Category "Housewarming"

Play it Safe Money & Candy Gift

Princess Diana has written a post about the importance of a fire and waterproof safe. My gift idea includes giving a fire and waterproof safe with money and candy inside! Surprise!

play-it-safe-money-fire-waterproof-safe-thoughtful-gift-ideaMany people usually stash a little cash somewhere in their homes for emergencies. And no…under the mattress isn’t a good idea.

So why not play it safe and give someone a fire and waterproof safe as a gift? For a thoughtful twist include money and candy to give it that WOW factor!

I’ve used this gift idea many times for my sons and nephews. I even gave one to my father-in-law so he could keep his candy under lock and key. (Seriously! In his house, he needed it.) Continue Reading

DIY Hand Stenciled Tea Towels

- - Family, Host, Housewarming, Wedding

As I browsed the Internet one day, I came across a set of tea towels for sale on a website. One towel said, You Wash” and the other said I’ll Dry.”

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Need to come up with a gift for a large number of people? Hand stenciled tea towels are easy and affordable to make in large quantities.

That’s exactly how my husband and I divide and conquer in the kitchen after dinner, and the tea towels reminded me of the great partnership we enjoy in our marriage. I also thought they would make great gifts for couples, family members, hostesses, and new homeowners.

I wanted to buy the kitchen towels so badly but they were very expensive – almost $40! Sheesh!

So I decided to make my own and ordered a pair of custom stencils from Etsy.com. I picked out the stencil font I wanted to use for the words, and for less than $20 received a pair of 6×6 inch “You Wash” and “I’ll Dryreusable plastic stencils in the mail.

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Money Stash | Hollow Book Safe With Secret Compartment

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

money-stash-hollow-book-safe-giftHollow 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.

HOW TO MAKE A HOLLOW BOOK SAFE

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Bird Feeder & People Feeder | Unique Gift

For a birthday gift, I received a beautiful mosiac glass bird feeder. It was too pretty to let the birds poop on it so I made a decision to turn it into something else – a people feeder!

bird-feeder-people-feeder-thoughtful-gift-ideaWe love having celebrations at our house for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, Christmas, and all the holidays in between. Food and games are the center of our family celebrations.

On the kitchen table, I placed my decorative bird feeder filled with peanut and plain M&Ms. My family and friends loved the idea of nibbling from the “people feeder.”

Because the bird feeder aka people feeder was such a hit, I decided to give something similar as a gift.

I purchased a beautiful bird feeder and a giant bag of M&Ms and called my gift “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” since it’s perfect to use for get-togethers with family and friends.

It’s also a thoughtful twist for a unique housewarming gift. It can be used immediately for a delicious snack and a fun conversation piece!

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Scented Candles Containing Hidden Jewelry

For my sister-in-law Nancy’s 55th birthday, I wanted to surprise her with a gift that would give her a thrill. Jewelry is always fun to receive, but how about one hidden in a candle that you have to burn to find?

candle-hidden-jewelry-thoughtful-gift-ideaI remember as a kid the excitement of finding the prize inside a Cracker Jack box!

During the 1950s & 60s “real” prizes were hidden inside Cracker Jacks instead of paper stickers. I discovered a jeweled ring as one of my hidden treasures and pretended it was my wedding ring!

I remember my kids dumping entire cereal boxes on the kitchen table in order to find the prizes inside. There’s just something exhilarating about finding hidden treasures. Continue Reading

Frame the Perfect Quote for the Occasion

When someone else’s words say it all or say it better than you ever could, you’ve found the perfect quote to use for this gift idea.

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This powerful quote says so much about my mentor and her accomplishment.

When my mentor, Valerie, achieved a major milestone in her business by officially franchising it, I wanted to give her a thoughtful gift to say, “Congratulations!

I was so impressed by her vision and her tenacity to see her vision through until it became reality. And she did it despite the naysayers. She inspires me with her actions.

I didn’t know quite what to give her as a gift until I came across this quote, “She believed she could, so she did.”

It summarized her accomplishment so well – the perfect quote!

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Address Stamps Make Great Housewarming & Wedding Gifts

Buying or moving into a new home is always a big deal in a person’s life, whether it’s their first home right after getting married or their 10th home after moving around a bit.

custom-address-stamp-housewarming-wedding-thoughtful-giftIf you know they’ll be in their new home for a while, address stamps make a great housewarming gift or wedding gift. It’s a fun way to celebrate someone’s new permanent address.

SO MANY DESIGNS!

You can personalize the design to fit the gift recipient’s style and interests. Deciding what design to choose is the hard part! Address stamps can be ordered in many different colors and in the shape of rectangles, squares and circles. And of course there are a million fonts available, from block letters to cursive.

You can also add monograms or symbols to address stamps. For animal lovers, you might add a cat, dog or paw print. For newlyweds, you might add a heart.

RUBBER VS SELF-INKING VS PRE-INKED STAMPS

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Waterproof & Fireproof Home Safe | Wedding or Housewarming Gift

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

waterproof-fireproof-home-safe-thoughtful-giftBut 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.

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Whiskey & Coke Tower | Gift for Him

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

whiskey-coke-tower-gift-for-himWhether 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

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Picture Frames | The Keeper of Memories

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.

picture-frame-drawing-of-dog-thoughtful-gift-ideaThere 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.picture-frame-drawing-dolphin-thoughtful-gift-idea

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