Gift Idea: Opt for an Experience

If one of the Father's Day gift ideas I suggested last week wasn't for you, I understand.
(though umm, how is a leather beer leg holster not the coolest in the universe?! haha).

Instead of giving an object this Father's Day or for an upcoming birthday of someone special, what about giving them the best gift of all: an experience!

Here's some "entry-level" (still awesome) experience-type gifts:
1. dinner at an awesome place you would normally never hit up, be it far or pricey (or both)
2. visit to a theme park or similar
3. tix to a concert or sports game (and if you go, enjoy it.. even if you're really do not!)
3. mini weekend vacay, or an overnight staycation near your place

Want to kick it up a notch?
There's a million things you can do depending on the person's passion/hobbies... since we love anything food related, wanted to share with you two things I've done. Hope it generates some ideas for you!

To celebrate my husband's major accomplishment of earning his JD and MBA (yay!),
I set up an experience gift we still talk about years later.
There was a sushi restaurant with a chef named Hook near the hubs law school that we constantly frequented. We loved it there. Casual, no frills, fresh sushi.

So, what did I get my man for his big day?
A private lesson for two with our favorite sushi chef, the Hook-ster!
We made all this!

This was the one -- and only -- time in our lives that we had so much sushi that we had to call friends to come over to help us eat it! Note: we do not share sushi. Better not to ask. :)

It was one of the coolest experiences EVER and for less than $200, if I recall correctly.
TIP: just because someone doesn't advertise
for their services in a new way, doesn't mean they're not available. ASK!
Hook didn't do sushi lessons so I approached him about doing so and then negotiated the price. It was so easy for him to do the private lesson for a few hours mid-afternoon while the restaurant was closed.
To save costs, consider getting a group together for a semi-private lesson.


Another experience?
For one of A's birthday's, I coordinated for a local chef to teach us how to cook an Asian-inspired
meal in our home. Amazing!
Wanted someone to teach us with our appliances, pots and pans, etc., so we could replicate it  later on.

Sidebar lesson learned:
it's much easier/more fun to cook when you have a chef to prep everything (a la Food Network!)...
and clean up when you're done.

Semi-embarrassed by this photo for my home: we had just moved into this place. It was all passed-down furniture. Nothing is the same.
OK, lie: the walls are still blue.  Focus on our yum food and happy faces.

Tip: ask a local reporter (in this instance, I reached out to the then-Palm Beach Post food editor,
Jan Norris - who ps: now has an awesome food blog that's such a great resource)
for recommendations for local chefs who could do this for me.

Reporters are often your most-in-the-know locals. Jan was so helpful, giving me insight about this 'freelance' chef who came to our home for a few hours, taught us and left us with recipes and a sense that we could do this on our own. To this day, we delight in his sunamono salad (cucumber salad)
- will have to post that soon!
We planned to have him back for a BBQ cooking night with friends, however he unfortunately moved to California. How rude of him when we were so stoked about our BBQ party! hah.


Well, that's all I have for you today. And, wheh... I'm tired. It took me a crazy long time to find these photos. Thank you dotphoto albums that I created a gazillion years ago!
Happy Wednesday, my smartie gorgeous gals.

5 Must Have: Gift-Giving Web sites

Meet Carly. She loves giving gifts. And, really personal, distinctive gifts at that. Even her recent move to London can't keep her from sending creative finds to her loved ones across the pond. And as a side note, do you know what it means that she's one of our "5 must have" gals?? TAGG is international, baby! I'll admit it. I'm kind of having a moment. Sorry, I digress.

Back to Carly: a native Floridian, she's an adorable, super sweet and funny, semi-newlywed who lived in New Jersey before going global. Now that she lives in London, she spends most of her shopping-for-others hours online... so much easier with shipping and whatnot! Gift giving has always been a passion of hers. {I'm sure her recipients appreciate!}. So, without wasting any more time because I know all you readers are eager..

Here, in Carly's words, are her 5 must have web sites (and ideas!) for gift giving!
Little brings me more excitement than finding the perfect gift. I am completely anti-gift card and totally pro-spending days (even weeks) finding a great gift! I even spend a lot of time putting together a grab bag gift – knowing that the recipient is a complete stranger sends me into a whole new dimension. I stress over something that is appropriate for males or females and work on it until I think it is perfect. Since I've spent countless hours searching for the best sites and gifts, I'm excited to share my top 5 FAVORITE gift-giving website with you and also show you my most favorite gifts!

Housewarming

Buying a new house is a really exciting time. And now that we're getting older, our friends are getting married, having children and moving into new homes! While housewarming gifts are not as popular as they once were, I always like to give something special to help commemorate the occasion. One of my favorite web sites, Uncommon Goods, has so many incredible gifts – but my absolute favorite are the city pillows. What an awesome way to celebrate your friends new house – everyone needs pillows! I have bought this pillow for friends, for my parents and for co-workers who get jobs in new cities – it’s a hit every time! This site also has amazing gifts for parents, grandparents, sisters, friends, expecting parents, etc… Spend some time exploring- you will be amazed by the unique gifts offered on this website.
TAGG tip: if the pillow price tag is too steep, check out these dish towels, a bargain at just $20!

New baby/new mom

Before moving to London, my husband and I lived in New Jersey. Since I'm all for supporting local businesses, I often frequented Silly Pickles for Kids. It's amazing and the owner, Erica Rothkoff, is incredible. When you place an order you can feel confident that it will be perfect, and arrive quickly! My favorite gift for new babies are the burp-cloths. At $10 a piece, you can get several to make a great gift! There are gifts for older children as well – this website is sure to please!

TAGG tip: Carly's right! As a new-ish mom, burp cloths were my salvation the first six months or so, and since you're lugging them everywhere, it's nice to have cute ones. And, $10 for a personalized one like this? A steal.  

-- Need one more super-personalized option? There's no web site, but Texas-based LaineyBug Baby offers one-of-a-kind onesies, bibs, hats and burp cloths. My favorite is the "year in onesies" ($250 for 12, plus one with the baby's name on it) – great for monthly pictures that all new moms love to take! The last month can say either “12 months,” “one year” or “birthday girl/boy.” Ask for pics, or place orders via email.

For the bride-to-be

Now this is one we can all agree on – spoiling a bride-to-be is the best feeling in the world! There are so many incredible gifts out there and all help to make the big day feel even bigger! Etsy is a terrific website for gift ideas – many creative designers post their items on this website. It is a great way to find a unique gift that not everyone has seen before! My favorite gift for the bride-to-be has to be personalized wedding hangers This gift has to be planned in advance, as they are all made by hand and the maker can only produce a certain quantity each month. I promise you, these are worth planning for – they are amazing and every bride will love getting one!

For your husband

Man have always been hard to shop for – it’s just who they are! I have not yet found the perfect gift-giving website for men and to be honest, I am not sure one even exists. What I have found is a great gift for my husband that I think all men who travel will enjoy. It is the Burton Sleeper Hoodie.

Check it out: this hoodie comes with a custom luggage tag, a passport pocket, a removable/inflatable neck pillow, a toothbrush, ear plugs, a sleep mask and so much more! For women like me, don’t worry – they make a female version also!


For YOU

It's always important to spoil yourself every once in a while! And besides, online shopping is way addicting! My favorite shop for online shopping is Rue La La. I wish I could pick just one item from this site to show you, but I love so many things it would be impossible! This members-only website gives you access to private sales - you can always find so many things at great prices! The private sales are only open for two days so you have to keep your eyes open and act quickly! The best part? Get your friends to sign up and you will receive $10 credits for each one that makes a purchase! Trust me, you will love this website.

Happy Shopping!

Divine Deal: Tea Duckie Infuser

Tell me this doesn't make you want to run to the kitchen to start heating up some water to get your tea on???

I need to get my hands on some loose tea leaves STAT so I can let this adorable little rubber duckie float peacefully along in my happy little mug. What's glorious is that not only is it super fun, but it's also super functional. I would never use this if it was just some cute, yet lame-o, floaty duckie with no purpose. But a tea infuser? Hold on a second! I'm sold. Simply let it float until your hot water reaches your desired brew strength.

Plus, it has a little blue stand that looks like waves that serves as a drip cup for when you take this yellow cutie out of your tea. At just $9.95 on Amazon, I think this is totally worth it because I know that at least for me, this would make me smile every time I used it, and it would be a total conversation maker if anyone saw me use it. Office meeting anyone?

Just found this while roaming online and fell in total lust with this whimsical little guy. It's also such a perfect gift for a tea-drinking friend or party hostess (get a set)!

Divine Deal: Gifts for Him

I know, you're seriously stressing because now it's officially December, which means it's holiday season, which also means it's gift-giving season! And, men typically are just the worst to shop for. I'm amused I'm writing a "gifts for him" post considering I can never find anything for the hubs! He wants for nothing... it's awful I tell him. ;)

Regardless, this average gal is giving it her best effort! Here are some gift ideas worth checking out:

CORDLESS GRILL LIGHT

These may have been around forever but I'm just learning about them, and totally adore them. How cool to add light to a grill at night? Faboo! At just $16.92, this cutie is such a steal. It's LED operated, the lights last last up to 50,000 hours and it's cordless, too. There's other ones for a lot more (and I'm sure the Sharper Image one has one with an extra random bell or whistle) but this one seems to do the trick at a fraction of the price. Check out the details here.



KINDLE
I have to include it. While I'm a gal who prefers reading the book, turning the pages and whatnot, I do understand the value of the Kindle, especially if your man travels, doesn't have room for a lot of books or isn't typically the book-reading type. This just might get him into it! And while it's $139 (includes WiFi), prices have dropped significantly in recent years and it's really only the cost of what, 7 or 8 books. Plus you're saving trees! Store up to 3,500 books, get a month of battery life with just one charge, and receive books within 60 seconds from ordering. See, you're giving your man instant gratification for the holidays. Ooohhh la la.


GPS NAVIGATOR

While many new cars come with the handy GPS navigator, many of us -- including any men in our lives -- are still lacking them. And, since men historically hate to ask for directions, what could be a more perfect gift?! Love this Garmin wide-screen, Bluetooth portable GPS navigator for just $114 (reg. $219!). It's so portable it can even fit in your man's back pocket if he doesn't want to leave it in his car. This version, for an extra $10-$15, also adds real time traffic information. SO worth it.


COOL, DAYTIME LOAFERS

Finding daytime shoes for men can be problematic. I don't want my man in gym shoes or dress shoes, just something nice and in-between. Enter: the loafer. Now, before you stop reading once I tell you the brand of the loafers you're seeing, stay with me... they're Crocs, and they're crazy
comfy. And, look super stylish, right? I saw them a while back while looking for something else and was totally shocked. Got my bro to buy 'em and he's constantly rocking a pair of light greys. They look great and feel like you're walking on air (for a fraction of the price of a pair of Cole Haan's or some other fancy technology).  Test out this Santa Cruz style in Espresso (also awesome in the faded black). And, check around the site... there's some stylish heels for women, too. It's not just the dare-I-say awful clogs (sorry if you're a fan!). Promise.


iPHONE CASE

Need a total bargain, maybe a stocking stuffer? Check this out: these iPhone 3 and 4 cases are just a penny each (plus $3.99 shipping). Seriously! They come in a dozen or so colors ranging from blue, orange, black and red to white, hot pink, turquoise and fuchsia. You cannot beat a fun-colored case for under $5. It's so inexpensive because they're a startup, but they didn't skimp on the quality. At this price, buy a dozen to hand out anywhere! 

NOT-SO-ORDINARY DRINK DISPENSER
Your man a golf guy? If so, how hysterical is this? No more having to worry to bring/carry drinks. Fill up the golf club with water, beer...Jack! Who will know? Can fit up to 54 fl. ounces of your man's favorite beverage. The battery operated pump serves the drink at the touch of a button. While just slightly kooky, leave it to Sharper Image to come up with something totally useful (one less thing to separately carry!) that we hadn't thought of before. And if you had, sorry... there goes your million dollar idea! The drink dispenser is $99.99 (with free shipping).


These not working for you? Other options:
Tickets to a sold-out show (check stubhub, ebay and craigslist); a guys day out complete with a sports game and beer (no complaining allowed or send him out with his guy friends, no guilt allowed either!); magazine subscriptions (Amazon has serious deals right now!);  or have him pampered at a local spa with a massage and facial. You can never gift that gift too many times! Good luck, and hope this gal helped. xo