Author name: emily

Stuff those stockings with both practical and whimsical gifts this year!

By rows, from top left to right: Bobble Water Bottle (Container Store): Simply fill this water bottle with tap water and the interior charcoal filter makes it drinkable in seconds anywhere you go! Hand Relief Cream (Aveda):  This is a luxurious moisturizer that makes everyone’s hands softer, and the travel size is very convenient! Lip Balm (EOS): Hands down, the best lip balm, and the whole family loves it! Slatkin&Co ScentEgg (Bath and Body Works) This portable diffuser is available in tons of scents and works perfectly without flames or plugs wherever you need a pleasant aroma!  Upcycled Lego Crayons (ColorCache): Excellent for covering large areas or doing rubbings, these crayons are fun! Wii Points and iTunes (Amazon): Wii points allow you to download small-release and classic games directly to your Wii or Dsi, and everyone loves the gift of music!  Large Box of Crayons(Crayola): Nothing is better than a fresh box of crayons with all those colors, and this year Crayola has StoryStudio, which allows you to upload your own photo to make coloring pages! Custom Guitar Pick (BeadSoul) For the rocker in the house, a personalized guitar pick is a very unique gift! Slipper Socks (Victoria’s Secret): Everyone sells slipper socks, but these have a knit exterior with a supersoft, plush fleecey lining, and they have great grippers on the bottom to prevent slipping!  Bombs Away Shot Glasses (Perpetual Kid): A novelty bar item is always fun, and New Year’s Eve is just around the corner!  Darth Vader Flexible Spatula (Williams Sonoma): Their entire Star Wars line is a blast (and apparently really popular), and this spatula fits great into a stocking! App Magnets (Perpetual Kid): Anything ipod or iphone related would be appreciated by most in the stocking, and these are a funny way to carry the theme to the fridge or office!

Stocking Stuffers are always a challenge… you want to be fun, but not spend a ton.  Candy, little bags of coffee and tea, single portion liqueurs, card games, beef jerky, are some more simple ideas to round out a few pricier items.  Merry Christmas!

Can’t take her to Telluride? Here are a few gorgeous gifts to bring some Rocky Mountain Luxury to her Christmas!

From top left, clockwise:

Sheepskin Rug (Ikea): At the foot of the bed or at the edge of her tub, this is the fluffiest, softest thing her feet will touch all day. They are readily available online, and some discount stores, like Costco carry them.

Keurig Single-Cup Coffee Brewer (Bed Bath & Beyond): For the kitchen (or even more luxurious, the bath) she can have a piping hot cup of her favorite coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.  If you are setting up a coffee bar in the boudoir, be sure to include a tray, coffee cups, non-perishable creamer, and stir sticks. 

Joan of Arctic Boots (Sorel):  These boots are both practical and gorgeous for the city, the slopes, or hot toddies at the lodge.  ’nuff said.

KOMO Neck Garland Scarf in Burgundy (PeekoApparel):  She  can snuggle into this scarf and face wind and snow, all while looking completely glamorous.  Available in multiple colors at PeekoApparel’s shop at Etsy.com.

XOXO Cuff in Gold (Janet Mazorie): To a formal event, or on any casual day, her arm will glow (and many people will comment) when she wears this statement cuff. This is a handmade piece available only at Etsy.com, learn how to shop here.

Stay tuned for more Holiday gift guides!

I keep replaying it in my mind.  I was leaning forward, turned to hesitantly ask my husband if my 6 year old son had brought his Japanese soda bottle with him from the restaurant.  He has a cute little collection, and I didn’t want him to get upset (or drive back to the restaurant) when he realized he had left it.  Suddenly, my husband yelled loudly…something like “Oh My God!” or “He’s Gonna Hit Us!”…and I heard the deafening crash and felt the terrifying impact.  All I remember was screaming, struggling to turn to make sure my son was ok in the backseat as our car spun out of control through the intersection, and then jolting into a sudden stop.

You just sit there for an instant, stunned, wondering what the hell happened.  You realize you are ok, and the adrenaline kicks in as you struggle to evaluate the situation and assess everyone else.  That moment… that moment… it’s one of those moments that will haunt you the rest of your life.  You are not in control, and you are helpless to protect those you love most in this world. 

I turned, and realized my son was ok.  My husband quickly exited the car to get him out.  We were fine.  “Thank you, God” was all I could say as we hugged each other on the side of the road, realizing other people had stopped and were getting out of their car to help us.  Our car had been driving through an intersection and was hit at a good speed by a young man trying to turn left from the oncoming direction.   He drove directly into the back of our car as he was turning into the intersection.  He was fine, though he totaled the entire front end of his car.  Our car, had minimal body damage, but all four wheels were almost unidentifiable… the tires completely twisted and melted off their wheels.

Plans…. what was meant to be a simple evening out for a special dinner turned out completely different.  Our car is now in the shop, our bodies are sore, and our spirits are traumatized.  We can’t do much about any of this until Monday.  Our weekend was planned with cleaning and Holiday preparations, and next week was planned with a trip to the mountains to snowboard.  I planned on writing a blog post about great gifts from Etsy artists today.  I planned on starting to run again on Monday.  I think the people who stopped to help us last night planned on continuing on their merry ways for the evening.  The young man who hit us probably planned on having fun with the other passengers in his car.  My mom, who came to help, planned on finishing her Christmas shopping.  I had planned to mail those last few Christmas cards that were on the dashboard of the car.  But it didn’t work out that way…

We plan, we prepare, we make responsible decisions (and we should or we’d all be a mess!)  But sometimes life happens anyway.  It’s humbling.  It’s scary.  It’s completely unpredictable.

So I am thankful… thankful for my family, and for our health and safety. I am thankful for our friends who care for us.  I am thankful for the kindness and goodness of strangers, who have hearts big enough to stop their own plans to help someone in need.  I am thankful for our country, and the men and women who serve and protect us: police officers,  firefighters,  soldiers.  Mostly, I am thankful for a God who loves us, protects us, and forgives us for all the times we screw up, giving us another chance to get it right.