Holiday Jitters

Are you tired of the holidays yet? Are you beginning to worry about what you are going to get so-and-so? Are you bored at work?

No, no and kinda for me.

This morning on the CBS 2 Early Show, Senior Editor Nancy Miller of Wired Magazine (one of my fav mags!) talked about random Christmas time to-dos. One such to-do is the great online marketing agent created by Office Max called ‘Elf Yourself’. You go to the website, upload your picture and your face is superimposed onto the body of an elf. You can upload your voice to personalize it even more. The little critter can dance too. It’s neat. This is a cute way to kill some time while on the job, plus you can send the little critter as a joyous link to family and friends. Apparently, over 65 million have done so already. Miller estimated 8 elves are being created every second. Yeah, I couldn’t get fully develop my elf so I will have to try later. Go to http://www.elfyourself.com/.

Another time buster, Simponize yourself at http://www.simponizeme.com/. Courtesy of Burger King.

GIFT IDEAS FOR...

Hot Mamma:

Lotions & Potions. I always like scents and flavors. I don't have a signature scent and hate to smell like other people. I will avoid certain scents if I know they are popular or if I must have it, I'll mix it with something else to create my own thing. Some flavors I like are Satsuma Body Butter - The Body Shop; Paradise Found and Lavendar Souffle - Origins; Mimosa Hair Honey... OH, and SweetHoneyDip-ChocolateBrownSugah Body Butter (lawd you could eat it!)- Carol's Daughter; Love Spell Body Splash - Victoria's Secret; and Fort Greene Body Butter - Eva Handmade Beauty. See, I like a variety of things.

Pajamas. Don’t front. A good pair of PJs is always nice. Especially if they are breathable cotton with a high thread count.

Notecards. A woman should always have a good set of stationary to send Thank You notes, Thinking of You notes, or Secret Lover notes. An added touch is to add her name or initials to the notecards. Visit Kate’s Paperie or Papyrus for a large selection of classy styles. {Pictured upper left: Beaded Chrysanthemum – Keepsake from Papyrus}

The Dapper Dude:

Pocket Square. Look into Bobby Joseph. His online store has fly shit that includes sweaters and weird, cute little hand-crafted bears.

Pocketwatch. Classic and simple.

Accessory box. Not a jewelry box (even though it really is the same thing). Something he can keep his watches in (yes, they do sell separate watch boxes, I know), cufflinks, tie pins, etc. Help him get organized. {Pictured right: men's accessories box from Red Envelope}

Party hostess-with the mostess:

Cupcakes or cookies! If you can cook, food is always great. Or just buy the item. A three-tier stand stacked with mini cupcakes and or cookies. Cupcakes and cookies can be decorated in such a pretty manner that even if they are nasty, they look great. You can even make celebrity gingerbread cookies as seen on Chow.com. {Pictured left}

• Flowers and a pitcher. Once the flowers die, they can reuse the vase. Check out Crate & Barrel for nice, inexpensive vases.


• Fruit. Edible Arrangements does a great job of jazzing up your basic fruit platter.

Barware. Hey, this could work for guys and dolls alike. I like the D.D. Bullet Cocktail Shaker by Potterybarn. {Pictured right}

Pet people (I am one!):

Dog bowl. Fill the dog bowl with a couple of dog toys, snacks, and various generic treats. You don’t know if the pet has allergies, so play it safe with the generic treats.

Nice leash, collar or accessories. Avoid clothes. Especially if you don’t know the size. {Pictured left: Holiday Pet Antlers from Trixie & Peanut}

Pet Spa. Treat their pet to luxury grooming. It is a really cute idea.

If all else fails, a giftcard is always good!


Until next time…
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