Holidays For 2009

These are the 2009 holidays you can expect to find ideas for here at Holiday Discounts Online:

March 17  -  St. Patricks Day

April 12    -  Easter

May 10     -  Mothers Day

June 21    -  Fathers Day

July 4       -  Independence Day

October 31  -  Halloween

November 26  -  Thanksgiving

December 25  -  Christmas

If there are any other holidays you would like for me to blog about, please leave a comment on this post.

Buying Jewelry On eBay

eBay is a great place to find almost any item that you can imagine. Jewelry auctions are no exception and are quite common on eBay. In many cases, you cannot beat the deals that are offered here.
However, there are also many con artists that operate through eBay so you have to use caution.

Start by reading all of the fine details about the jewelry that you are considering purchasing. If you still have questions, send those questions to the seller through eBay’s website. Make sure that
you keep all of your contact with the seller through the website so that there is documentation.

Check out the person or company that is offering the jewelry. Look at their ratings and their feedback. Has there been any negative feedback? If so, you may want to reconsider your options and
look into other auctions. If the feedback is all positive, and the seller’s rating is high, doing
business with them should not be a problem.

Make sure that you are clear about shipment costs and the shipment time frame, as well as the
payment options offered. Usually, the buyer is responsible for the shipment costs, and this is
added to the total and paid before the item ships. In the case of high ticket items, insurance may
be required on the item as well. While you can find free shipping items on eBay, the shipping costs are usually already added to the price of the item.

If the jewelry is a high ticket item, such as jewelry that is rare or expensive, you should strongly consider using the escrow service that is recommended by eBay. If the seller recommends any escrow service other than the one that eBay recommends, you might not want to do business with this seller – it could be a scam.

Beware of sniper’s on eBay! Sniping is against the rules at eBay, but a large group of people do it
anyway. Sniping is automatic bidding, which is not against the rules, but bidding which is done through a software or service that is instructed to place your highest bid in the last possible seconds of the auction – leaving no time for anyone else to place a higher bid. Again, this is against eBay’s rules.

Instead of sniping, place your first bid at the maximum amount that you are willing to pay for the jewelry. Each time someone outbids you, your bid will automatically be raised – until your limit is reached. This is not sniping, and it is a perfectly legal way to bid on auctions at eBay.

If you have never bought anything through eBay, it is easy to sign up and free for buyers to use. While you do have to watch out for the occasional unethical sellers, these are actually rare. I have used eBay for about 5 years now without a problem. I never buy from a seller unless they have a score of at least 300 with 99% positive feedback.

The best way to pay for your eBay purchases is through paypal.com. It is also free for buyers to use and will protect your purchases up to $1000. If you do not receive your item, paypal has an excellent dispute system where they will refund your money if the seller cannot provide proof of shipment. If your item is defective you have paypal and eBay’s dispute systems at your disposal. Just make sure that the auction does not say, “no refunds, item sold as-is”.

Roses: Make Sure You Give the Right Color

Roses are a traditional gift given on Valentines Day, but they are definitely well received any day of the year. However, before you buy roses for someone you should know what message you are sending with the color you choose. Men as well as women, express that they love to get flowers and floral gifts. But remember, color talks! Although it is a common acceptance that all roses convey warmth and affection, the person receiving them may know and understand the meaning of a roses color and the symbolic message conveyed. It would be nice to assure that you are communicating the right message to that special person instead of being misunderstood.

The color of a rose can certainly be interpreted differently than how you intended. To ensure that your love, or friend, understands what the roses you are sending mean, follow the guide below so you can be sure of no misinterpreted gestures.

The color of a Rose and its meaning:

Orange – enthusiasm, desire and fascination

Lavender – love at first sight

Coral – desire

Pale Peach – modesty

Peach – appreciation, closing of the deal, lets get together, sincerity

Red and Yellow – jovial and happy feelings

Red and White – given together these signify unity

Yellow with Red Tip – friendship, falling in love

Yellow – Joy, gladness, friendship, delight, promise of a new beginning, welcome back, remember me, jealousy

Light Pink – admiration, sympathy, gentleness, grace, gladness, joy, sweetness

Dark Pink – appreciation, gratitude, thank-you

Pink – appreciation, thank-you, grace, perfect happiness, admiration, gentleness, please believe me

White (Bridal) – happy love

White – purity, innocence, silence, secrecy, reverance, humilty, youthfulness, I am worthy of you, Heavenly

Deep Burgundy – unconscious beauty

Red (single) – I love you

Red Dark – unconscious beauty

Red – love, beauty, courage and respect, romantic love, congratulations, I love you, job well done, sincere love, respect, courage and passion

Single in any Color (besides red) – simplicity, gratitude

Red Rosebud – symbolic of purity and loveliness

White Rosebud – symbolic of girlhood

Thornless Rose – love at first sight

There is also a significance and meaning to the number of roses you send someone:

1 Rose – Love at first sight!
2 Roses – Mutual feelings
3 Roses – I Love You!
7 Roses – I’m infatuated with you
9 Roses – Together as long as we live
10 Roses – You’re Perfect!
11 Roses – You’re my treasured one
12 Roses – Be my steady
13 Roses – Forever friends
15 Roses – I’m really sorry
20 Roses – I’m sincere towards you
21 Roses – I’m committed to you
36 Roses – I’ll remember our romantic moments
40 Roses – My love is genuine
99 Roses – I’ll love you till the day I die
100 Roses – I’m totally devoted to you
101 Roses – You’re my one and only
108 Roses – Will you marry me?
999 Roses – My love will last till the end of time
Leaves – In general they are a symbol of hope

Rose talk is the language and trendsetting is the game. It does not matter whether you are shy, trying to convey a subtle message or want to shout it from the stems, saying it with a rose sends a special message. These “body language” blooms are the most popular of all cut flowers and nothing quite says it like a rose. Regardless of color, number or stage of growth, roses that are sent every month convey “beauty ever new.” Regardless if your rose recipient is not familiar with the meaning of the colors or numbers, one message shouts out loud and clear. The person that sends roses is a romantic and is saying something very special!