Countdown to Christmas

The season is upon us, and a advent calendar is one of the best ways to build toward the excitement of Christmas!  Advent calendars are a versatile treat whether for a college kid away at school studying for exams or grandparents quarantining from family and friends.

Many stores have traditional chocolate filled calendars for the kids.  My niece is a teenager, and I wanted to do something a little extra to give her a lift through exams and the end of the semester.  

 


Etsy has a variety of these cute burlap gift sacks marked for the days of the month ($42--may seem pricey but you can re-use them each year). Christmas calendar prints on the bags include Vintage Santas & Snowmen, Jane Austen characters, A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, It's A Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation movie themes and more.  I selected the vintage Santas because I'm partial to Kris Kringle!

Fill your bags with knick knacks from the dollar store, the travel size bins at the pharmacy. If you are aiming for a bit fancier gifts both Ulta & Sephora have a great selection of mini gifts near the checkout counters. Other stuffers include chocolate coins, $10 bills, gag gifts, mini rubiks cubes and other puzzles, etc.

 Pick up a large ball of yarn/string from Joanns (I picked green string  $2.77 for the Christmas theme), and ordered these fun red clothespins from Amazon ($7.99). 

Place your stuffed bags in calendar order, and then clip to the string.  Then, hang along a stairwell or mantle for fun! If it's too heavy to hang, place in a tray positioning the bags in order in rows.

I was surprised how much my niece loved this calendar! Unexpected treasures and things that made her laugh gave her a little something to look forward to each day.  This year, during Covid, this is an important treat!

Even if you're late setting up a calendar, go for it--no one minds catching up a few days in one day.  Or, just do the 12 days of Christmas starting from the 13th to end on the 24th or 14th to end of the 25th!

Now, if you don't have the time to build a custom advent calendar, try the calendars at Aldi's ($4.00 and up) which include chocolate, cheese, wine and more.  Who wouldn't enjoy snacking their way through December?  I've personally sampled the Aldi calendars, and they are excellent quality and terrific bargain!  

My friend was an early bird at Aldi and loaded up on calendars.  She gifted a set of the wine and cheese for her husband and her neighbors.  Each night they check in across the porches to taste test & review the goodies. Now that's a fun way to pivot from Christmas parties to low key safe fun during covid!

 

Now if you're not into food, but prefer lotions & potions a top flight calendar is the Anthropologie George & Viv 24 Days of Beauty advent calendar ($72).  Full of elite brands, their calendar includes lip balm, face masks, hand lotion, etc.  These calendars are so popular they are sold out online, but there are a few in store.  Be sure to ask your local store as they keep them on a discreet shelf so they don't sell out too quickly!

Merry Merry!

Be Your Dog's Best Friend

Anyone who knows me knows I am crazy for my dog Toby. So, when I stumbled across this gift I realized I found the ultimate pet owner gift! 

Sweater Hound creates darling knit sweaters ($128), ball caps ($48), hoodies ($128), blankets ($148), cookie cutters ($28) of your pooch. It's easy--you upload a photo of your pet and select if you want the dog in sweater, bow tie, Christmas attire, Superman cape (because your dog is THE Superdog for sure!) etc. It may seem a bit pricey, but it is higher quality than your average product.

    

Just a heads up that today is the deadline to order and receive in time for Christmas, So, hop on their site and get to it--it will only take you 10 minutes.  I ordered mine last night!

Not a dog lover? Have a cat that rules your world? Sweater hound will do custom order for pet owners of cats, birds, turtles, bunnies, etc.

Sweater Hound is truly a show stopper of a present to open on Christmas morning. However, if you want to really spice it up and round out the outfit then add these custom pet socks from Furbaby Socks ($25 pair). Upload a photo of your pet dog, cat, horse, bird, rock and you are all set.

What better way to snuggle by the fire than wearing sweater & socks featuring your best friend!

*Apologies we are experiencing difficulty with the formatting of the new Blogger and are working on fixing the layout.  In an effort to get this post out today, we are sending it now despite this awkward layout.

Mission Impossible: Memorable Gift for my Niece

My niece turned 10 earlier this year, and I wanted to find something truly special to mark her first decade birthday.  I searched high and low for something that was personal and memorable--something none of her friends had seen.

Ta-Da! I give you this beautiful custom handwriting bracelet from an Etsy shop called SilverHandwriting.  Vivian, the artisan, hand crafts custom bracelets using the script you hand write and upload to her site on Etsy.

It is the coolest gift for ages 10-90! You (or your loved ones) can write out anything, and upload it to create a unique bracelet.

 A few weeks before my niece's birthday, I asked her to write out her favorite saying on a piece of a paper (you can use a sharpie,or any bold pen).  I didn't tell her why, and, of course, she forgot that I asked.

On her birthday,  I presented her with this special bracelet that read "Rats Rule!" in her own handwriting.  This is a treasure she will enjoy now, and keep for her hope chest (I hope!).

I was impressed not only by the speed the order was completed, but also by the high quality of the bracelet.  It was something any adult would wear, and you can choose from Silver, White Gold, or Gold--all of which look expensive and well made. (the picture makes the gold look brassier than it is in real life--truly a nice quality in reality).

This bracelet makes a great Christmas/Hanukkah/Birthday/Mother's Day/Bridesmaid gift.  Anyone from a spouse writing "I love you", to grandparents signing a special note, to children signing their names side by side for their mother, to a bestie writing an inside joke to her friend,  it is a lasting treasure to see your loved ones' handwriting memorialized.

Vivian at SilverHandwriting has a variety of signature jewelry to choose from.  This one runs approximately $46.00 and she is running a 30% off special through the holidays.

Spice It Up:  This special birthday needed one more memorable treat.  Many of you have seen photo-collage pillows online previously, but I am a believer in this gift for it high quality.

Collage.com produces pillows with your favorite mix of photos, and helps you easily sort & size them to create a fun collage.  Unlike many other photocollage sites, their pillows are printed on a fine canvas fabric.  It is something you would be happy to have on your couch or bed (not that smooth cheap fabric that makes the photos fuzzy).

The pillows range in price, depending on size, from $12.00 to $125.00.  First time buyers to the site receive 60% off.  This pillow was the largest (so I could fit more photos on the pillow) at 26x26.  This would be $125.00, but their holiday promo keeps it at an affordable $40.00.


Jazz the pillow up a bit, by adding a fun design pic with their name.  I found this temporary tattoo design on the web at Tattofun.com.  Fortunately, the design was already available in my niece's name, but Tattoofun.com will custom inscribe/add any name to your selected design.

They were kind enough to send me the JPEG of the artwork, so it was easy to upload to Collage.com for the pillow (better resolution than copying it from the site).

I bought a few of the temporary tattoos in this same heart tattoo design for her friends to wear at the birthday party.  These were fairly large, and ran $2.95 each.  Pretty neat to have all your friends wearing your name in a temporary tattoo!

The coupe de grace:  I grabbed a few multi-color fabric markers at Jo-Anns and brought them to the party so her friends could sign the back of the pillow.  (Though, I will say that a single black marker will do the trick, and is less expensive).

Whew!  Memorable gift mission accomplished!

Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On

The Brits are known for their love of and skill at making a good cuppa tea.  The secret?

 Aside from piping hot water and good tea leaves, is to be sure you have the right teapot to steep it in.  The Brown Betty is the legendary and favored teapot throughout England.

I purchased one myself several years ago, and am a complete convert.  At first, I thought who would buy this dark brown teapot when there so many cute china patterned ones?  

The teapot dates back to 1695 in Stoke-On-Trent in Staffordshire where the local craftsman developed the Brown Betty teapot from the indigenous red clay.  This pottery allows for the perfect heating and steeping of the tea.  In addition, the special shape of the pot prevents drips when you pour.  

The Brown Betty can be purchased in England, or to save yourself the cost of international shipping, is available through a U.S. importer called the English Tea Store.  The Brown Betty comes in 2, 4, 6, and 8 cup sizes ranging in price from $25.99 to $36.99 (U.S. Dollars).  I prefer the 8-cup which is what you would imagine a standard size for a teapot.  They carry the cobalt blue version, but traditionalists prefer the brown glaze.

Be careful of knockoffs--a true brown betty will have a certificate or tag from Staffordshire telling you which ceramicist hand crafted the pot.  The English Tea Store features Cauldon Ceramics which is one of the heritage ceramicists in Staffordshire.  Cauldon Ceramics sells directly and offers many Brown Betty varieties, but, again, the international shipping is more expensive.

Spice It Up:  Make your gift truly special with a British themed tea cosy from Jan Constantine ranging from $27.00-$120.00 (British pounds).  The tea cosy is placed over the teapot after you pour your hot water in with your tea.  This allows the teapot to stay warm, and keep the liquid at the perfect temperature to enjoy while visiting with your friends.

The Union Jack is one the most recognizable British emblems, and is especially fitting for a british teapot and tea cosy.  Jan Constantine is a British designer who specializes in handstitched  pillows, throws, etc.  Her haberdashery designs are so popular she has translated them to china, and other featured accessories.

Add a few tea cups to go with your cute tea cosy!  

While you can order directly from Jan Constantine's website, it may be expensive to ship internationally.  Many of her products can be found on Amazon or through U.S. retailers like The Bees Knees with Tea Cosies for $135.00 (U.S. Dollars). 

It's a Marshmallow World in the Winter!

T-Minus 59 days and counting until Christmas!

Growing up in Dallas, Neiman Marcus always factored into our holiday traditions:  from holiday lunches at the Zodiac room, to visiting Santa downtown, to perusing their lush holiday decorations, to elegant NM Christmas gift wrap.  Each year, my mother always selected a small gift from Neiman's for each family member (of course, back in the day it was easier to find inexpensive treasures).

The annual Neiman's Christmas book is out, and in keeping with mother's tradition, I'm crazy for these darling Snowflake Marshmallows at $10.00 per pack (6 large marshmallows per pack).

Need a holiday hostess gift, a Hannukah gift, a stocking stuffer, or gift for your kids' teachers?  This is the easiest quick gift--buy several packs and keep them on hand to grab when you're headed to a holiday party or forgot someone on your list.

Spice It Up:  Marshmallows always pair well with Hot Chocolate.  Spice up your gift with Neiman's Saxon's Hot Chocolate in their signature holiday keepsake tin.  At $25.00 per tin, it is a lovely offering.

Alternatively, to keep your total gift price down, pair the marshmallows with a hot chocolate from your local gourmet grocer.  One of my favorites is Silly Cow Hot Chocolate packaged in reusable old fashioned milk bottles.  Silly Cow is available at many grocers, and currently you can find it at World Market in Peppermint, Pumpkin and Maple flavors for only $5.99 per bottle.

The Marshmallows and Silly Cow combined are only $16.00--a reasonable holiday gift!  And, who doesn't love hot chocolate and marshmallows in winter? Dee-lish!

Rev Up Those Resolutions!

With the New Year upon us, we all resolve to make new changes and keep our resolutions.  Whether it is torturing yourself at the gym, giving up chocolate, ditching that cheatin' boyfriend, or just focusing on positive thinking, it is tough to stick to your goals after a few weeks.

Mantra Bands has created an elegant and sensible way to keep your resolution ever present on your mind, and on your wrist in a stylish bracelet.  Choose from a list of inspirational words/sayings in either silver, gold, or rose gold.  This is a great New Year's gift or birthday gift for that special friend/mother/sister who is attempting to see their resolution through to fruition, or for a friend going through a divorce, breakup, grief, etc.

Spice It Up:  Any resolution or self-improvement plan is bolstered through exercise.  Pair the Mantra Band bracelets with these fun inspirational socks called Notes To Self.

I like them because they have a variety of sayings which will be covered by your sneaker, but give you a secret affirmation as you wear them.  Of course, if you are headed to yoga class,you'll be the envy of all your classmates when your downward dog pose reveals Brave on the soles of your feet!

Where to buy:  Mantra Bands can be purchased online directly from their website.  They range in price from $25.00-$35.00.  Check out the cool box they are packaged in which enhances the gift and makes me want to buy more than one!

The inspirational socks can be purchased online directly at Notes to Self, or you can check their retail locator for stores near you. Several area Hallmark Stores carry the socks.  Prices range from $9.99-$10.99 paid depending on the style (anklet or crew).  These socks are high quality and are made of a nice feeling fabric.  At this low price, you can bundle a few pairs to make a whimsical gift.

Poppin Good Times

Growing up, the holidays always included watching Peanuts' Thanksgiving and Christmas specials on TV.  As a child, I secretly fantasized that our Turkey would burn and we would have Popcorn/Jelly Beans/Toast for dinner ala Snoopy in the Peanuts' Thanksgiving!

To honor your Thanksgiving host(s) for their hospitality (and provide some good football watching snacks) give them this handy Microwave Popcorn Popper from Sur Le Table.  It fits right in the microwave, and pops fresh kernels for movie style popcorn (much better than those burnt microwave bags).  This popper is glass, reusable, dishwasher safe, and has a handle for ease.  It also has a top that allows you to drizzle butter and other  fixings while it pops. 

This gift is perfect for Thanksgiving, Hannukah/Christmas, New Years Eve/Day host gift, Birthday or Graduation.

Spice It Up:  Include a jar of kernels, and add these delicious toppings to make gourmet popcorn.  They have several seasonings, but the Asiago Pepper flavor is tops!

I've always loved caramel corn, and this topping allows you to mix and melt over the popcorn a quick Buttery Caramel Drizzle popcorn treat.  Delish!


Even better--they are all Gluten Free!

For those serious popcorn lovers, add this recipe book "Popcorn Treats" by Hannah Miles which has detailed recipes to make a variety of popcorn snacks.  

Or, include a DVD of a favorite movie for the perfect Movie Watching night.

Alternative:  For those college kids living in dorm rooms or New Yorkers who simply don't have the storage space, try this alternative popper by Lekue at Sur Le Table that is collapsible and pops up like the old jiffy pops in the microwave. 

P.S.: This gift is so easy and perfect for so many different friends and age groups.  I liked it so much I bought 4 of the glass poppers yesterday, and have them stacked in my closet ready to give for Christmas gifts!

Where to buy: Sur Le Table carries all of these items.  Glass Microwave Popper $24.95, Jar of Kernels $6.95, Seasonings $5.00, Drizzle Topping $4.95, Lekue Collapsible Popper $25.00.  "Popcorn Treats" Book is available at some Sur Le Table stores and at Barnes & Noble $12.95

Christmas Card Treasures

Front of Card

The holiday photo cards are arriving daily, and it is heartwarming to see the snapshots of friends and family for the year.

 

Each year, our family Christmas card is usually comprised of photos which commemorate some life event or trip we took that year.  I imagine your friends' cards are special photos, as well.  So, take these memorable cards and make them a treasured photo card gift.



These block acrylic frames byCanetti Designs are great looking, have a clean contemporary line, stand on their own, and have the added bonus of seeing through the back of the frame (perfect for two-sided cards!).  Separate the two sides of the frame, and position your photo card in the middle of one side.  Then, place the other side on top--you will feel it click into place with the small magnets.

Back of Card

Spice It Up:  As you receive friends cards, plop them in a frame and give it back to them as a festive Hanukah/Christmas/New Year's gift. 

Or, take your own family card and give it in a frame to your in-laws to admire the grandchildren, or to your spouse for their office desk.  For new parents, take their birth announcement and place it in the frame as a gift.

In addition, these frames are also great for commemorating a special concert, pledge day, 21st birthday, or graduation.  Print a picture from that concert you attended, and place the ticket stubs on the back side of the frame. (Many tickets are electronic now, but you can include something from the event like a program/card from bar or menu/etc.).  A great way to remember a fun time with friends!

Buy a few frames to keep on hand for when you need a quick gift.  I hate to admit it, but this is an ideal plan for the lazy gift giver!

Where to Buy:  Crate & Barrel carries a few sizes with free shipping. 5x7 $19.95 or 4x6 $15.95.  Amazon has a range of more unique sizes. 6x8 $41.00, 4x4 $22.00, 2.5x3.5 $12.50, etc.  Or buy direct from Canetti Designs.

Final note:  I keep about 5 of these on a table in my den for myself, and love seeing how my niece has grown from year to year in our Christmas card.  I can't decide which is my favorite, but love to enjoy them rather than tucking them away in a scrapbook.





Squirrely Nuts

What to get your boss or client that is a nice remembrance and fits well on their desk?  Vagabond House's squirrel nut bowl with acorn scoop is a handsome piece that is well crafted, and has a touch of whimsy with the pewter squirrel perched on the side of the bowl.

The wood bowl fits easily on a desk or coffee table, and the acorn scoop is especially nice for keeping germy hands at bay.

Spice It Up:  Squirrel Brand nuts are deluxe Southern style nuts with the most amazing flavors.  From Crème Brulee Almonds to Crème Caramel Pecans to Fleur de Sel Pistachios, these gourmet nuts are a generous addition to your gift.  Your recipient will be able to pour them right in the bowl and enjoy!

In addition to being a lovely corporate gift, this is a great gift for all the men in your life, any host/hostesses, your parents, yourself etc.   I liked it so much I bought one for myself and it's sitting in my den!

Where to Buy: 

Squirrel Nut Bowl & Scoop - is made by Vagabond House and can be ordered direct from them or found at multiple stores/sites including Neiman Marcus, Frontgate and Amazon.  $79.00 - $85.00 per bowl & scoop

Squirrel Brand Nuts – produced by a Plano, TX (Dallas suburb) company called Squirrel Brands/Southern Nuts, they can be purchased directly online, or found at many specialty stores.  $19.99-$27.99 depending on size (18 -36 oz) and flavor/nut

Tip:  Sam’s Club carries (in-store only) the Crème Brulee and other flavors regularly—a nice way to bring the price down on the nuts and saves you the shipping cost. $10.48 for small box 28 oz.