#gift it

Introducing Gift It – A Social Generosity App

A new Twitter follower I followed back, Gift It Philippines (@letsgift2gether), sent me their link to a free app that they followed a message, “Try our free app giftitapp.net if you want to offer or receive gifts with your friends and family. The largest online gift social network for merchants and charity foundations.” Curious, I clicked to the website.

There are two buttons at the eye-level page – Download App | Be A Gift It Partner.

The latter means if you are one of those organizations, e.g. non-profit, foundation, NGO, that accepts donations to provide social services to the needy. However, for us individuals and communities, downloading the app is the choice to go with.

“Gift it enables someone to launch personalized gift campaigns to fund any gift items from merchant shops or charity causes from foundation partners. Gift it makes celebration of any occasion fun, exciting and convenient.”

There are five services Gift It provides:

Personalized Campaigns is described as gathering your family and friends to chip in to a gift you want for yourself or others.

Secret Angels looks like donating to a charity program of your choice, whether you’re publicly know or secretly hidden.

Cash Back Points means every time you give, you earn gift points which you can convert back to cash for more gift-giving.

Gift Registry sounds like something you do for your wedding, and that’s exactly what it is regardless if your friend is getting wed or not.

Transparency allows you to monitor your gifts and payments through history logs, and comment on any campaign that interests you.

GiftIt writes that all its merchants and foundations are pre-screened for your security. It uses the verified “check” sign for “peace of mind.”

So far, GiftIt lists its “Life Partners”:

·         World Vision

·         Operation Blessing

·         Care for the Eldeerly Foundation, Inc.

·         Unicef

·         Haribon Foundation

·         Davao Children’s Cancer Fund Inc.

·         WWF-Philippines (Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas)

·         Rise Above Foundation Cebu

·         SOS Children’s Village Philippines

·         Make Your Nanay Proud (MYNP) Foundation, Inc.

·         iCare

·         Uplift Movement Foundation Inc.

·         Kythe Foundation Inc.

·         CARA Welfare Philippines

·         Christian Action for Relief and Empowerment (CARE) Inc.

·         Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, Inc.

·         The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

·         Called to Rescue

Click to www.giftitapp.net.

Give the gift of relaxation this holiday!  (or give it to yourself, you know you deserve it)

Bath Soaks by Herbivore Botanicals

10oz Renew, Calm or Detox - $18 16ox Cypress, Coconut Milk and Sea Soak - $28

Julia and Alex are the creators of all Herbivore Botanicals. Herbivore Botanicals are gentle, mild and truly natural.  Every scent and color you find in an Herbivore Botanicals product will be from nature, never a synthetic fragrance or an artificial dye. This means that our products are safe for everyone- even the most sensitive skinned individual. Herbivore Botanicals soaps work well as face or body soaps.

$

Dear Santa, 

Don't tell me if I've been naughty, don't tell me if I've been nice. Let's be honest, we ALL know that answer to that. The only thing I need to know... is how to get my hands on these rockin' gifts.

Art, for the sake of obsession... Royal #3 UltraChrome print with hand-painted acrylic gloss, drymounted onto 2' deep birch wood by NOT A GALLERY's Creative Direction, Justin Belmont. I know, that's sexy. 

There's clearly someone (aka Luxirare) out there who is smarter than me... because this is bloody brilliant. Camera bag, meet my handbag. Handbag, meet my camera bag. And to top it all off, its freakin' furry. Meow. 

A good notebook never goes out of style. And Jasper + Black's Archie Grand collection offers 120 pages of high quality paper to soak up your secrets. My picks: Photographers I Met And Liked, Travelers I Met And Liked... and of course, Capitalists. 

Santa wouldn't dare to bring me a gift and leave my baby Nikon empty handed. This holiday season, she's getting suited up like Barney Stintson with Camera Amror which is heat stable up to 42- degrees Fahrenheit and 100% shock absorbent. Translation: she'll be ready for the 2011 festival season. And I'll be rocking these adorable Camera Lens Bracelets.

I've been living in Nikon nirvana these past few months. And then my friends at SPREADHouse had to bring me back to reality. While my D90 has been the perfect boy-toy, I'm a fickle gal, and someone else has caught my attention. Hello, D7000. Hello 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor, 6 fps continuous shooting and Full. 1080p HD Movies. Amen. 

I love me a good postcard and the Ruben Toledo collection from Louis Vuitton is just about as good as it gets. The collector’s box of postcards celebrates Ruben Toledo’s work for Louis Vuitton over the last decade; the Cuban painter, sculptor and fashion illustrator captures 100 world cities in 100 cards. Vibrant, distinct and truly transporting.

Ok, I SO don't need this (right up there with my Made & Co. axe) but I really want it. It's sleek, it's fast and it's super sexy. It's just 8.8 lbs, and it's a Porsche Design bobsled. Need I say more?

Brothers, artists, creators, Renaissance men. That's the best I've got to explain Danny and David Roberts, who in the past year, have continuously inspired me (and millions of others) with their unique take on art, fashion, illustration and blogging. They're born from a new flock of creators, one with no bounds or limitations. For Christmas, I want to be one of the lucky in Danny's Blogger Portrait Series... the key is to earn ones keep. Do yourself a favor and peruse everything that is Igor & Andre.

I'm an action-packed-adventure type of gal, but lately I've been exhausted. What's the best cure for exhaustion? Oh, a luxury cruise through the Mediterranean, DUH. Imagine cruising like royalty on a yacht, the crew ready to cater to your every whim. Gourmet cuisine overseen by Charlie Palmer of Aureole in New York. Free-flowing caviar and champagne are included in this cruise fare, and that's just the beginning of the Seabourn experience. I know, I'm a cheap date. 

My mom had twins. And I have an iPad and a Macbook Pro. She used to dress us the same, but I like the give my babies their own unique look. iPad, the Vers all-natural, bamboo covering with a metal foot and steel reinforcements. For my Macbook, the Temple Laptop Sleeve inspired by old letters that loved ones would send back and forth during WWII.  Each sleeve is designed to look just like an envelope and has an authentic 1930's - 1940's era European or American stamp on it. After all, a normal laptop is just a little bit retro.

Yeah, I’ll admit it – I’m proud of my travels – and love to chronicle them. There’s no better feeling than crossing a trip off a list, I mean an actual, physical list and Harry Cheng’s new “Been There, Done That” is the checklist worth ticking off on. With 40 quirky lists including a list of every country in the world, from Peru to Portugal and Zambia to Zimbabwe, you can record your travel experiences - both past and present - and plan for the future with a complete A to Z travel guide. My favorite: the Big Mac index with price and size per country. Necessary, I know. 

I’m a control freak, so don’t tell me how to organize my stuff. Just give me a ‘suggestion’ on how to manage it. Enter GRID-IT, which provides endless configurations for all digital items and personal junk. It’s like a game of tetris, for the quintessentially OCD. And with all those gadgets, perfectly in place, a sweet set of speakers will be required. I'm eyeing the Tumi travel speaker, just sayin'. 

The only reason the Abeplanet Headphones are on this guide is because I need a new pair. I’ve worn them out, they’re on their last leg and the light at the end of the tunnel is closing in…. Think noise cancelation, in-line volume control, headband padding and…. 100%, 100 PERCENT foldable. I mean these babies fold down to the size of my palm. Dude. 

I'm obsessed with these. Step 1: Buy a BFF bracelet online and they will send a matching one to a friend... and not just any friend, a brave soldier overseas. Step 2: Register the number engraved on your bracelet and Step 3: Say hello to your armed forces friend in an uber-cool online community. Proceeds go to charity, but you really can't put a price on a new friend. 

I never got the whole sleeping bag fuss. And then I spent a night without one on the border of Pakistan. I’d rather not relive the moment. But my tragic Himalayas-sans-sleeping bag experience is nothing compared to what The Selk’nam have endured. Hailing from Chilean’s Austral Extreme, also known as Tierra del Fuego or Land of Fire (you know, right between Spring & Broome), they silently resisted cold, fatigue, hunger and thirst (just like when the Jane Hotel closed down mid-winter). No, its not waterproof and there’s no zipper-fly (sorry ladies), but the Selk’ Bag will have you looking fresh in the forest.  

Snowbunnies & Snowboarders? Check please. I’m itching for the X Games this winter. More than 200 of the best action sports athletes will compete in Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowmobiling in Aspen for the premier Winter X event. This will be the 10th consecutive year that Winter X Games has been held in Aspen, Colo. Tickets would be just a perfect stocking stuffer.  

I think I deserve a John Cusack “Say Anything” moment. And that old “boom boxes are so passé” excuse just won’t fly anymore thanks to this 1980’s style stereo fully equipped with a digital recorder (aka mix-tapes!), an LCD screen and iPod player... all you need now is a lawn mower. If you don’t know what I am referring to, stop reading my blog. Seriously, stop.  

It's a pretty simple concept. Money, towards a once-in-a-lifetime experience or much needed city escape with Jetsetter's Gift Card. It's the perfect gift for anyone, everyone, and well, me because to give the gift of travel is priceless (lame, but true).

For when I am staying put: the collectors editions of  "Four Years in Paradise" & "I Married Adventure: The Lives of Martin and Osa Johnson" (how fitting!?) which chronicles the explorations of the pair in 1940. The newer versions have added historical notes, Johnson's photographs of charging elephants, reposing lions and headhunters roasting heads. But the original hardcover collector’s edition is shelf-worthy. And for when I am on the go: Airdiem’s Narghile’s travel hookah. Distribution is very limited; some have been spotted in Dubai and pricing starts around $1000 for the base pewter model and up to $5,000 for limited edition models (gold, corral motif, etc). “Oh I’ll just grab my portable hookah....” How brill would that be.

The commercials and ad’s have gotten to me. I feel like a little kid screaming “I want one, I want one!” But I DO want one, a GoPRO HD Helmet HERO Camera. Professional-grade full HD video up to 1080p; 60 frames per second option in 720p and WVGA resolutions provides liquid smooth slow motion playback; the industry’s widest angle (170º) and sharpest lens captures more of the scene; and includes easy to apply mounts for attaching camera to virtually all helmets. GoPRO HD Helmet HERO Camera, check please. 

Not willing to pay high Beijing rent, recent architecture school graduate Dai Haifei designed a cool-looking ‘egg house’ to sleep in outside of his studio. It smacks a bit of publicity stunt, but it’s actually a cool design that re-envisions how people might utilize urban space in the future. Can we see these along the streets of Mumbai? I think so... and if not, I'm so down to bunker up in one this summer when I can't decide between Fire Island, Sag Harbour and Montauk.

I once made a friends bed and after serious criticism and dissapointment at my techniques, he offered up this solution. The bed that makes itself - the ZIP Bed- which turns into a big ol' pod. Throw on some ikat pillows from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and you've got a bed worth dreaming of. 

Even to the world’s most seasoned jetsetter, voyaging to the earth’s northernmost point on a nuclear-powered icebreaker sounds like a science fiction fantasy. It is indeed an exotic adventure, but it's totally possible — and there's no better outfit for making it happen than Quark Expeditions, who will take 128 intrepid travelers to the North Pole on this trip of a lifetime. Over two weeks, passengers cruise the icy extremes of the world’s northernmost latitudes, encountering charismatic wildlife and endless panoramas of startling blues and whites, ultimately reaching 90° North. Santaaaa, come on! I know you wanna hang out (wink). 

$

Dear Santa, 

Don't tell me if I've been naughty, don't tell me if I've been nice. Let's be honest, we ALL know that answer to that. The only thing I need to know... is how to get my hands on these rockin' gifts.

Art, for the sake of obsession... Royal #3 UltraChrome print with hand-painted acrylic gloss, drymounted onto 2' deep birch wood by NOT A GALLERY's Creative Direction, Justin Belmont. I know, that's sexy. 

There's clearly someone (aka Luxirare) out there who is smarter than me... because this is bloody brilliant. Camera bag, meet my handbag. Handbag, meet my camera bag. And to top it all off, its freakin' furry. Meow. 

A good notebook never goes out of style. And Jasper + Black's Archie Grand collection offer 120 pages of high quality paper to soak up your secrets. My picks: Photographers I Met And Liked, Travelers I Met And Liked... and of course, Capitalists. 

Santa wouldn't dare to bring me a gift and leave my baby Nikon empty handed. This holiday season, she's getting suited up like Barney Stintson with Camera Amror which is heat stable up to 42- degrees Fahrenheit and 100% shock absorbent. Translation: she'll be ready for the 2011 festival season. And I'll be rocking these adorable Camera Lens Bracelets.

I've been living in Nikon nirvana these past few months. And then my friends at SPREADHouse had to bring me back to reality. While my D90 is been the perfect boy-toy these past few months, I'm a fickle gal, and someone else has caught my attention. Hello, D7000. Hello 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor, 6 fps continuous shooting and Full. 1080p HD Movies. Amen. 

I love me a good postcard and the Ruben Toledo collection from Louis Vuitton is just about as good as it gets. The collector’s box of postcards celebrates Ruben Toledo’s work for Louis Vuitton over the last decade; the Cuban painter, sculptor and fashion illustrator captures 100 world cities in 100 cards. Vibrant, distinct and truly transporting.

Ok, I SO don't need this (right up there with my Made & Co. axe and tk) but I really want it. It's sleek, it's fast and it's super sexy. It's just 8.8 lbs, and it's a Porsche Design bobsled. Need I say more?

Brothers, artists, creators, Renaissance men. That's the best I've got to explain Danny and David Roberts, who in the past year, have continuously inspired me (and millions of others) with their unique take on art, fashion, illustration and blogging. They're born from a new flock of creators, one with no bounds or limitations. For Christmas, I want to be one of the lucky in Danny's Blogger Portrait Series... the key is to earn ones keep. Do yourself a favor and peruse everything that is Igor & Andre.

I'm an action-packed-adventure type of gal, but lately I've been exhausted. What's the best cure for exhaustion? Oh, a luxury cruise through the Mediterranean, DUH. Imagine cruising like royalty on a yacht, the crew ready to cater to your every whim. Gourmet cuisine overseen by Charlie Palmer of Aureole in New York. Free-flowing caviar and champagne are included in this cruise fare, and that's just the beginning of the Seabourn experience. I know, I'm a cheap date. 

My mom had twins. And I have an iPad and a Macbook Pro. She used to dress us the same, but I like the give my babies their own unique look. iPad, the Vers all-natural, bamboo covering with a metal foot and steel reinforcements. For my Macbook, the Temple Laptop Sleeve inspired by old letters that loved ones would send back and forth during WWII.  Each sleeve is designed to look just like an envelope and has an authentic 1930's - 1940's era European or American stamp on it. After all, a normal laptop is just a little but retro.

Yeah, I’ll admit it – I’m proud of my travels – and love to chronicle them. There’s no better feeling than crossing a trip off a list, I mean an actual, physical list and Harry Cheng’s new “Been There, Done That” is the checklist worth ticking off on. With 40 quirky lists including a list of every country in the world, from Peru to Portugal and Zambia to Zimbabwe, you can record your travel experiences - both past and present - and plan for the future with a complete A to Z travel guide. My favorite: the Big Mac index with price and size per country. Necessary, I know. 

I’m a control freak, so don’t tell me how to organize my stuff. Just give me a ‘suggestion’ on how to manage it. Enter GRID-IT, which provides endless configurations for all digital items and personal junk. It’s like a game of tetris, for the quintessentially OCD. And with all those gadgets, perfectly in place, a sweet set of speakers will be required. I'm eyeing the Tumi travel speaker, just sayin'. 

The only reason the Abeplanet Headphones are on this guide is because I need a new pair. I’ve worn them out, they’re on their last leg and the light at the end of the tunnel is closing in…. Think noise cancelation, in-line volume control, headband padding and…. 100%, 100 PERCENT foldable. I mean these babies fold down to the size of my palm. Dude. 

I'm obsessed with these. Step 1: Buy A BFF bracelet online and they will send a matching one to a friend... and not just any friend, a brave soldier overseas. Step 2: Register the number engraved on your bracelet and Step 3: Say hello to your armed forces friend in an uber-cool online community. Proceeds go to charity, but you really can't put a price on a new friend. 

I never got the whole sleeping bag fuss. And then I spent a night without one on the border of Pakistan. I’d rather not relive the moment. But my tragic Himalayas-sans-sleeping bag experience is nothing compared to what The Selk’nam have endured. Hailing from Chilean’s Austral Extreme, also known as Tierra del Fuego or Land of Fire (you know, right between Spring & Broome), they silently resisted cold, fatigue, hunger and thirst (just like when the Jane Hotel closed down mid-winter). No, its not waterproof and there’s no zipper-fly (sorry ladies), but the Selk’ Bag will have you looking fresh in the forest.  

Snowbunnies & Snowboarders? Check please. I’m itching for the X Games this winter. More than 200 of the best action sports athletes will compete in Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowmobiling in Aspen for the premier Winter X event. This will be the 10th consecutive year that Winter X Games has been held in Aspen, Colo. Tickets would be just a perfect stocking stuffer.  

I think I deserve a John Cusack “Say Anything” moment. And that old “boom boxes are so passé” excuse just won’t fly anymore. Thanks to this 1980’s style stereo fully equipped with a digital recorder (aka mix-tapes!), an LCD screen and iPod player, all you need now is a lawn mower. If you don’t know what I am referring to, stop reading my blog. Seriously, stop.  

It's pretty a pretty simple concept. Money, towards a once-in-a-lifetime experience or much needed city escape with Jetsetter's Gift Card. It's the perfect gift for anyone, everyone, and well, me because to give the gift of travel is priceless (lame, but true).

For when I am staying put: the collectors editions of  "Four Years in Paradise" & "I Married Adventure: The Lives of Martin and Osa Johnson" (how fitting!?) which chronicles the explorations of the pair in 1940. The newer versions have added historical notes, Johnson's photographs of charging elephants, reposing lions and headhunters roasting heads. But the original hardcover, collector’s edition is shelf-worthy. And for when I am on the go: Airdiem’s Narghile’s travel hookah. Distribution is very limited; some have been spotted in Dubai and pricing starts around $1000 for the base pewter model and up to $5,000 for limited edition models (gold, corral motif, etc). “Oh I’ll just grab my portable hookah....” How brill would that be.

The commercials' and ad’s have gotten to me. I feel like a little kid screaming “I want one, I want one!” But I DO want one, a GoPRO HD Helmet HERO Camera. Professional-grade full HD video up to 1080p; 60 frames per second option in 720p and WVGA resolutions provides liquid smooth slow motion playback; the industry’s widest angle (170º) and sharpest lens captures more of the scene; and includes easy to apply mounts for attaching camera to virtually all helmets. GoPRO HD Helmet HERO Camera, check please. 

Not willing to pay high Beijing rent, recent architecture school graduate Dai Haifei designed a cool-looking ‘egg house’ to sleep in outside of his studio. It smacks a bit of publicity stunt, but it’s actually a cool design that re-envisions how people might utilize urban space in the future. Can we see these along the streets of Mumbai? I think so... and if not, I'm so down to bunker up in one this summer when I can't decide between Fire Island, Sag Harbour and Montauk.

I once made a friends bed and after serious criticism and dissapointment at my techniques, he offered up this solution. The bed that makes it self - the ZIP Bed- which turns into a big ol' pod. Throw on some ikat pillows from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and you've got a bed worth dreaming of. 

Even to the world’s most seasoned jetsetter, voyaging to the earth’s northernmost point on a nuclear-powered icebreaker sounds like a science fiction fantasy. It is indeed an exotic adventure, but it's totally possible — and there's no better outfit for making it happen than Quark Expeditions, who will take 128 intrepid travelers to the North Pole on this trip of a lifetime. Over two weeks, passengers cruise the icy extremes of the world’s northernmost latitudes, encountering charismatic wildlife and endless panoramas of startling blues and whites, ultimately reaching 90° North. Santaaaa, come on! I know you wanna hang out (wink).