Stuff:
JCrew Ties: Okay, this has become a staple in Ant's stocking...and I am TOTALLY okay with that. We live right near the outlets, and JCrew has the BEST ties. Ant wears one to work every day - so he can never have too many! This year he got a fun festive one with gingerbread men on it, but they have so many classic styles as well.
100 Reasons to Panic about Getting Married: This book was actually a double gift: one I got AND one I gave! I saw it at work and thought it was hilarious - so I gave it to Ant, with a handwritten note adding some personal thoughts about a few of the topics. A few days later, my roommate from college gave me the same book! What can I say, great minds think alike. The "reasons" themselves are funny, and then at the bottom of each page is a reassuring pt to counter each reason to panic.
Knock Knock, the company that makes the book, also has some other pretty funny gift ideas! One of my favorites is the Mental Note sticky notes - I personally think they would be great for my desk at work! They are just the right size for stocking stuffers also.
Candles: Candles have become my new addiction....whenever I am home I like to have at LEAST one burning, if not two...or three....there are a few scents in particular I would consider house favorites, that I have both given and received as gifts!
Bath and Body Works: Vanilla Firewood and Black Tie. Black Tie is my FAVORITE. It smells like boy. For those of you who don't understand that description, think cologne and yumminess. I bought one as a gift, and one for myself :) Vanilla Firewood was a gift, and it's a perfect winter cozy candle!
Short Beach Candle Co: Ant brought home the gingerbread candle from Short Beach Candle Co....and I love it! I wasn't very excited at first, I'm not a huge gingerbread fan...but it is soft and subtle and yummy. Plus, these candles are 100% soy and poured locally in Branford, CT. Win!
Passport case: I got a passport case as a gift right before I studied abroad in Spain. It is from Vickie's and bright pink (see the pic below), and I love it. Not only does it help me hold onto ticket stubs, etc with the compartments inside, but it makes my slim, boring blue, easy to lose passport bigger and brighter!! I thought it was more of a "fun" gift, but I have used it every time I have traveled out of the country since, and I consider it WAY more of a practical gift also. Seriously, I will never lose that sucker in my purse...and if you're anything like me, you panic every couple of minutes and want to make sure that you do, in fact, have your passport in your purse. Where you put it 5 seconds ago. And if you're nothing like me....than at least your passport is prettier! Anyway, my baby sister is spending 3 weeks in London this month, and so a passport case was a necessity for her! I chose the mint green one below from JCrew because I thought it was beautifullllllll. In the search, I also found this gem from Kate Spade. GAH!
Stuff to do:
Restaurant gift certificate: Over the last few years, I have given restaurant gift certificates to certain friends and family. I often use it, to be honest, with slightly selfish motives. For example: when we moved into our apartment together, for the first two Christmases I gave gift certificates to our favorite new restaurants to people I love! It gives them a great meal - AND gets them down our way for a visit! Win, win ;) This year, Ant and I received a gift certificate to one of the vineyards nearby that recently opened up a bistro. There is nothing bad about a gift that = a date night!
Concert Tickets: Insert lots of high pitched shrieking here. For Christmas, Ant got tickets for him and I to go see JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE at Madison Square Garden in February!!!!!!! Concert tickets as a category could also be substituted for any other kind of show or event. It's the perfect way to make the holidays last longer - in this case all the way to February 20th!!! Plus, it's something Ant and I get to do together, which is always a win in my book. In this case, we are going to make a day (or two!) out of it, and spend some time in the city!
Spa gift certificate: Again, another A+ gift from the fiancé this year - I was definitely on the good list! I think spa treatments fall into the perfect category of things people enjoy, but they are definitely a luxury. So in my case, they are the LAST thing I am going to spend money on, especially when we are dealing with both a house and a wedding and trying to be as budget savvy as possible. Ant knows this, and gave me a gift certificate for a 60 min massage at a spa in town! Now I can relax guilt free - YAY!
Sentimental stuff:
Bride's Tree Ornaments: According to a German tradition, the tree of a newlywed couple should include 12 ornaments to ensure happiness in their life together. My BFFL, and MOH Melissa figured that since we were engaged, and it was the first Christmas in our new house...that was close enough! (BTW, she was right!) They sell them as sets, in case you're interested in gifting them to your favorite newlyweds...but she went out and found an ornament for each category on her own!!!! She has been on the hunt since LAST Christmas. It was absolutely the sweetest gift! I love that our set is special and unique to us. Since we got them Christmas Eve while we were in Rhode Island, they haven't actually made it to our tree yet, so next year when we are newlyweds, they will grace our tree for the first time!
MyPublisher photo books: I have made a lot of photo books in my day, but MyPublisher is by far the best company I've ever used. I discovered them last year, and will never go back. MyPublisher has software that you download to your computer. From there, you upload your pictures and can create books in a number of different sizes. They have page layouts for photos only, pictures with captions, pictures with words, text only, you name it....and it is SO EASY. Let me repeat, SO EASY. Other sites have made me want to pull my hair out putting together books. This is quick, and the quality is amazing. I made "year in review" books for both sets of parents last year, and they were a hit...so I made them again this year! It's a fun way to look back at everything that's happened this year, in a tangible way that you can hold onto. They tend to be a little pricier than other options - but it is COMPLETELY worth it. Plus, the site is always having deals - if you give them your email address you can get a head's up whenever there is a new one! These sales make the price of the book more than reasonable for the quality you get in return.
What are some of your favorite gifts to give? Do you have any "staples" like my ties and candles? There is obviously something fun about gifts that are special to circumstances, like the passport case or our new ornament set, but I never knock a solid staple gift!!!
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