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Holiday Gift Guide 2017

Finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list can be easier than you think. Here is some help to guide you in making excellent choices that will delight and amaze all of your favorite people this year!

For the photographer in your life, THE SPIDERLIGHT CAMERA HOLSTER is an amazing item that allows easy draw-from-the-hip action of a camera without the restraint of a shoulder strap. The two-position metal lock ensures security, securely clipping to your own belt or to a SpiderLight Belt. Security is a breeze and allows the photog to take their camera anywhere, easily. The $95.00 price is reasonable and would be a unique and frequently used gift.

Find THE SPIDERLIGHT CAMERA HOLSTER at Spiderholster.com.

For the female photographer on your gift list, Jo Totes has created a line of stylish and comfortable camera bags that make it easy to be organized and stay on the trend of fashion. Not your standard utilitarian camera bag, there are many styles to choose from including backpacks, large and small cross body bags, hip packs and inserts to accommodate both camera and laptops. A standout is the JO TOTES MISSY MINT, with two large exterior pockets featuring magnetic closures, room for a laptop and five interior pads that are adjustable. See the selection at JoTotes.com, including the Missy Mint that retails for $119.

If you’re planning to surprise the musician in your life, there isn’t a guitarist or bassist who wouldn’t be thrilled with an instrument from Fender. For guitarists, Fender has any number of Stratocaster, Starcaster, Mustang, Jaguar and Telecaster Electric guitars. Among the lower-priced Telecasters, there are two that deliver exceptional playability, tone and quality that one would expect to find in instruments three times more expensive.

The FENDER MODERN PLAYER TELECASTER® PLUS (Model #: 0241102542) looks and feels great. The “Cof incredibly different tonal rafter in China” guitar delivers the classic sound that Telecasters are known for while allowing the player to choose a number of different tonal geographies to travel. The five-way pickup selector and the coil-tap switch are quite impressive.

This isn’t your father’s Tele. Because it is built in China, the instrument was built using a machine, so sizes and shapes are all very precise. That is not to say that the instrument lacks good quality. Fender’s quality control department is second to none. The instrument, save for the "Crafted in China" notation on the back of the headstock, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between this model and one of Fender’s highest end Telecasters.

This guitar features:

  • Pine body

  • Modern Player single-coil Telecaster neck pickup

  • Modern Player Stratocaster middle pickup

  • Modern Player humbucking bridge pickup

  • Five-way pickup switch

  • Mini-toggle coil-split switch for bridge pickup

  • Vintage-style string-through-body Stratocaster hard-tail bridge

Available through Fender, at better music stores and online, the FENDER MODERN PLAYER TELECASTER® PLUS retails for $499.99.

Then there is the FENDER STANDARD TELECASTER® (Model #: 0145102550) which features two pick-ups and 3-way switch. It is simple, but effective. The player can achieve a variety of tones that allow him or her to play a powerhouse Blues, Jazz Funk, Country and Classic Rock electric guitar.

With its maple neck this high-quality “Made In Mexico” guitar is smooth to the touch and easy to play. With its sturdy body, Fender craftsmanship, well-installed string-through construction and hardware, it’s hard to tell the difference holding its sound when played vigorously.

This guitar features:

  • Maple neck with “C” profile

  • Maple fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets

  • Dual single-coil Tele pickups with three-way switching

  • Shielded body cavities

  • Parchment pickguard

  • Standard string-through-body Tele bridge with block saddles

Available through Fender, at better music stores and online, the FENDER STANDARD TELECASTER® retails for $599.99.

If you’re looking to purchase a bass for that special someone, Fender has numerous options that allow players to drive a band with its low end thump—the Jazz Bass, Mustang Bass, Deluxe PJ-Bass, the Aerodyne Bass, the Artist Series Adam Clayton Precision Bass, the Geddy Lee Signature Jazz Bass, the Mark Hoppus Signature Precision Bass, The Active Dimension Bass and many more. You can’t go wrong with any of these instruments.

The FENDER STANDARD JAGUAR® BASS (Model #: 0149703505) is one of Fender’s most aesthetically pleasing models. The bass is light and easy to play with a fast-playing neck. The frets are rounded perfectly. This bass is very light-weight and well balanced. Though this “Made In Mexico” bass doesn’t have the active pickups found on its American counterpart, it also doesn’t carry the domestic version’s much higher price tag.

Since the bass does not have active pickups, it also does not have the controls that allow the player to switch between active and passive tones. This model does, however, have knobs for each pickup and a master tone. This bass delivers tones all across the spectrum—bright, punchy, ringing, low, muffled, subdued and everything in between.

This bass features:

  • Maple neck with modern "C" profile

  • 9.5"-radius rosewood fingerboard with 20 medium jumbo frets

  • Split single-coil Precision Bass middle pickup

  • Single-coil Jazz Bass bridge pickup

  • Three-ply black pickguard

  • Jazz Bass control knobs (volume for each pickup, master tone)

  • Standard series bass bridge

Available through Fender, at better music stores and online, the FENDER STANDARD JAGUAR® BASS retails for $624.99

Music aficionados are always looking to find ways to listen to his or her favorite genres. Unless you live in a fantastic radio market with amazing local stations, the only way to really get a more diverse and better radio experience is by paying for Satellite Radio, listening online to signals not available in the market you live in, listening to Internet-only Radio stations or Podcasts or through HD Radio.

High Definition or HD Radios have digital tuners that receive “regular” radio signals as well as the “multi-casts” that local stations may broadcast in addition to their base frequency.

If you’re looking to give a person on your list the opportunity to listen to all sorts of hard to access local stations, Hammacher Schlemmer offers the PORTABLE HIGH DEFINITION RADIO (PU-88731). This sharp-looking portable radio with its a large, bright, easy to read display delivers superior clarity that makes AM stations sound like FM and FM sound like CDs. The sound is reminiscent of the BOSE Wave Radio or a high-quality shelf system.

The radio features dual 2 1/2" full-range speakers that deliver a powerful, rich sound that one would expect from much larger speakers. The radio features base and treble controls that allow the listener to customize the sound , the ability to save five AM and five FM presets. When available, the Radio Data System information (call sign, title, and artist) are displayed on a backlit LCD panel. The system is powered by either the included AC adapter or four C batteries (not included).

The PORTABLE HIGH DEFINITION RADIO is made by Sangean and is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $159.95.

If there is a person on your list who loves smoked meats or enjoys cooking you’ll want to give him or her Hammacher Schlemmer’s ONE HOUR INDOOR PRESSURE COOKER (PU-84974). Yes it’s a pressure cooker, but it has the capability to smoke meats as well.

Not only can it cook a barbeque brisket in an hour, but as a pressure cooker it can make wonderful stews, whole chickens, French onion soup, risotto dishes and all sorts of vegetables. This device is quite versatile. Not only can it be used as a pressure cooker and a hot smoker, it can also be used as a cold smoker and steamer. What’s not to like?

This appliance is a 6 ½-quart device that increases internal pressure by 15psi. It cooks food up to 70% faster while causing wood chips to release their fragrant, flavor-enhancing smoke. The stainless steel wood chip box requires only three to five chips (not included) to impart authentic barbecue smoke flavor while containing all smoke inside the chamber during cooking. The cooker features an adjustable two-level rack that can hold up to 4 lbs. of food in the aluminum, thermal-coated inner pot. Its display shows time and detailed cooking status. The cooker plugs into AC.

The ONE HOUR INDOOR PRESSURE COOKER is made by Kalorik and is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $149.95.

Pets are a part of the family, but the cleaning of pet hair, dirt, dander, allergens and odors can be more than challenging. For a gift that truly keeps on giving and will delight your favorite pet parent, The BISSELL PET HAIR ERASER LIFT-OFF UPRIGHT PET VACUUM is truly ahead of the pack. The unique 2 in 1 Lift-Off feature allows you to detach the portable canister to clean stairs and get into spaces that regular vacuums just cannot. The Tangle-Free Brush Roll is a fantastic addition and keeps things moving. The built in Telescoping Wand helps reach baseboards and ceilings with absolute ease. Check out Amazon.com to find one for the pet family on your list.

If any of the recipients on your list happen to be of the feline persuasion, we have the purrrfect ideas for you. The LAPTOP CAT SCRATCHING PAD will give any furbaby the chance to hop online without trying to hog the warmth of your laptop, while you’re working. This adorable cardboard design will let your kitty keep their claws sharp, without scratching your rug! Electronics not his or her thing? The BROOKLYN PET HOUSE by Swedish designer/ illustrator Måns Swanberg is the perfect way to give your hip cat an affordable Brooklyn address for naps! Made from 33 percent recycled cardboard, it is non-toxic, recyclable and biodegradeable and would work for small dogs, too!

The LAPTOP CAT SCRATCHING PAD retails for $35 and The BROOKLYN PET HOUSE is $39. Both can be found at Uncommongoods.com.

SOUND + SLEEP ADVANCED SLEEP SOUND MACHINE makes the ideal gift for the person who struggles to enjoy a good night’s sleep. Scientifically engineered to promote relaxation, renewal and deeper sleep. More powerful than simply a white noise sound machine, Sound + Sleep features naturally recorded, high-definition sounds that evolve, rather than existing on a loop, getting rid of repetition and providing a real-world sound experience. The options of fireplace, city, meditation, ocean, rain, meadow, train and more provide peaceful sound to encourage sleep.

Visit Soundsofsleep.com to learn more and see the SOUND + SLEEP ADVANCED SLEEP SOUND MACHINE, retailing at $99.95.

For the gift that keeps giving, SodaStream has a variety of machines that allow you to turn tap water into sparking water in an instant, without the need to schlep home big bottles of water from the store or out to the recycling bin. The SODASTREAM FIZZI STARTER KIT is a fabulous introduction into the world of SodaStream and comes with a Fizzi machine, 1 liter BPA-free Reusable Carbonating Bottle and the CO2 Cylinder to make up to 60L of sparking water. The SODASTREAM JET also makes a wonderful gift and looks stylish in any kitchen.

Both SODASTREAM FIZZI and SODASTREAM JET can be found at Sodastreamusa.com and retail for $79.99 each.

For the beauty buff on your list, Foreo has an incredible beauty tool that belongs in everyone’s arsenal. The FOREO ESPADA is a blue light acne treatment with laser-precision targeting. A powerful new weapon in the fight against acne, the focused blue LED light and T-Sonic pulsations help to blast blemishes, treating and healing acne-prone skin. It is 100 percent waterproof and offers 50 treatments from a single charge.

THE FOREO ESPADA can be found at Foreo.com for a retail price of $149.00.

The holidays are right around the corner so start making that list and checking it twice!

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