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[P634]Presents For Mothers Day

by Louie Lucillio, Lou

A lot of people experience mental blocks when they think about what to buy Mom for Mother's Day. They tend to get her the same sort of things year in and year out. such as flowers or candy. Now, there's nothing wrong with flowers or candy, but has it ever dawned on you that Mom's just a tad bit sick of of getting the same old same old every year? Well, if not, consider this article a wake up call. (Not for nothing am I America's most celebrated holiday e-book author!) Yes, this year, let's try something different. How about a nice electronic present for Mom? And don't worry, man; you can trust me when it comes to gifts for Mom, because I live in my Mom's basement! Here are some great ideas.

1. mp3 player. You may not know it, but if your wife or mother doesn't have her own mp3 player, she's at very high risk of becoming a social pariah. You've got to solve this problem ASAP!. Do you want everyone in town pointing and whispering when she walks by? Hearing her called things like "weirdo"? Yeah, well, maybe you wouldn't mind, but I guarantee you Mom will mind. Don't let it happen to her. Don't let her walk out the door one more time without owning her own mp3 player. That way, when people talk about her, it won't be about how behind the times she is, but how thoughtful her son or daughter is!

2. High Definition TV. Do you really love your Mom? Of course, you'll say you do. But do you really, really love her? If so, then you'll do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn't get arrested for rampaging in the streets next year. What am I talking about? Here's what - early next year the new law kicks in making all TV stations switch to digital only programs. If your Mom isn't ready for the change, there's likely to be a bit of unpleasantness. Don't let that happen. For this Mother's Day, get her a new HD television or a converter box for her old one.

3. Satellite radio. Unless your Mom speaks Spanish, or enjoys teeny bopper music, or gets off on 15 straight hours of some blowhards foaming at the mouth about politics and how America is going to heck in a hand basket, there's probably not much for her to listen to when it comes to local radio. There might be one or two stations, but that's about it, and that's not much choice. But with a satellite radio receiver, she can choose from hundreds of genres and formats, most of which are commercial free. And you can get her a receiver for the car, for the home, or a sport receiver for jogging, etc.

4. Get her a nicer computer. Hey Ma, welcome to the 1990s! Ha! Just kiddin' a little there. Just about every adult in America has a computer and uses it these days, and I assume your wife or mother is no exception. But both hardware and software become superseded by better, faster, more powerful versions at a very rapid rate. If her computer is more than a couple years old, she probably needs an upgrade or a whole new system. More memory, more storage, a faster processor, etc.. And if she's got one of those old style monitors, she'd love to get one of the newer flat screen ones. They're so much nicer, and they get cheaper all the time. So what are you waiting for?

5. Get Mom a nice compact home stereo system. The advances in audio technology the past few years have been absolutely incredible. You might've grown up thinking that small meant low quality and poor sound, and back then you were right. But not anymore. Forget the huge component systems and speakers the siize of a recliner. That stuff is history. Now good audio comes in small packages. Check out names like Klipsch and Henry Kloss if you doubt it. Not only is high end audio much smaller than it used to be, it's also much less expensive. So no excuses, cheapskates!

6. Digital camera. Like most Moms, I'm guessing that your mother has one or more children? Am I right? I thought so. And, if she's like most Moms, she loves to take pictures of her kids and/or grandkids. (Not my Mom, though. For some reason, she seems to think she has plenty of pictures of me and doesn't want anymore. In fact, no matter how many photos of me I give her, she always says no thanks. Go figure.) Well, how about getting her a snazzy new digital camera? Like everything else, they're getting better and cheaper every year, so if she already has one, you might be able to give her a much better one.

7. Gourmet coffee machine. Is your wife or mother a big customer of these fancy coffee shops that are springing up everywhere these days? And I do mean everywhere - some churches now have Starbucks! They're taking over the planet! (Heck, I wouldn't be surprised to see one the next time I visit the county probation office.) No doubt these shops make great coffee. But with a gourmet coffee machine of her own, your wife or mother could do the very same thing at home for a lot cheaper. You can find these machines at wholesale clubs, specialty stores, online sites, etc.

Women generally like perfume shopping, but it's a rare man that can endure it. Engage the help of a female family member, if possible, since she actually likes to go perfume hunting. And make no mistake, you're on the hunt.

If you know the scent you want, half of the battle is won but only half. Be aware that perfume is not just perfume anymore. There are lots of diverse fragrance products on the market. You can buy scented creams and lotions, fragrant soaps and shower gels, bath products, and solid perfume along with all kinds of perfume and colognes.

Let's start with creams and lotions. These are sometimes sold with fanciful names like "body butter" or "souffl?" or other intriguing names. This is an emollient cream for moisturizing the skin that carries the scent of the perfume. These are great products for women who like lotions and for anyone with dry skin.

If your mom has dry skin, get a fragrant cream or lotion. Scent in liquid form does not last long on dry skin, so if she wants to wear fragrance she'll have to moisturize. And why not apply fragrance at the same time?

That doesn't mean you should not also get fragrance. One trick in the world of perfume is the art of "layering," that is, using multiple vehicles to apply the scent.

Scented shower gel is very popular with sporty women, those who might shower in the middle of the day (such as after an afternoon workout or tennis game), and busy women who just like to be efficient. Shower gel with fragrance is just that: it's soap that leaves the fragrance on your skin. Perfumed soap does the same thing, but for some reason, it's considered a bit old-fashioned.

Now as you start looking at the perfume itself, start to notice what it's called. There is a big difference among perfume, eau de parfum and cologne and not just in price.

Perfume (sometimes called parfum) is the richest stuff available, any way you look at it. It has the highest percentage of scent to carrier, so it's strongest, and it's the most expensive. It also will last longer and rarely is more than the tiniest bit necessary. A small bottle of perfume will last much longer than a larger bottle of cologne.

Besides, perfume sounds great. To a perfume lover, perfume is like the Rolls Royce of the fragrance world. Buy this to impress your mom.

Eau de parfum is next on the list and this is always written and said in French (oh-duh-par-fam). It is a notch below perfume in the luxury scale but very potent and wearable. Some fragrance lovers prefer a specific type of product, but most women are pretty flexible.

Cologne is the weakest of the bunch, often with just a small percentage of scent to carrier. It does not cost as much, but your mother will have to put it on a few times during the day to maintain the scent. Still, cologne is fun if you're active, don't mind re-touching, or just want to sample a new scent without making the commitment that a bottle of perfume seems to imply.

In-between eau de parfum and cologne is the unfortunately named toilet water, also sometimes called eau de toilette (which doesn't sound a whole lot better).

Which should you pick? If your mom has a specific preference, obviously, you should go with that. Perfume is definitely the most wonderful of all, but you want to be sure she loves the scent. If you're guessing at what she likes, go with a cologne or eau de parfum.

There is a lot to pay attention to as you navigate the perfume department. Perfume almost never goes on sale. It's not a discount item. The best you can do-and you may wrangle one of these around Mother's Day-is a package deal. Sometimes manufacturers will sell a gift set at a bargain price by combining shower gel and cologne or an eau-de-parfum with a lotion. This is actually a nice arrangement, since layering fragrance works well for most women with dry skin (and the older you get, the more likely it is you'll have dry skin).

What scent? Well, that's a hard question. If you know what your mom likes either get that or ask a knowledgeable perfume clerk (and there are many of them, believe it or not) to recommend similar scents. If you happen to know that your mother likes spicy fragrances (that's a type of perfume), a knowledgeable sales clerk can direct you other fragrances in that same family.

Perfume salespeople will let you sniff some samples but after more than two or three, you can find your nose getting confused. For a big honeysuckle perfume, try Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder. Obsession by Calvin Klein is a great classic and it's one of the world's great floral scents. If you think your mom would like something tropical and youthful go with Sunset Heat by Escada. Does your mother favor roses and softer, feminine scents? It's hard to beat Very Irresistable by Givenchy. Want an update on an old classic? Go with Pure White Linen by Estee Lauder. Another favorite of mine for Mother's Day is Tresor by Lancome. It's a classic scent that just about everybody likes.

Copyright (c) 2007 Joanna McLaughlin

Article Source : The Two Parent Family

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Both Louie Lucillio & Joanna Mclaughlin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Louie Lucillio has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family. Louie Lucillio is THE authority when it comes to unique Mother's Day gifts. For tons of one of a kind suggestions for your Mom or wife this Mother's Day, get a copy of his. Louie Lucillio's top article generates over 1600 views. Bookmark Louie Lucillio to your Favourites.

Joanna Mclaughlin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mothers Day, Perfumes and Social Issues. Joanna McLaughlin is a freelance writer who lives in the United States and writes about fragrance. She admits she wears too much perfume and her work appears frequently in. Joanna Mclaughlin's top article generates over 14800 views. Bookmark Joanna Mclaughlin to your Favourites.