Search Results for: tag marriage trends

Gardening Trends for 2009

I came downstairs this morning and took a look out of my kitchen window, which looks out onto the backyard. There is a good dusting of snow covering it all. But the first thing I thought about was this year’s garden. I know that seems strange, but spring will be here before we know it, and it is time to start planning. If you are looking for some new ideas for your garden this year, take a look at the following trends. These things are all areas in which homeowners and gardeners have shown interest in 2008, according to The … Continue reading →

Marriage Can Make You Smarter

A study from Brigham Young University recently reported that a happy marriage could lower your blood pressure. Now neuroscience is noticing that marriage can make you smarter, too. In the early stages of a relationship (that first, exciting rush of love), your brain might not be in the right state for intellectual pursuits. A lot of the beginnings of love are driven by the euphoric feelings that come from dopamine — a brain chemical that produces powerful, pleasurable feelings. As relationships mature, dopamine levels become less important and other parts of the brain are engaged. In the later stages of … Continue reading →

More Recent Stats on Long Marriages, Part 1 – Definitions

Last week I provided some stats on long marriages from a U.S. Census Bureau document issued in February 2002 called Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 1996 by Rose M. Kreider and Jason M. Fields. How I missed the more current one, I don’t know, but Jade “The Muse” walker pulled through again by sharing a link with me to a more recent document. Again, it was issued by the U.S. Census Bureau and was authored by Rose M. Kreider, but it is entitled Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2001 and was issued in February … Continue reading →

Book Review: Issues That Concern You: Foster Care

I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy the Opposing Viewpoints series of books, such as Opposing Viewpoints: Adoption. Greenhaven Press now has another series, aimed at students, called Issues that Concern You. These issues include Date Rape, Discrimination, Dieting, Electronic Devices in Schools, Gangs, Zoos and Animal Welfare, and other issues that may be relevant to students’ everyday lives, to things they care about, causes they may wish to support, or issues they may vote on when they become adults. Issues that Concern You: Foster Care is one such book. Like the Opposing Viewpoints series, the book is an anthology … Continue reading →

A Wedding Ring for Your Man?

Trends come and go in marriage as they do in other aspects of life. In my parent’s generation, the men never wore wedding rings. If you look around at many elderly men you will see few wedding rings. By the time we Mick and I married there was so starting to change. Yet, even in my husband’s age group one time I looked around the guys we were with, some of whom were a few years younger than us, and Mick was he only man wearing a wedding ring. Mick is not one for wearing jewelry apart from his watch, … Continue reading →

Defying the Odds

There are always exceptions to any rule. Statistics can give a general pattern of society’s trends but there are always those that defy the odds and do not fit the general pattern. As I read Mary Ann’s article, I was saddened to read the sad state of marriage in America. Sadly, it’s no different in Australia. When our daughter was at school she was one of few who had parents who were together and had only ever been married to each other. As Mary Ann’s blog mentioned most families had step parents, step sisters, stepbrothers. Listening to many of the … Continue reading →

Wedding Planners

Posted on by

Most brides that I know of that live in my area plan their own weddings. They search through books and get ideas from others. However, no professional person or service is hired for the planning help. The professionals do come in when food, cakes, invitations, decorations, and filming are concerned. I had never really thought about true wedding planning agencies until I watched The Wedding Planner. After seeing the movie I realized that there really must be people out there that plan weddings for a living. I had also never really considered how big and expensive some weddings can be. … Continue reading →

Bridal Fashion Week—How To Look Like A Disney Princess Bride

Here we go again. The Big Apple is hunkering down for yet another Fashion Week (to read my series on Fashion Week 2007 click here). But this time designers are catering to a certain clientele—brides-to-be. Bridal Fashion Week kicks off in Manhattan on Sunday, but some fashion editors are already offering their picks on what may prove to be runway standouts. If you have always dreamed of looking like a princess on your wedding day then you are in luck… especially if the princess you’ve dreamt of looking like is from a Disney movie. Oh, no they didn’t! Oh, YES … Continue reading →

Books for Adults on Adoption from China and Korea

Posted on by

I recently published a series of blogs on children’s books dealing with adoption, including books specifically featuring kids adopted from different countries. Here, I will present books for adults on adoption from China and Korea. Many are memoirs which tell of adoptive families’ experiences. Others are memoirs of adoptees and even of birthmothers and an adoption worker. Others are serious looks at the topics of preserving heritage and the reasons children are available for adoption. Books for adults on Korean adoption: A Single Square Picture tells the story of a girl adopted at age 7 who returns to search for … Continue reading →

Wedding Planning – Kindness is King

Can it really have been back in June when I wrote Register to Give; Not to Receive? It seems a very long time ago indeed. But apparently the kindness trend is on the upswing and what better time to make a commitment to incorporating kindness in your wedding planning. Love them or hate them, that is exactly what Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are doing for their wedding – they want to include acts of kindness in their wedding planning. Jolie is reportedly looking for her wedding dress not in the houses of fashion, but through Goodwill – in order … Continue reading →