By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Is someone on your gift list a serious dog lover?  If so, you will love, love, love the work of artist Amelia Santiago. Amelia has successfully combined her love for animals and being an accomplished artist into a career that she is very passionate about. She creates exact replicas of the family pet into fine art needle felted animals.
All sculptures are made with 100% wool. Amelia examines as many photos as she can to “get to know” each pet. She studies them closely to really capture their personalities when creating their needle-felted likeness. On average, [...]

Teens and tweens, are some of the hardest people to buy for. That is, unless you buy them the latest and greatest tech gadget… But wait! There are other gift ideas that do not start with the letter ‘i’.
We have put together this great list of gift ideas that will suit teens from the college student, the high school student and the even the tweens, who flipflop between Spongebob Squarepants and Selena Gomaz and Justin Beiber…

Boombox Pillow – What better way to update the look of their room than with accessories. This line of pillows gives the room a clear [...]

Sure, tradition is nice. But to us, tradition is kept interesting when amplified by new ideas and a fresh (and always respectful) twist on old rituals. See some of the ideas we found here:

 
Snowfall Lights – I remember being mesmerized by these lights when I saw them on the streets of downtown L.A. a couple years ago. Now theses lights are available to the public for home use. The set features 6 inch light tubes that give the effect of falling snow. Gorgeous. Here’s a video that demonstrates the live effect of the snowfall lights. Available on Amazon.

 
Inflatable Wreath – [...]

As a petite woman, Pam Starobin knew what it is like to sit at a table with your chin barely over the the edge or at the movies when, inevitably, someone would sit directly in front of her blocking her view. She understood how kids felt and wanted to make a booster seat that made them feel all grown up. She came up with a lightweight booster seat that carries like a backpack.
SittingTallerKids partnered with Nomi Network, an organization that promotes enterprise and education to end human trafficking, to help in making the backpacks. Nomi Network trains women in Cambodia, [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
You may feel a bit like Micheal Jackson but these Magic Hands makes cleaning so much easier. Zip through the house wearing these gloves and it will sparkle. They are like a latex glove and sponge all in one!
Simply add the cleaners right to the gloves and see how counter tops, dishes, sinks and the entire bathroom will gleam. You can get into all those nooks and crannies by using your fingers. You can even plunge your hands into boiling water and your hands will not feel a thing. They will stay dry and protected [...]

It is that time of year when we bring you our annual Holiday Gift Guide Series to help you uncover unique, meaningful and simply succulent finds for your gift recipients. Predictably, we will commence with the Gift Guide For Her (one of our favorites) and continue with nine more specialty gift guides this season.
Our theme for this Gift Guide covers both sides of the coin: the party side and the downtime side. Clearly this girl wants to have fun! This has been a tumultuous year filled economic stress, insecurities and the constant calling of all the everyday responsibilities that she [...]

Nancy Hoerdemann has always had a knack for presentation. Her studies and experience in fashion merchandising confirmed that she intuitively understood how a beautiful presentation immediately inspires the recipient to positively perceive the object she/he is about to receive. Today, Nancy’s professional experience has culminated in the creation of The Beautiful Gift, her exclusive line of gift bags made from rich, exquisite fabrics.

So, how does one make extraordinary gift giving become a simple and even practical exercise? And when does the giftwrapping become as appreciated as the gift itself? That would happen when gifts are offered in luxurious gift bags [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Need that clever gift idea under $10? How about one at just $5? Fiverr is the perfect place to look for stocking stuffers, Secret Santa gifts, humorous office gift exchange and any gift on which you do not want to spend more than $5.00. It’s also a great spot for the young ones in the family to find a little thoughtful or funny gift (most Fiverr ideas are personalized) for their siblings, parents or best friends.
That’s right! Fiverr is a site where people are selling ‘whatever’ (and I do mean whatever) for $5.00. Each gig [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Selling your “old” stuff just got even easier. Hipswap is a new iPhone app (they are currently working on one for Android users) that is like having Craigslist on your phone. Hipswap is a simple, fast and easy way to sell your no-longer-needed or unwanted stuff. Simply take a picture, add a price and description of the items you are selling. Then post it and it will be seen by all Hipswappers in your area.
How easy it that? Plus see what other people are looking for. You may just have something lying around and taking [...]

By Lauren Brill, Guest Contributor
Look out retailers. Mobility gives the “Precision Shoppers” the ability to rule this holiday season as they will be equipped with competitive deals from a host of retailers. As smartphones, tablets and iPads have become more affordable and faster, there has been shift from shopping via the PC to the mobile device. More and more consumers are walking around with a small computer in their pockets when they are out shopping. Companies like Amazon, Google, and Westfield Malls have taken notice and developed apps to help make shoppers more confident and position them to get the [...]