How to Surprise Your Partner On Their Birthday With Cheap, But Sweet Gifts

 Birthdays are a special time to tell your partner how much he or she means to you. Saying 'happy birthday' can be as simple as surprising your loved one with sweet birthday gifts that won't cost a ton of money, but definitely get the point across. Here are some tips for doing something special for your partner on his or her birthday that say 'I love you' in a sweet simple way.

Instructions

1. 
   Surprise your partner on his birthday by decorating his car. Fill your honey's car with balloons, streamers, and a card that says 'happy birthday' to the one you love, in a darling way. This creative idea works great, especially if his birthday is during the week when he has to get up early for work that morning. To get this surprise birthday gift ready, blow up balloons the night before your partner's birthday, wait until he falls asleep (or set your alarm a little earlier than him), and pop as many balloons as you can into his front and back seats. Be sure that he isn't going to be late for work trying to get all the balloons out, but do fill his car up to surprise him. If your concerned that your partner may get upset, try decorating the outside of his car with balloons and streamers and placing a card on his car seat for the morning of his birthday.
   
2. 
   
   Wake your partner up to breakfast in bed on his birthday. Cook your sweetie his favorite morning breakfast like eggs, bacon, toast, and home fries (or whatever he likes) and surprise him the morning of his birthday. You'll need to get up earlier than him in order to do this sweet birthday surprise, but it's worth the effort. You can also make him coffee, orange juice, and bring him the morning paper along with the birthday breakfast. If breakfast in bed isn't not feasible on your partner's birthday, surprise him with breakfast in the kitchen when he gets up. Most guys love a good home cooked meal and will appreciate the effort you make on their birthday. Pull the whole birthday breakfast together by tying a large birthday balloon to his cup of coffee (the handle) and slid a happy birthday card between the plate and the table. You can also hang a cute little happy birthday banner in the kitchen for him to see first thing when he wakes up.
   
3. 
   
   Plan a small surprise birthday party and invite only your partner's closest friends. A surprise birthday party can be done cheaply by asking each guest to prepare and bring a dish for your guy's birthday. Have them each pitch in a favorite food of your partner's to make the birthday party even more special. Purchase birthday decorations, balloons, streamers, and banners at a factory outlet or Dollar Store to save even more money. You can even make your own birthday decorations on the computer. If you don't have a program, create your own decorations from scratch using a Paint Pad or Word program. Buy plates, plastic utensils, napkins, and drinking cups at a Dollar Store or discount online store such as Oriental Trading (see resource list for links). Have others who are coming to the birthday party pitch in with decorations as well. If you know someone who is creative and can make the birthday decorations better than you, ask them to do so. Then, the only thing you'll really need to spend money on is drinks.
   
4. 
   
   Take your partner on a fun road trip for his birthday. Surprise your partner on his birthday by taking him somewhere special, but cheap. Go spend the day at a state park taking a bike ride, go hiking, or check out some place that your man has wanted to go like the football or baseball Hall of Fame. This may cost a little bit of money, but if you drive there rather than fly, you'll save on air line costs. Plus, if you plan a trip like this in advance, you'll have more time to save up for the birthday trip. A great birthday road trip doesn't even have to cost a lot. Talk with friends and family to come up with ideas on where to take your sweetie. His friends can tell you a lot about what he likes and give you some great suggestions. Talk to his parents as well to see what they think. Even if all you do is take a ride to the nearest hotel and pamper yourselves for a night in a great room, your partner will love his road trip birthday surprise.
   
5. 
   
   Get your partner tickets to a concert, sporting event, or any other event he's wanted to see. The two of you can enjoy a great concert for cheap on his birthday if you look around early for tickets. There are many online sites that offer tickets for cheap including Stub Hub, eBay, and sometimes Ticketmaster. You have to search around though for the best prices. Plan the birthday trip ahead of time and surprise your partner with a birthday card that holds the tickets inside. He'll be so excited to see that you took the time to plan something special for his birthday and even more pumped if it's an event he's wanted to go to. Try finding football tickets for your sweetie's favorite team near your hometown or even hockey, basketball, or baseball. Find something that you know your partner loves to watch and start looking as soon as possible for tickets to that event. Ask around if you have trouble finding events for your partner's birthday. His friends will likely know where to get sports tickets. See resource list below for places to purchase discount tickets online for your honey's birthday as well.
   

This information is taken from- http://www.ehow.com/how_5430906_surprise-cheap-but-sweet-gifts.html

Barbie Power Wheels - Best Christmas Gift For Girls Ages 2-6

With Christmas coming soon and the pressure mounting on what kids want these days it is hard to find something that combines durability, value, safety, learning and fun. I am not usually an advocate of too much Barbie stuff, but across the board - Barbie Power Wheels are an exceptionally great investment.
For anywhere from $89 to $799 you can find a number of Barbie battery powered vehicles to match your little girls' taste.

For all children imitation is learning and with little girls, things like doing their hair, their make-up, playing dress-up and driving are all things they like to do - to be just like mom!
With that in mind, you can start to see why a kids battery powered car is such a great idea.
The Barbie Power Wheels products have been made for over 30 years and it shows! Each option is well thought out and intuitive for your little girl to use. It has the capability to be driven at two speeds moving forward, either 2.5mph or 5mph. You can also feel comfortable in knowing you can lock the vehicle into the lower speed while your little girl is still 'learning to drive'. Speaking of safety features these vehicles also have a Fisher Price Power Lock braking system that ensures quick and controlled stopping for your child.
Age three is such a fun and interesting age, kids can express themselves, understand concepts and ideas; Exploration and independence are on the top of the list when it comes to a toddler! Barbie Power Wheels totally reinforces their personal ability and power. There is nothing like watching your little girl drive away in front of you proud and beaming because she is totally in control of something all on her own!
With several different models, guads, jeeps, mustangs, cadillacs and more you can completely tailor your purchase to your tastes and your daughters - that said my son has had a hand-me-down Jammin'Jeep for over a year (we have painted it black now) and it is one of his favourite toys. Banged up and beefed up this 5 year old toy has outrun puppies, gotten the mail, taken all the neighbourhood kids for rides through snow, grass and rain - AND my daughter still loves to take it for a cruise now and again and she is 7.
I completely endorse this as the ultimate Christmas gift for girls in 2010. Take out the guesswork this year and check out my Barbie Power Wheels Articles and reviews for more detailed information.
This article is taken from- http://ezinearticles.com/?Barbie-Power-Wheels---Best-Christmas-Gift-For-Girls-Ages-2-6&id=5522540

Shoe-box gift program aims to spread Christmas joy around the world

By Diana M. Alba DALBA@LCSUN-NEWS.COM

LAS CRUCES - Christmas gift delivery by elephant?
It's certainly not the most conventional mode of transportation, at least in the United States, but it's one way Operation Christmas Child, an effort by a Christian humanitarian group, delivers a portion of the 8 million shoe boxes of toys it collects each year for impoverished children across the globe, according to the group's website.
And this year, a number of Las Cruces churches, community groups and individual donors will be among the contributors to the project.
First Evangelical Free Church in Las Cruces serves as a collection center, a hub for the southwestern part of the state and El Paso, in collecting the donated shoe boxes.
In all, about 5,000 boxes are expected to be gathered in the region leading up to Nov. 22, when they'll be shipped to an even bigger hub in Denver, said Kathy Douglas, First Evangelical Free Church. That's up from about 4,600 last year.
From Denver, boxes head to more than 130 countries around the world.
"It's very exciting to be able to provide gifts for children in need," she said. "Some of these children have never received a gift before in their life."
Some 250,000 Operation Christmas Child boxes are destined for Haiti - a country that's seen it's share of devastation this year.
Donors buy a plastic box or find a shoe box, buy items such as small toys, candy that can't melt, games and pens and paper.
First Baptist Church of Las Cruces also participates. Brian Clayburgh,
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youth minister at the church, said it's a project the entire congregation becomes involved with. In the weeks prior to shipping the boxes, church members drop off items for the boxes. Then, the youth ministry meets to pack the goodies into boxes, he said. And other people contribute money to cover the $7-per-box shipping fee. Still others will travel to Denver this year to help with operations there.
"It's to bring some hope and joy to some children that don't really have a lot," he said.
Clayburgh said the youth group will meet tonight at the church to pack boxes.
This year is the first time that donors, if they follow a certain process, can track the progress of an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
Douglas said her church is in its 14th year participating in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, a nondenominational Christian ministry.
Some other Las Cruces churches that contribute include Bethel Bible Fellowship, University United Methodist Church, Hill Baptist Church, Central Assembly of God and Grace Bible Church. Mesilla Valley Christian Schools also participate.
Douglas said anyone interested in donating can pick up an empty shoe box at her church, 1435 Pecos St. in Las Cruces. Donations will be accepted through Nov. 22, she said. Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443
Help out
• For information about preparing a shoe box for donation, visit: http://www.samaritanspurse.org For information about donating a Christmas shoe box locally, contact
• Kathy Douglas: kathydouglas@q.com
• Or, First Evangelical Free Church: (575) 522-7029
This article is taken from- http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_16602569

OnSugar Blog: Return of Lincoln Logs

 
Lots of moms like to think out loud and Carri is one of them! In her latest post on Adventures in Mommyhood, the mama experiences a bit of nostalgia while doing some holiday shopping.
It was around this time, three years ago, that I first noticed the return of Lincoln Logs.
I was at Target - in the book section, natch - and there was a big display of them across the way in the toy section. Upon further inspection, I found the isles were stuffed with My Little Ponies, Cabbage Patch Kids and Strawberry Shortcake.
"How stupid," I thought. I mean, really. Can't these toy companies come up with some new ideas?
At the time, I didn't realize that this was not stupid; it was, in fact, genius.
Fast forward (a year later) to Christmas of 2008. I was 10 years pregnant and Christmas shopping/waddling around Target between bouts of puking and crying. I noticed the Lincoln Log display again, but this time, my reaction was different.
"Oh my gosh! Kasi and I played with Lincoln Logs!" Gasp! They are real wood, too, just like when I was a kid!
I picked up the box and studied it. Yes, these are exactly like the Lincoln Logs we played with growing up! But, dang it... not for children under three. Alright, I'll leave myself a mental note. When this kid turns three, he's getting Lincoln Logs and he and I will build them just like Kasi and I did. It's going to be great!
Read about the rest of Carri's adventure, here. Want to see more? Start following Adventures in Mommyhood or start your own OnSugar Blog. It's fast, it's easy, and we just might feature your content on our site!
This article is taken from-http://www.lilsugar.com/Nostalgic-Holiday-Gifts-11887367

Lady Hillary gifts Sir Ed artefacts to museum

While discussions continue between Lady June Hillary and Sir Edmund's two children about his Rolex watch collection, another collection of significant Hillary memorabilia has a new home.
  Lady June has donated 17 items she received in Sir Ed's will to the permanent collection at the Otago Museum, which said it was "delighted" to receive the gift.
The items include the iconic Kodak Retina camera, bought second hand in Auckland in the mid-1930s and was used by Sir Ed on the summit of Mt Everest to capture the historic ascent in 1953; one of the best-known portraits of Sir Edmund, given to him by photographer Yousuf Karsh; rock shards Sir Ed collected as a memento atop Mt Everest; and a solid wooden ice axe used in the TransAntarctic expedition of 1956.
The Otago Museum has had a good relationship with the Hillarys over the years, which was a big factor in Lady June's decision to gift the items to the museum.
In 2002, Sir Ed officially opened the museum's Southern Land, Southern People gallery.
It also hosted the Sir Edmund Hillary: Everest and Beyond, an exhibition created by the Auckland Museum.
Today, Otago Museum Chief Executive Shimrath Paul said it was just astonishing that the museum had been gifted the items and said they will be displayed in the "heart of the museum".
"We're humbled to be the recipients of this important gifts ... We're custodians of something that is really priceless and iconic to New Zealand and probably the world," Paul said.
The Hillary exhibits will be on show to the public in Dunedin from tomorrow.
Both Peter and Sarah Hillary are aware of the gifting of the items, a collection that will also eventually be loaned to other museums.
This article is taken from- http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/lady-hillary-gifts-sir-ed-artefacts-museum-3889241

Christmas Toys

The world is becoming more and more specialized and trends for children toys are changing everyday. So, if you are thinking of buying any regular toy from the store shelf for your kids as a Christmas gift, think again. You might see your kid getting completely upset over your gift because it is just another thing that every body in his friend circle already has! Remember, children today aspire for new and unique products. If you can't figure out what to buy for your little prince or cute angel this Christmas, we have brought for you some popular choices from Christmas toy catalog for Christmas 2010. Here are few of them.

    * For Xmas 2010, you can buy action figure warrior sets for kids. Video games that involve battle scenarios are also loved by aggressive children of today.
    * Girls still love to play moms to infant-shaped dolls. But dolls today look more realistic and copy actions like closing and opening eyes like a real baby, snoring and yawning like infants and even babble, gurgle and giggle as if they are real. They even wake up with noise! They are sure a perfect gift for your little girl-angel.
    * Harry Potter inspired toys such as light-up wands, Harry potter glasses and wigs, wizard robes and Barbie doll sets with princess and other costumes are hot.
    * Rock star sets with little instruments, glittery garments, retro-style cruisers with convertible tops and concert stage featuring working lights and speakers will make all children squeak with delight.
    * Robot friends that can respond to simple questions and can also keep up several conversations still surprise young children, so you can buy them one on Christmas.
    * Monopoly has been customized to suit modern kids and deals and moves are made to confirm the modern world. Rents have shot up and there are mobile phone, cheeseburgers and roller blades included in the game. This is the world that children know about.
    * Virtual pets are much wanted in the world of kids and so are video games.
    * There are hundreds of options available as learning toys for children of all ages and sports gear customized for kids for active children.
    * You can also buy a toy laptop for your little wizard.
To know more......http://festivals.iloveindia.com/christmas/christmas-toys/