Lifestyle
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Things I Love – #25
I’m doing a quick favorite things post today because I received a few new items in the mail that I want to share before they are sold out. (Click on photos or blue words below for more details or to order.)
This ASOS Design longline trench coat in stone is very high quality and it’s only $79. It’s fully lined, with pockets and nice buttons. This feels like a much more expensive trench coat. It does run large though so size down. I just ordered one size smaller and hopefully that’s small enough.
ASOS Trench This ASOS Design ribbed oversized t-shirt dress in stone is really soft, cute and only $36.00. I love the neckline. This color can sometimes wash me out, but this particular shade is great with my skin tone. It does run large so size down one size; or two, if you prefer a less oversized look.
ASOS t-shirt dress I love Havaianas flip flops for the beach and pool. We are going to Mexico in late March so I’m stocking up on a few beach basics. Yes, I bought all three pairs, but they will last me through the summer.
Havaianas slim summer 
Havaianas slim tropical 
Havaianas slim metallic This Free People Maiya Sweater Set is slouchy and comfy. I bought it in oatmeal and I’m thinking about buying it in black. This set runs large so size down one size.
Free People sweater set This Banana Republic ribbed maxi sweater dress is selling out, but I now own it in black and camel. I’m wearing theses dresses with a Moto boot and cardigan now, but I’ll definitely be wearing them in the spring with a pair of sneakers or sandals.
Banana Republic sweater dress I wore this Banana Republic open cardigan in navy over the camel maxi dress above.
Banana Republic cardigan This market tote from Society Social just makes me smile.
Market Tote Please reach out if items are sold out in your size and I’ll try to find something similar. Happy shopping!
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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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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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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.
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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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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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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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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.
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Things I Love – #17
If it’s time to refresh your wardrobe for Winter, check out some of these great deals I found online. (Click on photos below for more information.)
Zara Oversized Knit Sweatshirt 
Zara Wide Leg Knit Pants These Zara pieces are cute and cozy for lounging or working from home. There’s just enough wool in these pieces to keep you warm without being itchy. I’m allergic to wool and have no problem wearing these.
H&M Long Hoodie 
H&M Joggers These H&M pieces are another cozy lounge set. These pieces are lighter than the set above from Zara.
H&M Oversized Hoodie This H&M hoodie is longer and works great with leggings or skinny jeans. I’ve found that H&M has great sweatshirts for men and women, but the trick is to check in often. One of my favorite H&M gray sweatshirts with a stripe down the arm sold out really fast.
H&M Turtleneck Dress I love this dress. I have a few very expensive cashmere sweater dresses that I hardly wear because they’re too warm and I save them for nice events. This is a great everyday sweater dress. It’s a little longer but has slits on both sides. This fall I wore it with a pair of slip-on sneakers, but I will definitely wear it with black tights and ankle boots this winter. UPDATE: The H&M Turtleneck dress above sold out in gray, it is still available in beige melange. Click here and here for more turtleneck dress options.
H&M Plaid Shirt Dress This is another really cute dress that I have received compliments on. I’ve worn it with a white tank top underneath and Vans mules. Again, I’ll probably wear black tights, Moto boots and a long sleeve t-shirt underneath as it gets colder.
Madewell Ribbed Crewneck Madewell makes great t-shirts for layering. If you aren’t familiar with Madewell denim, check out their Roadtripper Jeans. These are the only jeans I would wear while traveling.
Modern Citizen Keira Ribbed Knit Skirt This is more expensive than the items above, but I always like to have a good quality, long knit skirt to wear with chunky sweaters and boots. This model is tall, so the skirt hits closer to the top of the boot on me.
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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Fall Organization
Something about fall always prompts me to organize at least some of my cupboards, drawers, closets, etc. Maybe it’s because I know I’m going to be spending a lot more time indoors and having things organized makes me happy and helps keep my stress levels lower – something we all need this year!
Imagine how excited I was to discover The Home Edit (THE) on Netflix just as I was planning my trip to The Container Store. Based on the number of people at The Container Store with THE branded items in their carts and the empty shelves throughout the store, I’m not the only one who watched this new series. There are several things about this show that stress me out and don’t make sense to me – like the assistants showing up with a vehicle full of assorted storage containers before they’ve ever visited the property. You know some measurements had to be taken and a discussion of container styles must have happened, all of this seems more important to me than some of the other items they focus on during the episodes. However, I do like the idea of using clear containers to organize my cupboards and when the containers are full, it’s time to edit. Also, organizing by rainbow? Really? I organize my closet by season and style (all tank tops together from lightest to darkest, followed by t-shirts, then long sleeve shirts, then button down shirts, etc.) Does anyone have a rainbow of tank tops or t-shirts? Am I the only one with a closet full of white, gray, navy and black clothes?
My organized vase cupboard 
Still a work in progress – waiting on two back-ordered pantry bins for floral supplies and empty candle holders. Also, am I ever going to make my own candles? It might be time to purge some of those candle holders if I don’t find new candle inserts soon. 
Laundry / craft / gift wrap room junk drawer I did order The Home Edit book from Amazon and I’m only a few chapters in, but I think I’ll enjoy the show more knowing their thought process / plan of attack. If the show is inspiring you to organize; but you aren’t an organizer by nature, I’d suggest picking up the book before jumping in and getting completely overwhelmed. A second book called The Home Edit Life was just released and is also available on Amazon. I bought this book as well, but haven’t even cracked the cover. Once I do, I’ll post an update if I think it’s worth buying both books.
One last thing I just discovered, on Facebook there are neighborhood groups called “Buy Nothing.” Search on Facebook for one near you. Once you’re a member of the group, you can post items you want to purge and also items you’re in search of. Since the groups have very definite neighborhood borders, you know every drop off or pick up is nearby. Very clever.
Has anyone else been on an organizing kick lately? Please share tips or tricks in the comments.
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.