Posts Tagged: "party"

Pep Rally Office Retirement Party

Queen Darlene - November 3, 2016 - Birthday, Business, Retirement

Our office landscape is changing due to the retirement of baby boomers. We’ve already had three retire this year!

When a longtime employee is retiring, it can get teary-eyed and emotional but a fun office retirement party will bring out the celebration and laughter.

Phil retired after 30 years and for his send-off we organized a pep rally style retirement party with six employees participating as “cheerleaders.”

Each cheerleader had a card with a letter that together spelled R-E-T-I-R-E. Individually, they would raise their card with their letter and enthusiastically call out, “Give me an R” and the audience would loudly reply “R.”

The next cheerleader would hold their card up and say “Give me an E” and so on until the word R-E-T-I-R-E had been spelled.

To further excite the crowd in the room, the cheerleaders asked in unison, “What does it spell?” The audience would scream their response, “RETIRE!” This went on a couple more times. Continue Reading

Let Them Eat Cake Pops

Queen Darlene - May 26, 2016 - Anniversary, Baby Shower, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Congratulations, Father's Day, Graduation, Housewarming, Kids, Mother's Day, Retirement, Teacher Gifts

In our family, cake has always been the go-to dessert for celebrations, either homemade or bakery bought. But now I’ve discovered a new fun dessert – Cake Pops!

Cake Pops are a one-bite-size cake balls on a stick. They are soooo creatively cute and perfect for birthdays, graduations, holidays, baby and bridal showers, Mother’s Day, retirements and more.

I brought Cake Pops to a birthday and retirement party and they were a big hit with everyone! Lays’ best-known slogan “Betcha Can’t Eat Just One” is certainly true for cake balls!

You can order Cake Pops in different flavors and have them decorated in pretty much any colors, shapes and themes to make beautiful edible gifts!

Cake Pops Gift Ideas:

Flowers – Mom
Favorite Sports Team Colors – Gift for Him
Apples – Teachers
Rattles, Babies – Baby Showers
Graduation Hat – Graduate
Super Heroes, Elmo, Ninja Turtle, Mickey Mouse – Kids
Snowman, Reindeer – Christmas Party, Business Gifts
Bunnies – Easter
Mummies – Halloween

Bird Feeder & People Feeder | Unique Gift

Queen Darlene - September 10, 2015 - Birthday, Food & Drinks, Host, Housewarming

For a birthday gift, I received a beautiful mosiac glass bird feeder. It was too pretty to let the birds poop on it so I made a decision to turn it into something else – a people feeder!

We love having celebrations at our house for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, Christmas, and all the holidays in between. Food and games are the center of our family celebrations.

On the kitchen table, I placed my decorative bird feeder filled with peanut and plain M&Ms. My family and friends loved the idea of nibbling from the “people feeder.”

Because the bird feeder aka people feeder was such a hit, I decided to give something similar as a gift.

I purchased a beautiful bird feeder and a giant bag of M&Ms and called my gift “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” since it’s perfect to use for get-togethers with family and friends.

It’s also a thoughtful twist for a unique housewarming gift. It can be used immediately for a delicious snack and a fun conversation piece!

Easy Peasy Money Tree Topiary

Princess Diana - August 10, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Graduation, Kids, Money

I like DIY crafts only if the’re easy peasy. So if you’re like me, you’ll love this easy and creative way to give cash as a gift – the money tree topiary!

It’s beautiful, decorative and memorable. Also, unlike a lot of other money gifts, the money tree topiary doesn’t require you to fold or roll any bills. If you can pinch and pin, you can create this DIY money gift in no time!

ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:

dowel rod (I cut the one I bought down to 14 inches)
small pot
foam ball (I used a 5 inch ball)
foam that fits snugly inside pot (I used floral foam)
greening pins also called floral pins (They are U-shaped)
burlap ribbon for the base (You can also use moss, decorative stones or decorative rocks)
colored ribbon for the dowel rod

Bachelorette Party Gift | Lipstick Kisses Picture Frame

Princess Diana - February 17, 2015 - $20 or Less, Wedding

I love the tradition of the Bachelorette Party. Having the bride’s girl friends all together for a girl’s night out is FUN FUN FUN!

Bachelorette Parties are also a big deal because friends will drive in or fly in from long distances for the special occasion of kissing the bachelorette’s single life goodbye!

lipstick-kisses-bachelorette-party-thoughtful-gift

BEFORE (click to enlarge)

For my best friend’s Bachelorette Party, I wanted a way for her to remember our fun weekend in Dallas and everyone who attended.

For her gift, I gave her a picture frame that said, “Sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs to find your Prince Charming.”

When she opened it, I told her that wasn’t the entire gift. I said the picture frame has a wide mat so everyone can add their lipstick kiss to it and sign their name below their kiss. I also told her that she can later use the picture frame to hold a group photo of all the girls from her Bachelorette Party weekend.

A Private Music Concert | Unique & Thoughtful Gift

Princess Diana - November 18, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Business, Christmas, Experiences, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day

When my mother Robyn turned 50 years old, her six children wanted to show her just how much we love her. Our gift needed to leave a mark on her memory as big as the mark she had made in our hearts and lives.

Private Music Concert Meaningful Gift Idea

My mother and grandfather sing and clap along to the music Edgar Cruz plays on his guitar.

Instead of having her children one at a time, our mother pretty much had us all at once. My parents adopted my two brothers (Garry and Kevin), my two sisters (Jeny and Julia) and me so my siblings and I could stay together. A few years later, we added Ochi to our family.

That still blows my mind because I didn’t have Aiden until I was 30. My parents were in their late 20s when they opened their hearts and home to five kids ranging from ages five to 18! God bless them!

My brothers and sisters and I decided to DOUBLE surprise our mother on her birthday.

Reusable DIY Buffet Food Table Signs

Princess Diana - February 25, 2014 - Birthday, Christmas, Family, Host, Housewarming, Thank You

Our friends Vernon and Katie hosted a Housewarming/Super Bowl Party. Like me, Katie loves to cook and entertain and the invitation said she was providing all of the food for the party and everyone just needed to BYOB. I wanted to give them a housewarming gift that was food related, maybe even something they could use at the party.

I remembered I had come across a blog that showed how to make your own reusable DIY buffet food table signs. I was going to make them for my next get-together but hadn’t gotten around to it just yet.

I realized they would make the perfect housewarming gift! Think about it – whenever you have a bunch of food spread out on a table, it’s inevitable people are going to ask questions about what’s what.

“What’s in this bowl?
“Is this salsa hot or mild?
“What’s this dip called?”
“What type of cheese it this?”

So by setting out buffet food table signs, you’re telling people up front what’s what and eliminating having to answer a bunch of questions over and over. Plus, if they’re cute signs you’re just adding to your table decor!