Plan Your Christmas Shopping Budget Now
by Joe Hanoa

If you expect to be doing some serious Christmas shopping this season, now is the time to plan just how much you will spend and where you will spend your money. Indeed, the average American family spends more than $700 each year on holiday gifts, much more than that according to some observers. Unfortunately, come the following January these same consumers are often left with a mess to deal with: credit card bills and no way to pay off the debt at least all at once. If you plan your Christmas shopping budget now, you can save a lot of heartache later on. Cash or Credit? One surefire way to wreck any budget is to pay credit for purchase. No, using a credit card isn’t wrong – it can even be a smart decision in some cases – but it can cause plenty of pain later on if you don’t have the funds available to pay off the card later on. Consider leaving the emotional side of the holidays out of it and stick to a plan where come January you have no bills to pay off or enough money on hand to pay them off when they arrive. Shop the Sales. Even months before the holiday season starts, great sales to get you in the spending mood are held by retailers everywhere. Many merchants no longer rely on the last five to six weeks of the year for their profits. Consumers spend all through the year therefore September and October are important months where big sales are often held. Go Online. Yes, online shopping continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. Year to year sales increases of 20 to 30 percent are common via the internet as consumers compare prices, order goods online and avoid taxation. Shipping costs are small or forgiven if you reach a certain spending threshold.

Source: http://www.amazines.com

Father's Day Gift Ideas Anything But The Necktie
By Kevin Buyer

Poor old Dad. Did you know that more collect calls are made on Father' Day than any other day of the year? Alright Mom's before you laugh too hard, Mother's Day is right behind at number 2. So maybe you've decided you're going to make up for all those bad neckties you gave dad when you were younger, and let's not forget the time you left the garage door open and it rained on all of his tools.
Like most holiday's Father's Day gift giving ideas have gotten much more sophisticated in recent years, here are a couple of ideas to get you in the right frame of mind. Is your Dad a big golf fan, if he is, how about some personalized golf balls or club covers. That's something he can show off to all his buddies at the course. If your Dad's not the athletic type but more of grill master there are some other great gift ideas you may want to think about. Why not find some gourmet bar-b-que sauces flavors from Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia are starting to become very popular nowadays. If your Dad is more of a traditionalist how about a smoker box for his grill. Find some exotic flavors like apple or peach wood to make thing interesting. If money's no object look into one of the bar-b-que camps that are popping up across the country. Think of it as a spa-vacation where dad gets cooking tips from a famous or celebrity chef.
Let's say you're really ready to kick things up and money's no object, then why not consider race car school. They come in one or two day packages with professional race car drivers. Then Dad gets to take an actual stock car for a few laps around around the famous racetracks you see on TV. Some schools are now offering exotic cars like Lamborghini's and Ferrari's as well. But what if your Dad really has the need for speed, then you air combat. Retired military aircraft pilots take you up jets and through a series of white knuckle maneuvers and acrobatics, and throw in some simulated air to air combat. This one is sure to put a smile on Dad's face.

Copyright Holiday-Central.net, All Rights Reserved.


About the Author
Kevin Buyer is the webmaster of Holiday-Central.net where he writes about holidays and other gift giving occasions like Fathers Day
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MOTHER'S DAY IS SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2006

Tips for Gift Giving

Creative Ways To Celebrate Mother's Day With Flowers

By Wesley Berry

Moms are amazing people. They selflessly care for their children making sure there are always clean clothes to wear, a delicious dinner on the table, and plenty of love to go around. They often put their families ahead of themselves expecting only a quick hug or a smile as a reward. That's why celebrations honoring mothers have been occurring since the times of the ancient Greeks, and perhaps even before. The first official Mother's Day in the United States was on May 9, 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May to be National Mother's Day, a day on which mothers throughout the country should be recognized for all they do. Flowers have long been a traditional gift to present to mothers on Mother's Day. While every mom loves to receive a bouquet or arrangement of her favorite flowers, there are lots of other ways you can incorporate flowers into an extra special declaration of your love. And, it doesn't matter what your age is or if you're helping your own young children celebrate mom, you can use flowers to make this Mother's Day one she'll always remember. Here are some ideas for both adult children and for younger children: Adult Children If you're going to celebrate Mother's Day with dinner out, take a soup bowl and some silverware to your florist. Have the florist create a floral design in the bowl using the silverware as accessories to the arrangement. Place an invitation to the restaurant among the flowers. For a public declaration of your love, take your mom out to a restaurant and arrange to have flowers delivered to the table. Let your mom know she should relax today. Gift wrap a book and ask your florist to include it with a flower arrangement and a note telling her to spend her day relaxing. Send your mom a Mother's Day tree or plant. Take photographs mounted on decorative paper or in small frames to your florist and ask him or her to tie them to a small tree or plant using matching ribbons. Give your mom a corsage to wear throughout the day. She'll especially enjoy this if she plans to attend a worship service or other public event where everyone can see the gift you've given her. Young Children Invite Mom to a movie. Take the movie section from a recent newspaper to your florist and ask him or her to place it in a box of flowers. Decorate the outside of the box with movie candy or candy and popcorn wrappers. Include a card letting Mom know she gets to pick the movie and you'll buy the tickets and treats. Send Mom on a floral treasure hunt. Purchase several single stems of flowers. Have your florist place a flower tube on each one. Hide the flowers around the house and give Mom clues to lead her to each one. Make the last find a vase to place the flowers in and a note letting her know what a treasure she is. Breakfast in bed is a time-honored Mother's Day tradition. Place a pretty vase of her favorite flowers on the tray. Whether her children are grown or still young, every mom deserves a special Mother's Day. Your florist will be delighted to help you express your love and respect in almost any creative way you can think ofthey might even be able to offer some ideas of their own!

About the Author: Wesley Berry is the President of Wesley Berry Flowers established in 1946. He is also the Headmaster of the Professional Florists' Institute, a floral design school in Michigan. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com.

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