Beers From Around the World Gift Basket

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I have to give credit where credit is due. This gift idea came from my husband Kevin. It’s an awesome gift that men will love!

imported beers in plastic tub filled with whole in shell roasted peanutsBuy a selection of beers that are made in different countries from around the world. Stick them in a tub, basket or bucket, then use whole-in-shell peanuts as an edible filling.

If you buy a dozen beers, you can create a tag that says, “Around the World in 12 Beers” to go along with the gift.

Here are the beers from around the world (imported beers) that are commonly found:

“Mighty Fine” | Remembering Gramps’ Personal Saying

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My father-in-law, Gene Drew, was a very kind and quiet man who would sometimes surprise us with his humorous wit. I always thought my husband got his wit from his mother but he also got it from his dad. Randy even laughs like his dad. There’s no denying it. We are our parents!

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When Gene spoke, the message was plain, simple and always thought through. There was never misunderstanding what he said.

He was a WWII Veteran and like so many of his time, they did not talk about the war. Instead, they got busy workin’, raisin’ families and livin’!

Gene could fix anything. Cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers – you name it, he repaired it! He could make anything out of left over stuff. He made a work table on wheels once out of an old air conditioning unit. In his later years, he helped his grandchildren make science fair projects. He was amazing!

Gramps, as we all fondly called him, passed away in July of 2011 just shy of his 90th birthday. At his funeral, his youngest son Kyle gave the eulogy. He spoke about all of the wonderful things he instilled in his children not by doing so much talking but by his actions.

When he did talk, Gramps had a personal saying he always used for anything good – “Mighty Fine.” Kyle reminded us that when he learned to ride his bike or came home with news of getting on the baseball team, Gramps would always say that’s “Mighty Fine.”

When as a kid he asked, “Dad, what do you think about Jesus returning?” Gramps slowly took his pipe out of his mouth and said, “I think it would be mighty fine!”

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Love Connection | Personalized Etched Glass Wedding Gift

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Our dear friends’ daughter is getting married. We met Stuart and Karen when we moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We became family and when Kelsey was born we were thrilled. It was fun to buy girly things as she was the only girl among our four boys.

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She is all grown up now and Cinderella has found her Prince Charming. I received the wedding announcement and cannot believe our baby girl is getting married. Since we moved back to Oklahoma, time flew by especially when we did not get to see her on a regular basis.

Even though I enjoy art, I was rarely exposed to it in Oklahoma unless I went to museums or the art festival once a year. “Art” is everywhere in New Mexico. There are mini-art festivals all year long. “Old Town” in Albuquerque and “The Governors Square” in Santa Fe explodes with art all around you with beautiful paintings, unique jewelry, and colorful pottery that can be used as a decorative piece or for everyday ware. Truly amazing artists.

So true to her culture, I wanted to create something that would be considered art. Since I cannot draw, paint, make jewelry or mold clay, I had to think outside the artist’s pallete. I’m always looking for a “thoughtful twist” and came up with the idea of etched glass.

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Fire Extinguisher Makes Unique Wedding or Housewarming Gift

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Two years after my husband and I bought our first home did we finally think to purchase an important safety device for our home. This item only had the potential to save our lives or prevent our house from burning down…

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Everyone knows the importance of keeping a fire extinguisher in the home, especially in the kitchen, but for some reason the majority of us still forget to go out and buy the darn thing. That is why a fire extinguisher makes such a great and unique wedding or housewarming gift!

It’s something important that people NEED but never think to buy for themselves. And because of that, people really appreciate receiving this memorable gift.

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Creative Date Ideas in Oklahoma

- - Experiences

Honey, let’s go out on a date this weekend.

        That sounds fun! What should we do?

I’m not sure. Do you have any ideas?

        I can’t think of anything right now. I guess I’m okay with going out to eat somewhere and then watching a movie.

undiscovering-oklahoma-date-ideas-book-sunburst-giftsWe’ve all had conversations go like this at one point or another. Despite our best intentions, our plans for date night is dinner and a movie.

BORING. And not memorable in the least.

But it’s not because we’re boring people. We’re just uninspired and out of ideas.

Thankfully, a fellow blogger named Dennis Spielman has come to save us from ourselves! He published a book called Uncovering Oklahoma’s 2014 Date Idea Book that describes all sorts of memorable places in Oklahoma to eat, visit, and share unique experiences with your date.

*View the updated version of the book.

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Home Reestablished Sign | Housewarming Gift

- - Housewarming

My boss Holley took off work on her birthday on this exact day last year – May 20, 2013. It’s a birthday she’ll never forget because it was the same day a deadly tornado ripped through her hometown of Moore, Oklahoma, wiping out entire neighborhoods and claiming 24 victims.

outside of house damaged by tornado

The Moore 2013 tornado destroyed Amy and Adam’s home. Luckily, they were not hurt.

Holley took cover in her Moore home when it happened, but luckily her house and her life were spared.

Many people she knew were not so lucky with their home, like her friends Amy and Adam. After living in their house for less than a year, the tornado caused one wall and part of their roof to cave into the rest of their home.

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Unique Money Gift for Graduates

- - Graduation, Money

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Face it. Kids want money. Even though most people want to give a memorable gift, many times they end up giving money in a blah graduation card. I’ve come up with a fail proof “you will remember this money gift above all else” high school or college graduation gift.

Purchase the latest issue of Money Magazine which gives advice on how to save, invest and make money. Graduation-Money-Magazine-gift-idea-sunburst-giftsHide multiple crisp dollar bills (or higher!) within the pages. Now roll it up with tissue paper and tie it up with a ribbon like a diploma.

It never fails. When they open it, they say…”oh, thanks”… and this is where your part comes in.

You say something like, “There is a wealth of information in that magazine about how to manage money wisely. Now that you have graduated and you’re an adult, it’s important that you learn this skill.”

They usually say thank you and place the magazine to the side  – without even opening it.

This is when you enthusiastically encourage them to open it and find an article to read. They will oblige but unwillingly. (I have yet to have one person open a page with a dollar bill showing. I have no idea how that happens!)

Graduation-diploma-gift-idea-sunburst-giftsThey usually have to thumb through and when they discover some of the cash money, they’ll quickly flip through page after page to look for more and when they do that’s when you’ve done it! You’ve made them smile really big. (And that’s hard to get teenagers to do you know.)

Then they’ll get smart and go back to the very first page and methodically turn each page looking for more dollar bills until they’ve found them all. This gift is as much fun to give as it is to receive! The only way this gift gets a backseat to any other graduation gift is if the graduate gets keys to a car!

The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.  – Frank Hubbard

 

Matching Graduation Day T-Shirts

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My co-worker, Nikki, shared this wonderful idea that her family is doing for her son’s high school graduation this year. The family will wear matching Graduation Day T-Shirts. Just like a 5K race where a team wears matching t-shirts, friends and family attending graduation wear the same t-shirt in support of the graduate.

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The front of the t-shirt can have the graduate’s initials and their very own unique signature. Printed on the back of the t-shirt can be the class motto, a favorite quote or a personalized message to the graduate. Continue Reading

The Gift of a Second Language

My native language is Tagalog because I grew up in the Philippine Islands until the age of seven. That’s when my siblings and I moved to the United States and started our new life with our adopted parents in Enid, Oklahoma. I started going to school and as I spoke English more and more, I spoke Tagalog less and less. Then one day I forgot the entire language.

Spanish children's booksI feel really sad about the whole thing. Not only did I lose part of my heritage, I’m a believer that as global citizens we should all speak a second language.

Yes, I took French in high school and college. Je m’appelle Diana. Comment allez-vous? Je vais bien, merci!

But no, the language did not stick. I can hardly remember much at all. (What I wrote in French just now, I had to Google!) It’s much harder to learn a second language as an adult, and it didn’t help I never traveled to France where I could put it to use.

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