Guide | Words & Tricks

Gift Guide: Gift Certificates for Charities

December 13th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in Uncategorized by Chris Pommier

Last year I gave my aunt and her family the opportunity to donate to a charity of their choice. I encouraged them to discuss it as a family, to discover something about each other that maybe they didn’t know before. Sure, it’s a little touchy-feely, but they seemed to like it. OK, my aunt seemed to like it, I never did learn whether her kids were burning me in effigy, or not.

I know not everyone will be too keen on this idea with the gimme, gimme, gimme-ness of the season crashing down around us (and yes, I love to get presents, too), but for some JustGive.org’s charity gift certificates are the perfect choice.

So, even if you aren’t sure what causes are closest to your loved one’s heart, there’s no need to go through the pesky process of talking about your values. You can purchase a gift certificate for any amount of money and send it via email, or print it out and send with a card. Then your budding philanthropist can save the whales, cats, kids or whatever or whomever they like. And you look like a saint. What could be better?

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Gift Guide: For the Orchid Lover in Your Life

December 11th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in Advice by Chris Pommier

There are plenty of people out there who love to garden. The putter around in the yard planting peonies and generally fussing with their azaleas. Orchid lovers are not like that. If you know one, you know that these little indoor gems can cause otherwise perfectly sane individuals to swoon, slather and write checks for enormous sums in order to purchase a plant the size of your pinky.

There are tomes and sprawling websites devoted entirely to singles species of these plants. If you know someone who loves orchids, a great jumping off point for gift ideas would be The Armchair Orchidist. Recently the Orchidist reviewed the book Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust and Lunacy. Pick it up and send that orchid aficionado in your life a not-so-subtle message.

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Check Back Here for Your Holiday Gift Guide

December 11th, 2006 | No Comments | Posted in Advice by Chris Pommier

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah (or Chanukah or Hanukah or Chanuka or Chanukkah or Hanuka or Channukah or Hanukka or Khanike or ???? or ?????), Yule, Kwanza, or perhaps you refuse to celebrate the holiday season at all by not diving into the rampant consumerism that grips the majority of this country, but you know, know, that a certain person will kill you if you don’t buy them a gift … Well, I’ll be posting a series of suggestions for you.

You never know. Maybe I’ll stumble on the perfect gift that you would never have thought of yourself. Better check back often, or better yet sign up for my feed in order to be sure.

Gift Guide Quick Navigation:

Top Music of 2006 from the blog DoCopenhagen
How about a book for the Orchid Lover in your life
Give the gift of charity.

Gift Guide: DoCoppenhagen’s Top 15 (of 50) Music Picks for 2006

December 11th, 2006 | No Comments | Posted in Uncategorized by Chris Pommier

The Blog DoCopenhagen has been compiling a very popular list of the top 50 music videos of the previous year. There are plenty of artists that internet users will be familiar with, but perhaps the general populous of non-addicts might not be aware of.

I’ve listed the top 15 here. You can find and watch the all the videos of 2006 by clicking on the link above, and then, when you find something you like, come back here and click on a link below to buy it.