5 Alternative Easter Gift Ideas

 Another holiday is here and I am not afraid to admit that it has been a different holiday experience during this pandemic!

It has forced me to be creative, however, and that is always a positive in my opinion. I have thought of 5 alternative gift ideas for Easter 2022 and I am excited to now share them with you:

An Open Air Picnic And Easter Egg Hunt

The great thing about a spring holiday is that everyone is ready to get out into the fresh air and sunshine so a picnic in a park (or even your own backyard) is definitely a gift for everyone! Pack a light lunch or snacks and get out there! You can hide your easter eggs around and watch as the kids try to find all of them. A lovely day together is a gift everyone will remember.

A Child's Gardening And Bug Catching Guide

Since you will already be outside, keep that energy going and gift your child with the knowledge of everything around them. A guide to the different bugs you will see outside can take away the fear or misunderstanding of insects and teach your child about what they see in their environment. Have a little competition to see who can name the most insects correctly and maybe you can learn a little something, too. If your child prefers to learn about the different plants and flowers they see, a gardening and/or botany guide would be another great pick. There is also bird watching and animal guides in case they prefer that. There is lots to learn about out here and having a guide makes it fun!

A Memorable Piece Of Jewelry 

I know jewelry seems like a simple go-to gift for any holiday, but hear me out. Every memorable piece of jewelry I have received on a holiday has always been on a holiday that I was not expecting jewelry. 

    "Oh, you thought you were getting chocolate bunnies or a stuffed duck this Easter? WRONG. Here's a gorgeous gold rabbit brooch by AC Silver!"

Is this more of a gift idea for mom for Easter? Yes, yes it is.

A Disposable Camera And Trip Scrapbook

While I am sure that most older kids today already have a cellphone with a camera attached, a fun thing for little ones who do not is a disposable camera. They can take their own pictures, print them out, and then add them to their very own trip scrapbook. It helps kids open up their creative mind while giving them the satisfaction of seeing their creative work turn into a fun memory they get to keep. They could even start with your fun Easter Egg Hunt picnic I mentioned above!

Tickets To An Open Air Community Theater Event

With tours and shows being opened and then shut back down again, entertainment has been in a sort of limbo. Luckily, there are always community theaters in your town that perform in open air parks! Ask your gift recipient what type of show they would be interested in seeing and then grab some tickets if you can to surprise them with! It's a gift for Easter and it's a gift for in the future. A win all around if you ask me!

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Holidays have been different lately but we can always find a way to give gifts to the people we love. I hope these tips help you find the perfect gift this Easter holiday!

The Perfect Gift For Business Owners

I found another great deal on DealSpotr for part two of this year's Holiday Gift Guide!

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Social media has definitely become part of everyone's life. Businesses have more reach than ever and have used it to their advantage, from the top all the way to local small businesses. It's important to have eye catching graphics when promoting your business online. Not everyone is a graphic designer, however, and have to use graphics available to them. 

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I am one of those who can't draw, so I wanted to take advantage of this deal! iClipart has so many images for whatever you need! Right now, you can get 20% off of an entire year subscription. All you have to do is click here and enter the code STEPHSTEB at checkout! 

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I hope you and yours have a lovely holiday, no matter how you celebrate! For part one of my holiday gift guide, click right here!

My Holiday Gift Guide Kicks Off With A Wonderful Memorial For Lost Loved Ones

It's that time of year again! Holiday season is upon us and I am starting this year's edition of my Holiday Gift Guide with a service that is perfect for memorializing your loved ones who have passed on.

ForeverMissed.com offers a service unlike any I have seen before: a webpage builder that memorializes your loved one on the internet forever. Launched in 2008, founder Oleg Andelman was inspired by his desire to learn everything he could about his grandparents. He reached out to family members and was able to find out more, along with photographs he didn't know existed!  After compiling all of this knowledge, he decided to build a webpage that could tell his grandparents' story. He then realized that a website where his family and others could share and post memories of his grandparents was actually something he believed could be a great service for anyone on the internet! He began building Forever Missed to offer online memorial pages for anyone on the web! 

ForeverMissed.com has made it easy for anyone to make and share their memorial even if you have little experience in building a webpage. Customer service reps are available day and night should you need any help and to guide you through the building process. It's a wonderful way for families who may be separated by distance or time to learn and share about the lives of their loved one. It is especially helpful to those who may have been young when their family member passed on as they now have an entire webpage dedicated to any information they may need to learn more about their family members!

For this holiday season, I have a special discount. You can receive $20 off of their premium plan by clicking this link. With the premium package you get the ability to upload unlimited photos, a video gallery, background music, illustrated stories, full integration with Facebook and YouTube, access for more administrators to help build the webpage, and customized default notifications you can use to let your other family members know that new content has been uploaded and remind them of important dates. I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Who would you memorialize on ForeverMissed.com?

Click here for part two of my holiday gift guide!

Are You Ready For Black Friday?

I am so ready!

My favorite place to go for Black Friday deals is Best Buy. I have found the best deals I've ever gotten on electronics at Best Buy on a regular day, but on Black Friday I definitely found the best! I bought my first blender, television, computer, laptop, and our favorite games all on Black Friday! I tried Black Friday at a few other stores but the deals on electronics were much better at Best Buy. Even as our ecommerce shopping evolved into now having Cyber Monday as well, Best Buy still reigns supreme.

We're all winners on Black Friday.

Many years ago when my kids were still little and ecommerce hadn't evolved to where it is now, we decided to try the doorbuster deals at Best Buy. We really wanted to get a computer for the family room (so the kids would stay off of mine!) that the kids could play their games on or do homework. We all got up at 4 in the morning and drove out to Best Buy. The doors opened at 6 AM and we went in. It wasn't that crazy but it was definitely crowded. We ended up getting an amazing deal on our computer AND a brand new flat screen television! The next year, my husband and son went back to Best Buy on Black Friday and got great deals on laptops for all of us. I was forever sold on Black Friday at Best Buy at that moment!

Best Buy has announced their Black Friday deals, and I am so excited about the Chromecast Streaming Media Player! Now that a lot of commerce takes place online these days, you can order online as early as midnight on Thanksgiving day. Cyber Monday is my favorite for shopping as well. I love grabbing the deals online, it's like a sport almost at this point.  I definitely choose online Black Friday over sitting out in the cold, waiting for the doors to open Black Friday! I absolutely love that it's easier than ever to get all of the deals thanks to ecommerce.

I have my eye on a few other store's Black Friday sales announcements as well. I am definitely looking to splurge on my granddaughter. I have been learning about all of the new fun stuff there is for babies(which is crazy)! For electronics though, Best Buy is always my go to! What's yours?

Do you have a Black Friday story? Tell me in the comments below! 

Is It Too Early To Talk About The Holidays?

Because I feel like it's never too early to talk about the holidays.

I know a lot of you parents out there are still dealing with going back to school and it's rough. I've been there and done it.

The payoff, though, is when the holidays come around! The very super best holiday is coming first and I am SO ready for it!

Kids in halloween costumers are hysterical! I used to love bringing my kids trick or treating or to fall festivals and see all of the great costumes. Fun Fact: My husband and I almost got married on Halloween because it's our favorite holiday, heh.

Actual footage of the first time I saw my husband.

Thanksgiving is a special holiday in our immediate family. Since my husband was in the Navy, we moved around a lot far away from everyone so on Thanksgiving, or Stuff Your Face Day as we called it, it was just my husband, myself, and my two kids. We'd feast out and just spend time together. We would try to outdo each other searching out Black Friday Deals! We found some crazy deals over the years and even camped out one night for Black Friday. Only once, though. It's still memories that are wonderful to hold.

At the end of the year, we have a huge celebration on the beach in The Outer Banks. My husband has a huge family and it's so nice to be able to spend the winter holidays all together. The view isn't half bad, either.

Are you ready for the holidays? What Black Friday deals would make you the most excited this year? What's your favorite holiday? 

I Hope You And Your Family Have A Safe And Happy Holiday!

Holiday Gift Guide - Part 8

For part 8 of my holiday gift guide, I have FINALLY found the perfect gift for my husband! 

SUCCESS. 

J Paul Skincare is having a HUGE sale right now so you know I had to check it out! It's just as awesome as I thought, too, EVERYTHING is 50% off on the site right now! Not only that, when you buy a shaving regimen gift set or an anti-aging set, you get a free J Paul manicure set. Also, when you purchase a three razor set, you get another set for free!

I could not hold back, either. My husband likes to pretend that he doesn't care about stuff like this, then turns around and spends an hour trying to get his beard juuuust right! At first, I thought it was because he can finally have a beard after twenty years in the Navy, but then I remembered how he was BEFORE he went in and he was just as obsessed then as he is now! I'm not complaining, though. The man is hot, beard or not!

So awesome.

 Skincare for men is just as important as they age, as it is for women! A lot of products for men these days have harsh detergents and ingredients that are actually worse for their skin! J. Paul uses the best ingredients that are perfect for good skin care such as cold pressed aloe vera, jojoba oil, vitamins C, A, B5 and E, peppermint, shea butter, eucalyptus oil, omega 3, green tea, chamomile, and kola nut! This lyposomal delivery system is thoroughly tested by a team of  certified chemists at the Loesch Laboratories and Cosmetic Labs in Houston and Dallas, Texas. Because of this, J. Paul brings an excellent skincare line that penetrates deeply to help damaged skin cells and reduce fine lines and wrinkles to produce healthy skin once again!

I spent a lot of time trying to decide what to get for him, and since the prices are so miniscule during this sale, I was able to get him a large variety of things. I am so excited for him to open them on Christmas Day! You guys definitely need to check out this sale!

Don't forget to check out the rest of my holiday gift guide: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 

Have you found the perfect gift for your loved one(s)? 

Holiday Gift Guide - Part 7

It's already the third of December, have you bought all of your gifts yet?

Because I haven't...

I know, I know. I said I was going to get it done before December but I keep finding awesome stuff so, obviously I have to keep shopping.

I'm still looking for the perfect gift for my husband (who is the hardest to shop for) so, here's some awesome gift ideas I found for you on my neverending search!

Pairfum.com

Pairfum London has amazing scents! I could not hold back on my sister in law's gift. She L O V E S candles and reed diffusers so I started looking for those as her holiday gift. All of their scents are unique so they have been paired to match perfectly. I really liked the Cedar Noir scent. 

Pairfum.com

They don't just have candles, though. They also make their scents for reed diffusers, perfume, and oils! My brother's house is going to be the best smelling house on the block. I spent way too long shopping here, but

WORTH IT!

Next, I started looking for some unique jewelry for my daughter in law and found Green Tree Jewelry!

It started with the unicorn earrings, then I saw these silly cat stud earrings, and before I knew it, I stumbled on their bamboo jewelry collection! I might have spent entirely too much there as well. Again, 

WORTH IT.

You can get free shipping and 10% off right now with code GTJ10 on Green Tree  bamboo jewelry!

The pain relief cream you see in the above photo came from Natural Skin Rx. I admit, that one is a gift for me! I love trying natural creams and skincare before others so when I saw this Jadience Herbal Formula pain relief cream, I had to get it. I included this one because it was a nice surprise. It works so well and there is no smell at all. My skin in this freezing cold weather we've been having is so thankful for it! 

Who are you still shopping for? Tell me in the comments!

Don't forget to check out the rest of my holiday gift guide for more gift ideas:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Holiday Gift Guide - Part 5

I've got you covered on useful gifts for lots of your family and friends today!

It's the holiday season so there are going to be lots of travelers on the road. If you're a dog owner, that usually means your pupper is going with you. To keep them safe in the busy traffic, I found a pet safety harness that works as a seatbelt in the car! It's adjustable and fits any seatbelt buckle. I got one for my son and daughter in law's sweet Ramone.  

Picking any kind of gifts out for my husband is always so hard. I never know if he'll want something useful or something fun. I tend to end up buying him useful things, and this year isn't any different. He just got a new truck that he is restoring so I looked in the auto section and found him these collapsible silicone funnels! Of course, I still have more shopping to do for him, but this is a pretty awesome start! 





For my little cousin, I decided to pick up a humidifier. He gets so sick over the winter season and has already gone through a few so this year he's getting a brand new one! This one comes with a night light and auto shut off, too! 





Lastly, I found two super cute sets of cards to send to friends far and away!

     

Have you found any great gifts? Tell me about it in the comments!

Don't forget to check out the rest of my holiday gift guide!

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Holiday Gift Guide - Part 3 - Sudara Fashion

I have a wonderful gift to share with you today! Not only is it a wonderful gift, you can feel good about buying it!

Sudara creates jobs for women in India who are at the highest risk or survivors of human trafficking. They pay living wages and provide access to counseling, medical care and resources that empower women to create their own self-sustaining future. Every pair of these Sudara Punjammies are made through living-wage employment by women in India who are at the highest risk or survivors of sex trafficking. Every purchase is an investment in Sudara’s freedom-filled work and empowers women who are working to forge a new life for themselves and their children! Sudara offers beautiful and comfortable clothing with a freedom-filled purpose. Their women’s pajama pants, loungewear and robes are ethically-made in India through living-wage employment programs. Every purchase is helping empower women in India with the resources and skills they need to create a better life for themselves and their family.

They are the absolutely most comfortable jammie pants I have ever had. I ordered a size too big (I love being able to say the clothes I bought were too BIG) but I'm definitely going to grab another pair I saw on the site!

Did I mention absolutely beautiful, too?

Who doesn't love jammie pants? Who wouldn't love to get jammie pants for a holiday gift?

Everything is 10% off right now, too! So, not only can you give the best holiday gift ever, you can help save someone from human trafficking!

The author seen here in her usual uniform.

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? 

Guide Part 1  ~ Guide Part 2

Holiday Gift Guide - Part 2 - Shop Til You Drop!

It's fun ones today! 

I found the cutest little online boutique store! It's brand new, only a little over a year old so they don't have a super large inventory, yet. However, the inventory they do have is lovely! 

Click here to visit HeavensentBeautique.com

First, I found the prettiest necklace for my mom. 

HeavensentBeautique.com

My daughter loves the infinity symbol stuff, so this bracelet is perfect for her!

Heavensentbeautique

Then, I found this necklace that my step-sister is going to absolutely love!

They have quite a bit of jewelry to choose from, plus baby clothes and accessories coming soon. My very first grandchild is expected to come in April so I'm definitely going to keep checking back for those baby clothes. I can't wait to see what new pretties they come up with next!

I have a friend who absolutely loves all things hair so when I went searching for her, I decided to see if I could find any deals over on my favorite site, Dealspotr! And you know I got an awesome code for you, too!

A few months ago, I bought a hair mask by KC Professional and really loved it. When I saw that they had deals, I knew immediately that I had to get her this Four Reasons Repair Mist. It contains B5 so it strengthens colored hair while plant extracts restore and rejuvenate it and leave radiant shine. It smells like green apples, too! If you head on over to Dealspotr, just put the code STEPHSTEB in at checkout for 15% off anything on the site!

And that my friends is part 2 of my holiday guide! I'll be having lots more before the holidays get here so check back for more!

You can find Part 1 by clicking here.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Gift Guide Part 1 - Trivets!

The holidays are coming! Are you excited? I know I am. It is the first holiday season we'll be spending in our very first house and as I have mentioned before, I have to buy all new stuff! I'm truly sad about it, truly.

HyperboleAndAHalf.com

Since I have a lot of things I will be buying because ALL of my family will be visiting, I thought I might share with you just in case you were having trouble deciding what to get your family and friends this holiday season. 

I do this for you. 

I don't know how many of you out there enjoy getting useful gifts, but I know I sure do. Any gift I get that keeps me from spending money is automatically my favorite gift ever! So, these will probably be more useful gifts, but I hope to throw some fun gifts in there as well. 

The very first gift I have to share with you today is this gorgeous set of trivets (otherwise known as hot pads) I found!

I loved the look of these and the price, $8.99 for a set of two! I got mine in a few days ago and love them so far! They have held up under my famous (ok, famous for my family) spaghetti sauce in the giant pot, casseroles, stews, and soups. I am very happy with my purchase and that's why it is number one on my holiday gift guide this year!

I hope to see you back for my next gift guide installment! In the meantime, tell me which family member you always have trouble finding a gift for in the comments below and maybe I can find a good gift for them! Happy holidays! 

The Perfect Gift For Dad: A Custom Coffee Mug

I had such a great Mother's Day that it got me thinking about a gift for my husband.

Our children are all grown up and I couldn't ask for a better partner in life than my husband. 

So, I was searching for something personal and found a mug. And, I'm glad I found it because I was *this* close to getting him a puppy!

I know, but I'm a poor artist and I can't afford to buy him the world like he deserves.

I mean, he helped me raise two children from birth to almost 22 and 20 years old, the least I could do is buy him a mug. We drink coffee like maniacs in this house so I know he'll use it! And because he gets to see all of the pictures I have to take, he already got to open his present. 

He loves it. Your move, KIDS. 

Take a minute to thank a dad. After all, they are raising citizens of the world, too. 

How do you plan on celebrating Father's Day? Post any gift ideas you have below!

You Should Call Your Mother

Hey, kids.

Mother's day is coming and since that is the best holiday ever in my mom opinion, I'm already thinking about gifts.

I got this amazing Mom ring from ThinkEngraved.com and I thought it would be a great gift for Mother's Day. My mother is so hard to shop for. I'm always ok with a gift card or cash as a gift.

My mom likes thoughtful gifts.

So, this seems perfect for her. Mine is engraved with my children's names and their birthstones. They have all kinds of other jewelry, and they will engrave anything you'd like.

I really hope my mom likes the gift I got for her as well. Finally, I can win most thoughtful gift. 

Maybe. 

There's some new items and all kinds of sales going on. Shopping for Mother's Day, DONE.

You're welcome!

Now, go call your mother.

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