Sunday, December 13, 2009

Gift Guide: His parents

If you're stopping by your boyfriend's parents for the first time this holiday season, what to bring as a gift can be a nerve-racking decision when you're looking to impress. Here are three small but thoughtful gifts that are sure to make you welcomed right in.



1. Personalized: Put his family surname on these cute salt and pepper shakers for a gift that's useful, adorable and just for them.

2. Homemade: Layer regular granulated sugar with creative and aromatic mix-ins like rose petals, vanilla beans or lemon peel for a special gift that can be used as a delectable mix-in for teas, coffees and baking. Learn more about how to create this gift at MarthaStewart.com .

3. Fun: This tabletop topics game will get his family reminiscing about everything from their favorite family vacations to their most memorable holidays. Bonus: it will make conversation a breeze for you.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Feeling sleepy

If I could add every piece of extraordinary clothing that walked down the runways at the Victoria's Secret fashion to my holiday wish list, I totally would. But unfortunately, I think diamond-encrusted bras are a little out of Santa's price range this year.

Instead, I'll wish for something only VS does right ... making incredibly cozy pajamas still look incredibly cute. And major bonus, use the code PJGift at checkout to receive a free pair of slippers with purchase.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Dancing into December

I'm so excited December is here - it's one of my favorite months of the year for all the warm traditions that chase away the cold weather.

A most cherished annual event for me is getting dressed up to go to the ballet and see the Nutcracker. When I was just a kid, my parents would don my sister and I in fancy velvet dresses and take us into downtown Chicago to see the show and walk past the windows of Marshall Fields.

Now that I'm in New York, the decorations in the city are even bigger and brighter and I can't wait to see what joy the holiday season will bring.

To get your December started, here are a few beautiful photos of the Dance of the Snowflakes from the Nutcracker.


From Flickr



From SFBalletBlog.org


From SylviaSillyBallerina.com



From MayoCiviCenter.com


From SFGate.com