Archive for December, 2008

Grace: I’ve always wanted to make homemade ice cream, but ice cream makers are so expensive and I don’t even eat that much ice cream.  Ice cream makers also aren’t that interactive for kids since it does all the work for you.

However, I found this fun gift called the Ice Cream Ball that is a great way for kids to make ice cream.  It doesn’t make a lot of ice cream, just a quart or a pint depending on what size you buy, but it’s still a great way for kids to experience making ice cream.  All you need to do is add the ingredients, and then roll the ball around for about 20 minutes, which shouldn’t be difficult for any active child.  It also seems to be quite popular when camping, since I’ve heard of people using it while on camping trips and loving it.  If you’re looking for a fun gift for kids, definitely consider the Ice Cream Ball.

Dan: This is a really wonderful gift idea.  It is a safe and non-MESSY way to make ice cream.  I used to make ice cream in middle school science class with dry ice.  I do not recommend that for home, haha.  I would absolutely buy this as a gift for someone.

Dan: Are you looking for the perfect, elegant, and simple silver jewelry for this coming holiday season?  I know that most everyone’s budgets are going to be tighter than usual and that is why you have to go to this site.  If you do not want to sacrifice any quality for those you want to treat, then go for some silver jewelry necklaces.

The brilliant links silver .950 necklace does not sacrifice quality and is purely brilliant.  Whoever you give this necklace to this coming holiday season, they are going to truly appreciate its beauty and the detailed handcrafted work that has been put into it.  Hailing from artisan communities in Peru, this necklace will be noticed by all who look at it.  It has an elegant uniqueness that no Tiffany’s or mass produced jeweler can bring you.

Grace: What I love about this necklace is its versatility; it can be worn on a daily basis and on a nice evening out.  Even though I have a lot of jewelry that can be worn in the evening, it looks a little strange for everyday wear, and same goes for my more casual jewelry.  As beautiful as this jewelry is, it takes up a lot of unnecessary space in my jewelry box, especially for something that can only be worn on one type of occassion.  If you want to give a gift that is beautiful and has multiple purposes, this necklace is a great idea.

Dan: Today, everyone is so busy running around doing errands and trying to make a living that other things such as your health significantly suffer.  I suggest, that if you know someone who is constantly busy and continually stressed to give them a gift this coming holiday season that reminds them to be healthy.

There are so many great books out there that provide endless well-being tips.  Everything from proper exercise techniques, healthy eating, and stress reduction activities such as yoga.  A great place to look for a large selection of these types of books are internet retailers such as Amazon or your local Barnes & Noble.  I do not suggest going to a Borders because they have a poor selection given their brink of bankruptcy situation.  Nothing is more important than one’s health, make that known with a gift this holiday season!

Grace: This is a really great gift idea but for the right kind of person.  You don’t want to accidentally insult anyone by giving them a health book.  However, if you feel confident that you won’t insult the recepient, this can be a great gift.  A lot of these books are really funny and really interesting, which makes them a great read.  For example, before I went off to college, one of my friends bought me this book called The Little Book of Stress.  It’s a really funny book that “teaches” you how to induce stress in your own life and others, and in the process, calms you down just because it’s so ridiculous.  I would definitely recommend a gift like this, but be sure to err on the side of caution.

Grace: Even though I love all my techo things, such as my computer and my iPod, I’m also overly paranoid about them.  As my sister would tell you, I freak out when she touches either of them because even though they are made to be touched and used, they COULD break.  It comes to no surprise that even though I love to bring my iPod everywhere, I get really paranoid when I want to listen to it outside or while I’m taking a shower because what if it gets soaked?

A great gift idea for someone who is as paranoid about their iPod as I am (or not) is this waterproof sound case for the iPod.  The clear case protects your precious iPod from dirt and water, and it even floats so you can use it in the pool if you’d like.  There is even a click-wheel membrane so you can still operate the iPod as usual.  This is a great gift for music lovers everywhere who just don’t want their iPod to die.

Dan: This is a really genius gift idea.  Most everyone is rocking out on their iPods these days but do not realize how much damage they are inflicting upon it all the time.  My first iPod, which died…last summer from two and a half great years of service…broke because I kept dropping it and letting it get wet outside.  If I had this case than I am sure I would still be using my old iPod and not the new one I have today.

Grace: I love wearing earrings that have a lot of movement to them because they’re just so much fun!  Maybe its because I can’t focus in class and like to play with my earrings, but there’s something really fun about dangly earrings.  The same site that sells beautiful handcrafted sterling silver jewelry also sells a wide array of handmade silver earrings.

Although I likes a lot of the earrings they sell, one of my favorite pairs is called the Huayruro Dangle Earrings.  I love the bright red Huayruro seeds; they’re a very unique material to work with.  The contrast of organic materials and inorganic materials makes these earrings special.  If you’re looking for a fun, playful gift, these earrings are the perfect candidate.

Dan: Those huayruro seeds really add a bold brightness to the jewelry that is stunning.  However, it is not “in your face” and harsh to the eyes.  The red, with the occassional black spot, seem welcoming and not harsh.  I think what contributes to that is that it is natural and organic, it is not a bright artificial paint that is being used, and that in Peru the seed stands for good luck (which is always a good thing to have around).

Dan: When most people think of giving gifts they think of a materialistic item.  Something that they can hold and use form time to time.  Many people seem to overlook trips or special outings that can act as really memorable gifts that can be savored that moment and in the future.

If you are on a tight budget, there are many cost effective places that you can bring someone to for a gift.  An example would be an art museum, zoo, or aquarium.  Many of these institutions can be highly priced, but usually, if you go at the right time tickets/entry can be really cheap.  If allowed, take photos while you are there.  Hopefully you will have a great time, and to cherish those memories you can give another gift, a photo album or video.  Cough cough, I know I want to go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore sometime, but when/if I go, I would love to have video or pictures of my experience.

Grace: It’s kind of funny that Dan should mention this gift now because for my friend’s birthday yesterday, he was given a book filled with pictures from the past year.  Although the book wasn’t filled with pictures from just one monumental trip or event, it was still a great gift.  My sister also receieved a gift like that and she absolutely LOVES it!  There are picture sites, such as Kodak, that provide the option of making a professional-looking photobook filled with pictures and text of your choice.  This is a very personal and loving gift!

Grace: I realized we haven’t really offered many gift ideas for special occasions, particularly jewelry.  I wear some form of jewelry on an everyday basis and I don’t really have any opportunity to dress up very often, so I tend to overlook elegant, evening jewelry.  If you are looking to buy a gift of this nature, I would recommend handcrafted necklaces just because they are so versatile and in the end, simplicity is always best.

I know most people don’t always associate handcrafted with elegant evening wear, but there is some very beautiful handcrafted jewelry out there, and the best part is, the jewelry is almost always unique!  You don’t have to worry about someone giving the same gift as you, and the gift is sure to be special because the recipient will probably never find anything like it.  This beautiful sterling silver filigree necklace is a perfect gift if you’re looking to an elegant piece of jewelry.  What’s amazing is that it’s completely handmade!  Filigree work transcends the conventional boundaries of jewelry and is more like a work of art.  Also, this week the site is offering 20% off all its sterling silver jewelry, which is an even greater incentive to check out this gift!

Dan: You make a really great point there Grace, that handcrafted jewelry is always unique and can never be fully replicated.  I mean, how many of those sterling silver Tiffany’s hearts can you really see?  The discout is an extra added bonus and the filigree is just astonishing.  I am not a jewelry expert, but I have never seen any peice of jewelry as beautiful as that.

Dan: Recently released data highlights that DVD sales make-up twice the amount of profit for movie production companies than the actual showing of them in theaters.  Due to considerably falling prices due to a lack in demand for most ALL goods, DVD sales are reaching all time lows and production companies are bracing for the future.

For the most part, many illegal means of getting movies on DVD have been shut down.  There has been a high cut in DVD prices, and if you look in the right places, bundling, a selling technique, is starting to be used (buy these three DVDs and receive a 40% discount for example).  Also, with Blu-Ray DVD players now reaching all time lows at stores such as Costco and Wal-Mart (roughly $124.00), DVDs are a great buy!  Give a few DVDs for gifts this holiday season, it is really hard to miss on this gift idea.  Even if it is not the PERFECT movie for that one person, it is still ok, because they most likely already have that.

Grace: This is a REALLY great gift idea, especially if the gift recepient has been kind of hinting at wanting a certain dvd.  For example, one of my friends just never buys dvds of movies she likes, so DVDs of movies she likes is always a great go-to gift.  This is also a great way to introduce people to movies you think they’ll like.  I’ve discovered a lot of great movies from my friends giving me DVDs they enjoy and think I’ll like too.