Category "Gifts for Me"

Thoughtful Gifts for Walkers & Runners

Princess Diana - May 24, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Me

Besides quality walking or running shoes, there are some items that walkers and runners should have.

The right pair of socks is very important for both comfort and to prevent blisters. Then they need the right clothing to wick away sweat and to prevent chafing.

After that, accessories, such as ear buds, headbands, sunglasses, water bottles, hydration belts and fitness trackers, can make walking and running a more enjoyable experience.

There is one accessory that is not yet common, but should be because it saves lives. They’re small and lightweight, and they do an excellent job of making walkers and runners highly visible to motorists to avoid potentially deadly accidents.

I’m talking about LED Safety Lights designed for runners and walkers to wear.

Bluapple Keeps Produce Fresher 3X Longer

Queen Darlene - May 13, 2016 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Me, Housewarming

Wish I could have saved all the money wasted on throwing out my fruits and vegetables that went bad before I could eat them. I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Bluapple is here to “save the day” or should I say “weeks” of extending the life of your produce.

This amazing product absorbs ethylene gas that causes produce to over ripen.

I remember hearing something about ethylene gas in my high school science class. I probably thought it was something I would never need to know. Was I wrong!

The Bluapple is easy peasy to use. Just place the golf ball size Blueapple in your Crisper to keep your fruits and vegetables fresher three times longer!

A Gift Used Daily – A REALLY Good Kitchen Knife

Princess Diana - April 12, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Me, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Wedding

For a task repeated often, the right tool means everything. It can save time. It can give you a better end result. In the kitchen, the most important tool is the knife. Think of the many hours people spend cutting, chopping and slicing.

A Wusthof Classic Nakiri Vegetable Knife is a must have in any kitchen.

A lot of people cook with poor quality knives that are often dull – making them unsafe and hard to use. (Yes, I’m talking to you – my sister Julia – who’s knife I couldn’t cut an onion with!) I told her the next time I visited I would be bringing my own knife, and I was being completely serious.

A high quality sharp kitchen knife provides greater efficiency and precision so that cooking a meal becomes a much easier, quicker and more enjoyable task. I would know.

My chopping experience changed when I bought the knife recommended by Pioneer Woman herself. Ree is my blogging and cooking idol so when she recommended the Wusthof Classic Nakiri Vegetable Knife with Hollow Edge and mentioned she used it almost exclusively, I had to buy it!

Amazing Gift of Coconut Oil

Queen Darlene - March 10, 2016 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day, Teacher Gifts, Thank You

I received an amazing gift of coconut oil that really is many gifts in one! I was so surprised by the usefulness of this product.

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Friends – A spoon of Sharing

For my birthday, my friend, Janet, gave me a jar of Dr. Bronner’s Magic “All-One!” Fair Trade & Organic Coconut Oil and paired it with a cute decorative teaspoon.

Over the years, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on beauty products. With this gift, I discovered all I really needed was coconut oil.

Passing Down Family Heirlooms

Queen Darlene - January 7, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Family, Gifts for Me, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Wedding

My husband’s job transferred him to Albuquerque in 1984. It was the first time either one of us had lived more than 10 miles from family. We were excited about our new adventure, and at the same time sad to leave our very close-knit family behind.

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Rose Bowl from Germany was given to my grandmother by her mother.

We moved into a new and larger home so I needed more wall decorations.

This was before we had the Internet so I visited several furniture stores, but had difficulty finding pictures I liked in my price range.

We lived several months without anything on the walls until one day I was making room to store old dishes passed down to me by my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother. Continue Reading

The Gift of Happy Feet

Princess Diana - December 8, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day

When I traveled for a work conference to Las Vegas, I knew I would do miles of walking, and I didn’t want my feet to blister and ache.

Since wearing tennis shoes wasn’t an option, I decided it was time to invest in some high quality shoes with built-in arch support.

Giving myself the gift of happy feet made the biggest difference in the world!

Not once did my feet hurt during my four-day trip even though I walked long distances each day traveling from my hotel to the convention center and back multiple times and walking to various hotels in the evenings to go to shows and restaurants.

I’ve been to Las Vegas several times before, but this is the first trip where I made the comfort of my feet a priority. At least I’m getting wiser as I get older! I still shudder at the memories of the excruciating pain I put my feet through during my 20s.

I’ve learned that when my feet are happy, I’m happy! And that it’s worth the extra money to pay for high quality shoes that provide remarkably better comfort, materials and design.

Waterproof & Fireproof Home Safe | Wedding or Housewarming Gift

Princess Diana - July 7, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Graduation, Housewarming, Wedding

Two weeks before some friends left for a family trip to Europe, their home flooded. A terrible experience.

But the real disaster occurred when they realized their fireproof home safe was NOT waterproof. Inside they found their passports completely ruined. Panic attack!

They scrambled to get a new set of passports issued to them. After paying hefty fees to get them expedited, they received them just in time. But still. Definitely not a situation they ever want to repeat. Ever.

Let this be a lesson that a fireproof safe is not enough. You need to purchase a Waterproof & Fireproof Home Safe if you really want to protect valuables inside your home. When you go to the store to purchase this item, make sure to read the boxes carefully because most of the home safes for sale only protect from fire.

Just like fire extinguishers, a safe is an item most people forget to purchase for their home. But it’s important because it provides security and peace of mind.

That’s why a Waterproof & Fireproof Home Safe makes a thoughtful wedding, housewarming, birthday or Christmas gift. It’s also a great gift for yourself if you don’t already have one!

To add a “thoughtful twist” to this gift idea, include a list of the types of documents and items they may want to include in their new safe.

More Free Time | Gift Certificate for Personal Assistant Service

Princess Diana - June 30, 2015 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day

Life is filled with many tasks that need to get done but bring us no joy in doing them. We look at our to-do list and groan.

Laundry. Dry cleaning. Yard work. Grocery shopping. House cleaning. Getting an oil change. Going to the post office. Organizing a room or closet. Running errands. The list goes on. There are a million other things we’d rather do.

We work hard all week and instead of using our free time to relax or to spend quality time with friends and family, we’re stressed out trying to complete these mundane but necessary tasks because if we didn’t… we would be stressed out they didn’t get done.

No clean clothes or no food in the fridge? No thank you. But how can we break the cycle of stress and feeling overwhelmed for ourselves or for someone we care about? The answer is a personal assistant.

Give someone more free time and peace of mind by giving them a gift certificate for a personal assistant service. They can delegate the tasks they don’t have time for or don’t enjoy.

Relax & De-stress With Coloring Books for Adults

Queen Darlene - June 3, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Get Well, Gifts for Me, Teacher Gifts

This is one of those ideas you say to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of this?” Coloring Books for Adults! The idea is to help adults de-stress and slow down our crazy-busy-every-minute-of the-day-life.

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Adult Coloring Books

I first heard of the Coloring Books for Adults on NPR. The guest explained how life has become more stressful in this fast-paced world because we are always connected by smart phones and computers. Her advice – disconnect from your electronic devices and color.

Disconnect? How many times have I wanted and needed to do that?

Have you ever seen a child that is coloring stressed out? Nope, me neither!

Coloring books for adults are perfect for friends, family members or co-workers who are extremely busy and who could use a little help to unwind and relax. Coloring will bring back their carefree days of childhood with no grown-up worries. Heck, you should try it for yourself!

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