Hey, it’s getting into Christmas time/ holiday season again, and you know what that means—¦(Other than the annoying companies who like to shlock their crappy products WAY too early in the season using the timeless tunes of carols.) No, I mean, this time of year is the season for …

Early in the Christmas ‘08 season, a friend surprised me with this item, the Lenox Shimmering Sleigh. First of all, you just can’t go wrong with Lenox. It’s quality, no matter where you purchase it. Secondly, I love reindeer, so this was a winner before I …

The ‘Lamaze Octivity Time’ is one of the best gifts my baby has ever received. It is a cute little colorful octopus with every one of its eight legs providing an opportunity to explore and learn.
My baby used to spend hours engrossed in the octopus. This plush colorful green …

I found the Fright Fest set at Meijer for less than $20 yet I continued to avoid the set for the longest time because I didn’t know if I would ever actually sit down and watch everything in the set. It includes six discs with two movies on each …

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 …

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, …

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 …

Let us say that you have many people to buy gifts for, and do not have a lot of money to do it. You have carefully bought at only the best prices and now, it is time to make this gift appear as wonderful as it possibly can! I …

I saw the ads. The Edible Arrangement are not just edible. They are beautiful and I was curious about it. But a friend who check it out as a possible holiday gift said that it is too pricey. So I was wondering if it is worth the price …

One of the most requested toys from Santa this holiday season, it the every popular, Baby Alive Doll by Hasbro. Originally introduced in the 60′ to baby boomers all over America, Hasbro has redeveloped, repackaged, and “repriced” this popular doll. Retailing in most departement stores for $49.99, this doll …

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, …

Within the last few days Starbucks as announced that they will be closing a lot of stores which are close to me and this made me want to shop at the store but since I was low on funds I was not able to go there when I wanted. …

This is a piece that I had my eye on a long time ago, and then I finally purchased it. There is something very cute about penguins, their shape, and the way they hobble around on the ice. And these mini figurines are extra cute, because they are baby …

I got this Baylis and Harding bath bombs set in a rose and marshmallow scent as a Christmas gift to me from one of my in laws while I was in New Zealand and I wasn’t at that time really so keen about using bath bombs but since it …

Recently my daughter received a party pack from her cousin. She did not go to the party though, since we were away on a holiday then. Anyway, when she saw the see-through plastic packaging, she wanted me to open it for her.
We took out the items in the Barney’s …

The $25 Holiday Gift set from e.l.f cosmetics is a great gift for any girl. It comes with twenty five products for the price of twenty five dollars. You could even split it up between girls if you were running low on money. All of the products in this …

I was looking for a gift to give my 3-year-old goddaughter at the toy store. One toy that caught my eye was Disney’s Baby Princess Doll Collection. The collection consisted of baby versions of Disney princesses. There were five in the set—Ariel, Belle, Aurora, Snow White …

This is the very first paperweight that I ever purchased, and it is almost 20 years old. I purchased it some time in the early 1990s. Since then, I have collected dozens of glass paperweights and figurines. But this is the one that started it all and got the …

Last fall when I first saw the commercials for these toys, I thought that they were ridiculous, and they even were not that cute. My two daughters were not even interested in them, so I decided I would not join the crazy hunt in finding them around the …

I came across the full range of Swarovski Crystalline Ballpoint Pens while in a souvenir shop in Titisee, Germany. I have seen these pens in brochures and have been wanting to buy them but they are always out of stock in the Swarovski outlets I have inquired with. …

I like the fact that Swarovski gave this dolphin an unusual name that starts with a D, instead of giving it a common name like Don or Dan. Anyway, this was a darling little piece that I think is retired, which is a shame. It is one of 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 …

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 …

I recently purchased a hand-soap making kit at AC Moore made by Soap Place called Spa Indulgence. The kit included all materials to make two bottles of hand-soap and four bars of soap. I came with complete instructions and claimed even a beginner could make this soap. …

Although it is not exactly a modern toy, I find that a surprising number of younger children still hugely enjoy having a piggy bank in which to save their pocket money, so that it can be broken open (sometimes literally!) at a future point in order to give them …

My father is a Beatles fan. He has the albums, CD’s and movies that they made along with the Yellow Submarine cartoon. For his birthday last year as a gift, my family and I gave him a 3D framed poster of the Abbey Road CD cover. It was a …

This domino set from Chad Valley is, I think, one of the absolute bargains to be currently available from Argos, seeing as it cost me just three pounds in their sale, but I consider that it looks a good deal more expensive than that, and is of remarkably good …

I am writing this as if it were for teenage girls, only because it can be very hard to stay up with what is in style for teenage girls, their favorite colors, and to know their sizes!
Why not buy them jewelry (inexpensive) kits to make their own pendants of …

Crystal World calls this piece “Whiskers,” but I think that is confusing, because it sounds like they are referring to a cat. Actually, they are referring to a rabbit that has long whiskers. I fell in love with this piece right away, because it is adorable. The cute pieces …

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 …

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 …

There is no real secret behind snow globes. They come in various sizes, themes, and some even come with a wind up lever to play music. But even though there is no real secret behind them, the joy that they bring is inevitably apparent. What I feel makes snow …

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 …

Another holiday or occasion is coming up; most of us must have been pretty busy searching for the right gift or cards to send to our loved ones. Well, I’d say there is only one place to go for online or e-cards this valentine’s season and that would be …

This was a limited-edition piece that was what I like to call a “spin-off” of Missy Mo, which is the cow figurine in Swarovski’s Lovlot collection. The Lovlots are a series of sweet little animal caricatures that include mice, dogs, ducks, and the list of animals goes on and …

The other day was Mother’s Day, and I wanted to create give something of a reminiscent value to my mom, and not just ordinary gifts. I did bought her some gifts, and she was more than happy, but this one took the award for best gift ever. …

I received this stationery set as a gift. I’ve never been big into stationery but it does come in useful from time to time.
First of all I love the small 4 x 6 size, and really everything about the packaging. Everything about the way it’s designed makes a …

A few days after Christmas is over with is a great time to buy decorations for the next year. My husband always likes to go shopping and come back with something interesting that we can’t wait to add to our Christmas decorations for the next year.
One of his …

In my home, everyone has their own bath kits to enjoy. This way, we don’t hear ‘you used all my………’ whatever! It works. For Christmas, I got my adult son a beautifully packaged in green and clear kit, with a handle that snaps shut, set of Yardley bathroom products. …

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 owl in the giftware department of Bloomingdale’s. They carry some interesting glass pieces (figurines, bowls, etc.). Some of them are very modern, so they have a chic design that really pulls you in and makes you want to take a closer look. I have always loved …

One big reason why I purchased this piece was because a local gallery had it in their section of “Half Off” merchandise. But I don’t remember what I paid for it. I would imagine that it was around $50 or so, because I know that particular gallery carries some …

I love Creator’s Touch Greeting Cards! The photographer has a special gift for taking macro photos. She captures the most minute hairs on the end of a butterfly snout. Of course her Nikon is a good camera, but she has the eye that a nature photographer needs to capture …

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 …

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. …

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 …

I just love the idea of being able to personalize my things. I think personalized stores are brilliant, but if you need to really be creative, making your own personalized stuffs is better than paying someone else to do it for you. The latest product I got is a …

For our eldest sons third birthday we bought him some moon sand and the accessories that went with it. We had seen this advertised loads on television in the previous months and thought that Kurt would love it and that it should be clean and tidy to keep …

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 …

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 …