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Party Tips   1.Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Party Planning

Plan ahead, it's attention to detail that makes the difference. Allow plenty of time to prepare for your party, make a list and shop smart. Things are hectic when party-time approaches so stay organized.

  2. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Party Hors D'oeuvres

Choose your finger snacks carefully. Choose foods that complement each other. Try setting a theme for the food in each room or on each table. Allow 4 to 6 hot hors d'oeurves per person. Don't serve gooey, drippy sauces near expensive rugs or furniture. Keep some carpet cleaner on hand, just in case.

  3. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Party Invitation Ideas

Written invites are a great idea. Try to make them fun and different. Use your personality but don't forget the basics like: hours. Tell your guests when the party starts and when it will end. Specify the hour in advance to avoid confusion. Let your guests know what kind of attire is appropriate. If your anticipating a semi-formal gathering let them know.

  4. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Liquor

If your guests are expected to bring their own booze, let them know in the invitation. If your serving alcohol don't forget the ice. You can never have too much ice at a party. Use quality ice for the best tasting mixed drinks. Add fresh fruit to your shopping list. Limes, lemons and oranges should be sliced in advance. Consider making two punch bowls; one with booze and one without for your non-imbibing guests. Remember, you are responsible for the safety of your guests so do not encourage excessive drinking.

 

5. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml
Smoking
If your party is being held in a non-smoking household try to make accommodations for smokers. A room with a fan blowing out is a nice thought. If you do not have a place for smokers let them know in advance that the party is held in a non-smoking household.

  6. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Guest Books

Providing a guest book can be much fun and help make the party memorable. Don't be afraid to put out a guest book and invite your partiers to sign-in as they arrive.

  7. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml  Party Atmosphere

Create a festive party atmosphere with decorations, scents and music. Use scented candles or simmer a pot of water with cinnamon and citrus fruit to fill the house with a delightful aroma. Choose your favorite music and have it playing softly in the background when guests arrive. Consider unplugging or removing your television if it's located in the party area. Nothing spoils the interaction of guests quicker than a group of people huddled around a television set. Kill your TV! (at least for the party).

  8. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Party Lighting

Creative lighting will contribute much to the atmosphere. Try replacing some bulbs with colored lamps or low wattage bulbs. Strobe lights and black lamps can add to the fun.

9. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml
Party Music
Music is an important element of most parties. If pre-recorded music is to be used, consider the musical preferences of your guests. Have a variety of music available. Put your depressing music selections away, keep the music upbeat and "mass appeal" for best results. Music helps set mood, so use with discretion. Find a tremendous assortment of music on sale including free music cds, by visiting the Music Department at Free World Mall. The best music web sites selling cds, cassettes, and DVDs may be found there.

  10. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Party Parking

Try to make provisions for parking in advance. If you will be allowing guests to park on the lawn or in the back yard, let them know in your invitation. Ask your neighbors about parking options or warn them that guests will be parking on the street. If your attending a party why not arrive in style? Rent a Limo and you won't have to worry about parking or driving yourself home after.

    11. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Seating

Consider removing all the chairs from the party area. This will create more room for people to mingle.

    12. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Party Extras

A scented candle in the bathroom is a nice touch. Leave an extra roll of toilet tissue in easy view.

    13. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml  Accidents and Spills

Accidents are part of life. Don't let an accident or spill ruin the party. Have some spot remover on hand just in case. You may want to remove extremely valuable items and/or furnishings. Move that rare Persian carpet to a safe place until the party is over.

      14. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Party Gifts

It's always a good idea to bring a small gift to a party even if the host or hostess instructs you not to in the invitation. Bring along a bottle of wine, some flowers, or chocolates to show your appreciation. Find some great gift ideas by visiting the Gift Department of Free World Mall.

    15. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml Coffee & Party Snacks

You can never have too much food at a party. Be sure to have plenty of hot coffee and snacks on hand for late in the evening.
Now that the work is done, relax! Let your guests enjoy themselves. With the proper ingredients in place everyone should have a great time. With good food, good cheer and good friends you can't miss! Party hearty and have fun. Make room for guests who have had too much to eat or drink. Don't let a guest who over drinks drive, it could save a life and it could save YOU from a lawsuit. As the host, you are responsible for the safety of your guests.

 

16. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtmlParty Jokes
If you (or one of your guests) are skilled at joke telling, try some tasteful jokes and invite your guests to participate. This exercise can often "break the ice" and get your guests sharing jokes and humorous stories. You'll find a nice selection of jokes by clicking here.

 

17. Source: http://www.vtliving.com/party/index.shtml
The Law
Sometimes even the quietest of parties will precipitate a visit from the local law enforcement agency. If the police arrive be courteous. They may have been called to your party by an irate or concerned neighbor (who may not have been invited!). Try to answer the concerns of the police officer outside your front door. Stay calm and respond to reasonable requests ("keep the noise down, move vehicles that may be blocking the roadway, etc.") If you are intoxicated, don't attempt to negotiate with the police, send your spouse or trusted friend to the door, an intoxicated host gives the police a valid reason for concern (and possibly further action). Lesson #1 never get out of control, especially at your own party! 

22.08.2007

1.Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html
A Little Preparation ...
- I find that a combination of several common tips goes a long way toward preventing flying problems, or at least making them more tolerable. I go with one carry-on, make sure it's a little smaller than the minimum size, bring my own food and drink onto the plane, bring at least one good book if not two, eat in the airport before the flight, and get to the airport a little early. I've never had to check a bag, and I've never had missing or damaged luggage. I've never been bored during flight delays. I've never been hungry or thirsty on flights. A little preparation goes a long way.

2. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html
Advance Attention to Safety
- When boarding the aircraft, make a mental note of all exits, and count how many seat rows you pass from the exit to your row. This will expedite your escape route in case of an emergency landing if there is smoke and/or power loss in the cabin. And by all means, pay attention to the flight crew! No matter how boring or uninteresting it may sound, their instructions are vital ... and read the aircraft emergency procedure manual completely before takeoff. These are located in the pouch right in front of you. Do this - it pays to be prepared for flight. Knowledge is power, and armed with the basics you can sit back and enjoy your flight.

3. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html
Advance Seat Assignment
- When buying airline tickets online, call the airline to get seat assignment immediately if no seat assignment is given. If you arrive at the ticket counter without seat assignment on an overbooked flight, you probably will get bumped off the flight and forced to take a later flight - which can be several hours or even a full day later. Due to overbooking, getting seat assignment in advance can reduce the risk of getting 'bumped'!

4. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Advice for Traveling Alone
- Traveling alone can be an intimidating experience, especially for those who don't do it often. Knowing what to expect and thinking about the challenges solo air travel throws at you ahead of time can make it an easy and efficient experience.

Avoid checking a bag. This is true of any air travel really, but I find it's much easier to be a self-contained entity when alone, leaving as little responsibility to the airline as possible. There's nobody to search for the right baggage claim with you or to help you talk to the agent if a bag gets lost. By keeping everything with you, there's less chance of error.

Along those same lines, don't be afraid to gate check a bag (usually signified by yellow tags put on the bag as you board). This works differently from normal bag checking, as any gate checked bag is only given to the airline as you board the plane, and is retrieved right as you exit the plane. The bag never actually goes through the whole luggage system - that invariably ends misplacing things.

Traveling alone seems to increase the chance of you being searched at security, particularly if one is not obviously on a business trip. Just assume you will be searched and pack accordingly.

The biggest advantage of traveling alone is usually the ability to get an exit row seat. If the airline you are flying with allows online check-in (usually available 24 hours before departing time) exit row seats can usually be obtained there. If not, make sure to ask at the gate, as most of the time there will be the odd one exit row seat that nobody has taken because they want to sit with their traveling companions. They get company, you get leg room. Sometimes a book and being able to stretch is better than someone to talk to.

5. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Air Quality
- The air that you breathe inside an airline cabin isn't nearly as good as what you will find most other places. The cabin is pressurized, since the air is so thin at altitude. However, they don't pressurize it to sea level; it is substantially weaker. (This is part of why air travel can be so draining; you can end up with mild altitude sickness!)

Furthermore, the air is very very dry. This can lead to dehydration, which can also make you feel lousy. I strongly advise bringing a litre or two of water with you, and guzzling that non-stop throughout the trip.

Finally, the air is filled with the exhaust products of your fellow travelers. One of these can be cigarette smoke; while smoking has been banned on domestic US flights, such rules are not followed around the globe. Although it might horrify some Americans, not all countries even mandate separate smoking sections!

Another exhaust product is germs. Because airplane tickets are so expensive, and because such effort is involved in making such a trip, people will fly sick. If your immune system is compromised in any way (HIV, chemotherapy, immunoglobulin deficiency), you may well want to wrap your face in a scarf or wear a surgical mask.

 

 

6. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Air Sickness
- If you get motion sick easily, you may be more comfortable if you take some sort of motion sickness drug before you fly. Note that you must take the drugs before you get sick; there is unfortunately nothing that I know of that will relieve motion sickness once it has started. My personal drug of choice is Dramamine, a readily-obtained over-the-counter medication. Unlike Bonine, another over-the-counter drug, it tends to make one drowsy. I feel that this is a benefit on a long plane ride! Another motion sickness treatment (usually used for boating) is Scopolamine patches. These patches go behind the ear, and usually have no noticeable side effects. I believe that in the USA, a prescription is required. Furthermore, there can be unpleasant side effects, such as dry mouth, blurry vision, and one other one that I forget. (Oh yeah - loss of memory.)

Motion sickness is caused in part by a discrepancy between what the eye sees and what the inner ear feels. (This is why the driver of a car gets sick much less frequently than a passenger: the driver is continuously watching the road, getting a good idea of what is coming next.) It may help to close your eyes the moment you start to consider thinking about getting airsick.

If you do come down with discomfort, one relatively easy but embarrassing way to feel better is to empty your stomach. 'Barf bags' are usually located in the pouch on the back of the seat in front of you. Frequently, using them reduces and/or eliminates the discomfort.

 

7. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Airplane Temperature
- Because of the altitude, airplanes can be quite cold (especially the floor). I always take a jacket with me on the plane and take one of the blankets that the airline provides. Wool socks are not a bad idea either. On the larger planes, there is usually a little fan that blows on you. The airflow can be adjusted by twisting the unit.

 

8. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Airport Maps
- The internet has wonderful maps of airports available. I have printed up copies and taken them along, making changing airplanes much easier. I have also looked at the lay-out of the planes to see where my seat was located.

9. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Aisle Seat or Not?
- When traveling by air in high risk areas, always request a window seat. If the flight is high-jacked, terrorists tend to hit the people sitting on the aisles as well as pull out people in aisle seats for mistreatment. It pays to be harder to get to! This may sound extreme but living in South America it is something I always practice.

 

10. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Aisle Seat, Please
- When traveling alone ask the person beside you if you can have the aisle seat. This means that you won't have to bother the person beside you if you have to get out of your seat. I would rather be bothered than to bother another.

 

11. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Allow for Delays Between Flights
- Avoid booking flight segments close together. Major airlines consider a connection as tight as 35 minutes to be a valid connection, but this is often not enough time if there are long lines at security! If travel time is not critical, consider allowing at least 2 hours to make each connection. If you are not delayed, you can use this slack time to eat at the airport, where the food is likely many times better than what you may (or may not!) get in the air. (Most major American airports do not require a re-screening if you are merely changing flights, as long as you don't leave the secure area.)

 

 

12. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Another Use for Bookmarks
- I've got a couple of plastic encased bookmarks--the paper part is inside a plastic pouch that's open at the top. You can buy these type of bookmarks at most large bookstaores. I can slip my driver's license and any tickets for gate checked bags inside it, then slip the bookmark into the pocket of the boarding pass folder.

 

13. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Are You Willing to Drive a Little to Save a Lot?
- If someone gave Grandpa and Grandma 16 $100-bills, would they drive 64 miles?

Their first grandson has arrived and Grandpa and Grandma want go to Detroit as soon as they can and need the following itinerary:

Raleigh/Durham to Detroit: Monday, December 10
Detroit to Raleigh/Durham: Friday, December 14

Lowest fare is $1080 round trip per person / $2,160 round trip for 2

If they can save some money, Grandpa and Grandma are willing to drive a little.

A check of alternate cities for Detroit:

Flint, Michigan is just 64 freeway miles Northwest of Detroit at $234 round trip per person / $469 per couple. If Grandpa and Grandma fly to and from Flint instead of Detroit, they save $1,691!

I don’t know where you shop, but where I do $1,691 will buy a lot of diapers.

 

14. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Ask for Exit Seats
- When asked if you want window or aisle seats, ask for exit seats. Now you won't have that annoying seating row in front of you. You'll get the same legroom in coach as in first class. On top of that, the toilet is right next to you. Really makes a difference on those 12-hour flights.

 

15. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Atlantic Flights
- It would be best to have a few items of clothing in your hand luggage, at least to ensure you have a change of clothing for two days. This is just in case your luggage has another destination in mind (some of my luggage has travelled to places I have never been). While most of the airlines will provide you with some means of purchasing the basic necessities, if you happen to arrive at your destination on a weekend or public holiday, this may not be possible. Lost luggage will usually take a day or two to show up, so plan with that in mind.

 

16. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Automobile/Airline Adapters
- There have been a few instances of airline power adapters not working with in-seat power sources. This can happen when an adapter is required to produce the fully rated 70 watts to fast charge the internal laptop battery but the in-seat power system is not designed to produce that much power. With an adapter efficiency of 90%, the 70-watt load tries to pull 78 watts from the in-seat power unit, and it safely shuts down. The safety circuits in the adapter also sense the overload and also safely shut down.

This can happen with any of the in-seat power systems that have current limited outputs of around 5 amps (Note that 5 amps at 15 volts = 75 watts). This can also happen with any brand of power adapter and with any laptop that draws up to 70 watts.

Many of the in-seat power systems were designed when laptops used between 54 and 60 watts. The need for higher power was not foreseen by the airlines.

Solutions:

1. Turn off the laptop before plugging the adapter into the in-seat power system. Most laptops will draw less than 70 watts when only charging the battery. Allow the battery to charge for 15 to 20 minutes then try to operate while it continues to charge at a somewhat lower level.
2. Remove the laptop battery before plugging the adapter into the in-seat power. The operating power of a laptop is far less than the combined operating and charging power. Note that without the internal battery any interruption in in-seat power will cause a loss of unsaved data.

 

17. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Avoid Airport or Port Parking Charges
- Don't pay for airport or port parking charges. Use an airport transfer service, which will take you and collect you from the airport etc. from outside the terminals, and can carry your party in one car/bus for a fraction of the price of taxis, trains, and buses. Find them local in your area in most directories or newspapers in the summer months.

 

18. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Avoid Cramps
- Prior to long distance flying, I always have a workout in the gym. (Go for a long fast walk if you're older.) It keeps you form getting cramps.

 

19. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Avoid Stiff Muscles
- Avoid stiff muscles by trying to keep them in motion. They can ache from being too still for too long at a time. Every 10 or 15 minutes, help your circulation and muscles by rotating your shoulders (backward and forward) and bending your neck to each side by lowering your ear to your shoulder (and repeating on the other side), as well as back and forth (chin to chest, then back). Also, get up and walk around once in a while to keep that blood flowing!

 

20. Source: http://1000tips4trips.com/travel-tips/Air_Travel/more4.html

Avoiding Ear Problems
- Before the plane takes off, suck gummie bears or any type of sweet. This will lessen the effect of getting the pressure into your ear while the plane is taking off.