The Gift Detective » under $20

Sleuthing Sunday: Investigating Deals and Discounts Here!

The Gift Detective — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:47:08 +0000

This Sunday, I want YOU to be the sleuth!

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!

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: Wii Fit Plus

The Gift Detective — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:35:09 +0000

Alright, I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I’m working on all sorts of Valentine’s posts for you guys but…Wii Fit Plus is totally fun! If you have someone on your gift list that loves Wii Fit and you want to get them a gift they will enjoy – well then don’t hesitate – just click and buy it already! It is well worth the $20!!!

Nintendo managed to take something that was already good and just made it better. More exercises, more games, more features (your pets can have a profile so that you can track their weight), you can create your own customized workout in order to save time (you make your selections and it takes you through your routine seamlessly – saved for as long as you like!), you can use some suggested workouts (sore lower back? want to relax? desire a leaner Mii? they have all that and more!) and there are even games that make you work your mind and body simultaneously. I love it!!! Your recipient will too. This game deserves the hype. Be forewarned that if you get this game as a gift for someone you live with, you might be playing with this present too!

If you are purchasing this present, note that if they already have Wii Fit and the Balance Board, you will want to purchase the game only (it will import all of your recipients previous Wii Fit Data into Wii Fit Plus, Miis and all!) – if you want to give this gift to someone who doesn’t already have Wii Fit, you can purchase the game with the balance board as a package.

Want to personalize this gift? If you are giving this to your spouse, help carve out time to play with their new toy by doing the dishes so they can get in their workout, watch the kids or…go play with them! I don’t know about where you live but having an activity that isn’t weather dependent, when it is cold, rainy and icy, is really nice add in the fact that you can do this with your friends or family and you get motivation, just when you need it!

You can personalize this with accessories as well. Check out the widget below to see just a smattering of the smorgasbord of accessories that have hit the market!

Amazon.com Widgets

Do you or somebody you know have or love this game? Let me know what you think about this as a gift! Would you like one? Have you given one? Leave a comment on this post.

Happy gifting!

Getting Fit with Fido – Yoga4Dogs

The Gift Detective — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:17:09 +0000

There are many ways to get some exercise while at the same time bonding with your dog – but how about something a little different? Enter, Yoga4Dogs.

20% discount for my readers!!!

Click to Purchase

To receive your discount: Enter the code “giftdetective” [case sensitive!] at checkout and click “Apply”.

Yoga4Dogs is a doga DVD created by young entrepreneur, Amy Stevens. Yeah, I know, you’re skeptical. Honestly, I was too. Doga sounds a little chichi, right? Well, don’t discount this as a great gift because I had the opportunity to try it with Isabelle, my pup, and we can definitely recommend it!

People have always created fun ways to be active with their dogs – agility, flyball, dock jumping, lure coursing, Rally-o, canine freestyle and so much more, so it seems natural to me doga is the new kid on the block for activities you can do with your canine. And what easier way to make this accessible to do at home than a DVD?

The DVD has three sections: Poses for small dogs and poses for large dogs and a section for giving your dog a massage. Isabelle is sort of medium sized (20 pounds) so we were able to do all of the small dog poses and even some of the large dog poses.

Now, don’t think that this is a DVD that will help you lose massive weight in no time. That’s not the purpose of Yoga4Dogs. Sure, you will probably see some health benefits if you practice this regularly enough but the biggest benefit is adding a great stretching routine to your dog’s life and having the time to bond. Dogs love activity and attention and this gives them both.

Isabelle was a natural dogi! I got out my yoga mat and I brought a crate pad over for her to use as a mat when it was time for me to do moves alone and it was a wonderful experience. Isabelle gets lots of love and massages from me, but I really liked being able to do safe simple stretches both with and for her. Isabelle is a young and fit pup (four years old) but I think that this would be a great gift for an older dog as well.

This is a wonderful DVD to use on a regular basis and really great for the times when the weather prevents you from spending as much time walking or playing as you would like (too rainy, too cold, too hot…).

Great gift for a friend who has a dog: Do you have a friend who talks ad nauseam about their dog and you just don’t get it? Well, dogs are like family in many instances so this is a great gift for someone who is really into their dog. This is also a really unique gift because, as of January 2010, there is no other doga DVD out there.

Great gift for you and your own dog: If you have a dog, why not skip the extra bag of treats this week and get this DVD instead? I promise, it isn’t as cheesy as it sounds, and your relationship with your dog will grow for spending the time together, not to mention, their health will benefit from it. You know your dog is a gift, so being able to do anything with them that will make them happy will also be a gift to yourself.

Keep an open mind. We do things for our dogs that years ago just would have been laughed at. Brushing their teeth, fastening them into seat belts, putting boots on to protect them from ice melt, etc. I know that I will continue to do Yoga4Dogs with Isabelle because it is one more way that I can spend some quality time with her, enrich her life and, hopefully, help her be healthier for practicing these stretches with her. My gift to her.

Happy gifting!

Kwanzaa DVD: The Black Candle

The Gift Detective — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:04:17 +0000

Christmas and Hanukkah seem to be the most recognized and most publicized holidays, but let’s not forget that Kwanzaa is also approaching

Available on Amazon, $19.99

The Black Candle is narrated by renown poet, Maya Angelou, and directed by, M.K. Asante, Jr. and has received wonderful reviews.

If someone in your life celebrates Kwanzaa, this is a wonderful gift that is inspiring, celebratory and affirming!

Happy gifting!