My-Online Shopping UK & U.S.A

The relatively brief history of the Internet is littered with stories of dot-com flameouts -- companies that blew through millions of dollars in Venture Capital funding before riding off into the bankruptcy sunset. Most notable of these failed companies were the online retailers who bragged about their Super Bowl ads, but generated little sales from their monumental branding campaigns. Here's a few selections from the hall of shame.

Pets.com

One of the trademark stories from the crash of the first Internet bubble, Pets.com looked like a sure thing. Plenty of cash, a Super Bowl and an unforgettable sock-puppet mascot all placed this pet food delivery service into the minds of millions of Americans. The problem was, nobody stopped to think about whether or not the business model was sound. Turns out, it wasn't, as people didn't really want to wait for the pet food and supplies to arrive via UPS. The company went under after only a year and a half in business.

Webvan.com

In 1999, Webvan.com was the darling of the Internet world. The online grocer raised almost 400 million dollars in less than six months and looked to be on its way to Internet success. But a funny thing happened along the way -- people just didn't warm up to the idea of shopping for grocery essentials online. The grocery business has very thin margins to begin with, so every time Webvan used a special offer to entice customers, it fell that much deeper into debt. The company closed with little fanfare in 2001.

eToys.com

Although eToys.com was eventually reborn after being purchased by KayBee Toys, the first iteration of the site experienced one of the most spectacular flame-outs in web history. Simply put, the company used the bulk of its $150 million is start-up capital to advertise and build the brand. When the customers didn't come, the stock price sank to nine cents a share. Closure soon followed.

MVP.com

How could a sporting goods and apparel site backed by athletic luminaries such as John Elway, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky fail? Easy, if you don't have any significant sales growth and can't pay back your loan/investment from partner CBS. Despite a ton of initial PR and almost a $100 million in VC capital, MVP.com closed up shop for good after a single year in business.

Boo.com

The women's clothing company Boo.com was ahead of its time...but not in a good way. The site used Flash and JavaScript heavily at a time when very few people had high-speed Internet connections. As a result, shoppers became frustrated and turn away from the site in droves. Boo.com posted a loss of $160 million dollars before it was liquidated in 2000.

Why Online Shopping Gets in Right in 2009

The Web 2.0 era has been the scene of more online retailer success stories because now, innovative thinking and real customer growth has replaced "pie in the sky" big ideas that generate no money. Auction houses, overstock companies and deal of the day websites are enjoying success in 2009 because they are smart business models that go easy on the "bells and whistles" and instead deliver no-frills discount shopping to an army of consumers. The web has come a long way since these dot-com-busts, and as such, online shoppers are now treated to more secure websites with better selections and more incredible savings.

Making a paper doll chain is a perfect activity for dads and children on a sleepy afternoon. It is simple and does not require either time or money. Most importantly, it will be an exercise in creativity that the children will surely enjoy.

Things you will need:

• Some cardboard or hard paper
• A pair of scissors
• Pen, crayons, markers, and color pencils
• Glue
• Colorful paper or fabric scraps, buttons, beads, ribbons, sequins, and stickers to decorate the dolls

Steps to make the doll chain:

• Cut out a broad strip of the cardboard or paper. This could be about 10 cm high and as long as you want to make your doll chain.

• Fold about 6 cm of one end of the strip. At the point where the folded end overlaps, fold the strip again, but in the other direction. Go on making similar, alternating folds, so that the entire strip is folded into accordion style panels.

• Hold the folded panels bunched up tightly, with the top panel facing you. Help your children to draw the outline of a doll on this top panel, with the hands and legs spread out so that these extend to the panel borders.

• Carefully cut around the doll, taking care to retain the folds where the hands and legs touch the borders.

• Now unfold the strip to see your chain of dolls, joined by their hands and legs.

• Let your children decorate the dolls using the crayons, markers, color pencils, pieces of fabric, beads, ribbons, etc.

• You can even help your kids cut out little shapes from fabric scraps that they can use to create colorful dresses for the dolls.

You can use this chain to decorate the walls of your living room. You could even stick it around a lampshade, hang it as a mobile, or use it to decorate your child's door.

Hand-made crafts are an instant hit when it comes to gifts-they not only are beautiful but also appreciated more because of the effort put into creating them. Introduce Valentine's Day craft ideas in your family and convert your home into an activity center.