From my experience, getting birthday gifts as a Dad can be a great time, especially if you can help out by giving ideas on what you want ahead of time. And while you may think I’m being greedy or opportunistic I’m talking specifically about gifts from the heart that you as a Dad will always treasure. I have two teenagers and both asked me want I wanted for you my birthday this year. Well, I had just bought a HD DVD player so I thought about some DVDs I might want. I considered some books I had been wanting to read and so on. But then I began to think, what could they give me that would be a gift we both would appreciate?

So I decided on photos and stories. I asked my son to put together a collection of photos (he picked 9 photos from his “younger” years) that he thought I would like. He did a great job and now I have a pleasant reminder of our time together when he was a toddler crawling around, an 8 year old with a front tooth missing and a few others when he was beyond cute! He had a good time picking them out and I have a good time looking at them. A win, win you could say for both of us. Plus it only cost him the price of a frame.

I then asked my daughter to write down a memory of us (and put some thought to it). It is the perfect gift as well; it will always make me smile and it will last forever!

Both gifts were inexpensive and will lighten my heart any time I refer to them. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift for my birthday. Being a Dad has many great moments, making them easier to remember is priceless.

Some people think weddings are magical. The rest simply see a long list of expenses, perhaps as long as the bride’s train. When exactly did a celebration of two people’s loving union become a problematic circus filled with outdated rituals, disgruntled guests, and a mountain of debt?

How to Buy the Right Wedding Gift

No one knows. The truth is, weddings are quite expensive not only for the couple getting married, but for the people attending as well. Selecting a gift isn’t as easy as it seems. Whereas for most occasions like birthdays and Christmas, people will choose gifts according to what they think the recipient would like, a certain degree of consternation is required when picking out a wedding gift.

A wedding, after all, is not just any other occasion. Knowing the expenses that the bride and groom are expected to pay for, a lot of guests often wonder just how expensive their own gifts need be in order for it to be considered appropriate.

But really, should a wedding – and the gifts that come with it – be all about the money?

The answer, quite surprisingly, is no. A wedding is a celebration; there’s no reason to mar it with so much calculation. As expensive as weddings may run, the etiquette for wedding gifts does not dictate an equivalent sum.

Here are some quick tips for choosing the best wedding gift:

1. Check the registry early, so you have a lot more choices. Many couples opt to run a bridal registry because this helps their guests pick from items that they already know the couple will love. This eliminates a lot of guesswork. The thing, though, is that some may find this tacky and impersonal. Quick tip: pick an item that you know is significant to your relationship with the couple. Choose a coffeemaker, for example, if you’re fond of quiet café afternoons with them. Add a note and make it a warm and fuzzy personal touch.
2. Don’t go over-budget. Some guests assume that the wedding gift has to match the price of their spot at the reception. Only awful people will expect you to “pay for admission” to a wedding. More importantly, you’ll probably have to spend a lot more if you’re part of the entourage. Don’t go broke; it’s better to consider a personal and well-thought out gift rather than simply go for the highest price tag.
3. Cash is acceptable. Some old school hardliners may find giving cash as a gift rather tacky, but it’s actually practical and a lot of cultures do prefer cash over material gifts. Cash, after all, allows the couple to choose whichever way they plan to use it. It will be a lot more practical for both parties concerned. The usual problem is that it seems very “cold” to simply give cash as a gift. Otherwise, however, most couples do welcome cash gifts. Just make sure you include a personalized wedding card with your cash gift.
4. Don’t bring a massive gift to the wedding itself. It may seem like a good idea now, but you’re actually burdening the couple with your gift. It’s better to purchase your gift via registry and have the gift delivered to the couple’s or their parents’ homes.
5. Give a gift, even if you don’t attend. Also, don’t send your gift a year later. It may seem fine to you, but it’s actually not a very good practice. More importantly, you are more likely to forget giving a gift at all after a significant amount of time has pass.

Buying a gift shouldn’t be a chore. In fact, it should be one way by which you show the couple just how much you care. It’s a representative of how much you know them (picking a gift that actually means something and is useful) and how much you appreciate being part of their lives.

Gwen Addison loves to attend weddings. She recommends giving personalized wedding cards instead of off-the-shelf greeting cards. Creating a custom wedding greeting card is easy with a Greeting Cards Software.

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Public Swimming Pools are Cheap and Fun

Fun Times with Limited Money

Having fun shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, especially if you’re a young adult on a limited budget. Plus let’s face it, if you are younger chances are you only have a part-time job, which usually means funds are limited. If you are worried that you might be doomed to an eternity of boredom, then cheer up, because there’s still hope. In fact there are several great activities that you can do on a budget and still have a great time. Read the rest of this entry

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You can’t put a price on time with your family, and camping is one way to get in plenty of time with your kids while they’re growing up so fast. These five essential tips for camping with kids will help you make the most of your time together while you camp! Read the rest of this entry

You’re in the military and want to get married – what do you need to do?

Well, if you’re stationed back home, there are no special requirements and you only need to comply with the laws of the State within which you are getting married.  Typically, get a marriage license,  maybe satisfy a residency test and find an authorized officiant to perform the service.

Getting married while stationed in the US is obviously a straight-forward affair – there is no need to gain special permission or clear any hurdles other than those facing civilians.

The issue becomes less straight forward when you are based overseas.  Even more so if your bride or groom-to-be are foreign nationals.

If you are based overseas but marrying a US citizen, the situation is not much more different than getting married in the States.  If you get married on a US base, you are subject to US law in any event and the marriage is viewed as having taken place on US soil in any event.  Getting married on base is fairly common where there is a permanent station, typically in the European or Pacific theaters (not so common in the Middle East for obvious reasons).  Base chaplains are able to officiate in a wide variety of denominational and non-denominational ceremonies, so you can get married however you wish.

There are also no immigration issues where both parties are U.S. citizens, but here comes the real trouble – your intended spouse is a foreign national.

If you are marrying a foreign national, you will be required to complete a large number of forms and embark on quite a lengthy process.

Your intended spouse will be required to undergo a background security check and a medical examination, all in addition to completing marriage counseling course and obtaining the permission of your commanding officer.  Be prepared to spend months on this process, not least because you will have to have the marriage recognized by the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Department of State who will also be responsible for the granting of the necessary visa permissions for your spouse to enter the U.S.

Your spouse is also likely to be a civilian, but irrespective of where you get married or who performs the ceremony, they are now entitled to military rights and privileges which they derive from you.  Use a certified copy of the marriage certificate and register the marriage and your spouse with the Base Personnel HQ.  You will also be able to get a separate military ID for your civilian spouse and have them enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS), which will qualify them for medical coverage, commissary privileges and other military benefits.

One thing to watch for – if you are subject to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) order – if you get married before the change of station, you can have your spouse added to your orders and the military will cover the cost of relocating them (including their possessions).  You can leave your old base, take time off to get married and have a honeymoon and then report to the new base – the trigger is whether you have reported to the new station.  If you wait until after you report to the new duty station, you end up paying for the cost of moving your spouse.

If you have any issues or questions on getting married while serving in the military, check out the information available from your Base Personnel HQ and the various booklets from the U.S. Department of Defense and your service branch.

Related articles

• Marriage By Proxy (lawsome.net)
• Growing Up Video Infographic (infographicsshowcase.com)
• Young at Heart: Weddings for Young People (weddingsetups.com)
• Women: You Too Can Give Diamond Engagement Rings To Your Man! (justaskjillrenee.com)
• How to Video – Have a Happy Marriage (ihowtovideos.com)
• An Ugly Lawsuit (lawsome.net)