Monthly Archives: November 2015

Bring a DHS Foster Child “Home for the Holidays”

Princess Diana - November 30, 2015 - Christmas

Imagine spending Christmas Day in an emergency shelter away from your home and family…

Now imagine yourself as a child spending Christmas Day in an emergency shelter away from your home and family…

You’re probably wondering why in the world would I have you imagine such horrible and depressing things. Why?

Because it’s not make believe.

Innocent children do spend Christmas Day in emergency shelters separated from their loved ones as they await foster homes. You can open your heart and your home to these children by hosting one of them for Christmas.

Through its “Home for the Holidays” initiative, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services seeks people interested in opening their homes to these children so they can spend the Christmas holiday with a family instead of in an emergency shelter.

Gift of Education: 529 College Savings Plan

Princess Diana - November 24, 2015 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money

As parents, we want to provide for our children. We give them food, clothing, shelter and affection. These are things they need now and today , but what about their needs down the road?

Parents also want to be able to provide for their children’s future, which is what my husband and I did when we opened up an Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan for our son.

By saving and investing money to help pay for college or trade school, we’re giving our son the gift of education – a gift with lifetime benefits.

I must say, I felt an immense sense of pride after opening our son’s college savings plan because I knew it was one of the most important decisions I could make on his behalf.

The tax advantages that come with a 529 plan makes it a much smarter move than just opening up a regular savings account. For starters, contributions to our son’s Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan can be deducted from our Oklahoma taxable income up to a maximum of $20,000 per year ($10,000 for individual tax payers).

In addition, the earnings portion of any distributions used to pay for qualified higher education expenses will be free from federal and Oklahoma income tax. That’s huge! It’s also important to know that what is considered “qualified” expenses goes beyond books, tuition and fees. For example, certain costs associated with room and board can be paid for with money from a 529 plan.

Handwritten WWII Letter Screen Transferred on T-Shirts

Queen Darlene - November 19, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Military/Veterans

My husband found a handwritten letter from his dad dated May 5, 1943 from when he served in the Army during WWII . The letter was written to his parents and sister describing his day and how he missed his wife, Betty.

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An old handwritten letter my husband’s father wrote by having parts of the letter screen printed on t-shirts.

Randy’s father had beautiful handwriting, and I thought the letter should be shared with his brother, Kyle, and sister, Lesa. But how? Copies seemed so blase’. Then the idea of having the handwritten WWII letter transferred onto t-shirts came to mind.

I found a local t-shirt screen printing business and selected different sections from the letter to create three different shirts. Each shirt also featured the postmark showing the date of the letter and their dad’s signature, Sgt. Eugene Drew. Continue Reading

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits – Kids Cooking Gift Set

Princess Diana - November 17, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

When it comes to being healthy, it really boils down to your habits. What are your habits when it comes to what you eat, your portion sizes, and your amount of physical activity?

Habits can be formed at a very early age. Kids are like sponges and putty like that.

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits - Kids Cooking Gift Set

Make cooking and healthy eating fun by getting a child his or her own chef’s hat and jacket. Include with it toy fruits and vegetables he or she can practice slicing with a wooden knife.

As parents and caregivers, we have an opportunity to help shape children’s habits when it comes to healthy eating. It begins with getting them in the kitchen to help with the cooking and introducing them to the wide variety of delicious fruits and veggies that exist.

Nothing gets children more interested in joining their parents in the kitchen than having their own chef’s hat and apron or jacket. When you’re dressed the part, you feel like the real deal!

No Bake Cookie Dough Inside Cookie Jar

Queen Darlene - November 12, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Food & Drinks, Going Away, Host, Housewarming, Money

Both of my grandmothers used their cookie jars regularly to store homemade cookies. Here’s an idea! Use a cookie jar not only for cookies but to surprise someone with some “dough!”

The “No Bake Cookie Dough” Cookie Jar is a yummy gift!

Just Google “cookie jars” and oh my… the selection is endless that you may have difficulty in choosing which one to give.

There are cookies jars that look like cupcakes, flowers, animals, houses, cartoon characters, superheroes, TV and even movie characters.

Also available are decorative, colorful and abstract design cookie jars. It’s amazing! My favorite are collectible or vintage cookie jars. I still have my grandmother’s jars on display in my kitchen.
Continue Reading

Billfold With a Little Extra $$$

Queen Darlene - November 11, 2015 - Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Money

My husband likes to receive a new billfold every couple of years either for his birthday or Christmas. It’s always on his list because he doesn’t like his billfold to look tattered and worn.

Randy specifically prefers trifold wallets.

Over the years, my mother took over the billfold gift giving. She liked giving him what he wanted, but she didn’t like him knowing what the gift was going to be.

She was all about the surprise. So she would place different amounts of cash in the billfold. Her favorite type of billfold contained hidden compartments or zippers where she could hide the money.

Sometimes she would find a billfold with an insignia related to his favorite hobby or his profession. Continue Reading

Welcome Home! | Yard Decorations

Princess Diana - November 10, 2015 - Birthday, Catch All, Congratulations, Military/Veterans

When my co-worker’s husband, Mark, returned home from deployment in the Middle East, she breathed such a sigh of relief. Sandra and her son, Kyle, had been praying for his safe return every night. As an Air Force pilot, Mark encountered some intense moments.

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Say “Welcome Home!” in a visual way with yard decorations.

To express their overwhelming joy to see him home, Sandra and Kyle welcomed back Mark in patriotic style!

They surprised him by decorating their front yard with red, white and blue balloons and a custom yard sign that said, “Welcome Home Mark.”

Several of their neighbors also joined in by displaying their American flag in honor of his return.

Sometimes words aren’t enough to express how we feel. Sandra and Kyle used yard decorations to say “Welcome Home!” in a very VISUAL way that made a big impression on Mark and the entire neighborhood.

Just What the Dr. Ordered – Money!

Queen Darlene - November 5, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money

I love to give money in unexpected gift containers and a prescription bottle certainly makes for a surprise dose. This is one of the easiest gifts to make.

just-what-the-dr-ordered-prescription-money-thoughtful-gift-idea

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HOW TO CREATE A MONEY PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE:

Prescription bottle
Large mailing label or paper and clear packing tape
Cash – bills or quarters

Just for the asking, my pharmacy provided me with a new prescription bottle free of charge.

To give you a couple of ideas, I created two different labels. One on a sticky mailing label and one on plain typing paper.

I found a large mailing label fits nicely on the large prescription bottle. For the smaller prescription bottle, I cut plain paper to fit and used clear packing tape to adhere it to the bottle. Continue Reading

Money Talks, Chocolates Sing! Perfect Women’s Gift

Queen Darlene - November 4, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

Want to give the perfect women’s gift? You can’t go wrong with chocolates and money!

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I love this saying – Money Talks, Chocolate Sings!

Give the special woman in your life what she loves – mouth-watering chocolates and a little extra money.

What you will need for this money gift idea:

Box of chocolates
Ziploc bag
Ribbon or bow
Money

The Giving Plate | A Heartwarming Tradition

Princess Diana - November 3, 2015 - Christmas, Family, Food & Drinks, Host, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Teacher Gifts, Thank You

No one likes to show up to a social gathering empty handed. After all, the more food the merrier!

Make a lasting impression by giving the host or hostess a gift called “The Giving Plate.”

The heartwarming tradition of The Giving Plate is that you bake a treat and present it to someone on the plate. The recipient could be a friend, family member, church member, neighbor, teacher or co-worker. Once the treat is gone, it’s time for the gift recipient to pay it forward by passing The Giving Plate to someone new.

The Giving Plate makes for an especially touching gift during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

You can find a variety of styles of The Giving Plate on Amazon.com or you can find other designs on Etsy.com. If you’re artsy, you can make your own using food-safe porcelain markers or paint pens on a blank plate or platter.

The Giving Plate I like contains this special message that explains the tradition in a beautiful poem.

The Giving Plate

This plate belongs to everyone
wherever it may go… with each new sharing
of its gift, the love and blessings grow,
So fill it up and pass it on to
family and to friends… to start
the circle one more time,
love’s journey never ends.