Montgomery Ward

You know who you are: your favorite sounds of summer include the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. The smell of roasted peanuts and hot dogs is the ultimate comfort food. If you count the time between games in hours, not days, you’re a true baseball fan and this is your favorite time of the year.

Can’t get enough of the home team? Here are some of our favorite picks to help you cheer on the team from the comfort of your own home:

• Major League Baseball Woochie Pillow (shown at right)
• Perfect for the ballpark or at home, stay warm on chilly nights with these Major League Baseball Blanket Throws
• Bring some team spirit to your home office with a MLB desk lamp
• Greet your guests in style with a MLB team logo door mat for your front door
• …and more! Find your favorite team in our MLB Team Shop at wards.com

It’s the middle of summer and, unless you’re lucky and have a summer birthday or anniversary, there’s no gift-giving occasion in sight. Which is really unfortunate because we’re in love with these fun, whimsical diamond accent necklaces.

Perfect for summer, this diamond flip flop (sandal) pendant is definitely one of our favorites. It’s fun, under $100 and unique. We also can’t help but love this retro eyeglass pendant necklace with diamond accent. One last sea-themed pendant to tell you about: this diamond accent starfish pendant.

Know someone who’s stylish and loves a good cosmo (the drink, of course)? She’ll really appreciate the style of this diamond martini pendant.

Need some good luck? Whether you’re starting a new job, getting married or just need an extra boost of luck, it never hurts to take your lucky horseshoe with you every day — this lucky horseshoe pendant necklace may be just the thing you’re looking for. Good luck!

(More diamond pendants also available online at wards.com. …and don’t forget: $100+ orders qualify for deferred billing so you can bling today, pay later!)

We always get excited about new products and wanted to share these new arrivals with you. Here are some of our favorites - be sure to check out the entire list of new products online at wards.com:

• double treat ice cream maker: this ice cream machine lets you make two different flavors at the same time. Just add ingredients, put in the freezer and enjoy in a few hours!
• retro bar accessories and appliances: like your martini shaken, not stirred? You’ll love this retro martini shaker (makes a great holiday or birthday gift)! We also love the look of this bright red retro ice maker. Since we’ve got retro appliances on the brain, we couldn’t help but add this nostalgia doughnut maker to the list.
• a smarter chip and dip tray: we think this one is pretty smart, since it can either keep cold dips cold or hot dips hot for long periods of time.
• perfectly pink girls storage collection: we love this collection, including underbed storage bag, over the door shoe organizer, hanging shoe organizer and hanging accessory shelves.
• custom sized (made to measure) roman shades: these 100% silk roman shades can be made to measure (up to 72″ in length) and are cordless for extra safety. Available in nine colors, they’re available in both inside and outside mount.

In honor of the official start of summer tomorrow (Friday, June 20), here are our top 10 essentials for the ultimate summer:

10. Frozen Drink Machines: Whether mixing up margaritas or fruity smoothies, we couldn’t imagine a better way to spend some time in the sun than with a cool beverage in hand.

9. Pool Toys: Inflatable chairs, bumper blasters with water guns, even inflatable ducky baby seats — what else do you need for a day at the pool?

8.  Sturdy Folding Sports Chairs: Summer means sports…and lots of it. Whether you’re watching kids’ soccer, coed softball or just relaxing at the lake, you’re going to want a comfortable chair. These folding chairs are lightweight, come with a bag for carrying and easily fit in the trunk of your car.

7. Patio Furniture: Enjoy dinners outside on the deck and get ready for summer BBQs and entertaining with a patio furniture set. A portable patio set is perfect for small spaces and the folding chairs also make it easy for indoor storage.

6. Ice Cream! Nothing compares to the taste of homemade vanilla ice cream in the summer. It doesn’t matter if you make it yourself or buy it, all that matters is that you get an extra scoop with sprinkles.

5. Keep Cool: Ceiling fans, outdoor fans, dehumidifiers - whatever works for you, be sure it’s working and on-hand when the hot days of summer creep in.

4. Curbside Lemonade Stand: OK, so this one only works if you’re a child (although we’d love to see photos of some grownups with a lemonade stand if you decide to try it out!).

3. An Evening Boat Ride: Whether you have a friend with a yacht (we wish!) or if you rent a row boat to go out and watch the sun set, be sure you enjoy a relaxing evening out on the lake at least once this summer.

2. Read! It doesn’t matter if it’s The Odyssey or the latest issue of People magazine - as long as you read something. Of course poolside or beach reading is our favorite, but even just taking a book out and reading on the front porch, balcony or deck is much more relaxing than an hour of re-runs on TV.

1. Relax in a Hammock: After a long day at work (or after a long day of yard work), relax in a hammock and you’ll feel like you just went on vacation. Close your eyes, listen to the sounds of summer and enjoy…

The mere mention of a birthday (my sister-in-law’s birthday is in 1 week) is all it takes to kick off an intense craving for birthday cake and/or cupcakes.

In fact, I’ll admit it: sometimes I even look for excuses to buy a cake. (”Happy 1/2 birthday to me!” “Welcome home from your business trip, honey!” “It’s our anniversary!”)

Ice cream cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake: I am an equal opportunity cake addict – my only requirement is frosting and lots of it.

With another birthday just around the corner, I’m definitely thinking about cupcakes and can’t wait to try out this cupcake stand. The display of tiered cupcakes will be so much more impressive than just setting them on a plate! 

Unfortunately, my baking skills are sometimes more like the Swedish Chef (yes, the Muppet character) than Martha Stewart, so I always favor sprinkles (and lots of them) to disguise a less-than-Martha frosting technique.

I’m going to try a few different combinations of colors from this gourmet carousel of candy sprinkles (available in pink or white).

Do you have a recipe or photos of a cake/cupcake masterpiece? Send it to us!

It’s not easy to find a great gift for the couple who already have everything. (It’s also not easy when I wait until the last minute and there isn’t anything left to buy on their gift registry…other than the Christofle silver and platinum place settings!)

I asked around and here are a few favorite gifts that some of us received that weren’t on our registries:

• Ice cream/frozen yogurt maker: Ice cream. Need I say more?
• Egg and muffin toaster: perfect for making a quick breakfast 
• The ultimate margarita maker: OK, so no one received this one…but we all agree that we wish we had
• Custom name plaques: great for the grilling couple or the newly-married host and hostess with the mostest

Whether your princess is 4 or 44, you want to give her something exceptional. Here are a few suggestions on the ultimate gift for your princess…

For the grown-up princess, our new favorite is this diamond silver princess pendant. (Qualifies for deferred billing, too!) Because jewelry is always a safe choice for a princess (the more bling, the better), we also like these personalized necklaces and pendants.  

The littlest princess will fall in love with her very own princess toddler bed! Another best-selling favorite is the princess rocking chair, complete with a personalized photo of your favorite princess.

The most difficult princess to shop for is the teen-age princess. Stick to the basics and think about what she loves: jewelry, clothing and talking on the phone. Also available in pink (shown at right in blue), this retro princess phone will be her newest favorite.

True confession: I have no idea what I’m getting Mom this year for Mother’s Day.

Every year, I swear I will come up with something unique, creative and sentimental. (That only happened once - the year we all got Mom a mother’s ring…and you can’t buy her more than one.) This year, I’m back to my procrastinating ways and don’t have a clue.

Whether your Mom is earthy, creative, professional or impossible to shop for, I think jewelry is always a safe choice. After much consideration (the last few minutes), I think I’m going to go with a classic — princess-cut diamond solitaire earrings.

Don’t worry, procrastinators: there’s still time to get a great gift (and avoid the mall while you’re at it). Wards.com is offering free expedited shipping (guaranteed delivery for orders placed by 6 p.m. EST on 5/6) on select Mother’s Day jewelry gifts!

Growing up, Alice was my favorite character on The Brady Bunch. Not because I wanted to be Alice — I wanted my own Alice. Someone to referee arguments with my siblings and welcome us home with fresh-based cookies. As I grew older (notice, I didn’t say “matured” … the jury is still out on that one), my wish list for Alice has grown much longer.

 Thankfully, I think I have found the next best thing:

• It’s digital picture frame! (Holds up to 125 high resolution photos)
• It’s an erasable white board!
• It’s magnetic! (So it attaches to your fridge)
• It’s your own personal assistant! (Has a built-in microphone and speaker to record and play back audio messages)

Here’s a close-up photo of the audio message center.

While it won’t get you special cuts of meat from Sam the butcher, it will definitely help keep a hectic life just a little more organized.