Shop Online This Year: Unique Holiday Gift Ideas From b5media
November 28, 2008 by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
It’s Black Friday, and if you’re like many folks in America you’re forgoing the hustle and bustle of the mall in favor of shopping from the comfort of your own home. It helps you save gas and food money, not to mention decreases the stress of taking on the crowds at the malls.
Who can blame you?
Not the bloggers at b5media. In fact, many of them have created store pages to help you during your online shopping!
This year bloggers from around b5media’s Lifestyles, Health and Wellness channels are giving readers a special surprise. We’ve created a virtual mall to help ease the anxiety of shopping for those on your Christmas list who may be a little more difficult to buy for.
Stop by Kettle and Cup and select your favorite hot beverage, kick back and browse this years Holiday Gift Guide Shopping Extravaganza.
Cherie from Career and Kids has the perfect list for the business woman/working parent.
Mary Emma from One Book Two Book shares a suggest shopping list for the avid reader and artist on your list.
Everyone knows what to get a jewelry lover - but do you know what to get one who loves to make jewelry? Cyndi at Jewelry and Beading has the answer!
Cherie at Diabetes Notes shares gift ideas to keep those visions of sugar plum fairies dancing for the diabetics on your list.
Chloe at The Doggy Blog shares an adorable wish list as written to Santa Paws.
Christine at Mad Cropper knows how to please those who are crazy about scrapbooking during the holiday season.
Quilters anyone? This unique craft makes for the tougher shopping experience - but that’s so yesterday considering we have a pro in our corner. Let Mary Emma at Quilting and Patchwork help you pick out the perfect gift.
Angela from Breastfeeding 1-2-3 provides a list of gifts for the breastfeeding mother on your list.
So maybe giving kitchen appliances isn’t the best idea - but what about a cool and unique Cooking Gadget? I’d say your bound to surprise the cook on your list with something from Cyndi’s list.
Peggy at Lively Women has put together a list of gift ideas for the health conscious female on your list.
Christine at Our One Heart shares tips and gift ideas to keep that Bride-to-Be happy during the Christmas season.
Tracee at BlogFabulous has put together an amazing store displaying gift ideas for the woman’s woman.
Christmas is for everyone and shopping for an Alzheimer’s patients can present a challenge - allow Mary Emma at Alzheimer’s Notes helps you overcome that challenge and get on to the joys of the season.
Have someone who might be looking to become a little more organized in the new year? Let Jennifer at Declutter It help you give the gift of time and organization.
Do you have a fabric-aholic or a needlehead on your Christmas list? Don’t get them the same old boring sing-song gift - let Chloe at Tangled Thread help you pick the perfect gift.
Unique gift ideas for the mixed media art lover on your list is what Cyndi from Layers Upon Layers has on display.
Have an aspiring to advanced chef on your list this year? Cyndi at Busy Family Meals has an extensive list to cover every stage of cooking from beginner to pro.
Eliza has pieced together a shop that covers mom, dad and baby at Babylune. Why leave anyone out?
Heather at The Food Bowl is taking care of pets and their people with a fun list that’s bound to connect you with the perfect gift.
Did someone say chocolate? Heather at Chocolate Bytes did! Our resident chocolate expert has put together sweetest gift shop you won’t want to miss.
Who says married couples are boring? Check out the letters to Santa as shared by Marc and Marye of Marriage Actually and see what might appeal to the married couple on your list.
Jennifer from Tree Hugging Family provides a wonderful list to help you go a little more green this holiday season.
Don’t forget about that single and dating friend or relative! We all know how difficult it can be to buy for them - Lucky for us we have Dating Dames and the Dames have the answers.
It’s never too early to start buying for your favorite gardener and Linette at Mother Earth’s Garden has a wonderful list to help you decide.
Have someone a little offbeat or kooky on your list this year? Let Jennifer of Offbeat Homes help you find the gift that’s spot on.
Linette at Play Library is haring the Best of Toys list this year - check out what’s hot and get to buying! We know how quick those hot toys sell out every year.
Have someone on your list who always hosts the best parties? Surprise that person with a unique gift as recommended by Linette at She Knows Parties!
Marcie from One Book Two Book and A Child Chosen shares a wonderful shopping list she’s broken down by age groups and hobbies.
Whether it’s tea or coffee you are looking for, Marye from Kettle and Cup has unique gift ideas that’s sure to add a little spice to your favorite hot beverage.
Haven’t figured out just how to shop for the junk lover and crafter on your list? Let Peggy from Junk Creation assist you with your selection.
Susan from Grounded Fitness has a little something for the health and fitness buff on your shopping list.
Liz at Health Bolt offers up a nifty gift idea list for everyone in the family - down to the computer geek.
Just what do you buy someone who’s crazy about genetics? Let our very own Grace Ilbay help you with that one at Genetics and Health
For those on your list who have a taste for wine and cocktails - check out Drinks After Dark and the shop full of gifts that Colleen has compiled that might just add to the element of surprise this year.
For the baker on your list - Marye from Baking Delights shares some of her personal favorites for her baking adventures in the kitchen. At a time when flavors, colors, aromas and tastes are at their peak, finding the perfect gift can be a bit of a challenge.
Eliza at She Knows Coupons has a fun list of items that will make any couponing mom jump with joy. The only thing that makes a coupon mom more excited than an awesome deal is doing it in an organized fashion.
And last but certainly not least, Gayla has compiled a list of MomGadget Favorites - A Year in Review 2008 instead of a storefront for you to shop.
From all of us at Lifestyles - Health & Wellness
We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2009!
Want more? Read on for shopping ideas from the Beauty and Style Channel!
All around b5media’s Beauty & Style Channel, the Splendicity bloggers have put together some amazing holiday gift guides. Everything from makeup and skincare products to little black dresses and accessories, we have it all.
Let’s go shopping!
Beth at Aging Fabulous offers a selection of terrific beauty gifts.
SP shows you some terrific handbags at Banging Bags, fabulous stocking stuffers at Shopaholics Daily, and even more holiday gifts at Style Her Hair.
Nikki shows us some wonderful little black dresses at Celeb Look.
Gayla features some adorable gifts for your pets at Couture Critters.
Aly offers beauty products for holidays at eBeautyDaily.
Star shows us a selection of fabulous gifts for him and her at Glamour Gift Guide.
Chloe features jewelry gifts for family and friends at Gleaming Things, and offers The Twelve Days of Shopping Christmas Guide at Her Accessories.
Tracy has a not so secret wish list and her holiday gift guide at Hot Mama Daily.
Dexie’s jewelry gift guide for her lights up She Knows Best. And don’t miss out on her Under $100 Holiday Looks at Style It Less.
Kori offers fabulous shoes for every woman in your life at ShoeBlitz.
Colleen features wonderful spa and beauty gifts at Spa Beautifully.
Ashley invites you to indulge in luxury at The Latest Luxe.
Lara provides 8 top 8 lists of holiday gifts for everyone at The List Maven.
Happy Shopping!!
Image credit: Stock.xchng
Nice content, thanks for sharing. And merry christmas in advance!
I just wanted to share an inspiring story that may lead to some great Christmas gifts that stay away from the material part of the holiday. The original story was published in the December 1982 issue of Woman’s Day magazine as the winner of the “My Most Moving Holiday Tradition” contest in which readers were asked to share their favorite holiday tradition and the story behind it. This story lead to the creation of The White Envelope Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of Givers, Civic Leaders, and Philanthropists. Read the story below and visit http://www.WhiteEnvelopeProject.org for more information and giving ideas!
“For the Man Who Hated Christmas”
by Nancy W. Gavin
It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas–oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it–overspending… the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma—the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler’s ears.
It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.” Mike loved kids - all kids - and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition–one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn’t end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.
Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down the envelope.
Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.