Parent Grapevine Annual Holiday Gift Guide: Now on Pinterest!

Greetings all.   We are excited to present our third annual Parent Grapevine Gift Guide for 2012. In the past we posted our favorite products in a Flickr gallery.  This year we're getting with the times (about time!) and have created our Parent Grapevine Holiday Gift Board on Pinterest!

The nice thing with Pinterest is you can click on the item that interests you and go straight to the website to place your order (in most cases). We've selected 20 of our favorite gifts for the people on your gift list ranging from fun and quirky to practical and downright pretty. Here's what we have on the list of 20:

• I was recently introduced to a new way to give the GIFT OF HIGHER EDUCATION.  Many of you have heard of 529 College Saving Plans where your family can contribute up to $13,000 per donor ($26,000 per married contributors) per beneficiary.   Check out ScholarShare where you can set up an account and provide a way for grandparents, aunts and uncles to gift money instead of toys that squeak and break.
• Strobes cost a lot but with the Gorilla Torch you don't need to break the bank to get the perfect lighting.  Place these in nearly any location just like the GorillaPod to shine a light on your favorite subject.  Great for camping too.
• For your ultra favorite person who doubles as a photographer, why not give them the gift of comfort and quick action with the Joby Ultra Sling Strap for Women (also for men).  From Joby.com, this comfortable and ergonomic strap allows you to walk around with your DSLR and then point and shoot in nanoseconds to capture that amazing shot.  We'll have a full on review of this soon.
• For a versatile camera that can be almost anywhere (where can't it go, pro?) check out the latest GoPro camera.  It can go underwater to depths of 197 feet / 60 M and capture sharp, clear images above water too.  Athletes love to wear it as head gear to capture their treks and relive and show their buddies.  With Built-in Wi-Fi you can remotely control your camera from your smartphone or tablet running the GoPro app.
• Now that you have a GoPro how are you going to attach it to your bike, mountain peak or helmet?  With a GorillaPod for SLR cameras, that's how.  It's so versatile you have to see it to believe it.  Attach it to the crevice of the mountain you are climbing and capture your ascent (hopefully not descent) to the top.
• Font Bracelet from Fab.com - seems like fonts make a BIG BOLD statement.  Why not get something unusual and fun like this font jewelry?
• Book lovers may actually get tired of receiving all of those books and eBooks.  So why not get them a book they can actually wear?  Here's a fun bracelet with book jackets in a unique design, FUN.
• Is that a Cell Phone or a Vintage Camera? Everyone has a smartphone these days - anyone who's smart enough anyway :).   So why not get them a nice new cover from Society6?  Choose from a ton of unique covers and protect your contacts at the same time.
• What could be more special than a one-of-a-kind journal or keepsake box that you've designed with your original photographs?  At Paper Coterie you can create some of the most beautiful gifts ever and make a lasting impression.
• (9-12) For some sleek, chic and stylish gifts check out the Tastemaker Tag Sales at One Kings Lane.  If you are new to site click here to get $15 just for joining and start spending that extra cash right now.  There are fun umbrellas, doggie beds, jewelry and gifts under $50 that you check out to your heart's content.
• Tea for Two? For the most stylish AND comfortable clothes your child will ever wear, check out the Tea Collection.  And the nice thing is you can grab a few pieces for your wardrobe too and get out of those PTA sweatpants and into some styling Board meeting leggings, sweaters and dresses.
• To the Theater.  Gifts don't all have to be in a box - unless you count the box office as one big gift!  Give your family the gift of theater tickets this season and check out crowd pleasing plays like "The Lion King" that's playing now at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco.  Wherever you live, there are local productions and Broadway productions that make memories you won't forget.
• Think outside the box and give someone on your Secret Santa list an accordion book with lots of photos they can cherish anywhere, anytime.  We LOVE MPIX products who have the highest quality and fun designs to treasure year after year.  Check out the calendars as a great gift that lasts all year long!
• 'Tis the season to bake!  We love Hodgson Mill baking products and will be baking up a storm to enter in their Win a Grain Holiday contest.  You can enter to win a load of their flours, baking mixes and more, but you have to enter before December 10, 2012!
• Jabra Solemate keeps your holiday music playing throughout the decked halls in a convenient and powerful sound system for your portable device.  Just connect the Solemate with Bluetooth and you'll be humming your favorite tunes wherever you want.