2009 Holiday Gift Guide For Guys

I was hoping for another reply so I don't know if the distinctions are clear or not, but I’m glad you created the new link to make it easier to get to our discussion. Maybe you understand some or all of what I had to say, and maybe you didn’t, but I’m glad it’s available for anybody who chooses to see it. I give you credit for that. You’re right that there are millions of blogs and gift lists out there. It was purely an unlikely series of events that led me to your blog in the first place. Just as you feel I’ve missed the spirit of your gift guide, you seem to have missed the spirit of my replies. The availability for millions to blog is a double-edged sword. I’m happy people have an outlet to express themselves, but that means that there are millions of bloggers with no journalism training, that don’t understand the power and responsibility they possess. I’m not saying that all of those who have a degree in journalism are necessarily more careful, more responsible or have more integrity than the average person. Sadly, I see abuse in the media, daily. Some of what I see puts our country in danger at no real benefit to the reader, and it’s defended as ‘free speech’ and fueled by competition to scoop another journalist or news outlet. I’ve written to them on occasion, but I don’t know how much impact I’ve made.

I realize your blog isn’t a heavy topic, like the above, but although I can’t do much about most of the millions of blogs, I hoped maybe I could make a change for the better for one of them. I can tell you didn’t ‘fancy’ my opinions on your list, but like it or not, competition and criticism improves life for the consumer. If everybody writes that a product is perfect, when that’s not what they really feel, then they’re doing the other consumers a disservice. I expressed my opinions to help people decide for themselves. If you’ve ever looked at consumer ratings on websites, they’re often very helpful in decision-making. You can read through the many varying reviews, some positive, some negative and many in-between. I didn’t give my opinions to disparage yours. I gave my opinions to let any reader know my opinions. They can use that knowledge anyway they want.

I have a couple of more criticisms, but like the above, these aren’t personal attacks. Hopefully you will use them to make yourself a better writer:

You should never assume anything. Regardless if the outcome of the assumption is right or wrong, you should never assume. You’ve made a lot of assumptions in your blog, including two in your reply to me.

Typing in all caps in any online forum is the equivalent of yelling. Either you weren’t aware of this, or you just don’t care. Neither option is good. Typing in all caps should be the #1 issue in Blogging 101.

You’ve given me a sarcastic, insincere reply to my opinions, and even yelled at me in your reply. However, I’m still going to wish you and your family a Happy New Year! Hopefully it will be your best yet.

If you're wondering why I'm continuing this thread, is because this is a hot-button issue for me and it's important that you understand. Upon re-reading your response - you don't seem to understand the difference between generalizing and absolutes. You implied that I said you shouldn't generalize, and that's not true. I used a generalization when I said 'most' men like beer. That allows for exceptions. I know all men don't like beer, in fact I know that all men don't even drink alcohol. Generalizing allows for exceptions - absolutes do *not*. Generalizations can vary, depending on context, but absolutes do not. Some examples:

Men are hard to shop for = An absolute that is 100% False

Some men are hard to shop for = A generalization that *is* 100% True

Why is that a big deal? Because phrasing of a statement can mean the difference of being 100% True and 100% False. Maybe that's not a big deal to you, but it is to me. When I mentioned addressing generalities, I was referring to my own paragraphs - one on absolutes and one on men loving gifts received they received from their wives, because it was from them. I mentioned that those paragraphs were generalities. There *are* a few, but very few exceptions to the first paragraph. Here are some examples:

Men need oxygen to live = An absolute that is 100% True

Men need water to live = An absolute that is 100% True

Men need food to live = An absolute that is 100% True

Beyond those, there really aren't  many, if any absolutes about men that are true. It might seem to you that all men need to sleep. Do all men need sleep to live? No. I've seen examples of men and women who have lived through years of constant insomnia resulting in no sleep during that time, and although they may hate it, they've survived. So:

Men need to sleep to live = An absolute that is 100% False

My other generalization was that if a husband loves his wife, he'll be happy with whatever gift she gives him. The exceptions are, that not all husbands love their wives, and there may be those who *do* love their wives but tell them they hate the gifts they receive from them. Is the distinction clear, now? Generalizations included qualifiers such as 'most' or 'some' to indicate their are exceptions - absolutes don't. Maybe you still won't understand *why* this distinction is so important to me, but hopefully you'll realize that the distinction is *huge*.

For me personally - I don't appreciate being lumped into a category based on my gender, race, religious or political beliefs or any reason.

Hi again,

Thanks for clarifying that *all* men are hard to shop for, and that it's just *some* men.  Maybe you've never heard all women lumped into a group with an attribute that aren't true of all women, or if you have heard those things, maybe you're not offended. But I personally am offended when lumped into a group based on my gender. And I'm not speaking for any other guy or guys - they may love to be pigeonholed - I don't.

Is it possible I missed 'the spirit' of your particular list? Yes, but if I searched for a gift guide for women - I would (yes, me personally, not speaking for anyone else) expect the list to include items that what have the widest possible appeal, with the narrowest of margins that they might backfire. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot hard facts here to debate with, but 2 of the 3  guys that have responded to this post have decisively spoken out against the 'poo books'. The other guy even 'yelled' this in his entry.  My point *isn't* that there *aren't* some guys who might love your suggestions, (in fact, I mentioned some of the posts above, agreed with all of your suggestions). For argument's sake, though - you can pretend that there are only two guys in the world who don't like the poo books. The point is that at least *some* women would've been burned by that suggestion. You welcomed feedback, and I gave my (yes my) opinions on the list. If I saw a top 10 gift list for women, for whatever occasion, that included flowers and/or chocolate, I would point out that I've dated women who don't like flowers or chocolate and that there's also the possibility they're allergic to the above. Fortunately I knew ahead of time, but we're deluged around Valentine's Day by commercials, TV shows and movies, that present chocolate and flowers as being the ultimate gift-set. I would personally want any guys to know this, as I would hope you would want your readers to know the flip-side of your suggestions. 

You're wrong to assume that many women seeing the same link I did, wouldn't expect this list to be sure-fire hits from an 'expert'. I had never heard of you, or blogher before I saw your list, but it was right there in Yahoo's news-tabs in the same section of icons where I saw that Brittany Murphy had died a couple of days ago, and that has stories today about snowstorms in the Midwest. I didn't search for the list - it was presented by Yahoo on it's home page as being as important as any of the day's news stories, so at that point, it was no longer just so-and-so's blog, of which there are millions. It's appearance on Yahoo's home page gives it more credibility. With it, comes the power to influence and with that, comes responsibility. I'm not saying you sought or arranged that placement, or even that you know who did - only that it did temporarily appear there. That's not my opinion - that's fact. I'm really doing you a favor, because in this world of political correctness, at least now, you know that anybody might see your blogs and be offended. Who'd have thought that *I* would ever read your blog? Certainly not me. Is it my opinion that I'm doing you a favor? Yes. Hopefully, though, you will see my advice as a favor.

Anyway, I hope you & your family have a safe and Merry Christmas

I believe you have entirely missed the spirit of this post and the point of writing a gift guide.

My "job" here was to put together a list of things guys might like - that's it!  It was not a veiled plea for help. 

Now. Seeing as "guys" is a pretty broad category, AND since gift guides are available in about a millionthousand places, I compiled a list of items that:

1) I haven't seen included other places
2) Other women/men might not have thought or known about, and
2) HAVE BEEN ENJOYED BY MEN IN MY LIFE 

(While this last point might seem shocking to you, it's true.  Every single item on the list has either been known, loved, or highly coveted by the men in my life -- even the "Meh" flask -- all of whom live in places other than Napa.)

So, okay. Maybe the list doesn't tickle your fancy, but I just read somewhere that we shouldn't be generalizing. Some men ARE hard to shop for, no matter how well you know them. And some of us seek gift guides for new/cool/unexplored ideas.  

More importantly: The point of this post was NOT to "teach" women how to buy gifts for men.  I don't think most women actually need or want instructions. In fact, I think most women find such instructions condescending.  Especially when such advice wasn't solicited. I'd have to assume that most of us know the men on our list well enough to know a good (or bad) gift idea when we see it.

I'd also have to assume that the women in your life know better than to buy you anything from this list. :)

---
Kristy blogs funny stuff at
She Just Walks Around With It ( http://shewalks.blogspot.com )

Hi again,

I got so caught up in your surprising frustration with finding gifts for guys, that I forgot to mention what could be an incredible help for everyone - The Amazon.com Wish List. It's too late to use for this Christmas, but for any future uses - it's quick, easy, and everybody gets what they want. The Amazon.com Wish List is just like an online Wedding Registry or Baby Shower Registry, except that it's for anything - Christmas, birthdays - whatever you want. A person sets up a Wish List, and people can search for that Wish List by name or e-mail address. If you order the gift directly from the Wish List, it disappears from view. I've been using it for years, and finally have most of my family and in-laws keeping Wish Lists there. One of the best features that they have now, is that you can add products from *any* site to your Amazon Wish List. Of course, I do a lot of shopping with them anyway. They usually have the lowest prices, you can get free shipping on orders of 25$ or more, most of the time and the customer service is unsurpassed. This is the first Christmas in about 5 years that I haven't bought anything on e-Bay.  If you'd rather surprise the person, and feel that getting a gift directly from their list could tip them off to what you're getting them - you still have that list to know what they want, and you can get it somewhere else. The only caveat with that is, you should communicate with the other people giving gifts to this person so they don't get two of the same gift.

BTW, as an example of being observant to determine gifts - I noticed you have a photo with your husband reading the Wall Street Journal. Have you considered getting him a Kindle or other electronic book-reader? I don't know a lot about the newer readers coming out, but besides books, you can get subscriptions for the Kindle, including the Wall Street Journal. That opens up even more gift opportunities for people to buy downloaded books or magazines. I know the Kindle is a little pricey, but competition from Sony's reader has already driven the price down $40, and subsequent competition from Google and others will drive the prices down even further.

p.s. I saw in your bio today that you live in Napa, so I guess that explains your wine suggestion. I imagine you might see guys drinking wine on every street corner in Napa, but you're probably allowing your environment to narrow your thinking. :)

p.p.s. I usually know what to get a woman for any occasion, and so I usually don't have to ask. However, I'm sure that myself and other guys have heard the reply of, "What do *you* think I want?" as an answer as to what they want for Christmas, as often you've heard, "I dunno." Frustration knows no gender.

Hi Kristy,

I’ve never replied to a blog before, but I occasionally glance at the relationship blogs on Yahoo’s home page (I don’t know if you’re aware your list appeared there or not). Anyway, I’ve never read any of the relationship ’10 Things You Should Always Do’ or ’10 Things You Should Never Do’ where all 10 suggestions were correct for me, or even applied to my relationships. I haven’t seen a list that has had more than 7 issues that applied correctly to me and often there are 3 or more recommendations are ones that I knew would’ve been or had actually been cataclysmic to certain relationships. Your list was the first one where I only agreed with 1 of the 11 of your recommendations, so I felt I needed to write, hopefully to spare some poor guys (and their respective wives/girlfriends) some disappointment. I know you and others who write these relationship blogs mean well. I don’t think anybody creates the blogs to sabotage relationships, I just had to say something and hopefully help everyone. I would hate for women to read blogs that are presented as if they apply to ‘all men’, and take them 100% to heart. If someone could actually write a relationship book that applied to everyone in every relationship, and was unanimously agreed upon, someone would’ve done it by now. They’d be rich, and I would have a copy of that book.

So, please don’t feel I’m picking on you. You seem like a genuine, sweet, person.  It just happened to be your list that motivated me to write. Obviously you’ve helped some people who agree with your gift ideas and some who agreed with all of them – so congrats for that. If I don’t make any overall, bigger point, it’s just that everyone is different, and every relationship is *very* different. There are so many variables in each person, and become exponential between two people in a relationship. Before I go through my thoughts on your specific gifts, I wanted to address a couple of  generalities.

Bloggers should avoid absolutes like, ‘men always _______’ or ‘men never ______’. Rarely is there a case when absolutes are true. There *are* guys who will stop to ask directions, and there *are* guys who notice if you have a new haircut, etc. I hate being lumped into categories, as I’m sure women do as well. I know there are men who say they don’t know what they want for Christmas, but I’m not one of them. Often, guys get what they want for themselves during the year, so it might actually be a reason why they can’t think of anything. However, if you pay attention to what they do get for themselves – you can use that to mold an idea of what they want, even if they don’t verbalize it to you.

If your husband/boyfriend loves you, they’re going to be happy with anything you give them, because it came from you. Of course, if your husband/boyfriend tells you he loves your gift, when he really means ‘I love your gift because it came from you’ then you don’t *really* know if they liked that particular gift or not. Your husband/boyfriend is likely to tell you they love your gift whether or not they really like the gift itself. This is another reason I’m writing, so I can give it to you straight.

Now, my own personal thoughts and opinions on the gift ideas:

1. Wallets/Cuff Links – (Sigh) Although maybe your guy might *deserve* a wallet or cuff links for not being more cooperative with you on what to get for them (their equivalent of coal in their stocking) – I personally think they’re poor gifts. As you admit in your suggestion #3 about ‘Dave Barry's Complete Guide To Guys’ actually being a gift for you, wallets and cuff links are really gifts for you. Giving a wallet is a subtle way of saying, ‘Honey, your wallet is ragged, worn and/or a style I don’t like’. All of which may be true, but it’s nothing that most guys care about. It’s not that we wouldn’t appreciate a new wallet, but not as a Christmas gift. We prefer that kind of passive-aggressive nagging during the year as opposed to holidays ;). I don’t know any guys who wears cuff links who aren’t in a wedding party, the guest of honor at a funeral, or James Bond - so again, this also is likely a gift for you. Also, anything that requires the ‘man’ prefix, that is: man-locket, man-purse, man-perfume, probably isn’t going to be appreciated by men as a gift.

2. Sauces or Salsas? I only know one guy that wouldn’t be shocked to get sauces and/or salsas as a gift, or for any reason, so you’d really have to know the recipient.

3. Books (Movies and Music) as gifts have to be researched somewhat. You knew personally that your husband would find a book about ‘poo’ enjoyable, and so in his case it was a perfect gift, but most guys I know don’t find bathroom humor funny. If I received the poo book, the golf book or the ‘Guide to guys’ book for Christmas, I would be speechless – but not in a good way. I don’t appreciate bathroom humor, I hate golf and of course, why would a guy need or want a ‘Guide to guys’ book? Anyway, the book idea would really need to be pursued with the guy’s interests in mind. Sometimes knowing a genre isn’t enough. Books, Movies and Music can all be tricky unless you really find out ahead of time whether your guy will like them or not.

4. A grilled cheese and soup tray? Another gift for you.

5. Mmmm…Beer. Most guys like beer, and I’m no exception (remember this when we get to #6) However, the only suggestion in this section that I could see being a somewhat appealing gift, is the bottle-opener, which someone also mentioned above, and I would expect a gift like that from a friend or an acquaintance rather than from a wife/girlfriend.

6. Wine? Another gift for you. Remember in #5 when I said most guys like beer? If a guy doesn’t like beer, their next preference is likely a type of hard liquor. Either way, I have never seen a guy order a glass of wine for himself at a restaurant, bar or club, nor have I ever known guys to buy wine at a store to drink themselves. If a guy brings over a bottle of wine for a dinner date – that wine is for the two of them, not him. Not that we dislike drinking wine with a woman, but not on our own. I realize that there will be some exceptions – if a guy is a wine-taster or lives in Napa Valley or Paris, etc. Also, I realize there was that movie ‘Sideways’, but that was only a movie, and not representative of most guys. For the most part – guys don’t drink wine (unless they’re at a party where all the other alcohol is gone, and it’s too late for a beer run).

7. Drinking glasses? Another gift for you. Chances are – your guy has a favorite cup, glass or mug in which he prefers to drink *every* liquid he consumes.

8. Kitchen utensils as Christmas gifts? You knew your husband would enjoy the pot-scrubber and/or enjoy it, and that was good for him, but unless your husband/boyfriend is a Chef, I wouldn’t think there would be many things for the kitchen that I would consider a good idea. Also, I’m not superstitious, but I agree that knives probably aren’t a good gift.

9. More gifts for you

10. OK – here I think is the safest generalization on your list. No guarantees of course, but I think most guys like electronic gadgets. I would have to say, though, that if I received LOLCats fridge magnets, graph paper or a Meh Flask that I would likely end up catatonic (see #3 above) – but hopefully you know your guy well enough.

11. Another gift for you.

It occurred to me that if a women gives some of the gifts ‘for themselves’ to their guy, there may be some chain reaction – guy sees girl wants guy to like gift, guy says he likes gift, girl is filled with joy, guy sees girl is filled with joy and guy is filled with joy because she is – that in a roundabout way results in his happiness. That would be a he’s happy, ‘cuz she’s happy scenario, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I wouldn’t know where to begin to make a top ten gift list for gals that would be all-encompassing, but that’s part of my point. I’ve dated very different women, and I couldn’t make a generalized list. It would be on a case-by-case individual basis. You gals are like snowflakes – no two alike, but all just as wonderful.

So what advice would *I* give women for Christmas gift-buying for their guy?

Rather than make a list of suggestions for gift-giving, my suggestion is to do what most women want us to do - be observant. Does your husband/boyfriend like a specific Pro or College sports team? If you haven’t looked online, you’ll likely be astounded at the broad spectrum of products with the logo of their favorite team(s). You’ll likely know which of those products he already has, and unless he’s Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, he *won’t* have all of them. What kind of music does he like? Does he have the latest CD of his favorite group or genre? (Does he like Celtic Music, but not Celtic Christmas Music?) Does he read? Does he have the latest book from his favorite author? Anyway, if you’re observant, you can tailor your specific ideas, and he will *really* appreciate it. When a woman I love has given me a gift with one of ‘my’ sports teams on it – it’s like, well…Christmas. I realize Kristy, that you *have* been observant in some of your gifts for your husband, your only fault is that you’ve assumed most guys would like gifts from that list.

Anyway – once again, this wasn’t meant to disparage you. I’m glad people have been helped by your list, and hopefully more will as well. I know others will disagree with some or all of the above, but that again is my point. :)

Merry Christmas To All, and To All a Good Night!

Great list, Kristy! :D

I'm personally partial to "Beer-Related Products"! HAHAHA :D

~ Bill ( http://billcammack.com/ )
I blog at billcammack.com ( http://billcammack.com/ )

( http://billcammack.com )

Thanks for your feedback! It's fantastic to have a guy's perspective on this.

- I did NOT grow up in a "let's laugh about poop" household. This is a rather huge adjustment I've had to make for the sake of my marriage. I think women know whether this is appropriate for the guys on her list or not. In my case, this was a HUGE hit. Sigh.

- Glasses are not exciting, but my brother-in-law is a regular bourbon-drinker. I got him (monogrammed) tumblers one year and they went over really well...and were well used.  To your point, though, I did give him a lovely bourbon as well.

- I didn't include knives here because I agree: the ones really worth gifting are a small fortune. The knife *blocks* in this guide, though, are really cool and very attractive.  And gender-neutral.

- My husband has a shave kit from The Art of Shaving, and that's his only razor. I will admit, I wasn't the one who bought it for him, but since he uses it, I figured I'd include it. (He didn't like the HeadBlade.)

---
Kristy blogs funny stuff at
She Just Walks Around With It ( http://shewalks.blogspot.com )

If, by chance, my wife reads this post, I'd like to go on record with some reactions to the list:

1. Wallet: Yes, a wallet and/or cufflinks are appreciated, albeit a bit predictable. They definitely rank above receiving a tie, however.

2. Hot Sauce: I love spicy food, nice idea.

3. Man Books: ABSOLUTELY NO POO BOOKS. Hey, I'm as scatelogical as the next guy, but do I really want to receive this from my wife? On the other hand, I do love 100-yr old books about explorers in exotic locales you've never heard of. Also, Dangerous Book for Boys would make a really cool "co-gift" of sorts if you have a 8+ yr old son.

4. The only kitchen item I ever received as a gift that was really awesome, was a mini-butane torch for creme brulee (and I love to cook). What guy doesn't like fire & technology fused in a handful of POWER?

5. Beer Belly is interesting, but the ring bottle opener is absolutely genius. I would actually wear that. Every day. Really.

6. DIY Wine (sort of) is also a great idea. It's a gift that keeps giving, too. A home-brew kit would also work, too.

7. ehhh, glasses? I appreciate tumblers and stemware as much as the next guy, but as a gift? Only if they come with a bottle of 30-yr Lagavulin single malt, or some such.

8. I can see the pan-scraper being a hit, but not on Xmas day. I think probably because its utility far exceeds the low-expectations in receiving it. Definitely a stocking stuffer. Also, I'm totally with the knife suggestion (I only recall giving one as bad luck in some Asian cultures, especially at weddings). However, instead of a set, I would like to get one really, really nice 8" chef's knife. (like a Shun or Aritsugu, etc).  Spend however much you were going to spend on the set on just the one knife. Awesome...  Do onion goggles really work?

9. I like the scarf. Be sure to package it in the MOMA box/wrapping, etc., so your guy knows where it came from. The razor is also really nice, but honestly I'd be surprised if it sees much use (at least knowing my morning routine = not enough time).

10. Headlamp YES! Helicopter YES!  Moleskine? Hmmm...

~Blake

What's your story? ( http://www.storyjumper.com )

I have given a wheel of cheese and a "steak gram" from Omaha steaks.  Food always goes over well.

Punky B

www.stuffpeoplebought.com ( http://www.stuffpeoplebought.com )

www.deadwalking.com ( http://www.deadwalking.com )

Moleskine notebooks! Perfect!  I never would think of it but my husband carries one all year.  That and funky argyle socks.  he loves them. This year he's actually going to get some.  If anything this lists generated ideas for me.  It's perfect! Thanks!

Victoria Mason

The Mummy Chronicles

Mummy's Product Reviews

DC Metro Moms

Wow this gift guide is pretty spot on! I've gifted the helicopter, cashmere sweaters, and luxury sheet sets for Christmases past. I will say though that the gifts that mean the most to my finance are ones that are in support of his independent & adventurous hobbies. For his motorcycle, I gave him heated gloves to ensure he could drive comfortably in the winter. To entertain his idea of opening his own brewery, I gave him an at-home microbrewery kit (in hopes that he would see how much work would be required—glad that desire passed!). I think the headlamp that’s posted above would make for a perfect gift to encourage him to start his nighttime scuba certification (obviously an underwater model). Thanks for the idea!
-Ashley-

thanks for the ideas, i like them. there are only two guys taht I give gifts to, my dad and my bestfriend, of course I want to give them something special but I usually have a hard time figuring out what to give them.

The  (fill in the blank)  of the Month Club...I have given "Beer of the Month" subscriptions that deliver 12 bottles of beer from varied small breweries each month (can get 3, 6, 12 month increments to purchase) ...but there are also Cheese of the Month Clubs, Cigar of.. (ikk), Coffee of, Salsa of, BBQ Sauce of, Hot Sauce of ...etc. Just put the phrase "of the month club" in google and see the lists. I like this because it is a recurring gift.

A hand made booklet of redeemable (with you) gift certificates for ..er....um...things he really likes that don't cost money. Get it? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool ( http://timesfool.blogspot.com )

Thank you for this post!  between the hilarious and the practical I think you've just made my shopping a cinch this year, and not just guys!

Come on! that wine tasting will be a blast for my neighborhood wino friends, maybe we can create our blend at our annual new years eve party (if we can stay sober enough for a taste-ful creation) ((on second thought, bad idea)).  My 80 year old mom would very probably wear that headlamp, way smarter than that book clip on light I got her a couple years ago.  My 15 year old son would def get a kick out of that helicopter, anything to keep him away from video games!

Can't wait to forward this link on to many friends!  Thanks!

Kim

Luckily, my husband just lost the leather winter gloves I gave him a couple years ago for Christmas, so he's getting them again this year!  Perfect, because I hate shopping.

And maybe a new tie.  ;-)

See Jane Soar! ( http://seejanesoar.theadventurouswriter.com/ )

( http://seejanesoar.theadventurouswriter.com/ )

I feel particularly awesome as I got my dad a hot sauce variety pack and that's listed here. Very cool.

That said, my husband outdid himself this year and TOLD ME WHAT HE WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS. I could have died of shock. That made shopping very easy! (Of couse, I'm clueless as to what to get him for our anniversary which is the week before Christmas. Whoops.)

@FireMom ( http://twitter.com ) from Stop, Drop and Blog ( http://stopdropandblog.com ) and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land ( http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com )

Giving knives as gifts results in cutting them out of your life. If you are ever given a knife-you must give the giver some money to "buy" the knife. Otherwise you are courting bad luck.

~TW ( http://ramblewoman.blogspot.com ) ( http://retro-food.com/ )

Retro-Food ( http://retro-food.com/ )

( http://retro-food.com/ )

I was at our local independent bookstore earlier this year picking up a pre-order and then on the counter was The Poo Log (same line of books as mentioned above). After giving it to the fake husband he proceeded to show it to all of his friends. I was the most awesome person ever for a full week. Maybe two.

Sassymonkey ( http://sassymonkey.ca/ ) and Sassymonkey Reads ( http://sassymonkeyreads.ca/ ).