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John already shared a Portal Christmas tree with you guys, but this Portal wrapping job is equally amazing. While this is a really cool way to wrap a present, it seems weird to buy two copies of the same game just to wrap something more creatively.
Link Via Geeks Are Sexy
Every once in a while, you think you’ve found the most perfect gift ever. But does it compare to the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the United States? Mental_floss has a roundup of the biggest, costliest, and most thoughtful gifts ever given. For example, General Sherman notified his boss of an impressive Christmas gift he worked hard to obtain in 1864.
General William T. Sherman had been working his troops hard to secure ports from the Confederate Army during the Civil War. After he captured Atlanta in September 1864, Sherman and some of his men disappeared for about six weeks; the White House received no communication from them and President Lincoln feared the worst. Then, on December 22, Sherman sent Lincoln a telegraph with the message: “I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton.”
Read the stories of the other 14 gifts at mental_floss. Link
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Aspiring wrapping paper company Gift Couture is trying to get off the ground with the help of KickStarter. Their first product? A six-sheet of collection of wrapping paper that will help you disguise your presents as cheeseburgers.
Of course, in the meanwhile, you can always entertain yourself with the Neatoshop’s great Pi gift wrap.
Link Via Geekosystem
What do you get for the person who has needs nothing? Instead of something that will collect dust, you can show your love and appreciation by helping those who do need something -in the name of your loved one. Help a third-world family start a business. Contribute to the building of new homes. Do your bit for disaster relief. Bring clean water to a community. Protect an endangered species. You can even give a gift card that can be used at a variety of charities. Web Ecoist has a list of 14 organizations that will channel your gift money to those who need it most, and notify your gift recipient about what you’ve done. Link
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We’ve always heard that it is better to give than to receive. And the research is there to prove the old adage is right. A post at PsyBlog has links to several studies about this phenomenon.
But why? Why is it that spending our money on others—prosocial spending—makes us happier?
It’s partly because giving to others makes us feel good about ourselves. It helps promote a view of ourselves as responsible and giving people, which in turn makes us feel happy. It’s also partly because spending money on others helps cement our social relationships. And people with stronger social ties are generally happier.
The consequences of this notion can work in a circle. Not only do you want to buy gifts that bring happiness to others, it will make them even more happy to know that they gifts they give you are treasured. Link
Brazilian Lucas Jatobá gave us the video Goodbye Barcelona! earlier this year. Since then, he’s been in Sydney, Australia. On his 30th birthday, he gave 30 gifts to random stangers and made of video of the experience. The music is “To Build a Home” by Cinematic Orchestra. At Jatobá’s site, you’ll find a list of the gifts, and links to more pictures and the funny “making of” video. Link -Thanks, Lucas!
“Refreshing” head wipes for bald guys? This strange product is real, although it’s not something guys would admit using …so of course it would make a horrible gift.
Don’t worry ladies, there are plenty of ways for you to passive aggressively tell your man he isn’t attractive enough. This great product can remind him that he’s not only bald, but that he’s disgustingly sweaty too. Hooray for destroying your lover’s self confidence!
This is just one of a dozen gifts that say, “I have no idea how to shop for Valentines Day.” Link
This list of 15 strange items for sale contain gifts that you won’t find on most gift guides this year -and be warned that some may be NSFW. Here’s one I never knew existed:
This DIY Juice To Alcohol Kit is a great gift for those alcoholic science nerds out there and for really bad parents who can’t think of a better way to get their kids interested in science. Just add juice and a packet of the magical alcohol powder and you will have your own homemade liquor in only 48 hours. The resulting booze will be up to 28 proof -it might not be moonshine, but it sure won’t make you go blind.
Personally, I’d love to receive the magic wand that turns the TV off! Link
If you want to really bring a smile to the face of the geek in your family, select a Christmas gift from a list compiled by geeks for geeks. In this guide from Geeks Are Sexy, you’ll find books that have passed the test -they stimulate the mind as well as entertain it! Link
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If you’ve ever received a disappointing, odd, or incomprehensible gift, you can make yourself feel better about it by checking out the blog Why Did You Buy Me That? (subtitled “a collection of the worst gifts ever received”). It might make your gift look better. If it doesn’t, take a picture and submit it! Link -via Metafilter
Seinfeld fans are sure to remember the Festivus episode starts with George giving cards to his co-workers that claims he made a donation on behalf to an imaginary charity. In a perfect example of life imitating art, Care4Less is now offering you the opportunity to make donations in the names of your loved ones to imaginary charities. The service doesn’t cost a thing –except your integrity.
Link Via Consumerist
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Did you ever wish you could create the chocolate of your dreams? A German company named chocri allows people like you and me to customize chocolate bars, not only by determining which name is printed on the packaging, but more importantly by combining a base chocolate (dark, milk or white) with your choice of more than 90 toppings. The toppings can be dried fruit and nuts (what we would expect), but can also be crazy, like chive rolls, jalapenos or real gold flakes. The chocolate is fair trade, organic, and sales benefit kids on the Ivory Coast.
One percentage of our revenues goes directly to the organization DIV Kinder, which supports and protects children on the Ivory Coast. The Ivory Coast is the biggest exporter of cocoa beans on this planet. Our customers also get a chance to donate a small amount at checkout. Together, we’ve already raised thousands of Euros to benefit the children.
Chocri is expanding their sales into the United States beginning in January. Link
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If your loved ones don’t like nerdy gifts, maybe they’ll like these instead. Here’s an InventorSpot article on the 15 strange and bizarre gifts for the weirdos in your life.
Includes gems like this one, the Decapitated Teddy Bear Lamp: Link
Looking for a slightly weird, very crafty and kinda cute present? Enroll someone you love in the Button Ring of the Month Club. Best of all, the rings are somewhat customized to your personal preferences. Only $55 for a 6 month membership full of accessories galore!
“Around the 1st of each month, for the next 6 consecutive months, you’ll receive a vintage button ring packaged inside an adorable little paper box–ready for gift giving or keeping for yourself!
Your likes & dislikes will be considered as I am crafting up your fabulous jewelry. If you have certain color combos you adore, let me know. Or, if you are daring & desire to be completely surprised, I can do that too!!”
MSN and Marie Claire have paired up to bring you a fun list of gifts you don’t want. While some of them are actually kinda cool, like the beta fish book ends, there are certainly some wonderfully terrible gift ideas listed as well.
The gold pills shown to the right sound exactly like an old Dave Chapelle sketch, as they’re supposed to bling out your “leavings.” I have to agree with MSN on this one, I certainly do not want this as a gift, even if the person giving them spent oer $400 on my present.
