Monthly Archives: April 2017

Better Designed Inverted Umbrella

Queen Darlene - April 29, 2017 - Birthday, Business, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day, Teacher Gifts

We’ve all experienced closing an umbrella while getting in and out of a car. What happens? We get wet no matter how fast we can close it.

How about giving someone a better designed umbrella as a gift?

I just happened to come across the video below that shows how an inverted umbrella design folds the reverse way to prevent the splash of rain as you enter or exit your car.

As you can see, your car door only needs to be open a crack for you to be able to open and close your umbrella.

A Better Designed Umbrella

Umbrellas are wonderful to keep you dry while opened but what happens when you close them? They drip rain water all over the floor.

The cool feature of the inverted umbrella is that it folds upward leaving the rain water trapped in the inward folds rather than getting your car floor or any floor wet.

It’s designed to self-stand upside down so it will air dry instead of leaning up against a wall which prevents the mess of rain water all over the floor.

Business Etiquette Book for Graduates

Princess Diana - April 25, 2017 - $20 or Less, Graduation

Helping someone to feel confident and knowledgeable so they can succeed. That is a priceless gift.

Many young adults graduate high school and college clueless about how to conduct themselves in the workplace or how to present themselves in business situations.

Not knowing business etiquette and the proper ways to behave can have real negative effects. It could result in offending someone or missing out on an internship or job opportunity.

Since knowledge is power, the right book can provide graduates with the information they need to succeed in the adult world and the professional world.

Setting a Graduate Up for Success

For these reasons, books on business etiquette or business manners make thoughtful graduation gifts.

Lotto Ticket Get Well Card

Queen Darlene - April 20, 2017 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Get Well, Retirement

Need an easy peasy fun gift idea for someone who is ill or in the hospital? Choose a get well card and insert lotto tickets!

Nothing lifts someone’s mood better than dreaming about how to spend the money if you win!

Gift of Possibly Winning Big

My friend, Dick, had triple bypass heart surgery and I wanted to send a cheerful gift. I wrote in the card “possibility of a winning lotto ticket” because I won just a few weeks before his surgery.

I shared my experience in the card. I explained the whole episode of asking my husband to pull into a gas station as I wanted to check my ticket. My husband did his usual eye rolling thing because I have never won more than a few dollars. Continue Reading

Clever First Birthday Gift

Princess Diana - April 18, 2017 - Birthday, Kids

When my son, Axl, turned one year old, my father arrived to the birthday party with the most clever and thoughtful gift!

It didn’t come wrapped up with a big bow or in a gift bag with tissue paper like the other birthday gifts.

Because it actually wasn’t for my son…

Clever First Birthday Gift

It was for his parents – my husband and me. It was a gift card to a local restaurant with a handwritten message that read:

Happy Birthday from Axl
Thank you for having me!

A gift “from my son” to his parents so we could go on a date night. Talk about a thoughtful twist to a first birthday gift!

Houseguest Welcome Basket

Princess Diana - April 14, 2017 - Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets

I remember being someone’s houseguest and getting a late night snack attack. I’m dying for something to eat but I’m too embarrassed to look through their kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. Not good.

You may have been in a similar situation yourself.

Although someone tells you, “Make yourself at home!” you still feel hesitant to rummage through their food cabinets.

There’s a way to stop the embarrassment of hungry houseguests.

Provide visitors to your home with a Houseguest Welcome Basket containing drinks, snacks and treats!

Even if you tell your houseguests to help themselves to anything in your kitchen, they’ll still appreciate receiving a basket of goodies specifically for them. If you know their favorite snacks and drinks, try to to include them in the gift basket.

Holding Hands Photos | Sentimental Gift

Queen Darlene - April 13, 2017 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Birthday, Family, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

I’ve known my friend, Sherry, for years and have had the privilege of meeting her parents on many occasions. When I recently attended a reception honoring their daughter’s achievement, I noticed they were holding hands across the table.

I asked if I could take a picture of them holding hands. Her parents smiled and agreed. I thought it was so precious and wanted to capture the sweet, tender embrace for Sherry.

Sherry’s parents are her biggest supporters. Their hands have held her, guided her, hugged her, loved her, and clapped for her and her awesome accomplishments. Continue Reading

Create Photo Art Using American Sign Language

Queen Darlene - April 6, 2017 - Birthday, Christmas

My paternal and maternal grandparents and my mother were deaf so my first language was American Sign Language.

Several years ago, my mother became ill and I took her to the emergency room. It was the beginning of dementia even though we were not aware of it yet.

The wait in the ER was F-O-R-E-V-E-R! and she became extremely restless.

To help keep her calm, I suggested we take pictures of her hand creating individual letters of the ABCs in American Sign Language (ASL).

She loved it and thankfully doing that passed the time.

We later printed out photos of the individual letters to spell out the names of my brothers, my mother’s cousins and her friends. We mailed them in “thinking of you cards.”

My mother enjoyed hearing from each one that they loved her special surprise gift. Sign language is beautiful and you do not have to be deaf to enjoy seeing your name spelled in ASL.

My First Library | Baby Shower Gift

Princess Diana - April 4, 2017 - Baby Shower

We all have our favorite childhood books or the ones we enjoyed reading aloud to our own children.

If you’re like me, you love certain titles so much you want other children to read them and fall in love with them too!

When thinking about what to give my best friend for her baby shower gift, I wanted it to be meaningful and special. I reflected on what things my two boys really liked when they were babies and also what things I really enjoyed as a new parent… Definitely books!

Certain books I’ve read to my boys more than 100 times so I decided to give her copies of the children’s books that were favorites in my own family.

I picked out a cute wooden crate and glued painted wooden letters that spelled MY FIRST LIBRARY.