Imagine a vacation for the soul, an hour or less from their doorstep; a day spa for the spirit; an adventure for the mind, body, and heart.

For some it will be whale watching in L.A., cruising along the coastal waters while these ancient beasts breach in the cold tides. For others it will be a culinary tour of their favorite food scene, food trailers in Austin or ethnic foods in New York City’s trendy NoLIta district. Still others would give up a limb to race a Sprint Cup stock car on the track, and maybe you yourself have always dreamed of flying.

All these things are not things at all, of course. They are experiences, the makings of memories that don’t fade, don’t accumulate in dust-proof clusters, don’t take up precious space in our cluttered lives.

They get us out exploring, testing ourselves or indulging our senses or falling in love all over again. (Witness the vineyard tours, the gondola dessert cruises, the kayak to dinner on the dunes at sunset.)

They are experience gifts. Adventure gifts, gift experiences, whatever you want to call them, the point is to get away from material stuff and give what matters in life–experiences, memories, new passions and old dreams come true.

With over 1,700 experiences in 40-odd cities across the country, from helicopter skiing in Telluride to chocolate-making classes in NYC, there’s an adventure gift for every adrenaline junky, homebody, budding artiste or golf fanatic on your list. Search by city, category, price or all three, without the risk of running out, getting stuck in a snowstorm, or a hesitant smile on Christmas morning right here: Christmas Experience Gifts.

And maybe next year, it’ll be you who’s so lucky.

This holiday season give someone you love a heartwarming childhood memory with this charming snowman frame.

Perfect for? The gal who has everything. The gal who wants nothing.  The gal whom you love, and who loves new experiences.  And it’s called an experience gift.

It’s an afternoon at the spa, pampered by expert hands, getting her toes rubbed, scrubbed and polished after sinking into an aromatic bath, before getting the kinks massaged from her weary body.

Or perhaps it’s a cooking class, a gourmet chocolate making lesson, learning how to temper, mold, dip, decorate and savor that exquisite blend of cacao and butter (and, sometimes, milk) with the guidance of a thirty-year veteran chocolatier.

Instead of a hand-blown glass vase (and for the same price tag), you could shoo her into a glass-blowing studio, the kiln glowing, lighting up an ear-to-ear grin as she blows her very own glass vase.

For the daredevil, it might be a guided trek through California’s Angeles National Forest, hiking her way to the famed Bridge to Nowhere–off which she’ll hurl herself–bungee jumping.  For the eccentric, Aerial Fabric Classes to loop herself in ropes of silk fabric, an elegant combination of gymnastics and dance.  For the foodie, a cultural food tour downtown; a champagne brunch cruise for her and her partner.

These are experience gifts, adventure gifts, gift experiences–a day in another life and the experience of a lifetime, perfect for the unique Christmas gift you’ve been searching for. No boxes, no ribbons, no bows (unless you’re so inclined), perhaps just a camera full of photos and a new sense of herself.

Now that’s a gift.

For the last 20 years PoetryGift.com has been creating special Christmas gifts for mom. The company is known for their one-of-a-kind real rose poetry domes. Another popular item is their musical picture frame that combines a song with a heartwarming poem.

Maybe you’re a poet and you just don’t know it! Use the “design your own poem” feature of the website to create a gift for mom that will have her showing it off for years to come.

Nothing says “I Love You Mom” better than a heartfelt poem that she can read over and over again. Oh yes – a hug to go with it makes it the perfect Christmas gift for Mother.

Now what if you could buy roses for the holidays that would not wilt but remain a lasting gift for someone you love?! PoetryGift.com, the leading website for personalized poetry, can make it happen for you. Real preserved rose domes are glass domes with a wooden base and matted personalized poem surrounded by preserved roses.

Each real red, pink, blue or ivory rose is carefully dried and then dipped in a special sealer to lock in natural beauty. These preserved roses will remain vibrant ensuring that your Poetry Rose Dome will become a lasting keepsake.

These unique real preserved rose domes can only be found at PoetryGift.com. As one customer commented, “It’s great to give a personalized Christmas gift and see it proudly displayed throughout the year.”

Real roses + heartwarming poem + personalization = Priceless Poetry Gift

Make a photo necklace for the special lady in your life, or say “Merry Christmas” with a cute holiday design that she’ll adore. Whether you shop in the marketplace, or create your very own design, your Zazzle necklace will be a memorable gift that she’ll want to wear every day. Great for girls and women of all ages, Zazzle’s personalized necklaces are beautifully printed in full, brilliant colors and backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Whether you make photo necklaces or shop for other designs in the marketplace, you’ll be sure to find the perfect piece of jewelry for every girl on your Christmas list. Printed exactly as it’s visualized on the site, your custom necklace comes with a black felt gift bag that adds a lovely finishing touch to your personalized present. Visit Zazzle.com, and get started on your custom necklace design today!

Printed on glossy cardstock at the highest level of quality, Zazzle’s photo cards are a great way to send this year’s family portraits to friends and relatives around the world. Perfect for newlyweds, new parents, or families with kids, Zazzle’s Christmas photo cards are a wonderful way to wish “Happy Holidays” while also sharing your favorite photos from the past year. Add your family pictures to an existing photo card template, or create your very own design using uploaded images and text. While Zazzle’s photo cards come with complimentary white envelopes, you can also create your own envelopes, labels and postage to go along with your one-of-a-kind card design.

When it comes to Christmas card options, Zazzle also has photo postcards. A lovely alternative to the slightly larger photo card, photo postcards can be easily stamped, addressed, and sent without the hassle of stuffing envelopes. Unlike photo cards, which can only be printed on the front, postcards are printable on both sides. Add your photo to the front of the postcard and your special message on the back, and your loved ones will have a delightful photo keepsake to stick on the fridge or into a picture frame. Combined with flat-rate shipping and amazing volume discounts up to 35% off, your Zazzle photo cards and Christmas postcards will be made in just 24 hours and will be a hit anywhere you send them. Design your Christmas cards online at Zazzle and receive your unique order with 100% satisfaction guaranteed! Visit Zazzle.com today!

In the days of catalog, mail order, and mall shopping, it was often difficult to acquire personalized gifts. Just having a monogram embroidered on a set of towels would cost a great deal extra and take a lot more time for delivery.  However, now there are retailers like Personal Creations that have eliminated those concerns by offering quick and easy personalization that doesn’t need 6-8 weeks for shipping.  Names, dates, or sweet nothings can be stitched, printed, engraved or etched on a huge variety of gifts, from plush terry robes to oversized coffee mugs. You can also use personal family pictures to create gifts, like a photo puzzle, mouse pad, or t-shirt. Try sending personalized Christmas gifts from Personal Creations, LaserNoveltyGifts.com, or BlissLiving.com to impress everyone on your list!

Another sure to please Christmas gift idea is a giving a novelty present. Nearly any kind of niche collectable you can think of can easily be found online. MysticUnicorn.com, for example, offers gifts in all of the popular characters and brands, from Betty Boop and Coca Cola to John Deere and Orange County Choppers. They also have themed fantasy gifts, like unicorns, fairies, angels, and dragons. Shopping for collectors has never been easier when all of the options are in one spot at ChristmasGifts.com! Don’t forget to buy vintage style gifts based on pop culture figures like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. Pop culture presents make gift giving easy! Find Harry Potter collectables for the teenager in your life, or try a Batman or Superman gift for your own personal superhero dad.

What is great about these gifts is that they can often be purchased in those last few weeks before Christmas.  But be sure to check the holiday shipping options to see how long you can procrastinate.  If it’s too late for even overnight shipping, though, don’t despair. There are some last minute gift options that will fool even the most savvy of recipients. A gift of the month club or magazine subscription can be set up on Christmas Eve (or morning!), and you can easily find something representative to pop under the tree. Grab the latest issue of a magazine and gift wrap it, or pop some wine in a gift bag to symbolize the bottles that will be delivered each month. These items can usually be found at your local convenience store, so they work even if you’re down to the wire.

If you forgot anybody when Christmas morning comes, it’s not too late. E-gift certificates can be purchased in an instant and sent via email. You can pretend you forgot to forward them the details, or blame the company you shopped from for the “late” delivery! Start your shopping at ChristmasGifts.com and you’re sure to find the perfect gifts for everyone – with time to spare.

Treat moms everywhere with a personalized mothers jewelry this 2010 Holiday Season.  They consists of charms on necklaces, pendants and bracelets that are hand stamped or hand-inscribed with your children’s names and birth dates. For a special treat buy handcrafted mothers jewelry where the charms are hand hammered and the names and birthdates are hand-inscribed to ensure each piece is a one-of-a-kind work of art.  BlissLiving.com has the world’s largest collection of handcrafted mothers jewelry.

Designer Diaper Bags

Get the diaper bag that Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba or even Brad Pitt carries. Diaper bags have come a long way since the bland simple open canvas bags and designer diaper bags are a cut above regular baby bags. Now you can get bags that are created by runway fashion designers that look just like a posh hand bag. So what is a designer diaper bag? They are well designed to look great, with zipper pockets, insulated bottle holders and a padded baby changing pad. There are key chain holders, cell phone pocket, and room for your purse and other mom accessories as well. The interior and exterior surfaces are usually lined with a protective coating for spills and dust while many are made with leather, vinyl and other easy opportunities. Get shoulder strap extendors to convert the totes into messenger bags.  Designer diaper bags come in all colors of the spectrum, materials, and shapes to ensure you will find the perfect chic baby bag just for you.

Personalized Birthstone Jewelry

Choose from a variety of birthstone jewelry that are customized with the birthstones of your choices and inscribed with your loved ones names on the charms. These unique type of birthstone jewelry are most popular as birthstone necklaces, bracelets, pendants, charms and earrings.  There are a variety of designs such as the BlissLiving.com Tree of Life Pendant Necklace and the Mothers Birthstone Ring.  Birthstones have been worn by women for thousands of years and had such purposes as diverse as beauty to warding off evil spirits and for good luck. Today birthstone jewelry has become exceptionally popular and are poised to steal the show for this 2010 Christmas season.