The Gift Ideas Blog

Looking for a fun floor cover that will also please the youngest members of your family? Consider FLOR, which makes modular carpet tiles for homes

Because FLOR makes modular carpet tiles, you can mix-and-match design and color carpet tiles to fit your tastes and surface area. It’s also great because of the many themes available for purchase. FLOR has recently entered into an agreement with Disney to create themed carpet tiles that feature popular such as those from the Disney-Pixar film “Cars,” the Disney Princesses, and the classic Winnie the Pooh characters.

The Gift Ideas Blog recently had a chance to review a set of “Cars”-themed FLOR carpet tiles, and we were particularly impressed by the vintage design and its durable nature. An advantage to using FLOR tiles is that if one tile gets dirty, all you have to do is lift up the stained tile and wash it. No need for inconvenient carpet washers and wet carpet.

With FLOR tiles, you can do a checkerboard pattern as pictured above, or you can line up the tiles in a row along a window or bedside. The choice is up to you. There’s also a variety of textures and colors that you can select from.

Finally, the rug tiles are partly made from recycled materials, and old tiles can be recycled. Check out FLOR today, and have some fun with your carpet!

Christmas presents

Christmas will be here before we know it, and it’s time to get all those last-minute gifts before the big gift-giving holiday. Many online retailers are still offering last-minute shipping deals, and it’s quite possible to find a gift online that will still be sent out by companies to your gift recipient by Christmas Day (rapid guaranteed one-day shipping, for a price, of course). But you’ll have to hurry. Many of these retailers are swamped during this time with similar last-minute gift shoppers, so you’ll want to order today to have them ship out the item by Monday to hopefully arrive on time on Christmas Day.

You might actually have better luck going to a store to find the perfect gift during this time. A recent jaunt over to Kmart and Target yielded delightful gift boxes, all wrapped up and ready to be given. They contain various gifts, from jam and preserves sets to shaving kits to hot cocoa mixes in holiday mugs. All packaged nicely in appropriate boxes, you don’t need much effort to get it ready for presentation. With these stores doing all the work, it shouldn’t be hard finding the perfect gift. They’ll also help you out because many stores offer gift-wrapping as well, so it’s all one-stop shopping, without any hassles once you get home.

Also, try a smaller boutique. They offer unique gift items that are personal and not as mass-marketed. Perhaps try an antique store for a vintage twist. My friend recently found at a vintage store a silver heirloom locket that she planned to give to her mother after putting in her own portrait. Such treasures seem to have more meaning when they are vintage and have an old story to them.

If you are unable to go out to shop for Christmas, perhaps consider a home-made gift. One delightful idea a friend used once was to make a huge batch of gingerbread dough. Then, divide the dough into smaller portions, wrap it up in plastic, and give the gingerbread dough away to friends and family members along with a card containing a recipe for making gingerbread and instructions on how to bake it (temperature, how much time, etc.). Perhaps also include a gingerbread man cookie cutter. That little set is cheap and easy to make yourself, yet it will be well-received by your gift recipient because it is unique and a fun gift to receive because you can have a mini-party baking and then later decorating that gingerbread.

Also, you could try creating your own gift basket. Put some coffee or teas, or jams or wines or fresh fruit into a basket, then affix a delightful and colorful bow to the top. It’s an instant gift basket! If it’s a Christmas gift for children, add some toys and candy, and that’s sure to be a hit with the youngsters. Perhaps you could also use Christmas colors of green, red, gold, and silver in coordinating your gift basket items. Or use a green, red, and gold ribbon to tie up the basket. There aren’t any rules; just pick what your gift recipient might like and wrap it up so it looks beautiful. Easy peasy!

Well, it’s just two shopping days ’til Christmas. Good luck, everyone, in finding that perfect Christmas gift!

Halloween Gift Basket from Oriental Trading Company

Well, Halloween will be upon us in a week, and there’s still plenty of time to find that delightful gift for the spooky holiday. Check out the posting below for major Halloween gifts to give, such as candy, costumes and decorations. Here are some more ideas:

Toys: There are a variety of neat toys you can give. From talking pumpkins to plus ghosts and goblins, there are many types of toys you can give to the younger set. There are action figures of characters from Halloween movies, such as the Nightmare Before Christmas or It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. How about a model of the scary Jack Skellington? Or Oogie Boogie from the Nightmare Before Christmas? Or maybe consider a skeleton model. It can make a fun toy to put together, it’s kind of spooky for the holiday, and the gift recipient will learn something about the amazing human body as well!

Also, check out these monster pillows from Mechanical Bunny. So scary yet cute!

Jack O’ Lantern

Arts and Crafts: How about creating a decorative Halloween wreath? Find a dark wreath made of twigs or sticks, easily found at your local craft store, and decorate it with fake or real dried leaves of different hues, from fiery red to bright yellow. This represent the autumn. Then, add little decorations such as a tiny broomstick for a witch, little ghosts using tissue paper, or other assorted Halloween paraphernalia. Perhaps even add small holiday lights in black/dark purple or orange so it even looks great at night. Your Halloween wreath will be the talk of the town when you display it prominently on your front door. Other crafts you can create are homemade decorations that are fun to make and even more fun to display at home. Create large posters of Halloween characters.

Homemade recipes: Bake some fun Halloween-themed cookies. Sugar cookies are easy to cut out with cookie cutters to create fun shapes such as a black cat, a witch on a broomstick, a jack-o’-lantern, a ghost, and other Halloween-themed objects. If you don’t have the time to make your own cookie dough, you can easily purchase a tube in the refrigerated section of your supermarket. Pillsbury and other brands have pre-made cookie dough that’s easy to roll out, cut, bake and decorate. Use frosting and sprinkles in Halloween colors of black, orange, green and purple to create a mysterious and fun culinary creation! For a fun and sweet project, cover lollipops (Tootsie pops are a favorite) with a tissue and hold in place with a rubber band. Then, on the bulb of the lollipop draw a cute, or spooky, ghost face. This makes a fun “ghost on a stick” that’s great to give to little children for a sweet surprise.

Best of luck finding the best Halloween gift for everyone!

CreativeThoughts has a great personalized birthday gift idea: The Birthday Chronicle!

Simply provide the gift recipient’s birthday, and the company will send you a completed sheet that you can frame (or you can purchase it already framed).

Printed on parchment-style paper, the 8.5″ by 11″ sheet tells all the world events that occurred on your gift recipient’s birthday! For example, was the birthday the same as the day JFK was shot? The day Elizabeth Taylor made her screen debut? The day Paris Hilton was born? The Birthday Chronicle will feature celebrity birthdays, as well as financial news, world events, and the weather on the day you were born!

And, for those needing a quick gift, there’s even the option of downloading an electronic file of the personalized Birthday Chronicle, so you can print it out yourself if you’re in a hurry.

Check out the Birthday Chronicle for a unique and personalized gift fit for individuals of all ages.

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.

Perfect for children, this gift will allow them to spread the magic and luck of St. Patrick’s Day! A set of 120 assorted St. Patrick’s Day stickers with 10 different designs, each sticker 1″-by-1″. Available at Paper.com.

The Two-Player Wireless Laser Duel Game

Give the thrill of laser tag as a gift with the Two-Player Wireless Laser Duel Game!

This wireless game uses harmless infrared light to allow young players to “tag” each other using the devices. The game can be played indoors or outdoors with these game controls that feature displays telling players when a target has been tagged. Players tag each other by shooting invisible infrared light beams projected from the laser guns.
The set weighs 3 pounds and requires 12 AA batteries.

The Two-Player Wireless Laser Duel Game costs $79.99 and is available at Hammacher Schlemmer.

The Highland Games Premier Soccer Table Foosball

This great gift idea offers fun for the whole family.

Especially popular with young people, this foosball table can offer hours of entertainment in the living room or game room. The foosball table has a dark cherry laminate playing surface and black cabinet.

The foosball table goes for $299.98 at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Here’s an interesting gift idea that is useful and fun: The Amazing Water Clock.

This environmentally friendly clock is powered by water! It does not require solar cells, batteries, or electricity. Instead, it is powered by harnessing the natural energy in liquids. You can use water, fruit juice, sodas, coffee, and other fluids with electrolytes to power this unique clock. Add the fluid to the back of the clock and it keeps the time once you’ve set it! Try different liquids to see which powers the clock the longest.

The water clock has a sleek and modern style that reflects its scientific nature. Give this great gift to science lovers or kids as a useful and educational product!

Only $11.95 at Shop.com.

Frosty the Snowman stuffed toy set from Build-A-Bear Workshop

Here’s a great gift idea for young ones for the holidays: The Frosty the Snowman gift set from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

This adorable holiday gift set includes the Frosty the Snowman DVD, a 16″ Frosty the Snowman stuffed toy, toys of the characters Professor Hinkle, Karen, and Hocus Pocus, and a $10 Bear Buck$ Gift Card that can be used at Build-A-Bear Workshop. The Frosty the Snowman gift package is valued at $68 but is available for just $55 at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

It’s a great gift idea for the young and the young at heart.