Archives for August 2016

September 2016 Desktop Calendar

August 31, 2016 by bluemountainecards

Hello, September! We welcome a brand new month, a month that brings us back to busy schedules, lots of activities, and the beginning of a brand new season. Start the month off by choosing from five different downloadable desktop calendars. Enjoy, and remember to visit BlueMountain.com for more downloads, printables, and of course, cards.

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Back-to-School Ideas

August 22, 2016 by bluemountainecards

Summer is slowly coming to an end. Fall is just around the corner. And school is about to begin any day now. What an emotional time for everyone—kids, parents, and grandparents!

You have to admit, the start of a new school year conjures up many memories for us. Remember getting all those brand new school supplies (especially that cool big-kid box of 64 crayons with a built-in sharpener)? Those spiffy new school shoes? Maybe even a new outfit? Remember going to bed the night before the big day, all nervous, anxious, and excited at the same time? And remember not being able to sleep while checking your alarm clock every half hour?

08082016_BMA_BLOG_Roundup_Back_To_School 1. Photo Bookmarks via Nearly Crafty
2. Back-to-School Lunch Box Ideas via Vicky Barone
3. Free Printable First-Day-of-School Signs via Remodelaholic
4. Confetti Pencils via Make and Tell
5. Restoration Hardware Inspired Desk Organizer via Addicted 2 DIY
6. Free Printable Watercolor Notebook Covers via Eighteen25

Well, today’s kids are no different. They’re probably a little sad that summer’s over. They’re probably scared of what to expect, from classmates to classroom to teacher. And they’re probably as ready as they’ll ever be to face a new year of challenges, growth, and rewards.

Help make your child’s or grandchild’s adventure a little less stressful—and a lot more fun! Start by getting organized. This handy back-to-school checklist is divided by grade and should be a big help. Then send a cheerful card to get them in the right frame of mind and let them know you care.

We’ve also come up with some other creative ways to add more fun. For instance, make a cute bookmark using your child’s own photo. Spiff up some pencils to make them appear more festive. Cover notebooks with colorful inspirational quotes. Make an easy desk organizer. Get fresh ideas for a variety of healthy-yet-delicious lunches. Or print a sign for that adorable “first-day-of-school” photo in front of your house. You’re the one making happy memories now!

4 Ways Kids Can Be More Grateful

August 20, 2016 by bluemountainecards

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In this day and age, the most likely expression of gratitude a child may demonstrate is a “like” on their Facebook page or a “favorite” on their Twitter account. What can you do to teach your kids and grandkids about gratitude? A lot! One of the easiest places to start is when an occasion is coming up that they’re likely to receive gifts at. Here are four easy tips to get them started.

Before opening a gift, always look the giver in the eye and smile. This may seem like a very insignificant gesture, but in fact, it’s extremely important. Eye contact and appreciation before opening a gift shows that the receiver cares more about the giver as a person, no matter what the gift.
Express thanks before opening a gift. As another pre-opening gesture, saying “Thank you” prior to unwrapping a gift box shows appreciation for the giver’s thoughtfulness, regardless of how large or small the gift may be. This is, in fact, a crucial lesson to teach kids.
Genuinely express thanks again after opening a gift. This cannot be stressed enough. Even if your child is disappointed in the gift, they should refrain from making any negative facial expressions or comments. Instead, they should graciously thank the giver or tell them it was very thoughtful of them. (The concept of “It’s the thought that counts” will eventually be ingrained into them. Better sooner than later.)
Write a thank you note. No matter the size or cost of the gift, whether it was liked or not, or whether it was given in person or sent by mail, a handwritten thank you note/card is an absolute must. No ifs, ands, or buts. In the note, be sure your child mentions the name of the gift and something they liked about it or will do with it. The more personal and sincere the note, the better. And the sooner, the better as well.

Happy National Relaxation Day!

August 15, 2016 by bluemountainecards

When’s the last time you did nothing? In other words, when’s the last time you truly and completely relaxed? Summer came in with its usual whoosh of activity, which for many included corralling kids and grandkids to pool parties, picnics, road trips, and summer weddings. Plus, we all dug in deep with lots of lawn and garden care, too. And as the busy start of another school year inches closer, thank goodness a day like National Relaxation Day is here to give us all a well-deserved break.

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Sadly, for some reason, many of us think that we can’t afford to “do nothing,” or we feel guilty about taking it easy. But friends, doing nothing IS doing something – it’s giving yourself the time you need to renew and recharge – in body, mind, and spirit. If you don’t, you’ll drain just like batteries. You can tell yourself you don’t need to take a break, but your body, energy, focus, and outlook will all too soon catch up to you, waving a white flag of surrender. We all need to practice doing this better, so take care of you today and give these 5 ideas a try for slowing down and giving yourself a gift that’s long overdue.

Look up. Yes, this sounds easy and it is. Gazing upward stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers blood pressure and slows the pace of your breath. Count backward from 60 as you gaze at the sky, the stars, the ceiling, and a tree, anything— slow, deliberate counting will also help rid your mind of distractions.

Listen to music. While many styles of music are good for unwinding and relaxing, a band called Marconi Union, along with a group of sound therapists, came up with what they claim to be the most relaxing song ever called “Weightless,” that synchronizes your heart rate and brainwaves by maintaining a constant 60 BPM. As you listen, your heart rate gradually matches the beat, and a fall in heart rate also equals a fall in blood pressure. Give it a try!

Sleep. Yes, sweet sleep. Sleep in late or sleep the whole day long. Stay in your pajamas all day and binge-watch your favorite shows, sleep, read, sip tea, repeat. Ahh, makes you sleepy just reading that, doesn’t it? If you’ve been going non-stop lately with places to go and people to see, your body will love you for just lying still and giving it a much-deserved rest.

Enjoy a massage. Schedule a day at the spa with yourself or a few friends. Can’t make it to the masseuse? Try a hand massage for instant relaxation that can calm a pounding heart. Hands carry a lot of tension, so massages are especially helpful for people who spend lots of time typing on a keyboard, and these days that’s probably a good many of us. Choose your favorite lotion and knead the base of the muscle under the thumb to relieve tension in the shoulders, neck, and scalp. (Neat tip: Dripping cold water on your wrists and behind your earlobes can calm the whole body, as there are major arteries right underneath the skin in those areas.)

Laugh. You’ve heard that laughter is the best medicine, and it’s true! Laughter is one of the best ways to beat stress by increasing blood flow and boosting immunity. So watch a favorite funny movie, get together with your good friends, take in a comedy show, or watch your favorite YouTube videos and keep the laughs going all day.

We hope you take advantage of some of these easy ways to relax today. Invite a friend to try some of these ideas as well, and kick of National Relaxation Day by sharing this thoughtful eCard to wish them peace and relaxation today.

How do you like to relax? Have you tried some of these ideas mentioned today? We can never have enough ways to unwind, so please share your favorites with us!

Printable Lunchbox Notes

August 10, 2016 by bluemountainecards

There’s nothing that will brighten a child’s day or make them feel more loved than finding a special note from you to them in their lunch box. Maybe it’s their first day back to school and they’re feeling a bit sad and blue. Or maybe they’ve had a rough morning and could use a little pick-me-up. Or maybe they’re just plain missing you. Whatever the reason, a sweet, upbeat, smile-inducing message is sure to lift their spirits and make them feel all happy inside.

So just for you, our talented designers have come up with a set of 6 brightly colored notes that are super cute and especially appealing to kids. Print, cut, maybe add your own personal message, and tuck one into your child’s or grandchild’s lunch box. You’ll make it the best part of their day!

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Click here to download and print these adorable lunch box notes.

Top 10 Ways to Surprise & Delight your Best Friend (FREE desktop background)

August 5, 2016 by bluemountainecards

Your closest and dearest friend(s) will always have a special place in your heart. And you in hers. You know each other inside and out. You’ve gone through good times and bad. You’ve been there for each other through thick and thin. And there’s no one else you’d rather call your best friend.

But times change—and life happens. You don’t get to see each other as often as you once did. You don’t keep in touch as often as you’d like. And you suddenly somehow feel that an occasional phone call just isn’t enough.

You’d like to change that now. You’d like to reach out to her in some very special way and surprise her with an act of appreciation for your deep friendship. Any ideas of how you’re going to do that?

Don’t give it another thought. Blue Mountain has done all the work for you and compiled a list of 10 fun and exciting ways to reconnect with your BFF. Pick one (or more!) and delight her today!

MAKE A SCRAPBOOK OR VIDEO
Compile a scrapbook or PowerPoint slideshow of the many pictures you have of you and your best friend together. If doing a video, add songs in the background that have a special meaning to you both. Don’t forget to add a personal message that will touch her heart. This will truly become a keepsake.

RECREATE PAST MEMORIES
What did you use to like to do together? Ride bikes? Go bowling? Shop at the mall? Visit an amusement park? Have sleepovers? Recreate that exact kind of day with little notes that will remind her of your past shared memories and inside jokes.

HAVE DINNER TOGETHER
Visit a restaurant in a city that neither of you have ever been to before. Make reservations under your nicknames. Order for each other. Giggle the night away.

WATCH AN OLD SHOW
Rent an old movie that was a favorite of both of yours and laugh/cry through it together. Choose either a popular TV series (like “Leave it to Beaver,” “Father Knows Best,” or “I Love Lucy”) or a classic film (like “Gone with the Wind,” “Casablanca,” or “Titanic”). If a good chick flick about female friendship is more to your liking, choose “Thelma and Louise,” “Beaches,” or “Steel Magnolias.” And don’t forget the popcorn!

MAKE A RETRO DINNER
Cook dinner for your best friend that would be something you both loved as kids. Think retro. Your menu could include such all-time favorites as macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, salisbury steak or meatloaf with mashed potatoes and peas, chicken à la king, tuna casserole, TV dinners, deviled eggs, spinach dip in a hollowed-out bread bowl, cheese spread in a can with a nozzle plus crackers, baked Alaska, a gelatin mold, or S’mores.

SEND FLOWERS
It doesn’t matter if it’s a magnificent bouquet or a simple arrangement. The important thing is that your friend’s day is made that much brighter when she receives those beautiful flowers from you. You might also want to accompany them with an eCard that expresses your sentiments. For a helpful guide, here is what some flowers signify:

Amaryllis – splendid beauty
Birds of Paradise – joyfulness
Black-Eyed Susan – encouragement
Blue Violet – faithfulness
Carnation – pride and beauty
Chrysanthemum – cheerfulness in old age; fidelity
Gladiolus – strength of character
Heather – admiration
Lily – majesty
Pink carnation – gratitude
Yellow rose – friendship
Zinnia – thoughts of friends

SHARE A SPA DAY
Book an afternoon (or even a full day!) of pampering at the spa for the two of you. Choose from the variety of services offered—from manicures and pedicures, to facials, massages, and body treatments. Throw in a shampoo/style, makeup application, or lunch, too, if available. Then get ready to enjoy a truly restful and relaxing time together.

ENJOY AN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY
Think outside the box on this one. Maybe plant a garden together. Or go hiking (and enjoy a picnic lunch afterwards). Or play in a playground. Or fly kites. Or rollerblade. Or go kayaking. Or run a race. Or…frankly, the world is your oyster.

ATTEND A COOKING CLASS
There’s nothing that brings good friends together quite like food. Choose a class that will introduce a cuisine or technique that’s new to both of you. Then maybe schedule another evening to recreate at home what you learned in class. Don’t forget the wine! Bon appétit!

GET AWAY
Schedule a getaway weekend just for the two of you. It can be as exotic (a trip to Paris!) or as modest (tenting in a national park) as you’d like or can afford. The important thing is that you enjoy your time together and get a chance to catch up on old times!

And now we’d like to surprise and delight YOU, our dear reader, with a free desktop background featuring one of our most popular friendship quotes. To set as your desktop background, simply click the image, and when the new window appears, right click and choose “set as background.”

What to Write in Friendship Cards

August 3, 2016 by bluemountainecards

Casual friends come and go…but good friends last forever. So when it comes to sharing your sentiments and showing that special someone how much you appreciate their friendship, any time is the perfect time. That’s why friendship cards are especially appropriate: The whole reason to send one is no reason at all!

Maybe you just want to let them know how much they mean to you. Or to make them laugh. Or to simply put a smile on their face. After choosing the perfect friendship card or friendship ecard, there are plenty of options you can add to give your card that one-of-a-kind feeling. Quotes and unique messaging also make great additions. See some of our favorites below:

Friendship Quotes:

Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. _ Albert Camus
One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood. _ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. _ Aristotle“
A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” —William Shakespeare
“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” —Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” —Khalil Gibran
“A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.” —Douglas Pagels

Friendship Messages:

This card is sent with lots and lots of love to a friend who means so very much to me.

You’re the greatest…and I’m better because of you. Best friends forever, you and me!

I’m thinking of you and realizing—once again—what a special friend you are, and how incredibly lucky I am to have you in my life!

I thank you for your friendship, which is a truly precious gift indeed.

Looking forward to many, many more years of laughter, fun, and friendship—together!

I am genuinely blessed to have you as my friend. To many more years ahead!

Even though we don’t see each other often, when we talk it’s as if no time has passed at all, and I love that.

You listen with an open heart and are always there for me with support and a kind word.

I truly treasure our friendship and can’t imagine life without you in it.

You always manage to see the best in me even when I can’t see it for myself.

Thanks so much for being my lifeline during the difficult times—I couldn’t ask for a better friend than you!

Sending a note to you, my friend, to brighten your day as you have done for me so many times before.

August 2016 Desktop Calendar

August 1, 2016 by bluemountainecards

Happy August!We’re holding on to summer as long as we can around here, and to celebrate this beautiful month we have five different downloadable desktop calendars for you to choose from. Enjoy, and remember to visit BlueMountain.com for more downloads, printables, and of course, cards!