My 7-year-old is drawn to infomercial products like a fly to the Bug Zapper Racket ... like a dog to Bark Off ... like a senior citizen to the EZ Eyes Keyboard ... like a mom to those Meaningful Beauty products Cindy Crawford will practically bring to your door. In fact, my little princess is convinced the holidays will be a total disaster without a Big Top Cupcake.

I'm not gonna lie, I've been smitten with some of those infomercial inventions myself. I own a couple of Snuggies, for instance -- everyone in the commercials looks so comfy on their couches while reading books and not feeling fettered by the constraints of a blanket. I've bought P90X, and Moon Sand, and Blendy Pens, and even Pillow Pets (before they sold them everywhere from Walmart to Shell stations).

In fact, some of them are positively irresistible and I want to buy them as gifts. Here are a few I find both ridiculous and at the same time inexplicably appealing:

I bet you didn't think the hoodie could be improved upon, but some ingenious designers from New Jersey would beg to differ. They've reinvented the classic comfort item and have added something that it's been missing for years. Introducing the HoodiePillow. It's everything that it sounds like and nothing more. It's a hood attached to a pillowcase, and just like the picnic pants before it, it's the fashion statement you never knew you wanted to make.

As their website says, it offers the ultimate in cocoonification. Ready, set, hoodify. Taking an awkward nap never looked so good.

They may not look like much. Simple mittens. Adult mittens. They aren't fancy leather gloves. They aren't fur-lined. They can't work an iPhone because of special fingertip technology. In fact -- they can't work anything, well, because they are mittens! And, to top it all off, they were $75.

But do you know what they can do? They can keep my hands nice and warm. Not so warm that they start to sweat ... but warm enough so that my hands don't even feel like they are outside.

My husband thought I was nuts when I told him how much they cost. I, kind of, thought I was nuts too. Who pays $75 for mittens? But any doubt I had disappeared when I slipped my hands into their fleece-like warmth.

To justify my purchase (which, of course, I don't need to do, but still -- I feel like I need to do), I've listed out six reasons why my Grandoe mittens were worth every penny.

Sure, you're grateful that your sister-in-law or great aunt thought of you this year, but did you really need a pair of polka dot socks or a critter cap? Every year, this post-gift-giving week is the one in which we're stuck with several items we'd rather return for something we will actually wear or use. As much as I admit I'm terrified by the crazy lines at the mall, I'm devising my plan of attack for returning and exchanging certain gifts -- and impulse buys I bought for myself while gift-shopping! -- as we speak.

Part of that game plan is knowing what the stores return policies are before heading there, so as to avoid argument or anguish once face-to-face with a store employee! It's always wise to have a receipt, gift receipt, and your photo ID. But here, all you need to know about returning to Walmart, Target, Macy's, J.C. Penney's, Sears, Best Buy, and more ...  

A friend of mine recently asked what to get his girlfriend who has everything for Christmas. We threw out suggestions. Pajamas. Lingerie. A trip to the spa. Jewelry. Nothing was clicking for him. Then I thought about it, and what his girlfriend really likes. What about a tattoo? I asked him. That was it. The perfect gift for a gal who loves tattoos.

Of course this gift would be perfect for a guy who has been wanting to visit a tattoo shop but just didn't scrape enough money together. And we all know how pricey tattoos can be, so instead of buying that sweater that might get returned or lingerie that will be worn once, why not get something really memorable.

I have some ideas on how to present this gift and how to make it even more special ....

If there are two things I absolutely hate giving for the holidays, they’re 1) gift cards and 2) money. Even if that’s what the person asked for, I still feel defeated sidling up to the ATM for a $20 bill or slapping some predetermined denomination onto a little plastic card. It’s so uninspired.  I want to play with the possibilities of what the people on my list will like. I want to test how well I know their tastes. I want to see their faces light up when they open the bag or tear apart the gift wrap and see whatever fantastic piece of imaginative thoughtfulness I’ve come up with to make their season bright.  Deal-of-the-day websites have made that holiday cheer-sharing easier. One might argue they’re not much better than a gift card or a wad of cash. But if you’re quick and a little creative, they’ll open up a whole new avenue in your gift-giving greatness. 

I've gotten the e-mails, I've heard the commercials, and I have a few doozies of bad Mother's Day gift ideas to share with you all today.

Pray that no one listened to the advice of these marketers and advertisers, because these are some of the worst gifts I can imagine receiving on my big day!

The first one that comes to mind is cleaning products. Fathers. sons, and daughters, lend me your ears!

No mother wants cleaning products on Mother's Day. Not even fancy pants ones, like these lovely Mrs. Meyers cleaning products. Why? Because behind the fancy packaging, the same messaging applies:

GET SCRUBBING, WOMAN.

The bad ideas get worse! Read on to see them!

Valentine's Day is next Monday and that means you need to get on that V-Day shopping, like, NOW!

You also need to make sure that your man has a few ideas in mind when it comes to what to buy for you.

Otherwise you might end up with the dreaded TEDDY BEAR IN A GIFT BALLOON OMG.

And so without further adieu, here are a few of my favorite Valentine's Day gift ideas --

For him and for you ...