7.04.2007
4.17.2007
Honey Oatmeal Soap Favors
I have been working on some new soap favors that are guest size and come with a custom label. I have always been fascinated by herbal remedies and how food items can benefit the skin and I came up with a honey and oatmeal soap that is good for all skin types either for hand washing or for facial cleansing.
Honey is good for the skin because it has the ability to attract water. You can use honey instead of alpha hydroxy masks because of its high content of the acid. It is also safe for sensitive skin. All-natural honey has been used as a beauty product since the days of Cleopatra as a naturally hydrating and non-irritating substance.
Additionally, oats have long been used for skin care treatment. The Egyptians and the Arabians used them as a skin beauty treatment as early as 2000 BC. The ancient Romans and Greeks also used oat baths to heal skin problems.
4.11.2007
My Photos have Dust Bunnies
What do you do with all those photos you have taken with your digital camera? I love taking photos and will take a ton of video when I go on a trip or I am with my family. When I get home, I excitedly upload them all to iphoto so I can see them and laugh and remember what happened 1 hour, 1 day or 1 week ago. Then I quit iphoto and that's that. Oh, I may forward a few photos of my adorable niece and nephew to my friends or show my parents the picture of me eating peanut butter and jelly in Taiwan, but then what?
I have decided that when I get a chance, I am going to make photo albums of my important trips and events. Not the plastic coated pages that lose their sticky if you pull out a photo or two. No, I mean the really nice ones with the fabric and everything. iphoto makes it so easy for me to do this, and I am sure there are other places out there that can do it, too.
Weddings and showers and all these events are so important you can't wait to "do something" with your photos. I like the mini photo albums and the photo coasters, so you can actually display your photos and switch them out. My sister-in-law makes scrapbooks and made me a coffee-table mini scrapbook of my niece a few years ago. I love it because it actually is on the coffee table and I pick it up a lot to look at it. A wedding scrapbook would be a nice gift. You could also have a photo printer set up at the reception so everyone can upload their photos to it and print them out for the happy couple. Whatever you do, do something. Because if you don't do it right away, you'll always be saying, "I'll do it one day when I get around to it."
4.07.2007
How to Say No to Unwanted Wedding Guests
Request: Your third cousin asks to bring her boyfriend-of-the-month
to your $150-a-plate wedding reception.
What you should say: "We've already had to make so many tough
decisions to get the guest list down to size. We really can't
squeeze in/afford another guest. But I would love to have you two
over for drinks sometime so I can meet him."
Why it works: If you illuminate some of your behind-the-scenes
planning, your cousin may get a clue about the inappropriateness of
the request.
Why you shouldn't feel guilty: It's your party and your pocketbook,
says author Patti Breitman.
How to avoid the situation in the future: Make a few calls before
you put together the guest list to see if there are new additions
you should consider as you plan.
to your $150-a-plate wedding reception.
What you should say: "We've already had to make so many tough
decisions to get the guest list down to size. We really can't
squeeze in/afford another guest. But I would love to have you two
over for drinks sometime so I can meet him."
Why it works: If you illuminate some of your behind-the-scenes
planning, your cousin may get a clue about the inappropriateness of
the request.
Why you shouldn't feel guilty: It's your party and your pocketbook,
says author Patti Breitman.
How to avoid the situation in the future: Make a few calls before
you put together the guest list to see if there are new additions
you should consider as you plan.
4.06.2007
New "Green" Environmental Favors
They say that when two people get married, a seed is planted that will grow and blossom into enduring love if it's nurtured with kindness and understanding. What better way to give back to the earth and give guests a symbol of your committment on your wedding day.
I love wildflowers - I think they are so beautiful with their colors, life and vibrancy. Wildflower gardens are so bouyant with life, attracting bumblebees, hoverflies and butterflies.
I created these wildflower seed tins for those who want to give back to the earth on their wedding day and give their guests something very unique and special. The seeds can be scattered anywhere and then the customized tin with the bride and groom's names can be used again and again as a special keepsake of the event.
4.03.2007
New Online Business Offers Gifts and Favors with a Creative Touch
Five Spot Creative, a small graphic design business north of Boston, announces the launch of their new online store, Favor Creative, featuring gifts, favors, cards, calendars, and specializing in customized items for weddings, bridal showers and baby gifts.
Tyngsboro, MA (PRWeb) March 15, 2007 -- Favor Creative, an online retail store specializing in gifts, favors, cards and calendars, has announced the launch of their site at http://www.favorcreative.com/. The store is the first ecommerce venture for Five Spot Creative.
Vicki Finn, one of the proprietors of the online store, started building the business six months ago. "I have always enjoyed creating gifts for holidays and birthdays, making gift books and
calendars. Last summer I was asked to take care of some wedding and baby shower favors for my friends and I found it difficult to locate quality items," she said. She hopes this new business can help those consumers looking for gifts and favors with a creative touch.
What is the creative touch? Vicki Finn, who worked as an in-house graphic designer for many years before starting Favor Creative, lends her eye for detail and creativity to each product offered through the business. "I wanted to offer people a variety of quality products to make their event planning as seamless as possible," she said, "A lot of the items are my own personal designs, like the calendars and greeting cards, and I have also created personaliz
ed favor tins, custom calendars with personal wedding, honeymoon or travel photos, and bridal shower gift books tailored to the interests of the couple. The 'Survival Guide' gift book is my favorite - it can be given in honor of a couple that enjoys nature and outdoor activities. It's packed with poems, stories and information related to those interests."
The online store is starting small, but developing a reputation for quality products and information on planning showers and events. "We are adding to our products while also building a section of ideas and advice dedicated to wedding and baby showers. We would like our customers to be able to plan for their events all in one place complete with ideas, favors and thank you cards," Ms. Finn added.
Favor Creative is officially open for business. Visit http://www.favorcreative.com/ for gifts and favors with a creative touch.
Tyngsboro, MA (PRWeb) March 15, 2007 -- Favor Creative, an online retail store specializing in gifts, favors, cards and calendars, has announced the launch of their site at http://www.favorcreative.com/. The store is the first ecommerce venture for Five Spot Creative.
Vicki Finn, one of the proprietors of the online store, started building the business six months ago. "I have always enjoyed creating gifts for holidays and birthdays, making gift books and
calendars. Last summer I was asked to take care of some wedding and baby shower favors for my friends and I found it difficult to locate quality items," she said. She hopes this new business can help those consumers looking for gifts and favors with a creative touch.What is the creative touch? Vicki Finn, who worked as an in-house graphic designer for many years before starting Favor Creative, lends her eye for detail and creativity to each product offered through the business. "I wanted to offer people a variety of quality products to make their event planning as seamless as possible," she said, "A lot of the items are my own personal designs, like the calendars and greeting cards, and I have also created personaliz
ed favor tins, custom calendars with personal wedding, honeymoon or travel photos, and bridal shower gift books tailored to the interests of the couple. The 'Survival Guide' gift book is my favorite - it can be given in honor of a couple that enjoys nature and outdoor activities. It's packed with poems, stories and information related to those interests."The online store is starting small, but developing a reputation for quality products and information on planning showers and events. "We are adding to our products while also building a section of ideas and advice dedicated to wedding and baby showers. We would like our customers to be able to plan for their events all in one place complete with ideas, favors and thank you cards," Ms. Finn added.
Favor Creative is officially open for business. Visit http://www.favorcreative.com/ for gifts and favors with a creative touch.
4.02.2007
Advice Book Shower Favors
I am working on some blank books that people can use at baby or bridal showers and weddings as either a guest book and/or an advice book. Guests can write in their advice or stories and it can double as a guest book. During the shower or event, it can be used to record which guest gave which gift for future reference. Then everything about that special day is recorded in one spot.
I made one of these books for a friend's baby shower recently and it was fun to pass it around and read what others wrote as advice for a first-time mom. I am creating samples for baby showers, bridal showers and weddings and they can either be used as is or personalized with custom labels on the book cover and on the first page of the book.
I made one of these books for a friend's baby shower recently and it was fun to pass it around and read what others wrote as advice for a first-time mom. I am creating samples for baby showers, bridal showers and weddings and they can either be used as is or personalized with custom labels on the book cover and on the first page of the book.
3.08.2007
Shower and Party Treats!
Frosted Chocolate-Buttermilk CupcakesMakes 12; Prep time: 20 minutes; Total time: 1 hour
Dutch-process cocoa powder has a more mellow flavor and darker color than regular cocoa powder; it is available at baking-supply stores and many supermarkets.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Light Cream-Cheese Icing
candy decorations (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line standard 12-cup muffin tin (or 6-cup muffin tins) with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, combine cocoa and 3 tablespoons hot water until a thick paste forms (this process intensifies the chocolate flavor). Add butter, buttermilk, egg, and egg white; beat until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth.
3. Scoop (or spoon) batter into prepared tin(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the light cream-cheese icing:
With an electric mixer, beat 3 ounces softened reduced-fat cream cheese and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. (To make without a mixer, sift sugar before stirring into cream cheese). Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread icing over tops. Decorate as desired.
Per serving: 180 calories; 5.3 grams fat; 3.1 grams protein; 30.6 grams carbohydrates; 0.7 gram fiber
Note: Neat and clean: To divide evenly, use an ice-cream scoop to ladle the batter into the muffin cups. This also prevents drips.
Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com
3.01.2007
Baby Shower Games
By Brooke Schuman
Let's face it, sometimes baby showers aren’t all that fun. So if you're planning a baby shower how do you make sure your guests as well as the mother to be, has a great time? You play fun baby shower games of course! Here are some fun games to play.
How Many Safety Pins?
This is an easy but fun game, everyone has a piece of paper and writes down how many safety pins they believe are in the baby bottle. The guest, who guesses closest to the number of safety pins in the baby bottle, wins a prize.
Dirty Diaper Surprise
When everyone arrives they pick a diaper, as soon as everyone sits down, everyone opens there diapers, the one who picked the dirty diaper wins a prize. Use some mustard to make the diaper look dirty.
Baby Raffle Ticket
A nice thing to do for the mother to be is holds a baby raffle, sell raffle tickets for a dollar each. The person who matches the raffle ticket number wins a prize, and the money from the raffle goes toward the new baby diaper fund.
Baby Art
Buy onsies and fabric markers. Put the onsies on a magazine or cardboard backing, and have your guests draw on one or write a special message, or some advice for the new baby. This way the child can wear these when he/she is born, and the mother to be can keep these as a memento, of her baby shower.
Pin the Pacifier on the Baby
Just like pin the tail on the donkey except with a baby instead of a donkey. You can buy little party favor pacifiers and try to get the pacifiers as close to the babies mouth as possible. Whoever gets the closest wins the prize.
Baby Trivia
Think up some pretty tough questions about babies. Ex. What causes Jaundice? Split into teams and ask each team a question, the team that gets the most questions right gets a prize at the end of the game.
Guess Who?
Ask everyone who is going to attend the baby shower to bring a picture of themselves as babies to the shower. Place all the pictures on a table and have everyone guess who is who when they were babies. Who ever gets the most right wins a prize.
Baby Charades
For this game you are going to need to make cards with baby items on it. Ex. A crib or a rattle etc. Write these down, Split everybody up into teams and then play the baby version of charades. Have one person on a team pick a card but not show it to anyone, have that player go up to the drawing board and draw that item. It gets really funny because not everyone is good at drawing. Team with the most points at the end gets a prize.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brooke_Schuman
Let's face it, sometimes baby showers aren’t all that fun. So if you're planning a baby shower how do you make sure your guests as well as the mother to be, has a great time? You play fun baby shower games of course! Here are some fun games to play.
How Many Safety Pins?
This is an easy but fun game, everyone has a piece of paper and writes down how many safety pins they believe are in the baby bottle. The guest, who guesses closest to the number of safety pins in the baby bottle, wins a prize.
Dirty Diaper Surprise
When everyone arrives they pick a diaper, as soon as everyone sits down, everyone opens there diapers, the one who picked the dirty diaper wins a prize. Use some mustard to make the diaper look dirty.
Baby Raffle Ticket
A nice thing to do for the mother to be is holds a baby raffle, sell raffle tickets for a dollar each. The person who matches the raffle ticket number wins a prize, and the money from the raffle goes toward the new baby diaper fund.
Baby ArtBuy onsies and fabric markers. Put the onsies on a magazine or cardboard backing, and have your guests draw on one or write a special message, or some advice for the new baby. This way the child can wear these when he/she is born, and the mother to be can keep these as a memento, of her baby shower.
Pin the Pacifier on the Baby
Just like pin the tail on the donkey except with a baby instead of a donkey. You can buy little party favor pacifiers and try to get the pacifiers as close to the babies mouth as possible. Whoever gets the closest wins the prize.
Baby Trivia
Think up some pretty tough questions about babies. Ex. What causes Jaundice? Split into teams and ask each team a question, the team that gets the most questions right gets a prize at the end of the game.
Guess Who?
Ask everyone who is going to attend the baby shower to bring a picture of themselves as babies to the shower. Place all the pictures on a table and have everyone guess who is who when they were babies. Who ever gets the most right wins a prize.
Baby Charades
For this game you are going to need to make cards with baby items on it. Ex. A crib or a rattle etc. Write these down, Split everybody up into teams and then play the baby version of charades. Have one person on a team pick a card but not show it to anyone, have that player go up to the drawing board and draw that item. It gets really funny because not everyone is good at drawing. Team with the most points at the end gets a prize.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brooke_Schuman
2.28.2007
Bridal Shower Games
Bridal Bingo
Take a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper and make "Bingo Cards" with 25 empty spaces (5 across, 5 down). Write BINGO across the top, one letter above each row. Have the guests write in the gifts that they think the bride-to-be will receive. As she opens her presents, each guest will cross off that gift if they have it on their bingo card. As soon as someone has marked off 5 in a row, they get a gift. This can go on until the bride is done opening her gifts.
Box of Recipes
Have each guest bring one of their favorite recipes on a specific recipe card included in the invitation or have them write it down that day. The recipes are then compiled in a book for the new bride to start out her marriage.
Timer Presents
While the bride-to-be is opening gifts, set a timer to go off after 30-60-90 seconds. Each time the timer rings, a small wrapped item like lotions, candles, chocolates, etc. is given to the person whose gift is being opened. This was a good game for a shower attended by women of all ages.
Tissue Paper Veil
Give each guest 3 sheets of ordinary white tissue paper and 5 minutes to create a veil. After 5 minutes, the guests model their veils and the bride-to-be chooses her favorite and gives a small present to that guest.
Wedding Quilt
Have each guest design one square reflecting the theme of love at the wedding shower using ribbon, buttons, beads, etc. When each person finished I had them sign the square. Later, before the wedding, the quilt can be sewn into a quilt and given to the couple as a gift from everyone at the shower.
Advice Book
Using a blank book, have the guests pass it around and write down their best 'love and marriage' advice. The outside can be decorated with fabric or photocopied pictures of the couple or just their names and the wedding date.
Bridal Pictionary
Have a list of things to be drawn or just bridal-related categories to get the creative juices going. Put up a large board on an easel or a sturdy chair and use a large pad of paper and markers. Divide into two teams and play the game just like normal Pictionary!
How Well Does the Bride Know the Groom?
Have someone ask the groom questions about himself beforehand. Then at the shower ask the bride the same questions. If the bride's answer matches the groom's, the bride gets a prize. If the answer doesn't match, pick a guest's name out of a bowl/hat and give them a prize.
I Never...
Give each guest pieces of candy equal to the number of guests. You can use M&Ms, kisses, etc. Starting with the bride, each guest must confess one thing they have never done ("I never have ridden a bike" or "I never drank alcohol"). The confessions could get a little dirty, depending on the crowd! Any guest who HAS ever done what was confessed must eat one piece of candy. The guest who has the most candy left wins the game and gets a prize. You can also give a prize for the one who has done it all and has no candy left.
Take a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper and make "Bingo Cards" with 25 empty spaces (5 across, 5 down). Write BINGO across the top, one letter above each row. Have the guests write in the gifts that they think the bride-to-be will receive. As she opens her presents, each guest will cross off that gift if they have it on their bingo card. As soon as someone has marked off 5 in a row, they get a gift. This can go on until the bride is done opening her gifts.
Box of Recipes
Have each guest bring one of their favorite recipes on a specific recipe card included in the invitation or have them write it down that day. The recipes are then compiled in a book for the new bride to start out her marriage.
Timer Presents
While the bride-to-be is opening gifts, set a timer to go off after 30-60-90 seconds. Each time the timer rings, a small wrapped item like lotions, candles, chocolates, etc. is given to the person whose gift is being opened. This was a good game for a shower attended by women of all ages.
Tissue Paper Veil
Give each guest 3 sheets of ordinary white tissue paper and 5 minutes to create a veil. After 5 minutes, the guests model their veils and the bride-to-be chooses her favorite and gives a small present to that guest.
Wedding Quilt
Have each guest design one square reflecting the theme of love at the wedding shower using ribbon, buttons, beads, etc. When each person finished I had them sign the square. Later, before the wedding, the quilt can be sewn into a quilt and given to the couple as a gift from everyone at the shower.
Advice Book
Using a blank book, have the guests pass it around and write down their best 'love and marriage' advice. The outside can be decorated with fabric or photocopied pictures of the couple or just their names and the wedding date.
Bridal Pictionary
Have a list of things to be drawn or just bridal-related categories to get the creative juices going. Put up a large board on an easel or a sturdy chair and use a large pad of paper and markers. Divide into two teams and play the game just like normal Pictionary!
How Well Does the Bride Know the Groom?
Have someone ask the groom questions about himself beforehand. Then at the shower ask the bride the same questions. If the bride's answer matches the groom's, the bride gets a prize. If the answer doesn't match, pick a guest's name out of a bowl/hat and give them a prize.
I Never...
Give each guest pieces of candy equal to the number of guests. You can use M&Ms, kisses, etc. Starting with the bride, each guest must confess one thing they have never done ("I never have ridden a bike" or "I never drank alcohol"). The confessions could get a little dirty, depending on the crowd! Any guest who HAS ever done what was confessed must eat one piece of candy. The guest who has the most candy left wins the game and gets a prize. You can also give a prize for the one who has done it all and has no candy left.
2.26.2007
Gift and favor ideas
Hi! Welcome to my new blog for gifts and favors, to be published in tandem with my new website at www.favorcreative.com. In this blog I will talk about ideas for favors, gifts and different events. More info coming soon!
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