Tag: gift guide

Categories
Fabulous living

Christmas Gift Ideas

Hello Hello! 

Happy Wednesday! I hope you are finding time to rest in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I know I have been putting EVERYTHING on my calendar to make sure I don’t leave anything out between family, friends, dates or holiday fun! It can be such a busy time so I’m doing my best to soak it all up and be present as much as I can. 

I love checking out gift guides on other blogs. I am not an expert in gift guides, but I love getting ideas and suggestions from other blogs. Today, I’m sharing a few gift ideas. This is by no means a comprehensive guide, rather just some ideas if you need inspiration or are stuck on what to get someone.

Here’s some ideas that work for family members, friends, co-workers or significant others.

Gift card to a subscription service

This is such a practical and fun gift. There’s so many subscriptions services nowadays. From streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime), to physical subscription like Hello Fresh or Fab Fit Fun, or music services like Spotify and Sirus XM, it can be overwhelming to have them all and pay for them all.

If you get someone a gift card to any of these subscriptions, it gives them a taste of the service and see if they want to invest in it long term. I got a Hulu gift card and if let me try out the streaming service without a full time commitment.  This is also practical since all these services add up.

Give the gift of Netflix this holiday season.

Tickets to an Experience or Event 

If you know the person really well, consider getting them tickets to a local event or activity. It doesn’t have to be a major concert or a sporting event but, maybe it’s tickets to a museum they have been wanting to go to or a gift certificate to  a local theater and a gift card or a local restaurant. You are giving them an experience that they may not spend on themselves. It can also be a practical experience like a coupon to a free car wash or detailing (this is super helpful in winter months).

It can also be a gift for the whole family, like a family membership to the zoo, or a local theme park. This is a great gift the whole family can enjoy after the holidays have passed.

A Zoo membership would make a great gift for the whole family.

Local Items and Foods

If you want to give someone a taste of home who’s moved away, a gift of local items is the perfect idea. Get a basket together of some one your favorite things from home. It can be a favorite food from a local bakery, a bottle of wine or a six pack from a local brewery, a gift card to a favorite restaurant, pack it all up and give it to a loved one who may have moved away. This will remind them of home and you!

Sending some hometown favorite foods are almost just as good as being able to share in person.

Personalize it!

I love all things personalized and this gift really shows you put in the extra effort. For girls or guys, you can use MarleyLilly for clothing, purses, or household items and get them monogrammed. It’s a subtle way to get something fun with that personal touch. If you want to incorporate photos into a gift, Shutterfly or Snapfish are great places to get prints, calendars,  canvas, mugs, stationary and more gifts. Besides Christmas cards.  I have made calendar, collages, books, and mugs for loved ones. This is another gift that has that personal touch. 

These are just a few ideas for gifts this holiday season. Some are experiences and others are items. These are all things that I have been given and have found to be really useful and practical. Tell me, as we gear up for the holidays, do you prefer practical gifts or experiences?

Categories
Fabulous living

Valentine’s Day and Gift Guide

Happy Wednesday! I hope your week’s are moving along well.

I have a two for one today as we are talking about Valentine’s Day which is next week!

Today’s post is a mix of gift ideas and date ideas for you and your sweetheart if you are celebrating a day filled with love on Monday.

Let’s start with gift ideas. 

Valentine’s Day Gifts

You can always go for a box of chocolates or something sweet and flowers. As someone with a big sweet tooth, I would love a big box of chocolates, but if you want to be a bit more creative, here’s some ideas.

-An Experience

If you want to combine gifts and a date in a gift, maybe splurge on an experience or an activity. It can be anything from tickets to a show (movie or concert) or a favorite sporting event (it’s Hockey season!) to maybe a unique date like wine tasting, candle making or a painting night. This gift allows you both to spend time together and do something a little more special or fun that you may not typically do during your date nights. 

-A Memento 

This gift allows you to flex your creative muscles. Maybe try getting your significant other a memento from your relationship. This can be as easy as getting a new frame and printing some of your favorite pictures to put inside. Maybe you saved a special receipt or a hand written letter, consider framing them. Another idea is adding a few keepsakes to a scrap book or even make up a memory box to put some of your favorite memories that make you think of the other person.

-A “Couple” Favorite Things

This is another fun gift idea, put together a little box of gift of some of your favorite things you both like to enjoy. This can be your favorite candies, snacks, or drinks, maybe a favorite movie or activity or a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant or a place that you went to on a favorite or memorable date. Put it all together and gift it. This allows you both to enjoy something together and enjoy some things you have grown to love together. A perfect walk down memory lane together.

Date Ideas

-Home Cooked Meal

I always love this as a date idea. This date allows you and your girlfriend or boyfriend to enjoy a more relaxing night at home and avoid the craziness and crowds of restaurants. Maybe try a new recipe or meal together, you can bond in the kitchen and can enjoy a delicious end result. To make it extra special, use some nice plates and dishes, light some candles and set the mood for a dinner date for two.

-Night on the Town

Even if you have to work during the day, enjoy the big night after work. You can enjoy a favorite spot to eat at or try a new spot to make it special. Then head out to enjoy the rest of the night, whether it’s with a show or maybe a walk in a park or even a drive. . As fun as it is to enjoy the actual day, to avoid the hectic-ness of Valentine’s Day, maybe head out to celebrate the weekend before or a few days after to enjoy a quiet night.

– Day Trip

Even if you don’t celebrate the day of, plan a day trip to either someplace new or a favorite place that holds meaning to you both. During the winter months and being coped up for so long, it’s exciting to try something new and head out for a day trip. Start the day early and get some snacks and hit the open road, set a destination, and make some stops along the way. It doesn’t matter where you end up, what matters is the journey and the memories you make along the way.

These are just a few ideas to enjoy Valentine’s Day. Whether you like to go all out or like to keep it low-key, what’s most important is showing the people in your life that you love them. And yes, these ideas work just as well for a girl’s night out too!