The Rocky Horror Glee Show CD

Any Glee fans out there? I caught the Glee Rocky Horror show on Tuesday night, and even though I'm not that well versed in Rocky Horror, I loved this episode. In fact, that's one thing I like about Glee; it brings music to me that I might not listen to otherwise, and often breathes new life into it. (And I loved that Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf had cameos!)

And I know technically Rocky Horror isn't about Halloween per se, but it feels Halloween-y, doesn't it? So I think this CD, priced at $6.98, is a great Halloween stocking stuffer (or small gift, since we don't exactly do stockings for Halloween). It has 7 songs on it:

• Science Fiction Double Feature
  
• Damn It, Janet
  
• Whatever Happened to Saturday Night (sung by John Stamos!)
  
• Sweet Transvestite (probably the best song of the episode, sung by Mercedes)
  
• Touch A Touch A Touch A Touche Me
  
• There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)
  
• Time Warp

Great fun! (Oh, and by the way -- am I the only person out there still buying CDs? My husband has an iPod, but I'm still not there yet!)

What: The Rocky Horror Glee Show CD
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $6.98 (plus shipping)

Skull Swizzle Sticks

This set of 21 skull swizzle sticks is certain apropos of the season! They are 7.25 inches tall and feature hand-painted resin skills atop clear sticks. The only drawback is that they must be hand-washed, but on the other hand it certainly wouldn't take long to wash a handful of these in one go.

I have a friend who collects skull-themed things year round, so I always think of her when I see something like this. Hmmm, maybe I'll do a post on an entire skull-themed stocking.....

What: Skull Swizzle Sticks
Where: WineEnthusiast.com
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 for set of 12 (on sale from $19.99) (plus shipping)

Zombie Dice Game

Halloween is upon us, and as usual I am caught out without a costume! I don't know why it is that I manage to get organized early for Christmas, but Halloween catches me off-guard every year.

In any case, here is a fun Halloween-themed stocking stuffer (although I suspect that any day now we're going to start hearing a slogan such as "Zombies... They're not just for Halloween anymore!" And it's true that zombies are everywhere these days, from Jane Austen novel mash-ups to a mock Sears website. Since zombies are currently cool, teens would probably enjoy this game, which comes with all the dice and directions tucked into the dice shaker cup. The product description says the game is easy to learn and games are quick, running about 10-20 minutes each.

And hey, how can you go wrong with dice that have "braaaaaiiiinnnnssss" on them?!

What: Zombie Dice Game
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $12.99 (plus shipping)

Garden "Bon-bons" (not to eat!)

Wow, where did the last week go? I had planned to post every day, but I am teaching a class this semester for the first time, and it swallowed my life? It was only an 8-week course and last week was the last week (!), so I was dealing with grading and anxious students on top of my usual full-time job.

In any case, today I'm back with a stocking stuffer/small gift that looks good enough to eat, but you shouldn't eat it! These Garden "Bon-bons" are actually more like "seed bombs" -- bundles of clay, compost, and seeds that you drop into soil, water, and watch grow. The unique part is the packaging, because the "bon-bons" are made up in a box with little paper candy "cups" just like you'd see in a real box of chocolates. The seed assortment includes 2 basil, 4 parsley, 2 chives, and 2 thyme. These are handmade in the USA.

(Of course, for those of you in winter climates, this might not be the best time of year unless your recipient grows indoor herbs. Or you could just bookmark this for Mother's Day or some other Spring occasion.)

What: Garden "Bon-bons"
Where: Vat19
How much (as of today's post): $15.95 (plus shipping)

Apple and Pear "Slice" Memo Pads

Here's a new twist on the old shaped memo pads: instead of being flat pads shaped like an apple or an orange, each page of these 3-dimensional pads constitutes a "slice" of the fruit itself. The color-coordinated paper clip helps mark your place if needed. There are 150 pages in each pad. In addition to being appropriate for an office gift, these pads would be great for a teacher, a little girl, or an adult with an apple or pear motif in the kitchen.

What: Apple and Pear "Slice" Memo Pads
Where: Container Store website or stores
How much (as of today's post): $3.99 (plus shipping)

Football Desk Sign

So did you watch football today? Or was it on the in the background as someone else in your household watched it? I'm a casual football fan myself, but I know how fanatic a lot of fans can be! If you have a football fan in your life, here's a possible stocking stuffer: a "Warning - I'd Rather Be Playing Football" desk sign that measures 5 by 3 inches. And on the flip side: "Safe to Enter - Gone to Play Football". (Actually, I'm surprised the sign doesn't say "I'd rather be WATCHING football" as opposed to "playing football"!)

And just in case you missed all the Sunday football, there's always Monday night....

What: Football Desk Sign
Where: ChalkTalkSports.com
How much (as of today's post): $5.99 (plus shipping)

Halloween Scrunchies

I truly believe there's a website for everything, because when I did a Google search on scrunchies, Scrunchies.com was the first hit! And because it's October, I immediately looked to see if they had a Halloween category, and of course they did. They have seven Halloween designs listed: Little Miss Spider in orange, green, or purple; Creature Peepers (eyes); Hairy Potter 2 (wizard stars and crescent moons); Batty (neon green bats on a black background; and Trick-or-Treat (pumpkins and candy).

And of course, you could probably go to a Claire's accessory store and find them there too. Maybe even a dollar store!

What: Halloween Scrunchies
Where: Scrunchies.com or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $3.99 (plus shipping) (or maybe less at a Claire's or dollar store?)

Day of the Dead Mini Skulls Gift Box

I would be the first to say that $13 for 3 chocolates, no matter how big and luscious, is a lot, but I admit I am tempted by the clever skull shapes, and intrigued by the three decadent flavors represented. The product description notes that the gift box has one each of these varieties:

• Tequila Caramel Skull (Corzo silver tequila + Fleur de Sel sea salt + 70% cacao dark chocolate)
  
• Red Fire Caramel Skull (Ancho y chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + 70% cacao dark chocolate)
  
• Dulce de Leche Skull (Argentine dulce de leche + 45% cacao deep milk chocolate)

Not your average chocolates, in other words!

What: Day of the Dead Mini Skulls Gift Box
Where: Vosges website or stores such as Whole Foods
How much (as of today's post): $13.00 (plus shipping)

Tiny Elephant Earrings

Aren't these tiny elephant earrings just precious? I love the simplicity of the design. While I personally would prefer silver to gold-tone, that's not enough to keep me from wanting these for myself. They measure only 1/4 inch! I think little girls would love to find these in their stockings.

What: Elephant Earrings
Where: FredFlare.com
How much (as of today's post): $10 (plus shipping)

T-Rex Folding Comb

The Fred Flare website calls this the "bonehead folding cone," but I maintain that it's actually a T-Rex folding comb. And if you have trouble getting your under-ten-years-old boy (or tomboy, for that matter) to remember to comb his hair once in a while, maybe this will do the trick! The comb is plastic, of course, and measures approximately 3.75 by 4.25 inches when closed.

What: T-Rex ("Bonehead") Folding Comb
Where: FredFlare.com
How much (as of today's post): $8.00 (plus shipping)

Knik Foldable Trivet

If your kitchen counter is as cluttered as mine is, you would appreciate this Knik Foldable Trivet as a stocking stuffer as much as I would! It's made from stainless steel, silicone, and heat resistant plastic; when folded for storing it's only 4.5 inches long, but when extended for use it has a diameter of 8.7 inches. Plus I just like that it looks so sleek! You can't see it in this image, but on the ThinkGeek site you can see it folding and unfolding. Oh, and it's dishwasher safe too.

What: Knik Foldable Trivet
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $13.99 (plus shipping)*

*Don't forget, ThinkGeek participates in Mr. Rebates.

Burger Coin Purse

Is it me, or does this burger coin purse look incredibly Japanese? They certainly know how to anthropomorphize anything and make it cute! According to the product description, this coin purse is made of shaped canvas with PVC appliques and embroidery, with a zipper closure and a contrast lining; zipper closure. It measures 4.5 inches wide by 4 inches high. I think it would make an adorable stocking stuffer for a girl or 'tween.

What: Burger Coin Purse
Where: Karmaloop website
How much (as of today's post): $11.95 (plus shipping)

Mummy Jewelry Box

This mummy jewelry box will delight little girls who love Halloween. I also have an adult friend who's very into bats, skeletons, and mummies year round. In any case, it's a bit of fun Halloween whimsy. The jewelry box is 10 3/4 long by 4 1/2" wide (actually a little bigger than I would have guessed from the photo). Oddly, the product desciprtion doesn't say what it's made of, so I'm guessing some kind of resin -- I hope it's not plastic!

What: Mummy Jewelry Box
Where: Wireless catalog
How much (as of today's post): $12.94 (plus shipping)

Nightmare Before Christmas Yahtzee

Just in time for the season that stretches from Halloween to Christmas, this Nightmare Before Christmas Yahtzee game, complete with a Jack Skellington dice cup! It's funny about this movie; it first came out in 1993, or 17 years ago, yet every year these is more and more new merchandise for it. I guess it has quite the cult following!

I should note that it might be a tight squeeze for a stocking stuffer. The Amazon page lists the dimensions as 13 x 11.5 x 7 inches, but that doesn't seem right to me because I saw it in Borders today and it wasn't anywhere near that big. In any case, this plays the same as regular Yahtzee except the dice have characters from the movie instead of numbers, but you still try for four-of-a-kind, yahtzee, and so on. It's a fun little variant on a classic.

What: Nightmare Before Christmas Yahtzee
Where: Amazon, Borders, or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $16.13 (plus shipping)

M.C. Escher Mirror Puzzle

I went through an M.C. Escher phase in high school, when I was convinced he was the world's most brilliant artist. I even tried recreating some of his work in pencil, with limited success.... Seeing this Escher mirror puzzle from Vat19 brought back those memories, and I think it would make a nice stocking stuffer (assuming a generous-sized stocking) for a teen or a college student who likes puzzles.

So what's this puzzle about? Each of 9 cubes, measuring 1.25 inches apiece, has two mirrored sides plus pieces from five different Escher images. I'm not quite sure how the math on that works.... I think I need to see this in action! I especially want to see how the mirrored sides play into the solution.

The frame or base for the puzzle makes the total dimensions 5.25 x 5.25 x 1.5 inches. The product description actually says it's appropriate for kids age 7 and up, so if you have a younger little brainiac, I'm sure they would like this too! This puzzle/game is also a great candidate for paired gifts, such as an Escher book under the tree, an Escher bookmark in the stocking, and so on.

What: M.C. Escher Mirror Puzzle
Where: Vat19.com
How much (as of today's post): $19.95 (plus shipping)

Pride and Prejudice Mint Boxes

Look at these lovely mint boxes featuring Pride and Prejudice! I almost had a heart attack when I saw the $14.95 price tag for a box of mints, but then I realized that the boxes are laquered and plastic (I'm not quite sure how that works together) and are meant to be kept. The two choices are a box featuring a book cover image from Pride and Prejudice and a box with Mr. Bingley telling Darcy, "Come, Darcy, I must have you dance." Aren't they charming?

Great item for a Jane Austen-themed stocking.... just sayin'.

What: Pride and Prejudice Mint Boxes
Where: Bas Bleu website
How much (as of today's post): $14.95 (plus shipping)

Godiva Caramel Apple Gems

Now if this doesn't say "autumn" to you, I don't know what will! Godiva has put together a little bag of individually wrapped "caramel apple gems". There are 18 pieces in the bag, for a total of 6.5 ounces. At $10, that would be about 55 cents apiece -- but hey, it is Godiva! I'm really not a chocoholic, but I have to admit even I find this tempting.

What: Godiva Caramel Apple Gems
Where: Godiva or department stores
How much (as of today's post): $10.00 (plus shipping if bought online)

Set of 3 Lucky Cats Expandable Sponges

I've always liked the Japanese lucky cat, so I find these sponges to be a cute way to brighten up the kitchen. The sponges measure 5.5 by 3 inches, and expand when wet to 3/4 inch thick. They're biodegradable and dishwasher safe, and because they come in a three-pack, they make a reasonably priced stocking stuffer or small gift if you split them up among a couple of cat lovers. They even come from the Literacy Site online store, which means your purchase helps fund children's books for children in need. Sounds like they're lucky all around!

What: Set of 3 Lucky Cats Expandable Sponges
Where: The Literacy Site store
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 for set of three (plus shipping)

Pet Food Can Covers

I've never been a fan of canned food for cats and dogs -- I'm not crazy about the way it smells -- but recently our vet recommended we add wet food to one of our cat's diets as he seemed like he might not be getting enough water. And I have been giving Pixel only a half-can at a time, so these covers might be just the thing for my own stocking this year! In any case, if you are looking for stocking stuffers for the cat or dog lover in your life, this set of 3 pet food lids is only $2.99 from the Container Store. Cats or dogs, your choice! Or maybe they choose us.... (I say this because I grew up a dog person and suddenly I find myself with a house full of cats!)

What: Colorful Pet Food Can Lids
Where: The Container Store
How much (as of today's post): $2.99 (plus shipping if ordering online)

We Interrupt this Blog for an Important Kitten

Boy, life does keep getting in the way of this blog! But this is a happy announcement. About a week ago my husband and I trapped a stray kitten living out of a dumpster in a parking lot. We cannot keep her as we already have more cats than we should. So tomorrow I am flying from Houston to Newark to give the kitten to a friend of mine who lost his cat of 17 years just a few weeks ago. I couldn't be happier about the outcome, although I'm a little nervous about flying with a kitten! But she will be in the cabin with me, and once she gets where she's going she'll be in a wonderful, loving home.

As a side benefit for me, I get to visit my sisters over the weekend. So I'll see you back here on Monday!