For those with sensitive ears

Silence is golden. No one knows that more than people who sleep with people who snore—you know snorers. And even though snoring is a serious health issue, and chronic snorers should contact their physician to learn why they have trouble breathing at night, this gift idea is aimed solely at people who have trouble dealing with the noise of snoring or really any other sound. Some people have really sensitive eardrums so it’s important to try to offer them some insulated cushion so they can indulge in sweet, silent dreams.

Although there are fancy headphones that provide white noise to block out what goes bump in the night (Halloween plug!), for the more economically-minded gift-giver who wants to make a funny point on the cheap, just consider foam earplugs.

Where to go:
Local drug stores carry a selection of different colors. Some people want to look good when they’re sleeping, so some earplug color coordination would not be out of the question. To make sure you get the appropriate selection, also consider checking out online stores.

For the cell phone chatterbox

With the number of people with landlines, who actually use them, going down, there have been more people relying on their cell phones to communicate. Problem is, cell phones aren’t too comfortable because they’re so “conveniently” sized for short talks. Try washing the dishes and chatting about your travel plans or news in the family on your little cell phone without straining your neck. It’s hard to do. To avoid such poor neck health consider the gift of blue tooth—the hands-free add-on to phones.

Blue tooth technology isn’t perfect. For starters, when you’re talking on the phone without actually holding a phone to your face and instead just talking into the air, you can look a little funny. So you have to be confident in your need to speak hands-free while doing something else.

Where to go:
Online, electronics stores, and cell phone retailers.

For the pack rat

In the spirit of full-disclosure, I must admit that I love saving stuff. I can’t really explain it except by saying that there is this little voice inside of my head that speaks up anytime I stand by a garbage can about to drop something inside. For instance, I just bought some new shoes and as I stared there looking at the now empty shoebox, I just couldn’t bring myself to discard it and instead jammed it underneath my bed to serve some future purpose that is currently to be determined. As a pack rat I know the importance of finding space for all these random items that for some reason other pack rats feel is necessary to keep around, and that is why the best gift for these obsessive keepers is the one that embodies function and style: the basket.

Baskets don’t only have to be for picnics or fruit or laundry; now they can hold flip-flops, stickers, an assortment of winter scarves, and whatever else can fit in them. Yet, unlike other containers which, quite simply, can just look like containers and intrude upon the visual appeal of a room, baskets come in a variety of forms and thus blend in or even add to the appearance of a space.

Where to go:
The home section of multi-purpose department stores should be a safe bet. But to view what would most likely be a larger selection of baskets that can serve different purposes and fit with different rooms, specialty stores that focus on organization and outfitting the home is a better option for basket shopping.

The Rectangular Crunch Basket by Umbra®
(Image from The Container Store®, http://www.containerstore.com/)

For the metal allergic prone with no sense of time

As someone who knows someone who’s allergic to metal, it’s no easy task buying the metal allergic prone a timepiece (yes, timepiece…it’s more fun to say than watch). One of the many failed attempts to provide a good-looking and modern timepiece to the person in question resulted in the gift of a plastic watch being called too juvenile. In defense of the timepiece, it was clear plastic, not multi-colored with polka dots and all the other cool things you can do with plastic. Thus, what is someone to do who wants to give the necessity of time keeping without making the gift recipient break out in hives? Instead of putting it on the wrist, put it on a chain.

Pocket watches and even necklace watches are kind of old timey, but it does look cool and it limits the contact with any possible allergy-inciting metal. You can even open up the watch with a tissue or something or even have special watch gloves…why not?

Where to go:
Because pocket and necklace watches are kind of an oddity, you have to pay for that rarity. That’s not to say that there are no inexpensive versions available (keeping in mind that inexpensive is relative) because I saw a precious little ladybug necklace watch online. The key is to be persistent in finding a nice timepiece for the allergic ones in your life: Giving the gift of time takes time.

Silver Tone Ladybug Charm Watch Necklace

by Ks Charming Designs

(Image from Amazon.com)

For those hungry at lunchtime

Not much beats food, not even sleep because a belly full of food can put you to sleep (sleep doesn’t tend to make you hungry). Food always takes center stage. Thus, people love when you give them free food. From baskets of fruit, cheese and crackers, or what have you.

In the same vein, people love gift certificates: it’s free money. Yeah, there’s a limit on how much you can spend. But you can spend it and not see any deduction from your own personal savings.

With two such amazing and highly-coveted gifts, it would be a genius idea to combine them into one super-gift, namely the grocery store gift card. A gift card to the grocery store may not be as flashy and trendy as clothes, gleaming accessories, or super-fast electronics, but it is probably the most practical gift out there and it works for anyone. Unlike restaurant gift cards where it helps to have a sense of what type of food the person likes—and you have to account for her/him wanting to eat with other people and maybe paying for a companion’s meal—the grocery store gift card only has one consideration: is it close enough to where s/he lives? And another great thing, even with rising food prices, your money still tends to go further when buying basic food items than on clothing and of course all the other distractions we invite into our lives.

Where to go:
The grocery store and maybe its online site too.

For the digital shutterbug

I neither like being in photos nor taking them, but I know quite a few people who love their digital cameras and bring them everywhere to capture the most mundane and extraordinary things in their lives. For some, it’s easy just to share the memories by posting the photos on a social networking site and/or an online photo gallery, but to make the photos have more of a permanent and tangible place a picture frame is in order. Some people print out digital photos, but for those who just haven’t gotten around to it, don’t know how to do it, or simply don’t want to spend the money each time there is the option of giving a digital picture frame.

Digital picture frames let you simply connect a camera memory stick and/or a computer with the photos to store and display your vacation memories, artistic pieces, etc. Thus, it’s a great idea for any avid digital camera user.

Where to go:
There are tons of places online to shop around for a decent priced digital picture frame. The frames can cost a nice amount so consider reading any reviews of products you see and have a sense of how many photos you want to store, among other considerations.

For the shoulder bag obsessed:

People with a fashion for passion must have a high threshold for pain. In a nutshell: fashion is pain…and lots of it. Although there are probably some people who would say I am the furthest thing from a fashionable person, there has been at least one occasion when I was fashion forward and led the trend…qualifier: at least in retrospect.

The purse, or as it is now known, the “bag,” is quite the status symbol and for many people the bigger the better. Well, I was rocking the big (book)bag years before it became a symbol for grandeur and whatnot. And as someone who has suffered for fashion (or really in my case education) I can speak from experience that a great way to help out those friends who love shoulder bags is to give the gift of the shoulder pad. Yes, shoulder pad.

Unfortunately the shoulder pad has fallen out of fashion, as painful style has beat comfort clothing once again. While some 1980s clothing trends are making a huge comeback, sadly the shoulder pad was not invited. But honestly, in today’s culture of big bag torture it’s a must-buy gift for people who tote around a little too much.

Where to go:
Much to my shoulders’ chagrin when searching online for shoulder pads the first few sites that pop up were for football shoulder pads. Now athletic padding should definitely hold up to whatever a purse, I’m sorry, a bag, can hold, but even if you’re going retro you still want it to look semi-stylisg. So, fortunately, I found a site that sales shoulder padding for everyday wear. Yay, for happy, healthy shoulders!

Kathleen Kirkwood “Perfectly Natural” Shoulder Pads
(Image from www.laurensilva.com)

For the privacy prudent bill player

Computers do a lot of stuff, and that makes some people uncomfortable. How do we really know that computers are doing what we need them to do, especially when it comes to sending sensitive information online, e.g. bill paying?

Paying bills is never a fun task—except for maybe that first time of paying bills when you feel responsible and grown-up—so you would think most people would want to get it over quickly, as if somehow if you pay them quickly it costs less money (and it will if we’re adding in interest and whatnot). Yet, there are those people who still cling to the “snail mail” way of paying bills. These people have online bill paying trust issues, as well as a healthy distrust of fellow Internet-users since we have been shown to mess with other people’s computers not only for their financial information but even just for no good reason and with no useful outcome: There are some really random computer viruses out there.

Try as I might to convert some bill-payers to the efficient and eco-friendly online bill-paying method, some people hold fast to gradually obsoleting (Yes, I just made that up, but it works, right? Or, maybe it should have two t’s.) systems. For instance, I still prefer CDs over all this digital music foolishness; I just like having the CD cover artwork even if it’s just a bunch of touched-up photos. Anyway, it’s a sign of support and a kind gesture to provide these Internet wary folks with some stamps. But to up the ante, consider personalized stamps.

Computers do a lot of stuff, and that makes some people uncomfortable. How do we really know that computers are doing what we need them to do, especially when it comes to sending sensitive information online, e.g. bill paying?

Paying bills is never a fun task—except for maybe that first time of paying bills when you feel responsible and grown-up—so you would think most people would want to get it over quickly, as if somehow if you pay them quickly it costs less money (and it will if we’re adding in interest and whatnot). Yet, there are those people who still cling to the “snail mail” way of paying bills. These people have online bill paying trust issues, as well as a healthy distrust of fellow Internet-users since we have been shown to mess with other people’s computers not only for their financial information but even just for no good reason and with no useful outcome: There are some really random computer viruses out there.

Try as I might to convert some bill-payers to the efficient and eco-friendly online bill-paying method, some people hold fast to gradually obsoleting (Yes, I just made that up, but it works, right? Or, maybe it should have two t’s.) systems. For instance, I still prefer CDs over all this digital music foolishness; I just like having the CD cover artwork even if it’s just a bunch of touched-up photos. Anyway, it’s a sign of support and a kind gesture to provide these Internet wary folks with some stamps. But to up the ante, consider personalized stamps.

Where to go:
The monopoly for stamps in the US is held by the US Postal Service. Seriously, I don’t get my stamps anywhere else. But to go the extra mile and provide a personal touch to the personal business of personal finances try gifting personalized stamps. Check out http://www.usps.com/ for more details. There are different companies to choose from in creating your very own stamps. You can put personal photos or messages or even put branded colleges or sports teams’ logos on them. And, just to sweeten the pot even more, you can even put business logos and other advertising on stamps for those Internet wary entrepreneurs and believers in direct mail communication. With all of these ways to customize stamps, it may be worth it to even start a one-of-a-kind stamp collection.

Ah, how wonderful that one little piece of sticky paper can provide so many thoughtful gift opportunities.
The monopoly for stamps in the US is held by the US Postal Service. Seriously, I don’t get my stamps anywhere else. But to go the extra mile and provide a personal touch to the personal business of personal finances try gifting personalized stamps. Check out http://www.usps.com/ for more details. There are different companies to choose from in creating your very own stamps. You can put personal photos or messages or even put branded colleges or sports teams’ logos on them. And, just to sweeten the pot even more, you can even put business logos and other advertising on stamps for those Internet wary entrepreneurs and believers in direct mail communication. With all of these ways to customize stamps, it may be worth it to even start a one-of-a-kind stamp collection.

Ah, how wonderful that one little piece of sticky paper can provide so many thoughtful gift opportunities.

For the sun-lover

There are times when you wish you can run from the sun. Those days when the sun is on full-on blast and the wind has decided to take a break from pushing everything around. Then, on the flip side there are those days when it's all gray--just bleak and windy and you wonder if the sun still exists. Wouldn't it be great to manage your intake of sun-like rays? Honestly, the sun has been shown to improve people's mood so you shouldn't do without it for long periods of time. To give a little sunlight into a sun lover's life consider the gift of the sun lamp.



The sun lamp can serve various purposes. There are some that may be available to assist with tanning, and others are supposed to help with reading by reducing the glare from objects that can cause eye strain. But ultimately, it's just a little twist on a a pretty safe, though admittedly not typical, gift of a lamp. Everyone can use a lamp and they can be easily exchanged.



Where to go:

You can search all over, but if you have an interest in energy efficiency a possible match is a sun lamp by Brookstone, the HappyEyes™ Floor Lamp. This lamp is specifically for reducing glare and thus reducing eye strain. This lamp also comes with a bulb that is supposed to last longer than bulbs of typical voltage.



HappyEyes™ Floor Lamp
(Image from brookstone.com)

For the Laundry-Challenged:

I’m not great at laundry: I don’t separate my whites out so I’m always looking to buy a white shirt or blouse because the one I own is fuchsia on the sleeve. But still, I’m better than other people—I’ve learned the importance of using hot water versus cold water (answer: one causes close to shrink over time, the other doesn’t). Still there’s a lot to the world of laundry to discover. One such wonder I discovered randomly while meandering around a store, because when do you ever see the words “bra” and “baby” together outside of learning about the birds and the bees?

Where to go:
Bed Bath & Beyond and the TV (i.e. infomercials) have a product that resolves the issue of washing your undergarments into oblivion, the Bra Baby™! (Ha ha, it’s even fun to type)

(Image from www.bedbathandbeyond.com)

By encasing a bra in the Bra Baby™ it can help keep the bra from losing its shape or getting snagged on other clothes. Deciding who would be a good candidate for this gift may be tricky since most people don’t share their undergarment washing woes, so in general for people with bras it may be a good fit…figuratively and literally.

For the Board Public Transit Rider, with Little Balance:

I must admit that I am amazed by how some people’s ability to balance. For instance, on a crowded bus or train while I grasp a metal handle, holding on for dear life or rather fleeting embarrassment due to falling over other passengers, other people are standing staunchly, no metal pole in sight, focused on reading the newspaper or text messages or spacing out while listening to music and on and on. It amazes me how some people can balance and do something else at the same time; it is the epitome of multi-tasking. But for those who can’t fold a newspaper and hold onto handle bars on a jerky commute, there is a perfect gift to consider.

Even though it can be self-rejuvenating to spend a commute just being introspective or people-watching, both you and other people can only be so interesting. Distractions are always a welcome form of entertainment and can now be had easily with hand-held devices. But aside from the myriad of cell phone capabilities out there, a thoughtful gift to consider is a hand-held reading device.

Where to go:
Amazon.com (yes, the book-buying—and other things—people) has created the Kindle and Sony created the Sony Reader. I think these devices beat reading on your cellphone with its too-tiny-for-safe-prolonged-reading-screen, or (and I have seen this on public transit and it bugs me) on your laptop which is likely to be cumbersome no matter how light and small it is. Plus, you can download and save books, periodicals, blogs, along with a host of other capabilities, so it may be worth looking into for the bored commuter(s) in your life.

Also, if you check out the Sony Reader demo at http://www.sonystyle.com/ and sign-up for the email newsletter Sony will donate eBook classics (literally electronic books you download) to schools. (s) in your life.

The Kindle by Amazone (Image from tidbits.com)

The Sony Reader (Image from sonystyle.com)

For the Sugar-Tooth who Needs to Ease up on the Sugar:

Isn’t candy tasty? I’m right, right? Who doesn’t love getting candy as a gift? Whom, probably all the people who are worried about their sugar intake (whether diabetic or not) or just people concerned about their nutrition. But even with these health concerns that rein in the desire for the sweet stuff, it’s still there and it has to be satiated every now and then. To tame the wild sugar tooth with sweet treats that won’t hurdle you towards possible sticky health issues or even just eater’s remorse, consider fruit.

The good old fruit basket, as compared to fruit bread, is usually a welcome gift from everyone. People like apples, grapes, bananas, and the like, it’s just a fact. But not all fruit baskets are created equal; they can be homemade, store bought off the shelf, or more customized.

Where to go:
To shop around for a customized fruit basket consider Edible Arrangements® (http://www.ediblearrangements.com/).

An arrangement honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month
(Image from www.ediblearrangements.com)

The cool twist on these fruit baskets is that they’re actually more like fruit bouquets so, as the name implies, there more of a rhyme and reason to how these treats are arranged based on what you want.

For the forgetful (luxury) car owner

Car theft isn’t funny. And honestly that’s true whether you happen to own a luxury vehicle with all the bells and whistles or a car that would be worth more if it was totaled. Some people have special attachments to their cars, may have a name for it, and other things, but at the base of it all is the good-feeling of having wheels so you can go somewhere…even if you don’t know where.

To protect the car—that prized vessel of mobility—a very thoughtful gift is some type of security system. There are several products out on the market that can fit all types of budgets.

The Products:
LoJack
This is an automotive recovery system that is operated by the police. Check out: http://www.lojack.com/

The Club®
This is an oldie but goodie. I remember my parents using this product (a gift from my uncle). It’s good because it’s visible so at least any potential thieves know they can’t take the car for a spin. Also, there are color options, so try to match the interior if you want or go for a splash of color. Why not? Security can be fabulous too.

(Image from theclub.com)

For those who believe in making an apartment a home (like they own it)

You don’t own an apartment. Case closed. But, for some, it’s hard not to make a rented unit their own by poking a few holes in the walls, letting some spills drip onto the carpet for that genuine “settled in” look, and other things that will keep them from receiving the full reimbursement of their security deposit. So, if you find yourself helping one of those friends who loved their apartment like they owned it, it’s probably a good idea to assist them with more than just moving their love seat down the stairs (though that is very much welcome). Also, help them patch up all the “home sweet home” holes, punctures, and wear and tear they have accumulated while renting.

For those who believe in making an apartment a home (like they own it):
You don’t own an apartment. Case closed. But, for some, it’s hard not to make a rented unit their own by poking a few holes in the walls, letting some spills drip onto the carpet for that genuine “settled in” look, and other things that will keep them from receiving the full reimbursement of their security deposit. So, if you find yourself helping one of those friends who loved their apartment like they owned it, it’s probably a good idea to assist them with more than just moving their love seat down the stairs (though that is very much welcome). Also, help them patch up all the “home sweet home” holes, punctures, and wear and tear they have accumulated while renting.

The Product:
Elmer’s® Renter’s Repair Kit
I actually used this product. One day I unintentionally stripped off a piece of plaster on the wall when trying to adjust a Velcro adhesive strap I was using to mount my cardboard artwork. I was able to adhere the piece of wall back rather nicely, if I may so say myself, using this kit.

(Image from theconsumerlink.com)