The Supplemental Kick

The Fear of Punctuation
By Jane Straus

If you have a sentence followed by a list, do you use a semicolon or a colon? The answer: That depends…Did you introduce the list with an introductory word such as such as? Did you have a complete sentence before you began the list? Is your list part of your sentence or did you indent the items on the list in tabular form? Those are a lot of factors to consider for one measly punctuation mark, which is why most people need help in the form of a reference book, website, or trusted associate.

People have reason to fear punctuation because the rules have changed and they continue to do so. Who has the right to change these rules? Rumor has it that the rules about placing periods and commas inside quotation marks was changed 30+ years ago by the typesetters’ union because figuring out inside vs. outside for the comma or period was apparently too complicated and time consuming. So, all of a sudden, we were told to put all commas and periods inside quotation marks. The British apparently didn’t buy this excuse and continue to follow logic. This makes their lives more difficult because they actually have to think. Americans can just put that period or comma inside the quotation mark with no worries. However, we Americans are not completely off the hook. We still have to use logic with quotation marks when the sentence has question marks, exclamation points, or, heaven forbid, a semicolon.

Then, of course, the advent of computers has brought numerous changes in punctuation. This is why we now have just one space after the period before starting a new sentence. The programmers’ reasoning for this change is that the computer spaces every letter and punctuation mark according to its actual size. So the reader’s eye sees enough space between the period and the next capital letter such that he/she is not confused. But I have people writing emails to me every day questioning this decision. They ask me, “Is it a rule?” My answer: “It is now.”

We are all familiar with those annoying red and green squiggly lines we see under words and punctuation marks. Often, when you right-click on the squiggly line, you will receive a suggestion that is confusing or just plain wrong. The bottom line is that the English language is a living, breathing entity, much like an animal responding to its environment. It must adapt in order to survive.

I think most people feel insecure about their grammar and punctuation skills and long for the comfort of a book or website that offers quick, understandable answers to their everyday questions. Common mistakes I see are letters, reports, and websites overusing or inappropriately using commas. There are just so many rules about commas that you have to be dedicated to learning the rules or have a handy reference that gives you real-world, clear examples along with rules written for all of us who did not major in English.

This is why I wrote The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation and decided to share the contents of the book online. When I see mistakes in ads, on billboards, and on websites, I think, “These businesses have paid good money for this advertising but they’re not getting their value.” While driving from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, I saw two billboards with glaring errors. One read, “Your Welcome Here” (should be: You’re Welcome Here). Another one read, “Its Time to Call Us” (should be: It’s Time to Call Us). When potential customers see glaring English usage errors, they will inevitably question the quality of the service or product. Businesses that do not have their websites, letters, and advertising copy proofread pay a hidden price in customer confidence and profits.

I would like to leave you with a helpful tip for one of the most confusing issues for most of us: It’s vs. its It’s is a contraction for it is. If you cannot substitute it is for its, then don’t use the apostrophe.
Example: It’s a good thing you have access to the rules now.
Example: Knowing the rules is worth its weight in gold.

About the Author

Jane Straus is an entertaining teacher, lecturer, and author. Her book, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, is an easy-to-use reference guide and workbook for those of us who need answers to our everyday questions. You can see the entire contents of her book; order the book for your home, workplace, or school; take an interactive test; get your questions answered; or submit your documents for editing at: http://www.grammarbook.com/.

Every webmaster knows that to gain ranking positions in search engines you need to build links. This usually means hours at a computer submitting your site to directories and emailing other webmasters requesting reciprocal links. There is another way of getting links which often overlooked and complements your current link building strategy, writing articles.

Content is the life blood of the Internet every webmaster needs it and every website needs fresh content to keep Google and the other Search engines coming back regularly. By writing articles you can provide this content and at the same time get yourself permanent backlinks to your website. This article will attempt to answer some common questions asked by first time article writers.

What should I write about?

Write about what you know and make it relevant to the content of your website this will ensure that the links back to your site are also relevant and enhance the links value in the search engines.

How do webmasters find my articles?

Once you have written your article you submit it to Article Listing websites. These website provide a categorized list of articles that are free to use on websites as long as certain conditions are adhered to. One of these conditions is that all links must be live. When you submit your article you add a short biography and a link to your site in the resource box.

Won’t people just remove the links?

Yes this does happen but not as often as you think. It is very easy to track these webmasters down. Use a tool like Google alerts which checks the internet for relevant key phrases. It is very useful if you add a unique key phrase to your articles that you can enter into the search tool. You can also search for your name to ensure that all the links are live.

How long should the articles be?

There is not set length of article but anywhere from 200 words to a maximum of 3500 words is normal. Personally I usually aim for 350 -500 words as this usually sits nicely on a page

How many sites should I submit to?

That is a matter of personal choice some people believe that you should submit them to as many as possible, personally I only submit to 2 or 3 sites with a Google PR of 3 and above. My personal belief is that this keeps the articles unique enough to benefit any webmasters who use the articles.

How many Articles should I write?

The more you write the better If 1 article a week gets you an extra 50 links then imagine the links you’ll get if you write one article a day. I usually try to write 1 article before breakfast everyday.Articles: Why You Need to Write Them.

Every webmaster knows that to gain ranking positions in search engines you need to build links. This usually means hours at a computer submitting your site to directories and emailing other webmasters requesting reciprocal links. There is another way of getting links which often overlooked and complements your current link building strategy, writing articles.

Content is the life blood of the Internet every webmaster needs it and every website needs fresh content to keep Google and the other Search engines coming back regularly. By writing articles you can provide this content and at the same time get yourself permanent backlinks to your website. This article will attempt to answer some common questions asked by first time article writers.

What should I write about?

Write about what you know and make it relevant to the content of your website this will ensure that the links back to your site are also relevant and enhance the links value in the search engines.

How do webmasters find my articles?

Once you have written your article you submit it to Article Listing websites. These website provide a categorized list of articles that are free to use on websites as long as certain conditions are adhered to. One of these conditions is that all links must be live. When you submit your article you add a short biography and a link to your site in the resource box.

Won’t people just remove the links?

Yes this does happen but not as often as you think. It is very easy to track these webmasters down. Use a tool like Google alerts which checks the internet for relevant key phrases. It is very useful if you add a unique key phrase to your articles that you can enter into the search tool. You can also search for your name to ensure that all the links are live.

How long should the articles be?

There is not set length of article but anywhere from 200 words to a maximum of 3500 words is normal. Personally I usually aim for 350 -500 words as this usually sits nicely on a page

How many sites should I submit to?

That is a matter of personal choice some people believe that you should submit them to as many as possible, personally I only submit to 2 or 3 sites with a Google PR of 3 and above. My personal belief is that this keeps the articles unique enough to benefit any webmasters who use the articles.

How many Articles should I write?

The more you write the better If 1 article a week gets you an extra 50 links then imagine the links you’ll get if you write one article a day. I usually try to write 1 article before breakfast everyday.

About the Author: Mark Thompson has spent a number of years traveling the World and Racing Motorbikes, when funds got low he worked as an IT consultant In London. He now lives in Spain and runs a number of Websites Including http://www.WorldoftheWeird.com and http://www.freezine-articles.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Are you at this moment in time anticipating jumping over into the thrilling sphere of next level gaming? There are a few different types of gaming-consoles to choose from with particular types of specifications and specific games available on each video games console. Finally making the critical decision as to which video-games console is best for you at this time could be an overwhelming mission; but with some support from the helpful John Lewis buyers guide you will be relishing your best-loved video games in a flash.

Remember, you of course have the important choice to make betwixt a hand-held and desktop games machine? This is really extremely dependant on where abouts you at this moment in time enjoy gaming – are you presently the type of person who is inclined to while away most evenings in front of the Microsoft Xbox? Or maybe you currently prefer to game on your Sony PSP while you take the train to and from work? Or possibly you’re a truly dedicated gamer and quite simply cant live-on without some games action no matter where you currently are located – in that case why don’t you think about getting one of each. Looking for a Playstation 3? Want to buy online with confidence? Take a look at the John Lewis website.

No matter which video-games console you end up choosing, be it a Nintendo DS, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, or an Xbox 360, you will have a great selection of extras to choose from on the great John Lewis site. From more controllers and remote controls, to hard drives and battery packs. And of course there is a great choice of the most recent video-games in stock too – so you’ll have a game to play when your console arrives.

Buying on the internet with John Lewis has got to be one of the easiest methods of getting hold of a next generation gaming-machine. Not only will you get the choice to make between the exciting very latest video-games consoles, for example, the breathtaking Xbox 360, all at super prices; but you shall furthermore get free standard delivery on every one of your orders. Needless to say if you are currently in a large rush for your brand new video-games consoles you can always pay a minor premium for next day delivery. Not just that, but if you have second thoughts about your video-games console you can send it back it absolutely free of charge.

** Jumpstart Your Career by Asking “Why?” ** by Laura Backes,

Publisher of Children’s Book Insider, the Newsletter for
Children’s Writers

When developing a story or article, writers learn to incorporate
the “who,” “when,” “where,” and “how.” But what often gets
overlooked is the “why.” Without examining why a story takes
place, or why an article would be of interest to the reader, the
entire writing experience can be a fruitless exercise.

Why this character?

At a writing conference I once critiqued a manuscript featuring a
character in a situation where you wouldn’t normally expect to
find him. When I wondered why he was there, the author answered,
“He just is.” “But how did he get there?” I asked. “One of the
other characters put him there,” the author stated. “Why?” I
pushed. The author didn’t have an answer.

If you arbitrarily think it would be cute to have a monkey, a
doll, or a policeman as your story’s protagonist, the reader’s
not going to care unless it makes sense to have that character
inhabit your particular plot. And if a monkey shows up where he
shouldn’t be–at school, for instance–why he’s there has to be
an integral part of the story. But more than that, the reader has
to know why this monkey is suddenly sitting in a first grade
classroom. What’s unique about the character that makes him the
only monkey who could possibly appear in this book?

Why this story?

Just as important as knowing why your character inhabits your
book is understanding why this character experiences the conflict
or problem that fuels the plot. Your readers have to believe this
protagonist would encounter these obstacles, and not be able to
resolve the problem in a few lines of text. Not every child is
afraid of the dark, so if your character hides under the covers
when the lights are out, plant something in her personality that
causes this behavior.

How the plot conflict is resolved also harks back to “why.” Why
does your character take these particular steps, instead of an
easier or more obvious route, to reach his goal? What fears,
hang-ups or quirks does the character have to overcome to get
what he wants? Would a child understand and care about these
traits? Have you laid the groundwork in the beginning of the
story so the reader believes the character could not possibly act
any other way, thus never forcing the reader to question you in
the first place?

Why this article?

Virtually any nonfiction topic can hold a child’s interest if
it’s presented in the right way. But first ask yourself why
you’re writing this article or book. Does it have a direct
application to the experiences of your readers? Can it tie in
with what they’re learning in school? Will it enrich their lives
in some way? If your motivations are clear, then take a hard look
at your audience. Why would kids this age be interested in this
topic? How can you present the material in a way that’s
entertaining as well as informative? If you find you’re working
hard to shape the information to fit a specific audience or
format, perhaps you need to rethink your approach. Maybe you’re
trying to write too young, and the subject really requires an
older reader. Or perhaps you assume middle graders will be
fascinated with an animal alphabet book, but after researching
other ABC books on the market, you learn they’re really targeted
to much younger children.

About the Author

Laura Backes is the publisher of Children’s Book Insider, the
Newsletter for Children’s Writers. For more information about
writing children’s books, including free articles, market tips,
insider secrets and much more, visit Children’s Book Insider’s
home on the web at http://write4kids.com

It would be very selfless or noble of me to tell you that I have created my web site only to help you and the rest of humanity. The reason for me spending so much time and energy into my writing and this site is selfish. And I must remind myself of that from time to time, especially when I move into a down period and I am asking myself “why.”

The real truth for the site in all honesty is to give myself an outlet for my own thoughts, a forum in which others may benefit. It really is all about me. I place value in my belief system. I can express these thoughts on my site without censorship or having anything cleared or approved by another person or organization. That’s important to me. My writing most often gets to the point in as few words as possible. I am a sort of “No Frills,” author, and some people may get offended.

All of us have something to say. There is a book in each and everyone of us, that needs to be written. I write for myself first, if anyone benefits by it, it is a bonus to my ego and it likes to receive the praise that it does.

I sincerely want to empower others as well as myself to get the book out. My fondest wish is to inspire someone else to write something even better than I have done.

I often question the validity of my writing and its source. The truth is, there is only once source, and it is the same source that is yours or any other author. There is only one consciousness in the universe and we all draw from the same pool. I express that consciousness in my writing. The writing that I do each morning comes from that source and it is filtered through me in a way, that it only can be, and is uniquely mine.

All the words that I use are words that have been used millions of times by others. There are no original words. It is the combination of the words and the circumstances of how they are used that bring them from my subconscious to the paper. These words will be heard or read and they will trigger the correct response in the reader. As the correct combination of a lock will open doors for those that use it. Every one of us has these combinations present within us, and need to get them out.

Once again there is a book waiting to be written in all of us. We all have an obligation to write or tell it. First for ourselves, simply because it’s there, and secondly we know that there is someone waiting to hear or read it. It is our words that will open the door for one of them. For every lock there is a combination that will open it.

You owe it to yourself and others to open that door. What you write should be heart felt and always in your own words and said or written your way, in order to match the correct combination.

Authors say to me, I am overwhelmed when I go to the book store and see all the books and the authors that are writing about the same thing as I. What chance do I have of being published or anyone seeing my book. I remind them that they are writing the book for themselves, it’s in the action of having the words come out that the reward is found, the door opens for you as well as for others. You do it because it’s there and it needs to come out. It is there for that one person who will read it and be inspired, because of you words. Many may read your words, but few will hear what you have to say.

It is your legacy, your obligation. It is the inheritance that you pass on to others, after you are gone. All of us, everyone has this ability. Whether it is a quotable quote or an entire 500 page volume. Someone will be touched, and more than likely, the one who wrote it.

You have the skates, I have the key, give the key to me, so that I may skate. My treasure is locked within. It may be you that sets me free, for I am a prisoner of my own ignorance. Your word, just at the right time is all that I need.

My writing is for me first. The answers you are looking for my be hidden within the paragraphs on the pages. It is my gift, my obligation, my Karma being released, that you should find it. If, even the dull and ignorant have their story, then I am in fine company.

About The Author

Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A student of NLP, ordained minister, New Age Light Worker and Teacher. Roy has written and published five books on New Age wisdom. Roy’s books are thought provoking and designed to empower you to take responsibility for your life and what you create. His books and articles are written in the simplicity and eloquence of Zen wisdom.

You may not always agree with what he has to say. You will always come away with a new perspective and your thinking will never be the same.

Roy’s style is honest and comes straight from the heart without all the metaphorical mumble jumble and BS.

Visit Roy at: http://www.klienwachter.com

roy@klienwachter.com

You have an online business or maybe just a resource website. Earning money online isn’t the easiest thing to do for most people, but running a website is often one of the better ways to market your business.

No matter how good your products are, however, not everyone will buy from you. That’s where AdSense comes in.

AdSense is a service from Google that places ads on your website for you, then pays you by the click on the ad. These ads are targeted and based on the content of each page they are place on. You can decide for yourself how they will appear, including color scheme and 10 layout options. Most AdSense ads are text, but Google has recently started offering the ability to show image ads through AdSense as well.

The first benefit of this is the convenience to you as a webmaster. You don’t have to search for ads for your website, Google takes care of that for you.

The next benefit is the ease of earning money. Now, you are not allowed to discuss your earnings with anyone, so I will not disclose anything resembling numbers here, but just consider that you will be paid per click. It doesn’t matter what the visitor does on the site they click to, you still get paid. The amount varies, depending on the value of the particular ad.

Many people worry that they will lose sales by having AdSense on their website. However, most webmasters have not had their sales drop after adding AdSense to their websites. This is certainly something to watch out for, of course.

AdSense revenues are not likely to be terribly consistent, so they are not something you should depend upon. You will have good months and bad months.

Now, you may worry about competitors advertising on your website. This is a legitimate concern, but you do have a limited amount of control over whose ads appear on your website. You can block up to 200 websites from appearing on yours. This is a very easy number to fill up for some, so think carefully about who you really want to block.

You have a limited amount of tracking capability with AdSense to see which pages are generating revenue. You do this by creating channels, but you are limited to a maximum of 20, so you will probably want to go by themes. In addition, it takes two days for channel data to become available, so you cannot look on a day by day basis and see which channels are doing well. I prefer to look at channel data by month, so that I have a range of days to compare. You could use this to decide if you are losing sales on some pages and not earning enough from AdSense to make it worth leaving on your pages.

Now, if you are in direct sales, you will want to ensure that there is nothing in the terms of your program forbidding you to add any sort of advertising to your website, assuming you can make that kind of change in the first place. You always want to be careful to stick with the rules you agreed to so that you do not lose your business.

AdSense is quite simply ideal for pretty much any resource website. It is one of the easiest ways to add advertising with minimal effort. If you are trying your hand at affiliate programs this is a great supplement. You can block links to the companies you are promoting, but it is harder to block other affiliates who link their ads to their own website. Blocking too many websites can impact your earnings as well.

AdSense is a great solution for many websites as a way to monetize your business. Give it a try.

About the author:

Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there’s more to staying home with your family than just business. For more home business tips, visit http://www.homewiththekids.com

The purpose of this website is to help. Purely and simply to help anyone out there with anything they do not understand. Whether from a how to do it angle, or where to go to get it angle, or why are things this way angle. It tries to take away the fear of the unknown by making things clear, by putting forward people who can be trusted, by putting out opinions and possible helplines to get us all through a very tough world. It is an attempt to show that someone can be bothered to do something for you for nothing, that there are people who can help you, if you have the fire to help yourself. It is an unfair world and we must learn to survive in it and accept it as it is. There is too much emphasis placed on money and escapism, and too little placed on being happy with what you have and using your own common sense to approach problems, instead of running away from them or avoiding them via substances of one form or another.

There is also an abundance of friends websites, and their businesses, as a known place to go which is as far as I am concerned secure, honest and good.

There are adventures of a slightly sinister bunch of Teddy Bears for the kid in all of us, and for a laugh in a grim world.

There are wonderful photos, model trains, cars of quality. There is a medieval bowman, and a wedding venue unparallelled.

There is free advice on how to build your own website, how to index it, and how to get a glow of fifteen minutes of fame when you first see your own website appear on Google.

But the main aim is HELP.

If you have any kind of problem, chances are it can be alleviated a little here,
at the Stiffsteiff teddy bear site for myself and other welcome guests.

About the Author

Aged 51, I have been through a tough life, if you need help Ive probably been there too.

~TYPES~

You Want Us to Write What? Understanding the Task Assigned

Which academic essay writing types we use depends upon which disciplines (or classes) we write for. Each instructor or professor will assign papers that invite us to reveal in writing what we have learned/what we think about the material for that particular class:

• ANALYTIC-A classic style used in art, science, history, psychology, education, and most other disciplines across the curriculum to explore and investigate an idea, process, person, action, or attitude.

• ARGUMENTATIVE-Used in more advanced English classes, in philosophy, and in courses which include theory.

• COMPARATIVE/CONTRASTIVE-Used in most courses where specific analysis of like and unlike elements, characters, and ideas lend themselves to comparison.

• DEFINITIONAL-Written when we apply a more thorough study to a topic, especially an abstract one.

• DESCRIPTIVE-Used to more intensively, more concretely cover an idea, item, or subject.

• EVALUATIVE-Often confused with analytical, the evaluative essay moves beyond the what and how to the how much…we put a value on the topic here.

• EXPLANATORY-Also called the expository essay (though I tend to see all essays as expository, as exposing a truth about something). With this type we further our own and our readers’ understanding of the subject.

• PERSONAL-Also called the response essay, the personal style essay is still well written (readable for an audience other than the writer), but is more informal–containing narrative details that entertain.

• RESEARCH-While most essay types will include references or will quote authorities, the research essay is mostly informational, using the findings–the stats and facts–we made investigating the findings of others.

~MODES~

Modes and Types and Modes…Oh Crimeny!

Avoiding Confusion

We need not panic when called upon to do a specific type of college paper writing. Why? Because we already use the types…on a smaller scale.

That is, we use miniature versions of the essay types when we write paragraphs for the complete essay. A type and a mode are the same thing, then. One is just smaller, while the other is an extension of the smaller.

For example, we write about the forms and functions of gossip for a sociology paper. We open with a definition paragraph that shows how the word “gossip” originated from the word “gospel.” Then we continue to discuss how gossip brings people closer–emotionally, spiritually, and even physically.

Go Easy on Yourself: Your Confusion is Understandable

Just as we might call all writing expository, we call one type and one mode an expository type of essay and an expository mode of writing. So is the piece I’m writing explanatory, definitional, comparative? I include explanatory elements. I use definition and example. I slip a comparison in, too.

Here’s one way to look at types/modes:

• We write a paragraph or passage in a certain mode.
• We can then turn that smaller piece into a whole essay, into one long, extended mode.

Here’s another way to look at types/modes:

We buy a box of gourmet chocolates. We lift one from the box: we understand that the thing we hold in our hands is a chocolate. It also has chocolate in it.

Here’s one more way to look at types/modes:

You own a Camaro with a Corvette engine. They’re both Chevys.

You’re Going to What, Now? Confuse Us All Over Again?

No. Now that we have the types/modes separated enough to understand the difference, I’ll just remind you of one more thing: we can and usually do overlap the modes. No one piece of academic essay writing exists in one isolated mode alone. It includes many varied sub-styles to make it more engaging, entertaining, and expository.

And it requires a number of major parts–an opener, a main body of text, and a closer. And you know what? These parts are written in the modes.

I’ll add more pages on academic essay writing. Much more. So if you haven’t had enough, come back again for monthly freebies. But for now, if you want to check out samples you can use as models for modes/types, click here for mode samples written by college students.

One more thing about college paper writing:

Enjoy the process. Find one thing in it you like and are good at.

About The Author

N.H.-born prize-winning poet, creative nonfiction writer, memoirist, and award-winning Assoc. Prof. of English, Roxanne is also web content and freelance writer/founder of www.roxannewrites.com, a support site for academic, memoir, mental disability, and creative writers who need a nudge, a nod, or just ideas…of which Roxanne has 1,000s, so do stop in for a visit, as this sentence can’t possibly get any longer….

admin@roxannewrites.com

Bored with the usual bridal shower? Take fun up a notch by throwing a bachelorette party instead. Every modern, fun-loving bride-to-be could use a little craziness, sinful food, and good old-fashioned girl bonding before she finally ties the knot.

Enlist the help of several friends when planning the bash, because the preparations for a bachelorette party can be quite overwhelming. Once you have formed your team (three to four close friends will do), agree on a theme, a date, and a working budget.

The theme of the bachelorette party should depend on the personality of the bride-to-be. Is she the conservative, traditional type? Then she might enjoy a quiet evening with close girlfriends. Is she outgoing and adventurous? Then hire a male stripper just to make her blush. Remember that the list of bachelorette party ideas is endless. Whether you choose to have a simple dinner at someone’s house or a wild time at a hip club, the goal is to have fun – look back at the old times, laugh out loud, and be goofy, giggly girls all over again.

Timing is everything. Never make the mistake of scheduling the bachelorette party before the wedding day itself – this is usually the same night reserved for a rehearsal dinner. Besides, drinking can give the bride a hangover – the last thing she needs! It is best to have the bash a week before the big day, or at least three days before. If the wedding is going to be held out of town, you should schedule the party even earlier. A day or two before she leaves is the perfect timing.

Don’t spend a fortune. Fun does not have to come with a big price tag. You can keep costs low by holding the party at a friend’s house and doing the decorations yourself. If you are renting a bar or restaurant, ask for party packages and discounts on liquor and food. It is also a good idea to ask everyone attending for contributions (most people usually give $30 to about $250). The bride-to-be should never have to pay for anything – after all, this is your gift to her. Solicit until you raise enough money, or cut down on unnecessary expenses (like a limo and driver) to stretch the budget.

When you’re planning a wedding, you don’t want to forget the gift table. Not only will this be covered with your presents and money gifts, but it will also be out in the open. And although you don’t want to think that anything could happen, you might want to put a few precautions in place.

Better to be safe

The gift table is best kept safe by being out in the open, where everyone can see it. You might want the deejay next to it, or at least nearby, because people will be going up that way all evening.

However, you also want to keep the gift table somewhere where your guests can find it to deposit their gifts or cards. A nice slit top box works well for cards (maybe you could put a locked tin inside so that no one can peek except you) and a card table with a table cloth is fine for the wrapped gifts.

You may also want to have the guest registry next to the gift table so that you have an idea of how many presents should be there when you finally get to opening them. If there seems to be a discrepancy, then you will be able to find out if something was lost or stolen.

What to do with the gifts at the end of the night

You will need to have a plan or someone in place to take care of the gifts once the reception is over. You may want to enlist one of the members of your bridal party to load them into their car and drive them to the hotel, or perhaps, a parent can take them in order to have a brunch the next morning–where you open the gifts for everyone.

Either way, you will want to store them somewhere safe. It’s generally not a good idea to leave them in a car overnight. First of all, a car is easily broken into and two, you don’t know if the gifts are sensitive to temperature changes. You don’t want to ruin anything.

The gift table is just another detail that you want to be aware of. Most of the time, there are no problems with people upsetting the gifts or raiding the envelopes, but if it makes you feel better to have a back up plan in place, go right ahead.