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. 

One of the best things about college is receiving care packages from home. I used to look forward to a care package as much — if not more — than putting a hard test behind me or blowing off steam at a party on the weekends. My favorite packages were filled with sugar and snacks that made the all night cram sessions a bit more bearable.

The Off to College Gift is just the gift to get a new high school graduate off on the right foot. Filled with dorm life essentials like a small hammer and screwdriver kit, a collapsible clothes hamper, first aid kit, a "how to" book for laundry, and my fav, plenty of snacks, it has all the things a brand new college student will need — and appreciate! — in those first few weeks of the new semester.

Off to College Gift starting at $29.95

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.

You know flowers are the way to a girl's heart—especially on Valentine's Day—but if she's more of a new flame than a longtime lover, two dozen red roses might not be the way to go. But two dozen pink roses? Right on.

But isn't a rose is a rose is a rose? Not quite. Just check out our Flower Color Guide. The cheat sheet explains the significance behind every flower color, so you can know what you're saying with your bundle of blooms. For example, pink flowers will show her how much you appreciate your budding relationship.

I love this gorgeous bouquet of 24 long-stemmed pink roses because it comes paired with the classic fragrance Romance from Ralph Lauren. Nothing better than two gifts in one! And there's still time to send these and other Valentine's flowers to get to your sweetheart by Thursday.

Ralph Lauren Flowers & Fragrance Petite Bouquet starting at $129.95

Ever since her film, Me and You and Everyone We Know, I've been a fan of Miranda July. In her new book, Learning to Love You More, July collaborates with Harrell Fletcher to bring together some of the best of learningtoloveyoumore.com. The site gives readers assignments to help them capture everyday expressions of love like "draw a scene from a movie that made you cry."

Both the site and the book are beautiful reminders that love–in all its forms–isn't always expressed in over-the-top gestures. Sometimes it's as simple giving a sweet book on Valentine's Day to someone that you know will love it as much as you would.

Miranda July - Learning to Love You More starting at $11.97

When Marilyn Monroe sang "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she was talking about the real bling, but I think acrylic diamonds are pretty good too.

There are no real diamonds in Alissia Melka-Teichroew's "Diamond" Acrylic Ring–just a clever silhouette imitating the popular Tiffany engagement ring setting. At just $10, the acrylic version is decidedly more affordable, and combined and stacked with different colors, it is also creates a unique and fun look that really will be any girl's best friend this Valentine's Day!

"Diamond" Ring, Red Acrylic starting at $10

Don't assume that just because you've already exchanged the 'L' word, your girlfriend knows exactly how you feel about her. The truth is, women need to see your love, not just hear it. And how do we see your love, you ask? In flowers, and fancy dinners, and a Key to my Heart Locket, of course.

After all, without a padlock-style locket with an old-fashioned skeleton keyhole, or one of these other fantastic Valentine's Day gifts for a serious girlfriend, the next 'L' word you hear from your girlfriend's lips might just be 'lame.'

Key to My Heart Locket starting at $115

Sure, a candlelit dinner is nice, but if you really want to pamper your Valentine, get things started early by surprising your sweetheart with breakfast in bed. Better yet, add a special touch by serving coffee in this darling Valentine Ad Mug.

The ceramic cup features an authentic-looking personals ad that's been torn out and circled with a red heart. But it's not just any personals ad. You actually get to write it! Ask your crush if she'll be your Valentine, let him know you've been looking for a man just like him, or even—gasp!—propose! Either way, it's sure to be a romantic hit.

Write Your Own Valentine Ad Mug starting at $12.95

Gentlemen, listen up. Skip the naughty lingerie for Valentine's Day. It’s really just a gift to yourself. Instead give her a pajama set like this one from Splendid Mini. It's flirty but not over the top. She'll actually wear this comfy set year round and maybe she'll even let you stick around the whole year because of your good taste.

If you need to brush up on more do's and don'ts of Valentine's Day gift giving, read our special Guy's Guide to V-Day Gifts. Your girlfriend/wife/crush will thank you. 

Splendid Mini Stripe Tank Top and Shorts Sleepwear Set starting at $68 

Years ago, before I lived in New York City and closet space was something I still took for granted, I used to have a keepsake cardboard box. Inside the box were mementos from relationships past–cards, photos and ticket stubs, mostly–and when I was feeling nostalgic, I'd pull out the box and remember some good times.

This Large Spiral Heart Box is like the grown-up version of that old cardboard one I used to have. Made of oxidized copper, with magenta velvet lining, it'll keep relationship mementos safe for years to come. A perfect Valentine's Day gift for that special someone you hope keeps you around for just as long!

Large Spiral Heart Box starting at $130