GeekDad Holiday Gift Guide #4: GeekMoms!

Mom needs presents too! The various GeekDads have come up their best holiday gift ideas for GeekMoms. For more suggestions, check out our previous and subsequent guides, in the right-hand column.

Mimobot Flash Drive
Cooler-than-cool flash drives in the shape of yakuza, astronauts, tiki gods and robots that come pre-loaded with goodies like avatars and wallpaper. You can also buy little $5 cozies called hoodies for extra cuteness. My wife went crazy over the C3PO drive, pictured. Buy the C3PO from Amazon or check out their full line on mimobot.com.

Make & Craft Subscription
Geek women swoon over these awesome periodicals. Stuffed with cool project ideas, how-tos, maker profiles and general craziness, these magazines represent the vanguard of the DIY movement. Subscribe to MAKE or CRAFT on Amazon or at the Maker Shed.

Aroha Silhouette Jewelry
This online jewelry shop has some beautifully designed necklaces and earrings for Geek Mums. Better still, they are carved from recycled vinyl records. The designs are all 3D and relatively abstract, but really catering for lovers of books, maths or shapes. Doesn’t look like you can request the exact record from which the jewellery is made, but hey, any mum who likes to have some pieces that are a bit funky and different could really get into one of these. Though made in Canada for some strange reason they offer free shipping to New Zealand. New Zealanders, take note. Buy from arohasilhouettes.com.

Chewbacca Slippers
Chewie slippers! Protect Mom’s feet from both cold and evildoers. Buy them from ThinkGeek.

Fashioning Technology
The logical result of the convergence of the hardware hacker and crafter movements, it’s a guide that helps crafters develop a familiarity with electronic components and tinkering skills. With big photos and sensible instructions, even the most unhandy craftsperson can learn enough electronics to start dabbling. Read the review or buy it from Amazon.

The Elenco Hydro Lab Greenhouse System
We saw it in a museum gift shop this weekend, filled with actual growing plants. With luck, it’ll keep us supplied with salad and side dishes through the winter! As a bonus, I think watching plants grow close up may encourage more vegetable eating. In fact, just last night one of the boys complemented me on the stew with acorn squash (which he helped prepare) from our summer garden. Buy it from Amazon.

Beating Heart Stress Relief Pillow
Everyone gets stressed, but not everyone uses technology to chill. This pillow offers a way: it emits a calm, heartbeat-like pulse, and gradually your heart changes to follow the pattern. It isn’t merely a noisemaker, the beat is algorithmically designed and changes with every use. Buy it from Amazon.

She’s Such a Geek!
Geek women talk about geek women. In some respects, geeky women are pioneers. Being a male geek in the ’00s is something of an old hat; only the acceptance and coolness is new! But as the writers of this book frequently described, entering this male world is usually a difficult journey, combining genuine sexism with culture clashes and simple misunderstandings. In response they have taken geekiness and put their own spin on it. They defy male-centric categorization and in general cause a ruckus. Read the review or buy it from Amazon.

Crystal Cube Firejewel Necklace
A glowing necklace! The stone consists of a tiny LED inside a 10mm Swarovski crystal, powered by a watch battery in the clasp. Available in white, blue or pink. Buy it from ThinkGeek.

How to be an Explorer of the World
Bring a sense of thoughtfulness and calm to Mom’s hectic life. This book offers suggestions on observing often-overlooked phenomena, exploring senses you don’t ordinarily use, and "non-linear life." With such activities as mapping out pavement cracks and collecting interesting garbage, author Keri Smith offers suggestions that, while maybe not practical for a busy mom, nevertheless serves as a fascinating read. Smith’s also the author of the Guerilla Art Kit, among other books. Buy it from Amazon.

Periodic Table of the Elements 3D Photo Card Deck
I know someone who is ordering Theodore Gray’s new 3D Periodic Table of the Elements photo card deck for his science teacher wife. On the front of each card is a big beautiful photograph of the element. On the back is a wealth of scientific information, including strip charts on three edges that let you slide the deck sideways to see graphs of four different properties spread across all the cards. Each card is five inches square, and you can put all 118 cards together to form a periodic table over 7.5′ wide. Gray’s also got a 3D jigsaw puzzle, suitable for ages 5-12. Order all his products at periodictable.com.

SimpleTech Espresso Portable Drive
For GeekMoms far too badass for a mere flash drive, this 2.5" half-tera should do the trick. While the portable drive category is a crowded one, the Espresso stands out for a couple of reasons. First, it requires no power supply, drawing juice via the USB cable. Second, its sturdy, smooth plastic casing makes it safe in Mom’s backback or purse without damaging or getting damaged by other contents. Buy it from Amazon.

Best of Instructables
You know you’re successful when your company’s name becomes a verb within three years of its founding. This book showcases the best products from the best how-to site out there. The projects include modding game controllers, an electric umbrella, LED throwies, and so on. Buy it from Amazon.

iPhone
Okay, yeah, this is a pricey choice, but boy has it worked out for me.  After years of using barely functional clamshells, my wife had no expectations for a cell phone greater than "will it let me make a call?"  Well, that was an easy expectation to blow away, but the iPhone went alot further.  My wife has told me that using her iPhone is the best technology experience she’s ever had.  She loves the voicemail, actually uses the email (which would have been impossible on any other phone), and totally groks the browser and apps.  Instead of having to do tech support for her on her phone, now I get to find her new apps to play with, and make sure the theme song from her favorite show is the ringtone. Buy it from the Apple Store.

I Can Has Cheezburger
Regale Mom with the pinnacle of Web humor, the lovable Lolcats, compiled for her reading pleasure. Buy it from ThinkGeek.

EcoSphere
A complete aquatic eco-system inside a sealed glass orb. There’s no maintenance required – in fact, you can’t get in. (A pair of magnets lets you clean the inside.) Tiny shrimp, algae, and other micro-organisms exist in perfect balance for about two years, or as much as 10 according to the maker. These little wonders were developed by NASA scientists researching self-contained communities for space exploration. But Any GeekMom would be thrilled to have one of these peaceful orbs to contemplate whenever she finds a moment away for herself. I saw some in person the other day, and they are even more gorgeous than in the photo. Buy it from Amazon.

Star Wars Cookbooks
Featuring such recipes as Greedo’s burritos, Tusken Raider taters and Qui-Gon Jinn-ger snaps. Give Mom the ultimate present, letting her bustle around in the kitchen making you treats! Two books for the price of one. Buy them from ThinkGeek.

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