The holidays are officially over and I am now back to business! Not that I wasn’t working at all over break, but I definitely needed my fair share of stepping away from everything for a bit – blog included! However, now that I don’t need to be so secretive about my presents anymore, I thought I would share with you what I gave, and received, for the holidays!
I told you when I got it for my birthday I would be wearing this L.L. Bean Sweater a lot! I think I just might wear it every week! It’s that cozy!
What I Gave:
For my Mom, I decided to get her this Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones. I was pretty excited about these – she’s been using your typical old school apple ones for a long time…. I think these were a serious upgrade for her, and they are perfect because she listens to a ton of podcasts! I went for the asphalt gray color, but they also come in pink, blue and green.
My Dad reallllly needed a new L.L. Bean Warm-Up Jacket. He wears it for both traveling for work and walking the dogs, and his khaki one from forever ago needed an upgrade. I opted for the fleece lined navy and he absolutely loves it! I was so excited to give him this gift, and I think I really hit a home run with this one. 🙂
For both of my sisters, Sam and Katie, I decided to give Ancestry DNA. If you’ve been reading a while, you know I’m extremely involved in my own family tree, and I thought it would be fun for the two of them to finally see their own DNA results instead of hearing about mine! I’m really excited to see what theirs says, and how much it will differ from own. Highly recommend this as a gift, especially to a family member!
I got Jake a couple items, including both of these sweaters from J. Crew. I particularly love the 1988 Rollneck Wool Sweater. I have this sweater in women’s in both pink and cream, it’s one of my absolute favorites! This one is such a classic and one that I know he’ll have for a longggg time – I personally think it’s the best J.Crew sweater either of us owns right now. Unfortunately, the other sweater I bought him is already sold out! I linked it here for you just in case it comes back! It was thinner than I expected, but great for over button downs for him. I also bought him these Chelsea Boots by Sperry. Sadly, I went through Nordstrom Rack when I originally purchased them . Due to their company policy, I wasn’t able to exchange them for a new size for him at the same price I purchased them at, so I had to return them and then repurchase them through Sperry. Don’t recommend that for the future – Nordstrom has always been great, but Nordstrom Rack you shouldn’t buy anything unless you’re absolutely sure of the sizing! In addition to clothing, I bought Jake some Munson’s chocolate!
The Peterson’s, Jake’s family, is always a challenge for me when it comes to gifting! They are such wonderful people, and I consider them family, and I always want to get them something special. This year, I decided to get them a potted plant from Feather and Bloom, a local flower shop, as well as some locally made items, including a wine bag and a kitchen towel. I got both of his parents Munson’s chocolate, but I made sure to get his Dad this Munson’s Connecticut Wine Trail Chocolate Truffles – he’s a wine guy! I know they love local shops, and I really wanted to try to wrap that all into one present! Plus, I got his brother a couple Kodak disposable cameras, as I know he’s a really into film!
For my friend Pj, I opted for something a little more personal! As you know, we are both huge Taylor Swift fans and I wanted to get Pj something to remind him of our amazing experience at the Reputation tour. I got him this purple Reputation ornament, personalized with his name on the back, and tied a gold ribbon around it for hanging on the tree (anyone remember Golden Birthday?) I also added this Taylor Swift pin. The pin seems to be such a fan favorite on Etsy – and I can see why! It’s super cute and the perfect addition to any bag or cork board.
What I got:
All I can say is – wow, everyone went above and beyond for me this year. I’m really so grateful for everyone in my life, they literally do too much for me!
My parents got me a lot of wonderful stuff, including many new favorites that I can’t wait to feature on the blog, but I have been wanting a Drybar hair dryer forever – my own hair dryer was pretty crappy, and made my hair frizz more than ever. Opening this kit was such a surprise and I could not be happier about it. I’ve used it every single day since Christmas – everything from the dryer, the hair brush – to all the products included. It even came with a surprise tote bag, a really high quality one too! For now, I’ve been storing it in the tote bag it came up (I really don’t want any scratches from throwing it in my bathroom cabinet) but I’m eyeing this from Pottery Barn for storage. This was such a thoughtful gift and I am still over the moon about it!
Sam is in college, and I’ve been asking for college sweatpants forever. She got me a pair once that was too big, and then got me a pair that was wayyyyy too small. Somehow, after all that, we never got around to replacing them. Well, she finally got me a wicked nice pair from her school store, and I’m so happy with them! I know there are so many different types of sweatpants, but there’s really nothing better than a pair of college sweats. They just seem to be the best for lounging around….!
My older sister Katie knows just how much I love L.L. Bean, and got me this ever so lovely Ragg Wool sweater. I ended up wearing it for New Years Eve – it’s a new staple for me! I just love how festive it is, and it looks great with a pair of jeans and boots. I find the wool to be very soft and not too itchy – and it’s not too bulky, so the sweater still feels great even under a heavy coat. 10/10 would recommend! Plus, she got both Sam and I my favorite Bumble and Bumble Travel set!
Jake really surprised me with his gift. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting from him, and I was absolutely thrilled when I opened my very own Kitchen Aid Mixer! Plus, it’s Tiffany Blue – how perfect!!! He was so concerned about me liking the color. Apparently, when watching Nailed It on Netflix, I made a comment about not wanting a dark blue mixer. He had already purchased my gift, and was so concerned my opinion included this color – definitely not! I loved the color right away! This gift was so thoughtful, I could not have been happier! I love to bake, and can’t wait to learn even more recipes to use with this mixer.
Jake’s parents got me something absolutely spectacular. I could not have ever known what they were getting me – it truly is one of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received. When we were in Portugal this summer, we stopped in an antique shop and I noticed they were selling antique hand painted tiles from old castles and buildings in Portugal. I told Jake’s Mom I would love to own something that old – something I never even thought she would remember! I was so shocked when I opened this absolutely beautiful 18th century Portuguese tile. Plus, it’s in the prettiest shadow box – I love how you can see the strokes of the paint and the stone underneath. It’s the loveliest thing I have ever received, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express my gratitude enough! This will be the first thing I hang in my apartment <3
Hilarious, per best friend routine, Pj and I essentially got each other the same gift. He heard me say at Yankee Candle that I wanted a Taylor Swift ornament for my own tree – and bought me a set of three from the 1989 era! I love the Christmas colors, and thought this gift was absolutely perfect for me. I could not have had a better holiday season, and I’m so looking forward to the rest of 2019!
I had such a wonderful holiday season! What was your favorite gift you got or gave this year?
