| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monthly Inpirations
March 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
Dear Angie,
This month we are talking to my sister-in-law, Louise, who has always had such a knack for putting get-togethers - together! Her keen eye, great ideas and welcoming hospitality have helped her, along with her great friends and neighbors, create such memorable days and nights in Asheville.
Thanks for reading - hope you enjoy!
Angie Hughes
|
|
| DearBook: What's coming soon...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have some exciting things in store for DearBook:
In mid-April, we will have a special "Teacher's Edition" DearBook: The original DearBook plus a "My Class" section made just for the teacher in your child's life. It makes a great end-of-the-year teacher's gift. Best of all it includes pages for each child in the class to customize - they can draw a picture, write a note, decorate the page - so when the teacher opens it, it's already filled with what's dear. In addition, she'll have a DearBook to use for her family taking them through May 2009.
If you would like to order one for your child's class, please email me at angie@DearBookCompany.com. They will be $99, that when split among kids in the class makes it an easy, affordable and useful class gift for that special teacher.
Also, we are working on our Wedding DearBook and Baby DearBook, and hope to have ready by early summer! These will be in three-ring album format and will contain what you'll need when planning that special time. Best of all, it will turn into a beautiful keepsake. Right now we are looking for the best cover material that will not only fit the occasion, but blend well with your decor for years to come.
|
| Order, Comfort, Style .... And most importantly JOY!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I could write about how my siser-in-law has all of these qualities in life but due to the limited space, I will focus on the "Joy" part! She exemplifies this from the way she is with her family - I admire how she has just as much fun playing with her kids as they do! - to the way she is with others in her life.
During her visit to Jacksonville last week, we sat down and chatted about stuff...
Her big party of the year: Annual Easter Egg Hunt! When Louise moved to Asheville five years ago, there were five children in attendance, now there are over 100 and counting. "The best thing about this party is that it's easy, inexpensive and there's virtually no cleanup. All of the Easter eggs go home with the kids!" says Louise. After Easter every year, Louise stocks up on eggs which typically are 75% off. Then her friends take the eggs a week or two before the next year's hunt, stuff them with Cheerios, goldfish, stickers and candy and bring back to her house a couple of days prior to. They get a bunny costume from the costume shop and kids can get their picture taken with him when he arrives at the party - a great way for them to remember the day! It's a nice time to be outside, and is a great way to get to know school friends' families and neighbors.
Usually, the hunt is scheduled for the Wednesday before Easter with a rain date the following day. Louise says it could be fun to get the older kids and adults involved in their own hunt by stuffing some of the eggs with dollar bills, gift certificates and other fun stuff.
Another one of Louise's favorite things is putting together a parade. "Kids love to be in a parade and it's simple to do. Just decorate bikes and wagons and go. Even the dads will sometimes participate with riding mowers and all. I'll call a few neighbors an hour before and tell them to be on the lookout - here we come!" she says.
Halloween is celebrated in their Asheville neighborhood by throwing a costume party with proceeds going to the Evelyn Foundation, a local charity. The cost is $10 per family (or whatever they wish to donate), and pizza and drinks are provided. Different houses host activities such as pumpkin carving, sack races and jumpy house and of course it wouldn't be complete without a parade! Since it's grown to be such a big event, they have the city block off the street for everyone's safety. "It's a great way to see everyone's costumes and we welcome friends that don't have a neighborhood to trick-or-treat in," says Louise. This year, they donated almost $3,000 to the Eveyln Foundation!
More of Weeze's ideas, etc....
Use (uncooked!) rice and beans in a child's sand table - instead of sand. They'll have lots of fun sifting and shoveling and will enjoy the new textures.
Split cost of a magazine subscription with a friend (weekly ones can be expensive) - save money and conserve paper.
Holiday party idea: She enjoys going to a holiday book exchange - everyone brings a wrapped holiday children's book - Santa reads a book to the kids - festive food and drinks for all.
Favorite cookbook? Even though she says she does not cook lots, she loves church cookbooks "because recipes are tried and true and are usually easy." Also, likes Paula Deen - looks at her flower and table arrangements, can relate to her "southern personality."
Likes to look at ebay, but never buys!
Reads one book a year - finds a "smutty one" for good entertainment!
Has a "family meeting" with Ted, Webb and Charlie to plan meals for the week. (I tried this with our family this week and it was a nice way to talk about the upcoming week - good idea Louise!)
She saw this at a brunch recently: shrimp and grits served in a martini glass. It was atop a plate filled with an assortment of fruit and a muffin.
Use a "clothes line" to decorate for a baby shower: use clothes pins to hang onesies - great for decoration and then turns into a take-home gift for the mom-to-be.
Thank you for sharing, Louise! You're wonderful!
|
Ideas for your DearBook
 Here are just a couple of ideas:
I took a Sharpie and wrote each of my children's names on a clear pocket insert. When I have something special I want to keep, I put in his own pocket.
Take out the Easter page and begin thinking of how you'd like to spend the day - what would make it the most meaningful. As far as decorating, last year I thought of this but it was too late - so I wrote it down in my DB for this year: pick up some rye grass seeds and grow in some puts for a centerpiece for the table. If I plant this weekend, they should be good and green by Easter. Then the kids and I can decorate eggs and place them in the grass. (Plus they'll love seeing the grass grow.)
Use the month at a glance calendar for keeping notes of special things that happend that month (for instance, something funny your grandchild said or did) or as a simple gratitude journal (jot down something that makes you happy that day).
If you think of a gift idea for someone, keep it in your DB. It'll be great to have when shopping for the holidays. Better yet, go ahead and pick up or order.
Begin planning a vacation for yourself and / or your family. Look up fun stuff to do on the internet and keep your notes and ideas in DB's travel section. Have your kids help with the planning.
If you haven't filled out your Valentine's Day page yet, sit down when you have a few minutes and just fill in "what you love" section. Use the whole page for it if you'd like and get help from your family. Don't worry about how messy it looks. My favorite DB pages from the past are ones like this. It takes me back to that moment and makes me so happy that I have something to remember it by.
Have a great Easter!
|
|
|
Copyright © The Dearbook Company. All Rights Reserved.
|
 |
