Dating Etiquette

April 2013

Modern technology and the passage of time has taken us far from the rules that our grandparents subscribed to when it came to wading through the dating pool. Parent-approved pair-ups have given way to speed dating, handwritten declarations of love have been replaced by quick text messages, and even long hours on the telephone have evolved into chatting via the Internet.

Regardless of how communication has changed over the years, how relationships are defined, and how the rules of dating have changed, certain points remain true when it comes to meeting new people, embarking on a new relationship, or trying one out for size. Keep these constantly on your mind and make the sometimes-complicated world of dating fun and relatively hassle-free.

Save the important stuff for face-to-face conversations.

Texting and email are convenient ways to catch up, make plans—but not the ideal venue to talk feelings. Break-ups are difficult enough; adding that extra cold-hearted element of doing it over the phone just makes it all the harsher. On the opposite end of the spectrum, moving forward with a relationship is something you’ll want to discuss in person—without body language or being able to read a person’s facial expressions, parts of a conversation can be easily lost or misread between the lines.

Take things with a grain of salt.

Whether you’re fresh off a blind date and are waiting for a second date invite, or are deep into a month-long relationship, it is important not to let yourself be overtaken by emotion. Throw in the foibles that come with modern technology, and it is easy to get caught up in dating drama that you’ll find was not at all necessary after all. No reply after a text message you sent? Don’t fret and just call. Ignored on Facebook chat? There could be a million valid reasons why. Find out why with a clear head.

Take your time.

Quick fixes have become a staple of modern day living. Fast food, fast Internet, instant messaging—these everyday essentials have wired us to expect quick, sometimes premature results. Relationships can sometimes be built in lightning speed, but most of the time, it takes a slow burn to come up with solid decisions and results that make sense over time. Resist the urge to fast track, respect your partner’s pace (and your own), and savor the small moments.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Trip Tips

March 2013

As the weather heats up and summer soon approaches, families and friends start making plans for a fun-filled break. Whether you’re planning a full-fledged vacation out of the country with the whole brood, or going for a weekend escape with your husband to a secluded beach, it’s important to stay courteous and considerate. Pooling the kids so they don’t cause a raucous in the hotel lobby or being gracious enough to keep quiet in the wee hours of the morning so you don’t disrupt your next-door hostel neighbors is always good practice.

While the summer holidays is a time for letting loose and running free, it’s always a good idea to stick to courtesy so that everyone has a pleasant, hassle-free time.

Make Provisions

Fussy kids can be a problem when long lines in theme parks and whole-day road trips are concerned. Planning ahead, whether you’re taking care of a one-year old or an active nine-year old helps prevent midday meltdowns that can interrupt even the best-laid plans. Toting a Ziploc bag filled with healthy treats, fruit, sandwiches, and even a bottle of water can tame unexpected hunger pangs and help settle down rowdy kids.

Appoint a Go-To Guy

Mixing different personalities while traveling with a group can be a major source of conflict. When there are one too many cooks on a family vacation, delays, mix-ups in plans and itineraries, and accidental slip-ups are inevitable. If you feel that your husband is more adept at dealing with hotel bookings, appoint him as the go-to guy in that department and allow your strengths in logistical planning, driving directions, and other tasks to keep you in charge of those areas. Separating responsbilities is not only efficient, but can tame tempers in tight situations.

Keep them Involved

Reining in the kids during holidays can be a huge, time-consuming task. Sometimes however, the adults don’t give the children as much credit as they deserve, especially when it comes to high-stress situations (consider how vacations are supposed to be hassle-free!). Whether you’re dealing with a 12-year old or a pre-schooler, clue them in on the goings-on, ask for their opinions when it comes to the places you’re visiting, and give them a rundown of rules to keep silence and courtesy for neighbors always at bay. They’ll appreciate your trust and may even work extra hard to help keep the peace throughout your holiday.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Parties that Build Community

February 2013

Whether you’re celebrating family, friendship or successes at work, festive parties are the perfect venue to commemorate important milestones in life and help build the spirit of community among people. Expanding your parties to include those outside your inner circle is a wonderful way of spreading the love and allowing it to reach the people and causes that need it the most.

At your next event, consider infusing your celebration with creative themes that allow you to build community within your own family, circle of friends, or business, and also to include sectors of society that you would like to help out. Considering community not just deepens these milestones we love to celebrate, it also helps raise awareness and gives meaning to the occasions we often take for granted in our daily lives.

Charity Bash

If you have a soft spot for a certain charity, consider partnering up with them at your next event. Guests can bring suggested donations, and a program can be designed to feature a short speech from the organization involved. Whether you’re supporting animal adoption, a children’s orphanage, or an environmental cause, it also helps to set up a corner of your venue as an information booth where guests can get more information about the charity. Save a couple of bucks by seeking sponsorships for your party to help with food and beverage, giveaways and even raffle prizes.

Offbeat Milestones

While baby showers, birthday parties and anniversaries are part and parcel of everyone’s party schedule throughout the year, people hardly take time to celebrate other occasions that are equally important. Why not throw a promotion party for your best friend who just made it to top management? Or a simple bash for your kids to celebrate the transition from end-of-classes to start-of-summer? Think of the little joys of life and know that every moment is also worth celebrating.

Indie Flavor

Do you have a friend whose home-baked goodies deserve commercial success? Or do you think your friends and colleagues would love your favorite fashion designer’s dresses? Hold a party that celebrates independent brands—crafters, designers, home bakers and cooks, and other artists-in-their-own-right whom you feel deserve an expanded audience. Invite people from the press, friends and family, and distribute invitations all around and help create a community that supports local trade and talent.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Nurturing Your Relationships

January 2013

The start of the year can be a high-energy month filled with a flurry of activity—from attending the last string of parties from the holidays, to jumpstarting a brand new phase at work, motivating the kids to get back in the swing of things as soon as classes start to keeping your household help up and about, cleaning up the Christmas decorations and putting the house in order again.

Everyday, we interact with friends, loved ones and coworkers and it is rare that we stop ourselves mid-routine to truly appreciate the relationships and bonds we’ve formed with them. We can all start the year right by taking time off our To Do lists to indulge in thoughtful gestures that tell the people around us they are in our thoughts.

Here are a few simple ideas to keep you genuinely connected to those you relate to everyday.

Friends

• Share a link on their Facebook walls to an website you know they’ll appreciate. If you’ve got more time, clip a magazine article and send it via snail mail—communicating via the Internet is so common these days that the rare handwritten letter is always a welcome thing.

• Instead of gifting a generic, tangible item, gift your friends with time you can spend together—a gift certificate to a nail spa for your circle of friends, or a private walking tour around Binondo or Intramuros for your barkada is a wonderful gift more memorable than anything tangible.

Family

• Leave a Post-It note with a cheerful quote in your kid’s packed lunch. It will be a nice surprise, especially when matched with his or her favorite sweet treat for dessert.

• Surprise a family member with a homemade breakfast in bed. Too often, we’re too busy to take our time in the morning—enjoying the most important meal of the day with a freshly brewed cup of coffee while still snuggling under the covers recalls the pleasant warmth of family.

Coworkers

• Arrange a bowl of candy that anyone on your floor or office can take a treat from in the middle of a busy day. It’s the small things that count!

• Fold an origami flower and tuck in your colleague’s keyboard at the end of the day. It’ll be a fun surprise to boost their mood the very next morning—especially when everyone is feeling burned out and rundown at work.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.