Ask Jennifer: A Princess Free Holiday

While I'm off trying to score some Black Friday goodies, I give you another instillation of Ask Jennifer! Sheila wants to know what you get for a four year old that isn't Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Bratz or princess related. Oh sweetheart, I can totally hook you up. I myself have a five year old and, luckily, she has none of the aforementioned horrors! I'm no prude, but seriously, does anyone think Bratz dolls are appropriate for young girls?

Yeah. Nice shoes, by the way.

Anyway, for my Mini Me, I try to find gifts and toys that spark imagination or creativity, encourage her to do or make something, or just something that's downright fun or funny. I'm also trying to keep her away from video games as long as possible (although that's not going so well). And really, I just love the toys that I had when I was a kid, so I'm trying to give my own munchkin the same type of stuff that I enjoyed and remember with some fondness. So with those things in mind, I give you a holiday gift guide for kids between toddler and tween.


My first stop is always Playmobil. These are incredible toys, and there's pretty much a set for every budget and every interest. We even have a Playmobil hair salon, with removable wigs and hairdryers. Not. Even. Kidding. Some of the things they come up with are ingenious. I would love to get this wonderful hospital set for my Mini Me.


As much as I enjoy Spongebob Squarepants, they just don't make them like this anymore. Give them the gift of humor with the Muppet Show Season 2 DVD, featuring Don Knotts, Steve Martin, Julie Andrews, John Clese and Elton John. I mean, come on!
Four is about the age when they're ready to start playing board games besides Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. My favorites are a toss up between Hungry Hungry Hippos and Operation!
You know you want to bake a cake with a light bulb. That's some good eatin right there.

These are the absolute best books to teach your kids to read. I am not even fooling around with this.

Oh, this just brings back memories. It may be a little low brow for today's video game generation, but still awesome in my book.


And speaking of retro fabulous, how cool is this rainy day activity? Shrinky Dinks rock!

Finally, I absolutely love these Junk Food 2 in 1 tees with my favorite retro characters. Girly, but not skanky!

Are you facing a shopping dilemma? Can't find what you want or overwhelmed with options? I can totally help! Leave a comment below and just Ask Jennifer! Have a great weekend!

Thank You So Much!

Today is Thanksgiving. Gobble Gobble!

And today is also the one year anniversary of this blog. Cool coincidence, no? So after you have sufficiently gorged yourself on turkey, trimmings, treats and totties, take a trip down memory lane with me with some of my favorite posts:

1. My first post ever: My favorite things (better than Oprah!)

2. I still love patent leather.

3. Vacation with the B-52s!

4. Who doesn't love a plain white t-shirt?

5. Stylist for a day.

6. My own personal spending spree.

7. My bathroom remodel.

8. Almost as good as Tina Fey.

Thank you to all of my 27 loyal readers out there. Thank you to those of you who leave comments. Thank you for indulging my that's what she saids and the sometimes ridiculous things that I find. Thank you for sticking with me through this craptastic economy. And thank you for providing me with an outlet to vent my shopping obsession!

For Later

Variations on a theme ...
o

Tools of the Trade

Still working on the home bar ...

Give Thanks for Drinks

So tomorrow, when you're frantically running around trying to baste your bird, consider doing what I am going to do -- pour myself one of these lovely concoctions from Gramercy Tavern. I'll start with a tangy Gramercy Parksider before dinner and then down a fruity Cranberry Daiquiri after dessert. Yuuuuuum. I'm hoping to be completely inebriated by about noon.

Teardrops

Love these gorgeous earrings!

Happy Feet

How can you resist a bunch of dancing penguins?

It's A Wrap

It's like wrapping yourself in a blanket of love. Or at least I'm hoping it is.

Hot Fuss!

Today. And on January 19. Humina!

Obey Everything I Say

This sweater coat is very Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation. You know this is going to be on serious sale soon.

Ask Jennifer: Making Something Out of Nothing

Susannah laid down the gauntlet of gift giving challenges and has inquired whether I can shazam up some ideas for homemade gifts. This is a variation on the same theme that Hannah posed below. And these are a timely and relevant suggestions in light of the fact that the economy is in the crapper and many of us don't have a lot of disposable cash to throw around. Susannah's question, though, is a real challenge because I am, in all likelihood, the least crafty person on the planet so I have no choice but to whip up some meaningful presents without busting out a hot glue gun or bedazzling anything.

Oh yeah, and Susannah's blog? The shiznit.


Suggestion Number 1: Bake. Speaking of the shiznit, bring me a cupcake! Who doesn't love a good cookie? Or a pie? Or some other treat? There are a million (free) recipes for all kinds of sweet goodies all over the internet and even blogs dedicated to deliciousness, like Cupcakes Take the Cake. Even if you are unskilled in the ways of a kitchen, get thee to the grocery store and chop up a toll house tube because seriously, those cookies are good. Wrap the treats up in cellophane and tie with a ribbon and you're on your way to becoming the next Martha Stewart.


Suggestion Number 2: Books. How many books have you purchased, read once, and stuffed on a shelf where they sit forevermore collecting dust? Recycle them! Even better, if you have books of a series, gift them as a bundle for a more substantial gift. Consider this a green gift, and recycle that paper for someone else's enjoyment! Al Gore approved!


Suggestion Number 3: Music. Look, it's Woz! If only you could gift Woz and his brain for a day ... or an hour ... or ten minutes. Alas. Instead, hop on over to your iTunes library full of your favorite music. We all have playlists that we've whipped up and can't seem to enjoy enough. So why not burn a CD full of meaningful goodies appropriate for your gift recipient?


Suggestion Number 4: Make. If you have a talent, then use it. I can knit some basic things, so I have been known to conjure something up as a gift. But even if you don't have a crafty talent, you can still make something. An easy project is stationery. A few sheets of paper and some time playing on the internet looking for free fonts and designs can yield some incredible results ... says the girl with the plain, straightforward blog masthead.


Suggestion Number 5: Show. Most of us have hundreds, if not thousands of old photographs of our families, friends, events, places, people and things. And that's especially the case if you have kids. Take some time to assemble these photographs in a meaningful way. And I'm not talking about making a trip to Archivers or some nonsense like that. I'm talking about scanning photos and organizing them on a CD, set to music. Or digitizing old photos for your family so that all can share. Or converting color photos to black and white, like the one above, of my Mini Me back in the day (complete with her fists of fury and her stylish zebra boppy).

So there are my Michaels-free thoughts for freebie gifts. How do you think I did? If you have other ideas, please post them in the comments below. And send all your shopping challenges my way -- it's my holiday gift to you! Have a great weekend!

Ask Jennifer: Holiday Gifts On A Limited Budget

Next up on the holiday shopping spree is Hannah, fresh out of college and finding her way in the world. If you haven't read her blog, you should. She is on the most limited of budgets, and being both un(der)employed and single, proclaims that expectations are low to none in the gift giving department. Please. Just because the bar is low doesn't mean you can't aim high. I can help with that!


How cool is this $14 survival kit in a sardine can? I call dibs on the tootsie roll!


Personalize your gift with one or two of these typewriter font coasters, encased in solid glass and a mere $8 each!

These cheeky pop art pill dispensers are between $4 and $7.


Ever kick yourself for not knowing what to say at just the right moment? Can't stand it when someone backhands you and you don't have a witty comeback? Problem solved. For $7.95.


Hot Lips phone! Ten bucks!

Finally, consider gifting a magazine subscription tailored to the recipient's taste. This site, for example, lists a host of annual periodical subscriptions for under $6, including Metropolitan Home and Elle. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Are you stumped, bewildered, overwhelmed or annoyed by the prospect of the gift giving season? All out of ideas? Can't seem to figure out what to do? Let me help you, and for free! Leave a comment below with your problem and I'll see if I can bust out some goodies for you! Up later today ... FREE holiday gifts. Well, virtually free.

Retro Rollers

Oh seriously, how cool are these?

Perfectly Housebroken

I am a sucker for a westie!

Ask Jennifer: Holiday Gift For Special SO

This is exactly the kind of problem solving that I love to do.

LN is in need of a gift for her significant other, a picky, high end shopper. The kicker on this one is that he battled cancer last year, and although he's beating that nasty beast, the residual effects are far more than physical. In other words, he doesn't want any useless or unnecessary schtuff. Who does, really? He's also in need of some new, spiffy duds and perhaps some grooming products to address some of the physical residuals of his illness. Let's see what I have up my sleeve:


Symbolic, hip, cool, functional and awesome. $195.


Talk about eliminating unnecessary stuff! This is the Amazon Kindle wireless reading device. You can download books and newspapers on the Kindle. The thing holds over 200 titles at a time! You can view other documents and pictures on this snappy little device too. This is one gadget that is worth the price at $359.


Here's something that will never go out of style. This always classic authentic navy peacoat will get a lot of use and keep him warm. $159.

This is an absolutely gorgeous and luxurious gift of Kiehl's products for men, including shampoo, shaving cream, toners, washes, creams, balms, scrubs and soaps. $135

How much stuff do you think he could throw into this Marc by Marc Jacobs overnight bag? I bet there's room for champagne! $277


And one frivolous item: up his cool quotient with this cardigan, which is something to crow about! *groan* $105

LN, I hope that your partner continues his successful fight against cancer, and that he truly enjoys his holiday gifts!!

Do you have a shopping quandary? Are you in need of someone to do all the dirty work for you? My favorite thing to do is spend other people's money, so bring on your questions and I'll deliver some answers! Bring. It. On!

Regency Reflection

Oh Ye Olde Barn, there you go again! Shocking me silly with your blatant Hollywood Regency-Kelly Wearstler style ripoff of a mirrored buffet. Will that stop me from liking it? No way.

Although, come to think of it, I bet Eddie Ross could MacGyver a Salvation Army find into that with his eyes closed!

Disco Earrings

WANT.

Drive All Night

Who doesn't love cashmere lined driving gloves?!

My Nizzle

Shizzolate whatever you want with your new BFF!

Wet Your Whistle

More on assembling the home bar ... I've been trolling ebay and antique stores (and pestering familial connections) for just the right pieces, a combination of silver and crystal, and all together swank. So I keep coming back to this jigger from Ralph Lauren and I think it's now at the top of my holiday wish list.

Creating a Monster!

This is seriously the best gift for a kid that I have seen in a long time. For $90-130, you can design your own Muppet in The Muppet Whatnot Workshop! Now maybe I'm so enamored with it because I love any and all things of the Muppet species, and I particularly loves me some Beeker and Sweetums, not to mention the crabby old farts living up in the balcony. So of course, the thought of concocting my own mad scientist creation -- the body, eyes and nose, hair style and dress -- is appealing! And if you are so inclined, tell me who is your favorite Muppet and why!

Sunday Surprise

From here. And everything is buy one, get one half off. No joke!

Bond Friday Part Two: Be a Bond!

Hey may not look like Daniel Craig, but you can indulge him with this. Have a great weekend!

Bond Friday Part One: Time for Evil

Today Quantum of Solace opens in the United States. Which means there's some fresh film of this hot mofo:


I can hardly stand it. It's almost as if I don't even care who the villains are anymore, even though historically, they are my favorite part of Bond films. And so when my sister Lisa pointed me to the fact that Swatch has introduced a line of 22 Bond Villain watches, styles inspired by the best and most flamboyant Bond evildoers of all time, I was all up on that business. Oh yeah, these are awesome all right!

Remember the flamboyant Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd from Diamonds Are Forever, with their ridiculous sexual innendo? Well, that's inspried a Liberace watch:

Pretty good interpretation, no?

How about 7-Up spokesman Baron Samedi from Live and Let Die?

Voodoo Skully!
Oooh, and the creepy, bleeding eye Le Chiffre from Casino Royale?

Aces!

And one-eyed Emilio Largo from Thunderball?

Nice patch, pirate!

Although I'm very disappointed about the absence of a Grace Jones watch from A View To A Kill.

Imagine what they could do with that! You know she's picking her teeth with the man she just devoured. Hee!