You've finished shopping. You've wrapped the presents. Now, all that's left is to wait and see what you get for Christmas. If you gift-opening leaves you unfulfilled, perhaps you'll find something on our list that brings a smile to your face.
Lovage's "Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By" -- While this collection of songs is not my typical fare, I'm nothing if not eclectic and I'm all for suggestions about what music I should be listening to. I was steered in the direction of this band only recently, but the initial impression was, well, impressive. I'm generally neutral toward the trip hop sound, but Lovage has more of a defined, purposeful style (even if they aren't taking themselves completely seriously). The CD's not in print anymore, but you can still find copies online, or watch their videos via YouTube if you're not feeling committal. As a sub-recommendation, seek out "Book of the Month" if you only have the patience for one song. At the very least, it'll help you wind down from the holiday craze. -- Renee Lorenz
A good year-ending cleaning out of the closets and donation to Goodwill -- Get through Christmas, and then budget a good 4-5 hours to clean, clean, clean! By cleaning your closets and garages, you get more than a write-off. When you donate to Goodwill, they use the revenue from your donations for its job training programs, employment placement series and other community-based programs for people with disabilities, those who lack education and work experience and others facing challenges to finding employment. And, 92 cents out of every dollar Goodwill receives goes back toward programs and services. So, clean out your stuff and help others. Nice way to end the year. -- Jeff Sherman
"Mary and Max" -- 'Tis the season for classic claymation television shows, but I rang it in with a claymated full feature from 2007 called "Mary and Max." The film revolves around two unlikely pen pals: a lonely 8-year-old girl living in Melbourne and an obese, 40-year-old autistic man living in New York. It’s super dark and yet extremely meaningful and touching, especially the commentary it makes on friendship. Creator Adam Elliot describes this film as a "clayography" because so much of the content is drawn from his own childhood. Once again, we’re reminded that being a kid ain’t all Pop Rocks and puppy dogs. -- Molly Snyder
Method Antibac bathroom cleaner and hand sanitizer -- Method brand stuff always comes in distinctive packaging but best of all it's usually environmental friendly, so I'm a big fan of many of its products. The latest we've been using, in addition to great phosphorus-free dishwasher tablets and the sea minerals dish soap in a handy pump bottle -- are the blue hand sanitizer which is made from 98% natural formula that is biodegradable. And it comes in a 100% recycled plastic bottle. It kills 99.9% of germs and is also pleasantly scented and is bolstered with aloe so that your hands won't be completely dried out afterward. Meanwhile, the spearmint-scented bathroom cleaner is anticacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial and kills all the hippest and latest germs, including H1N1. The botanical formula is thyme-based, but don't use it to season your stews, please. -- Bobby Tanzilo
Motorola Roadster Bluetooth speaker -- Texting while driving is illegal and we all know it's just as dangerous ro use your phone when operating a car. There is a wide vareity of Bluetooth headsets on the market, but not everyone likes the feeling of having a speaker in their ear. The Motorola Roadster Bluetooth speaker is a great substitute, providing crisp and clear sound, the ability to listen to calls through you car's stereo and -- depending on your phone -- the ability to listen to and send text messgaes without the use of your hands. You can pick one up online for between $75 and $90, and it's worth the investment. -- Andrew Wagner
