A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

Calling all Beatles fans, Sir Paul McCartney is back with a brand new album, Memory Almost Full. It also comes with a bonus 3-song CD which includes an audio clip of the legend himself discussing his thoughts behind the latest tracks.

The CD officially hits stores next Tuesday, but you can buy it through HSN right now. Even better, if you order by tomorrow you’ll get free 2-day shipping to guarantee that you’ll be the first of your friends jammin’ to Paul’s new tunes. And we’re thinking it’s a chance to finish your Father’s Day shopping early.

Paul McCartney’s Memory Almost Full CD starting at $19.97

Can you believe it’s been 30 years since Chewbacca and Darth Vader debuted on the big screen? The first film in the series, A New Hope, was released back in 1977. And the Gift Gurus are having a blast revisiting all their favorite characters.

The biggest hit in the office right now is the Voice-Activated R2-D2. He rolls by our desks making those familiar beeps and blips. And while he can respond to over 40 commands, he doesn’t always want to turn on his light beam or go in the direction you ask. If R2 gets a little feisty, simply say “R2…Timeout!” and the droid will roll itself over to the corner of the room for some quiet time.

Here are some of our other nostalgic favorites:

A C-3PO baby creeper for the littlest Star Wars fan in training.

Show off your super fan (and super geek) status with a Stormtrooper Mimobot USB Flash Drive.

Make a serious Star Wars statement with a Darth Vader life-size wall graphic that’s over 6 feet tall.

You’ve got your copy of Oh the Places You’ll Go!. Now as promised, here’s an idea for what else to include in your graduation gift package.

If your favorite grad is heading off to college next year, get him or her an alarm clock, but not just any alarm clock. Since Mom won’t be around to bang on the door and drag ‘em outta bed anymore, Clocky is the next best thing.

If the snoozer doesn’t get up after the first ring, Clocky will jump off the night stand and start rolling around the dorm room. Definitely annoying enough to get any lazy student going in the a.m.

Clocky starting at $49.99

Memorial Day may have kicked off the summer, but it also kicked off another big season: moving season. Chances are you know someone who is moving into a new condo, a bigger house, or a first apartment. Perhaps you’ve even been called upon to help with the big move, but why risk throwing out your back when you can show your support with the perfect housewarming gift: a juniper bonsai tree.

More than just a plant and a bit of a life in a new home, a bonsai tree, with it’s windswept style and graceful shape, is a conversation piece and an art form, lending any household a bit of sophistication and originality. And that’s something every home could use.

Bonsai Tree starting at $75

TGIF. It’s a holiday weekend and the kick-off to summer. We’ve got a few ideas about gifts to give and get so that you can make the most of the extra time off and the entire season ahead.

For the guy with the best backyard: This bocce ball set is your ticket to crash any Memorial Day BBQ.

For your weekend hostess: Start the summer season with colorful party-friendly melamine dishes from Jonathan Adler. (via Hostess with the Mostess)

For all the Harry Potter fans under 21: While you’re anxiously awaiting the next installment, enter Scholastic’s contest to win a trip to London where you’ll join J. K. Rowling at a launch event.

For Fido: Since you’ll be away for the holiday, make sure your lonely pooch gets fed with an automatic pet feeder.

For your preggers celeb-obsessed friend: Give her a baby gift hand-picked by Hollywood mom-to-be Jenna Elfman.

For you and your beach buddy: Get a pair of these incredible lounge chairs. Like massage chairs, they have a hole for your face which makes reading much less awkward.

One of my favorite things about summer is BBQ'ing. I'll eat anything made on the grill, but my specialty is kabobs. Shrimp, peppers, marinated chicken—I love it all on the skewer. And now that I have these circle kabobs, my creations actually fit on the plates. Brilliant! I also love that they’re reusable and won’t burn on the fire like standard bamboo skewers.

Give these to anyone who loves grilling or entertaining in the backyard. Perfect for your summer hostess or the grill-master on Father’s Day.

Set of 8 Circle Kabobs starting at $18

Shopping for a baby gift? Let celebrity mom-to-be Jenna Elfman help you find one. You probably remember her from Dharma and Greg and you might have seen her more recently on Brothers & Sisters. And now that she’s preggers with a boy due this summer, she’s completely immersed in the world of baby stuff.

One thing Jenna raves about is mod baby décor like these Dwell Baby sheets (obviously Winnie the Pooh and the Care Bears have no place in a Hollywood home!). The set is a great baby shower gift especially if you need something gender neutral since you can’t go wrong with this pear color. If you’re wondering what else Jenna likes, be sure to check out the rest of her picks.

Dwell Baby Dots & Stripes Crib Sheet Set starting at $249.99

Every kid grew up reading Dr. Seuss (try and find one that didn’t!) and as they reach the graduation milestone, it’s the perfect time for one last quirky rhyme, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! It’s all about facing your fears and finding your own success—a classic gift to commemorate graduation.

But don’t stop there: write a personal message in the front cover of the book. Advice from Dr. Seuss is great, but advice from you is even better. You want your message to be fun to read years from now so make it sentimental and funny.

Better yet, pair the book with another gift based on what’s next in life for your grad, whether it’s a new job, new school or traveling the world. Stay tuned for the next three weeks to see our expert pairing of ideas so you can create the best graduation gift ever.

“And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)“— Dr. Seuss

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! starting at $10.20

You can literally gift a piece of history with an original newspaper. In the case of The Athenian Mercury newspaper from London, the history is 300 years old and we’re not talking reprints! So while there’s no chance of getting an original copy of any major historical document, these papers are completely real and available. And just think, this will be even cooler in ten years when newspapers will be as rare as Bigfoot sightings.

This is a very cool gift for history buffs or any dad (hint, hint: Father’s Day) that gets excited about unique stuff. But if you know someone who’s not into such hardcore history, you can also get a reprint of The New York Times from any day since 1851. Choose a birthdate or anniversary and have it framed, put on a tee shirt, or made into a jigsaw puzzle.

Athenian Mercury Newspapers from 1600’s starting at $55

NYT Keepsake Front Page Reprint starting at $44.95

Tonight is the last chance for this year’s Idol finalists to show off their skills…and the perfect time for budding superstars to start practicing for next year’s Idol. Give them some encouragement (as if they needed more!) with this clever microphone-shaped AM/FM shower radio. They can rock out to Idol favorites with no judgements - thank you very much, Simon.

Warning: they may be stuck beat boxing like Blake but we bet they’re more likely to be jamming with Jordin.

Stayed tuned…

American Idol Shower Radio starting at $11.99