There are plenty of great online resources for Father’s day. Here’s a short collection of websites that Mashable listed as great places to find gift ideas for dear old dad:

FamilyCorner.com - A lengthy list of crafty gifts you can make for the upcoming holiday.

FamilyFun.com - Lots of gifts you can make at home, fun certificates kids can print out for their dads and more.

Gifts.com - A seemingly endless list of suggestions for just about every type of dad you can think of.

Kaboose.com - Has several home craft gift ideas Gift-Giving-Guide-for-Executives with instructions, a history of the holiday, recipes for meals and more.

MarthaStewart.com - If it’s a holiday celebrated by more than two people, then Martha Stewart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart probably has some suggestions for you. Has a mixture of homemade gifts and recipe suggestions.

Shopping.AOL.com - Has lots of great resources for gift ideas, but this article in particular has a great list of 10 do’s and don’ts for picking out a gift for dad.

Dad’s can be world’s harder to buy gifts for then moms, but luckily there are lots of suggestions out there to help ease some of the pain.

I of course just told my wife that I wanted a massage for Father’s day. Simple enough a Father’s day gift if I do say so myself. I guess we’ll see what gift her and my children get me for Father’s day.

If you are looking for a different Mother’s Day present this year, give the gift of convenience. For many mothers thinking of nutritious, great tasting and simple to create meals can be extremely time consuming. Many moms can spend hours each week just deciding on what to make and putting together dinner for their family. If you are looking for a gift that will not only save her some time, but also make the entire family happy and satisfied with a delicious meal, look into a menu planning service.

Menu Planning Services are an extremely convenient and effective way to help mom plan the family dinner each evening of the week. But planning what to cook for each dinner is just the beginning. Such services generally also include easy to follow grocery lists that show all the ingredients for the meals of the week, so mom can easily shop one time and pick up all the ingredients she needs to prepare each week’s meals. No more running to the store each day after work and wasting precious time that should be spent with you.

Menu Planning is also especially helpful for those that are on a budget or who would like to save more. You can save hundreds of dollars each month by not taking the family out to eat, and instead providing a tasty and nutritious meal right at home.

With a menu planning service you generally get recipes for each night along with side dishes and desserts that can be cooked any time. Additionally, you also get a tailored shopping list for each week of food that goes along with your meals. No more scouring all the recipes for the ingredients you need. It’s already done for you. Plus, you will receive lots of extras each month that can help you save on your grocery bill and ensure your family is eating delicious and nutritious meals. Something mom is sure to love!

If you are searching for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, give her the enjoyment of Meal Planning. Visit Dine Without Whine - A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Planner to sign up today!

I am crazy for Give Simple, the website with beautiful gifts for any occasion.  They are offering Mother’s Day Express Delivery, order by this Friday at 3pm CDT for Saturday delivery.  I own a tote bag from Give Simple that I absolutely love, and I get comments on it every time I go somewhere with it. Some of the items they carry that would be especially nice for Mother’s Day include Pine Cone Hill pajamas and robes, the PeaceLoveMom charm necklaces, Elite Handbags, or choose a gift set in the Spa or Chocolate collection.  Can’t decide?  Give Simple has Live Chat support from 8:30-5:30 CDT.

Whatever gift you choose, your special lady is sure to feel loved and yes, spoiled by any of the beautiful items from Give Simple. Make her Mother’s Day extra special and order something today!

The entire idea behind Mother’s Day is for the family to spend that one day of the year to show mother how much she is appreciated. If you’re like me, ideas are sometimes hard to come by. What on earth can you get for the woman who has given up so much to be a mother? Flowers, cards, and chocolate are very nice, but they are… common. If you have an unique kind of mother, you need a unique kind of gift! Sometimes it helps to pen a little list down. Here’s mine, from the perspective of a mother. Perhaps some of these ideas will help you if you’re in need of some creative juices.

1. Time out of the kitchen and away from the dirty dishes.
This is probably number one, in my opinion. I have four children and wash a TON of dishes. Eating out or having a sumptuous dinner home-delivered is a big occasion and we mothers never seem to tire of it! It’s something that doesn’t have to break the bank, either. Coupons and discounts are available online and in local newspapers, and many restaurants offer special deals for mother.

2. A foot spa machine.
I don’t have one. (yet). My sister has one and she absolutely adores it. Judging by her rave reviews and fantastic-looking feet, I think any mother would love this!

3. A gift certificate and an afternoon at the stores.
I can see mother’s eyes now– first, the glassy eyes of unbelief; then, brightening eyes of elation; finally, a wild-eyed glassy look that tells you she’s already out the door. Just make sure it’s a generous gift certificate at a woman’s department store, not a $10 WalMart card (otherwise, she’ll spend it on groceries or vacuum cleaner bags).

4. No arguments at the dinner table!
I think this applies for mothers of young children and grown children. Nothing tears apart our tender little hearts than to see the siblings at each other’s throats. Give mom a break and bicker in someone else’s house, lol!

5. A gadget. Mothers are getting very high-tech these days. Something like a digital photo frame to display her darling babies one by one is nice. A new digital camera or video camcorder is better. Mothers put their hearts into their families, so a social type of electronic gadget is best.

Those are just a smidgen of things you can do for Mother’s Day. Remember, it’s really the thought that counts for Mother’s Day. Be thoughtful and get your mother what she would really like, and make it different. But don’t go over your budget! Mother wouldn’t like that!

Mother’s Day is May 11th, so now would be a great time to start planning to send Mom a gift. What Mom wouldn’t love to receive this:

Made with Bright and fluffy pink carnations, lavender and yellow daisy pompons, with white and purple accents these beautiful flowers are arranged in a handled basket. It’s the perfect gift for any occasion.
Your purchase includes a FREE personalized gift message.

Unless Mom is allergic to flowers, I bet she would love getting this amazing Mother’s Day Basket Of Cheer® Bouquet! Visit FTD.com to order one today.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and chocolate is one of the best ways to a mother’s heart. Someone mentioned today about a lady who said, “When I die, if there’s not chocolate in heaven, then I don’t want to go there.”

Some of the best chocolate is World’s Finest Chocolate Plus, the cool part is that you can add a digital photo for MOM for FREE. They also have a bunch of other unique Mother’s Day gift idea starting at $9.95. Just make sure you order by April 30 to ensure delivery by Mother’s Day!

Remember that old Beatles’ song, “Can’t Buy Me Love”?

Don’t you believe it.

To a hard-working wife, “stuff” is a wonderful benefit. Yet, guys, come on– we women really don’t want the stuff that gives us more to do– toaster ovens, food choppers, coffeemakers. Those are things we expect. They are part and parcel of the job, ya know? By now you husbands probably have arms up in air, eyes rolling, wondering aloud, “Well then, what?”

Jacuzzi.

Oh yeah. The staff of life. Men, we women want a Jacuzzi.

Maybe you men think we wives have it easy here at home all day. Yeah, right. That’s why you have this insatiable desire to quit your job to stay home with the kids, right? Deep down, you guys know that we women work hard, 24/7. We are always on call. Dirty diapers, health insurance applications, soccer practice, math homework, sick kids, babysitting, cleaning toilets, telemarketers… And it is sometimes very stressful. So unless you husbands are willing to rub our backs all night and work out those tension knots (which isn’t a bad idea, either), what women want is a Jacuzzi. I don’t have one (not yet– still working on it) but someday I’m going to get one. Just the thought of sinking my weary, worrisome carcass into a hot tub of bubbles and fragrance make my heart melt and my eyes glaze over.

You love your wife? Prove it. Get her a Jacuzzi.

My Mother loved daisies. Chris’ Mom liked Forget-Me-Nots. I like pink roses, personally. I had a beautiful bunch of them in my wedding bouquet, and Chris brought them to me in the hospital each time one of the kids was born.

If you don’t know what your wife or girlfriend’s favorite type of flower is, ask! Or, to be less obvious, wait until you are shopping at a store that has an outdoor garden center, steer her in that direction, and pay attention to what kinds of flowers she looks at.

Not sure where to buy the freshest, nicest flowers? Look in the Yellow Pages under florists, or for convenient delivery, try using an online <a type=”amzn”>flower delivery</a> service like ProFlowers. When I worked in an office, I never saw a single female coworker NOT be thrilled at the site of a delivery person walking up to the reception desk with a flower delivery! We all secretly hoped it was for us

You don’t need a special occasion to send flowers, you can send them “just because”. Your special lady will feel spoiled by your attention, too.

Mothers spend their days working hard for their families. Some work outside the home while others spend their days with their children. Either way, moms are doing everything they can to create a comfortable home for their spouse and kids and mold their children into strong, independent human beings. Being a mom is a year-round, 24/7 job with little to no time off for vacation, personal days or sick leave. Even so, the benefits of being a mom are too numerous to count.

As an adult, I find it very rewarding to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift for my mom. I know her tastes, her likes and dislikes, and can afford to purchase gifts that I am confident she will enjoy. But, how can young children make the day just as special for their mom? With Dad’s help of course!

Moms of young children don’t necessarily want or need expensive gifts (although they certainly won’t turn those down) to make them feel appreciated. Simple things can make a Mother’s Day special. Simple things like breakfast in bed, a foot massage, and my personal favorite, home made cards and gifts from the kids. Once I received a framed piece of my daughter’s artwork as a gift and it’s still one of my most cherished gifts.

With dad’s help, children can help with cooking the day’s meals. Having a day off from the daily duties of housekeeping and cooking and simply being given time to just relax for the day can make any mom of any age feel extraordinary. Kids can perform many duties around the house such as sweeping, dusting and making a bed. Will it be up to mom’s standards? Of course not. Will mom appreciate the effort? Absolutely!

With some effort on dad’s part the kids will be allowed to feel like they’ve been a significant part of that special day with very little expense. Mother’s Day; a day for everyone to feel special.

Tonight I got home from a long day of life and my wife and children were in bed. My wife and I had agreed that we weren’t going to spend any money this Valentine’s Day. That doesn’t mean you don’t give a gift to your wife for Valentine’s Day. It just means that you have to be more creative in the gifts that you give her. Tomorrow I’m going to give her a CD mix and redo the ones I gave her previously that have gotten scratches. Should be a nice touch.

However, I’ve wanted to do something more. When I got home tonight the house was quite the mess. See the pictures to see what I’m talking about.

Bathroom Before

Living Room Before

Kitchen Before

In popped the perfect idea. Clean the house. What better Valentine’s gift or any gift could my wife wake up to than a clean house? So, I went to work picking up all the crap my children had spread throughout the house. The bathroom was a particular joy. My children had enjoyed themselves so much in there I couldn’t even walk into the bathroom because there was crap everywhere. I’m sure my wife was looking forward to cleaning it up tomorrow, but instead she’ll have a nice Valentine’s surprise when she sees it all cleaned up and organized. For good measure I also did all the dishes and put the laundry in. Here’s the after shot:
Bathroom After

Living Room After

Kitchen After

Now I just wish that I could get a picture of my wife’s face tomorrow when she sees it all clean. The amazing thing is that seeing her happy actually turns out to be a great gift for me too.