Kellie's blog

…For a great Thanksgiving dinner! Happy Thanksgiving from the Out of Office bloggers!

This season, we’ve shared what we’re thankful for, and what we’re not so thankful for, and it’s finally time to celebrate with family. Now…let’s talk turkey! But beware of that slumber-inducing tryptophan!

It’s opposite day here on the Out of Office blog, and while we love (dearly love!) Thanksgiving and all the great traditions that come with it, we know the holidays have a flip side too. They can get stressful...really stressful.

For instance, I know that in previous years, I’ve had a lot of anxiety about the meal. A couple years ago, my now-husband and I hosted BOTH our families (that’s 11 people, folks!) at my little house on Thanksgiving Day. I made every side dish imaginable to satisfy any and every want, need, craving or food allergy. And I thought I had the turkey taken care of because we ordered one. Simple enough, right? Not so much – my dear now-husband (I hope he’s not reading) took care of the ordering part and sent the confirmation to me. Upon opening the confirmation e-mail, I saw that he sent the turkey to house number 92. I lived at house number 94. There wasn’t even a 92 on my street. Panic! We ultimately got the turkey and it all worked out fine, but boy, was I nervous! ...read more

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, for sure. I love the season with its cooler weather, changing leaves, comforting rhythm of school and football season and the opportunity to see family near and far. 

In my family, we have a Thanksgiving dinner tradition – giving thanks! It may sound simple, and it is, but it’s an important way to start the busy holiday season for us. Each year before dinner starts, we go around the table and share the things we are thankful for. It’s always meaningful, but we’ve gotten some pretty funny responses from my younger family members on more than one occasion. You know what they say, “out of the mouths of babes”…

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Pssst…we love letting our readers in on secrets and great deals. If you missed the “early bird special” we shared in September, then we have another chance for you! FedEx Office is offering a Friends and Family discount on holiday cards and calendars ordered online from Nov.1 – Dec. 15, and you, my friends, qualify! Visit www.fedex.com/ffpromo to place your order and receive the discount. 

This comes just in time for the holiday card season! Now I just have to decide how to design my card! I‘m thinking our dogs sure would look cute in Santa hats for our cards this year…    ...read more

As you’re putting the final touches on this year’s Halloween costumes and preparing for eager trick-or-treaters, the Out of Office crew has a couple ideas to make your parties and your Halloween happy. ...read more

Five of my six nephews (Yes, I said six!) are playing soccer this fall. We don’t live close enough to attend their games, but frankly, I’m having trouble keeping up with when their games are anyway! And it’s not just me…I know their mothers, fathers and grandparents are, too!

That’s when it dawned on me that we should make schedule cards for them. These simple cards serve as quick reminders and are a special keepsake for scrapbooks at the end of each season. Plus, for kids, they can be fun to trade like baseball cards or school photos. For convenience, the ones I’ve designed are business card sized so they slip into wallets or underneath sun visors easily. The schedule is neatly displayed on a grid, showing the date, time, location and opponent of each game.  ...read more

When I was a fresh out of college, in my first “real” job with my first “real” paycheck, I remember that one of my first big purchases was a nice set of luggage. I agonized over the style, the brand, the features, the pieces I needed…I wanted it to be a quality set that I could use for many years to come. I finally settled on a sturdy collection of wheeled, expandable luggage. (I’m not a light packer!) With all those decisions and all the options for snazzy colors and styles available, you may be wondering what color I chose…Just basic black, along with the rest of the world, it seems!   ...read more

Businesses do all kinds of things to get attention – everything from flashing neon signs to balloons and even inflatable blimps! If these aren’t a viable (or preferred) option for your business, but you still need signage to make your patrons aware of a new offering or special sale, you should think about how you could use ready-to-apply decals for your store or business windows. Whether you’re making a custom design or choosing from templates, these peel and stick decals are an easy way for customers to identify your business and anything else you want to catch their eye. 

You can choose whether you want your decal to apply to the inside of the window (best for store and car windows) or the outside (best for tinted surfaces). And they aren’t just for business identification, either. You can use them to provide directions at an event or other instructions, such as no smoking or no cell phone use in a certain area. ...read more

I love getting lost in the fresh, crisp pages of a brand new book. I’ve worked over the last several years to build a nice library of special hardcover books, and wanted them to have special designation showing how I acquired them – whether they came as a gift from a friend or relative, or I found them in a unique bookstore or on a trip somewhere. So, I decided the best way to add that special information was to label the inside cover. I was hesitant to insert my scribbly, scrawling handwriting with a permanent pen and decided instead to make stickers that have my name and left just a simple line where I could write in the date that I either got the book or read it, and a line for another special notation. As a bonus, if I ever loan the books out, the borrower always knows where to return them – perfect for book clubs! ...read more

They say the early bird catches the worm…and the savings! We know our readers love deals and we couldn’t resist sharing another good one.

If you’re like me and are making early plans for your holiday greeting cards this season, take note! Now through Sept. 30, you can save 30% on personalized cards and calendars from FedEx Office. (It’s even easy to remember – 30% by the 30^th!). You can choose from hundreds of holiday designs or personalize cards, greeting cards and calendars with your own photos and messages. Even better, seven-day delivery is included at no charge for all Design & Print Center orders! 

Terms & Conditions

*30% discount available on FedEx Office® Design & Print Center orders made through the fedex.com/greetings website with no minimum purchase required. Does not apply to rush or shipping or courier charges. Discount offer expires Sept. 30, 2010. Discount applies to orders placed online only.