My Valentines Blog

Insurance, while it was designed to protect financial investments, it’s really about protecting your family and loved ones.  Insurance is the one backup you know will be there in case all else fails. There are dozens of types of insurance out there and it can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not sure what they mean, or which one is right for your family.  Here is a recommendation of insurance policies you’ll definitely want to consider if you’re looking for the best policy designed to protect families.

Health and life insurance

One of the first types of insurance thinking about insurance policies for the family is health insurance.  Health insurance will cover your family’s medical expenses for any related health issue, and you can purchase either a group plan or individual plan.  You typically only get a group plan through an employer, so if this is not an option, you can purchase an individual health insurance plan for you and your family.  Life insurance is another form of insurance to consider, even though it’s something many people don’t want to think about.  A life insurance policy can make the difference between survival and not surviving if the breadwinner of the family ever passes.

Home and disability insurance

If you own a home, purchasing an insurance policy for your home, or for your mortgage if you have one, are other important policies to purchase that will help protect your family.  Homeowners insurance will protect you in case of a fire, earthquake, flood or storm.  You can also purchase PPI, payment protection insurance, which is a form of loan protection in case you are in a position where you can’t make your mortgage payment.  Make sure that when you sign up for a PPI policy, that it is set up for your exact needs.  PPI claims are notorious for being difficult to pursue because of agents mis-selling policies.

Insurance may be one of the more dry topics when it comes to financial advice, but when it comes to protecting your family and loved ones, it’s one of the best things you can do.

Planning a romantic Valentine’s date can be very exciting especially if you plan ongoing out of town for the weekend. In order to be sure that you have everything planned accordingly you need to do a few necessary things first. The number one thing you need to do is take the time to find the perfect location for your Valentine date. If you are thinking of traveling to another state or you plan on taking a drive that is going to be over four hours then you need to do some vehicle maintenance prior to your departure. It is very important that you make sure your automobile is running in top condition while you are traveling. You would never want to ruin your Valentine’s date with your automobile breaking down.

Maintaining Your Automobile

It’s a good idea to schedule a visit into your local mechanic’s shop. While you are there you should ask your mechanic about any type of upgrades that might help your automobile run better. Or you can ask your mechanic if there are any safety precautions that you can take so that you do not have to worry about a breakdown or your tire being flat. Your mechanic should be familiar with all of the newest advancements in technology for automobiles. After you have heard all of the options you have to purchase for your automobile you might need a few minutes to figure out which ones are going to be the best for your vehicle. Another thing you should figure into everything is your budget. You have to also afford the hotel and all of the Valentine’s Day meals and gifts into your budget.

Doing Additional Research

The smart thing to do is go home before you decide to add any extra options on your vehicle and do some research. A simple way to do research about the automotive industry is to type in the keywords auto industry news. You will get all of the information you need in order to make a smart decision on what additional improvements you can make on your vehicle. Then you can decide whether or not you need to go back to the mechanic and let him know that you need to order a few extra parts. Research will give you a peace of mind but it will also help you learn more about all of the advancements.

Your Valentine’s Day date is going to be really nice and you should have a pleasant time with your loved one.

Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter met when he was 17 and she was 11-years-old. As they grew older their friendship blossomed into romance and, after a Valentine’s Day proposal, they married in Washington, DC, on the first Monday of June 1958.

What makes this love story so remarkable – and in a time when more than 20 states banned interracial marriage – was that Richard was a white bricklayer and his bride a half-black, half-native American teenager.

The Color of Love

Five weeks later the glare of a sheriff’s flashlight awoke the aptly named Lovings at two in the morning and thrust them into the public and political spotlight. A plea bargain got them one year in jail, suspended for 25 years “on condition they leave the State and not return to Virginia for 25 years”.

By default the Lovings became civil rights activists. The victims of corrupt criminal attorneys, a wrongheaded judge, and willful housing discrimination, when they attempted to settle back in Washington, Mildred finally wrote to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy who recommended them to the American Civil Liberties Union. After nine years of legal delays and setbacks their case was heard by the US Supreme Court in 1967 – by coincidence the year of flower power and love – which unanimously decided in the couple’s favor.

No End to Love

For the next seven years the Lovings lived an ordinary life with ordinary pleasures — a happy, contented marriage with three children and family nearby — until tragedy struck one day in 1974. Richard was killed outright when their car was rammed by a drunk driver on a highway. Mildred, 35 at the time, lost her left eye. She never considered remarrying and spent her widowhood attending church, cooking for her children and grandchildren and chain smoking unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes.

And then in 2007, a year before her death, Mildred stepped into the public arena once more. “I support the freedom to marry for,” she declared. “That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.”

 Nothing screams personalization quite like do it yourself wedding invitations. Everybody is getting into doing things for themselves, rather than having to hire services or contract them out. DIY wedding invitations are just one more step toward becoming independent of contractors and hired services.

Other Ways To Make Your Wedding More Personal

Okay getting married is probably as personal as one person can get with another person, and we’re not talking necessarily about the bride and groom as they relate to each other. As far as your guests are concerned (particularly your honored guests), having something personal goes a long ways. I sang for a wedding when I was fresh out of high school for one of my best friends. At the rehearsal dinner she gave all of the ladies standing up for her, a gold necklace with their name written in script. She gave me one as well, and I loved it. At my wedding, we gave engraved electric butane lighters to the ladies (they all smoked back then) and engraved flasks to the gentlemen (we all drank back then). They loved them. Special personalized gifts for the in-laws, presented at the rehearsal  or rehearsal dinner, is a nice touch as well. Placing them in front of their place setting will make them feel special; after all, you wouldn’t be here getting married if it weren’t for them in most cases.

Back To Those Invitations

By picking out beautiful stationary with matching envelopes you already have a great beginning on the project of do it yourself invites. They don’t have to be fancy; they can be a plain color or something with a simple pattern. Then again they can be as gaudy and floral as you like. If you just don’t feel like you can find the time to put together those invitations on your own you can always rely on that one friend that we all have who is into arts and crafts on a Zen level. Or maybe the daughter of one of your friends who happens to be attending art school would be a good suggestion. Whoever it is that you actually line up to take care of this task can consider it their wedding present to you; thereby avoiding the wedding rush at all the stores that offer the ‘registered gift list’ option. What’s up with those gift lists any ways? You know you’re just going to take all those presents back and return them for the money.

You know you will.

So you got yourself a girlfriend. Awesome. You two crazy kids are probably texting back and forth until your fingers are sore. That could cost a lot. Of course that could depend on her particular cell phone service provider.

Are You Technically Inclined?

You may have seen advertisements the claim their software can jailbreak or unlock iPhone now. It is true, there is a way to unlock iPhone codes so that you and your girlfriend can go with any provider you see fit. Jailbreaking an iPhone is mostly done so you can play games that are not from the Apple store. But, unlocking is primarily about choosing your provider. Different providers do, after all, offer different texting rates, calling minutes, app options and more. Wikipedia has a little blurb on unlocking your smart phone but by Googling it you can find a font of information on the how and where of it all. Be careful how you go about it or you could mess up your phone instead of unlocking it. Make sure that wherever it is that you get your information, it’s a reliable source.

Communicate and Play

Not only can you talk and text on your iPhones you can play any number of games together or apart. News flashes, sports updates, even the Internet can be accessed so that you and your iPhone may end up being as inseparable as you and your new favorite person.

There’s also a way to make your favorite picture of her your phone’s wallpaper.

Valentine’s Day is coming up fast! February 14th 2012 to be exact and many people will be scrambling to come up with the best ideas for this day of love when they can save time and money if they start planning for Valentine’s Day now.

Musical Theater

One popular choice that anyone can choose for their significant other this Valentine’s Day is buying tickets to a popular musical theater show. Many people might have cringed at musical theater in the past but thanks to hit shows like Billy Elliot, both men and women now love musical theater equally.

Another popular show that’s been touring the country is The Book of Mormon, this show which was created by the geniuses behind South Park follows the adventures of two Mormons on their first mission to Uganda. From the time that it was first released, The Book of Mormon tickets have sold out across the country and it’s now a popular, must see musical for people of all ages and races.

Other Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

• Jewelry – Both men and women love jewelry and it’s easier than ever before to buy jewelry online and have it shipped anywhere just in time for Valentine’s Day.

• Flowers – Women love flowers, they are also an affordable gift that will last for days long after Valentine’s Day is over.
• Dinner – One of the easiest things to do on Valentine’s Day is to take your significant other out to dinner. Most dinners under $100 and will enable any couple to build memories that will last a lifetime.

Getting a DWI can be bad enough. Don’t make it worse, but not getting the right DWI lawyer to represent you. It is a must to get a good lawyer to defend you.

Where do I start?

If you have friends or family that have gotten a DWI, you might ask them who represented them. It will give you somewhere to start. However, if you don’t have that option, then you need to figure out where to go. Often times, you can go online and do a search for DWI lawyers in your area. From there you will get a huge list to work with.

Interviewing Lawyers

Never be intimidated. Lawyers are people too. You need to be sure the lawyer that is going to work for you has knowledge and can work a good deal for you and hopefully lessen your penalty if you are found guilty. So ask any questions you might have, and be sure you get an answer from them.

The best thing you can do is get your DWI resolved as fast as possible, because you do not want to end up with a warrant out for your arrest, because you didn’t get your business handled in a timely fashion.