Posts Tagged: "kids"

“Press Here” Book | New York Times Bestseller for Kids

Queen Darlene - March 31, 2016 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Looking for a children’s book that is interactive as well as entertaining? We all know reading to kids is a good thing and will boost children’s learning potential, especially between the ages of two and five.

“Press Here” by Hervé Tullet is a picture book like no other. Talk about a fun experience!

With a touch of a finger, you press the yellow dot on the cover of the book and the make believe begins!

The reader follows the simple instructions to press various dots and perform varied tasks (blow on the dot, shake the pages, clap 1-2-3 times) on each shiny white page.

The tasks set in motion the “action” of the dot by changing colors, multiplying, scattering across a two-page spread and so much more!

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

Kids Color-In Thank You Cards

Princess Diana - December 29, 2015 - Thank You

Even though toddlers can’t write thank you cards for their gifts, they do have the ability to color.

Color-in thank you cards allow young children to use their artistic abilities to show their appreciation using markers, crayons, colored pencils or paint.

Gift givers will enjoy opening their thank you card and seeing your child’s artwork on the cover. If it’s pretty, it will bring a smile to their face. It if it’s messy, well they’ll get a good chuckle from it!

My three-year old son used markers to color his thank you cards. Although he won’t be earning any awards for coloring in between the lines any time soon, each card is his own original work of art which made them special. And I think much better than store-bought cards!

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.

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits – Kids Cooking Gift Set

Princess Diana - November 17, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

When it comes to being healthy, it really boils down to your habits. What are your habits when it comes to what you eat, your portion sizes, and your amount of physical activity?

Habits can be formed at a very early age. Kids are like sponges and putty like that.

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits - Kids Cooking Gift Set

Make cooking and healthy eating fun by getting a child his or her own chef’s hat and jacket. Include with it toy fruits and vegetables he or she can practice slicing with a wooden knife.

As parents and caregivers, we have an opportunity to help shape children’s habits when it comes to healthy eating. It begins with getting them in the kitchen to help with the cooking and introducing them to the wide variety of delicious fruits and veggies that exist.

Nothing gets children more interested in joining their parents in the kitchen than having their own chef’s hat and apron or jacket. When you’re dressed the part, you feel like the real deal!

Money Talks, Chocolates Sing! Perfect Women’s Gift

Queen Darlene - November 4, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

Want to give the perfect women’s gift? You can’t go wrong with chocolates and money!

money-talks-chocolates-sing-thoughtful-gift-idea

click to enlarge

I love this saying – Money Talks, Chocolate Sings!

Give the special woman in your life what she loves – mouth-watering chocolates and a little extra money.

What you will need for this money gift idea:

Box of chocolates
Ziploc bag
Ribbon or bow
Money

Old Family Photos Made New on T-Shirts

Queen Darlene - October 22, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Family

What to do with old family photos? Since my grandparents and parents have passed, I have become the keeper of old photos. I have thousands of photos in albums, boxes and drawers. Some are even dated back to the 1800s.

I wanted to create something new from old family photos for my two brothers and myself as a Christmas present. I found a wonderful photo of our parents in their early years of marriage and chose a cute picture of the three of us as young kids.

Picking the photo was no easy task since my mother took hundreds of pictures of her three children. She wanted to capture every moment of us growing up.

I used a local t-shirt screen printing business that transferred the pictures onto t-shirts. Since I gave at Christmas time, I chose long-sleeve t-shirts.

Treasure Chest Filled With Silver & Gold

Queen Darlene - September 16, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids, Money

Ahoy, matey! Did you ever wish for your very own treasure chest?

As a kid, I remember the classic Walt Disney’s Treasure Island movie about pirates searching for treasure chests filled with gold. I later took my kids to see Hook staring Robin Williams.

My all time favorite pirate though would be the Pirates of the Caribbean movies with Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Depp.

I never fell in love with a prince in a Disney movie but I would have become available for Jack Sparrow. Don’t tell my husband!

Kids love fantasizing about treasure chests filled with silver and gold. It’s a fantasy that you can easily make come true! Continue Reading

“Play Money” Creative Play-Doh Money Gift

Princess Diana - September 14, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Graduation, Kids, Money

Kids and adults of all ages will love being surprised with a Play-Doh Money Gift!

It’s one of the must fun and creative money gifts you can give but it’s also very simple to create.

I’ve saved you one step already by creating a free Play- Doh printable consisting of two-inch tags that say: “Everyone deserves some play money!” and “Thought you could use some extra dough!”

Or feel free to come up with your own tags using play-on-words!

Caricatures Make Fun Birthday Party Favors

Princess Diana - August 11, 2015 - Birthday, Kids, Party Favors

When planning my son’s second birthday party, I knew there would be more adults than kids at the event. Kids don’t really have BFFs at that age.

So I needed something to make the party fun for both adults AND kids.

I first met Hector Lopez at the Oklahoma City Thunder Fan Appreciation Night when he drew a caricature of my son and me in less than five minutes. He’s that good!

caricature-birthday-party-favor2-thoughtful-gift-idea

Caricature drawings make for great entertainment and one-of-a-kind birthday party favors!

Queen Darlene saw the drawing hanging up behind my desk at the office and thought it would be a great idea to hire Hector for our agency’s employee picnic.

She’s got great instincts that one!

Our co-workers loved getting their caricatures done! Afterwards, walking through our building you could see caricatures everywhere since people proudly hung up their drawings inside their office or cubicle.

Perfect, I thought! I’ll hire Hector the caricature artist to provide the entertainment and party favors at my son’s birthday party. Continue Reading