We’ve moved!

If you’ve arrived here, we’re glad you came but have some bad/good news. The good news is that Gifti Idea Mom has moved the site to her own servers that can be accessed directly.at http://www.giftideamom.com.

The not so great news is that whatever link or bookmark that brought you here needs to be changed from http://www.giftideamom.wordpress.com to http://www.giftideamom.com.

See ya over at the new site where you’ll find the latest updates and gift recommendation!.

What’s the hot item?

A few people have asked me what will be the hot item this year? I’m in the process of assembling a list of what I think the hot items will be for the holidays. Got any ideas of your own? Send Gift Idea Mom your ideas and if they’re potential hotties, I’ll add your ideas to the master HOT list. Post your ideas in the comments section below.

Time to renew my membership.

For years, I’ve had an Amazon Prime membership.  This Amazon.com program gives its members unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of eligible items. For a limited time, all new members are offered a free trial, allowing them to experience the convenience of shopping with Amazon Prime benefits for an entire month at no charge.

Having an Amazon Prime membership has really gotten me into the habit of ordering things online as I think of them, instead of making an extra trip to the store to pick something up. Sometimes, 2-3 boxes a day get dropped off at my house. I more than make up for the cost of the membership with all the online purchasing I do. That’s the reason I’ll be renewing my membership yet again this year.

Check it out – Amazon Prime

Chocolate, Cheese and Wine. Mmmmmm.

Hi Gift Idea Mom,

Ok so here’s the deal. I need a good gift for my sil’s birthday. She’s turning 37, SAH, has 2 little boys and lives in Colorado. She recently moved from Los Angeles and stopped teaching to stay and has had a rough time with the adjustment. She’s lots of fun, likes board games, silly theme parties with her girlfriends, mahjong, blackjack and vodka tonics. She is also pretty healthy but loves good chocolate and cooks dinner for her family every night. My budget is $50-$75. Please let me know what you think. Great site by the way, I just started checking it out.

Juli

Hi Juli,

When someone sends me such a detailed profile of the person they are buying for, I always feel like I want to choose gifts that fit that person to a T. Your SIL sounds like she’s a fun person with a lot on her plate. Have you thought about giving her something like the Cuisinart Electric Fondue Maker?

Cuisinart Electric Fondue Set

My fondue pot gets a lot of use and I think it fits your SIL’s lifestyle. Its a great option for fun family meals, and its perfect for entertaining on a girls night (cheese fondue, good wine, good friends and finish up with chocolate fondue, of course). Speaking of a party with friends, how about this SWILL Wine Tasting Party Kit? Combined with a nice set of Riedel Wine Glasses, it could provide a fun evening with her friends. Good luck and let me know what you decide!

Cheers.

GIM

1 Gift, 2 Friends

Dear GIM,

I hate holiday shopping and always try to have my Christmas gifts at least picked out in idea form by the end of October and I am getting a little behind with a lack of ideas!  I can’t think of anything to get a couple of friends of mine who are dating and live together.  They are super great people and a lot of fun to hang out with!  She loves shopping and he loves photography.  They are both very social, though both work hard to save money to pay off past school bills as all people in their mid-20’s as they are do.  I am looking to spend either $25-30 per friend or $50 for a gift for both (I like a gift for both idea best).

Your site rocks!

Bradley

Thanks for the kind words, Bradley,

Its a fun challenge to try to come up with one gift that two people would enjoy. I’ve recommended games in the past and I think this may be one situation where games may be particularly appropriate. When money is tight and the bills need to be paid, sometimes entertainment and going out is the first thing to suffer.  For as much as Gift Idea Mom enjoys going out with friends, having the option to entertain at home is good too.

Scattergories

A few months ago, I received the game Scattergories .  I was unfamiliar with this word list game but one night sat down with a few friends and decided to play it. I was really floored by just how much fun this was – for adults especially. I highly recommend it as a great addition to a home game library.  At $22, this game is way under your budget. As a Scrabble fan, I would add a Scrabble set to make a great game-oriented gift for the two of them.

Another thought is DVD Boxed Sets. Gift Idea Mom is a huge The Office fan, (both the US and the UK versions). Is there a tv series that this couple enjoys? Go through the list and see what you come up with! Old series, new series, documentaries, comedies – there’s a ton to choose from.

Good luck completing your gift list!
GIM

Getting a jump on holiday shopping

Dear Gift Idea Mom,
I am “attempting” to start my Christmas gift shopping early, and am already stuck!  My long-time friend is 26 and I have known her since we were toddlers and each year I run into a rut on what to get her for Christmas or her birthday (which comes two months after the holidays)!  A little about her… she is a writer, she loves shopping, she enjoys coffee, movies, music, she is independent but also very much a family first girl, and she has a very outgoing personality.  I am looking for either a single gift or a few small gifts but either way I can only afford to spend up to $40.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Ilse

Hi Ilse and thanks for writing!

Your friend certainly has a lot going on. She sounds like a busy woman who’s on the go. How about giving her something that will help her relax and destress, while doing both her mind and body some good?

Savasa Yoga Fitness Kit

This Savasa Yoga Fitness Kit includes a mat, body ball, strap and workout DVD. The nice part about it is, if its something she ends up interested in, when her birthday rolls around you can get her some nice workout gear or a new yoga DVD! With all that this kit includes, surprisingly its under your $40 budget.

Another thought is putting together a few romantic comedies on DVD that the two of you might enjoy watching together. Spending time with an old friend watching movies and catching up on things can be a fun way to spend an evening.

Whatever you decide, good luck with your holiday/birthday shopping!

GIM

My nephew is ‘driving’ me crazy.

Hi Gift Idea Mom,

My nephew turns 17 next month. For his birthday, his parents are getting him a car. Nothing fancy or new but its something that he’s wanted ever since he got his license last year. I’d like to get him something that he could use in his car or with his car. I’d like to spend about $50. Any ideas?

Auntie A.

Hi Auntie A.,

Lucky, lucky nephew to be getting a car and for having such a generous aunt. When my son began to drive, one of the first things I gave him for his car was something similiar to this AAA 73 Piece Adventurer Road Assistance Kit.

AAA 73 Piece Adventurer Road Assistance Kit

Not only is it a first aid kit, but it also includes a flashlight, hazard triangle and booster cables. Could give his parents a little piece of mind as well, right?
As alternative to that kit, the combination of this Black & Decker Simple Start 12-Volt Battery Booster and this TriGlo Safety Light would also make a great safety-minded gift.

Happy and Safe Driving!

GIM

Me and my Wii Fit

Last week, my Wii Fit arrived. I hooked it up to my Wii and life hasn’t been the same since.  I get home from work each day, throw on some yoga clothes and do my weird workout. Its a weird workout because I get to choose from a variety of activities – everything from jogging (though its in place and the pace is sometimes set by a small dog that you have to run behind) to yoga (with a male trainer that I enjoy watching from behind) to aerobics.  The exercises get ‘banked’ into an animated piggy bank and the minutes add up quickly. 4 minutes for hula hooping, 2 minutes for a yoga pose, 30 minutes for ’stepping’ in time to a beat (while watching the tv show of your choice).

The most motivating part for me is the log-in process. The calendar stamps you in and via a line graph, you get to see how your weight and BMI are dropping. In the 5 days of working out, I’ve lost 4lbs and my BMI has decreased. The computer geekette in me loves the novelty of it – far more interesting and fun than the treadmill. I’ll keep you guys posted as the weeks continue. In the meantime, there are some interesting Wii Fit & Fitness blogs/sites online:

• http://www.wiifitmefit.com
• Workin’ On My Fitness blog
• http://fitbottomedgirls.blogspot.com/

Amazon goes GREEN.

Gift Idea Mom is happy to announce that Amazon has created  the Amazon Green Store, for those of us who want to live a bit more eco-friendly. I know I do. This section of the Amazon website will feature eco-friendly cleaning supplies and ENERGY STAR-qualified electronics. Amazon Green Store

I use Amazon a lot and being able to find organic and environmentally friendly products in one place is a great time saver.

Here come the brides…

On August 8, 2008 (yep, on 08/08/08), Gift Idea Mom and her sweetheart ran off to Vegas and tied the knot. We didn’t actually runnnn…. it was a well-planned, well-orchestrated event. The vows were said on the west lawn of The Flamingo hotel and the dinner party that followed was at Vegas’ newest Batali restaurant, Table 10. I had originally thought it would only be my fiancee and possibly a few very close family members. It turned into quite the event with friends and family flying to Vegas from all over the country. We were thrilled to have so many there for such a special day and consider this a public thank you if any of you are reading this today.  Upon our return home, we had another ‘wedding’ of sort, no vows this time, just a huge party with those that couldn’t make it to Vegas. Great fun.

Ironically enough, the first question I’ve received since my return was about a gift for a bride and groom -

Hi Gift Idea Mom,

A couple friend of mine is getting married in October. They are both at their second marriage and in their fifties. I have no clue what to give them as a gift. To a younger couple I would just give money, but to them it may not be proper, they are also not hurting for cash.

Any thoughts?
G.

Hi G,
I had many, many people asking me what we needed/wanted as a wedding gift.  I truly wanted nothing more than the presence of my friends and family, but many wanted to give us presents as well.  You don’t mention a price range, so I’ll try to include a few gifts from a variety of price levels.