More Etiquette Articles
Luxury World Cruises and Tipping
Luxury world cruises are offered in a variety of different packages nowadays. If you do not opt for an all inclusive package then you just might be tipping various personnel on the cruise. The matter of tipping does not have to be a source of consternation and anxiety.
Generally you should plan to tip your steward three dollars per person and plan to do it every day. Your waitress or waiter should also be tipped three dollars. Remember to tip the bus boy as well, that is usually about half of what you would tip the wait staff. Often times however, the wait staff tips out the bussing staff from the tips they accumulate.
On most luxury world cruise ships (http://www.amttravel.com/cruise-lines/luxury-world-cruises.html) you are not required to tip the ma
More infomation at WikipediaThe Secret to Finding Christmas Gifts That People Actually Want!
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, sales increase dramatically in almost all areas of retail. Shops introduce hundreds of new products as people buy more and more gifts, decorations and supplies to take them through the Christmas period.
The ‘dead weight’ of bad gifts
However, despite all this mass buying of things, the huge surge in sales at Christmas time actually leads to what economists call a ‘deadweight loss’. What this means is that the overall difference between what present givers spent on Christmas gifts, and what the gift receivers would have paid for the same things, is a negative number (economists calculate that in 2001 Christmas resulted in a $4 billion deadweight loss in the U.S. alone). To put it more simply, most Christmas gifts are not as welcome as they should be!
Clutter & mess
Along with the fact that a person might not really want the carefully chosen Christmas gift being given to them, there tends to be a cost for upkeep and storage of the item – and its contribution to clutter around the household ends up being a further nuisance to the receiver.
Excess wastage
If presents end up in the dustbin then this contributes to damage to the environment. Due to the sheer scale of gift-giving at Christmas, the environmental impact is significant. Bad Christmas gifts are a burden to society.
The art of gift-giving
But it doesn’t have to be this way! While none of us needs more bland cellophaned baskets of synthetic bath bombs and bodywashes, bags of tat destined for the landfill, there really is an art to gift-giving.
It is possible to give presents which will truly be valued by your loved ones. Once you have the knack of giving the right Christmas gifts to your friends and family, you can start making a positive contribution to the spirit of giving at Christmas!
Take your time
A mad rush around the shops on December 24 may suit your hectic lifestyle, but the likelihood of finding truly ideal Christmas gifts that way is slim. Instead, in the months leading up to Christmas, take a note of the interests and hobbies your friends and family are indulging in, and consider activities they might enjoy but which they haven’t yet discovered for themselves.
Join forces
What gifts would help them achieve their goals, appreciate their hobbies or simply enhance their lives from day to day? Perhaps there is a Christmas gift which would benefit them, but which is too expensive for you to pay for. Could you join up with other members of their family or friends and pay for the item together?
Be original
If you are absolutely certain that giving the same present to a particular loved one every year will make them happy, go ahead. But most people like to be surprised once in a while! If you can find an original Christmas gift that suits a person’s character in some way then it will be a more exciting present to receive.
Useful or beautiful
Finally, take inspiration from 19th century British craftsman, designer and poet William Morris, who said: ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’. Ask this question of each Christmas gift purchase you are about to make. If it is neither useful nor beautiful, go and put it back on the shelf!
Sadie Smith writes for The Handpicked Collection, a website and catalogue featuring a selection of unique Christmas gifts.
More infomation at WikipediaWhen Do I Hand Out Groomsmen Gifts?
Congratulations. You’re in love. You’re engaged. Your bride has probably been whisked away in a whirlwind of wedding planning and shopping. You might not even recognize her anymore. Hopefully she is still that sweet girl you fell in love with and not a “bridezilla” or crazy woman.
The bride and her family make the bulk of all wedding decisions and purchases. They take care of so many details and complicated planning. One of the few things that the groom must do, and do without a hitch, is select and purchase the groomsmen gifts.
What are groomsmen gifts? I know. You’re new to all this wedding stuff. Groomsmen gifts are basically thank you gifts to your best man, groomsmen and ushers, you know, the guys that wear the tuxedos too in your wedding. It’s only proper to thank your guys for participating in your wedding with a gift.
Typically a groomsmen gift is an engraved gift. Personalization shows you took a little extra time and put in a bit of thought to make the gift special and meaningful to the recipient. Engraving also can turn a modest gift into a cherished keepsake as it is the thought that counts and not how much money you spend.
It’s a smart idea to order groomsmen gifts at least 2 months in advance of your wedding date. You want to give yourself a little wiggle room if the items you want are special order and take a little time to come in from the vendor. Engraving takes about a week usually as well. Shipping via UPS ground can take a week if you are shipping from one coast to the other. Planning ahead and not waiting until the last minute will save you expedite/rush fees and additional shipping expenses.
When you receive your groomsmen gifts (most grooms order these online nowadays to save money), be sure to look them over and make sure the engraving is accurate. Engravers are human and occasionally will make a typo. Best to find out right away instead of the day you’re handing out your gifts!
A good time to hand out the groomsmen gifts is the rehearsal dinner. All the guys will be there. This will most likely be the last night you’ll see everyone together before the wedding. Perfect time to distribute the groomsmen gifts. This way you won’t have to worry about it on your wedding day.
If you are giving out flasks for groomsmen gifts, a better time is right at the start of the bachelor party. The bachelor party is usually before the rehearsal dinner. Only the most foolish of grooms would have the bachelor party the night before the wedding. Think about how awful you’ll look in your wedding pictures if you’re a mess and all hung over! Again, please plan ahead on this one and use common sense. Get the bachelor party done at least one to two weeks before the wedding so that your sweet bride-to-be does not have to worry about you.
Gunther Gifts Inc. is a great online source for groomsmen gifts such as flasks, Zippo lighters, pub signs, beer mugs, pocket knives such as Gerber and Buck, wallets, pocket watches, baseball bats and so much more cool, affordable groomsmen gift ideas.
More infomation at Wikipedia