
Families
Being part of a family takes a lot of work: keeping in touch with everyone, planning a wedding, working on your marriage, becoming a parent, and caring for your loved ones old and young can be a challenge greater than one person can handle. We've put together a collection of Web sites that can act as a family counselor, genealogist, storyteller, long-lost friend or relative finder, and even personal organizer.
Research Family History
Researching your genealogy is about more than becoming your family's own private detective. Your ... read more »
Get in Touch with Friends and Family
Sure, we all get busy with work, school, kids, and everything else life throws our way. But if the ... read more »
Wedding and Marriage Resources
No matter if you are newly engaged or if you are getting ready to celebrate your 50th wedding anniversary, there are always questions about how to keep your relationship running smoothly, or how to plan a wedding or anniversary celebration—even how to manage your and your spouse's finances. No matter what your marital query, you'll find several resources on the Internet.
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you have a favorite advice or how-to show, or if you like a famous advice giver (Dr. Phil or Dr. Ruth, for example) you will probably be able to find them online (and perhaps read some advice) with a quick search for their name in a search engine.
- Many sites about parenting also offer relationship advice. For a list of some parenting sites see the findingDulcinea Parenting Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For wedding planning ...
The Wedding Channel
has a "My Tools" tab that is perhaps the most useful feature on the site. You'll be able to create a free Web page here to share all of your wedding details with your guests, start a budget calculator, a planning checklist with a timeline, and an online scrapbook. You'll also find inspiration for every detail of your wedding from big stuff like the venue to small details like the bride's hairstyle. You can even keep your registries on this site so your guests can go to only one place and order from any store.
Bliss!
has a few interactive tools that might be handy when planning your wedding. The Floral Generator lets you know which flowers are grown in your region, are in season, or are a certain color that you'd like. The dance music list provides inspiration for choosing the songs for the special dances at your wedding, and the wedding toast generator provides ideas to those who might not know what to say at the reception. The printable checklists should help every member of the wedding party keep track of what they need to do before, and during, the big day.
Brides.com
is the Web home of the magazines Brides, Modern Bride, and Elegant Bride. The color studio might help you choose your color palate, while in the beauty section you'll find tips for how to look your best (make-up, hair, dress and tuxedo ideas, even fitness) on your big day. You'll also find helpful guides that will walk you through many of the important purchases and decisions for your wedding.
The Knot
has an engagement ring builder for the soon-to-be engaged. On The Knot TV you can view fashion shows, how-to's, and other wedding idea videos for free anytime you like. This site also has wedding planning tools, sites specific to your region of the country, and message boards. The Knot will also give you a free Web page to help you plan and share your wedding.
Wedding Tracker
, a division of The Knot, will create a Web site for your wedding. You'll get a two-week free trial to start and your site will include your own ".com" address, plus online RSVPs, a seating chart, and an online calendar. You can upload photos and order prints, have your own e-mail address using your Web site, create polls for your wedding guests to answer, and more. After the trial period, the service costs $60/year.
VerseIt.com
is the site to look at before you send out engagement announcements or wedding invitations. You'll find proper invitation etiquette for a number of different family arrangements such as remarriage or a deceased parent, in the "Ask It" section of the site. The "Verse It" section provides suggested wording for invitations and announcements for all kinds of weddings. The "Adorn It" section will give you tips on how to tie ribbon to an announcement, and the "Address It" section has tips on how to address envelopes properly and when to send out the invites.
For marriage tips and advice ...
The Nest
is a site for newlyweds that helps guide you through those first years of marriage: buying your first home, learning to live together, keeping your finances in order, even city guides to keep you busy about town.
iVillage
is geared toward women, but it has plenty of articles that deal with the joys and pitfalls of marriage. You'll be able to read about marriage issues like money, intimacy, communication, even divorce.
MSNBC's Today Show
often has online articles written about segments from the show; you'll also find video clips of the actual broadcast here. This site contains a range of tips and advice about your marriage, family, money, and plenty of other common concerns.
FindLaw Family Law Center
helps you find any family-related laws that you might need: prenuptials, child custody, divorce, adoption, and all other legal family issues.
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
can help you locate a therapist in your area. You can also search this site for other resources and take advantage of their comprehensive collection of books and articles on family problems.
Who knew?
Disney Weddings
offers real-life "fairytale" weddings at either Disneyland or Disneyworld. On its site you'll find brochures, photos, and sample budgets.
The Chicago Public Library
has a list of both the traditional and modern gifts that are typically given at each anniversary.
Dealing with Death
Although it may not be pleasant to think about your own passing, it is as certain as your taxes. ... read more »