Hi Everyone,
To You A Favor wishes everyone a grill'n, family filled 4th. To You A Favor will be closing at 3:00PM so we can all get the weekend started.
Making your day Favorably special,
LeRon
admin@toyouafavorweddingblog.com
To You A Favor website
To You A Favor is having a 4th of July Sale! No coupon needed. Spend $100 or more and receive 10% off your order.
To You A Favor Wedding Gifts & Favors
Making your day Favorably special,
LeRon
admin@toyouafavorweddingblog.com
(MS) -- Traditionally, the bridal registry is the place where the "art of living" meets the "art of giving." It is the place where couples select items they would like to enhance their new lifestyle (the art of living) while providing friends and family with the assurance that these gifts will be welcomed and appreciated (the art of giving).
Today's couples are updating this time-honored tradition by using their registry entries to expand both the arts of living and giving by incorporating their ethical values into the gifts they request. Protecting the environment is a value shared by many couples, and they are reflecting this ethical choice by listing eco luxury plumbing products as gifts they are eager to receive.
"Young couples today are walking their talk by suggesting to friends and family that they give sustainable plumbing products as wedding gifts," says Lenora Campos, spokesperson for TOTO USA, an eco-luxury plumbing manufacturer. "In turn, to be welcomed into their well designed new homes, high-efficiency plumbing products must make both water sense and fashion sense."
The Aesthetics of Conspicuous Conservation
Brides and grooms today eschew the "conspicuous consumption" of past generations in favor of "conspicuous conservation" by factoring water efficiency in the design of their home's bath spaces in an effort to reduce its overall impact on the water environment. "Environmentally conscientious brides and grooms are challenging themselves to come up with ways to make their homes more sustainable without sacrificing the aesthetics of their interior's design," says Campos. Fortunately, manufacturers such as TOTO offer products whose aesthetic attributes are as good as their performance and functional benefits. Suites of design-coordinated products are available that include WaterSense labeled high efficiency toilets (HETs) and high-efficiency faucets (HEF) --and soon showers (HES).
WaterSense Labeling Program
Briefly, WaterSense, a water efficiency program launched by the Environmental Protection Agency, is designed to educate Americans to make smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance. WaterSense aims to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable water use, ensure the performance of water-efficient products, and provide good consumer information to create a water efficiency ethic in the US.
The WaterSense label -- like the Energy Star label before it -- is easily identified on products that perform more efficiently than their counterparts. Unlike the Energy Star label, however, the WaterSense label requires independent, third-party testing to verify that the products met its labeling criteria.
Low Water Mark
To qualify for the WaterSense label, manufacturers must obtain third-party verification that their high-efficiency toilet models consume no more than 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf; a 20% reduction from the 1.6 gpf mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 1992); effectively remove 350 grams of solid waste; and resist after-installation tampering (to increase water consumption).
Given inconsistencies in available information, some young couples have come to equate "dual flush" with high efficiency. "This limited understanding that has led them to ignore other flushing systems that, from a practical point of view, give equivalent or better water savings without demanding behavioral changes such as choosing between full flush (1.6 gpf) and light flush (.9 gpf)," offers Campos.
High efficiency single-flush toilets offer a larger water spot, which reduces streaking, and they generally save an equal or larger amount of water than dual-flush units -- especially because many dual-flush users mistakenly use the full flush mode (1.6 gpf) to remove liquid waste, thereby actually using more water. A high efficiency, single-flush model could potentially offer more certain benefits.
Going With the Flow
Faucets are focal points of the bath. Eye-catching lavatory faucets drive the sensory experience of the room. Not only are they artful in their own right, but they also provide visual pleasure by shaping the water's physical presentation as well as its warm, soothing somatic benefits.
According to the EPA, faucets account for more than 15 percent of indoor household water use -- more than 1 trillion gallons of water across the United States each year. Even though the Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires that new faucets not exceed 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm), older faucets can flow at rates as high as 3 to 7 gpm.
High-efficiency faucets (HEFs) and accessories such as faucet aerators can reduce this standard flow by more than 30 percent without sacrificing performance. If the country's 222 million existing bathroom lavatory faucets were retrofit with high-efficiency models, the US could save billions of gallons each year.
WaterSense labeled HEFs use no more than 1.5 gpm and have completed a third-party certification process that includes independent laboratory testing to ensure that they meet criteria for both performance and efficiency, even in homes with lower water pressures.
On the Water Front
The EPA's WaterSense program is currently developing a specification for high-efficiency showerheads, which establishes a single maximum flow rate somewhere between 1.5 gpm and 2.0 gpm (measured at 80 pounds per square inch of pressure), which would represent between a 20 to 40 percent reduction from the current federally allowable maximum of 2.5 gpm established by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. WaterSense determined this potential range after an examination of products currently available in the marketplace.
"The challenge is to establish a specification that will provide young couples with the showering experience they expect while using less water," says Campos. "TOTO provides a luxurious, water-efficient showering experience at 1.75 gpm.
Safety Valve
Switching to a high-efficiency showerhead seems like an easy way for young couples to go green and save money on water bills, but they need to be well acquainted with the behind-the-wall plumbing, specifically the mixing valve. These valves, which usually include a regulator that minimizes changes in temperature, are designed to work at a minimum flow rate. If the showerhead is operating at an extremely low water volume, the valve may not be able to handle effectively changes in hot or cold water pressure, which leads to bursts of scalding or freezing water that bathers detest. "Our new SMA shower sets make it possible to relax and unwind in hot shower without the fear of sudden changes in water temperature," says Campos. "The Shape Memory Alloy technology provides an satisfying shower and further enhances the experience by suppressing water hammer at its end -- that unpleasant banging sound that results when water rushing through pipes is brought to a quick halt creating akind of shock wave and hammering noise."
For more information on TOTO products, call (800) 350-8686 or visit www.TOTOUSA.com.
Courtesy of Metro Creative Connection
To You A Favor would like to hear from all brides & grooms that are feeling the economic pressure of rising prices on just about everything consumable.
So please post your comments here and let us hear from you. What changes have you made if any to your current plans.
Have you planned a destination wedding at an exotic beach getaway and now going to the local shore? Or have you had to change venue, catering and cake sizes due to the fact that you are inviting less guest.
Would you like to suggests some things that might work for others? Post it here.
Making your day Favorably special,
LeRon
admin@toyouafavorweddingblog.com
www.toyouafavorweddingblog.com
To You A Favor has added lots of new favors this year. Here are just a few:
Side by Side - Bride-and-Groom Photo Album Favors
Picture this delightfully designed photo album at each place setting, pleasing your guests immensely! They can fill the12 photo holders with images from your wedding or their own favorite photos. It's another Kate Aspen original with plenty of pizzazz! Features and facts:
Bride's gown and pink rose bouquet graces one album cover, and the groom's tux is on the other
Photo album is crafted from heavyweight, glossy paper with clear-plastic photo inserts
The album holds one dozen 3" x 2 3/4" photos Album is accented with a white, satin bow at the top, along with a signature Kate Aspen gift-box charm
Photo album measures approximately 4" h x 3" w x 3/4 
Luminous Black Mini-Lantern Tea Light Holder
Let your event bask in the glow of Kate Aspen's contemporary take on an antique design. You'll be amazed at the ambience created at your tables by simply lighting a tea candle in this mini lantern. Oh, what a night you'll have!
Features and facts:
Decorative lantern is skillfully crafted from matte-black metal and glass
Lantern measures approximately 7" h (with handle extended) x 3" square
Tea light not included
Slice of Style - Stainless Steel High Heel Cake Server
There are two things in every woman's future a new pair of shoes and a luscious chocolate layer cake! No bridal shower favor or girls' night out gift tells it like it is more than the "Slice of Style" Stainless-Steel High Heel Cake Server. This fashionable favor is practical, and the packaging is priceless!
Features and facts:
Curved cake server is crafted from stainless steel
Artfully designed showcase gift box has a pink background with thin, white stripes, a black base with white polka dots all tied with a black ribbon and bow covered with white polka dots
The handle of the cake server sits atop a faux "heel"
Gift box measures 8 1/2" l x 2" h x 2 1/4" d
Making your day Favorably special!
To You A Favor
(MS) -- After months of planning and saving for a wedding, a honeymoon offers one-on-one time for the couple to have fun, develop a deeper relationship, and enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation.
Among couples who enjoy a traditional wedding, statistics say that 99 percent take a honeymoon. The average honeymoon costs approximately $5,000. Since a honeymoon will account for at least 14 percent of the total wedding budget, couples want to ensure that theirs is money well spent -- especially in an economy where every penny counts. Preparation is the key to honeymoon success.
"Working with travel professionals that specialize in honeymoon and destination wedding planning can help ensure couples have a memorable honeymoon," says Scott Ellingboe, CEO of The Honeymoon (www.thehoneymoon.com), an online honeymoon planning resource with a honeymoon gift registry service and a nationwide network of independent, experienced travel agents. "Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or use a travel expert, you'll enjoy browsing the honeymoon package and resort listings and reading the entertaining and informative stories in our multi-media digital magazine. You're bound to find something you weren't looking for that will help you create a better honeymoon experience." Additional tips provided are:
* Enjoy clear skies or bottomless blue water: Timing plays a large role in honeymoon travel. It's important to research the average weather conditions for prospective honeymoon locales during the month you'll be traveling as well as any events that may take place at that time. This way you book your honeymoon during an optimal time for the best conditions, both in regards to weather and the local culture.
* Save money: Putting honeymoon plans into the hands of an expert could add up to considerable savings. "Travel agents have relationships with tour and package providers that they can leverage in ways the average consumer cannot," offers Ellingboe. Turn to a honeymoon expert for honeymoon planning needs so your honeymoon can truly be a trip of a lifetime.
* Honeymoon registry: Not just for budget-conscious brides- and grooms-to-be, consider creating a honeymoon registry to give your wedding guests an alternative to crock pots, toasters and blenders. Wedding guests can improve your honeymoon experience by gifting the activities, excursions and dining experiences that make the trip memorable.
* Pack a variety of clothing options: Bring a few different outfits of varying levels of formality so that you'll have options on your trip. Depending upon the resort or ship, there may be specific dress codes at certain restaurants or meal times; you don't want to be caught off-guard. Make sure your research includes destination clothing requirements since what is acceptable culturally varies widely across the globe.
* Read reviews: There's a reason review sites are so popular -- they help people make better, more informed decisions. Advertising gives you one perspective, reviews give you another. Make sure that you read reviews of the places you are considering for your honeymoon so that you get a variety of viewpoints.
For more tips, reviews and ideas for honeymoon & destination wedding travel, visit www.thehoneymoon.com
Courtesy of Metro Creative Connection
