Getting half off at Perry Ellis online right now is pretty simple. All you have to do is use the code “PESAVE50″ and you’ll get 50% off on anything and everything on their site.  Perry Ellis is one of the most popular and innovative men’s clothing brands, known for their stylish, well-made clothes — menswear that will fit your active lifestyle and creative expression.  And through December 19, they are offering everything on their site at half off using the coupon code above.

Just click the link below to shop and start saving…

=> Click here to shop at PerryEllis.com and get 50% off everything when you use code PESAVE50 at checkout <=

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

At left is an example of just one desirable item of clothing that you can find at Perry Ellis now — a Plaid Scarf in warm tones of black and brown.  This scarf normally goes for $35, but if you shop today and apply code PESAVE50, you’ll get it for $17.49.

And that goes for EVERYTHING on their site!  Apply the code in the shopping cart when you check out and your entire purchase will be discounted 50 percent.

Perry Ellis Men’s Shirts

Perry Ellis is, of course, known for quintessentially-American men’s shirts, both dress shirts and casual shirts.  You can get half off now on well-designed shirts for the office — 100% cotton, flatteringly-tailored shirts in solids, plaids, and stripes.  Most are priced at $50 – $60, so you’ll be getting them today (through December 15) for $25 – $30. This is a good chance to stock up!

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 clothes, so you can shop for coats and sweaters, fashionable 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 for 2011 from Perry Ellis.)

Like I said:  it’s like your favorite men’s clothing store suddenly announced a store-wide half-off sale.

Women’s Clothes, Too (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:  bikinis!  Now, you may debate the merits of buying a bikini in winter — unless you’re traveling to Mexico or Hawaii for the holidays, 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.  So, be assured, those are half-off, too!

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 at 40% off for a limited time with code RFL40.  Tell your fashionista buddies about this sale.

Or, if that 40% site-wide deal at Rafaella has expired, you can get 30% off 2 items (use code SAVE30); 40% off 3 items (code SAVE40); or 50% off 4+ items (code SAVE50) at Rafaella Sportswear.

Anyway, back to men…

Shop between now and December 15, use code PESAVE50, and save on well-made men’s attire and tons of accessories from Perry Ellis.  If you don’t need anything personally, are you done with Christmas shopping?

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. Win a $10,000 Shopping Spree at High-End Fashion Clothing Store SSENSE

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 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.

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 — so explore various scent options for her at Perfume Worldwide (or click the banner below for FragranceX).

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 9, 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 10% off an order for a spring bouquet using code SPRING11 at checkout (through 4/30/11).

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 “Buy” and you’ll see Gift Cards under “Clothes and 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 Jack Purcell garment-dyed 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 overnight shipping on orders over $100 (through 5/5).  Use coupon code MOM100 during checkout.  Need a specific suggestion?  How about a Stella Bright watch, a ceramic watch, or jewelry?  And there’s always gift cards.

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, is letting me offer you a couple of deals in May.  Get 10% off plus free shipping on a luggage order over $100 using coupon code COMJGRADS.  And get an extra 15% off handbags using coupon code COMJMAYBAG.  (These coupons expire on May 31.)  Luggage-wise, see the Skyway Sigma Expandable Carry-On – $49.99 (58% Off) + FREE SHIPPING!

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 Real Goods, which carries a ton of environmentally-oriented products and gear.

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.)

5% Off Sitewide at Chocolate.com with coupon code MYSPRING! (until 6/30/11)

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?  Unless you simply want to heighten your sense of gratification by making it a rare occurrence.  Regardless, 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.  Get some for Easter, and beyond.  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-chocolate Cube Box (pictured below), which includes 12 chocolate truffles, 12 chocolate art pieces, and 12 truffle bites (in other words, something for the person who wants it all) — all for $75.

Romanicos also produces a full line of chocolate bars, including Cayenne Pepper, Wild Cherry, Pineapple and Soy Beans, Japanese Ginger, and Mission Fig.  Or just order a 3-bar bundle.

And then there are the truffles.  They really do melt in your mouth and they really are some of the best chocolates you have ever tasted.  Romanicos’ signature product.

Romanicos Handmade Truffles

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.  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. What Easier Place to Find Gifts for Guys than 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 variety 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.

 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. 

But why?

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:

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2. Mother’s Day Gift Ideas: Turquoise Jewelry and More from the National Geographic Store

Valentine’s Day is fast-approaching — you may have just become dimly aware of that or maybe it’s one of your favorite holidays and you enjoy racking your brain to come up with just the right gift for your sweetie(s).  In either case, here’s an idea or two that can help smooth the road to Valentine’s Day gift-giving success.

 Sure, it’s a “manufactured” holiday, but really, a day set aside to celebrate love isn’t so bad, is it?  Although actually, when you think about it, all holidays are about love — maybe appreciation is a better word.  Ostensibly, Valentine’s Day is about romantic love (though its meaning has expanded in recent decades).  If the notion of romance seems a little cloying to you, think of it as a day to celebrate sex — something we can all get behind. 

Historically, “St. Valentine” is little more than a composite of several martyrs (when the pope established the first feast of St. Valentine in 496, he said he is among those “…whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God” — pretty shaky; that could be said of a lot of guys) and no connection between “Valentine’s Day” and romance existed until that productive bon vivant Geoffrey Chaucer invented the connection in the 14th century.  Simply accept that, like a lot of successful things, Valentine’s Day had a sketchy beginning.  Now it’s a tradition and everybody who works at Hallmark is glad.

When it comes to getting the right gift for your main squeeze, you can go the conventional route and choose flowers or chocolate.  Nothing wrong with that.  But is it the most fun you both can have?   Maybe not.  What’s more fun?

Lingerie.

Lingerie sends the message that you appreciate her and want her to flaunt her attractiveness to the point you can’t help but ravish her.  Women like to be ravished.  (How would you feel if she gave you something designed to show off your body like a naughty piece of art?)  Valentine’s Day provides dividends for everybody.

Yes, it takes some cojones for a guy to shop for lingerie.  But just think of it as enhancing your level of intimacy — probably something you’ve wished to do with her from the moment she first caught your attention.  

It’s easy to do it right here.  You don’t have to traipse to a mall and embarrass yourself at Bob’s Thongs for Less.  Shop online, enjoy a ton of options, and good prices.  (You can often find nice lingerie for less than the cost of a single flower arrangement.)  Plus the prolonged fantasizing will make the “reveal” that much hotter…  Here are some of the best places:

 Freshpair

Freshpair.com is a complete underwear emporium for both women and men.  With hundreds of brands and thousands of styles, you can find all sorts of cool garments here, from basic T-shirts to fashionable lingerie.  Right now we’ll focus on the lingerie — and you’re in luck because a lot of it is on sale for up to half off.

 All of these are from Magic Silk at Freshpair.  On the left is the Flared Charmeuse Chemise (just saying “flared charmeuse chemise” to your girl should get her in the mood).  In the middle is the Silk Chiffon Chemise, and on the right is the Camisole and Lounge Set.

For lingerie that she’ll want to sleep in any time, try the Magic Silk Charmeuse Camisole Tap Pant Set, pictured to the right.

 Magic Silk also offers “Queen Size” lingerie if you’re Valentine is more largely proportioned.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything Freshpair has to offer.  There is much to explore on their site.   For example, here is the Calvin Klein Essentials with Lace Camisole (a Cosmo editor’s pick), only $18:

And, if your girl is a little more “outdoorsy” (and playful) here is the P. J. Salvage Organic Cotton Camo Tank Top: 

If she is outdoorsy enough to be environmentally conscientious, have her check out other organic cotton items from trendy P. J. Salvage. 

Freshpair is also currently offering free shipping on all U.S. orders.  And, especially for Valentine’s Day, they’re offering discounts on orders of various sizes through February 7.  See their site to get the codes to use at checkout.  For example, spend at least $75 and get $10 off your order with code LOVE10.


 

Flirty Lingerie

Every type and style of lingerie you can imagine (and some you can’t) is available at Flirty Lingerie — from nice to very naughty.  It is a site that is inexhaustible in its resources.  They even have educational articles on lingerie (such as how a woman feels when she’s wearing it).  And the prices are excellent as well.   I can’t show you much of what they have and remain discrete.  Let’s just say they have a lot of nice things to look at.  Following are a few examples out of thousands of possibilities, from elegant robes to, um, “technological” thongs:

 To the left is the Sheer Silk Chiffon Tailored Blouse Shirt, under $40 — versatile enough for everyday wear, sexy enough for the bedroom.  Comes in a variety of colors.  Add the silk thong (with rhinestones) to complete the ensemble.

 Here are a couple of fun outfits…

The Stretch Schoolgirl Crop Top and Micro Mini Skirt (includes garters and stockings):

 And for additional education-related role play, the Varsity 69 Cheerleader Costume:

Maybe your girl isn’t the studious or athletic type.  In that case, try the Punk Rock Top in Stretch Fishnet:

If you want to get just what she needs and no more (for sleeping and other activites), you can’t go wrong with the Camisole Pajama Top and Booty Shorts:

For something she can wear for special romantic occasions — a weekend getaway or when she’s feeling particularly feminine and frisky — she’ll love the Lace  Flare Dress:

Flirty Lingerie also has bridal lingerie, dance wear, and elegant gowns (and for under the gown, sheer lace see-through crotchless thong panties).  You can no doubt find something fun for both of you from their huge selection.   

And now for something a little more “classical”…

Cupid gets spanked

No, not that kind of classical, I mean…

Flirt Catalog

Take $15 off $100, Take $30 off $150, Take $75 off $250 at FlirtCatalog.com. Use code SPRINGBRK15.  Expires 3/31/10 

 Flirt Catalog has a little more “classical” selection of lingerie.  Don’t get me wrong, their stuff can be as down-and-dirty as anyone’s, but much of what they have is elegant as well as “traditional,” and they offer dresses and swimwear, too (not that many women are thinking of swimming right now; come back in the spring).  Their prices are reasonable and they offer free shipping on all U.S. orders over $75. 

Here are some examples of their extensive selection…  On the right is the Ruffles and Bows Bustier Set, and on the left is the Angel & Love Stretch Jacquard Bustier (now on sale for $20 off):

See what I mean?  These are “classic” bustiers and they come with everything you see in the photos (except the girl).  Your significant other will look hot in these (though they probably won’t remain on her for long).   Want more examples?  How about the Sheer Strap Dress from Sex Symbol.  This comes in several colors (and includes matching thong)  and at just $19 you can get several:

On the other hand, maybe you’d like to get her a tried-and-true “babydoll” outfit.  You can’t go wrong with the Black Orchid Babydoll with matching thong (the blindfold is a nice touch but it’s not included):

 Flirt Catalog has a ton of stuff (including, as with all of these stores, plus sizes in most lingerie) and they’re offering some special selections for Valentine’s Day.   

Fallback:  If you should get nervous about this, just give her a gift card.  It’ll still count.  She’ll have fun shopping.

 And if you want to see a wide selection of other gifts for Valentine’s Day, Overstock is the place to go for variety and best prices.  They have gifts categorized for your wife, your girlfriend, and that new person you’re interested in.
 

Below is the Web-app-translated description (from Italian to English) of the plot of the Italian movie Codice d’amore Orientale (Eastern Code of Love).  Play the soundtrack above as you read it.  It’s an ideal Valentine’s Day story: 

“Yawalak and Sailuk, a girl and boy in love with some other person, respectively, to prevent the wedding decided by parents against their feelings, leaving the native village and wander in the wilderness until they arrive at a temple in ruins.  Here they are greeted by the Priest of Love and placed in a community formed by young couples with whom follow the instructions of the teacher.  These, with a profusion of love or erotic oriental effect teaches the secrets of mating more natural, fuller, and more satisfying.”

I hope your Valentine’s Day is natural, fuller, and satisfying.

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