C Wonder Gift Ideas

I woke up early a couple of Saturdays ago and couldn't go back to sleep. So, I did what I'm sure many of you would think to do (not): I started my Christmas list. In fairness, I wasn't making a list of things I want but rather gifts for others. I have found there are many benefits to starting your Christmas shopping early:

1. You are not spending all of your money right before the holidays. You are spacing it out throughout the year.

2. You aren't buying something just for the sake of buying it. You can shop along the way and find meaningful gifts for people.

3. You have all of your presents ahead of time to avoid crowded stores and malls and you can enjoy the holiday season with out the stress.

4. You can start wrapping your presents early enough so that they a) look pretty and b) decorate the area underneath your tree!

5) Shopping and having an excuse to buy things is FUN.

I don't even know how I got on this store's email distribution but they have got some great stuff - and great gift ideas (which is where the whole Christmas conversation came into play).

Dad, brother or husband - if you are reading this, these are some good ideas for me. Hint, hint. Oh wait, this was supposed to be about buying for other people, I forgot. Anyway, look at some of C Wonder's great gifts!

Are you in the gift giving Christmas spirit yet?  Okay, I'll stop.  I'll let you at least get through Halloween...

Trend: Ombré

Have you heard of it?  Chances are I'm teaching you a new word but you'll know it when you see it.  Ombré  merely means shades of colors.  It's all the rage right now.

Not to be outdone, I tried my hand at a knitted ombré baby hat.  I love it!

Hats on Sale at Bellies and Babies!

It's hard to believe that fall is almost here...now I know it is because my fall hats are on sale at Bellies and Babies in Del Ray now.  If you are in the area, stop by and pick one up for your own munchkin or as a gift!  They've got great consignment clothes and gifts for tots and moms to be as well.

Tuesday Tip: New Uses for Coffee Grounds

• Clean your hands. Rub a scoop of grounds between palms as an exfoliant to remove dead skin and help eliminate smells from foods like fish and garlic.

image from here

• Grow blue hydrangeas.  Work grounds into the soil at the base of mophead hydrangeas to increase the acidity level. This helps the shrubs absorb aluminum, which you can add to the soil to keep the flowers a vibrant blue.

• Repel insects. Mound grounds into a ring to create a protective border around plants that will ward off ants and slugs.

• Clean dishes.  Place a few teaspoons of grounds on a thin cleaning rag and use to scour away grease and grime. Finish with a thorough rinsing.

All taken from This Old House.  More coffee tips found here.

Nightstand Styling

My soon to be sister in law sent me this great site - The Everygirl last week.  You can sign up for daily emails (which I promptly did because goodness knows I need one more thing clogging up my inbox and distracting me from real life).  I LOVED the story they did on styling nightstands - mostly because the posts were so, so girly and it made me feel like I was back in college living in a house full of some of my best friends.  But also because they managed to make a whole lot of stuff not look cluttered.  My husband calls me a closet hoarder which I pretend to get offended about but know that it is kind of true.  These images make packing it all in look gorgeous and stylish...

Check out their great trips and check out their site.  Thanks to my future sis in law!

Monday Messages

I have a big and very busy week ahead of me.  I'm sort of feeling overwhelmed but have lately seen a lot of inspiration and little messages that help me when I look at them.  All from here.  I hope some of these brighten your Monday!