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Gift giving has come a long way since the days of macaroni necklaces. With Father’s Day just two weeks away, it time to start looking.

Put down the necktie! You don’t have to give him a tie, unless his job requires it…. how about jewelry?

Yup, I said jewelry- a ring to be exact. You might be thinking, he has a ring, I know. So does my husband. But when you find the right ring, it sure will be a great surprise.

This is a Tungsten Carbide ring, it also has “I love you” engraved on the inside. Great character right? Where did I find it? Right here : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MZ1MCQC

They offer many other colors and designs. Not sure what ring size to get? If it’s not a surprise gift here’s a ring sizing chart you can use

Mine wasn’t a surprise gift so here’s how it looked on him

Here’s a bonus- use this discount code for a great deal on the ring; PH7ULI4R

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Every child has a special wish. From having a pony as a pet to what they want to be when they grow up. And we as parents or guardians spend many years helping them make the latter wish come true. Numerous after school and summer camps, don’t forget the clubs that focus on the future astronaut or chef. Many years of experiences and trials to endure.

But what if you didn’t have all of those years? As heartbreaking as it is to think about, there are those precious children that don’t have the luxury of time due to an unfortunate illness.

That’s where organizations like Make-A-Wish come in. Not just nationwide but world wise. An organization that combines donors, supporters and volunteers together to make a critically ill child’s wish come true.

What is your part in it? Of course you can go straight to their website (www.wish.org) and sign up to volunteer or make a donation.

Or you can participate in a sponsored event at different establishments in your local area.

Recently, Maggiano’s had two special events where a portion of the proceeds went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation!!

Their first event was for the kiddos! A Kids Cooking Class featuring their famous lasagna!!

The little chefs were lead by none other than Chef Patrick!

Step by step they were guided into making their lasagna and learning a little more about the Maggiano’s lasagna.

Of course, like in any family, you can’t go home without having a bite to eat….. appetizer buffet is all set!

The second event was for the adults…. a Paint and Sip Class! Since it was on Cinco de Mayo, sangria cocktails and a summer cactus to create led by Hope.

Stations at every table Its time to begin.

This is Maggiano’s so noshing is allowed. In the form of an appetizer and dessert buffet!

Finally the finished product….

Fun filled events, but more heart filling knowing that you have been able to contribute to making a child’s dream come true…

And when those wishes come true, their happiness can light up the world!!

Tidying up has never been this trendy when I was growing up. Back then the joy came from being done with the task!!

But now that we are older, we feel more than joy, it’s a sense of completion. It’s almost like wiping a clean slate and starting fresh. To get to the end, we have to start.

We look at our humble “abodes” and try to decide what area to tackle first. Along with how to organize or , maybe even, purge.

Just this past April 23rd I had the pleasure of having Amanda Scudder and her co-organizer Melissa from Abundance Organizing as my guest speaker at my “Dish the CFA Tea with Geri B” event!!

What great insights they shared! With the benefit of not being in a large convention setting like her past appearances, we were really able to get out our questions.

It’s in this type of casual setting that can process the process of true organization. What do I mean? Organizing is more than just de junking. I fall guilty to clothes that I “might” fit back into, or seem too sentimental to let go. Amanda and Melissa’s take? If you do fit back into that piece of clothing, will it still be part of the 80/20 section of your clothing repertoire. Would you actually wear it? And, if it is sentimental it shouldn’t be hanging with what you wear- makes sense.

For the record- I probably should look at my closet with the 80/20 in mind, something many of us do.

“We wear 80% of the time the same 20% of clothes” Yup! Guilty!!

What about the junk drawer? It’s time to gather up your items, segregate like items and designate, because do we really need 3 staplers?

What about containers? Love them- but find clear ones so you can see what’s in them. An item she uses that’s so versatile are chalkboard style labels. Easy to clean and rename your container.

There’s so much more!! And let’s be honest, sometimes we need someone outside our immediate “bubble” to help us work through the designating part.

If you are in the Virginia area you can contact their office; http://www.abundanceorganizing.com

If not? To find your local professional organizer go to; http://www.napo.com

“Dish the CFA Tea with Geri B” wouldn’t be the same without its book of the month contributed by Harlequin Books

Not to mention our featured corner of new products, and of course….. great raffle gift baskets from me and prizes from Chick Fil A!

Stay tuned ! For May we are having High Tea!! So out on your fascinator hat and pinkies up for petit fours and tea.

It’s May and we’re deep into Spring!! We’re gardening, reorganizing the house and prepping for Summer that is a hop-skip, and jump away!!

Amidst all this, dinner has to be made. As you’ve seen, all over the internet are the quick dinner recipes. Now, if you’ve got an InstaPot you’ve got it covered. But what if you’re one of the few, like myself, that don’t?

Guess what? Casseroles are still trending. I know what you’re thinking, casseroles now a days aren’t like what Grandma used to make. They’re diverse, adjustable and hearty. And depending on the ingredients, can be an all in one incorporating your protein, starch and vegetables.

Let me share with you the casserole I recently made. My feature protein? Wild Planet Food Wild Pink Salmon!!

It’s light but satisfying, and we all know the great benefits of salmon. Especially when you have quality salmon that is sustainable seafood and of such high quality.

Here’s what I put together into our weeknight dinner casserole…..

A couple of cans of the Wild Planet Wild Pink Salmon, (condensed) cream of mushroom soup, pasta and (“squeeze drained) frozen chopped spinach.

While I cooked the pasta (to just before al denté stage), I combined all the other ingredients into my mixing bowl. I do a lot of “eye-balling” when I cook so let me apologize in advance.

Just a dash of salt and pepper, I also like to add a sprinkle or two of garlic powder. As you mix, you’ll see if it looks too dry or clumpy, add a splash of milk. Or if you want a richer texture use heavy cream. It should have a smooth creamy base. On occasion my dash of milk have turned more into a splash- no worries!! I add some grated Parmesan cheese, which, come to think of it works well too.

Since I used the entire pound of pasta, which I didn’t cook all the way because it will cook some more in the oven and you don’t want mushy pasta. I will be baking it all in one of my rectangular roasting pans.

I mix the pasta with the salmon mix, I did spray my pan so it won’t stick when served. Put your casserole mix in the pan, cover with foil. Bake at 400°, my oven is quite old so I had it at 425°. After 20 minutes I uncovered it and sprinkled a mix of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese (I didn’t add it previously), back in the oven for about ten minutes or until it had a golden brown color to the top.

Voilà! Dinner, and leftovers make a great lunch!!

Special thanks to Wild Planet Foods for sponsoring this article and their generosity sharing their products with me!!

Interesting learning more about them? Go to :

http://www.wildplanetfoods.com