When picking a card you may struggle with what is too cheesy or what is something that would seem as though it is coming from your heart.  It really all depends on your personality or that of your mother's.  Maybe your mother is someone who would really appreciate funny mother's day cards.  Maybe she is more the sentimental poetic type that appreciates a good mother's day poem.

Homemade Mothers Day cards are also a legitimate choice.  Again you need to look at the Mother's personality.  Will she think you are being cheap or will she think you are being thoughtful and creative?  In these tougher economic times most Mothers would not hold it against you if you choose to make a handmade Mother's Day card just to save money.  Let's face it cards can range from as little as a dollar to fancy cards that can cost $20 (like the ones you can record something on).  That doesn't mean you should not go all out on making the perfect handmade card.  You may already have materials like construction paper, lace, glue and markers on hand.  Get creative.  Be sure to include a message that comes from your heart and will show your mother that you have put some time into it.

Another option for homemade cards is to buy card making software.  Mother's Day printable cards will save you money in the long run if you consider you would be buying the card software for all sorts of different occasions like Father's Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries just to name a few.  Many of us already have the hardware we need on hand.  Most homes have a computer and a decent color printer.  One card software program that I have heard a lot about is Hallmark Card Studio.  Who can forget their slogan "When you Care Enough to Send the Very Best" so n this case it would be "When You Care Enough to Make the Very Best".

Whatever kind of Mother's Day Card you decide on, keep in mind most Mothers keep their cards forever!

Black Friday is usually the Friday after Thanksgiving.   This year in 2009 we are seeing retailers starting their Black Friday promotions and deals early.  There are a few reasons for this.  The major one is the recession.  Stores are afraid they are not going to get as many shoppers in the store so they are hoping to entice them with deals on what they consider hot items.  This is good news for us the buyers because prices will be lower.  The other reason is that due to the way the calendar falls there only 4 shopping weekends this year.  That is why you see stores like Best Buy and Sears other major retailers offering deals starting as early as this weekend or Monday.

The good news is that you may be able to get your Christmas gift shopping done early.  You also need to be careful this year because according to reports on CNBC retailers are not stocking up as much as last year.  Last year they were burned with lots of inventory that they practically had to give away at the end of the shopping season.  This year you may find hot toys and gifts being sold out much earlier so if you have one of those on your list shop early!

In the past few years more visibility has been given to the dangers of high levels of lead in certain toys.  The website that attempts to test and track results for a variety of chemicals in toys is HealthyStuff.org.  They actually test more than just toys so here is the direct link to the toy section that allows you to search for toys in their database.  They actually put out a list of toys each year.  Their 2009 list does not seem to be out yet.

The other site that provides general safety data for toys is ToySafety.org which has come up with their 10 Worst List for 2009.  Those toys would probably make for bad choices for gifts.  Not everyone agrees with how either of these organizations come up with their lists but as a gift giver you definitely don't want to give toys that will be thought unsafe by the parents involved.  The 10 Worst Toy list has been generated since 1973 and has helped determine improvements in the manufacturing of toys.

The posts and information on this blog will be more tailored toward providing gift ideas for everyone on your list for every occasion you can think of.

Some may ask whether we need another gift related blog or website.  We feel we have a unique perspective on advising gift shoppers.  Though you may see many ideas for buying gifts we also hope to add how to information on hand made gifts.  In these economic times we know that gifts are not just measured on how much they cost but the thought and effort behind them.

We also hope that you will participate with your own thoughts and suggestions which is why we added a blog to our mix of sites.