I remember when we used to have irises growing near the front porch of my house when I was a kid. But those were yellow irises, and this one is a purplish blue color. Crystal World does a nice job of making their flower figurines look realistic. I have …

The Fisher Price Loving Family Doll house was a gift from Santa for my Daughter this year. In fact Santa went all out and got her the Doll house that contained all the furniture. My daughter is four years old and has played with it non stop since she …

Harry and David recently put out their 2006 Holiday gift pamphlet and it is quite awesome, if I may say so myself. There are georgous gift ideas within the catalog such as their Gourmet Tower of Treats Collection. This beautiful gift idea includes apples, cheeses, pears, cookies, …

You don’t need to spend a lot on a Valentine’s Gift to make it special. And this is a cute idea. And one that can be used as a second gift - I do this all the time. Lets say you have as nice expensive gift, or are …

Silver heart rings come in a variety of styles and are offered at many different kinds of retailers. The Gucci sterling silver heart rings is a new item and is an ideal gift for your special lady for the upcoming Valentine’s Day occasion.
The Gucci sterling silver heart ring …

I bought this little bottle in a women’s boutique called Sea Weeds by the Sea, which is located in both Cape May, NJ and Stone Harbor, NJ. They carry women’s clothing, handbags, jewelry, sunglasses, and other accessories. This perfume bottle was so tiny that I was instantly drawn to …

I bought this cast paper wall sculpture at People’s Pottery in Willow Grove, PA, which closed down years ago. They carried all kinds of handmade metal sculptures as well as art glass, ceramics, and jewelry. I love all different kinds of tropical fish because of their bright colors and …

I purchased this Swarovski crystal tulip several years ago. It all began when Swarovski started to create lovely little, single flowers in faceted pots. First they made one that didn’t have a specific flower name. It simply had five rounded petals, and the flower was available in clear crystal …

This figurine is one of my favorite pieces from Crystal World. I have around ten of them. What sets them apart from Swarovski crystal figurines is that many of Swarovski’s pieces are made entirely of clear crystal. Crystal World creates their figurines by combining clear and colored crystal. That …

The Norelco Sound Selector ST200 is one really neat item that family members have enjoyed for a long time. It’s a reliable and easy way to enjoy something other than the chatter of the radio or the yammering of the television. Your senses and imagination can take …

I’ve been shopping a lot, lately, for children’s toys and those items that are not exactly toy level, but, more teaching level.
At Target, in Eureka, CA, I came upon a wonderful item that many of my friends have, actually, gone out to buy for their Christmas gifts, as well. …

If you are looking for a good gift for a toddler, or even an older child, Avon has Cuddle Pillows that my toddler just loves. My three year old daughter now has SpongeBob Square Pants, Patrick, Dora the Explorer, and Boots, the monkey from Dora the Explorer. There are …

This crystal cactus figurine was only around for about a year before Swarovski retired (discontinued) it, if I remember correctly. It’s such a shame that they didn’t keep it around longer, because I think it is just as adorable as their other little creations that are in flower pots. …

I have always wanted to send a gift that doesn’t cost too much, but has a special meaning. I discovered InstaSong.com a while ago. For a price of $4.95, you can choose any of the occasion, whether it is for a birthday, anniversary or any other special occasion.
You can …

Our daughter has a lot of toys and gifted items as every other child has, but she demanded the umbrella doll as her birthday gift from us, this year. I enquired about the price of the doll in the toy store and found it to be very low priced.
We …

I know that friends back home would be expecting some nice gifts when I return from Bangkok, Thailand.
So, the last evening of my stay in Bangkok, the City of Angels, I went around looking for some Thai gifts. There were so many nice and beautiful items, Thai traditional …

A friend bought this for my (then) weeks old son - she was on a shopping trip to New York and this was his ‘birth’ gift, along with other similarly themed decorative presents. It’s not the largest piece of wall art, measuring just 9″ high and 7″ wide but …

I bought a copy of Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements shortly after he appeared as a guest on Oprah years ago. I remember this book as being one of the few new spiritual self help books to come out that didn’t strike me as absolute nonsense.
I first …

This is a precious set of four miniature crystal figurines that Swarovski put out several years ago, and I think it was a limited-edition set. I love to visit the seashore in New Jersey, so being able to purchase this was a treat for me. I guess you could …

I bought this crystal heart about ten years ago at Bloomingdale’s. They used to carry a vast and very impressive collection of giftware that included Limoges (porcelain boxes), Waterford, Halcyon Days Enamels, Swarovski, and Caithness Glass. I don’t believe they carry Limoges, Caithness, or Halcyon enamels anymore (at least …

My friend just gave me a Love the Earth 2011 CD Case Desk Calendar. I love nature and the environment so among all the gift calendars I have received throughout the years, this one is one of the few that stand out. Each Christmas and New Year, …

My eight year old son received 15 Childcraft Encyclopedia Books for Christmas. I wasn’t familiar with ChildCraft but I did like the fact that they seemed sturdy and had really good illustrations that made him interested in reading the stories.
The books in the collection are:
Once …

The TMX Elmo doll is a very cute doll that was all the rage in the winter of 2006 and when I got the doll I could see why. The doll is covered beautifully in red fur and the face of elmo is detailed very nicely into looking exactly …

I don’t know whether any of the websites or stores carry this piece, but I think it may be retired. I don’t see it on the Crystal World website. But I know that it is a Crystal World piece, because it has their logo imprinted underneath the base of …

I have been collecting Swarovski crystal for quite a few years now, although I have not been purchasing as many pieces lately, because I really don’t have any more space to put these figurines! But this little Christmas tree is a piece that I bought several years ago. I …

I have used a variety of companies over the years that deliver flowers for any and every occasion, in many provinces and even states in North America. While many have been great, my go-to company that always comes through no matter where or when I need them is Grower …

Now as I wrote in an earlier review,my grandaughter had given me a Scooby Doo musical toy. Well seeing as though I liked Scooby so well, she thought I would like another one for Christmas. Shelly is 8 years old. She also lives with me, anyway I think she …

Thinking of a gift for a kid? I bet you would consider giving a stuffed toy or make it your choice. Whenever there’s an occasion, I also think of giving a stuffed toy because I’m not good in choosing the gift, the recipient would love to have. But for …

I purchased this glass paperweight in Bloomingdale’s at a time when they carried Caithness art glass. I don’t think they carry it anymore. Caithness is a company from Scotland that produces gorgeous handmade glass paperweights. I have a few of them, and I think they are all fascinating in …

One day while shopping in the small downtown of Oshawa I stumbled upon a small store named “The Gift House”. In this store it was like a wonderland of unique gift ideas and the Tea Forte: Kati Tea Brewing System caught my eye.
It was a basic idea for loose-tea …

Recently, I was given a coin as a gift. Generally when I buy or receive coins, they’re generally Canadian. This coin that was gifted to me was made for Tokelau, New Zealand. Tokelau is an island and a territory of New Zealand. The coin is called ‘Pegasus’, and it is …

This is located at the upper ground floor of SM City Fairview. Papemelroti is actually a store of simple items made from different kinds of recyclable materials like newspapers, magazines and glass bottles. Their items here are mostly for souvenirs and simple gifts and are usually …

I think I have come up with the ultimate gift for Christmas for my children. It is the Little Tikes Bouncer. It is not cheap, and costs two hundred dollars, but it is awesome! I already went to my local Toys R Us, and checked out …

I saw this paperweight in a gift shop in Chesapeake City, MD, when I was visiting relatives. I was in the process of buying a couple of other items in the shop, and my eyes kept resting on this paperweight. I couldn’t leave the shop without buying it, knowing …

Missy Mo is Swarovski’s cow in their Lovlot collection. The Lovlots are an engaging group of crystal animal figurines that almost look like caricatures and not real animals. The Lovlots include a family of cats, dogs, mice, and so many more kinds of animals! Missy Mo is the original …

Happy Holidays I always say with a gift that is part homemade and partly bought materials. I have found that you can go creative and use Dollar Stores to really make your gift special. Last year I went to the Dollar General and picked up some cute …

Save fifteen percent off a purchase at K B Toystores. Five dollars off a single ticket at Sesame Place. Buy one meal and get the other free at McDonalds. See Walt Disney’s world on ice free when you purchase one other ticket. Order flowers online …

I have a soft spot for all things mid-century, so when I spotted Kitschy Canapés: Finger Foods for the Swinger Set, I just had to have it! When you purchase the Kitschy Canapé’s gift set, you receive a 64 page recipe book, 6 retro inspired plastic fruit …

When my aunt sent me this hair removal gift set, it was more than enough to make my day. I would least expect someone to mind how I manage hair growth and shower me with a handful of products, as hair removal isn’t everyone’s business other than my …

In the wake of the South Africa World Cup, my godmother gave me the Octopus Paul stuffed toy from Nici. She jokingly said that she gave it to me to help me make the right decisions. I fell in love with it at first sight.
The stuffed toy …

The Strawberry Patch Hallmark shop in Strawberry Square Harrisburg is a great place to stop in at lunch break to select a last minute gift or card for that special occasion that may have slipped your mind. I often find myself stopping in and checking out their 99 cent …

This piece is fifteen years old, and yet Glass Eye Studio is still creating it. It is featured on their website. I think that is amazing, because I have a few other GES pieces that are no longer being created. I guess they were either limited-edition pieces, or they …

I bought this crystal apple about twenty years ago, and it is still available for purchase on the Crystal World website! Isn’t that amazing? And what is even more amazing is that the price has not gone up that much in twenty years. It costs $29 now, and I …

I had received a snuggie blanket for Christmas and every since then I have been using it faithfully. A snuggie blanket is a blanket with sleeves and it comes in a couple of colors. I had got a pink one for Christmas as a gift from my mom. It …

Whenever a wedding or graduation rolls around, I am always stressed about what to give. I know for weddings, often there is a registry, which seemed helpful, but sometimes it’s a pain to go the the specific store, enter all the registry information, print tout the registry, then …

What a good candle this is for getting rid of icky, stale odors. This comes in its own little can, which means you can seal it up in between uses and take it wherever you like. It survived a whole house move that way!
I appreciate how cleanly …

Ever been in one of those situations where you can get free shipping, but you’re a few dollars off? I was recently, so I decided to buy Ghiradelli Ornament Balls to make up the difference. That way, I got something instead of just paying out shipping.
Ghiradelli Ornament …

With Mother’s Day coming up I thought I’d tell you about a gift that I gave my mom last year. This gift was called “Breakfast in Bed” gift basket. It comes with pancake and waffle mix, apple maple syrup, white mocha hot coffee, strawberry preserves, tea and scone …

I bought a couple of Schuster Studios paperweights at an art and jewelry gallery near my home. I have actually purchased a large variety of dazzling glass pieces from that gallery over the years, but this exquisite paperweight is one of my favorites. Schuster Studios became established in 1972, …

Put simply, this coin is magnificent. I love this coin because of the meaning it holds and how lovely the coin design is. Before I describe the coin, I must say this isn’t just for coin collectors but also for anyone who desires a unique piece of jewelry.
This was a …