Easing Holiday Stress: Step 2. It’s ALL about the list!

As you know, Out of the Blue Delivered‘s mission this season is to Ease the Stress of the Holidays! If you’re working along with us then you have already completed step one which was to Make a Budget! 

Step 2: Make a Prioritized List (and check it twice!)

Though it may seem basic, this is a VERY IMPORTANT step! It’s not only about making a list, but then prioritizing it.

You have a gift budget (thanks to Step 1) and now you need a list of who you will be spending that allocated money on.
Begin by listing everyone that you WANT to buy a gift for. Include anyone that you normally give to: family members, friends, neighbors, nieces, nephews, your kids’ friends, boss, co-workers, nanny, teachers, caregivers, doorman, mailman, etc. Be sure to include any secret-santa or other gift exchanges you are planning to participate in. Also, if you send out holiday cards, be sure they were included in either Step 1 or Step 2.0

Once you have your list, you MUST prioritize it. (Otherwise you’ll run out of money before you get the gifts you REALLY need!) Decide which gift recipients are most important and rewrite your list in descending order starting with the most important recipients at the top and working down to the least important.

Fun tip: Have an iPhone? Of course there’s a Holiday Gift App that can help you make and track your holiday gift list!

Tags: budget, budget tips, gift giving, holiday lists, holiday stress

Easing Holiday Stress: Step 1

The Harry Potter characters, Star Wars figures and assorted princesses have all come begging for candy (and gone home to devour a year’s worth of sugar in one sitting) which means that the holidays are officially upon us! 

Our mission for 2010: Stop the Cycle of Madness!! Let’s make a pact right here and now that we are all going to ENJOY the holidays this year. 

How, you wonder, are we going to do this? One step at a time.

Today’s assignment (aka Step 1): Make a budget

In order to prepare for the holdiays, you MUST know how much you can afford to spend on them. There is NOTHING more stressful than the stack of bills that arrive in January that you work all year to try to pay off only to do it again the next year. This year, the cycle of madness ends!!

So sit down with your computer, your checkbook, your significant other, and whatever else you need to decide on your budget and figure out the dollar amout that you are willing to spend on the holidays this year. Be sure to allow for gifts, travel, accomodations, food, Holiday meals, etc. Need Help calculating a holiday budget? Here is a worksheet plus tips to help! 

 

Stick with Out of the Blue Delivered as we work together to make this your best, most enjoyable holiday season ever!!

Tags: Christmas, gifts, holidays, stress-free

Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Support Stones

Supporting cancer patients just got a bit easier! Out of the Blue Delivered can now deliver these inspirational stones hand-painted by Central Florida artist Chrissie Grace. Who needs to know that you care today?

Breast Cancer Inspirational Rocks

Tags: breast cancer, cancer support, inspirational, pink ribbon

Cancer Care Package

Yep, it’s October and pink is once again the dominating color reminding us to get our annual boobie-squishing! Out of the Blue Delivered has creative gift ideas for all the cancer fighters in your life!

In honor of one of our good friends and breast cancer survivor Jacki Donaldson of My Breast Cancer Blog, we created the Jacki’s Cancer Patient iCare Package. This care package is filled with the things she says that a cancer patient needs most: socks (Because they are always cold!), lotion (Because chemo dries out their skin) and a Bernie Siegel Book (She loves his uplifting messages!)

 

Jacki's Cancer Cancer Support iCare Pkg

 

 

Out of the Blue Delivered specializes in unique gifts and care packages for the tough stuff in life. Who needs to know that you care today?

Tags: breast cancer, care package, chemo patient, gift ideas, pink

Attn Bloggers: Enter to WIN our Grand Prize Giveaway! #blogHer #blogHer10

Out of the Blue Delivered, along with CommXPERTS.com is thrilled to be sponsoring Jennifer Leet from “The Dirty t Shirt” at  the BlogHER ‘10 conference in New York City.  Be sure to follow @jentifa during the conference for chances to win random give-a-ways (including an iPhone Solar Charger and several Card Cubby Organizers) as well as our Grand Prize gift box.  Hint: You must have a bag tag to win the random prizes at BlogHER so be sure to get one from @jentifa at the conference.

Everyone is eligible to win our Grand Prize Gift Box! See details below on how to enter.

Grand Prize Gift Box includes:

• iPhone Solar Charger for the iPhone 3G/3GS
• How Do You Pico – T-Shirt
• Assorted Cellular Accessories
• Card Cubby Organizer of winner’s choice
• Coupon Cubby Organizer of winner’s choice

Out of the Blue Delivered specializes in gifts and care packages…especially for the tough stuff in life.

CommXPERTS.com specializes in Consumer Electronic Products, such as iPhone Solar Chargers, Handheld Laser Pico Projectors and other Wireless sp

• ENTER TO WIN OUR GRAND PRIZE by leaving a comment on BOTH Out of the Blue Delivered’s blog and commXPERTS BLOG.

All winners (random and Grand Prize) will be announced via Twitter.  Please follow all 3 companies below, for up-to-date information and drawings.

Contest ends August 16, 2010.

Follow us:
@jentifa – Twitter
@commXPERTS – Twitter
@blueDelivered -  Twitter

Tags: blogher, blogher10, commxperts, giveaway, grand prize, jentifa, win

Grab this Tag and WIN at BlogHer ’10 this weekend!! #blogher #blogher10

If you’re going to BlogHer ‘10 this weekend, be sure to look for Jennifer Leet of The Dirty tShirt Blog. She’ll be handing out these bag tags from Out of the Blue Delivered and CommXPERTS. Grab one and hang it on your bag and you could win fun prizes all weekend long!

Tags: blogher, blogher10, commxperts, jentifa

Fab tribute to cancer patients by Lance Armstrong and Team Radio Shack

At Out of the Blue Delivered, we have a special place in our hearts for cancer patients. So, you can imagine how thrilled we were to see Lance Armstrong and the entire Radio Shack Team ride to honor cancer patients worldwide today.  As the teams rode out for the start of the final stage of the Tour de France, Team Radio Shack showed up in all black jerseys with a huge number 28 on the back. (Smokin’ hot, sharp jerseys!)

“Today, we’re riding for every one of the 28 million people all over the world whose lives and families are affected by this disease,” said Lance Armstrong.

Unfortunately, the officials did not let the Radio Shack team wear the jerseys for the race, but they did get their message out and raise awareness about cancer patients, their families and the impressive number – 28 million – people that are living with the disease today.

At Out of the Blue Delivered, unique gifts and care packages for cancer patients are our specialty! We offer hand delivery in the Orlando and Central Florida area and we ship worldwide.

Who needs to know that you care today?

Want to honor a cancer patient on facebook? Radio Shack has a black #28 jersey that can be sent as a “gift” on facebook.

Thank you Lance Armstrong and Team Radio Shack for honoring all of these courageous cancer patients and survivors! You give them inspiration and strength!!

Tags: 28, black jersey, lance armstrong, team radio shack, tour de france