Top six Easter gifts for girls 5 to 7 years old in 2011

Easter will be here very shortly. This year my daughter has helped me create a list of what she thinks would be the best gifts for the Easter bunny to give her. Of course there will be the usual chocolate and other goodies hidden for the kids to find but I do like to give each of them one bigger gift, or a couple of smaller toys for them to find.



Lalaloopsy dolls
She has been asking for a Lalaloopsy doll since before Christmas. I am not so sure what the appeal is but she thinks they are great. Yes they are bright and different looking, very creative. She seems to like Jewel Sparkles with the Pet Pink Cat the most. I have found Lalaloopsy dolls costing $29.99 (toysrus.ca) up to $70.00 depending where you look. The Lalaloopsy mini dolls are $6.99 (Toysrus.ca). I can see a mini finding its way into her Easter basket. It is cute and not too expensive.



Monster High dolls
Yet another toy she has wanted since before Christmas. Most of her school friends have at least one of the Monster High dolls and brings them to school all the time. I think my daughter feels left out because they have them and she does not. She has never seen the show so her only contact with the dolls has been commercials and her friends. She wants the Clawdeen Wolf one. I would have thought Cleo de Nile because she is like a princess or Draculaura because she has a lot of pink. No, she really likes Clawdeen Wolf. I have found Clawdeen Wolf from $16.99 to $19.99 online.



Furreal friends
Furreal friends she has been collecting for at least a year. She has dogs, cats and a racing bunny with track. It comes as no surprise she would like more. She has been asking about the furreal friends Kitty Cat ever since she saw it in a store. It is around $50. She also loves the furreal friends snuggimals dress ‘n snuggle, they even have a bunny one that is around $17. I can usually find small furreal friends between $7 and $13 at Walmart.





Zhu Zhu pets
These were big around Christmas. She has a couple from Christmas but she would like a puppy just like her friends at school has. They are very popular right now with all the girls in her class. I found them for about $11. What she has been getting is the baby Zhu Zhu pets. They don’t require batteries, they just have a little ball on the bottom that the role on. They come with accessories, are small and usually under $7. There are many Zhu Zhu pet accessories she would love as well.



Build a bear
Build a bear is always a hit with my kids and they have bunnies. A couple of build a bears stood out to me, the lamb and a bunny. I think that they are cute. However, the real charm of build a bear is that the kids get to build the bear and bring it to life. It is not the same to be given a build a bear as it is to make your own. I would put a build a bear gift certificate in her basket before I would give her an actual “made” build a bear. The clothing on the other hand has unlimited possibilities. She already has a build a bear, so clothing for that build a bear is a great option. The clothing can start off as little as $4 but is usually in the $10 to $20 range. It would be easy to pick up a couple of small pieces or an entire outfit for Easter.




Lego
My daughter would play with my son’s Lego but never seemed to get into like he does. Then for her birthday she was given a “girls” Lego set. The Lego was pink, white and other light colours. The figure was a girl and she could make pets, there were stickers for eyes, flowers and other cool things. Suddenly she was playing Lego all the time, building things and talking about getting more “girl” Lego. I think part of the fun was that I was right there with her, playing and building. There is some wonderful “girl” Lego out there, any and all of it she would like. She would love the pink Lego box with 219 pieces for $21.99 or the large pink Lego box for $39.99, that one even has a horse. I really like the Lego Ville Pet Shop I found for $29.99. It has a girl figure and several pets and it is a little shop. Very cool. I do know she also likes the Mystery Lego Minifigure bags. They are only $2.99 each and it is fun to see what you get. Both my kids are starting to collect them. However they do have an agreement that any girl figures my daughter gets.

Finding the perfect birthday gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend

I have written a couple of blogs on great birthday gift ideas for your boyfriend and girlfriend. I have had some positive and negative feedback. From the feedback I have the impression that some people just don’t get it. Finding the perfect or greatest birthday gift is not easy; it involves work but more importantly an investment of time and energy learning about your boyfriend or girlfriend. I get asked all the time; what should I give my boyfriend/girlfriend for their birthday. I will keep creating gift idea lists because it’s fun and new things come out every day. People need to understand that lists are just ideas, suggestions and a way to get them to think out of the box and come up with their own gift ideas.



It comes down to communication. Talk to each other about your likes, loves, hates, dreams and anything else that comes up. The more you know about each other the easier it is to give things to each other. Lists of gift ideas don’t mean a thing if you don’t know the person you are giving the gift to. That is why I always say in the beginning of a relationship keep the gifts simple and somewhat generic but still try to take the time to learn what your boyfriend or girlfriend would like. After that finding the right gift should be easy, finding the right gift within your budget can be the hard part.

If you know the person you are buying for it should not be that hard to get an idea of what that person would like. With my husband it is easy to figure out what to give him even after 10 years. We talk to each other, and I don’t try to give him what I think he would like, but what he actually wants. I know what movies he likes, the books he wants and all his weaknesses and I take advantage of that knowledge. The problem is keeping him from buying it before I can give it to him. He usually finds out his gift early because I am trying to stop him from buying something or I keep telling him to wait a few weeks. He figures it out quickly. However there have been more times when I had to return something and come up with a new gift idea because he bought what I was going to give him.



This year I got him something unexpected that he loves. Speakers for his computer that light up and change with the music. He loves listening to music when he works or relaxes. The speakers were better quality than his old ones and he loved the look of them. He put them on his computer right away. I had to think out of the box on this one. Normally I don’t mess with his computer he builds them for fun and always knows what he wants. So I knew he would never expect me to buy him computer speakers. It was great seeing the look on his face when he opened the box.

My husband on the other hand has a hard time figuring out gifts for me, even when I tell him what I want. For years he would give me what he thought I should want not what I told him I wanted. What I wanted never seemed romantic enough to him. So I ended up with romantic gifts that were things he wanted me to have, not things I wanted. It took a long time for him to finally figure out that I was much happier with the so called unromantic gifts. To me they were much more romantic because he took the time to really hear me and understand me, and gave me what I wanted.



This year one of my gifts (from my kids but really my husband) was a bunch of fun socks. I love being gifted unusual, funny and strange socks, anything but plain black or white boring socks. It is a simple gift, but I know my husband and kids have a great time trying to find ones I will like. I like wearing them and remembering when I got them, or having my kids excited because I am wearing the socks they picked out. It may not be a big gift, or a romantic gift but I think they are great.

I like to cook so for the last couple of years my husband has been giving me “cooking stuff” that I will not buy myself. A really nice restaurant quality wok, better quality pots, pans, cookie sheets, cheesecake pans and even a perogie maker. Whatever new cooking fad I am in he gives me what I need to do it.



My husband knows how much I love my coffee so one year I was given an individual cup coffee makes, a coffee grinder that does one cups worth at a time, and a wonderful bag of coffee beans. He likes to surprise me with different types and flavours of coffee beans to try. The man simply knows me, and knows what I like and has learned to give me that.

The point is to learn about your loved one and understand what is important to them and run with it. Who cares if it makes sense to anyone else, or does not seem romantic? All that matters is that it makes your boyfriend or girlfriend happy.



However, there are some people that are impossible to buy for and gift idea lists can be a great help with them, because at least you tried and did not just go out and buy any old thing. I have people in my family like that. It does not matter what you give them it is never the right thing, not expensive enough or not what they really wanted (not that they told anyone what they wanted). With people like that you just try and find what makes you happy to give them because when it comes right down to it they are never going to be happy with what you give them so you might as well be.

Celebrate Mothers Day on a Budget

It is a bit of a surprise for me to realise that Mothers Day is less than a week away. My son was telling me he has all these “things” he would like to buy me for Mothers Day. I let him know that I love the things he makes me far more than anything he could buy me. It is true, but we also don’t have the money for him to buy me anything right now. My son’s birthday is this month as well. All our money is going to his Birthday party.

My daughter is quite happy to make me something for Mothers Day. She loves to paint, draw and glue. Mothers Day is just another opportunity to create something.

My husband on the other hand wants to do something for me for Mothers Day. He wanted us to go out for dinner like we did last year. It is just not going to happen. This year we need to do Mothers Day on a Budget.

For me it is ok that we are not doing much. Mothers Day does not have to involve money. The point behind Mothers Day is to show appreciation, not buy things. There are many things I would love to have my family do for me on Mother’s Day. I am sure there are many things every Mother can think of that they would love on their Celebrate Mothers Day on a Budget list.

Here is my Celebrate Mothers Day on a Budget list:

• Let me sleep in and have a shower without everyone trying to talk to me at the same time.
  
• Handmade crafts – cards, pictures, jewellery and more. I love that my kids want to make me something. I try to show appreciation for their effort and that I value anything they make for me. Sometimes it can be difficult letting them be creative, but once the mess is all cleaned up it is worth it. I like things that I am able to use or put up where people can see. I am thinking about getting them to paint rocks for the edge of my flower garden. I am expecting cards and painted flower pots again.
  
• Dinner – This would involve the kids helping Dad make dinner, set the table and clean up after. It may be something small but it lets my kids feel as if they have done something important and valuable for me.
  
• Cake or cookies – This is something that we have the mix for and with Dad’s help they would have a lot of fun making. They could decorate them as they like. It would be fun to see what they make.

Small and simple are what I want. I already know it is too much to ask that they don’t make a mess, no fighting, or to clean the house. For me Mothers Day is not about me getting something but giving my kids a chance to show me they love me, and I love them.

If we had the money there are a lot of things I would love but I would not give up my children’s handmade gifts for them.

50 Christmas gift ideas for her, Girlfriend, wife, mother, daughter or friend in 2009

I have an odd idea of what is a great Christmas gift for me. My husband is always complaining that my idea of a gift for myself is me actually saying, I need this. I am not a frivolous person. If I want something, then that is a good gift idea. The fact that I want sensible things is beside the point.

So the best Christmas gift for anyone one is what they want, even if it is sensible. It is not as important what the person buying the gift thinks as what the person receiving the gift thinks. So common sense would dictate that if someone says I what this, then that is what you get even if that means the person is not going to be surprised. They will be happy and that is what is important.

Now the real issue is when the lady in your life will not tell you what she would like. Or you have what she asked for and would like to give something else as well. I have put together an excellent list of gift ideas.

50 Quick Gift Ideas:

Sterling Silver Dolphin Stud Earrings - $6.00
Sterling Silver Celtic Pictish Swirl Pendant with 925 Stamp - $9.00
Tiger Eye Ring Size 7 with 925 Stamp - $10.00
Sterling Silver Light Blue Topaz Pendant with 925 Stamp - $10.00
Sterling Silver Yellow Citrine Ring - Size 5 - $12.00

The Skin Type Solution by Dr. Baumann Hardcover - $12.99
Sterling Silver fine ball Chain 18" - $14.00
Dream Sleeper Slim-fitting 2-Pc. Sleepwear Set – $14.99
Celtic Double Spiral Ring - Size 5 1/2 - $15.00
Jessica®/MD Antique-look Copper Earrings - $15.00
Celtic Claddagh Sterling Silver Pendant with Green Stone Chip - $15.00

Sterling Silver Chain 20" - $16.00
Anthony Logistics Deluxe Gift Set Strength - $19.99
Roots® Sterling Silver Crystal Fishhook Earrings - $19.99
Sterling Sliver Dragonfly Ring Size 8 with 925 Stamp - $20.00
Sterling Silver Topaz Pendant with 925 Stamp - $20.00
Sterling Sliver Celtic Knotwork with Amethyst Ring Size 9 with 925 stamp - $23.00
Godiva® Ceramic Fondue Set – $23.99
Sterling Sliver Spinner / Meditation Ring with Celtic Knotwork pattern Size 8 1/2 -$24.00
Celtic Knotwork Sterling Silver Earrings - $25.00
Handcrafted Dark multi-colour iridescent glass bead necklace with Celtic knotwork pendant - $25.00
Red and Blue glass teardrop Beaded Necklace - $25.00

Sterling Silver Tribal Flame Pattern Ring Size 6 1/2 with 925 stamp - $25.00
Discovery Illuminated Ant Gel Habitat - $29.95
Handcrafted Blue eyed Wolf necklace with blue glass beads - $30.00
Spinner / Meditation Ring with Nike and Kate the Farrier's Symbol in A Knights Tale Size 7 1/2 with 925 Stamp - $30.00

Sterling Sliver Celtic Knotwork Pattern Ring Size 13 with 925 Stamp - $33.00
Egyptian Hieroglyph Eye of Ra Handcrafted Soapstone Pendant - $35.00
Sterling Silver Medieval Circle Pendant with 925 Stamp - $35.00
Bohemia Pinwheel 10'' Flared Crystal Vase - $35.99

Discovery Tech Edge Digital Camera - $39.94
Jack Black Signature Silver Liquid Magnetism Gift Set - $39.99
Jessica®/MD 10K Gold Garnet Stud Earrings - $39.99
Sterling Silver Chain 16" - $46.00
Celtic Thistle Brooch Peridoet Center - $48.00
MythBusters: Season 5 DVD Set - $49.95
Pevonia Youthful Vibrance Gift Set - $49.99
Cuisinart® 'SmartStick' Hand Blender/chopper - $59.99
Wii™ Sports Resort™ - 59.99
Oster® 6.1-QT. 2-tier Food Steamer - $59.99 at Sears
Perfume Science Kit - $59.95
Women's Timex® Ironman Triathlon 50-lap Sleek Sport Watch - $62.99
TomTom® One 130 GPS Unit - $99.99
Kodak® Digital Picture 8'' Frame M820 – $103.99

Floral Privacy Screen – $129.99
Emerson® Karaoke System with 5 1/2'' Monitor GQ755 - $149.99
Sterling Silver Chain 22" - $154.00
Wood Construction Java Finish Armoire- $209.99
Canon® Powershot® Red Digital Camera Bundle with Case SD1200 - $219.99
Sterling Silver Chain 24" -$266.00

The $350 and $450 Mystic Spa prize packs or gift basket contest is up and running

TALK 820 AM has the Mystic Spa contest on their website now. If you are interested in entering her is the link to the contest page http://www.talk820.com/contests/new/837025/mystic+spa+prize+pack%21.

I wish I could win one of these actually. They are wonderful glass bowls full of candles, incense, an incense holder and several hundred dollars worth of gift certificates, even one for $40 for product on Medieval Magic.

I wish everyone luck with this contest.

Second wedding anniversary gift ideas

For the second anniversary gift the traditional is cotton and modern is china. These are so general that there are quite a few things to pick from. The problem is to find the right thing. Giving cotton sheets or some plates might fall under cotton or china but they may not go over so well with your partner, unless it is what they really want. The idea is to have some fun with it or be very romantic.

Traditional gift ideas: Cotton.
T-shirts: I like this because it is useful, fun and can be personalized easily. With today's printing technology you can literally have anything printed on a t-shirt. All you need is some creativity. If you know what your partner loves then find a t-shit that will have meaning to them, or find one that is relevant to your anniversary. I found one that made me laugh on www.JustPaperRoses.com.

100% cotton T-shirt on JustPaperRoses, Inc. for $15.00.
We just celebrated our 2nd "cotton" Anniversary and all I got was this t-shirt!




You are not stuck with just t-shirts. There are quite a few clothing items made out of cotton that can be personalized or come with fun saying on them. Sweat shirts, pullovers, sweaters, pants, coats, bathrobes, and even men and ladies underwear

Property of (your name here) boxers and briefs at www.planetmomtshirts.com are funny.

The cotton scroll or love letter in a bottle looks like a lot of fun. It is personalized, romantic and different. Again though it is what you put into it that counts, both in thought and effort. I found it at www.violetandblue.co.uk , though I have to admit I would probably just make it my self. It does not look that hard, and I think it would be more fun finding the right things to put in the box.



I am not that interested in a lot of the cotton items available just because I don’t find the idea of receiving a cotton throw pillow, or bed cover that exciting, even if it has our wedding date or names on it and cotton jewellery is not to my taste. I want something fun. Give me a bag of cotton balls with something hidden in it. Or even a little cotton plant that I can try to keep alive. A cotton tablecloth is only OK if it is on the table and comes with a wonderful meal on top. Though almost anything with a dragon design on it I think I would like. It is about taking the time to find out what your spouse likes and then designing the gift to fit.

Modern Gift Ideas: China
Coffee Mug: I like this because I just love coffee, and always like getting fun mugs. What is important about this is that you can have anything printed on a coffee mug, teacup, plate, or ornament made of china. It is easy to find ones already with nice pictures, messages, or fun sayings that have meaning to you or your spouse. This “together we're one” personalised coffee mug is cute. I found it at www.giftsforyounow.com.




China ornaments or knickknacks. I have to admit that I am not so fond of knickknacks because they are not that useful, they take up room and have to be dusted. However I do have some that have emotional value to my husband and I. We gave them to each other as gifts. What I like about this is that it is if your spouse loves something, or there is something with special meaning to the two of you it is easy to find something made up of china such as statues, figurines, and more. We love dragons in our house, so we both have dragon figurines. One of the china items we have is two little bells with our names on them. It is small but romantic.

Cotton and China are easy mediums to find interesting, fun or romantic gifts. It is just a matter of knowing what is important to your spouse and then finding a way to find it in cotton or china. To make a gift important you cannot just grab any old thing just because it is made up of cotton or china. It is the thought you put into it that shows and counts.

Single Mom and Mothers Day

It is important for you to teach your children to value you; Mothers Day is a great opportunity to do that. It is hard when you are a single Mom and end up being the person getting your kids to make a gift or you end up buying your own gift for them to give you. As awkward as it is you need to give your children the opportunity to show how much the love and appreciate you. If you don't show your children that who you are and what you do are special and important how will they learn that it is? So you need to let your kids find a way to show that they love you, even if it ends up that you do all the work so that they have something to give you. If you are lucky than you will have family close by that can help you teach your children what Mothers Day is about.

There are some great things that you can do for yourself on Mothers Day. Find other Mothers and treat yourselves. It can be a wonderful to have an excuse to put yourself first, even if it is only for an hour. Go for lunch when the kids are at school. If you have the money then do the spa day, or what you can afford. Even having dinner out or delivery with your kids can be a treat, something special. It is in all how you handle it. It is not just having pizza for dinner, but Mothers night off, or Mom special meal.

There are quite a few fun things to do with your kids on Mothers Day. Let the kids help with making dinner, or clean up even if they are young and you end up doing more work. This will get them into the habit of doing things for you on Mothers Day, and understand that making or buying something is not the only way to show love and appreciation. Starting a Mothers Day tradition can make things easer on you and your kids. Every year make hand impressions in plaster of paris is fun, and the kids can paint them or what ever. Get a charm bracelet or necklace, every year have the kids pick out a charm so that every year you have a new charm and a good memory of picking it out. What matters is that you find something you and your kids enjoy and turn it into you tradition. It can be as simple as always having a movie night, or you spend the day making a craft, such as hand painted ceramic mugs and such, but you do it together.

Mothers Day can be whatever you and your children make of it.

All grown up gifts for Mothers Day

It was easy when we were kids, a card and some craft we made at school made Mom happy. Now we are all grown up, what do we give Mom for Mothers day? It depends on the relationship we have, how close we live together and what we can afford. There are always traditional gift ideas to fall back on, but sometimes it is nice to be able to have a gift that is unexpected and totally appreciated.

Mothers Day is all about showing how much you appreciate your Mother. If you know your Mother loves something it makes it easer to find unique gifts every year. The real problem is when you just don’t know what to get. You ask but she will not tell you what she would like or always says, “What ever you give is fine.” Some Mothers will appreciate a phone call, a card and flowers others expect something more. Only you know your mother.

Flowers and plants are a nice gift if you don’t live near your Mom as they can be delivered just about any place and you can order at the last minute even if you forget about Mothers day. For a lot of people flowers and a card is what they give their Mother every year. It is quick, easy and can fit into almost every budget. An unusual twist is the new edible fruit arrangements. Those look very cool, are unusual and tasty. Only draw back is that they have to be eaten quickly and stored in the fridge.

Gift baskets/bags are also a quick and easy gift idea. There are tons of companies that will create specialized baskets and deliver them. This is a good gift if you don’t live near by because they are delivered. It is also good if you forgot about Mothers Day because they can be ordered at the last minute. They can be a good idea if you just don’t have the time to go shopping or have no idea what to get as you can order theme ones.

However, gift baskets are a lot of fun to make up yourself and ether mail it or if possible present it to her yourself. The ones you make up yourself are wonderful because almost anything can be put into it. If there are special mementos or things that remind you of your Mom you can put them in and talk or write about what they mean to you, therefore what your Mother means to you. You can put as much or as little time, money and effort into a gift basket as you want to. The more effort you put into it though the better the basket is, even if you don’t have a lot of money or time. Put in mementos and little reminders, like pictures, stories, sea shells that remind you of a special summer vacation, things that are special to you and your mother. Make sure you explain why something is important, what memories you have surrounding that item or image.

A meal is also a nice way to show how you feel. Sometimes a home cooked meal hits the spot and others really enjoy a meal out. Tickets to a show or even taking her out to a show are excellent gift idea as well. Gift certificates or an actual day at the spa with you are nice. A fun treat, even if it is just to get a manicure, pedicure or facial. This is what I would love, a spa day just for me to get away and relax for a few hours.

Having a family photo done with everyone in the family. This may involve having people come from far away but it can be a wonderful gift to arrange. You will have to coordinate everyone to be at a studio at the same time, or hire the photographer to come to you. Then you let your Mother pick the picture she likes the best. Have the picture framed and make a big deal about presenting it to her. This is a wonderful gift when families have spread out all over the place.

There are a lot of options in jewelry for every budget. There are quite a few pendants with #1 Mom, I love you, Hug or any number of Mother symbols in sterling silver up to platinum and any combination of gems. The same can be found in rings, brooches, earrings, necklaces and more. It is important to find something that has value to her. I think that the new picture on a pendant is a great gift. You can give her something to wear and show. The idea is to get a picture of both of you and have it engraved or imprinted onto the pendant. Or even a picture that has significant to her, such as a photo of a great moment in her life.

Many people will give big once in a lifetime gifts to express how they feel; trips, cruses, cars, homes, very expensive jewelry and many other extravagant gifts. Others will find the small things that will make their Mothers happy every year. Little things like showing up unexpectedly and spending time with her, or taking her shopping or cleaning up the house. Sometimes simply find something that she would not do for herself and do it.

Mind you my Mother would find all of this a waste of time and money. She would be much happier if I called and let her talk to the grandchildren, and sent her some strange exotic plant for her greenhouse, or at least some seeds for something odd and unusual. Every Mother is different. It is going to be a matter of sticking with the tried and true card, flowers and meal combo or trying for something else.

Gift ideas for the bridesmaids and maid of honor

Your friends are there for you, as you get ready for the big day. They are going to be right there with you as go from bride to wife. You want some way to thank them for being there, interrupting their lives for fittings and rehearsals. You have just spent the last weeks if not months preparing for your wedding. Now you need to come up with the right gifts for your bridesmaids and maid of honor.

Personal gift are the best. These are your friends and family, you know them well and should be able to find each one a personal gift to say thank you. This does take more time, and can be more expensive then giving everyone the same gift. It is nice to be able to give some thing that each person will appreciate and enjoy and lets them remember your wedding. Often a small token is more appreciated if time has been put into it to make it special to the person receiving it then a uniform expensive gift that everyone receives.

Cost and time are always deciding factors in buying gifts. A small token is perfectly fine and appreciated and so is going extravagant if you have the budget for it. It is a lot of fun to spend time finding the right thing for your friends. I can spend a lot of time gift hunting. Often times you can find some great pieces or gifts in local shops and malls. However if you don’t have a lot of time, shop on the Internet. This lets you find thousands of gift ideas in all price ranges. This will save you time and the items you pick will be delivered to you

1) Jewelry is the most common thank you gift, and is often worn at the wedding. There are some wonderful sterling silver pendants, chains, earrings and brooches that will fit any budget and it is easy to find individual pieces for each person all in the same price range.

2) Gift basket or bag with a mix of items is the next popular thank you gift. These can be made to fit any budget. Often gift baskets will have specialty food items, coffee, tea or an alcoholic beverage, candy, some sort of memento like a mug, wine glass, or vase, some times jewelry, gift certificates, perfume, personal care products like body cream, bubble bath, etc. What is great about gift baskets is that you can put whatever you want in them. Very easy to fit your budget and have each basket designed for each person. It is also very easy to match the look of the basket with the look of your wedding with the use of color and flowers. If you have the time to make them yourself it can be a lot of fun, however if you don’t then there are 100’s of places that will make them up for you, both local and online.

3) Find a local artist to make something for each of your bridesmaids and maid of honor. As there are often many different types of artists that work in many different mediums this opens up a lot of unique one of a kind gift ideas. I like the individually handcrafted pottery. This can be dish sets, a unique serving bowl, vase, or just about anything. There are some wonderful sculptors, painters, and even musicians who would love to make something for you to give as gifts, either all unique or a matched set. Don’t forget the local crafters who also make the unusual and one of a kind pieces. There are usually a few stores that carry local crafters work, or local craft shows to go to. I have seen some wonderful handcrafted unique jewelry at craft shows, and I know that you can often have the crafter make a set for each person, or the same set for each person in your bridal party. Some crafters will even have their own online store so you are not always limited to local talent.

4) Gift certificate to a spa or a treatment at a spa is a good way to go, very appreciated after several days of stress and hard work. There are many price ranges available. You can give a pedicure or manicure at a reasonable cost. Or you can go as far as the full spa day treatment if your budget allows and any thing in between.

5) A sitting with the professional photographer for a portrait or family picture just for them is a wonderful way to say thank you for helping you on your wedding day. This is some thing that most people do not think to give themselves Often you can get a good deal if you use the same photographer for the wedding and each of the bridesmaids and maid of honour pictures. It can all be arraigned as you arrange for the wedding pictures. What is great about this is that the pictures can often be taken on the same day as the wedding when every one is already dressed up and having fun or you can make arraignments with the photographer for individual studio sittings.

6) No matter what the gift is, what is appreciated and most often kept, usually with the wedding photos, is the thank you card with a hart felt handwritten note from you to them.

Picture lockets as gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are coming up and as per usual I am kind of at a loss at what to get everyone. A few years ago at a photo shop I saw some picture pendants. You take a picture in and they would have it coloured lasered on to a metal pendant. I have always liked that idea, to be able to wear a picture that had good memories as jewellery. At the time I was thinking about having some done up with my children and giving them to their Grandparents for Christmas. The other item I was looking at was a locket that you put pictures into. I think that they are a nice gift idea, but I never did buy one. I just did not have pictures small enough to fit.

Looking around on the Internet today I found a great combination of both of these, lockets that the pictures are colour lasered into the inside. That way I don’t have to deal with looking for pictures that fit, and then try to cut them right and then somehow get them into the locket. This makes it so much easer for me. Also if the locket gets wet or something there will be no damage to the pictures because they are laser printed. I like that as my kids Grandmother lives right on the ocean, and is boating all the time.

I found locket wristwatch that would make great gifts for both Grandpa and Great Grandpa. They can use them as a wristwatch and then lift the watch part up and there the picture is. I am not sure if I will go with the engraving with this one or just put a picture in. I may go with the just the coloured lasered picture because I don’t think either one takes their watches off when washing their hands.



For Grandma and Great Grandmother I am looking at traditional silver lockets. I found some great designs. Though knowing Great Grandmother she will not wear it unless it was a white gold locket. I did find some lockets she would like, two-toned gold with diamonds, but the price is way out of my reach right now. I found some very nice silver lockets that I can afford now, and if I want to I can even get them in time for mothers day.






For me there is a very cool one for Mothers day in the gold lockets. It is a hart locket with a Mom holding a baby on the front. I like it a lot, but it is a bit out of my price range right now. My husband would be happy with the dog tag style ones I found at the photo shop place. Two of them with the kids baby pictures on the front and their names and date of birth on the back. It would be like a cheat sheet for him so he would stop confusing their birthdays.





These lockets are traditional gifts that I think Grandmother and Great Grandmother will appreciate. The watches are useful so I think Grandfather, and Great Grandfather will actually like and use them.

Great birthday gifts for your girlfriend

What you get your girlfriend for her birthday is going to depend on how long you have been together, at what stage of the relationship you are in, and how well you know her. The hardest gift to figure out is always the first one.

Great birthday gifts for your girlfriend when you are at the very beginning of the relationship and don’t know each other that well yet.

1) A light card, maybe with some humour, with a lottery ticket and some thing saying you hope she is as lucky with the lottery ticket or scratchy as you feel you are because you are together.
2) Flowers, with a vase. Try to find out her favourite colour, or flower before hand. If you have no idea of what she likes go for a mix with a variety of colours and types of flowers or go with one rose.
3) A gift basket is an excellent way to go. What is good about a basket is that you can use whatever information you do know about her to make one just for her. It can have food, candies, flowers, what ever she has shown some interest in. One man I know gave his girlfriend of a few weeks a basket with seashells, a small bag of sand and a glass bowl shaped like a shell to display them in. She had let him know that she loved the beach; it was winter so this was his way of bringing the beach to her. If you have only been out a few times you should still have a good idea if she likes coffee or tea. If she likes coffee or tea have a basket with a coffee or tea mug/cup. A good blend of coffee or tea products, some biscuits/cookies and card. If you know some thing she likes add it to the basket.
4) A nice dinner out is a great idea, but make sure it is part of the gift and not all you do. People like having some thing to open.

Things not to buy at this stage as they are not appropriate or give the wrong message or impression:

1) Clothing, of any type, especially not lingerie
2) Bath products, or personal care products. It gives the wrong message.
3) Jewellery
4) Candles
5) Box of chocolates
6) Perfume
7) No gag gifts even if she has a sense of humour.

Great Birthday gifts once you have been going out for a bit and have a good idea of what her likes and dislikes are. This is the easiest stage because you know more abut each other; things are still new and fresh. What makes the difference in the gifts is if you are in a casual or serious relationship.

Casual Relationship Birthday gifts



1) A card that has a casual tone, but still says I care.
2) Jewellery is ok here especially if you get her birthstone, as long as you do not buy any rings as they can be seen as taking the relationship to the serious level. Do not buy any thing with a Celtic Claddagh, as it is a symbol of commitment.
3) Flowers are still great, but not as the only gift. Make sure they have some special meaning to your girlfriend.
4) Birthday dinner is a good idea. You may want to have some of her friends over for a home cooked meal if you are always going out, or you will want to have dinner out with her friends if you usually have stay at home dates.
5) Gift baskets are still wonderful here and now you have a better idea of what to put into them. They still show that you put some effort into the gift, but you can keep it with a casual tone. You can put all her favourite things into it, foods, candies, books, tickets to a game, theatre show, concert or what ever she likes.
6) Candles, candies, chocolates, perfume, gag gifts will work as at this point because you know for sure that your girlfriend likes them or not. Do not buy bath or personal care products as it still sends the wrong message.


Serious Relationship Birthday gifts



1) A card that has a hand written message by you about how you feel about her and the relationship. Make sure it is honest and heartfelt, not just what you think she wants to hear. It should have some mention of event that was meaningfull to the both of you.
2) Jewellery is great here. A promise ring or Celtic Claddagh shows how you feel and that you are serious and committed to her and the relationship.
3) Flowers as always a nice but never as the only gift or main gift.
4) Lingerie and other things that can be bought at a sex shop may be ok to buy at this point. But not as the main gift, and only if it is some thing your girlfriend has expressed interest in. Surprising her with this can backfire fast so this is some thing you need to tread carefully with and make sure it is some thing she is open to. Some people see lingerie as the guy is buying himself a gift and giving it to his girlfriend, in other words it is more for the guy.
5) Gift certificates for a spa are very popular. As long as it is not some thing she does all the time already. Always make sure they are for relaxing things like a massage or open for her to pick what she wants to use it for.
6) At this point it should be very easy to buy a gift because you know what she likes, her hobbies, what she collects, what she really needs. If your girlfriend was looking at a coat that she wanted but could not afford then this is a good gift. It shows that you care about her, pay attention and took the time to find what she needed and wanted. It is something just for her, not a generic gift like candles or a box of chocolates. Just make sure that what ever you get is special to her.
7) Gift certificates for any thing other then a spa you have to be careful about. You have to make sure it is for some thing that only she can pick out. To be honest, at this point you should have a good idea of what she likes, what she has, and what she wants. If you have to go with a gift certificate instead of taking the time to pick some thing (and keep the receipt just in case) then some thing is not right.

Great Birthday gifts for your girlfriend once you have been together for a while. This can be almost as hard as the first gift, even harder if you live together. You just don’t know what to get her any more. You have already done every thing; you need some thing new and fresh. Don’t give the same thing you did last year, or the year before. You need to show you care, make it romantic and special.



1) Engagement or promise ring. If you are in a long term committed relationship (together for many years already) the idea of getting married has probably come up. This is a good time to show your love and commitment to her. Presentation will be important so that you can show you care, make it romantic and special. Everything you do for her birthday will evolve around the presentation of the ring. Some people are reluctant to give an engagement ring as a gift because if the relationship breaks up the ring was a gift and does not need to be returned. If you are concerned about that then maybe you are not in as committed a relationship as you thought and should not commit to something you are not ready for. However if you expect to be together forever then go for it, get married or whatever ceremony (Hand fasting is a nice ceremony) you want to that shows your commitment to each other.
2) Birthday parties can be fun and special. If you are always doing things at home then have the party out, dinner at a restaurant, dancing after at a club and then friends go home and you end the night romantically with a nice hotel stay.
3) One man gave his girlfriend a book of 52 coupons that he made himself. They were for things like: a back rub, foot rub, pamper night where he would take care of dinner and clean up and she got to go soak in the tub with a book, a night out dancing (he did not like dancing), Breakfast in bed day where he made breakfast and cleaned up, pick the movie, control of the TV remote, no sports day, girls night out, pick the take out, pick the restaurant, etc. What he did was listen when she was upset about any thing, then he would write it down and then made a book of coupons out of things she said. When she said she was tired of making dinner all the time he made the “I will take care of dinner and clean up” coupon. When she was upset that he was spending too much time watching sports on TV he made the “no sports day” and “control of the TV remote” coupons. It was a very good way to show her he listened and cared about her and how she felt. She was to use a coupon a week, though she did use more the one some weeks and none at all on others. She said this was the best gift any one had ever given her.
4) A gift certificate for a spa is always good, as long as you don’t do it every year.
5) Find out a place she has always wanted to go to or is important to her. What ever it is will be up to her, and some things may be out of your price range but you can still make a gift out of it. If she has always wanted to go to some place like China, Australia, Paris or a theme park you can still give that to her even if you can not send her. You can have a theme birthday. For Paris you find a great French restaurant, a theatre show or movie based in Paris, with gifts that she could get in Paris; Perfumes, paintings, pictures of Paris, a tacky tourist shirt or little Eiffel tower. It can be a lot of fun and if you find enough places she would like to go to you will have some great ideas for other birthdays.
6) Find out some thing she has always wanted to do. Then find a way for her to do it. It may involve getting gift certificates for some thing she may have always wanted to do like sky diving, a balloon ride, become an author, or painter or any number of things. You may have to arrange for classes, and make sure she can do them. If she has children part of the gift should be childcare for when she is doing the balloon ride or taking a French, drawing, or creative writing class at night school. Please note that if it is dance lesions you will more then likely expected to participate.
7) Maid for the day, week, month or year what ever you can afford. It is really a day off, knowing that the work is being done and will not be still have to be done the next day. Make sure this is presented as giving her a day off and not in a way that can be seen that you think she is a poor housekeeper. Not many people are going to say no to someone else cleaning up for the day, especially if it means the two of you can have some special time together instead of cleaning.

You can always find the right gift and a way to make it special if you take the time to talk with your girlfriend and then put the time, and effort into it. Money will dictate what you can and cannot do. But it is more important to give some thing that has meaning to your girlfriend then how much it cost.

Written by: Lori-Lee Craig

Romantic birthday gift ideas for her

There is no gift box marked Romance in any store. But if there was it would definitely not be one size fits all. Just because you think some thing is romantic does not mean she will. What a person sees as being romantic is as individual as they are. The secrete to a finding a romantic birthday gift is to find out what she would find romantic.

Where one women would find a room full of flowers, a dinner for two in an expensive restaurant and then a night out dancing, and then ending in a 5 star hotel romantic another would not. She may like a quite night at home with Chinese or pizza take out, a stack of B horror movies, or action flicks, with time just for the two of you to curl up on the couch. Another woman might find getting each other’s name tattooed on your ring fingers to be the be all and end all of romance.

The point is that you need to find out what is important, valuable to your girlfriend or wife. Whatever you do give has to be about her and for her. It needs to show that you know her, hear her and care enough to put the effort into the right thing for her. Not some one else’s idea of romance. Presentation is also very important. You can have a gift you know she will like but make the atmosphere romantic to make the gift romantic.

I one year I received the most incredibly romantic gifts. But I don’t think any one else would have thought them romantic at all. One was a professional grade wok. I love it. I love cooking and had been looking for a good wok. That he took the time to find just what I wanted, and trust me it was not easy, made it more valuable to me then some fancy dinner. It was the thought and work behind the gift that made it romantic for me. The other was a small handcrafted teapot made by a professional artist in China. It was ordered about 6 months in advance. The design on it is a type of flower blossoms, with 4 on each side and lid. There was a flower for each of us, me, my husband and our two children. I collect Chinese teapots so he knew I would like it. But then he took the time to find someone to make one just for me. It has special meaning to me because of that.

Our first year together my then boyfriend, now husband, gave me a pen drawing by a local artist of two wolfs nuzzling. They were to represent us. Wolves are said to only have one mate in life, so it was to show how we were meant to be together and would be loyal and true to each other. We have it up in our living room, with other wolf pictures that we like. Wolves now are a romantic gift for us.

Here are some things that can be seen as romantic, only you know if it is the right thing for the lady in your life. There is no magic formula that works for every one. Time together, attention, and honestly focused on her wants, needs and likes are the key ingredients to a romantic gift for her.

One couple I know had a great idea for romance. It was to go for a long ride on their motorbikes. For the wife, having some thing special done to her bike, such as detailing or a nice paint job or a nice new chrome accessory was a romantic birthday gift. A night out at a country bar dancing with friends, eating bar food and playing pool, a bike ride home was romantic.

There is the traditional jewellery; promise ring and engagement ring are the biggest romantic gifts. It can be any thing that shows you care and that she loves. A charm bracelet with a charm for special moments and memories you have had together is a romantic gift. It lets you look back and remember other romantic and important times.  It also shows that you value the memories as well.

Sometimes it is the things you make your self that make the best romantic gifts. A hand written birthday card with ether poetry by you or just saying that you love and appreciate her. A CD with all the songs that she loves or has meaning to both of you. Some times you cannot make things your self, but you can come up with the idea. Having a song made for her, or putting an ad in the paper saying you love her might just be the most romantic thing to her.

Presentation can be every thing. If you have the right mood/atmosphere almost any gift can be romantic. A quite meal together, a single rose, soft music, a card full of love and appreciation can go a long way. The gift could be a necklace or tickets to a theatre show. It was the way it was given that makes it romantic.

Have a day off/pamper day. This could be having the house cleaned from top to bottom (by you or some one else), the kids taken care of and she gets to take a day off. No making dinner, or cleaning up and knowing that it is not just going to be sitting there to be done the next day. It could be that she gets to go off to a spa to be pampered or stay at home with her feet up, just taking the chance to relax.  If you do most of the cleaning and such then get someone else to do it so you can spend the day with her instead of the household chores that never end.

A day spent together doing some thing she likes. It could be a drive in the country, going to a carnival, watching movies, a cooking class or going to an event that she likes. It does not matter if it is sports, demolition car races, a gardening convention, or an art show. What matters is that you are doing it together and it is what she likes. The focus is on her and her likes.

A weekend or week away together some place romantic is a very popular gift. It can be in a bed and breakfast in a quite corner or a big resort that is marketed for couples. For married people, a second honeymoon is a nice gift.

I have to admit that my idea of what a romantic birthday gift is has changed. It used to be going out for diner, and a theatre show. These days for my birthday I would love to have the kids at a babysitter for the night, a big steak dinner done on our BBQ, a back massage and a birthday card with a note saying a portable dishwasher will be arriving in the morning.