ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

Great for the blogger who wants to really build up their blog. There are many things you need to do to build a successful blog, and this book can be a help figuring it all out.

Digital Camera

Images can really help to make a blog stand out. I’ve often thought I should use more of them. A good camera can be a big help to a successful blog.

Flip Mino

Video is getting more and more important to successful blogging, and the Flip Mino has become hugely popular with bloggers. It’s affordable and small.

Hosting

Website hosting can be particularly nice for the person who’s just thinking about getting started with a blog. A year with Host Gator, the company I host this site with, is quite reasonable.

ThinkGeek.com

I could get into so much trouble shopping at ThinkGeek. Too much really fun stuff. For bloggers there are some fun t-shirts, such as the “I’m Blogging This” t-shirt or babydoll tee, as well as the “Reduce, Reuse, Retweet” t-shirt. Or lots of neat stuff for the desk and home office.

Laptop or Netbook

There have been so many times I’ve wanted a laptop or netbook to make working away from home just a bit easier… or even just working in the front or back yard and watching the kids play. With Wi-Fi available in so many places, a laptop or netbook can be a fun productivity tool for your favorite blogger.

Extra Monitor

A dual monitor setup is another highly welcome way to help your favorite blogger be more productive. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to see multiple programs up at once.

Exercise Ball

I first learned about how wonderful an exercise ball can be when I was pregnant with my oldest child. But they’re good for bloggers too. Get a big enough one to sit on, and it encourages just a bit of movement even while sitting at the computer. Or they can be used for a variety of exercises. Blogging is so sedentary that if you aren’t careful, that weight just creeps on.

On a related note, exercise balls are great for kids too. A mid size one can work for a chair for kids doing their homework as well as for fun exercises.

I worked as a medical transcriptionist for a few years.  I hope this helped me to think of the things you might buy that a transcriptionist would appreciate.

Typing Gloves

A good typing glove helps with hand pain from typing for so many hours of the day. They aren’t a bad idea at all for anyone who does a lot of work on the computer. A good pair supports the hand but doesn’t inhibit movement.

Shirts and More from CafePress

Creative people have submitted all kinds of designs to CafePress, and there are some really great shirts, mugs and more for transcriptionists.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

A great productivity tool for the right transcriptionist. It takes some training to get it to work well enough for transcription purposes, but if you know a transcriptionist who’s been talking about trying it, what better gift?

Ergonomic Keyboard

You do have to be a bit careful about ergonomic keyboards. Just about any one you find out there some will love and some will hate. But if you know of one that has been admired, it’s probably a good choice. Be prepared to be amazed at some of the wild styles out there. They do work once you’re used to them, for the most part.

Exercise Ball

Any sedentary job comes with a price, that being a high potential for weight gain. A good exercise ball is good for working out with, and some people even like to sit on them as they work. I tend to recommend the larger sizes for that reason.

Just be sure that the recipient isn’t too touchy about weight issues. Unwelcome fitness equipment is a really, really baaaaad idea!

Shopping for gifts has always been a challenge for me. But I decided to see if I could figure out some good gift ideas for various sorts of people who are likely to come to this site. Always nice to be able to give people ideas for what you want, I think.

Gift Ideas for Stay at Home Moms

Couponizer

The Couponizer is a good choice because so many stay at home moms are highly focused on saving money. It’s tough being a single income family. Having a way to keep those coupons organized can be a big help in actually using them.

Day Planner

This is great for the mom whose family is always on the go. Keeping up with all the activities isn’t easy if you don’t have things written down.

Hire a Cleaning Service

Contact local cleaning services in your area for the mom who needs a break.

Babysitting

Offer to babysit the children for a stay at home mom or pay a sitter for her. Either way she gets some time out, either on her own or on a date with her significant other.

Give a Spa Day

Well, I hear this one works for most women. Doesn’t matter if they stay at home, work outside the home, whatever. A little time to be indulged is a wonderful thing.

Digital Photo Frame

The trouble with digital cameras can be that you take so many pictures you rarely see them, and most people don’t print that many. A digital photo frame takes pretty good care of that issue.

Pay Attention to What She Wants

I can list things all day, but in the end it comes down to what the person wants. Pay attention or even flat out ask for ideas if nothing is appealing yet.

I’m not much of a coupon user – too disorganized and I know it. It’s a round and round kind of thing where I might be interested if I were more organized but I’m not organized so I’m not interested…

But for those of you who are more organized, have you tried the Couponizer? It’s a system that helps you to organize your coupons, keep you shopping list, keep track of your savings and so forth. It looks like a possible good investment for those who do enjoy using coupons… or maybe even a Christmas present for people you know who use a lot of coupons.

There’s even a consultant opportunity if you decide you really enjoy the system.