I put together a list of gifts for the women in your life, from electronics to jewelry to stuff for the kitchen. Of course it tends to be slanted towards stuff that Wendy likes but hopefully it gives you some ideas as well. I know of one guy that just gives his wife a watch every single year. It doesn’t matter how nice of a watch it is, after a decade of watches, you need to show some creativity.
Take a look around and if you have any better ideas, let me know in the comments. You can see all of the other Christmas Gift and Idea Guides here.
Technology
Tablets continue to be big and if she is thinking of upgrading her laptop, check out these tablets by Amazon, Apple, and Google.
Kindle Fire HDX
The 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX packs a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 1,920-by-1,200 IPS LCD display for quick response and sharp images. One of the more interesting features is "Mayday," a tech support system where a live Amazon employee appears in a video window on your tablet.
The 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX earned four-out-of-five stars in PCMag’s review, gaining points for its sharp screen, fast processor, and ease of use. If you are shopping for a reader or a person who loves to online shop, this is a great choice.
Purchase from Amazon.com | $254
Nexus 7
Google’s flagship tablet, this year’s version is thinner, lighter, and faster – Nexus 7 brings you the perfect mix of power and portability and features the world’s sharpest 7" tablet screen – putting over 2.3 million pixels in the palm of your hand. With 323 pixels packed into every inch, you can read text that’s sharper than the printed page, see images more vivid than the highest quality photo magazine, and watch videos come to life in vibrant 1080p HD.
Nexus 7 is made by ASUS and packs a serious punch. With a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM, everything runs faster (or at least faster than the Kindle Fire HDX)
Purchase from Google | $229
iPad Mini 2 (now with Retina display)
iPad Mini 2 features a beautiful 7.9-inch display (now with retina display), iSight and FaceTime cameras, the A7 chip, ultrafast wireless, and up to 10 hours of battery life. And over 300,000 apps on the App Store made for iPad also work with iPad Mini. So it’s an iPad in every way, shape, and slightly smaller form.
If she is an iPhone or Mac user, the integration with iMessage makes the iPad purchase a no-brainer.
Purchase from Apple | $329
Amazon Kindle
If you are just looking for an e-reader, check out the basic. Amazon Kindle ($69). At only $69, it has an e-ink screen, works well outside, and the battery lasts forever (mine lasts for weeks). It doesn’t have any of the bells and whistles of a tablet but you can’t beat it for reading. Not everyone has a desire to be online 24/7 which is why you still see Kindles all over campus and on commutes.
Purchase Amazon Kindle from Amazon.com | $69
Kitchen
Griddle
Wendy wanted one of these a couple of years ago and I was told not to get her one by some cooks that I know. They said she would only use it for cooking up eggs, sausage, and pancakes and that is exactly what she wanted one for. Since getting her one, she uses it several times a week and has become one of her favorite kitchen tools and has made cooking a lot easier. She doesn’t know how she has gone without one. Even at the cabin, where space is at a premium, Wendy bought one for up there.
If space is a concern, check out this compact apartment sized griddle from Presto.
Purchase family sized griddle from Amazon.com | $30
Purchase compact griddle from Amazon.com | $25
Music
iPod Nano | iPod Classic
Both the 16 gig and 160 gig versions hold thousands of songs and videos and can be taken everywhere. I gave Wendy a 16 gig iPod Nano and she uses it all of the time. It now has a larger, 2.5-inch Multi-Touch display as well as FM radio. You can also watch movies and widescreen videos on the bigger screen. A perfect workout partner, iPod Nano tracks your steps, your runs, and burned calories and syncs to the Nike+ website to challenge friends. And with built-in Bluetooth technology, you can wirelessly connect to speakers, headphones, or car stereos.
The new iPod classic comes with 160GB of storage in the same compact size, making it the take-everything-everywhere iPod. It’s available in quintessential silver or striking black. iPod classic also has plenty of battery life (up to 36 hours of audio playback or 6 hours of video playback), good looks (a sleek, anodized aluminum design), and other great features (Cover Flow and Genius playlists for creating perfect playlists). You can even rent a movie from iTunes and watch it on the go.
Purchase iPod Nano from Amazon
Purchase iPod Classic from Amazon | $249
Purchase iPod Nano from Amazon | $169
JVC Xtreme Xplosive headphones
While headphones from Monster, Skull Candy, and Beats by Dre get a lot of attention, you may want to check out these excellent JVC’s Xplosive Xtreme headphones. $16 gets you an attractive bass booming set of in ear headphones that are great for everyday use. Both Wendy and I have a pair and they get used all of the time with our iPod’s and provide a great sound at a price that is affordable.
Purchase from Amazon.com | $16
Sony MDR ZX300 Headphones
Boasting 30mm drivers, the Sony MDR ZX300 headphones are designed for use in and out of the studio. These MDR-ZX300 ZX Series stereo headphones feature high-quality audio components; pressure-relieving, urethane-cushioned earpads for greater comfort and a noise-reducing, supra-aural design.
We have three pairs of these in the house and they get used for everything from chilling out to music to editing podcasts. They are comfortable, inexpensive, and they look good.
They aren’t on par with Beats Solo or Bose AE2 but they are about $80 cheaper than either one of those (excellent) options while still giving you excellent sound quality.
Purchase from Amazon.com | $23
Bose Wave Music
The famous Wave music system still sets the standard for quality audio and ease of use among one-piece, table top stereos. It looks great and will upgrade any home stereo system. If your wife or girlfriend is a music lover, this is gift you are looking for.
Its bold, detailed sound remains exceptional for a system of its size. Now, there’s even more to like. An advanced FM/AM tuner displays useful information like song titles and artists. Touch-top on/off/snooze controls and dual alarms make waking up a little easier–for both of you. You’ll appreciate these welcome additions, plus the same jaw-dropping sound, elegant finish and easy operation you’ve come to expect from this system.
Purchase from Amazon.com | $500
X-Mini MAX II Portable Capsule Speakers
Developed in Singapore, the X-mini™ MAX II Capsule Speaker™ is expertly designed to be ultraportable and precisely engineered to deliver a superior sound. With a simple twist and lift, the avant garde capsule-shaped design unveils a pair of stereo speakers. These stylish speakers, which can also be used individually, pop open to reveal the patented accordion-like Bass Xpansion System™ (BXS™) which successfully mimics the resonance of a sub woofer.
The logical choice for the itinerant music aficionado, the powerful yet compact X-mini™ MAX II Capsule Speaker™produces high-fidelity sound at any pitch or volume and is perfect in all environments, be it the boardroom or kitchen.
Purchase from Amazon.com | $40
Lifestyle
Timex Women’s Ironman Watch
Built to handle extreme activities, this timepiece is designed with a completely unique white resin design that’s wide at the case and narrow at the strap. The Ironman has everything you need: an easy-to-use 24-hour countdown timer countdown/stop (CS) and countdown/repeat; a one-hour chronograph with lap or split option; a daily/weekday/weekend alarm with five-minute backup; a 30-lap memory recall for workout review; a 99-lap counter. The oval dial has a white digital display with day/date/month calendar, an Indiglo night light, Night-Mode features, and two time zone settings. Powered by precise quartz movement, this Timex is water resistant to 330 feet (100 M).
Purchase from Amazon.com | $35
Wenger® Women’s Battalion II Diver Swiss Watch
Stylish enough for everyday professional wear, the Wenger Battalion II Diver stainless steel women’s watch is also rugged enough for extreme snow sports and scuba diving–thanks to its water resistance to 200 meters (660 feet). The mid-sized, round silver watch case is topped by a blue-plated unidirectional rotating bezel with elapsed time markings and a luminous marker at the zero position. The shimmery royal blue dial face is complemented by luminous markers and hands (with red seconds hand), small minute indexes around the outer edge, and a date window between 4 and 5 o’clock. Other features include a handsome triple-link stainless steel bracelet, knurled screw-down crown, classic Swiss Army insignia at 12 o’clock, a scratch-resistant mineral crystal, and precise Swiss quartz movement.
Purchase from Amazon.com | $200
Fujifim JX600 Point and Shoot Camera
Why not upgrade her camera this Christmas with a Fujifilm JX600? It is a slim, stylish digital camera built to let you capture the moments that bring a smile to your face. With a 5x zoom, this 14MP camera has a CCD sensor to take crisp, clear images every time. Thin enough to pop in your pocket, it boasts advanced filter functions, takes stunning motion panoramas and records HD videos to preserve special moments long after they’ve happened.
Purchase from Best Buy | $80
Canon Rebel T5i Digital SLR Camera and 18-55mm Lens Kit
Photo enthusiasts rejoice! The new flagship of the spectacular Rebel Line, the EOS Rebel T5i, is here to renew your artistic side with amazing imaging features and full-featured functionality. Users will be impressed at how simple and intuitive it is to create breathtaking photos with ease.
The incredible image quality and performance starts with an 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor and Canon’s superb DIGIC 5 Image Processor. Combined with an extensive ISO range of 100–12800 (expandable to 25600 in H mode), the EOS Rebel T5i boasts crisp, detailed images, even in low-light situations. A continuous shooting speed of up to 5.0 fps allows for fast action capture. 9 cross-type AF focus points help ensure crisp focus throughout the frame, and the Hybrid CMOS AF system enables speedy and accurate autofocus when shooting in Live View mode. In addition, the camera is compatible with Canon STM lenses for smooth, quiet AF performance.
The performance doesn’t stop with photos. EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF makes shooting high quality movies easy, and the brilliant Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II makes composing fun. Seven Creative Filters, now viewable in real time, puts composition control directly in your hands and is just one of the many features of the EOS Rebel T5i that is sure to renew your special person’s creative soul.
If cost is a factor, check out Canon’s still capable Canon EOS Rebel T3i for $599.
Purchase from Amazon.com | $799
Sign up for a free terabyte of space for photos and video at Flickr.
Ork Posters
If you or the target of your affections lives in Toronto, Vancouver, Boston,Brooklyn, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle among others. They are $22 a poster which makes them a pretty cool value. Of course they don’t have one of either Brandon, Manitoba or Georgetown, Guyana which makes them pretty much useless for Wendy but maybe you will have some better luck.
Purchase from Ork Posters
MEC Shoulder Bag
Wendy has had three different versions of one of MECs most popular bags. The latest version has the vintage look of aged canvas, plus pockets and a slot for your iPad® or e-reader loaded with the complete works of Jack Kerouac.
Front flap has pocket.
Side pocket has Velcro® flap and a drain hole for your umbrella.
An outer pocket has a snap closure, one is zippered and has pen holder and inside pocket, the slot for iPad or e-book reader closes with Velcro.
Padded back.
Adjustable shoulder strap.
This could be the coolest version yet.
Purchase from Mountain Equipment Co-op | $30
Am I missing anything? Do you have some great ideas I should be thinking of? Let me know in the comments.
You can also find all of the rest of the 2013 Christmas Gift Guides online here. There is a lot of great ideas for all of the important people in your life. Good luck with your shopping and have a great holiday season!