MISC: HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS 2009

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS 2009

If you’re like me, you haven’t even started your Christmas shopping yet. And there are only a few days left! It’s really hard to come up with new ideas year after year.

But this time, I’m here to help you. (And me!) So, here are some new products I’ve happened upon recently and can really recommend to you. Hope it helps! (And if not in time for Xmas, there’re always Capricorn birthdays–like mine, on January 14. Hint, hint, Mr. X!)

FOOD

Leslie’s Famous Biscotti–I recently attended a party that was serving these long, flat biscotti, and people were going nuts over them. I brought a couple of Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch ones home to Mr. X and he really enjoyed them, so I looked into getting them for my Xmas list peeps.

Turns out, Chef Leslie creates them right here in West Los Angeles. So for you locals, you can probably just call and pick them up. For everyone else, their website gives all the info and creative flavors, and they ship to you. It seems every time I check, she’s come-up with something new. The special Holiday Flavors-of-the-Month look fun, and you naughty types should love the Chocolate Seduction Spice. I’m just hoping Santa sends me some Double Chocolate Hazelnut because I’ve been so nice. www.lesliesfamousbiscotti.com Local: 310-470-2177 Otherwise: 866-553-8707

Honeydew Intimates–this is for the guys to get their gals, (even though several of my best female friends have picked-out really cute bras for me over the years! Nothing weird, they just know that I’m always looking for that perfect bra, just like I am with lipstick.) Mr. X gets me cute underwear when he can muster-up the courage to walk into a lingerie store.

But with these cute Honeydew Intimates, you can just order on-line; their pix are pretty realistic. (Except for the bodies on the models.) I just received a pair of colorfully-striped boy shorts, my absolutely favorites. I can’t wait for the next time I have to be in a non-private changing room! I’ll definitely have the best underwear in there!  www.honeydewintimates.com

BEAUTY

Rada Pro Nail Station–Those of you who’ve watched my show know that I’m fingernail-obsessed. Have been since I was a little girl. In my teen-age diaries, as a matter-of-fact, I wrote my whole nail routine almost every day!

I occasionally get my nails done professionally, but I really do prefer to do them myself in the comfort of my own home. Though finances and cleanliness are two of the reasons, it’s really a time-constraint thing. Just the travel time saved is enough to convince me. And I can watch TV or talk on the phone the whole time, thus killing two birds with one stone. Sometimes even all three!!!

But I often polish them while sitting on the couch, which makes Mr. X nuts, worrying that I may spill something. Enter the Rada Pro Nail Station, to restore peace and harmony to my happy home. It’s a whole nail station, with a holder for the bottle and space for either hands or feet. The whole thing is fabulous! So, if you’re a guy who knows a girly-girl such as me, (and most of my cute friends), and don’t want to commit to jewelry or clothing just yet, I can’t tell you how thoughtful a nail polish station is. Lets her know that you appreciate her beauty efforts. www.radapro.com

CHARITY

Let’s Say Thanks–I feel that no list of holiday gift ideas is complete without at least one charity suggestion. And this is the easiest one ever! It costs nothing outside of maybe three minutes of your time! And I’m sure that there’s no one reading this who can’t spare that for charity.

A reader actually sent this link to me, knowing that I’d be happy to do it myself, so I thought I’d pass it on to all of you. It’s a website that let’s you send a note to members of our troops, via an email to the site. Then they print them out and send the off by regular mail.

I believe this can be done all-year-round, but there’s no time like the present. Or the holidays. Not only will these notes cheer-up the recipients, hopefully, but I think participating will make your holiday a little merrier as well. www.LetsSayThanks.com

BEAUTY/CHARITY COMBO

MUD Cares Palette of Eye Colors–last, but far from least, is this great gift, which combines beauty and charity, a wonderful combo. Those who practice charity are, indeed, beautiful. To enhance both simultaneously, you can order a MUD Cares Palette of Eye Colors, which benefits a charity called NextAid.

Trust me, I have more make-up than Sephora, but am always interested in finding the new, hip beauty enhancers, especially eye shadows and lip glosses. Someone recently sent me this shadow palette from MUD, (which stands for Make-Up Designory) and I love it. The website even has detailed instructions for the different looks you can achieve with just these four colors. And the compact itself is thin and lightweight enough to carry in even a clutch.  (It doesn’t contain any little swabs with it, but really, who ever uses those anyway?)

And the best part, is that, in the charity’s own words, “100% of the proceeds will be going toward building a safe and sustainable home for children in Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS.” Now that’s a gift for the recipient, the charity, and your own soul. http://shop.mudshop.com/mud-cares-palette www.mudshop.com www.nextaid.org