COUPON: Get an extra 25% off by using Coupon Code SPRING25 during checkout.

Can’t think of what you need to get? How about some Luau decorations for that backyard party this summer, or that graduation party that’s so fast approaching. Perhaps a costume for little Susy’s school project, or maybe even get a head start on your Halloween costume? Just keep your mind open and hurry up and save!

The beauty of an experience gift is that they are planned experiences and activities that can make positive changes in people’s lives. There are so many to choose from that there really is something for everyone.
Some of the more popular experiences are:
NASCAR, Dinner Cruises, Fighter Pilot, Cooking Classes, and Helicopter Tours.
Some of the more unique and unusual are:
Personal Jazz Performance, Rock ‘n Roll fantasy camp, be an Interior Designer, learn to DJ, Kids artistic discovery, and more.

Obviously these can make great gifts for birthdays, holidays, or just for the fun of it. These are all location based as some cities can offer certain experiences others can’t. This allows for either a truly memorable trip away from home, a fun surprise for a visiting family member, or, for those who live in big cities, just an easy way to get someone out of their house.

Some of my personal favorites are:
Private Raw Food Course, Vegetarian Cooking Class, Kids Drawing Class, Kids Surf Party, Stunt School, Skydiving, and Hot Air Balloon Rides. I’d look forward to any one of these experiences for myself if you are interested in buying me a gift certificate.

Where can I get these exciting experiences?
Great American Days and/or Signature Days. Both provide experiences as low as $50 with some experiences up into the $1000’s and both seem to have many options for many popular cities.

COUPON: Save 10% OFF at Signature Days, when you use coupon code SIGJASOND at checkout.

Amidst the recalled toy controversy, it’s nice to know that some stores will never carry items with questionable or uncertain contents. There is a new message on their homepage that says “At eBeanstalk we are dedicated to a child’s development and learning, and we never compromise a child’s safety. Rest assured that NONE of the recalled toys from Mattel or Fisher Price have ever been sold at eBeanstalk. NOT ONE.”

COUPON: Save 10% off anything on the site. Expires October 15, 2007.

COUPON: Get %25 off! Enter plum25 at checkout to get your discount. Offer expires June 10, 2007.

People tend to use the phrase “the gift that keeps on giving” metaphorically. However, eBeanstalk offers a more literal interpretation with their Gift Series, where your child receives a toy in the mail every 3 months matched to their stage of development. This idea is all kinds of brilliant!

• For those of us without kids of our own, it can be a little tricky to select age appropriate toys for the children in our lives. You can skip the educated guesswork with the Gift Series: all the toys are hand picked by 5 child development specialists and 500 moms from around the US.
• Same thing goes for parents or guardians who travel a lot or don’t get to visit very often. When you haven’t seen a child for a few months or when you look back on the development of your own child…they are a different child today than just a few months ago. Each toy is carefully matched with the appropriate stage of development, so you won’t end up with a gift that is too young or old for your child.
• With the continual gift metaphor in mind, you can actually purchase a set of gifts that are delivered over time. This is the gift that actually keeps on giving.
• Save time by purchasing a set of gifts all in one sitting. Never worry about forgetting a special date in the child’s development or having the gift arrive late.
• If you’re the spoiling type (yes, you) then you’ll undoubtedly appreciate how easy eBeanstalk makes it to lavish gifts upon your wee ones. One purchase results in a whole years worth of gifts!
• Best of all, of the nearly 500 quality toys available at eBeanstalk, every one is geared towards helping your child grow. Their Child Specialists identified the stages of development children grow through. They matched 7 core skills- Imagination, Education, Language, Dexterity, Locomotion, Emotion and Social- with the stages of a child’s development, and then categorized each toy accordingly. Ahhh, science: improving childhood playtime and development!

Also, individual toys are available for purchase too, if you’d rather buy a la carte.

If one were so inclined they could adorn their Star Wars costume and fly hundreds of miles to the official Celebration IV to be surrounded by Force sensitive people and the creators of Star Wars. Or perhaps you can join me and others with bad motivators and just buy a Star Wars cake pan off eBay and celebrate at home with friends and family.

I can envision multiple weekends being filled with Star Wars movies and cartoons coupled with delicious cake shaped and frosted like Darth Vader, R2-D2, C-3PO, Boba Fett, and more.

Does your sweet tooth require more than just cake? Check out the Star Wars cookbook or the Star Wars Party Book and supplement your celebration with Wookie cookies and other Galactic specialties.

For more sweet themed kid’s clothing, check out this cupcake appliqued birthday girl outfit from liliputiansNYC. It’s handcrafted and oh-so-custom, just for your birthday girl. There are also a ton of other adorable kids items in the liliputiansNYC online boutique featuring “bright colors, retro prints, polka dots and stripes in the finest fabrics”.

$39.99

FYI: Since these roses are super special you’ll need to speak with a product specialist over at Hammacher before the order gets shipped out.

$79.95

I like certain artwork on these tiles more than others, (whats the deal with the illustration for Aquarius?) but I suppose that’s a personal thing. The black frame won’t match every decor of course, but it’s a stylish choice over the classic white.

$32

Amazing felt crowns are also available for your royal birthday prince or princess. Also handmade of felt, an inner elastic band keeps the crown snug on your childs head. Add some felt prize bags and you will have a uniquely themed party that kids will want to recreate for their next birthday. Since all of this felt decor can be reused, you can oblige your child whilst saving money and natural resources.