13 Valentine Gift Ideas

 If you're reading this on Thursday, there are only 5 shopping days left until Valentine's Day, and since you're short on time, you probably want to use Amazon so you can receive your item quickly.  In fact, some items even ship same or next day.  Even if you're on a fixed income (like me), and you think you can't spring for a Prime membership, you may be able to choose Prime at a discounted monthly rate.

So, what kinds of things can you give to the one you love?  Anything!  But why choose the tired, old "candy and flowers" routine?

Hallmark Paper Wonder Pop Up Valentines Day Card (Honeycomb Cupcake)

In Love & Pajamas: A Collection of Comics about Being Yourself Together

Sea Glass Earrings

Cute Dish Towel

Scrapbook Photo Album

Lava Rock Tiger Eye Bracelet

Shower Steamers

Burt's Bees Gift Set

Rose Quartz Massager and Jade Facial Roller

Scented Soy Wax Candle

Sterling Silver Rose Heart Initial Necklace

Mini Succulent Live Plant

Spa Gift Basket

I hope you find your Valentine the perfect gift!  Check out Thursday Thirteen for more fun!

Links are affiliate links meaning if you choose to make a purchase, I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you.

Ideas for Taking advantage of Amazon's New Year Sale! It's Happening NOW!

 

All the deals, and there are so many of them, are happening already over at Amazon!

Check out these deals!

In my family, we have 3 January birthday, 2 in February, and half a dozen in March. I'll be preparing by purchasing some gift cards. 

 I hope this gives you a sense of exactly what's available and for how much so you can take advantage of Amazon's New Year's sale! 

 Affiliate notice : If you click and link and choose to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at not cost to you.  This is not a sponsored post.

Mother's Day is Coming!

 Have you thought about what you might like to make or purchase for your mom this year?  Right now, I'm looking at this cute graphic.  I might put it on a shirt.  Or maybe a mouse pad or cup.  I'll have to decide.  The good thing is, it's only $1.00 to purchase the SVG to use with your cutting machine.  And if you don't like it, Creative Fabrica has many other options!

If you'd like to purchase this design, click here.

If you'd like to check out other designs, click here.

Happy weekend!

Thirteen Gifts for Dad

Father's Day is June 18.  Do you have a gift picked out yet?  I don't, because my father passed away in 2004.  I miss him dearly, every day, especially on the day he died, his birthday, and father's day.  If he were alive, I doubt he'd want a tie. Maybe some of these suggestions will help you find a gift for your dad (or me for my husband).

1.  The Amazon Echo.  I think this is the coolest gift right now.

2. Hyper Chiller Iced Coffee Maker

3.  MVMT Watch - Leather watches with a minimalistic vibe.

4. SKLZ Gold Flex Trainer and Tempo Trainer to help with his golf game.

5.  Discovery Drone with Camera and WiFi feature. This will impress!

6.  Tasting Room - 6 sample sized bottles of wine in a kit.

7.  A Man Crate - Eating, Drinking, Grilling, Outdoors, Sports, and More!

8. Dollar Shave Club Kit

9.  A hammock for relaxing.

10.  Omaha Steaks - where you can build your own package if you choose.  Free shipping!

11.  Mystery Tackle Box for fisherman

12.  Beer infused barbecue sauces.

13.  Home plate doormat for the MLB fan.

Link up with Thursday Thirteen for some more fun lists!


Go to AskMen or Uncommon Goods  for more ideas. Subscribe in a reader

Thursday Thirteen Valentine's Day

I am resurrecting a post I wrote two years ago in honor of the upcoming Valentine's Day "holiday" with a few minor changes.

This edition of Thursday 13 is brought to you by Valentine's Day. I'm not necessarily a huge proponent of Valentine's Day, as you can read in this post, but to my male readers (although I think most of my readers are female) you need to know that when a woman says, "Oh, you don't need to get me anything," or "Oh, anything will do," it is a good-natured LIE. Women just don't want to TELL you they expect a gift. They want it to be your idea. So, Men, your wife will always LOVE to get a gift from you, regardless of how much the lady doth protest.

1. A card - Not a Hallmark card. A card you have either made yourself, or one that has a super-sweet or sexy sentiment handwritten by you, or perhaps a love poem is tucked inside.

2.Candy - I prefer Peanut Butter M&Ms, but some women want a candy heart.  But here's a tip... Skip the Pangburn's and go straight to the really good stuff like Dove, Ghiradelli, Lindt, or Godiva.

3. Flowers -  I love the color pink and pretty much any type of flower such as carnations and roses. And I like Cala Lillies, too.  Try to send them to her at work where her friends and co-workers will see them. That'll earn you some extra sugar. And make sure they come in a vase, not a box!

4.Stuffed Animals - Again, I don't mean the ones you get off the shelf at CVS or Walgreens. Get the good stuff! Go to Build-a-Bear workshop, probably in every mall near you, choose a cute bear, record your voice giving her a message, and the Bear-Builders will place the message so she can hear it when she presses a button in the animal's paw. She'll see you as thoughtful.  I have a pink cat that my husband and children gave me that I love.

5. Pajamas or lingerie - Nothing too risque. A pajamagram is a great gift idea, and I've already found the link for you.. I heard about this on the radio.

6. A Restaurant Dinner - Take her out to her favorite restaurant. And don't forget to make reservations so you don't have to wait for hours.

7. Perfume - Find out her favorite fragrance and purchase it for her.

8. Jewelry - Diamonds are nice, but so are earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Ask a salesperson to help you choose something stylish in the costume jewelry section if your budget can't take diamonds right now.  I have fallen in love with Charming Charlie!

9. Bubble Bath - And the time to take a long, hot bath without kids disturbing her! I love the detox rocks from Bath Junkie. And lavendar is a relaxing fragrance.  I also like the "rock-type" lavendar/chamomile bath stuff from Bath and Body Works, but they are usually sold out.

10. Candles - Can you tell that women love fragrance? And again, don't go for the dollar store candles. Choose one at a place such as Yankee Candle Company or Bath and Body Works.  If you know someone in the business, PartyLite makes the best candles.

image credit

11. Movie Tickets - Take her to see that chick-flik she's dying to see.

12. Theater Tickets - Even better than a movie, buy tickets to the theater. She'll see you have a cultural side.

13. A Professional Massage or Facial - Saved the best for less. Massage Envy tends to be an affordable place. Find a day spa near you that gives deep cleansing facials, one hour massages, or better yet, couples massages. She'll be so relaxed! And a relaxed woman is a happy woman!

Ladies, what do you prefer as a Valentine gift?

NOTICE: APPLIANCES ARE NOT ON THIS LIST ANYWHERE!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Visit Thursday Thirteen here.
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Share the Memories

Have you had a chance to check out the Share the Memories website I have recommended in the past?  If not, check it out now.  It's completely new.  And they also have a wide variety of personalized photo gifts available now.

Don't forget - you can get a great deal ($10 off software and another $10 off extras) by using this coupon code: STMMMS85884.

This post was written by me as an affiliate of Share the Memories.  I personally use the software and would not recommend it if I didn't stand by it 100%.

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Thursday Thirteen

I am resurrecting a post I wrote two years ago in honor of the upcoming Valentine's Day "holiday" with a few minor changes.

This edition of Thursday 13 is brought to you by Valentine's Day. I'm not necessarily a huge proponent of Valentine's Day, as you can read in this post, but to my male readers (although I think most of my readers are female) you need to know that when a woman says, "Oh, you don't need to get me anything," or "Oh, anything will do," it is a good-natured LIE. Women just don't want to TELL you they expect a gift. They want it to be your idea. So, Men, here are some things a woman might like to receive for Valentine's Day, based, of course, on her personality. Ideally, you'd choose 3 or 4 of these things. If so, you can't go wrong!

1. A card - Not a Hallmark card. A card you have either made yourself, or one that has a super-sweet or sexy sentiment handwritten by you, or perhaps a love poem is tucked inside.

2.Candy - But here's a tip... Skip the Pangburn's and go straight to the really good stuff like Ghiradelli or Godiva.

3. Flowers - This works especially well if you know your lady's favorite flower. For me, it's the Stargazer Lily.  I also love the color pink, carnations, roses, etc.  And I like Cala Lillies, too.  Try to send them to her at work where her friends and co-workers will see them. That'll earn you extra brownie points. And make sure they come in a vase, not a box!

4.Stuffed Animals - Again, I don't mean the ones you get off the shelf at CVS or Walgreens. Get the good stuff! Go to Build-a-Bear workshop, probably in every mall near you, choose a cute bear, record your voice giving her a message, and the Bear-Builders will place the message so she can hear it when she presses a button in the animal's paw. She'll see you as thoughtful.

5. Pajamas or lingerie - Nothing too risque. A pajamagram is a great gift idea, and I've already found the link for you.. I heard about this on the radio.

6. A Restaurant Dinner - Take her out to her favorite restaurant. And don't forget to make reservations so you don't have to wait for hours.
7. Perfume - Find out her favorite fragrance and purchase it for her.

8. Jewelry - Diamonds are nice, but so are earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Ask a salesperson to help you choose something stylish in the costume jewelry section if your budget can't take diamonds right now.  I have fallen in love with Charming Charlie!

9. Bubble Bath - And the time to take a long, hot bath without kids disturbing her! I love the detox rocks from Bath Junkie. And lavendar is a relaxing fragrance.  I also like the "rock-type" lavendar/chamomile bath stuff from Bath and Body Works, but they are usually sold out.

10. Candles - Can you tell that women love fragrance? And again, don't go for the dollar store candles. Choose one at a place such as Yankee Candle Company or Bath and Body Works.

11. Movie Tickets - Take her to see that chick-flik she's dying to see.

12. Theater Tickets - Even better than a movie, buy tickets to the theater. She'll see you have a cultural side.

13. A Professional Massage - Saved the best for less. Massage Envy tends to be an affordable place. Find a day spa near you that gives one hour massages, or better yet, couples massages. She'll be so relaxed! And a relaxed woman is a happy woman!

Ladies, what do you prefer as a Valentine gift?

NOTICE: APPLIANCES ARE NOT ON THIS LIST ANYWHERE!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Visit Thursday Thirteen here.
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Tackle it Tuesday

My husband and I recently celebrated our anniversary, and I wanted to get him a candy bouquet or basket.  I asked my co-worker where a good place would be to buy one, and she asked why I didn't just make it myself?  She is so creative.  But I decided, after looking on the web, that I would give it a try.

I went to Hobby Lobby and bought my supplies:  A bucket, foam, craft sticks, florist's sticks, a small balloon, and some shredded filler to conceal the foam.  I got the candy from Walgreens.  In all, I spent about $25.00.

The first thing I did was put the foam in the bucket.  I had to break one of the squares into smaller pieces since the container was round and the foam was square.  I also spray painted the craft sticks gold (we already had the paint) so they would blend in better with the candy.

I had a vision of what I wanted it to look like.  I taped some of the craft sticks together so that I ended up with three different lengths of sticks.   I hot glued the Ghiradeli pieces to the craft sticks and began to put them in the foam.  I should have started with the center and worked my way out, so that was one lesson learned. 

I taped some Lindt dark chocolate candies to the florist's sticks and put them around the outside edges.  I put the shredded filler in, put the balloon in the middle, and I was finished.  It didn't turn out as pretty as the vision in my head, but it was made with lots of love, and my husband really liked it.

Not the best picture in the world, but you get the idea.  And yes, that's a globe and Homer Simpson (my son painted it) in the background.  LOL!

What are you tackling today?  Tackle it Tuesday is hosted at 5 Minutes for Mom.

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Secret Santa

Do you "play" the secret santa game at work, school, or in an organization of some kind? If so, and you have unique suggestions or tips, please comment away! I went and did it today. I volunteered to organize our secret santa exchange this year, and I've never done one before. Wish me luck!

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Thursday 13

This edition of Thursday 13 is brought to you by Valentine's Day. I'm not necessarily a huge proponent of Valentine's Day, as you can read in this post, but to my male readers (although I think most of my readers are female) you need to know that when a woman says, "Oh, you don't need to get me anything," or "Oh, anything will do," it is a good-natured LIE. Women just don't want to TELL you they expect a gift. They want it to be your idea. So, Men, here are some things a woman might like to receive for Valentine's Day, based, of course, on her personality. Ideally, you'd choose 3 or 4 of these things. If so, you can't go wrong!



1. A card - Not a Hallmark card. A card you have either made yourself, or one that has a super-sweet or sexy sentiment handwritten by you, or perhaps a love poem is tucked inside.

2.Candy - But here's a tip... Skip the Pangburn's and go straight to the really good stuff like Ghiradelli or Godiva.

3. Flowers - This works especially well if you know your lady's favorite flower. For me, it's the Stargazer Lily. And even though Valentine's Day is on Sunday, try to send them to her at work where her friends and co-workers will see them. That'll earn you extra brownie points. And make sure they come in a vase, not a box!

4.Stuffed Animals - Again, I don't mean the ones you get off the shelf at CVS or Walgreens. Get the good stuff! Go to Build-a-Bear workshop, probably in every mall near you, choose a cute bear, record your voice giving her a message, and the Bear-Builders will place the message so she can hear it when she presses a button in the animal's paw. She'll see you as thoughtful.

5. Pajamas or lingerie - Nothing too risque. A pajamagram is a great gift idea, and I've already found the link for you.. I heard about this on the radio.

6. A Restaurant Dinner - Take her out to her favorite restaurant. And don't forget to make reservations so you don't have to wait for hours.

7. Perfume - Find out her favorite fragrance and purchase it for her.

8. Jewelry - Diamonds are nice, but so are earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Ask a salesperson to help you choose something stylish in the costume jewelry section if your budget can't take diamonds right now.

9. Bubble Bath - And the time to take a long, hot bath without kids disturbing her! I love the detox rocks from Bath Junkie. And lavendar is a relaxing fragrance.

10. Candles - Can you tell that women love fragrance? And again, don't go for the dollar store candles. Choose one at a place such as Yankee Candle Company or Bath and Body Works.
11. Movie Tickets - Take her to see that chick-flik she's dying to see.

12. Theater Tickets - Even better than a movie, buy tickets to the theater. She'll see you have a cultural side.

13. A Professional Massage - Saved the best for less. Massage Envy tends to be an affordable place. Find a day spa near you that gives one hour massages, or better yet, couples massages. She'll be so relaxed! And a relaxed woman is a happy woman!



NOTICE: APPLIANCES ARE NOT ON THIS LIST ANYWHERE!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Subscribe in a reader