CarseatBlog’s Holiday Gift Guide: Jennie’s Picks

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‘Tis the season, and some of you might be racking your brains trying to figure out what to get those special someones in your lives. CarseatBlog is here to help with our list of fun and/or useful gifts for everyone on your list.

For the grown-ups:

Res-Q-Me

Res-Q-Me Keychain Escape Tool

This handy tool takes up little room on your keychain, but in an emergency it can cut through a seatbelt or break a window. Chances are you and your loved ones will never need it, but the few bucks is worth the peace of mind, in my opinion. Makes a perfect stocking stuffer for the driver in your life!

 

Windshield Cover

Windshield Covers for the Snow

This is the first year we’ll need to park a car in the snow. I’m not looking forward to spending precious minutes (in the freezing cold) scraping off snow and ice. Enter the windshield covers that supposedly let you lift them off and go. I forget exactly which model I got, but there are lots to choose from on Amazon. Hopefully they work!

 

Crio Bru

Crio Brü 

Know someone who loves coffee but wants to try something different? Or someone who hates coffee but enjoys warm beverages? Try Crio Brü, my new favorite drink. You brew it like coffee (in a french press is best), but it’s not coffee: it’s roasted, ground cacao beans. It’s unsweetened so it’s bitter, but much less so than coffee, and has a wonderful chocolatey flavor. You can add cream and sugar or other flavorings to sweeten it to your liking. I prefer it black or with an occasional dollop of whipped cream on top. There are lots of varieties to choose from, each imparting different undertones based on where the beans come from. They also have different flavor blends, like the Pumpkin Spice and Mint I just ordered. These would make perfect gifts for friends and neighbors for the holidays, or great host/hostess gifts any time of year.

 

Veeptopus

Veeptopus Strange Artwork

Have a history buff, octopus fan, or lover of surrealist art on your list? Veeptopus might be your answer. This guy has found a way to combine cephalopods with the Executive Branch by painting every American Vice President with an octopus on his head. He also has new lines featuring William Howard Taft cavorting with badgers, and some badgers wielding axes and Santa hats. Some might ask, “Why?” Others might ask, “Why not?” (I’m a “Why not,” and if anyone wants to buy me a gift, I’ll take the one with Taft wearing a badger mask atop the badger wearing the Taft mask. Classic stuff.)

 

For the kids:

Spirograph

Spirograph

I had one of these as a kid and loved it. I could sit there for hours, mesmerized by making those interconnected circles. I know my kids will love it, too, but my dilemma was figuring out which one to buy it for. The solution: Santa will bring it as a joint gift they can all enjoy. Then once they’re in bed, I can enjoy it, too. This is one of those toys that can be enjoyed by artsy and non-artsy kids alike, since it includes elements of art and math/science.

 

Poppy Drops

Poppy Drops

I recently wrote a review of these temporary-tattoo earrings. They’re a great alternative for kids who can’t/don’t want to get their ears pierced yet. They’re cute, non-toxic, go on easily, and last for a long time. I bought some for stocking stuffers (my daughter will be thrilled) and as gifts for some of her friends.

 

Recaro Performance SPORT - Knight

Recaro Performance Sport

It wouldn’t be a CarseatBlog Gift Guide without a car seat, right? There are lots of forward-facing seats out there, but my favorite (possibly ever) is the Recaro Performance Sport. It’s easy to install, easy for kids to climb into, comfortable, and tightens/loosens like butter. BUTTER! If you need a car-seat gift for a kid who needs a forward-facing harness check out our review to see if it might be right for you, or if you need a different kind of seat, check our list of recommended car seats.

 

Cardiff Headrest

Cardiff Headrest

For older kids in backless boosters, teens and grown-ups too! Attaches to the poles on the head restraint so it will only work in seating positions that have a height-adjustable head restraint with poles. Great for long drives or nighttime road trips! More info HERE.

 

Comfy Cruise 12V Heated Car Blanket

car heated blanket car heated blanket - adult

It’s an electric fleece blanket that plugs into the 12V socket in your vehicle. The cord is long enough that you can plug it into the front dash or console outlet but use it in the backseat. Not appropriate for babies or toddlers because it is an electric blanket with a cord but great for older kids and for women who are always cold (cough *Heather* cough).

 

Kindle for Kids

Kindle for Kids Kindle for kids - cases

It’s hard to go wrong with a Kindle until your kid accidentally breaks it. That’s what’s so fantastic about these new Kindle for Kids models. These Kindles come with a kid-proof case and a 2-year, no-questions-asked, replacement guarantee. If it breaks in the next 24 months, you return it and they replace it for free. Plus, you get one year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited.

 

Need a gift for the man or woman who has everything?

Give the gift of Amazon Prime! It’s the gift that they’ll use and enjoy all year long.

 

3 Comments

  1. Julie Abel-Gregory December 11, 2014
  2. Heather (murphydog77) December 11, 2014
  3. Julie Abel-Gregory December 10, 2014