Posts Tagged: "toys"

7 Gifts to Give Children at Christmas

Princess Diana - November 24, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Have you ever heard of toy hangover? Kids may not recognize it, but parents sure will.

Toy hangover occurs the day after Christmas or a birthday when kids are walking around dazed and confused after consuming too many toys in a short period of time.

Instead of dazed and confused, parents feel stressed and overwhelmed.

Where is all this stuff going to go?

I came across a toy hangover cure I’m going to start this year. It’s an easy solution to how to shop for children at Christmas (or birthdays) so you end up with quality instead of quantity.

You are limited to seven gifts for each child. Don’t freak out on me. Having a limit is a good thing.

By having a a set limit, it forces you to think very carefully and thoughtfully about what those seven gifts will be.

These seven gifts are from the parent(s)/Santa. If you feel like you’re being Scrooge-ish, just remember your kids will receive additional gifts from family and friends.

There is a more important reason than preventing toy hangovers as to why I want to decrease the amount of Christmas gifts my kids receive. I don’t want the primary focus of Christmas to be gifts. Yes, gift giving is a fun holiday tradition but it’s not the reason for the season.

Unique & Awesome Museum Gifts

Queen Darlene - April 7, 2016 - Anniversary, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Teacher Gifts, Valentine's Day

Ever wonder where you can go to find unique and awesome gifts? Try a museum gift shop.

Don’t have a local museum? No worries! Shop online from many of the world’s most famous museums like The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or The Louvre in Paris.

Discover hundreds of unique gifts and art reproductions, including jewelry, sculpture, apparel, wall art, stationery, toys and more.

You’ll find plenty of gifts to choose from available in any price range.

One of my favorite gift shops is The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The gifts are unlike anything else I’ve ever seen and more affordable than you might think.

I recently purchased a beautiful $25 velvet bag for my sister-in-law to use as a small purse or make-up bag. The embroidered design motif of a peacock feather is based on a color stencil print by Maurice Pillard Verneuil (French, 1869 to 1942). I was certain she didn’t have anything like it. Continue Reading

34+ Fun Alternatives to Passing Out Halloween Candy

Princess Diana - October 20, 2015 - $20 or Less, Kids

There may be many reasons people want to pass out something besides candy on Halloween night.

Maybe they want to be different from everyone else in their neighborhood passing out candy and chocolates to trick-or-treaters. Maybe they’re health conscious and don’t want to contribute to kids developing allergic reactions, sugar buzzes or cavities.

The Teal Pumpkin Project encourages households to provide non-food treats to create a safer, happier Halloween for trick-or-treaters with food allergies. Participating households are asked to place a teal pumpkin in front of their home.

Some people like to give kids a choice in their Halloween treats!

Please let me be clear though. Unless you’re a dentist, don’t pass out toothbrushes or floss. That’s just being a party pooper, and you may risk retaliation from the neighborhood kids and end up getting your house egged or toiled papered. Just saying.

Let me give you 34+ fun alternatives to passing out Halloween candy. Some of them are actually cheaper than candy!

Why I Gave My Son a Baby Doll

Princess Diana - May 26, 2015 - $20 or Less, Baby Shower, Kids

I’m raising a little human. He happens to be a boy.

Playing is learning!

In our culture, many unsaid rules exist about how little humans called “boys” should act. Even more so for “girls.”

At the age of two, I bought my son a little doll, a newborn baby dressed head to toe in pink pajamas. I wanted to give him access to a wide variety of toys, not just those considered “gender appropriate.”

My son will grow up to become a father one day, and every parent needs to know how to nurture and nourish.

We give boys race cars and doctor kits all the time although only a very small percentage of them will actually grow up to become race car drivers and doctors. Compare that to how many boys will one day become fathers.

As soon as I showed my son the pink box containing the doll, he grew excited. He yelled, “Baby!”

Cheer Someone Up With a Box of Sunshine

Princess Diana - February 24, 2015 - $20 or Less, Condolence, Get Well, Gift Baskets

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Do you know those people who are naturally crafty? They can do things like sew, cook, bake, decorate, paint (probably spin straw into gold too) and everything they create looks like it came straight off the page of a Martha Stewart magazine. They drive me crazy jealous!

Well, my co-worker Kelly is one of those people. Mucho talented. And she’s always using her talents to bring joy to others – like when she bakes her famous cinnamon rolls and brings them to the office.

Kelly shared with me that when she has friends or family who are sick, hospitalized, homebound, in physical rehab or dealing with chemotherapy, she makes them a Box of Sunshine. Then she fills it with everything YELLOW!