Simple last-minute gift idea for Valentine's Day

Get Valentine a gift card and tie it to a potted plant. The plant will last longer than roses and won’t cost near as much. Add a simple note revealing your true feelings, which is all anybody really needs on Valentine’s Day anyway.

Go Crazy

If you want to go crazy–buy a collection of gift cards and tie each one to a different stem. Use a theme so Valentine knows you picked cards purposefully (and didn’t just stand at the kiosk grabbing things.)

Some Ideas

- Pedicure and shoe store
- Dinner and a movie
- Clothing store and salon
- Spa and bookstore
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Tennis lessons and tennis store

Or keep it simple and just write that heartfelt note.

Thanks to all who voted in our Valentine’s Day poll and congratulations to Charlene who won the Michael’s Gift Card.

We wanted to know whether or not you think it’s okay to give a gift card on Valentine’s Day when presents are supposed to be tokens of affection, representing how you feel about a person?

The Votes are In

As the poll shows, the answer is, “Yes.” 84 percent of the people who responded to our poll said a gift card is perfectly acceptable on Valentine’s Day. And though 30% would like to receive a gift card, another 30% would like something a little more sentimental–like a handwritten note. In a tough economy, it’s nice to see that simple gifts are appreciated and gift cards, which can save time and money, are welcome.

See full poll results here.

Which Gift Cards?

In the contest, we asked you to name the gift card you’d most like to receive. So pay attention Valentines because here are the most requested gift cards:

• Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby or other craft supply store
• Target or Wal-Mart
• Visa or American Express
• Bookstore
• Movie
• Restaurant
• Amazon.com
• Sephora

Now some of those gift cards are pretty generic, meaning they can be used anywhere or you can buy any variety of things with the particular gift card. So, in my opinion, you need to work a little harder to make the presentation special. For example, a VISA gift card on Valentine’s Day could be cleverly packaged with things that spell out the word, “Valentine” such as: V for Visa Gift Card, A for apple of my eye, L for love, etc.”

You may have a practical gal or guy on your hands who does appreciate the flexibility of a gift card, but it’s still wise to put a little effort into make it more personal. Check out other ideas in my Valentine’s Day section.

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!

My sweet step-daughter lived with us for about half a year–just long enough to see what makes this household tick. Proving she knows me pretty well now, I came home yesterday to the perfect Mother’s Day gift. She left a 32-pack of Diet Coke, a gift card to the spa, and a coupon for free babysitting on my front porch. She even wrote down days and times that she’s available to watch the kids. Honestly, she had me at the DC and free babysitting.

Teryn’s gift is the perfect example of turning any gift card into a thoughtful gift. She followed all of my rules. She gave me the gift of self-indulgence (something I can rarely afford to do), offered to babysit (knowing I’d need someone to watch the kids in order to indulge), and included my favorite drink (ok, I have one guilty pleasure). It’s practical, personal, and perfect for me. Thank you Teryn.

I’ve got other Mother’s Day ideas listed on my web site. Many of these can be adapted for mom’s birthday or for Father’s Day coming up on June 20th. If you have some ideas of your own, post a comment below so we can all learn.

Pampering for Everyone

As you know, my little sister Brooke is expecting a baby. Her co-workers surprised her with a gift certificate to her favorite spa on one of her last days before maternity leave. They cleverly Photoshopped a Pampers diaper logo onto a poster that read, “Pamper Yourself!”

I couldn’t help but copy that SO cute idea in a less graphic-skills-required kind of way. Get your expectant friend a package of Pampers and attach a gift card to a spa or salon so mom and baby both get a little “Pampering!” You’ll be the hit of the baby shower!

This got me thinking about other ways to pair mom gift cards with newborn baby necessities. You could get a pack of baby wipes and a restaurant gift card, then write, “For when you’re too wiped out to cook!” My brain is a swirl with ideas.

Check out the New Baby section for other ideas as well.