Flash drives make great stocking stuffers for the writer or blogger in your life.
by Deborah Ng
When it comes to gifts, I like to be made to feel special. Ask Mr. Ng, a paper shredder under the Christmas tree doesn’t exactly fill me with warmth and holiday spirit. I do understand the need for practicality, however. Which is why I recommend buying the writer or blogger in your life some flash drives or an external hard drive as a stocking stuffer. I wouldn’t give these as “the big gift”, if you know what I mean, but it’s a good wingman.
I know it’s not so glamorous, but believe you me memory space fills up fast. Nothing slows down a laptop more than lots of downloaded….stuff. Images, silly programs you never use and ebooks all take up space. A year later you’re working on a slow machine and wondering why you have to replace your computers so often. The writer or blogger in your life will appreciate your thoughtfulness. No really. And you’re more likely to get a flash drive than, say, an iPhone which I’ve been hinting for forever even though Mr. N keeps saying, “You already have a cellphone. Never mind that it’s 10 years old and you can’t do anything else with it but dial. It works.” Yes. This is what I’m up against.
But anyway…
Flash Drives
Flash drives, as pictured above, make fantastic and inexpensive stocking stuffers. You can get decent ones for $20 to $50 and they hold a lot more stuff than you think. What I especially like about flash drives are their portability. They fit in purses and pockets so if you’re traveling they travel with you. They also store easily in desks or file cabinets. Memory size varies, they can hold from 1 to 16 GBs of stuff and they’re so inexpensive you can buy as needed. Flash drives plug easily into your USB port and don’t get in the way.
External Hard Drives
This external hard drive may be small but it has lots of space.
I have an external hard drive plugged in to my laptop at all times when I’m at home for the same reason I recommend flash drives. I save everything to the external or portable drive and my laptop remains uncluttered. My weapon of choice is a Western Digital Passport Essential and it retails for a little under $100 (though I’ve seen it for $169). Really, a small price to pay when you consider your prolonging the life expectancy of your laptop or notebook.
This particular model is very lightweight and travels well. It’s compact enough to fit in my hand and doesn’t take up much desk space. It has a small cord which easily plugs into your USB port and holds about 250 GBs. Trust me, anyone who works online all day will appreciate seeing this puppy nestled among the tinsel and fake snow.
As the weeks go by, I’ll throw out more suggestions for holiday gifts for writers and bloggers. Hope some of these ideas work for you!
Another thought for those with older laptops (like me), wireless cards like those offered by NetGear, Buffalo, etc.
Yesterday I just put up a bunch of links to a category I made called “Gifts/Ideas For Writers” on my blog so I think I’m going to add this link too. Thanks.
I am happy with writing gifts or non writing gifts.
You mentioning a paper shredder reminds me of Christmas a few years ago. My in-laws gave me a pile of fabulous gifts and finally there was just one present left – a huge box for my husband. He was so excited and his face just fell when he opened it to find a paper shredder. Now tech gifts he loves, but that paper shredder still strikes a nerve with him.
Man, someone needs to steer my husband away from this post. Not that it isn’t good. Not that the ideas aren’t perfect.
I’m just soooo tired of the practical. Only because that is always what I have asked for. This year, please spoil me with gift cards, a spa day (hour, even?, my nails or hair done…even a few hours out of the house away from clients, kids, and deadlines.
Wow. Pregnant women sure can whine, can’t we?
By the way, I found a great flash drive at Big Lots, of all places, for 4.99. It holds 1 gig!
@Julie F – No one hears you more than I do, sister! My husband gives paper shredders and laptop coolers as Christmas gifts. Not to fear, we’ll be featuring many types of gifts for writers and some of them are quite frivolous!
@Fiona – Tell your husband there is at least one person in the world who knows exactly how he feels.
@ Michelle – Thank you so much for linking to us!
@Phil – Great suggestions – Thanks!
Flash drives are great, but as a freelance writer I love cute, unique, quirky things that I can brag to my friends about. I know it’s cheesy but one of the things on my wish list is this:
http://www.shop.com/Computers-a-swarovski+crystal+mouse-g1-k24-st.shtml
A Swarovski crystal mouse…I know, it’s a bit extravagant. But cute!
And for my birthday my sister just got me this really cozy blanket called the nuddle blanket. It’s perfect for the lazy writer who won’t leave the couch to work at a desk. It’s also 20% off right now at http://www.nuddleblanket.com.
Maybe I’m just spoiled or bored but I love having some of the quirkiest, fun products out there.
One cool gift I like to give/get is a Swiss Army knife that includes a flash drive. Swiss Army knives are always a fun gift to give when you have no idea what to get someone, and that particular one is great for all those tech geeks on your list (or anyone who relies on their computer).
JulieF — Right on! I have flash drives and geek stuff galore. What I want is stuff for relaxing after I’ve beat a hard deadline. Manicure gift certificates, smelly bubble stuff, exquisite dark coffee beans…
With that said, I did just get a nice 4-GB flash that was in support of breast cancer. It’s very cute; pink with the breast cancer ribbon on it. If you’re going to go for the ordinary for your freelance love — add in the unique too, for fun.