Welcome to the only post about last-minute Christmas shopping blitz! I have ideas that can be purchased in stores and online. Granted, the online version won’t be in hand immediately and you can print out that you got the person a gift and it’s in transit. The other way to actually have a gift in hand does require you to leave your place and drive (or walk) to the nearest shopping center. On this particular day of the year, it can be quite an experience but one that’s also fun too if you are in the holiday spirit!
( Christmas NB: You might see a post tomorrow on things you can gift at the last minute if you forgot hostess gifts or someone popped up you needed to gift. )
Books:
Books are great gifts because they are long-lasting reminders of your thoughtfulness.
For the people on your list here are 4
For the beauty junkie:
Timeless Beauty by Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley’s book on tips, tricks and shortcuts to looking great and she does give you tips on living beautifully, healthy and making sure you get enough exercise. She talks about anti-aging secrets and while she does share her favorite recipes, eating plans and how to stay healthy. It’s not just about looking good, it’s about feeling good about yourself and what you are doing to stay fit and healthy.
While most of us can’t afford the attention of her celebrity hair stylists, colorist or fashion stylist, people can get similar pro information if they know what experts they need. Thanks to Christie Brinkley for giving us a snap shot of her life!
For the Green Beauty Junkie:
We all want to feel sexy yet demonstrate compassion for our planet at the same time. In Green Beauty Rules, Padgett shares personal anecdotes, insider secrets and surprising facts about the beauty industry, while seamlessly fusing environmental issues with her modern beauty philosophy.
This is the first book of its kind to offer an action plan for creating a totally green beauty routine! Using a step-by-step formula, Padgett guides readers through the decision-making process of what to try, what to toss, and what to buy. She also teaches practical strategies to make green beauty easy―like how to read labels, see through misleading buzzwords, and identify toxic chemicals
“Finally, a green beauty book written for the glamorous girl. If you’re a person with discerning taste for glamour and beauty, but also care about your health and wellness, this is the book for you. Paige Padgett shows you exactly how to rid your beauty routine of toxic chemicals without having to make your own cosmetics or settle for substandard beauty products that don’t work. No one is more qualified to show you how to be glamorous and green.” Jillian Michaels
Who is Paige Padgett:
Paige Padgett, a leading authority on green beauty, has never been afraid to go against the grain. An irreverent, free spirit, she follows her instincts and her heart. At the mere age of 12 she announced to her family that she was no longer eating red meat. Ironically, her half-Native American grandfather was a cattle rancher. It was no surprise, then, that when beauty experts said she couldn’t provide safe and eco-friendly makeup artistry and still create beautiful faces, she set out to prove them wrong ― and did.
Bottom line, it’s definitely a book to give and to have. So buy two and give one to yourself OR another woman.
VANILLA TABLE: The essence of exquisite cooking from the world’s best chefs by Natasha MacAller
With its rich and familiar scent, vanilla has a place in every cook’s kitchen. It often evokes memories of childhood favorites – cookies and cakes warm from the oven. Yet beyond these nostalgic noshes, vanilla is a versatile and surprising ingredient in an enormous array of dishes – both sweet and savory. You may think there are only so many ways vanilla can be used in cooking – surprise! International Chef Natasha MacAller will change your mind by taking you on a journey to discover the many wonders of one of the most amazingly versatile ingredients in your pantry.
Chef Natasha MacAller‘s VANILLA TABLE (Jacqui Small LLP, April 2015, $40.00 US/$43.99 CAN) offers over 100 original recipes showcasing this exotic-yet-common spice. Vanilla Table is a culinary celebration of all things vanilla. With its fragrant and captivating scent, it can be creatively used in an endless array of delicious dishes. From sweet to savory, the more than 100 recipes-including 32 dishes carefully curated from 33 internationally acclaimed chefs worldwide- show how to make the most of this magical ingredient. For instance, this cookbook demonstrates the delights of vanilla and trout pairing; how just a vanilla pinch deliciously wakes up a pork chop; and of course, countless ways to make desserts sparkle.
Joining Natasha MacAller and other famed chefs in this vanilla tribute are UK superstars Yotam Ottolenghi, Peter Gordon, William Curley, and Galton Blackiston; each contributed dazzling recipes to this landmark cookbook.
Buy this book: http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781909342866
For the Men in Your Life:
Cleaning Up the Guys!
Level Naturals: Change the world one shower at a time
Showers are pretty integral to any guy’s life. But making them more efficient and effective at the same time is quite a trick to pull off. Thanks to Level Naturals, it seems they have all the answers.
Level Naturals was born on an organic farm in Hawaii and raised with California soul in Downtown Los Angeles. Founded with the philosophy that taking good care of ourselves also means nurturing and protecting Mama Earth, our bath and body products are good for you and good for the planet.
Backed by a deep knowledge of skincare and aromatherapy, our line is handmade using the finest natural ingredients. Every Level product is vegan plus Leaping Bunny and PETA certified—because we believe in relying on the good, plant-based stuff the earth provides instead of exploiting our furry friends. We source all natural essential oils for each of our scents; no funky synthetics needed. So lather up with some natural goodness, spritz on nature’s healing fragrance, and come on down to eco town. We’re happy you’re here.
Level Naturals. Taking care of you. Taking care of our World
The Level Naturals collections are nothing to sneeze at. Actually their fragrances are clean, natural and genuinely useful. Aromatherapuetic- check, guy-friendly- check! So here’s your chance to gift a guy (and maybe snag a few things for yourself) with some purchases from Level Naturals.
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The Bath Bombs get lots of attention but to some they might seem so small. Unless your guy has time (and the inclination to fill up a tub), you might want to choose the shower bombs over the bath bombs.
What this little bomb lacks in size it makes up for in airway-clearing, spa-steaming, aromatherapy goodness. Menthol and eucalyptus oils help to open your sinuses and invigorate skin, surrounding you with a cooling fog as you shower. Step into the shower and place the bomb beneath the stream of water but away from the drain. Breathe deeply and enjoy as the soothing steam swirls around you.
It’s the perfect sauna without the price tag.
The bath bombs on the other hand make for a nice gift if he likes taking a bath (and getting cozy in the bath tub can be fun!)
So don’t get squeamish, buy both.
If your man is a strictly the basics kind of guy, then start off with some interesting soaps. The array of flavors/scents (no you don’t eat it. Some guys don’t like to use the word scents, “flavor” is a word they understand better.) With 15 scents — err– flavors, there are definitely a few he would like. Buy a dozen and give them to dads, brothers, husbands and stash a couple for Valentine’s Day or Father’s Day. There are lots of options in the Level Naturals product line. Don’t skimp! Be DARING and buy him some interesting grooming tools for the shower!
Find Level Naturals on Amazon.com or at https://levelnaturals.com/
For the Traveler!
Men, women, even kids are traveling more and you need to be comfortable no matter where you are going. But part of the issue of traveling whether by car, bus, train or plane is that it’s can be very uncomfortable. It could be that someone isn’t getting a good night’s sleep. When it happens to me, the first thing I check is my pillow and I have tried so many pillow that I am almost an expert. Don’t scrimp on your pillow. You are sleeping with that baby every single night. Spending so much time with a pillow means it wears out after a while unless you have a BACK JOY SleepSound Pillow which is a-maze-ing!
-BackJoy’s SleepSound Pillow combines the support of memory foam and the soft comfort of down without the drawbacks of either.
-The SleepSound Pillow is the world’s only patented pillow that self-adjusts to support optimal sleeping posture, whether you’re a side or back sleeper. (This is so important because most pillows support only one type of sleeper (either/or- never both). BackJoy’s pillows support both types!
-The Soft Support Reinvented Down fill allows you to fall asleep in comfort, while the Cool Comfort Memory Foam layers support your head and neck in proper alignment throughout the night, preventing clumping or flattening.
-The handcrafted pillow shell increases breathability to moderate heat for complete sleeping comfort. Innovative sidewalls flex and conform around the neck and shoulders for total alignment. It also includes washable dual-sided pillowcase which makes it easy -peasy to keep clean.
Are you sold yet? If not, there’s a travel pillow with the same components that’s firm and supportive unlike most other travel pillows I have ever tried. This one is a keeper!
BACK JOY SleepSound Pillow
Back Joy Travel Pillow
Check out all the other Bac kJoy products if you are concerned about preventing or dealing with back pain or back problems. http://www.backjoy.com/
For the Girl:
For those who maybe you couldn’t find what to get them or you were looking for something special, I have 3 or 4 recommendations to make for you.
BeyondHerBlush.com
BeyondHerBlush.com has a great subscription box service. Monthly boxes are $ 18-20/month if you are unsure if the girl will like the subscription. If you know she has subscriptions or uses a lot of beauty products, there is a 6-month subscription option at $18/month with a pay monthly option. (I just found this out!) OR you can take the quiz to enable stylists and makeup artists to customize your own box.
This photo is of the November box. I received a sample of a box and it had ESSIE nail products which is a great brand and I am loving what was in my box despite they didn’t really know much about my preferences. The presentation of This is an ideal gift that keeps on giving if you choose the the 6 month subscription or by the month for a couple of months! It’s very affordable!
The next couple of suggestions are beauty tools!
Dermaflash
Made specifically for women, DERMAFLASH brings a med spa inspired exfoliation experience home, comfortably and discreetly sweeping away skin imperfections, dullness and peach fuzz with a subtle sonic vibration. By gently removing dead cell build up and fine hairs round the forehead, cheeks, jaw line, lip and chin, DERMAFLASH creates a perfectly smooth luminous canvas for truly flawless skincare and makeup application.
This is a salon or spa level quality tool that allows a woman to exfoliate her skin like the pros do when they have a dermaplaning at a spa. It’s fairly easy to use and could be used once a week. It does require purchasing new “blade” inserts since each blade is good for only one use. It is a very cool device but it does require some education on how to use it. The site provides lots of videos to watch. It’s highly effective
Details on the purchase of the device are found at http://dermaflash.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/2
LumaRx
LumaRx is a new at-home hair removal system that is an FDA-approved IPL device. It’s amazing. You can use it 3 x in a month and reduce your hair regrowth dramatically!
What LumaRx does:
• LumaRx provides at-home hair removal with professional-quality results .
• FDA cleared for use on the body and female facial hairs.
• In a clinical study, the upper quartile of treatment sites averaged 94.3% fewer hairs 12 months after just three treatments. On average, all treatment sites averaged 66% fewer hairs 12 months after just three treatments.
• LumaRx utilizes IPL (Intense Pulse Light) technology, which is the same IPL technology used by skin care professionals
• LumaRx should only be used on light to medium skin tones. The device comes with a built-in skin tone tester for safety
• Pioneered by one of the nation’s leading dermatologists
• Developed with customer safety in mind, the proprietary ComfortFilter technology blocks harmful UV and infrared energy
For less than the cost of 2-4 laser hair removal sessions at a spa or doctor’s office, one can do this in the comfort, convenience and privacy of their home. The device costs $400 but is an investment in beauty that any woman can appreciate!
All of these items are available online. Some are available in stores. These are gifts that the recipient will love!
Hope this helps !
Merry Christmas!!
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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I didn’t even know shower bombs were a thing. Looks like they’d be perfect for all the colds I get during the winter (because when you have kids, you’re pretty much sick more often than not). A little bit pricey at $2 per bomb but if it helps me breathe, I’d say it’s worth it 🙂
Hello Vicky
While $2 sounds like a lot, it’s not. I have seen others at drugstores, Bed, Bath & Beyond as well as Bath & Bodyworks. However, while scents are varied, the scents & fizz potential don’t last long on the less expensive ones. So $2 is a great deal compared to higher end brands like LUSH who charge $5-8 a bomb for single use bombs.