I bought this slot machine figurine in a gift shop at The Hilton Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. At the time I bought it, it may not have been called The Hilton. It may have been Bally’s Grand back then. But anyway, I just happened to come across …

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 …

I bought a few glass pieces from Marilyn Kimble Holt at an expo several years ago. This piece was one of them, but she told me that her son Zeke made this particular piece. He even signed it underneath. I had never seen any of Marilyn’s work before that, …

I will freely admit that I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to K & M International of Ohio, but I thought it was worth writing a review of their standing wolf plush figure as it is really rather impressive, and could make an excellent gift …

While shopping at the mall one day for a gift for an out of state friend coming to town, I happened on these resin characters known as Quarry Critters. They are figurines made by Second Nature Design and they are absolutely adorable. I was so excited when I saw …

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 was struggling to get something for my friend’s son’s birthday this year. He is a big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine and I eventually found a Thomas and Friends —˜Wheelie’ Bag. I thought it would be appropriate since they were due to go on holiday; I thought …

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 …

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 mother had bought a couple of scented candles for our house as a welcoming and housewarming gift, and she laid them down on a bronze cup for each and they were placed in a table at our foyer.
It had a medium and a large size, they were priced …

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 …

We found this wonderful toy at Toys-R-Us while searching for a Christmas gift for our son. For those of you who have a female child, the girls version of this dog is called Violet. This toy is fully customizable, meaning that you can download your child’s name, favorite food, …

I no longer have a problem with what to get for men in my life who are hard to buy gifts for. Some time back my husband needed some new slippers to wear around the house, that he could also walk outside to get the paper or take trash …

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 …

I am very loyal with my parker pens but I also like pens that i found very useful to me as well as good looking. I really don’t know but I think i love to use good looking sleek or stylish type of pen, but this pen is stylish …

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 …

I have been using Harney and Sons teas since 1996 when I had a small bakery. They have a very large collection from green to black and everything you can imagine in between. I have tasted many but my personal favorite are the greens. They have at …

For my daughters thirteenth birthday her grandma in North Carolina sent her a Heavnly Beauty Gift set. It has three body glitters, five different shades of lip stick, fifteen colors in asssorted flavors of lip gloss, eight shades of eye shadow, four glitter powders, and six colors of nail …

For my daughter’s two year old birthday, I got her a Nick Jr Deluxe Book Gift Set. It comes with 4 story books, a misic player (which looks like a cd player), 4 play cds that play songs along with the books, a movie projector, and 8 picture disks. …

I know that all generations have certain toys and games that cause a huge craze. In my experience, these fad toys are usually ridiculously expensive and over-priced for the quality. Such is the case with the Zhu Zhu Pets. This toy gained popularity in 2009 and was a huge …

I started collecting miniature teapots about ten or more years ago. I don’t remember what motivated me to start collecting them. I think it’s because I saw how popular they were in the gift shops in my area and even in Cape May and Atlantic City, NJ, where I …

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 …

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 …

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. …

Christmas magazines are always fun to obtain. The projects are usually quick, and fun. Not always easy, but useful.
30 Knits to Give and Get, Fast and Easy Projects Knitspiration for the Holidays. Interweave Knits newest Christmas issue.
It was enjoyable reading up on cashmere and silk. I own both, …

My mother in law brought me a gorgeous ceramic figurine with metal swirling wings. The figure is so beautiful that I would like to collect others like it. The angel is ivory colored with a pearlescent finish and has beautifully elegant lines, and is holding a gold olive branch …

I have collected a few Lalique and Baccarat crystal animal figurines. Their pieces are similar in many ways. I like some of the colors that they use in their collections. At the moment, their website features a lot of black crystal, and that is always very cool and classy. …

My birthday last year just came and went. Basically I spent my birthday at work like most of us. But what made it extra special was my then girlfriend’s (now my wife ;)) gift to me… Transformers Masterpiece Skywarp!
Out of the box:
I love how there’s no twist ties at …

I bought this paperweight at a store called People’s Pottery in Willow Grove, PA many years ago. I used to work in that particular branch, although there was a bigger and more beautiful People’s Pottery store in King of Prussia, PA. The Willow Grove store was a mini version …

My daughter received the Littel People Kingdom Castle for Christmas this year and loved it so much she was playing with it before we even had a chance to get it assembled.
I can see why she likes it so much. Coming complete with a King, King and Dragon, the …

I must admit I was surprised at first when I heard the EGG bag gift item. I heard it last April, on my birthday when my special friend texted me that he will give me an egg bag as a birthday gift when he returned from an educational tour. …

I bought this candle as a gift for a good friend of mine who loves candles as much as I do. I have to be honest and admit that I also bought one for myself. The smell is long lasting and just amazing. I actually wear this scent of …

I would have called this piece something like “Mini Butterfly” or “Baby Butterfly” instead of “Spring Butterfly.” This is a small figurine (one and a quarter inches tall), and there is something very sweet and innocent looking about this piece. This looks like a butterfly that is not fully …

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 …

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 …

I recieved this adorable musical toy for Valentine’s day. My 8 year old grandaughter gave it to me. Scooby Doo is a singing pooch! Scooby is attired in white wings and clutches an arrow, with a cute little heart tip, he also has a pouch with 3 extra arrows …

This is a very unique piece, because it’s not every day that I see a crystal figurine of a treasure chest. And what’s more, it is petite! It’s only about an inch and a quarter in length and an inch and a half in height. So of course it …

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 …

Not only is the HoMedics Sound Spa highly relaxing and suitable in terms of blending in with most all home interiors, it is just one of the greatest things on the market! I think it would make a great holiday gift for anyone too! This handy little …

I’m classifying this review in gifts because it occurs to me a lot of us girls shop for gifts at the Dollar Tree or similar stores looking for inexpensive gift ideas. I put a lot of thought into my gifts personally and the presentation of the gift is important …

I often find that the quality of assorted boxed chocolates is all over the place, and doesn’t necessarily correlate to the price. In fact, if it’s up to me I prefer not to buy assortments at all. I’d rather pick out only what I like at a specialty shop. …

Stuck for something to buy when it comes to boys who have everything?
Try Roboraptor iteractive robot dinosaur, this toy is expensive in my opinion but well worth the money.This toy will interact with the child giving hours of fun. Roboraptor performs many functions including;hunting,running,walking,stalking, he moves his head clockwise …

Ever since the 911 tragedy, it seemks that many Americans fear saying what they think or feel because someone else might find it offensive and seek to hurt or harm them or their families. It is so sad that America has come to this. One of the …

Valor Mediterraneo chocolate is imported from Spain. The chocolate comes in a stylish round box; each piece is individually wrapped into a shiny golden wrapping. There are three kinds of chocolate in the box: milk chocolate with hazelnut praline filling, milk chocolate with almond filling, and white chocolate with …

My mother is an avid coffee drinker. It does not matter what time of the day it is, day and night, she is always walking around with her Betty Boop coffee mug sipping a freshly made cup of her favorite drink. Although I know drinking too much …

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 …

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 …

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 …

It is always sad to see Swarovski retire a gorgeous crystal figurine, especially when it is a piece that hasn’t even been on the market very long. That was the case with this little violet figurine. When I heard it was being retired, I made sure I got to …

One of the hot new items that stores are selling this holiday season are solar candles. Let me tell you, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be. I’ve purchased four sets now, manufactured by several different companies, and unless the light is or is not hitting …