1. You are looking to build and strengthen connections within your family.
2. You sometimes worry about your child, and you want your child to be a happy, independent, well-rounded person.
3. You are alarmed at the declining social and emotional wellness of children and teenagers.
4. You would like ideas for affordable & memorable activities that will bring your family closer.
5. You would like personal development for your child as they grow & mature.

So why “The Present Closet” name?

Good question. It all started when I was a little girl. You see, my mom was a stay-at-home mom, so she was resourceful with the finances. We had a closet in the main hallway of the house that was dubbed “The Present Closet.” 🥳 This was a magical place, whose door was not locked but was never to be opened without permission.

Mom was a master shopper. She could find all of the sweet deals. When she found something worthy of being given as a gift, she bought it and put it in the present closet for later use. 🎁 Then, whenever we were invited to a birthday party or needed a little ‘happy’ for a teacher or perhaps were deserving of a special treat ourselves for something above-and-beyond that we had accomplished, we were given permission to open the door and find the perfect gift.

In 2003, after we were all grown and out of the house, my mom passed away, and our world was rocked because she had always been our rock. For all of my life, I had known her to be a giver. All she wanted, each and every day, was to brighten someone else’s world. So when I was trying to come up with a name for this blog and shop, I came across a drawing of an old sketched logo that I had created years ago for the little gift shop that I had once dreamed of opening, and it occurred to me that I could honor my mom by naming this special place “The Present Closet.”

This is a photo of a card my mom gave me shortly before she passed away, and to the right of it, is the logo sketch I drew many years later. At the time she sent me this card, none of us, including her, had any idea that she would soon leave us.

Perhaps we will never know the impact of our simple acts of kindness, like a smile, a hug, a listening ear, or an encouraging card. I hope to pass it on. ❤️ Will you join me?

WELCOME TO THE PRESENT CLOSET!