Giving Back - Q By DaVinci Blog

10 Ways Chores Make You a Better Quinceanera

manager — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:33:09 +0000

Are you the type of girl who cringes just a little bit when somebody says, “It’s good for you”? Well, we’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is that this blog is all about those things that are “good for you” that might not be so much fun: Chores. But the good news is that learning to deal with everything involved in getting those chores done will serve you well both in the future and also right now as you deal with all the complicated details involved with planning your Quinceanera! So let’s take a look at the benefits of chores that will make you a better Quinceanera and a better woman.

1. Respect for Authority: Of course, you’re already respectful to your parents, else they probably wouldn’t let you have a Quinceanera! But your Quince puts extra demands on you, both from your family and from your Church. If your parish has asked you to attend some meetings or a retreat or participate in some kind of community or parish service, consider those expectations to be “positive chores.”

And not to jump the gun, but one day you’ll probably get married. If you want to marry in the Church, they’ll require certain things of you in preparation for your wedding. So if you can handle your Quinceanera Church Chores gracefully, just think how easy it’ll be a few years from now to be a gracious bride!

2. Taking Responsibility for Yourself: We should really call this is being responsible to yourself. Yes, you’re obligated to clean up after yourself, but when you accept responsibility for your minor messes, you’re actually practicing to be responsible for your actions when it comes to your place in your larger world.

3. Experience Consequences: You already know that not doing homework can risk your grades and that talking back to your folks usually results in some kind of punishment. Nobody is perfect, but the more you try to finish the chores assigned to you—and still keep your grades up and everything else you’re involved in—the less harsh those consequences will be.

pinterest.com

Learning to do the chores assigned to you in the timeframe in which you’re expected to do them right now may well save you being written up for being late to work or losing a promotion—or maybe even losing your job—by not getting things done on time or not getting them done as correctly as possible.

4. Personal Accountability: While you’re living at home, if you build the habit of keeping your personal space in order—and can learn to do it without your parents reminding you all the time—you’ll have a lot easier time of it when you live in a dorm, a shared apartment, or an open workspace on the job.

You’ll probably run into some situations when your brother or sister makes a mess in your personal space or your area of responsibility. No, it’s not fair, but it happens. To short-circuit a family feud, ask your parents ahead of time how they want you to handle things.

They may ask you to clean up anyway if it’s “community stuff” like newspapers or somebody else’s laundry that just needs to be thrown in the hamper. But if your siblings leave their personal things lying around in an area you’re supposed to keep clean, ask if maybe you can take their things and put them respectfully by their bedroom door or in some other designated place.

Figuring out how to deal with family members who make a mess in your personal space at home will make it a lot easier to negotiate a tidy space with a roommate or coworker.

5. Prioritize and Organize: Probably the last thing you want to add to your schedule is chores around the house. Whether you really want to earn that A+ and need more time to study, or just want the chance to sit in front of the TV for a little while and do your nails, chores can seem to get in the way.

pinterest.com

One trick is to sit down with your folks and ask them when exactly each week they want you to do which task including what day if possible. Some chores will be more flexible than others. Also, ask them which tasks take priority over others. For instance, it’s probably more important to have clean laundry than to tidy up the family room, so ask them if you can put laundry higher on the list. Then make sure you put your chores on the schedule before downtime so that you can really enjoy your downtime!

6. Learn to Work with Schedules and Deadlines: There’s actually a trick to making sure you get your chores done—use a weekly planner! If you already have one for school assignments, pencil your chores into the schedule. A weekly planner that has daily time slots is even better.

Let’s hope you never try to have this much on your plate every single day, but if you learn to use the planner and put everything down—homework, chores, band or sports practice, piano lessons or babysitting the neighbor’s kids, volunteering at the library and a little bit of fun with your friends—in the order in which each needs to get done, it’ll be easier to make it all happen.

Sure, once in a while you’ll get stuck with a chore that you have to do right before you go to bed instead of watching even a ½ hour of your favorite show, but with the timeline, you won’t cheat yourself out of fun nearly as often.

7. Sensitivity to Others: There are a couple of fundamental reasons why learning to be sensitive to others helps you in the world. First, any chores you’re given that have to do with cleaning are important because exposure to germs is dangerous and can cause disease. That’s why your folks may be a little finicky regarding how you clean the bathroom or the kitchen counters and sink. Second, in the work world, you’re bound to run across people who are a little picky even when you don’t think they need to be. If you’ve practiced handling different personalities at home, it’ll be easier for you on the job.

Here’s a perk you might not have thought of: Learning to handle the different personalities of your damas and chambelanes is a perfect example of cultivating sensitivity to others. If you’ve figured out how to manage different personalities at home, dealing with your court of honor—and later with your coworkers—will be a piece of cake!

8. Pride in your Work: It’s actually good for your spirit to look at a clean bathroom sink or a neatly folded pile of laundry and pat yourself on the back for getting it done. Lots of chores will seem insignificant, but in the workplace, a lot of details will seem just as trivial. If you can learn now to take pride in the little things, then something as small as keeping your desk tidy at work will feel satisfying.

9. Money Management: By the time your Quinceanera rolls around, you may either have been babysitting or helping out a neighbor in order to earn a little money. Working outside the house has already taught you that if you don’t show up for work, you don’t get paid. But you also have to learn to fit the chores your folks ask of you into your money-earning schedule.

pinterest.com

This might be easier if you’re getting an allowance that’s based either wholly or in part on whether you get your chores done. But either way, you’ll need to figure out how to schedule whatever you need to do in order to have a little cash in your pocket.

10. Practice Reigning in your Emotions: Admit it. Sometimes even when you know for sure your parents’ request is reasonable, having to do a chore is going to tick you off. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just human nature. But keeping your temper in check is one of the best tools you can develop to help you survive in the world.

A Note of Encouragement:

You don’t have to act like a Pollyanna, thinking you always have to grin like an idiot through everything. Practice cultivating a “serious, studious look” that’s the same as if you’re concentrating on a problem at school. Then on days when it’s really bad, you don’t necessarily have to smile, but you won’t frown at everybody either.

If someone in your family walks by, shoot them a quick smile then get back to work. If they ask, “Why are you so quiet?” you can just say—with all honesty—“I’m thinking about a project for school” or something to that effect. Besides, isn’t there always some type of project for school?!

In the workplace, it can be the same way. You may feel stuck doing some task that feels unbelievably menial and that threatens to put you in a permanent bad mood. But if you’ve practiced the “serious student look” you can use that at work. And again if someone asks, you can say something like, “I’m just really absorbed in this task.”

It works like a charm almost every time!

For a little advice on handling all the different personalities in your Quinceanera court, check out our blog on dealing with Dama Drama: http://qbydavinci.com/blog/how-to-ditch-the-dama-drama-dodge-quincezilla-syndrome/

The post 10 Ways Chores Make You a Better Quinceanera first appeared on Q By DaVinci Blog.

Your Guide to the Best Quinceanera Gift Ever

manager — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 03:10:45 +0000

So you’ve been invited to a Quinceanera birthday party? We guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun! But you’ll also probably be a bit anxious trying to decide what kind of gift to give the celebrant. It’s not every day that someone you know turns fifteen in this particularly fabulous way.

The birthday girl will most likely receive her traditional Quinceanera gifts from her family. But some of the most meaningful she’ll receive—and the ones that just may make her think yours is a totally cool gift—are gifts that are personalized in a unique way.

To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the trendsetting gift ideas for 2016 plus some handy tips to help you zero in on and personalize the perfect Quinceanera present!

Gifts That Every Quinceanera Will Love

While every Quinceanera girl is different, there are a few perennial favorites. Knowing this makes it easier to narrow down your choices for a gift and gives you a cheat sheet for picking a present that’s sure to be loved and appreciated.

Gift Certificates

pinterest.com

Giving gift certificates or gift cards to a Quinceanera is pretty much perfect. First, you can settle the gift issue with almost no hassle because you only need to decide which store to buy the certificate from. Some gift cards are even good at multiple locations!

Second, the Quinceanera can choose what she likes based on the dollar amount of the gift certificate. Some girls will buy two or three smaller things rather than one pricier item, or perhaps save the gift card until there’s a big sale. Some popular gift certificate options include a nearby department store, her favorite beauty salon, an Amazon gift card, etc. Some girls even have favorite restaurants that they’d be thrilled to go to but otherwise couldn’t afford.

Check with her parents for ideas as to which kind of gift card she’d like best.

Tip: You can buy gift cards online that come in a decorative box. Amazon sells quite a few, and this one in a little white heart-shaped box would be perfect.

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-com-White-Heart-Classic-Design/dp/B00JDQKUE8/ref=sr_1_7?s=gift-cards&ie=UTF8&qid=1468257714&sr=1-7&keywords=gift+card+in+box

Pampering Kit or Basket

pinterest.com

The coming of age passage that is the Quinceanera can also justify a present that’s all about pampering, something young ladies should be aware of to keep themselves looking and feeling good.

A pampering kit or basket can come in different categories. You can put together a bath kit that includes an assortment of indulgent bath soaps, shower gels, and fizzy bombs. A makeup kit is also a great option, as long as you choose colors and makeup items that will help the Quinceanera look lovely but still youthful. If she’s fond of nail art, then a basket of the latest nail polish colors in her favorite brand will be treasured, especially if coupled with nail and hand products for days when she wants to indulge in an at-home spa day.

Tickets to a Show or an Event

If there’s a particular concert or event that you know the Quinceanera wishes to attend, why not present her with tickets to it? Take note of tickets—plural—and give an extra ticket or two so she can bring a friend along. If these come out a little more expensive that you originally budgeted, it’s always a good idea to split the cost with others, so you can get to give her something she really wants without breaking the bank.

Tip: If the birthday girl totally adores going to the movies, get her a Fandango gift card. You can even personalize it with a photo if you want.

http://www.fandango.com/fandango-gift-cards?cmp=knc_Google_Bucks_TM-Fandango&tsacr=Search&refcd=s5jHI6lYS_dc|pcrid|72551638464|pkw|fandango%20gift%20card|pmt|e&gclid=CLGWz-r2680CFQckhgodb2kGtw#cardsStrip

A Set of Something She Likes or Something She Does

pinterest.com

Whether it’s a leather-bound edition of her favorite author’s works, a posh calligraphy set, or a small collection of baking supplies, if it’s something the Quinceanera loves, go for it! Ask her parents and friends what her hobbies are, and also ask them for suggestions on what to buy. If it’s a particular craft, ask for tips regarding brands that she prefers or supplies that she’s running low on or would appreciate trying for the first time.

Handy Tips for Choosing the Perfect Gift

The suggestions mentioned above will help make the decision a whole lot easier. Once that’s done, you can spend some time making the gift extra special and useful.

Ask What She’s Currently Into: Double check with her parents, siblings or friends regarding her current likes and dislikes. No matter how much you spend, if it’s something she’s already moved on from then your gift won’t get the attention it deserves.

Pool your Pennies: Consider merging your budget with others to give a bigger and better gift. Most Quinceaneras would prefer getting fewer but better gifts than a lot of little things that she doesn’t really need or particularly want. While it’s still the thought that counts, it’s a lot more practical to chip in for that ceramic curling iron she’s been eyeing instead of those budget-friendly floral wind chimes.

Make it Meaningful: Be sure she understands the meaning behind your gift. Whether you’re getting her a gift card or a lovely new laptop bag, make sure to add a little note that explains why she’s getting that particular gift from you. Say that you know how much she loves a particular store, so you’re happy to sponsor a new dress or jacket. Tell her how proud you are of how hard she works in school and how that new laptop bag will keep her things organized and protected. Doing this makes the gift all the more meaningful.

Include a Note: Take time to write a heartfelt letter. Use this as an opportunity not just to tell her how lovely she is, but also to dispense a bit of sound advice that’s sure to help her navigate this new season. Focus on one particular aspect, such as family life, studies, or boys, rather than a full-blown letter of advice about every aspect of her life!

Steer Clear of “Stuff”: Forget trinkets that might only gather dust. Most Quinceaneras are not particularly fond of ceramic figurines, cross-stitched wall decoration, or any other gift that’s out of the interest range of a fifteen-year-old. At this age, she’ll clearly know what she likes and doesn’t like. Skip the décor section of the department store, then for good measure, have a friend or same-age cousin of hers tag along to help you choose a gift that she’ll really appreciate.

pinterest.com

A Quinceanera has many things to look forward to, not just on this particularly significant birthday celebration, but also in the years that follow soon after. Whether your gift will make her happy for a week, a month, or two years after she receives it, you’ll feel good about having given her something that she will put to good use!

The post Your Guide to the Best Quinceanera Gift Ever first appeared on Q By DaVinci Blog.

Your Quinceanera Speech: A Foolproof Guide

manager — Sat, 25 Jun 2016 00:09:09 +0000

There are so many exciting things to plan when it comes to your Quinceanera. There’s choosing a dress, tasting the food, creating favors for your guests… But one of the more serious but necessary tasks is writing your Quinceanera speech.

“Why should I give a speech in the first place?”

pinterest.com

You should give a speech because it’s an important part of the celebration. While it can be tempting to skip this portion—effectively saving you the task of writing a short essay—your speech is your opportunity to thank the many people who helped make your Quinceanera possible. You’ll also be sharing your first thoughts as a young adult being welcomed into society. Sure, there’s some pressure, but all you really need is a simple but foolproof guide that will help you craft that all-important Quince speech. So read on and get started!

The Two Essential Objectives: Gratitude and Reflection

There are two basic parts of any Quinceanera speech. One is to say thank you to your parents and guests for the party. The second is to share your personal thoughts about the meaning behind the celebration.

Step 1: Open with a General Greeting

This is (to risk a little irreverence) a no-brainer. Just say something like this:

“Hi, may I have everyone’s attention please?” Then say, “Good afternoon” or “Good evening.”

Step 2: Thank Your Guests

Thank everyone for their presence and for their help with your fairytale party:

“I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you all how grateful and happy I am that you’re here tonight. Thank you for coming to my Quinceanera. Thank you for taking the time to be with me here tonight, especially those who had to travel a long way. There are also some who were not able to come, and so they are with us in our thoughts and in spirit. Thank you, to all of you.”

Step 3: Thank your VIPs

Now you want to get specific. Thank the people who played a significant role in making this celebration possible:

“I also want to say thank you to my padrinos, who have helped contribute to the celebration of my Quinceanera. I am touched by your generosity and your desire to make this dream of mine come true. I would like to thank my Quinceanera court, all of whom are near and dear to me. Thank you for your dedication in attending the dance practices. I am honored to be in the company of people whom I am proud to call my friends.”

Step 4: Thank your Parents

These are the two people who brought you into the world and raised you to be the wonderful lady you now are. Consider something like this:

“And of course, to my Papa and Mama, thank you for everything you do for me. My Quinceanera is a testament to your love, and I am very grateful to you for making this celebration possible. You are the best parents I could ever imagine having, and I am proud to be your daughter.”

Step 5: Reflect on being a Quinceanera

Share your thoughts about being a Quinceanera. Tell your guests how this milestone has made you feel, and what changes in your life are now taking place. Perhaps something like this:

“To me, this Quinceanera isn’t just a beautiful dress and a wonderful party with all of you. It’s an extra special day that I get to share with the people who are most important to me, who have gathered together to warmly welcome me into the world of young adulthood. This new season of my life is important because I get to put into practice—through my words and actions—the lessons that my parents and other elders have taught me. I am grateful for all the guidance I’ve received in my fifteen years, and will continue to receive the rest of my life. I am humbled to be taught by—and loved by—these very special people.”

Step 6: Conclusion

Say your last general thank you, and then proceed with the next part of the celebration. Be simple and straightforward:

“Once again, thank you everyone! I hope you are enjoying this night as much as I am. Now, on with the festivities! Hit the music, please—we all want to dance!”

That’s all there is to it. You’ll make some changes along the way, especially if you have particular people you want to thank or you want to add some extra details. Also, don’t fixate on our six steps. Ours are just a jumping off point to get you started writing.

Some Final Tips

pinterest.com

Read your work aloud to yourself. This is the best way to imagine how it will sound when you finally give it on the day of your Quinceanera.

Edit as you see fit. Your first draft will definitely not be your final one, because there’s always room for revision. Keep editing until you’re happy with it.

Have someone else look at it. Show your draft to someone who can correctly edit your copy for coherence, flow, and grammatical errors. Your English teacher is a good candidate for this task!

Read your final draft aloud and time it. Ideally, it should only be about two minutes long. Anything more than that is too much, especially since everyone wants to continue with the party.

Try to memorize as much as you can. While there’s no rule banning you from having a copy to read, it’s better to memorize the speech so you’ll look more natural. If you need to, prepare a small index card with an outline to refer to from time to time.

Don’t be afraid to improvise. If inspiration strikes in the middle of your speech, take the plunge—as long as it won’t exceed your two-minute limit. You might suddenly think of someone you want to thank specifically, or share an anecdote or two about your childhood that relates to your Quinceanera.

The post Your Quinceanera Speech: A Foolproof Guide first appeared on Q By DaVinci Blog.