As we move closer to the holidays, AskPatty thought it might be nice to offer you some fun gift choices for those car-loving folks in your life. Whether you're looking for fun and frivolous, inexpensive and practical, or simply fantasizing about those luxurious and aspirational items you WISH you could give, we'll share it with you here in the second installment of our holiday gift guide. (In case you missed it, here is a link to last-week's edition ) And be sure to watch for next week's edition, which will focus on gifts meant especially for the young drivers in your home!
It's holiday time again, and while it means family, friends, and togetherness, it can mean overindulgence as well. Which is why the blogger over at Carla's Corner has created a special line of clothing to help you honor a very important person--your designated driver. She's created three humorous t-shirts for designated drivers: "Team Designated Driver" and men's/boys ("I Take The Pretty Girls Home") and women's/girls ("I Take The Handsome Men Home") for those who want to recognize the designated drivers among their co-workers, friends, and families. Consider giving one as a gift this holiday season. It may cheer up a person who isn't always recognized--and maybe help support that person as they keep you and yours healthy and safe.
If you can't fit a new Mercedes-Benz under the tree, consider giving Mercedes-Benz-branded luxury accessories. The Lifestyle Collection features unique collectibles for home or office, high-quality apparel for him and her, highly sought after Seatbelt Bags, his and hers watches designed by Tourneau, the Mercedes-Benz luggage line by Samsonite and much, much more, all designed exclusively for Mercedes-Benz. The Classic Collection includes meticulously designed model and novelty cars from across the historic vehicle line, and an assortment of plush and die-cast toys for kids. The Accessory Line is full of genuine Mercedes-Benz products that will allow you to customize your automotive experience -- choosing from interior & exterior appearance, and utility & care accessories -- while maintaining the finely-tuned integrity of your Mercedes-Benz.
Make her drive to join the rat race a little easier to handle by immersing her in the healthy aroma of VIM Essential oils while she drives. Nothing synthetic here! Morning or evening, just flip open the embossed sunglass-style case, to choose a hand-crafted blend. She can jump-start her day with a refreshing AM wake-up combination of crisp, minty tangy citrus, or calm and revive her end-of-day drive with a warm and grounding bergamot and ginger PM blend. Put a few drops of the genuine and authentic essential oils on the handy felt pad, pop it into the sleek black and silver auto diffuser, plug into the car power outlet, and start the engine. As she drives, she will be enveloped in natural and healthy aromas that blows away those other chemical-filled air fresheners. (What's in those things anyway?!) She can actually look forward to her commute, because her car is now a sanctuary!
According to a recent study by British-based luxury car insurer Hiscox in which participants were asked to listen to the sound of a variety of cars from exotics to economy models, the sound of a Maserati engine was shown to spark a biological response among women -- in fact, 100% of the women studied had shown higher testosterone levels after listening to the exhaust of a Maserati than any other car! Proof is here at GQ, so gentlemen, if you want a ringtone that will make your lady's heart beat faster whenever you call her, text "Maserati" to the number 707070 and get the Maserati engine ringtone* on your mobile phone. (There is some fine print with this offer: Your carrier's MMS & standard message rates apply. Data and other charges may apply, so check with your wireless provider. Program available on AT&T, Alltel, Sprint, T-Mobile, & Verizon carrier networks and in the U.S. only. (ARV $2) Program ends at 10:00 AM ET on 1/18/09 or when 2000 downloads have been downloaded.)
Wish you could surprise a friend or loved one with a new car for the holidays? Even families on a budget can give their favorite car guy or gal a beautifully detailed ride this holiday season for around $20, with a little help from Meguiar's. Meguiar's new Complete Auto Care Kit is available at most Wal-Mart stores this holiday season and includes four fantastic surface care products -- NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0, Ultimate Quik Detailer spray, Hot Shine Tire Foam, and Quik Interior Detailer Wipes -- to keep your car looking great, even through harsh winter weather. As a bonus, Meguiar's will also include a limited edition stainless steel travel mug with the kit to keep you warm during cold winter nights in the garage. Meguiar's Complete Auto Care Kit is a great gift for everyone from diehard car guys to moms and dads that want to give their trusty car or truck a little extra shine and protection this winter.
How about something practical, like a Jiffy Lube gift card? Any person who drives a car must also perform basic maintenance like oil changes. They can be bought in-store or online at www.jiffylube.com using most payment methods, and they offer several shipping options for online purchases for last-minute holiday shoppers. Gift cards can be filled with any dollar amount from $5 to $300, and can be redeemed toward any Jiffy Lube preventive maintenance service including the 17-point Jiffy Lube Signature Service(R) Oil Change. The card has no inactivity fees and no expiration date. Also, from now through the end of the year (and again from January 28 through March 16, 2009), for anyone who purchases a Jiffy Lube Gift Card online or at their local service center, Jiffy Lube will donate $1 to the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement, as part of the Jiffy Lube Maintenance Partners for Life campaign.
Gear4Gearheads has created a collection of gift ideas at CafePress that includes cute items for Baby's first Christmas: handmade ornaments, keepsakes, tee-shirts, bibs, and onesies, and other cute little automotive gifts ideal for the musclecar baby's first Christmas.
Any Mom or Dad who spends a lot of time in the car with kids will appreciate these items that will keep the little ones comfy during travel. Jeannie's Kids Club has this cute car-shaped window shade, perfect for protecting your little back seat passengers. Side shades stick to the windows with two suction cups and are made of see-through mesh for blocking heat, sun, and glare of the sun. Leaps and bounds 
offers an exclusive handy ultimate backseat organizer to help keep kidstuff neat and within reach. It features 15 pockets in various sizes, including one big enough to hold 8" x 11" books, as well as a detachable activity case for bringing special treasures along! Holds toys, gaming devices, crayons, books, DVDs, drinks, snacks, and more.
If your loved one doesn't already have one in the trunk, then a car emergency kit is a great way to show them how much you care about their safety. Consider this suede-style ultimate car kit from BatterySavers.com with multiple compartments packed full of such heavy-duty auto accessories as 8-foot 10-gauge booster cables, 15-foot 4500-pound capacity tow rope, non-flammable tire inflator, emergency water bag, flashlight with krypton bulb and signal cone, emergency blanket and poncho, and knit gloves. A 50-piece first aid kit contains adhesive bandages, antiseptic towlettes, gauze dressings, and first-aid instruction card.
If you're a do-it-yourselfer who likes to create handmade items, we found this link to a collection of images at boingboing.net shared by a user who says: "Here's a lovely little gallery of space-age illustrations, perfect for collaging into Christmas cards or other crafty projects." I'm not sure what rights are reserved on these photos, but as long as you're not profiting from the use of these images by reselling the items you make, you should escape the wrath of the copyright cops and be able to create some fun, fanciful, and faux-futuristic greetings and crafts.
Just because I live in sunny California doesn't mean I don't have sympathy for our readers who live in colder climates. If you fight winter snow and ice you'll appreciate this sleek, heated ice scraper: Just plug it into your vehicle's cigarette lighter, and the snow scraper's U-shaped heating element will soften and melt snow and ice, so the built-in non-scratching scraper and squeegee can easily wipe it away. And since the cord is 15 feet long, you can use the heated snow scraper to clear side and rear windows as easily as the windshield. The Heated Ice Scraper includes a nylon heat shield over the heating element for safety, and an LED lights up to easily indicate when you have switched it on.
And don't overlook your own favorite website! AskPatty now offers Certified Female Friendly apparel and merchandise through the CafePress custom product site! If you're a fan of AskPatty.com, CLICK HERE to order AskPatty clothing and other fun items, including buttons, clocks, shirts, hats, tote bags, and coffee mugs. Order today to receive them in time for your holiday gift-giving festivities!
Don't forget to check back next week for out collection of Teen-focused automotive-related holiday gift ideas! We've got plenty more where these came from! Regardless of the holidays you honor this time of year, AskPatty wishes the warmest blessings of the season to you and your family
Jody DeVere
President and CEO
http://www.askpatty.com
http://www.carblabber.com
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