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.

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?