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)

Floppy Disk Sticky Notes

Aren't these floppy disk sticky notes incredibly realistic? No matter how long I look at the photo, I keep thinking that they must be real disks. That's why I also have to show the photo of the "disk" with the writing on it -- it's the only way to convince my eyes.

These are a little pricey for what they are, but the price is for a 3-pack, which means you could break them up for three stocking stuffers that cost $3.33 apiece. They'd be great for the technologically challenged folks in your life, whether in your workplace or in your family. (And don't forget ThinkGeek participates in Mr. Rebates!)

What: Floppy Disk Sticky Notes
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 (plus shipping)

Building Block Calculator

Looks like you can get anything made out of "building blocks" (sorry, I call them all Legos automatically, even though I know that's not accurate) these days: utensils, USB flash drives, tie pins for men, you name it. This building block calculator is a new one to me, though. It measures 5.5 x 2.5 x 1 inches, and comes in red, green, blue, or black. From what I can see of the buttons in the picture, it doesn't look like it does the higher math functions so it probably wouldn't be the thing for a student taking calculus, but it certainly would be sufficient in the home office for balancing a checkbook, or in the workplace for simple math tasks.

I remember loving Legos as a kid. I have several Star Wars and Harry Potter Lego toys now, but I still remember fondly the days when you just had plain Lego blocks and you figured out what to make with them instead of being directed on the box!

What: Building Block Calculator
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $26.99 (plus shipping)

Recycled Keyboard Pencil Cup

I love these pencil cups made from recycled keyboards! Keyboards get thrown away all the time -- I remember years ago when I spilled lemonade into my keyboard at work and was consumed with guilt, and the IT guys said "Don't worry about it! They only cost about $8!"

Which means a zillion of them end of in the landfills.

Well, here's a way to keep a few of them out, in any case. The round keyboard pencil cup measures 3 inches tall by 3.5 inches in diameter, and the square cup measures 3 inches tall by 3.25 inches on each side. Which makes these small enough to fit in a generous-sized stocking.

What: Recycled Keyboard Pencil Cup
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $11.99 (plus shipping)

Dilbert Accomplish-Mints

If you work in one of those offices that can be called a "cube farm", surely you're already familiar with Dilbert. I remember ages ago I had a squishy version of the pointy-haired boss, meant to relieve stress with squeezing. Today's stocking stuffer is a tin of Dilbert Accomplish-Mints. The flavor is "intense peppermint" (think Altoids), and the tagline is "You and Your Co-Workers Can Breathe Easier". The funniest part, to me, is that the mints themselves come in the shape of the characters, including Dilbert, The Boss, Dogbert, and Catbert. So if you ever wanted to bite your boss's head off, here's your chance.

This would make a a great gag gift for co-workers, or a sympathetic stocking stuffer for someone with a stressful work life.

What: Dilbert Accomplish-Mints
Where: Gifts for Engineers.com
How much (as of today's post): $2.95 (plus shipping)

Happy April Fool's Day!

I've been so intent on posting Easter basket stuffers that I forgot all about April Fool's Day until yesterday. So here are some gag gifts appropriate to the day that can also serve as stocking stuffers when the time comes:

• Frozen Smiles ice cube tray, currently available from Amazon ($7.48) and elsewhere.
  
  
• Bubble Gum Cocktail Wienies from Archie McPhee ($4.95)
  
  
• WTF? Ink Stamp from StampExpress.com ($6.99)
  
  
• Equal Measure measuring cup from ThinkGeek.com ($12.99). This measuring cup has geeky units of measure such as "amount of table salt in a large human", "volume of the brain of a Tyrannosaurus Rex", and so on. Perfect for the geeks in your life!

In the meantime, don't let anyone fool you today!

"Swingbird" Correction Tape

I'm not entirely sure why this is called "Swingbird Correction Tape", when I would have been inclined to call if "yellow chick correction tape" or some such. But in any case, here is a little office supply stocking/Easter basket stuffer that won't add inches to the waistline. Regular $9.95, it's currently on sale from Solutions for $4.99 plus shipping, making it quite the affordable little office stocking stuffer.

What: "Swingbird" Correction
Where: Solutions website
How much (as of today's post): $4.99 (plus shipping)

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)

Paper Paper Clips

It's back to work today, so I move from yesterday's kitchen stocking stuffer to today's office stocking stuffer: a bag of paper paper clips, or paper clips made out of paper. Well, they're 100% sustainable wood pulp, 100% recyclable, and they can be put safely through a paper shredder and recycled with the paper. The pack has 50 clips, and each clip is one inch long and will hold up to 20 sheets of paper. They're bright and colorful too, which is especially nice during the dreary days of winter (not that we have any here in Houston!).

What: Paper Paper Clips
Where: Spoon Sisters website
How much (as of today's post): $6.00 (plus shipping)

Sarcastic Ball

Yes! I have a feeling this is exactly what I need after the day I had at work yesterday. Endless meetings with a lot of people saying nothing. Rarely have I felt so frustrated.

So, perhaps this Sarcastic Ball would at least make me smile! Like a Magic 8 ball, this little gizmo gives answers to your questions, only sarcastically, with answers such as: Yeah, right; In Your Dreams; and Whatever. I wouldn't be surprised if there were an "As If!" in there too, since there are 20 different responses. This would make a cute little gag gift / stocking stuffer for the sarcastic person in your life, or for a work colleague with a sense of humor.

Here's hoping this isn't something you desperately need today. After all, it's Tuesday.... and Tuesdays are better than Mondays, right? (Lord, I hope so!)

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

Ninja Star Pushpins

These are definitely on the pricey side, but I do know a couple of guys (of various ages -- they're all really just boys, aren't they?) who would love these ninja push pins as a stocking stuffer. They're 2.75 inches from tip to tip, and made of "injection molded ABS" (whatever that is!) with a chrome plated finish. They come three to a set for $9.99, which is why I said they're pricey, but they look so cool sticking out of a bulletin board, as if a ninja assassin just missed his target....

(Ages ago I posted about the ninja star coat hook, which would go nicely with the pushpins....)

What: Ninja Star Pushpins
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 for set of 3 (plus shipping)

Murder Ink Sticky Notes

I've seen the "Dead Fred" pen holder before, but this Murder Ink Sticky Notes set from the Perpetual Kids website is new to me. The 300-pages of sticky notes double as a holder for the "blood-spattered" pen. It reminds me of the opening credits for the TV show Castle! (In fact, it would make a cute paired gift if you happen to be getting the Season 1 DVDs of Castle for anyone.) This is a great stocking stuffer for a mystery buff, or for someone with a home office -- hmm, not sure I'd take it into a corporate office unless I know everyone has a good sense of humor!

What: Murder Ink Sticky Notes
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $7.99 (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)

Airplane Stationery Set

[Click here to enter my ongoing giveaway of stocking stuffers for girls. Giveaway ends Friday Nov. 20, 2009! Apologies, but U.S. residents only.]

Here's a stocking stuffer suitable for the men: an airplane stationery set, consisting of a ballpoint pen (the fuselage), a ruler (the wings), and a paper clip (the tail section). I admit it's more clever than useful in some ways, because it's not like someone would dismantle the plane just to use the tail as a paperclip. But I can see using the pen and the ruler, then putting it back together again. Considering how hard it can be to find stocking stuffers for the men other than neckties, golf tees, and cologne, I'm pretty satisfied with this! The Afternoon website that sells this notes that it measures 5" x 5" x 1.5". Might be a tight squeeze for a stocking, but I guess that depends on the stocking!

What: Airplane Stationery Set
Where: The Afternoon website
How much (as of today's post): $10.00

Talk to the Hand Sticky Notes

As the Perpetual Kid website says, "Oh no you di-n't!" That is, you didn't just put these "talk to the hand!" sticky notes in your teenager's stocking, did you? Actually, I think they would be cute for teens, and I think college students would enjoy them for leaving notes on each other's dorm room doors (assuming they still do that -- or is it all about the texting these days?!). Or maybe your chick-flick buddy (i.e. your best friend, if you're a woman) would like them.

The pad of 300 sticky notes measures 3 inches wide by 6 inches tall -- plenty of room to get your message across!

What: Talk to the Hand Sticky Notes
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $6.49 (plus shipping)

"Sign & Seal" Pen and Holder

Here's a cute little guy who will keep track of a desk pen: a seal who balances the black ballpoint pen on his nose, and who can even hang on to it while it's spinning! The seal base is 3.25 inches high, and it uses magnets to hold the 4.5 inch long pen.

I know that I like having some office toys on my desk to play with while I'm on the phone. This guy would fit right in with my collection of Happy Meal toys, magnetic sculptures, and action figures (including Nancy the Librarian!). It's a great small gift for someone in the office, or a cute stocking stuffer for anyone with a desk job.

What: "Sign & Seal" Pen and Holder
Where: Office Playground website
How much (as of today's post): $10.99 (plus shipping)

Dollar Merchandise at Michaels

I'm sure most people who shop for stocking stuffers keep an eye out in the dollar stores, but don't forget that mainstream stores such as Target and Michaels regular keep dollar sections these days, usually towards the front of the store. As with general dollar stores, the selection can be pretty hit and miss. For instance, much of the dollar merchandise at Target tends to look like leftovers made in China. At Michaels, though, the nicely organized dollar items look like Michaels went out and bought them on purpose rather than getting them dumped on them to get rid of.

So what's at Michaels right now for a dollar? Yesterday I found:

• Notepads in the shape of letters
  
• Coasters
  
• magnets
  
• mini-calendars (the ones that measure about 4 inches square)
  
• mini-keychain-calendars (measuring about 1.5 inches square)
  
• packets of note cards
  
• packets of Christmas cards
  
• miniature Christmas tins (which are terrific for stockings!)
  
• ink stamps (both clear acrylic and rubber)
  
• decorate binder clips

Now, that's just everything I remember off the top of my head -- I'm sure there was more. And another nice thing is that many of the items coordinate with each other, so the design on the magnets might be the same as the design on the binder clips or notepads. That means you can put together a nice little selection of school or office stocking stuffers, for instance.

Where do you like to shop for stocking stuffers?

Glow-in-the-Dark Corporate Zombies

I hadn't really planned to start mentioning any Halloween-related "stocking stuffers" until later in the month, but here it is October 1st, and I just can't wait! So instead of having my "seven days of Halloween" running precisely from October 25 to October 31, I'm going to sprinkle little Halloween tidbits throughout this month, interspersed with the usual stocking stuffers.

First up: This set of four glow-in-the-dark corporate zombies from the Archie McPhee website. The product description says that these poor zombies "spend their days staring blankly at computer monitors and shuffling through the cube maze, occasionally grunting something about brains." (Wait a minute, that's not just Halloween, that's every day, right?!) So these little 2.75 inch poseable figures can work for Halloween or for an office gag gift at any time of year. The set is $13.50 plus shipping, but if you have several co-workers you want to give them to, you can give them one apiece at a much lower price per person. Don't you think it would be funny to have these show up on desks unannounced, right around Halloween?

What: Glow-in-the-Dark Corporate Zombies
Where: Archie McPhee website
How much (as of today's post): $13.50/set of four

Pup Cups from Esty Seller "The Lab"

Several of my acquaintances have adopted dogs or puppies recently. With our veritable herd of cats, dogs are currently out of the question for us, but at least I'm able to get my dog fix now and again by visiting friends. Today's Etsy stocking stuffer, perfect for dog lovers, comes from Annie of The Lab shop. These pup cup "sleeves" fit around standard size (15-16 oz.) tin cans, making an eco-friendly holder for pencils, paint brushes, make-up brushes, candy, you name it! Or you can put the sleeve around a glass of the appropriate size and use it for a vase! The result is a holder or vase that looks like it came from an expensive gift shop but that actually costs less than $10.

Each pup cup has a description indicating the type of fabric it's made from. The labs are appliqués that have been cut out by hand and machine-stitched onto the fabric. According to Annie, the edges are "either double folded or have French seams for clean, fray-free edges." I think they're just lovely! And since most dog-related appliqués seem to be of Scotty terriers, it's refreshing to see these labs, which are one of my favorite dog breeds.

Be sure to look through the entire shop, because there's a wide selection of black, yellow, and chocolate labs to choose from. Some are holding flowers in their mouths, others have collars, others are carrying a leash, indicating "please walk me!" There's a wide variety of colors and patterns available, and the shop also has other lab-related merchandise.

What: Pup Cups from Esty Seller "The Lab"
Where: The Lab (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $7.00-$9.00 (plus shipping)

Emergency Computer BackUp Pencil Holder

Got a technophobe in your family or your office? This emergency computer backup pencil holder would make a great stocking stuffer! Alternatively, it could make a great gag gift for your favorite computer geek, the one who might not even know how to operate the sophisticated technology that is The Pencil! The holder measures 4 by 2.12 by 3.25 inches, which, as the Perpetual Kid website notes, is large enough to hold other emergency items, like extra ketchup packets and spare change.

What: Emergency Computer BackUp Pencil Holder
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $14.99 (plus shipping)