Date of the Month Club

I found this great idea for a last minute homemade Christmas gift. I am making it right now for my hubby. It's giving them a membership to the "Date of the Month Club"- as seen here at Love, Actually. 

 Here is the membership brochure:

I was able to easily whip this up on my own fairly quickly using Photoshop. She uses BOSSHOLE and Susie's Hand fonts which you can download for free here and here.

She has more information and pictures at her site, and she is also selling them for only $9.99 if you want her to design it for you.



Tamara and I came up with some additional romance reward ticket ideas, and it looks like she did as well. She recently updated her blog with some of the same ideas.


Here are some of ours (click on the ticket to see it larger):

I am currently decorating a box to put it all in for him. When its all finished I will post a picture update.

Thanks for the great idea Cher!

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Fabric Luggage Tags For Travelers

Is there someone you know that travels alot, maybe for business? If so, here is a fun gift idea you can make to help them spot their luggage easily from baggage claim:

 

Here is the tutorial on how to make this fabric luggage tag over at Skip to My Lou. Enjoy!

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Featuring - Frame the [Date]

Two Sisters...

preserving a moment...

From birthdays to anniversaries, from engagements to graduations, our time on this earth is punctuated with special events of life - altering significance. Frame the [Date] provides a unique way of celebrating a moment that helped define your life or helps create a gift that will last forever as a reminder of a special day.

Frame the [Date] makes a special gift for any special occasion.

A wedding anniversary...the birth of a baby...a big graduation...a first hole-in-one or even the day a business is started. A special date is the start of a new chapter in someone's life, so why not help hold that memory close?

Turn a cherished event into a giftable work of art.

Frame the [Date]

http://www.framethedate.com/

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Truckload of Chocolate

Got me a new cool resource: thetoymaker.com

This little truck is just one of dozens of cute paper toys that you can print out right from her site for free! I am loving this cute truck- you could fill it full of chocolate kisses and say, you deserve a truckload of love, or any other cheesy thing. Her paper toys book looks pretty neat too. Most of it is geared toward children, but lots, like this truck, just take a little imagination for lots of different uses. Happy paper folding!

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The Romantic Rubik's Cube

My gifting style tends to lean towards things I can do with photographs. I love taking them and editing them, and finding cool new ways to display them is fun too. I found this idea over at Love Actually:

These look really cool and seem very easy to make! Here is the tutorial from her website:

Click Here for Tutorial

These would obviously be great for wedding gifts, but you could also do any picture you want and use it for any occasion. Here are some more ideas on how to use these:

- Stocking Stuffer
- Home Decoration
- Gift for a spouse who enjoys puzzles
- Bridal shower or small wedding gift (using pics of the couple)
- Father's Day/Mother's Day

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You're tops with me!

 A fun gift to give anyone is a few large potatoes (one for each member of their family) and all the toppings.  I bought some burlap and sewed up a quick bag using twine.  I bought salt and pepper shakers from the dollar store, Tabasco sauce, potato topping shakers, sour cream, a can of chili, real butter, and some velveeta cheese.  I put all this in the bag with a tag that says, "You're Tops With Me!"  You have to make sure you can give the gift to someone close to a fridge if you want to add all the toppings that need to be cold. I make up a few bags at a time and add the items that don't need refrigeration.  That way I can make a quick run to the store to add the extra items right before I give it to them.  If I know they won't have refrigeration, I just give them the bag I already have put together.  This gift is great for anyone of any age!


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Pocket reminders

This past weekend I attended the huge Tea Party rally in Washington D.C. . While I was there, I thought about getting some gifts for my children, but I really didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for all the over priced junk at the Smithsonian, or other souvenir carts they had all over town. As we marched up to the Capitol building, we passed by a Buckeye tree growing on the Capitol lawn, and there were nuts all over the ground. In a flash I decided to pick some up for my children. ( It helps if you understand that the Buckeye tree is Ohio's state tree.) When I got home, I explained to them that these small buckeyes were a good symbol of our freedom. We live in a republic, with each state loosely connected by the federal government, and the Buckeye tree reminded me of that. You could see all the different trees on the lawn there, each it's own little world, but because they were on the Capitol lawn, They were protected and kept safe from harm by the gardeners there. Just like our relationship between the states and the federal government. (Maybe it is a stretch, but it was a sort of profound thought at the time.) So I gave them to my children and asked them to keep them in their pockets for awhile, to remind them about their freedom. For the next couple of days they were all like oops, I lost my freedom. Look mom, I'm abusing my freedom! Smart alecs. Anyway, it got me thinking, what else could you give as a small gift that someone could keep in their pocket? A small charm for their key ring that symbolizes your relationship, or a marble (for some extra sanity) or maybe a small polished stone or shell that you picked up on the beach when you were away together? Gifts don't have to be expensive to be meaningful. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts.

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September is National Emergency Preparedness Month

"At home or at work, routines can be disrupted with little or no warning by natural disasters, fires or other catastrophic events. Don’t wait for an emergency to think about being prepared.
National Preparedness Month, sponsored each September by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready campaign to increase public awareness of emergency preparedness, urges four basic steps: get a kit, make a plan, be informed and get involved."-National Safety Council

It only seems fitting to repost this in case you missed it:

In today's economy you can never be too prepared. But sometimes its hard to put the time in that is required to really be ready for an emergency. Or its just one of those things that you put off thinking, "Someday I'll get around to it."

For Christmas my parents once got us all 72 hour kits. They were awesome presents because its one of those things that you really want and should have, but find yourself wanting to buy yourself something more fun.

If you're looking for a really unique and thoughtful gift, you should check out our Emergency Binder Inserts.
In case of an emergency, say a house fire, wouldn't it be nice if you could save all of your most valuable documents? I used to keep all of them in an old filing cabinet but you won't see me running out of our burning home carrying that! An emergency binder is a place to store birth and marriage certificates, passports, social security cards, home insurance information, car insurance information, emergency cash, missing fliers for your family members, etc. Its all in one convenient place that is easy to grab on your way out the door.

This is a 25 page PDF template that you can print out and use to assemble your own emergency binder.

PDF Template includes pages outlined for each family member (including pets) with current information should you get split up in an emergency situation. Emergency contact list, tax information, titles and insurance, a place to store internet passwords and more.

Where you decide to store your emergency binder is up to you. Some people prefer a fire proof box, others a safe, some a safety deposit box, and others in a closet closest to their exits for easy access. Help get your friends and family prepared today with the security of an Emergency Binder! You can buy the inserts here for $3.99 and its available for immediate download. 



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What's in a name?

Juliet:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

A personalized gift with the receiver's name on it is always unique.

Did you know that at http://www.mymms.com/ you can personalize your own M&Ms with words, colors, and even pictures.

My mom has crocheted blankets with each of her grandbabies' names on them. What a sweet expression of love. These blankets will be cherished always.

She can make these blankets custom made for you, too. Check them out at our Etsy shop.

The sound of love

Here's a quick little idea- why not borrow your loved one's phone, and get them some fun ring tones? There are lots of ring tones on the internet for free or cheap.  You can find instructions on how to upload them too, usually with a little google-fu. How about finding the song played at your wedding? When my husband got me a new phone for my birthday, he set it up with all kinds of hilarious ring tones- my favorite being the one that plays whenever one of my 6 crazy sisters call: Here it goes again!


OK Go - New Music - More Music Videos
And my main ring tone that he added? It's my mantra:



OK Go - New Music - More Music Videos
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Everything but the Kitchen sink

 I think the easiest way to give a fun gift is when the idea for a cute tag is already done for you. Consider Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavors:

So sorry I flipped out on you. Let's kiss and make up.

Thank you so much for feeding our pets while we were gone!

Please go out with me, Jamaican me crazy!

Happy Birthday! Congratulations on becoming old as a fossil!

Thanks so much for everything you did for the PTA meeting/cub scout dinner/office party!

Goodbye! It was nice working with you!

Hint Hint *wink*

For a soldier or his family: Stay safe during your deployment! Thank you for your sacrifice for our country!

Hang in there. Maybe this will help.

  You are an Extraordinary Person. Thanks for being you!

This makes a great last minute gift- grab a pint, some stick on labels that you hand write on, and you are good to go!

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Magazine Subscriptions

One of my favorite gift ideas is to give a magazine subscription. My favorite magazine is real simple. The magazine is filled with useful tips, websites and even organization ideas. The magazine contains recipes that are easy but look like you spent hours making them. Most the things written about in this magazine are geared towards women, but you can always find a magazine that the recipient likes. I like to give older copies because the information is still useful. If you have already read the issue and are going to throw it out…tie it up with a nice bow and a gift tag letting them know their subscription will start next month. You can also get past issues to any magazine by going to their website. They are about a dollar an issue.

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Send your own message in a bottle...My friend Shelly is my partner in crime. We have a flea market booth over at the Streetsboro Flea Market. Our booth is called Three Penny Market. Shelly is the queen of all things recycled- she never throws away anything, because when she is done with it, you want it back! Today, she was making some really great stuff. She had acquired ( we won't ask where) some of those bottles you see sometimes in stores for foodies, those tall bottles full of vinegar with dodgy looking peppers topped with wax. They had seen better days, so she emptied them out, cleaned them up, and bought new corks. She has been busy making them into spooky potion bottles for Halloween, but she made one that will make such a great gift. She filled one of the bottles with sand, and tiny shells, and put in a strategically placed note, (put in so you can read it) that says "Don't rescue me, I love it here." I thought this would make a great anniversary gift for your special someone, especially if you are taking a trip. She put in the cork, and added some charms and things to the outside, to finish it off. I think this gift idea could be adapted for all kinds of ideas, to announce things or to send any kind of special message. Click on the picture above to send a virtual message in a bottle to someone you love...

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Zen Stone

One of the best gifts I have ever received was my Zen Stone. A Zen Stone is a tiny mp3 player that has its own amazing integrated speaker. I'm not an audiophile but it is pretty dang good for what it is. All of our music is digital now, and it was getting annoying hauling the computer around just to listen to some tunes. And I didn't really want an ipod, I think earbuds are annoying. ( I'm not picky or anything.) So my husband got me my Zen Stone, and he loaded it up with love songs, because he knows I am sappy like that. These babies are great for the price- you can get one for twenty bucks. I think I have probably spent more on pizza! These would be great loaded up with romantic songs for an anniversary, or for a way to give some digital music to a teen for Christmas. I love mine, I always have it in my pocket, and my kids say they love it, because it is like a cow bell- they always know where I am. And just so you know, it does come with annoying earbuds. ;)  

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