Posts Tagged: "birthdays"

Annual Birthday Adventure

Queen Darlene - September 8, 2017 - Birthday, Experiences, Father's Day, Kids, Mother's Day, Uncategorized

My husband asked,”Are we doing anything for my sister this year?” I replied, “You mean the 2nd Annual Birthday Adventure?”

He smiled. I only had three weeks to come up with an idea.

Last year, I planned a Birthday Adventure with Adult Siblings for Randy and his brother to celebrate their sister’s birthday. It was so much fun Randy wanted to do it again.

Randy and I enjoy taking scenic Route 66 road trips to have breakfast or lunch and then browse through antique and boutique shops in small town America.

Light bulb moment!

Unforgettable Annual Birthday Experience

Plan a Route 66 Birthday Adventure by driving on the Mother Road in a convertible car.

Better yet make it a Mustang convertible! A red one!

My plans were to rent a convertible but in telling friends of the adventure, I was given an opportunity to borrow one! Continue Reading

Just Sayin’ Quotes, Sayings & Phrases

Queen Darlene - September 22, 2016 - $20 or Less

With a smart phone or computer, you can send free thoughtful gifts anytime from anywhere by sending just sayin’ messages with quotes, sayings or phrases for any occasion.

You probably already do this for birthdays and anniversaries without even thinking it’s a gift. But it is! You’re letting the recipient know you are thinking of them.

Send encouraging messages, inspiring quotes and funny sayings to brighten anyone’s day.

You can do this by email or by text message.

There are literally thousands of picture quotes to choose from on Google.

Or do as I do and save your favorites from Facebook to share later. I even take pictures of things or places that remind me of a friend or family member to send to them later. Continue Reading

Let Them Eat Cake Pops

Queen Darlene - May 26, 2016 - Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Congratulations, Father's Day, Graduation, Housewarming, Kids, Mother's Day, Retirement, Teacher Gifts

In our family, cake has always been the go-to dessert for celebrations, either homemade or bakery bought. But now I’ve discovered a new fun dessert – Cake Pops!

Cake Pops are a one-bite-size cake balls on a stick. They are soooo creatively cute and perfect for birthdays, graduations, holidays, baby and bridal showers, Mother’s Day, retirements and more.

I brought Cake Pops to a birthday and retirement party and they were a big hit with everyone! Lays’ best-known slogan “Betcha Can’t Eat Just One” is certainly true for cake balls!

You can order Cake Pops in different flavors and have them decorated in pretty much any colors, shapes and themes to make beautiful edible gifts!

Cake Pops Gift Ideas:

Flowers – Mom
Favorite Sports Team Colors – Gift for Him
Apples – Teachers
Rattles, Babies – Baby Showers
Graduation Hat – Graduate
Super Heroes, Elmo, Ninja Turtle, Mickey Mouse – Kids
Snowman, Reindeer – Christmas Party, Business Gifts
Bunnies – Easter
Mummies – Halloween

Bird Feeder & People Feeder | Unique Gift

Queen Darlene - September 10, 2015 - Birthday, Food & Drinks, Host, Housewarming

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!

We 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!

Money Bag | Two Gifts in One

Queen Darlene - July 29, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Money, Mother's Day

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “Money Bags?” Someone with lots of money, right? Well… here’s a gift idea for a Money Bag (singular) that will fit anyone’s budget.

This gift is a “twofer” as my husband would say.

Purchase a purse with lots of pockets and zippers. (For the guys, use a backpack.)

The more pockets and zippers to hide cash and coins, the more fun and surprised the recipient will be. You can either insert the bills so they are hidden or visible the moment they open their gift.

Fill the middle part of the purse with as many crumpled dollar bills needed to make it look full. Of course, the amount of cash is up to you. (When using a backpack, you may want to just fill the outer compartments with cash to make those look full.)

There you have it! A Money Bag full of money! Two gifts in one!

A beautiful purse or cool backpack and some spending cash is a memorable gift for birthdays, Christmas, graduations or Mother’s Day.

In suggesting gifts: Money is appropriate, and one size fits all. – William Randolph Hearst

Picture Frames | The Keeper of Memories

Queen Darlene - May 28, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Family, Housewarming

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.

There 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.

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

Glamour Shots Makeover for 90-Year Old Grandmother

Queen Darlene - April 23, 2015 - Birthday, Experiences, Mother's Day

How do you celebrate a 90 year old grandmother’s birthday that she can see over and over again? Take her to Glamour Shots!

To say the least, my family is very visual. Growing up in a deaf family, the “eyes” have it! The deaf members in my family may not be able to hear but they SEE everything!

Visual – Visual – Visual was a huge motivation for gifts to my mother, step-father, and grandparents.

I made an appointment at Glamour Shots to have my grandmother’s picture made for her 90th birthday.

The most make-up my grandmother wore was rouge. That’s what they called it in her day. We call it blush.

So when they styled her hair, applied eye make-up, foundation, and lipstick, and put her in fancy clothes and a cowboy hat, she thought “what a big fuss.” She had no idea how to “strike a pose” but they showed her and made it a big deal of how beautiful she looked, especially at 90 years of age.

She loved it and began to have fun being made up like a movie star! The final product? She looked like the famous actress Mae West!

April Showers Bring May Flowers | Rain Boots

Queen Darlene - April 2, 2015 - Birthday, Get Well, Kids, Mother's Day

If you need a gift for a female friend or loved one whose birthday is in the spring, keep in mind the classic rhyme “April showers bring May flowers.”

As a matter of fact, it’s two gifts in one!

Give her rain boots for those spring rains and, for that “thoughtful twist,” the rain boots double as flower vases. Place her favorite flowers in a hidden vase inside each boot! Voilà!

Paired together, the rain boots and flowers make an eye-catching combination!

It’s also easy peasy to put together, and there are many choices of rain boots with various colors and designs in stores or on-line.

Your friend or loved one will be glad to have cute rain boots to wear during downpours, and the beautiful spring flowers will bring a smile to her face!

I remember as a kid wearing rubber rain boots and splashing through puddles after a big rain. It was just pure fun!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Queen Darlene - October 2, 2014 - Birthday, Business, Experiences, Gifts for Me

I love my birthdays. Always have. I really never worried about turning a year older. Well… maybe once. When I turned from 16 to 17 years old. I would never again be 16 and never been kissed!

My mother made sure my brothers and I had a birthday cake, a gift, and that we always celebrated birthdays together as a family. We had very few birthday parties where we invited our friends. I’m not sure why other than it was kind of the norm back then.

As I got older, I would celebrate with friends and co-workers by going out to dinner, a movie or even dancing.

Now I celebrate birthdays for an entire week!

It happened quite by accident. During a week of my birthday, my best friend from grade school who lives in Texas mailed a birthday package to my office. She was not the only one. A friend from Albuquerque also sent a package. One of my dear friends who I work with presented me with a gift. You see a pattern here? My mother showed up with a gift on another day and on the last day of the week, my actual birthday, my husband took me to lunch.

Thus, the Birthday Week was born!

The following year I declared Birthday Week and for that thoughtful twist, instead of receiving gifts I give gifts to my co-workers. No gifts for me! Period! Because my co-workers thought it was weird not to give birthday gifts, I relented by saying, “OK… you can get me a birthday card.” Continue Reading

Papa Bear, Mama Bear & Baby Bear Folding Chairs

Queen Darlene - June 26, 2014 - Birthday, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Kids

When Princess Diana’s son, Aiden, turned one year old, I set out on a mission to give him something that most boys his age would not normally receive for their birthday.

Of all places, I found it in a Hallmark store – a crimson University of Oklahoma toddler folding chair. (Princess Diana and her husband both went to OU.)

With the chair, I also gave Aiden an OU “Start ’em Young, Raise ’em Right” toddler t-shirt and a teddy bear. A large stuffed bear wearing an OU t-shirt and sitting in the OU chair is so stinkin’ cute!

Since Aiden’s parents already have their own folding chairs, Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear now can all sit in a chair that is juuuust right for them whether they’re tailgating, camping, RVing, fishing or just hanging out in their backyard.

OK, I have to tell you prior to writing this post, I researched the correct name for the folding bag chair. I found out there’s not just one name for it because there are so many variations! Continue Reading