Hello everyone! I wanted to hop on my blog and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Today is such a special day, its about spending the day with the ones you love and remember why we are all here. Many of you might be getting ready for the Christmas ceremony at Church or cooking for a large family dinner... Or just waking up from a fun night out doing a Christmas bar crawl!
Once you strip away the decorations, the presents, the music, holiday cartoons and the food... You’ll see faith and family (this can be blood family or the family you create with others). Remember to love one another and as this year is starting to come to a close and we’re all preparing for the New Year to bring love into the picture.
For today Bryce, Holly, and I are spending time with one another and visiting his family (we’re here in Florida). We’re so blessed Bryce’s parents were able to fly in from Colorado to be with us. The main subject topic is how much we love and care for each other and the faith we have that next year will be just as beautiful as this year.
I also want to thank each and every person who reads my blog, follows my instagram, and has subscribed to my facebook page. Your love and support means the world to me. As 2019 has a lot of tough decisions I have to make I know this blogging is something I can do to touch someones soul.
With love,
Brittney
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Trip to NC + Being Far From Home on the Holidays
Now that I’m home and unpacked from my early Christmas in North Carolina I felt I should talk about a little bit of what I did up there and how I feel being so far away from Family + Friends during this time of year.
What I did in NC:
- Spent time with my parents, siblings, and their children. I spent some one on one time with my only remaining grandparent; Nanny.
- I had a major girls night sleepover with two of my dearest best friends. We exchanged gifts and did what we used to do (have some wine, laugh, listen to Pandora, etc).
- Met up with my best friend from College Brianna. She went to England recently so she had me a special gift plus my Christmas gift. We had margaritas (classic B&B drink), went to downtown for a girls night, and had a night out at some of our old college hot spots (which aren’t so hot anymore).
- Went Christmas gift shopping with my mom. We love window shopping together and spending time looking at items to one day purchase for my home.
- Went Christmas shopping with my Dad. We have a tradition where we go to one of the major cities in NC to buy gifts. It felt like old time (plus Holly).
- Helped my Dad decorate his house for Christmas; this is another tradition of ours.
- Helped my Dad cut firewood for his house; yes I can use an Axe!
- Had Chinese food... In the area of Florida I live at there isn’t any Chinese restaurants. I grew up eating Chinese food at as treat; therefore... I needed my ’treat’ (I purchase fried rice and brought it back to Florida to eat!).
- Went to some of the local food places I grew up on: Bojangles, CookOut, Mayflower.
- Took some old clothing I had in my Childhood bedroom to a consignment store; then donated the rest.
- Visited the Nordstrom in NC and the area I used to manage the Flagship Abercrombie & Fitch; sadly they closed the store down which oddly enough, made me feel a bit depressed.
- Spent time with my parents, siblings, and their children. I spent some one on one time with my only remaining grandparent; Nanny.
- I had a major girls night sleepover with two of my dearest best friends. We exchanged gifts and did what we used to do (have some wine, laugh, listen to Pandora, etc).
- Met up with my best friend from College Brianna. She went to England recently so she had me a special gift plus my Christmas gift. We had margaritas (classic B&B drink), went to downtown for a girls night, and had a night out at some of our old college hot spots (which aren’t so hot anymore).
- Went Christmas gift shopping with my mom. We love window shopping together and spending time looking at items to one day purchase for my home.
- Went Christmas shopping with my Dad. We have a tradition where we go to one of the major cities in NC to buy gifts. It felt like old time (plus Holly).
- Helped my Dad decorate his house for Christmas; this is another tradition of ours.
- Helped my Dad cut firewood for his house; yes I can use an Axe!
- Had Chinese food... In the area of Florida I live at there isn’t any Chinese restaurants. I grew up eating Chinese food at as treat; therefore... I needed my ’treat’ (I purchase fried rice and brought it back to Florida to eat!).
- Went to some of the local food places I grew up on: Bojangles, CookOut, Mayflower.
- Took some old clothing I had in my Childhood bedroom to a consignment store; then donated the rest.
- Visited the Nordstrom in NC and the area I used to manage the Flagship Abercrombie & Fitch; sadly they closed the store down which oddly enough, made me feel a bit depressed.
How I feel being 700+ miles from my Family and Friends:
I’ll be frank, its hard. I see my family and friends all posting fun photos and events on their facebook - instagram - snapchat - etc and I’m having to watch from a screen. I miss everyone dearly and it was hard having to celebrate my favorite Holiday weeks early knowing that on Christmas Eve I will not have my parents and sibling with me. Holly, of course doesn’t understand yet. I hope down the road it’ll be easier on us all. We pray we can get into a nice house large enough to have my family come visit during Holidays.
I don’t want to throw a pity parade... I know some have it worse. Some are overseas away from loved ones. Some are on planes going to work on Christmas. And some are completely alone. But it's always hard being so accustom to a certain tradition and then having to 100% adjust. In general it's hard being so far from family. If I had a bad night with little sleep, I don’t have family nearby for help. If I’m ever sick and unable to tend to Holly, it would take my mom 11 hours to get to me. But the holidays make that reminder that I’m far away much more noticeable. Don’t get me wrong, I love Florida. I love my Husband. I love he has an incredible job that currently I can stay at home with Holly everyday. Its just hard realizing that there’s certain milestones that I want my family to witness but sadly they aren’t able to.
Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe!
Happy Christmas Everyone! Like promised, I wanted to give my Christmas Cookie Recipe for anyone who wants to make beautiful cookies the traditional way. I also have directions on how to make boarder icing and flood icing for the decorating! Of course you can use other decorations like sprinkles, gummy pieces, chocolate chips, and gold flakes to make your cookies unique to your liking.
Enjoy!
Best,
Brittney “Pomp and Palms"
Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer
3. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract
4. In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder and flour. Add this mixture a little at a time to the wet ingredients (keep mixing while you are adding it in). If the dough becomes too stiff for your mixer, you can finish kneading the dough by hand.
5. Divide the dough into two batches. Roll the dough onto floured parchment paper, but be sure not to roll it too thin! The dough should be 1/4 inch thick.
6. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on your oven. Let cool completely before decorating.
For the border icing:
For the border icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring extract
- 2 - 2 1/2 tablespoons milk or water
- Food coloring (optional)
For flood icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring extract
- 2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons milk or water
- Food coloring (optional)
Tools for the icing:
- Squeeze bottles - 1 for the border icing and 1 for each color of flood icing
- Small funnel
Our Christmas Decor
Todays post is giving a quick look at what the Mills Condo is looking like for the Holidays!
Of course I posted at the end of October on my Instagram (follow here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!) that I was traveling to see my family in North Carolina for Early Christmas!
With that being said, my Christmas decor had to come up in the first week of November since I will be 700 miles away from November 30th-December 18th.
Since we’re in a Condo and house hunting, we decided to keep the Christmas decor classic and simple. We hope to have a house in 2019 that we can invest more in new decor (and hopefully a fireplace mantel!)
Our Christmas Tree is this beautiful deep green with the clear lights that have random twinkle feature. We have glass ornaments in deep red, light gold, and dark gold. I threw in some amazing cheap target dollar bin ornaments too and these holly branches are from the dollar tree!
Our Wrapping paper for gifts are the classic green and red plaid. I enjoy keeping gift wrapping to compliment the tree decor.
Our Kitchen decorations is this Martha Stewart Pug cookie jar Bryce purchased for me on our 1st Christmas to match all the Kate Spade New York items. The Kate Spade + Lenox Collection is in “Arbor Village”. I have the entire dinner set, Salt + Pepper shakers, Serving dish, apron, and dish towels + oven mittens.
Our Christmas Wreath is one I made to match my tree. It has the same ornament colors but plastic instead of glass.
Of course I posted at the end of October on my Instagram (follow here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!) that I was traveling to see my family in North Carolina for Early Christmas!
With that being said, my Christmas decor had to come up in the first week of November since I will be 700 miles away from November 30th-December 18th.
Since we’re in a Condo and house hunting, we decided to keep the Christmas decor classic and simple. We hope to have a house in 2019 that we can invest more in new decor (and hopefully a fireplace mantel!)
Our Christmas Tree is this beautiful deep green with the clear lights that have random twinkle feature. We have glass ornaments in deep red, light gold, and dark gold. I threw in some amazing cheap target dollar bin ornaments too and these holly branches are from the dollar tree!
Our Wrapping paper for gifts are the classic green and red plaid. I enjoy keeping gift wrapping to compliment the tree decor.
Our Kitchen decorations is this Martha Stewart Pug cookie jar Bryce purchased for me on our 1st Christmas to match all the Kate Spade New York items. The Kate Spade + Lenox Collection is in “Arbor Village”. I have the entire dinner set, Salt + Pepper shakers, Serving dish, apron, and dish towels + oven mittens.
Stress-Free for the Holidays TIPS!
This is a post I was very excited to do... Why? I love helping people; especially if it’s something I’m familiar with. Stress during the holidays is something I know all too well.
FLASHBACK: in my retail management days I was having to balance a stressful work and personal life. So many associates calling out or no showing, strict bosses who expected the store to look spotless during the busiest shopping months of the year, and THEIFT. Then my life of having family members to see, presents to purchase+wrap, at the time I was single so having to have the perfect excuse why I’m STILL single, and making sure I don’t pick up any ‘holiday blues’.
As you can see, I dealt with some Holiday stress and over time I discovered the magic recipe to have the “Stress-Free” holiday spirit!
Below you’ll find some tips and tricks I do to keep my life Stress-Free during this busy and beautiful time of year!
1. DON'T wait till the last minute!
This is a major and I mean MAJOR. I always witness the most stress on folks who wait the week... day... hour before Christmas to shop for gifts, wrap gifts, or prepare their house for guests. Today this post is going live at 7:00AM central time Tuesday... You have 3 weekends (3 Fridays, 3 Saturdays, 3 Sundays = 9 full days) don’t waste that time!
2. Get your rest.
Rest is important for being positive. Even if you have a million and two things to do remember to get a good nights sleep.
3. Calendars and Sticky Notes.
Have A LOT of holiday parties to attend? Worried you’ll forget them? Bookmark it! Sticky Note it! Calendar it! I like to hand write on a calendar and at breakfast time I glance over to see what my week has in store. When I see an event is approaching I’ll double check to make sure I have everything I need.
4. Don’t drive out of the way in holiday traffic for something unnecessary.
Okay, gotta have coffee to get the day started; thats fine. But if you’re having to drive 20 minutes out of the way to get your red Starbucks cup before you walk into HomeGoods it might not be top priority and is cutting into your time (which is stressing you out).
5. Ask for help when needed!
For some reason everyone thinks help is non-existent... But it’s not! If you’re need to buy the Holiday Ham and your Mother-in-Law is on her way to pick up a prescription; simply ask for her to pick on up and pay her back. It saves time, money, and gas! This is also important if your have a Toddler like me. Ask for help or hire a sitter for a few hours to get all your tasks complete without chasing down a little one!
6. Not EVERYTHING is important.
When planning out your holidays there might be some things on your list “To Do” that A: isn’t important or B: can be combined with something else.
Example: My 13 month old is too young to understand Christmas lights; so take that off the “Holiday To Do” list.
BUT instead of wrapping some presents on 12/4 and the rest on 12/12 maybe try to combine the dates and wrap them all at once!
7. Know when to DRAW THE LINE.
Sometimes you’ll catch yourself adding more to the list of things to do and forgetting to enjoy the Holidays. Know when to stop and say no.
Yes, it's fun to help the Preschoolers do their Christmas class party - go out and buy those mini Christmas stockings and popsicle sticks to make homemade Christmas ornaments... But maybe leave the Christmas play to the Church instructors so you can sit and enjoy the show. :)
I hope these tips help! Also don’t forget that sometimes Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) can be more of a distraction and can get in the way. Turn the phone off and I’m sure you’ll see a big difference in how much you get completed before Christmas Eve!
Best,
Brittney “Pomp and Palms"
FLASHBACK: in my retail management days I was having to balance a stressful work and personal life. So many associates calling out or no showing, strict bosses who expected the store to look spotless during the busiest shopping months of the year, and THEIFT. Then my life of having family members to see, presents to purchase+wrap, at the time I was single so having to have the perfect excuse why I’m STILL single, and making sure I don’t pick up any ‘holiday blues’.
As you can see, I dealt with some Holiday stress and over time I discovered the magic recipe to have the “Stress-Free” holiday spirit!
Below you’ll find some tips and tricks I do to keep my life Stress-Free during this busy and beautiful time of year!
1. DON'T wait till the last minute!
This is a major and I mean MAJOR. I always witness the most stress on folks who wait the week... day... hour before Christmas to shop for gifts, wrap gifts, or prepare their house for guests. Today this post is going live at 7:00AM central time Tuesday... You have 3 weekends (3 Fridays, 3 Saturdays, 3 Sundays = 9 full days) don’t waste that time!
2. Get your rest.
Rest is important for being positive. Even if you have a million and two things to do remember to get a good nights sleep.
3. Calendars and Sticky Notes.
Have A LOT of holiday parties to attend? Worried you’ll forget them? Bookmark it! Sticky Note it! Calendar it! I like to hand write on a calendar and at breakfast time I glance over to see what my week has in store. When I see an event is approaching I’ll double check to make sure I have everything I need.
4. Don’t drive out of the way in holiday traffic for something unnecessary.
Okay, gotta have coffee to get the day started; thats fine. But if you’re having to drive 20 minutes out of the way to get your red Starbucks cup before you walk into HomeGoods it might not be top priority and is cutting into your time (which is stressing you out).
5. Ask for help when needed!
For some reason everyone thinks help is non-existent... But it’s not! If you’re need to buy the Holiday Ham and your Mother-in-Law is on her way to pick up a prescription; simply ask for her to pick on up and pay her back. It saves time, money, and gas! This is also important if your have a Toddler like me. Ask for help or hire a sitter for a few hours to get all your tasks complete without chasing down a little one!
6. Not EVERYTHING is important.
When planning out your holidays there might be some things on your list “To Do” that A: isn’t important or B: can be combined with something else.
Example: My 13 month old is too young to understand Christmas lights; so take that off the “Holiday To Do” list.
BUT instead of wrapping some presents on 12/4 and the rest on 12/12 maybe try to combine the dates and wrap them all at once!
7. Know when to DRAW THE LINE.
Sometimes you’ll catch yourself adding more to the list of things to do and forgetting to enjoy the Holidays. Know when to stop and say no.
Yes, it's fun to help the Preschoolers do their Christmas class party - go out and buy those mini Christmas stockings and popsicle sticks to make homemade Christmas ornaments... But maybe leave the Christmas play to the Church instructors so you can sit and enjoy the show. :)
I hope these tips help! Also don’t forget that sometimes Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) can be more of a distraction and can get in the way. Turn the phone off and I’m sure you’ll see a big difference in how much you get completed before Christmas Eve!
Best,
Brittney “Pomp and Palms"
LifeStyle: How to get the wax out of used candle jars
For today I wanna crack into a helpful “LifeStyle” post. When I go shopping at some of my favorite boutiques I always end up getting adorable candles with the most beautiful jars and lids. But once the candle runs out what to do? I’ve got a helpful trick on how to get that extra wax and wick out without using a knife and scratching the jar (or throwing the jar away).
I love using the jars with lids to store travel size/sample beauty products, jewelry, and small trinkets. They also make great Christmas gifts too! (Imagine, a super cute jar with some Holiday candy and a gift card to Ulta <3)
Super Easy Steps:
Step One: use the candle till it can no longer burn.
Step Two: Boil water (enough to fill the entire jar) and pour into your candle jar (make sure to fill it to the top).
Completely used up candle. As you can see there is some wax left.
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Once the water is boiled; pour into the jar to the top. Wait a few minutes then put the top on the candle.
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Step Three: Let the water sit over night to loosen up the remaining wax and the wick base.
Water is filled to the top. You can already see wax loosening/melting from the bottom.
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Once you let the water sit you’ll notice the wax makes a film on top. Just pop the film and remove the water.
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Step Four: Next day, pour the water out and remove the wick base (properly dispose the wick base), and clean the inside of the jar out with some dish soap.
Pouring out all the water. And I dispose the wick into the trash can.
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Clean the jar out. If you need extra help getting the wick out of the jar (mine was glued to the bottom) use some Dawn! It works wonders.
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Step Five: Dry the jar out with a dry cloth or paper towel. Vola! You now have a cleaned out candle jar!
Christmas Pj’s for the Family (And Affordable!)
Now that I have a baby, I can’t believe how festive I’ve become! Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoyed wearing a Christmas sweater and singing some “Deck The Halls”... But now that I have a baby.... I just want to do more “cute” things.
Pj’s are like no other! My family the biggest choice is: classic Christmas plaids, fun Santa outfits, or just colorful and bold. Below you’ll see some of the best Christmas Pj’s I’ve found and at the best prices!
Amazon.com
You can find some amazing pj’s at Amazon (and at some great prices!) the biggest tip here is to watch for Prime and read into the fine details on how fast the warehouse ships. I noticed some of the pj sets customers were upset with shipping times. (set show is $29 and on Prime - link here)
PatPat.com
I stumbled upon this site by accident but their sets are super cute and have a custom feel to them. I love the “mama bear” and “papa bear” sets but they have many different styles from plaids to ones that look like elf outfits. (This set is at $15 - link here)
Walmart
I've been SHOOK at how amazing Walmart’s clothing quality has improved (but the price is STILL super cheap!). They have cute, classic, and very cartoon-like family sets this year. ( Santa hat pj set up to $23- link here)
Target
I’m a lover of all things Target. And when I saw Target’s Family pj section; I squealed! Their sets start at $10 but for some of the really nice detailed ones be prepared to drop up to $20 for the adult sets. (set show ranges from $10-$15 - link here)
JC Penneys
This department store is somehow staying afloat and I must say, their pj game is STRONG this year. The prices are VERY affordable and the collections of Christmas pjs are all super nice quality. One of my favorite is these Reindeer pjs (Reindeer pj are $8-$18 - link here) and I love these Christmas plaid Oneies sets; the colors are so unique instead of the traditional red and green! (Family Oneies are $10-$42 - link here)
TIP: For children especially babies who grow SO quickly, go to a baby consignment store! I purchased Holly 2 Christmas pj’s for $6.00!
I hope you enjoyed this post! Happy Holiday/Christmas Pj shopping!
- Brittney “Pomp and Palms"
6 ULTA + 6 Sephora gift sets under $50 (These are AMAZING deals!)
I’m the gal who LOVES gift sets. I love giving them, and love receiving them. So this year when skimming through Sephora and Ulta I fell IN LOVE with their gift sets. After shopping both I have 6 from Sephora and 6 from Ulta I feel are the best bang for your buck and whoever you’re shopping for will LOVE!
Ulta.
When shopping at Ulta I was aiming for sets that are Ulta Exclusive. I found some that aren’t just exclusive but all come with a gift with purchase! (a gift for yourself or to add with the gift set!). I really was amazed at these gift sets. And the prices are perfect!
When shopping at Ulta I was aiming for sets that are Ulta Exclusive. I found some that aren’t just exclusive but all come with a gift with purchase! (a gift for yourself or to add with the gift set!). I really was amazed at these gift sets. And the prices are perfect!
This set is so much fun! I love the swatch colors of the masks and how they each look like little Christmas ornaments.
2. Ulta Luscious Lips and Lashes set. $29
With a set like this you get little bit of everything. Different shades of lip colors and tons of different style mascaras. Perfect for testing new looks.
3. Tarte Busy Girl Beauty Intro set $29
I really enjoy this set cause its universal to all skintones. And the products are great quality.
4. Clinique Stars of Clinique set $29.50
This set is so so perfect. You get all the ‘super star’ products that Clinique is known for in perfect airport friendly sizes. From makeup to skincare.
This set is so so perfect. You get all the ‘super star’ products that Clinique is known for in perfect airport friendly sizes. From makeup to skincare.
5. Benefit Cosmetics B Right Delights Set $42
Ulta has all the Benefit Christmas Holiday sets. I selected this one cause I literally LOVE their skincare line. Each Benefit Gift set is universal to all skin tones. Sephora only has 2 of the Benefit sets while Ulta has a larger selection.
Ulta has all the Benefit Christmas Holiday sets. I selected this one cause I literally LOVE their skincare line. Each Benefit Gift set is universal to all skin tones. Sephora only has 2 of the Benefit sets while Ulta has a larger selection.
6. Mario Batescu Classic set $38
This Mario set is the Cult Classics. Its great of all skin tones and promised to have anyone who tries this to become a Mario girl.
This Mario set is the Cult Classics. Its great of all skin tones and promised to have anyone who tries this to become a Mario girl.
First of all, you get the most bang for your buck on this one. You have all sorts of skincare products and all different brands. These products work best on all skin types too which is even better!
The packaging is so festive! And you get 8 travel sizes of their best products! All the shower products are over 1oz!
This is a perfect kit if you want to try some Charlotte Tilbury but you don’t want to pay the Charlotte price. NOW, the lipstick is very very small in this set but its perfect if you’re traveling or (like I said) you want to test the products!
Some gold eye masks, mascara and lip color. What else would you need? This morning makeover is luxury at a very affordable price!
This set gives you some of the best of the best. IT cosmetics is becoming a huge trend because of its amazing results. This makeup and skincare set will wow you at first use!
We would ALL love some beauty products that help us turn of the photo filter... And this Dr. Brandt kit does just that! The product sizes is nice and the packaging is perfect.
Texas Roadhouse Style Green Beans *Recipe*
Below you’ll find my recipe for Texas Roadhouse style green beans! I’m preparing these for our families Thanksgiving Dinner. Enjoy!
What You Need
4oz Applewood Smoked Bacon (Diced)
4oz Onions (Diced)
2 16oz Canned Green Beans (Drained as long as possible) *You can add more green beans if desired*
2 cups of Water
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
.5 Teaspoon of Pepper
What To Do
What You Need
4oz Applewood Smoked Bacon (Diced)
4oz Onions (Diced)
2 16oz Canned Green Beans (Drained as long as possible) *You can add more green beans if desired*
2 cups of Water
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
.5 Teaspoon of Pepper
What To Do
Using a colander, thoroughly drain green beans. Set aside.
Mix water, sugar and pepper until well incorporated. Set aside.
Preheat your cooking pan to Medium High heat.
Using a cutting board and a knife, dice the raw bacon into equal size pieces. Place diced bacon into preheated cooking pan. Goal is to make bacon a BRIGHT BRICK RED color. Add diced onions and cook until they are TRANSLUCENT.
Mix water, sugar and pepper until well incorporated. Set aside.
Preheat your cooking pan to Medium High heat.
Using a cutting board and a knife, dice the raw bacon into equal size pieces. Place diced bacon into preheated cooking pan. Goal is to make bacon a BRIGHT BRICK RED color. Add diced onions and cook until they are TRANSLUCENT.
Add the water, sugar, pepper and green beans into the pan with the bacon and onions. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve.
Sista + Gals Gift Guide
Today’s post is a gift guide on what to give the girls in your life! This could be your sister, your coworkers, or even your best friends.
I really really enjoy shopping for my girlfriends gifts. Each one is so uniquely different and I try my best to shop for their style but also purchase similar items so no one will feel out of place. I’m big on getting one particular item that all of them get and then add on little items that fit her style. When it comes to my sister I like to spoil her as well.
Below you’ll see a gift guide of all the different types of girls in your life as well as some other ideas (like gifts for her doggie!)! Enjoy!
I really really enjoy shopping for my girlfriends gifts. Each one is so uniquely different and I try my best to shop for their style but also purchase similar items so no one will feel out of place. I’m big on getting one particular item that all of them get and then add on little items that fit her style. When it comes to my sister I like to spoil her as well.
Below you’ll see a gift guide of all the different types of girls in your life as well as some other ideas (like gifts for her doggie!)! Enjoy!
For the gal who loves “Girls Night" - this wine night kit (pictured above) is perfect! It has tons of fun games and activities for wine + girl time. You can find this at Francescas. You can also find other cute girl night gift sets at Urban Outfitters, World Market, and Etsy!
The “Joanna Gaines” gal - If she loves “Joanna’s” style; gift her Joanna decor! Some amazing room spray and candle set from Target will have her home smelling amazing. Also, Joanna's “Homebody” book is a perfect coffee table book (can be purchased where books are sold).
The gal with the green thumb - if she has a cute balcony, back yard, or window box where she loves to plant her own herbs; these adorable garden sets from World Market will make her holidays bright! You can also find other cute herbs at Lowes/other home improvement stores.
The gal who loves to pamper - If she loves to pamper herself there’s TONS of options. Lush has these Ah-mazing gift sets stuff full of fun treats. Also stores like Ulta, Sephora, Aerie, and World Market are packed with fun spa treatment sets - from bath bombs to foot scrubs.
Makeup gal - Luckily; all our favorite makeup stores (Sephora, Ulta, department store beauty counters, etc) has countless options for beauty gift sets. If your girlfriend is into lip kits grab her a lip set. If she's all about her eyes grab her a set with tons of mascara options.
Dog- Mama gal friend - If her dog is her first born child; really give her a sweet surprise by purchasing some cute doggie gifts! All pets stores have the cutest holiday toys and treats. But you can also go on Amazon or Etsy and find designer inspired pet toys (like a Chanel doggie purse plush toy!)
Other Amazing gift options - Book a spa day for you and your bestie (or even just a trip to the nail salon). Take her out for dinner and pay the tab. Go on Groupon and purchase a fun activity like a helicopter ride or even sky diving (those would be some cool instagram bestie pics!). If she’s struggling to pay off her student loans gift her the sweetest gift of paying one of her monthly payments! Surprise her with a build-a-bear. Purchase custom tumblrs or custom best friend charm necklaces.
Holiday Gift Guide For Him
While I review beauty and skincare products that are perfect Christmas wishlist/stocking stuffers; I plan to do a few posts on gift guides that are perfect for Him, Mom, and for Her! On these gift guides I’m going to keep the prices very affordable with one or two high ticket items. Cause lets be real, we’re all on a ‘shop and save’ kind of budget! These gift guides are to give ideas and help guide you in the right direction on what to shop for... Enjoy!
Today’s gift guide is all about that special man in your life. It could be your boyfriend, husband or even dad (yes, some of these gift will be perfect for dad too!). When I’m shopping for my husband I know what he really likes but I also try to think out of the box and get him something creative and fun.
For the tech + guy: if your guy is into the tech world grab up a cool apple pencil to go with his tablet or stick with a fun retro game. Both of these can be found at Bestbuy. Or be super creative and custom design him an Xbox remote from the Microsoft website. Shopping for a tech guy can sometimes be difficult which is why I sometimes opt to the gift card option.
For the trendy guy: If your guy is into the style and trends try Quay sunglasses! Quay is super hot right now or some Urbanears Jakan wireless earbuds (these come in trendy cool colors); both can be found at Nordstorm. For me, trendy guys are easy to shop for but always remember stores like Nordstrom have amazing stylist that can help select the perfect items for your trendy guy.
Some simple he will DEFINITELY love: When in doubt, go simple. Art of Shaving kit is perfect. Your guy will definitely use it. Boxers and socks are always a hit with my husband. He loves his boxers from American Eagle and socks I always try to grab up some Ralph Lauren when I see them at TJmaxx.
Creative and heartfelt: If you want to do some thing extra creative Etsy is the place! This wooden Valet box is just under $40 and perfect to charge his phone, keep his change/keys, and watch displayed. Also, custom leather belt or wallet is a great option too!
Little bit of luxury: The newest Apple Watch is perfect if you want to splurge on him. Or a nice Yeti cooler if he’s into the outdoors or in charge of bringing the drinks to the next outdoor event!
Other gifts worth considering: sign him up for dollar shave club, grab tickets to the next home game at his university, purchase some prepaid LIVE gaming codes for him to use on his video game time, concert tickets to a show he wants to see, and my personal favorite; book a “mini home” cabin near the mountains or by the beach for a fun weekend trip!
Christmas Gift Shopping Tips
For this post I want to focus on a topic that I always seem to struggle with during the cooler months. Setting up a Christmas shopping budget without going in debt. We all want to purchase gifts for family members (and of course our best friends), but the hardest part is making sure you have money to pay your monthly bills. Here are some of my tips I’m using this year for Christmas shopping and avoiding going into debt.
1. Start Shopping Early, Like today.
Shopping early for Christmas isn’t a bad thing. In fact it’s a smart and good thing. In fact, I try to start doing small gift shopping as early as July for family that I know will want and keep the gift I purchase.
2. When you see something on sale, get it.
This is something I enjoy doing on items for my girlfriends. For example, when Bath and Body Works does a special promo on travel size hand sanitizers I will do the promo and grab up some for my girls stocking stuffers. Another Example: When I see some nice prints in American Eagle Boxers and their 50% off promo is going on I’ll grab up a pair for my husband.
3. Write a List and keep it in your wallet.
A list is perfect for making sure you know what to get for who and having it in your wallet for easy access. In my cars dashboard I have a pen so when I do purchase something off the list I strike it out.
4. Set a FIRM budget per person and stick to it.
I cant stress this enough. A budget is a must for buying gifts and sticking to it. With my family we all talk about how much we plan to spend on each person. My girlfriends its a bit all over the place so I try to stick with a odd number like “3 small items ranging from $25-30” that I can wrap or place in a gift box.
This is something I enjoy doing on items for my girlfriends. For example, when Bath and Body Works does a special promo on travel size hand sanitizers I will do the promo and grab up some for my girls stocking stuffers. Another Example: When I see some nice prints in American Eagle Boxers and their 50% off promo is going on I’ll grab up a pair for my husband.
3. Write a List and keep it in your wallet.
A list is perfect for making sure you know what to get for who and having it in your wallet for easy access. In my cars dashboard I have a pen so when I do purchase something off the list I strike it out.
4. Set a FIRM budget per person and stick to it.
I cant stress this enough. A budget is a must for buying gifts and sticking to it. With my family we all talk about how much we plan to spend on each person. My girlfriends its a bit all over the place so I try to stick with a odd number like “3 small items ranging from $25-30” that I can wrap or place in a gift box.
5. All else fails, gift cards.
I like to do gift cards as a last resort. I enjoy wrapping items and I enjoy getting the ‘perfect item’ for someone. But at times if you have a hard person to shop for getting a gift card to a specific store must do
6. Under $10 homemade gifts for those you’re not aquatinted to
I also enjoy the homemade gifts for family friends I’m not too familiar with. I spark ideas from Pinterest and try to stick with a super low budget. A fun homemade gift is the hot cocoa mug set (you can buy most of the items from the dollar store).
I like to do gift cards as a last resort. I enjoy wrapping items and I enjoy getting the ‘perfect item’ for someone. But at times if you have a hard person to shop for getting a gift card to a specific store must do
6. Under $10 homemade gifts for those you’re not aquatinted to
I also enjoy the homemade gifts for family friends I’m not too familiar with. I spark ideas from Pinterest and try to stick with a super low budget. A fun homemade gift is the hot cocoa mug set (you can buy most of the items from the dollar store).
******* What about Regifting?*****
I’m NOT a big fan of regifting. I’ve seen moms regift their kids toys to others (for Christmas and Baby Showers) and it’s OBVIOUSLY clear it was an item they didn’t want. I personally think its rude and lacks the thoughtfulness and individuality of the receiver. If you’re regifting; make sure its an item the person will want and appreciate (Example: someone says they want a wine glass set. AND you received an extra set as a wedding gift, win win). But regifting is a touchy subject and during the holidays I feel you should think more about the person you’re giving the gift to instead of trying to hand off something you don’t want.
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