A few years back, I decided that Mother's day was no longer a concern for me. My mother died a long time ago, I wasn't married, and I had no plans to become a baby daddy. Moreover, as I was staring down the barrel at 30, it didn't look like my situation was going to change anytime soon. I decided that Mother's day, like Washington's Birthday and the Feast of the Epiphany, was among the many holidays that I could more or less wipe off the calendar.

Needless to say, things have changed.

I now find myself the father of a two-year-old. Quite apart from the other little stresses associated with having a daughter in my life, I'm reliving the joy of buying Mother's day presents. When I was a kid, Mother's day was easy -- I'd pick up some bath salts, a kitchen tool, or some other innocuous item that my father told me to buy. I'd wrap it, pass it on to Mom and revel in her thanks. I'd get to feel like a big guy, my mom would get a little appreciation, and we'd both ignore the fact that the little present was hardly payback for the endless things that she did over the course of the year.

A good friend and coworker of mine was having trouble finding the right Mother's day gift for his mom. He dearly loves the lady, and wanted to get or do something very special for her. His problem was that available cash was in short supply. After careful consideration he came up with the perfect Mother's Day gift.

He shaved off his beard and cut his hair, something she had been asking him to do for a number of years. His mom is joyous about the change.

I think I'm safe in saying that most mothers couldn't care less about whether or not we spend any money on commemorating their government-declared special day. Moms want sincere hugs and kisses. They want babbling grandchildren close at hand. They want their hands held firmly as you tell them how special they are to you. They want to know how the lessons they taught you still serve as guides in your daily life. Moms invest their whole lives in their kids. The dividends of motherhood should be just as sincere.

Not only is my mother is really hard to buy for, she's a bit ungrateful to boot. She told my sister yesterday not to get her a gift for Mother's Day because she was probably going to have to return it anyway. Nonetheless, I can't show up at her house empty-handed, so I began to look though my emails for ideas for last minute Mother's Day gifts that might pass muster. Here's a roundup of what I found:

Flowers: I recommend 1800flowers, where you can opt for fresh flowers or plants. I'm considering the gardenia (mom's favorite flower) in a green planter for $29.99. If you order-and have them delivered today-there's free shipping although some products are not eligible. Also, you can save money by ordering bouquets without a vase, which most moms have plenty of.

In the wake of record high gold prices, stalled employment figures, reduced retail profits and the worst holiday retail figures since 2002, jewelers nation wide are holding little hope that cupid shall send some love their way this coming Valentine's day 2008.

Gold prices have crested the $900 per ounce mark which has sent jewelers scurrying to find viable options for their potential customers. Given the fact that silver and platinum prices tend to mirror the performance of gold, alternate precious metals aren't giving jewelers much hope.

You can walk into almost any thrift store and buy many of the following thrifty gifts. Acquiring a small collection of some of these items "in your travels" usually works out much better.

6. An Easter basket of pastel bunnies - or a birthday basket of teddy bears. You can easily find stuffed animals that have had about twelve seconds of the original recipient's attention and then sat on a shelf. A second grade teacher told me that she buys the smallest size stuffed animals, runs them through her washing machine and puts fresh ribbons around their necks. Then she gives them as prizes to her students. Many teenagers also love stuffed animals.

7. Prizes for children's parties - both for games and as party favors. Consider action figures, MacDonald's giveaways, matchbox cars. All those annoying little plastic (i.e. dishwasher safe) toys that someone's child just had to have and our now in a box marked .10 cents. Loose leaf notebooks keep turning up new. Collect a bunch, insert a few plastic card savers, spring for a pack of baseball cards for each child, and between setting up and trading you won't know you have all those little boys in the house.

There does seem to be something sleazy about the idea of buying someone a "thrift gift." How cheap can you be? Here's a different spin and all it takes is a bit of thought and creativity.

Like any kind of gift buying, gift shopping at thrift stores is easier and more fun for people you know well. This is particularly true for people who have passions of their own - the friend who loves sailing, dogs, cooking or art, for example - is the person to have at the back of your mind as you travel the thrift shop circuit. There are also occasions that readily lend themselves to thrifty gift shopping.

Here are a smattering of ideas:

• If you are visiting a friend in the hospital, you don't need to drop $20 at the hospital gift shop. You can find a great vase for $1 or less and fill it with twice as many beautiful flowers for half the price you'll otherwise pay.
• Look for small covered boxes. You can frequently find nice ones for $1 or $2. Add a piece of jewelry and give it to your favorite teenager.
• Buy a pretty basket - watch especially for the ones designed to hold letters. Decorate it with ribbon, fill it with stationary and add a nice pen.
• For a friend starting a new job or opening an office: art, a dictionary, thesaurus or desk encyclopedia, a covered glass candy jar (which you'll sanitize in the dishwasher and fill).
• For the new mother: books on babies and children. These can often be picked up mint - either because the mother already had it, received three copies, or didn't have time to read.

Come back tomorrow for five more thrifty gift ideas!

If you're one of the handful of people who has any money left after the holiday festivities, it may be a good time to head back to the store to do shopping for any toys you might be buying for next year's gifts.

That's because, according to Kiplinger, toys are likely to rise in price by 5-10% in the coming year as manufacturers pass on increasing quality control expenses in the wake of a slew of recall fiascos.

Another possibility is to stick with high-quality classic toys that are less likely to require extensive changes. As my mother recently wrote on WalletPop, the ones with the fewest bells and whistles are often the best for kids anyway.

For more ideas, check out Kiplinger's list of 15 Can't-miss Classic Toys. Among the favorites are board games, Play Doh, Nerf balls and, heaven forbid, books.

But for classic simplicity and low price, my favorite gift for young children will always be the coloring book.

Bad news if you're unhappy with the blender your aunt got you for Christmas: You might have a tough time returning it. In an effort to crack down on fraud (The National Retail Federation estimates that 1 in 10 returns are bogus), stores are getting tough on returns. Even with a receipt, you might have to settle for store credit, and the store also might need to see some ID. If you return multiple items to the same store over a short period, you may be flagged as suspicious.

There are a few common forms of return fraud. One common strategy is to buy an article of clothing for a special occasion, wear it once, and then return it. Some people consider this a form of thrift but make no mistake: Purchasing an item with the intent of using it and then returning it is fraud.

Another strategy that people use is to steal an item from one store and then "return" it to another for a "refund". Some criminals even purchase an item, keep the receipt, then stroll back to the store, pick an identical item off the shelf, and head to the customer service desk for a "refund".

Worried how your family will react when they don't get that coveted Wii under the tree? Nintendo of America super-chief Regis Fils-Aime announced recently that Nintendo feels your pain. Nintendo will offer rainchecks to those who pay for the popular game on December 20 and 21but don't actually score a system, according to our sister site, WiiFanboy. This raincheck apply to GameStop stores only.

They promise you'll have a unit in your waiting hands by January. The end of January.

Well, what are you gonna do? Nintendo's answer to Microsoft's XBox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, the Wii is a wireless home video game that has proven hugely popular, even among demographics not usually into video games. Perhaps this is why demand has outstripped supply in the U.S. and Britain since it was released in both markets in 2006.

It's a nice gesture, sure. But Wii fanboys have been skeptical in their commentary, citing experiences with retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart, who issued rainchecks for units bought in December that couldn't be redeemed until April or May.

Well, perhaps this will prove the old saying, all good things come to those who wait...

Just when you'd given up all hope on finding HIM the perfect Christmas gift, the ghost of Christmas Bargains has come to call.

Men's clothier Joseph A. Bank is having a one-day, 50% off sale. That's today, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 Only.

This makes it cheap to deck out your man in style: A traditional double breasted wool blazer, normally selling for $395 will sell for $197.50 today. A cashmere turtleneck sweater usually selling for $275 on sale today for $99. Cuffed silk pants: usually $125, today are $62.50. A signature cashmere topcoat regularly selling for $895 today sales for $447.50.

Tuxedos are on sale too! A black, double breasted tuxedo jacket is half off at $197.50. Jump on this, ladies!

Shoes are not included in this one day sale. Log on now to lock in the best colors and styles. And be sure to thank the Ghost of Christmas Bargains while you're at it.

Red Envelope, the luxury gift catalog, is offering $50 off orders of $150 or more. This is the place to go if you can't figure out what to get your picky wife or husband.

Red Envelope specializes in unusual, high-end gift items, from stacking birthstone rings to a wooden catch-all valet case that comes with a charging station for his iPod or Blackberry.

Other interesting items include a mother-of-pearl and silver mother-daughter pendant necklace (on sale for $48), a battery-operated golf range finder that takes the guesswork out of club selection (on special for $25), and an Italian herb garden with three glazed ceramic pots (on sale for $24). It also has gift for babies, kids and pets.

Sit down and get tapping. The discount is only good until 11:59 pm, Thursday, Dec. 13. Enter the code SAVEBIG during checkout.

Every year about this time we get word of toy shortages as parents scramble for the few remaining must-haves. This year, that toy might be the Talking Jesus. According to the Dallas News, the Talking Messenger of Jesus figure, a product of one2believe Toys of California, is almost gone from WalMart and Target shelves in the U.S.

Chatty Jesus relates Bible stories and scripture. WalMart shoppers were miffed earlier this season to find him stocked adjacent to another hot Christmas toy, Bratz Dolls, which are, at last reports, still in generous supply. Perhaps WalMart thought the Bratz could benefit from hearing Jesus' message?

Fortunately, Amazon.com still has a stock of the Deluxe Miracle Jesus with Glow-in-the-dark hands as well as the Jesus Christ Talking Action Figure.

In related news, Sudan teacher Gullian Gibbons is free after being pardoned from her conviction in Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Mohammed. A 'lenient' court declined to punish her to the law's full extent of 40 lashes and six months in jail.

I saw this and immediately thought of it as the perfect gift for girls in the 10-12 age range -- and perhaps also basketball shoe-enthusiasts who spend thousands at stores like The House of Hoops.

Ian Fieggen's Laces: Hundreds of Ways to Pimp Your Kicks promises to help you "Transform your dogs from same-old to super-fly with Laces, the ultimate shoe-makeover handbook. Whether you want to completely customize your kicks or just learn how to tie a knot that won't come undone, Laces shows you how to lace up with style and put Velcro lovers to shame."

It includes 50 lacing styles to learn, 16 "hot knots", and color-coded practice laces on the cover to help you learn the new joints (I know, I'm trying too hard to be cool).

In a recent guest column, my mother lamented that most toys in stores this holiday season will do little to help children develop important skills, especially creativity: "Kids are supposed to play, and toys are something they're supposed to play with and on, not something to watch, sit on or operate with buttons. Good toys engage a child's attention more than once, good toys are engaged with creatively and are often used for what once upon a time was called, "Make Believe."

This looks like a gift that would fit my mom's definition of a good toy - a way to help kids develop their own styles while working with their hands.

So pick these up for the shoe-lover on your list. At just $11.72 on Amazon.com, you can't go wrong.

A friend of mine once pointed out that gift giving is an incredibly egotistical process. In choosing presents, we almost inevitably pick things that we want, or that we would like to talk about . Of course, the problem is that our recipient doesn't always share our interests or desires.

As I had just given her a book, I asked if she was trying to tell me something.

Another example of egotistical gift giving is my sister Jen, the family label junkie, who usually buys clothes for everybody. One year, she determined that my brother-in-law, Paul, really needed a few new shirts. Furthermore, she decided that the perfect color to match Paul's complexion was pink.

Jewelry is a great gift for the one you love, but you need to be aware of several things in order to protect yourself. Jewelry retailers are in high gear to take advantage of the holiday buying season, and you don't want get ripped off. Use these ten tips to protect yourself and your jewelry purchase this year.

1. Focus on the gem – When buying a colored stone such as a sapphire, ruby, or tanzanite, the key is to focus on the gem itself. There may be small diamonds surrounding it, but your real value is in the larger gemstone. Focus on that when selecting your piece and evaluating the quality.

2. Know the difference between natural stones and lab-created – Gemstones that come out of the earth are more valuable than those created in a lab. However, some consumers prefer lab-created gems because they are often clearer and have a brighter color. Just be sure you know which you're buying.

3. Less is often more – When surprising your sweetie with a piece of jewelry, simpler is usually better, unless she has picked out a specific item. If you're picking something out as a surprise, go for something less unusual. Plainer items generally have wider appeal and are more likely to make her smile. Fancier items generally have a unique appeal, and might not go over as well.