Lands End offered one of my lucky readers a choice between three of their products.  I personally love the Lands End brand.  They are great products that stand up to the test of time.  Without further ado, here is the winner:

Congrats Rebecca C!  I will be emailing you shortly for what gift you’d like and your shipping information.

Want a unique piece of art for your house? Want this art to be talked about at all the parties you go to? If you answer yes to either of these questions, you have to get a piece of DNA art. I have to admit, this is one of the coolest things I have seem come out. Here’s how it works:

First, you will receive a sample collection package which includes the tools to swab the inside of the cheek of whoever’s DNA you want as artwork. I personally think I would do my kids, but you really can do anyone who is willing to give you some buccal cells from their cheek. You then send the collector back to the MyGeneImage lab. Once you send it in, it takes about two weeks to create your piece of art.

Now, you can pick from several different styles of how you want the DNA to be displayed. You get to pick which gene sequence they use as well as the design, background color, and size of the artwork. Your first choice is myArtwork which is a reflection of the gene sequence displayed in picturesque art. Then there is myCrystal. This is your DNA sequence engraved inside a crystal structure with the 2D or 3D picture of the individual. Lastly, there is myGenetic ID which is the ultimate identification card with genetic markers.

It is hard to believe what beautiful artwork can be made from our gene sequences. However, myGeneImage has figured it out, and I am impressed. For your kids or the person you never know what to get them, this is the perfect fit.

Do you remember all those classic books we had as a kid?  Well, The Kids Bookstore has taken these loved books and made them even better!  How do you ask?  They take the book of your choice (and they have a ton to pick from and most of the classics that I remember.  There is even The Night Before Christmas.) and make it into a hardcover book.  They then take the first page of the book (even before the title page) and put a printed dedication.  This includes the child’s name, a meaningful blurb that you write to the child, and a photo that you give them.  If you are lucky (depending on the book), this dedication may even show up on the inner back of the hardcover.  This definitely gives the book a personal touch.  If you have more than one child, this should also help you to keep track of whose book it really is.

For the kid who has everything, a personalized book is something they most likely don’t have.  I know my daughter would love to see her picture in a book.  The books offered cover a wide range of ages — from 2 to 9.  You can find everything from the classics like Wind In The Willows and Alice in Wonderland to newer titles like Pinkalicious.  Reading is a gift we must pass onto our children, and this is a great way to pass that on.