The best thing you can do for the busy executives in your life is either find a present to make their life more efficient, or if you don’t want to encourage them to cram all those work hours in, something to help them…. slow down.
   Coffee baskets are getting a little old. Instead, go for the Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap ($6.99, www.thinkgeek.com). The 4-ounce bar, which smells like peppermint, contains 12 um… servings of 200-milligram caffeine infusion that equals two cups of coffee, without any harsh ingredients. That overworked person will get energized in the morning even before getting the daily java fix.
   If your executive keeps complaining there are not enough hours in the day, here is an easy way to take the work to bed, couch, and anywhere else: a slick Lapstation from T.Shipley ($69, www.tshipley.com). It’s a mobile “desk” that folds down to fit in the laptop bag — just pull it out and set up work any time, anywhere. Hey, after that caffeinated shower, what else is left to do?
   Another ingenious present from T.Shipley is the ultimate alarm clock: the Morning Reporter Clock Radio ($129), which delivers time, temperature, weather forecast, but most importantly, any reminders recorded the night before. No more stickies stuck to the mirror.
   For the best practical gift for any executive, hire a personal chef. For those short on time, eating a balanced meal is a challenge — but a chef can not only fix that, but also deliver a personalized gourmet dinner that beats any dining out or fast food joint.
   

Jeffers

“Personal chef service is definitely a unique and worthwhile gift for the person who has everything but time,” says Amber Kost, proprietor of The Roaming Gourmet that serves the Kitsap and Mason counties. “As more of us are working longer hours or commuting to Seattle and Tacoma, we are turning to fast food restaurants, deli food, or boxed frozen dinners to save time. These are usually not nutritious or tasty alternatives and often times are laden with fat, preservatives and genetically modified ingredients.” For more information about The Roaming Gourmet, see www.theroaminggourmet.com or call 360-377-4334.
   The chefs usually come to the home to prepare the meals, do all the shopping, and cater the service to the family’s needs. Many can also prepare extra food that is packaged and frozen — so next time you need a fast meal, you don’t have to opt for a TV dinner. Many services offer gift certificates.
   Chef Martin Jeffers of Martin’s A Chef For You says he will even give cooking lessons in addition to his regular services. He also offers a holiday dinner party. The meals are based on the family’s budget, and he will come to the home with ingredients, pots and pans in hand. Jeffers, based in Gig Harbor, is the former chef at The Green Turtle Restaurant that was rated as one of the best in South Puget Sound. For details, see www.personalchef.com/achefforyou.htm or call (253) 858-2321.
   Chef Petra Velie of A Moveable Feast serves North Kitsap, up to Silverdale, and says chef services are not only ideal for busy families but also for seniors with specific diet needs and for those who just don’t like to cook. “The personal chef creates the menu according to the wishes of the client, shops, cooks, cleans, packages and labels the meals, leaving the kitchen spotless and the house smelling like home cooked food,” Velie said. Isn’t that a dream come true? For more about A Moveable Feast, call 360-779-9265.
   For a less involved culinary treat, check out Amazon.com’s newest addition, a gourmet store. You’ll find some original selections for the serious meat lover: ostrich patties, alligator sausages, kangaroo racks, yak top sirloin, wild boar spear ribs and more, at pretty reasonable prices. If you prefer to stick with more traditional fare, you may need a couple of hours to navigate through all the choices, which include international, vegan, ethnic along with desserts, spices, seafood and more.
   If you really want to be helpful, help the busy executive relax. Taking time for yourself is tough for anyone — help the exec run away for a weekend, work be damned. Arrange for a weekend and make sure you think of everything from day care to transportation.
   Getaways may sound expensive but are quite affordable if you shop around. There are lots of sweet spots within short driving from Kitsap — and the closer you send them, the more time they will have left to relax.
   Port Ludlow Resort (www.portludlowresort.com), practically around the corner, has everything: views, gourmet food, natural beauty and wildlife. You will find a 27-hole golf course rated by the Esquire Magazine as one of the most scenic in the world, but you won’t find much rain most of the year. A variety of packages are available starting as low as $119 per person.
   A roundtrip to Victoria, British Columbia on the Victoria Clipper (www.clippervacations.com), with a night’s accommodations, champagne continental breakfast and wildlife watching starting at $84 per person sounds so good, you may want to buy an extra ticket for yourself.
   For a more cultural experience, go for Tillicum Village (www.tillicumvillage.com). The four-hour cruise from Seattle to Blake Island includes a salmon buffet and a performance by the Tillicum Village dancers, for $65 per person. For a little extra, you can make it an overnight accommodation package in Seattle, or check into Harbor Tours’ package that includes departure from Port Orchard.
   An even simpler gift to help a busy person slow down is a relaxation package at a spa, a perfect way to take away the stress. Several local spas offer packages for men and women, and some of them can even be customized. As one spa proprietor testified, people who come in leave after a few hours as if they had lost all their worries along the way.
   Another way to relax, scientists say, is by installing an aquarium. Some studies have claimed that watching fish gliding through a tranquil aquarium decreases stress level. Gadget Universe (www.gadgetuniverse.com) makes it real easy by offering an artificial fish tank for $49.95 with colorful exotic fish that don’t ever need to be fed, and were designed to look and act like the real thing.
   If none of these sound good to you, you have a couple more ideas from T.Shipley (www.tshipley.com) that could score some points with your boss or executive: a portable lie detector ($59.95) that promises to read emotional levels and analyze the voice by measuring stress levels and conflict, a Big Cheese pen holder and paperweight ($29) — but it does not come with the required sense of humor, so choose wisely.