Holiday Banter! Unusual Gifts for Everyone on Santa’s List

Gift giving can be tricky. How much should you spend? What would they want? These are just some basic questions you might have, and I’m here to help. When it comes to gifts, I usually like to get someone something they wouldn’t typically buy for themselves – think quirky, funny, but totally practical gifts that will put the cheer anyone’s holiday. When it comes to out of the box gift ideas, I’ve got you covered.

1. The Iron Chef

These Salt & Pepper ‘Bots will totally take the edge off of anyone cooking. What a perfect last touch to a delicious meal and a fun addition to your kitchen décor.

2. The Sibling Who’s Always Late

This Tocky alarm clock will never let them oversleep again! It jumps and rolls around making noises. Basically, it fulfills your annoying sibling role even when you’re far away from each other.

3. The Music Lover

These mini capsule LRG speakers are compatible with cell phones, MP3 players, and laptops so you can play your music out loud anywhere. Think ahead: these are great for lazy days spent hanging on the beach.

4. The Tree Hugger

This suck UK bag is great for those who are on the environmentally friendly side and it’s way more affordable than buying them wooden furniture.

5. The Adorable Little Cousin

Be prepared for 1 million ‘aws’ when your baby cousin walks around in this deLux hat.

6. The Stoner

Sweet I BUD YOU dreams.

7. The Geek-Chic Girl Friend

This special edition Lomography Fisheye camera is the ultimate gift for any cute girl with techy tendencies. Extra bonus: anyone who poses in front of the camera will have to smile at the Hello Kitty logo on the front :)

8. The Vagabond

This Burton sweatshirt is ideal for guys who aren’t strangers to one night stands or crashing at a friend’s house. It includes: a stash pocket, pit vents, eye shield, removable inflatable pillow in the hood, travel kit with ear plugs, toothbrush, leather travel tag, and sleep mask. WHAT!!!

9. The Couch Potato

This Pendleton blanket is a wonderful compliment to the new TV they bought on Black Friday. Perfect for lazy Sundays.

10. The Club Kid

Help your party monster friend channel their inner James St. James with these Substitute platforms.

Don’t forget to wrap it all up in suck UK’s raunchy wrapping paper! Happy shopping and happy holidays!

The Loop: Weekly Roundup with Vegan Tattoos, Sweet Valley High, and Turkish Mag Âlâ

Can fashion and Islam coexist?
While Vogue reigns queen of all fashion magazines for most of the world, in Turkey it is a different story. The Turkish women’s magazine called Âlâ has been outselling Vogue and other well-known publications in the fashion industry. Âlâ started off as a little-known magazine until the summer of 2011, where the Islamic headscarf was featured on one of its covers. Four months later, Turkish secularists and traditional Muslims alike are still in debates of whether or not fashion and Islam can coexist. The magazine features a monthly selection of clothing advice, interviews with Muslim designers and business women, travel tips and feature stories, which all target observant Muslim women. Granted the magazine’s popularity has increased, critics claim that the publication is trying “westernize the idea of modest Islamic dress.” Critics aside, Âlâ appears to have found a market. The magazine commands more than 90,000 Facebook followers and has launched an edition in Germany to cater to Turkish readers in Western Europe as well. [The Atlantic]

Beloved teen novel brought to the big screen…
The “Sweet Valley High” series will be brought to cinematic life by the help of screen-writer Diablo Cody. Created by Francine Pascal, the teen series is about the lives of two identical twins who have contrasting personalities. The series spanned 152 books over almost 20 years. Cody is excited to take on the project, saying, “I want it to be wonderfully nostalgic. I want it to be the ‘80s what American Graffiti was to the ‘60s.” [HuffPost Entertainment]

Tattooing gets “friendlier”?
…Well, friendlier with animals and those who love them. The tattooing process is now going vegan. For thousands of years, humans have been using animal byproducts to decorate their bodies. With the process of vegan tattooing, tattoo artists use a non-toxic Eternal Ink, which has a plant-based glycerin. Most tattoo places haven’t switched to the vegan alternative, but perhaps in time all ink artists will be tattooing vegan-style. [The Atlantic]