top of page

'Tis better to give than, wait a minute...

Is it really better to give than to receive? At the end of the day, don't we give to make ourselves feel better about ourselves? Isn't the best gift we can give the joy of letting someone else feel good about getting us exactly what we want? So I'm giving you that gift today with my 2018 CHRISTMAS LIST.

#1 THE STENDIG CALENDAR

I ask for the Stendig Calendar every year. This oversized calendar is perfect for artfully organizing busy lives. My husband thinks its dumb because there is no dedicated space to actually write things, but I use silver and gold markers to draw pictures and write allover the numbers. At the end of the month, it's an artistic reminder of what we've done and then it becomes giant scrap paper for wrapping gifts, covering picnic tables or protecting work surfaces.

#2 YETI TUMBLER

Last year, Chris gave all of our friends Yeti 30 oz Tumblers for Christmas. He was an early convert and evangelizer of these miracles of vacuum insulation but I love to resist things, so I resisted and resisted, ignoring the one he got me until summertime came and I started chugging icy-cold water like a Bactrian camel (that's two-humped, not one and I was drinking enough to fill them both). They really are amazing (Yetis not camels, although camels are pretty fantastic too come to think of it) and will keep ice in its solid state for 24 hours. But it's winter and that's not my problem anymore. My current problem is that I drink a single cup of coffee every morning but end up having to microwave it at least twice, sometimes three times before I get through it. I leave it sitting on the porch while I'm fixing the dog's breakfast or on the table while I take a shower and by the time I get back to it, it's gone all cold. In my opinion, even one trip to the microwave is too much for coffee. It starts to taste a little burnt and bitter. By the time you've microwaved it three times, it taste like something that came out of those peet bogs in the Netherlands that are always mummifying people. The insanity has to stop, so I'm hoping for one of these to save me from drinking any more cups of morning bog water.

#3 Bonjour Lamp

I really hope my sister will be gifting me this for Christmas. A few summers ago we took a crazy romp through Provence together. While we were there, I fell in love with a cactus lamp in the window of a shop that was closed indefinitely due to extended summer holidays (the French really excel when it comes to summer holidays). She somehow managed to track one down and gave it to me at Christmas. I love that lamp, but more than anything, I love that visceral reminder of our adventures that I get whenever I look at it. This little pink pretty instantly reminded me of my sister and gave me those same sisterly feels! I should probably be giving it to her but...c'est la vie!

#4 HAMPTON FORGE STAINLESS STEEL FLATWARE IN COPPER

I've had my eye on gold or copper flatware for awhile but have yet to pull the trigger on buying it because so many of the reviews I've read are across the board TERRIBLE! No one seems to have been able to master the art of getting gold, rose gold, matte black or copper to stick to stainless steel. The fact that we live in a world where people have figured out how get nail polish to stay on indefinitely but can't get one metal to stick to another boggles the mind. The reviews on these are fair to middling but I thought, "what the hell, it's Christmas!"

#5 RALPH LAUREN PAISLEY SHEETS

Ralph Lauren makes great, old-school sheets. They're thick and crisp with the best paisleys to choose from. They'll make you feel like you're sleeping at a hotel, at least until you look around your bedroom and see piles of laundry everywhere.

#6 NEW YORKER SUBSCRIPTION

If the world today has got you feeling bummed, The New Yorker will explain why in fastidiously researched, tightly written articles and lists with the occasional cartoon thrown in to keep you from gauging your eyes out to avoid the sight of our orange crested dictator.

#7 NEW YORK TIMES COOKING SUBSCRIPTION

I really enjoy the New York Times' recipes. I've been skirting subscribing for years, but figured I should probably pay my dues (or at least get someone else to pay them for me). With snappy writing and gorgeous photography, this is sure to inspire the Chef in all of us!

#8 BETWEEN HARLEM AND HEAVEN

I love cookbooks and every year I ask for a few to add to my collection. This year, I'm looking forward to cooking up some recipes from the beautiful Between Harlem and Heaven. With incredibly unique recipes, stories and photos, this book highlights the influence of the African Diaspora on global cuisine and has me excited to get into the kitchen in the new year!

#9 ROSE JAM

This Lush favorite, available once a year, is my daily indulgence. It doesn't even remotely smell like rose to me, but it does remind me of a bottle of bubble bath that I had as a kid. There's an I don't know what to the the sweet and mild scent that always helps me relax at the end of a busy day.

Featured Posts
Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
No tags yet.
Follow Us
  • Facebook Basic Square
  • Twitter Basic Square
  • Google+ Basic Square
bottom of page