Posts Tagged ‘drink holders’

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Cruise Companies Cater to Special Needs

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Sailing over the seven seas is not just the prerogative for the hail and hearty any longer. A whole new world of opportunity is available to those with special needs who were limited to their restricted areas before the hospitality industry, mainly cruises, sensitized themselves to the needs of this distinct segment of individuals. People who are dependant on a wheelchair or mobility scooter can also partake in luxury travel and discover the most awe inspiring places that are dotted all over the world. This has been made possible due to new cruise ships being designed keeping in mind an effort to accommodate individuals with special needs and by providing required wheelchair accessories.

Andrew Garnett, CEO of Special Needs Groups mentions that cruise travel is definitely a more comfortable option for travel for people on wheelchairs. With each progressive launch of bigger and better equipped cruise liners, it becomes much easier for these individuals to have a wonderful experience on board the carrier. Doorways are much bigger than what they used to be because the ships are larger nowadays. The ship is usually multi-tier therefore; lifts, which are big enough to serve the need of a person on a wheelchair or mobility scooter, are always available.

The public amenities are in such easy reach since they are designed specifically at wheelchair levels. From slot machines to game tables with drink holders the entire gamut of entertainment options are on offer for every occupant of the ship to enjoy, special need or not. Sections of tables in the dining areas are fitted in such a manner that they provide a cozy dining experience for people on wheelchairs, so feel free to sip a glass of wine from your cup holder.

For some peace and quiet, cruise ships have dedicated at least one percent of their accommodation facilities to ensure the of ease accessibility to their rooms and room amenities for people in wheelchairs. Generally, these are similar to the higher category cabin categories that provide more spacious rooms and larger bathrooms. The entrances to these rooms are wide enough to get through with a wheelchair and have doors that open automatically after you insert your keycard. Not to forget the roll through showers that are such a boon with the shampoo dispenser at a level where it can easily be reached, an adjustable shower sprayer, the fold down bench in the shower area, and grab bars. The grab bars are also near the commode either to the right hand side or to left hand side. At the time of booking, you may want to remember to mention this small aspect of your need so a room can be allocated accordingly.

No more hurdles for people on wheelchairs to fulfill their ambitions to see every corner of the world!

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Plan and Prioritize your Party Budget

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Here are some helpful tips to consider as you get ready for upcoming holiday parties at the home or office.

1. In case you are allocated a budget from the very start, select how much you want to spend on food and drinks ahead of anything else.

• Food and beverage expenses must come before other costs. Settle on the food and beverage expense and utilize the remaining for entertainment.
• The menu typically requires being pre-ordered. So if you have budget restrictions, consume more on food as it is not easy to request additional food. People can always buy drinks lest they fizzle out of drinks voucher or the host goes dry on alcohol. But, that is not the case with food.

2. Begin by having a look at the previous parties you’ve had in case you do not have a budget.

• You can get a fair idea about how much to spend for food, drinks, location rentals, prizes, entertainment, etc. by looking at the Christmas parties (or other party occasions) held during the previous years.

3. Along the lines of your food budget, schedule your main event.

• You would require providing a dinner serving of food for events that start before 8pm. A dinner serving menu would cost roughly $50 per person regardless of the style of dinner you choose.
• Or go for a snack option and have the event start after 8pm. In this case, you can offer a snack on arrival and to soak up the alcohol that may be in wheelchair accessories or cup holders, you can offer a late snack after 11pm. For this snack option, you can budget about $20 per head.

4. Think smart about the bar options.

• Think beyond cash bar, drink tickets, a drink holder, and host bar. Be innovative and consider something like a host bar restricted to specific beverage, host bar restricted to a particular costs value and a host bar restricted to a specific period.
• You can lessen the bar price substantially if you restrict your host bar from shooters. It also helps to keep the party orderly and not out of control due to wild behavior which often accompany an alcoholic beverage in a person’s cup holder.

5. In order to reduce costs and stress always choose a full service venue.

• A full service venue acts as a single core center for food, drinks and service staff. Moreover, having service staff as part of the food and drinks package decreases the costs to a significant level.

6. To reduce costs further, select a venue which has inbuilt decor and A/V systems

• Why not select a location that already contains good ambience and acoustic equipments? Restaurants and lounges are a perfect option and you don’t actually need to do anything at all.

7. Split your total budget to cost per person.

• By splitting up the total budget, you can get a more personalized look and concentrate on details of each individual. This is much easier than toiling over the general budget.

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Add zing to life with essential oils.

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Essential oils are liquids that contain a characteristic smell. They are also termed as ethereal oil or aetherolea or simply “oil of plants” as they are extracted from various plant parts including root, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits and so on.

It is believed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to discover and utilize essential oils for religious ceremonies and medicine in addition to personal use. But there are references of essential oils in the prehistoric manuscripts of the Chinese, Indians, Persians and Greeks as well. The reintroduction of essential oils into contemporary medicine began during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and since then essential oils have found varied uses in our everyday life as in personal care products like perfumes, cosmetics and soaps, seasoning foodstuffs and juices (for your cup holder), cleaning houses etc.

Generally, essential oils are extracted using the steam distillation process. In this method, as the plant tissues break down, the essential oils and water vapor are released, then collected and cooled. As a result, the volatile oil compresses and can be easily separated. The other essential oil extraction processes include solvent extraction, maceration and expression. However, the yield and quality of oil produced using the steam distillation process is proved to be the finest of all.

Today, the market is flooded with distinctive kinds of aromatic essential oils such as lavender, bergamot, geranium, lemon and rosemary to name a few. Each type has some explicit properties and works wonders calming, refreshing, uplifting and comforting the body and mind.

Besides aromatherapy both with and without wheelchair accessories, essential oils have found extensive usage in cooking too. Essential oils can replace fresh or dried herbs and have better shelf life. Fruity oils like lime, lemon, orange and tangerine can add full zest to drinks (for drink holders), desserts and sweet and sour recipes. Spicy oils such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger are warming oils and can be used to add a little spice to food. Herbal oils like basil, fennel, oregano, parsley, rosemary are rich and savory oils that only need a trace in any recipe to represent an herbaceous tang.

But, do remember essential oils are overly powerful, thus 1 drop equals 1 tablespoon of dried herbs. Moreover, add essential oil only towards the end of cooking as high heat can destroy the therapeutic benefits.

Lastly, a word of caution, there are numerous synthetic oils available for a lower price than their all-natural counterparts. These artificial oils do not have any healing qualities or effects as essential oils. Also, bear in mind that essential oils are different from perfume or scented or fragrance oils too. Perfume oils contain chemicals that are not organically derived from a plant, and much like synthetic oils, they also do not have the same therapeutic properties. Hence, always read every label and pick out your essential oils watchfully!

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