top of page

Present8tions

It's said that when giving a gift, it is the thought that counts...and THOUGHT is all there is to choosing a Cre8tive, WOW-Factor Gift!


This page was cre8ted to help your mind think along these lines, featuring unique gift ideas and links to them whenever possible.


  Who are you gifting?  What are their passions, their hobbies?  Now run with it.


 If cooking is what lights their fire, give them the opportunity to Create their Own Cookbook.  If Hot Sauce fires them up, check out this 

Make Your Own Hot Sauce Kit


Like a beautifully set table or the way food is plated, Make the next Gift you give a PRESENT8TION!!

Craft Beer Home Brewing Kit

 

Give Dad the opportunity to craft his own beer with this Craft Beer Home Brewing System  from Shaper Image.  This easy to follow home brew system includes a two gallon fermenter with tap, ingredients for 2 gallons of IPA, 1 packet of no-rinse cleanser,1 packet of yeast, 11 reusable plastic PET 740 ML bottles, bottle caps, labels, carb drops and a step by step instructional DVD...All for just $59.99

 



Mega Dad Personalized Comic Book

Now is your chance for your little tyke to LITERALLY show dad just what a super hero they think he is with the Mega Dad Personalized Comic Book !  This custom hard-cover comic book incorporates your kid's name and the Mega Dad of your choice (pick from three skin tones) into a story of heroic adventures both big and small. A fun addition to reading time, it makes a dynamite gift from child to parent, or for a new dad. Made in the UK.  Another gem of a gift from Uncommon Goods.  Just $35.00, this gift ships from the U.K.

Soldier Rememberance Canvas

Showcase your love for the soldier closest to your heart in a variety of products: Mugs, T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Garden Flags and this 35% cotton, 65% polyester canvas. Choose from 5 different sizes, ranging from 12” x 8” to 48” x 32”, representing all branches of the US Armed Forces, available from My Hero Wears Blue.

 

 



The MOTHER Lode

Published 5-6-21


Most mothers, when asked what they would like for Mother’s Day, rarely reply with a category of gift… Instead, It is quality-time with their children that is most important to them…

But how do you NOT get a gift for mom??  


While flowers are nice, and she would appreciate ANYTHING you get for her, why not let her know that you really gave her gift specific thought this year.  Sign her up for a class connected with one of her passions. Give her a break from cooking or housework with a gift certificate for meals from one of her favorite restaurants or a service like Merry Maids for that deep cleaning once a quarter.


If you aren’t able to be with her, give her something that makes you ever-present in her daily life like a a Personalized Hand-Written Blanket , from Uncommon Goods. This loose-leaf-paper-styled, 100% cotton blanket creates a cozy customizable medium for your messages of love providing mom with warmth from both the blanket AND the note each time she wraps herself in its comfort. 


 If you want to share more of your senses with mom while far from her side,

 the In-Sync Long Distance Lamps  will brighten up her day.  

Whenever you want her to know you are thinking of her, turn on your lamp with a simple touch of your hand, and its mate will emit the same ambient glow on her lamp, no matter where you are located.


But if you are lucky enough to live near your mom, consider a gift that will involve you as well.  Instead of brunch only on Mother's Day, choose a different restaurant for that meal each month.   If she is a gardener, get her a membership to your local botanical gardens, along with one for yourself.  Each time there is an event, you and mom can make a day of it, together!


 Do you get along well enough to spend a few days together?  If so, organize a Mother-Daughter overnighter or weekend get-away to a spa, or fun destination.  


 No matter how simple or how extravagant the gift you choose, remember that 

Moms are the best Gift we will ever have... so let her know you love and appreciate her!



 



"Cheesy" Gift

Published 4/29/21

 If ever there was a dish that can be found on most any appetizer menu in the US, it is the "Mexican Grilled Cheese" known as the Quesadilla.  Its' literal translation is "cheese dude" or "little cheesy thing", but, if you have ever had one, you know it is so much more than that.


Quesadillas are two soft tortillas (either corn or flour) that act like pieces of bread. Between them is any variety of shredded cheeses ... Cotija, Queso Fresco, Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack are the most common.  Now you can leave it as such  OR  you can add countless meats the likes of grilled chicken, beef, pork or shrimp ... And it doesn't have to end there!  You can add olives, chunks of fresh tomato, Spanish rice, onion, grilled peppers, refried beans & cilantro to achieve the flavors of Mexico.


But have fun with it...add any ingredients that you like such as Bacon, Egg and Cheese for breakfast. Or fill it with spinach, feta cheese, olives, tomatoes & red onion for a Mediterranean flare

...As the saying goes, Los Posibilidades Son Infinitas... 

Well that's how they say it in Mexico anyway!


Now don't pile it too high full of ingredients because you still have to seal it, so be sure to leave a bit of room around the edges so you can moisten them with a dabs of water.  Add the top tortilla and press down around the edges so no morsels escape during the cooking process.  


Place your Quesadilla in the Maker shown above and let the machine do the rest.


Cut as you would a pizza so you are left with triangular slices of ooey, gooey mouthfuls of explosive flavors, and serve with salsa and/or pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream.


~ Delicioso ~

  

 

  


 

 

 

COOL Gifting

Published 4/21/21

 How COOL that a nomination for this year’s Best Short Live Action Film is entitled The Present. The film, only 25 minutes in length, tells the story of a man and his young daughter in the West Bank, an area bordered by Jordan and Israel, who journey to purchase an anniversary gift for his wife.  


To honor the film’s gift purchase of a refrigerator, I searched for innovative coolers that can accompany you on picnics, trips to the beach or tailgate parties, The Sharper Image has a crème de la crème, 40 qt capacity Bluetooth Cooler and Sound System  at $399.99.   It offers a rechargeable, 16-hour power bank and 350-watt sound system allowing music to play wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth…and that’s just the tip of this iceberg!  


Relatively speaking, at a more substantial savings is the Coolbox,  complete with bottle opener, LED Clock display, a telescopic handle to roll it on its heavy duty wheels with and the capability to charge two phones and play music through Bluetooth speakers. Price tag: $159.00.


Coming in below a “C” note at $89.95 is a Bluetooth-Subwoofer cooler  with water resistant removable Bluetooth 20 watt speakers, and a power bank for your iPhone/Android or Tablet .


And how COOL is this? A Smart Cart Cooler:  Extended, Insulated, Collapsible, Rolling, for Tailgate, BBQs, the Beach and the Summer for $39.99 with prime Amazon membership. Weighs Less Than 5 lbs. Folds Flat for storage. It also features a locking telescoping handle for comfort and stability when pulling or pushing this wheeled tote.


If know someone celebrating an annual event and you need some direction on what type of gift to purchase, take a look at Hallmark's Anniversary Gift Category Listing  ranging from year 1 to 60. 

The lead in the short film, who could not have been married more than 10 years, did not seem to have access to this convenient catalog or he would have surely known that Appliances are given at year 18.


  


 

 

 

Paint Your Pet

Published 3-20-21

 

 What better gift for a pet parent than to see their fur baby or babies painted on canvas!  The first photo is an 18 x 24" Memorial Painting of Beloved Pets that were lucky enough to live with one family over a number of years.  You can commmission this artist for human family members as well.  

The second and third photos were cre8ted through a local company in New Fairfield, CT called Color On Wheels if you want to paint it yourself.   They bring the painting party to your company or home.  You supply the guests, snacks, libations as well as your pet's photo ahead of time.  They trace the supplied image on the canvas beforehand, so all you have to do is paint it with their guidance on shading, etc.  I had the best time painting my pet nephews for my sister and brother's family and the impact they made were exactly what I anticipated.  Check Paint your Pet listings in your area if this is the route you want to take....

Soooo much fun!

Personalized Game Board

Published 3-20-21


I cre8ted the board shown above for a company I worked for a few years ago.  They had added a new wing to the building and invited interested employees to create artwork, pertinent to the company, to be hung in the new corridor.  They gave participants a 16 x 20" canvas and the rest was up to us.


As someone with a deep affection for board games, I went in that direction.  First thing I did was paint the canvas one color.  Then with a black sharpie, I traced the outside of a 12" pizza pan in the middle, a dinner plate for the inside circle.  Once I determined all the aspects of the company I wanted to include, I divided the perimeter of the board up accordingly.  


Now to Gift It:  Determine the occasion, give the Game a Name for the center of the board (i.e. Happy 50th, Family Surname, etc.)  What do you associate with the person who will receive the gift... (i.e. each family member, family traditions, vacation destinations, pets, inside jokes, sayings, addresses, schools, passions, etc.)?  Allocate the appropriate number of squares.  You can make as many or as few board sections as you want (hint: the more the better).  


Once you decide how many squares your board will have, type the name of the squares on the computer and print them out along with any images associated with them, cut them out and adhere them to the board with a glue stick.  3D stickers from craft stores work well too.  Cut out some rectangles in bright orange and bright yellow card stock, (maybe 6 or 8 in each color) and with a glue gun this time, place them in a scattered stack on either side of the center circle.  Name the decks whatever you want and be sure there are designated squares on the board for them.  Glue a pair of dice to the board... add board games pieces ... finish it with a hanging hinge on the back and most importantly ...

Have fun with it.  



 

bottom of page