Category "Christmas"

Small Living Christmas Tree | Caregiver Gift

Queen Darlene - December 14, 2017 - Christmas, Retirement

My co-worker, Marcia, is retiring at the end of December to care for her elderly mother. To celebrate her retirement another co-worker, Linda, gave her a small decorated living Christmas tree.

The past year has been filled with doctor appointments and hospital stays for Marcia’s mother. It left very little time or energy to decorate for the holidays.

Linda’s thoughtful gift brought surprise, joy and the Christmas spirit to both Marcia and her mother for Christmas.

They also loved the idea of planting the tree in their garden when spring arrives.

A living gift to bring cheer all year long!

With our parents aging and life expectancy lengthening, a growing number of Baby Boomers are having to care for and support their parents. It’s the new normal for many. Continue Reading

“Lazy Holder” Mount for Tablets & Smart Phones

Princess Diana - December 12, 2017 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Get Well, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Mother's Day, Retirement, Teacher Gifts

Look, life can be stressful and sometimes I just need to escape reality for a while… by watching some Netflix.

I like to close the door to my bedroom, lay on my bed, and binge watch a little.

But sometimes I’m so tired I don’t even want to hold my tablet. Hey, my hands need a break too! So what do I do? “Lazy holder” to the rescue!

Go Hands Free with a “Lazy Holder”

“Lazy holders” mount tablets and smart phones to any surface thinner than three inches.

Think headboard, nightstand, desk, coffee table, countertop, etc.

“Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” Book

Princess Diana - December 5, 2017 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

We must remember the kick ass women who came before us who didn’t take no for an answer and who showed us the greatness that can be achieved when you believe in yourself.

We must tell their stories and inspire the next generation of women to achieve their own greatness.

The book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls contains 100 true stories of 100 extraordinary women from both the past and present.

The stories are perfect for telling at bedtime because they’ve been creatively written in the fashion of fairy tales.

Bedtime Stories About Female Heroes

Apple AirPods | Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds

Queen Darlene - November 30, 2017 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Mother's Day

It’s so nice to ask a family member what they want for Christmas, and they know exactly what they want!

My son, Braden, is THE IT TECH GUY in our family. Since he also works in IT, he is always experiencing or researching the newest technology.

Thoughtful Techie Gift

His “wish list” was one item–Apple AirPods Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds.

On the job, Braden likes to listen to music while working on tech stuff (that’s as technical as I can get), and he must be available at all times to take incoming calls.

With a tap of the AirPods, he can switch from listening to music to answering his iPhone. AMAZING!

AirPods deliver five hours of listening time on one charge, and it has a charging case that holds additional charges for more than 24 hours of listening time. Continue Reading

Artisanal Ice Cream in Fun Flavors

Princess Diana - November 28, 2017 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Family, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Gifts for Him, Host, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Wedding

Really good ice cream in fun flavors. That’s what I want. Any time of year.

One of my favorite flavors is goat cheese ice cream. Hey. Don’t knock it until you try it. Trust me.

One time a friend bought me a pint of Jeni’s Goat Cheese with Red Cherries. Absolute heaven!

Have you heard of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams? It’s an artisan ice cream company, which means real people use real (vs. synthetic) ingredients to make the highest quality ice cream.

The company is known for always coming out with fun, inventive flavors!

iFLY Indoor Skydiving

Queen Darlene - November 17, 2017 - Anniversary, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Experiences, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day

I’ve always wanted to skydive but jumping out of an airplane just didn’t make a lot of sense the older I became.

My sister-in-law gave me a gift certificate to iFLY so I could fulfill my dream closer to the ground!

Indoor Skydiving

iFLY is indoor skydiving that simulates true free fall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel.

Their motto of “It’s where the dream of flight becomes a reality” really happened for me!

At age 65 I’m no spring chicken (a phrase my mother-in-law would say) but there have been lots of elderly people who have been brave enough to skydive.

I hoped the wind tunnel would help me decide if I was just satisfied doing a simulation or if I needed to do the real thing. Continue Reading

MoviePass | Watch One Movie in Theaters Every Day

Princess Diana - November 14, 2017 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Family, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Graduation, Kids, Retirement, Valentine's Day

Some people love being able to watch movies on their home entertainment system, but others love the original movie watching experience–in an actual movie theater!

They want a cinematic experience that involves sitting in a dark theater watching a film on a three-story screen while listening to the audio come out of a massive speaker system. For them, it’s just not the same watching movies at home.

There is another reason some people love going to the movies.

They want to see a movie as soon as it comes out. They don’t want to wait months for it to become available on Redbox, on Netflix or on DVD.

Psst. I personally love the social aspect of watching horror movies inside a crowded theater–to feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together in anticipation or to hear a blood curdling screen come from someone sitting in the row behind you.

Recreate the Pose of a Famous Photo

Queen Darlene - November 2, 2017 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Retirement

My boss, Dennis, loves the Beatles. And yes, he’s a baby boomer! His favorite album is Abbey Road with John, Paul, Ringo and George walking across a striped crosswalk on the cover.

The Beatles had many famous photo albums but this may be their fans’ most favorite.

For one of his retirement gifts, I recreated the famous Beatles photo with Dennis and his three Team Leaders who have worked with him for 20 years.

I scoped out the many streets in our city and found the white stripes in an intersection that would allow us to recreate the photo.

Regift Swap Party

Princess Diana - October 24, 2017 - Christmas

The holidays gift giving season is fast approaching! Are you ready?

Have you started working on your gift list?

Have you purged your home to make room for the new items you and your family will undoubtedly receive?

Let me suggest something that addresses the two questions above, and now is the perfect time to start planning for it. It’s a fun time with friends that’s also friendly on your wallet!

Host a Regift Swap Party by inviting friends over to trade BRAND-NEW items–nice things that could be given as gifts.

Peek-A-Boo Dog Lamp | Animal Lover Gift

Queen Darlene - October 20, 2017 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Kids, Mother's Day, Thank You

Have you ever thought about a gift for someone but didn’t have a clue what to give?

Yeah, me too but when I see it, I know it!

That’s exactly what happened when I spotted this cute decorative peek-a-boo dog lamp at the Oklahoma Designer Show House.

Randy and I enjoy spending Sunday afternoons walking through beautiful homes with the newest floor plans, decorating trends, and unique furnishings.

While looking at the latest designer show home, I saw the “when I see it, I know it” gift.