Every year, right before Thanksgiving, Oprah does a show that showcases a wonderful variety of good Christmas ideas.

This year, Oprah still shared her favorite things, but with a twist – they cost next to nothing! She felt that because many people are struggling financially this year, it would be wrong to recommend items that cost hundreds of dollars, so she focused on gifts from the heart – that don’t break the bank. From music to books to memorabilia, her ideas are unique and inspiring.

To add to your ideas, this year Oprah highlighted some additional items – all under $100 – in her “O” Magazine. We’ve posted some of our favorites at our Favorite Things 2008 Store, and further down on this page. Enjoy, shop, and don’t go broke doing it!

Treasure boxes

Oprah invited a woman named Connie to be on the show and share her idea about creating Treasure Boxes for her kids. She bought inexpensive treasure chests and finished them herself. Then, she collected up her children’s “treasures” that she had been saving for years. It might have been report cards, an Eagle Scout badge, or a piece of carpet from their first room – anything special and memorable for the child.

Connie’s desire was for the treasure box to be a piece of furniture – not just a cardboard box. That way they could put it on their shelf and keep it forever. That’s why she chose to go with treasure boxes. Her idea was that once you have your keepsakes collected together, that you organize them by year using folders and plastic sleeves from an office supply store.

We’ve done a little snooping around and found a box that looks like it would work very well for this gift – but you can always check out the craft stores like Connie did, and you might really be able to save some money. If the box you find is unfinished that’s no problem – all you need to do is get down to your local hardward store and pick up some wood stain and a can of polyurethane finish. Put a coat of the stain on with a rag, then apply several coats of the polyurethane finish. The more you can put on, the better. Personally, I like to use a satin, or semi-gloss finish for the polyurethane. Then, you can buy a little decorative lock, and your treasure box is ready to give and get huge smiles on Christmas morning!

This is a fantastic idea for a gift from the heart, and one that’s inexpensive and timeless!

Holiday Hits 2008

Another inexpensive idea is to give the gift of music. This year Oprah has picked out eight new Christmas CD’s by some of her favorite artists. From artists like Aretha Franklin, Harry Connick, Jr., Josh Groban, and Tony Bennett, you’re friend or relative is sure to be pleased. Oprah has also included titles from Faith Hill, Il Divo, Brian McKnight, and Amy Grant.

With a selection of artists like that, you’re sure to find a CD that will satisfy just about anyone on your Christmas list – unless, of course, they’re a major Grinch! These tunes might even warm the heart of that guy, too!

Plus, why let everyone else enjoy the sounds of Christmas. Pick up a couple for yourself, too!

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

One of the gifts that Oprah loves to give and receive the most is a great book. She says “And if it’s a book you loved reading, then you’ll be sharing something special.”

This year, Oprah has fallen in love with The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. “It’s an epic tale about the magical bond that this mute boy shares with his dog,” Oprah says. “But it’s so much more than a dog story.”

Do you have someone on your list that is impossible to buy for? Maybe the gift of a book is just the ticket.

Amazon Kindle

Here’s an item that wasn’t on her show, but she was raving about anyway a couple of months ago.

It’s called the Amazon Kindle, and it’s a portable ebook reader available from Amazon.com. At the time, Oprah said it was her ”new favorite thing”. We’ve checked out the Kindle and written a review and also an article about how to use your Kindle.

This is a really cool device, and it’s getting more and more popular all the time. Basically, what you do is download books, magazines, newspapers, and whatever right onto your device through a wireless service. Then, you can read it at your convenience. It’s amazing!

Once again, this will make a great gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list.

Sold out at Amazon? You can always find it at , sometimes at an even better price!

Amazon Kindle 2

NEW Amazon Kindle 3 WIFI eBook Reader in stock

New Amazon Kindle 3

Here’s the Vegetable Box Cook Book – a unique, fun gift for the hard-to-shop for person on your list – especially if they’re concerned about eating healthy.

Product Description

300 ways to make cooking and eating vegetables interesting in this fun format–a truly unique product.

Each book corresponds to two vegetables and an additional feature of the box are the dividers which separate the books – each has a list of recipes contained in the corresponding book for quick reference.

About the Author

Keda Black is a French home cook and food writer. She was born in Zambia and is of a thoroughly mixed Scottish, Bourguignon, Spanish and Italian descent.

Having become a trained chief librarian, she strangely found herself more eager to go out looking for new taste sensations or sweat in front of a hot stove, rather than to sit at a computer scanning databases. So she now divides most of her time between kids and kitchen. Unsurprisingly, her cooking tends to go beyond the boundaries of traditional French cuisine but is never complicated or labored. She has already written about cheesecakes, pot-au-feu, vegetables, charlottes. Her latest books include a step by step basics cookery course as well as a mega Cake Box full of sweet delights.

After having been a long time a food journalist (for Savours, Woman magazine), Catherine Qu’vremont devotes herself entirely to her passions: cooking and writing. She is currently working on her next project: a fruit box to appear soon.

Take a look at the Vegetable Box Cook Book if you’re trying to find a clever gift for the person who has everything!

Bendominos – Dominoes with a Twist!

Bendomino plays just like regular dominoes, but the innovative curved design gives you much more control over the game. Full of challenges, Bendomino offers passionate games in which strategy, luck and good times are always combined. This is a great game for all generations. It is one twist of strategy, two twists of fun.

Here’s a couple of customer reviews from the Amazon website:

Bob says:

“This game is just awesome. The curved domino pieces add a fun twist to the game, allowing to block your opponent from playing his piece if it does not go the right direction. We played the game non-stop with the family on July 4th, could not stop playing, it is addictive. Our five year old nephew was able to join the group and even win a few rounds! Great game for the entire family, highly recommended. ”

Plus, Dennis adds:

“The instructions include several interesting variations of play. My family plays with alternative rules that require adding the ends and getting points for multiples of five. In standard dominoes we like trying to block others from playing. In Bendominoes blocking is more dynamic. You can start with four places to play, but since the dominoes are bent it is possible to block an entire end or just one direction of that end depending on where the other pieces are played. This may limit your opponents ability to play, but you have to be careful not to block yourself and make sure to count the “dead ends”. Another of the standard rules is easier for children to play since the points are not added and the goal is to go out first. Overall this is a great game and in many ways better than classic dominoes and is a good value. The pieces are well crafted and very durable. After playing we decided to buy a set for my parents and are looking forward to playing a four player game over the holidays. ”

Bendominos is a great family game that’s easy to learn and fun to play!