After my post last week, I started taking the medication the new doctor recommended for my headaches. I am happy to report that it has helped. My ears are still popping constantly, the pressure building as the day wears on, but the headaches themselves are well managed by the medication.
I’m hopeful relief is coming.
+ “Big Wellness” loves middle-aged women, because everything is perimenopause.
+ My Heavens, these party shoes from Tuckernuck are so beautiful.
+ I love this collage of sentimental pieces as mixed-media art.
+ Sloane’s Nutcracker-themed Christmas dress. Just add huge bow.
+ How to purge visible clutter in a hurry.
+ This Quince tie-neck work blouse was as good as I hoped.
+ On creating a retirement strategy (because playing the lottery is not a strategy).
+ The greatest toy I’ve ever bought for Sloane. And the second greatest toy.
+ You need to clean out your camera roll.
+ One basic belt, four different buckle options. Clever.
+ Use Trader Joe’s meatballs to make this classic meatball stew.
+ This holiday party top is reversible. This red top is also fun for a party.
+ Welcome to the Golden Age of Stupidity.
+ The hype is real. This is a great hairbrush for you and your toddler.
Speaking of holiday. I had barely finished collecting the Mom Tax from Sloane’s Halloween candy haul when I received my first influencer Gift Guide. Apparently, my kin are champing at the bit to start filling your holiday wishlist.
So that raises the question: What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? Or the worst, if that’s the better story.
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Can confirm that the Melissa and Doug ice cream set is one of the greatest toys for kids that exists. A friend got it for my son a few years ago and that thing has provided thousands of hours of entertainment for him and every single kid who comes over. If you have a child in your life between ages 2-5, 100/100 recommend buying it for them.
Seconding the Melissa and Doug ice cream counter. My two kids (2.5 and 7) have very different personalities and interests and both have adored that toy. It’s often the first thing that comes out when we have company. Pro tip, I wait for November sales and buy several for toy drives. With coupons, Target Circle etc I am usually able to get them for $20-25 each
Best gift: pet portraits!! A couple years ago local photographer had an event where you could bring your dogs to their studio for a mini photo shoot and I got 12×18 portraits of our two labs framed for my husband (we’re totally those DINKs/ pet parents). He has them hanging in his office and positioned so they’re always visible in the background when he’s on camera.
Gift I’m most proud of: a sweater I knitted for my mom that she wears pretty regularly (and not just when we knows she’ll see me).
Worst gift: a bougie body lotion and bubble bath set that I gave my SIL a few years ago that she ended up having an allergic reaction to EEEK!
Honorable mention: my grandmother bought me the *exact* same thing two years in a row, and we’re not talking about a sweater you adore and buy multiples of… it was a Belgian waffle maker.
Without question, Magnatiles are our No. 1 toy of all time. The M&D ice cream set is definitely top 5.
One time my spouse gave me, no lie, a train conductor hat. And he paired it with one of those hard self massagers. Not a massage gun, but the hard plastic thing from 20 years ago….
Best gift: I reached out to the manager of my husband’s favorite (smallish) author and was able to arrange a personalized signed copy of his new book. Only cost an extra $20!
Worst gift I’ve received: Earrings — my ears are not pierced.
Based on one of your posts, I bought the Christmas coal and gave it to my Dad one year. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him laugh so hard. It was priceless!
Maybe not quite holiday-y, but my favorite gift for the young adults (college kids/recent grads) is to help them set up a Roth IRA. They often are job hopping and not earning a ton, so we set it up, I seed it with more than I’d usually spend on a tangible gift, and then they can get in the habit of saving $50 bucks a month or whatever, and I can Venmo them money for future gifts for them to transfer over.
Yes! We did this for our kids and my much younger siblings.
Best Yankee Swap gift I saw last year was a yodeling pickle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010VS078?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1, someone else put it in my work gift exchange and it was hilarious. I bought one for my family exchange and it delivered again.
ahhh! someone gave me one of these for my birthday…my 5 year old thinks it’s HILARIOUS and loves to play it and dance to it. It’s a good joke gift, but also beware that the yodeling can be a lot if a child gets their hands on it (which also means it could be a good revenge gift…)
I really struggle with migraines, and changes with barometric pressure can cause them or make them worse. My neurologist recommended Weather X earplugs, which equalize the pressure in my ears. They really help me – it may be worth trying them! Hope you get some relief soon.
Ordered. Thank you.
Took my 3yo on her first trip to the beach this summer. We played in the ocean, hunted sea shells, built castles, all the things. I asked her on the last day what her favorite thing about the trip was and her response, “playing with my new magnatiles”. Buy the travel magnatiles, they are a core memory 🙃
Best gifts: professional pet photos and snow tires. I have nice prints up in the house of my dog that passed and I am so glad I have them.
For the snow tires, they were a gift from my dad in college and they were awesome. Not glamorous but they made my life a lot better and they are expensive!