Digital Print Ink - February 2020

Digital Print Ink - February 2020

FEB 2020

DIGITALPRINTINK.NET 40 YEARS AND COUNTING AN EXTRAVAGANT GIFT F ebruary has always been a special month for my wife, Jan, and me. We make it a point to celebrate Valentine’s Day every year, but we also celebrate an important milestone on that same day: Jan’s birthday! I decided then that she deserved something special. So, I bought her a new car. I found a brand new Acura coupe — a sleek, sporty car that looked phenomenal

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For a Well- Deserving Wife, Mother, and Confidante

in its day. I managed to find the car in Kansas City and negotiated down to the right price. On the way home, I picked up a big red ribbon and pulled the car into the driveway. I had clued our eldest daughter, Cortney, into what I was doing, and I sent her inside to get her

For more than 50 years, Jan has been a constant support for me while I climbed the ladder of corporate America and traveled across the country for work. She continued to raise our two daughters while I spent countless days building my career and countless nights in business hotels. Jan became a single parent while I was on the road. Somewhere around the early ‘90s, as her birthday approached, I came to the realization of just how much work Jan had put into our family. Jan and I had just gotten into a little argument and were giving each other the silent treatment. If you have been with your partner for a while, you understand these moments. I’m not entirely sure what the trigger was, but the aftermath of this argument prompted me to think about how much dedication Jan put into our then-20-year marriage. If I had to attach a value to it, it would be a very large number. “For more than 50 years, Jan has been a constant support for me while I climbed the ladder of corporate America and traveled across the country for work.”

Jan’s birthday surprise!

mom. Now, I tease Jan for how naive she can be about stuff like this. Even after 50 years, I can still get her good! And this day with the car was no different. When Jan came out of that house, she still wasn’t sure what was going on — even with the big bow! Once she understood, she was excited. The look on her face was priceless and still one of my favorite memories to this day. We loaded our girls into the new car and went out as a family to celebrate her birthday! It was a beautiful, head-turning car, and I still smile thinking about how much Jan enjoyed this gift. This was a special gift, and when you look at what this vehicle cost over the time and dedication Jan put into our marriage and family, it was a well-earned present. We were married when we were still just teenagers — I turned 18 days before our wedding — and she has remained one of my biggest supporters and a constant source of strength in my life. She is a great mom and grandmother, and she is fervent in her faith. I am so grateful we have built this life together.

While I may not be buying her a car with a big bow this year, I hope she knows just how much she means to me.

Happy birthday and Valentine’s Day, Jan.

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Valentine’s Day Treats for Your Kids

DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR LITTLE VALENTINE THIS YEAR

Valentine’s Day isn’t just observed between romantic couples. It’s a day for celebrating the love you feel for people in all areas of your life. And if you have kids, Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate your love for them and let them know how special they are to you. Here are a few ways to make this Feb. 14 the most memorable one yet for your little ones. Gifts and Balloons Surprise your little ones the morning of Feb. 14 by decorating their room with their favorite treats and balloons. Tie their favorite candy bar or a small toy they’ve had their eye on to the bottom of one or more balloon strings. Then, place the balloons around their bedroom for them to find. A Heartfelt Breakfast Take the time to whip up their favorite breakfast and try to add a little bit of Valentine’s Day cheer. If you want to get extra crafty, you can cook bacon, pancakes, eggs, and toast all in the shape of hearts. For extra love, add strawberries or raspberries to complete the Valentine’s Day vibe. Reflections of Love While you’re busy cooking up a feast, your kids will most likely visit the bathroom to get ready for the day. What will they see when they DPI ENTERS THE SIGN BUSINESS IN A BIG WAY

walk in? Their mirror covered in sticky notes in the shape of a heart! You can write words of encouragement, love, and support and set the display up for them the night before. It’s a fantastic way for them to start their day.

Let Your Kids Be in Charge Valentine’s Day lands on a Friday this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate over the weekend. Let your kids plan a day of fun by creating a list of activities they can choose from. Let them decide whether you all spend a few hours together ice skating, watching a movie, going to the park, or visiting an amusement park. To add a little more fun, create a “menu” they can look at and choose what they’ll have for dinner that night.

Enjoy this day of love with all of your special someones this year!

Highlighting Some of 2019’s Best Work

Last year was a big year for DPI. In addition to continuing to answer our customers’ needs for quality design and printing, we established ourselves as a force in the sign industry. We have enjoyed offering this to our customers, and we are excited to see it continue to grow.

Here are just a few of our favorite creations from 2019.

If you have any sign needs or know someone who does, we would appreciate you contacting us.

Corinth Baptist Church and Galloway Baptist Church needed us to create easy-to-read signs that would welcome their parishioners and visitors to service.

Sometimes simple is the best way to go, and the clear messaging on these signs at Hutchens Industries gets the job done.

Hair Luxe Company needed a sign that could stand out in the crowd, so we created a powerful sign.

With a clean look that highlights their message and catches drivers’ attention, Solera Energy’s vehicle wrap easily made our best of 2019.

CarGo needed a sign that they could use for their Springfield office, so we made a full-size wall decal.

We went with a simple, clean look for The Township’s car decal advertising.

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LEAPDAY LINEUP

Celebrating the Gift of an Extra Day With Leap Day Events

Date Truffles Inspired by The Minimalist Baker

Every four years, we are gifted an extra day thanks to leap day! On Feb. 29, 2020, we will

celebrate leap day. Do you know how your family will celebrate this year? Below are a few ideas to spark your creativity.

Valentine’s Day is all about love … and chocolate. Enjoy these chocolate peanut butter date truffles with your date this Valentine’s Day.

THE GIFT OF DOCUMENTATION Make time slow down a little bit and create a few keepsakes to remember the day with your kiddos. Have each member of the family write a letter to themselves for 2024 — the next leap year. In your letter, focus on who you are today and what your goals are. Store all the letters in a time capsule with other special trinkets, like newspapers, favorite toys, and photos. In four years, your family will be treated to a trip back in time to relive that special day in 2020. THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE Did you know that the years 1700, 1800, and 3000 did not have or will not have a leap day, despite being divisible by four? Why was a leap day even created? Learn the science behind the leap day and how unique, complex mathematics and astronomy helped create this extra day. For families with really little ones, leap day can also be the perfect time to practice some basics. Learn about animals who leap, or use this day to teach them about calendars and time. THE GIFT OF TOGETHERNESS Valentine’s Day is just 15 days before leap day. Keep the love going by celebrating this extra day with your friends, family, and neighbors! Host or organize a special leap day party that includes themed games and foods. Start a leapfrog tournament or test your guests’ knowledge with leap day trivia. (Do you know what babies born on leap day are nicknamed?) Indulge in leap day-related snacks — like ants on a log or frog cupcakes — while you soak in one extra day with those you love!

Ingredients

• • • • •

1 lb medjool dates, pitted (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 tsp sea salt Warm water

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped

•

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions

1. Using a food processor, blend dates and sea salt until dough can be formed into a ball. Slowly add enough warm water to mixture to thicken dough. 2. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Freeze for 20–30 minutes. 3. In microwave, warm 1/4 cup peanut butter for 30 seconds, then drizzle peanut butter on top of balls. Freeze balls for another 20 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, in microwave, warm chocolate with coconut oil until melted. Stir well. 5. Coat balls in chocolate and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 6. Top with additional salt and freeze for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

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A Story About a Special Birthday and Valentine’s Day

Your Kids Deserve Valentine’s Day Treatment Too! Honoring Some of Our Best Sign Work in 2019

What Will You Do With This Extra Day? Date Truffles

Learn All About Leap Year

L ike the Olympics and presidential elections, leap years only occur once every four years, which is why many people look forward to Feb. 29. But there’s a lot that you might not know about this quirk on the calendar. Why To keep the calendar in sync with Earth’s orbit around the sun, an extra day is added to it every four years. Earth takes exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to orbit the sun. Those extra hours add up over time, so another calendar day becomes necessary. But a leap year doesn’t occur every four years. Adding that extra day still doesn’t quite keep Earth on track, so the calendar skips leap years that occur during century years not divisible by 400. For example, 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 won’t be. Who The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are 1 in 1,461. That means that of the roughly seven billion people in the world, only about five million of them are “leaplings.” The number of leaplings currently living in the U.S. is roughly

Leap Into 2020 Facts About the Leap Year

187,000. Some famous leaplings include motivational speaker Tony Robbins, rapper Ja Rule, and singer Mark Foster of Foster the People. However, the most famous leapling is probably Superman. When you invent a super- being, you might as well give him a super- birthday. Where Anthony, Texas/New Mexico (a single town that straddles the two states’ borders), claims the title “Leap Year Capital of the World.” The city throws one massive birthday party for all leaplings but invites everyone to join the celebration. Two leapling neighbors from Anthony began the tradition in 1988, and it’s blossomed into a festival with thousands of participants every four years. It includes banquets, hot air balloons, a carnival, concerts, parades, and more. When you have four years to plan in between each shindig, there’s time to go big. Celebrate this leap year by doing something unusual or new. It’s a special day that doesn’t occur often, so make the most of it by doing something you’ll talk about for another four years.

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