DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Sure, flowers and jewelry make classic gifts, but why not go a little deeper this year? A homemade gift comes straight from the heart and is a meaningful way to show your loved ones how much you care. Not sure where to start? Here’s a list of simple, crafty gifts for him, the girls, and maybe one for yourself, too.

• Concrete Love Hearts Necklace

• Mini Pallet Valentine’s Day Art

• Heart Blanket

• DIY Skinny Tie

• 52 Reasons book

• DIY Photo Canvas

What are some of your favorite DIY gift ideas?

Gift ideas for him

Some say Valentine’s Day is all about the ladies. And we may be biased, but in our option we are pretty easy to shop for (hint: sparkly jewelry).   But let’s not forget about the men in our lives.  Feeling lost about what to get your special guy?

• A tie is a classic go-to gift for men. Spice it up a little bit with a set that includes a matching pocket square and cufflinks.

• Know a guy who has trouble keeping his electronics charged? He’ll appreciate a  3-piece charger kit that includes a car charger, AC adapter, and USB cord. No more excuses for a dead iPhone battery.

• This Bluetooth speaker allows you to wirelessly stream music from your phone or other devices – perfect for the music lover!

• If your guy is a sports-lover, get him some apparel featuring his favorite team, like gloves or earbuds.

Still at a loss for what to buy for your guy? See our full “Gifts for him” list.

Keeping your New Year’s Resolution

Cheers to the New Year! Every year on this day, people take the time to reflect on the past – positive, negative and everything in between.  This leads to thinking about the future and how we can improve ourselves. From the common resolutions, like save money or lose weight, to the unique, like spend less time on Facebook, nearly everyone will make a New Year’s resolution. Keeping it? That’s the difficult part. Here are some tips to keep yourself on track well past January.

• Make a reachable goal: Knowing in the back of your mind that you will never actually achieve what you set out to do will make it easy to give up.  Stick to baby steps and you’ll receive positive reinforcement each time you reach a mini-milestone.

• Be specific:  While “losing weight” is great goal for improving one’s health, it may be too vague for people to keep. Set specifics, such as “eat salad for lunch 3 times per-week” or “go to the gym after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays”.   This will make it easy to keep yourself on track to reaching your long term goal.

• Keep a journal:  Documenting your progress not only serves as a reminder to keep going, but provides motivation when you look back to see how far you’ve come.

• Don’t go it alone: Grab a friend and go in on a resolution together.  A little motivation (or competition) goes a long way towards success!

What are your resolutions for 2014?