A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

As American citizens come together to celebrate Independence Day, it's good to give thanks to those who serve our country every day. Recently, I spoke with my brother, an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, and asked him how the units celebrated the Fourth during his tour overseas.   

"Overall, the Fourth is just like any other day overseas.  A lot of units will probably throw together a BBQ from whatever food is available.  I remember some guys in the chow hall making a mini Statue of Liberty sculpted out of what appeared to be butter."

Patriotic and resourceful, our guys and gals deserve to be saluted for their service.  Send them an ecard today with your thanks.  The GroupCard is fun option because you can select a military design, upload photos and have multiple people sign it.  And to really make their day, follow up with a care package full of our top military gifts for troops stationed abroad. 

It's been years (I won't say how long) since I've been on Spring Break or a road trip, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good cooler. Especially this tailgating style Koolatron Auto Cool Wheeler.

Whether you're hitting the beach, a parade or roadside fireworks this Fourth of July, you can wheel this cooler right along with you. It holds up to 54 12-oz drinks and has a 33-liter capacity so you can beat the heat no matter how large your party. It will even keep its cool after hours of traffic with a 12-volt adapter that plugs right into your car. 

Koolatron Auto Cool Wheeler starting at $88.88

With Mother's Day, birthdays, graduations and weddings, sometimes Father's Day, which is this Sunday, can get lost in the shuffle.  But Dads deserve their day, and the Gift Gurus have pulled together a great selection of last minute gifts to treat your dad to a super Sunday. 

Being a globe trotting Gift Guru, I would love to take my dad on a trip around the world for Father's Day. But since I'm running short on time (and money), this Around the World Beer Bucket will have do the trick instead.

This manly steel gift basket comes filled with everything a beer lover needs: six imported brews (from Stella to Newcastle) and some great salty snacks, because what's a beer without bar snacks? I have a feeling most lager-loving dads will appreciate this worldly gift, even if it doesn't include a passport.

Heads up, procrastinators!  Order this basket up until Friday, June 13th 7PM EDT and you can be assured it will arrive in time for Father's Day.

Around the World Beer Bucket starting at $89.99

Debating what to get dear old Dad this Father's Day?  The digital photo frame is the perfect combo of a shiny new gadget that he can use to proudly display all those classic family moments.  And we're giving away a slick new model from Sony that you can pre-load with your own personal slide show made just for Dad.

The Sony Digital Photo Frame DPF-V900 lets you (and Dad) upload and store hundreds photos directly from your camera or memory card.  Photos are displayed on a sharp 9" LCD screen and auto-orient themselves so everyone is right side up.  You can even surprise Dad by hooking up the frame to his brand new HDTV and showing off your handiwork on the big screen.

Want to win? Post a comment below and tell us your favorite memory of your dad by 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday, June 5. One comment per person please, multiple comments will be discarded. Click here to read the official rules.

Sony Digital Photo Frame DPF-V900 starting at $249.99

My family always throws a big Memorial Day bash to kick-off the summer in style complete with barbecue and a competitive volleyball tournament.  We used to joke about setting up flood lights in the backyard to keep the party and the games going well into the evening.  But who needs lights when there are glow-in-the-dark lawn games like this fun LED Bowling Set?  The set of ten pins and two balls works on sand or grass, and because everything glows in the dark, you get the whole effect of midnight bowling in your own backyard.

This Memorial Day, I'm staying at the beach with friends and definitely plan on bringing a bunch of glow-in-dark games for my generous summer hosts.

LED Bowling Set starting at $129.95

I thought I had it bad when I had to carry more than one book in my Jansport. But that's nothing compared to the backbreaking burden teachers often have to lug around. So why not help lighten the load with this old-school Boston Public Library Delivery Bag? It's the perfect way to show you appreciate him or her on Teacher's Day.

The huge canvas bag is modeled after the actual totes used to transfer books between the Boston Public Library branches, so you know it's sturdy. Not to mention it can handle up to 27 pounds of books (though I wouldn't try that at home). And it's just nerdy enough to appeal to a real Thinker.

Boston Public Library Delivery Bag starting at $48.00 

The transition from college into the real world isn't always a smooth one. Help your graduate ease into work life with these SkidGrip Slip EV Dandy Chestnut Unisex Slips by Converse. A fantastic hybrid, these shoes are a great way to dress up a casual outfit and a perfect way to retain a bit of individual style on the job.  Only Chucks for grown-ups could make business casual cool.

SkidGrip Slip EV Dandy Chestnut Unisex Slip starting at $59.99

I don't know about you, but I am obsessed with the TV show Survivorman. There's something totally fascinating about a guy who can turn a gum wrapper into a fishing lure. He's like a modern-day MacGyver.

Unfortunately, I'm not nearly as creative—and neither is my dad—which is why I'm really into this nifty Survival Kit in a Sardine Can for Father's Day. The waterproof tin is packed with all the essentials: compass, whistle, matches, bandage, fishhook and line, gum, pain reliever—I could go on and on. It's just simple and authentic enough to make Dad feel like he's a real outdoorsman. Even if he's never really going to go man versus wild.

Survival Kit in a Sardine Can starting at $14.00

This weekend, communities come together to honor the dedication and service of our men and women in uniform during Armed Forces Day.  As the proud sister of an officer in the Marine Corps, I went straight to the source to find out what gifts the troops actually appreciate receiving the most during their deployment (beyond your standard toiletries and supplies).  Here are my brother’s orders top 5 picks for troops stationed abroad:

1.  DVDs – especially newly released movies since the service member was deployed.  Also TV series are a very hot commodity because they fill down-time.  Seasons of The Shield, The Wire, Lost, etc. were the most popular. 

2.  Music – actual CDs or CDs comprised of music burned onto CDs into mp3 format.  Again, the music newly released since a service member deployed is the best because it's hard to buy or download once overseas.  Just about every Marine these days has an mp3 player or a laptop. 

3.  Books – GOOD BOOKS.  There are huge libraries in most posts, but 95% of them are filled with crappy westerns or romance novels donated by nice housewives and not intended for alpha-male consumption.  What defines "good" is completely dependent on each service member, but you can't go wrong with a best seller. 

4.  Games – Hard to believe, but even the youngest/poorest service members these days go to war with a Nintendo DS or PSP, and often groups of Marines have a TV with an XBox, PS2, PS3 or a personal laptop.  If you find out what kind of gaming system the service member is using overseas, you will know what games to purchase them.  Again, the latest and greatest is always the best because you can guarantee he doesn't have it already. 

5.  Work-out Gear – You're stuck inside bases that are too small for jogging so service members use compact strength and aerobic equipment to keep in shape.  I personally liked my grip strengthener, but another neat work-out thing I saw was called "The Perfect Push-up".  It's basically a couple of grips that are light and you can take with you anywhere, and it comes with a complete work-out plan for upper body strength.

Procrastinators, you are a lucky bunch this year.  Even though Mother’s Day is this Sunday, you still have time to send Mom something special.  The Gift Gurus have pulled together a selection of last-minute gifts for Mother’s Day. Order one of these today (right now, why are you still reading this?) and look like you’ve been thinking about Mom all year long.

If you want to go beyond the standard flowers and chocolates, look for a gift basket that matches Mom’s interests.  For moms with green thumbs, this Garden Treasures Gift Basket comes complete with 6 tools in a nice canvas bag plus some sweet treats including our all-time favorite cookie, Snickerdoodles.  Whether your mom is a chocoholic, a tea lover, a beauty junkie or a top chef, there are plenty of gift baskets to suit her style.  But hurry up and order by Thursday noon EDT to get your gift to Mom on time. 

Garden Treasures Gift Basket starting at $39.99