Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts That Help Others, Too

Every year, I ask my mother what she wants for Mother's Day, and she always gives me some vague response about not needing anything and how doing something for someone in need would be better.

Well now I can still give her something AND help others.

Some of you know that I am a March of Dimes mom, and as a result I like to look for ways to help raise money for this organization. Right now, there are two excellent opportunities to buy a beautiful Mother's Day gift and support other mothers who may not get to be with their babies this Sunday.

Red Envelope is offering this beautiful necklace for Mother's Day: a mother and child embracing, formed from a single, unending loop of silver. I received one of these from the March of Dimes, and I can't even begin to express how lovely it is. I've already received several compliments on it, and looking at the design reminds me of those nights when each of my daughters were babies and I cradled each of them in my arms as I rocked them to sleep.

The pendant is 3/4" tall and the chain is a very fine silver chain with a lobster clasp. 10% of each necklace goes directly to the March of Dimes.

If the mom in your life is fond of flowers, consider a purchase from ProFlowers. They deliver across the United States, and feature not only pretty floral bouquets, but also cookies and sweets, gift baskets, and potted plants. (My mom is getting a potted plant - she loves to garden, and one more plant to take care of will be a welcome gift.) Many of their floral bouquets start at $19.99.

Any purchase made through this ProFlowers link will give $10 to the March of Dimes. You have to use the specific link for the March of Dimes to get the $10 donation.

This Mother's Day, consider not only the best gift for mom, but also how that gift might serve as a gift to someone else as well.

A Valentine's Day Gift With Staying Power

Have you seen the crush of red and pink filling stores recently? I've never been one for pink, so I try to avoid the aisles of cheaply made stuffed animals, boxes of chocolates I've never heard of, and lots of perfumes that would make your nose hairs retreat.

In other words, a bunch of stuff you're likely to throw away months from now.

If you're looking for a gift that won't be forgotten by July 4, look no further than Planet Jill and their collection of beautiful photo jewelry. They have photo lockets, pendants, bracelets, and keychains - all elegant and available in a choice of silver or gold.

I wore my 2-piece engraved photo locket necklace to Blissdom this weekend, and I can't count the number of times people noticed my necklace and commented on how lovely it was. The photo I chose for this locket was of Cordy and Mira at Christmas, and I loved having that happy image so close to me while I was so far away from them.

If you have a guy who spends a lot of time on the road or at work, Planet Jill's keychain or cufflinks might be the perfect gift to remind him of his favorite people back at home.

Planet Jill also features home and office photo gifts, including trinket boxes, letter openers, magnets, and paperweights.

I can't say enough how much I love this necklace. The folks at Planet Jill took care of everything - all I had to do was e-mail them a photo and the initial to go on my locket. They took care of making the photo black & white and editing it to look best in the frame.

Planet Jill is offering readers $10 off your order by using the code mommyblog when checking out. Even if you've already got that Valentine's Day present all picked out, it's never too early to start shopping for Mother's Day, right?