Gifts - Gift Ideas

Gift Ideas for families

• Nintendo Wii console: The latest and greatest in video gaming technology lies in the palm of yours hands with a Nintendo Wii. Nintendo Wii is interactive and social and requires the use of the Wii Remote or Nanchuk to operate and play games. Classic games that include Mario are available for the Nintendo Wii system. Otherwise, new age interactive games like Guitar Hero or Wii Fit will have you rocking out and losing weight in no time. You can also sing, dance, hunt, ski, play with animals, design a wedding dress, watch fish swim in an aquarium... I'll be out of breath before finishing the types of things you can do with a Nintendo Wii! Check them out for yourself and save me some oxygen. - $250.00
• Board games: Sure, board games might seem like toys from yesteryear, but that's why it's your responsibility to bring their popularity back by giving a board game or two to a lucky recipient this holiday season. In 2007, Hasbro introduced Express versions of Monopoly, Sorry and Scrabble. I'm not one to advocate less family time or less playing time, but I understand that families in the 21st century are busy. The Express versions of these classic board games will only take 20 minutes to play and are sure to be a huge hit with an entire family.
• Webkinz: Parents and children alike love the Webkinz craze. Webkinz stuffed animals are available at most toy stores and come in a variety of species and breeds. After purchasing the animal, registration and "adoption" occurs online at the Webkinz website. Children earn KinzCash by playing games and completing activities at the website each day. KinzCash can be used to buy food, furniture and other goodies for the Webkinz animal. Webkinz is fun and teaches children the value of a dollar. - $15.00 plus website re-activation fee each year

Personalized Gifts

• Pet paintings: Whether or not you believe in pet photography, you'll believe in Carol Lynn Nesbitt's pet paintings. Commemorating a family pet in an acrylic or oil painting is easy. Just select the photo you want Carol to use as an image to paint, choose the size of the painting, and wait a few weeks for delivery. Carol will use different color schemes or paint multiple pets in one picture for an additional charge per pet. Carol's paintings are fun, contemporary images for all animal lovers. - prices vary
• Neighborhoodies: Neighborhoodies helps you custom design a hooded sweatshirt. Quote your sweetheart's favorite phrase or simply plaster a cool image on to a Neighborhoodie. There are different sizes, colors and fabrics to make the sweatshirt selection very personal and customized. It doesn't hurt to be creative. - prices vary
• Etsy.com gifts: Etsy.com is a virtual marketplace where handmade items are bought and sold online. You can shop by category or rifle through the custom searches Etsy.com developed, such as Shop Local, Colors or Geolocator. Clothes, toys, baked goods, household items: you'll find a gift for everyone on your list (and maybe a few for yourself) at Etsy.com. - prices vary

Gift Ideas for the socially responsible

• Adopt a pet: Check out your local zoo to see if it sponsors an Adopt a Pet program. Adopt a Pet programs promote wildlife conservation efforts and help fund animal care and zoo upkeep. Adopting an animal lover's favorite animal will delight them and make you feel good for giving back to the animal kingdom and zoo community. You'll also get a chuckle any time you hear the phrase "my monkey's uncle" - or maybe that's just me. - prices vary
• Charity donation: I know, I know. There are people who believe it's unnecessary to give or receive tangible gifts during the holidays. Well, that conflicts with my belief that everyone deserves a little something special this time of year! To resolve this conflict of interest in the past, I've donated money to a charity with a cause I know my special someone believes in. Check out local listings and you're sure to find an organization in need. - prices vary
• Verlu jewelry: Give back to the environment while giving a gift to your best gal pal. Verlu designs handcrafted, hand-assembled, eco-friendly jewelry. The wooden and sterling silver pieces are the most popular. The collections offer modern and classic items and can be worn mixed and matched. Verlu often recognizes hip new fashion trends before the curve, so a style that seems unusual now will be a statement soon enough. Your friend or loved one will be ahead of the crowd by wearing Verlu jewelry! - prices vary

Gift Ideas for Squirrel Haters

• Yankee Flipper: I knew the name alone would catch your attention. I'm all about animal equality and I respect a squirrel's need to feed, but I don't appreciate it when a squirrel hogs all of the birdseed and the rest of the animal kingdom is out of luck. The Yankee Flipper Squirrel Proof Birdfeeder holds four quarts of birdseed and is made from stainless steel. I love my Yankee Flipper for its entertainment value. Any time a squirrel or animal heavier than a cardinal or robin lands on the perch, the weight-activated motor turns on and spins the squirrel off the feeder. Now the birds eat peacefully and I get a giggle from my window. - $100.00

Gift Ideas for Movie or Entertainment Lovers

• The Dark Knight: It'd be ideal if each of us had our own personal Batman. Yes, I'd like Batman to protect me from evil, but I want a ride in the Bat Mobile more than anything. Bring last summer's box office hit home for the holidays by pre-ordering it online. It will be worth it for the bonus footage alone. - prices vary
• Ratatouille: Well, I'm not going to stop you from putting together a ratatouille stew, but I think it'd go best with a side dish - like the movie Ratatouille on DVD. Pixar, the studio that brought Toy Story and Finding Nemo to life, released Ratatouille last year to positives reviews from critics and families. The plot chronicles Remy, a rat, and his dream to become a chef in Paris. Whether your friend will be watching with kids or not, Ratatouille is a must-own! - prices vary
• Ticket Stub Diary: Everyone knows a frequent sporting events or concert-goer that has their ticket stubs plastered all over their room or stuffed in a box under their bed. A ticket stub diary not only keeps old ticket stubs clean but allows the sport or band fanatic to journal snippets about their event or concert experience in the columns next to the ticket. If you're like me, you use a ticket stub diary for movie ticket stubs and use the diary as a useful movie reviews tool! - around $10.00

Gift Ideas that Make a Lasting Impression

• Name a Star: Bradgelina is not a buzzword anymore, so I'm not suggesting that you name a new celebrity couple in honor of the holiday season. Instead, commemorate and celebrate a person or event by dedicating a star to your loved one. Name a Star packages contain an official star registration certificates, information on your star's constellation, and directions for locating your star in the sky. Name a Star will be a cherished gift for light years to come. - $28.95-$49.95
• Ornaments: I try to remain unbiased to the holidays but I am Santa Clause, after all! My nose would start growing if I said Christmas wasn't my favorite holiday. Radko vintage Christmas ornaments are beautiful, collectible and can be enjoyed by all ages. An assortment of Radko ornaments or lights will be a pleasant surprise as a holiday party gift or stocking stuffer. - prices vary
• A rose: You have two choices. First, you can head to the nearest flower shop, buy a rose, slip the rose in a stocking, and then hope it doesn't die before New Year's Eve. Second, you can buy a rose online from Love is a Rose. Don't be fooled. This rose will last until New Year's Eve and even longer. Although Love is a Rose sells home and office items, the most popular items are the gold and silver plated or trimmed roses. Consider personalizing the gift by creating a bouquet. - prices vary depending on preservation and size

Gift Ideas for Readers

• The Week: Forget Time or U.S. News & World Report and pick up a subscription to The Week for your favorite news junkie. Not everyone has time to comb through newspapers and news magazines for hours each week, which is why The Week is so great. The Week's quick-reading layout resembles that of USA Today's. Best of all, it combines excerpts from the most prominent U.S. and foreign newspapers in to one magazine. There's also information on books, music albums and the performing arts. All your current events in 45 minutes or less. There's nothing great. - $49.50 for 50 subscriptions
• Digital bookmark: It's a bird, it's a plane... no, it's a bookmark, alarm and clock all in one small, slim unit! Avid readers and students will love the Mark My Time digital bookmark. Not only will it mark their place in their reading, but the alarm will remind them to head to bed, take a break or grab a snack when they are engrossed in work. - $8.99

Gift Ideas for the Organized

• Brother P Touch PT 1180 Label Maker: This little gem can be used to label wrapped presents or for organizational purposes around a home or office. The label maker is quiet, easy to use and efficient. The neat freak in all of us will love this label maker. - $39.98
• Huggable Hangers: Remember your good friend the Neat Freak? I bet that friend hasn't tried Huggable Hangers yet. Huggable Hangers don't leave indentations in clothing and are known for doubling the amount of closet space available. How else do you think I keep my red suits perfectly pressed 365 days per year? - $29.99 for a 36 piece set

Gift Ideas for Photo Lovers

• Creative Memories PicFolio album: You don't need to be scrapbook savvy to design a great photo album. Creative Memories makes scrapbooking a cinch. Creative Memories PicFolio albums come with title bars to identify each scrapbook page, journal boxes to use as photo mats, and protective picture sleeves. The only thing you'll have to do is print out your favorite pictures and put them in the album. Creative Memories does the rest! - $12.00-$44.00
• Pandigital picture frame: I hate when digital picture frames cut people or parts of an image out of a photo. I haven't run in to any problems with the Pandigital picture frame, though. It's simple to download pictures to and plays music. Photo enthusiasts, scrapbooking fanatics and chic home decorators will love adding some technology to their layouts. - $159.99

Gift Ideas for Gourmets

• Edible Arrangements gift basket: Edible flowers? Sure, my reindeer like to nibble on plant life every now and again, but I've never considered a flower to be appetizing - until now. Edible Arrangements are colorful, consumable fruit bouquets. The baskets come in many sizes with different fruits. My mouth waters just thinking about the chocolate-dipped bouquets. Edible Arrangements serve as a nice alternative gift for colleagues, friends and dinner parties. - prices vary
• Starbucks: I know, I know. You're already hopping out of your seat and you're on your way to the Starbucks right around the corner from your home. Sit back down, my friend, and head over to Starbucks' website. You can customize your very own gift card online, complete with various background and theme choices. The customized card costs $4.00, and the card can be loaded with $15, $25 and $50 amounts. All right, now you can head to the nearest Starbucks for a refreshing cup of coffee. - $19.00-$54.00
• Wine saver set: It's unlikely an opened bottle of wine will go unfinished at the end of the night but you never know. Don't take the risk that wine will taste differently two days later and invest in a VacuVin wine saver. Place the VacuVin stopped in the bottle of wine and pump the handle up and down to remove the oxygen. The stoppers are easy to clean and reusable. You'll never replace a cork on an opened bottle of wine again. - $20.00 for a 3-piece set, additional stoppers sold in pairs

The holiday season often revolves around gift exchanges, and I have no problem with that. I love to give gifts. However, I want you all to remember that the true holiday spirit resides in spending time with loved ones and reflecting on the past year. Be good to one another and be good to yourself - and give out a few gifts!

Happy Holidays!