August 2011

A Very Special Pregnancy Journal

Submitted by Kellie on August 30, 2011

Topic: Random Ramblings

Tags: Shower Print Online Personalized Parent Projects Kids Journal Gifts Finishing Services FedEx Office Print Online Children Baby Babies

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As many of our regular readers know, my husband and I are expecting a baby later this year. It’s a special time, and I don’t want to forget any of it later – the excitement, anticipation, and even the not-so-pleasant things like cravings for cheeseburgers. I decided to make a pregnancy journal to record all the details. ...read more

Do-It-Yourself Wedding Favors: Wine Charms

Submitted by Kim on August 23, 2011

Topic: Excellent Events

Tags: Wine Charms Wedding Shower Personalized Party Hostess Holiday Hints Holiday Gifts Favors cards Brides

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A few years ago I made wine charms as wedding favors for my friend to give to guests on her special day. Guests were really excited to take home a gift they could use all year around. They are a simple, DIY project that adds a personal touch to a wedding or dinner party. Just follow these easy steps for making the wine charms.

Supply List (per charm):

· 1 inch silver or gold ring with clasp

· 1 charm

· 12-14 small beads

· Ribbon - 1/8” wide (3mm)

Clinging to a great school year (And a Teacher Discount!)

Submitted by Maggie on August 16, 2011

Topic: Parent Projects

Tags: Teacher School Kids Children Decal Window Vinyl Sign Poster Classroom

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We have a great idea for teachers to spruce up the classroom (or parents to use at home to educate or inspire). Window clings are a good way to utilize space and get noticed. It’s also an excellent way to prominently display everyday items such as classroom rules, daily task lists or schedules.

The window cling I created for the example in this post is similar to the daily agenda my son follows at daycare. But you can use it for so much more! Personalize it to be specific to the subject you teach, whether it’s Math, English, History or other subject areas. You can even put up your favorite quote or motivational message for the students. I added fun, colorful clipart that will grab the attention of young students, but you can also use photos to personalize the design.

Here’s how to get started creating and displaying your window cling:

1. Choose your topic.

Coffee with the Bloggers: Leah

Submitted by Leah on August 11, 2011

Topic: Random Ramblings

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Q: If you weren’t blogging for Out of Office, what kind of blog would you want to write?

A: If you turned our Random Ramblings category into a blog, that’d be a good blueprint for something I’d write. I’m naturally random and a little bit silly, and if given a captive audience for my ramblings, opinions, creative ideas, and general excitement about the small things in life, that’d be perfect. I’d probably also incorporate photos of things that inspired me, because I’m a sucker for pictures.

Q: Favorite type of food?

A: Food, period. We have a lot of food-enthusiasts here at the office, but I’m generally the one asking about lunch first. And by first, I mean at 9:45 a.m. Maybe I’ll add a Food of the Day category into the plan for that blog…

Q: Cat or dog person?

Fun Funnels for Fancy Parties

Submitted by Kellie on August 9, 2011

Topic: Excellent Events

Tags: Wedding Party Food Excellent Events Crafts Birthday

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Video:

New Confetti Containers Video.mp4

Who wants to serve party-goers popcorn out of ordinary bowls? Or give out confetti at parties or weddings in those messy tissue-paper rolls tied at both ends with ribbon? While browsing at StyleMePretty, I recently ran across a novel idea for holding all sorts of goodies in a much more stylish way – funnels. Easy, do-it-yourself, decorative paper funnels or cones. The idea is so simple that it’s genius, and so charming that it’s hard to ignore.

You can stuff them with finger foods (think snack mix or tiny candies) or flavored popcorns and use them as a cute appetizer holder at picnics, barbeques, summer movie nights, family get-togethers, even weddings. The possibilities are endless!

If you also love this idea, here are the supplies you’ll need:

Gimme A T(ee)!

Submitted by Leah on August 3, 2011

Topic: Business Builder

Tags: Advertising Business Builder Design & Print Center Gifts Marketing Personalized Small Business

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Whether you own a bakery or an online boutique, you’ve probably put a lot of thought into building your brand. From designing the logo to setting up a perfect website or storefront signage, the visual impact of your brand is usually the first interaction customers have with your company.

These days, it seems like you can put a logo on anything, and I do mean anything. While the abundance of branded merchandise is great, it also creates a lot of “clutter” in the marketplace. So how do you stand out in the crowd? There are lots of ways, but one of the tried and true methods is wearable branded merchandise – think hats, bracelets and t-shirts.

Why do these work? Because they’re something you can actually use. Unlike squeeze balls and desktop puzzles, they don’t frustrate you or end up in the junk drawer at home. Instead, creatively designed merchandise catches peoples’ eyes in a crowd and helps get your name out all over town. Branded t-shirts, for example, are also versatile. You can use them as: