Posts Tagged: "tradition"

14 Days of Love Notes for Valentine’s Day

- - Valentine's Day

Do you know what makes a holiday better? The anticipation and excitement leading up to it!

14-days-love-notes-valentines-day

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon. Here is a fun way to use the first 14 days in February to show someone how much you love, cherish and appreciate them. Do this for children and adults!

The Many Reasons Why I Love You

People often say “I love you” but they often don’t go into specifics about what exactly it is about the person that they love. Telling someone the many reasons why you love them is much more powerful and meaningful.

So here’s what you do that I call 14 Days of Love Notes.

Instructions:

Cut out 14 paper hearts. Starting February 1, write a love note or affirmation on a heart every day and tape it where your Valentine will be sure to see it. It could be on their bedroom door, on their bathroom mirror, or different places around the home. Continue writing on a paper heart every day for 14 days.

Tip: I used red and pink construction paper and taped it to my son’s bedroom door with painter’s tape so it wouldn’t damage the paint.

Your loved ones will enjoy reading your daily expressions of love!

Continue Reading

Namesake Keepsake Ornament

- - Christmas

For me, one of my favorite parts of having children is picking baby names.

namesake-keepsake-ornament-christmas-giftBoy did I have fun with it! Especially with my sons’ middle names.

My oldest son, Aiden, was born in 2012 during the Year of the Dragon so his middle name became Dragen. For my youngest son, Axl, I picked King because dragons and kings always appear together in stories… and it’s just sounds cool!

Keepsake Ornament Christmas Gift

I believe every kid should have their own special ornament on the Christmas tree so for both of my boys I gave them Namesake Keepsake Ornaments.

Hanging on our Christmas tree is a dragon ornament for Aiden and a crown ornament for Axl.

Continue Reading

Summer Break Quality Time With Each Child

- - Experiences, Kids

My friend, Carol, told me about a wonderful summer tradition she started in her family that I want to share with you.

summer-break-quality-time-child-experienceEach summer, she spends 5 days with each of her children, just the two of them.

She explained her children act differently when she is alone with them. For this reason, she loves to give them quality one-on-one time during their summer break from school.

She has done this for years with each of her children, and they always look forward to creating new memories together.

For each of the 5 days, she follows the same order of events every year.

Quality Time Over 5 Days

Continue Reading

Annual Birthday Adventure

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.

nnual-birthday-adventure-convertible-mustang-thoughtful-gift-ideaLast 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

Custom Birthday Plate | Fun Tradition

- - Birthday, Kids

We all want to feel special on our birthday. Sometimes it’s the little things that make us feel EXTRA special.

custom-personalized-birthday-plate-gift

Like getting to use a personalized birthday plate while every else uses paper plates.

Kids will especially love this tradition. All year long, they will anticipate getting to eat a big slice of cake on their custom birthday plate.

Think of the fond childhood memories this fun tradition will create!

This perfect birthday gift can be used year after year to celebrate someone’s special day.

Continue Reading

Celebrate Valentine’s Day Family Style

- - Kids, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is usually reserved for couples, but I have another idea. Start a tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day family style.

valentines-day-family-style-living-room-picnic-thoughtful-gift-idea

Living Room Floor Family Picnic

Have a picnic for all the Valentines in your family on your living room floor. Kids love this!

Keep it simple and move the furniture, lay out a blanket, and use Valentine’s Day paper plates with red plastic utensils. Depending upon the age of the children, I would use cups with lids and straws to prevent any spills.

If you want to be more elaborate, add a red and white picnic table cloth, eating trays, red pillows to sit on, sprinkle rose petals around the room, beautiful flowers, decorative lights, etc.

Make it a family affair and have the kids help with the set-up and decorating. Continue Reading

Invite Mom to Afternoon Tea

More than anything, mothers love to spend quality time with their children.

mom-afternoon-tea-experience-gift

So when thinking of gifts for her birthday, Mother’s Day or Christmas, a memorable bonding experience for the two of you to do together will always make her happy.

Consider inviting your mother for an Afternoon Tea Experience at a nice hotel, tea room or tea restaurant.

Can you hear it? The sound of a dainty china cup clicking against its saucer.

Can you feel it? The mood of stylish elegance and luxury.

Treat your mother to a lovely and charming afternoon tea with tea trays and service. (At some places, they even have tea butlers!) You and your mother can enjoy sipping tea from delicate teacups while sitting in a room filled with beautiful ambience.

Together, share in meaningful conversation while dining on delicious scones, freshly made sandwiches, and petite pastries!

Continue Reading

Tell Someone’s Story With a Floating Charm Locket Necklace

The newest trend of charm bracelets are Floating Charm Locket Necklaces. It’s a unique way to tell stories with jewelry by giving a locket containing charms depicting someone’s hobbies or experiences, or commemorating celebrations such as birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day or weddings.

floating-charm-locket-thoughtful-gift-ideaI gave my girlfriend, Janet, a floating charm necklace for her birthday. The charms I chose were a cake with candles to celebrate her birthday, the letter “J” for her name and because she loves to take lots and lots of photos, I added a camera charm. She loved it!

Floating Charm Locket Necklaces come in different shapes such as round, heart or animal. You can choose from hundreds of cute, beautiful and colorful charms so it’s easy peasy to find charms that fit their personality and tell their personal “story.”

Continue Reading

The Giving Plate | A Heartwarming Tradition

No one likes to show up to a social gathering empty handed. After all, the more food the merrier!

Make a lasting impression by giving the host or hostess a gift called “The Giving Plate.”

The heartwarming tradition of The Giving Plate is that you bake a treat and present it to someone on the plate. The recipient could be a friend, family member, church member, neighbor, teacher or co-worker. Once the treat is gone, it’s time for the gift recipient to pay it forward by passing The Giving Plate to someone new.

giving-plate-gift-pay-it-forward-tradition

The Giving Plate makes for an especially touching gift during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

You can find a variety of styles of The Giving Plate on Amazon.com or you can find other designs on Etsy.com. If you’re artsy, you can make your own using food-safe porcelain markers or paint pens on a blank plate or platter.

The Giving Plate I like contains this special message that explains the tradition in a beautiful poem.

The Giving Plate

This plate belongs to everyone
wherever it may go… with each new sharing
of its gift, the love and blessings grow,
So fill it up and pass it on to
family and to friends… to start
the circle one more time,
love’s journey never ends.

Continue Reading

Employee Brag Bell | Give Public Recognition

- - Business

According to a recent study featured in Psychology Today, employees care more about recognition than money.

employee-brag-bell-recognition-business-thoughtful-gift

Employee Brag Bells create a fun and simple way to give and receive praise in an organization.

Said no one ever, “Aggh! The people I work with praise me way too much. I hate it.”

Instead, the reality is that lack of recognition makes employees feel like their work doesn’t matter and that they don’t matter. Ouch!

The study revealed the powerful effects of recognition in these ways:

Continue Reading