The Lighter Side : Blog!

The Twilight Saga Continues

Stephanie Meyer created a teen phenomenon with her series of vampire novels, The Twilight Saga. The story continues with the newest release, New Moon, which opens in theaters across the country tonight. From the moment the closing credits of the first movie rolled across the screen, my niece has been chomping at the bit to see the sequel. She's "totally in love" with Edward Cullen and she made me "cross my heart and hope to die" that I would alert her to every new Twilight item we bring to The Lighter Side.

This life-sized Edward stand-up would have made a great Christmas gift for my niece, but once she spotted it, she saved her allowance money and bought it for herself. Made of corrugated cardboard and printed with high resolution graphics, the teen vampire stands over six feet tall and occupies a place of honor in my niece's room.

The saga has inspired everything from apparel to games, including this latest version of Scene It, which features clips, trivia questions, customized mini-games, and themed puzzles from both Twilight and New Moon. With a DVD, collectible metal tokens, 150 trivia cards and 30 fate cards, they can relive thrilling moments from the epic while competing to see who knows the Twilight world the best. And our 100% cotton tee, featuring star-crossed soul mates Edward and Bella, makes a great gift for guys or girls.

With young Edward on one side and the Twilight & New Moon logos on the other, this large umbrella is perfect for rainy days in Forks. A fully functional umbrella with push-button operation, the generous canopy opens to 49" in diameter, which is plenty to shield one human and one immortal during a sudden downpour.

Two more items for Twilight lovers on-the-go are the messenger bag and water bottle. If my niece will only stop buying things for herself, they'll make the perfect Christmas gift for her. The bag is made of durable 100% cotton canvas, has side zippered pockets and is perfectly sized for books, gym clothes or anything an aspiring immortal might need. And our reusable metal water bottle holds 27 ounces of fluid, has a secure screw-top and features a handy carabiner clip for hooking to belt or bag when they suddenly need to take flight.

Speaking of taking flight, I'd better run. It's my job to buy tickets for the tonight's opening before they sell out!

Your "Supernatural" Gift Guru,
Linda

Posted by Linda at 8:00 AM  | Friday, November 20, 2009  

Just For Collectors: Betty Boop

Finding the perfect gift for a collector is easy, as long as you know what they're into and have some knowledge of their existing collection. And even if you don't, it's fairly simple to find out. Collectors love to show off their treasures, so all you really have to do is ask! This week, I have some great gifts for Betty Boop collectors.

Our unique resin clock has a double pendulum. The Betty Boop logo swings above the clock while her adorable pet Pudgy swing back and forth below. Betty takes up a classic pose on either side of the pendulum. It's the perfect size for a desk, table or a kitchen window sill. Even if your Boop fan seems to have every saucy collectible on the planet, chances are you can find something they don't have among our exclusive Betty items. They can tuck rolled-up napkins and silverware into the unique 3-D puffy hearts on these unique placemats and get ready for an enchanting evening. Embellished with a soft velveteen embroidered applique of Betty decked out in a 3-D chef's hat, these adorable table accessories come in a romantic set of two.

Our exclusive 12 Days Of Christmas Ornament Set lets your collector count down to Christmas with Betty. Each of the 12 découpage-look ornaments shows Betty in a different scene from the 12 days of Christmas. She's dressed to the nines and celebrating the season in her inimitable style. Each ornament is accented with a glamorous ribbon. Plus, the set comes ready-to-give in an adorable Boop gift box!

This exquisite treasure box lets your Boop fan keep their tiny trinkets safe. The goldtone metal is sculpted into the shape of the sassy flapper and handpainted with a dazzling enameled finish. It's detailed with gold-flecked trim and Swarovski crystals and has a magnetic lid that stays closed. Perfect for storing precious earrings, rings or other small items and it's so glamorous, it looks great in any room.

Finally, our practical but whimsical lap tray gives a firm flat surface for snacking, writing, breakfast in bed, paperwork or hobbies. It's great for for riding in the car, on the train or bus, or anywhere a flat surface is needed. The wood framed tray features bold graphics on top, and a soft cushion on the underside. It even has raised edges to keep small items and spills from rolling off.

In this latest series of blogs, I've tried to help you match the perfect gift to the interests of the special people on your list. I hope I've been able to help you with my suggestions. After all, the holiday season is right around the corner! And I'll be here every week with new shopping and gift ideas.

Your "Boop-boop-a-doop" Gift Guru,
Linda

Posted by Linda at 5:00 AM  | Friday, November 13, 2009  

The Perfect Calendar

Calendars make great gifts. At The Lighter Side, we have calendars to fit every age and interest. Whether they need it for desk or wall, home or office, you can find a 2010 calendar that fits your special someone perfectly.

For sports fans, we have the MLB Personalized Calendar that includes the game schedule and key dates in the team's history. Just tell us the name of the recipient and we'll print it on the back of their hero's jersey in a triumphant photo and turn it into a 2010 calendar. They can enjoy their "moment in the spotlight" for the entire year. And this unique college calendar plays the fan's school fight song at the press of a button. Plus, each month features an action photo of a different player, along with their bio. There's even a bonus page with record holders and past team results. A great gift for college students, alumni and fans.

Cartoon characters are a favorite for daily calendars because you get a new "toon" to brighten each day. With our Betty Boop calendar, your Boop fan can watch Betty flirt and tease her way through another year with a different cartoon every day. It also includes all about-Betty information, anniversary notes of her movie releases, and pop-culture trivia. And with our daily calendar from Hallmark's Shoebox collection, they get a laugh a day as the the crabby, irreverent Maxine dishes up her uncommon view of daily life along with her hilarious commentary.

I think everyone knows at least one die-hard Elvis fan. This daily calendar contains 365 tributes to The King of Rock & Roll. Your Elvis fan can remember The King every day with private and public photos, trivia, favorite recipes and quotes about acting, music and more. And while it's a commonly held belief that only men love The Three Stooges, I know of at least three of my female friends who adore the irrepressible trio. Male or female, Stooge lovers will adore this calendar with a "guaranteed 'nyuk-nyuk-nyuk' on every page."


For a monthly dose of pop culture--old and new--our Wizard of Oz or Twilight wall calendars make great gifts. 70 years after its release, The Wizard of Oz is still one of the world's most adored movies. Follow the Yellow Brick Road all year with 30s-style artwork and famous scenes and dialogue from the original Wizard of Oz movie. With our 16-month Twilight calendar, devotees of the contemporary cult favorite can follow Bella and Edward as they strive to make their love work against staggering odds. The calendar features full color photos of the lead characters as well as photos of supporting players from the mixed cast of humans and vampires.

Finally, for families on the go, we have a 17-month Peanuts Family Planner. The large grid makes it easy to keep track of up to five schedules at a time with plenty of space to write in appointments, activities like games and recitals, birthdays and other important dates and events. The at-a-glance schedule helps busy families avoid double-booking and helps plan for upcoming projects and events in advance. It also includes a contact list for parents' and kids' phone numbers and 400 activity stickers to make keeping track of a busy life a little more fun.

A calendar makes a great gift for any occasion and remember, it's never too early to start thinking about next year!

Your "Day Planning" Gift Guru,
Linda

Posted by Linda at 5:00 AM  | Friday, November 6, 2009  

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Whether you watch football or not, chances are someone on your gift list is an avid fan of the sport. In this series of blogs, we're matching perfect gifts to the interests of your "special someones," and this week I came up with more football goodies than you can throw a flag at.

Two of my favorites are personalized prints. The locker print shows your football fan's name on the back of their favorite team's jersey. They can see their name hanging right next to the names of legendary players from their favorite NFL team.
Our draft print shows the enthusiast's last name on the back of a team jersey and their full name appears as the number one draft pick on a banner underneath the center photo. There are dozens of teams to choose from and both prints come ready to hang. Perfect for dens, game rooms, or the home "sports bar."

Our neon NFL helmet is also great for the den, TV room or anywhere in the house where football is celebrated. An officially licensed NFL team logo is surrounded by a bright neon light. It looks great hanging on the wall, but it includes a stand for desktop or tabletop display. It also comes in a college team version. The dancing NFL halfback is one of my favorites. Set him off and he dances his victory touchdown dance while a rock & roll stadium anthem plays. With official team colors and embroidered logo, they can watch him do his when their team scores or just let him entertain during commercials.

Our football watches make great gifts, too. They'll always be on time (at least for the game) with one of our high quality timepieces. Both NFL and college team watches proudly display officially licensed team logos and colors. They're water-resistant and feature glass crystals, genuine leather bands and quartz movement and best of all, both come ready-to-give in a tin gift box. It doesn't get any easier than that!

For keeping warm at home or at the game, our college Snuggie makes a great gift for gridiron groupies, whether they're still in school or not. Made of ultra soft fleece, it keeps them warm from head to toe while leaving their hands free to cheer, do the wave, or shake their fist at the opposing team. It's machine washable and goes easily from home to games and back again.




The truest of true die-hard fans will have to have one or both of our larger-than-life bruisers, made by the same people who make the official NFL stadium mascots. There's no doubt which team they support when they inflate the five-foot huddled mascot or the eight-foot standing mascot. Great for the yard, porch, tailgate parties--wherever a giant inflatable mascot is required. Both come with internal inflation fans, adjustable tie-downs and ground and base stakes to secure them in place.

Now that I've shown you the best of the best football gifts at The Lighter Side, I'll even give you a famous quote to write inside the card:
"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time."
~Vince Lombardi
Your "Gridiron" Gift Guru,
Linda

Posted by Linda at 5:00 AM  | Friday, October 30, 2009  

Here Kitty, Kitty

Last week we talked about great gifts for dog lovers. This week, I found some wonderful items for the cat lovers in your life. From goofy to sweet to useful, The Lighter Side has something for every feline and their human friends.

This Kitty Grass not only helps digestion, it makes a safe and fun alternative to houseplants and turf grass. Just put the seeds in the adorable mouse-shaped container, water and cover to germinate. It only takes a few days to grow a "sweet grass" treat for cats.

Cat lovers can keep warm this winter with our generously sized fleece throw featuring a portrait of seven lovely kitties. Soft and cuddly, this throw is machine washable, has sturdy stitched edges and is perfect for snuggling or for displaying over a chair or couch. For outdoor warmth, try our denim or woven jackets. The classic jean jacket buttons in the front and has an amazingly detailed embossed feline face across the back. It's made of easy-care 100% cotton and has two front and two side pockets--perfect for storing little bits of cat nip! Our woven cat jacket features original artwork by Jan Marie showing curious kitties frolicking in a summer garden on both front and back.

To help friends of felines show their seasonal spirit, we have this collection of six cat flags. Each brightly colored flag is made of durable polyester and has two loops for hanging. The set includes flags for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And since most real cats won't sit still for playing dress-up, we have a ceramic figurine complete with four adorable seasonal outfits, including St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, Halloween and Christmas. At least you know this cat won't kick, bite and scratch its way out of getting decked out for the holidays!

These two items are purr-fect for both home and office. Our ceramic stone sign reveals the "Cat's Motto: No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look like the dog did it." It's six inches wide and comes with a handy hanging cord. This cute clock is made of handpainted earthenware and is fully functional with a quartz mechanism. It's great for desk or nightstand, but it doesn't include an alarm. We can't put the morning mousers out of work, can we?

Know someone who loves their little tiger but hates the smelly litterbox? "Scoop No More" is a cat toilet training system that allows owners to teach their feline friends to use the bathroom like everyone else in the house. It works for all breeds and teaches owners how to train more than one cat in the household. Young or old, big or small, this easy-to-follow DVD reveals proven training techniques to train any cat in as little as eight weeks. It includes explanations of how to use inexpensive household items to aid in training as well as cat motivation and behavior correction techniques.

This series of blogs is all about matching a gift to the recipient's interests. That's what makes a gift personal and individual and it lets them know that you put some thought into choosing the perfect gift for their special occasion. Now that we've taken a trip through the animal kingdom with monkeys, dogs and cats, I think we can move on to less furry interests. Coming next week: "Are you ready for some football?"

Your "Meow-Meow" Gift Guru,
Linda

Posted by Linda at 5:00 AM  | Friday, October 23, 2009  

Puppy Love

Dog lovers are a breed unto themselves. They care for their pooches as if they were, well, a best friend. The good news? Their dogged devotion to our canine friends makes shopping for the perfect gift as easy as rolling over.

We have a new game that lets people play with their dogs even when the weather is too awful for Frisbee at the park. It's a board game where humans earn "wag tags" for coaxing their dogs to do tricks--like giving their owner a pooch smooch--before the timer runs out. Doggie treats aren't included, but gamers are allowed to persuade their "partner" with the dog's favorite munchie. I like this Puppy Pinata because a portion of the sales are donated to the SPCA. The plush pinata is pre-stuffed with all-natural beef jerky. Once the dog gets a whiff of the treats inside, they go wild trying to free the goodies from the toy's secret pocket. And the dog's human will get a kick out of watching them hunt for their food!

These doggie doormats make great gifts, too. They can be used indoors or outside on covered porches or can be placed under feeding bowls to catch drips and spills. You can personalize this doormat with both a picture of the breed and the dog's name, which is inscribed on the bone in its mouth, completing the very sweet sentence "...makes our house a home." And this mat thanks guests for not letting the dog out "no matter what it tells you." It probably has the best comic effect on a porch or in an entryway, but with an easy-clean polyester face, it can also be used just about anywhere.

Since most people can't take their dogs to work, how about a little something for their desk to remind them of their beloved pet? Our pencil and notepad holders are sculpted in resin with hand painted accents and you can choose from several different dog breeds. Embedded with cute little paw prints, the pencil holder doesn't take up a lot of space and it makes a great home for pens, pencils and other small items. And our notepad holder includes a pad of paper and a pen. It also has a large magnetic backing, so it can be hung on a file cabinet or refrigerator.

For cuddling up with their furry friends, this throw is just the thing. It's handcrafted of 100% cotton and is machine washable. There are dozens of breeds to choose from and each dog is shown in a portrait like setting. Personalize the throw with the dog's name for a perfect snuggly winter gift.


And for dog lovers on the go, we have this adorable pet purse. It looks like a cuddly puppy, but it's really a handbag! The plush purse has a realistic face and texture, brocade lining, a collar complete with dog tag and a leash-like handle. Some of them even have rhinestone-studded paw prints. Now, that's stylish! For a roomier version, our tapestry tote can be personalized with both the dog's name and its breed. It's fully lined and large enough to carry the dog's toys along with all the things its human might need on a trip to the park, a sporting event or other outing.

Finding treats for dog lovers was so much fun, I'll see what we have for friends of felines next week.

Your "Bow-wow" Gift Guru,
Linda

Posted by Linda at 5:00 AM  | Friday, October 16, 2009  

Monkeying Around

There's nothing more personal than choosing a gift that matches the recipient's particular interests. Last week, we came up with some gift ideas for coffee lovers. It seems like lots of people are into monkeys right now, so this week I found some great gifts for people who adore our primate friends.

Our Nuts About You book from award-winning photographer Bob Elsdale is perfect for chimp lovers. Candid photographs of two baby chimpanzees named Kenzy and Willie are accompanied by captions that tell a wonderful, emotional story about being together, being happy and being yourself. One of my favorites is an adorable picture of one of the chimps "singing." The caption reads: "You never let the fact that you don't know all the words keep you from singing your heart out!"

For a little "roll on the floor" laughter, check out our rolling monkey (and dog). You just turn the monkey on, put him on the floor and he starts rolling and laughing hysterically. He's motion activated, so every time someone walks by, he starts up again. It's funny, cute and the laughter is contagious! Watch the video to see them in action.

We have monkeys for all seasons, too. Perfect for a kitchen or tiki bar, this adorable chimp welcomes guests to your jungle. He also comes with 4th of July, Halloween and Christmas themed signs, so he can hang around all year long. Our dress up chimp comes with four silly outfits for the same holidays, so you can dress him to match his hanging friend. With holiday-themed hats, props and wacky wooden signs that show off his barrel-of-laughs personality, this primate is ready for the party.

For kicking back in the jungle, we have these comfy terrycloth lounge pants. Printed with charming chimps and bunches of bananas, they're a great match for our "La La La" t-shirt. The pants have roomy front pockets and an adjustable drawstring waist and the tee is made of soft 100% cotton. Together they make perfect pajamas or an easy going outfit for relaxing in simian style.


No collection is complete without at least one flying monkey. Our masked and caped version is a slingshot that you shoot across the room by hooking his hands to your fingertips and pulling his tail. He flies through the air and lets out a scream when he lands. Of course, fair warning is in order before calling out the flying monkeys. That's where our t-shirt comes in. The caution is printed on a green tee in some very witchy-looking script and warns "Don't make me break out my flying monkeys." It's a great combo gift and at The Lighter Side, you even save ten percent when you buy them together.

A well thought out gift that doesn't cost much always beats an expensive gift that will either sit unused or go back to the returns counter at the store. My best advice for gift-giving? Just ask yourself what your special someone is into. From coffee to monkeys to poker to golf, everyone has a unique interest that makes them, well, special.

Your "Monkey Business" Gift Guru,
Linda

Posted by Linda at 5:00 AM  | Friday, October 9, 2009