Don’t know what to get someone? Why not make a donation to their favorite charity in their name? #holidays #shopping

Julie Ames, the artisan behind The Broken Plate Pendant Company, deliberately breaks plates selected from thrift stores, antique shops and department stores in order to turn the shards into jewelry.

She first got the idea after making a mosaic mailbox for herself and was left with more broken shards that needed to be repurposed. Once she made pendants, the orders started rolling in and her business was launched.

Now, she also does custom orders where she turns broken but sentimental pottery like a wedding plate or family dish into wearable heirlooms. So despite the name, she makes plates into rings, bracelets, and earrings too. You can see more of Julie’s designs at her Etsy Store. They are just adorable and make great gifts!

I love giving gifts – it’s one of those things that just makes me really happy and part of giving a thoughtful gift is planning.  I have a Gift Giving Notebook in Evernote in the notebook I have a few notes here’s how it works out:

*Gift ideas for specific ages – this note started a few months ago when I started hearing people online talk about Play Kitchens and I decided I would just whip up a little chart with a column for age ranges and another column for gift ideas.  It’s been a pretty awesome note to look to when I was buying Christmas presents this year and for some Birthday presents.  I have a niece who is four – I asked her Mom what she most loved playing with over the last year and I wrote those things down.  I have a birthday party for a very special three year old this weekend and I’m WAY more confident about our present.  I think those age ranges on the toy box can be really off base.

*I’d really love a – This is my favorite note…its like a letter to Santa.  When a person casually mentions something either on their blog, or facebook, or in person I’ll make a little note.  Like a friend of mine mentioned that she’d like a specific necklace and she said it in a “I’ll never get it but boy I’d really love it” way so I wrote it down….I sent the idea on to her husband for an upcoming birthday – it wouldn’t be an appropriate gift for me but this guy is going to look like a rock star and she’s going to LOVE it.  I love this note.  It also helps me with the “What do I get a problem like Maria…” problem – without this list Maria would be getting a variety of Bath & Body Works products she probably wouldn’t love.

*A gift for me – I keep a list of a few things that I’d like or that Lexi would like/need.  I find that when I ask someone if they’d like anything that I actually do want an answer – sure, it’s nice to be surprised but sometimes it’s nice to just get something that you actually would like.

I do have a request of you today….I need to add some gift ideas on this list for a two year old and a three year old.  So, what do I put on the list?

All your mom really wants is for you to be home this year, but whether you’re here or there, snag some incredible presents your mom will love while keeping your budget in tact with these great gifts for under $25.

Pedicurz™

These easy to carry pedicure slippers with toe spreaders make them perfect for Mom when she’s going to get a pedicure.
$12.99 at yogasandals.com

Mom’s Nest

Personalized engraved rocks.
$15 at etsy.com

Adjustable Rolling Pin

Take the guess work out of preparing crust, dough, pastry, and noodles. Three sets of removable disks raise the rolling pin to 1/16″, 1/4″, 3/8″, or 1/8″ ensuring a uniform measurement.
$20 at momastore.com

Cargo Travel Organizer

Organizes the accessories Moms can’t live without while on-the-go.
$25 at builtny.com

Collapsable Funnel

Because of their shape, funnels are notoriously hard to store. But thanks to a clever design, this space-saving funnel can collapse flat for storage, making room in even the tightest kitchen drawer.
$25 at aplusrstore.com

Porn for Women

With photos of strapping young men doing housework strewn across the pages and accompanied by quotes such as “Have another piece of cake. I don’t like you looking so thin” or “Want to snuggle?” this book is a fun gift for Moms everywhere.
$12 at uncommongoods.com

Dunkin’ Donuts Card

The Dunkin’ Donuts Gift Card makes the perfect gift for Moms who love coffee. They can also be personalized online with cherished photos or a customized message.
$4.50 + gift card value at dunkindonuts.com

ButtonedUp.coupons

Make Mom feel truly pampered and loved this Holiday. This fun, friendly little coupon book has 20 cleverly illustrated coupons that enable you to lighten the load of mom. The set includes coupons for everyday tasks like taking out the trash, doing the laundry, and running the errands. Each one is perforated, so you can give one coupon at a time, or the whole book at once.
$4.50 at shopgetbuttonedup.com

Dinner of the Month Club

Do you really want to do something nice for Mom this year? Why not join the Dinner of the Month club. One night a month a wonderful dinner will be delivered to your door and all you have to do is boil pasta and add the specially prepared sauce. Not only does this give Mom a break from cooking but also gives you plenty of bonus points for drumming up a premium gourmet meal. Best of all, you get to eat it too. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Month-to-Month Membership: $24.95 at amazingclubs.com.com

Posy Frame

Moms everywhere will love this fun and stylish wire desktop photo frame/note holder.
$14.00 at umbra.com

Birch Burl Barrettes

Handmade, one of a kind, unique wooden barrettes made by wood worker Edward Smith.
$25 at edwardssmithfinewoodworking.com. To order, contact Edward Smith directly here.

Disclosure: This post is not sponsored.

This Holiday, Give Your Kids the Gift of DECEPTION!

The Dewey Deception:
The First Adventure from the Biblio Files

is motivating children to visit libraries and instilling a love of reading—the perfect gift for a booklover or child of any age, from 9 to 99! This book has been called a booklover’s DaVinci Code: When a mysterious white card falls out of a library copy of Charlotte’s Web, the Biblio Twins—Tom and Becky—find themselves in a complex puzzle-solving adventure that will take them the whole summer to complete. From a code based on the Dewey Decimal System to clues hidden within Web sites, their journey takes them from their local library, where they receive their clues and puzzles, to the Morgan Library in New York City. Able to communicate telepathically but fiercely competitive, the Biblio Twins have to learn to work together to solve each puzzle and ultimately figure out the greater mystery of what treasure awaits them at the end…and who is behind The Dewey Deception. Could it be their Uncle Klepto, or their nemesis Norton? Can you figure it all out before Tom and Becky? Or will you miss the clues in your race to reach the literally heart-stopping conclusion? One thing’s for sure: Keeping all their notes, journals, codes and information readily accessible and organized would have been much easier if the Biblio Twins had some great organizational products from Buttoned Up! A great read for your youngster!

Here’s how to enter Buttoned Up’s The Dewey Deception signed book giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this blog (be sure to include your email when you submit the comment, so we know how to reach you).
• Extra Entry – mention this giveaway in a post or tweet with a link back and leave a comment letting us know you’ve done so.
• Extra Entry – sign up for Buttoned Up’s e-newsletter.
• Please post a separate comment for each extra entry.
• Entry period closes at midnight PST, Sunday December 13, and the 2 winners will be announced Monday, December 14, 2009.

**Note winner will be picked at random and announced in the newsletter on Monday December 14, 2009.

Give yourself the gift of budgeting!

Buttoned Up is helping you save money this holiday with these holiday budget forms. Brainstorm holiday gift ideas in the right budget range, monitor what you’ve spent on each person’s gift, and track it against your total holiday budget so you can stay on (or below) budget with these 3 FREE printable holiday budget forms. Click on each of the forms below to download (pdf).

Happy Budgeting!

We need your help to get the word out about our ButtonedUp.coupons and why they’d make such a great gift!

They are the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone in need of a little “get out of a chore free” card – good for use any time they need it during the coming year. Let them get out of doing a load of laundry, the dishes, running errands, and more. Giving a set of ButtonedUp.coupons to someone you love is like being a magic genie who can grant her some much needed free time. The best part – THIS WEEK ONLY – you can buy 3 for $10 using the code:BC3410 at checkout.

And if you help us get the word out you could win an entire basket of stocking stuffer goodies from Buttoned Up.

One lucky winner will receive a gift basket that includes nearly $40 of Buttoned Up products:
• ButtonedUp.coupons
• Greetings.stash
• Birthday.book
• Fitness.doc
• Pocket.doc
• GiftCard.log

A second and third prize winner will receive a free ButtonedUp.coupon set.

Here’s how to enter:

• Mention this giveaway on your Facebook post or in your blog with a link back and leave a comment letting us know you’ve done so – or email the article to at least 10 of your friends and cc: yourlife@getbuttonedup.com so that we can give you credit
• Extra Entry – tweet with a link back and leave a comment letting us know you’ve done so
• Extra Entry – sign up for Buttoned Up’s e-newsletter
• Please post a separate comment for each extra entry
• Entry period closes at midnight PST, Monday, December 7, 2009 and the 3 winners will be selected at random and announced Tuesday, December 8, 2009

If you’re too full of turkey to get up early on Black Friday to brave the crowds, never fear. Wait until Monday (November 30) and you can keep those slippers on — or take a shopping break at work – and get some great deals on the Web.

Although Cyber Monday sales rarely leak, I dug up some sneak-peek specials for Buttoned Up readers on gifts you won’t find at Macy’s or Best Buy.

Funky & Electronic

What to do for the technophile who has everything? At Fred Flare
FredFlare.com, you’ll find hard-to-find gadgets like the iPod accessory iKaraoke as well as loads of kitsch and retro items like edible candy cane shot glasses, and a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Their Holiday ideas are super-organized by giftee (dad, grandma, teacher, co-worker) and price ($10, 25, 50, 100). Use the code PRESENT to get free shipping on all orders (no minimum necessary) on Cyber Monday.

iPhone Karaoke

Candy cane shot glasses

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Live & Edible

Visit Organic Bouquet for bulbs, seeds, plant kits, gift baskets and wreaths – all with an eco-slant. Shoppers will get free shipping Nov. 22-30 and an additional 10% off on Cyber Monday only.

Beautiful arrangement from Organic Bouquet

Stylish & Pint-Sized

Purveyor of designer diaper bags, cool baby clothes, and classic and retro toys, Pokka Dots is offering 5% off all purchases and free shipping on Nov. 30 with the code 5OFFHSP.

You can also use the code on their sister sites, Modern Nursery for sleek baby gear and gifts, and the Wall Sticker Shop, which also sells unusual mobiles, cuckoo clocks, and chalkboard wall stickers.

(Psst: the coupon code is valid through the end of the year.)

Chalkboard Animal Wall Stickers from www.WallStickerShop.com

Hand-Crafted & Vintage

If you love one-of-a-kind, visit Etsy to browse thousands of hand-made offerings. Some artists will be offering special discounts on Cyber Monday, like Satre Steulke at RadiologyArt who is offering free shipping Nov. 27-30 on his ethereal x-ray photos of everyday objects.

PS3 Remote as seen by a CT Scan -- by RadiologyArt

For a complete list of Cyber Monday specials, visit Esty’s Storque blog on Thanksgiving weekend.

Upscale & Traditional

As seen in Real Simple magazine, Best Crystal offers a variety of modern and traditional gifts such as barware, candleholders, clocks and, of course, crystal by designers like Vera Wang and Thomas O’Brien. In addition to the standard free shipping, free gift wrapping and zero sales tax, you can also get 10% off all full-priced items on orders over $100 through Nov. 30. Use code THANKS10 at checkout.

Nambe Aperture Frame

Hip & Earth-Friendly

Eco-chic site Green with Glamour carefully curates a selection of clothing, jewelry and home goods, like these salt and pepper shakers made in Brooklyn.

Chic and Green - Salt & Pepper Shakers

Buttoned Up readers can take advantage of an exclusive 30% discount by entering code BUTTONEDUP30 at check-out. (Valid from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23, 2009 on regularly priced items.)

Sophisticated & Silly

Yes, you can find both at The Spoon Sisters who are offering a special Buttoned Up discount on their vast selection of stocking stuffers, gag gifts, party favors and unusual presents for brother or best friend. Use code BUTTONSPOON for 15% off the entire site (valid through Dec. 31).

Floral Sculpted Nesting Bowls

Inspiration

If you’re not sure what to get for that person on your list who has everything, try online catalog Elsewares.com They are offering our readers 20% any order on Cyber Monday and the day after (Nov. 30 and Dec. 1)! Just type code BUTTONEDUP at checkout.

Lots of good ideas at Elsewares - plus 20% off for Buttoned Up readers

Finally, CyberMonday.com , the official site of Cyber Monday, will be posting special November 30 discounts by national chains and superstores starting on Thanksgiving and leading up to the Cyber Monday itself.