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.

Snowball Express

Some of the best memories of childhood are playing in the snow, making snow angels, sledding, and having snowball fights.  Simple, pure, fun!

Capture that unbridled joy with this Indoor Snowball Fight for $29.99.  Even if you have no snow this year, your kids can celebrate with an epic snowball fight without hurting each other or breaking your favorite vase!

I gave this gift to my niece last Christmas, and it was hands down the favorite toy of the day.  Not only did she love it, but all of the adults joined in the fun to toss snowballs at each other throughout the day.  Surprise attacks ensued around each corner of the house!

So, are you the favorite Aunt/Uncle/Grandparent/Friend coming over on Christmas Eve or Hannukah?  Bring a bucket of Indoor Snowball fun and you will be the hero!  This makes a terrific Christmas Eve fun gift to open for kids who are anxiously waiting Santa, or a memorable night of Hannukah.

And, of course, it is completely electronics/battery free--simple good fun to get kids of all ages off the couch.  The snowballs are the one toy everyone will play with throughout the winter.  Even in July we broke out the snowballs for some impromptu fun!

Spice It Up:  Step up your snowball fight game with blow up shields at $24.99 which serve to deflect errant snowballs! 

Tip:  Used gift wrap tubes are effective bats for the snowballs.  Help your kiddo defend their turf by building an "igloo" (a.k.a. a Fort) of white sheets or blankets. 

Also, the shields come with 6 snowballs, but for effective enjoyment I recommend the bucket of 40 snowballs if you have to choose.

Good Grief Charlie Brown!

In honor of today's premiere of the new Peanuts movie, I am selecting gifts for all you Snoopy fans out there!  Charles Schulz created one of the most endearing comicstrips. We all grew up enjoying their hijinks, and more importantly learned to be a bit kinder watching Charlie Brown and his misadventures.

I am a diehard Peanuts fan.  Yes, as a kid, I had both Snoopy & Belle and collected all of their outfits!

Pottery Barn Teen (aka PB Teen) has several Peanuts themed items to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of a Charlie Brown Christmas.

As a Snoopy fan and dog lover, I think this cute Snoopy & Woodstock pillow for $39.50 is going under the tree just for me!  

Snuggle up this winter in flannel Peanuts sheets for $32.50, and cozy Peanuts Pajamas at $69.00 per pair.

 Perfect to sit by the fire, sip hot cocoa, and watch the Peanuts kids make a limp little Christmas tree into something special!

Spice It Up:  Honor your Peanuts fan with a donation to support the Charles Schulz museum.  In this modern era of animation, it is good to support a museum which will preserve the heritage of a beloved and legendary cartoonist and his Peanuts gang!

The Charles Schulz Museum is a true gem--the architecture of the building and the design of the exhibits are beautiful!  A true homage to Peanuts and Charles Schulz.  From Schulz' initial drawings, to the historical timeline of Peanuts, to artistic interpretations of his work, the museum delights at every turn,

If you haven't been, and you're up near Napa, take a detour to Santa Rosa for a charming tour of the ice rink and museum.  I had the opportunity to visit them last year when I was in the area for a friend's wedding (a shout out to Emmy, the bride, and Devon, my fellow Peanuts fan!).

Need Peanuts Toys, Clothes or other accessories? There are so many wonderful Peanuts logo items, but the best place to find them is at Snoopy's Gift Shop at Snoopy's Home Ice in Santa Rosa, California.  This is the skating rink that Charles Schulz built for his neighborhood kids, and the one he frequented daily for 30+ years.

Snoopy's gift shop has everything from original Peanuts comic strips, to tshirts, to lunchboxes, etc. There are more items available next door at the Schulz Museum gift shop as well.

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.

Amazing Adventures!

Some of the best gifts are not trinkets, but rather memorable experiences.  A scavenger hunt, ala the Amazing Race, is guaranteed to get those couch potatoes off the sofa and diving into a local adventure!

Whether for a birthday, date night, anniversary, proposal, corporate team building, or holiday outing for the family, a scavenger hunt is a neat way to engage the entire family or a group of friends in a day to remember.  Most hunts include the use of your smartphone, so the teens/tweens won't feel deprived of technology for the day!

My friend, Misty W., discovered this great idea while dreaming up a plan for a special birthday for a dear friend.  There are several great scavenger hunt services that you can tap into online which are tailored for your particular interests.  Watson Adventures is one that specializes in hunts at local museums, while My Mystery Party focuses upon faux murder mysteries.  For adults, there is the ever popular Urban Beer Hunt. 

Watson Adventures is highly recommended and has been featured by the ABC News, Daily Candy and the New York Times.  Upcoming public hunts include The Met in NYC, Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the American History Museum in D.C., and the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco.

Up the ante by utilizing Segways on your hunt.  In most cities, you can rent Segways for city tours to tie into your adventure.

Or, plan team costumes like these Gnome and Where's Waldo teams at the Urban Beer Hunt.

Spice It Up:  Prepare the contestants for their adventure with a drawstring bag to carry.  Pack it with bottled water, a snack and any extras they might need to gather clues.

Make sure the teams use their smartphones to take pictures as they reach each checkpoint and to record any antics along the way.  After the race, use the photos to make a photo collage commemorating the adventure. 

Where to Buy:
Scavenger Hunts - Hunts vary by price depending on the size of your team, where it located, and whether it is custom designed for your group.  Most hunts allow for as few as 2 people to as many as 50. 

  Basic Hunts - These are downloaded on your phone and are preplanned for general use.  Tours For Fun - $44.00 for a group, Scavenger Planet $20.00 for a group

  More Elaborate Hunts - Watson Adventures, My Mystery Party, Urban Beer Hunt prices range for each of these hunts depending on whether you have a custom hunt or public hunt.  ON average it is $35.00-$40.00 per person but may require a minimum number of people.

Segway Tours - In Dallas, try Dallas Segway Tours $60.00-$85.00 per person.  In other cities, search online or check Trip Advisor for recommendations.  It is worth your while to call and negotiate a possible group rate or discount for non-peak days.

Drawstring Bags - Found at most sporting goods stores.  Academy from $9.99-$32.99  Custom type or monogram bags at Etsy (Etsy sites allow for small orders 1-10 which is preferable to promo sites which require minimum of 150+ bags). $10.00-$15.00 per bag

Photo Collages - Easily created on photo sites like Shutterfly.  Or try Pic Monkey to create your own printable collage.  $5.00-$15.00

Pillow Collage - See my post dated September 4th for a quality collage pillow from Stitchagram.

Away In A Manger

Christmas is a magical time of year trimmed with festive decorations.  My favorite adornment this year is this wintery blue felt Nativity scene from Wisteria. 

While traditional crèche are more serious in nature, I love the levity of this scene with the sheep's smiling faces and textured coats.

The three Magi are a nice touch with their fluffy beards reminiscent of Santa Claus!  Your children and grandchildren will adore these for years to come.

Inclined towards a less religious decoration?  Check out these cute Reindeer Carolers!  In bold red garb, the reindeers are a perfect centerpiece for your holiday table.

Spice It Up:  For years, my mother has collected one Christmas book each season.  Her collection is now impressive, and we all love to thumb through the various books during the holidays.  Start a collection for your gift recipient by pairing a special book with either the Nativity scene or the Reindeer Carolers.
For the Nativity scene, I recommend The Animals Christmas Eve (Little Golden Book) by Paula Wiseman or The Animals Christmas Carol by Helen Ward.  For the Reindeer Carolers, try Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton.

Where to Buy: 
Felt Decorations - Available at Wisteria either through their catalog, website or in-store (Dallas). 
    Nativity Scene $59.00, Three Magi $39.00  , Reindeer Carolers $59.00

A few comments about Wisteria:
+ The photos do not do justice for how well made and darling their products are!

+ Don't be put off by the prices as they always have promos and huge discounts available, and their staff is very generous in helping you apply all deals possible.

+ If you are in Dallas, their warehouse store is across the street from Love Field Airport.  They have their full price products, and in the back they have a Sale section well worth exploring.

+ They will gift wrap with the loveliest ribbon!

Books - All can be found at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, though I try to buy in-store through Barnes & Noble to help support their "brick & mortar" stores.  Prices range from $3.99-$50.00

Sweet Dreams & Lullabies

There are a million baby gifts out there, but finding one that is meaningful, will be treasured, and doesn’t cost a fortune is quite a challenge.

Most expectant mothers have a gift registry which you can most certainly utilize.  For me, Gift Registries tend to overwhelm with the long lists, serial numbers, trying to locate the item in-store…yes, I can feel my eyes starting to glaze over just thinking about it.  Not to mention, I find practical items, like a Diaper Genie, sorely lacking in the “memorable” or “touching” gift department.

My go-to-gift for Baby Showers is inspired by my niece who is now 7, and still loves a gift her mother received for her at her baby shower:  a constellation Lady Bug night light.

This gift has been used nightly, even on vacation, for the past seven years to soothe my niece as she falls asleep.  The lady bug casts a constellation of stars in a dimmed hue on the ceiling.  It allows you to select from three different colors, and automatically shuts off after 45 minutes.

Even as an infant, as soon as she saw the constellation in the dark, she knew it was time to settle down to sleep.  Now, she just loves it as a night light which keeps her room from being pitch dark.

I love this gift for more than just how cute it is, and here’s why:

 + comes in a variety of animals (the most popular are a Turtle and Lady Bug) for boys & girls

 + easy to ship (lightweight) to out of town friends, and can be ordered online at Barnes & Noble or Babies R Us

 + can easily be exchanged as most small and large cities have a B&N or Babies R Us

 + provides inspiration to parents & babysitters for off the cuff storytelling about stars/flying to the moon/etc.

 + great for kids who are afraid of the dark—they can have a neat constellation on the ceiling without feeling like they are “scaredy-cats” for needing a night light

Spice It Up:  Pair it with a great book!  I’m a believer in encouraging kids to read from the time they are very young.  Some ideas of great books include:  The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, or Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends.  Another idea is to send a book with a compilation of Fairy Tales.  This is something that can be read to them for years to come, or that they may one day read themselves. 

Be sure to inscribe the book with something like, “Sweet Dreams and Lullabies to ___, Love, ___” I think it is a nice touch to include your name so that when the child is older, he/she will know who sent them this special gift.







Where to Buy:

Night Light – It is produced by a company called Cloud B.  Go to their website to check out other neat products they have for children. You can purchase directly through them, or it is available at Barnes & Noble, Babies ‘R Us, and Amazon.  Approximately $34.99

 

 

 

 

Books – Available at most books stores and baby stores including: Barnes &Noble, Babies ‘R Us, Amazon, etc. Price varies on book selection/edition/hardback or paperback, but estimate $5.00-$40.00

For the combo gift of night light + book, I recommend going to Barnes & Noble because you can go in-store to browse the selection and be done in one stop, or order it online in one gift box.  It is also easy for exchanges for the recipient as most people have access to a B&N in their city/suburb.