50th wedding anniversary planning can be a bit stressful! 50 years of making friends and family can mean that there would be lots of people to invite and the expectation of a great party as well as a big mixture of ages can add to the pressure. Not that I am trying to put you off! If you plan your anniversary party then there will be no need to panic.

You first need to think about the type of party that your golden couple would enjoy. My aunt and uncle had a big party, organised as a wedding, complete with dancing but my grandparents enjoyed a family meal at one of their favourite restaurants. Which would they enjoy?

When you have worked out if you are inviting everyone or just family you will have a rough idea of numbers. You will now need to find the venue! Look at local hotels and function facilities, get menu samples, bar prices and if not included, the room hire. Also ask around, a local community hall could be just what you are looking for in space and also facilities. A number of community centres have their own kitchen and just ask that you clear up afterwards. This could save you a fortune. If the couple are members of a local social club or golf club they may have membership discounts to hire the room, plus this is a venue known to them and the service would be great, you may even get a few extras.

When you are looking around any of the possible venues think about the size of the room – is everyone going to be seated at tables. The location – is it easy to find for your guests that are travelling, is there overnight accommodation if needed? And the decor – would you need to spend lots to make the room look nice?

When you have all the information, the next stage in your 50th wedding anniversary planning is to collate all of the facts; prices, sizes, ease, minimum numbers etc. We find the best way to do this is to have all of the information on a spreadsheet so that you can compare apples with apples. When you have made your decision you will need pay a deposit to the venue to secure the date, and make sure you read the contract!

Now that the venue is booked you will need to organise invitations and possibly accommodation. It would be a good idea to contact local hotels for prices so that you could include a list of possible places that your guests could stay in the invitation. Don’t get involved in booking accommodation, let your guests do that otherwise you may find that this will take up most of your time. Get your guests to reply with any special dietary requirements

Discuss catering with the venue or with the caterer when you have your replies so that they have all the details of children’s meals or special needs. You will need to confirm numbers a couple of weeks before the party – check with your venue as to what is best.

Organise any decor – it could be flowers, balloons, candles and either book with the decor company or get your volunteers ready! You may want to get into the venue the night before to get everything in place. Make sure your venue knows this as they may have another function on.

If you want to have a special 50th anniversary cake then you will need to book this with a baker in advance, some people have replicas of their wedding cake or the wedding cake they always wanted, others will have fun cakes that show off their personality.

Venue booked, invitations sent and received back, numbers confirmed, decorations done, cake ready at bakers, all that is left is to have a great 50th anniversary party!

Suz Daykin is the Editor of Anniversary Gifts By Year, the complete guide for anniversary gift ideas and how to organise great anniversary parties.

More 50th Anniversary Ideas Here

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

1st Anniversary:

Traditional Gift: Paper – It symbolizes the strength in paper that comes from the interlaced connection of the paper’s individual threads.

Modern Gift: Clocks - Henry Van Dyke wrote, “For those who love, time is eternity.”

5th Anniversary:

Traditional Gift: Wood - The strength of a marriage bond is represented by the traditional gift of wood. Wood is strong and long-lasting.

Modern Gift: Silverware - The modern gift of silverware is a reminder of the connection couple formed as they shared meals with each other and their children (if any).

10th Anniversary:

Traditional Gift: Gold – Optimism and wealth are often associated with gold. Not only is the metal gold beautiful, it is strong, and resistant to corrosion.

Modern Gift: Diamond jewelry. A marriage that lasts ten years is as durable and beautiful as a diamond.

25th Anniversary:

Traditional Gift: Silver

Modern Gift: Silver – A great milestone for any marriage!

30th Anniversary:

Traditional Gift: Pearl

Modern Gift: Diamond

45th Anniversary:

Traditional Gift: Sapphire

Modern Gift: Sapphire

50th Anniversary:

Traditional Gift: Gold

Modern Gift: Gold – Optimism and wealth are often associated with gold. Not only is the metal gold beautiful, it is strong, and resistant to corrosion.

100th Anniversary:

Modern Gift: 10K Diamond

As mentioned, there are several ways to celebrate one’s anniversary; however, one popular and common theme is to renew your vows on that special day, as a reminder of what brought the couple together in the first place. When throwing a party, try to keep its décor in context with the symbols that represent the anniversary. For instance, make use of lots of silver glitter, plates and so on during a 25th wedding anniversary. Another way to make things interesting is to make plans to travel someplace new and exciting. Explore sights and sounds that have never been seen or heard of and it’s a sure way to rekindle or stoke the flames of a relationship. Other fun ideas include compiling a CD of music from that year of marriage, creating an anniversary scrapbook showing pictures of family and friends including couple.

By Kiya Sama

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Prye.Com/ which is a site for Wedding Invitations.

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

The worst feeling in the world is being unloyal to one’s self. Nothing is worse than this!

How many times did we ignore what we felt, to please someone else. How many times did we say to our Inner Child “Shut up, you are not important, the other one is far more important than you are, go away, I don’t want to hear you, I don’t want to see you”? Awful isn’t it? And we do this every time we let come the desire of the other one before ours.

This little Charlotte inside, what will she do? She will give up after a while. After trying a long time to show her emotions, she will give up. She will get very tired of all this and she will say :”It doesn’t matter, she doesn’t love me, she doesn’t want to take care of me, I’m not worth it”, and she will get depressed.

Of course you will think you get depressed because of others, because of your work, because of your children, because of your husband or parents.
It is nobody’s fault. But you have to learn how to take care of this Inner Child which is suffering from your lack of attention to her.

When, after getting depressed things still don’t change, there’s one weapon left to catch your attention : little Charlotte will get sick. Or she will get an accident. Maybe that way the adult Charlotte will learn to give finally attention to her Inner Child, which is as real (if not more) as a real child of flesh and blood.

You need to learn how to be a loving parent for yourself.

What does that mean?

First you need to develop an Inner Mother. If you were lucky and had a loving caring mother, you can take her as an exemple. Otherwise you need to invent, to create this Inner Mother, which is your feminine caring energy. Everytime you have an emotion, your Inner Mother should ask your Inner Child : “What happens, my darling?” Listen to what your Inner Child has to say. Than you go on with the dialogue. Inner Mother says : “Come here. Come in my arms, I love you as you are. I love you with what you feel.”
Doing that, the heaviness of the emotions will drop pretty much. Than you say these words : “I understand”. These words are very important, because most of the time we don’t feel very “normal” having the feelings we have and we try to ignore or suppress them, which makes them heavier. “I understand, my darling, come here in your Mothers arms, I love you.”
Stay with these words and feelings for a while, and than ask :” What do you need?”
Whatever the Child answers, you say : “We will ask this of your Father”.

And here starts the task of your Inner Father, who is there to protect you and to act for you in the outside world. You would never send a four-year old asking for a raise at work or getting to resolve a conflict at school or with the neighbours, would you? So why do you try it? Send out your Inner Father to take care of whatever you have to do in the outside world. Your Inner Father is your male energy, which enables you to make decisions, to take action, to follow your inner guidance (which is located in you Inner Child, also called Intuition) and to manifest your Child’s desires in the world.

When your Child has a need, for instance to call someone or to go somewhere to arrange something, imagine that your Inner Child stays at home with his Mother who takes care of his feelings (“I understand you’re afraid…”) and that your Inner Father (another part of your being) goes out there to act. Your Inner Father is that part of you which is able to handle stress, to take action, to arrange conflicts and all other stuff that has to do with the outside world. If that part is missing because you didn’t have a good model when you were little yourself, you will have to create and develop it.

Of course your Inner Child, Mother and Father are all parts of you. It is all you. It is just a model to understand what is happening inside you and how you can learn to love yourself.

Loving yourself is listening to your Inner Child, taking his emotions seriously, understanding what he feels and taking action in the desired direction. Loving yourself is having this dialogue with yourself every morning when you open your eyes, every evening when you go to bed, and every time you have an emotion.

Loving yourself is building a strong inner connection with yourself.
It is creating your own loving family, inside you. You will never feel alone anymore. You are already three! Call it your Trinity. Wherever you go, from now on you go with your Inner Family. Your are not alone. You are loved and you are protected. You listen to yourself and take care of that precious little Child that has been waiting for so long to get your attention and love.

This is inner healing.

Written by Ineke. My main goal is to make your energy and excitement flowing again and to make you create a life filled with enthusiasm, by passing you my energy, experience and tools so you can find your passion and your reason for living and realize your dreams and yourself. http://www.theenthusiasm.com

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

I’m sure you read a lot of times this sentence : you need first to love yourself.
But what does that mean? Is it about getting you a hot chocolate when you are cold? Is it about getting you a new dress when you feel like it? Is it doing whatever you want when you want it? Is it about putting warm clothes on when it’s freezing outside?

Loving yourself means to learn to treat you like a loving parent would do with his child.

When you are an adult, and I assume you are, you still have an Inner Child inside you. These are your emotions. At that level you still react like a child of 3-4 years old. Your emotions can not get older or mature. But you can get mature. You can learn how to respect them and how to handle them. You can learn how to take care of this Inner Child.

When you are not aware of your Inner Child, you try to live in an adult world like a 4-year old boy or girl. You feel all alone, afraid of the big nasty world there outside, not knowing what to do, where to ask for help, how to protect you. This is a very difficult way of doing. You will always feel afraid, fearful, doubtful, tired. It is hard to try to survive as a child in a grown up world. You will feel angry and afraid most of the time, and lost.

Why is that? Because nobody takes care of that Little Child inside you.
Let’s say your name is Charlotte. You are 42 years old. Inside you lives the little Charlotte. She’s four. When you are busy in the outside world taking care of other people, of business, of getting around, of doing a thousand things every day, the little Charlotte will feel overlooked. When you’re always running to help others, to make sure their needs are fulfilled, you will be exhausted every night and cry in your bed. Sometimes you will get temper tantrums. You will feel very angry without any reason (but still there is one, a big one!).

All these big emotions are attempts from your Inner Child to get your attention.
Imagine you have, besides your children, husband, collegues, parents, friends, a little four-year old girl named Charlotte. Nobody ever notices her. Nobody takes care of her. Whenever she tries to tell something and get some attention, you shout to her “Shut up!”. You say “I have to take care of my parents, my work, my husband, my paperwork, my friends, my other children, my house… I don’t have time for you!”

How do you think she will feel? What do you think she will do? First she will try to get your attention by showing big emotions. She will cry a lot, she will scream and shout, maybe she’s getting aggressive from time to time. You think you’re angry at the outside world, but it is Your Inner Child that is angry with YOU! She’s sad and angry because you don’t care about her! You act as if she doesn’t exist! Nothing is worse than acting as if our Inner Child doesn’t exist. This means trying to live as if WE don’t exist.

Click here for part 2 of this article.

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

1) Visit regularly- Some elderly people tend to lose touch of their “older” friends. Either most are deceased or have some type of illness or health condition. It is very common for your elderly friend to have “out-lived” their best buddies and closest family members even.

2) Remember Holidays- Some elderly people are very lonely during the holidays and it is always a great idea to visit or call your elderly friend during these days. You will be amazed how valued you will become in their eyesight and they will simply love you for doing so.

3)Remember Birthdays- A birthday is always a special day to most. Although, not all elderly people suffer forms of dementia; however if your elderly friend seems a bit forgetful at times- you may want to remind them a few days leading up to their birthday that the birthday is coming soon. Once the day has come- do something very special for them. Think of the things they talk about most doing or having and surprise them with a favorite.

4) Buy Needed Items- When you are visiting or around your elderly friend, notice some of the things that they seem not to have; but desperately need to make life a bit easier and more efficient for them. It could be something as simple as a soft comfortable pair of slippers, maybe a handy storage bag for storing handy/quick items, clothes with custom made handy features to make dressing/undressing easier, handy apparatus,etc. Your elderly friend may not even seem to care or realize that the “handy gifts” you are giving them are necessary.

5) Check Ups- Frequently touch basis to see if your elderly friend is taking care of their health needs, such as routine physicals and check-ups. If they need medication alerts to remind them to take their meds. in a timely fashion…ask or discuss how you can assist, if needed to do so. Encourage them to drink the require amt. or water each day and push healthy eating habits. The doctor could have very well prescribed a diet as well…If so suggest tips to help your friend maintain the diet.

6) Pay Attention- Pay attention to anything unusual or different about your elderly friend; Such as a change in physical appearance, a change in behavioral, a change in eating habits, a change in health status, a change in anything that you feel remarkably different. Report and address these changes to the proper source.

7) Outings- If your elderly friend can tolerate fun “outings” or recreational ventures….There is nothing like a breath of nature! Or simply volunteer to take them to their favorite spots, it could be in the park viewing the beautiful trees and the birds or kids playing. It could be a stroll through a beautiful garden or nature walk. If your friend does not like the outdoor, respect that and do fun inside activities with them depending on how well they are able to tolerate them.

The most crucial thing in dealing with your elderly friend is to be there for them when they need you the most. Let them know that you are “on their side” and that you love them and will be around. Let them know that regardless of any “age complications” or stresses that you will oversee their best interest due to your love for them-if they will allow you to do so. Your elderly friend whether mentally challenge or not will at-least be able to “feel” the gentle wisp of air that blows “genuine” LOVE.

© Beverly Smith copyright 2007

Author: Beverly Smith,Business Builder: Health/Dental Benefit Specialist,
Member of the Freedom From At Home Team, Assisting Others In Choosing Their Financial Freedom, Developing Genuine Leaders, BSmith290@ameriplan.net

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

Biblical facts as well as natural experience have provided substantial evidence to support the theory that Love cures all.

It may come in an array of programs and processes not always obvious at first sight, or even second or third sight.

This doesn’t mean a total love of self with the vast array of creams, tonics, health food, and vitamins available. This would be called respect if presented in the right amount, combination and need.

Many of us who are passing through the now ‘later’ middle years have had the experience of caring for or tending to someone less fortunate.

To some this may be presented as a negative experience but if given the Godly attitude required will give a focus, a plan that sometimes needs changing and an expression of His love. The criticism of decisions and choices may be strong and vocal from some but this is none of their business.

If this Anti -Aging is done without resentment or special favor from any post natal benefit the effects to body and mind may not always be happiness, peace and fulfillment. A focus of relevance has been provided and so has a reason for a strong mind and healthy heart. The others will come.

Copyright 2006 Patricia Little

Patricia Little is a writer and the editor of a re-released classic ebook- it will show you how to get the best of health and wealth out of all your future years. For more go to ==> http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com.

Remarkable “How I Became Young at Sixty” brings renewed vigor to your body, and hope to your mind. You Can Get your Free ebook “How I Became Young at Sixty” by going to http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com/get-your-f-r-e-e-ebook.htm.

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

Most of us live by values. Our relationship is also based on shared values that are dear to both the partners. What are the values you live by? They may be- Honesty, speaking truth, helping others, understanding others, caring for others, being compassionate and such other values that you may be sharing with your partner.

Do you live by these values in your work life? Many of us compromise our values in our work life to achieve quick results and money. When it comes to living by the values in work, we do not think about scarifying the values to reach targets and achieve quick growth. are you also doing the same?

How many of us do not lie? How many of us behave carelessly towards others/ how many of us cheat others for small gains? We are ready to sacrifice most of our values to reach our material goals. We justify all our actions. But this gives us dissatisfaction. we are not happy because we do not feel accomplished by getting success in this way. This dissatisfaction affects our relationship.

Slowly we also begin to compromise on our values with our partner. In love, we say- I will care for you. In love we promise total faithfulness. In love, we promise that we will sacrifice our comfort to make our beloved comfortable. In love we promise many things including never hurting our darling. When it comes to living by these values, we break most of them. We bring down our love to a give and take and justify our wrong actions with every possible argument. As that becomes apparent to our partner, they object to that and friction begins. This friction may lead to break- up. The essential factor is to live by values in all areas of our life. Once we do that we get happiness and confidence. Our relationship thrives because of that.

Yourromanceguide.com offers hundreds of articles and tips on relationships, dating and love. Myspace users, click for myspace comments such as compliments, cool comments, love, flirty, birthday, holidays, religion, funny, cute, etc. If you love trying Quizzes and tests, visit funquizcards.

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

One great gift idea for a woman to give to her husband on Valentine’s Day which is often overlooked is a gift of flowers. Flowers are one of the most popular gifts for men to give to women on Valentine’s Day but women often do not even consider giving flowers to men on Valentine’s Day. This is a shame because men receive flowers so rarely, if ever, that they are very likely to really appreciate a simple gift of flowers from their wives on Valentine’s Day.

Another great gift idea for women to give to their husbands on Valentine’s Day is something that really reflects his personal interests or hobbies. For example if your husband is really into following a particular sports team, you might consider buying him tickets to a game or a piece of memorabilia. For a man who has an interest in an activity such as fishing, you might consider buying him something related to his hobby such as a new fishing reel or other accessories for fishing. These types of gifts may not seem overly romantic which is why many women do not consider these gifts at Valentine’s Day but they do show that you really know your husband well and appreciate his interests and hobbies. This is a very important part of being in love with someone and therefore these gifts are perfect for Valentine’s Day.

A homemade dinner is also a great gift idea for women to give to their husbands on Valentine’s Day. Again, most women cook every night so they wouldn’t consider cooking dinner as a Valentine’s Day gift because they think it is too ordinary. However, if they just make a few changes by creating an elegant menu and serving dinner by candlelight it can transform everyday dinners into and excellent gift idea. You may spend a little more time preparing the meal than you normally would spend to cook dinner but both you and your husband will get the benefit of being able to relax and enjoy a fabulous dinner together.

If you are running out of ideas for gifts to give your husband on Valentine’s Day, you might want to consider giving him some clothing as a gift. This really is a good idea because if your husband is like most men, he rarely shops for clothing for himself. In fact he may still be wearing clothing from high school or college. Try buying your husband items he normally wouldn’t purchase for himself such as a stylish pair of jeans or a new pair of shoes. He will likely appreciate the gift because he will now have a few more clothing options but will not have to worry about doing his own shopping.

A final gift which can be a good idea for women to give to their husbands on Valentine’s Day is a gift certificate for a massage. Men often give these types of gifts to women on Valentine’s Day but women typically don’t give these types of gifts to men. Men enjoy being pampered just as much as women do, and your husband will likely appreciate a gift of a gift certificate for a massage. However, you might consider giving him the gift certificate and also scheduling an appointment for him. This is helpful for a couple of reasons. First it helps to make sure your husband doesn’t accidentally forget about the gift. The other reason is that some men may be shy about this type of gift because they have never had a massage before and may be apprehensive. If you make the appointment for them, it will take away some of the anxiety.

About the Author

Author Ryan Smith
is the owner of MyCirclePal.Com, one of the Net’s hottest community and social neworking sites! Post your free profile today at http://www.mycirclepal.com/

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

They may have already bought their wives items such as flowers, candy, lingerie and jewelry and may feel as though repeating these gifts would not be appropriate. However, there are a lot of great gift ideas for men to give to their wives on Valentine’s Day. This article will focus on how men can update some of the traditional gift ideas and will also provide some unique gift ideas for men to give their wives on Valentine’s Day.

Candy is one of the most popular gifts for men to give to women on Valentine’s Day. Men who have given their wives a gift of candy in the past may feel as though it would be inappropriate to give her candy again. However, this is not true. Candy is a gift which is almost always appreciated on Valentine’s Day.

There are ways to make candy seem like a more original gift though. Men who normally give their wives a gift of an assortment of chocolates in a heart shaped box can search for other candy options available. For example, they may find chocolate covered strawberries available in a number of unique designs. They can also make a gift of candy more original by making the candy themselves.

Making candy is not difficult and can be a great deal of fun. While some women will always appreciate a gift of candy, she will be more surprised if you make the candy yourself because it shows you put more effort into the gift.

Jewelry is another popular gift idea for men to give to women on Valentine’s Day. Men may feel as though once they give their wife a few pieces of jewelry, there is no way to continue giving jewelry. However, this is not true. For example if you previously gave your wife a solitaire ring you might consider giving her a new ring with three stones to reflect the past, the present and your future together. You might even consider having the solitaire ring modified to include the additional stones.

You can also put a unique spin on gifts of jewelry by giving different stones or jewelry of different metals. However, when selecting a gift of jewelry for your wife on Valentine’s Day care should be taken to choose items that reflect her taste so you are sure your wife will love the gift and want to wear it often.

If you and your wife have children and excellent gift idea for Valentine’s Day is to present your wife with handmade coupons for free afternoons. You will take care of the kids during this time so your wife can go out and relax and enjoy some time to herself. Many women often feel guilty about leaving the children with their husbands to take time for themselves. This type of gift will make her more likely to take some time to get a manicure or do some shopping without feeling guilty because you will be volunteering to watch the kids so your wife will not feel like she is inconveniencing you by asking for some time to herself.

You can make this type of gift even more special by giving your wife a gift certificate to a beauty salon so she can go to get her hair done or have a manicure and pedicure. You can also plan a special activity for the kids while she is gone. For example you might sit with the kids and have them make a gift for their mom while she is gone. This way your wife will have some free time and will also receive a homemade gift from her children.

About the Author

by Ryan Smith. He is the owner of MyCirclePal.Com, one of the Net’s hottest community and social neworking sites! Post your free profile today at http://www.mycirclepal.com/

Article Source: Article North directory

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.

Throw a Valentines Day Party for the Kids

Get together with another couple you know that has kids and create an evening of Valentines fun for the kids. You can have them invite a few friends and plan a dinner (pizza and snacks) and some entertainment. You might allow them to have party games or watch a movie marathon of their choosing. What they do does not particularly matter.

While one couple is watching the kids, the other couple can sneak away for some much needed Valentines Day TLC. When the couple returns they can watch the kids and the other couple is off to have some fun. This ensures both you and your friends have a good time, and the kids do, too!

Celebrate in the Afternoon

If your children go to school or daycare during the day, the perfect solution is going to be for you to celebrate during the day. This gives you around eight hours of uninterrupted time with your lover. You will be free to roam the city or your house with your lover without your children.

Whether you choose to enjoy a quiet moment alone with your lover or you want to have some passionate lovemaking time, you will have plenty of time to do whatever pleases you both. Best of all, you will not have to worry about hurrying through the process, like you might if they were with friends or somewhere where the kids or other family members might come home too soon.

Send them to the Movies & the Arcade

If you have an older child or a willing babysitter, consider sending your kids out for a night on the town. Dinner, a movie, and some arcade fun can easily clear four to five hours in an evening. A lot of pleasurable activities can occur in that amount of time. This would give you some time to enjoy your lover in all those important ways you took for granted before you had kids and it won’t be that expensive to do either.

Make Use of Grandma/Aunt (Family)

If the kids have a grandma, aunt, or another family member who is constantly trying to spend more time with them and they do not have any plans, consider letting the kids stay the night with them on Valentines. Not only will this thrill your family member who gets to spend time with the kids, but it will also allow you to have a full night to yourselves.

You can create a sensual love den and do all of the things that you rarely get a chance to do. You can walk around naked or make love in any room of the house. By the end of the evening you will surely be elated and feeling better than you have in months!

Sneak off for Bath-time Fun

If the kids are home and they are there to stay there is still hope. Get them involved in an activity and then sneak off for some bath-time fun. One parent can head off and get the bath ready while the other parent handles the kids. Once the kids are immersed in their activities the bath should be ready to go.

Together, in the tub you can enjoy a sensual soak, some intimate conversation, and perhaps even some intimate lovemaking in the confines of your secret love nest. While this is not the most romantic option, if you miss time with your lover this is a good way to get it. Of course, you can always wait until the kids go to sleep.

About the Author

By Shayla Moore.
Shayla is a writer for http://www.oasislingerie.com She has many interesting topics and ideas for all to read about. Check out more of her articles.

Article Source: Article North directory

Copyright 2007 by MyLastingLove.com. All Rights Reserved.