New Skills Can Be An Enriching Gift

by giftguy Posted on June 2, 2010
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If you are banging you head against the wall trying to think of a unique gift idea for someone close to you, you may just have found something that will work for you!

If your wife/husband, parent, brother/sister, adult children, or close friend has ever talked about being bored at this point in their life, or wishing they had a hobby, or that they had pursued past attempts at playing an instrument or painting, or if you know that they have admired the ballroom dancing on Dancing With The Stars, then giving them DVD-based lessons could be the perfect fit.

For this gift idea article, I am highlighting DVD lesson sets from Legacy Learning Systems. Yes, we do have an affiliate relationship with them where we would get a commission, but the idea is genuine (as always!!) and the price is the same no matter how you get there.

Hopefully one of the following DVD lesson sets will spark your gift-giving genius and make someone close to you very happy:

Guitar Oil Painting

Guitar Learning System

Learn and Master Painting

Click the Play button to watch the video.
Click the Play button to watch the video.
Instructor Bio: Steve Krenz Instructor Bio: Gayle Levee
Learn More (review on GiftStumped) Learn More (review on GiftStumped)
Piano Ballroom Dancing Drums

Piano Learning System

Ballroom Dancing Learning System

Drums Learning System

Click the Play button to watch the video.
Click the Play button to watch the video.
Click the Play button to watch the video.
Instructor Bio: Will Barrow Instructor Bio: Jaimee Simon & Mark Short Instructor Bio: Dann Sherrill

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Posted in Anniversary Gifts, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Gifts for Men, Gifts for Women, Music Lovers, Valentine's Day, Wedding Gifts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

$5 Gift Ideas! Courtesy of Fiverr.

by giftguy Posted on May 5, 2010
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I’ve recently become addicted to using Fiverr.com for some guerrilla marketing stuff.  For some reason I just noticed the “Gift Ideas” section of the site (see image below, and visit the category here).  I think that the image I captured of the Gift Ideas page says it all – fun, unique, small gift ideas for 5 bucks!

(Oh, the image here doesn’t show you one of my favorites – “I will write and record a TV sitcom theme song about your life for $5“)

unique gift ideas for 5 bucks
Posted in Gifts for People Who Have Everything | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Decorative Packing Tape to Add Zip to Your Packages!

by giftguy Posted on May 4, 2010
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So, I talk a lot about gifts and unique gift ideas on this blog.  Every once in awhile I decide to write about some other aspect of gift-giving.  In this case, the art of beautiful wrapping!!  But not gift-wrapping, per se.  Instead – making the package you are sending more appealing.

Through a class I was teaching, I met someone involved in TapeSwell, and after learning about the products and seeing the output of people using the decorative packing tapes, I immediately wanted to do a blog post about TapeSwell.

The use of decorative packing/shipping tape is probably only limited by your creativity (and time!!).

TapeSwell’s products are ideal for the individual “Martha Stewart-Type” person, small business owners, artisans, handmade gift makers, party planners, and people who generally care about gift presentation.

Products

Below are images of a few of the product categories:

Decorative Tape Combo Packs Envelope Wrap

At the time of this post, most individual tape rolls are $7.00, most Combo Packs are $20.00, and Envelope Wraps run around $13.00.

TapeSwell has a large number of colors, patterns, and styles/themes. If you like what you see, this is a great way to support a small business and get that extra “oooh, aaah” factor when you give your gift.

Additional Decorative Packing / Shipping Tape Products:

Candle Tapes - Set of 4

 

Candle Tapes – Set of 4

$24.00

Get wrapped up in creative, new ways to dress your holiday gifts with whimsical rolls of decorative masking tape. Printed in shimmery gold, red, green and white, each roll … [Read more]
Damask Packing Tape - It's Back!

 

Damask Packing Tape – It’s Back!

$8.49

It’s Back! This madly modern pattern moves the utilitarian task of taping up boxes and packages in a new direction. This fun Damask Packing Tape by Tapeswell allows your pa… [Read more]
Decorative Packing Tape 1.875 Wide 25 Yard Roll-Orange Polka Dot

 

Decorative Packing Tape 1.875 Wide 25 Yard Roll-Orange Polka Dot

$5.20

FANCY THAT-Decorative Packing Tape. Vintage fabric and feedsack designs on clear tape instantly coordinate with any background. This package contains one 25yd roll of 1-7/8… [Read more]
Holiday Mailing Label Tape

 

Holiday Mailing Label Tape

$9.29

Bold graphics makes these Mailing Labels by TapeSwell a clever and economical way to label boxes, bags, or anything you want to get noticed instantly. Perfect for labeling … [Read more]
Travel Duct Tape

 

Travel Duct Tape

$5.85

What’s on every packing list but can’t be found anywhere? (Anywhere but Magellan’s, that is.) Travel size rolls of duct tape! Their 8+ feet will repair tears, tack up falle… [Read more]
20 Pack Yellow Caution Tape 3In X 300Ft

 

20 Pack Yellow Caution Tape 3In X 300Ft

$98.98

Designed for general purpose roping off of construction area, road work, events and other safety risks. 300-Feet roll lets you put up an instant warning parameter to mark d… [Read more]
Biohazard and Zombie Crime Scene Tape

 

Biohazard and Zombie Crime Scene Tape

$3.99

When the crime scene tape just says "crime scene," one always has to push past it. There could be supplies, ammo, or clues as to what caused this whole zombie apo… [Read more]
Posted in Gift Wrapping & Presentation | Tagged , | 1 Comment

What Would You Send Mom?

by giftguy Posted on April 29, 2010
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This poll question (as with all of our poll questions) comes from genuine curiosity.  To answer it, just imagine that your mother lives far away, and that you are not going to just send a card.  You are definitely going to send her a gift for Mother’s Day.

So….

If you were going to send your mother a gift for Mother's Day, which of these would be the most likely choice?


View Results

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Posted in Polls | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Seven Ply – “Turning Thrash’n into Fashion”

by giftguy Posted on April 22, 2010
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“Turn thrash’n into fashion” with old skateboards that are ready to be recycled!

Important Note to Boarders! – You can send Lynn your own boards to be turned into custom items! (didn’t want that to get lost in this review)

 stack of old skateboards ready to recycle

Well, I’ve been meaning to get to this gift review for awhile now!

Lynn Weiler of Seven Ply contacted me about her handmade jewelry made from recycled skateboards, and when I took a look I immediately saw that this is a unique gift idea worth mentioning.

Lynn’s Seven Ply shop is hosted on Etsy, where the mission is to ”enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.”

My first thought when I saw the jewelry (and other cool recycled skateboard products in Sevenply’s Etsy shop), was not only would this be great for women in general, but especially for female skateboarders (check out Girlz on Boardz!) and for girlfriends and wives of guys who have a passion for boarding.

To get a flavor for the types of products (in this case jewelry and belt buckles), I have highlighted a few of my favorites below:

Earrings

hoop earrings from recycled skateboards
Checkered Love Small Hoop Earrings Hazed Large Stud Earrings Fully Flared Small Hoop Earrings

Belt Buckles

Road Rash Belt Buckle Pot Belt Buckle

Necklaces & Rings

so fresh necklace from recycled skateboards

red light green light necklace

“So Fresh” Necklace Two-Tone Hoop Necklace Recycled Skateboard Bling Bling Custom Rings

You can also read Seven Ply’s Blog and follow Sevenply on Twitter.

Posted in Birthday Gifts, Fashion Lovers, Gifts for Women, Mother's Day | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Let The Cold Beverages Come to You

by giftguy Posted on April 14, 2010
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This unique gift idea seems like it’s perfectly targeted to men. But, any women with an interest in this remote-controlled cooler will always hold a special place in my heart (even though I’m taken, I can still admire someone’s coolness!).

BBQ season is just about here, and what guy wouldn’t be psyched to show off his new “beer robot” to his friends?  You could wait until Father’s Day, but that just wouldn’t be fair to make him wait.  And, if it’s a guy yet to have kids, why should he suffer in the heat because of that?

It’s only 70 bucks!

The Remote Controlled Rolling Beverage Cooler.

 This cool beverage butler can roll across a patio, rug, or kitchen floor to deliver a well-timed beverage to parched party guests.

Room for 12 cans or bottles & ice!  The cooler rolls on four sturdy underside wheels up to 40′ from the host at the controls. The remote’s simple controls send the cooler forward, backward, and left or right. With sides of water-resistant insulated vinyl and a secure zippered lid, beverages stay cold for hours.

The cooler can be carried with the removable shoulder strap and collapses to just 6 1/2″ tall for storage. Sturdy construction can transport 22 lbs. of drinks and ice. Requires one 9-volt battery and six C batteries. 13 1/4″ H x 12″ diam. (7 lbs.)
Hammacher Sclemmer -
The Remote Controlled Rolling Beverage Cooler ($69.95)

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Posted in Father's Day, for Drinkers, Gifts for Men, Graduation Gifts | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Wee Little Ones Can Shop for Mom!

by giftguy Posted on April 11, 2010
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With Mother’s Day just around the corner, this is the perfect time to highlight an online store I found recently called Wee Can Shop.  Of course, when you visit the site, you’ll see immediately that this is a great place to shop year-round, and not just on Mother’s Day!

 The store’s tagline says a lot about why I wanted to highlight the shop:

Welcome to the town of Wee Can Shop. Where children can shop for the ones they love.

I’ve also been having a nice exchange on Twitter with Kimberly Foley, one of the founders of Wee Can Shop (follow her @WeeCanShop).

Oh, and another cool thing – Kim gave us a coupon code that you can use to get 10% off your entire order on the site:

10% Off Coupon Code = giftstumped
Visit WeeCanShop

There is a great selection of gifts on the site, and they have a very comprehensive set of ways to look for the perfect gift (e.g. Babies, Girls, Boys, Ladies, Gentlemen, Dad/Grandpa, Mom/Grandma, Teachers, Pets, The Eco-Friendly, The Gardener, The Cook, The Office, The Bath, The Holidays, Just Arrived, One-Of-A-Kind, Garage Sale, and 8 different price ranges).

A couple of my favorite products on the WeeCanShop website are these eco-friendly bags made out of recycled candy wrappers (handbag/purse) and newspapers (shoulder bag):

Handbag made from Recycled Candy Wrappers Shoulder Bag made from Recycled Newspaper

For more gift ideas for special occasions, be sure to look at our lists for:

Posted in Father's Day, Gifts for Women, Mother's Day, z_Cool Gift Blogs | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Gift Recipient Must Love Wine, and You Must Be Very Generous!

by giftguy Posted on March 29, 2010
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As I was pulling together a range of gift idea selections for our wine gift store, I came across a piece of art that made me wonder – who has the money to buy this gift online?  It’s gorgeous. And I absolutely see why this piece of detailed glass artwork is desirable.  But, a $14,000+ purchase online?

One very positive reason to purchase this is that the artist, David Van Noppen, will personally deliver and install it for you!!!

Limited edition art for wine enthusiasts (deep pockets and a generous spirit required):
Hanging Grape Vine
$14,850 (Limited Edition)
Created by: David Van Noppen

Hand formed interlocking glass grape vine. Twenty four grape clusters in amethyst, wine red, amber, and green tones. This piece hangs on support webbing. Each grape cluster hangs from either the webbing or off of glass leaves that are attached to the webbing. A sturdy location is required for hanging, as this piece can weigh in excess of 150 lbs. Due to the unique nature of this work, color and individual elements will vary from those shown.

Please Note:
Price and shipping charge includes personal delivery and installation by the artist.
Please contact the Customer Care department at ArtfulHome.com with delivery and installation questions.

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Posted in Art Lovers, for Drinkers, High End Gifts for the Wealthy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Does She Love Ice Cream?

by giftguy Posted on March 26, 2010
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With Mother’s Day coming up, and with the hot weather of Summer just around the corner, this is the perfect time to give the gift of ice cream! Ice cream that can be kept close to the heart, and won’t melt.

This Three Cone Rectangle Pendant, made by Carolyn Tillie and sold through Artful Home, is the perfect piece of unique jewelry for any woman in your life who says “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice scream!”
Three Cone Rectangle Pendant on Chain
$75
Posted in Art Lovers, Birthday Gifts, for Foodies, Gifts for Women, Mother's Day | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Gift of Google for Your Technically Challenged Elders

by giftguy Posted on March 23, 2010
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It’s here!!!

Google for Seniors: Get Acquainted with Free Google Applications: Google Earth, Maps, Reader, Docs, Sites, Chrome

Despite the unfortunate release date of April 1st (April Fool’s Day), this came to fruition as a real book!  (I had originally posted this as an “it’s coming” post prior to being published, and I had this small tickle in my brain that April Fool’s day was coming).

Order (and pre-order) here at Amazon.com

So, for your grandparents, parents, aunts & uncles, senior friends that may (actually) have an interest in becoming better-acquainted with all the rich information that Google has to offer, this could be a winning gift idea.

I personally think that donating this book to a Senior Center, Elderly Housing Complex, Assisted Living Living Facility, etc. would be very welcomed by those organizations.

Here’s a description of the book:

With step-by-step instructions and illustrative screenshots, this guide is designed specifically for seniors, and provides detailed information on the free software and services provided online by Google. For beginners and more advanced computer users alike, this insightful resource shows how to perform tasks such as exploring the world, building a free website, browsing the internet, creating documents, and sharing web albums & sharing online calendars, by using the host of options available through Google.

Posted in Birthday Gifts, Father's Day, Gifts for Men, Gifts for Women, Mother's Day | Tagged , , | Leave a comment