Posts Tagged: "present"

Pop-Up Cash | Gas Money Surprise

Princess Diana - October 19, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Money

Getting to drive is what makes turning 16 so sweet! A driver’s license equals freedom and independence… if you happen to have both a car and gas money.

Thanks to my parents, I had a car to drive. But until I found a part-time job, I was strapped for gas money and could only fill my gas tank $5 at a time.

Many teenage drivers feel the same pinch when it comes to gas money and probably even more so with today’s higher fuel prices. That’s why gas money and gas cards will always be a thoughtful gift for high school and college students.

But let’s not be boring by giving cash in an envelope. Presentation and the element of surprise go a long way when giving cash.

Money Robe | A Silver Lining

Queen Darlene - September 9, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Money

In our family, we always give money of the age of the birthday gal or guy.

money-robe-dollar-bills-silver-lining-thoughtful-gift-idea

No one will ever guess that their new house robe comes lined with cash!

When my brother turned 59, I was stumped to come up with a creative way to surprise him with his birthday money of $59.

I recently visited him and noticed his house robe needed to be replaced. So I purchased a green (and blue) robe to go with the money theme.

At first, I thought I would place the money in a pocket. Boring! Then it came to me, why not line the inside of the robe with 59 one dollar bills? Now that’s fun!

I laid out the open robe, spread out the dollar bills in even rows, and taped them in place. (Even though the tape worked, I would suggest using safety pins to make sure the bills stay put.)

I folded up the robe and tied the belt. A money robe! You could not see any of the bills since I had placed them below the waistline. Continue Reading

Best Way to Come Up With a Going Away Gift

Princess Diana - July 28, 2015 - Going Away

There are few thing harder than saying goodbye to a friend. An exception might be picking out a going away gift.

They can be tricky. That’s probably why Hallmark doesn’t have a “Going Away Gifts” aisle in its stores.

Here’s my #1 rule for going away presents – give something that means something.

If your gift item doesn’t hold special meaning, then there’s no point in giving it. Your friend doesn’t need more stuff to haul in the moving truck. It’s full as it is!

The best way to come up with a meaningful going away gift is to reflect on your friendship and HOW you spent time together.

What was your “thing?’ Did you bond by going to the movies, eating at new restaurants or attending your favorite team’s sporting events?

Now, think of a gift that ties in with what you enjoyed doing together.

If you liked going to the movies or out to eat, you could get a gift card to a movie theater or a popular restaurant where he or she will be living. If you liked attending sporting events, you could get him or her new fan gear, maybe even buy yourselves matching shirts or hats! You could also frame a photo of the two of you at a game.

My friend Beth and I loved dressing up to go out to eat, drink and dance. We also bonded by volunteering with Girl Scouts.

Money Treasure Dig | Fun Gift for Kids

Princess Diana - July 27, 2015 - $20 or Less, Kids, Money

Kids love to dig for treasure in the sand. Kids also love money.

Combine those two things and you’ve got yourself a Money Treasure Dig that is a perfect money gift for younger children!

All you need are a Plastic Beach Pail and Shovel, Play Sand, and money coins.

Pour a layer of sand in the bucket and then drop a few quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Pour sand on top of the coins until they’re hidden. Add more coins to the bucket and then add another layer of sand.

Easy Peasy Money Umbrella Surprise

Princess Diana - April 7, 2015 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Going Away, Graduation, Kids, Money, Wedding

At Sunburst Gifts, we love coming up with creative ways to give money. This time, shower someone with cash with a Money Umbrella!

Money umbrellas are a fun and creative way to give cash gifts.

When they open the umbrella, they’ll be completely surprised by all of the cash that falls out from the inside!

If you give the Money Umbrella gift in person, watching them open the gift and seeing their reaction is half the fun so make sure they open it in front of you. And get your camera or video camera ready!

You can attach a note to the umbrella that says “Open Me” but I prefer say something like,”Open it up so you can see that it’s a lot bigger than it looks. It will really protect you from the rain!”

Yes, little white lies are completely appropriate in these situations.

If you’re mailing the gift or you won’t be there when it’s opened, definitely include a note that says “Open Me.” You don’t want the gift recipient to miss out on their big surprise and, even worse, lose the umbrella and the cash because they had no idea what was inside!

Th Money Umbrella gift idea is so much fun to give and receive, and it’s easy peasy to create!

HOW TO CREATE A MONEY UMBRELLA

Three Gifts Representing Your Relationship’s Past, Present & Future

Princess Diana - February 8, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day

We often say, “I Love You” but Valentine’s Day gives us the perfect opportunity to show “I Love You.”

Taking the time to come up with a thoughtful gift for your sweetheart can actually strengthen your relationship.

That’s what happened last year on Valentine’s Day, when my best friend, Leslie, received three gifts from her boyfriend that represented their past, present and future. Not only was it romantic, but it gave a deeper meaning to the holiday.

Here is how Leslie described the past, present and future gifts she received:

Christmas Gift Giving Passing Game

Princess Diana - December 24, 2014 - Christmas, Experiences, Kids

I have four nieces and I almost always give them some sort of experience as part of their Christmas present. So I thought it would be fun to have them play a Christmas gift giving game.

I bought four presents that cost about the same price and that all of them would like no matter which one they received. I wrapped them up but didn’t put names on any of them.

Christmas gift giving game Dirty Santa White Elephant Gift Exchange

My nieces sit in a circle and prepare to pass their gifts left and right while I read them the story about the Wright family.

I gathered my nieces together, gave each one a present, and asked them to sit in a circle. I told them the rules of the game. Every time they heard the word “left” to pass their present to the left and every time they heard the words “right” or “Wright” to pass their present to the right. I told them to listen closely because the story gets awfully crazy!

Then I began to read out loud the following story. To make it even more fun, I read it quickly!

Continue Reading

Forever Stamps for a Forever Love | Wedding Gift

Princess Diana - September 16, 2014 - Wedding

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So what do you get the couple who didn’t create wedding registries because they don’t need anything? It’s a tricky gift giving dilemma for sure.

Here’s the thing though – I knew other people would be giving the couple wedding presents anyway. That meant they would be writing thank you cards to those individuals.

Honoring their wish not to receiving “things,” I decided to give them a gift that wouldn’t take up any space and that they would definitely need in the near future.

Teacher Survival Kit | Back to School Gift

Princess Diana - August 14, 2014 - $20 or Less, Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets, Teacher Gifts

Summer = sleeping in, relaxing and hanging out. Back to School = alarms clocks, homework and regular routines.

Making the switch from summer vacation to back to school definitely takes some adjustment for all parties involved – students, parents and teachers. Don’t forget about the teachers!

My son is starting Parent’s Day Out again this fall, and I wanted to give his teacher a present to make adjusting to spending all day with a room full of kids just a little bit easier.

I started making my Back to School Teacher Survival Kit by filling it with caffeine and chocolates. Two must-haves for enduring long hours and stress of any kind.

But being the healthy living person I strive to be, I wanted to add some healthier options for the teachers that would still provide them with a good pick-me-up.

Lottery Ticket Bouquet | 40th Birthday Gift

Princess Diana - July 17, 2014 - Birthday, Gift Baskets

I hate it when people say that turning 40 (or any other age) sucks or blows. My thinking is that if we don’t get older, WE’RE DEAD!

A bouquet made of 40 scratch-off lottery tickets makes a great 40th birthday gift.

So I never regret turning a year older. Like fine wine, women just get better with age.

My boss Holley turned 40 this year so I wanted to put a positive spin to her new age. For her birthday gift, I made her a lottery ticket bouquet made of 40 $1 lottery tickets.

I added a gift tag that reads, “Some people say that turning 40 sucks. Here’s 40 chances that this year brings you good luck!”