Adopt a manatee for mom

Sure, flowers are nice. But they're a predictable Mother's Day gift. Mix things up this year by giving your mom something memorable-a real live manatee. For only $25, you can get her an adoption certificate from Save the Manatee Club, a national, nonprofit advocacy organization co-founded by singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffet.

Also included in the adoption gift packet is a biography and color photo of the lucky manatee-which you get to personally pick out-and a subscription to the club's quarterly newsletter and every other month e-newsletter. Oh, and there is that extra little benefit of helping an endangered animal.

And this year for Mother's Day, each new member who joins the Adopt-A-Manatee program online for a $35 tax-deductible donation will also receive a cute, plush 8-in manatee. For more information about manatees and to adopt one for Mother's Day, visit savethemanatee.org.