Gift Guide: Grandparents

No one, and I mean no one, is harder to shop for than grandparents. They have everything they want, they don't want stuff, they know what they like, etc. But we want to do nice things for our elders, and there are some ways you can make their lives a little easier, more interesting or enjoyable.

1. It is my experience that no grandma will turn down fancy lotions! I like this Lancome set, $70 at Sephora.
2. If they're retired, odds are your grandparents aren't consuming nearly as much coffee as they used to. A cup here or there is nice, though, so maybe help them convert to Keurig. $120 at Overstock.
3. Keep Nana hip and pretty with a stylish infinity scarf, $68 at J.Crew.
4. My grandparents love their wireless TV headsets, which allow them to listen to TV at their own volumes and literally not even have the volume on the set itself. $180 at Amazon.
5. Get your grandparents to set up with a gift certificate to Ancestry.com, so they can not only document their priceless family knowledge, but dig even deeper. 
6. This is ridiculous and not cheap, but if they're really into genealogy, you could go crazy and get them a DNA kit! $189 at Amazon.
7. Keep Papa busy with a personalized puzzle, $24 at Pinhole Press.

Gift Guide: The Little Kiddos

I have a weakness for impractical, overpriced kids' stuff. It's honestly hard to even narrow down a list, but here are some extra stellar items I spotted while surfing the net!

1. It is ridiculously expensive, but this J.Crew baby snowsuit is killing me with cuteness, $128.
2. A cardboard ice cream truck is a great addition to any playroom, $60 at OTO.
3. I want this trumpet kazoo for myself! $19 at the Cooper Hewitt store.
4. EDIT: Forgot to post the link to this awesome hanging cocoon! How cool would it be in a backyard, on a porch or at a lakehouse? Not cheap, but fun for the whole family. $345.
5. Duck decoy pillow by Thomas Paul, $28.
6. Get your little one's motor runnin' with a stupid expensive rocking motorcycle, $292 from Etsy.
7. I'm a little obsessed with all of the stuffed animals from Blabla, but I'm partial to the ballerina cats.

Gift Guide: The Men in Your Life

Seriously, men are the WORST to shop for. All the gift guides on the internet suggest what women want to buy men, not what they really want. And if they need something, they just buy it! Alas. My ideas are a little tech-heavy, but that's just the life I'm livin, folks.

1. Upgrade the bookshelf in Dad's office with one from Book Shop, $129.
2. OR, give him the perfect storage solution for his records/newspapers/comic books. $39 at Urban Outfitters.
3. The future is now! Sync your computer screen with your TV using the new Chromecast, just $35.
4. Perfect for road trips: the iPad car charger. $25 at Belkin.
5. No room for a firepit? This little portable fire is a stylish alternative. $219 at Vuesso.
6. Get him his very own grrrrrowler for those trips to craft breweries. $15 at West Elm.
7. All my husband wants is the XBox One, at a hefty $500.
8. Dad/Hubby can control outlets with his smartphone using WeMo!

Gift Guide: Moms, Aunts and In-Laws

Whoops! Meant to post this earlier today...just one of those weeks already! For the lovely lady in your life, be she your mom, aunt, boss or mentor, spoil her a bit. Lord knows they spoil you a lot!

1. Meyer lemon trees are lovely to look at, and useful, and survive the winter indoors! A 2-3 foot tree is regularly $99, although I just saw one for sale for $40!
2. A timeless sweater, fit for Audrey, Laura Petrie and mom. $59 at Boden.
3. Odds are she hasn't replaced any of her serveware or cutting boards in your lifetime. Get her a super fancy oak serving board, $49 at Gretel Home.
4. Give her a beautiful gold bracelet stamped with a special date in roman numerals, $98 at Etsy.
5. Macaron of the Month Club. Nuff said. 
6. For ladies with black thumbs, get the Click and Grow, a high-tech pot that dispenses water as needed. $79.
7. Turkish towels not only look beautiful, but are super absorbent and have multiple uses. Beat that, terrycloth! 
8. Finally, a blinging mother-of-pearl watch, just because. $105 at Fossil.

Gift Guide: Your Beautiful Bestie

It's that time again! We're headed straight for the best discounts of the year, so I wanted to share some gift ideas to jumpstart your inspiration. I've been poking around the internet for ideas for my family and friends, and here are some items I came across in the process. Here are some gift ideas for your best gal pals!

1. Whether it's Drybar or a copycat, get her a gift certificate for an amazing blowout. There's no better confidence booster than a good hair day!
2. For the holidays or year-round, this paper Moravian star would be a pretty addition to anyone's house. $28 at Serena and Lily.
3. Fill this pretty tin box with your favorite recipes and your gift will truly keep on giving. $34 at Rifle Paper Co.
4. Give her a great base to start from with the Benefit Primping With the Stars set, including primers, concealers and cheek stain. $32 at Sephora. 
5. A beautiful jewelry holder that looks like sculpture. $29 at West Elm.
6. Let's admit it: we can't tell what the heck our wine smells like. For the burgeoning oenophile in your life, get this scratch & sniff wine guide. $13 at Amazon.
7. And it would be even better paired with one of Rewined's divine wine-scented candles, $26.
8. Has she been stressed? Give her a book full of laughs with the new book from Hyperbole and a Half. $11 at Amazon.

Off the Registry: Baby Gift Ideas

When it comes to shopping for baby showers, I find it nearly impossible to stick to the registry. It's all so...practical. And that means the parents-to-be really need that stuff, but it's not nearly as fun to buy as itty bitty shoes or comfy cozy stuffed bunnies. So if you have the room in your budget, I suggest buying one of each: one thing off the registry and one thing that's just for fun, probably overpriced and frivolous, but so cute it makes you squee. That's my happy place; here's some suggestions I found!

1. Bestever lamb baby mat, $50 at Bloomingdales.
2. Aden + Anais "flying dog" sleep swaddle, $25.
3. Peter Rabbit footed onesie, $30 at Gap.
4. Striped lion jams, $18 at Gap.
5. Knitted carrot rattle, $38 at J.Crew.
6. Classic polka dot dress, $45 at Nordstrom.
7. Minnetonka baby moccasins, $20 at J.Crew.
8. Storage basket, $89 at Land of Nod.

1. Honey Bunny handmade coat, $149 at Etsy.
2. Knitted lamb mobile, $89 at Etsy.
3. Star swaddle blankets, $50 for four.
4. Stuffed plane, $30 at Sunday in Color.
5. Mary Jane socks, $28 at Bloomingdales.
6. Juicy Couture swimsuit, $51 (okay, really, that might be the dumbest investment on here, but it's SO CUTE.)

Edible Gift: Preserved Lemons

Making preserved lemons is simultaneously one of the easiest/most tedious edible gifts you can make. Unfortunately, they take about 30 days before they're ready to use in cooking, so if you want to throw some together, you'll have to include a note with your gift that mentions they'll be ready to use in about February (LOL). I received some a few years ago and the flavor was amazing...just a little sliver could make Moroccan chicken, lemon orzo and other dishes taste incredible. 

Here's what makes it tedious: the lemons work best if they soak in salted water for three days, with the water changed each day. Also, your jars will need to be sanitized. 

Once they've fully soaked in their brine, scrub them and cut them into four wedges, only cutting halfway so the lemon is still attached together. Be sure to take juice one lemon for reserve juice.

Pour kosher salt into the lemon and rub it on the outside.

Squish the lemon into one of your sanitized jars (I used a Weck jar I bought at World Market...make sure your jar has a rubber barrier. The citric acid can corrode metal lids), making sure the lemon juice comes out. Repeat until the jar is full, and top off with reserve lemon juice and salt.

And that's it! Now, just let them preserve at room temperature for 30 days before use. Occasionally turn the jars upside down. The lemons make a great gift, but be sure to include some ideas of how to use them!

Gift Guide: Sweet Gifts for the Little Ones

I don't have any kiddos yet, so my kid gift-buying is firmly entrenched in the impractical realm of aunthood. I have a weakness for anything overpriced or unnecessary, so keep that in mind, but I hope you find some inspiration for the kids on your shopping list:

1. The genius Swoop bag spreads way out to become a play surface, then pulls back together when playtime is done. $48 and comes in a huge range of colors!
2. Make meal times fun with an honest-to-goodness airplane spoon, $29 at J. Crew. (yeah, WAY overpriced...what can I say?)
3. Bathtime is fun and organized with this whale full of toys by Boon, Inc. $35
4. The whimsical classic "The Little Prince" now comes in chic pop-up form, $35.
5. Could anything be better than an indoor escape, like this teepee from Land of Nod? 
6. I'm kind of in love with this fluffy sheep rocker, $129 at Pottery Barn Kids. 
7. THIS IS SERIOUSLY OFFENSIVELY EXPENSIVE, but I am in love with it: lightning bolt sweater onesie by Oeuf, $96. Maybe it would be worth it if you frame it later?
8. Beautiful, colorful magnetic blocks from Tegu, a company committed to making a difference in Honduras. $75 for this set.
9. Encourage his or her creativity with an easel, $88 at Amazon.

Gift Guide: Spoiling Your Grandparents Who Want Nothing

Grandparents are the absolute hardest to shop for, in my opinion. They don't want any more "stuff," but you want to spoil them! With those thoughts in mind, I tend to lean toward either absolutely practical gifts, nostalgic gifts or just-because-it's-nice gifts. Here's some of what I came up with:

1. Get them caught up on the newest PBS sensation Downton Abbey.
2. Add a new fancy necklace to Grandma's jewelry box. I like this classic, but colorful necklace, $38 at Anthropologie.
3. Bring some classic modernity to her dining table with new napkins, $18 at Terrain.
4. Give them a flashback to the soda shops of their youth with a chic cake stand, $68 at Terrain.
5. Spoil Grandpa with locket cuff links, $120 at Red Envelope.
6. Give the gift of entertainment with a movie theater gift card, Netflix subscription or Hulu.

And, I couldn't find a great picture to illustrate this idea, but help them document the family history for the rest of you by gifting an Ancestry.com membership!

Gift Guide: Your Sweet Mom or Mom-in-Law

I might be crazy but I think it's easy to come up with ideas for moms because they usually like things that a) make life easier, b) make life prettier or c) make life smell better. Here are just a smattering of ideas while shopping for mom:

1. Even if the nest is a bit emptier these days, I'm sure mom would appreciate some new recipes. Here's some quick after-work cooking ideas, $20 at Anthropologie.
2. For a mom who has worked to make the garden THE place to be, a lovely new birdhouse, $46 at Leif Shop.
3. And if mom's plants are mainly inside, make the windowsill a little lovelier with a nickel-plated mister, $20 at Terrain.
4. For her stocking, slip in a mercury glass ornament in her monogram, $6 at Anthropologie.
5. Inspire her to start a new hobby or take up an old one with a calligraphy set, $48.
6. Bring some sass with leopard-print gloves, $68 at Anthro (whoa, I didn't even realize I'd found so many ideas there!).
7. Treat her to a new scent, like one of the many lovely ones by Tocca.
8. Score a two-fer by getting her a gorgeous basket made in Africa from a fair trade foundation.
9. Make it even easier for her to incorporate fresh herbs into her cooking with herb scissors, $16 at Terrain.

I Spy: Gift Ideas Edition

We interrupt the scheduled gift guides to consider an alternative to all the chain store and cyber Monday madness: antiques! Antiques have the potential to make GREAT gifts for some folks. Consider:

1. They are unique and special.
2. You can often find an original version of something that's being reproduced now.
3. It's eco-friendly (reuse and recycle, what what?)
4. You can support the smallest of small businesses by purchasing antiques.

I popped into the Williamsburg Antiques Mall to illustrate my point. With about 30 minutes to browse, I found these gift ideas to give you some inspiration for unique holiday gifts.

If mom loves eggs, decorating a pretty table and especially decorating for Easter, why not get her a sweet set of antique egg cups? These look perfectly Martha Stewart and were $25 for a set of four. Antique malls are also reliable for candlesticks, teacups and gorgeous cake stands.

The perfect gift for teachers: a brass apple key holder for her classroom, for a super affordable $4.50!

A great gift for newlyweds: vintage Williams Sonoma wood bowl, works as a decorative piece or as a salad bowl. The bowl was from a collection by John McLeod and made in Vermont; it cost $58.50. 

The perfect decoration for dad caves and man caves: a vintage framed print of Old Ironsides for $48.

For decoristas or Anne of Green Gables fans: Anne fans will get the significance of a porcelain foo dog (Spoiler alert: Anne was gifted a pair for her hearth when she got married). Foo dogs are decor classics that can guard a hearth or prowl a bookcase. This one was $50.

Antique trophies make amazing objets d'art, vases, pencil cups, etc. For $95, this one from 1911 was a bit too pricey for my taste, but I think they can be found for much cheaper.

For the little gal in your life who is incredibly responsible and can appreciate old stuff, a vintage dollhouse can be bought WITH furniture for the price of one that comes unassembled in a box. This one was $200...I saw another one for $395.

And for newlyweds, a bright piece of fiesta ware can bring some pop to the china cabinet or tabletop. This pretty turquoise gravy boat is $18.

Gift Guide: The Stylish Man in Your Life

Here I present some classy gifts for the classy man in your life...be it your boyfriend who could use a little sophistication, your brother, your dad or your sophisticated pop-pop, there's a bevy of fine manly goods out there these days. Here is but a sampling of ideas to take that man's style to the next level:

1. Cocktails like moscow mules look great in copper mugs, which bring some nice bling to your home bar, $90 at Amazon.
2. Buy him sunglasses that look good on men of all ages, in all eras. Wayfarers, $155.
3. Keep winter cozy with these reindeer socks, $24 at J.Crew.
4. Bring Mad Men style to his man cave with these wood coasters, $36 at Leif Shop.
5. Winter can be warm and stylish in this Tommy Hilfiger chambray puffer vest, $169 at Macy's.
6. For a very specific hipster-y, bearded dude, there is the bamboo keyboard, $98 at Anthropologie.
7. If he's been stuffing his toiletries into a plastic bag or a pocket of a backpack, turn it up a notch with a dopp kit, $58 at J.Crew.
8. What home bar or man cave would be complete without a horned bottle opener? $28 at Anthro.
9. And if you haven't ponied up for Showtime yet, set aside some hours after you've feasted on Christmas day to catch up on Homeland. It's seriously that good.

Gift Guide: Your True Blue Gal Pal

It's hard to believe it's already time to be thinking about Christmas shopping, but I'm a firm believer in getting an early start. With most of us heading out on Friday or logging on a week from today, it's time to start thinking about what to get the folks on our lists. I submit my humble ideas (I've spent all weekend looking for ideas, too!), starting with gift ideas for the lovely gals in our lives.

1. Make her tables sparkle with glitter teaspoons, $38 at Leif Shop.
2. Not the most exciting gift, but the most useful! The dry shampoo editors and models swear by! Klorane, $18 at Drugstore.com.
3. Help her shine all winter with a shimmery loop scarf, $38 at Anthropologie.
4. The perfect stocking stuffers: high-end ponytail ties, $12 at Anthropologie.
5. Who doesn't love a great primer? Gift the Tarte primer set, $9 at Sephora.
6. Rifle Design's Cities calendar is a work of art for 12 months a year, $24 at Anthropologie.
7. Spice up the average winter day with spotty knee socks, $12 at Madewell.
8. What's better than a bit of impracticality? Glitter eyeliner, $16 at Sephora.

Holiday Shopping: Dads Who Don't Want 'Stuff'

Dads, in my opinion, are hands-down the hardest people to shop for on the planet. They buy everything they need. They might be into gadgets, but many of them aren't. Let's say they like grilling; they've done it for years and they don't want your newfangled tools. Camping equipment? Who has the time! Power tools? Ugh, what are you going to make me do?

So let's just be honest: Most men probably just want a day without nagging and maybe a great burger. But nonetheless, here are some ideas...

Dad Gifts by amberfiona on polyvore.com

Dads love Ken Burns' documentaries, so get him the new one on the Prohibition; get Dad a stylin new sweater he can wear for years; simplify his life with an amazing universal remote; get him a Keurig for the office; if he's a Mac guy, scoop up the new Steve Jobs bio by Walter Isaacson; help him get past the paywall with a New York Times e-subscription; a new belt might be in order to replace the tired braided version; and he's probably behind on the trends and would like to catch up with the "Game of Thrones" series for when the first season finally comes out on DVD.

How about you guys? Have you had any more success shopping for dads? Please share in the comments!

Holiday Shopping: Grandparents

If I've learned anything in the past few years, it is that by and large, grandparents don't want "stuff." I think the best gifts for the older folks are experiences, but if you must buy a physical gift, go either a) sentimental or b) useful items that either improve their lives or won't take up much room.

Buy them tickets to see a show at the nearest major theater...you could even get them a gift card for Broadway shows! Other great "experiences": movie gift cards, restaurant gift cards, sporting events, dinner cruises or Netflix subscriptions.

Get them some of the gadgets that have made life a little easier in the years that have passed since they last bought similar products. Kitchen gadgets have made great gains; how about a handy Julienne slicer, like this one, from Williams-Sonoma?

Gardeners might enjoy garden labels, like this ceramic set from Terrain.

The whole family can make an appearance in this tidy little desk calendar from Pinhole Press.

And if you think they're ready to make the leap, I think grandparents are prime candidates for e-Readers. They can adjust the font, read as many books as they want and not have any more clutter. Pretty ideal. The Kindle 3G is $149 here.

Holiday Shopping: The Kiddos

I haven't the first clue of what to buy kids. I'm pretty new to the whole aunt thing, so I definitely come at it from that perspective. Here are some creative items I'd love to buy a niece or nephew or child of a friend (and hey, maybe even you parents among us might find some inspiration...although I bet you'll tell me I shouldn't spend much money on nice stuff for kids!).

Gifts for Kiddos by amberfiona featuring hats

I have a weakness for overpriced kid stuff, like: a rocking rabbit; an awesome United Colors of Benetton beanie; a mini-sized furry hat; a growth chart; an AMAZING elephant bookshelf; a "Rosebud" sled (ha ha!); Hunter wellies for kids; and a sweet little tree swing, ready to hang.

Holiday Shopping: Your Nostalgic, Pack-rat Mom

I'll lay it out for you: the best gift for a nostalgic mom is a book full of pretty pictures. You could make a photographic family tree, including as many generations as possible. You could document your mom's life and leave blank areas where she can write down her memories. You could make a brag book of you and your siblings, of your wedding or of that new grandbaby. It doesn't matter. She'll love it. $45 at Pinhole Press.

I'm also loving this family tree necklace, with initialed leaves dangling from a branch. $59 from Etsy.

Nostalgic Mom by amberfiona featuring a feather shawl

For the nostalgic, pack-rat mom, appeal to her love of the past and that pesky desire to keep everything. The Container Store stocks cute organizing accessories, like the colorful boxes and striped basket above. If your mom has slightly anti-technology tendencies like mine, personalized monogrammed stationary from Rifle Design might be just the ticket. Lipstick Queen's Medieval Red is the perfect shade for everyone and surprisingly moisturizing. 

Your mom probably cherishes her own mom, so pick up one of Anthropologie's charms to add to her heirloom bracelet (or start one of her own!) and a bottle of her mom's perfume. My NaNa wore Lancome's Tresor. Finally, what mom doesn't love a pretty scarf? Madewell's pattern is affordable and just bright enough to add a little pep to her neutral sweaters.