Giftly has been working on a better, more personal gifting product for more than a year now. We set our sights on gift cards —so widely-used, so commonly-disliked, so ripe for improvement with technology— and we were off to the races, developing many iterations of our ideas, getting them online, and seeing where our assumptions were correct and where we’d been mistaken.

We’ve also been learning about being a company: developing the culture we want and becoming the sort of business we admire, one that is honest, open, and determined to improve the lives of its customers.

We’ve learned so much, and we’re deeply excited to be putting that learning into some new work that we’ll release this spring. We think we’ve finally hit on the future of gifting, and we can’t wait to share it with you. As a result, we’re putting the entirety of the company’s focus and energy into development, and won’t be updating our blog or site as often.

We know that’s boring, but we also know it will be worth it. When we launch the next version of Giftly, you’ll be glad we marshaled all our resources to get make it awesome and get it out soon. We can’t wait!

A few weeks ago, we asked you to tell us your favorite après ski bar for a chance to win a $100 Giftly to enjoy there this winter. And we have a winner! Congrats to Gina of San Francisco, whose favorite ski bar is 22 Bistro in Squaw Valley, for very legit reasons. “The Sweet Potato Fries are to die for. They have tons of beer options for beer lovers, and pour stiff cocktails for girls like me,” she writes on our Facebook page, “It’s a perfect place to warm-up after the day and exchange stories, or drink off a major afternoon spill while waiting for your friends. Also, it’s directly between the funitel and your car, making it an obvi stop on the way home.” And there you have it! Gina’s about to get tricked out at 22 Bistro!

Here are some more of your ski bar favorites, conveniently linked for the Giftly-ing. 

“Big Powderhorn! Top 5 resorts in ‘da Midwest!”

“Le Chamois at Squaw! Best après ski spot hands down! 

“PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn! Enjoying a peppermint schnapps spiked hot-chocolate in front of their fireplace is lovely. You don’t even have to take off your boots since it’s at the bottom of the hill.”

“39 Degrees in Aspen, CO is the place to be. Now if only I could afford it =)”

“The StewPot in Snowmass, CO. Best soups and stews (and food, in general) ever!”

“Little Nell in Aspen. I don’t think anyone actually skis there, but everyone looks like Bergdorf Goodman outfitted them.”

“Best après in Vail is the Red Lion, live music and lots of outdoor seating right on Bridge Street.”

“Cottonwood. Winter storm warning drink specials, an award winning bar, a great burger, live music and Truckee vistas.”

Happy trails!

Valentine’s Day cometh in less than three weeks, which is sweet if you’re in love and into lovey holidays. (In which case, we’ve got you covered here).

But if you’re single and a hater, now’s the time to prepare your barricade against that inevitable onslaught of saccharine.

Hiding with an ice cream pint is one option. But you can also rally your single ladies (or gents!) with a Giftly to join you in celebrating the holiday, Anti-Valentine style. For this, we’ve collected an arsenal of Valentine Hater Gift Ideas — you know, stuff like manis/pedis, pizza,  stiff drinks — to jump start your V-Day hating plans.

Anti-Valentines unite!

Welcome to Giftly’s ‘Giftable Item of the Week.’ Every week, we’ll be bringing you an item we’ve come across in our travels that we think would make for a fabulous gift (aka, we totally want it).

Of songs featuring whistling intros, perhaps none is better suited for door mat placement than Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ 2009 feel-good (and heard everywhere) anthem “Home.“ 

And look at that! There she is on a cute-as-pie welcome mat, complete with a bird on it. 

You can get your hands on one of these on Edward Sharpe’s Official Online Store (for $40). Pair it with a new-neighborhood exploration Giftly for the ultimate housewarming present for a newlywed couple. 

-Jennifer Pollock

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Avoid the last-minute (usually uninspired) slim pickings in the Hallmark card aisle and instead take the time to pick out a creative card for your sweetie. Trust us, thoughtful cards that bring a smile go a long way. 

Here are a few of our favorite offerings this year:

“Valentine Sights” from Oddball Press. 

“Extinct Love” from Oddball Press ($5.25)

“Me have big love” from Blue Barnhouse ($5.00)

“Notorious” from The Great Lakes ($4.00)

“Not sent from my iPhone” from Red Letter Paper Company ($4.00)

“Otter Love” from Night Owl Paper Company ($6.00)

“Booty Call” from Blue Barnhouse ($5.00)

“Freaking Ninja” from Colette Paperie ($3.50)

“But do you…” from The Great Lakes ($4.00)

“Happy F’ing Valentines” from Someecards  ($9.99)

“Can’t hide my feelings” from Hello Lucky ($4.50)

“Uncle Jesse Valentine’s Day Card” from Colette Paperie ($3.50)

“My love has no bugs” from TheWallaroo ($3.50)

Check out all of our Valentine’s Day gift ideas, each specifically tailored to your city.

-Jennifer Pollock

Welcome to Giftly’s ‘Giftable Item of the Week.’ Every week, we’ll be bringing you an item we’ve come across in our travels that we think would make for a fabulous gift (aka, we totally want it).

Inspiration can come from the strangest of places, striking at any time. It doesn’t even have to wait until you even have a pen or towel handy.

Each year The Thing Quarterly asks four writers, artists, musicians or filmmakers to “create a useful object that somehow incorporates text” into it, and so far guest editors have included such luminaries as Tucker Nichols, Jonathan Lethem and James Franco. 

For the latest, they tapped Dave Eggers (see: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, What is the What,  McSweeney’s, 826 Valencia, Pulitzer finalist, etc.) 

So what does he come back with? A shower curtain. But hold the conditioner, this shower curtain has a clever monologue transcribed on it, with the idea, presumably, that one would read it while in the shower.

Interestingly, Dave claims that the words were told to him by his own shower curtain. So while I’m not sure if this can be actually be considered his own original work, at least he’s giving due credit. 

You can get a subscription ($200 for 4 issues) to The Thing Quarterly — if you live in the Bay Area, you can even just pop into their store to pick up your object — or you can purchase the shower curtain separately ($65), but if past items are any indication, the curtains will be closing as this thing properly sells out.

-Nish Nadaraja

We’re now on Pinterest! We’re having tons of fun collecting gift ideas with the power to ignite some serious cases of Double Joy. Follow us there (as well as on our Gift Ideas section on Giftly) to gather some gifting inspiration. We’ll be pinning stuff we love there daily. 

We’re new to Pinterest, so we want to give a shout out to some of the gifting boards that have been inspiring us so far. Here’s who we’ve been pursuing daily:

Kate Woodrow has a great board called “presents” where she pins everything from morse code blankets to extra-personalized housewarming gifts to awesome DIY packaging ideas for dad.

Morse code blankets.

Custom house portraits by Rebekka Seale

DIY for dad. 

We love Rachel Cox’s quirky pins on her board “Gifts.” She’s found some especially impressive presents for photographers, like this Nikon lens coffee mug and a camera cake.

Jacque Burton has over 100 pins in her “gifts” board, and they’re all awesome. She has an great eye for gifts for kids, toddlers and babies. Oh, and who wouldn’t want a jellyfish tank for their desk?

A giraffe height chart.

A custom placemat of your neighborhood.

 A desktop jelly fish tank. 

Etsy has an entire board dedicated to Gift Ideas, which is a one-stop shop if you’re looking for something handmade. Some of our favorites:

For a coworker.

For someone who realllllyyyyy likes pizza.

Have gifting boards you love on Pinterest? Let us know in the comments so we can follow them! 

-Jennifer Pollock

Welcome to our first installment of Dear Giftly. Each week, we’ll be answering your burning questions about gifting. Need gift ideas or inspiration for a certain occasion or situation? Curious about gifting etiquette? Shoot us over an email or ask it on Twitter at @Giftly, and we’ll do our best to answer it in this column.

Our first question comes out of Seattle and it’s about how to gift for newborns and the toddler siblings of newborns: 

Dear Giftly, I’m going to visit a friend I haven’t seen for a year. She just had a baby boy 3 months ago, and also has a 3 year old son. I want to get a gift for the baby, but I should also get something for his older brother too, right? So he doesn’t feel left out? - Susan Wombat, Seattle

Nish:  Baby etiquette starts in the womb! As a father of a 4 year old, I still remember my infant son receiving a pair of super fly and expensive but pretty useless Air Jordans. You’ve got to realize that a baby has soft feet that shouldn’t be stuffed into leather sneakers, no matter how dunkable, so we smiled and put them in the closet, and I’m sure they’ll look cool hanging from his rearview mirror when he’s sixteen. What we did find useful were things like burp cloths, bibs, and other cute but practical items. The Land of Nod has good ones for this, and Giggle is always a fun option, the latter being very Giftly-able in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and more!

Now about that 3-year old, books are the way to go (and the newborn gets them when he’s older, double win). Here are some of my son’s favorites, and the cool thing is that a youngster can enjoy them at different ages, since there are nuances throughout.

Mo Willems is dynamite and his Knuffle Bunny trilogy is epic, I’d recommend all three, starting with the first, of course. I love that it’s a trilogy for the toddler set. 

Paul Frank rocks as well. Only In Dreams, in particular, has put my offspring to sleep on numerous occasions. It’s a cool comfort for golden slumbers. 

Or if you’re feeling nostalgic, Curious George is pretty timeless, especially this Complete Adventures volume. 

On the subject of monkeys, a more localized gift could be a Giftly to the local zoo, or if you’re in a place like San Francisco, the Academy of Sciences. Parents will love this because it’s a great way to get out of the house to explore and discover as a family, all year round. 

And if Ryan Gosling has anything to say about it, don’t give them The Giving Tree.

-Nish Nadaraja

For more great gift ideas for the parents of  newborns (hello, mani/pedis and date nights), check out our Gift Ideas section, tailored to every city in the US. 

Have a Dear Giftly question about gifting? Send them to us here or on Twitter at @Giftly. 

It’s less than a month out until Valentine’s Day, which means it’s time to get serious about those dinner reservations. Need some inspiration? Here’s a list of our favorite romantic restaurants in San Francisco, for any V-Day mood or whim:

Nish’s picks:

Something Simple: Ristorante Milano

It’s not fancy or pretentious or trendy, but every time I’ve dined here, I’ve seen old and happy couples celebrating 40 years together or just longevity and happiness. That’s a recipe for something special. The Tonnarelli alla Capricciosa is even more heaven on earth than Belinda Carlisle.   

Something Cinematic: Foreign Cinema (above)

An outdoor setting, with films playing on the big screen. Can you imagine a better backdrop to your sweet nothings? Their oyster selection is enough to stir your stars. 

Something Exotic: El Mansour

If you don’t find lamb with honey and almonds and belly dancing to be extremely sexy, then I have little hope for you. There is nothing better than the real thing. 

Something New: A/Q

Not only does the menu change to reflect the changing of seasons, but so does the interior in ever-so-subtle ways. It’s winter now, but it’s warm inside. The term “As Quoted” is a classic restaurant phrase used to describe fresh or seasonal items, so impress your date with that knowledge, Bourdain. 

Something Expensive: Atelier Crenn

A modern retelling of French cuisine, with a menu that is gastronomic poetry. The table service is impeccable, go for the full wine pairing, expect to fall in love, well at least with Dominique Crenn and her culinary mastery. 

Jen’s picks

Something with Great Mood Lighting: Aziza

Superb, soul-warming cocktails, inventive Moroccan cuisine and great, great mood lighting. Which is to say that it’s seductively dark in there, with candles illuminating exotic decor and flourishes. Aziza sets the scene to get lost in conversation. 

Something Intimate But Not Trendy: La Ciccia

La Ciccia is run by (real) Italians. They bring all of the romance of their homeland to the cuisine, decor and attentive service at this Noe Valley staple. Some say it’s among the best Italian food in the city.

Something Intimate and Trendy: Frances or Sons & Daughters

Over the past few years, Frances has firmly rooted itself as one of the darlings of the SF restaurant scene. The Castro space is tiny (only a few tables) and their menu changes daily (seasonal and local, of course), so the dining experience here is always intimate and unique.

Nob Hill’s Sons & Daughters won Eater SF’s 2011 Restaurant of the Year Award and recently accrued another star from SF restaurant critic Michael Bauer, deservedly. The cuisine is delightful, with obscure ingredients featured in every course. It’s also a walk’s away from The Tonga Room, an old-school tiki bar that’s a fun choice for a pre-or post-dinner Mai Thai and a swing on the dance floor. 

Something Festive, Fun and Sparkly: Foreign Cinema

If you’re going for a light-hearted and fun Valentine’s Day (see: Date # 1 or 2), the ambiance at Foreign Cinema cannot be beat. Dine outside in front of classic movies on the big screen, or head indoors and warm up next to their fireplace. 

Something Laid-Back: Front Porch

I’d classify the food here as “down home” (think: fried chicken), so this isn’t necessarily the spot to go if you’re looking for a white tablecloth-style dining experience. But their quiet back patio, complete with a fountain and overgrown with vines and flowers, is one of the most romantic, hidden spots in the city. 

What do you think are the most romantic restaurants in San Francisco? Let us know in the comments!

I remember when my son Dash turned 3, someone gave him The Giving Tree as a present. She was like, “It’s such a wonderful story of unconditional love, it was my favorite story growing up.” Strangely, I didn’t remember reading it when I was a whippersnapper, but figured I’d read it to my little man.

About halfway through, I kind of felt that the book was going in a bad direction. I mean, the boy in the story seemed to just go back to the tree when he needed something. When we finished the story, Dash looked at me and said, “that was pretty sad.” I tried to make up something about how the tree and the boy were really good friends and they always shared and thought of each other, but I just was left kind of empty myself.

Then I looked at the jacket of the book and saw Shel Silverstein’s photo. 

I swear to all that’s holy that this is the image on the book. I mean hello psycho killer, qu’est-ce que c’est, goodbye beloved children’s book author.

And then I stumbled upon an interview with Ryan Gosling in New York Magazine, and this is what he had to say on the subject:

“That book is so f**ked up; that story’s the worst. I mean, at the end the tree is a stump and the old guy just sitting on him; he’s just used him to death, and you’re supposed to want to be the tree? F**k you. You be the tree. I don’t want to be the tree.”

Welcome to the first installment of Giftly’s Giftable Item of the Week. Every week, we’ll be bringing you an item we’ve come across in our travels that we think would make for a fabulous gift (aka, we totally want it).

This week, we’re taking a break from all these New Year’s resolutions and instead turning to CHEESE. Why? Because cheese makes everyone happy. The platter on which it’s served should do the same, which is why this week’s giftable item is one of these state-shaped cheese boards from Etsy shop AHeirloom. 

Hand-crafted by Brooklyn husband and wife duo (both architects!), these kitchen accessories (available for all 50 states) are sure to bring Double Joy, especially as a housewarming gift for someone to rep their homeland. They’re available online in their Etsy store, or at Detroit shop City Bird (you can make a Giftly for City Bird here). 

Pair it with a Giftly for a cheese shop to get them on their way to a rockin’ housewarming party. 

Which state do you think owns the cheese market? Let us know on Twitter @Giftly. 

-Jennifer Pollock

As you’ve likely heard, California’s ski slopes are not having the whitest of winters. Nonetheless, you might want put those snow prayers on hold until after you’ve hit up the crazy sale that’s going down right now at Sports Basement. They’re offering 20% off the entire store (minus 2012 Cannondale bikes, Mervin Mfg. boards, tickets and giftcards), until it snows in Tahoe. 

But what to get?  To find the best steals of the sale, we turned to Alex Bozic, Sports Basement’s Assistant Buyer for Snow Hardgoods. Below are his picks of the sale for women, all 2012 products under $200. You can reap the benefits at one of their Bay Area stores (send someone a Giftly to go wild!) or head to their website with promo code SNOW20.  

Alex’s sale picks: 

1. Atlas Elektra 927 W’s Snowshoes ($144 before 20% off)

“A great lightweight women’s snowshoe that will have you out enjoying the winter wonderland.”

2. K2 Virtue W’s Helmet ($135 before 20% off)

“A lightweight and stylish helmet sure to keep you warm and turn heads.”

3. Burton W’s Mint Snowboard boots ($135 before 20% off)

“A great relaxed boot for someone just getting started in the sport.”

Not in the Bay Area or can’t make it to Sports Basement? Here are some more gift ideas under $200 for ski and snowboard bunnies nationwide:

A Good Sunscreen

Sunny skiing=Rocky Raccoon + Red Lobster. Gift this Cross-Terrain UV Face Protector SPF 50 from Kiehl’s ($22.50) to avoid an emergency aloe run. 

Hats, Hats, Hats

Sometimes, you just want to drown out that ski school and Nicki Minaj-it down the hill. These Midland SubZero Stereo Headphones will keep the blood flowing to those ears, even without “Super Bass.”

Giftlies for Your Skiing Whims

You can make Giftlies that work for lift tickets, some fun at the bar, lessons, or even spin one up that includes all three! Make a custom ski and snowboard Giftly here. 

The holidays are over, and I’d say 99% of Earth is happy that Christmas songs no longer play incessantly. But there are exceptions, songs that uplift the spirit, videos that make you smile, ho ho ho and all that. Here are my 5 all-year approved holiday songs: 

 1. Do They Know It’s Christmas, Band Aid. When Bob Geldof got these superstars together, this changed everything. Sting, Bono, Simon LeBon, this was emo before there was emo. 

 2. Little Drummer Boy, Bing Crosby & David Bowie. This is a great cover and should renew your faith in the Christmas special. Bing and Dave’s set-up dialogue before the song is priceless. 

3. Baby Please Come Home, U2. Supposedly, this is Bono’s favorite Christmas song, which Darlene Love originally sang for Phil Spector. 

4. It Must Be Santa, Bob Dylan. When this video came out, I think I watched it 90 times, haven’t been the same since. I can only hope that one day I’ll be as freaky as Bob when I’m a grandpa. 

5. We Are The World, USA for Africa. Not quite as effervescent as Band Aid, but still pretty poignant. I mean Lionel Ritchie, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen! Ok, this is pretty merry friggin’ good.  

-Nish Nadaraja

Did we miss one of your favorite holiday songs? Sound off on twitter @Giftly with hashtag #christmasmusic4eva

True, the customary season to deck out collegiate underclassmen for life-on-their-own preparedness is fall. But as millions of freshman head back to wintery campuses this week after holiday breaks, now may be the time to gift a little mid-year motivation. 

Below, a list of our favorite gift ideas for 2012 college freshman:

1. Caffeine

Unless they’re descendants of Tracy Flick, college kids will procrastinate. For those late night study sessions, an in-dorm coffee maker (we like the Keurig Elite B40 K-cup Brewer for $120) will be essential. And for those times they’ll need to group-project-it with the cool kids, get them a Giftly for the area’s best coffee shops.

2. Sweat Wear and Cozifications

For better or for worse, sweat pants and sweatshirts are defacto college gear. To Ra Ra it up, set them wild in the University store apparel section with a Giftly. Or for more stylish, “eco-conscious” sweatwear, Alternative Apparel makes some solid offerings (Rocky Eco-Fleece zip Hoodie above, $50).

Those with faulty dorm heating systems will relish one of these throws from Restoration Hardware ($78), perhaps the coziest blanket in all the lands.

3. Premium Accounts 

The ADD-prone may benefit from a premium account to Evernote ($45 per year) to stay organized. They’ll be able to make to do lists for their each of their classes, clip pertinent material from the web, and synch across all their devices. For the musically-inclined, a premium account to a streaming service like Spotify or Rdio (both $10 a month), gives them insta-access to virtually any song on the planet (on desktop and mobile) for concentrated studying bouts and brisk across-campus walks. 

4. Grocery Store Giftly

Let’s be honest: Dorm and campus food can be a pretty nasty breeding ground for that freshman 15. To stave it off, send over a Giftly to the local grocery store or Trader Joe’sfor some some budget-friendly healthy meals they can make on their own.

5. Terrariums 

For the winter blues, there of course are sun lamps. But a far less intrusive way to bring the natural world inside is a terrarium. Check out the offerings at Flora Grubb, which are available for nationwide shipping.  

6. iPhone Charger/Clock

Two common problems amongst the college set: They sleep in too much and forget to call their parents. Design Milk brought to our attention this pretty little alarm clock, which doubles as an iPhone charger. Au revoir to the “my phone ran out of batteries” excuse for not calling. (The clock just reached its Kickstarter funding goal and should be available soon).

7. Gas Giftly

By far one of the most asked-for help-me-outs from college kids is gas money. Make your donation to the gas gods count with a Giftly that that your college kid can unlock at gas stations. 

8. Beef Jerky

Beef jerky rules. Fancy beef jerky rules even more. Here’s a jerky gift box from SF-based startup Foodzie that’ll make your college student instant friends ($10.50). 

9. Noise Cancelling Headphones

To drown out loud roommates, they’ll need a pair of these from Bose ($300).  

10. Legit Wall Art

Alright, enough with the Bob Marley, Reservoir Dogs and Scarface posters. It’s time to sophisticate up your college student’s interior design efforts. The Boston-based startup Turning Art is like a Netflix for artwork, allowing you to rotate what’s on your wall on a monthly basis from their selection of emerging artists nationwide (3-month subscription for $30).  NovelPoster, another Kickstarter project, makes poster prints entirely from classic, or modern bodies of texts like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby or the tweets of Kanye West (above) for $40.

Study Hard in 2012!

-Jennifer Pollock