A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

Our electronics and gadgets have taken over every room in the house, the kitchen is no exception. A fun product out there is the Talking Coffee Maker. 

Activate the machine and it will ask you, “Would you like to set the coffee brewing time?” and will then proceed to prompt questions that will set your machine.  Based on your responses, the Talking Coffee Maker will have up to 10 cups of your morning joe ready for you exactly when you want it. I’m not great in the morning, so I tend to be a little light on the AM conversation, but a quick chat with a Talking Coffee Maker might be worth it.

Talking Coffee Maker starting at $99.95.

A successful dinner party means good food, good wine, and good conversation. And these unique appetizer plates will certainly have people talking. Perfect for any hip host or hostess, these speech bubble-shaped "chat plates" are sure to please. 

Designed by Japanese artist Ikuko Nakazawa, this dish set is made of fine porcelain and mimics the speech bubbles used in anime illustration. They're certainly a step up from the usual lazy susan or dip bowl and great for any young couple that loves to entertain. 

Chat plates starting at $48.00.

Finally, a series of books created for people who don’t know anything about cooking, have no money to buy fancy ingredients, and don’t want to take more than 10 minutes to make anything! 

These books should be a part of every college student’s library. I think I know a few adults who would benefit too! These easy and tasty recipes will get them through long study nights, lazy Sundays and maybe even a date or two. I had no idea that so much was possible with a packet of ramen! This makes an amazing off to college gift, care package addition and housewarming gift for their first apartment. Heading back to school never tasted so good!

101 Things to do with Ramen starting at $9.32.

One of the best things I love about summer is dining outdoors. Whether it's out on a terrace, in the backyard or an apartment balcony, you can liven up any space with these decorative outdoor lanterns.

They come in all different styles to fit any budget, from industrial wire baskets, to nautical theme, and even ones shaped like old mason jars. They're the perfect housewarming gift for any outdoor entertainers.

Large Wire Basket Lantern starting at $41.00.

One of the most stressful things when it comes to moving, is changing your address. Whether it's forwarding the mail, updating contacts, or notifying friends and family of the new location, it becomes a huge hassle on top of everything that comes with a new home. That's why my idea of the perfect housewarming gift includes Personalized Stationery. 

You can customize it with the recipients' new address, so then there's no excuse for not keeping in touch. It's definitely a nice touch if your welcoming someone to the new neighborhood. Since nice stationery can get pricey, I recommend going in as a group or couple's gift. Check out some of these fresh designs for Summer courtesy of Lilly Pullitzer. And don't be surprised when a familiar Thank You card shows up in the mailbox.

Personalized Lime Note Card Stationery starting at $92.00. 

A few weeks a go I attended the Green Products Expo here in NYC on the lookout to find “green” products that would make great gifts. I met up with representatives from Kohler who were promoting their line of water saving faucets and bath fixtures. I’m always amazed how the littlest changes over time can really make a difference. For example, switching to a 1.75 gpm (gallons per minute) showerhead from an older (…and most likely 2.75 gpm) showerhead can save over 7700 gallons of water per year. That’s huge!

But saving water is one thing, showering under feeble water pressure is another. I asked the folks at Kohler if you have to sacrifice water pressure to save all that water. They responded with sending me a sample of their 1.75 gpm “Forte” showerhead model. And after a few weeks of testing, I can vouch for the fact that while I could tell a slight difference between my older, less efficient showerhead, it took all but a minute to care less (the rest of the family agreed). Again, if “going green” means a small basically undetectable lifestyle change, collectively we must make such changes.

I love this as a housewarming gift, especially for someone with a new (or first) home or apartment. And while we’re on the topic of conserving water, here’s a Kohler site dedicated to all the little things you can do to save this precious resource.

KOHLER Forte Showerhead starting at $57.77.

If you know someone who was lucky enough to take advantage of the super low mortgage rates to buy a new home, think practicality when choosing a housewarming gift.

For instance, this personalized key holder is an inexpensive, thoughtful and much needed gift for any homeowner. They'll never lose their keys again. It's also great for dog leashes, hats, or even mount in the kitchen to organize your cooking tools. It features six sturdy hooks and you can customize their name up to 10 letters. And it will remind them of you every time they walk into their new home. Check out our other personalized gifts for the home.

Personalized Steel Name Key Holder starting at $24.95.

How often do we actually talk the talk and walk the walk when it comes to going green? Too often convenience rears its ugly head and you end up with a trash full of disposables. So when the team here at Gifts.com ran across this set of organic cotton dish towels, I couldn’t help but spread the word.

You probably already know that using cloth towels over paper towels saves thousands of trees from being cut down, but these towels take eco-friendliness to a whole new level: They're made from 100 percent organic cotton using water-based inks and biodegradable detergents. Plus they proudly proclaim, "I am not a paper towel," which should bring a smile to any eco-loving women's face (even if they hate doing dishes!)

I Am Not a Paper Towel Kitchen Towel Set of Two starting at $20.00

I'm always on the lookout for great Host and Hostess gifts, and at this year's Gift Fair I was not disappointed. While the gift of a candle may seem impersonal, Lafco New York's Home Collection is no Yankee Candle basket.

Each scent is designed to compliment every room in your home or vacation home (if only). My favorite is the Redwood Den Candle with its cedar and huckleberry tones, it evokes a cozy night-in feel. Made of soy-based wax, these 16 oz candles come encased in beautiful blown glass and have a burn time of 70 to 80 hours. I doubt the host will be able to last that long! Check out the rest of Lafco's collection for more domestic scents to warm your home.

Redwood Den Candle starting at $52.00. 

They say that from chaos comes order. And with the Homebase digital photo frame, this dream is finally realized. Just consider it the "command center" of your hectic home. There are two versions: one records audio messages and the other captures video. But they're both a genius twist on your average digital picture frame. Just imagine the possibilities: You could program your recorded message to play on a given date, so on Friday, your child sees the blinking light and hears, "Hey, I know you hate fish sticks, so no school lunch today. Your lunch is packed and in the fridge." Not to mention the Homebase has a seven-inch LCD screen for showcasing digital pictures (or video), easily loaded from most memory cards. The frame is surrounded by a handy white board for jotting down messages and a magnetic edge so you can post pictures, receipts, coupons, etc. I bet 10 different families could use the Homebase in 10 different ways, but everyone would agree that it's a great tool for getting the family on the same page. I love the Homebase for Super Moms, Devoted Dads and anyone who has the very important yet very thankless job of household CEO.

Audiovox Audio Homebase 7" Digital Photo Frame with Message Center starting at $99.99