Valentine's Day - A Guide for Men

Did you know that after Christmas, Valentine's Day is the biggest retail holiday? That means a variety of things for you the consumer, but mostly it means the market is saturated with a plethora of heart-shaped, cutesy, not so worth it products. I have a philosophyone that is not always popularbut here it goes. If you love someone, then saying "I love you" is a full time job, not one accomplished by dime store shrink-wrapped chocolates and plush toys holding bags of candy hearts.

Don't get me wrong. These things were great when we were 10, but we are adults now so here are a few ways to ensure you have a classy holiday that shows you put a lot of thought into it.

The key to success if knowing your significant other's tastes and not stepping on a land mine in the process of telling her how much you care. Yes, this article is geared mostly towards the men out there who are trying to get it right this year. However, women, you can take heed of this advice as well because I don't know a man alive who wants a teddy bear holding a cheap satin heart.

1. Ask yourself "Do I know her tastes well enough to buy a personalized gift?" We are going to help you sort this out, but you have to put your mind to it too.

2. What is your budget? Financial troubles as a result of overspending on Valentine's Day are not going to help your romantic life.

3. Always be classy. You don't have to spend a fortune to achieve style.

We have broken the choices down by the major items generally purchased for Valentine's Day. This by no means is an all-inclusive list, but will put you on the road to victory.

Chocolate:

Does she like it? If not, then obviously skip this traditional gift.
Does she have a favorite brand? Or favorite ingredient?

Whatever your answers to those questions, do not buy shrink wrapped, generic chocolate. We are not a big fan of the heart shaped, fake lace and Elvis velvet. You know what I am talking about. Now avoid it! A simple, elegant box with a nice ribbon is much classier.

Flowers:

Does she like flowers? (Remember some people are allergic to certain flowers)

Does she have a favorite? There is not a rule that says you must buy red roses. I happen to love yellow roses and it would be a sign to me that my mate understood me if he bought me yellow roses instead of traditional red.

Jewelry:

Now talk about a land mine. If you are determined to buy jewelry, consult her friends and family to find out what she likes and wants if you are not absolutely positive. Good jewelry is an expensive proposition to screw up. Avoid heart shaped anythingplease, I am begging you. The act of giving her the jewelry is saying "I love you," there is no need to tattoo it on her forehead so to speak by giving her a heart shaped necklace she feels obliged to wear all of the time.

Dinner or Brunch:

1. Go where you will both be comfortable.
2. Make reservations to avoid waiting.
3. If you want to try something new, go somewhere that you both have wanted to try.
4. If you are nervous about a new place and you want the perfect evening, check out the place ahead of time.
5. Be yourself. For example, if you are not a wine expert then ask for help from the staff. We women like a guy who will ask.

Or be daringdon't go out to eat. If you are not a very good cook, order take away from a local establishment (not fast food or pizza) or hire a personal chef, and put your time into setting a beautiful table. She will be very impressed that you made the effort.

Lingerie:

Oh yet another land mine. Do you get the feeling this holiday was meant to test the best of relationships? Be careful here. Your fantasies may not be her desires. And please, please, please again be classy not tacky. Cheap lingerie does not say "I love you." It says "I'm cheap or you are a tramp." If you aren't sure about this one at all, then make it a partner activity. Tell her you want to buy her something nice and that you want to do it together.

Other Gifts:

There is no rule that your Valentine's Day gift has to be heart shaped, red/pink or traditional. I don't recommend buying her a blender or cordless drill, but if there is something that she has really been checking out and you can afford it, then show her that you have been paying attention and go for it.

Travel:

Many places offer weekend specials for Valentine's Day, but often are booked well in advance. As an alternative, plan a weekend away at a different time and give this to her as a gift over your Valentine's Day dinner.

Proposals:

OK, we saved this one for last because it is a big one. For some reason, the multitudes feel that proposing on Valentine's Day is the thing to do. In case you couldn't tell from this article, I am encouraging you to think out of the box. Valentine's Day proposals have come to be expected. Why not be different, propose at a random time and really surprise her. However, if you feel that you must succumb to the pressure, do it right. Follow all of our tips above and crank them up a notch. Again, be creative but classy. You want her to remember this special time.

So here you are at the end of the article and about ready to chuck in the towel. Don't! We know you can do it. Take a deep breath, do not wait until the last minute and if it all seems a bit too overwhelming, call in help. Use your resources and make this a truly special day that is only the beginning of a truly special year of romance. If you don't want to take our word for it, here is another reference to the holiday at hand from MSN and match.com.

Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The companys creed is to provide its clients with the ultimate life management experience. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops on wardrobe, entertaining and decorating. For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net

2005 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U

A New Look at Labor Day

A day to reflect on the accomplishments of working people: That's been the proud tradition since the first, unofficial, Labor Day back in 1882.

But, one of labor's greatest accomplishments has gone largely unrecognized. Since the end of World War II, working people have bought up a huge chunk of big business. They now own a piece of just about everything in business, from multinational corporations to small companies that build mini-malls in their neighborhoods.

It may be the greatest economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution; management guru Peter Drucker calls it "The Pension Fund Revolution."

To get a sense of the transformation, consider this: At the end of 2001, America's 242 billionaires had assets totalling about $800 billion. That's a sizable amount, certainly, but working people had assets of $11.8 trillion in pension and mutual funds. That's almost 15 times as much as the billionaires.

Most working people contribute only modest amounts to their retirement plans, but there are simply so many of us that our collective nest egg grew very quickly. If you're still not sure, try this on your calculator: Multiply a contribution of $1,000 per year by one million working people. Answer: $1 billion dollars per year. Now note there are hundreds of millions of working people here and in other countries. And we're contributing new money every year.

Even a relatively small number of working people can build a big fund. For example, the New York State Common Retirement Fund, with 944,000 members in or retired from state public services, had assets of $112 billion at the end of March last year. According to the Fund's annual report for 2002, about $76.6 billion of that total was invested in companies. The remainder, about $35 billion, was in bonds, mortgages, and other types of loans.

Look at the private sector and unions, too. To cite just a couple of examples, Pensions & Investments magazine estimated that General Motor's pension fund had assets of $82.5 billion and the pension fund of the Western Conference Teamsters had assets of $22.6 billion, at September 30, 2001.

This ownership of big business by working people is the result of contributions to pension funds, mutual funds, and life insurance policies with a savings component.

What does all this mean? Well, for starters, perhaps an end of complaints about the profits of corporations. After all, most of those profits go toward the retirement incomes of working people.

More complicated, though, is the relationship between working people who own a big company and other working people employed by it. How to share corporate profits -- through continuing employment and higher wages, or through higher returns to shareholders -- remains a difficult issue. Especially for those working people who lose their jobs.

On the other side of the coin, working people have bought enough stocks and shares to become the bosses of the bosses. Some pension funds have begun making that clear; CalPERS, the California Public Employees' Retirement System, has led the way in telling Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and boards of directors that they'd better manage effectively. And, CEOs and directors listen; after all CalPERS runs the country's biggest pension fund, with assets of more than $130 billion.

One other thing: if you're a working person, you're a consumer, as well as an owner and employee. When you go shopping, there's a chance you'll buy from a business owned by yourself, your friends, or your neighbors. What's more, the clerks who take your credit card with smiles may work for you. Or, maybe the clerks own the company for which you work. Smile at them, too, just to be on the safe side!

About The Author

Robert F. Abbott explains how working people are buying up big corporations, and more, in his new book Meet the New Owners: http://www.TheNewOwners.com; abbottr@managersguide.com

Haunted House in Your Garage Halloween Party!

This Halloween you should think of doing something off the wall. Don't just have a regular Halloween Party with the costumes and refreshments. Why not have a Haunted House in your garage? It is really easy to do and not that expensive. Oh, I guess you can spend alot of money,there is nothing wrong with that, if you have it to spend, and want to. You could really get elaborate with the robotic, radio controlled and mechanical haunts or you can have just as much fun without the expense by using friends and homemade items for simple haunts that create a big scare.

Start with a clean garage. Make a sketch of what you would like to have in it, like a cemetery, etc. Use this sketch to make a list of things you will need. One of the things you will need is black plastic. This can be purchased at Lowe's. It works great to make temporary walls or a maze. Finish making this list, then buy or make what you will need.

You will also need a few friends to volunteer to work/play in the haunted garage. This is usually not a problem, because they will have alot of fun doing this.

Once you have bought or made the haunts, figure out where you are going to place them in the haunted garage. Then tell the friends or let them choose the haunt or scare they will be doing and have them "dress the part" for the haunt or scare. Let them use their imagination on how they will scare the people coming through the garage.

A couple of nights before the "Haunted Garage Party" you will need to put up the walls or maze for the haunted garage. Set up the haunts that need to be constructed. Add lighting such as black lights, and strobe lights. Blue lights work well in cemetery scenes. Scary sound tracks are also good to use.

And that is all there is to making a Haunted Garage. A great and different Halloween Party that will be talked about for along time. It may even start a tradition. Someone different could do a Haunted Garage the next year. That way everyone can have a turn and see how creative they can be.

By the way, you can still have refreshments after everyone has gone through the Haunted Garage. I have made a Haunted House in my 2 car garage for a Halloween Party and everyone had so much fun.

If you liked this article and want more detailed information about how to build a Haunted Garage then I invite you to check out my eBook I have written on this subject. The site is: http://funhauntedgarage.com

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any Ezine, newsletter, blog, or website. The author's name,bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Batman Dark Knight Batman Toddler Costume

Toddler Batman Kids Costumes are Hot Costumes! Pick this Superhero Costume this Halloween, and you will definitely be the talk of the party!!
Customer Review: Small and Cheap
This Batman costume is not great quality. I bought a larger size (children's small 4-6) at Target, but it was too big for my 3 1/2 year old (but better quality). So, I purchased this one for the same price and the material/fabric was cheap. The "mask and cape" come in one piece, which is a bad idea if you child has a large head size. It didn't fit my son.

Cute Toddler Bee Halloween Costume (2-4T)

Costume is sold as BRAND NEW and it comes in its orginal packaging.Place your order TODAY and it will ship out within 1 business day!
Customer Review: Run's a little big
My wife and I purchased this costume for my daughters dance recital. The costume did what it needed to do, but it was a little big on her as she is more of a 2T and the costume looks like it is better for children that are a 4T size.

'Puttin' on the Ritz' Adult Plus Costume

Available in adult sizes XL, 2X, and 3X. Dress, hat, and shawl included. Shoes and necklace not included.