Meemaw's 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

by Meemaw

Wow! Here we are, on the verge of another holiday. The year has gone pretty fast! I'm one of those people who waits until December to do all my shopping, and then I always hope I've gotten something for everyone! Let's see what interesting gifts I can find this year... arranged at random, with item name, price, website and at least one link.

Graphic T-shirts     $19.99     Bits & Pieces
https://www.bitsandpieces.com/product/i-have-daughters-tee-44793
https://www.bitsandpieces.com/product/rules-for-dating-my-daughter-tee-44484
https://www.bitsandpieces.com/product/lets-assume-im-right-tee-44502

Seems like everyone is buying and wearing t-shirts with funny sayings on them nowadays. This is a fairly new item on Bits & Pieces' website. There are over 25 different t-shirts, and several of the t-shirt sayings are available on ball caps as well.

The Know-It-All Library of Books $16.99   Bits & Pieces

This is also a fairly new offering from Bits & Pieces, who are best known for jigsaw puzzles. They still have the puzzles, but have added loads of other interesting items. Besides the Book of Unusual Knowledge, the Know-It-All Library series also includes Bizarre Truths, Amazing History, Extraordinary Facts and Useless Information.

Shaved Ice Machine $239.00   Amazon

I've seen children's shaved ice machines, but this one seems a bit bigger and much more complete, including the syrup, cups and spoons. It's 13" tall and can use any kind of ice (meaning you can take ice cubes out of the freezer rather than having to make a specially-shaped block of ice to use). Flavored syrup supplies are also available at Amazon.

This caught my eye, although I'm not a big beer fan. From what I read, you can put a can or bottle of beer inside and dispense it like it's a draft. From the site, it "converts any beer's natural carbonation into uniformed sized bubbles called micro-foam, a rich and creamy head that delivers enhanced aroma, flavor, and mouth-feel."

PackIt Freezable Wine Bag $15.99 - $16.99   Amazon

Since I did a beer machine, I thought I'd show something for the wine lovers (I like wine). This is a case you can put in the freezer, then use it to keep your wine cold. Generally, I am at someone's house and we use their refrigerator, but if you were going to travel for several hours or the party was outside, this would be very handy.

Gear Ties $4.49 - $20.00   Amazon

These days, everyone is trying to keep their cords (all of them) tied up and out of the way. These are heavier than your usual wire tie, and hold whatever shape you twist them into. They are available in several sizes and colors and are even capped on the ends to minimize damage to furniture and equipment.

Charging Station $11.99 - $16.99   Amazon

I don't know about you, but my husband and I each have a laptop, a phone and a tablet (and he has some other equipment as well). This item would be really handy and clear out some of the clutter we have in our dining room! Charging both phones and his tablet (at least) would be really convenient. A similar station with 8 ports is also available for $39.99.

Pollinator Garden $18.00   Uncommon Goods

From the website:
"For the tiny pollinators essential to our food production, life isn't always a bed of roses. Make their jobs a little easier with these cute and convenient wildflower gardens. Each is designed with a custom collection of seeds to attract specific pollen lovers--bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. They include nutrient-rich material and instructions for planting a one square-foot garden patch in a few simple steps. Designed by Sarah Burrows and Nick Behr; made in Illinois."

Face it - if we didn't have pollinators, we wouldn't have many of the flowers we see, and wouldn't have the variety of food we enjoy. We really do want to take care of them. Planting a garden patch just for them is a good step.

Radio-Controlled Robots $26.99 - $150.00   newegg

For the kid in your life, a radio-controlled car that transforms into a robot to save the world, and also has dance moves for the celebration afterwards!

Newegg's site also has one (Whiskers the Orange Tabby) that's $472.00... Whiskers follows you around the house and can sense your actions. It also has sensors to react when you pet it, snuggling and purring.

theFube Fidget Cube $13.99   Amazon

I go to a "White Elephant" gift exchange every year. If you've never been to one, they are very fun, but you don't always give anything useful. While I was browsing Amazon's site I came across a category of 'white elephant' gifts. I'd never seen a "fidget cube" so I had to investigate. This is a small, 12-sided solid with something to manipulate on each side. Some are buttons, some are switches and there's even a small joystick on one side! It's made of silicone and everything is supposed to be silent (unless you want it to make noise). It comes with a carrying case as well.

I hope your holidays are fun and relaxing!