Bridal Shower Fun

Posted on by Becca

One of my best friends is getting married and moving 😦 I have so many amazing stories about her… a lot of them revolve around her quirky food-related habits, like the time she put 20 packets of sugar in her coffee at a restaurant and couldn’t even stir it because it was so thick. That’s a typical day in the life of Chrissy.

Normally I don’t care about the wrapping on presents because I would rather spend the money on the gift than the wrapping, but for a bridal shower the ribbons and bows usually end up in a bouquet for the rehearsal, so my typical habit of recycling a bag that someone else gave me doesn’t really fly. That brings up another awesome Chrissy story. At a previous bridal shower hosted by her family, her future sister-in-law made her a ribbon bouquet. Chrissy and her mom had no idea what it was, so they graciously accepted it in front of her new family and then they threw it out later. At the shower I attended I asked Chrissy if they made a bouquet for her at the previous shower, and her eyes lit up as she said “OOHHHH THAT’S WHAT THAT WAS FOR.” She thought her new sister-in-law was just some weirdo who glued bows on paper plates. I guess it is a really bizarre tradition so I will give her that…

Another Chrissy food quirk – Chrissy is obsessed with greek seasoning. Some people dump ranch on everything, some people dump siracha, for Chrissy it is greek seasoning. So for the wrapping of her gift I put a picture of her in a wedding dress on a bottle of greek seasoning. It just seemed right. For the groom, I put his face on a bottle of tony cacheres since she is moving to Louisiana and it is the king of seasonings there. Oh and for the actual gift? A cast iron skillet from her registry and a cookbook with Chrissy-approved recipes. If you had to make a food pyramid for Chrissy it would probably include cream cheese, mushrooms, and dairy queen blizzards, so I think the cookbook works within that range somehow. I’m going to miss you Chrissy!

Baby Registry Help: The Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Attire

Posted on by Becca

For some reason when I had my baby, I was terrified of swaddling. This is probably because when I was pregnant everyone would constantly ask me “have you learned how to swaddle yet?” Well first of all, swaddling is not hard. If you have ever been to a Chipotle and watched them wrap up a burrito, it’s basically the same process. That being said, there are SO many types of swaddling / sleep outfits on the market and I registered for ALL of them in the hopes that one would be the holy grail of swaddles and my baby would be a dream sleeper. While that didn’t exactly happen, I did learn that it does make sense to have multiple sleep suits and size is important. For example, I ordered a couple swaddles in larger sizes, but by the time little man grew into them he was too old to be swaddled. If I were to re-register, this would be my game plan:

0-3 months: Summer Infant SwaddleMe in size small. This is incredibly easy to use, keeps baby nice and snug, and gives you the option to do one arm in, one arm out, or both arms out. **Note to Summer Infant: A lot of the patterns are ugly and all the cute ones are sold out on Amazon.***

3-6 months: Magic merlin sleepsuit, 3-6 month size. Around 3 months baby is not going to be content with the traditional swaddle. This sleepsuit allegedly muffles the “startle reflex” to allow for sound sleep but lets them move their legs and arms around more. I don’t know if they’ve really done any scientific research on that, but it worked for us so I don’t care. Best of all your baby will look like the Michelin man / Stay Puft marshmallow man (go with whichever character reference you think is funnier) so at least you’ll get some comic relief as you put a screaming baby to sleep.

6-9 months: Zipadee Zip in the medium. The website says, “The slight resistance in the wing-span allows a baby to move around freely while still providing the enclosed, cozy sensation babies enjoy so much in the swaddle and the womb”. (If your baby remembers what life in the womb was like after 6 months more power to her…) For us this was a good transition out of the marshmallow suit once little man was able to roll over on his own. The one aspect of the zipadee I have a love/hate relationship with is that the baby’s hands are enclosed. On the positive side, he has stopped scratching up his face at night, but it’s hard for him to grab the bottle & pacificier when he’s in it. Note that this is hard to find on Amazon/buybuybaby so you might have to drop some non-subtle hints to friends that you want to receive this as a gift.

9+ months: Halo sleepsack in large. Last but not least, the simple wearable blanket. In case you’re wondering why they don’t make these for adults, they do.

Hope this simplifies the sleepwear category of the registry process!!!

#basicwhitegirl Gifts #2: The New Martha Stewarts

Posted on by Becca

This is post #2 covering gifts for the #basicwhitegirl in your life. This time I’m looking at gifts from the most popular basic celeb lifestyle websites – Goop, Preserve, and Draper James.

Before I go further I wanted to address some of the things that I think make a good gift:

  • Should be something that the recipient wants but generally wouldn’t buy for themselves
  • Matches the recipients aesthetic
  • Takes up a small footprint
  • Is functional

This seems obvious enough until you see that gwenyth is selling a $685 coffee table book.

Below are some legitimately good gift ideas from my favorite lifestyle websites as well as some gifts that are just fun to make fun of.

PRESERVE

GIVE THIS: a heart necklace is timeless and your best basic bitch will love this twist on a classic.

NOT THAT: at first I thought this card case was a great gift, until you pull out a business card in front of a client you’re trying to impress. #awkward

GOOP:

GIVE THIS: this airplane cocktail kit would be a perfect gift for a bridesmaid/groomsman to give to the newly married couple before they take off for their honeymoon. Usually gifts that provide an excuse to get drunk are winners.

NOT THAT: Not the biggest fan of coffee table books anyway, but I could certainly think of other things to spend $685 on.

DRAPER JAMES:

GIVE THIS: here’s how the conversation goes when someone has this iphone case: “cute case” “thanks it’s draper james” “omg I love reese witherspoon” “omg legally blonde was the best movie ever” end conversation

NOT THAT: a $98 paperweight.

6 Bad Reasons and 1 Very Good Reason to Shop Jet.com

Posted on by Becca

As an online shopping addict and mega Amazon fan, I was excited to hear the hype that Amazon may have a new competitor. Unfortunately I’ve made a few purchases and mostly have gripes.

6 reasons why Jet sucks:

Sorting price: This gets you the lowest price with the member savings. However, it doesn’t show you the net price you’re paying (really? you’re going to make me do the math?) Plus, the member savings change frequently so the search results can be very inconsistent. I added diapers to my cart one day and it showed $11 in member savings, but by the time I went to purchase them the following day the savings had dropped to $2!!

Searching: Expect to either get 2 results or 2,000. With no easy way to refine searches there is no middle ground.

Browsing: When I went to the “kitchen cleaners” category I found 0 results for the product I was looking for. It turns out the product I wanted (Method’s grapefruit spray) is actually an “all-purpose cleaner” so it didn’t show up in kitchen cleaners. I have noticed a lot of similar nuisances in the browsing categories.

No reviews: I will not buy a product without reviews. This is a problem.

Shipping speeds: Some products are 2 day and some are not. This is particularly annoying because I have a horrible online shopping habit and the more boxes my husband sees at the doorstep the more concerned he gets for me. That’s why Amazon’s “group my items into the fewest boxes possible” feature is the best. Jet’s irregular shipping times (and shipping from different vendors!) means more boxes which means more packaging trash to deal with every week and more questions from the spouse. Also if I am ordering diapers for the baby they had better be 2 day shipping for obvious reasons.

Limited photos: 1 photo per item, no zoom. it’s like the windows ’95 of shopping.

The positive…………….. it’s cheap! Sometimes a little cheaper than Amazon, sometimes a lot. One thing I did notice was that Jet has better availability and price on things I would usually buy on Prime Pantry. PP’s prices are better than prime 2-day so I feel forced to use it sometimes, which also means being forced to fill up the box with a bunch of other stuff I don’t need right away. On Jet I was able to buy Bounty Select-a-Size for a good price which is NOT available on Amazon unless you want to pay absurd amounts of money for paper towels. (Prime pantry doesn’t even carry Select-a-Size!! WTF??) However, Amazon’s prime membership gets you free 2 say shipping and a million other things. Jet’s membership gets you 30 cents off dial hand soap. Will I continue to use Jet once the trial membership is over? I’m still deciding. Let me know about your experience with Jet!

Wedding Gift Etiquette: The other reason you’re going broke (aside from student loans)

Posted on by Becca


 

Summer is wedding season, and if you’re between the ages of 25 – 35, it’s also the reason for your missing paycheck. So how much and what to give? My rule of thumb is $150 as a starting point, consisting of a $50 shower gift and $100 cash for the wedding gift. Yes, just give cash for the wedding. It’s easy to give if you’re traveling, the couple will love it I promise, and you can easily stock up on some awesome wedding cards like this one or this one so you’re never in a pinch to get a gift. If you’re closer to the couple, give a little more, if not, give a little less.

Showers should be easy – wedding and baby showers are some of the only times people can actually guarantee to get what they want, so don’t make it any harder on yourself than it has to be. Speaking of registries, I am a big believer that everyone should just keep a public Amazon wish list- that way anytime someone asks what you want for your bday / anniversary / whatever, you can just refer them online. You can also keep the list updated realtime so anytime you think of something you want and you’re too broke to buy it, just tack it on to the list. I don’t know why more people don’t do this.

If you’re one of those people that likes to go off-registry, here’s my suggestion- buy one less expensive item off the registry and one other thing that has your personal touch. That way they are still getting what they want with an added thrill of surprise. You can also include a homemade / DIY gift which is a great way to save money and still show that you put some thought into it.

Here’s a couple examples:

– Sodastream (on registry) and a cocktail cookbook (off registry)

– Dishes (on registry) wrapped in some fun kitchen towels (off registry)

– Napkins (on registry) wrapped in some funky napkin rings (off registry)

And for the broke crafty readers:

– Waffle maker (registry) and homemade waffle mix

– Kitchenaid mixer (split this registry gift between friends) and each friend makes a cookie mix, or you could make your own cookbook with your favorite recipes for the couple

– Spice rack (registry) and make your own spice blend, with a cute label with the couple’s name

Good luck surviving wedding season! Just think of all the money you’ll be saving at the open bar.

The Best (and Worst) Baby Sprinkle Gift Ideas

Posted on by Becca

Giving baby gifts is probably my favorite category of gift giving. After we had our baby we received a gift in the mail every week for several months from gracious friends and family. I’m telling you this so you are aware that baby stuff piles up QUICKLY. As in, boston-snowmageddon-accumulation-quickly. Think of this but in baby stuff. So when you’re invited to a sprinkle, what can you get the happy family that already has it all?

Some people might question the point of a sprinkle, but I think it’s a fantastic thing to do for a second-time-mom. It should be implied that lavish gifts are not expected since she probably has all the big / expensive stuff already. But once a mom has one (or more) babies she is likely putting the needs of her family above her own every day and will be for the rest of her life- so let her have a party to make her feel special!!

Some general guidelines for sprinkle gifts:

1) Keep it small(ish)– again, mom and dad are already overwhelmed with stuff. They will thank you if you pass on the life-size teddy bear.

2) Buy somewhere with easy returns. My #1 pick would be Amazon- if they already have it, they can just slap on a return label and walk to their doorstep. I had a friend get me a gift that needed to be returned shortly after we had our baby from Kohls. Unfortunately, the closest one was 30 miles from my house, and I wasn’t willing to venture out that far with a new baby to return a couple onesies. Trust me, the new mom will thank you for this little attention to detail.

And now for my rant on the baby gifts that suck– don’t get these for baby #1, or #2, #3, #4…

1) Baby blankets: these are the worst offenders. It’s not that they aren’t useful, it’s that everyone buys them. (I’m a guilty offender and have given them as gifts as well). I get it- they’re soft and cuddly and easy to find and you can personalize them to make them super fancy, but they will just get added to the pile of 50 other blankets.

2) Stuffed animals: For the same reason as #1.

3) Any book by Eric Carle. For some reason millennials are just aching for childhood nostalgia. If I see another “you might be an 80s / 90s kid if” link shared on facebook I might just delete the app forever (ok let’s be honest here that will never happen) but you get the point. LET ME GUESS, HUNGRY CATERPILLAR WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDREN’S BOOK? That must be why I have 5 of them on my bookshelf.

Now, onto my faves for the second-time-around-mom:

1) Bibs that don’t look like bibs: Babies go through a TON of these so this gift will definitely get some use, and these also meet the small footprint guideline. These bibs from hugme and scabibs are able to perfectly marry style and function. What’s not to love?

2) Lulaclips: Car seat straps are a major nuisance and there’s a good chance the mom to be hasn’t discovered these yet. This is one of those gifts that second-time-around-moms will appreciate more after dealing firsthand with the daily hassle of strapping baby in. Unfortunately this gift is also kind of hideous, so if you’re crafty you can click here for the diy tutorial and make your own- they will probably look better and you get the satisfaction of giving a handmade gift.

3) Citrus Lane subscription: This gift is perfect for the procrastinator – just print and done! The other nice thing about giving this box is they can set it up for any child’s age, so if baby #1 is getting a little jealous of all the attention she can get her own present in the mail.

4) FOOD: This is not so much a sprinkle gift but a once-the-baby’s-born gift. These lactation cookies from how sweet it is are so delicious that even Dad will be eating them. I will look for any excuse to eat cookies and the premise that these will boost milk supply is the greatest excuse I can think of. Also, after our baby was born we had some friends bring over some local corned beef and rye bread from Mister Brisket in Cleveland.  It was such a simple and perfect idea because sandwiches are easy to make but it was a million times better than the regular deli counter at the grocery store. If you have a good local deli or bakery near you maybe pick up some goodies on your way to visiting the newest addition to the family.

Give the hostess the most’est with White Girl RosĂŠ

Posted on by Becca

fjrose

As you venture out to your Independence Day parties this weekend, giving alcohol is a classic and ALWAYS welcome gift for the party host. You can easily amp up your wine giving by showing up with a bottle of the fat jewish’s White Girl RosĂŠ. (If you don’t know who the fat jew is you can just stop reading now and never come back to this blog again.) If your host-friends don’t know who he is, pull up his instagram and start the party by doing what most people do at parties anyway- stare at their phones.

I should also mention that rosĂŠ is probably the sexiest wine you can drink right now. If you don’t have time to purchase from the fat jew just check out the WSJ’s recent post here on 10 refreshing rosĂŠs. (Fatjew’s rose wasn’t out when the Journal’s article was published, otherwise I’m sure it would have made the list). I plan on buying a few bottles of the fat jew’s rosĂŠ to have on hand to drink alone while binge watching orange is the new black for the impromptu party invite.

I hope you have a firework and booze-filled weekend!

Gifts for #basicwhitegirls

Posted on by Becca

I will say loudly and proudly that I am a #basicwhitegirl. If you’re not sure what it is, take the quiz here.

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite gifts for the #basicwhitegirl in your life:

1) Anything by Kate Spade, Tory Burch, or Lilly Pulitzer. Giving clothes can be tricky but these brands have a lovely selection of reasonably-priced accessories that your BWG BFF will love.

2) An invite to a wine & painting class or cooking class. A BWG’s latest instagram probably showed her drinking honeycrisp apple hard cider while knitting mittens. So treat her to a class where she can truly relish her love of booze and creative arts. I have been to many of Sur La Table’s cooking classes and always had a marvelous time. Even better, SLT lets you BYOB. (Even if the food sucks the wine will still taste great right???)

3) Alex and Ani bangles. A BWG can never have enough of these. They look good on everyone and it’s easy to add a personal touch to really make an impression.

Happy gift giving!

 

Please – No Candles (aka the #1 GTS)

Posted on by Becca

I am so excited to welcome everyone to my blog on how to give a greater gift.

Let me first explain why this site exists. Every time I google gift ideas, I find dozens of websites with HORRIBLE ideas for gifts. (In a future post I promise I will mention my guidelines for what constitutes a greater gift.) So I would love to provide some ideas of some gifts that don’t suck, as well as explaining some gifts that you should never, ever, give, otherwise known as gifts that suck (GTS).

My number one GTS  would be a candle for the following reasons:

1) Nothing screams “I don’t know you well enough to know what to get you” more than a candle.

2) Not everyone likes the same smells you do. Just like you wouldn’t give a random perfume as a gift, candles are also a a personal choice.

3) Candles go in your living space- they have to match the decor just like the rest of the house. That ugly orange-pumpkin-spice candle is not going to jive with my greige living room.

4) It’s tchotchke and tchotchke gifts suck.

That’s all for know. Thanks for reading!