Show Mom Some Love!

Whether you call her "Mom", "Mama", "Mommy", "Ma" or an angel (hugs), this Sunday is Mother's Day.    Take the time to celebrate and honor your mother, the mother of your children or if you're a mom, #treatYoSelf!

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They say motherhood is a thankless job because as kids we don't fully grasp all that our mothers do (or have done) for us until we're much older.  And while they teach us about manners and being polite, we often don't say thank you and show them the appreciation they deserve. 

So, show your mom a little love.  Say thank you with thoughtful words, quality time or with a heartfelt gift. Treat her with something that makes her smile: flowers, jewelry, wine, edible arrangements, chocolate covered strawberries etc.

If you're looking for a gift or flowers, there's still time to take advantage of the sales, discounts and bonus offers at mom's (or your) favorite retailers.  For example, AmericanAAdvantage is offering you 250 bonus miles for spending $150 at select retailers.   And while you treat the mother(s) in your life, you can treat yourself with miles or points by shopping at your favorite loyalty program's online mall. Those bonus miles may be the difference  between you and your next vacation.

Remember to visit your favorite online shopping portal or compare which portal offers the most points or miles per dollar at sites like, EVReward.com that compares the earning rates of these portals (and others like Ebates and Ultimate Rewards). Search for your desired retailer and note the different amounts of points, miles, and/or cash back provided through each shopping portal.

• American Airlines: AAdvantage eShopping
• British Airways: Gate 365
• Delta Air Lines: SkyMiles Shopping
• Southwest Airlines: Rapid Rewards Shopping
• United Airlines: MileagePlus Shopping

Miles for Every Day Purchases... Can't Beat It

You'll be surprised how quickly frequent flyer mileage adds up with every day purchases.  Although, I am registered with just about every major airline's frequent flyer program, I focus the majority of my mileage accrual on American's Aadvantage program.  I find that I accrue Aadvantage mileage rapidly without setting foot on an airplane.  Here's how...

I mentioned before that I have a bit of a shopping problem... It's not that I can't control myself when I hear or see a shopper's favorite word... "SALE".  It's that I pretty much refuse to make a purchase without getting something for my every day purchases.  Whether it's groceries, clothing, gas, travel, gifts etc., it doesn't matter; for every single purchase that I make, I get miles.  I use my mileage debit cards (Citibank and Bank of America) which allow me to accrue 1 mile for every $2 spent on all purchases including bill payment! 

Not only do I get miles for using my mileage debit cards for every transaction, I earn miles for shopping on the Aadvantage eShopping Mall website.

SPECIAL MILEAGE ALERT: From now through May 13, 2011, you can earn 500 bonus miles for all purchases of $75 or more using the Aadvantage eShopping Mall.  Now that's a sweet deal!

Using the Aadvantage eShopping Mall, I frequent online merchants like Best Buy, Target, Macy's, iTunes, ProFlowers, Groupon, and Restaurant.com earning, in some cases, up to 18 miles for every dollar spent!  Trust me, it adds up.  Since January, I have earned 2,252 miles for making basic purchases.  Since I've discovered getting mileage for feeding my shoe fetish and avoiding lines in stores, I have earned close to 40,000 miles.    So not only do I enjoy online sales, I search for promo codes online to get free shipping and additional discounts, plus the mileage to boot! If I can do it, you can do it.

Mother's Day is right around the corner.  Why not use the Aadvantage eShopping website to order mom some flowers? Or a gift from Macy's or Red Envelope? There are so many options to choose from.  Just visit the website and review the list of online retailers for ideas.  You're sure to find many of  your mom's favorites and while you're at it, I'm sure you can find a little something for yourself. *wink*

Word to the wise...bookmark the Aadvantage eShopping Mall website.  Get in the habit of going to the Aadvantage eShopping Mall for all online purchases and you'll see how quickly the miles add up.  Happy Shopping!

Note: Frequent flyer programs with Delta, United, Continental, and US Airways also have online shopping malls that allow you to earn frequent flyer mileage for purchases. So, if you have a preference for a frequent flyer program, do not hesitate to bookmark their online shopping website to earn more miles.