The holidays are officially here and I’m a big fan of creating photo gifts for my parents and in-laws.  They love getting pictures of us, especially my 8 year old stepson, and I can do all the work from the comfort of my recliner and it ships directly to my house.

I’ve been making photo gifts for over 5 years now and here are my tips for making holiday photo gifts.  I’ve used Snapfish for years so my photo history is there and its the same service my friends use, so I can use their pictures as well.  Shutterfly is another great service and like Snapfish, is free to use.  There are many more sites you can use but I’m not going to list them all here.  Ask around and see what your friends use or try Snapfish or Shutterfly to get started.

1. Start uploading pictures early – Ideally, after you take the pictures you would move them from the camera and then upload them to your photo service.  That never happens for me so when I finally get around to downloading the 500+ photos I took on a recent trip to Charleston, SC I made sure to upload them to Snapfish once they were on my computer.  Being diligent about uploading your pictures to your preferred service makes it much easier to create your photo gifts later.
2. Get pictures from family & friends – I have a habit of taking pictures but never being in pictures.  I also don’t remember to bring my camera with me everywhere I go, so I rely on others to help me fill in the gaps.  I can pull pictures from my friends’ Facebook and Snapfish account and hopefully, fingers crossed, they will have a picture of my family and me I can use for the calendar I make for my mother-in-law.
3. Sign up for emails from your photo service – This time of year, you should never pay full price for photos or photo gifts.  I receive a new coupon code every couple of days from Snapfish and I bought 3 photo books for the price of 1 just last week.  I’m a girl on a budget and I will take all the deals I can get my hands on.  If you aren’t interested in receiving emails, just do a quick search for coupon codes for your photo service before you check out to get a coupon code.
4. Buy in bulk and start a tradition – Last year I made 1 book of all the pictures from the 3 sports my stepson played and ordered 3 copies, one for each in-law and one for my stepson.   Everyone loved it and I’m told my mother-in-law carried it around for weeks showing it off to her friends.  And my stepson loved seeing his pictures in a book that was made just for him.  I also give my mother-in-law a photo calendar every year.  She looks forward to receiving it, they use it throughout the year, and its an easy gift to make for her.
5. Start early – The hardest lesson for me to learn has been to start early.  I’ve always waited until the last minute and it adds more stress to an already stressful holiday season and then I cross my fingers and hope the gifts arrive on time.  There is no reason to stress myself out this way.  Its much easier to create a photo gift when you aren’t staying up late trying to get it ready in order to use a coupon or meet a shipping deadline.  I also use the Pomodoro Technique to break up the work into smaller time blocks.

I love having photos of my loved one out and I think photo gifts are more personal than a scarf or tie.  And since I’m terrible at printing and distributing photos the rest of the year, this makes up for it.  (I didn’t pass out the kindergarten pictures until halfway through 1st grade.)

Do you make photo gifts?  What service do you use?  What are your favorite photo gifts?  I really like picture books and stationary but I’m thinking about getting a few photo canvases.

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Yesterday was my birthday and I spent part of my day window shopping for some new tech gifts for myself.  Geeks are tough to buy for as we are pretty picky about what we want and we like instant gratification, so we usually buy it for ourselves when we want it.  I’ve started the Couch to 5K running program and I’ve had fitness on the brain, so most of what I’m looking for is fitness related.

Armband for my Droid X2

I use my iPod Touch most of the time and it has a nice case and armband but I don’t have either for my Droid X2.  I occasionally use the RunKeeper app on my Droid X2 to track my time and distance during my runs which wasn’t an issue until I fell down trying to handle my phone, dog, and new running program.  I skinned both my knees pretty badly, scratched up my phone case, and ever since then the back battery cover has been loose.  I plan on using my Droid X2 once I finish the program to track my progress, so I need an armband to keep my phone and, most importantly, my self safe.

Case for my Droid X2

Note to self: When you get a new phone, buy the case for it at the same time.  Do not fool yourself into thinking you will buy one later because later will come and you will be overwhelmed with all the different options available to you.

My husband and I have the same phone so having a case that is different from his would make it easier to see who the phone belongs to without having to turn it on and see the wallpaper.

New Earbuds

Right now I’m using the standard earbuds that came with my iPod Touch.  Not the worst but not the most comfortable either.  What do you use and recommend?  I want something more comfortable and in a price range where I can buy two (one for me and one for my stepson).  I know I don’t want noise canceling as I need to be able to hear what’s going on around me when I run.

Fitbit

The Fitbit is a device you wear that tracks the number of steps you take, stairs climbed, distance, calories burned, activity, and sleep patterns.  The device uploads your data to Fitbit.com where you can track your activity and patterns online.  You can also track your calories consumed on the size for the complete picture on what you are eating and expending.  The geek in me loves that this little gadget does so much and would give me the data I need to make healthy changes in my life.  However, the human side of me is a little afraid of this gadget as the numbers don’t lie and I what I think I’m doing may not align with what I’m actually doing.

iMac

Its my birthday and I can window shop for what I want, and I want an iMac.  I love my MacBook but I would love to have a larger monitor at home.  (I feel like I’m cheating on my MacBook by saying that!)  At work I have two monitors and its hard to come back from that.  I like being able to see things side by side and having a larger monitor will allow me to do that.  I also like the idea of having a desktop instead of a laptop as sometimes its easier to get things done when I’m in my home office rather than out with the family on my laptop.

Your Gift To Me

In case a new iMac, Fitbit, or cell phone accessories aren’t in your budget there is a gift you can give me that is 100% free.  If you haven’t already, sign up for our free email newsletter and receive an email whenever we publish a new post.  We only post once or twice a week, so we won’t flood your inbox and we would never share your email address with anyone.  If you already receive our emails, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.  Already doing all three?  Share our site with three friends you think would be interested.

What’s on your birthday wish list?

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Ok, Abby started this. Posting her personal geek wish list in this space. I’m not saying people shouldn’t get these things for her, but they’re obviously things suited for the geek-ette.  Computer Engineer Barbie – really?

It does, however, require that I respond with my take on this – because guys are different, despite any geeky similarities.

So what would I want under the tree, being, you know, a guy?

Online Shopping

I’m an Amazon fan (as has probably been noticed by a fair number of links on these pages), so to me there’s nothing more gratifying than being able to take stroll through the virtual store. I’ve never met a gift card I didn’t like, and Amazon Gift Cards are a great to shop for just about anything. Something that I already have, but would be a great thing for anyone who’s an “Amazon person”, is an Amazon Prime membership. If your geek shops there often, the free two-day shipping (which is quite often only one day, depending on where you live) is a great benefit. But that’s not all: Prime membership also offers access to online streaming movies (at no extra cost), a Kindle Lending Library and notification of Gold Box deals (which are really great deals). Like American Express, it pays to be a member.

Listening to Music

I do like my Audio Technica  headphones, but there’s one hangup with them: if I’m wearing my glasses, the over-the-ear style makes wearing both at the same time for an extended period a little uncomfortable. I’ve been eye-balling the Klipsch Noise-Isolating in-ear style – they’ve gotten great reviews from a variety of sources, so they might be worth the try. I’ve got a set of in-ear headphones that work pretty well, but they don’t mitigate as much outside noise as I would like and don’t have the iPod controls on them. I’m also a big believer of spending the extra cash for quality accessories – because I want them to last.

The only problem with headphones, though, is that falling asleep with them on is a little problematic. Rolling over will either drag my player off of my chest (where it’s usually parked) or the whole strangulation thing happens. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but I’m thinking about a new clock radio/docking port for the bedroom might be a better answer.

There are a number of models/options available – Philips, Altec Lansing, Sony (shown here). Since I’ve replaced my BlackBerry (for which I had a bedside dock/charging station) with an iPhone (no dock for it yet), I’d really like to have a better way to charge my phone while keeping it nearby.

I’m working on some new ways to enjoy my music at home already – and it’s really pretty cool how it works. Be sure to come back to the site, I’ll be writing about it in the coming weeks.

Something Completely Impractical

This is a guy thing. Some stuff is just simply for our entertainment and serves no real function or purpose. They’re just fun.

Last year, my charming and delightful wife (with the help of my then 5-year-old son) bestowed upon me a radio-controlled helicopter. I loved it, it was a blast until I wrecked it and broke a critical piece of the rotor assembly. So while I’d love to have another “flying thing”, the only problem with it is that it’s a one-person form of entertainment. Instead, I’m going for something that will be a little more interactive with the boy:

Yes, I realize that I’m putting my son at a disadvantage by arming myself with a fully automated Nerf gun (complete with three clips and 60 darts). He has Nerf weapons of his own, but not quite to this level of automation. I view it as one of life’s tough lessons that needs to be learned  – and some incentive for him to strive for bigger and better firepower of his own.

Oh, and I see no reason why something like this shouldn’t be used at work every now and then. Just sayin’.

So if you’re shopping for your “guy geek”, don’t forget to throw in something that has no basis in practical. Your geek will love you for it.

I wasn’t paid or perked to promote these products.  These are my opinions.

 

Buying presents for your favorite geek can be difficult.  Will they like it?  Is it what they wanted?  Holy crap, that thing costs how much?  In case you were wondering what you should buy for me this year, here are a few things I wouldn’t mind finding under the Christmas tree.

New Headphones

A nice pair of headphones does wonder for helping your favorite geek drown everything else and focus only on their work.  Its also a visual indicator to let others know that when the headphones are on that I’m busy and leave me alone.  My pick is the Audio Technica Noise Canceling Closed-Back Headphones.  Sam already has a pair and I made the mistake of borrowing his and I fell in love.  The noise canceling option is great for drowning out the ever-present office noise.

Vehicle Accessories

My husband and I recently purchased a minivan as our new family car.  We had a DVD player installed, because really, what’s the point of having a minivan if you don’t have all the accessories to go with it.  We spend a lot of time in the car traveling for work, sports, and to see family and its important to us to be comfortable and maximize every feature of our new vehicle.

With an Apple Composite AV Cable, I could play the videos I have already purchased for my stepson to watch on the iPad through the DVD player.  He has plenty of DVDs already but sometimes we let him pick out a new video from iTunes as a reward for a great week at school or if we have a long car ride in front of us.

Our minivan did not come with Bluetooth installed, so the Motorola Roadster would come in handy for hands free phone calls, reading and dictating text messages, and I can stream music from my phone through the stereo system.  To pair the device with my phone, I will need to download the MotoSpeak app and then I’m all set.  I would probably need to have two, one for my husband and I.

Droid X2 Dock

My cell phone pulls double duty by also being my alarm clock.  A dock would prop my phone up so I can see my alarm when its going off (or how much longer I can snooze for) and it will also charge the phone for me.

Laptop Bag

I’ve been using the free backpack I receive from a conference I attend every year and I’m ready for a change.  Its getting a little worn around the edges and its yellow and black and I’m tired of looking like I have a bumblebee strapped to my back.  I need it to be backpack style as that’s the only way I can carry everything with my pitiful lack of upper body strength and I need multiple compartments to store everything and keep me organized.  I also need padded straps and a padded back.  (I realize my requirements may sound a little diva-like, but for me, there’s nothing worse than using something every day that you hate.)  The SwissGear ScanSmart Laptop Backpack should do the trick and note the lack of bumblebee colors.

Tablet Accessories

I have an iPad 2 and Asus Transformer tablet.  I have a case for the iPad 2, but no case for the Asus Transformer which would be fine except my stepson and I have a tendency to drop things.  The VIPERTEK Multi-Angle Case would be perfect because it would protect all sides of the tablet and you can prop it up to a 45 or 90 degree angle.  It would also keep it protected in my new laptop bag.

Computer Engineer Barbie

I asked for Computer Engineer Barbie last year and am yet to receive her.  If another Christmas goes by without anyone buying her for me, I am going to have to buy her for myself.  She would look great in my office and she reminds me to encourage young women and girls that its okay to be interested in math, science, and technology.

I wasn’t paid or perked to promote these products.  These are my opinions.