Monthly Archives: June 2015

More Free Time | Gift Certificate for Personal Assistant Service

Princess Diana - June 30, 2015 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day

Life is filled with many tasks that need to get done but bring us no joy in doing them. We look at our to-do list and groan.

Laundry. Dry cleaning. Yard work. Grocery shopping. House cleaning. Getting an oil change. Going to the post office. Organizing a room or closet. Running errands. The list goes on. There are a million other things we’d rather do.

We work hard all week and instead of using our free time to relax or to spend quality time with friends and family, we’re stressed out trying to complete these mundane but necessary tasks because if we didn’t… we would be stressed out they didn’t get done.

No clean clothes or no food in the fridge? No thank you. But how can we break the cycle of stress and feeling overwhelmed for ourselves or for someone we care about? The answer is a personal assistant.

Give someone more free time and peace of mind by giving them a gift certificate for a personal assistant service. They can delegate the tasks they don’t have time for or don’t enjoy.

1928 Ford Model A Car Ride | Wedding Anniversary

Queen Darlene - June 25, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Experiences, Father's Day, Gifts for Him

Here’s a gift idea for a wedding anniversary. Rent a car made in the same year the couple got married for a fun trip down memory lane!

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Click to enlarge

My deaf grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary August 12, 1985. Our family wanted to do something visual, unexpected and certainly memorable. But what?

We celebrated their 50th anniversary at church with wedding cake and punch. On their 55th anniversary, we invited family and friends to their home for the celebration. Nice, but very typical and expected.

One day, I just happened to drive by 20 antique cars that were parked at a local A&W Root Beer drive-in. Light bulb moment!

I pulled in, got out of my car, and asked the owners the year of their cars and would they consider taking my grandparents on a car ride on their anniversary.

A Heartfelt Thank You Letter to My 5th Grade Mentor

Princess Diana - June 23, 2015 - $20 or Less, Catch All, Teacher Gifts

Completely by chance, I found out a friend from high school worked with my 5th grade mentor, Mr. Brownlee.

I haven’t seen or talked to Mr. Brownlee in more than 20 years, but I’ve thought about him many times since then. Through him, I learned an important life lesson that always stuck with me.

Let me first explain how I got to know Mr. Brownlee. A few students from each of the 5th grade classes at my elementary were selected to be a part of a leadership group that everyone simply called “Mr. Brownlee’s Group.”

Each month, we met Mr. Brownlee in our school library to talk about a wide variety of different topics. He always brought a special guest so we could learn from people from all walks of life.

Shopping for a Friend in Crisis

Queen Darlene - June 18, 2015 - Catch All, Get Well

What do you do when a friend or relative is experiencing a life changing event? How do you help when you are hundreds of miles away?

Phone calls are helpful to let them know you are thinking of them, praying for them, or to ask the question “What can I do for you?” The answer is usually “Thank you, but there’s nothing you can do.”

Many of us can’t accept that answer. But what can we do?

My friend’s husband has been in the hospital for several months since having surgery that left him paralyzed. His focus is to walk again.

Sharon visits Dale at the hospital every day after work, and things have taken a toll on her physically. She lost weight to the point that her clothes don’t fit anymore, but she has zero time to shop. All of her free time is spent helping Dale get better.

That’s when it occurred to me how I could help Sharon. I could shop for her!

15 Thoughtful Father’s Day Gifts to Fit Every Budget

Princess Diana - June 16, 2015 - Father's Day, Gifts for Him

How many ties or tools does one man really need? Enough already! Let us help you think outside the tool box this Father’s Day for gifts Dad will really appreciate and enjoy. Here are 15 thoughtful Father’s Day gifts to fit every budget.

Baby Bump Maternity Photo Shoot

Queen Darlene - June 12, 2015 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day

Did you know there’s a whole industry in baby bump/pregnancy/maternity photography? Google it and you will see hundreds of amazing pregnancy photos.

It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the upcoming birth of a baby by showing off the “bump!”

My maternity outfits were much like my mother’s and grandmother – big flowing tops that hid our pregnant bellies.

In my grandmother’s day you couldn’t even say “pregnant.” The correct term was “in the family way.” Thank goodness that taboo is no longer the norm.

My mother told me when she was pregnant, you said the word “pregnant” in a hushed tone. Oh, how glad I am times have changed! It’s exciting to be pregnant and maternity photos are a great way to share the joy with loved ones.

My friend’s daughter, Kelsey, is a professional dancer and her pregnancy photos feature her as a ballerina.

In Case of Emergency Break Glass Money Gift

Queen Darlene - June 11, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Money, Wedding

Do you need a memorable way to give money? I thought so!

Sometimes money is the only gift to give to teenagers, graduates from high school or college, or newlyweds who need help paying for a honeymoon.

For some reason, writing a check even when it’s what is wanted, doesn’t seem much of a thoughtful gift. This gift idea combines money (or a Visa gift card) with something they’ll have fun unwrapping.

It’s called the In Case of Emergency Break Glass gift idea, and it works well for birthdays, Christmas, graduations, weddings or anniversaries. Continue Reading

Beef Jerky Gift Baskets & Samplers | Gift for Him

Princess Diana - June 9, 2015 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets, Gifts for Him, Teacher Gifts, Valentine's Day

This gift idea men will literally eat right up.

Give him his favorite flavors or some new flavors sure to awaken his taste buds!

When it’s hard to pick out a gift for him, you can’t go wrong with edible gifts. Beef jerky and meat sticks make awesome presents because they’re such a tasty “manly man” food snack.

You can get him a jerky gift basket or jerky sampler that fits every budget, taste preference and meat preference. In addition to beef jerky, there’s venison (deer) jerky, chicken jerky, turkey jerky, pork jerky, bacon jerky and even pineapple jerky for the vegetarian.

You can also buy gourmet jerky and exotic jerky made from elk, wild boar, alligator, alpaca, kangaroo, ostrich and even fish! Now that would make a memorable gift!

When it comes to flavors, it seems like they’ve come up with 101 varieties. You can buy jerky in flavors like teriyaki, barbecue, jalapeno, Cajun, bacon, maple bacon, lemon pepper, sweet and spicy, chili pepper, pepperoni, and so much more.

“Wood Ya” Like a Father’s Day Gift Idea? | Wooden Watch

Queen Darlene - June 4, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him

Finding a unique Father’s Day gift is sometimes a little difficult to do. The old stand by like ties, wallets, and shirts are so oh hum boring to give and receive. Let’s not go there!

Here’s what’s trending now! Watches and sunglasses made out of wood. Now that’s what I’m talking about. Definitely on the unique side of gifts!

My husband enjoys wearing different styles of watches. He has dress watches, sport watches, chronograph watches, and LED watches.

Come to think of it, he really is a collector of watches. I suggested to our sons to get him a watch for Father’s Day but not just any watch.

Their dad doesn’t own a watch made out of wood, and I don’t believe he has ever even seen one! He likes to wear unusual watches and this particular watch “wood” definitely meet that criteria. Continue Reading

Relax & De-stress With Coloring Books for Adults

Queen Darlene - June 3, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Get Well, Gifts for Me, Teacher Gifts

This is one of those ideas you say to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of this?” Coloring Books for Adults! The idea is to help adults de-stress and slow down our crazy-busy-every-minute-of the-day-life.

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Adult Coloring Books

I first heard of the Coloring Books for Adults on NPR. The guest explained how life has become more stressful in this fast-paced world because we are always connected by smart phones and computers. Her advice – disconnect from your electronic devices and color.

Disconnect? How many times have I wanted and needed to do that?

Have you ever seen a child that is coloring stressed out? Nope, me neither!

Coloring books for adults are perfect for friends, family members or co-workers who are extremely busy and who could use a little help to unwind and relax. Coloring will bring back their carefree days of childhood with no grown-up worries. Heck, you should try it for yourself!