The holiday season can be quite a strain. The difficulty of choosing the best gifts for all of your loved ones is only compounded by the holiday crowds in malls and shopping centers. Mrs. Lin’s Kitchen is providing you with this shopping guide in the hope that we can help you focus on the fun of the holidays. We offer a wide selection of unique and desirable gifts and we’re sure we have something for everybody on your list. In order to help you with your search for the perfect present, this newsletter will lay out the different departments of Mrs. Lin’s and suggest gift ideas. You may be surprised at how easy it is to find just what you’re looking for. So, without further preamble, here is the comprehensive Men's Gift Guide to Mrs. Lin’s Kitchen. The categories in this guide are arranged in the same order as the red navigation bar on the left hand side of most pages at Mrs. Lin’s Kitchen.

Books: Know anyone who likes to cook exotic meals? We have a variety of cookbooks. Do you have any relatives who like to build models, or maybe a niece or nephew with artistic talent? We have plenty of books on origami. Do you have any siblings who are always rearranging her furniture? You can introduce them to Feng-Shui. Got a sister who thinks she’s psychic? We have books on astrology and the I-Ching. These books are all informative and fun, a great way to explore new horizons.

Chops: A chop is an ornate stamp, which has been used like a signature in China for centuries. This is the perfect gift for a businessman or artist, a collector or student. Chops are beautifully carved with animals and symbols, so you’re also giving someone a small statue for their desk. Many of our chops represent animals of the zodiac or symbols for luck or prosperity. This is a gift which is practical and visually attractive.

Chopsticks: Chopsticks can be a fun way to enjoy a meal. Besides, if you’ve just given someone a cookbook called The Food of Asia, they’re going to need an authentic way to enjoy all the delicious food they’ll be making. Do you know somebody who hasn’t learned to use chopsticks yet? We sell chopsticks for beginners which are connected at one end to make learning the proper technique even easier. We have sparkly chopsticks that are lively and fun, we’ve got inlaid chopsticks and ornamented chopsticks rich with artistry and beauty, even chopsticks that someone who likes to call their furniture “modern” would love to have on their table.

Clearance: The clearance department is where we keep all of our items that are priced to move to make way for new merchandise. This department is subdivided into the same departments this list and the navigation bar have, so you can easily find great deals on beautiful product.

Cookware: Fill out somebody’s kitchen. We have pans, bamboo steamers, knives, even hibachi grills for the barbeque enthusiast who doesn’t know he loves Asian food yet. We also sell donabe pots, which are like Tupperware only a million times better. They can go in the oven, microwave and refrigerator, they’re useful and attractive…only don’t describe them as “Tupperware, only a million times better” when you give them as a gift.

Gifts: Here you can find all sorts of easy presents. There are novelty pens and refrigerator magnets, decorations, lamps, yukata (or robes), vases and jewelry. You know that little cat statue that’s waving to you from the register at all those Asian restaurants? It’s call Maneki Neko, and we’ve got them from two inches to almost a foot in height. Does your brother in law smell like patchouli sometimes? We have incense burners, too. Know anybody whose got some empty space on their walls or tables? We have wall decorations, lamps that are functional and beautiful, we have pillowcases for whoever got mom’s old sofa cushions and we’ve even got candles and candleholders. Were you going to get someone that origami book? Well here’s where you can find origami paper in different colors and patterns. Maybe you know a special lady who needs a jewelry box? We can help. We have Yukata, which you can maybe give your dad to replace that old worn out rag with all the holes he calls a bathrobe. No matter if you’re looking for something little or big, you should spend some time checking out this section.

Grocery: Some ingredients can be hard to find, so why not help out some aspiring cook? Did you give someone a book of Thai recipes? Well, they’re going to need fish-sauce or they won’t be able to cook anything. Maybe you’ll decide to get someone some tea ware. Well, this is where you find the tea. Hey, some of these teas are so special they’re a gift by themselves.

Sakeware: Know somebody who likes to entertain? Or maybe just somebody who likes sake bombs? We have sake sets starting at less than twenty dollars, and at thirty dollars you’ll start to see more modern designs, as well as all our great traditional sets. This is the kind of stuff people won’t want to store in a cabinet, they’ll want everybody to see it and they’ll jump at the chance to use it.

Tableware: This is almost as big a bonanza as that whole “gift” section. We have bowls, platters, plates and trays which people will think they ought to put on their mantle-piece. We sell sets and single pieces, you can try putting together your own gift set: just look for items with matching patterns, like flowers or leaves; matching designs, like all bowls with lids; or matching shapes. Have some fun with this! All of these products are so striking that anyone will love them; you might even convince your mother-in-law that you really do have taste! We have table runners, perfect for any bare table. We have bento boxes and other lacquer serving boxes which will stun anyone, and make any meal just that much more of an experience. This is just about the pinnacle of practical-meets-beautiful.

Tea ware: Tea can be soothing or energizing, meditative or exciting, and the right teapot can go a long way towards defining that mood. We have knock-your-socks-off tea sets starting at thirty dollars, in modern and classic designs. We also sell individual pots and cups, another opportunity to give a totally unique gift and impress everybody with your good taste! We have cast-iron tetsubin teapots for an experience any tea enthusiast will love. We even have teacups with lids and infusers for that on-the-fence enthusiast, or as a practical gift for the tea-lover on the go. Trust me, this is a great gift.

Yixing Tea ware: Yixing is an area of China which yields a fine clay that has been used to make tea ware since the Ming Dynasty. These teapots come in an assortment of amazing designs, starting at less than twenty dollars, just look at the Double Happiness teapot ($39.95), or the Brown Dragon ($29.95), or the Post Modern Potato ($38.95) Who comes up with these names? These pots offer a more extreme experience than the regular tea ware. They’re even great for the hardcore enthusiast, because the pots are made to brew richer and fuller tea the more they’re used. Perfect for the young or the old!

Specials and What’s New are departments of more of our best and newest values for you to check out.

Collections: These are collections which represent single design motifs that have been split up into different categories, like teapots and plates that both have the same flower design on them. This is where you go if you’re looking to really wow, you can fill somebody’s kitchen with this stuff!

What else can we offer? How about gift-wrapping? Talk about having it easy, we’ll even wrap your presents! Did you see something you would really like for yourself? You deserve gifts as well, and people will be totally impressed to see these beautiful and practical things in your house. Remember, a gift for you can be a gift for someone else, too. Imagine serving your special someone an exotic, home cooked meal; well we’ve got you covered every step of the way. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying any of these great products yourself.

Mrs. Lin’s Kitchen is open year round, and is always filled with great values on amazing products. Keep us in mind for any special occasion, or for everyday needs. We’ll always have just what you need!

Holiday Schedule

Each state is assigned with a zone. Please order by noon (PST) on the date indicated in this table for your shipping address. If the shipping address is in the rural area, please add two extra days for delivery. If you need Next Day Service ($15 more than Express Service), please either call 1-888-883-8863 or indicate in the Special Instruction Area of the order form when placing your order. Your order for overnight-shipping of in-stock items can be ordered as late as the 23rd.

OUR 2004 NEWSLETTERS

Holiday Shopping Guide for Men

Holiday Shopping Guide for Women

Flowers in the Sky – Cherry and Plum Blossoms in Asian Culture

Travel to Asia: Southeast Asia II

Travel to Asia: Southeast Asia I

Travel to Asia: Korea

Travel to Asia: Taiwan

Travel to Asia: Japan

Travel to Asia: China, Part II

Travel to Asia: China

1,000 Cranes in Asian Culture and Art

Chinese New Year

Cookware for Your Asian-Style Kitchen

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

2011