Get Yourself a Jimi Wallet. Now!

Item: Jimi Wallet

Price: $14.95

Where to Buy: thejimi.com

Review: I got a nice surprise when I wrote about the Jimi wallet in June: The Jimi wallet people offered to send me one. For free.

Um, yes please.

I love it.

It doesn't quite hold enough (five cards and three folded bills) to be my everyday wallet, but it's nice and compact for a small purse. And it's fun to use. And cute. I got a pink one.

It's too late to ask for one for the holidays, but do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a Jimi wallet in the New Year.

Image from: thejimi.com

Eye Candy for Your Neck: Original Pendants

Item: Glass Pendants

Price: $15

Where to Buy: Althea Loglia's Eye Candy

Review: The first booth I saw at the entrance to the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn earlier this year was for Althea Loglia's Eye Candy, and I immediately stopped in my tracks.

The pendants on display featured vibrant original artwork fastened to glass stones. Each pendant, about the size of a half-dollar, came with your choice of a chain or leather cord.

It took me about 30 seconds to decide that I would be taking one of these pendants home with me, but much longer to decide which one. The pendant I finally chose, primarily yellow and pink, adds a splash of color to dark t-shirts. I wear it at least once a week and haven't tired of it yet.

Luckily, you don't have to wait until next year's craft fair for your very own Eye Candy pendant. You can easily check out Althea Loglia's selection of original and custom-made pendants.

Stop the Home Fires Burning

Item: Fire Extinguisher

Price: $19.99

Where to Buy: Amazon.com

Review: It's not the flashiest gift, but a fire extinguisher may be the best gift you'll ever give.

My husband and I got a small fire extinguisher as a housewarming gift from a friend, and I thought it was a great idea. It's one of those things you just never seem to get around to buying. We had lived in separate apartments for several years, and neither of us had a fire extinguisher.

This is one of the the few gifts you hope never to use. And luckily, we haven't. No, a fire extinguisher is not a romantic gift. But it's one that the newlyweds or new homeowners just might thank you for one day.

Image from: Amazon.com

Mr. Poncho: Untangle Your Headphones in Style

Image Courtesy of Mr. Poncho

Item: Mr. Poncho iPod and iPhone covers

Price: $18

Where to Buy: Mr. Poncho

Review: I love my new iPhone.

What I don't love is digging my headphones out of my purse and untangling them on a crowded subway or platform. What's more, my husband goes through several earbuds a year for his iPod, and I think it's partly because they always get smooshed and jostled in his pocket when he's not using them.

Enter Mr. Poncho.

"The birth of Mr. Poncho came after being so fed up with our tangled headphones," Sandy Hyun, half of the Mr. Poncho team, said by email. Hyun and her boyfriend, Roman Pietrs, make each poncho in their Manhattan apartment.

Just slip your iPhone, iPod, or even your Zune into the pouch, and wrap your headphones around the easy-to-use holder in the front.

I came across Mr. Poncho this year at the Renegade Craft Fair, where the poncho was introduced in 2007. After there was a run on the the stock that year, Hyun said they understood that there was an appreciation, particularly among do-it-yourselfers, for "handmade clever inexpensive goods."

Sounds good to me.

The Mr. Poncho website offers a variety of designs, from Day of the Dead skeletons to musical notes to '60s-inspired flower patterns. Or customize your own poncho for $35.

Keeping Drinks Cold in Style

Item: Spherical Ice Tray Set

Price: $16

Where to Buy: MoMA Store Online

Review: Not much of a bartender? With spherical ice cubes, the star of the show isn't the liquor but instead what's keeping it cold.

No more humdrum square cubes or crushed ice that quickly waters down fine libations. But talk-of-the-town ice cubes come with a price-- namely, time. Since each tray molds only two spheres, you're either going to spend two weeks making enough cubes for your backyard barbecue, or you're having one small party.

Image from: MoMA

Old School with the Rubik's Cube

Item: Rubik's Cube

Price: $9.45

Where to Buy: Amazon.com

Review: I had all but forgotten about the Rubik's Cube. Then I got two reminders within just a few weeks of each other.

#1: I was on the subway and a man entered the train selling something out of bag. Usually it's some kind of booklet or piece of junk. This time it was small Rubik's Cubes for a dollar apiece. Demand was so high, he ran out of them and had to turn away at least one customer in our car.

#2: Jon Stewart razzed astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson of the American Museum of Natural History for completing the Rubik's Cube in the green room of The Daily Show. That guy's a genius.

So while I haven't picked up a Rubik's Cube in years (a decade? More?), I wouldn't mind trying. And I'm guessing you know a few people who would too.

Image from: Amazon

Like Tea, Only Boozier

Item: Cocktail Infusions

Price: $12 for eight

Where to Buy: Tea Forte

Review: If you're more than a year or two out of college, you're probably tired of mixing vodka with 7-Up. But if you're clueless when it comes to mixed drinks, it may be difficult to find a grown-up beverage you can easily make at home.

With these cocktail infusors, all you need is a little liquor and one or two other common ingredients and you've got the makings of a sophisticated party. Well, at least it's more sophisticated than a 12-pack of PBR.

The infusers come in three flavors: Lavender Citrus, Lemongrass Mint and Silkroad Chai. Each purchase comes with a recipe book. Cheers!

Image from: Tea Forte

Dish Towels That Make a "State"ment

Item: Each State Dish Towel

Price: $18

Where to Buy: C.S. Post & Co.

Review: Want your state to clean up its act? How about starting with your kitchen counter.

These old-fashioned dish towels feature the most popular attractions, people and cities of whatever state you choose. You can see the designs at the C.S. Post site before you buy. Ohio's dish towel is a pretty good representation: the presidents, Cedar Point, Ohio State and even Ohio University among a myriad of other drawings. The Columbus Blue Jackets even get their due.

New York's dish towel is focused mostly on the city, which isn't a huge surprise. But c'mon. You couldn't include Niagara Falls? Or for that matter, the Mets?

I'm not sure I'd spend upwards of a grand for a full set. In any case, some of the states aren't available (sorry, Alaska, Delaware, and a handful of others). But whether you're homesick or a new homeowner, these dish towels are one way you can literally get the dirt on your favorite state.

Image from: C.S. Post & Co.

Having a (Literal) Ball

Item: Send-a-Ball bouncy balls

Price: $19.95

Where to Buy: SENDaBALL

Review: If you're never content with a Hallmark card, Send-a-Ball was created for you.

This Chicago-based company sends inflated "greeting balls" to the address of your choice, in a rainbow of colors for a variety of causes.

Birthdays: "Have a Ball on Your Birthday." Babies: "Have a Ball with Your New Baby." Sickness: "Bounce Back Soon." Can't find the message you're looking for? Create your own for no additional charge.

You might not be thrilled spending 20 bucks on a bouncy ball, but your recipient will surely have a ball receiving it.

Image from: SENDaBALL

A Wallet for the Rest of Us: Jimi

Item: Jimi Wallet

Price: $14.95

Where to Buy: thejimi.com

Review: "The wallet for people who hate wallets."

The Jimi wallet's slogan describes me exactly. Wallets always seem to be needlessly large and awkward, a place to stuff sundry receipts and coins. I currently keep my cards and money in a small change purse to avoid just such an outcome.

But hopefully not for long. I do have a birthday coming up, and this is what I want: a Jimi wallet.

I first came across the Jimi wallet in the gift shop of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and immediately coveted it. The hard plastic wallet is translucent but brightly colored-- a cross between hipster chic and avant garde.

What's more, it's water resistant and can even clip to a keychain or lanyard.

The only problem with the Jimi wallet? Which color to request.

I'm leaning toward pink. Or sea glass green.

Image from: thejimi.com

The Perfect Pet

Item: Cat tape dispenser

Price: $12.50

Where to Buy: Pylones

Review: You've read about my love of the store Pylones. This cat tape dispenser is one of the reasons why.

And I don't even really like cats.

Despite their occasional attempts at being adorable, my ... ahem, my husband's ... two cats, Will and Grace, are always under my feet whenever they take a break from knocking over full glasses of water.

But one look at this tape dispenser and I can't help but remember how cute kitties really are.

Sometimes I wish I could turn Will and Grace into quiet, stationary office supplies. Until that day comes ...

Image from: Pylones

Exploring NYC Like a Local

Item: City Walks: New York

Price: $14.95

Where to Buy: Chronicle Books

Review: When my husband and I moved to New York a year and a half ago, City Walks: New York was one of the first things on my wish list. Lo and behold it was under the Christmas tree that December.

OK, the size of our new Brooklyn apartment didn't permit a Christmas tree, but you know what I mean.

The 50 walks have you hoofing it mostly in Manhattan, but there's a few adventures in the boroughs as well. The box is sturdy and the cards are easy to read. My only complaint? The cards are just a little too big to be inconspicuous. I don't want to look like a tourist-- especially when I'm not one, exploring my adopted city.

In any case, the City Walks cards are just as fun to look at as they are to use, and they do provide some good ideas for escapes within the city.

City Walks are available for metropolitan areas throughout the country and around the world, making them an ideal going away present or gift for the travel-hungry friends and relatives in your life.

Image from: Chronicle Books

Classic Toy for the Young & Young-At-Heart

Item: Etch-A-Sketch

Price: $17.99

Where to Buy: World-of-Toys

Review: My end table has the obligatory pile of books for us or our guests to peruse in spare moments of boredom. But the place of honor at the top of that stack goes not to a book, but a toy: the Etch-A-Sketch.

Maybe location is why I have a special affinity for this toy-- the first Etch-A-Sketch rolled off a production line in 1960 in Bryan, Ohio, just one city over and 21 years before I was born in nearby Defiance.

But really-- who can resist trying to write their name in cursive, carefully turning the white knobs that at once seem too sensitive and not sensitive enough? I was never too interested in drawing pictures with the Etch-A-Sketch, but I was fascinated by the geometric possibilities. More than once have I filled the entire screen with lines mere millimeters apart, yet never touching.

The Etch-A-Sketch is a classic toy that doesn't go out of style. Introduce it to a child for the first time, or buy it as a coffee table knick knack for your sibling or best friend.

Image from: World of Toys

Plan Your Dream Vacation from Your Armchair

Item: Budget Travel magazine

Price: $12/year (10 issues)

Where to Buy: BudgetTravel

Review: I subscribe to one magazine, and Budget Travel is it. And why not? It combines two of my passions: traveling and saving money.

I love the tips, like packing a deflated beach ball to blow up on a plane, balance on your lap and use as a pillow.

I love the articles, which even teach me new things about Brooklyn, my new abode.

I love the pictures, taking me to places I'll never visit and maybe even a few I might.

Budget Travel really is for the everyday person who has a few weeks of vacation and wants to make the most of them. They don't ignore the major tourist attractions of the US and Europe, but they also visit places you may never have considered. A recent spread on Kuala Lumpur comes to mind.

For a gift the keeps giving all year long, I highly recommend Budget Travel for travel pros and armchair travelers alike.

Image from: Budget Travel

Cold Nights, Warm Hands

Item: Wonder Warmers hand warmers

Price: $14.99/pair

Where to Buy: WonderWarmers.com

Review: I'm not often into romantic gifts, so I was pleasantly surprised when my husband got me the small Wonder Warmers hand warmers for Christmas a couple of years ago.

We'd marveled at them at a holiday fair about a month before: Each pouch is filled with gel and a single, small, flexible disc. Flex the disc and the gel crystallizes and immediately heats. The small ones stay warm for about 30 minutes. That's more than enough to time to keep me warm as I wait for the subway on a cold winter evening and trudge through the snow on my way back to our apartment.

The best part? They're reusable. Surround the pouch with boiling water for 5 to 12 minutes and it's as good as new.

More than anything, I wish I would have had some Wonder Warmers as a high schooler attending all of those football games on chilly Friday evenings. Wonder Warmers also makes different sizes and shapes, even one specifically for the neck and shoulders ($29.99).

Image from: WonderWarmers.com

The Sound of Music: 1965 Best Picture

Item: The Sound of Music

Price: $14.99

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: One of the most thrilling moments of my life? Boarding the van for a "Sound of Music" tour in Salzburg, Austria. Rare was the trivia that our tour guide imparted that I didn't already know.

"The Sound of Music" has been one of my favorite movies since around junior high. I even went through a phase when I watched the three-hour flick nearly every Wednesday night for several months while my parents and sister went to town and I had the house to myself.

While I don't watch it nearly every week nowadays, I do manage to squeeze in a viewing every year or two. I'll be the first to admit that some of the songs are more than a bit cheesy (The hills are alive? C'mon.), but I still can't resist the romance, the optimism and Maria's good nature. The movie was one of the major reasons I studied German in high school and eventually majored in it in college.

"The Sound of Music" not only makes a great gift for any woman who like movie musicals, but also it is a perfect introduction to classic movies for the young and uninitiated.

Oh, and the least magical moment of that "Sound of Music" tour? Walking into *the* church where Maria and Captain von Trapp married in the film and seeing a real wedding in progress-- while some Shania Twain song in German was being piped through the speakers. I never imagined that you solved a problem like Maria with Shania Twain.

Image from: Amazon

You Can't Take It With You: 1938 Best Picture

Item: You Can't Take It With You

Price: $14.94

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: "You Can't Take It With You" is one of those movies you'll love, but afterward you'll have a hard time explaining why.

It's funny, but not in the same way award-winning movies are today. Much of the humor in "You Can't Take It With You" comes from the events, not from the dialogue.

Yeah, some of the dialogue is clever, too. But the hilarity comes from the presentation, not just the lines. In fact, I was just reading some of the "memorable quotes" on IMDB, and they all seemed distinctly less hilarious that they did when I watched the film. But that won't make me erase the film from my stockpile of movies I've saved on the DVR.

In any case, you'll always look like a film connoisseur when you give the gift of Jimmy Stewart. And "You Can't Take It With You" is one of the best.

Image from: Amazon

The Apartment: 1960 Best Picture

Item: The Apartment

Price: $10.99

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: As a child of the '80s and '90s, I was first introduced to Jack Lemmon in "Grumpy Old Men." I wasn't inspired to further explore his career.

That all changed in the last year, and "The Apartment" is the biggest reason that Jack Lemmon is now one of my favorite actors.

The Academy Awards will be presented this Sunday, Feb. 22, so this week I will highlight my favorite "Best Pictures" that would make thoughtful, thrifty gifts for the film fiends in your life.

"The Apartment" stars Lemmon as C.C. Baxter, a bachelor businessman who gets ahead by lending his apartment to two-timin' bosses. It all falls apart when his crush, a lovely elevator operator played by Shirley MacLaine, tries to commit suicide in C.C.'s apartment while having an affair with his boss.

Extramarital affairs and attempted suicide are rarely the ingredients for a comedy du jour, but this film and its clever, witty, funny dialogue holds up even today.

Impress your movie-loving friend even more by pairing this movie with "Irma La Douce," another Lemmon-MacLaine flick.

Directed by Billy Wilder, "The Apartment" is a classic movie gift for the serious film aficionado and casual movie buff alike.

Image from: Amazon

Photo Stamps

Item: Photo Stamps

Price: starting at $15.99

Where to Buy: Snapfish.com

Review: For bridal showers, baby showers and even an early Christmas gift, I think it would be difficult to come up with a more inventive gift than a set of photo stamps.

What proud mom wouldn't want to send out birth announcements with a cute picture of the newborn right on the envelope? And instead of those corny "Love" stamps from the post office, newlyweds can send their thank you cards with an image from the ceremony.

Upload your photo on Snapfish, and the personalized stamp can be purchased in groups of 20 in several different values.

Image from: Snapfish.com

Ste. Brighid with the Groundhog Throw Pillow

Item: Ste. Brighid with the Groundhog Throw Pillow

Price: $19.99

Where to Buy: CafePress

Review: At first glance, it looks like one lovely lady holding one ugly cat.

But that's no cat, ladies and gentlemen. That's a groundhog.

Today the pest that terrorized the farmland I grew up on gets his (or her) day in the sun. Scratch that. Hopefully he gets a day filled with clouds and no shadows, hearkening an early spring.

Even though I was terribly afraid of groundhogs as a child, this pillow with artwork by Thalia Took makes me want to adopt a groundhog as a pet and give him a loving home. Awww, look at those sweet paws!

But this pillow isn't just for Groundhog Day. I can guarantee it will be a conversation starter all year long.

Image from: CafePress