Between Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, birthdays, and weddings, it’s hard to remember what’s happening when. Even though we all might get a little overwhelmed between holidays and appropriate gift-giving moments, that’s no excuse to forget to pay tribute to our dads. Father’s don’t get enough credit, so we should do our very best to show them how much we appreciate everything they do on Father’s Day this year. 

It’s easy to send flowers and chocolates to Mom, but Dads require a little more planning and thought. Is your Dad a do-it-yourselfer? A food lover? Try thinking out side the box with cool presents that Dad would love:

• Tools
• Gadgets
• BBQ and grill sets
• Sporting Equipment
• Books and music
• Gardening and yard tools

If you’re really stuck and can’t think of anything, send a plant instead of flowers!

A lot of trends are hot this summer but the one that’s coming back with a vengence is anything and  everything retro. 

Look for bright colors and patterns from your childhood and before you were born to be popping up just about everywhere from women’s fashion to furniture to technology accessories and kitchen appliances. 

You may want to check out some of the super cool retro themed products that our merchants have already stocked and add them to your Zlioshop:

(From left to right)

Clava 9001 Racing Bowler in green/pink

Puma Tempo L: “Relive the 80’s with this retro style”

Chloe Dao mobile technology handbag in retro print

Dualit 4 slice classic toaster in purple

Take a look at some of the retro Zlioshops already in the directory like Retro Blast and RetroPhile for extra inspiration!

School is almost out and gaming studios know that now is the time to let the big titles out of the bag! The summer started off with the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 4, which has already earned a Guiness World Record for fastest selling game in history with $310 million on the first day (so sorry to last year’s record holder, Halo 3, but it’s hard to deny all the GTA hype!).

Now you can expect top games for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, and Wii from major development studios like Electronic Arts Inc., Capcom’s Platinum, Sega, and more. 

Take a look at some of the hottest summer titles that you should probably be adding to your Zlioshop:

Battlefield: Bad Company: Fans are crazy about this cinematic style warfare game, where renegade soldiers tax maximum risk. Ships June 23rd.

Burnout Paradise: Expect new game content from the Playstation Store and XBox Live Marketplace for this amazing racing game – like 3 new online game modes, 7 new cars, and hours of additional game play. Ships June 2008

Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath: The all new revolutionary CommandStick is set to company this over-the-top Xbox 360 warfare game. Ships June 2008.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames: This hyper interactive action game is set in ultra-detailed, beautiful Venezuela and ships to the US around August 31. (September 5 for the UK and Europe.)

Rock Band: After Guitar Hero comes the all inclusive music game Rock Band. Expect this Wii game to ship around June 22.

Wii Fit: The already sold out copies of Wii Fit are keeping people moving and shaking in their basements this summer.

UEFA Euro 2008: Soccer is always a top pick, and this new release for Xbox 360 and PS3 doesn’t disappoint.

Singstar: This American Idol inspired Karaoke game for PS3 is already a huge hit.

Summer is almost here and it’s just about time for the glitterati to load up their yachts and head out to France’s Cote d’Azure for the world renowned Cannes Film Festival.

From May 14 – 25, the city’s cobblestone streets will be packed with A-Listers - previous festival attendees include everyone from Brangelina to Al Pacino to Michael Moore and even Alfred Hitchcock. Even this year’s coveted Palme D’Or (Golden Palm) will be presented by the one and only Robert De Niro!

After preparing for Tribeca Time, it should be a snap to get your Zlioshop Frenchified for the Cannes Film Festival! Dedicate your shop to your favorite director or an actor you love – or maybe even someone you would like to win this year. Be sure to check the final selection list to see who’s screening, it’ll be up one week before the festival opens.

When you’ve finished cinemizing your Zlioshop, be sure to enter it into the Movies & DVD category in the Zlio directory!

Here’s an early reminder for the thousands of us ungrateful children who always forget: Mother’s Day is next Sunday!

Honor that most important woman who gave you life by sending something pretty to brighten up her day.

Stock your Zlioshop today with products like Dan’s Chocolate’s Mother’s Day Chocolate Tower or Flower Bouquet With Assorted Chocolates. For ultra-smart shopper status, order from your own Zlioshop and save some money by getting cash back. 

Looking for something out of the ordinary? Try the Carved Pink Flower Ring or Personalized Mother Jewlery from LimogesJewelry.com.

Whatever you send your mom, she’ll be happy you remembered!

NYC is warming up just in time for the infamous Tribeca Film Festival!

Founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal in 2001, the TriBeCa Film Festival aims to restore vitality and contribute to the long term recovery of the TriBeCa neighborhood after the Septermber 11 World Trade Center attacks.

With over 1,000 screenings in 2006 and 2007, The TriBeCa Film Festival has become on of the most prominent film festivals in the world. Over two million attendees have generated more than $425 million in economic acitivity in New York City since the festival’s founding.

If you’re going to be in town or can make the trip, tickets are still on sale! If not, you can still get in the mood by spicing up your Zlioshop with movie and New York themed products. When you’re finished, grab a couple of DVDs and some popcorn and host a film festival of your own!

You may have celebrated on Sunday, but Earth Day 2008 is actually today! Besides going green with your Zlioshop, here’s some other things you can do everday to save energy and help the planet:

• Recycle: It may seem annoying to separate the plastics from the glass, but if you take a look at how much we use everday you can see what a real difference recycling makes.
• Turn off the lights when you leave the room: If you’re not there, you won’t notice, so turn stuff off when you leave!
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth: This small action can save GALLONS of water per week. Really.
• Use Energy Star appliances: Nobody’s saying you have to replace everything you own, but if you’re buying something new, why not help the environment at the same time? 
• Fix those leaks: Leaky faucets, refrigerators, pipes, AC units, and washing machines can be incredible wasteful – so get them fixed and save your self some money while saving the planet some water. 
• Plant a tree: There’s even organizations that will help you do it like ArborDay.org
• Walk Somewhere: Why not get some exercise and fresh air by walking somewhere instead of driving? Too far? Be European and ride a bike

Remember: Our merchants have tons of energy saving appliances, recycled and organic products, and other environmentally friendly items for your Zlioshops!

Zlio is holding an Easter contest this year and the theme is: Chocolate.

You’ve got from March 17 – 27 to deck your Zlioshop in chocolate however you see fit. Milk, dark, white, hot, cold… It’s totally up to you as long as you stay within the delicious realm of chocolate:

• The color and theme of your Zlioshop are important, but other elements will also be considered to pick a winner.
• Personalize your store with a thoughtful introduction: We prefer Zlioshops with “human” qualities and originality.
• Choose images or illustrations that reflect the theme and your personal taste or style.
• Think about original layouts and unique categories – don’t forget to organize with subcategories!

If you already have a Zlioshop

You can participate in the contest if:

Submit your Zlioshop to the category list, once you are sure that you have followed the contest directions. From March 17 to 27, vote for your favorites! On March 28 the top 10 Zlioshops will be selected and reviewed by the Zlio Team.

The winner will be announced here on the blog on March 31!

Note: Zlioshops should not contain any advertisements other than Google adwords.

When we think of Saint Patrick’s Day, thoughts of four leaf clovers, leprechauns, pinching, and alcohol tend to flow freely into the brain. Regardless of what Saint Paddy’s day reminds you of, no one can deny that spring in the air and everybody’s favorite Irish holiday is just around the corner!

Green clothes, green food, green rivers… just about anything can be dyed and tinted to match the luck of the Irish, including your ZlioShop.

Green-up your Zlioshop by changing themes and adding graphics and images. It’s time to incorporate Irish inspired products ! When choosing products, be sure to think about the merchant and category filters. If you need some help or ideas, check out our tips on Customizing Your ZlioShop! Leave us your Zlioshop’s URL in a comment here so we can see your Irish spirit, or to encourage other Zlionauts to vote for you!

Here are some interesting facts about Saint Patrick’s Day that you probably didn’t know:

- There are more Americans of Irish descent than there are Irish people in Ireland.

- Saint Patrick’s actual color is: blue. This one’s a shocker, but green didn’t become associated with Saint Patrick’s Day until the 19th Century. According to Irish legend, green was considered unlucky, as it was the color worn by the fairies and people, especially children, who wore too much green were likely to be stolen.

- Saint Patrick himself was actually born in Britain, then settled in France, and did not arrive in Ireland until 432 A.D.

And on that note it’s time to sign off with a rhyming Irish toast, because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love stuff that rhymes:

“The Scots have their whisky, the Welsh have their tongue, but the Irish have Paddy, who’s second to none!”

With Valentine’s Day impending, we stop to ponder the important questions, such as which heart full o’ chocolates to buy. But for those of you going stag this year, all that chocolate could leave a bad taste in your mouth. Do you buy into all the V-Day hype or are you tired of the commercialization? Romantic or jaded, Zlio asks you the question: In 2008, do we really still need Valentine’s Day? Take our quiz to find your inner romantic or maybe your inner ad exec:

What is Valentine’s Day about for you?

1 – Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to :

a – Declare your love!

b – Eat out

c – What? It’s already Valentine’s Day?

2 – Valentine Preparations :

a – It’s all commercial anyway… good thing I have a Zlio shop!

b – I am still looking for my Valentine (interested parties feel free to leave me a comment)

c – Don’t say the “v” word. You’ll give my other half ideas. -

3 – On Valentine’s Day, I will be:

a – Having a candlelit dinner at a quiet romantic restaurant

b – Cruisin’ for available Valentines to fill the void

c – holding my annual Anti-Valentine Bash, where we throw paper hearts into the fire

4 – A Valentine gift for my love could include:

a – Something hot and technological, with shiny buttons

b – A “classic” gift, i.e. flowers, jewelry, perfume, chocolate etc…

c – The most beautiful smile in the world (because it won’t cost anything)

5 – I secretly dream of…

a – A trip around the world with my valentine

b – A declaration of love from a secret admirer

c – Other? You tell us!

The responses will be posted on February 15!