Doing some last-minute shopping for Mother's Day? Here are some gift ideas, plus a few other shopping bargains for the family.
... Bring along a pair of your gently-worn, work-appropriate shoes and walk right into the Naturalizer store at St. Clair Square. Naturalizer's "Give Shoes, Give Hope" nationwide campaign will donate the shoes to Dress for Success, which promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women.The shoe company will contribute a total of 4,300 new pairs of career footwear to participating Dress for Success affiliates. Plus, for every consumer who donates a pair of shoes, she will receive a 20 percent off coupon towards her next in-store purchase. "Give Shoes, Give Hope" takes place Sunday to coincide with Mother's Day. ...
... Through today, Ben's Crafts & Florals (in downtown Belleville) and Sarah Lynn's (Green Mount Crossing in Shiloh) are offering a free small cosmetic bag with any Vera Bradley purchase of $100 or more. The bags, valued at $18, are available in colors such as Raspberry Fizz, Yellow Bird, Daisy Daisy and more. Plus, at Sarah Lynn's, all spring and summer children's casualwear is 30-50 percent off. At Ben's, stock up on Memorial Day patriotic paper napkins, plates, cups, flags, bows and more for $1. ...
... I've always liked the exotic jewelry selection at World Market in Shiloh. For Mother's Day, take a gander at the $9.99 freshwater pearl collection, in a range of colors. ...
... Value City Department Store in Swansea has floral-patterned china sets sold separately. Slender mugs are $2.99 each; a set of four dessert plates is $14.99; four dinner plates, $19.99; two-tier cookie plate, $12.99; plus, tea pots and more. Two delicate rose patterns, plus a pretty blue agapanthus-flower design. ...
... Tuesday Morning in Fairview Heights has Crabtree & Evelyn soft suede mules in combo shades of green and teal for $9.99. They come in a nice plastic snap-top pouch for gift-giving. ...
... Trees N Trends has a great selection of designer wall mirrors, with prices starting at $19.99 and going up to about $100. You'll find all sizes, shapes and frames. ...
... Neighboring Jewelry & Handbag Warehouse makes your travel bags easy to spot on the airline claims carousel with big vinyl luggage tags in bright primary colors for just $2.99 each. ...
... Another neighbor, Hancock Fabrics, has cute $1.49 plastic reversible placemats for kids that will teach them the alphabet, colors and more. ...
... Lowe's in Belleville and Fairview Heights has some cute three-piece bistro sets that might make a nice addition to Mom's patio, deck or sunroom. One cutout metal set is $69 (table and two chairs); another is a foldup wooden trio with cushions for $148. ...
... Got a Nintendo Wii console? Maybe Mom would like Wii Fit, $89.74 at Wal-Mart. Preorder it at walmart.com with shipment May 19. Comes with yoga, strength-training, aerobics and more than 30 other fun activities, plus a special Wii Balance Board that checks your BMI and a program that lets you set goals, track progress and challenge other members of the family.
BOX THIS WITH COLUMN
Signs of the times: A tour of metro-east's retailers Wednesday revealed how some stores are trying to tweak merchandise and marketing so economy-conscious consumers will continue spending money. Here are three examples:
Dillard's at St. Clair Square now has a very ample selection of women's shoes advertised at 40 percent off their regular prices. These are not clearance shoes, so size availability should be good. I saw lots of heels, flats and sandals -- no rejects or off-season styles. This on-going reduction brought a good portion of the footwear to under $50.
Value City Department Store in Swansea has gotten rid of its jewelry counter (and is selling those fixtures and displays), while still carrying a limited supply of costume pieces. It also has beefed up its selection of inexpensive sandals, setting them out on tables for display, with some as low as $7. You'll also find more patio furniture, but less gardening items.
Trees N Trends in Fairview Heights has moved a portion of its patio furniture and decorator mirrors into the connecting Jewelry & Handbag Warehouse, which had a lot of wide, open spaces that went under-used. Now there is just one entrance to both stores, through Trees N Trends.
http://www.bnd.com/living/story/336049.html