Gift baskets can be the perfect solution for many people on your gift giving list, but you don’t want to give yet another fruit or cheese basket. Surprise your friends and family with gifts that are as unique as they are. Begin by using some of the following suggestions, or use these ideas to spark your imagination.
Photo credit: cutlery-andblade.com
Focus on a Hobby
Hobbies can make terrific theme for a gift basket. For example, if you have a gamer in your life, use a bin that will hold video games as the basket. Fill it with one amazing trinket such as one of the video game swords for sale online. Next, add accessories like HDMI cords, controllers, or collectibles from their favorite game. Finish it off with a gift card to the local gaming retailer.
Give the Gift of a Night Out
Everyone loves a night out, so why not give one in a basket. Start with a large novelty popcorn bowl. Use shredded paper to create a cushion, and then fill it with microwave popcorn and copies of a couple of classic movies. Include a gift card to the local movie theater as well as one for their favorite restaurant.
Add Excitement to an Upcoming Vacation
If you have overheard a friend or family member talking about an upcoming vacation, use that as your gift basket theme. Instead of a basket, use a small travel cooler. Add your shredded paper filler, and then finish with items related to their destination. For example, if they are heading to Walt Disney World, place some guide books inside along with Disney themed candy, hats, sunglasses, and trinkets. Don’t forget the Disney gift card.
Whether you theme a gift basket around a hobby, a night out, or an upcoming vacation, these unique presents will show your friends and family that you listen and care about them. They will be surprised to find a basket filled with special items that you picked out with them in mind.
As a mother, we
always want to spend most of our time with our family, but then we are
bombarded with too much work to do and too much clutter to clean. And the best
way to optimize your time is to ensure your house stays organized all the time.
Having an organized home saves you time, keeps you sane, and makes every chore easier to do. Though home organization is a tough job that requires time and effort, I would like to share with you my essential organizing tips to effectively conquer home clutter so you can stay on top of life and spend more time with your family.
Use multifunctional
furniture
Using multipurpose
pieces is one of the best tricks that can save your home a lot of space while
providing important functions and sometimes aesthetic values. Choosing these
types of furniture over the usual is always a smart move. Some examples are
chairs that double as storage and a bed with drawers underneath.
Get used to the habit
of throwing away, donating or even selling things you know you won’t be needing
anymore. Remove clothes your child isn’t using anymore, and of course, that
includes yours as well. Keep seasonal items, such as jackets, summer wear, rain
boots in separate plastic containers and place them underneath the bed or at
the top of your cabinets. Since these items aren’t needed all year round, you
don’t have to add them in your everyday essentials as they also add clutter in
the house.
Label, Label, Label
Labeling is one
powerful tool to keep everything organized. Put labels on everything, from food
in your freezer to spices in the pantry, and from your children’s toys to their
school supplies. Plus, labeling is also helpful when you start teaching your
child to follow your organization system so they can help you in keeping your
house clutter free all the time.
Organize your drawers
Though you might
think that stashing your junk in the drawer and keeping them out of sight is an
easy way to remove clutter, the truth still stands, a messy drawer kills
productivity. Imagine looking for a specific object and have to waste too much
time going through a pile of junk, not really a productive practice. This is
why you need to start maximizing and optimizing your drawer space. Reuse some
old dishes, shoe containers, and trays to act as drawer dividers. This way your
pens, keys, clips, and everything in between will have their own spot to live.
So there you have it,
moms, five simple home organization tips that you can easily try today so you
can start spending more time with your family tomorrow.
Being a stay at home mom, contrary to what other people might think, is also a lot of work. We wake up early, cook breakfast, make the kids ready for school, then we’re left with a pile of mess to clean up, and an almost never-ending list of chores. But knowing moms to be really good at multitasking, there are times when we have already finished the massive list of chores to do and yet, we still want to do something productive. We dread the thought of sitting down, doing nothing and being unproductive. We moms always make the most out of our time, and when we’re left with nothing else to do, we still look for ways to feel productive at the end of the day.
Photo by rawpixel.com
Fortunately, there are numerous
things you can still do in the comforts of your own house that are definitely
worth your time!
Re-Organize the House
Yes, you make sure that house is
always spotlessly clean, but you can take it to the next level by organizing
everything and making a system of ensuring it stays organized for a longer
period of time. You can follow the famous phrase that says, “A place for
everything, everything in its place” or the famous “5S” methodology (Sort, Set
in Order, Shine, Systematize, Sustain). Whichever trick you wish to use, it is
important to know that smart organization is
an effective tool in sustaining orderliness in the house and even
can make a space appear bigger, giving more room for you and your kids to move
around the house.
Do Some Redecorating
You may think redecorating is
unnecessary, expensive and needs talent, but you’ll be surprised that it’s not.
Everyone wants to live in a house that creates a positive response from those
who live there and for anyone who would happen to visit. Redecorating helps out
a lot because it can affect the overall ambiance in your house, giving you and
your family a surprisingly refreshing feeling. It also doesn’t have to be
expensive at all, all you need are the right tricks to
transform your home even if you’re not an interior design pro. It doesn’t have to be
one big major project as well, you can start by incorporating some of the
latest trends in your home.
Create a meal plan for the week
Have you ever had those moments
when you have a dinner menu in mind, and then suddenly you realize you lack one
important ingredient? Did you ever find yourself throwing expired goods and
stale veggies? Or worse, did you ever find yourself staring at your fridge at 5
pm wondering what to make for dinner? Well, fellow moms, if you ever felt the
stress about running errands for one missing ingredient, the guilt for throwing
excess food, or torn on what to cook for dinner every single day, then creating
a meal plan is the answer! Creating a meal plan can save you a lot of time and
energy, knowing what is on the menu makes prepping ahead a lot easier. Plus it
doesn’t take that long to master creating it especially if you’re already
familiar with your family favorites.
Try a new recipe
Impress your family by cooking
out a new recipe, or baking some pastry. Research on some exciting recipes or
watch tutorials on the internet. Or maybe it’s time to dig into that old
cooking book you had and actually start trying the recipes out. Cooking
something special for your family and watching them feel satisfied and be happy
with it gives us a feeling of fulfillment at the end of the day.
Exercise
Being a mom also means we have to
stay physically strong and healthy for our family. That’s why inserting
exercise time in your busy schedule is so important. Exercise can also be a way
to reduce stress from simply being a mother, improve the quality of your sleep,
boost your energy, and makes you a role model to your kids. You don’t have to
hit the gym and pay for an expensive membership. You can try Yoga or Zumba at
home by simply watching free videos on the internet.
Being a mom is always a
challenge, but being a mom is also a very fulfilling career. Every hour is
spent on productive things for our family and our home. So at the end of the
day, it’s always nice to have that feeling that we have accomplished so much from
the time given to us.