Shoe love:

OK, so I need these shoes. Like, NEED these shoes. Maybe I'm not being clear: I need these shoes like I need Diet Coke. Or water. Or oxygen.

I loved them at first glance, and I love them even more now that I know the bow is detachable (because sometimes I'm not really in a bows-on-my-shoes place). I think I need to save up some of my temp job pennies and buy myself these shoes.

After all, my life kind of depends on it.

Dress up:

Oh lookie who decided to blog today!

Part of the reason--OK, a lot of the reason--why I haven't been posting very regularly is that I'm busy. Like, super-way busy (I know, I know, not like you haven't heard THAT one before). But for reals; recently I took on a temporary job that has me going into an office twice a week (Zoe's mom's office!--which would be awesome if we weren't working all the time). The work is meh, the pay is fine, but you know what? I love going into that office. Well, scratch that. I love GETTING DRESSED to go into that office.

Seriously. My work at home wardrobe of jeans and yoga pants are frowned upon at the office--so I have to get dressed, and look nice. And that usually means doing my hair (because baseball caps are also big no-nos), and putting on makeup, in addition to nice clothes. At first, I thought it was going to be a problem--I mean, hello? Jeans and yoga pants, and not much else. But now, I'm kind of enjoying the challenge of "shopping" my closet and putting together office-appropriate outfits. I'm wearing stuff I haven't worn in years (because this is a temporary job, I refuse to buy anything new. Although, I did buy a new pair of "work" pants the other day, but mostly because they were super on sale for $15). The most fun is finding a pair of shoes--and oh, how I love my shoes! Since I have no reason to wear all my pretty, pretty shoes at home, it's been a real treat to wear them to the office.

Don't get me wrong--if I had to do this more than twice a week, I'd be complaining a lot more (I'd also be asking for a raise, because I'd almost have to buy something new). But it's not often, and so far it's fun.

I think the funniest part of this whole experience, is people's reactions. At drop off at school, people are used to seeing me in my work at home uniform--mostly workout clothes and baseball caps, because I'm usually dropping the kids off and working out right away. The reaction I get to "dressed up for the office Tracie" is pretty funny, because it's so unexpected. Maybe once this job ends, I'll continue dressing up once a week, just because.

Oh, who am I kidding? Yoga pants are SO COMFY.

Saved by the meme:

It's been a while, busy, busy, blah, blah, blah. Keeping up with a blog is hard, y'all. Lucky for all of us, I've been tagged to participate in a meme. Lazy, I know. But, also! Fresh, new content!


How do you mark the end of the week and the beginning of the weekend?

Popcorn and a movie. Mattio got a popcorn maker for Christmas this year, and I swear I have never eaten more popcorn in my life. With real butter melted on it. Mmmmmm. And beer. Almost always beer.

What is your idea of luxury?

My idea of luxury is an agenda-free afternoon of quiet. I could shop, get a mani/pedi, sleep... the idea of multiple hours uninterrupted is complete and utter luxury to me. By the way, I would just like to say, on the internet, for the world to read, that I give Mattio my version of luxury once a weekend in the winter (we all ski, he doesn't. Guess who stays behind all. By. Himself.). I think I am owed some luxury.

Tell me a book, a drink and a food that all complement each other.
Uh oh. So this meme is courtesy of Ms. Musings--she who likes to read. Like, smart books and stuff. I can recall 4 books I've read this year, and only because they are on my iPad right now. Probably 3 of them were for book club, and the 4th is Mindy Kaling's book (which is excellent, by the way). So I can give you a food and drink that compliment each other... but throw in a book? Eh. But since I mentioned Mindy Kaling, I'll go with her book, and a super girlie drink, like a cosmo, or bellini or something (she is a total girlie girl). To eat? Cupcakes. Why cupcakes? I don't know, why not?

What is one thing you love about the house (flat, apartment, yurt, whatever) you live in, and one thing you would change?

Ooooh, we just went through a major house renovation 2 years ago, so there's LOTS I love in my house: my upstairs bathroom, my closet, my super cool charcoal grey sectional that is comfortable as HELL... If I could only name 1, it would probably be the upstairs bathroom. It's average sized, but it's ginormous compared to the 1 we had BR (before renovating). The entire room was designed around these blue glass tiles I found--the warehouse the store ordered from was temporarily out of stock when I went to order them, and I searched Fairfield County high and low, and not one other store carried them. The original store finally got them in stock, and I love them so, so much. The bathroom itself is nothing crazy, no spa shower, or fancy tub... no double sink, or special toilet. I just love the color, and those tiles. And having an actual linen closet in the bathroom. That's nice, too. 

Since we changed so much with the renovation, it's hard to think of something I would change at this point. The original footprint of the house is teeny-tiny, as is our lot. I would love to change that... but having a bigger yard means more to take care of, which is so not happening (not a dig at Mattio, who does a lot of taking care of the outside, but more of a complaint about how much care the outside needs). Realistically, the one thing I'd change is I would finish our attic. After 2 years, I'm still looking for more room. 

What is something about yourself that you have made peace with?
At 5' even, I would have to say my height. Not much going to change there, so I may as well accept it.  


If you’re browsing in a real world bookshop, what will make you pick up a book that you’ve never heard of by an author you aren’t familiar with?

Anyone who knows me knows that my answer to this type of question will always be cover design. I've found some really great (and not so great) books that way. I am far too guilty of judging books by their covers.

If you could (or do) have it your own way, what’s your decorating style? (Plain, floral, girly, austere, classic…?) 

I'm a sucker for most anything mid-century modern (see above: super cool charcoal grey sectional). Before we renovated, we had saved and saved and saved for new furniture--so after the house was done, we were able to toss a lot of our old hand-me-down furniture (which did us well for 10 years, make no mistake), and decorate the way we really wanted to. West Elm was (and still is) a great resource for clean, modern lines.

What never fails to cheer you up? 

My kids' laughing--like, deep, hearty, laughing. Shoes. Shoes on sale. A bike ride to the beach. The beach, in general. Dinner with friends (wasn't that a movie? Because I think it was, and that's not what I mean. I mean actual dinner, with actual friends). Dessert. Cupcakes. Vodka and soda with a splash of cranberry. 

What are you going to do when you retire that you don’t have time for now? 

Take more pictures. I'm always envious of those people that do a photo a day--who has time for that? I try and keep up with Instagram, but I always fall short. 

Given the chance, which house in literature would you move into, and why?
Uh oh, another literary question. Again, my mind is blank. I'd say--after much thought--that it might be cool to live in the Hogwarts castle, from Harry Potter. But--after even more though--I'd really miss electricity. And I'd probably be spooked out of my mind. So maybe I'd just like to visit Hogwarts. I just read the first chapter of the Great Gatsby (the teenager is reading it for her literature class), so the Buchanan's house might be cool... but there's so much sadness there, so maybe not. See? I'm not so great at these questions. Ask me a questions about shoes, or clothes...

What don’t you wear, not because it doesn’t suit you, but because you don’t think you’re the type of person who wears that style/colour/a poncho? 

Ah, see? This I can answer. Well, I wouldn't be caught dead in a poncho for sure. Unfortunately I was blessed with rather large, uh, girls. So nothing billow-y on top, unless I'm feeling like looking like a tent. Also, I always steer clear of ankle strapped shoes. That whole 5' tall thing... anything that cuts me off at the ankle makes me look like I have stubby legs. Which I do, because I'm 5' tall. So let's not call attention to that, K?


I think I'm supposed to come up with new questions, and tag people... but, it's been a while! Busy, busy! Blah, blah, blah. Keeping up with a blog is hard, y'all, so I'm going to leave it right there and and offer these questions to anyone who wants to answer them. Shoot me a link to your blog in the comments if you do.

Love:

Here's the Valentine's that the kiddies handed out this year. I wish I could take credit for the sheer adorable-ness of this project, but I can't. As usual, the internet--specifically, Design Mom--waved it's magic wand, and voilá! Valentines!

Super meh:

So last night: big huge football game (the outcome of which resulted in much happiness for Mattio), snacky-totally-bad-for-you-and-by-the-way-I-would-never-eat-this-if-it-wasn't-the-Super-Bowl-foods, and commercials. Lots of 'em.

Any clear favorites out there? Eh, not for me. You guys, I watched an entire FOOTBALL game, expecting to see some awesomeness during the breaks, and, quite frankly, it was all really meh.

I will admit, some made me chuckle, but no real stand outs. Last year's VW Darth Vader spot was awesome; it was adorable, original and clever. This year was all about women in scantily clad clothes, dogs and babies--none of which were adorable, original or clever (especially those scantily clad women. Ugh).

I will admit that I did enjoy the Ferris Bueller commercial--in it's entirety when I watched it last week online. The Seinfeld commercial was amusing, but not at the end, when Jay Leno (JAY LENO??) swooped in. The Hulu commercial with Will Arnett (doing his best Gob voice) was amusing (and as a fan of Arrested Development--which is streaming right now on Hulu--I was left disappointed that the list didn't include his infamous chicken dance). The kid peeing in the pool was cute, but I don't even remember who that was for (and it wasn't a pool cleaning company).

The only commercial that piqued my interest, was the Chevy Sonic spot--if only because I was curious about the OK Go video, which was filmed entirely in (and making music with) the Sonic. That was definitely my fave (the OK Go video, not the commercial):



You can see Brand Bowl rankings of the commercials here, or, if you're feeling nostalgic (or missed a few), you can watch the commercials themselves here. Or you can skip it all and just watch OK Go with me again.

Watch:

Ferris Bueller? Check. Beautiful day? Check. Calling out sick? Check.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the best commercial of this year's Super Bowl (alright, we still have another 6 days. But this is awesome--it's going to be tough to top).

Want:

I've been in a little shoe drought lately, and these cuties are just the thing I need to get out of it. I mean, look at the navy, with the red treads! How adorable! 

All in a day's work:

My office is located about 20 steps from my bed. So, once the kids are where they should be, my commute is not hard (Oh, don't be jealous; you'll see where this is going in a second).

However. Every once in a while, I'm asked to work in someone else's office. Which is awesome--I get to be around other real, live human beings! When I speak aloud, someone answers back! Sometimes there's food! We might order lunch! Or hear a funny story about someone's weekend! (OK, there's work involved, too--it's not all fun and games). 

But. Getting to that office? Every time I have to commute to work, I have a new appreciation for those that do it every day. Even more so for those that do it WITH KIDS.

Yesterday, for example: we had to be out of the house at 7:30 because there was a breakfast thing at the 8 year old's school. Great! We don't have to do breakfast at home! That'll shave SO MUCH TIME off of our morning. This day is already shaping up to be SO EASY!

8:15: Get back home with the intern. We have a half hour before we have to leave to drop her off at school. 

Did I mention that last night, I made lunches--even mine?? I'm SO ORGANIZED.

8:20: Jump in the shower. No time to wash my hair, so it looks like today's a baseball hat day (fortunately I can get away with that at this particular office). Shower, brush teeth, throw on minimal makeup so I look well rested... and make my first mistake of the day: check email.

8:35: Read email on phone and boot up computer to make client-requested changes to a document. Changes can't wait until the afternoon.

8:40: Still waiting for the Photoshop document to open.

8:45: Still waiting.

8:50: Finally! Make changes and send them off. Whew! Looks like we're not going to be late to school after all!

8:59: Get intern buckled into her car seat. Realize that it takes 10 minutes for the intern to get her coat and shoes on, so yeah; we're going to be late.

9:03: Run back into house to grab both the intern's snack and lunch (already packed!).

9:17: Get the intern to school, 17 minutes late.

9:30: No traffic? SCORE!! Get to Westport in record time! Think of something funny to tweet on the way there, fish around in my purse for my phone, only to realize... IT'S AT HOME.

9:31: Turn around to go back home.

9:40: Get back into Fairfield. Drive past Starbucks when I realize that this day isn't SO EASY, it sucks. And the only thing--THE ONLY THING--that is going to get me through it is a Venti skim Chai. Hit the brakes and run into Starbucks.

9:50: Get home and retrieve phone. Tweet my funny thing. FINALLY.

10:05: Arrive at work. I am completely proud of the fact that the only thing I have managed to do right today, was to pack food for myself (LAST NIGHT). 

1:00: Leave work (that's right, I worked for a whole 3 hours) to pick up the intern at school.

1:30: Pick the intern up, and immediately drop her off at the sitter's--last night I volunteered (WITHOUT A GUN TO MY HEAD, I might add) to switch "Mystery Reader" spots with a friend. They don't allow siblings to come with the Mystery Reader, so it's off to the sitter's for the intern.

2:00: Get to school. The smile that spreads across the 8 year old's face when she sees me as the Mystery Reader (hence the mystery part) makes my day worth it. Almost.

Read for half an hour, go home for 5 minutes, just to pick her back up from school. Get home, do snack and homework supervision, and work in the peace and quiet for a few more hours.

5:00: pick up the intern. Wow, those few hours went by fast.

5:15, get home, get the 8 year old changed for basketball (SCORE! I don't have to drive to or pick up from! Carpooling might be my favorite), and fed.

5:40: Tell the 8 year old that if she DOESN'T HURRY UP, THERE WILL BE NO BASKETBALL PRACTICE. NOW OR FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.

5:45: Get the 8 year old off, get the intern dressed to go back out (remember from this morning, it takes her 10 minutes to do this), and pick up the teenager from work.

6:15: Drop the teenager off at the library for study group. Head home to make dinner. Collapse.

People who leave the house every day, I salute you. Seriously, you guys are my heroes. Now, if you need me, I'll be in bed, under the covers; hoping to never have to leave the house again.

Airbrush this:

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.


(OK, OK, I know I haven't gotten to my goals for 2012 yet--or much of anything, for that matter. But this was too great not to share).

I think my favorite part of this video is that they use actual Photoshopped examples that are recognizable: Faith Hill's infamous Redbook cover, Gabourey Sidibe's skin tone on the cover of Elle, and an actual model from Ann Taylor's website.

Pretty awesome.

(via Adverve)

Hello, goodbye (part 1):

Hello internet friends! It's good to be back into a normal routine now that the holidays are over (although, I do love me some Christmas; and this year the entire Christmas/New Year's week seemed especially laid back and relaxed). Some reflections on this past year...

This past year, I think the biggest lesson I learned was to separate work and life. I realized that my business was not going to crumble apart and fail if I let the intern play with her friends for a half hour after school. People weren't going to stop calling if I took a week off in August (which is typically slow anyway). The world wasn't going to end if I took some time for myself and my family; and even though in the back of my head I knew that, it was still reassuring to find out first hand.

I also blogged more. Probably wasn't as much as I would have liked, but this year had more posts than any other year. Looking back on that, it makes me feel good. Still striving to blog more often... so this is a step in the right direction.

I rode in my first big group bike ride. I bought a bike this past spring, and really made a commitment to riding it. So much so that I signed up for the CT Challenge, and completed the 50 mile route. The Challenge was a great way to force myself to train, and the feeling I got at the finish line was sooooo worth it all. I rode my bike 50 miles! All in one ride! Yep, that's one to shout from the rooftops.

I participated in my first gallery show. Last summer, I was asked to be part of the Hang in There Poster Show, which was a group of posters with a positivity theme. Even though I was terribly nervous leading up to the show (holy cow, it was like a who's who of graphic design in CT!), I was really proud of my work (and incredibly honored to be included).

I saw Derek Jeter's 3000th hit. OK, not really a personal accomplishment so much as stupid luck on my end (we had bought the tickets really early in the season, and had he not been injured, or had the previous night's game not been rained out... it would have been just another Yankee game), but still: cool.

My work won some pretty cool graphic design awards. That's always a good feeling. As Sally Field said it best: "You like me! You really like me!"

Stay tuned, tomorrow's post is my goals for 2012.

Get Crafty:

This time of year, I barely have time to eat a proper meal, nevermind make a craft. From scratch. I actually have a fun craft planned for the kids to do--I thought of it like, a month ago--and we haven't even thought about starting it.

However, Trader Joe's--purveyor of the quick and easy appetizer (once we did a whole party with TJ's appetizers, and people just kept raving about it. So delish, and so easy. God, I love Trader Joe's)--makes it, well, quick and easy, with their holiday bags. Want to get all DIY this holiday? Grab your scissors, and maybe some tape, and cut out their holiday gift tags...

or their festive holiday garland, printed on the sides of the bag.

Now this is a craft I can get behind... and since I'm getting so many TJ's bags, I may as well fill them with their awesome selection of heat and serve meals, because clearly I am lacking in that department, too.

Sing:

I've already admitted that I love, love, LOVE Christmas music. I've been listening to it since mid-November, and I'd listen to it for another month and a half if I could. But deep down, there's something... not quite right about some of these songs. Let's examine:



Baby, It's Cold Outside: Well this is the most obvious questionable holiday song: "Say, what's in this drink?" Yep, it's the official date-rape holiday song.



Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer: "All of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names..." So, this Christmas song is about bullying someone because of their unconventional looks, until the bullies need their help. Then they're just going to put all that bullying aside and guide that sleigh like nothing ever happened. Uh-huh.



There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays: Perry Cuomo is a little TOO happy about the traffic being "terrific." Nobody's ever that happy about holiday traffic, and terrific is probably the worst adjective ever to describe it.



Frosty the Snowman: Lawlessness, and global warming.



I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus: Uh, hey there, mom. I was sneaking around the house--when I was supposed to be sleeping--and I kind of caught you not only kissing Santa, but you were, uh, tickling him too. Somehow I don't think it would have been a "laugh" if daddy had seen.

So there you have it; Christmas songs, while on the surface are fun sing along songs, deep down they're pretty messed up. Have any others that I might have missed? Hit me up in the comments!

Gift Guide: Hosts

With a less than a week before Christmas, I'm closing out the gift guide series with host gifts. This time of year I feel like we're going, going, going--little trinkets like these are sure to be appreciated by your party's host (or, you know, more presents!).

1. OK, a bottle of wine is a sure thing. I know I've said before, I'm a total label snob and will NOT buy a bottle of Mommy's Time Out simply because the label sucks. However, the Bellus label is something I can get behind (probably because I helped design it). It helps that it's actually an awesome-tasting wine, as well. Added bonus: a portion of the proceeds go to the Tory Burch foundation. $19.99 at Crush Wines and Spirits
2. Now that you've got your wine, you'll need something to pour it into. These glass bottles with wood stoppers are gorgeous alone, but add the fact that they can be personalized? Lovely. $29 at West Elm
3. I've read that if you are going to bring your host flowers, bring them pre-cut in a vase. That way the host doesn't have to leave the party for long to prep the flowers. Totally brills idea, and plus, who doesn't want this gorgeous vase? $29.95 at Crate and Barrel
4. In charge of dessert? Crumbs cupcakes are a sure thing. They conveniently come in mini 12 packs of different flavors (hint: you might want to get more than 1 package. Sometimes 12 mini cupcakes just aren't enough. Right, Marcy?) $24 for 12 mini cupcakes, at Crumbs
5. What hostess couldn't use a new tray? Dwell Studio's patterns are beautiful, and they transfer wonderfully to home goods like this. $62.50 at Dwell Studio
6. Is your host a foodie? Look no further than this sampler pack of olive oil. Hint: if you are coming to my house, this is an awesome host gift. $39 at O & Co.
7. Personalized mugs are all the rage. Fill one with K-cups or those Starbucks Via individual coffee packs--or even better, hot cocoa and marshmallows. $6 at West Elm
8. If your host is a baker, why not add some whimsy to their kitchen with this awesome rolling pin? It's so cute, it might make a better display item, than actual rolling pin. $18 at anthropologie

Gift cards also make great host gifts: Starbucks, your host's favorite restaurant, or--especially for women--a spa pedicure are awesome and are always appreciated (especially if I am your host). 

This is it, guys. This concludes my gift guides for 2011. If you're anything like me, you're already bought and wrapped, and these are more pretty things to look at. HA! I'm totally kidding, you guys! It's 6 days till Christmas and I am more unprepared than ever! As I've been working on these guides, I've been all, oooohhhh, that's a good idea for so and so! There are 5 shopping days left, and I plan on utilizing that time right up until the last second (hello, I made 4 trips to Target alone last week!). So if you're anything like me, give me a buzz and let's panic shop together! 

Gift Guide: kids

It's kind of hard to put together a general children's gift guide, because their likes and dislikes vary by age. But I did my best putting together a little something for everyone ages 10 and under. 

1. The clothes at Tea Collection are so darn adorable, and to get 5 mix and match pieces of clothing for $130? That's a pretty good bargain. Of course, you could always get just one outfit... but consider the source here, people. If I'm buying clothes, of course I'm opting for the mix and match set of 5 (also available in boys)! Girls clothing set from Tea Collection, $129
2. What child doesn't like music? Problem is, most kids music... well, sucks. Kidz Bop is awful--I'd rather let my kids listen to the original song, thank you very much. Original kids music can be a total snoozefest. Fortunately, Laurie Berkner and her band do a great job of performing kid-friendly pop that's not too bad for adults, either (that is, as far as kids music goes). Hey, at least it's not the Wiggles. Kickin' it old school on CD, $8.99 at Amazon
3. Kids are creative naturally. Think of all the times that they get a gift, and the box is more enticing. That's why this I'm Not Bored Anymore Art Jar is great: it's literally a craft supply store in a jar. Set them up and let their imaginations run wild. $29.00 at Land of Nod
4. OK, technically, you can't buy a child an app--but if their parents have an iPhone or iPad, then an iTunes gift card makes a great gift. Forget Angry Birds--there are so many book/activity apps, and Mo Willem's famous Pigeon is sure not to disappoint. $6.99 at iTunes
5. I really can't think of a better gift for a child than a book. And what child wouldn't love this one: press the yellow dot, turn the page, and voila! 2 dots! This book is pretty much the opposite of an app, yet is about as interactive as a book gets. $8.12 at Amazon
6. Animal hats seem to be all the rage this year, and they don't come much cuter than these kitty hat and mittens from Mini Boden. $30 at Mini Boden
7. Babies are pretty adorable to begin with--but put these awesomely adorable Dwell Studio PJs on them, and poof! They become masters of cuteness. Seriously, I am cooing over these PJs, and there's not even a baby in the photo! $32 at Dwell Studio
8. These blocks might make it to MY Christmas list, they look so fun. Bold, graphic patterns; and super fun colors? It'll be awfully hard to share with the kids... $40 at Dwell Studio

Gift Guide: Men

OK, this list really draws on what Mattio loves--let's face it, until recently, I was with the guy 24/7 (relax, casual readers who don't really know me, he just got a new job that involves leaving the house every day, as opposed to his old situation working at home), so his likes and dislikes are what I know best (with the exception of the argyle sweater; that one's all me).

Also, good to know: The first item, the Bacon money clip. Yeah, you should go to the Jack Spade website and check out the original photo. Then you should come back here, and view my crop. Do you know why it's cropped like this? Because holy crap! did Photoshop give me the HARDEST time about opening an image with money in it. Photoshop totally thought I was counterfeiting! Hello, Photoshop! Would I really counterfeit with a BACON money clip of all things??

1. Bacon: as you can see, my view of men is that they LOVE bacon (Guess who's a bacon fanatic--fueled by the fact that it's a total treat for him [because I can't stand the way it stinks up our house]). If he didn't have a wallet already, this would be under the tree for him this year. $65 at Jack Spade
2. This stuffed bacon toy is supposed to be for children... but back to item #1: men love bacon. I'm pretty sure that Mattio would sleep with this every night. Bonus: Not only is it called My First Bacon, but when you squeeze it, it says, "I'm bacon!" $14.99 at Think Geek
3. A couple of years ago, I ordered this very shirt for Mattio. There was some sort of flood in the warehouse, the package got here a few days later than it should have (which was no big deal for me), and the company felt so bad about it, that they called me to ask what kind of bacon I would like, because they were going to send me some as an apology. I won't get into how silly it is to ask me what kind of bacon I like, but every men's gift guide I ever do will now include Bac'n.com, because they are just awesome (even if they do make a living selling bacon). $15.99 at Bac'n
4. Another Mattio gift: I picked up this beer-making kit last year on a whim; and it's really neat. For one thing, when you make beer, everything has to be super sterile--which means that the kitchen is SPOTLESS. The other thing is that our kitchen is teeny-tiny, and this is a perfect kit for us (one of the reasons I bought it was because the packaging said that you didn't need a big kitchen). Good to know: beer making is smelly, and not in a good, beer-smelling way. It actually smells like a wet barn, so it's best to make beer when you can open the windows. $40 at Brooklyn Brew Shop
5. Once you make all your beer, your man is going to need something to drink it in. The beer elements glass is fun; or, if you're buying for a nerd, there's the include beer tags. Periodic Beer Glass, $8.99 at Think Geek; Include Beer Glass, $7.99 at Think Geek
6. Like the cashmere sweater for women, a flannel shirt is a men's wardrobe staple. $69.50 at J. Crew
7. I'm a sucker for argyle, so of course I believe that like the flannel shirt, every man should have an argyle sweater $79.50 at Banana Republic
8. We got this telescopic fork for my father in law years ago--and it still makes him giggle to this day. A very funny stocking stuffer. $2.89 at Amazon
9. Obviously men aren't walking around carrying purses--but they still need something to put their stuff in. Messenger bags are fantastic for that, and lucky for men, they have kate spade male-equivalent Jack Spade for the perfect one. $195 at Jack Spade

In myt attempt to give you the Mattio gift guide, did I miss anything? You know where to let me know!

Gift Guide: Women

Just so you know, I had this whole week planned for gift guides (because I don't know about you, but I am still not done shopping; and, quite frankly, there's no end in sight). Sunday night I was putting the finishing touches on this, the women's gift guide, and I decided to go to bed before I published it--you know, so I could look at it with fresh eyes in the morning. And then yesterday happened, and it was about 7:00 at night before I sat down--and when I did sit down it was at my friend's house for book club (which was awesome, btw), and so, here we are beginning gift guide week on Tuesday instead.

1. Seriously, how adorable is this Cheers necklace from the always reliable (and my favorite--can't you tell?) kate spade? What girlie girl wouldn't want to find this under her tree? $78 at kate spade
2. OK, OK. It's obvious I like kate spade. But come on, these gloves? How cute are these gloves? $78 at kate spade
3. This Tory Burch clutch is on the WAY expensive side... but worth it. Clutches are a total pain, in my opinion; I'm always leaving them behind, and they're downright horrible if you have children. But that goes to show you I must really love this one. Plus: orange? Patent leather? Yes, please. $325 at Tory Burch
4. This is one of the handful of items on this list that I actually own, and I can completely endorse. Let me tell you that if you know a girl who always has cold feet at home, look no further than these slippers. The warmth and comfort of Uggs, without having to leave your house in them (although, be forewarned that I have left my house in them... and really, I wasn't fooling anyone)! $90 at Zappos
5. Full disclosure: I am not a smelly candle person. They're just not my thing. But sometimes, the garbage makes the kitchen all smelly, and you've just got to fire one up. Last year I bought a couple of holiday scented Mrs. Meyers candles, and they just smell so... clean. The lemon verbena scent is just wonderful. A most excellent stocking stuffer. $9.99 at Mrs. Meyers
6. Who wouldn't love a cashmere sweater? If you're shopping for me, I love a good cashmere turtleneck (hint, hint). $178 at J. Crew
7. I'm not a lipstick/gloss person--I'm perfectly happy with my Kiehl's lip balm, and I'm good to go. So when I do find a lip gloss that I love, I want to tell the world. World, meet Stilla lip gloss (plus, it's a $110 value for only $25! I'm such a sucker for that!). $25 at Sephora
8. Another item that I own, I get more compliments on these necklaces than I ever imagined. They are great as a set (which is how I wear them most often), or on their own. Adorbs. Heart, $49 at Stella and Dot; Arrow, $49 at Stella and Dot
9. Finally, books! I just picked up Diane Keaton's autobiography just yesterday (as a gift! Talk about taking your own advice!). She is so likeable, that I can't wait to dig into it. $13 at Amazon I just finished reading Mindy Kaling's book, which is not only adorable, but completely hysterical. If you're anything like me, you'll want to invite Ms. Kaling to your next girl's night out, because you know that you will totally become BFFs in a matter of minutes. Trust me on this one. $12.50 at Amazon

Tomorrow is the men's gift guide. Have any additions to this one? Anything I didn't cover? Hit me up in the comments!

Friday LOLs (Christmas Edition):

If you've ever head a supervisor (and 12 "experts") standing over your shoulder, telling you to constantly tweak something that was perfect to begin with ("Add a little more blue to that green. No, just a hair more. No, now I think that's too much. Bob, what do you think?" "Well, since I have had *considerable* experience with the color green, I can tell you that taking some of the blue out would really make it more... well, green." And so on, and so on), than you'll appreciate this greeting from Dailey and Associates:

This:

Dear companies: want me as a customer for life? Have awesome customer service.

I know, I probably speak for a LOT of people when I say this. But think about all the times you have had a total crap customer service experience that made you say, I'm never going back there again. Now think about when you have an exceptionally great customer service experience; don't you want to have that awesomeness ALL THE TIME??

Case in point: Last October, I bought the 8 year old a winter coat from Lands End. It was a little big on her last year, so I know we'd get multiple years out of it. It was also one of the coldest winters ever last year, so she wore it just about every day (never mind that it was also her ski jacket). Well something must have happened to the zipper at the end of last winter, because she put the coat on for the first time this year just the other night, and the zipper was 100% stuck. Like, it wasn't going anywhere. I know that Lands End has awesome customer service, and that their products are guaranteed, so naturally I called them with my zipper issue. Know what happened?

They're sending us a new coat.

Granted, I have to send the old one back (which is fine, because hello? zipper), and because I had gotten the old one WAY on sale, and the new coat wasn't WAY on sale, I do have to pay the difference (which is about $25). But come on. How many stores will take back a 1-year old USED coat, and give you a brand new one in exchange for it?

After such a positive experience, I tweeted about it, I'm blogging about it, and I'm generally just going to become a walking billboard for how awesome Lands End is for the next few days. And what did it cost them? Practically nothing. 

Holiday Monday: Believe:

2 out of my 3 children still very much believe in Santa--I know this because this weekend they were working their way towards the naughty list, and I made them write letters to Santa explaining that they were naughty. This activity did NOT go over well (alas, the letters have not been sent, but are there as a reminder to BE NICE TO YOUR SISTER). The teenager stopped believing long ago (sigh), and fortunately for us she never questioned the existence of Santa when she did believe. However, the other 2 might, and when they do, I am going to borrow heavily from this letter.

Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.

Heck, I might just copy the entire thing. What a beautiful way to explain to your children the magic of Santa and Christmas.

Hopefully I won't need it for a long, long time.

Sing:

It's December 1, bitches! And do you know what that means? That means I no longer have to hide the fact that I have been listening to Christmas music for TWO WHOLE WEEKS (alright. Three).

Seriously. I. Love. Christmas music. I have no qualms about listening to it in mid-November. It doesn't make me angry, and I don't get tired of it. Actually, I don't understand people who DO get tired of it--you guys listen to the same pop crap over and over and over. Christmas music is played for the month of December--that's it. Then you get your repetitive pop crap back. Me? I'll listen to Christmas music right through January, with no complaint.

Anywho. I digress. Christmas music rocks; and for me, the season has not fully begun until I hear Christmas songs by the Beach Boys and the Carpenters. When I was a kid, my parents had 2 Christmas records (yeah, that's right. I said records): yep, the Beach Boys and the Carpenters. We would play the crap out of them every year whilst decorating the tree. So for me, they both signified the start of Christmas. And to this day--much to Mattio's chagrin--they are among my favorites.