Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Gift Ideas for the Guys

I'm pretty sure we can all agree....the men in your life are the hardest people to buy for. Am I right or am I right?! I can never figure out what to buy for my dad, my father-in-law or my husband. Well, my husband is just a little bit easier, but that's only because he usually tells me directly, "I want this." So, I figured it's about time I come up with some quality gift suggestions to help a sister out!! 

These are all gifts that I have either given and have been a total hit, or that other people in my life have told me the men in their life loved. If you have any other awesome suggestions, please leave them in the comments. I am always beyond grateful for ideas for the men in my life! Legit...I will write them down and continue to look upon them for years to come! 

Ps - Most of these are out of my norm...aka PRICEY. When it comes to gifts for the guys, I forego my usual frugalness and just buy something that I know they will actually use and love. I have no other options! 




At first, I heard mixed reviews, but lately, I have heard nothing but good things about this watch. It would be perfect for my busy, business man of a husband. You can see who is calling or texting you without having your phone! Woo hoo! Plus, my husband is trying to find the motivation to get back into shape and what is better than an awesome athletic watch? It's like cute workout clothes for women! 



The link I have included for you is actually to a local shop here in Denton. Hopefully he doesn't mind me putting his work on my page, but I just can't help myself. His work is awesome! My husband loves his leather work, and Ben is also in desperate need of a new wallet. I mean what man wouldn't love an authentic leather, manly wallet?! Everyone woman loves a good purse, right? Isn't a man's wallet like his purse? I just don't think you an go wrong with a well-made, authentic leather, hand-made wallet. 



My husband received this as a gift a few years ago, and it has definitely been put to good use. It has been one of his favorite gifts to date. He usually carries it in his golf bag, but it has been to the beach, in the garage, to BBQ cookouts, etc. We use it everywhere! 



I got this for my husband last year, and it is the gift that keeps on giving! We will be buying records for years to come to play on this thing. He absolutely loved it, and I have gotten more comments from people who walk into our house about how neat it is. If you want something unique to give, this is the gift! Add in a record by his favorite artist and it will be a huge hit! 



When we switched over to Verizon last year, we got a couple free accessories and these bluetooth headphones happened to be one of them. They are awesome! I, personally, don't love to wear them when I run because of the bouncing, but Ben loves them. He wears them all the time when he mows or is out working in the yard. They are great to take anywhere and you don't have to worry about the mess of all the wires...bonus! 




If you saw my post from a few weeks ago, then you know I love me some Patagonia! I just don't think you can go wrong with a good outwear piece for the man in your life. Ben LOVES the pieces that he has and wears them all the time when the weather gets cold. He throws on one of the vests a lot when the weather is waffling back and forth between warm and cool too. These pieces are such great quality and they make them is such cute colors and patterns. 

So before I had Henley (she was due December 14th), I gave Ben an early Christmas present and it was slippers. They were the perfect gift to walk around the hospital in and to wear around the house when Henley was a newborn. We also celebrated Christmas 10 days after she was born, so he enjoyed them on Christmas Day when we wear our pjs all day too! Unfortunately, I got him some cheap slippers and they fell apart pretty quickly, so I think before the next baby he might get some more "luxury" slippers. I mean he'll need the good comforts in life too!! 



Clearly this is for a specific group of men, but it's a definite winner for those men! Ben grows his beard out every year in the winter and finally, one year when we were in Dallas at the mall, we walked into a shop that had beard oil. It was a total game changer...it made his unruly beard look so much better! After that, he definitely got into the beard upkeep, so a kit like this would be perfect for the months (aka hunting season) when it starts to get a little out of control. This is actually a gift for the wives too! 



This brand seems to be the "manly" brand...at least around these parts. Their products are super durable and wear very well. Ben loves this brand, and the baseball hat is one of his favorites pieces of clothing for sure. He wears it all the time. He also has a beanie that he always takes with us when we go skiing or if there happens to be a really cold day here too. I love the look of their products and it seems as though most men do to! 


With Christmas comes the New Year, and with the New Year comes a lot of new goals. One of those goals is usually something fitness related. You can never go wrong with a new pair of tennis shoes. Whether it's to get them back into the gym or just for them to wear around town, most men can definitely put some new tennis shoes to good use. Between running around town on the weekend, mowing the lawn, etc., Ben has usually worn a new pair out by the time Christmas rolls around. Plus, who doesn't like a new, good looking pair of shoes?! 


I hope this gives you at least a little direction in the shopping department for all the men in your life! Please please please leave any other suggestions you have in the comments...they are always needed! 






Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Show & Tell Tuesday: Want, Need, Wear, Read


We've got a fun Show & Tell Tuesday today...WANT, NEED, WEAR, READ! It's the perfect topic for this time of year, and I can't wait to read all of your lists as well! 


Want

The Roomba!! Why did I not ever ask for this when we had a dog? Oh well, I have wanted this for a long time and finally remembered to put it on my list this year. We do not have anyone that cleans our house, I do it, so I would love this to be my little helper. I swear, I have the vacuum out all day everyday, and this would be a total time saver!


NEED


I asked for a gift card to American Eagle, so I could get some new undies. I love getting new underwear throughout the year and mine could really use an update right now. Plus, I was in there the other day and saw their holiday selection and it took everything in me to resist buying the entire table. They have the cutest prints! Don't you just love those polar bears?!


WEAR



I know this is two things, but they're the same brand, so that counts! I would love some new Ugg boots and Ugg slippers. I love the look of these boots, and although I don't wear mine super often, it's what I always throw on on a comfy day. I think I got my other ones in college and they have finally fallen apart. They last me forever! 


READ


It's hard for me to narrow it down to just one book that I would like, but I have been super interested in reading Leah  Remini's book ever since it came out. I just find it incredibly interesting to learn about the Scientology world and all that goes into it. I love reading about other people's stories. 


What are your pick for want, need, wear, read this holiday season?





Sunday, November 20, 2016

20 Holiday Gift Ideas for Children

How in the world is it already the week of Thanksgiving? Oh, I am so dang excited! It actually feels like the holidays are coming up now that the weather has cooled off, and I can't get enough! I love this season! 

I usually get my Christmas shopping done super early, but I am still shopping and still looking for some great gift ideas this year. I love looking at the things other people get for their families and bouncing ideas off of each other, so I decided to put together a gift guide for all the people in your life. First up, the children. 

The kids in my family are my favorite people to shop for, so this is my favorite gift guide! If you're anything like me, you are always looking for a range of good options. Between my nieces and nephews and Henley, the ages of kids in my family range from 3 months to almost 8 years old. That is a big gap, so I typically have to look at A LOT of gift guides. Today, I've put together 20 different options for all the little ones in your life. This list covers all of the ages I need to shop for, so hopefully it will help you too. All of the links are included. 

PS - THESE ARE ALL SUPER AFFORDABLE!! WOOHOO!!




These adorable little cups are perfect for the little ones in your life. They come in a variety of different colors, and they have a weighted straw, so the straw always moves to the liquid. Fabulous! 




These are awesome! I have a feeling I will be buying one of these for myself as well. They are so easy to pack and nothing falls out or leaks! 







My niece always has a book with her, and she loves these boxed sets. I have been able to score some of them at TJ Maxx/Home Goods on occasion, which makes it even better! 


These are good for such a wide age range. Henley loves the peel off nail polish and so does my 4-year-old niece! They also scratch off furniture pretty easily, which makes them a hit on my list! 





Little People has so many different fun options for kids. There are things for both boys and girls and there's a wide range of ages as well. I love how cute their toys are! 

6. Puzzles



I love these Crocodile Creek puzzles! I found a couple at TJ Maxx a while back, and then I found some at Target too. They are so adorable and I love the boxes! 



I also love these Melissa & Doug puzzles for the littler ones in your life. Henley loves these and they are super easy to clean up which is a total bonus! 

I just love this brand of toys! They are so dang cute and kids absolutely love the colors! 





I mean, I know I was an English teacher, but I, for real, cannot get enough of cute little board books for Henley. Ben LOVES reading Henley Giraffes Can't Dance every night before bed, and now she knows all sorts of animal names! I also catch her pulling them down from her bookshelf daily to "read" on her own! 



How adorable are these cars?! I wouldn't mind tripping over these all over my house at all!

10. PJs




So my link is actually to Amazon, but all of my pictures are from Target. Both of them have fabulous kids pjs. We are always in need of as many pjs as we can get, so they are the perfect gift at any time. The pjs in the bottom picture are my absolute favorite! Henley gets too hot for footie pjs, so these are the adorable pjs I get for her. She looks so grown up in them! Ps- when I went to Target on Friday, sleepwear was buy one get one half off for the entire family. 



Both boys and girls go nuts for these! They are perfect for the entire year too! We will definitely take them to the pool or the beach, but Henley also loves just having them around the house, stacking and unstacking them and reorganizing all her stuff. 


My nephew goes crazy for anything and everything Paw Patrol, but I have a feeling he would be beyond for this toy! 


I told you I love this brand! I got this for my nephew on his first birthday and he still loves it. My sister still tells me that the washcloths from it are the best for bath. I think I'm going to get one for Henley for the bath this year. She loves bath toys and could use some new ones. 




I found these a while back at TJ Maxx and immediately fell in love. They are so darn cute! I just love the way they look and bonus, they are made with recycled materials. 




These are the Target take on the American Girl doll, and they are awesome. The accessories that go with the dolls are so neat! My nieces love these and they can't tell a difference at all between them and the American Girl dolls. I am always in for a more affordable option! 




These are Henley's new favorite! She loves painting the different scenes and assigning them to different people in her life. The pads are super easy to carry around and they don't make a mess at all, so we are able to get them out and put them away pretty effortlessly. 




I found this adorable set while I was searching Amazon for ideas for Henley's wish list. Her new thing lately is to come sit in my lap while I do my make-up and use my brushes on herself. I thought this would be so adorable for her to have and bring to sit down with me! 




Henley cannot get enough of these stickers right now! She loves to put them on the window in her room and kiss each animal when she sees them in the morning...too cute! They have so many different types of sticker scenes, so we will definitely be investing in a few more of these over the holidays. 




Our friends have raved and raved about these for the longest time. I didn't really get the appeal until we visited a play place recently and they were there. The kids loved them! They are also on my nephews wish list, so they must be pretty awesome. 




Y'all, these are amazing! There are a variety of different skill levels, different sizes and different prices. My niece loves these and it is such a neat thing for her and her dad to do together. You should definitely check them out! 


Well, I hope that there was something for all the kiddos in your life! I love love love shopping for the kids in our family and finding something new, fun and affordable is always a bonus!