make your money go further. Travel agents nowadays offer early bird booking discounts for example, alternatively you could book each stage of the holiday separately and possibly save more by calling airlines, hotels and hire car companies direct and asking about any special offers or discounts they offer and maybe you could even consider a house swap to save on accommodation costs.

3) Distance - long haul flights are no fun unless you can travel business class! And what’s more, having to travel to your ideal destination over a 12 or even 24 hour period and then suffering jetlag when you arrive and upon your return will maybe eat up as much as half of your holiday in real terms. Think about the distance you would like to travel in terms of hours sat on a plane, in departures, on a bus, in the car or even on a trainand then research destinations accordingly.

4) Travelling Parents - if you have children and you’re planning a family holiday a whole load of new criteria come into the planning. If you have young pre-school children you may be able to travel out of the peak school holiday times and thus save yourself thousandsbut you will have the added hassle of having to travel with half a tonne of baby paraphernalia! Research your airline and resort in terms of the facilities they offer parents. Also, you must consider the heat, sun and humidity factors when travelling as children suffer more and also tend to vocalise more than us when uncomfortable for long periods of time!

5) Facilities - what facilities are in or around the resorts you’re considering and what facilities to you require? If you can’t be more than a day away from the internet make sure there’s access from your hotel, if you’re travelling with children is there a laundry service offered - or better still if you’re on a budget, do they have a laundry room in the hotel that you can access? Do you need to carry an iron, a hair dryer, a carry cot or even a child’s car seat with you or will your hotel and hire car company be able to supply you with all the bulky items you need? Ask, don’t assume!

6) Amenities - if you want to keep fit when away is there a hotel gym, what about a spa so that you can make the most of your time away? Is there an onsite bar and restaurant, what about gift shops and a mini market? Think about all the amenities you would like to have access to before you begin your research and then when you find an attractive destination tick off your list of desirable amenities against what it offers.

7) Entertainment - when it comes to your idea of a good time does that include wild night life or easy access to sites of historic or cultural interest? Are you after pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants for a 24 hour party or would you like to be able to drive to a stunning castle, take a boat trip out to sea, wander away from the crowds and find entertainment in tranquillity? You will have a good idea of the entertainment requirements you and travelling companions require - just make sure you pick a resort that fits in with those requirements!

Beach Flop Or Activity Holiday - are you happy to flop on the sand and soak up the sun or would you be happier hiking in the Himalayas? Think carefully about what exactly would bring you the most pleasure from your time away. Don’t go with the flow and copy the crowds if your idea of a nice time is simply relaxing in your garden at home for two weeks then do that! Your holiday time is your own so make of it what you can and what you want.

9) Health Requirements - if you or your family have any particular health issues from asthma to diabetes, from a physical handicap to even a fear of flying you should take all of these factors into the planning. Certain destinations are less sophisticated in terms of medical facilities available and even in terms of access to prescription drugs, some are more inaccessible in terms of travelling to or even getting around than others. Also, some destinations carry disease warnings and require you to have inoculations before you travel or to take malaria drugs when on the ground for example. Consider your preferred destination in terms of the health aspects for your whole family.

10) Take Recommendations - listen to family, friends and colleagues when they tell you about where they’ve been that was good and where they’ve been that was terrible; learn from their experiences and disaster stories and take any recommendations from trusted and like minded sources. Such recommendations can be a great place to begin your research and if you find that the destination likely suits you to a tee you will be able to find out about the best places to eat, the must see sights and the friendliest staff before you head out which will give you an extra confidence boost and get your holiday off to a flying start.

Have fun!

Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer whose articles about traveling and living abroad have appeared in many major travel and expatriate publications throughout the world.

You can find more of her articles at: http://www.AboutNorthCyprus.com/

Tags: activity, beach, break, destination, entertainment, family, holiday, leisure, travelactivity, beach, break, destination, entertainment, family, holiday, leisure, travel

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