Hold on, let me get you my card.

Author: Holland Saltsman

Sep 27

Never has their been so many choices for business or calling cards. If you are in the market for new or upgraded cards, check out one (or all) of these life2great sites. Vistaprint has been a leader in the field for the past few years due to their constant marketing of 250 FREE custom business cards.  They do offer hundreds of designs and the availability to upload your own photos but adding a printed backside or heavier card stock can start to add up. I’ve also noticed that they will give you a coupon as soon as you complete your order so sometimes ordering 1/2 of a set on one order and then the other 1/2 on a second order can save you money.

Zip on over to zazzle where you can browse hundreds of templates or design your own business cards. Zazzle also offers cards in three sizes; Chubby, business & skinny which can add to the individuality of your cards. This along with their entire line of other marketing items such as apparel, mugs and postage stamps can make them your one stop shop. Also, sign up for their street_sign_business_business_card-p240690611207123544tdcc_380mailing list as last weekend they had a 4 hour 50% off Happy Hour sale on Friday and 20% off the rest of the weekend.

MOO is a newer site but one of the coolest as it uses ’Printfinity’. This is MOO’s unique printing technology which allows you to print a different image on every card in a pack. An inspiration gallery and expert tips makes this site on of the must unique and modern of all the sites.

A recent article in Woman’s Day has a great piece on business cards that provided expert tips on design, wording and presentation so you can network like a pro, check it out!

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Who’s Grandma’s Favorite Now?

Author: Holland Saltsman

Aug 30

Grandparent’s Day is September 12 and while I’m sure your grandparent(s) love getting that flowery, mushy, “you’re the best” Hallmark card, you may want to shock them by stepping up your game.

In the technology category, I’ve got the following suggestions …  TV Ears - I’ve TV earsgifted these twice and I’ve been told that they can save a marriage. If one person has a hard time hearing, they can use the TV ears at a louder volume so that the rest of the room can listen at a normal, even muted range. If your grandparent has a computer, download skype for them and show them how easy it is to virtually visit. Even 5 minutes/week can mean so much! If they are wary of computers, check out Celery. Not a great name but a good computerless email system that anyone can use.

In more traditional gifts, pick up a set of these State Dish Towels (gotta pen-fishing-rod_mainrepresent), Pocket Fishing Rod, Locklite Mini Key Torch (less fumbling in the dark), or this faux Unzippered Glass Bag to hold their favorite sweet treats. Tell Me a Story is one of my favorite grandparent’s journals but there are many of these to choose from. However don’t just send the book to them, set aside an afternoon (or two) and find out the answers to such revealing questions like “Where I grew up,” “Favorite Family Traditions,” “What I did for fun,” “My least favorite job,” “My favorite ice cream flavor” and “A place I would like to visit”.

Whether you choose a card, fun gift or plan an “experience” together, the most important thing is letting them know how much they are loved!

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Happy Birthday to You!

Author: Holland Saltsman

May 18

As you may have read on my previous post entitled Birthday Buddy, I’m a big fan of doing something altruistic or cause related in lieu of gifts. However, for those wonderful people in my life who insist that I give them an idea of what I’d like or some kind of wish list at Christmas time, I’ve discovered the ultimate Universal Wish List  from amazon.

Universal Wish List allows you to add products from any website to your Amazon Wish List with one simple click, making it easier than ever to keep track of all the gifts you wish for, all in one place. It’s easy! Simply add the Universal Wish List button to your browser, and start shopping. When you see something you’d like on any website, just click the Add to Universal Wish List button, and the item will appear on your Amazon Wish List.

So I can be in uncommon goods, I Want One of Those, Amazing Clubs or any one of my favorite sites and link a much loved item to my amazon account. Then, if your list is public or open to certain folks, they can know what you are diggin’ at any time. Of course this is fabulous for organizing favorites for others as well.

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It’s All in the Cards

Author: Holland Saltsman

Apr 4

I’m in a constant quandry between wanting to be more “green” but still not wanting to give up a few things that mean a lot to me.  One of those special things is sending cards…for any and every occasion. I can hear the trees screaming when I place my Christmas card order or get sucked into a hilarious card from Hallmark that must be sent but these following companies help me feel much less guilty.

Bloomin’ Flower Cards carries cards for absolutely every occasion and the actual cards can be planted to grow the most beautiful flowers. It’s the perfect way to send a card & flowers but for a fraction of the cost. The company is uber earth friendly as the cards are made from 100% post-consumer paper, soy-based inks, and organic pigments. I used this company for my wedding invitations over a decade ago and I still have friends and relatives that have wildflowers coming back year after year. If you are looking beyond cards, Bloomin’ Flower Cards also carries paper sheets, garden tags, bookmarks and you can even get a bloomin’ calendar or “plant me” gift bags.

Another company that is working to keep it green is Slingshot Cards. Read the rest of this entry

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Birthday Buddy

Author: Holland Saltsman

Mar 28

Tired of getting candles / scented lotions for your own birthday or sick of more plastic toys for your kids?  Take a look at this phenomenal program I discovered last year called Birthday Buddy. This is currently through the St. Louis Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition but anyone from anywhere can participate or see if your own local agency has a similar program.

You can make a foster child’s birthday wishes come true by registering to be a Birthday Buddy!  As a Birthday Buddy, you ask your guests to bring birthday presents to donate to a foster child in lieu of gifts for you or your own child. There are currently over 4000 children in foster care in St. Louis and most children spend at least 2 birthdays in foster care.

It couldn’t be easier to become a birthday buddy: Read the rest of this entry

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The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Author: Holland Saltsman

Mar 10

A few years ago a friend of mine gifted me $25 on Kiva.org.  If you’ve never heard of Kiva, I strongly encourage you to take a look when you have a chance. Their tag line is “loans that change lives” and that quite accurately is what they do.

For as little as $25, you are able to loan someone in another country a portion of a loan they are requesting in order to start, expand or continue a business. You are able to sort through close to 1000 people and your search can be broken down into gender, sector (education, health, fool, etc.) and region. There is typically a photo and a paragraph outlining how much the person needs, what is will be used for, re-payment terms/schedule and any previous loans they have requested/repaid. Read the rest of this entry

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I’m ThirsTEA!

Author: Holland Saltsman

Mar 5

Speaking from experience as a current Starbucks addict, I have slowly forced myself to delve into the other warm beverage of choice – tea.  There continues to be claims of the power of tea over my beloved java so I decided I needed to see what all the fuss was about. My sister married an Englishman, and I always found amusement in her slow but inevitable slide from one team to the other (as it is really hard to play on both sides).  I’ve bought boxes, bags, a proper tea kettle and my results have been more than mixed.

I tried yerba mate for its wellness benefits (tasted like bark), orange ginger mint (too many competing tastes), the quintessential chamomile (blah) a “smooth move” one which should never be ingested if you plan on leaving you house and multiple others.  I even tried to like the “cure all” green tea, but read that you had to drink at least 5 cups (or something like that) to get any real health benefits and who has that kind of time…or bladder. Read the rest of this entry

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