Even though Christmas is about the spirit of giving, sometimes you have to take time out for yourself. I’m not saying that you should forgo gifts for the fam and buy yourself a brand new PS3 instead, I’m just saying that a little gift for you here and there might help keep you sane amidst all the Christmas craziness. I usually end up getting myself a little something while I’m on the hunt for that last elusive gift – it just sort of jumps out at me. The first time it happened, I felt a little guilty about buying myself a gift when I was supposed to be shopping for Christmas gifts. Don’t worry, I quickly got over it. That first gift was a $40 wallet for $10, and I never looked back. But if some of you are a little skeptical about this whole process, maybe you should start small. Try purchasing a Christmas item for your home, that way it’s not really for you so much as it is jazzing up your decor.
A fairly painless purchase, the Jumbo Tube Sock X-Mas Stocking (Perpetual Kid, $11.99) is an easy way to buy something for yourself this year without feeling selfish. I mean, you totally needed a new stocking, right? Yours was so old that it was falling apart, had holes in the toe area, and your name had rubbed off. It was just a sad, sad sight. Sure, you could go out and get a generic looking stocking, one that really screamed “Christmas!” and that would be the end of it. Or, you could break out of your conformist bubble and get a stocking that reflects your personality. You’re all about the tube socks (nobody likes cold feet, especially in the winter) so why not get a stocking that’s obviously yours that you don’t even need to put your name on it? And get this, it’s 21 inches long! The bigger the stocking, the more items inside. It’s a win-win.
If you’re still not sure about the whole gift for yourself thing, you can buy a bunch of these for the whole family. Who wouldn’t want a tube sock stocking, especially when they find out that it can hold a ton more candy and other holiday loot? I mean, besides the Grinch, but he doesn’t really count because he doesn’t like anything.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 21″ long
-Not in the true shape of a tube sock
Sometimes, someone surprises you by getting you a gift for the holidays. And the first thing you think is, “Shit, I didn’t get them anything!” and that’s a perfectly normal response. For such an occasion, most of us have learned to keep a gift or two around the house and/or office so that when surprised, we don’t come up empty handed. But a lot of these “just in case” gifts are just plain awful. We can all spot a made-up gift from a mile away. I mean, really, a candle? I’m sure you were out shopping and thought that was exactly what I wanted for Christmas. Does my house smell or something? Do I? Hey, maybe a nice bottle of wine would do the trick. Unless the person in question is a secret alcoholic or just never drinks. Also, not all the discreet on the “forgot to get you a gift” front. What you need is something generic, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
Now, if you have these Heated Gloves (Things You Never Knew Existed, $28.98) on hand, you’re sure to score when an unexpected gift exchange occurs. I mean, yes this gift is limited to cooler climates, but most everyone has a need for gloves in the wintertime so we’re working with about a 97.5% success rate. These gloves are available in sizes small through extra large so you could get one of each to have on hand (!) or just buy medium and hope for the best. Fully lined with 3M Thinsulate, you know they’re already gonna be pretty warm, but there’s an extra kick to these babies. See, each glove includes a battery pack that runs off four AA batteries to safely heat your digits for up to eight hours at a time. There’s even dual temperature settings so you can control your level of roasty toasty!
Another gift that totally sucks and is obviously last minute? Bath baskets. These got a lot of play about a decade ago, but now they’re just the universal symbol of leaving someone’s name off your Christmas list. One seemingly thoughtless gift that never goes out of style? Gift cards. There seems to be some misconception that you’re cheaping out if you buy a gift card – maybe if you pull that crap on family, but friends and coworkers will be more than happy to accept a gift card in lieu of a tacky, unimaginative gift. On a completely unrelated matter, I have no problem whatsoever accepting gift cards.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Sizes: S, M, L, XL (see site for details)
-One pair
-Each glove uses 4 AA batteries (not included)
-Fully lined with 3M Thinsulate
-Velcro wrap band
-Barrel cord adjustment
-Heats for up to 8 hours
-Dual temperature settings
Are you struggling to find a gift for the gadget fiend on your Christmas list? Don’t be fooled, it can be somewhat daunting. I mean, there are a ton of cool electronic devices out there, but how are you supposed to choose the perfect one? And I’ll bet your friend doesn’t make things any easier because if they’re anything like my buddy, they have every possible gadget out there. So now you’ve really got to be on the ball and scoop up the latest and greatest before your friend even realizes it’s on the market. And I bet you thought this would be the easy gift!
I’m gonna go ahead and say it: even if you could care less about technology, there is no way that you’re not completely in love with the Cinemin Swivel Multimedia Pico Projector (Amazon, $299.95). Now, I’m not the kind of guy who professes his love on a first date (I’m looking at you, Ted Mosby), but I would totally marry this little pocket projector. Oh yeah, it’s serious. This little baby is awesome! Pocket-sized, you can carry it around everywhere and be ready to watch movies, slideshows, or whatever else you’ve got. It hooks up to your iPod, iPhone, portable DVD player, digital camera, PSP, and pretty much any other electronic device and projects it onto the surface of your choice. Of course, as with all projectors big or small, the ideal setting requires an area with little to no light and a large white surface to capture a perfect picture. Don’t have any white walls in your place? Not a problem because this projector has an adjustable 90 degree hinge, making it great for ceiling projection. It has over two hours of battery life, but also comes with an AC/DC power adapter so your viewing won’t be interrupted.
Ok, so the price tag has a bit of a bite, but you have to take into account the freaking badassness of this projector. Imagine you’re telling a group of friends a story about this video you saw online – you can show all eight of them the video without everyone having to crowd around your tiny iPhone screen. You can take it on vacation, film your travels, and then use this projector to watch it on the hotel room’s wall. Tell me that’s not awesome and I will call you a liar, liar, pants on fire!
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5″ x 3″ x 8.5″
-Weight: 6.4 oz
-Display resolution maximum: 480 x 320
-Includes projector, AC/DC power adapter, battery, padded case, and quick start guide
-Ultra portable
-Over 2 hours battery life
-Adjustable 90 degree hinge for ceiling projection
-Full volume control
Today we’re going to focus our Christmas shopping agenda on the geek in your life. And if you think that your life is geek-free, then you’re sorely mistaken. Everyone knows that one person whose interests definitively fall into the geek category, although their severity of geekdom can vary. For instance, perhaps you’re friends with a pocket protector off the charts smarty pants geek, who is distinctly different from an action figure collector geek. Our geek of choice for today is one of the most popular geeks out there: the Star Wars geek. Sure, who doesn’t love Star Wars? But there are some folks out there who cross the line into geekdom, with their Boba Fett hoodies and Yoda tree toppers. For them, Star Wars fandom is more than just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
If you really want to impress the Star Wars geek in your life, then the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag (ThinkGeek, $99.99) is the gift of the year, nay the CENTURY. What started as a fake product practical joke (ThinkGeek’s twisted sense of humor that threatened to crush the souls of many young men) has turned into a tangible item for the average geek and seasoned collector alike. Now, at just under $100, we are tipping the scales toward extreme geekdom, but those geeks out there will tell you that money is no object when it comes to owning a Tauntaun replica. For those of you living under a rock for the past quarter of a century, a Tauntaun is the animal that Han slices open and shoves Luke into so he doesn’t freeze to death in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Sure, it was a little gross and most definitely stank to high heaven, but hey, Luke lived so it’s all good. This sleeping bag features simulated Tauntaun fur on the outside and a printed intestines pattern on the inside. It’s not like those other lame sleeping bags that just have a print embroidered on the outside – this one has a Tauntaun head for a pillow as well as arms, legs, and a tail. And remember how Han sliced the dead Tauntaun open with his Lightsaber? Well, this sleeping bag even has a plush Lightsaber zipper pull so you can pretend you’re slicing and dicing your own Tauntaun every time you open up this bad boy.
“This may smell bad, kid, but it’ll keep you warm until I get the shelter up.”
5 out of 5 geek stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 33″ x 67″ (not including head pillow or legs)
-One size fits all
-For indoor use only
-Not suitable for children under age 3
-Fully licensed Lucasfilm Collectible
-Printed intestines on inside of sleeping bag
-Plush Lightsaber zipper pull
-Built in embroidered Tauntaun head pillow
-Made of 100% polyester
-Machine washable
Ah yes, December 1st: the official start of the Christmas season. I cannot believe that it’s already December. I mean, it feels like just yesterday it was November, right? Seriously though, I’ve been hinting about the imminent holiday season, and I don’t think anyone has been paying attention. You probably think that there’s tons of time to get your Christmas shopping done, right? There’s really not. Most of us are too busy working to go shopping during the week, which just leaves weekends. And guess what? There’s only three weekends left before the big jolly guy graces us with his presence. And you’ll inevitably be busy for two out of those three weekends, which means that you’ll be squeezing a season’s worth of shopping into one, maybe two, days. Doesn’t sound too fun, does it? Don’t fret, all’s not lost. You can get a jump start on your shopping the lazy way, by shopping online. We’ll go through a whole host of possibly gifts for the special people in your life, and you won’t even have to leave the confines of your house to get the perfect gift.
Alright, so first up on the list is the child in your life (or the child at heart) who is going to love the Snowman Refrigerator Magnet (Miles Kimball, $11.99). You’d have to be a real Grinch not to enjoy something as simple, but uplifting as a magnetic snowman. Ok, so maybe it’s just me, but I love turning an ordinary object into a festive one. I won’t even be swayed by the fact that my fridge is black instead of snowman white. I’ll just cut snowman shapes out of white paper and stick them on the fridge with these heavy duty vinyl magnets. They’re even fade resistant so you can put them up at the start of the holiday season (today) and leave them up until the end of the month. Heck, you could even go all out and leave that snowman up there until springtime.
Seriously, how could you not smile with a giant snowman stuck to your fridge? It’s freaking impossible.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 25″ x 34″ (completed snowman)
-Set of 14 magnets
-Fade resistant ink
-Won’t mar surfaces
-Made of heavy duty vinyl
