I recently bought my friend a Heifer, a llama, and a goat.
I know, it sounds like the beginning of a joke, but this really was her birthday gift. The organization, Heifer International at www.heifer.org has the perfect gift for friends who don’t need or want anything, but you want to do something special for them. My friend loved the idea that her gift was helping families and children less fortunate in third world countries. Please visit the site to find out more details regarding the variety of animals available. She can now check off her bucket list that she is the proud owner of a cow!

Purchasing gifts for friends and loved ones can be tricky. I of course recommend the ChaCha rings, wine glasses, and jewelry which come beautifully packaged. I also love the idea that you can match your recipients personality with the color varieties and stone size. But, if you have already purchased ChaChaBella before and are looking for some other ideas, perhaps this blog can help.

At www.gifts.com, I love how they divide the women and men into personalities. Is your female friend or relative the domestic diva, the trendanista, the achiever, the super mom, the thinker, urban sophisticate, the adventurer or one of the other personalities. They group gifts by style. Remember, what you may like or want isn’t necessarily their choice. I sometimes see things that I say I would like that, but I am not purchasing it for myself. If you are ever with your friend and you hear a comment like that, file it away for gift giving. I know the super sized cupcake baking tray seems like it would only be used once a year, but she will love it, and always think of you (as she bakes her own cake if she is the domestic diva type).

My friends normally chip in and we give each other hard, cold cash. I know it isn’t exciting, but sometimes it can be a lot of money. This allows the receiver to decide if they want tons of little things, or one great big purchase. The key is always making sure they buy something though to honor the gift and not pay a boring bill! I know women who will roll over in their grave if a gift card or cash is given, you want a substance beautifully wrapped (not in a bag) gift. I salute you for your effort!

A funny gift that I have seen given is all the “As seen on TV” items in a huge basket. Yes, the shake weight, aqua globes, heel tastic, and many more can be the special birthday present for your loved one. This friend just has to have a sense of humor! Visit www.asseenontv.com for the variety of choices.

We all know sentimental gifts of a letter, poem, or framed picture can be beautiful. They are personal and always well received. If you ever need a poem written for a friend, I am your gal! I have written more poems than I can count by just asking about 20 questions, and you will have most unique gift ever.

Let me know the worst gift you have ever received and the winner will win the best gift, a chachabella ring! If you need a poem, contact me, Suzanne, at s@chachabella.com.

I am no expert on St. Patrick’s Day, but it helps break up the month of March and I am always looking for a reason to celebrate.

The Irish have generously shared their patron saint, St. Patrick, with us and welcomed us into their pubs across the United States. No other holiday appears to be as tolerant of others as St. Patrick’s Day. Our only requirement is to wear green clothing, and have a willingness to toast and drink with the Irish. In America, we wear green so we don’t get pinched, which is just a silly tradition. But, we also punch people when we see a Volkswagen Beetle, so we are easily amused. Some people say that we wear green because Ireland is nicknamed the Green Isles. In Ireland, they wear the colors from the flag which is Green for the Catholics, Orange for the Protestants and the White for the peace between them.

I can remember as a youth searching for the mysterious four leaf clover or shamrock! While many like to claim a mythical explanation for the existence of four-leaf clovers, a simple genetic mutation is the real cause. According to legend, on a four-leaf clover, each leaf stands for something. One leaf symbolizes hope, one is for faith, another for love, and the fourth is, of course, for luck. Some people are just born lucky, but my dad used to say - and I think he stole the line from Benjamin Franklin- “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” For example, when I played golf in my youth and I would make a 20ft putt, my friends would say, “You am so lucky” but in reality, I practice 20ft putts for more than an hour a day for a week. We all know inherently lucky people, maybe they found a Shamrock, which is hard to do, as it is estimated that there is only 1 out of every 10,000 clovers!

One of the things that the Irish are known for are their great toasts. You may even remember some of the limericks from the movie Cocktail starring Tom Cruise as an Irish bartender. There are so many Irish Blessings that it is worthy of a google search for a good laugh. I enjoyed this one very much:

There are 4 things you must never do: lie, steal, cheat, or drink.
But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love.
If you must steal, steal away from bad company.
If you must cheat, cheat death.
And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away...
Brianne Kelly Darragh


For those Irish brides or ChaChaGirls out there, I would love to know a toast you used at your wedding or at a birthday party. The best one will earn a green ChaChaBella ring, as that is a must wear on St. Patrick’s Day!

Contact Suzanne, where my non-Irish eyes are always smiling, at S@chachabella.com.