Category "Kids"

Boys Love Shopping for New Shoes

Princess Diana - February 17, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Kids

Most boys don’t get excited about new clothes. So when they receive them as gifts they don’t oooh and aaah over them like most girls do.

As a mother who loves fashion but who doesn’t have any daughters, I’ve come to accept this. But I have found an exception to the rule.

Boys LOVE to shop for new shoes.

My teenage brother-in-law, Sean, is obsessed with Vans shoes. For my son, Aiden’s, second birthday, Sean and his mom took him to the Vans shoe store at the mall to get his very first pair of Vans shoes.

After narrowing them down to three pairs, they let him pick out his shoes. He decided on a cool pair of Star Wars shoes.

Aiden was so very proud of his Vans shoes because he knew they were like his Uncle Sean’s Vans shoes. In fact, he started calling his new pair of shoes his “Sean shoes.”

Since they went to the mall and picked them out together, it made shopping for new shoes a fun and memorable experience.

Crepe Paper Money Ball Surprise

Queen Darlene - January 28, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money

httpvh://youtu.be/Xy0X827to5U

Who doesn’t like to unwrap gifts? How about finding a gift with each unwrapping – say 12 times within one gift? What?! The Crepe Paper Money Ball Surprise will do just that!

The balls of crepe paper strips are wrapped around individual bills and when the recipient unwinds the ball, the cash is revealed one by one.

They will be totally surprised by the loot inside!

HOW TO MAKE A CREPE PAPER MONEY BALL SURPRISE

Crepe Paper – several colors to make it festive or choose their favorite colors
Scissors – cut 12 crepe paper strips in various sizes – 3 ft. to 6 ft.
Tape or glue dots to attach the last crepe paper strip
Ribbon
Cash in bills – the amount is up to you

Cold Hard Cash

Queen Darlene - January 14, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Kids, Money

httpvh://youtu.be/WG4_QKYPCCc”Cold Hard Cash” is a one-of-a-kind money gift idea that will certainly be fun and amusing!

So how do you turn money into cold hard cash?

You will need:

A plastic container with a lid
Ziplock bag
Water
Money in the form of bills or coins or both

Silhouette Paper Portraits Make Classic Gift

Princess Diana - January 5, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Family, Father's Day, Kids, Mother's Day, Pet, Valentine's Day, Wedding

A custom silhouette paper portrait is a classic gift that will be cherished for years. The one I had made of my son melts my heart every time I glance at it.

Parents and grandparents especially love this type of gift!

It used to be you had to visit a silhouette artist in person, but these days you can simply email a photograph and receive your beautiful custom silhouette in the mail. Easy peasy!

You can have custom silhouette paper portraits made of children, adults and pets, either upper body or full body. They can also be done of siblings and couples. A silhouette of a couple makes for a lovely wedding or Valentine’s Day present.

Christmas Candy Cane Cash

Queen Darlene - December 17, 2015 - Christmas, Kids, Money

Giving plastic candy canes filled with someone’s favorite candy is always an easy last-minute-pick-up-gift. For that thoughtful twist and to amplify the sweetness, add some Christmas cash!

Plastic candy canes are everywhere during the holidays so it makes for an easy peasy gift for giving cash during the holidays.

ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:

Plastic Candy Canes – purchase the ones that have wrapped candy such as Hershey’s Kisses or Reese’s Cups (cash and unwrapped candy do not mix!)
Cash – $1, $5, $10, $20, etc.
Ribbon

Money & Gloves Go Hand in Hand

Queen Darlene - December 16, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Kids, Money, Mother's Day

httpvh://youtu.be/DKKmh8QoyAE

Looking for a clever way to surprise the gift recipient with money and a pair of gloves?

This idea is so easy peasy. I call it my “Money and Gloves Go Hand in Hand” gift idea.

I like to find a pair of gloves that are out-of-the-ordinary. They could be colorful, unusual, maybe with feathers on the cuff instead of fake fur, or with rhinestones.

You don’t have to limit the gift to just gloves or mittens designed to keep hands warm. Purchase gloves to match their hobbies or profession.

Think garden gloves, bike gloves, baseball gloves, golf gloves, weight lifting gloves, and work gloves.

All you need to create this money gift are:

A pair of gloves
Bills of money

50 Shades of Green Money Gift

Queen Darlene - December 10, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Graduation, Housewarming, Kids, Money

A paint can is a great way to gift wrap because kids and adults can never ever guess what’s inside it.

They’ll never guess what’s inside the paint can!

The “50 Shades of Green” money gift idea is perfect for the person who is difficult to buy for. Perfect because the color green (money) goes with everything!

Fill the paint can with crumpled 50 one dollar bills or one fifty dollar bill or any combination adding up to 50 dollars.

Create a label for birthdays, graduations, Father’s Day or add holiday decorations for Christmas.

Stocking Stuffer Money Gift

Queen Darlene - December 9, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Family, Gifts for Him, Going Away, Graduation, Kids, Money

httpvh://youtu.be/BzbPH6qEsF4

Grandma Cleaver used to stuff her money inside a sock and hide it. She lived during the Depression where banks failed and people lost their money. I was always fascinated with her stocking stuffer saving method.

Guess I’m being nostalgic about this Stocking Stuffer Money Gift.

Items you will need:

Socks
Cash
Ribbon
Scissors

HOW TO CREATE A STOCKING STUFFER MONEY GIFT:

First, turn one sock inside out. Lay the right side sock on top. Place the cash at the toe end of the sock. Start rolling the sock from the toe end with the inside out sock being on the outside.

Limousine Ride to Look at Christmas Lights

Princess Diana - December 2, 2015 - Christmas, Experiences, Kids

Every year when I visit, my nieces look forward to my gift of an experience. They know not to expect wrapped presents from me.

One year, I took them to a Renaissance Fair complete with a live jousting match, and another year I took them to a child-friendly version of the play “A Christmas Carol.” Last year, I surprised them with a limousine ride to look at Christmas lights.

I rented the limousine for three hours. During that time, we rocked out to the radio on full volume, sipped on sparkling white grape juice, snacked on cheese and grapes, snapped group photos in front of pretty Christmas light displays, and ordered food at a Wendy’s drive-thru.

Bubble Calendar Gift Idea

Queen Darlene - December 1, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Retirement

Do you know someone who loves to pop bubble wrap? I have a unique gift that the bubble pop lover will enjoy every day because it doubles as a calendar.

The Bubble Calendar is a 365 day poster-sized wall calendar with a bubble to pop every day of the year! It includes colored dots to mark birthdays, holidays and special occasions.

When we received items in the mail wrapped in bubble wrap, my kids would immediately place it on the floor and start jumping on it to hear all of the popping noise. Sometimes they would just sit and race each other to see how many they could quickly pop!

Well… I have grown up friends who do the exact same thing.

Young or as I like to say… “slightly seasoned folks”…will love the Bubble Calendar. As the year pops by, you can still feel like a kid every day!

The Bubble Calendar is a fun gift to start off the New Year. It can also be given as a countdown to a special event like graduation or retirement.

We’re all mature until somebody brings out the bubble wrap. – Unknown