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Open When… Envelopes

Princess Diana - October 6, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Money, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Wedding

There’s a reason “___ of the Month” clubs are so popular. People love opening surprise gifts on a regular basis!

Most gifts you can open only once. But not Open When… Envelopes.

Gift recipients will receive multiple envelopes containing gifts they’ll be able to open over a period of months!

For this gift idea, you simply need envelopes, cash and/or gift cards, and a printer. On each envelope, print a different “Open When…” scenario on the front. Here are some examples.

OPEN WHEN
… you need retail therapy.
… you don’t feel like cooking.
… you want to see a movie.
… you need pampering.
… you need gas.
… you’re craving ___. (Ex. Thai food, ice cream, fried chicken, etc.)
… you need a haircut.
… you run out of booze.
… you’re hungry.
… you’re thirsty.

Hat Trick Money Gift

Princess Diana - October 5, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Kids, Money

A hat is just a hat except when it’s not… because the real gift is hidden inside!

If you want to give a creative money gift or to surprise someone, all you need is a hat. Line the hat band with cash. They’ll think the hat is the entire present until they put it on!

That’s why I call this money gift The Hat Trick!

Have fun with this gift because hats exist in every color and style for men and women of all ages. Think baseball hats, cowboy hats, straw sun hats, fedoras, twill caps and more!

“Welcome to Our Business” Handwritten Card

Princess Diana - September 29, 2015 - $20 or Less, Business

It’s not always a superior product or service that makes one business more popular with customers. Sometimes, it’s how a business makes its customers feel.

Sometimes, all it takes is a thoughtful gesture from a business to catch a customer’s attention and create customer loyalty. It happened recently to my husband.

After my husband’s first visit to his new dentist, he received a nice card in the mail from the dental practice.

The front of the card said, “Welcome to Our Practice.” Inside the card, a handwritten note read, “If you ever have any questions regarding your dental treatment or our office procedures, please feel free to give us a call.”

welcome-to-our-business-handwritten-card-thoughtful-gift

Click to enlarge

The father and son who own the practice both signed the card. The card had personal touch written all over it, and it was a novelty!

Neither one of us had ever received a card from any of our dentists before. Come to think of it, we’ve never received a card from any of our other doctors. Have you?

Photo Album of Dead Presidents

Princess Diana - September 28, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Going Away, Graduation, Kids, Money, Wedding

The topic of dead presidents might be boring, unless you’re talking about cash money.

So not every man printed on U.S. paper currency is a dead president. Do you know which ones are and aren’t?

Dead Presidents
$1 – George Washington
$2 – Thomas Jefferson
$5 – Abraham Lincoln
$20 – Andrew Jackson
$50 – Ulysses S. Grant

Never President
$10 – Alexander Hamilton
$100 – Benjamin Franklin

If you’re looking to give a creative money gift, fill a photo album with dead presidents (but feel free to use $10 bills too like I did). No one receiving this gift will care about technicalities!

Photo albums that fit 4×6 pictures are just the right size for cash.

DIY Hand Stenciled Tea Towels

Princess Diana - September 22, 2015 - Family, Host, Housewarming, Wedding

As I browsed the Internet one day, I came across a set of tea towels for sale on a website. One towel said, “You Wash” and the other said “I’ll Dry.”

hand-stenciled-tea-towels-thoughtful-gift-idea

Need to come up with a gift for a large number of people? Hand stenciled tea towels are easy and affordable to make in large quantities.

That’s exactly how my husband and I divide and conquer in the kitchen after dinner, and the tea towels reminded me of the great partnership we enjoy in our marriage. I also thought they would make great gifts for couples, family members, hostesses, and new homeowners.

I wanted to buy the kitchen towels so badly but they were very expensive – almost $40! Sheesh!

So I decided to make my own and ordered a pair of custom stencils from Etsy.com. I picked out the stencil font I wanted to use for the words, and for less than $20 received a pair of 6×6 inch “You Wash” and “I’ll Dry” reusable plastic stencils in the mail.

Money Stash | Hollow Book Safe With Secret Compartment

Princess Diana - September 21, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Gifts for Him, Going Away, Graduation, Housewarming, Kids, Money

It’s so much fun to give a gift inside a gift!

Hollow Books Safes look like ordinary hard cover books until you open them. Surprise! The book contains a secret compartment where you can place a small-sized item, such as CASH!

I call this gift the Money Stash. They’ll enjoy the money and they can use the book to hide any valuables or secret possessions in plain sight!

(Ahem. It’s also great for hiding a stash of candy you don’t want anyone else to eat.)

You can create your own or puchase a Hollow Book Safe from Amazon.com or Etsy.com. Some of them even come with keys!

If you’re into DIY, I’ve created step-by-step instructions for making your own Hollow Book Safe.

HOW TO MAKE A HOLLOW BOOK SAFE

S’mores Kit for Camping

Princess Diana - September 15, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets, Gifts for Him, Kids

It’s funny how your birthday plans change as you grow older. Instead of a fun night out on the town, this year I wanted to celebrate my birthday by going camping outdoors with my husband and son.

We’ve only taken my son camping once before and I was excited to continue want I wanted to become a family tradition.

When my boss heard about my big plans to go camping during my birthday weekend, it inspired her birthday gift to me.

She gave me a S’mores Kit for Camping which included an 8-piece marshmallow roasting fork set, a box of graham crackers, a package of Hershey’s milk chocolates, and a bag of marshmallows.

“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!

A Minion Laughs | Get Well Gift

Princess Diana - September 7, 2015 - Get Well

I hate that six-letter word. Cancer.

minion-laughing-action-figure-get-well-gift

Laughter is the best medicine.

It never comes alone. It always brings its ugly friends – Fear, Anxiety, and Pain.

We can’t help but ask God, “Why??”

When someone we care about finds out they have cancer or some other major health issue, we may struggle to find the right words to say or the right thing to do that might provide comfort and hope to their situation.

I’ve found that one of the best things you can do for someone who is sick or ill is to make them laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, and it’s completely natural with no nasty side effects!

When Queen Darlene finished her radiation treatments for breast cancer, I gave her a gift to celebrate. What thoughtful gift did I get her? I gave her a kids toy. But not just any toy – a Despicable Me Minion Stuart Laughing Action Figure.

Employee Brag Bell | Give Public Recognition

Princess Diana - September 1, 2015 - 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: