Start a Charm Bracelet

I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but was having trouble finding the information online that I needed. Basically, I think that starting, and later "outfitting", a nice charm bracelet would be a lovely stocking tradition for any girl or women, and particularly for a daughter as she grows up and develops new interests. I tend to think the girl should be old enough to appreciate that charms are not toys, but rather jewelry to be kept and treasured for years. Also, a slightly older girl will have more interests so you can choose charms that have personal meaning for her. I probably wouldn't start one before age seven or eight, I think.

In any case, I finally came across the website for Rembrandt Charms, and I'm very impressed. They have a fun online feature where you can design a charm bracelet and print out your design with the exact product numbers for those charms, plus a list of retailers within your zip code that are likely to carry them. At first, I was worried that the prices would be too outrageous, but I found that as long as you stick with sterling silver instead of gold, the prices are reasonable -- especially if you're spreading this out as a charm-a-year in the Christmas stocking. (This would also work well as a birthday tradition.)

The first year, of course, you'd want to get the bracelet itself, and the first charm to attach to it. I found the lovely sterling silver bracelet picture above with a suggested retail price of $21. Then I found the first charm I would choose for myself: Aquarius, for my birth sign. The "design your own bracelet" feature is fun because you can put in any key word, see the results, then drag the charm up to the bracelet. Here's my finished design (sorry you can't see the detail very well; this is the largest I could make the image):

In addition to my water-bearing Aquarius sign, I found a feather quill pen (because I'm a writer), a book (because I'm a librarian and an avid reader), a space shuttle (because I'm into space and science fiction), a cat (because I have, um, several of them), a sea turtle (because I like them), a soccer ball (because I used to play), and an ice hockey goalie (my favorite sport to watch).

The only drawback I found to the "design your own bracelet" feature was that many times, results would come up as if there were charms, but one or more boxes would be blank. That may signify that certain charms have gone out of production, but in any case, don't be alarmed. You wouldn't actually be purchasing the bracelet and charms from this website, but rather going (if you wanted to) to a local jeweler that carries the merchandise.

Alternatively, you can just shop for charms in jewelry department stores. Or you could try the James Avery stores or website. The James Avery charms (pictured left) are priced a bit higher than the Rembrandt Charms (several of them seem to hover around $40 for sterling silver), but they're gorgeous and look to be of very high quality. The website has a nice search feature by categories of charms, such as children's, customer favorites, women, teens, religious, etc.

And remember, if you started this tradition, you would really have a whole year each year to find just the right charm. Souvenirs from trips are especially nice -- I remember that my parents got me a Tinkerbell charm at Disneyworld, and then an alligator charm when they went on a trip to South Carolina. I bought myself a beer stein charm the year I lived in Germany. Someone gave me a Christmas tree charm as a gift, and I got an American flag charm through Camp Fire Girls. Sadly, I'm not sure where my charm bracelet is. I think I still have it, but after too many cross-country moves to count, I'm not 100% sure.

But back to the topic at hand: if I had a daughter, you bet this would be a stocking tradition. The first year would have the bracelet with the first charm attached, and in subsequent years, the little box holding the charm could be tucked down in the toe of the stocking. It's the kind of thing that a girl could pass on to her own daughter years later, and each charm would have a story to go with it. What do you think?

Oriental Fan Pin

This lovely pin is a replica of a fan in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts textile collection, titled Rinaldo in the Garden of Armida. Isn't it gorgeous? Unfortunately, the site doesn't give the dimensions of the pin, which to me is a bit of a no-no when selling jewelry (or most anything else, for that matter!). Still, I do really like it....

Naturally, at $38 it definitely qualifies as a "Friday luxury item". (If you're a museum member , it costs $34.20, by the way.) The museum store's website says that the fan is "Meant to adorn the woman 'who incarnates the passion and pleasure that destroy reason'".

What: Oriental Fan Pin
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston store website
How much (as of today's post): $38.00 (plus shipping)

Fairytale Garden Sets

I think Uncommon Goods is fast becoming my favorite website to look for unique gifts -- every time I visit that site I find something that I haven't seen on any other website. This time, it was the Fairytale Garden Sets pictured above. What a fun idea! Each little tin, measuring 5 inches in diameter, contains the materials needed to grow either Cinderella's Pumpkin, Jack's Beanstalk, or the Princess's Pea.

Even better, the tins are made from recycled materials and the seeds are certified organic! Each tin contains a stake, a pencil, a growth chart, suggested fun activities, recipes, and of course the seeds.

What: Fairytale Garden Sets
Where: Uncommon Goods website
How much (as of today's post): $12.00 (plus shipping)

Chocolate & Wine Pairing Collection

This elegant little box makes a romantic and tasty gift. There's no actual wine in there, but rather four chocolate bars: milk, 55% cacao dark chocolate, 60% cacao dark chocolate, and 75% cacao dark chocolate. Plus, there's a wine-tasting chart recommending the wines to go with each type of chocolate so you can have your own little tasting party. If there's someone in your life who is both a wine and chocolate lover, you can't go wrong with this gift!

From the Crate & Barrel website, as of this writing the collection is $9.95, down from the original $19.95. I rather suspect it will jump back up in price by the time next Christmas season rolls around, so if you have something to celebrate earlier than that -- such an anniversary, or Valentine's Day -- now might be the time to order. I also note that the website doesn't list the dimensions of the box, so I'm not sure if it would fit in a stocking. I think it probably would fit near the top where it's wider, but in any case, for wine and chocolate, I'll take my chances!

What: Chocolate & Wine Pairing Collection
Where: Crate & Barrel website
How much (as of today's post): $9.95 (plus shipping)

Crime Scene Bandages

There are all sorts of novelty band-aids out there, and I thought these "crime scene -- do not cross" ones were among the more clever ones. I can especially see these for the 'tween set, the ones who are old enough to get the joke but not old enough that they're already too "cool" to use band-aids at all. If you have a 'tween/teen skateboarder in your family who is constantly skinning knees and elbows because he or she forgets to wear the pads, this might make a great stocking stuffer.

What: Crime Scene Bandages
Where: EverAfterStore website
How much (as of today's post): $4.46 on sale (regularly $4.95)

Victorinox Edelweiss Swiss Army Knife

This handy little tool is both useful and attractive. The six standard "Swiss army knife" tools include a knife blade, scissors, a nail file with screwdriver, tweezers, and a toothpick. It only weighs an ounce and can be attached to a keyring. It's shown here in pink and blue, but it also comes in red, lime green, and violet. It's perfect for the woman who's handy and resourceful, but still prefers things that look pretty.

Just remind the recipient not to accidentally carry it through airport security!

What: Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Edelweiss Pocket Knife (Pink)
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): varies from $11 to $13

Jelli-Bot Mk2 Blue

Here is a unique, handmade little guy from Etsy seller "jellibat". I'm a science fiction nut, so I'm naturally drawn to robots, and this fellow drew me into jellibat's shop, which features "unique, hand crafted art toys and accessories." At just under 8 inches tall, this squishy vinyl and fleece robot would fit nicely in a stocking. The seller notes that Jelli-Bot is intended more as an art toy/display rather than a plaything for small children, so this might be best for the 'tween or teen (or adult) in your life that goes crazy for science fiction.

Don't forget to look around jellibat's shop for other creative concoctions: a "jellied" version of Marie Antoinette; a pink robot counterpart to our blue friend above; and a Jellisteins Monster 11 (i.e. the cutest Frankenstein you ever saw!).

What: Jelli-Bot
Where: jellibat (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $28.00 (plus shipping)

Keeping Track of It All with Delicious

Because I have the perhaps overly ambitious goal of a post-a-day about stocking stuffers, I'm always searching the net for ideas. Sometimes I'll come across a perfect small Easter or Halloween gift, but it's only January! How can I keep track of it until we're closer to that occasion?

Enter Delicious. This is a website that allows you to bookmark any page on the internet, and, more importantly, access your bookmarks from any computer. Sure, if you're on your home computer using Internet Explorer, you can use those bookmarks. But what if later you're using another computer somewhere else? You have no way to access your Internet Explorer bookmarks that are on a different computer.

Delicious, on the other hand, uses your free login (consisting simply of username and password) to bring your bookmarks up on any computer. I use it for everything: marking articles I don't have time to read but want to come back to, bookmarking links to the various libraries that I use, and so on. And I particularly use it to bookmark possible stocking stuffer or gift ideas I want to come back to in the future. There are lots of other features, too, although I haven't used many of them. You can see what "tags" (descriptive labels) other people have given the same web pages that you've marked. You can see what sites are currently "hot" at any given time.

The only thing I don't like about Delicious is that it can only handle one-word tags. That means if I bookmark a site with "stocking stuffers", it's actually registering two tags: one for "stocking" and one for "stuffers". This is in contrast to another site I use a lot called Library Thing, which is for cataloging your books. You can have as many words in a single Library Thing tag as you want. On Delicious, I instead have to resort to using the underscore key, like this: stocking_stuffers. When I start getting into fancier labels for my various categories, my tags start to get a little unwieldy: stocking_stuffers_luxury, stocking_stuffers_kids, etc.

But hey, it's free and it's useful. And for the purposes of this blog, Delicious has become kind of indispensable. And just as a bit of trivia, originally the site was at http://www.del.icio.us, but now it's simply at http://www.delicious.com. The original URL was kind of clever, because by ending with the letters "us" it indicated it originated in the United States. But people didn't know what to call it -- "delicious" as in the word for good-tasting food, or "del-icky-o-us". So the site creators changed it to delicious.com to make it easier for people to type in the web address.

Japanese Pond Bells

The Red Envelope, like Uncommon Goods, is a website that features high-quality gift items. I prefer Uncommon Goods because the merchandise there is a bit more artsy and contemporary, and generally more affordable, whereas the Red Envelope seems to be aimed at the true "luxury" crowd -- the kind of people who don't mind paying $79.95 for an embossed leather notebook.

But occasionally I will find something on the Red Envelope site that is within my hypothetical price range, like this set of three Japanese "pond bells". The product page says that these tiny bells (approximately 1.75 by 1.5 inches high) have been a tradition in northern Japan for centuries, and are found hanging in gardens and parks. I had never heard of them before, but I do agree they would make a lovely gift for the gardener in particular -- something a little different than run-of-the-mill wind chimes.

This set of three, featuring a brown turtle, blue fish, and green frog, costs $29.95 plus shipping. At Christmastime, they could be divvied up between different recipients' stockings, or the set can make a nice gift for a Springtime occasion. Currently, Red Envelope also has a set of four "Japanese Bird Bells" available for $39.95. They're nice too, but I prefer the set of three shown here.

What: Japanese Pond Bells
Where: The Red Envelope website
How much (as of today's post): $29.95 for 3 bells (plus shipping)

Charlie & Lola Go Fish Game

I can't remember if I've mentioned it here before, but even though I have no children, I adore children's books, and actually own quite a few. Charlie and Lola came to my attention about two years ago; it's a series of books about a boy named Charlie and his younger sister Lola, who as Charlie says is "small and very funny." Lola is full of imagination and gets into all sorts of misadventures, and Charlie is very patient with her. My favorite book in the series so far is But Excuse Me That Is My Book. Charlie and Lola go to the library, and Lola is distraught to find that someone else has checked out her favorite book! I also love the small-child way that Lola phrases things, like "snow is my favorite and my best" and "I will never not ever eat a tomato" (both of which are titles of other books in the series).

The stories are fun, and the illustrations are equally memorable. Lauren Child, the series creator, uses collage illustration and does lots of fun things with the text, like sending it in spirals across the page. The series has also spawned an animated television show, although that may primarily be shown in the UK. There are also some spin-off products, which brings me to this Charlie & Lola Go Fish game. With the box only a little over 5 inches on its longest side, this should easily fit into a stocking, and it also would work well as a paired gift, with a Charlie & Lola book or two as regular, non-stocking gifts. (Hint: remember bookcloseouts.com, which I talked about not too long ago? Go there and search for "Lauren Child" under author -- you'll find some Charlie & Lola books at bargain prices. If you have a preference, though, make sure to pay attention to which are hardcover and which are softcover.)

If Charlie & Lola turns out to be a hit with your kids, there's other merchandise available as well -- a store-wide search on Amazon for "charlie lola" should do the trick.

What: Charlie and Lola - Toys - Go Fish Game
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $4.48 (plus shipping)

Wasabi Gumballs

Here's a food gift (well, gum... close enough?) that's definitely not for the faint of heart: wasabi gumballs. I suspect wasabi is another of those "love it or hate it" flavors. I'm not crazy about it myself (I order my sushi without wasabi), but for the wasabi-lover, you have to admit that this would be one unique stocking stuffer! Available from the Archie McPhee website, which has lots of silly gag gifts, this gum costs $6.95 for two tins of 22 gumballs each.

What: Wasabi Gumballs
Where: Archie McPhee website
How much (as of today's post): $6.95 (plus shipping)

Drip Clips Paperclip Holder

Call me an office nerd, but I think this paper clip holder is really adorable. Shaped like a sink, it comes with 25 blue "water drops" paper clips, but of course it can hold regular paper clips too, with a little magnet in the faucet from which the clips can dangle. I first saw this in a Borders bookstore, but it's also available from the Perpetual Kid website.

What: Drip Clips Paperclip Holder
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $7.99 (plus shipping)

Jane Austen Action Figure

Jane Austen has been back in full-fledged style the past few years, aided in part by the sumptuous movie productions of her works: Gywneth Paltrow's version of Emma, Keira Knightley's Pride and Prejudice, etc. If someone in your life loves all things Austen, this Jane Austen action figure would be a big hit. This is made by Accoutrements, who also brought us the Nancy Pearl Librarian action figure, Rosie the Riveter, William Shakespeare, and even Albert Einstein. (In fact, here's a link to their line of action figures. Some of them may be more politically correct that others....)

What: Jane Austen Action Figure
Where: Archie McPhee website or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $8.95 (plus shipping)

Tweet Needle Felted Love Bird

I'm planning to specifically run Valentine-themed posts from February 1 to February 14, but in the meantime I came across these adorable needle-felted love birds by Etsy seller Feltmeup Designs, and as the seller is in the UK, it made sense to post about them now to allow time for the little birds to fly across the pond to the US, and arrive in time for Valentine's Day. What a perfect gift for your own love bird! I first caught sight of this little pink Tweet with pink hearts, but there are other color combinations that would suit just as well. And don't forget, handmade gifts really come from the heart, so it's doubly appropriate for "heart day".

(And if you really like to plan ahead... isn't this little blue chick just perfect for an Easter basket?)

What: Tweet Needle Felted Love Bird
Where: Feltmeup Designs (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $20.00 (plus shipping)

Stocking Stuffers from The Animal Rescue Site

It always makes me feel good when I know that a purchase I've made, or a gift I've given, has also benefited somebody else. In a previous post, I wrote about Ten Thousand Villages, which operates on a nonprofit basis to bring handcrafted items to the United States and Canada, and -- most importantly -- does everything it can to get the maximum proceeds back to the artists and artisans in less affluent countries.

Today, I want to write about The Animal Rescue Site. This is one of those "click once a day" sites where sponsors pay for food and care for animals for each click made (and yes, it checks out on Snopes). As you'll see from the tabs across the top of the page, there are also opportunities to click and help fight against Hunger and Breast Cancer, and to help fight for Child Health, Literacy, and Rainforest preservation.

How does this fit in with stocking stuffers and gift ideas? There's also a shop associated with each of these causes, with some really terrific merchandise. For instance, this is one of the cutest mouse pads I've ever seen, and if your cats are anything like mine, it's completely true to life! (I have been at my computer with as many as five cats simultaneously on my lap, wedged behind me on my chair, or on top of my computer desk.) I chose this item in particular because most mouse pads are flexible enough to be rolled up and tied with a ribbon -- instant stocking stuffer! There are many other animal-related products, plus the other causes each have their own shops with appropriate products as well. It's worth checking out, and if you spend a lot of time online, don't forget to go there and click to help out these causes.

Dog and Cat Necklaces by Mark Poulin

I fell in love with these necklaces the minute I saw them. They're just so simple and satisfying, if that makes sense. I found them on the Uncommon Goods website, and I urge you to visit there semi-regularly and click on the "this just in" tab, because they really do carry unusual merchandise that you just don't see elsewhere. Some of it is a little pricier than I'd hope for in an ideal world, but it also appears to be quality merchandise.

In any case, these necklaces make the perfect gift for a wife, daughter, girlfriend, sister, or friend for whom cats and dogs are not just pets, but family members.

(Note: As of this writing, the website only allows you to choose the dog necklace, implying that the cat is out of stock, but I imagine it should be available again in the not-too-distant future.

What: Dog and Cat Necklaces by Mark Poulin
Where: Uncommon Goods website
How much (as of today's post): $28.00 (plus shipping)

Rolo Shot Glasses

I'm not a big fan of the souvenir shot glass -- you know, the tall, skinny ones with "My friend went to Nowhere, Kansas, and all I got was this lousy shot glass" badly printed on it. But I do like pretty and distinctive glassware of all sizes, and I think these shot glasses are among the most elegant I've seen. The Crate & Barrel website says that they actually rock and roll without tipping, and are 2.75 inches high.

They're also suitable for liqueurs -- not just for knock-'em-back whiskey! And best of all, they're only $1.95 apiece, which means you can get a pair and still stay under $5.00 before shipping.

What: Rolo Shot Glasses
Where: Crate & Barrel website
How much (as of today's post): $1.95 each (plus shipping)

Panda Licorice

Most people either love the taste of black licorice or hate it. (In fact, perhaps that should be on the "pre-marriage getting-to-know-you questionnaire and checklist".) In any case, you don't have to wait for the black jelly beans of Easter -- instead, you can put a box of Panda Licorice soft chews in someone's stocking. You can buy it either online or at Whole Foods or other natural food stores. Panda's website explains that the company uses all natural ingredients, with no added colors, no added salt, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives. It's also 99% fat free (which doesn't equal calorie-free, remember!), is kosher certified, and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

In other words, it just about covers everyone -- as long as they like the taste of black licorice!

What: Panda Licorice
Where: drugstore.com, Whole Foods Market, or other natural food stores
How much (as of today's post): $2.99 for a 7 oz. box

Magnetic Needle Minders

These magnetic "needle minders" look just like old-fashioned cameo brooches, but are meant for keeping needles handy -- definitely a better alternative than sticking your needle in the arm of your chair (which is what I usually do), or through your shirt. You can either set it down, or actually wear it by using the magnet in the back. There are currently seven designs; the three shown here are "Butterfly on Blue", "Pink Lady", and "Cranes on Navy". (The Pink Lady has the added bonus that a portion of each sale is donated to breast cancer awareness and education.)

Given how pretty these needle minders are, I think they would also be great as a small Mother's Day gift, if the mother in question is a crafter. But really, these would work at any time of year.

(Note: I first saw this product in a post at the All About Applique blog.)

What: Magnetic Needle Minders
Where: Quilt Puppy website
How much (as of today's post): $9.00 (plus shipping)

NPR Map

Here's one for your favorite NPR enthusiast, especially if he or she travels: a map that helps you find the AM and FM radio stations across the country that carry National Public Radio programming. I've driven across the country a number of times, and this certainly would have come in handy. The website where I found this says it fits easily inside a glove compartment, which means it should fit easily inside a stocking as well.

What: NPR Map
Where: Delight.com website
How much (as of today's post): $7.50 (plus shipping)

Pocket Mirrors by Lindy at SerpentMandalas

As with the tile pendants I wrote about way back in November, pocket mirrors are an item easily found on Etsy, and these mirrors by Lindy of the SerpentMandalas shop are by far the most beautiful I've come across so far. Each pocket mirror is 2.25 inches in diameter, and features Lindy's own artwork, which I find stunning. Under her "pocket mirrors" category, you'll find the lovely design "The Keepers" (above left; perfect for close friends or sisters), a new interpretation of "The Princess and the Pea" (above center), and the one that drew me in in the first place, "Night Ride" (above right).

But that's not all. Under her "mandala pocket mirrors" category, you'll find beautifully illustrated mandalas, including one for each astrological sign! (The lovely Scorpio is pictured here.) And best of all, even though Lindy is located in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, shipping is only $2 for one mirror and 60¢ for additional mirrors in the same shipment, all automatically calculated by Etsy's checkout system. Conveniently for us, her prices are listed in $US, and with Paypal payment you don't even have to worry about exchange rates.

She also sells magnets, and notecards, and.... OK, I better get out of her shop now!

What: Pocket Mirrors by Lindy
Where: SerpentMandalas (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $6.00 (plus shipping)

Board books from bookcloseouts.com

In my opinion, board books make wonderful stocking stuffers for infants and toddlers, because the earlier you foster a love of reading in your child, the easier and more pleasurable they will find school in the long run. Many board books are also the right size for stockings, they're a lot less expensive than larger picture books, and they're sturdy and can stand up to a bit of chewing. Some of them come in non-standard shapes, like a triangle or the silhouette of a cat, or touch-and-feel textures. The possibilities are endless!

Most new board books from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Borders cost between $4.99 and $7.99. But wait.... there's a better way!

Are you familiar with www.bookcloseouts.com? If not, you're in for a real treat. This is an online seller of bargain or "remaindered" books that have been sent from bookstores back to the publishers, who then turn around and sell them to places just like bookcloseouts.com. The only flaw you're likely to see on any of these books is a small black marker stripe on the top or bottom edge of the pages, or through the price on the back of the book. But it's worth it, because board books are as low as $1 to $3. Here are a few quick steps to find them:

• Go to www.bookcloseouts.com
  
• Along the left-hand column, click where it says "Children - Fiction"
  
• Along the left-hand column, under the heading "By Format", click on "Board Books"
  
• Along the left-hand column, under the heading "By Price", click on "$1.00 to $3.00"

As of this writing, there were 177 different board books listed for between $1.00 and $3.00. The best part is, many of them are holiday-related: Christmas, Easter, Halloween, even Thanksgiving! And these are not junky little books that nobody has ever heard of -- just look at Baby Snoopy Santa for $2.99, or Biscuit is Thankful for $2.49, or the shaped die-cut Bunny's Egg Hunt (pictured below) for $2.49. Personally, if I had little ones, my strategy would be to stock up in January on board books for all of the holidays coming up for the year, starting with Valentine's Day. There are also lots of non-holiday books on counting, letters, opposites, colors, and shapes. There are even lots of "tie-in" board books to animated movies like Toy Story and Happy Feet.

If you don't feel like scrolling through all 177 books listed, you can refine your search by entering a word ("valentine", "colors", etc.) in the "Search within results" box. If you do so, however, you'll need to re-click on "board books" under format when you get your results list, as it seems to revert to all formats for some reason.

Regarding shipping, bookcloseouts.com charges $1 handling for the overall order, plus a small per-item fee. I put together a sample order of five board books totaling $13.95, and the system calculated a shipping of $3.25 for standard shipping plus the $1.00 handling fee, for a total of $18.20. That comes out to an average price of $3.64 per board book -- far better than the $4.99-$7.99 you'll see in regular bookstores, to which you'll have to add tax for physical stores or shipping for online retailers. I say it's a pretty good deal.

What: Board books from bookcloseouts.com
Where: www.bookcloseouts.com
How much (as of today's post): average of $3.64 per book including shipping

La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger

One of my interests is the environment, and so I think that this item, while definitely falling in the "luxury Friday" category due to the price, can easily be justified, especially if you are in a household that uses a lot of batteries.

If you don't believe it's worth the effort, or if you're not sure how to figure out whether the charger is cost effective in the long run, well, don't worry -- fortunately someone has done that work for us! One of the blogs I read regularly is The Simple Dollar by Trent Hamm. This is a money-saving and financial advice blog that covers everything from getting the most out of your leftovers to retirement savings information. Trent had a great post last April in which he wrote about comparing the start-up cost of buying the charger plus 36 rechargeable AA batteries that can be used again and again, versus the cost of not buying the charger and instead buying 36 regular AA batteries each year. I urge you to read his entire post, but in the meantime, the long story short is that if you're using 36 AA batteries per year (which is entirely possible if your kids have a lot of battery-operated toys or you have a lot of gadgets), you have the potential of saving over $75 per year -- after you've recouped the costs, which takes a little under two years -- with the charger. That's $75 in savings year after year.

To me, though, the real reason to do this is the environment. If you use 36 regular AA batteries in a year, multiply that by 10 or 20 years. That's 360 or 720 of these little monsters in our landfills, each with the potential to leach toxic substances into our groundwater. Plus, you save the energy it takes to keep manufacturing new regular batteries. So, even though I know I don't use 36 AA batteries per year, I'm planning to get one of these chargers.

This particular charger, by the way, charges both AA and AAA batteries, up to four at a time. Read the first customer review on Amazon, by "NLee the Engineer" -- it's incredibly informative.

And whoops! Now that I'm off my soapbox, I'll get back to the "stocking" part of this post! Amazon indicates that the charger measures 5.1 x 3 x 1.5 inches, but of course that may not account for packaging. So if the charger doesn't fit down inside the recipient's stocking, why not put the 4-pack of rechargeable batteries in there and wrap up the charger separately, making a great paired gift? (And of course, this would also make a terrific Father's Day gift.)

What: La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger
.... and don't forget SANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $49.95 for charger and $11.23 for 4 AA batteries (plus shipping)

Jimi™ Wallet

Here's a nifty little thing. This is the Jimi™ Wallet, a slim wallet made for holding just a credit card or two and a few bills, with a convenient eyelet so it can be worn with a lanyard or clipped onto something. The company's FAQ page says it's so light that it can be carried in a front pocket and is barely noticeable. To quote their website, "The outer case is made from 100% recycled/recyclable Polypropylene, and the inner components from 100% recycled/recyclable Polycarbonate, which is a first cousin to bulletproof glass!"

I think this is perfect for joggers, or for working out at the gym. It's also great for college students to carry their student ID, which at many colleges functions as a campus "debit" card. It comes in at least nine colors: clear, magenta, stealth (!), ruby, pink, aqua, safety (orange), sea glass, and smoke. Each family member could have a different color, so no mixing them up.

The wallets are not submersible (too bad, because they'd be perfect for the beach if they were), but they are water resistant. (And their customer service folks got back to me very promptly when I e-mailed that question.)

(Note: I first saw this in a post at the CharityMile.com website.)

What: Jimi™ Wallet
Where: Jimi website
How much (as of today's post): $14.95 (plus shipping; website also has a search to locate bricks & mortar retailers)

Chocolate Rocks

If you haven't encountered chocolate rocks before, you'll be surprised at just how much like polished rocks they actually look -- you literally have to bite into them to truly believe they're candy instead of rocks! I first came across chocolate rocks here in Houston, at a dessert shop called The Chocolate Bar, where according to their website, "every hour is happy hour"! (They have 20 or 30 types of chocolate ice cream, and obscenely rich cakes....) In any case, I don't know who actually invented chocolate rocks, but a search online shows a number of different suppliers, such as Duluth Pack. They're sort of an M&M taken to a new place!

What: Chocolate Rocks
Where: Duluth Pack website (or specialty candy stores)
How much (as of today's post): $7.00 for 7.2 oz (plus shipping)

Timing Task Clips

Is there a procrastinator in your life? These binder clips, labeled "tomorrow", "now", "this week", and "someday", might help him or her put things into perspective. Available from the Perpetual Kid website, the little container has 12 clips total, 3 of each design.

If your sense of humor is a little more, um, twisted, you can also get the "Poopy Task Clips" version, with 3 each of the following 4 designs: "caca", "crap", "shit", and "merde". Certainly they'd be useful for clipping together the monthly cable bills, because I know that's my precise reaction when I see that my bill has gone up yet again!

Or, if you're crafty, you could also buy some cheap binder clips at the dollar store and paint your own messages or designs on them. You'd need to use paint that works on metal, and you'd probably want to find a way to seal them, though.

What: Timing Task Clips
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $7.99 (plus shipping)

Curious George Wooden Car

Everyone remember Curious George? This six-inch, hand-painted, wooden toy makes a nice accompaniment to a Curious George book or two, and should delight the little ones. I found this at the "Live and Learn" website, which sells "educational and classic toys." They list the appropriate ages as 2 to adult (and I imagine there are some Curious George collectors out there in the adult population).

I still have my stuffed animal Curious George. Just sayin'. :-)

What: Curious George Wooden Car
Where: Live and Learn Educational & Classic Toys and elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $6.95 (plus shipping)

Double-sided Dogtag Necklaces by Jasmine Becket-Griffith

Etsy comes through with yet another take on unique, affordable jewelry that will be especially popular with 'tweens and teens, or women who like things funky and fanciful. These two-sided dogtag necklaces are by artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith, whose work I've long admired on ebay and in the Hot Topic stores. She specializes in big-eyed fairies and other creatures, with a style that's instantly recognizable, and new takes on familiar characters from The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and other tales -- and even figures from history, such as Queen Elizabeth and Marie Antoinette!

Every time I look I seem to find a new favorite. Today, though, I think it would have to be the Kali and Hindu Fairy dogtag you see pictured here. Or maybe the Wizard of Oz set with Dorothy and Toto on one side, and Dorothy with female versions of the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion on the other.

Don't forget to check the rest of her Etsy shop (called Strangeling), where she also sells art cameo pendants and fine art prints.

What: Double-sided Dogtag Necklaces by Jasmine Becket-Griffith
Where: Strangeling (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $11.99 (plus shipping)

Things to Come

Back when I started this blog on November 1, 2008, I suspected I would be having too much fun to stop just because Christmas was over, and I was right. So here is an idea of what you can expect from this blog in the next several months:

• Fourteen Days of Valentines. From February 1 through February 14, I'll feature all the usual posts (including Etsy, luxury, food, and general essays), but with a Valentine's slant. I know Valentine's Day has a bad rap as an retail-inspired and invented holiday, but I have a soft spot for it because it's my birthday too. And for those who live in wintery regions, I feel like Valentine's Day adds a bright spot just when the winter is starting to feel endless.
  
• April Fools! From March 30 to April 1, gag gifts are the rule!
  
• Ten Days of Easter. From April 2 to April 11, we'll concentrate on helping the Easter bunny fill baskets instead of helping Santa fill stockings.
  
• Moms and Dads. From April 26 to May 9, what stocking-sized gifts can we put together for Mother's Day? Same goes for fathers from June 14 to June 20. (And for the eagle-eyed among you, yes, that's fourteen days for moms and only seven days for dads. Why? Because dads are so much harder to buy for that I may be hard-pressed to come up with that many!)
  
• Seven Days of Halloween. I don't really think of Halloween as a gift-giving holiday, but a few little tidbits might be welcome in the trick-or-treat bags.
  
• And everything else! In between those days, I'll simply continue with a stocking-stuffer-a-day: small stocking-sized items for next year's Christmas stocking or any other gift-giving occasion that you fancy.

In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or comments on where you'd like to see this blog go, I'm all ears.

Swatch Watches

I don't know if Swatches are still quite as trendy as they were when I was a teenager, but I have to say, their fun designs do still appeal to me, and I think they would appeal to pre-teens, tweens, and teens as well. The Swatch website boasts many different designs suitable for boys or girls (the middle watch pictured is specifically for skate boarders, for instance).

Unfortunately, the website inconveniently does not list prices, which is always a bit of a bad sign, and it looks like you have to set up an account just to get to the order pages. I think it's safe to assume that the price is high enough that Swatches belong in a "luxury Friday" post! In any case, you can check the website to see if there's a store near you (we have one in the Houston international airport, for instance). Or, you might want to see if your local JCPenney's has a less expensive but still teen/tween appealing alternative to Swatches.

What: Swatch Watches
Where: Swatch website or a Swatch store
How much (as of today's post): ????

Charmin-To-Go

Happy New Year! I hereby start the new year with the most practical stocking stuffer imaginable: Charmin-To-Go. OK, I admit this one's not too glamerous! But men, trust me.... the lady in your life will find this useful. You know how when you go out to a club or a bar and it takes her half an hour to use the restroom? That's because 1) there's a line, and 2) there's no toilet paper after about 7 p.m. in the evening. This little roll tucks into a small purse easily, so it's just right for a night out on the town. And maybe these rolls would also prove handy for short camping trips or outdoor rock concerts where they have those vile port-a-potties!

So, here's wishing you a wonderful new year.... and one in which you never run out of toilet paper!

What: Charmin to Go personal toilet paper roll
Where: Grocery stores, superstores such as Target, etc.
How much (as of today's post): varies from $1.50-$2.50