'10 More Days Left'

Only 10 more shopping days left! Not sure what to get for the holidays?

As promised, here is another list of gifts to satisfy even the pickiest on your list, and still leave some money over so you can splurge on yourself!

After all, you’ve earned it.

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Stay ahead of the fashion pack with this cheetah bed set ($119.99). Ever since faux fur ripped and clawed its way here several seasons ago, you’ve been struck with jungle fever. You’ve already stocked your wardrobe with zebra print sweaters, faux rabbit fur vests and leopard silk camis. Well, now it’s time to move on to the bedroom!

This is one gift idea I’d like to keep to myself, but a girlfriend or family member might like it just as much.

And it comes with the whole package. No need to buy the pieces separately because the set includes: a duvet cover, two sham covers and two pillow covers. The micro plush bed covers and spread is also machine washable, making cleaning inexpensive and hassle-free.

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You might have already signed off on your fashion resolutions and are looking forward to tackling them come New Year.

But when it comes to the child in your family, have you ever thought what a new year might mean to him, or her?

It could mean plenty.

A mini room makeover is the first step in a getting your child about what the new year has in store. The room as a canvas, get your boy or girl excited about to shoot for the next level in football, or ballet. A new lamp, perhaps a set of new curtains with sports-themed curtain rods ($19.99) are all you need for your child to get the sense of a fresh start.

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I don’t remember the last time my parents bought new curtains for the house. My girlfriend has confessed that finding curtains to fit her oversized windows is one of the biggest hassles. And I’m 99 percent sure that my one male coworkers still doesn’t have curtains hanging in his two-month old, new apartment.

It might not be the most immediate purchase that comes to mind when buying for the home. Which is one of the best reasons to offer a blackout tie up shade curtain ($34) as a gift – now available in either purples or green.

The curtain satisfies a modern décor with its clean and contemporary design, maintains privacy, blocks out light and traps the heat inside the house better than any plastic blind would. The ruching effect already on the silk shade gives the impression that this curtain has been custom ordered for the window.

It hasn’t, but we’d like others to think so.

-S. Gonzalez

'Pop Goes the Weasel'

My Little Pony. Rainbow Brite.The Little Mermaid. 101 Dalmatians.

These were some of the characters that wound their way onto my pajamas, bedcovers and curtains when I was a child. I am not alone. Most people can place their childhood by the comic book heroes, fairytale princesses or animated cartoons they worshipped.

Unfortunately, trends come and go and eventually so does the merchandise. What often results is a stockpile of unwanted ‘Beauty and the Beast’ duvets and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ curtains locked away in a closet. Someday, the same fate will befall the ‘Hannah Montana’ couches and the ‘Dora the Explorer’ vanities.

Livening your children’s bedroom doesn’t have to involve lavish purchases or intense renovation. Want to make a room pop? Creative accent pieces charged with color will satisfy even the toughest young critics until the next big craze comes along.

While lining dresser drawers with wrapping paper protects clothes, how about lining the walls of a bookshelf with your child’s favorite ‘Thomas the Engine’ or ‘Barbie’ prints? Use double-sided tape and first make a template of the shelf's back wall before mounting the wrapping paper. The paper is interchangeable and proves to your child that you too value his idols.

Don’t buy a new lamp to match the equestrian theme running rampant in your daughter’s room. Replace the lampshade with a splashy color like red or yellow. Better yet, paint the lampshade in a punchy hue from leftover paint lying around.

Removable decals (right) make their way from the wall and onto the unlikeliest of places. InStyle recently suggested sticking the decals on an old stool or wooden chair for a quick revamp. But lampshades, dresser drawers, and mirrors could all use a makeover. One week, it’s butterflies. And the next , it’s blossoms.

Children pay attention to detail. Why not add a daisy to the end of that curtain rod? Or how about topping it off with a train? Decorative curtain rods are a no fuss approach to dressing up a room.

No more coloring on the wall. Invest in a $32 whiteboard so that your next little Pablo Picasso can perfect his technique. From bold artwork today to listing homework assignments and term papers tomorrow, a whiteboard is worth every penny.

Steer clear of the ‘High School Musical’ and ‘Disney Princess’ themed whiteboards.

That’s what brightly colored decals are for!

And voilà:

Pop goes the bedroom.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of flickr.com, www.storesense4.megaservers.com, www.decorinnovation.com