Posts Tagged: "time"

Best Back to School Teacher Gift

Princess Diana - August 9, 2017 - Teacher Gifts

It’s a very nice gesture to give a teacher a small gift at the beginning of the year. This gift idea is my favorite because it includes a thoughtful twist!

Edible gifts always make a great gift because they can be consumed and shared with others. With that said, this gift comes with a food item.

More importantly, it’s paired with a note in the form of an offer… an offer to help. Teachers always have so many things on their plate so they love it when parents help in the classroom.

With this teacher gift, your child’s teacher will be so excited to know he or she can call on you for help when needed.

It’s a win-win! The more help they receive, the more time teachers can focus on their students, including your child.

Best Teacher Gift Ever

Bake or purchase some chocolate chip cookies and place them in a pretty container. Or buy a bag of chips. Attach a note that reads:

Let me know when you need me to “chip” in and help!

Projection Clocks Make Telling Time Fun

Queen Darlene - December 1, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Projection clocks make telling time fun! There’s no need to turn over to look at the clock when a projection clock displays the time on the ceiling or wall.

Kids can be given projection clocks that display all sorts of images such as dinosaurs and rocket ships. As a bonus, they also serve as night lights!

I gave an Oregon Scientific projection clock to my son when he was a teenager years ago. It was unlike any clock I had ever seen. Even the design was a unique shape.

Braden thought it was cool to take a quick glance at the ceiling to see the time during the night.

A couple of years ago, I purchased the same brand for my brother who had a serious illness and did not sleep well. He tossed and turned and watched the clock all night long.

When Harvey began using the projection clock, he couldn’t believe how quickly he returned to sleep after looking at the ceiling to see the time. The light projects the time clearly on the ceiling but is not so bright it keeps someone awake.

Atomic Clock

He absolutely loved his projection clock not only for the easy-to-see time but also because it automatically updates for time-day-date with the U.S. Atomic Clock. You don’t even have to change it for Daylight Savings time. Continue Reading

Best Way to Come Up With a Going Away Gift

Princess Diana - July 28, 2015 - Going Away

There are few thing harder than saying goodbye to a friend. An exception might be picking out a going away gift.

They can be tricky. That’s probably why Hallmark doesn’t have a “Going Away Gifts” aisle in its stores.

Here’s my #1 rule for going away presents – give something that means something.

If your gift item doesn’t hold special meaning, then there’s no point in giving it. Your friend doesn’t need more stuff to haul in the moving truck. It’s full as it is!

The best way to come up with a meaningful going away gift is to reflect on your friendship and HOW you spent time together.

What was your “thing?’ Did you bond by going to the movies, eating at new restaurants or attending your favorite team’s sporting events?

Now, think of a gift that ties in with what you enjoyed doing together.

If you liked going to the movies or out to eat, you could get a gift card to a movie theater or a popular restaurant where he or she will be living. If you liked attending sporting events, you could get him or her new fan gear, maybe even buy yourselves matching shirts or hats! You could also frame a photo of the two of you at a game.

My friend Beth and I loved dressing up to go out to eat, drink and dance. We also bonded by volunteering with Girl Scouts.

A Clock Design to Match A Hobby or Interest

Queen Darlene - April 16, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him

Isn’t it wonderful when someone knows what they want for Christmas or birthdays? My brother said he wanted a clock with a face that had bar bells to put in his workout room. He wanted to create an atmosphere of motivation.

I was thrilled to have a gift in mind and immediately went on-line to search. I googled gym clocks and as you can imagine there were lots of sites.

What helped me narrow it down was his request for bar bells. There are many awesome fun clocks to choose from that have words of motivation and pictures of different gym equipment.

I found a gym clock with bar bells that spelled out the word LIFT. Perfect! Not only because that is what he wanted but it is one of his favorite exercises – to lift weights. Continue Reading

Time is the Best Gift of All

Queen Darlene - March 27, 2014 - Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day

Time is the best gift of all. When I was 21, my 16-year old brother and I were on our way to the gym when we decided to visit our deaf grandparents. I asked them if they would like to go and exercise too.

Grandparents-Time-Best-Gift-of-All-gift-idea-sunburst-gifts

Walter & Julia Cleaver in the 1970s.

They had no workout clothes so when Granddaddy came out in Grandma’s baby blue shorts, sleeveless undershirt, black socks and black street shoes, my brother did not want to take them. When we arrived at the club, the walk from the parking lot was the longest walk ever for my humiliated brother.

Entering the gym, we had to fill out guest forms for them. Putting their birth dates of 1896 and 1902 raised eye-brows. We wanted to take our grandparents to the exercise room on our own, but the club insisted a trainer take them for their first visit. When the big, muscular trainer came in, he was shocked at the age of his clients – ages 77 and 71.

Grandma’s trainer soon had her doing sit-ups and leg lifts, riding a stationary bike, and relaxing in the sauna. We finally made it to the pool.

Let It Be Known That This is My First Blog Post Ever

Queen Darlene - November 28, 2013 - Catch All

Unlike Diana, I do not have a favorite holiday. New Year’s, Valentine’s, the holidays you are off work, Easter, Birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and everything in between are all equally wonderful to me.

My family celebrated on every occasion because it was deemed important that family and friends get together to share stories, have fun, laugh, give gifts, take pictures, give hugs and kisses and genuinely show love for each other.

You see, for most of my life the only way my family could communicate was face to face. My grandparents on both sides were deaf, as well as my parents. There were no computers, video phones or cell phones to text. You could not call to wish someone a Happy Birthday or Thanksgiving. You physically had to be there in order to communicate through sign language.

Thanksgiving | My Favorite Holiday

Princess Diana - November 28, 2013 - Catch All

Since college, my favorite holiday has always been Thanksgiving. Why? Because people don’t give presents. I know that sounds silly coming from the co-author of a gift ideas blog but hear me out.

Instead of giving presents on Thanksgiving, people give their TIME to spend with their family. Nothing says “I love you” or “You are important to me” more than taking time to sit, talk and laugh together.

But the gift of time is abstract. You can’t see it or touch it. So that’s why there are many occasions where we want to SHOW someone we love them and care about them with an actual gift. Something they can physically unwrap.