
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. The holiday shopping countdown is officially underway...with only have a few weeks left to get it all done. This weekend, was your email inbox overloaded with offers of every kind? Although it's tempting, resist urge to impulse buy items with the heaviest discount without an appropriate recipient in mind. You may have saved money, but your recipient may not fully appreciate your budget prowess and re-gift it to someone else next year.
Instead, aspire to reach "Gifting Nirvana," where you find gifts they will truly love on sale. Getting a great gift they will enjoy should be your first priority and finding a deal second. And if there was ever a year that this was possible...it is now! To get you started on your path, I've selected some of my favorite holiday deals.
Top Deals for Babies/Toddler
Eco Chic Baby: PersonalShopper.com has a great deals on eco-friendly, durable toys made of rubber wood and environmentally friendly materials like the colorful, plush Rocking Caterpillar and Rocking Caterpillar that are now 18-22% off.
Let Them Dream: Let your preschooler's imagination run wild with the Melissa & Doug's Folding Princess Castle, all wood Retro KidKraft Kitchen, or Harley Davidson work bench that are now 30-40% off.
Top Deals for School-age/Teens
The Need For Speed: If they love cars but aren't old enough to drive, the "Morph Nator" and "Hummer H2" remote control cars by Nikko is a great gift for under $50 now at 53% off.
The Teen Fashionista: Fashion and entertainment are central in almost every teenage girl's life. These cool and stylish hoodies and berets, now 35-40% off, will be great additions to her wardrobe.
For the Music Lover: Keep your teenager dialed in to all the latest in music and entertainment, including hot iPod accessories like a portable speaker for under $20, or an iPod/DVD player speaker system that is now 45% off.
For Budding Filmmaker: They will love the 6-in-1 Multi Functional Camera that acts as camcorder, camera, voice recorder, media and mp3 player that's now 30% off!
Wake Up Sleepyhead: A great gift under $50, the Clocky alarm clock gives them one chance to get up. If they snooze, Clocky will jump off their nightstand and run away and hide to make sure they get out of bed.
Top Deals for Adults
For the Chef at Heart: Anything that makes cooking easier is always appreciated. The non-stick silicone baking mat is a terrific buy at 39% off for $10.99 and Meal Maker express grill for only $50 makes indoor grilling a snap. The vibrant, stoneware baker set from Rachael Ray is a great valueand at $40.
A Well Dressed Woman: Treat the fashionable woman in your life with a modern version of a traditional Houndstooth Coat by Cynthia Steffe that will make heads turn, now 40% off.
Gadgets Galore: Fun, unique and useful gadgets that they'll appreciate. Keep memories close with digital photo keychains that are now over 50% off. The weather watcher will love the Rain Gauge with Temperature Reading, the active woman would appreciate a wrist Heart Rate Monitor, which are now both over 40% off. Help your road warrior safely navigate with the popular Garmin Nuvi Personal Travel Assistant.
Reach Out And Touch Someone: The G-Lite Visor Talk Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit or the #1 selling Bluetooth headset, both are now over 40% off.
For the One Who Has It All: For the globetrotter, ensure they travel with ease as they roam the world with the Talking Global Translator.
If I haven't suggested a gift that is just right for the ones on your list, I invite you to take advantage of the free My Gifts service and Budget Planner at PersonalShopper.com. Just share a little about who's on your list and how much you want to spend -- and put our free service to work for you. Get great gift ideas tailored to the personality and interests of each person within your pre-set spending limits. So this year, you can finish your gift list in record time - without busting your budget. Personal Shopper is also offering free shipping now until December 15th.
Happy Holidays!
The Lineup is our blog of lists that cover topics like health, money, career and books. Written by Reader's Digest editors and guest experts, The Lineup will give you great advice you can use in your daily life.
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