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Don’t Forget Dad: Best Father’s Day Gifts

Celebrate Father’s Day with the Best Gifts for Dad!

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and it’s time to show Dad just how much he means to you. And, finding the perfect gift can be a challenge, but fear not! I have curated a list of the best Father’s Day gifts to help you express your love and gratitude for the incredible dads in your life.

The List

  1. Personalized Gifts: Does your dad love to fish, camp, drink, eat, or dress? Why not get him a personalized fishing journal, bag chair, ember mug, cutting board, or shirt?! Nobody will steal his favorite thing anymore because you made it distinctly his.
  2. Tech Gadgets: For the tech-savvy dads out there, consider gifting them the latest gadgets. From JBL clip speakers and wireless headphones (My favorites are the Beats Fit Pro.) to fitness trackers (This article from Wired can help determine which one is best for dad.) and home automation devices, there is a wide range of options to choose from. Whether he loves listening to music, staying fit, or simply enjoys the convenience of a smart home, one of these gifts can help make his life a bit easier.
  3. Experience-based Gifts: Create unforgettable memories with experience-based gifts. Treat your dad to a spa day, a golf lesson, a hot air balloon ride, or tickets to his favorite sporting event or concert. These gifts go beyond material possessions and offer quality time together, allowing you to bond and create lasting moments. The shared experiences will leave a lasting impression and show your dad the thing you love most about this gift, is the time, not the thing.
  4. Grilling Accessories: What Father doesn’t love to fire up the grill? Consider upgrading their grilling gear. High-quality grilling accessories like a set of stainless steel utensils, a digital meat thermometer, or a BBQ smoker kit can take their culinary skills to the next level. These gifts will not only enhance the food but also provide opportunities for fun family cookouts and delicious meals.
  5. Call Me: Or if you don’t have the time to get him a gift, call me! I’ll help. Just fill out the contact us form and I’ll be right there to help out.

No Matter What, It’s Time to Celebrate Dad

Father’s Day is an opportunity to express our love and appreciation for our dads. Whatever you choose, the key is to select something that aligns with your dad’s interests and passions. Remember, the most valuable gift you can give is your time and attention. Be sure to make cherished memories together this Father’s Day!

Until Next Time,

SH Signature

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Mom’s Day Gifts

Moms are the best.

Many of my favorite memories are with my mom. Some of my least favorites as well! She’s been there through it all. And with Mother’s Day right around the corner, there’s no better way to show her how much we appreciate her patience and wisdom than by giving her a thoughtful gift. Whether for your mom, grandmom, stepmom, aunt, or any other important mom-figure in your life, there’s a perfect gift for her.

But how do you best celebrate the woman who has nurtured and cared for us? I have a few ideas. 😊

  • Personalized Photo Gifts
    • Personalized photo gifts are a great way to create a unique and sentimental gift. There are many options available, including custom photo books, personalized photo mugs, and canvas prints. You can choose a favorite photo of you and your mom or create a collage of memorable moments. And don’t forget, many local stores carry the perfect frame for that perfect picture.
  • Spa Treatments
    • Spoil your mother with a day of relaxation and pampering at a spa. What, is my mom the only one who had a teenage girl give her major headaches over the years? There are plenty of local spas that have great options for massage, facials, etc.
  • Jewelry
    • Jewelry is a classic gift that never goes out of style. Consider picking a piece that reflects your mother’s personal style or one that holds a special meaning for her. I gave my mom a unique necklace that included the birthstones of her kids and grandkids.
  • Kitchen Gadgets
    • If your mother enjoys cooking or baking, she’ll appreciate a new kitchen gadget that will make her life easier. Check out OXO and Joseph Joseph for cool, modern kitchen-y things.
  • Subscription Boxes
    • Subscription boxes are a fun and unique gift idea that can be tailored to your mother’s interests. There are subscription boxes available for everything from books and beauty products to gardening and crafts. Amazon has SO MANY different ones to choose from, too. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
  • Stationery or Notebooks
    • If your mother loves to write letters or send cards, personalized stationery is a thoughtful gift idea. You can choose from a wide range of designs and styles, including monograms, floral patterns, and custom artwork. An Iowa company called Moglea makes GORGEOUS notebooks and other types of paper products perfect for writing.
  • Bonus

    storyworth gift

    • I think my mom’s favorite gift I ever gave her was the opportunity to write. For her birthday last year, I gifted her storyworth.com. Each week for a year, she got a question to answer. Then she could upload a corresponding picture that reflected that story. (To be clear, I uploaded the pictures…but she could have if she understood how. 😉) At the end of the 52 weeks of questions, you receive a fully bound book. It is a truly wonderful keepsake for the whole family.

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who has cared for and nurtured us!

Until Next Time,

SH Signature

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Gift Ideas from One of a Kind Show – Chicago

One of a Kind Show – Chicago

As you all know, I LOVE the One of a Kind Show – Chicago. I’ve posted, talked, and gushed about it for years…so much so that a group of us head there together each December. I find the best, most unique gifts. And since the holidays don’t automatically end on December 25, I thought I’d give you a few gift ideas from the vendors I love at the show.

Gift Ideas

Have a sweet teen in your life? Try whimsyjewelry.com. When I was at her booth, she told me she was inspired to create her active girls necklaces after watching Zendaya in The Greatest Showman! I not only bought a gift for my niece but a super cute girl jump-roper necklace for ME!

For little people, it can be hard to find the right thing that is also ok for the parent. Enter Ames-based The Bubble Haus. They have the cutest soap paints you’ve ever seen. Your little creative can make art AND get clean using them.

What about that hard-to-buy-for sister/aunt/mom/girlfriend? I can tell you sapahn has JUST the right thing for her. They have all the options you’d ever want for her…or that really stylish him!

Hey guys, trust me she called and she REALLY wants one-of-a-kind jewelry. No matter her style, one of these makers has just the right thing for you. Check out:
lockedandlayered.com
my-prysm.com
allisonmooneydesign.com
crosslyne.com
facebook.com/vintageliz
shoprachb.com

How about that foodie person? If you follow Favorable on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, which you should, you’ll know this next one. Simply Stoneware has GORGEOUS graters that are unlike anything you’ve seen. They’d be GRATE (pun intended) paired with ginger, garlic, or a chunk of parmesan.

Have that guy who has everything? Well, he doesn’t have a Mistura watch, I promise you that. These incredibly unique watches are even more beautiful in person than you’ll see on the website!

I really could go on and on about all the great makers at this show. Remember, even if you can’t get something for the holidays, you can shop these great small business owners for birthdays, anniversaries, bar/bat mitzvahs, and any other occasion…or you can just call me and I’ll have just the right gift ideas for you.

Until we chat again, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Favorable.

SH Signature

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It never hurts to ask.

Previously…

Much like A Christmas Story, there I was.  7 years old.  On the big guy’s lap, providing detailed evidence as to all my nice deeds for the year and clarifying a few naughty moments. My Christmas list was simple and pretty on target for my age group.  I was just about to pounce off when I decided to toss one more wish Kris Kringle’s way. Because, I thought, “It never hurts to ask.”

“And, Santa, I’d really love an 8-track player for Christmas.” I wanted it so badly because listening to my favorite tunes over and over and over and over again would be so GREAT!

He winked, smiled, and moved on to the next kid while I received my complimentary candy cane and Polaroid snapshot. (Photo used for this blog is of me on my Grampa’s lap, but you get the point.)

I’m sure you know what comes next. Just a few weeks from that simple, innocent ask was the Christmas surprise of a lifetime.  An awesome 8-track player under the tree.  That made my whole year and all because I asked.

Now…

What a great reminder as your year and my year come to an end.  Are there any questions you can ask yourself to close out 2022 or prepare for 2023?  Check-in on a key team member and ask how you can help them succeed in 2023?  Reach out to one more client or a prospect and get a coffee on the books for January?

And, as I take my own advice, since it doesn’t hurt to ask, how can I help you this holiday season? If you need help with shopping for your family or friends, or if your company needs an end-of-year recognition and celebration idea, I can make that happen. Just use the Contact Us page and we can make the magic happen for your friends, family, employees, or teammates!

Until we chat again, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Favorable.

SH Signature

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SIX MONTHS to the Holidays?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

It seems weird (read: terrifying!) to say it, but we are officially SIX MONTHS away from Christmas and less than that to the holiday season. And with the holidays can come stress. A survey by the American Psychological Association, 38 percent of people said their stress level increases during the holidays. Another survey, by Principal Financial Group, revealed that 53 percent of people feel financially stressed by holiday spending.

But financial stressors aren’t the only ones that happen around the holidays. Pressures on you to be happy, to be everywhere, to find just the right thing…the list goes on and on. What can be done to try to alleviate this year’s stressors when buying gifts for family and friends?

  1. Plan ahead. Start thinking now about who you have to buy gifts for, make a list in your phone’s notes or other list app, and when you are out and about, look for gifts and BUY NOW!
  2. Talk to your family. Do you HAVE to buy gifts this year or can something else be done instead? A trip later in the year? The whole family gives to a charity close to your heart?
  3. Create a reasonable budget…and stick to it. You know where your finances are. Figure out a reasonable budget, whether by person or overall, and stay within it.

And don’t forget your clients, employees, and customers either. Although I would suggest giving gifts at a different time of the year than the holidays if you feel it is best to recognize and thank these people during the holidays, a very similar 3-step process can be followed.

  1. Plan Ahead. Will you get gifts for all your clients or segments? Will it be one gift for all or a selection of gifts to choose from?
  2. Create a budget. What makes sense as a per-person dollar amount to spend? Is there a limit in your business on what you can spend per client? And back to #1, how many gifts are you buying?
  3. Start ordering early. Don’t let what happened last year affect you this year. Order early to get the best option for gifts and shipping costs.

The best way to avoid the stress of holiday gift-giving for everyone, client, family, or friend? Hire Favorable early and all the gifts are done for you and within that budget! Fill out the contact us form and we can meet to talk about who you need to buy gifts for and the budget for each of them. Then I take ALL THE STRESS away from you. 😊

Until Next Time,

SH Signature

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Gifting from the Outside In

One of my FAVORITE parts of creating a curated gift is the design of it. If there is a theme, what is it? How many things can I fit into the theme before it is too many? Staying within the budget is its own kind of challenge. How can I get the best product that can still make an impact? But my favorite thing is deciding, once I have the items, what can I put it in that is fun AND functional?

Let’s break this all down.

Themes are so fun to use when putting together a curated gift. Depending on who they are going to, how the gift is getting there, and what they like, theming could get more difficult to do. As an example, I love grilling boxes filled with super interesting grilling goods. Need an extra-wide flipper? What about meat shredders or large skewers? If you are going to have to ship this to someone, that could be tricky so maybe this isn’t the right idea? Or maybe you have the same “sense of humor” as my dad who thinks this type of gifting is silly. Thinking about what your recipient likes and needs trumps what you think would be fun every time.

Now on to products. I have a few stores and websites I go to when I want to make the greatest impact on how something looks, and the impact it will make on the gift. I’ve shared a few of them in the past.

They all have great things that make a lot of impact!

Finally, my favorite part is answering the question, “What can we put it in?” I’m not a person who loves baskets, so I rarely use them as a container for my designs. I prefer “practical,” boxes or containers with multiple uses. As an example of this, I recently created a gift design that had a beach bag as the container. It was a donation for a school fundraiser that included a stay in Florida. So, the beach bag was filled with towels, a floppy hat, and a beach-smelling candle to get in the mood for the stay. They could take the bag with them on the trip and use it to get all the beach-y things they needed with them.

My final advice is to think as innovatively as you can about what might be a great container. Because ultimately, what you want most from any gift is for the recipient to use it and think of you whenever they do.

If you want to see examples of some of the boxes I’ve curated, visit my BRAND NEW Gallery page.

Until we chat again,

SH Signature

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Top Fives

We all love Top 5 Lists, right? Well, this holiday season I shopped at every site, store, and sale you could imagine! I was lucky to locate some great finds for clients, family, and friends. But what were my Top 5’s in different categories? Let’s start with what websites I found the most gifts this year? The Top 5 websites are:

  1. uncommongoods.com
  2. nordstrom.com
  3. etsy.com
  4. amazon.com
  5. littleshopofgeeks.com

Want to know some of my favorite local stores that I found GREAT options for friends and family in the Eastern Iowa area? These are the Top 5 stores I hit this year:

  1. Scout of Marion
  2. NewBo City Market
  3. Almost Famous Popcorn
  4. Next Page Books
  5. Raygun

But what about you? Where can you really go for that certain person in your life? Other than calling me to help, of course, I have some sites I love to use for certain personality types. Here’s the Top 5 list for those certain someones in your life:

  1. For the Early Adopter – thegrommet.com
  2. For the Monogram Maven – markandgraham.com
  3. For the Hard to Buy For – uncommongoods.com
  4. For the Status Conscious – theoutnet.com
  5. For the “I don’t need something else in my house” or the “saving the world” types – charitygiftcards.com
    Truth: I haven’t used this site but have had friends that have. But, if you know where your friends’ passions lie, give to that nonprofit in their name.

But you don’t have to do the shopping yourself. Hire me! I love to do the legwork and the research for you. Just fill out the Contact Us form and I’ll get to work on your next important gift!

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