Travel Gifts – Part 3, SPIbelt

The Gift Detective — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:41:45 +0000

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.

This is a useful gift for many and you can make this gift more personal in several ways. Think about your recipient and your budget and then consider some of these ideas…

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!

Toy Tuesday: Travel Gifts – Part 2

The Gift Detective — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:03:23 +0000

My upcoming trip to Santa Fe has me thinking about all things travel related and, with Toy Tuesday being a regular feature, I wanted to think of a great travel toy or game.

The problem I encountered while I was brainstorming was that I wanted something that could encompass different ages, packed light, could be done no matter the form of travel (for instance, Bananagrams is portable and anybody who can spell can play, but do you see playing this with your kids in the car or on a plane?) and didn’t have pieces to lose. At this point, you might be thinking, “Gee whiz, Alyna, good luck coming up with something…”, right?

Guess what? I came up with a great idea – Mad Libs!

Click to Purchase

Mad Libs are something that both young and old can enjoy, is a learning experience (disguised as fun!) for younger players, takes up very little space in your carry on luggage or glove box, doesn’t have pieces to lose and can provide a lot of fun and laughs. And who couldn’t use some laughter when you’ve got a car full of kids that would rather be off and running, a mate that is cranky with exhaustion, or a flight that just doesn’t seem to end? Whip out the Mad Libs and make lemonade out of those lemons.

There are other great travel gifts out there and, if you need help I can find them for you, but few fit so many ages and situations as well as Mad Libs.

You can even create Mad Libs online. Check out this one I did for fun!

How to Make it More Personal

Surprise your traveler with this gift! Wrap it up and hide it in the glove box or a carry on before the trip.

Make it personal by wrapping it in a map – get even more personal by highlighting the route that they are taking.

If you are sending off a really close loved one – you could fill in the first Mad Lib for them to find, using words that relate to how you feel (i.e. “Miss” or “Love” for a verb) or things related to their trip. It will be both a touching reminder that you are thinking of them and make them smile.

To complete the present, include a pen or pencil so that they can begin to play whenever it strikes their fancy.

Mad Libs is fun for group or solo travel so whether you are sending a loved one off or traveling with them, it will surely brighten their trip to receive a small but thoughtful gift!