I went to a MAC cosmetics Style It Up event this past weekend and while I am pretty good at defecting the up sell, their paint pot is one of those products that I could have said, “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME ABOUT IT BEFORE?” As it is, I tend not to speak in ALL CAPS, but I can tell you that their paint pots will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Or, you know, last all day and help your eye shadow to do the same.

$16.50 @ Maccosmetics.com

Need a last minute gift for someone who already has plenty of gadgets and gear? Get them something they can eat, and feed a few extra people at the same time: The Hickory Farms Party Planner Gift Box supports Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, so your good wishes do double duty this season. The box is stuffed with Hickory Farms classics, like their summer sausage and original cheese ball, crackers, mustards, and more; $5 from every purchase goes to Share Our Strength.

$40 at Hickory Farms.

A computer is a must-have for any home office, of course, but a lightweight laptop is a must-have for anyone who needs to bring their office on the road with them. Dell graciously offered to let me test out their newest offering, the Vostro V130, and even though I’m a Mac girl at heart, I developed quite a crush on this pretty, ultra-portable computer.

The Vostro V130 is a deep cherry red, which is pretty to look at, of course, and it’s super-skinny (just 0.65 of an inch in the front and 0.78 of an inch in the back). But looks are only skin deep, and the real power is on the inside: an Intel Core ULV processor, a full-sized keyboard, a 13.3-inch High Definition WLED display, a HDMI port (so you can connected it to your HDTV), two USB 2.0 ports, a shared USB/eSATA port, 802.11n wireless technology, optional WiMAXtechnology, and Bluetooth 3.0 (to wirelessly connect to your mouse, printer, or headset). The SIM card slot is a nice touch, as is the built-in webcam — video conferencing is the new normal, after all.

My only two quibbles: If you wanted to use it to watch a movie on the plane, you’d have to make sure you’ve downloaded one first — there’s no DVD player. Which means that if a client hands you a disc full of images (some still do), you’ve got to get them off the disc before you can get on with your work. The clicky keyboard and touchy mouse took a little getting used to, too, but that complaint is easy to solve with a separate Bluetooth-enabled keyboard and mouse.

$429 and up at Dell.

Have this on hand, and when the first snow falls, you’ll be ready for action. Mold precise blocks of snow for building forts, and then fill the forts with perfectly shaped snowballs made with the special scoop. And you can do it all without soaking your mittens in the first minute and a half of fun.

$14.95 at L.L. Bean.

Playmobil’s new twist on an old tradition ratchets down the candy consumption but dials up the imaginative fun. Their advent calendars are filled with tiny toys, and the calendar itself turns into the stage upon which to play with them. Choose from several themes — classic nativity and winter forest scenes, but also police, dragon land, pony ranch, and unicorn-and-fairy sets — and get ready to count down to Christmas.

$16.99 to $18.99 at Playmobil.com.

This isn’t techonology, per se, but it’s for holding something technological, so it counts, in my book. The Driin cell phone charger shelf hooks over your power cord once it’s been plugged into an electrical outlet; the slim shelf holds both your phone and the excess cord, keeping your counter or desktop neat and tidy (and your phone easily accessible). Made in Italy, it comes in seven colors, from stark white to basic black to bright pink, and it’s low price makes it an excellent stocking stuffer for working moms everywhere.

$6.95 at Driinn.com.

(Image from Gadgetreview.com)

There are few things tougher than juggling a kid with a cold, but one of them is trying to give said sickie his or her medicine. The Sippy Sure is a big help. It comes with a special medicine dispensing mechanism; fill it with the appropriate dose, and the meds are mixed with the beverage in the cup as your child sips it. Developed by a dad who is also a doctor, the BPA-free, dishwasher-safe cup multitasks as a standard sippy cup as well (a good idea, so your child doesn’t end up associating it with being sick).

$8.99 at SippySure.com

These are a staple in my gift closet. Inexpensive (so I can pair them with another gift if I need to), portable (so parents can pack them up for a car ride if they need to), and perfect for plenty of imaginative play. Themed magnets and a book in which to set up scene after scene — what’s not to like? There are many different ones from which to choose; my kindergartener is partial to princesses right now, but this doll-house set is right up her alley. My 4-year-old boy, though, would probably get a kick out of this space-themed set. Sets vary, from as few as 11 to as many as 30 or more magnets.

$8.95 for a 30-piece set, at Amazon.com.

Turn any hard surface — the dining table, the kitchen floor, and especially the hallway — into an awesome place to play air hockey with Hover Hockey from Sportscraft. Unlike traditional air hockey, which requires a special table on which to play, Hover Hockey packs the air into the puck, allowing any flat spot to be used for a game. The set comes with two hover pucks, a charger, two felt-bottomed pushers, and four orange cones.

$9.99 at Sears.

This toy makes a great baby-shower gift for the mom-to-be whose baby-to-be seems to have everything. Dr. Toy named it one of the best toys for 2010, and we can see why: It can be used on the floor or in a crib, and has a variety of things to keep baby interested while honing his or her fine motor skills.

$11.99 at Amazon.com.