Target Gift Card makes the Perfect Cupcake Topper!

Ally was so excited to taste the cupcakes that she didn’t even notice the Target gift card on top!

Hands Off!

When Ally helped my friend Kelly sell cupcakes at a fundraiser, she came home with a box of cupcakes as payment. She was thrilled, bragging to her brothers that she’d earned the tasty treats, telling all of us to keep our hands off them. She got even more excited (and a little bossier) when Kelly dropped off a second set of cupcakes for her to taste test. Only after she’d stuck a fork in nearly each one did Ally notice that the “Thank You” note on top was actually a gift card to Target.

Target Does it Right

Target does a great job of offering gift cards in a variety of styles, with a wide range of expressions–making it easy to turn their gift cards into fun vignettes of affection.

For Joy!

Ally honestly would have been thrilled with just the cupcakes or just the gift card. But the combo made her squeal with delight–and I’m pretty sure that’s what Kelly was going for. Thanks Kelly!

The saying goes, “People come in to your life for a reason or for a season.” My dear friend, Suzanne, came to me for both. Though we were face-to-face friends for less than a year, she made a lasting impact. Now, constrained by distance, but enabled by technology, we share laughs and heartfelt talks whenever we can.

Take Comfort Mom--and Take Credit.

A Bird Flies Out of the Nest

Last week, she took her oldest boy to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah where he will begin serving a two-year mission for our church. After a couple months of training, he’ll be headed to Russia. At just 19 years old, this boy’s freckle-filled-boyish face belies a wise, old man who says things you’d expect to hear from someone who’s lived four times his little lifetime. He’s amazing. He can’t wait to serve. But everytime I compliment my friend on raising such a fine boy, she replies, “I can’t take the credit. He came that way.” To which I say, “Then take credit for not messing him up.”

A Token of Comfort for Mom

If we lived closer, I would have been waiting on Suzanne’s doorstep when she got back from the big drop to give her a hug and feed her some chocolate. Because we both know that her boy is gonna do great, but it can be hard for the mamma bird to let even the most well-trained bird fly away.

Since I can’t be there in person, I sent Suzanne an electronic gift card to Deseret Book so she can buy something to uplift her on days that she’s missing him the most. He is in good hands. So is Suzanne.

Celebrate Moms at Graduation Time

This experience has me thinking about graduation time. We always celebrate the graduate for his or her accomplishments and rightly so. But perhaps we need to start celebrating the parents who devoted womb and room to raising these kids. It seems a harsh reward to think that after you’ve exhausted yourself giving your child the tools necessary to survive on his own—he has the nerve to actually do it.

For graduation this season, think about the moms who are being left behind. What gift card would you give to a mom who is about to say goodbye to one of her chicks?

Fun Valentine Gift idea from Michaels

Michaels posted this video on their Facebook page and I wanted to share it with you. Several little gifts are tied together with a ribbon, all stuffed neatly into a shipping tube. As the recipient pulls the ribbon, the presents are revealed, leading up to a big gift at the end. Jo’s finale is a crafty Valentine t-shirt, but I suggest topping things off with a gift card instead.

My Version

I love what Jo has done, but for my taste (and time constraints), I’d probably get a smaller tube and tie just two or three items en route to the gift card. You’d get the same effect without the added expense and effort.

Fun Themes

You could adapt this idea to any occasion–a baby shower, bridal gift, teacher appreciation, or birthday. I see a theme tube as well–maybe a group gift of several gift cards tied to the ribbon. Or a movie gift card tube including snacks and movie tickets with theater wrapping paper on the tube itself. A baseball themed tube with sports page wrapping and baseball cards, sunflower seeds, cracker jacks, and an MLB gift card inside. Oh, a tennis ball canister would work great here as well. Uh-oh, I’m starting to trip over myself with gift card ideas! Seriously, who doesn’t want to open a string of goodies to get to a gift card??! So many possibilities.

Speaking of Michaels

Speaking of Michaels, don’t forget to answer the Valentine’s Day poll to be entered in the $25 Michaels Gift Card drawing. You just might win and then you can march yourself down to Michaels to make your own Valentine’s Day tube! Good stuff!

Jamba Juice is doing it right this holiday season. At participating locations, you can buy a $25 gift card and get a free smoothie. If you’re a Jamba Juice regular, buy the gift card for yourself and start slurping! If you’re going to give a Jamba Juice gift card, then this next offer is even better.

Gift with Purchase

As Kevin B at the San Ramon Jamba Juice explains, for $15, you get a 22 oz. Tumbler and a $5 Jamba Juice gift card. I love ths promotion because it follows my 5 Steps to Better Gift Card Giving. The gift card can be used at a variety of locations, is in a usable amount ($5 is plenty for Jamba Juice), and the recipient gets to “open something.” This would make a great gift for teachers, office staff, and others you want to give a small token to this holiday season.

Add a Personal Scoop

Make it even more personal by putting a list of your favorite smoothies or the “secret Jamba Juice menu” inside the tumbler. Have fun with it.

Combine gift cards and coupons to save money.

With three kids going back to school (and soccer and football and scouts, etc.), my budget is tapped. We’re reusing last year’s backpacks and lunch boxes to save money, but the kids still needed a few things. So I combined gift cards and coupons to stretch the dollars a bit further. Here’s what I did:

Work It:

1. Scoured the newspaper and mailers for high discount coupons.
2. Bought discount gift cards to go along with the best coupons.

Big Savings:

For example, I received coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase at JC Penney. Then I bought a $25 gift card to JC Penney for $21.50 at Plastic Jungle.

At JC Penney, Ally found two pairs of skinny jeans for a total of $25.99 plus a must-have, embellished top on the clearance rack for $10. The bill came to $35.99 plus tax. With our coupon and gift card, however, we paid almost nothing at the register. By combining discounts, I paid $21.5o to Plastic Jungle for essentially $35.99 in merchandise at JC Penney. That’s 40% in savings.

Going Forward:

Yes, it takes a little work and forethought. Yes, a good coupon can make all the difference. But there are stores like JC Penney, Kohls, Macy’s, and Old Navy that routinely send out special promotions. If you buy discount gift cards in advance and match ‘em up with the coupons as they arrive, you can save a lot of money.

Plan Ahead for the Holidays:

With the holidays coming up, combining gift cards with store sales and coupons could be the relief your budget is waiting for.

A new twist on an old gift idea

I like the Work & Life blog on Real Simple. A recent post by Julie Rottenberg on the ups and downs of giving a magazine subscription as a gift got me thinking.

As Julie points out, a subscription is fun to give initially, but can leave you wondering what to do when renewal time comes along. (Should you renew? Does the recipient want the magazine renewed? Will the renewal look lackluster as a gift or tie you into a long-term gifting arrangement?)

Instead, I suggest giving a gift card for a magazine subscription. The recipient can pick out which magazine to order and the renewal notice won’t come to you. It’s a one-time gift.

With that problem solved, I started thinking of fun ways to deliver a magazine subscription gift card–all starting with a store bought magazine. The recipient can order a different magazine, of course, but your gift ensemble acts as recommended reading plus something for the recipient to enjoy while he or she waits for the first issue to arrive.

Then I’d pick up accessories to go with the magazine like a bag of chips, sunscreen, and a reusable water bottle for poolside reading. Or do something in line with the magazine you’re giving. For example, Sports Illustrated and an energy bar for the athlete, Family Fun magazine and craft supplies for the toddler-age mom, or Real Simple with decorative push-pins for the organizer.

This is a gift that works for Him, Her, the Family, and for Kids. I love it and appreciate Julie’s post that kicked me into re-thinking this old gift idea.