Give Good this Holiday Season

(ARA) - The holidays are always a time for giving, not only of gifts to family and friends, but also to organizations supporting different causes. This year, consider some new ways to give good gifts while also supporting the issues most important to you, your friends and your family.

One way to shop for gifts while supporting important causes is through eBay Giving Works, eBay’s program for charity listings. The program has helped raise more than $150 million for over 15,000 deserving nonprofits worldwide through buying and selling activity on eBay.

On www.ebaygivingworks.com you will find thousands of listings for the perfect gifts that benefit your recipients’ favorite charitable organizations. The possibilities span the gamut of popular items such as brand new skis, jewelry, the latest handbags or electronics, everyday home and garden items to even one-of-a-kind celebrity experiences. And, each charity listing stands out with a unique blue and yellow charity ribbon, so look for this ribbon on eBay when shopping.

Another great way to shop for the people on your list and find good gifts that have a positive impact on people and the environment is through a new marketplace called WorldofGood.com. The site is a one-stop-shop where consumers will find eco-friendly and ethically sourced products, which make distinctive holiday gifts. Holiday shoppers can find organic clothing, accessories and home decor items made from recycled materials, animal-friendly beauty products and even fair trade coffee and chocolate on the site … all perfect ideas for those recipients who seem to have everything or are hard to buy for.

Many of the products on WorldofGood.com are created from recycled, reclaimed and/or sustainable materials. For example, shop for stylish earrings created from vintage bicycle parts, colorful baskets woven from telephone wire, or living room furniture crafted from reclaimed wood, and reduce the impact on our environment with gifts that make use of materials that might otherwise end up in a landfill.

Other gift ideas from the site include unique items such as beautiful scarves and sweaters knitted by Andean women from the hillsides of Peru and gorgeous ceramics created by artisan sculptors from the mountains of Nepal. Giving a gift from WorldofGood.com enables artisans and producers all over the world to provide for their families, preserve cultural traditions and sustain the environment we all live in. Because these artisans are able to earn a fair wage for their products, they receive improved access to good jobs, health care and education.

Make www.ebaygivingworks.com and WorldofGood.com your go-to destinations for everyone on your holiday shopping list, so that you can give good this season and make a positive impact on the world.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Holiday Decorating With a Green Twist

(ARA) - When it comes to the holidays, nothing says welcome like a well-adorned home exterior. From wreaths to holiday lights to fresh greenery, even the simplest home designs can transform into magical settings with the addition of exterior decorating elements.

“Preparing for the arrival of holiday guests is a great reason to permanently warm up your home’s appearance and energy efficiency,” says Kathy Krafka Harkema, Pella Windows & Doors energy efficiency expert. “If your drafty old front door needs to go, replace it now to welcome guests and keep old man winter at bay. And to keep from throwing your hard-earned money out the window, replace cold, leaky windows with energy-efficient double- or triple-pane ENERGY STAR-qualified options to help lower your utility bills.”

Green on the inside
For a new twist on an old tradition, why not make the reason for this holiday season “green.” With some innovative thinking, there are dozens of ways to make your home, your celebrations, your decorations and even your gift wrap green. Here are a few green ideas from Pella Windows & Doors and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

* A fresh evergreen tree is eco-friendly, as long as you plan to recycle it. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, most cut holiday trees are grown on tree farms, so their stock is replenished regularly. And used trees can be ground into woodchips to mulch your garden, help prevent erosion at a local watershed or provide fish and wildlife habitat. Be sure to check with local officials on area recycling plans and pick up schedules.

* Wrap gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper, or the comics from your local newspaper. Consider giving gifts that don't require much packaging, like concert tickets or gift certificates. Or choose gift bags that can be reused.

* Send recycled-content greeting cards to reduce the amount of virgin paper used. Recycle paper cards you receive by using them as gift tags. For the ultimate in paper-saving, send electronic greeting cards.

* About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany electronic gifts, and consider giving a battery charger as well. Rechargeable batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away and can save money in the long run.

* Turn off or unplug holiday lights during the day. Doing so will save energy, and can also help your lights last longer.

* Give yourself or your loved ones a gift that can return many happy green returns for years to come. If you’ve been putting off replacing your windows, there’s no better time than a green holiday season to reward yourself.

Pella Designer Series windows are rated No. 1 for energy efficiency among top national brands and offer unique distinctive designs for decorative panels, blinds or shades which fit between panes of glass. For the season, choose a whole new look with window treatments available in classic holiday colors like garnet, bordeaux, sage and pewter.

For more information on holiday spruce-ups that include stylish, energy-efficient windows and doors, or to schedule an in-home consultation, contact a local Pella Window & Door Showroom expert by calling (888) 84-PELLA or logging on to www.pella.com. Pella Designer Series wood windows and patio doors with triple-pane glass have superior NFRC U-values and SHGC.

Courtesy of ARA Content

New Survey Finds Coupons will be a Popular Way to Save on Gifts this Holiday Season

(ARA) – Consumers will spend less money on gifts this holiday season, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by RetailMeNot.com, and they plan to use coupons to help them.

The survey, which studied the shopping habits of more than 2,000 Americans, found that, as a result of the economy, nearly half of consumers plan to spend less money on gifts this holiday season compared to last year and that one in five will spend significantly less.

Ninety percent of Americans believe that coupons are a great way to save money and nearly two in five will use coupons to save on gifts this year. Now, with the emergence of online coupons from Web sites like RetailMeNot.com, shoppers can save a lot of money with only a few clicks. Unlike traditional coupons that are clipped out of the Sunday paper, online coupons are codes that are typed in when making an online purchase and are often good for a percentage off or free shipping.

There is no cost to use coupons from coupon Web sites, and the savings can be significant. According to RetailMeNot.com Co-Founder Guy King, a poll of visitors to the site found that the average shopper saved $30 when they stopped to pick up a coupon at RetailMeNot.com before making a purchase.

RetailMeNot.com, which has more than 100,000 coupons for more than 20,000 stores, is a favorite among shoppers because it is a coupon-sharing Web site, which means shoppers post coupons themselves and then rank and comment on them to help other shoppers get the best price.

According to Csilla Dunn, a Lewisville, N.C. mother of two, “I tell my friends to never click ‘purchase’ when shopping online before checking a coupon-sharing Web site like RetailMeNot.com for a discount. By using coupon Web sites, I am able to find deals in seconds. Sites like this help me continue to buy the things my family needs at prices we can afford.”

And shoppers don’t even need to go to a coupon Web site to find online coupons -- RetailMeNot.com lets users install a toolbar on their internet browser which alerts them when coupons are available for the sites they are already visiting.

King is happy that RetailMeNot.com will play a role in helping consumers put gifts under the tree this year. “Our mission is to help consumers to save the most money possible when shopping online. And the more people who get involved with the site by contributing coupons and tips, the better the services we can provide,” he said.

Retailers also benefit from offering coupons, according to the survey. Three out of four consumers said they are more likely to return to a store that offers coupons and 72 percent said they would be willing to try a new store if they could use a coupon.

To see the full results of the survey, visit: www.retailmenot.com/harrispoll/fall2008.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Wine is Still a Winning Holiday Gift

(ARA) – Looking for that holiday gift that is both personal and universal, sophisticated and fun? Smart holiday shoppers are turning to wine clubs and wine-related accessories to round out their seasonal shopping this year.

Wine is moving beyond just a bottle brought to a holiday soiree as a thoughtful gift for the host or hostess. It’s now possible to find wine related gifts for friends, family members, fellow workers, clients – virtually every adult on your holiday gift list.

And there are so many great ideas to choose from. Take for instance a top-of-the line Rabbit corkscrew that will make opening wine bottles a simple and speedy experience for those hard-to-open bottles. Or how about a Riedel wine glass set? Do you know someone who can never put her hands on a matched set of wine glasses when she needs it? Consider giving a set of four, or even eight, glasses to make entertaining a style statement. And, mix it up with a set of glasses shaped for each type of wine.

If the wine lover on your list is really after those collectable, award-winning bottles – give him a wine club membership. That way he’ll have something to look forward to not just this holiday season, but throughout the year.

Wine makes a great gift because it’s not something that will be put away and forgotten after the season is over. It will be savored and enjoyed by both the wine novice and wine aficionado from the time the bottle is opened until the last drop is gone. And membership comes with rewards.

Take for example the benefits offered by Gold Medal Wine Club (www.GoldMedalWine.com), which specializes in delivering hard-to-find wines from small, family-owned California wineries to people all across the country. Buy a one-month Gold Series Membership for $34 (one to 12 month gifts are available), and your giftee will get two highly-rated bottles of wine (one red, one white) neatly gift-wrapped in tissue and perfectly tied bows around each bottleneck. They’ll also receive a fun and informative color publication called “The Wine Press” that features information about the wines, the fascinating backgrounds of the winery owners, a behind-the-scenes tour of the vineyards and great food pairing ideas from the winemakers themselves.

If the wine enthusiast on your list has always dreamed of expanding his horizons with a trip overseas but just couldn’t find the time or resources to do it, a great surprise would be a Gold Medal Wine Club International Series membership. Imagine his delight when a box arrives containing three bottles of rare and wonderful international wines packaged with a unique collection of delicious gourmet food items direct from the featured country. The full color “Taste the Adventure” publication includes information on the wines, winery and country. Each shipment is around $100 and annual gifts (four deliveries per year) receive a 10 percent discount.

All of the wines offered by Gold Medal Wine Club are hard-to-find, small production wines from boutique family wineries. The wines have won multiple medals and awards from major wine competitions and have high ratings from the major wine publications. Some wines are even pre-releases and exclusives that are only offered at the winery itself and through the Club.

Take care of your gift orders early by logging on to www.goldmedalwine.com/gifts or calling (800) 266-8888 and your gift will surely arrive in time for the holiday.

Courtesy of ARAcontent