Holidays
Inspiring New Year’s Eve Party Games for Adults
I’m not one for wild and crazy New Year’s parties. Instead, I like to slip on a cozy pair of slippers and spend the night at home with my husband, a few close friends, and [read more]
Blog
Christmas
Family-Friendly Christmas Online Wish List Ideas That Are Easy and Free
“An igloo. Doll bunk beds for my cats. A cheese bead necklace,” my mom said, reading off my niece’s Christmas list. “And where am I supposed to buy a cheese bead necklace?” I asked, laughing. [read more]
Christmas
How to Throw a Festive Christmas Ornament Gift Exchange Game Party
“Every one of these has a story,” I explained to my husband as I pulled the gigantic box of holiday decor down from my closet shelf. Itty bitty snowmen, glittery snowflakes, and strands of tinsel [read more]
Gift Giving
Manly Secret Santa Gifts for Guys
“Ah! Socks!” My father-in-law had just opened his present and was genuinely happy to see the gift inside. As a kid, I hated getting socks for Christmas, but my father-in-law, an avid outdoorsman, always needed [read more]
Parties
Fun Holiday Party Games for Work Office Parties
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” my boss called, while I trembled beneath the cleaning supplies in the janitor’s closet. As her footsteps drew nearer, I tried to hold my breath and remain as [read more]
Christmas
Funny Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas for Holiday Parties
We’d been watching my father-in-law hack away at an enormous ball of duct tape for the better part of an hour. Each year, his niece gives him a present that’s as difficult to open as [read more]
Gift Exchanges
The Best Useful & Creative White Elephant Gift Ideas
I wasn’t expecting to find a literal wrench in my stocking, but I was ecstatic. “How did you know?” I asked my mom, the de facto stocking-filler in our house, who usually defaulted to playing [read more]
Gift Giving
Ten Thoughtful Gifts for the Dad Who Wants Nothing
Soap on a rope. That’s what I got my dad for Christmas every year until I was well into my teens. I’ve always loved picking thoughtful and unique gifts, but when it came to my [read more]
Gift Giving
Emulsive Hosts Global Exchange of Gifts For Film Photographers Who Love Their Art
“The machine-gun approach to photography—by which many negatives are made with the hope that one will be good—is fatal to serious results.” – Ansel Adams Decades ago, master photographer and industry influencer Ansel Adams may [read more]
Holidays
Fun Thanksgiving Day Games For After Dinner
A loud rumbling came from the living room. Then, suddenly, it stopped. My sister and I froze, terrified, until we heard a voice: “If you girls wanted more pie, you should have just asked!” While [read more]
Gift Giving
Hilarious Office Party Gift Exchange Ideas for Creative Coworkers
There were doughnuts everywhere. Garlands of paper doughnuts in festive colors hung from the ceiling, doughnut ornaments graced the boughs of the Christmas tree, and doughnut-themed cups and plates sat stacked at the snack station. [read more]
Christmas
Homemade Christmas Gifts For In-Laws Who Have Everything
Beatrix stared at us from behind my father-in-law’s desk, her webbed feet and orange bill standing out against the dark wood decor. For Christmas, I had painted a picture of my father-in-law’s pet duck, Bea. [read more]
Christmas
A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year
My husband sat on my enormous suitcase, which bulged cartoonishly at the seams, while I struggled to close the zipper. The telltale crackle of wrapping paper and ribbons being crushed created a worrisome soundtrack. I [read more]
Holidays
Gratitude-Inspired Thanksgiving Activities for Families
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a [read more]
Christmas
How to Get Your Christmas Shopping Done Early: 5 Easy Tips and Tricks
T’was the night before Christmas, and I was incredibly unprepared for the following day’s festivities. Despite my best intentions to get my shopping done early and enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve in front of the [read more]
Gift Giving
Phish Chicks Group Hosts Music-Themed Gift Exchange To Celebrate Band
It’s not just the music; it’s the lifestyle. And for the past three decades, the rock band Phish has created a community of devoted, and some might say obsessed, fans all over the world who [read more]
Gift Giving
Creative Gift Exchange Variations You Can Play Year Round
The swan glided toward me moving to the beat of the music. Jingle Bells blared through the gymnasium speakers as I eagerly awaited my turn to hold the swan, made of white chocolate, of course. [read more]
Holidays
Enchanting Halloween Treat Bag Ideas for a School Classroom Party
I haven’t always loved Halloween as much as I do now. I was a timid and sensitive kid so, naturally, Halloween was never my favorite holiday. It was too scary for me and all the [read more]
Holidays
The 3 Most Spooktacular Halloween Party Games for Adults
“Is that your cat?” I asked as I scooped handfuls of candy into the younger boy’s trick-or-treat bag. The older boy, holding the cat, said, “Yup! He loves Halloween just as much as we do.” [read more]
Gift Giving
Personalized Gifts for a Wedding That Newlyweds Will Fall in Love With
No gifts. That’s what my husband and I stated on our wedding invitations. We’d already been living together for a couple of years before we got married, so there wasn’t really anything we felt we [read more]
Gift Giving
Housewarming Gift Registry Etiquette: The Do’s and Don’ts of a New Home Wish List
I was totally lost and had only been out of my car for 10 minutes—everything looked the same. The blinding white light overhead only made my head hurt more as I scanned the horizon for [read more]
Birthdays
Hilariously Funny 40th Birthday Gag Gifts for Guys
We couldn’t find the cake. Somehow, while we were at dinner, the entire three-layer banana cake had completely disappeared. It was my dad’s 40th birthday and, even though the rest of the night had been [read more]
Birthdays
Surprise 40th Birthday Gift Ideas for Her New Decade
As I walked into the party and took in my surroundings, the first word that came to mind was “fabulous.” It was my friend Susan’s 40th birthday and her husband had thrown her a party [read more]
Gift Giving
The Best Housewarming Gift Ideas for a First Home
I remember feeling so proud as I stood in my 500-square-foot apartment in a run down three-story walk up, waiting for my guests to arrive. I didn’t care if it was small and a little [read more]