Put yourself on the Nice list.

Still trying to figure out what to get your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse for Christmas this year? Maybe you’re over thinking it. We only launched this web site a couple of weeks ago and already readers are telling us we’ve changed the course of their holiday shopping. Instead of stressing at the mall, they’re multi-tasking at the grocery store. Instead of fretting over sizes, likes, and dislikes, they’re gift carding with confidence—anxious for the recipient to open their gift. (When was the last time you gave someone a gift card and couldn’t wait for them to open it?)

Get inspired from suggestions sent in by some of our readers:

• Nice List.  With a note pad and a pen, attach a gift card to the department store. That’s what Carole did and then she wrote, “Make your OWN list.  Check it Twice.  Then with this gift card.  Get YOURSELF something nice.”

Restaurant gift card and Beano for the old farts!

• Seasons Greetings.  Attach a gift card to the cooking store, BBQ store, grocery store, or any old store to a bottle of seasoning or marinade. Write “Seasons Greetings” on the tag. Go one level deeper and select a seasoning appropriate for the gift card.  Chipotle seasoning with a Chipotle restaurant gift card, for example.
• Yule log.   Attach a family entertainment gift card (movies, video, bowling, etc.) to a Duraflame log.  Write, “Hoping YULE have a Merry Christmas” or “Warmest Wishes this Holiday Season.”
• Warm Wishes.  Warm greetings are also appropriate with a pair of gloves, a scarf, or some hand warmers.  Attach those to a gift card to a café or any place you can get a delicious mug of hot chocolate and be sure to add “Warmest Wishes” to the card.
• Old Fart.  Brooke took gift carding to a new (lower) level with this restaurant gift card attached to a bottle of Beano.  She wrote, “Happy date night you old farts!”
• Dreaming of.  Get a gift card to Dream Dinners or any place designed to help busy women (make and take dinners, spa, salon).  Tell her you’re “Dreaming of a White Christmas” and a day she doesn’t have to work so hard.
• Rock my world.  Get a gift card for downloadable music and write a note that says, “You Rock my World.” Add it to something romantic like a box of chocolates, a candle, or a fun pair of pj’s.

Check out the For Her and For Him sections for more gift carding ideas you can pull together in time for Christmas.

DRAMA-FREE Christmas

After the post on turning a gift card into an ornament, my mom got into the spirit and created one of her own for an ornament exchange. It’s so cute, I had to share it with you…and will probably copy it myself this holiday season.

My mom got fancy with the details (no surprise), but all you need is a movie gift card and a little ribbon. Tie it up with a note that says, “Wishing you a DRAMA-FREE Christmas!” or “Hope this is the only drama you see this holiday season.” Cute!

Holiday CD and an iTunes gift card hidden in homemade ornament.

I got invited to the most delightful ornament exchange this holiday season complete with wonderful ladies, delicious treats, and a pile of decadently wrapped ornaments in the middle of the room.  I’m a practical gal, as you know, so I decided to get something useful rather than lavish.  Dare I say, it was a hit?

The ornament limit was $10.  I bought a $10 iTunes gift card from Safeway (part of the savings offer we talked about last week).  Then I made a mix CD of my new favorite Christmas songs.  I quickly put the CD and gift card together in a homemade CD holder shaped like an ornament and wrote, “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” on the front.

After an initial look of horror on the recipient’s face as she opened something clearly made out of construction paper and a rushed cutting job, the ladies cooed as she revealed the contents of the ornament.  My non-ornament hit the “three steals” limit before landing in it’s final resting place–with a woman who said her kids would love it!  So maybe her tree won’t be donning a new fancy bauble, but her kids will be feeling the holiday spirit nonetheless.

I have another ornament exchange later this week.  I’m going to channel my inner-Martha Stewart and try making a dangling ornament instead–ribbons attached to graduating larger circles until the gift card is revealed.  Or not.  It depends on how much time I have.

New Moon gift cards at Fandango.com

My friend Erin wanted to gift card her nieces and nephews this Christmas with movie tickets but didn’t know which theaters to select. She solved the problem by going straight to the source—Fandango.com—where she pleasantly discovered that she could purchase gift cards and personalize them with movie images. How cute is that? Though Fandango could have sent the cards straight to the recipients, Erin had the cards delivered to her house so she could add a few GCG finishing touches (good girl!).

What would you put with this gift card?

So I’m maybe the last girl in the world who hasn’t seen or read the Twilight series, but I know it’s a “best ever.” So you tell me…what would you pair with a New Moon gift card? Vampire teeth? A red rose? Tissues for the touching moments (are there touching moments?) NoDoze so you can stay awake and read the entire book in one night?

What would be the perfect mate to a New Moon gift card?

Apple for the teacher plus a gift card

I’ve had several people ask about creative ways to gift card teachers this holiday season.  My sweet sister is a teacher and I’ve seen some of the heartfelt, but sadly, useless presents she’s received over the years.  So I’m thrilled parents are considering the gift card instead.

I’m planning a little school gift carding myself for the teachers and for the ladies in the office who are first on the scene when my kids suffer a physical (more likely emotional) blow on the playground. I wish I could do more, but the $5 to $10 range is about all I can swing.  Rather than worry about that, I’ll dress the gifts up so the recipients know the amount may be small but my appreciation is great.  Here are some of my thoughts:

• Ally’s teacher is young and cool. I’ll get her Xtreme candy and a Target gift card that says, “Thanks for going to the Xtremes for Ally this year.”
• Matthew’s teacher is pregnant.  I’ll also get her a Target gift card as well, but will tie a pair of baby booties to the gift card with the words, “Thanks for helping raise my boy.”
• Michael’s teacher is also a cross-country coach. I’ll get her a gift card to Chevron’s Extra Mile and write the words, “Thanks for going the Extra Mile for Michael this year.”
• One of the ladies in the office likes to read.  I’ll get her a Barnes & Noble gift card along with some homemade bookmarks from the kids.  For the other, I’ll get a Target gift card with a bottle of hand sanitizer and write, “Thanks for the helping hand.”

For other Teacher gift card ideas, check out the Teacher Appreciation page.

Family trip to the movies, complete with popcorn, movie snacks, and gift cards.

I’m excited to announce our first Gift Card Giveaway.  Here’s what’s up for grabs!

We’re giving away a night at the movies, one of our family gift suggestions.  This prize includes a $25 gift card to Blockbuster (can be used online or in stores) and a $25 gift card to Regal Cinemas (and other partnering theaters).  You’ll also get movie snacks like Whoppers, Raisinets, Mike ‘n Ikes, and Milk Duds–all packaged up in a bucket of kettle corn ready to pop. Yum!

Legal Stuff: Contest open to continental US residents only. Contest ends December 14, 2009 at midnight PST. Winner announced December 15, 2009.

To enter, answer this question, “What gift card would you most like to receive this holiday season?”