Make-A-Recipe Gift Basket

- - $20 or Less, Christmas, Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets, Housewarming, Teacher Gifts

I have this recipe for Roasted Pecans that is so good and so simple. You might say it’s easy peasy!

make-a-recipe-gift-basketWhen you make it, your entire home smells like heaven. I’ve shared the recipe in a previous post because Homemade Roasted Pecans make great gifts.

My friend, Jacqueline, and her husband recently invited us to their housewarming party. Since Jacqueline has asked me about my cooking before, I thought she would enjoy receiving one of my favorite recipes.

Why not make it easier I thought and give her a whole kit for making the recipe?

A Make-A-Recipe Gift Basket – that would make a perfect housewarming gift!

Make-A-Recipe Gift Basket

Here is what I included for my friend’s housewarming gift to make roasted pecans:

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Woolzies Natural Fabric Softener

- - $20 or Less, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Housewarming

The name Woolzies instantly intrigued me, and it’s natural colored packaging with a cute sheep made me want to learn more about it.

woolzies-natural-fabric-softener-thoughtful-gift-ideaI had never heard of a natural fabric softener and got excited. You’re thinking, really? Excited over fabric softener? Well…yes!  I like using natural products.

My friend, Janet, who loves all things natural, gave me Woolzies as a birthday gift. I love using products my friends swear by!

Woolzies look like fuzzy little white tennis balls. Simply toss the ball in your dryer with your clothes for softer fabrics.

The dryer balls are 100% pure New Zealand wool, eco-friendly, and hypoallergenic. Not only are they better for your laundry and your skin since they’re free of chemicals, but they also make your clothes feel very soft. Continue Reading

Custom Quote Canvas Art Gift

- - Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Graduation, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Retirement

Everyone has a favorite quote or words to live by. It’s something that inspires us and speaks to our soul.

custom-quote-canvas-art-gift

My favorite quote since college has been “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory” by General George S. Patton.

I now have a new favorite quote, “Thank you for playing with me” by my son Aiden Jaeger!

Aiden first said it to his grandmother. I told my husband what our son had said and weeks later after an enjoyable One Day Staycation together, he said it to me that night. I’ve repeated that quote myself too.

I love that quote for so many reasons! It shows appreciation to someone for spending time with you, and it’s a reminder to play like a kid again.

Family Motto

It’s not just a quote anymore. It has become our family motto that we say to each other.

I wanted the quote to hang in a permanent place in our home so I created a Custom Quote Canvas Art. It displays the quote in a stylized font on a cool background.

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Jumbo Airwalker Balloons

- - Birthday, Kids

If you’ve never seen Airwalker Balloons, they’re jumbo size balloons that stand on the floor instead of float in the air.

jumbo-airwalker-balloons-kids-giftThey’re bigger than most kids!

For my son’s 4th birthday party, I purchased the Chase PAW Patrol Airwalker Balloon. The puppy-shaped balloon stands 54″ tall!

Talk about an attention getter!

All of the kids and adults couldn’t believe how big Chase stood. Not only was it the best piece of decoration at the party, but it also entertained the children, AND created the perfect photo prop!

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Jewelry With Special Meaning

- - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Father's Day, Graduation, Kids, Mother's Day, Retirement, Valentine's Day, Wedding

It’s that feeling you get every time you touch the pendant around your neck or glance down at a bracelet, and you’re reminded of its special meaning.

symbol-jewelry-special-meaning-gift

A piece of jewelry with special meaning tells a sentimental story of who gave it to you and why.

It’s not just a fashion accessory. It symbolizes a relationship, a feeling, an event or a memory.

For my mother’s birthday, I wanted to surprise her with a new piece of jewelry since it’s not something she often buys for herself. I decided to browse on the Rustic Cuff website since it’s an Oklahoma company.

I came across this beautiful gold and silver cuff. The center is a gold hexagon with a smaller, silver hexagon inside it. Immediately, this thought popped into my head.

The six sides of the gold hexagon represent her six children. She is the silver hexagon in the middle because she is our center that holds us together. The other special meaning is her influence on us and the people we’ve become. We became a hexagon because she is a hexagon.

It’s what I will tell my mother when I give her the bracelet. Every time she wears it, I hope she thinks of her six children and how much we love her. Continue Reading

Pep Rally Office Retirement Party

- - Birthday, Business, Retirement

Our office landscape is changing due to the retirement of baby boomers. We’ve already had three retire this year!

pep-rally-retirement-office-party-thoughtful-gift-ideaWhen a longtime employee is retiring, it can get teary-eyed and emotional but a fun office retirement party will bring out the celebration and laughter.

Phil retired after 30 years and for his send-off we organized a pep rally style retirement party with six employees participating as “cheerleaders.”

Each cheerleader had a card with a letter that together spelled R-E-T-I-R-E. Individually, they would raise their card with their letter and enthusiastically call out, “Give me an R” and the audience would loudly reply “R.”

The next cheerleader would hold their card up and say “Give me an E” and so on until the word R-E-T-I-R-E had been spelled.

To further excite the crowd in the room, the cheerleaders asked in unison, “What does it spell?” The audience would scream their response, “RETIRE!” This went on a couple more times. Continue Reading

Balance Bike Helps Kids Learn to Ride Faster

- - Kids

Fear of falling. Scraped knees. Learning how to ride a bicycle isn’t easy.

balance-bike-kids-toddlers-giftA new type of bicycle gaining popularity in the United States makes it easier for toddlers to learn how to ride a bicycle faster.

Say hello to balance bikes!

Benefits of Balance Bikes

Balance bikes don’t have pedals. Instead, toddlers are seated so their feet can easily touch the ground which allows them to learn how to balance without the fear of tipping over and falling. Also, since balance bikes are two to three times lighter than regular bicycles, children are less likely to get hurt if they do fall over.

Kids propel themselves forward by walking or running, and they brake using their feet. Really simple.

The best part – balance bikes allow children to skip the frustration of training wheels! Once children have mastered a balance bike, they can quickly move on to traditional pedal bicycles.

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Gift Card to New Store in Town

- - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Teacher Gifts, Thank You, Valentine's Day

It’s fun to experience a new store in your town or city. The excitement and buzz of a grand opening is usually all over the media and the talk of the office.

trader-joes-gift-card-thoughtful-gift-ideaFor my birthday, my boss gave me a gift card to Trader Joe’s that recently opened its first store in Oklahoma City.

What a pleasant surprise! I’ve been to Trader Joe’s in other cities and have waited 26 years for it to open here because I love Trader Joe’s!

When we visit our friends in New Mexico, we always make a stop and purchase what we can haul back home in the car!

I like finding unique, interesting and delicious foods at reasonable prices and can’t wait to see if they still carry my favorite granola nut cereal, a Trader Joe’s specialty.

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Celebrate National Hug Your Boss Day

- - Business

Even if you like your boss, the thought of physically hugging them might make you cringe. Your boss may not want you hugging them either.

celebrate-national-hug-your-boss-day

Let me take the awkwardness out of National Hug Your Boss Day that takes place in September each year.

Instead of giving real hugs, give your boss or supervisor Hershey’s Hugs with a handwritten note or card. If you appreciate that your boss makes coming to work enjoyable, you should let him or her know. Make sure to give specifics on reasons why you’re glad to have that person as your boss.

Does your boss trust you to get the work done instead of micro-managing? Does your boss share information openly and candidly? Does your boss take time to appreciate you as a person instead of just an employee? Is your boss supportive of work-life balance?

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