www.HandBookLive.com
December 7, 2009
(Disclosure: We are not paid by these companies to promote their products)
This year we decided to create a Holiday Gift Guide based on the products that have easy video handbooks posted on www.HandBookLive.com. Our criteria is simple: we are selecting products that we find interesting or useful, and they have a video demo on HandBookLive, so they are easy to preview and you know you will get help using these gifts, and not be frustrated trying to figure out how in the world to make them work.
We believe that in the next few years consumers will demand that all products have video handbooks, but until then we are happy to introduce you to a select few companies who are the leaders and the innovators, and who are ahead of the curve in this hot new trend of helping customers by creating informative product video handbooks.
Part 1 Holiday Guide:
1. Cake VaseŽ by Kathleen’s Cakes. http://www.cakevase.com 
This is my personal favorite! You can make an easy beautiful flower arrangement to go on top of any cake. It makes a great gift because not only can you bring the CakeVase kit as a gift, but you can create your own live flower centerpiece using one CakeVase insert and give it to the hostess of the party. Everyone will enjoy the flowers and get inspired. If there is no cake at the party – no problem! – You can simply place the CakeVase with flowers on a table for everyone to admire. Kathleen will show you how to make your own arrangements in the Quick Start chapter of the complete video handbook for CakeVase. And here is a quick Introduction chapter:
Complete video handbook for CakeVase on HandBookLive.com
2. Bowdabra Designer Bowmaker by Bowdabra
http://www.bowdabra.com 
I like this gift because you can use it to put your own perfect bow on any gift you give these holidays (even Bowdabra kit itself 
)
I was never good at bows, so my gifts usually come barely wrapped. My friends and family know my limitations and kindly forgive me for not having the patience or the skills, but you might want to think of getting your own Bowdabra if your friends are not as forgiving, or if you feel creative and want to have fun decorating. This year I will actually be using Bowdabra and I can’t wait to see the look on my friends faces! Bowdabra video handbook comes with 10 chapters for 10 different sample designs you can do with Bowdabra. Here is a chapter for making a “Package” type bow from the left-over pieces of ribbons (chapter 8):
Complete Bowdabra video handbook on HandBookLive.com
3. BOBO Wrapping Scarf by BOBO http://www.bobowrap.com 
This is another great gift as well as a way to wrap your gifts.
It is inspired by the ancient Korean tradition of wrapping with fabric called Bojagi. The wrapping scarf can wrap wine bottles, boxes of tissues, or a packed lunch, as easily as it can wrap gifts. Personally I feel bad about all the wrapping paper that comes with gifts. It just seems so wasteful to have something that has such a short life and goes straight into the dumpster. With BOBO you reuse it again and again, and frankly it is one way to make your gift really stand out from all the rest of the paper wrapped boxes. And it is so exquisite and beautiful! There are different ways of wrapping with BOBO and you can see a number of them in the BOBO video handbook. Here is a chapter showing how to use BOBO to wrap 2 wine bottles (Chapter 6):
Complete BOBO video handbook on HandBookLive
4. Scandle Candle: Oil Candle and Massage Lotion by Scandle
http://www.abodycandle.com 
We all get candles as gifts but I never heard of using candles as massage oils and I honestly didn’t believe it until I saw it. Once I saw it I wanted one! Now I will take the time to get a massage it looked so much fun and so unusual. Here is what the owners of the company say about this gift item: “The Scandle was created because we noticed that several massage candles on the market were only made of soy wax. Soy wax, even when melted is very heavy and doesn’t give you the feel that massage oil should have. Also, it doesn’t have any of the oils to help moisturize and promote healthy skin. Our candles are so much more than Soy Wax with a Wick…we like to think of it as Lotion with a Wick! Scandles are made with FDA approved ingredients and are everything you’d expect from a skin healthy lotion with the added ambiance and aroma of a spa candle.”
Watch the complete video handbook for Scandle Candle to see for yourself, or watch this quick Introduction chapter:
Complete video handbook for Scandle Candle
5. Blings: “Colorful strands for hair” by Bling Strands
http://blingstrands.com 
This is a fun way to add some sparkle to your hair. And you don’t have to take them off to care for your hair. Personally I don’t have the patience to do it, but if someone volunteered to put blings in my hair I would love to have it done for Christmas or some other spacial occasion. Video handbook for Blings is very detailed and shows you all the techniques you need to know to get started. Here is a quick Introduction chapter:
Complete video handbook for Blings on HandBookLive.com
Hopefully you got inspired and entertained! We will see you soon for Part 2 of our HandBookLive Holiday Gift Guide: Practical Gifts.
Author: Laura Beken,
www.HandBookLive.com