Born with Leukemia:Molly Merchant at Another Blog

February 24, 2011 By

I’m proud to say that I’m featured at A{Muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench. It’s a very special post for a very special cause.

Nikki, the blogger at A{Muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench, is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphona Society. As part of her fund raising, she is featuring bloggers whose lives have been touched by leukemia in some way. I wrote a post about my daughter’s battle with leukemia as a newborn that Nikki graciously featured yesterday.

Please go read it. This was very emotional and important for me to write and share.

Thanks,

Filed Under: About Me, General Tagged With: ,

7 Tips for Completely Thoughtless Gift Giving

February 22, 2011 By

I recently shared some tips for brainstorming a thoughtful gift. But if you want to get something that completely sucks, I’ve got you covered there as well. If you really don’t want to buy this person a gift or just hate gift giving in general, follow these tips. The recipient will be begging you to never, ever buy them anything again.

1. Be completely selfish. It’s important to make sure that the gift is something the recipient hates and will never use. For example, you love the NBA and have been dying to see a game, but your girlfriend hates basketball. Well, who cares about what she wants for her birthday. Get those tickets to the next game for her birthday and take her there kicking and screaming. It’s really win-win for you.

2. Obviously re-gift. Nothing says, “I don’t care about you at all,” like passing along crap that you never wanted in the first place. You have to make sure that the recipient a.) saw you open the gift that you’re now re-gifting, and/or, b.) heard you complain about how much you hated receiving it in the first place. I personally think that a combination of a and b is the most insulting way to go.

3. Buy a cheap, shoddy gift. Make sure that the gift can fall apart easily, comes with no warranty or receipt, and is from somewhere inaccessible with poor customer service. The recipient will be so frustrated with this gift, it will be in their garbage can in no time.

4. Buy something over-priced. The key here is to make certain that you mention the price and where you purchased it. It’s important to make the recipient feel really uncomfortable and obligated to you for spending a lot of money. And it’s a bonus if the gift has useless snob appeal. The recipient will surely resent the gift if you make sure they know it’s about how you appear for purchasing something completely over-priced just because you can.

5. Give them a gift with an agenda. Your agenda. Do you think the recipient needs to lose weight? Well then tell them so with your gift. It could be anything from exercise DVDs to weight loss supplements to a gym membership. Do you think they need to be more enlightened like you? Well then, say so with your gift. Even if they hate classical music, get them tickets to the opera. It’s all about you, after all.

6. Harass them endlessly to see if they liked it. This is the gift giving equivalent of the kids in the back of the car constantly asking, “are we there yet?” They will want to pull their hair out by the time you’re done asking them, “did you like it, will you use it,” over and over again.

7. Forget all the usual gift giving details. Don’t wrap the present or get a card, remove the price tag, or give it to them on time. Those customs are just for people who care about gifts and the people they’re giving them to.

If you follow any one of these tips, your gift will definitely be horrible. And if you really want to be completely thoughtless and selfish combine a few of these steps. You see, gift giving really can be all about you.

Filed Under: 31 Days to Building a Better Blog, Gift Giving Tips and Solutions, Just for Fun Tagged With: ,

Want to say, “Get Well Soon”? Send Chicken Soup

February 18, 2011 By

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of winter. And I’m sick of being sick. The four of us in my house have had a nasty cold going around and around. It’s like being on a carnival ride that just won’t stop. And just when you think it’s done, it starts back up again.

This had me thinking about gifts that say get well soon and gifts that provide comfort and warmth.

Then I heard someone talking about Spoonful of Comfort. I had to go see what this was. Just looking at this site makes me feel better.

Spoonful of comfort will send home-made chicken soup in a jar with a gift card. And they have add-ons like cookies and warm socks. This gift is so wonderful to send to anyone who needs a pick me up, someone who is very ill, or a care package for a kid at college.

“Spoonful of Comfort Chicken Soup is made and sent with love to warm your heart.”

Simple. Easy. Thoughtful. Everything a good gift should be.

Have a great weekend.

Filed Under: Care Packages, Get Well Gifts Tagged With: ,

Baby Gifts You Can Make

February 15, 2011 By

I’ve had babies on the mind lately. Not because I want another one. I am DONE having babies. I’ve been thinking about babies because of all the snow lately and also because I just received an invitation to a baby shower next month.

I am so excited. I haven’t been to a baby shower in years. So, I’ve been looking here and there for some cute baby gifts. Well, cute baby gift is an oxymoron, but I like to find only the best for all of who come to Molly Merchant.

So, I found two very crafty baby gifts from two very talented women.

The first is a framed onesie from Michelle at Everyday Celebrating. Michelle put the child’s name on the onesie and used colors to match the decor of the child’s room. It looks really easy and great for a new mom. And if you know the sex and name of the baby in advance, this could be the “wow” gift at the baby shower. It’s a very sentimental present. Once that little one grows, mom will stare at the framed onesie and try to imagine her child that small again.

This gift is super practical and inexpensive. Marie from Make and Takes embellished cloth diapers to use as burp cloths. They are so cute and a new mom can’t have enough burp cloths, especially if her baby spits up. My oldest used to spit up so much I wondered how she got nourishment. But she grew and my sanity is still (somehow) in tact. Visit Marie’s site for the tutorial.

Do you have any crafty baby gifts to share? Have you ever made anything for a new baby or new mom?

Filed Under: 31 Days to Building a Better Blog, Gifts for Baby, Gifts for Her, Mother's Day, Shower Tagged With: , ,

9 Quirky Things About Me…

February 14, 2011 By

Image from Sister72 on Flickr

Happy Valentine’s Day! Or, as my kids say, Happy Ballentime’s! I thought I’d keep it light and fun today in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Lynn Terry over at ClickNewz had this meme over at her site, so I had to join in. If you’re dropping by and want to participate, you can post this meme on your site with a link to this post (so I get pinged and see what you wrote).

1. I’m extremely quirky about food. I can’t stand cinnamon and coconut and I don’t like toppings on my pizza. I love applesauce and pudding, but the texture of oatmeal gags me. Go figure?

2. I need a ridiculous amount of sleep every night. I always have. If I fall behind in my sleep, I have to catch up somewhere or I’m a complete mess.

3. My family calls me Bethie and I don’t even  notice. But if somebody else calls me Bethie, it’s like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.

4. I hate coffee. I’m an iced tea girl.

5. When I was about 8 years old, I wanted to be an architect. I used to draw up floor plans for houses. And I still love, love, love to look at floor plans. I recently spent forever in a book store staring at books with floor plans.

6. My high school graduating class had 12 people. (People freak out when I tell them this. Only 12?)

7. I’m extremely afraid of heights and can’t drive over large bridges. I can be the passenger but I’m crouched down, not looking, reminding the driver to be careful.

8. I’ve been teased for being too polite.

9. I give people nicknames all the time. My kids have nicknames and even my dog has about 10 different nicknames. She actually answers to quite a few of them.

So, what are your quirky things? Do tell!

Filed Under: About Me

Need a Valentine’s Gift for Your Guy?

February 12, 2011 By

Have you bought a Valentine’s Day gift for your husband or boyfriend yet? If not, I have the perfect idea for you.

How about a Valentine’s Day gift he can experience? Cloud 9 Living offers many, many experience gifts with choices all over the country.

Does he like adventure? You could get him a stock car driving experience. Or you could choose something like caving or a bike tour.

Is he a golfer? Cloud 9 offers lessons and golf packages that will please him at tee time.

Is your man is a little more laid back? You could sign him up for a bar-tending class or a tour of a museum.

Would you prefer to experience one of the packages with your man? There are many options for that, too. You could pick a couples massage, a dinner cruise or even a wine tour. All of those sound very relaxing and enjoyable for you and your Valentine.

These are just a few of the gift experiences available. You really need to go to the site to see all the choices that they have to offer. And if you’re just not sure what to choose, you could get a gift card and let him pick which experience he would like.

I hope your Valentine’s Day is a great experience! And if this doesn’t suit your needs, I talk about more gift ideas for your guy here.

Filed Under: Anniversary, Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , , , , ,

Chocolate? For Valentine’s Day?

February 11, 2011 By
Chocolate is such a great gift because most people LOVE chocolate. You really can’t go wrong with it.

I have a gift idea for Valentine’s Day that’s chocolate… with a twist.

How about hot chocolate on a stick?

That’s right, you heard me correctly. Hot chocolate on a stick at Ticket Kitchen.

Image from The Ticket Kitchen

It comes in several flavors and the packaging and presentation are absolutely gorgeous.  They ship and can personalize the card, too!

So, if your loved one loves chocolate, you should give this gift a try.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Filed Under: Birthday, Birthday, Christmas, Christmas, Father's Day, Food Gifts, Food Gifts, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Host, Hostess, Housewarming, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Teacher, Teacher, Thank You, Thank You, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Tagged With: ,

7 Tips for Brainstorming Thoughtful Gift Ideas

February 8, 2011 By

Coming up with good, thoughtful gift ideas can be a chore at times, especially if you don’t enjoy shopping and gift giving. Or maybe you just want to be a more th0ughtful gift giver. These tips will help get your creative juices flowing so this can be an easier, more enjoyable process for you.

1.  Plan, plan, plan. Doing your gift shopping in advance gives you the time to find something really thoughtful. Life happens, but being organized enough to know what’s coming makes this process a lot easier.

2.  Ask yourself questions about the recipient. What are their hobbies and interests? What’s their stage of life (i.e., a college graduate, new parent, new homeowner, retiree, etc.). Are they practical or creative? Do they travel or prefer to stay at home? Have they ever expressed a desire or interest to do something, go somewhere, or try a new experience? Are they an introvert or an extrovert? What colors do they like? What gifts have they appreciated in the past? What do they hate?

3.  Ask a friend. When I’m really stumped for a gift idea, I’ll call a good friend and ask them what they think I should get. Some of my best ideas have come from friends and family members. And it’s so nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of.

4.  Pay attention at parties and gift occasions. Watching other people open gifts might not be fun for everyone (I have to admit I sometimes find wedding showers tedious). But you can really gather some good gift ideas even if you just tune in for a little while. And you could always ask the guest of honor which gifts they really loved and why.

5.  Go “browsing” at stores when you don’t need to buy a gift. My husband would rather die than go browsing around a mall for an afternoon, but I find it relaxing. I love window shopping and some of my best gift ideas come to me when I don’t need to buy a gift at all.

6.  The Internet is your friend. Just by going to a search engine and typing in “gift ideas” will yield a lot of results. But don’t stop there. Check out Etsy, GiftBee, Gift Stumped, GiversLog and Uncommon Goods to name a few. There’s a lot of creativity on the Internet, you just need to take a little time to find it.

7.  Keep a running list.I keep a notebook in my purse with lists and notes of various things. But I jot down gift ideas as they come to me. And if you prefer paperless, I’m sure there’s an App you can find for list making and note taking.

Do you have any tips for coming up with good gift ideas? How do you brainstorm thoughtful gifts that will be appreciated?

P.S. This is Day Two of 31 Days to Building a Better Blog: Create a List Post

Filed Under: 31 Days to Building a Better Blog, Gift Giving Tips and Solutions, The Gift Of Organization Tagged With: , ,

Day 1: Elevator Pitch

February 7, 2011 By

I am doing something new and different on my blog starting today. I joined the 31 Days to Building a Better Blog challenge with The Sits Girls.  Today is Day 1 and each day I’ll be posting answers to questions and doing posts to challenge and inspire me to be a better blogger. Wish me luck!

I have to write an elevator pitch today. You know, the thing where you tell someone what your site is about in a few short sentences so that they “get” it.  Here goes.

Short Elevator Pitch

Giving You Gift Ideas and Inspiration

Long Elevator Pitch

Molly Merchant is my blog where I share my absolute love of gift giving with any adult, male or female, who needs gift ideas or shares a love of gift giving, too. I share gift ideas and talk about gift occassions. My blog also goes beoynd the material and discusses intangible gifts in life that are sometimes overlooked but make life worth living.

Did completing the task change your blog, or change the way you think about your blog?

No and Yes.

No, because I worked hard on the short elevator pitch by answering the question, “what’s in it for the reader?” when I started my blog. I really liked what I came up with so “Giving You Gift Ideas and Inspiration” became my tag line. It’s one of the few things I haven’t changed about my blog since I started in October 2010.

Yes, because the long elevator pitch is a little more difficult and I think my blog is already evolving. I plan on weaving in the intangible gifts in our lives by sharing my parenting experiences of a special needs little girl. That’s coming soon, but what I’ve been through and what I’ve gained as a mom and a person really is a gift.

Ok, and day one done!

Filed Under: 31 Days to Building a Better Blog Tagged With:

Where’s Molly Merchant?

February 4, 2011 By

Hello again,

It’s been a busy week for many reasons, but I’m thrilled that an article I wrote is being featured at another site. It’s at Biz Chick Blogs, a great magazine blog covering an array of topics for “the whole” woman.

Go ahead, check it out! You know you want to ;-)

http://www.bizchickblogs.com/2011/02/five-ways-to-enjoy-valentines-day-if-youre-single.html

Have a great weekend.

Filed Under: General
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