The ‘Essential’ Gift Giving Guide

Shout out to all my girls who instantly need a glass of wine when they think about picking out a gift for someone special.

Don’t get me wrong, I love gift giving, but making sure I have purchased the most perfect gift stresses me out beyond belief (like I break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it). The last year or so, I’ve come to realize that the physical gift is not nearly as important as the thought that is put into the gift.

Giving the perfect gift to someone is all about thoughtfulness and love, and I promise, if your gift has both of those ingredients, it will be a surefire success. Sure — a Tory Burch purse or a Kate Spade watch will always make a great gift, but there are SO many other things (that are less costly and more sincere) that your special someone will cherish much more!

Your BFF

Our BFF’s are perhaps the most stressful people on our lists to buy for. Why is that? Because we know our parents/grandparents will appreciate anything we get them, but our best friends…they usually set the bar pretty high for gift giving, so it’s hard to purchase the perfect gift, PLUS they already have EVERYTHING! 

One of my personal favorite ideas:

This Fujifilm Instax Mini retails for around $60-70, which may be a little over budget for a Christmas present, but this is the most perfect birthday gift. I have one in white, and it is so easy to tote around in a purse, and it’s the perfect way to keep memories of all the fun times with your friends. Even better, it comes in about 10 color options! I brought mine along for the NYE celebrations last January, and all my girls were fighting (playfully, of course) over who got to take home the Polaroids!

Your Mom 

If your mom is anything like mine, she already has everything she needs, and if she doesn’t, she can just go out and purchase it. When it comes to gifts for mom, material items are overrated. Whether it’s Christmas, Mother’s Day, or her birthday, do something thoughtful, like a ‘Mother-Daugther’ date day (this is also the perfect idea for mother-in-laws)! 

Start the day at a Blow Dry bar or a nail salon, if you’re a Charlotte local, I recommend Blo Blow Dry Bar Blow Dry Bar and/or Polished Nail Bar. Every woman loves being pampered.

Once you’re both glammed up, catch a matinee ballet or play or take her shopping to her favorite local boutique. Both purchase something fabulous to wear out to a nice dinner. If you’re clever enough to plan ahead, arrange for her best friends or some of your family to surprise her at dinner! This will definitely be a birthday worth remembering for Mom.

Your Boyfriend

Oh that sugar sweet! Can we all agree that guys are impossible to buy for? Decent gifts for guys are either something small for $30 or a tech gift that’s $800. There’s truly no in between. So — what in the heck are we supposed to get our sweetheart that he will actually LIKE. As much fun as it is to dress your boyfriend by buying him nothing but shirts you like as gifts, he probably would prefer something else from time to time.

Get out of the house, and go do something with him!

My favorite ideas? (These ideas are mostly for city dwellers or for those who live in proximity to a bigger city). 

-Check out your local comedy club or the Comedy Zone in Charlotte, NC. There’s literally a different comedian every night. It will be a great new memory for the two of you and leave you in good spirits the rest of the evening.

-Surprise him with tickets to a sporting event. If you live near a bigger city, there’s bound to be some sporting event within a month or two. Get him tickets and wrap them with a tshirt with the team logo. There’s nothing he’ll like more than seeing his girl in a sporty tshirt with a beer in hand! It makes for a great gift and an even better date night — a dual gift!

While the lists could continue, I hope this gets you thinking of thoughtful gifts that don’t come with a name brand or designer logo!

Xx,

DIY Tinsel Cocktail Stirrers

This girl loves a good party.

This girl also loves some champagne.

(There’s Andre champagne in those glasses, but shhh don’t tell anyone #cheap). 

Now that I’m 25, I’m to a point in my life where I’m living on my own, living in a new city, and can almost always find a good excuse to entertain (feeding your girlfriends wine, champagne, and chocolate is technically ‘entertaining,’ right?). 

The only downside is, entertaining costs money. Ew. 

In my limited entertaining experience, I’ve come to realize that it’s all about the details. People, whether they realize it or not, appreciate all the small details that go into entertaining, which is why this year at my first annual White Elephant Ornament Exchange, I made a DIY tinsel cocktail stirrer.

When I began party planning, I was APPALLED to find that 10 stirrers on Etsy were selling for $20+. No thank you. So lets get crafty and DIY! 

These precious stirrers are SO easy to make — seriously. I will be making these any time I’m entertaining from here on out.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 pack of tinsel (any color). I got a multi color pack from Hobby Lobby.
• Bamboo skewers
• A hot glue gun and 3-4 glue sticks
• Scissors

Step 1.

Plug in your hot glue gun, so it is completely heated up by the time you are ready to use it. Make sure you put a glue stick in it while it heats.

Step 2.

Take your tinsel out of the packaging, and cut the tinsel in 2 1/2″ – 3″ pieces. (It probably goes without saying, but cut 1 piece per each stirrer you’ll need). 

Step 3.

Count out the number of skewers you are making. (This step isn’t necessary, but it will make it easier while you’re working). 

Step 4.

Pick up one skewer. On the pointy side of the skewer, place one 1/2 inch line of hot glue until it reaches the tip of the skewer. Immediately place on free end of the tinsel on the hot glue and press down the end of the tinsel gently.

Step 5.

You should have one free end of tinsel that is not yet attached to the skewer. Wrap the free end of tinsel around the skewer in a circular motion. When you run out of slack, place a line of glue on the wrapped tinsel, and place the free end of the tinsel in the glue to secure the loose end.

Step 6.

This step can get hot, so BE CAREFUL! Gently press down the most recent glued end of tinsel towards the skewer for about 10 seconds. The hot glue will set quickly, so you want to make sure the tinsel is placed in the correct spot and stuck in the glue.

Step 7.

Let the glue stick cool as you finish the remaining stirrers. Pull off any stray hot glue strings. If you notice any loose tinsel ends, apply another portion of hot glue to reinforce the tinsel.

Now you are ready to entertain! Dress up your drink. These look precious placed in champagne glasses, martini glasses, and highball glasses! For an added touch of detail, add fresh cranberries or any other fresh fruit onto the skewer. 

Enjoy, safely!

Xx,