uncommon goods

Friends & Family Gifts Under $100

Holy cats, it’s December.  And it’s the last week to link up with April, EliseKatie, and Zelle and their A Few of My Favorite Things linkup.  Today’s about gifts under $100.  So many things I’d love to give.  One of my favorite ideas are subscriptions – the gift that keeps on giving!

favorite things

gifts under for her - mwnone / two / three / four / five

..1.. Uncommon Goods: Elwood The Rainbown Unicorn Mug
I told you this was going to show up again.  It’s so silly, but so amazing.  I’d love to be able to show this off on my desk – so obviously, I’d love to give a girlfriend the same opportunity!

..2.. Subscription: Magazine
Again, one of my favorite gifts I’ve received was a Women’s Health subscription.  It’s magically continued to renew for over 2 years now (and my friend isn’t being charged…?!).  But, even so, I thought it was such a clever idea.  Up to that point, I hadn’t subscribed to any magazine.  Earlier this year, Taste of Home was on mega-sale, so I treated myself to a 2-year subscription to that.  It’s awesome.  What I especially love about this gift is that it’s so versatile – there is a magazine out there for just about any interest!

..3.. Spa: Manicure and/or Pedicure
How much would you love your girlfriend/sister/mom if they treated you to a spa treatment?  …That’s what I thought.

..4.. lululemon: Think Fast Pullover
Oh, lululemon.  The brand I hate spending the money for, but get giddy over receiving.  I know every single one of my girlfriends would love to receive something like this!

..5..Subscription: Blue Apron
Another thing that I would love to try.  I’ve read some pretty awesome reviews about them on various blogs, but just haven’t taken the plunge.  If you have a foodie or someone that loves to cook on your Christmas list, I think this would be a super unique, much appreciated gift!

gifts under for him - mwnone / two / three / four / five

..1.. NFL Shop: On Field Apparel
If you are my husband, you love Packereverything.  EVERYTHING.  Whenever I get “stuck” on what to get him, I head to the NFL shop for something.  He’s a big lover of polos and pullovers like this.  They’re a little bit dressier than a regular sweatshirt.

..2.. Spa: Massage
Another thing my husband loves – massages.  I introduced him to the wonderment of them (pedicures, too!) and he’s always a happy camper when I have share news of a scheduled appointment for him.  I especially love this because it forces him to take a step back and simply relax for a period of time.

..3.. Target: JBL Flip Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
As of November 16th, this bad boy was on sale for $80.  Craig has one and loves it.  It’s portable and easy to use.  He’s had it on the deck, in his bathroom, while tailgating.  It’s small, so it’s easy to transport and it’s held up great!

..4.. Subscription: Beer of the Month
Any big beer men in your life?  I don’t have any in mine, but again, I love the ideas of a subscription gift.  I haven’t heard anything specific about the company I’ve linked to, so I can’t vouch for them.  However, with a simple Google search, I found a number of different companies to choose from.

..5.. Ticketmaster: Concert Tickets
Another of my favorite gifts to give are experiences.  I’ve surprised Craig with hockey tickets, Packer tickets, concert tickets, etc.  Granted, it’s usually with the caveat that I am his “plus-one,” but I love that it gives us the chance to do something a little out of the ordinary.  He’s returned the favor by buying me gifts to theatre.  I don’t particularly LOVE many concert venues and he doesn’t love many theatre productions, but that’s what’s fun about it – we’re doing something the other individual thoroughly enjoys and expanding our own horizons.  This would also be a great gift for a dad or grandpa – let him treat his partner to a night out!

What are some of your favorite gifts to give or receive?

For Stocking Stuffers

Stocking Stuffers

We’re back for week number two of the A Few of My Favorite Things linkup with April, EliseKatie, and Zelle!  This week I’m sharing what I think would be awesome stocking stuffers for the ladies, the gents, and the babes.

favorite things

Buckle up – today’s post is a long one!

 stocking stuffers for her - mwnone / two / three / four / five

..1.. Bath & Body Works: 3-Wick Candle
I’ve loved receiving these and I’ve loved gifting them.  I’m the first to admit that not all the scents are amazing, but 99% of them are.  If you can grab these on sale, they’re an awesome stocking stuffer!

..2.. Aveda: hand relief Moisturizing Creme
I can think of few things that are more relaxing to me than the scent of any Aveda product.  The scent of this lotion is heavenly.  Keep my eyes closed long enough and I’ll forget where I am – because I start hearing waterfalls and soft music playing.  Aveda = spa = relaxation.

..3.. Bananagrams
Unless you are my husband, you enjoy a good game.  I love Bananagrams!  LOVE IT.  And when I went to the website to track down an image, I learned the company has other games too.  All of them are super affordable and I can legitimately say it’s one of the best stocking stuffers I’ve received!

..4.. Philosophy: Shampoo, Shower Gel, & Bubble Bath
I got a holiday set from a girlfriend last year for Christmas.  I had never “splurged” on Philosophy products before.  It made me a loyal customer.  The Hot Buttered Rum was simply amazing, but they didn’t make it for this season.  I’m pretty sad about that.  However, there are some awesome alternatives.  While some people might argue that bath gels are cliche – when it comes to Philosophy products, I would beg to differ.

..5.. Nordstroms: Infinity Scarves
What woman doesn’t love a good scarf!?  Nordstrom’s has some really great choices!  And if you’re like me and love to do your holiday shopping online, to avoid the crazies at the stores, you’ll love that they offer free shipping.  #winning

stocking stuffers for him - mwnone / two / three / four / five

..1.. Uncommon Goods: Whiskey Stones
These are something I’ve always debated buying my husband.  He isn’t a huge drinker, but I think the idea of these is super neat.  For a period of time, we lived only a half hour from the only Jack Daniel’s distillery in the world – and it turned him on a bit to whiskey on the rocks.

..2.. Uncommon Goods: Cufflinks
Craig doesn’t have to wear cufflinks, like, ever – but if you’re married to a man or have a dad/granddad that needs them, Uncommon Goods has some really unique choices.  Some of them are pricey, but others (like these) are totally reasonable!  They have some pretty neat ones made from football helmets and stadium seats, too.

..3.. Dick’s Sporting Goods: Golf Balls
No matter how good of a golfer you are, you can always use a few extra golf balls.  Am I right?

..4.. Dunkin Donuts: K-Cups
I recently learned that Craig has a pretty significant preference when it comes to his coffee.  There are obviously a ton to choose from, I’m highlighting these, because they’re Craig’s favorite.  Buying K-cups can help the pocketbook by saving him a couple trips through the Starbucks line!

..5.. Apple: iTunes Gift Card
iTunes gift cards are another thing that I’ve received and totally loved.  I rarely buy music if I don’t have a gift card for it.  I love that iTunes allows you to pick and choose what songs you want, rather than having to purchase the entire album.  Better yet?  If you’re giving one, you can choose how much you want to spend!

stocking stuffers for baby - mwnone / two / three / four / five

Craig and I had decided that we want to buy a few things for the little man, even though he will maybe be a whole 3 weeks old when Christmas rolls around.  What in the heck do you buy an infant!?  I took to blogs and Instagram to track down some pretty awesome ideas.

..1.. Amazon: Books
You would’ve found some of these books on my baby registry.  I love the simplicity of them.  As a self-identified bookworm, I am more than excited to expose Bumpster to literature in a variety of ways – and learning his colors, shapes, creatures is just one of them!

..2.. Honest Company: Baby Teether
I love so many of this company’s products.  I just can’t justify spending a little bit more on diapers that are patterned (and adorable).  Okay, in all truthfulness, I had totally justified it, Craig had to work to un-justify it for me.  Ha.  This teether is BPA free and can be chilled or frozen.  My baby boy would totally rock this butterfly.

..3.. Amazon: PipSquigz
How neat are these!?  I saw these on a fellow mama’s blog and they totally intrigued me.  They seem really portable.  A great solution for little ones needing a bit of a distraction when mama needs a break from cooking dinner and takes the fam out for dinner!

..4.. Etsy/TagYoureItJewelry: Ornament
I’ve already ordered a different “First Christmas” ornament for Bumpster, but how awesome is this one?  I’m sure we will end up with multiple ornaments commemorating his first holiday season and that is totally okay!  I love, love, LOVE that his one has the birth stats on it.  It adds something a little extra special, doesn’t it? Honestly, if I’d seen this one before ordering what we have, I might’ve held off in order to purchase this.

..5.. Etsy/MAS Production Arts: Wooden Stacking Blocks
Another blog find!  I love the simplicity of these blocks!  You can do so much with them – color matching, counting, stacking…I can only imagine the “games” that could be created with these.  Love them!

What are some of your favorite stocking gifts?

A Few of My Favorite Things

I’m more than ready for Christmas to come around – because it means the little guy will finally be here!  Patience has never been a strong suit of mine.

In the holiday spirit, I’m linking up with April, EliseKatie, and Zelle!

favorite things

This week is all about what’s on my Christmas list – and in the coming weeks I’ll share suggestions for stocking stuffers and friends/family gifts under $100.  If you’re looking for a place to gather some ideas, this linkup is it!

My mom asked Craig and I for lists a few weeks ago already – she wanted to make sure it wasn’t “all about the baby.”  Which, let’s face it – it will be all about the baby.  And I’m totes okay with that!  Since she asked me I didn’t give it much thought, I mean, I couldn’t come up with something that I was dying to have.

Unless you count new granite counter tops, which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly a realistic item to put on a Christmas list, is it? 😉

Here’s what I’ve come up with.

wish list - mwnone / two / three / four / five

..1.. Hoodie Love: Classic Hoodie – Grey & White Stripe
Now, before anyone has a heart attack over the price – I want to insist these babies are worth every penny.  I ordered an olive green one this summer when JannMarie was selling them through IndiGoGo to kick start her business.  They were discounted at that point and I had read some really awesome reviews from fellow bloggers about them.  It is the softest fabric ever.  Ever.  I can’t wait until baby is born partly so I can wear it without worrying about stretching it out.  I’m coveting this striped version now.  How cute would it be with a pair of leggings and boots!?  …yep, super cute.

..2.. Stella & Dot: Signature Engravable Bar Necklace
Another little sumthin’ sumthin’ I found via a fellow blogger – Stella & Dot.  I’ve never ordered from them, but again, have heard really good things about their stuff.  I’d love to get an engravable necklace with baby’s birthday or my anniversary.  The more I think about it, it’d be smarter to go with a silver version versus gold, because then I could pair it with the necklace Craig gave me for the wedding.

I’m sentimental when it comes to jewelery – I’ve worn the same cuff bracelet I received as a gift from my aunt and her family for high school graduation every day since.  It’s stamped with “Live Your Best Life” and it serves as a daily reminder.  After my wedding day, I’ve worn the necklace Craig gave me that day 98% of the time.

..3.. Uncommon Goods: Elwood the Rainbow Unicorn Mug
What does one even say about this?  It’s pure awesome.  And it’s going to be showing back up on day 3 of this link up.  Because if I don’t receive one, I’m certainly gifting one.  I love this thing!

..4.. Becky Higgins: Project Life
Through high school and part of college, I kept up really well with scrapbooking.  And then with living in apartments and moving frequently, it became less and less conducive to not only moving that stuff from place to place, but finding adequate storage wherever I was living.  If I pulled it out to work on stuff, I would have scraps, stickers, and markers on my dining room table for the next month.  Seriously.  It just became too much of a hassle.

You guessed it – I first learned of these through a blog and have since seen these products popping up and more and more in stores like Michael’s.  I love them because there is little mess, allows you to organize memories, and makes it all so pretty.  AND I just saw that if you order more than $35, you get free shipping!

With a baby coming, I know that my free time will be little and precious, but I still want to be able to put thoughts together.  That’s why I’m wishing for materials to get one of these babies started!

..5.. Spargo Salon & Spa: Massage or Gift Card
Okay, I’ve mentioned Jimmy Johns.  And sushi.  Lastly, I need to mention my desire for a massage after this baby comes.  Yes, I had to prenatals that were amazing, but I don’t think how they felt can come close to how a massage will feel postpartum.  My body is working to do something pretty miraculous and I think it deserves a special treat!

I’d also settle for a gift card to treat myself to some highlights.  Mama is tired of her dirty dishwater blonde hair!

What are some of your wish list items this year?