Gifted!

Tis the season to start thinking about gift giving, and there are lots of great gift ideas featured on Gifted Magazine. 

For the Cook

Kitchen Conversions poster ($30) from SweetFineDay's Etsy

For the Griller

Gourmet BBQ blends ($16) from Purpose Design's Etsy - you pick 8 of your favorite custom blends, so this seems like a really good deal considering I've seen canisters like these for $1.50-3 a piece.

For your Furry Friend

Personalized dog bowl ($24) from Sunshine Ceramic's Etsy

For the Little One

Dolls from Sophie and Lili ($15-38, extra for totally custom)

Choose from one of the existing dolls or choose the hair, skin color, and clothing for a totally custom doll

Personal pocket mirror ($9) from Olliegraphic

Some other cute  items I found perusing the Olliegraphic site:

Plate and bowl set ($42, $20-24 each separately)

Growth chart ($49) - a little pricey, but good inspiration for a DIY version

Language print ($30) - very fun...would be a cool series to have something like this for every trip a child goes on 

For your Fave Gal

Stacking Star Rings from Brilliance Found's Etsy

For the Writer

I know these are all over the blogosphere, but I adore these Archie Grand notebooks!
($10 on Amazon)


My picks
J writes me love letters in this:

I write J love letters in this:



J writes about cool attendings who compliment him on his SOAP notes in this (I spy a good graduation present!):

I like that the magazine suggests using Wishpot to organize your holiday gift list. I've used it off and on for things I come across and want to save - it's great because it will alert you if the price drops - but I should really start trying to use it for everything instead of a mix of Amazon wishlists, bookmarking, and emailing myself. (I read that you can import your Amazon wishlist into Wishpot but haven't figured that one out yet.) What kind of system do you use for things like that?

If you'd like, check out another post I did recently on free online magazines.

Coveting: Passport Covers

I've been wanting something pretty to cover that passport that I use all the time pretty infrequently. Imagine my surprise whilst browsing Neiman Marcus's "Gift Ideas Under $100" when I see this:

NM, $26

What? Do these go together? I'm all for aspiring to the matching bra-and-panties thing, but I didn't know I needed to match my thong to my passport as well.

And it even comes in black! Weird or what?

What I'd *really* like is NM's monogrammed passport cover, $35 but not currently available

J. Crew's $17 option

Now, I know I post about a lot of things I covet, but I am trying not to buy a lot of things I don't actually need. Think of posting pretty pictures of things as a release, if you will. After posting about this pretty satin clutch, my friend Megan surprised me by picking it up for me at Ann Taylor Loft on Black Friday for like $12. But here's the thing: I don't need it. I really don't. I know it's a small amount of money we're talking about, but I've been taking a long look at all of my little purchases and seeing how they add up to a lot. Plus, I already have a lot of clutches that I don't even use. (Although no pretty, pretty pink satin one.)

I also know that small little indulgences are good for the soul. So maybe I should put a monogrammed passport cover on my Official Wish List*.

* Official Wish List: A categorization above "coveting" of pretty things that I really, really want and would love to be surprised with at any time.