Graduation Gift Ideas

Graduation Gifts are so much fun to buy!  I love sending gifts to hopeful and excited young friends and watch them set out on new journeys!  Here are a few of my favorite gifts to give:
-Monogrammed towels are always treasured by young teens headed off to college!  The monogram helps out with dorm room living!  There is no way that your crazy room mate would take that to the restroom with them!
-Fill a laundry basket with towels, laundry soap and dryer sheets, and a roll of quarters!  This is a new time for graduates because they will need to do their own laundry for the first time!
-Clothing gift cards are always popular because students are often not prepared in the wardrobe department for work life!
-Simple necessities like and umbrella for walking around campus or a coffee maker are always appreciated.
-A time capsule is a fun graduation gift for any age!  Fill it with a few items that represent the year but leave room for the graduate to add some more personal items.

Gifts for Teachers!

I appreicate the hard work that my son's teacher puts into her job more than almost anything.  She is watching over my most treasured possesion and molding him too!  I know her job isn't easy so I really want to come up with something special for her.  I polled my friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter and here are some of the suggestions that they came up with:
-Themed Gift Baskets were a popular suggestion.  A movie night at home would be cute!  You could put in a few films, a bunch of popcorn packages and candy, and even a throw or blanket for snuggling up with.  I also loved the date night basket that a teacher told me she recieved.  It had a bottle of wine, and gift certificates for a pedicure, dinner and a movie!  Cute!
-Another teacher suggested that we leave the chotchkes at home because they have plenty of them!  Gift cards are much appreciated by all of the teachers at her school.
-Anything monogrammed seemed popular too!  Madison in Highland Park Village has adorable makeup bags that can be monogrammed and they do the gift wrapping too!
-A directors chair with the teacher's name on the back will certainly make your teacher feel more like a movie star!
-I loved the sentiment in my friend Ashlee's suggestion!  She likes to give a cut crystal rose bowl with a votive candle inside and a note that says "Thank you for being a light in our child's life."

Perfect Party S'mores

Summer has arrived and I have a perfect party recipe that you can serve or take to your hostess!
Everyone loves S'mores but they can be messy and difficult!  Heres the trick:
Step One:  Lay a single row of graham crackers to cover the base of an ovenproof cake stand, cookie sheet or pizza pan.  You will probably need a sharp knife to cut the edges off of some of the crackers so they line the pan to the edge.
Step Two:  Spread a layer of Nutella evenly on top of the crackers.
Step Three:  Cover the Nutella with about 2 cups of mini marshmallows and bake at 400 degrees until browned (about 2.5 to 3 min.)
Yummy!  Enjoy!

Croquet!

I can not wait to get together with my extended family and have a game of croquet before dinner.  We do this every summer and it is such a blast!  The game really changed after I got married and my seriously competitive husband got in the game.  He doesn't mess around!  I must say that we never really understood the rules until he started playing with us.
Croquet is a fun game for any group and any age.  To have a croquet party all you need is a croquet set and a copy of the rules!  The popularity of the game is really increasing so sets are available everywhere from Walmart and Target to Orvis and Restoration Hardware.  There are great options at Croquet.com too! During a serious game of croquet, the players should wear white.  During one of our family games, the only dress code requirement is a cocktail in hand!
The object of the game is to be the first player to work a heavy colored ball through a course of nine wickets (the curvy hoops that are placed in the ground).  If you hit another players ball, you have two options.  You can either take two "free" shots to advance farther or, and this is the one my husband always picks, you can plant your ball against the opponents ball and knock them off of the course!

The Perfect Picnic!

I love packing a picnic so I am super excited about some new products on the market that will make your picnic perfect!

1. Use an insulated vinyl rolling cooler instead of lugging a heavy picnic basket!  
2. Camping caddies are a great way to send food!  I love these three tier stainless steel sets because they are reusable, lightweight and the lid doubles as a plate!  You can put both hot and cold food in it too!
3. Take straws along so that you can skip the glasses and drink from the bottles!  Instead of cooling your drinks with ice that will melt, freeze water bottles and stick them between each drink.  By the end of the picnic, you will be able to enjoy a really cold drink of water!

Memorial Day Celebrations!

I love celebrating any holiday but summer get-togethers are some of my favorites.  Barbeques and cook outs are so much fun!  To make your's a little bit different, try a few of these simple tricks:
-Make a water park for the kids on your block by asking your neighbors to turn on their sprinklers at the same time!
-Set your table in red, white and blue to honor those who fought for our freedom.
-Make a watermelon centerpiece!  Simply slice the top quarter off of a watermelon, prop it up in a big dish (I used a galvanized tub) and stick flowers inside the melon.  I used gerber daisies but any type of flower will do.  The flowers stay nice for a long time because of the sugars in the melon!

Delicious and Green

No, I am not talking about the dinner I made last night (it was green but certainly not delicious!) I am talking about the collaboration between Fashionation and TerraCycle!  Their eco-friendly Ipod speakers are made from recycled candy wrappers!  Amazing! The hard part is choosing between skittles, starburst or peanut m&ms.  Prices range from $15 to $20 and are sure to get a rise out of any birthday boy or girl. I also love their "blank" one that comes with markers so that you can personalize it on your own!

Fuji Film is Fun!

There is really nothing like a Polaroid Instant photograph!  The film has become very hard to come by so Polaroid fans seem to have converted to FujiFilm's Instax Cameras.  The Instax Mini 7S Instant Camera is small, powered by AA batteries and spits out credit card size images.  So cool!  The images average out to a cost of about 70 cents each and take about 3 minutes to develop.  It is such a cool way to greet guests at the door of your next party and send them away with a picture or save them as a guest book!

Be the Talk of the Block!

Yesterday's Feather Your Nest event with Dr. Harville Hendrix and Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt was fantastic.  They were so charming and gave us tips on forming better relationships!  They were all about communication and my favorite life-changing tip was about getting rid of the negativity.  They admitted that at one time they were addicted to negativity and resorted to using a sticker-chart to reward themselves when the went a day with out a negative comment, look or word to each other.

They got me thinking about the importance of great communication and it reminded me of Table Topics!  My dad always made us go around the table at family dinners or even formal dinner parties and share the answer to the question du jour.  It was great and certainly brought us closer as a family!  Table Topics is a fun way to do the same either with your family or friends.  They have blocks full of questions that can be used for various occasions.  They have them for couples, slumber parties, teens, book club, dinner party or "not your mother's dinner party!"  They even have special travel size cases for picnic, barbecue, tailgate, honeymoon, bachelorette party, new years eve, road trip and more!  For a cocktail party they have napkins with the questions printed all over them.  Such a fun conversation starter!
Here are some sample questions:

what did you get into trouble for the most when you were young in your opinion what are the seven wonders of the world which historical sporting event would you like to witness which is more important intelligence or common sense if you could do something dangerous just once with no risk what would you do where would you choose to live if you had to leave this country

Footprints in the Sand Forever!

Love the Sandy Feel Casting Kit I saw on line today.  What a fun way to commemorate a beach vacation!  This precious kit comes with everything you need to cast your child's footprint.  It makes a great bon voyage gift or baby shower gift as well!

Paloma's Nest

I am crazy about Paloma's Nest.  Paloma means "dove" in Spanish.  It is a powerful symbol of peace, tranquility, hope, rarity, purity and elegance and the founder of the company, Caroline Vasquez, didn't even realize it when she gave the name to her daughter!  Paloma's nest is a busting, full time studio in Austin Texas but Caroline's artistry has been admired all over the world including features in Martha Stewart Weddings and Vogue Living.

In an effort to replace the fluffy ring-bearer pillow that often end up stuffed away in a box with something that would last and that could be displayed in the home, she created My Ring Bearer Bowl.  It is a small ceramic dish with meaningful text stamped into it.  They have wonderful phrases like "To have and to hold" but you can also customize it with names and a date.  My Ring Bearer Bowl has two small holes near the top rim.  It comes with a silky cotton cord to tie the rings with but you could also replace it with a ribbon that co-ordinated with the wedding colors.  After the ceremony, the bowl could be displayed on a counter top to hold rings or hung by the cord either on the wall or as a holiday ornament.  So clever!

The line also includes party favors, gifts, tabletop and an annual Holiday collection.  The little dove bowls are my favorite!

Schoolfolio

I have to admit that I am running out of room on my refrigerator for my son's artwork masterpieces!  He is only 2 but his work is already starting to take over our home!  A girlfriend told me about this wonderful Schoolfolio that organizes your child's artwork and keeps it safe from fading or gathering dust!  There are single folios ($27.95) is fun colors and designs or the All-In-One ($84.95) which can store your keepsakes, from art to report cards, from Preschool thru 12th grade!  Their pre-printed labels allow to design and organize the folio as you like.  You could dedicate on folio to each child or they could share and you could separate their works with your labels.  I can't wait to get mine and get my fridge back!

Prom Etiquette....Yes! There is such a thing!!!

Prom night and graduation parties seem to bring out the best in kids, right?  Well, although that may not be exactly accurate I do think that we should arm our teens with everything we can so that they have fond and fun memories of their special events.  Here are few tips for Prom Dates everywhere to keep in mind if they want to have a night to remember instead of a night to forget!
-Always walk up to the door to pick up a date.  Text messaging your arrival or honking are not cool!  Be brave and see this as your chance to meet your dates parents and make a good impression on them!   This is true at the end of the evening too!  Walk your date to the door!  Most kids are not taking corsages to their dates anymore but showing up with a bouquet of flowers couldn't hurt!
-Allow time to take photos.  I know it is a little bit embarrassing but you will be so happy you have them later!  Don't yell at your mother for taking them or cringe when your dad pulls out the video camera.  Your date will understand.  He or she has parents too!
-Who ever did the inviting should do the paying too!  If the guy asks the gal to the dance then he should pay.  If the girl asks the guy, she should pick up the bill unless he offers to do so.
-Dance with the one who brung ya!  In other words, don't chase another person around the room or hang out with your friends and ignore your date.  Your attention should be on your date!

Meaningful Mother's Day Gifts

Mother's Day is a time to select a thoughtful and meaningful gift.  There is not a person in the world who had done more for us than our mothers so no amount of extravagance could live up!

That's why I love these Plant a Wish Cards ! For only $10 your mother can watch your dreams for her grow!  This set of plantable wish cards comes with three mini pencils to write wishes on the cards.  You could write your goals for her, your dreams for her, or things she does for you that you are grateful for.  She can plant them and watch them grow!!!  If your mother likes to journal, it comes in a booklet form too!

Stay Skinny on Cinco de Mayo!

I love celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a margarita and some guacamole but I hate all of the extra calories that come along with my celebrating!  That is why I was so excited when I saw that Real Housewife of New York, Bethanny Frankel created the Skinnygirl Margarita!  It has only 100 calories per serving and, despite it's name, men love it too!  It is low calorie, all natural and pre-prepared so it is perfect for a party!  The best part is her low calorie "mock-a-mole" recipe!  Using a blender, you through her list of ingredients including avocado, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, tomato and garlic salt in and, voila, a low cal version of one of my favorites!  If you are still one of those people who loves to mix your own drinks, check out Bethanny's youtube video demonstrating how to make a frozen margarita.  Her best tip is to rim your glasses with both sugar and salt!  Cheers!

Get Buttoned Up!

I love the organizational tips and tools at Get Buttoned Up.  They are fantastic!  Their daily tips are terrific and their free forms are fantastic too!  My favorite free form is the Goal sheet that helps you outline the steps you need to take to reach your goal!  I am really good at writing down my goals but outlining how to get there is another story!  This makes it easy.

I also love their Life.doc binder.  It comes with a great CD that allows you to fill out the forms on your computer and insert them into the binder or email them to others.  It is a great place to hold all of life's important information from your family's emergency plan and health information to legal and budget info.  It is not fun stuff but it is laid out in a fantastic way that makes it easy to organize.
 The also have a binder for your pet's information, school organization and notepads to help you organize.  Get yourself buttoned up today!

Marshmallowville!

I am always on the lookout for a fantastic toy for my friend's children.  I love to be the one who takes the gift that ends up being the recipients favorite!  I was so excited when I stumbled upon a demonstration for Marshmallow Guns at a store recently!  I got to meet the inventor who told me that it was truly invented in desperation!  It was the night before their son's birthday party and they still didn't have an activity for the kids or a party favor for any of them.  They went on a shopping trip to Home Depot and got a few things.  When they got home they started messing around with the pvc pipe they had purchased and some marshmallows and the Marshmallow gun was invented!  It was such a hit that they decided they needed to take it the world!  They have won countless awards and have tons of products now!