Posts tagged as:

buy local gifts

6 Ways Inlu is Here for YOU in 2011

by inlu blog patrol on January 7, 2011

It’s one week into 2011, and long after the fizzy drinks have gone flat, our Inlu goals for 2011 beam down from neon notes on the wall. This year, we are committed to a continuing dream that we can help our users:

1. To simplify. In lieu of running around, writing checks and all that jazz, we want to continue hearing, “wow, that was so easy!”when people contribute to a gift or charity collection.

2. To send money where it matters. Imagine, “in lieu of” wrapping paper, a bow and a card, that money (about $5-10), was sent over to a cause? We’re here to help move that mission along.

3. To trim the excess “stuff.” If you’re hosting a birthday party, but your kid only wants a skateboard, by gollie, why not let friends pitch in for it, skip the other 19 gifts and give the extra funds to a cause?

4. To support local business. If your family is divorced or scattered sideways all over the country, why not collect a little from each in a streamlined effort and take those funds, spend them locally? It could be for anything! Yoga, haircolor, massage, dance lessons- whatever!

5. To find great group gifts. This year, we’re gonna find great group gift ideas and share them with our users. Group Gifting = Less mess. More love. Got a cool group gift idea? Contact us.

6. To continue sharing stories of giving and gifting “in lieu of” excess, hassle and waste. Want to tell us about your “in lieu of” experience with Inlu, please, share it on Facebook or email us with some info!

For 2011, the Inlu crew is readier than ever to grow and give more Inlu Luv to its users, friends, fans and allies. Tip o’ the hat to you all!

Please, swing by and see HOW IT WORKS or feel free to set up a few Inlus for later. Once you have an account, you simply login and they’ll be waiting in yer dashboard. GO FOR IT.

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15 Local & Unique Vermont Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

by inlu blog patrol on May 4, 2010

inlu mom!

Inlu is the EASY way to collect money from siblings and spend it locally on MOM.

Skip the skimpy wimpy individual gifts and go in a s a gang for something SERIOUSLY FABULOUS. Here’s a few ideas to get you thinking about what Mom might REALLY want from her local scene.

  1. Yoga! Give the gift of OM with a multi-class pack at Bikram Yoga Burlington or a six-week series @ Evolution Yoga. Need an outfit to go with? Hit Yogarama Athletica.
  2. Garden Store Certificate. Shop in person or online at Gardener’s Supply!
  3. Dinner at Local Fine Restaurant. Classic BTV ideas include: Single Pebble, American Flatbread, the SPOT and Bluebird Tavern. Oooh, and Skinny Pancake!
  4. Fine Wine swing by Village Wine and Coffee in Shelburne or super selection at the Klinger’s Bakery. Or perhaps give a WINE class at Dedalus.
  5. Tasty Treats that will make mom feel nostalgic for the good old days? Cookie Love, baby.
  6. MOTHER of all Bouquets. With more people to pitch in, the most jaw-dropping bouquets become a very viable option. Check out local florists like Chappell‘s, Kathy & Company or Straycat Flowers. Also, swing by Floral Artistry Vermont for a gallery of beautiful bouquets.
  7. Tattoo Shop Credit- Oh yeah….that’s right! Try Yankee Tattoo or Blue Buddha, now known as Gold For Blood.
  8. Massage or Spa Treatment- Go for the FULL 90 Minutes @ Rewind or set aside a super session@ Cynthea’s Spa in Burlington, VT.
  9. Art! Something from our featured artists perhaps? Katalin Ehling, Joanna Puza, Pet Portrait via Teresa Davis, Kimberlee Fourney, Richard Peabody, Susan Mowrer, Mikey Welsh.

Inlu Artist Gallery Blog

10. Funky Jewelry -The Buy Local options are endless! Instead of cruising to the mall, hit a crafty, etsy artist like Kacey Boone from Subsix Studios or support a local jeweler like our own Wendy Faulkner of Sweet Flower Designs!

11. Oh yes, Mom would LOVE LOVE LOVE a brand new laptop! And you know it…why not pool up and go shopping at SMALLDOG Electronics?

12. Something Classic & Classy for MOM? Try your luck on antiques at Anjou, clothing at April Cornell or a fine item at ARABESQUE gifts in Shelburne.

13. Lucky 13! Why not pool up and get MOM a weekend GETAWAY at a lovely locations such as The Woodstock Inn & Resort, Stoweflake or Top Notch Resort. Ahhhh….for a mom, sleeping in on a fluffy bed is like the best gift EVER!

14.  VT TEDDY BEAR. Need we say more?

15 MOMMY MAKEOVER. Stop by Mirror Mirror for a goody bag of gloss and glam or splurge all the way up to a Make-Mommy-New-Again Weekend at Dr. Metzner in Manchester, Vermont. What the heck, is she wants it, she should get it (well, get ‘em…er…nevermind!).

NOTE:  Substitute these ideas for your neighborhood favorites. Use INLU to collect funds and coordinate a gift from all the kids.

GET STARTED RIGHT NOW!!

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10 Ways inlu Supports Eco-Savvy Celebrations.

by inlu blog patrol on October 22, 2009

Nessa Land via Creative Commons

1. Group Gifting. When 15 people go in on one couch, bike or coffee shop gift certificate, that’s about 14 packages, aka “things,” that won’t sit on a shelf and end up in a landfill.

2. Skip the card! With inlu, when guests RSVP and contribute, they can leave a note.

3. Forget paper invitations. Our web-invitations let you coordinate the gift, event and/or charity collection on the world wild web.  (psst…if you have to print them, that’s fine too! Try recycled paper and run a few off your computer. Less inks, dyes and bleached papers.)

4. Shop local. If you are the organizer or gift recipient, you can collect from far away and purchase something right in your own town! Check ETSY for local artisan gifts.

5. Skip the stuff, send the funds to what matters to YOU. Save a Cheetah, fund a water play pump system or provide Malaria Nets across the globe. Or, contribute to a local Make a Wish Chapter, Humane Society Shelter or Food Pantry. You ask people to pitch-in, we’ll pool and send funds in ONE SUM for you!

6. In lieu of shipping and pollution, skip extra rounds of CO2 emissions.Think Grandma in CA, Nana in FL and Auntie in AZ. Instead of packing and shipping from three locations, collect online and buy in ONE effort.

7. Get something you TRULY want vs. “just because” registry items. Statistics say that only about 1% of the stuff we buy is still in use after six months! So, if you’re gonna get a “thing” make it something AWESOME!

8. Be green the easy way. This has double meaning- in a down economy, it’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on anything! It’s also a perception that it’s expensive to be green. Inlu helps people save money by skipping the extra “stuff” and the rundaround (did you know the average person spends around $75/year on gift wrap?), while being greener by reducing waste AND, if you want, pooling for a fabulous, eco-friendly gift. Niiiice.

“Two of the hurdles that keep people from doing things in more earth-friendly, less wasteful ways are the extra time and cost often associated. Also, just not having the knowledge of how, or the tools, to help even the most eco–focused citizens live their lives in more eco-responsible ways. Inlu is a tool that removes the hurdles and provides the tools which will contribute to a paradigm shift in the more wasteful ways we have done things in the past. Helping us become a population that respects and protects both the earth and it’s residents today and in the future.”
-JUDY S, Los Gatos, CA

9. Set a gift cap- it curbs the crap. We’re NOT saying all gifts are crap…BUT if there’s something you REALLY want, it’s more likely you’ll use it for waaay longer. So, get that awesome gift BUT set the cap at the cost of the gift. Example: all you want is a new, funky cork eco-friendly birdhouse. It costs $X. Once you reach $X, all funds OVER THIS AMOUNT can be pooled and sent to any charity of your choice.

10. Give the gift of services. Ahhhh….a local massage is a fabulous SERVICE. Yoga classes? Yep. Dinner gift certificate? Yep. Movie passes? Sure. You get the idea. If you love your community, why not give a gift that keeps the love alive?

GET STARTED! Go to inlu.com, create an account (free) and start DRAFTING YOUR inlu. You can save it for later in your dashboard.

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