Gift Ideas Blog

I know recently we’ve been talking a lot about digital cameras, but it’s because I’ve had it on my mind. I just purchased a Panasonic Lumix FX55, and I’ve been fiddling around with it and using it.

It had been high time for me to replace my old digital camera, which I had been using for about six years. It was large and bulky, and one of my friends, when I pulled the old camera out to use, joked, “What is that, your fax machine?”

All jokes aside, I knew I wanted a new camera that was sleek, slim, and good at taking pictures. I’ve always been drawn to the Panasonic brand for its consistently high quality, and here was a new line of cameras from them that were quite sleek (especially in black!), pretty slim, and excellent for photography.

The display LCD is very large, and despite a month of use now, there are no scratches, so the material for the screen is quite strong. Also, the buttons are convenient to use, with an easy button for deleting pictures. The function wheel at the top allows you to switch easily among the various modes, from taking regular pictures, to recording videos, to viewing your pictures.

My only complaint is that when you take a vertical picture, the camera replays the photo horizontally, thus reducing the image size. Some other cameras I’ve seen automatically adjust the playback view depending on whether you hold the camera horizontally or vertically, where if you take a vertical picture, the image is played back vertically when you hold the digital camera that way.

In any case, the Panasonic Lumix FX55 is an excellent camera, and I highly recommend it as a digital camera gift for those looking to give one of these handy pieces of technology this Christmas and holiday season.

Today we’re going to talk about good gift ideas.

No, not “good” as in the gift recipient will like it a lot. Good gifts as in it does good for the world. For example, consider giving a donation in somebody else’s name. Some charities will offer certificates of donation, and you can present that: “This certifies that John Smith has donated $500 to the American Cancer Society.” It’s a gift that helps a charity and is like sharing the good karma that comes from helping a good cause. There are even agencies that will help you take care of everything. For example, Charity Checks allows your gift recipient to donate to a charity of their choosing, while you get the tax deduction.

Also, consider gifts that are ethical or fair. For example, fair trade items help producers in other countries be paid a fair wage and price for their products. The most famous example are coffee and bananas. Other food products have recently been marketed as fair trade. Do your research and make sure you understand that it’s actually fair trade and the terms of the fair trade agreement before buying just because it says “Fair Trade.”

Give a pound of fair trade coffee as a gift to a coffee drinker. Or, consider fair trade arts and crafts. There are several sites, such as Cebra or Global Crafts, dedicated to selling arts and crafts and clothes from people who otherwise might not have an opportunity to make a living from their handiwork. Look for a company that is ethical and pays the craftmakers a fair wage.

Finally, give a gift that can be helpful to the environment or the world. For example, plants are often a good gift because when planted in a garden, they can continue to offer visual and environmental benefits. Trees, in particular, will grow tall and be a gift that will be remembered every time it is seen. Also, some charities allow you to donate money to preserve an acre of rainforest, or donate money for the restoration of destroyed environmental habitats. Perhaps you could try donating money in the name of your gift recipient, and that would benefit part of the world.

Give a good gift today, bring joy to your gift recipient, and help the world!

Here’s a great food gift idea: Smiley cookies from the Popcorn Factory!

These rich, buttery cookies have a charming yellow smiling face in frosting put on top, indicating fun and goodwill. Send this box set of 14 smiling cookies and show your gift recipient that everything is just fine. This smiling gift will bring a smile to your friend or significant other. Each cookie is individually wrapped and the set comes in a charming smiley face box.