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For the weekends in November leading up to Black Friday, such stores like Sears and Walmart are offering pre-Black Friday sales.

So, what are this year’s big sales?

Sears

They’ve taken off about $500 for a new big HD TV – although, it’ll still cost you $900.

Also now’s the time to buy a Kenmore Stand Mixer, on sale now for $175.

Walmart

HP Notebook Computer are on sale for $300.

HD Televisions – ranging between $450-$900 depending on size.

Another bonus to shopping at Walmart this month is their deal on turkeys. You can buy a 12-pound turkey for less than 5 bucks!

If you want to avoid the crowds, you’re in luck. Amazon has also begun its holiday sales early. They have lots of deals on electronic items, like TVs and X-Boxes.

But if you’re willing to wait until the official Black Friday, there will of course be other deals you can snatch up (if you’re quick enough). For example, Kmart will be selling TomTom GPS for $80 (one of the hottest gifts last Christmas). 

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So, what are you waiting for? Get your holiday shopping done early for once in your life! And while you’re at it, feel good in knowing that you’re helping our economy – sort of an early Christmas present for America!

By: wallyir

It’s bad enough tracking your wife down in a women’s department store at the mall, carefully avoiding the plus-size section so as not to give the impression that you’re actually shopping for yourself. Therefore,  finding her in a panty and bra store presents all kinds of additional logistical problems.

By: wallyir

Yes, by most individuals a panty and bra store is known as a women’s lingerie store, but it’s decorated like Hugh Hefner’s motorcycle room. Part of you wants to just find your wife and leave, but another part wants to appreciate the fabulous talent on display. Let me guess which part will win out.

So you want to get some quality time in this  lingerie store, but you’d rather not get maced or slapped upside of the head. Here are a few simple suggestions to help you enjoy the scenery.

By: wallyir

Do…

… actually walk into the store. Try to avoid standing out front, fogging up the window display with your nose pressed against the glass.

… pretend to look around for your wife as soon as you walk in, bringing your left hand to your face to flash your wedding band. This will emit matrimonial vibes to the other shoppers and give you ample opportunity to check out the giant posters that adorn the walls.

… ask a salesperson if your wife is in a dressing room, rather than squatting down in front of each door to see if you can recognize her by her naked ankles.

… sit perfectly still in the chair by the dressing room and wait for your wife to emerge. Keep your glance downward and your hands a safe distance from your lap.

By: wallyir

Don’t…

… touch, fondle, sniff  or. … giggle like a schoolgirl.

… use the word “panty” under any circumstances.

… ask if they sell anything edible.

By: wallyir

By following these simple suggestions will ensure you qualify as the perfect husband.

Happy Holiday Shopping!  

If you’re spending that much money, and they can easily run into hundreds of pounds, you want to make sure that you’re getting a coat that will keep you warm and last more than 6 months. So here are my top tips for buying a new winter coat.

BEFORE YOU SHOP

• What’s your budget? This might be an investment, but it’s worth spending as much as you can manage to get something good. If you only have £30 then you can get a coat, but it’s probably not going to last long or be as warm.
• What’s your style? Those double breasted military coats might look sexy on the catwalk, but if you’re a jeans and trainers type of gal then they’re not really going to suit your style. Before you go shopping consider whether you’re looking for a work coat or an every day coat, one to wear to college where you always wear jeans and trainers, or one to wear over your cocktail dress as you hop from Pub to club.
• What’s your body shape? Don’t just wear whatever’s trendy that season, think about what suits YOU. Hourglass shapes need nipped in waists and single breasted styles, skinny girls with small busts look good in tailored double breasted numbers, if you’re short steer clear of anything too long or shapeless.

Once you’ve answered these questions you’ll know what shops you can try and won’t waste time wandering round Karen Millen looking for a casual winter coat in the £40-£50 range or in Primark for a tailored classic wool coat in the £200 – £300 range.

WHILE SHOPPING

• Stay Focused. If you’ve decided you’re looking for something classic and stylish then don’t let that Fuchsia pink brocade number with bell sleeves turn your head, it will be a waste of your hard earned money.
• Dress normally. There’s no point trying on coats over a T Shirt if you normally dress in a chunky jumper. Equally wearing a chunky jumper when you’re normally a skinny rib girl can mean you end up with an ill fitting and unsuitable piece of outerwear
• Check the details. Again, the pretty colours and funky details are head turners, but is the coat going to be warm? Is it lined? What is it made of? Feel the quality of the fabric and check the stitching before you hand over your money. Think about whether you want inside pockets? Will those lapels end up getting caught on your shoulder bag and pinging buttons all over the supermarket?

AFTER SHOPPING

• Look after your investment. If you’ve just spent the price of short break in Venice on a piece of clothing you don’t want to ruin it in half an hour by screwing it up under your desk at work, spilling wine over it in nightclubs or stretching the it out of shape on a hook. Take a hanger into work, check it into the cloakroom and get it dry cleaned when the sun starts to come out so that next year it doesn’t look, and smell, like a dog blanket.

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Hello Ladies, my name is Mary and I’m here to show you how to make money in the stock market.  Believe it or not, you can realistically make $50 to $750 (or more) a day trading stocks online.  I’ll take you step by step so you can begin making money now.

First, you’ll need to open an online trading account.  There are several online brokers, so just choose one and sign up.  Personally, I like etrade.com and sharebuilder.com.  They offer great flexibility and stock trades are less than $10 each. 

Once you’ve set up your online account, you’ll need to fund it.  A good starting point is $1000.  If you can’t afford that much, try $500.  Anything less will make it difficult to buy large quantities of stock.  Side Note Lesson:  The more shares you have of one stock, the more money you can make. 

Now that you have your online trading account set-up and funded, you’ll need to check the market.  If the DOW, NASDAQ, and S&P are all up, then you might want to sit out and just observe.  Rally days are good, but only when you have money in the market.  Rally days are days you want to sell, not when you want to buy.  If you really want to get a good idea of how the stock market works, take a week or two and just watch.  Check the DOW, NASDAQ, and S&P every few hours.  When the market is doing down, it’s called a pull-back.  Perhaps it’s on some economic news that’s unfavorable, or investors are taking profits from large gains the prior day.  Either way, pull-backs can be good.  These are the days you want to buy.  Rally days, as explained above, are days when people are buying.  A rally could be based on some excellent economic data or something different all together. 

So let’s review the first three steps.  First, set up your online trading account.  Second, fund your account.  Third, observe the market for a week or two and get a good idea of how it moves up and down on a daily basis. 

* Please note, you do not have to watch the market for a few weeks.  It’s just suggestion for you to get an understanding of how it fluctuates.  You can start buying stocks once your online trading account is funded.

Now that you’ve got a good idea of how the market works, let’s start making money.  Your best bet is to find stocks that are less than $3 a share and fluctuate between .15 cents to .30 cents a day.  Here are a few I like, Pier One Imports (Stock Symbol: PIR), Reddy Ice (Stock Symbol: FRZ), and Jones Soda Company (Stock Symbol: JSDA).  Your online broker has tools where you can look up stocks.  Again, try to find stocks that are less than $3 a share and are somewhat volatile day to day.

Now that you’ve chosen a stock, let’s buy it.  I will buy 500 shares of Pier One Imports.  Today, it’s trading at $2 a share.  The total cost for the trade is as follows:  Buy 500 shares @ $2 share = $1,000 + $9.95/trade = $1,009.95 total.  When you place your order, place a “LIMIT” order.  “LIMIT” order let you choose the price where you want to buy or sell.  This gives you complete control over the market.  “MARKET” orders, let the market dictate the price where you buy or sell.  I love “LIMIT” orders, they are your friend.

Now that you’ve placed your order, wait a day.  The next day, place a “LIMIT” sell order for your 500 shares of Pier One Imports at $2.50:  Sell 500 shares @ $2.50 share = $1,250 – $9.95/trade = $1,240.05.  Here’s what happened.  You bought 500 shares of PIR for $1,009.95, then sold 500 share of PIR at $1,240.05 = $230.10 profit in one day.  This is a hypothetical scenario, but one that you could do realistically two or three times a week.

To recap lesson one:  Set up your online trading account, fund your account, observe the market, place “LIMIT” buy order, place “LIMIT” sell order, and make profit.  The best of luck.

The Koffski Wallet and Shoulder Holster

If your man has deep-seated fantasies of becoming a secret agent, here is something that will make him feel like he’s on top of his spy-game.  It looks like a shoulder-holster for firearms, but it’s really a holster for credit cards and keys.  The Koffski Wallet and Shoulder Holster combined are roomy enough to carry all of his essentials (wallet, phone and keys) in a new cool way.

Find the Koffski Wallet and Shoulder Holster Here

The Personal Soundtrack Shirt

We’ve all had moments when we walk out of a movie or concert and wish that we could have a soundtrack for our lives.  Gift your guy the gift of sound with this amazing t-shirt.  There is a speaker in the center of the T’s graphics that actually works and plays up to 20 programmable sound-bits via a battery-operated remote.

Find the Personal Soundtrack Shirt Here

The Krupps Beertender

Men like beer and every man wishes he could keep a keg of his favorite brew on tap.  This handy countertop beer dispenser allows you to give him the gift of his own draught experience – without breaking the bank or having to dismantle your kitchen.  This handy mini-keg dispenser keeps beer at the correct temperature for optimum taste. The Krupps Beertender is designed to work exclusively with the Heineken DraghtKeg, so if that’s his favorite brew then this is the gadget for him.

Find the Krupps Beertender Here

The Personalized Grill Grate

If your man enjoys going outside to grill a few steaks, ribs and kabobs during his weekends, give him something awesome to grill on.  YM Custom Grates can create a grill with his name, monogram, favorite team or custom design.  The great thing is that even if you can’t afford a fancy gas grill, you can still get him a custom grate he’ll love since YM is able to customize grates for round charcoal grills as well!

Find your custom grate Here

Custom Skins for His Favorite Electronics

If you have a guy who spends a lot of time playing or working with his electronic devices, consider designing him a custom skin for his favorite gadget.  Unique Skins allows you to manipulate a variety of backgrounds, add your own text, and download your photos to create a skin that will make his laptop, cell phone or gaming console distinctively his.

Find custom skins Here

The Airsoft Remote Controlled Battle Tank

The Airsoft Battle Tank is the perfect gift for any man who likes remotes, projectiles and camouflage.  While your man sits in the comfort of his patio chair, he can drive this 1/16th scale tank through the yard and shoot plastic Airsoft pellets at anyone trying to take over the neighborhood.  Be sure to read up on the features before you buy though so that you can be sure to get one with a rotating turret, multi-directional driving and a multi-frequency remote control so that he can battle with his friends.

Find Airsoft Tanks Here

The RoboMower RL1000

Men have been waiting for this gadget ever since the first lawn-seed was invented.  This amazing contraption is a lawn mower that your man can program to automatically mow the lawn once a week.  It remembers the instructions and routinely starts itself up, so he won’t even have to remember to turn it on! It includes an anti-theft device so your neighbors can’t steal it, adjustable cutting blades, a mulching system and it can mow a yard up to a 1 acre in size.  The really great thing is, this mower has sensors on the bumpers so it won’t escape your yard or damage your shrubs (unlike your man).

Find the RoboMower Here

Noise Canceling Headphones

I don’t know if your guy is anything like my husband, but I know that all he wants is some piece and quiet.  It’s not that men don’t love us women, but sometimes we are just too noisy at the end of a long day.  Maybe your guy just wants to sit back and read a book without the distractions of boisterous kids and the sound of you chattering away to your mother on the phone.  As simple as a little quiet may seem, it is something that many men (and women) are lacking.  These headphones don’t just make music that only the listener can hear, they also control the amount of ambient noise that actually reaches his ears, allowing him to sit back and enjoy the quiet whenever he needs it.

Find Noise Canceling Headphones Here

Wallet-sized Digital Photo Album

If your guy is one who loves to show off photos of his new gadgets, family and recent accomplishments to all of his friends then replace the plastic fold-out photo-holder in his wallet with this pocket-sized digital album.  The 1GB flash memory hidden within the leather cover holds up to 400 photos, MP3 and WMA files so he can look through photos and keep his favorite tunes with him wherever he goes.

Find the Wallet-sized Digital Photo Album Here

And coming soon to a dealer near you… The Persu Hybrid

Formerly known as the Venture One, the Persu Hybrid is the one Electric Hybrid that you will be able to convince your man to drive.  It looks cool, goes 0 to 60 MPH in approximately 6 seconds, and is a beautiful vehicle to look at.  Unfortunately, the Persu is not available for sale yet, but is predicted to be available to the masses sometime later this year.  Although a price has not yet been set for this vehicle, the 75 MPG fuel economy will automatically make this a sound and resource-minded purchase.  Plus, all of his friends will be really jealous.

Find more information on the Persu Here

Regardless of what kind of gift you are looking to give the man in your life, as long as you keep his interests in mind instead of your own, you will be on the right track.  Luckily for us, men are pretty easy to figure out and as long as you aren’t afraid to think outside the “Candy, Card and Coffee Mug” box you will be able to surprise him with a gift that he will love.  Give him something original and from the heart and you will create a memory that he will keep for a lifetime.

Read More From Denise Kawaii:

A Winter Wonderland, or is it?
What To Do When You Are Being Downsized

1. Locally made arts and crafts.

   Purchasing locally made products, not only is environmentally friendly, it is also socially and economically friendly. It reduces environmental impact from transportation of goods, while at the same time, boosting the local economy.

2. Antiques.

   Antiques by there very nature are environmentally friendly because they have already been produced and would otherwise be discarded. Some antiques will increase in value over the years, thus your gift will grow in monetary value, assuming you do not mind them selling it down the road. 

3. Out of Print books.

   You might be concerned about giving a used book as a gift, however, for the right person, an “out of print book” which can no longer be purchased new, can be a real treasure. First editions are valued by collectors. 

4. Vintage clothing and jewelry.

   Like the above, this can only be given to the right person, somebody who appreciates things on a different level. Vintage clothing and jewelry come from a time when products were not mass produced and great care was taken in their creation. 

5. Locally made staples, such as jams and jellies.

   Fruit baskets from locally grown sources, assuming you live in the right climate for such, make terrific gifts too. As with locally made arts and crafts, transportation impact is greatly reduced. Plus you can get some very unique items this way. 

6. Rechargeable batteries, and recharger.

   Most households consume batteries, then discard them in the landfill. Although rechargeable batteries do end up in landfills as well, their lifespan is longer, thus reducing this impact. As an added note, if you give a battery charger, make sure you give the right kind of batteries too. 

7. Rainforest-grown coffee or nuts.

   Although there is some concern about transportation impact, the benefits are that the rain forest needs to be kept intact so that these products may be harvested. After all, the rain forests are the lungs of the earth. 

8. “Fair Trade Products”.

   If you are not familiar with this term, it refers to products made by indigenous peoples in other countries, often using sustainably harvested goods. Ideally, by providing these people with an income, they do not have to resort to clear cutting the forests to sell wood or poaching animals for income. 

9. Gift Certificates for garden centers.

   Planting a tree, or any thing may not be possible at Christmas time, especially if you live in the north. So this is a great idea for them go rush out and plant a tree in the spring. To be even more green, you can specify that the gift certificate is for a “fruit tree” of their choice. 

10. Live indoor plants for the home.

    
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    One interesting suggestion would be an indoor orange or small banana tree. Any house plant is good, they add color and help purify the air.

11. “Green products” like solar lights and energy efficient light bulbs.

    Okay it might be odd to give somebody a light bulb as a gift, but if you do this right, as part of a gift basket, then it will be welcomed by the recipient who is looking to green up their home. There are also portable solar panels to be used with rechargeable power tools.

12. Beeswax candles, and homemade, all natural, soaps.

    Even soy candles are a step up from the regular paraffin candle. Many times as well you can buy these from local flea markets or farmers markets and craft sales. Look for ones that contain natural ingredients only.

13. Donations to “Earth Friendly” causes.

    Some people might be offended by this gift, but others will enjoy having a “tree planted in their name”, for example. Look around and see what is available in your area. Even a donation to a local charity may be considered more green than giving a person a product they do not want. When giving this type of gift, you may want to provide a token gift too, or a certificate for a dinner.

14. Have a star named after the person.

    Like with the donation suggestion above, you may want to provide a token gift when giving this type of present.

15. “Adopt” a zoo animal in their name.

    
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    Not available everywhere, but for a concerned animal lover, this is a great idea. Again the token gift, of something they like, can accompany the card (printed on recycled paper of course).

Bold and chunky

Necklaces take on a life of their own with bold, chunky beads with tons of personality. These necklaces look best with simpler clothing that doesn’t steal their thunder. Slip on a long fitted, knit sweater and pair of trendy wide legged pants with boots and wrap it all together with a chunky, beaded necklace. Keep the earrings simple. With a statement making pieces, there’s such a thing as jewelry overkill.

Pearls, pearls, pearls

Yes, pearls are big news for fall and winter 2008-2009 but these pearl strands are anything but demure. The simple, single strand pearl necklace may not make the fashion cut this year. Instead, envision draping yourself in ropes of pearls that hang down to your waist. This is a bold look that works best when other accessories are kept to a minimum. Surprisingly, some fashion sites are even showing pearls for men this year ranging from black pearls to creamy shades. Who would have thought?

Layers of metal chains

This look will be hot well into the spring of 2009. Look for multiple strands of thin chains intertwined into one necklace, often incorporating beads and charms to give an offbeat, eclectic look. Chains in multiple metals from silver to copper adorn eye catching necklaces designed to play up the contrasting softness of warm winter sweaters. Layering is key and if you don’t want to spend money on a new necklace, look through your jewelry box for interesting chains and create your own customized, layered look. You’ll be right in style.

Bib necklaces

You’ve probably seen this necklace trend worn by celebrities at special events. Cascades of stones or beads hang down in long chains form a central strand creating various cascading designs that resemble a waterfall. Frequently worn in the evening, these necklaces make quite a statement when worn in crystal, pearl, or rhinestone. You can find some gorgeous vintage bib necklaces made of various stones at vintage clothing and estate jewelry stores. If you want to make a strong, but elegant, statement for evening, the bib necklace will do it.

With necklaces this elaborate, there’s no need to pile on the other jewelry. Let a signature necklace carry your look this fall and you’ll be right in step with the fashion trend.

If you’re a man (especially a dad or granddad) then you probably get a fair few pairs of these every year. These can range from O.K. ordinary plain black or navy blue in 100% wool or cotton, to horrible man-made fabric pairs with nasty-looking Christmas snowflakes or pictures of Homer Simpson printed on them.

2. Gloves

The female equivalent of number 1. If you’re a mum or grandma then you can expect to receive at least one pair of these every Christmas. Again, the quality of these can vary enormously from good quality leather or sheepskin (which are, to be fair, useful) to hopeless (and extremely useless at keeping out the cold) pairs in bright red acrylic or vinyl.

3. Gift set of cosmetics or toiletries

Nothing says the person hasn’t bothered more than when you unwrap your gift and find one of those sets that cosmetic/toiletry manufacturers make every year especially for the Christmas market. If you’re a man, it’ll probably contain soap, aftershave, shower gel and maybe some masculine sounding moisturiser. If you’re a woman, it’ll contain bath oil or salts, perfume, some body lotion and (bizarrely) a scented candle.

4. A CD or DVD of seasonal songs/carols

Sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it? The person receiving it will open it on Christmas morning, load it into their machine and immediately invigorate their home with a happy and warm seasonal atmosphere. Not. Unfortunately, what will really happen is they’ll open it and put it with the other 20 they’ve received over the last few years and make (another) mental note to either take them to the charity shop or put them in a garage sale. Everyone has already been bombarded with these songs every time they’ve stepped into a shop during the run up to Christmas (which starts in August). They want to be spared them on Christmas day.

5. Bottle of port/liquor/champagne

When all else fails, give a bottle of something alcoholic. Well, it’s OK but it hardly shows much thought does it? Generally, on the run up to Christmas, most people have already ensured that their drinks cabinets are full to bursting so they don’t really need anymore. Also, when they’re opening their gifts of Christmas morning, the chances are they’ll be badly hungover, so a bottle of alcohol will be the last thing they want to see.

6. Tin of biscuits

Along with buying far too much alcohol, as mentioned in number 5, most people will have bought enough food to last 12 months, never mind the 12 days of Christmas. So, the last thing they want is even more food – and food loaded with sugar and chocolate too. Also, like number 3, the tin of biscuits has been put together for you by a company, so smacks of little effort by the giver. The manufacturer may have even stuck a vaguely seasonal image on the tin’s lid, which adds to the general feeling of lack of care.

7. ‘Comedy’ mug

These are given in their thousands, maybe millions, every year. Many will have some of the old, old comedy lines on them, such as the hilarious ‘I’m no mug’ or ‘It may look like coffee but its neat bourbon’. Hmm. Otherwise, they might have whatever character is currently ‘in’ stuck on the side (The Joker, The Hulk etc. etc.). If you’re really unlucky, they might play a little tune when you pick them up or even say something. Once again, seasonally themed ones add to the over all ‘no effort’ status of this gift.

8. Gift Token/Certificate

This could possibly be the worst of all gifts because it clearly shows that you haven’t even tried to find something, however unsuitable or tasteless, in the store. The giver has just walked up to the cash register and pulled out their money or credit card. OK, the receiver does have the opportunity of going out to buy their own gift but what if the store the token has been bought from is totally unsuitable? No wonder then, that in a recent British survey, it was shown that almost 25% of these gift tokens are never redeemed.

9. Scarves/Ties

These are a more general version of number 1 and 2. Scarves for women and ties for men. Whereas number 1 or 2 are usually given to a close relative, scarves and ties are usually reserved for distant relatives, neighbours or work colleagues. Why is this? What makes a tie more general than a pair of socks? Anyway, just like their sock and glove relatives, these can vary enormously from the passable i.e. a silk tie or a cashmere scarf (if you’re infinitely lucky) to the absolutely awful. I’m not sure who does worse here: the woman who receives a cheap scarf that will ‘bobble’ after a day’s wear or the man who has to suffer the hideous ‘comedy’ tie that is dangerously flammable.

10. A calendar for next year

Well, Christmas is over, swiftly followed by New Year. Time to put up at least one of the six calendars you received as presents. So, you hang one in the kitchen, one in the garage, one in the office, one in the conservatory, one in the – wait! That’s enough calendars! How many pictures of kittens, rainforests of the world, classic sports cars and capital cities by night do you really want to look at? Also, the horrible nature of the pictures aside, who really uses calendars these days? Don’t our phones, organisers, computers and diaries have then built in???

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy your Christmas shopping.

Tip: Use 100% Pure Acetone (yes, nail polish remover) to loosen your unit and to remove any adhesive, both on your unit and yourself, for fast clean-ups. It’s also great to freshen-up your wig cap. (Also, use Claudio St. James menthol spritz to keep your hair and scalp fresh!)

Experience has allowed me to share the sexy secrets I had to learn the hard way!

My bit on hair textures

Have you seen bad textured hair in a weave? It looks horrid, jacked up in the back, with crazy edges that won’t lay down! Then you notice another weave but this one is long sexy silky. It waves when walking and has everyone quaking in its path!

This is the difference between cuticle hair and Remy hair, regardless of whose head it comes off of. Cuticle hair is by far the best, softest, resilient, natural looking, and well-behaved hair I’ve ever worn! It’s shiny, even textured, bouncy and has body that continues throughout the life of the wig.

Most Remy hair wigs/weaves look great at first. They have body and bounce and are well behaved initially, but with wear, it looses it look. It becomes harder to manage. Those cute layers you got it cut into start “hiking up” in the back! Just as you’re about to scream and toss it but realize-I paid too much money for this wig!

The best way is buy a wig from a local wig maker. Develop a rapport with them, they are responsible for your beauty investment.

Lace color

If at all possible met your wig maker and hold the various colors of lace available up to your hand. This is the best method of ensuring an exact make with your skin tone. The next best solution.

Worst case scenario: When in doubt get a shade lighter than you suspect is your own and you can add makeup (liquid or powder) around the front edge AFTER application.

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My mom bought these steps for her elderly dog when he just couldn’t make it up to the bed anymore. So, it would be a great gift if your dog is aging or has arthritis. This would still be a great gift for young dogs too. A dogs toenails can damage and cause runs in linens when they jump from the floor to bed.

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If you don’t let your dog sleep in the bed with you, then this would make a great gift. My dog loves to drag his bed all over my house and disassemble it. This sturdy iron frame bed will put a stop to that and give your dog a luxury pad to call home.

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Small dog breeds are prone to getting chilly. If your dog gets cold, a dog themed blanket could make a great gift. It can also prolong the life of any of his favorite furniture spots. Just throw the blanket where the dogs favorite spot is and it will protect the underlying fabric from hair and toenails.

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I thought this was cute. It is a Christmas tree charm for a dog collar. I have seen them in the mall around Christmas time. Some are made of metal and can be engraved with any message or name. I figured they would be pretty expensive, but it didn’t cost anymore than an engraved tree ornament.

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Kill two birds with one stone. Collars wear out so quickly on an active dog. So, you will have to buy a collar anyway. Just wrap it up and let it be Christmas.

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There are a lot of options out there when it comes to self watering bowls. This one is too cute, but maybe a little impractical for a small home. You can find a compact self watering bowl that uses a two litter bottle… instead of the big jug pictured above.

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Have you ever seen dog long johns? I have bought several pairs of these and I will warn you that you need to make sure it comes with a “trap door.” The first pair that I bought was homemade from a flee market. I never noticed that they didn’t have a retractable “trap door” for potty time.

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Dog lovers cant seem to resist this one. If you want to keep your dog in style, then go with the whole outfit. You can find scarves, hats, boots, and sweaters at pretty much any local pet supply store.

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When you buy treats in bulk, it’s always a task to figure out what to do with all of them. This cute jar solves the storage problem and my pooch always knows when its time for a treat. When the lid opens, it barks “yummmmmm” and then “trrrrrrrrreat.”

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I have never seen a cat hammock before, but it looks interesting. Cats like to be off the ground, but I am not sure if they would like a hammocks instability. If anyone has used this or has any details about it, please add them in the comment section.

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A cat box is a must for an inside cat. I love the hidden cat box idea. I am always struggling to find a spot that the cat can get to, is not near any thing that it would contaminate, and is still out of sight. The second cat box is a stylish version for all those chic cat owners.

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This beaded cat collar, complete with jingle bell, will make a great gift. However, if any of you have priced these at flee markets or on the internet, then you know they can run $50.00-$80.00. No worries, though. Here is a link that shows you how to make it yourself. The collar will just be even more special with the love and labor you put in to it (not to mention the saved money.) Beaded Kitty Necklaces

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What cat doesn’t love a good toy? This toy is simply awesome. The rope center serves as a cat scratch- that will preserve your furniture. The outside ring is depressed and has a semi fixed ball. The ball can not be taken out, but is free to spin around the circle.

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This is such a cute bowl for a cat. It is shaped like a fish and is made of heavy ceramic. Cats love to paw at stuff. Food bowls are not an exception. Nothing is worse than getting tuna cat food in the grout of a ceramic floor. The heavy weight of the ceramic and odd shape makes it difficult for the cat to turn it over.

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Just like with the dog treats, it is often hard to find a place to store cat treats. My cat treat jug says a loud “meoooooooow,” when I open the lid.