Today I am going to start our 2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide. It is going to be a marathon! Each website will have a short individual review; it will take me a few days to write them all so please be patient. We have lots of wonderful gift ideas you can choose from! And the nice thing is that you can purchase them online!

As you know, the idea behind Valentine’s Day is to express your love and to show that you care! You can do it with one gorgeous rose and some chocolate or with a fabulous diamond ring. It is up to you. But remember, you are buying the gift for the person you love not for yourself! 

I want to say THANK YOU to our wonderful readers and contributors. We couldn’t have done it without you!

I gathered the info in this long list (which is not complete yet!). Many more suggestions will be added in the next few days. The links below are randomly listed. Please read their Store Policies before purchasing online.

Aromatherapy, Bath and Body

•  MagicSenses.com – designer glycerin soap
• ABodyCandle.com - Body Massage Candles
• SaludSpaBar.com – custom perfume
• EcoLips.com – lip balm with organic ingredients
• GourmetScentedGifts.com – scented candles and soap
• Beekman1802.com – handmade goat milk soap
• Serah’s – cupcake soaps, unique gifts
• Sootheze – Toasty Bear Collection

For a good cause

• Project7.com -RPET Environmental Tee made from recycled plastic bottles
• The Leakey Collection - jewelry made by the Maasai women in Kenya
• ThistleFarms.org – bath and body products made by the women of Magdalene
• GreenFeet.com –  ”green living” gifts
• TheUltimateGreenStore.com – eco friendly and organic gifts
• OliveSmart.com – environmentally friendly products

Gorgeous Flowers:

• 1-800-FLOWERS® The Sweetest Love Bouquet
  

Books

• God Is a Woman: Dating Disasters
  
• Power of the Middle Ground: A Couple’s Guide to Renewing Your Relationship
• Social Climbers
• Women’s Coloring Books
• We’ll Kiss for Food
• Everlasting Matrimony: Pearls Of Wisdom From Couples Married 50 Years Or More

Personalized and customized gifts

• TreasuredBlocks.com – create your own block with the picture you love
• LifesSweet.com – unique photo books
• Pillowcasegram.com – personalize a pillowcase
• VoiceQuilt.com – beautiful keepsake boxes with audio messages
• MeandGoji.com – custom artisanal cereal
• MyGeneImage.com – beautiful art expressed from your gene
• PartyBeans.com – personalized Jelly Belly
• Jujups.com – where you can design!

Stylish and Practical

• VisAcuity.com – cool reading glasses
• Rosannainc.com - beautiful tableware
• Zipngoblanket.com - weatherproof blankets that zip-n-go anywhere
• DressTheDrink.com – beverage garnishing kit
• MaveryDesigns.com – stylish customized photo bags
• ParadisePen.com – fine writing gifts
• Psi Bands - acupressure wrist bands

Gorgeous Jewelry

• DivineDiamonds.com – The AhRing
• SecurityJewelers.com - one-of-a-kind jewelry
• NotJustAnyOldDay.com – unique calendar keepsake
• Rockmyworldinc – personalized jewelry
• SilverRiverMetal – sterling silver jewelry
• BlueSkyRocket.com - gifts for moms and daughters
• KushlaniHall.com – handmade jewelry
• MuseumWayPearls.com – pink freshwater pearls
• PrincessBands.com –  gorgeous handcrafted tiaras
• Abellagalleries.com – turquoise beaded jewelry—–>>>GIVEAWAY

Don’t miss:

• Bookwormbaskets.com – gifts for everyone you love
• Giftybox.com – the experience gift
• Mousenvy.com – unique novelty computer mice
• BravoBride.com – wedding items
• BigPawDesigns.com – gifts for pet owners
• Moo.com – greeting cards, minicards and sticker books
• ZandaPanda.com – Kaleidoscope heart mold
• JustMoviePosters.com – beautiful posters
• Letters-from-the-Heart.com- great for Mom and Grandma’
• ScanDigital.com – scan your old photos and make them digital
• Staubusa.com – Heart Fondue Pot
• OneTrueMedia.com – make your own video montage
• ParadoxyProducts.com - LovePaper
• TheJimi.com – the Jimi wallet ——>>> GIVEAWAY
• Intouch IT7150 - wireless internet frame

Art

• Nouvelles Images – beautiful image products
• ABlue MoonArts.com – gifts for the art lover!

Gourmet and Desserts

• VereChocolate.com – will launch their Valentine’s Chocolate Collection next week
• TheChocolateTherapist.com – book and chocolate gift set
• CharlesChocolate.com – gourmet chocolate with edible box

Clothing and lingerie

• PuttinontheBliss.com – Bliss Happens Collection
• Flingwear.com - intimatewear for the active lifestyle

Kids and Teens

• GirlInADress.com – Tees designed by a 9 years old girl
• Ficklets.com – add personality to your glasses —->>> GIVEAWAY

Flowers and greeting cards

• Speaking Roses
• Moganeycards.com – custom made cards -> GIVEAWAY

Especially for Men

• Remington-products.com – grooming products

Arts and Crafts

• Originals by Lauren – beautiful quilts

Updated daily from now (Jan. 13) till Valentine’s Day. Come back soon to see what’s new, read the individual posts on each of them and participate to our GiveAways!

Photo courtesy of TreasuredBlocks.com

TreasuredBlocks.com was featured in our 2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide.

At TreasuredBlocks.com you can create your unique and personalized treasured block. The blocks come in 2 sizes: 8″ and 12″ and have nicely frosted edges.

How do I create my own Treasured Block?

All you have to do is upload your image and choose a message. If you don’t like any of the messages available, then you can choose your font and create  your own personalized message. Their designers will take care of the rest.

Treasured Blocks can be purchased online at TreasuredBlocks.com for approx. $36.50. Gift Certificates are also available.

I chose this product mainly because of its uniqueness and high degree of customization. This is a great Valentine’s gift idea that will speak to the heart!

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If you have purchased a Treasured Block, your feedback is welcome! Please share your experience! Leave a message!

Photo courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik

Photos capture life’s special moments. Now your best photos can easily be turned into unique and thoughtful gifts for just about anyone. Here are some ways to create gifts with photos.

Magazine Cover

Turn a photo into a magazine cover. YourCover.com has 20 designs to fit a variety of themes from Mother’s Day to the birth of a baby. In as little as 10 minutes you can turn a photo into a custom magazine cover.

Board Game

Always loved Monopoly? Now is your chance to become the game with Photo-opoly. For $30 you’ll get everything you need to play– game board, property deeds, player pieces, houses and hotels. Plus the board comes with slots and labels so you can change Park Place into Uncle Jason’s house. Simply pull out your photos and a pair of scissors to personalize this family favorite.

Stamps

Put your face on a postage stamp– or your really cute niece. At Stamps.com you can easily turn something boring into a great gift. A sheet of 20 stamps costs between $5-$10 plus the cost of postage.

Children’s Book

Let a child in your life become part of their favorite book with Shutterfly’s CenterStage Books. Simply crop out the child’s head from a photo and upload it. The photo will be featured on the book’s cover and throughout the story. Choose from several titles including SpongeBob and Me: Super Detectives or My Happy Day on Sesame Street.

One of the most popular personalized gifts is the PHOTO GIFT! Today I’d like to introduce one of my favorite websites that will help you transform your photo into a piece of Artwork! PHOTOFIDDLE.com makes it easy to upload your digital image and instantly turn it into various styles of art. Here is an example of a picture of my cat (Tippy) on a canvas on stretchers 18” x 12”:
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A Little Bit of History

The Photofiddle.com website went online in June 2004 and not to long after the launch it received a bit of press from the Washington Post, USA Today, PC Magazine & more. The Washington Post called them “buzz worthy”, USA Today reviewed and picked them as the best, and PC Mag rated them 4 out of 5 stars. What really put Photofiddle.com on the map was when Oprah put them on the O list in 2006. Since then they have become one of the top sites on the Internet.
Read more…

Loved ones, especially grandparents, always want loads and loads of pictures. If you’re anything like me, you bore of getting pictures developed, trying to find creative ways to make them not just a lot of pictures in an envelope and then mail them off in multiple envelopes or in one large manila envelope. This time when you are planning a gift composed simply of a card with pictures in it, why not do it the right way with a Photo Book
Read more…