I’m not gonna lie, I love to receive a gift just as much as the next gal. The good news is, I think I like giving them even more! Though not all of them are particularly original, the following is a list of my picks (in no particular order nor in accordance with any monetary value) for the gift-giving season. Happy Shopping!

Babies

- Mary Jane Socks by Trumpette

- Cowboy Boot Socks by Trumpette

- Anything Little Giraffe

Children

- Rain Boots

- Art Easel

- Books

    Christmas or Dr. Suess would be my obvious picks for this category!

 

Teens

- Magazine Subscriptions

   

- i-tunes Gift Card

- Tickets

    to Concerts or Sporting Events

Your Girls
   
    sisters (biological and in-law), moms,  best buds – for me they overlap so I just lumped them into one category

-  Anything Votivo 

    red currant is still my favorite scent

- Coffee Table Books

    that people will actually pick up and look at and that she might really read

- Kiehls or L’Occitane products

- Tepper Jackson Accessories

- Wine and accessories

    One of my all time favorite gifts to give! It can be personalized (say, by giving someone their favorite), given as a souvenir (from a recent trip to Napa!), and literally falls under ANY price range!

 
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Boys (don’t they really all like the same things anyway?)

- Books

    on history, music, architecture… (literally, every year, every man
(husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncles, in-laws) I buy for
receives, and actually likes, a book in one of these categories)

here’s a cool one my Dad received last year and still talks about

- Anything from the Bass Pro Shop

- Grilling Accessories

- Subscription to ESPN Game Plan

- Video Games

    in our family there is no age limit

Mothers (biological, in-law, step, new)

- Custom Photo Book

    it seems like every online photo host has this option and I cannot think of person who has children     who would not love this

- Mat & Nat Wallet

– Tepper Jackson Robe

-Cookbooks

    I don’t see why this has to only be for children. I could use it to trick my husband!

Neighbors and Other Friendly Folk

For this category I am a fan of the classic "food item + decorative item" gift. Home or hand make one or the other (or both) for a personal touch or spend as little or much money as you like.

Following are a few variations on this idea.

- Citrus Crate

I will never understand how such a gift gets a bad rap. We have a neighbor who gifts these yearly and     it’s one of my favorites! If you don’t want to give an entire crate to each neighbor divide the fruit           into smaller groupings and place it in a cute container (a box, basket or crate will do) yourself. Add a     cute hand towel (k-mart has some cute options as well) and you’ll be set. If you’re feeling particularly     crafty, pick up a pack of plain white (smooth – as in, not terry cloth) dish or hand towels, some fabric     paints and holiday shaped stencils (though cookie cutters will work) to create your own design!

- Homemade Goodies

    Everyone appreciates something homemade. And this is something every age can enjoy!

- Just Goodies

     Colossal Caramel Apple

    This bad boy would guarantee even the most annoying neighbor an invite to my next holiday party!

 Anything Archer Farms

    These delicacies come from Target! Their own packaging is pretty darn cute if you ask me. If you         want to change it up transfer into one of these!

    !!!the longer i look at these the more i love them!!! i can’t wait to order some for myself!

    An ornament as a gift topper is alway the perfect way to complete a holiday surprise. Pick one up at         k-mart, order one from crate and barrel or make one of these!

Have A Great Weekend!

and just so you know – my stint as guest blogger is not over yet. i will be posting over the weekend and possibly into next week! -arre

Garland is so versatile and delicious – I just can’t resist it!

WHAT?

There are so many live options – cedar, fir, bay leaf, magnolia, eucalyptus… the list goes on!

Live cedar and fir garland is usually available at Christmas tree farms and some local florists will make it – look into it locally if you don’t want to order it online.

If you are looking for faux: cedar, fir, bay leaf, magnolia, boxwood

If you do choose synthetic, I would suggest adding a few live tree branches for effect and scent. For cedar or fir, you can just pick them up off the ground at the Christmas tree farm – well, you might ask first, or pluck them off of the bottom of your tree (which you’ll probably have to do anyway while jamming it into its stand!). For the rest, check your yard or local florists.

WHERE?

in an entrance hall

on a mantle

over a doorway

along a banister

over a painting

If hanging it is more of a project than you’re up for, it doesn’t mean you have to forgo garland altogether. There are countless decorative uses for these fragrant branches.

- bunch it together and place it in a tilted basket atop a hutch

- simply place it around accessories on the mantle (rather than tacking it to the mantle)

garland can be placed on top of a hutch, console, dresser, buffet – anywhere really – in this same way

HOW

If you are going to hang your garland and are opposed to putting nails in your walls and on your molding, try these.

MARTHA has some good tips as well.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Accessorizing your garland not only makes it unique to your house, but also adds visual interest as well as another element of style, which is always a good thing.

• Fruit – Anything citrus (especially orange!), apples (especially green!), pears, cherries – you pick! (artificial,  works best (because of its lightweight) and the smaller the better when hanging). Attach with wire, or an adhesive (hot or super glue), to the "branch" rather than the "leafy part".

• Berries - These can often be found in nature, but if you want to order them try here for artificial and here for fresh. They can be attached with wire or just tucked in and around the garland.

• Festive Ribbon – Here’s your chance to use the rest of that ribbon you purchased for your wreaths! Just weave it through the branches

I love few things more than receiving mail – a handwritten letter, wedding invitation, thank you note, magazine… CHRISTMAS CARD! Every holiday season I display each one we receive on a door in the den and leave them up until it’s embarrassingly the next year!

My favorites ordinarily feature a photograph…

photograph (of, yes, my niece, Mary James) courtesy of the fine print studio (check this out!)

DIY Photo Cards: Fine Stationary (ooh – this one has endless options), Snapfish, Kodak Gallery,Shutterfly 

Since we are without child (or pet, for that matter), not recently married and not cute enough to feature on our own card I return each year to quotable holiday cards

I love these cards SO much it is all I can do to not wallpaper my bathroom in them. I think every word on each one of them (and they aren’t all holiday oriented) is something I would like to read on a daily basis.

A few more I love…

urban outfitters

 

fine stationary

 
 

inside reads:

"It’s sort of what I wanted. But hell, I can always re-gift it. Happy Holidays"

mik wright - (search holiday and Christmas, even if just for some serious laughs- but only if you are not easily offended!)