Monthly Archives: August 2016

Turn Favorite Photos Into Custom Jigsaw Puzzles

Princess Diana - August 30, 2016 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Housewarming, Kids, Retirement, Valentine's Day

Did you know you can turn your favorite photo into a custom jigsaw puzzle?

Custom jigsaw puzzles can be ordered in many different sizes and level of difficulty. Order one the size of a postcard or choose a giant floor puzzle.

You can also purchase them with less than 10 puzzle pieces or more than 1,000!

Both children and adults would enjoy putting a custom jigsaw puzzle together, which makes it a very versatile gift.

My son, Aiden, enjoys putting together puzzles so I ordered a custom photo jigsaw puzzle using one of my favorite pictures of him. (Kids love seeing pictures of themselves!)

Make a Splash With a Mermaid Tail Blanket

Queen Darlene - August 26, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Get Well

Most girls and women I know love to snuggle under a warm blanket on the couch to watch a movie, favorite TV show, or if like me, a Thunder game.

Instead of the usual boring blanket, make a beautiful splash with a mermaid tail blanket!

When I came across Mermaid Tail Blankets, I immediately thought of my cold-natured sister-in-law because she always has a blanket laying on a chair ready for use when watching TV.

I knew she would have fin (I mean fun) covering up under a mermaid tail blanket so I ordered one for her birthday.

If I had granddaughters, the mermaid blankets would definitely go under the Christmas tree!

Say It With Donuts

Princess Diana - August 23, 2016 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Business, Congratulations, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Get Well, Graduation, Kids, Mother's Day, Party Favors, Retirement, Teacher Gifts, Thank You, Valentine's Day

I donut know about you, but I love this gift idea!

It’s a cute, fun and non-traditional way to celebrate, appreciate or congratulate a person or group! I’m talking about donuts in the shapes of letters so they spell out a message – whatever you want to say.

This edible gift idea is really popular with kids on their birthdays. I love that different words can be decorated to look totally different. Who knew donuts could be so fancy!

You could even surprise them with the box of donuts at school so they can share the donuts with the whole class. Kids will remember Custom Message Donuts over cupcakes any day. And your child holding the big box of donuts will make for such a cute picture!

Adults would love these too. Imagine their face when they find a big box on their desk at work and open it to see what’s inside. It’s only morning and you’ve already made their day! How very thoughtful of you.

Ways to Give Custom Message Donuts

Mattress Topper for a Goodnight’s ZZZ

Queen Darlene - August 18, 2016 - Birthday, Catch All, Christmas, Gifts for Me

Know someone in the market for a new mattress but who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money? I have great news! Try a mattress topper!

The mattress industry’s rule of thumb is to purchase a new mattress every seven years.

WOW! I remember my grandparents and parents kept theirs for 25+ years. The springs had to be pushing through before they considered a new mattress.

If memory foam mattress pads and toppers existed back then, I would have purchased one for them! Continue Reading

Get Well Photo With Message

Princess Diana - August 16, 2016 - $20 or Less, Get Well

When my grandmother was in the hospital due to a terrible car accident, I wanted badly to cheer her up.

I hope you get back in the SWING of things soon!

She lived two states away so I couldn’t do anything in person. I needed to get creative.

I’m always taking pictures of my toddler son. There are hundreds of them on the camera roll of my phone. Going through them gave me an idea when I came across a photo of my son on a swing at the park.

Seeing his smile made me smile, and I knew it would make my grandmother smile too.

Add a Personalized Message to a Photo

I took the photo and added colorful hearts and the message, “I hope you get back in the SWING of things soon!”

Hop In The Car One Day Road Trips

Queen Darlene - August 11, 2016 - Experiences, Food & Drinks

Our lifelong friends, Curtis and Susan, my husband, and I have come up with a fun experience to spend time together – Hop in the Car One Day Road Trips.

In the early years, we spent a lot of time together. We doubled dated and later were in each other’s wedding parties. We even shared holidays.

Our lives got much busier when we were raising our children, and we spent less and less time together. But now that our kids are grown, you would think we would have more time on our hands but our lives are as busy as ever.

We may have dinner together for a few short hours in a noise-filled chain restaurant once a year. This was pitiful and had to change!

I came across the best restaurants for home cooked meals across the state of Oklahoma on TravelOK.com. We decided to plan Saturday trips every four to six weeks to visit Mom and Pop type places to eat and our travels included siteseeing along the way. Continue Reading

DIY Bedazzled Liquor or Wine Bottles

Princess Diana - August 9, 2016 - Birthday, Food & Drinks, Graduation, Host, Housewarming, Retirement, Valentine's Day

Looking for a gift with glitz and glamour? All it takes is adding bling to someone’s favorite bottle of liquor or wine.

This is the perfect gift for her! Guys, you’ll definitely get extra brownie points by doing the bedazzling yourself. Yes, it takes some crafting but it’s super easy.

She’ll end up appreciating the bottle as much as the alcohol inside! When it’s empty, the gift keeps on giving. Bedazzled liquor or wine bottles are cute enough to display on a shelf or to use as a flower vase.

This gift also makes a great 21st birthday gift!

DIY Bedazzled Liquor or Wine Bottles

Items you will need:

Gift recipient’s favorite bottle of liquor or wine
Embellishing glue or hot glue gun
Rhinestones with flat back
Tweezers if using small rhinestones

Money Laundering College Gift Idea

Queen Darlene - August 4, 2016 - Graduation, Money

It’s here! You can’t believe it! It was only yesterday when your child started kindergarten. Now your son or daughter is going to college and moving on campus.

A college student will need new items for his or her dorm room, including a laundry basket and laundry soap.

Ever heard of Money Laundering? Of course you have, but this gift item is not of criminal intent. It’s a creative way to give cash as a college gift!

Believe me this “Money Laundering” gift will bring a smile to college bound students even though they know they’ll finally have to do their own laundry. Oh, the hidden pitfalls of growing up!

You will need:

A bottle or box box of laundry detergent
Quarters and $1, $5, $10, $20 bills
Glue dots

Pick-Your-Own Farm Experience

Princess Diana - August 2, 2016 - $20 or Less, Experiences, Food & Drinks, Kids

What’s even better than a farmer’s market for fresh produce and a fresh experience?

Pick-your-own farms! You’ll get the freshest, most flavorful fruits and vegetables for less money.

Even better, it’s a memorable and delicious way to spend time with friends and loved ones.

My husband and I took our toddler son to pick blackberries for the first time this summer. (It was my first time too!)

We enjoyed hunting for juicy, ripe blackberries among the blackberry bushes and filling up our pint-sized berry baskets.