Yes the thought does count, but a thoughtful and useful gift counts even more.
5 Affordable Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Women
5 Affordable Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for your Girlfriend or Wife
Gift Ideas for that special lady in your life
Updated 02-04-2019
Ana Veiga
Can’t figure out what to get your wife or girlfriend for Valentine’s Day? Here are some fail proof Valentine’s Days gift ideas that fits any budget.
Tip: Start with a budget and work around that.
Don’t have money for a fancy dinner- then make it.
Don’t have money for a full bouquet of roses, buy just one or go to Home Depot and buy a nice plant.
1. Bathtub Tray
Perfect for an at home spa day. Add other gifts like bath balms and a nice loofah.
2. Jewelry Box
A jewelry box is a fantastic Valentine’s day gift idea. Just make sure the recipient has jewelry to place inside of it.
Tip: TJMaxx is a great place to go or Amazon if you are on a time crunch.
3. An Online Club
You can format it to your budget. Choose for a couple of months or for the whole year. The great thing about this is that it is the gift that keeps on giving.
Birchbox- awesome beauty products and makeup
4. Ouai Gift Set
Ouai is a current cult favorite. Their hair products are sheek and of high quality.
5. Yoga Mat
For your Yoga Enthusiast or Spouse that wants to get into Yoga. Yoga matts are also perfect for stretching in the house and meditating.
Love Quotes and Sayings
Love Quotes and Sayings
BY Staff Reporter
02-04-2019
Beautiful love quotes and sayings to encourage your self love or to inspire you to express yourself.
Use these quotes to help you with your next romance letter or feel free to use in your daily life.
14 Things that Things Every Bride Should Know Before Her Wedding Day
Relationship
14 Things Every Bride Should Know Before Her Wedding Day
Editor
11-08-2018
When your wedding day comes it’s going to be quick and fast and you are going to want to be prepared. There may be a lot of last minute things that happen that will be out of your control, but the things you can control, you should be prepared for.
Here's 14 Things Every Bride Should Know Before Her Wedding Day.
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for money instead of a gift registry. I know that this may be frowned upon, but weddings are expensive and if you don’t have money for a honeymoon, this is a great way to fund it.
Now a days, a lot of wedding registry gifts are something we already have or don’t need. Decades ago traditional couples would get married and move into a house together. The wedding registry was a terrific way for them to get things like mixing bowls. Now a days, couples already live together and the necessities are already purchased.
“Don’t plan your trip counting on wedding money from the honeymoon. It is financially wise to wait to see what funds that you will have (if you are counting on the wedding money) and then plan it according to your budget.” -Ana Editor-In-Chief
2. Wear comfortable shoes.
Even if your feet are not shown, it is tacky to exchange shoes. You will notice it in the picture for later. Just wear comfortable shoes.
“If you are going to wear flats, wear flats the whole night. My shoes were not the prettiest, but they were pretty and the heel was comfortable.” -Ana
3. Make sure you check your undergarments weeks before the wedding.
The correct undergarments can be hard to find. The last thing you want is to look in the mirror and see lines or see through fabric.
“It took me almost 4 weeks to find the correct undergarments for my dress. Don’t wait until the last minute or the day of to try your undergarments on.”- Ana
4. If you are doing your own makeup, make sure you practice and then take pictures with flash to see what they will look like. If you hire makeup artist, always hire someone that is highly recommended because slow or unqualified makeup artists can make/break your day.
The timing of getting your hair and makeup done is important, especially if your whole makeup bridal party is getting it done too. If you have large bridal party, have all of your bridesmaids bring their foundation, that way the makeup artist do not have skin tone match them.
“With hair/makeup and photographers, I always advise to use someone that you know or comes highly recommended. Make sure you have at least 3 hair/makeup artist per 5 people. ” -Ana
5. Don’t get a facial right before the wedding.
Get it at least a week prior. You do not want any flare up or allergic reactions to happen for your wedding day.
“I would never try a facial for the first time right before my wedding. Get one a couple months prior to test it out. .” -Ana
6. Have someone set aside food from the cocktail hour for you to eat.
During your cocktail hour, you will be probably be taking pictures. You might completely miss it; so, have someone bring you food so you don’t go into the reception hungry. The reception you will sit down for a moment before everything starts and you will also be greeting guests.
“The first 2 hours of the reception goes by fast. That is usually the time the food is served. If you are planning to drink, plan to eat as well. “- Ana
7. Have some with pockets that is responsible, like your dad, brother etc. hold your phone and lipstick.
If your dad is walking you down the isle, his suit coat pockets are the perfect place to stash your essentials during the ceremony.
8. Assign tasks to people, even if you have a wedding planner.
Delegating is a must for you to enjoy your day. Have someone you trust check on things you may be nervous about.
“I wish I delegated more tasks. I will always be haunted by the 1000’s of flower petals that missed the ceremony floor. “- Ana
9. Pause and take in the day.
They day will go by so fast that everything will be hard to remember. Take in the moment and enjoy what the day actually means. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
“I had about 3 huge mishaps on the day of the wedding that I had to just let go of. I was already tired and stressed that if I decided to make those things the focus of my attention, I would have fell apart and the wedding would have been a disaster “- Ana
10. Accept that the day might not be all about you.
A lot of people with a lot of different personalities will be there. Do not let anything ruin your day.
11. Let go… if something happens have someone assigned to handle it. Let nothing ruin your day.
Have someone you trust handle all of the things that may come up. At the end of the day, the bride does have to entertain and greet her guest. You need to be front and center, not in the back handeling things.
12. Make sure you eat before the wedding.
Eat every meal. Do not skip a meal.
13. Do nothing the day of the wedding.
The only thing that you should plan on doing is arriving at your venue. If you have to go to the salon, make sure you have someone with you that can help you stay on track with time.
14. Practice moving in your dress.
Have a friend move around in the dress for you to emulate your spouse in your wedding dance. Practice walking around, so you don’t trip the day of.
11 First Date Questions
11 First Date Questions
First Date Questions That Don't Totally Suck
Staff Writer
09-18-2018
Here’s 11 first date questions that will help that awkward first 20 minutes and hopefully ease you into a useful conversation.
1. What was the highlight of your day?
You don’t have to ask it just like this, but asking a precise question can lead to more of a direct answer instead of an open ended questions like “How was your Day?”- which a shy person may just answer “Good” or “It was okay”.
2. Tell me about your closest friends?
This is a great questions that will open up the topic of family and friends.
3. Have you been to any good restaurants recently?
You can learn a bit about their lifestyle habits and what type of food that they might be into.
4. Are you watching any good movies or TV shows?
If they don’t enjoy the Cinema or TV, you can ask the next question…
5. Are you more of an indoors or outdoors person?
Maybe the next date idea?
6. What pets have you had?
Pet’s are a big part of certain people lives. It’s important to learn about their furry best friend.
7. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Here you can tell a little about their lifestyle habits.
8. What did you do last summer?
Could lead to more questions about favorite places to vacation
9. What are people often surprised to learn about you?
A question that can lead to vulnerability and openness.
10. What’s your favorite holiday?
You can tell if birthdays are important to them or family oriented holidays.
11. What habit do you wish you could start?
This is a question that many people do not ask. May lead to a conversation about future goals and dreams.
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How to get over an Ex
Relationship
How to get over an Ex
Asking Ana
The Millennial Relationship Guru
08-03-2018
Breakups can seem like the hardest thing that you will ever deal with.
We can usually see it happening, but sometimes nothing can prepare us for the void that we may feel afterwards. Sometimes the process of how to get over an ex, can seem like a long and painful one.
Here are healthy ways to began the healing process and cope with a breakup.
1. Get support from your support system
Family and Friends are necessary in a time like this. You need to surround yourself with people that sincerely care about you. Use this time to catch up with your little brother or take that girls trip that you have been putting off because you were in a relationship. Have lunch with your mom or dad. Fill your void with love.
2. Listen to sad love songs
We psychologically find comfort when we realize that we are not alone. Love songs can remind us that we are not the only one having these problems. Listen to sad love songs, but keep a mix of empowerment songs within your love songs.
3. Start a hobby
You know those walls you never painted? Those scrapbooks you never filled. Maybe that yoga or martial arts class that you put off because you didn’t have the time? Become active and more social.
4. Start a journal
Writing can be the best therapy. Get a blank journal and began to write. Write about your relationship and the mistakes that were taken place. Write about what you would do in future relationships. Writing allows us to step back revaluate things. It can also provide another perspective.
5. Hang out with single people
If you haven’t hung around single people in a while, then begin to hang out with singles in a group setting. This will make the transition easier.
6. Give yourself time to process your feelings
Time does heal. Let yourself process your relationship and breakup. Begin to purge items that are reminders. You might also need to separate your social life from theirs by deleting them from social media and avoiding the places they frequent.
7. Speak to some professionally
If you have built a life with someone and planned on spending all of your years with this individual, it is perfectly normal to feel lost. If you feel lost, speak to someone. It helps.
http://myunboundedlife.com/5-tips-better-relationship-2018/
http://myunboundedlife.com/why-farting-is-actually-good-for-your-relationship/
The Spouse that Emotionally Shuts Down
Asking Ana
Relationship Advice
The Spouse that Emotionally Shuts Down
E-mail from a reader that is dealing with a husband that emotionally shuts down in arguments.
July 25 2018
Dear Ana,
When I have arguments or discussions with my husband, he just nods along and then disappears into another room when I am finished speaking. Afterwards, he does not speak to me besides saying “Good Moring” or “Good Night.” It is as if he punishing me for arguing. I’m not sure to what to do.
Hello Reader,
It sounds like your partner emotionally shuts down after a conflict. Speaking to a spouse that emotionally shuts down is just like speaking to a brick wall and you can’t reach them until they allow you to. It is almost like they are hitting pause on the relationship. The dangerous thing is that they get to control what is going on because only when they deem that it is okay to speak upon the topic, you guys can have a conversation. It is also dismissive and can be emotionally draining.
What I want you to think about, are your past conflicts.
How did they get resolve? Did they get resolved?
If this has happened one or two times, then having a conversation about how this affects you may be a positive move forward, but if this keeps going on, I think your best bet is for the both of you to speak to a relationship therapist since the line of communication between the two of you is broken. There needs to be a neutral party that can commence the line of communication between the two of you.
There’s a difference between cooling off and being off and it is never a good feeling to feel alone in a relationship.
I wish you all of the best. Remember relationships are something you have to work on, on a daily basis.
9 Things that are Normal in Relationships
9 Things that are Normal in Relationships
That People think are Abnormal
03-26-2018
Ana Lefebvre
Here are 9 Things that are Normal in Relationships that People think are Abnormal, but are completely normal in healthy relationships.
“When I first met my husband, I tried to be the perfect person for him. In doing that I stopped being myself and focused solely on just pleasing him. I didn’t realize that the conflict that I ran from, was normal in relationships. I didn’t realized that I was emulating the traditional relationship that I saw in my childhood. Once I let go of trying to obtain perfection we organically grew closer.”
- Feeling annoyed with your partner
You are two different people with different likes and interest; of course you will get annoyed. Annoyance is an emotion that offers room for growth. If you get annoyed with something your partner does, it opens the door for a discussion and within that discussion, you and your partner can get closer and learn more about each other. Indifference is the emotion that should be worrisome.
2. Not feeling lovey dovey all the time
Unfortunately, real life happens and the honeymoon phase usually fades with time, but always working on the passion and creating a strong bond builds upon your Chemistry. Chemistry and compatibility are more important than Passion.
3. Needing personal space
As the years go by, we as individuals grow. Knowing who you are is important for a healthy relationship. That allows you to know your standards, what you will accept, your morals, etc. Personal time allows you to focus on you without having to appease someone else.
4. Feeling Bored
It is easy to fall into a rut and be bored by the everyday routine. Recognizing this is half the battle; the other half is implementing things get out of that rut. Both parties have to be willing to shake it up and try new things.
*Try cost efficient things like having a Netflix night or purchasing a MoviePass.
5. Arguments
There’s nothing wrong with arguing, if you do it respectfully. When you have two different individuals from two different backgrounds, of course there will be differences. Arguing resolves conflict and as long as you respectfully argue and know how to resolve an argument by coming to a compromise.
6. Over-Sharing your Bathroom Experience
Pooping, peeing, doing other gross grooming is common with couples. If it begins to get in the way of sexy time, make sure you close the bathroom door or try to do those things when you have privacy.
7. Things not being 50/50
A 50/50 relationship means that each individual is participating and giving the same amount of their selves for fairness. This is unrealistic. There will be times where each individual will have to pitch in certain areas more than the other due to circumstance or wellbeing. As long as you are not taking advantage of your significant other and you both have an understanding.
8. Being Wrong
Perfection is something that is unattainable; so, of course you will be wrong at some point. That is okay. You are human and allowed room for error and growth.
9. Not Being perfect
This goes hand in hand with being wrong. You don’t have to be the perfect spouse and that is okay. Not being perfect allows you to express yourself and make mistakes that you can grow from.
12 Inspirational Father’s Day Quotes
Lifestyle
12 Inspirational Father's Day Quotes
06-15-2018
Staff Reporter
Inspirational Father's Day Quotes that are perfect your Father's Day card, inspiration, or just because....
- “A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.”
-Unknown
2. “It’s only when you grow up and step back from him—or leave him for your own home—it’s only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it.”
-Margaret Truman
3. “A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.”
-Unknown
4. “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad.”
– Anne Geddes
5. “Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song.”
-Pam Brown
6. “Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes.”
-Gloria Naylor
7. “The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.”
-Antoine Francois Prevost
8. “What you teach your children, you also teach their children.”
-Unknown
9. “Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father. It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.”
-Barack Obama
10. “He adopted a role called being a father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a protector.”
–Tom Wolfe
11. “A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men.”
-Gregory E. Lang
12. “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”
-Billy Graham
Top Father’s Day Gift Ideas
Lifestyle
Top Father's Day Gift Ideas
06-08-2018
by Bonnie Min, RN
@glowonandprosper
Father’s Day is right around the corner…and so is the age old question of “What on Earth do I get him???” Never fear!! I’ve scoured the Internet and conducted a highly unscientific survey by asking a few dad friends of mine what they’d like to receive. These gift ideas are what have landed on my 2018 Top 10 Gifts For Dad!
Cocktails For Two
There’s nothing like enjoying a quiet evening with a drink in hand…unless 
it’s a cocktail you mastered on your own AND get to share (unless you don’t want to. Hey, it’s your gift. I’m not gonna judge you). What I like about Saloon Box is that you get one box a month that has everything you need to make amazing craft cocktails at home, including the ingredients and instructions! The best part, like I mentioned above, it that everything is proportioned for TWO people! It’s like having some of the world’s best bartenders in your living room…but not really. It’s a monthly cocktail subscription box and clocks in at $37.50.
Cold Brew Coffee Master
Getting Dad a Keurig is so * yawn * 3 years ago. Why not let him morph his inner mad scientist with his latent inner hipster and get him something that will indulge BOTH sides? The Yama Cold Brew Tower ($250) is not only absolutely GORGEOUS, (hello, curved wood and hand blown, dishwasher and microwave safe glass parts) but it literally looks like the kind of caffeinated science experiment I can get behind. Ice + Water + Fresh Coffee = cold brewed magic he can tweak to his exact specifications. It is also super cool looking!
https://www.espressoparts.com/6-8-cup-cold-drip-maker-curved-brown-wood-frame-32oz
Keep It Spicy
Got a dad who’s got a zillion different bottles of hot sauce? Why not add 6 more BUT these are ones he made HIMSELF? Give him the gift of spice with this fun DIY Hot Sauce Kit! $34.95 gets you a variety of spice packs, 6 bottles + labels to pour his creations into. Get it here from Uncommongoods.com
The Gift Of A Better Shave
What man likes razor burns, razor rashes and ingrown hairs from shaving. Why not gift him the gift of a better shave? Rodan+Fields’s Beyond The Shave features 3 proven products specifically curated by top dermatologists for men skin care needs. This 3 step regimen helps calm overall razor irritation and gives him a smoother, closer shave while revealing better skin. Shave with the Unblemish Acne Treatment Sulfur Wash to soften facial hairs for less razor bumps and a smoother shave. Added bonus? It does double duty as a facial cleanser! Follow this up with the Soothe Sensitive Skin Treatment instead of aftershave. Packed full of proprietary RFp3 peptide technology, this powerhouse product comforts and moisturizes freshly shaved skin while also visibly reducing redness.
Lastly, protect and smooth his skin with Redefine Triple Defense Treatment with SPF 30. Get it here.
Email me to find out how you can get 10% off and free FedEx shipping!
Live And Learn
My husband loves learning new and useful things. That’s just who he is and I love that about him. Why not spoil the man in your life with the gift of learning? I love MasterClass for this reason because YOU can choose to either gift him with one class for $90 or spend $180 for an All Access Pass that gives him access for a whole year! I mean, we’re talking WORLD CLASS professionals! Learn photography from Annie Leibovitz. Learn how to cook with GORDON RAMSEY. Stephen Curry will help him hone his bball skills. What’s not to like?
By A1271 [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
Massage
Yes, you guys. Men love massages also! Why not treat him to a great massage? I won’t tell if you treat yourself to one at the same time! I enjoy Hand And Stone Massage. Look and see if there’s one near you!
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Give the gift of memories by booking a photo session with a great photographer. This is the one thing my husband asks for every year. Fill your home with memories year after year! Picture People is a great budget friendly place that has an indoor studio and various packages that can fit just about every budget. Added bonus is having your photos printed out and framed right then and there! Or you can also splurge and hire a photographer who specializes in family portraits.
Tile Sport $25
Never again will again will you have to hear “WHERE ARE MY KEYS????” when you attach the Tile Sport to his keys! All he has to do is open up the Tile app and BAM! The Tile Sport will locate it for him. The Tile Sport is waterproof up to 1.5 meters just in case it gets splashed on or dropped into a spill.
MeUndies
I know underwear isn’t exactly the kind of gift most people think about giving on Father’s Day, but this brand is highly rated! For starters, the fabric they use is super soft and is really comfortable. Added bonus is that they can keep costs low due to being an online service ONLY. You have the option of spending $20 for a one time order or $16 as a subscriber.
Charitable Gifts
For the dad who TRULY has everything and doesn’t need or want anything, why not make a charitable gift in his name to a cause near and dear to his heart?
Have more questions? E-mail Bonnie at [email protected]
Articles by Bonnie Min, RN