Yearly Archives: 2017

Stepping Into Retirement Celebration

Queen Darlene - March 17, 2017 - Retirement

My co-worker, Judy, retired after 36 years, and we wanted to celebrate her retirement in grand style.

Just a plain retirement cake and punch would not do. We were looking for the WOW! factor to represent her years of service.

We decorated our agency’s conference room with fancy and fabulous decorations of heels, pearls and jewels with the theme of “Stepping into Retirement and Kissing OHFA Goodbye.”

Judy’s favorite color is red so we provided red cut-out lips on popsicle sticks for all employees – to kiss her goodbye! Continue Reading

Complete Mystery Surprise Gift for $10

Princess Diana - March 14, 2017 - $20 or Less, Gifts for Me

What if you have no idea what gift you sent someone? It’s a complete mystery surprise to you AND to them until it arrives in the mail.

Think of the feelings of excitement and anticipation as you wait a week for the mystery surprise gift to arrive… Yes, it really does take a week but that only makes the feelings of anticipation stronger with each passing day.

Mystery Surprise Gift

You can totally make that happen at SomethingStore.com which provides people with “the joy of surprise.”

For $10, which includes free shipping in the USA, guess what you receive? Something!

It could literally be anything brand-new that is worth at least $10. Or it could be worth a whole lot more! They have been known to send out iPads. Wouldn’t that be an awesome surprise?!

Their website gives some possibilities of what the “something” could be:

Speak Out Mouthpiece Challenge Game

Queen Darlene - March 9, 2017 - Birthday, Experiences, Family, Kids

When was the last time you doubled over, your side hurting and you couldn’t breathe from laughing so much? Do I have the side splitting game for you! Speak Out is the ridiculous mouthpiece challenge game.

The object of the game is to earn cards by successfully guessing phrases. The team with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

Simple enough, but not really. Continue Reading

The Gift of Time Away

Princess Diana - March 9, 2017 - Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

We have so many responsibilities in our lives – working to pay the bills, raising kids, running a household, giving back to our community… The list goes on and on. And on.

When was the last time YOU had 24 hours or an entire weekend just to yourself?

When was the last time YOUR SPOUSE had 24 hours or an entire weekend to himself or herself?

With all of the pressures and stress we face, we all need some “me time” or if you’re a parent you might call it “adult time.” What you or your partner may need is the Gift of Time Away.

The Gift of Time Away

For a thoughtful gift, give your partner one or more days for himself/herself with zero responsibilities. He/she won’t have to do any chores, run any errands, or watch any kids.

You’re essentially giving them the free time and freedom to do what makes them happy!

Ultra Bright Flashlight for Gal Pal

Queen Darlene - March 2, 2017 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas

Tactile Ultra Bright Flashlights are not just for guys while camping or hunting! Gals need them too.

I needed a birthday gift for my girlfriend, Karen. We met at my office when she represented a client through Legal Aid. We became instant friends, played on a tennis team together, and have been exchanging gifts for almost 20 years!

I’m always on the hunt for something we haven’t exchanged before and came up with the idea of a sturdy, small but powerful flashlight. A flashlight that had some umph!!!

I purchased the Ultra Bright Flashlight because it is compact, easy to carry in a purse, shines a very bright light up to 600 feet, uses a single AA battery, has zoom and high-low-strobe modes.

A flashlight is a little unusual gift for a woman but listen up.

They come in quite handy when the electricity goes out, searching for items in dark places like the back of closets, cabinets or underneath a car seat for a lost earring. Continue Reading

Personalized Story Book Based on Child’s Name

Princess Diana - February 28, 2017 - Baby Shower, Kids

A individual’s name is near and dear to its owner’s heart. For children, especially so since they love learning the letters that spell their name.

The authors of the Lostmy.name books figured that out and created a magical story based on the letters of a child’s name.

When a boy/girl wakes up to find his/her name missing, he/she must go on an adventure to find it. Every story is different since it is based on the letters in a child’s name. For example, my son Aiden’s book has him meeting an Aardvark, an Imp, a Dragon, an Elephant, and a Narwhal.

Unique, Personalized Story Book

When creating a Lostmy.name personalized book to give as a gift, you can choose from the titles “The Little Boy Who Lost His Name” or “The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name.”

Paint Your Own Pottery Experience

Princess Diana - February 21, 2017 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Kids, Mother's Day

When I visit my sister’s family, I always like to give my three nieces the gift of a new experience.

Now that my oldest niece is 16 and I have a four-year old son, I needed to come up with an experience that teenagers AND young children would enjoy. That’s a little tough, but I came up with the perfect idea! Adults will enjoy it too!

I took everyone to a paint your own pottery studio where each of us picked out an unfinished ceramic pottery to paint.

The studio had a TON of choices and to inspire customers it displayed examples of what the final painted products could look like.

Ceramic Pottery

I picked out a Christmas sweater platter, and my son picked out a dinosaur. My sister picked out a Christmas mug, while her 16-year old niece picked out a jar. My 13-year old niece picked out a turtle shaped container, and my nine-year old niece picked out a Hello Kitty figurine. See! Something for everyone!

The pottery studio provided all of the painting supplies, glazing and firing. All we needed to do was unleash our creativity!

One Night Stay Destination | Experience Gift

Queen Darlene - February 17, 2017 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Experiences

My sister-in-law and her husband enjoy going out-of-town. With that in mind, I gave them a destination experience as a gift!

My husband and I gave David and Lesa a gift certificate for a one-night-stay at a historical hotel. Inside the envelope, I included a picture of the hotel’s breathtaking lobby.

When they opened their gift, they were completely surprised! They had never heard of The Mayo Hotel and were excited about their upcoming adventure.

The Mayo Hotel in Tulsa

The Mayo Hotel located in Tulsa, Oklahoma is a beautiful hotel that has been renovated to its previous historic grandeur.

Opened in 1925, The Mayo instantly became synonymous with high society. Famous guests included President John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Lucille Ball, Charlie Chaplin and Elvis Presley. Continue Reading

Give Your Partner A Sensual Oil Massage

Princess Diana - February 14, 2017 - Anniversary, Birthday, Experiences, Valentine's Day

I have a Valentine’s Day gift that can transform your relationship by creating deeper intimacy. You can give it over and over, and it’s amazing every time!

Give your partner a sensual massage with your own two hands using massage oil.

If you think about it, who better than to pamper your lover with a romantic massage than you?

My husband is no professional masseur, but he gives THE BEST massages. I only wish he could massage me longer than 20 minutes before his fingers get tired. Really though, I’m not complaining because those 20 minutes are pure heaven!

My body becomes putty in his hands as he sensually rubs my aches and tensions away… leaving me feeling completely relaxed and loved. There’s something very intimate in knowing that your partner is focusing all of his or her efforts on making you feel so good.

By the way, massage oil is essential. It makes a massage feel 100 times better!

Valentine’s Day Traditions Reimagined

Queen Darlene - February 9, 2017 - Valentine's Day

It’s time to fall in love with Valentine’s Day all over again!

We’ve reimagined routine Valentine’s Day traditions by adding a new twist to make it even more special. After reading our You say…We say… list, we’re sure you will come up with your own unique ideas!