The Virtual Woman: A Woman's
Weekly Guide To Cyberspace
'Tis Easier To Receive Than To Give:
Online Ideas for Mom, Dad and the Graduate
Visiting the card shop I realized that summer is definitely approaching.
Certainly not by any sort of sustained glorious weather we've been having
(as Mark Twain so succintly put it, "The coldest winter I spent was a summer
in San Francisco") but rather from the end of aisle, point of purchase
Mother's and Father's Day card displays I kept tripping over at the card
store. Delicately placed like six foot high, three foot wide flower
arrangements, these displays were there to help inform us customers that, if
Mom didn't get that four dollar card and Young Billy The Graduate didn't get
that organizer for college we'd be the ones solely responsible for their
disappointment and potential future shortcomings in life. They say sex
sells. But clearly, any marketing genius understands that it's guilt that
really gets product flying off the shelves. Anyway, not being a mother,
father or recent grad I had to drag my mindset into that "Tis better to give
than receive" mode (yeah, yeah, yeah). Fortunately, my kind and intelligent
Virtual Woman readers have come through with some great questions on this
topic which, in the end, ended up helping me out (and hey, it's all about
me, at least this is what I pay my therapist to say). So check it out.
This week's column features some killer places where you can surf for the
perfect gift (and not trip over end of aisle displays while you're at it).
Keep those e-mails and letters coming!
Dear Virtual Woman:
My younger cousin is graduating
from college this year, and I'd like to get her something nice, but nothing
too sentimental, just something that says good work--congrats. I'm looking
for a sight with neat ideas, since I'm tired of brainstorming. Where to go?
- Lazy-I-Know, Portland, ME
Dear Lazy:
Take a look at Presents.com (http://www.presents.com) where you'll find pounds of decadent chocolate or a Hampton Martini set on sale. The site is clean, well organized and each gift suggestion comes with a color photo. This site has a bunch of good ideas but unlike other sites it's not such a zoo that you feel overwhelmed. Please note that whenever I recommend these kinds of sites I do say proceed with caution relative to price-sometimes shipping and handling can be outrageous so make sure to do a price comparison before making your final purchase. Often times I use sites online solely to generate some good ideas and then I do my shopping out in the Real World.
Dear Virtual Woman:
Every year, for 18 years,
I've sent my mother a bouquet of flowers with a card for Mother's Day. This
year, I'd like to do something a little different, something that has a
more personal touch, but I don't know where to start. Any worthy sites?
- Susan R., Philadelphia, PA
Dear Susan:
An interesting name in and of itself, the site DearMom.Com (http://dearmom.infospace.com/) provides unique ways to tell Mom you love her through online greeting cards (regular ecards and also ones with sounds), award certificates, and even the ability to create a personal web page in honor of the one who's put up with you literally your whole life. It's a fun idea with a personal touch. Beyond that, Dear Mom also has an "Ultimate Product Search" that takes you to a huge list of items you can buy-from confections to computers. Finally, although you could have probably guessed it, these folks also produce DearDad.Com (http://deardad.infospace.com/). Much of the same but with a spin for Dad.
Dear Virtual Woman:
With Father's Day coming,
I kid you not--I'm sweating. Every year I seem to bomb with my gifts
to Dad, and I'm tired of it. Is there a personal shopper or something
online to help me find the best gift?
- Shelly, Austin, TX
Dear Shelly:
Don't beat up on yourself. Sweating in Texas in May is quite natural. As to the anxiety you are expressing about your Father's Day gift, I think I can help. In addition the DearDad.Com link mentioned above, there is another terrific gift finder out there I'd recommend called Present Picker (http://www.presentpicker.com) They've got some cool ideas and this great gift search criteria technology under the Find Gift Ideas link on the left. All you have to do is a six question survey about the gift purchase in question: sex/age, personality (love the choices here-from geek to cheap to "multiple"), interests, occupation, lifestyle, and, of course, the occasion for which you are buying. The site's database runs through the information you provide and returns a nifty list of gift ideas! Warning: This part of the site is highly addictive. For example, I found myself experimenting with the database for a half hour, "Hmmm...what sort of housewarming gift shall I buy for a 47 year old workaholic male executive who is into athletics, antiques and reptiles, lives in a big city and has multiple personalities?" If you want a faster if a bit less customized (and addictive) route, you can click on their Father's Day link on the left hand side and you'll go to a page with pre-selected ideas.
Happy Surfing!
Find these links and more at WWWomen.Com (http://www.wwwomen.com) the web's largest search directory of topics for women online. Email the Virtual Woman with your Internet questions or send snailmail to: WWWomen.Com, Attn: Virtual Woman, 3701 Geary Blvd., #325, S.F., CA 94118. Copyright, 1998. WWWomen, Inc. All rights reserved.
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