Gift ideas

Things have been busy here in Chicago! So busy, in fact, that I almost didn't notice that winter is upon us. That became apparent especially today with all the ice and cold, cold air...it's only about 15 degrees here today for the high. Brrr!

Despite wanting to curl up on the couch with a good book, I have a lot of holiday gift shopping to do. Maybe you have yet to begin your holiday shopping excursion. I have a few ideas for you!

First off, I like to consider the gift recipient's interests. Is she a wine lover? If so, how about enrolling her in the wine-of-the-month club? Or, purchase her some unique wine glass tags.

Maybe she enjoys traveling. How about some cool and useful items from a specialty travel store like Flight 001? From decorative passport covers to in-flight toiletry kits, this place makes any traveler's journey more comfortable.

Maybe you're looking for something unique for the ultimate sports fan. Here's the perfect game room or kids' room decoration: A life-size wall image of a sports star. (The cool thing is that it peels off easily if you don't want it up anymore.) Check out Fathead for cool wall graphics. They also have graphics of celebrities, comics and more.

For the foodie among us, how about a spice gift basket from The Spice House? This series of stores may be based in the Midwest, but they have an amazing selection of every spice you could possibly want from all over the world.

Perhaps you have a mom, sister or friend that just loves jewelry. She might have diamonds, she might have sapphires, but does she have moissanite? This jewel have over two times the fire of diamond, is second overall in hardness and has much more brilliance than most gemstones. Best yet? It's more affordable than diamond! I've seen that more independent jewelers are now carrying moissanite, so chances even if you're not near a big store like JCPenney or Macy's (who carry the jewel nationwide), you could still find moissanite in your town. Check out the moissanite website that lists store locations.

Best of luck in your shopping endeavors! (And here's hoping you get to unwrap some good gifts, too!)