Catholic Baby Baptism Invitations

If your a Catholic and have recently had a baby, one of the things you may be considering is a baby baptism or christening. This event is typically done when the baby is less than a year old and involves the sprinkling of holy water upon the baby’s head.

This is an event almost all Catholics partake in and one that they share with family and friends. There is a godfather and godmother chosen by the parents who are responsible for the baby’s spiritual growth in the event the parents are not anymore present.

Such a day starts with a small mass in the Catholic church where the parents attend and then a small gathering with food is done following the ceremony. This mealtime or gathering may be held at a restaurant or the parents home. It is a time of celebration and fun.

New parents may not always have the time to create invitations for this type of event but would be relieved to know that there are baptism invitation templates available for download! There are a large variety of designs to choose from and makes this part of the planning process, a breeze!

Check out other best buys here.

Invitation Templates

Throughout the year, we are constantly celebrating. Whether your throwing a party or attending one, gathering events are always happening.  It can be a big milestone such as a baby’s first birthday or a wedding. The fact is there is always something worth celebrating in life.

I am in the middle of planning a family reunion next Memorial Day weekend in 2014. I haven’t had one in over a few decades so this is an exciting one for everyone. People should gather together and not wait for events such as funerals or weddings before they see each other. It’s not the best time to get reacquainted and discuss the happenings in our lives with our family…assuming you would want to.

Another big event, we are anticipating and soon to be celebrating is our daughter’s first official job out since she’s graduated from college. She will be moving out of our state to accept a job in another state so we are going to be having a Congratulatory party for her before she leaves. These are just a few examples of things that come up in our everyday lives. Of course, people also do not need an event or occasion to gather and celebrate a meal together. It can be as casual as just having friends over to spend time together.

In any event, you may need to send out some invitations to let people know of the occasion and location of the function. Not all events require an invitation to be sent out but most semi-formal ones do. I would say anything that requires planning on a larger scale would certainly require an invitation to set the mood or theme for what’s to come.

Invitation templates are a very cool idea. Why? Because the hard work has been done for you in terms of the creative aspect. All that’s left is to fill in the blanks of your own details. Quick and easy setup. Printing is on demand which means you can print them as you need it and reuse them over and over again, if desired.

Back From Vacation

We returned from our wonderful trip yesterday and yes, I am still jet-lagged. It’s harder to get back into the groove as you get older and was surprisingly unaware of how the time difference would impact me in such a huge way. I’m basically up with the chickens and asleep before the crowds but actually, its kind of nice.

I really do like getting up earlier in the morning because it seems to be such a fuller day than when your up at 9 am. Although I am physically in vacay-mode, I have returned to work! I figured I would start right away and ease myself back into the day to day routine slowly.

Today is Father’s Day, which accounts for the slow work in the past few days. It is a welcome blessing for me since I am transitioning back to the work flow. Anyways, about my trip!…Europe was absolutely a wonderful experience. We traveled to France, Spain and Italy. The weather was warmer than I had anticipated but the scenery all but made up for that. I have to say my favorite place of all was Italy.

The people are beautiful, food and wine was unbeatable and the architecture and history were amazing. I took a ton of photos which I will most likely post on my facebook account for those who care to view them aside from my family. So great to be back home though after a trip like that. I appreciate the little things we have here, like good tasting water!

Even the bottled water in the places I traveled was not at all good. Aside from that, I would definitely return. I can see myself living in Italy or Spain. France was my least favorite place but the places we did see were very interesting. I like the warmth of the people in Spain and Italy which is what makes me want to return. They were so nice and accommodating.

The photo above is the Vatican in Rome. This was a spectacular place and one that thousands of people are waiting in lines to enter. Luckily for us we had a VIP entry and did not have to wait in line for it.

If your interested in seeing more photos from my trip, visit my Pinterest page!

Ciao for now.

Preparing For A Vacation

In a few days, I’m leaving to go to Italy. I feel like in the past 2 weeks I’ve worked a lifetime! Preparing for a vacation is no easy task, especially when you are going abroad! There’s so much to do– it can make your head spin.

Normally, I am an extreme list maker, but somehow I didn’t quite get around to even making up a list of to-do’s just before my trip. It’s a wonder I am even ready at all. When you run a business as I do, the BAU (business as usual) can certainly take the forefront of things, which is what it seemed to do for me.

I haven’t traveled outside the United States in a long time, since I was about 17…like I said, a long time! I imagine the customs and long air flights have changed quite a bit since then. I don’t usually mind flying but this time I’m a bit nervous about doing so since its such a long flight.

I am hoping to train myself on the time change before I leave. Since they are eight hours ahead of the U.S., I have woken extra early this morning (4 a.m. now) so on the day of departure, I can be awake when I need to be and sleep when I need to. Nothing worse than jetlag and I am no fun to be around when I have had lack of sleep.

Passports, itinerary and bags are packed and hoping I have not forgotten anything. But something in my mind feels and hopes that I have everything in check. Having a business does put an extra added wrinkle into the equation when you are preparing to go on a much needed vacay.

It’s best to create a list of to do’s if you are able, so you don’t have to keep all that you have to get done in your mind. Visit my Pinterest Funeral Page or like me on Facebook Funeral Page to find out more about my online business.

Ciao!

The Ultimate Bachelorette Party

It’s been awhile since I was a bachelorette! I’ve been married going on 25 years now to the same wonderful husband who swept me off my feet in 1988.

Bachelorette parties and themes sure have changed since then and while I was doing some research online of what type of party themes bridesmaids are doing nowadays, the range was huge. Anywhere from a ranch style party all the way to the let’s go to Vegas extravaganza! Wow, what happened to just a simple night out with the girls and have dinner? I suppose those nights are still around but seem to be in the minority.

I didn’t have a bachelorette party or last fling before the ring! I guess its because I didn’t need a party to celebrate my last night of being single. I was so ready to get married and dump the single scene that it was more of a “good ridence” type of feeling. Haha. Well to each their own.

For anyone planning this type of party, getting ideas can be made simply by searching for invitations. That way your invite can set the mood to the gals or invitees and you can get the theme started from the onset. I think its better to do it this way verses the other way around. It should save you time since you already know the theme your going with.

Mom’s Terminal Cancer

Hello again. Well…I write this with a heavy heart. I found out several weeks ago that my mother has terminal cancer. I am just now getting over the shock factor but since I found out she only has less than 6 months to live, it has been a turbulent amount of emotions.

I have experienced feelings of guilt, regret, sadness and worry almost on a daily basis. Not a good thing to do everyday and i’m sure its certainly not doing my health any good either. It’s hard to get one out of the pit of despair, yet I know people all over the world must be going through the same feelings as I have been.

I am now able to get through my work day and since the shock has worn off, I am able to somewhat get  things back to norm. She is currently residing in Florida with my sister so I have yet to make the trip out to see her and say my final goodbye’s. That is a trip that will be taken at the end of of this month and one I am not looking forward to.

I only hope for the strength to get through the visit. I am trying to remember in my mind that if we knew what lies ahead past death of the physical body, maybe we would not be so saddened. As a woman of faith, I know what the Bible says about being absent from the body. I am praying that my mother’s spiritual condition is ready and cleanse before she meets her maker.

Thinking of making the funeral arrangements is already overwhelming. Although I do create funeral programs for a living, its going to be very difficult to do it for my own mother. But peeking my head out of the despair pit, I know that this is happening for a reason and that it will make me into a better, stronger person in the long run.

Here is a beautiful funeral poem that I will most likely incorporate into her service:

God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not to be
so he put his arms around you
and whispered,
“Come to Me”

With tearful eyes we watched you
and saw you pass away
and although we love you dearly
we could not make you stay.

A Golden heart stopped beating
hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.
–Author Unknown

A Baby Baptism or Christening

I love babies! They are so cute and something about seeing a baby makes me feel so at peace and wonderful. My babies are all grown up and perhaps its just me being reminiscent and missing their early years.

If you attend church or religion is a part of your family, a baby’s christening or baptism may be on your list of things to do during your baby’s first year. A baptism for a baby generally means that you as parents will bring him or her up in the religion you are involved with. The baptism is very big in the Catholic church and Christian churches also do Baby Dedications. So it is a public act that the parents do to let everyone know that you intend to raise your child up in the faith.

The baptism/christening consists of a small church ceremony and then afterwards a gathering that includes food and a small party. The new parents invite relatives and friends to this event. New parents are often very busy people so creating an invitation from scratch is not usually an option! Saving money is also a key consideration for new parents since they are now taking on new financial obligations with a new baby as well.

Enter the template. For a very minimal fee of $30, you can create and print your own baby baptism or christening invitation yourself very easily! I am a firm believer in templates because they save time and money which is always a good thing in any economy!  Forget about ordering the invites online, many of those company’s do not provide quality work and you won’t find that out until you get the invitations and have already paid for it.

Templates enable you to print on demand and be able to control quality and quantity without wasting any unneeded ones. A great solution for new parents, for sure.

Moving Announcement or New Address Cards

Whenever you move to a new location, 9 times out of 10 you want to let everyone know of your new address. Typically, people send some sort of announcement that will enable them to do this, such as a moving announcement postcard or new address change card. They may even send out emails however, you may not always know everyone’s email address and it could result in going into a spam or junk folder. So the good, old fashion method of sending an announcement in the mail seems to be the most reliable choice, in this case.

You can create and send out moving cards very quickly and easily by using a ready made template for such an event. Often this is a reason to celebrate! Moving into a new home can be exciting and exhausting at the same time! The templates created are meant to save you time and just get the word out. They are completely customizable and enable you to let all your friends and family know of your new address. You can even use it as a form of an invitation, for those who are going to have a new home celebration, like a BBQ or dinner party.

Even though we live in the age of technology, I always prefer invites or announcements in the form of something tangible. This is because I get such massive amounts of email, it is bound to be lost in the shuffle. And when I don’t have something I can hold on to…out of sight, out of mind. So personally, getting an announcement in the mail is refreshing, since it does not seem to be the norm these days. Just think… Your invite will all the more, stand out.

I wish I would have known about these templates when we moved into our new home almost 5 years ago. It would have made it so much easier to let everyone know how to get a hold of us. But since I know about them now, I want to spread the word so you won’t have to go through the frustration I did. 🙂

Have a happy day.

Printable Magazine Cover Template

Have you ever secretly wanted to be on the cover of a magazine? Come on, I think we all have at some point. Well, guess what? Now its completely possible! You won’t get paid or anything as those high fashion and celebrities do but you can still grace the cover of any magazine you’d like!

You can get professional looking magazine cover template to place on top of any photo of your choice. All you need to do is insert the photo and bammo! Your on the front cover of any magazine you want.

You then can print it yourself or take it to a local office supply store to get printed into what size you’d like for framing or putting as a booklet on a front cover of some kind of program. It’s awesome and it’s cool! I just love how these templates already have the type done for you and you are still able to customize 3 text boxes so that you can put your name or the subject’s name to fully make it personal. Amazing.

What’s more is that these can be edited with software you already own such as Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, Publisher, and Apple iWork Pages. The great part is that I can print it on my own home printer myself or take it anywhere I want to. Unlike some online websites where you can create the template for free but you must use their printing services and its usually a one time fee. If you use it again, you have to pay again.

No thanks. I like the freedom to purchase something once and then use it as many times as I like without having to pay an additional cost. I can see these as great gifts and framed or if I’m creating some kind of booklet, gracing the cover of my booklet program for a great impact.

Love this!

What is a Gatefold Program?

Ever heard of a gatefold program? Well, its not the most popular choice for businesses but is an elegant and lovely presentation for memorials and weddings.

The gatefold is similar to a trifold but the folds come in differently. As the name implies, the folds open out simulating the opening of a gate. It is typically offered in a legal size 8.5 x 14 sheet of paper since you do need a little more room in order to achieve that nice gate fold effect.

Wedding programs as well as funeral programs are done in this type of layout but really, you can use it for birthdays, anniversaries, business presentations, or just about anything. You can think outside the box and produce a unique printed material for whatever occasion you need.

I like to use them specifically for weddings, personally. It’s different and I like that. I also have added a coordinating colored ribbon around the entire thing horizontally which makes it have a special finishing touch. This is a very difficult program to produce on your own or from scratch. So i’ve used a template to take the hard work out of it. That is definitely the way to go if you want to produce this format. Without one, you could be on the computer for days. 🙂

There are only a handful of sites that offer this as a ready made layout. I would recommend checking CelebrationsofLifeStore.com where they have a nice variety of templates for gatefold programs. Here’s a video on it to help give you a visual: