Holiday Gift Guide #2

I Am Chicago's second holiday gift guide is dedicated to mothers. I feel as though whether the mom on your gift list is a new mother or an empty nester, comfort is key when considering what gift to buy.





This large patterned cape from Urban Outfitters screams stylish comfort. Mom can wrap it over her shoulders and enjoy a cup of tea during her downtime or use it as a layering piece during these cooler months. It'll up your mom's cool quotient too if you tell her its from Urban Outfitters.



Patterned Cape, $24.99, Urban Outfitters.








Nothing is more relaxing then luxuriating in a tub after a long day. Get rid of the Walgreen's brand body soap and treat your mom to the good stuff: Fresh's triple milled pure vegetable soaps. The oval bars are packed with moisturizing shea butter (which is definitely necessary during the winter to keep sky from drying out from harsh weather) and smell delicious. Each is wrapped in lovely Chinoiserie paper and comes in a reusable box.

Oval Soap Trio II, $42, Fresh.







Who doesn't love cashmere? Treat your mom to a nice cashmere blend that will accentuate any outfit or act as a very fancy scarf.


Refined Silk-Cashmere Wrap, $75, J Crew








My mom works at a nursing home in Kansas City, MO. While I was driving her to work one day, she looked down at her hands and exclaimed, "My hands look like that of a farmer's wife!" She immediately reached into her work bag for lotion and worked it into her hands. To keep mom's hands from "farmer's wife" territory, get her this enriched hand cream made with rosewater and glycerin. An added bonus for environmentally conscious moms? The cream is free of animal byproducts and wasn't tested on any creatures, either. And it diminishes the appearance of sun damage. What's not to love?

Dr. Hunter Hand Creme, $12, Caswell-Masey

Holiday Gift Guide

Many of my favorite blogs and websites offer holiday gift guides for their readers. One of the things I've noticed recently about these guides is that in today's economic they either range from the wildly expensive ("Dahling, what recession," sniffs Neiman Marcus) to the just plain, old bad (I hope no one gifts me a paper bag vase). With this in mind, I present to you a new series: I Am Chicago's Holiday Gift Guide '08.

Gift Guide #1: For Dad


AMC's hit drama Mad Men continues to win fans with its riveting depiction of American life during the early 60s. Critics and fans alike swoon over the attention to detail and gripping plot lines (not to mention Jon Hamm's portrayal of handsome yet distant ad man Don Draper) Get your father hooked on the series with Season One on DVD.




Mad Men, Season One, $27.49, Amazon.com




The iPod has become synonymous with the MP3 player since its launch in 2001. The wee iPod Shuffle doesn't pack as big of a punch as the Nano or Classic versions, but at $49 and with space for up to 500 songs it should be more than enough to keep your music loving pops happy on the treadmill, while mowing, or reading the paper. You can also engrave a special message for free when you order on Apple.com. The user friendly iPod and iTunes interface will also make any tech weary dad feel like a pro--and keep you from having to play IT guru over the phone.


iPod Shuffle (comes in 5 colors), $49, Apple.com




If your dad is anything like mine, his record collection is a thing worthy of awe. Vinyl collecting dust in stacks or haphazardly stacked away for a rainy day have been forgotten by the continuing wave of new technology, but ol' dad still remembers them fondly. Help him make the transition to today with this USB Vinyl Archiver from Fred Flare. The EZ Vinyl Converter automatically uploads songs to your iTunes library, which he can then transfer to his iPod. Dad will thank you for bringing back the music of his youth, and Mom will be happy those records won't be taking up any more space in the garage.

USB vinyl archiver, $129 (originally $150), Fredflare.com