Need a gift delivered in town or across the country?

Have you ever thought, "Ohmigosh, I forgot Dad's birthday...and it's day after tomorrow!"

Or are you tired of sending the same old flowers or box of chocolates and want to find something new and different?
Do you hate spending the time driving out to the mall and searching for the perfect gift only to have to settle for just so-so?

If your answer to any of the above questions is "yes" or "you bet!" or "how did you know?" or something similar, we have just the website for you. Check out http://www.giftbasketnetwork.com and discover your instant gifting solution. This site offers gift baskets that can be hand delivered in a number of cities across the country. All of the cities are not covered yet, but we bet they will be very soon. Even if the city you are looking for isn't covered, most of the gift basket companies can ship anywhere in their state for next day or two day delivery.

This site has more than just gift baskets. You'll find yummy cheesecakes that are shipped overnight from California, cookie bouquets, chocolate covered strawberries, cakes, pies, and even the uniquely-different Grand Canyon Teddy Bears. Check it out. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

A unique gift for kids or adults

. Ever since the first Teddy was developed and named for Teddy Roosevelt, teddy bears have been a gift that is loved by the young and old alike. Grand Canyon Teddy Bears, headquartered in Flagstaff AZ (the gateway to the Canyon), features dressed character bears that will hug at your heart. These 8" high guys and gals come dressed in everything from a police officer to a sports player to a ballet dancer to a dude ready for his next motorcycle ride. Check them out at http://www.grandcanyonteddybears.com

They also offer a Bear of the Month Club with a 3 month, a 6 month and a one-year program that keeps on giving.

Warrenty cards and Identity Theft

With identity theft so prevalent, it pays to do everything possible to protect yourself. We don't think of gifts as a potential source for that person on the lookout for information about you. But, Mari J Frank, author of The Identity Theft Survival Kit, reminds us that "warranty cards that ask for your household income, number of children, hobbies and other personal information are just a way to profile you and sell that information to marketers." This makes you vulnerable to junk mail, spam (if you included your email address), and worse of all--the theft of your identity.

Her advice is to write only your name, address, and the product serial number on the card. One thing that most of us are unaware of is that "as long as there is a receipt, the item is under warranty--whether or not you fill out the warranty card."

Recipient Beware: Gift Cards May Lose Value

Gift cards can be found everywhere--from your local grocery store to your favorite bank. But are you really receiving what you think you are buying?



Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is pushing for a law that requires disclosure that there are fees for using many of the popular cards and even fees for not using them.



These gift cards are what gift certificates used to be: a way to purchase a gift for someone and let them pick it out. Sounds ideal but it isn't always what it seems. The hidden fees include a "dormancy fee" where the retailer starts deducting from the remaining value on the card if it is not used within a certain period of time. For example, Gail Hillebrand, senior attorney for Consumers Union, said her staffers found that K-B Toys charges $1.50 a month after 24 months. Other retailers who charge similar fees include Kmart, Kohl's, Toys R Us and even restaurants like Red Lobster. And there is usually an expiration date, when the card becomes worthless and the money that was spent purchasing the card is down the drain.



Banks have also gotten into the business by issuing gift cards which can be used at any merchant accepting regular credit cards like Visa and American Express. But these cards also have up-front fees in addition to the maintenance charges and expiration dates.



Posting a sign at the store or on the website where the card is purchased isn't enough. That only informs the buyer. The recipient of the gift card has no way of knowing that the gift card they have been given in good faith is slowly becoming worthless the longer they keep it.



There is another option to a gift card. Select-A-Gift is a program with gift values ranging from $25 on up to over $1,000. You can buy one or as many as you wish. The recipient receives a catalog of gift selections based on the price that you purchased. They can redeem the card online or on the web and there are no fees other than the purchase price. Be aware that this is a "gift program" however and the value of the gift, which includes the catalog, gift card, and shipping to the recipient is usually less than the purchase price. In other words, you could go to Best Buys or Costco and buy the same gift for less money but you would have to pick it out, wrap it and ship it to the recipient. What you are paying for with the Select-A-Gift program is convenience. To check out this program, go to http://www.corporategiftnet.com and click on Corporate Gift Program.