It’s Cyber Monday, the official start of the 2009 online holiday shopping season, which gives us the opportunity to discuss gift ideas and bargain deals for everyone on your list this year.  E-commerce Junkie will be covering a wide array of possible gifts for the holidays in the coming weeks to help you out, but today we’re going to start with some ideas for smaller gifts for the guys on your shopping list.

Most of these items are perfect stocking stuffers or ideal for a male co-worker or colleague who you don’t necessarily want to spend a ton of money on (you can get almost any of these for under $20.)  Additionally, they encompass a wide range of male tastes and needs, from grooming and personal hygiene to travel to sports, meaning that no matter who you’re shopping for, at least one of these will be a good fit for you!

Ear/Nose trimmer: perfect for older guys who need a little help with hair in tricky spots

Business Card Case: wide range of colors and styles to transport business cards

Zagat 2010 Restaurant Guides: the ultimate gift for any foodie, published for all major U.S. and international cities

NFL Knit Caps: warm and toasty hats available for all 31 NFL teams

MP3 player Protective Cases: keep those iPods safe (guys can be clumsy, after all)

Calendar/Planners: help that guy in your life get organized in 2010

Digital Picture Frame Keychain: ideal for a dad or pet owner who wants a nice little reminder wherever they go

Various Colognes/Fragrances: smelling great doesn’t have to cost a fortune, as this list will prove!

Golfing Gloves: pair these with a sleeve of golfballs for a great gift

Slippers: believe it or not, most guys want slippers, even if they won’t admit it

iPod Car adapters: a must for any guy who spends a lot of time in his car or takes a lot of road trips

Money Clip: classy accessory of yesteryear is making a comeback with the younger generation of men

Check out how great our 20 Drinking Games on Coasters look in Chow.com’s Winter 2009 Gift Guide, in their section on gifts under $15. These are $8.95 for the set and make great presents and stocking stuffers. People have been buying them online with our XL Beer Glasses and Barguments, the Book. In Store they go well with our Ring thing Bottle Openers too, for your favorite Frat Boy (or girl!) or boozer who never grew up.  If you’ve never been to Chow.com you are in for a MAJOR treat- it is jam packed with recipes, restaurant reviews, hosting tips and ideas and soo much more. I love this site, and loved the print version of the magazine too (saved all my copies!).

The Daisy Trading Company of York Maine announces that they have launched a new website design with easy online shopping of their unique collection of gifts, furniture, home and garden décor, clothing and accessories. Their website, located at http://www.daisytrading.com, features an e-commerce shopping cart with a full checkout system that accepts all major credit cards. It also features sale items and offers gift card purchases.

Daisy Trading offers many fun and interesting products with a unique, whimsical flair. Now you can purchase these items online easily and have them shipped directly to you. They also have many items that make great gifts for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers and many other occasions. You can find fun gifts for wine lovers, pet lovers, women, children and many unique and unusual gifts for the hard to buy for.

Their store includes home and garden décor, accessories and furniture with a Maine beach cottage style. They have a large selection of wall art and décor including fun handpainted signs, signs with inspirational messages, picture frames with quotes and signs that can be personalized with your family name or name of your town.

They also offer unique and fun clothing and jewelry for women. Plus an adorable selection of kids and baby items and accessories including Pee-pee teepees, Littlemissmatched kids socks, and colorful Trumpette Ballerina and MaryJane socks.

Check out their Gifts and Giggles section for unique and fun gift ideas, books, games, toys, mugs, laptop skins and canteens from Curly Girl, bath and body products, pajamas, and more. Visit the For the Holidays section to find holiday related items that change with the seasons. Currently they feature for Christmas a new idea for a Christmas family tradition: the book “Elf on the Shelf”. This cleverly rhymed children’s book explains that Santa knows who is naughty and/or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. Each comes with the storybook and it’s very own scout elf, allowing for a delightful hide and seek game for your little ones.

You can also shop in their store located at 388 Route One in York, Maine, as well as their other stores in the York and Ogunquit, ME area: The Lazy Daisy (http://www.lazydaisyclothing.com), Daisy Janes (http://www.daisyjanes.com), The Daisy Trading Company Gifts & Giggles, and Daisy on the Rocks.

The website was created by Soul Oyster Web Studios (http://www.souloyster.com) of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Soul Oyster is owned and operated by Jenn Marcelais, who specializes in designing and developing attractive, search engine optimized (SEO) websites for businesses that drive in traffic according to their local target market, helping to increase customer sales.

For more information visit: http://www.daisytrading.com or contact info ( @ ) daisytrading dot com.
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Remember how we periodically like to address the fact that not all of you, dear readers, are women? Well, here’s a his-and-hers objet for ya: a natural slate serving tray. Sourced right in (upstate) NY, I think this strikes that perfect balance of casual and cool. (-Moe)

Natural Slate Serving Tray in Gray, $24,  Brooklyn Slate Co.

Five Steps to Choosing the Right Gift

Do you know what he wants?  Too many guys keep what they want a secret… usually the response you’ll get for asking is along the lines of “I don’t really want anything”.

Believe me, we’re well aware of this situation that too many gift-givers find themselves in; we get quite a few people writing in for advice on what to buy.

Since a lot of people ask us what they should get, but don’t tell us what their guy is like, it’s pretty hard for us to choose the right ideas.  We decided that it might help for us to present a definitive How-To for choosing the gifts your guy really wants, for Christmas, for his birthday, or for any other occasion.

There are five steps to finding a good gift:

1. Research what your guy likes

Your guy likes stuff, it’s a fact… if you don’t know what he likes, it’s because you haven’t spent the time thinking about it from a gift-buying perspective.  Here are some tips to get you listening to what he wants:

Listen to what he says

• On TV:  He’ll probably mention something, or at least “Oooh and Ahhh” over one or two products that are being advertised.
• While Shopping:  Drag him to the mall; it may be painful for the both of you, but the results are worth it.  Listen for the same whines of desire while you stroll through the “guy sections”.
• While Chatting:  If you talk to him about sports, tools, music, or cars for just a moment or two, and you’ll probably get an idea of what he wants.

Snoop around his “guy areas”

• Check out what he has:  Sometimes the right gift for a guy is an accessory to something he already has.
• Check out what he doesn’t have: For example, if he likes the tools, try to find out what should be in the gaping hole in the workshop.

Listen to someone close to your guy

It’s not that you’re not close to the guys on your list, but there may be things that you’re not being told that other people have found out about what your guy wants.

• Mother: She knows him well, but may be prone to suggest things he enjoyed during grade school.
• Brother or Sister: If his siblings don’t know what to get him, see if you can find something his brother has that your guy doesn’t; that’s usually something he wouldn’t mind having as well.
• Friends: These guys will probably have heard him whine about what he wishes he could have.
• Wife or Girlfriend: Hopefully the guy you’re buying only has one or the other.

Ask the recipient

Your guy may not give you a real answer, but it doesn’t hurt to try.  If you’re sneaky, you can trick him into telling you.  For example: “What did your mother buy you?  Was it any good?  What should she have bought you?”

2. Use pre-emptive shopping

Buying a gift is not that different from planning a military campaign… start early and be thorough.

Always plan well in advance.

Use your calendar… that’s what they’re made for… you can’t plan ahead if you realized his birthday was yesterday.

For birthdays, father’s day, etc, start shopping at least two weeks before; start earlier if you think you may want to buy something online, so you don’t have to pay rush shipping charges.  For Christmas or other December holidays, it’s better to start the week before Thanksgiving, to beat the rush.

Remember that you don’t NEED to buy on the first day of shopping; that’s why you’ve started looking so far in advance.

Think about joining forces with another friend or family member.  Not only can you get a more impressive gift than what you could buy on your own, but you can also use another person’s ideas is you’re stuck.  If you still want to get a gift that’s just from you, there may be two items that go well together, and each person could buy one.

3. Avoid certain gifts

There are several gifts that you should consider avoiding; sometimes a gift comes in too many variations to choose from, while other times the gift idea is just plain bad:

• Clothes: unless you’re a reknowned clothes buyer, you may want to avoid buying him anything that involves too much sizing and style decisions.  Hats, gloves, and the like are easy enough, but shirts, pants, and footwear can be difficult to get right.  If you live with him, make sure you check something he’s worn recently for current sizing.  If you don’t live with him, and you can’t search his clothes while he’s distracted by football, you may have to stick to hats and accessories.
• Gifts You Want For Yourself: you’re probably smart enough not to buy something for him that’s personalized with your name, but you may accidentally get something that’s more for you than for him.  When you really like something, it can be easy to convince yourself that he wants it too.  Gifts that can often fall into this category include kitchenware, artwork, movies, and music.
• Lottery Tickets: it’s not a horrible faux-pas to include lottery tickets with a gift, but it’s not a good idea to make them the gift itself.  If your guy is unlucky, the end result of the gift is NOTHING; if he is lucky, you might start resenting him for winning on YOUR ticket.
• Offensive Gifts: a good rule to follow with buying the more offensive and off-color gifts is that your guy must be decidedly ruder than you.  Keep in mind, too, that while he may enjoy the ruder gifts, he may not appreciate them in certain contexts.  If all you got him for Christmas is a “Bikini Inspector” T-Shirt, he may take that as a sign that you think of him as just some crude guy, and nothing more.
• Animals and Plants: unless you have a specific reason to think your recipient needs another fish or a new ficus, stay away.  Animals are a definite mistake, while plants are only for some recipients, and few of those recipients are men.  Many great guys can’t nurture anything other than a beer, and of those who can, most would rather do their own choosing.  Save the meaningful plant gifts for girlfriends, sisters and avid gardeners.

4. Consider certain gifts

Finally, we’re going to give you a quick list of some gifts that have been known to do well:

• Lessons for Something: quite a few people would enjoy receiving paid lessons for something they love, since it’s a way of saying that you support them in their hobbies, and it gives them an excuse to be a little more “selfish” with their time.  It’s important that you know your guy’s schedule, though; no matter how much he wants to learn to Lambada, he may not have time with his job as President of the United States.
• Tickets to the Next Big Event: If you know he’ll enjoy an upcoming concert, sports game, etc., consider picking up a pair of tickets.  Keep in mind, though, that if you want to make sure you’re invited along, be sure to keep one of the tickets… giving both tickets to your recipient may create an uncomfortable situation for both of you.
• Baked Goods: practically every man enjoys something from the oven; just be sure that it’s one of your better recipes.
• Gifts You’re Good at Making: if you’re a woodworker, make a nice woodwork-thingy.  The same goes for any talent.  Maybe you’re only good at limericks… well, just make sure it’s good (or dirty, as needed).
• Stuffed Animals: many guys like stuffed toys, when they receive them from women… it’s like a form of reverse psychology: only a REAL man can handle receiving a cuddly plush koala.
• Gift Certificates: despite what some people say, this is a great idea for the right person.  If he’s the type of guy who never splurges on himself, a gift certificate will force him to actually buy or do something HE wants for once.
• Gift Baskets: a themed basket may seem like a cliché, but most people have never actually received one.  Perhaps your guy wouldn’t mind feeling like a bigshot.
• Liquor: any guy who has a special brand, especially if he never feels he can afford it, would love a bottle of it for any special occasion.
• Themed Board Games: if you know your guy enjoys spending time with friends and family, perhaps a board game that matches his interests (baseball, Star Trek, cars) is the right gift — just make sure that he has some friends or relatives who like his hobby enough to play along.
• Magazine Subscriptions: if you’ve seen him reading a couple issues of the same magazine, it’s a good idea to look at getting him a subscription.  If you are late ordering the subscription (i.e., it won’t start in time), just purchase a newstand copy to present him (along with the news that he’s a subscriber), to tide him over.

5. Attach a nice note

Quite a few guys like to pretend that they don’t like cards or notes with their presents; some guys will unwrap the gift before doing any reading, while others will shake the card in a search for any cash inserts.

Despite this ruse, almost all guys would appreciate a personal message with their gift; it’s a way for you to say that this person is special, and that buying him a gift was not just done out of some sense of obligation.

Most people choose store-bought cards to give; while this is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, we do recommend adding some personal comments to the card.  Some people just write a quick message, “I Love You” or “You’re the Best!”, while other people write long passages.  The decision on what to write should be made based on what you’re comfortable doing; if you’ve forced yourself to write a certain message, your difficulty in writing it may be apparent to the reader.  Some people feel more comfortable attaching a timely quote to their gift cards.

Note: Extra Advice for Husband and Boyfriend Gifts

There are a few extra things to consider when the guy you’re buying for is a husband or boyfriend:

• Watch Your Splurges: whatever you get this time should be at least as impressive as the last gift, and you may want to make sure that you can follow up with another good gift the next time.  This isn’t always a problem with guys, but you can’t be sure which guys will start to think that you’re becoming lazy or uncaring.  If you’ve already overstepped your means with one of your gifts in the past, try substituting expensive gifts for more resonable gifts along with a special activity.  Take him to the football game and give him a personalized sports jersey of his favourite team, or cook him his favourite meal while wearing something he’d never expect to see in the kitchen.
• Gifts You Want for Yourself: we’re mentioning it again.  This is especially tempting with significant others, since you’ll have access to any gifts you’ve purchased.  If your guy remotely suspects that the gift is more for you than for him (i.e., a new curling iron), he may get sulky and weird.  (We’re assuming that you’d rather he not be sulky and weird… forgive us if we’re mistaken.)
• Ask Him What he Wants: for the most part, guys aren’t expecting any mind-reading… if you don’t know what he wants, ask him.  Few guys will become upset with that, but some will refuse to give you any real answers… that’s why we gave you these tips in the first place.

You can search for gifts for your guy (and for anyone else) at Gift Spool.

Most men are hard to buy for, but we‘ve got the answer for every birthday, graduation, retirement, Christmas, housewarming, or just “because” dilemma!

 Our website has several categories for every interest and anyone you’d love to impress!
Sports enthusiasts, history fanatics, movies, music and even television themes.
 

Signed by Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, doesn't every family have a "Homer" of a father figure?

What we do best is source the materials and bring them together to create an epic tribute to whatever it is that he loves!
Everything is built to the highest standards and we use conservation methods and UV-reflective glass in addition to our Framerica frame mouldings.
What this means is that our product is at least 95% American made!

A lucky guy’s getting this as a gift this Christmas:

Merry Christmas! Signed by Pete Rose and Bob Friend, this piece of baseball history will knock it out of the park!

Another astute observer found the best-kept secret in the Northwest and now owns a Tobey Maguire-signed Spiderman, part of our Marvel Comics line as well as a Brad Meltzer-signed Justice League of America comic. He’s ordered a Silver Surfer/Joe Satriani custom, too!

History buff or travel enthusiasts will be impressed with the level of detail in History in Vogue's Lewis and Clark States Maps! Available in large or small variations. 275 and 85 respectively.Naked Homer makes a great and fun present for Dad!

Wedding season, graduations, Father’s Day- all of these occasions plus birthdays and anniversaries deserve a great gift for that special guy. Sorting through all the possible men’s gifts ideas can be difficult. But, there are some tried and true items that make the grade, especially for the guy who has everything.
Consider a two-tone business card holder for the new college graduate to get him off on the right foot whether he’s starting a job or looking. Either way, it gives him a professional touch. For the groomsmen and best man, personal cuff links with an onyx stone or plain silver add a nice touch to their tuxedos. Another classic gift idea is the tie clip. This can be a simple gold or silver bar or, it can be a little dressier with a single diamond and a textured matte finish.

The key is to know the guy and choose a gift that suits his personality. Many men tend to be subtle in their tastes and some refuse to wear jewelry, so when looking for a men’s gift, any of these ideas are great. Gold cuff links or a diamond accented tie clip adds an elegant touch to his day without being too flashy. If the gift needs to be really special, engraving and a personal note give it sentimental value.

Personalized Hemp Bracelet

This Leather and Hemp bracelet is a rich tan color and adjusts from 6.5 – 9 inches. Works well for men and women. Plaque is exposed on back giving the option of engraving front and back with a monogram or message.

Engrave a name or message. Great for new dads (personalize with child’s name and birthdate), anniversary gift, teacher gift, confirmation gift, graduation gift, romantic gift, special birthday gift.

Plaque is 316L Surgical Stainless Steel.

Celebrate a special occasion or celebration with our Guys Hemp bracelet.

Shopping search engine Sortprice.com has unveiled the ten most popular products users are searching for this Father’s Day.

The company compiled data on all visits to the site and user searches between May 28 and June 10 to determine the gifts and gift categories shoppers are targeting for Father’s Day 2009. In addition to the usual tech products, cologne, running shoes and golf equipment and even espresso machines have cracked the top ten most popular gifts:

Top Products

Canon PowerShot Camera 

Dolce & Gabbana Cologne

Ipod Touch

Invicta Watches

Grills and Griddles

GPS & Navigation

Espresso Machines 

Running Shoes

Golf Equipment

Power Tools

Top Categories
MP3 Players
Digital Cameras
Men’s Fragrances
Golf Equipment
Men’s Watches

The company also features an online gift guide for Father’s Day at: http://www.sortprice.com/fathersday.html

SortPrice.com, founded in 2004, has grown into one of the internet’s most popular shopping search engines. With advanced search technology and a simple interface, the site features millions of products from thousands of merchants nationwide.

Since his initials will be etched in them. Shapeways Cufflink Creator creates custom 3D metal cufflinks made on demand with whatever letters you demand and they arrive at your door in three weeks. And not to mention the fact that any guy would love these. And with father’s day around the corner, D-A-D wouldn’t be bad letters to choose. Just a thought…

3D Cufflinks

I promised you that I would do another post for graduate gifts. Well, here are some more ideas.

Every grad needs a nice scrapbook to have to collect all of their memories from high school or college. This one is so cute and very stylish. At Echodesign.com , it is $25.

I love gag gifts such as this one! These cups are hilarious and they are perfect for parties. Grads will love these. It comes with 24 cups. They are $12 at Fredflare.com

I love survival kits! This is perfect for every girl who is graduating. Each kit includes: a brush with mirror, hairspray, clear elastics, earring backs, hand lotion, nail polish remover, nail polish, shoeshine wipes, stain remover, static remover, breath freshener, pain reliever, deodorant wipes, band aids, and facial tissues. Amazing!!!! It is only $20 at Shopintuition.com

Boys need help you! Here is a great gift for boys that are graduating. This also makes a great Father’s Day present as well.Contents: Hair comb, dental floss, breath freshener, lip balm, deodorant wipes, nail clipper, mending kit, safety pin, extra buttons, lint remover, static remover, shoe shine wipes, stain remover, wrinkle remover, pain reliever, adhesive bandages, facial tissues, razor, shaving cream, and styptic pencil. It is $22 at Shopintuition.com

I love these necklaces by Alex Woo. I have featured these necklaces multiple times. I love them sooo much. The necklaces shown above are from the Little Luck Collection. I love the elephant for those who are going the University of Alabama!! The key, horseshoe, clover, and wishbone are also adorable. They are from $138 and up depending on if you get a gold or silver chain and if you add diamonds. You can get them at Alexwoo.com

Click To See About

Birthday Gifts For Him

If you want to put the smile to his face, then, what my friends and I do, we ask God what will be the right gift for him.

Another method, is to remember back, what did he, the one whereto you want to give, actually tell, to you, that he wanted?  Or, if there is yet time, wait, and he will tell it to you.

Here is on the other hand.  My Mom used to get for me presents, that I never would have asked for, yet I was delighted with them.  For example, one time she got for me a pair of highly powered binoculars.

I thought that was a great gift, but I never would have thought of askin for them.  Some folks just have the knack.  But those of us, who haven’t, can make up for it, by askin God what is the right gift.

50th Birthday Frame

Our Personalized 50th Birthday Picture Frame will be the hit of the Party and especially loved by the recipient. Each Engraved 50th Birthday Picture Frame makes a wonderful birthday keepsake to be cherished for a lifetime.

Our Personalized Happy Birthday Picture Frame measures 8 3/4″ x 6 3/4″ and holds a 3½” x 5″ or 4″ x 6″ photo. Easel back allows for desk display. Includes FREE Personalization! Personalize your Happy Birthday Picture Frame with any age, birth year and milestone year, and any one line custom message. (i.e. Happy Birthday, Steve!)

The 50th frame makes a great gift idea for any guy or gal.  For other great gift ideas for a guy turning 50, check out our selection.  You’ll find a variety of personalized gifts including frames and t-shirts, beer mugs, wine gadgets, duct tape flowers, and fun personalized signs.

Looking for a gift to give to someone celebrating their 50th birthday?  Does he have a great sense of humor?

50th Birthday Gift For Him

Give this Personalized Birthday T-shirt that just says it all – Older Than Dirt. What better way to celebrate a good friend’s birthday than with a Custom Printed Birthday Shirt he can wear with pride.

Our Older Than Dirt Personalized Birthday T-Shirt is available on our premium white cotton/poly blend Personalized T-Shirt , machine washable in adult sizes S-3XL. ALso available in Ash Gray. Includes FREE Personalization! Personalize your Older Than Dirt Birthday T-Shirt with any name and year.

For this and more gift ideas, be sure to check out GaVooN Gifts for Men.  It’s a Man Store.

Yesterday, my friend, Ilana, was saying that she wanted a ToyWatch. Now, I’ve heard of these watches before, but I did not really get a good look at them…until now that is!

They are everywhere. Last night, I was reading my People Style Watch magazine and what do you know, a ToyWatch is in there as an item you have got to have! Even celebrities such as Sophia Bush, Michael Jordan, and Taye Diggs have them

I absolutely love the looks of these watches. They are unisex, so if you are looking for a gift for a guy, the perfect gift! They are great as an everyday, casual watch.You will want to wear it everyday. Their price ranges from $175 to around $500, but it is totally worth it. Check them out at Toywatchusa.com

Harding of England shows off his newly-purchased American Motorcycle Easy Rider signed by all three stars!

Sitting aboard his Triumph, Nick displays his American Motorcycle "Easy Rider" signed, limited edition

You’ve probably heard of  Sean John’s new fragrance, I Am King.

I won’t even bother to comment on the name.

However, Diddy’s camp is celebrating the scent’s new website, “where the male power players of the world can live — and smell — like a king.”

If you are a guy who happens to be reading this post, you might be interested in Combs’ interactive challenge to his fans.

Do you have what it takes to be a king?

On the site, Diddy posts a link, asking fans to upload their videos onto YouTube, explaining why they, themselves, are modern day kings. Diddy will select the top three submissions.

Prizes include

• business class airfare
• deluxe hotel accommodations and local transportation
• a $500 shopping spree at the Sean John flagship store
•  dinner and an evening out at a NYC nightclub

The three winners will also tour the offices of Bad Boy Entertainment and receive one limited edition I Am King Lucite box.

I LOVE buying gifts for people. I can be walking along and see 10 things that so-and-so would love. So why, oh why, is it so terribly hard to buy a gift for the boy? He likes gadgets. I like gadgets (or at least the idea of them). Well, today I’m going to give girls everywhere a big hand. After consulting with my private council of nerds (you know who you are, boys), Here are a minute few of the chosen items of geekery!

1. Desktop Speakers, Art.lebedev; 2. Paper Airplane Launcher, Gizmodo; 3. Lego Beetle, Lego; 4. Wooden Ray Gun, Builders Studio; 5. Exploded Keytar Tee, Troy Paiva

Christmas is only 18 days away! The pressure is on.

For some folks, gift ideas come naturally. I, on the other hand, am more like a (rein)deer caught in an extremely bright and shining Christmas light display when it comes to figuring out what will make a good gift.

If you’re like me and are looking for ideas, take a peek at some of these gift guides. There are, obviously, many more out there, but these might be a good place to start. Who knows, you may just find the perfect gift!

Geeky Gift Guides:

Wired Wish List 2008: The 2008 Wish List from Wired Magazine includes tons of ideas with categories like Desk Jockey, Mr Fix It, Kitchen Ninja, High Roller, and Audiophile.

GamePro Holiday Gift Guide 2008: All the items in this guide aren’t necessarily “geeky,” but more than a few items fall into this category. The guide includes various Gifts for Gamers, Movie Gifts, Gifts for Students, Mom, Dad and Under $20.

Gift Guides for Guys:

Men’s Fitness Magazine 2008 Holiday Gift Guide - Includes Sporting Goods, Gadgets, Fashion, Entertainment, and Grooming categories and even has a “fantasy” gifts section that includes a Guinness Home Pub for $250K. Yeah right!

Maxim Magazine Holiday Gift Guide 2008: A little bit of everything in this guide including Apparel, Travel & Outdoors, Entertaining, Gaming, and Home.

Gift Guides for Kids:

Women’s Health Best Gifts for Kids: The kids section of the Women’s Health Gift Guide has a bunch of cool ideas for kids over age 8 or so.

Parenting Magazine Toys of the Year 2008: The editors of Parenting Magazine picked out 26 of the best toys for kids in their Toys of the Year awards. Some good ideas in this slideshow.

Great Gift Guides for Everyone:

Babble Holiday Gift Guide 2008 - Love this guide – big pictures and easy to navigate. It has mostly gift ideas for kids, but other categories include gifts for Grandparents, Mom & Dad, and Charity.

Etsy Gift Guides: Looking for something really unique and different? Etsy.com is a site where everyday folks can sell their own handmade crafts and clothing. The gift guide page has categories of all kinds and includes some pretty neat stuff.

Gifts.com - Not a guide, per se, but Gifts.com is a great resource for finding gift ideas for any occasion. You can get a little lost in the site, but it provides recs for various holidays and occasions as well as breaks gifts down by age, gender, interests or personalities.

click on the photos to visit each website

graphic apparel and hats from Monsieur T.

original artwork and prints by Martinhead

belts from Steel Toe Studios

spray painted records from Adorable Spray Paint Art

cuff links from Swear Jar Design

All of these vendors will be at

The Lifestyle Watch is a pretty swanky and functional piece of arm bling!

Check out ViralT-Shirts.com! The Funnest T-shirts in the World

YOU HAVE TO SEE THESE SHIRTS!

www.ViralT-Shirts.com!

A portion of sales goes to great casues! YOU CAN EVEN BOOK YOUR AIRFARE ON THERE PAGE! It’s a trusted source! EXPEDIA…Bookmark www.ViralT-shirts.com and do your christmas shopping with them!

THEY HAVE COLOGNES, PERFUMES, LINGERIE, WATCHES, AIRFARE, THE FUNNIEST T-SHIRTS IN THE WORLD ( SHIRTS ARE ALL UNDER 10 BUCKS!!!) CHECK IT OUT…..THEY AFFLAITE WITH TRUSTED NAMES ONLINE AND GIVE 3% OF ALL THERE INCOME TO CHARITY!

 ♣♣♣♣♣

I don’t know what’s in this little tube, but it packs a punch.  Great for the morning meeting following midnight madness.  You may not be feeling so hot, but at least your eyes won’t be telling the story.

Eye Alert

What?    Eye Alert from Kiehl’s

Cost?    About 20 Bucks

Where?  Kiehl’s; Nordstrom’s

 ♣♣♣♣♣

Approaching ten thousand hits here in blogville!

 Email Bill and say ”I saw it on the blog! Have to have it!” (You’re always welcome to call)
You’ll find out there’s an extra something in it for your efforts.

Speaking of numbers: Within our limited editions, Bill is very accomodating to customers who have a particular interest in a certain number.  
An anniversary date, “lucky” number, or often the lowest possible number left within the edition!

For example: You were born in 1962, and you see a stunning #62 small Indian Nations map right there in front of you.  You know you want it.
Serendipitous, no?
How could you pass that one up?
Won’t find anything like it, anywhere, at any price.
Not even down the road
Have yours: bill@nwlimited.com or 503-338-6056