RV Christmas Wishlist III – Last, Last Minute Gifts

December 22, 2010 by libertatemamo 11 Comments

Twas a few days before Christmas and all the shopping was done…..or was it?

Last-minute Christmas shopping is a daunting prospect and can drive many a sane person into a blubbering mess. So, for the sake of Christmas harmony and general world peace I decided to finish off my RV Christmas Wishlist series with some last-minute and relaxing gift ideas. All of these babies can be done from the comfort of your home with Christmas music, Santa hat and eggnog in hand:

1/ E-Books for the RVer: Electronic books are perfect gift ideas and even more perfect for RVers. They’re full portable, can be re-used and all you need is a reader. For those without a Kindle or Nook, you can download free readers onto your PC or smartphone and off you go. Here’s a couple of interesting picks for the any existing or aspiring RVer:

• No Excuses -> Go Nomadic – Worried about how to start the full-time lifestyle? From technomadia this book answers all the excuses and how to overcome them. If you’re looking to get on the road or are already on the road and want to expand your horizons this little book can help get you there.
• RV Packing Tips, Easy Living and Life Lessons – by Peggi McDonald A very cool book that goes through all the ins and outs of RV living in a practical way.
• The Original Checklist for RVers – For the RVer who loves to check, Mark Polk has written this and many other useful e-books.

2/ Software: Another gift from the comfort of home. Here’s a couple of festive and cool software ideas for the RVer:

• Microsoft Street & Trips – For the man…or woman…that loves to plan. This is really one of the nicest (in my opinion) trip planning softwares. Keep tips on where others have told you to go, download Walmart and camping locations and so much more. Get the whole thing online.
• iPhone or Smartphone Apps – If you’re the techno type you can go crazy and download all 10 best RVing Apps for your honey for Christmas (the list specifies iPhone, but you can find many of these on a smartphone too).

3/ Home-Made Treats – They say any man can be won over by a good plate of chocolate chip cookies, and in return any woman can be wooed with chocolate. The latter is certainly true for me, and several years ago my I learned to make home-made chocolate truffles. These things are actually really easy to make and are a great last-minute gift item for loved ones with a food penchant. All you need is chocolate and cream. I’m a fan of the cooking for engineers recipe with an added tablespoon of brandy for the festive spirit.

4/ Amazon Gift Card – Ahhh…the joy of gift cards. So simple and so gratifying, especially when you can buy them from home. I love these things and most people love receiving them too. My top pick is Amazon  simply because you can get just about anything there and it’s wonderfully easy to buy a gift-card online. Print it out and deliver by hand or just send via e-mail to the lucky receiver.

5/ Magazine/Club Subscriptions – Who doesn’t love to get the latest news and tips? Or discounts on camping? These are our favorite picks:

• Family Motor Coaching – Probably my absolute favourite of all the RV magazines. The maintenance and upgrade tips are always detailed and interesting.
• Escapees – We really like this club as well as it’s magazine. Nice group of folks and a cool way to introduce newbies to RVing. They have “birds of a feather” groups that cover almost every interest you could think of. As a member you can also get their “Days End” directory of free/low-cost campgrounds.
• Good Sam RV Club – Good Sam’s is a discount camping club which also carries a nice magazine (Highways). Their online forums are very active as well.

That’s it folks. I’ll be doing small jaunts of limited blogging over the next few days as we get through Christmas, but fear not….as Arnold so eloquently put it I will be back, and my Solar RV series (which is sure to inspire, enthrall and electrify) is in the plans for right after the holidays.