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New Baby, New Room: How to Create the Perfect Baby Room
Date:May 22nd, 2013 | Category:Babies, How To, Kids | By Kaity

If you’ve never created a baby room before, you might not even know where to begin. But with some creativity, you can put together a room that will create memories for years to come. As you anticipate the arrival of your little one, make this process fun by preparing a safe and playful environment.

Safety First

When it comes to choosing the products for your baby’s room, you must meet safety precautions. That means safety everything: from furniture to paint to accessories to bedding, you have to make sure it won’t be harmful to your baby. Don’t be blinded by the cute products out there, make sure you check reviews and the product before making your purchase.

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Color

Before you choose your color scheme, keep in mind you want a place that evokes peace and serenity for your baby. Choose palegreens, lavenders, or blues. Don’t forget to purchase safe, odor-free paint or those that are labeled as “eco-friendly”. You can add some visual interest to the walls with simple shapes such as diamonds, circles, squares, or moons. Or you can add wall decals with different animal figures.

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Floors

Purchase floor covering that’s washable, safe, and flows with your color choices. Open the windows and allow new carpeting and flooring to air out for at least a week before introducing your baby to the room. Add optional area rugs that are made of natural fibers and are washable.

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The Furniture

When shopping for furniture, give yourself plenty of time – six-to-eight weeks – just in case any pieces are back-ordered or you have custom needs. Look for the essentials: a crib, dresser/changing table, rocker and shelves at reputable baby stores. Don’t forget to check all the furniture carefully when it arrives. Look for defects, chipping, paint, and safety issues. Allow the new furniture to air out before the baby arrives for at least a week. Don’t forget to place the crib and other pieces away from windows and secure them to the wall with brackets and bolts, as recommended by the Home Safety Council.

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When you’re all done with the room, tour and inspect the room before your baby arrives. Consider hiring a professional safety expert to look things over for potential hazards you missed. And when that’s done, enjoy the special space you created for you and your baby.

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Planning Your Wedding? Details to Keep In Mind For the Guests.
Date:May 13th, 2013 | Category:Fresh Ideas, How To, Weddings | By Kaity

It’s your wedding, your big day, your special moment – but what about all those guests? Sure, this is a day for the bride and groom, but it’s also a day to celebrate with loved ones. You and your guests will have a better time when everyone is happy. So while you’re planning every little moment of your day, don’t forget to take a few moments to think of the guests.

The Guest List

Whom you invite to your wedding is entirely up to you and your budget is largely determined by the size of the guest list, but choose those names carefully. Your close friends and family deserve a spot on the list, but your office coworkers might be less important. And what about your mother’s friends? Think carefully and strike the right balance between what your budget can afford, the size of your desired celebration, and who is truly important to you and your family.

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Choosing Facilities

Keep in mind any guests who may have special needs. Consider whether or not you will need facilities accessible to the disabled or elderly. Don’t forget that disabled or elderly people may find it difficult to endure extreme temperatures, long walks, or long periods standing. In addition, the convenience of rest room facilities is also important. And then there are the children. Do you want a room for the infants and toddlers for a little escape from all the excitement and noise? You could even consider hiring a wedding day babysitter to watch over the little ones.

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Keep Your Guests Occupied

We all know how it feels to be waiting for the wedding couple to arrive to the reception. We’re all on our phones or playing games on our iPads. Keep your guests occupied with food and drink, good music, and some interesting materials like scrapbooks or photo albums of the wedding couple growing up, and even wedding albums of their parents’ weddings. Provide a play area for the kids with some toys and coloring books. Or you can have your guest play this “I Spy” game.

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How to Register for Your Graduation
Date:May 6th, 2013 | Category:Fundraising Superstars, Graduation, How To | By Regina

Graduation is a time of celebration, and as such, it is also a time of gift-giving. But because new grads are also entering a whole new stage in their lives, many will want things that they actually need, not something that they won’t end up using. A Deposit a Gift registry is the perfect opportunity for a new grad to get what they can use, be it a new car or money to start a bank account. Here’s how you can set up your graduation registry to be the best!


Tell Them Your Plans: First things first, let your loved ones know what the next step after graduation is. Are you going backpacking through Europe or getting a full-time job? Or maybe you’re continuing on to grad school. Whatever the case is, guests are always happier to contribute when they know how their donations will affect you.

Assemble a List of What You’ll Need: There are sure to be plenty of things your family and friends can help you with. A new suit and a car if you have a job, or career workshops for job hunters. Continuing your education is sure to cost tons of money. Relatives can also help you get off to a good start financially by helping you start an account.

Thank Them: You’re grateful for everyone’s love and support, so be sure to let them know. So thank them, thank them, thank them! Luckily, with Deposit a Gift, it’s easy to do; just click on the Gift Manager feature on your Dashboard and it’ll help you keep track of who you still need to send thank yous to. They don’t have to be complicated; just a little note of appreciation will do the trick and make your supporters know you’re grateful.

Update! After graduation, you’re stepping into a whole new world, whether it’s real life or your next adventure. Your contributors will want to hear all about it so be sure to send periodic updates; it will be appreciated!

Raising money online for the next stage of your life is a cinch on Deposit a Gift. Many users have already utilized our services to create their own graduation registries. Check out Richelle’s graduation registry or Megan and Chelsea’s post-graduation Euro Trip.

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Acing the Interview
Date:May 1st, 2013 | Category:Graduation, How To | By Anna

So you networked like a pro and landed a job interview – what next? Your success rests on the interview. Are you a little rusty on your interview skills though? Read up, and you’ll be ready in no time.

Prepare

This is the most crucial step. For any question that comes up, you’ll need an answer. Start with company research. You should know everything about the company history, company leaders, the business model, the customer base, company future, and all recent press mentions. Follow the company on all social media sites to get a feel for their brand and how they interact. Prepare for all other standard questions like, “Why do you want to work here” and “Do you work well in a team?” Have examples ready. For a full list of questions you can expect, see here.

Dress to Impress

Know the environment before you arrive – is this a top-notch investment banking firm, or a casual chat over coffee? When in doubt, overdress. For women, that means a conservative suit with a matching blouse, low heels, limited jewelry, and light makeup. For men, also a conservative suit, white long-sleeved shirt, matching tie, dark socks and professional shoes. For both, a professional hairstyle, neat nails, no perfume or cologne, and a professional portfolio or briefcase.

In the Interview

If you’ve done your research, prepared your answers, and practiced your responses, then you’re all set. All you need now is confidence. Stay calm, make eye contact, offer concise but detailed answers, and don’t ramble. Be charismatic, friendly, and professional. Be sure to have your own questions prepared. Your interviewer will give you a chance to ask your own questions, and if you have none, you’ll seem interested. Ask questions about the position, the company, the culture, and anything else that wasn’t answered for you.

Follow Up

Think you aced the interview? You’re not done yet! Follow up with a Thank You email within 24 hours, preferably by the end of the same day. Offer any writing samples or information requested during the interview. Ask any questions you may have forgotten. This is your chance to bring up any details of your experience or talents you didn’t mention and to remind your interviewer why you’re the best candidate. And above all, thank them for their time and consideration.

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Twins on the Way? Be Prepared!
Date:April 1st, 2013 | Category:Babies, Fresh Ideas, How To, Kids | By Kaity

Raising twins means double the fun and double the joy! We got some great ideas from Twiniversity and Table For Two so that raising a set of twins doesn’t have to be double the work, too!

Table for Two

Just like their motto, “Life is better when twins dine together,” Table for Two makes feeding your set of twins easier. Feeding two tiny mouths is a tricky task, but Table for Two lets you place your twins into these comfy seats so you can feed them both at the same time. Now if only changing their diapers could be so easy!

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Pacifiers Are a Lifesaver!

Pacifiers can keep one baby occupied as you care for the other, help your tots fall asleep, reduce the risk of SIDs, and they’re disposable. Is there anything a pacifier can’t do?!

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Keep Things in Stock

With two growing babies on your hands, you’ll run through your supplies twice as fast. To avoid late night runs to the drug store for diapers, make sure you have enough of everything for at least a week. You can sign-up for subscriptions to many of the basics through Amazon Moms so you don’t even have to think about stocking-up — it just happens automatically!

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Keep a Record

Sleep deprivation can make you confused, so keep a small notebook with a log of who ate, slept, bathed, and pooped. Keeping a log helps you keep track of how your child is progressing over the course of each day, and if they take any medication or vitamins, it enables you to make sure they take the right amount of dosage each day.

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