Nav Bar

Home Project Gallery Contact About Facebook Google+ Pinterest Twitter Bloglovin' Image Map

Monday, December 16, 2013

Gift Guide 2013


I ended up taking a break from blogging. A one week break has turned into four weeks... Eek! So this is a little late, but here is a gift guide like the one I did last year.

I really did need a break from blogging. I have had too much on my plate lately. Here is a rundown of some of the gifts I've pulled together this year.

Disclaimer: I have included Amazon affiliate links in case you are interested in checking them out for yourself. I have flagged affiliate links where provided.

Doing some last minute shopping? Join Amazon Prime and get FREE 2nd Day Shipping (affiliate link). Here are the cut offs for last minute shipping from Amazon:

Cutoffs for shipping with Amazon.com (affiliate link)

My Christmas Shopping List for 2013:

Home Brew Kit


This is my big gift for my fiancé this year. He has gotten quite into local microbrews and trying out different brews. His favorite is hoppy IPAs.

This 1 Gallon Home Brew Kit by Brooklyn Brew Shop (affiliate link) is perfect for the amateur, kitchen home brewer. It is an all in one starter kit for those who have never brewed before. You will need a few additional supplies, including a strainer, funnel and two 6 quart pots (the directions say 1 required and 1 additional recommended, but reviewers say 2 should be considered required). I have a pretty good strainer at home, so I just need to grab a funnel and another large pot.

The Everyday IPA is available on Amazon, which was perfect for me. Amazon even gave me next day, local express delivery (available to select cities) for around $9. If you are looking for other flavors or supplies, check out the Brooklyn Brew Shop homepage.
Brooklyn Brew Shop - 1 Gallon Home Brew Kit

Evolution USB Electronics Charger  

Evolution Power Plus Portable Rechargeable Charger
I bought this Evolution Power Bank (affiliate link) for my fiancé. He is a total Android nerd and is addicted to his phone.

I actually bought him this device for his birthday right before going camping. It was perfect because he uses his phone as a camera and typically ends up bringing multiple devices for backup when his batteries die.

Since most android phones are now tending to have a built in battery instead of a replaceable battery, this is great gift for someone who travels or is addicted to their device and may need some extra juice while on the go. It is a little bigger than a thumb drive. The device is pretty slick as it is aluminum and comes in several color options.

Chromecast

Google Chromecast HDMI
Streaming Media Player
Chromecast (affiliate link) is the perfect gift for anyone (or a couple or a family) who loves YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, or watching videos streamed from the internet. We have one and we LOVE it. For a $35 HDMI stick, you will be watching internet TV in no time! It is just so easy!

It is also really fun at get togethers because everyone with a smartphone can control it. With Youtube, you can queue videos on your phone. We have had gatherings where everyone queues up YouTube videos and we all compete to get ours on the TV. It also makes a great music player for everyone to queue up music.

We bought one for my sister-in-law and her husband. They currently watch Netflix on their "ghetto box." I'm not really sure what that means, but those are the words my other sister-in-law used. Haha!

FitBit

This year I got a FitBit Flex (click for review) for myself. This would make a great gift for someone in your life who is working hard on staying fit. 

I would have given you an amazon affiliate link, but the fact is you will save money by buying direct and have more color choices. Go to the FitBit official store.

Pathfinder RPG

This is our big gift for my stepson. He has been harping on how he wants to play D&D. Pathfinder is a next gen D&D system that is supposed to stay more true to 3rd edition D&D versus the 4th edition. We got my stepson this starter kit for Pathfinder (affiliate link).


Fun T-Shirt

We bought my other sister-in-law a Dick’s shirt. Dick's is a classic hamburger drive-in in Seattle. We love supporting our local favorites and getting someone a fun shirt at the same time.

Box O' Swag 

My fiancé goes to a video game convention (Penny Arcade Expo - PAX) every year. He has made it a habit to grab extra swag for friends and family members who can’t attend this event.

We have a Box O' Swag for a brother-in-law, our son and our son's two step-brothers. They love opening up a box filled with video game bags, posters, masks, t-shirts, buttons and random stuff. We also scored Magic the Gathering starter packs for the younger boys. Pretty sweet for them and free for us!

I know some of you go to blogger/DIY/Crafting/Home Improvement conventions. If you know someone who would love some swag, think about grabbing extras or giving your swag to someone else. They make great gifts!

Here are some pictures of PAX swag from {Words of Songs} blog that are similar to our own swag:

 
 


Handmade Jewelry

Last year I made handmade earrings for all of my female in-laws. My mother-in-law had immediately requested a matching bracelet to go with her earrings. Well, that made it easy for this year!

I'll post a picture of the bracelet once it is finished. Here are the handmade earrings that I made her last year, which the bracelet will match.

Handmade Earrings for the Mother-in-law
Check out my Jewelry Tutorials to learn how to make your own handmade jewelry.

Homemade Cookies

Give a family a plate of homemade christmas cookies. I love baking cookies for the holidays! It is just nostalgic for me.

My mother and I would bake half a dozen different types of cookies. She trained me to bake cookies and my brother to bake pies. Now every holiday I am in charge of cookies and he is in charge of the pies.

Check out my Ginger Molasses Cookies and Pumpkin Bread recipes. These just shout out Christmas to me.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Pumpkin Bread

White Elephant Gift

I plan on making this gift based on a Pinterest pin I pinned like a year ago! I'm giving it away in a White Elephant tomorrow. Wonder what I'll pick up for myself...

In Case of Emergency, Break Glass (click image for pinterest pin link)
Well, that is a roundup of the gifts we have picked up for 2013. Don't forget to check out last years Gift Guide for more ideas. Hope you are getting your shopping done and are having a wonderful holiday season.

I'll try to post more this month, but I suspect this might be my one and only post for December. I'll get back on the horse for 2014. Wishing you a Happy Holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Cheers!

5 comments:

  1. Workbook 2023 Hindi & English Medium PDF is available on the official website of the Board of Secondary Education Rajasthan (BSER), which is the Secondary School Education Board. Rajasthan Class 9th Online Lesson Syllabus 2023 is available to download as a pdf syllabus. BSER Class 9th Syllabus 2023 has been uploaded online, and BSER 9th Syllabus 2023 is available here. RBSE Board 9th Workbook 2023 Hindi & English Medium PDF The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education 9th Class Online Lesson Syllabus 2023 is available in PDF format. Students can download the BSER 9th Online Lesson Syllabus 2023 and read it online or print it off using the subject-specific BSER 9th Workbook 2023 Hindi & English Medium PDF of the RSEB Class 9th.

    ReplyDelete