Christmas 2012

So it's my favorite time of year again! This year I decided to skip Black Friday because I felt that it was overhyped and the prices weren't really worth the chaos. All year I have been putting up links on Twitter (@xmasconcierge) of gifts that I thought would be unique or just must haves. I will be posting the complete list in the coming days. If you have a suggestion or if there is anything that is really popular in your country please let me know! I'm really interested to know what everyone reading my blog wants for Christmas. XOXO

A glimps into what I do for my client's for the holidays.

The holiday season is upon us and if you are a personal shopper, it feels like a ton of bricks. My client just informed me that my team & I will be purchasing 300 gifts for her friends & family. We started by buying concert tickets to events such as Jingle Ball, Skrilla, & cirque du soliel- Michael Jackson (a whole row), iPad 2, a Cartier watch,Beats by Dre BeatsPro, & A consultant to help a 16 year old build a home studio. I will post pictures as the pile of gifts accumulates. Merry Christmas! Please let me know what you are buying for Christmas or what you are buying.

Black Friday

Black Friday is coming!!! What is Black Friday you ask? It is the day after Thanksgiving and it is the first day that jump starts the holiday shopping season. Hot items are almost given away, if you have the stamina to stay up into the wee hours. 5 days left! I'm going to list some of the deals that I have found so far. I will start with Best Buy. 

A Toshiba BDX2150 Smart Blu-ray Player for $39.99 down from $79.99.





The 3TB Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk External Drive (pictured below) is a down from $159.99 to $99.99. 

3TB Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex

If you own an iPod Touch or plan on buying one, an iPod Touch Case & Wall Charger Accessory Bundle is $54.98 $9.98. A $100 iTunes Card is $80.

Assassin's Creed Revelations (PS3) $59.99 $34.99

Unchartered 3 (PS3) $59.99 $29.99

Sony PS3 160GB Console Bundle $369.97 $199.99

MicrosoftXbox 360 4GB Kinect Console $299.99 $199.99

The following deal is from HHGreg

Samsung BDD6500 3D wi-fi Internet Blu-ray Player $199.99 $129.99

The following deals are from Staples

Kindle Touch Wi-fi w/Staples $20 gift card $99,  Kindle Fire w/$20 Staples gift card $199 

Nook Color w/$25 Staples Gift Card- After Rebate $249.99 $199.99

BlackBerry Playbook 16GB Tablet $499.99 $199.00    

Acer Iconia Tab 10.1" Tablet w/16GB $399.98 $299.99

The following deals are from Target

Early Bird Special 8GB iPod Touch w/$40 Target Gift Card  $195

Amazon Kindle Keyboard 3G $139.00 $85

Acer 10.1" Netbook $229.99 $157.00

I will be tweeting deals on Thanksgiving , Black Friday, & Cyber Monday on my @xmasconcierge account. Please join me and let me know what deals you find so I can share them. Happy Holidays!! 

Customizing your Christmas list 2011

I've had a very busy couple of weeks so I apologize for not blogging last week. So let's get right to it. If you are like me, you get a lot of spam in your inbox. I checked my email today and after wading through literally a couple hundred emails, I noticed a trend. The stores are presenting "must have" lists. I almost deleted all of them, then I thought, "wait a minute, what if there is something here that I missed?" So I'm going to review some of the lists that I was sent. Today I will review Ebay's list. I love the fact that they have a Splurge section. First on the list is the MacBook Pro. Since I am typing this on a MacBook Pro, I think you can gather my opinion of this pick. The only issue that I have regarding the MacBook Pro is that I purchased mine 6 months ago and a new one was released and now I feel like mine is old.

NFL tickets caught my eye. Am I the only one who didn't know you can buy tickets from Ebay?! Ok, so I'm late. I think the NFL tickets are a great, unique gift. I would go one further and make it an experience. Go all the way with the NFL theme. Pick at least one game that the fan receiving the tickets will really want to attend, then plan an awesome game night. Get them limo service (pay for extra alcohol) to and from the game, upgrade the tickets to a suite for that game (suites include food in the price), and get him or her a signed official ball on Ebay that you can put in a collector's case. The tickets will cost you $20 for nosebleed seats to $250-$1,400 for a suite. Depending on the player who signed the football, it can cost you from $45 to $1,000. The case for the football will cost you $16. The Limo service will of course be the big ticket item at $75 per hour.

Ebay suggested Fender guitars. I'm of two minds on this one. Did I miss a trend or is Ebay just trying to sell a high ticket item? I suspect the later. Don't get me wrong, Fender is a respectable brand, but who on your list this year is begging for a guitar-- besides my daughter? I think this is a gift to skip this year. The last two on the list are Breitling watches and Diamond earrings. Let's start with the watch. Breitling has some very gorgeous time pieces. Case in point the picture below. I chose this one because the colors are in trend for this year. These watches range from $5,000 to over $25,000.

Now we address the diamond earrings. I am going to be sexist for a second. I am a woman. I love all electronics, I am probably considered a tom boy in some circles, yet diamonds melt my heart like the girliest of girls. If you can buy a woman a diamond, buy it. You won't be sorry. I would suggest a ring or a pendant, but earrings are nice too. A piece advice to the person purchasing the diamond, go big or go home. A reasonable budget for diamonds should start at $350 and upwards. I threw in the Tiffanys sunglasses for good measure because I like them. They retail for $220.

   

I won't waste your time any more on things that I can't or won't recommend. Do not buy a TV yet. The best time to purchase a television set is in January because of the huge sales centered around Super Bowl. Also, TV's are not selling as well this year so I suspect the discounts will be awesome. If the TV purchase is for the one you love, I would suggest buying smaller gifts that hint at the ultimate prize in January. Let's say you are buying the TV for someone who loves movies. Buy them a one year subscription to Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime. If the TV isn't automatically compatible to the service don't forget to get them the blu-ray player. Buy them a gift card from their favorite movie theater. Stock the house with their favorite snacks such as popcorn and candy. I hope this review helps you pick something out or at least got you thinking creatively to make this holiday special. Good Luck! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask, I would love to talk to you.

MB&F Legacy Machines & The Row Alligator Backpack- Xmas List (luxury)

MB&F Legacy Machines
$5551.85- $166555.50 USD

Movement: Hand-wound with single barrel, bespoke balance wheel floating above the dials, 279 parts, 23 jewels, 18,000 vib/h, 45-hour power reserve

Functions: Hours, minutes, independent dual time zone and power reserve

Case: 18K pink gold or grey gold, 65 parts, 44 mm
Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective on both sides, and sapphire crystal caseback
Crowns at 4 o'clock to set the time and wind the right dial, and at 8 o'clock to set the time of the left dial

Dial: Balance wheel in the center Dials at 3 and 9 o'clock for local time and dual time zone
Vertical power-reserve indicator at 6 o'clock

Bracelet/Strap Hand-stitched black or brown alligator with matching 18K gold buckle

Images Via Askmen.com the link to the article describing these watches are in the @xmasconcierge timeline on October 8


The Row Alligator Backpack is $34,000

The Row backpack: black alligator, adjustable canvas straps, internal detachable handle, internal zip-fastening and slit pockets, feet, comes with metal mirror plate and case, designer-stamped gold-plated brass hardware, fully lined in leather. Drawstring at top. Alligator: United States. This bag is crafted from the finest materials and should therefore be treated with the utmost care. Please refer to the accompanying care instructions.

Cartier Calibre de Cartier
Price
$7,100

J.Crew Beaumont Weekender
Price
$228

WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie Travel Bag
Price
$675

H&M Tote Bag
Price
$59.95

Swatch Full-Blooded (Smoky Brown)
Price
$160

A few trendy things that don't look mass produced. Get the Bespoke look for a great price point.

@Xmasconcierge

This week I introduced @xmasconcierge on Twitter. @xmasconcierge will be active from October 1 to January 31 every year. the purpose of the account is to help you, the viewer, to find interesting and exciting gifts for yourself and your loved ones at all price points. @xmasconcierge will stay ahead of the trends. I will provide links to articles telling you more about the gifts or a link to the store so you can purchase the gifts directly. I will not be using someone else's list. I do my research on the gifts and make sure that it will appeal to you. I am not receiving compensation for recommending any of the gifts. If I am provided anything for free to test, I will let you know in the post regarding the product. Staying ahead of the trends can save you money especially if you are buying the "it gift of the season" (i.e. HP Touchpad $99 on sale- current price $234.99 on Ebay)

You will see gifts from $5 to $100,000. The Twitter account will be a private account that will only be accessible to readers of this blog. In order to add the Twitter account you will need to provide the password: LIWIHBA

Please ask me any questions! I will answer everybody! If there is a gift that you are considering, let me know and I will do the research for you and blog about it for the readers.

Happy Hunting!