Tag Archives: gift ideas

Gift Idea: Books Soon To Be Movies

Posted in Television & Movies by

I’m a strong believer that books are better than movies so this holiday season, I’ve scooped up a couple of books to gift away before they become movies.  I think it’s common that people read books and then like to see the movies to watch the plot and characters come to life, but unfortunately, once you’ve seen the movie, it’s a lot less likely that you’d go back and read the book. Even if everyone tells you that you should. I know. I’ve had this conversation a lot.  Here are some books that will soon be coming to the big screen — lovely and thoughtful gift ideas for friends, family and coworkers!

via gillian-flynn.com

I got wind that three books by Gillian Flynn are being made into movies including the best selling book Gone Girl. My mom’s an avid reader so I thought they’d make a great gift this holiday season (sssshhhh!) — plus after reading the novel’s description I’m looking forward to my mother getting through it and passing it back to me (the plot sounds a bit like my current show obsession Revenge, which I’ve been watching on Netflix nonstop)!  I can’t wait to wrap the trio up with some of my fun clay gift tags!  Also, I found this article from USA Today that interviews the author and says Reese Witherspoon is producing and set to star in Gone Girl (yay!).

I previously shared my love of The Perks of Being a Wallflower which was recently made into a movie starring Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame. In case you didn’t know: this girl’s a huge Harry Potter nerd. Obsessed. So hey, there’s another book-series-turned-mega-movie-hit…if you’ve not yet read the Harry Potter series, a) you’re crazy b) you’ve missed out on a worldwide phenomenon and c) read ’em. all of ’em.  I know it’s a lot of books (7) and the page counts are crazy huge but they’re easy to read and J.K. Rowling does a fantastic job of creating a world that you can easily envision in your head, which only makes the movies more magical to watch as you see the wizarding world come to life on the screen.  There are tons of stories from adults and kids alike that say the series is what created a yearning to read. How cool is that?  Definitely a superb gift idea, especially as a big bundled set. Like I said: read ’em.

I was pretty disappointed when I first saw the new Great Gatsby trailer (can we have a collective sigh for dreamy Robert Redford Gatsby? swoon…) but I did love Baz Luhrman’s take on Romeo & Juliet (also featured Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead) so hopefully it will exceed my expecations.  It’s Gatsby and Leo so all in all, it’ll be hard not to love, I’m sure.  In any case, this holiday season is a great time to dust off your copy of the classic or gift it to someone who’s never read it because the movie release date was pushed back to spring/summer 2013.

Twilight fans will perhaps be interested to read Stephanie Meyers’ new novel The Host— yet another love triangle but this time only involving two bodies and no wolves or vampires.  Weird, huh?  Instead it’s aliens and the movie will star Saoirse Ronan, who I adored in Hanna.

Are there any books set to become movies that you’d recommend?  I hear there’s another Nicholas Sparks movie in the making…

Gift Idea: Stocking Stuffers

Posted in Beauty & Fashion, Food, For the Home by

For those who like to try new beauty products:

left to right:
The Lip Slip by Sara Happ — I first found out about this little treasure pot via Daily Candy (I think. They’ve got great gift roundups and product highlights so check ’em out when you can) and ordered through Bath & Body Works, however they no longer carry it. Not to worry, though, because many more have caught onto its wonderfulness — you can order via Nordstrom or Beauty Sage and other online beauty shops too.  Plus, it comes in a super chic little box! Be sure to check out the convenient new tube which I’m dying to try! $18-24

Ambre Blends — a little sampler pack of all four essences is only $9.  If you want something a bit more substantial, I love the Solace Essence as it has a vanilla note to it and Mumbles prefers the original Ambre (for himself). $44 for 10ml roll-on pure essence oil.

Makeup Remover Face Wipes — I came across these Preserve Skin Care Wipes and you can snag them online from Anthropologie ($38 for 45 pads), one of my favorite bloggers recommends these Say Yes to Cucumber Face Wipes ($5.99 for 30 wipes), and I recently picked these up from Whole Foods.  A simple, thoughtful gift for a beauty product/makeup lover.

For the iphone user:

left to right:
iTunes gift card — this is the perfect, thoughtful gift to swoop in with if you know someone else is hefting a larger bill to gift another someone you love an Apple product.  This way they can dive right into downloading music and apps on Christmas morning! Like when you were a kid and you got a new toy but no one thought to have batteries on hand?  Yeah, go for it. Save the day! It’s also great for music lovers, movie lovers, and the all-around Apple dependent.

Earbud Headphones — Mumbles is always misplacing his headphones so he uses mine and I fret that he’ll lose mine too so the gift that ultimately benefits me (the best kind!) for Mumbles is a masculine wood pair like these.  I picked some up whilst in the checkout line at Home Goods recently for like $12.

Tortoiseshell Case for iPhone — this one’s finally back in stock and had been on my wish list for months because it’s a pretty penny at $40 for a phone case.  But since I’ve been coveting it for so long, I used a Cyber Monday code and shipped it to my mom so she could gift it to me. She’s super thoughtful like that. Here are some other ideas for iphone cases.

For the foodie:

clockwise:
Crack Caramels — the packaging and cheeky descriptions alone make me want to bite into these delicious-looking small-batch caramels. Order by noon Wednesday for overnight shipping by Friday.  $12-55

Bacon Mayonnaise by Empire Mayonnaise is a great gift for a guy who likes to barbecue and anyone who likes Bacon. Which is a lot of people.  $9 for a 4oz jar.

Hazelnut Whisky Cookies — I saw these on the Creature Comforts Holiday Gift Guide: Tasty roundup and seeing as these are the Editor’s Pick, I’m sure they’re just as delicious as they sound. $9.50 for six.

A can of Sofia Sparkling Wine – so pretty it doesnt need wrapping and even comes with a straw so if you put it on top the recipient can sip and savor while opening each gift!

Cookie Butter from Trader Joe’s might seem like a random (and heavy) gift…but it’s worth it.  While you’re at it, throw in a spoon so the lucky recipient can dig right in! (not pictured)

For anyone:

clockwise:
I always have a little journal in my purse in case an idea for a blog post or craft pops into my head.  This Lies I Told and Liked Journal by Archie Grand is the one I’d like next and I also wouldn’t mind one of the Spies I Met and Liked Journals to fulfil my dream of being a Bond girl. $11 each

K. Hall Designs Milk Hand & Body Cream — this soothing scent of vanilla, cream and coconut is soft and cozy. $20

Archipelago Fiji tin candle — smells like vacation! $7.50

SwissCard Pocket Knife — I have this handy, credit-card sized Swiss Army knife and it’s super convenient to keep in your wallet or purse so you always have little things you may need like scissors or a nail file without taking up lots of space or being so small you can never find it in your bag. (Just don’t forget these aren’t allowed as carry-ons on a plane…yeah…oops.) They come in red, pink, black or blue. $35

Do you have any great stocking stuffer gift ideas?

Gift Idea: Watercolor Set

Posted in Inspiration by

Lately I’ve been finding myself staring at beautiful watercolor paintings on Pinterest (see here) so I decided to ask one of my favorite bloggers, Creature Comforts, on Twitter what sort of kit she’d recommend for a newbie watercolor artist.  Her answer?  The cheapy kits at craft stores! Ha!

Not sure whether that should’ve been a relief or intimidating, on a recent trip to Walmart, I picked up a Crayola kids version, which I think is very clever, because what’s the use of spending a lot of money (the artsy watercolor kit was about $20 in comparison, so still, not that bad) if you’re not even sure you’re going to like it?  Exactly.  So, $1.88 later plus about $5 for a watercolor pad and another few dollars for a nice pack of brushes in various sizes (which I’m sure to use again for other crafts), I had all I needed to try my not-so-skilled hand at watercolor painting.  I made it a little easier on myself by looking at photos of paintings I liked to see how I might need to add brushstrokes or use color to blend shapes but all in all, knowing I’m not a painter, I was happy to just have an afternoon of creating and trying something new.

my first foray into watercolors
— an easy, striped card

If you’re looking for a clever gift idea or stocking stuffer, a cute little watercolor kit would be a fun, thoughtful gift for kids and crafters on your gift list.  And, you can even get a kit for yourself to make beautiful gift tags and cards to personalize gifts this year!

Here are two inexpensive gift sets for the would-be artist on your list:

1. via Target  |  2. via Consumer Crafts

1. Travel Easy Watercolor Set from Target $12.99

2. Creative Dimensions Art Set 79pc. $14.97

Splurge vs. Steal: Bow & Mesh Rings

Posted in Beauty & Fashion by

I’ve been coveting this dainty silver bow ring from Tiffany’s for quite some time and was delighted to find a similar little treasure today, a new arrival from my favorite local boutique Ruche.  The Tiffany ring design comes in different styles such as gold and with diamonds but the least expensive is the sterling silver at $250, compared to the budget find of $13.99. Then, to my surprise, I noticed that they also have this charming mesh ring, comparable to the uber popular Tiffany Somerset ring.   Of course, if you’re looking for something to last forever, it might be worth the investment to go the Tiffany route but either way — what darling gifts!

Tiffany & Co. Twist Bow Ring ($250)  |  Ruche Graceful Bow Ring ($13.99)

Tiffany & Co. Somerset Ring ($1,850)  |  Ruche Orion Mesh Ring ($12.99)

 

A dose of spa delivered to your door

Posted in Beauty & Fashion by

Isn’t it funny how sometimes just what you need — even if you don’t know exactly what it is that you need — sometimes finds its way straight to your doorstep? In this case, for me, it literally did arrive on my doorstep.

A few days after Mumbles and I got back home from Virginia, I was feeling a bit out of sorts having quit my job to temporarily head to the east coast with him and Baxter. For the past four years, I’ve been completely absorbed in the spa/wellness/hospitality industry and when we came back home I was suddenly missing being around it all, talking about it, strategizing, writing, and working with industry leaders. From fresh, organic food, gardens and sustainability, fitness, spa treatments, and oh, the beauty products! I missed it all. Gah! The beauty products! (believe me, I wasn’t the only one this sad about losing my connection to awesome spa products. BFOTB was bummed as well, along with just about everyone on my Christmas list!). So, it’s funny that just when I was missing the best of all the perks from my career life for the past few years, a package appeared on my doorstep delivering just the happy dose of spa I needed!

my first yuzen box!

Yuzen (you-zen) is a monthly subscription service similar to Birchbox, if you’re familiar, that packages up a variety of wellness-related products and delivers them to your door. What might make Yuzen a better service is that the products are full-size lifestyle products including beauty, household, snacks, and some samples whereas Birchbox delivers just beauty samples–purposefully–so you can try new things on the cheap ($10/month) and discover products you like.  I was lucky enough to receive a 3-month subscription to Yuzen as a farewell gift from some of my favorite coworkers at the spa and each month I dive into the box excited for what I’ll discover. The first month, I was beyond delighted to receive a full-size face moisturizer with spf from my favorite go-to daily organic sun care line, Coola, which is based in sunny San Diego.

one of the great products
I received in my second yuzen box

Some of my other favorite products I’ve received in my two Yuzen boxes so far are:

  • Pangea Organics — I love putting on face masks at home, especially the ones that are dark and very clearly show up on your face, practically begging you to slice up some cucumbers, wrap your hair in a towel, pull on a plushy robe and kick back for a while listening to Enya. This Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask is that mask.  Even if you don’t zone out to the Enya, you’re sure to ease up a bit and maybe even laugh once you have the greenish/black mask staring back at you in the mirror.
  • Cowgirl ranch hand cream — I’m a sucker for cuticle products and hand creams so this hand salve was an interesting one for me.  It’s a solid and smells great.  You take the product in your hand to warm it up, then spread on hands, cuticles, and I even slathered it on my elbows, heels and knees.  A great gift idea for gardeners and crafters who perhaps burn their hands with hot glue guns on a weekly basis.  I also received what looked like a great cleanser, which I happily gave to BFOTB so she could enjoy the pleasures of spa products once again! You can find Cowgirl Skincare products on their website or at Dermstore.com.
  • Calendula Comfrey Remedy Balm Stick — I learned about the wonderful benefits of calendula at a spa conference a few years ago but I haven’t really found any products that I’ve liked as much as I love this stick. I keep it in my purse and use it on everything – lips, cuticles, dry patches of skin, bug bites, scratches…everything. It goes on smooth and adds some shine to the lips without any stickiness, smells familiarly like the spa (maybe that’s just me), and is full of good-for-you stuff.

It’s super easy to gift 1 month ($26, cancel any time) or 3 months ($78) of the Yuzen box to friends, family, yourself, or anyone you’d like to surprise with a thoughtful, fun package that’s a delight to receive. The box is packaged gorgeously with fine paper, ribbon and filling that you can keep in the box or transfer into a basket or another cute container.  For more information, visit the Yuzen website.

Do you receive a monthly product subscription that brings you joy?