Outside the Box Gift Ideas

Tried and truly appreciated by Central Coast Family testers

Do you want your family to put aside the electronics and share a fun bonding experience? Fireside Games Castle Panic is a unique, cooperative strategy game for 1 to 6 players ages 10 and up to play in 1 hour. Players must work together to defend their castle, in the center of the board, from monsters that attack out of the forest, at the edges of the board. Players trade cards, slay monsters, and plan strategies together to keep their castle towers intact. The players either win or lose together, but only the player with the most victory points is declared the Master Slayer. Players must balance the survival of the group with their own desire to win. The Wizards Tower is an expansion to Castle Panic for 1 to 6 players ages 12 and up. It adds to the challenge with additional elements for experienced players. Fireside Games creates innovative, accessible board games that everyone can enjoy. Their games encourage players to cooperate and interact in new ways that spark creativity, encourage strategic thinking, and inspire the imagination. Retail: $35.00. www.firesidegames.com Heres a handy life hack that everyone can find a use for. Clip-N-Clamp is an innovative multipurpose device holder that combines the sturdiness and reliability of a ball-and-socket flexible arm with the strength and dependability of a powerful spring-loaded clamp and a quickrelease clip-on buckle. With an array of clip-on accessories that can hold many different objects, you get a highly functional holder that allows you to position many different devices, such as a cellphone or a GPS in your car, a camera or a camcorder on the trail or at an event, a flash or a flag in the photo studio, or a mirror or sunshade on a stroller. Retail: $24.95. http://clip-n-clamp.com

Tried & True

the repellent creates a 225 square-foot area of repellency, the size of an average deck, patio, or campsite. ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent provides effective, silent, virtually odorless, protection. Its small, portable and re-useable (with 12-hour refills). It has no open flame and no contact with skin or clothing. We love the dual-function of the attractive patio lantern; repellent and light features can be used together or separately. Retail: $29.99. www.thermacell.com

This one is perfect for campers and BBQ lovers. ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent Lanterns and Appliances are powered by a single butane cartridge. The heat generated by the butane cartridge vaporizes the repellent allethrin (naturally occuring in chrysanthemum flowers), allowing it to rise into the air. It repels mosquitoes, black flies, and no-see-ums, and will not harm humans or pets. Within minutes,

Who couldnt use help staying properly hydrated? CamelBaks best-selling eddy water bottle now has a redesigned cap for greater durability and faster flow. The eddy .75L bottle is 100% BPAfree and built with a patented flip-top bite valve that lets you sip without tipping or spilling perfect on the go. The integrated loop handle can be hooked to a carabiner or carried in the crook of one finger. It is dishwasher safe. Flip, Bite and Sip. No tipping required. The wide-mouth is easy to fill with ice and water and a breeze to clean. And you gotta love CamelBaks lifetime guarantee. Retail: 4L Kids bottle $13.00, .75L bottle $15.00. CamelBaks Groove bottle filters 20 ounces of water as you sip, so you can hydrate anywhere. This BPA-free, spill-proof bottle turns tap water into filtered water. The replaceable, sustainable filter built into the straw lasts about 3 months (or 48 gallons of water). Retail: .6L $20.00. www.camelbak.com

For those who prefer, Pura Stainless Steel offers a toxin free water bottle option for adults and kids. These electro-polished stainless steel bottles are resistant to corrosion and staining. Pura is the only bottle on the global market that is 100% plastic free, meaning it cant leach harmful chemicals into your childs water. The 0.6L bottle is a great size to toss in a lunch box or pack. Puras beautiful bottles are available in an array of fun colors. Retail: .6L $15.99, Kiki 11oz Toddler Bottle $15.99 (with silicone Sipper Spout). www.purastainless.com

Whether preschool or elementary, language arts or math, Blue Orange has a teacher-approved and age-appropriate game to build brain power through play! 20 Express is a bingo-style game that calls for logical thinking, figuring probabilities, and a healthy dose of luck. Each player has a train of 20 cars to fill with numbers. The goal is to make long series of ascending numbers. With every draw, players must decide the best train car to assign the number. Some numbers may be pulled twice, and a wild tile can save a series. The longer the

series, the more points it earns. 20 Express guarantees edge-of-yourseat fun while stretching kids mental math abilities. For ages 8 to adult and unlimited players. Retail: $19.99.

available in regular, tall, and petite lengths, and they even have a handy rear waistband slit pocket. Best of all, they look good in the gym and almost everywhere else! You have nothing to lose by trying them: Brooks products come with a no-questions-asked, 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Retail: $75. www.brooksrunning.com

Spot it! Basic English boosts emergent reading skills while having fun. Players race to be the first to spot matches between a word and its corresponding picture, between two pictures, or between two words. This educational edition of the best selling Spot it! game includes sight words, the most common words in English. Automatic recognition of words builds confidence and speeds literacy development. Parents can play along to reinforce learning at home while bonding with their child. Also available in Spanish and French! For ages 5 to 7 and 2 8 Players. Retail: $12.99. www.blueorangegames.com

The Ponderables series is here! These make great gifts for anyone from 9 to 99. PHYSICS: An Illustrated History of the Foundations of Science by Tom Jackson (Shelter Harbor Press, Oct 2013) is an authoritative reference book and timeline, filled with 100 milestone facts, upon which all scientific knowledge rests. Without physics, everything else from astronomy to zoology would be meaningless conjecture. Follow physics through the ages as great scientists, such as Thales, Galileo, Feynman, and many others, gradually unpick the fabric of the Universe to reveal an array of fundamental forces, intangible particles and indestructible energy. PHYSICS is an authoritative and lively text lavished with exciting imagery, and helpful diagrams accompany each of the steps along the way to make complex physics accessible to everyone. It includes a removable fold-out 12page Timeline History of Physics on one-side and 12 pages detailing the Systme International (SI), a set of units that can measure anything in the Universe, on the other side. Also available from the Ponderables Series: Mathematics, The Elements, and The Universe. Retail Price: $24.95.

for dogs with a fully adjustable opening to accommodate various sized treats and fun wobbling motion. The large size can hold quite a bit of treats and kibble in dual chambers. It is easy to fill and clean hard plastic with adjustable openings to customize the challenge of releasing treats as your dog paws, nudges, and chases. Dogs love that it bobs and tilts on a weighted, anti-slip base. This toy provides hours of challenging play, especially important for bored or anxious home-bound dogs. Available in large and small sizes. Retail: $12.99-20.99.

Give a young lady in your life an inspirational piece that encourages her to reach for the stars and chase her dreams. Isabelle Grace Jewelrys Soar Tag Necklace is a unique and elegant reminder that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. They make perfect gifts for graduates. Approximately 3/4 inch long by 1/2 inch wide and made of sterling silver and 22 kt gold by hand in the USA. Customizable dangles (including birth stones) can be added. Retail: $85.00. www.isabellegracejewelry.com

If you have tried clicker training a dog, you will appreciate the ProTraining CLICKER. You can speed learning up to 50% by marking the precise moment that good behavior occurs with a clicker, and this one is deluxe. A step-by-step training guide is included. This clicker is comfortable, responsive, and easy to hold. The raised button prevents missed clicks, and the stainless clicker wont rust. Retail: $7.99.

Many women are always on the lookout for the perfect yoga pants. Brooks Womens Glycerin Pant III stand out on the trail, track, road, or gym with a flattering semi-fitted straight leg cut, asymmetric waistband, and all-day comfort. The moisturemoving stretch fabric and flatlock chafe-resistant seams will make these your go-to pants. They are

Another favorite is the Treat Dispensing Chew Ball. This toy is Dog lovers will appreciate Star extremely durable, but soft in your Marks award winning training dogs mouth. It can hold a variety tools and toys. The Treat of treats or kibble, and you can Dispensing Bob-a-lot provides increase the challenge by adding endless enjoyment and exercise smaller treats inside.

Even powerful chewers will enjoy this toy for a long time, as it is made of virtually indestructible material stronger than rubber (free of latex, vinyl & phthalates). Retail: $6.99 http://starmarkacademy.com

hardware turns a leash into a harness instantly. The safe pressure greatly reduces pulling. ThunderLeash can help make walking your dog a hassle free, positive experience. With this handy leash, you may finally be able to walk your dog, instead of being walked by your dog! Retail: $29.95. www.thundershirt.com

Is your pet unusually nervous or excitable? ThunderShirt uses gentle hugging to calm dogs or cats. Its patented design provides gentle, constant pressure that can have a dramatic calming effect for most pets if they are anxious, fearful, or overexcited. Experts believe that pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system, possibly by releasing calming hormones like endorphins. Using pressure to relieve anxiety in people and animals has been a common practice for years. This product truly worked wonders on testers timid and stressed animals. ThunderShirt comes in seven different sizes. Retail: $39.95.

ThunderLeash is a simpler no pull solution. The innovative

Tried & True

Outside the Box Gift Ideas
Know any kids who spend too much time in front of a screen? For toys that are so fun, they will inspire more trips outside, it is hard to beat Aerobie Sport Products! Our family loves to play with their aerodynamic and ergonomic flying discs, rings, and balls. Aerobie Pro Ring flies so well and far, first time users are warned to fly in open spaces away from trees and bodies of water. We were stunned by how fast and far it flew with the least effort. In fact, the 13 Pro Ring holds the Guinness World Record for the farthest throw 1,333 feet! It makes for a thrilling game of catch with a partner over 100 yards away in a large park or sports field. Our favorite part of this ring (and all Aerobie flyers) is the soft rubber edge that makes catching it as easy as throwing. It comes in three bright colors and is suitable for ages 12 and up. Smaller or younger throwers will love the Aerobie Sprint flying ring, which can be flown with less space. We also enjoy the accuracy of the Aerobie 10 Superdisc, and especially love the 12 Skylighter Disc, which flies long and straight with an LED light show! Its more fun when the sun goes down. With this disc in play, you may find (as we do) that strangers cannot resist asking to join the game. The soft spiraling Aerobie Football is easy fun for all ages. Aerobie even makes an extra durable Dogobie Disc to get your canine friends in on the action. Be sure to check out other products, such as golf discs, tops and yoyos. Prices range from $4 to $49. Learn more at http://aerobie.com, or ask for Aerobie Sport Toys at your favorite local toy store. guests of all ages have to pick them up and investigate. Once you start to play, you really cant put it down until you make it to the end! Prices range from $16-25. More information can be found at http://perplexus.net. Flowtoys is another company creating unique and wonderful toys to motivate movement and self-expression. Our favorite product is their Flow-wand levitation stick. This enchanting toy was inspired by a magicians dancing cane, to be used in creative movement that will become almost meditative and amaze onlookers. Flow-wands come in 4 iridescent shades and retail for $22.95. Lighted varieties are also available.

Another favorite toy among our family and friends is the Perplexus maze game. These challenging toys involve maneuvering a small marble through twisting colorful barriers within a transparent sphere. You can follow various tracks to complete each threedimensional maze, and there are many ways to play as a single player or competing with friends, so players dont lose interest. Perplexus comes in four versions; Original, Rookie, Epic, and Twist, suitable for players ages 6 and up. Players flip, twist, and spin the sphere and work with gravity to guide the marble. This exercise and focus assists in development of motor and dexterity skills, as well as hand-eye coordination. And no batteries are required! Originally created by 3-D design teacher Michael McGinnis as an art project, Perplexus spheres are as attractive as they are engaging. Around our house,

LunaStix Juggling Sticks have also become quite popular around here. These innovative sport toys will get everyone up and moving. Once you feel the balance point, the basic juggling moves are easy to master, and this fun activity soon becomes soothing, as well as entertaining. In fact, juggling LunaStix can help to relieve stress and calm the mind. Of course, juggling is also great for developing focus, coordination and motor skills. LunaStix come in many colors and five models: Equinox (top-ofthe-line), Master (most versatile, and available in glow-in-thedark), Wizard (for advanced fast spinning tricks), Jester (slower spinning), and Kid (sized for ages 6-10). Prices range from $25 to $60 for each set and many local toy stores carry LunaStix. Learn more at www.lunastix.com.

A close second favorite flow toy is the Toroflux, a mesmerizing kinetic sculpture that resembles a four dimensional Slinky. The Toroflux, made of a single interlocking strand of metal, is very tactile and addictive to play with. It folds flat into a handy carrying pouch, then pops up for action. You can put your hand through it and it will run safely along your arm and can be passed from one person to another. Toroflux are $20 each. Find more information and view these and other flow toys in action at www.flowtoys.com.

decay rates, and help to prevent infections, asthma and allergies, all with 40% fewer calories than sugar. But the best part is that it tastes yummy! Our familys favorite product is Spry Xylitol Gum, which comes in Cinnamon, Fresh Fruit, Green Tea, Peppermint, and Spearmint flavors. This refreshing chewing gum is delicious, soft, and long lasting, but you can enjoy it all the more for its health benefits. Xlear products come in colorful packages just right for slipping into stockings or topping off a gift and can be found in many vitamin and natural food stores throughout the Central Coast. Prices range from $4 to $29.

Though not a toy, we discovered a healthful product that would make a great small gift. Gum, candy, mints, sweeteners, and toothpaste made by Xlear, Inc. (pronounced clear) provide a tasty and easy way to reduce tooth decay and prevent ear and sinus infections. These products contain xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in fruits and vegetables. Xylitol has been researched for over 40 years, and found to safely fight cavities, significantly reduce tooth