An Alternative To Candy Canes

I always like to think outside the box with any category of gift, but especially food gifts. I hate giving people the same boring treats even if they're good. At the holidays people often give brownies and cookies and things like candy canes and that's all well and good, but there are so many more interesting options for you or your boss to give these days. Why not try Peppermint Bark from Williams Sonoma:
Or these Juicy Jell candies from the Candy Basket that come in flavors even a foodie would appreciate like Meyer Lemon and Asian Pear:

Vinobrary

If your boss or someone close to you loves wine or wants to give a gift to someone who does, the New York Times just did a interesting article about a couple of fascinating wine books that would make great gifts.

Computer Chic

I'm not sure why, but I really like this usb glass shelf that goes above a keyboard. It looks sleek, gives you an little extra space to put a few things you need at your disposal and provides you with a few extra usb ports if you need them. The shelf is not that expensive, so it would probably make a good holiday gift for the techie in your life.

Pumpkinlicious

If you or your boss loves Pumpkin or you have a client that does, the Pumpkin Pie Candy Bar from BonBonBar looks pretty good. I haven't tasted it yet, but they also do Scotch Bars that I've tasted and given as gifts and they're amazing. They have a bunch of other yummy bars, so if any of this intrigues you, check out their site.

More Ways To Get Organized

Yesterday I read this article in the Wall Street Journal about various time management systems. If you read this blog at all, you know that I love organization and utilizing anything I can to make myself more efficient. I truly believe that no matter what you do for a living, being on top of your work and managing your time well is really important. The article discusses the system that I'm trying to implement, GTD, but also gives you details on a couple others. Check it out if you have a minute, as I think it will be time well spent.

Need A New Place To Send Your Boss In Beverly Hills?

If you need a new place to send your boss or want to splurge on yourself, check out the newly opened Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills. It's French bistro food from famed chef Thomas Keller (who created the ultra famous and pricey French Laundry). Other locations for Bouchon exist in Vegas and Yountville (wine country near Napa).

Twas The Night Before You Recorded Christmas

Add this to the list of cool gifts to give to kids this holiday season -- Recordable storybooks from Hallmark. This is a great idea to tell your boss about if he/she has kids or you can give them as well if you have kids or a niece or nephew. It's the ultimate in customization and will make the story truly special and unique.

Reading The New York Times In A Whole New Way

I love to be well informed and think it's helpful for work and in your personal life to know about the world around you. In my opinion the New York Times is the best paper around (sorry LA Times - you were once great). I read the New York Times online frequently and I recently read about a new idea the paper might be trying that will allow you to consume it in a different format. I love the paper as is, but I'm all for positive change and I'll be excited if they actually do implement this new online news reader.

Gifts for Geeks, Foodies & More

If you actually are lucky enough to have a job in this economy and you're planning to buy presents during the holidays, check out this guide from the New York Times.

YAY - I Actually Took A Lunch Today!!

I actually took a lunch today, so I have around one minute to blog. Since I don't have time for a long and informative post, busy yourself with the video of director Marc Forestor below where he talks about how important failure can be. I know all of us wish we would never fail, but it can actually be valuable at times.

These Ugly Truffles Look Pretty Good To Me

Not sure why Chocolate Gourmet calls these Ugly Truffles because they look damn yummy to me. I'm thinking I will send them as a gift soon. This is the perfect gift to give to the chocolate lover who loves to try new things. Click here if you want to read a review. The two that look the best to me are below. Click on the image to go directly to the details regarding that truffle.

Free Gift From Google For the Holidays

Google loves you and wants to give you a gift -- Free Wi-Fi at airports in many cities (including Las Vegas, San Jose, Boston, Baltimore, Burbank, Houston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, St. Louis and Charlotte) from now until January 15th. If you end up at the airport bored or if your family is driving you nuts, feel free to get online and have some fun or catch up on some work.

For The Bacon Lover Who Has Everything

I've written often about the craze of bacon related gifts. I thought I'd heard of everything, but then this week I found out about two more crazy bacon items: Bacon Vodka and BLT candles. I won't be rushing to buy these items, but maybe you know someone who would love them.

Kinda Like A Little Sleeping Bag For My iPhone

Foofshop makes all kind of cute fabric holders for iPhones, iPods and other Apple devices. As far as I know, they are only available online. They actually take a bit of time to arrive, as they are from Australia. I love mine and I get a ton of compliments on it because it's not the same old boring typical case. Check them out if you get a minute.

Finding Joy At Work

Today has not been such a great day, so I'm going to spend a few minutes at lunch reading this article about how to find joy at work. Hopefully it will help. It's short so take a few minutes to read it and I bet it will improve your day.

A Quick & Useful Amazon Shortcut

When you're sitting at your desk ordering a book for yourself or a gift for your boss, time is often short, so check out this new shortcut from Amazon called Payphrase. This new feature allows you to create a phrase that is linked to a specific delivery address and billing info and then when you go to check out it can happen even quicker than normal. I love anything that makes things more efficient and I buy from Amazon, so I think I'm going to do this.

High Fashion For Your Little Hipster

If you or your boss is looking for an ultra cute and fashionable gift for a little one, look no further than the Stella McCartney collection for Gap Kids. If I had kids, I would be buying a ton of this limited edition line that's casual, yet stylish. Her collection ranges in price, but much of it's affordable and a few of the pieces that are more expensive look to be worth it. If you want to check out what some of it looks like, here's a peek at stuff for Toddler Boys and Girls. The one piece I really don't like that's kind of overpriced is this Sgt. Pepper style jacket, so take a pass on that.

Great Product Line From San Francisco

I hate to send the same old thing everyone sends in any gift category. One company I really love to send gifts from is Elizabeth W. They sell lotion, perfume, etc. I love the simple but elegant packaging and the fact that it's something a bit different. The prices are also fairly reasonable. My favorite scent they have is called Sweet Tea, but they have a bunch other great options well.