Becoming the favorite child this holiday is easy!  Here are five great gift ideas that show how much you care, or at least how much more thoughtful you are than your siblings.

Calendar:

Create a family calendar with pictures from the last year.  You can even include special dates, like birthdays, anniversaries and graduations, to keep the focus on what’s most important throughout the whole year.

Family Cookbook:

Compiling a cookbook of all your family’s favorite recipes is a sure way to make mom and grandma proud.  Plus, you get the benefit of having that amazing pumpkin pie recipe right at your fingertips year-round.

Photobook:

One of the easiest ways to thrill the whole family is making a photobook.  It can have pictures from the whole year, or just from a specific vacation or event.  Either way, it will be a great memento for years, and an excellent conversation starter for the family after you have already discussed the food and weather.

Family Yearbook:

Think yearbooks are just for school?  Not with the power of personalization that Lulu offers!  You can make a family yearbook and include pictures from every major event, dedicate a page to each family member, and include fun facts or stats.

Family History:

Writing a family history is the ultimate in “favorite child” gifts!  Published as a book on Lulu, you can capture the generations of your family by writing your family tree, favorite family stories, pictures, and special memories.

With Lulu, rest assured that this year it’ll be easier than ever to create your very own personalized Father’s Day photo book or calendar. Using your favorite digital photos of Dad and the family, you can make a photo book or calendar quickly and affordably with our free online Studio tool. With a wide range of options to choose from, you can make your DIY Father’s Day gift as unique as you like.

Create your photo book or calendar and Save 25% with code FORDAD at checkout. Offer ends 6/20/10.

With that in mind, I would like to pass along some of these finds to those of you still searching for that perfect gift for your special someone this Valentine’s Day. Lulu’s marketplace is a wealth of great gift possibilities that you can purchase or use as a model to get your creative juices flowing. For example, 50 Reasons Why You Should Marry Me and 51 Reasons Why I Should Marry You is a photo book created by Lulu user Cameron Kelly to propose to his girlfriend. Photo books, which are like scrapbooks minus the glue and the time-consuming process, are very quick and easy to make so that your gift doesn’t appear last minute.

Another way to surprise your sweetie this 14th is to compile a collection of your favorite recipes to cook together. Your personalized “couple’s cookbook” is sure to make your Valentine swoon. Seal the deal by cooking an entree or two from your new publication.

A final gift suggestion is to publish the story of how you and your significant other met. Use illustrations, clip art or photos to add special details such as what color they were wearing on the first date. This sweet gift can be a meaningful keepsake that will last much longer than any flowers or candy.

Still stumped? Take a look at Beyond the Roses and Chocolates: How to WOW Your Sweetheart on Valentine’s Day by Buffy Johannsen for more gift ideas.

Also, be sure to check out some of our other fun Valentine’s-themed goodies to get in (or out) of the holiday spirit this week!

• Spread love while giving hope to others by purchasing Love Is What We Do, a compilation of poetry on love. All proceeds are donated to the American Red Cross.
• Sarah Meadow’s I Shot the Cherub is a single woman’s survival guide for Valentine’s Day that offers craft ideas, delicious recipes and theme-party ideas to help non-attached females get through that often dreaded day of the year.

Feel free to post any other fun Valentine’s Day items you find on our site in the comments section.

Shannon