ATwist to Secret Santa Gift Giving

Christmas is quickly approaching. It is the most beautiful time of the year, but can be the most stressful. Everyone is in gift giving mode and trying to pick a gift that is unique, but matches the recipient¡¦s personality can be extremely difficult. During this time, Secret Santa can be the perfect solution to alleviating some of this stress. You can discreetly give someone a gift and decide if you want to disclose you are their Secret Santa. Do not view this as an opportunity to be slack, but as an opportunity to hone your gift giving talents. For those in need of some unique Secret Santa gifts, I would like to list my top six.

1)For my wine lovers located in North Carolina, Yadkin Valley Tours offers gift certificates that can be purchased for specific tours, open tours of your choice, or private tours. Most tours include trips to three vineyards, transportation, lunch, tasting fees, and tour guides. The tours leave from the Holiday Inn Express in Clemmons, NC at 10am and return at 5pm. Prices for the tours range from 85.00 to 170.00 and most tours are done on the weekend. I feel this is the perfect gift for a wine lover because the tour is all inclusive, you get to visit three vineyards in an area known for producing great wines, you can enjoy your samples and wine purchases without having to worry about driving, and it is a great opportunity to mingle with other wine lovers. Visit www.yadkinwinetours.com for more information.

2)For all of my naughty Santa¡¦s helpers, I recommend a gift certificate to a local adult/porn store. With all the mistletoe hanging around, it would be nice to have some dildos, vibrators, and restraints to add to that kiss. Some people may be shy about receiving such a gift, but deep down (where it matters most) they will truly appreciate it. I am sure this would be one of their most memorable Christmas gift that keeps giving and giving. ƒº Look up your local Adam and Eve, Red Door, Spencer¡¦s, Fredericks of Hollywood or Priscilla¡¦s to see what is available.

3)Everybody loves a good dessert. For my sweet tooth lovers, I recommend a gift basket from Cookies by Design. Sugar or Cinnamon Brown Sugar cookies are used in the arrangements. You can, also, order Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Snicker Doodle, or White Chocolate Macadamia/Pecan to send as a basket of cookies. The coolest thing you can do with the cookies is put an edible picture on them. This can personalize the gift even further. Prices for the arrangements or gift baskets range from 14.24 to 73.98. To order or get more information visit www.cookiesbydesign.com.

4)Since some states are starting to raise state employees¡¦ insurance premiums who smoke, I recommend the Blu e-cigarette. This is an electronic cigarette. The cigarette works by using the atomizer as a spark to heat the cartridge and instead of blowing out smoke you blow out water vapor. A starter kit can be purchased which includes a pack to hold your cartridges, two electronic cigarette batteries, one atomizer, a wall charger, Usb charger, and variety pack of 25 cartridges in the strength of your choice. The price for the starter kit is 59.95. You can purchase nicotine flavored cartridges, but there is also a non-nicotine cartridge. If you choose to go for the nicotine there are three different strengths. There is the full flavored at 16mg, the light at 12mg and the ultra light at 8mg. The cartridges come in flavors of Classic Tobacco, Magnificent Menthol, Java Jolt, Vivid Vanilla, and Cherry Crush. This purchase is good because it can be used in most places that eliminate smoking and is an excellent substitute to the traditional cigarette. Visit www.blucigs.com for more information.

5)I have something awesome for my car lovers who live in Charlotte, NC and surrounding areas. Supercar Sensation allows you to pick three luxury cars and test drive them. You can choose a one hour tour for 199.00, two hour tour for 299.00, four hour tour for 549.00 or do a closed circuit autocross course for 250.00. To enjoy the experience you can drive the Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 360 Spider, Porsche 911 Turbo, Aston Martin Vantage, Mercedes C63 Amg, Nissan GTR and BMW M3. Of course to do this, you have to have a valid driver¡¦s license and insurance. Additional insurance coverage for 50.00 can be purchased. This is the perfect gift for someone who enjoys speed, racing, and high end cars. If you are lucky enough, the recipient can ask you to come along for the ride. More information is available at www.supercarsensation.com.

6)My last suggestion is a hot air balloon ride gift certificate. Soaring Adventures of America, Inc. has over 200 locations to choose from in several different states. The normal price for the ride is 199.90 per person. Discounts are offered regularly, so you will definitely make out better than the listed price. Rides can accommodate up to four people and last about an hour. Once you land, you celebrate with a champagne or a fruit juice toast. The whole experience from beginning to end takes about three hours. For additional information visit www.800soaring.com or call 800-762-7464.

Christmas is a magical time. I hope some of these ideas can add to the magic of the season. Happy Holidays!