Holiday Gift Guide 2020

Hey everyone! Today I thought I would share some ideas for this holiday gifting season!

We've been doing a ton of Christmas shopping around here and I think I'm finally done. My husband has a bit left to do and I do need to wrap a few things but I'm done ordering online and shopping in store. More than ever this year I ordered the majority of my gifts online since it's been so hard to shop in person but we did make an effort to shop small and local in order to support some of our favorite local shops. I'll be highlighting those here for anyone who is in the Rhode Island area, but also sharing links for online items if you are looking to shop from home this year.

Dog Dad

Are you married to a dog dad? Well here are some items he might like.

How adorable are those socks?! I ordered these socks for Tim for his birthday but ended up giving them to him within five minutes of opening the package up. Pupsocks are super customizable, you upload a picture you want to feature and pick the sock color as well. Tim has given them great reviews which is saying a lot since he is a sock connoisseur. I think they are absolutely adorable and I love how sweet Sophie's little face looks on the socks. You can check out their website here.

Doodle Dad T-shirt- If you also have a doodle dad in your house, this shirt is super cute! I gave this to Tim for fathers day and he wears it all the time.

Doodle Dad Coffee Mug- Also a big hit in our house- so much so that the first one broke and another has been ordered as a Christmas gift (shhh!)

You can also find a ton of personalized dog items on Etsy. I've seen t-shirts, ornaments, paintings, mugs...definitely a great place to get something personalized for your family.

Books

So many great books have come out recently and I have quite a TBR (to be read) list. Here are some of the books I think would make a great gift this holiday season

A Promised Land- Barak Obama

Postscript- Cecila Ahern

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City)- Sarah J. Maas

One Day in December- Josie Silver

The Home Edit- Clea Shearer

The Home Edit Life- Clea Shearer

Throne of Glass series- Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thrones and Roses series- Sarah J. Maas

The Rest of the Story- Sarah Dessen

Open Book- Jessica Simpson

Christmas Shopaholic- Sophie Kinsella

A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes- Suzanne Collins

Midnight Sun- Stephenie Meyer

The Return- Nicholas Sparks

Make Life Beautiful- Shea and Syd McGee

Obviously all these recommendations are for adults or young adults. Since I don't have kids I don't have any specific book recommendations for children however I know when I was a kid I loved to read and was so happy to get a gift certificate to the book store so I could go pick out a book I wanted to read! If you have any kids in your life who haven't been introduced to Harry Potter yet, it might be a good time to start!

House Stuff

This year we have purchased so many items for our home that we did not have previously in an apartment. If you know someone who has just purchased a home you can never go wrong with a Home Depot gift card. However, if you want to make sure the person you are gifting to has a physical present under the tree here are some things we love in our home or are looking to purchase someday.

Bamboo Sheets- These sheets are so soft! Everyone loves a good set of sheets, and these are so affordable.

Coffee Organizer- Great for anyone with a Keurig!

Power Washer- This was my birthday gift to myself and it works great. I highly recommend it.

Portable Carpet Cleaner- I clean my couch with this little machine and it picks up so much dirt. 

Dyson Cordless Vacuum- Need a big gift? You can never go wrong with a cordless Dyson vacuum!!

Home Painting- These home watercolors are beautiful! I know anyone who just purchased a home would love to have one of these.

For Your Puppy

Obsessed with your dog too? Here are a few items you can put in your pups stocking this year.

KONG Wobbler- We picked this up for Sophie in the spring and use it all the time! It's great for keeping her busy and also giving her some treats!

Dog Treat Molds- Interested in making homemade dog treats? I know your dog would enjoy them!

Biosilk- For anyone with a long haired dog...this is a lifesaver!!

Cheese Chews- These are a great treat for dogs because it takes them awhile to get through them. We pick these up at our local pet store Fetch RI (linked for you) and we always feel great about supporting this small, local, woman owned business!

Earth Animal No-Hide Chews- Sophie loves these in every flavor and we get them all the time. Great chews for a once in awhile treat.

Barkbox- We are obsessed with getting Barkbox each month. You would think the excitement level would go down after a year but it hasn't at all. Every month the toys are high quality and Sophie truly plays with all of them. We have lost very few over the last year so we just keep collecting them. 

Neighbors/ Co-Workers/ Secret Santa/ Yankee Swap

It's so hard to buy gifts for people when you don't really know them well or in a yankee swap situation where you don't even know who will get them! Here are some ideas that are simple but also are loved by (almost) everyone. 

Candles- I personally can't get enough candles! My favorites for this season are from Bath and Body Works and are Tis The Season and Marshmallow Fireside. Both are a great winter scent that aren't too strong so they make a great gift. Bath and Body Works candles have great scent throw and often are on sale so you can really get a bang for your buck.

Chocolates-  I know everyone thinks their local chocolate shop is the best, but ours truly is! I absolutely adore Sweenor's Chocolates and you will too! They have many of their products online so you can order from anywhere but if you are local to RI you can stop in their shop in either Wakefield or Cranston to witness the best smelling shop you've ever been inside!

Simple Pleasures in Charlestown- One of the best shops in Charlestown Rhode Island! Unfortunately you do have to be local to purchase from here but they have the cutest items around! There are many "beachy" items but they also sell clothing and jewelry. It's a wonderful store to poke around and so many great gifts to be found.

Blankets- I don't have a link for this item but I think everyone appreciates a really nice blanket. I received one from Marshalls as a birthday gift this year and it's so soft and lovely. I don't think you can go wrong with anything that makes you cozy!

Soft Socks- Speaking of cozy...these are the best soft socks! The aloe really makes them so comfortable and once you use these you will never find any other socks as soft again.

Puzzles- During 2020 is anything more appropriate than puzzles? These Thomas Kinkade ones look like a great option for any Disney lover!

What great gifts are you buying this year? I would love to know! 

Last Minute Gift Guide!

Hey loves!

Have you finished up your Christmas shopping yet?

I just ordered one final item for a Yankee Swap with Tim's family and now my shopping is complete! I thought I would share some of the items I  picked up for friends and family this year as well as a couple of ideas that I know make great gifts!

Candles

I'm a huge candle fan, especially from Bath and Body Works! My favorite holiday candle to gift is 'Tis The Season and I often pick one or two up for myself as well! There a spiciness to this candle but it still has an aroma that makes you feel homey! Bath and Body Works has a ton of other scents as well so if this isn't your jam then check out the others. Bath and Body Works Online

Bath Products

Speaking of Bath and Body Works I also find that bath products are also a big hit! I love receiving a shower gel or bath bomb because I know I will use it. Any sort of products that can be used up are excellent gifts since you know they aren't hanging around collecting dust. (Hopefully)

Ornaments

I am a big fan of getting ornaments to give as Christmas gifts. It's so easy to check out local stores and online to find something that fits your loved ones personality. I have given ornaments from Hallmark to many people and since they have so much variety you can always find something they like! This Harry Potter keepsake ornament is such a cute gift for any Harry Potter lover in your life!

Massager

I have heard a lot of great reviews on this massager from Amazon and think it would make a great Yankee Swap gift! Everyone deserves a little bit of relaxation and this would be the perfect way to unwind once the holidays are over!


Cozy Wear

Another of my favorite places to shop is Old Navy where they have great deals all the time! They have a great selection of scarves, hats and mittens this year which would make great gifts. Another awesome gift idea from here is pajamas. With kid and adult sizes you can find a pair for anyone and who doesn't love getting some cozy jammies for the cold winter months?

 Gift Cards

Some people just want gift cards. I understand this completely because when I get a gift card it means  I have a free shopping trip which I absolutely love. You can get gift cards to nearly anywhere nowadays and it makes it super convenient to just order them right off Amazon. I also favor buying them at my local grocery store.

Books

I am a huge fan of buying kids books. I always want to encourage reading since I have always loved reading so much and buying kids new books is a great way to do that! There are so many children books out there to choose from but I highly recommend checking out Vasseur Beauty (and her new channel: Carters Corner) where she talks about all the books she reads with her son to encourage reading and learning to broaden your vocabulary.

What are some things you are gifting this holiday season?

Our Wedding: Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

Hey guys!

Today I wanted to share with you something that I wasn't able to share prior to the wedding, what I got for my bridesmaids!

I wasn't able to share this since I didn't want any of my bridesmaids to stumble across this post and see what I bought them in advance. But now, I'm free to share everything!

The first thing I purchased was something I knew I definitely wanted since it would hold everything else. I knew I wanted to get them a good quality tote bag and when I saw Alexandra Garza's Youtube video of the bags she bought for her bridesmaids I followed her link and found these beauties from Ballard Designs:

I thought the aqua color would fit in perfectly with my beauty theme and I even picked up one of these for myself! They are super sturdy and hold quite a bit inside. I got each one embroidered with the first initial of each persons first name. I liked the idea of personalizing them in some way but I'm not a huge fan of monograms. Three out of seven of my bridesmaids are married which means the other four could eventually change their names and their monogram would change...so first initials made sense.

Now, buying the bags meant that I could fill them with all sorts of things, so I got to work figuring out what else would go inside. The next item was a Kendra Scott bracelet in slate.

I wanted a simple bracelet that they could wear (or not) during the wedding but also would be a simple complimentary piece for their jewelry collection.  I thought these were pretty and simple but were also quite a bit smaller when I received them then I think they were pictured online!

Even though we got married in October, I was doing a beach theme for the wedding so I couldn't skip getting the girls a towel!

I found these towels at Kohl's and unfortunately they are discontinued but every year they come back with new designs and colors. They are called The Big One Beach Towels and they are big, soft beach towels that I personally love and would recommend!

Now I also tossed a few small things in their bags as well and since they were small things I picked up in stores I don't have links for most of them, but you can certainly find similar things.

I love the smell of Pink Sands and thought it was perfect for my theme and also made the bags smell great! I found these at Kohl's and I'm not sure you an find the same container online but if you check Yankee Candle you can certainly find this scent!

I also picked up beach themed notepads from Target. Also while in Target I grabbed everyone a small bath bomb which I thought was just a fun, relaxing addition.,

The Bride Tribe hand sanitizers came from Bath and Body Works and I ordered these on a whim while placing a huge Bath and Body Works order. I also gave one to my mom when she stopped by my apartment one day.

Finally, I bought the girls a little gift to use the day of the wedding.

 I saw this picture and thought that a group picture with these blush robes for the girls and a white robe for me would be so cute! So I picked up a blush robe for each of them (again with just their initial instead of monogram) and grabbed a white robe for myself.

Since Rachel was my matron of honor I wanted to make sure she got something extra so I packed a separate gift for her.

The first thing I knew I wanted to get her was a loopy case! I had previously heard her talk about getting a loopy case so I covertly texted her husband, Ant, to see if he could tell me what type of iPhone she had. He had no idea and was zero help (total forgiven as I'm sure he is busy enough without me making him do secret missions) so I pretended to be interested in Rachel's phone based on pictures she took (I'm so sneaky) and then ordered it for her!

I wasn't totally sure what color she wanted but figured rose gold was a safe choice.

I did want to get her a couple of sentimental items and the first thing I found was at Marshalls.

Back in the spring/summer Marshalls had a lot of wedding items out so I found this mug for her. I couldn't find a ton of Matron of Honor items so maid of honor it was!

The next item I found on Amazon

I thought that this frame was absolutely gorgeous and so sweet. I figure she can put a nice picture of us inside it from the wedding day.

So that's everything I got for my girls! I hope this helped you if you are planning on getting married and need some ideas on what to get your bridesmaids. I'd love to know what you got your bridesmaids or what you have received as a gift for being a bridesmaid- share in comments below!

Engagement Gifts To Buy Your Besties

Have you ever been completely stumped with what to buy for your besties as an engagement gift? Well I'm here to do a little round up of gifts that I've been given for our engagement as well as gifts that I have seen that would be super sweet. 

Getting engaged is an exciting time and it's so nice to show the ones you love that you are excited for them! This guide will focus on gifts for the ladies but I'm sure there are plenty of places to find gifts for your engaged guy friends as well. 

One of the first gifts I received was a tote bag that says Bride on it. This one that my MOH Rachel gifted me is absolutely perfect since it's super simple and fits my taste. With a quick google search I noticed there are hundreds of different bags you can pick up for your girls! There are sequined ones, colorful ones, simple ones like mine- anything your heart desires! I do recommend a tote bag since there is plenty of information to carry around this time- I have my wedding planning binder inside mine along with miscellaneous papers I need to hold onto.

Another thoughtful gift Rachel gave me was the two tiny vials pictured above where sand will be held from my wedding day and from my honeymoon. Mine came from Painted By The Shore and I think they would make a fabulous gift for any brides who are getting married on the beach or honeymooning on the beach!

At the time of this post this mug is only $11 and how cute is it?! You can purchase it on Amazon and I think it would make such a sweet gift for any engaged girl in your life.

My friend Danielle sent me The Bride Box and it was such a sweet gift! There are many variations of it on their site so you can really customize it to your bestie. The one I received, The Bridal Beauty Box is a fun one for any girl who loves testing new beauty products. I have been testing out lip products and nail polish from this box and if you've been reading for any length of time you know that's one of my favorite activities!

Another really cute idea is a passport holder with your friends new name on it! Or simply "Mrs"

Many people plan to leave the country on their honeymoon and having a new passport holder is a simple way for them to have their new name or title on display! This one is from Zazzle and I love the fake marble look!

This adorable sun hat is from Kohl's  and every time I go into the store I want to buy it for myself....I might buy it soon... how nice would this be for a beach honeymoon?! We are going on a beach honeymoon next year and I will definitely be displaying my new title for all to see!

Have you seen these feyonce shirts?! I think they are so funny. If you do a quick google search you will find an abundance of shirts like this and ones spelled the traditional way as well. Either are adorable and nice way to encourage your bestie to show off her new ring!

Speaking of shirts I also think this one is great for any girl who is trying to get in her best shape before her wedding! You can find it at Bridal Party Tees along with hundreds of other shirts if working out isn't the brides thing!

I hope these ideas helped and remember that a gift is a sweet idea for a bride-to-be but not entirely necessary. Most brides just need besties around them who will listen to everything they are stressing about and going through during the wedding planning process and are thrilled to have you by their side!

Some Favorite Gifts of Christmas 2017

Happy Friday friends!

We had a snow day yesterday which meant a whole day off from work! It was so nice to lounge around the apartment :)

Today we're chatting about gifts from Christmas. I'm going to share some favorites that I gave and received. I always like to start thinking about Christmas super early and love making sure that everyone on my list gets something that they love.

Here were a few wins this year...

The big winner this year was my Canon Rebel! Tim bought me this and I have been loving taking pictures with it! I've noticed all the pictures I've taken with it are super crisp and look amazing. I would highly recommend this camera and while I don't know everything about it yet I'm excited to learn how to use it!

My big gift for Tim was the Apple Watch Series 3  so far he's been wearing it every day so I would say he likes it. I did get myself the pink version in the smaller size and have been loving how easy it is to use. It's definitely an electronic I didn't realize I wanted until I had it on my wrist! I would highly recommend it if you have an iPhone and love that as well.

I asked my mom for the small spaces set of Makers Cleaning Cloths from my mom and although she thought I was crazy I love these cloths for cleaning. They are sold out right now but you can sign up to get an e-mail when they're back in stock. Melissa Maker has a Youtube channel and other then having an awesome first name she is an amazing cleaner and has some great tips! She makes a great product too :)

If you are a Harry Potter fan or have one in your life the Harry Potter Illustrated Books  are a great gift idea! These are beautiful versions of the stories we come to know and love and I own all three that have been released so far.

I love to support other bloggers and knew I wanted to get this Color At Home coloring book  from John and Sherry over at Young House Love. They have released two great home decor/diy books and this coloring book was a fun new take on home decorating. I have loved coloring through the pages and seeing what I like as far as decor colors go. (As if I didn't already know blue, gray and white are my jam)

Some all-time favorite hits for presents? Gift cards. I gift a ton of gift cards and also received a ton this year which is great! I love shopping for myself, I love going out to dinner and I love knowing that the person I am gifting to will actually be able to enjoy their gift.

I received so many other little things I love- slippers, bath and body products, scarves, etc that I just don't have room to list here and I gave so many gifts I was proud to hand over. (Like this Beard Hair Catcher I gave Tim- how cool is this?!) This is just a small glimpse into Christmas and I hope you enjoyed these gift ideas!

**Some affiliate links are used in this post**

Holiday Gift Guide 2016

If you're anything like me you might be already close to done with your Christmas shopping. I only have a few more items to purchase and then I will be completely done! I did want to pop on here and share my annual gift guide with you. You can check out my previous gift guides by searching right here on the blog. 

Here is a collection of items I think would make terrific gifts this holiday season. 

This is a new item for me and I'm obsessed! I've always used LUSH lip scrubs and enjoyed them but when I heard about the lip scrub by sara happy I knew I had to check it out. It's a gentle lip scrub that feels great and smells delicious. I use this once or twice a week and although this little container retails for $24.12 on Amazon it is something that will last you quite a long time. I think any woman who loves beauty products would be thrilled to see this under her tree or inside a stocking!

The Wet Brush retails for just under $9 on Amazon but it something I absolutely love. I grew up with very tangly hair and if I don't brush my hair out after emerging from the shower I'm in for a fight when I go to style it. (and everyone wonders why I just wear my hair up most of the time) I don't know many girls who wouldn't appreciate a nice brush and this one is certainly worth it especially since it's at such a low price.

It seems like Tis The Season is sold out of the 3-wick candle version currently online but this is by far my favorite holiday scent from Bath and Body Works! We are also using the hand soap in our bathroom and the scent is just so cheerful this time of year. Bath and Body Works consistently has great deals on candles this time of year- in fact yesterday was their annual $8.50 each sale (which explains why they are currently sold out of a ton of items) so keep an eye out because candles make great gifts for everyone!

Currently books one and two from the Harry Potter series have been released in illustrated editions and it's something any Harry Potter lover would love. They retail on Amazon at $23.99 and are just beautiful collectors items. I have both in my house currently and it's a beautiful way to read and appreciate these classic tales.

This is my favorite seasonal lotion scent from Bath and Body Works and if you keep your eye out you can get great deals on this as well! The ultra shea lotion can be paired with the shower gel to make a great gift for any girl in your life.

If you've been reading for any length of time you now that I absolutely love my birchbox!  The women's box retails for $10 a month and men's is $20 a month. The best part about this gift is that you can give it for Christmas and they will receive a box each month which is so fun- it keeps the gift going for as long as you like. You can do a three month, six month, or year long gift which gives your recipient plenty of time to decide if they want to continue subscribing.

Know a sports fan? Well right now in the midst of football season it's great time to get that football fan some gear. There are great deals going on right now and you can buy everything including hats, scarves, socks, jerseys, sweatshirts, and more! A great choice for any sports fan. I am currently lusting over the Patriots hat pictured. Not that I wear hats much...but you know...

Beats are so expensive but they are seriously great headphones. I have had the chance to try them on several occasions and these are great for guys or girls. They are great for blocking out all other sound when you are listening to music (or an audiobook). There are a ton of different options to choose from as well. 

Apparently if you are a video-gamer this is the game of the moment. Tim just recently got this and while I am not a video game person at all, if you have one in your life you might want to consider picking this up.  Just make sure you check what type of console your loved one has first! Another idea for a video game lover is a new controller- something that I've gifted Tim in the past and he has appreciated- controllers are expensive!

We actually just picked up this particular LEGO Ninjago kit for Tim's nephew because it's on sale for $24.79, originally $40! Tim's nephews love LEGOs and they have some great sales this time of year. We just recently saw LEGO minecraft on sale at Target in store for 50% off. They were actually all sold out by the time we got there but what a great deal. We don't see a ton of deals on LEGOs but this time of year there are quite a few!

Some of my other favorite gifts to buy this time of year? 

• Ornaments
• Gift Cards
• Candy and Other Food Treats
• Big Electronics (SO MANY SALES!)

I have only a few more items and then I'm done- how much Christmas shopping have you completed?!