I had a friend who is as concerned as I am about rising fuel prices and almost impossible to buy for.  She knits for a lot of the winter, and is always complaining about being cold, but she doesn’t like to cuddle under an afghan, as it makes it harder for her to stay warm while she’s knitting.

I got her a slanket.  Told her I was getting her one and everything.  She eyed me like I had three heads, thinking that it was another one of my hare-brained ideas that’d find its way either to the attic or a re-gift, like the weird clock with the lobster tail as a pendulum.

Nope, not this time.

A slanket is a blanket, but it has sleeves!  This means you can throw the blanket over yourself to flop down on the sofa to read, knit, work on your laptop or whatever, but instead of having to wear the blanket like a cape and have your front cold, the slanket covers you in fron and keeps the warmth in while having sleeves to let your arms be free. 

As a writer, I often use one when I’m working on my laptop. Cuddled under a slanket with a lap desk, I’m cosy as can be and not distracted by chills or drafts even in the worst of Northern New England storms.  In fact, it keeps me so warm that I’ve abandoned my fingerless gloves when typing, which is an absolute delight to my working habits.

With the rising fuel costs, a lot of people want to lower their thermostats and try to save money, but who wants to be uncomfortable, right?  With the slanket, you’ll have a fantastic wintertime gift sure to please anyone who likes saving money, but wants to be able to work with her hands, too.

Posted by Noel.

Strolling through the bookstore recently I came upon a little book with an alluring title … Porn for Women. Of course, I couldn’t help myself and discreetly picked the book up to take a quick peek. What I found inside was truly erotic … pictures of shirtless men in a variety of unusual and strangely sensual positions, such as vacuuming, dusting, cooking, ironing, and even cleaning the cat box! Oh my, is it getting hot in here?!  Alongside each 'pornographic' picture was the kind of dirty talk that will get every woman revved up at the turn of each page, things like …

        Have another piece of cake … I don’t like you looking so thin.

        Want to snuggle?

        As soon as I finish the laundry, I’ll go grocery shopping with the kids so you can relax.

        The NFL playoffs are today, I bet we’ll have no trouble parking at the crafts fair now.

        As long as I have legs to walk on, you’ll never have to take out the garbage.

Now, that’s what I call erotica!  This brilliant and hilarious book was created by the editors at the Cambridge Women’s Pornography Cooperative in order to challenge what sexy really is and to show men everywhere what women really want from their men.

In addition to their first book, you can now get their latest edition, Porn for New Moms, as well as a postcard book with all your favorite 'porn' shots, and soon the new 2009 wall calendar will be available for purchase. This is the perfect gift for any woman on your list who loves a clean house, ironed clothes, and a sexy, sensitive man to fantasize about!

Posted by Chrysta.

Do you know someone who spends most of their work day agonizing over decisions?  We've all had a coworker or relative who will over-think any little issue until they just can't put it off any longer. 

Why not help that indecisive person along?  This very neat gift can help make life's little decisions less painstaking. 

The Decision Paperweight is a gift that serves double duty.  First, it's an attractive silver paperweight that weighs down all of those documents that accumulate on the average desk.

But even more interesting is the paperweight's second function.  It is a wheel that you spin when you have a decision to make, and you make your choice based on where the spinner lands.  In true Magic 8-Ball style, the spinner will tell you "Yes," "No," "Pass the Buck," or one of several other choices.

This may not be the best gift choice for a judge or a doctor (think of the trouble that would cause!), but for almost anyone else this is the perfect way to reduce pressure, speed up decision making, and even spruce up the desk of your favorite office worker.

Posted by Delana.