Posts Tagged: "birthday"

Thank You Card Using Photo of Your Child

Princess Diana - November 4, 2014 - Thank You

Do you have a photo of your son or daughter that you know will get people to say, “Awwww… so cute!”?

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Glue a cute photo of your child to the front of a blank note card for a thoughtful thank you card!

That’s exactly what you’ll need for making this thank you card using a photo of your child.

When my son turned two years old, I wrote thank you cards to everyone who gave him a gift. Even though my son isn’t old enough to make or write his own thank you cards, I still wanted his thank you cards to be representative of him and his Oklahoma City Thunder basketball-themed birthday party.

I purchased blank note cards in the Thunder’s team colors, blue and orange, and made multiple 4X4 prints of a close-up photo I took of my son at his birthday party. In the photo, he is wearing his Thunder basketball jersey.

Not only is the photo adorable, but it will remind everyone of his birthday party!

Easy Peasy Birthday Money Box

Princess Diana - October 7, 2014 - Birthday, Graduation, Kids, Money

httpvh://youtu.be/4-foPlkBl2Y

I once found out about a family member’s birthday party the day before. I freaked out at first! What should I get a teenage boy on such short notice??

The birthday money box contains a really long strand of cash.

That’s when I thought of the perfect thoughtful gift idea that anyone can create at the last-minute – a birthday money box.

Money is something every teenager wants, and the birthday money box I could easily create with items I already had at home.

The birthday money box is fun to give and receive because when the gift recipient pulls on the card that says “PULL UP,” they will be surprised with a really long strand of cash that continues to come out as they keep pulling and pulling and pulling!

HOW TO CREATE A BIRTHDAY MONEY BOX

Here are the items you will need:

cash
small empty tissue cube box with a cute design
card stock paper
pen or printer
transparent tape

Birthday Card Blitz | 80 Cards for 80 Years

Queen Darlene - September 4, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday

httpvh://youtu.be/1d8n7zvNISs

My mother was turning 80 years old. After 80 birthdays, how could we make this a unique birthday for her?

I came up with the idea of family and friends sending her birthday cards. That’s nothing new, but for that thoughtful twist the goal was for her to receive 80 cards by her 80th birthday! My brother and I called family and friends to put the birthday card blitz in action.

If you have been following my blog, you know my mother was deaf and I’m all about giving her gifts that are visual experiences. Like the year I popped out of a box.

On another birthday, I treated her and several of her deaf friends to a local diner that cooked fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans just like her mother, my Grandma, used to cook. Afterwards, I took them all to the Science Museum Oklahoma for fun hands-on-experiences. Mom and her friends loved her birthday party!

Mom knew my boss and several of my co-workers so I purchased birthday cards ready with stamps so all they had to do was to address the envelope, sign the card, and mail it. I asked my co-workers, who my mother didn’t know, to wish Mom a Happy 80th Birthday anyway. So that there was a connection, I requested they write in the card they worked with me and something nice about me – anything that would thrill a mother to read about her daughter.

The Big 1-0 | Happy 10th Birthday Gift

Queen Darlene - July 31, 2014 - Birthday, Experiences, Kids

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnuscXvcb14&feature=youtu.be

Growing up, I could not wait to turn 10 years old and thought it would never get here soon enough. I was so excited to have a two digit number, the big 1-0 for my Happy 10th Birthday! It was a big deal to turn 10. Even the word “ten” sounded so much older!

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My nephew, Carson, was also excited about turning the big 1-0 this year so my sister-in-law, Lesa, and I brainstormed about giving him 10 different experiences for his Happy 10th Birthday gift.

We purchased gift cards or certificates to local arcades for mini-golf, laser tag, bowling, kayaking, zip line, and a gift card to McDonald’s. We placed all of the gift cards and gift certificates in a new wallet and placed a $10 bill inside.

Lottery Ticket Bouquet | 40th Birthday Gift

Princess Diana - July 17, 2014 - Birthday, Gift Baskets

I hate it when people say that turning 40 (or any other age) sucks or blows. My thinking is that if we don’t get older, WE’RE DEAD!

A bouquet made of 40 scratch-off lottery tickets makes a great 40th birthday gift.

So I never regret turning a year older. Like fine wine, women just get better with age.

My boss Holley turned 40 this year so I wanted to put a positive spin to her new age. For her birthday gift, I made her a lottery ticket bouquet made of 40 $1 lottery tickets.

I added a gift tag that reads, “Some people say that turning 40 sucks. Here’s 40 chances that this year brings you good luck!”

“Mighty Fine” | Remembering Gramps’ Personal Saying

Queen Darlene - June 3, 2014 - Birthday, Father's Day, Gifts for Him

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjkVcRULZI&feature=youtu.be

My father-in-law, Gene Drew, was a very kind and quiet man who would sometimes surprise us with his humorous wit. I always thought my husband got his wit from his mother but he also got it from his dad. Randy even laughs like his dad. There’s no denying it. We are our parents!

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When Gene spoke, the message was plain, simple and always thought through. There was never misunderstanding what he said.

He was a WWII Veteran and like so many of his time, they did not talk about the war. Instead, they got busy workin’, raisin’ families and livin’!

Gene could fix anything. Cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers – you name it, he repaired it! He could make anything out of left over stuff. He made a work table on wheels once out of an old air conditioning unit. In his later years, he helped his grandchildren make science fair projects. He was amazing!

Gramps, as we all fondly called him, passed away in July of 2011 just shy of his 90th birthday. At his funeral, his youngest son Kyle gave the eulogy. He spoke about all of the wonderful things he instilled in his children not by doing so much talking but by his actions.

When he did talk, Gramps had a personal saying he always used for anything good – “Mighty Fine.” Kyle reminded us that when he learned to ride his bike or came home with news of getting on the baseball team, Gramps would always say that’s “Mighty Fine.”

When as a kid he asked, “Dad, what do you think about Jesus returning?” Gramps slowly took his pipe out of his mouth and said, “I think it would be mighty fine!”

All Day Flower Deliveries

Queen Darlene - April 22, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

My mother-in-law Betty was turning 80. Seriously, what do you get someone who has everything?

Betty loves roses so I decided to get her a LOT of them.

We found a flower shop willing to make deliveries to her home every two hours on her birthday. Each bouquet of roses was delivered with an “original” poem from a family member.

Don’t let the poem part stress you out. They were simple. Like this one.
Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Happy Birthday
and We Love You Too!

The first two deliveries were a dozen roses. The next four deliveries were 14 roses each to equal 80. One was from my father-in-law, three from each of her children and their spouses, and the last two were from her grandchildren.

Her living room looked like a flower shop there were so many different colored roses everywhere!

What NOT To Do – Easter Birthday Party Gift Favor

Queen Darlene - April 17, 2014 - Kids, Party Favors

My brother-in-law Kyle is 20 years younger than my husband Randy. Kyle was a late-in-life baby and born before Randy and I got married. When Randy found out he excitedly asked his best friend Curtis, “Guess whose pregnant?” Curtis thought Randy was talking about me and when Randy realized this he said, “Oh no…it’s not Darlene. It’s my Mom!”

Darlene & brothers holding live baby Easter chicks in 1960.

At the time we had been dating for almost four years when I asked Randy, “What did you expect him to think?” We have laughed many times over it. With all of that said, Kyle became my “practice kid.” I helped with the fun part of raising a child, the parties, games, gifts and party favors – the gift you give away to your guests when they leave your birthday party.

Random Acts of Kindness for Your Own or Someone Else’s Birthday

Princess Diana - March 25, 2014 - Birthday, Experiences, Gifts for Me

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUw92wHDbSk&feature=youtu.be

When my friend Erin turned 34 years old, she posted the following message on Facebook:

pay it forward popcorn taped to Redbox machine

Pay It Forward Idea – Tape a package of microwaveable popcorn to a Redbox machine along with a note!

Friends and family – I am on a quest to complete 34 random acts of kindness today in honor of my birthday… will you help? Pretty please!?

It can be as simple as buying the order of the person in the drive through behind you, helping someone load their groceries in the car or taping quarters to the candy machines at the mall. It can be done at anytime and anywhere!

And if you wouldn’t mind sharing with me (send me a text, give me a call, post it on my Facebook wall), I would love nothing else on my birthday than to hear about all the nice things being done for others! I am starting today with volunteering at the Oklahoma City Regional Food Bank until noon if anyone would like to come and join!