2009 Holiday Gift Guide
Yesterday, we checked our lists- all of our reviews in the last 12 months or so- and came up with some of our favorite items from earlier in the year. But we confess that a few choice gifts have been held back recently, partially because we were simply having too much fun with them, but also because we wanted a compendium gift guide with a little something for everyone.
To start with, we have to recommend the Buckyballs. Yes, they’ve been in plenty of other gift guides, and yes, they seem a bit silly when you first get them. But they’ve proven to be the most addictive and fun office gift since… well, perhaps, ever. At $30, they are a bit pricey, but are extremely well-made. We haven’t had so much fun with magnets since science class, and they happen to fit a nice intersection between geeky and artsy, since a good bit of the fun is in clever design. Stocking stuffer appropriate for just about anyone.
For those looking for something a little more natural or green, consider the Goodbye Detergent spaghetti scrubs. The name is slightly misleading in our opinion- we still wanted to use some detergent on some of the greasy dishes- but they are fantastic twist on the scrub brush. Imagine ground up corn cobs, peach pits, and other similar slightly-abrasive substances turned into a thin scrub that can be used safely and effectively on any dish, pot, or pan. They last quite a while, are colorful, and packaged nicely- and come two to a box for around $11.
But perhaps your intended recipient would prefer something wine-related! Well, have no fear- any self-respecting connoisseur will appreciate the VacuVin Winemaster Corkscrew and Wine Saver Concerto set. The Winemaster is a pretty attractive corkscrew- available in frosted translucent or classy black- and feels pretty solid. It works reasonably well, is lightweight and far more portable than some we’ve tried, and offers a handy removable foil cutter that worked perfectly. Once you’ve figured it out, which can take a couple of tries, you’ll have those hard-to-open bottles ready-to-pour in seconds flat. And once you’ve opened them, we don’t blame you if you can’t finish the whole bottle. Popping the cork back in is a no-no though, and that’s where the Wine Saver comes in. The offer black and white models; the Concerto version simply looks a little nicer. The rubber tops seal your bottles of wine, and you use the small vacuum pump to get rid of that pesky air, ensuring a great tasting wine the next day (or after that). At $50 for the Winemaster and only $15 for the 3-pack set of Wine saver pump with two stoppers, you won’t break the bank.
Finally, for those wondering how to make their girlfriend’s life easier, consider the T3 Bespoke Featherweight Blowdryer. After all, it’s winter, and wet hair sucks. The T3 is classy, portable, and the marketing copy talks about ceramic heating coils, negative ions and precious gemstones- but it actually works! We asked some ladies to compare against some of the other models on hand, including ones we’ve previously reviewed, and the T3 was much faster. Frizziness, the bane of those who are forced into the warm arms of these devices, also seemed reduced. The T3 also manages to be fairly quiet. Beauty (and the sexy textured exterior) comes at a price though- expect to spend around $70. A nice bonus: thanks to the nifty attachments, you can feel comfortable if caught ‘borrowing’ the dryer- just say that you simply wanted to see what an ion concentrator was.
