Did you know firstborn children get all the expensive gifts (and most of all is spent on them by their aunts and uncles) - and people give cheaper gifts to the second and third child, but they usually end up giving a gift to the oldest child as well?

I’ve found a fun range of personalised gifts which could be perfect for that all-important first baby! If it’s going to be too much of a stretch to buy it on your own, why not organise a group gift and share the expense?

Jewellery & accessories
There are quite a few personalised baby gifts you can give of jewellery to the mother and/or child. One of them are the hand-engraved Rings of Love on which you have the baby’s name hand-engraved in sterling silver from $230. Another sterling silver piece is the Vine Adoration bracelet from Artful Home which lets you personalise the interior with the name and the exterior with up to 15 words for a special message, from $185.

And if you prefer necklaces, celebrities such as Katherine Heigl love Isabelle Grace for their silver necklaces which can be personalised with your child’s name and birth date for $150. If your new mum is pretty fashion-conscious, she’ll love having the chance to customise her baby’s diaper bag! 1154 Lill Studio lets you make bags that are so pretty you’ll want to use it long after your baby’s toilet-trained. My favourite design is $196.

Decor
If you want to give them something personalised that will last for decades, a beautiful Rosie Hippo handmade oak toy box personalised with your child’s name and illustrations for each letter (eg an apple for A and so on) is something your family would keep forever. From $375. If you want artwork which won’t look babyish once they’re out of the nursery, check out the contemporary wall art panels at Numsi. They combine cool colours and, unusually, black and white images of animals not commonly “profiled’ such an ostrich, or the very pretty tufted deer. The largest one retails for $128 but smaller sizes are available.

If you’re keen on giving them something contemporary yet cute, the Kutelights nightlights features cool-to-the-touch lights which illuminate a bunny, dog, giraffe, cat, polar bear or three other animals when switched on. From $125. Perfect for your brand-new princess is the “Once Upon a FairyTale” artwork of a horse-drawn carriage from Artistic Sensations which can incorporate your little girl’s name. From $148. 

If your new mum loves bling and is partial to Faberge egg-style trinkets, she’ll love Gifts That Give’s Jay Strongwater’s tiny enamel baby carriage photo frame which features Swarovski crystals and silver trim for $550. And the coolest children’s rocking chairs I have ever seen are the ones for kids aged 3-10 years at What She Buys. Costing just $109.95, this could make a great gift for the eldest when their siblings are born. I especially love the funky pirate version for boys.

About your baby
Are your friends still trying to work out what to call their unborn child? An analysis and consultation with name expert Kerri Hopkins who’s been profiled on Good Morning America could help them know what personality attributes their child could have by calling them Apple, Suri or Shiloh, for example. A full consultation and report costs $189.95.

Or why not create a Welcome to the World book for the new baby? Mad Moon creates beautiful hardcover 15-page books that contain up to 15 photos and copy based on a 10-point questionnaire that are perfect for new parents. From $175.

It’s fascinating knowing what happened the day your child was born and now you can have a time capsule keepsake containing their name, birthdate, photo within a news front page of the day with the framed, commemorative Daily Portrait from Milson Road for $165.

Keep a permanent slideshow of your baby with Video Birth Announcements. You simjply upload up to 30 photos and pick a theme and they turn it into a movie with a website link you can give to friends. No more wasted photo printing! From $149.

To let everyone know you’ve finally delivered a healthy baby, you can’t go past the beautiful birth announcements by Minted. My favourite design allows you to upload your child’s photo and name with a pack of 50 customised birth announcement cards from $110.

And of course, you might want to consider giving them a keepsake of a hardcover 45-50 page BabyStars astrology report all about their child for them to enjoy forever, printed on thick 100gsm premium paper for $109.

Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman to win an Oscar for film directing which is amazing considering the show’s been going for over 80 years (or at least it seems like it, during those song and dance routines).

Her award for The Hurt Locker must feel very sweet as she was going up against her ex-husband James Cameron for his monster hit Avatar.

Kathryn is a Sagittarius which rules foreign travel and culture, philosophy, politics, law and religion - themes of which keep featuring in her films (eg Blue Steel, Point Break, K19: The Widowmaker).

She has the planet of action, energy and violence (Mars) in the peaceful, romance-oriented sign of Libra, which rules fairness. She really fights for what is right, whether it is politically correct or not. Kathryn also has Jupiter (generosity, abundance, optimism) in Aries (masculinity, ego, action, war) so yes, she really does enjoy making action flicks!

As the Oscar nominations were announced, transiting Saturn in Libra (relationships, marriage, business partnerships) moved towards a conjunction with her Mars. Saturn rules longevity, endurance, patience and hard work and will make you famous once you’ve earned it - and she became famous for what she put all her energy into. Interestingly, Saturn in Libra insists on fairness and equality so even though most people expected her ex-husband’s behemoth of a movie to scoop the pool of awards, it was her low-budget movie instead.

She also has the Moon’s North Node (a fated position) in Pisces, a sign renowned for film and photography. As the Oscar nominations were revealed, transiting Jupiter (which provides lucky breaks and goodwill, among other things) in Pisces, conjuncted her natal Moon’s North Node.

Her win was meant to happen!

Ever felt a bit down and went straight for foods and other items that are old favourites? And on holidays when you were raring to go you were in the mood to try something something new?

US psychologists have confirmed that people  prefer items which are tried-and-true that they’re already familiar with (this is not the same thing as items that are regifted, though!) when they’re feeling depressed and that they seek novelty and excitement when they’re happy. In fact, familiar experiences and products are boring when people are in a fantastic mood…

University of California, San Diego psychology professor Piotr Winkielman found that the value of familiarity depends on the context. Familiarity infers safety which is ideal when people feel upset (”comfort” foods like chocolate for break-ups, anyone?) but the same-old, same-old becomes borning when all is going well.

In terms of gifts, this means you need to pay careful attention to the mood and the circumstances of the person receiving the gift.

Anniversary gifts - generally a wedding anniversary is a happy time - give them something unusual to spark some excitement!

Bereavement gifts - this is when you turn up with soup, food, a favourite CD or book - no surprises are appreciated.

Birthday gifts - ooooh…. This depends if it’s a birthday they’re looking forward to (which is generally every birthday for people aged under 21) in which case give ‘em some novelty, but if it’s a “milestone”, they might be a bit upset about the perceived passing of time - give them something familiar…

Christmas gifts - even if it never turns out the way you expect, nearly everyone looks forward to Christmas. Novelty works when people are happy which is why Kris Kringles can be a hit (finding all those weird things under $20).

Engagement gifts - again, give them something fun and new to look forward to.

New baby gifts - this depends… Is it a long-awaited first child? Baby gifts that are really unique are ideal. But what about a couple who’ve just discovered they’re about to have twins (and they already have a child or two)? If they’re feeling stressed about the expense and extra responsibility, perhaps you should choose something they already know and like. Like money.

Valentine’s Day gifts - get fresh by keeping it fresh. Nothing makes a romance get boring faster than the same-old flower and chocolate routine.

Wedding gifts - this is traditionally a  very happy time so gifts that are out of the ordinary would be great. Then again if you’re Liz Taylor and you’re marrying yet again, you can add to your place settings.

If you’d like people to be environmentally friendly with their gifts (AND you don’t want the same-old, same-old), you need to create a gift registry populated with items from fair trade stores to ensure that the least energy possible has been used to create your homewares and so on.

You could always register your wedding gifts with online stores which stock eco-friendly items. One of the best-known ones is Viva Terra (all of its products are organic, sustainable, earth-friendly and hand-crafted by artisans) where you can buy bamboo fabric sheets, Adirondack chairs made from reclaimed wood, or copper leaf-shaped night lights, for example.

Greenfeet has a wide range of inexpensive eco-friendly gifts which are guaranteed to be conversation-starters - what about a composting bin, or a vintage pool ball wine bottle stopper?

Others might choose to forego traditional gifts altogether at the cleverly named non-profit organisation Changing The Present. This website encourages you to select gifts from hundreds of non-profit organisations representing over 30 cause categories. Guests simply select the gift which means the most to them and your relationship. You might donate 10 books for a library for $50, or for the same price, teach 100 rural people about financial literacy, or provide a prosthetic limb so someone can learn to walk again.

Occasionally you’ll receive gift cards to stores that aren’t really your cup of tea - and rarely - they won’t really appeal to anyone else you know either (or you’d just rather pocket the cash).

There are already several marketplaces where you can buy and sell gift cards but CardPool “prices” the buying price and the selling rate based on how popular the gift cards are.

For example, the enormously popular BestBuy gift cards can be sold at 90% of their value and bought for 5% off. But 1800-Flowers gift cards which are possibly less frequently sought (unless it’s say coming up to Mother’s Day), can be acquired for 30% off. 

CardPool allows gift cards to be returned for up to 100 days and it doesn’t sell gift cards with expiration dates or fees.

They even have a wish list that notifies you when gift cards to your favourite store become available.

Thanking people for sending you a gift is THE best way to ensure that they’re willing - even delighted! - to give you more gifts (and not thanking them will offend them no end).

So I was a little surprised to find an article with suggested wording to thank guests for your wedding gift! Interestingly, none of the suggested thank you note “scripts” included a space for the actual gift so you could, in theory, use EXACTLY THE SAME WORDING on everyone’s thank you cards - and no-one would be the wiser! It might take you only a quarter of the time, but it wouldn’t be particularly personal, would it?

If you’re one of the many who use gift registries you could always mention how much you’re looking forward to using the gift they bought off your list (that you chose, don’t forget - so there could be a story behind why you selected it) and how you’ll be thinking of them when you use it. 

Dear [guest name],
We were so delighted to see you at our wedding and we were thrilled that you gave us the [espresso machine/silverware/luggage/hurricane lamps etc] we love so much.

It was so lovely of you and we will think of you when we [drink coffee/have a dinner party/go on holidays/eat outside etc].

We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Love

[you two]

Of course, you might not want to use this format if they gave you bedsheets.

On 11 March, Mars finally moves direct in Leo after being retrograde since 20 December 2009.

If romance, love and affection has been a little thin on the ground since just before Christmas, expect things to heat up nicely from 11 March.

Mars rules action, energy and the libido and Leo rules love, romance, fun and children. When Mars is retrograde, everyone is just a bit more sensible and restrained and since Mars lurrrves to move things along, to chase, to be ardent and and to create spicy chemistry between the sexes, he HATES to be restrained.

If you were less than thrilled with Valentine’s Day (perhaps your gift was lackluster or you had no-one to give you a gift), you might notice a quickening pulse in the romantic atmosphere following 11 March…

Good luck!

If your mother lives in the UK, you might be surprised/alarmed to discover it’s Mothering Sunday on 14 March.

Mother’s Day (which comes nine months after Father’s Day in Australia - only joking) falls on a variety of days across the world.

If you just know your mother doesn’t want any more stuff (ie she is NOT a Taurus, Cancer or Libra) and she’s a little bit altruistic, she might appreciate this gift idea from Save the Children.

Pay for a baby kit for a newborn, a school uniform so the child can go to school, a clean water filter for potable water, four tree saplings to grow crops, mosquito nets so they can sleep safely at night or a sewing kit so they can make a living, for example.

In return, your own mother will receive a personalised card from you containing a gift certificate of what you’ve bought for a struggling family or child in a Third World country, such as Zimbabwe.

If you spend more than a few hours a week online, your time could earn you free gift cards that could cover someone’s anniversary, baby, birthday, Christmas, Mother’s Day or housewarming gift.

If you live in Canada, the UK or US (sadly it’s restricted to those three countries so far or I would sign up in a flash), you can sign up for free with Swagbucks.

You earn gift cards - and plenty of other merchandise which could be good to cross off certain gift-giving obligations (such as those endless children’s birthday parties for example!) - simply for surfing the net.

After registering, you install a Swagbucks toolbar at the top of your screen. It will give you results from Google and Ask.com which will periodically allocate you a certain digital dollar value per search. You can also earn SwagBucks by referring friends to join, filling out polls, shopping in the Swagbucks mall and recycling mobile phones.

Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites have made it possible for everyone to know about an amazing deal in your neck of the woods or your area of interest.

A number of US social media merchants have sprung up where merchants can entice new customers to try a new product, get an amazing deal on a close-out item or to be one of the first to trial a brand-new service.

The biggest and best-known are Groupon (which pays you $10 if you refer friends), LivingSocial, BuyWithMe and NimbleBuy.

You simply sign up with one or more of them to get daily emailed deals for your city (or for national and/or online-only deals).

Is there a catch? Natch. To make it worth the merchants’ while, they require a minimum number of customers to ”buy in” to the deal. So if you’re keen say to pick up a luxurious massage in Miami or a baby hamper in Baltimore for a ridiculously reduced price, you’ll need a number of others in your area wanting that same thing.

Which is where social media comes in. You Twitter it and/or facebook it like crazy to your mates and get them to pass the word on so you can all benefit from the low, low prices.

This could be great if you’re seeking some bargains on upcoming gifts for an anniversary, birthday, christening, engagement, Mothers’s Day, new baby or wedding gift.