As the financial crunch encroaches upon every aspect of most of our lives, a very crucial question for all parents is how much is too much to let your kids know about your household finances? Should we let our children continue in blissful innocence, unaware that problems exist or should we include them in family discussions about money related problems? Is it possible to give them too much or too little information? This is a dubious question because where on one hand we all want our children to just enjoy their childhood without unnecessary burdens, it is quite important to make them understand the importance of money and why they are being denied certain privileges or things.
We have to be careful that our four small words “we can’t afford that” might not instill a feeling of deprivation and discontentment in the child. Secondly, we have to consider the age of our children also. How can we expect a 3 year old child to comprehend what economic crisis means? There is only so much that his small head can accumulate. The most important things for small children (let’s say children of 10 years of age or below) are safety, security and love. In their world, these three things are more important than money and it is our job as parents to explain to them that regardless of what may be going on with the household budget they can feel confident in those three things. Having done that we can think of explaining why certain things are being put on hold in an age appropriate manner. Older children may feel more secure if they are included in family discussions and will also be able to get prepared for any significant changes in your lives due to finances. You have to be careful that your children don’t misinterpret your and your spouses’ fights as their fault.
I believe that children should be educated about value of money and the family problems in an age appropriate manner leaving the knowledge of day to day expenses and bills out of the picture. The discussion undertaken with them should be such that they are not to blame themselves for the financial problems that arise; and that even though you owe money; they should feel confident that you will be able to take care of the tough times without letting it bother them. We have to let our children be children, and make sure that they're not saddled with the burden of economy and prevent ruining their gullible childhood.
Every child has to be intelligently and subtly educated about the value of money so that he/she can make wise decisions in the future. The best time to start this education is when your child is able to calculate and count. The best way to start this would be to fix a weekly or monthly allowance and condition the allowance according to their behavior. For example if your kid asks for money, you could ask them to earn it by doing some household chores like cleaning their room or doing laundry etc. This simple action will help them valuate the money he/she is getting.
Help your kid understand what budgeting of money means and how can it be helpful for him/her. Every person has a list of “needs” and “wants”. If we want to educate our children about the value of money we have to tell them to prioritize from their list of needs and wants. You should help your kid to understand that saving money will help him fulfill his wants in the future. A good way is to ask your kids to make their weekly budget utilizing only the allowance amount that they usually get and refrain from giving them more money apart from that allowance till it is very urgent.
When you give allowance to your child, try giving it in denominations that encourage savings. For example, if you are giving 5 dollars, give 5 1 dollar bills and encourage your child to put aside one dollar for saving.
Another good practice to help your kids appreciate the value of money is by setting up a bank account for them and educating them about how the value of money can increase with the interest they would receive on the money they invest.
Always remember that you have the power to create and mould your child’s financial imprint. Budgeting and saving is not taught in school, you have to be your child’s teacher as nobody else is going to show them how to succeed in life and avoid the huge financial pitfalls that lurk around every corner.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
how to communicate with teen's
Technically, adolescence is a stage of transition in physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes and is often referred to as a tough time both for the teenager and the parents. The confusion of being in middle of childhood and adulthood is what makes this stage very challenging and difficult. A teenager is neither too young to be shunned of all responsibilities nor is too old to be expected to behave in a mature manner. This perplexity in expectations builds the bridge of lack of communication between the teenager and the parents. But the question is whether the cold war can end? Can the ice be broken? How can you open lines of communication with your teenager?
I believe that the root cause for mostly all communication problems lies in implied statements that are not fully communicated between parents and adolescents. For example: parent: can you take out the trash?
Teen: ok
One hour later
Parent: I told you to take out the trash.
Teen: you didn’t say it had to be done now itself.
The parent felt the teen should have known they meant now.
Similarly there are numerous instances when teens feel that the parents should have known what they meant. These conversations can cause a lot of frustration and lead to unnecessary tension. The most important step in communicating with teens is the knowledge of effective communication. Effective communication is basically the exchange of thoughts, ideas and information using both verbal and nonverbal cues in such a way that each person understands and can act on what has been communicated in a way that seems appropriate and favorable. If parents communicate effectively with their teens, teenagers are able to trust their parents more which helps in better and firmer foundation of their growth. They feel that their parents are actively listening (and not merely hearing), which shows that their concerns are being heard. This makes them realize that their thoughts, ideas and feelings matter to their parents. Try giving your teen your full attention because if you take out time to listen to them, there is high probability that they will listen to you in return.
Try to let your teen express himself or herself because expressing one’s feeling is a very healthy thing. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to agree with all your teen’s feelings; this simply means that you acknowledge his/her feelings. If you cut short your teen’s conversation by statements like “I don’t want to hear this kind of talk again”, they will never be able to open up to you. Again, the key word is listening and not merely hearing.
The next step could be to educate your teens’ that every action they do has a consequence. Parents tend to punish their teens by taking away something the adolescent enjoys; for example, no TV for a week. Let’s analyze a situation for this. You tell your teen to do some household chores but the teen leaves without doing them. Instead of criticizing him or punishing him by not letting him watch TV for 2 days, you could make your teen do your chores as well as you had to do his chores for him. Actions will speak louder than words if you let your teen experience the natural consequence of his actions. It will also make them realize that they will be held accountable for what they do. Your teens will get more privileges as they grow older but it is very important for them to realize that extra freedom comes with more responsibilities.
Don’t criticize your teen’s actions. Try taking the positive approach. Instead of pointing out what's wrong with your teen’s actions, try describing what is right and then what still needs to be done. A little encouragement from you will go a long way in strengthening your relationship with your teen. Alvin price has rightfully quoted: "Parents need to fill a child's bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can't poke enough holes in it to drain it dry."
Find some time to spend with your teen by indulging yourself in some common activity. This will help him open up to you as it will give you common topics to talk about.
Adolescence is tough on both parents and teenagers. But for once try and put yourself in your teen’s shoes and remember that you were also a teen once and you must have faced the same problems then.
I believe that the root cause for mostly all communication problems lies in implied statements that are not fully communicated between parents and adolescents. For example: parent: can you take out the trash?
Teen: ok
One hour later
Parent: I told you to take out the trash.
Teen: you didn’t say it had to be done now itself.
The parent felt the teen should have known they meant now.
Similarly there are numerous instances when teens feel that the parents should have known what they meant. These conversations can cause a lot of frustration and lead to unnecessary tension. The most important step in communicating with teens is the knowledge of effective communication. Effective communication is basically the exchange of thoughts, ideas and information using both verbal and nonverbal cues in such a way that each person understands and can act on what has been communicated in a way that seems appropriate and favorable. If parents communicate effectively with their teens, teenagers are able to trust their parents more which helps in better and firmer foundation of their growth. They feel that their parents are actively listening (and not merely hearing), which shows that their concerns are being heard. This makes them realize that their thoughts, ideas and feelings matter to their parents. Try giving your teen your full attention because if you take out time to listen to them, there is high probability that they will listen to you in return.
Try to let your teen express himself or herself because expressing one’s feeling is a very healthy thing. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to agree with all your teen’s feelings; this simply means that you acknowledge his/her feelings. If you cut short your teen’s conversation by statements like “I don’t want to hear this kind of talk again”, they will never be able to open up to you. Again, the key word is listening and not merely hearing.
The next step could be to educate your teens’ that every action they do has a consequence. Parents tend to punish their teens by taking away something the adolescent enjoys; for example, no TV for a week. Let’s analyze a situation for this. You tell your teen to do some household chores but the teen leaves without doing them. Instead of criticizing him or punishing him by not letting him watch TV for 2 days, you could make your teen do your chores as well as you had to do his chores for him. Actions will speak louder than words if you let your teen experience the natural consequence of his actions. It will also make them realize that they will be held accountable for what they do. Your teens will get more privileges as they grow older but it is very important for them to realize that extra freedom comes with more responsibilities.
Don’t criticize your teen’s actions. Try taking the positive approach. Instead of pointing out what's wrong with your teen’s actions, try describing what is right and then what still needs to be done. A little encouragement from you will go a long way in strengthening your relationship with your teen. Alvin price has rightfully quoted: "Parents need to fill a child's bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can't poke enough holes in it to drain it dry."
Find some time to spend with your teen by indulging yourself in some common activity. This will help him open up to you as it will give you common topics to talk about.
Adolescence is tough on both parents and teenagers. But for once try and put yourself in your teen’s shoes and remember that you were also a teen once and you must have faced the same problems then.
mother's day
Mother’s day is celebrated to honor mothers in each family. Though it is celebrated on different days in different parts of the world (because the day has a number of different origins), the essence of celebrating the greatness of motherhood remains the same everywhere. Some interesting facts and statistics about mother’s day as assimilated by US census bureau are:
• There are about 82.5 million mothers in USA
• Mother's Day is widely reported as the peak day of the year for long distance telephone calls
• Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for many restaurants
• Retailers report that Mother's Day is the second highest gift-giving holiday in the United States, Christmas being the highest
Sophia Loren had quoted “When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” So on mother’s day let the children do some thinking to make their mothers’ day as special and memorable as can be. Mother’s day has been celebrated to pay tribute to the personification of goddess since ancient times. If this day has been so important since time immemorial, then why not make it one of the most important and cherished day for our own mother as well?
So, do you want to add a tinge of exclusivity to your mother’s special day? Do you want to surprise her with an expensive and exquisite gift to show how much she means to you? Well, you are at the right place. Here is a list of some classy gift options which would definitely cast a touch of luxury to your loving gesture. We will first classify all the choices into various categories like practical, emotional, fashionable, healthy, household articles, travel etc.
Household articles:
Every woman likes to decorate her house with exclusive decoration pieces to make her home look beautiful, warm and elegant. There are few ideas which could help you light up both your mothers’, mother-in-laws’ or grandmothers’ living room or bedroom and her spirits.
1. Handmade Persian rugs: These rugs are both a form of art and an investment because they are very exclusive. The reason for their exclusivity lies in the fact that they are purely made by hand by individual weavers rather than in factories. Also, Persian rugs are made of all natural wool and silk and do not have synthetic silk or wool. Another reason for their exclusivity is their uniqueness. Every Persian carpet is different from another, even when they come from the same city or even the same weaver. Persian rugs are named after the city or the region in which they were made. Among the most popular ones are Tabriz, Bidjar, Nain, Qom, Hamadan, Mud, Meshkin, Mashhad, Kirman, etc.
2. Hand blown glass items: You could think of gifting anything from platters, ornaments, animal figurines, vases, bowls, flowers, paperweights, beads made out of hand blown glass. All these items will be exclusive because hand blown glass itself is a unique and ancient form of art. To add a personal touch, all the keepsakes can also be engraved with a personalized message. For more information regarding such gift items you could visit the site of “The Glassblowing Shop”, http://www.glassblowingshop.com/. This is a good hand blown glass store with five locations in the United States.
3. Antique rocking chair: We all have often visualized grandmothers knitting or spinning yarn in their rocking chair. Mother’s day is not only for our mothers but also for our grandmothers, mother-in-laws. These rocking chairs can be highly ornate and extremely elegant in quality and craftsmanship. They come both in contemporary and traditional styles lending a touch of sophistication and character to the interiors. Personally, I feel an antique rocking chair would definitely bring a smile on your granny’s face as she recollects her good old days.
4. Lisa carrier Designs: Christina Aguilera, Liz Hurley, Pam Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourn, Michael Richards, Bruce Willis, Cher and Kate Hudson, Pierce Brosnan has them. Why not make your mother a proud owner of fine European style artwork and let her join the likes of the above mentioned celebrities. Lisa’s collection is an assemblage of beautiful Gothic candles, whimsical fairy journals, jewelry boxes and Tapestries. The hand decorated candles are adorned with embellishments from around the world and are one of their kinds. You can visit the site http://www.lisacarrier.com/ for more information regarding Lisa’s work and the prices of the same.
Fashionable:
Every woman likes to adorn classy clothes and jewelry to make her look sophisticated and graceful. What could be a better occasion than mother’s day to let your mother chase her dreams of possessing some of the finest clothes and accessories?
5. Cashmere bed jacket, Robe, Spa Pajama’s: The very word cashmere invigorates a feeling of richness and supple luxury. Pure cashmere is as highly priced and desirable as gold and diamonds. Gifting a cashmere garment to your mother will surely add warmth to loving thoughts she would always have of you for years to come.
6. Exquisite Lingerie: Luscious silk or satin lingerie would surely bring out the sensual and flirty side of your mother. After all don’t our mothers deserve to feel naughty after all the day’s work they do? There are some very exclusive brands whose very name oozes out romance and sexiness like Agent Provocateur, SpoyIt, La Perla, Victoria secrets etc. Some of these brands might be lesser known but they are extremely sophisticated, high-end and perfect for any woman.
7. Antique Jewelry: Jewels have always been an integral part in enhancing a woman’s beauty and it’s rightfully said that old is gold. That is why antique jewelry is expensive because it is the epitome of elegance, charm and history of different civilizations that existed much before us. The most genuine characteristic of antique jewelry is the classic grace and the unmatched designs it possesses. It is now seen as a very fashionable ornament to be worn on almost every occasion with any dress and without the restriction of age group. Gifting a timeless and classy piece of antique jewelry would undoubtedly convey to your mother how precious she is to you.
8. Papyrus: Papyrus can be easily called a rich girl’s hallmark. It is a gift shop with seasonal decorations and a lot of cards and stationary. The cards at Papyrus are made out of luxurious and delicate paper and there is nothing raunchy about them. Though it is a bit pricy but the gifts and cards are so unique that your mother will feel very special if she was bought something from there. You can get beautiful blank cards from this shop which you can use to pen down your personal feelings for your mother. Also, you can get paintings hand painted on papyrus which would make a special and unique gift. It would not only increase the beauty of your mothers’ living room but also leave a timeless impression of love and affection on her mind.
Practical:
There are certain practical gift ideas which can be personalized to make them special for your mothers’ special occasion.
9. Ipod : If your mom is a music lover, you might consider gifting her an Ipod with her name or a message engraved on it. A personalized gift bears the signature of your love and feelings, and hence, stands to be even more valuable for your dear ones. Good news is that Apple is offering free laser engraving till May 13th. The Laser Engraving iPod accepts up to 44 characters that fit in two lines for the iPod Video, up to 23 characters that fit in two lines for the Nano, and up to 38 characters that fit in one line for the Shuffle. For more information regarding laser engraving you can visit the site http://store.apple.com/.
Health:
It’s rightfully said that health is wealth. And for a person who is very health conscious, an exclusive health package would be the best gift to give.
10. Personal makeover package: How about treating your mom to a full style consultation, a color analysis or simply a make-up lesson to up-date her look. As per these packages, your Mom will receive expert advice on the best colors to wear for her skin tone, and the best ways to show off her shape. Beauty and style brings about a unique kind of confidence and radiance in personality. With advice given on the best looks for her lifestyle and all other sorts of style and color tips and guidance your mother will feel great and have a new zest for life. Most personal makeover packages will not only teach her about the best colors to wear to enhance her look but also demonstrate the most ideal make-up shades for her skin tone as well as how to apply them. Some of the best packages also include cosmetics chosen at the time of consultation to ensure your mother can take home the best make-up colors for her that she likes and will want to wear in future. A bouquet will add fragrance just in her living room but the change this package could bring in her would fill her entire life with fragrance and she would remember this gesture of love for her entire life.
11. Memberships: If your mother is a health freak then you could plan on gifting a membership of an elite health club or gym which she has always fascinated about. But if your mother is a busy lady and would not appreciate another outdoor activity, you might want to appoint a personal trainer for a month or few months that would go to her home and guide her through her exercises. The Trainer would assist her in improving not only her strength and endurance, but her agility and mental focus as well.
12. Spa package: Our mother’s pamper us all our lives; why not let them unwind and get pampered on their special day? There are different types of spas, from day spas and urban spas to weekend spas, destination spas, hotel spas and spa resorts. You can choose any one of the below mentioned spas to let your mother relax and get de-stressed.
· Day spas: Day spas offer all the facilities and services of a health spa or hotel spa without any residential accommodation.
· Destination spas: A destination spa is a spa which offers residential accommodation services for you. A destination spa, also known as a 'health spa', offers a two, three or more night stay, allowing you to access the full benefits of a total spa experience.
· Health farms: Health farms are the ideal de-stress option for people looking to relax, unwind and get away from in all for a day or two.
· Hotel spas: Hotel spas are usually a luxury spa venue based in a regular hotel. A hotel spa differs from a destination spa in the fact that spa treatments in a hotel are bought in an a la carte manner; you simply purchase the spa or beauty treatments that take your fancy while staying at the hotel.
· Spa resorts: There are specialized spa resorts like Ananda spa in India which would rejuvenate you both physically and spiritually by helping you discover a unique union between body, mind and soul. It is basically an overlap between a destination spa, hotel spa and spa resort.
· Urban spas: Urban spas are found in inner city areas like London and Manchester. Urban spa venues often offer the same services as a destination or hotel spa. However, due to their location urban spas are often used in the same manner as a day spa - a quick in/out spa and beauty treatment facility.
Travel:
Who doesn’t like to travel and go on vacations? You could convert one of your mothers dream destination into her mother’s day gift and surprise her. I’m sure your mother would welcome a de-stressing vacation to unwind and relax.
13. Wine tour: Is your mother a connoisseur of wine? If yes, then why not let her plunge into the aromatic richness of Napa valley which would give her a chance to lay hands on one of world’s largest collection of wine at one place. If Napa valley is too far then maybe you could just plan on gifting a bottle of her favorite wine.
14. Smartbox: The Smartbox™ is the next generation of gifts that allows individuals to choose their destinations or activities around the given theme. For example the US collection consists of three themes: Adventure, Health & Wellness, and Hotel. It is a CD size box featuring a full color guidebook with full details of each activity or escape pertaining to your selected theme. This gift idea helps the recipient choose their own destination or activity from more than 600 activities and escapes offered via the different schemes, which makes it more interesting and exciting. It’s a perfect gift because each Smartbox™ is all-inclusive package: you won’t have anything else to pay on site (but your travel)! The pricing starts from $69 and the voucher last up to a year and a half.
Emotional:
Mother’s day is a day when you can connect emotionally with your mother and let her know how special and important she is for you. It won’t hurt to go an extra mile to do something extra-ordinary to show your love and affection on her special day.
15. Crossword puzzle: If your mother is interested in crosswords and waits for the newspaper in the morning in order to test her skills every day, this could be an exciting idea. You could ask a local newspaper to frame a crossword in such a way that one clue spells out her name or I love you mum or happy mother’s day.
I’ll like to sum up with a nice quote on mothers now. "A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. " A mother is the best gift god has given us. Let’s take out some time to let her feel special, happy and loved.
• There are about 82.5 million mothers in USA
• Mother's Day is widely reported as the peak day of the year for long distance telephone calls
• Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for many restaurants
• Retailers report that Mother's Day is the second highest gift-giving holiday in the United States, Christmas being the highest
Sophia Loren had quoted “When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” So on mother’s day let the children do some thinking to make their mothers’ day as special and memorable as can be. Mother’s day has been celebrated to pay tribute to the personification of goddess since ancient times. If this day has been so important since time immemorial, then why not make it one of the most important and cherished day for our own mother as well?
So, do you want to add a tinge of exclusivity to your mother’s special day? Do you want to surprise her with an expensive and exquisite gift to show how much she means to you? Well, you are at the right place. Here is a list of some classy gift options which would definitely cast a touch of luxury to your loving gesture. We will first classify all the choices into various categories like practical, emotional, fashionable, healthy, household articles, travel etc.
Household articles:
Every woman likes to decorate her house with exclusive decoration pieces to make her home look beautiful, warm and elegant. There are few ideas which could help you light up both your mothers’, mother-in-laws’ or grandmothers’ living room or bedroom and her spirits.
1. Handmade Persian rugs: These rugs are both a form of art and an investment because they are very exclusive. The reason for their exclusivity lies in the fact that they are purely made by hand by individual weavers rather than in factories. Also, Persian rugs are made of all natural wool and silk and do not have synthetic silk or wool. Another reason for their exclusivity is their uniqueness. Every Persian carpet is different from another, even when they come from the same city or even the same weaver. Persian rugs are named after the city or the region in which they were made. Among the most popular ones are Tabriz, Bidjar, Nain, Qom, Hamadan, Mud, Meshkin, Mashhad, Kirman, etc.
2. Hand blown glass items: You could think of gifting anything from platters, ornaments, animal figurines, vases, bowls, flowers, paperweights, beads made out of hand blown glass. All these items will be exclusive because hand blown glass itself is a unique and ancient form of art. To add a personal touch, all the keepsakes can also be engraved with a personalized message. For more information regarding such gift items you could visit the site of “The Glassblowing Shop”, http://www.glassblowingshop.com/. This is a good hand blown glass store with five locations in the United States.
3. Antique rocking chair: We all have often visualized grandmothers knitting or spinning yarn in their rocking chair. Mother’s day is not only for our mothers but also for our grandmothers, mother-in-laws. These rocking chairs can be highly ornate and extremely elegant in quality and craftsmanship. They come both in contemporary and traditional styles lending a touch of sophistication and character to the interiors. Personally, I feel an antique rocking chair would definitely bring a smile on your granny’s face as she recollects her good old days.
4. Lisa carrier Designs: Christina Aguilera, Liz Hurley, Pam Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourn, Michael Richards, Bruce Willis, Cher and Kate Hudson, Pierce Brosnan has them. Why not make your mother a proud owner of fine European style artwork and let her join the likes of the above mentioned celebrities. Lisa’s collection is an assemblage of beautiful Gothic candles, whimsical fairy journals, jewelry boxes and Tapestries. The hand decorated candles are adorned with embellishments from around the world and are one of their kinds. You can visit the site http://www.lisacarrier.com/ for more information regarding Lisa’s work and the prices of the same.
Fashionable:
Every woman likes to adorn classy clothes and jewelry to make her look sophisticated and graceful. What could be a better occasion than mother’s day to let your mother chase her dreams of possessing some of the finest clothes and accessories?
5. Cashmere bed jacket, Robe, Spa Pajama’s: The very word cashmere invigorates a feeling of richness and supple luxury. Pure cashmere is as highly priced and desirable as gold and diamonds. Gifting a cashmere garment to your mother will surely add warmth to loving thoughts she would always have of you for years to come.
6. Exquisite Lingerie: Luscious silk or satin lingerie would surely bring out the sensual and flirty side of your mother. After all don’t our mothers deserve to feel naughty after all the day’s work they do? There are some very exclusive brands whose very name oozes out romance and sexiness like Agent Provocateur, SpoyIt, La Perla, Victoria secrets etc. Some of these brands might be lesser known but they are extremely sophisticated, high-end and perfect for any woman.
7. Antique Jewelry: Jewels have always been an integral part in enhancing a woman’s beauty and it’s rightfully said that old is gold. That is why antique jewelry is expensive because it is the epitome of elegance, charm and history of different civilizations that existed much before us. The most genuine characteristic of antique jewelry is the classic grace and the unmatched designs it possesses. It is now seen as a very fashionable ornament to be worn on almost every occasion with any dress and without the restriction of age group. Gifting a timeless and classy piece of antique jewelry would undoubtedly convey to your mother how precious she is to you.
8. Papyrus: Papyrus can be easily called a rich girl’s hallmark. It is a gift shop with seasonal decorations and a lot of cards and stationary. The cards at Papyrus are made out of luxurious and delicate paper and there is nothing raunchy about them. Though it is a bit pricy but the gifts and cards are so unique that your mother will feel very special if she was bought something from there. You can get beautiful blank cards from this shop which you can use to pen down your personal feelings for your mother. Also, you can get paintings hand painted on papyrus which would make a special and unique gift. It would not only increase the beauty of your mothers’ living room but also leave a timeless impression of love and affection on her mind.
Practical:
There are certain practical gift ideas which can be personalized to make them special for your mothers’ special occasion.
9. Ipod : If your mom is a music lover, you might consider gifting her an Ipod with her name or a message engraved on it. A personalized gift bears the signature of your love and feelings, and hence, stands to be even more valuable for your dear ones. Good news is that Apple is offering free laser engraving till May 13th. The Laser Engraving iPod accepts up to 44 characters that fit in two lines for the iPod Video, up to 23 characters that fit in two lines for the Nano, and up to 38 characters that fit in one line for the Shuffle. For more information regarding laser engraving you can visit the site http://store.apple.com/.
Health:
It’s rightfully said that health is wealth. And for a person who is very health conscious, an exclusive health package would be the best gift to give.
10. Personal makeover package: How about treating your mom to a full style consultation, a color analysis or simply a make-up lesson to up-date her look. As per these packages, your Mom will receive expert advice on the best colors to wear for her skin tone, and the best ways to show off her shape. Beauty and style brings about a unique kind of confidence and radiance in personality. With advice given on the best looks for her lifestyle and all other sorts of style and color tips and guidance your mother will feel great and have a new zest for life. Most personal makeover packages will not only teach her about the best colors to wear to enhance her look but also demonstrate the most ideal make-up shades for her skin tone as well as how to apply them. Some of the best packages also include cosmetics chosen at the time of consultation to ensure your mother can take home the best make-up colors for her that she likes and will want to wear in future. A bouquet will add fragrance just in her living room but the change this package could bring in her would fill her entire life with fragrance and she would remember this gesture of love for her entire life.
11. Memberships: If your mother is a health freak then you could plan on gifting a membership of an elite health club or gym which she has always fascinated about. But if your mother is a busy lady and would not appreciate another outdoor activity, you might want to appoint a personal trainer for a month or few months that would go to her home and guide her through her exercises. The Trainer would assist her in improving not only her strength and endurance, but her agility and mental focus as well.
12. Spa package: Our mother’s pamper us all our lives; why not let them unwind and get pampered on their special day? There are different types of spas, from day spas and urban spas to weekend spas, destination spas, hotel spas and spa resorts. You can choose any one of the below mentioned spas to let your mother relax and get de-stressed.
· Day spas: Day spas offer all the facilities and services of a health spa or hotel spa without any residential accommodation.
· Destination spas: A destination spa is a spa which offers residential accommodation services for you. A destination spa, also known as a 'health spa', offers a two, three or more night stay, allowing you to access the full benefits of a total spa experience.
· Health farms: Health farms are the ideal de-stress option for people looking to relax, unwind and get away from in all for a day or two.
· Hotel spas: Hotel spas are usually a luxury spa venue based in a regular hotel. A hotel spa differs from a destination spa in the fact that spa treatments in a hotel are bought in an a la carte manner; you simply purchase the spa or beauty treatments that take your fancy while staying at the hotel.
· Spa resorts: There are specialized spa resorts like Ananda spa in India which would rejuvenate you both physically and spiritually by helping you discover a unique union between body, mind and soul. It is basically an overlap between a destination spa, hotel spa and spa resort.
· Urban spas: Urban spas are found in inner city areas like London and Manchester. Urban spa venues often offer the same services as a destination or hotel spa. However, due to their location urban spas are often used in the same manner as a day spa - a quick in/out spa and beauty treatment facility.
Travel:
Who doesn’t like to travel and go on vacations? You could convert one of your mothers dream destination into her mother’s day gift and surprise her. I’m sure your mother would welcome a de-stressing vacation to unwind and relax.
13. Wine tour: Is your mother a connoisseur of wine? If yes, then why not let her plunge into the aromatic richness of Napa valley which would give her a chance to lay hands on one of world’s largest collection of wine at one place. If Napa valley is too far then maybe you could just plan on gifting a bottle of her favorite wine.
14. Smartbox: The Smartbox™ is the next generation of gifts that allows individuals to choose their destinations or activities around the given theme. For example the US collection consists of three themes: Adventure, Health & Wellness, and Hotel. It is a CD size box featuring a full color guidebook with full details of each activity or escape pertaining to your selected theme. This gift idea helps the recipient choose their own destination or activity from more than 600 activities and escapes offered via the different schemes, which makes it more interesting and exciting. It’s a perfect gift because each Smartbox™ is all-inclusive package: you won’t have anything else to pay on site (but your travel)! The pricing starts from $69 and the voucher last up to a year and a half.
Emotional:
Mother’s day is a day when you can connect emotionally with your mother and let her know how special and important she is for you. It won’t hurt to go an extra mile to do something extra-ordinary to show your love and affection on her special day.
15. Crossword puzzle: If your mother is interested in crosswords and waits for the newspaper in the morning in order to test her skills every day, this could be an exciting idea. You could ask a local newspaper to frame a crossword in such a way that one clue spells out her name or I love you mum or happy mother’s day.
I’ll like to sum up with a nice quote on mothers now. "A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. " A mother is the best gift god has given us. Let’s take out some time to let her feel special, happy and loved.
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