I rounded up 20 gifts for your BFF!
PERSONALIZED HAIR BARRETTES // MONOGRAMMED COSMETIC BAG
AIRPOD FLIGHT ADAPTOR // TARTAN EYE MASK // MAGNOLIA MANICURE KIT
LEATHER WINE TOTE // PEONY PAINT BY NUMBER KIT // PEARL BARRETT
PARIS MUG // MONOGRAMMED NECKERCHIEF
REUSABLE SALAD BOWL // BIRTHSTONE RING SET
TARTAN BROOCH // MONOGRAMMED WINE CUP // STAR REUSABLE TOTE
TRAVEL BEAUTY SET // MATCH STRIKE // MONOGRAMMED HAIR ACCESSORIES
CHEESE MARKERS // COCKTAIL NAPKINS
This and yap 🤍 Don’t forget to create holiday magic for yourself too! I can’t tell you how nice it was to do some gingerbread decorating without having to follow a three year old’s vision (or fight the sugar battle)! It’s fun to do it with kids, too, but sometimes you just need coffee, baked goods, and little bit of kid-free catch up time with your mom friends! Thank you for hosting @blueskyehouse!!
I wrote down a list of things I wanted to do for fun in 2024. I crossed off exactly zero of them (having a baby will do that to ya) and my only hope of accomplishing one would be to host a cookie exchange! I wanted to SO bad but I was also feeling exhausted after a long year (losing a dog, having a baby, running a business, etc.) and I didn’t know if I had hosting a party in me. I sent out the invitations and told myself I’d figure it out. There was no going back! It was SO FUN though and I will be doing this again. I feel like so much of the holidays as a mom is spent making the magic for kids. It’s Santa meet and greets, Christmas shopping, holiday pageants…. And then seeing Santa again (and again and again). THIS party was for us! 🥂
🎧 Five 5-Star Audiobooks I Listened to This Year ✨
Audiobooks have been my secret weapon for fitting reading into a busy life. Whether I’m folding laundry, driving to preschool drop-off, or squeezing in a solo walk, I can dive into a story at the touch of a button—and @Audible makes it so easy. Eligible new subscribers can sign up for a one month free trial of #Audible Premium Plus anytime! #AudiblePartner #amazoninfluencer @amazoninfluencerprogram
This year, I listened to some incredible audiobooks, but these five stood out as absolute favorites:
📚 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: A beautifully written coming-of-age classic. I didn’t want it to end and could absolutely see myself re-listening in a few years.
📚 None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell: A psychological thriller with unreliable narrators that kept me guessing the whole way through.
📚 Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter: Part mystery, part family drama—flawed characters, a gripping storyline, and a chef’s kiss ending.
📚 All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker: A masterpiece of storytelling that starts as a serial killer mystery and evolves into something much bigger.
📚 Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors: A stunning exploration of sisterhood, grief, and imperfect people. The ending left me in tears (happy ones!).
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Holding on for dear life this December ❤️ I have had SO MANY conversations this week with my friends near and far and we are *all* struggling. I have to say, just knowing it’s not just me feeling the pressure of “end of year-holiday magic- cold/flu/stomach bug season-darkest days of the year,” has made it a little easier to handle. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too 😮💨 (Telling myself this because I could use the reminder too!)
If I hadn’t already mailed our Christmas cards*, I would be ordering a reprint because this first photo is IT. ⭐️💂🏻♀️
*Actually only half because for some reason, I didn’t order enough? Our list must have grown over the past year or I just underestimated how many people were on it! I had to order more so the second half will be going out later whoops!!
This post is what I hate about blogger gift guides – you just dumped a bunch of links, with nothing about why you picked these gifts, your experiences with them, price range, or any useful content. I’d love to see a post about what gifts you’ve given friends, putting a gift together (i.e. some of the items you list would be strange on their own – do you make a nice little gift bag with the cheese flags and the cocktail napkins and a bottle of wine?).
It’s just a gift guide for some fun ideas to get inspired by
Carly, I always appreciate your ideas and internet finds. I read very few blogs, but I see yours daily. Thanks for taking the time and effort to put this together!
No one is forcing you to read it!
Thanks for showing us some fun ideas, Carly!
Your best gift list yet!
Love the match striker! This is such a clever gift idea. Thanks for sharing!
so happy to see a few sustainable gifts! I know you’re trying to live more sustainably and I would love to see a themed gift guide–I’m trying to subtly encourage my family to adopt better habits! Would you also consider a small business-themed gift guide?
The barretts are so cute. I actually thought of them for my little nieces.
Oh no! The link is broken for the monogrammed hair accessories.