Category "Christmas"

Picture Frame, Chocolate & Diamonds | Birthday Gift

Queen Darlene - October 15, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Food & Drinks

My girlfriends and I used to play tennis but no longer. Age and injuries got the best of us, but we still like to keep in touch by having brunch together on Saturdays.

girlfriends-go-together-like-chocolate-diamonds-thoughtful-gift-idea

The perfect gift to celebrate a friend’s birthday!

Carol is the glue for this girls’ group. She contacts us to set up when and where we will meet. I love her for keeping us close and connected.

Years ago, Carol gave all of us a “team picture” that I still have on my desk at the office. I cherish that picture and the memories of fun times together. It always makes me smile!

When I saw a picture frame with the word Friends on it, I thought this would be perfect for Carol’s birthday the next time we got together. Continue Reading

“SlipHer” Some Cash Slippers

Queen Darlene - October 14, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Money, Mother's Day

Women love to have comfortable shoes, especially slippers to wear around the house after a long day.

Here’s a cute gift idea with a play on words for giving slippers. I call it “SlipHer Some Cash.”

Give the gift of comfort while hiding some money in the toes of the shoes.

Don’t give the surprise away! Let her discover the cash on her own when she tries on her new slippers. Instant cash will give way to an instant smile!

Money Disguised as M&M’s Minis

Queen Darlene - October 9, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money

My Mother started this Madness of Masking Money as M&M‘s Minis.

Mom loved being a grandMother to My two boys. One of her favorites was Making things different than they appear.

Want to know how she disguised Money as M&M‘s Minis?

She purchased the M&M‘s Minis that come in a cylinder tube and reMoved all of the M&M‘s Minis. I think she Munched on them until there were no More.

The cylinder’s round opening is the perfect size for filling the tube with Marvelous quarters.

The small tube holds 56 quarters of Money worth $14 and the mega tube holds 72 quarters of Money worth $18.

Balloons, GREY GOOSE® & Suitcase Surprise

Queen Darlene - October 8, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Going Away, Retirement

It thrills me to see others use Sunburst Gifts ideas in their gift giving. Hiding gifts inside balloons seems to be a favorite.

Linda’s friend once mentioned that she wanted a small purple suitcase for her travels. When it came time to purchase a birthday gift, Linda remembered her friend’s comment and created a Suitcase Surprise.

Linda’s usual go-to birthday gift for her friend is GREY GOOSE® vodka since that is her favorite drink. This year Linda planned a surprise by placing individual small bottles of GREY GOOSE® inside balloons. Then she placed all of the balloons inside a purple suitcase.

When Linda’s friend opened her gift, the purple suitcase was totally unexpected. Linda then asked her to unzip the suitcase and that’s when she discovered it was filled with different colored balloons. Continue Reading

Open When… Envelopes

Princess Diana - October 6, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Money, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Wedding

There’s a reason “___ of the Month” clubs are so popular. People love opening surprise gifts on a regular basis!

Most gifts you can open only once. But not Open When… Envelopes.

Gift recipients will receive multiple envelopes containing gifts they’ll be able to open over a period of months!

For this gift idea, you simply need envelopes, cash and/or gift cards, and a printer. On each envelope, print a different “Open When…” scenario on the front. Here are some examples.

OPEN WHEN
… you need retail therapy.
… you don’t feel like cooking.
… you want to see a movie.
… you need pampering.
… you need gas.
… you’re craving ___. (Ex. Thai food, ice cream, fried chicken, etc.)
… you need a haircut.
… you run out of booze.
… you’re hungry.
… you’re thirsty.

Hat Trick Money Gift

Princess Diana - October 5, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Kids, Money

A hat is just a hat except when it’s not… because the real gift is hidden inside!

If you want to give a creative money gift or to surprise someone, all you need is a hat. Line the hat band with cash. They’ll think the hat is the entire present until they put it on!

That’s why I call this money gift The Hat Trick!

Have fun with this gift because hats exist in every color and style for men and women of all ages. Think baseball hats, cowboy hats, straw sun hats, fedoras, twill caps and more!

2 Liter Fortune Bottle

Queen Darlene - September 30, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money

Here’s another clever gift idea to give money. It’s the 2 Liter Fortune ~~Cookie~~ Bottle.

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Fortune Cookie saying inside bottle cap.

Place candy and money inside a 2 liter bottle. At first, the recipient may be puzzled as to how you placed the candy and money inside. Some may even twist off the cap.

That’s when you say, “Look inside the cap.” There they will find a message similar to a fortune cookie.

Fortune cookies are always fun to open and read. I created “Your fortune is in the bottle” inside the lid for a birthday gift. It’s a great saying for a graduation gift too!

Things you will need:

2 liter bottle
Variety of candy. I like “100 Grand” and “Pay Day” candy bars.
Money – bills and coins.
Create a large label and gift tag for the pop bottle appropriate for celebrating a birthday, graduation, Christmas or any other occasion.
Create a saying for the inside of the lid by Googling “fortune cookie sayings” for ideas or make up your own
Ribbons
Scissors and tape
Exacto Knife

Photo Album of Dead Presidents

Princess Diana - September 28, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Going Away, Graduation, Kids, Money, Wedding

The topic of dead presidents might be boring, unless you’re talking about cash money.

So not every man printed on U.S. paper currency is a dead president. Do you know which ones are and aren’t?

Dead Presidents
$1 – George Washington
$2 – Thomas Jefferson
$5 – Abraham Lincoln
$20 – Andrew Jackson
$50 – Ulysses S. Grant

Never President
$10 – Alexander Hamilton
$100 – Benjamin Franklin

If you’re looking to give a creative money gift, fill a photo album with dead presidents (but feel free to use $10 bills too like I did). No one receiving this gift will care about technicalities!

Photo albums that fit 4×6 pictures are just the right size for cash.

“Good as Gold” Dollar Coins

Queen Darlene - September 23, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money

Turning 60 is a big deal! It was only yesterday, we were young, going to college, getting married, raising kids and taking annual girl trips.

Our Friendship is Golden – Birthday Gift

The five of my closest girlfriends have always celebrated our birthdays in some way or fashion.

We love giving each other gifts. Sometimes we would see a comedian, a musical, or play together as a birthday treat. Many times we would go to the birthday girl’s favorite place to eat.

My favorite birthday gift is a night of dancing. I love my girlfriends who are as good as gold for staying out late to dance the night away!

After 40 years of friendship, we have exchanged about every possible gift you can imagine. Continue Reading

Money Stash | Hollow Book Safe With Secret Compartment

Princess Diana - September 21, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Gifts for Him, Going Away, Graduation, Housewarming, Kids, Money

It’s so much fun to give a gift inside a gift!

Hollow Books Safes look like ordinary hard cover books until you open them. Surprise! The book contains a secret compartment where you can place a small-sized item, such as CASH!

I call this gift the Money Stash. They’ll enjoy the money and they can use the book to hide any valuables or secret possessions in plain sight!

(Ahem. It’s also great for hiding a stash of candy you don’t want anyone else to eat.)

You can create your own or puchase a Hollow Book Safe from Amazon.com or Etsy.com. Some of them even come with keys!

If you’re into DIY, I’ve created step-by-step instructions for making your own Hollow Book Safe.

Category "Christmas"

HOW TO MAKE A HOLLOW BOOK SAFE