Thoughtful Gifts: The secret to easy gift-giving

12/15/2016

Thoughtful Gifts

The secret to easy gift-giving

(Family Features) When gift-giving has you stumped, turn to what you know: the characteristics and interests that make your recipient unique. A thoughtful gift that shows you recognize and care about the qualities that make your loved one or friend special is a sure winner every time.

For the Adventurer
Trying to match the thrills an adventurer finds in his/her outrageous pursuits can be a challenge, but a certificate toward a thrilling experience may just fit the bill. Whizzing through a zip line course or taking the plunge with a sky diving simulator are two ways to feed the need for adrenaline. With more and more cities adding these pseudo-extreme adventures to their local attraction lists, you can easily find an adrenaline-inducing activity that will excite your loved one. Tuck a gift certificate for the experience into a brochure, and if you find yourself intrigued, make the certificate amount good for an adventure for two.

For the Creative One
For many, adult coloring has become a fun individual or group activity and a creative way to de-stress during the hectic holiday season. As most artists know, the tools you use to create a masterpiece make all the difference, so why not arm your loved ones with the quality tools they need to bring their artwork to life? Help them take their coloring to the next level with the Prismacolor Adult Coloring Kit. Featuring a variety of coloring tools, including professional artist-quality soft core colored pencils, an illustration marker, a premier kneaded eraser, sharpener and a whimsical coloring booklet, this kit has everything adult colorists need. The colored pencils deliver a smooth application, superior blendability, subtle gradation and rich color saturation that will make their coloring pop.

For the Techie
Whether they’re waiting in line at 5 a.m. for the latest gadget release or scoping out the newest trends in tech, finding presents to gift your tech-obsessed friends and family is no easy feat. To determine the type of gift that suits them best, think about other activities they enjoy. For avid runners and fitness buffs, consider a personalized fitness activity tracker or smart watch. On the hunt for a gift for the music lover in your life? Maybe a portable speaker or pair of new headphones would catch their eye. If all else fails, a gift certificate to their favorite store is always a good option.

When it comes to giving meaningful gifts, focus on personal traits and you’ll quickly transform an empty list into one filled with possibilities for making this holiday season joyful and bright.

Family passing out gifts image courtesy of Getty Images.

SOURCE:
Prismacolor

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Harvest Your Own Home Decor

10/3/2016

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Put your personal touch on your home’s decor with crafting projects that highlight the best of fall: copper detail, animal icons and pumpkins of every color, including white. Create a seasonal tablescape or mantel decoration with these Harvest Fall Lanterns or apply an outdoorsy look with a Birch Wreath.

Harvest Your Own Home Decor

(Family Features) Warm up your home with this season’s trendiest looks. Put your personal touch on your home’s decor with crafting projects that highlight the best of fall: copper detail, animal icons and pumpkins of every color, including white.

Create a seasonal tablescape or mantel decoration with these Harvest Fall Lanterns created by the crafting experts at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. The lanterns lend a coppery sheen to complement the seasonal hues of the pumpkins and gourds. Place them atop a swatch of soft plaid for a multi-textured look that celebrates the season indoors.

For a unique outdoorsy look, piece together a birch wreath using natural supplies such as twig stems, cattail stems and foliage.

Find more harvest perfect fall home decor at joann.com.

Harvest Fall Lanterns
Skill level: Beginner
Crafting time: 3-5 hours

Supplies and Tools:

2 boxes fall pumpkin and gourd decorations
1 bottle (2 fluid ounces) cloud white paint
Black sponge paint brush
2 metal and glass lanterns
Hot glue gun and sticks

Select two pumpkins to paint white. Paint them and let dry.
Choose multiple sized pumpkins and gourds and attach them to the inside bottom of each lantern with hot glue to begin building a design. Add more pumpkins and gourds, and glue them to each other.
Insert leaves and berries to accent pumpkins and fill in any empty spaces.

Birch Wreath
Skill level: Beginner
Crafting time: 1-2 hours

Supplies and Tools:

Burlap garland
Dark brown raffia
Florist wire (22 or 24 gauge)
Burlap-wrapped wreath
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Wire cutters
Beige twig stems
Brown floral tape
2 pinecone pick stems
2 onion grass cattail stems
5 fall leaf foliage
5 bags medium birch rounds

Craft bow out of burlap garland and dark brown raffia. Wrap wire around middle of bow and poke it into burlap wreath in desired location. Secure with hot glue.
With wire cutters, cut twigs to length and tape together with brown floral tape. Add pinecone stems to twigs and tape together with floral tape.
Wrap twig and pinecone stems with wire and poke wire into wreath under bow. Use hot glue to secure.
Add cattails and fall foliage to accent. Attach to wreath in desired locations with hot glue.
Cover remainder of wreath with birch rounds using hot glue.

SOURCE:
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

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Creating the Perfect Birthday Party at Home

4/19/2016

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5 Simple Tips for Birthday Bash Success

(Family Features) Whether you’re planning a princess tea party or a superhero birthday bash, the secret to organizing a party your child will treasure is to keep your little one’s interests at the forefront.

If your child does well in smaller groups, keep the guest list small. Plan the menu around his or her favorite foods and look for little touches that celebrate the unique joy he or she brings to your family. Make your little one’s big day extra special with these simple tips that make childhood birthday parties manageable but magnificent:

Set a theme. Building your celebration around a theme that reflects your child brings an added touch of fun and excitement. Popular options include a favorite color, sport, activity or character. While the Internet offers a mind-boggling array of ideas for crafting the perfect theme, there also are a variety of party-ready options for busy moms with limited time. For example, Hershey’s new birthday products, available at select Walmart locations, can be added to almost every aspect of the celebration, from decorations to party favors and special treats to games and prizes.
Decorate the guests. There’s no reason to stop with streamers and balloons. Integrate your guests into the decor with fun activities that bring your theme to life. Face paint, washable tattoos or stamps let little guests take an active role in the party and express a little creativity of their own.
Amp up the activity. Create opportunities for all the little partygoers to participate in the festivities with interactive games that tie back to the theme of the party. Old-school favorites like pin-the-tail on the donkey can be updated to reflect today’s popular characters; make-your-own slime or clay is the perfect project for a group of mad scientists; or a treasure hunt can be adapted to nearly any theme.
Add some fancy to the food. If your party menu calls for more than cake and ice cream, you can take advantage of another avenue to carry through your theme. A little creativity, some clever monikers and a few basic modifications can quickly transform everyday snacks into festive fun. For example, a dinosaur party might feature Brontosaurus Burgers and T-Rex Trail Mix. The options are nearly endless, and if you’re at a loss, you can find ample inspiration online.
Offer a fond farewell. No birthday party is complete without treats to send partygoers home happy. However, goodie bags need not be costly or elaborate. An inexpensive item such as bubbles or sidewalk chalk tied in theme-colored ribbon is a fun choice for many ages. When it comes to candy, favorite Hershey’s products – from Kit Kat Miniatures to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures to iconic Kisses chocolates – are now available in birthday-themed designs for a sweet ending to any celebration. Simply package items in a vessel that fits the theme, such as a purse for a princess party or a small pail for a beach blast.

Find more ideas for throwing a birthday bash to remember at HersheyBirthdays.com or visit select Walmart locations to find all your birthday party needs.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Hershey's

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4 ways to make every day Earth Day

4/16/2016

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(BPT) - On Friday, April 22, millions across the globe celebrate Earth Day by participating in eco-friendly activities in order to make a positive impact on the world we live in. This special day is also the perfect opportunity to start thinking about how you can add small, environmentally-based actions to your everyday lifestyle. This can be achieved through small efforts at home, work and in your community.

In our fast-paced culture, it's easy to take the world around us for granted. Many aren't aware how environmental concerns from climate change and pollution to the rise of e-waste are impacted by our daily activities. It's never too late or too soon to become an environmental steward by committing to be more kind to the planet. Take action by creating more eco-conscious traditions with your family. Here are four green initiatives you can adopt this Earth Day and every day:

Have a paperless trail.

Paper waste takes up more than one-third of space in local landfills, which can generate methane gas that is harmful to the environment. Luckily, today's technological advances make it easy to go paperless. There are many apps and services that can help you cut back on how much paper you use. You can start by requesting items such as bills, statements and newsletters be sent electronically. The paper items you do wish to receive, like newspapers, cardboard boxes, magazines and phone books, can easily be recycled when you finish using them.

Get unplugged.

Did you know vampires really do exist? Well, energy vampires that is. This term is used to describe how many types of electronics and office equipment - including computers, phone chargers, clocks, TVs and printers - continue to use electricity when they're off but still plugged into an outlet. In households across the U.S., wasted energy not only costs consumers more than $5.8 billion annually, it also sends more than 87 billion pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.

Make a pact to reduce the amount of energy your family uses. This can be as simple as turning off lights or the TV when you're not in the room. Unplugging electronics when they aren't being used is also a great way to save your family money and conserve energy.

Develop a green thumb.

While many people choose to plant trees for Earth Day, take it a step further by starting a garden in your yard. You can plant anything from flowers, herbs or vegetables. This is a great way to get the entire family involved in an activity you can do together throughout the year that is fun and healthy for everyone!
Become a battery recycling superhero.
Some items that can be recycled are thrown away mostly because people do not know what can be recycled and where to recycle them. Many household electronics and popular tech gadgets use rechargeable batteries that contain materials that are potentially harmful to the environment and should never be thrown into the trash. You can help by educating your friends and family about how they can reduce waste by choosing to recycle.

Organizations like Call2Recycle Inc. strive to minimize the environmental impact of products through responsible disposal by offering an easy and no-cost recycling solution for rechargeable batteries. Call2Recycle has a network of more than 30,000 drop-off locations, including retail stores in your own community that you may already visit regularly. Their collection sites accept cellphones and rechargeable batteries (weighing up to 11 pounds), including those you find in laptop computers, digital cameras, two-way radios, MP3 players or iPods, tablets and cordless phones.

Get started by organizing a local recycling drive to encourage others to gather up their batteries to be recycled. Through recycling, you can make your community more sustainable and keep potentially hazardous materials from entering local landfills. Visit www.call2recycle.org/locator and use the location finder to find the nearest collection site.

Being a responsible member of any community means making choices and taking action to take care of the world we live in. These eco-friendly activities may sound simple and easy to get started, but the real challenge is creating new habits that will ultimately lead to a greener lifestyle. By starting small and making your goals realistic, there is a greater chance you will continue implementing them throughout the year. Your efforts can inspire your family and friends to join you in incorporating environmentally-friendly behavior into their every day lives. These changes - big and small - can make a positive impact and create a better world for ourselves and for future generations.

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