Three Ways To Say Thanks That They’ll Remember

As a child my mom taught me to say “Thank You” after someone did something kind ( especially after I was given a gift). As an adult, a simple thank you has not lost its power. Showing gratitude to others makes you feel good but also shows them that you appreciate them. There are so many ways to say thank you and I realize that it can be challenging to find the perfect way to express your appreciation to someone. Let’s cover three effective ways to say thank you that are intentional and memorable.

LEARN THE RECIPIENTS LOVE LANGUAGE

Expressing gratitude is not a one size fits all venture. One tool that I have found effective when planning a thank you is The 5 Love Languages Quiz. If you have never heard of it, the 5 Love Languages were developed by Dr. Gary Chapman and they categorize the 5 unique ways that make people feel the most loved. Most people tend to show love and gratitude based on their love language but the problem with that is that the way you receive love may not be the same way the person best receives it. If you are not aware fo their love language your acts of love may get lost in translation! Knowing the love language of the person receiving your “thank you” makes your gesture more thoughtful and meaningful. The Love Languages are broken up into 5 categories:

• Words Of Affirmation

• Gifts

• Acts Of Service

• Quality Time

• Physical Touch

You can learn what your top love languages are by taking this quiz. Once you determine what the person's top love languages are you can begin to plan how to best show gratitude to them. For example, if their top love language is Words Of Affirmation you may want to write them a letter or verbally shower them with words of gratitude. You can also get creative an

GIVE THOUGHTFUL + PERSONALIZED GIFTS

I received this “L” Container as a gift. It is a great example of a personalized gift that made me feel special and appreciated.

Most people respond well to gifts that they can tell had a lot of thought put into them. One way to make sure that your gift is memorable is to make sure that it reflects the personality of the person receiving it. To find out what they like, listen closely to the little things that they mention during casual conversations and consider their style, hobbies, and favorite things. Examples include monogrammed bags or engraved jewelry and for a more low key option…get them a slice of their favorite cake their favorite bakery.

Personalization gives you the chance to infuse their personality and identity into the gift. As an example, a received this ceramic container (pictured above) with the letter L on it as a Christmas gift last year. The personalized touch let me know that the person was thinking of me and considering my style which this gift reflected effortlessly. If you are having a hard time choosing a personalized gift then ask yourself questions such as What do they Like?, What have they been mentioning that they wanted?, and What do they need? Sites like Vista Print and Things Remembered have all sorts of customized gifts from coffee mugs and t-shirts to engraved liquor flasks and photo frames which make giving a personalized gift so easy.

WRITE THEM A HAND WRITTEN NOTE

Square Collage Graduation Thank You Card from Basic Invite

Remember when we had Pen Pals? Remember the excitement of opening an envelope to read a note from someone and how impactful that was?In my opinion, putting pen to paper to say thank you is one of the most traditional yet most slept on ways to say thank you. In a digital world where texting and social media make up the majority of how we communicate, taking the extra time to send a hand-written message is an unexpected and appreciated gesture.

I adore this Hello Modern Business Stationery by Basic Invite. I was able to customize the card with my contact info so that my customers can stay I touch.

When I want to get extra fancy and really make an impression I send thank you cards . Thank you cards are a classy way to show your appreciation to someone. I customize my thank you cards online using Basic Invite which is a site that allows you to create truly custom cards and invites for every occasion. You can create everything from unique college graduation announcements, to wedding invitations, custom stationary (like thank you cards and more.

CLEARLY CREATIVE

How stunning is this translucent graduation announcement? Basic Invite makes it easy to think out of the box with invites and stationary because everything is totally customizable so you could easily use this template to create a thank you note!

If you are interested in trying out Basic Invite be sure to check them out or follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. Basic Invite made it super easy for me to create thank you cards and stationery that fit my modern yet classic aesthetic. Stationary is a great gift especially if the person you have in mind has a business or enjoys stationary. Not only is sending someone a hand-written thank you note thoughtful, it is a small gesture that makes a huge statement that will leave an everlasting positive impression.

Last but not least remember that you do not have to save gestures of gratitude for special occasions. Let your loved ones know that you are grateful for them often, especially in the times that we are currently in. I hope that these three tips helped you to brainstorm new ways to say “ thank you” to the people you care for. I want to hear from you! Let me know your favorite way to show gratitude in the comments below. Speaking of gratitude, thank you for your support!

I leave you in Love, Peace, and Style,

Lonnie

What I Buy At Trader Joe's

What’s Up Classmates,

Trader Joe’s is my favorite place to shop for unique everyday and specialty grocery items. If you have never shopped at TJ’s it is a grocery store that specializes in great customer service and providing healthy and creative ingredients and products at a low cost. They have their own line of products that are flavorful, healthy and good quality A couple of weeks ago, I went to TJ’s here in New York City and racked up on some goods and I am sharing what I got with you!

I recently went to Trader Joe’s and stocked up! I am giving you all of the tea on the items that I purchased in my latest YouTube video. Click below to see what I got. Click here to find a Trader Joe’s location near you. If you are a Trader Joe’s shopper, let me know what you like to get from Trader Joe’s. I have provided you a list of the items I purchased below!

I leave you in love,peace and style,

Lonnie

New Years 2020 Brunch Party Recap + Video

Hey Classmates,

On January 4th 2020 I hosted an intimate new years celebration at my home in New York City. The title and theme was Glitter and Glitz. The decor followed suite with a black, gold and silver color palette. My goal was to plan an event that sparkled with great energy, and shined with hope for a prosperous new year!

I purchased most of the dinnerware and decor from Five Below , Dollar Tree and Target.

I created the invitation using Paperless Post ‘s flyer feature which allows you to create a custom url for your flyer which can be sent as a text message directly to your guests. I invited about 11 guests and 6 attended.

I hand crafted a brunch menu that featured everything from baked salmon to homemade waffles and sweet potato hash.

You can view the full menu below.

No brunch is complete without bottomless mimosas! I created a Mimosa Making bar complete with an assortment of juices (orange, grapefruit, pineapple) and all the champagne you could drink.

Once the guests arrived they enjoyed food and drink and were instructed to write a work or phrase on the Resolutions wall to describe how they are going to approach 2020. Once everyone wrote a word or phrase we all shared and expounded upon what we write with the group.

I set up my ring light and took 2 polaroids with each guest. I kept one photo and the guest took one home in their favor bags which were filled with homemade hot chocolate packages and cookies!

We also played a Pop Culture Decades Trivia game where I googled movies and music from the last decade and participants had to guess the answers based on clues. Let’s just say it was a walk down memory lane!

All and all the party was a success because it was intentional, inspirational and engaging. I look forward to hosting more events in 2020 so stay tuned. Check out my YouTube channel for a full video recap of the party!.

Until next time, I leave you in love, peace and style,

Lonnie

How to Plan a Party on a Budget

I love to entertain but I will be first to admit that hosting an event is time consuming and can get expensive really quickly. Over the years I have discovered a few tricks that help to make the party planning and execution process more enjoyable.

In June I hosted a Rosé themed party. In this blog post I will be sharing some of my party planning and hosting secrets to show you how I brought my vision to life and how I saved money by doing it all myself!

Parties can get really expensive really fast! Setting a budget means determining how much money you want to spend for all of the expenses associated with the party.

Choosing a theme for your party early on in the planning process gives you a direction to go in with the food, activities and decor. If you do not already have a theme in mind you can use Pinterest for inspiration.

To better illustrate my party planning tips I will be using a recent party that I hosted as a case study. I knew that I wanted my party to celebrate the Summer season so I came up with the idea of hosting the Rosé Soiree. The idea was to create a small gathering where my guests could enjoy each others company, delicious food and various rosé varieties. This wine tasting at a vineyard.

A theme sets the overall tone and the vibe is how you manifest the theme using the 5 senses at the event.

Questions to ask as you are developing your theme:

1. How do I want my guests to feel at the event?

2. How do I want my guests to feel after they leave the event?

3. What does my theme look like?

4. What does my theme feel like?

5. What does my theme taste like?

6. What does my theme sound like?

I wanted the vibe of my party to be modern, Chic, with earthy, organic, feminine elements.

Color really sets the tone when party planning. Choosing a color scheme helps you to maintain a cohesive aesthetic for every item related to the event. Having color references makes shopping and planning a breeze because you are not left wondering what colors to choose for utensils, plates balloons etc.

I drew color inspiration from the pink color of rosé wine and the metallic elements

COLOR SCHEME

Soft Pink • Rose Gold • Champagne • Metallic Gold

COOLORS.COM has an amazing color scheme selection tool if you need to explore color scheme options.

How your guests find out about your event is very important. Invitations are their first impression of what to expect at the event and 1st impressions are the only impressions in my book. I always assure that my invitation embodies the essence of the event itself. Everything from the colors you use to the words you use matter. Nowadays most people are using web based digital invites because they save money , time and the planet! Most people throw away paper invitations anyway!

I created my invitation using Paperless Post. This online invite building site offers hundreds of free templates and their “flyer” option allows you to send your guests a url that links directly to your invitation and the best part is that they can RSVP without creating an account.

I believe that food and drink really make a party memorable. My number one tip when formulating a menu is to choose a cuisine. This will make choosing your menu items much easier because you are working within a limited cuisine category. For instance if you choose American Comfort Food, you can now work within that category to find menu items.

For the Rosé Soiree I choose a Mediterranean Small plates themed menu. An image of the menu is below. I made everything with the exception of the pita, hummus and falafel.

MEDITERRANEAN GRAZING PLATTER

Assorted Vegetables, Falaffel, Pita,

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Tzatziki

KABOBS

Shrimp / Chicken / Vegetable

ISRALI COUSCOUS SALAD

Pearled CousCous, Tomato,

Cucumber, Lemon Dressing

GREEK SALAD

Romaine, Spring Greens, Kalamata Olives, Red Onion, Grape Tomato, Feta, Greek Vinaigrette

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE CUPCAKES

Select Recipes From The Rose Sioree Menu

- Veggie Party Platter

- Chicken Skewers

I wanted to keep the decor minimal for my party, simple and casual. I turned to amazon where I found this paper pennant and paper tassel set they were under $10. They were both pretty easy to put together but the tassels were more time consuming because you had to construct each one individually.

The Menu

I designed the menu using Canva.com. I printed it out on eggshell paper and attached it to a clip board for a casual vibe. I embellished the clipboard by making a bow out of the handle of a brown shopping bag. Once I formed the bow I attached it with a bit of hot glue.

DIY Tools to always have on hand

• Scissors

• Hot Glue Gun

• Ruler

• Level

• Tape

• Sharpie Markers

• Thumb Tacks

• Pens/Pencils

• Exacto Knife

• Paper Clips

How To Grocery Shop Smarter

If you know me personally or follow me on Instagram, you know that I cook for myself pretty frequently. Mostly on Sundays when I meal prep for the week. I find myself grocery shopping multiple times a week and I use to enjoy grocery shopping but since moving to New York City, the pleasure of walking up and down my favorite aisles has faded a bit.

Why you ask? Well, in a city with a population of over 8 million people, buying food sometimes feels like an athletic competition. In NYC I’ve experienced longer lines and checkout wait times. I’m talking long LONG… like wrapped around the store long.

Live footage of the checkout line at the Whole Foods Union Square Location Pure Chaos!

Often times NYC grocery stores are smaller than the one’s I am used to from back home in Baltimore, so sometimes there is a shortage of inventory (especially in certain neighborhoods, but that’s for another blog post though! #foodequality). Over the years I have discovered a few NYC grocery shopping hacks that are sure to help you shop smarter no matter where you live but especially if you live in a busy city. On a quest to free all of us from the grocery shopping woes, here are 5 Tips On How To Grocery Shop Smarter In NYC

Many consumers tend to shop in the evening (after work) or on weekends . are midday on weekends and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays when most people are getting off of work. Shopping in a big city during these peak times can extend your shopping time and your lack of patience!

Shop Early. The early bird gets the worm and the eary shopper gets in an out of the store faster. Try getting to the grocery store shortly after it opens. This will increase your chances of getting access to the best inventory and to avoid those who are sleeping in late. Monday and Tuesday are good days to shop and to avoid the busy weekend crowd.

Having a grocery list when you go shopping is not a new tip but I feel that it is one that needs reinforcing. Preparing a list before you get to the store helps you to stay focused on only the items you need which will help you to get in and out faster without wasting time. I use my iPhone Notes app to keep my list but you can also keep it old school and use paper and pen. You can create your list based on the meals you plan on making that week and also by refreshing pantry basics. Below is a sample of a regular list that I use.

I suggest keeping a running list and adding to it before your trip or online shopping session. Shoplist or Anylist are great free grocery list apps

Not having a car is a disadvantage when grocery shopping in NYC because you can only carry but so many bags on your person. Bringing a portable shopping cart or buddy is a helpful way to stock up on groceries and transport them home. If you don’t have a utility cart, I highly suggest that you bring a backpack which makes carrying heavier items more barable. The Large blue Ikea FRAKTA Shopping Bags also serve as great grocery transportation options because they are deep and can fit alot and the straps are perfect for throwing over your shoulder.

There are several delivery services such as Instacart and PeaPod that will deliver your groceries right to your doorstep. Ordering your groceries from the comfort of your home helps you avoid the crowds and grocery story stress all together. I have used grocery delivery before and it is convenient however there are some cons. 1) You cannot hand select your own produce 2) Its slightly more expensive due to delivery fees and minimum order limitation 3) it’s a less experiential experience. There is something euphoric and cathardic about walking the aisles in the flesh! Also, check in with the managers of your local grocery store to see if they offer home delivery services

Back in Baltimore we called getting an unofficial paid ride from a stranger a “Hack” but with the ever present and rising popularity of ride sharing services like Uber, Lyft and Via you can call a ride home from the grocery store within seconds. Catching a ride home gives you the opportunity to buy more groceries at one time so that you make less frequent weekly trips to the grocery store. This is really important in a big city because if you are like me, you do not own a car, catching a ride home really alleviates alot of stress from the grocery store trip