10 Gifts You Can Give Yourself That the Whole Gang Will Thank You For

I love to shop, but when it comes to splurging on expensive things for myself, I always feel I need some form of justification.  My “defense” is usually made of two main arguments — length of use and the number of people the item will benefit.  Here are 10 fantastic things that would totally pass the test… if I could afford them.  

1. The iRev

The coolest thing thing to hit the water this year, the iRev (Interactive Recreational Entertainment Vessel) seats up to 10 people and features a central low smoke charcoal grill, an outboard electric 2-5 hp motor with 8-10 hours of battery life, 4 storage bins, an integrated umbrella, and an optional audio package with marine approved hi-fidelity 500 watt speakers, amplifier, satellite radio and a MP3 connection.

2. The Man Wall

My husband almost cried when he saw this, he wants it so badly. The Man Wall features room for four TVs (only 3 are included though — one 52″ and two 26″ units). It also has a 1200-watt Panasonic home theater with integrated speakers and wireless surround units, two 25-cigar humidors with gauges, a 32-bottle wine rack, a microwave, a live 7-foot sports ticker at the top with built-in computer, a full-size kegerator with tap, an iPod docking station, DVD player, all managed by using a single remote control. Total man-gasm.

3. Spaceball Trampoline

This trampoline was specially created to play Spaceball, a game invented in the early 1960s by trampoline pioneer George Nissen. It has been hailed as “the best conditioning exercise for space travel” by Scott Carpenter, one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven astronauts. The game requires hand-eye coordination, balance, timing, and trickery to throw a ball past your opponent through a tunneled, netted gantry to the other side — all while bouncing up and down.

4. Cobi-7 Conference Bike

This isn’t just a bike - it’s a party on wheels! The Cobi-7 Conference Bike is a tricycle pedaled by 7 riders sitting in a circle. One person steers, while everyone else is free to pedal or not as the bike moves effortlessly along.

5. ArKeg Drink ‘n Game

The ArKeg Drink ‘n Game machine features a fully functioning kegerator in its belly, with room for a 5-gallon keg kept cool by a solid-state thermoelectric cooling system. In addition, it sports a gaming-ready PC, pre-loaded with 69 arcade games.

6. The Gigantic Water Play Slide

Ok how cool is this? This 16′ high water slide will provide hours of safe, reliable waterborne fun for entire families. It’s totally puncture-proof, as it’s constructed of a layer of commercial-grade, 1,000 denier polyester fabric sandwiched between two layers of 28 oz. PVC — the same method used to construct the inflatable boats used by the U.S. Navy Seals.

7. Arcade Coffee Table

The Surface Tension arcade coffee table houses a powerful and fully upgradeable Shuttle PC, an elegantly concealed screen and a revolutionary new control  panel. You and your guests can use the table to browse the Internet, share photos, listen to music, watch movies and play classic arcade games.

8. Asahi Beerbot Beer-Pouring Robot

Robots are always cool to have around, but a beer-pouring robot? O…M…G!!! The Asahi ‘bot stores and refrigerates six cans and features a programmable voice, cleaning mode, and child lock.

9. SIDEBAR Duo Beverage System

The latest in the line of Sidebar beverage dispensing systems - the Sidebar Duo - is due out this month. The Duo has a two-faucet tower to serve 5 spirits and any draft beer of your choice.  The faucet on the left is controlled by the integrated selector pad — B for Bourbon, G for Gin, S for Scotch, V for Vodka and W for Whiskey, Wine, Water or Whatever!  The faucet on the right will serve any draft beer.

10. The Floating Planet

This floating, tilting, and spinning inflatable planet forces players to engage all the physical coordination skills they can muster, as it freely spins horizontally and can be tipped out of the water up to 30° to dislodge other players as they grab the built-in nylon handholds. A nylon screen attaches the outer ring to the planet, allowing players to find a foothold while jockeying for position. Super fun!