Home for the Holidays

Bright Ideas From Seasoned Faves to New Additions

By Tracy Ellison

Make your home the epitome of all things wonderful and whimsical this holiday season. Present everyone in the family with great gift ideas both new – and old – that bring an element of surprise, give a nod to high tech and fill your home with pure joy.

Embrace the One and Only You

We all come in different shapes and sizes, so why not put your unique mug on your mug? In fact, get the whole family in on it with a personalized cast of characters to choose from, rendered from an artist’s hand to your specifications. Along with a first name on the mug front, and a family surname and year on the back, you can pick from a wide array of line-drawn people, from tiny tykes to runthe-gamut adults. Select hair color, skin tone and outfits. It’s a tongue-in-cheek gift for the entire family and a perfect way to toast the festivities – here’s to the joy of the holiday season! Uncommongoods. com, $30 and up.

Nostalgia Is the Name of the Game

The holidays are a great time to get back to family basics with an old-fashioned board game. Take your gaze away from your high-tech devices and look to family members for interactive fun while huddled around the table. Bring back the charm of nostalgic games revamped in themed versions or in special anniversary editions, including classics such as Scrabble®, Monopoly® and The Game of Life® – voted some of the best board games of all time. Or venture into new, exciting game territory with five-star top picks like Days of Wonder® Ticket To Ride, Carcassonne and 7 WondersTM. Play up your unplugged holiday this year, plan your next game day and get ready to roll with the home team. Most available on Amazon.com, $25 and up.

Scratch This Off Your Bucket List

Now is the time to get some classics under your belt. With so many movies ready to stream straight to your screen, take a cue from the 100 Movies Bucket List picks. Choose one of the iconic films of cinema, then scratch at the poster’s surface to reveal intriguing movie-related artwork underneath. It’s a great gift for the film buff who wants to take it from the top and not stop until they’re all watched. From legendary masterpieces to the best blockbusters of all time, give a die-hard movie fan this flicks list, turn down the lights and let the magic begin. Uncommongoods.com, $15.

Loud and Clear Projection

Create your own home theater anywhere with the small profile, state-of-the-art TOPVISION projector. Sync it to your smartphone, tablet, laptop and other household devices to cast crisp, bright images indoors or outside. Project movies, photos, games, exercise and music videos on your own “big screen” anywhere you have a blank wall that’s approximately 10 feet away from viewing. Fire up the popcorn, gather the family around and let the show begin – your home theater is open for business. It’s a perfect family gift at a surprisingly affordable price. Amazon.com, $79.99.

’Tis the season to inspire imaginations, introduce innovations and, most of all, have fun with the ones you love. With these gift-giving ideas, you can wrap the holiday festivities up with a neat little bow. Happy holidays!