Posts Tagged: "holiday"

Namesake Keepsake Ornament

Princess Diana - December 19, 2017 - Christmas

For me, one of my favorite parts of having children is picking baby names.

Boy did I have fun with it! Especially with my sons’ middle names.

My oldest son, Aiden, was born in 2012 during the Year of the Dragon so his middle name became Dragen. For my youngest son, Axl, I picked King because dragons and kings always appear together in stories… and it’s just sounds cool!

Keepsake Ornament Christmas Gift

I believe every kid should have their own special ornament on the Christmas tree so for both of my boys I gave them Namesake Keepsake Ornaments.

Hanging on our Christmas tree is a dragon ornament for Aiden and a crown ornament for Axl.

Plan A Surprise Party on a Holiday

Princess Diana - May 31, 2017 - Anniversary, Birthday, Going Away, Graduation, Retirement

My husband, Kevin, graduated with this Master’s degree this year. To celebrate such a major accomplishment, I decided to throw him a surprise party.

I schemed with his parents who was hosting the graduation party in their home. After checking with each other, the only date in May that worked with both of our schedules was Mother’s Day. Oh no!

That was my initial reaction. But after thinking about it, I realized there is NO WAY he would see this surprise party coming.

A graduation party on Mother’s Day? Who would do that?!

Planning a surprise party on a holiday provides the perfect cover story.

The Perfect Cover Story

I simply told Kevin we needed to go to his parents’ house because for a Mother’s Day brunch. He easily believed it. I didn’t need to concoct some elaborate story to get him there.

Do you have people coming from out of town? They can say they’re coming into town for the holiday.

Homemade Peppermint Sugar Scrub

Princess Diana - December 13, 2016 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Family, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day, Party Favors, Teacher Gifts

Do you know what I love about homemade things? You know exactly what goes into it.

The ingredients don’t have weird scientific names like maltodextrin and sodium nitrate because you’re making it in your kitchen and not in some laboratory.

My Homemade Peppermint Sugar Scrub recipe contains only four natural ingredients:

white granulated sugar
almond oil
peppermint essential oil
raspberry juice (for red food coloring)

It’s a homemade natural beauty product that makes a great holiday gift because it smells amazing and it looks so pretty when layered in red and white candy cane stripes inside a clear jar.

7 Gifts to Give Children at Christmas

Princess Diana - November 24, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Have you ever heard of toy hangover? Kids may not recognize it, but parents sure will.

Toy hangover occurs the day after Christmas or a birthday when kids are walking around dazed and confused after consuming too many toys in a short period of time.

Instead of dazed and confused, parents feel stressed and overwhelmed.

Where is all this stuff going to go?

I came across a toy hangover cure I’m going to start this year. It’s an easy solution to how to shop for children at Christmas (or birthdays) so you end up with quality instead of quantity.

You are limited to seven gifts for each child. Don’t freak out on me. Having a limit is a good thing.

By having a a set limit, it forces you to think very carefully and thoughtfully about what those seven gifts will be.

These seven gifts are from the parent(s)/Santa. If you feel like you’re being Scrooge-ish, just remember your kids will receive additional gifts from family and friends.

There is a more important reason than preventing toy hangovers as to why I want to decrease the amount of Christmas gifts my kids receive. I don’t want the primary focus of Christmas to be gifts. Yes, gift giving is a fun holiday tradition but it’s not the reason for the season.

Celebrate National Hug Your Boss Day

Princess Diana - October 18, 2016 - Business

Even if you like your boss, the thought of physically hugging them might make you cringe. Your boss may not want you hugging them either.

Let me take the awkwardness out of National Hug Your Boss Day that takes place in September each year.

Instead of giving real hugs, give your boss or supervisor Hershey’s Hugs with a handwritten note or card. If you appreciate that your boss makes coming to work enjoyable, you should let him or her know. Make sure to give specifics on reasons why you’re glad to have that person as your boss.

Does your boss trust you to get the work done instead of micro-managing? Does your boss share information openly and candidly? Does your boss take time to appreciate you as a person instead of just an employee? Is your boss supportive of work-life balance?

Celebrate Obscure Holidays

Princess Diana - July 1, 2016 - $20 or Less, Business

Do you ever need a reason to celebrate? I’ve got hundreds of them for you.

Almost 365 reasons really because there exists an obscure holiday on almost every day of the year. How is this a thoughtful gift idea?

Because people will love you for turning an ordinary day into an unexpected celebration!

If you work in an office, you’ll be giving your co-workers an opportunity to take a break from staring at their computers to have a little bit of excitement and variety.

Take this scenario. It’s a typical Monday at the office. You surprise everyone with s’mores because it’s National S’mores Day! Your co-workers enjoy eating their delicious snack, and it makes them feel like a kid again thanks to you!

Bosses, supervisors and managers can use obscure holidays related to food (think Sundae Day and Pie Day!) to show some love to their employees.

On Popcorn Day, you could give your friends, family members or co-workers flavored popcorn. Oreo Popcorn is my favorite and it’s easy to make!

You could also place an unpopped bag of popcorn on your co-workers’ desks with a small note about it being National Popcorn Day. They’ll appreciate the snack and the fact that you thought of them, making it a thoughtful gift!

Here is a list of some obscure holidays that would be fun to celebrate. View a more comprehensive list.

Happy 4th of July Photo Greeting Cards

Princess Diana - June 14, 2016 - $20 or Less, Family, Kids

Kids grow up so fast. Their appearance changes even faster which is why us parents love to take a gazillion photos. We don’t want to forget how they looked today because they may look different tomorrow.

Think about how your friends and family feel when they only receive photos of your kiddo(s) at Christmas time. It’s torture having to wait an entire year to see how they’ve grown!

When my son was born, I started sending photo greeting cards to my family and friends for Christmas and for Independence Day. That way they get an updated photo of Aiden every six months.

It’s also a fun surprise for everyone since no one expects to receive a Happy 4th of July card in the mail! I always get great feedback.

Announce Big News With Yard Greeting Signs

Princess Diana - March 29, 2016 - Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Congratulations, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Graduation, Kids, Military/Veterans, Mother's Day, Retirement, Valentine's Day

Why buy a card when you can say it in the yard?

When you have big news, you want to share it with the world! You could post about it on Facebook or Twitter, but that’s so predictable.

If you really want to create buzz, announce your big news with yard greeting signs.

Yard greeting sign and lawn ornament companies like OklahomaYardGreetings.com will spell out a personalized message using large letters and graphics. You can rent the signs for a day or a week, it’s up to you!

Imagine your loved one’s reaction when they pull up in front of their house or walk outside their front door. They’ll be completely surprised!

Yard greeting signs also make a great photo op. Take photos that are perfect for sharing on social media!

Limousine Ride to Look at Christmas Lights

Princess Diana - December 2, 2015 - Christmas, Experiences, Kids

Every year when I visit, my nieces look forward to my gift of an experience. They know not to expect wrapped presents from me.

One year, I took them to a Renaissance Fair complete with a live jousting match, and another year I took them to a child-friendly version of the play “A Christmas Carol.” Last year, I surprised them with a limousine ride to look at Christmas lights.

I rented the limousine for three hours. During that time, we rocked out to the radio on full volume, sipped on sparkling white grape juice, snacked on cheese and grapes, snapped group photos in front of pretty Christmas light displays, and ordered food at a Wendy’s drive-thru.

A Berry Delicious 4th of July Treat

Princess Diana - July 5, 2014 - $20 or Less, Food & Drinks

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQHJNNX3QBY&feature=youtu.be

Simple. Delicious. Makes people say, “Wow!”

It’s also berry patriotic.

I’m all about dishes that take little time to make but make a BIG impression. Sorry Martha Stewart, but I’m a busy girl.

You can create this berry delicious 4th of July treat that looks like the American flag in minutes. Yes, minutes.