Cozy Up To These Tips On Keeping Warm

Here's news many families may warm to: There are steps you can take to keep your heating bill down and your comfort level up. Here are a few to consider:

• Be wise--weatherize. Make sure your home has the right amount of insulation in walls, attic and basement.

• Layer it on you. Wear lots of thin layers to trap the heat close to you. Choose wool, cotton or fleecy synthetic materials and add slippers to your winter wardrobe to keep feet cozy and warm.


Click here to order a custom letter from Santa today.

• Don't let your cold cash get into hot water. Be sure there's a layer of insulation around your hot-water heater, too. You'll not only save money, you may get hot water faster.

• Apply yourself to your appliances. Are they up to date and energy efficient?

• Don't let your income go out the window. Check windows and doors for drafts and caulk where necessary.

• Put a damper on wasted heat. Curl up by the fire--just be sure you close the flue when you're through so your home's heat doesn't go up the chimney.

• Toe the energy-saving line. To keep your heating bills down and your houseguests warm, turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees and keep slippers on hand for your family and houseguests. Dearfoams (www.dearfoams.com) offers stylish and cozy slipper styles for men and women. They are reasonably priced so you can buy multiple pairs to keep around your house or give them as a gift to friends and family and help them cut down on their heating bills as well this season.

Keeping your feet warm is one way to make it easier to foot your heating bill

Check out these Dearfoams:
Dearfoams DF592 (2 Pairs) (Women's) - Ice Blue

Dearfoams DM404 (2 Pairs) (Men's) - Espresso

Buying Diamonds With Confidence: Tips From The Experts

BUYING DIAMONDS WITH CONFIDENCE

People mark special events with sentimental gifts of jewelry. While weddings reign as the biggest diamond event, there are many small yet glorious celebrations that are honored with beautiful sparklies, too, such as new jobs, anniversaries, graduations, births…the list, happily, is endless.

So how do people learn about diamonds so they can buy, own and enjoy them with confidence? The nonprofit Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world's foremost authority on gems and jewelry and the creator of the famous "Four Cs" of diamonds, offers these five tips:

Choose a qualified jeweler. Select a jeweler as you would a doctor, a lawyer or any professional: Ask around. Find someone who is a trained gemologist, a GIA Graduate Gemologist or GIA Accredited Jewelry Professional, and is affiliated with a professional jewelry association.

Save an Extra 20% during the VAULT SALE at Zales.com - Prices already reduced up to 70%

Research. GIA's Web site at www.gia.edu offers in-depth information on diamonds, pearls and other gemstones. GIA even built a special www.gia4cs.gia.edu Web site on the Four Cs. Knowing the Four Cs helps you speak the language of diamonds and communicate with jewelers.

Learn the "Four Cs." All diamonds are rare and no two diamonds are alike. A diamond's quality and rarity are determined by its unique combination of characteristics of Carat weight, Clarity, Color and Cut. The International Diamond Grading System, used around the world since its invention by GIA in the 1950s, is based on the Four Cs.

Hot Diamond Charms - New at Zales.com

• Carat: Diamonds are weighed in metric carats. Two carats weigh about the same as a small paper clip. A carat is divided into 100 "points," so a diamond of 50 points weighs 0.50 carats.

• Clarity: Nearly all diamonds contain unique clarity characteristics. Flawless diamonds are exceptional and costly. Most inclusions are invisible unless magnified.

• Color: Colorless diamonds are extremely uncommon. Most diamonds have a slight yellow or brown tint. GIA uses letters to represent colors, beginning with D (colorless) and ending at Z (light yellow or brown). "Fancy colored diamonds" come in every color imaginable, are also very unusual and have their own GIA color-grading system.

• Cut: While diamonds come in different shapes, such as round, pear or marquise, the term "cut" refers to proportion. The well-cut, balanced diamond has unbridled brilliance, sparkle and fire.

Loose Diamond Liquidation - 10% Off Certified Loose Diamonds - Only Online at Zales.com - Prices already reduced up to 70% - Limited Time. Limited Quantities.

Get an independent diamond grading report. A diamond grading report tells you the exact gemological quality of your diamond. Is it a natural diamond? Is it a synthetic diamond? Has it been treated and how? What are its quality ratings according to the Four Cs?

Have your diamond appraised and insured. A diamond grading report describes the precise gemological quality of your diamond while an appraiser puts a monetary value to the stone. You can laser inscribe a personal message or the diamond's unique GIA grading report number on the diamond's girdle.

Like true love, a diamond's light and brilliance won't fade with time. To learn more about diamonds, visit GIA's Web site at www.gia.edu or GIA's Four Cs Web site at www.gia4cs.gia.edu.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Show your support with the Pink Ribbon Shop at Fortunoff.com. A portion of all Pink Ribbon Shop sales benefits breast cancer research.

Great Wedding Style On A Budget

WEDDING TIPS

There is good news for the many engaged couples searching for easy ways to save money without sacrificing style. Though weddings today cost an average of $28,800--and that doesn’t include the honeymoon, engagement ring or wedding planner--there are five steps couples can take even if their pockets aren’t quite as deep as their love for each other:

1. Schedule an off-season wedding. Even in matters of the heart, the laws of supply and demand apply. With nearly 70 percent of weddings taking place in May through October, your best money-saving months are January and February. Consider a morning ceremony followed by a lunchtime reception. This will set you back much less than a dinner reception.

2. Custom invitations without the custom price. It’s amazing what you can do with one simple invitation. With the help of a template like the ones found at Target.com, you can create a timeless, traditional masterpiece or a jaw-dropping, never-seen-before design. Find a computer-literate friend and all you’ll have to pay for is the paper.

Find the perfect invitation for your special day. Choose from hundreds of designs, customize your text, preview and order online.


3. Not just for brides anymore. Today’s registries are for much more than china and crystal. For example, Target Club Wedd offers brides and grooms a registry service that includes electronics, outdoor gear and the must-have gadgets for making the most of their new lives together.

4. Cut the guest list. The simple truth is that there is no quicker, easier way to control the budget than by limiting the size of the event. Remember, single guests can be invited without a “plus one.”



5. Bridal party gifts that do double duty. No need for expensive bridal party favors your friends won’t use. Couples can use Target.com to find favors, bridal party gifts, ideas on reception decor and photos. Photographers can be expensive. Give your bridal party digital cameras and encourage them to document the weekend and share their photos afterwards. Also, make sure they take photos early, while everyone still looks great.

Show your ladies how special they are with The Knot Wedding Shop’s unique bridesmaid gifts -- many with free personalization!


Bridal Party Gifts $30 & Under at Things Remembered! Shop now!

Learn More

More money-saving tips can be found at www.Target.com.

A small budget doesn’t have to mean your big day will be short on style.