Chocolate Gift Ideas

I love chocolate and I know I'm not alone which is why chocolate always makes a great gift idea.   You can give someone a box of chocolates or even a chocolate gift basket and you'll know they'll appreciate your gift.   A range of both chocolate gift baskets and boxes of delicious chocolates such as Ghirardelli and Helen Grace chocolates plus many more can be found at Lou's Chocolate Store.

What other things can you give someone who loves chocolate?



This chocolate photo gift box is a unique way of giving a chocolate gift.   It's a beautiful wooden box with a lid that let's you put precious photos in and when you open it up ........ mouthwatering chocolates - does it get any better?

A gift that doesn't actually contain chocolate, but celebrates it is a chocolate iphone case, these cases are good enough to eat - click the link and you'll see what I mean.



I have this chocolate 'melting pot' at home and when my daughter has friends over I melt the chocolate, add cream and they get to use the pot rather like the old fondue sets that people used to have. The advantage is that you can also use the Wilton melting pot to make up your own chocolates - something else I've done much to my daughter's delight.

This is definitely a great gift idea along with some great quality chocolate for melting purposes.

Of course when it comes to chocolate gift ideas let's not forget that it can also be a type of jewelry - chocolate diamonds are beautiful and you can see a range of delicious chocolate diamond jewelry at - Chocolate Diamond Heart Jewelry.

Of course if you think that someone has a good sense of humor about the effects of eating chocolate you could always look at giving one of my funny chocolate designed t shirts -

WARNING, Chocolate makes clothes shrink... by lou165
See more Chocolate T-Shirts

I hope you've found some great chocolate gift ideas here for the people in your life, I know that I would love to receive any of them if you want to get me any :)

Cheap Gifts for Young Children - Boys and Girls

Kids all seem to be united in loving coloring in, I have yet to meet a child who hasn't enjoyed coloring at some stage which makes a coloring book a great gift idea that can often be inexpensive.

Another variation of this idea is to choose their favorite characters and look for some free printable coloring pages such as the Disney Princesses or the Backyardigans, print off two of each page and pop them into a presentation book/display folder depending on your terminology, add a packet of crayons or colored pencils and  whatever child gets this gift will think you are wonderful!

Giving them two of each coloring page means that if they make a mistake they can try again, or if they can't decide on what color they want to color in something - they can try two different scenarios!   Having a presentation book also means that they can show off their completed art in the same way that Grandma shows off the family photo album!

There you have it a very inexpensive gift idea that's sure to be a hit!

Don't forget something to do the coloring in with!   Of course if you don't want to look for the free printable color pages and put a gift together you can always just buy some coloring books which will also be a hit, but there's just something special about letting them show off their completed work in style that they absolutely love :)

Don't forget to subscribe for more great gift ideas.

Cheap Gift Ideas For

Now more than ever it seems people are looking for inexpensive gift ideas that will be really appreciated and there are actually lots of different ones around.

I will be doing a series of posts on cheap gift ideas for in the coming months and will use this page as an index page to the different posts which will focus on themes such as cheap gifts for teachers, cheap gifts for toddlers etc.

Just because something was inexpensive to buy or was homemade doesn't meant that it won't be appreciated and these gifts are all ideas which will please the recipient a lot without breaking your budget so stay tuned!

The Twilight Zone Gift Ideas

Do you remember the The Twilight Zone? I must admit the part I remember is the music, but other people I know remember the series really well. One person who used to love watching The Twilight Zone was my hubby so you can imagine how happy I was to discover a few different Twilight Zone gift ideas for him.

I couldn't believe it when I found that you could get Twilight Zone cuff links they are just too cool!

Now my hubby doesn't wear cuff links, but if you know a Twilight Zone fan that does then this would be a great gift idea.   Moving on to something that would suit my hubby and many other people I know much better it's a Twilight Zone shirt like this one -

Buy This Allposters.com

Of course the best Twilight Zone would have to be the definitive collection that contains all 156 (I didn't realize that there had been that many!) episodes along with extras such as interviews with the shows writers.

This definitive Twilight Zone DVD collection gets stellar reviews from hundreds of Amazon reviewers - click on it and read what they have to say!

Lego Space Sets - The Alien Conquest Range!

If you like Lego then I'm sure you've heard of the Lego Alien Conquest sets. If the local toy stores and department stores are any indication this range of Lego is going to be the hottest selling Lego gift for Christmas 2011.

This image is of one of the Lego space sets and is called the - LEGO Space Tripod Invader 7051.

I think it looks rather awesome myself and I already know one little boy who can't wait to get hold of one.

A space ship on legs that you build for yourself - does it get any better??!!

I recently read an article that I linked to above and it says that there are 7 different sets available in this range, but to be honest I think they'll definitely be more released.

I've seen children's faces light up so much when they spot the sets (the colors really make it appealing), especially so when they see the set below -



I don't know why, but my small selection of children testers seem to indicate that the flying saucer set above looks better than the tripod set I like which is the first one pictured!

I'll let you decide what you think is best, but if you're buying for a child and you don't know what to get them then this is a pretty safe idea. Read more at The Lego Alien Conquest Range.

Twilight Watches - A Great Gift Idea for a Twihard

If you know someone who's a fan of the Twilight Saga movies then getting them a Twilight inspired watch is a great idea. If you check out the website Twilight Watches you'll see an ever changing range of watches containing images of the stars of the movie franchise.

Getting a Twilight watch is another way to show your allegiance - are you a vampire lover or a wolf girl? There are Edward Cullen watches and Jacob Black watches along with Bella Swan watches, in fact it can be hard to choose a favorite!

There are even new Breaking Dawn watches available as well which are pretty cool so pop on by and do some gift shopping for the Twihard in your life.

Trivial Pursuit - A Game For All Ages!

I love Trivial Pursuit and have enjoyed playing it since it was first released during the 80s.   My daughter liked the idea of playing, but she was only little so she didn't know the answers........the makers of Trivial Pursuit seemed to hear her calls as they released the Family Edition Trivial Pursuit which is in a word - awesome!

Luckily dd enjoys playing this almost as much as Monopoly and it's definitely the game I prefer so wet school holidays see us both happily trying to beat each other.  
There are two sets of questions one for adults to answer and one for children to answer which equals a level playing field.   I think the wins are about equal between us which is good.

The categories are also different from the original and are People & Places, Good Times, Yesterdays, Art & Culture, Created World and Games & Leisure

A sample adult card question is - Where in the body will you find your aqueous humour?   The answer for those of you who just want to confirm you were right is in the eye.

A sample child card question is - What is rolled in the game Yahtzee?   The answer (again only for confirmation as I know all of my readers know everything :) ) is dice.

Anyway there are lots of different versions of Trivial Pursuit available now which make it even more fun so check out some of the best ones at this page - I Love Trivial Pursuit!

Some of these versions would make great gift ideas such as the Star Wars one for any Star Wars fan to really test them and the 80s version for people who are still stuck in that decade.

Shopaholic Gift Ideas

Are you looking for a gift for a shopaholic?   Trying to find something that they haven't already brought might be a bit tricky!   Instead of giving them some shopping vouchers to go and indulge their shopping addiction what about thinking of some other gift ideas for them.

There are Shopaholic T-Shirts which can add a bit of fun to the gift giving as well as providing them with a great tee to wear.   Check this one out and if you think it's a great idea there's a great selection at the link above.

SHOPAHOLIC by jr_phelps
View more Shop T-Shirts

Of course not everyone likes t-shirts (I can't think why as I'm a bit of a t-shirt Queen, but each to their own!) Luckily there are some other ideas for shopaholics which you can find at another great site - Shopaholic Gifts.

Gifts include Martini Glasses, travel mugs (after all coffee on the go means "no stopping your shopping") and more.   If you can't find a gift solution for your shopaholic friend/family member at these two links then it'll have to be another shopping voucher!

Disney Princess Barbie Dolls

If you're looking for a gift idea for a young girl who still loves to play with her dolls and listen to classic fairy tales then you can't go past a Disney Princess Barbie Doll.   There are lots of different Disney Princess dolls available, but the Barbie ones are classics that are played with for a far longer time than the plush dolls which are available.

Barbie dolls have been loved for generations so combine them with the classic Disney Princesses and you have a winning formula.

You can buy all of the Disney Princess Barbie dolls individually or in sets such as the one featured which has 7 of the Disney Princess Barbie dolls in it.   If you're not sure which Disney Princess is the favorite of the little girl you're buying for then a set is a great idea.

This particular set contains Rapunzel (one of my favorite stories growing up, I haven't actually seen the Disney movie version), Belle, Tiana, Jasmine, Ariel, Snow White and my personal favorite Disney Princess - Cinderella.

If you do know their favorite Disney Princess then I would check out this aptly named site - Disney Princess Barbie Dolls to see what individual Disney Princess Barbie dolls there are to choose from.   The site even has the not so often mentioned Disney Princesses Mulan and Pocahontas Barbie dolls.

Gifts for a Creative Child + We Got An Award!

First up we got given a Creative Blog Award which led me to the idea of looking for a 'creative' gift idea to feature!   Here's the award - isn't it cool?

Now if you have a creative child how do you feed their imagination and nurture their creativity?   I have always made sure that I have paper and art supplies on hand for my daughter and I've come across this set from Amazon that looks pretty cool and would be a great gift idea for a budding artist.

This set comes in it's own box which most young children will find pretty cool.   It also features color pencils, oil pastels, watercolor cakes, paint brushes, pencils etc.   Basically this art set will allow them to explore a few different mediums which is exactly what you want for a young child who enjoys art.

Of course art isn't the only way that creativity shows through, my daughter has always enjoyed writing as well and I used to get her to write on pieces of A5 paper and then to do a picture on the front piece of paper with the name of her story.   We would then staple the paper together to produce her own book.   This is something that children absolutely love.

Now it appears that you can take this process another step with an Illustory Make Your Own Story kit like this one here -

Now I must admit I haven't actually used this set, but I would've definitely brought one had I found them a few years ago as it's a great way to nurture a child's imagination.

There are lots of other gift ideas for creative children from cross-stitch kits, beading kits and the current favorite - children's cooking sets.   It seems as though there has been an explosion in the number of cooking shows on our television at the moment which has led to children wanting to show their creativity in the kitchen as well.

As far as I'm concerned if you can get a child interested in cooking from a young age there are no bad side effects, but maybe that's just me!

I'll leave you with this 19 piece kids baking set from the Food Network's Paula Deen.

A Great Gift Idea for A Classic Car Enthusiast

If you're looking for a gift idea for a classic car enthusiast than I have a great idea for you.   Now if you're anything like me there isn't enough money to purchase an actual 1919 Ford Model-T car as a gift (or whatever car they really hanker after), however you might be able to afford a 1919 Ford Model-T Christmas ornament for them.

There are lots of different American Classic Cars available as Christmas ornaments and they are a great gift idea as every Christmas when the tree is being decorated your friend or family member will remember your gift as they hang it on the tree.   It's also a great way of collecting all of the classic and vintage cars that they love in miniature form - there's nothing to say they can't have them on display all year around.

I have compiled a selection of these Christmas ornaments at Classic American Cars Christmas Ornaments from the vintage 1919 Ford Model-T mentioned above to the 1955 Ford Thunderbird and my favorite the 1957 Corvette right up to the 1970 Ford Mach 1 Mustang.

Justin Bieber Laptop Skins

Are you looking at buying a gift for a Justin Bieber fan?   There are so many different Justin Bieber gift ideas to choose from that it's hard to know where to start.   Today however I'm going to talk about Justin Bieber laptop skins.

We've brought our dd a laptop for her birthday and these laptop skins seem like a great idea for personalizing a laptop.   I'm sure anyone would love to show off their favorite singer, actor or just activity on their laptop.

This Justin Bieber laptop skin is the most popular one that I've sold, although it's not my favorite, but then I'm not his targeted audience!

With most children requiring laptops to do their school work on it seems like laptop skins will become a more and more popular gift idea and with Bieber fever showing no signs of abating the Justin Bieber laptop skin continues to be a winner in the pop culture market!

I have a range of different Justin Bieber laptop skins available on my aptly named Justin Bieber Laptop Skins site and I'm sure that you'll find the perfect one on there - unless you're going with the masses and grabbing the one featured here - two pictures of Justin on one laptop skin is the reason I think it's been so popular - what do you think?

Celebrity Rubber Duckies

Have you seen celebriducks before?   They are an amalgamation of famous celebrities and rubber duckies and they make a fun gift idea.   I had ducks on the brain so I wanted to find a duck related gift idea to share with you and from there celebrity rubber duckies were an obvious choice!

Why do I have ducks on the brain?   Well yesterday morning both my dogs started barking excitedly and when I walked out onto the balcony I saw that we had intruders.   They were a cute intruder as opposed to the scary ones and I quickly called out to my daughter thinking how cool it was that she had a student free day.............we had two ducks swimming in our pool!

I had heard of ducks visiting people's pools before, but this was the first time since we put our pool in five years ago that ducks had visited us.   They had a pleasant swim and then took off.................I waited for them to come back today, but so far there's no sign of our 'intruders' returning.

So it's time for a blog post and I thought right what makes a great duck gift - well there are so many cool duck gifts on offer, but I couldn't really go past these celebrity rubber ducks - they are so cute!

Whether you want to bathe with the King himself, Marilyn Monroe, the Blues Brothers or President Obama himself there is a celebriduck just right for you............there is even one of the pope!

I'm not sure if a papal celebriduck means that your bathwater becomes holy water, but you'd want to wear a swimming costume or cover his eyes wouldn't you!


If you're looking to find a Christmas gift for someone there is even a Santa celebriduck - what better gift idea is there?

Let's face it everyone loves their rubber ducky from children to adults, celebrities to neighbors why even the Queen has a rubber ducky by all accounts!

Star Wars Collectibles - Great Gift Ideas for the Star Wars Fan in Your Life

I've just come across these fantastic Star Wars Collectibles which would be perfect for one of my friends who is a huge Star Wars fan.   A Darth Vader Collectible Mask which has me just wanting to say 'Luke, I am your father', which has just totally aged me!   There is also a Clone Trooper Collectible Helmet and a Yoda Collectible.  

Yoda has to be one of my favorite Star Wars characters so here's the Yoda one first -

Star Wars Jedi Master Yoda Collectible

What would Star Wars be without Darth Vader?   So let's look at the Darth Vader Collectible Mask now, this is something that my friend already owns and has pride of place on display in his dining room.

Darth Vader Collectable Mask

The next Star Wars Collectible that I've found for you is a Clone Trooper Collectible Helmet -

Clone Trooper Collectable Helmet

I hope you've enjoyed these three Star Wars Collectibles and have found a great Star Wars gift idea for someone in your life.   If you don't think that these collectibles are the type of gift that would be appreciated then you could always check out a few Star Wars t-shirts which are always a great stand by gift idea.

Gravy Boat with Warming Stand

I only came across a gravy boat with a warming stand like this one recently and my first thought was - waht a great idea. If there's one thing I love about winter (I live in Australia so we're entering winter right now) is the Sunday roast with lashings of delicious gravy.

This cool looking gravy boat serves a great purpose in style - what more could you ask for.   Admitedly the candle under the gravy boat did make me think of 1970s fondues for just a moment, but the idea is still fantastic.

Apparently this glossy-white porcelain gravy boat will keep the gravy delicious piping hot - even for second helpings which means you should buy it!

The other great thing about winter is that I will often make apple pie for pudding on Sundays too - well I say pudding, but we generally let the roast settle for a bit so it's more like supper!   Anyway apple pie goes really well with custard and you know what?   You can also use this gravy boat to keep your custard lovely and warm, ideal to pour over your apple pie, apple crumble or whatever dessert rocks your boat1

I want one of these myself, but other ideas are to buy one for a housewarming gift or to give to newly weds etc.   Just don't forget to give them a few tealight candles as well.

Bottle of Wine Glass

Do you know someone who enjoys a nice drop of wine or two?   This very nicely sized wine glass will take a whole 750ml bottle of wine very nicely!

Bottle of Wine Glass

If you've ever seen Cougar Town then I believe that this glass is one that Jules would love even more than her 'big' glass, in fact her big glass might even be one of these...........I really need to pay more attention to that show!

I think that a bottle of wine glass also makes a great gag gift for any friend who enjoys a drop of red...........or white, or rose or just about any wine really.   It would also be quite funny to take out when you say oh I think I'll only have one glass today - hello, big glass!

Purists should also like this glass because it will allow the wine to breathe - who needs to decant their wine when they have a large bottle of wine glass to pour it into?

Whatever the reason you want to use for having/buying this rather large wine glass have fun, but remember don't drink and drive - only having one glass is funny in front of friends at home, but not behind the wheel on the roads.

Butterfly Accessory Holder

I have only just come across these butterfly accessory holders, although they have been around for a while.   They are available in green, white, pink and purple that I have seen - take a look at what they are like -

Don't they look like something that would suit a girls bedroom?   I was thinking that they'd look good hanging from the hook on the back of dd's bedroom door.   They would also hang up in the wardrobe easily.

These are promoted as butterfly scarf hangers and are ideal for hanging up all of your scarves, but when I came across them I was told they were a butterfly accessory holder. I was at the house of one of my daughter's school friends and her friend had a purple butterfly accessory holder on the back of her door.  

There were two scarfs, a couple of belts and some necklaces all hanging from it and my daughter thought it looked pretty cool.    Guess what might just be on her birthday list this year?  

Not only does the butterfly scarf hanger make it easy for you to store your scarves.....or belts or other accessories, it also looks good and can make your accessories also act as room decor.

Hello Kitty iPhone Cases

Do you have a Hello Kitty iPhone Case yet?   I must admit I'm not quite sure how Hello Kitty became as big as she did, but she has certainly mesmerized millions around the world including people I buy gifts for so when I saw some iphone cases with Hello Kitty on them my eyes brightened as I realized I'd found the perfect gift for one of my nieces.

I've actually managed to compile a whole page of Hello Kitty iPhone cases which I'm sure you'll enjoy looking at.   Unfortunately as soon as I'd compiled an absolutely awesome collection of Hello Kitty iPhone cases (my dd's words - I'm guessing I've found another Hello Kitty fan), my affiliate underwent some difficulties and all of the links stopped working :(

I've now sourced some more Hello Kitty iphone cases and I have to say that there is even more selection and there are some gorgeous one available including some that combine the bling bling factor with Hello Kitty.

There are some great Hello Kitty silicone cases like the one featured and these are available in a range of different colors from black and white through to pink, orange, red and more.   These are great when you just want to give someone a Hello Kitty iphone case, but you're not sure which design they'd prefer.   You can't go wrong with this classic Hello Kitty look in their favorite color.

Not everyone likes the silicone cases however, my daughter does(for her ipod, mum hasn't let her have an iphone yet!), but I noticed that my niece seems to prefer hard cases for her iphone and you can get classic Hello Kitty designs in hard cases too.

I especially like this design with lots of little Hello Kittys all over it, but you can get designs like the classic silicone one above in a hard case as well.

As far as a lot of Hello Kitty fans are concerned you can't go past the rhinestone encrusted Hello Kitty iphone cases and I have a number of them on the webpage I mentioned above.   It's these rhinestone encrusted iphone cases that add the bling bling factor to the Hello Kitty iphone fashion and there's more than one type to choose from.

There are animal print rhinestone Hello Kitty iphone cases as well as the pretty in pink style of Hello Kitty iphone cases like the one I've found for you here.

There are also some gorgeous red rhinestone Hello Kitty iphone cases and silver (diamond look) cases to choose from.

I hope you've found a Hello Kitty iphone case that appeals to you, remember for a much larger selection you'll really want to visit my Hello Kitty iphone case page as there are cases for the iphone 3 or 4 and the selection is fantastic.

Sophie the Giraffe - The Best Baby Toy Ever?

I've written about Sophie the Giraffe before as I think she is wonderful.   At about 50 years old Sophie the Giraffe has somewhat of a celebrity status in many households around the world.   What makes Sophie special?

It's something about her quirky looks combined with the fact that whether your baby likes to chew on her ears or her feet she offers great baby-gripability (wow, I'm even making up words today!)

You can read all about why I like Sophie on - Sophie the Giraffe.

What appears to be happening now, however, is that Sophie the Giraffe is achieving a different kind of celebrity status thanks to Jessica Alba.   Yummy Mummy Jessica Alba has been singing the praises of Sophie the Giraffe via Facebook and Twitter as her baby Honor loves it.   Well Jessica I could have foreseen that Honor would choose Sophie as her favorite toy as do many babies around the world, but I think far more people will pay attention to you spreading the word than me LOL.

So there you have it, if you're looking for a baby teether for your own child or you just want a great gift for a baby then Sophie the Giraffe is what you want to buy - don't take my word for it, listen to Jessica Alba!

@jessicaalbaJessica Alba

my mom friends: Sophie has magical powers I haven't found one baby able to resist her chewable legs.

Disney Princess Figurines

There are some fantastic Disney Princess figurines available to buy and they all have one thing in common - they're gorgeous!   I recently came across the Disney Princess Birthday Parade set and I wished I'd found it when my daughter was first born.  It's designed as a train and starts off with the first piece to celebrate the birth of a little princess and then there's a piece to celebrate every birthday up to six.   I fell in love with it.

There are lots of other Disney Princess figurines to choose from though like this Snow White figurine -


Heigh Ho, It's Off To Play We Go - FIGURINES

Or even this Princess Jasmine figurine -


You Make All My Wishes Come True - FIGURINES

There are so many different Disney Princess figurines to choose from it's hard to know where to begin.   Personally I love Cinderella so I looked for some Cinderella figurines and I was surprised at how many great ones I could find online - a far wider selection than I could find at my local mall.  

This inspired me to collate all of my finds and present them on a webpage for you so if you love Cinderella then check out - Collectible Cinderella Figurines.   The Cinderella figurines featured include the Precious Moments Cinderella ornaments (like the Precious Moments ones featured above), along with collectible figurines from Lenox and even Cinderella figurines from Jim Shore's Disney Traditions range of Disney figurines.    There is bound to be at least one Cinderella figurine that you love in there and if you're like me you'll have trouble narrowing down the one you absolutely can't live without!

My daughter on the other hand has never been that enamored with Cinderella instead she's always loved Snow White - I tried to tell her she was more like the Evil Queen looking in mirrors all the time and the look I recieved (bear in mind that she's now a tween) would have put Medusa to shame, I swear I'm amazed I'm not turned to stone.

Anyway in deference to my daughter's preference for Snow White I also looked for Snow White figurines and guess what?   Yes, just like Cinderella there is a plethora of choice available online and so to make things easier for you I've compiled another webpage this time it's called - Collectible Snow White Figurines - I'm not that inventive with my titles am I?

Like the Cinderella page this website includes some fantastic Snow White Figurines from the likes of Precious Moments, Bradford Exchange and Jim Shore along with others and for a Cinderella person like myself I was surprised at exactly how many Snow White figurines I wanted to personally own!

101 Alice in Wonderland Quotes

Have you heard of the ebook 101 Alice in Wonderland Quotes? In this book author Tuula Olin, a long time fan of Alice in Wonderland, looks at some of the quotes in Alice in Wonderland and offers insights into them.

Alice in Wonderland is a literary classic that has been enjoyed by millions over the years. The wonderful characters that Lewis Carroll has created are quite eccentric and the book is full of quirky quotes.

Have you ever wondered what some of the sayings that are instantly recognizable such as “Curiouser and curiouser!” actually mean? Well Tuula Olin looks at 101 famous quotes from Alice in Wonderland and provides insight as to their meanings in her interactive ebook - 101 Alice in Wonderland Quotes.

As the movie Alice in Wonderland plays at cinemas around the world it is a great time to be able to sprinkle little Alice in Wonderland quotes throughout your conversations. You will be quite amazed as to how often Lewis Carroll’s words seem appropriate.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s latest collaboration in the adaptation of Alice in Wonderland into a hit movie has made now the time to ‘know’ all of the Alice in Wonderland quotes. See if they are all used in the movie or not. I can’t ruin it for you as I have yet to see this movie, but it would be interesting to know.

When you purchase Tuula Olin’s 101 Famous Quotes from Alice in Wonderland you actually receive a buddle of 4 titles which includes The Wasp in a Wig. The Wasp in a Wig is a long lost chapter that Lewis Carroll wrote that he never added into the book.

The bundle of ebooks includes:

• 101 Famous Quotes from Alice in Wonderland
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• Through the Looking Glass
• The Wasp in a Wig

Order 101 Famous Quotes from Alice in Wonderland now and receive a special price as well as three bonuses –

• Coloring Book (fantastic to keep handy for the school holidays)
• Computer Desktop Wallpapers
• Surprise Bonus

Do you have a favorite Alice in Wonderland Quote?   I like the Mock Turtle when he says, ‘well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.’   What exactly is uncommon nonsense????

Some of the quotes are just plain common sense such as – ‘Start at the beginning and go on til you come to the end: then stop.’   What could be clearer than those instructions from the King of Hearts and it’s so true for so many situations in life.

“We’re all mad here” is another quote that can be used in many situations……we used to use it a lot in one of my previous jobs as we were all a little …shall I say quirky!!!!

Of course if you prefer to get this book in an actual book form you can order the paperback through Amazon.   If I’m honest I actually prefer having a book in my hand than reading ebooks, but then I grew up before the word ebook was even invented!!   Having said that the ebook version is interactive which means that you can click on a quote and be automatically taken to the page that the quote originated from….something that an actually hold in your hand book can’t do!

One of the great things about a book on quotes in this day and age is that they are great things to tweet!   Some days when I haven’t done much I still like to send out a quick tweet so that friends overseas know I’m still breathing and a quote I like fits the bill really well.

I think either of these books - the ebook or the 'actual' book would make a great gift idea for any Lewis Carroll fan.   This actual blog post (except for this last paragraph) is actually a cut and paste from one of my hubs.   Changes occurring at Hubpages has meant that they don't like to see certain affiliate links and the ebook is unfortunately from one of their banned sites.   The author of the ebook, however, is someone I have met online as we have written on some of the same sites and it's one of the 'good products' from this merchant which unfortunately aren't promoted as often as the other type of products this merchant provides such as 'how to guides' for 6 pack abs, getting your ex back and getting rich quick!

Z is for Zebra

Zebra print is so much fun whether you use it in fashion or in home decor it's just .......well fun!   A couple of months ago we brought my tween a pair of suspenders and they look like this -


Aren't they cool?   DD loves them and wears them a lot as she thinks they add a great bit of whimsy to her outfit and I think she's right.  

I don't think I would be able to pull them off, but they are pretty cool.

I also like the idea of buying a zebra scarf to use in my wardrobe - as a scarf or a belt or just tied around my handbag for an added accent.


Zebra Print Striped Satchel

Other ways to add a touch of zebra print to an outfit is by adding a bag or a pair of sunglasses.


SW Safari Style #78

There are lots more ways of adding a touch of zebra print to your outfit like zebra print jewelry, watches etc There are even hair bands in zebra print.

Wearing zebra print as a dress or top, however has to be done with care as most people cannot carry it off. I saw a poster of Lady Gaga wearing a zebra print top and it really did her no favors despite the fact that she has a great figure. This might be why so many zebra print fashion accessories are available because it's a way that anyone can add a little safari to their outfit.

This is the final post in the April A to Z Blogging Challenge and I must say it's been fun, but very tiring! I will be taking a couple of days off now, especially as it's a long weekend for me and I'll catch up with you all later in the week.

Y is for YSL

YSL bags that is!   YSL bags seem to be a favorite with many celebrities and when you look at the designs it's hardly surprising.

Yves Saint Laurent has such a wide variety of gorgeous bags to choose from that it would be hard not to find at least one that you want to own.   The Muse is a long time favorite of many celebs whereas I like the classic look of the Majorelle, you can find both of these designs plus others on YSL Bags are the Best Bags!

Even that site doesn't list all of the YSL bags that are available however, there's also designs called the Large Roady and the Multy which also look great......I can't find where to purchase these, but just search for them on ebay occasionally as it's amazing how many times you can grab a YSL bag at very affordable prices.

X is for X Files

My hubby used to be obsessed with this series and so I found myself being sucked in as well (isn't it amazing how often that happens?), I can't actually remember how the series ended now, but it was great fun while it lasted.

So what can you get someone who's 'a believer' as a gift?

Well there's always the Complete Collector's Edition featured here - this set contains 61 discs so it would be a little dangerous to give to hubby as I can see way too many all nighters being pulled in an attempt to watch it all at once!

You might think that statement was me being funny, but unfortunately we had about two weeks of watching another box set (that I won't name in case it appears in another post :D) from about 9.00 at night until 2 or 3 in the morning every night and as far as the weekend was concerned dd was staying with a friend for one of the days and we only stopped to refuel - it can be hard work getting through box sets!

If someone is a really big fan of The X-Files however then they may already have the cds, whether they brought the complete set or season by season, so what else it available?

There's always a poster such as the one pictured or the classic UFO - I want to believe one.

I'm quite surprised that my hubby hasn't brought one to hang up in the bar yet, probably because he hasn't seen them in the shops recently - note to self don't let hubby read this post unless you've decided you wouldn't mind an x-files poster in the bar!

Other ideas for fans of the X-Files are books about the X-Files or a dvd on the Lone Gunman series which was a spin off from the X-Files.   I must admit I never saw this series, but I did like the Lone Gunman so this could end up wrapped up for hubby this Christmas.

Other ideas are some of the great X-Files t-shirts that are around such as these -

        

W is for Wonder Woman iPhone Cases

Did you used to watch Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman when you were growing up?   I can still remember spinning around pretending to be Wonder Woman which is why I loved it when I came across Wonder Woman iPhone Cases.   They really are awesome!

The cases themselves are made by Speck so you know they're high quality.   They are actually a hard plastic case, but the design is printed on an easy to grip fabric that covers the case completely.   This gives the case a really unique touch of style.

Wonder Woman Swinging Lasso by wonderwoman
Browse other iphone 3 cases

This is probably my favorite Wonder Woman iPhone case as it shows Wonder Woman in all her glory wielding her golden lasso.   The designs available are able to be put on your iphone 3 or your iphone 4.   I think this is really bringing our favorite female superhero into the future with apple technology - what do you think?

Victorian Paper Dolls

Did you ever play with paper dolls when you were younger?   They were so much fun and you could dress them up in any number of costumes.   My favorites were always the Victorian fashions, I was quite obsessed with Victoriana when I was younger - I'm not quite sure why.

 I can remember at school watching a program that to my mind was like a soap opera, but it was based in Victorian days sort of like a Way We Were type of program and I loved the upper class outfits.   Unfortunately if I'd ever lived back then I would probably have been living in an overcrowded slum!

This Victorian Family Paper Dolls contains four dolls as well as 38 different costumes which means that you can play out your very own Victorian soap opera in your own home.   Forget computer games and re-introduce your children to the simple pleasures that playing with paper dolls can give.

Now this Victorian family is a nice place to start, but I did like the Victorian fashions so this next Victorian paper dolls is my pick of the selections available -

 In this Great Fashion Designs of the Victorian Era you get 2 dolls and 28 different outfits which includes Queen Victoria's wedding gown, dresses with the bustle evolving into a more hourglass figure that came in towards the end of the Victorian Era and evolved into Edwardian fashion.    

If you really love the idea of Victorian fashion then there are also Victorian paper dolls from Harpers Bazar which are fantastic high fashion costumes.   In fact there are so many different Victorian paper dolls available that I couldn't possibly list them all, but if you click on either of the ones I've featured Amazon also offers a range of different collections for you to try.

Even if your children are a little 'old' for paper dolls, it doesn't mean you can't revisit your childhood and indulge in a little fantasy as a great way of destressing and the advantage with paper dolls is that they are easier to hide in a drawer than a Barbie or Bratz doll would be!!

U is for Umbrellas

Umbrella's have come a long way since the standard black umbrella that men used to take 'to the city' when they worked as stockbrokers, bankers and the like.   You can now get umbrellas of all different descriptions.

There are so many different types of umbrellas available that I've even produced a webpage called - Unique Umbrellas!   I'm sure you've seen all the licensed umbrellas that are available for children - the Disney umbrellas and ladybug and bee umbrellas, well adults can have a little fun with their umbrellas as well.

You can purchase animal inspired umbrellas, Elvis umbrellas, New York umbrellas and more.   You can let your umbrella bloom like a flower with nature inspired umbrellas such as Daisies, you can own your own art gallery with art inspired umbrellas like Monet.   There are even Twilight umbrellas available if you're a Twilight fan.

An umbrella would certainly make a unique gift idea as well as a very practical one.   Some of these umbrellas make you even wish for a rainy day just so that you can show them off :D

Twilight Gifts

Twilight has garnered many fans among young and old which is why I thought you'd need to get some ideas for what to buy the Twihard in your life.   I have a webpage full of Twilight Gift Ideas which you are welcome to check out, but here's five unique Twilight gifts for you to consider - 

Twilight Candy is a really cool idea for a Twilight fan, especially one who has a sweet tooth!   Based on the Sweetheart Candies these have phrases tailored for Twilight fans such as 'Lamb', 'Bite Me' and 'Live 4 Ever.'

The candy comes in four different flavors - Orange Obsession, Tempting Apple, Secret Strawberry and Passion Fruit.   The boxes that the candy arrives in has Twilight Trivia on the back which is great.

As you can see with this set of 3 the boxes are all different with one showing the cast, another Edward and yet another Bella.

If sweetheart candy isn't your thing then click on the link to see what else is available as there are Twilight chocolate bars, even a heart shaped box of Twilight chocolates all available on Amazon - delicious.

Twilight Mousepads are a cool gift idea especially for an office colleague as the boss can't object to them using a mousepad while they work even if posters in the office aren't allowed!!   There are lots of different types of Twilight mousepads available from Team Edward to Team Jacob or even Edward & Bella ones.

Twilight Contact Lenses - this is a really unique gift idea for a Twilight fan, they can get Edward's amber eyes or eyes that look just like the Volturi, all of these and more are available with a pair of theatrical contact lenses.

A Twilight bag is another cool gift idea and there are a number of different types to choose from including the reversible one featured here.   On my Twilight Gift Shop I also feature a hobo style of Twilight bags, but there are so many more to choose from.

There are Twilight Messenger bags, Twilight Backpacks, Twilight Clutches and Twilight Totes.....no doubt there are others as well that I haven't come across yet!   Bags are useful for everybody so a Twilight bag is not only a cool gift idea, but a practical one as well.

Twilight Jewelry is another great gift idea of which that are a variety of different types to choose from.   There's so many to choose from including Team Edward or Team Jacob jewelry, the Volturi jewelry, Bella Inspired Jewelry and replica jewelry from the movies.   Types of this jewelry and/or links to it are all available at my Twilight Gift Shop.

I hope you've found some great gift ideas with this list of five ideas to get you started.   There are lots more gifts for Twilhards at my gift shop for you to browse through including dolls, tattoos, Christmas ornaments and much more so go dazzle someone with a great Twilight gift today!

S is for Sophie

If you're looking for a baby gift you can't go past Sophie the Giraffe.   This giraffe is really cute and is ideal for a babies small hands to hold and did I mention it's invaluable when they're teething?

I've written a full review of Sophie the Giraffe which explains all about why Sophie will become indispensable for any new parent right here - Buy Sophie the Giraffe Online.

Let's look at some Sophie's good points - her giraffe body is shaped really well for babies to be able to hold onto her from as young as three months.

Made of rubber Sophie the Giraffe is 100% Phthalates and BPA free so as a parent you can rest easy that Sophie won't make your child sick.

Personally I just love her quirky look and babies soon learn to recognize Sophie when you pick her up as they get extremely excited and will reach out for her from a very, very early age.   They also want to keep Sophie the Giraffe for much longer than the manufacturers tell you which (in my opinion) is always a good thing - it means that you get your moneys worth, doesn't it?

I wish I'd found a set of two when I got Sophie (see above) as it would've made things very helpful - some babies get so attached to little Sophie that it pays to have a spare just in case she goes missing - trust me it happens!

R is for Royal

Are you eagerly awaiting the Royal Wedding on April 29th or are you feeling totally 'over it' by now?   If you enjoy knowing a bit about the Royals then you might be interested in the Royal Palaces that are in Britain.

The Royal Palaces of Britain is a book that is sure to enchant any royalist as it covers not a couple palaces, but 31 of them including Buckingham Place, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace.   I'm sure you've heard of all three of those palaces, but have you heard of Lever Castle or Scone Palace?

This book was written by Jane Struthers and features photographs by Chris Coe and Paul Riddle, now to be honest as far as the information on the palace's go the book doesn't go in depth enough for me, but the photos - well they make the book.   This is a great book to give an overview of Britain's Royal Palaces (and the link above will give you a full list of the palaces included) and is ideal if you're thinking of planning a trip to the UK.

I have found that The Royal Palaces of Britain gives you enough information to decide what palaces you want to find out more on, like a starting point really.

A regal gift that I believe will stand the test of time.

Q is for Quarry

If you're familiar with best selling author Sue Grafton then this heading will be a ringing a bell for you as it's part of her alphabet crime series of books.   I used to enjoy reading this pre-motherhood, but I'm afraid I haven't got back into her books now that dd is a little older and I've finally found time to start reading again!

Private Investigator Kinsley Millhone is brought back in yet another crime novel by Sue Grafton and I do wonder if she was given a book challenge very much like our blogging challenge - start a book with a new letter and work your way through the entire alphabet.

A teenage girls body is found in a Quarry which leads Sue Grafton into her Q book, eighteen years later the cops who found the teenager's body hire Kinsley to find out who she is as she's become a cold case. 

If you want more information on the book (I'm afraid it's one of Grafton's that I haven't read yet) then click on the book to the left and read the reviews on Amazon.

P is for Pendants

As I work my way through the alphabet as part of the April A-Z Blogging Challenge I come inevitably to the letter P and with my penchant for jewelry I just have to choose pendants.   As long time readers will know I love jewelry, but pendants have to be one of my favorite forms of jewelry and are especially great gift ideas.

Pendants are a great gift idea and you can find all different styles of pendant to choose from.   At the moment though I'm going to talk about pendants from Zazzle.   Zazzle is a print on demand company that you may or may not be aware of and since late last year they also produce pendants.

Lady on the Rock by lou165
Create custom silver pendants online

This pendant is of the Lady on the Rock, a statue that stands at the entrance of the Whakatane harbour and people who live in Whakatane usually go down to 'the heads' (as they call the entrance to the harbour) every day which makes it a special site.   We haven't lived in Whakatane for over 10 years and yet we have a picture of the Lady on the Rock gracing our lounge as do many of our friends who also hail from there.   This pendant was made with one of them in mind and was a very cherished gift for them - it's rarely taken off in fact!

If you have a special place that lives in your heart even when you're miles away then you can make your own pendant (the pendants can be round or square) to wear.

I have also seen people put photos of their pets and loved ones onto pendants and I think they make a great gift idea for someone.

Other ideas include using artwork that depicts many things from flowers to gothic designs and from animals to  seasonal designs, I have a selection of different pendants available at Unique Silver Necklaces.   I'll leave you with a design that a lot of people seem to like, my pink and white swirl pendant -

Pink & White Swirl Necklace by lou165
See other pendants

O is for Owls

My mother collects owls and has done since I was young which has meant that my brother and I have brought numerous owl gifts over the years.   I recently came across some great owl posters on Zazzle that would make a great gift idea for any owl lover.   There are posters derived from photographs of actual owls, retro feel owl posters and also fantasy owl posters like the one below -

2 FANTASY OWLS Poster by BY_CYRA
Browse other Owls Posters

I have never given mum a poster before, but I think I might get one framed for her for this year's birthday.   The closest to a poster that I've given her was a cross stitch of a snowy owl that I made for her and framed - it still has pride of place in the family room.

One thing that mum has received a lot of over the years from various family members has been owl figurines and they are scattered around her house on different shelves.   This set of  miniature owl figurines would make a great gift idea.

The four different styles of owls would look great on a shelf or desk and are each 2.25" tall and 1.75" wide.   They look so cute I'd even love them myself!

Another gift idea that has been popular is an owl pendant - I have given my mother a beautiful owl pendant and she has also brought herself a couple of other owl pendants as there are some great selections of owl pendants available.   Also on the subject of owl jewelry - owl brooches are another great gift idea and one which one of my nieces gave mum last year.

One piece of owl jewelry that I had never come across until I was looking on Amazon for some gift ideas recently was a ring.   An owl ring had never crossed my mind before and yet there are quite a few in lots of different styles.   

The one I've selected here is a turquoise and coral silver ring which I think looks fantastic.   The turquoise really makes the owl seem to 'pop' and the reviews sound fantastic.   I think this could easily be added to the must buy 'owl' list - what do you think?

Another great gift idea for any owl lover is an owl Christmas ornament for the tree.  This could be given as a birthday or as a Christmas gift and is bound to be a hit.   I have compiled a webpage with a lovely selection of designs available online at - Owl Christmas Ornaments.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at some owl gift ideas, let me know if you have any other great gift ideas for an owl lover as I'm all ears :D

N is for Nature Inspired Umbrellas

With rain forecast for today it seemed only natural to think about umbrellas and there are some really awesome nature inspired umbrellas available to purchase online.   The most popular are probably the floral ones and I must admit the purple daisy style or sunflower umbrellas are very striking and really make you stand out from the crowd.

Personally I love the palm tree umbrella - it looks like leafs off of a palm tree which makes me feel very tropical!

My daughter loves butterfly umbrellas and often points them out to me when she sees them (luckily that's not very often in real life as most of these unique nature inspired umbrellas seem to need to be brought online).   I was tempted to purchase a dragonfly umbrella for dd's teacher a couple of years ago as she liked dragonflies, but before I ordered it my daughter informed me that she'd told her teacher I was going to make her a dragonfly necklace - gotta love kids!

Here's some of those beautiful nature inspired umbrella's here (and don't forget to check out the link above for a great selection, including the ones I've mentioned).

    

M is for Marilyn Monroe

Screen icon Marilyn Monroe still has millions of fans and if you know one of these fans then here are some gift ideas for the.   Bearing in mind that most Marilyn fans will already own her movies I've tried to think of other Marilyn Monroe collectibles that would be appreciated.

I have compiled a popular selection of Marilyn Monroe Collectibles that people find really convenient when they're gift shopping (for themselves or others, I'm not sure!)

One of the most popular Marilyn Monroe gift ideas that I find sells is Marilyn Monroe Christmas Ornaments and these seem popular all year around.

There are a number of different types of Marilyn Monroe Christmas ornaments such as the one featured and many others that you can check out from the above link.   I think one of the reasons that this is such a popular gift idea is that people are reminded of your gift each year as they dress their Christmas tree.

Personally I love receiving special Christmas ornaments to personalize my tree with each year and I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way.

Another idea for a Marilyn Monroe fan is a Marilyn Monroe t-shirt and there are so many to choose from.   Now that makes it sound hard, but it's not really it's a case of there being lots of different colors to choose from which is great because the same color does not suit everyone.   It also means that there are different fits to suit people as some prefer loose fitting t-shirts while others like slim fitting shirts.   

I've actually compiled an ever changing selection of Marilyn Monroe T-Shirts which will help to make your decisions even easier.

Of course a classic Marilyn gift is a Marilyn Monroe Poster.   Again there are lots of Marilyn Monroe posters to choose from.

Buy This Marilyn Monroe poster at Allposters.com

You can either buy a plain poster or get one framed, personally I love this ballerina pose in a frame, it looks great - doesn't it?

Marilyn Monroe Dolls are another popular gift idea.   Dolls are a great collectors item and you can get a number of different Marilyn dolls such as the Barbie 50th Anniversary doll that is pictured.

You can also find dolls that are dressed in her infamous white dress from The Seven Year Itch to her Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend pink dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

There are Marilyn Monroe Barbie dolls as well as a number of OOAK (one of a kind) Marilyn Monroe dolls to choose from.

My sister in law collects salt and pepper shakers so when I was looking at what Marilyn Monroe collectibles were available I naturally looked at those.   There are actually quite a number of Marilyn Monroe Salt & Pepper Shakers available and some of them are really awesome - what a great gift idea for a Marilyn fan.

There you go five different ideas for some great Marilyn Monroe gifts, I hope that something on here tickled your fancy :D

L is for Larsson

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish journalist who wrote what has become known as the Millennium Trilogy before he died.   The three books that make up this bestselling trilogy are The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest and all three of these books are ideal for any bookworm you know.

The first book in the series is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and in this book we meet the main characters who are going to take us on quite an adventure.

This book is quite hard to get into and my dad actually gave up trying to read it.  I had actually been told that it took a little getting into, but was worth it so I persevered for a few chapters and the result - definitely worth while!

I think the problem is getting used to the Swedish names, once you've got used to them though the book is really good and I recommend it.   I should also mention that since I've finished the whole trilogy, my mum has finished the trilogy and my brother has just started the third book my dad has decided to 'give it another go' and he now appears to be quite hooked on it.   In fact it's hard to get him to put the book up except to ask questions which we refuse to answer (why ruin the ending for him?)

In essence it's like two books in one - a decades old dead case of a missing girl and also the mystery of super hacker - Lisbeth Salander.

The book finishes and then leads straight into the next book (or at least my copy did) which means that - of course - you then have to reach for the second book.   My advice is to buy them all before you start reading so that you have them on hand.

The second book in Stieg Larsson's trilogy is The Girl Who Played With Fire.   A couple of my friends have stated that this was the best of the three books, I'm not so sure as I'm torn between this book and the last one.   One thing is for certain this book is a lot better than the first one (which was good after it got going).

In this book Salander is accused of murder and journalist Mikael Blomkvist is determined to prove her innocence, along the way we hear about Salander's life.

I don't want to ruin things by saying too much so I'll leave you with this - I literally could not put this second book down it gripped me from the beginning to the end.

Where the book ends the third in the trilogy quickly picks up.   As I have said some of my friends said that the second book was the best and they were a little disappointed in the third book, but I have to disagree with them.

In The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest all of the loose ends are tidied up and it really does conclude the whole series.

At the end of The Girl Who Played With Fire Salander was severely injured and in The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest she has to fight to recover as well as prove her innocence and who better to help her with that than friends from previous books such as Mikael Blomkvist, Dragan Armansky and the team from Millennium magazine.