Graduation is the culmination of years of study and hard work. It’s the end of one’s time at school, but it’s also a new beginning. Whether the graduate is going on to further studies or joining the workforce, it’s certainly an occasion to celebrate.

If there’s a recent or upcoming graduate in your life, you can commemorate the occasion with a thoughtful gift. Here are a few ideas.

• – Personalized items make lovely graduation presents. You can find plenty to choose from at Things Remembered, including the spinning photo frame shown here. And if you order it by May 31st you’ll save $10 off regular price, no coupon code required.
• – Speaking of frames, the graduate will need an impressive document frame to hold the diploma or degree that he’s worked so hard to earn. You’ll find a nice selection of them at PictureFrames.com. And if you use PictureFrames.com coupon code AGRAD15, you’ll save 15% on your order.
• – A designer fragrance makes a wonderful gift for any occasion, including graduation. You can find all of today’s hottest scents from the likes of Dolce and Gabbana, Benetton, Beverly Hills Polo Club, Calvin Klein and Davidoff at Perfume Spot. And during their Dads and Grads sale, you can use Perfume Spot discount code DG12 to save 12% on your order.

Graduation season is one of the most profitable times of the year for invitation and greeting card companies. Students send out invitations to those who they would like to see in the audience on their big day. The invitees in return send notes of congratulation (perhaps containing some cash or a gift card). The grateful graduate responds with a thank you card. As you can see, it’s big business!

Most graduates have the option of ordering invitations and thank you notes from their schools. These are usually very nice, but they also tend to be quite expensive. And since they’re all the same design, they can be rather boring. Why not create your own invites instead? You can make them as fancy or as casual as you’d like, and you can even add any photos and text you like.

You can find great invitations such as the one shown here at CardStore. They have a large selection of customizable cards in a variety of colors and themes. And by using CardStore coupon code CCG3530, you can save an impressive 30% on your order.

They also have some very nice graduation announcements over at Greeting Card Universe. You can save 25% on your order with them by using Greeting Card Universe coupon code INVITE25, and you can even choose to pick up your order at your local Target Photo.

And friends and family – don’t forget that you can order extra-special congratulation cards from these retailers as well!

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 12th. If you’re planning on sending flowers, time is running out. While it’s true that most companies offer next-day delivery, the longer you wait, the less you’ll have to choose from. So without further ado, here are the top five flower deals for Mother’s Day 2013.

• 5. FloraQueen has lots of beautiful bouquets to choose from. Use FloraQueen coupon code MDAYOFF to save 10% on your order.
• 4. 1-800-Flowers is offering a twofer deal for Mother’s Day this year. When you buy two items, you can use coupon code MOM79 to save 15% on your order.
• 3. At 1 Stop Florists, you can save 15% on any order with coupon code AFFMD1SF.
• 2. FTD deals for Mother’s Day include a nice selection of flowers and gifts, all of which are marked down $15 to $20.
• 1. Last but not least, Organic Bouquet also has a section dedicated to Mother’s Day flowers, all of which are on sale for 25% off, no coupon code needed.

Flowers and jewelry are your standard Mother’s Day gifts, and in most cases these things will make Mom a very happy lady. But some moms just aren’t really into those kinds of things. And even for those who are, a change of pace is nice sometimes. So I thought I’d share some deals on atypical Mother’s Day gifts for 2013.

If your mom is a fan of professional wrestling, you’ll be happy to know about the current WWE Shop sale. In honor of Mother’s Day, they’re offering a 20% discount on orders of $50 or more with coupon code MOM20.

Does your mom love gadgets? If so, you should have no trouble finding her the perfect gift at Convenient Gadgets and Gifts. Check out their Gifts for Her section for some delightfully unique ideas. And use coupon code MOTHERSDAY10 to save 10% on your order.

If your mom is a wine lover, she will be thrilled with a gift from Gold Medal Wine Club. And if you use coupon code MDay6 when you place your order, you’ll get a free box of chocolates for her as well.