The Gift Exchange

My sister has two (adorable) children. Being the proud mom that she is, she has pictures of them everywhere! She even has their pictures on her travel mug and at one point she had a diaper bag that held their pictures, That’s not to mention her fridge and every bit of available shelf space at her house… I guess that’s just what you do when you’re a mom.

Well I don’t have any children but I do have a baby… He is my dog, Cole. He is a 2 year old cocker spaniel- poodle mix and my husband and I are very proud parents, so naturally we want to show him off. I was so excited when I saw our new Dog PawPrint Desktop Frame. It is just the perfect gift for proud pet owners! I want to get one for my home, and then one for my parents, and my in-laws. (The are very proud of their Grand-Puppy). If you like this gift idea, be sure to check out the rest of our Pet Gifts!

Take a little time out and have some fun with flowers and food coloring. Have you ever wondered where the water goes after the plant is watered? This experiment shows the water being absorbed through the roots and stems finally reaching the petals. Imagine Blue Red & Green Striped daffodils or carnations.

To start this experiment you just need Water Food Coloring Cups or Small Vases a knife and the flowers. You can use daffodils or white carnations. Place one or more flowers in a container with water. Add food coloring, about 20 drops per cup. If the container is larger it will need more food coloring. The water feeds the flowers and you can watch the petals change color. The edges color first and the veins are last. To prepare the flowers cut the stems at an angle to create a fresh cut. The stems need to be completely in the water for it to work. You can see if one color reaches the petals faster than another color. Read the rest of this entry »

My husbands younger sister just moved out of their parents house in the country, to a downtown apartment with some roommates. This is always an exciting, but scary time! I know from experience that while it may be fun to be out on your own, you always miss those little comforts of home. For example, one thing that my in laws do all summer is fire up the barbecue and play outside. They have a good sized backyard with a volleyball net, and swimming pool so the barbecues with the family are always a blast. That’s why when I saw the Urban Grill Set, I knew that I had found a perfect housewarming gift. Even though she’s in a big new city, without a yard or a lot of space, she can still have awesome barbecues with her roommates all summer long!

If your kitchen is anything like mine, your refrigerator is a giant vortex for just about anything that can be magnetized to it. I have magnets shaped like teacups, Coca-cola bottles, flowers, magnetic picture frames and even magnetic ads from the phone book that I took out because I needed the magnet at the time. I have fabulous drawings from local artists, (my grandkids), coupons, shopping lists, inspirational poems and a magnetic calendar from my insurance company turned to September 2006. As you can see, I need more up-to-date magnets to organize my clutter! I’ll be purchasing the Engraved Magnetic Clothespins to replace some of my old ones with. I get 5 top quality magnets and I can engrave up to 10 characters on each pin. Now, if they only made a magnet that could clean OUT the refrigerator…

My husband and I were discussing a complete renovation of our master bedroom the other day, and it became apparent that we both wanted very different things in the room. I wanted the room to beckon me like an oasis and wrap me in luxurious comfort with soft warm hues, scents and textures. He wanted to know if there was going to be enough room for his Marine Corps throw blanket. After we decided that I would be the one who did the decorating, (and I crossed my heart & hoped to die that I would definitely find a spot for his sacred items!) I began looking for ideas. It is amazing where one can find inspiration!

Right here at Gift Tree I found my color scheme of warm chocolate and soft lavender in the Kama Sutra Bedside Box. What a wonderful way to add a romantic feeling to any bedroom. Even though this is a very popular wedding and bridal shower gift, I will definitely be getting one (or maybe two?) for our new luxury boudoir. I can’t wait to get started!

I used to love having tea parties when I was a kid, and I can clearly remember one time when my grandmother discovered that I had been using the same tea bag over & over for weeks. She asked me where I had been keeping it and I told her in the teabox. “Could you show me the teabox?” she asked. I proudly led her over to the closet and pointed at a round box to the back. Unbeknownst to me, one of my grandma’s favorite hats resided in the “teabox” too. She never said a word to me about that instance, but told me later that she laughed herself silly because she had worn the hat and didn’t realize that there was a big tea stain on it.

If my grandmother were alive today, she would adore the Wood Chest of Silken Tea Pyramids that GiftTree just introduced. The “teabox” itself is a work of art, unlike the hat box I used as a child, and it can be given as a great personalized gift as well. To my grandma the consummate tea drinker, I would engrave the words Tea Totaller on the box. She would have gotten a kick out of that! Looking for the perfect gift for the tea lover in your life? I think we have your cup of tea!

The first official day of Summer is June 20 and I can’t wait! Warm weather, water fights, vacations. It’s my absolute favorite time of year! And one of my most favorite things to do is barbecue. I love inviting friends and family over for hot dogs and steaks hot off the grill. My husband and I are lucky enough to have a nice big back yard to barbecue, but if you’re living in an apartment or condo without a big yard, fear not! GiftTree has come out with the perfect solution: The Urban Grill Set with Recipes and Music. It’s this really cool stainless steel grill with a removable cooking grate. It sits on retractable grill legs, so it’s perfect for a barbecue out on the deck. It also comes with recipes, tips, even music to dance to! While you’re cooking up those hot dogs, you can snack on some caramels, pistachios and almond roca that also come with it. This is my absolute favorite GiftTree gift!

I have a sister who is so hard to buy for, I sometimes just give up and send a gift certificate to her favorite store. She is also a dedicated tea drinker, so I was thrilled to discover the Iced Tea Brewing Stack gift on our site! It’s Pyrex, a name we all know and trust! And it’s way cooler than the electric tea brewer that everyone has stashed at the back of their appliance cupboard next to that dusty electric bread maker that your mother-in-law was sure you needed about 10 years ago. What a great birthday, anniversary, graduation gift or just for no reason at all.

Tea is a widely consumed beverage and these days you can find so many varieties that it is almost impossible to choose. It’s almost as if it’s a lifestyle, like riding a Harley Davidson! I know quite a few people that collect tea, tea pots, tea accessories, anything related to tea. I have bought my mother so many tea “things” that you’d think I’d be out of choices at some point or that she’d get sick of always getting a tea gift. But there’s always something new and innovative to choose from and the tea lovers I know never get sick of it. As GiftTree expands it’s tea line, I’d like to recommend a few that I have ordered myself. The Duet Tea Set by Tea Forte is one of my current favorites. To me it looks very elegant, classy, and impressive for any tea lover. I’ve also purchased the Polka Dot Teacups. We offered various teacups sets over the years and my Mother has every one of them. I’ve also taken a few out-of-town tea lovers I know to the Portland Classic Chinese Garden when they come to visit. It has a wonderful Teahouse that allows you to sip authentic Chinese tea while in a beautiful setting. What is your favorite place to enjoy tea? I’m curious to hear of other tea venues!

I can’t wait to buy the Engraved Garden Sundial for…Oh, I know, EVERYONE I know! It’s the PERFECT Housewarming Gift. You don’t even really need a garden to have one of these little jewels. I am thinking it would be perfect on my daughter’s new balcony deck. It would also be good for my mother, who does have a garden, with yard art, trellises and wrought iron furniture. It will be perfect! Having her name engraved on it will be the crowning touch. At this affordable price, I can buy them for everyone on my list.

I would recommend this new gift to realtors or home loan processors. It would be a thoughtful and unique thank you gift. The possibilities are endless for this awesome gift!