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Princess Diana

Dropping Off Meals for New Parents | Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe

Princess Diana - July 21, 2015 - $20 or Less, Baby Shower, Congratulations, Food & Drinks

After having my first child, I felt so thankful to friends and family who came and visited bearing gifts of prepared meals. Between breastfeeding and let’s see… more breastfeeding, there was no time for anything else!

Drop off this ready-to-eat meal for family and friends with new babies. It’s easy to make and it will provide them with several hot meals!

Just by popping the food dishes we received straight into the oven or microwave, my husband and I could eat lots of hot meals with very little work. It was a blessing I tell you!

Our favorite dish came from one of our family members, Terri, who dropped off shredded chicken tacos and everything we needed to go with it.

Not only was it delicious, but we were able to get two dinners and two lunches out of it which was awesome because those were four meals we didn’t have to worry about at all.

I asked Terri for her chicken tacos recipe, and she happily shared it with me. Thanks Terri!

EASY PEASY CHICKEN TACOS

40 Birthday Balloons

Princess Diana - July 14, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday

When my boss, Holley, turned 40 years old, my co-workers and I chipped in to buy her 40 birthday balloons.

We hid them in her office so when she opened her door that morning, she walked right into them!

It was a HUGE bouquet of birthday balloons, and it made a big statement. She couldn’t believe how many balloons there were!

Every morning after that when Holley walked into her office, the balloons continued to brighten her whole day. It also ended up being the gift that kept on giving because the balloons lasted almost two weeks!

Waterproof & Fireproof Home Safe | Wedding or Housewarming Gift

Princess Diana - July 7, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Graduation, Housewarming, Wedding

Two weeks before some friends left for a family trip to Europe, their home flooded. A terrible experience.

But the real disaster occurred when they realized their fireproof home safe was NOT waterproof. Inside they found their passports completely ruined. Panic attack!

They scrambled to get a new set of passports issued to them. After paying hefty fees to get them expedited, they received them just in time. But still. Definitely not a situation they ever want to repeat. Ever.

Let this be a lesson that a fireproof safe is not enough. You need to purchase a Waterproof & Fireproof Home Safe if you really want to protect valuables inside your home. When you go to the store to purchase this item, make sure to read the boxes carefully because most of the home safes for sale only protect from fire.

Just like fire extinguishers, a safe is an item most people forget to purchase for their home. But it’s important because it provides security and peace of mind.

That’s why a Waterproof & Fireproof Home Safe makes a thoughtful wedding, housewarming, birthday or Christmas gift. It’s also a great gift for yourself if you don’t already have one!

To add a “thoughtful twist” to this gift idea, include a list of the types of documents and items they may want to include in their new safe.

More Free Time | Gift Certificate for Personal Assistant Service

Princess Diana - June 30, 2015 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day

Life is filled with many tasks that need to get done but bring us no joy in doing them. We look at our to-do list and groan.

Laundry. Dry cleaning. Yard work. Grocery shopping. House cleaning. Getting an oil change. Going to the post office. Organizing a room or closet. Running errands. The list goes on. There are a million other things we’d rather do.

We work hard all week and instead of using our free time to relax or to spend quality time with friends and family, we’re stressed out trying to complete these mundane but necessary tasks because if we didn’t… we would be stressed out they didn’t get done.

No clean clothes or no food in the fridge? No thank you. But how can we break the cycle of stress and feeling overwhelmed for ourselves or for someone we care about? The answer is a personal assistant.

Give someone more free time and peace of mind by giving them a gift certificate for a personal assistant service. They can delegate the tasks they don’t have time for or don’t enjoy.

A Heartfelt Thank You Letter to My 5th Grade Mentor

Princess Diana - June 23, 2015 - $20 or Less, Catch All, Teacher Gifts

Completely by chance, I found out a friend from high school worked with my 5th grade mentor, Mr. Brownlee.

I haven’t seen or talked to Mr. Brownlee in more than 20 years, but I’ve thought about him many times since then. Through him, I learned an important life lesson that always stuck with me.

Let me first explain how I got to know Mr. Brownlee. A few students from each of the 5th grade classes at my elementary were selected to be a part of a leadership group that everyone simply called “Mr. Brownlee’s Group.”

Each month, we met Mr. Brownlee in our school library to talk about a wide variety of different topics. He always brought a special guest so we could learn from people from all walks of life.

15 Thoughtful Father’s Day Gifts to Fit Every Budget

Princess Diana - June 16, 2015 - Father's Day, Gifts for Him

How many ties or tools does one man really need? Enough already! Let us help you think outside the tool box this Father’s Day for gifts Dad will really appreciate and enjoy. Here are 15 thoughtful Father’s Day gifts to fit every budget.

Beef Jerky Gift Baskets & Samplers | Gift for Him

Princess Diana - June 9, 2015 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets, Gifts for Him, Teacher Gifts, Valentine's Day

This gift idea men will literally eat right up.

Give him his favorite flavors or some new flavors sure to awaken his taste buds!

When it’s hard to pick out a gift for him, you can’t go wrong with edible gifts. Beef jerky and meat sticks make awesome presents because they’re such a tasty “manly man” food snack.

You can get him a jerky gift basket or jerky sampler that fits every budget, taste preference and meat preference. In addition to beef jerky, there’s venison (deer) jerky, chicken jerky, turkey jerky, pork jerky, bacon jerky and even pineapple jerky for the vegetarian.

You can also buy gourmet jerky and exotic jerky made from elk, wild boar, alligator, alpaca, kangaroo, ostrich and even fish! Now that would make a memorable gift!

When it comes to flavors, it seems like they’ve come up with 101 varieties. You can buy jerky in flavors like teriyaki, barbecue, jalapeno, Cajun, bacon, maple bacon, lemon pepper, sweet and spicy, chili pepper, pepperoni, and so much more.

Whiskey & Coke Tower | Gift for Him

Princess Diana - June 2, 2015 - Birthday, Business, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Gifts for Him, Housewarming

Whiskey and Coke – one of the world’s most popular cocktails.

Whether he likes his drink made with Jack Daniels (Tennessee whiskey), Maker’s Mark (bourbon) or Jameson (Irish whiskey) or some other brand, you can make a Whiskey & Coke Tower using his favorite brand of liquor.

(If I were to make one of these for myself, it would be a Rum & Coke Tower using a bottle of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum!)

The Whiskey & Coke Tower pairs together his favorite bottle of whiskey with cans of Coke for a stunning presentation. It makes a great centerpiece for a bachelor party or birthday party, and it’s not hard to make.

ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:

his favorite bottle of whiskey or bourbon
12 oz. Coke cans
7.5 oz. Coke cans
other cans as needed for the center
packing tape
ribbons for decorating
aluminum foil

Creative & Inexpensive Homemade Birthday Cards

Princess Diana - May 27, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday

I once received the neatest homemade birthday card from my co-worker Bruce. I found it sitting on my desk when I came to work, and it immediately brought a big smile to my face!

A birthday candle and “Happy Birthday” confetti decorated the front of the card. I loved how the candle gave the card a 3-D effect!

I also loved his “thoughtful twist” of propping up the birthday card on my desk for me to find instead of giving it to me in a traditional envelope.

I borrowed Bruce’s idea and made my own homemade birthday card.

HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE BIRTHDAY CARD

Why I Gave My Son a Baby Doll

Princess Diana - May 26, 2015 - $20 or Less, Baby Shower, Kids

I’m raising a little human. He happens to be a boy.

Playing is learning!

In our culture, many unsaid rules exist about how little humans called “boys” should act. Even more so for “girls.”

At the age of two, I bought my son a little doll, a newborn baby dressed head to toe in pink pajamas. I wanted to give him access to a wide variety of toys, not just those considered “gender appropriate.”

My son will grow up to become a father one day, and every parent needs to know how to nurture and nourish.

We give boys race cars and doctor kits all the time although only a very small percentage of them will actually grow up to become race car drivers and doctors. Compare that to how many boys will one day become fathers.

As soon as I showed my son the pink box containing the doll, he grew excited. He yelled, “Baby!”