Gift Ideas for Distant Friends and Family

Sometimes our family and friends just don’t live very close. It makes gift giving even harder. You don’t always talk to them as often or see them as often as friends and family who live nearby. It doesn’t mean you can just forget about them come the holiday season though!

Here’s some gift ideas for those you love, but live far away.

1. Have a fruit basket delivered.

Seriously ~ you wouldn’t believe the kinds of fruit baskets they have now. You can choose one that is premade or you can create one from scratch choosing the fruits they love. Don’t forget to add in some yummy extras like chocolate or cheese ~ both of which are fantastic with fruit!

2. Send a gift card.

If you know what they like you can really make this special. Don’t go for the old walmart or target gift card, but make it special for something they like. Just about any store that is online, you can get a gift card for. If they love to garden, grab a gift card from somewhere like gardner’s supply, or if they like to cook from a great cooking shop. This lets them know you care, and are thinking of them.

3. Send a restaurant gift card.

Just about every restaurant now has gift cards. I love getting gift cards for dinner. We are trying to stay on a budget, so it’s a wonderful splurge without feeling guilty.

July 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Back Porch Composter

Looking for a great gift for the gardener in your life? I got a back porch compost tumbler a couple years ago from my mom. It’s one of my favorite gifts and I use it all the time!

There is nothing better for a gardener than to be able to make their own compost. It makes their plants grow, flower and fruit so much better than anything you can get at the store.

Take a look at mine!

Think you might have found the perfect gift? Grab your compost tumbler here!

Don’t take my word for it! Here’s what others are saying.

This is my first compost tumbler purchase and so far it is working very well. I used to have a “bin” of sorts in the far corner of our yard but having to turn it with a pitchfork regularly and putting up with the critter raids in the night got to be too much of a hassle. Not only does this model not take up much space in the yard but you get a good upper body workout turning it everyday. I have only had mine for a couple of weeks and I am already starting to see results. Unlike the reviewer who put shrimp and fish heads in it, I read ALL the instructions including the section titled, “What NOT to put in your composter”. I also did some reading on the subject, a great book called, “Let it Rot!” It is very simple to understand and learn how the ‘chemistry’ of composting really works. This saved me alot of time and disappointing mistakes before getting it right. My first load consists mostly of garden waste, ie: dead annual flowers and green foliage including chunks of soil caked around the roots of the plants. The rest is kitchen scraps consisting of crushed egg shells, carrots (cut up in small chunks), potato peels, etc. Also, don’t put any corncobs or corn husks into it, it takes forever for these to break down. I also purchased a small bag of compost starter just in case I needed it but I have yet to use it. On the bag instructions it tells you to add small amounts of top soil between the layers of waste. With all of the plants I’ve added with the soil still attached, I had a pretty good amount in there right off the bat. My first load was pretty full, I could barely turn it the first couple of days but now two weeks later I can see things breaking down already. The level has settled down several inches and it smells like freshly tilled soil. I can’t wait to spread it around all of my new young trees in the yard! This is a great product, you just have to do a little research ahead of time to save yourself from disappointment and wasted time and energy, which is true of any style of composter. Too many people buy products expecting instant results with little to no effort on their part. Do some homework. I also love the fact that it is made entirely of recycled plastic! I have mine sitting in a sunny spot in the yard so it heated up pretty quick. I would reccommend this product to anyone serious about reducing their output of waste into landfills and helping to save our planet. The benefits are great!

how about another?

I received this composter as a Father’s Day gift in 08. Put it together and filled it up with leaves, grass clippings, branch clippings, and kitchen scraps. I let it cook for about 4 months, rotating every couple of days. The compost looked great. I tilled it in the soil of my wife’s new flower beds. I had it located under my deck during the first batch. I moved it out to were it receives full sun now and it cooks the batches much faster.

and one more for good measure!

We bought this several weeks ago. My husband set it up very easily. It is already starting to make compost. No bad smells and pretty easy to turn. Waiting to see what its like to remove compost from composter. The slot is not big enough to get a shovel into, but a spade will work fine. I would say this product is good for the average-size family garden, using your everyday kitchen scraps.

It really is a great gift for the gardener in your life, believe me they’ll be thanking you for years to come.

Grab your tumbling composter here!

July 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Fifth Season DVD

If you have a Grey’s Anatomy fan on your Christmas list this year, what could be better than Grey’s Anatomy: The complete fifth season dvd. Ellen Pompeo stars as Merideth Grey in this series about steamy doctors and their patients.

Season 5 is a pivotal one for the riveting Grey’s Anatomy. The doctors on staff at Seattle Grace Hospital bloom and show new layers, the drama meets and exceeds that of previous seasons, and the show marks an important milestone–its 100th episode–with developments that, as with all the great Grey’s episodes, brim with belly laughs and moving tears.

The season gets off to a slow start, with perhaps a bit more relationship angst than even diehard fans would prefer. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek “McDreamy” (Patrick Dempsey) start out with the familiar push-pull of their love affair–but a resolution, at last, is in their future. Callie (the excellent, and newly glamorous, Sara Ramirez) wrestles with her sexual orientation. Cristina (Sandra Oh, never better) is still picking up the pieces from her ruined engagement to the departed Burke (Isaiah Washington). To help her, or maybe to throw her for another loop, the series introduces the gruff, macho military doc, Owen (one of TV’s sexiest hunks, Kevin McKidd).

Yet series creator and still active writer Shonda Rhimes unveils story arcs about midway through the season which have the surgeons’ operating room dramas intersecting with the characters’ private lives–with waves of heartbreaking results. Fans may take issue with “Dead Denny” (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his endless visitations–complete with sex–with Izzie (Katherine Heigl)–but as the season builds, Izzie’s mystery illness, and her deep love for Alex (Justin Chambers) are treated with delicacy and respect, and Denny’s character both reacts and ultimately supports. There’s a wedding–a fairy-tale one–celebrating the show’s 100th episode, and the love of the characters, and the pain they’ve overcome to get there–are equal parts of the very human, very lovely, result. The season finale is among the show’s best ever, with the fate of two beloved characters, George (T.R. Knight) and Izzie, left unknown and laden with sorrow.

The set’s extras are a treat, including a rich 20-minute feature on the filming of the 100th episode. Oh exclaims of the gorgeous wedding cinematography, “I hope I’m lit like this for the rest of my life!” Fans will love hearing how scenes are edited, how characters are developed, and other juicy tidbits from Rhimes and her very talented crew. –A.T. Hurley

Here’s some Grey’s Anatomy the complete fifth season dvd reviews:

All the couple relationships that evolve in this season are so well developed…The season finale…no words to describe it! I ended with my heart in my mouth…I actually can’t wait to watch the first episode of Season 6 to see what happens..I constantly find myself thinking about the Season 5 finale…and I say: “oh I have to connect next Friday to the internet to see what happens”..and then I’m dissapointed when I remember that I have to wait ’til September!

After Friends…Grey’s Anatomy is the only TV show that has me hooked!
And Season 5 ended as the best Season EVER!

***** ***** *****

An amazing price!! The extras are so good. I will admit I have seen every episode, and I really only bought the DVD set for the extras. The bloopers are pretty hilarious, I watch them at least once a week.
A must buy for any true Grey’s fan!

***** ***** *****

I’ve been a major fan of Grey’s from the beginning. I appreciate that they do what they do without showing so much blood and gore. It’s about the people, the characters and how they are living their lives as well as making their living through surgery. This fifth season has been the most dramatic of them all so far, with engrossing story lines and believable bahavior on the part of the characters. My only comlaint is that I now have to wait a whole year before I can have season six in DVD!

November 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator

If you are looking for a great Christmas gift for the wine lover in your life the Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator is a great idea. The idea around the Vinturi Essential wine aerator is that while wine breathes it releases aromas and flavors. This process of letting wine breathe can take quite a bit of time. With the wine aerator you can make this process simple and quick.

You simply hold the aerator over a glass and pour the wine through it. It automatically distributes just the right amount of air throughout the wine. When the wine is aerated it will have a better bouquet, a richer flavor and a smoother finish. All of this simply means a much more enjoyable glass of wine.

If you have someone who loves wine, and loves good wine, this is a great gift idea. It is something original as well as something practical and useful. A wine lover will use this gift often. It definitely won’t be one of those gifts that gets shoved to the back of the cabinet.

If you buy from Amazon you can get the Vinturi Essential wine aerator free shipping.

Here’s some Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator Reviews:

I bought one of these on a whim when the product launched just before Christmas, 2006. It seemed like a perfect – if unnecessary – stocking stuffer for my wife, since we’re both wine enthusiasts. I never really felt these “gimmick” aerators did much that a solid 1/2 hour decanting couldn’t do. Boy was I wrong.

The device itself is attractive, compact and solidly built. It appears to be a simple oblong plexiglass “funnel” with a rubber grip. There are two small channels in the center of the funnel, which look like “cracks” in the plastic (I’ve read product info that assures worried buyers these cracks are proper and unavoidable). Wine is poured through the top of the funnel, and immediately a suction sound is heard as the pouring draws air into the wine before it escapes out the bottom of the funnel. The aerator is easily held, and I’ve never had a problem with spills.

Now on to the “effect” of the Vinturi. I’ve been using the Vinturi for 5 months now, on a variety of wines … from a bottle of “Two Buck Chuck”, to a nice ‘98 Vietti Barolo, to a bottle of 97′ Phelps Insignia. In every circumstance, with every wine, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the wine when poured through the Vinturi, as opposed to tasted directly from bottle. The flavours are more blended, the finish is less acidic, and frankly, it has made most of the wines I drink a more pleasurable experience, from sniff to swallow. I’ve conducted several “blind” tastings with friends, and we all agree – this thing works.

If you’re a serious wine drinker – or shopping for a wine drinker in your life – give this product a try. At $40, it’s about the price of a decent California Cabernet, and will yield results for decades to come. I plan on picking up a few dozen this Christmas and giving them out as gifts to business clients.

I am always skeptical of “hobby toys”. These sorts of things generally sound nice as a gift. However, in reality, they either don’t do anything in reality or are useless to the person with the hobby.

This product really does what it says. It puts a lot of air into a glass of wine as you pour it. It does seem to instantly decant the glass of wine for you. It is easy to use, and almost as important, easy to clean. The rubber “holder” is invaluable, as the Vinturi will have some wine drips that you don’t want spilled on your floor somewhere.

Many wines improve with decanting. After 1 month, we have continued to use the Vinturi and prefer using it to both our decanter or going with no decanting. I recommend this product to others.

First of all I don’t usually write reviews, but a great friend (who doesn’t even drink wine) gave us one of these last night. Every person who drinks wine should own one of these (or at least share one with somebody). It is the best gadget ever.

I’m skeptical about a lot of things, but having studied fluid dynamics the principles that drive this make so much sense. We compared glass after glass, and even those in our group who don’t drink as much wine could tell instantly that this thing was gold. Instantly open flavors, bouquet, and even color.

It comes with a cool little stand, a carrying bag, it looks nice, is easy to clean, and you really need to stop reading this and just get one (or a few, everyone’s getting these for Christmas).

Click here for even more Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator reviews

November 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Magazines Make a Great Christmas Gift!

Magazines are a great Christmas gift for 2009. I love to get magazines for Christmas ~ it’s like a gift that keeps on giving all year long. I would much rather have a magazine about something that really interests me than a gift that I don’t really like, but feel obligated to keep around. So think about it ~ magazines for Christmas.

If you buy your magazine subscriptions at Amazon.com you’re going to get a great price, and

So what magazines does Amazon have? You name it they’ve got it!

November 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation, 120 Minutes (Brushed Metal) NEWEST MODEL

This is the newest in the Flip series. The Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation, 120 Minutes (Brushed Metal) NEWEST MODEL is super easy to use, super small and perfect to carry with you no matter where you’re going. The thing about a video camera is this: if you don’t have it with you, you can’t use it. The flip video camera you’re sure to have with you because it’s so simple and easy. In fact, this version of the MinoHD is small enough to fit right in your jeans pocket!

Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect with the MinoHD

MinoHD Overview

All-new MinoHD is the world’s sleekest HD camcorder
Slim, sleek design fits in any pocket or purse–perfect for shooting video on the go
Captures 120 minutes of stunning HD video on 8 GB of built-in memory; no additional memory needed
Simple user interface–power on and press record to start capturing HD video in moments
Convenient flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your PC or Mac to launch pre-loaded FlipShare software
FlipShare software makes it easy to email videos, edit individual clips, make custom movies, capture still-image snapshots, and upload video to MySpace, YouTube and other sharing sites
Large, 2-inch anti-glare color display to play back and delete videos
Internal Lithium-ion battery recharges through built-in USB; also recharges when connected to Flip Video Power Adapter (not included)
HDMI output (mini-HDMI connector) makes it easy to watch your videos on your HDTV
All-new design features a unique brushed-metal front and soft, rounded edges
Features a flat-back panel with touch-sensitive, backlit buttons
Video: 16:9 widescreen, HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per seconds (fps) progressive scan; recorded as MP4 files

November 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

2 Great Gift Ideas for the Hard to Buy For

Everyone has them, those people that no matter how hard you try, you just can’t think of the perfect gift. They are known as the HARD to BUY FOR! The hard to buy for people really get the short end of the stick, because it’s so hard to think of something great for them, they end up getting really generic, easy to forget gifts.

Here’s a couple great ideas for your hard to buy fors.

1. Boos Cutting Board

This quality cutting board is a great idea for a mother in law, someone who loves to cook or even someone who just won’t spend good money on themselves. It will last a lifetime, and you can tell them it’s the same cutting board they use in the White House!

2. Seth Thomas Mantel Clock

If one of your hard to buy fors has an empty mantel, the perfect gift might be a mantel clock. Seth Thomas is well known for making quality clocks. You can find them to match just about any decor, but he does specialize in antique and antique looking clocks. I suppose if they don’t have a mantel this clock would still look nice on a side table.

There are two more ideas to keep you making your list and checking it twice!

October 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment