{Today’s post and giveaway have been sponsored by RedEnvelope.}
I can remember this time of year circa 1998. A coworker, who had been tooling around the Internet shopping for holiday gifts, looked up from his computer and triumphantly announced across the cubicles, “This is gonna be an e-Christmas!”. Ha ha ha, we all fell over laughing at this crazy idea of doing actually doing all of one’s holiday shopping online. That was just unheard of. Today, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
RedEnvelope, one of my favorite gift sites since those early “e-Christmas” days, recently sent me a gift card to shop their site and share my experience. They’ve also got a gift card for one lucky reader! Read on for a chance to win a $75 Red Envelope electronic gift card plus a few of the fun foodie gifts I found on the site.
I love the one-of-a-kind nature of giving personalized gifts – it just seems extra special. Anyone who loves to cook would love to own a special serving vessel like this Personalized Casserole Dish ($69.95) to proudly show off their best dish (if I had one of these you can be sure it would make an appearance at every holiday and dinner party!).
These Floral Measuring Cups ($29.95) are almost to pretty to use…but I would definitely use them! In fact, they’re so decorative I would even keep them out on the countertop.
For the foodie kid in your life, there are these adorable personalized Sliced Bread Kid’s T-Shirts ($29.99) that read “<Name> Best Thing Since…” with a rosy-cheeked sliced bread graphic. So cute.
I thought this was really fun – Candy By the Decade ($29.95), a little care package of candy that was popular in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s or 1980s. Reading over the list of what’s included in the 1980s pack – Sweetarts, Bubble Tape, Smarties, Starburst among others – conjured up memories of just about every birthday party from my childhood!
I have gifted RedEnvelope’s windowsill garden kits in the past, they offer a great variety of plant choices. Not only does this Culinary Salad Growing Kit ($69.95) make an attractive window display but you also get easy access to fresh salad greens.
So what did I end up choosing? Well, I actually went with a non-foodie item, the Deluxe Wall Gallery Frame. I’m so excited to fill it with the kids’ school photos (which actually turned out terrific this year) and other family memories.
** Win a $75 Red Envelope Electronic Gift Card! ** [THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]
RedEnvelope would like to give one Cooking On the Side reader a $75 electronic gift card so you can pick out the gift of your choice on their website.
Here are four ways to enter – you can do any or all of them (please leave separate comments for each entry):
- Leave a comment on this post sharing the most memorable holiday gift you’ve ever given or received.
- “Like” Cooking on the Side on Facebook
- Subscribe to free updates from Cooking On the Side via e-mail or RSS
- Follow me @paninikathy on Twitter
The giveaway will close Monday, November 21, 2011 at noon PST. [THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED] I will use random.org to select one winner to receive the electronic gift card and announce the winner in this post. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
**UPDATE 11/22/11: Congratulations to our winner – #30 Meredith! **
they have wonderful items at Red Envelope.
Hmmm…most memorable gifts, I received as a kid was bubble bath. LOVE it and it was in an octopus container, so pretty and fun and I still remember it after all these years.
The best holiday gift I ever received was a playstation when I was 12 years old. My Dad and I stayed up all night playing together…it was the first time we really bonded as father and daughter.
Great giveaway – I love Red Envelope! The most memorable holiday gift I’ve received was probably a book that my grandmother wrote detailing her childhood.
When I was really young I collected Beanie Baby bears. This was around the time I stopped believing in Santa. And I told my mom that if Santa really existed, he’d be able to get me the Princess Diana beanie bear. So, my mom had all of her friends search around for it, and eventually found it at a party store. Then on Christmas day, she arranged it so that it would be the very last thing I opened. Needless to say, I believed in Santa for a few years after that.
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My most memorable gift would be from my daughters giving me some peace and quiet for a couple of hours. Thank you for the giveaway!
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My favorite gift was a poster I had had for years that I thought got throw away was actually taken by my son to the frame shop and mounted in a beautiful frame for me. It was a complete surprise.
Love those little measuring cups. The most memorable gift was from my husband, a simple necklace with some teeny tiny gems going around it. I’m not a big jewelry person, but I loved it.
One of the most memorable Christmas gifts I’ve ever received is when my husband purchased a HUGE 3 ring binder and a couple boxes of plastic sheet protectors. You see, I had recipes that were floating all over my kitchen/house. I love to cook and I want to pass down all my recipes to my children someday (all 4 of them …ages 4-9… love to cook right along with me!). So it was a very thoughtful gift. My hubby knows me so well and always puts so much thought into each and every gift he gives to me. That binder is completely full-to-over-flowing now. Maybe it’s time for a Volume 2!
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I already receive your email updates. Thanks so much for the chance(s) to win this giveaway!
My most memorable gift is my Le Creuset French Oven (9 Quarts) …. I cried
whew, love it.
this giveaway is great!
The most memorable was definitely $300 cash for a new TV!
My most memorable gift is from my grandfather. A few years ago he taught himself how to use a computer to write a book about his WWII experience. I learned so many things about him from that book that I never knew – it’s definitely a gift I will treasure and pass down.
I received a bike when I was 10 that was memorable.
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great giveaway. I like you and follow you. Love that site
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i don’t have a specific gift that comes to mind but i do love spending christmas with my family and am very excited to meet my niece this christmas!
My Favorite gift I received ever was my unicycle at 9 years of age. I was determined to ride that thing and today at 51 years old I still can. Good thing too since I love to cook and most of all eat. And I need the exercise.
Great to meet you at IFBC! And yes, you do look like your photo… pretty! 🙂 This is a great giveaway – I love Red Envelope for unique gifts. Oh, and I follow you on Twitter.
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I think my most memorable holiday gift was my first Cabbage Patch Kid. Do you remember when people would fight over them in the stores? Well, my grandmother did just that for me! My first one arrived with no box and missing a shoe, but she was strapped in with a seatbelt in the front seat of my grandma’s car! 🙂
My Bike was the best give ever. What kid doesnt love getting that bike on Christmas morning. Amazing!
My husband presented me with a list of 365 reasons he thinks I’m awesome. What made it even better, is that he actually compiled like a journal, where he recorded one item a day for the entire year. He couldn’t wait to give it to me. I’d say HE’S pretty awesome, no? Best present ever.
Best husband ever! (mine excluded, of course :-))
My most memorable christmas gift is a tie.
#1. My Grandfather dpassed away when I was about 12 years old and that christmas it was a surprise to see a gift from himunder the tree. It was a little blue tiffany’s bag and inside was a asterling silver bracelet made up of a chain of teeny tiny hearts. All I can gather is that he had purchased it for me and my mother had found it after he passed. I still wear it on special occasions, but not every day like I used to, I’m too afraid the fragile links will break.
#2. My Fiance got me the Le Creuset Dutch Oven I’ve been wanting for years! in Colbalt blue, matching a sugar and flour canister he also got me. 🙂 Many yummy dinners have come out fo that.
Wow, that’s actually a tough one. Memorable holiday gift? I don’t actually remember receiving it, but I have a baby’s first Christmas ornament I’ve always loved having. 🙂 Even though it’s bright pink and hideous. My mom always made me put it on the back of the tree.
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Love It!
The most memorable gift I have given was a photo book of our family vacation a few years ago. Everyone loved it and I’ve been making one every year now!
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The most memorable gift I’ve ever given… does a granddaughter count? 🙂 My mom had to wait a long time for that gift! Probably a photobook for my then boyfriends 30th. I had all his friends and family send in pictures and stories and complied them all together for him. It’s been hard to top that!
I love Red Envelope! The best gift I can remember were my Cabbage Patch dolls. My mom and dad told me they were waaay to expensive, don’t expect Santa to bring them. So Christmas morning I opened 2 of them! That was a great and very unexpected Christmas morning!
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