❤️ Valentine’s Gift Guide For Him 2022

Hi there and thanks for stopping by! I’ve found some gifts lately that David has really enjoyed, so I thought I’d share since we’re 2 weeks out from Valentine’s Day. If you have a fella in your life that you still need to shop for, I hope you find this post helpful!

Hot Sox-$12

Boring? Maybe. Useful? Definitely! Hot Sox are excellent quality and hold up well in the wash, and the designs are adorable!

Godiva Truffles-$17.95

What’s Valentine’s Day without a little chocolate? These truffles are rich and decadent and come in lots of fun flavors like cappuccino, Black Forest cake, and rocky road!

Lands’ End Flannel Robe-$45 with coupon

This robe is very good quality and is so soft and warm! There’s always very good coupons, making it both a useful and reasonable gift.

Cartier Déclaration Cologne-$50/1 oz.

This is the newest cologne in David’s collection, and it smells so clean and fresh. It has notes of cedar, cardamom, and pepper and Cartier does the most wonderful gift wrapping. Très Magnifique!

Alexander McQueen Biker Skull Wool Scarf-$225

This edgy wool scarf is the perfect addition to an otherwise boring outfit. It’s excellent quality and the red one would be a perfect Valentines gift. David has the black and white one and wears it often.

Do you have any gift ideas you care to share? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

💐 Mother's Day Gift Ideas (Under $30!)

“Life doesn’t come with a manual. It comes with a mother.”

Hi there and thanks for stopping by! Today I’m here to help take the guess work out of Mother’s Day gifts. You don’t have to spend a lot to show the special lady in your life that you care.

I always try and stick to the old rhyme for gift giving:

“Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read”.

Here’s a list of a few things I personally use and love that I know would make some fabulous gifts, all coming in under $30:

Champagne Bottle Chocolates-$15

The perfect way to treat your mom! Dylan's makes some of America's yummiest tasting chocolates, and the champagne bottle is so festive.

Dish Towels-$19.95/set of 4

The most glamorous gift? No. Practical? Yes! These dish towels are pricey, but their quality is unmatched and they come in an array of colors to match your mama's décor. She'll think of you while she's scrubbing the dishes!

Sheet Mask Set-$22

This set of Korean sheet masks from the brand Lapcos come in a variety pack, so your mom can indulge in a little self-care and target different skin concerns every time.

Dior Rouge 999 Nail Polish-$28

Treat your mom to the iconic red color from Dior! This is such a universally flattering shade, and Dior always does the most luxurious gift wrap and offers free shipping as well.

Lisi Lerch Earrings-$20 (regularly $78)

Lisi Lerch is one of my go-to brands for fun costume jewelry. They're always very good quality and add a touch of pizzazz to any outfit. There's many offerings around the $30 mark, but this particular pair called the Margo caught my eye. They're not too trendy and the gold/white design will be perfect for spring and summer. You can also choose post or clip on.

Windows at Tiffany Book-$30

I recently purchased this book and have been thrilled to bits looking through all the eye candy! It features Tiffany & Co window displays from the last century and would be the perfect addition to a coffee table. 

(Don’t forget that aside from material things, a heartfelt note or a friendly phone call means so much too!)

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

❤️ Love Box & Happy Valentine's Day 2021!

Hi there and Happy Monday! Just in time for Valentine's Day, I want to share with you one of my favorite gifts I've ever received. Last Valentine's Day David gifted me with a Love Box. It's a way to receive secret love notes digitally!

It's a small wooden box you plug in and connect to WiFi and the sender can send you notes and cute images via the app on their phone! Once you are sent a note, the red heart on the front of the box begins to spin. You lift the lid of the box to find your secret love note! Once it's read, you spin the heart on the front to send back some hearts to their phone, letting the sender know you've seen it. 

We keep our Love Box on the dresser in our room, and I love walking in to see the little heart spinning. It's a special way we can keep in touch when David's not home, and I think it would be a wonderful gift for any family member or significant other you want to show some extra love to this Valentine's Day.

David picked ours up at the MoMA Design Store in NYC, but I see they have them available on their website, here. It's $100 and the store offers $10 off your first order with email sign-up.

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

💗💗💗 PS~Wishing you a day full of love on Sunday, Happy Valentine's Day!!!

"Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone- we find it with another." ~Thomas Merton

🍫 Maggie Louise Confections

Hi there! Since many of us won't be seeing the lovely ladies in our lives we want to celebrate on Mother's Day in person, gifts via the post will have to do. I recently stumbled upon the cutest chocolate company and I can't think of a better way to surprise the moms in our lives. 

Maggie Louise Confections started when the proprietor, Maggie, quit her career as a successful NYC lawyer to attend Le Cordon Bleu. She fell in love with chocolate and opened up her first shop in Austin, Texas. To this day her creations are still handmade and hand-painted in Austin.

I had to try some for myself so I picked up the Lipstick Trio. The packaging is luxe and gorgeous, and the chocolate itself is to die for. Each chocolate is so intricately painted, they truly looked like actual lipsticks. 

There's an entire Mother's Day section on her site, complete with avocado toast and gardening themed sets, so there's something for everyone! And don't forget to sign up for emails to get $10 off your first purchase.

Give them a try and let me know what you think, I love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

💚💚💚 PS-A very happy birthday to my Dad on Wednesday. Love ya!

👜 Handbag Review~Barrington Gifts St Anne Tote

Hello and thanks for stopping by! I’ve owned my Barrington Gifts St Anne tote for 5 months now and have used it often, so I thought I’d do a review on it since it has blown my mind in price for value.

Barrington Gifts is a Dallas-based company that specializes in customizable handbags and accessories. They offer a variety of different bags, but I wanted a size and shape comparable to the Louis Vuitton Speedy and the Goyard St Louis totes.

The St Anne measures 20” x 13”x 5” with a 9” strap drop. The bag is made out of waterproof coated canvas and premium Florentine leather trim. I love the interior pockets for organization, since such a large tote can oftentimes be a bottomless pit.

This bag in particular comes in both open and zip top options, as well as numerous prints. Im still loving the geometric pattern I chose, but I love the leopard and plaid prints as well! The fun part is customizing the stripes and initials, it makes each bag so unique and easy to identify when traveling through TSA. 

I think the St Anne is exceptional quality for the price, especially factoring in all the occasions this large tote is useful. Travel, work, errands, this would even be a wonderful pool/beach/yoga/gym bag. The options are endless!

If you’re considering making a Barrington Gifts purchase, I can not recommend them enough (I'm actually eyeing a custom wine tote-would be so fun to take to BYOB's). The turnaround time on each bag is about 10-14 days, so take that into account when ordering. As a new customer, make sure to sign-up for emails, they will send you a coupon code good for 10% off your 1st order. 

Also, I think a gift certificate to Barrington Gifts would make an excellent gift idea for the man or woman in your life, the passport holder and toiletry kit are to die for! (❤️ and Valentine's Day is almost here! ❤️)

Any handbags you’ve been loving lately that you’d care to share? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🎁 Wedding Gift Ideas

Weddings are so much fun, but they can also be a bit stressful. What am I going to wear? Which table will I be seated at? What am I going to give as a gift? Fear not, I have gifts covered in this post! David and I have had a few weddings this year and that got me thinking about unique gift ideas.

For the couple that isn’t registered and you don’t feel comfortable giving cash, here’s what I’ve come up with:

Tiffany bone China paper cups-$110

This playful set of cups are made in Japan from fine China, but are made to resemble paper cups! What a fun way for the happy couple to start each morning with their cup of Joe.

Waterford Chip & Dip-$150

An entertaining necessity that no one really thinks about. Chip and dip servers are such a retro gift idea, but very useful. The large plate doubles as a serving platter, and classic Waterford crystal matches nearly anyone’s kitchen decor.

Kate Spade “Mr & Mrs” picture frame-$85

A beautiful piece that is a wonderful way to display the couple’s wedding photo. This was one of my favorite gifts I received for my wedding and is so timeless.

His and Hers passport covers-Varies

There’s tons of personalized options on Etsy, and such a fun idea if the couple is traveling internationally for their honeymoon.

Experiences-Priceless ;-)

Although not tangible, I think gifts that a couple can experience together are a great idea! Some ideas I have are an overnight hotel stay at a local hotel for a staycation, a wine tasting, a romantic dinner at a nice restaurant, a couples massage, or even a donation on the couple’s behalf to a charity near to their heart. These gifts fit nicely in a card and are easy to mail, no need to gift wrap!

I hope that helps get the wheels turning for you if you have any lovebirds to celebrate. Do you have any unique wedding gift ideas? Anything you were excited to receive at your own wedding? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you.

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

💜💜💜 PS-A very Happy Birthday to my Mom today. Love ya!!! 💜💜💜

🍌 Peanut Butter Banana Muffins ~ Fathers Day Gift Idea

Ciao! I've really been on a baking kick lately and today I’m sharing a really tasty muffin recipe that combines the always perfect pairing of peanut butter and bananas. They are extremely moist and flavorful without being too sweet. Not only is this an excellent way to use up overripe bananas you may have laying around, but these would be such a wonderful homemade gift for Fathers Day in a few weeks!

Pop these easy to make muffins in a box or basket with a cloth napkin~ a bandanna would also be adorable, include a special jar of preserves and a note and voilà, a gift made with love.

I made these exactly according to directions except I shaved 2 minutes off the baking time since my oven is so hot. I skipped the optional chopped peanut topping and used paper muffin liners as well.

If you give them a try let me know what you think down below, I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

Handbag Review ~ Louis Vuitton Néo Noé

I’ve been carrying around a handbag ever since I was 3 years old. And funny enough, what I carry around in it is still the same as it was 30 years ago (young me couldn’t leave the house without pocket tissues, a paper and pen, lip gloss, sunglasses and a small change purse). I’ve always had a love for them, and they are my favorite thing to shop for. 

My husband gifted me with this bag for our 10th wedding anniversary while we were in Norway. I’ve been using it nonstop ever since so I thought I’d write a little review of it. 

The original Noé bag was created in 1932 by Mr. Vuitton for a champagne maker to safely transport 5 bottles of bubbly. In 2017 the bag got a little makeover, taking away the vachetta trim, adding an adjustable strap, and adding fun pops of color while making it smaller and less cumbersome. 

The measurements of the bag are 10.2 x 8.7 x10.8 inches. It is offered in 4 colors, a pale pink, black, blue, and the color I chose, a bright red color called Coquelicot (French for poppy). It is made of coated monogram canvas, with a microfiber lining inside, making it wipe-able which I appreciate. There is a center zippered pocket dividing the main compartment into 2, which I love because it makes it easier to organize. The strap is adjustable to 2 lengths, a shorter length and then longer which is great for cross body wear. I also love the classic drawstring style because it makes it so easy to get in and out of. 

I sincerely don’t have and cons for this bag. I’ve used it for everything from errands to a night at the symphony. The size is just right for essentials, without hauling a huge tote around. And the combo of the classic monogram paired with gorgeous pops of bright red are what really stole my heart. 

(Please bear with me, these photos are my first attempt at modeling a handbag, haha.)



Wishing everyone a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! 💐

Thanks for reading. :)

Williams-Sonoma Cooking Class and ***A Giveaway!***-CLOSED

Today I thought I'd share a little about a great gift idea. For my mom’s birthday I tried to think outside the box. I wanted to give her an experience we could do together. 

I signed three of us up (Mom, Dad, and me-my husband David was out of town on business) for the Williams-Sonoma Cookbook Club class at our local mall. It was on a Wednesday night, from 6-8:30. 

We cooked out of Ina Garten’s new cookbook, Cook Like a Pro. 
For anyone who hasn’t done a Williams-Sonoma class before you all sit around the cook top and the store’s chef chats with you while they cook a few selections from the book. Sometimes they ask for volunteers to do different tasks, but for the most part you can sit and chat and also ask questions. You are served each course as it’s prepared and I must say it was such a delicious meal. 
                                         
                          
Chef Lauren made for us Ina’s warm roasted butternut squash, beet and apple salad with Marcona almonds to start, chicken thighs in a mustard cream sauce with roasted potatoes for our entree, and Ina’s triple chocolate cake for dessert (we all ate it too fast to snap a pic. Oops.). Each course was better than the first and it is so cool to be able to go home with the recipes and professional tips to recreate the meal.
                                         
                        
The cost is $50/pp which includes a copy of the cookbook to take home. I think this makes an excellent gift (my mom had the best time-we all did!) or could even be a fun date night or girls night out. You could even have the store gift wrap the class card and tie a spatula or small kitchen trinket on the top of it for a beautiful presentation.

I also want to mention that during the cooking class you are encouraged to get out of your seat and shop. They offer 15% off any purchase made during class. We picked up 2 of the dish soaps and a new kitchen brush (this one). 

Williams-Sonoma also offers punch cards, one punch for every cooking class but two punches for Cookbook Club classes, since they’re a bit more pricey. After ten punches you get to take a class for free.

Now for the fun part, a giveaway! I am giving away a signed copy of Ina Garten’s Cook Like a Pro cookbook. To enter, comment down below with a blog post idea you may have for me, any suggestions, questions, or simply say hi! The giveaway is open internationally and the winner will be chosen at random in two week’s time, on Friday, May 10th. 

                         

Good luck and thanks for reading. :)

Valentine's Day 2019

️

Hi there! I thought I’d do a little recap of my favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day. 

I had been working for about a week before the holiday making chocolate covered pretzels (covered in Friday's post) and making care packages for my family.

My homemade chocolate covered pretzels ready to be given out

I sent my grandma and mother-in-law some lotto scratch-offs, candy and cards. I sent my brother and his girlfriend a gift card for their local movie theater, and I gave my parents a gift card for Chili’s, where they sometimes like to go for a quick dinner. I bought David a Ralph Lauren scarf he had seen one day when we were walking the mall together, and of course his favorite, some Reese’s peanut butter cups. I also got my pups some treats they love, they have WAY too many toys. I have such fun picking out little trinkets for everyone. I also found the nicest quality cards and gift wrap this year at the Target Dollar Spot and I need to remember to check there more often for cutesy paper products and gift wrap.

Patiently awaiting their Valentine's Treats. :)

After everything was made and mailed we kicked off the holiday Wednesday night after my yoga class. We met my parents at California Pizza Kitchen for their pre-fixe Valentine’s menu. We had such a fun time sitting at the bar and they even made our pizza into a heart shape! We added the wine option for an additional $12 and it was such a great deal and so yummy, I hope they offer it in years to come.

Heart shaped BBQ chicken pizza, so good!

On Valentine's Day my parents, David, and I had reservations to see a show at the planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College. They were doing a special show for couples called “Romancing the Stars” and it was both fun and informative. The show went through some romantic sights in the sky and the love stories behind a lot of the constellations. David's train actually broke down and he missed the show, so I was 3rd wheel with my parents, haha. It was a really creative and unique show that I would absolutely recommend! While we were at the show David picked up Chinese take-out from our favorite local spot. It was such a fun night. 

As for presents David spoiled me with a Tiffany heart pendant and a pair of Dolce & Gabbana custom painted heart sneakers (a review to come after I’ve worn them a while). He also brought me home my favorite from the city, Laudurée macarons in the cutest Valentine's Day special packaging. I was absolutely spoiled this year but the holiday truly isn’t about gifts, it’s about showing your admiration and fondness for those you love.

The holiday packaging is beyond gorgeous.

Tiffany & Co. heart pendant-I've been wearing it non stop!

Can't wait to wear these, probably more in the spring since the ground is so wet from snow and slush.

Did you do anything fun for Valentine’s Day? Do you like to stay home or go out? Let me know down below, I’d love to hear from you. :)

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day.

️