I’m newly addicted to tennis. Growing up, I played basketball, softball, and volleyball. But as I’ve gotten older, finding these sports in an exercise format has gotten increasingly difficult. I’m pretty athletic, so I arrogantly thought I’d throw on a skirt and just start playing tennis. I had intended to pick up golf after that…but forget it now.

Learning tennis has been utterly humbling. Losing to a lady who is so old she carries her racquet in a rolling suitcase and needs her partner to help her down the stairs is just one of many humiliating experiences I’ve endured. There have been times I honestly thought my ego couldn’t take another match. But here I am, still trying to get my toss out in front, brush up the back of the ball, hold my racquet like a snow cone, and keep my feet moving. I vow to beat that old lady one day, even if I have to go to the nursing home to throw down the gauntlet.

Despite all this tennis frustration, today was a good day. My teammates surprised me with a thank you gift for captaining the team. They gave me a new visor and a Visa gift card to buy something from the Nike Summer Line I’ve been eying. Frankly, I should be getting them a gift for allowing me on the team. But I’m thrilled for the opportunity to up my tennis style and very much appreciate their generosity.

I’m especially grateful to my pal Stace who remembered that 2010 is the year I promised to start wearing a visor to cut down on the UV exposure. Stacey is one of the best gift givers I know. She doesn’t need my rules for gift card giving, because everything she does is thoughtful. (And she never gives me a dirty look when I double fault.)

Here are some other ideas for coaches and captains you’d like to thank.

Win this Sephora Valentine Gift

Having never been to Sephora, I planned to dash into the store for a quick preview before posting this Valentine Sephora Gift Card Giveaway. 

Instead, I found myself perusing the cosmetic aisles with my eyes all a twinkling. My 4th grade daughter looked just as mesmerized. She ogled neon eye shadows. I tested long-lasting lipsticks. Together, we caught a whiff of Amazing Grace and followed the delicious scent back to the fragrance section. 

I haven’t worn perfume since realizing my signature scent masked the new baby smell on this very girl now by my side. We decided that Mom, after nearly a decade, could smell like something other than peanut butter and Lady Speed Stick for a change. I like the smell of Amazing Grace. I love the quote on the packaging even more. So I bought a bottle for me and one to share. 

For Valentine’s Day, we’re giving away a $35 gift card to Sephora, a .5 oz. Amazing Grace spray fragrance, and a Sephora compact mirror (their gift card freebie), with one of Brooke’s most popular prints, “Love in red.” 

Two ways to enter. (Yes, you can do both and get two entries in the drawing): 

1. Sign up to receive blog posts and announcements via e-mail.
   
   Enter your email address:
   
2. Finish this sentence in your post. “The best Valentine I ever received…”

Legal Stuff: Contest open to continental US residents only. Contest ends February 14, 2010 at midnight PST. Winner announced February 15, 2010.

Congrats to Allison H

She wanted a gift card to Home Depot or Lowe’s, but Allison H is getting a gift card to Blockbuster and Regal Cinemas instead!  Congratulations Allison for winning the Gift Card Girlfriend Movie Bonanza! 

If you didn’t win, take “heart.” We’ll unveil a special Valentine’s Day Gift Card Giveaway shortly—one that is sure to make your heart skip a beat.

In the meantime, take a look at the most popular gift cards desired this holiday season:

1. Clothing and Department Stores.  J. Crew, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Ann Taylor and Banana Republic are top vote getters because you said it’s hard to spend that kind of money on yourself without feeling guilty.  A gift card gives you permission to indulge and buy clothing you crave without spending a fortune.  But many of you would be just as happy shopping for clothes at our second most desired gift card retailer…
2. Target.   A shopping spree at Target can be both a practical gift (diapers, household necessities, clothing for the kids) and a treat (makeup, clothing for me, electronics, household decorations).  You said, “Target is great because you can get almost anything you need there.”  I totally agree.
3. Movies.  Some want to take the family out, others want to sneak away for date night, and the rest of you are just anxious to see a good movie without having to take out a second mortgage.  If you’re gift carding a movie this holiday season but don’t know what movie theater is in the recipient’s home town, get a Fandango gift card and let the recipient decide.
4. Home stores.  Lowes, Home Depot, Home Goods, and other home improvement stores are next on the list.  While this may seem overly practical, we’re in practical times right now.  Defraying the cost of fixing up the old homestead would be a welcome gift.
5. Amazon.com.  While it used to be just for books, Amazon is now recognized by many of you as a place for everything.  Like Target, you can indulge yourself or buy practical items for the family.
6. Spa or Salon. You want the spa treatment or the much-needed pedicure, but the practical side of you warns not to be so self-indulgent.  The shoulder devil says, “I would really love a massage.”  But the shoulder angel says, “I should get a Target or AMEX gift card so I can buy diapers instead.”  The beauty of a gift card is that it allows you to flick that angel off your shoulder and indulge without feeling guilty.
7. Entertainment.  Beyond the movies, you’d like to go out to a nice restaurant (or ANY restaurant) and maybe grab a movie on the way home or curl up with a book afterwards.  Bookstores, Restaurants, Video stores, and iTunes gift cards round out the list of most desired gift cards.

Like you, many of the people you plan to shop for this holiday season would like to receive a gift card.  So get the gift card and deliver it with confidence knowing that you’re either giving someone permission to indulge in a way they don’t normally allow themselves, or you’re giving them the gift of reducing the cost of more practical items.  Either will be appreciated.

And I, for one, am saving money this holiday season doing so.  Mostly because I’m staying totally within my budget.  I’m buying gift cards in the amount planned and packaging them with simple extras that make the gift more meaningful.