The Tonight Show recently featured a Solutions product on Jay’s Christmas Gift Ideas Part II. We were flattered when contacted by the show about highlighting one of our favorite Christmas products. After seeing it live on TV alongside some products he poked fun at, we are far too excited not to share what we consider his positive review. Watch all four minutes or skip to the end because the Solutions Pull-up Tree is reviewed last. See Jay in person demonstarting just how fast setting up your Christmas tree can be.

Every year, I become more and more aware of gifts from neighbors and friends. The gifts that seem to standout the most are always consumable food items that my family can eat, even after the holidays have ended.

So, I’ve changed my gift-giving focus to be more on the actual containers and wrappers that will hold the food I give. It’s all in the presentation—and it’s so much fun to find neat little jars, tins, cups and containers.

Two of my favorite containers this year include the paper bake pans. They are the perfect bakeware/gift wrap combo. We blogged about these bake pans earlier this season, but I had to bring them up again. They are the perfect size and they look great once finished. And the best part, no dishes to clean after baking!

The unzipped glass bowl is my favorite container this year. I bought up a bunch of these funky ziplock bag-shaped bowls to fill with goodies for friends and neighbors. These bowls are so unique that you’re almost guaranteed the recipient won’t already have one. The bowls are fun to layout on a coffee table or countertop year-round, so your gift will keep giving even after the holidays.

Good luck searching for your perfect containers for gift-giving season this year.
Solutions Creative Director —Lori Ann

Dozens of NEW practical problem solvers have arrived…just in time for the holidays! Make Christmas more memorable with these 5 fun stocking stuffers, handpicked by our staff at Solutions.

Ducky Tape Measure: A fun, affordable stocking stuffer they can actually use.

Read more »

At Solutions we’re always looking for ways to help reduce our customer’s stress levels and help with organization (these two may just go hand in hand).  For this holiday season, we brought back an old holiday favorite: our gift checklists.

Below are two colorful spreadsheets, one to keep track of the gifts you’ve purchased, and the other to keep track of gifts you’ve received from friends and family. Just download, print and start getting organized.

Happy Holidays from the Solutions Web Team!

 

 

Even if you don’t have a lot of space, you can help guests feel more comfortable during their stay with these 6 easy tips.

1. Make sure to have coffee on hand. The Coffee Stack organizer keeps your pods organized so your guests can easily find java when they need it.

2. The Fold-out Ottoman quickly converts to a comfortable bed for your guests and is perfect for those small spaces. Fold it up and tuck it away during the day.

3. Provide a variety of reading material for your guests. The Reader’s Nightstand keeps books and magazines organized next to the guest bed. There’s even room on top for a clock and some bottled water.

4. Make sure to provide extra toiletries and towels for your guests. The space-saving Duo Shower Curtain Rod holds your shower curtain on one side, while guests can hang their towels on the other to dry.

5. If you need extra space for meals, the Round Table Extender turns your square table that normally seats four and turns it into a round table that seats up to eight!

6. Don’t forget about those extra touches, like leaving a surprise ornament by the bedside or decorating the guest room with a lighted willow branch. Little touches can make the room seem extra cozy.

When it comes to preparing that perfect Thanksgiving meal, timing can be everything! Here are 6 simple tips to help you plan ahead.

1. List List List. Plan your menu ahead of time and write a list of everything that needs to be bought at the store. Look through and organize your recipes and see what items can be prepared simultaneously.
2. Chop and dice ahead. Vegetables can be chopped and cheese can be grated in advance. Store them in the fridge and make sure to label them according to each recipe.
3. Think “potluck.” Hold a potluck-style Thanksgiving dinner and assign a dish to each one of your guests.
4. Prepare sauces ahead. Pies and cranberry sauces can be prepared a couple of days in advance. Just make sure not to forget about them!
5. Dress your turkey early. Rinse, pat, salt and prepare the turkey as much as possible before it’s ready to cook in the oven.
6. Skip the basting. Some say that basting a turkey is not worth the hassle, because it just runs off the skin. If you’re short on time, lightly coat the skin with olive or vegetable oil before putting the turkey in the oven. It will help seal in the natural juices—and give it that fresh out-of-the-oven look.

 

 

 

 

Now that Halloween is here, the holiday shopping season is upon us.  At Solutions we seem to be less focused on Halloween this year and more excited about preparing for Thanksgiving entertaining and Christmas family gatherings.  To help get you in the holiday mindset, we’ve listed below some of our favorite products that are new to Solutions for the 2011 holiday season.

Gift Box Ornaments:
New to the Gift Box Ornament roster is the Sock Monkey with his arm loaded with presents.  The Tall Santa got a fresh, new look this year as well.  Our Gift Box Ornaments are slightly larger than our Surprise Ornaments, so they hold more inside.  Whether it be candy, money, jewelry or a note, the new Sock Monkey Ornament will be happy to “gift wrap” your gift for you.

Read more »

With October being kitchen month at Solutions (and the holidays around the corner), we thought we’d share a new product that is fitting for any occasion. This oven-safe paper bakeware makes it easy to create a wonderful home-baked gift for your neighbors, family and friends. Best of all, there’s no need to grease it—and there’s no messy clean up.

Our creative director tested this festive and disposable bakeware firsthand, and she loved it because it was so easy to use! See how beautiful her piece turned out in the picture below.

Once your creation comes out of the oven and has cooled down, it’s ready to present. There’s no need to giftwrap, thanks to the decorative paper. If you want to add a more festive touch, you can wrap it up in a cellophane bag tied with a pretty ribbon.
Read more »