Flowers arrangements make great gifts for Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries. Never the wrong size, never the wrong style, and guaranteed to brighten any room. They are also the perfect choice for someone who “doesn’t need anything,” because after they’ve been enjoyed for a few days or a week, they’re gone.

If you are ordering flowers for someone via the internet or telephone, choose a company that offers a refund if you are not satisfied. If you don’t have the opportunity to see the flowers personally once they’ve been delivered, ask the recipient what the arrangement looks like. Does it sound like the one you ordered? Are the flowers fresh? Did it arrive on the right day? If the arrangement was already wilting when it arrived, or didn’t match your expectations, contact the company and let them know. To ensure timely delivery of the flowers, don’t wait until the last minute to place your order – this is especially important for busy holidays like Mother’s Day.

Some cut flowers last longer than others – but any arrangement you buy should look good for at least several days. There are some easy things you or your loved one can do to prolong the life of the flowers:

• If the flowers arrived with a packet of floral preservative, make sure to use it, following the directions on the packet. These packets contain ingredients that feed the flowers and help discourage the growth of bacteria.
• If you are preparing a new bouquet for a vase or refreshing a floral arrangement, trim the flowers’ stems. Most experts recommend cutting the stems on the diagonal with a sharp, non-serrated knife. Some suggest cutting the stems under running water, which can help prevent the formation of air bubbles that can effectively “seal” the stems. It is also important to trim off any leaves that fall below the water line.
• Change the water in the vase every couple of days, adding new preservative with each change. Most flowers prefer water that is room temperature or almost lukewarm - but bulb flowers, such as tulips and daffodils, like being in very cold water.
• Place the vase in a cool place, away from sunny windows or vents. Fresh flowers will not last as long if they are in direct sunlight or heat.
• If the arrangement contains a variety of flowers, some may wilt earlier than others. Once a flower wilts, remove it from the arrangement – one decaying flower can contaminate the whole bunch.

Crafty people know that a gift of flowers doesn’t have to be discarded when the arrangement wilts. After blooms have peaked, they can be pressed and used on homemade stationary or decorative items; and dried petals can be used for potpourri or sachets – making your gift of flowers a very lasting pleasure.

Contributed By Laura Weaver

Mothers have changed a lot in the last fifty years, and so has the way we honor them on Mother’s Day. In 1960, the year I was born, more than seventy percent of American households included a stay-at-home mother. By 2000, two thirds of American mothers were in the work force – and many of those were raising children on their own.

Jane Wyatt won an Emmy in 1960 for her role as Margaret Anderson in the television show Father Knows Best, a role that characterized what mothers were like – or thought they should be like - at the time. It’s hard to imagine Margaret Anderson tossing her kids cereal bars for breakfast or foraging through the laundry to find something for them to wear to school as she barks out orders and scurries around getting herself ready for work.

I can’t envision her pumping iron to stay fit or hitting the town for a much needed girl’s night out. But things change. Even Jane Wyatt changed…by 1967, she was playing mother to the half-Vulcan Mr. Spock on Star Trek.

In 1960, mothers might have been treated to breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day and received tasteful gifts like perfume, a pretty pin, or a corsage to wear when they went out for a celebratory dinner. But changes in our society have opened up all kinds of Mother’s Day gift-giving possibilities.

The mothers and grandmothers of today are completely different than they were fifty years ago. Forget rocking chairs and aprons. The women of today – even the senior women of today – tend to do whatever they darned well please. Sure, perfume is still popular, but now we can consider giving our mothers running shoes, samba lessons, or a PDA.

My own 72-year-old mother surprised me recently with the news that she has signed up for a Pilates class. This seems like a bold step indeed for someone whose only exercise for the past thirty years has been walking a dog…but she’s cleared it with her doctor and once I got past the mental image I had of her rolled onto her back like a pill bug with her legs flailing around in the air, it sounded like a great idea.

If she enjoys it, and sticks with it, the class will help her stay fit and strong and maintain her balance. Not only that, but it could spawn a lot of Mother’s Day gift ideas…resistance bands, Pilates balls, and perhaps most appreciated, a gift basket full of bubble bath and massage oils to use after those killer workouts.

Contributed By Laura Weaver

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and that means that hundreds of thousands of people (okay, mostly men) will be frantically trying to come up with Valentine’s Day gifts that make their partners happy.

Remember how simple Valentine’s Day was when you were a kid? You’d hand your mother a homemade card and set off to school with a bag of cartoon- themed grocery store valentines (one for every person in your class, because that was the rule). In class, you’d exchange cards with your classmates while you ate the heart-shaped cookies that the room mother baked. If you were really lucky,

Read the whole article: Gifts for Valentine's Day

I have always loved wine but consider myself a novice when it comes to the ability to recognize and distinguish a wine’s characteristics. In fact, only recently I realized that when people spoke of wine tasting they were speaking of something much more complicated than just sipping the wine to determine if they liked it or not. I decided that it was time that I uncover some of the mystic of wine tasting.

See the full article: Wine

Quote:

"What's the proper etiquette for office donations such as chipping in on a baby gift or wedding gift for a co-worker? Should a dollar amount be set for contributions, or should it be left to each individual to decide how much to give? We just took up a collection for a co-worker whose house was lost in a fire. The office manager refused to accept checks, insisting on cash so the gifts would remain anonymous. Some people gave hundreds of dollars, others tens of dollars. Can you help with some guidelines here?"

E.S., Churchville, Pa.

Read the whole article at Corporate Baby Gift Giving

Life in the 20th century is definitely stressful. In many households, parents balance work with family activities and the children?s schedules. Work, school, financial worries and relationships are just a few common sources of stress that patients report when they come to my office for treatment. There are several ways to manage stress, but my favorite is laughter.

Not just funny busines

In addition to the joy of having a good laugh, there are several health benefits attributed to laughter. Laughter is believed to improve immune function, increase pain tolerance, decrease the stress response and....

Read the whole article at Susan's Baby Gift Store Blog: Laughing Stress Relief

I am so thankful, somewhere along the way I have come to this new place and I love it!

Maybe its this time of year…Its starting to get cooler so the heat isn’t driving everyone insane, you start to get that cozy feeling of holiday spirit and your only two months away from a bran spanking new year, a clean slate

Read the whole article - Everything to be Thankful For this Thanksgiving

This is the season when thoughts of the family gathered around the kitchen and enjoying good food are on our minds. There’s something about homemade goodies that is hard to resist this time of year – even for those of us that rarely have the time during the rest of the year! All of a sudden, we are baking......

Read the entire article about Fresh Baked Gifts for the Holidays

I grew up eating “comfort foods”. My parents were of the generation that did not know frying foods was bad for you. Or that there was any such thing as “too much” of anything! I’ll never forget playing outside all day and being called into the house for dinner – totally ravenous! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, buttery home-made yeast rolls and, of course, dessert with every meal!

Read the whole article Chocolate one of the Ultimate Comfort Foods

It was only a couple of months ago when I overheard my 5 year old daughter telling my husband that when she grew up she would not work as hard as Mommy does and that she planned on spending a lot of time playing with her children. It was heartbreaking to say the least. As a working Mother, I find it extremely difficult to juggle the necessity of contributing to the family’s income and being there for my children as a nurturing and playful Mother. Although I feel confident that I am able to hold down a full time job and manage to care for the needs of my children and handle the daily work around the house from laundry, to cooking and cleaning, there is obviously something that my daughter feels is missing from her life. While Daddy is an excellent help with household chores and caring for our children, 2 of whom are under 6 years old, he cannot ever be or even replace “Mommy”. So while he does an excellent job brushing hair, teeth, and saying bedtime prayers, at least one of my little girls still misses her Mommy

It was not long after hearing her comment that I decided to make changes in my life. My little girls were growing up so fast and although I felt that I was a significant part of their lives, I was missing the quality time that my children longed for. I had previously been a stay at home Mother for my older 3 children and I remembered what that was like. I did not want my youngest girls to grow up and remember me as a mere caretaker. I wanted them to have memories of me holding them, singing to them and spending quality time doing things like baking cookies, coloring, or doing puzzles.

Fortunately for me, I own my own business and have control over how much work I do. While giving up work was difficult, it was very important in order to be a part of my children’s life to the extent that I wanted to be. My 6 year old had begun 1st grade and I wanted to be involved in her school activities and perhaps even volunteer in her classroom. So I bit the bullet and cut my hours almost in half. It has now been about 6 weeks since I made the change and while budgeting for this drastic lifestyle change was difficult, it has proven to be extremely beneficial. While I still work full time hours, I feel that I have gained so much more time. I work from home so it is easy to take 15 minutes every now and then and spend time playing or reading to my 4 year old. I take my 6 year old to school every morning and pick her up every day. I sometimes even join her for lunch at her school. I have time to ask her how her day was and to see the work she has created in her class. I can actually help her with homework and sit down and build blocks after dinner. I have had to juggle my time and end up working often times long hours after they have gone to bed. However, in the end, it has been the best change of my life. My little girls seem happier, and even better behaved. I am much less stressed and feel that I am making a difference in their lives and not just raising them.

Being a working mother is a very difficult task and I truly sympathize with any Mother who has to work outside the home on a daily basis and does not have an option to adjust her schedule. For these Moms, I have put together a few tips that I have found seem to make my children remember the moment for what it is worth and not how long it lasted.

• When you bake cookies together, talk about how much fun it is to do things together and how much you enjoy it. Before when I used to bake cookies with them and not talk about it, they didn’t seem to remember it as a significant event.
• Do something with your child that they love to do and that parents don’t usually do. For instance, my girls love to play like they are kittens and absolutely LOVE to have me pretend to be the Mommy Cat. I get down on my knees and crawl around meowing and even when it only last 15 minutes, it will be a cherished memory for them for years to come.
• Plan special times and talk about them for a few days before you do them. The planning and anticipation will make the actual playtime seem even more special.
• Give your special times a name! “Girls Day Out” or “Craft Day”. The titles of these days will carry into their teenage years and long after “Craft Day” is no longer an exciting event. One day, they will look back and say with fond recollection, “Remember when we used to have “Girls Day Out”.
• Remember to hold and sing to your child as long as they will fit in your lap and as long as they enjoy it. My 4 year old can sit in my lap and listen to me sing easily for a half hour and sometimes more. While I often find it difficult not to think to myself about how many things I should be doing, I snap myself right back to reality and remember that one day, she will be too big and not interested and I will wish I had taken the time to do it while I could. So I sit, and I sing, and I hug, for as long as it takes.