Wrap Up Your Holiday Shopping Online
Why put up with limited parking, chaotic crowds, and long lines at your local mall when you can find the perfect presents for everyone on your holiday list from the comfort of your own couch? Read on for a list of click-worthy websites that will inspire ideas for all of the special people in your life.
Pick a Perfect Present
Have you ever known someone who has a talent for finding the perfect gift for any and every occasion? The sisters who founded www.SpoonSisters.com pride themselves on having just that knack – and they’re happy to share their gift-giving talent with all of us through their website of carefully selected, unique and memorable items. “Our sensibilities range from classic to kitsch, funny to functional,” say the Spoon Sisters. How about a Mother-Child Bag for your always-on-the-go daughter? Or a Tea for One Set for your best friend who savors her afternoons with a cup of tea and a good book? If you’re shopping for a baseball fan, Authentic Baseball Stadium Seat Cufflinks are sure to be a home run. The mix of products is so varied on this site that you just might be able to find something special for everyone on your list. Or, if you’re looking for the perfect stocking stuffers, visit the retro candy store at www.HometownFavorites.com. This site has just about every nostalgic candy item you can think of, including Mary Janes, Slo-Pokes, Milk Maid Caramels, Skybars, Necco Wafers, Popcorn Balls, Candy Buttons, Teaberry Gum, and my personal favorite, Boston Baked Beans. While you’re on the site, check out the “Hard-to-Find Grocer” section, where you’ll discover a virtual grocery store of – you guessed it – hard to find products. Grab some Moxie from Aisle 1, pick up Maypo Hot Cereal in Aisle 2, or treat yourself to Mallomar Cookies from Aisle 4. Browsing the aisles of this “hometown grocery store” will make you just as merry as your friends will feel when they open their basket of sweet memories.
Give the Gift of a Getaway
We all know of someone who could use a little get-away. Visit www.BedandBreakfast.com to quickly and conveniently order a romantic weekend for that special couple on your holiday list. You can purchase a gift certificate ranging from $25 to $1,000, which will be accepted at over 4,000 Bed and Breakfasts around the world. Whether they decide to use your gift in Paris, France or Napa, California, your loved ones will cherish the gift of time away together. If you’re looking for some jet-setting accessories to accompany this gift, visit www.Magellans.com, an excellent source of unique and useful travel products.
Out of the Box Adventures
What can you get the family members that already have everything they want or need? If they have a sense of adventure, why not give them the gift of a once-in-a-lifetime experience? From bull riding classes to stock car driving to fencing lessons to hang gliding, a gift from www.Cloud9Living.com is sure to be one that they will never forget. For your less adventurous loved ones, this site offers couples massages, wine tours, and romantic hot air balloon rides. To give an experience gift to the fun-loving kids in your life, visit www.Excitations.com. A sailing adventure, a giraffe encounter, a recording studio session, or a party at a candy factory will undoubtedly be the coolest and most unexpected gift that a grandchild, niece, or nephew could open at holiday time!
Rent Mother Nature
If you – or someone on your holiday list – can’t get enough of the fresh produce and hand-crafted goodies that fill the stalls of the local Farmer’s Market, you’ll love the concept of a gift from www.RentMotherNature.com. Through this site, you can give a loved one a “lease” for a farm item of your choice, with options including honey hives, apple trees, cows (for brie or cheddar cheese), wild rice beds, coffee trees, and many more. The “lessee” will be kept up-to-date throughout the growing season with informative and entertaining progress reports. When the time comes, the harvest – be it late summer honey, McIntosh apples, Vermont cheddar cheese, coffee beans, or even a natural wool blanket (if you lease a sheep) – will be delivered to your loved one’s doorstep. As is stated on their site, “We do all the work and you get all the raves (while helping America’s family farms).”
Art for Everyone
The founders of Twenty-by-Two-Hundred believe that art should be for everyone – and with a price tag of $20 per print, they make it possible for almost any art lover to be an art collector. This site (www.20×200.com) sells limited edition artwork at an affordable price, with new prints released every week. Keep a close eye on the site (which is easiest to do if you sign up for their weekly emails) to find the perfect print to match the personality of that hard-to-buy-for family member. A deconstructed phone, a quirky and colorful map of Boston, and a collection of scooter drawings caught my eye. What will catch yours?
For Colorful and Curious Kids
Choosing the best toys for the children on your isn’t always an easy task – and stepping into a big-box toy store at this time of year probably won’t make that task any easier. Save yourself one holiday headache and hop onto www.FatBrainToys.com. On this site you’ll find thousands of quality, open-ended toys, games, and gifts that entertain and educate. The Shop by Age page will make it simple to find your two-year-old granddaughter’s first doll, a Plasma Car for your six-year-old grandson, or a Perfumery Kit for your 12-year-old niece. There are even fun gifts for adults that are young at heart, like the World Record Paper Airplane Book, Gordian’s Knot, or the 3-D Home Kit.
Palate Pleasing Presents
Offering “exquisite food and gifts since 1920,” the products on www.Petrossian.com are certain to impress the gourmet in your life. Best known for their caviar, Petrossian also offers a fine selection of specialty fish, foie gras, and divine desserts. A molten chocolate cake is sure to put a smile on any food lover’s face. To have the best meat – from game birds to buffalo – delivered to the doorstep of your favorite foodie, visit www.Dartagnan.com. New York City’s top restaurants have Dartagnan products on their menus, and now your discriminating loved ones can taste them at their dining room table as well. For those whose day simply isn’t complete without dessert, visit www.GreystonBakery.com to give the gift of “Do-Goodie Brownies.” All Do-Goodie profits go to the Greyston Foundation to support jobs, childcare, health care, and housing for the underprivileged. These brownies don’t just taste good – they feel good, too! Or, if you’d simply like to send a basket full of goodies – from fine wine to chocolate to freshly baked treats – www.DeanDeluca.com has a selection of gourmet goodies that will make your mouth water as you browse through the site. Some of the most popular items include Pecan Turtles, Lobster Pot Pies, and Chocolate Mousse Cakes. With a reputation for delivering epicurean excellence for over three decades, a package from Dean and Deluca is sure to be a palate pleaser.
For Pampered Pets and their Parents
Many of us feel that our beloved pets are just as deserving of holiday treats as the rest of our family and friends. If you’re looking for a holiday gift for a pampered pooch, visit www.Muttropolis.com. As touted in their tag line, Muttropolis is the place to go for “haute dogs and cool cats.” It’s easy to find the perfect gift for the dog and cat lovers on your list at this fantastically fun pet site. If you have a four-legged furry friend of your own, you’ll enjoy perusing this website of cozy beds, cute collars, and delightful dog and cat toys. If you’re looking for eco-friendly, stylish and doggy-durable toys and gifts, try West Paw Design (www.WestPawDesign.com), a company that prides itself on its commitment to the well-being of both your pets and the planet. Another favorite site for pampered pet goodies is www.TrixieandPeanut.com, where you’ll find a wide array of upscale products for dogs, cats and pet lovers alike, including designer collars and leashes, chic pet beds and cozy blankets, stylish pet apparel, unique toys and treats, sleek pet carriers, and fabulous feeding bowls. The Tee Time Argyle Sweater, the Barkbury Smart Phone Toy, the Felt Catnip Donuts and the Custom Alphabet Collar Tags are just a few items that are sure to please even the most persnickety pup or finicky feline.
Gifts that Make a Difference
One of the world’s largest fair trade organizations and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), www.TenThousandVillages.com strives to improve the livelihood of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries around the world. Gorgeous tablecloths handmade in India, glass bead wind chimes crafted in Ghana, and amazonite stone earrings made in Peru are just a few examples of the truly unique gifts on this website. These presents will feel just as good to give as to receive, since every purchase from this site creates opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn income by practicing time-honored traditions in arts and crafts.
Gadgets, Gear & Gizmos Galore
“Offering the best, the only, and the unexpected for 159 years,” Hammacher Schlemmer (www.Hammacher.com) specializes in offering the most unique and innovative products to its customers. Your son-in-law never knew how handy a fish-finding watch could be on his weekend fishing trips. Your sister could not have guessed how she would come to rely on her neck and shoulder compression massager. But once you’ve introduced them to these lifestyle-enhancing gadgets, they won’t know how they ever lived without them. To find the perfect gift for the gadget-lovers on your list who also happen to be car-lovers, visit www.Crutchfield.com. This company specializes in the latest, greatest, and coolest gear for cars, and they make the shopping process easy for gift-givers by including an “Outfit My Car” tool on their website. You can type in the make, model, and year of your loved one’s car, and the site will show you only the items – from CD players to navigation systems to in-dash DVD players – that will “fit” with this car. Still stuck for an idea? Talk to one of the Crutchfield’s “Advisors” by calling their toll-free help line and in no time you’ll have the assistance of your own personal shopper who knows electronics, gizmos, and gadgets inside and out. Now that’s convenient!
Do you have a favorite holiday shopping site to recommend? If so, feel free to leave a comment below!