Ok, so now that Father’s day is just around the corner are you still struggling with what to get dad?  Personally, I think it’s harder to buy for men.  Why?  I don’t know, I guess because men like expensive toys like new power tools or cars, motorcycles, golf clubs etc and frankly they can be rather picky about the selection as well.  Wait, we’re supposed to be honoring our fathers and husbands for being great fathers, sounds like I’m on a turn to bash.  I’m turning back now, LOL!  So we’ve established that men are typically hard to buy for so what do you get dad and husband for Fathers day? 

When you have younger children it’s a little easier because anything from them is rather cute and dad usually loves the gift from “Joe and Sue” even if it is a crazy lookin’ tie or funky lookin’ homemade frame with a goofy picture in it.  Kids especially love making homemade gifts because they get to use all the fun art and craft materials that us moms usually hide from them.  So here are some ideas I found at www.familyfun.go.com:

• BBQ Apron
• Father’s Day Outdoor Throne
• Wallet-Sized Collage
• Father’s Day Crown
• Father’s Day Frame

Other ideas that are not craft items are:

• Golf tees, golf balls, new golf glove, Golf GC for 18 holes
• Coupon to wash dads car inside and out
• Fix favorite meal
• DVD movie
• Car magazine and chocolate bar (my dad’s favorite)
• Magazine subscription for 1 year (purchase online then buy the latest issue at the store and get a card with a message that lets him know his next issue will arrive in the mail at his house)
• Gifts Certificates to favorite store even if it’s hardware store (that’s always a winner for the hard to buy for but add a card and a little chocolate for the chocolate lover!)

This year my Father-in-law will be getting some “Happy Father’s Day” golf tees and golf balls in personalized packaging as well as a Gift certificate for a round of golf.  My husband is taking him golfing this weekend!  My daddy is one of those harder to buy for, he doesn’t golf so I’m still stuck.  Hmm, although I do have an idea.  He loves popcorn and my parents have a hard time finding the popcorn they like in their area.  Where I’m at I can now buy a box of 32 bags so that may be what he gets this year!!  Whew, I’m glad I just thought of that.  I better make a list and get on the ball and get that shipped out. 

Here is a picture of the golf tees and golf ball:

Father's Day Golf Ball and Tees

Here is an excerpt from the online Wikipedia and to read the entire article go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day:

“Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day; the poppy’s significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields.”

In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, an auto race which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911.”

I know several families that have their annual Memorial weekend picnic and it seems that in the air on that weekend and day you can smell the grills cooking it up.  Three years ago my son was born on Memorial Day so we are usually celebrating his birthday with family that weekend and it’s usually at the beach.  Doesn’t hurt that’s where my in-laws live!  So he gets to have a little family birthday party at their house with a cookout, cake, icecream, and his 3 cousins.  Not to mention the beach time he gets and just loves. 

What traditions do you carry out each year at Memorial Day?

You know I think us as parents and maybe it’s just us mommas but I think we get more wrapped up the perfect birthday for our kids and when it doesn’t turn out just the way we want we tend to get a little upset.  (okay, maybe it’s just me..LOL)  So what happens when you just can’t get a party together and have no other options?  What do you do?  My husband made a very good point and said well since he’s just turning 3 he’ll be happy with a cake and a juice box and taking him somewhere to ride small kid’s rides and play games.  (no, not Chuckee Cheese…not on your life!!)

This is what we’ve decided to do:  Now normally I make my kids whatever character cake they want but when I’m pregnant my feet and hands tend to swell quickly and hurt so I decided it’s just not worth the back pain so they’ll have to go with store bought this year.  Anyway, today I took Connor to the store and let him pick out the cake he wanted (a cake that was already made so we could take it home), let him pick out the icecream he wanted and his other favorite snack which is chips and dip.  (Dean’s Dip is the best!!) We already have the juice boxes, plates and other goodies.  Oh, and I let him pick out a balloon.  Now the only problem with this is that he wants it today and we’re not celebrating until tomorrow, cruel I know.  Tomorrow after he’s had his nap we’ll have a little family party, take him to the store and let him pick out a small birthday gift from his brother (we’re giving him a bubble mower), then we are going to take him somewhere that has small kid’s rides and a game room and let him and his brother have a blast while I take picture after picture!  It was funny while we were at the store today it has a small game room in it and Connor knows we are taking him to one and he asked to go in there today which is something he usually doesn’t ask since he knows what the answer will be.  Sorry, when I go grocery shopping I’m only there for one thing…groceries!   

Sometimes as parents we have to let go what we want and think about what will truly make our kids happy and certainly for his age I think this will make him the happiest 3 yr old on earth!! 

Keeping it Unique,

Kristal

Now that my oldest is in school I definitely want to keep an on-going memory for him of each school year so this year for kindergarten I have saved his papers he brings home and put them in one of those memory boxes you can buy at the craft store or in the craft section.  He’s also gotten some awards and progress reports that I’ve saved with pictures to go with them and I’ll add those to the scrap book.  As it gets closer to the end of the school year I will take a scrapbook page to school and get his teachers to write a little note to Zack and ask his class mates to write their names on a blank piece of paper that I can scan, “redesign”,  then print and place in the scrapbook as a border around the class picture.  (don’t want the 5 and 6 yr olds to actually have the scrapbook page in their hands..LOL) 

I’m gonna get Zack to write a little something each year about that grade so he can see how his handwriting changes from year to year.  His last day is the end of June so I guess I better get to creating this so I have it ready! 

What creative ways have you captured your child’s life?

Kindergarten Memory Box

Since I don’t have any books myself about gift giving etiquette I did a search online and found a great website to help me help you in the mean time.  It’s the Emily Post Institute and can be found at www.emilypost.com.  You can visit there when you have a unique etiquette challenge and need an answer right away.  I’m going to be taking gift etiquette holiday by holiday starting with graduation since this is the season of the Graduations and celebrating our fine graduates.  Now when we think graduations I think most of us first and automatically think high school because that is the most celebrated and the most triumphant, or it was for me.  There’s nothing like the feeling of getting through highschool and never going back to the campus as a student.  It’s bitter sweet because you do tend to lose touch with friend, although the Facebook era has brought us back together!  I can honestly say that there are times in my life I’d like to rewind to and have a redo…highschool is NOT one of them

I digress, back to what I was saying.  So we think highschool graduation when we hear the word graduation but there are many graduating or being promoted so a graduation can be celebrated from preschool to college.  I have a 5yr old that will be promoted from kindergarten to first grade.  Now do I think there should be a cap and gown?  No, I disagree with cap and gowns for a promotion from kindergarten through 11th grade but certainly recognize the achievement and celebrate.  Kids love getting litte gifts of achievement and it doesn’t take much to make a 5 or 6 year old happy.  So for my sons class I plan to make them some little graduation style gifts using mechanical pencils and mintbooks.

Graduation Etiquette

Should you send a gift?

If you were invited to the ceremony or a grad party, yes you should send or take a gift. 

If you only received an announcement of the graduation that does not warrant a gift however most of us usually send one.

What is an appropriate gift?

Money or gift cards are probably the No.1 gift to give graduates of highschool and college and that’s usually what they prefer.  Another traditional gift, from a parent, is a car or a computer especially for those that will be away from home in college.  Flowers are a thoughtful choice such as a bouquet for after the ceremony to give to the girls or a corsage before and a boutonnière for the guys.  If you can’t be there send a beautiful arrangement such as a personalized chocolate bouquet from Sweet Expressions…wink wink.  I’m not sure you can really go wrong with a gift and some more idea are a digital camera, books, jewelry, and watches.

When do you give the gift?

This will depend on your situation but either at the graduation ceremony/party or send it near the date but certainly before the graduation date.

We are only given so many graduation ceremony tickets how do we tell family members or friends they can’t go to the ceremony?

This is simple, just explain to family and friends that you must have a ticket to enter and each graduating family is only alloted  let’s say 6 and these are reserved for parents, siblings, and perhaps a significant other.  If you still have all sets of grandparents that are willing and able to go but not enough tickets for everyone remember you don’t have to use all the tickets you received so remember to be fair.  The best solution here is to offer a celebration party after the ceremony so that everyone can see the graduate on thier graduating day and no one gets left out.

Do I need to send thank you notes?

Absolutely!  This is actually something the graduate should be doing not the parent (when we are talking about highschool and college).  Make sure it’s handwritten note, not a text, not an email, not a voicemail.  To make it easier on your teen provide them with the tools they need to send out thank yous such as the thank you cards, a pen, the envelopes, and stamps.  Even help them if that will get them to sit down and write them.

If you have one graduating or being promoted don’t forget to recognize their hardwork for the year.  They’ve all accomplished so much and deserve a little something to commemorate the occasion!

For more graduate gift ideas visit this page!  Graduate Must Haves

Keeping it Unique,

Kristal

The question someone asked Paula was about giving a wedding gift. The friend was having a kitchen shower and this lady wanted to give the one having the shower a gift card yet didn’t want the gift card to be so impersonal and asked how she could make the gift card more thoughtful and more fun to receive.
Paula’s answer to this was really a great one she suggested that the gift card be placed in a plain white box and then use kitchen wrapping paper such as parchment paper, waxed paper, plastic wrap, or even aluminum foil to wrap the box and give it a bow using natural cotton twine. Then Paula suggested to finish it off with a simple gift tap made from recycled greeting cards and write “Get Cooking” on the front and a personal message on the back.

Now I thought that was a really unique idea for a wedding shower since so many people these days do have a kitchen party of some kind. The part I like the most of course was the recycled greeting card to be used for the gift tag.  Now I usually keep the cards my kids pick out and the ones my husband gives me and put them in a scrapbook, okay so they are all in a box waiting to be put in a scrapbook but the intention is there..LOL.  I usually just throw the other small count I get in the trash but I will definitely be removing the  unprinted parts from now on and saving them to use for things such as gift tags.  You could also use them as note cards and if you do any stamping you could put your last initial on them as you need them and write your own thank you cards when needed!  The scrap pieces would be great for die cut machines, scrapbooking (provided the greeting card is safe for scrap books).  This actually opens up so many possibilities as you could cut them into 4×6 cards and personalize them for yourself or friends by sending them through your home printer and making them into recipe cards, stationary post cards, invitations.  Man this list could go on and on!

Will you start recycling the next greeting cards you get?  If so, what’s the first thing you’d like to use them for?

If you are already recycling your greeting cards what creations have you made with them?

Keeping it Unique,

Kristal

Now to the option for those boxed items.  If you watch any tv at all and pay attention to the commercials you’ve probably seen the commercials for USPS.com and the flat rate shipping.  I’m here to tell you this is an awesome feature they added several years ago and I use it ALL THE TIME!  I love it…all you have to do is go to usps.com and register for an online account (totally free) and then you can use the click and ship.  Now the first thing you’ll want to do after you get an online account is order some boxes (totally free as well).  Get some of each size of the flat rate shipping boxes as well as the flat rate envelopes.  When you use these with an online account you save a little money by doing it at home online as opposed to taking your items to the post office.  You honestly don’t need any fancy equipment or lavels.  You can print the labels on regular printer paper and tape it to your box.  When you’re done online you can then request a carrier pickup (again, totally free for priority mail/flat rate is priority mail).  I’ve found the flat rate delivery to be efficient and very cost effective!  With the flat rate you don’t really need to weigh your items because anything 70lbs or less will ship in a flat rate box (their motto is, “If it fits, it ships”).  This method also gives you the option to track it by email so you know when someone’s package has been delivered to their house, yet another free option when using an online account.  So far, knock on wood, I’ve never lost a package using this service and many times I’ve compared the flat rate prices to that of UPS and FedEx and USPS, believe it or not, beats the price 99% of the time! 

Once you sign up for an account it really is pretty simple and it’s like a shipping wizard that takes you through each step. 

To get an online account with USPS go here:

Online Account Registration (choose “sign up ” under new users to the right)

Once you are ready to ship after you’ve signed in you will click on “Click and Ship” under to Prepare to Ship heading.  Pick the US if that’s where you’re sending your package make sure you fill in all the boxes for your return address, add the recipient’s address and you can check to add them to the online address book so you don’t have to type it again.  When using flat rate boxes just guesstimate your box weight (it doesn’t seem to really matter) as long as you know it’s under 70lbs it’ll ship regardless of the weight you enter, then just follow the rest of the instructions as you continue. 

Make sure you have your shipping supplies such as bubble wrap or other packing materials, box tape and of course your boxes. 

Keeping it Unique,

Kristal

I’m not sure if this is true or not but I’ve heard, statistically, that Mother’s Day is the busiest phone day of the year.  That’s not hard to believe that’s for sure.  Since I don’t live in the same town as my momma and now that my oldest is in school we can’t just pick up and go visit I have to call my momma.  I even think once on Mother’s day I’ve gotten an all circuits busy on my cell phone and had to try again.

This year, once again, I must send my momma something in the mail and give her a call on Sunday.  My Momma (that’s a southern phrase that’s always said together in case you didn’t know..hahahah..ever heard anyone say My momma said..)  anyway, so my momma chews lots of gum and her favorite is Juicy Fruit so this year I made her a paint can filled with some double bubble gum 12 small packs of Juicy Fruit.  I also included a picture of each of the grandkids as well as a personalized wrapper card (that’s what I like to call them…it’s a candy bar wrapper but I filled it with a gift card since chocolate will melt in this weather and volunteered my daddy to take her out to eat for Mother’s Day.  Of course she can use it anyway she likes since I chose a generic gift card that can be used anywhere!  My mom is rather hard to buy for.  She doesn’t really wear makeup, or perfume or any smelly lotions, and she doesn’t even really wear jewelry.  I decided on something practical this year.  She’s always buying gum so now she won’t have to buy any for a while, it comes in it’s own cute container and when all the gum is gone she’ll have a cool one gallon paint can to use for craft or other storage. 

Mother's Day Paint Can

There are tons of options for moms on Mother’s day and I’m sure you’ve thought of many yourself.  Remember when you get down to the last minute you can always grab a bouquet of flowers, a card and fill it with a gift card of choice.

Here’s another quick option get a standard size Hershey’s chocolate bar or any 1.55oz chocolate bar and a gift card or cash and download this free Mother’s Day wrapper.  All you need to do is print the wrapper on your color printer using regular paper cut all the white border and then wrap the chocolate bar like you would any other gift and don’t forget to include the gift card or money or even some movie tickets if that’s your momma’s thing. 

Download and Print Now

As a mother myself here are some great options and I’m sure most of your moms would love them too!

• Professional massage
• GC to favorite hair salon
• Day out with girls–mani/pedis
• Breakfast out with family
• A day of no cooking and cleaning (you volunteer to do it)
• New spring outfit
• Any piece of jewelry
• Anything Mickey Mouse (tee hee)
• Handmade card
• GC to a Day spa
• a day of uninterrupted scrapbooking
• gift basket filled with bath stuff (bath and body works is my fav)

As you’ve notice many of these you can make at home or do yourself so you save yourself a little driving time and some money.  Sometimes what mothers want most is to just spend some quality time with just you, so maybe just take her for lunch or dinner and if she likes to shop do that too!

• If you want to give mom the downloadable candy bar wrapper and would like to get her a gift card but you’re pressed for time you can always click HERE to get a virtual visa gift card.  It works just like any other visa credit card but the virtual ones only work online since you don’t get an actual card.  When ordering you enter the amount you want mom to have (there is a $4 service charge) and it will email it to her.  If you want to include it in your wrapped candy bar just enter your email address and then print it out, fold it and put it in with the wrapped candy bar!  Voila…makes a great gift huh?

Keeping it Unique,

Kristal

As a former Admin Assistant I loved being appreciated and getting a little gift here and there…even without a “thank you for setting up the presentation” goes a long way!  There is a joke in the Admin world that if you want to talk to someone at the top whether you are looking for a job, selling a service or product you have to be able to get past his/her Admin Asst because the best Admins have a relationship much like that of a mother or wife (now don’t think about that too much..the tv is spoiling your brain…I mean a good admin knows how they like their coffee, what their favorite lunch is, what items they need to get through an entire day, etc) they work together like a well oiled machine and they will screen who the “boss” talks to and who they see. I was in a position once where I gave insight to employment applications and many times was a deciding participant who got a n interview and who didn’t. 

You want your office professionals on your side. Even if you don’t work directly in an office you may need to visit one so remember that the next time you get stumped at the front desk..compliments and a little candy may get you in the door!

Gift ideas for Administrative Assistants:

I can only speak for myself here but I always loved getting any cool office supply so…

• colorful pens
• colorful notepads (sticky)
• desk organizer
• office mug
• flowers
• CHOCOLATE!
• spa kit
• gift cert to Starbucks (this was a def fav!)
• anything Mickey Mouse (maybe that’s just me teehee)

Now that you have your gifts go one step further and go ahead and wrap those gifts that you have for specific people.  But before you start wrapping you need to create a gift inventory list.  You’ll create two.  One for the specific gifts (the gifts you know go to grandson, mom, husband, etc) and one to keep a running inventory of the generic items you have on hand that you’ll substract from as you use them and then you’ll know exactly what you have, how many and when you need to get more.  For the gifts in the to be wrapped pile:  Say you have a birthday gift for your nephew.  Wrap or bag that gift, attach the card, bow, or gift tag (you probably have a certain way you like to present your gifts).  On your inventory sheet write down who the gift is for, describe the package and what the actual gift is.  Put that in your gift station and go to the next gift completing the same actions until you are done.  By creating the inventory sheet if you didn’t have a card or name tag handy or you just don’t use them then you’ll know who that gift is for and what the gift is by looking at your inventory sheet.  Once you’ve wrapped all your gifts for those specific on your list you’ll start the generic “on-hand” gift inventory.

Make sure you grab a new sheet and label it “On-Hand Gift Inventory”.  Don’t wrap these since you won’t know when you’ll need them.  These will be for last minute situations when you’ve been invited somewhere unexpectedly, or you need a quick hostess gift for a dinner party or you want to thank someone for helping you, etc.  But you do need to know what you have and how many.  If you did purchase notepads and pens then write that on your sheet “notepads/pen”  and how many you have.  I think a good number to keep on hand is 5 and when you get to 2 you need to re-stock, that way you’re never out. 

Now that you’ve created your inventory list make sure you keep it in a safe place.  My safe place and your safe place may be 2 different things.  I suggest keeping it with your gift station supplies (where you have the tape, scissors, etc).  If you’re using a closet you may want to use a clipboard and hang it on the wall for easy access.  You may have a filing system and add the inventory as a file in your system or you may be like me and prefer the digital world and keep a spreadsheet on your pc that you can pull up anytime.  (when the e-book is released it will include a link to a spreadsheet template!).  One more thing you’ll want to add to your gift station supplies is a ToDo or To Buy list so that when you run out of generic items you can create a shopping list before you leave your inventory/gift station.  Also you’ll want to make a shopping list for the next quarter so you should be making a shopping list now of all the gifts you’ll need for July, August, September.  When looking for your gifts a great time to go is after holidays since stores always put left over items on clearance and you can get some great deals for the next year! 

Last post I mentioned shipping items and I haven’t forgotten but I want to devote an entire post about shipping and how you can save time and money by doing it from your home computer.  I really do mean skipping the PO entirely!

Keeping it Unique,

Kristal