Christmas

5 Favorite Gifts That Bring Joy

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The joy of gift-giving has endless possibilities. If I am being totally honest here, I recycle gifts all the time! No, it doesn’t mean I take unwanted gifts or used gifts and “gift” them to some unsuspecting friend or family member. It means, I have realized that I have My 5 Favorite Gifts that I always seem to buy for multiple people throughout the year! No matter the age, budget or occasion, these gifts always seem to be hit for those on the receiving end. The brand or choice of item might change slightly depending on whom it is for, but for the most part the concept of my 5 favorite gifts remain the same.

My 5 Favorite Gifts That Bring Joy To All
Books/journals
Tea/Coffee with a cute mug
Beauty & wellness products
Slippers or cozy socks
Food gift sets

Using these 5 gift ideas as a base for my holiday shopping, I found some wicked cute items and great products. Not only did I buy them for myself, but I can not wait to gift them to those I love. No matter the age or budget, you can find these items for just about anyone on your list! I love to shop for my family. However, when I am happy with the product personally I am even more excited to buy it for someone else! Spread the love, right? Below are the products I am gifting this year!

Forks, Knives and Spoons By Leah DeCesare
This book is insanely funny and I was so lucky to receive a copy from the author herself and fellow Rhody Blogger. First, where was this book when I was in college? It could have saved me from myself and from many player forks. If I am being honest, it is almost 400 pages, about 200 pages longer than most books I like to read, but it was such a good one that I really didn’t mind the extra pages. It is light, yet emotional. Funny, yet serious. And the analogy of branding utensils to certain types of men is really ingenious that I often say, why didn’t I think of that? This book is on my list for all my college graduates and those friends who are just starting out in the dating world or newly married! If you want to check out this book or more from Leah DeCesare you can do so on her Amazon author page and follow her on Facebook.Pukka Tea & Yoga Expression Mugs
I am no stranger to tea and cute mugs. I have way too many of both, but they always seem to get into my cart even when I am not in the market for either of them. I recently was introduced to Pukka tea at The Well Summit that I attended last month. I instantly fell in love with their mission and their quality of ingredients. Organic, fair trade and ethically harvested herbs are just some of the reasons this brand is my new favorite! Their blends of teas are unique and taste even better, this I promise. I am pairing two fun mugs that I recently scored at Home Goods with a box of Pukka Love Tea for a great hostess gift for an upcoming party!Calm-A-Mama Flower Remedies
Wellness is so important to me. Caring for my body in the most natural way possible is always something that I hold in high regard. With so many products on the market, I was so grateful to discover Calm-A-Mama about 18 months ago. The power of the flower is as natural as you can get. These drops are a blend of flower essences and an herbal water extract, or hydrosol. The herbs work on your physical body, while the flower essences support you emotionally. They use all USDA organic, non-GMO and pesticide-free herbs and all their blends are alcohol free! The sleep & immune drops are my favorite and I can not wait to gift this to all my friends! If you want to learn more about these drops and other blends, you can visit the website here.
Trader Joes Rainbow of Honey
I love to give food sets to foodies, especially out of the box items like the Rainbow of Honey from Trader Joes. Sure, you see spices and sauces and even baked goods in a jar, but nothing is sweeter (IMO) than a literal pot of gold in a rainbow of colors! The flavors vary based on where they come from and I’ve tasted all of them and each one stands out for different reasons. Some are sweet, some are floral and some a bit more nutty. Regardless, you can use these jars of honey for so many reasons! My favorite way to indulge is some mimosa honey over brie with a side of grapes! Have a Trader Joes near you, get there and snag one of these sets for you and a friend!Victoria’s Secret Pom Pom Slippers 
Chances are if you are like me, the idea of spending my own money on socks & slippers doesn’t make me thrilled. I mean, the stuff goes on your feet and no-one sees it anyway? However, when I get my feet all cozy into some fluffy socks or slippers I instantly feel better. There is nothing better than relaxing on the couch on a cold winter day with a pair of cute slippers, a good book, some tea and a yummy snack. See what I did there? These pom pom slippers from Victoria’s Secret are so cute and trendy that anyone would love to open a pair of these this holiday. I might have grabbed a few extra pairs for myself as well!As you can see, I can take My 5 Favorite Gifts and can spin them in many ways that bring joy to all the people in my life! Do you find yourself recycling some of the same things to other people because you love them so? When you find something good, why not stick with it and spread the joy to others in the process.

Happy Gifting & Happy Holidays~
Joy

Christmas Overload

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Christmas overload. Yes it can happen. There is a possibility that there may be too many presents to open, too many parties to attend, too many delectable sweets to eat, and way too many family members to talk too. It can happen to anyone. . But especially to a sensational kid-my kid! It happens to me every year as well.  I love the holidays, but I like my alone time with my family just as much. Having divorced parents which are in two separate states, in addition to in-laws in another state, the holidays are a bit hectic to say the least. This year, although it was still very busy, we decided to keep Christmas Day to ourselves ( Decision was AWESOME- by the way).

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Crowds, noise, new people, days off schedule are all things that can trigger a sensory attack for my boy. Heck, it throws me off my game. As much as I am a social butterfly within my circle of friends, I however am not when it comes to my family or large gatherings.  And my family probably created the term “family drama”, so you can imagine how fun our gatherings can get.  WE are a loud, sometimes too opinionated, Italian family. Things can get….well……for another day…..moving on…..

A quiet break with his cousin

A quiet break with his cousin

Before Christmas Eve, we had already been to 3 family Christmas parties. Landon was a rockstar at all of them. He kinda has his own schedule that he follows at parties. He eats super fast, then asks to be excused. He doesn’t like the table setting, with all the jabbering, and close seating. I can tell it makes him uncomfortable. I am so proud he is able to use his words (most times) to tell us how he is feeling in that situation. He then finds a quiet spot to read on the Ipad, play a game, or watch a movie. Sometimes if there is another kid, he will ask them to play. He has figured out what works for him. And I don’t listen to anyone judgements on it (well try to anyway).

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning

Christmas extends all the way into the New Year for us- which is why I say Christmas Overload is something that happens almost every year in the Friedman Household. On the 28th of December we will be having another Christmas party with the my husbands family- then right after the New Year is my birthday. I decided NO party this year- I just want a quiet day at home ( I am sure this decision will turn out to be a good one too). While the holidays are hectic, I do appreciate the family that we do share it with, but most people (family included) don’t realize that it’s not as simple as it seems to just attend any party we want, at any time, any place.  A schedule is something Landon thrives on. He knows what is expected of him at each point of the day. Where things go, where to sit, what to expect to eat etc…. When you take that away from him almost every week for a day or so, it throws him off. Then just when he gets back onto his schedule, we throw another curve ball him. I honestly love the holidays, but am also just as excited to see them leave. It means that my boy will have less “sensory attacks”. As a parent, you want to do whatever you can to make your child comfortable, but I can’t just wave my magic wand (yes I have one) and ask the holidays to disappear! I think that would be unfair to everyone, don’t you?

 I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season- and wishes for a happy & healthy New Year from my family to yours !