Romantic Anniversary Present Ideas For Less

!±8± Romantic Anniversary Present Ideas For Less

Have an amazing anniversary on-the-cheap with these tips

How many times have you taken your sweetheart out for a night on the town, only to realize the next day that you'll be paying for it for months? It's tempting to go all-out for special occasions like anniversaries, but you can treat the one you love to a very romantic evening for less than you'd think. Here are tons of cheap and free activities and presents to get you started!

A New Romantic Hypothesis

First off, it's time to face the facts: A flower bouquet is unimaginative. I mean, it's a bunch of dead plants! This just won't cut it anymore, unless you're trying to say something like, "Here honey, have a token of my love and appreciation: beautiful red roses that will look pretty and hopefully smell decent for approximately 18 hours before fading and drooping ... stems you'll feel obligated to keep on your desk far longer than you should because you know they cost me more than our last dinner out, only to trash them exactly 4 days later -- probably a few hours after they really start rotting. Sigh -- isn't it romantic?"

Sarcasm aside, it's time to redefine romance. How about some everlasting roses made with your very own hands? (This will likely require a little sweat, too, which - frankly -- will mean a lot more than your last-minute jaunt to the florist.) Go ahead, commit to making a dozen of them. Any old paper will do. Deliver them with a personalized love letter and you've concocted a potion for a perfect anniversary celebration.

If you're not the crafty type, home made gift cards and coupons are another frugal gift. You can also DIY by making a big stack of love coupons or a mini-scrapbook of how you met. Burn a CD of your favorite love songs. Wrap yourself in a bow with some chocolate and whipped cream. Make a collage of things you've done together over the years (invitations and mementos, concert ticket stubs, a branch from that tree you planted together ... clean out the junk drawers and other collection areas of your house for good fodder for this project).

The point is, it's not the money you spend on a present that makes an anniversary romantic -- it's the time, thought and effort you put into each element of the evening. There are tons of Websites out there that collect offers for free samples, merchandise and other stuff. Check out free offer sites online and other deal hubs, and put together a gift basket of free lotions & skincare products you know your significant other will love. "It's the thought that counts," was never truer than on your special day.

Frugal Dining
The candlelit dinner for 2 remains an integral part of the equation. Remember all those fancy dishes you never use that are just collecting dust in the cabinet? Grab them and whip up a creative culinary concoction.

If kitchen skills aren't on your resume, prepare an elegant meal of grilled cheese sandwiches (with a few potato chips on the side to up the class factor, of course). Sprinkle a dozen cheap floating candles;around the dinner table and you've got the recipe for a delicious meal.

Enticing Entertainment
How does one celebrate an anniversary without spending tons of money on going to a show or event? Watch your wedding video together (or hey, make a new home movie). Seriously, what's more romantic than a quiet evening at home reviewing your vows of commitment to each other? Top off the program by rewriting and renewing them. (You don't have to be a poet, just sincere!)

Another idea is to start an anniversary tradition by planning a photo shoot that captures who you are as a couple the 1st, 2nd, 3rd ... 33rd year you've been together. Digital cameras make this an easy (and free) project. Do it at home, or photograph yourselves at some of your favorite places. If you don't have a camera with a timer, recruit a friend for this portion of the evening. Just spend an hour taking silly pictures together. Have fun, dance, laugh, kiss. If they turn out terrible, you can always hit the delete button.

You could also rent popular movies from the years each of you were born or the year you got together. Or take a walk after dark. Stargaze. Spend time talking and relaxing. Turn off your cell phones and computers and revel in each other.

These are just a few inventive ideas to help you save money while you celebrate. And they all go to show that you can keep your wallet in your pocket (after all, isn't that what Mom always said to do?) and make memories that last a lifetime.

Romantic Anniversary Present Ideas For Less

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Of All the Sugar Shacks in Rhode Island - Walk Into Allie's Donuts

!±8± Of All the Sugar Shacks in Rhode Island - Walk Into Allie's Donuts

Sugar shacks dotting Rhode Island's landscape by the dozens are primarily large chain franchises. Dunkin Donuts, the undisputed doughnut dynasty boasts at least 124 stores inside Rhody's borders on downtown streets, strip malls, interstate exits, supermarkets, and gas stations. The arrival of the state's first Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Cranston, 2003, might have raised cane, but the franchise soon took a powder in deference to Dunkin, the duke of doughnuts. Bess Eaton Donuts, Sip & Dip Donuts (Tiverton and Warren), and Tim Hortons conclude the major players of confection.

Of all the sugar shacks in Rhode Island, why would you walk into Allie's Donuts? Located at 3661 Quaker Lane, North Kingstown, on the old Rte. 1 parallel to Interstate 95, Allie's might have easily been forgotten and joined the ranks of boarded up American icons. However, year round word-of-mouth sweet talk and beachgoers diving for doughnuts before hitting the grainy sand have made Allie's the doughnuts-to-dive-for. Established in 1968, current estimates indicate this low key ramshackle building-a small store front with an addition for the kitchen-earned annual revenue of to .5 million.

One of Allie's customers, I can attest to its popularity as the state's premier doughnut shop off the primary primrose path. I've waited in one of the long lines extending to two separate counters in the small waiting area to place an order before heading to the beach-all the better to get a panoramic view of the sinkers. What variety! Sugar-dusted, honey-dipped, glazed, coconut sprinkled, and frosted; plain with assorted icings and jimmies; crullers, jelly sticks, cinnamon sticks all behemoth sized.

As there is no available seating inside Allie's, and the few outdoor picnic tables cannot possibly accommodate all of the doughnut cruisers who patronize this establishment, it's bagged or boxed Rhode fill to go. Of course, there's always the dining car at rest or in motion to munch a bunch before you arrive at your destination. Of all the sugar shacks in doughnut dominated Rhode Island, walk into Allie's Donuts for a sticky situation you won't regret.

Of All the Sugar Shacks in Rhode Island - Walk Into Allie's Donuts

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Top Seven Home Staging Mistakes

!±8± Top Seven Home Staging Mistakes

If you are really serious about staging your house to sell, you will have to stage more than just the living room, bedrooms and kitchen. Use this list as a helpful reminder that all spaces in your house should be staged. After all, you're selling the whole house, not just selected areas.

Don't forget your closets. Storage is a major selling point, but cluttered storage can kill a sale. Be sure to maximize all the storage spaces in your house. Either sell or use a storage unit to clear out the clutter to make your closets appear as spacious as possible. Buy some inexpensive shelving to organize your closets. And don't forget the kitchen cabinets. Make sure that they are neat and tidy.
Don't forget the pantry. The pantry is specialized storage space for food. Make sure it is organized and that all items are grouped in a meaningful way. If a potential buyer looks in your pantry and sees a jumbled mess of food and paper goods, they will think that the pantry storage in your house is obviously not adequate.
Don't forget the garage. I have never understood having a two-car garage packed so full of stuff that the cars have to stay in the driveway. Most two-car garages are at least 400 square feet. Maximize that space as much as you can. Clear it out, have a garage sale, give a bunch of stuff away, donate it to charity, but just get it out of the garage. Arrange necessities neatly by using a pegboard or other similar system. Make sure that you can get both cars in the garage.
Don't forget the laundry room. The laundry room is often a no-man's land of hidden and hiding socks, half empty bottles of cleaner, shoe polish and all the other odds and ends that you can't find another place for. It's a laundry room, people. It's used for doing laundry. Go through everything in your laundry room and get rid of anything that doesn't pertain to laundry. Everything that's left should be arranged neatly.
Don't forget the pictures. Most staging books will tell you to hide or store your personal family photos. This is fantastic advice. You want to make sure that your house is as "person-neutral" as possible, so it is very important that you depersonalize by getting rid of wedding pictures, family portraits and school pictures. If, however, that is all you have up on your walls, do invest in some inexpensive, generic pieces of art to hang on the walls so they don't look too bare.
Don't forget the refrigerator. Most people use their refrigerators as big metal advertizing kiosks. What do they advertize? Your entire life: doctors' appointments, snapshots, the school newsletter, your children's artwork, coupons, the honey-do list--it's all up there. Take it all down and put the honey-do list in your honey's sock drawer.
Don't forget the knick-knacks. Everyone has them--the coconut monkey head that you got on vacation to Hawaii, the collection of shot glasses from around the world, the toothpick holder collection. There is no need to show off your obsessive compulsive tendencies by showcasing 200 Pez dispensers. Seriously edit your collections to the ones that will appeal to the broadest range of potential buyers. Of those, limit the display to five pieces, maximum. The rest of what makes the house your home needs to get packed away awaiting a place of honor in your next home.

Other areas that will need to be staged are the entryway, the porch and the front, back and side yards. Stage every space, and keep this in mind: you are setting the stage for others to project their lives on. Don't let your "stuff" or your decorating sense get in the way of your goal.

Top Seven Home Staging Mistakes

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My Favorite NutriSystem Foods

!±8± My Favorite NutriSystem Foods

I'm often asked which are the best, tastiest, or most popular NutriSystem foods. The company makes it very easy for your to chose your own foods and to hand pick what you think you'll most enjoy and like. So, I sometimes hear from people getting ready to make their first order asking for advice as to which foods to chose.

Of course, every one's taste buds are different and your opinions could certainly differ from mine. But, in the following article, I'm going to tell you what are my most favorite NutriSystem foods in the hopes that this gives you an idea of what might also appeal to you.

My Favorite NutriSystem Breakfasts: Honestly, there's not a lot of bad options here. In fact, the breakfasts, desserts, and snacks are where I think this diet shines. So, any of the choices are going to be decent ones. The menu changes slightly from time to time, but as of right now, my favorites are the blueberry muffin, the cinnamon roll, and the blueberry pancakes. Clearly, I like breads and these don't disappoint me. The apple strudel scone is also quite good. The cereals are also tasty. My favorite of the bunch are the sweetened o's and the granola.

My Favorite NutriSystem Lunches: There are a lot of soups on the lunch menu. The ones which I like the best are the noodles with chicken, the chicken noodle, the Mexican tortilla, and the vegetable beef. I also am really partial to the pasta lunches. I like the tortellini, the three cheese pasta with chicken, and the fettuccine Alfredo. Lately, my go to lunch has been the hot dog. I just love it. It's not often that you can have a hot dog on a diet and this one, although it's a technically a turkey dog, is really good.

The Best NutriSystem Dinners: They've recently added a few new options to the menu, and I love a few of them. Specifically, I'm talking about the bar b que wrap and the buffalo chicken wrap. There are many comfort foods on the dinner menu which are really good. Examples are the macaroni and cheese, the meatloaf, the pepper steak, the ravioli, the lasagne, the fajita, the sloppy joe, and the mushroom risotto. But if I had to name the dinner which I'm eating the most of lately, I would have to name the pizza, with the Swedish meatballs being a close second. I love pizza in general and this one is good, even if you're not dieting.

The NutriSystem Snacks And Desserts That I Like Best: As with the breakfasts, most everything here is good. In terms of the snacks, I've come to really like the pretzels. In particular, I like the buffalo wing and the honey mustard flavors. The nachos are also good. In terms of desserts, all of them are good. What's not to like about desserts and sweets? I really love the new chocolate rainbow delights which are a candy product like m & m's. I also like the crunch candy bars. Lately, I've been eating a whole lot of the carrot cake and pound cake. The fudge brownie is quite good also.

The best thing about all of these foods is that they are surprisingly low in calories, carbs, and sugars and are high in protein. I'm not sure how they pull this off. Yes, the portions are smaller, but there's still enough and you do get a lot of choices of foods that you usually could not eat while dieting.

My Favorite NutriSystem Foods

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