I was watching ‘Road Tasted‘ on the Food Network yesterday and the guys went and visited Kim and Scott of Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels.

Soft pretzels are one of my all time favorite stadium foods but Kim & Scott’s are nothing like the ones you get at a game. These gourmet soft pretzels come in a number of varieties and amazing combinations…each stuffed with a unique filling.

About the Pretzels

Each stuffed pretzels is hand-made and then filled with a particular ’stuffing’ to fit the flavor of the dough. The pretzel is sealed and rolled into it’s common form. Flavors include Pizza, Mixed Berry Cream Cheese, Chocolate Crumb and Cheddar Jalapeño to name a few (the chocolate crumb is drizzled with chocolate and topped with chocolate crumbs…oh man).

Kim & Scott’s is located in Chicago. So if you live up there take a trip to the Twisting Cafe where you can get one of their pretzels or even a pretzel sandwich (or Pretziola as they say). If you aren’t in Chicago you can order them online and have them shipped. They have samplers available or you can customize your own.

Either way these pretzels will make a great gift for adults or kids who love to try new things. The prices aren’t too expensive and once you take a look at these pretzels you will definitely want one. Heck, I want one right now!

Alcohol is one of those gifts that can be given at any time. Housewarming party? A bottle of wine will be fantastic! Birthday? I love Ketel One! First communion? Ok, ok maybe that’s pushing it.

The bottom line is alcohol can make a great gift…but why not make it something that people will remember?

We have gathered 15 of the coolest and most unique types of spirits we could find on this vast interweb. Have a look!

Vodka

Indio Wasabi Flavored Vodka - This Russian-style handcrafted vodka is made in Oregon by Indio Spirits owner John Ufford. They say it is sweet, clean and crisp and great in Bloody Mary’s or Martinis. I like the feeling of too much wasabi on a bite of sushi but I’m not too sure I would want to drink it. Price: ~ $26-$30.

Kauffman Luxury Vintage Vodka - This ‘ultra-premium’ vodka is so limited in production that you have to be put on a waiting list to buy it. They use only natural ingredients and the vodka is distilled 14 times! I personally like the glass bottle it comes in. It’s made by the Saint Gobaine facility in France and designed to be the same quality as perfume glass. Price: If you are lucky to get a bottle it will cost you $199.99.

Blavod: The Black Vodka - It’s vodka and it’s black. Perfect for…well I’m not sure what it’s perfect for (Halloween martinis or 30th birthday parties maybe) but I’ve never seen black vodka before. Blavod is made in the UK by Hayman’s Ltd and actually received pretty decent reviews. Price: ~ $20

Rum

Khurki Rum - Khurki is made in Nepal and comes in this awesome bottle (apparently a Khurki is a small knife). It is a medium-dark rum and according to the reviews is delicious mixed with Diet Coke. What makes it unique to me is a) I’ve never heard of it b) it’s made in Nepal (do they make liquor) and c) it comes in this great bottle. If you are a serious rum drinker check out the review on Scottes’ Rum. Price: ~ $19-$25

Old New Orleans Rum - Old New Orleans Rum is an ‘artisan rum’ produced at Celebration Distillation, the oldest premium rum distillery in the United States. They have several different kinds of rum (Crystal, Amber, Cajun spice) and each is made from only Louisiana sugar cane.The coolest part is that each bottle has an image inside its back label featuring a building or scene from New Orleans. Price: ~ $25

Pritchard’s Cranberry Rum - Cranberry rum doesn’t necessarily sound delicious to me but it does sound interesting. Pritchard’s is made with Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice and is suprisingly still 70 proof. Made in Tennessee and bottled beautifully, it would definitely catch my eye on the shelf. They say its great over ice and that ‘cranberries love limes’. Price: ~ $28

Tequila

Clase Azul Reposado Tequila - The bottle itself (Talavera carafe) is pretty cool but this tequila is supposedly one of the top rated tequilas around. It is made in the Jesus Maria region of Arandas, Jalisco, MX and aged for a minimum of eight months. It has some great reviews but isn’t cheap. This is something you should give only to a true tequila lover. Price: ~ $80

VooDoo Tiki Blue Dragon Tequila - Blue Kiwi infused tequila is said to make a great Blue Martini, shot or mixed with sprite and a lime. Personally I don’t see how kiwi and tequila go together but maybe it’s like peanut butter and jelly. It is made by the Agroindustria Guadalajara distillery in Mexico but has headquarters in Boca Raton. Price: ~ $35

Ley .925 Ultra Premium Anejo Tequila - Their claim to fame is the “World’s Most Expensive Bottle”. With prices ranging from $25k-$225k for one bottle of tequila, this is definitely a high-end gift. The tequila itself is considered ultra-premium, made from 100% blue agave and aged six years. Price: Very expensive

Gin

Desert Juniper Gin - Desert Juniper Gin is produced in Oregon by the Bendistillery, better known for its Cascade Mountin Gin. The Desert Juniper is mirco-distilled from grains and juniper berries and filtered through lava rocks. It is said to be good as a martini or even a gin and tonic. Read the review on Spirits Review. Price: ~ $29

BullDog Gin - This is a London Dry gin made with poppy, lotus leaves and dragon eye. I don’t know what dragon eye is but I’m guessing its a plant, not an actual dragon eye. The Bachelor Guy gives a great review including several recipes to use with it. I like that the bottle has a little spiked collar. This would be a great gift for that tough guy in your life. Price: ~ $30

Old Raj Gin - What makes this gin unique is that it contains saffron, a very expensive and rare spice not traditionally used in gin production. Old Raj is distilled in Scotland by William Cadenhead Ltd. and due to the saffron has a pale yellow color. It is considered premium gin and is not found in a ton of places. Price: ~ $65

Whiskey/Scotch

Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch Whiskey - Mainly I think the name is funny but apparently this is actually pretty good. Hankey Bannister whiskey is made in the UK (dates back to 1757) and they offer four types (blend, 12yr, 21yr and 40yr). I am not positive where you can get this in the states but you can order it online and have it shipped. Price: ~ $25 (not including shipping)

Glenfarclas 50 Year - I am certainly not a whiskey or scotch expert but this one is pretty cool and sounds like it’s good. This 50 yr was made to celebrate the Bicentenary of the birth of the first John Grant. The cask was hand-selected and only 110 bottles were made making this a rare bottle. I doubt there are many places to get this but I did find one place. Price: $5,999

Loch Dhu Black Whiskey - From what I have read it’s really bad. But it is black whiskey which I have never seen before, making it unique. Some quotes from the internet include, “It tastes like cigar ashes mixed with vodka and moldy blackberry jam” and “my guests were mostly disgusted by Loch Dhu“. But who knows, maybe its not as bad as these people say. Plus I don’t believe the 10yr is being made anymore. Price: ~ $45-$60

Well those are some of the most unique brands of alcohol I have found and hopefully they will make a great gift for someone. If you have any others that you know of feel free to comment and let me know. Like I said, MsGift likes alcohol…but for the record she does not condone underage drinking!

Aaah, the art of regifting!

Wikipedia defines regifting as “the act of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to somebody else, sometimes in the guise of a new gift.”

This art form was made famous (at least in my generation) in the Seinfeld episode “The Label Maker“, where Tim Whatley receives a Label Baby Junior from Elaine and regifts it to Jerry.

Regifting is common enough that it actually has a place in discussions about money and budgeting - MP Dunleavey, a contributing editor to MSN Money, wrote a nice piece titled 12 Rules for Regifting Without Fear.

There is also a website out there called regiftable.com that is dedicated to this entire subject!

So, what about it?….

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Kimberly Foley of Wee Can Shop contacted us about her site and in particular a REALLY cool product they sell…

The Wish Pearl Necklace by Lucoral

The Wish Pearl Necklace includes a mollusk shell and a sterling silver necklace with a heart pendant. Well that sounds kind of weird. What is so exciting about it?

First off, the mollusk shell contains a cultured pearl that has been growing for 3-5 years.

Second, it’s what you do with the mollusk shell and necklace that makes it special:

• You hold the wish pearl shell
• You make a wish
• You open the mollusk shell
• You put your pearl in the heart pendant
• You have a beautiful necklace featuring your very own wish pearl
• Your wish comes true (ok I can’t guarantee this but…)

They have four different colors of pearl to choose from (white, cream, peach, gold and lavender - each with their own meaning) and the cost is only $24.99 plus FREE shipping.

I think this is such a great gift. Everyone loves making wishes and everyone loves a thoughful gift. The Wish Pearl Necklace is a great gift idea for girls, moms or girlfriends. It is jewelry, fun and sentiment combined.

*You could even have it before Mother’s Day if you buy now!

Luxist reported in November that the Beckhams gave their three boys an out of the ordinary tree fort, costing around $50,000!!!

The ‘TreeTent‘ from Neiman Marcus is a 13-foot tall pseudo-building boasting a 9-foot diameter, hardwood floors and a round mattress inside. That’s a pretty big tent/tree-fort/whatever it is!

While most of us can’t afford to buy our kids glorified tents costing $50k, we can explore other options.

Build Your own

There are a ton of places on the internet that have free plans and drawings available. All you need is a visit to your home depot and a few friends who know what they are doing. Heck, my dad nailed a few pieces of plywood to the tree in my backyard and called it a tree fort - I was perfectly happy with that.

Hire Someone To Build It

This will certainly cost you more than nailing some boards to a tree but there are some really cool designs available out there. Check out Tree Top Builders or The Living Tree House.

Buy a Pre-Made TreeHouse or PlayHouse

This is probably the easiest option and probably the best in terms of value. There are a number of places out there where you can get a cool tree house/fortfor relatively cheap and you don’t have to build it.

Whatever you choose if you have the tree or the yard for it, I guarantee your kids will love having a tree house. Or if you have an extra $50k, a tree tent!