I’m making my list, and checking it twice.

Not for Christmas, but rather for the 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer I’ll be participating in next month. It requires camping out for 3 nights in tents provided by the group, but I will still need:

• An air mattress with portable pump (since I’m much too delicate to sleep on the ground)
• Medical supplies to carry with me, like moleskin, band-aids, Advil, muscle cream
• Ponchos in case it rains while I’m walking
• A sleeping bag
• A camping pillow
• Earplugs to drown out the noise of other campers at night

I think that does it for now, but I’m going to think about it over the next week, and see if I come up with anything I’ve forgotten.

I was peeking into the backyard this weekend and spotted a beautiful blue jay sunning himself on our swing set. It’s not the first time I’ve seen birds out in the yard - we’ve had all sorts of feathered visitors, from the creepy hawk who stalked my dog, to red cardinals. A paid of birding binoculars like my grandmother used to keep on her patio are just the thing we need to get up close and personal with our feathered friends. Eagle Optics has a huge lineup of binoculars, low prices, and a Google checkout payment option. The site highlights what type of binocular is right for your needs - maybe you’re a hobbyist who is looking for something lightweight and under $200? Or if you wear glasses like me, you want models with at least 15mm of eye relief. It’s tips like this that make shopping online a breeze - being well informed before you buy is always a plus!

I’m a fairly competitive person, and when I got the chance to play laser tag a few years ago, I jumped on it. I discovered that I loved the game, and I’ve played several times since. A few people have suggested to me that since I enjoy laser tag so much, I’d probably get a kick out of paintball…and I’d love to try it, but I haven’t found anyplace here in the Tampa, FL area that I can play at. Maybe I should just get what I need online and form my own group? I found a site called Ultimate Paintball that sells paintball markers, guns, supplies, masks, and all sorts of gear. I didn’t realize so many people were into paintball, but I guess in some areas, it’s a huge weekend sport!

Love that these guys offer free shipping, as well as basic packages providing everything you need to get started in the game!

Do you have a fisherman (or woman?) in your life? Getting gifts that go hand in hand with a hobby someone loves is always a good idea, and at Northwest Marine Electronics you’ll find tons of toys for the outdoorsman, from top manufacturers like Raymarine, Astron, Garmin, and Standard Horizon. Part of enjoying a hobby like fishing or boating is making it stress free, and these tools can definitely help with that aspect - if you have a boat owner in the family, check out things like fishfinders, GPS systems, or depth finders. (A depth finder is a MUST in the salt water flats in our area of Florida - getting stuck on a sand bar is NOT fun!) In addition to fishing and boating gear, they also have a wide selection of products to do with camping, hiking, hunting, and diving. If you can do it outside, they’ve got something to help you do it!

Technorati Tags: RayMarine, Marine, fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, fishing, fisherman, diving, scuba

I got garland for my tree next year, and best of all, it was marked down to $3 a strand. I found it in Cracker Barrel this week, along with my discounted Yankee Candles. The garland is made to look like jingle bells, and while it’s not just like the old fashioned candy garland I had, it’s a nice replacement.

Technorati Tags: Christmas decorations, Christmas ornaments, Cracker Barrel, garland

If you’ve got a fisherman in the family, some new bright and shiny fishing lures would make an excellent stocking stuffer! (Just make sure it’s carefully wrapped or in a box - we wouldn’t want anyone reaching into their stocking and coming up with a hook in his hand!) You can find a plethora of sites online that have lures for all types of fishing - from bass to spinners to rods and reels.

As for me, I don’t mind the fishing, as long as I don’t have to eat the fish!