We were recently contacted by Jason Danzi of My Teddy Bare via our Suggest a Gift form.

While we receive many suggestions for reviewing gifts, we don’t write about them all. I thought this one was a pretty cool romantic gift idea!

There are a variety of options that are listed on the My Teddy Bare site:

• Lingerie Bear
• Pajama Bear
• Bath & Spa Bear
• For Him Bear
• Couples Bear
• Bridal Bear
• Bachelorette Bear
• And – Stuff Your Own Bear!

Think romantical thoughts…

Cheese and wine. Wine and cheese. Meant to be together since the beginning of time.

Soul mates, if you will.

But which cheese, with which wine?!?!?!?!

Here’s an extravagant gift idea – give someone 12 months to figure out the answer to that question with a Cheese of the Month Club and Wine of the Month Club pairing!

The Cheese of the Month Club that we are promoting here, comes from a very special cheese company called Artisinal Premium Cheese. Here is some information that may help you see why I have found a new cheese source for myself!!

About Artisinal Premium Cheese What sets Artisanal Premium Cheese apart is the art of affinage – an ancient practice by which our passionate cheese professionals complete the cheese maker’s labor of love, patiently nurturing each of the more than 300 cheeses we offer to optimal ripeness and peak flavor. Founded by Chef Terrance Brennan, whose New York City restaurants Picholine and Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro revolutionized cheese appreciation in the United States, Artisanal Premium Cheese makes the world’s finest cheeses available nationwide as never before.

Cheese of the Month Club With our Cheese of the Month Club, our cheese experts share their passion for and knowledge of cheese by composing a thoughtful trio of artisanal cheeses (approximately 1 1/2 pounds total) matured to optimal ripeness and peak flavor, delivered to your doorstep each month.Often times, cheeses are selected to explore a country or region, such as France and Italy, or theme, such as “award-winning cheeses from American artisans!” Each collection arrives with a note from our fromagers explaining and describing each cheese, as well as wine pairings and serving suggestions.

Here is some information about Cheese’s “better half”:

About Clubs of America The Company was started in 1994. We are the oldest and largest “Gift of the Month Club” provider in the U.S. with thousands of loyal members nationwide. With over a decade of experience, we have built a superior reputation by offering our members top quality products and top notch customer service. Ongoing strict quality control goes into all the monthly selections we choose for you. Will I be obligated into a whole year as a member? No, we have no minimum membership time. You pick how many months you would like to join or give as a gift. You can join any of our clubs from 1 to 12 months. You may cancel at anytime. For a gift membership, do you include a message? Yes, included in your purchase, you may choose to have us mail a personalized gift letter via the postal service to the recipient or to yourself before the first delivery. You may also Print a Gift Letter online or Email a Gift Letter online from this web site. Can I go every other month or quarterly? Yes, you may make the selection when ordering from this web site or by phone to go every-other-month or every-third-month.

Wine of the Month Club With each Wine of the Month Club shipment you’ll receive two (2) different bottles of rare wine many from small award winning wineries around the world. You can select from All Red, All White or Mixed selections each month. We’ll deliver them cellar fresh to your home or office for only $29.95 per month plus shipping ($9.00).Included in each wine club shipment will be Wine Expeditions, your informative Wine of the Month Club newsletter, giving you insights on the monthly wine club selections. You’ll also have an opportunity to order your favorite rare wines at discounted prices.A reward for yourself or a very special gift for a friend, The Global Wine Club offers enrollment with no minimum membership time and satisfaction guaranteed. We reward long term memberships! All twelve month buyers will receive via mail $25.00 in “Club Cash” to redeem for merchandise or apply towards another membership!

Imagine your loved ones/friends receiving organic produce every week for 20 weeks in the summer/fall! And each time they receive their fresh bounty, they remember what a great gift giver you are.

I was recently flying on Delta Airlines and read an article in the Delta Sky magazine about community supported agriculture (CSA). The author, John Grossmann, described (wonderfully) how he and his wife had recently joined Honey Brook Farm’s CSA program by purchasing a “share” of the crop for the year (summer/fall).

I can’t emphasize enough what a great read that article is!!! (here’s the link to the article again for convenience)

And, I immediately thought – what a cool gift idea to give someone a share in an organic farm’s produce!

Basic Information

While you can easily find information about Community Supported Agriculture with a simple Google search, you may find some fairly dry information such as this Wikipedia entry. You can also find some more user-friendly information such as this very nice Squidoo lens on the topic.

How Much Does it Cost?

I’m not exactly sure how much Mr. Grossmann paid for his share, but in this article about a new farm program that Honey Brook set up in Chesterfield, PA, shares were going for $358 for an individual and $604 for a family (per season).

The Wikipedia entry referenced above indicates that shares can range from $350 to $500 for a season.

The Urban Ecology Center provides some indication of costs on this page. Here is the excerpt for your convenience:

The typical cost of a CSA share averages from $20-25 a week. As a shareholder, you pay up front for the entire season, which ranges from 19 to 27 weeks, depending on the farm. Share size also varies from farm to farm. Some farms offer “worker shares” exchanging work for a share of produce. Others have either convenient payment plans or assistance funds that can offset part of the cost of a share.

How Do I Find a CSA?

Here are a few resources for locating a CSA farm near you:

• Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association – CSA Locator (use the sort by state function to browse for farms in your state)
• Newfarm.org – Farm Locator (nice way to search their database)
• National Agricultural Library – CSA Resources

More Information

Some blogs published by local CSA farmers:

• Belmont CSA, Belmont, MA
• Claggett Farm, Chesapeake Bay, MD
• Eat Well Farm, Dixon, CA
• Smith Gardens Community Farm, Cochrane, WI
• Full Circle Farm, Carnation, WA
• Sackville CSA, New Brunswick, Canada

(I’m thinking that Mom might really enjoy this as a gift on Mother’s Day!)

There are a number of books on the topic of Community Supported Agriculture farms. Try searching on Amazon.com for “community supported agriculture“. Here is one of the books that seems to be most popular:

Eat well, my friends! – GiftGuy

Know someone who can’t find anything in the mess they created for themselves?

Then, a great gift idea is to treat them to a gift certificate for a professional organization session!

There is even a trade association, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), that can help you locate a professional organizer in your area through their searchable online directory.

Not only can you search for organization consultants by location, you can also search by area of specialty. Some of the specialties that you can use in your search include:

• Closet Design and Installation
• Closet Organizing
• Estate Organizing
• Feng Shui
• Financial/Bookkeeping
• Garages/Attics/Basements
• Garage/Estate Sales
• Home Office
• Kitchens
• Moving/Relocation
• Other Rooms
• Photographs/Memorabilia/Collections
• Time Management

Of course, you can always offer to do it yourself. But, you run the risk of ruining a perfectly good relationship!

I – love – earrings. They are fun. They have character. They add elegance. They add charm. They can make or break an outfit. Plain and simple.

Earrings (in particular dangly ones) have become huge over the past few years with celebrities wearing everything from simple hoops to huge elaborate masterpieces. Where you used to have to go to a jewelry store, you can now find fashionable earrings just about anywhere (Have you seen Target’s earrings these days?). Earrings are fun and can make a great gift.

Ok MsGift but what makes earrings such a unique gift? People have been giving them for years.

I am not talking about just ANY earrings for that special someone, but earrings from one Joan Hornig.

Joan Hornig is a jewelry designer who not only creates beautiful pieces but donates ALL of the profits made to charity. The best part is that she doesn’t donate the profits to just any charity, she lets YOU choose which one you would like to donate to. (See her foundation page for more information on the charities supported)

She has everything from necklaces to bracelets to charms to jewelry with special messages. I personally would LOVE to receive a pair of earrings from here.

To note: The earrings (and the rest of the jewelry) are not cheap. The prices range from $325 to $2500. But when you know the person receiving them will be happy and you know the the money spent will make 50 people happy…it makes it worthwhile.