Despite my good intentions of not being a total slacker mom I end up doing a lot of Christmas shopping at the last minute every year. (Are ya’ll even surprised?)

I usually don’t get crankin’ on my list until December and inevitably there are those last minute items that sometimes aren’t checked off until Christmas Eve or Christmas Eve Eve. I also am a huge, and I mean HUGE, fan of shopping online from the convenience of home in my PJs with my Harry, Frank, and the Nutcracker playing in the background.

When Mom Central asked me if I’d like to try JC Penney’s new custom tag as part of a fun Secret Santa program I didn’t hesitate to say yes as it combined my two favorite things—online shopping and technology. I also happen to already be a fan of JC Penney and their great sales. Their online gift guide is so well organized that it’s easy to find the perfect gift, and in the right price range, too.

This is not the usual Secret Santa gig, however. JC Penney has a great new custom gift tag this holiday season with a fun, high tech twist. Using a special QR code you create a tag with a custom audio message.

How’s it work? Swing by your local JC Penney to pick up a tag and set aside a whopping 5 minutes to create a tag with real “wow” factor. These would be so fun for big group gift exchanges or just adding a little extra fun to any gift.

The process is so simple even I can do it (and I’m not a big user of QR codes, believe it or not!) Here you go:

Step 1:  Use the QR reader on your Smart Phone to scan the QR Code.  I simply downloaded a free app to my Droid.
Step 2:  At the prompt, enter your cell phone number.
Step 3:  You will receive an automated phone call from JC Penney to walk you through the process of recording your message. You’ll have the option to re-record your holiday message should your children be acting buck wild after school and making too much background noise, like mine.
Step 4:  Attach the tag to the gift.

When the recipient receives the gift, they scan the code with their smart phone and hear your pre-recorded message. Pretty nifty! You can also watch a helpful video online at JCPenney.com

With lots of choices in the $50 and under range, I had fun scoping out potential gifts for my Secret Santa blogger buddy after I got a few hints to steer me in the right direction. I can’t reveal the gift I finally chose but it was in the category of entertaining and I wouldn’t mind having one myself. (Note to self…check after Christmas sale!)

Next week I’ll be back to let ya’ll know what I received as my gift from my Secret Santa and also do the big reveal of my blogger Secret Santa friend and what I chose for them.

What do you think about these custom audio holiday gift tags? Do you shop at JC Penney? I really think this is something JC Penney could continue to offer beyond the holidays as a special touch to any gift giving occasion, be it a birthday or a new baby or even a wedding!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a jcpenney Secret Santa Gift and a promotional item to thank me for participating.  All opinions expressed are my own.