Spring is in the air…and if you have children, that means that Spring Break is approaching…which translates to lots of free time for them, no homework, and maybe a day off or two for you to release, unwind and enjoy a little time with family and friends. A spring break barbecue is the perfect thing.

Easy to Plan

It doesn’t take a lot of planning: the guest list can be simple. Invite that new family down the street you’ve been wanting to meet, the friends who pitched in with the carpool, dinner duties or playdates the last couple of months, or the family who had you over last November with whom you’ve been wanting to reciprocate.

In terms of the menu, the barbecue can be as easy as you want it to be. You provide the main course — whether that’s simple hot dogs, veggie burgers, catfish or something more elaborate, like grilled chicken or ribs. Invite your guests to bring their favorite side dish and beverage. Then fire up the grill in your yard or balcony, or try a nearby community green space, like a park.

Simple Barbecue-Themed Accessories

You won’t need a lot of special decor. Your friendship and hospitality goes the distance here. But if you do want to mark the occasion, consider these personalized options:

Independence Foil-Pressed Guest Towels. Personalize these party papers with up to three lines of text printed in your choice of font, foil ink color and paper color. Motifs include grill, flag and striped star.

Oceanic Napkin — Embossed. More environmentally friendly because it has no ink, and so it’s compostable, this napkin puts the wind in your sails. Personalize with up to three lines in the lettering style of your choice. Motifs include: crab, sand dollar, shell, sea star, palm trees, captain’s wheel, anchor and beach chair. Choice of paper color. Embossed.

Comida Cutting Board. Pork, beef, fish or chicken…what’s your fancy? Our Comida Cutting Board features a whimsical parade of farm animals along with your oversized initial. Choose horizontal or vertical orientation. Made from eco-friendly bamboo. Hand washing recommended.

Altamira Monogram Mason Jars. Splurge on a set of these super cute personalized mason jars. They hit just the right note for a casual gathering like a spring break barbecue.  Customize the 16 ounce mason jar with one of 10 exclusive monograms, including Anthony and Circle. Clear glass. Dishwasher safe.

Coming together over food is the oldest, time-tested way of connecting with others. Nothing fancy is required. Just kindness and a simple meal.

Set an inviting table with luxury Airlaid napkins. The perfect celebratory napkin should be durable and dependable. We guarantee these new line of napkins are both.

Beautifully designed and embellished exactly how you like, Airlaid napkins are a tabletop must-have. Use them for any occasion:

• Weddings
• Anniversary parties
• Special birthdays
• Graduations
• Holidays
• Work banquets
• Quinceaneras
• Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
• Baptisms and First Communions

Printed in gold or silver foil on white paper, these fine beverage napkins feature our most popular designs and lettering styles. Use your monogram, name or a special message all your own. No matter how you personalize these napkins, they’ll perfectly complement your special day.

The foil lettering lends sparkle and sophistication, and is perfectly applied to the paper for a sturdy bond that will never flake or peel.

Airlaid napkins, made in Germany, are wonderfully absorbent, with a smooth, lint-free surface. What’s more, they are also tear-resistant when wet, protecting your surfaces and ensuring a perfect meal.

Unfolding to a little more than two-thirds of a square foot, these one-ply luxury napkins are generously sized and soft to the fingers.  Use them any time you want to add a special touch to an important occasion.

See the collection here. You’re sure to find a design you love.

If you are ringing in the New Year with a sparkly new engagement ring on your finger, congratulations! A holiday proposal is so romantic. We hope you are enjoying showing off your new ring…and your beautiful new commitment to one another.  Before you know it, your days and weeks will be filled with planning. And of course, you’ll be looking for wedding invitations. Which is wonderful, because now your favorite personalized stationery, napkin and gift company offers wedding and special event invitations.

Wedding Invitations in Days, Not Weeks

Now you can create beautiful wedding invitations in minutes and they will ship the very next day. There are 10 invitations and coordinating response cards to choose from. Check them out. We hope you’ll fall in luuuuurve with them. Whether you prefer a woodsy aesthetic, shabby chic or oh-so-elegantly-traditional, you’ll find an invitation that expresses your beautiful, perfect relationship/

You can immediately preview your creations, so you can play to your heart’s content with the 20 lettering style choices, 11 raised-ink color choices, paper color options, and solid envelope lining choices to discover the combination you prefer.

Lettering Styles

You can use one lettering style, or combine two. There are no hard and fast rules…it’s really up to what pleases your eye. But here are some rules of thumb.

Opposites attract: Pairing something round and flowy for the names with something simple and easy to read always works.

Easy does it: Avoid using a hard-to-read font for large blocks of text. That can be frustrating and …oops! Send Uncle Harvey and Aunt Noreen to the wrong address.

Words to Wow Them 

If you know how you want to word your invitation, wonderful! You have up to 15 lines to express your joy and welcome your guests. Not sure what to say? Never fear…sample invitation text is available. Click on the ‘Insert sample text’ link and… voila… we’ll automatically supply it.

Get started now in creating the wedding invitations of your dreams. 

Consider the bounty of your life on National Thank You Note Day…December 26

We’ve opened our gifts. The guests have gone home. The year 2018 is about to end. This is a day to consider the bounty of our lives. And then it’s time to start writing.

It’s time to say thank you for the gifts we’ve received during the holidays: homemade cookies from our niece, that bottle of wine from our neighbor. For the people who helped us or engaged with us in a meaningful way in 2018. Maybe it was a teacher who helped us learn a new skill, a counselor who helped us through a difficult week, a boss who expressed kindness or special consideration, or a friend who we trust to the ends of the earth. 

We can jot a line or two, or write a longer letter. But the important thing is that we do it. This social gesture can feel small or meaningless, but it is actually part of the glue that holds together a family, friendship or community. We lead such busy lives and it’s easy to forget to stop and express gratitude for the richness we enjoy…if not in money, then in the things that really matter: our relationships with others. 

Writing a thank you note isn’t complicated, and there are many places online you can find hints and tips:

The Emily Post Institute

Forbes Magazine

Real Simple Magazine

And, you can see these tips we’ve written in past blogs.

Here are some of our top-selling writing papers for beautiful thank you note writing.
 

Celebrate life’s milestones with personalized holiday gifts.

Life happens fast. And it can feel complicated at times. But some decisions are easy, like celebrating life’s milestones with personalized gifts. Baby’s first Christmas. Our first home together. A beautiful new marriage. Someone dear who passed this year. These are all important touchstones in our lives, and there are all manner of ways to mark them.

A holiday gift is such a wonderful opportunity to do so. And a personalized gift is all the more meaningful.

Here are some of our favorite personalized gifts to celebrate life’s milestones:

Baby Milestones

Baby’s First Christmas Ornament   Cherish your precious little one’s first Christmas with this sweet ornament. It’s a colorful and thoughtful memento the family will enjoy for years. Include a name and year, and we will print it along with adorable baby booty and Christmas artwork onto jade glass.

Little Miss Muffet Picture Frame  Remember baby’s first glorious day with a personalized Little Miss Muffet Picture Frame. We can engrave the baby’s first name, middle name, last name, date, weight and time of birth. You can include a 4″ x 6″ photograph.

Wedding Milestones

Mr and Mrs Cork Coaster  Personalized to remember your special day, the Mr. and Mrs. Cork Coaster includes a set of six, absorbent cork coasters in 5 popular lettering styles. Includes the option of two lines of text below the “Mr and Mrs” artwork.

Established Cutting Board Celebrate how you felt the day you first moved into your new home and serve up the fun with this eco-friendly, personalized bamboo cutting board. Features a single initial and three lines of text, which are laser engraved into the wood. Makes the perfect gift for a wedding, housewarming, anniversary and more.

In Memory Of Milestones

Butterfly Kisses Memorial Frame   Remember a loved one who has passed with this memorial frame that accommodates a 4″ x 6″ photograph.

Pet Memorial Glass Ornament  Pets are a special part of our lives. We cherish them forever. This ornament features your pet’s name and memorial dates or special phrase.

A beautifully decorated tree evokes cozy feelings and Christmas cheer. As you peruse each ornament, warm memories arise of specific moments in the life of your family. Discover new keepsake ornaments that can help you remember each of life’s precious moments. We’ve added a new spin on our glass keepsake ornaments: four-color printing.

Featuring charming designs printed in full color on clear jade glass, the new printed ornament collection will stand the test of time. Whether you want to celebrate your first home together, a new baby, or a cherished pet, you’ll find a design that works for you.

The full color designs feature cheerful artwork printed in full color. From snowflakes to Santa, from home to happy birthday, the printed keepsake ornaments are not only perfect for Christmas gifts, they also make beautiful year-round gifts. Consider bringing one to every party you go to this season…your hosts will be delighted and touched.

Printed keepsake ornaments offer plenty of space to add a short message, dates or names. Whether they hang on a tree or grace a dining table as place holders or adorn a gift as a gift tag, these ornaments do the trick.

Each ornament includes a silver ribbon for hanging, along with a black velvet pouch for storing. Create your ornament in minutes, and it will ship tomorrow for free.

Themes include:

• Holiday
• Teacher appreciation
• Sports
• Baby’s first Christmas
• Pets
• New home
• Wedding
• Monograms
• Sisters
• In memory of
• Music

See the full collection of printed and engraved keepsake ornaments here.

Unconditional Love Picture Frame

Introducing the newest additions to Giftsin24’s personalized picture frame collection: printed frames.

These frames are made from the same, beautiful solid wood that all of our engraved picture frames are made from. But there’s a new twist: We create the personalization with shiny, colorful ink, not a laser.

Four-Color Fun

Available in 23 designs, these four-color frames bring your photographs to life. Vivid ink give these designs a bright and modern vibe. Plus, you’ll note the sharp, precise printing from our state-of-the-art presses. Our quality is always 100% perfect, and backed up by our Greatness Guarantee.

Highland Picture Frame

From children’s themes to sports, from pets to patriotism, from school to love/weddings, you’ll find a design that’s right for your most cherished photographs.

Besides adding color, these new printed picture frames offer a smooth surface that’s easy to clean. The ink is shiny and crisply printed and contrasts beautifully with the natural wood finish of the picture frames.

Gorgeous Gift Ideas

Personalized picture frames make wonderful gifts. Your friends and family will be deeply touched when they see a cherished photograph encased in a beautifully personalized picture frame. They’ll give your gift pride of place in their home, whether on a mantle, table top, shelf or piano.

Each frame includes an easel back for standing, d-rings for hanging on a wall, and glass to protect your photograph. The opening accommodates a 4-inch by 6-inch photograph.

Looking for gift ideas for the holidays, birthdays, children’s birthdays, new babies, weddings and more? Explore the entire collection of engraved and printed picture frames here.

Fall parties are all about feeling warm and cozy. Cool temperatures and shorter days ask for a cheery and snug response. Gather your friends for a harvest party, a Halloween bash, or “Friendsgiving.”

It doesn’t take a lot of money or a fancy home to put on a warm and inviting fall party; just a lot of love for your guests and respect for the beauty of nature. Fall is perhaps the most generous of Mother Nature’s seasons. It’s the perfect time to celebrate nature’s bounty.

Here are 5 ways to create a fall party to remember:

Luminous Light

Lighting is a key consideration for any party. The slanting, late afternoon light of fall creates a lovely ambiance, so let it shine in. As the sun sets, light a fire or some candles to create a glowing conviviality around your guests.

Warm Beverages

Offer your guests a drink that warms them from the inside, such as hot cider in a crock pot, tea from the kettle or even a hearty beer. Added bonus: the delightful aromas will swirl around the room.

Personalize our Terrace Monogram Keepsake Ornament with your guests’ initials and use them as place tags and party favors.

Food for the Soul

On cold nights, warm and gooey foods do the trick. Think: baked taco dip with crisp tortillas; a Pershearty bean chili filled with tender vegetables; or baked onion and cheese mini-tarts.

Autumn Tunes

Your theme will determine your tunes. Halloween? Go for the Monster Mash and other Halloween-inspired music. Harvest? Try folksy fiddle interspersed with country-western favorites.

Natural Decor

Nature and woodsy themes are popular this year. In fact, woodland-inspired decor is the of-the-moment. Opt for natural materials, such as unvarnished wood, unbleached paper, rustic cork, and, perhaps for contrast and shine, a little gold-touched glass. Create a centerpiece using  branches, colorful fall leaves, or dried flowers. Or fill your favorite clear glass bowl with tiny gourds or pumpkins.

And, of course, you can personalize your fall party with delightful personalized wine glasses and mugs for cider or beer. Check out personalized cork or glass coasters and wood cutting boards. And, customize paper napkins with your party greeting or monogram. Visit www.giftsin24.com for more ideas.

World Gratitude Day is September 21. How will you show your appreciation for the people you know best in life, or the acquaintance at school, work or church that did something nice, or the stranger — through their deeds or personal mission — that is making the world a better place? These days, it feels so easy to be cynical. Civility, compassion, thankfulness…those are the qualities we need more of in this world.

So let’s all practice an attitude of gratitude on September 21, and make it a habit thereafter. Here are 3 ways to cultivate gratitude in your life.

1. Say “Thank you” on World Gratitude Day

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou

Two words: Thank, you. They are powerful, indeed. Whether you say it, scribble it, send flowers or  write it in the sky, your gratitude can make someone’s day. Plus, just the act of saying “thank you,” can release endorphins — those feel-good hormones that course through our bodies. Decide you’re going to thank the check-out clerk at the store, your postal carrier who slogged through the rain, or your son’s teacher whose sweet nature or persistence is making all the difference in math class. We can soften life’s edges by practicing civility and kindness.

2. Keep a gratitude journal

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” -Oprah Winfrey

It’s easy to flip on HGTV or browse the latest fashion magazine and feel a little envious of those who seem to have it all. Life has its ups and downs, and if you’re in the middle of a slump, it’s easy to miss all the things that are wonderful in life. If you find yourself staring into a glass that’s half-full, consider starting a gratitude journal.

Every evening, jot down 3 things that you feel happy about: friendships, family, pets and more. Granted, on those days when you lost your keys or a supervisor got testy, it might be hard to see the rays of sunlight. But even noting the smallest things can get your mind on the right foot: late summer flowers blooming; warm socks; a kind smile of the crossing guard; a soft breeze on a cool night; the strength and dexterity of your own fingers.

3. Commit to a weekly act of gratitude

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” -Henry Ford

Beyond World Gratitude Day, you can practice gratitude so that it becomes part of  your life. Sometimes when we set a goal, it becomes more achievable.  Life is fleeting, and we need to grab those moments of grace while we can. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but just commit to saying thank you more, hugging more, giving more, surprising more. Or plan to write a formal thank you note once a week to someone — even if it’s an out-of-the-blue note to say, “I am grateful for your presence in my life.” You’ll make someone else’s day, and you’ll improve your own frame of mind, too.

Plans are moving like clockwork for your big event. The invitations went out. You’ve planned the menu and decor. What’s next? Think about coasters or beverage napkins, especially if you are entertaining at home and want to protect your tables and other surfaces where guests will land their drinks. Want the latest, greatest party idea? Consider coaster napkins, Giftsin24.com’s newest product addition. As their name implies, these products combine the best features of coasters and napkins, all at an affordable price.

Personalized beverage napkins are wonderful and offer flexibility. For a modest investment, you can announce the reason for your celebration at the dining table, beverage cart and buffet. Coaster napkins add an advantage: Sturdier and more absorbent than beverage napkins, coaster napkins won’t shred when wet and will stand up to multiple uses.

Compared with coasters, coaster napkins also save space and are cost-effective, especially if you are expecting more than 10 guests. Investing in dozens of cork or glass coasters would add to the cost of your party, plus they’d have to be stored in between events.

It’s easy to personalize coaster napkins with popular Giftsin24 monograms, lettering styles and designs. Personalize them for weddings, showers, anniversary parties, birthday celebrations and other special events.

The 4-1/8” x 4-1/8” squares work equally well for hot or cold beverages. Made from textured paper that has a bit of latex in it, they stay in place, won’t shred and will even look pretty for a second or third event.

The white paper has a linen-like finish, which lends it some texture and a slight sheen. Even when wet, the coaster napkins stay attractive because the personalization does not rub off.

Coaster Napkin Collection

Explore the collection of coaster napkins now so you can personalize them for your next party.

Chesterfield

Cheers

Derby

Rosario

Serenity

Soho

Delavan Monogram

Pamplona Couples

Pearl String Monogram