Photo by Jasmine Carter from Pexels
If you know a couple that have just got engaged or you are invited to a shower or an upcoming wedding, you might be wondering what gift you can give them to help celebrate the milestone. Even though on their birthdays or Christmas you get them each a special gift, because it’s a couple gift and the start of their lives together, it needs to be that bit more magical.
But it can be hard to find the perfect gift that you know they’ll love. So to give you some inspiration, here are 15 wonderful ideas you can use – no matter what your preferences or your budget!
- A ‘Wedding Fund’ Box
As the couple is now engaged and planning a life in the future together, it’s likely that they will want to start to save for their dream wedding. Which is why it’s a fabulous idea to get them a ‘wedding fund’ box. These stylish and practical gifts are the perfect gift, allowing them to put dollar notes or whatever money they want into it throughout the years.
Then, when it comes time to finalizing all the details, they will have the money within easy reach! There are a variety of options available online – from money boxes that are ideal for Disney fans to more subtle ones for the more minimalist couple.
- A Wedding Planner
Not an actual person (although you could technically gift them a physical wedding planner if you want to!) this book is not only a wonderful gift, but very useful leading up to the wedding day. It can also be kept as a memory of the milestone for many years to come!
You could even customize the book to include the brides and grooms names if you wanted to add an extra special touch to it.
- A Weekend Away
Although this is probably only suitable if you’re close to the couple, that doesn’t mean that it won’t go down a treat! To give them some time away just the two of them after this event, this gift will be one that they cherish forever.
No matter whether you book accomodation and travel separately to a romantic destination or a more affordable package, there’s plenty of options out there for you to choose from.
- Champagne Glasses
To toast this fabulous occasion a great gift is champagne glasses. To mark the date of their engagement, you could even opt for a personalized version – but the choice is up to you!
Whatever style glasses you opt for, they are bound to have the happy couple grinning ear to ear when they open them. And to accompany them, you could purchase some prosecco or champagne!
- A Photobook
If you have known the couple for several years, you could gather together photos of them and all the adventures that they have been on and put them all together in a photobook.
Complete with a heartfelt message, this is a gift that’s sentimental. And it’s also one that’s more budget-friendly, as you can easily create the whole book by yourself – all you need is a blank scrapbook and printed pictures!
- A House Plant
A fabulous engagement gift idea for the modern couple is a houseplant. Whether you opt for a traditional snake plant, yukka or a chinese money plant (find guidance on the chinese money plant care here), the couple will love the quirkiness of the idea!
Something that they can keep in their home for years, they are available from a variety of online florists and can be delivered straight to their door!
- Engraved Cheese Board
Who doesn’t love cheese? A practical and extraordinary engagement gift is an engraved cheese board. Something that they will proudly display in their home and bring out when guests come to visit, you can pair it with cheese cutting utensils or a bottle of delicious red wine.
Available in various sizes and styles, a cheese board is an item that every couple will love to have.
- Countdown Sign
Even though they’ve only just gotten engaged, that doesn’t mean that wedding bells aren’t ringing in the near future! To get them in the spirit, a countdown sign is just the ticket.
And when they’ve planned their wedding and have a date, they can use it to get the festivities started! There are so many variations of this gift idea, from chalkboards, to movable blocks and signs with an erasable white board to choose from.
- Treasured Location Poster
No matter where they got engaged – whether it was on a romantic weekend away or doing an activity they love, you can commemorate this occasion through a poster that displays the exact location. A gift that’s not only special not but will be fondly admired in the future, it’s a keepsake that they will undeniably appreciate.
- Candles
Candles aren’t just great gifts at christmas – they are also a wonderful engagement gift too! When they are in a jar that’s got the date or the couple’s names on, it’s something that they can keep and reuse throughout the years. Plus, it will make their home feel cosy and welcome while giving off a beautiful scent!
- A Personalized Cushion
Another great gift and addition to their living room/bedroom would be a personalized cushion! You can be as creative or as subtle as you want with this
gift – and it’s one that you know they will make use of!
- A Gift Experience
If you want to treat them to an experience that they will never forget but you don’t have the budget for a full weekend away, why not opt for a gift experience instead?
No matter whether you choose a magical hot air balloon ride, a delicious wine tasting, a delicious food tour or another type of experience, the couple will love the thought that you put into this gift. Also, because there are so many different experience days on offer across the world, you’ll be able to find the perfect one for the couple in question.
- Vow Journals
If you’re looking for a gift that will knock it out of the park, then vow journals are the gift for you. Something that the couple will love to use on their special day if they plan to recite their own vows, they typically come in both ‘his’ and ‘hers’.
- Personalized Photo Frame
If the happy couple captured their engagement on camera, then they will need a frame to put the special photo in! This is where a personalized photo frame comes into play. Similarly to the other personalized gift ideas on this list, you could put their engagement date, their names and any other special details onto it!
- Unique Love Story Print
Another gift for if you’re very close to the couple is a print that details all of their unique special events on – ending with their engagement. From holidays they took together, to the date that they purchased their first home, it’s a gift that will act as a beautiful memory for them.
Final Thoughts
So, there you go! Those are 15 extraordinary gift ideas for those looking for inspiration. Wonderful gifts that the happy couple will love to open and cherish throughout the years ahead of them, it’s a way of commemorating the special memory ahead of their big day.
No matter what gift you opt for, it’s bound to go down a treat! So don’t worry, even if you don’t have the biggest budget, it doesn’t mean you aren’t able to get a gift that’s magical and truly special to them.
Around 6 million people purchased homes in 2019. Approximately 33% of those people were first-time homebuyers. If you are considering a home purchase, it is crucial to understand what the most common mortgage terms mean. Some words are self-explanatory; others are not. Knowing these can help you navigate through one of the more confusing aspects of homebuying.
Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
An adjustable-rate mortgage or ARM has a flexible interest rate that changes over time. This can vary your monthly payment drastically depending on the National Interest Rate. Sometimes the fluctuation makes your payment lower, but it can also make it higher as well.
Balloon Payment Mortgage
A mortgage where the last payment is considerably higher than the others, essentially paying off the mortgage. You hear this term more when dealing with investment property than other types. When you have a balloon payment, you either have to refinance your home before the end of the term or have the money to pay that final payment.
Contingency
A contingency is an agreement or stipulation that needs to be satisfied before the home is sold. This could be a home inspection or repair. Many mortgage companies will put contingencies on a property before lending money.
Encumbrance
An encumbrance is any monetary lien that lowers the home’s value, usually lien, such as a tax lean, EPA lien, or mortgage. If a property is encumbered, the amount of the encumbrance must be paid before the property changes hands. This is done before the sale, or it is included in the buyer’s mortgage.
Prepayment Clause
A penalty that you pay when you pay off your mortgage in advance. Bank loans with a prepayment clause usually force you to pay off things like interest before you can pay off the mortgage.
Buying a house can be an enjoyable experience if you know what you are doing. These are just a few of the terms you should know while you shop for your new home.
With summer in full swing, it is the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. If it’s a little too hot for your liking, you can always bring the scent of the outside in with powders from Sacred Kratom. However, if you are feeling more adventurous, you can venture out to some of the most beautiful botanical gardens around the country.
Japanese Garden in Portland
A 5.5-acre retreat from the hustle and bustle of Portland, Oregon, this oasis is home to five different gardening styles. The authenticity is unmatched outside of a true garden location in Japan, and it boasts a tea garden, strolling pond, flat garden, sand and stone garden, and a natural garden. This is a great place to find serenity in the city.
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
An oldie but a goodie, this botanical garden founded in 1910 is home to more than 10,000 different kinds of plants from around the world. Even in the wintertime, you can enjoy the indoor tropical garden, but many plan their visit around springtime for the annual bloom that occurs on dozens of cherry blossom trees.
Desert Botanical Garden
Off the more traditional interpretation of botanical garden but just as impressive it is the Desert Botanical Garden in the heart of Phoenix. There are more than 140 acres that display over 50,000 plant species. Visitors to the garden can walk five different loops to enjoy the showcase of herbs, wildflowers, and cacti. The garden also hosts special events such as ballet presentations and outdoor music concerts.
Longwood Garden
If you’ve never been to Versailles, this is a comparable substitute. Founded by Pierre du Pont, the property reveals how beautiful a symmetrical hedge can be and how fountains can indeed be jaw-dropping.
You don’t need to stay cooped up indoors spraying room mists to feel the magic of nature. Head off to a botanical garden and soak in the sun and smell of all the beauty that Earth has to offer.
You know how much I LOVE spending time in the Hamptons. I have spent many summers wandering in and out of the local shops, sitting on the beautiful beaches, visiting all the local farms, stalking Grey Gardens, and enjoying so much more that the Eastern End of LI has to offer. When I saw this book over the weekend, The Ladies Village Improvement Society Cookbook: Eating and Entertaining in East Hampton, I had to order it. This book is choc-full of such amazing recipes and beautiful photographs.
A delicious melding of traditional taste with the flavors of the Hamptons, this cookbook offers 100 recipes for entertaining as well as for everyday meals.
Gifted with waters brimming with local fish and with farmland that produces a bounty of fruit and vegetables, the Hamptons have long been a destination for food lovers. Now, one of the most historic organizations on the island pairs with legendary food writer Florence Fabricant to capture the local color through a collection of recipes from members of the Ladies’ Village Improvement Society, renowned chefs and celebrities who live or vacation in East Hampton (including Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Hilaria Baldwin, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Eli Zabar), and favorite local figures like farmers and vintners.
Organized into twenty menus, including “Dinner After the Movies,” “Autumn Catch,” and “Lunch by the Pool,” the recipes encompass the uniquely broad range of gatherings, from special-occasion celebrations to casual family meals or big beach picnics for a crowd. Vibrant original photographs shine a light on the freshness and originality of the food and the local spots from beaches to farm stands, while historical photographs and anecdotes from the Ladies’ Village Improvement Society archives and local newspapers express the best of Hamptons eating. – Amazon.com
For more information or to purchase this book, click HERE.
If you’re like a lot of people, then recent events may have forced you to take a look at the line of work that you’re in and question just how reliable it really is. If you’re not certain, then perhaps it might be time to take a bet on yourself, instead. Here, we’re going to look at how to know if you’re ready to build a home business, and what you might want to do to startup
Are you ready to bet on yourself?
There are all kinds of home business ideas such as those at Goodfinancialcents.com you can look up for some inspiration if you don’t know exactly what you want to offer. However, regardless of what idea you choose, you need to strongly believe in your ability to succeed in your own direction, and you have to be passionate, motivated, and show some discipline.
Do you have the money for it?
One of the benefits of running a business from home is that you can cut the startup costs associated with opening an office. But you might still need to invest in the right equipment, software, and marketing. To that end, look at your finances and see that you have the funds to start your business and sustain your lifestyle until your business starts making good money.
Do you have space for it?
It’s not easy to run a business from home. You need to make sure you can work to a schedule and in a space that suits you. This might mean designating a room as the home office. If you cannot, however, then it’s wise to find a specific space of the home you can use for work and make sure that any family or housemates that live with you respect that space and don’t distract you.
Can you build a good brand?
Being able to sell yourself is just as important as delivering a high-quality product/service. To that end, get to know how to market your business. This can include coming up with a unique value proposition to build an online marketing campaign around. Besides, work on every possible marketing trick to get your campaigns noticed. For this, optimize landing page of your campaign, and use other SEO strategies to get more and more people to try your end product/service. You might also want to use services like PhysicalAddress.com to help your business look more established. There is, unfortunately, a stigma around home businesses that you need to work around.
Do you have a business plan?
You might feel like you can wing it and simply enjoy growth as it comes. However, to sustain any business and the costs (both time and money) that it takes to run, you need to have a plan to see some profits. Sites like Bplans.com can offer you templates that relate to your own business type and teach you how to personalise your goals and plans to better fit your business’s unique circumstances.
Of course, above all else, to run a home business, you must have an idea for a product or service you can offer. It doesn’t always have to be particularly original, but it has to offer the value that you specifically can deliver upon.
Smoking cigarettes is one of the most addictive habits a person can have. Research shows that smoking cigarettes can have severe negative impacts on a person’s health. This leads many to investigate quitting the habit, but this venture comes with many challenges. Symptoms of withdrawal can be overwhelming if the process of quitting is not handled properly. If you are looking to quit smoking cigarettes, consider these options to help ease you out of the habit.
Create New Associations with Cravings
Cigarette cravings are powerful for those trying to quit. It is important to avoid giving in to these cravings. This can be done by creating new associations and doing something else whenever you feel a craving. The next time you crave a cigarette, consider chewing on a piece of gum, drinking a glass of water or sucking on a piece of hard candy. Over time, this re-trains your brain and can help break the habit more quickly.
Use a Cigarette Alternative
Quitting smoking cigarettes altogether by going “cold turkey” is not easy to do. Many people choose to use cigarette alternatives to help ease the process. There are products available that imitate the effect of cigarettes. These smokingthings often include lower doses of harmful ingredients such as nicotine, which is the main addictive ingredient in cigarettes. These products can help ease you off of high nicotine doses without completely changing your routine.
Start Exercising
Regular exercise can improve your physical and mental health and help distract you from cigarette cravings. Activities like going for a jog, playing group sports with friends, and weightlifting help mitigate the feelings of cravings by engaging your body and directing your attention to a productive and healthy task. Exercising can also help build long-lasting healthy habits, can help improve heart and lung function and can help prevent weight gain.
Reach Out to Friends and Family
Social isolation can be harmful to someone struggling with quitting cigarettes or experiencing withdrawal symptoms. You do not have to tackle this challenge alone and should utilize the love and support of people around you. Make a commitment to contact friends and family members regularly. You can ask them to help keep you accountable or create a check-in system to help keep you on track. Remember that your loved ones are there to help and want the best for you.
Quitting smoking cigarettes can be difficult, but with conviction and a well-prepared plan, it can be done. Use these ideas to help you along the way.