Handisleeves & Dandisleeves

Almost every Sunday, my husband and I go to Panera for lunch. I drink iced tea (unsweetened!) and he drinks hot tea. The hot tea is always very hot, so he uses those cardboard sleeves so he can hold the cup comfortably. Now, we do always recycle the cardboard sleeves, but wouldn't it make more sense to use a re-usable one and save some trees?

Enter Handisleeves and Dandisleeves from the Container Store! The pretty Dandisleeve comes in pink and has a lovely cut-out pattern, while the more manly Handisleeve comes in either green, black, or red. They're $4.99 apiece, making them a nice, useful, affordable stocking stuffer.

And in the meantime.... Happy Thanksgiving!

What: Handisleeves & Dandisleeves
Where: Container Store
How much (as of today's post): $4.99 (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)

Floating LED Keychain

Here's a handy and inexpensive stocking stuffer for men: a floating LED keychain for use while boating and fishing. The keychain starts flashing when it comes into contact with water, and it keeps the keys from sinking (always a plus!). This is currently on sale at Solutions.com for only $2.99, but if you don't like to do mail and internet orders for something so small, sports stores and hardware stores might carry these as well.

What: Floating LED Keychain
Where: Solutions website
How much (as of today's post): $2.99 (on sale from $6.48) (plus shipping)

Wallet Bottle Opener

The starting-out price for this stocking stuffer for men is not bad at $14.95, but it you want engraving -- which to me would kind of be the point -- the price does go up by another $9.95, and then of course there's shipping. Which moves this well into the category of "luxury" stocking stuffer. But it can make a unique and lasting gift tailored to an individual. What is it? A bottle opener that can be carried in the wallet like a credit card, but that can also be personalized.

What to engrave? The example shown gives important dates for the forgetful man to remember, but one reviewer on the website noted that she gave one to her son and one to his college roommate, with their college and year engraved on it. I think that's a terrific idea! You could also have a meaningful quote engraved, or make is a message from your kids to their father or grandfather.

Here are some product particulars:

• It measures 3 3/8 x 2 1/8 inches
  
• It's made of stainless steel
  
• It can be engraved with up to 5 lines, 20 characters each line. The size of the letters depends on how much you have engraved -- more characters will result in smaller engraving

Great idea for Father's Day, which always manages to sneak up on me....

What: Wallet Bottle Opener
Where: Red Envelope website
How much (as of today's post): $14.95 (plus more for engraving if desired) (plus shipping)

Fish Corkscrew

With Mother's Day over, Father's Day is the next gift-giving occasion. I know, I can hear the groans already, because men are so hard to buy for! So here is a little gift item for men: a fish-shaped corkscrew. At first when I heard "fish-shaped corkscrew" I pictured one of the singing-fish-on-a-plaque gag gifts, with plastic green scales, but this corkscrew is actually pretty elegant looking. It's made of white oak wood and stainless steel, and has a sort of minimalist shape to it.

If anyone has a brilliant idea for small gifts for men, I'd love to hear them!

What: Fish Corkscrew
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $10.00 (plus shipping)

Buckyballs

I know that $29.95 for a magnetic toy seems super expensive, but I have played with Buckyballs and they are as fascinating as everyone says they are. Buckyballs come as a set of 216 tiny ball-shaped rare earth magnets that seem to take on a life of their own. Naturally they're not suitable for any child that might swallow them, but they're a fun gift for just about anyone else.

Seriously, check out the 2 minute demo video here. It's far more entertaining than anything I could say about them. ;-)

What: Buckyballs
Where: Buckyballs website, ThinkGeek.com, or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $29.95 (plus shipping)

Pool Ball Wine Stopper

Here's a neat luxury stocking stuffer for men: pool ball winestoppers from a company called Knobstoppers. They're made of real vintage pool balls, and you can choose either a color or a number (you can't choose both since pool balls have set colors that go with each number), except for 8-balls because 8-balls are apparently rare and they don't have them at this time. This is especially perfect for any guy who has a pool table and or a bar room down in his "man cave".

What: Pool Ball Wine Stopper
Where: Knobstoppers website
How much (as of today's post): $32.00 (plus shipping)

Magwear Magnetic Wristband

Here's one for the men, if any of the men in your life happen to be handy (or like to think they are!): a magnetic wristband to keep screws, nuts, bolts, nails, and so on in one handy place while working on a project. This one, available in red or blue, runs $19.95 on the Red Envelope website where I first saw it. You might also want to check your local Home Depot, Lowe's, or regular hardware store to see if they have something comparable, hopefully at a lower cost.

What: Magwear Magnetic Wristband
Where: Red Envelope website
How much (as of today's post): $19.95 (plus shipping)

Neoprene Hand Weights

Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, it's making me think of nice long walks before the Houston weather turns too hot and humid. And that made me think of exercising, which made me think of these neoprene hand weights. Maybe these are slightly too big for a Christmas stocking, but I don't know -- people use some pretty large stockings these days!

The pink pair of weights pictured above are two pounds apiece, and they come together with an exercise wall chart. The weights have a non-slip grip. If 2-pound pink weights won't do, there are also 3-pound, 5-pound, 8-pound, and 10-pound hand weights in various colors. Just do an search on Amazon for "neoprene hand weights" and you'll find the rest. The price ranges from $9.68 for the 2-pound weights on up to $28.41 for the 10-pound weights. Even the 5-pounders are under $20.

What do you say? Time for an ultra-"healthy" stocking stuffer?

What: Neoprene Hand Weights
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $9.68 (plus shipping)

Hand Grenade Screwdriver Set

It's not often you find a suitable stocking stuffer for men that's under $5, but this hand grenade screwdriver set certainly fills the bill. I found this on the website "The Afternoon", which has a lot of gift ideas, including my favorite category, "gifts for nerds." The description for this set says that the "base of the 'grenade' is actually the handle for six enclosed stainless steel screwtips." It measures 3.5 inches tall and 2 inches in diameter. See? Perfect for stockings, and would also make a cute Father's Day gift if your husband or father is handy (or likes to think he is!).

What: Hand Grenade Screwdriver Set
Where: The Afternoon website
How much (as of today's post): $4.95 (plus shipping)

Poker Dice

Yesterday at Half Price Books I saw a cute little mini-kit game called "Poker Dice". Instead of numbers, the dice had playing card images on them, such as the king, queen, and jack, plus suites on some sides. The kit came with a set of five dice, plus a little book of instructions, and because it was Half Price Books, it was only $2.98.

If you don't have a Half Price Books near you, other versions of "poker dice" are available on Amazon, including the set shown above, which comes with dice and a drawstring pouch to hold them. Even these are under $5! I think these would make a cute stocking stuffer for men in particular, who are so hard to buy for. It might also be fun for college students.

What: Poker Dice
Where: Amazon, Half Price Books, etc.
How much (as of today's post): $2.98 - $4.99

Chalkboard Heart Paperweight

Oh, I wish I'd seen this in time for Valentine's Day last month! This clever paperweight is ceramic but the surface imitates a chalkboard, and it has an attached piece of chalk on a string to write a love message to your sweetheart. It's 4.25 inches wide, 3.75 inches long, and 1.5 inches tall, and comes in a gift box. Since we're now post-Valentine's season, it's on sale: originally $12.95, now $10.36, and $9.32 for members of the New York Public Library.

What: Chalkboard Heart Paperweight
Where: The Library Shop (NY Public Library)
How much (as of today's post): $10.36 ($9.32 for members) (on sale from $12.95) (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

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

Road Mice Wired Mouse

It's another luxury Friday, and this one is for the guys! If your guy is into cars and uses a computer, surely he would like a computer mouse in the form of his favorite car. I counted 22 different models on the Road Mice website, including Mustangs, Dodge Chargers, Cameros, Corvettes, PT Cruisers, and Ford GTs, and Dodge Vipers. There are different color options, and you can even get the Camero or Dodge Charger is a police cruiser version.

I also like that these are wired mice instead of wireless. Wireless mice eat batteries and it just seems like a big waste to me. This way, the mouse is powered by its connection to the computer, and it even makes the headlights light up!

What: Road Mice Wired Mouse
Where: Road Mice website
How much (as of today's post): $34.95 to $39.95 (plus shipping)

Monty Python Fluxx Game

You may be familiar with the card game Fluxx, but have you ever seen this Monty Python version? I hadn't until I saw it today in Barnes & Noble (where I was shopping using the gift card I got in my stocking, hooray!). It's the perfect size for a stocking and strikes me as a good stocking stuffer for men, since I think they usually tend to be more into Monty Python than women do (at least that is the case with me and my husband).

The manufacturer description on Amazon says that this version of Fluxx is based loosely on concepts from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with "guest appearances from King Arthur and all of his Knights, coconuts, a shrubbery, an unladen swallow, a trojan rabbit, a catapult, an airborne cow, the Holy Hand Grenade, and the Finger of God," and so on. Sounds like fun!

What: Monty Python Fluxx Game
Where: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
How much (as of today's post): $15.37 on Amazon (plus shipping)

Sleep Shorts in a Tin

I hinted at these in my giveaway of stocking stuffers for men: sleep shorts in a tin. I purchased the giveaway pair -- G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra -- at Target, where I also bought a Christmas Story pair for my brother-in-law and a Transformers pair for a friend. Later at Kohl's I saw many of the same selections plus some new ones, including Guitar Hero, Budweiser, and Bud Light. (I bought the Budweiser ones for my husband's stocking because he just became an American citizen in November and I tease him that he has to drink Budweiser now!)

What I like about these sleep shorts is that there's a large selection to choose from (AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Tabasco sauce, South Park, Halo, and more); they come in a tin shaped to match the logo or product; they're fairly inexpensive; they're practical as well as fun; and they fit in a stocking.

What more could you want in a last minute stocking stuffer for men?

(P.S. The Tabasco ones would be cute for Valentine's Day, too.)

What: Sleep Shorts in a Tin
Where: Target, Kohl's, etc.
How much (as of today's post): $7-$15

M&Ms Sports Team Candies

I've known for quite awhile that it's possible to get personalized M&Ms, but I think the one time I checked out the price it was fairly prohibitive. So I was happy to see an ad in the Sunday coupons for M&Ms sports team candies. You can choose from basketball, football, and baseball, and use the drop-down menu to choose your team. It's actually fun to use the drop-downs for teams you aren't buying, just to see the colors they're using for them -- and the designs look so sharp! Some color choices, like the Pittsburgh Steelers, are self-evident, but I can't say I understand where that strange blue they're using for the Philadelphia Phillies comes from!

A 7 oz. bag is $10.99, by the way, although of course that doesn't include shipping. Here's another of those cases where going in with a friend to save on shipping might be helpful.

Now if only they had ice hockey -- I'm married to a Canadian, after all, and he has a lot of brothers!

What: M&Ms Sports Team Candies
Where: mymms.com
How much (as of today's post): $10.99 (plus shipping)

Bacteria Assassin Ninja Toothbrush Sanitizer

OK, this is way too expensive, but I've designated Friday posts for luxury stocking stuffers, so here goes: look at this Bacteria Assassin Ninja Toothbrush Sanitizer! It's new on the ThinkGeek website, and I think it's hilarious. Plus it's one of those gifts that works for kids, teens, college students, and even geeky adults, especially the men.

Instead of just raving about it, I suppose I should mention the particulars. It requires 3 AA batteries (too bad, I would prefer a plug), it uses ultraviolet light to eliminate bacterial growth, and it eliminates 99.9% of viruses. So it's both funny and practical.

What: Bacteria Assassin Ninja Toothbrush Sanitizer
Where: ThinkGeek website
How much (as of today's post): $36.99 (plus shipping)

Cable Monkey Organizer

I'm all disorganized with my posting this weekend -- I'm still finishing up my end-of-the-semester assignments, so please bear with me. Normally on Sundays I post about Etsy stocking stuffers, but for today I just have enough time to pop in here and show this cute little monkey cable organizer from the ThinkGeek website. Much cuter than using a twist tie to bind all those computer and printer cables together, don't you think? The little monkey's arm span is 8.5 inches, and his monkey body is 1.25 inches high.

What: Cable Monkey Organizer
Where: ThinkGeek website
How much (as of today's post): $4.99 (plus shipping)