Author: Leslie Steele

Leslie has celebrated six fantastic wedding anniversaries with her husband. She keeps busy as an elementary teacher and a mom to a preschooler. Leslie loves reading outside, listening to podcasts, and farmhouse decor. Leslie especially enjoys surprising friends and family with notes, trinkets, or treats to show gratitude and love. The more creative or personalized the gift, the better!

How To Make A Great Business Christmas Card

Leslie Steele

Every holiday season as a kid I remember dumping out our red wicker Christmas card basket and spreading them all out on the floor, looking over them, and choosing my favorites. I’d read about travels and home renovations of people I didn’t really know, but my parents did. Every once in a while my dad would bring home cards from his office of various clients and companies his business had worked with the past year. These business Christmas cards were especially appealing to me. A group costume? 20 different signatures? A creative poem? A themed staff photo shoot?! Ten-year-old me was entranced. 

Now, in 2021, the power and reach of a corporate holiday card are still just as important as ever. In fact, not only can a clever greeting card be a powerful business advertisement, but a business holiday card can also connect the community and serve as a unique outreach opportunity. 

Why is a Kudoboard a holiday game changer? 🎅

It’s a thoughtful and heartfelt way to show a loved one how much they’re cared about and appreciated! Learn more about Kudoboard's Christmas and holiday cards here.

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Tips For Celebrating Your Golden Birthday In Style

Leslie Steele

The Golden Birthday is a fun celebration for a birthday that corresponds with the date of a birthday to the age a person is turning. For example, if your birthday is March 10th, your golden birthday is at 10 years old. A birthday on the 25th? Your golden birthday would be when you turn 25. Today we’ll chat a bit about where the tradition of golden birthdays comes from, some ideas for a fun and thematic golden-themed celebration, as well as some gift ideas for milestone birthdays. Ready? Set? Celebrate! 

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Gifts For Coffee Lovers

Leslie Steele

For so many of us, coffee is a daily necessity, getting us out of bed, ready to greet the day, and maybe even keeps us from outwardly rolling our eyes in a morning meeting. However, coffee can also be an important ritual in our lives. I once heard an anecdote in college (at a retreat for freshman students) of a “full bowl” of responsibilities. There was classwork, a social life, the care and keeping of ourselves (maybe the first time independently practiced in a college setting), schedules, bosses, thinking about the future, maybe missing the past, potential romance, friendships, and keeping up with extracurriculars. That’s a lot to keep track of and the bowl can feel overflowing and overwhelming. 

Even when the bowl is full, however, there is always room to add in a cup of coffee with a friend without any of the individual components falling out. That little story really stuck with me and allowed me to realize that the most powerful gift we can give ourselves is the connection with others. And for so many of us, that connection relates right back to that simple cup of coffee. 

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3 Ways To Use Kudoboard for Thanksgiving

Leslie Steele

The holiday season is upon us and if you’re like me, you’re searching for ways to make this year in particular extra special. When you think of Thanksgiving you may think about cute place settings, tart cranberry sauce, green bean casserole (crispy french fried onions, why are you so delectable?), and most importantly, the gathering together of friends and family to reflect on blessings and express gratitude. 

Here at Kudoboard we are committed to helping you make the most of every special occasion, season, milestone, and gathering. We even have a place around your holiday table. Whether you’re looking to send some “We’re thankful for you” love across the miles to family and friends, create a show-stopping slideshow for your Thanksgiving gathering, or even utilize Kudoboard in the workplace for a memorable and creative way to express gratitude with colleagues, we’ve got you covered. 

So this year, add some technological memory-making magic to your holiday prep list. It’s easier and more simple than deciding on family seating arrangements. Oh, and since we’ve got your backs here at Kudoboard, here’s the green bean casserole recipe too. See? Always looking out for you. 

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15 Cool Gifts for Musicians

Leslie Steele

Musicians share their musical stylings and talents with all of us. So when it comes time to give a gift to the musician in your life, get creative, pull out all the stops, and give something both unique and useful. Here are 15 gifts for the musician in your life, from the practical, like a guitar strap, to the more creative, like a sound waves wall print, I’ve got you covered.

One of my favorite quotes is from composer Roy Ayers. He says, “The true beauty of music is that it connects people.” Music is magical and that level of creativity, artistic mindset, and dedication deserve to be recognized. Since musicians rock our world, rock theirs with one of these perfect gifts that hit all the right notes. 

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Heartfelt Ways to Remember A Loved One

Leslie Steele

Losing someone you love is never easy. In addition to adjusting to life without them, you are also tasked with how to best remember them and carry on their legacy. My toddler’s favorite movie (and in all honesty, probably mine too) is Disney’s Coco. The main song “Remember Me,” features the lyrics, “Remember me, though I have to say goodbye, remember me. Don’t let it make you cry, forever if I’m far away, I hold you in my heart.” 

When we love someone, really love them, we want to shout it from the rooftops. When they are gone, that love needs a place to go, and it can be helpful to channel that energy into how best to love and honor their memory. 

Additionally, we’ve all loved someone who has lost someone important to them. I’ve found myself mourning with my friends and family and wondering how I can provide meaningful support and comfort during a challenging time of loss and grief. 

This guide will help you in two ways:

  1. Tips and ideas for remembering a loved one
  2. Ideas for delivering sympathy and peace to those in your life who may be hurting from loss. 

Read on for practical ideas for keeping memories alive and ways to impart thoughtfulness and sympathy. 

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10 Super Sister Gifts

Leslie Steele

It’s been said that having a sister is having a friend for life. I couldn’t agree more. My sister and I are nearly ten years apart, but now, in our 20’s and 30’s, we are closer than ever. I love texting her inside jokes, going out to dinner, and chatting about our favorite shows. 

Even if you and your sister are radically different, there is plenty of bonding that can occur because you share the same parents. Who else can you laugh with about dad’s road trip antics or your childhood pet? 

This gift guide features ten gifts to show your sister how much you care. We’ve got a speedy wine chiller, beautiful jewelry, classy cosmetics, and even a DNA test! Look no further for a special gift for a special gal. Birthday, Christmas, a congrats, or an “I think you rock” gift, we’ve got you covered here. 

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10 Gifts for Runners

Leslie Steele

Picture this: me, 15, slightly chunky, glasses, presenting my case to a clearly annoyed PE teacher why we can’t just “run a mile with no training.” Whiny? Ridiculous? yes. But can we take a second to recognize high school gym students for dissecting a frog in biology, navigating the cafeteria caste system, interpreting Shakespeare, and somewhere in there just running a dang mile outside like it was no big thing? Slow clap to high schoolers, you the real MVP’s. 

Okay, all of that to say, I was not a runner then, nor am I really one now. I think the concept of a “Runner’s High” is like unicorns, fairies, or an As Seen on TV product that really works. However, I love a lot of runners. My sister regularly hits the pavement. I have many friends who are pumped to make travel arrangements to their next marathon or running event. Much like those multi-tasking high schoolers, runners deserve to have their passion celebrated and rewarded. 

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10 Meaningful Gifts For Grandma

Leslie Steele

When I was younger and I thought of a grandma, I imagined a gray-haired, plump, kind, cookie-baking woman (always with an apron, of course), with a penchant for pinching cheeks, and calling anyone under 70 years old “sweetie.” I’m sure my imaginings are a mixture of storybook, Disney movie versions of the elderly, along with some cultural stereotypes thrown in. 

Why is a Kudoboard a great way to say I love you? ❤️

It’s a thoughtful and heartfelt way to show a loved one how much they’re cared about and appreciated! Learn more about our group cards here.

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23 Unique Ways To Say Thank You

Leslie Steele

Oprah Winfrey began her gratitude journal practice over 20 years ago. She is a strong advocate for the benefits of noting gratitude throughout daily life. Oprah claims, “If you pull the lever of gratitude every day, you’ll be amazed at the results.” We all have things to be thankful for and while a personal gratitude practice is beneficial, it can be even more powerful to express that thanks to those deserving of it. Gratitude is simply a word, but with practice and intentionality, it can become a way of life. 

I have 23 fantastic ideas for you to say thank you. From a classic option like a thank you ecard or a token of appreciation to more modern ways to say thanks, like leaving a positive review online, or simply sending a silly text, I’ve got you covered here. So express that gratitude and let’s get going with a party of positivity and paying it forward. We really have a lot to be thankful for and plenty of ways to say thank you. 

Why is a Kudoboard a great way to say thank you? ❤️

It’s a thoughtful and heartfelt way to show a loved one how much they’re cared about and appreciated! Learn more about our thank you cards here.

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