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Reception tips and ideas

Oct 29, 2009 - Henry Hager And Jenna Bush Wedding Your wedding will no doubt be the most romantic day of your lives, it's a celebration of love and commitment. But it's also the biggest party you'll probably ever throw. So pull out all the stops and make it a night to remember. We've researched the top wedding experts to find their best ideas for throwing a fun and unique reception, while maximizing the romance and tugging at the heartstrings of your guests. Whether you use one or 10 of them, we hope you will find at least a few new and creative ideas to make your reception even more fabulous.

If you're planning an outdoor event, don't forget to spray the grounds for insects about an hour before the guests arrive.

Skip the huge head table at the reception, share an intimate dinner for two, or share a small table with your parents or children.

Ask your caterer to prepare a late night snack for the bride and groom. As more often than not you are too busy with guests when dinner is served.

Want to use those disposable cameras on the reception tables. To avoid having hundreds of the same pictures by turning your guests into creative photographers with a photo hunt. Leave a list of ten great photos you would like that table to take during the reception. Photo ideas could include; build a pyramid, group table shot, funniest pose, a guest kissing the bartender or grandparents holding hands.

Don't like the disposable cameras but still want to get memories captured by your guests? Set up a docking station so guests can load their photos to your computer on the spot.

Offer your guests one or two signature cocktails that you've personalized with a cute name and your wedding colors.

Want the expensive look of calligraphy for your invitations without the cost? Calligraphic fonts that look like the real thing are readily available. Free font sources: searchfreefonts.com, highfonts.com, dafont.com

Have a graphic artist create a custom wedding logo that you can use on printed materials and other elements of your wedding to create a cohesive look. (If you’re artistic you can do this yourself. - 0 Comments

First Hand Advice

Oct 17, 2009 - Chico State's Study Abroad office offers Peer Advisors as an incredible asset to students looking to learn more about traveling in their choice country by someone who has actually experienced it. April is the advisor for the Czech Republic and Russia programs offered, and studied abroad in Prague during spring 2009. I had prepared a list of specific questions and general inquiries to ask April when I went to meet with her on Monday. After showing me a video that she had put together of her stay, I proceeded to bombard her with my list. Here's what information I gathered on my most recent reconaiscence mission. The Housing Situation:

They will be furnished flats/apartments shared with either 1 or 2 other people
Of the 2 bedrooms, 2 students in 1 room and 1 has their own room.
There is usually one bathroom and each flat has a washer
There is a kitchen with dishes and food storage
Sheets and towels are provided

Technology:

April recommended bringing a laptop because the lab and library are on campus, not in the "dorms", but said that it wasn't required to bring one
Bring multiple memory cards and back them up on your laptop or online often
Must bring own adapters and transformers
She brought her unlocked Blackberry abroad and just bought a Czech prepaid SIM card to insert into it

Travel:

She brought along a backpacker's backpack for traveling on weekends or holidays
She left her stuff that she didn't bring traveling in her flat

Insurance:

She seemed to think that the insurance covered just about everything, similar to traveler's insurance
While she never had to use it, her friend did and her doctor's visits were covered
She thinks that you pay up front at the visit and then keep your receipts to be reimbursed by the insurance

It was sort of an information overload, but made me so much more excited about my decision! I find now that more people are learning that I will be traveling to Prague, I meet more friends or family or friend-of-a-friend who have been before. Katie, a family friend, traveled abroad in Prague a few years back and Kellan, a former co-worker and friend-of-a-friend, studied abroad through Chico State three years ago. Sounds like I'm going to be meeting up with or contacting these lovely ladies more often as my departure date closes in! - 0 Comments

Clean and Green: Natural Homemade Household Cleaners

Oct 24, 2007 - Clean & Green Here's a collection of my favorite natural cleaning formulas, concoctions and witches brews. MOST are safe and nontoxic, with a few exceptions which are clearly noted. Use the ingredients listed below when making your own alternative cleaners, most are inexpensive and you probably already have many of them in your kitchen cupboards. - 5 Comments

Spitting in the eye of mainstream education

Jun 02, 2009 - Spitting in the eye of mainstream education Three no-frills charter schools in Oakland mock liberal orthodoxy, teach strictly to the test -- and produce some of the state's top scores. By Mitchell Landsberg May 31, 2009 http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-charter31-2009may31,0,6518091,full.story Reporting from Oakland -- Not many schools in California recruit teachers with language like this: "We are looking for hard working people who believe in free market capitalism. . - 4 Comments

WHY WOMEN ARE SO SPECIAL - FM ASHISH SENGUPTA - A TRUE PEARL - ENJOY

May 15, 2009 - Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed." She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunch. - 23 Comments

No Time To Clean Up

Feb 16, 2009 - PEORIA, Ill. - A Peoria, Ill., man told police a home intruder had apparently cooked and eaten a steak at his home while he was away. The homeowner told police he returned home at about 9:45 p.m. - 4 Comments

HELP ME! Is my relationship NORMAL?

Aug 04, 2007 - My boyfriend and I have been dating for nearly two years. He is the bread winner in our relationship and I am a full time college student. We live together and my "job" is to clean, do laundry, fix things around the house, cook...etc. - 12 Comments

Reducing our ecological footprint

Sep 17, 2007 - Clever tricks to help you reduce your ecological footprint. SAVING ELECTRICITY (and money) Switch over to compact fluorescent light bulbs - those funky spiral-shaped ones. They use only 25% as much energy as incandescents. - 2 Comments

Who is the abortion extremist? OBAMA

Sep 19, 2008 - Who is the abortion extremist? By Mona Charen Appearing on C-SPAN last weekend I mentioned that Barack Obama had opposed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act when he was an Illinois state senator — a position he has attempted to deny or obfuscate ever since. The liberal blogger who appeared on the program with me erupted with indignation. - 12 Comments

Working green: 50 tips to reduce your office's waste

May 08, 2008 - Found this on Science Alert: http://www.sciencealert.com.au/features/20071608-16209.html Working green: 50 tips to reduce your office's waste Thursday, 16 August 2007 By Jessica Hupp From daily smog to the rising threat of global warming, it’s pretty obvious that we all need to clean up our act a little. Much has been said about how to go about doing this at home, but what about in the workplace? Copiers, computers, even old floppy disks, can make a huge impact on the environment. - 2 Comments