Give your feet a rest this season; the experts have lots of gift ideas
I love to shop, but I'm no expert. So as the sand began slipping through the hourglass of the holiday rush, I went to the online shopping experts to see what they are buying this year.
Below is a sampling of their picks:
Helen Malani, chief shopping expert at www.shopzilla.com
• Brightfeet Lighted Slippers, $39.95 at www.extremegeek.com
These men's slippers come with an LED light in the toe, so when the guy gets up in the middle of the night, he can find his way to the bathroom or refrigerator without turning on the light.
• Dinner of the Month Club membership, $71.85-$263.40 at www.gifts.com
Send a busy person or family a gourmet dinner for four once a month. The price for a three-month membership, including shipping, is $71.85.
• Fashionable luggage, prices vary, www.ebags.com
Make your luggage stand out from the boring old black bags on the carousel by buying pieces with color and patterns. Malani likes the Diane von Furstenberg line.
• Smencils, $10 at most major chain stores
These pencils give off smells like watermelon, root beer and bubble gum, and make great stocking stuffers for kids. Bonus: They're made from recycled newspaper.
Eva the Shopping Diva, marketing manager at www.shoplocal.com.
• Radio Flyer Retro Rocket, $40-$60 at most major chain stores
"Kids just go crazy when they open them," Eva says. They're bright red, look great and are easy to put together.
• Pleo Dinosaur, $300 in most major electronics stores
Created by the same people who made Furby, this hot new interactive robotic dinosaur is the size of a small cat and responds to the sounds you make and what you do.
• MUJI recycled cardboard iPod speakers, $42 at momastore.org
"You don't want to give someone a composter," Eva says, but you can give eco-friendly cool-looking iPod speakers from the Museum of Modern Art. They're made from recycled cardboard and recycled Japanese electronic parts. "They literally come folded up and look like gift boxes with a little wiring and simple instructions," Eva says. Great for traveling.
• Technology-ready Scottevest jacket, $49.99 at www.brookstone.com
For someone who already owns a lot of gadgets, this fleece jacket has 12 hidden pockets, including one that lets you route your iPod cord through the whole jacket.
Alisa Weiner, general manager of comparison shopping sites at www.shopping.com
• Indoor lemon or lime tree, $24.95 at www.waysidegardens.com
If you keep it near a sunny window, you can have a live citrus plant in your own kitchen. It flowers in mid-winter and then grows fruit.
• Stacking rings, prices vary, www.shopping.com
You can give just one pretty ring, rows of rings or add decorative details, like children's birthstones.
• Mammoth Crocs, $29.99-$39.99 at www.crocs.com
The synthetic fur lining turns Crocs into winter shoes. Available in kids sizes and a variety of colors.
• Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera, $69.99 at most major electronics stores
It has easy-to-figure-out buttons, and if it's dropped on the ground, no big deal.
-- Jamie Sotonoff