Executive Gift Shoppe Blog

Gifts to Help Your High School Graduate Survive College

Pete Ekizian — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:08:51 +0000

photo by by Jessie Jacobson (Flickr)

You remember changing their diapers, the first day of school, first lost tooth… our children are one of the most important things in our lives so it makes sense that their high school graduation would be among that list of memorable moments and that choosing the perfect high school graduation gifts for her (or him!) would be a bit of a challenge. It’s a big accomplishment and you couldn’t be happier, but scared too. It’s one step closer to them moving out, getting a full time job, and starting a family of their own. How do you prepare them for that? Well… I don’t have all the answers but I can suggest some high school graduation gifts for you to give your graduate that could help to make the transition into college life just a little bit easier. Some of these high school graduation gift ideas for her or him are fun, some are practical, and some are both!

College Survival Guide

There are a lot of books out there that tell us how to handle all sorts of situations, including college! Some survival guides your grad may appreciate include Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into In College by Harlan Cohen and The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: College by Jennifer Worick and Joshua Piven.

Organizers

This is pretty self-explanatory, and pretty boring… but a good quality organizer can be the most important tool in keeping sane while in college. An organizer can include emergency numbers and addresses, appointments, family photos and information, and of course class and assignment information. Organizers aren’t necessarily boring high school graduation gifts though. Add it to a gift “trash bin” full of a bunch of college essentials, fun items like a pocket watch, and a lot of junk food!

Coffee Maker

Coffee is a staple for almost every college student, so find a quality coffee maker for your grad that will make it easy for them to get the caffeine that makes that early morning class bearable without having to buy a cup every day. A standard coffee pot or a personal Keurig coffee maker can mean a few extra minutes to sleep in before that early morning sociology class making this a star among high school graduation gift ideas.

Alarm Clock

Another pretty obvious one. It is a well-known fact that young adults like to sleep in and sometimes have a difficult time getting motivated in the morning. While most cell phones have alarms on them now, sometimes they aren’t quite enough to get that heavy sleeper out of bed so bed side alarm clocks may be necessary. You can find a whole variety of clever alarm clocks for your college student. From clocks shaped like their favorite Star Wars characters to alarm clocks that set a helicopter flying into the air and won’t stop until you place the copter back on the alarm, you are bound to be able to find an alarm clock for your college student.

USB Flash Drive

The days of handing in paper assignments are just about over. With everything being digital, an easy way to save and transport assignments is important. USB drives are one of the easiest and most transportable ways to get assignments from point A to point B. There are a lot of clever USB drives out there for your grad, from the funny to the quirky, so you should have no problem finding one you graduate will love. Consider this a great addition to that gift trash bin (you know the one mentioned earlier with the organizer, pocket watch, and loads of sweet treats) if you are looking for more high school graduation gift ideas to add.

Bedding

Dorm beds aren’t exactly known for their comfort, so at the very least your graduate will needs some nice, comfortable sheets and blankets to make the less than comfortable bed a little more bearable. I find that flannel sheets are especially appreciated during the cold winter months.

High School Graduation Gifts “Trash Bin”

This is sort of a mish-mosh of high school graduation gift ideas. Just take a large waste basket or laundry basket and fill it with a bunch of essentials and fun items. Fill it with graduation gifts for her or for him, obviously depending on the gender of your graduate, and include random things like money clips, notebooks, bed sheets, even a pocket watch if you know your graduate will appreciate it.

So there you go! A few high school graduation gift ideas from baskets with money clips to bedding for your sleepy grad to fall into for a good night’s sleep. Now you should be able to find something for your graduate that will help college seem a little more bearable.

-Pete

10 Mother’s Day Gifts That Your Mom Actually Needs

Pete Ekizian — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:20:35 +0000

Make Mother's Day special this year with a unique and personalized Mother's Day gift.
Photo By asenat29 (Flickr)

Choosing the perfect gift for a person is always difficult, especially when the person we are shopping for is a parent. How exactly do we choose that one brilliant present that not only will wow, but will actually continue to be useful a week or more into the future? It isn’t easy friends and with mother’s day right around the corner… well… maybe a little shopping assistance is in order. Read on for some tips on choosing the best mothers day gifts that will actually prove useful in the long-term, and maybe a little advice on things to avoid as well.

Identifying “Type”

The first step in finding your mom (or the mom of your offspring) the perfect gift is knowing exactly who the mother in your life is. Is she an author? Baker? Decoupage maker? Not all moms are created equal. It’s true, there are a lot of really exceptional mothers out there, but what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for the next. Figure out her “type” first before you start trying to come up with mothers day gift ideas.

The Intellectual – Is your mom frequently caught with her nose in a book? Does she keep up with current events? Does she yell at not only the radio but the television and newspaper when she disagrees with a story? Your mom may be the intellectual. Buy her a gift that says “You’re completely brilliant and I love that about you!”

The Crafter – Some mothers love nothing more than crafting. Scrapbooks, photo albums, new home decorations…. All things that crafter moms may not only be skilled at but enjoy doing as well. Find a gift that will be as creative as she is!

The Cook – Do not automatically assume that your mom falls into this category. Just because she cooks dinner for you most if not every night, and may even do it well, she has to actually enjoy it. Giving a gift cooking or baking related to a mother that cooks not because she loves cooking, but because she loves you is not a good idea. She has to love to cook for the pure joy of cooking! Otherwise you may appear to simply be saying “I’m buying this is for you, but really I want you to use it to make me something tasty!”

The Geek – It isn’t uncommon for the moms of today to be as techy as their kids… sometimes more so! Does your mom have the newest and smartest of smart phones? Does she love to watch sci-fi and play video games? Lucky you! Buy her mothers day gifts as nerdy and fun as she is!

The Collector – This one is pretty obvious. If you have a mom that falls into this category, you probably have a decent idea what to get her. Something to add to her collection, protect her collection, or modify her collection in the best way possible. Just make sure you don’t buy her something she already has.

Other Mom Types – The Jock, The Professional, The New Age Mom, The Fashionista

Mix and Match

Some moms fall into none, all, or a few of these categories. Make sure you put some thought into choosing the perfect gift based on the personal tastes of the mother(s) in your life. Take a look at the following 10 gifts for your mom that your mom will actually get some use out of, and see which of the types of moms that gift would be best for. But remember, these are just a few mothers day gift ideas to get you started.

The Gifts

1. Recipe Rock / Box / Book – Organization is important in the kitchen, and a high quality and cute way to organize recipes will tell your mom that you care about not only making her life easier, but you know something about her personal style as well when you buy her something as trendy or retro as she is. – Best for – The Cook, The Crafter, The Fashionista

2. Instant / Portable Printer – Most mothers care about not only taking care of their families, but capturing the moments they want to be able to remember forever by taking photos and documenting moments in time. A portable printer can make documenting and sharing these moments easier than ever. Best for – The Crafter, The Geek, The Professional, The Fashionista

3. Themed Mug – Coffee mugs are a pretty basic and standard gift for any occasion, but that doesn’t stop them from proving to one of the most used gifts of all. Don’t just get a kitchy #1 Mom mug this year though. Buy the mother in your life a mug that is as unique as she is. Buy a mug that is trendy, or nerdy, or bright… maybe a mug that holds cookies in a bottom compartment or that has a character and saying from her favorite television show. Make sure when people see it, they will know it is hers. Best for – The Intellectual, the Geek, The Cook, The Professional

4. Recycled Bags – There are some really neat items made out of recycled papers, cans, bottle caps, etc. These bags can not only look cool but be something any mom would be proud to carry. Best for – The Intellectual, The Crafter, The Collector, The New Age Mom, The Fashionista

5. Gadget Car Charger – Moms are busy people and sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day. So many things today require batteries but finding time to plug things in to charge when you are constantly on the go can be difficult, if not impossible. A car charger is the perfect remedy. Best for – The Intellectual, The Geek, The Professional

6. Lighter – Your mom doesn’t have to be a smoker to make choosing one of many quality Zippo lighters as a gift a great option. Zippo lighters come in all sorts of styles and colors and can be as unique as your mom. Best for – The Intellectual, The Cook, The Geek, The Professional

7. Sunglasses – This one is a little tricky as it requires the ability to know not only what your mom will be willing to wear, but what will look good on her as well.(Who am I kidding? All mothers are beautiful!) Best for – The Intellectual, The Jock, The Professional, The New Age Mom, The Fashionista

8. Flask – Every once in a while your mom needs to relax too! Cute flasks can be the perfect way to accessorize and take a break. Once again, make sure to buy flasks that speak of the things your mom likes. Pink flasks or themed flasks can be the perfect way to tell your mom that you appreciate all her hard work… time to take a break! Best for – The Cook, The Geek, The Collector, The Jock

9. Themed Cookie Cutters – Even if your mom isn’t a baker, that doesn’t mean a unique set of cookie cutters won’t be appreciated. Even the least culinary of mothers can appreciate cookie cutters shaped like her favorite characters or themes. Video game characters, movie and TV show icons, or skulls and diamonds… there are a huge variety of cookie cutter shapes available. Best for – The Crafter, The Cook, The Geek, The Fashionista

10. Recycled Home Accessories – Recycled picture frames, glassware, trays, and more are all becoming easier and easier to find in stores and come in a variety of styles and themes, making finding a gift that is good for the environment a great option for any mother. Best for - The Intellectual, The Crafter, The Cook, The Collector, The New Age Mom

So there you have it! 10 gifts ideas for the mom in your life! These certainly aren’t all of the fantastic options on the market today but they hopefully will help you get started. What mothers day gifts will you be buying? Did these mothers day gift ideas help you in your quest to find the perfect gift for your mom?

-Pete

Birthday Gift Ideas for Him

Pete Ekizian — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:06:23 +0000

If you’d like to surprise the man in your life with a birthday gift he’s really going to love, then you’ve come to the right place. He may have already provided you with a list of
ideas, or he may have been dropping some hints. In either of those cases, you should let that information guide your decision. If he hasn’t said anything, then you still don’t have to worry. We’ve got plenty of recommendations for you. Even if he has already provided you with some information, these ideas may enable you to add an extra surprise that he’ll really appreciate.

One common male gift is tools. If you give your man tools for his birthday, there is a chance that he’ll think you’re dropping a hint of your own about some work that needs to be done. To avoid this, we suggest you give him the kind of tool that he can use to work on a project he truly enjoys. Of course, he might just enjoy tools in general. In that case, he’ll be even easier to delight. A multi-tool is a particularly good choice, as is a handy-man set. What he won’t tell you is that using these tools causes the same kind of happiness in a man that playing with toys causes in a little boy.

One particular kind of tool that most men really love is a good pocketknife. A personalized Swiss
army knife is really cool, and it’s something he’s going to use every day for sure. Some modern Swiss army knives even include USB flash drives that fold out like a knife blade. What a useful thing! If the man you’re buying for wears belts very often, you might even want to buy him a pouch to carry his new knife in. In general, you should also remember that when it comes to buying knives, the longer, the better. Lockable blades are also
quite convenient.

There are plenty of other directions you could go as well. There’s also one other thing we don’t want you to forget. As much as the man in your life will enjoy any material gift you buy for him, it will be even more effective if it comes with some additional time spent with you. This is especially true if you spend that time doing something he really enjoys, even if it’s something you wouldn’t do on your own time. Perhaps you should present him with that classy, elegant gift at a baseball game!

-Pete

A Business Card Holder That Looks Like A Briefcase?

Pete Ekizian — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:39:28 +0000

Now listen, we sell business card holders. All kinds. Business card holders for men and business card holders for women. So we are biased, point taken. However, there is a new business card holder on the market that is designed to look like a mini briefcase and we just don’t get it. You can see more of it over at Geek Alerts if you’d like to.

Harsh you think? Well its not just this business card holder in particular that we’re averse too, although we certainly are averse to this one, its gimicky card holders and cases in general. And we have a reason.

Look, there’s a reason you have a business card holder and don’t just carry your business card around in your pocket. First impressions. You’re looking to impress a potential colleague, employer, investor, whatever. If you’re going to use a gimicky business card holder why not go all out? Throw on a clown suite, a bright red nose and some over-sized shoes. After all, you’re goal is to amuse this potential colleague/employer/invest0r, right?

Oh, not right? You’d rather impress them with your professional attitude and sharp appearance? Us too. Handing over your business card is probably the last chance you’ll have to make a great impression before crunch time. Before whoever you’re talking to has to decide whether to hire you, employ you or collaborate with you.

Yes, being funny counts for something. And maybe there are certain fields where it is even an distinct advantage. For those fields, please disregard all of the above. But for most fields of business, funny doesn’t get you to run an account department. Or become the head of IT. Or convince some to let you invest their money.

What do you think about the Mini Briefcase Business Card Holder? Is it something you would use to carry around your business cards?

-Pete

The iPhone Money Clip – Your Thoughts?

Pete Ekizian — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:49:17 +0000

I guess it was inevitable, combining your wallet/money clip with your phone, and now its time has come. Introducing the iPhone money clip , a sleek device that screws on to youriPhone and will clamp down on your folded bills and maybe even a few credit cards. Personally, I think its probably just a novelty item. I don’t think people are really going to want to pull out all their cash and credit cards every time they have to answer a call or shoot a text.

The flip side of course is that men in particular like to streamline everything. The iPhone money clip does just that. Since as long as we can remember, men have burdened with overstuffed, uncomfortable wallets. See our post on using a money clip to avoid the classic George Costanza wallet problem. We know that you hold both your money clip and/or wallet in your pocket, as well as your phone, so this does downsize things a bit.

Like I said, I’m of the belief that this won’t work. Guys don’t want to combine these 2 things. Of course, I’m often, if not usually, wrong. So take my opinion with a grain of salt. What’s your opinion? We’d love to hear from you below.

-Pete

The Evolution of the Hip Flask

Pete Ekizian — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:36:02 +0000

Not long after humans discovered alcohol, some enterprising young cave man no doubt designed the first flask to carry it. The modern flask we know today evolved in the 18th century when they were used by women to smuggle gin on British warships. These homemade flasks were fashioned from pig’s bladders and stashed inside their petticoats. We found a really cool article on this exact topic over at Amog.

Other early flasks were made from glass or leather and were made to be hung from a person’s neck so they could be taken along on hunting and fishing trips. Over time, more and more flasks were fashioned from metal because of its durability and silver became the metal of choice since it was discovered it could preserve the taste of your liquor since it does not react with it.

The next generation of flasks featured very elaborate engravings and were made to be stored in the pockets of a man’s trousers. They remained an accessory for mostly well-to-do gentlemen until the Prohibition Act of 1920 changed everything. While flasks were banned in some states, it made little difference and their popularity soared and the hip flask became one of the icons of the Roaring 20′s. Both men and women loved the hip flasks that allowed them to take their favorite prohibited liquor with them everywhere. After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, hip flasks remained popular and were used extensively by American soldiers in World War II.

Hip flasks today range in size, shape, and colors, and are a popular gift item. According to the experts at Modern Drunkard Magazine, an engraved flask is one of the very best gifts you can give to a man or a woman. The engravings can take the form of a favorite quote, the initials of the person receiving the gift, or a memorable date. Check out some of the flasks available today, as there are plenty of great retailers on the internet offering a wide variety of flasks that can be engraved.

What about you? What do you know about flasks? We’d love to hear some of your thoughts, why you like them, why you don’t, below!

-Pete

How To Network Your Way To A New Job

Pete Ekizian — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:43:41 +0000

I found an interesting article titled Top Ten Tips for Improving Student’s Networking Skills over at www.NextGenJournal.com. Not familiar with NextGen Journal? They are a site dedicated to college age stuends and they provide all kinds of useful info in the areas of politics, business, society, entertainment, etc. I’m not an avid follower but I did like this particular article.

The article provides some great tips for networking, which is probably the most important skill you can develop and nurture as you leave the college life and head out into the real world. With a particular focus on networking events like job fairs and meet and greets, there is a very useful top ten list provided. I won’t go into all of the ten tips but some top words of wisdom are:

1) Dress for success. Always be dressed to impress, even if the event you’re going to is a casual breakfast with an alumni.

2) Ask Questions. This is probably the best piece of advice, for network and for life in general.

3) Follow up. Another great gem, as so often in life we forget to follow up with a thank you call or offer out of fear of bothering someone. Stay on their mind.

I did have a small bone to pick with the top ten list. Tip # 8, Organize your contacts, wisely suggest using a pocket business card holder to organize your contacts. Great. But then they casually throw in that a ziploc bag will do the trick too. Nonsense! Invest in a presentable, perhaps even personalized business card holder. This way, if you ever do need to pull a business card out of your pocket, or put one in your pocket, you’ll impress potential employers immediately with your attention to detail.

-Pete

Who Needs Counseling? Save Your Relationship with a Man Cave

Pete Ekizian — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:27:38 +0000

Is there a more difficult animal on the planet to buy for than a man? Not so much if you’re savvy on power tools, a skill most ladies lack in this day and age. A sentimental gift may work on anniversaries and such, but trust us on this, it’s not the way to your man’s heart. Take our sage advice and save your relationship with some good common sense thinking.

If you really want to make your man happy on one of his special days, get him what he secretly craves, a man cave! The choices are endless, there are varieties of every shape and size. You can buy a man cave that is free-standing for the backyard, you can get the tree house variety, or you can just modify an out of the way existing room in your home or garage.

A man can rediscover what he’s all about when in seclusion in his man cave, and it’s much more effective than trying to get a counselor to explore his inner thinking, and cheaper in most cases as well. You’ll see your man come alive with boyish enthusiasm in the planning stages, and you’ll be able to communicate like never before.

With his own sanctuary, your man can watch what he wants on TV, listen to music he loves, hang his personalized man cave sign and eat his favorite foods. He’ll rediscover just what it is that makes him tick. And he’ll be a much better mate for it as well. Plus, there are fringe benefits in the deal for you as well. With all of his tasteless decorations and relics all in one place, you can reclaim the main house as your own. Call over your girlfriends and watch a Sex and the City marathon without having to worry about repeated requests for food. Redecorate the house, he’ll probably never even notice.

But don’t tell him, let him think it’s all about him. Forget about therapy, don’t book a slot on the Dr. Phil Show, and absolutely nix an appearance on Jerry Springer. Get your man a man cave and let the harmony begin.

-Pete

Business Gifts, Expenses and The IRS

Pete Ekizian — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:02:21 +0000

With April 15th looming on the horizon, it is important to find out all you can about the costs of gifts and how they can be written off as part of your business expenses. The Internal Revenue Service has a number of guidelines that you need to be aware of around tax time to get the maximum refund you and your business deserves.

The IRS has a limit on how much you can deduct for gifts. The limit is $25 per person for each tax year, and the gifts can either be given directly or indirectly. Now the trick is here to figure out what constitutes a person. If for example, you give a gift of a food buffet to members of the sales department of a company, those persons who received the gift are considered the recipients, and not the company as a whole.

If you give a gift to a family member of a customer, that gift will be considered an indirect gift to your customer. But, if you have a business relationship with that person and that gift is intended only for the family member, that rule does not apply.

If you and your spouse both give gifts to a person or a company, you are considered one tax paying entity. The same concept applies for people who are in business as a partnership. Costs such as custom engravings on gifts, wrapping costs, and mailing costs are not considered part of the $25 limit by the IRS.

Items that are under $4 in cost such as pens, tote bags, and golf balls can be excluded from the $25 total. Gifts such as tickets to an entertainment event are a bit more complicated. If you also attend the event it is considered an entertainment expense. If you do not attend the event it is considered either a gift expense or an entertainment expense, and you’d have to do some research to find out which is the more logical deduction for your individual case.

Use these as a guideline, and it is much less likely you’ll get that dreaded letter in the mail from the IRS notifying you that an audit is in order for your business.

-Pete

A Unique Idea for Groomsmen Gifts

Pete Ekizian — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:15:50 +0000

The title of this post may be a little misleading as what I’m about to presentwould be a great men’s gift idea for a ton of different occasions. Birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, you name it. However, we are entering wedding season and we have personalized groomsmen gifts on our mind!

Now, I’ve never been a huge proponent of the gift card. To me, its just cash that you can only use in one location. For example, a gift card to The Home Depot is basically a gift of money that you can only use at one store, The Home Depot. That being said, I have to change with the times and accept that gift cards are a hugely popular gift for men, women and children.

So here’s my gift idea. You have 6 groomsmen with 6 different interests, tastes and likes. How do you get them something that has a common theme without most of them being disappointed. Moreover, how do you get them personalized groomsmen gifts that will show you took the time to add a personal touch while still managing to get them all something they’ll use. Simple, a personalized money clip wallet with a gift card to their favorite store or restaurant!

For the builder, you get him a gift card to Lowes or The Home Depot. For the drinker, how about a gift card to TGIF or a local watering hole. Is one of your groomsmen a lover of fine cuisine, how about a gift card to a local watering hole? Whatever the venue of choice is for each of your buddies gift cards, tuck it neatly in a monogrammed leather wallet, money clip or money clip wallet. They’ll use the wallet/money clip forever and as long as you chose a gift card from a venue they love, they’re sure to get their use out of that too!

Or you can get them a football helmet they can eat popcorn out of. I’m sure they’d love that too. That’s called sarcasm.

-Pete