Recently I was contacted by Pro Flowers to evaluate their gift basket service and provide feedback. Below, you'll find the short clip I created with the pictures. I chose the Gardenia Bonsai and was impressed by the timely delivery, packaging as well as the product itself. While they did provide me with the product for review ~ it is my own unbiased words that I share when I say: Next time the " person who has everything" needs a gift I'll be returning to Pro Flowers for a solution. Enjoy...
Clutter Note:When delivering a gift through a service like Pro Flowers ~ consider what the recipient will do next with what they receive. Items in a gift basket are great if they will be appreciated and used. Plants, such as the Gardenia Bonsai I reviewed, are an excellent solution if you know it will have a place in the persons lifestyle {remember: finding a spot for it to live & taking care of it will also be a part of the gift too}.
As it turns out, July 16th is Family Movie Night on NBC with "the JENSEN project" as the focus. {you can view the trailer below} But, true to form, I thought this would be a great way to sneak in some old fashioned organizing advice {grin} What does it REALLY take to have a Family Movie Night? - Let everyone know the date & time
- Decide what snacks/beverages you'll have
- Take a head count {will neighbor kids be joining you?}
- Do the shopping
- Prep the room everyone will hang out in
- Shut the computers, cell phones & landlines off
- Wrap up projects so you're mind isn't elsewhere
- Enjoy the time with each other! {giggle, cuddle & look at each other when you have a conversation}
I hope you'll enjoy your Family Movie Night as much as I will ~ be sure to leave comments or thoughts below!
I love the message this video sends. Take a moment, watch it & share it with your kiddos. What a great time of year to reflect on how to live these lessons {grin} ...
 Potato People at the local fair last month I don't know about you, but it sure seems like everyone is getting that Family Vacation bug! This post was inspired by a request over at TwitterMoms to help #Williamsburg Tourism with their summer campaign.They're offering a $50 Target Gift Card for {qualifying} folks to blog about Five Fun Family Vacation Activities Your Kids Will Love ... well, let's see what I've got in the tool bag here:1. Digital Camera Scavenger Hunt- Whether you're hitting a museum, driving for hours or even flying {gasp} break out that digital camera & align it with appropriate items for the kiddos to "find" ... snap a picture & provide proof of at the end of the day.
Now pull into that creative side & use obvious items for their list:- At the museum, refer to the map or stops on the tour. Request things like "a horse", "a bench", "a framed picture", "a water fountain", "a restroom sign"
- If you're driving, switch between things in the car {an empty shoe, someones thumb, the car going 60 MPH} & items outside the car {a passing tree, the fog line, a rest stop sign} but don't forget to provide fun when everyone tumbles out of the car at a stop. If you're at a national monument you could request tons of ordinary things {a Starbucks cup, the word "road" in a plaque, a Snow Cone stand}.
- When flying, there are tons of average items that can be "pictured". Think of things like "a flight attendant", "a soda can", "a book", "a sink", "a town/city from 10,000 feet", "a small person image next to a button" {the call button above their head}. I know this created a collective gasp amongst y'all, but have fun with it & share your game with the crew, I'm sure they'll be happy to help find special objects.
{If you need inspiration I highly recommend the "Rubber Neckers" deck of cards}
Finally, enjoy giggling over the results each evening & sharing the experience of collecting the images.
2. Card Game Bonanza- A deck of cards can go a long way! Teach the kids how to play Rummy {don't know how? Learn together, take the rule book along}. Or better yet, let the kids teach you a game. Try to see how high you can build a "house of cards" as a family at night or get in some quiet time with a quick game of solitaire {no cheating!}
3. Count the ...- If you have a long day of travel choose something to count {great for all ages}. If you're on the road count how many yellow cars you see, if you're flying count how many pink suitcases you see & if you're day tripping it count how many men have hats on at each stop.
4. Mappin' My Life...- With an appropriate map {city, state, country} & a few writing utensils the family can contribute to "recording" the travels. Use highlighters to track the legs of the trip that are completed {change colors for the return if it's the same}, use Post-It notes & a pen/pencil to make notes of anything exciting that happened at each location & assign a photographer to take key snapshots {like the family really was together on this trip! photos}
Then once home, work together to archive the memories. Scrapbook, family website or Facebook it to share with others.5. Tourist for a day...- This is actually one of our favorites! With a tight budget it's easy to give up an expensive family vacation. Although, many of us forget there are usually a ton of resources we drive by everyday! Visit the Chamber of Commerce & grab the "tourist" packets for local venues that may be offering free tours {or discounts for locals}. Then determine what days during the summer you're going to venture out with sun visors & fanny packs {not really, the teenager wouldn't come} but you get the idea.
This is a great idea when visiting family, you never know what might be right in their backyard!I know this wasn't exactly an "organizing" article, but I do hope it has inspired you to make summer plans {which requires a little thinking ahead} & you'll have fun making memories with your busy family in the coming months.Also, if this has inspired you ... share your stories with me! I'd love to hear how your family's vacation activities go.Warmly,april
I wrote this blog post while participating in the Williamsburg Tourism and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
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