Curiouser and curiouser gifts, gadgets and gizmos

It is that time of year again when you have to start thinking about buying presents for your friends, family, work colleagues and loved ones. Mind you, it is always that time of year; what with all those birthdays, anniversaries, occasions for impromptu congratulations like the fact that your nephew has just passed his driving test after taking it 5 times. Now that warrants an unusual gifts. And then there are the neighbours who are expecting their first baby any minute now, and of course Great Grandma has made it to 100, so she'll probably really appreciate a personalised trinket box, or possibly a helicopter ride, depending on what type of granny she is

If, like me, you get into a flat panic at the first sound of Jingle Bells in the supermarket, because it signals the start of the crazy season yet again, have no fear. You can work your way through the present list in a flash by getting every single person a fabulous and unusual gift, something that they will not be expecting and yet something they will be really pleased with.

There is definitely no point in buying a mobile phone for anyone as a gift, as nearly everyone has one already, except me if anyone's wondering what to buy me. They are all happy with their ring tones, camera facilities and whatever other gizmos they have as features. However, I'm willing to bet that nobody will have a Little Miss Naughty MoPod. What on earth ... I hear you cry. This little beauty is a truly unusual gift that is suitable for anyone aged 5 to 105. Purple faced Little Miss Naughty spins and flashes as she interacts with your mobile when it has an incoming call. How can you resist this unusual gifts entertainment and practical value? You will probably decide that you need one for yourself, so be generous and buy an extra one.

For all your friends who spend most of their time on another planet, they will really appreciate this weird and unusual gift of a Mystery UFO. This little gadget will entertain everyone at the office party this year. It appears to float without the help of batteries, magnets or any other force, other than.... Well, only the lucky recipient will know how it works, but it is guaranteed to be a conversation piece, never the less. If you have friends or family members who like to play tricks and are real wind up merchants, they will love to receive unusual gifts from you. What could be more suitable than a remote controlled fake black widow spider? Sit back and watch Auntie Betty leap out of her chair as this life like arachnid creeps silently over her shoulder. Better still, you can really worry the cat with this fabulous toy, but be on your guard. Someone may decide that it's your turn to be given a shock.

How many people have you got on your gift list that could be classified as senior? I have had senior moments since my 20s, and so a collection of Signs for Senior Moments makes a fantastic gift for almost everyone who manages to forget what whatsisname is called, and exactly where oojimerflip lives. This unusual gift consists of 46 witty but apt signs which you can put on your desk to make you chuckle, especially at those increasingly frequent times when your mind goes blank. For the young, or just the young at heart, a Dennis the Menace catapult kit includes cans and tomato shaped foam balls for safe and friendly target practice. Perhaps this is just what your workmates need after a hard day of dogsbodying or distributing loud orders, depending on how far up the greasy pole they are. Either way, it will put a smile on their face and give them oodles of pleasure as they aim and fire, letting their inner child out for just a while. They will need to keep an eye out for the boss though; otherwise they may soon be catapulted back into the job market.

I expect there are squillions of us who have trouble getting out of bed in the morning. The alarm clock is always within reach and it is too easy to turn over and go back to sleep. Some people even go to the extreme of having more than one alarm clock on the go, perhaps spread around the bedroom to force them out of their nest. The Clocky Clock Alarm Clock is the perfect solution for all those lazy bones sleepy heads who never quite make it to work or school on time. This gizmo bleeps at you, but if you do not respond in time, it goes walk about around your bedroom, still bleeping. Not happy with this alone, it then finds a cheeky hiding place and continues to witter on until you find it. This is bound to get you up and running in no time, and you will earn your gold stars by never being late in the mornings again.