October 18, 2011

Gifts for Halloween Lovers

Halloween is one of those holidays where you don't necessarily think about gifts but if you have a Halloween lover in your circle you know they are more than thrilled to get a Halloween themed gift.  You may start off thinking of a gift for the kids in your life but let's face it they are already having all the fun.  Costumes and candy are just plain expected.

Where some good Halloween gift ideas come to mind are when you are thinking about giving one to the host of a Halloween Party.  They obviously love the holiday so much they are willing to go to the considerable effort of decorating their house and throwing a party.

If you know them well you may be able to get something decorative to add to their party atmosphere for not just this year but for future parties too.  Skeletons are always popular and they have some pretty neat ones on Amazon that you can set up in your yard to spook people as they approach the party.

Some other common ideas for Halloween gifts are Halloween themed gift baskets.  There are a variety of offerings that include more than just candy.  You can get gift baskets with wine or beer that can be used by the host or hostess at the party.  You can find great ideas at GourmetGiftBaskets.com and ProFlowers for both candy and flower/decoration offerings for gift baskets.

Lastly for those that have pets costumes have become great gifts.  Whether you are getting it for your own pet or for a Halloween lover that will get a big kick out of it, the offerings for Halloween pet costumes has exploded over the last few years.  More people have pets and feel they are as much a part of their families as their children.


Pet Costumes

Enjoy the Halloween Season!

 

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June 10, 2011

Recipe For the Perfect Father's Day

iloveyoudadFather's Day seems early this year.  Believe it or not Father's Day is next weekend Sunday June 19th(2011).  Many times the focus on these types of days is on the gifts and of course gifts are expected but Dads nowadays can play so many different roles that you may want to focus more on the experience of the day itself.  Fathers these days can work outside the home but nowadays you may find many "stay at home" Dads that may need a true break from their every day routines.  I suggest you focus on the experience as much as the gifts.

So what would make a perfect Father's Day?  As usual of course it depends on the Dad and his interests and life.  You do need to make sure you cover the basics though.  The 3 key areas are Father's Day Activities, Father's Day Gifts and Father's Day Cards.

Father's Day Activities

Opening the day with breakfast in bed is always a good starter.  Who doesn't want to be pampered.  For the rest of the day knowing the Dad in your life really will dictate what kind of activities he would actually enjoy.  Many times a Dad will say it doesn't matter as long as we spend time as a family but the truth is it is his day and it should focus on activities you know he will enjoy.  If the Dad is a sports fan going to a baseball game may be a great idea.  Many major league teams have games on Father's Day so if you can get those tickets that would be a slam dunk.  If Father in your life is a biker maybe a long family bike ride along a favorite path should be part of the activities.

Don't be afraid to give Dad the day off.  If he's a golfer he might want to take the time to play 18 holes without guilt.  You can always plan dinner and other activities after that.  Father's Day brunches are also an easy and enjoyable choice.  Many restaurants have these types of brunches or special dinners for Father's Day.  Check those in your city and town that you know he would like or he has wanted to try.  Last year we actually incorporated a car show into the activities for my husband's father and we all went together.  He is a big car fan and he had a great time.

Father's Day Gifts

For this section I am going to cheat a little because we have an article on our other gift site which focuses on Gift Ideas for Men which really covers a whole host of ideas.  They of course include electronics, sports related and hobby related ideas.  The key as always is to "know" the person you are giving the gift to.  Read more detailed thoughts on Gifts for Him.

Father's Day Cards
Whether you decide to go homemade or store bought Father's Day Cards are a way to commemorate his special day.  Some dads keep these cards especially if the kids are young enough to make home made ones.  I have actually toyed with the idea of a Father's Day Video Card which basically is a video of special Father related events and the like.  Nowadays those things are not that hard to do with slide slow software that takes your pictures and allows you to add music to the background.

So in closing the perfect Father's Day Recipe has the above key ingredients with 2 others to make it really special.  Time to plan it and enjoy it and Love to make the day memorable…

 

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February 10, 2011

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas For All

Valentine's Day gift ideas can range anywhere from the traditional to the colorful, from the eventful to the very memorable.  What started out as a Christian holiday way back commemorating Saint Valentine it is now a celebration that is celebrated in many places around the world.  The more standard interpretation of Valentine's Day is a Day to celebrate love between the intimate companions we live our lives with.  Kids also celebrate it though and they would tell you it is more about friendship than love (ugghhh!).

Traditional Valentines Day Gift Ideas

These are the usual flowers, candy,  jewelry and perfume that are advertised heavily in the malls.  Just because something is considered traditional does not mean it is dull and even more importantly it does not mean that it is not expected.  Most girlfriends and wives would be delighted to get a nice bouquet of roses as part of their Valentine's Day experience.  Even if all you can afford is a small heart shaped box of chocolates it is also something that most of the time is appreciated.

Jewelry and perfume can be more expensive and can be considered much more symbolic.  Heart shaped pendants are the staple of an early Valentine's Day for couples but there are a wide variety of designs that can range in expense.  Sterling silver with less jewels will cost less than gold with complex jewel designs.  Jewelry like perfume can be a challenge if you don't know the person's tastes that well.  Sometimes it is advisable to get help from his or her friends or family.  Perfumes in particular can be hit or miss.  The best bet is to get a perfume or cologne that he or she already uses.

Valentine's Day Gifts with Color

Is red the color of Valentine's Day?  Most people would say yes.  That is why when it comes to clothes or tech gifts you will find many stores offering products in red.  Red colored cameras and laptops can usually be found even when it is not Valentine's Day.  Though some hot gifts like the Apple IPad may not be available yet in red there are a variety of accessories like cases that are available.  When it comes to clothes most of the offerings on Valentine's Day are of the lingerie and male underwear variety.  You can find red baby doll lingerie for women and boxers with red hearts just to name a couple of underwear gift ideas for Valentine's Day.  Though red is the traditional color of Valentine's Day keep in mind that pink runs a close second for the women on your list.

Eventful and Memorable Valentine's Day Gifts

Did your husband propose to you on Valentine's Day?  Many men choose this day to pop the question which usually includes a nice diamond engagement ring to match.  Choosing an engagement ring should not be taken lightly.  Diamond rings can range in quality and price.  What might be OK for one women may be noticeably disappointing for another.  Definitely get help from family and friends on this.  Usually they know what she may expect and what her tastes are better than you.  A Valentine's Day engagement is definitely memorable.

On the memorable side you need to consider the experience that you and your loved one will actually have on Valentine's Day.  Typically a nice romantic dinner is the basic and is fine for couple early on in their relationships.  For those that have been around the block though this may be a great time to spice things up.  You can plan a night or a weekend away (especially if you have children).  The actual gifts themselves can also be made more memorable by engraving them.  Matching watches are a favorite of mine.  If you buy something like a Fossil or Movado metallic watch you can bring it over to a place like Things Remembered where you can get them engraved with your names and the date.  Every time you both where them you will remember that special Valentine's Day and the love that you both share.

Always remember that Valentine's Day is about love and any gift that is from the heart will be appreciated by those who truly love you.  Enjoy Valentine's Day!

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December 16, 2010

Mind Control Toys – More Than A Novelty?

Can you use your mind to play a game?  Can you use The Force to move a ball?  If you haven't been exposed to the toys I am about to discuss you might think this is science fiction but it isn't.  Though the Star Wars Force Trainer and Mattel's MindFlex game were released in 2009 they are still very popular toy gifts for the Christmas and Holiday season.  They seem to be past the novelty stage and are migrating to more mainstream demand.

Both toys are based on attempting to harness the power of your brainwaves to move a ball.  They use the same licensed technology from a company called NeuroSky.  The Force Trainer and the MindFlex Brain Game are similar but they have different slants on how to control the ball.

The Force Trainer by Uncle Milton of course brings to it the power of the Star Wars storyline and it's use of "the Force" to move the ball.  It even includes training levels inspired by the Star Wars story like being able to advance from Padawan to Jedi.  The coolness factor is increased even more with the voice of Yoda as your trainer.  The challenges revolve around moving the ball up and down the chute by increasing and decreasing the speed of a fan based on how hard you concentrate.

The MindFlex Game seems more of a general audience type game and differentiates itself by offering the ability to create your own obstacle courses for the ball.  It features 5 different games and includes hurdles, hoops, funnels and even a teeter-totter.  Both can be good party games because many folks would be curious to see if they really can control anything with their minds.  Who doesn't want to think they are telekinetic?

Either one of these would be great gifts for the sci-fi and superhero fans in you life.  Depending on the demand either one can cost more than the other.  Currently the Star Wars Force Trainer is cheaper on Amazon at $55 while the Mindflex Toy is close to its list price at $78.59.  As of this writing I think you can still get Free Shipping in time for Christmas on the Force Trainer…

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November 10, 2010

New Bakugan Toys for Christmas 2010

Do you think it is too early for Christmas and Holiday Gift Shopping?  This weekend I went to a local mall to pick up a top for my daughter.  I was not prepared for the mob that I found.  I was surprised to find both front parking lots full so I ended up having to park far away on the third lot.  It seems that people are ready to shop and may already know what they want.  This is bad news for those who wait especially for high demand gifts like toys for boys.  Each year the Toy industry and in particular strong brands like Bakugan and Transformers jockey for position by developing new toys that will be demanded in that Season.

Bakugan in particular continues to add to the wide array of action figures and accessories associated with both the Bakugan Game and the Bakugan Battle Brawlers television series that airs here on the Cartoon Network.  Last year the must have Bakugan Toys were the Maxus line of Bakugan action figures Maxus Helios and Maxus Dragonoid.  They were associated with the second season of the show title New Vestroia.  They still are in high demand since they are 7 Toys in 1.  You can play with them separately and then connect them together to form massive monsters that provide huge advantages in game play.

This year Bakugan has added somewhat of a auto transforming feature to their New Bakugan Toy line of Colossus action figures.  The new Dharak Colossus and Dragonoid Colossus again feature separate pieces that can be played with separately.  This time they are 6 in 1 and feature a transformation hub.  When the accompanying battle gear pieces are connected to the hub the Bakugan for each set(Battalix Dragonoid and Brawlacus Dharak) are dropped into the figure and then it explodes into the bigger monster form.

These Bakugan toys are part of the current 3rd season of Bakugan Battlebrawlers entitled Gundalian Invaders.  These toys are good examples of those that are snapped up pretty quickly in the Holiday and Christmas shopping season.  My son has the Colossus Toys on his list so I plan to snap one up soon.  Keep in mind these toys make good gifts for boy over 5.  The way they play with these toys also evolves as they learn to play the actual Bakugan Game which can be complex.

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November 5, 2010

Barbie Video Girl Doll Enters the High Tech Doll Arena

Barbie Video Girl Doll Viewer

A Doll That Takes Real Videos

Christmas and Holiday Shopping for 2010 has kicked off.  I know it seems early but November is when many of us start thinking about Christmas Gift Shopping and my daughter recently updated me on what kind of dolls really make good gifts.  Back in July of 2010 Mattel and Barbie released their new Barbie Video Girl Doll.  This doll is on the top of my daughters must have gifts this year.  Not only does this doll come with a built in video camera you can also edit the movies the doll makes with some free downloadable software from the Barbie website.

I know I am dating myself since the most high tech doll I can remember having was a baby doll that cried when you pulled a string on the back.  I know, I know it is sad.  The truth is though dolls have been trying to adapt to the new tech savvy girls of today.  My daughter also has the Dora Links Doll that seemed to have challenged many non-technical parents last year.  That doll allows you to connect to a computer via a USB cable and change her looks.  You can make her hair longer or shorter and change the color of her eyes and jewelry.  The other high tech aspect to the imaginative and interactive play for that doll is being able to connect to a Dora Links online community where you can also play games that teach social responsibility and even Spanish.

dora links connects to computerBoth of my children love playing the online games and Dora Links is still in demand in our house.  Some folks did have some problems with downloading the required software that for some reason is huge.  It is more painful when you first download it and then the updates are less time.  Those types of frustrations can sometimes make high tech toys of any variety a challenge.  The reality is that this will continue to be an increasing trend.  Toy companies want and need to innovate in order to compete.

The Barbie Video Girl Doll will be great for my daughter since she has been wanting a video camera for a while and getting one with a cool Barbie Doll is a plus.  Today's kid's aren't as intimidated by technology as we are and becoming a movie maker is not only fun it is a skill set that will serve her in the future.  Both of these high tech dolls surprisingly can be bought for under $50, a pretty reasonable price.  I would consider these to be solid Christmas present ideas for girls between ages 5 to 13 but I would lean toward the mid to higher range so that they can get the most out of these new high tech dolls.

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May 3, 2010

Mother's Day Gift Ideas for 2010

Mother's Day is coming fast.  If you are still in the market for a Mother's Day Gift your options are starting to diminish.  We have written a few posts on Mother's Day before that may fit your specific situation more so here is a direct link to the Mother's Day Presents category.

We also have updated our Mother's Day Gift Store on Amazon.  Though there are often similar themes to the types of presents that make good gifts for moms sometimes there are new product entries.  This year a new product that looks very promising it the new Flip SlideHD Camcorder.  The Flip SlideHD is offered by Flip Video which popularized the handheld mini camcorder.  The most notable feature for this new Flip is of course the slide up widescreen viewer that allows you to view and show the videos that you have just shot.  Offering HD output as well it is the perfect gift for the gadget lover.  A new mom would also find it handy for keeping track of all of the milestone moments with their babies.

Our favorites tend to be gadget gifts like the SlideHD, the IPod Touch, and the Kindle but you will also find some other ideas at the store as well.  Check out more gift ideas for mom at the store.

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April 21, 2010

Last Minute Gifts for Secretaries Day

Today is Secretaries Day for 2010!  Don't panic there is still time to show the Administrative Staff in your life that you are not totally clueless.  If you are new to the "being the boss" world you may be wondering what Secretaries Day is all about.

The term Secretary is in some ways outdated.  Many people prefer to be called administrative assistant.  The higher level secretaries are often called Executive assistants nowadays.  Secretaries Day was started back in 1952 the the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Since 1952, the International Association of Administrative Professionals has honored office workers by sponsoring Administrative Professionals Week. Today, it is one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays.

In the year 2000, IAAP announced a name change for Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day. The names were changed to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today’s administrative workforce.

Whatever you are calling them in your life, now is the time to show them that you care about what they do day in and day out and that you appreciate them.  If you have not already planned something like taking them out to lunch or something like that there are many other things you can do to send that last minute gift.

If you have time to run to the pharmacy go get a card, though ecards can simplify your life they don't pack the same I am thoughtful vibe than a physical card.  You can actually write something in them that reflects your appreciation for the administrative professional involved.  Gift cards are great last minute gifts.  Nowadays you can even get them at the supermarket even though they do hit you with a fee.  You can find gift cards for restaurants or specific stores like Best Buy.

Younger folks  are actually easier because you can get them at Amazon and print them out right at your desk and or email them to the person you are giving them to.  ITunes gift certificates are also easily bought online and make great last minute gifts.

Apple iTunes

You may also have time to order some flowers which tend to be great for older administrative professionals who don't "live" online.

Good Luck!

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April 16, 2010

Homemade Mother's Day Cards Thoughtful or Cheap?

Mother's Day cards are a must.  Homemade, handmade, printable or bought from a store it is important to include a card with your Mother's Day Gift.  Many people resort to just buying a card at the pharmacy or supermarket.  That's not necessarily a bad choice if you spend some time going through them to make sure the message matches your mother.

When picking a card you may struggle with what is too cheesy or what is something that would seem as though it is coming from your heart.  It really all depends on your personality or that of your mother's.  Maybe your mother is someone who would really appreciate funny mother's day cards.  Maybe she is more the sentimental poetic type that appreciates a good mother's day poem.

Homemade Mothers Day cards are also a legitimate choice.  Again you need to look at the Mother's personality.  Will she think you are being cheap or will she think you are being thoughtful and creative?  In these tougher economic times most Mothers would not hold it against you if you choose to make a handmade Mother's Day card just to save money.  Let's face it cards can range from as little as a dollar to fancy cards that can cost $20 (like the ones you can record something on).  That doesn't mean you should not go all out on making the perfect handmade card.  You may already have materials like construction paper, lace, glue and markers on hand.  Get creative.  Be sure to include a message that comes from your heart and will show your mother that you have put some time into it.

Another option for homemade cards is to buy card making software.  Mother's Day printable cards will save you money in the long run if you consider you would be buying the card software for all sorts of different occasions like Father's Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries just to name a few.  Many of us already have the hardware we need on hand.  Most homes have a computer and a decent color printer.  One card software program that I have heard a lot about is Hallmark Card Studio.  Who can forget their slogan "When you Care Enough to Send the Very Best" so n this case it would be "When You Care Enough to Make the Very Best".

Whatever kind of Mother's Day Card you decide on, keep in mind most Mothers keep their cards forever!

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March 30, 2010

Easter Gift Ideas for Kids and More

easterflowereggThough Easter is a religious holiday it is also symbolic of the spring.  Whether you are Catholic or not if you live in the colder areas of the country you are looking for a reason to celebrate.  Easter gifts are not as over the top as those in the Christmas season but kids nowadays look forward to a little something to combine with the many traditional Easter activities.

Easter gift ideas for kids usually revolve around an Easter Gift Basket of one kind or another.  Many times you can find them even at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreen's if you are in a pinch.  Easter gift baskets usually include some amount of candy.  Plush toys like Easter Rabbits, Easter Chicks, and Easter Lambs are also good gifts particularly for younger kids.  My daughter likes Easter Lambs more than Easter Bunnies.

You can make your own Easter Gift Baskets by buying a basket and then creating a theme around it.  For example, there is an Easter Gift Basket on Amazon that combines a bunch of Ben 10 toys.  This is great if the boy on your Easter gift list is a big fan.  Another possibility that comes to mind is Bakugan which also is very popular with boys.  For girls Easter Gift Baskets can be themed for dolls that they like or even one that revolves around a makeover.  This could include age appropriate beauty supplies and hair products.

For the host of the Easter gathering you should also remember to bring a little something.  Flowers are an easy bet.  You can also bring more sophisticated boxed chocolates.

We have put together an Easter Amazon store with some of our recommendations.  The Easter Gift Ideas there also include Easter Books and Movies.  Easter is symbolic of rebirth.  Celebrate spring with a splash!

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