Every year or so I compile a Christmas gift guide in one form or another.
Second Amendment Awesomeness
Top Gun Shooting Sports
Range time and/or membership
Full disclosure: Top Gun is one of my sponsors and my preferred range. It’s the largest range in the area and I love going here because the wait doesn’t take for forever, the staff is knowledgeable and helpful, and it’s a welcoming place. Plus, their retail store has some of the most competitive prices I’ve seen on a number of pieces we’ve added to our personal inventory over the years. Spend a few hours here honing your marksmanship at their state-of-the-art range.
AR-15 with Nikon scope
Get them before people who don’t know anything about guns mistake them for “assault weapons,” call them “AK-47s” and ban everything. This versatile firearm can be used for hunting, defense, and target practice. You can switch it out to a .22 for targets and to a .223 for deer—and no, it’s not too light for deer. Also, it just looks badass. The scope doesn’t need to be fancy to serve its purpose. Top Gun has very good prices on these.
Custom gun belts
Beautifully crafted, in the theme of the best westerns. More here.
The Bedside Gun Rack
Because GOD BLESS AMERICA, that’s why.
Accessories
Face-melting eagle belt buckle
I have a small collection of handmade leather belts and giant buckles. I chalk it up to my farming and ranching kin who wear them. I’ve also a thing for Americana. “What size buckle?” you may ask. Can the buckle double as a serving platter? Then that size. Cheap-looking metal and Hot Topic variety hipster crap is a turn-off. There’s kitsch and then there’s uninspired hipster. Don’t be a hipster.
This eagle buckle is the next best thing to walking around with a stuffed eagle on your waist. ‘Merica.
I also dig this from the Alaska Fur Exchange or this from Montana Silversmiths, which has quite a lot.
Health and Beauty
Hand and Stone Massage
I visited this spa before they became a sponsor and was impressed by the experience. You can choose from a number of massages and facials, all done by experts with decades of experience. I sit in front of a computer and a mic hours each day, so my neck and lower back muscles take abuse. I spent an hour with my masseuse, Jennifer, and walked away feeling more relaxed than I have in years. I highly, highly recommend. I wasn’t a massage enthusiast before because I didn’t realize the health benefits as well as the relaxation qualities, but I am now. In fact, two staffers from the show are going now as a result. Gift certificates make great stocking stuffers.
Blown Away dry bar
I first visited Blown Away with one of my best friends and her lovely sister to help celebrate her sister’s birthday. The plan was to get a blow out and then have dinner followed by drinks. I’ve never before gone to a blow-out bar: the shop is all salon without cut and color. They specialize in blow-outs in several styles including sleek styles, beachy waves, etc; they also do braids and a number of updos. I’m super picky about my hair, and am notorious for thoroughly vetting my stylists and then sticking with them for long periods. I decline hair stylists for television appearances except when I’m in Atlanta for CNN or LA for HBO because their stylists are amazing and pull off cover looks in minutes flat. I researched the salon quite a bit before committing to it for my girlfriend’s birthday because I’m INSANE. After reading all the reviews and testimonials, I went and was impressed with the whole experience. I have thick hair which isn’t easy to style and within around 35-40 minutes they washed, dried, and perfectly styled my hair for $30 dollars. I’ve returned since to have them style my hair for an event and will likely return again when I’m too rushed before future plans to adequately do it myself in a short amount of time. Definitely worth it. Gift cards would make a great gift, something I hinted to my husband for this season.
Food and Drink
Burger’s Smokehouse
A few weeks ago one of the wonderful ladies in my flagship station’s sales department dropped off a huge box containing seven pounds of bacon by my mic before my broadcast. It was from this company who sent it after hearing me profess my love for the world’s most versatile meat (shut up, Glover). They are not paying me to say that this is the best bacon I’ve ever had in my entire life. Better than my memories of being a 10-year-old and helping myself to Shoney’s buffet bacon. That good. Perfect thickness, crispy, naturally smoked. I know they have other meats but the BACON. Nothing says I Iove you like Christmas bacon.
For the Kids
You may notice a lack of toys in this section, mainly because I’m personally not big on toys for the sake of giving gifts, and am loathe to purchase mindless things that add nothing to a child’s education or way of honing any particular skill. I don’t include most video games in this (Chris and I play; I’m into “Assassin’s Creed 3” right now) because the right games are actually applied learning in problem solving, just in very out-of-the-box ways.
Coloring Books
I’m not mentioning Really Big Coloring Book because they put me in a coloring book, but because they have every type of coloring book you can imagine, every size. If you thought of it odds are they have a coloring book on it. This particular category is my favorite. They made a coloring book on energy, for crying out loud. All hell broke lose from socialists over this company when they published their tea party coloring books; the company was called every name in the book despite the fact that they had an Obama coloring book and a Democratic Party coloring book way before they made one about the tea party. So much for diversity, I guess. My favorite book though is the one on terrorism which features terrorist trading cards. The staff and I have traded them on air.
Scary Stories
This was hands-down my favorite series as a kid, which probably explains a lot about me. Originally a series of three, they’re not condensed into this treasury. My favorite thing to do in grade school was to check these books out and read and re-read them during library time. The drawings help make the book what they are, seriously the creepiest drawings ever done, pre-Tim Burton. The gothest of the goth. I ordered these for my oldest this year. It’s time to pass it on. I can’t wait to read them again, this time with him.
A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women
From Lynne Cheney, this book examines the wonderful women behind this great country. A great book for young girls, considering the messages they’re getting—not from Hollywood, but from our own political system: women like Susan Rice need men for defense, women need free birth control to be “equal,” etc. I ordered this for my niece and ordered several other of Cheney’s titles for my oldest son.
Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America
One of the goals I will accomplish before my children grow up and leave home is to take a roadtrip across the country via Route 66. This book was in the same vein of that, an exploration of America through such a trip.
Paul Revere’s Ride
My oldest is finishing up studying all about the American Revolution. He’s most fascinated with Samuel Adams and Paul Revere and this book of this classic poem fits right in with his studies.
Lego Haunted House
My youngest has dressed up as a grim reaper for three Halloweens now, and personalized his own scythe. He loves spiders, ghosts, and is year-round into Halloween spookiness. I ordered this for him for Christmas. He puts them together himself mostly and sets them up with his Christmas village. He’s fascinated with how things work and with construction, so what better gift for a Halloween-loving, budding engineer?
Lego White House
Not too long ago I took my oldest with me on a visit to DC wherein I spoke to young college conservatives. He was fascinated with the architecture of DC, the history, and that so much to see could be packed into such a small area. He’ll have fun recreating the iconic White House at home regardless who currently resides in it.
