5 Family Holidays for less than £1,000.

It is easy to find “holidays on a budget” listed on the Internet. Many sites are devoted to cheap family travel due to the global recession. Even if the economy has not devoured all of your money, you may prefer saving where you can. A bargain generally makes a person feel good and there is enough competition in the travel industry to create a savings wherever and whenever you travel. It is possible to save on an air-fare, hotel accommodation, packages, restaurant services, tours and more.

  1. Lego-Land in Windsor. If the kids love Star Wars, they are in for a treat when they enter the newest addition to the Lego-land world. Imaginations are tickled by the mini-land, other galaxy travel experience. Lego-Land ticket prices start at £109 for a family of four. Stay overnight at the Windsor Hilton for free, eat a scrumptious breakfast and enter into another galaxy, all for the price of £28 per person. This is a great mini-excursion that can be coupled with other 1-3 day adventures.
  1. The Summerfields Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth is a wonderful spot if the family is on a tight budget. Whether you choose to stay in Summerwave House or the Summertide Bungalows, you will be able to spend time at the water’s edge with the children. Evening entertainment for the adults and children’s play area and the Elle Elephant Club are all available for everyone’s enjoyment. There are many spots to rent for under £100/3days, pet friendly facilities and wonderful views of the Wale’s coastline. Check-out Northumberland, Essex, Suffolk and others for fun for the entire family.
  1. The Travelodge Budget Hotel chain offers phenomenal savings at many desirable UK destinations of your choosing. Pricing is for a family of four or a single room made available for £19 or £29 per night. Many popular seaside destinations offer very nice and quite comfortable rooms.
  2. Located in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom is the Marwell Wildlife Center that is home to more than 150 different species of animals. Up- close and friendly encounters are great for the children and Mum and Dad, too. Marwell sponsors many conservation programs worldwide while offering opportunities for the whole family to visit different worldly animals. Many themed areas can be discovered across the 150 acre park. Discount vouchers are available for additional savings. Many fine accommodations are located nearby.
  3. A trip to London that is child friendly holiday and affordable includes seeing all the famous spots throughout the city. Theme parks, the London Zoo, the Waxworks, the Tower of London and the Bridge are all awesome for the kids. The various modes of transportation are interesting to children of all ages. Big Ben and the Changing of the Guard are educational and provide family fun for the curious. Food from all around the world is served in various city restaurants. Last minute deals often times produce a big savings on hotel accommodations. Seeing the capital city is a great idea for all family members.

 Tips for saving money in Italy

A brand new website setup in Italy allows people to compare the prices of across a number of products and services being offered. The term “confronta ADSL” or (english: compare ADSL) covers one recently launched channel. There are also channels containing Guida all’acquisto (purchasing guides).

Picking flowers for your wedding

Couples spend a significant portion of their wedding budget on floral decorations for the ceremony and reception. Use the following guidelines when selecting flowers for your big day and feel confident that this detail of your wedding will be meaningful and will create the ambience you’ve always dreamed of.

Every Flower Has a Meaning

When the Duchess of Cambridge selected the gum paste flowers to decorate her wedding cake, she researched each bloom’s significance. The orange blossom stood for marriage, eternal love, and fruitfulness; honeysuckle represented the bond of love; roses, thistles, and shamrocks were to symbolise England, Scotland and Ireland, respectively. Choose flowers that symbolise what’s important to you and your partner to add another layer of meaning to your day. Some popular traditional examples include white roses (first love), ivy (fidelity), and gardenias (joy). Even common blooms appear more elegant when you choose them for them for their meanings. Consider the versatile filler baby’s breath. This inexpensive choice appropriately stands for “festivity”, Be mindful of the message you send with your floral choices. Lavender may smell heavenly, but its meaning is “distrust”.

Match Your Stems to the Season

As much as brides-to-be may dream of the perfect June wedding, circumstances may make a summer celebration impractical. Your wedding need not be devoid of green just because the trees are. Each season offers plenty of appropriate choices for festive flora. Summer weddings call for roses, spring for tulips, and autumn nuptials need sunflowers galore. If you’ll walk down the aisle in winter, bunches of holly tied with ribbon make the perfect choice. When guests ask about your unconventional choice, explain that you chose holly because it symbolises domestic happiness.

Trooping the Colour

Wedding celebrations are the perfect time for personal expression including use of favourite colours. Carnations are a budget-friendly choice that provide masses of rich colour if grouped together in bunches or in compact arrangements, such as in a square vase. Trim down carnations’ woody stems and pack them into low bowls, pails or jars for a casual yet sophisticated look.

Beautiful Budget Blooms

Every detail of a dream wedding [deam wedding: can come with a hefty price tag. Today’s trend of DIY and appreciation of frugal style make gorgeous weddings easier to achieve than ever Every bride wants flowers on her wedding day but many forgo the extra centerpieces due to budget constraints. The result can be a reception that feels less festive, creating a feeling of “something missing”. For those couples who choose not to turn every decision over to an event planner or florist, beautiful flowers are still an option. First, consider your wedding and reception location. Find out if the church and after-party venue includes floral arrangements in their dècor and what color and variety they will use. You can then plan bridal party bouquets to complement the existing flowers. Arrange bouquets on the cake table during the reception. If hosting a dinner with many tables, consider alternating floral centerpieces with less expensive candle arrangements to cut costs. Using less costly foliage in large amounts creates visual impact without negatively impacting your wallet. Masses of daisies, cascading ivy and clouds of baby’s breath are all fabulous choices for creating dramatic arrangements with simple flowers.

So there you have it, a few top tips for making the perfect selection of flowers for your wedding day. May it bloom beautifully on your big day.

A wedding on the beach and what I loved about it

Romantic weddings on the beach are simple, beautiful and economical. I will share the details of a lovely beach wedding I attended this summer, and also some ideas for anyone who might be interested in planning a beautiful wedding by the sea.

Who Can Resist the Romance of the Sea?

The gentle splashing of the waves against the warm sand was spellbinding, as we stood there in our bare feet waiting to catch the first glimpse of the bride. As we waited in eager anticipation, I smiled at my husband, and held his hand a little tighter. The bride and her father appeared on the porch of the beach house, locked arms as they descended the weathered steps, and began their walk toward the water.

Beach Music

The traditional wedding usually includes someone’s rendition of the wedding march as the bride walks down the aisle. Our beautiful bride walked toward her groom to the sounds of sea birds swirling above her, and waves spilling onto the shore. 25 friends and family members gathered to celebrate the special day.

I Do

The ceremony was personal and sweet. The couple wrote their own vows, and as they recited them, I noticed that I wasn’t the only one wiping away a tear. The barefooted minister encouraged the post ceremony kiss, and then we all exchanged hugs, kisses and congratulations.

Everyone’s a Photographer

The bride and groom didn’t hire a professional photographer, but instead requested that guests take as many candid shots as they could. Disposable cameras were provided for those who didn’t have a camera. We took advantage of the natural props such as sand dunes sprinkled with sea oats, mounds of driftwood, and the crashing surf. The bride, groom and wedding party cavorted playfully on the beach as we shot photos until the sun went down.

Eat, Drink and be Merry

As the huge orange sun dropped out of sight on the horizon, we all headed to the beach house to enjoy an abundance of seafood that was caught by the groom and his groomsmen the day before the wedding. The grill was fired up, the side dishes were set on the table, the wine flowed freely and we all ate the wonderful fresh catch while we listened to Reggae and Jimmy Buffet.

A Late Night Walk under the Stars

It was almost midnight when my husband and I headed down the beach toward the cottage we rented for the remainder of the week. The cool ocean breeze felt good against our faces as we left our footprints in the sand. We reflected about the day and agreed the wedding was one of the most extraordinary ceremonies we have ever had the pleasure to attend. The bride and groom were not stressed about whether the band would play all the right tunes, or whether the caterer would have enough food. I would highly recommend a carefree wedding to those who just can’t wrap their minds around months of planning and thousands of dollars. The beach is a wonderful venue, and it’s free!

The positive impact charitable giving can have for your children

It’s not too surprising that as children grow older they tend to become more generous with their money. Many children are taught, from a young age, that activities such as sharing and giving to others are good things. Later as adults we learn that is this is the way to interact with the world; through compassion and seeking to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. Through which we become the person we are. Exposing children to charities is a way of doing this at a much earlier age.

Allowing children to participate in charitable events or giving them the opportunity to donate to charities, provides them with an opportunity to look beyond their familiar world towards new ideals and concepts. Understanding the needs of others, and being given the opportunity to help meet those needs, helps build the child’s self-worth, confidence, and happiness. At the same time the child is also exposed to the concept of collective purpose, which contrasts with their own egocentric desires typically forged during childhood.

When we teach our children the value of giving, we invest in their long term satisfaction. While some people feel that giving to charities is simply a financial interaction, it can have extremely powerful emotional benefits. Countless studies show that an abundance of money does not equal an abundance of happiness. Charitable acts can have a positive effect by providing a perspective on the function of money that is distinct from what children hold to be true – money = wealth = happiness.

Teaching children about charity is also a great way to expose them to an alternative function of money – to do good selflessly, and helping others to survive – No parent wants their child to become a slave to money where their child’s only goal to amass as much as possible at whatever cost. However this is the reality that many teenagers are exposed to through music and popular culture.

Parents will agree that on one thing unanimously – all want their children to be successful and happy in whatever they do. Teaching your child about the happiness in helping others can only benefit them as a life skill.

Everyone, at some point in their life needs a helping hand, and when a child realizes this it makes for a next generation of global citizens that look more at the collective worth in their actions, than the simply individualistic ones. They are able to give to those who are in need and graciously accept help when they cannot make it on their own.

When we teach how to give to charity, what we are ultimately doing is displaying the value of others and teaching to our children how they can open their hearts to others and offer compassion.

The Shopping Meccas of London

The UK’s capital city has much to offer visitors including, not least, the famous theatrical scene in the West End. In terms of shopping, London is one of the best cities in Europe with plenty of luxury retailers for the discerning shopper looking for something special during their stay.

Fortnum & Mason

Established on Piccadilly – near to Green Park – in 1707, Fortnum and Mason is one of London’s premier department stores. Originally a grocer’s, the reputation of the shop for high quality goods built over the nineteenth century when it rapidly expanded into other areas. The store offers visitors the perfect English afternoon dining experience with a famous tea shop. It also boasts several restaurants and is a preferred place to buy picnic hampers. If you are looking for presents that really say something about the country you bought them in, then this is the shop for you.

Bond Street

This thoroughfare in West London is full of high end retailers who offer a bit more than their counterparts on other streets of the capital. Bond Street is probably most associated with its range of jewellery shops where you can pick up anything from Fabergé to Rolex to Cartier. However, the area also offers a good choice of fine art and antique dealers as well as a gallery or two. Another good thing about a day spent shopping on Bond Street is that it offers half a dozen health salons and day spas, making it the perfect place to relax as well as shop.

Westfield

This shopping centre is located in White City, close to the former headquarters of the BBC. Its retail area is sizeable and roughly equivalent to 30 full size football pitches. The site is also easily accessible from Shepherd’s Bush. Opened in 2008, the centre has plenty of modern retailers such as Uniqlo, Mammas and Pappas and Apple that operate from within its walls. Luxury goods can be purchased from the village section of the centre which features high end brands such as Burberry, Dior and Louis Vuitton. The site also features a cinema, so catch a film once you have finished your shopping.

Carnaby Street

This pedestrianized street is a great place to head for both the fashion conscious and younger visitors to the capital. Located between Soho and Regent Street, it built its reputation as a cool and trendy place to shop and be seen in the 1960s when London’s music and fashion scene was truly swinging. These days, the Carnaby Street is full of independent retailers and smaller shops which trade on this heritage. Expect to find retro-cool clothing, vintage seconds and music-oriented fashions. If you prefer shopping in boutiques, rather than the larger department stores, then this is the place for you.

Liberty

Just a short walk from Carnaby Street lays one of London’s most iconic shops. Liberty is department store like no other. Founded as far back as 1975, the shop sells plenty of luxury goods including cosmetics, perfumes, jewellery and stationery. However, it is probably best known for its graphic and floral prints. Built in a distinctive mock-Tudor architectural style, the store has a long history of bringing lesser known designers to the attention of a wider public by showcasing their talents. As such, it always seems to have an edge that other retailers sometimes lack. Liberty always appears to be one step ahead of the latest trend.

Wherever you head in central London, there is a good quality shop somewhere nearby. It is simply a question of finding the right one for you and enjoying the shopping experiences that the capital has to offer.