Odd, but Awesome Gifts to Give This year

It's Christmas Eve, folks!

 

And since it's Christmas eve, I thought I'd share some of my favorite gift ideas. Being someone who enjoys giving the somewhat odd, but totally useful gift, I think some of you will appreciate some of these odd, but awesome gifts yourself, especially if you're frantically searching for a last-minute gift right now, like me.

 

1.  Give the gift of invention!

Do you know someone who always has new, invention-worthy ideas? The idea to gift someone their own patent for their own invention came from my dad and his creative inventions. Last year, my dad came to me with a very incredible invention idea he's had, and I have to say, it's genius. So the first thing I did was research how to go about patenting a product idea. I went through loads and loads of scams, but absolutely loved the idea of being able to give my dad the gift of a patent to his very own invention. 

Throughout my extensive searching, I found 2 Innovative.net who, to my surprise, has been working with inventors for over 20 years and they had a whole impressive list of the many things they help you with, including invention development, patenting, patent searches, patent applications and patent pending, licensing negotiations , prototyping, manufacturing, publicity and marketing among many other things involved in the tedious process of inventions. 

 

Compared to the dozens of other invention "services" I'd looked into, 2 Innovative.net seems to offer far more services. Since they not only help with the patenting and other first steps necessary, but they also help all the way up to the marketing process and even idea development, these folks seemed to me the perfect option.

 

I feel like I might be able to give a pretty extravagant gift to my dad without having to worry about his ideas and inventions not being taken seriously. I feel like 2Innovative.net will walk him through the process without leaving him hanging, or pulling a scam. It also helps to know they have 20 years of experience. 

 

So far, this will have been the best gift idea I've yet to come up with! 

 

2.  A Goat & 2 Chickens.

No, that's not a joke or a metaphor. 

 

It's literal. You can actually give a goat and 2 chickens as a gift. 

 

In fact, you can purchase virtually any farm animal, including a cow for $650. 

The kicker, or what makes this "gift" unique is how it works: you actually pay $100 for the goat & chickens and they go to a family in need. This is one of those charity gifts where you spend the money on charity and the loved on who was going to be the recipient of your gift gets honored by the charity. Sometimes you get a photo of the person/family who received the gift you purchased in the name of your loved one, other times you just get a certificate. Either way, charity options can allow you to really get creative while also giving to those in need, all in the name of someone you love! 

This would be a nice, heart-warming gift to the big hearted person in your life who's always wanting to help others in need.

If I were going to give a gift like this, I would include it as a "side" gift, not the only gift. I'd probably like to be sure I included a special, sentimental gift just for the recipient too, and let the charity gift be like an appetizer, a side dish.

3. A Telescope or Microscope

 

If like me, you have someone on your "to-get-for list" who aspires to be a scientist, or just loves to study the stars, moon, I can't begin to tell you how perfect of a gift a telescope makes. That is what I got for my love last year for Christmas, a telescope. I searched high and low, read everything I could on the subject of what makes a telescope "good."  I ended up being able to get him the telescope that had the best ratings of all of them, and I had no idea how many awesome sights (and nights!) that gift would provide the both of us. 

 

In fact, I never had a use in a telescope. Didn't think I'd care to look at the moon or stars up close. I've been looking at them from this far away for all my life, so why would they be any more interesting up close? That's what I thought until I got behind the lens. 

 

Turned out we both have had amazing moments with his telescope, and it's one of the best gifts I've ever given him. 

 

I, on the other hand, have had a little interest in using a microscope for a long time now. It's not a must-have and I'm certainly no scientist, but there have been several times that I've caught myself saying "man, I wish I could look at this through a microscope!" 

 

I actually saw a kit that came with both a telescope and microscope tonight while out doing some last-minute Christmas shopping and thought how perfect that would be for someone who was interested in both! 

What are the best, or most unique gifts you have ever given or received?

The Healthy Way to Satisfy Your Chocolate Addiction - Sweet Raw Cacao Chocolate Nibs

As someone who probably qualifies as a chocolate addict, I was thrilled to find a healthy alternative to my insane Kit-Kat and Hershey cravings. Navitas Naturals' Sweet Raw Cacao Chocolate Nibs sounded like the perfect way to cut back on some of that processed chocolate and consume something on a healthier scale.

The Outcome: These soft little nuggets are nice midnight snacks. A handful of these often satisfy my intense chocolate cravings. Every once in a while, I just can't resist the occasional Kit-Kat, Hershey bar, or Reese's Cup. However, these little nibs make it easier to forego the processed chocolate for longer periods of time. Making use of natural, healthier alternatives, like these Cacao Nibs has made it possible for me to cut back on the sweets and chocolate I was consuming. 
 
 What are they? 

The Cacao Sweet Nibs are made from pure cacao beans that come from the tropical cacao fruit. The beans have been crumbled, rolled in raw cacao liquor, and lightly sweetened with organic cane juice. 

Taste:  In short, the nibs are a lot like chocolate covered coffee beans. They're semi-sweet with a unique, robust flavor that differs from the processed, sugary chocolate you get in a convenient store check-out line. They remind me of chocolate covered raisins until the dark chocolately dipping melts away, exposing a center that's less sweet and has the texture of crushed coffee beans. Once you start chewing the beans, that's when the robust, slightly bitter flavor appears. The flavor of the beans remind me of the taste of Jack Daniels Whiskey, although nobody else who tried them agreed with me (two other people.) On the other hand, all three of us found them to taste similar to chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered coffee beans, so that's probably along the lines of what someone could expect if they've never tried these.

Although the Sweet Nibs are great as a snack on their own, you can get creative and add them to smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream, granola, trail mix, cereal, yogurt, coffee, cookies, etc.

                                                How Cacao Nibs Are "Processed"

Organic farmers in Peru hand-select the cacao beans out of the tropical fruit, then they're washed with purified water. After washing, they are partially fermented to remove some of the bitterness, then they go for low temperature processing, where the nutrition within the beans isn't fully destroyed.

Pro's:

•  Raw.
• Vegan.
• Non GMO product verified.
• USDA Certified organic.

• Made by family-owned green business.

• The only ingredients are certified organic cacao nibs, certified organic cane juice, and certified organic liquor.

Health Benefits of Raw Cacao

• Natural, rich supply of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, theobromine, and flavanols. Antioxidants help boost the immune system and protect against disease by fighting off free-radicals. An added benefit is that Theobromine is a cognitive enhancer and it kills streptococci mutans -- one of the strains of bacteria that cause tooth decay. Cacao has more antioxidants than green tea or wine.

• High source of magnesium. 

I've got a great fabric store to share with you: http://www.jandofabrics.com/

Hay my precious sparklies, I have a wonderful site to share with you my sewing ladies out there are going to love this one...

 http://www.jandofabrics.com/ I just recently was told about the site so I visited them myself. I really love the wide variety of fabric they offer and the customer service department are so kind & they get back to you quickly, always a plus.

 I found some beautiful fabric on their site. I had to pull out my notepad and make a 'purchase list.' & to think I almost wasted my money on the plain, small variety at wal-mart! I'm so glad that I visited J & O fabrics before doing that. I just thought I'd share the link with you lovelies. I hope you take a minute & stop by!

 We have a little project going on right now & I'll be using J & O fabric. I'll be sure to post pics of the finished pieces! Now, while you're waiting for those photos you can go check out their online store: http://www.jandofabrics.com/

 I'd love to know the ideas for projects you ladies (or men) come up with after visiting their site!