Posts Tagged: "Mother’s Day"

MasterClass.com | Online Classes From Famous Celebrities

- - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Me, Graduation, Mother's Day, Retirement

I’m sure at some point everyone has probably dreamed of getting the inside scoop from a famous celebrity to learn what makes them so good at what they do.

We all want to know the secret to their success!

What can Helen Mirren teach us about how to be an award-winning actor? Or Serena Williams on how to become a tennis superstar?

Wouldn’t it be great to have the opportunity to learn first-hand from some of the world’s greatest minds?

Well, you CAN! MasterClass.com gives you that type of ACCESS and knowledge.

Online Classes From the Best Minds & Talent in the World

Learn how to become a better writer from James Patterson, Bob Woodward, R.L. Stine and Judy Blume.

Learn how to become a better cook from Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck.

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Grandparents & Grandchildren Photo Session

- - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Mother's Day

There’s nothing like going to visit Mimi and Papi!

When I tell my kids I’m taking them to their grandparents house, they whoop and jump around as if I’ve just told them I’m taking them to Disney World.

Grandchildren have a special bond with grandparents that is unique from the parent/child relationship.

My two young boys are lucky to be growing up with their Mimi and Papi living only two miles away. Since the day each of my sons were born, their grandparents have been a huge part of their lives.

They are there for the big moments–holidays, birthday parties, and soccer games. As well as the small moments–learning a new game, trying a new food, or kissing a boo boo to make it feel better.

I know one day my sons will look back on their childhood and realize how much their grandparents influenced the men they became.

Capturing Precious Memories of Grandparents With Grandchildren

As uncomfortable as it is to say… grandparents won’t be around forever. Before time slips away from us, I wanted to capture this moment in their lives so my husband and I gave his parents the gift of a Grandparents & Grandchildren Photo Session.

Mimi, Papi, and my two sons had a photo shoot just for them!

Look at these precious moments so artfully captured! We will treasure these keepsakes forever.

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Genetic DNA Testing & Analysis Kit

- - Birthday, Christmas, Family, Father's Day, Gifts for Me, Mother's Day

Imagine collecting a wealth of information about yourself, your relatives, and your ancestors based on your DNA.

Do you have to give a blood sample? Nope. Needles not necessary.

genetic-dna-testing-analysis-kit-gift

With the commercial genetic DNA testing and analysis services available, all you need to do is provide a sample of your saliva. Mail it in, and in several weeks receive a detailed genetics report based on your unique DNA.

DNA testing is very helpful in genealogy and ethnicity research. It essentially allows you to find your genetic family! If you choose, you can connect with the people in 23andMe’s database who share your DNA with you and message them.

DNA Testing Kits

I purchased for my father-in-law, Greg, a 23andMe DNA Testing Kit for Father’s Day. 23andMe based its name on the 23 pairs of chromosomes found in a human cell. Another popular kit is AncestryDNA.

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Plan A Surprise Party on a Holiday

- - 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.

plan-surprise-party-holidayI 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.

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Invite Mom to Afternoon Tea

- - Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Food & Drinks, Mother's Day

More than anything, mothers love to spend quality time with their children.

mom-afternoon-tea-experience-gift

So when thinking of gifts for her birthday, Mother’s Day or Christmas, a memorable bonding experience for the two of you to do together will always make her happy.

Consider inviting your mother for an Afternoon Tea Experience at a nice hotel, tea room or tea restaurant.

Can you hear it? The sound of a dainty china cup clicking against its saucer.

Can you feel it? The mood of stylish elegance and luxury.

Treat your mother to a lovely and charming afternoon tea with tea trays and service. (At some places, they even have tea butlers!) You and your mother can enjoy sipping tea from delicate teacups while sitting in a room filled with beautiful ambience.

Together, share in meaningful conversation while dining on delicious scones, freshly made sandwiches, and petite pastries!

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Money Bag | Two Gifts in One

- - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Money, Mother's Day

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “Money Bags?” Someone with lots of money, right?  Well… here’s a gift idea for a Money Bag (singular) that will fit anyone’s budget.

This gift is a “twofer” as my husband would say.

money-bag-thoughtful-gift-ideaPurchase a purse with lots of pockets and zippers. (For the guys, use a backpack.)

The more pockets and zippers to hide cash and coins, the more fun and surprised the recipient will be. You can either insert the bills so they are hidden or visible the moment they open their gift.

Fill the middle part of the purse with as many crumpled dollar bills needed to make it look full. Of course, the amount of cash is up to you. (When using a backpack, you may want to just fill the outer compartments with cash to make those look full.)

There you have it! A Money Bag full of money! Two gifts in one!

A beautiful purse or cool backpack and some spending cash is a memorable gift for birthdays, Christmas, graduations or Mother’s Day.

In suggesting gifts: Money is appropriate, and one size fits all. – William Randolph Hearst

Glamour Shots Makeover for 90-Year Old Grandmother

- - Birthday, Experiences, Mother's Day

How do you celebrate a 90 year old grandmother’s birthday that she can see over and over again? Take her to Glamour Shots!

glamour-shots-mother's-day-birthday-thoughtful-gift-ideaTo say the least, my family is very visual. Growing up in a deaf family, the “eyes” have it! The deaf members in my family may not be able to hear but they SEE everything!

Visual – Visual – Visual was a huge motivation for gifts to my mother, step-father, and grandparents.

I made an appointment at Glamour Shots to have my grandmother’s picture made for her 90th birthday.

The most make-up my grandmother wore was rouge. That’s what they called it in her day. We call it blush.

So when they styled her hair, applied eye make-up, foundation, and lipstick, and put her in fancy clothes and a cowboy hat, she thought “what a big fuss.” She had no idea how to “strike a pose” but they showed her and made it a big deal of how beautiful she looked, especially at 90 years of age.

She loved it and began to have fun being made up like a movie star! The final product? She looked like the famous actress Mae West!

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Mother’s Day Love From a Special Needs Daughter

- - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day

My sister-in-law Nancy is an amazing mother to her daughter, Whitney, who suffered from a brain injury at the age of four months. The doctors did not give much hope on her survival but she lived. She lives by a mother’s pure love for her child.

Then the doctors said she would never walk but she did. Nancy taught Whitney how to walk forward as she walked backwards while holding up her daughter.Mother's-Day-Banner-Gift-Sunburst-Gifts

The doctors said she would never talk but she communicates in a way her mother understands.

I am in awe of Nancy. She makes me want to be a better mother. I have also never met anyone with as much faith in God as Nancy. She praises Him for her daughter’s gift of life.

When you have a special needs daughter who is legally blind with poor hearing, your life is not considered normal. But Nancy and Whitney have created a life that is normal for them.

Did you know one in every 12 children in America is physically or mentally disabled? Mothers of disabled children earn a particularly special place on Mother’s Day, and disabled children sometimes need a little help in celebrating and expressing their love for their mother. And that’s where you and I can come in!

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Life Lessons Learned From My Mother | Custom Book

- - Birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day

So much of who we are we owe to our parents. Through their words, through their actions, through their examples, they taught us life lessons both large and small that influenced us as children and still influence us as adults. Can I get an “Amen?”

life lessons learned from mother custom bookI contacted all of my siblings and asked them to email me the things they learned from our mother growing up. I told them it could be anything as long as it made an impact on who they are today or how they live their lives.

I told them I would use their answers and mine to create a custom book titled “Life Lessons I Learned From My Mother” that we could give to our mother as a Mother’s Day present.

Collaborating with my brothers and sisters on what to include in the book made the present even better because we each came up with life lessons that the others totally agreed with but forgot about. Through teamwork, we really nailed it!

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