2008 Woodie Awards
A quick guide to the perfect Christmas gift
By: The Skyliner Staff
Issue date: 11/29/06 Section: Holiday Exclusive
$20 or less
"One year, the four kids in my family decided to surprise my parents with a picture frame that held four individual photos and a group photo. One night when my parents were out, we set up a background for taking the pictures. When we had taken all the necessary pictures, we developed them and inserted them into the picture frame. After that, we wrapped it and placed it under the tree. My parents had no idea what we had done until they opened the present and discovered a treasure."
Kaelyn Pfenning
Staff Writer
"Gift cards are popular Christmas present ideas and suggestions. Most commonly spent on clothes or electronics, gift cards are wise stocking stuffers. Probably the best gift card option is for food, and especially for college students that usually means one destination, Waffle House.
With Waffle House as relatively cheap as it is, you could purchase waffles, hash browns and bacon until you pop a blood vessel or go into a heavenly cardiac arrest. Isn't that a dangerous Christmas present then? Not one bit.
If you're looking for the perfect Christmas present for your roommate, friend or significant other, then give the gift that keeps on giving: a gift certificate to Waffle House. I can taste the greasy goodness already."
Evan Hampton
News Editor
"I think the Christmas gift that makes everyone smile is the popcorn tin. First of all, the tins that the popcorn comes in are really nice. They usually have Santa Clauses, Frostys, or maybe even puppies with Santa hats. The tins can be used later after the popcorn is gone to store Christmas stuff, hats or even those awful gifts that your great aunt gave you that you will not need to use until you see her the next year. It can also be a trash can or you can possibly refill the popcorn so it is like a new gift all over again. The second reason is the popcorn is delicious. You get three varieties: regular, cheddar, and caramel covered popcorn. There is so much that you can eat and eat, and it never seems to go away. The last reason I think this is the best gift of the season is that when you wrap it, it looks big but in fact, you will only spend approximately five dollars. If you are in doubt this season of a good gift for someone, grab a popcorn tin from Wal-Mart and make someone smile this Christmas season."
Eric Dewyngaert
Advertising Manager
$200 or less
Two words that may never seem to go together are iPod and toilet paper. With the help of ICarta, all that has changed. You no longer have to cart headphones or a stereo into the bathroom so that you can listen to music while you're fixing your hair or whatever other bathroom duties. The ICarta stereo dock and bath tissue paper holder combines the portability of the iPod with the convenience of a docking station for a measly $180 with free shipping and handling from Amazon. So, if you know a music lover and have a couple hundred dollars to spend, look no further than the ICarta stereo dock and bath tissue paper holder.
Brandon Leonard
Online Editor
"Colored like a snowflake, a pretty girl's cheek, or piece of coal, the DS Lite is a perfect gift for anyone. It doesn't matter whether video games are your forte, a game of Mario makes anyone happy. Owners can send each other hand drawn pictures for relief from a boring class or sit around playing Tony Hawk with some child who is way better than you over wireless internet. So no matter who, the Nintendo DS Lite is a great gift for anyone this holiday season and goes for only $130."
Ryan Stone
Visual Arts Editor
"Something I would like for Christmas would be a wah pedal for the bass guitar. They cost anywhere from $100-200, and I really don't care what brand of wah pedal it is as long as it is a good wah pedal. If I received a wah pedal for Christmas I would be very happy, but it wouldn't ruin my Christmas if I didn't get one either."
Theron Willis
Staff Writer
"A season pass to Cataloochee Ski Area would be a great gift because who doesn't love snowboarding and skiing? Everyone could use another excuse to get a little more exercise this holiday season and snowboarding is a great source of cardio. If you are thinking about trying to get a little more snow-time and are wondering where to go, Cataloochee is the first to open and the last to go with the longest season in North Carolina. And in Maggie Valley, the drive is a short but scenic drive through beautiful back roads just beyond Asheville. However, if a season pass is a little too costly, just get that special someone some 'CatCash' that will serve as a few trips of Christmas bliss."
John Schulz
Staff Writer
Everything in between
"I am really looking forward to receiving the complete seasons 1-8 of the famous series, Full House, this Christmas. I grew up watching the show everyday, and have probably seen each episode about twenty times, but this is one of the gifts that is on the top of my list this year. Not only does these DVDs take you back to a time when you were innocent and stress-free, but it is a beloved pastime that millions of kids from the 90s grew up watching.
The seasons 1-8 can be found on the Internet at several different sites, but one store that I know has them in stock is Target. The sale price for each season is $ 29.98, making it a total of approximately $240.00 for all eight seasons that are out on DVD. Normally, if you look on the Target web site you can get these each for about half price."
Anna Goff
Staff Writer
"Bring in the holidays with Christmas cheer, happy faces and warm feet. Slippers are a wonderful gift idea for both men and women, young and old. Their choices in style and design offer unlimited personality matches, whether wacky and fun, or mature and sophisticated. The best for comfort is Dr. Scholl's slippers with memory foam, ranging in price from $15 to $25. Give friends and family the feeling they're walking on cloud nine this Christmas."
Kathryn Fox
Staff Writer
"Digital cameras have been around for a while now, but they can be rather pricey. Surprisingly, there are a few choices that will not empty your bank account. Wal-Mart has a wide selection of the less expensive digital cameras. The VuPoint 5.0 megapixel (mp) is available for only $89.99. The thin retro-style Phillips 3mp is presented at the low price of $58.84. HP Photosmart, Polaroid, and Nikon offer select styles for a little less than $100 dollars, also.
When searching for the right digital camera there are a few things to consider: price, style, brand, and megapixels. A cheaper price will mean sacrificing megapixels, but the higher the megapixels the better quality photos you will be able to take. Not everyone needs to take high quality photographs so the digital cameras that are under $100 are a great gift idea for the average photographer."
Jessica Nix
Staff Writer
"One year, the four kids in my family decided to surprise my parents with a picture frame that held four individual photos and a group photo. One night when my parents were out, we set up a background for taking the pictures. When we had taken all the necessary pictures, we developed them and inserted them into the picture frame. After that, we wrapped it and placed it under the tree. My parents had no idea what we had done until they opened the present and discovered a treasure."
Kaelyn Pfenning
Staff Writer
"Gift cards are popular Christmas present ideas and suggestions. Most commonly spent on clothes or electronics, gift cards are wise stocking stuffers. Probably the best gift card option is for food, and especially for college students that usually means one destination, Waffle House.
With Waffle House as relatively cheap as it is, you could purchase waffles, hash browns and bacon until you pop a blood vessel or go into a heavenly cardiac arrest. Isn't that a dangerous Christmas present then? Not one bit.
If you're looking for the perfect Christmas present for your roommate, friend or significant other, then give the gift that keeps on giving: a gift certificate to Waffle House. I can taste the greasy goodness already."
Evan Hampton
News Editor
"I think the Christmas gift that makes everyone smile is the popcorn tin. First of all, the tins that the popcorn comes in are really nice. They usually have Santa Clauses, Frostys, or maybe even puppies with Santa hats. The tins can be used later after the popcorn is gone to store Christmas stuff, hats or even those awful gifts that your great aunt gave you that you will not need to use until you see her the next year. It can also be a trash can or you can possibly refill the popcorn so it is like a new gift all over again. The second reason is the popcorn is delicious. You get three varieties: regular, cheddar, and caramel covered popcorn. There is so much that you can eat and eat, and it never seems to go away. The last reason I think this is the best gift of the season is that when you wrap it, it looks big but in fact, you will only spend approximately five dollars. If you are in doubt this season of a good gift for someone, grab a popcorn tin from Wal-Mart and make someone smile this Christmas season."
Eric Dewyngaert
Advertising Manager
$200 or less
Two words that may never seem to go together are iPod and toilet paper. With the help of ICarta, all that has changed. You no longer have to cart headphones or a stereo into the bathroom so that you can listen to music while you're fixing your hair or whatever other bathroom duties. The ICarta stereo dock and bath tissue paper holder combines the portability of the iPod with the convenience of a docking station for a measly $180 with free shipping and handling from Amazon. So, if you know a music lover and have a couple hundred dollars to spend, look no further than the ICarta stereo dock and bath tissue paper holder.
Brandon Leonard
Online Editor
"Colored like a snowflake, a pretty girl's cheek, or piece of coal, the DS Lite is a perfect gift for anyone. It doesn't matter whether video games are your forte, a game of Mario makes anyone happy. Owners can send each other hand drawn pictures for relief from a boring class or sit around playing Tony Hawk with some child who is way better than you over wireless internet. So no matter who, the Nintendo DS Lite is a great gift for anyone this holiday season and goes for only $130."
Ryan Stone
Visual Arts Editor
"Something I would like for Christmas would be a wah pedal for the bass guitar. They cost anywhere from $100-200, and I really don't care what brand of wah pedal it is as long as it is a good wah pedal. If I received a wah pedal for Christmas I would be very happy, but it wouldn't ruin my Christmas if I didn't get one either."
Theron Willis
Staff Writer
"A season pass to Cataloochee Ski Area would be a great gift because who doesn't love snowboarding and skiing? Everyone could use another excuse to get a little more exercise this holiday season and snowboarding is a great source of cardio. If you are thinking about trying to get a little more snow-time and are wondering where to go, Cataloochee is the first to open and the last to go with the longest season in North Carolina. And in Maggie Valley, the drive is a short but scenic drive through beautiful back roads just beyond Asheville. However, if a season pass is a little too costly, just get that special someone some 'CatCash' that will serve as a few trips of Christmas bliss."
John Schulz
Staff Writer
Everything in between
"I am really looking forward to receiving the complete seasons 1-8 of the famous series, Full House, this Christmas. I grew up watching the show everyday, and have probably seen each episode about twenty times, but this is one of the gifts that is on the top of my list this year. Not only does these DVDs take you back to a time when you were innocent and stress-free, but it is a beloved pastime that millions of kids from the 90s grew up watching.
The seasons 1-8 can be found on the Internet at several different sites, but one store that I know has them in stock is Target. The sale price for each season is $ 29.98, making it a total of approximately $240.00 for all eight seasons that are out on DVD. Normally, if you look on the Target web site you can get these each for about half price."
Anna Goff
Staff Writer
"Bring in the holidays with Christmas cheer, happy faces and warm feet. Slippers are a wonderful gift idea for both men and women, young and old. Their choices in style and design offer unlimited personality matches, whether wacky and fun, or mature and sophisticated. The best for comfort is Dr. Scholl's slippers with memory foam, ranging in price from $15 to $25. Give friends and family the feeling they're walking on cloud nine this Christmas."
Kathryn Fox
Staff Writer
"Digital cameras have been around for a while now, but they can be rather pricey. Surprisingly, there are a few choices that will not empty your bank account. Wal-Mart has a wide selection of the less expensive digital cameras. The VuPoint 5.0 megapixel (mp) is available for only $89.99. The thin retro-style Phillips 3mp is presented at the low price of $58.84. HP Photosmart, Polaroid, and Nikon offer select styles for a little less than $100 dollars, also.
When searching for the right digital camera there are a few things to consider: price, style, brand, and megapixels. A cheaper price will mean sacrificing megapixels, but the higher the megapixels the better quality photos you will be able to take. Not everyone needs to take high quality photographs so the digital cameras that are under $100 are a great gift idea for the average photographer."
Jessica Nix
Staff Writer
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