Unique Personalized Gifts That Show You Care

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

two wrapped presents sitting on top of a christmas tree — Photo by Eli Pluma on Unsplash

You watch your loved one’s eyes light up in anticipation as they open the box you just gave them. The anticipation then turns into joy. Then, tears.

Mission accomplished.

If you love giving gifts to the ones you love, you’re not alone. Knowing what to get for the people who mean the most to you is the challenge, though. Research shows that more than 60% of Americans acknowledge needing gifting help, with more than 45% struggling to find the perfect presents for their recipients.

Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the gift-buying process alone, as we’ve compiled a guide for choosing unique personalized gifts. Let’s explore the top custom gifts to give others in your life to show you care.

Photo Frenzy

Remember when you and your best friend felt like you screamed your guts out on your favorite amusement park’s top-thrill ride? What about when you both took a tumble in the river during your first rafting trip or decided to share the biggest dressed-up hot fudge milkshake you’d ever seen while on vacation?

Make sure you and your friend never forget those special moments by surprising them with a custom frame or a picture book, even better. It can be an excellent way to share and preserve highly esteemed memories. A customizable photo book maker may ask you to upload themed photos, incorporate engaging filters (e.g., vintage style) or stickers, and generate captions highlighting your pictures before printing the final product.

Alternatively, you can manually create a personalized photo book by printing old pictures and gluing them to decorated paper in a blank scrapbook, then hand-writing your own photo captions, dates, locations, and personalized messages to your friend.

Dad on Duty

Let Dad know you appreciate him with a thoughtful wooden gift. Customized wooden gifts like engraved pocket knives or hammers are beautiful yet functional. Dad will always think of you each time he pulls out his pocket knife while camping or performing daily tasks, and you’ll stay on his mind as he hammers away at construction or home maintenance projects around your childhood home. The best pocket knives are designed to be safe, while must-have hammers provide a comfy grip to minimize hand fatigue. These durable and ergonomic gifts are sure to be used and cherished for a lifetime.

Song Soiree

You and your sister vowed you would never stop listening to the Backstreet Boys, even when your 40 years on Earth turn into 80 years. Make keeping that vow easier for your sis by surprising her with a customizable Spotify playlist keyring. A provider of this service may enable you to create the keyring by doing the following:

Choosing a material, like glass or metal.
Selecting a keyring shape, such as a heart or rectangle.
Picking your chosen music, such as a playlist, album, or song.
Generating and copying a scannable music code through Spotify.
Uploading the code to your keyring.

You may also be able to customize your keyring by adding a particular color, engraved message, or photo. A music keyring makes an excellent gift since it’s nostalgic, portable, and personal.

Putting a Ring on It

Let your hubby know how precious he is to you by giving him an artistic ring that captures his personality. Celebrate your love with a blue sapphire band if your husband loves surfing or scuba diving, or choose a ring made from tungsten and guitar strings for your favorite acoustic guitar player. Quality artistic rings are the products of highly skilled artisans, offering exceptional detail and craftsmanship that the recipient won’t be able to overlook. Make it even more special by requesting a laser engraving of a date, initials, special message, or anything else.

These rings are a timeless and fashionable way to demonstrate your commitment and love wherever life takes you.

Mug Mayhem

Make every morning even better for the coffee connoisseur in your life with a personalized mug. Consider printing a photo of the individual (e.g., your mom or BFF) on the mug, generating a custom illustration of them using a fun character design through a custom mug service, or writing a fun quote. Personalizing the mug with their name followed by a hilarious quote, a heartfelt message, or the individual’s motto is an excellent way to show you’re thinking about them and that you care.

Shop For Captivating Personalized Gifts Today

The best gifts are ones your loved ones wouldn’t buy for themselves — personalized gifts. The good news is that a wide range of unique custom gifts are available to show family and friends how valuable they are to you. Surprise them with a custom picture book or wooden gifts, or treat them to a personalized playlist key ring, artistic ring, or mug. Consider all the above-listed gift ideas to make your loved ones smile and cherish their union with you more than ever in the years ahead.

5 Thoughtful Gifts for Your Work Colleagues This Holiday Season

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

Your work colleagues aren’t just the people you meet, collaborate, and “circle back” amid the rush of deadlines, the pings of Google chat, and the welcome smell of Americano. They’re the ones you do life with: You spend at least one-third of your day with them. They understand the demands of your job more than your family ever could since they’re in the trenches with you, and they’ve seen you at your worst (and best!) when the going gets tough.

They’re family.

Research shows that the average individual spends more than 81,000 hours, or nine-plus years, in the workplace, which is why Americans generally find it easier to build friendships at work versus at church, school, or the neighborhood. Since your co-workers are family (the family you don’t choose), adding them to your Christmas list alongside your loved ones this year only makes sense.

What items make the best Christmas presents for coworkers? Let’s explore five thoughtful gifts for your work colleagues this holiday season.

Sticky-Note Savior

We all love sticky notes: They’re an excellent way to organize our ideas, information, and plans. The problem? When they multiply and take over a desk or cubicle, the workspace can quickly become disorganized and cluttered, achieving the opposite effect.

De-clutter your favorite colleague’s work area by introducing a dry-erase easel designed for the desktop. At 8.5 inches by 11 inches, the easel can easily be propped up or lie flat to save your co-worker’s space from a sticky-note takeover. Choose one with a clip they can use to manage invoices and bills more efficiently. The result will be a tidier workstation that will make your colleague happier and more productive.

A Beautiful Scarf to Accessorize

A festive scarf can add the perfect finishing touch to your coworkers’ holiday dresses, creating a polished yet playful look. A scarf’s color and style make it the ideal way to introduce the holiday spirit. Whether the scarf features classic holiday patterns or seasonal colors like reds, greens, or golds, it can instantly elevate a simple dress. Your coworker can drape it loosely for a relaxed feel or tie it neatly around the neck for a more polished look.

For attending a formal holiday party, you might choose a fabric such as silk to provide a more sophisticated feel. Alternatively, a cozy knit scarf can create a more casual and informal winter vibe. With the right accessories, your coworker will feel more energetic and ready to celebrate the holiday season!

Satisfying Succulents

Add green to your colleague’s winter workspace by giving them the unexpected gift of a succulent this year. These hardy plants are easy to maintain, even for non–green thumbs, and can brighten and freshen up any cubicle. They’re also small enough to fit in a tiny space, on a small desk, or on a window sill, adding a peaceful and calming natural vibe to any work area. Succulents are also purported to absorb negative energy and produce good energy, potentially leading to a more harmonious and balanced space.

Handbag Hand-Up

Take your co-worker’s handbag game to the next level with the perfect functional handbag gift this Christmas. Choose a crossbody bag for a co-worker who values shoulder and back comfort, as it evenly distributes its weight by hanging diagonally across a person’s body. Gift a clutch to a colleague seeking convenience, as it can easily accommodate small items like lipstick, a cell phone, and a credit card while complementing a formal dress or casual clothes. Totes also make excellent gifts for team members who spend long days at work, as they can effortlessly fit their planners, laptops, gym wear, and even clutch wallets for nights out with the ladies.

Checkup from the Neck Up

Show your co-workers how much you value them by treating them to a simple necklace or a ring in the holiday season. Pearl necklaces can instantly add sophistication and timeless elegance to their Christmas ensembles. Gold necklaces, due to their warm and radiant hue, are the perfect choice for invoking confidence and positivity.

Surprise Your Colleagues With the Best Gifts This Holiday Season

Now is the ideal time to start planning Christmas shopping for your work family. Fortunately, several gift options can help you demonstrate to your colleagues how special they are, whether you work together in person or across state lines. Dry-erase easels, fashionable holiday scarves, trendsetting handbags, and eye-catching necklaces can all be thoughtful, life-enhancing gifts. Consider all the above-listed holiday gift ideas for colleagues to spread a little more Christmas cheer around the office this year.

Hauntingly Good Times: A Guide to Spine-Chilling Halloween Parties

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/A59lWOrZVnw

Are you ready to have a blast this spooky season? Most people associate October with Halloween festivities, which also means that many of us are eagerly looking forward to don our Halloween costumes and dance the night away at some epic Halloween parties.

Of course, every party should be memorable and full of fun. So, if you’re looking to host a party this spooky season, here’s the ultimate guide for you!

Set the Spooky Scene

Setting the tone for your Halloween party requires having a spine-chilling venue. We mean, you do not need to rent a haunted house or a cemetery for this event—who wants to go to those venues during a party anyway? Instead, you can transform your space with spooky decorations!

Some hauntingly creative ideas for a Halloween-themed venue include:

Cobwebs, skeletons, and tombstones: These classic elements can instantly give your space a haunted feel.
Dim lighting: Create an eerie atmosphere with candles, lanterns, and black lights.
Faux spider webs and rubber spiders: Perfect for adding an abandoned, creepy look to your party space.

Eerie Invitations

Let your invitations set the mood for your spooky soiree. Use dark colors, creepy fonts, and Halloween-themed imagery like bats, skeletons, or ghosts. For that extra touch of authenticity, consider sending physical invitations to your guests.

Spine-Chilling Games

A party is never complete without activities, and we take the fun to the next level by planning exciting games! Here are some of our suggestions:

Bobbing for Apples: Fill a large tub with water and floating apples. Players must try to catch apples using only their mouths, not their hands. It’s a classic Halloween game that’s both fun and challenging.
Mummy Wrap Race: Divide guests into pairs. One person is the “mummy,” and the other wraps them in toilet paper to resemble a mummy. The first team to finish wrapping or the team with the neatest mummy wins.
Witch’s Hat Ring Toss: Set up a game where guests toss rings onto the pointy top of a witch’s hat. Assign different point values to different sections of the hat. The player with the most points wins.

Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/H43_uKgw-HM

Costume Contest

Another fun activity for your Halloween party is hosting a costume contest. Encourage your guests to unleash their inner spooks with creative and terrifying costumes. You can also award them based on categories like “Most Terrifying,” “Most Creative,” and “Best Group Costume.” Prizes for the winners will add a competitive edge to the fun.

Spooky Dance Floor

No party is complete without dancing! So, if you want to keep your dance floor in theme, here’s our advice:

Dance floor theme: You may want to set the tone for your dance floor, whether it’s a retro-themed Halloween dance with a white-and-black floor reminiscent of scenes from Wednesday or Carrie, or perhaps a Victorian-themed dance floor—the possibilities are endless.
Fog Machine: Envelop the dancefloor in a mysterious and foggy ambiance.
Black and Red Lights: Cast an eerie glow on the dancefloor with these colored lights.
LED Candles, Strobe Lights, and Eerie Projections: Set the stage for a haunting dancefloor experience.

Interactive Haunted Experiences

To add a unique twist to your fun-filled party, you may want to consider adding an element of interactive horror to your event. You may use Halloween animatronics, such as moving zombies or scarecrow displays, which your guests can interact with and take pictures of. You may also have booths like fortune-telling kiosks and a horror movie corner for guests who get tired of the activities and dancing.

Capture the Moments

Who doesn’t want to keep snapshots of bonding moments with family and friends? Set up a Halloween-themed photo booth with props and backdrops so guests can capture memories of their costumes and the eerie atmosphere.

Remember, a great party brings folks closer, makes the night full of giggles, and leaves us with memories we’ll cherish. Halloween offers the perfect opportunity to let your creativity run wild and ensure everyone has a spook-tacular time.

5 DIY Gifts That Kids Can Make

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

https://www.pexels.com/photo/siblings-doing-artwork-together-5789767/

Are you looking for fun, inexpensive gifts that your kids can make themselves? Look no further! These DIY gift ideas are exactly what you need. Not only does creating handmade gifts help cut costs, but it can increase brain activity in children and help develop creativity. Check out these five simple craft ideas that you can try with your kids. They’ll love sharing their designs with others!

5 DIY Crafts and Gifts

1. Photos with a Custom Frame

Photos never go out of style and are always cherished. Start by choosing a special picture (perhaps one with your child and the gift recipient), then search for a blank frame of any material that you can fully customize!

For example, decorate a premade foam or wooden frame with beads, glitter glue, and other decorations, or create your own frames from popsicle sticks and other materials that each child can personalize.

These added embellishments help you and your child create a gift that’s specifically tailored to the recipient, whether that’s a parent, grandparent, or a friend from school. The best part? This idea is great for any holiday or special occasion. Make a heart photo frame for grandma for Valentine’s Day or a special Fall photo frame for Thanksgiving. The ideas are endless for this project, allowing your children to dig into their creative designs.

2. Coasters

Cup coasters are an easy and inexpensive DIY gift for kids to make, and can be a nice option for a parent on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Use a corkboard if you want to paint only, or use wood if you would like to engrave and paint your coasters. Here are the steps you need to follow to create these easy DIY coasters:

Using the mouth of a cup, create a circle on your corkboard. Cut the circle out.
Use acrylic paint to decorate the tops of the coasters.
Once the coasters are dry, spray or paint on a clear coat to help seal in your kids’ art designs.
If you use circular wood pieces, carve your designs before completing steps 2 and 3.

Image URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/ZUgVjh7PFhk

3. Pincushions

Pincushions have been around for years. Share one with the seamstress in your family to add some homemade love to their crafting area. Make a pincushion out of quilt fabric scraps or old pieces of clothing. Here are five steps to making a pincushion:

Use the mouth of a cup to draw your circles for easy measurement. Cut two pieces of fabric in circles, and place the front of the fabric pieces together.
Sew the edges of the circles together, but leave an opening for the stuffing. Knot your string and cut it at the gap. Turn the fabric right side out.
Stuff your cushion with polyester stuffing until it feels full. You don’t want needles going straight through the cushion because there isn’t enough stuffing.
Sew the opening gap together.
Add some decorations to your pincushion. You can add string from the center around the pincushion—like you are cutting it into pie slices—and add a button to the middle.

4. Painted Wooden Plaques

Wood design plagues are a home decor trend without an end in sight. These easy-to-do paintings are great for children of any age. This project requires pieces of wood, paints, and fun design stencils.

These are beautiful decorations for your child’s room, play area, game room, or as a gift for a family member. Tape the stencils on the wooden base and allow the children to paint as they desire. When you complete the designs, you can add a layer of clear coating or leave the paint as-is on the wood.

5. Flower Clocks

Give Grandma a new flower clock made by her little flower. This piece will brighten up the room, give something to help Grandma remember the kids as time goes by, and help the kids learn time while visiting Grandma.

Buy a circular clock that Grandma can hang in her living room.
Add half-circle petals to the outside of the hand clock at each main number.
On the petals, write the number of minutes represented at that time. For example, number one would have a petal with :05, two would have :10, and so on.
Add a stem and leaves to the bottom of the clock to create a floral look.
Let the kids design the flower petals and color around the numbers. Cut different types of leaves to make them extra unique.
When you visit Grandma, hang the clock for her!

Add Love to Your Gifts

Fun homemade crafts can spur memories that will last a lifetime, and these five gifts make excellent home decor items for anyone to enjoy! You can tailor each gift to the particular recipient, adding their favorite colors and designs to the project. These kid-made DIY gifts are an easy way to share love with friends and family members, so start crafting today!

At Home Cleanser & Big Spray – All Natural

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

I saw this and I just had to try it. Seems to simple to do much good. I followed the instructions carefully and came out with a large jar of a cleaner and bug spray that that a fresh clean aroma. But does it work? I cleaned the counters and microwave with it. It left the cleaned area with a shine and streak free. I was left without any residue. The ultimate test bugs. Im pretty good at keeping up with house cleaning and maintenance so haven’t had any bugs in the house. However, this time of year here in Salt Lake City we has ant hills that pop up over night. These ant are small and there are a lot of them when they appear. I poured a cup of the mixture and went to an area where there are reoccurring ants. I poured the amount on a small ant hill that was just started. I got some on some of the ants entering and exiting. Not much happened at first. Then I noticed the ants walking around erratically. They were also coming out of their hole. Soon, many started to fall and die. I am going to keep this in my arsenal to clean and kill bugs with. It is cheap and easy to make and then store in a spray bottle (which is eventually where what I made went).

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