Archive for birthday
Perfectly Savvy Finds
Posted by: | CommentsI wrote a post a couple of weeks ago about sending holiday greeting cards because it seems that the trend to send is not what it once was. I must admit it makes me sad. I’m a huge fan of technology and streamlining, but I also love having a personal touch to special occasions. While I love receiving Facebook birthday wishes from all of my friends, nothing beats a personal card in the mail. Perhaps a savvy little organizer like this will make it easier (and more fun) to send a personal note. Just think about how much fun it is to receive a handwritten note and I think a beautiful card container like this example from Adventures in Crafting would make it just as much fun to send.
Source: craftyliu.wordpress.com via Nicole on Pinterest
Perfectly Savvy Finds
Posted by: | CommentsWe are always thinking about ways to make our homes more energy efficient and the Boost Box is an easy way to install and use some new energy efficient ideas in your home. There are 9 different Boost Boxes or kits that take the mystery out of finding ways to save water, money and energy. I think they’d make a great housewarming or even a birthday gift for a friend that is concerned about being eco-friendly. There is also a Kid Boost Box and according to the website, every item in the box can be installed by a 5 year old with adult supervision. What a great way to begin a conversation with your kids about saving energy.
Perfectly Savvy Finds – SMASH Journal
Posted by: | CommentsI LOVE this Savvy Find. My daughter is attending a birthday party this weekend and so I was out on the hunt for a creative gift. I went to our local Paper Source and stumbled upon the SMASH journal. It is the perfect journal to quickly contain thoughts, dreams and summer activity. While this gift will certainly be loved by the 8 year old recipient, I’m thinking that I want one too!!! Here is a sweet video that give examples of what can be done with the journal. Have a great weekend!
Do It Yourself – Creative Eco Friendly Goodie Bag
Posted by: | CommentsI shared some Savvy Finds a few weeks ago while I was on the hunt for an eco-friendly solution to the birthday party goodie bag. I wanted to share what we finally came up with for my Daughter’s goodie bag.
She shared her party with a friend and the girls were very involved with making the goodie bag and I think it made it extra special. We had pendants made from Above and Beyond with the school colors and initial. They strung the pendants with beads to make a necklace. We had seed cards made from Beau-Coup that can be planted to grow wildflowers. They made fortune tellers and baked cookies (not pictured). I helped them make the bag from craft paper, rolling into a cone and attaching a ribbon across the top.
I’d love to hear about other ideas to make gift giving more thoughtful – what are you doing?
Perfectly Savvy Finds – Eco Friendly Goodie Bag
Posted by: | CommentsHi Everyone,
My Perfectly Savvy Finds this week are entirely selfish. My daughter’s birthday is fast approaching and I really want to come up with some ideas that are more friendly to the environment.
First, I had a chat with her about asking that her friends bring food shelf donations instead of gifts. The overwhelming amount of gifts either never get touched or clutter the house. To my delight, she was totally onboard. I told her in lieu of all the gifts, we’d have a special day together with lunch and shopping. She can then pick out one nice gift that will actually get used.
Next, the goody bag. I definitely want her to have something to pass out. That said, it does not have to be plastic or sugar. I’ve found some options below and I’d love to know if you have any other ideas.
Have a wonderful weekend.
One in and One Out
Posted by: | CommentsIt was my daughter’s birthday on Saturday and as we all know, a birthday means a sudden accumulation of toys. Kids can become overwhelmed if they have too many choices and so my girls are learning that as we bring in more toys, we then need to look at donating or editing others.
If there is a toy or book that they no longer play with, but seem reluctant to release, we hold it in our basement for a couple of months. This makes the process much easier because they know it is still in the house and we can always reevaluate our choices.
My kids are partners in deciding what we’ll transition out of the room. When they were younger I would make those decisions on my own, but now they are old enough and can assist in making choices. We have neighbors and friends that have benefitted from their donations and it truly makes my girls happy to pass along their beloved toys. Here are some things to keep in mind as you sort toys with your kids;
1. Sort early in the day so they are not exhausted and possibly emotional.
2. Don’t expect to tackle the entire room if there are a lot of toys. Take one section at a time so they are not overwhelmed.
3. Don’t let the process become too emotional. If they are really upset by the process, then slow it down and take it a day and a toy at a time. You want this to be a positive experience and not something that will agitate them.
4. Congratulate them on their accomplishment. Tell them how nice the room looks and you are proud of their efforts.
5. Let them be a part of the donation process so that they can see how good it feels to help others.
Remembering Birthdays and Special Occasions
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t know about you, but I seem to have a difficult time planning for, and remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. Of course I’ve put them in my calendar, but then I receive the reminder and get busy before I can make a call. Or, I receive the reminder ON their birthday and then it is just too late. Facebook is good for giving a little notice before a birthday, but that is dependant upon your friend actually having an account. Here are a few ideas to help you remember a birthday or special day and give yourself a little time to prepare;
I use BirthdayAlarm.com – I like this service because it is FREE and it will send two reminders to your inbox. The first reminder is sent one week before the event and the next a couple days before. I leave the message in my inbox until I get the card, gift or email sent. There is another service JackCards that is supposed to be great as well.
Another tool is to put a reminder in your own calendar at the beginning of each month and prep all of your cards and gifts that need to be sent. This is especially efficient if you have kids that need to create or sign the cards. I have my girls sit down and create multiple cards if necessary. It cuts down on the amount of time and they are already “in the zone”.
I have an account at Hallmark so that I can send e-cards when I’m short on time. I do prefer sending a physical card, but it is nice to have the service as a back up and also to send a little smile to friends and family throughout the year.
Buy a few cards to have on hand for the birthdays that sneak up on you. My Mom uses an accordion file to keep cards for different occasions. She’s not computer literate so this system works well for her.
What are your tricks and tools for remembering special occasions?
