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ALTHOUGH THIS is the sixth time I’ve done a Christmas guide tiffany jewellery, Sweetie (the wife) has yet to buy me the Citation X, Burger yacht, or turbocharged Bobcat earth mover I so desperately need. I choose to believe this is due to a lack of the boatloads of cash she’d need to buy these fine gifts, not a lack of love. Or maybe she’s decided that my being Jewish means she can get away with skimping on the Christmas presents. Either way, this year I’ve made it easier for her to show her affection by keeping my wish list a little more reasonable. And even if she gives me nothing (not that that’s an option, Sweetie), I already got at least one pretty great gift. (See below.)

KINDLE DX

Hollywood could save the rain forest if every actor and director got a Kindle DX ($489; amazon.com). Although it’s heavier than the six-inch Kindle, I prefer it. The bigger screen lets you get a ton of text on the page, even with a large font. More important, the DX is the first Kindle that can receive PDF files in their original format. For the last four months, all my scripts have arrived at my DX via Amazon’s cellular Whispernet, making me responsible for not using a single piece of paper.

PETZL TIKKA PLUS[sup] 2 JOBY GORILLATORCH

The Petzl Tikka Plus[sup] 2 ($35; petzl.com) is a superbright lightweight flashlight that you silver key rings wear on your head, which is great for hiking or illuminating the back of a gadget while you’ve got some version of a USB cable in your hands. It also has a red LED that will blink or remain constant to alert drivers to your presence when you’re walking back from the bar on a dark road in Telluride, Colorado. Another helpful flashlight is the Joby Gorillatorch ($30; joby.com), which hooks on to practically anything and complements Joby’s line of flexible little tripods (which are perfect for placing your camera in unusual places for self-portraits).

MIFI 2200 and NETWORK EXTENDER

Verizon Wireless makes two great nonphone products. The pocket-sized MiFi 2200 ($99 after mail-in rebate with two-year service agreement; verizonwireless.com), pictured, converts a Verizon cellular signal to WiFi, allowing up to five computers to use it at once. Perfect for airports, hotels, or car rides, it lets the entire family be online at the same time. The equally brilliant Network Extender ($250) plugs into your Internet and — even if your location has zero bars — as long as the antenna sees the sky and you live in a ZIP code where Verizon provides service, gives your home its own mini cell tower.

CASIO EXILIM EX-H10, PANASONIC LUMIX FZ35, CANON REBEL T1I

The Casio Exilim EX-H10 ($250; casio.com) has a 10x zoom, which is amazing for its size, and a silver necklaces very wide-angle 24mm lens. It also has an excellent long-life battery, shoots 720p video, and has one of the best user menus. Sweetie wants the Panasonic Lumix FZ35 ($400; panasonic.com). Non-shirt-pocketable but still quite light, the FZ35 uses a very sharp Leica lens and has a manly 18x optical zoom. It shoots high-def video, but most important, along with a large LCD screen, it has an electronic eyepiece, giving her the option to hold the camera up to her eye. If you want to transition from point-and-shoot to DSLR, the perfect camera is the Canon EOS Rebel T1i ($900; canonusa.com). The Rebel uses the large selection of quality Canon lenses, has really quick focusing, shoots excellent video, and is the right price. Although it’s a bit heavy, go ahead and get the 18-to-200 zoom lens (28-to-320 35mm equivalent).

SONOS CR200, ZONEPLAYER S5, and VTECH IS9181 WIFI INTERNET RADIO

Sonos is a home-music-distribution system that wirelessly streams up to thirty-two zones of music from your computer, MP3 player, online subscription service, or twenty-five thousand Internet radio stations. It’s been around for a few years, but it’s upped the ante in a huge way with a much better touch-screen controller, the CR200 ($349; sonos.com), and stand-alone system, the ZonePlayer S5 ($399), both pictured above. The S5 produces fantastic sound and finally lets you install a zone where you don’t have prewired speakers, like your backyard. A less expensive (and more limited) alternative is the VTech IS9181 WiFi Internet radio ($175; vtechphones.com). It has decent speakers for an alarm clock and, along with hooking up to an MP3 player, lets you tune in to more than eleven thousand Internet radio stations over your home’s wireless network.

ZUNE HD and IPOD NANO

Microsoft’s new Zune HD ($220 for 16GB; zune.net) has a brilliant OLED screen and is very small and bangles light. Along with songs, it can download 720p video, and, with an optional accessory, play it back on your television. The great thing about the Zune is that it also offers a subscription service. For fifteen bucks a month, you get access to more than six million songs and can choose ten each month to own forever. This would be a real challenger to Apple, but the Zune Web site is a bit of a mess. Apple’s newest Nano ($179 for 16GB; apple.com) works with the perfect iTunes Web site and now comes with an impressive video camera. I’m sure it’s only a matter of days before we see nude video of some famous movie star showering at the gym.

ALTEC LANSING ORBIT MP3 SPEAKER

Most laptop speakers don’t play loudly enough for watching a video or listening to music. With the small and packable Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 speaker ($40; alteclansing.com), I can get great sound from my laptop (or MP3 player) and not worry about the built-in speakers being blocked when I set my computer on my gut. And unlike many other portable speakers, Altec doesn’t overdo the base. The sound is bright and realistic.

LENOVO S12, TOSHIBA NB205-N325,and LENOVO T400S

Since most of your time on a computer is spent typing, you want a good keyboard. The best are on Lenovos rings, and that includes the new twelve-inch IdeaPad S12 netbook ($429; lenovo.com), pictured, although it’s missing the eraser mouse I love dearly. If you’re used to a Mac keyboard, the ten-inch Toshiba NB205-N325 ($400; toshiba.com) is also an excellent choice. Anything smaller than these two netbooks, I’d rather just use my BlackBerry or iPhone. My favorite full-sized laptop is the touch-screen Lenovo ThinkPad T400s ($1,999), which runs on the new Windows 7. Use either the track pad or the screen to zoom in, out, or double click — whatever you’d do with a mouse. The T400s also has a powered USB port that will charge your USB devices even when the computer is off. The built-in speakers are much louder and the built-in camera even better than on previous Lenovos.

KODAK ZI8

Unlike its competition, the pocket-sized Kodak Zi8 HD video camera ($180; kodak.com) has electronic image stabilization and records to SD cards. I carry one of these with me 24/7, since it’s only a matter of time before I have the alien encounter I so desperately fear.

HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER BUG VACUUM

Anyone with a squeamish daughter or son (or in Sweetie’s case, husband) will be a hero if he gives his kid a Hammacher Schlemmer Bug Vacuum ($50; skymall.com). The handheld vacuum has a long tube for sucking up spiders, moths, flies, and other critters. Once they’re in there, an electrical grid makes sure they don’t get back out.

TOMTOM’S GPS APP FOR THE IPHONE and NAVIGON

I really like TomTom’s GPS app for the iPhone ($100; itunes.com), pictured. It’s nearly as good as a stand-alone system. The graphics are excellent, and entering addresses is easy. Along with having the sexiest voice in nav systems, the TomTom shows the road’s speed limit, your speed, and graphic street signs, and it will work in the vertical or horizontal position (although I’ve always thought GPS devices should display vertically). Its optional windshield mount gives you Bluetooth access for hands-free phone calls and lets you stream music from your iPhone bracelets to your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo. Another good option is the MobileNavigator app from Navigon ($90; navigon.com). It has a helpful pedestrian mode, and for an additional twenty-five dollars, it will receive live traffic updates from a million other GPS units on the road and pair it with historical information to give you the best route.

MOXI HD DVR AND MOXI MATE

Everyone should replace their cable boxes with the Moxi HD DVR ($799; moxi.com). It has a great user interface and three tuners (most DVRs have only two), so you can record Men in Black I and II while watching old episodes of Pushing Daisies at the same time. The Moxi also connects to Netflix. Plug in the Moxi Mate ($399) in another room and you can instantly watch everything you’ve recorded on the main box on a second television.

NIKEID SNEAKERS

When strangers are not complimenting me on my stingray or goat-and-boa cowboy boots, they’re usually asking me where I got my cool Nikes. At NikeID.com you can design your own one-of-a-kind sneakers (starting at about $100). Sweetie, Chloe (the kid), and I go to the Nike store every year to do it. Somehow mine always tend to be the most colorful.

JAWBONE PRIME, PLANTRONICS DISCOVERY 975,and NOVERO THEFIRSTONE

If you aren’t too embarrassed to wear a Bluetooth headset, there are three that I really like: The Jawbone Prime ($130; jawbone.com) continues to have excellent noise cancellation and now comes in new colors. (Mine is green.) The Plantronics Discovery 975 ($130; plantronics.com) also cancels unwanted noise, and its boom mic extends a little farther toward your mouth for better sound transmission. The case has a rechargeable battery built in, so if you run out of juice in the middle of the day, just put it in the case and a few minutes later you have a fully charged headset. And then there’s the well-thought-out Novero TheFirstOne ($149; novero.com). The sound quality on the wearer’s end is quite good. I also love that it comes with a lanyard: When you’re not using the headset, you can hang it around your neck instead of keeping it in your ear, making you look less like a Hollywood agent and more like a geek.

JOSE CUERVO RESERVA DE LA FAMILIA

Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia ($100; cuervo.com) is considered a sipping tequila, so don’t use it for your margaritas. It’s like fine cognac, but in many ways more complex. Since I’m a big believer in sticking with one kind of booze a night, I start off with less-expensive tequila martinis and then move on to de la Familia neat after dinner.

IGO CHARGE ANYWHERE and ECOSOL POWERSTICK

Chloe is always running out of juice on her iPhone, usually about the time she’s supposed to be calling me. The iGo Charge Anywhere ($50; igo.com) uses interchangeable tips to work with most portable electronics. She can plug it into the wall, or, since the charger itself is also a battery, she can take that with her. It’ll charge a dead phone within fifteen minutes. For extra backup, Chloe can also pack the Ecosol Powerstick ($50; powerstick.com). About the size of a thumb drive, it charges in a computer USB port. If Chloe throws it in her bag, she’ll have a reserve battery that weighs practically nothing — and no more excuses.

AIR DANCER

I know it’s indulgent, but the Air Dancer ($599; 800-759-6255) is also really fun. It made Sweetie and me stare in amazement for hours. You normally only see something like this bending, leaning, and flipping in front of a used-car lot or a beef-jerky stand. With the exception of sitting on our deck watching the weather, I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do with my time.

As the Southern Christmas Show kicked off its 42nd season this week, early returns are leaving merchants optimistic — but still wary of the economy beyond the red, green and glitter-bedecked hub of holiday spirit.

“A lot of exhibitors came into this show a little apprehensive about what it was going to be like, and I think they’re finding their sales are as good or better than last year,” said David Zimmerman, president of Southern Shows, producers of the event, which opened Wednesday. “That’s what we’re hearing, at least.”

Another good gauge of sales, Zimmerman said Friday evening, is looking to see how full the package check area in the lobby is, and what’s being sold. “It’s as full as ever,” he said.

With its loyal, intent shoppers, the event at the former Charlotte Merchandise Mart is arguably more recession-resistant than much of the rest of the retail landscape. The show’s 700 vendors tend to generate sales results above the general holiday retail trend because they draw a self-selected crowd from across a wide geographic area, said Southern Shows CEO Joan Zimmerman.

Nonetheless, the show also speaks to the power of offering a distinct shopping experience, with the power to lure buyers even amid economic uncertainty. It attracts about 100,000 visitors per year, and attendance so far this year is up compared with the same days last year, David Zimmerman said. This year, the show is running for 12 days — ending Nov. 22 — instead its usual 11.

At the booth for A Taste of West Virginia, which sells products from over 50 West Virginia agribusinesses, sales on Thursday were up 8 percent over the same day last year, and the trend was continuing Friday, said Cindy Martel, marketing specialist with the state’s Department of Agriculture. The booth is not expecting a big increase for the year and would be happy to be on par with 2008, she said. “We’re definitely holding our ground,” she said.

The producers, she said, were concerned about what 2009 would bring. And the economic climate has forced them to plan and track their businesses more carefully, she said.

Shoppers are focusing on the fundamentals and stocking stuffers, Martel said, and the busiest categories so far have been specialty condiments and honey. People have also been redeeming about 10 percent more coupons this year, compared with 2008, she said. “They’re still buying impulse treat items, but not as many,” she said.

Several merchants said that though they’d seen sales fall at other shows this year, the trend seems to be improving. Business at home shows was particularly off, said Ken March, the owner of Florida-based Helmut’s Strudels, a 32-year presence at the Southern Christmas Show.

March said he was anxious given the N.C. banking climate, and that he knows business can flatten out anyway after years at the same show. But he expects to be up about 15 percent this year tend to be a reliable indicator.

“I think (shoppers) are realizing the hurricane has passed,” he said. “I don’t think people give up on Christmas.”

“We’re die-hard,” joked Pam Thomas of Lenoir, who traveled to the show on Thursday with a group of friends, most of whom have been going to the show together for 20 years. Around dinnertime, they relaxed on a bench near the cafeteria, bags at their sides.

“This is to get us in the Christmas spirit. … I brought my spending money today, and I’ll worry about the rest later.”

Thomas said she wasn’t planning to cut back her Christmas Show spending. On Thursday, she bought two decorative wall signs, a variety of food and two “splat balls” for grandchildren — toys designed to be thrown and go “splat,” albeit neatly.

But, she said, the rest of her shopping season may be affected. Her husband recently found out that he won’t receive a Christmas bonus this year at the trucking company where he works, after getting them for the last 38 years.

Sitting next to Thomas was Tracey Carriker of Morganton, who’d bought a cookie jar, jewelry and a UNC Chapel Hill snowman. Next up: A pimento cheese stop. Though the group’s usual challenge is figuring out how best to pack the trunk, Carriker said, this year she isn’t buying as much for herself, while still looking for family and friends.

At Rita’s Special T’s, which sells colorful shirts and jackets, sales dropped in 2008, but results at the Charlotte show are up over the same days last year, owner Rita Beard said. Based in Florida, she hopes to be up 10 percent over last year.

Shows that she’s attended elsewhere this year, including in recent weeks, she noted, have been down.

Still, where people used to buy two or three jackets, Beard said, they now buy just one. And she lowered the price on a popular set to $40 from $49.

“We had to adjust to what the economy is going to allow you to sell your products for,” she said.