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Queen Darlene

April Showers Bring May Flowers | Rain Boots

Queen Darlene - April 2, 2015 - Birthday, Get Well, Kids, Mother's Day

If you need a gift for a female friend or loved one whose birthday is in the spring, keep in mind the classic rhyme “April showers bring May flowers.”

As a matter of fact, it’s two gifts in one!

Give her rain boots for those spring rains and, for that “thoughtful twist,” the rain boots double as flower vases. Place her favorite flowers in a hidden vase inside each boot! Voilà!

Paired together, the rain boots and flowers make an eye-catching combination!

It’s also easy peasy to put together, and there are many choices of rain boots with various colors and designs in stores or on-line.

Your friend or loved one will be glad to have cute rain boots to wear during downpours, and the beautiful spring flowers will bring a smile to her face!

I remember as a kid wearing rubber rain boots and splashing through puddles after a big rain. It was just pure fun!

Large Print | At a Glance Calendar

Queen Darlene - March 26, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Mother's Day

Are you always looking for your reading glasses? I know I am! Large print has become my friend.

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Click to enlarge

The print on my iPhone is so large that only one or two words appear at a time per line. My younger friends have difficulty reading it that way but oh… how it make it so much easier to read my texts!

What if you have macular degeneration? Think of how difficult it would be to do everyday tasks and the frustration of not seeing clearly. This is the world in which my 91 year old step-father lives.

So for the past several Christmases, I have given him a large print At a Glance Calendar. He hangs it in his kitchen where he can easily see it. What a difference it has made! Continue Reading

Cookie Monster in a Cookie Jar

Queen Darlene - March 19, 2015 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Food & Drinks, Kids

My niece loves stuffed animals that sing, talk or play music and I wanted to give her fancy chocolate chip cookies for her birthday. Hmmm? How to combine the two as a gift?

Who likes chocolate chip cookies more than anyone else? Cookie Monster, of course! “Me want cookie!”, “Me eat cookie!”, and “Om nom nom nom” said the Cookie Monster through a mouth full of cookies.

I found the perfect Cookie Monster stuffed animal singing a song by counting from one to 20 cookies. For a thoughtful twist, I purchased a large cookie jar so he would fit inside. Cookie Monster in a Cookie Jar!

We do not want Cookie Monster eating the fancy cookies so I placed the cookies outside the jar. Cute! Huh?

This was the centerpiece for Whitney’s birthday party. It was a hit and everyone loved choosing their own cookie.

Grandparents Day for a Child Without One

Queen Darlene - March 12, 2015 - $20 or Less, Catch All, Experiences, Kids

My friend, Jody, told me her son, Austin, was crying because he no longer had any living grandparents to take to Grandparents Day at school. He lost his grandfather earlier in the year.

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“Grandmother” & “Grandson”

I have known Austin since the day he was born and could not stand it that he was heartbroken. I told Jody to have him call me. I would go as his grandparent. When Austin called, I asked him, “Do you want a young grandmother or an old one?”

In my mid-forties at the time, I prepared to be a young grandmother but as luck would have it, he asked for “old!”

I told him, “Old is what you want, old is what you will get!” Continue Reading

Bicycle Gift for All Ages

Queen Darlene - March 5, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day

Waking up Christmas morning to find a bicycle under the tree is a memory that lasts a life time!

Receiving a bicycle as a birthday gift also makes for an exciting and memorable moment.Who says the fun has to stop when we become adults?

Our grandparents surprised my brothers with new Schwinn Sting Ray bikes for Christmas in the 1960s. They went everywhere on them and rode from morning until dark. Many of you who are Baby Boomers remember doing this too.

My husband and I purchased bicycles in our early married life. We would ride through neighborhoods looking at new houses and wondered, “What do people do to afford $35,000 homes?” That sure was a looooong time ago!

When my son was almost one year old, I told my husband I wanted a bicycle with a baby seat for Mother’s Day. Dustin loved riding with me. It was a wonderful way to exercise especially carrying that extra weight–not mine–my baby!

The last bike I received was for my 59th birthday from my mother. It happened to be one of the last gifts she gave me before she passed away. It’s pink because my mother thought it was the perfect color for her daughter! Continue Reading

List of Things I Love About You | Anniversary Gift

Queen Darlene - February 27, 2015 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Valentine's Day

My dearest friend, Janiece, celebrated her 43rd wedding anniversary by coming up with a list of 43 things she loved about her husband, Bryan. He’s a sentimental guy so this was a perfect anniversary gift.

He even wrote about it on Facebook and said, “Cards sometimes don’t convey what you want to say but Janiece sent this to me this morning. Means much more than any card she could have gotten.”

Here is what Janiece wrote to Bryan.

43 things about our life together that make me happy that I’ve been married to you for 43 years:

Bryan & Janiece

1. How you asked me on our first date to double date with your mom
2. When you asked me to prom
3. How awesome you were when you found out you were going to be a daddy
4. How hard you worked to make a living for the three of us
5. That you loved my parents
6. The homes you’ve built for us….strong and steady just like you
7. The home you built for my parents….they loved that house so much
8. That you never complain about my cookin’
9. The commitment to family vacations to hold us together
10. Supporting my business career. If not for you I would not have even tried.
11. I love your hair… don’t ever go bald again
12. Your strong shoulders and gentle hands and your good kisses
13. I even love that you do your own laundry
14. And you let me have my own bathroom Continue Reading

Half-Dollar Coin | Year of Birth

Queen Darlene - February 19, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Gifts for Him, Money

All birthdays are special and when you turn 75 – WOW – the things that have been witnessed, experienced and changed through the years deserves celebration!

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A half-dollar coin from the year of someone’s birth year or wedding year makes a unique and memorable gift.

Dick was born in 1939. That was the year of the largest world fair in New York. The theme was the “World of Tomorrow” where futuristic inventions were on displayed like robots and automatic dishwashers. President Roosevelt spoke on a television welcoming the attendees to the world’s fair.

WWII began in 1939, the average price of a car was $700, classic movies were The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. A gallon of gas was 10 cents and the average yearly wage was $1,730.00

The 1940s, the Greatest Generation, created things like Duct tape, Jeep, color TV, Penicillin, Silly Putty, Atomic Bomb, Slinky, Tupperware, Microwave, Velcro and Lego. Continue Reading

Healthy Hearts for Valentine’s Day | Fitness Tracker Wristband

Queen Darlene - February 14, 2015 - Anniversary, Birthday, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is where most of us (women) expect something from the heart. Such as a dinner date, movies, flowers, chocolate, jewelry or a card from our sweetie.

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Healthy Hearts for Valentine’s Day

Randy and I enjoy surprising each other with gifts and sometimes we decide together on a gift for Valentine’s Day.

I told my husband I wanted to give him a fitness tracker wristband for Valentine’s Day but did not know which kind. I asked him to go online, and together we researched fitness trackers.

I knew once he started looking it would perk his interest. He loves gadgets! Do I know him or what?

As we were researching, Randy asked if I wanted one. “Yes, I want us both to be healthier,” I told him. We eat healthy and stay active but we no longer set aside time to exercise on a regular basis, and this would be a great way for us to get fit.

A Romantic Bed & Breakfast Getaway

Queen Darlene - February 13, 2015 - Anniversary, Experiences, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is all about love and romance. Looking for something that will say that in a big way? Well, I have a lovely and romantic gift idea. Instead of buying flowers and chocolates spend that money on a Bed & Breakfast getaway.

Step away from the fast pace of the every day world and spend time focused on one another. Renew, rekindle and have a romantic fall-in-love-again-experience with the one you adore.

You can explore everything from luxury Bed & Breakfasts to sprawling inns. B&Bs offer different amenities such as themed suites, king or queen size beds, balcony/deck, in-room fireplace, in-room Jacuzzi for two, flat screen TVs, fitness facilities, hot tub, couple massages and spa.

Some have hiking trails and horseback riding while others are nearby art museums and shopping. There are a few that have their own entertainment.

You can choose a Bed & Breakfast that offers group dining or that delivers a gourmet breakfast right to your door.

Love Letters for Valentine’s Day

Queen Darlene - February 5, 2015 - $20 or Less, Anniversary, Valentine's Day

Listen up guys – Love letters for Valentine’s Day trump cards, candy and flowers! Especially, if you haven’t written one in a very long time.

I wrote a post for Valentine’s Day last year on this very subject. I heard from women about how thrilled they were to get their love letters. Some letters were mailed to the office like I suggested, and others were placed strategically on kitchen counters or on bathroom sinks.

I’m telling you this is a no-fail gift for Valentine’s Day!

Now, I have a confession to make… There’s a back story to that “Mail a Handwritten Love Letter” article.

Last year, I told my husband he needed to write me a love letter so I could use it in my post. Continue Reading