Bumper stickers have long been a source of fun or a way to make a political or social statement, however what you are sticking to your car may be saying a great deal more about you as a person then simply your preference to “Make Love Not War”.

There is now a direct causal link between bumper stickers placed on a driver’s vehicle, and their propensity to be engaged in a road rage incident.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) found that there were 12,000 injuries and 200 fatalities due to road rage back in 1995. By 2008, these troubling statistics had risen to 25,000 injuries and 370 fatalities but, AAA also note that many more road rage incidents simply go unreported.

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Posted by MarcusTrumper | No Comments »

Dinner parties are great social celebrations and one can never be the same as another. People hold parties for different reasons. Whether for a simple get-together, an elaborate wedding reception, a house warming, or a personal celebration – people enjoy holding and attending parties. However, the same dinner party etiquette and reminders will apply. Just because a close relative is hosting the party doesn’t mean that you should leave your manners at the door. Reminders and guidelines for dinner parties are in place so that everyone will be able to enjoy the party and as well as everyone’s company. Here are some basic dinner party dos and don’ts that everyone should be aware of.

When the guests arrive, wait until everyone is seated before the food is served. The dinner party is meant to have the guests eat together and not separately. Additionally, with everyone seated, it will also make it less confusing for the servers. Thus, it is also practical to hold off serving food until everyone has arrived.

Having good conversations while eating is one of the best parts of having dinner parties. Keep the conversations light though for everyone, especially if it is the first time you will be meeting them. Avoid talking about politics, religion, or any other sensitive topics. While waiting for food to be served, people can talk to one another and get caught up with old friends or get to know new people. Since everyone is served at the same time, people will mostly finish eating at the same time. Try not to eat too slowly though so that everybody else can proceed with the other activities that are planned for the evening. In fact, try to pace yourself so that you finish eating at about the same time as your guests.

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Posted by CrissWhite | No Comments »

Do you hate dressing up? Does the thought of being confined in a fresh, crisp dress shirt and well-ironed pants immediately make you feel nauseated? For some people dressing up for their day-to-day activities can be as easy as 1-2-3, but when it comes to dressing for an occasion, particularly a formal one, it can be daunting. Well my friend, no matter how hard you try to avoid and resist this kind of situation, you really cannot hide from it. You have to face the awful truth that such a time could come and it will ask for you to, well, look your formal best. Need some advice? Here’s a guide that should hopefully make you more comfortable when such a need arises.

First of all, before dressing up, be sure to take a bath. Trim your nails, brush your teeth and shave, if necessary. Second, be sure to smell good. Put on some deodorant and fragrance, but keep it subtle. Third, mind your clothes. Be sure that they are laundered and well pressed. Check if there are repairs that need to be done before wearing them. Fourth, make sure your shoes are clean and polished. Nothing beats a man with shoes that shine! And lastly, be sure to comb your hair properly. Only very few men, and don’t be quick to assume that you are one of them, can get away with a dreamboat hairstyle – and even that needs some kind of preparation, contrary to what many people actually think. For a formal event, don’t let any hair be out of place and please, no rock star look!

So now, let’s try to choose some clothes. Formal gatherings usually call for dress codes. If it calls for Black Tie, men should wear black tuxedo with a white shirt, black bow tie, black waistcoat, black patent shoes, and black socks. When it says White Tie, a black tailcoat with matching black pants, white wing collar shirt, white pique vest, white bow tie, white gloves, black shoes, and black socks are the important items on your ensemble.

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Posted by LeahPisay | No Comments »

Who says fashion is only for women? Men nowadays definitely are not spared from this culture that has been made popular with, in the beginning, women in mind. It is now common for men to ask questions like how to go about matching their socks with their trousers, how to choose the right shirt colors, how to accessorize for a formal party, and the likes.

Shoes and belts are things that men find very important on their get up. Remember to always match your belt with your shoes. This keeps things simple and on the right track. Opting for the traditional colors such as dark brown, black, or a rich tan is best when buying these items. Colors that are not on this line may prove hard to match, and should be avoided. If you wear suspenders, don’t bother for a belt; just wear one of them at a time. This is an “either or” situation. If you find yourself needing to wear sneakers everyday, a belt made of fabric or something equally casual usually goes well with jeans. Never have dress belts paired with your jeans or sneakers. That is not a good look no matter who you are.

Ties and shirts are also items that should be matched. Solid-colored shirts with a tie of the same color were the trend for sometime. Today, it can be considered a somewhat dated look. Ties are a great way to express your self, so why not experiment with the colors and designs? You can never go wrong with plaids and subtle patterns, diagonal stripes, and modern polka-dots, but keeping it tasteful is your best bet. Bear in mind that your tie should compliment your shirt or suit; novelty ties are short-lived, so try not to invest to heavily in them.

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Posted by LeahPisay | No Comments »

Who says dressing up in black can be boring, a drab, or even unsophisticated? There are a lot of great things that black clothing can do when you wear them properly. For instance, black can certainly flatter your figure and your look. Some people actually look slimmer in black while others look absolutely elegant in it. Black clothing can also be worn anytime of the day; that’s unique in the realms of color. With a nice pair of shoes, some good and colorful accessories and the right attitude, your basic black can quickly become not so basic at all. Let’s check out some of the ways to dress up in black.

For work, simple black clothing can easily be made into a more professional look by, for example, opting to wear a colorful shirt in shades such as yellow, green, red, or blues in a basic black suit. For ladies, a tote in fun shapes and sizes can easily achieve functionality and professionalism. Also try on fabulous shoes in metallic tones and wear bold jewelry such as rings, bold bangles or dangly earrings and your sure to spice up your ensemble! For men, try wearing colorful ties and uniquely printed ones for a sure fire hit wardrobe.

During daytime, a button down shirt paired with Capri style pants can be a good choice for women. Wear accessories in odd shapes and sophisticated colors for a more interesting look. A red coat can give added punch to your outfit. At night time, your little black dress can look glamorous with the right kind of pearls and dressy shoes that anyone would die for. Create a more dramatic look by putting on darker lipstick and shades that will bring out the beauty in your eyes.

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Posted by LeahPisay | No Comments »

Being a doctor is one of those jobs that goes beyond turning up, marking time and cashing your pay check at the end of the month. It requires absolute commitment and can be a truly exhausting job, and not all the endings are happy. However, it is still a job which attracts many people, and can be genuinely rewarding.

People do this job because it needs to be done and, if you are a good doctor, you can save lives, give people their quality of life back and help countless people turn themselves around. For fulfillment, there are few better jobs – just as long as you don’t get unrealistic expectations about saving everyone and curing everything, and realise you do plenty as it is.

One would think that, given the important work a doctor does, that what is on the surface would not matter so much. Why does your external appearance come into the question when it’s your medical abilities that will really matter? Does it really make a difference what you wear so long as the patients are treated in the correct way?

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Posted by AdamChristensen | No Comments »

The art of fine entertaining is not lost. Although most of us rarely host elegant parties, every once in while, it can be a lot of fun to gather around the table with friends for a proper dinner party. Of course, it is not just the efforts of the hosts that make a dinner party a success; the guests have a role to play as well. Brush up on your dinner guest manners with these helpful tips.

R.s.v.p. promptly. Yes, we all lead busy lives, but it is patently unfair to leave your host hanging about whether or not you plan to attend their dinner party. Oftentimes, the hosts are aiming for a certain number of guests around the table, so if you decline, they may well wish to invite another guest to take your spot. Once you have accepted an invitation, you are obligated to keep the date, unless you become very ill or get invited to the White House. “Something better came along” does not qualify as a reason to back out of an invitation to dinner!

Show up on time. By “on time”, I mean not late, but not early either. The host of a party works hard to create a special ambiance, while making it all appear effortless. The guest who arrives twenty minutes early will find the candles unlit, the host walking around with wet hair from his shower, and the hostess frantically searching for those cute little earrings she picked up at her favorite jewelry store in Raleigh. Your hosts will be less than thrilled to have a guest to attend to while they are running around putting the finishing touches on their party.

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Posted by BridgetMora | No Comments »

People who have lent their time, wisdom, or financial help to us deserve to be thanked and appreciate. Whether they are parents or relatives, friends, colleagues, or a total stranger who have come when we called up, thanking them is such a good gesture and what else would be more gracious if it is in the form of gifts?

It is through giving thank you gifts that you can actually respond to counter those generosity and support that people have provided you. Though gifts, you can show to them that what they offered to you has been truly appreciated, and that their good deeds are something that not everyone can do promptly. Thanking the people who have helped during your down time or when you are in trouble can really become heartfelt especially when you are using gifts as your medium. The gifts would be the physical or tangible expression of your sincere gratitude to those people. It is somehow a little pay back for at least a tad portion of generosity that was shown to you.

In the corporate world, giving thank you gifts can become a good start of a strategy to gain loyalty and trust from clients. Both small and big business companies give thank you gifts to their clients for continuous patronization and trust that they showed to the firm. And this being said, clients would likely help spreading the words to their friends and family members.

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Posted by JanetR. | No Comments »

When one is invited to a wedding, it is only appropriate to give the couple a gift. However, gift giving is not just about choosing the cheapest item you can find. Unknown to some, there are unwritten rules or etiquette expected from the guests – from answering RSVPs, to choosing wedding gifts for the couple.

Engagement party

In general, the engagement party is the best time to ask about the couple’s plans for the wedding and other details such as their bridal registry. For couples who have made arrangements for bridal registries before the engagement party, the shower is the best time to bring your present as opposed to bringing them on the actual day of the wedding. If the couple has not made any arrangements, the shower is the best time for you and take the opportunity to explore your creativity. Other than decorative items for the couple’s home, other interesting choices could be membership to a fitness centre, a wine club, or cooking lessons from a culinary institute.

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Posted by AmandaJ. | No Comments »

Eating meals together should not just be seen as a daily routine, rather, it has significant importance between families and loved ones. In today’s modern and hectic time, people go to drive-thru’s, have lunch delivered at the office, or eat while in the car. Having meals together at the dining table is a somewhat rare and special event altogether.

If you and your family and loved ones are catching up only on weekends at the dinner table, why not make it extra special by setting up a formal dinner table. Formal dinner table settings are also appropriate when you have guests coming over or for other formal and special events.

Before setting the table, get out all the utensils that you will need and set them on the counter. Make sure to get enough for all your dinner guests and use plates, bowls, and silverware from the same set for uniformity. The items not to miss out on are:

Dinner plate with salad or soup bowl on it, knife, small spoon, soup spoon, bread plate with butter knife, coffee cup, water glass, wine glass, salad fork, dinner fork, and dessert fork.

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Posted by CrissWhite | No Comments »