Gift Ideas Blog

Well, you got that wonderful digital camera for Christmas, but now what? You’re taking lots of pictures, but sometimes there’s just not anybody around to help you take your picture. Or, you want to take a cool self-portrait for MySpace or another social networking site profile. What do you do?

You could get the Timetale FOZI Tripod, a handy-dandy tripod that fits right in your wallet! It comes in seven different colors, and it folds up flat into the palm of your hand. When you’re ready to use it, simply open it up, put the flap in the slot, and set your digital camera right on top. You can get it to accommodate a cell phone camera, iPhone camera, and most compact digital cameras. See it in action on YouTube here.

It’s a great gift for any cell phone camera or digital camera user, and it’s so small and compact for easy use.

OK, it’s Christmas Eve, and you’re still looking for that last-minute gift. Your options are limited, but lucky for you, many retailers are open extra hours today to accommodate the last-minute rush.

Your best bet is probably a gift card. Gift cards help make up millions of dollars in sales for retailers, and it’s no wonder. They are easy to buy, and popular with gift givers who aren’t sure what their gift recipient might like. It’s also popular with gift recipients because they get to choose exactly what they want to buy, albeit only in the store from which the gift card was purchased. It’s a win-win situation, though, so what’s not to like about gift cards?

If not, try making your own gifts. A homemade heartfelt card written with sincerity and filled with love and friendship just might speak volumes more than a hundred-dollar gift. Some construction paper and scrapbook decorations and stickers can go a long way in creating a personalized and much-loved Christmas card. Then, hand-deliver the card with some freshly-baked cookies or other baked goods. It’s easy to look up a recipe for holiday baked goods and then deliver them on a nice holiday paper plate and wrapped in Christmas-color cellophane and ribbon.

Other great Christmas gifts include floral arrangements, boxes of candy or chocolates (the Lindt Excellence “Holiday Spice” chocolate bar is particularly delicious and gourmet), and gourmet snack tins filled with such poppable foods as popcorn, pretzels, cheesy poofs, or gummy candies.

Well, good luck with your last-minute Christmas gift shopping! When all is done, you’ll be relieved and happy to settle down and celebrate that “most wonderful time of the year” with all your loved ones.

Do you have a friend who’s a businessperson or is always glued to his or her laptop for work or home? Then perhaps a good gift idea this holiday season is Lapworks’ Laptop Desk Futura. Lapworks sells various ergonomic desks and stands for laptops that can ensure comfort and safety for frequent uses of these electronics. But the Laptop Desk Futura is being featured especially for its style and convenience.

The Futura, which is retailing for $29.95, has five incline positions, so you can set it for proper ergonomic laptop use. The laptop stand also has vents, so the surface under the laptop doesn’t get too hot (this is especially good for men because high heat on the lap from laptops has been said to reduce fertility). It has special rubber holds that keep the laptop steady, and best of all, the stand folds down flat so you can just slip it next to your laptop in your carrying case when you’re not using it.

Thin, lightweight, and good for your posture and ergonomics, this gift is perfect for businesspeople and others who frequently work on laptops. Check it out!

Brian over at Asylum.com referred us to one of their recent posts about extravagantly overpriced retro toys. A Mr. T talking doll is going for $60, while a Mork and Mindy lunchbox is going for $220! It may be a lot, but if your gift recipient loves classic TV or ’70s cult figures, it just might be the perfect gift. It also reminds us to hold on to those old belongings and gifts, because you never know how much they might be worth in 20 or 30 years!

Check it out!

Wine Gift Ideas

Wine could be a great gift for anyone 21 and older. It’s classy, but fun at the same time. There’s so many different varieties and wineries, it may be difficult to figure out what wine to buy as a gift.

Wine makes for an excellent corporate gift, as well as be part of a nice gift basket.

For example, this gift basket from FTD features wine and a wine country theme.

However, there are a few things to consider if you want to give a wine gift.

First of all, just because it’s more expensive, doesn’t mean your wine gift is better. Sometimes the higher price could simply be for the prestige of coming from a famous wine-producing region (Napa Valley, anyone?), but the taste may not be exactly the gift recipient’s favorite. Make sure to do your research for your wine.

Also, does your wine gift recipient know anything about wine? If he or she does, be sure to be extra careful about your gift. If they don’t know anything about wines, maybe you could give a guide to tasting wines. Perhaps a book from your local book retailer could explain the art and nuances of wine-tasting.

Finally, wine is frequently paired with food, so a nice gift idea could be to invite them to a fancy dinner with paired wines. Any restaurant with a knowledged sommelier can help you pick out the perfect wine to go with your gourmet dinner.

Wine can be a classy and cultured gift to give. Good luck finding that perfect wine gift!

A cute candy gift idea. This item from Personalization Mall allows you to put your own message on a candy jar.

Put something like, “I love you, [name of recipient]” or “I love you, Mom; from [name of giver]” on the jar, and the gift will be specific and always associated with you.

This would make a good Valentine’s Day gift, as well as a Mother’s Day gift.

Fill the jar with your gift recipient’s favorite candies, and you’re on your way for a sweet gift. Your sweetheart, who might place this personalized candy jar on his or her desk at work, will think of you every time he or she reaches for a piece of candy.

Now what would make a better gift idea?