• Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love #32 – Advent Calendars

    My friends and family know how much I love a good advent calendar. The idea of bringing a smile to the faces of my friends and family for 24 days in a row brings me joy. I know it seems early, but the really good advent calendars will sell out long before Thanksgiving. So, order your calendars now and they’ll be delivered before December 1st. I also created posts for advent calendars in 2021 and 2020 if you’d like even more advent calendar ideas. For more information or purchasing info, click on the blue words or photos below.

    For the chocolate connoisseur in your life, send a gourmet chocolate advent calendar from Vosges.

    Vosges Advent Calendar

    For the sock lover in your life, order the Happy Socks Calendar. Giving socks doesn’t have to be boring… this gift set includes 24 pairs of bright, fun socks.

    Happy Socks Advent Calendar

    For the spa lover in your life, order the Rituals Advent Calendar. How cute is this advent calendar filled with 24 luxury bath, body and home products from Rituals? An adorable Christmas decoration for someone in a small apartment or dorm room.

    Rituals Advent Calendar

    For the tea lover in your life, order the Palais des Thés limited edition holiday calendar. This calendar includes herbal, black, oolong, rooibos, detox and green teas.

    Tea Advent Calendar

    For the Friends fanatic, order the Paladone Friends Advent Calendar. This calendar has 24 beauty products and includes: hand creams, bath bombs, lip balms, nail files and a body puff.

    Friends Advent Calendar

    For the person who doesn’t need / want any more “things”, order the Mindfulness Advent Calendar filled with 24 activities to help someone enjoy and appreciate the season.

    Mindfulness Advent Calendar

    For the baker in your life, order the Williams Sonoma Advent Calendar: 24 days of baking cookies. It includes 24 baking essentials from spatulas to piping bags and decorating tips.

    Williams Sonoma Baking Advent Calendar

    Williams Sonoma offers several other food related advent calendars from candy to olive oil.

    For the wine drinker in your life, order the In Good Taste wine advent calendar. It includes 24 domestic and international premium wines. It’s a fun way to discover new brands and varietals.

    In Good Taste Wine Advent Calendar

    For the serious whiskey drinker in your life, order this Flaviar advent calendar with 24 whiskey samples (includes bourbon, rye and scotch) a Glencairn glass and a tasting journal.

    Flavor Whiskey Advent Calendar

    For the dog in your life, order this Himalayan treat calendar from Chewy or check your favorite pet store for additional treat and toy calendars.

    Dog Treat Calendar

    For the cat in your life, order this Fancy Feast Advent Calendar with wet cat food and savory treats.

    Fancy Feast Advent Calendar for Cats

    If you didn’t find an advent calendar that you love, or you just want to create your own, there are several reusable advent calendars which you can fill with your own treats / gifts.

    Williams Sonoma Wood Advent Calendar
    Lighted Wood Advent Calendar
    Reusable Wood Advent Calendar
    Empty Advent Calendar Boxes

    Many stores and brands offer advent calendars, so if you have a favorite store (e.g. Sephora, Ulta, Bath & Body Works) or brand (e.g. L’Occitane, Olive & June, Sugarfina, Godiva.) Go to their website and search “advent calendar.”

    I didn’t include the advent calendars I’ll be gifting this year, so my family will still be surprised with their calendars. If you’d like to know what calendars I’m gifting, send me a message and I’ll respond with a few more ideas. Please comment below with some of your favorite advent calendars to give or receive. And, remember, it’s ok to buy yourself an advent calendar.

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    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, food, flowers, my pets and travel.

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  • Favorites,  Lifestyle

    Things I Love – #30

    Advent Calendars

    It’s time!! Order your advent calendars now before they’re out of stock. Click here for my list from last year and below are a few new calendars for 2021. (Click on the photos below or any blue words for more information or to shop.)

    Lady M Advent Calendar

    This Lady M Advent Calendar is expensive at $80, but the wreath lights up and it includes 24 artisan chocolates and gummies. Order this for someone who loves quality chocolates and candies.

    McCrea’s Caramels Advent Calendar

    McCrea’s Candies, a Massachusetts-based candy shop, created this advent calendar with 24 pieces of caramel in 12 different flavors. There are no nuts or soy in these caramels.

    Advent Calendar Playlist

    The Advent Calendar Playlist has a QR code behind each number that will download a carol sung by an emerging artist. This a great idea for music lovers!


    12 Nights of Wine

    I recently shared a Vinebox tasting box with a friend and we had a great time learning about new wines. This box contains twelve world-class wines and each selection tells a story of a woman who is breaking down barriers in the world of wine. A great gift for the wine lovers in your life.

    Sephora Advent Calendar

    The Sephora Advent Calendar contains 24 beauty surprises, including makeup, skincare, bath and accessories. Perfect for those who love trying new beauty products.

    Wufers Advent Calendar for Dogs
    Trader Joe’s Advent Calendar for Cats

    Don’t forget about special treats for your pets. This Wufers cookie calendar is great for dogs and the Trader Joe’s Advent Calendar for cats includes a festive cat collar.

    Comment below with your favorite advent calendars so I can add them to my list 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, food, flowers, my pets and travel.

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  • Journal,  Lifestyle

    Family Pets

    For anyone who has ever had a pet, you know they play an important part in your life. They are your companion, your confidant, your comforter, your constant.

    I don’t know anyone with a pet who hasn’t talked about how it feels to come home to a pet who is SO excited to see you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been gone for 10 minutes or 10 hours – when you walk through the door you are greeted with unconditional love. This is more common with dogs than cats; but whenever I would sit down for more than 5 minutes, our dog and both cats would show up. It’s like an alarm would go off or something. The cutest part is when they figure out who gets to sit on my lap. Lately that honor always fell to Sam – our oldest animal who was also the alpha animal in our house. There was a certain amount of respect the other animals had for her that I can only assume was due to her age. 

    She was born in a barn on a farm and we brought her to the city when she was old enough to leave her Mom. One of our funniest memories was when we introduced Sam to Bodhi, our 90-pound golden retriever. John was sitting on the couch with Sam on his chest and Bodhi walked over to sniff her. Poor Sam was so scared that in an instant John had kitten diarrhea all over the front of his shirt. Sam soon learned that Bodhi was a gentle giant and she would sleep curled up next to him. She would even attempt to clean him, a very large job for a very small cat. 

    Just looking for some pets

    Sam was neutered and declawed but that didn’t stop her from wanting to be outside. She was great at catching mice; but luckily, she did not bring us presents. When we first let Sam outside, she stayed inside our fenced-in backyard. After a few months, she figured out how to jump up on the grill and over our 6-foot privacy fence. Sam would wander the neighborhood on occasion, but she really enjoyed laying on the sidewalk in front of our house where she could receive free pets and attention from people walking by. She even received a postcard from a neighbor who walked by our house and visited with her often. 

    Sam loved looking outside

    Sam was a talker. If you meowed back at her, she would “talk” for quite a while. The last two years Sam started losing weight (she was always a small cat – her top weight was around 6 pounds) and had trouble grooming herself. We switched her to soft food twice a day and I started brushing her and using a dry shampoo on her fur to help clean the areas she couldn’t groom any more. She loved to be brushed! 

    Looking out the window

    A few weekends ago Sam stopped eating on a Friday and she died sometime Saturday night. I’m so sad that I wasn’t there to hug and comfort her, but our son said he just knew what was happening and he gave her lots of extra snuggles and pets. She was even purring Saturday night before he went to sleep. Sam had been with us for over 19 years. RIP sweet girl.

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