2014 Gift Guide, Part V

Christmas is almost here, and Hanukkah has already begun, so it’s last-minute time for a lot of shoppers. No worries! I have a bunch of ideas to help.

All Out Of Magnetic Pad

First, Knock Knock has a coupon for you! Knock Knock is fine purveyors of paper goods, including the shopping list I use every week.

You can use code SMART20 for 20% off an order at knockknockstuff.com. It’s a one-time use coupon code. Better yet: it expires 1/15/15, so if you need New Year’s gifts, you’re in luck!

Head over to KnockKnockStuff.com and go shopping! There’s some great stuff on sale, like the Reading Rumpus set for kids with bookmarks, stickers and more. I am very fond of the mini sticky notes that read OMG and WTF, to say nothing of OY VEY and SERIOUSLY?

Thank you, KnockKnock!

If you like wine, or you know someone who does, here are a few ideas under $25 that might work perfectly.

Wine Glass that holds an entire bottle of wine
Giant wine glass, $17

This wine glass holds an entire bottle of wine.

It’s about 9″/22.8cm tall, and reviews indicate that while the glass isn’t of the highest quality, an entire bottle does fit in the bowl.

I’m not sure I need to say anything else, other than that it’s $17.

But if you’re thinking, Hmmm. That looks really top-heavy, there are also sets of stemless wine glasses for not a lot of money, either.

One year I received a set of four stemless wine glasses as a corporate holiday gift (heh heh), and I love them. I use them all the time, especially if I’m having wine during family dinner, because they’re harder to tip over.

Set of 6 stemless wine glasses, $15 +tax

This set of 6 stemless glasses is $15 plus tax,  and they hold about 15oz/443mL.

But if you’re thinking, HOW WILL I TELL THEM APART? What if I pour myself more than one glass of wine? How will I know if both glasses are mine?!

That’s a problem, indeed. Have some wine markers.

You can clip a ring around the bottom of a stemmed wine glass, but if you’re using stemless? No stem. Hence “stemless,” right? Solutions ahoy!

Silicone suction wine markers, monster set, $6
Silicone monster wine glass tags, $6

This set of silicone suction monster glass tags is $6, and comes with a mixed collection of little monsters. The set was designed for Halloween, but who says you can’t have a black cat on your wineglass whenever you want, right?

The reviews are mostly positive, but you should make sure to moisten the suction cup before you stick it on the glass to prevent it falling off.

And if little monster charms aren’t your think, there are also reusable silicone mustache glass markers (6 for $6), or lipstick kiss glass markers (12 for $11)

And then, when the party (or your book – the one you might be reading or writing)) is over, and you have some wine left (hey, it could happen!), you need a bottle stopper.

a plastic dude with an enormous red ribbed schlong to stick in the wine bottle opening
Willy the Wine Stopper, $15

Like this one.

Meet Willy the Wine Lover. He’s ready and willing to be very helpful.

The description says he’s also very sophisticated. Not sure about that one, but he’s certainly the right, ahem, size.

He also comes (hur) as a corkscrew (snrk) for $8. You know, in case you need both.

The reviews indicate that Willy does not come in a box (I’m sorry) (no really) (ok, not really), so if you want to give him as a gift, you either have to find a box of the correct size, or figure out a way to wrap him up. I don’t know if condoms are available in his size, but I’m sure you can figure something out.

And don’t worry, beer drinkers. I have some options for you, too! There are beer goggles ($9), though some reviewers indicate that they don’t stand up to multiple uses (unlike Willy). If you’re into making your own beer, there are chalkboard-style bottle labels ($14) that are write-on/wipe-off.

bag ladies English Breakfast
English Breakfast Novel Teas, $15

And if you’re neither into wine or beer, perhaps you prefer tea?

Each year I mention these teas from Bag Ladies Tea, and each year I hear back from people who really enjoyed them. Their English Breakfast Novel Tea comes with literary quotes on each tag, and makes for a lovely gift.

I featured a lot of relatively inexpensive gifts today because they pair well with another, and most excellent option: charitable giving in honor of the recipient.

Liz Houston wrote to me and said, “When I don’t know what to get for someone I often get a Bookstore or Starbucks gift card for a small amount, and pair it with a donation; it’s more interesting than just another gift card, and often provides a point of conversation with someone I’m not very close to.”

That’s a smart idea. Liz said she, “just paired a literary scarf with a Reading is Fundamental donation and it was a huge early Channukah hit. (And gave me something to talk to my sister’s mother-in-law about.)”

Here are Liz’s suggestions:

Local libraries usually take direct donations, and many have book drives.

A few other charities include:

Reach out and Read (Charity Navigator: 3 stars)

Reading is Fundamental (CN: 2 stars)

First Book (CN: 4 stars)

And a more local one-
Literacy for Incarcerated Teens (no info)

I like this idea a lot – especially when you can pair the gift with something small. I try to do one gift per month so I don’t feel guilty about not giving at the end of the year when every not-for-profit sends me mail (and Christmas cards, oy) starting December 1. Locally, I give to the library, our local family shelter, and also to the local food pantry.

Awhile back, I asked people what charities they liked to support, and I Storified the answers if you’re looking for inspiration. Whatever is important to you, or important to the person you’re trying to honor, any amount helps, and as Liz pointed out, can make for a conversation with someone you don’t know very well.

If you’re researching charities, Charity Navigator may be of some help in identifying options that connect with your goals. (Their Top 10 lists of charities, good and bad, are really informative, too.)

What about you? What gift ideas are you excited about? Any suggestions of small items to pair with a charitable donation? Please feel free to share your favorite charity in the comments, too. We all value and support different things, so the more we know of our options, the more we can help.

Add Your Comment →

  1. Two favorite charities:

    THE FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION – they provide free lodging for families of soldiers and veterans being treated in military hospitals for illness, disease or injury. They’re an awesome home away from home during the most traumatic time in people’s lives. And in the government shutdown a couple years ago, at President Obama’s request they took over arrangements for flying next of kin to Dover AFB to meet the planes coming in with loved ones remains. When Congress couldn’t see their way to doing their job, this charity put its money where its heart is and took care of military family members and flew families to meet that last plane. Fisher House is good people.

    http://www.fisherhouse.org/

    DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES – they provide free medical care in conflict zones around the world, including Afghanistan. In 2012, they delivered over 185,000 babies and performed more than 78,000 surgeries. They provide more than just medical care in the sixty countries where they operate – they come with water treatment specialists, community nursing and outreach, the whole range of what it takes to increase medical quality of life in areas that have no medical care. They have over 20,000 doctors, nurses and other professionals on the ground world-wide. They were among the first calling for a world-wide response to the ebola crisis and saying it was far worse than previous outbreaks.

    http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/about-us

    Thank you, Sarah, for giving us the chance to share charities we support.

  2. Nerdalisque says:

    The name of the corkscrew is “Sir Perky”!!!!!! And the product description says he’s made of “rock hard plastic.” *snrk* *threatens to ground inner 13-year-old boy for a few days*

    This part, however, worries me (and not just the redundant ‘onlys’): “Please for your safety, only use Sir Perky for intended purposes only.” (1) who would think of using it for something other than a corkscrew? (2) why is it “purposes” (plural)? (3) just what else could you use it for?

  3. I have an off label corkscrew use! They’re nice weapons – much more effective than the classic old keys-between-knuckles, and they fit nicely in a purse and don’t make people say “oh, no knives, young lady.” It’s a corkscrew. It’s not illegal to take one into Canada, for instance, unlike pepper spray, knives and firearms.

  4. Elinor Aspen says:

    I second Anna’s love for Doctors Without Borders. I have also started giving to Planned Parenthood, to help them continue to provide healthcare to low-income women as their traditional funding sources are coming under pressure from the religious right, who equate “family planning” with abortion. Margaret Sanger would be appalled but probably not surprised. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

    Thanks for the Charity Navigator ratings for those literacy charities. I also find CharityWatch to be a useful source for evaluating the effectiveness of one’s donation. You might find their tips for reducing unwanted mail and phone appeals helpful: http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/seventips.html

  5. Elyse says:

    I feel like a glass that holds a bottle of wine might also be a passive aggressive way of suggesting someone is an alcoholic LOL

  6. Lindsay says:

    I second Fisher House. They provide amazing services for families who *should* be taken care of already. And in a related note, my pet charity is (my) (your) local Ronald McDonald House. When my newborn nephew had encephalitis, RMH was a place for his parents to sleep, eat, pump, and shower while they took turns at his NICU bedside. RMH local houses usually accept donations of goods, if your family or group wants to collect household items and do something more concrete. We do a paper towel drive for them every year!

  7. Karin says:

    Wow, Anna Richland, love your off-label corkscrew use. Thanks for the charity recs. I usually donate books via paperbackswap.com. Every year they have book drives for a number of schools in districts where books are most needed. You just donate your pbs “points” and then the schools can use those points to pick the books they want. They get new, not used books. Last year, 25,000 books got sent to 2 dozen different schools.

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