Land's End has a very cute idea for Mother's Day: the Artwork Tote bag. We love Land's End totes for their durability and multiplicity of sizes they come in. Now you can upload your favorite photo and put it on the bag. It's a great project for the kids to give to Mom (Dad, an older sibling or a caring aunt will have to step in with the emailing the photo and paying part, of course).
The totes start at $34.50. You can go to LandsEnd.com
and it explains how to do it. It's easy and if you order by April 28th, it will make it to mom by Mother's Day.
In honor of Easter, take a look at this video of Martha Stewart and Conan O'Brien decorating Easter eggs on the 500th episode of her show. Happy Easter!
Yes, those are Peeps masquerading as sushi. This is one of the fabulous photos sent in by readers to the Seattle Times. Mark Tometsko of Seattle sent this one in (it's our favorite). See the rest of the entries here. No Country for Old Peeps is pretty hilarious, as well.
Easter is this coming Sunday and if you want to try something different for the kids' Easter baskets, the folks at Family Fun have some great ideas for fun baskets that you and the kids can make together the day before. This video from The Today Show illustrates some of the creative and fun ideas they have -- we especially like the bunny basket made with cotton balls. Even the littlest child can work on that one. Of course, she'll probably end up with a few cotton balls glued into her hair, but hey -- it's a learning experience. You can get full craft instructions at the Family Fun website.
The Today Show highlights some interesting green gift ideas in this video (a short ad plays first). Fair trade chocolate sounds like a great gift to us. As do the roses. We also like roses, lingerie and wine. Fine, we'll take one of each.
Married couple Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher write the weekly wine column called "Tastings" for The Wall Street Journal. Both were very serious journalists who at first wondered if covering wine was 'serious' enough (she covered race relations and he was the WSJ's Page One editor). But their love of wine -- and each other -- made them a success. They have written bestselling books on wine. In this video, they give some great tips for trying a sweet wine for Valentine's Day. They know wine and romance, and their picks are always worth listening to.
The Vermont Teddy Bear Company comes up with unique Valentine's Day bears each year. You might recall Vermont's Crazy For You bear that was banned a few years ago. The Crazy For You bear was wearing a straight jacket. This year some of the company's new bears include Prince Charming and Huggable Hunk - both pictured on the right. There are dozens of other Valentine-themed bears available from the Vermont Teddy Bear Company here on the their website.
The Build-A-Bear Workshop also has some Valentine's Day themed bears and stuffed animals. A couple of this year's holiday-themed stuffed toys include Hearts Fur You Puppy (pictured on the right) and Bearemy dressed as a Knight In Shining Armor. You can also visit one of their stores (usually located in a mall) and build one of the bears yourself. There you can add a customized voice message to your bear.
Once again, the killjoys in Saudi Arabia have banned
anything even remotely to do with Valentine's Day. That includes roses and anything red, pink, frilly or heart-shaped. Really.
Saudi Arabia's religious police have banned red roses ahead of Valentine's Day, forcing couples in the conservative Muslim nation to think of new ways to show their love.
The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has ordered florists and gift shop owners in the capital Riyadh to remove any items colored scarlet, which is widely seen as symbolizing love, newspapers said.
"They visited us last night," the Saudi Gazette quoted an unidentified florist as saying.
It is not unusual for the Saudi vice squad to clamp down ahead of Valentine's Day, which it sees as encouraging relations between men and women outside of wedlock, the newspaper said.
We hear that the women of Saudi Arabia are not in the least bit pleased by this absurd stance and that they simply order from the Internet if they want lingerie, high-end chocolates and other things that might be considered too "Western" by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Good for them.
Ali Larter of Heroes hangs out in a room made entirely of Godiva chocolate. She seems quite happy to be there, and why shouldn't she? She says the smell of chocolate is overwhelming and it appears that her willpower is hanging by a mere thread. Godiva pulled out all the stops to make sure that we remember that they have lots of fabulous Valentine's Day chocolate available for purchase. (As if we could ever forget!) The room is at New York's Bryant Park Hotel. One lucky shopper who buys Godiva chocolates will win a two-night stay in the room, featuring a chocolate chandelier, candles and a guaranteed spike in your blood sugar.
What people buy for their loved ones on Valentine's Day doesn't change much from year to year. Greeting cards, candy, gift cards, flowers and jewelry are still the most common gifts. That's
a True Love Heart Box full of delicious chocolates from Godiva pictures on the right. According to the National Retail Federation's 2008 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, the average consumer plans to spend $122.98 on Valentine's Day, similar to last year's $119.67. Total spending on Valentine's Day is expected to reach $17.02 billion.
Traditional gifts, such as candy, flowers and jewelry will see a slight decrease in popularity this year with more consumers preferring gifts of experience and gift cards. Almost half (48.2%) of all consumers plan to celebrate Valentine's Day with a special night out, compared to 45.3 percent last year, and 12.3 percent will give a gift card, compared to 11.3 percent last year. Greeting cards still remain the most popular choice, though the number of people planning to purchase one is down from last year (56.8% vs. 62.8% last year). Nearly 48.0 percent of consumers will buy candy, 35.9 will buy flowers and 11.8 percent will buy clothing.
Six out of ten consumers plan on celebrating this year, and of those celebrating, the majority plan on spending the most on their significant other or spouse ($79.99). The survey also found that consumers plan to spend slightly more on friends ($5.75 vs. $4.93 in 2007), children's classmates and teachers ($4.05 vs. $3.35) and co-workers ($3.02 vs. $2.40) than they did last year.
Many beloved pets are going to receive some attention this Valentine's Day. 17.2 percent of those surveyed also plan to spend on their pets this Valentine's Day. Spending on pets for the holiday is estimated to reach $367 million. Just make sure you give your pet something healthy and not chocolate which is dangerous for pets.
Men are traditionally the big spenders on Valentine's Day and they will outspend women $163.37 to $84.72 this year according to the study. Adults aged 25-34 plan on spending the most this year with the average person planning to shell out $160.37. Young adults will be the second biggest spenders, with the average 18-24 year old expected to spend $145.59, followed by 45-54 year olds ($117.91), 35-44 year olds ($116.35) and 55-64 year olds ($110.97).
You can find some last-minute online greeting card shopping resources here on ShoppersShop.com. You find Valentine's Day cards at your local retailer and online at Greeting Card Search.
Just in time for Valentine's day, Microsoft has released the
80 GB Red Zune which is customizable with a new collection of artwork. The wireless digital media player competes with the iPod. The themes for the new version of the Zune are "love and sharing" which is certainly appropriate for Valentine's Day.
The company is offering an exclusive collection of 20 new laser-engraved designs for a limited time (through February 14th).
Buyers can also
purchase special Valentine's Day playlists that can be shared Zune to Zune or via the Zune Social online music community.
"Zune gives consumers a dynamic canvas that is brought to life by the music, pictures, videos and podcasts they fill it with," said Scott Erickson, senior director of product management for Zune at Microsoft. "Zune Originals makes it easy to design a customized player, while wireless sharing and the Zune Social online music community give people new ways to connect."
The new Valentine's Day series features artwork from four new artist collectives -- Colorblok, Friends With You, PSYOP and Studio Play Pretend. With each new graphic, a buyer can also add up to three lines of text for a personal message. If you don't choose a graphic, you get five lines of text. Microsoft is offering gift wrap and free shipping.
Some of the Valentine's Day playlists include "Hip Hop Valentine," "80s Love," "Broken Love," and "Talk to Me, Barry": love jams from Barry White featuring spoken introductions.
It's a cute idea for a Valentine's Day gift.
The 80 GB Zune retails for around $249) and is available at ZuneOriginaals.net.
Shoplifting has always been a thorn in the side of retailers. But there's a new trend that's just as irritating to stores: shopdropping. Shopdropping -- also known as reverse shoplifting -- is the practice of placing items in stores that don't belong there. Religious or political messages are being surreptitiously left inside products along with fake products to fool unsuspecting customers, infuriating merchants. Sometimes the items being shopdropped are live animals, which is especially disturbing.
Self-published authors sneak their works into the new releases section, while personal trainers put their business cards into weight-loss books, and aspiring professional photographers make homemade cards — their Web site address included, of course — and covertly plant them into stationery-store racks.
"Everyone else is pushing their product, so why shouldn't we?" said Jeff Eyrich, a producer for several independent bands, who puts stacks of his bands' CDs -- marked "free" -- on music racks at Starbucks whenever the cashiers look away.
Though not new, shopdropping has grown in popularity in recent years, especially as artists have gathered to swap tactics at Web sites like Shopdropping.net, and groups like the Anti-Advertising Agency, a political art collective, do training workshops open to the public.
Retailers fear the practice may annoy shoppers and raise legal or safety concerns, particularly when it involves children's toys or trademarked products.
*****
Normally the band, the Death of Jason Brody, slips promotional CD singles between the pages of The Village Voice newspaper and into the racks at large music stores. But lately, band members have been slipping into department stores and putting stickers with logos for trendy designers like Diesel, John Varvatos and 7 for All Mankind on their CDs, which they then slip into the pockets of designer jeans or place on counters.
"Bloomingdale's and 7 for All Mankind present the Death of Jason Brody, our pick for New York band to watch in 2008," read a sticker on one of the CDs placed near a register at Bloomingdales. "As thanks for trying us on, we're giving you this special holiday gift." Bloomingdales and 7 for All Mankind declined to comment.
*****
"After Easter, there's a wave of bunnies; after Halloween, it's black cats; after Christmas, it's puppies," said Don Cowan, a spokesman for the store chain Petco, which in the month after each of those holidays sees 100 to 150 pets abandoned in its aisles or left after hours in cages in front of stores. Snakes have been left in crates, mice and hamsters surreptitiously dropped in dry aquariums, even a donkey left behind after a store's annual pet talent show, Mr. Cowan said.
Political and religious pamphlets aren't going to hurt anyone -- but dumping live animals inside a store is absolutely despicable.
Shopping and giving gifts around the holidays causes many people a lot of stress. The art of finding the right present for the right person is a tricky one, fraught with all kinds of difficulties. So why do we put ourselves through the process every year? From an evolutionary and sociological standpoint, gift-giving is a very smart thing to do. Gift-giving is actually good for your health.
Evidence is piling up (like those packages under the tree) that human beings were born to give. Their very physiology makes them do it.
Studies show that when a person gives money to a stranger or a charity, the "rewards area" of the brain gets busy. It's the same area that goes to town when the person eats a sugar cookie or finds a parking place at the mall or receives a gift of money from Ed McMahon.
Not only that, but generous people also seem to live longer and stay healthier than those "bah humbug" types, according to population studies. It's even possible (scientists are busy testing this concept now) that the more Christmas spirit shoppers have, the fewer bugs they're likely to catch during the holidays.
Gift-giving, in a nutshell, seems to improve people's health and longevity. It lifts their mood and bolsters their ego. And perhaps most important of all, it makes people beholden to one another, so that when their goose is cooked, they have friends to save their skin. Or so goes the evolutionary theory.
"The most important thing I learned in writing a whole book about human relationships is 'give more gifts,' " says evolutionary biologist Jay Phelan, a life sciences academic administrator at UCLA and co-author of "Mean Genes: From Sex to Money to Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts."
A gift doesn't have to be expensive, studies show. It really is the thought that counts -- well, the thought and the pretty wrapping.
And speaking of pretty wrapping, Teresa Nielsen Hayden has some good tips
for the gift-wrapping impaired.
An article on MSNBC.com says retailers are expecting a huge surge in gift card purchases as consumers make last-minute holiday purchases this weekend.
With only five left before Christmas, stores and malls are expected to see gift card sales soar even more as procrastinators look for quick gift alternatives for relatives and friends.
Americans are expected to spend $26.3 billion in gift cards this holiday season, up 42 percent from $18.5 billion in 2005, according to the National Retail Federation. About 88 percent of shoppers polled by the National Retail Federation said that they will purchase two or more gift cards this holiday season.
Consumers are snapping them up because they're easy to buy, they're more acceptable gifts these days, and they ensure the recipient gets exactly what he or she wants. They're also becoming more accessible to shoppers. Simon Property Group, the nation's largest mall operator, offers more than 25 card varieties.
Gift cards are easy and convenient but there are few things to watch out for. You will be charged a service fee (ranging from $2.95 to $10.95) when you purchase an American Express, Visa or Master Card gift card. Many gift cards also start to lose their value if they are not used in a given amount of time - usually after a year or more. If you receive any gift cards this year be sure to check with the gift card issuer to see how long you have before the card starts to depreciate in value. California has some gift card laws starting January 1st that are more pro-consumer.
You can find a list of direct links to some online gift card ordering pages including Amazon.com, iTunes, Fandango and SpaWish.com on ShoppersShop.com's Gift Card section. You can also find gift cards directly at any retailer's physical store. Many grocery stores and drugstores also have large racks of gifts cards for dozens of stores and restaurants.
Photo: Ian Mangiardi shops for iTunes Gift Cards at the new Apple Store on West 14th Street in New York City.
Ah, the holiday sweater. It's ubiquitous this time of year. Women who would normally dress rather conservatively have been known to don a wild sweater bearing beading, sequins and doo-dads in honor of the holidays. The New York Times
examines
the big business of holiday sweaters and makes the argument that holiday sweaters contribute to our well-being.
Sometimes, in our hoity-toity haste to malign a tradition that is seen as perfectly normal in just about every part of the country west of the Hudson River, we forget the true meaning of Christmas - and, while we're at it, the true meaning of Christmas sweaters. We may not remember that there are real, sophisticated people coming up with ideas for these things at companies like Coldwater Creek, Talbots, Marisa Christina, Quacker Factory and Berek every year, not some committee of demented elves pulling subjects at random from Santa's bag of tricks - i.e., ice-skating penguins, fiber-optic candy canes, halls-decking bunnies and so on.
And we may not consider that there is an art, if not a science, behind the intarsia.
"I truly believe that when you walk into a store and see a holiday sweater on display, it should make you smile," said Ms. McConnell, who oversees a team of about 30 designers and the development of about 3,000 styles sold through more than 300 Coldwater Creek stores across the country, in addition to its catalog and online divisions.
Holiday sweaters represent only a fraction of the company's $1.2 billion in annual sales, about 60 styles altogether, but the new designs are an important reason why customers keep coming back to its stores each year.
*****
The most important thing to remember is to be surprising and new, which is not so easy in a fashion niche with a limited field of stock characters.
Holly wreaths are over. Mistletoe is so last year.
Ms. McConnell's enthusiasm for holiday sweaters knows no bounds, declaring that that they can be worn year round, which is certainly true -- that is, if you'd like your entire family to disown you.
We think that to be really hip, you should let your dog wear the Christmas sweater. Doesn't he look cute? This particular doggie sweater is available at Amazon.com for around $13.00. After all, he has to wear something when he goes out in the cold to do his business. Why not look festive? We, on the other hand, will be in all black.
Here is a fun new tradition you can start in your home.
Elf on the Shelf is a little elf doll that reports directly to Santa Claus.
Kids can tell the elf their Christmas wishes. They may also want to
be on their very best behavior as the Elf on the Shelf has Santa's ear.
Some children also like to name their elf.
Place the little elf around your home during the weeks before Christmas.
During the holidays the elf watches children carefully during the day.
At night when the kids are sleeping the elf magically returns to the North Pole
to report to Santa Claus. In the morning the elf appears in a new place which
offers a daily hide-and-seek ritual for kids. Kids will love trying to locate the
elf's new location each morning.
Elf on the Shelf comes with a 28-page hardcover illustrated book that explains the story
and an 8-inch elf doll. The story is based on on the tradition author Carol
Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s.
Jennifer Garner was recently photographed carrying the Elf on the Shelf book so
little Violet must have an Elf watching him and reporting back to Santa. Be good Violet!
Elf on the Shelf can be purchased from the elfontheshelf.com website for $29.95. There's little time left for the elf to report back to Santa Claus this year but he could be a gift this year and then begin his reporting in December 2008.
WWD is running a unique charity eBay auction that features couture stockings from Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, Badgley Mischka, Stella McCartney, Josie Natori and Anthropologie. Each of the custom-designed stockings are also loaded with goodies. All proceeds from the custom stockings will benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels, which provides weekend and holiday meals to New York City's homebound elderly.
Cut from silk brocade and embellished with colorful beaded embroidery, and silk taffeta and fox fur frill, Oscar de la Renta's stocking is as elegant and gorgeous as his ultra-chic clothes. At Dolce & Gabbana, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana made naughty much better than nice with their decadent black silk satin stocking with white organza roses and tulle overlay. Badgley Mischka duo Mark Badgley and James Mischka were inspired by one of their lavish gowns - their extravagant design features bustled dove-gray duchesse silk satin tied with a grand bow. Animal lover Stella McCartney decorated her delightful wool and cashmere charmer with felted polar bear appliqués, and sprinkled on lots of festive sequins and Swarovski crystals. Bigger is better for Josie Natori, whose glamorous, oversize quilted silk charmeuse stocking is decorated with ornate Asian-inspired floral embroidery. As for Anthropologie's giant whimsical knitted sock - it's 54 inches tall - the store's playful designers worked in everything but the kitchen sink. (Wool sweater scraps, bamboo knitting needles, vintage silver spoons, pipe cleaners, wire, buttons, snaps and pom-poms are only a few of the accoutrements.) Featuring a detachable wool cuckoo "clock" (sorry, it's for decoration only), the stocking is the epitome of over-the-top holiday whimsy.
Here are the direct links to each stocking so you can get a closer look.
It's getting down to the wire for last-minute shoppers. Here are some of the shipping deadlines in order to get a gift to someone by Christmas:
FedEx: Saturday, December 22, 2007, is the last day to ship in time for Christmas arrival.
U.S. Postal Service: Today is the last day to send domestic mail for arrival before Christmas. Express Mail sent by Saturday is guaranteed to arrive by Christmas (Express Mail will be delivered on Christmas Day).
Amazon.com: Today is the deadline for free shipping for most orders of $25 or more. Tuesday is the deadline for standard shipping orders to arrive by Christmas Day. Last day for expedited shipping to arrive by Christmas is Saturday, December 22, 2007.
ToysRUs.com: Free shipping ends on Tuesday, December 18, 2007, for purchases over $49.
Bestbuy.com: If you place a qualifying order (meaning an in-stock item) by 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, December 20, using Standard or Expedited shipping, or by 11 a.m. ET on Friday, December 21, using Express shipping, Best Buy guarantees that it will attempt delivery on or by December 24th. If the package does not arrive on time, customers will receive a $10 or $20 Best Buy digital coupon.
L.L. Bean: Last day for free shipping to US addresses is noon EST on December 21, 2007.
Landsend.com: Standard shipping for Christmas ends at midnight ET Wednesday, December 19, 2007.
If you need information on postage rates and tracking pagkages this resource page on readersread.com will point you in the right direction.
One bellweather of the holiday shopping season is women's apparel. And using that standard, things are
looking grim for retailers. Spending on women's apparel is down 6% during the first half of the holiday season.
From high-end dresses to bargain coats, spending on women's apparel dropped nearly 6 percent during the first half of the Christmas season, compared with the same period last year, according to MasterCard Advisors, a division of the credit card company.
Analysts blamed a rough economy, which has discouraged women - and mothers, in particular - from splurging on clothing for themselves and a lack of compelling fashions this winter.
The drop-off, which the credit card company described Sunday as "surprising," bodes poorly for chains like Chico's FAS and Ann Taylor, which specialize in women's clothing, and could result in steeper-than-expected discounts on their merchandise in the final week before Christmas.
The slowdown is worrisome because women make the vast majority of purchases in retailing, and their spending is a closely watched barometer of the industry's health.
In contrast, sales of men's clothing rose 4.5 percent during the first 20 days of the season, MasterCard Advisors said.
The credit card company issued on Sunday a midseason snapshot of the crucial holiday season, compiled between Nov. 23, known as Black Friday, and Dec. 12. The numbers in its SpendingPulse report are based on the purchases of its more than 300 million American cardholders and estimates of broader consumer spending through cash and checks.
In its survey, MasterCard, which like many in the retail industry closely monitors sales trends, found that online spending had surged about 30 percent, well above the average growth this year. "If there is a star this year, it's e-commerce," said Michael McNamara, vice president for research and analysis at MasterCard Advisors.
So to sum up: women aren't buying clothes for themselves, but men are. And overall, everyone is shopping online to avoid crowds at the mall. With gas prices surging, home prices falling, and food prices rising retailers are getting increasingly nervous about holiday spending, which is a major engine of the U.S. economy
As always, there are many Christmas albums out this season. Why do stars put out Christmas albums? The San Francisco Chronicleexplains that Christmas albums make big, big bucks.
Slowly, inexorably, Christmas music worked its way back into the pop landscape until it finally reached a pervasive saturation unmatched since its heyday of '50s holidays with Coca-Cola magazine advertisements, specially decorated cartons of cigarettes and Perry Como TV specials. Even before Thanksgiving, stores and malls are now filled with twinkly, tinkly versions of "Winter Wonderland" and "Sleigh Ride." Father Guido Sarducci suggests an every-other-year moratorium on playing "Little Drummer Boy."
"I'm still sick of it from last year," he says on his protest Christmas record, "One Hundred Bulbs on the Christmas Tree Party."
A amazing parade of willing doofuses provides a steady stream of new Christmas records, without a trace of irony, wit or redemptive attribute of any sort - pure cashing in. Do you think there is any other possible explanation for a two-CD set of Christmas songs by Toby Keith?
**
Nobody makes a Christmas album unless they already have a following. It is seen as a way to extend the brand. Sooner or later, everybody who lasts long enough in the record business makes a Christmas record: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elton John, the Kinks, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Linda Ronstadt. Even hip, edgy rock acts you might think would be immune: R.E.M., the Pretenders, U2, the Ramones, Rufus Wainwright.
One reason for strong Christmas album sales is that is we do get tired of hearing these same songs over and over again and so hearing them
in a new voice can help make them seem a little different. Some people also like to buy everything their favorite artist does.
This year's big Christmas album success story is Josh Groban's album. Josh Groban's Noel has been selling like hot cakes ever since Oprah put it on her list of favorite things. Groban has been ruling the Billboard chart with three straight weeks at number one.
Some of the other artists with new Christmas albums include Michael Buble, Olivia Newton-John, Keith Sweat, Toby Keith, Pam Tillis and
Rick Springfield. Disney has an album out called Disney Channel Holiday. Yes, Miley Cyrus sings in it which is sure to drive the younger kids crazy. There are also a few unusual albums out this year like Larry the Cable Guy's Christmastime in Laryland and Psychostick's The Flesh Eating Rollerskate Holiday Joyride. Neither album sounds like it would put you in the Hollywood mood. Last year the unexpected and surprisingly entertaining Christmas album was Twisted Sister's Twisted Christmas.
Here's a list of some of the new Christmas albums out this year.
The Vermont Teddy Bear Company comes up with unique Valentine's Day bears each year. You might recall Vermont's 
The 
What people buy for their loved ones on Valentine's Day doesn't change much from year to year. Greeting cards, candy, gift cards, flowers and jewelry are still the most common gifts. That's
a 
Just in time for Valentine's day, Microsoft has released the
80 GB Red Zune which is customizable with a new collection of artwork. The wireless digital media player competes with the iPod. The themes for the new version of the Zune are "love and sharing" which is certainly appropriate for Valentine's Day.
An 
Ah, the holiday sweater. It's ubiquitous this time of year. Women who would normally dress rather conservatively have been known to don a wild sweater bearing beading, sequins and doo-dads in honor of the holidays. The New York Times
Here is a fun new tradition you can start in your home.
Elf on the Shelf is a little elf doll that reports directly to Santa Claus.
Kids can tell the elf their Christmas wishes. They may also want to
be on their very best behavior as the Elf on the Shelf has Santa's ear.
Some children also like to name their elf.
WWD is running a unique charity eBay auction that features 
As always, there are many Christmas albums out this season. Why do stars put out Christmas albums? The San Francisco Chronicle 