Life

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Women in Your Life

As promised, I am back with my gift ideas for any woman in your life: sister, friend, Mom, girlfriend. I’ve tried to include something for any type of girl: I have quite the eclectic group of women surrounding me!

Take a gander & get inspired!

Fluffy eye mask – $6.50

Tribal print knit scarf – $12.80

Pineapple Coconut Bubble Bath – $16

Pencil crayons – $11.25

Bonsai Forest – $50

Pave Stars Key Ring – $58

Kama Sutra Bedside Box – $45

OPI  ‘Burlesque’ polish – $4.05

Italian luxury throws – $29

Amazon Kindle – $139

Vanilla bean reed diffuser – $17.95

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Of course, everyone is unique. I chose each of these gifts with a different special lady in mind, and I’m certainly not suggesting that you throw a lot of glitter and pink on whoever identifies as a female and call it Christmas! Think about who the person is first, and choose something to fit them and their interests. For example, one of my best friends would be on the moon if I bought her a steamy romance novel, a Star Trek box set, a t-shirt with a funny saying on it, and some imported beer. Everyone is special! Make sure their gift is special too.

Let me know what you’re pondering for your special women this season!

xoxo,

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Men in Your Life

Alright! Now that it’s officially December, I am definitely allowed to start daydreaming and brainstorming about what to buy or make for my loved ones. While I believe that the best gifts are thoughtful ones, especially if you create them yourself, I realize that making presents for everyone on your list could be a bit time consuming, especially around exam season!

..Which is why I’ve put together a little list of things you could purchase for any guy in your life: brother, father, lover. These items really spark my giving spirit: they’re all beautifully made and would (hopefully!) make the receiver’s day just a little bit brighter every time they were used. Voila:

Music by Andrew Zuckerman – $31.50

Bormioli Wine Decanter – $59

Cotton corduroy shirt from Banana Republic – $69.50

iPod Nano 6th Generation – $159

Leather bound journal – $23

Bodum Bistro juicer – $69.95

Personalized M&Ms – from $8.49

Burberry Cashmere Check scarf – $335

Ralph Lauren Big Pony Colognes – $50 each

Plus anything that pertains specifically to the man you’re buying for. For example, my Dad loves to read, so maybe I’ll get him the latest Grisham or Connelly thriller. Or an universal remote for the flatscreen he’s thinking of buying. Or a really, really nice pen. For my boyfriend? Vintage comic books or gourmet coffee or a wooden guitar pick. Choose something personal and awesome!

Okay, that’s all for my inspiration. I’d love to hear what you’re thinking of buying for the men in your lives! Let me know, if you want.

I’ll be posting a list for the women in your life soon, so stay tuned. :)

xoxo,




Get Well Soon

Ugh, guys, I just recovered from a cold.

Twas like death, warmed up.

Last Wednesday morning, I suddenly awoke with a sore throat. Thought it was nothing. Went about my merry business. Was repeatedly slapped in the face and sent to bed with my tail between my legs for the better part of the next four days, clutching my aching head, rubbing my swollen lymph nodes, painfully swallowing and gargling with salt water. LAME.

I discovered the practical applications of Advil around day 2.5 and spent considerable mental effort thereafter adhering faithfully to the bottle regulations. I didn’t exceed 6 in 24 hours! It worked miracles. MIRACLES I SAY. When I called my mother to A) assure her I wasn’t dying and B) listen to her tell me I might have strep throat, she herself even proclaimed: “Advil is a great drug.”

There you have it people. Great drug.

Anywho, I just wanted to come on here and let loose my mouth on the subject of the common cold. My mother has versed me well in her cures for this mild affliction, and I would like to share my little bit of knowledge to try and help prevent you from feeling as bad as I was feeling. (I thought it would never, ever end!)

Feel Better Again..

  • Start washing your hands, all the time. Use soap. Never touch doorknobs. Carry hand-sanitizer with you and use it before you eat finger food (aka all the food I eat). This is a preventative measure. Thumbs up.
  • Tons of water/fluids
  • Vitamin C and Echinacea every 4 hours
  • Tons of sleep
  • Zinc tablets for your immune system
  • Gargle with salt water if you have a sore throat
  • Citrus fruits (Vitamin C! Vitamin C!)
  • Garlic & ginger as much as possible in your food
  • Avoid dairy and meat (bad for immune system!)
  • Sleep
  • Don’t do any strenuous activities! Your body needs its energy to fight off the cold.
  • Listen to your body and do what it says. Like sleep.

Alright, I feel that I’ve done my civic duty. Please don’t get sick you guys! It seriously sucks.

OFF TO WATCH GLEE!

xoxo,

 

 

Mom’s Chili + Easiest Scones Ever

Mm, fall food.

How much are you loving fall?

A lot? A little?

Personally, I find it difficult to disassociate the beautiful autumn weather & fun fall activities from the hell that is midterm season. I resent that though, because fall is my favourite of all the seasons! It’s electric, full of excitement and crunch and unadulterated joy.

One thing that makes fall easier to appreciate, for me, is making delicious fall-like food and consuming it. I do this a lot.

I think my favourite comfort food right now is a big hearty bowl of my mom’s chili with some sour cream and green onions and some biscuits on the side. Mmmm. It’s the perfect food really: easy, healthy, sharable, delicious, keeps for a long time in the fridge :)

So, my fine people, I share with you the deliciousness that is chili in the fall. Enjoy!

 

Mom’s Chili

Makes about 6 servings, depending on how hungry you are.. :)

1.     Chop up 1 onions, 2 stalks celery, 3 garlic, 2 carrots very small

2.     Cover ½ cup of barley (or bulgor wheat!) with 2 cups of water; simmer until barley/bulgor is cooked

3.     Meanwhile, sauté the veggies in olive oil until tender crisp

4.     Add finely chopped pepper and zucchini to the sautéed veggies, sauté until soft (I add diced mushrooms and neglect the zucchini)

5.     Add spices: cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, basil, shake of salt, little pepper, any other spices you might like..

6.     Add a large tin of diced tomatoes

7.     Add some red wine (few tbsp)

8.     Simmer it a while, add drained barley and a rinsed can of kidney beans

9.     Taste! Add salt. Add a little sugar, a bit more cinnamon. Add some ketchup. Taste & repeat if necessary!

10. Simmer on low heat for as long as possible.

11. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some green onions – YUM!

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Easiest Scones Ever


Follow this link to find the easiest scones of all time..yummo!

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Bon apetit!

Let me know how the recipe turns out, if you try it!

xoxo,

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