• Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #24

    Below are some great gift ideas for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, hostess gifts, etc. (Click photos or the blue text for links.)

    Notes to Self socks. I love these inspirational socks. Great for Moms, daughters, sisters, best friends, husbands, yourself… you get the idea.

    This is a fun couple’s quiz book. My husband and I just take the quizzes verbally and try to guess each other’s answers. Remember, The Newlywed Game? It’s kind of like that, but with multiple choice and not on live TV.

    I love this leather catch-all that says You + Me. It’s cute on a night stand for jewelry, lip balm, change, keys, etc.

    Leather catch-all

    Silk pillowcases are supposed to help with break-outs, wrinkles and even bedhead. Make sure you get 100% silk and wash it inside a delicates laundry bag, then hang to dry.

    Silk pillowcase

    This cocktail making set is great for someone who likes to make Manhattans, Old Fashioneds or other cocktails that require stirring instead of shaking. This set comes with everything you need.

    Crystal Cocktail Set

    An assortment of bitters also makes a great gift for the bourbon and whiskey connoisseur.

    Woodford Reserve Bitters

    This Pure Fiji coconut sugar scrub was at the Fiji resort we went to for my 50th birthday. Luckily, I don’t have to travel to Fiji every time I need to restock. This scrub is great for dry winter skin and it smells like the beach.

    Pure Fiji Sugar Scrub

    Everyone with an Apple Watch could use a new band once in a while. I love these sport loop bands in fun colors.

    Apple Watch Sport Loop Band

    A flowering bulb garden is great to help friends (or yourself) get through the gloomy winter months.

    Bulb Garden

    Don’t forget the pets. Amazon has so many great dog toys. Our son’s golden, Bo, is a chewer and goes through toys at an alarming rate – even the “aggressive chewer” toys – so we have new dog toys arriving regularly. (Our daughter’s dog, Frito, gets regular Amazon toy shipments from me as well.)

    No Stuffing Squeaky Plush Dog Toys
    You can put an empty water bottle inside this toy. Bo loves it!
    Outward Hound Invincible Dog Toys – so far so good…

    What are some of your go-to gift ideas?

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.

    Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.

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  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #23

    These are items I purchased and love in our Chicago apartment’s Master Bedroom. As I’ve mentioned before, we put together our Chicago apartment very quickly, so you’ll see I purchased furniture mainly from a few stores I have used before (and where we happen to have designer discounts.) Over time I’ve added in accent pieces that are a little more unique. My current project is to add artwork in the apartment hall and guest bedroom. (Click on the photos or blue words below for more information.)

    West Elm Grid Tufted Tapered Leg Bed in Stone Twill – I really like having an upholstered headboard for reading in bed and I like the clean lines of the tapered legs.

    West Elm Upholstered Bed

    Leesa mattress (original) – This is an incredibly comfortable memory foam mattress. We actually look forward to our stays in Chicago just to sleep on this mattress. Note: The original Leesa mattress is currently on sale.

    Leesa Mattress

    West Elm Penelope Grand nightstands – I love the combination of wood and marble; and it’s the perfect size.

    Penelope Grand Nightstand

    Zippered Mattress Protector – This prevents any sweat, dirt, mites, etc. from getting into your mattress which means your mattress is not only cleaner, but should last longer.

    Mattress Protector

    Bamboo Mattress pad – A hypoallergenic, cooling, plush mattress pad.

    Mattress Pad

    Pottery Barn Morgan sheets – These 400-thread-count organic cotton sheets are luxurious and they get softer with every wash.

    Morgan Sheets in Twilight

    Buffy comforter – Another great find that is making its way onto every bed we own. This comforter is made from Eucalyptus and plastic bottles. And, it’s naturally resistant to dust, mites and mold.

    Buffy Cloud Comforter

    West Elm organic cotton duvet – You definitely want a duvet cover for you comforter so you don’t have to clean your comforter as often. The exact duvet we have is no longer available, but I have the style below on our guest bed and I love it.

    West Elm Cotton Pintuck Duvet

    Pottery Barn Velvet Quilt – The navy velvet is a nice contrast with all of the lighter colors and fabrics. Bonus: It also coordinates with the navy accents in the living room and kitchen. When you have a small space, it’s nice to tie it together with repeating colors. (The exact quilt picture below is no longer available, but Pottery Barn has several velvet quilts. I recently purchased this velvet quilt for our house in Saint Paul.)

    Pottery Barn quilt

    Gray Malin art – I’ve shared this photo on my blog before… I own several of Gray Malin’s photos and this one just makes me happy.

    Gray Malin Color Balloons I

    Navy & gold Safavieh lamps – These lamps tie together the navy quilt and the gold hardware on the nightstands. (This exact style is no longer available, but Overstock has many other navy lamps available.)

    Safavieh Lamps

    Leather catch-all – My husband needs a place to empty his pockets at night so I found this cute holder on Amazon.

    Leather catch-all

    If you have any favorite bedroom pieces (furniture, sheets, art work, etc.) please share in the comments.

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  • Cocktail of the Week,  Cocktails / Food

    Rosemary Hibiscus Gin Spritz

    I had leftover Hibiscus Rosemary Concentrate from my New Year’s Eve Hibiscus champagne cocktail, so I created this new Spritz. Remember, there are three basic ingredients for a spritz: liquor / liqueur, bubbles and soda. You can always add additional ingredients to create more complex flavors, as I’ve done below. (Click blue words for more recipes or additional information.)

    Add to a cocktail shaker:

    2 oz of your favorite herbal gin (I used The Botanist)

    1 oz Rosemary Hibiscus Concentrate (recipe below photo) If you’re not a fan of hibiscus or just don’t want to make the concentrate, try the cocktail without the concentrate. I bet it’s delicious!

    1 1/2 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur (this liqueur compliments gin nicely, add a splash to your gin and tonic or gin and soda)

    Fill shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a large wine or water goblet with fresh ice cubes, then top with:

    4 oz Prosecco (I used LaMarca)

    2 oz club soda

    Stir gently. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary. (Rub the rosemary between your fingers before adding to release the oils.)

    Cheers!

    Hibiscus Gin Spritz

    Hibiscus Rosemary Concentrate. If you can find hibiscus flowers that’s great, (available on Amazon) but if not, just pick up a container of natural hibiscus tea at the grocery store. The Republic of Tea is a good brand.

    • Boil 1 1/2 cups of water
    • Add 1/4 cup of hibiscus flowers or several tea bags and a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary

    Let steep for at least 10 minutes until the concentrate is a dark red.

    Strain out the flowers and rosemary, discard. Refrigerate the concentrated tea for up to one week. (If you have any leftover concentrate, try it in the Hibiscus margarita or the Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail.) 

    For a non-alcoholic drink with the hibiscus concentrate try: 1 oz fresh lemon juice, 1 oz Hibiscus concentrate and 5 ounces of club soda over ice.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.

    Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.

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  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #22

    Every January there are a few items I find myself purchasing, usually related to refreshing or organizing my home for the remaining winter months. Click on the photos below or any blue words for more information.

    Nest Bamboo Candle

    Candles – To replace the Christmas scents I’ve been burning since Thanksgiving, two of the scents I purchase every January are Orange Blossom and Bamboo from Nest Home Fragrances.

    Brother Label Maker

    Brother Label Maker – I asked for a label maker for Christmas and I’ve really enjoyed making labels for all of my storage containers. Next Christmas, I’ll know exactly what’s in each storage container.

    Nesco Food Dehydrator

    Food Dehydrator & Jerky Maker – Citrus is in season. So, for all my cocktail making friends, this is the time to dehydrate commonly used citrus like oranges, lemons and limes. Look at your grocery store for unusual citrus like pink lemons and blood oranges.

    Glass Jars

    Glass Storage Jars – I love these borosilicate glass jars with airtight locking bamboo lids. They seal tight so your dehydrated citrus, coffee beans or whatever else you are storing will stay fresh. And, they look great on your counter.

    Dog and Cat Collars with bowtie

    Dog Collars – The dogs needed fresh non-Christmas collars. I love the price point and the removable bows on these collars.

    Cool Mist Humidifier

    Humidifier – I have this countertop humidifier in my kitchen. Our house is really dry in the winter and when I fill this in the morning, it will run the entire day.

    Porcelain Ramekins

    Ramekin cups – We’ve been making a lot of charcuterie boards lately, and while I love using these silicone baking cups for nuts, fig jams, cornichons, etc., I decided to pick up a set of these white porcelain ramekins to switch it up.

    What household items do you like to refresh in January?

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.

    Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.

  • Cocktail of the Week,  Cocktails / Food

    New Year’s Eve Champagne Cocktails

    Below are a few tips to help you prepare the best champagne cocktail.

    • Chill your glass in the freezer for 5 – 10 minutes while you gather your ingredients and open your champagne. (Heat is the enemy of carbonation.)
    • Since none of these drinks are served over ice, chill all ingredients in the fridge for several hours before making your cocktails.
    • Freshly squeeze all citrus and strain to remove any bits of pulp. Chill.

    The basic ingredients of a champagne cocktail usually includes:

    • a bitter or sweet liqueur
    • a flavor accent, if you used a bitter for the first step this step will mostly likely be sweet 
    • Champagne or Prosecco 
    Champagne Cocktail Liqueurs and Accents

    Once you understand the basic components, have fun and create your own cocktail. Below are a few options to get you started. 

    Classic Champagne Cocktail

    The Classic Champagne Cocktail

    1 sugar cube

    Angostura aromatic bitters

    5 oz Champagne

    Place the sugar cube in the bottom of a chilled champagne flute. Dash bitters onto the sugar cube until soaked. Top with champagne. This is a classic party drink because it’s quick to make and the sugar makes the champagne fizz.

    Kir Royale

    Kir Royale

    1/2 ounce black currant liqueur (Creme de Cassis)

    5 oz Champagne

    Luxardo cherry (do not chill or the syrup will crystalize)

    Pour the chilled liqueur into the chilled champagne glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

    Cocchi Champagne Cocktail

    Cocchi Champagne Cocktail

    1 oz Cocchi Americano

    1/2 oz Orange simple syrup (see below)

    5 oz Champagne or Prosecco

    Combine in a chilled champagne flute. Garnish with an orange slice or a fresh orange peel.

    Orange Simple Syrup

    Simmer in a saucepan for 5 – 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cup of sugar
    • The peel from 1 orange and 1 lemon (try to include as little white part (pith) as possible since that will give your syrup a bitter taste)
    • Juice from the orange you just zested

    Strain out the peels, discard. Refrigerate the citrus simple syrup for up to one week.

    Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail

    Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail

    1 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

    1/2 oz Hibiscus rosemary concentrate (see below)

    5 oz Champagne or Prosecco 

    Combine in chilled champagne flute. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

    Hibiscus Rosemary Concentrate. If you can find hibiscus flowers that’s great, (available on Amazon) but if not, just pick up a container of natural hibiscus tea at the grocery store. The Republic of Tea is a good brand.

    • Boil 1 1/2 cups of water
    • Add 1/4 cup of hibiscus flowers or several tea bags and a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary

    Let steep for at least 10 minutes until the concentrate is a dark red.

    Strain out the flowers and discard. Refrigerate the concentrated tea for up to one week. (If you have any leftover concentrate, try it in the Hibiscus margarita.) 

    Cherry Champagne Cocktail

    Cherry Champagne Cocktail

    Luxardo cherries (do not chill or the syrup will crystalize)

    1 oz Cherry liqueur (I used Heering 200) 

    Fresh lemon juice 

    5 oz Champagne or Prosecco

    Drop a Luxardo cherry in the bottom of a chilled champagne coupe or flute. Use a spoon to drizzle a tablespoon of Luxardo syrup in the glass. Top with 1 oz cherry liqueur and a few drops of fresh squeezed lemon juice, then top with Champagne or Prosecco. Garnish with a lemon wheel or lemon peel. 

    Sorbet Champagne Float

    Sorbet Champagne Float

    Sorbet

    Raspberries or blackberries

    Champagne

    Place a ball of sorbet in a chilled coupe, top with champagne and berries. Serve with a spoon. You could even serve this for dessert, just use a chilled dessert dish and increase the size of the sorbet scoop. 

    Aperol Spritz

    I can’t forget the classic, Aperol Spritz.

    For the person who just wants a glass of champagne, consider adding a few pomegranate seeds and watch them dance on the bubbles. 

    Cheers and Happy New Year!

    Comment below with your favorite bubbly cocktail. I’m always looking for new ideas.

  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #21

    Winter Coats

    Last year I bought a long faux shearling coat (aka Teddy coat because it looks like a teddy bear) from Lou & Gray. It’s cozy and soft, but casual enough to wear with leggings or jeans. Almost every time I venture out with this coat, I get a compliment. Unfortunately, the coat I own is no longer available but here are a few options. If you’re interested, order quick as these coats are selling fast; some sizes sold out since I started writing this blog post. (Click photos below or blue text for more information or to purchase.)

    Lou & Grey

    This Lou & Grey shirt coat is adorable, but it’s almost sold out.

    Abercrombie & Fitch Sherpa Coat

    This Sherpa Coat from Abercrombie & Fitch comes in both brown and grey and is selling fast.

    ASOS Monki Teddy shearling coat

    This cream faux shearling coat at ASOS for only $135 will sell out fast.

    Teddy Coat from Nordstrom

    This VERO MODA Lynn Teddy Coat from Nordstrom comes in cream and fir green. Comments indicate it runs large, so size down.

    Teddy coat from J Crew

    This Teddy coat from J Crew is available in several colors.

    Cupcakes and Cashmere Faux Fur

    This Faux Fur coat is available at Bloomingdales. Bloomingdales has several faux fur / shearling options so search on their website to find the style and color you like the best.

    Max Mara Teddy Icon Coat

    If you’re ready for an investment piece, you can’t go wrong with a Max Mara Icon coat. I purchased the Max Mara 101801 in Ultramarine in 2018 (Things I Love – #8) and I hope to have it for many years. Although, I do tend to save this coat for dressing up, not walking the dog. This coat fits amazing and it’s made out of wool and cashmere so it’s really warm. When we were able to visit Chicago last winter, I stayed nice and warm while walking miles to and from dinner.

    Wearing my Max Mara coat on a very cold winter night in Chicago. (We found an old friend on our walk home from dinner.)

    Comment with your favorite winter coat below. Do you prefer classic investment coats or trendy, less expensive coats? Or both?

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  • Cocktail of the Week,  Cocktails / Food

    Sangria by the Pitcher for the Holidays

    One of my favorite fall / winter drinks is Sangria. We usually make a large pitcher of Sangria to drink while cooking on Thanksgiving and Christmas. If your sangria disappears quickly there’s no need to replace the fruit – just add more sangria.

    Sangria Ingredients (excluding orange juice)

    1 bottle New Age Red Wine – This wine has a slight effervescence which I think adds to the sangria. If you can’t find New Age, any inexpensive sweeter red wine will work.

    1/2 cup Cointreau

    1/2 cup Licor 43 – use this Spanish liquor instead of brandy

    1/2 cup Orange Juice

    1 cup of Fanta orange soda – the secret ingredient we learned about in Spain

    Slices of orange, pear, apple and blackberries all work well with red wine sangria – pick your favorites or use them all.

    Honestly, I never measure my Sangria ingredients but I used the measurements above this week and it was good.

    If possible, assemble early in the day, I love to soak my fruit in the wine, Cointreau and Licor 43 for a couple hours before adding the orange juice and Fanta. This can be stored in the fridge for several hours before serving, but wait to add the Fanta until you are ready to serve the Sangria.

    The pitcher above looked great in photos but I had to switch to a larger pitcher to fit all of the ingredients.

    Serve in a large wine or water goblet filled with ice. Make sure to scoop out an assortment of fruit for each glass.

    Cheers and Happy Holidays!

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  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #20

    Holiday Gift Ideas

    As I’ve gotten older, I like to focus on gifts that involve an experience. Since travel and public experiences (like a spa day) are limited now, below are some ideas for stay-at-home experiences. (Click on blue text {NOT photos} for more details or to purchase.)

    Hand / Foot Treatments: Between the constant hand washing and the cold temps, everyone could use extra hand cream. Buy a package of white cotton gloves and a few tubes of thick hand lotion. (The cotton gloves will warm up hands to help the lotion soak in – also there won’t be greasy hand prints on everything.) Fill several small gift bags with a pair of gloves and one tube of lotion, now you have little gifts for all your girlfriends. To elevate: Include a foot mask with a thick pair of socks and a lip balm.

    Manicure / Pedicure: I love these cute polish and top coat ornaments from Olive and June. To elevate: Fill a plastic storage container with a polish remover dispenser, cotton rounds, a fingernail file, buffer and orange sticks.

    Spa Time: Include a favorite face sheet mask, bath salts and body lotion. To elevate: Include a facial steamer, a cooling roller and under eye masks. I love this face steamer and cooling roller (store the roller in the freezer and roll over your face and eyes to reduce puffiness and brighten your skin.)

    Build Your Own Pizza Night: A pizza stone, a pizza cutter and a pizza peel. To elevate: Include Italian beer or wine and a gift certificate to a local Italian market for gourmet supplies.

    Charcuterie Board: Order a custom cutting board and combine it with small serving bowls and a set of cheese knives. To elevate: Add a bottle of wine and assorted shelf-stable charcuterie items like: fig jam, Marcona almonds, olives, cornichons and gourmet crackers or include a gift certificate to a local cheese shop.

    Cookie making: A new mixing bowl, cookie sheets, spatulas and cookie cutters for an afternoon of baking. To elevate: Include a Kitchenaid mixer an apron, pot holders and / or a family favorite cookie recipe.

    Hallmark Christmas Movie Night: A mug or two, hot chocolate, marshmallows, crushed candy canes and a set of Christmas movie bingo cards. To elevate: Buy glass canisters for the hot chocolate fixings and a handheld frother to create a fluffy hot cocoa. This frother almost doubles the size of your drink, so leave lots of room in your mug!

    Book Basket: Fill a basket with your favorite books or an assortment of best sellers. To elevate: Include a monogram book embosser and embossing stickers or a Kindle with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Consider sending the same book to multiple friends and setting up a virtual book club date in January.

    Bulb Garden: You can purchase a bulb garden or kit online or from your local garden store. To elevate: Make your own kit with a pot that matches the recipient’s style, a gallon baggie of potting soil or stones, a paper bag with paper white bulbs and don’t forget to include potting instructions. Once planted, the bulbs will bloom in about four weeks. Everyone could use flowers during the January gloom.

    Movie Night: Put together a basket with classic Christmas DVDs and treats including popcorn, flavored popcorn seasoning, traditional movie theater candy and bottled sodas. To elevate: Include popcorn bowls and a cozy blanket or a subscription to Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime video.

    Game Night: Choose a favorite board game like Life, Monopoly, Trouble or Scrabble, add a deck of playing cards, Uno or Skippo, then add some sweet and salty snacks. To elevate: Send snack boxes and a game like Yahtzee to multiple households and schedule a Zoom call for a virtual game night.

    What are some of your favorite stay-at-home experiences? I’m always looking for more ideas.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.

    Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.

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  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #19

    I love Advent Calendars. I’m not talking the cheap, waxy chocolate kind for children. I’m talking calendars with an adorable daily gift for the special grown ups in your life. Unfortunately, some of the calendars below have already sold out for this year, but keep them in mind for next year. (Click on the photos below and any blue words for more information.)

    Olive and June Mani Magic

    Olive & June – This is a new nail polish line that I discovered this summer (and love!) so I was thrilled to see they had an advent calendar. I bought this during the pre-sale and it sold out very quickly. The Olive and June website has many other gift options like a Merry Mani ornament with a polish and topcoat. OPI and Essie also make advent calendars.

    Sugarfina

    Sugarfina – If you know someone who likes candy, but not necessarily chocolate, this calendar has a nice assortment of Sugarfina candies and only a few chocolates. PaperSource also sells Sugarfina so check both to see who has the best price.

    L’Occitane Signature Calendar

    L’Occitane – This is a great way to try L’Occitane products and considering the items included, it’s really a good deal. L’Occitane offers both a Signature calendar and a Premium calendar. (The Premium calendar is already sold out, so I only listed the Signature calendar above.)

    Godiva
    Charbonnel et Walker

    If you like chocolate, try a high end chocolate advent calendar, like Godiva or Charbonnel et Walker. Williams Sonoma sells several advent calendar options for every price range and flavor profile.

    24 Jolly Days with 24 Whiskeys

    Have a whiskey lover in family? There’s an advent calendar for that at Flaviar. There are also advent calendars for everything from gin to hard ciders. If you want to build your own alcohol advent calendar, Amazon sells these empty advent boxes and Teeleandco on Etsy has this cute wine Christmas tree advent calendar.

    Bonne Maman
    Adagio Gourmet Tea

    For the breakfast lover consider the Bonne Maman calendar with 24 mini fruit spreads and honey or the Adagio Gourmet Tea calendar.

    Toys for Dogs

    And last, but not least, Chewy has advent calendars for your dog and cat.

    If you haven’t bought advent calendars for this year, order soon! Not only do they sell out early, but with Covid there are shipping delays with many companies.

    Comment below with your favorite advent calendars so I can add them to my list for next year. Note: It’s perfectly acceptable to buy yourself an advent calendar.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.

    Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.

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  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #18

    Here are some of my recent Amazon purchases.

    Borosilicate Glass Storage Jars

    I love having these airtight storage jars decorating my kitchen counter. I now have three jars holding dried citrus, but soon I’ll be switching them out to hot cocoa, marshmallow bits and crushed candy canes (see below.) I like the borosilicate glass because it’s clear, light and strong. However, KKC has many less expensive storage jar options, if you prefer.

    Patio Lights

    I have patio lights in my backyard all year. I have one set on the arbor by our back gate and another behind the couch on our patio. I love looking out at night and seeing the lights glow in our yard. Note: Instead of buying replacement bulbs, it’s cheaper to buy an extra string and steal bulbs from that string. Also, I have had squirrels chew through a cord before, so keep the extra cord even after you’ve used all the bulbs.

    Capri Blue Watercolor – Paris

    The Capri Blue candle scents are AMAZING! Stock up on these for January after you’ve burned all your pumpkin spice and Christmas candles. They smell like summer and will help get you through the winter gloom. If you don’t love the hot pink above, click here for more fun styles and colors. The Volcano scent is one of my favorites. Note: I also love traveling with this metal tin.

    Kuoser Waterproof Dog Vest

    These plaid jackets are really cute. I do think they run a little small so check the measurements and if your dog is close to the next size, definitely size up.

    Facial Steamer

    My face is already feeling dry and winter is just starting. Incorporating a face steam into your routine once a week will help purify and hydrate your skin. Make sure you buy a gallon of distilled water to have on hand for your steamer – the minerals in tap water will clog up your steamer.

    Gift Tags with Twine

    This is quite the bargain. 100 gift tags and 100 feet of twine for $6.99! I recently made gift bags where I folded over the top of the bag and used a hole punch to make two holes, then I tied the bag shut with twine and added a gift tag. These would also look great if you want to do a more rustic Christmas gift wrap. Consider tying in a sprig of evergreen or seeded Eucalyptus to give it a personal touch.

    I recently put together Hallmark movie gift bags for my girlfriends (see bags and tags above) with hot cocoa packets, crushed peppermint candies, dehydrated marshmallow bits (these taste like the marshmallows in Lucky Charms) and Hallmark movie bingo cards from Etsy. Note: the containers of crushed peppermint candies and dehydrated marshmallow bits are huge! Consider Christmas and/or hostess gifts with three canning jars – one filled with homeade hot cocoa (super easy recipes on Pinterest), one with marshmallow bits and one with crushed peppermint. Throw in a tin of homeade cookies (or peppermint bark if you want to use up more of the crushed candy) and this is a gift anyone would love to receive.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.

    Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.