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!

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.

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.

If you can add a little magic to their birthday, you make your favourite Pisces so much happier.

Pisces are the agony aunts of the zodiac who people come to with their problems, wanting a sympathetic ear, a hug and a little wallow of self-pity. Unlike say, Capricorns or Scorpios who’ll gruffly tell you to snap out of it, Pisces really want to help.

When they’re at their best, they’re selfless, kind, compassionate, sensitive and supportive. To BE at their best, they need support in return, which means remembering their birthday.

You can make their birthday a wonderful one by making an effort. Since Pisces rules the feet, they are especially fond of shoes. Teenage and twenty-something Pisces boys will always appreciate another pair of cool runners. Pisces women usually have an enormous shoe collection so a shoe bag would make a thoughtful modest gift. Splashing out? Give them a gift certificate for beautiful shoes - and you get extra brownie points if they’re for handmade and/or customised shoes.

You can also give them magic! They love tinkly windchimes, terrariums, crystal ornaments that refract the light into a thousand little rainbows and velvet throws which are vaguely Steve-Nicks. Most New Age shops have a “Oh, wow!” item that’s sure to intrigue them.

If they’ve got the right lifestyle, you could melt a Pisces heart by giving them a little puppy or kitten - bonus points if you go out to the local animal shelter to go and save one. If they live in an apartment, you could give them a pair of goldfish and decorate the bowl with a castle, treasure chest, diver and plants. Very calming (that’s why dentists have aquariums in their waiting rooms).

Neptune, which rules Pisces, rules glamour and they can’t have enough of it. Take them away from their ordinary humdrum existence with items which suggest an otherworldly, special glittering place. It could be as fun as a silk palm tree for them to pretend they’re in the tropics or a beautiful artwork which takes their breath away. If they were in a movie, what character would they play? Ask them. If they haven’t had it done yet, treat to them to a feng shui consultation.

Music simply transports them. A guitar could thrill a male Pisces while the girls might be happy to spend hours browsing through CDs thanks to a gift card. Again, you can’t go wrong with an iTunes card.

Most of them just lurrrve getting their fortunes done, too. You could delight them no end by paying for them to enjoy a reading with a clairvoyant, psychic, numerologist, astrologer or tarot card reader. Many Pisces might like a gift voucher to their favourite esoteric bookshop.

Some of them have weak constitutions and like their polar opposites, Virgo, can be inclined to get a little too ill a little too often. Give them a boost with a consultation with a homeopath. If you don’t want to go that far, a massage will do. Flush with cash? Treat them to a swanky health retreat for their birthday.

Those Pisces who are not of a materialistic bent will appreciate you giving money to their favourite charity on their behalf. Make sure you include the receipt in their card.

Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, the roadside rose vendors have disappeared, the black velvet jewellery boxes have been stashed away in the vaults and those ENORMOUS white teddy bears have been put away somewhere (where on earth do they fit - and more importantly why on earth would anyone buy one?), some couples may be reassessing their relationships.

One cheery little infidelity expert from New York, Ruth Houston, has come out to suggest a number of ways to tell if your partner cheated on Valentine’s Day. I think in fact this could also include Christmas Day based on what she says.

1. “Discovered” gifts disappear
Remember the awful scene in Love, Actually when Emma Thompson opens the little white box containing the gold heart necklace, thinking that’s what her husband Alan Rickman has bought for her for Christmas? And then she gets a pathetic Joni Mitchell CD while the flirty skank at work gets the expensive necklace? If you find something “gift-y” before Valentine’s Day and then don’t get it, ask some questions…

2. Receipts for same, identical, or non-received gifts
Paper trails undo presidents, criminals and cheating partners alike. If you find a receipt for say TWO identical lingerie sets but receive only one, someone has the other set (and at best, your husband likes dressing up).

Got chocolate? But the receipt was for a bracelet? Uh-oh.

Does the hotel or restaurant receipt say 13 February but you KNOW you were in bed alone with a cold and your partner had a business meeting interstate? Right. On a Saturday night. Did you know that Ruth nicknames 13 February as Mistress Day???

3. Thank note, email or text
If your spouse or partner has received or sent a thank-you message for a gift you know nothing about, them’s warning bells…And hey, especially if they’re normally an ungrateful sod.

4.  Oh honey, I’ve had this for years
Many women (and some men) avoid discussions about their spending habits but protesting, “”Oh, this old thing? I’ve had it for years!” and rely on their partner being oblivious so they can get away with maxing out their credit card. But if it’s a particularly nice piece of jewellery, beautiful underwear or even flowers that are waaaay more elaborate than what he/she normally buys turn up just after Valentine’s Day, look out.

It might be innocent (like, you’re such a bad gift-giver that they decided to indulge themselves - and if they did, that’s a clue they’re at least disappointed with your effort this Valentine’s Day/Christmas) or not. Check.

5. Who you gonna call?
If you’re really suspicious check your phone bill or your partner’s outgoing calls/texts on Valentine’s Day. Those made very early in the morning or last thing at night are possible signs.

If you have two or more of these infidelity clues, well, as Ruth’s clients might say, “Houston, we have a problem.”

On Sunday 14 February, there will be millions of happy couples gazing adoringly into each others’ eyes, and whispering sweet nothings. There will also be several hundred thousand others thinking, “How can I get out of this mess?”

With this in mind, I’m going to suggest Valentine’s Day gift ideas when you want to celebrate your love, and when you just want to kick them to the curb.

Flowers - OK, now you already know that most women get flowers but don’t really want them… 
Love ‘em: If you insist on spending waaaaaay too much on a bouquet (and paying through the nose for Sunday delivery) AND you know she really does love them, see The Flower Man where they will be more than happy to separate you from a week’s mortgage payment.
Loathe ‘em: wait til 5pm on Sunday evening, and when you pull it into the petrol station, pick up a wilted bunch of sad-looking daisies in cheap cellophane reduced to clear, shove it in her hands and say, “There!”. That ought to do it.

Chocolate - Again, this didn’t rate too highly as what women wanted (especially for Baby Boomers).
Love ‘em: Look for a chocolate shop where the glass-fronted counters display individual chocolates with fantastic dustings of confectionary sugar, sprinkles and truffle powder, sugar fruit decorations on silver trays and mouth-watering descriptions of each flavour, and the shop assistant is wearing white gloves so as not to disturb the gloss of the chocolates, and use your credit card with the biggest limit.
Loathe ‘em: Give your soon-to-be-dumped partner a box of Cadbury Roses reduced on sale, that you’ve already opened and eaten your favourite creme centers, just leaving the tacky toffee chews.

Jewellery - This was the third most-wanted gift in the Valentine’s Day survey.
Love ‘em: Want to make her really happy - and your wife? Go see the helpful people at Tiffany, Harry Winston, or Fairfax & Roberts and select the biggest carat diamond ring you can afford so you can propose on Valentine’s Day (hopefully with more success than Ashton Kutcher in the Valentine’s Day movie). Already married? Visit the same stores and see what amazing necklace, earrings or bracelet they can help you find for her.
Loathe ‘em: If you’re planning on breaking up with her, you give her a cheap friendship ring, some generic gold-plated necklace or a bangle you picked up in a $2 shop.

Perfume - Hmmm, this can smack of I’ve-got-to-run-into-the-department-store-to-buy-something-anything!
Love ‘em: Hunt down that discontinued perfume she’s wailed isn’t made anymore if she’s mourning the loss of a favourite (eBay could help). Or buy the pricey parfum version of her favourite scent. Eau de toilette is the cheap version and it doesn’t last as long.
Loathe ‘em: A can of Impulse body spray should do the trick.

Lingerie - eeek! Be very careful here! No-one wanted lingerie even though a few women got it.
Love ‘em: Don’t buy her anything that looks vaguely like a hooker on Halloween would wear ie red and black. Lace, or broderie anglaise in white or pale pink tones is less about sex and more about making her feel pretty (which does make her feel sexy). Please check her size from her underwear drawer. Women can’t bear receiving something too small - or too large with this type of very body-conscious gift.
Loathe ‘em: Well you can really go to town here and give her some of the nastiest polyester underwear around. Something that looks like it’s been bought in a shop favoured by men in raincoats should appall her enough to know it’s never gonna work.

Meal/picnic - this was pretty popular!
Love ‘em: Book a cosy table for two at a beautiful restaurant she’s been longing to dine at where she gets the chance to really dress up, the music and lighting is low and the waiters give seamless service. Book a taxi so you can toast to your relationship over a bottle of champagne.
Loathe ‘em: Make sure the takeaway cafe has at least one chipped laminated table you can sit at while you wait for your greasy order along with the local tattooed bikies. Bonus points if it has eye-wateringly bright fluorescent lighting, tiled floors to increase the noise and slipping factor, and a really basic menu (”Steak with chips”) with spelling mistakes in plastic sleeves.

Romantic personalised gift - this was the second-most wished-for Valentine’s Day gift.
Love ‘em: Give her something special that’s about her (first) or your relationship (second). It needs to be something she can keep and enjoy, and that features her name (and hopefully yours, too), birthdate, or photo. It also needs to have good “boast factor” so she can enjoy showing it off to her friends.
Loathe ‘em: I don’t think anyone would create anything personalised for someone they wanted to dump or they’d be sending mixed messages.

Weekend away - hurray! This was THE most wished-for Valentine’s Day gift.
Love ‘em: Whisk her away somewhere special where she can relax, feel pampered and have plenty of time to enjoy being with you. Whether it’s an island resort, a cosy, antique-filled B&B, a Love Boat-style cruise, a health spa or a fancy city hotel, a romantic getaway will win you major points!
Loathe ‘em: Tell them you’ve booked a weekend away at a resort. With someone else.

A very clever quantity surveyor in Ireland has created a gift card with Mastercard that helps the lucky recipient to pay utility bills which can include gas, electricity, water, garbage removal, phone, mobile and television.

Rory McGuigan had received one pay cutback too many in 2008 when he realised that he didn’t have much cash to pay for Christmas presents - but that he would still have to stump up for utilities.

His Utilize gift card allows the gift-giver to put anything on it between 25 and 250 euros. Corporates such as Dell are using it as incentives. It’s obviously a great gift to give any new couple getting married while parents can ensure that their kids will pay their bills with it rather than trusting them with cash which can all-too-temptingly be spent on partying and clothes.

Too many people complain that manners have gone out the window but one crafty (and seemingly thoughtful) way to get them to send you (and others) a thank you card for their anniversary, birthday, christening, Christmas, engagement, housewarming, new baby or wedding gift is creating personalised stamps with their faces on them! 

Get a sweet shot of their littlest member to join the family, of the couple looking super glamorous or maybe it’s your favourite one of yourself that was taken years ago when you weighed less and had more hair. Who cares!

You can order them from Royal Mail in the UK from just GBP7.58 for 10 stamps, from Australia Post for $AUD24.00 for 20 stamps and from Zazzle for the United States Postal Services from $US18.95 for 20 stamps.

You can now even put your logo in there so a sheet of these could be a great gift idea for a friend or family member who’s just begun their own company!