Today the festival of Mother’s day is celebrated across 46 countries including US, UK, India, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and Belgium. Millions of people across the globe take the day as an opportunity to honor their mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support and well- wisher. The day has become hugely popular and in several countries phone lines witness maximum traffic. There is also a tradition of gifting flowers, cards and others gift to mothers on the Mother’s Day. The festival has become commercialized to a great extent. Florists, card manufacturers and gift sellers see huge business potential in the day and make good money through a rigorous advertising campaign.  In America, of course, Mother’s Day is the second Sunday in May, as proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in spring. The celebration of Mother’s Day began in the United States in the early 20th century; it is not related to the...Read More
Now that spring has officially kicked in many of us are looking forward to vacations. Whether it’s a quick spring break getaway for two or a family road trip the idea of just “getting away” is on nearly everyone’s mind.  Deciding on the amount of time to take is the first step when planning a trip. Check with your employer to see what kind of vacation time you have. If you are self-employed take a look ahead and see how long everyone can manage without you. To do this though, you will need to have an inkling of an idea on where you are going. You can’t plan on the amount of time you need to take off work if you don’t know how long it will take to get there and how many activities you’ll want to participate in. Choosing a destination is something that you have likely been doing for a while.  Most everyone has a list of places that they want to vacation at some time in their life. Start with that list and deduct destinations based on what is feasible for you this year.  Or maybe your family has a particular place you go to every...Read More
Most colleges have released their admission decisions. By the time all of the mail is open, you should have options. Your hard work has paid off and you get to make the final choice of a college destination.  As you enter the final phase of decision-making, start by rechecking your priorities. Why are you going to college? What do you hope to accomplish? In what type of environment can you accomplish these things best? Spend a weeknight in a residence hall; eat at least two meals in the dining hall and go to two classes in different disciplines including an introductory first-year class. Talk with professors from the academic departments that interest you. Pull students aside in those departments as well. Ask them about the courses they take. Who teaches them? What would they do differently about their learning experience thus far?  In other words, take in as much as possible during your campus visits. Most students who emerge from this process acknowledge that much of the decision-making comes down to a gut feeling. Let your gut go to work for you. Make sure the college you choose fits comfortably and feels good before you commit yourself. It’s crunch time...Read More
Attending a housewarming party can be a very fun time. Often these parties are thrown as a way to politely show off a new home. Other times, they can be thrown kind of as a “just because we love to entertain!” Of course it is always possible that they only throw the party for the gifts although we really like to think that the latter doesn’t happen all too often. Regardless, it’s fun looking for a present to bring to a housewarming party. Gift-giving doesn’t have to be stressful or feel like a chore. Think about why you are buying the gift in the first place. Not out of obligation (although, it is polite to bring a little something) but, because you are happy for the person.  You attend the party because you wish to show them how happy you are for them and want to share in the joy. So when you have been invited to a housewarming party, you may be curious about what to bring.  The first thing you will want to do is think about what you know about the person(s) whose party you are attending. Also take clues from the invitation that you received. Often...Read More
We’ve discussed the stress of moving and how to purchase cards to let your friends know of your new address. But, one of the fun things about moving is the housewarming party! Housewarming parties are popular in practically every corner of the world. They may not all be celebrated exactly the same, or have the same traditions but, they all carry the same theme and that is to welcome a family into their new home warmly both, figuratively and literally. It’s true long ago people would bring firewood over to the new home in order to help you “warm” the home and this wasn’t necessarily just for actual physical warmth but, for spiritual warmth as well. First thing, you need to let your guests know that you plan on having a housewarming party. Typically you will want to invite them anywhere from 10 days to three weeks prior to the party. When you decide to have the party is up to you of course but, six months after moving in is probably too long and one week after may be too soon. You know yourself and your guests’ best. Don’t be rough on yourself and try to have everyone over...Read More
One of the most stressful life events that we all go through is moving. Yes, often times the reason for the move is a happy thing. Say a new job, child or maybe even retirement! But, the fact remains that moving can be a stressful time in your life.  In fact studies show that it is one of the most stressful life events that most all of us will encounter. Coordinating all the things that must take place in order to make the move as comfortable as possible can be difficult. There are things that you think of right away like making sure you have plenty of boxes and friends to help move. Did you find someone to keep the dog for a couple of days?  Did you fill out the change of address form at your local post office? Call the kids school? See, I told you there was a lot to do so the last thing you need is to not let family and friends know of your new address. You have to let the credit card company know that you moved, but you want to let your friends know. Maybe you have finally decided to take the...Read More
Finally the birds are beginning to chirp. With chirping birds we are reminded that spring is coming (even though many of us have thought it never would).  And with the onset of spring, we think of all the holidays to come and one of those is Mother’s day.   During this cold weather, it’s not hard to daydream about a warm breezy morning spent having brunch with my mother. As the holiday approaches keep in mind that American Stationery has the perfect gift for mom no matter what she’s into or what stage of life she’s in.    What about a little something for the guest bathroom that she just remodeled? Take a look at the Soap and Guest Towel Set. There are several different item numbers to select. A popular one is item number 2860_O. With this set you will receive three oval shaped soaps (that smell divine!) and fifteen guest towels. The towels and soaps are personalized with your choice of information. You can personalize with anything from the family name to just the words “Powder Room”.  Whatever your heart desires (as long as it fits!) even a simple script monogram will do. With your choice of ink color choices...Read More
Personalized gifts no matter what the value is, gives more impact to the receiver, because it is something that is carefully thought of and that includes an extra effort from the giver. If you know the person very well, you already know what kind of gift they really want to receive, you can also consider giving a thing that a person will never consider of buying. If the person you are giving loves to bake, a heart muffin pan is a cool gift, or a specialty cake in a cake shop or coffee shop that is something they’ve never tried before. It’s so hard to imagine celebrating the most special occasions in our lives without thinking about receiving and giving gifts to our love ones. Examples of these celebrated special occasions are: birthday, Christmas, graduation day, christening, house warming, mother’s day and father’s day. There are also some people who are giving gifts without any occasions; for them, it is something that makes them feel good, and it is one of their way of showing their love, thoughtfulness and affection to their love ones. It also brings joy and happiness for the receiver, especially if the gift is personalized just...Read More
Every year kiddos wait in anticipation for the much loved Easter Bunny! While most parents love and cherish the beautiful church services and the joy of watching their children hunt eggs and find their basket what we don’t love is the junk. Sure candy is great in moderation. And little toys are fun until ten minutes later when they break. Of course we would never say to not buy some chocolate bunnies and cutesy jump ropes. We would maybe suggest purchasing something with a little more staying power. Give them something that might be used to teach them? Maybe teach them to write thank you’s? Or just to write to people in general. Aunts and Uncles who live across the country will enjoy hearing hear from their young niece or nephew. Of course you can always send an email but, receiving a hand written note is always enjoyable. Especially enjoyable if that note is hand written by a child. It is equally fun for family members to watch how their spelling and penmanship improves over the years. For a great gift consider something like the Fun N’ Travel Notes & Labels? Item 7000 comes with 48 notes and 70 seals...Read More
From work and family obligations to the omnipresence of technology, we live in a time where everyone is extremely busy and wrapped up their own lives. As a result, the basic rules of etiquette sometimes fly right out of the window. But as businesses struggle for differentiation, etiquette is really more important than ever.  Professional social situations can be awkward. The rules are slightly different from standard social settings, yet business schools rarely discuss professional etiquette topics. From how to introduce yourself to what to order at restaurants, these are the social rules you need to know when establishing relationships. For organizations and employees alike, recognizing the critical link between business protocol and profit is the key to your success. In a business situation, you should use your full name, but you should also pay attention to how others want to be introduced.  Stand when meeting someone or shaking hands. Stand up, show a modicum of respect, and pretend like the person you are meeting is of some interest to you at the moment. Anything less is disrespectful. Think to yourself, “is this how I want to start this relationship?”. I’m a big believer in the concept of paying it...Read More
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