Vickie Lexom Seattle-Area Mommy and Entrepreneur

5Jan/110

Seattle Fire Pits Provide Back Yard Luxury

Seattle fire pits supply warmth on a chilly, northwestern night. They create the warm atmosphere of a camp fire without having to go camping. They also allow you to have a fireplace without messing up the interior of your home.

Fire pits purchased from a Seattle outdoor furniture store will either use wood or gas for fuel sources, depending on how permanent you want them to be. Wood burning pits generally are more portable than gas burning fire pits because they don’t have to be directly connected to a fuel source. However, more ornate, sturdier fire options are usually associated with natural gas or propane fire pits.

Several options and configurations are available for fire pits or bowls. Wood burning pits generally look more like fireplaces and have a mesh ember screen that can be placed over the pit to help prevent burning embers from getting out and causing damage to the immediate surroundings. If you’re looking for sturdier, more ornate options then gas burning pits are most likely the best option. Some gas burning pits are configured to look like fire places. Others are bowls that contain marble pebbles or lava rocks and have a more modern feel. Fire pits and bowls both can either be connected to natural gas or propane lines from your house. Some of them are large enough to be self contained, meaning that they can house their own propane tank.

Fire pits and bowls can come in many configurations that can be easily purchased from a Seattle furniture store. Most fire pits and fire bowls use a modest fuel source and can be placed on patios or decks without negatively affecting their surroundings. Sometimes they even come as part of a complete outdoor furniture set that also has seating so that you can enjoy the warm glow. Some are even constructed so that they’re in the middle of dining or coffee tables to supply a warm and relaxing place to dine or entertain. There’s nothing like dining by an open flame.

Fire pits are truly a simple way to supply warmth and relaxation to any back yard. With the many different configurations and options available, you’re sure to find one to suit your taste. Fire pits supply the ambiance of a camp fire without having to actually go camping. They’re also an easy way to dress up any back yard and give hours of outdoor enjoyment.

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2Dec/10Off

Wrap Christmas Gifts Using These Creative Steps

When it comes to wrapping Christmas presents, everyone thinks there are only certain steps to getting it done. Cut a piece of Christmas gift wrapping paper, put the present on it and then fold the wrapping paper around the present. That’s the way it’s always been done, and if it was good enough for … well, you get the picture. However, not only are there new and creative ways to wrap your gifts that are not the old "standard" way but it can also be a whole lot of fun!

Here’s a quick list:

1)    Everyone knows about the gift bags. There are all sorts, from the ones that advertise a store down to ones that look like gift wrapping. However, getting plain bags and then putting pieces of your wrapping paper on them to match the gift is unique.

2)    Wrapping Christmas gifts with multiple layers of different gift wrap not only adds a level of eagerness to unwrapping it, but the process also lets you have the opportunity to show your panache as well.

3)    This one is an oldie but a goodie. If it's fun your looking to have and you have a small gift, wrap it in a box that fits it, then put that in a slightly larger box, wrap, and so on and so on. You can go through 3 or 4 boxes. That way, someone who is real impatient when it comes to opening presents will have to stop and take their time getting into your present. Not only is it a little frustrating for them, but everyone who knows what you've done will get a kick out of it.

4)    Instead of just simply handing out all the presents, send them on a quest. You can do this especially if you have a very special present you want to give. You can start with photo Christmas cards that have a picture of their present on it. Then inside the card, give a clue that leads them to the present or where there is another clue. You can string that out as long as you want, even making them go out and drive around town if you can put the cards in places where no one will disturb them.

5)    And last, but not least, if you have a really small present like a ring, scrunch it up in a piece of gift wrap and put it in a box with a lot of other wadded up pieces of gift wrap. That way, they’ll have to go piece by piece until they get to their present.

You can use any combination of these and be truly creative, or truly frustrating, depending on how much creativity and fun you want to have with your gift giving. Let’s face it, one of the key elements of Christmas is to have fun. And what better way to have fun than to be totally different when it comes to wrapping presents?

29Nov/10Off

Greeting Card Packs Save You Money This Holiday Season

There’s always some kind of event or holiday coming up, whether we like it or not. Birthdays to Christmas, Mother’s Day, Easter, Washington’s Birthday and so on. Regardless of the occasion, there is always something important to celebrate. Since most of these occasions include sending cards, purchasing individual cards at a huge, name brand store for each occasion can not only become tiresome, but it can be insanely expensive. By spending so much time and money buying cards at the last minute, it ruins the point of the occasion. One way to avoid all this is by getting greeting cards online. Not only will you not have these problems, if you stock up on greeting card value packs in advance, you will be free to enjoy each and every occasion. That enables you to focus on fun, instead of feeling rushed at the last minute.

There are a number of benefits from buying value packs:
First (and best!), you’ll always have plenty of cards on hand. And if you get a variety pack, you’ll have cards for all holidays and events ahead of time. You won’t have to waste time running out to visit your local card store, hoping to find the right card, or having to worry the stores won’t have the card you want. Also, you don’t have to worry about dealing with the insane crowds during the busy holiday season. You’ll avoid the hustle and bustle that revolves around that particular season.

Second, you’ll save a ton of money when you buy packaged greeting cards. The value is wonderful and if you have checked the prices of individual cards, you will have noticed they are quite expensive. Another drawback is the variety is usually fairly limited in each store. When you buy greeting card value packs instead, you will be saving money and you’ll have a large assortment of choices for each occasion.

Let’s face it; in today's world time and money are valuable commodities. Everyone wants to be as budget-conscious and as efficient as possible. That’s where the greeting card value packs you can choose from will take care of both issues at the same time. And you don’t have to sacrifice beautiful cards for the sake of saving all that time and money. Most of these value packs contain a delightful assortment of cards that you can find anywhere, they’ve been designed with the highest quality, and there is an appropriate card for every person and every occasion. Never again will you have to suffer though spending extra time and money buying single cards.

22Oct/10Off

Good Ideas For Christmas Gifts That Are Totally Unique

When it comes time to find Christmas gifts, it seems to get harder every year. Everyone gets older, more mature and their tastes change, and the effort of finding something new and different, yet still something they’ll want, is a tough task. However, totally unique gifts keep appearing, so don't give up. It may take a little inventive digging, but they can be found.

By going online, you’ll have entered the world's biggest marketplace. A bazaar of the bizarre sometimes, but If you can think of it, you can usually buy it and have it shipped worldwide. But if you’re out of thinking for this year, here are some suggestions for unique Christmas gifts you will definitely find online.

Personalized photo gifts are very easy to find now. Lots of websites now offer online services for designing, organizing, and printing your own photo book, put photos on t-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads and wide variety of other useful and fun gifts. Simply upload the photo, make personalized changes or add text and you’ve just created a totally unique gift.

With the trend toward being totally environmentally friendly, going green can make a great Christmas gift. Whether you give recycled goods or not, one gift that keeps on giving is - a plant. You may not have the access or know-how to find a plant to give, but an online nursery service can do it for you. Try sending a live wreath right before Christmas, or pick out a fruit tree cutting and give it to your friend. This unique Christmas gift will outlast the holiday, and keep on giving.

Sometimes, the best part of the gift is in the way it is presented. By wrapping your gifts in unique ways, even if it is a “standard” gift, it will be memorable. You can get personalized wrapping paper, and some online stores even offer personalized candy bar wrappers. There are lots of other ways you can enhance regular things with personalized paper that makes them totally new and different. Since most candy bars are a standard size, you can make the wrapper say what you want it to say. You can have the person's name on it, or include a special holiday greeting as well. Other ways to wrap are decorative stockings, Santa bags, or Christmas baskets.

Mind games and puzzles are perfect Christmas gifts. Whether it’s a huge jigsaw puzzle, or Rubik’s Cubes, Chinese rings or other games, the whole family can be involved together. There is plenty of free time over the holidays and it's something fun to do. Not only that, but it generates hours of great conversation and enjoyable activity. Besides, it's an ideal unique Christmas gift, because there are so many puzzles and pictures to choose from. You can even have personalized photo puzzles made for barely more than a regular one.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it should give you some great ideas about where to look and what kinds of gifts that are definitely unique. Once you find a site you like, browse around a while. You'll start seeing unique Christmas gifts that you would have never thought of on your own.

19Oct/10Off

Finding the Perfect Gift for Mom

Regardless of the time of year, finding a gift can be a challenge. And trying to find that perfect gift for Mom, whether it’s for Mother's Day, her birthday or even Christmas can be ten times harder. We all know that “any gift you give Mom is appreciated”, somehow there’s no way to pay back all the sacrifices and effort she makes for us on a daily basis. So how can we express how much we appreciate her by finding personalized gifts for her that are both something she’ll want and something we want to give?

We've all seen the Family Circus cartoons where the kids put together this huge breakfast tray and treat Mom to breakfast in bed. This idea can be memorable for many reasons, one of which is the question "Just exactly how did those eggs get cooked in the first place?" However, you really do want to make it memorable for more than trying to decide how much information the health department will need. That’s where finding a better way to commemorate her special event so we can express just exactly how much we appreciate Mom without burning down the kitchen can be hard.

But one way to make it easier is by buying personalized gifts for her. We can always find a great gift like a picture frame, but having it personalized really adds that caring touch. Any Mom loves to show off their pictures, so that photo book or picture frame is almost a no-brainer gift. And by adding her name to it, monogramming it or having it engraved "from the kids" adds an entire level of "this is for you, Mom" that a plain one just doesn’t have. Regardless of which holiday or event it’s for, it’ll be appreciated.

And other gifts can be personalized as well. It doesn’t matter what kind of gift it is, personalizing it shows just how much you appreciate her for who she is in your life. It could be a pen and pencil set, or stationary and notepads, or even a compact or contact case. The point is, every time she uses that gift, she'll know that you took the time to give her a great gift, and that you took the time to have it personalized just for her. And that’s why getting a great gift for Christmas or birthdays or even Mother's Day will make her day that much better and will bring a smile to her face many, many other times as well.

Finding that perfect gift for Mom any time of year is definitely a challenge. But, finding a great gift and then having it personalized for her really does show her that you appreciate everything she does, every day. And isn't that what every Mom wants? Let’s face it, even though you may have just finished one holiday, it's never too soon to sit down and work on finding that next perfect gift.

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