Holiday Gift Guide: the In-Laws

In-LawsOnto my second instalment of the Spiffykerms Holiday Gift Guide 2015! My gift guides will be coming out fast and furious the next few weeks. I have a lot of ideas to share. Today, we’re talking ‘n thinking about gifts for your in-laws.

I actually find it quite easy to shop for my in-laws, since they all have similar taste to me, or so we tell one another when we all go shopping together. I grew up with one older brother, so I never had much girl-time with any female siblings…because duh I was the only female! Lol.

I lucked into having three sister-in-laws upon marriages happening. My brother is married to an Irish woman, and my husband has two sisters. I honestly feel like they could all be my sisters. I love hanging out with each of them one-on-one and having that special bond with the three of them.

My parents-in-laws are awesome too. My Mother-In-Law bakes like no other. Her cheesecakes are to die for, I always said they were like “restaurant quality” and could definitely open up her own bake-shop if she wanted. I am craving a chocolate cheesecake from her now! Good thing we are heading home for Christmas.

My Father-in-law (FIL) and I share a general interest in rocks together. I grew up with a neighbour who was a geologist, and that neighbour and I always chatted about rocks. I even thought about going into geology! Obviously I don’t know as much as my FIL about geology (he has a large collection of incredible pieces and takes good care of them all), but I love having that similar interest with him. Did you guys know I used to have a rock collection? Like a legitimate one – rocks from all over the world. I ended up gifting it to my nephew when he turned 7 or 8, because he too, shows an interest in it. Even had this homemade box to keep them all labelled separately and in their own little cube so to speak.

Alright, let’s get into those holiday gift ideas! (Some items in this post were sent for review. Opinions are my own!) 

PIL-gift1

PIL-gift2For the parents-in-laws
Yes! Two photos for the parents-in-laws. Luckily my husbands parents are fairly easy to buy for, come Christmas time. Last time I was in Newfoundland, I ended up giving my Mother-In-Law Dior + Bioderma products and she seemed to really enjoy it! Plus, I usually like to think that whatever I like, in general — a lot of other people would too, no? I mean, who doesn’t want to try out Love With Food (an organic + all natural snacking monthly subscription box) to arrive on their door step each month? And another unique gift idea I love is to incorporate their pets (or Alfie, their grand-pet in this case, hee hee!) and have a CaseApp skin on their ipad? Don’t forget about liquid resistant placemats for the pets at home too, that one’s from JC Penny. Or cute festive Owl pillows (how cute is the one with the Santa hat?!) I also love giving luxury skincare items that people may or may not have heard of before, both Aesop and Antipodes are fantastic brands.

Products shown in first photo for parents-in-laws: 

Products shown in second photo for parents-in-laws: 

BIL-HolidayFor your brother-in-laws:
Because I feel like a lot of guys don’t necessarily take care of their hair until someone steps in. For instance, I had no idea my husband didn’t use conditioner until I asked him about it! Sheesh, take care of your boys here ladies and gents. The scent of the kelp & mint duo is unreal, kind of reminds me of something from Aveda,if you know that scent. Mmm-mmm, music to my ears. The hand wash is also gorgeous smelling and I feel like it would look really great in a bachelor’s kitchen, or bathroom to fancy and pretty things up a bit. Plus I feel like foaming hand washes last a lot longer than the regular ones. Anyone else feel that way? And tell me more about those iHome headphones I’m hearing you say! They’re wireless. They’re bluetooth. They’ll love you forever for getting that for them, and thinking you spent a lot more than you actually did.

That box of Boardwalk Food Company Craft Beer Snack Mix (shown: pretzel in rosemary sea salt) is such an awesome idea. And so easy to make for a dude’s party. I guarantee they’ve never seen something like this before. You can make them in 30 minutes… WITH BEER. Gah! Genius.

You guys know I love that Juniper Ridge brand, which I included in my previous gift guide, heehee! And let’s talk about practcal gifts here. Those AllerEase pillow protectors. I know, I know. You’re thinking its’ a strange gift. It kinda is, I agree, but aren’t a lot of guys super practical? I know for sure my husband, brother and father are. They want something they know they will use. And who KNOWS how old their pillows are. Eeeehhhhw.

Products shown for brother-in-laws: 

Delsey-LuggageIf you’re feeling extra generous or happen to have a bigger wallet than I, you could always give the gift of a luxury suitcase. This one is from Delsey, and it’s the 19″ Chatelet carry-on spinner trolly. I’ll be talking more about it in depth in a future blog post, so stay tuned for that too!

SIL-Holiday

For the sister-in-laws:
Although three of them are quite different from one another, I can guarantee that my three sister-in-law’s would love any (or multiple) gifts of the above shown, especially something by bareMinerals because I took my SIL there a few weeks ago (see!!). I would have loved to include these adorable bunny slippers from ardene, or even a clothing piece. One of my sister-in-laws cycles as much as her brother/my husband does. So keep in mind what their interests are, and branch out from there.

Products shown for sister-in-laws: 

The three gift guides shown above (sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws, and parents-in-laws) are all somewhat gender neutral and could be used/given to either male or females. I mean, man-buns…hello? They need hair ties and hair spray. Some dude’s are totally into nail polish too you know. And I know the Sephora male employees know how to contour better than I ever will. Plus, this is to give you some ideas and what brands to keep an eye out for while shopping this Christmas (or which ever holiday you celebrate).

 

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Whole Foods Beauty Gift Guide: #ShareTheCheer!

Whole-Foods-Gift-GuideGuys I can’t believe we’re approaching Christmas soon. I feel like I’m not ready for it it this year. Should I even be talking about it this early on? I always say, I don’t celebrate the Christmas season until after the November 11 Veteran’s Day. But it’s long past that now!

The day before I flew back to Newfoundland, I received a few parcels in the mail (perfect timing, whewf!). One of them being from Whole Foods.  Since I already had a couple of weeks to try a few of the products out, I can now offiically tell you how well they worked for me and of course put together a holiday guide for you to shop for yourself, or for others. :) I have so many exciting blog posts and Gift Guides coming up in the next little while. Today, being the first one. Whole Foods Market Northern California has created an exclusive Winter Beauty kit to help us folks look and feel our best this season. Let’s jump right in:

It’s totally fine to talk about your favourite product of the bunch first, right? I mean, couldn’t you tell by all the tweets and Instagram photos I snapped throughout last week?

Juniper-RidgeJuniper Ridge was definitely the front runner in my favourite-must-tell-you about products. The Douglas Fir Spring Tips ($13 for 20 tea bags), Christmas Fir Cabin Spray ($25 for 2oz), and Douglas Fir Campfire Incense ($12 for 20 sticks. Note: No hidden ingredients. No charcoal or perfume. Ingredients: Wildcrafted plants, tree sap, wood, and bamboo stick.), are no surprise: incredible smelling products to warm the nose, and the smell of your home this Christmas season. As I mentioned on my social media many times, about Juniper Ridge, I feel as though the scent of Douglas Fir and Christmas Fir scents are the epitome of Christmas. Neither of the three products have an artificial scent about them at all. Plus, the tea… although strange to me (I’m used to the simplistic black tea) is earthy tasting, but so yummy. I can’t wait to walk into Whole Foods and smell their backpacker men’s cologne though, swoon! 

Gift tip: Such a unisex scent, perfect gift for males and females.
Find them:  Web // Twitter // Instagram


Mineral-FusionColour names, left to right: Gilded Rose, Sprinkle, Snowflake, Cashmere, Whisper, Golden Sand. 

Mineral Fusion is a natural, vegan cosmetic brand that doesn’t test on animals. I haven’t tried any of their makeup/skincare before but I’m interested to try more of their products out. Mineral Fusion is a sustainable brand, and their packaging is made from recycled materials.

The six colour set (named constellation) is exclusive to Whole Foods Market.

Mineral-Fusion-grabHere I am wearing three of the six colours from the mini set: The effortless and easy to wear Cashmere colour (a soft dusty pink) is applied all over my nails. On the accent nail, I applied Gilded Rose and added Sprinkle as a top coat to add a fun glitzy effect.

Gift tip 1: Gift the entire set of 6 mini nail polishes (this set in particular is exclusive to Whole Foods) to a friend, or separate all 6 of them and do a few gift bags for your girlfriends this Christmas, including one of the nail polishes in with.

Gift tip 2: Instead of saving the nail polishes as a gift for someone for Christmas, perhaps you’re inviting a few couples in for American Thanksgiving – next to your place setting cards, add a mini nail polish for your guests and ladies of the evening. It’s a different, but special added touch that I’m sure they will all appreciate.
Find them: Web // Twitter // Instagram


Trilogy-serumTrilogy Rosehip Oil ($36 for 30ml) Straight to the hydration point. I’m all about skincare products over makeup. I feel like the more you take care of your skin, the less makeup you’ll have to wear (but I mean, c’mon – it’s definitely fun to dress up/play with makeup on a regular basis. I won’t stop wearing it for a while at least!). But keeping your skin healthy, and hydrated is key. Especially with those colder months coming up. People don’t believe me when I tell them that California gets cold. Seriously, when I got back to California from visiting Newfoundland, I was expecting 20°C+. Pretty sure I brought back the cold Canadian climate, because it has been as low as 5°C here. Serums are a game changer. Why? Serums are a top pick for many skin care professionals. A high concentration of active ingredients, to hydrate and sink into the skin a lot better than a plain moisturizer. Use in conjunction with the moisturizier (apply serums after cleansing, before moisturizing [or mixed in with your moisturizer] and can be used day/night).
Find them: Web // Twitter // Instagram


Giovanni-hairGiovanni I really love getting fresh new bottles of shampoo/conditioner in my stocking at Christmas. I’ve never tried anything from the Giovanni brand before, and considering this hydrating avocado and olive oil set is meant for dry and damaged hair, I feel like it’s the perfect time to use as my hair is feeling a little frazzeled after living in this warm California sunshine. Bonus, is that these two products did not weigh my hair down, nor made it oily looking on second day: score!
Find them: Web // Twitter // Instagram

What are your thoughts on my first Spiffykerms Holiday Gift Guide of 2015? Are you stoked to see more? Have you heard of any of the brands listed, or are interested in buying them for people this year? Let me know!

Disclaimer: Thanks to Whole Foods for sending a Whole Foods’ Exclusive Winter Beauty Kits for me to try out. 

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Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway # 2

The holidays are just around the corner, and I couldn’t be happier. A few weeks ago, I went to mail a friends birthday present two days after Halloween was over, and the Christmas music was already playing. Love that. It’s never too early ;)

In fact, Christmas decorations and trees were decorated in the basement part of The Bay when I went shopping with my co-worker to buy some wrapping paper, and ended up buying a set of sheets instead. Oops.

At least they keep me warm — I love a classy look to the bedroom. Unfortunately, everything I buy is grey. Guess that’s my new favorite color shade.I’m just excited to go home for Christmas. There will be plenty of parties, family dinners, friends from all over the country flying back home and us all getting together. Plus, hanging out with my sweet little nephews.

For any guests or visitors, you need to have a clean home. Inevitably people will either be in the kitchen or the bathroom at some point in the evening.

Ain’t that the truth!

One day I’d love to be fortunate enough to hire a maid to clean our apartment. But right now, I’m the one who has to clean things.

I have a nice and easy way to clean up in a breeze, using these Rubbermaid products despite anyone’s busy work schedule.

Here I am getting rid of all the water marks in our shower. This scrubber-thing is a winner. It’s… WINNING! in my books (Sorry. Had to). Loved how abrasive the cleaning pads were. Little elbow grease was used here, and I made the Rubbermaid scrubber do all the work! ha!

You guys get to win one of these mop sets too, valued at $50.00. YAY!

 Contest is only open to Canadians.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

A few questions on what you can leave in the comments, for your blog post entry!

Do you have any holiday traditions?
We do! On Christmas morning, everyone opens their gifts at home. Then, with our PJs still on, we put on our winter coats ‘n boots and head over to the neighbours house to have Christmas breakfast, coffee and open a few more gifts. It’s always something I look forward to.

Do you have a set day that you clean? or do you clean as you go?
I would love to be a clean-each-day person. But I honestly wouldn’t stop running around if I did that. I usually keep the kitchen very clean on a daily basis, because otherwise I’d get overwhelmed.

How often do you clean your shower?
Gotta be honest. I only clean my shower walls when it looks like I haven’t done it in a while. As for the bathtub, sinks and toilet – those suckers get cleaned on a weekly basis. There’s nothing more gross than a dirty bathroom.

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