Brighten up your fingers.

The bad news - I've sorely neglected this blog.

The good news - I have over a year's worth of AWESOME gifts to talk about! I'm planning on recapping all of the biggest hits from this Christmas and so much more!

I'll start with Christmas. This year I was kind of at a loss for my brother in law's girlfriend. I had lots of ideas for her, but they were all pretty small things - I wanted to spend more than $5-10 on her. So instead, I wrapped up a ton of the small gifts individually and then wrapped all of them together in one big box. Her loot?

• A bag of crab chips
• A bag of mint m&m's
• A $15 iTunes gift card
• A bottle of wine
• A packet of drink mix

• And finally, the inspiration for my "grab bag" gift...glow in the dark nail polish!

This girl is obsessive with always having the brightest nails around. I knew she had all of the brightest colors at the shops around town so I turned to Amazon. Finally found something beyond the regular neon colors. Neon Glow in the Dark nail polish!
Here's the specific ones I bought for her:

If you're interested in this crazy idea (perfect for teenagers or young-at-hearts!), follow the link above.

Post contains affiliate links.

Palm trees and coconuts...

I always figured I'd get married one day. I also knew that my parents would generously pay for most, if not all of my special day. And when that day came, I wanted to be able to show them my appreciation.

About 5 years before I actually got married (I was dating the guy I would eventually marry, but I didn't know it at that point), I went on a cruise with his family. Somehow the cruise ship messed up our reservations and to apologize, upgraded all of us (we had a total of like 8 rooms) to balconey suites. Afterwards, I started an unofficial savings account.

You see, balconey suites were expensive. I know my dad, and knew that he's all about the deals. I thought the balconey just made the entire trip. Waking up every morning to see that crystal blue water? It was just amazing. I wanted my parents to experience that.

A few months before the wedding, I contacted a travel agent and explained to her what I wanted to do. Since I didn't know when to actually book the trip for, we decided a gift certificate would be the easiest way to go. I told the travel agent that I didn't care where they went (although I had a few suggestions of places I thought they'd like), my only stipulation was that it had to be a balconey suite.

The night before the wedding, I went into my parents' room and handed them a box. Inside were several cruise books/pamphlets and a gift certificate. I told them it was enough for a week long cruise to most places in the Caribbean.

They were a little "mad" at first but I just told them I had been saving up for this for awhile. Plus, their house had flooded about two months before the wedding so they'd been dealing from all the stress from that. They knew they needed a break anyway.

They loved the trip, it was a well-deserved break for them and it made me happy to be able to give back to my parents, who have given so much to me. They've been great parents and I love to do unexpected things for them because I want them to know how much appreciate them.

The Gift Card Dilemma

My friend Amber (you can see her blog here) got married a few years ago. Even though we had gone to the same small college, we didn’t become friends until after graduation. Actually, the night she became engaged was one of the first nights I hung out with her.

That being said, I was around for her engagement period. I’m not saying we were super close BFF’s, but we had fun together and became good friends. As her wedding day approached, I asked her what her and her fiancé, Steven, needed or wanted at that point from their registry. She went through the usual, “we’re happy with whatever you choose to give us” but after digging a little deeper she said that gift cards would be welcome so they could put them together to buy some of their more expensive items on their registry.

The gift card dilemma. I. Hate. Giving. Gift. Cards. Mind you, I love RECEIVING them, but for me, it’s just a little too impersonal.  But that’s what the bride said she needed! Can I put aside my personal feelings on gift cards to give the bride what she asked for?

Of course I can. In my own way.

One of my favorite accessories to any gift is a quality gift basket. I tribute this to my mom and her friend Carole – my mom used to make gift baskets and sell them in my dad’s store and Carole has the coolest shop of unique items and makes gift baskets.

To start with my gift card solution, I sought the perfect basket. I think the one I bought was from Old Time Pottery (if you don’t have one near you, I’m so sorry…you are deprived. I miss them so much!). Something like this is fine:

$9.95 at Crate & Barrel

Usable and fashionable.  And not $50!

Amber had been on a hunt to find a red wine that she can enjoy drinking. (I hear she is still on this hunt!) I put a bottle of my favorite red wine in the basket:

Don’t judge, it’s less than $10 a bottle and I love it. My mouth is watering…

She and Steven had also recently brought home two Boxer puppies, Dixie & Bauer. I grew up with pets and knew that animals have a way of becoming your family instantly. So I made sure to include a little special treat for the newest members of the new family:

These are from Sensational Sweets, 12 for $9.00 but I’m pretty sure I just went to a local shop.

Nestled inside the perfect card was the desired gift card. I spent less than $20 on the other personal gifts and was still able to give a good amount on the gift card. Maybe they would have rather gotten more money on the gift card – but when I give a gift, I want to be happy with it. This way, everyone got what they came for and I could give more than just the gift card!