First of all, investigate my latest GiftAway for a great Mother’s Day gift!

Secondly, you know my post about the personalized candles? Well, Madison is offering readers incredible discounts!

* 20% discount on custom Mother’s Day candles * Free consultation (usually $25/hour) * Unlimited photo proofs and changes (a savings of up to $75.00)

To obtain these deals – just mention The Gift Detective sent you when you contact Madison Hill Candles!

Lastly, don’t forget that I have a great discount on the DVD, Yoga4Dogs.

Want to do even more sleuthing? Check out some of my previous posts by visiting any of the links listed below with LinkWithin.

Happy gifting!

I’ve always preferred to use natural products on Isabelle because she isn’t just my dog, she is a part of my life and my family.  I feel like it is more important to use natural products on our dogs because, let’s face it, they lick themselves and anything that we use on their body might go straight into their mouth.  So, when I met the creators of Lani – Dig Your Dog at the New ...read more]]> It’s bath night for Isabelle.  Yeah, not her favorite thing, not surprisingly,  but bathing and grooming her is the perfect time to make sure there are no changes in or problems with her skin or nasty ticks, fleas or other unwelcome parasites.  Besides, a clean dog is pleasing to cuddle with and gets lots of positive attention from other people and Isabelle loves attention!

I’ve always preferred to use natural products on Isabelle because she isn’t just my dog, she is a part of my life and my family.  I feel like it is more important to use natural products on our dogs because, let’s face it, they lick themselves and anything that we use on their body might go straight into their mouth.  So, when I met the creators of Lani – Dig Your Dog at the New York International Gift Fair, I was ready to see if I dug their stuff.  The verdict is in – I dig Lani – Dig Your Dog products! (prices range from $4.50-$57)

Click to purchase products from Lani - Dig Your Dog

There are several factors that are important to me before I lather up my pooch but safety and scent are two of the biggies for me and the products from Lani – Dig Your Dog are winners!

Safety – The ingredients from the line of products that Lani – Dig Your Dog offers are 100% natural and mostly organic.  Safe?  Yep! You can see the list of ingredients in their products by clicking on the product you are interested in and then clicking “details” to see the evidence for yourself!

Scent – Not only are the scents pleasing to my nose, but they don’t make my dog or my boyfriend sneeze.  You may think I’m being silly when I say this but, I assure you, I’m  not.  I don’t get paid to write this review or any sort of compensation if you decide to purchase this as a gift to the favorite pooches or their people in your life, so this is entirely truthful.  A few months ago I bought a spray conditioner from the pet store and I used it on my pup.  I thought it sounded natural enough but it made her sneeze.  A lot!  About twenty minutes later, after only having sprayed a bit on her (I stopped after she began sneezing!) my boyfriend walked into the room he sneezed too and complained of “that awful smell.”  The so-called conditioner was far too perfumey and, not only was the scent too strong, the product left me unimpressed.  So, yeah, smell is really important to me!  (and Isabelle and Alex too!) Lani – Dig Your Dog offers three different scents, Beach, Park and Woods (my fave!).  All the scents are so light, lovely and natural smelling – they remind me of walking through the neighborhood when I was visiting California and I would catch a faint whiff of some wonderfully scented flower…it teased my nose and left me wanting more; it doesn’t assault your nose like the awful conditioner I bought those months ago.  I think Woods is my favorite but, if you decide to get this as a gift for the pooch in your life, read the descriptions of their scents here to pick the perfect one!

Lani Dig Your Dog has people stuff too! They have t-shirts (in styles for both men and women with short sleeves, $15, or long sleeves, $20) and, very soon they will be selling candles in the same scents as their bath products.  I was extraordinarily lucky and was sent a sample of the “Woods” candle…delightful!  I decided I wouldn’t be selfish and only enjoy it when I took a bath but thought I might light it when I gave Isabelle a bath as well.   Honestly, I can’t say whether she enjoyed the experience more, but I do think that when I’m happier and relaxed she is happier and relaxed.

I really like the candle! All of their candles are hand poured in the US using 100% natural, soy wax and a cotton paper wick.

Something else I love about the folks at Lani Dig Your Dog?  This is one of those gifts that gives more because the company donates a portion of their net proceeds to no-kill humane societies.  So, your gift is a gift in more ways than one!

Lani Dig Your Dog is a great gift for your own dog, the dog of someone you love (yeah, the saying “love me, love my dog” has truth to it!) or candle gift (available soon!) to the person in your life that loves the Beach, Park or Woods is a way to remind them you care.  Personalizing this gift is easy – for canine or human – whichever scent you think represents them (dog or person), should come with the promise of a playful few hours at the beach, park or in the woods with you.  If you are mailing this gift and cannot whisk your recipient to one of their favorite spots, consider giving this along with something they can use to have fun with their dog – a Frisbee or ball for instance for the active pair or a blanket for the pup and owner who might prefer to relax and enjoy their surroundings.

If you love your mate but perhaps not the smell of their dog, why not consider taking on the task of grooming the pooch using some of Lani -Dig Your Dog’s Body Spray?  ($14.95) Yes, it truly is their responsibility but it might give you a chance to bond with the dog as well as make your canine company more enjoyable!  The Body Sprays come in the same great scents as the Shampoos and Conditioners and if you use them while brushing the dog, like I did, it extends the life of their bath a bit, without leaving the coat feeling or smelling funny – just nice!  Plus, the man or woman in your life will appreciate your help and interest in something that is undoubtedly an important part of their life.

If you want to give gifts to a canine/human pair, consider giving the bath products to the dog and a candle to the owner.  Great gift for one of those doggy birthday parties! A gift for the birthday pooch and a gift for the host/hostess that go together.

Happy gifting!

Photos of products courtesy of Lani – Dig Your Dog.

Sleek & Discreet

The SPIbelt (Small, Personal Items belt) is not big or bulky like a fanny pack.  In fact, unless you are wearing tight fitting clothes or really low-rise pants, people probably won’t even notice that you are wearing it – it’s profile is that slim.

I don’t want to mislead you though!  Just because you’ll be able to carry your gear and still look hot, doesn’t mean you are going to have to sacrifice space.  For me, the beauty of the SPIbelt isn’t just it’s discreet size; it stretches while compressing the items ...read more]]> Your first thought might be, “That’s a fanny pack!” WAIT! Please read on because this certainly isn’t a fanny pack and I’m going to explain why the SPIbelt ($19.95) is a great gift…

Sleek & Discreet

The SPIbelt (Small, Personal Items belt) is not big or bulky like a fanny pack.  In fact, unless you are wearing tight fitting clothes or really low-rise pants, people probably won’t even notice that you are wearing it – it’s profile is that slim.

I don’t want to mislead you though!  Just because you’ll be able to carry your gear and still look hot, doesn’t mean you are going to have to sacrifice space.  For me, the beauty of the SPIbelt isn’t just it’s discreet size; it stretches while compressing the items so no matter what you stuff in there, you aren’t going to be stuck with a bulky pack!  It’s a bit magical and I’m probably going to have to create a YouTube video to do this little gem justice.

What can you fit into a SPIbelt?

• My boyfriend was easily able to fit an iPod Touch, cell phone, keys and money into his new SPIbelt (a present for our upcoming trip to Santa Fe) and when strapped it on and you couldn’t see it under his shirt at all! (he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt that fit well but wasn’t tight)
• I wear closer fitting clothing – low-rise jeans, yoga pants, etc. – and I packed my cell phone, keys, money and T pass into mine and it so discreet and small that you could barely notice it!  (I love the colors that they offer but, if you really want it to be discreet, the black SPIbelt fits the bill!)

Of course, I knew this would be great for two things in particular – travel and exercise – so I strapped on my SPIbelt (with the items listed above in it) and took my dog for a run.  Guess what?  Not only does it fit all that stuff inside and not make me look like a dork, it also doesn’t bounce.  Truly.  This will be a much used item in my life when the weather is warmer and I’m wearing exercise clothing that doesn’t have pockets!

Bonus for dog owners:  I could slip Isabelle’s leash loop through the belt before buckling it to create a hands free leash!

Alright, so now that I’ve proven how in love I am with this neat little product, I still need to let you know who on your gift list this is a good idea for:

• *  Men or women who want to travel and sightsee unencumbered - throw in your hotel key, money and ID and off you go!
• *  Fitness enthusiasts – a lot of exercise clothing is simple, form fitting and WITHOUT POCKETS, so this is a great gift for the runner, walker, biker, etc. that needs to keep some things close without affecting their workout
• * Your favorite dog walker – again, warmer weather is coming, which means less pockets and this would be a great way to show your dog walker that you appreciate them by giving them something useful.
• *  A guy who has overloaded pockets – some guys have an iPod, cell phone, earphones, keys, etc. and no purse to stow all their gear!  This is a great gift for that guy doesn’t want to carry a backpack or messenger bag but doesn’t want bulging pockets either.
  
• * Anyone who has to have any medication handy at all times – someone who has diabetes or asthma, for instance, may need to keep insulin or an inhaler close at hand – great way to keep help them keep medication close while still being able to be discreet.
  

Get it in their favorite color or accent color (black with colored zipper).

For a dog walker – enclose a mini-card that has a cash bonus in it or filled with small, useful items like great chapstick or refreshing towelettes.

For a child that needs to have medication with them at all times – give them a stylish way to keep it close at hand, pick a color or pattern that they will love or pick black to help them keep it more discreet – really think about what they would like most.    After you pick the perfect belt, put some really fun, age appropriate item in it, a young child may like a small toy while an older child might like their first cell phone!

For the exercise enthusiast, make sure to choose the water and sweat resistant SPIbelt and then proceed to give them great headphones if they like to exercise with tunes, a pedometer, Nike + or something similar that they will love.

Want to give a little luxury? Wrap up an iPod Touch and slip it inside or for your man or woman who works out hard, include a gift certificate to an upscale spa for a massage.

There are so many more possible ways to personalize this!  What are some things you would like to find in a SPIbelt if you were to receive this as a gift or things that you might put in it if you were to give it?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy gifting!

Click to Purchase