Madeline offers her tips on how to make it through the last big shopping hurrah of 2007, and shares her discovery of a place every eclectic gifter should consider when hunting for those last-minute stocking stuffers and hidden treasures: The used bookstore! We spent the afternoon at The Frugal Muse in Madison, Wisconsin, and Madeline found some incredible and economical gifts. What will you find?
Have someone who’s particularly hard to buy for? How about a magazine subscription? Amazon.com has over 150 magazines with an instant $5 rebate. Choose from top titles like Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Self, and more. Plus, you can let them know about their gift right away with a printable, customized gift card or an e-card.
Magazine Subscriptions are available at Amazon.com.
Amazon.com Gift Cards are always the perfect gift, redeemable for millions of items on the Amazon.com Web site. They can be sent via email or an e-card. Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire. They are available in any amount from $5 to $5000.
Amazon.com Gift Cards are available at Amazon.com.
Personalize it! Adding your sentiments to the handle of the stainless steel corkscrew adds the personal touch that everyone desires. Also included are a stainless steel drip ring and cosmopolitan bottle stopper. The cylindrical case ensures a good impression. Gift wrapped.
Engraved Wine Tool Set is available at GiftTree.
Our Golfer's Kit is proud to be above par. Included are 2 tees, divot tool, and monogrammed ball marker. Everything neat and compact in a pocketed leather case that can be clipped to any golf bag or belt. Use it to store business cards or a little cash for the 19th hole. Gift wrapped.
Golfer's Kit with Monogrammed Ball Marker is available at GiftTree.
This digital photo keychain holds over 60 full-color digital photos. So you can take your loved ones with you everywhere you go! Built-in memory stores up to 62 color photos. Clear, high-resolution 1.5" screen provides brighter images and a wider viewing angle. Keychain automatically resizes photos to fit perfectly. PC downloads are fast and easy—and the USB cable and software are included. The rechargeable battery delivers two hours of viewing time.
Digital Photo Keychain is available at Brookstone.
Looking for a unique gift? An engraved gift is always a treasured gift. When the engraved pieces are chopsticks, the recipients know you have gone out of your way to make them feel extra special. Each wooden chopstick has a sterling silver handle that can be engraved with your personal message. Two pair of chopsticks are included in the gift along with two rests. Presented in a hand wrapped gift box for an outstanding presentation.
Free Engraving
Engraving area: one line maximum, up to 18 characters including spaces. Enter information to be engraved on each individual chopstick handle during the checkout phase of the ordering process. One additional business day is automatically added to shipping schedule to accommodate engraving process.
Engraved Chopsticks for Two is available at GiftTree.com
'Tis the season to draft your gift list, and you need something that will suit everyone -- from your always-on-the-go brother to your happy-at-home aunt. Something special for each, of course -- homemade would be perfect. Something fresh and unexpected, customized, yet budget-friendly.
By using essential oils selected with your recipients in mind, you can easily create unique aromatherapy gifts that will delight. Replace a stressful shopping expedition with a pleasant hour of fragrant creativity and craft the perfect gift for everyone on your list.
"Homemade gifts say that you care," says Tom Havran, product development specialist for Aura Cacia, a leading aromatherapy brand. "And when you make one using essential oils you can go one step further and personalize its aromatherapy benefits as well."
To personalize your aromatherapy gift, simply choose pure essential oils with benefits that best suit the person receiving the gift. To help you get started, here's a chart of the aromatherapy benefits of the essential oils suggested in the instructions for making the gifts below:
Experts caution that full aromatherapy benefits are available only from natural, unadulterated essential oils -- not petroleum-derived synthetic fragrances or essential oils that have been "stretched" with less expensive components.
Havran, who helped develop aromatherapy gift ideas for a Web site feature on the topic (www.auracacia.com/gifts), shares three of his favorites:
Aromatherapy Zen Garden
A creative way to deal with stress at the office or at home.
You'll need:
1 tiny garden rake or chopsticks (to serve as the garden rake)
1 decorative shallow glass bowl or ceramic tray
Table salt (enough to fill container)
Small decorative rocks and shells
One of the following meditative essential oils: frankincense, myrrh or sandalwood
To assemble:
Fill the container with the salt and mix in 10 to 15 drops of oil. Smooth and add the rocks and shells in a pleasing arrangement. Using the rake or chopsticks as a stylus, draw flowing continuous patterns in the salt. Experience the garden fully as you meditate.
You can assemble the garden ahead of time for a personal presentation or send unassembled over a distance.
Holiday Botanical Diffuser
Brighten the atmosphere as well as the table with this attractive and aromatic decoration. Your choices of spices will personalize each gift.
You'll need:
A decorative glass jar
An array of spices such as cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole nutmeg, cardamom pods, bay leaves, etc. to layer into the container
A spicy, holiday aromatherapy blend (To make your own, combine 1 teaspoon of sweet orange essential oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of anise seed, clove, and cinnamon bark essential oils in a .33- or .5-ounce essential oil bottle)
To assemble:
Layer the spices in the jar and -- just before giving the gift -- sprinkle 10 to 15 drops of the aromatherapy blend. (Include the blend with the gift so that the recipient can refresh the scent as needed.)
Festive Sachet
Here's a colorful gift that celebrates traditional wintertime scents. These delightful decorations are the perfect way to cheer up a home and announce that the holidays have arrived.
You'll need:
1 small drawstring bag or sachet (You can easily make one from a decorative handkerchief or fabric and ribbon)
Coarse rock salt
A small handful of bay leaves, crushed into small pieces
(You need just enough salt and bay leaves to fill your sachet)
One of the following 100 percent pure wintertime oils: fir needle, cedarwood, pine or peppermint
To assemble:
Combine salt and bay leaves in a glass container. Sprinkle with 20 to 30 drops of essential oil and mix well. Fill sachet with mixture. (Include the blend with the gift so that the recipient can refresh the scent as needed.)
Aura Cacia offers a full selection of 100 percent pure essential oils for purchase and a wealth of information on essential oils and aromatherapy at www.auracacia.com/gifts.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
With everyone shopping at the same time during the holidays, it can be a challenge to find something that people haven’t already seen. And if you do dream up a great gift idea, it’s hard to settle for less than what you had imagined. Now woodworkers are dealing with this problem with an easy homemade gift that presents endless opportunities for customization -- turned pens.
“Pens make a wonderful personalized gift,” says Jim Carroll, long-time pen turner and product manager at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. “They’re not hard to make and it’s easy to personalize your pen so it’s specific to the individual.”
With dozens of domestic and exotic wood species to choose from, plus a huge selection of acrylics, there is no shortage of options for custom tailoring. “There are pen blanks in every shade, and the selection is always changing,” says Carroll. “Turners have used our pink blanks for Breast Cancer Awareness, and we even get special editions with team colors for the Super Bowl.”
Recently, pen blanks have also become available in a variety of alternative materials. “Some of them are really interesting,” says Carroll. “We have blanks made from cereal grains, rice, spaghetti -- even corncobs, which look amazing once they’re done.”
But is pen turning difficult?
“No,” says Carroll. “You’ll need a little patience, sharp tools and the desire to create something unique. Beyond that, it’s really pretty easy. Beginners will be more comfortable with hard, natural woods like Maple and Walnut. They’re inexpensive, readily available, and are easiest to turn.”
Pen turning has become popular among beginning woodworkers because it requires very limited equipment: a mini-lathe with some attachments and a set of turning tools. It also requires very little space; a mini-lathe can tuck into a small corner, using roughly the space of a sewing machine.
According to Carroll, “Once you have the initial equipment, a turned pen is pretty inexpensive. The materials for a basic hardware kit and blank cost anywhere from $7 to $15, depending on what it’s made of.”
Information on pen turning is also readily available. Numerous online forums are dedicated to the subject. “Rockler offers free demonstrations to people who want to try it out,” says Carroll. “We hand out free instructional booklets from the stores and offer free pen turning videos online. We even have periodic ‘Turn-A-Gift’ promotions where customers can come into the store and turn a pen from start to finish for only the cost of the materials.”
If desired, a variety of accessories can really round out the gift. Pen cases are available, which make a nice presentation with just a small card -- no need for wrapping paper. If your recipient spends a lot of time at the office, the components for a full desk set: pen funnels, business card holders and paperclip holders, are all readily available.
For more ideas and information on pen turning, including a tutorial and videos, visit “How To” at www.rockler.com or call toll-free at (800) 279-4441.
Courtesy of ARA Content
As the holiday season approaches, you once again find yourself with the daunting task of finding the perfect gift for the guy on your holiday wish list. Getting a helping hand to navigate through the endless list of products is always a welcome relief. Here is a list of products, in a variety of price ranges that might just be perfect for the guy on your list this holiday season. After all, how many pairs of jeans does he really need?
Gifts Less Than $10
Jack Link’s is America’s favorite beef jerky -- and is quite possibly the perfect stocking stuffer for the guy on your wish list. This holiday season give him a mix of three 100 percent beef, flavor favorites:
* Original Jerky
* Teriyaki Steak Nuggets
* Prime Rib Tender Cuts
Bottom line, guys love to snack. With over thirteen flavors, the bite-sized pieces and softer textures of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky will keep his taste buds hankering for more. Jack Link’s offers a variety of quality meat snacks, all sure to satisfy your guy’s snack attack. After finding Jack Link’s Beef Jerky in his stocking, you won’t even need the mistletoe.
(Suggested retail price: $5.99)
If the guy on your list likes to fish, then stock his tackle box with the newest fishing lure from Rapala, the X-Rap Shad. The X-Rap Shad combines the legendary Rapala Shad style body with the action and attitude of their world renowned X-Rap. Features like suspending action, feathered tail hook and holographic foil makes this lure the new bad boy on the block. This is one gift he won’t stop thanking you for.
(Suggested retail price: $6.99-$7.49)
Gifts From $10 to $50
For the guy who likes to have something to do when he has some spare time on his hands -- consider the Rubik's Revenge, a new twist on the Rubik’s Cube. The object of the puzzle is to align the cube so that a single color appears on each of its six sides. The Rubik’s Revenge contains 16 movable pieces per side, with each piece in one of six colors. It’s a great way to play with the mind while passing the time anywhere -- no batteries required. The Rubik’s Revenge 4x4 Cube is available at mass merchandise and toy stores throughout America.
(Suggested retail price: $14.99)
If you’re looking for the ultimate stocking stuffer, look no further. Harley-Davidson’s Santa Boxer in Holiday Tin Can featuring biker Santa will surely bring out his holiday spirit. Made of 100 percent cotton jersey for comfort and softness with an elastic waist, this boxer is sure to become his favorite pair any time of the year. Available in S-M-L-XL-2XL and 3XL. Visit your local Harley-Davidson dealer for details.
(Suggested retail price: $20.00)
Make sure the guy on your wish list is smarter than his buddies with SCRABBLE Deluxe. Scrabble is not just a fun activity for families after the traditional holiday meal. Recent research shows that word-generation skills used by playing games such as SCRABBLE help to strengthen the brain’s frontal lobe, where the brain does its complex reasoning. SCRABBLE Deluxe makes the SCRABBLE experience even more delightful than you may remember. The board is set up on a convenient turntable, and the letters fit into grooves so they won’t slip around. Hasbro has also enlarged the letter racks and improved the letter tiles, which are now made of burgundy wood. SCRABBLE Deluxe is available at mass merchandise and toy stores throughout America.
(Suggested retail price: $29.99)
Gifts Over $50 
Whether it’s chores, a day on the lake, walking in the woods or for work, make sure the guy on your wish list has the ultimate in footwear protection with the C.E. Schmidt 6-inch Waterproof Work Boots. Featuring premium full-grain waterproof leather and Goodyear welt construction with waterproof membrane for ultimate protection against wear and tear. The non-marking, slip resistant outsole means comfort and function, creating the perfect all-around boot. Available in sizes 8 to 13.
(Suggested retail price: $64.96)
Experience the lore and the beauty surrounding this one-of-a-kind fillet knife that’s a must have for any angler. The Witch’s Tooth Collector Fillet features a small rock placed inside the curly birch and reindeer antler handle that replicates the traditional drum sound created by the witches of the Lappland area in upper Finland. The drums were played during rituals that were believed to protect the drum’s owner from evil spirits. This knife features a stainless steel blade and leather sheath, all packaged in a Rapala collector tin.
(Suggested retail price: $99.99)
Gifts Over $100
The Excursion 3-in-1 Canvas Jacket from Harley-Davidson isn’t just for motorcycle riding -- it’s the perfect anytime, anywhere jacket. The Excursion 3-in-1 Canvas Jacket can be worn as a solo jacket, a solo hooded vest or a jacket with a fleece-hooded vest. It features 100 percent cotton canvas and a 100 percent poly-twill fixed lining for a rugged, yet stylish and comfortable fit. Essentials include a windflap, snap cuffs, snap tabs at waist, two hand-warmer pockets, two chest pockets and one inside pocket. Complete his holiday wish list with the jacket that symbolizes the open road. Available in S-M-L-XL-2XL and 3XL, visit your local Harley-Davidson dealer for details.
(Suggested retail price: $135.00 - $155.00)
For the guy who has all the tools but no place to store them, check out the Masterhand 26-inch, 10-drawer tool chest from Tractor Supply. All steel construction means long-lasting durability and features full extension ball bearing drawer slides, heavy-duty hinged side handles and EVA drawer liners. With the Masterhand Tool Chest, the guy on your wish list will know you went the extra mile to get him the best.
(Suggested retail price: $158.84)
Still unsure? Harley-Davidson dealers and Tractor Supply stores also offer gift cards at various price levels. So do the other retailers mentioned. For more information, log on to any of these sites: http://www.jacklinks.com/; http://www.rapala.com/; http://www.harley-davidson.com/; http://www.hasbro.com/; http://www.rapalagear.com/; and http://www.mytscstore.com/.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
