Who says gift-giving has to be a one time only? Gift subscriptions are great way to give someone a gift this month – and for months to come! And who doesn’t want to keep getting a special surprise into 2013?
Citizen Bean Starter Pack
Citizen Bean
Coffee of the month seems to be the most obvious and basic “off the month” club, and considering how much people love their coffee, it makes total sense. For a serious coffee lover, Citizen Bean is the right choice: they deliver a full pound of top-quality roasted coffee every month, plus how-tos and accessories to go with. Choose $79.99 for 3 months or $219 for a year.
Lots of people blog, of course, but some of them take it more seriously than others. So here’s our gift guide for anyone who wants to blog professionally, or at least seriously, and for bloggers already out there creating posts.
Nespresso U
Nespresso Coffee Maker: $199 & up
You’ve probably seen those single-cup coffee makers. This is the same idea, but for espresso. And it’s delicious. And bloggers love coffee (maybe even more than normal people).
Nespresso’s currently running a promotion, so you get $100 credit toward the disposable cups of espresso. They come in many different styles, so there are many to pick from starting at $199.
If you’d like to get a gift for someone aspiring to take their blog to the next level, try a gift certificate to Moo Cards. Moo Cards are affordable business cards that look like they cost way more than they actually do. The paper’s nice, you can do rounded edges, and you can use your own photos or their design. My favorite business card source out there. 50 double-sided cards in full color starts at $19.99.
16GB Flash Drive
Flash Drive: $28.99
Another thing you can’t have too many of, especially when there are photos or videos involved. Usually you see flash drives in smaller amounts, like 4GB or 8GB. And those are useful, but not nearly as useful as gigantic one, like this 16GB model from Staples. They make prettier models, but when you choose function over form you get a lot more bang for your buck.
Blue Snowball with Tripod
Blue Snowball USB Mic: $60.88
Podcasts and interviews are a great way for bloggers to create interesting material to engage readers. This Blue Snowball mic will let just about anyone create professional-sounding audio with just a mic and their computer. The mic works just by plugging it in via USB, with no extra setup or software.
Yes, the idea that bloggers work at coffeeshops is a stereotype. But there’s some truth to it. If nothing else, bloggers need the flexibility to work whenever and wherever. This keyboard is great for anyone doing a lot of traveling and/or mobile typing, since it rolls right up to save space, but still gives you a full keypad so you can actually write. It pairs via Bluetooth, recharges via USB, and is especially great for tablet users. $60 from Brookstone.
In my mind, stocking stuffers are small(ish) gifts that aren’t going to set you back more than say, $30. These are great gifts to if you have a Secret Santa or White Elephant at work, or if you just need to get a little something to say thank you to someone. Let me know what you think, and definitely leave any suggestions for additions in the comments! Also make sure to check out my other guides! I’ve got great tech gifts under $50 and great tech gifts under $100.
Sugru repair rubber
Sugru: $18
Have you seen this stuff? It’s blowing up on Pinterest right now. It’s kinda like the magic putty from those as-seen-on-TV commercials, except that it works and people LOVE it. Basically it’s a soft putty you can use to fix all kinds of stuff (it sticks to most metals and plastics) that will then dry and keep its shape. They call it a “self-setting rubber” but it also seems kinda like magic. From sugru.com
Sample Foldable
Foldables: $8 with holiday discount
Maybe you’re thinking, “What the heck is this thing?” and you’re right, there’s no real point other than that it’s cool. Basically, it’s like a cardboard action figure that looks just like you (or someone else). You design it, and can either present it to someone already assembled, or let them have some crafty fun putting it together. From foldables.me
Customized holiday chocolate
Chocomize: Starting around $5
Customized chocolate bars!? Yeah, I can think of a COUPLE people who’d like to get this. You pick a chocolate bar (milk, dark, white) and then add custom candies, nuts, flavors and toppings, even gold flakes! You can make it festive, too, with Santa faces and a Merry Christmas message if you want. Best part? You can order one for everybody, or several of the same if you need a gift for lots of people (say, in your office). From chocomize.com
Temporary robot
Tattly Temporary Tattoos: $5 and up
For the kid in your, your friends, or maybe even your actual kids. Created by amazing blogger and designer Swiss Miss, aka Tina Roth Eisenberg, Tattly.com specializes in fun, designy, temporary tattoos. Many of them are hand-drawn, and they’re all fun. They start at $5 for a set of two with free shipping anywhere in the United States. There are also gift sets done up in paper and ribbon that are $25 and come with 12 different designs. More from tattly.com
Robot!
Robot Headphone Splitter: $14.50
OK, speaking of robots, there’s this headphone splitter. A headphone splitter just lets you plug 2 sets of headphones into one device, so 2 people can listen AND watch at the same time. This is a standard headphone jack, so it will work with just about any device, from your laptop to your tablet to your smartphone. Comes as a keychain to make it hard to lose! It’s $14.50 from FredFlare.com.
DIY touchscreen gloves
Touchscreen Glove Kit: $9.99
We showed you a pricier pair of touchscreen-compatible gloves in our Guide to Tech Gifts Under $50. This kit is $20 cheaper, but it’s designed to let you make your own! It comes with one pair of gloves, conductive thread, and needles to do your own sewing. Plus there’s enough thread to do a pair of gloves you already own, so it’s almost like a 2 for 1 deal. Great for someone who likes a little bit of entry-level DIY crafting. $9.99 from Brit + Co.
Carbots with iPhone controller
Carbots
Here’s another completely NOT practical BUT super fun gift. Carbots are the new version of race cars! You can drive or race them, but there’s no battery-powered controler. Instead you control them right from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch or Android phone or tablet. There’s also battle and shooting mode, if racing isn’t enough for you. Plus the cars recharge by USB, so you don’t need to buy a lifetime supply of AAA batteries. $30 or 2 for $50 from Brookstone.
This is my roundup of great gifts under $100. I hope there’s something here for everybody. And if you find this inspiring, or have questions, feel free to ask in the comments – I’m happy to try to help!
Instacanvas by @gilliancclarke
Instacanv.as: $39.99 & up
A great way to take your Instagram photos offline, either on canvas, as a framed print, prism, greeting card or iPhone case. Custom-designed iPhone cases start at $39.99, while a 16″x16″ stretched canvas is $60. If you want to give a personal, thoughtful gift, you really can’t get any more personal than this!
If you don’t feel 100% on your artistic choices, you can also choose from the photos of others as a great way to give custom art at a very reasonable price. More at instacanv.as.
Amazon Kindle – $69
Amazon Kindle: $69 & up
Most of the big-ticket gadgets, like tablets and e-readers, are well over $100. Amazingly, the basic Kindle model starts at $69 for the model with special offers, or $89 without, so it’s a great way to gift the latest tech without spending a fortune. The basic model has built-in Wi-Fi with no light, but if you want to go a little over, the Paperwhite illuminated Kindle starts at $119. Either way, you get access to all of Amazon’s ebooks, and many libraries are beginning to provide ebooks too. For more, see my hands-on video with e-readers or compare at Amazon.
Duracell Powermat
Duracell Powermat: $99
The Powermat is a charging system that does double duty. First, it’s a mat you can set your phone on so it will charge wirelessly. But second, it’s a backup power source you can take with you to charge your phone. We like it so much that we hosted a party with Powermat! This is a great gift for anyone with an iPhone (prior to iPhone 5) or Samsung galaxy Siii. Trust me, they’ll use it. The complete charging system is $99 from Duracell directly.
Belkin iPad Cabinet Mount
iPad Kitchen Cabinet Mount from Belkin: $49.99
If you know anyone who cooks from their iPad, this is a great gift! There are tons of awesome cooking apps for the iPad, but if you’re in danger of getting sauce on your iPad it’s not worth it! The cabinet mount keeps your iPad up off the counter, safely and securely, at a height that makes it easy to use to the tablet as a cookbook. It’s $49.99 from Belkin, a company know for their great tech accessories. You could also pair it with these $20 iPad sleeve protectors from Brookstone that repel liquid for the whole tech-cooking package!
Eye-Fi Pro X2
Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Card: $99
Sometimes it’s the little things really make you feel like you’re living in Star Trek or something. These memory cards work just like a normal SDHC card you’d put in your camera, but they use wireless connectivity to automatically send your images to your laptop, phone or tablet. In turn, that frees up more space on the memory card for more photos and videos. The Pro model is worth the slightly higher $99 price for increased storage space (16GB) and additional features like geotagging and RAW file uploads. Make sure to double check camera compatibility with Eye-Fi’s camera checker.
Little Pocket Book from Pad and Quill
Little Pocket Book for iPhone 5: $59.99
The idea is pretty simple: an iPhone case combined with a wallet that works for men or women. The outside looks like a notebook, while the inside has leather in custom colors, depending on what you like. It’s handmade of leather and wood in Minnesota by Pad and Quill, and while it’s not cheap at $59.99, that’s actually not bad for a wallet AND an iPhone case in one!
Oregon Weather Station
Oregon Scientific Weather Station: $99
Weather stations are serious fun and are great for anyone with some outdoor space that geeks out over the weather. This weather station is advanced enough to give you plenty to fiddle with, but at $99 it costs way less than similar pro models. It does rainfall measurement, barometric pressure readings, atomic time, moon phases and more. It’s a high enough level that your lucky recipient can even become a weather station for weather underground.
Apple Magic Trackpad
Apple Magic Trackpad: $69
This is great for relieving mouse fatigue! It’s so easy to use, and takes a lot of the stress of your hands at a desktop or laptop. Generally Apple recommends these for use with desktops, but there’s no reason not to use it with your laptop too, since it easily pairs with both. A great way to avoid carpal tunnel, or at least those hand cramps.
Logitech Wireless Trackpad from Staples
Logitech T650 Trackpad for Windows 8: $59.99 at Staples
No reason for Mac people to be the only ones who get to skip the mouse! This trackpad is great for Windows 8, makes using the new tiled interface even easier, and recharges via USB so you can stay wireless most of the time. A really nice trackpad really is a great experience that beats even the nicest laptops, and the Logitech is one of the nicest. A great upgrade for the laptop power-user in your life.
Sony Sport In-Ear Headphones
Sony Sport Headphones: $89.99
Headphones are crazy, because you can spend anywhere from $15 to $300 on a pair. But what I like about these Sonys (the XBA-S65) is that they are water and sweat-proof! After you work out with them you can actually wash them to get the sweat off! And they’re designed to stay put, so your don’t have to spend all your workout time trying to put your earbuds back in. They may not sound quite as great as a $300 ear-covering model, but they’re still noise-canceling and are a great choice for anyone who likes to exercise.
