live.pirillo.com – Father's Day is just a few days away. This year I'm more grateful than ever to have my Dad. He is recuperating nicely after his horrible car accident recently. Have you bought a gift yet for your Dad or even your Grandpa? I put together this list of top gift ideas for Dad, with the help from my chat room.

Mother’s Day is almost here and finding the perfect gift can be hard, especially when you’re busy, interstate or on a budget.

Sometimes a fresh perspective is needed and below you’ll find 5 great gift ideas based on my own personal experiences as a daughter and a mother. Whatever you choose, don’t forget to show your mum or other special women in your life, your appreciation on May 10th.

 

1. Charm Bracelets –

The latest trend in our family is the Pandora charm bracelets. My own bracelet was started and still only has (hint hint) two beads with the letters ‘E’ and ‘N’ after my two children. You could use this same idea for your mum or choose beads with her children’s birthstones. The beauty of these bracelets is you can purchase additional beads as future birthday and Christmas gifts. You’ll find these charm bracelets available at most jewellery stores.

2. Photo Art on Canvas –

Give your mum a decorative piece of art with her favourite photo put onto canvas. This is a great idea for all kinds of mums and is relatively simple to organise. We suggest finding a nice photo of your mum’s children or grandchildren and converting it to black and white for a more professional and timeless finish. If you want to do something a little more artistic, check out an American site called Photofiddle for inspiration.

3.   Willow Tree Figurines –

I simply love these figurines and have bought several of them for friends and family in the past. These small and intimate figurines have a modern look and are modelled on handcrafted sculptures by Susan Lordi. There are various figurines available, perfect for all mothers including expecting mothers, new mothers, grandmothers, and mothers of adopted children. Available at most good gift stores, these beautiful little figurines will effectively convey your feelings of gratitude and love.

4. Jewellery Stands –

This is a nifty little idea for any mum who loves her jewellery, and what woman doesn’t? As a fantastic alternative to traditional jewellery boxes, these jewellery stands let you showcase all your bling in one, visible spot. The perfect way for mum to keep her favourite jewellery on hand and her necklaces tangle-free.

5. Personalised Stationery –

For an extra personal touch consider having a personalised item made just for your loved one. I once did this for my mum and mother-in-law and both loved having their very own notepad featuring their beautiful baby granddaughter on it. I ordered my notepads through Vistaprint, simply chose a design, uploaded my own pic, and added a sweet little quote about grandparents. Other personalised gift ideas for mum include calenders, mousepads, keyrings, sticky notes, and photo magnets.

 

As an extra finishing touch (and successfully making you the favourite child), why not organise a chocolate gift to satisfy your mum’s secret cravings? Coastal Chocolates has a delicious range of chocolate and edible gifts to suit all tastes. All gifts include a free gift card with your personalised message and can be delivered next day to most locations between Sydney and Brisbane.

 

Mother’s Day is almost here and finding the perfect gift can be hard, especially when you’re busy, interstate or on a budget.

Sometimes a fresh perspective is needed and below you’ll find 5 great gift ideas based on my own personal experiences as a daughter and a mother. Whatever you choose, don’t forget to show your mum or other special women in your life, your appreciation on May 10th.

 

1. Charm Bracelets –

The latest trend in our family is the Pandora charm bracelets. My own bracelet was started and still only has (hint hint) two beads with the letters ‘E’ and ‘N’ after my two children. You could use this same idea for your mum or choose beads with her children’s birthstones. The beauty of these bracelets is you can purchase additional beads as future birthday and Christmas gifts. You’ll find these charm bracelets available at most jewellery stores.

2. Photo Art on Canvas –

Give your mum a decorative piece of art with her favourite photo put onto canvas. This is a great idea for all kinds of mums and is relatively simple to organise. We suggest finding a nice photo of your mum’s children or grandchildren and converting it to black and white for a more professional and timeless finish. If you want to do something a little more artistic, check out an American site called Photofiddle for inspiration.

3.   Willow Tree Figurines –

I simply love these figurines and have bought several of them for friends and family in the past. These small and intimate figurines have a modern look and are modelled on handcrafted sculptures by Susan Lordi. There are various figurines available, perfect for all mothers including expecting mothers, new mothers, grandmothers, and mothers of adopted children. Available at most good gift stores, these beautiful little figurines will effectively convey your feelings of gratitude and love.

4. Jewellery Stands –

This is a nifty little idea for any mum who loves her jewellery, and what woman doesn’t? As a fantastic alternative to traditional jewellery boxes, these jewellery stands let you showcase all your bling in one, visible spot. The perfect way for mum to keep her favourite jewellery on hand and her necklaces tangle-free.

5. Personalised Stationery –

For an extra personal touch consider having a personalised item made just for your loved one. I once did this for my mum and mother-in-law and both loved having their very own notepad featuring their beautiful baby granddaughter on it. I ordered my notepads through Vistaprint, simply chose a design, uploaded my own pic, and added a sweet little quote about grandparents. Other personalised gift ideas for mum include calenders, mousepads, keyrings, sticky notes, and photo magnets.

 

As an extra finishing touch (and successfully making you the favourite child), why not organise a chocolate gift to satisfy your mum’s secret cravings? Coastal Chocolates has a delicious range of chocolate and edible gifts to suit all tastes. All gifts include a free gift card with your personalised message and can be delivered next day to most locations between Sydney and Brisbane.

 

Christmas shopping – or lack of – sneaks up on me every year, no matter how good my intentions.
I am traditionally the original Scrooge at Christmas, the stress and pressure to try to make everything nice and find the perfect gift idea gets to me before the first ornament is out of the box, just the thought of it usually makes me grumble.
Sound familiar?
But this year I am kind of looking forward to it. Why?
Because I’m doing Christmas gift giving a little differently this year.
1. Instead of trying to do too much, I am cutting back and am determined to enjoy the experience (dammit :0)).
2. We picked names this year for the adults in the family rather than each of us buying for all of us. I can’t tell you how much my stress level has already gone down, and I especially like it because now I have time to do something really unique for my father in law (he was my pick).
3. Getting the jump on things in plenty of time. Gift planning and some shopping was done in October by being on the look out when I was out shopping – I bought a few really cute things here and there. This way instead of buying “en masse”, I am picking something fitting for each recipient.
4. Putting a limit on spending. As my sister said “I’m sick of the commercial crap of Christmas”, and aren’t we all. It isn’t in how much we spend, a small, well thought out gift is better received than a large one that was obviously tossed in the cart with no forethought.
5. Decluttering – I’ve been working on decluttering so that the decorations will look nice. If you can get going now, it will make Christmas even nicer when the time comes. The Christmas Spirit – Peace – Goodwill towards All – Love – They’re all buzzwords and shiny decorations that we hang on the wall at Christmas time – lets take the time to focus on what they mean – and then do it.
6. How about making this the season to “Pay It Forward”. These stories have made me cry sappy tears more than once but I’ve never done it. Why not give it a try? They have a fantastic website, if you follow the links you can get some great ideas http://www. payitforwardmovement. org/groups. html
I signed up for the “Be Nice or Else” newsletter – they have a book that is great for gift giving, what a great coffee table that would make – or a great book to donate to a hospital for the waiting room.
NOTE: This page lists some great Christmas gift ideas, one of them being – clean someone’s house. I will have more on that later, but meantime, why not think about it and brainstorm how you could make it happen.
http://www. giveitforwardtoday. org/index. php?page=ideas
I could think of no better gift! And it’s cheap!
7. Make an effort to throw a little something in the Food Bank Bin when you are out grocery shopping for your family, or buy a little extra for the donation box at the department store when you are out shopping for gifts.
8. Or buy some toys to donate to the local women’s shelter, some of the people there don’t have a penny to their names and it’s a sad and stressful time for the kids. Games and things to keep them busy are great, it can be a boring stay.
A FEW GENERAL IDEAS
1. Mystery Gift – My sister’s family does a nice twist on picking names. They all buy something wrap it and then they each exchange a gift, no one knows ahead of time who will be receiving. They set a comfortable price limit.
2. Make a tradition of tree ornament crafts. You can give these for gifts, they are always well received and can be cheap to make, but very nice. Put your name and date on it and give one every year – a great present for the kids to give. Or take a short cut and buy them at a craft sale and personalize them with fabric paint or markers.
3. Give pictures in a unique way. Most relatives and friends will enjoy pictures. Do something creative – make a tree ornament from a picture and a juice lid, they are great. Or make a twig frame – cost is nothing but a few twigs and some yarn plus the picture. If you get school pictures, you’ll have plenty. With digital cameras and software available now, you can do some really nifty stuff for plenty cheapola.
4. Baking/Cooking etc. If you are wanting to do something nice for someone, why not cook them a meal and take it to them? New mother’s are especially fond of this. When I first had my daughters, it was the best present that I received. Seniors will LOVE it if you eat with them.
5. A service. In our hussle and bussle world, don’t be surprised if someone really appreciates an hour of your time – run some errands, give rides (parents can really enjoy this if they have older kids – most of them spend their spare time in their car!), help clean up, declutter, clean something – use your imagination. Another great gift that the kids can give as well.
Make an effort to be creative this year. It’s more fun to give, and more fun to receive – and it can be easier on your pocket book too.
If you haven’t yet, get out your planner or notebook, make a page for Christmas gift ideas and start brainstorming.
Then make a date with yourself to clear some time blocks to get it done.
And enjoy Christmas.

Not everybody thinks of a gift in the same way. What some people may consider a unique gift idea may be silly to someone else. One person may desire more practical items that can be used around the house, while others have more sentimental or artistic tastes.

What could be the best gift idea you’ve heard all year is a prepaid gift card. A prepaid gift card is a cash-equivalent debit card personalized to the recipient of your choice. This gift idea is a clever one, as it gives the recipient the option of choosing his or her own gift.

In addition, a prepaid credit card gift idea may also involve a charity donation. This makes the gift idea very unique, as the recipient not only gets the joy of receiving but also of giving something back to the community and perhaps all over the world. Who would ever say no to a gift that gives to charity?

One organization to take note of is Giving Tree (GivingTreeLife. com). Their Give Card is a prepaid and personalized credit card that makes a great gift idea for a friend or family member. Besides that, this gift idea lets the recipient give something back to the community, as 10% of the card is donated to the recipient’s charity organization of choice. He or she can choose any one of a million organizations including animal rights groups, healthcare groups, disease research and environmental programs. Now you can give and receive to everyone’s happiness with the Giving Tree Give Card.