Family Tradition

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with family.  Each year, my mother prepares our Thanksgiving meal from cherished family recipes.  Though I’d love to relieve her of the duty, she is an amazing cook and there would be a mutiny if she didn’t make our beloved dishes!

Whoever hosts the turkey dinner in your family, here is a meaningful gift to bring to your host or cook as a thank you for their arduous work preparing the house and the meal for the family gathering:  a recipe carving board from 3D Carving. 

Grab your great-grandmother’s turkey dressing recipe, or Great Aunt Millie's special green bean casserole recipe and make the tradition permanent on the etched carving board.

I love this idea, because it warms the heart to see a loved ones’ handwriting--you can almost picture them there with you.  The carving board commemorates a time honored recipe to pass down through the family.

This gift works well for holidays, newlyweds, grandparents, parents, in-laws, friends, BBQ kings, etc. Alternate ideas are to scan children's artwork, or a love note, etc.

Spice It Up:  Whether you are a turkey or a ham fan, Ham I Am has the best you have ever tasted.  I have been buying from them directly for going on 20 years, and they have the highest quality meats.  My favorites are the Lemon Pepper Turkey and  the Pepper Ham—to die for! 

Neiman Marcus is one of Ham I Am’s loyal clients.  Ham I Am products are featured each year in their holiday food catalogs.  This high end retailer is known for exceptional quality, so you know if Ham I Am meets their discerning taste it is a remarkable product.

Even if you don’t plan to eat it right away, it is a wonderful gift to have in the house around the holidays as you can eke out several dinners and sandwiches from the ham.  In addition, Ham I Am makes a terrific corporate gift for clients.  Easy to ship, and everyone loves a generous tasty food gift. 

Where to buy:  Order the carving board now so that you can receive it in time for the holidays.  You will need to scan in your document.  If you do not have a scanner, any FedexKinkos/Office Depot/Staples can scan it for you.  3D Carving on Etsy features several styles which vary by size (8.5x11 to 9.5x13) and price $30.00-$78.00.

Ham I Am website features several options of Turkey, Ham, Bacon and their famous Hogwash.  Prices range from $39.95 - $54.95 depending on product/size/sliced or whole.

 

 

 

M&Ms...Mmm Mmm Good!

You’ve probably seen the ads for personalized M&Ms, and I’m here to tell you they are even cuter in real life! 

M&Ms make a great Hostess gift, Thank you gift, Birthday, Bar Mitzvah, Co-Worker, Grandparents, Teens, Kids, Anniversary, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Valentine’s,  party favor, etc. 

With Thanksgiving approaching, think of the festive color combinations you can order to make for a Hostess gift for your Mother-In-Law, Sister, or Friend who will be toiling over the turkey dinner!  For Thanksgiving, try Orange/Brown/Red or Orange/Yellow/Red with clip art of a Turkey, a maple leaf, and “Happy Thanksgiving” or “Gobble Gobble.”

As for me, I gave this gift for Father’s Day, and as a Thank You/Hostess Gift.  For Father’s Day, I picked Blue/Green/White M&Ms.  Then, uploaded a photo of my niece, a photo of my father’s dog, and the words “Happy Father’s Day.”

For a Thank you gift, my friend loves all things French, so I picked the colors of the French Flag (Red/White/Blue).  Then, uploaded a Fleur-De-Lis logo, an Eiffel Tower Clip Art, and the word “Merci.”
If you are stumped for creative ideas, the M&M website provides a great “idea gallery” to help you come up with gifts for your particular occasion. 

Spice It Up:  You can search for a container on your own, or (on the M&M Website) select one of their candy dispensers to add to your order.  The dispenser is well designed because it is relatively small (though it holds a large bag of plain M&Ms) to sit nicely on a desk, and won't clutter up your space while keeping the candy fresh.

Dispenser Size Comparison

Where to Buy:  Go to the website at My M&Ms.  Prices vary depending on the items you select.  Personalized candy only runs $6.99 for 7 oz. to $159.99 for 10 lbs.   The combo of a candy dispenser with 1 lb bag of personalized candy varies from $49.99-$69.99 depending on your selection. 

Tip 1:  I recommend picking a 3 color combo you like as it makes the gift more distinctive than mixing more colors in together.  If you choose to go with the dispenser, pick “white” as one of the M&M colors at it will look nice with the dispenser and will make the other colors pop.

Tip 2:  M&M is strict when it comes to trademarked logos, so you cannot upload your own logo from your favorite sports team if it is trademarked.  They have available on their site most major league teams to pick from, but they charge you more to use them snice they are trademarked.  M&Ms has some college teams, but not all.  I was able to upload a longhorn logo that was not an official UT Austin Longhorn pic, but I had to work at finding a clip art that was not an official trademark.

Tip 3:  You are allowed to choose 2 photos /logo/clip art + 1 word combo, or 1 photo/logo/clip art + 2 word combos at the standard rate.  When uploading photos you have to pick a headshot or it won’t come out clear enough.  M&Ms is very good about emailing you quickly to tell you if your pic or word selection will not fit on the M&M--be prepared to have a few alternates handy.

Tip 4:  The candy arrives in bags packed alongside the dispenser.  I recommend shipping to yourself so you can place the candy in the dispenser to present as a gift.

Halloween Hoopla!

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky...

Halloween is around the corner, and what better gift for your favorite ghouls than a witch Cauldron!  Pottery Barn has perfected it with a glass bowl hanging from an iron bar and matching ladle.  It will surely dress up any Halloween display or party table--if you are brave enough, add some dry ice for the eerie fog effect.


Spice It Up:  Ice cube molds in the shape of Skulls & Crossbones will tickle your guests as they sip the witches brew.  Check out these fun Halloween punch recipes from Better Home & Gardens.


Or, for the adults, combine Crystal Skull Vodka and cranberry juice for a blood red cape-cod cocktail.  The, skull can be set next to your cauldron to add to your spooky table display.

Where to buy:
Cauldron - Pottery Barn offers this cauldron for $99.00.  While on their site, be sure to view their other eye catching Halloween decorations.  Update: The cauldrons are selling out fast and are no longer available online.  I confirmed with Pottery Barn that there are still 3-4 at each store locally.  So, run over and buy one today before they sell out!

Ice Cubes - Skull & Crossbones trays are available at many stores including Bed, Bath & Beyond for $4.99 per tray.  The large single skull mold is available on Amazon for $11.10 per mold.

Crystal Skull Vodka - Dan Akyroyd's crystal skull vodka is available at most liquor stores ranging from $30.00-$89.99 depending on the size. 

In addition, they are offering a neat gift right now to celebrate the Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary.  $78.99 for the gift set (includes 2 cd Rolling Stone legendary song compilation, engraved decanter top, and vodka skull).

Make it a Rock 'n Roll Halloween you'll never forget!

Personalized Pillows...Dreamy!

Got a friend who loves to post photos to Instagram?  Selfies on the cellphone?  The gift solution is Stitchtagram pillows!

Remember those t-shirt quilts of yesteryear with all your college party t-shirts woven together as a keepsake quilt? 
Stitchtagram has cleverly updated the idea for the digital world.  They take a menagerie of your Instagram photos and print those on textured black denim to create a hand stitched pillow that is, at once, playful and sentimental.

Tweens, Teens, Adults will all love this memorable way to display their favorite photos.

Think of all the gifts you can run with:  Special Birthdays (16, 21, 30, 40...80) High School Graduation, College Graduation, Bridesmaids, Engagement, Wedding, Anniversaries, Grandparents, Housewarming, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Christmas/Hanukkah.

If your recipient has a particular passion, you can tailor the photos to a theme:  favorite pets, pics of their artwork/crafts, pics of their house, a favorite vacation spot, how they met or got engaged, high school start to finish, a special trip or study abroad, summer vacation, pics of the grandkids, favorite Christmas decorations, etc..

Spice It Up:  Encourage the burgeoning photographer with an old school Lomography Diana + Dreamer Camera.  This funky 1960s retro camera has a cult following for its "dreamy, lo-fi images" that give your pictures a magical otherworldliness.  They'll be creating artistic collages in no time!

Where to Buy: 

Pillow - Go to the Stitchtagram website where they offer several personalized products.  They sell gift certificates in case you want your recipient to choose their photo combinations. 
Pillow $68.00, Tote Bag $78.00, Wristlet $82.00, Coin Purse $28.00 (price does not include shipping cost, allow for 2-3 weeks for delivery upon ordering)

Camera - The Lomography Diana + Dreamer Camera can be purchased at multiple stores.  I found this, and other fun retro cameras online at Urban Outfitters.  If you prefer to pick up in-store, most are available in your local store.  This particular camera includes a book of Lomography photos to help inspire.  $65.00