Wednesday, December 13, 2023

How to get organized for Christmas and Wrap Presents

‘Tis the season! If the daily countdown until Christmas is making you anxious because there is so much to do, we have some tips and tricks to make your holiday less haggard.  Plus, we will show you a few ways to dress up your holiday packaging to really make gift giving feel extra special. 

 

Tip #1: 

Get organized! We recommend creating a spreadsheet with all the people that you need to buy gifts for.  In the first column, add their name.  In the second column, add what you bought or gift ideas that you may have. In the third column, include the price (including shipping).  This will really help you next year determine your holiday budget and keep track of all your holiday expenses this year.  Include everyone that is on your list including teachers, household contributors (such as a cleaning lady or landscaper), neighbors, Secret Santa, holiday party host, and of course, your friends and family.  In the fourth and final column, mark whether the item has been received and keep this up to date.  Especially in the world of online ordering, you want to make sure that what you have ordered and been charged for actually makes it to your home! (We are still missing several Black Friday packages...) 

 

To make things even easier, we created a free simple holiday gift tracker for you to print and use below! 




Tip #2: 

Order your wrapping supplies early.  Wrapping supplies not only include your wrapping paper but gift boxes, gift bags, tissue paper, tape, scissors, gift tags, shipping labels, and gift stickers.  For bulk wrapping paper, bows, boxes, and tissue, we love Nashville Wraps.  They ship lightning fast and are very affordable.  


We love four items from More Than Paper to add to your gift wrapping supplies. 

 

-       A personalized hanging gift tag.  We affix this to packages and then write on the back, or up top, to whom the gift is for. 



-       A personalized gift sticker with a holiday message from our family. 



-       A personalized gift sticker with a blank recipient name and “with love, Santa” personalized sentiment. This makes gift giving for the kids quick, easy, and stylish! 



-       Holiday shipping labels for shipping packages.  These holiday shipping labels give an extra special touch to your mailings!  We personalize the front address for quick and shipping labels. 

 

Store these items together in one easily accessible place.  We suggest wrapping presents as they come in or as you buy them.  Don’t wait to wrap all the gifts at once or you will have wrapping fatigue! We set up a station of sorts in our kitchen with all the supplies handy that we can put out and then put away. Turn on some holiday music or a holiday movie and get in the spirit! 

 

Tip #3: 

To make your holiday card sending a breeze, the first step is to get your recipients addresses in order. Address management for your contacts can be a full-time job if done only once a year, so do your best to keep up with it all year round.  We recently found a great contact management solution called Postable.  You can get a customized address link and send it via text message to friends & family, requesting them to input the data like name, address, birthday, anniversary, email & even details about their children.  This gives them the job of data entry and all the information gets put into your database. This has been invaluable, and we highly recommend a tool like this! 

 

When it comes time to sending your cards, you can import the data from your Postable account into an Avery label template to make holiday address labels. Be sure to order your cards from More Than Paper! We have a selection of quick turn cards shown below. 


 

Tip #4: 

Carefully plan your holiday menu in advance. First, gather your guests input (for this, we really mean the picky children eaters at our table…), think about allergies of your guests, and peruse magazines and Pinterest.  Build out your menu including your appetizers, entrée, dessert, cocktails, and mocktails on paper.  From there, you can carefully and meticulously make one list.  (Pro Tip: outsource the appetizer and dessert to capable guests.  We like using a cute holiday notepad for our list making… but that’s just us!  Perhaps you even want to print your menu on festive paper like this one. 


 

Pine & Berries Imprintable Blank Stock Holiday Letterhead by Masterpiece Studios

 

With these simple organization tips, we hope that your holiday is easier, less stressful, and more enjoyable.  What are your holiday tips to make things less stressful and easier? Share them with us here or on our Facebook page! 

 

Wishing you Happy Holidays! 

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

How To Take Your Own Holiday Card Photos

Photo greeting cards are a popular choice when it comes to sending holiday cards in the mail.  They tend to be a less expensive option, and there are no shortage of styles from which to choose!  Traditional, modern, whimsical, colorful… there’s something for everyone!  More than the design, what makes a really good photo greeting card?  We think it is the quality of the photograph you place on the card! We also tend to think less photos can be a stronger statement than cramming a bunch of photos into a small card. That is, only if you have a really great photo! 

 

Many people choose to hire professional photographers to capture the whole family.  While we do love a good professional photo shoot, it isn’t always budget friendly and sometimes it can be hard to schedule! 

 

How can you get a winning photo to use without hiring a professional?  We have a few ideas for you!   These are general tips that you can use with just your Smart Phone.  

 

Find a friend, neighbor (or go completely DIY) 

First things, first. Ask your neighbor, friend, or neighborhood babysitter to come over and take some family photos.  You’ll need 15-20 minutes of their time. If you are unable to get someone, iPhone has a countdown timer that you can set.  You can get an inexpensive tri-pod that holds an iPhone or Smart Phone on Amazon, too! 

 

Plan your outfits 

While matching outfits can make for a great photo, we tend to prefer coordinating colors and even throwing in patterns to give a cohesive but not corny look.  Choose a color combination, such as khaki and blue, and look for shirts and pants within that. Jeans is always also a classic look.  Another idea? Dress everyone in holiday pajamas! 

 

Plan your setting 

In almost all cases, photos taken with natural light is preferred.  We recommend shooting in the evening, right before sunset and never shooting during the height of the sun. (Avoid the hours of 10 am – 4 pm).   We love the idea of shooting photos around the Christmas tree at night, too.  Turn off overhead lights, don’t use a flash, and just use the light of the tree!  You could also prepare hot chocolate and have everyone sitting around the table talking.  Sometimes the most natural settings and actions can produce the most authentic photos. 

 

Know Your Phone 

Some basic advice but make sure to have your phone charged.  Shoot in the right camera “mode.”  For iPhone, use the live setting so that you can work around closed eyes and funny expressions when editing.  Try several using the portrait mode.  Your exposure (amount of light that the shutter lets in) can be adjusted.  On your iPhone at the top, you can adjust the exposure to let more light in if it’s dark.  

 

Edit or Not Edit 

With high-quality cameras in our pockets and a plethora of online editing tools at our disposal, it is very easy to get a high-quality result.  If you need to edit after the shoot, try Adobe Lightroom to brighten your photos. Remember that is almost always easier to make a photo brighter, you ca not easily make a bright photo darker (hence why it is best to avoid very sunny photo shoots).   

 

In these apps, you can adjust the light and add filters that suit the mood.  (We tend to shy away from the over-filtered look).   Other photo editing apps to try are Snapseed, VSCO, Pixlr, and Afterlight.   

 

 

With these simple tips, you are sure to have a great holiday photo to use for your holiday photo greeting cards! The hardest part will be choosing which card to use. Here are some of our recent favorites.  

 

This Beloved Season Foil Pressed card has real foil and has the option for different die-cut shapes. A simple and festive message, this card has room for just one perfect photo! 


 

Digital Holiday Photo Cards by Stacy Claire Boyd (Beloved Season Foil Pressed)

 

We also really like these “Fa La La” whimsical greeting cards that feature a full photo. They are available in 130 lb or 260 lb weight. 


Digital Holiday Photo Cards by Dabney Lees - Fa La La LaLa La with Foil

 

This card has an abstract “Merry” message that helps feature the photo that you choose. 

 - This card is also available with two paper weights. 



 Digital Holiday Photo Cards by PicMe Prints (Abstract Merry)

 

 

Finally, we have so many holiday photo mount card options – many with “create-your-own” features allowing you to specify the foil accent color as well as various background and trim colors.

 

One of our all-time favorites! 


Holiday Photo Mount Cards by Sweet Pea Designs - Inline Beaded Border With Foil

Holiday Photo Mount Cards by Sweet Pea Designs - Inline Beaded Border With Foil

 

 

You can see more here! 


 

We can’t wait to start seeing your photos and holiday card orders stream in!  Remember, we can help you design something that perfectly complements your photo!

 

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Fall Football Entertaining

We can hear the unmistakable 4 musical notes signaling just one thing….. football!  It’s back and there’s something about the sports season that brings such comfort and excitement to Americans. It’s here and back in a big way. 

Even if you are not a huge fan of one team or even the game itself, one can find joy in hearing player success stories, having your family and friends gathered on the couch, and we find that it is a perfect excuse to cook and entertain. What game? It’s just another excuse for a party! 

 

More Than Paper has you covered this Fall ’23 Football Season with some fun food and décor items to keep it festive and fun for all your football entertaining.  


What To Eat 

Above all, we love serving sliders for football games. They are the perfect finger food and are substantial enough to make a meal of it. Everyone can graze along throughout the game. Have one, have 4 – whatever suits you!  You can get creative with your sliders – they aren’t just burgers, either. Here are some slider ideas: 

 

-       Chicken Parmesan Sliders 

-       Taco Sliders

-       Italian Meatball Sliders

-       BBQ Chicken Sliders

-       Ham & Cheese Sliders 

-       Pulled Pork Sliders 

-       French Dip Sliders

-       Buffalo Chicken Sliders 

-       Reuben Sliders 


Other nibbles that we like to serve on game day are: 

 

-       Pigs in a blanket

-       Sausage Balls 

-       Crab roll ups

-       Pizza Puffs or Mini-Pizzas 

-       Little Smokies 

-       Chicken Wings 

-       Bacon crisp crackers 

-       Spinach Balls 

 

And of course, what game day would be complete without chips/dip or veggies and dip? Ones that we love: 

 

-       Spinach & Artichoke dip 

-       Siracha Chicken Dip 

-       Louisiana Shrimp Dip 

-       7 Layer Dip 

-       Greek 7 Layer Dip 

-       Beef Enchilada Dip 

 

We love trying recipes out on Pinterest. Visit Pinterest and type in any of these menu ideas and you will find a host of bloggers ready to provide you with recipes. What will you choose? 



Serving Your Food 

We like to set up a football-themed table with football-themed serving pieces in the dining room, which is close to the game. There are all sorts of table runners you can score off Amazon.  For serving dishes that are festive, try this one found at More Than Paper that work great for sliders and other big items.


Your personalized football plate will be used for seasons and you’ll have fun pulling it out each fall.  These platters are made from Thermosaf® resin and are shatterproof, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, oven safe for warming up to 300°. They are also BPA free, melamine free and made in the U.S.A.!  Personalize it with your last name or initials or monogram. 


Platters by Kelly Hughes Designs (Football)


We also have this corresponding Lucite Tray available in small or large that work well for serving drinks!
Large Lucite Trays by Kelly Hughes Designs (Football)

You can really amp up your drink serving game and consider these foil-stamped personalized napkins with a football theme.  Choose your team name or your own last name and get creative with how you personalize the napkins. 


Football Personalized 3-Ply Napkins by Embossed Graphics


And how about some personalized drinkware to top off your decorations! These cups come in clear or frosted finish. The frosted ones are reusable and top-rack dishwasher safe so you can use them all season!

 

Football Party Tumblers by Rytex

Be sure to check our website for football stationery and invitations, too. If you are hosting a football-themed birthday party or hosting a Superbowl party, you may want to send paper invitations that are more formal but still cute and festive.  Check out all your options here.

 

Wishing you a great football season in 2023. Whether you are just there for the snacks and entertaining or you’re a die-hard fan, we hope you embrace the season and all that it has to offer.  Share your pictures of football entertaining on our Facebook page!

 




Monday, August 7, 2023

Pickleball Craze

Three dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities created the game of Pickleball in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, WA.  If it was invented in the 60s, you wouldn’t know it.  Its rise in popularity seems to have hit a feverish pitch over the last few years. The growth has been exponential!  In fact, it’s the fastest growing sport in the U.S. for the third year in a row and estimated that 36,000,000 Americans are playing it.  The commercial market for it is huge! In 2022, it was about $1.3 billion and expected to be a $2.3 billion industry by 2028! 
 
Pickleball has clearly been embraced and, interestingly, embraced by people of all ages. (Reportedly, the fastest growing age group is under 24 – lest you thought it was for retirees!)  People love how social and inclusive it is, how it does seem to be for all ages, and there’s very little learning curve.  All you really need is some hand-eye coordination and the willingness to learn (and a paddle, court, and balls!) 
 
It’s also probably best you find someone that is already into it, knows the rules, and can give you a few tips! The game is played on a badminton-sized court. It’s most often played as doubles, though you can also play singles. Each side has a no-volley zone which is called “the kitchen” – no player can hit a volley from there. There a few rules like your serve must be underhand, the ball must bounce on both sides before either team can volley, and you only win points on your serve.  You continue serving until you lose a point.  The first team to 11 points wins, but you must win by 2.  For more rules, follow this handy guide that we found online! It gives a great overview to the sport that does seem relatively simple. 

Of course, More Than Paper has picked up on the trend and we are pleased to share that we have a variety of Pickleball-related gifts (joining in on that $1.3 billion dollar market!) These gifts are perfect for your teammates, your Pickle friends who are having a birthday or need a pick me up, or a great hostess gift when you are visiting a pickler. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite gifts! 

From notepads to towels to cosmetic bags, we have the gifts that will make them smile.  

Cute Collection Notepads by Donovan Designs - Pickleball

Embroidered Cosmetic Bags - Love Pickleball Bittie Bags

Chubbie Notepads by Donovan Designs (To Do After Pickleball)

Embroidered Towels - Pickleball
 
When it comes to Pickleball style, we have cute bags for the players on the court. Check out these Pickleball Bags. 
 
This navy trimmed embroidered pickleball bag is a classy choice.  It’s made of heavy-duty, cotton-linen blend. It has adjustable straps on the cross-body style bag.  Also very functional, the wipeable lined interior with zip pocket keeps your bag clean and organized! 

Navy Trimmed Pickleball Bag by CB Station
 
We also love this retro-style Pickleball bag! Personalize it with your name, initials, or monogram in a variety of typestyles and color choices.  Visit here to see your options! 

Natural Trimmed Pickleball Bag by CB Station
Drop us a comment in the comments section if you have picked up on this craze… are you a pickler? Have you fallen in love with the fastest growing sport in the country? We want to hear from you! 

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

It's Wine Time!

Whether you enjoy the occasional glass or are nearly a sommelier (or somewhere in between), this post is for you! 

 

Hosting With Wine

 

Wine is enjoyed and appreciated by millions of people around the world. Enjoyed responsibly, it can be a fun way to discover regions across the world and new flavors, as well as bring people together.  Of course, wine paired with food can be a delicious experience and wonderful way to socialize. 

 

If you are hosting a dinner party, it can be daunting to choose the wine that best accompanies what you are serving.  We find that your local liquor store or wine seller can usually point you in the right direction.  (Though we also found this great ultimate guide by Food & Wine Magazine. Click here to view what wines the editors bring to dinner parties!) 

 

How much wine to purchase for a dinner party is also always daunting (and we tend to err on more is always better!  No one likes to run out.)  Plan on 2-3 glasses per person and you should be safe!  Go with less if you know that your guests are cocktail drinkers, or if you plan to serve an after-dinner drink. 

 


Gifting with Wine 

 

Wine also makes a great gift for many occasions, and More Than Paper has some wine accessories for the wine enthusiast!  These wine finds work well for housewarming, hostess, or holiday gifts.  

 

Take this Four Bottle Wine Carrier that can be personalized! This bag can hold up to 4 bottles of wine without straining or breaking and is made of sturdy natural canvas. The bag is available in a variety of colors, and you can personalize as you see fit with your choice of typestyle, monogram, name, or initials.  See all the colors & options by visiting here. The wine enthusiast will surely love this as a gift, or splurge on it for yourself! 


Black Four Bottle Wine Carriers by CB Station

 

For hot summer days, cool spring nights, and for all your outdoor entertaining, we love this virtually unbreakable acrylic serving ware.  This wine cooler keeps your wine chilled and has stylish options for personalization. 


Personalized Unbreakable Wine Cooler

 

Personalized wine tags are a great item to have on hand.  Grab a bottle of wine and add your tag and bring it along to any dinner party or get-together as a hostess gift. We like personalizing it by saying, “Cheers!” and adding our last name.  There are a variety of seasonal options – if you think you will use only a few throughout the year, try a design style that works all year round like this one: 


Personalized Wine Bottle Tags by Dabney Lee - Block Island


 

Attending a lot of events this summer?  What about these stylish, nautical themed wine tags shown here. 


Personalized Wine Bottle Tags by Boatman Geller (Anchors Navy)

 

And don’t forget about this fun little hostess gift or anytime gift for a wine-loving friend. This notepad, “Cheaper than Therapy” is good for anyone who needs a laugh. Sometimes a glass of wine with a friend truly is cheaper than therapy.  Know who could get a laugh from it? Buy it now here. 

 

Doodle Notepads by Donovan Designs (Cheaper Than Therapy)

 


Wine for You 

 

If you are looking to upgrade your own wine glass collection, consider this set of 4 stemless wine glasses that can be personalized. Priced at 1 set for $65.00, you simply cannot beat the price of 4 stemless wine glasses! We love the personalization options, too. Be sure to check them out! 


Personalized Wine Glass Stemless Tumbler - Set of 4

We also were curious about wine-of the-month clubs and wine delivery services these days! It seems like new ones are popping up regularly. If this is something that is also interesting to you, here are some wine clubs that we found (Note: MTP has no affiliation with these companies). 

 

 

-       Bright Cellars: Get 6 bottles for just $70, shipped directly to your door! You can get a personalized experience by taking a short quiz. 

-       Wine of the Month Club: this boasts as the original shipped direct to you wine club.  As the oldest mail wine order club in America, it promises expert knowledge and fair prices. 

-       Naked Wines: This had very good reviews for customer service and a nice selection of wines in various price points. 

 

 

Have you tried a wine club or wine shipped direct to your door?  Is there something you are looking to see at More Than Paper that is related to wine? Drop us a comment here or on Facebook! We’d love to hear from you! 

 

 

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Summer Bucket List Creation

Ahhh, summer.  It’s here!  School is out, camp is in session, and families are adjusting to new routines. What time does sailing camp start this week, again? Where are the kids supposed to go next week?  Do they need water shoes and a rash guard?  

It can get a little nutty if you are not organized, so More Than Paper has some tips to help you manage these new schedules and create new routines.  Also, we have some tips to ensure that you get to enjoy the summer, too. Isn’t that what it is all about? This 2023 will be your best one yet!

 

STAY STRESS-FREE 

Stress usually arises from being disorganized or when there is a lot of unknown.  Take control and write it down!  Being organized and planning will help you feel in control.  We’re big fans of paper organizers where you can write things down (digital calendars just aren’t the same.) Here are a few cute options.  Fill this one in with your reminders and notes – water shoes won’t be forgotten, after all!


Chubbie Notepads by Donovan Designs (Madeline)


 

What about this one for getting the whole family organized?  We love that there are slots to include every family members’ activities by day.  The organizer is in pad format so you can tear it off when the week is done and start new! 


Great Gifts by Chatsworth - Activity Calendar Pad


 

 

ENJOY THE SUMMER  

Even if you work and aren’t taking much (or any) vacation this summer, we hope that you will get to actually enjoy the season and the carefree nature that it can offer.  Make sure to maximize the weather, the longer sunlight hours and be sure to get outdoors!  This can be done by changing up your routine and walking in the morning or an evening walk when you get home.  Squeeze in a game of pickleball or tennis or take a swim in a nearby pool.  

 

Another idea?  Create a summer bucket list.  Create a list of all the things that you want to do this summer. Be it a drive-in movie, an adventure to the waterpark, or an alfresco seafood dinner – think big and be intentional about how you will create memories.  Jot the ideas down on a “bucket list” pad like this one!  You can even personalize the notepad with your name, last name or initials. 

 

Notepads by iDesign - Bucket List (Chunky)


 

We also love the idea of planning a dinner party with friends and family.  Do you have an outdoor dining area?  Create one! Use nonbreakable plattersplates, and other outdoor serving ware to keep your everyday (and good) china safe.  We have splurge-worthy entertaining sets at More Than Paper that actually aren’t much of a splurge. 


Personalized Tritan Entertaining Set



 

Planning ahead will ensure a fantastic summer so get on it! Enjoy all that this summer has to offer. We hope it is a great one!