If you just hear the words, personalized paint can you may think…”Why would I want a paint can with my name on it?  I’ll just throw it away when I get done painting the room.”  Silly, it’s not that kind of paint can.  I’m talking about one of the most innovative gifts ever with so many options you’re head will spin.  I personally love giving these as gifts.  Still can’t quite picture what I’m talking about?  Here’s a picture of the latest gift I made for a neighbor. 

 This one, as you can see, is for a baby gift.  I just love delivery items like this.  Normally I would personalize this with the baby’s name on it but they’re keeping it a secret until the baby is born.  At Sweet Expressions we sell just the paint cans and you fill it yourself.  Now that you get the whole paint can idea you may be wondering well what in the world would I fill it with?  That’s not hard, simply put items in there as you would a basket or a gift bag.  The only difference is that you are using a metal paint can as your “gift bag/basket”.  I filled this one with some a mintbook bouquet filled with small chocolates and gum, some baby girl lip balm for them to hand out when she’s born and a small bag of kisses.  Now that part is for mommy-to-be and for the baby I included a pack of gowns and a pack of long sleeve body suits.  Of course I included a personalized announcement card I personalized and used as a greeting card.

The part I like best about creating items like this from the gift bag, to the sweet treats and the card is that it all matches and was all provided from one place so no running around town gathering up and searching endlessly for items that match.  That’s what we do here, if we don’t have it….we create it!  So when we say “thinking of you” we truly were! 

Okay, back to the paint can.  It’s beautiful, I’ve eaten my treats and now all I have is an empty can and this is not something I want to regift but what can I do with it?  That’s probably what you’ll be asking yourself in a couple of weeks or months.  Now here’s where it gets even better!  The paint can, in this instance, can be used as a storage place for baby’s momentos.  Especially if you’re not into scrapbooking or maybe your’s are digital and you have no place for the cards you received and want to keep, or the hospital bracelets, perhaps the first lock of hair that’s cut at her first haircut.  This can will make a perfect “treasure box” for all those precious things you’re not ready to part with or you want to save.  For other designs say for a child’s birthday you may want to use the can for toys like hot wheels cars, or legos, craft supplies, hair bows for the older girl, make up for the teen, put them on a shelf and lay it on it’s side and use it as a file holder.  Throw your lose change in it and use it as a “piggy” bank.  

This list can continue for it’s reuse. What ideas can you come up with?

To see other paint cans as well as our other gift and favor items visit us at www.PartyFavorsByKristal.com  We’re always updating with new designs so check back often!  you can also find us on Facebook

Happy  Monday to you all!

Yep, that’s right Mother’s Day is just 12 days away! Can you believe that?  We just finished up with Easter and now it’s time to honor our Mother’s.  They do so much for us and they really should have more than one day focused on them, don’t you think?  Now that I’m a mom of 3 I tell ya I can sure use a break every quarter of the year.  LOL

With Mother’s Day approaching have you given much thought to what you’ll get mom this year?  What will you do with her?  Perhaps you’ve been thinking you want her day to be special but you also want to stay within a budget and if you’re like me that budget is almost non-existent.  Well I tell ya there are so many things you can do for mom and with mom or if you’re a guy and happened to stumble upon this all these ideas can apply to your wife as well.

Here’s a great Mother’s Day scenario!  Start with a home made “World’s Greatest Mom” certificate.  Even paste her picture on it and for little kids they can put their ‘stamp of approval” on it by including a print of their hands.  Make sure you fix or take her out for her favorite breakfast.  If you fix it at home…please make sure you let her sleep in and take her breakfast in bed!  Don’t forget to add a flower or two.  Then ask Mom what she’d like to do.  Maybe she wants some quite time to take a bubble bath or read a book or both.  Maybe she wants to go out and get her nails done.  If that’s something your mom likes I suggest getting that GC early and making an appointment now before they all fill up.  If she’s always wanted it done but doesn’t feel comfortable going into a nail salon purchase a foot soaking tub and pedicure tools and learn together how to give yourself a pedi or if you’re brave do hers for her…haha!

Maybe your mom likes to watch movies.  Buy or rent a movie she’s been dying to see and make sure you have the movie essentials like candy, popcorn and drinks.

What’s your ideal Mother’s Day activity?  What’s the one thing you want for your special day?

I would like my special day to go something like this.  Breakfast in bed of banana pancakes with powdered sugar topping, half a cut banana on the side, big ole cold glass of milk to drink and the room to myself to eat in peace!  Followed by a nice bubble bath, again with no interruptions then an afternoon of shopping with the girls, a little lunch while we chat it up and then a peaceful homecoming to a nice supper and the entire family getting dessert from Coldstone Creamery!  I absolutely love that place….mmmmmm….mmm!!

To help you celebrate, especially if you’re looking for chocolate we have a few items that I’m sure are just perfect, personalized and cute.

Chocolate Bouquet for MomSingle Chocolate bar-Standard (1.55oz) size

To find these items visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SweetExpressions and our online store at www.sweetexpressionsllc.net

Cupid is hovering around taking a look at all to see just who and where that little arrow of love needs to go.  Will you feel it?  Well, you won’t feel some sharp pain in your arm or worse your rear but hopefully you will feel it in your heart.  If you’re married or have a signficant other I’m hoping the love is already there, for your sake, LOL.  You could possibly need just a little start me back up jolt and that’s okay.  To help you keep those flames going or to bring them back to life we’re going to help you.

How can I help you?  I’m gonna give you a few ideas to start your own brainstorm and then you have to take it from there.    Create yourself a “Love Bucket” and of course you can use a bag or whatever you have on hand or you can find in the store.  Fill it with chocolates, flower petals, massage oil, candles, (gotta have candles for romance right), don’t forget to pick up and chill some strawberries and champagne or other favorite beverage.  Go to your Dollar store and get some champagne or wine glasses to use if you don’t own any even if you’re going to put sweet tea in them.  Make it elegant and sincere.  you could book a hotel if that’s something you can manage and if you’re like me and couldn’t afford the child care and the trip, lol, then get the living room, bedroom or dining room ready for romance, put your kids to bed, get ready and meet your Valentine in that room.  By now you’ve probably had supper so you’ll just need dessert or fruit or a small appetizer, your wine glasses and beverage plus the rest of the items in your “bucket”.  Make sure your Valentine is set to arrive to the room a little later than you so you have time to poor, get dessert and sprinkle those rose petals around the room.  Also, set up your cd player for some music to play and make a space in the room to have a few dances.  See where the night takes you!

Can’t quite visualize the love bucket?  I’ll help you out, just take a look at the picture below.

Bucket of Love

I’ll tell you what a mintbook is!  They are the most wonderful, glossy, 2×2 cutest favors and business promtion item you’ve ever seen!  They are versatile, unique and innovative!  These have to be my favorite personalized item for sure.

Here you see a picture of many mintbooks in different themes and with different candies in them so visually you may recognize them closed as being a paper matchbook.  No matches in these my friend!  These can be filled with many small items and ideas pop into my head everyday and their versatility actually overwhelms me with ideas.  I’m gonna get your brainstorming going and share with you how they can be used for every occasion, any situation, for personal and for business!

What can I use a mintbook for?

• Birthday: party favor with gum, lollipop, small ziplock bag filled with ring, earrings or necklace, use them to embellish a wrapped gift instead of a bow!
• Wedding: wedding mints for each guest after the reception at each place setting, small ziplock bag filled with rice to throw at the newlyweds, gum or mints in the reception restroom in a bowl next to sinks, on the back put your new contact information so your friends and family will be able to stay in touch via, phone, email and home address
• Baby: Annouce baby with a lollipop..personalize the outside with a picture of baby and the baby stats on back, fill them with gum, mints, or lollipop to give out as thank you favors at the shower.
• Business: use them as a business card, give them out at tradeshows, place them in order boxes/bags, put small free samples in them (eg.Mary Kay cosmetic samples..perfect for this!), are you a jewelry maker?  put your smaller jewelry in these instead of boxes, just use a small ziplock bag!
• Holidays: Add to Christmas gifts or bag 12 together as a gift, Great for a note card for bouquets (insert a ring if you’re asking your girlfriend to marry you), bundle a few together with lollipops to make a lollipop bouquet for valentines day, put your small candy like Hershey’s miniatures and keep them in your candy dish at work or home, it will add to the holiday decor.
• Classroom: Kids and teacher gifts.
• Church: children’s tithes

What can I put in a mintbook?

Here is where it gets fun!  This is the best part…figuring out what you want to put in them.  Here is a list of things that will work, you keep thinking and let me know if you’ve found something different to add inside!

• small emorery boards
• travel sewing kit
• jewelry
• lollipops
• hard candy (ie., lifesaver mints, andes mints, starlight mints, any other small individually wrapped candy)
• miniature chocolate bars such as Hershey’s miniture chocolate bars
• pencils
• lapel pin
• golf tees
• church tithe for your kids
• condoms
• cosmetic samples
• gum (using the kind in blister packs you can cut and put 2 in the mintbook)
• small individually wrapped tea bag

How do I add them to a gift or bouquet?

It’s very easy with the handy hanging tabs we have.  Just like you see on a gift bag hanging on the shelf peg.  We can add one of those clear tabs right onto the mintbook and you can hang it on some ribbon or you can leave the back blank and use double stick tape to secure it to a wrapped boxed gift.

Adding it to a bouquet is super easy with our crafty candy bar holder…they are not just for candy bars.  A candy bar holder is an acrylic stick with a sticky flat top so the mintbook can easily stick to the top and then just slide it in the vase with the flowers much like a flower pick for note cards.

Valentine’s Day is the next holiday..how can I use them?

Oh, now this is simple my friend!  Are you a mom?  Well mom, these make perfect classroom gifts no matter what preschool or elementary age your kids are.  Pick a Valentine theme mintbook or have us create one and personalize the front and back with text for each classmate.  Then add a lollipop, pencil, or other hard candy to the mintbook.  Bag 6 or 12 of them together for teachers!  Maybe you need a gift for your child.  Group 5 together and make a lollipop bouquet or add chocolate minis inside and use the candy bar stick on the back and make a bouquet that way.  That would also work as a great gift for your mom, a co-worker, or your spouse!  It can be an addition to a stuffed Valentine animal or as a stand alone gift.  It’s personal, it’s sweet and it’s unique!

Where do I get these awesome mintbooks?

Sweet Expressions of course.  I’m your personal shopper and will help you find what you’re looking for.  I’ll help you make it unique and personal but it will show your style or your child’s…not mine.  Oh, how cool would this be?  Let your child draw a small Valentine picture, color it, etc scan it or take a picture or you can even mail it to me and I’ll incorporate it into the design that uses your child’s artwork!  Now that’s cool.

With the new year just starting I’m sure all you business owners, especially small home business owners and those in direct sales, are thinking the same thing. It’s time to finally take action to all those ideas from 2010 and increase productivity, team building and sales.  As a home business owner myself the one thing that always comes to my mind is BRANDING.  We must brand in order to be seen, we must brand in order to build our business.  Even if you are with a direct sales company where you purchase your promotional materials you still need a brand for yourself!  Sometimes those in direct sales and small business owners who don’t have a huge budget for marketing forget the need to advertise too and google isn’t the only place to do so.  In fact, it’s probably the last place you want to advertise for your particular business.  You don’t need to think BIG when advertising all the time in order to be seen.

As you know we get most of our business from word of mouth and referrals. Some of us have free parties for people to attend and they get to see the products demonstrated and have a chance to order on the spot and even earn points as a hostess.  That makes you a representative of the parent company but you’re out there working it and building your team…you’re making a name for yourself so why not brand it?!  For instance you may be a Pampered Chef or Mary Kay consultant but you have invested in something to create your own home business to help others learn to cook or learn to care for their skin properly.  You may even have a niche defined for yourself such as the 30 minute meal maker using Pampered Chef products.  Guess what!  You just branded yourself…you’re Tonya, The quick meal chef, featuring Pampered Chef products.  Now that you have that run with it and brand yourself that way.  Find a clipart or picture you like or have someone create a logo for you, perhaps a trendy looking clip art lady that looks much like yourself, aka avitar, in a Pampered Chef Apron and add your title and tag line.  Once you have that you can add it to any of your printed items.

So what other branded items could I use?  I like to think outside the box which is why I’ve chosen the personalized candy business.  These are things people can use instantly, it will wow them and they will remember you…not just the product and that’s what you want, for them to remember YOU!  The few of my favorites are the Chocolate business card in 2 sizes, the mint book business card and the water bottle label.  Two essential branding items you need are of course your business cards, and the other is personalized labels for your printed materials and catalogs.  This one is great for skin care consultants, lip balm labels!!

How and when do I use my new branded items?  Oh my goodness, I could go on forever here but for starters you could have labels made for your catalogs with your logo, tagline and contact information on it, business cards, return address labels.  Promo items to include in bags when you deliver orders such as a chocolate business card, a full size chocolate bar, or the mint book business card.  These are also great for your home shows and Trade Shows to give out instead of just your paper business card….you will stand out in people’s minds when you give them something outside the box.  You could even use bottle labels, put them on water bottles and share them at shows.  Use the petite water bottles to make them easier to carry and these won’t squeeze your budget as tight.  Bottle labels are just that, they can fit many different bottles in some varying sizes so you could put them on freebies of lotion you use at a show and it has your info on it so when they get ready to re-order they just grab the bottle and call you!

What exactly are these items?   My favorite is the mintbook business card.  I just love those things!  They are so versatile, you can put a sucker in them, gum, and any small hard candy that will fit and it still close.  A mintbook looks like a matchbook but is not filled with matches!  I have even done these for a Mary Kay representative and she gives them to clients and prospects and her’s are filled with makeup samples like eyeshadow and blush.  They are awesome.  A chocolate business card is either a mini chocolate bar such as hershey’s minis or the 1.55oz chocolate bar wrapped in a themed wrapper with your logo and contact information on it.  On the 1.55oz you can even add a thank you message.  The bottle labels and lip balm labels are self explanatory.

Bottle labels

Hey y’all!

Well 2010 is coming to a screeching hault fast!  Today is New Year’s Eve and right now my husband and kids are downstairs gathered around the table making New Year’s hats for tonight’s little family celebration while I’m upstairs in my office area reflecting back on 2010 and making a list of changes for both business and personal.  2011 for me is going to be focused on things I’ve just let go, focus on things I’ve procrastinated to do,  focus on growing  spiritually from the inside out, focus on family and balance as well as focus on helping my husband grow his new business in hand with turning my home business into the very thing I’ve hoped all along it will be.

Focus is 2011′s theme for me personally and professionally and here is a quote I found a few days ago and would like to share with you here.

“We will open the book.  It’s pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The is called opportunity and it’s first chapter is New Year’s Day.”  Edith Lovejoy Pierce

We look forward to new beginnings and many changes to bring you the best of the blog in 2011!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Are you short on time, patiece or skill?  This recipe is FOR YOU! 

This makes the BEST sugar cookies ever and I found it on allrecipes.com, where I go for all new recipes!

Need a deliciuos holiday cookie in a hurry?  These are not for roll out and cut cookies just roll them in a small ball, mash with a flat bottom glass, sprinkle with holiday sprinkles or top with M&Ms, crushed mint candy or chocolate kisses and voila you’ve spent no time in the kitchen and created a beautiful, delicious cookie that will melt in your mouth!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (if using self rising as I do omit the baking soda and baking powder)
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened (2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In small bowl stir together flour, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.
2. in a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.  Roll rounded spoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden.  Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Make 2 batches, you’ll want to keep one batch for yourself!

Enjoy!

 Quote straight from the mouth of a 5 year old, “This was the best Halloween party ever!”   All the kids will have a blast and this party on a budget comes in at $100.  That includes food, costumes, deocrations and drinks.  I bought some great decorations at the Dollar Tree, and found a few more at Wal-mart.  We had the usual chips and dip, some cheese dip and tortilla chips, sandwhich rolls, sugar cookies, cake, green punch, a weenie roast and smores on the grill. 

When it was time for weenies and smores we went outside on the back deck and fired up the small charcoal grill and we used skewers to do our roasting.  It was a lot of fun.  We also had a costume contest where everyone was a winner and an apple bobbing contest.  That was quite hilarious to see all the kids trying to get an apple.  We told a few stories had some treat bags full of candy and toys.  I had a blast and so did all the kids.  We took pictures of them all and made spider frames to put them in.  So we even had a craft. 

It wasn’t extravagant, it wasn’t expensive…but it was so much fun!!

Stay tuned for the recipes, costume pictures and more…..

I’ve officially declared this week as “Baby Week” at Sweet Expressions!  Why the change from birthdays to babys?  Well I have to be honest with you, it’s because I’m expecting my 3rd child in October so I have lots of baby things on the brain.  I can’t help but think of all the things I want to personalize for our little one.  Right now I’m in nesting mode and started crocheting a blanket for baby!  I did this for my second one too and it is really quite relaxing. 

Although I’m at a loss of words about what topic I want to specifically talk about regarding baby events such as baby showers, and baby arrival announcements.  There are so many ideas swimming around in my head right now I’m not sure where to begin.  Perhaps I’ll share with you a little bit about this baby story, especially if you havne’t been following in the past couple of months.

Well it all started in January of this year.  My husband was going on a business trip and this particular time, because of where he was going, the family decided to tag along.  We were in the mountains of Tennessee in a little cabin with our other 2 kiddos.  When you add family time, spouse time and a hot tub apparently it equals baby.  (innocent smile) We were not planning to have any more children and we had donated or sold everything we owned in regards to baby gear.  So it’s like we are starting all over again.  It makes you feel a little, well, foolish to have gone through it twice and only 3 years ago and you’ve already given all the stuff away because it “was in the way and taking up needed space”.  Well guess what they “needed” space is going to be now?  Yep, you guessed it a nursery for baby.  Let me tell you getting a baby’s room ready is some kind of reality check for sure.  It’s like the final thing before the actual big finale when you bring baby home and it wakes you every 2 hours, lol.  (now that’s past reality, that’s a whole new world!)

When we first found out we had a little contest on Facebook and peeps got to vote on whether they thought baby is a boy or girl. (It’s a Girl for those that don’t know.) and I think next we’ll have a contest to see who can guess the date or closest to the date of delivery.  Since baby is due in mid October it would be a great Halloween give-a-way!  So more details will come as it gets closer to the countdown.  Well, me…I’m already counting down but it’s a bit early for a contest countdown. 

While I collect my thoughts about baby showers, our next topic, please share with us your most memorable moments at your baby shower or a friend’s shower.  I’d love to get ideas for food, games, and decorations and I’ll share with you some unique favors!

Share with us here by posting a comment, send us an email to babyideas@sweetexpressionsllc.net or join us on Facebook and join the discussion there! 

www.facebook.com/SweetExpressions (like us and then join the discussion)

With this week’s theme being birthdays.  I’m not sure why it just ended up that way.  I’ve lots of posts online about birthday parties and what to do and have had inquiries about birthday products so I guess birthdays has just been on my mind. 

As I was researching something else and updating the online store, and of course having 2 boys, I thought about a Construction Themed Birthday Party!  We have this adorable candy bar wrapper perfect for this kind of party too which sparked the thought.

Here are just some quick ideas for an AWESOME Construction theme party:

• Instead of party hats give all the kids pretend play construction hats.  You can find them in toy stores and even in party store. 
• Use Caution tape or find caution streamer at your local party store for party streamer decorations or to rope out sections for games you have set up for party guests.
• Use a solid, bright yellow table cloth and accent with black plates, napkins, cups and utensils (you’ll save money going with solid rather than themed.
• Use Caution candy bar wrappers with each child’s name on the front for table place cards (that will eliminate the fight over who sits next to who!) and you don’t have to fill them with chocolate you can fill them with unfrozen Flavor Ice popsicles for a treat at home later, or with 4 box crayons and a coloring page or even a small pack of gum.
• Instead of using confetti to decorate the table use Hershey kisses and apply caution stickers to the bottom. 
• Don’t forget the cake of course and any construction theme will work great.  Want to save money but you’re not a cake decorator?  Don’t worry, if you can bake a cake and frost it DO IT and just add some trucks, tractors and toy caution cones to the top, print out a happy Birthday road sign using your home computer and printer and attach to toothpick or candle (one that you won’t be lighting) and stick it in the cake so there is no need to use icing to write happy Birthday!

Here are some great construction game ideas for the party:

Build-It with Blocks
Children will use cardboard “brick” blocks to build a tower as high as they can within a designated period of time

Tool-Belt Relay
This game is best for children 5 and older.
Divide the children into teams. 
Provide each team with one empty tool belt.
Place kid – safe tools for each team (hammer, screw driver, wrench etc) 
a reasonable distance from the start of the race. 

When you say “GO” the first player of each team will put on the tool belt, run to the tools and fill the belt. Then, run back to their team and pass the filled tool belt to the next player, who will put on the tool-belt and race 
to empty it and return to the next player with an empty tool-belt.
This continues until all players have had a turn.
Each player can receive their own tool kit as a prize.
Variation - have older children put on safety goggles, 
gloves and a hard hat in addition to the belt. - 
Don’t forget your camera!

Activities for Younger children
If your entertaining toddlers or preschool aged children at your party,
these “station” activities may be best. Prepare a few activitiesahead of
time and allow the children some “free play”.

#1
Before the party create a “construction site” in the yard or sandbox
with trucks, shovels etc. 
#2
Set up wood, foam or cardboard building blocks for free-play.
#3
Before the party make a big truck by painting a large cardboard box. Provide bean bags for the children to toss into the “dump truck”.
#4
Purchase die-cut shapes and stickers to match the theme.
Provide glue sticks markers and a sheet of paper for the children to make a collage with the shapes and stickers.