Countdown to Christmas: Last Minute Gift Shopping

December 15, 2014
It's hard to believe it is a mere ten days until Christmas. And as much as we all hate to admit it, this is when we start or finish buying gifts for our friends and family.  I am here with a little advice to find (or make) meaningful gifts so you don't look like the ungrateful sod who gave your mom a gift card for Christmas.

1. Assorted Sweets in a Basket
This one is super easy. You can buy everything at a convenience store like Walgreens or Target. Be warned, it relies on A LOT of presentation. So buy a nice basket and dress it up with ribbon, tissue paper, fake snow etc. Fill it up with some Christmas themed chocolates, candy canes, maybe throw in some instant hot cocoa packets. Top it off with a cute little stuffed animal like a polar bear and you're good to go.

2. Bath & Body Works Set
This is probably the only prepackaged gift set that I would accept because they are so darn cute. Sure people would think that you didn't put a lot of time and effort into getting it for them but you can add some extra by throwing in a candle (not literally) and cozy socks that Bath and Body Works sells to amp it up. Throw in a gift card for good measure. You know they'll use it!

3. Mason Jar Baking Mixes
These are all the rage on pinterest and perfect for the baker in your family. Also super inexpensive since you can buy mason jars for pretty cheap and all you need to do is add dry ingredients like sugar and flour. I would say make a couple different mixes (four is a good number) and dress it up with some ribbon and don't forget a recipe tag!

4. DIY Coffee Mugs
Also another pinterest favorite.  Sure coffee mugs are already a practical gift, but you can add a sentimental touch my customizing it with some sharpie art. Buy mugs from Goodwill (cheap ones are better because they have thinner glaze which helps the sharpie stay on) and decorate it with black,  gold or christmas colored sharpies and bake it in the oven. Polka dots, hearts, quotes, etc. are great ways to customize mugs for that special person in your life. Either give a set of four or fill one/two with coffee goods.

5. Manicure Kit
Another beauty idea. Girls can't get enough beauty products. Probably best to go higher end to compensate for the last-minuteness of your gift. A mini-set or a pair of full size Essie polishes for less than $20. Then throw in nail dividers, cotton pads, emery boards and nail polish remover to tie it all together.

So there are a few ideas to stay in good graces with your loved ones. And with all of them, take the time to hand-make your own Christmas card.  It will convey the feeling that you spent a lot of time in making said-gift. Plus, they are a lot more sentimental. Go to a craft store and buy paper, stickers and other add ons. Write a meaningful message from the heart.

Ulta, Papaya, Wetseal, JC Penney & Jessie Steele Haul: There's No Friday Like Black Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! Like I said, I was planning on going to go shopping today! Forget going to stores at dawn and fighting over a flat screen tv. Nobody got time for that.
My first stop was at Ulta where I was planning to pick up the little OPI trios (2 for $12!). I also wanted to pick up the Lorac Vintage Vixen palette but I couldn't find it anywhere. Probably for the best. The last thing I need is more eyeshadows.

These were the two that I got. I wanted the purple one but they didn't seem to have any. 

Their regular price is $9.95 so I saved about $8 when I bought them on Black Friday. I don't know if they have them in stock after today but if they do, I highly recommend them. 

OPI Be Bold. Be Dramatic 3pc Mini Set $9.95 $6.00

OPI In the Pink 3pc Mini Set $9.95 $6.00

After Ulta I went to the mall in need of some winter clothes for myself, primarily some boots and skater skirts.

It's was hard so find boots that were $20 and fashionable. I got these at Papaya where they had a 20% off sale. It's hard to tell from the photo but they are a dark brown. They are a little slouchy and they are knee highs. These will look great with the boot toppers I bought a while ago. I found a link here so you can see it better: http://www.papayaclothing.com/p/search/winter-essential-long-flat-boots1?color_id=249&size_id=11

Papaya Boots: Brown $24.99 $19.99

Like I said, I wanted to buy skater skirts so I went to Wetseal where they were having a buy one get one free deal. They are a cotton-y jersey material. I would have liked a more flow, silky material but I can't argue with the price. The one on the left looks red but it is more of a burgundy/maroon color. Also, I almost always buy smalls but for this one I could barely fit in a small so I had to get a size up. 

Solid Ponte Skater: Burgundy M $14.90 $7.45

Solid Ponte Skater: Black M $14.90 $7.45

If you don't know this about me, I have a major weakness for scarves. I walked past scarves all day at every store I went to. But as I was walking past JC Penney to get out of the mall these caught my eye.  JC Penney had solid and floral pashmina scarves for $5 that were originally $20! That's just not fair. So of course I had to buy them. I resisted the temptation to buy more. They had similar floral patterns but with white, blue, orange etc. I got the purple and black because they looked the most versatile. Sidenote: this was the only store where I had to wait in an extremely long line. 

Bloomsbury Floral Pashmina Scarf $20.00 $4.99

Falling Flower Pashmina Scarf $20.00 $4.99

And of course Black Friday wouldn't be complete without an online purchase. I bought this apron from Jessie Steele who has AMAZING aprons! Perfect for a mom, aunt, grandma, girlfriend who loves to cook.  This was originally $33 but I had a 30% off coupon which I will put here: JSFRIDAY30
If you want to take advantage of this amazing deal, act fast because it is only valid for Friday! If you get more than $50 then shipping is free.
Jessie Steele Venice Toile Viola Apron $33.00 $23.10 (plus $6.50 shipping)

Overall Total (with sales tax): $91.03
Overall Saved: $67.72 43% saved

I gotta say, it's been a good day!
xx

Also, three consecutive posts! You're welcome.

December 25, 2013: Merry Christmas from Barcelona

"Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling." -Edna Ferber

If I were to rank all the Christmases that I have had, this would easily be in the top 3 if not #1.  We didn't do anything too special in the morning since we had to get on a train to go back to Madrid.  Another two and a half hours later, we arrived and took a taxi to our hotel.  I don't remember too much about the hotel except that the floor in the bar area had glass and you could see the basement which was decorated in a very unique way (see below) and we stayed in a bright pink room.

We went out to walk the streets and the two main busy areas, Plaza Mayor and Puerta Del Sol (Puerta Del Sol is much better).  Be warned, these are high traffic areas.  We ate at a McDonald's there (classy right?).  We walked around a little more, waiting for the big Christmas tree to light up, which it eventually did and we awkwardly asked a Chinese tourist to take our photo.

We went back to the hotel and decided to indulge ourselves at the bar.  I saw that they had fresh sangria which I didn't know until after that day that sangria actually originated from Spain (that explains the pronunciation).  Susan and I had both ordered sangria.  She took a one-and-done sip and then proceeded to order champagne, oranges and molten chocolate cake.  So guess who got to drink two glasses of sangria?  Needless to say, I was a little buzzed and giggly that night.

Double the pleasure, Double the fun 

I want all oranges to be prepared for consumption in this manner from now on.

Cue mouth-watering...

We went back to our room and listed to some Pete Holmes comedy bits.  If you don't know who he is, you are missing out on a good laugh. He's even got his own talk show on TBS. It was a great end to a great day. I loved being able to share this day with my best friend. Bon Nadal Barcelona. Feliz Navidad Madrid.
(Susan asked me to take a photo of her doing this, so I thought it was only appropriate for me to share it with the world wide web. You're Welcome Susan.)