Gifting Smart This Christmas

With only one week until Christmas, how are you doing?  Did you find all of the gifts you wanted for your family/friends/associates?  If you haven’t, you’re not alone.  According to a survey conducted by Consumer Reports in 2012, by just a few days before Christmas two-thirds of Americans hadn’t finished their Christmas shopping, and similar statistics are sure to follow this year.  Wow, that’s a big number.

Stores are so crowded this time of the year, why would people wait that long?  There’s a myriad of reasons, but one is that people are stumped as to what to give as gifts.  At WellConnectedMom, we have been giving gift suggestions all month.

But no matter the age, one gift is always appreciated.  The gift of the sound of music.  From Barney to One Direction to classical music, people love listening to their favorite tunes.  By now, most people already have tons of music stored up on their computer or mobile phone, but often don’t enjoy listening to it, simply because it’s out of sight, out of mind.

With the growing popularity of wireless speakers and now even wireless ear buds, music has never been easier to share and enjoy.  My Dad always used to tell me, “work smart, not hard.”  I believe this applies to gifting as well, gifting smart means taking the time to buy a gift someone would enjoy, rather than haphazardly buying a gift because it’s easy and you can check it off your list.

Two Gifts of Music Sure to Appreciated

JBL Flip 2 Portable Wireless Speaker

When Bluetooth wireless speakers first came out, they sounded amazing but their price was barely affordable.  Today, there are many more brands building great sound speakers with an affordable price tag.  As long as you go with a brand you know, you can’t go wrong.  I recently tried JBL’s Flip 2 portable wireless stereo speaker and was impressed with it’s near 360 degrees thumping base and clear quality sound.  The JBL Flip 2 looks like a round cylinder, so music can literally fill an entire room.

Setting up the JBL Flip 2 took no time at all, I just opened up the Bluetooth setting in my mobile phone (under Settings), clicked on “Scan,” and the JBL Flip 2 popped up quickly.  I clicked on it and my mobile phone and the JBL Flip 2 were paired.  Immediately, I began playing music from my phone.

Now, anytime I turn on the JBL Flip 2 speaker, my phone automatically connects to it, ready to play music.  What I like about the JBL Flip 2 besides it’s 360 degree design and great sound, is that it has a battery indicator that lights up to show you how much battery power is left.  It also comes with a sturdy semi-hard case so you can easily take the JBL Flip 2 on the go with little wear-and-tear.

Lastly, I love that it uses the same Android mini USB cord that already works for most Android phones and tablets.  That’s one less cord to wrap up and take before you go.  The JBL Flip 2 Portable Wireless Speaker is perfect for adding music in your baby’s nursery, allowing your kids to bop to their favorite tunes, providing relaxing quiet time for your teen in his/her room, motivation for your husband’s projects while he’s in the garage, wonderful background music for your aging parents, or even providing you with a relaxing afternoon while you read a good book or relax by the pool.

The JBL Flip 2 is the ultimate in smart gifting and can be found at Radio Shack  in various colors (red, blue, yellow, white, & black) for $89.99, including free 2-day shipping.

Jaybird FREEDOM SPRINT Secure fit Wireless Buds

I have never enjoyed walking or running with ear buds before.  I always seem to hit the wire going into my phone and jerk one of the ear buds from my ears.   I also hate carrying ear buds with me, their cords always get tangled up.  And really, no matter how much money was spent on a good pair of ear buds, they always appear cheap looking when wrapped up with their cord.

The FREEDOM SPRINT Secure Fit Wireless Buds change the game in wearing ear buds.  First of all, they are wireless, meaning, there is no need for a cord between your phone and your ear buds.  There is a cord from one ear bud to the other but this is just to make it easier for you to keep them together.  The FREEDOM SPRINT ear buds work with your phone, laptop, or tablet through Bluetooth.  So you can keep your phone in your pocket while your walk or run and not be encumbered  by cords.

The FREEDOM SPRINT buds come with half-moon rubber discs that you place around the ear bud and they help keep the ear bud in place.  This is especially helpful when running.  I have tired the FREEDOM SPRINT ear buds and they are surprisingly comfortable in my ears.  Usually my ears get tired of ear buds, but they haven’t with FREEDOM SPRINT.   And I love that they come with their own carrying case, not just a drawstring bag but a hard silver and black hinged case that looks rather impressive.  Oh, and did I happen to mention that the sound is incredible?

The Jaybird FREEDOM SPRINT Wireless ear buds are great for the athlete in your life.  In fact, the US Triathlon team uses Jaybird’s, so they must be good!  Tweens and teenagers would also love these wireless ear buds, but they are so discreet, you may not even know they’re wearing them!  If you find yourself repeating yourself when talking to your tween/teen, check their ears!  You can also use the FREEDOM SPRINT wireless ear buds to answer calls, as there is a built-in microphone in one of the ear pieces.  So, if you’re tween/teen doesn’t respond to you face-to-face, call them!

The Jaybird FREEDOM SPRINT Secure Fit Wireless Buds are available through Radio Shack  for $99.99 with free 2-day shipping.

Why Radio Shack?

Radio Shack is an excellent place for gifting smart in electronics this Christmas.  I consider Radio Shack an electronics boutique.   The sales associates are knowledgeable – even tech enthusiasts in many cases – and if you haven’t  been in Radio Shack recently, you’ll see that for a smaller store format, they carry a large assortment of gifts and accessories.  I myself prefer going into a smaller format electronics store because the Radio Shacks near me, I can park right in front of the store, find what I am looking for pretty quickly, and get out.  No worries about waiting long lines as in larger stores.

Radio Shack also offers a few customer-oriented promises that are worth considering:

R Promise – this involves a number of different services to ensure customers  get the right product at the right price.

Price Match Guarantee – you can feel comfortable about getting the best price from Radio Shack.  No worry to driving to different stores.  If you find a product advertised somewhere else or at select stores or online for a better price, just show it to the associates at Radio Shack and they will honor it.

Smart 4 Free – if your local store is out of stock on the item you went into the store to purchase, Radio Shack will find it elsewhere in their inventory and ship it directly to your door.

So, if you’re one of the two-thirds majority of Americans who haven’t finished their Christmas shopping, consider bypassing the crowded mall or big box stores and go to Radio Shack for personalized attention.  Try gifting smart this Christmas and give the sound of music, something you can be assured your friends/family will love.  Have a wonderful Christmas season!