Posts Tagged ‘for mom’
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
Thanks, Mom! A celebration of motherhood, Mother’s Day in the U.S. occurs on the second Sunday in May. Browse these blog posts for Mother’s Day gift ideas.
- Mother’s Day 2009: The Gift of Kiva Microloan Gift Certificates (5/10/2009)
- Birthday Gifts, Martha Style (1/7/2009)
- 43 Last-second Online Gifts for Women (12/24/2008)
- Mother’s Day 2008 (5/11/2008)
- Flowers for my Mother-in-Law (on my Wife’s Birthday) (1/4/2008)
- Give the Gift of Charity (12/14/2007)
- Golden Tickets: Giving the Gift of a Concert (8/8/2007)
- Giving Flowers (7/14/2007)
- Giving Photo Books (7/13/2007)
- Giving the Gift of Food (5/19/2007)
Tags: for mom, gifts by occasion, mother's day
My parents made themselves easy to shop for this Christmas. At Thanksgiving, Mom encouraged us to make donations, not shopping mall runs. Both of my parents volunteer, helping people who are struggling in this tough economy. In fact, a recent American Red Cross survey found that 20 percent of Americans will reduce their charitable giving for the 2009 holidays. (American Red Cross fundraising is down an average of 25 percent this year.)
So if you’re still seeking last-minute holiday gifts, try what I did: JustGive.org. I found the right charity among 1.5 million organizations with a single search. I gave online and included a personal note. JustGive routes the donation in my parents’ names to their favorite charity and e-mails them my personal note. You decide whether you want to include the donation amount in the e-mail. (I did.) Ten minutes later, I’m done.
Not sure which charity to choose? JustGive created 12 giving collections that reflect the passions of many donors. Each collection features four charities working to advance the cause.
- Inspire Children and Change Their Lives
- Feed and Empower the Hungry
- Provide Mentors to Children
- Protect Animals and Prevent Cruelty
- Support Women of the World
- Create Peace for All
- Plant Trees
- Provide Shelter for Animals
- Create Homes and Jobs
- Save the Earth
- Respect our Elders
- Promote Human Rights
JustGive also offers the GiveNow Card, which allow the recipient to choose specific charities. Best of all, you can e-mail an GiveNow card right now. (While JustGive does offer gift cards via U.S. mail, the card won’t reach recipients in time for Christmas.)
I also added the suggested $5 donation to support the great work of JustGive: making charitable giving quick and simple.
Tags: charitable gifts, christmas, for dad, for mom, gift cards, gift ideas
It’s the busiest holiday of the year for phone calls: Mother’s Day. I called my mom to let her know I sent her a Kiva.org gift certificate via e-mail. Kiva — Swahili for unity — helps donors give microloans to needy persons around the world. The loans start at $25. Pooled together, the loans can fund someone like Flora, a Bolivian dairy farmer who wants to buy another cow to make and sell more cheese. These loans are real loans, not charitable gifts. Kiva microloans have a default rate (or non-repayment rate) of 1.8 percent based on $31 million in past loans.
My mom volunteers for many human concerns causes, so I knew she would appreciate a gift certificate that pays it forward for another mom looking support her family. I also made a donation to Kiva to cover the costs administering these microloans.
Tags: for mom, gift cards, gift ideas, gift sites, mother's day
I like to work with local florists, giving repeat business for great service. So I called my hometown florist to send my mom flowers for her birthday. Sadly, I discovered the business was no more. Even this soured economy, flowers can be an affordable gift, and florists will meet your price points. In fact, some floral shops are offering deals as “emotional stimulus packages.”
A quick Google search found another florist, affiliated with Teleflora, in a nearby suburb. Cecilia, my new near-hometown florist, was very helpful. I chose Lavender Sunshine, a combination of yellow roses and blue and light blue irises in a vase. The delivery arrived on time, and my mom said the flowers made her day.
If you’re looking for mail-order flowers online, I regularly use and recommend ProFlowers.com (as does Consumer Reports).
Related Post: Giving Flowers
Tags: birthday, flowers, for mom
It’s Christmas Eve, and you just can’t break away from the 24-hour “A Christmas Story”
The solution: a last-second e-gift card. I’ve compiled a list of 43 e-gift card sites to send online now, noting which e-gift cards allow for online and/or in-store shopping.
- Ale in the Mail Wine Club Gift Announcement (online only)
- Amazon.com Gift Card
(online only)
- Ann Taylor E-Gift Certificate (higher-end, polished clothing) or Ann Taylor LOFT E-Gift Certificate (more relaxed styles in an “upper moderate” price range). Online only for both.
- Bath & Body Works E-Gift Card (online only)
- BedandBreakfast.com Getaway E-mail Gift Card (select B&Bs only)
- Bloomingdale’s E-Gift Card (redeem online, from catalog and in stores)
- Blue Nile E-mail Gift Certificates (jewelry; online only)
- Coldwater Creek E-Gift Card (women’s apparel; redeem online, from catalog and in stores)
- Cooking.com E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- Clinique eGift Card (cosmetics and fragrances; redeem online or by phone — but not in stores)
- eBags E-mail Gift Certificate (purses, handbags, backpacks and luggage; online only)
- Gardener’s Supply Company E-Gift Card (online only)
- Kohls Department Store E-Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- Lady Foot Locker E-mail Gift Card (redeem online or by phone — but not in stores)
- Lands’ End E-Gift Card (apparel; redeem online and in stores)
- Lane Bryant E-Gift Card (plus-sized women’s apparel; redeem online and in stores)
- Lenox.com e-Gift Certificate (fine china, tableware and collectibles; online only)
- Liz Claiborne Online Gift Certificate (women’s apparel; online only)
- L.L. Bean E-mail Gift Card (redeem online, by phone, from catalog and in stores and outlets)
- Macy’s E-Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- Magazines.com E-Gift Card (annual magazine subscriptions; online only)
- Martha Stewart Crafts E-Gift Card (online only)
- Match.com Gift Subscription (online dating subscription; online only)
- NetFlix DVD Gift Subscription (online only)
- Nieman Marcus Virtual Card (redeem online, by phone and in stores)
- Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- PajamaGram Electronic Gift Certificates (online only)
- REI E-Gift Card (outdoor recreation gear and sporting goods; redeem online, by phone and in stores)
- Restaurant.com E-mail or Printed Gift Certificate (select restaurants only)
- Saks Fifth Avenue Virtual Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- Scrapbook.com Electronic Gift Certificate (online only)
- Sephora E-Gift Certificate (beauty products; online only)
- SpaFinder Gift Certificate with E-mail Announcement (select spas only)
- Stella Maternity E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- Talbots e-Gift Certificate (women’s apparel; redeem online, from catalog and in stores)
- Tea Forté E-mail Gift Certificate (gifts for tea lovers; online only)
- Uncommon Goods E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- Victoria’s Secret eGift Card (online only)
- Wine Enthusiast E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- World Market e-Gift Certificate (online only)
- Yankee Candle Gift Card (both e-mail and physical gift cards are sent)
- Zappos.com Electronic Gift Certificate (shoes; online only)
- Zazzle E-mail Gift Certificate (upload images and create custom T-shirts, mugs, posters and more; online only)
While some of these links above may apply to men, I also have a similar list for the guys: Better Than Tube Socks: 21 Last-minute Online Gifts for Guys.
Tags: bath+body, candles, christmas, clothing, for her, for mom, fragrance, gift cards, gift ideas, gift sites, jewelry, mother's day, movies, wine
