Everything Gifts

Gift Valentine's Day

2012-01-16T23:12:00.000-08:00

Creating Romance

Romance is not love in and of itself, but it is one of the primary ways we can show how much we love one another. When people commit to a long-term relationship, romance is what keeps the spark alive and reminds them why they’re in love. Romance creates a mood, excites us, and keeps our love lives interesting.

Relationship Advice

A great relationship is a journey, not a destination. With so much that we need to invest in our relationships, it’s no wonder that there’s oodles of wisdom and advice available to help us figure out the next step. Falling in love is a fantastic experience, but with enough nurturing, it can grow into a relationship that will help define the rest of our lives.

Poems & Quotes

The finest poets can pour out words that capture the purest emotions and feelings, drawing others near them and melting their hearts. Of course, not all of us are capable of writing this kind of poetry, but there are various tips and hints that can help us to write meaningful Poems to our significant other. And if you don’t fancy yourself to be much of a writer at all, why not use some of the classic words that have enraptured people throughout the ages .These Quotes about love can rekindle romantic feelings in every heart.

Love Songs

A great Love Song is a key for opening up the heart and soul. The tender, romantic lyrics connect with our emotions, while at the same time the soulful rhythms make our bodies want to move. There can truly be no better expression of love, with all its depth and meaning, than a good love song.

Finding Unique Gifts

2010-01-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

One of the appealing things of shopping on the internet is the ability to find unique gifts that you could not normally find quickly. Of course shopping on the internet is nice when it comes to convenience, saving on gas, saving on time, and things like this. Now when you need to find that really unique hard to find gift, the internet is definitely the place to go.

Once you become accustomed to using search engines and surfing the net you can cover a lot of web pages in a very quick time. This is really good, if you are looking for unique gifts that you have some specific information on.

Today more and more people are searching by product name, model number, manufacturer name, product specifications, and very specific information that helps them locate unique gifts. You can even type in general terms and surf around until you come up with more specific keywords.

One thing you could not do if you went out and did traditional shopping is shop anywhere in the world. Now you can get your gifts shipped directly to your home which is nice for the really hard to find unique gifts. The internet opens up a world of possibilities. Where it might not be feasible to travel to another country you can be in that country shopping in a matter of minutes.

The other thing the internet offers you in finding unique gifts guests is the ability to continue to shop until you find the one that you want. Once you know it is in stock, you are comfortable with the price, and you are aware of the many different shipping options, you can quickly have the product in your home.

One downside to buying online is you cannot personally see the product. People will receive a product that they do not think looks like thing they just bought. Because you are not able to use your senses such as smell, feel, touch, and taste you can buy gifts that you need to return.

For this reason, returning the product has been been made easier by retail stores and gift shop as that sell products online. This is one major benefit now for shopping for those unique and rare gifts. Chances are if you use caution you will not have to do this.

Finding unique gifts is easy, if you know where to look. Use the internet and start bookmarking your favorite websites for future use.

Gold Enameled Gifts Articles

2010-01-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

Decorative as well as functional, our range of gold enameled gifts articles is meticulously crafted for a precision fit and fully polished for a bright and smooth finish. Each piece of our range is the charming result of using high imagination delicately mixed with creativity. While manufacturing these gift products, we use only high quality material, sourced from reliable suppliers. Our range contains gold enameled gifts, gold plated gifts, gold plated handicrafts, gold enameled table lamps, gold enameled handicrafts, indoor lantern, outdoor lantern, designer clock, designer table lamp etc.

Gold Enamel Barware Set
ITEM CODE :TWS-132
Visually appealing these gold enamel barware sets are owners' pride and others' envy. These barware sets include fancy goblets, decorative wine jug and a decorative bar plate. Make your cocktail party unforgettable by gifting these personalized party gifts to your wine lover friends.
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Clock With Stand
ITEM CODE :TWS-133
These gold enamel clocks with stand are excellent fusion of style and functionality and serve as wonderful personalized wedding gift for newly wedded couple. These decorative clocks are given impeccable and enticing craftsmanship by our enthusiast workers.
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Decorative Coaster
ITEM CODE :TWS-134
Highly ornamental these decorative coasters are superb to cheer up the mood of the guests on dining tables. Beautifully designed and gold enameled these designer coasters with coaster stand can be given to anyone as personalized thank you gifts expressing gratitude.
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Decorative Pen Stand
ITEM CODE :TWS-135
These decorative pen stands are adeptly enameled with gold and graced with multiple designs in gorgeous colors. These pen holders can be gifted to any student, writer or other person as personalized birthday gift.
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Decorative Table Lamps
ITEM CODE :TWS-137
An enchanting personalized business gift for the clients, colleagues and friends is this decorative table lamp, which is designed by us in host of charming look & designs and gold enamel work.
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Decorative Lantern
ITEM CODE :TWS-136
Decorative urns that are made extremely beautiful with the enameling of gold and embellishment of splendid patterns. They can be placed in homes and offices to beautify their look or can be gifted to others as personalized keepsake gifts.
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Decorative Artificial Plant
ITEM CODE :TWS-139
Decorative artificial plants, that can be used to enhance the appeal of any party, garden or other gala occasion. These artificial decorative plants are truly captivating gold enameled gift articles
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Decorative Urn
ITEM CODE :TWS-138
Decorative urns that are made extremely beautiful with the enameling of gold and embellishment of splendid patterns. They can be placed in homes and offices to beautify their look or can be gifted to others as personalized keepsake gifts.
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7 Gifts that Multiply Happiness

2010-01-17T18:58:00.000-08:00

by: Steve Brunkhorst

Did you know that there are gifts that will multiply your happiness when you give them away? Here are seven of those gifts. Giving these gifts will allow you to share with others your most unique treasure: your authentic self. Each gift will return to you many times.

As you read about each of these gifts, think about ways that you could share that gift with someone today.

1. Share appreciation

Tell someone how much you appreciate the faith they've shown in you. Thank them sincerely for being part of your life. Tell them how much they are needed.

Feeling appreciated is one of the most important needs that people have. When you share with someone your appreciation and gratitude, they will not forget you. Appreciation will return to you many times.

2. Share time

Balance your time expenditures so you can spend time with the people that you love. Support local organizations by sharing your special talents. Volunteer time for projects that benefit others in your community, country, and world.

When we slow down and observe our thoughts closely, we will sometimes uncover gifts and talents we didn't know we had. Sharing time and talents can result in discoveries that bring happiness beyond measure.

3. Share knowledge and ideas

Tell someone about a great book that you read so they can benefit from it too. Teach a new concept or idea that you've learned.

One of the best ways to strengthen new concepts in your mind is to share them with others. The more often you share what you've learned, the stronger that information will become in your memory. Sharing knowledge also provides solutions to problems. The more knowledge we share, the more knowledge we receive in return.

4. Share friendship

Acknowledge someone's strengths. Let them know that you are willing to be there when they need you. Visit someone you haven't seen for a long time. Telephone friends or relatives who live far away. Introduce two friends who don't know each other.

Bringing one individual into another's life can result in tremendous changes for both people, and for you. We succeed with the help of others. People grow by growing together. If you'd like to have many friends, then share friendship with others generously.

5. Share kindness

Perform a random act of kindness for someone: a smile, compliment, or a favor just for fun. These will multiply and spread very rapidly.

There is a powerful quote by Stephen Jay Gould who said, "The center of human nature is rooted in ten thousand ordinary acts of kindness that define our days." Kindness is priceless. The love, kindnesses, and value we have given authentically to others will be our remaining treasures at the end of life.

6. Share experience

Keep written or photo journals of your life: things you've done, places you've traveled, things you've learned. Record successes and failures. Share a happy memory. Also share the difficult times that have helped you become stronger and wiser. When shared, the value of these experiences multiplies.

Our unique experiences and perceptions of life are priceless. Sharing experiences will build one of the strongest bonds with others. Our descendants can learn and benefit from our lifetime experiences for generations to come.

7. Share enthusiasm

If you are excited about a new success, tell someone. If you're ecstatic about a new project, show your glow. Your enthusiasm will inspire others to move forward with actions that bring rewarding achievements.

Enthusiasm keeps us looking forward to the future. It brings many of those exciting days that we can savor with gratitude. That kind of glowing excitement for life is impossible to hide. It is contagious and will quickly spread to others.

Think about this statement by Norman MacEwan: "Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Sharing these gifts sends our thoughts on a far-reaching journey where they will touch many lives, and reconnect with our own. Would you like to receive these same life-enhancing gifts again and again? Begin multiplying your happiness by sharing one of these special gifts with someone today!

Gift Ideas for Men

2010-01-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

Author:scoochmaroo

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Stumped on what to get your guy for the holidays? Have no fear, Instructables is a hot bed of handmade gift ideas for men! He'll appreciate the extra time you spent and extra money you saved by making him a gift from the heart. These Instructables are sure to inspire the perfect present for the man in your life this year.

Paracord bracelet with a side release buckle

This tutorial will show how to make a paracord bracelet with a side release buckle. When made on a larger scale, you can make this for use as a dog or cat collar as well. I get my paracord from the Supply Captain and the side release buckles from Creative Designworks. More projects, links, kno&

posted by Stormdrane on Feb 17, 2007

I love you because... Message in a Bottle Key Ring

Here it is - the handmade gift personalized by you for the special guy in your life! Of course, this would make a great women's necklace as well, but you know how hard those guys are to shop for! This is another fabulous Tutorial Exchange project with a glass vial provided by the sweetest Angie o&

posted by ShrimpSaladCircus on Nov 24, 2009

Handmade Coasters

These easy, personalized coasters make the perfect last-minute (handmade!) gift for anyone on your list. With a few simple, easy to find supplies, you can create unique coaster sets in one afternoon. All it takes it some cork (pre-cut coasters make the job easy), Mod-Podge or white glue, and so&

posted by scoochmaroo on Dec 21, 2009

Multi Strand Finger Loop Braiding

In this Instructable, I'm going to teach you how to make Finger Loop Braids. With this technique you can make braids with just your hands that have 10 or more strands each. They can be used for anything. Bracelets, chokers, belts, hat bands, as trim on clothing, or furniture... If you need a stro&

posted by SFHandyman on Sep 19, 2008

Hoodie Laptop Sleeve

Turn and old hooded sweatshirt into a protective laptop sleeve. First let me say don't be intimidated by the fact that this involves sewing, this is only the 2nd thing I have ever sewn using a machine, and it turned out just fine. You will need: - An old Hoodie. - Scissors - Something to mar&

posted by TabLeft on Jul 31, 2007

How To Make A Dressy Hoodie (aka Thug-Xedo)

Combine a plain black hoodie and an old dress shirt to make a dressy hoodie that you can wear to da' club. You can wear your new Thug-Xedo out to dinner with your shorty, w/ your boys playing hella wii, or while kicking back on the couch eating fruit roll ups and watching the Office all by yourse&

posted by fi5e on Nov 12, 2007

Leather iPod Touch Case using Water!

I've recently bought myself an iPod Touch, so far it has been great!I saw the nice leather iPod cases on the Apple but they only have them for the iPod Classic, so, i went about making my own, i spoke to my colleague at work whom used to work in a leather shop, and it turns out its alot easier th&

posted by gmjhowe on Oct 16, 2008

How to weave medieval cords for trimming, bracelets or necklaces.

One of the things that make home-made crafts so special is the detailing.Even if you are following a purchased pattern, the way you finish things off can make them individual or personal.One way of detailing a craft project is to use a cord woven from colours to match the project.These cords can &

posted by Kiteman on Sep 6, 2008

Felted Recycled Beverage Coozie

Old sweaters and summer may seem like polar opposites, but this Coozie Instructable brings the two together to combat global warming and hot summer night thirst at the same time. The felted medium is perfect for embroidered customization and embellishment.

posted by juleej on May 29, 2007

Wallets

A wallet is something nearly everyone carries and uses daily. It is an excellent canvas for personalization. There are dozens of Instructables for wallets; some are practical, some decorative, some weird and wonderful and possibly not very useful. There are denim wallets, plastic bag wallets, &

posted by rachel on Nov 12, 2008

Make a Nice Wallet & Friends with a Coffee Bag

I lost my wallet in San Francisco a few months ago and have not wanted to buy a new one. As I was throwing a coffee bag away the other day, I thought it was good material for something or other so I saved it. While saving the 4 th bag, it shone in a glossy attractive way and I realized it could b&

posted by katmckee on Dec 14, 2009

Hex Hats

Here's a pattern and instructions for two styles of brimmed hats with crowns made from six identical pieces. I like to make these from reclaimed materials. The orange one used to be two shirts, and the brown one used to be two handbags. Once you've made a couple, you can throw one together in …

posted by rachel on Jan 12, 2007

Braiding eight cords into a flat braid

Everyone can braid things, right? Can you braid more than 3 things? Here is how to braid 8 strands of cord, string, yarn, leather strips or you name it.

posted by hammer9876 on Aug 25, 2008

Holiday Hero: Subway Rider Returns Lost Xmas Gifts

2009-12-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

Woman's Leaves Holiday Gifts On Subway, Only To Be Found Later By Good Samaritan Thanks To Her Own Good Deed

NEW YORK (CBS) your gifts are wrapped and ready to be mailed, but you accidentally leave them on the subway, and away they go. It happened to one New Yorker, but as luck would have it, in truly the holiday spirit, another New Yorker found them.

Christmas cheer came a few days early for Nicole Snow and Dennis Noonan, two strangers brought together by goodness and, well, Facebook. On Monday, Snow was on her way to work and the Post Office when she made a horrifying mistake.

"I get off the train to transfer to the B and I realized as I turned the corner that I had left my bags on the seat next to me," she told CBS 2.

She felt helpless.

"So I ran back to the corner right as the doors were closing and I saw the bag on the seat and I thought, that's it," she said.

Little did she know as she got off at Columbus Circle, a very observant Dennis Noonan got on, heading to 18th Street. It seems her bag of commuting Christmas goodies had an angel.

"When I realized it, the doors had already closed and so I went and got the bag the bag and thought, 'Somebody's not going to have a good Christmas,'" he said.

But it was Snow's own good deed that makes this an even better Christmas story. Just last week, she found a checkbook on the street and was mailing it to its owner in Maryland. Her return address helped Noonan find her.

"I'd completely forgotten that I'd put the envelope in there to send it back to the guy who lost his checkbook. I almost didn't send it because I thought, 'Does he really need it?' But then I thought he'd be really happy to get it back in the mail," she said.

Noonan, a loving dad, having been on the panicky side when his wife lost her driver's license in Nashville, turned to what helped then: a Facebook search. A few hours later, Snow did, too.

"Hi Nicole just wondering if you lost some gifts," Noonan wrote to Snow.

"I wrote back, 'Oh my God! I can't believe it, you're an angel!" she said.

On Tuesday, Noonan returned the gifts to Snow.

"We're trying to what we would want other people to do for us," he said.

"If I hadn't decided to send the checkbook back to that person, then my name wouldn't be on there and I wouldn't get my gifts back, and Dennis wouldn't have had the opportunity to be the good Samaritan that he is," Snow said.

Snow was so grateful she gave Noonan a thank you present. It's a wonderful holiday story that could only happen in New York City.

Australians to bin 825,000 gifts this Christmas: survey

2009-12-04T01:25:00.000-08:00

Thu Dec 3, 4:24 am ET

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) – Generosity doesn't always pay during the festive season, with an Australian survey showing more than 825,000 gifts will go straight into the garbage bin this Christmas because their recipients just hate them.

The survey, commissioned by an Australian-based online self-publishing website and based on population data, revealed a third of all respondents either refund gifts or give them away, especially off-the-shelf offerings.

"An estimated 6.4 million presents will be given away, refunded, re-gifted or binned in 2009," Jo Sabin from website Blurb Australia said in a statement.

"That's a lot of wasted effort and money. The top tip for making sure that your gift is kept and valued this Christmas is to personalize it."

The survey also highlighted that more than 55 percent of all women are guilty of re-gifting unwanted presents for their friends and one in five will return the gift directly to the store.

With Australia's economy still battling to shake off the effects of the global financial crisis, more than a third of Australians plan to spend less on Christmas gifts this year, compared with the previous year, according to a recent survey by the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank.

(Writing by Miral Fahmy; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Smithsonian's National Zoo Offers a Multitude of Unique Holiday Gifts for Children, Adults and Families

2009-11-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

By Enica R. Thompson

Washington, DC - Are you in search of a present for that special someone who has everything? The Smithsonian’s National Zoo offers a multitude of unique gifts for children, adults and families. From stocking stuffers to eco-friendly gifts or an Adopt a Species package, Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) has something for every animal lover and conservationist on your holiday shopping list.

All items listed below are available on the Zoo’s website at http://nationalzoo.si.edu and in the Zoo’s gift shops.

Stocking Stuffers

Animal Stamp Set

Just in time for mailing holiday greeting cards, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo launched a series of customized conservation stamps featuring seven Zoo animals: the giant panda, Asian elephant, Panamanian golden frog, clouded leopard, Kirtland’s warbler, Scimitar-horned oryx and western lowland gorilla. The animals represent major science programs at the Zoo. Each sheet, consisting of 20 stamps, features one animal. The value of these special stamps is equivalent to a first-class U.S. postage stamp. The stamps are $20.95 per sheet.

Birdmarks

Is your loved one a bookworm? If so, the Zoo has the perfect present! The Zoo offers special bookmarks with breathtaking pictures and information about birds, such as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the Cedar Waxwing or the American Flamingo. The birdmarks are available for $1.99 each and proceeds directly support the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Wine Cork Trivet Set for Wine Lovers

Don’t know what to do with your favorite wine corks? Looking for a great hostess gift this holiday season? Look no further than our wine cork trivet. Simply collect eight wine corks and twist them onto the metal base. This trivet makes a great way to reuse special wine corks. The Wine Cork Trivet Set is $10.00.

Holiday Gifts for Families

Wild Side Stage series for kids

Bring the entire family to the National Zoo for shows by acclaimed, award-winning musicians, dancers, storytellers, theater actors, and puppeteers. Performances include, Grammy nominee Brady Rymer, the singing Zoologist Lucas Miller, as well as Antonio Rocha, the 2007 Parent’s Choice Gold Award winner and many other great artists. Before or after each performance, join us for a special visit to an animal house where you will get a chance to meet-and-greet keepers, as well as animals featured in the performances! Wild Side Stage performances take place in the Zoo’s Visitors Center Auditorium January 10 & 24, February 7, 21 & 28 and March 7. Tickets are $5 for members and $7 for nonmembers. Beginning Dec. 1, tickets can be purchased on the Zoo’s website and in the Zoo’s Asia Trail Store and Panda Gift Shop. Kids under age two are free!

Let your kids discover the “Wonderful World of Animals”

Is your kid crazy about animals? “Wonderful World of Animals” will make the perfect present! Stunning photographs and favorite Disney characters help children discover the magic of wildlife. This book is written by the National Zoo’s very own Dr. Don Moore. The “Wonderful World of Animals” is $12.99.

P.U! The Guessing Game of Smells

The mischievous Stinky Smells the Skunk is on the loose with his stinky Smellorator! In P.U! The Guessing Game of Smells, players race around a large exciting board full of good, bad, and mystery smells. Whose nose knows best? Land on a smell spot, draw a card, and guess its smell. Be the first to cross the finish line and stop Stinky from polluting and ruining the town fair! The game is designed for children ages five and up costs $29.95.

Giant Panda Cookie Jar

A must-have for every kitchen of an animal lover, the Giant Panda Cookie Jar makes eating cookies even more enjoyable. The Giant Panda Cookie Jar is $18.00 – an exclusive item at the National Zoo.

Giving Tree: Help provide the Zoo's animals with great enrichment items

Enrichment is an integral part of the daily care of the animals in the National Zoo. It helps animals demonstrate their natural behavior, adds variety to their day, allows them exercise, gives them choices in their environment, and enhances their well-being. Enrichment also gives Zoo scientists the chance to study and observe the animals' behavior.

Zoo staff has created a wish list of items that you can buy and donate to the Zoo, including Kong toys, rubber chew toys, mirrors, laser pointers, radios, feeder balls, feather dusters, tools, and much, much more. Items can be purchased and/or donations can be made on the Zoo’s online enrichment store or you can drop off or purchase at the Giant Panda Gift Shop. Additionally, special Giving Tree toy chests will be set up throughout the Zoo during our annual ZooLights event.

To donate, visit the Zoo’s website at: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Support/MakeDonation/GivingTree.cfm.

Eco-friendly Items

Give the gift of conservation and make the season bright for your friends and family with trendy, eco-friendly gifts.

Colored Pencil Necklace

Everyday objects elevated to art. That is what designer Amy Pfaffman does with her beautiful recycled jewelry pieces. She finds beauty in all objects and gives cast-offs a new life. Express yourself through green jewelry with this Colored Pencil Necklace, which retails for $64.00.

Large Folding Chopstick Basket

Unique, Practical, Green...this folding basket is amazing! They are strong so you can load them up, and the superior air circulation keeps fruits and veggies fresh. They are also perfect for holding nuts, serving bread or just as a display piece. The foldable design makes them easy to store, which makes them not only great for home and office, but also for camping and picnics and is a nice recycled item for yourself or to give as a gift. It is important for everybody to do what they can to help keep our planet green. Recycling and buying recycled products is a good start. Using discarded disposable chopsticks is just one example of making recycled products from a resource that would otherwise be waste. The Chopstick Basket is $24.00.

Make a Difference—Adopt a Species

The Adopt a Species program helps support the care of 2,000 animals at the Zoo and its Conservation and Research Center. Adopt a Species makes a great gift for a great cause. Featured creatures include the North Island Brown Kiwi, Asian Elephants, and the Panamanian Golden Frog. Your loved one will receive a plush stuffed animal in its very own animal carrier complete with air holes and a “Do Not Feed” label. Packages range from $40 to $1,000 and also includes a tote bag, personalized certificate, and color animal photo. Your gift will support conservation efforts and exhibit improvements, as well as allow for the purchase of medical supplies and enrichment items.

For a Gift that Lasts the Whole Year Long… Give Friends of the National Zoo Gift Membership

This year, make your friends our friends, with a Friends of the National Zoo holiday gift membership package. A FONZ gift membership at the Household or Donor level will provide your loved ones with a year’s worth of great benefits, such as free parking at the Zoo, discounts on tickets to popular Zoo events, discounts in our gift shops and much more. Plus, with this special holiday gift package, they’ll receive a cuddly plush panda, our full-color Smithsonian Zoogoer calendar, and coupons for extra discounts at the Zoo. As the gift giver, you’ll receive free animal wallpaper for your computer to show our appreciation. Purchase your holiday gift membership package today.

Give a gift that helps the National Zoo’s clouded leopards

Help the Zoo build a new home for our endangered clouded leopards by making a cheerful gift to the Zoo. Our clouded leopards housed at the Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center currently live in a facility that was built in 1911. The new home will provide them with the environment they need to thrive. The new facility will cost $2 million and the Zoo can’t build the new facility without your help. Donation levels begin at $100. Visit our website at www.fonz.org/savecloudedleopards.htm.

Gifts needed for Christmas boxes

2009-11-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

Capital City Weekly
JUNEAU - Chapel By the Lake will serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child, the world's largest Christmas project. Juneau residents will pack shoebox gifts for children in more than 100 countries around the world.
This year, organizers hope to collect 2,435 gift-filled shoeboxes from families, kids, churches, schools and civic organizations in the area. School supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and letters of encouragement are suggest items for shoeboxes.

Wedding Gifts

2009-03-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

In buying wedding gifts, always keep in mind your budget and be sure to get the look you want to achieve on your purchased items. Here are some gift ideas that would surely be a hit:

Tapestry It is nice to remember your wedding day, and how else can you do this? Personalize your ordinary belongings by printing the couple's picture on them. You can have it printed in your pillows, blankets or bags. Print them on tapestry wall hangings and keep them as an heirloom. Colorful cotton threads can make your pictures come to life with its vivid colors similar to the photograph itself.

Photo Frames Keep your memorable pictures in unique photo frames. You can add on sweet messages like 'sweethearts forever' or 'perfect couple'. Sweet lines from songs or poems are greatly recommended too. You can choose from the different frames available like natural wood, quality plastic, or metal steel. Personal messages are mostly laser engraved or wood cut-outs. The couple would love putting there favorite wedding photos to keep them reminded of the bliss of their special day.

T-shirts Add your own personality and thoughts and get them printed in comfortable tees. Most couples would love to profess their love for each other in cute shirts. The most common of these shirts are the word 'I' that comes with a big red heart and the name of the groom or bride. Tell the world how you feel towards a person with these personalize tees. To add a little intimacy, you can also opt to print sweet messages on under wears and undershirts too.

Accessories Women love accessories. Bracelets are perfect items to be personalized. You can opt to choose fancy gold, sterling silver or even 10 karat - 25 karat gold. This depends on your budget, of course. But remember, it's always the thought that counts. Recommended words that you can put on the bracelets are the date of your wedding day, your anniversary or the couple's name. You can opt to personalize rings and necklaces as well.

Mugs Mugs are very functional. If giving a present to the groom, customizing his beer mug or wine glass would surely be appreciated. Be sure to choose mugs that exude manly elegance. Black or brown mugs would definitely look nice and the personal message would be a real stand out.

Clocks You can either choose to purchase a wall clock or personal watch. Either way, you can be assured that the recipient of the gift would find them very useful. Engraving one's name on a metal steel sports watch is an eye catcher too. A pocket watch would equally be valued.

Gift Card

2009-02-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

For a standard stored value gift card programme, merchants can use different types of promotions to increase the level of excitement. For example, creating a swipe and win sweepstakes when the gift card is redeemed is an excellent way to drive additional sales. Think about it: your customers are purchasing a gift card that has a certain value, and the person they give it to has the opportunity to not only redeem their gift card for your product or service, but also to potentially win a prize. Who wouldn't want to give a gift card that may make the recipient a big winner?

Another opportunity that can benefit both the merchant and the customer is the use of receipt coupons, or custom coupons, as part of your gift card programme. You can use these coupons to drive customers to locations that need an increase in traffic. Or better yet, make your coupons applicable to certain times of the day when traffic isn't as high as you'd like it to be. For example, many restaurants are finding this an effective way to drive traffic to days of the week or times of the day that are not traditionally strong for them. Giving customers a free appetizer or dessert is a great marketing investment for creating a busy restaurant during traditionally slow periods.

If you are using stored value cards as a cash replacement and you want customers to re-load their cards, give them a bonus when they add value to the card. An excellent way of encouraging the re-load is by adding custom messages on the receipt as the value of the card is depleted. An alert like "Your card value is $10 (or £5). Re-load your card with US$50 (or £35) and get a coupon for a free coffee" alerts customers to their card status. Implementing the reward is as simple as printing a coupon for the free item as part of the re-load transaction.

Loyalty programmes have long used the practice of leveraging perceived value to make them more attractive by rewarding customers for the right kind of behaviour (the profitable, coming-back-often kind). Stored value gift card programmes can make use of the same practice. But exactly what is the perceived value, how does it differ from actual value, and how can it be applied?

If you visit the redemption page of your favourite loyalty programme, you may find that some awards seem more attractive than others. For example on a frequent flier programme site you might see that a free flight anywhere in North America "costs" 25,000 points. One night in a hotel also "costs" 25,000 points. Now wait just a minute - that flight is worth US$700 and that hotel night is worth US$150. Is the airline taking advantage of you if you redeem for the hotel night?

Well, if you need both a flight and a hotel night, it is obvious where you should use those points - on the flight, hands down. The key to understanding why the flight seems like such a good deal (and the hotel less of a deal) is to stand in the shoes of the CEO of the airline. To put you in a seat on the airline (that would have otherwise been empty) costs the airline less than US$100. The CEO's best marketing team can't get free hotel nights from the hotels so that hotel night is probably costing the airline about the same as the free flight. You are being treated fairly.

The airline is simply leveraging the difference between the actual cost of the air ticket and the value you associate with it (the perceived value). That's why airline, hotel, retail, restaurant and other loyalty programmes usually offer their own product or service as the base reward in their programmes - it simply is the most cost effective way to provide value.

Restaurateurs are in exactly the same situation - the cost of providing a meal is probably the lowest expense reward they can provide. It makes it a challenge to create meaningful rewards of similar value that aren't based on the core dining service.

Take heart, there are other classic examples of leveraging perceived value. If you can offer something that is difficult to put a price on - priority service, a backstage pass, a ticket on the 50 yard line at the Superbowl - you have an opportunity to create extreme perceived value. There are thousands of marketing programmes that generate excitement, entries into draws, and traffic by using exclusive opportunities as their drawing card. Think of your stored value gift card promotions in the same light and offer similar rewards as part of your gift card swipe and win sweepstakes to increase gift card usage.

Look inside your own business and see what you have to offer - a reservation on a Friday night at your exclusive flagship location, a guided wine tasting by your chief wine steward, tickets to a sports event provided by one of your suppliers, even a gift for children in the dining party. These are all opportunities to create a reward with high perceived value and low cost. Ask your customers and they will tell you what they value highly.

If you can find something your customers prize that you can provide at little or no cost, you will have an effective tool to use inside your loyalty or gift card marketing programme. Look hard - it's worth the effort!