Valentine's Day - Got Gifts?

The big red, heart-filled day is approaching. This can be a much anticipated event or a day you're dreading, depending on your relationship status. If you are a fan of Valentine's Day, and perhaps want to purchase a sweet gift for that special someone in your life, I found a great site you should check out, notonthehighstreet.com. It's a British retail site featuring jewelry, clothing, housewares and much more, with a cool background story:

Seeking out the people who create the unusual, the inspired and just plain ‘out there.’ That’s what notonthehighstreet.com is all about. So how did it all begin?

Hunting out the great and the original is second nature to founders Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish, and it led them to have a sparkly idea back in 2006: to create a place where you could find all those charming, unique and carefully-made things that you sometimes stumble across in cool urban markets, village fairs and tucked-away boutiques. A place that was quick and easy to get to, where shopping was simple and fun, and where you could always find the most inspirational and wonderful things.

But that’s not all. Every single one of them would be designed, made or selected by an independent small business. A creative and wonderfully talented small business whose passion for quality, innovation and style shone through in every little detail. And so, for all the style seekers out there, notonthehighstreet.com was born.

The prices seem pretty reasonable (if I'm converting pounds to dollars correctly), but I'm not sure about shipping costs from England. Hopefully it's not too outrageous. The site is worth visiting, especially if you're in the market for a unique Valentine's gift.

And, for those of you who are single on this V-day, treat yourself to a gift. You deserve it.
Images courtesy of notonthehighstreet.com

Got Your Goat

I had to share another great product that I purchased at Hollydays in December. Goat Milk Stuff is a family-owned and operated business that makes soap from goats’ milk. I purchased the Oatmeal Milk & Honey soap bar and absolutely love it. I’ve been using the soap in our downstairs half-bath, but after reading a testimonial from a grandmother on their website, I’m going to try using it on my son during bath time. According to this grandmother, the soap greatly helped her grandson’s eczema. My poor Little Man suffers from eczema – it’s really bad on his arms and legs. We’ve used a variety of medicated creams and special soaps, but if something that’s all-natural works really well, then I’m definitely going to try that option.

At their Hollydays booth, Goat Milk Stuff also gave away small samples of the Ocean soap. It has a great scent as well and my kids love washing with the “mini” soap, although it’s about disappeared at this point. There are several varieties available, including organic soap, travel bars and luffa soap.

Goat Milk Stuff is the creation of PJ Jonas and her family. They are a family of ten – that’s right, eight kids – so order some soap from these folks. They have lots of mouths to feed! PJ also has a blog, so you can learn about the business, their family and their herd of goats that are the source of Goat Milk Stuff.
Images courtesy of Goat Milk Stuff

P.S. - Many of us in blogger land have written about Haiti, extending much-needed prayers and encouraging donations. If you're looking for a great resource for information on the relief effort in Haiti and what organizations are taking donations, visit USAID. I personally donated to UNICEF, because 100 percent of my donation goes to Haiti, rather than a portion going to administrative fees (Do your homework - not all dollars go toward the aid effort, depending on the organization). God bless the earthquake victims and please give strength to those who going there to help them.

Stocking Stuffer

I received an e-mail this morning from Erica at Jewelry Without Jewels with a special holiday offer on her fabulous designs. She's having a Stocking Stuffer Sale, where you can buy three of her fabric necklaces for only $40 (they usually run $20 each). If you haven't checked out her work, be sure to do so. The necklaces would really add a punch of color to a black turtleneck or solid shirt.

Hostess Gifts

Yesterday I attended a Junior League general meeting at the home of a sustainer (AKA, long-time member). It was during lunch, so I was able to get away from the office for a bit and spend some time in yet another gorgeous home. As a thank-you to the hostess, the meeting planners provided her with a small gift. So, it got me thinking about what makes a good hostess gift, especially during the holidays. Then, when thumbing through the latest Pottery Barn catalog last night, I came across several good suggestions.

If you're bringing a bottle of wine, why not consider a decorative stopper to go with it? Pottery Barn's new serving sets with engraving add a nice touch to a buffet and table setting and are of heirloom quality. You may consider a personalized gift (if you have time to plan in advance), featuring the host or hostess's monogram, such as soaps or a lovely julep cup with flowers. (If bringing flowers, have them cut and already displayed in the julep cup or a vase, rather than a loose bouquet. That way, the hostess doesn't have to stop what she's doing to cut and arrange flowers.)
Images courtesy of Pottery Barn

P.S. - Thanks to everyone for your kind comments about our dog, King. It's comforting to know I have such supportive readers/blog friends out there.

The 'Favorite Things' List

I've already eaten three Tootsie rolls this morning...must get rid of the extra candy now! The kids were adorable on Halloween and had a blast. Photos to follow soon – I promise!

On to a new topic...every year, Oprah features her “Favorite Things” episode leading up to the holiday season. It’s a huge deal for retailers because if their item is featured, it’s a boon for their business. And, it’s a huge deal for audience members because they get really cool free stuff. Oh, how I would love to get a ticket to the “Favorite Things” show!

So, I’ve been thinking of starting my own favorite things list, now that we’re heading into November and Christmas is eight weeks away. That’s right, kids, eight weeks away. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not skipping over Thanksgiving. I have plenty in store for that lovely holiday. But, there’s so much to prepare for with Christmas: so many goodies to make, gifts to buy, organizations to help. So, I’m going to feature a few items every few days that I think would make good gifts for this holiday season.

Gifts for the Foodie

For the person in your life who loves to cook or just loves to eat, drink and be merry, consider some of these gift options.

• Blackberry Farm Cookbook – I’m dying to go to Blackberry Farm, but since I can’t afford a trip to this Tennessee jewel right now, the cookbook is a nice substitute.
  
  
• Splendor in the Bluegrass Cookbook – Shameless plug for my local Junior League; I also recommend supporting your local JL or any charitable organization that is offering a great cookbook – you’re providing a gift and supporting a worthy cause.
  
  
• Personalized Artichoke Hemp Apron – Perfect cover-up when in the kitchen baking a soufflé, roasting a lamb or sipping a glass of wine waiting for the timer to go off. I am especially fond of the personalization on this particular apron. :)



• Outing to a local farmer’s market – If you like to cook, why not plan a special meal for the one you love made of items purchased from your local farmer’s market? In fact, make a date out of it. Enjoy perusing through the seasonal fruits, vegetables and meats (you may even pick up a new recipe while you’re there); talk to the farmers about what they grow and what they recommend; then pick up a bottle of vino at your favorite wine shop and head home to create your feast. A great date for a foodie!
  
  
• Wine – A good bottle of wine in a pretty gift bag is a great gift for a foodie who imbibes from time to time. I am not a wine connoisseur. But, I know what I like and I know to ask for help when I need it. Some people are intimidated when entering a wine shop, but I’ve learned to walk right up to the owner and state my business: “Small dinner for four, I’m making a chicken dish, what wine should I serve?” I walk away with a great bottle of wine, often times for a reasonable price (expensive isn’t always the way to go). What would I recommend? For fun, try Yard Dog from Redheads Wine Studio, an Australian wine I came across at Whole Foods last holiday season. The local paper featured it as a good wine for the price and then Whole Food’s wine shop couldn’t keep it in stock! The red and the white are both good. Plus, the label makes me laugh. No, my reviews are not going to make Wine Spectator Magazine. I won’t lose sleep over it.

Images courtesy of Redheads Wine Studio and Williams Sonoma.

Fabric Wrap

Happy Monday, y'all! Big day in our household as the kiddos transitioned to their new rooms at daycare/pre-school. Miss E. is officially in Pre-k and is such a big girl now. I can't believe we will be pre-registering her for kindergarten this fall! And, Little Man had no problems going to his new room. He marched over to the train set and never looked back.

So, to get this week off to a lovely start, I thought I'd share a beautiful gift-giving idea that spreads words of kindness. The etsy shop, Chewing the Cud, sells resuable fabric wrap to dress up your gifts with special messages, like "Give luck," "Give love" or "Give wisdom." It's not only a unique gift wrap idea, but it's a thoughtful message and eco-friendly. You can't beat that!
Image courtesy of Chewing the Cud on etsy.