Oh, Baby! 5 Super Creative Pregnancy Announcements

You’re having a baby! Of life’s great announcements, a new bundle of joy is one of the most special and exciting pieces of information you will ever reveal to your friends and family. While some might prefer to share their news in an intimate and private reveal, others will want to shout it from the rooftops! Whatever your flavor, here is a list of five of our favorite pregnancy announcement ideas. 

Share It With a Scratch Off!

 

Everyone loves a Scratch Off! Why not fake your friends and fam out by giving them a “lotto ticket” that is a pregnancy announcement in disguise?! Whereas most folks will scratch a lotto ticket and hope to win (if they’re lucky!) a free ticket, a Scratch Off Pregnancy Announcement will reveal a much bigger and better “prize”… a new baby!

Blockbuster Baby Announcement

We live in a viral video age. Stay hip to the current media trends and announce your pregnancy with a short and sweet movie! We can think of few who did it more creatively than the McGillicuddys and their “Share A Coke” Campaign reveal!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:  Pregnancy Announcement Photos 

So maybe a big elaborate reveal is just not your thing. Your pregnancy announcement is your (underline) moment; there are no rules that say your reveal must be extravagant or over-the-top. If you’re looking for a cute and low-key announcement option, consider posting a simple “We’re Expecting” photo to your social media sites. Good news spreads like wildfire and your friends will “Like” that photo left and right!

Enlist the Help of the “Big” Sib 

If your newest addition will have the good fortune of having an older sibling or two, consider giving big brother and/or sister the honor of sharing your good news! From crib “eviction” notices to “Big Brother/Sister” swag, there are multiple ways to personalize this type of announcement to suit your personality! 

“Baby” Foods 

No, we don’t mean a jar of Gerber. Think outside the box with this one.  Consider showering the people you’re presenting your announcement to with an assortment of “baby” foods (baby carrots, baby back ribs, baby peas, a jar of “Prego”…) and let them fill in the blanks from there! 

Whether you opt for a jazzy and elaborate pregnancy announcement, or simple and low-key pregnancy announcement, use your moment to not only reveal your big news, but also show the uniqueness of your personality! From fun food fill-in the blanks to mini-movies, when it comes to sharing your big announcement, the sky is the limit. 

Did you reveal your own pregnancy with flare?! Comment below or join us on Facebook and tell us all about how you did it. 

Happy New Year from Team MSO and Happy Planning!

Pantone 2015 Color of the Year: Marsala

Pantone 2015 Color of the Year: Marsala

Let’s face it, wine is totally having a moment right now. From memes to handmade signs, 2014 has shown abundant love for the nectar of the Gods and if the folks at the Pantone Color Institute have anything to say about it, 2015 will follow suit! 

The hue experts at Pantone recently named, Marsala as their color of the year for 2015 and we love the richness of this wine tone! In honor of the new reigning Queen of Color, we have put together a collection of some of our favorite Marsala wears and goods… 

 Helena Travel Wallet, Anthropologie

Pure Marsala Matte Lip Crème, Sephora

Marsala Pink Zircon Ring, Etsy.com

 Scratch Off Wedding Save The Date, MyScratchOffs.com

 

Under A Marsala Sun by bohemianindigo, RedBubble.com

Andes Marsala Rug, Bella Coastal Décor

How do you plan to incorporate a little Marsala into your new year? We would love to hear from you! Comment below or share your thoughts on Facebook.

Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah and a Happy New Year from our MSO family to yours!

Our Weird and Wonderful Holiday Family Traditions!

When I think of the holiday season, I picture: hot cocoa on a snowy night, cheery carolers, frantic retail environments, sweet treats in abundant supply… and my family’s weird and wacky Christmas traditions (we do “Shotzee Yahtzee”…I’ll explain later). 

For every family, there is a unique set of holiday traditions; some old, some new. Here is a collection of some of our favorite holiday customs—both classic and insane—from the families of our My Scratch Offs team!

The Christmas Pickle

The Christmas Pickle. Our Customer Service Representative, Kristy, tells us that her family never celebrates Christmas without the pickle! First youngin’ to find the pickle wins a special gift.

Scratch Off Swap

Ahhh, the ever-popular holiday tradition of swapping lotto scratchers! In my family, no Christmas comes and goes without our fair share of holiday goodie exchanges. One staple favorite is lotto scratch off tickets. This year, we are trying something new and playing Scratch Off Bingo! I’m particularly excited about this because we know that we have a guaranteed “winner”…it’s always a bummer to play a million scratchers and not even swing a “Free Ticket”! 

“Shotzee Yahtzee” 

Every Christmas, my extended family on my father’s side celebrates the joy of the season by playing a very spirited game of Yahtzee (my late grandmother’s all-time favorite game!). As customary for any Italian family, we also enjoy a wealth of adult beverages at every gathering. As they say, one thing leads to another and over time, our annual Yahtzee throwdown has now morphed into “Shotzee Yahtzee.” Any time someone rolls a full house or better…we take a drink. Any time someone rolls a Yahtzee…we take a shot. You get the gist! 

The 25 Days of Puzzle

Karen, our Owner and fearless leader, shares that her family always completes a holiday puzzle project. At the start of each holiday season, they choose a new jigsaw challenge and work together throughout the entire season with the goal of finishing their project by Christmas day!

The Ever-Expanding Personalized Ornament Collection

The ever-expanding ornament collection is a steadfast tradition for Kendra, our Production Assistant, and her family. Kendra says that the tradition started long before she was born and every (yes, EVERY!) person to ever attend their family celebration gets to decorate and personalize an ornament and add it to the Christmas tree. Ornaments are added over time, but once you hang your ornament it becomes a permanent part of their family’s collection! As the ornament collection grows, so grows the tree. What a fun recap of Christmases past?!

Within every family, there is a myriad of weird and wonderful holiday traditions, both old and new. Now that we have shared some of our favorite time-honored family traditions, it’s your turn to share some of your own. Comment below or share with us Facebook. We wanna know…what’s your most fun and festive holiday family tradition?

Unique Employee Appreciation Ideas for the Holidays

The holiday season is upon us once again, and with it often comes the proverbial company Holiday party.  Instead of the standard punch and cookies, why not add some fun to this year’s festivities?  It will give your employees something to look forward to and allow you the opportunity to really show your appreciation for all they do to keep the company running smoothly. 

 Gourmet Hot Chocolate, Tea and Coffee Bar

Surprise your employees on a cold winter morning with a warm sippable treat this holiday season.  You can set a beverage station up yourself and let your employees build their own perfect drink, or talk to your local coffee shop to see if you can hire a barista for the day to serve in your office.  If you can afford to invest in the equipment, consider purchasing a Keurig coffee maker, espresso maker, and an electric kettle for hot water.  Repurpose an old desk and turn it into a coffee station that your employees can enjoy throughout the year.

Chair Massages

The holidays can be a very tense time of year.  Help relieve some stress and give your employees a well-deserved break by bringing in a massage therapist to offer 15-minute chair massages to all of your employees during the company party or during work one day.  

Scratch Off Merry Mugs

If you’ve had an especially successful year, you know that it couldn’t have happened without a great team working for you.  Reward your employees for all their hard work by offering monetary bonuses or extra personal time off.  You could set up a table of coffee mugs with the company logo on them.  On one side could be a message of appreciation.  Inside the mug you could have candy and other goodies and a Custom Scratch Off Card revealing a special prize.  We’ve even helped some clients put a Scratch Off Label directly on their mug.  Some prize ideas are cash or gift cards, tickets to a sporting event or concert, or an extra paid personal day off.  The employee would pick their mug at random, scratch off their card or label, and see the HR manager to collect their prize.  

Sweet Recognition

Give each employee a candy bar with a personalized “thank you” message.  You could have labels made to wrap around the chocolate bar and personalize them for each of your employees.  You could say things like “thanks for all you do” or “take a break, you deserve it.”  The girls at Our Best Bites have a great printable label that can be used with Ghirardelli chocolate bars.  And if you really want to take it to the next level, you could always add a Scratch Off Label to this idea, too!

Employee Awards Ceremony

Spread some cheer in the office by scheduling an employee awards ceremony. You can hand out well-deserved awards for the highest sales volumes or most training hours completed and then also give out some friendly, funny awards to lighten the mood (just be careful not to be offensive).  It can be entertaining and can also be a great morale booster during an often-stressful holiday season.

Do You Have Some Unique Holiday Employee Appreciation Ideas?

We’d love to hear from you!  At My Scratch Offs, we’re always looking for fun, clever ways to help people spread some cheer.  Contact us today or visit us on Facebook.

How To Boost Your Business This Holiday Season!

Only 23 days until Christmas…

Christmas is only 23 days away and now that Black Friday—the unofficial start of the shopping season—has come and gone, holiday spending is in full swing!  We at MyScratchOffs.com would like to help you (and your business) to be fully prepared to reap the benefits of the holiday shopping season…both throughout December and beyond. 

While we know that shoppers will not be in short supply during the month of December, once store-goers have reeled in their holiday spending, many businesses can experience a New Year “slump.” One way to combat the slow in sales that you may experience at the start of the New Year is to capitalize on your holiday season traffic volumes and invite your Christmas shoppers to return to your store after the holiday shopping season has concluded. A sure-fire way to beckon your consumers back to your business is by offering a discount incentive! 

Bring Them Back with a Scratch Off

Whether you are promoting a service or a product, our Scratch Off cards are a great way to wish your consumers a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year…and invite your customers to shop with you again after the holiday season has wrapped up.  Consider offering every holiday shopper a Scratch Off card worth a discount or free gift that is redeemable (exclusively) after Christmas. Not only will you be rewarding your consumers for their loyal patronage by providing them with a generous incentive, but you are also ensuring their repeat business!

Already this season, we have completed custom Scratch Off holiday products for: Party Save The Dates, Corporate Holiday Party Favors, in-store Business Promotions and internal Employee Recognition. What kind scratch off product can we create for you?

Check out our website  for more FUN holiday ideas. Our design team is standing by to customize a promotion that best suits you and your business!