In hindsight: maybe it was the scarf?

My best Valentine’s Day memory will always be waking up to a special breakfast of pink pancakes. Oh, how I wish this particular holiday had stayed so sweet and simple.

The Evolution

• Elementary School: Loved making the mailbox and delivering cards to classmates. Didn’t like mushy, “Be Mine” quotes on the pre-printed cards. Wished I had more that read, “Have a Nice Valentine’s Day.” Worried someone would mistake canned comments for my actual feelings. Ick.
• Junior High School:  Missed the mail boxes and hand delivery. Saw some girls receive Valentine’s Day gifts from boys. Knew the only Valentine I’d receive that day would be from my mom. On the fence about that.
• High School: School fundraiser. Kids buy carnations and have them surprise delivered to classmates throughout the day. Didn’t get any. Pink pancakes and Valentine from mom lessens the blow. A little.
• College: Had a boyfriend who bought me flowers for the first time. Fell in love with the idea of having a Valentine and mistook those feelings for actual love. Ick.
• Dating: Does he love me? Does he love me not? What if I write, “Be Mine” and he writes, “Have a Nice Valentine’s Day?”
• Married: Do we even need to exchange Valentine’s Day cards? Yes, of course we do. Got to keep the flame alive. But let’s not spend too much on the gifts–we’ve got bills to pay.

And Now…

I’ll make pink pancakes for my elementary school kids. I’ll give my husband a card and tell him how much I love and appreciate him. I’ll probably even make spaghetti for dinner because it’s one of his favorites and the kids will think the red pasta sauce is Valentiney. They’ll be sick from eating all the candy they got in their mailboxes and I’ll put them to bed early. Then Paul and I will snuggle on the couch, eat licorice and Hot Tamales, and watch one of our favorite shows on DVR.

I’ll realize, once again, that this simple Valentine night makes up for all the miserable Valentine’s Days I endured when I was younger. Worth the wait.

This gift is a hit--but not all were.

After Christmas, I took my kids to the store twice. Once to redeem gift cards. The second time to exchange clothes that didn’t fit. I won’t pretend that either trip was painless, but they did much better with gift cards (“You have $25 to spend”) than exchanges (“First we have to see how much Grandma paid for the coat…”)

Keep or Return?

After returning much of what they received, I kept the gift I got. The “item” isn’t my style, but it does fit…so I might wear it…one day. I know that isn’t what the gift-giver intended, but it feels greedy and ungrateful to take everything back. Which do you think is worse? Keeping stuff you won’t use or returning gifts picked out just for you?

Answer My Questions.

If you received gifts this holiday season, please take a minute to tell me what happened by clicking the ‘Got Gifts’ link below. I’m gathering data for a press release and would love your input. Thanks!

Got Gifts?

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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.

This is What Summer is All About

Summer vacation is winding down and I can honestly say that we’ve lived it to the fullest. Rarely more than an hour away from home, we stay-cationed all over the Bay Area. We went to the beach, played summer league baseball, watched professional baseball, swam every water park in the area, ate ice cream, made ice cream, rode our bikes, connected with old friends, and made several new friends. It’s been a good summer.

I’ve Let Myself Go

But in the 10 weeks we’ve enjoyed as a family, I have completely let myself go. I haven’t done my hair in weeks. Ran out of a few essentials in the make-up bag and didn’t bother to replace them. My toenails are bare and my eyebrows a bit bushy. My lack of self care comes down to two things: time and money. (Doesn’t it always?)

Time and Money

I spent the early part of the summer training my boys to quietly go downstairs in the morning, bypassing the usual tap on my forehead to see if I’m awake. Their quiet departure allowed me an extra half hour or so of sleep. The indulgence, however, meant the kids were either starving or clawing at each other by the time I got up. So I had to shave time off the beauty routine to make up for it. I also let them stay up later which meant less time to myself at night. Heck, what am I saying? Less time to myself all DAY too. Love those kids, but forget about scheduling hair, salon, doctor, or dentist appointments while they’re home. And besides, money I might have spent on myself is going to admissions for various activities anyway.

Back to School

But it’s back to school time and that means every mom I know with school age kids is about to get a makeover. And I will be setting the pace. I need a new do, a splash of color on the toes, gonna look into that Yoga class I’ve talked about for months, and probably need to get my teeth cleaned as well.

So while I see retailers advertising “back to school” specials that revolve around kids, I think they’d do well to remember us moms are in need of a little pampering ourselves. And we could use some gift cards to offset the expense because we just spent all our money on summer activities and school registration. I suggest the following:

• Hair salon gift card for a cut and color
• Nail salon gift card for a manicure and pedicure
• Massage or Spa gift card to work out the summer kinks
• Gym or Yoga gift card to find her center again
• Organization store gift card to help her figure out the new fall schedule
• Lunch gift card to reconnect with girlfriends

It doesn’t have to be her birthday. If you know a mom with school age kids who is about to send the kiddies back to the teachers, get her a “Summer Survival” gift card to celebrate her return to freedom!

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.

Wish my iPhone had a flash!

I took my kids to see Toy Story 3 this morning. I don’t normally like the animated flicks, but I chuckled even more than the little ones this time. Toys I hadn’t thought about in years showed up on screen like old friends. (Including a few toys I coveted but never got to make friends with, like that three story Barbie Apartment!) But the best part of the day was using the gift card I found last week to offset the cost of admission.

Saving Money

This little Disney-Pixar flashback would have cost me $45 without the gift card. That’s a lot of money for a matinee, especially when I’m trying to stretch the family budget across a summer’s worth of activities.

While a movie gift card may no longer be the most original gift to give, it’s still a great gift for a kid, teen, family, or anybody who likes to go to the theater. The recipient might not use it right away, but is certain to appreciate it when they do.

Make the Movie Gift Card More Personal

Partner a movie gift card with some movie snacks, popcorn, or something relevant to the movie you think they’re most likely to see. For Toy Story 3, for example, get a slinky akin to the one in the movie. For the new Twilight movie, Eclipse, get a gift card to the movies with some fake blood and vampire teeth. Or, if you’re like me, a movie gift card would go perfect with a purse size salt shaker for the tub of popcorn I’d buy once I got there.