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.

A Gift Card for the Ages--All Ages!

My girlfriend Shannon just turned 40 and she’s amazing. She’s one of those gals who has style–you know who they are. Her house is arranged just so, she’s always dressed nicely without being overdone, and everything she does looks artistic and polished. I love being around her.

So Shannon’s mom threw a surprise birthday brunch complete with fresh squeezed juice and a frittata fresh out of the oven. Everything just as delightful as the guest of honor. As much as I loved the atmosphere, though, a gift from Shannon’s sister captured my full attention! So simple, so personal, so gift-cardable!

This sweet sibling filled a jar called “40 Things I love About You” with sentiments about their relationship as friends, as sisters, as daughters of God, and mothers of little angels. We all oohed and ahhed as Shannon read a few of the notes through weepy eyes.

I love the idea and wanted to add a gift card spin–drop a $40 dollar gift card into the jar of 40 sentiments. And don’t be caught up on age. This idea can be tailored to any birthday – 23 things I love about you and a $23 gift card to the yogurt shop. 38 things I like about you and a 38 dollar gift card to the sandwich shop. Or change it from a birthday gift to Mother’s Day, a thank you gift, or a group gift where everybody adds a note to the recipient.

So clever. So stylish. So Shannon. I love it.

In Family Fun magazine, I saw another version of the teacher appreciation group gift we’ve talked about a few times. I liked what they did, but wanted to take the idea UP a notch in thoughtfulness and DOWN a notch in effort. (Original instructions here).

Here’s what I did differently:

1. First, I simplified the crafting by creating a downloadable set of colorful flower gift card holders. All you have to do is print, cut, and glue.
2. There are three downloads available:
   • Flower Front: The flowers you see here. Cut and glue to flower backs.
   • Flower Back: The back of the flowers, needed to make a pocket.
   • Blank Flowers: I made an extra set of blank flowers so you can use this teacher appreciation idea for other occasions.
3. Second, I taped each flower pocket to a bamboo skewer. It’s a little less artistic than the wire bending recommended by Family Fun, but a lot less work.
4. Lastly, I wanted each gift card to go with a particular thought. So for example, “Thanks for beings so sweet!” should go with a gift card to the candy store, a dessert restaurant, or a local shop with the word “sweet” in it–like Bittersweet Cafe in our area. In my example, I used a gift card to See’s Candy.
5. Several ideas for each gift card are listed on the flower front paper. More good stuff like…
   • “Thanks for all your hard work” – gift card to Home Depot, Staples, etc.
   • “You’re so much fun” – gift card to the movies or video store.
   • “You’re our favorite” – gift card to her favorite place, free choice card!
   • “Thanks for keeping your cool” – gift card to the ice cream store.

I think it turned out pretty cute! This doesn’t have to be just a teacher gift. The gift card plant would make a welcome housewarming gift or starter set of gift cards for newlyweds. Have fun with it!

Pick a gift card the recipient would want, not one you think he should have.

A couple of years ago, a parent at our school collected money to buy the teacher a gift card. Then she asked other school staff where the teacher liked to shop. Unanimously, they responded, “Target! She loves to go to Target!” To which the room mom said in disgust, “I’m NOT buying her a gift card to Target. I’ll get her something nice instead.” Then she took the collected monies and bought a gift card to a swanky restaurant in town. It’s always bothered me that the room mom bought a gift card she would want rather than buy a gift card the teacher would want.

In selecting a gift card, pick a place at which the recipient likes to shop, dine, visit, or hang out. Only veer from this list if you’re positively certain your choice is a stretch the recipient wants to make—not a stretch YOU want the recipient to make.

Read all of my gift card rules:

• Gift Card Rule #1: It’s Not About You

• Gift Card Rule #2: Location, Location, Location!

• Gift Card Rule #3: Buying Power

• Gift Card Rule #4: Avoid the Gotchas

• Gift Card Rule #5: Something for Now and Later

I’m all about making gift cards more personal, as you know. So I have to give some props to Gift Card Lab, a site that allows you to create your own Visa gift card. You can select from hundreds of canned images or upload a picture of your own.

With teacher appreciation coming up and the myriad of coaches I need to thank year round, I love the personal touch of putting a meaningful picture on the plastic.

Shown here is one of the teacher designs available on the site. Plus I uploaded a picture of my daughter’s basketball team to see what the gals would look like on a gift card. Darn cute.

My boys are playing Little League right now and I’m the team parent for my oldest. I’ve snapped some great shots of the kids already. At the end of the year, I’m thinking we’ll present each coach with a photo collage plus a photo gift card. Both memorable and now one picture can be useful as well.

This is also a great idea for bulk gift cards. Imagine handing customers a Visa gift card with your logo, tag line, or “cause” imprinted on it. Might make a bigger impact than a t-shirt.

Sephora Gift Card Winner Announced!

My view of Valentine’s Day has forever changed thanks to the comments in this contest. Once thought only to be an opportunity for special someone’s to tell each other how they feel, I’ve widened my view. I’m especially touched by the dads who give their daughter a Valentine each year so no matter whom she pines for, there will always be at least one guy who loves her for who she is. I’m going to suggest (insist) my husband start doing this for our daughter.

Also noted is that amidst all the grand gestures this holiday often evokes, most of you said your favorite Valentine gifts have been homemade, inexpensive, and simply heartfelt. I love that.

My thoughts are now turning to spring, Teacher Appreciation, and birthdays. Did you know that birthdays are the number one gift card occassion? It’s true.

Pop over to Gift Card Girlfriend to get some birthday ideas and go to our blog to find out who won the Sephora Valentine’s Day Gift Card Giveaway!