Category Archives: Gifts

Gifts For Gardeners

Posted on by

Getting a gift for a gardener ought to be easy. Whether they are just learning or an expert, you’ll find the holidays are the ideal time to give them gifts they will enjoy. When spring rolls around, they’ll have had plenty of time to decide how and where to use the gift you’ve given them.

You won’t have to go far to find the perfect gift. You probably have a gardeners’ catalog in your mailbox, a garden supply store nearby, and access to the Internet. There are many websites for wonderful selections.

Practical Gifts Are Great

Your local hardware store or garden supply should have a good line of practical gifts. For the gardening beginner, gifts such as a shovel or trowel, garden hose or other digging and planting tools are ideal. Perhaps your gardener would like to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. There are certain flowers and plants that will draw them to a garden, and you can most likely find them at your local garden supply. Not too sure about buying plants? How about a gift certificate to a garden supply store?

Gifts By The Basket Full

Another great gift present is a basket full of excellent “stuff” for the gardener. You can buy one already assembled, or find a basket you like and fill it with some of the many items you will find in a garden shop. A basket with just essentials is a good choice for the beginner. It could include gloves, poison oak/ivy medication, flower seeds, plant food, a rain gauge, a Farmers Almanac, and special hand cream.

Books By The Wheelbarrow Full

Gardening books can be a treasured gift for the gardener on your list. Any bookstore will carry books covering a variety of gardening topics. Pick among specialty garden books, such as wildflower gardens, vegetable gardens, or drought-tolerant gardens. Buy them a book on the subject of perennials and annuals. Which flowers are best suited to their climate? How do you choose plants that grow best in their type of soil? These and countless other questions are answered in the many books available on gardening. You’ll find that some of the larger bookstores have whole sections devoted to gardening.

The Garden Stone: An Enduring Gift

A garden stone is another favorite gift for gardeners. Garden stones can be found in unusual shapes and colors, or inscribed with famous quotations or poems. Kits are available to make garden stones with a child’s handprint and name added to it. That’s the making of wonderful memories for the child and for the gardener. You can also buy a garden stone and personalize it by putting your favorite gardener’s name, or the year the garden was established. Personalization can turn a plain gift into something unique.

On the more practical side, there are hundreds of gifts to choose from. Hose carts and attractive boxes for storing garden hoses out of sight are easy to find. Water sprinklers and fertilizer sprinklers are also good gifts. You can find clever water sprinklers, like one in the shape of a John Deere Tractor.

Whimsical And Imaginative Gifts

Some gifts add whimsy and fun to a garden. They are easy to find, and make perfect gifts, whatever your gardener’s knowledge. Gazing balls are available in all sizes and colors, and add a creative dimension to the garden. Holders for the gazing balls come in dozens of various shapes, sizes and materials, too.

Among the most fashionable gifts for gardeners are wind spinners and flags. You can find wind spinners in an assortment of colors, such as the patriotic red, white, and blue spinner, or the rainbow spinner. Garden flags are a popular gift because they can be changed to coordinate with the seasons, or more frequently just to create a new look in the garden.

Unusual Gift Ideas

Looking for something a little more unusual? Your gardener might love an exotic plant, such as the amaryllis exotica, a gift of unusual Iris bulbs, or a sago palm. How about a succulent garden growing kit, or a Shitake mushroom log?

Statues of animals, gnomes or angels of have regained popularity after many years of being out of favor, and they make great garden gifts. Birdbaths and bird feeders attract birds, a source of joy for most gardeners. You’ll also find wonderful hummingbird feeders that will keep these beautiful birds coming all rear round.

Whatever your gardener’s preferences are, you’ll be able to find the perfect gift..

Gifts for Geeks

Posted on by

Does your man spend hours of his time playing on the computer? Does his style include a geeky pair of glasses with a hunched over posture? Then it looks like you’ve got a geek. Shopping for the geek is one of the hardest type of men to shop for. The reason being is that this group of guys are technologically savvy. They’re only interested in the latest and greatest tech toys. Some of these toys can have a huge price tag on them. In this article we’ll try to avoid some of the big ticket items. As for our gift suggestions we hope you enjoy all of our gifts for geeks!

#10 Gift for Geeks: Amazon Kindle

We wanted to recommend the Kindle for a few reasons. With the rise of popularity in electronic books it’s reducing demand for it’s paperback counterpart. Which is only good for the environment. We feel that the Kindle is doing a great job at helping the environment in an unintended way. It’s also a great gift for a geek because geeks typically love to read. The Amazon Kindle can store thousands of books in it’s memory. On top of that, depending on the Kindle you buy, it could also include wireless internet. The Amazon Kindle is one of the highest rated products of all time. We would definitely recommend it to anyone.

#9 Gift for Geeks: The iPhone

The iPhone is currently one of the most popular gift items. The reason being is that it has so much functionality. Being an iPhone owned I can testify to exactly how fun they are. On my iPhone I have downloaded dozens of applications. Some of those applications include games, utilities, and entertainment. The iPhone has it all. Surprisingly when I bought this toy for $200 I was a bit hesitant to spend that much money in these tough economic times. After downloading hundreds of applications free of charge I can honestly say that it was worth it. Most of what I downloaded was free and I never had to spend a dime.

#8 Gift for Geeks: PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 is the fourth generation of hardware brought to you by Sony. This little toy is an evolution of hardware for a gaming powerhouse. This toy makes a great gifts for geeks for several reason. The first is that gaming is always affiliated with geeky types of men. Geeks have always loved playing games. The second reason is that it opens of dozens of gift opportunities. With the PlayStation 3 you’ll have dozens of titles to choose from. Some of the best titles on the PlayStation 3 include Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, and Assassins Creed.

#7 Gift for Geeks: Alienware Computers

Before the invention of the computer their was no concept of the geek. The idea of a geek is a guy that just sits on the computer all day playing games. If that’s true then why not get him a better computer? Alienware computers are the best computers in gaming. This computers come with the best graphic cards, processors, and hard drive space. The only problem with this gift is that they can have a huge price tag. If you’re not willing to drop at least a grand on a gift suggestion then I would skip this idea entirely. The only problem with Alienware computers is the level of customer service. Unfortunately they just don’t have any. Other than that they’re the best.

#6 Gift for Geeks: iTouch

Does your geek love his music? Then he’ll love an iTouch. The iTouch is almost identical to it’s brother the iPhone. The difference between the two are as follows: The iTouch can’t be activated for phone service and the iTouch doesn’t include a camera. Of course, you could always buy an iTouch model that includes the camera. The best part about this gift is that it comes with all of the perks of owning an iPhone. You literally have dozens of people creating applications that they include free of charge in the iTunes store. You’ll definitely get your money out of this gift.

#5 Gift for Geeks: Photoshop and Adobe Products

This gift suggestion would be contingent on exactly what type of geek your man is. If he’s the artistic geek that likes to make graphics for his own website then he’ll love Photoshop. If you’ve never heard of Photoshop it’s a photo-editing software that allows you to manipulate images. You can create richly layered photos and manipulate every part of the photo down to the last pixel. Keep in mind that the perfect Adobe product depends on exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re trying to add some filters to your photo’s then Photoshop would be the way to go. If you want to create web graphics then I would recommend Adobe Fireworks. Before buying any Adobe product I would recommend doing some research into what your geek wants and what each program does. After all these programs aren’t cheap.

#4 Gift for Geeks: The Apple iPad

If you’ve never heard of the iPad it’s a tablet computer designed by Apple. The tablet computer comes with everything that you could expect in an Apple product. For example, connecting to the iTunes store to download applications. The iPad is marketed as a platform for media like audio, books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and even web content. With the iPad you’ll have access to dozens of applications being developed by a huge following of loyal computer programmers. Overall this is one of the best gifts for geeks in our opinion.

#3 Gift for Geeks: Digital Cameras

If you’re geek is the artistic type then he’ll need a camera. I’m kind of a geeky guy and I always need a camera. The reason being is that sometimes I need “stock” photography to manipulate. Sometimes you can’t’ find a great picture to use online. When that happens sometimes I need to hit the road and take one of my own. Over time I’ve taken dozens of pictures from broken glass to bubbles. It’s a lot better than spending $10 on stock photograph. The best digital cameras are extremely pricey and can cost thousands of dollars. If you can’t afford it you can always find one for less than a hundred.

#2 Gift for Geeks: Novelty Gifts

When we recommend novelty gifts we don’t have a particular one in mind. Just doing a quick search we were able to find thousands. Some of the ones we found include the inkless pen, transforming cubebot puzzle, video spy pen, and the recycled gear for computer nerds. Out of all the novelty items we found our favorite was a book titled “Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities.” This book includes dozens of activities that your geeky man is almost guaranteed to enjoy.

#1 Gift for Geeks: Video Games

Find out what gaming system your geek has then go from there. If you’re man has a Xbox then check into some Xbox titles. The next thing you need to do is check out his collection. Try to buy a new game that you’re certain that he doesn’t have. Also you need to look at the title of the games that he does have. If his collection includes mostly shooter titles then take the hint that he likes shooting games. This gift suggestion can exactly be disastrous if you don’t do it right. Some girls just don’t know how to shop for geeks!

Bonus Gift for Geeks: Comic Books

The comic book has always been the favorite toy of geeks for a long. As I mentioned above I’m a bit of a geek and I enjoy a nice comic. The problem with comic books is that if your man owns them then the chances are he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Which means she probably isn’t shopping for him right now. On the off chance he does comic books are always a fun idea. Try buying some including his favorite characters like Spiderman, Batman, or the Incredible Hulk.

Save Money With Gift Cans – They’re Like Gift Baskets at Half the Price!

Posted on by

At present, conventional gift baskets are the widely accepted standard for signifying personal appreciation and for the remembrance of many holidays and special occasions. Gift baskets can contain a variety of goodies, edible and otherwise, and they’ve been around forever. Unfortunately, gift baskets can quickly become prohibitively expensive, especially when you need to purchase a gift basket for several customers or a special group of people. Low end gift baskets like those with little soaps and teddy bears can start out at around $30 and by the time you add the shipping costs to your order… well, you know. You can certainly purchase much more expensive gift baskets with the usual array of food items like wine, sausages, cheese and jams which are yummy, (or maybe not), but guess what… The price for those gift baskets skyrockets toward or past the $100 mark along with the increasingly higher shipping fees for these tasty but heavyweight delicacies. If you have ten people on your gift basket list, your last name had better be Trump. Not to worry, you do have a unique and inexpensive option.

Enter… The Gift Cans!

New, exciting and fresh! Every bit as appreciated and welcomed as its pricier hemp enhanced predecessor , gift cans are quickly becoming the compact, avant-garde alternative to that already well respected and timeless offering, the gift basket. You might say, “It’s just a tin can”. But is it really? We think not! These decorative containers can actually bear your special messages, sometimes inside, sometimes outside on their colorful gift can labels. A gift can’s label is usually bright and cheerful and the label’s bold text spells out the exact reason for the giving of these unique and thoughtful gifts. Also, gift cans are useful after the fact. They are a decorative piece in and of themselves and with their small footprints take up only a little space to display. Remember…by typing the words “Inexpensive Gift Cans” into your browser you will find gifts you can afford to send to lots of your friends.

Here are some FAQ’s:

Will gift cans hold as many goodies as gift baskets? Some are large, like gallon paint cans and can easily hold as many items as the largest gift basket. Others are smaller and less expensive to purchase, fill and ship. What you choose to fill them with is only limited to the size of the interior of the gift can itself. Here is where you can save some serious money because big cans might cost several times as much as their smaller counterparts.

Can gift cans be personalized? They are always personalized to one degree or another. All have labels that make mention of the specific holiday or special occasion for which they were purchased. Some may carry your special message on a note placed inside the sealed can. Great gift cans take personalization a step further by allowing you to add a name or sometimes even your own special message to the outside of this metallic gift, laser printed right on the label for all to see.

What products come in gift cans? You will find them packed with many different goodies or you can buy them empty and stuff them yourself. They come filled with your choice of a variety of items from cookies to teddy bears. The more items you choose, the pricier they become.

Are gift cans inexpensive? They come in an assortment of sizes and prices. General speaking, they are less expensive when compared with their woven counterparts because of the difference in cost between a can and a basket. Just type “Inexpensive Gift Cans” into your browser to find the best deals.

How do I ship a gift can? Most likely you won’t be doing the shipping unless you are buying empty cans with the intention of filling them with something personally unique and unavailable to the on line vendor. For convenience sake it is best to leave the shipping to the vendor because he has the necessary packaging materials along with the availability of a number of shipping services from UPS to US Mail at his fingertips.

Are gift cans available for all holidays and special occasions? Some web sites offer a simple selection limited to major holidays and special occasions which helps keep their costs low. You can usually find what you’re looking for and your best deals at these sites. There are other sites that offer much larger selections. Navigating these sites is a bit like reading a Mexican restaurant menu with so much to choose from. Here you will find whatever you want minus the beans and rice.

What do recipients do with their gift cans after they receive them? Once someone has opened a one and removed its contents, they could become one of a number of useful and decorative items. At the very least, they are colorful 3-D mementos of the special occasion they were given for. As such, they will usually be kept and displayed in places like bookshelves, office desks and fireplace mantels where traditional gift baskets don’t easily fit. A gift can might also be used for utilitarian purposes as a decorative canister in which to place a dried flower arrangement, pens and pencils or kitchen utensils as a few examples. One smaller version available on line actually comes with its own coin bank lid which when attached, transforms these particular gifts into useful, personalized change banks. Two gifts in one!

Finally, gift cans are a gender neutral offering. You can give these to both male and female recipients’ without fear of causing GBES, (Gift Basket Emasculation Syndrome).