Celebrating St Patrick’s Day When You Want to Stay Sober

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St. Patrick’s Day, originally started as a Catholic holy day, has evolved into more of a secular holiday. St. Patrick’s mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years, afterward he retired. Since his death on March 17 in AD 461, the day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day. The modern secular holiday is based on the original Christian saint’s feast day. In 1737, Irish immigrants to the United States began observing the holiday publicly in Boston and held the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City in 1766. Since then the holiday has seemed to become an excuse to drink to excess as indulgence is deeply rooted in its traditions. I’m not preaching, as I too like a good mug of Murphy’s stout every now and then. Still, there are ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without drinking to excess and spending March 18th kneeling at the porcelain altar.

Traditional Gaelic games such as “Heave Ho” should probably be played sober as it requires balance and coordination in order to win. It is the Gaelic version of the classic hay sack toss game. The original game required the player to use a pitchfork to toss a cloth bag filled with dirt and toss it over a tree branch to catch it on the other side with the pitchfork. A more modern version of the game uses a spatula to pitch a newspaper-stuffed lunch bag up and over a clothesline or makeshift crossbar. Whoever succeeds the most times out of ten is the winner.    

Food is a tradition with all holidays, corn beef and cabbage being the main dish served on St. Patrick’s Day. Recipes vary from family to family and delicious recipes are available online for those of us who aren’t privy to a recipe passed down through the generations. There are of course options, as with all holidays, to go the non-traditional route with offerings like a Lucky Fruit giftbasket or Cloverleaf petit fours for the more discerning tastes from online vendors.  

When I went looking online for ideas to celebrate St. Patrick’s without the hangover, I found an interesting array of gifts that are thoughtful and marvelous including Celtic Sun catchers and stained glass gifts from send.com. With St. Patrick’s Day less than a week away from the beginning of spring, I thought a sun catcher would be a fun and thoughtful gift.

The Effervescent Beauty of Paper Lanterns

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Though paper lanterns originated predominantly in the oriental culture, they have taken the world by storm. They offer a great range of choices in terms of decoration for both outdoor and indoor. The soft light they emit appeals to everyone and can set off any mood or occasion.

The best thing about them is how they can help you decorate for a party or a festive occasion in a totally inexpensive way. Paper lanterns come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which are extremely useful for adapting to any space for a pleasing effect.

Apart from aesthetic reasons, paper lanterns have a great meaning for those who follow Feng Shui. They are believed to bring in a lot of positive energy in the house. Red lanterns on either side of the bed can help fertility and ensure a harmonious marriage. Colorful lanterns harness vitality and brighten up the place beautifully as well. People who believe in these powers are greatly benefited from their faith.

Different shapes and colors signify several themes. Though white ones are fairly common, they come in a riot of colors and can also have drawings and patterns on them. Paper lanterns have different techniques to light them. They can be candle-lit or electrically fitted with a bulb and cord. Flame-lit ones give a whole new aura to evening occasions and in some customs paper lanterns are also lit and left to float into the sky in great numbers offering a picturesque view to the onlookers. Battery operated ones are the newest addition and are safer too. Also they don’t have any cord, so they can be used in a more aesthetic manner.

They are easily available online or even in walk-in stores. You just have to know the theme you have in mind. They go very well with the beach theme or can be used elegantly for grander parties. It can also act as excellent decorative for weddings of all themes and budgets. Lot of sites also offers great knowledge into the making of paper lanterns too and someone with a creative mind can even get down to making them. And even if you want to buy them, they will still be cheapest options available for decorative lighting. Paper lanterns are definitely high on the popularity scale due to their gleaming beauty and low cost. Whether you need it for religious reasons or decorative purposes, go and grab that paper lantern and customize your space.

Best Baby Gifts

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Babies bring joy and happiness to the lives of all those around them. The happiest of them all are the parents and siblings if any. This is a very special occasion in all parts of the world and one that is given great importance as it represents the beginning of a new life both for the newborn and for the family involved.

To express the happiness and joy felt with the coming of a new life into the world, close family and friends go shopping to get the best gifts, mostly for the new baby and the mother. There are thousands of baby gift shops in each and every town offering all kinds of gifts. The gifts come in varieties and are normally very beautiful and pretty. The varieties make it possible for one to choose what is best for the baby in question.

There is everything for any kind of baby in the stores, be it a girl or a boy or twins, the gifts come customized to suit any birth and with beautiful colors that will look just wonderful on any baby. Some of the famous gifts most people go for include baby sleep bags, baby clothes, baby baskets which come with all sorts of baby stuff and play time bouquets which vary from the boys stuff to girls play stuff.

Baby gifts are not just meant to be given after birth; there are those you can give even before the baby is born. Such kinds of gifts include pregnancy gifts for the mother such as natural lotions, books and even hampers. These are meant to prepare and help the mother to be in different ways. There are also baby shower gifts which are given before birth since the showers are done then. A good store will offer all ranges to suit any baby occasion to make it easy for you to get the best.

Baby gifts are also categorized into Christening and Baptism gifts, first birthday gifts and first Christmas gifts. All these are meant to mark the special occasions by giving them a beautiful touch and to fill them with joy.

Shopping for baby gifts is fun filled and made easier by the stores. You will not fail to get what you are looking for but you will be torn for choice because of the varieties available.

Fashion Jewelry Inspired by Your Favorite Celebrities

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Styles and trends change all the time. What is trendy jewelry today may not be in tomorrow. So how are you supposed to know what fashion accessories look good and are in style? For many of us, choosing our jewelry to compliment our clothes, face and body is not always simple. Are you not sure what your style is? Are you unclear about whether you should wear gold or silver with your new outfit, or maybe you are just looking for some inspiration to jazz up an old look. Have you ever looked at a celebrity and thought “wow” how does she get that put together look?

Well, watching what your favorite celebrity is wearing on the red carpet or at a photo shoot is a great way to see what is hot and in style right now. The Oscars and the Grammy’s are great for seeing how the stars put their whole look together. I know most of you are thinking that you can’t afford what the stars are wearing, but did you know that there is a whole industry of celebrity inspired jewelry and designer inspired jewelry that give you the same look as the stars, but at a fraction of the cost. You can achieve the same glamorous looks and not break the bank.

So go ahead and check out Jennifer Lopez’s layered bangle bracelets or Jessica Alba’s chunky necklace and then head to your favorite celebrity inspired fashion jewelry store or simply go online and search for celebrity inspired jewelry or designer inspired jewelry and you will be amazed at the choices. Create your own fabulous look at a fraction of the cost. Looking great does not have to be expensive.

Happy Shopping!