The Best Gift Ever

As I sit here, reflecting back on 50-odd years, there are a LOT of gifts that have both been given and received. As a parent, I tried to give my son not just what he wanted, but also things that were appropriate. My husband and I don’t exchange gifts, for some reason gifts make him uncomfortable and I try and honor that. Choosing just ONE isn’t easy.

Both my son Ben and I love books. Our taste is fairly similar (I think he’d agree that we both love Douglas Coupland, Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski), and we both treasure the books that we love and rarely part with them. I still have my editions of books by Henry Miller and Anais Nin, some of them signed, and a collection of my letters and notes between Ms. Nin, James Leo Herlihy and myself (back in the day when a letter was mailed with a stamp).

A few years ago, I decided to search out first editions and signed first editions of some of Ben’s favorites. I spent six months looking for signed copies of books by Jerry Stahl, Brett Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk and more. For Chanukah he got eight days that included “Glamourama”, “Women” and others. He still has all of those copies and continues to cherish them. I’m guessing that if you asked him, he’d pick those books over the video games, clothes, and even money (that I know he desperately needed).

This year he’s asked for a couple of things, but as always there’s a book. I wonder if I can find a first edition of Thomas Pynchon’s “Gravity’s Rainbow?” I’m guessing that he wants it just for the challenge (it’s supposed to be a very difficult book to read). What do you think? Can I make THIS year’s gift be the best ever? We’ll have to wait and see….

Why did SWAGG ask me to write this post? Well, they want you to know more about them. SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards.

For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000. You know that this is a charity that I support, having written about it MANY times.

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

SWAGG has partnered with non-profit Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to SU2C up to $125,000. Awesome, right?! Visit the SU2C site for more info http://www.standup2cancer.org/

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a lucky pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! The sweepstakes is offered exclusively through the Clever 1000, and it has a pretty kick butt prize, including:

• 2 night/3 day stay at Yarrow Hotel in Park City Utah (Jan 21 – Jan 23, 2011)
• Ground transportation to and from hotel to airport in Park City, Utah
• Dinner for two at Tao Lounge, including 2 nightclub passes
• All access to The House of SWAGG Gifting Suite
• 2 tickets to a movie premiere on Saturday, January 22nd — movie tbd
• $4,000 value

Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity.