Give that expecting mother or new mom something they can really use - a high-quality diaper bag!

But, (as you may already know), not all diaper bags are created equal - see below for our thoughts on what makes the perfect diaper bag.

The perfect diaper bag must have the following:

• Room for extra clothes, bibs & burp clothes
• An area not just for bottles, but also for storing powdered formula kept in a container.
• In the area where bottle(s) are kept there should also be a place that can hold a small ice pack to keep the bottles cold…must also be insulated!
• A “binky” pod
• An area to keep Mom’s essentials (wallet, keys, checkbook, lip gloss)
• A pocket for hand sanitizer
• Plenty of room for EXTRA diapers (not just one or two) and a travel size wipe container
• The strap must be long enough so that the diaper bag can work like a messenger (courier) bag. This way the bag won’t fall in front of you when taking baby out of the car.
• And, it should look good!!!! Mom should be stylin’. And, Dad should not be embarrassed to carry it around

Cheese and wine. Wine and cheese. Meant to be together since the beginning of time.

Soul mates, if you will.

But which cheese, with which wine?!?!?!?!

Here’s an extravagant gift idea - give someone 12 months to figure out the answer to that question with a Cheese of the Month Club and Wine of the Month Club pairing!

The Cheese of the Month Club that we are promoting here, comes from a very special cheese company called Artisinal Premium Cheese. Here is some information that may help you see why I have found a new cheese source for myself!!

About Artisinal Premium Cheese What sets Artisanal Premium Cheese apart is the art of affinage - an ancient practice by which our passionate cheese professionals complete the cheese maker’s labor of love, patiently nurturing each of the more than 300 cheeses we offer to optimal ripeness and peak flavor. Founded by Chef Terrance Brennan, whose New York City restaurants Picholine and Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro revolutionized cheese appreciation in the United States, Artisanal Premium Cheese makes the world’s finest cheeses available nationwide as never before.

Cheese of the Month Club With our Cheese of the Month Club, our cheese experts share their passion for and knowledge of cheese by composing a thoughtful trio of artisanal cheeses (approximately 1 1/2 pounds total) matured to optimal ripeness and peak flavor, delivered to your doorstep each month.Often times, cheeses are selected to explore a country or region, such as France and Italy, or theme, such as “award-winning cheeses from American artisans!” Each collection arrives with a note from our fromagers explaining and describing each cheese, as well as wine pairings and serving suggestions.

Here is some information about Cheese’s “better half”:

About Clubs of America The Company was started in 1994. We are the oldest and largest “Gift of the Month Club” provider in the U.S. with thousands of loyal members nationwide. With over a decade of experience, we have built a superior reputation by offering our members top quality products and top notch customer service. Ongoing strict quality control goes into all the monthly selections we choose for you. Will I be obligated into a whole year as a member? No, we have no minimum membership time. You pick how many months you would like to join or give as a gift. You can join any of our clubs from 1 to 12 months. You may cancel at anytime. For a gift membership, do you include a message? Yes, included in your purchase, you may choose to have us mail a personalized gift letter via the postal service to the recipient or to yourself before the first delivery. You may also Print a Gift Letter online or Email a Gift Letter online from this web site. Can I go every other month or quarterly? Yes, you may make the selection when ordering from this web site or by phone to go every-other-month or every-third-month.

Wine of the Month Club With each Wine of the Month Club shipment you’ll receive two (2) different bottles of rare wine many from small award winning wineries around the world. You can select from All Red, All White or Mixed selections each month. We’ll deliver them cellar fresh to your home or office for only $29.95 per month plus shipping ($9.00).Included in each wine club shipment will be Wine Expeditions, your informative Wine of the Month Club newsletter, giving you insights on the monthly wine club selections. You’ll also have an opportunity to order your favorite rare wines at discounted prices.A reward for yourself or a very special gift for a friend, The Global Wine Club offers enrollment with no minimum membership time and satisfaction guaranteed. We reward long term memberships! All twelve month buyers will receive via mail $25.00 in “Club Cash” to redeem for merchandise or apply towards another membership!

After you look at this gift idea, check out our other gift ideas for New Mothers & Expecting Moms!

(this gift certificate was created online, for free, in 5 seconds at IvyJoy.com)

I haven’t posted any new gift ideas in awhile! That’s because (as Ms. Gift mentions) GiftGirl and I recently welcomed GiftBaby to our family!

I’m tired. Very tired. So is GiftGirl.

We have received many, many wonderful gifts from family, friends, co-workers, and even clients!

All of the gifts have been much appreciated, and we are very thankful.

But, the best gifts we have received have been from family and friends who have come to our home and given their time. My mother has come a number of times and helped out with dishes, laundry, making beds, etc. My sister-in-law came over and cleaned our bathrooms and vacuumed! My father, step-mother, and mother-in-law have all come over bearing food! OK, so they bought the food - but they took the time to think about it, pick it up, bring it over, and eat with us. (my sister-in-law, the same one who toiled in the bathrooms cooked a homemade brisket that took 4 hours to cook - yummy!)

If you are trying to figure out what to give to an expecting mother (and dad too), think about giving your time to help them around the house.

Here are some ideas:

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Vacuuming
• Bathrooms (this is truly a gift!)
• Running errands
• Cooking
• Yard work

Or, just a general offer to take care of whatever needs doing

This gift can be given before or after the baby is born. Consider giving someone a homemade gift certificate at the baby shower, bringing it to the hospital, mailing it, e-mailing it, whatever.

Above I mentioned that the gift certificate I created for the image was from IvyJoy.com. Here are some other sites that can also help you create customized gift certificates:

• LastMinute.com
• Regiftable.com
• GiftCardDesigner.com
• MicroSoft Office Gift Certificate Templates

The sites listed above are OK, but not great - so if anyone knows of another website where you can generate a personalized gift certificate, let us know!

Check out this page on our site for additional expectant/new mother gift ideas …

When I think 4th of July I think beer, fishing, fireworks and smoking a cigar outside.  Nothing better than smoking a nice big stogie while hanging out with your buddies.

Here are four rare cigars you wish you could be lighting up this weekend:

Arturo Fuente Opus X Cigar (Dominican) From Cigars.com “The Fuente OpusX is one of the rarest cigars in the world. It is elusive to almost every smoker because of its limited production…the OpusX has a world-renowned reputation for quality and class. It is full bodied with a rich and robust flavor.”You may be able to find them at various smoke shops or online but they go quick and aren’t cheap. Famous-Smoke.com offers a box of 22 for $750 and Cigar.com offers a small sampler for $150!

Partagas 150 Signature Series “Don Ramon” cigars (Dominican) The Partagas is created by master cigar maker Ramon CiFuentes and was made to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the brand. According to ThompsonCigar.com “this is probably the world’s hardest-to-find cigar”. Prices range from $158 for a box of 5 to $950 for a box of 20.

Punch Rare Corojo Cigars (Honduras) Not as rare as the Partagas but limited due to its rich, reddish wrapper leaves that are only grown in small quantities. According to Cigar-Review.com “Rare Corojo cigars are made with extra rich, dark Sumatra wrapper leaves that are grown in the mountains of Ecuador. The filler is a rich blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.” Tinderbox has prices ranging from $98 to $138 for a box of 50.

La Aurora 100 Anos (Dominican) Very rare and pricey, “available to only a small handful of suppliers, the La Aurora 100 Anos is one of the highest rated brands ever made. Each 100 Anos utilizes only tobacco that is grown and rolled in the Dominican Republic…one of the worlds only cigars to use 100% Dominican Tobacco” Only 300,000 were produced and won’t be made again. A box of 25 will run you about $300

A few weeks ago I went over to my friends house to hang out and BBQ.  We bought burgers, sausages, hot dogs and chicken.  We were ready for a feast!

There was one problem, we could not for the life of us get that darned charcoal to light!  It was windy and the matches kept blowing out and the self-lighting charcoal or whatever it was really wasn’t self-lighting.

You know what would have helped?  This crazy 60 Second Charcoal Starter from Hammacher Schlemmer.

“…this is the barbecue starter that ignites charcoal in 60 seconds without requiring the use of lighter fluid, allowing you to start grilling in five minutes. Similar to the heat-focusing technology used in paint-stripping hot-air guns, the charcoal starter emits hot air at 1,290° F, providing a constant, precise flow of heat from the tip of the unit”

The 60 second charcoal grill starter has a lifetime guarantee and even comes with it’s own stand.  It will run you $79.99 but just think…lifetime!

This would make a great gift for that BBQ expert this 4th of July or a really late father’s day gift!