These are a few of my favorite things….

Currently, this Flip Camcorder is my toy of the moment. Considering how convenient and easy it is to use, this will be around for a lot longer than ‘a moment’. For under $150, it makes a great gift (for you OR someone else).

Thinking about getting lost? You can’t with this Garmin nüvi 750 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator. With maps of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, this GPS will get you there and back home again. In addition to helping you get around, this model is your own personal travel assistant. With easy to use touch screen menus, features include traffic alerts, bluetooth connectivity for your cell phone (to answer a call, tap the screen and speak through the built-in mic). This unit even has an FM transmitter to send your directions and calls directly through your FM radio. Not quite the GPS you’re looking for? Here’s a list of the BEST GPS UNITS of 2007!

As a cool gadget junkie, I love this personal media viewer. Slip on the Myvu Personal Media Viewer you would a pair of sunglasses, and instead of sunglass lenses, you have in front of you your own personal movie screen. Plug it into your Ipod, computer, dvd player, etc. and watch movies and tv shows without disturbing anyone around you. Includes attached stereo headphones. GREAT for plane travel, train commuting, etc.

Gift Idea Mom is always looking for alternate way of exercising. Nothing is more unpleasant than the same workout routine day after day. One of my favorite ways to exercise is to pop Dance Dance Revolution into my Playstation ( great forXbox, etc as well) and dance to my heart’s content. A great way to burn calories and get moving.

The Daring Book for Girls and the The Dangerous Book for Boys are two books that are wonderful gifts for children of all ages (and that includes you adults too). Learn how to build a tree fort, palm read, make a paper airplane, tie a knot, execute the perfect cartwheel, decipher morse code. These books are great fun, useful and a resource that will be turned to again and again for years to come. BTW, for the fun of it, they’ve also come out with The Dangerous Book for Dogs, with tips ranging from silly (crotch sniffing aka How To Make Your Owner Look Like An Idiot) to the more practical (baths, fleas, bones, poop, “things you can chase”).

Stay tuned! More to come….

Christmas Eve is ONE week away!

Well, the pages on the calendar is disappearing faster than chocolate covered pretzels and next week at this time we’ll all be wrapping gifts and breathing that sigh of relief that all the shopping has been done. Or has it? What do you do when you realize that there’s no time to get to the mall, no time to take a trip downtown and no more days left watching out for the man in brown to walk up to your front door and leave a couple of packages.

What do you do?

Here are some suggestions for absolutely last minute gifts:

Magazine subscriptions are a terrific last minute gift, especially since they can really be customized and tailored to whatever interests your recipient. People Magazine, Star Magazine, InTouch, OK! are all great choices for the celebrity obsessed among us. Time, Newsweek, Money magazines for those ‘in the know’. The list is really endless. Oprah’s O magazine, Martha’s Simple Living, Mad magazine, sports magazines, including Sports Illustrated for Kids. And speaking of kids, there’s whole range of great children’s magazines. The list is endless

When all else fails, don’t forget the gift that fits all sizes – the Gift Certificates. Even if you don’t have a single minute left and its zero hour, you can still have a gift certificate emailed to your last minute giftee.

Whatever you decide, have the happiest of holidays.

Gift Idea Mom

Rachel’s Difficult Husband :-)

FROM: Rachel
Help me GIM
I have a 37 year old husband. He is interested in golf but never goes out to play it. He works a staid office job and has pics of us around it, even in a digital frame. He likes music, Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters etc. He loves being a Dad. He has no interest in his appearance and will not change. He likes to buy geeky things for others but rarely for himself.
Thanks
I’m Stuck!

Hi Rachel,
I’ll suggest to you the same thing I suggested in my last post. I am totally addicted to the FLIP video camcorder. Being that your husband has all those pics of you the family around him at work, he’ll be able to easily record even MORE images and video. I’ve been using my video camera on a daily basis – its small size is conventient (it fits in my coat pocket), its easy to upload video to my computer (no wires – just flip out the side USB connector and you’re good to go) and I really have found myself recording so much more than I ever did with my full size video cam. The quality is just as good too and for the price, it can’t be beat.
Does your husband have an Ipod, Rachel? The Ipod Nano is a great way to get him started, if he doesn’t already have one. If he does, perhaps these Altec Lansing Portable Ipod Speakers would be a great way for him to share his music both at work and at home with the kids.
Happy Holidays!
Gift Idea Mom

Ideas for 10 yo twin girls….

FROM: Sascha
With Christmas only two weeks away, I am running out of time and still need some ideas for my daughters, they are 10 year old twins! They love animals and are becoming very girly! They are not into dolls too much though.
Thanks!

Hi Sascha,
Take a look at these Gift Ideas for 10 year old girls. You don’t say what your budget is, but there’s a whole range of age appropriate gifts here for a variety of budgets. I’ve also come across this great, simple digital video recorder. For about $100, check out the FLIP video camcorder. This easy to use little device records up to 60 minutes of video that is easily transferable to any computer. Just ‘flip’ the USB connector out of the side of the camera and plug it right into any USB port. I’ve been using one for the past week or so and love it.
Happy holidays!
Gift Idea Mom

Wendy’s Trekkie Gamer Husband

FROM: Wendy

I’m looking for some gift ideas for my 27 year old husband. He works as an order processor. He loves Star Trek, and video games.
Thanks.

Hi Wendy,
With such specific interests, how about a subscription to Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine or Star Trek Magazine? Another option is this great Gaming Headset by Creative Labs. Its highly rated and the sound is fantastic.
How about this Audio X Rocker in Black Designed especially for listening to music and gaming, this floor-design rocker links to his IPod, MP3 player or CD player. It has an adjustable powered sub-woofer built into the seat and 2-4″ speakers built into headrest. Its great for both gaming and watching movies.
Hope you have a winning holiday, Wendy!
Gift Idea Mom

Something for Tamara’s Husband

FROM: Tamara
I need something for my husband in the $100 range. Has a deadly-dull office job, but is very creative on the side (photography, sculpture, antiques refurbishing). Likes to kayak, hike, loves his daughters, and being a father. We live in the city, have a falling down place upstate.
Help!

Hi Tamara,
The Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series seems to be the ‘gift of the year’ this year. This 11 part BBC series features nature and wildlife filmed in ways you’d never dreamed you’d see them. Check it out and read the reviews. Its amazing.
Another thought is perhaps a hiking guide or hiking equipment for the area where you have your ‘falling down place upstate’. This Hiking link will take you to a vast selection of books, guides and equipment for hikers. He could always take a copy of National Geographic Adventure Magazine to that boring office of his. Adventure ‘is geared for a generation of active men and women who seek new & challenging ways to explore and experience the world. Adventure offers an exciting mix of great photography, features and service articles, written for readers with multiple interests and varying skill levels.’
Have you thought about something like this Swiss Army Multi-Tool? A handy tool like this could assist him with hiking, the house, creative endeavors, etc. I have one of them here at my own house and have found it invaluable over the years.
Hope those suggestions get your started down the trail to finding the right gift for him,
Happy Holidays!
Gift Idea Mom

Holly’s Gardening & Cooking Sister

FROM: Holly
Any ideas for my sister-in-law? She likes to garden and cook, is big into organic and ecofriendly stuff. Lives in the San Jose area of CA. Thanks for any suggestions!

Hi Holly,
A gardening, cooking and ecofriendly woman living in California MUST be a fan of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. If you’re not familiar with Alice Waters, she started a food revolution that entailed creating menus based on what local farmers could provide, eating organically and seasonally. Its so very much more than that, but Waters is a woman who really changed the way restaurants approached the way they served food. There are a whole range of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse cookbooks, books about the restaurant, etc. available. A collection of these could be a lovely gift, whether she’s an existing fan or has yet to discover Alice Waters.
Another thought is perhaps a sundial for her garden. This Kiss of the Sun Sundial is embossed with a sweet poem.
You don’t mention your budget, but if you’re in the mood to splurge, this Aerogrow Aerogarden Kit is an indoor gardening center that lets you grow lettuce, cherry tomatoes, edible flowers etc. without peticides, chemicals, etc. The daylight spectrum bulbs promote very quick plant growth in an energy-efficient, organic-based environment right in the kitchen. Its a very unique and useful gift.

Peace,

Gift Idea Mom 

December 5th boxes

They just keep coming!

Michelle and her outdoorsy sister

FROM: Michelle
I have a sister-in-law I adore. She is 36, a vetrenarian, horse lover, and avid reader. Not to mention, mother of 6 month old. She lives in Idaho and is very outdoorsy. She a no muss no fuss kind of woman, no makeup (doesn’t need it) so spa gift certificates and etc don’t apply.We have a $50 limit on each family member. Can you help me?

Thank you in advance.

As an avid reader myself, I know what an escape a book can be from a busy life.
Some of my own recommendations include:
Water for Elephants, The New York Times Book Review writes, “New York Times Book Review : “Water for Elephants resembles stealth hits like The Giant’s House, by Elizabeth McCracken, or The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . With a showman’s expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale.”
Geek Love, another tale that revolves around circus life and the life of the Binewski family, where being different is cherished and idolized and a family’s love is of premium importance. Well, a family’s love AND their crazy carnival.

Finally, snuggling under this Personalized Cuddle Blanket with a baby or a book could be the perfect way for your sister to spend a cold Idaho night.
Stay warm!
Gift Idea Mom

Douglas’ Father-in-Law

FROM: Douglas
how about for FIL who golfs constantly, but does not need anything golf related (including lessons), typically asks for starbucks and movie cards (which my SIL already bought) and already has GPS, Sirius, all the wine he needs, etc. My MIL gives us a list–so easy–my FIL wants us to save our money, but he is so generous we want to give him good things…can spend a few hundred.
Hi Douglas,
Your FIL sounds like a great guy. Great guys Do deserve great gifts, but sometimes guys who have everything really mean it when they say there’s nothing they really want.
Taking into consideration his love of golf, I’d like to bring The Tiger Woods Foundation to your attention. Woods say, ” I’ve learned that success on the course was only part of what I wanted to achieve. In 1996, my father and I established the Tiger Woods Foundation to inspire dreams in America’s youth because I believe in passing on the values I received from my parents and teachers.
Through personal enrichment programs, scholarships, direct grants, junior golf teams and the new Tiger Woods Learning Center, the Foundation is helping millions of children reach their dreams.”

Douglas, perhaps a donation in your FIL’s name may be something that he would appreciate.

Wrap it up notice of the donation along with a box of golf balls ( I know, I know, you said no golf equipment, but that’s not REALLY the gift in this case), and you’ve got yourself a very thoughtful gift.
Peace,
Gift Idea Mom