Customized Gifts for All

If you're buying a gift for someone, or just treating yourself, there are some great gifts out there that can be customized to fit anyone's needs.

On "The Early Show" Friday, Jillian Veran, director of artistry at CBS News. " ... We make it to your exact specification. It's whatever you want or need and we make it right there it front of you."Veran added anyone can wear a neutral customized color. She said, "It comes in a thousand different shades."And you don't have to go to the Prescriptives store -- you can buy it online. However, if you go to the store, your color recipe may be kept on file. But customizing isn't just for the lips -- it's from head to toe. Matt Schwartz, vice president of Sales at Aetrex Worldwide, Inc., a New Jersey-based company, showed how you can customize your shoes with its patented iStep machine. He explained the iStep machine scans your feet for size with thousands of sensors and light emitting diodes, arch type and pressure point. By customizing the shoe, Schwartz said, you fit for not only length and width, but arch type and pressure point. But why do we need to customize our shoes?No two feet are the same, according to Schwartz, but the insides of shoes are the same, and if the feet is out of alignment than the rest of your body is out of alignment. By customizing, he said, you make people more comfortable.As for customizing footwear, the company uses an insole system, which is built for the needs of different types of feet and they can be used to customize any type of shoe. They are prefabricated insoles (there are four types in the system and the machine will tell you which one is your fit). These insoles can fit in all brand shoes. Our shoes come with an insole called mosaic technology which tells me which plugs to remove to fit your foot. If you were to buy a custom orthotics, he said, it would cost hundreds of dollars. However, he said with the iStep custom fitting, getting measured is free, and the orthotics cost around $59.Another customized gift are books for kids. Liz Gumbinner, publisher and editor in chief of Coolmompicks.com discussed "The First Adventures of Incredible You" that's become a hit with parents and kids.

"Plenty of custom books seem like they were developed by marketers and not authors," Gumbinner said. "The gimmick is cooler than the actual book. But in this book, the personalized story is wonderful and you won't mind reading it to your kids 400 times."

The book, she said, is a rhyming, personalized book made for kids 0-8. The story, she said, is about all the great adventures you can look forward to in life, from puddle jumping with your best friend or sibling, to days you'll spend with your grandparents.

"The personalized details like the name of a pet, a grandparent, or street where you'll learn to ride your first bike come in in really seamless ways," Gumbinner said. "You basically fill out 14 questions about the child that relate to their life and they incorporate into the book."

The book costs $32.95 at Custommadeforkids.com, and takes about eight to 10 days to make.

But customized gifts aren't just for bedtimes. You can wake up with your own cup of custom-made coffee.

Gumbinner explained with customized MyBlend Coffee by The Roasterie, customers answer eight quiz-like questions and the company comes up with a flavor combination fit for you.

"They ask you if you like lighter or darker beans, what level of acidity, how floral you like your coffee to smell...and if you don't know they answer they have some tips to help guide you," she said.

"Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez got her own customized coffee, "Maggie's Magic Beans." The description is "A dynamic blend that is lively and nutty, with sweet herbal undertones. This dynamic blend is a bold, lively combination of three of the world's finest coffee. From the first taste of dark chocolate to the long seductive finish, this coffee will get your motor running. Rich exotic flavors make this an ideal cup for day or night."

"Early Show" weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price also got his own blend, "Dave's Daily Dose" -- "A mild acidity which complements an earthy and exotic flavor profile. This combination brings together three coffees from two continents that are grown at the highest elevations in the world. Subtle hints of spices and earthiness greet your palate following a pleasant sweet buttery finish. A great morning pick-me-up!"