Tag: Holidays

My 2020 Gift Guides

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This year, I was done with my holiday shopping on December 2nd, out of fear of shipping delays and out of stocks. I bought one gift in a physical store (at Rag & Bone in Georgetown), and all others online, with the help of a few really smart gift guides. 

In case you still need some inspiration, here they are (and fingers crossed not everything is out of stock and expedited shipping gets to you in time). 

I am not a huge fan of GOOP, but I have to admit their gift guides this year were amazing.

I loved how they were organized by categories and price. Not only did I find a number of gifts, I also discovered a couple of brands I will continue to shop from, including Dear Annabelle (super cute notecards) and Sferra (amazing Italian linens). 

I read The Strategist most mornings, and their gift guides for kids 1-10 was a life savior. I love how it is organized by age.

For the really hard people on my list, those who have everything they need or want and buy things themselves when they find something they need or want, this Bloomberg guide was the answer. Lots of kitchen things (aren’t we all cooking more than ever) and lots of “spa at home” things. And of course, because it’s Bloomberg, some crazy beautiful and expensive jewelry that did make me question if I was looking at the appropriate gift guide… 

If you are looking to gift beauty, the Forbes “Best Vegan, Cruelty-Free Beauty Picks” gift guide is a wonderful resource. And I am not just saying that because they chose to include my Alchimie Forever Kantic Brightening moisture mask in their assortment.   

And finally, I may or may not have bought myself a holiday gift from Ralph Lauren’s Gifts under $150 guide. Just looking at their selection puts me in the holiday mood. 

Happy shopping, and happy holidays! 

PS – these are all true, unpaid endorsements in case you are wondering – no affiliate program or commissions or ads here!

Getting a head start on my holiday gift list

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I love the holiday season for many reasons, and one of these is the gifting… receiving gifts, of course, but even more, giving gifts. I love to think of the perfect present for everyone on my list, I love the look on their faces as they open the gift I carefully selected and wrapped for them.
Here are some of the items that made my list for this Christmas.
1. Who doesn’t want something soft and cozy? Freecountry butter pile fleece blankets. These come in colors that will please everyone, and I love to get them embroidered for that extra personalized touch. I love these for nieces and sisters.
2. Just as soft and cozy, these Soft Surroundings cuddle up slippers are also on my list, ideal gifts for my BFFs.
My friends who keep their phones on their bedside table and look at them during the night and first thing in the morning will be getting the Oct17 Wooden Alarm clock. And actually, I may have to get one for myself.
3. I don’t have children, but I have children in my life. And for them, Jacadi is who I turn to.
4. The Book Of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images will give those on my list who have everything something to look at and to think about. Thank you The Georgetown Dish for the recommendation!
5. I discovered Blenko Glass during one of my work trips to West Virginia. With over 120 years of history, their shapes remain modern and are forever practical. The ruby water bottles are particularly giftable.

Happy holidays, and happy holiday shopping!

50 days left…

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There are 50 days left in 2019. You read that correctly. 50.

I can’t believe it, I have not yet accomplished all I set out to do this year, I am not ready for 2020 to be here, and I am slightly freaking out about this. Then again, I have 50 days. So here is what I am doing between now and then:

  1. Holiday gifting planning. Yes, I am starting now, and this is possible the funnest project ever.
  2. Compiling a list of everything I have accomplished so far in 2019. It feels good to see that while I am not close to checking off everything on my goal list, some goals have indeed been achieved.
  3. Starting my “2019 year in review” project, something I tend to do early January (looking backwards). This year, I decided to do this earlier so that I can still course-correct if there is something that needs to happen before 2020 that has not yet been put in motion.
  4. Daydreaming (not planning) about 2020. Letting my brain imagine things that can be next year, so that when the actual planning begins (later in December), I will have some creative, out of the box ideas.
  5. Reviewing my financials. Personal and professional. So that I don’t have any surprises come December 31st, and can make adjustments where need be, if need be.

How are you preparing for a successful end of 2019?

'Tis the season – for holiday parties…

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Holiday parties. Love them. Can’t not go to them. This time of year, they are both pleasurable and inevitable. I have to admit that one of the highlights of my holiday season is the holiday party I throw. It started out as a Georgetown McDonough School of Business party – for those in our class who remained in DC after graduation. It evolved into an evening filled with friends I love, and bubbly.

While every year I end the party thinking of what I can improve on next year, there are a few things I now do every year that seem to be conducive to a fun evening.

  1. A party is made up first and foremost of people. My guests don’t all know each other, but somehow, every year a few people find that they have common acquaintances with another guest. When I put my guest list together, I invite people I love and I purposely include a few new friends. I think about who might enjoy meeting whom, and the most gratifying reward is having people connect and ask me for each other’s phone numbers and email addresses.
  2. I love sophisticated, and I love welcoming. I strive for both, finding that fine line between elegant and casual. This means a cocktail dress, 4 inch or higher heels, red lipstick. It also means Miller Lite, finger food, hugs, spills, and broken glasses. One makes the other better.
  3. Glass and china change the feeling of a party. I used to buy plastic, now instead I rent the real thing. Extra benefit… no loads of dishwashing for me.
  4. People drink. It is a New Orleans rule (and possible a rule everywhere) that it is always better to have liquor left over rather than running out of alcohol. Buy extra – it will get drunk. I don’t have a full bar – I selfishly serve what I love to drink. And yes, New Orleans has rubbed off on me. From champagne and wine, this party’s drink selection has evolved to include vodka and bourbon, red bull, bitters, and maraschino cherries.
  5. People eat. From the traditional cheese and crackers, this party has evolved to homemade chicken and sausage gumbo. As in homemade from scratch. (Yes, I do have a Louisiana-born and bred husband, which helps…). Serving something “exotic” that will not be served at any other holiday party in my neighborhood makes my night.
  6. Bubbles are festive and make people happy. While in my family we drink champagne year-round, and sometimes just because it is Tuesday, the holiday time is particularly conducive to champagne, prosecco, cava…. Don’t underestimate the power of those little bubbles.
  7. Never start cleaning up until every guest is gone. It’s just neither polite, nor fun.
  8. Clean up that evening, no matter how late (which may mean the morning after). There is nothing worse than waking up to half empty glasses everywhere, and nothing better than waking up to all glasses in their crates, and nothing but the hostess gifts left to discover.

And above all, enjoy. Laugh. Hug. Drink. And be merry.

New year's goals

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It is about mid-day January 5th, and I feel a bit behind already – the start of 2011 has been amazingly fun, but not as productive as usual. Case in point, I just wrote down my personal 2011 goals. (The business ones were taken care of the last week of December at least). I like to write them on the first page of my planner (yes, I still like paper planners), so that I can take a look at them on a regular basis and make sure I am making appropriate progress. I can’t help myself but do this every January… it must be because growing up, when I still spent New Year’s Eve dinner with my parents and sisters, we each had to take turns and say what we accomplished over the past year, and list our goals for the coming year.

Grateful… for football

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It is Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving Thursday, and as if yesterday wasn’t enough, I can’t wait to have some leftovers for lunch and watch more football this afternoon (college in this case, Alabama vs. Auburn). Yesterday was one of my most fun Thanksgivings ever. Instead of listing the really important things I am grateful for this year (family, friends, a fiancé, health…), I thought I should focus on what really occupied my day yesterday, namely football.

Continue reading ➞ Grateful… for football