Looking for a fun gift for your favorite RVer? Have someone on your list who already "has it all"? Unless you have time to knit a sweater... you had better check out the Official 2010 RVGoddess.com Holiday RV Gift Guide!
1. FanMats has a huge selection of military, collegiate & professional sport door mats, rugs, cargo mats and auto floor mats. They also have a great selection of "House Divided" door mats. (DT received this lovely door mat for Hanukkah.) The rubber mat will keep dirt and sand out of the RV and are heavy enough to not blow away in a strong wind! $34.99 from Fanmats.com.
2. Light-weight, unbreakable and handy, a silicone measuring cup set from iSi will be a practical addition to your RV kitchen. Three cups in the set - in one, two and four-cup (perfect for pancake batter!) sizes. Easy to fill; easy to pour. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Heat-resistant up to 490°. $25 at Sur la Table, $20.37 at Amazon.com
, $24.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
3. Do you travel with a book lover? Would 3,500 books fit inside your RV? Save space and weight in your rig with an electronic reader! A Kindle can hold your entire library - and think of all the trees you will save! Most books are $9.99, are delivered in less than a minute to your device and you don't need the internet to download or buy a book. The type-size can be adjusted, it automatically goes to the last page you were reading in any book, the Kindle is lightweight and easy to use. When you do have wifi, use the Kindle to surf the web! $139 at Amazon.com
4. Do you ever leave the campground to take the dog for a walk, go for a jog or a bike ride? Of course - we all do. Do you always take ID or a cell phone with you? Nope. (I really worried about this when I left the RV park to go for a jog. What if I fell? Keeled-over? The EMT's would have no idea who I was or where I came from!) Then I learned about Road ID. Such a simple idea - a little bracelet that fastens around your wrist with velcro. Road ID prints anything you please on the attached metal tag. Name, date of birth, emergency phone number, health problems or allergies, etc. (I also added "traveling in motorhome" on mine.) Road ID comes in many colors. The company also offers ID tags that slip through your shoe laces, plus other safety accessories. $19.99 at Road ID. (THIS JUST IN: use coupon code pcLastChance2 to receive 10% off your entire order through 25 December 2010.)
5. The best gift you can give your favorite RVer is a RV Log Book! And, isn't it convenient that I own the company that produces the best RV Log Book on the planet? (Shameless self-promotion? Yes. My RV fuel tank doesn't fill-up magically on it's own, Dear Reader.) The Camping Journal RV Log Book has room to record 100 different campsites, so you know "where you go" and won't have to scratch your head trying to remember the name of that great place on the lake (or that dumpy joint by the cattle feed lot). Rate the campground YOUR way. Plus our journal has room for maintenance records, fuel records, a journal and much more. Don't leave home without a Camping Journal! Only $19.95 at The Camping Journal.
6. An insulated "Malibu" picnic basket from Picnic Time is a fun and practical gift. This Insulated shoulder tote picnic bag features a complete service for 2 - perfect for picnics, concerts, or day trips away from the RV - and includes 2 melamine plates, 2 acrylic wine glasses, 2 stainless steel flatware settings, and 2 cotton napkins, a 6-inch hardwood cutting board, stainless steel cheese knife, stainless steel corkscrew, and 2 cotton napkins. On the outside is a beverage holder with space for 2 bottles, and an adjustable padded shoulder strap. The spacious insulated compartment keeps food hot or cold for hours. (Keep the picnic basket in your tow vehicle all the time and use it as a little cooler. When you leave your rig for the day, put a frozen packet of Blue Ice in the food compartment and you can safely bring-home left-overs from lunch at a restuarant or make a few stops on the way home from the market - without worrying about food spoiling.) Before placing this gift under the tree, stuff the inside with a few gourmet treats - and maybe a bottle of the bubbly - and you will make your picnic partner a very happy camper. Available in several colors. $59.99 at Amazon.com
7. It's always nice to find a copy of a good magazine in the mailbox. Consider getting a gift subscription to Trailer Life or Motorhome magazine for the RVer in your life. (You can read it too!) Another good choice for a West Coast traveler is Sunset magazine, and National Geographic is always a welcome gift. Maybe your favorite traveler could use an annual pass to America's National Parks?
8. Display thousands of your digital photos in your RV! Enjoy photos the grandkids, scenes from your RV trips and photos of friends from the screen of a digital photo frame. Simply load your photos onto a SM card, memory stick, SD card, etc., and stick the card into the back of the frame. The frames can be programmed to scroll through your photo collection in order, or at random. Now many frames can also play video and music! There are many brands and variations of digital photo frames now, ranging from $30 to over $100 - all available at Amazon.com
9. While we are in the electronic section of the RV Holiday Gift Guide, how about an indoor/outdoor thermometer weather station? The Oregon Scientific (BAR388HGA) Wireless Weather Station comes with a remote sensor that will give you the outside temperatures, humidity, moon phases, weather forecast/trends, has an indoor thermometer and an atomic clock that sets itself every day. No more adjusting the clock when changing time zones or at daylight savings time. This model also includes an ice alert... though I hope you are all RVing somewhere warm... DT and I have a very similar unit in our RV and find it extremely useful. Available for only $44.25 at the ever-so-wonderful Amazon.com.
10. Don't head down to the RV park laundry room without a little bling! With this lovely diamond bracelet on your wrist, fluff-and-fold time will simply fly by. (Okay, I am just kidding about this gift. But, every once in a while DT reads this website... a girl can dream, can't she?)
Sigh.
Until my next update, I remain, your gifted correspondent.