Gifts Solved

As springtime sweeps its way across the Country — OK so there’s been horrendous snow in Scotland this week too — our thoughts turn to new beginnings and birth. Mother’s Day is just behind us and with all this new stuff popping out of the ground all around us and Easter (a celebration of rebirth — ie, the resurrection) upon us, well it’s difficult not to start thinking about babies. But, let’s not forget that, behind every baby and birth, there’s a poor woman who’s been through hell!

When a new baby arrives, all attention turns to them, leaving mum on the sidelines. Exhausted — remember how knackering those first few weeks (or is that months!) are? — and possibly feeling a little under appreciated, she could probably use a little pick me up. That’s why we are recommending gifts to give new mum’s a boost!

When buying a new mum a gift, bear four things in mind:

1) She’s under constant time pressure and is unlikely to wanted to be separated from her baby for too long in the early months. So, whilst an all expenses trip to the spa would be a wonderful gesture, a similar experience she can enjoy in her own home might be more pragmatic.

2) She’s tired, dog tired, all the time! Any gift requiring huge resources of her own energy is probably not going to get used. Gifts that she can enjoy whilst flaked out on the sofa or drifting away in the bath and likely to be much better received.

3) She’s quite possibly feeling sensitive about her baby weight. Women often say, “I was pregnant, now I am just fat”. And, there is enormous pressure from celebrity coverage in the media to slim down immediately and lose the baby bulge fast. Buying her sexy stuff that she won’t fit into at this time is only going to make her feel worse. Whilst buying her any kind of exercise video, diet book or similar is only adding insult to injury. She needs to know it’s OK for her to take her time adjusting back to her old self.

4) When she was pregnant, everything was about her. All concerns were for her condition, health and how far gone she was. Now, it’s all about the baby. And, a new mum can feel overlooked and under appreciated at these times. Therefore, any gift you buy for her should most definitely be for HER and about her. And, that’s her as a young sexy woman, not as an appendage permanently attached to a baby!

Happy gift hunting!

…Not a whimper! Fill your boots with these great ideas for giving her a fantastic Valentine’s Day experience.

If you’re in a long-term relationship then, honestly, doesn’t she deserve the very best this Valentine’s Day just for putting up with you?! If you’re trying to woo someone then the best way to do that is to wow them. No damp squibs required! Either way, clearly you need some great ideas for Valentine’s Day. Well, we know just where to find them.

How To Choose That Perfect Gift For Your Valentine is a monster Valentine’s Day article written by our very own Daya. It covers; a Valentine you have recently met, a Valentine you have known for a while, your girlfriend’s Valentine’s Day or your wife’s. That should mean something for just about everyone?! Each is tackled separately, so you can cut straight to the chase.

Make Your First Valentine’s Day of Marriage Truly Memorable is a special article written just for the newlyweds. The first Valentine’s Day after marriage is the first great challenge for the husband, coming even before the first anniversary. You never get a second chance to make a good impression, so don’t blow it; read this article. You don’t want her having second thoughts already!

Valentine’s Day for the Cash-strapped is for those among us who may find themselves disadvantaged by a certain lack of cash on February 14th — the very day when the price of flowers and at restaurants shoot through the roof! Don’t despair, this article proves you can do it on a budget and she’ll never even realise it was all designed to spare your overdraft!

Enjoy!

We launched a new Squidoo lens today, bringing together anniversary advice from all our various websites and other folk’s. Find it here: Wedding Anniversaries Under Lens.

Wedding Anniversaries Under Lens covers:

• The History of Wedding Anniversaries
• What the American National Retail Jewellery Association did for Anniversaries
• Gift Giving Customs for Wedding Anniversaries
• Whether Wedding Anniversary Jewellery Has to be Diamond
• Romantic Ideas for Celebrating Your Wedding Anniversary
• Why You Shouldn’t Give Roses Every Anniversary

This is the first of a family of lenses we are building covering “How to” for every aspect of wedding anniversaries.

We really like the Squidoo format as a way of getting the facts and ideas across fast and bringing lots of content all to one place.

Why not go check it out?!

If you’re a man and the word ‘anniversary’ has you ducking for cover, this post is for you! Especially if your 4th wedding anniversary is imminent and you are floundering, bereft of ideas or inspiration. Here’s 5 quick ideas to make her 4th wedding anniversary one to remember — for the right reasons!

1 . Give the roses a rest. Geraniums are the customary flower for the 4th anniversary, so present her with an enormous bouquet of lovely geraniums.

2. Choose jewellery with amethyst or rose quartz, as these are the traditional stones for jewellery given on the 4th wedding anniversary.

3. Every anniversary year has a traditional and contemporary customary gift associated with it. For the 4th anniversary year, the traditional theme is books, the modern flowers and fruits.

Hmmm….books. How about a first edition of her favourite book wrapped? Or, what about one of these fancy photo books you can make on the internet at sites like Jessops?

For fruit and flowers, think prints, shapes and motifs, rather than bunches of flowers and bowls of fruit. A flower shaped brooch, pendant or bangle featuring amethyst and/or rose quartz would be a double whammy.

4. This is one of the few anniversaries when you can actually get away with giving something with a plug and lead attached. Yes, the contemporary theme for the fourth wedding anniversary is electrical appliances. Of course, kitchen appliances are unlikely to be applauded, but maybe a Wii Fit or ipod or i-phone will be!

5. What your wife almost certainly wants most this anniversary is for you to spoil her silly and romance her socks off. Forget trinkets and baubles, think romantic experience. What is going to make this day stand out in your marriage? Not the gift you gave but what you did together. Plan, plan, plan!

Ideas? Try planting a tree together, cooking for her, pampering her, a romantic ‘mini break’, a new experience, a new place, a surprise, booking her the day of work… Impressing your better half is not all that difficult once you set your mind to it. All it takes is some imagination and lots of love!

Happy anniversary!

More great advice for Valentine’s Day — this time for newly married couples.

You know how it is. You spend loads of time building up to that big day: your wedding. You’re settling down with the man/ woman of your dreams. OK, but just don’t settle down too much. That would spell disaster for the marriage.

Think of marriage as your relationships “second age”. You’re not so young and daft anymore. You’ve got responsibilities now and you’ve made one serious,serious commitment. This whole scenario can way heavy on the relationship.

Of course, you’ve been together a while now and you can handle it. But, familiarity breeds contempt and if you’re thinking of doing the same old same old for your first Valentine’s Day together (which comes up fast after Christmas), think again and read this: Make Your First Valentine’s Day of Marriage Truly Memorable.

You’ll find 7 great ideas — some a little off the wall — that, at the very least should get you thinking in terms of being original. This is the first Valentine’s Day of your new lives together, make it a good one!