This is the day you thought would never happen. Your roles in life are reversing. You’re trying to make decisions for yourself and your Aging Parent. What will be best for them without altering your life too drastically. How do you keep up the pace and ultimately please everyone around you? You are not alone in life, you have a family, significant other, a career to think about. You want to balance everything to keep everyone happy and life as normal as possible. Think again! Those once a week visits or daily phone calls aren’t enough anymore. Your parent needs care, the real kind.

The care includes making sure they eat, that they take their meds, that their money isn’t being floundered away on TV shopping. You have siblings that think Assisted Living or Nursing Facilities are awful and they don’t want to put Mom or Dad in one even though they also don’t want to help out. How do you cope? How do you deal with this situation without alienating every member of your family?

First understand, it’s not about you. What I mean by that statement is that it is not about guilt and what some think is the “Right thing to do”. It’s not about hanging on to someone that they used to be.

They are an elderly person in need of constant care and attention. If you need a dose of growing up, this situation will make it happen whether you’re ready or not!

Start with their doctor. Have an appointment to discuss the faltering health of your beloved parent. You can also check into the hospital that their health care is associated. Every hospital has an elder care group of some type. The medical coverage will also have affiliations with elder sourcing. Between the doctor and the medical coverage group, you may be able to determine the types of help and living style your parents current status requires. Keep asking until you have the best situation for all concerned.

It may be as simple as an Aide visiting once or twice a day to help with showering, dressing, meals and meds. Their health may need more than that and the visiting nurse or doctor’s office is the place to apply the concern. The best word to learn to help an elder parent is the same as if your infant child were being cared for and that is SAFETY. If safety is not at the level necessary, keep pushing until you get the help you need. Keep on insisting the area of SAFETY.

It may take you time to uncover everything available to your parent to help with this care process but trust me, it will be worth it in the many years elder care can stretch out to be. It is best to discuss with them all their health and medical, financial and personal situations before that day arrives.

When they are older the best thing you can give them is you. Spend quality time instead of stress time. Have them over for a day and dinner instead of needing to pawn them off on someone else. The resentment builds if you do this alone and there are many really good care facilities to take that burden off your shoulders.

Safety and honesty is what makes those later years a good memory!

If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for the teenage boy on your Christmas list, here are some gift ideas to get you started.

Paintball

What is the natural instinct that drives teenage boys to want to hunt each other down? Whatever it is, you can feed this instinct safely by giving a gift of paintball guns and equipment. There are complete kits you can purchase at retail stores for reasonable prices. .

Car Accessories

A gift of car accessories is a sure win if the teenage boy on your list is old enough to drive and has his own car. Even for the teenage boy who is not driving yet, this could be a great gift. Young guys dream of owning their first set of wheels. A gift of car wax and other cleaning supplies allow him to pamper his new toy. Seat covers or other decorative accessories let him give his car a personal touch.

Black Light Lamp

Black light lamps are back, and any teenage boy on your list is likely to want one. Get him one for his room and find out what glows in the dark. Many posters and other decorative accessories are available now that spring to life under a black light.

Consumer Electronics Gift Certificate

Gadgets and entertainment equipment are always a hit with teenage boys. A gift certificate to a consumer electronics store will give him an excuse to check out all of the latest TVs, stereo equipment, and computers. This is also the place where he can find his favorite music and video games. If you don’t have a suitable store in your area, the young guy on your list can do all his shopping there online.

Team Jersey

The majority of teenage boys are into some sort of sport. Whether it is basketball, football, baseball, or NASCAR racing, he most likely has a favorite team or sports hero. Buy him a jersey from his team. Even better, find a jersey with the number of his favorite player.

Jeans

Most teenage boys wear jeans most of the time, which means they always need new ones. Just make sure you buy the style he likes. Some teenage boys like snug-fitting jeans, while others like their jeans baggy. Carpenter or painter jeans are also popular. Whatever the style, this is the “can’t miss” gift, because there is no such thing as too many jeans.

Jewelry

Yes — jewelry! Jewelry is becoming increasingly popular, in one form or another, among teenage guys. For rockers, tribal or beaded necklaces will be a hit. They might also like a stud or hoop earring. Preppy guys often like to wear fashionable rings or bracelets. If you aren’t too sure about jewelry, try a watch. With such a wide variety of watch styles available, you’ll be certain to find one to fit any teenage boy’s taste.

Snowboard

Christmas is a great time for winter sports. This year might be the perfect opportunity for your teenager to get into snowboarding, and simple snowboards can be purchased at a relatively low price. The thrill of conquering a new challenge motivates many a teenage boy, and snowboarding will give him a way to release some energy and add excitement to the winter months.

Video Game Magazine Subscription

Generally speaking, teenage boys are suckers for video games. If the guy on your list has a game system, such as X-Box, PlayStation, or Nintendo, you can get him a subscription to the corresponding magazine. He’ll get inside information and screen shots from upcoming games, ratings of current games, and, best of all — demo discs. These demo discs let him play portions of games before they even come out, which helps him decide what games he really likes and wants to buy.

Portable CD Player

Boys love noise — and their favorite kind is music. Whatever his music preferences, the teenage boy on your list is most likely to be passionate about his bands. With a portable CD player he can listen to his music anytime, anywhere, and you won’t have to hear it.

Mission Accomplished

Head out to the mall armed with the above list and a little shopping savvy, and you have a way better chance of finding the ideal gift. Soon he will be saying, “DUDE, that is so cool!”

If you’re worried about gaining weight over the holidays you’re not alone.

The average North American gains 7 to 12 pounds over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Follow these simple holiday diet tips and tricks and you’ll avoid the holiday weight gain that afflicts so many other people:

#1 Drink Water - and Lots of It.

Boring I know - but the reason this tip stays around year after year is because it works. Adequate water intake keeps your metabolism humming along at a maximum rate and staves off hunger cravings as well.

In fact many people mistake thirst for hunger and end up eating to quench their thirst. This results in more calories than you body needs and - you guessed it - excess pounds.

Models and celebrities all know about the powerful slimming effects of drinking water which is why you often see them holding a bottle of water in their hands as they dash through airports or stand around at fashion shows.

#2 Increase Your Exercise A Little Bit Every Day

Everyone deserves to indulge in holiday treats. Part of the fun of the holiday season is the amazing treats that are only around at Christmas and/or Thanksgiving.

Accept the fact that you’re going to indulge a bit - and then enjoy it! But make sure you make up for it elsewhere by increasing your exercise.

You don’t have to double your exercise time or sweat till you fall off your treadmill. Just increase your exercise time a bit every day, maybe ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there. It all adds up.

You’ll burn off those holiday treats and easily avoid extra weight gain. I have several girlfriends who have been doing this trick for years and they never gain a pound over the holidays (in fact they often lose a few!).

#3 Cut Back Where You Can At Other Meals

Did you know that the average number of calories consumed by one person during a typical Thanksgiving dinner is 7,100! That’s about 2 pounds strictly in terms of calories alone.

But not to worry. All you have to do is make small calorie cutbacks at other meals the week before and you’ll easily make up for the extra calories.

For example, instead a huge slice of pecan pie (which normally will run you about 500 calories) for desert, why not try some blueberries mixed with low fat yogurt? Instead of the bag of potato chips you usually indulge in for the big game, why not munch on air-popped, low fat popcorn?

You can save as much as 500 calories and you’re still having a salty, satisfying snack.

Bottom line: cut back where you can in little ways. You won’t miss the little sacrifices and you can then enjoy your holiday meals - guilt free!

#4 Eat What You Like - But Only A Few Bites

If you absolutely cannot imagine giving up any of your favorite treats this holiday season, give yourself permission to have a bite of everything - but only a bite!

I read somewhere that Jessica Simpson never denies herself any of her favorite foods - but she only allows herself one or two bites. And let’s face it the first couple of bites are the best tasting anyways!

#5 Don’t Eat After 7:00 pm

Experts tell us that the earlier in the day food is eaten, the more likely it is to be burned off. However when you eat late at night, this food is more likely to be stored as fat.

Celebrities like Oprah use this knowledge to their advantage and refuse to eat after a certain time like 7:00 p.m.

So if you know you absolutely must have a sweet indulgence during the day, try to have it before noon. Then towards the end of the day, snack on healthy, lower carb foods like salads, vegetable broth, fruits or lean protein.

This keeps your metabolism elevated but won’t pack on the pounds. I’ve personally used this trick before every holiday Christmas party for 5 years running and it certainly helps for getting into those slinky Christmas party dresses!

So those are 5 diet tips to avoid holiday weight gain this year. Follow them and you’re guaranteed to save yourself the stress of unwanted weight gain. Heck, you’ll probably even lose a few pounds, all in time for New Year’s Eve!

If you are looking for an inspirational poem that shows an understanding of what a mom has to deal with, this is the one. Every mom, young or old, knows this by heart and can only hope that her children will understand when they grow up.

“You don’t love me!” How many times have your kids laid that one on you? And how many times have you, as a parent, resisted the urge to tell them how much? Someday, when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I will tell them.

A MOTHER’S LOVE GOES DEEP

I loved you enough to insist you buy a bike with your own money that we could afford and you couldn’t.
I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover your handpicked friend was a creep;
I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your bedroom, a job that would have taken me fifteen minutes.
I loved you enough to say, “Yes, you may go to Disney World on Mother’s Day.”
I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, mistrust and tears in my eyes.
I loved you enough not to make excuses for your lack of respect or you bad manners.
I loved you enough to admit that I was wrong and ask your forgiveness.
I loved you enough to ignore “what every other mother” did or said.
I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt and fail.
I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your own actions, at 6, 10, and 16.
I loved you enough to figure you would lie about the party being chaperoned but forgave you for it after discovering I was right.
I loved you enough to shove you off my lap, let go of your hand, be mute to your pleas and insensitive to your demands…so that you had to stand alone.
I loved you enough to accept you for what you are, not what I wanted you to be.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say “no” when you hated me for it.

THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF ALL.

Being alone is a challenge for many people. This challenge may loom especially large during the holidays if you are single or newly divorced and without family around you. Holidays are a time to share love, and many people end up feeling depressed when they do not have people around with whom to share love. If you are in this situation, what can you do to make the holidays joyous rather than depressing?

The key phrase here is SHARE LOVE. Too often people think in terms of getting love rather than giving and sharing their love. They don’t realize that it is the act of giving their love that is so very fulfilling.

Gail had grown up very lonely in an emotionally distant family, with parents who did not freely give their love and relatives who were also cold and distant. She had married an emotionally distant man, and after 7 years of more loneliness, had decided to leave him. This was her first holiday season alone.

Gail decided that she was not going to be alone and lonely again this holiday season. She did some research on service agencies that needed volunteers and discovered a women’s shelter in her area for women and their children who were hiding from physically abusive husbands. The shelter was badly in need of funds for food, which Gail didn’t have. What she did have was the time to help gather food. Each day, after her job as a secretary, Gail went around to the markets in her area until she found some willing to donate Thanksgiving dinners for the mothers and their children.

Then, on Thanksgiving Day, she spent her time at the shelter cooking, decorating, serving, and having Thanksgiving dinner with these brave women who had left their abusive husbands to save themselves and their children. It was the best Thanksgiving she ever had! By choosing to share her love with people who needed her, she felt filled with love.

Gail had such a fulfilling experience that she found a small part-time job in addition to her regular job so that she could afford to buy presents for the children at the shelter for Christmas. She had such fun buying presents for the children and watching their joyous little faces as they opened them on Christmas day! Gail felt anything but alone and lonely.

Gary was in a similar situation to Gail. He was single, had been an only child to parents who were no longer alive, and had no close relatives. His janitorial business did not give him much opportunity to make friends. Gary had spent many lonely holidays feeling isolated and depressed, and decided a few years ago to do something about it.

Gary loved animals. As a child, his dog had been his main connection with love. After some research, Gary discovered that there was a wonderful animal shelter within a half-hour of his home – a shelter that loved and cared for animals and didn’t euthanize them. Gary started to volunteer one day a week on the weekends – cleaning, feeding, playing with puppies and kittens, helping to interview people who wanted to adopt a pet, and getting to know the other volunteers. He found that he really connected with the people who volunteered there. Many of them were loving people who were deeply devoted to caring for animals. As his friendships developed, he found he had a new sense of family centered around the shelter. Thanksgiving and Christmas were now sometimes spent with the other volunteers who did not have families, and sometimes with the families of some of the volunteers. Gary’s life had become full and fulfilling. The last I heard, he was dating a woman who also volunteered at the animal shelter.

No matter what your life situation is, you can always share your love with others. Instead of feeling alone and lonely this holiday season, open your heart to giving. There are many people and animals out there who would welcome your love.

Halloween never has been my favorite holiday. As a kid, growing up on the farm, trick-or-treating meant getting in and out of the car (often on very cold nights) and wearing coats over our costumes. I certainly liked the candy, but it never made much sense to me.

As a father, I must admit I have warmed to the holiday, but I still have a problem with all the focus on witches and ghouls and such. A holiday that focuses on scary things still bothers me just a little bit. I’ve been pleased that my children have typically chosen more wholesome images to emulate through their costumes.

This year was different though. I’ve actually been looking forward to Halloween since the middle of June. I planned. I prepared. I thought and strategized about it. But, it didn’t go quite the way I expected. . .

The Garage Sale

Our community has a neighborhood garage sale each June. By planning everyone’s sale on the same day more people attend and the event is more successful for everyone. For several years my son Parker has had a stand selling lemonade, coffee, muffins and cookies, taking advantage of all of the shoppers who came to our cul-de-sac. Last year, my neighbor Jim and I added hot dogs and other grilled food to the menu. People could shop and get a meal too! We had so much fun; we did it again this year.

Only this year, we secretly decided to give the proceeds to our neighbors who have a son with autism. At our annual party, after the sale, we presented them with about $120 (a lot of money when you aren’t selling anything for more than a dollar!) to give to the autism group of their choice.

Trying Again

The mix of the fun we had and the response we received from our neighbors led to another idea – let’s do this at Halloween. Halloween would be perfect we speculated; lots of traffic (since we always have more than 100 trick or treaters), easy to market (through flyers in the neighborhood), and this year Halloween would be on a Friday. It seemed perfect!

Every few weeks the subject came up. We talked about what to serve and how to market it. Jim, who works in the food brokerage business, got sponsors to provide all the meat. As the calendar turned to October we got more serious and the menu was set: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers and homemade chili.

As I worked on the marketing flyer, all the foods became holiday-themed: Halloweenies, Beastie Brats, Haunted Hamburgers and Chilling Chili. We decided to sell soda and chips. We added a place for kids to bob for apples. We would have the candy from five houses for one stop trick-or-treating. We distributed more than 140 flyers.

We were raising money for a great cause. In the final week we even realized we were going to have perfect weather – upper 60’s by “game time.” We had the perfect setup for a successful event.

Halloween is Here

Friday morning Lori and I made the chili. After lunch we finished shopping for the final items. I couldn’t wait to set up! We got everything out – ran extension cords to the street, set up lights, tables and chairs, blocked off the cul-de-sac and fired up the grill.

Two other neighbors were manning the candy – to help the trick-or-treaters get it and to tell them which houses were empty. Parker, age 11, decided to help with the event rather than trick or treat. He would take money and answer questions. Jim would take and fill orders, and I was grill man. We fed the families around us, ourselves and our kids to get the grill going, and they took off to collect candy and good wishes. We were ready.

It got dark, and we had very few trick-or-treaters, and even fewer customers. One mother said she and her son would be back after they were done. We rubbed our hands and prepared for the onslaught.

The onslaught never came.

The Results

By the end of the evening we probably had half our typical number of trick-or-treaters. We sold a little water and soda. We sold a few grilled items. We made $32 (before expenses).

It was a tough night for me. In retrospect, I was as discouraged and disappointed as I can remember being in a long time. It was Sunday before I was really back to normal.

The Lessons

I shook myself out of my self-imposed funk by thinking back on what we did – and what we accomplished. $32. I didn’t even count it until Monday. Truth be told, it was more than I expected at that point. My reflection helped me realize that several positive things happened:

• We had fun both planning and doing the event.

• We strengthened neighborhood relationships.

• We taught our children a lesson about caring and doing things for others – through our actions, not our checkbooks.

• We made a memory we will talk about for years.

• We learned what might have to change if we do this again on Halloween!

• I got the subject for this essay.

• A neighborhood shelter got lots of hamburger and hot dog buns.

• And we did add $32 to the Riley Children’s Hospital Autism Unit to help them do their work.

However, the best result for me was the lesson of reflection. All the value created by the event was overshadowed in my mind when we didn’t reach our goal. My personal goal had been $300. So, in reality, we did about 11% of that goal. I lost sight of all the good by focusing only on the desired outcome.

If you had asked me Saturday morning if the event was a success, I would have grimaced and quickly said no. If you ask me now, I will say that we didn’t raise much money, but it was fun, and we learned a lot. Anytime you can have fun while learning is a good experience in my book.

We all suffer defeats, challenges and disappointments. Sometimes they are large; sometimes they aren’t. Big or small, I believe there is value and learning in every one of them. Our goal has to be to find those lessons. We only find them by reflecting on the experience and expecting to find them.

Maybe you find yourself reeling from a setback as you read this. If so, please take the message to heart. Maybe the message is more theoretical for you at the moment, that’s OK too. Use this as a reminder for the next time you are discouraged. Lift your head up, reflect on what happened, learn from it, smile and go on!

I don’t know what next Halloween holds, but we already are talking about the garage sale. We may expand to breakfast. I’ll let you know how it goes.

How can you shop for a woman who already owns everything she wants? It’s not as difficult as you may think because there’s always a unique approach at buying for the woman who seemingly has a closet full of clothes or a box full of jewelry. Besides, there’s always room for one more outfit or piece of jewelry.

Gift Idea For Her #1: Diamonds

Diamonds are timeless and always in style. The most commonly found are white diamonds, but what about a blue, cognac or black diamond? These are becoming more readily available and are quite stunning. They are certainly not something that you see at the local jewelry store without seeing a huge price tag to match. If you’re looking for a nice selection of jewelry for Christmas gift ideas, at an affordable price, browse around the internet and compare prices.

Gift Idea For Her #2: Snuggly Pajamas

Being that Christmas falls in winter, it’s always nice to have a pair of snuggly pajamas for those chilly evenings. Fleece pants come in a variety of adorable designs and, matched with a cotton t-shirt, are perfectly comfortable for an evening at home and make wonderful Christmas gift ideas.

Gift Idea For Her #3: Naming a Star in Her Honor

If she is the star in your life, let her know by naming a star in her honor. There are quite a few novelty stores online, which offer star naming services. For a set price, you can name a star, give it a dedication date and present it as a gift to the special lady in your life. Along with a star information kit, the buyer receives a certificate suitable for framing and a map to indicate the location of the star. The specialty store usually offers a framing package, but you can save some big bucks if you buy a nice frame at a local store and frame it yourself. It’s almost certain that she doesn’t already have her own star, so this will be a truly unique Christmas gift idea.

Gift Idea For Her #4: Foot Massager

How many times does she say how nice it would be to sit down? What if, while she was sitting, she could get a foot massage? There are plenty of foot massagers, especially near the holidays, that are made available for sale. Some have water to give a spa-like treatment while others allow you to slip your foot inside just as you would a slipper. Either would make a nice gift for the woman who’s on her feet all day.

Gift Idea For Her #5: Personalized Birthstone Ring

Personalization is always a nice Christmas gift idea. Consider a personalized birthstone ring or a ring which includes the birthstones of the special people in her life. An initial pin is also a great way to go and a classic addition to a turtleneck sweater, as well.

Gift Idea For Her #6: A Gift Certificate

If all else fails, consider a gift certificate or gift card for use at her favorite store. This option is terrific for the woman who is truly impossible to shop for because, this way, she can do the shopping for herself. When selecting a store, make sure it’s one that she frequents so that you know it’s a favorite. A box of her favorite chocolates, or other candy, would also make a thoughtful touch.

Add some fun to your 4th of July party food. If you are tired of the same old burgers and hot dogs on this celebration, go ahead and add more to it or change it up the way that you would like to. There is no rule that the food should be one thing or another. In fact, a potluck of choices is the most American of all ways to celebrate. Gather up some new menu ideas and make this fourth of July fun and enjoyable for everyone.

Need some help coming up with fun ideas for party food? If so, there are more than a few things that you can do. Here are some great ideas.

Add more choices. Instead of just burgers and hot dogs, why not cook up some shrimp, crab or even lobster? You can add chicken, fish and steaks to the menu.

Yes, you can cook all of this right on your grill (with the help of a side burner in some cases) and still enjoy the grilling atmosphere that the 4th is all about.

Dress up dessert. How about a cake that is in the shape of an American flag? For red stripes, go with strawberries in rows. For the stars, add enough blueberries to make them shine through. Frost the cake white and decorate. This is a great way to make a special treat.

Don’t forget the drinks. You can make various types of drinks special by just adding in flavored ice cubes, in blue and red, of course. To make them, add strawberry and blueberry flavoring to the ice cube trays. Or, just use the right colored Kool-Aid to make it work. Drop them into drinks for a festive yet fun way to add to your food celebration.

You can add virtually any side dish, any dessert and any type of appetizer to your menu and find those that will love it. The only rules to consider about food for the 4th is that it should be something that does not require fine china, something that can handle being out in the sun and something that is all about fun eating. You can come up with your own fun menu of foods, but don’t forget that some will want the traditional fare nonetheless.

New parents face many problems and issues that they are expected to understand and deal with immediately. Unfortunately, newborns do not come with an instruction book so here are a few topics that you may need to know about.

* Bathing your baby: Until your baby’s umbilical cord falls off one to two weeks after their birth, only give her sponge baths. A cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with alcohol can help to dry the umbilical stump or follow your pediatrician’s directions. After the stump falls off, you can give him a bath in a sink or shallow tub.

* Caesarian delivery: A caesarian is usually performed to make delivery safer for you or your baby. C-sections can be done for many different reasons including stalled labor, complicated labor, problems with the baby that may make delivery difficult, or other problems. It does not matter if you deliver vaginally or by a caesarian section, you are still a mother with a beautiful new blessing.

* Circumcision: Many doctors agree that there may be some benefit to circumcision, but it may not be absolutely necessary. It may help to lower the risk of urinary tract infections and eliminates just about any chance of penile cancer. Circumcision does not cause long-term emotional problems for your child.

* Crib death (SIDS): Many studies have been done regarding SIDS. Although the cause of SIDS has not been definitely defined, there are some correlations that have been made between SIDS and the following things:

o Male babies are more likely to die from SIDS than females
o Prematurity makes it more likely
o Minority children are affected by it more often than non-minorities
o More children of young, single mothers die from it
o Children who live in a home with one or more smokers are more likely to be affected

Some people say that sleeping with your baby can reduce the risk of SIDS, but the American Academy of Pediatrics disagree with this statement and go on to say that there is a greater risk of SIDS in babies who co-sleep.

Back sleeping is what most pediatricians recommend for babies to decrease the SIDS risk. The reason for this is widely debated between health experts. If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician.

Everyone wants to go on a nice, relaxing, and quiet vacation every once in a while, but not everyone has the kind of money that can buy a 5-star hotel stay for the weekend. In that once every few years chance that you have saved just enough for a lush weekend trip, you have the choice to go all out on a first rate hotel and have little left for going around town, or to pick a more reasonably priced 4 star hotel and still have a good budget for seeing the best that the hotel’s surroundings has to offer.

No matter what popular tourist destination you go to, there are 4-star hotels that are more than capable of competing with the first class hotels in the same town. Despite the difference in ratings, it is possible that the only disparity that counts between 4-star hotels and their 5-star counterparts is the price range, especially if you’re one customer who is only slightly particular about the kind and range of services offered in the hotel you choose to stay in. Some 4-star hotels even offer a wider range of amenities than some 5-star hotels at a lower price.

Also, some 4 star hotels are considered the best in a certain region, as a 4-star rating is the highest for the hotel grading body ruling that area.

However, notice that the prices also differ according to the hotels’ respective distances from the center of the city or town; the prices reduce as the location moves farther from the center. The factor of how much of the city center you want to see should therefore play a role in planning your luxurious weekend getaway. After all, what you save in accommodations could easily turn into expenses when you need to spend more on transportation between the hotel and tourist spots you intend to visit.

Four-star hotels are also suitable for business travel, as business centers and conference halls are available in most. The business traveler can also benefit from the luxurious service a 4-star hotel offers, as the hotel can easily cater to a mix of business and pleasure. Some can even be a source of inspiration and tranquility, particularly those with extra provisions for privacy, such as soundproofed rooms, and wellness facilities, such as room massage service and a Zen garden.

Here’s a list of 4 star hotels that may be worth spending a weekend in someday: the Sofitel Paris Porte de Sevres, which also offers wireless Internet access in some rooms, 3 restaurants catering to different tastes, and the option to stay on one of its eight non-smoking floors; the Hotel Forum in Rome, with a roof-garden restaurant overlooking the Venice Square and the Colosseum; and the Elite Hotel Praha in Prague, which is located in a quiet, yet scenic part of town, and features a day bar with a small leisure garden and a grill club that showcases the best of French, Argentinian and Spanish cuisines.

Rome is a reality. For Rome, more than for most cities, this always has been the central dilemma of city life:how to maintain its priceless heritage while improving the lot of its cheerfully inhabitants. Certainly the 2000 year Jubilee inspired efforts of recent years and have made a difference. Transport has been boosted, new museums have been opened and old ones renovated, and the long awaited Auditorium has opened to universal praise. The city hasn’t re-found the heady days of la dolce vita, but it’s looking good and it’s feeling better than it has for a long time.

Pride also informs much of the typical Roman character: romans are first and foremost Roman and only then italian.

In a country of unparalleled beauty, both natural and architectural, Rome remains the jewel in the crown. In no other city you can see so much in such a short space of time and yet merely scratch the surface. About 10 feet below ground level exists another world, with traces of other settlements deep still. In Rome every period has left a mark. In fact from the time when it was a caput mundi ( center of the world ), through the development of Christianity to the present day ( a period of more than 2.500 years ), Rome has become an unsurpassed anthropological and archaeological archive of Western culture. And it’s enough to wander the streets to see this.

The art of Michelangelo, the sculptures of Bernini, the palaces and the cobbled streets, the perfectly formed piazzas, Rome is all this. Nothing is hidden, it’s all there waiting for you much as it has been for hundreds of years.
Rome is yet the capital of the world:it’s a city of palaces and temples, more glorious than those which any city contains. And it’s also a duty of the Rome hotel owners to keep efficient this immense heritage.

Finding a hotel that suits your budget comes easy when you take into consideration the activities that you will be busy with, or what you want to achieve during your stay. If being extremely pampered and totally worry-free comes last on your list, then you’re welcome to try a 3-star hotel. This is not to say that 3-star hotels do not offer any degree of comfort or luxury; it just seems impractical to be paying for lavish amenities when you won’t have the chance to take advantage of them.

If you’re a business traveler, who intends to be primarily engaged in, well, business matters, and not that concerned with having a fun and relaxing time, then a 3-star hotel with provisions and facilities that are useful for conferences and business correspondence would be a good recommendation. Furthermore, the affordable price is more attractive if you intend to keep the business expenses low. Also, an in-house restaurant, bar or lounge eliminates the need to go elsewhere for lunch or dinner meetings, and thus saves you time that you can spend preparing for presentations instead.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the tourist spectrum, a weekend traveler who has a planned itinerary can find good value in a 3-star hotel that is within minutes of a popular tourist destination, such as Paris or Amsterdam. Just because you’re visiting a top tourist spot doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot on accommodations. For instance, three star hotels like the Hotel Windsor Opera in Paris (only over a kilometer away from the city center) even offers services such as a business center facility, room service, and a fitness center, with rates that are at least about fifty percent lower than the best hotels located in the heart of the city.

While 3-star hotels may be expected to offer more than basic accommodations, it may be best to assess them and make a choice according to your expectations and needs. For instance, you may deem access to a fitness center more important than room service, or prefer Internet access and a business center to availability of a swimming pool. Whatever you prefer, be reassured that you can consult with an online guide and make sure to ask the right questions that will ultimately lead to a pleasant 3-star hotel experience.

Here are other 3-star hotels that may be of interest: the Hotel Sylter Hof in Berlin, which prides itself as a good location for business functions, and is immediately accessible to the city’s major airports; the Hotel Diplomatic in Rome, which is within close range of the Spanish Steps and the Vatican, and boasts of a fitness center, a swimming pool, and impeccable service; the Kensington Close Hotel and Healthy Spa in London, which offers an indoor swimming pool, beauty treatments, a health and fitness club, and three restaurants; and the Circus Circus Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is a family oriented hotel that offers live circus act performances and boasts of the Grand Slam Canyon theme park.

As its me doing most of the blogging, you’d better know a little bit more about me I guess.

I work as a self-employed builder and decorator (more decorating, less building these days) and when work allows my hobby is, well, doing ‘this’, I guess

I’m not sure where this blog will take me - I always wanted a podium to put the world to rights, and now I have one, I’m not sure where to start. I’d not be much ‘cop’ on Hyde Park Corner.

I love the power of the internet, there is so much useful information out there - and also a lot of nonsense - so I will probably start by collecting together all the good stuff and use this site as a dumping ground/scrapbook for all my favourite snippets of information - and my views on it.

We all like to travel, so I’ll probably also bore you all silly with where we have been, where we are going and what happened when we went.

If you disagree with anything I write, ‘pile in’, as we say in Bolton - I have broad shoulders and my family aren’t easily offended.

Have a good’un

Dennis