Category "Food & Drinks"

Infuser Water Bottle Gift Basket | Healthy Teacher Appreciation Gift

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Are you looking for a teacher appreciation gift idea that doesn’t include chocolate, candy, soda and dessert items? Do you want to say “thank you” without loading them up with unwanted calories?

infuser water bottle gift basket for teacher

Thanks for quenching my thirst for knowledge!
Teacher Appreciation Gift

If you’re looking for a healthy version of a teacher appreciation gift, I have just the one!

Infuser Water Bottles will make it easy for your favorite teacher to create their own naturally flavored water from fruits and herbs. The result – a healthy, refreshing beverage they can sip from throughout the school day.

Here are some foods that work well with infuser water bottles. Just cut or slice them so they fit inside the infuser capsule.

  • Cucumbers
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Oranges
  • Strawberries

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Cookie Monster in a Cookie Jar

My niece loves stuffed animals that sing, talk or play music and I wanted to give her fancy chocolate chip cookies for her birthday. Hmmm? How to combine the two as a gift?

Cookie-Monster-in-cookie-jar-thoughtful-gift-ideaWho likes chocolate chip cookies more than anyone else? Cookie Monster, of course! “Me want cookie!”, “Me eat cookie!”, and “Om nom nom nom” said the Cookie Monster through a mouth full of cookies.

I found the perfect Cookie Monster stuffed animal singing a song by counting from one to 20 cookies. For a thoughtful twist, I purchased a large cookie jar so he would fit inside. Cookie Monster in a Cookie Jar!

We do not want Cookie Monster eating the fancy cookies so I placed the cookies outside the jar. Cute! Huh?

This was the centerpiece for Whitney’s birthday party. It was a hit and everyone loved choosing their own cookie.

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Automatic Snack & Treat Dispenser

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I love magic! Who doesn’t? With a wave of the hand – out pops a snack!

When I saw the SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser that makes healthy munching easy-peasy, I knew it would be the right gift for my husband’s sister and hersnackman-dispenser-sunburst-gifts-thoughtful-gift-idea spouse for Christmas.

They always try to eat healthy and this fun gadget creates a smart way to have portion control. The SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser features three settings: Small Handful, Large Handful or Bowlful. Once set, the same perfect portion is dispensed every time.

It looks like magic because with a simple wave of the hand, out pours your tasty snack treat. Continue Reading

Herbs, Spices, Rubs, Sauces | Gift Sets

- - Family, Food & Drinks

Selecting an appropriate gift for a Dirty Santa gift exchange can be tricky since you want something that will be popular with the majority of the people playing. There’s always a sense of pride when it’s your gift everyone keeps “stealing.”

bbq-rub-seasonings-gift-set-thoughtful-gift-ideaYou don’t want to be that person who brings a super lame gift like one-size-fits-all Dust Mop Slippers that supposedly clean your floors as you walk around your house. Trust me. It has happened.

Let me set the stage for this thoughtful gift idea. Everyone needs to eat food so most people cook whether they like to or not, which is why this gift idea works for pretty much everyone!

premium-organic-almond-vanilla-extract-thoughtful-gift-ideaWhen it comes to cooking, the right herbs, spices, rubs, sauces, and extracts can easily turn ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones!

Herbs, spices, rubs, sauces and extracts come in so many flavors and varieties that you can find Gift Sets for all taste buds! I’ve come up with a list to get you started on selecting the right edible gift set to bring to your next Christmas party or family gift exchange.

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Easy Peasy Oreo Popcorn Recipe | Edible Gift

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I discovered something at the age of 32. No, it wasn’t the secret of life. But close! Oreo popcorn.

oreo-popcorn-thoughtful-gift-ideaI’ve tried many different flavors of popcorn in my life, but never this. My mother-in-law brought some home from a party she attended, and my life has never been the same since!

I obtained the name of the store that sold this tasty treat because I planned on buying some for my son’s birthday party. Then I thought, “Waaaaaaait a minute. They can’t be that hard to make!”

I was right y’all. All it takes to make them are three ingredients. Easy peasy!

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Teacher Survival Kit | Back to School Gift

Summer = sleeping in, relaxing and hanging out. Back to School = alarms clocks, homework and regular routines.

Making the switch from summer vacation to back to school definitely takes some adjustment for all parties involved – students, parents and teachers. Don’t forget about the teachers!

back to school teacher survival kitMy son is starting Parent’s Day Out again this fall, and I wanted to give his teacher a present to make adjusting to spending all day with a room full of kids just a little bit easier.

I started making my Back to School Teacher Survival Kit by filling it with caffeine and chocolates. Two must-haves for enduring long hours and stress of any kind.

But being the healthy living person I strive to be, I wanted to add some healthier options for the teachers that would still provide them with a good pick-me-up.

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A Berry Delicious 4th of July Treat

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Simple. Delicious. Makes people say, “Wow!”

treat made with blueberries, raspberries and mini marshmallows on skewersIt’s also berry patriotic.

I’m all about dishes that take little time to make but make a BIG impression. Sorry Martha Stewart, but I’m a busy girl.

You can create this berry delicious 4th of July treat that looks like the American flag in minutes. Yes, minutes.

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A Going Away Present Anyone Will Love | Best Pizza in Town

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When my friend Bose’ told me she was moving to Chicago to start her life anew,  I felt sad for me but excited for her. I also felt proud of her for being so bold and courageous. Moving to a big city by yourself is no small thing.

pizza gift card taped inside pizza box

Click to enlarge

You have to find a new place to live, start a new job and make new friends.

With my going away present to Bose’, I wanted to help her make new friends while experiencing an important part of Chicago’s food culture – Chicago-style deep dish pizzas.

I bought her a gift card to Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, a restaurant many people claim makes the best pizza in Chicago, especially if you order The “Lou.”

I thought Bose’ could use the gift card to invite a new friend to lunch or dinner.

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Beers From Around the World Gift Basket

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I have to give credit where credit is due. This gift idea came from my husband Kevin. It’s an awesome gift that men will love!

imported beers in plastic tub filled with whole in shell roasted peanutsBuy a selection of beers that are made in different countries from around the world. Stick them in a tub, basket or bucket, then use whole-in-shell peanuts as an edible filling.

If you buy a dozen beers, you can create a tag that says, “Around the World in 12 Beers” to go along with the gift.

Here are the beers from around the world (imported beers) that are commonly found:

Free Puppies with Puppy Chow

For my father-in-law’s 85th birthday, we threw him a surprise celebration and made sure to include something he could share with the other residents at his retirement home when they stopped by to wish him a “Happy Birthday!” So we had Gramps give away “free puppies” with baggies full of puppy chow.

Free-Puppies-with-Puppy-Chow-gift-idea-sunburst-giftsOf course, they were not real puppies and the puppy chow was a snack for his friends. I filled a large basket with various small Stuffed Puppies
and created a sign that said, “Free Puppies.”

Everyone was thrilled to look in the basket and choose a “puppy” to take home. The puppy chow made a wonderful party favor and the experience resulted in a fun way to celebrate someone’s birthday.

This birthday happened several years ago before my blogging days so I don’t have a picture for you but I’m sure you have a pretty good idea.

I have since replicated the puppy chow idea many times for all kinds of occasions. The latest one was for a United Way auction at my office. This time, I paired a stuffed dog with a dog bowl full of puppy chow.

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