Taurus babies born 19 April to 20 May 2012
Taurean babies come into this world adoring their cuddles and feeding time. If you’re (or someone special is) expecting a Taurus, what else might he or she be like?
Babies born from 19 April (in the US, UK but 20 April in Australia) to 30 April are delightful, witty charmers with Venus in Gemini smoothing any social interaction. They want sophisticated companions yet the Mars in Virgo planetary signature (of all children born from 11 November 2011!) indicates that a hard-working, honest character is necessary as well. Those born in this 10-day period are quick-witted and inventive yet also unbelievably impatient thanks to a Mercury-Uranus conjunction on 22 May. They also have quite the caustic tongue if crossed due to the Mercury-Pluto square on 25 May. Thankfully, this is softened by a kind-hearted Sun-Neptune sextile (22 May). Children born now have real leadership ability with the double Sun trines to Mars and Pluto on 23 May and 29 May. They can galvanise supporters – and actually, that includes you too! You may wonder who the parent actually is, here…
Babies born 1-9 May are outspoken with Mercury in Aries (until 9 May) but those born on 3 May have the magic trick of saying what you want to hear. These socially adept creatures are very popular and they may show quite the talent for talking you into giving them more pocket money! The Mercury-Saturn opposition on 5 May suggests some of them may fear others’ disapproval at best, and at worst, get down on themselves, feeling depressed and insecure, being quite serious little souls. The Full Moon on 6 May shows earthy passions rumble underneath – and quite the famous stubborn streak!
Little ones born from 9-15 May are blessed with a trifecta of amazing aspects on 10, 13 and 14 May involving Mercury, Neptune, the Sun, Jupiter, Mars and Pluto which gives them imagination, soulfulness and quite possibly some psychic ability, confidence, enthusiasm, big-heartedness, a strong work ethic, attention to detail, powerful insight, long-term planning and a a rather sexy sense of humour.
Baby Bull babies born from 15 May have retrograde Venus in Gemini. Gemini is quite a flirty sign so it’s not so bad for her to be less of a tease. Your little one will thrill to those with brains and wit,but may be slower to show his or her hand (or heart, as it were). Venus makes a wonderful trine to Saturn on 17 May (colouring the personality of all born during this period). Your child will take love (and heartbreak) seriously, and while a very good judge of character, an early hurt may delay or disincline him or her to take a chance again on being hurt. Older, established and conservative types may appeal – but they still need a dash of flair! A potent Mars-Pluto trine on 16 May makes your child a born executive , able to see the long-term consequences of any action. He or she will be making money (and saving it) at school and may well create his or her own business.
To find out much, much more about your baby and to understand him or her over the next 20 years of his or her life, order a 50-page BabyStars report now and it’ll arrive within a day or two! Or why not make your own with the brand-new BabyStars DIY Kits?
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How to get the “Wow, I love it!” response for your child’s birthday gift
Don’t you love the look children have on their faces when holding a gift they absolutely love!
The entire process of finding the perfect gift for kids, however, can be difficult, even impossible. Fortunately, there are more than a few ways to find the perfect gift for their birthday.
Looking back at a shared experience you had is a good starting point. Is he or she curious and inquisitive? Does he like playing board games and interacting? Have you seen her always tugging around a bear or doll wherever she goes? Does he or she draw (hopefully not on the walls)?
You can reach for the classic gifts in the children’s department store – but it’s unlikely they haven’t been pestering you to buy something in particular!
But if they’re your niece, nephew or best friend’s child and you don’t live with them, that can be harder!
Clothes CAN be tricky – tiny tots’ shoe sizes are counter-intuitive in comparison to clothing, while some brands are cut very small. Colours? Well, my niece swapped from liking pink to navy blue almost overnight!
Look at their particular passion. Kids will always have an interest of some sort at any given age. These are interests are directly observable, so it shouldn’t be difficult to figure out what they are.
Is it their love for Harry Potter? You can always go for Harry Potter merchandise, ranging from the video game franchise to t-shirts. You can even get a replica of the Harry’s wand no less!
Is it Star Wars? My brother and I loved it as children and as adults we’re thrilled to see his son (my nephew) adoring anything to do with Yoda, Darth Vader, Chewie, and others.
Has he or she taken a fancy to Lego toys? Then it shouldn’t be hard to give them any of the several Lego toys sold in stores. From the Lego lunch set to the Lego watch, you can help kids build ideas of their own. Or, if you’re on a budget, have you seen the Lego “block” toybox?
Some kids just love reading books and widening the imagination of their young minds. Girls tend to love fairytales and princess stories while many boys adore the how-to books with lots of detailed illustrations, such as peering into the workings of an ocean liner, spaceship or sportscar.
For kids who love speed racing and cars, they can get started with a small bicycle, toy cars, Play-Doh cars, or even a book about all the cars they would absolutely love.
What does your child absolutely adore?
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Totsy reveals what nearly 2,000 women might want for Mother’s Day
Online retailer Totsy has just released the findings of its 2nd annual Moms Shopping Trends Report where it surveyed 1,978 mothers on their spending habits from 16-30 March 2012.
The answers may give you some tips on what to get your mama as you search for the best Mother’s Day gifts.
Mothers were divided into four Generation Y (18-25 years old), Generation XY (26-35 years old), Generation X (36-45 years old), and Baby Boomers (46-55 years old).
For all respondents, looking good was paramount, with 41% spending on hair products – for many women if their hair looks good, everything else “falls into place” – while 25% bought cosmetics. Interestingly, 44% of the Generation Y see beauty products as a top priority, but the share of this dwindles with each older generation: only 21% of Baby Boomers voted feel-good purchases as important, but nevertheless this makes the top of their list with Baby Boomers spending more on perfume and teeth whitening products than the younger generations.
Home décor is another favourite with purchases for furniture (52%), decorative items (20%), and decorative accents (35%). The survey revealed that the kitchen is an important area of the house as 40% said majority of their shopping goods are for the kitchen, while 21% shopped for their living room. A quick visit to your kitchen or living room will tell you what design your mother loves and what items are missing from either parts of the house—that can be the perfect Mother’s Day gift, don’t you think?
When buying for their kids, reading and comprehension skills are the primary basis for buying a particular product, according to 57% of the surveyed women. In fact, 65% of mothers spend 30% of their income on educational products for their kids.
Mothers spend the most amount of money at Christmastime, followed by family birthdays and at the back-to-school season.
The survey also found that expectant mothers most wanted gift certificates as baby shower gifts – not teething rings, sleeping items or nursery decor!
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No Sweaters offers crowd-sourced gift suggestions
Recognising that most guys don’t know what to give as gifts, and believing that most gift idea websites are rather generalised, Sean Neden and Dave Drew created a website which gets other people to help you nut out a fantastic gift idea.
No Sweaters calls on people’s innate wish to help others out of a jam, and to be recognised for their ingenuity.
They include a very wide range of interests to help you get started and you’ll quickly see why people need help, occasionally. One current call-out for gift ideas is for a “New Girlfriend’s Female Cousin”!
Click on “ask for gift ideas” if you’re totally stumped or want to be sure you’re heading in the right direction, and “suggest gifts” if you can see the blindingly obvious fantastic gift option (and/or if you’re a retailer who just knows they’d love your suggestion).
You can help the gift experts out by defining a little of what your recipient likes, too.
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15 unusual DIY kit gift ideas for adults
If your friends and family like to make things – or you like to make things for them – you might want to consider some of the DIY Kit gift ideas here!
1. Does your best friend need to promote his/her business? PR Guru sells DIY PR kits for the small business owner to do their own publicity. The DIY Publicity Starter Pack helps SMEs get valuable media coverage, with the ebook PR Guru’s DIY Publicity Guide that steps you through the PR process, a press release written for you, plus an Australian media contact list. Valued at over $650, the special price is $450.
2. Yum! Learn how to make your own Italian Cheese Making Kit. In just under an hour you can make a fresh Italian mozzarella (approx 650g/batch), or ricotta (approx 400g/batch), ricotta salata (approx 100g/batch) or mascarpone (approx 700g/batch). Perfect for $75!
3. Know a couple creating their first home together? The DIY Interior Design Kit from Ethos Design contains professional decorating tips, advice and instructions to pull a dream room together including a moodboard, layout plan, explanation of all the products used and why they work, a budget breakdown, and a shopping list. Buy a paint colour kit for $99 or the $349 kit with all the information about the furniture, paint colours, accessories, artwork and window treatments the room needs. What a great wedding gift!
4. Baby Ink is the first of its kind to create colour inkless printing in Australia and New Zealand to help parents capture little hand and foot prints in pink, blue and black colours with a simple wipe, press… no mess! They make the perfect keepsake or gift. Non-toxic, baby safe and are suitable from birth, and affordable at $19.95.
5. Like to chujz up your car? My Car Fashion sells rather hilarious DIY Kits (we’re talking eyelashes for your car lights here!) to apply to your car, making your vehicle stand out and get noticed on the streets! They won’t damage your car and can be removed in the future if need be. If you love bling, this will make your car look like a rock star!
6. Perfect for parents and grandparents seeking an alternative to disposable nappies for their babies, Nappies Covered makes snappy Sewing Kits for Nappies in cute fabrics for just $18. This kit will allow you to make one modern cloth nappy with fabric and free patterns to get you started.
7. Capture your best friend, daughter, sister or wife in all her blooming pregnant glory with a Belly Art Pregnancy Belly Casting Kit for just $55. This kit is so easy to use, 100% safe and includes everything you’ll need to create a fabulous belly cast, a fun life-lasting experience for every mum to be. A great baby shower or Mother’s Day activity!
8. Create your own Bead Farm beaded animal of about 10-12 cm that you can turn into a keyring, necklace or fridge magnet under 2 hours! The kits include all beads, lines, wires and detailed instructions. Make a crocodile, spider, duck, or butterfly just to name a few. Each kit costs $14.90.
9. If you can tackle Ikea, you can make anything! So why not be patriotic and make your own flat-pack, Australian-made furniture by Evolvex. You can even design your own kit online through our web app. Perfect for DIYers and furniture design enthusiasts, prices range from $57 for a cube, to $197 for a coffee table, to $667 for a free standing wardrobe.
10. Everyone loves chocolate! And now, with the Wrapcandy Chocolate Wrapping DIY software, you can create your own personalised chocolate bar wrappers making this a fun gift, even great for a memorable event (such as a child’s birthday party, a big milestone celebration, a memorable housewarming gift or a fun wedding favour)! The software costs under $30 and all you need is copy paper, scissors and glue etc.
11. Create unique and beautiful impressions of your child’s hands and/or feet with Petite Prints DIY Clay Impression Kits . Unlike other kits on the market, the finished product can be painted and varnished ready from framing or hung on their own. There’s enough clay to make a set of impressions plus a small Christmas decoration or two. The kits are perfect for parents and dog owners, too. The DIY Kits start from $50.
12. On the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is a new commemorative model by Airfix. Its beautiful 630mm model of the RMS Titanic (670mm in length, scale 1:400) is ideal for any enthusiast. Available now for £49.99, the Titanic 100th Anniversary Gift Set comes with 381 pieces, Humbrol paints, adhesive and brushes. A great one for Father’s Day?
13. Create your own personalised, professional-looking astrology report about yourself and your partner for your anniversary with a LoveStars DIY Astrology Report Kit. The kit contains 40 sheets of premium quality LoveStars paper, a set of hardcovers, cover fasteners, a voucher to redeem for your report which is emailed to you to print out, and simple, illustrated step-by-step instructions, for $49. Makes an original and fun gift idea too!
14. Take the stress out of organising kids parties with Ezy Kids Parties’ Do It Yourself Party Packages. They include everything needed to host a kids party including tableware, decorations, loot bags, games, activities and prizes all matched to a theme, including pirates, superhero, princess, fairies, Dora, disco, cars, pony, rock star and more. DIY party packages are $18/head plus postage.
15. Office Boutique lets you make cards and framed mementos of parties, birthdays and weddings or add it to your scrapbook/album. The kits range from £3.25 – £4.95.
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3 unusual types of gift wrapping alternatives
One of those things we don’t realize how much we spend on is the gift wrapping.
You might be surprised at how much you’ve been spending for gift wrapping that would otherwise be torn apart and thrown away! It takes a little creativity to spend less on gift wrapping and present them attractively.
Unique materials
You can use old fabric, which you can cut into strips. These strips can then be used as accents on the gift wrapper. You can also sew the fabrics into a gift bag. Jars, cans, and boxes which you no longer use are great containers for your gift. Why not rescue thrift store tea towels or doilies, tissue paper, and waxed paper. Their unique texture will surely make your gift pop out among the rest!
Used paper
A few examples would be paper bags, old wrapping paper, newspaper, magazine pages, and old calendars. You might want to start picking them up and putting them away. You can even use your kid’s artwork if you’re starting to get overwhelmed with the amount of masterpieces he’s been producing!
Unconventional gift wrapping
Takeaway menus? Product packaging? (Well, don’t tease her with an empty Tiffany box.) How-to product manuals? Band posters? Maps? They may not sound like ideal gift wrapping, but you’d be surprised at how beautiful the gift will turn out once wrapped with these unconventional gift packaging options. These are usually perfect for parties with a certain theme.
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10 ideal gifts for second-time mothers
She already has the crazy expensive stroller, the high chair, the car seat, and the stair gates, so what else do you get a mother expecting her second baby?
It’s sorely tempting to buy one of those gifts especially when you’re out of gift ideas. But before you do just that, here are ten perfect gifts for second-time mothers.
1. Practical new baby clothes
She’ll keep baby clothes for special occasions, but will probably dispose of the onesies, sleepers, and socks in one way or another. That’s what makes simple baby clothes a must-have for second-time mothers.
2. Gift cards
From nappies to cute baby toys, gift cards from stores like Buy Buy Baby and Diapers.com will be appreciated by second-time mothers everywhere.
3. Food
You can never go wrong with bringing delicious food from your secret recipe book to a baby shower.
4. Toiletries
These are the kinds of gifts that run out! From meds and rash cream to fresh new bottles, toiletries are definitely a must-gift!
5. Wine
Baby showers can’t be complete without a wine toast, now can it?
6. A streaming subscription
This may sound like an odd choice, but when you’re feeding your baby at 2am, who said she can’t watch an episode or three of her favorite tv show?
7. Babysitting
Give her a chance to go to her favorite coffee shop, have a fun date with her husband, or maybe even run her errands for a day. Get her a babysitter or maybe do it yourself!
8. Nappies and wipes
Second-time mothers know fully well how much they will spend on nappies and wipes, so be a big help and help her stock up.
9. Gossip mags
You should know her well enough to know what her favorite magazines are. Famous, Hello and Who Weekly are great examples of magazines you should sign her up for!
10. Play sessions
Give the second-time mother a treat with her firstborn by bringing them to the local “bounce house” or the park to play with other kids. It will do both the older kid and her a favour!
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12 great DIY kits as gift ideas for kids
If you’d like to develop your child’s artistic abilities rather than let them stay on the computer all day, are seeking an original “rainy-day” gift, a Christmas stocking-filler idea or you’d love to make something for them with your own hands, check out these DIY kit ideas for children!
1. Help kids make their own endlessly fascinating kaleidoscope with an eco-friendly kit suitable for children aged 8-12 years. Containing everything from the coloured objects to instructions on assembling the device, this kit is a project in creativity and a way to learn principles of optics. Costs $38.95.
2. Let your budding fashionista make her own perfume. The Perfume Factory kit provides everything needed to not only devise your own scent, but also colour and decorate the packaging. Perfect for for girls ages 8-12, it costs $30.
3. Create a cloth doll from 70s vintage European fabrics for your (grand)daughter, or if she’s old enough, show her how to make one and give her a lifelong interest in sewing. The DIY Tilda doll is $30.
4. Tell them to go fly a kite – that they made themselves! Surprise your favourite little boy or girl with a kit to design his or her own kite for just $29.95.
5. If you have a little Taurus, impress him with a piggy bank that he or she can paint – and save big bucks in! Paint My Own Piggy Bank costs $22.95. Cha-ching!
6. Take a family photo, perhaps of a special celebration or get out a snap of a favourite holiday, then get the kids to paint the photo frame. Just $34.
7. Let your girls learn how to make a gorgeous girl’s calico skirt in either cream or jet black with 5 different types of trim and tulle ruffles. The kits include the calico, pre-cut tulle strips, trim, elastic, label, care instructionds and detailed sewing instructions. $19.95.
8. Create your own unique paper puppet that will provide hours of entertainment and but that take just 10 minutes to make. ZZTotz has designed a range of 100% Australian-made puppets from recyclable paper with characters including Pirates and Fairies. Suitable for kids aged 3+ and costs just $8.95.
9. The Noble Box sells Kitty’s Peg Doll Box designed for girls (aged 3 to 8 approx) to make a unique doll. Made from recycled fabric and an old-fashioned clothes peg, they make great stocking fillers too at only $9.
10. Colour Me Art creates DIY card making kits for kids for $22 that contain eight cards to colour in and matching envelopes , a sheet of pretend postage stamps, a colouring suggestion booklet including useful gift card phrases, contained in a silver box. Suitable for 4-9-year-olds.
11. Create a professional-looking, fascinating BabyStars astrology report about your little child (aged 0-16 years), grandchild, niece, nephew or for your best friend’s child. The BabyStars DIY Astrology Report Kit contains 60 sheets of premium BabyStars paper, the BabyStars covers (in pink for girls or blue for boys), cover fasteners, a DIY Kit voucher to redeem online and simple, step-by-step illustrated instructions for just $59 including shipping.
12. Another fun DIY Kit is by Carddies, a craft set that can be coloured in and created by kids with themes such as fairies, cavemen, families, football, knights and school. The sets contain 12 double-sided, hand-drawn characters on white card, a hand-drawn card scene, 12 coloured pencils and 12 plastic stands to create a story. They cost £8.99 with free delivery in the UK via Amazon.
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5 ways to get discounted gift cards
So you plan on giving a gift card or using one yourself, but don’t want to pay its face value? Neither do I!
I make it a point to maximize the value of my gift cards and pay the best value I can; getting gift cards at a discount takes a little getting used to, but it sure is worth every penny you get to save!
1. Gift-card exchange sites
Easily the one stop shop for gift cards at a discount, gift card exchange sites are where you can find gift cards that for as much as 80% of its face value! You should watch out for handling fees or shipping fees though, and take ample steps to protect yourself from gift card fraud. Sites like eBay and PlasticJungle.com are a few gift card exchange sites to start getting gift cards at a discount.
2. Citi Extra Cash
If you’re a holder of a Citibank credit card, you might want to participate in its Citi Extra Cash program, where you can use your card to purchase gift cards at retail stores with as much as a 10% discount. Macy’s, Fridays, Zappos, Hertz, and Kohl’s are a few participants of its program.
3. Warehouse Clubs
Try being a member of a warehouse club, such as Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s, and you can treat yourself to discounted gift cards to restaurants, cinemas, and even iTunes. The membership fee might not be worth the discounts, but if you’re the type who buys gift cards on a bulk basis (a boss, maybe?), a membership at a Warehouse Club will well be worth it.
4. Discover Cash Back program
With Discover, you can also turn your cash back into gift cards. If you’re smart enough you can increase the value of your cash back by as much as 100%! To get a glimpse of what you might get: $20 for a $40 Rent-a-Car gift card from Enterprise, and $20 for a $40 gift card from Mrs. Fields among others.
5. ThankYou Rewards
Once again, Citibank makes the list with its ThankYou Rewards. This program allows users to redeem their reward points for gift cards. If you get 6,000 points, you can avail a $50 reward. With 10,000 points, you get a $100 gift card from stores like Bath and Body Works, Gap, and Bloomingdales.
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If you send e-gift cards, 3 in 4 people want to get it via email, not SMS
With the rise of smart phones, mobile devices, social networking sites, and virtual apps, the growth of virtual gift cards have become unstoppable.
But can it edge out the more socially acceptable tangible gift cards?
Affinion Loyalty Group conducted a survey and asked respondents which between a physical gift card and virtual gift card for a particular brand would they choose. 61% of the respondents said that they would opt for a virtual gift card, saved through email, text message, their social networking account, or a virtual app.
Whether it’s their experience with redeeming a virtual gift card or their guilt at leaving the gift so late that they need to send something through the ether, 66% of the respondents said that virtual gift cards are fairly easy to redeem and to use.
The survey further showed that 76% would rather have their virtual gift card sent via email than through a text message, possibly because they can access their emails via mobile phones, tablets and laptops and even internet cafes if necessary, whereas if you accidentally wipe the SMS or lose your phone…
It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that virtual gift cards will take over the gift card market in a while. Towergroup estimates that the virtual gift card industry will grow to $8 billion by 2013 and to $11 billion by 2014.
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Discover the best and worst buys in April
Itching to spend some of your hard-earned cash this month?
Make sure you spend it on the best deals, as per Dealnews.com’s recommendations. From vacation packages to apparel, the site has compiled both the worst and the best buys of April.
April is considered a great month for cruises, and this year’s April is no exception. In fact, you might want to book yourself a cruise deal right now, as prices are down by 11% compared to last year!
If you’re looking for spring clothing (or if you’re in the southern hemisphere, you could stock up now and put it away for six months), you might want to wait it out. Wait for two months until a new line is released. Until then, you won’t see spring apparel in discount stores. It’s best to wait until May for the best prices on spring clothing.
Shopping for your jewellery for your mum (or your wife or girlfriend) better be done during April, because prices go up days or weeks leading to Mother’s Day on 13 May (even if you’re not shopping for your mother). By shopping early, you not only get to save money but also you avoid the busy and over-priced season of Mother’s Day gift shopping.
April is also a good time to finally buy that iPad or tablet you’ve been eyeing, if it’s cheaper compared to months before. Since Apple cut their iPad prices by $100, several other tablets followed suit with discounts and better deals. Pick it up now for Christmas!
This month might also be a good time to get yourself a good laptop with specs of around 17”, 8GB RAM, a 500GB storage space, and i7 CPU for around $800. Not bad, huh? There are also ultrabooks on sale this month around the same price range.
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The average Brit attends 15 weddings in a lifetime
You’d think weddings are expensive only for the bride and groom, but a recent survey by Debenhams say otherwise.
A survey of 1,000 adults reported that a Brit would spend an average of £510 on a wedding of a relative or a close friend. Most Brits are expected to attend at least 15 weddings in their lifetime—which brings the total amount spent by wedding attendees on weddings to £7,500!
For a wedding, guests would usually spend £80 on clothes, £65 on accommodation, £75 on a wedding gift, and £150 on pre-wedding celebrations.
Last year, wedding registrations were at their highest, and survey respondents said they were planning to attend at least one wedding in 2012. Hopefully, the wedding attendees plan ahead of time and sort out their finances to make way for £510 in their regular budget.
The question is: can wedding attendees even afford to spend this much money on weddings? Not really: CreditExpert.co.uk reports that 1.6 million people on average go into debt because of attending weddings!
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Win a $26,000 holiday for mum for Mother’s Day
Like to spoil your mum with a $26,000 holiday trip this Mother’s Day?
Magshop.com.au, which publishes Good Health, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Mother & Baby, and Australian Women’s Weekly, is holding an exciting Magshop Mother’s Day competition.
Simply buy an online subscription to one of the 17 participating titles of Magshop.com.au. Treat your mum to a subscription of any of the titles ranging from Australian House & Garden, Woman’s Day, and Burke’s Backyard. By subscribing online, you get to save as much as 58% compared to the retail price.
The prize includes a business class plane ticket to Sydney-Tahiti-Los Angeles through Air Tahiti Nui. For starters, the winners get to spend seven nights in a luxury hotel in Tahiti—six nights in an overwater bungalow in the famous InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort and a night at the InterContinental Tahiti Resort.
Next they will fly to Los Angeles where they will spend seven nights in the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City. There are plenty of places to go around in LA—from Disneyland and Universal Studios to Beverly Hills.
To top it all off, winners get to take with them a $5,000 pocket money for them to spend on whatever they want.
And oh, the winner gets to take a companion, too. Won’t that make your mother feel even more special on her day?
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Giftango launches its digital card platform in Australia
It will only be a matter of time before all retail stores in Australia offer digital gift cards.
Giftango, a large US-based company offering e-commerce and digital gift card platforms to retail stores, will be launching their e-gift card platform in Australia this month.
This means that retail stores can finally start offering digital gift cards and improve their consumer experience.
Some stores like iTunes, Village Cinemas, Rebel Sport, and Flight Centre are already offering digital gift cards and with Giftango, the number is likely to rise.
Giftango’s ecard plattform is also designed with loyalty and reward programs in mind, so users can expect not just convenience but also rewards.
These digital gift cards can be personalizd with messages, and even videos. They can be sent through major social networking sites like Facebook and can be also sent via email.
With over 70% of Australians preferring the ease of digital gift cards – most likely because they’ve left organising a gift until the last minute – giving gift cards is about to get a lot easier and more fun!
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Is your toddler’s toy sending him or her deaf?
Before you hand over that seemingly harmless Road Rippers Lightning Rods, What-A-Mole Game or any other noisy birthday or Christmas toy to your toddler, you might want to make sure that you’re not exposing your child to permanent hearing damage.
A research from the Department of Otalaryngology of the UC Irvine showed that two dozen toys in toy stores exceed 90 decibels, with some reaching beyond 100 decibels.
To put it in perspective, these toys are as loud as a chain saw, or a moving subway train!
To be fair, the surprisingly high sound levels were tested at the speaker, in a soundproof booth at the UC Irvine Medical Center. Another test was made after the initial results, this time at a 12-inch distance.
This is usually the length of a toddler’s arm, which means that this is the sound level that will presumably reach the toddler’s ears.
Some of the toys that were tested were the Road Rippers Lightning Rod (108 decibels at the speaker, 68 decibels or 12 inches from the speaker), I Am T-Pain Microphone (101, 64 decibels), Marvel Super Shield Captain America (98, 69), Tonka Might Motorized Fire Truck (100, 69), What-A-Mole (95, 65), and the VTech Magical Learning Wand (94, 69).
The problem will arise if the toys are held too closely to the toddler’s ears. Because children are very sensitive to loud sounds, unprotected exposure to sounds that are beyond 85 decibels over a long period of time can result in permanent hearing impairment
The study notes two factors that can contribute to hearing damage: the duration and the intensity. The louder a particular sound is, the less time it will take to cause hearing damage. The problem is that hearing impairment caused by noise damage is currently incurable.
Noise-producing toys are not bad in themselves. But when you let your child play with them, take note of its distance from your toddler’s reach. If it starts to become too loud for even you to handle, then it’s more likely even louder for your child.
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The average American will spend $145 this Easter
Just when you thought you had a break from gift-giving last Valentine’s and Christmas, another holiday comes along… Easter.
And no, it’s not your imagination that Easter has been pushed harder – and earlier – by retailers.
I saw the first Easter eggs in my local supermarket in January this year (and think about it, that’s even getting in front of Valentine’s Day) and when I was in Orlando in February 2011, no sooner had the Valentine’s Day-themed decor and gifts been cleared away when suddenly bunnies and baskets were popping up everywhere.
According to the National Retail Federation 3012 survey of Easter spending, Americans plan to spend an average of $145.28 on everything from chocolate to clothing, from decor to dental decay (sorry, more chocolate).
My most popular blog post with 13.7% of traffic in the last 30 days has been Gorgeous Non-Chocolate Easter Gifts To Enjoy Long After The Holidays. I don’t recall any such crazy traffic last year!
About 48.5% will spend big on colourful spring clothing to go with their Easter bonnets, while 89.3% will spend up on chocolates and sweets. They’ll be hitting the discount stores (63.5%) department stores (42.6%) and online (18.7%) for Easter-themed ideas.
Goodness people, relax – Mother’s Day is around the corner!
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How Amazon sold 1 million gift cards in less than a day
And they say people don’t read books any more!
Amazon has just broken the record for offering the second fastest daily deal in the gift industry—by offering $10 gift cards to US shoppers for five bucks.
In a little over 17 hours on 20 March 2012, Amazon sold 1 million gift cards!
The formula for Amazon’s success isn’t rocket science, but it’s certainly surprising that it sold a million gift cards in such a short time.
According to Savvr, a tracker of online deals, AmazonLocal’s fast turnout just goes to show that customers want an enriching, financial-savvy experience (um, it’s called a “bargain”) when it comes to online shopping.
What makes the number so valuable is that most of these 1 million customers are comfortable and totally ready to make online purchases with the popular e-commerce website.
While many will buy them for themselves, the $10 gift cards (you can usually buy a quantity of any special daily deal) might be stored as stocking fillers for Christmas, or as adjunct birthday presents.
The current record holder is held by LivingSocial, which sold 1 million gift cards of Whole Foods in just 14 hours last September.
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Giftiki makes group gift-giving easier, even rewarding
Group gifting websites have one problem: people can’t be bothered to open and check a separate website constantly in order to pool funds and eventually buy a gift.
Unless the person is really important, these websites just won’t work. Thankfully, there’s an app that tries to make group gifting a little bit easier: Giftiki.
Giftiki, an app for iPhones and iPads available in the Apple Store, works pretty much like every other group gifting website or app. Users can pool in cash and select a gift card for a higher price. As Giftiki aptly puts it—When everyone gives a little…together you give a lot.
Unlike most group gifting websites, Giftiki actively involves the birthday celebrant and is seamlessly integrated to Facebook, for users’ and gift recipients’ convenience.
Giftiki users select their Facebook friend who has a birthday and send a monetary contribution via credit card. The user then chooses a digital gift wrap and a public message for other to contribute as well. The gift recipient can then choose a gift of his or her choice with the total amount pooled in!
Another interesting feature of Giftiki is that recipients also get rewarded with points for gifting their pals, which gives a whole new meaning to giving and receiving.
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10 wedding gifts you should register for
Last year 1.5 million couples registered for gifts, with 70% saying that they strongly prefer gifts from their registry and 54% of attendees giving just that.
Quite obviously, wedding registries have become an inextricable part of the wedding planning process.
But many engaged couples don’t know how to put together a wedding registry, and mostly leave the job to external factors. Eighty per cent seek their family’s help, with 38% of couples asking their mothers to handle it for them (eeek – can you imagine her choosing your sheets?). Most, if not all, couples only realize what they truly want after they’ve settled down.
Here are a few examples of what you should include in your registry:
1. Cleaning supplies
Ditch the double boiler and make way for high-powered vacuums, bathroom accessories, and irons. There are anti-allergen vacuum cleaners in the market that will help “clear out the air”, literally speaking.
2. Organizing items
Where do you put your DVDs? Any idea on how to put your books together? Have you thought of a storage area for your spouse’s liquor collection? And what about the awful wedding gifts (only joking). You’ll quickly realize how little space you really have. This is what organizing items are for.
3. Chinaware
If you think you have more than enough glassware and dishware than you can handle, think again. In between moving out of the house and holding dinner parties and unfortunate little accidents, the number of chinaware you have, will eventually diminish. Registering for eight sets wouldn’t hurt.
4. Bedding
Ah, the sheets. The single most important fabrics that you have to invest in. Register for different types—from light sheets during the summer to heavy ones for winter.
5. Kitchenware
Although a dependable set of knives can be found on any wedding registry, couples and gift givers rarely give them any priority. Its importance in making your job in the kitchen a lot easier cannot be over-emphasized.
6. Gifts for seasonal use
There are certain gifts you only get to use in summer (a nice barbecue grill, a hammock) and for the winter (Christmas lights and décor), among other occasions. Consider including these gifts – and you’ll always think of who gave them to you as you enjoy using them.
7. Fun and entertainment
As you tick off every must-have item in the list, don’t forget to add in the cameras, the video games, the Blu-Ray player and even the television set if you wish!
8. Honeymoon
You can make your own honeymoon registry, like 11% of couples have. In fact, several websites offer honeymoon registries to help you put together your dream honeymoon.
9. Wedding costs
Another trend is to let the guests chip in, with the rising costs of putting a wedding together, it’s totally OK to let them chip in for the services of the videographer, photographer, and so on!
10. Charity
Make this an opportunity to take the focus away from the gifts and help others—by asking them to make charitable donations to various charity wedding registries available online.
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Study shows difference between Gen Y shoppers and Baby Boomers
What’s the difference between Gen Y and Baby Boomers when it comes to shopping? A lot, according to a recent survey by Brodeur Partners.
When shopping, Gen Y shoppers primarily ask themselves: “Do I identify with this brand?” and “Is this brand an experience that I can share with other people?”
In contrast, Baby Boomers value the practical side of shopping, taking into consideration the value and price of what they’re buying.
The survey was conducted among 2,000 adults who were then divided into two groups: the Baby Boomers and the Gen Y shoppers. The Gen Y shoppers were those aged 18 to 34, while Baby Boomers were those 46 and older.
The respondents were then asked to name their favorite retail stores and what they liked most about it. To establish the relevance of a brand, they were given 12 statements that they then ranked.
Four values were deemed important when it comes to shopping: functional, social, sensory experiences and values. 88% of Baby Boomers prefer functionality over the other three values when shopping for items, while 50% of Gen Y think so too, with the remainder equally split over social, sensory and values.
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