Hummingbird Plant a Tree Pin

Down here in Houston we occasionally spot a hummingbird since we're on the edge of a migratory route. They're such fascinating little creatures! This pewter hummingbird pin from the National Wildlife Federation measures 2 inches wide by 1.5 inches high, and has the added benefit of being one of their "plant a tree" products -- you purchase the pin, and a portion of the proceeds will plant one tree.

If the hummingbird isn't for you, they have lots of other plant a tree jewelry. Perfect for springtime or Mother's Day!

What: Hummingbird Plant a Tree Pin
Where: National Wildlife Federation website
How much (as of today's post): $16.99 (plus shipping)

Solar System Ruler

Whew! As I type this, it's 11:49 p.m. by my clock -- the latest I've ever been on any day posting a stocking stuffer. I have a good excuse, though -- I just got back from the airport, from a trip to the Olympics in Vancouver! My husband's parents live there and we were lucky enough to get tickets for a men's semi-final hockey game, and the women's hockey gold medal game.

But I only have a few minutes to post before midnight, so I'll get to it. Today's stocking stuffer is inspired by one of my nephews, who is not quite five years old but who is very interested in the planets and the solar system. So here is a solar system ruler from The Nature Store website. It's made of acrylic, has both inches and centimeters on the front, and has metric conversion tables on the back.

My favorite planet is Jupiter. How about yours?

What: Solar System Ruler
Where: TheNatureStore.com
How much (as of today's post): $1.50 (plus shipping)

Nutcracker Collectible Box

This time of year is wonderful for looking at the websites of catalogs that tend to carry a lot of Christmas merchandise, such as Potpourri, because they're trying to empty their warehouses to make room for next year's new items. Case in point: this nutcracker collectible box, made of handcrafted "cast metal and intricately detailed in bright enamels, gleaming crystals and goldplated accents." Regularly $24.95 (so it would normally be a "luxury" stocking stuffer), it's now 48% off, for $12.99 plus shipping. It would be lovely for a little girl (especially paired with a book telling the story of the Nutcracker), or for a female of any age, really.

What: Nutcracker Collectible Box
Where: Potpourri website
How much (as of today's post): $12.99 (plus shipping) (regularly $24.95)

Dog Bone Paper Clips

I admit, I've featured a lot of different paper clips as stocking stuffers, including bunny paper clips, dragonfly paper clips, and animal-topped paper clips for kids. But since I had a cat lovers stocking stuffer a few days ago, am I not morally obligated to give equal attention to all the dog lovers out there? And these dog bone paper clips are too cute to pass up! They come from the Animal Rescue Site online store; 50 clips in a box currently cost $6.95 (on sale from the regular $9.95 price). I have several dog lovers in my extended family, so these are definitely on my list for next Christmas. (I'm actually a dog lover myself, but somehow a conspiracy of cats found me and took over my life, and they have forbidden me from having a dog in the house!)

What: Dog Bone Paper Clips
Where: Animal Rescue Site store
How much (as of today's post): $6.95 (plus shipping)

Tea Forte Cocktail Infusions

Are you familiar with Tea Forte, those elegant little pyramid-shaped boxes of tea? My husband once ordered tea in a hotel lobby bar, and they brought over the selection of flavors in these little pyramid boxes on a tray. People kept stopping by the table to ask if it was some kind of new fancy chess or board game we were playing! Anyway, I've always thought these looked elegant but I'm not much of a tea drinker myself -- but now they have "cocktail infusions", or tea mixes to make unusual cocktails with! They come in:

• Lavender Citrus (used to make a Lavender Pear Martini, a Cosmo de Provence, or a Lavender Lime Rickey
  
  
• Lemongrass Mint (used to make a Wild Mint Mojito, a Lemongrass Gin & Tonic, or a Bali Breeze)
  
  
• Silkroad Chai (used to make a Chai White Russian, a Bombai Chai Rum & Tonic, or a Peach Chai Crush)
  
  
• A collection of all three of the above blends

One box is $12, or you can get three boxes for $30 by using the coupon code INFUSE at checkout. The only problem is, I can't easily tell how many pyramids are in a box.

Wouldn't these be a great conversation starter at a fancy party, or an elegant addition to a brunch? The Tea Forte website even has a downloadable PDF recipe booklet.

What: Tea Forte Cocktail Infusions
Where: Tea Forte website (or ask at an upscale liquor store)
How much (as of today's post): $12.00 per box (plus shipping)

Kong Natural Straw Catnip Ball

Our kitties are so spoiled by their "grandparents, aunts, and uncles" on both sides of the family that probably could go twenty years without buying them another toy, but I am tempted to get these natural straw catnip balls as a small gift or stocking stuffer for some of my other cat-loving friends. I've noticed our cats like the toys best that they can catch on their claws and toss into the air, and that would certainly work with these! They are regularly $5.95 for two but are currently on sale at the Animal Rescue Site store for $4.95.

And don't forget, part of the purchase proceeds go towards providing food for animals living in sanctuaries and shelters!

What: Kong Natural Straw Catnip Ball
Where: Animal Rescue Site store
How much (as of today's post): $4.95 for set of 2 (plus shipping)

Bunny Tiny Taper Holders

It's way too early to post about an Easter stocking stuffer (i.e. an Easter basket stuffer), but I just came across these and they're so cute I couldn't resist. This set of four taper candle holders comes with one each of blue, yellow, pink and green bunnies, which hold 1/2 inch diameter taper candles (not included). You could split up the set and give two and two if you like, reducing the per-person cost. Wouldn't they look lovely on a springtime table, or even hopping among your windowsill plants when not in use as candle holders?

What: Bunny Tiny Taper Holders
Where: Williams Sonoma website or stores
How much (as of today's post): $19.00 for set of 4 (plus shipping)

Mini Kokeshi Doll Earrings

These miniature kokeshi doll earrings are so sweet they make my teeth ache! I found them on a fun website called ShanaLogic, which features a lot of Asian-inspired and punk/goth-inspired merchandise. The earrings are made of acrylic with silver-plated metal posts, and measure .14 mm tall. They're handmade and coated for durability, and come in a clear container. I wish I'd seen these before Valentine's Day since they would make a cute Valentine's gift! But of course red is also a Christmas color, so they're a perfect stocking stuffer for a girl!

What: Mini Kokeshi Doll Earrings
Where: ShanaLogic.com
How much (as of today's post): $9.00 (plus shipping)

Miniature Watering Can Clock

This graceful little watering can clock is the perfect stocking stuffer for a gardener -- and it's so Spring-like that it would also be lovely for a Mother's Day gift or an Easter basket. It's currently on sale for $12.95 from the Potpourri website. It measures 2.5 by 3 inches, and the battery is included. And by now, I'm sure most of you are ready for a taste of Spring!

What: Miniature Watering Can Clock
Where: Potpourri website
How much (as of today's post): $12.95 sale price (regularly 19.95) (plus shipping)

Personalized Hibiscus Ink Stamp

I realize it's certainly possible to find less expensive personalized stamps, but since this is a Friday (= luxury stocking stuffer day!) and I think this personalized hibiscus stamp from FineStationery.com is especially elegant, I'm going with it! The stamper stands 4 1/2 inches tall, and contains a black semi-permanent ink cartridge that is good for approximately 800 impressions (refills are available including several other colors). The stamp itself has the hibiscus in the center, surrounded by personalization of up to 60 characters (including spaces) around the outside.

As you can see in the example, there are lots of potential uses for this! One is as a family stamp with everyone's name, while another is a more traditional return address stamp with the actual address. Yet another use would be a stamp to personalize greeting cards you've made yourself, with text such as "For You, lovingly handmade by Jane Doe", for example.

If you don't care for the hibiscus (I admit I'm biased -- I have a tattoo of a hibiscus), there are plenty of other designs, including holiday themes such as a Christmas tree or a Christmas train. Have fun browsing the site!

What: Personalized Hibiscus Ink Stamp
Where: FineStationery.com
How much (as of today's post): $40.00 (plus shipping)

Finger Printing Art Set

This adorable finger printing art set will have your kids creating animals, caterpillars, flowers, and who knows what else out of their own fingerprints. So it's kind of like finger-painting, but hopefully a little less messy! This set comes in a metal box that measures 6 3/4 inch long by 3 3/8 inch wide by 1 inch deep. It contains 4 colored ink pads (about 1 inch square apiece), 12 mini rubber stamps for body parts, faces, and accessories for your creations, and 12 colored pencils.

If you're looking for ways to cut costs, what's nice is that you could also make a do-it-yourself version of this kit! You can find a cute tin at the dollar store, or even use an altered Altoids tin or something else you've recycled. Put only one or two mini ink pads in there, and a few colored pencils, and there you have it! Small children aren't going to care if the version they get is less fancy than the one pictured here.

Or (especially for those snow-bound lately who are going crazy with bored kids with nothing to do), you can dispense with the kit altogether. Get out an ink pad and some paper and start your kids creating finger print art on the spot. I'm reminded of an elementary school carnival I once volunteered at when I was in junior high school. Kids would stamp their thumb onto a piece of paper glued into a cocoa tin lid, and I would use colored pens to turn their thumb print into a reindeer or Santa or some other Christmas symbol. It was great fun!

What: Finger Printing Art Set
Where: Spoon Sisters website or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $11.50 (plus shipping)

Jelly Belly / Cold Stone Creamery "Ice Cream Cone"

How cute is this little "ice cream cone" from Jelly Belly? I ran across this in a little candy store a few weeks ago, then looked it up online for more information. The cone is about 4.5 inches tall and contains 1.5 ounces of Jelly Bellys in a "Cold Stone Ice Cream Parlor Mix", which includes Chocolate Devotion™, Our Strawberry Blonde™, Birthday Cake Remix™, Apple Pie a la Cold Stone®, and Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip®.

I think this is the perfect stocking stuffer for an ice cream lover, since you can't exactly put real ice cream into the stocking! Pair with a Cold Stone Creamery gift certificate, or a homemade certificate for an ice cream cone from anywhere. The pretty pastel colors also make it suitable for an Easter basket.

What: Jelly Belly / Cold Stone Creamery "Ice Cream Cone"
Where: Grocery stores / drug stores / candy stores
How much (as of today's post): $2.99

Telegram Postcards

Have you ever received a telegram? I just turned 42, and I've never had one. And of course, with e-mail and cell phones, now I never will! In any case, these fun postcards look like telegrams and would be a cute thing to send in the mail to a friend, or to write up a little love note for a spouse. Or you could give the entire pack to a college student and remind them to let Mom and Dad know once in a while that they're still alive (even better if you put the postage on for them in advance!).

It's also nice that these come from the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, which means your purchase supports libraries. That's always a good thing!

What: Telegram Postcards
Where: Library Foundation of Los Angeles website
How much (as of today's post): $7.50 / pack of 8 postcards (plus shipping)

Presidents Fandex

Happy Presidents' Day!

Are you familiar with Fandex? They're little field guides to various subjects that you can "fan out" to show the information. I thought the Presidents Fandex was particularly appropriate for today. It features facts and trivia on all of our Presidents, up to and including President Barack Obama. I know I could could learn a thing or two from this, since I rarely remember who was in office during significant historical events. This would definitely be useful for kids who are learning about the Presidents in school, because the format is more fun and memorable than a textbook.

What: Presidents Fandex
Where: Amazon or other bookstores
How much (as of today's post): $7.88 (plus shipping)

Last Minute DIY Gifts/Greetings for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are links to a few last minute, do it yourself Valentine's Day gifts and greetings:

• A pretty Valentine's Day necklace for a little girl (or for you to help a little girl make) from beads and toilet paper rolls, courtesy of the Filth Wizardry blog.
  
  
• A simple but pretty and elegant "bag of hearts" Valentine's Day card, from Kabobbing Cards.
  
  
• Some adorable paper cup gift or treat boxes, from the Zakka Life blog.

I can't believe it's Valentine's Day already! Wasn't Christmas just last week?

Ladies of Star Wars Playing Cards

Still at the science fiction convention, so..... today's stocking stuffer: the Ladies of Star Wars playing cards! This set features all the lovely beauties from all the Star Wars movies. And although this seems odd, I'm not joking when I say that any man at this sci-fi convention would love to get these cards for Valentine's Day!

What: Ladies of Star Wars Playing Cards
Where: ThinkGeek.com (where else?!)
How much (as of today's post): $4.99 (plus shipping)

Star Trek Enterprise Webcam

My husband and I are off to another science fiction convention, so in honor of that, today's luxury stocking stuffer is a Star Trek Enterprise Webcam from ThinkGeek.com. I've never used a webcam before, but I've been hearing more and more good things about Skype, so perhaps it's time to take the plunge. The product info page says it's compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and Mac.

To be completely honest, even though this is smallish, in its box it might be a tight squeeze for a stocking stuffer, so I hope you'll give me some slack. Of course, you could always put the DVD of the new Star Trek movie in the stocking and make this a paired gift by putting the webcam under the tree.

By the way, ThinkGeek.com participates in Mr. Rebates, if you happen to use that program. I did a lot of Christmas shopping at ThinkGeek, so I'm looking forward to a few small rebates. Nothing big... but every little bit helps!

Warp speed ahead!

What: Star Trek Enterprise Webcam
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $22.99 (plus shipping)

Fortune Cookie Message Kit

I don't know what's going on with my memory, but yesterday was the second Wednesday in a row that I forgot to post the usual food stocking stuffer / gift. I think it's because during the busy lead-up to Christmas, I was scheduling many posts in advanced and I was much more organized. Now I'm a bit of a slacker and I'm getting my posts done day by day.

I should make up for it by doing a Valentine's food post today, but I'm not in the mood, so instead here is this Fortune Cookie Message Kit -- pretend food! This is the kind of little kit you'll find in the spinner racks at the front of Barnes & Noble or Borders. I always find that those little mini boxes and kits are of mixed quality and interest to me, but I do like this one: a fortune cookie box that comes with a little book of tear-out fortunes and messages that you can choose from to hide for a loved one. You can also write your own, of course!

Of course, it's not as fancy as the bejeweled fortune cookie box from Things Remembered that I posted way back in November 2008, but since that was $25.00 and this one is only $8.95, it's definitely more affordable!

What: Fortune Cookie Message Kit
Where: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.
How much (as of today's post): $8.95

Old-Fashioned Metal Jacks

Sometimes you just can't beat the classics! I can't remember the last time I saw anyone playing with jacks, but I do remember them fondly and I think younger kids would still find them entertaining. RetroPlanet.com sells the old-fashioned metal jacks, which I think are much more satisfying to play with than plastic ones. This package here comes with 10 metal jacks, a rubber ball, a cloth pouch, and rules for different variations of the game. They recommend it for ages six and up.

You know how supporters of video games talk about the great hand-eye coordination benefits? Well, this is the original hand-eye coordination game!

What: Old-Fashioned Metal Jacks
Where: RetroPlanet.com (or toy stores and drug stores)
How much (as of today's post): $4.99 (plus shipping)

Funny Vintage Style Kitchen Towels

I have to say, I'm certainly not the best housekeeper in the world, so these kitchen towels would suit me to a T. The website RetroPlanet.com has a large collection of vintage style kitchen towels with perky looking 50s-style housewives saying outrageous things, such as "If you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen" and "I understand the concept of cooking and cleaning -- just not as it applies to me" and "Every day I give my family two choices for dinner -- take it or leave it." There are a couple dozen styles to choose from, and most cost $7.99 before shipping (although I did see one or two for as low as $4.99). Opened, the towels measure 17 by 31 inches.

Anyway, it's something a little different for the Christmas stocking, or a birthday, or even Mother's Day, although you might not want to make it the only gift for Mother's Day!

What: Funny Vintage Kitchen Towels
Where: RetroPlanet.com
How much (as of today's post): $7.99 (plus shipping)

Finders Key Purse

I saw these clever little keychains the other day in a Hallmark store. They're called Finders Key Purse, which is a play on words of "finders keepers". The little keychain has a hook that you use to hang the keychain over the edge of your purse, keeping your keys from dropping to the bottom, which always happens to me! What I really like about these, though, is that there are so many designs to choose from, and they all look classy -- they don't have that chintzy, cheap look that a lot of costume jewelry and gadgets have.

Although the manufacturer has its own website, it doesn't appear they sell directly to consumers. But you can still click here to see the wide variety of designs, including several appropriate to young girls, on up to others that sophisticated older women will like. The one that originally caught my eye was this sea turtle.

What: Finders Key Purse
Where: Hallmark and other card stores or gift shops
How much (as of today's post): approximately $9.99

Bubble Baker Very Cherry Soap Tart

Here's a sweet yet non-fattening Valentine's Day treat: a Bubble Baker Very Cherry Soap Tart from the Pretty Like Me website. This heart-shaped "tart" is 4 oz of soap that smells like a fresh-baked cherry tart but contains moisturizing ingredients including glycerin, coconut oil, palm oil, castor oil, and safflower oil.

(If you do visit the Pretty Like Me website, they also have a gift section with a category of gifts under $10. Lots of cute stuff there!)

What: Bubble Baker Very Cherry Soap Tart
Where: Pretty Like Me website
How much (as of today's post): $4.99 (plus shipping)

Heart Chopsticks

I do not know why, but it is next to impossible to find Paperchase Products -- and images of them -- online. They have so many stocking-stuffer suitable gifts at Borders and at stationery stores, but for the life of me I can never locate them online. So, the heart chopsticks pictured above, although also lovely, are not the ones I originally wanted to post about. The ones I saw in Borders yesterday were by Paperchase, and they were pink and red plastic chopsticks that tapered down from a heart shape at the top to traditional chopsticks at the bottom. They were less than $5 for a nice boxed set.

Since going out to dinner on Valentine's Day does not always yield the hoped-for experience, I think having some heart chopsticks on hand and surprising your sweetie with Chinese take-out is a wonderful idea, especially if you put the food on your best dishes and make sure there is candlelight!

(The heart chopsticks above are also very nice; they're actually listed on the Las Vegas Wedding Favors website at $1.60, but that's at a minimum quantity of 50 pairs! So probably not the way to go, but you can still shop around online, or go to Borders in person, if you think that heart chopsticks are a good idea.)

What: Heart Chopsticks
Where: Borders stores or various places online
How much (as of today's post): varies

Baby Bird Utensil Set

While these adorable baby utensils are not cheap, they are also of high enough quality, beauty, and durability to be passed along as family heirlooms for the next generation and the one beyond that. They are hand cast in lead free pewter, and measure 4.75 inches long. They're the perfect stocking stuffer for a baby who is too young to really understand gifts and Christmas yet anyway, but who will come to cherish the items as they grow up. Alternatively they make a lovely small (in size) gift for a baby shower. (I still have the engraved copper piggy bank that an aunt gave to me/my mom when I was born.)

In addition to this "baby bird" set, there is also an ABC/123 set, and a hearts set. The baby birds are my favorite, though.

[NOTE: I first came across this item on the Gifting Gumshoe blog.]

What: Bird Baby Utensil Set
Where: Elsewheres Independent Art & Design
How much (as of today's post): $38.00 (plus shipping)

Heart-shaped Goodies Box

Oops! Yesterday was Wednesday, which means I was supposed to do a food stocking stuffer post. That'll teach me to pay attention to what I'm doing! So here is a cute little heart-shaped goodies box from Harry & David that goes a little beyond the usual box of chocolates. It contains bing cherry chocolates, which is something of a signature item for Harry & David, plus mint chocolates, a white chocolate raspberry dessert square, and two raspberry shortbread cookie with heart cutouts. It certainly looks elegant enough for a special occasion, don't you think?

What: Heart-shaped Goodies Box
Where: Harry & David website or stores
How much (as of today's post): $12.95 (plus shipping)

Handmade Seed Paper Heart Ornament

I love this handmade paper heart ornament that is embedded with Forget-Me-Not seeds! When you're done displaying it, or even restringing it to wear as a necklace on Valentine's Day, you simply soak the ornament in water and then plant it, either indoors or out. The paper is 100% biodegradable and will recycle into the planting soil, and the seeds will germinate in about two weeks. What's not to love?

The ornament itself is 2 7/8 inches high and about 2 2/3 inches at its widest. With the string, it measures about 6 3/8 inches high.

What: Handmade Seed Paper Heart Ornament
Where: Spoon Sisters website
How much (as of today's post): $4.00 (plus shipping)

Round-up of 3 DIY Valentine's Day Ideas

It seems like everyone out there is getting more and more creative with the do-it-yourself gift ideas. Maybe it's because the economy still isn't too perky, and necessity is the motherhood of invention. In any case, here are links to my three favorite DIY Valetine's Day gifts (which are technically not off-topic because two of these are small enough to be stocking stuffers and can easily be adapted for Christmas!).

• A melted crayon heart card from Craftzine.com
  
  
• A Valentine's Day votive made from dollar store materials and Modge Pod, from the Charlotte's Fancy blog
  
  
• My absolute favorite, an amazing little "52 Things I Love About You" personalized book made from a deck of cards and two binder rings, as shown on the Trans-craft-inental blog. I will definitely be attempting this one in time for Valentine's Day, and will hopefully have a result for which I can post photos!

So, have you found any terrific Valentine's DIY projects this year?

Watercolor Wheel Stack Pack

Yesterday I was at Texas Art Supply and came across this adorable little set of 24 watercolors arranged in a stackable wheel. The four layers stack and snap together, and the opaque lid can double as a palette, making this an incredibly compact little set that is absolutely perfect for a stocking stuffer. And at less than $5, it's appropriate both for kids who are just beginning to experiment with painting, to hobbyist watercolors who need a small set to carry around on nature hikes. Pair this with a couple of brushes, and your favorite artist will be in business!

What: Watercolor Wheel Stack Pack
Where: MisterArt.com Discount Art Supplies or any art supply store
How much (as of today's post): $4.74 (plus shipping)