|
15 Oct |
|
|
10:32 pm Posted by Kristy |
If you can relate to any of the following, you are likely a sleep-deprived, multi-tasking mom with an infant who is less than twelve months old:
- Cheerios taste good again!
- Coloring in a coloring book is so cathartic, especially when accompanied by a glass of wine.
- Sleeping in past 5 a.m. is so refreshing.
- Walking a 5K is … strenuous.
- Coffee in your mug never gets completely finished.
While these are all conundrums that you might like to change, from baby’s point of view, each one hints at a good gift idea for baby’s first birthday. Whether you’re the parent looking for first year birthday gift ideas, or whether you’ve received a first birthday party invitation for someone else’s baby, here how each of the above situations inspire a gift for baby:- Cheerios…Snack-n-go cups with spill-proof tops for carrying all those cheerios when you’re out and about…
- Coloring…Fat block crayons that baby can grasp easily…
- Sleeping in…Crib toy that attaches to baby’s crib rails to keep her occupied for longer so you can sleep a bit longer…
- Walking…Flexible, soled shoes that really help baby move…
- Coffee…Okay, Milk. In a grown-up style but indestructible, stainless steel mug by Foogo that keeps milk cold…
|
13 Oct |
|
|
7:26 am Posted by Kristy |
There are certain items every expecting mom needs, but they can be also expensive and often overlooked. These are the things that either mom or baby can’t live without, and yet they aren’t usually listed on registries. Many first-time parents do not even plan for them until they realize how much of the monthly budget gets spent on them. Next time you receive a baby shower invitation, find a way to offset the cost for the expecting mom with a personal and special money-saving gift like ones below.
Gift Card for Nursing Wear
While maternity fashion has come a long way in recent years, so too have the prices. Even the most basic pieces, like bras, pajamas and tank tops from discount stores with robust maternity clothing lines like Target or Old Navy add up quickly. With all the other new baby expenses, it stings to pay so much for garments that won’t likely be worn beyond a single season.
Hospital Bag
Package up mom’s hospital essentials in a pretty new bag that will make her smile, and make Baby Daddy happy to by saving him from running extra errands. Throw in some include extra special items like the Depends undergarments this blogger swears by (MamaNeedsACosmo.com), breath-mints, warm socks and an iTunes gift card. One of LookLoveSend’s favorites is the “Get Ready for Baby” binder, which whips any novice parent quickly into shape no matter how early labor comes.
Diaper Tower
Turn diapers into a fun, eye-catching gift item at the shower with another LookLoveSend favorite, the “diaper-cake“. You may even find a local diaper-cake baker to create yours, or enlist help from a clever friend. Turn the conventional cake into a tower, with more diapers, more sizes and more decorations. Include a gift card to diapers.com, one of the biggest online discount baby supply stores.
Find fresh, fun baby shower invitations for your expecting friends online at www.looklovesend.com. All baby shower invitations have coordinating baby thank you note cards, which make another thoughtful, money-saving gift idea for the mom-to-be. You can personalize any baby stationery for her with the text you want, and choose from design options including color, font style, backside printing and more. Orders ship the next business day once you approve your order.
|
11 Oct |
|
|
10:30 pm Posted by Kristy |
All brides want to look their very best on their special day, and for many, this includes appearing as trim and fit as possible. So it’s fairly common practice for a bride-to-be to put herself on some type of a diet and exercise regimen in the weeks and months leading up to the big day.
But playing to the strengths of your natural figure is really a better strategy than trying to change it. Find a dress that showcases your best features and downplays the areas you like least — it’s your best bet. Easier than dieting and exercise, you won’t have to worry knowing how beautiful you’ll feel you look on your wedding day.
We did some browsing through popular wedding gown styles online to find figure-flattering details today’s dresses use to slim down the most common figure-challenges. Find out which styles you should consider if you want to slim down any of the following:
Slim Down Your Chest
If you’re looking to minimize a larger chest, go with a bateau neckline with a fit-and-flare style of gown, creating an hourglass figure that balances out a heavier chest.
Slim Down Your Lower Body
A high-waisted dress, sometimes called an empire-waist, with a low scoop neck will show off your upper torso while disguising wider hips and thighs.
Slim Down a Waist
Create a waist where there is none by accessorizing your gown with a sash or crystal belt, both very hot trends right now.
Slim Down Your Arms and Shoulders
Add a lacy bolero or shrug to your gown or go with an illusion neckline. Both reveal skin without actually showing any.
Wedding Invitations that Put Style on Paper
Once you’ve tackled how to showcase your best assets with style, you can create your own wedding invitations that put that style on paper. Turn to the extensive selection of original, unique wedding invitations at www.looklovesend.com for fresh ideas on luxury papers. Personalize all the wedding stationery components you need, from save the date cards through to your wedding thank you notes. Enter the monthly wedding invitation sweepstakes for the chance to win $500 towards your selection of personalized wedding invitations.
|
10 Oct |
|
|
8:53 pm Posted by Nicola |
Baby Girl Spring Bloom by Amanda Zoss
Some parents will go through extreme measures to make sure that they can send out pink baby birth announcements when their bundle of joy arrives. A study of U.S. Google data shows that “how to have a girl” is searched three times more often than “how to have a boy”. Intrigued by this trend of parents thinking pink, the team at LookLoveSend decided to look into the growing practice of baby gender selection. Here’s what we found:
What is the Practice of Gender Selection?
The gender selection business represents a $100 million industry in the U.S. each year. This number expected to grow, according to an in-depth report on the practice recently published by Slate.com. The procedure of sex selection, technically known in the industry as preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, is euphemistically marketed as ‘family balancing.’ PGD costs about $18,000.
Here is how it works:
- A human egg is fertilized and then incubated in a lab setting for three days.
- An embryologist then examines the chromosomes in the resulting embryo to determine whether it is carrying a larger XX pair of chromosomes or a smaller XY pair.
- If selected, the embryo will be implanted in the client.
Where is it Performed?
This procedure was developed in the early 1990s to screen embryos for chromosome-linked diseases, but countries such as Canada, the U.K. and Australia have since banned its use for non-medical reasons. The U.S. is, in fact, one of few countries in the world that still allows the practice to occur – with an estimated 4,000-6,000 gender selection procedures performed annually.
Who Elects this Procedure?
The typical patient seeking gender selection services is in her early 30s, educated, married, relatively well-off, and usually already has a couple of kids.
Fertility doctors say that 80% of their gender selection patients are hoping for a girl. Why? Maybe it’s a yearning for the same mother/daughter bond that the client shared with her own mother? Perhaps some women feel they can better relate to a baby with a typically feminine temperament and interests? The only certainty is that this practice is highly personal and will continue to invoke controversy, including criticism as a practice of eugenics.
For making simpler choices in life, look to www.LookLoveSend.com for a wide selection of beautiful baby birth announcements, with fresh designs for girls, boys, or gender neutral options for those of us who really wish to let nature takes its course! All birth announcement cards (pink or not) can be easily personalized online, will ship the next business day, and offer free shipping for order quantities over 50!
|
8 Oct |
|
|
9:36 pm Posted by Kristy |
Let’s face it, one of the ways we use our smartphones the most is as cameras. It’s just so easy to snap life’s unexpected moments, catch a memory-making scene or soulful smile in just the right way.
Having your smartphone handy is especially an advantage when it comes to getting a picture-perfect moment for your personalized holiday cards. You’re more likely to have your smartphone in your pocket than your Nikon SLR with the right lens attachment at the ready. How often do you tote around a separate camera these days anyway?
Smartphone Photos for Personalized Holiday Cards
But a smartphone photo isn’t always going to produce a quality photo once printed on paper. This is a real risk if you’re going to make holiday cards online, and you are viewing your smartphone photo exclusively on-screen. You could end up with a grainy quality photo once it’s printed professionally on paper.
Be knowledgeable about some basic smartphone camera settings. Here are some basic suggestions in a recent post from AllThingsD.com that you can put into practice this holiday season:
- Keep the usually exposed smartphone camera lens CLEAN
- Check your smartphone’s settings to see if photo resolution is set to either LARGEST image or HIGHEST resolution
- Use your FLASH but keep white tissue paper handy to reduce flash wash-out for close-ups.
- Check these lighting settings if your smartphone allows: ISO, Exposure and White Balance
- ISO – adjusts sensitivity to light, which could affect photo quality.
- Exposure – lets in more or less light, also affecting photo quality.
- White balance – aligns colors based on what appears white is actually white in real life. In dim lighting, give your smartphone camera a minute to adjust automatically. You may be able to select another option to describe your lighting environment if the photo isn’t coming out right.
Most smartphone cameras do a good job with these automatic settings, but will have more problems in low light. You should always view any photo you upload from your smartphone online first before ordering to be printed.
Choose a personalized holiday card design from www.looklovesend.com and you’ll be able to review your photo online first in your selected design. Our high resolution on-screen capabilities will help make clear whether or not your photo works, but ultimately you’ll need to be sure you upload the best quality photo you can. Order more than 50 personalized holiday cards and you’ll receive free shipping.
|
7 Oct |
|
|
10:17 am Posted by Nicola |
Monique Lhuillier, Dove ballgown (spring 2013)
- A bride-to-be usually has her wedding dress style and silhouette in mind well before she starts thinking about reception sites, save the date cards, and guest lists. But as trends shift from a-line to mermaid, from empire to asymmetric waist, the one neckline that always seems to reign supreme is strapless. Estimates show that 75% of all wedding dresses are strapless. Read on for the pros and cons of the strapless wedding gown.
Pros
- With so many bridal gowns having long and voluminious skirts, a strapless neckline allows brides to show some skin on top to balance a full skirt and suggest a younger and less conservative look.
- Most women do not wear strapless in their everyday life, thus making a strapless wedding dress even more special and unique.
- A dress without sleeves is much easier to alter.
- A bare neckline will perfectly showcase a beautiful necklace or large ornate earrings.
Cons
- Possible visible tan lines.
- Attention is drawn to the bride’s arms which is often one of those body areas that engaged women most like to tone before their big day.
- For the most conservative and traditional of church weddings, the notion of bare arms is not universally accepted – meaning that a bride whose heart is set on a strapless gown may need to invest in a coordinating wrap, jacket or shawl to wear during the ceremony.
- Risk of having to pull up an ill-fitting bodice while celebrating on the dance floor.
Our list provides 4 pros and 4 cons so the jury’s still out about whether a strapless or sleeved wedding gown may be the best choice. But for the best choice of design wedding invitations online, along with save the date cards, and wedding thank you cards, shop LookLoveSend for stunning high-quality designs that are easily customizable and always ship the next business day.
|
5 Oct |
|
|
1:24 pm Posted by Kristy |
The craze for vintage style continues to appear on everything wedding, from the bridal gown and hair pieces, to wedding invitations and honeymoon cars. But what exactly makes something vintage, and why is it so sought after?
The Modern Appeal of Vintage Style
Vintage sometimes gets a bad rap as a euphemism for old-fashioned. But the broadening appeal of vintage style has more to do with people’s yearning for authenticity and uniqueness in our modern age of mass production. Something ‘vintage’ is deemed intrinsically valuable because it was made exclusively for a limited period of time or in limited quantities. The other appealing aspect of vintage is perceived quality–that there is a certain level of personal craftsmanship, or at the very least, a considerable amount of handiwork.
Bringing a vintage style to your wedding can be as inexpensive or over the top as your budget allows. You can go vintages with every element of your wedding planning, or choose just a few important ones. Vintage wedding invitations, wedding gowns, jewelry and table centerpieces are popular elements brides choose to apply this style.
Many Variations of Vintage
Certain common features turn a traditional wedding invitation design into a unique vintage-style piece. The most common elements have to do with a soft or romantic color palette, intricate illustration, and ornate, unique fonts. Here are some good examples:
 Vintage Flowers by Yana Beylinson |
 Ditsy Polka Dots by Lauren Poole |
 Tres Chic by Lauren DiColli Hooke |
| What’s Vintage? Soft peach color tone & detailed hand-illustrated florals | What’s Vintage? Unique, vintage-era font styles & ornate scrolls motifs | What’s Vintage? Romantic lavender& feminine border |
Vintage style also appeals to brides because it combines so well with a wide variety of locations, venues and themes. A romantic, floral-themed wedding can be Vintage Garden Party. A glitzy, city formal wedding can be Vintage Glamour. A farm-style wedding in a barn can become Vintage Rustic. Whatever type of vintage-style wedding you seek, www.looklovesend.com has the perfect vintage wedding invitations for you. You can pull together your special variation of vintage style starting with your wedding stationery. From save the date cards through to thank you notes, you’ll find an extensive selection of vintage style wedding invitation components. Enter our Monthly Wedding Invitation Sweepstakes today for the chance to win $500 towards your choice of wedding stationery in any style.
|
3 Oct |
|
|
10:26 pm Posted by Kristy |
There are just so many good occasions in life, small moments really, for jotting off a personal note. But we tend to overlook these moments in our highly digitized, electronic-oriented, busy lives, relying instead on email, texting, Facebook and Twitter. Maybe we can’t argue with the immediacy and efficacy of the new social media, but they also signal something extra special when you write and send a personal note.
Wielding a pen and sitting down to write thank you notes tells the recipients much more about your intent and feelings than the actual words you use. And life is filled with many small moments that deserve this kind of attention. In fact, recognizing those small moments through your own words on paper and pen can turn something small into something much bigger.
It’s a no brainer to get out thank you notes for the big occasions like weddings, babies, anniversaries. But here are other common moments that you could overlook that beg to be addressed with the thoughtfulness of a personal, handwritten note:
Receiving Help
When sickness, care for a loved one, or big life events such as a move call upon friends and family to participate directly in your personal life, let them know how much it helped you with a simple and sincere, but handwritten, thank you note.
Unsolicited Kindness
When help comes spontaneously, follow it up.When someone who cooks you a meal, cares for your child, runs an errand or offers some thoughtfulness to help you in life, recognize the act with a personal note and let them know how much it was appreciated or helped you.
Special Interaction
Send a note for even the most personal of moments to cement their meaning to you. Maybe it was something tangible like a trip or dinner out, or maybe it’s less of an action and more of a condition, such as a new friendship, a special conversation, or help with a new job.
For life’s smaller moments like any of these, you can find a wide variety of stylish thank you notes to personalize with www.looklovesend.com. Personalized stationery designs come in a range of styles with many color options. Personalize your favorite design with your own monogram or name. Once you approve your online digital proof, your order ships the next business day!
|
2 Oct |
|
|
9:30 pm Posted by Kristy |
Sweet Little Birthday by Jennifer Pritchard
When it comes time to draw up a guest list for who should receive birthday party invitations, few other party planning steps demand such a rigorous balance between kindness and caution. And if you’re a parent, the pressure that comes with closer-knit circles intensifies with the need to set the right social example for your child.
Do you let your child include as many kids as possible to avoid hurt feelings (e.g. go ahead and invite the whole class or team!) if your own personal sanity, to say nothing of your wallet, is at stake?
Make Big Decisions First
You can navigate birthday invitation politics with a simple roadmap that is based simply on what matters most to your child, how age plays a role, and other circumstantial issues. Once you’ve got your roadmap, stick to it.
All-inclusive vs. Exclusive
This approach means you discuss with your child what matters more to him or her, inviting a large group of friends (say the whole class) or choosing a special activity that may limit numbers (you don’t need to go into budget discussions).
Age
Younger children don’t care as much about an activity or theme as much as the basics–cake, games and goody bags! But older kids whose friendships are cementing, a larger guest list may become fraught with social dynamics. A smaller gathering might be better for older kids, even as few as a foursome, taking a special trip somewhere, or keeping things simple with an outing to the movies or an amusement park.
Circumstantial
- Twins - If your child has a friend who is a twin, know that most parents of twins won’t expect them to be invited to all the same parties like a package deal. Ask your child if he thinks his friend’s twin should also get a birthday party invitation.
- New to town – An all-inclusive party is a great way to help introduce your child to everyone in his or her circle. It’s easy to utilize the school class or a sports team to invite a group of kids, and could help jumpstart friendships for your child and even yourself.
- Best friend moves away – This one is tricky to navigate. While an all-inclusive party might seem like a good idea, it might highlight the missing friend. Maybe this is the year to plan a small gathering or an extra special trip…to visit their old friend!
|
1 Oct |
|
|
10:29 pm Posted by Kristy |
We’ve covered the basics for getting your wedding registry set up previously, but a registry won’t always run itself. Registering online, spreading out on items, stores, and price points, and getting word out in your wedding shower invitations are all first steps. But once your registry is set up, then what? The good stores will help you along with instant updates and email reminders as your wedding day approaches. But you should also know how to manage your own wedding registries since you are bound to have more than one.
Double-check
- Read through all the items on your registry at each store to make sure there are no mistakes.
- Make sure you leave the store with a way to get in touch with registry services should you need to correct anything.
- Check your mailing address, so that it reflects where you want gifts to be shipped.
- Check the spelling of your names, because this is how guests will find you.
- Use your maiden name (you aren’t married yet!) and if you commonly go by a nick name, use it so guests can more easily find you.
- Include your fiance’s name, so guests from his side of the family can find your registry.
Communicate
- Wedding shower invitations are the best place to print the stores where you are registered. No other information is necessary, unless you need to include exact website addresses for lesser known stores or for online-only retailers.
- Your personal wedding website is the next best place to list your wedding registry stores. Provide links to make it even easier for guests to shop.
Under no circumstances should you ever list your wedding registry information on your wedding invitations or on any other wedding invitation enclosures.
Track & Update
- Review your registries periodically to add new items or remove anything you may have received that wasn’t bought through your registry. Wedding party events are good times to review, such as after the engagement party, wedding and bridal showers.
- Update your wedding registry one final time about two weeks before your wedding.
- Always log every gift you receive and the person who sent it. This list will be essential for writing thank you notes.
For wedding shower invitations, wedding invitations and wedding thank you notes, visit www.LookLoveSend.com for a gorgeous array of styles and color options. All wedding stationery can be coordinated by design in a single wedding invitation suite, and you can easily personalize the components you want. Enter now in the monthly wedding invitation sweepstakes for the chance to win $500 towards wedding stationery of your choice!
