Not only have I never heard a woman say she wouldn’t want to see a Cirque du Soleil show, I think just about every woman I know has said at one point, “I’d like to see Cirque du Soleil!”

Click to get tickets to all Cirque du Soleil shows

Does that give you an idea for an impressive Valentine’s Day gift for your girl? Take her to see Cirque du Soleil!

What could be a more romantic gift — especially if you’re in Las Vegas and can go see “Mystère” at Treasure Island (selected 8 times as “Best Production Show” by the Las Vegas Review-Journal), or “The Beatles LOVE” at the Mirage — one of the best Cirque du Soleil shows for a Valentine’s date.

(And if you are in Las Vegas for Valentine’s Day, you’ve probably got more going on than just one show — but a Cirque du Soleil performance could be the capper!)

Cirque du Soleil performs many shows outside of Las Vegas — you can find one near you

If you think it will be hard to find a performance of Cirque du Soleil near you, think again.  They perform virtually everywhere across the globe.  Many of their mind-boggling shows appear throughout the USA, and they have international shows from Sweden to Brazil. 

As you’ll know if you’ve ever seen Cirque du Soleil (even on TV), their shows have something for everyone, from comedy to drama.  You’ll enjoy the acrobatics, feats of strength, and sexy women.  She’ll love the guys in tight outfits, romantic imagery, and outstanding music.  Virtually every Cirque du Soleil show is a gem. 

Cirque du Soleil is a company that seems incapable of creating a dud.

You may be wondering how affordable it is.  Depending on the venue and the particular show, tickets range from a low of about $75 each up to $300 or more.  For that you get one of the most spectacular live shows available — it would be a very special and memorable Valentines occasion.  (Hey, man, even a good seat at a Charlotte Bobcats game costs about $75 — and they are far from one of the best shows you can see.)

As one online reviewer said of Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère:  “Make no mistake – this is not only the best Cirque show, but the best show on earth, PERIOD.”

I recommend that you get your Cirque du Soleil tickets from TicketNetwork, one of the best online companies for getting tickets to almost any show, sporting event, concert, Broadway production, music festival, or play happening now or in the future.  As a ticket aggregator, TicketNetwork’s prices are good — oftentimes 15% lower than those of their competitors.  And they offer up to a 125% refund if there is a problem with your tickets.  In other words, they’re reliable.  They’ve been in business since 2002 and carry over 7 million tickets every day on their site.

Click here to see ticket prices and availability for all the current and upcoming Cirque du Soleil shows at TicketNetwork. 

And since you’re reading this post, I’ll let you know that you can get 10% off your purchase of $350+ at TicketNetwork using coupon code AFF$10 at checkout.  That code is good for a ticket order for any event.

Where can you see Cirque du Soleil shows in the US?

In addition to several different shows in Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil is touring with a variety of shows in many cities across the United States this year.  Here’s an alphabetical list of  US cities where you can see them perform:

• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Baltimore, MD
• Baton Rouge, LA
• Boston, MA
• Bridgeport, CT
• Broomfield, CO
• Champaign, IL
• Charlotte, NC
• Chicago, IL
• Cleveland, OH
• College Station, TX
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbia, SC
• Columbus, OH
• Corpus Christi, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Duluth, MN
• El Paso, TX
• Estero, FL
• Evansville, IN
• Frisco, TX (Dallas area)
• Green Bay, WI
• Hartford, CT
• Hidalgo, TX
• Highland Heights, KY
• Hoffman Estates, IL (Chicago area)
• Honolulu, HI
• Houston, TX
• Indianapolis, IN
• Jacksonville, FL
• Kansas City, MO
• Knoxville, TN
• Laredo, TX
• Las Vegas, NV (multiple shows and venues)
• Long Island, NY
• Los Angeles, CA
• Manchester, NH
• Miami, FL
• Milwaukee, WI
• Minneapolis, MN
• Nashville, TN
• Newark, NJ
• New Orleans, LA
• New York, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Portland, OR
• Raleigh, NC
• Rio Rancho, NM
• Roanoke, VA
• Rockford, IL
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Antonio, TX
• San Diego, CA
• San Jose, CA
• Santa Monica, CA
• Springfield, IL
• State College, PA
• St. Louis, MO
• Tulsa, OK
• Washington, DC
• Worcester, MA

That’s quite a few opportunities!  I mean, unless you’re in Alaska or someplace like Kalispell, Montana, you’ll find Cirque du Soleil shows in the US pretty accessible.

But wait!  Even if you are in Kalispell, Montana, you can go up to Edmonton, Canada and see a Cirque du Soleil show there…  (Well, OK, maybe it would be easier to head down to Salt Lake City.  But no effort is too great for your Valentine gal, right?)

You can get tickets to Cirque du Soleil shows from TicketNetwork for performances in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, too.

Now, when it comes to quality, which show is the best Cirque du Soleil performance to see?  As I suggested above, you really can’t go wrong with any of their shows.  However, when considering a Valentine’s date, I might suggest “Criss Angel Believe” at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas (a dramatic magic show — and, you know, women like Criss Angel).

Cirque du Soleil – Dralion is also excellent — especially for those who appreciate athletic prowess and eastern cultural elements — and that show is playing nationwide. 

Finally, you might consider seeing “Michael Jackson – THE IMMORTAL World Tour.”  This would be a great choice as a Valentine’s Day gift.  The show is touring all over the United States (for example, it’s playing today, February 7, in Saint Louis, and there are shows surrounding Valentine’s Day in Houston, New Orleans, and Tulsa).

Would your significant other enjoy this show?  Here’s what one woman who reviewed Michael Jackson – THE IMMORTAL World Tour wrote about it online:

“I’m speechless about this show. The perfection of Michael Jackson meets the perfection of Cirque choreographers. It was moving, thought-provoking and a brilliant homage to the late great Michael Jackson.  I want everyone to go see this show. Hope it comes out on video.”

And guys have written similar glowing reviews.  This is probably one of the best Cirque du Soleil shows ever — and that’s saying something.  So, yeah, it’s a good bet this show would make a good Valentine’s gift for your girlfriend or wife. 

Or someone you’d like to make your girlfriend or wife. 

Need more evidence?  Below is a video preview of “Michael Jackson – THE IMMORTAL World Tour” by Cirque du Soleil:

 You could give a gift of a Cirque du Soleil show happening any time this year…

If you want to give a Valentine’s gift of a Cirque du Soleil show but the schedule doesn’t work out so that you can attend the show in February (for example, the Michael Jackson World Tour doesn’t come to Ohio until June, 2012), just get the tickets and give your Valentine sweetie a card that lets her know that you’ll be taking her to see Cirque du Soleil a little later on.  That way, you can give the gift and she’ll have time to enjoy the anticipation — which is never a bad thing. 

Be sure to get her a nice Valentine’s Day card.  If you don’t have a good greeting card shop near where you live (I mean, come on, the supermarket?), click here to go to Greeting Card Universe and custom design a unique card just for her.  She’ll like that.

And I’d suggest you add some chocolate to the gift package as well.  Get her zChocolat — some of the best chocolate in the known universe.  Cirque du Soleil and chocolate for Valentine’s Day:  can’t-miss gifts for a man hunting for a memorable Valentine’s Day offering.

 And if you’re a woman reading this and you have a Facebook account or Google+ account, just go to the sharing buttons below and click the +1 button or “Like” this post on FB — maybe he’ll get the hint. 

Let the romance begin…

Related posts:

1. Sure, Your Mom Would Appreciate Flowers for Mother’s Day — But What About Something Sorta Different?
2. One Thing Humans Agree On is Flowers…

Getting a good discount at Perry Ellis online right now is pretty simple.  Just click the link below.  Perry Ellis is one of the most popular and stylish men’s clothing brands, known for well-made, innovative menswear.  It will fit your active lifestyle and help you look sharp.

Just use the link here to shop and save money…

=> Click here to shop the PerryEllis.com semi-annual suit sale; get suits starting at just $119.48, plus additional savings on shirts and ties. Ends March 27.

Click to get this Plaid Scarf from Perry Ellis at 50% off

At left is one of the men’s accessory items you can find at Perry Ellis — a Plaid Scarf in warm tones of black and brown.  This scarf normally goes for $40, but shop right now and you’ll get it for $19.99.

Perry Ellis’s “brother” brand, Original Penguin, is also offering good deals on men’s active-wear and casual clothing.   Get 30% off using code OPSALE30 at checkout at Original Penguin.  Shop shirts, ties, hats, shoes, and more.  This 30% discount is good online only and ends March 30, so click the link to check it.

Perry Ellis Men’s Shirts

Perry Ellis is known for quintessentially-American men’s shirts — dress shirts and casual shirts.  You can get an extra 40% off now on well-made Portfolio shirts for the office — 100% cotton in solid colors.  Most are priced at $50 – $60, so you’ll be getting them now for around $30 or less. This is a good chance to stock up!  Click the blue Perry Ellis text link above to get my special affiliate-only additional 40% off using code PRPE40AF.

Much More Than Shirts — Suits, Jeans, Shoes, Etc. — A Complete Men’s Clothing Store Online

Of course, Perry Ellis carries a complete line of all types of men’s clothing and accessories, so you can shop for coats and sweaters, stylish blazers, ties, jeans, dress pants, underwear, shoes, slippers, socks, belts, cufflinks, sunglasses, wallets, watches, suits, resort wear, and more.  (Check the video below to see examples of what’s new from Perry Ellis.)

Perry Ellis currently has savings of 30% off all watches when you use coupon code WATCHES30 at checkout.

Women’s Clothes at Perry Ellis, too (plus Rafaella)

But what’s more, Perry Ellis does not just sell men’s clothes and accessories on their site.  They also offer something for women:  swimwear!  Now, you may debate the merits of buying a swimsuit in winter — unless you’re traveling to Mexico or Hawaii, in which case it’s important — but I don’t think a guy would ever argue with the wisdom of a woman having plenty of bikinis and beachwear.  So, click here to get 50% off all Perry Ellis swimwear using code PESWIM50.

And if you’ve got a gal pal (or you are a gal) who wants to shop for additional women’s clothes at good prices, go to the site of Perry Ellis’s sister company, Rafaella Sportswear, where you can get everything on the site at 35% off for a limited time, no code needed.  Tell your fashionista buddies about this sale.

Or, if that 35% site-wide deal at Rafaella as expired, you can still get all dresses for $39.00 at Rafaella Sportswear using code DRESS39AF.

Anyway, back to men…

Shop now and save on well-made men’s attire and tons of accessories from Perry Ellis.  If you don’t need anything personally, does someone you know have a birthday coming up?  And don’t forget Easter and Father’s Day…

I figure you would regret it if you didn’t take advantage of this sale — after all, you have to wear clothes at some point, right?

Perry Ellis on Vimeo.

Related posts:

1. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 3 – Pat Perry Tee from Chrome
2. Father’s Day: Get Something Good for Your Dad (or Yourself)

It’s ten days until Mother’s Day, guys.  You’re thinking, geez, should I get my mom flowers again?  Nothing wrong with flowers (and if you go with flowers for Mother’s Day, use Fleurop, the world’s most extensive flower delivery service), but why not surprise her with something a little more exotic?  How about some beautiful handmade turquoise jewelry from Nepal?  You can get Turquoise Teardrop Jewelry — a necklace, earrings, or a set of both — from the international collection of gifts at the National Geographic Store.

Click to get Turquoise Teardrop Jewelry at National Geographic Store

The Turquoise Teardrop Necklace and Earrings are artistic and graceful (just like your mom), and come out of the ancient jewelry-making tradition of the Shakya clan, which in ancient times dwelt in the foothills of the Himalayas and had their capital city located in what is present-day Nepal.  The Shakya were known for their skill in metalwork.

You’re probably aware of the importance of turquoise to the Navajos, but did you know that it has been an important stone to ancient cultures throughout the world?  In Tibet, the sky is referred to as “the turquoise of heaven,” and most Tibetans own at least one piece of turquoise jewelry.  The Anasazi Indians believed that their ancestors first entered the world through a cave that is now a famous turquoise mine in New Mexico.  As early as 3100 BC, the Egyptians made jewelry out of green turquoise; the Egyptian name for turquoise (mefkat) was synonymous with “joy” and “delight.”  The Aztecs inlaid turquoise with gold, malachite, jade, and other semi-precious materials and used it to make ceremonial masks, knives, and shields.

This classic teardrop design from the National Geographic Store is a modern rendering in sterling silver and turquoise of a shape used by the Shakya to help one focus on one’s spiritual intentions.  These handmade earrings and necklaces are works of art, yet are very reasonably priced.

The National Geographic Store partners with artisans from around the globe — but particularly in economically- and politically-challenged areas — to produce products for their customers that will reflect the highest standards of craftsmanship and quality, while simultaneously helping provide a stable income to areas beset by instability.  Their products are thus a win-win for their customers and the artisans with whom they work.

Here are two more interesting jewelry designs from the National Geographic Store that would also make excellent, thoughtful gifts for Mother’s Day:

Click for Kashmiri Floral Bangles

These Kashmiri Floral Bangles are made by artisans in the mountains of Kashmir using an advanced form of papier-mâché.  Richly-colored local pigments and gold accents are then used to paint traditional floral, paisley, and bird patterns on each bracelet.  You get 5 lightweight bangles for only $29.

Get your Mom a truly unique necklace

If your mom is into history, archaeology, or truly one-of-a-kind jewelry, she will appreciate this Ancient Roman Coin Necklace.  The  artist who makes these necklaces uses Roman coins from the second to fourth century A.D., each one depicting a Roman emperor of the era.  The coins are set in sterling silver and can be worn with either side facing out.  Who was the last person to spend one of these coins?  Was it used to purchase a dagger?  A basket of grain?  This is living history.  And where else can you find items like this but at the National Geographic Store online?  Of course, they have many more jewelry designs to choose from, so check them out.

Everything they sell is unconditionally guaranteed.  You (or your gift recipient) must be satisfied with your purchase or you can return or exchange it.  From high-tech to classical-tech, they have a huge selection of fascinating, educational, unique, and beautiful products from around the globe.

Would you like more gift ideas for Mother’s Day?  Then see my post on out-of-the-ordinary Mother’s Day gifts.

Related posts:

1. Costume Ideas and Deals for Halloween — or Whenever
2. A Valentine’s Gift Sure to Please Her

Sweet!  Easter is the time of year when most people indulge their craving for Peeps, the popular, chick-shaped marshmallow candy that has been hatching at about this time for over 50 years.  Marshmallow Peeps are a classic American candy, have inspired a cult following, and now appear in numerous variations — including tasty Chocolate-covered Bunny Peeps that you can get from Chocolate.com, one of the best places to get all kinds of scrumptious chocolate online.

You can order these Chocolate-covered Peeps today and have them in time for Easter.  (But even if it’s after Easter, why not get some anyway?  You know you want to.)  Of course, as a guy, you don’t eat Peeps, right?  (wink, wink)  So get them for your girl.

These Easter Bunny Chocolate-covered Peeps are made by the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company of St. Louis, Missouri.  They take 8 innocent bunny-shaped Peeps and smother them with their award-winning milk chocolate, creating one of the sweetest, most luxurious marshmallow candy treats you can find.  Customers come back for these year after year.  Here’s what one customer review stated at Chocolate.com:

“Please take my word for it…  You will be loved from the receiver of a gift from a fine place like this… even if it [is] yourself!  10-star rating… easily!”

There are other positive and even more coherent reviews for these Chocolate-Covered Peeps at Chocolate.com.  The bottom line is that this sweet, marshmallow-chocolate Easter treat will be a hit, whether you scarf them all yourself or get them for your family or a loved one.  You can get 8 chocolate-covered, bunny-shaped Peeps for a sale price of $11 right now from Chocolate.com.

Peeps Lore

Did you know that Peeps are born — er, manufactured — by the Just Born company right here in the USA?  Just Born has been making iconic American candy for over 80 years.  In 1953, they acquired the Rodda Candy Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which was well-known for its jelly beans. Coincidentally, Rodda had a small side-line making marshmallow candy called Easter Peeps, which they produced by hand-squeezing marshmallow through pastry tubes.  Bob Born, the son of Sam Born, who founded the Just Born candy company in 1910, figured out a way to mechanize the marshmallow-molding process and the rest, as they say, is Peeps history.  (You can’t really beat a product name like “Peeps,” can you?)  Today, 4.2 million Marshmallow Peeps march out of Bethlehem, PA every day.

The Born family apparently has candy-making in their veins.  Sam Born, the founder, who emigrated to the US from Russia, invented a way to mechanically insert sticks into lollipops.  He might have been the first to put a hard chocolate coating on ice cream bars.  Sam’s successors invented HOT TAMALES candy in 1950.  And the company is being run by members of the Born family to this day — definitely an American success story.

Think of all that the next time you run across a package of yellow Peeps or snowman Peeps or Valentine Peeps.

By the way, here’s an interesting factoid you can impress your colleagues with when you’re waiting to board a plane at the airport:  Marshmallow was originally made from the mucilage obtained from the roots of the marshmallow plant, which is indigenous to Africa, and grows in damp areas such as, well, marshes.  The root extract was mixed with honey by the ancient Egyptians to use as a treatment for sore throats.  In fact, various parts of the marshmallow plant have been used medicinally by a number of cultures.  But it was the French (of course) who figured out a way in the 1800s to whip it into the more candy-like substance we’re familiar with today.  Nowadays, there is no marshmallow root in marshmallow candy — it consists of gelatin and corn syrup and dextrose and other stuff that might not be too good for you, but who cares?

Actually, if you get some Chocolate-Covered Easter Peeps from Chocolate.com, at least you add some of chocolate’s healthy properties.  Although that’s not the main point, is it?

Chocolate.com success

Chocolate.com is another American success story.  In business for about 6 years, they gather artisan chocolate makers from around the globe and make their products available in one huge online chocolate emporium.  Most of the small chocolate shops associated with Chocolate.com are located in the US, so when you buy from them you know you are supporting small businesses and family-owned enterprises (just like Sam Born started in 1910).  And you’re supporting chocolate!  Chocolate.com brings together some of the most passionate, skilled, chocolate-making artists in the world under one online “roof” and makes their best products available to you.  They have a blog and a Chocolate-of-the-Month Club that you can check out.

Of course, it being Easter, you should explore some of their other delicious offerings for the holiday.  As well as other times of the year…  Chocolate knows no limitations of time or menu.  It’s just one of those things that makes life fun.  Like Peeps.

And, because you’re you, here are some deals…

Get 15% Off Select Gifts at Chocolate.com With Code GIFT15!

Free Ground Shipping on Select Gifts at Chocolate.com

Related posts:

1. Find Your Chocolate Heaven
2. Sure, Your Mom Would Appreciate Flowers for Mother’s Day — But What About Something Sorta Different?

What will please your main squeeze?  In a word — jewelry.

Freud asked the question, “What do women want?” and apparently never came up with a satisfactory answer.  Millions of other guys have continued to ask that question, particularly on Valentine’s Day.  Are you having trouble figuring out an answer?  Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not that hard — there is a can’t-miss Valentine’s gift that will have your significant other expressing passionate gratitude to you.

If only a guy like Frank Harris could have sat down with Freud over a drink and said, “Look here, Sigmund, I know exactly what women want.  There’s no mystery,” we wouldn’t have all this second-guessing about satisfying feminine desire.  (By the way, Harris was born in 1856 – the same year as Freud — only Harris was born on (hey!) February 14.)

Yes, there is no mystery.  It’s known what women want.  They want jewelry.

Preferably diamonds.

Of all the options for a Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetie — flowers, chocolate, perfume, etc. — jewelry is number one, and diamonds the jewel of choice.  They really are a girl’s best friend (thanks, Marilyn Monroe).  Below are some excellent jewelry options from some of the best jewelry merchants in the world.

Your girl wants a gift that will both celebrate and enhance her desirability and femininity.  Jewelry fits the bill — and diamonds, being one of the highest-status adornments, particularly so.  She wants to feel not only acknowledged, but treasured, as a woman.  She appreciates a symbol that tells her that no woman is more important to you than her.  Diamonds do that — though sapphires, rubies, and emeralds work well, too.  For whatever reason, women “get” the significance of precious jewels more vividly than the average guy.  Why?  Well, maybe it’s the advertising — but we know that a woman like Cleopatra was as gaga over jewelry as, well, Lady Gaga.  Basically, women’s lust for jewelry is one of those constants, like gravity, or the Yankees winning the pennant.

So get your girl jewelry for Valentine’s Day.  She will really, really like it, Freud notwithstanding.

Diamond Stud Earrings

Now, statistically, as I said, diamonds are your best bet.  And the easiest and most versatile style of diamond jewelry to get — something she can wear just about any time, or to dress fabulously on special occasions — are diamond stud earrings.  Following is a choice selection of diamond stud earrings, in order of price.  These will do the trick.

Princess cut diamond stud earrings from Katarina

Here are some one-fifth carat diamond stud earrings set in 14K white gold.  These are from Katarina, an online jeweler that specializes in a wide range of diamond jewelry and is known for good customer service.  These studs are elegant without being overly ostentatious and they won’t put a hole in your budget big enough to drive an armored truck through.  Your girl will be pleased and impressed.  But if for some reason she decides she’d like something a little different, Katarina has a 30-day return policy (unlikely to be used).

Moving up a bit in quality, these round brilliant cut diamond stud earrings are quarter-carat designs (pictured at left) that are a step up in color and clarity than those described above and thus a little more pricey — but still won’t break the bank.  (For those who care about such things, the color is G-H (near colorless) and the clarity is SI2-I1 (slightly included to included).)  They are set in 14K white gold and are, again, from Katarina.  They are a nice size and the round cut complements just about any look, from jeans to a little black dress.

Diamond Flower Earrings in White Gold from Allurez

Finally we have these beauties from Allurez:  Diamond Flower Earrings set in 14K white gold.  These are by jewelry designer Morris & David, known for their historically savvy yet modern designs that are carried in upscale department stores throughout the USA (and favored by a number of Hollywood celebrities, among others).  These earrings each contain 7 brilliant cut diamonds arranged in the shape of a flower.  The 1.19 carats of diamonds are set into white gold and are a quarter-inch wide — a stunning pair of earrings with which to grace your lovely lady.  The dealer, Allurez, is located in the heart of New York City and is known for their high-quality jewelry and custom designs (including the capability to create your own).  Their prices are good (for example, the diamond flower earrings here are discounted 48%)  and they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They have a selection of hundreds of jewelry designs for men, too, so do some exploring of their site while you’re getting your Valentine gift.

Custom-made Jewelry

As I said above, diamonds are (statistically) a girl’s best friend — but maybe your girl is interested in things that are a little more iconoclastic than mainstream diamond jewelry.  Well, we’ve got you covered there, too.  For the woman who looks for unusual expressions of creativity and personal style, there is jewelry from Gemvara.

White gold & black diamond "Naked Pave Petite Pendant" from Gemvara

For example, at left is the white gold and black diamond “Naked Pavé Petite Pendant” from Gemvara (a pavé is a piece of jewelry with stones set very close together).  This pendant necklace is just one of hundreds of customizable designs at Gemvara.  For example, if you didn’t like this with black diamonds, you could have it set with white sapphire or lolite. Instead of gold, you could use silver for the setting.  Or you could change the shape entirely. And you can accomplish all this customization online at Gemvara’s site.

Gemvara has rapidly become well-known among jewelry connoisseurs for its large selection, creative designs, high quality, and attention to what its customers want.  For example, the “Naked” collection of jewelry from Gemvara debuted on the red carpet at this year’s Emmy Awards and appeared on the runway at Spring 2012 Fashion Week.

Matt Lauzon, Gemvara’s founder, must be doing something right — he was named one of Inc. magazine’s “30 Under 30 Coolest Young Entrepreneurs.”

Give Gemvara a look — if you create a unique piece of jewelry for her, just imagine how that will go over!

Alternatively, get a gift card for your sweetie from Gemvara and she can design her own piece.

When you get jewelry for her from Gemvara  — either something made by one of their own designers in the U.S. or something you create yourself — you will impress her with your thoughtfulness and knowledge of quality jewelry.

Besides, what could be more impressive than a gift you design yourself?  Click the banner below to explore the options at Gemvara.  They have a ton of cool designs priced around $100, which will leave you enough to get a really good bottle of wine.

Designer Jewelry

The next source of unique designer jewelry I want to recommend is Wishgiving – fine jewelry with spiritual intentions mixed in.  Wishgiving is the brainchild of designer Vanessa Leu, who combines eastern cultural influences, shapes and materials from nature, and precious gems to create elegant, one-of-a-kind jewelry that has generated significant buzz in the jewelry and fashion worlds (and has been worn by actresses on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes).

For example, here is one of Vanessa Leu’s multifaceted pieces of wearable art:  Cranberry Baroque Pearl Bracelet.  This bracelet consists of baroque pearls (each one unique) in a cranberry shade strung together with sterling silver.  As is true of most of the jewelry at Wishgiving, no two of these bracelets are alike.

Or your girl might like a Green Sapphire Necklace with a miniature heart:

Explore all the Valentine options at Wishgiving (and more).

If you’d like more in-depth info on jewelry and what it signifies, see my post entitled “The Jewels.  It’s All About the Jewels.” That post also provides further options for buying jewelry online, including additional items from Wishgiving.

More Valentine’s Gift Options

Okay, I’ve been going on about jewelry and, you know, I’m right about it being about the best Valentine’s Day gift you can get.  But it’s not the only Valentine’s Day gift you can get.  Most women are sensualists at heart when it comes to their other senses, too, and in keeping with that, I want to mention another option for your consideration:  perfume.  Think about it:  it also fits the bill with respect to accentuating and enhancing her femininity and, for some women, the realm of fragrance is a gateway to a world of passion.  And Valentine’s Day is about nothing if it’s not about passion. 

In addition to the previous link, you can explore various scent options for her at Perfume Emporium (shop now and get $5 off a $20 order using code KL1966) or FragranceX (see the banner below).

After all, can’t Valentine’s Day be a multifaceted expression of love and lust?  In that respect, you can also consider chocolate and lingerie.  Combine them all and she won’t know what to do with herself.

Shop well and thoughtfully at one of the merchants above, buckaroo, (and expedite shipping) and your Valentine’s present(s) will be a passport to a passionate reward that she will be happy to bestow.

Related posts:

1. Mother’s Day Gift Ideas: Turquoise Jewelry and More from the National Geographic Store
2. She said: “The jewels. It’s all about the jewels.”

Halloween is when you’ll want a costume most often, but that doesn’t mean the costume parties and balls end there (hey, maybe you just want to patrol rooftops in your favorite superhero outfit or do some role-playing with the missus).  “Whenever” can be a good time to wear a costume.  Find costume ideas and discounts for Halloween and more in this post.

Read carefully and explore all the links…

Any time you need a costume, you should check with the online retailers listed here — BuyCostumes, Costume Super Center, and Wicked Temptations.  They offer a huge selection, good prices, special deals, and excellent customer service (I wouldn’t recommend them otherwise).  The next time you need a Halloween or other holiday costume, or you’re going to a Renaissance Faire, or attending a costume ball, take advantage of the following ideas, resources, costume information, and party suggestions.  I’ve included a number of specific costume ideas, plus you can find targeted links to a variety of popular or unusual categories of costumes.

And this goes for your kids, too.  You can definitely save money while acquiring outfits that will make everybody happy.

Messin' with Sasquatch

First, below is a link to the current Halloween special from Costume SuperCenter, which has been supplying costumes (and meeting everyone’s needs for wigs and masks, beards, stage makeup, Santa suits, western wear, goth getups, and pet costumes) online since 2005, and currently stocks over 10,000 products.  Click the following links to save some money:

Click here to get 10% OFF Orders of $40 or More at Costume SuperCenter.  Use Code: SPOOKY

Enter the coupon code — SPOOKY — at checkout.

When you take advantage of this deal, you might want to check out this season’s sexiest costumes.

The next costume retailer you should be shopping at is BuyCostumes.com. (For example, get free shipping and guaranteed by Halloween delivery.)  Hitwise named BuyCostumes the #1 retailer of costumes on the Internet, and they have a deserved reputation for great customer service and unsurpassed selection, with over 10,000 costumes from which to choose.  They also offer a free exchange program — if the costume doesn’t fit, they will pay for the shipping cost to exchange it.

For Halloween, here’s one of the main deals:   Buy One Costume, Get One 20% off, plus FREE shipping at BuyCostumes.com using coupon code: BOGO20.  (Enter the code at checkout; good through 10/31/11.)

They can also supply all the props and decorations you need for your Halloween Party.  When it comes to saving money, check out their clearance costume deals.  Or check out their “5 Deals Under $5″ page, updated every Monday (click the banner below):

Costume Ideas for Halloween — or whenever

When it comes to popular costumes, BuyCostumes should have what you want in stock longer than just about anybody else:

• Harry Potter
• Star Wars
• Avatar
• Playboy
• Superheroes
• Vampires
• Pirates
• and Rennaissance

And of course, Ironman:

Click for Iron Man costumes

And you owe it to yourself (and her) to get the Black Widow costume for your lady (remember you can buy 1 costume and get a second one for 20% off, plus get free shipping, using coupon code BOGO20):

Iron Man 2 Black Widow Costume

How about vintage costumes?

Not really sure what you wanna be?  Need inspiration?  Then check out their Costume of the Week.   Or consider costumes from the ’20s, ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.  (Who else offers that?)  They even have a special section of product videos, so you can see how they’ll look before you buy.

Click for horror masks

In addition, speaking of ideas, you can find out how to put together a cool Trinity costume from The Matrix, and also how to dress as Neo in my post Get Your Girl a Trinity Costume.

Here’s a site that is not for your kids:  Wicked Temptations.

They have what you need to have fun with your fantasies — whether it be pirate and slave wench or doctor and vampire nurse, or whatever.  After the trick-or-treaters are home gorging on candy, add some adult fun to your Halloween evening with your own trick-and-treating…

I'll need to see what you're hiding under your coat, ma'am

And if you’re going to an erotic ball, Wicked Temptations has what you need.

Check out ideas for costume parties for kids and adults below — click the links for hundreds of additional costume suggestions…

Related posts:

1. Get Your Girl a Trinity Costume (and Neo, too)
2. Mother’s Day Gift Ideas: Turquoise Jewelry and More from the National Geographic Store

Don’t get me wrong — flowers are good and you know she’d love them.  But why not go outside the conventional bounds and give her something rather different and memorable?  Here’re some ideas…

Okay, if you’re committed to flowers, let’s get that out of the way first.  You can still order in time for delivery for Mother’s Day (you do know it’s on May 13, right?).  You can get them from Fleurop, the most extensive flower delivery service in the world (I said “extensive” not “expensive”).  If you live in Poland you can order on Fleurop’s website and have them delivered to someone in Argentina.  Or Nigeria.  Or Iceland.  And of course the United States.  And vice versa.  I’ve written previously about Fleurop’s history and scope in my post on humans and flowers.  To order, click the text link above or the banner below.  And if you are in the UK (or you mom is), you can order from Fleurop.co.uk.  Get 15% off an order using code 2012MD15 at checkout (through 5/31/12).

Now for some different suggestions…  How about some customized Chuck Taylor shoes from Converse?  I’ll bet you didn’t know you could design a pair.  Or she can.  Women are into Chuck Taylor’s now.  The easiest thing would be to go the Converse site and get your mom a gift card (everybody likes gift cards) and she can design her own pair (on the site, click “Shop” and you’ll see Gift Cards under “More”).  Or she can choose something else cool out of their selection of apparel.  You can have the card mailed. Or send it as an e-card, so it’ll be sure to be on time.  Or you can order something like the limited-edition Missoni woven print sneaker.  Lots of options, and she’ll like any one of them.

Of course, when it comes to women (and moms are women, remember) clothes are always in order.  But rather than get something ordinary from the local discount department store, how about something from Fossil?  Not what you’d ordinarily think about for Mother’s Day, but that’s the idea.  They have cool items and they’re offering free shipping on orders over $100.  Need a specific suggestion?  How about a Stella watch, a ceramic watch, or jewelry?  And there’s always gift cards.

A good Mother’s Day gift is something your Mom would not ordinarily get for herself.  Perhaps she wishes she had more time to read books but her busy life keeps getting in the way.  There’s a solution for that:  Audible.com. 

Audible.com is the premier online provider of digital audiobooks and audio entertainment.  Now, instead of having to sit down to read that bestseller she’s been yearning after, your mother can listen to it on her MP3 player, iPod, iPhone, Kindle, Blackberry, or Android device, among other options.  Obviously, this means she can listen while exercising, riding the bus, or any other multi-tasking opportunity.  Audible.com offers over 100,000 titles in many different genres.  Books, speeches, radio broadcasts, and more can be purchased separately or through an economical monthly membership.  Entertainment, self-improvement, and education at your fingerstips! (Or ear tips.)

Finally, she can catch up with her friends and read (listen to) The Hunger Games! 

And right now, you can get the first 3 months of membership at Audible.com for just $7.49 a month (regularly $14.95).  This entitles you to one audiobook per month, a free digital subscription to The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, and ongoing discounts on Audible.com products.

Click for The Hunger Games audiobook from Audible.com

How about some great food from Spain?  That’s right, Spain.  This is not Mexican food, this is Spanish food, and the place to get it in the U.S. is La Tienda, a business that imports lots of delicious and one-of-a-kind products from Spain.  Their site deserves careful exploration.  And their food merits appreciative dining.  Maybe you can’t cook for your mom, but you can still give her something really tasty.  And unique.  They also have cookbooks, cookware, and beautiful ceramics, among many other things.

But let’s get back to customization.  How about making her a one-of-a-kind product at Zazzle?  You can make her a T-shirt, tote bag, apron, greeting card, mouse pad — they have almost 40 different products to choose from.  Use one of your own digital photos.  Go to Zazzle’s “Create” page and have at it.   You can add your own text, too.  Or, if you can’t quite come up with your own design, Zazzle has over a billion products to choose from, plus the Artsprojekt and Labz specialty sites (see the links in the top bar on their site).  Use the Zazzle search bar to search on one of your mom’s interests and lots of product options will appear.  You can often customize these products, too.  Or you could try my Zazzle store (it’s got women’s clothing).  You can select expedited shipping to make sure it arrives on time.

When’s the last time your mom had a nice vacation?  You can get her a gift card to BedandBreakfast.com and she can select from more than 4,000 B&B’s and other lodgings around the U.S.  and Canada.  Imagine the fun she’d have choosing a place to go and stay.  She could go with your dad, her BFF, or have her own adventure…  They’re offering a deal for Mother’s Day, too — 10% off using this code:  BBMOM10.  See details at the site.

If not a vacation, how about an event?  You could treat you mom to a show or concert.  Just go to TicketNetwork to select from a huge array of current and upcoming events.  How about Wicked?  Or Cirque Du Soleil?  Or Sting?  TicketNetwork has good prices (usually lower than the competition — such as 15% off Broadway ticket orders over $200 with code BWAYSAVE15 through 6/15/10) and good customer service.  And if she’s a sports fan (baseball — save 10% using code MLB2010 through 6/15;  or tennis, anyone?) they’ve got that covered, too.

And if you send her on a trip or to an event (or even if you don’t), she might want to have some new luggage or a new handbag.  Fortunately, eBags, probably the best one-stop shopping spot for getting things to carry stuff in, has some good deals going.  Explore their site.  You could start by checking Mother’s Day handbag suggestions.  

Corona Ergonomic Pruner

But maybe your mom wants to stay closer to home…  Does she like to garden?  How about a nice Corona pruner?  (Corona makes some of the best forged tools.)  Click the image to the right or here to find them for a discount at BIC Warehouse.

They feature a forged, heat-treated bypass blade.  The angled head reduces wrist fatigue.

Does she like to bird-watch?  How about a pair of binoculars from Cabelas?  These Bushnell 10×42 All-purpose binoculars should fit the bill.  And they’re not expensive.

Is she into “green” living?  Then you’re sure to be able to find something for her at GreenandMore, which carries a ton of environmentally-oriented products, gear, and things for the home.

How about music?  Fortunately, I have just the thing:  Bach’s Goldberg Variaions, played by Glenn Gould, an absolutely legendary recording.  Everybody likes the Goldberg Variations.  Or find something else out of a selection of 500,000 works at CD Universe, including movies and television shows.

Maybe your mom is a reader, too.  So how about a magazine subscription?  It’s the gift that keeps on giving every month…  And not just any magazine subscription, but a discounted one.  You can get great prices on a big selection of magazines, including many 2-for-1 offers, at University Subscription Service.  It’s the only way I subscribe anymore.  The prices are consistently the lowest I’ve found and the customer service is good.  Just don’t get your mom Popular Mechanics (unless she’s a DIYer).  She’d probably enjoy Elle, Smithsonian, Self, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, or any of a hundred others.

Does she enjoy wine?  Then she would appreciate a bottle that you can personalize with a label just for her (and ratings of the wines help you choose).  Or choose from over 600 products at Wines.com.  There is no mininum order and prices start at $10 a bottle.

Click to see the caviar selection at Mackenzie Ltd.

And to go with that wine, how about caviar, or another gourmet food item, from Mackenzie Ltd., one of the best sources of gourmet food on the web?  They import only the best foods from around the globe.  They have chocolate, too.  And I’m talkin’ good chocolate.

And then, of course, there’s a camera.  Mothers like cameras because, for some reason, they always want to take a picture of you.  So help her out.  An outstanding place to find all things photographic is J&R Computer/Music World, New York’s legendary, block-long electronics store.  Great prices and excellent customer service.  You can order and get expedited shipping to have it there by this weekend.  They have a ton of other Mother’s Day gift suggestions as well.

Speaking of suggestions…  If none of the preceding ideas has grabbed you and you’re still wondering what to get, try Overstock.  They carry millions of products and they have a convenient suggestion page for Mother’s Day gifts (something they provide for every holiday).  Of course, their prices are second to none — and their suggestions are okay (not as good as mine, but not bad).  And shipping is only $2.95 on your entire order.  Give them a try.

If you want still more suggestions and discount deals (for example, Best Buy is offering some special promotions) that I didn’t have the space to include here, go to my GOOD DEALS AND OUTLETS page (for future reference, the link is in the top menu bar).  I’m continually updating it with coupons, best-buys, closeouts, interesting products, sales, discounts, and promotions from the best vendors.

Hope this has helped.  Just as dads appreciate something besides a steady stream of neckties, moms like variability, too.  It shows you put some thought into it.  Though, of course, you know she won’t complain about flowers…

And for any moms who’ve happened to run across this post…  Happy Mother’s Day!  Are your kids sort of clueless?  Then share this post on your Facebook page or elsewhere with one of the social bookmarks below, or forward the URL.  Who knows — they might just get the hint.

Related posts:

1. Father’s Day: Get Something Good for Your Dad (or Yourself)
2. Want to Help the Japanese Economy Recover? Shop at Rakuten

Now that chocolate has been officially labeled as “healthy,” you can have as much as you want.  Not that that really made a difference to those of us who enjoy it — we would have had some anyway.  Here’s where to find some of the best chocolate in the world and realize your own chocolate paradise.

Yes, chocolate is delicious, but the discovery that chocolate contains important antioxidant compounds known as “phenolic phytochemicals” has exorcised the aura of guilt that used to surround this sensuous food (did you know that some women prefer chocolate to sex?).  So it’s been removed from the realm of “candy porn” and transformed into “health food.”  Who would have guessed such an agreeable turnaround would occur?

Well, Woody Allen, for one.  He anticipated the discovery of chocolate’s benefits by decades in his movie Sleeper.  (We’re still waiting for the updated word on cigarettes.)

Get 10% Off at Chocolate.com with code “MYCHOC10″ (enter code at checkout) through 12/31/12

Chocolate has been on my mind lately.  (Not that it takes too much prompting for me to think about it.)   Easter is coming up and it occurred to me that there are two “candy-centric” holidays each year:  Halloween and Easter.  Eating sweets is an essential part of both celebrations — trick-or-treat candy for Halloween and an Easter Basket for Easter.   These holidays are about six months apart.  I guess that gives candy fans enough time to recover from one before indulging in the next.  Wouldn’t want to overdo it, right? 

Except, since chocolate is good for you, why wait?  Whether you enjoy a chocolate bounty twice a year or give in to your craving daily, the opportunities to partake of great chocolate have never been better.  There’s so much good chocolate available that it will take you years to sample a respectable portion.   And new offerings being created all the time.  And it’s healthy!  Below are some great online sites to satisfy your hankering for chocolate.

Chocolate.com

Chocolate.com is the dedicated marketplace for some of the finest chocolate from around the globe.  In just a few short years, Chocolate.com has gathered together an outstanding collection of 208 individual chocolatiers under one online umbrella, selling an unparalleled selection of chocolate-based candy and other foods.  Their website is vast, well-designed, entertaining, functional, and intriguing. 

Among other services, they offer customized chocolate gifts, where they design and make chocolate in a shape of your choosing, with your logo or text printed or engraved on it.  They can handle any size of gift from corporate to individual.  They also have an extensive collection of articles about chocolate.  Early in their history they affiliated with Chocolatier Magazine (which became Dessert Professional after merging with Pastry Arts) and the writers have created many articles for Chocolate.com. If you want to learn about the uses, history, nutrition, composition, and many other aspects of chocolate, browse through the articles section of their website.  (For example, if you read through the articles, you would find that chocolate does, in fact, grow on trees — the cacao tree, specifically — and that the scientific name for the tree derives from a Greek word meaning “food of the gods.”)  

Chocolate.com also includes an extensive collection of customer reviews of their products, which is helpful when searching for just the right chocolatey thing, either for yourself or someone else.  They offer products that are vegan, organic, kosher, and fair-trade, all easily searched for and clearly described.  They are also known for their excellent customer service.

In other words, if it has anything whatsoever to do with chocolate, Chocolate.com probably has it.

Their website rewards careful browsing (and you can sign up for their newsletter and receive a $5 gift certificate).  Here’s an example of some of their goods:

Mavrakos Marshmallow Eggs from Chocolate.com

You’ll find maybe the best marshmallow eggs you’ve ever tasted from Mavrakos Chocolates, a legendary St. Louis confectionary, which disappeared for awhile (along with these eggs) but is now resurrected.  I’ve had these eggs myself (and given them as gifts) and they really are good.  Apparently the Mavrakos name inspires fond memories in those in and around St. Louis.  Here’s what one happy customer wrote:  “I recently made a trip back home to be with family and was in Dierbergs when I came across a table display with Mavrakos boxes.  I nearly fainted right then and there.  I was so excited, like a kid in a candy store (no pun intended…he he).  I immediately grabbed a big box of Pecan Burrs and held them to my chest and wonderful memories came flooding back.”

Everybody likes Peeps for Easter -- especially when covered with chocolate

Speaking of chocolate and marshmallow reminds me that Chocolate.com is offering quite a variety of candy for Easter.  For example, how about chocolate-covered Peeps?

Right now, you can also get 10% off your order at Chocolate.com using the code EASTER10 at checkout (the field to enter the code appears on the last page of the checkout process).  This is for a limited time, of course.

There are too many great chocolatiers on Chocolate.com to do them justice here; you’ll have to explore on your own.  But just to whet your appetite a bit more, how about Enjou Chocolat?  Started in 1983, Enjou Chocolat has become known as New Jersey’s best chocolate shop — in fact, they were voted Best Chocolate Store in New Jersey Life Health & Beauty Magazine’s “Best of NJ” issue.  They have been featured on Bobby Flay’s TV show “Food Nation” and the founder, Wendy Taffet, lectures on chocolate throughout the state.  They are particularly known for their custom-shaped chocolates.  For example, you might like to try their decadent Chocolate Champagne Bucket and Bottle — that’s right, a champagne bottle made of milk chocolate in a dark chocolate bucket surrounded by truffles (pictured at right).  Whoa.

See all of Chocolate.com’s vendors on one page here.

By the way, you can also find cookies, cakes, brownies, and fudge at Chocolate.com.  And if you know a chocolate lover, what better gift than a subscription to the Chocolate of the Month Club?

Savorique

Savorique is similar to Chocolate.com in that they aggregate many products, but instead of focusing only on chocolate, they include gourmet and specialized foods from around the world.  The common denominator is high quality — which means their sources for chocolate are the best:  artisanal confections from some of the most creative, cutting-edge chocolatiers around.

Gnosis Passion Truffles

For example, there is Gnosis Chocolate, which is dedicated to making the finest organic, raw chocolate using exotic, nourishing ingredients from a number of countries.  One of their best creations is their Passion Truffles, which use the fruit of the theobroma cupuaçu, a relative of the cacao (cocoa) tree.  Cupuaçu is one of the new “super-fruits” gradually coming to the forefront in the search for the most nutritious foods on the planet.  Not only is it good for you, Gnosis Chocolate’s rendition is delicious.   Their truffle recipes also include blue-green algae, coconut oil, and camu camu berry, all organic.

Here’s a video on the health benefits of cupuaçu:

That’s not all that Gnosis Chocolate offers, of course.  They have a variety of chocolate bars and their Hot Chocolate Elixir. 

Here’s a video of Vanessa Barg, founder of Gnosis Chocolate, describing how she goes about creating her luxurious yet healthful products:

Knipschildt Chocolates Signature Collection

Another indication that Savorique goes only for the best is Knipschildt Chocolates, voted one of the top 3 chocolates in the world by Gourmet Magazine.

When you open the box (made of handmade paper) of Knipschildt’s Signature Collection Chocolates, you know just by looking at them that you are in for something special.  Knipschildt uses only all-natural ingredients and each batch is made by hand.  Their chocolates are intended to be a multi-sensory experience.  If you can bring yourself to share these with someone else, don’t be surprised if they say it’s the most delicious chocolate they’ve ever tasted.

Knipschildt makes chocolate art.  And that is reflected in their Eve Kitten Designer Chocolate Bars , featuring images of Gotham’s so-called Lingerie Superhero (creation of designer Nancy Bacich).  Whatever her genesis, she tastes good.

Another unforgettable product from Knipschildt is their Chocolate Quail Eggs – 18 hand-made eggs in a carton (with straw).  They’re made of  white chocolate surrounding a milk-chocolate nougatine center.  Can you say “impressive Easter gift?”  But why just have them at Easter?

Knipschildt Chocolate Quail Eggs -- mmm...

Christophe Artisan Hand-Painted Truffles

Another premier chocolate company Savorique partners with is Christophe Artisan Chocolatier, one of the most artistic of all the chocolate-makers found at Savorique — and indeed, in the world.  If you want hand-painted truffles, Christophe makes them.  Want flavors such as star anise and cappuccino cheesecake in your chocolate?  Christophe does that, too.  Here’s a distinctive gift from Christophe that should get you remembered:  the Christophe Artisan Hand-Painted Chocolate Truffles, containing a variety of truffles featuring such flavors as milk chocolate ganache with orange, white chocolate mango-rum ganache, earl grey tea infused in dark chocolate, and creamy gianduja ganache.  This is indeed a 5-star collection and a work of art.

TCHO Chocolate Bar Luxury Gift Box

Each of the chocolatiers at Savorique has an intriguing story to tell about their company, none more so than San Francisco-based TCHO Chocolate.  Founded by Louis Rossetto, who was one of the original founders of Wired magazine, TCHO (pronounced “cho”) combines hands-on design of its rich chocolate products — from working with the beans to creating recipes to state-of-the-art manufacturing — with a high-tech approach to controlling its production and lab facilities.  It uses an iPhone app to remotely control bean-roasting time and temperature at its facilities in Peru and Madagascar.  How cool is that?  The company has supplied wireless weather stations to cacao farmers so they can understand how climate affects bean fermentation.  TCHO is known for the high quality of the cocoa beans it uses, as well as the unique “flavor profile wheel” it has created to enable customers to easily find their preferred chocolate flavors.  TCHO has rapidly established itself as one of the premier chocolate-makers in the country and has become the private label chocolate supplier to Starbucks.  And it is one of the featured chocolatiers at Savorique.  Try their Luxury Gift Chocolate Bars.  Or any of their other products.  Of TCHO’s chocolate, renowned confectioner Michael Recchiuti was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle as saying:  “The flavors in their chocolate are really robust, which is good.”  I think you’ll agree that it’s very good.

Rounding out the chocolate companies I’m highlighting from Savorique is Vosges Haut-Chocolat.  They are the epitome of exotic.  This is not your grandmother’s candy.  They include such ingredients as bacon (but then, anything tastes better with bacon), wasabi, curry, hemp seeds, olive oil, chillies, and exotic roots, spices, and flowers.  Savorique carries a good selection of chocolate bars from Vosges.  They bear such fascinating names as Black Pearl Ginger Wasabi Dark Chocolate, Barcelona Salted Milk, and Creole Bittersweet.  Heck, just go ahead and get the whole Vosges Chocolate Bar Assortment Pack and figure out which are your favorites.

You could spend awhile just sampling all of the Vosges products from Savorique.  (Did I mention the Mo’s Bacon Milk Chocolate Bar?)  But you’d just be scratching the surface because they have over 20 superlative chocolate makers, each with a number of unique and exquisite products.

If you’re looking for a gift and having trouble deciding among all the choices, you can use their “Chat” function to ask one of their customer rep’s a question.  You can also recommend a favorite supplier through their suggestion box.

After the chocolate, there are  all the other dessert items from Savorique to try (cakes, cookies, etc.), not to mention the caviar, cheese, wine, condiments, and other products from around the world.  And they have a blog you can read.  You’d better get started.

Romanicos

Next on the list of the best chocolate sites is Romanicos Chocolate.  Romanicos is a chocolate shop located in Miami, Florida that has built an outstanding reputation among chocolate connoisseurs.  About.com named them one of the top 10 online chocolate shops (their truffles were a particular favorite).   Miami New Times newspaper named them Miami’s best chocolate shop in 2006.  And CNN Money chose them as one of the 10 best small chocolate companies.  One claim to fame Romanicos has is that founder Alejandra Bigai, who grew up eating Venezuelan chocolate ( some regard Venezuelan cacao as the best in the world), has figured out how to make rich, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate without using butter.  So Romanicos confections are scrumptious but can have as few as 35 calories per piece.  All the ingredients are fresh, natural, and the chocolate is made by hand.

Alejandra Bigai has a background in art and it shows in the beautiful design of her products.

Miami Sushi Chocolate from Romanicos

Here’s one I particularly like:  Miami Sushi Chocolate, which is a box of chocolates made to resemble sushi.  Not only is it delicious, it’s visually amazing.

They are also known for their extensive gift options, such as the mixed-truffle Cube Truffles Box (pictured below), which includes 12 different flavors of chocolate truffles (great for sharing) — all for $85.

Romanicos also produces a full line of chocolate bars, including Cayenne Pepper, Wild Cherry, Sea Salt and Soy Beans, Japanese Ginger, and Mission Fig.

And then there are the beverages — hot chocolate blends such as spicy dark, signature dark, and ice cold.  You don’t have to just eat your chocolate, you can drink it, too!

Click to see hot chocolate blends from Romanicos

 Romanicos has been featured on the Food Network more than once.  See the video below to get an idea of how they approach their chocolate art.  And then order something from them.  After all, the best way to keep chocolatiers like this available is to vote with your dollars.  The prices are reasonable and the quality is out of this world.  (Plus right now you can get free shipping on orders over $55.)

Equal Exchange

We’ll complete this tour of the best portals to chocolate heaven with a company that’s a little different — Equal Exchange.  They began as a Fair Trade specialty coffee company, importing coffee from Nicaragua.  Their intent was to support small, organic farmers — and to revolutionize the way food is produced and distributed around the world.  Twenty years after their founding, they are now partnering with co-operative farmers globally, including in the United States, and have expanded their product line to include Fair Trade chocolate, teas, and snack foods.  They continue to support small farmers that use sustainable farming methods and their business model remains consumer- and worker-oriented.

So what’s the bottom line with respect to chocolate?  The bottom line is that they offer some of the finest Fair Trade Certified chocolate and cocoa available anywhere.  In their “eating green” guide, Bon Appetit recommended Equal Exchange chocolate (the only brand they singled out) and said in particular they loved their Very Dark Chocolate Bar.

Equal Exchange hot cocoa is the number one selling organic hot cocoa in the U.S. (they also have spicy cocoa and baking cocoa).

Their organic chocolate bars are some of the best yet lowest-priced bars you can find online and they contain up to 80% cacao (which, as you know by now, means extra amounts of chocolate’s health-enhancing properties).

So give them a try.  Right now, they’re offering free shipping on orders over $75.  Note that their minimum order online is $25, which increases production and shipping efficiency (and they’re all about sustainability).

They also have gifts:

In general, remember when you order chocolate from any of the vendors reviewed here that it is perishable and so must be shipped relatively quickly, so you’ll sometimes pay a bit more for shipping (unless you buy enough to qualify for free shipping) in order to ensure it arrives in good condition.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this survey of the world of chocolate.  Chocolate is a global phenomenon, a food that people are passionate about, not only because it’s good for you but because it symbolizes love, captivates the senses, and is one of nature’s most rewarding gifts (the “food of the gods”).  Which of the products here will you try first?  Leave a comment below.

If you have found something interesting or useful here on Best Stuff for Men, please consider making a donation, so others can benefit, too.  Thanks!

Related posts:

1. Get Sweet Chocolate-Covered Peeps for Easter
2. An Easy Place to Find Gifts for Guys Is at “Presents For Men”

I posed a question to my female friends on Facebook:  what Valentine’s gift would you most like  – flowers, chocolate, lingerie, or jewelry?  I got a number of responses, but one of them pretty much summed up the majority.  “The jewels,” she said.  “It’s all about the jewels.”

The results were pretty definitive:  women love to receive jewelry from their guys.  So, while your sweetie may really appreciate flowers, lingerie, or candy, the bottom line is you simply can’t go wrong with jewelry — on Valentine’s Day or any other day.

But why?  Have you ever thought about why women enjoy jewelry so much?

 There is just something impressive about precious gems, gold, and silver. They don’t call face-centered, cubic-crystalline-structured allotropes of carbon a “girl’s best friend” for nothing.  And diamonds aren’t even the most precious mineral. Flawless rubies are rarer.  And more valuable still (per carat) are alexandrite and jadeite.

Often more important than what the jewelry is made of, however, is how it is made — a wonderfully-designed necklace or bracelet of semi-precious stones and cleverly-wrought metal can be more appealing than a gaudy but aesthetically less-pleasing design incorporating diamonds.  It’s all a matter of taste.  Still, beautifully-designed jewelry that features one or more of the “big 5″:  diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls (technically not a ”precious stone”) is always going to be impressive. 

And it’s been that way for thousands of years of human history.

No human society has ever been found that does not adorn the body.  What is more, all bodily adornment has some type of significance.  In the case of jewelry, the meaning is clear:  we associate ourselves with some of the rarest, purest, most beautiful substances found on earth.  Gemstones sparkle like stars. Thus do we enhance our splendor.  They also last longer than any natural object.  Thus do we increase our importance.  Spiritual meanings are ascribed to jewels as well.  The gem-studded crowns of kings and queens were as much about channeling esoteric “power” as they were about material status.  All jewelry has meaning.

And thus, the wearer of jewelry – which women seem to instinctively understand better than men – becomes more precious, more important, more beautiful.  That is the message you send when you wear jewelry.  Or give it as a gift.

I have been hunting for places on the Web that I can recommend where you can go to find great jewelry for that special person.  I’ve found a couple.

B2C Jewels

 The first is B2C Jewels.  “B2C” stands for “Business to Consumer,” which means they provide wholesale prices to you, saving the middle-man markup.  They have been diamond wholesalers for over 20 years and their website has become one of the most popular online sources for elegant jewelry at great prices.  They offer loose diamonds and the capability to design your own ring online.  They also offer lookalike jewelry similar to that which famous celebrities have worn for thousands less than the originals you see on the red carpet.  They have educational info on jewelry-buying and an online chat feature so you can ask questions.  They also support the Kimberly Process that works to halt the trading of “conflict diamonds.”

I am impressed with their customer service and pricing.  And their selection is quite good.  On their homepage, click on “View Media Page” in the right sidebar to see video news features and coverage of B2C Jewels from such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Redbook, and Modern Bride.

Here are some of their products:

 Are you planning on proposing soon?  They’ve got you covered for that, too (click the text link):
Perfect Engagement Ring for Your Valentine

 Here’s my other recommendation for excellent jewelry…

Wishgiving

Wishgiving.com is jewelry artist Vanessa Leu’s site.  She creates unconventional designs inspired by a variety of sources — nature, literature, music, the philosophy of Lao Tzu – and each piece is intended to “deliver blessings” to the wearer.  Her interesting designs, which incorporate a variety of precious and semi-precious stones and symbolic emblems, have caught on with discerning jewelry buyers and have been worn by actresses who have appeared on Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes.  The business is dedicated to sound environmental practices, including making jewelry boxes from 100% recycled material and obtaining silver for their pendants from recycled silver from film processing.

Here is a sampling of what they offer:

Fluorite Pendant Necklace, Oval Cut, from Wishgiving

Leather Wrap Bracelet/Necklace - White and Peach Pearls

See also:  Handcrafted Birthstone Jewelry and Zen Jewelry.

 Click the banner below to browse through all the unique designs from Wishgiving:

 From these outstanding jewelry sources you should be able to discover something excellent to adorn your significant other.  Her smile will let you know you chose exactly right.  (It’s all about the jewels, remember.) 

And now that you understand jewelry’s significance in conveying a message, you should consider some for yourself.  Both B2C Jewels and Wishgiving have cool items for men.  After all, you’re uniquely valuable, too.  Express it.

Related posts:

1. A Valentine’s Gift Sure to Please Her
2. Mother’s Day Gift Ideas: Turquoise Jewelry and More from the National Geographic Store

…even guys.  Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or just a plain old Thursday, flowers are always appropriate.  And here’s one of the best ways to get them.

You could hardly find anybody who thinks flowers are not beautiful.  When it comes to discussions about what constitutes beauty, flowers are one of the few things immune to exclusion.  Other items are not so clear cut.  You can argue about whether many things are or are not beautiful.  For example, is a Hummer beautiful?  How about a chicken?  A bleached skull?  Whether something possesses “beauty” often has to do with the meaning we ascribe to it.  For example, men think women are beautiful.  And, generally, men think race horses are beautiful.  But the associated feelings are quite different.  The same goes for mountains or fountain pens. Different, but somehow beautiful.  Some things we get picky about.  We like most mountains, but not all fountain pens.  Some men think some women are not beautiful — that is, they apply exclusionary criteria.  Some men tend to be more generous to things like horses or trees than they are to women when it comes to considering aspects of beauty.  (The saving grace is that some man, somewhere, will find any particular woman lovely.  And vice versa.)

Here I digress to note that, historically, we find many animals beautiful.  Have you ever seen an ugly wolf?  An unattractive eagle?  (But don’t ask ranchers about those two.)  Kind of makes you wonder:  do animals think humans are beautiful?  They might, but what we know for sure is that humans are the only species that depicts other species as objects of inspiration or reverence.  (Consider the 16,000-year-old cave paintings of Lascaux.)  I wonder if animals think flowers are pleasing to look at… 

Maybe bees and hummingbirds.

What is for sure is that people of all ages and backgrounds, from a toddler picking a dandelion to Don Vito Corleone among his roses, enjoy flowers.  It seems to be instinctual.  Their sight and scent accompany our most important social occasions (marriages, funerals, fundraising banquets) and they are tokens of our most significant emotions.  Humans have surrounded themselves with flowers for thousands of years.  We even name our children after them.  No one ever complains about “ugly” flowers.

For whatever reason, we just love the external sexual organs of flowering plants.  And why not?  Sex is good.  Without sex, neither we, nor flowers, nor animals would be here.  That’s life.

And life is good.

So, flowers are a nice thing to share on special occasions or on no particular occasion.  And if you want to use them to brighten someone’s day (especially hers), or to add beauty to someone’s life, this company is about the best I have found:    Fleurop.

A brief history of Fleurop

In 1908, a florist in Berlin, Max Hübner, founded an association of flower merchants to serve an expanded customer base.  In 1910, a group of 15 American florists agreed to serve each others’ out-of-town flower delivery requests exchanged via telegraph.  This was the beginning of FTD:  Florists’ Telegraph Delivery, which adopted the wing-footed Mercury as its symbol in 1914.  In the meantime, Hübner had met and fallen in love with the proprietress of a flower shop in Zurich, Switzerland.  He married her and moved to Zurich and in 1927, applying the experience of his own association and inspired by the success of FTD, Fleurop-Interflora (Fleurop is an abbreviation of Flores Europae) was founded in Zurich by Hübner to expand flower delivery througout Europe.  A similar association was begun in Great Britain.  In 1946, FTD (which had changed its name to Florists Transworld Delivery), Fleruop-Interflora, and Interflora British Group merged.  Fleurop continued to expand its services and they are now the largest floral company in the world, connecting about 58,000 carefully-selected florists world-wide, with a flower-delivery network that spans 150 countries, including North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Carribean, and South America.  For over 80 years, they have delivered the finest floral products and applied the best principles of customer service. 

That’s why, if you want to deliver flowers anywhere in the world, you use Fleurop.

And now…

For flowers any time, anywhere:

A dozen 5-foot-long roses make a pretty darn spectacular gift: 

You can find something anyone will like, including gift baskets, chocolate, jewelry, and champagne…

Related posts:

1. Sure, Your Mom Would Appreciate Flowers for Mother’s Day — But What About Something Sorta Different?
2. Mother’s Day Gift Ideas: Turquoise Jewelry and More from the National Geographic Store