Holiday shopping: A guide to the gift guides
Need some help sorting through the dizzying array of gift guides? Here are some of the more distinctive gifts from the annual gift guides by major specialty publications.
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CATEGORY: Pets
From Modern Dog magazine
THE PICK: Eco Naps dog beds. These super-soft and super-comfy earth-friendly dog beds from West Paw Design are a great gift pick for the eco-conscious dog on your list, said Jennifer Nosek, editor of Modern Dog magazine. The fabric and filling contain IntelliLoft material, which comes from recycled plastic bottles. More than 40 plastic bottles are diverted from landfills with every Extra Large Eco Nap, according to the Web site. The mats are available in five sizes.
PRICE: From $27.90
WHERE TO GET IT: http://www.westpawdesign.com.
Check out the full gift guide, http://www.Moderndogmagazine.com, or the upcoming Winter 2008/2009 issue.
CATEGORY: Gadgets
From WIRED magazine
THE PICK: Peek - for people who want email on the go. WIRED gets thousands of devices over the course of the year, but only 10 make the WishList, said Mark McClusky, senior products editor. "With the Peek, we were just blown away by the smart design, and the ease of use," he said. "Instead of trying to do everything, the Peek does one thing (mobile email), but it does it really, really elegantly and simply."
PRICE: $79.95 (through Dec. 1, then $99.95) plus $19.95 a month for service.
WHERE TO GET IT: getpeek.com, target.com.
Other ideas: http://www.wired.com or the December issue.
CATEGORY: Green Toys
From TheDailyGreen.com
THE PICK: Discover Rig from Sprig Toys, a kids' push toy. This is the latest must-have eco-toy, according to editor Dan Shapley. "It's made from recycled kid-safe materials, requires no batteries, and we truly could not stop playing with it around the office," he said. The vehicle, part of the Sprig Adventure Series, comes with Adventure Guide Cap Faraday who plugs into the driver's seat and plays story snippets and music to help children imagine a safari-themed adventure. Power is generated when the vehicle is pushed.
Recommended for ages 3 and up.
PRICE: $59.99
WHERE TO GET IT: Toys "R" Us and Amazon. Find local stores at http://www.sprigtoys.com.
Other ideas: http://www.TheDailyGreen.com.
CATEGORY: Games
From Prevention magazine
THE PICK: ColorKu: The Color Sudoku Puzzle. Trade in numbers for colors in this fun twist on the popular brain teaser, said Karyn Repinski, deputy editor of Prevention magazine. The wooden board has indents for wooden colored balls that take the place of numbers. Players start with one of the 104 puzzle cards that range from easy to difficult and then work to get one of each color ball in every row, every column, and in every 3 x 3 box. The puzzle also comes with a color conversion card so you can solve any Sudoku puzzle.
Recommended for ages 6 and up.
PRICE: $29.95.
WHERE TO GET IT: colorku.com, Amazon, http://www.museumtour.com , http://www.mindandmemorystore.com
http://www.playfairtoys.com.
Other ideas: http://www.prevention.com or the December issue.
CATEGORY: Home
From House Beautiful
THE PICK: Balsam TasselAire from Agraria. This home fragrance combines the scents of sweet balsam, Californian Redwood, an evergreen tree native to coastal California, a hint of French sage and fresh flowers in a decorative tassel. The tassel has a sachet in it that contains microbeads with the scent. Hang the tassel on a door knob or armoire key or use it to tie back a curtain. The scent lasts about six months. "It's pretty," said Stephen Drucker, Editor-in-Chief of House Beautiful. "It's not another candle, and the scents are heavenly. It makes me smile."
PRICE: $35.
WHERE TO GET IT: http://www.agrariahome.com for retailers.
Other ideas: http://www.housebeautiful.com or the December issue.
CATEGORY: Toys
From FamilyFun magazine
THE PICK: Spin Master Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro all surface radio controlled car. A fast and sleek remote control car that can drive on any flat surface - on the floor, up walls, across ceilings - thanks to an air displacement system that works like a vacuum. "Our family toy testers spent countless hours racing the cars around their houses," said Ellen Harter Wall, senior associate editor at FamilyFun magazine. "The parents seemed to love playing with it almost as much as their kids."
PRICE: $29.99.
WHERE TO GET IT: Toy retailers.
Other ideas: http://www.FamilyFun.com for the full gift guide.
CATEGORY: Electronics
From Allure magazine
THE PICK: NYCitylimit's Stereo Dock Mini. Let your friends feel the music too with these colorful mini speakers that resemble Legos. While Allure's gift guide includes beauty items, Linda Wells, Allure's Editor-in-Chief thought this compact mini dock was interesting. "I love these because they're fun, come in great colors and look like toys," said Wells. "They are also compact, perfect for travel and are surprisingly inexpensive." The mini dock runs off the power of an iPod and works with the iPod Classic, iPod Nano and iPod Mini.
PRICE: $22.
WHERE TO GET IT: http://www.nycitylimit.com , Pylones retail stores.
Other ideas: http://www.allure.com or the December issue.
CATEGORY: Gadgets
From Good Housekeeping
THE PICK: WowWee RS Tri-Bot - a futuristic robotic companion. "When we evaluated the RS Tri-Bot at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, both our staff and kid testers wondered if he had a mind of his own because he's so multifunctional," said Rosemary Ellis, Editor-in-Chief of Good Housekeeping. While the Tri-Bot doesn't bring coffee or clean the floor, he is lots of fun. "He can be programmed to do a sequence of commands, controlled via remote and also has built-in stories, jokes, and games for endless hours of play," said Ellis.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
PRICE: $99.
WHERE TO GET IT: Major retailers. http://www.tri-botonline.com
Other ideas: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com or the December issue.
CATEGORY: Fitness
From Fitness magazine
THE PICK: Brooks Vapor-Dry 3D Hoodie (Women's). This super-smart, super-cute hoodie is good for all seasons, said senior fitness editor Lindsey Emery. "It works well as a mid-layer on a freezing run or as an outer-layer on a chilly jog. "The editors at Fitness love it because it's made from a breathable, moisture-moving fabric and has thumbholes and flip wrist mitts to keep your hands feeling cozy," she said.
PRICE: $79.99.
WHERE TO GET IT: http://www.brooksrunning.com or specialty running stores.
Other ideas: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com for the full guide.
CATEGORY: Recreation
From GQ magazine
THE PICK: Teak Petanque Set. The game from Provence is making a comeback, said Will Welch, associate editor of GQ. "It was something that several of the editors here noticed being played again at the beach over the summer, at parks," he said. "The one that we chose to feature comes in this beautiful box and the balls themselves are reflective metallic." The magazine features a higher-end set from Design Within Reach - the teak box can double as a design element indoors - but cheaper petanque sets are available.
PRICE: $200.
WHERE TO GET IT: http://www.dwr.com. Find DWR locations on the site.
Other ideas: men.style.com/gq or the December issue.
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