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Let's Look

Let’s Look: Gift Guides for Guys

Hi everyone! 

Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week. These next few weeks will be busy as we get ready for Thanksgiving and then eventually, Christmas, but I am ready for it. Bring on the challenge and the fun too! It’s still fairly decent weather for November, so I have been doing my best to enjoy the outdoors as much as I can, even enjoying my drinks outside when I can.

It’s the second Wednesday of the month which means it’s time for another Let’s Look as I link up with Shay and Erika.

Here’s a recap of the things we have talked about so far this year:

In January, we talked about How We Clean Our Closets.

In February, the topic was Things We Do Every Day

In March, it was all about what’s in our Grocery Carts

In April, we chatted about our Quiet and Prayer Time.

In May, we talked about Summer Staples.

In June, we shared our Summer Schedules.

In July, we chatted about our favorite TV Shows and Podcasts.

In August, we learned about our Pantry Staples

In September, we shared Easy Weeknight Meals

In October, it was all about how we Prep for the Holidays.

I can’t believe we only have a few more to go this year. Today’s topic is Gift Ideas for Men, now guys are hard to buy for, no matter the age, so hopefully, this gives you some ideas or suggestions. I asked my boyfriend for some help on this and I came up with my own ideas too. I created five categories or groups to get ideas from. 

First, when it comes to men, always think practically. It may not be as fun, but most guys prefer a practical gift that they will use time and time again over something that is nice, but not as functional. Let’s dive right in!

  • Experience– Rather than getting a guy something they may not use or like, think about getting them an experience. This can be anything from tickets to seeing their favorite sporting team, going to a concert, maybe doing an activity, like beer tasting or trying a new hobby, and taking lessons or a course in it. You can still wrap up the tickets and make it something fun to open with the information inside.
  • Game Day Gear– Whether they are into sports or music or another hobby, you can never go wrong with getting them some gear. This can be more traditional items like jerseys or t-shirts, or you can go the more unique route and find something vintage online. Etsy always has such unique gifts and I love supporting local businesses too!
  • A Nice Watch– Guys might not be into jewelry as much as girls, but, you can never go wrong with a nice watch. You can take the more route with a traditional watch that they can dress up or down, or if they are more sporty, you can go the fitness watch route. I personally love my Apple Watch and use it every day. This is definitely a practical and useful gift for the guy.
  • Favorites Gift- For the guy who has everything, get him all his favorites. This can be his favorite foods, drinks, snacks, and gift cards to his favorite restaurants. You can even use this gift as a way to restock on his go to items, maybe he has a favorite type of pen that he only uses or a brand of shirts that he always wears, buy all his must have items and wrap them all up together or separate.
  • Upgrade Essentials– Purchase some higher quality versions of his favorite items. This can be anything from buying some nicer dress shirts or socks if he works in an office, to getting him a new pair of running shoes. Guys don’t always want to spend money on themselves, so this is a great way to get them things they need and splurge a bit. 

I know these aren’t specific gifts for guys, but hopefully these suggestions lead to more ideas for the special guy in your life. Tell me: what are some things you plan on buying for the men in your lives? I’m always open to ideas! Happy Christmas Shopping!

Categories
Fabulous living

Apple Watch Review

Hey guys!

Happy Wednesday! I’ve held off on this post for a while but I’m excited to share it with you today. 

I always love reading people’s different reviews of products. Whenever, I’m on the fence about buying a product reading someone’s review always gives me the push or pull into getting a product. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of fitness trackers, especially Fit Bit. You can read my past Fit Bit reviews here and here.

For Christmas I got an Apple Watch and while it took a little bit of getting used and trying it out, I’m excited to share my review with you today!

My new Apple Watch SE.

A few notes, this post is not sponsored at all, this is just my own thoughts and opinions on Apple Watch.

For starters, I got the Apple Watch SE. 

It took a little bit of getting used to compared to my Fit Bit Versa Lite (the set-up, the notifications and the look) but once I did , I automatically fell in love with it.

For my job, I’m always on my phone, so having my calls, texts, emails, and social media all synced to my watch is huge!

I love that I can see who’s calling or texting me from my watch without picking up my phone.  The Fit Bit Versa Lite had these features too, but I like how on the Apple Watch you can read the full text message and not just the preview compared to the Fit Bit Versa Lite. You can also respond to texts through Siri or microphone or by writing a message out. I typically don’t respond to too many texts unless it’s a one-word or short response that I can quickly type or speak using Siri.

With the Fit Bit Versa Lite you can see when someone is calling you, but on the Apple Watch SE you can answer calls from it as well. I also like how you can get way more notifications from different apps. I can see when I get notifications from social media, to emails, calendars and emails.

I am always using my Apple Watch to set timers or alarms. I also use Siri a lot more on my Apple Watch compared to my phone. I also can get a quick check of the weather without going on my phone. Major wins for me!

Besides work, I really enjoy working out. I try to workout at least five days a week if not more. I use my Apple Watch to track my work out sessions, track how many calories I’ve burned, see how many steps I’ve gotten and see how long I’ve stood. There’s different programs you can start tracking when you workout from yoga to walking, running or lifting weights. Closing my rings is always a highlight of my day. 

If you have been following for a while, you know how I have started to incorporate mindfulness and meditation in my daily routines. One of the apps on my Apple Watch tracks Mindfulness, another favorite! I practice Mindfulness at the start and end of every day.

Now that I have raved about the Apple Watch, here’s a few things that I have noticed that I don’t love about it. 

The battery goes faster on the Apple Watch compared to the Fit Bit Versa Lite. If I start the day with 80 percent by the end of a 12 hour day, it’s around 30 percent. It makes sense since I’m using it constantly and since I sleep with It on at night, but it still go faster than the Fit Bit. I typically charge it when I’m showering at night or when I’m sitting down or doing my hair in the morning.

You also need a specific charger and charger block for the Apple Watch, so that’s something else you should be aware of.

The other thing that makes it questionable is the price, or more accurately is it worth it? In my opinion …yes! Since I use it for multiple reasons, all day every day. It’s definitely worth it. But if you are on the fence about investing, I would suggest maybe starting with a Fit Bit and working you way up to an Apple Watch, just a suggestion. 

The pros outweigh the cons but A LOT! Overall, I am thrilled with my Apple Watch and I use it all day, every day! In next week’s post, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite accessories. Until then, if you have an Apple Watch, what are your thoughts on it? Let me know!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #34

LOTD

Hello and happy Thursday!

I don’t know about you, but January always drags on. The fast pace of the Christmas season is behind us and we look forward to warmer weather. With snow continuously falling and frigid temperatures, I try to mix and match a few pieces to bring some excitement to my wardrobe.

Staying cozy and fashionable on a Thursday!

 

I wore this outfit out for dinner this past weekend and I got lots of compliments.  I wore my favorite pair of regular cut jeans from Old Navy. I prefer dark jeans opposed to light jeans. I love going to Old Navy for jeans since they come in many different styles for every body type. I decided to go neutral with a black cow neck sweater. I love this over sized sweater from GAP. I have it both in black and fuchsia pink. Since both sweaters are bold colors, they can go with any outfit.

My statement piece is my faux fur vest. I got this vest from Target, believe or not. I love Target, but I don’t always have luck there for clothes. However, this was a great find. I have worn it with leggings, jeans, even a simple black dress. It’s a great piece to dress up an outfit.

I wanted to highlight two accessories I’m wearing. First, I got this gold bar necklace for Christmas and it is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. It’s a simple necklace but I love how it can go with anything. Also, I have my initials on it so its personalized which makes it all the more special.

So simple, but so personalized and elegant,

I also am wearing this fun collection of bracelets and a watch. It matches my outfit with the brown but it is also a statement piece. I got this from Francesca’s Boutique  and I can;’t wait to wear it with other outfits.

Fun wrist accessories!

Sometimes it can be intimidating to wear something out of our comfort zone. But, I suggest to be BOLD. Try new pieces you may not normally pair with an outfit. You may never know you like an accessory unless you try it first. Have a great warm weekend. Stay warm!!