Category "Birthday"

Baby Bump Maternity Photo Shoot

Queen Darlene - June 12, 2015 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day

Did you know there’s a whole industry in baby bump/pregnancy/maternity photography? Google it and you will see hundreds of amazing pregnancy photos.

It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the upcoming birth of a baby by showing off the “bump!”

My maternity outfits were much like my mother’s and grandmother – big flowing tops that hid our pregnant bellies.

In my grandmother’s day you couldn’t even say “pregnant.” The correct term was “in the family way.” Thank goodness that taboo is no longer the norm.

My mother told me when she was pregnant, you said the word “pregnant” in a hushed tone. Oh, how glad I am times have changed! It’s exciting to be pregnant and maternity photos are a great way to share the joy with loved ones.

My friend’s daughter, Kelsey, is a professional dancer and her pregnancy photos feature her as a ballerina.

In Case of Emergency Break Glass Money Gift

Queen Darlene - June 11, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Money, Wedding

Do you need a memorable way to give money? I thought so!

Sometimes money is the only gift to give to teenagers, graduates from high school or college, or newlyweds who need help paying for a honeymoon.

For some reason, writing a check even when it’s what is wanted, doesn’t seem much of a thoughtful gift. This gift idea combines money (or a Visa gift card) with something they’ll have fun unwrapping.

It’s called the In Case of Emergency Break Glass gift idea, and it works well for birthdays, Christmas, graduations, weddings or anniversaries. Continue Reading

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.

“Wood Ya” Like a Father’s Day Gift Idea? | Wooden Watch

Queen Darlene - June 4, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him

Finding a unique Father’s Day gift is sometimes a little difficult to do. The old stand by like ties, wallets, and shirts are so oh hum boring to give and receive. Let’s not go there!

Here’s what’s trending now! Watches and sunglasses made out of wood. Now that’s what I’m talking about. Definitely on the unique side of gifts!

My husband enjoys wearing different styles of watches. He has dress watches, sport watches, chronograph watches, and LED watches.

Come to think of it, he really is a collector of watches. I suggested to our sons to get him a watch for Father’s Day but not just any watch.

Their dad doesn’t own a watch made out of wood, and I don’t believe he has ever even seen one! He likes to wear unusual watches and this particular watch “wood” definitely meet that criteria. Continue Reading

Relax & De-stress With Coloring Books for Adults

Queen Darlene - June 3, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Get Well, Gifts for Me, Teacher Gifts

This is one of those ideas you say to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of this?” Coloring Books for Adults! The idea is to help adults de-stress and slow down our crazy-busy-every-minute-of the-day-life.

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Adult Coloring Books

I first heard of the Coloring Books for Adults on NPR. The guest explained how life has become more stressful in this fast-paced world because we are always connected by smart phones and computers. Her advice – disconnect from your electronic devices and color.

Disconnect? How many times have I wanted and needed to do that?

Have you ever seen a child that is coloring stressed out? Nope, me neither!

Coloring books for adults are perfect for friends, family members or co-workers who are extremely busy and who could use a little help to unwind and relax. Coloring will bring back their carefree days of childhood with no grown-up worries. Heck, you should try it for yourself!

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

Picture Frames | The Keeper of Memories

Queen Darlene - May 28, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Family, Housewarming

Picture frames are wonderful gifts for all occasions. They keep memories close to our hearts by celebrating weddings, birthdays, friendships, vacations, children, couples, and families.

There are five of us girls who have been BFFs for close to 40 years. We still enjoy celebrating each other’s birthdays when we are together.

This year we decided to give three yellow (her favorite color) picture frames to Linda. We brainstormed what pictures to place in the frames.

1) Charlie, her faithful companion.

2) A picture of a swimming dolphin from one of her vacations.

3) Of course, a picture of us five girls together. Continue Reading

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

Manly Memento Box | Birthday Gift for Boy

Queen Darlene - May 21, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Kids

My nephew is turning 11 years old, and I wanted to give him a memento box to keep his priceless treasures. I know kids really like anything electronic these days, but hear me out on this one.

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click to enlarge

Guys have tool boxes, tackle boxes for fishing gear, and even leather boxes for their watches and jewelry. Guys have boxes for their stuff! Women, on the other hand, have purses, jewelry boxes, and hope chests for their stuff.

Never thought about it that way have you?

I started giving “manly” boxes to birthday boys in their preteens for their keepsake items. I tell them it’s a treasure chest to keep their cool stuff inside. Continue Reading

Give A Book That Has Changed Your Life

Princess Diana - May 12, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation

As an adult, one my biggest accomplishments is changing how I view money (realizing that acquiring more money just to buy more things does not lead to happiness) and how I manage my money (actively saving for retirement and future goals while remaining debt free).

Now I feel in control of my finances instead of ignoring my finances or feeling my finances are controlling me.

Two people have helped me get to this point in my life. My husband, Kevin Jaeger, and Trent Hamm, the brains behind the blog TheSimpleDollar.com.

If I’m ever in a conversation related to money or finances, I always bring up TheSimpleDollar.com so more people can benefit from the website’s advice. A lot of his stuff is not just great financial advice, it’s great advice for living life in general.