Let's Shop S'More

The catalogs keep coming and it’s time to give you some additional great gift ideas for the holidays.  Although I have not actually purchased any holiday gifts yet, I have ambitious plans thanks to all the at home catalog ideas I’ve garnered with each day’s mail delivery. See my earlier posting for company websites I’ve already mentioned. Only new companies’ URLs will be listed. Let the shopping begin!

FOR THE HOME AND HOLIDAYS:  We’ll jump right to the Christmas decorations, because most of you already have yours up I bet.  Just in case your neighbor’s outdoor displays dwarf your homey efforts Hammacher Schlemmer (hammacher.com) has you covered with a choice of a 20 foot Reclining Inflatable Snow Man or the 2-story tall Inflatable Reindeer. Harriet Carter covers the indoors with a delightful Musical Toilet Roll Holder that has a number of festive songs to delight bathroom visitors and family alike. If you insist on tasteful Christmas decorations then check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art (store.metmuseum.org) for an astonishing array of shoe ornaments—glittered, beaded, jeweled. Imelda Marcos eat your heart out!

            Cat owners can celebrate the feline gods any time of year with two delightful decorating accessories. One is a George Carruth Nine Lives Plaque topped with a halo in homage to some lovable kitty whose nine lives are skillfully portrayed below, each with a unique expression indicative of a particular life. This is offered by Signals (signals.com).  Half a coven of kitties, each with a unique expression indicative of their personalities, surround a votive candle—from Collectibles Direct.  Together these make a stunning statement for all cat lovers. Yikes! For the dog people I am ashamed to submit the Triple Dachshund Doorstop from The Paragon. If you like your animals fanciful check out Signals’ Rock Caterpillar Sculpture, handcrafted for deck, yard, or garden.

            Nostalgia is everywhere this year. Stock up on period telephones that are compatible with today’s technology: a 1939 Black Desk top model, the 1959 pink Princess and the 1960’s Slimlines in a variety of colors. All are available at the Vermont Country Story (www.VermontCountryStore.com) where you can also stock up on all kinds of vintage candies. What home décor would be complete without wall art?  You can have a canoe paddle with a satellite laser etching of your favorite lake OR you can hand an Irrational Numbers Wall Clock—both from Signals. Add a conversation piece carnivorous plant or two with an Edmunds Scientific Giant Carnivorous Plant kit.  Finally, and this is something every home should seriously consider, many catalogs and stores carry Four-Way Powered Emergency Weather Radios that include cell phone charger that will enable you to keep in contact with emergency weather announcements, act as emergency lights, and keep you in contact with family and services. I’ve seen models in Signals, L.L.Bean (llbean.com), Hammacher Schlemmer, Collectibles Direct and other catalogs.  Consider this one seriously as a great gift!

            What to get the CHILDREN in your life?  Robots are always tasteful. Many stores carry a Programmable Robot Rover that a child can assemble and program to do errands or to guard their bedroom doors from intruders (like parents). This was being offered at Edmunds Scientific, Young Explorers, Mindware, and National Geographic (www.shopng.org) Kids seem to have all the fun.  Consider an Internal Combustion Engine Kit that supposedly teaches a child—should s/he wrest it away from dad long enough—to assemble and operate. I think it runs on vegetable oil (would our cars could do so) and the inner workings are visible for learning about pistons firing and all that great automotive stuff.  Again, lots of catalogs have this, e.g. Edmunds Scientific, Signals, and Young Explorers. Mindware, one of my favorite places to shop, offers many educational kits and learning activities. The Engineering Kits like Backyard Ballistics, The Art of the Catapult, and Whoosh, Boom, Splat provide instruction on how to launch vegetables from a cannon, build warrior robots, hurl things through the air, and any number of fun things is just one example. Another science project kids will love is Disgusting Special Effects Make-up Kits offered by Mindware and Young Explorers. Kids can make themselves, family or friends up to resemble real movie horror characters.

            All is not learning however. Gift ideas range from the Hope Diamond Collectible Barbie from the Smithsonian, to a DC Super Heroes: the Ultimate Pop-up Book that includes a light up Bat signal and a twirling Lasso of Truth from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are Bug Wrist Bands made with of REAL bugs from Toys to Grow On (www.ttgo.com), a remote controlled hairy Tarantula at Hammacher Schlemmer, a Four Foot long remote control Flying Shark at Edmunds Scientific, a Gator Game kit to assemble in which your child first puts together the motorized “Nervous Alligator”. Then the child puts its finger into the gator’s mouth trying to manipulate the tail without moving the gator’s inners before the gator bites off his hand. This game cum kit is offered at American Science and Surplus. For the budding young cowgirl, or budding Billy the Kid, in your family there is a Super Safe Target Game. The catalog photos shows a delightful little girl blasting away with her infrared six-shooter, shooting up the plastic bottles and cans. At least they are not on the Internet!

            Finally for the LADIES, a word to the wise for your gentlemen thinking that a new iron or scrub mop would be just the ticket. Don’t do it unless you are sure you will get custody of the large screen TV.  But some of you won’t listen to my advice so check out Hammacher Schlemmer’s Back Pack Vacuum Cleaner replete with two extra wands, 6 attachments and other goodies.  Another no-no, at least for my hubby, is the Young Explorers Time Flies Alarm Clock. When it’s time to get up, this baby starts flying erratically around the bedroom, forcing your tired spouse to get out of bed and catch it. I expect you will too if you buy this.

            Nostalgia is in, as I have already said, and you can outfit your wife with a snazzy apron and baking tools reminiscent of her grandmother’s heyday in the 1950s, thanks to Smithsonian. Another old time goody was placed right in the middle of gifts for the ladies in the National Geographic catalog:  The Chalet Cukoo Clock from Germany features a St. Bernard carrying a barrel of brandy amongst its timely figures. Maybe you would like to treat your queen to a Queen Elizabeth II umbrella in a deep bell clear shape so she can see where you throw your cloak over the next puddle. This is offered by Hammacher Schlemmer. One gift I would like is offered in the Collectibles Direct catalog. It is a very cool Swiss Tool that includes knives, pliers, screwdrivers, wood saw, ruler, etc. etc. all in a black belt pouch.

            OK, if you’re stuck, go for jewelry. The ladies love it! The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers a really creepy 20 inch long Egyptian Snake Lariat of 24 karat gold for milady’s neck. Signals has a working zipper bracelet made of copper that can be cunningly worn zipped or not for the more daring gal. Does she already have bells on her toes? Then go for National Geographic for Rings For Her Fingers, ten stretchy, sequined rings in a variety of colors and floral types.  And finally, for the lady whose husband suffers from a roving eye at social events, consider the Smithsonian’s Eye of Horus Pin/Pendant that makes a real statement. It’s guaranteed to keep hubby in line!

            That’s all the suggestions for now. I’ll keep my eye (non-Horus) out for last minute gifts should the catalogs keep coming, but I figure that most of these companies have stricken my name off  their mailing lists by now...

NOTE:  Caveat emptor!  Although I have purchased different items from most—but not all—of the companies mentioned I have no relationship with any of them except as a customer who has been generally satisfied with her purchases. I can make no claims on the quality of any of the items mentioned above; I make no profit if you purchase anything.  There are many nice products featured in these catalogs—some I really like—that I have not mentioned.  Visit the company websites if you’re curious.  The items I have featured should not be regarded as a recommendation of either the item or the company. I gain nothing if you decide you wish to do business with any company. My list is intended to be fun.