Gift Giving Guy: Gift Ideas & Advice » for mom

Mother’s Day 2011: Mom by the Numbers

Gift Giving Guy — Sun, 08 May 2011 19:45:03 +0000

My mom kept me on track with my second-grade math. In 1978, we had a massive Amana Radarange microwave oven with manual dials to turn for the minutes. She would set two minutes on the Radarange to heat a cup of water. I had that long to finish a multiplication worksheet (sans calculator), so I could ace my math test in Mrs. Karrell’s class. She did this math ritual with me over and over. This Mother’s Day, consider the numbers behind our appreciation of Mom.

According to 2008 U.S. Census figures, there are 85.4 million mothers in America.
Mother’s Day ranks second among gift-giving holidays; Christmas is first.
An estimated 83.1 percent of Americans will celebrate Mother’s Day 2011.
Total 2011 U.S. spending on Mother’s Day is expected to reach $16.3 billion, up 11% from last year.
Mother’s Day accounts for one quarter of holiday flower purchases.
An estimated 75 million Americans will dine out for Mother’s Day today.
Americans will send 139 million Mother’s Day cards, making it the the third-largest card-sending holiday. (Christmas and Valentine’s Day take the top spots.)
Hallmark offers nearly 900 different greeting cards for Mother’s Day 2011.
In 2010, Americans made 11.3 percent more calls on Mother’s Day than during the rest of the year.

I’m fortunate to have a great mom. It’s time to call to let her know and tell her about the charitable donation I made in her name to Meals for Moms.

A Last-minute Mother’s Day Gift

Gift Giving Guy — Sun, 08 May 2011 02:57:07 +0000

Looking for a last-minute Mother’s Day gift, and you can’t give it in person? Yeah, me too. I want either a Sunday home delivery or an email notification of a meaningful gift to Mom.

Last week, I tried ordering a pressed flower pendant necklace from Uncommon Goods. The flower jewelry I wanted was out of stock. I gave Edible Arrangements a shot, but the shops near me only have Monday delivery dates for their fruit bouquets. Flowers are a classic Mother’s Day gift, but I sent Mom a dozen irises in a vase for her birthday last month.

Amazon offers online gift cards with three Mother’s Day Designs: butterflies, crown and flowers. But I want something more specific and personal than a gift card to “The Earth’s Biggest Selection.”

Next, I found a fashion tee website with a conscience called Project Iris. A portion of each purchase supports World Food Program USA, providing meals to mothers and children in developing countries. Great tees and a great cause that my mom supports — it sounds perfect. The problem: Project Iris online gift certificates take one to two business days to deliver. Not soon enough. I’ll note this one for a future present in Mom’s gift dossier.

In the end, I chose to give to the Meals for Moms campaign, a part of the Meals on Wheels charity. My mom volunteers at a local food bank. So I know she will appreciate a gift to a hunger relief charity that provides meals for home-bound mothers and grandmothers. I sent a Meals on Wheels e-card letting her know the gift will feed a dozen moms for a week.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Gift Giving Guy — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:10:00 +0000

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.

A Last-minute Mother’s Day Gift (5/7/2011)
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)

Last-Minute Christmas Gifts That Matter: JustGive Donations

Gift Giving Guy — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:39:00 +0000

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.

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.

Mother’s Day 2009

Gift Giving Guy — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:13:00 +0000

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.

Flowers for Mom’s Birthday

Gift Giving Guy — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:35:00 +0000

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).

43 Last-second Online Gifts for Women

Gift Giving Guy — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:15:00 +0000

It’s Christmas Eve, and you just can’t break away from the 24-hour “A Christmas Story” marathon on TBS. But you’re still missing gifts for the women on your holiday shopping list. The calendar worked against us this year: we had five less shopping days than 2007. That’s practically a lost shopping weekend.

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.

Gift Baskets for Christmas

Gift Giving Guy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:40:00 +0000

This year, we are sending Christmas gift baskets to our parents. I prefer Wine Country Gift Baskets. You need not send wine but more than half of U.S. states allow shipping of wine to adults over age 21. In fact, Amazon.com lists Wine Country’s current bestsellers as gift baskets without wine, including Soup’s On, Taste of Italy, Holiday Cheer and Breakfast in Bed. I like that I can choose a shipping date in advance and know that the gift baskets will arrive just in time for Christmas. Several of Wine Country’s selections include free shipping. Other great sources for gift baskets include:

Dean & DeLuca for customized gourmet gift baskets
Cheryl&Co for gourmet cookie and dessert gift baskets
The Fruit Company for fruit and gourmet gift baskets
igourmet for cheese gift baskets (with more than 800 cheeses) and other fine foods
Harry and David for fruit gift baskets and sweets
Wolferman’s for premium English muffin breakfast gift baskets
Usinger’s Famous Sausage gift boxes

A Gift for Mom and Newborn

Gift Giving Guy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:44:00 +0000

With the birth of my niece, I’m an uncle again. My wife and I celebrated the new arrival with a stylish gift for both baby and mom. We visited a local Vera Bradley store, home to an American designer known for its colorfully patterned bags. After some deliberation over the 17 patterns available, we chose the Mod Floral Pink Baby Bag with a matching Cool Keeper for baby bottles. We made sure to get a gift receipt in case the Mod Floral Pink pattern did not delight. Fortunately, my sister-in-law loved the bag and cooler. She had a nondescript freebie from the hospital, so her new baby bag was an indulgent upgrade.

Mother’s Day 2008

Gift Giving Guy — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:45:00 +0000

As a child, Mother’s Day meant my older sister and younger brothers making slightly burnt pancakes for Mom’s breakfast. After her breakfast in waterbed, I impertinently asked my mom, “So when is Kid’s Day?”

Her answer was immediate: “Every day is Kid’s Day.”

Mom certainly deserves more than one day out of the year to officially honor her. And this year marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. founding of Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day in Grafton, West Virginia on May 10, 1908.

Today, Mother’s Day is the third most popular holiday for gift-giving, following Christmas and Valentine’s Day. The National Retail Federation estimates that 84.2 percent of Americans celebrate Mother’s Day. Together we will spend $15.8 billion on gifts to thank Mom. And many of us will dine out for brunch or dinner. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is the most popular day of the year for dining, with 38 percent of us celebrating Mom with a restaurant meal.

This year, I joined the 66.9 percent who gave flowers to Mom. I choose an arrangement of irises in purple, yellow, blue and white from ProFlowers.com. And my wife is making a brunch for her parents this morning.

Thanks, Mom!