Caffeine & its implements

46. BeeHouse Teapot...downright adorable, but not cloying so. Pick up some tea to round it out.

47. Peet's Holiday Blend...buy it at the Peet's downtown lovely HKR has a shot at the holiday bonus or you may alternatively send HKR a couple of bucks which is really ultimately more efficient in my opinion.

48. Bodum Hot Pot...stylish and no long yoked to that outlet...anyone hungry for ramen?

49. Cimmmamin at Jacques: Adam is delighted with Dunkin Donuts' Cinnamon Spice Coffee.

50. Chemex Coffee Pot..."kickin' it retro old school" as one might say if they were hip enough, but I'm not. There was this kid who was disturbingly addicted to coffee...he was quite jittery nonetheless and I'm sure it had NOTHING to do with the amount of coffee consumed. Anyhoo...he swore by these Chemex coffee makers.

51. Smiles Coffee: a rare instance of good coming from spam. Zeith roasts his own coffee in the microwave.

52. Nissan Stainless Vacuum Thermos from Campmor...the cheapest place I've found these high quality stainless steel thermoses...I toted my sugary hot tea in my vacuum thermos all through high school. I think the backpacker is pretty neat.

Sports Fans

53. NFL Snack Helmet: so ridiculous it's hilarious, imagine a helmet for your chips and your dip.

54. Bobble Head Shirt...reminds me of that grinning face on MAD magazine. Children's shirts are perfect for small adults. [Shipping is only 2 bucks]

55. Moneyball...comes highly recommended by Adam, the only baseball nut in our relationship.

Let it Bloom Let it Bloom Let it Bloom

56. Specialty Cut Flowers...tome on growing and caring of cut flowers reviewed by the NYTimes.

57. Underwater Flower Cutter...nifty guillotine contraption

58. Flowers from Martha Stewart with a discount. I've also sent plasticmom blooms from Wal-Mart on two separate occasions and they've been very nice...or so she graciously claims because they could be gross and rotten for all I know. With Wal-Mart, I would go with some nice single variety blooms like these calla lilies to avoid any potential cheese factor.

"Buuht, I doooon't wine!"

59. BYO Bag...use this lightweight neoprene bag for toting your wine bottles about town. Spotted this year in at least one gift guide and available locally at Best Cellars and online at MOMA.

60. WineSmarts...also available locally at Best Cellars.

61. Rabbit Corkscrew...for those who lack the upper body strength or simply can't be bothered.

62. Stemware Plate Clips...soup up any old plate with these clips to accommodate wine glasses. Great for multitasking type shindigs: Drink, Eat & Chat all while Standing.

63. Plastic Wine Glasses...perfect for dropping on the floor...classier than a Dixie cup. There's a reason I'm plasticann...I love plastic...that's why.

The Event of the Holiday Season

MGDub beat me to the chase, but in honor of MGDub's Annual Holiday Gift Swap...a reiteration of some sure fire Diamonds coupled with sure fire Coals.

64.
Diamond or Coal: Pet Goldfish---really depends on the crowd
Coal: Laundry Detergent & Dryer Sheets...yours truly discovered this practical gift was the pariah of the party. MGDub had to beg one of her friends to take it off her hands.

65.
Diamond: Anything from The Onion
Coal: Gift wrapped box of bagels

66.
Diamond: Sandwich Maker & a composed "Ode to the Sandwich Maker"....Adam gets major “props” for this one.
Coal: Used personal hygiene items such as contact lenses.

67.
Diamond: CASH in unmarked bills or gift certificates. [I personally frown upon such uncreative selections, but they seem to be popular]
Coal: CHANGE in penny increments.

A cautionary note: For the sake of MGDub's shindig...everyone should not just bring one of these items. The more Onion calendars there are at the event, the less desirable they become...it's merely an issue of supply and demand.

World Travelers

The Wall Street Journal reported on a exclusive society of folks aiming to visit every country/local on this planet, as defined by the all-powerful board of the said society. So far only 10 people have completed the task since the geographic definitions are constantly in flux frustrating the very weary world-traveling members. This is for those enthusiastic travelers who are a little less hard-core and esoteric.

68. Hanging Toiletries Bag & Nalgene Toiletries Bottles: I use my bag year round to avoid cluttering the sink and it's very portable.

69. Defend your legroom with the Knee Defender.

70. Travel Documents Holder or Passport Holder: plasticmom and I purchased these wicked cool leather passport covers at Harrods that look like the passports from our ethnic homeland.

71. A Bag for your Bag: plasticmom always carries a small lightweight tote in her purse while traveling for toting unexpected purchases and I've taken to doing the same. I got her this bag from Walker last summer and she was overly concerned about the bag's strength and durability chiding me for wasting my money. I been feeling vindicated every since plasticmom reported that she's been using her Walker bag on a daily basis during her most recent trip to Tokyo and the bag is surprisingly strong and expandable. Harumph!

Freakin HUGE Bagel

We get bagels at work every Friday and there was a HUGE everything bagel in today's stash from Finagle. It was super tall (2.5-3 inches) and abnormally bloated. Nina asked whether the bagel had a hole and I replied that it had a divot where the hole might be.

Victuals By Mail

Part I...slightly classier

72. "Christmas Tamales" a.k.a. Tamales from Curra's Grill.

73. If you've got a whole lot of dough for not a whole lot of [cookie] dough...delightful options from Eleni's.

Part II...regional favorites

74. TastyKakes harken back to MGDub's youth...remarkably shelf stable.

75. Just in case Zrad is stranded without access to Fluff for his morning Fluffernutter.

76. Cookie Puss & Fudgie the Whale Carvel Ice Cream "Cakes" delivered to your doorstep. Please note that there's not a speck of cake in this "cake," but there are those delicious "crunchies."

77. Bushel of Fruit [Gems]: They've got Sunkist's stamp of approval, but be forewarned that these pectin jellies are not a good source of vitamins as no fruits have been harmed in their manufacturing process. I would stick to those Rugrat chewables Zrad.

78. Stadium Mustard: I find this fascinating...a city devoted to their regional mustard...those crazy buckeyes. I wonder how it tastes...any thoughts?

Note regarding the Gift List: If anyone out there ends up using any of these ideas, I'd love to hear either through "shout out" or e-mail. It makes me happy to hear about such matters.

Mines

79. Neighborhoodies---the perfect day to blog about this indeed. Newsweek featured this in their gift guide last week and lo and behold the mysterious birthday present that my friend Corinna was having made for me arrived this morning and it turned out to be the cutest t-shirt emblazoned with my neighborhood. It's totally awesome and I love it. Corinna gets the best gifts...it's always something I really want. I'm so glad she wasn't getting me a porcelain doll made in my likeness...eeekkkk.

80. Tote Bags from L.L. Bean [Free monogramming this holiday season.] I love these bags and the price is nice too especially if you've got the L.L. Bean Visa which offers perks such as free shipping and free monogramming. Along the same note...personalized towels. Adam's got one and he seems to enjoy it, but then again he didn't really have a towel before so it seems to be better than nothing.

81. Tiffany's Initial Pendants---Elsa Peretti designs for all 26 letters of our alphabet...breakfast sold separately

82. Lego Mosaic---upload your digital pictures and Lego will create a complete kit for your very own black & white mosaic...not sure if it's totally cool or total kitsch. Then again there's always the Yoda sculpture for die hard fans.

Give Early Give Often...24 & 12...the days of Christmas that is

83. Advent Calendars...Playmobil has the most funnest ones followed closely by Lego. On the more traditional sweet tooth route, I've spotted the Chocolate Advent Calendars from Gerhhhmahhhny at both Star Market and of course, Trader Joe's ($0.99-$1.50). You'll have to shop earlier to meet the Dec. 1 deadline, but then you'll get to enjoy the next 24 days of hassle free bliss.

84. 12 Days of Christmas (also available in the 8 day form for Hanukkah): Harry & David's box filled with boxes filled with treats. Jessica is starting a tradition by sending this to her hard to shop for grandparentals. Harry & David fruit, especially the Royal Riviera Pear, is really delicious. I like to call it, "Merry Christmas!...Sending you some fiber in the mail."
Note: 10% off this month.

"Kickin' It Old School" as Nina likes to say

85. Retro Aprons from the aptly named American Hostess

86. An oldie, but most definitely goodie...Ben Hogan's "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf" illustrated with line drawings. Perfect for any golf newbie as well as that seasoned golfer who for some freakish reason does not already own it.

87. A bit bizarre, most likely impractical, but it still warms my heart because of my love for most things mini...The Easy-Bake Gourmet cookbook. Gourmet recipes of both the sweet and the savory persuasion contributed by top chefs for use in an Easy-Bake oven.

Fun twists on that same old chocolate!

88. Chocolate Handbags from Choco Choco House

89. Mice, Penguins and lots of other options like hot chocolate from Burdick's.

Vertically Challenged

90. Play "librarian" and lord over your home library with a bonafide KIK-Step. Order from the manufacturer, Cramer, for wholesale prices and free shipping. Plasticmom received a red one last Christmas.

Extreme Cooking

91. "I just may be impervious to heat!"---The ORKA Miracle Mitt enables you to plunge your hand into boiling water...fancy that.

92. Slash Resistant Gloves are just the thing for klutzy cooks...it's like chain mail for your hands.

Think Gastronomically, Buy Locally...fun foodstuffs to bring along to a holiday shindig

93. Tiny Trapeze Candies---from the folks that started Dancing Deer: Old Timey candies like barley drops, honey bites, caramels and homemade marshmallows.

94. Homey treats from Dancing Deer: Molasses Clove Cookies are kind of Christmasey

95. Sweet + Spicy Pecans and other nutty offerings from Sampsons Nuts

This is why I try my best to keep my blog friendly for all Moms

from the Onion..."Mom Finds Out About Blog!"

Gag Type Gifts

96. Self Inflating Whoopie Cushion---prevents hyperventilation

97. Lego Maniac: Lego came out with the Soccer themed sets a few years ago and now they've got them for basketball, hockey and even extreme sports. Note: themed sets for Spiderman, Harry Potter and Star Wars also available.

98. Cat Crap: My friends Dave & Kristen have two cats and the last thing Dave needs is more "Cat Crap," of a different sort. This stuff works...'nuff said.

99. Pint Lock: Combination lock from Ben & Jerry's to fend off hungry roommates looking to pilfer a bite of your ice cream...for singles only...may cause marital conflict.

Gift Ideas

I must confess that I love Christmas, but that's no secret. I love the whole gift giving process: purchasing, wrapping, etc. I could be completely done by Thanksgiving if not for my baking plans because who wants to eat stale moldy month old cookies. That said...in order to spread more Christmas cheer which will mostly serve to cheer me up, I present my Christmas 2003 list of gift ideas. I'm feeling up for a (realistic) challenge so I'm shooting for 100 ideas by Christmas...this will be an instance of quantity not quality. If you happen to be someone who may receive a gift from me this season, do not fret...I will try not feature the gift you are about to receive this year until after you've unwrapped your gift. However, some gifts that are less specialized from this year's Ann's gift list will be featured prematurely on the gift guide...after all who's going to be upset that they saw "cookies" on my gift guide and their surprise was ruined because they got "cookies?" That said....(drumroll please)....the countdown:

100. Homemade Cookies...always a surefire hit unless the recipient is diabetic. Remember, holiday amnesty renders cookies non-caloric and non-fat.

Perfect for our long limbed friends...

...the "Knee Defender." Adam (a long limbed lad himself) alerted me to this contraption created for those who max out on legroom of airplanes...a problem yours truly does not suffer from. The plastic thingamabobbers attach to the metal arms of your lowered tray table and they essentially jam the reclining mechanism of the person seated in front of you. Don't let the name "Knee Defender" mislead you, this product is very genteel and even comes with a "Courtesy Card" that diplomatically attempts to foster dialogue between all parties. As for those who take issue with the width of airplane seats, you're out of luck, but please do not lift the armrest separator between you and your neighbor out of common courtesy to those seated in your row and respect for their personal space and boundaries.

Frying Pan

I bought a 12 inch frying pan from Williams-Sonoma yesterday and I'm going to go pick it up tonight. I don't really cook, but the price was right and my house sure could use a new pan to replace good old peeling teflon. We could also use some heat, but that's another story.

ELF

This sunday was a momentous occasion, it was the first time I'd ever seen Nina wear pants in the three plus years I've been working with her. Sure, I'd heard tales about how back in the day Nina wore giant pants, but I've only seen her wear skirts and dresses. Nina, Jess, Adam and I went and saw the ELF movie. We all loved it and it was hilarious and sweet and touching and really really funny. I've got a few favorite lines from the movie including when Buddy answers the phone at his biological (human) father's office, "Hi, it's Buddy the Elf. What's your favorite color?" Upon hearing that Santa will be arriving at the department store, Buddy screams, "Santa...I know him." Finally, witnessing toilets in human proportions having come from a land of little elves with wee little toilets, Buddy enthusiastically describes the toilets as, "gi-normous!"

Zesse Zazer

I'm excited to announce that MGDub's good good friend Zesse's website is up and running. There you'll find archived comics, published in our alma mater's daily rag, and some other funny tidbits by Zesse. I've never met Zesse, but I've seen some of his fabulous work. MGDub commissioned Zesse to draw a comic depicting our friends Zatie & Zils for their wedding in the style of that classic "Providence" comic strip. His rendering was uncanny…the comic strip was a work of art and a stroke of pure genius. Way to go Zesse! You should celebrate by going to Disney World or at the very least, buy yourself some books from Amazon.

Everybody LOVES Cupcakes...

...well, Cupcakes aren't Adam's favorite, but I think he does like them. Check out this article in the NYTimes about cupcakes with an audio slide show to top it off. Oddest tidbit...actress Amy Sedaris (Sister of writer David Sedaris. She once played David Spade's doppelganger on Just Shoot Me) bakes cupcakes for some bakery in NYC. She hawks her homemade cheeseballs and cupcakes in the lobby during her shows. How bizarre is that? I'm not ashamed to report that I bake cupcakes from cake mix and I even use the plastic tub frosting...although I usually buy name brand.

"Happy Place"

I managed to weasel my way into a trip out to Hilltop Steakhouse last night to celebrate Z.J's birthday. Z.J. is one of Adam, Zrad and Zeith's housemates and also attends B.I.T. Z.J. and I aren't great friends...in fact we barely recognize each other, but he seems like a congenial chap and I couldn't pass up the Hilltop having heard so much about the steakhouse in Saugus graced by a huge neon cactus and a herd of plastic cows. Zrad is extremely enthusiastic about Hilltop bordering on fanaticism. Throughout the evening, Zrad would say things like, "this is a happy place" or "this is a happy day." Heeding Zrad's advice, I settled on the prime rib...the "regular" 16 oz. cut because according to Adam & Zeith, "I'd be throwing my money away" if I didn't opt for the extra 4 oz. Hoping for preferential treatment by speaking their language, Zrad ordered the "Super King Cut Prime Rib." Without batting an eye, our waitress took Zrad's order and moved on to me. Curious about this "Super King Cut," I asked our waitress "How big is the 'Super King Cut'?" The "Super King Cut" was merely 16 oz. or also known as the "Regular." The Hilltop Steakhouse had at one point served a 20 oz. "King Cut," but no longer offered the "King Cut." Excited to share his enthusiasm for the Hilltop, Zrad kept encouraging me to keep up with him by eating my entire meal plus a slice of Hilltop Mud Pie for dessert. Given that I don't possess Zrad's superhuman metabolism, I'm a full foot shorter and I shouldn't aim to consume 3% of my body weight, I tried hard not to get sucked into a game of steak eating "chicken" and stuck to my original plan of eating two thirds of my meal saving the rest of lunch. There were times when I was afraid the meal that sat before me would overwhelm my will and I would end up eating a pound of steak, my sides and Mud Pie. Adam and I did split a slice of Hilltop Mud Pie and Zrad sure was right...it was sublime. I dare say, at $3.50, the Hilltop Mud Pie was hands down the best part of the meal.

Glare

Zeith tells me the unfortunate consequence of working across the street from that new crazy Frank Gehry "BIT" building is the glare of the sun bouncing off the sculptural metal sheeting into his office. He's considering tinting his windows. Bummer!