The Gift Ideas Blog

Mother’s Day bouquet of flowers, credit

Mother’s Day is in less than a week, but you still have time to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

You could go the traditional route of a big bouquet of flowers. Most flower shops and supermarkets have delightful arrangements of blooms that tell Mom that you love her. Pick big bright springtime colors. Red, whites, and pinks are very symbolic of love. Perhaps consider a dozen roses, or even better, a potted plant in a cute, decorative container that will continue to grow for years to come.

Also, consider delectable comestibles. Treat your mother out to a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. Take her to her favorite restaurant, or, because restaurants are usually very busy and loud during the big holiday, give her a gift certificate for a dinner on another day that might be more convenient. Many popular restaurants offer gift certificates for their dining rooms.

Perhaps you could give your mother a nice box of chocolates or candies. Many chocolatiers and confectioners are offering special Mother’s Day-themed gift sets filled with deliciously sweet collections of their products. Great chocolatiers include Vosges Chocolates, Burdick’s chocolates, and Recchiutti Confections.

If it comes down to the wire and you still don’t have something, perhaps consider a gift card to your mother’s favorite retailer. Although slightly less personal, at least your mother can choose her favorite item, so you know you can’t go wrong.

Sometimes, the best gifts are free. The best gift could be spending time with your mother. Or, create a heartfelt homemade card that shows how much you love her and recounting your favorite moments with her. Perhaps write a poem or story about your mother and frame it. Poets.org has a database of poems, and you can find an already-written poem that fits perfectly as a tribute to your mother. Print it out on nice paper and a unique font, or use your arts and crafts and calligraphy skills for a unique gift that Mom’s sure to put on your wall.

Flowers, chocolates, poetry, time spent with Mom… no matter what you select for your Mother’s Day gift, she’s bound to love you and your present. Don’t forget Mother’s Day this Sunday, and help make it a special day for that special woman in your life.

What are you giving for Mother’s Day?

Looking for a fun floor cover that will also please the youngest members of your family? Consider FLOR, which makes modular carpet tiles for homes

Because FLOR makes modular carpet tiles, you can mix-and-match design and color carpet tiles to fit your tastes and surface area. It’s also great because of the many themes available for purchase. FLOR has recently entered into an agreement with Disney to create themed carpet tiles that feature popular such as those from the Disney-Pixar film “Cars,” the Disney Princesses, and the classic Winnie the Pooh characters.

The Gift Ideas Blog recently had a chance to review a set of “Cars”-themed FLOR carpet tiles, and we were particularly impressed by the vintage design and its durable nature. An advantage to using FLOR tiles is that if one tile gets dirty, all you have to do is lift up the stained tile and wash it. No need for inconvenient carpet washers and wet carpet.

With FLOR tiles, you can do a checkerboard pattern as pictured above, or you can line up the tiles in a row along a window or bedside. The choice is up to you. There’s also a variety of textures and colors that you can select from.

Finally, the rug tiles are partly made from recycled materials, and old tiles can be recycled. Check out FLOR today, and have some fun with your carpet!

People start to look pale in the long winter season because of the reduced sunlight and fewer opportunities to go outside, but you can give the gift of tan, bronzed skin with gift certificates to your local tanning salon! In fact, Hollywood Tans is offering a special holiday deal for those looking for last-minute gifts.

The indoor tanning salon chain is offering a seasonal promotion through which you can get a free $10 gift card to their salons with a $50 purchase. So you can give the gift of tanned skin while giving yourself a little treat as well. Help a friend or relative look as if he or she has just returned from a tropical vacation, even though it’s the middle of winter!

Hollywood Tans has several programs, and memberships begin at $19.99. Some options can get you looking tan in as few as one or two sessions. Visit Hollywood Tans to find which of their 320 locations is closest to you and to look at their various tanning plans.

Brian over at Asylum.com referred us to one of their recent posts about extravagantly overpriced retro toys. A Mr. T talking doll is going for $60, while a Mork and Mindy lunchbox is going for $220! It may be a lot, but if your gift recipient loves classic TV or ’70s cult figures, it just might be the perfect gift. It also reminds us to hold on to those old belongings and gifts, because you never know how much they might be worth in 20 or 30 years!

Check it out!

Considering perfume as a gift can be a difficult process, but it is can definitely be worth the effort. The folks at BB Perfume have provided some perfume gift giving tips for that special someone who can really appreciate a new and exciting fragrance to sprinkle herself with. According to BB Perfume, a great way to buy gift perfume, especially if you don’t know a woman’s preference, is to pick something that matches her personality. Here are their suggestions to help you choose the perfect gift fragrance for the following personalities:

Adventurous — Try Reaction by Kenneth Cole, Cool Water by Davidoff, Mambo Women by Liz Claiborne

Sexy — Try Attraction by Lancome, Burberry Touch, Contradiction by Calvin Klein.

Carefree — Try Acqua Di Gio by Girogio Armani, Boss Woman by Hugo Boss, D&G Light Blue

Confident — Try Amarige by Givenchy, Lacoste pour Femme, Dalissime by Salvador Dali.

Chic — Try Burberry Brit, Chance by Chanel, Desire by Dunhill.

Outgoing — Try Sensi by Giorgio Armani, Bazar By Christian Lacroix, Red Door by Elizabeth Arden.

Youthful — Try Daliflor by Salvador Dali, Paris Hilton, Diorissimo by Christian Dior.

For more recommended fragrances by personality, visit this article: Perfume by Personality.

Fragrances and perfumes make great gifts for your friends and family members. And you benefit as well because you can smell the results of these gifts for months to come!

Labor Day weekend is coming up, and it’s time to celebrate the favorite workers in your life. Or yourself!

It’s a popular end-of-summer holiday, so it’s everyone’s last chance to get out, get some sun, and get some relaxation. Many people have barbecues on Labor Day weekend, so a great gift idea would be to give something that’s related to barbecuing. Perhaps a brand new grill for the backyard? Or a cookbook with recipes to have the perfect BBQ? Martha Stewart or Paula Deen have great home and backyard entertaining tips. Also, maybe a trio of gourmet barbecuing sauces? The possibilities are endless.

Also, because Labor Day is a celebration of America’s workers, you might consider giving a gift that will help your friend/relative/etc. with his or her job. For example, maybe a fun desk toy or stress-relieving bean bag. Or perhaps an ergonomically correct wrist pad or mousepad or chair. Little cubicle accessories are great, too, perhaps catering to your gift recipient’s favorite things, such as TV shows, movies, celebrities, sports, etc. Perhaps your teenage niece working as an office assistant would like a Zac Efron cubicle poster. Or your sports-loving friend would like a daily sports quotes calendar, etc.

Of course, you can always give the generic (or themed) gift basket that is apropos for Labor Day. Maybe one featuring coffee and snacks, for consumption at the work desk. Several Web sites sell gift baskets themed to Labor Day. Keep on the lookout for great deals.

However you choose to celebrate the day off for Labor Day, make it special and memorable with a fun themed gift!

Here’s a great personalized card or stationery idea to go with your gifts: PosePrints!

PosePrints invites you to design your own personalized stationery. You can pick from a variety of designs, and best of all, you can create your own fun caricature.

After you pick your favorite background, you design your image! Pick from the templates your hairstyle, eye color, mouth, and other features such as facial hair, glasses, or even a baby bump! There are options for men and women. Then, add personal details and messages, and you’re all set to check out!

PosePrints is a great alternative to generic, run-of-the-mill greeting cards. Say hi or I Love You with these fun and unique cards that have been personalized and can only be from you! If you’re looking for unique stationery to pair with your gifts, try out PosePrints.

And, Gift Ideas Blog visitors can get a special discount: Enter the code “GIFT20″ in the checkout area of the PosePrints site and receive 5 free cards for every order of 25 cards — a $10 value! Check out this great stationery idea at PosePrints!

Many people have a lot more free time during the summer, and so they go out and travel.

This is an excellent opportunity to give a spontaneous, just-for-fun gift to show someone you love them or care.

To give a vacation gift, think about what a person needs on vacation.

Do they need luggage? Travelers going to faraway places usually need something in which to carry their clothes and to bring back their souvenirs, so a nice luggage set could be in order for your gift recipient.

Look for a sturdy set that has a variety of features. Is it made out of strong material? Is the suitcase firm? Does it have wheels to carry around easily when it’s full and heavy? Does it have an extended handle to make dragging easy? Does it have an expandable section? That could come in handy because many people frequently overpack, so that unexpected extra space comes in handy.

Also, for toiletries, you can get them a nice small toiletries bag. Made of leather or other materials, they are small enough to carry around conveniently, but large enough to store all the things you need, from toothbrushes to floss to hair gel.

For those doing the traditional “Backpacking through Europe” (or other fun destinations that require hiking or traveling by foot over long distances), a backpack might be a nice gift. There are many different kinds available, and some brands are sturdier and longer-lasting than others. Some even offer a lifetime guarantee, with the option of mailing in the old backpack for repairs or a replacement. Such a gift can make a traveler’s life much easier.

As you can see, there are many gifts that you can give to someone going on vacation or traveling far distances. Brainstorm some great ideas and come up with the perfect gift for that globetrotter in your life.

It’s one week until Mother’s Day, and there’s still plenty of time to get that perfect gift for Mom. Whether you’re shopping locally or going to an online store that will ship directly, there’s hope to find the gift that will say “I Love You” to your mother for Mother’s Day (May 13, 2007).

- How about a writing and stationery set? Mothers frequently correspond with their friends and extended family members, so you can help her out by giving her a personalized card set, with her monogram (or Mom-ogram!) or a long-lasting pen with her name on it. Blank greeting cards are nice and can be used for any occasion. Find some at your local paper/office store, or order them online.

- How about a wine gift? Perhaps a fancy chardonnay or pinot noir? Maybe a gift basket with wine and appropriate paired snacks (chocolates, cookies, crackers, smoked meats), or even a trip to a winery to try some wine tasting. Since the film “Sideways,” trips to experience wine country and try out different wines have taken off. Join in on the wine-tasting fun by introducing her to the joys of wine.

- A beautiful floral arrangement could enliven your mom’s Mother’s Day and will last for some time on her windowsill. Or, for an even longer-lasting gift, give Mom a living plant or planting kit, so she can grow her own foliage at home. Plants bring color, refreshment, and good air to a room. Every time she sees the plant, your mom will think of you.

- Take her on a shopping trip! Or take her out to dinner! Time spent with Mom is always precious, and your continued love is the greatest gift you can give to her.

For more gift ideas for the occasion, see our earlier post: Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Good luck!

A cute candy gift idea. This item from Personalization Mall allows you to put your own message on a candy jar.

Put something like, “I love you, [name of recipient]” or “I love you, Mom; from [name of giver]” on the jar, and the gift will be specific and always associated with you.

This would make a good Valentine’s Day gift, as well as a Mother’s Day gift.

Fill the jar with your gift recipient’s favorite candies, and you’re on your way for a sweet gift. Your sweetheart, who might place this personalized candy jar on his or her desk at work, will think of you every time he or she reaches for a piece of candy.

Now what would make a better gift idea?