Sunday, December 7, 2014

how to: pick the perfect holiday gift for...everyone on your list!

Hey, y'all! I know that everyone and their mother are posting their holiday gift guides right about now, but I haven't seen many gift guides that encompass ideas for all of the people on my shopping list this year. So, without further ado, here are my present ideas for all of the friends, teachers/bosses, and family members for whom you need to buy this year!

1 // for your gal-pals!

My friends are some of the hardest people to shop for! I love to them to pieces and want to show my appreciation for them through a spectacular gift...without breaking my bank account! 

Here are just a few of my gift ideas that are fabulously fun and all under $25:

(on sale TODAY for 30% off the entire site with the code WOW14)


-Festive Coffee Mug








Baublebar Gift cards can be sent through the mail or electronically with amounts from $10 up to $10,000. Even though $10 will not always cover the cost of one of Baublebar's pieces, it can significantly reduce the cost of their jewelry to a price that is a little more wallet-friendly!

If you are in the market to buy your friend a jewelry piece, here are a few of my favorite pieces:









2 // for your teachers or bosses!

If you wish to give gifts to your teachers or bosses, it is important to remain professional. While you can absolutely give them a gift that is fun and something that they would appreciate, make sure that you know the boundaries of your relationship with that person. Also, consider whether that person has a family, as well as their hobbies or interests outside of your shared environment. That will make the present much more meaningful, and they will be able to see that you put some thought into it!

Here are some of my suggestions for a generic gift to give a teacher or boss:

-A nice arrangement of treats, like cookies, chocolate, or their favorite food/beverage

Everybody loves to eat! A great basket of holiday treats always brighten up the holiday season! One of my favorite services for food arrangements is Edible Arrangements. The size and prices of the arrangements are very customizable, and they always have great online coupons and sales, especially during this time of year (15% off of any order with the code CYBW1515)!



-Gift Certificate to their favorite restaurant for a night out

Most likely, your boss or teacher(s) are hard-working people who give up much of their free time to concentrate on work and making sure that every detail is just right. So, give them a gift card to their favorite restaurant, so they can enjoy a night off during the holidays!

- A KIND NOTE!!

The holiday season is all about being grateful for the things that you have, as well as the people with which you are surrounded! Let your teachers or boss know what a good job they've done during this past year by respectfully thanking them for their service. Kindness and compassion are universal gifts!

3 // for your mom and dad!

Moms and Dads are the best! They spend a good part of their lives seeing to your needs and making your life as great as it can be! If you're anything like me, then you probably forget to remind them of how much you love and appreciate them! But, whenever I try to buy them a great Christmas present, the answer is something like, "Oh, I don't really want/need anything this year..." or "Being a part of our family is the only gift I need!" So, then you're left without any ideas and questioning your parents' sanity. 

Over the years, after being in this situation many a time, I have accumulated a few gifts that are a guaranteed way to make their day:

P.S. These gifts can be applied to other family members, in addition to your parents!

-Subscription to a magazine or a snack-sampler box

My parents love gifts that they can continue to receive all year long! You can find a magazine subscription for them in print or online, depending on their preferences. Find out what your parents' hobbies and interests are to pick out the best magazine subscription for them! 

Everyone in my family are snackers! Therefore, we are all interested in the relatively new idea of snack-sampler boxes. The most popular site I've heard about for this service is Naturebox, which delivers five healthy snacks to your door each month for you to sample and enjoy!



-Photo Album of memories from the past year

Parents will cherish this present forever, and they will be impressed by your effort to get them such a meaningful gift! One of my favorite services for creating a photo book for the technologically-challenged (like myself!) is Shutterfly! The books are very customizable, come very quickly once the order is placed, and are almost always on a great sale (hard cover books are up to 50% off now with the code HOLIDAY)!

         
(photo)         fShuterfly


-Gift Card for an experience they they will enjoy! 

This can be something for just the two of them, like a night out to dinner at a yummy restaurant or to the movies. It can also include one of their favorite hobbies! For Moms, I would recommend a gift certificate to a nail salon for a manicure/pedicure, a voucher for one or more free exercise classes (like yoga or spin!), or a gift card to her favorite store. For Dads, a ticket to see his beloved sports team in action, an organized trip with his friends to go to the beach, out on the river, hunting (or something your Dad enjoys!), or a gift card to one of his favorite stores is sure to put a smile on his face!

love, P&P
. . .

Wow, that is a lot of gifts to buy! I should really get started on my list... I'm a procrastinator at heart! I hope that these gift ideas will help you get a start on your holiday shopping lists! If you have any other gift ideas or requests for more gifts in a certain category, let me know in the comments below! Thank you all so much for taking time to read this blog post, and I hope each of you has a great day!

**Unless otherwise denoted, all of the pictures in this post came directly from the company's website, which is linked above the images in writing!

P.S. Here are some promo codes for the P & P readers who made it to the very bottom of this post!
Benevolent JewelsPPCODE20 for 20% off of your purchase
The Shiny MixPandP10 for 10% off of your first purchase


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

just plain chic

Hello, everybody! Long time, no blog….but I still wanted to wish you all a (belated)  Happy Thanksgiving! What a great way to kick off the holiday season with a day full of good food, lovely family, and warm beds/couches to crash on afterwards… ;). I worked on college applications all weekend, and I CANNOT wait to be finished with them! Don’t get me wrong; I have worked very hard on them, and I definitely want to get into college, but they are pretty grueling. Though they have tired me out, the holiday spirit (mostly due to the decorations around my house and Christmas music playlists on iTunes ;) has kept me going!

Speaking of the holiday season, it has brought along with it some chillier weather into my hometown…thus, the tights are necessary! To me, this outfit is classic. You really can’t go wrong with a cuddly, camel turtleneck, and paired with this elegant, navy skirt, it reinforces the legacy of this historically-perfect color combination! To cope with the cold, I added these gray cable knit tights. I also slipped on sassy, Mary-Jane style heels for an extra boost. I am loving the vintage touch that this purse adds to the outfit, as well as the glimmers of gold from the purse and necklace.

















Sweater: H&M
Skirt: J.Crew
Tights: Target
Heels: Target
Watch: Michael Kors
Purse: Thrifted
Necklace: Target

. . .

Can you tell that I love Target a little bit too much?! And, with that, we reached the end of another P&P blog post. Let me know in the comments what you all did for Thanksgiving, and if you managed to snag any great bargains on either Black Friday or Cyber Monday! Thanks so much for taking time to read this post, and I hope that each of you has a fabulous day!

P.S. Here are some promo codes for the P & P readers who made it to the very bottom of this post!
Benevolent JewelsPPCODE20 for 20% off of your purchase
The Shiny MixPandP10 for 10% off of your first purchase