Cool Comment

Once you have found the perfect person to marry and the perfect ring, you must decide on the perfect proposal. It’s no secret that the marriage proposal is one of the most memorable moments in any couple’s life together. It is one that you will both remember for the rest of their lives. It is a moment that friends, loved ones and future children will ask you to recount over and over.

When thinking of marriage proposal ideas, remember that ultimately, the proposal should be something special and appropriate for you and your significant other. However, you are likely thinking that you want to do something original. Keep in mind that you will want to propose in a way that is creative, emotional, surprising, personal and original—with elements that are unique to you as a couple. Here is a list of some original and creative ideas that may help get you started:

1. Send your girlfriend on an exciting treasure hunt. Begin with a clue and then send her to spots that are symbolic of your relationship—perhaps the first place you met, your first date, etc. The last location should be the place where you ask her to marry you, perhaps dressed up in a tuxedo rental and on one knee with the ring. Make the clues cute and tell the story of your courtship.

2. Surprise your girlfriend with a vacation. Don’t tell her where you’re going. Perhaps you could propose on the plane so that you have the memory of proposing thousands of feet in the air. Then, you can enjoy the rest of the vacation celebrating your engagement.

3. Take out a full-page ad in a publication your girlfriend reads frequently. Get copies and lay them around her house so that when she comes home, she sees them everywhere.

4. Get others involved. Perhaps it is a waiter, a street artist or workers at your local zoo or aquarium. Think of ways to get them involved in the proposal so it is more of a surprise.

5. If your girlfriend is extremely tech savvy, consider a proposal that fits with her personality. Upload a YouTube video, sneak a proposal podcast onto her iPod or take pictures of the words “will,” “you,” “marry,” and “me” on her digital camera.

6. Have personalized fortune cookies made with the question. Show up with takeout Chinese food and then at the end she can open the fortune cookie with the proposal.

7. Show up dressed to impress in a tuxedo at a casual event where she will be there with family and friends.

8. If she has a pet, try tying the ring to their collar. She will be so surprised and charmed that you included her furry friend!

9. If you are artistic, include some of your artwork in the proposal. Write a song; paint a picture or whatever else will make the proposal stand out.

10. If you are a more low-key couple, have the ring delivered in something that she may not otherwise expect such as in a pizza or flower arrangement.

No matter what you decide, think of your budget and location. Make sure that the proposal suits your girlfriend’s personality. Does she like to be the center of attention? If so, you may want to consider a public proposal. If she is shy, you will want to make it something that is intimate between the two of you. Consider interests such as sports, hobbies, friends, family members and other details about your future wife that will make the proposal memorable for her. Think of keepsakes from the event that you may want to take so that you can remember and honor the moment forever. Make sure you are prepared with all details, including a tuxedo, ring and flowers. Are you ready to prepare for the perfect engagement?

Keeping up with the latest financial trends can be a very daunting proposition, especially for someone just learning the principles and general rules.  Once the basics of investing and risk-taking are understood, however, there are some who will go further.  Undaunted, looking at stakes and possibilities, the financial world becomes very much like any other game.  Like any other game, those who can remain detached are the ones who possess the greatest skill and have the best chances.  Like any other game, the best way to keep up with the latest trends is to set them.

Taking to hand the familiarity with institutions like the Wall Street Journal and blogs like http://blog.moneymutual.com, there is enough breadth of experience to consider starting one’s own financial blog.  If that thought isn’t daunting in and of itself, then there’s probably enough basic knowledge of the money game to begin blogging.  Keep in mind that most any issues that might arise are ones that have been faced by other bloggers in the past.  That means there are also elegant solutions for these issues, possibly already on the web, since bloggers do have a propensity for sharing lots of information.  Most people who do write for a general audience on the web are fairly approachable, too.  This is all to say, there is always plenty of help available for the beginner.

Deciding to do it is the biggest step, and once that corner has been turned, then it’s a matter of a few logical steps.  The next step is to find the place that best suits the blog, and this is a matter of taste.  Sites like blogger are wonderful for beginners, and also slick enough that experienced bloggers use them.  With a wide range of templates and styles, it’s not at all difficult to set up a blog that’s eye-catching.  The sites are also relatively easy to navigate, so that it’s also easy to change the entire look of the blog, sometimes in a matter of moments.

At this point, it’s unlikely that it will be necessary to start advertising, but it’s never too early to start thinking about it.  Seeing how other financial sites present themselves on the web, places like www.MoneyMutualAdvertising.com, can be an excellent way to learn how to enter the next phase: marketing and pr.  Again, it is too soon to be making any major moves or action plans, but absolutely essential to start keeping these things in mind.  Having a big picture in mind is always beneficial to any enterprise, and running a financial blog can definitely be a valuable one.  This will certainly come into play when one starts moving forward, writing with detachment and engagement, using the same principles that make investing profitable and exciting.