Out of
RD
GIFT
GUIDE
2007
Bear Up!
This dandy is
sporting recycled
ties, but any fabric
will do. (ReMinkie
Memory Bears;
$125+)
Off the Wall
Turn favorite
T-shirts into
wall art or quilts.
(Keepsake Quilts;
$225+)
theBox
Personalize It
Beauties
Jewelry, made
from real orchids,
Customize your stamps. so no two are alike.
(zazzle.com; $14.95 (Hanami; $35+)
for 20 stamps)
Make your mark with
a self-inking monogram Catchall Colorful bins
stamp. (PSA Essentials; and mats made from
$40) recycled flip-flops.
Have your say, on (VivaTerra; $29+)
Post-its. (iprint.com; To Do Volunteer to
$19.54 for 10 pads) haul out your mom’s
Select the color and recycling for six months.
message for custom-
printed M&M’s.
(M&M; $47.96 for
four 7-oz. bags)
Design a label for a
12-pack of sugarcane
soda. (Jones Soda
Co.; $29.99)
Find shopping PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERIK RANK; STYLING BY DAN PASKY;
ORCHIDS PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRISTINE BRONICO;
information at rd.com/shop. ILLUSTRATED BY ISTVAN BANYAI 133
RD I DECEMBER 2007
I Promise
… to give up con-
trol of the remote.
… to walk the dog
before it’s too late.
… not to torture
my sister.
Make your own
personal vouchers
for friends and
family. And don’t
forget to keep
your word!
Gone Fishin’
A tabletop To Do Check out
aquarium, low kidsoffthecouch.com
maintenance, for family-time ideas.
with filter and You might watch
light fixture. E.T., then select a
(AquaVista; related activity, like
$150) visiting a planetarium.
Spin Art Lessons
Attach individual
“blades” to a moun- Great Shots Give a subscription to
tain or road bike for webphotoschool.com’s library of
a spectacular light step-by-step digital photography tutorials
show and high ($9.99+ per month; up to three free
visibility. lessons for starters)
(Hokey Spokes; Fore-titude Golfers like to work on their
$29.95+) swing. Find an instructor at pga.com.
Lessons start at $35 an hour.
Breathe Consider yoga classes for anyone
who could use a good stretch and a
Zen-like environment. ($12+ per session
at a yoga studio)
On the Record Take DJ lessons from the
pros and spin the night away.
(Scratch DJ Academy; $80+ per hour)
134
O U T O F T H E BOX
Strummin’ Fantasy Land
A guitar tops the wish
Jam the week away
list of someone in your
with living legends at
family? Save $$$
Rock n’ Roll Fantasy
by buying a
Camp. (rockandroll
gently used one
fantasycamp.com;
on eBay.
$8,999+)
Create Your Very Own
Song. How cool is that?
Sing-Alongs (Xperience Days; $1,500)
Give an iPod Shuffle with Take a group on an
downloads of your friend’s Urban Scavenger Hunt.
favorite tunes. (Apple; A great way to explore
$79; iTunes, 99 cents per your city. (Cloud9Living;
song or $9.99 per album) $1,000)
Kickoff Tailgate in style Lots of ’Bots
with NFL bottle-cap belts. First there was
The seat-belt buckle Build-A-Bear.
is a bottle opener! Now kids can
(LittleEarth; $39) custom-build
To Do Enroll your guy in their own
a fantasy sports league. robot! (Robot
(ESPN.com) Galaxy; $27+)
Find shopping
information at rd.com/shop.
135
RD I DECEMBER 2007
Hostess Gift
Solve the
puzzle, or no
one drinks
the wine!
(Family A Cook’s Delight
Games; $24.99) Comfortable,
(KITCHEN TOOLS) PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRISTINE BRONICO
Make It Yours colorful ergonomic
Labels for kitchen tools, inspired
everything: by sneaker sole technology.
wine, beer (Ar + Cooking; $10+)
or Aunt Nell’s To Do For anyone with a sweet
preserved tooth, create your own Cookie
peaches. (My of the Month “club” and send
Own Labels; treats regularly. No time to
$9 for up to 45) bake? Try Damn Good Cookies
and Ugly Truffles. ($16+)
Collect family recipes for the
whole gang and showcase
them in individual cookbooks.
(allrecipes.com; $25+)
Dirt, Begone
Combine simple
home ingredients
with these eco-
friendly cleaning
kits for the home,
body, baby and
pets. (Eco-Me;
$26+)
136
O U T O F T H E BOX
Parties!
Host your own who-done-it
murder mystery party.
ta,
Who knew detective work
S a n could be so much fun?
Dearl I want
(Murder Mystery Maniacs;
$8 per person)
Al Throw a block party and
meet the neighbors! For
for stm a s step-by-step instructions,
Chri
go to ehow.com.
Gather friends and set off
is Drop a Line Unique graphite
on a “mobile” meal. Dine
at a different restaurant for
writing instruments.
each course. Timing’s the
(ASB Workshop; $36+)
thing, so make reservations!
Host a beer party and
Relax! Hire a maid sample the best in craft
service to do the beers. The Top Ten Don’t
cleanups. (mollymaid Miss ’Em Beers, from the
.com or merrymaids.com; Brewers Association, are
gift cards start at $100) at rd.com/shop. Or try local
breweries.
Clean Sweep No bags,
HEPA filter, lots of If you celebrate Kwanzaa
suction. (Dyson DC07, or Hanukkah, go to
$399) officialkwanzaawebsite.org
or hanukkah.org for how-to
guides on celebrations and
customs.
Get your girlfriends over
for a salsa or belly dancing
party. Hire an instructor
(or try a new DVD), whip
up some appetizers and
drinks, then shake it up!
Find shopping
information at rd.com/shop.
137
RD I DECEMBER 2007
It’s About Time
Stainless steel watch
with barometer, altime-
ter and digital compass,
for the man on the go.
(Origo; $200)
Are You Game?
Weighty chess
pieces wobble
(but they don’t
fall down!) on a
concave board.
Maple and wal-
nut. (Umbra;
$250).
Getaways
Room Service Dollar-Wise The world’s
Give a gift certificate safest wallets shield
to bnbfinder.com. Your your data against
recipient can use it wireless identity theft.
toward the perfect bed- (Kena Kai; $49.99+)
and-breakfast, inn or To Do Organize pictures
Deal on Wheels
small hotel from Alaska in a beautiful photo album.
Who doesn’t love a
to Maine. ($20+) Or transfer digital pics and
looks-like-new car? Pop
a gift certificate for car Ahhh ... Pamper a friend home videos to DVDs with
detailing in that stock- with a gift certificate Sony’s DVDirect Recorder.
ing! Check local listings. to spa-addicts.com, ($230)
($90+) redeemable at participat-
ing salons. ($50+)
138
O U T O F T H E BOX
Adventures
Up, up and away! Hot-air
ballooning. (Soaring Adven-
tures of America; $199)
Explore the depths of the
ocean while scuba diving.
(Gifty Box; $89+)
What floats your boat?
White-water rafting (Excita-
tions; $75+) or flat-water
kayaking (Excitations; $120+).
And if you can’t snag a seat
on the space shuttle, try an
awesome zero gravity experi-
ence. (Cloud9Living; $3,750)
That Tops All!
Classic wool felt
fedora from the
Indiana Jones
collection. (Hartford
York; $65)
Race to the finish For the ultimate thrill seeker,
line in an official there’s skydiving (skydiving.com;
NASCAR stock race $180+). And if jumping out of air-
car. (Xperience Days; planes is too scary, there’s indoor
$129+) skydiving (Signature Days; $45).
Find shopping Contributors: NANCY COVENEY,
information at rd.com/shop. GAIL STEVES, KATHRYN M. TYRANSKI
139
