Spring is a Time for Change

Hubcaps and Gravy is making some changes. During our time of transition we will be temporarily suspending our website. We hope to have our website back up and running in the not too distant future. In the meantime you can still find all of our great gift items on Ebay. Just use the Advanced search option, click on Find a member, and enter hubcapsandgravygiftshop in the User ID field. Check back here and on our Facebook page for updates. To contact us, you can email us at hubcapsandgravy@sbcglobal.net. We’ll keep you posted.

What's new?

Lots of new items are showing up at Hubcaps and Gravy. We are gearing up for holiday shopping season; so many new jewelry items are hitting our catalog on a daily basis. We expect to be adding many more items over the next month; so keep your eyes peeled.

Some of the new items are coming from our tried and true suppliers because we know our loyal customers expect the styles and quality they have come to love. In addition, we are proud to announce our very own line of jewelry, Juney Moon Designs. Our in-house designer is working hard to create fashionable jewelry that is not only beautiful; but also affordable for anyone. Look for these items to show up any day now.

Already here is our line of themed charm bracelets. We have everything from nautical designs to cowgirl themed bracelets. These bracelets are fun for just about any age; and make terrific gifts.

We have some stunning new diamond simulant earrings in many different styles. These earrings provide the look of diamonds without the huge cost. Perfect gifts for girlfriends, wives, mothers, or just about anyone. One of our favorites is our Champagne Diamond Simulant Rose Gold Filled Dangle Earrings.

We don’t want to leave the guys out; so we are trying hard to find and create new designs for men. Check out our Mens Skull Black Leather Bracelet for those who like edgy fashion.

Over the next few weeks we will be posting new items on our Facebook page as they arrive. So, if you haven’t already, be sure to like us on Facebook. Also, visit hubcapsandgravy.com often to see all that’s new.

           

And Away We Go...

Just wanted to let everyone know our updated website is up and running. We are very happy with our new look; and hope you are, too. Please, let us know if you have any problems using the site. We would also really appreciate any suggestions you may have. We are always looking to improve.


Don't forget Mothers Day is just around the corner. We have lots of great gifts for moms, grandmothers, moms-to-be, step-moms, etc. We have lovely artisan crafted candle holders in stunning designs and vivid colors. If mom loves to cook we have cute two-in-one novelty aprons or quality kitchen tools by Cuisipro. All Cuisipro products have a 25 year warranty! If those items just aren't right for mom, we have a very large selection of lovely jewelry. We have brilliant sterling silver necklaces, gleaming gold earrings, vibrant gemstone jewelry, luminescent pearls, and much more! Remember all our jewelry items ship free!

Hope everyone has a great week! Happy Tax Day!

Why some Birthday Gifts for Kids are a Hit and Some are a Flop

Finding birthday gifts for kids or coming up with kids birthday gift ideas can be difficult. This is one of the best tips we know; DO NOT buy clothes! A typical mistake people make is buying a child clothes. If you want to see disappointment on a kids face, clothes will do it. If you do want to buy them clothes; take them shopping and let them pick out what they want. Style and fashion is very important in their peer group.

Kids want toys and games. With electronic games being so popular with kids, it is easy to make the wrong gift choice unless they tell you a specific game to buy. Why? Because a boring game will never be used; and they probably have the games they really want already. So what do you do? A great tip here is to see what they do when not playing electronic games. Do they enjoy Legos? Do they like to take things apart or tinker with their bikes? Do they enjoy puzzles or like to watch you cook? Do they ask you for the time or love to pretend play? Do they like crafts or decorating with glitter? When you see what they enjoy buying a birthday gift becomes an easy task. Here are a few of the birthday giftt ideas for kids we feel they will love.

We all know this kid, Tim, the timekeeper. “What time is it?”, “Is it lunch time yet?”, and “tell me when it is 3 o’clock”. The perfect birthday gift for any kid who likes to keep track of time is a watch. A watch that is also a toy is two gifts in one; so, our Lego watches are great birthday gift ideas. Kids love Lego toys; and a Lego watch with action mini figure has to be the best idea to come along in a decade. We carry Buzz Lightyear and Woody Lego watches from Toy Story. We also have Storm Trooper, Darth Maul, R2D2, and Yoda from the Star Wars animated series The Clone Wars. These are not ordinary kids watches. They are build your own watches with additional colored links to customize the watch band in any style you like. The watch face is an illustrated image of a Lego mini figure. The two links around the face feature standard Lego studs for attaching the additional Lego elements that are included. Add the studded bezel and attach additional Lego pieces for your own unique look. As an added plus these are water resistant watches to 150 feet. What could make a better birthday gift for a kid?

Perhaps you know this child, take apart Mark! Mark wonders how things work and how things are put together. Perhaps, one of the most important gifts you could ever give Mark is an Erector set. Opening a child’s mind to structural engineering, architectural design, or mechanics could become their life calling. Now with modern designs, colors and plastics, Erector sets are fast becoming great gift ideas for kids again. We feature Erector sets from the Space Chaos collection, Silver Force and Dark Pirates.

Thomas the Train toys have been a love of children since the TV series Thomas and Friends began in 1984. Now your child can make Thomas whistle while he works with the Thomas Train Whistle. Thomas the Tank Engine toys are always great birthday gift ideas for kids; and this whistle is no exception. Kids love to play with flashlights; and Thomas will make his or her flashlight special. You will be a hit giving a Thomas and Friends tin flashlight as a birthday gift or just to say I love you. Not just a toy, but a handy item to have around when needed!

We carry wooden toys, games and puzzles from Melissa and Doug. The Stacking Train, Take-Along Tool Kit, and Shape Sorting Clock make great learning toys and are classics. The Decorate Your Own Piggy Bank or Decorate Your Own Princess Mirror is perfect for kids who love crafts or love to decorate. Kids have fun while learning with the Farm Animals Sound Puzzle. Place the puzzle pieces in the correct spots; and hear farm animals sound off. For pretend play we have the Bake and Decorate Cupcake set. Your little bakers will have lots of fun decorating and serving the cupcakes. With more kids birthday gift ideas like the Turbospoke Bike Toy, Rattlesnake Egg Singing Magnets, or The Hyper Dash Race Game, we are sure your gift will be a hit. Visit our Birthday Gifts for Kids page or you can find all of our kids gifts under our Toys and Games category page. If you are looking for more gift ideas and information, visit Great Gift Ideas.

Hubcaps and Gravy has birthday gifts for boys, birthday gifts for girls, birthday gifts for kids from toddlers, preschoolers to preteens. We have baby gift ideas and gift ideas for kids of just about any age! Do you have trouble finding just the right gift; or need help with gift ideas? Browse gift ideas for kids to get great gift ideas; or email us to tell us a little bit about the gift recipient. We will be happy to make some suggestions for affordable gifts.

We hope our Birthday gifts for kids and great kids Birthday gift ideas page will help you find a great birthday gift for that special boy or girl in your life.

Who Started This Valentine’s Day Nonsense Anyway?

I remember as a child that yearly trip to the store with my mother to pick out the Valentine’s greeting cards that I would later take to school for all my classmates. Once they were purchased I would peruse them at length determining which was the right one for Becky, for Sandra, and the all important one for Warren. A shoebox was taken to school before the big day; and decorated with my name, hearts and the like. A hole was cut in the top so all the wonderful Valentine’s could be dropped inside. On Valentine’s Day we would all bring in our Valentine’s greeting cards and distribute them into their appropriate boxes. It was such fun looking through all the ones I was given. Seeing how many duplicates I received, seeing if I was lucky enough to get one with a sucker attached, and seeing if there was one from Warren.

You probably have similar childhood memories; and if you are a romantic at heart you probably enjoy Valentine’s Day with all its hearts, cupids, doves, candy, flowers, and such. Do you ever wonder who is responsible for creating what has become one of the biggest commercial holidays of the year.

Wikipedia says “Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14th celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.” Further, it credits Pope Gelasius I with establishing Saint Valentine’s Day in 500 AD.

The first “valentine” card is said to have been given by a priest named Valentine who was imprisoned. Supposedly, he fell in love with the jailers blind daughter who visited him during his confinement. He is reported to have performed a miracle by healing her. Before his execution it is said that he wrote her a letter that was signed “From your Valentine”; an expression we still see on greeting cards today. Whether you believe the legend or not, you cannot deny that it makes for a very romantic story.

Another theory links Valentine's Day to the beginning of spring which was considered to be February in ancient Rome. Lupercalia, a festival observed from February 13th through 15th was a time for cleansing. The festival included a fertility ritual and the pairing of bachelors with the young women of the city. These pairings often ended in marriage. This Roman system was considered un-Christian; and later outlawed.

Some say Geoffrey Chaucer first wrote about the association of romantic love and Valentine's Day when he wrote this poem for the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. “For this was on seynt Volantynys day Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.” (For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.) It is assumed that Chaucer was referring to February 14th; however, this seems an unlikely time of year for birds to be mating in England.

Valentine’s Day began to be popular in Great Britain by the 17th century; and commonly celebrated in the 18th century by giving gifts or handwritten notes to friends and lovers. Improvements in printing technology at the end of the 18th century made it easy for printed cards to replace written letters. Handmade valentine’s cards began to be exchanged in the United States in the early 1700s; and Esther Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in the 1840s. History.com reports that according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.

Today, I confess I still love getting Valentine’s greetings. I still don’t get one from Warren; but I do get a lovely one from the love of my life (my husband) every Valentine’s Day. It’s usually filled with words that touch my heart. Isn’t that what Valentine’s Day should be? Showing love in whatever way you can. Whether you send a greeting card, buy a gift, take a loved one out for a nice meal, or have their name tattooed on your arm really doesn’t matter. Even if you think Valentine’s Day is nonsense, what matters is that you let the people you love know that you love them. Seems like we should celebrate Valentine’s Day every day of the year.  Well, shouldn’t we?

How Can I Afford Christmas Gifts?

Budgeting is mandatory in hard times. Running up credit card debt this Holiday Season is not the answer. Creative ideas and smart budgeting will make for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year WITHOUT ADDED DEBT!

There are easy ways to stay within your weekly budget and still give everyone a gift; BUT, you need to start today. We are going to show you two easy things to start doing today; and also, show you gift ideas that will help you stay within your budget.

1)Skip Starbucks or your local coffee shop twice a week (or two cups of coffee). With savings of $7 to $8, in just eight weeks that’s $56 to $64 in gifts.

2)Take your lunch to work twice a week. That’s a savings of $10 to $20 a week. In just eight weeks that’s another $80 to $160 in gifts.

With just two easy steps you have between $136 to $224 to spend on Christmas gifts without increasing your budget 1 penny. For you it might be skipping the movies a few times or going out to dinner. A few sacrafices now will save you a lot later. One more very important point; do Not run out at the last minute to buy gifts. Procrastination will kill a budget with panic buying!

$80.00 Shoestring Budget Gift Ideas
Gift for a Toddler: Pound-A-Peg by Melissa and Doug $9.98 Sold Out

Gift for a Girl: Melissa and Doug Decorate-Your-Own Piggy Bank $6.98

Gift for a Girlfriend or Wife: Gold Oval In and Out Crystal Hoop Earrings $22.98

Gift for a Female Friend: Cranberry Pearl Earrings with Swarovski Crystals $6.98 Sold Out

Gift for a Male Friend : Celtic Knot Pendant Leather Cord Necklace $8.98 Sold Out

Gift for a Computer User: USB 2.0 Hub Robot $17.98

Total $73.88

Great Gifts for the $140.00 Budget
Gift for a Boy or Girl: Turbospoke Bike Toy $18.98

Gift for a Girl: Melissa and Doug Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set $19.98

Gift for a Girlfriend or Wife: Peridot and Sterling Silver Necklace and matching Stud Earrings $43.96

Gift for a Female Friend: Pearl Necklace with Pearl Earrings $16.98

Gift for a Male Friend: USB Travel Shaver $19.98

Gift for a Computer User: USB LED Lamp and Fan $19.98

Total $139.86

A little sacrifice and a few good ideas will help you have a more relaxing enjoyable holiday season without adding credit card debt or increasing your budget. Remember, DO NOT procrastinate! Start using these guidelines today. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!