Tag: gift

Food, Gift Guides

Create Your Own Gift Mix with Ghirardelli Chocolate Custom Mix

Erin Sluka

I have partnered with Ghirardelli and Find Your Influence for this feature. Opinions and experience is my own.

Ghirardelli chocolate custom Mix

Do you have a hard time fin ding gifts for certain friends or family on Holidays or birthdays? Chocolate always wins! Even if you are invited to a lot of gatherings and love bringing host gifts, these Custom Mix Gifts at Ghirardelli Chocolate are perfect to order now and have on hand! I chose a birthday tin to have on hand, some bags for gatherings and boxes of mixed flavors I chose so I can create Teacher gifts and other mini gifting opportunities for the year! One order and many gifts to come!

Chocolate gifts

Creating your custom mix at Ghirardelli is so easy and fun! First, choose your package design- tins, bags, boxes. Second, choose any accessories if it applies like bow colors for bags. Third, choose the chocolates. Their site keeps tally so you see what flavors you have chosen and how many more until your quantity limit on each product. This is great so you see your ratio – how many dark vs milk or how many kids vs adults would like so you get a perfect mix.

Ghirardelli bags

These are the bags. I chose 2 – the 75 piece Heart Bag and American Bag. I then chose bow colors to match. These are great when invited to a BBQ or house party because there is enough to share. I chose red, white and blue colored wrapper choices for my American bag. Then I chose red, pink and white wrapped flavors for the heart bag. It is fun to theme these in that way.

Ghirardelli tins

The tins are great and simple gifts. You choose the cover and there are several to choose from. Then choose 3 flavors and there will be 5 of each inside. I find that adults love dark chocolate and filled chocolate flavors while kids love the fudge, mint and milk chocolate flavors. I like gifting a tin of chocolates with a gift card if shopping for a teen.

custom chocolate gifts

The box of your count choice is great so you always have a stash for adding to gift baskets or creating small gifts. Bulk boxes come in amounts of 200, 250, 300 or 500. With their current sale the bulk prices hover around .36 cents a square. A great stock up price. When I buy a small bag in the grocery store they tend to run about .50 cents a square. There! I did the match for you already. You are welcome.

Ghirardelli box

To create your mix, visit Ghirardelli and browse their gifts or mix your own.

Gift Guides

Under Lucky Stars Prints are a unique gift that aligns with the stars

Erin Sluka
Under Lucky Stars Prints are a unique gift that aligns with the stars

My son is 13 this month and 13 is the age when the older boys began getting gifts a bit differently. At this age they are into cash and gift cards. They are not into toys and games as much and I hated the idea of just handing over cash. So, I began looking to buy them a ‘special’ or keepsake gift to wrap. I think of gifts that are personalized or perhaps something they can carry over to their own place years down the road. We have 3 boys and these gifts are meant to make them feel like they truly have reached a maturing age. This year our youngest was gifted a Star Map print from Under Lucky Stars.

Under Lucky Stars

What is so much fun about Under Lucky Stars is that they use the date, time and location of your choice and print out a star map that is astronomically verified by a NASA astronomer!!! This is the sky as it was during that special moment, such as the birth of my son and you can choose other significant dates.

Star Map gift

With Father’s Day coming up, this is a great gift for the moment he became a Dad or a wedding date or his own birth. It can be the moment you bought your first home or the moment of retirement after years of all of his hard work. Whether it be for Dad or someone special, these are amazing gift! Even at 13, this is so special to give and will always be on display in their space!

Under Lucky Stars gift

I chose a white on Blue, circled. These colors work great together for a Star Map. You can choose colors, designs and backgrounds such as a solid color or galaxy. It is very simple to choose the options and then you tell them the event, name, date, time and place. Even your small town will be available to find as the stars were aligned in your moment and place. Order it framed or unframed. The prices are very fair and the prints are an amazing quality.

Visit Under Lucky Stars and design your Star Map. Give it a try!

Movies Reviews

It is time to binge-watch The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series

Erin Sluka

What else are you watching? Warner Brothers has some great new series releases such as Friends and also, all 279 original episodes of The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series.

The only way to see The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series commercial free is to own it on Digital, Blu-ray & DVD. All individual seasons and compilation sets are available to purchase here: http://www.ownwbtv.com/?bigbangtheory. 

All seasons are also available to own at all major digital retailers; including iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Prime, and GooglePlay. DVD and Blu-ray (which include incredible extra features) can be purchased from all major retailers – including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. So, if you need a laugh and want something to binge on – now is the time to own this hit series!

Mother's Day

Is A Half Moon Cut Diamond The Right Choice For You? #MothersDay

Erin Sluka

Choosing presents can be really tricky, especially if it’s for someone dear to you. Many people face a lot of pressure when buying birthday presents. Think of the pressure when choosing jewelry. But, you can never go wrong if you decide to buy a diamond.

You probably know that you have many shapes and sizes to choose from. There are different cuts and colors. So, it might take a while for you to finally decide what you’re going to get. You should take your time in choosing because it’s a quite pricey present you are buying.

Diamonds are most often bought as engagement rings. So, a lot is at stake. You have to get the right one for your partner. Many people spend ages looking for the right choice. It’s only normal. There’s no chance that she will say no if you get her half moon cut diamonds.

What does the jewel look like exactly? 

The half moon cut diamond is often used as a side stone. They complete the overall look of the center stone. You might not even want to look at these rings when you hear the words side stone. You are probably scared to hear the price.

But the truth is that these stones don’t add on the price. This is because the jewels are actually much smaller. So, you could look at all the options in front of you when looking for an engagement ring.  You might even like this one best.

Why are they called half moon?

When looking at some ring, you might not even notice these stones. They are meant to draw attention to the stone in the center. You will see them in a combination with an oval or a round diamond. 

They’ve got a curve on the one side and a straight line on the other. They look like a half moon. So, that is the reason why they’re called that. 

Why should you choose this type of cut?

When you choose an engagement ring, you might overcomplicate things. There is no need for that. So, don’t think too much. You can pick out any type you want. No one can reject a diamond. You should choose this cut because it’s not complicated.

It’s simply beautiful. Apart from the appearance, it’s practical. You can go for a lower clarity rating. You could even get a ring with a lower color grade. In the end, this ring might be more affordable that you thought previously. 

The size of the jewel isn’t that important. But if you want to get a bigger size, then you have to increase the quality. You don’t want it to look mismatched, do you? The price will be higher because of the size and quality. You can see some of the prices here.

Ideal setting

The perfect setting for this type of jewel is a three stone ring. You will definitely see jewelry with this one diamond only. If your partner has a simple style, then this might be the right choice. But many people don’t like it when it’s all alone. So, it’s best if you immediately look for three stones. 

Apart from oval and round stones, you can see them with cushion, emerald and princess diamonds. After all, demilunes are just there to complement the main jewel. As for the setting, you can find them in prong or bezel settings. 

What are the popular choices for engagement rings? 

You definitely have a tough decision in front of you. When you go to the jewelry store, they will tell you which the most popular choices are. People often choose round, princess and oval cuts. If you are interested in the meaning of these jewels, click here: https://www.vogue.com/article/engagement-ring-diamond-cut-style-meaning

The heart diamonds are also quite popular. Who doesn’t like the look of a heart ring? However, it all comes down to your personal choice. You also have to consider your partner’s style. If they are more elegant, you can get them any type you want. 

If your partner has a simpler style, you can easily get them a half cut diamond without a center stone. The jewel on its own is beautiful. The gesture will still be appreciated. No one buys diamonds just for the sake of it. 

What other types are there?

If you don’t like the sound or the look of the half moon, you can always choose another cut. Thankfully, there are other types of diamonds these days. You might have a hard time choosing the right one. 

There are princess, cushion, asscher, triangle, emerald, heart and other cuts. You will have to look at the rings carefully before you decide what to buy. It’s definitely not an easy task to choose an engagement ring.