A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

It’s finally Thanksgiving, the holiday of stressful travel, 5 a.m. sales and guilty-free binge eating. But let’s focus on what this holiday is really all about: being thankful and spending time with family. That's the reason people pack into their cars, face public transportation and slave over the hot stove for hours.

So this year, instead of eating leftovers, watching football and clipping coupons, why not spend some quality time making something together? Like with this Ultimate Memory Keeping Scrapbook Kit.

You don't have to be a pro paper puncher or have a laminator to use it. Just gather your favorite photos, drawings, etc., and get ready to make a masterpiece. No batteries, no trips to the mall necessary. Just a few creative skills and glue. It also makes for a creative Christmas gift, or complete it yourself and gift it to a proud parent.

Ultimate Memory Keeping Scrapbook Kit starting at $19.99

Kidrobot is definitely one of the most popular purveyors of art toys and graffiti-inspired apparel around. And it’s clear when you see these amazing collectibles why they’ve become such a phenomenon. In fact, art toys have gone big time, which means smaller mini series collectibles, like these wacky Zoomies, have a place on everyone’s shelf.

There are 17 of 'em—from Ed, the wrench-wielding rhino who looks kind of like Snoopy, to Fumi, a bossy Japanese hedgehog—and they are all speed-racing caffeine fiends. These little guys make perfect stocking stuffers or friendship tokens for the hipster guy or girl on your list.

Zoomies Mini Series starting at $7.95

Initial charms have been big among celebs and trendanistas for a while now. But it's these super-sweet alphabet tags for pets that have me really excited!

The cute little ID tags are handcrafted and fully customizable. Just pick your pet’s first or last initial or choose something that’s an inside joke between the two of you. The colorful enameled discs come with a single white letter on front and your pooch or kitty's name and phone number on back. I don’t know what else to say except "fur-fection" has been found! Now your four-legged friend will look even cuter when he's out and about—and will always be able to find his way home. These make great stocking stuffers for those of you out there like me who like to give gifts to your pets.

Personalized Alphabet Tags starting at $15.00

Forget the football players, the airplane pilots and the train conductors. The true Thanksgiving hero is the chef. Whether it’s Mom, Dad, Grandma or a little bit of everyone, the cook is the one who makes or breaks Turkey Day. So why not give him or her some tools to make things easier this year?

I happen to love this turkey lifter, since I myself have been privy to a bird-run-amuck in the oven many times. With pointed prongs that double as carving forks, this handy gadget makes it so much easier to move the turkey around as you baste every nook and cranny. Which leaves the chef a little less stressed and the turkey a little tastier. Oh, and this year, when you sit down to your wonderful Thanksgiving meal, don’t forget to give thanks to the host/hostess who prepared it all!

Williams-Sonoma All-Clad Roast Lifters starting at $29.95

When it comes to educational toys, parents want something that's fun and effective. So when LeapFrog introduced their new line of learning systems that combined education and technology we knew they were onto something.

One of the superstars of the line-up is the Didj. This sleek handheld features games that kids love and syncs up with a home computer so parents can track what their child is learning. Through the Learning Path, you can see where your child excels, where they need improvement, and customize what games they're playing to include school assignments.

The TAG Reading system, is another customized device with a portable pen that scans and reads stories out loud or saves them for later so your child can read at his/her own pace and take them on the road. For bigger kids, the updated Leapster 2 and Crammer are great study tools. The Leapster 2 features hours of fun, customized gaming play while the Crammer quizzes kids in every subject and includes a mp3 player.

Lucky for you, we're giving away one LeapFrog Learning system of your choice. Pick from the Didj, TAG Reading System, Leapster 2, Crammer, LeapFrog Fridge Toys, and the Learn & Groove Toys.  

Want to win? Post a comment below and tell us when you were most proud of your child's academic progress. Post a comment by 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 27. One comment per person, please; multiple comments will be discarded. ONE randomly selected entry will win the LeapFrog Learning System of their choice. Click here to read the official rules.

Budget schmudget. Who has one for the holidays this year? But I bet most of you at least have an idea of what you want to spend on gifts. I also bet that it is noticeably different than last year. Of course, the kids always come first and will likely get a the biggest slice of the budget pie, leaving us grown-ups with the leftovers. But fear not! We’ve created a guide to help you find something for every adult, from your best friend to grandma, even if you have champagne taste on a beer budget.

My favorite gift for boyfriends is the iTouchless PureEar Active NoiseCancelling Acoustic Headphones, wireless, studio-quality earpieces that can hook up to his iPhone for maximum cool and convenience. No BF or brother to give these to? Our other Top Christmas Gifts will razzle dazzle without draining your wallet.

iTouchless PureEar Active NoiseCancelling Acoustic Headphones starting at $129.95

The holiday crush is upon us, which means most of us will be hitting the road to get to one celebration or another. And many of those trips won't be just around the corner. If you're packing up the family in the ol' minivan for a holiday road trip, good luck. My best advice is to bring plenty of snacks, entertainment and lots of patience. But maybe the most import thing is to be comfortable, because it might take a while.

A great travel gadget gift (or self-gift) for the driver is a portable massaging backrest. The Ultimate Backrest is a winner with six different massage cycles, an inflatable lumbar cushion, and lower back heater. I'm not saying it will make that endless road trip fun per se, but it should help you from feeling like Mr. Grinch when you get there!

OBUS FORME Ultimate Backrest Black starting at $119.00

This Friday, the most anticipated movie of the season (for teens anyway) finally arrives in theaters. Based on the No. 1 best-selling series by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight goes way beyond your typical vampire/teen romance. (Wait, that’s not typical!) And I’m sure all of you know a teen who's been bitten by the vampire bug and would love to get anything Twilight themed for Christmas.

There's a ton of Twilight themed gifts out there—from family crest jewelry to the Illustrated Movie Companion. But my favorite yet is the Twilight Soundtrack. It's already reached the top of the charts and is loaded with bands that ever teen loves like: Muse, Iron & Wine, Linkin Park and more. So do that Edward or Bella fan a favor and throw this in his/her stocking this year. Better yet, surprise them with it this weekend after seeing the film.

Twilight soundtrack starting at $9.99.

Whether you are thinking about what your dinner table will look like for this Thanksgiving or are wondering what to get the Hostess who is having you over for the big festivities, these fun Thanksgiving themed melamine plates are just the thing.

Whether it's for the kids table or big kids who love fun design, these plates are a great alternative to stuffy place settings. Who wants to spend all their post dinner hours carefully scrubbing fine china, when you can just pop these in the dishwasher and be done! It's the perfect gift for any stressful hostess. Thrown in this matching tablecloth and table runners for a complete festive look. Now all you have to worry about is saving up for seconds.

Pottery Barn Thanksgiving Melamine Plates starting at $16.99.