With spring in full bloom and summer weather coming in, it’s a big season for weddings. Whether you’re shopping for a young couple or buying for a newly blended family, Black & Decker has the appliances you need—plus handy gift giving tips—with this convenient Wedding Gift Buying Guide.
Why Appliances?
Appliances are a tradition in wedding gifts, because you help prepare the new couple for daily life together. Blenders, bread makers and slow cookers are among the top gift ideas, as well as coffeemakers, toasters/toaster ovens and food processors.
Choosing the Right Appliance to Gift
Always keep the couple in mind as you buy the appliance. Most couples—about 95% now—have a registry. If you don’t want to buy specifically off the registry or you’re buying late, you should still look at the registry to get clues of what they need and the finishes or decor they want in their new home.
- Consider the Couple
- Also keep the couple’s habits in mind. Getting a high-tech appliance is great for a tech savvy couple, but it may just frustrate a couple that likes to keep it simple. If one or both of people drink more tea than coffee, an electric kettle may actually be a better fit than a coffeemaker.
- Consider their Space
- Counter space will also be a factor, so if the newlyweds are living in an apartment or smaller condo, try to get compact appliances like blenders and vertical bread makers to help maximize space in their kitchen.
Gifting Tips for Specific Appliances:
Gifting Times
The day of the wedding may not be the best time for an appliance, since the couple is heading out of town and las a lot of stuff to get transported. Showers are a great time to give appliances, but it’s also acceptable to have the gift delivered up to two weeks after the couple returns from their honeymoon.
Gifting on a Budget
If you’re gifting on a budget or looking to get a big-ticket appliance for the new couple, it is acceptable even by tradition to go in with close friends on a group gift. This also allows you to buy gifts with more bells and whistles for the happy couple to enjoy.
You want your kids to eat right even when they’re at school, but how do you make sure they’re getting a good, hot meal when they’re out of your house? With just a little creativity and your Black & Decker appliances, you can make phenomenal school lunches in a snap. (more…)
Running out of room on your kitchen counters? For most people, countertop clutter is a big issue, because you just never seem to have enough space to do everything you need.
Whether it’s because your kitchen is small or simply that you have too many appliances, using combo products can give you all-in-one solutions that let you keep your kitchen versatility without cluttering your counters with multiple appliances. (more…)
Another big challenge in any mom’s life is how to keep kids happy, energized and engaged in the time between school and dinner. Kids get hungry after school, but you don’t want to ruin their appetite for the evening meal. You also don’t have a lot of time in everything you have to get done for your own afternoon schedule.
Black & Decker makes after-school snacking fast, easy and nutritious with a whole range of appliances that help you make snacks at the touch of a button. Your kids get hot and fresh snack options and you get done in a snap so you can tackle the rest of your day.
Whether you’re spring cleaning to freshen up the house or just don’t want to bother with the ironing board for your clothes, vertical steaming is a fast, easy and convenient way to get fabrics looking their best. Vertical steaming allows you to remove creases and wrinkles, as well as freshen fabrics like curtains, linens and drapes after the long months of winter.
Still, many people shy away from vertical steam, because they don’t feel they get as good of a result as they do on the board. In truth though, with the proper technique, you can get fabrics fresh and pressed with phenomenal results. Here’s how: (more…)
The New Year is in full swing and you may be hitting that wall where keeping up with your resolutions is getting difficult. Although you started the year strong and motivated, the daily grind of your busy schedule is starting to get in the way. You simply run out of time taking care of life to have any time left to improve it.
So how do you make the time to keep up with your resolutions? Let your appliances help by simplifying the tasks you do every day. This way, you have more time to tackle your resolutions and make changes that will really stick this year.
To help you find those few extra minutes you need to accomplish your resolutions, here are some of our favorite time-saving tips:
#1 Set Morning Coffee the Night Before
If you want to free up time in the morning, preprogram your morning coffee to brew automatically to save a few extra minutes each day. With a 24-hour programmable coffeemaker, your coffee brews automatically so it’s ready when you are. Plus, if you’re looking for a full, fast breakfast, add a toasted bagel or your favorite toaster pastry for a full meal with almost no work in the morning.
#2 Make Smoothies and Snacks at Home for the Kids
Taking care of kids and making sure they’re settled after school takes time out of each afternoon. Often, you end up driving to get after school snacks, but there are easier options for at home that will save hours in your day—as well as money in your wallet.
With an easy clean blender, you can make your kid’s favorite smoothies in a snap, then clean up at the touch of a button. Use frozen fruit that’s already sliced or cut for the ultimate convenience or make it fresh for more distinctive flavors. Once you’re done, fill the blender with water and a few drops of dish soap, then press the Fast Clean button for no-fuss cleanup in a snap.
For hot snacks, there’s nothing better than a one-touch digital countertop oven. The one-touch programming features buttons for cookies, pizza and frozen snacks, so you can make all your kid’s after school favorites in a snap. Plus, since the preheat and cook times are already programmed, there isn’t any guesswork so you can concentrate on your other tasks.
#3 Get More Done with Easy Weekend Breakfast and Lunch
It never fails that you leave resolution to-do’s for the weekend in the hopes you’ll have time, but then your whole weekend gets away from you. Often, it feels like you spend the whole time in the kitchen making extra weekend meals for the family.
For fast and easy weekend meals, try something like a griddle, waffle maker or sandwich maker. With your favorite pre-made batter and a waffle maker, you can make a great family breakfast in just a few minutes without a lot of work. For a bigger brunch or lunch, a 3-in-1 waffle maker, grill and griddle lets you make eggs, bacon, sausage and waffles in a snap—all with the same appliance, so cleanup is minimized, too.
#4 Use Easy-Clean Features & Accessories to Streamline Cleanup
No matter which appliances you use to help simplify your life, always take advantage of the easy-clean features, particularly with dishwasher-safe accessories. Just by simplifying the cleanup on your most-used appliances, you’ll save a few extra minutes each time you use them. Most removable parts and accessories on Black & Decker appliances are dishwasher-safe, so you can skip the time spent hand-washing at the sink.
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