Maggie's blog

Winter is raging on with no end in sight. The temperatures have been particularly low lately making bundling up to go outside a chore. As I mentioned in my last post, my son has really been enjoying playing board games.

For Christmas he got numerous games and puzzles from his grandparents and aunties. He especially enjoys playing his SpongeBob SquarePants™ Memory Game. Since he also loves playing with flashcards I decided to combine the two concepts and make a fun and educational memory game with my own personal touches. (By the way, our blogger Katie did a great post on flashcards for her daughter last year. This game is a little different, but the concept is similar.)

This memory or concentration game can be adapted for kids of all ages. You can begin with simple concepts such as shapes, numbers, letters, and colors and advance to more complex ideas involving math, grammar, or other languages. ...read more

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Winter around these parts seems never-ending! When temperatures are low, cold winds fast and snowy mounds high, I have to be especially creative to find exciting things to do with my two and a half year old son. His attention span is very limited so it has to be something I know he will enjoy for more than just a minute!

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Holidays are a special time for families – especially the first few years of a child’s life. For parents, these years feel irreplaceable - even when you know the kids are too young to really remember all those special moments.

As the kids get older, I’ve started to take family traditions more seriously. My son is growing fast and is constantly learning new things, but he hasn’t learned to read just yet. So we came up with a fun project to help him create unique and educational holiday memories that I wanted to share with our loyal Out of Office readers! ...read more

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When I was growing up my family had decorations for every occasion and season. In the fall, Halloween decorations are quickly replaced with harvest decorations. To us, decorations are more than objects; they hold our memories and give us a chance to reminisce. Many of them are handmade by me or my sisters when we were young and give us a good laugh. In my home, I have tried to keep the traditions of my family going while giving it a twist of my own. As you gather around the table and give thanks, I wanted to give you an idea to personalize your table setting.

My son brings home tons of art projects from daycare. I never knew a child’s handprint could be made into so many things! One of the most popular creations of the season is the turkey handprint. One way to preserve this adorable masterpiece is to use it on your dinner table for all your guests to see. Just make it into a coaster! Luckily a child’s tiny handprint is the perfect size for this festive decoration. ...read more

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I love the fall season. In my area of the country, the humidity has disappeared and the bitter cold has not yet arrived. The leaves change colors and we are surrounded by beautiful shades of yellow, red, and orange. To top it all off, delicious vegetables are in season and the time to enjoy squash and pumpkin pie is here.

That also means it is time to do one of my favorite things – carve those pumpkins! It’s a messy process but definitely a rite of passage each fall. Whether your pumpkins are scary or silly, these designs are always fun to make. ...read more

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I am a worrier by nature. I think it runs in my family, inherited by me from my mother. From the time we are young and in school, we learn how to prepare for emergencies. We practice fire drills, tornado drills in the Midwest, earthquake drills on the West Coast, and countless others. When we get older and start to work, employers have similar procedures in place expanded to include events such as robbery, power outage and chemical spills. In businesses where we shop and eat you can be assured that many have actions mapped out for extreme situations like natural disasters, medical situations, and missing children.

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As a graduate student in art school, I was surrounded by talented graphic artists. While I was studying advertising and not design, I have always had an interest in art. Even though my skills are limited, I still like to think of myself as a creative individual. Lately I have been trying to use my artistic side to reinvent the artwork on my walls at home. We recently reorganized our furniture and I was thinking of a way to spruce up the walls, rather than continuing to look at the few random things I have accumulated at garage sales in years past. ...read more

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Building business – whether you’re a large, established company or an up-and-comer just starting out – almost always comes down to relationships. Fostering and growing strong relationships with customers, key opinion-makers, industry leaders, important officials and the like can help a business thrive in good times and bad. 

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What is not to love about summer? It's the time when folks around here begin to emerge from hibernation. Celebrations - such as reunions, weddings, and barbecues - are in full swing. The sun is shining and spirits are high. So whether you're hosting a formal dinner party, impromptu picnic, or casual grill-out, we wanted to give you a creative idea to beat the heat!

Paddle fans are a fun and easy way to cool down any special event. My cousin used this idea to create the the programs for her wedding ceremony, and her foresight was greatly admired and appreciated on that hot June day!

There are endless ways to make these fans unique and personal. Here's a basic outline of how you can make them yourself as a fun project with the kids or for an event - plus a few photos of my own creations: ...read more

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At my work, the “pregnancy bug” seems to be going around. Whether it’s their first or second child (or their sixth in some cases!), expecting mothers agree having a baby is an exciting time. All the planning and preparation can be overwhelming, especially when added to the unbalanced hormones. Baby showers are a welcomed escape because you get to leave the planning to someone else! Many women have multiple showers thrown for them by family, friends, and co-workers.  

 

A few years ago I threw a baby shower for a close friend of mine and I wanted every detail to be perfect. When it came time for celebrating my own pregnancy, I could truly appreciate all the time, love, and effort that go into planning such an event.  

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