Many of us have been touched by the loss of a beloved pet, and since Colleen Mihelich understands the heartache of that loss, she has devoted her career to a company and website called Peternity.com. It is dedicated to helping others honor the loss of their pets through a pet memorial.

Although Pepper was gone, Mihelich knew that the love she felt for her horse would never go away. That’s why she decided that people needed a way to help keep their memories alive and created an online community, a pet memorial website. Here, grieving pet owners can choose handcrafted pet memorial products including custom pet grave markers, memorial pet urns, garden statue pet memorial stones, keepsake boxes, pet portrait and art and tribute paintings, glass art, burial boxes and more.

“We’ve all been through the difficult grief of losing pets, and people understand how hard it can be. Many of us found little nuggets of wisdom or inspirational stories along the way that have helped us move on,” said Mihelich, founder of Peternity. “The loss of a pet is a very difficult thing. That’s why grieving the loss is an important step towards healing; just about as important to many people as the loss of a human being.”

Continually on the lookout for unique, handcrafted pieces of art to help her customers express their love, joy and memories, Mihelich believes that people wish to honor their cherished friends with elegance, dignity and honor, and that their pets deserve the very best. That’s why she searches for items of the finest craftsmanship and quality.

Her company also provides grieving support, and people can find links to pet loss information and pet loss counseling websites to help them say goodbye to their beloved pet. This is particularly helpful for parents assisting children with the loss of a pet. Guests on the website can create virtual pet memorials via a living pet memorial to share loving memories and favorite stories about their pets with family and friends, including a written tribute, and dialog and photographs that honor their pet’s memory.

Bereavement counselor Marty Tousley says, “One of the biggest myths about the grief that accompanies pet loss is that it’s somehow different than grieving the loss of a human. When love is lost it does not matter if it’s a human or an animal, because we still feel grief.”

The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2007-2008 National Pet Owners survey states that 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 million homes, up from 56 percent in 1988. APPMA estimated the spending of $40.8 billion on pets in 2007 in the United States.

“It would be impossible to say how much we appreciate all that Peternity did in helping us with our stone for Buddy. It is just beautiful and we couldn’t possibly be happier with how it turned out,” said Alan and Stephanie Thomas.

More About Birth Announcements Cards โ€“ The Trend Toward Photo Birth Announcements

The announcement of a new baby should be special and unique. Photo birth announcements are popular since digital photo technology makes producing personalized photo baby announcements easier than ever before. The photo can be uploaded at most baby birth announcements websites and parents can receive the photo birth announcements right at their door – eliminating a trip to the store with a newborn baby! And as with all birth announcements, photo baby announcements are becoming more sophisticated and can show the individual personality of the new family. See More About Birth Announcements Cards.

Birth cards with simple, touching phrases or poetry are always popular for announcing your new bundle of joy. By adding the babyโ€™s name, birth date, length and weight, parents can still personalize the birth announcements for their new baby without the photo. A separate picture can always be inserted with the baby announcements for those family and friends that may want a photo to display. You can find sample birth cards wording ideas, birth announcements wording verses and baby announcements sayings on many websites to assist you.

However, the most popular trend in birth announcements is the photo baby announcements. After all, what family member of friend would not appreciate receiving this sleek and personal touch. It is not necessary to go to a professional photographer either. Just make sure the picture is clear, has nice contrast and features the baby. If the picture is taken too far away or the lighting is dark, the announcements might not look its best.

While it is best to send traditionally birth announcements within two weeks after the birth, it is acceptable in todayโ€™s hectic life to send the baby announcements later. If the birth announcements are sent when the baby is two to three months old, try sending customized photo birth announcements with either a newborn baby photo or a current picture of the baby. Recipients, especially those distant relatives and friends, will appreciate a photo baby announcement regardless of the babyโ€™s age when they receive the announcements.

Seasonal trends should also be considered for the personalized birth announcements cards, and photo birth cards are no exception. If the baby announcements will be going out near a major holiday like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Independence Day, parents can make announcements unique by using the colors of the season for the photo birth announcement. Parents can also consider using seasonal props (i.e. Christmas stockings, pumpkins, American Flags) in the photos for the baby announcements.

Another fun idea for personalized, unique photo birth announcements is to use props that are unique to the family or parents. For parents that play golf consider taking a picture of the baby on the putting green with Dad, or if the family plays soccer, take a picture of the baby with a soccer ball. The options are endless and can match the design and color scheme of the photo birth announcement itself to further add to the charm.

Trendy color choices range from traditional baby pastels to deep hues for all birth announcements. In all color schemes, parents should consider choosing colors in the announcements that match or complement the babyโ€™s outfit or surroundings in the photo. If the photo is cohesive with the colors on the card, the announcement will look more professional.

Looking for something special for your kids this year? One of the hottest new kid gift ideas this holiday season is a magazine subscription. Magazines, always a staple with adults, have been moving into the children’s markets in droves. Where once there were a couple of magazines aimed at children, there are now dozens to choose from, and they’re aimed at kids in every age group with all sorts of interests.

When I was growing up in the 60s, there was essentially one children’s magazine – Highlights for Children. As you got older, there were a few more choices aimed at teens and very gender specific – if you were a boy, someone was bound to get you a subscription to Boys’ Life, especially if you were a Boy Scout. If you were a girl, you had a wider choice – Seventeen for the “fashionista” (long before the term was coined) and Teen for us “regular girls”. Of course, the biggest category of magazines aimed at teen girls was the fanzines – Tiger Beat and their ilk, featuring interviews with the hot boys and gatefold posters of our favorite boy bands and teen heartthrobs.

Of course, there was Scholastic Magazine, delivered to classrooms around the country for use in education about current events, but that hardly counted because, well, it might as well have been a textbook. Other than that, magazines aimed specifically at the children and youth market were relatively rare – which may account for the longevity of the good children’s magazines – Boys’ Life has been around since 1911, and Highlights for Children almost qualifies for the senior citizen discount.

Over the last twenty years or so, the face of children’s magazines has completely changed. These days, whatever your children’s interests, there’s probably a magazine aimed directly at them. There are magazines for every age group, from six months old on up. The older your children are the wider your choice of magazines is that they might like. The best part about the explosion of magazines aimed at children is that most magazines for children are high quality, with slick production values and very well written and researched articles.

Many of them are adjuncts to an adult version of the same publication – and while you can be certain that the motive for their existence is to serve as a funnel for the adult publication, they are not simply simplified versions with bigger pictures and fewer words. Your younger readers can learn about seasonal crafts and find simple cooking recipes in Your Big backyard, follow their favorite sports teams with Sports Illustrated for Kids and learn about the world at large with National Geographic Kids, or Discovery Girls magazine. Teen girls can now read Cosmo Girl, a slightly bolder cousin to Seventeen and TEEN, that aims to address the issues that girls really care about, even when their parents wish they didn’t

Other new entries into the children’s’ magazine market are Nickelodeon magazine, complete with interesting facts, celebrity interviews, comics, pull-outs, puzzles, activities, and the inside look into Nick TV. National Wildlife Federation publishes a line of magazines for kids of all ages, including Wild Animal Babies for toddlers, Your Big Backyard for preschoolers through the primary grades and Ranger Rick for kids 7 and up. The publishers of Cricket, aimed at 9 to 14 year olds, also offer BabyBug, a sturdy cardboard magazine just for babies so that now, even the littlest camper in the house has his or her own magazine for reading.

And then there are the special interest magazines, most aimed at children in the 8 to 16 year old age group. There are magazines for young horse lovers, for anime collectors and video game enthusiasts, for cheerleaders and gymnasts – if there’s a special interest, there is probably a magazine that addresses it. Young writers have a choice of magazines that are written “by kids for kids”, such as New Moon, a magazine that features reader submissions from young girls.

The old standbys are still at the top of the lists, but there are dozens of new titles from which you can choose. Magazine subscriptions for kids are among the smartest gifts you can give – for a birthday, holiday or other special occasion. It’s a great way to encourage regular reading for the kids that you love, and give them an easy way to keep up on news, information, trends and events in their favorite worlds. If you’re not sure what to get a child on your gift list this holiday season, take a look at the growing list of monthly magazines aimed at children. A subscription to a quality magazine aimed at kids can open the doors to a lifetime of learning and fun.