I love to travel and would do it a lot more if it weren’t so expensive. I know, it’s our own fault because when we go on a holiday we want to enjoy it to the fullest. 😊
We prefer to stay in a hotel and never go on camping trips. We love to go to dinner, so we sometimes skip a meal in the hotel to go to a restaurant and what’s not to like about shopping in a city you have never been to before. 😏
That reminds me of a story about one of our Holidays. We had planned a trip to Quimper in Bretagne, France. Maybe planned is not the best word choice in this case. 😎
None of my sisters owned a car then, just me and my mum. That’s why we agreed that both my sisters and the eldest kids would go to Quimper by train. I and my hubby together with our youngest and my sister’s youngest would go there in our car. My sister’s hubby would accompany my mom, and they would take a large part of the luggage too. 😄
We would take the lead, and my mom would follow. At our last break, we had been joking around and my sister’s hubby said we were driving too slow and they would take point if we wouldn’t drive better. Before we went on, we checked the map (there was no GPS back in 1994) to estimate the time we would arrive. 😊
At a certain moment, we took an exit on the highway and thought that my mom would surely follow. What we didn’t notice was that she had been passing another car and couldn’t take the exit. The first thing my hubby said was that they probably went their own way. That’s when I realized I only knew the name of the place where we would go, but I didn’t have an exact address. 😨
I bet you are thinking, no problem, you just call each other on your cell phones. Wrong, hardly anyone owned a cell phone in those days. We had no clue how we were going to find each other again. In the car, we were constantly debating on what we would do once we would get to Quimper. 😦
According to my hubby, the best idea would be to drive down the streets until we would spot my mom’s car. I didn’t agree, but at first still did it, anyway. At a certain moment I said no, we have to stop and wait in the center of the town. We waited for half an hour and there she was, my mom. I had never been so happy to see her again. 😍
I know you are waiting for me to show you a cool gift for her. Are you getting a little impatient right now? No worries, here they are. 😁
Clipa2 Polished Copper/Rose Gold Bag Hanger $15.95
Sidekick Crossbody $39
Adventurist Backpack Co. design mid-priced and high-quality minimalist backpacks for travel, with a cause.
For every backpack sold, they provide 25 meals to families in need across the U.S. - through their partnership with non-profit Feeding America. Since their launch just over 2 years ago, they've been able to provide over 150,000 meals to families across the country.
The brand's new Sidekick Crossbody bag is a great gift for women that love to travel, spend time outdoors, or that want a high-quality and fashionable bag for shopping, errands, and daily life (that gives back). The Sidekick is water-resistant, made with 1000D polyester and vegan leather. It has padding front/back for increased protection for phone/electronics.
Adventurist designs, minimalist backpacks, and other travel essentials.
Like all of their backpacks, the Sidekick Crossbody is made with an ultra-durable, water-resistant 1000D polyester and synthetic leather details. It is designed with dual front + back padding to ensure protection for all of your belongings.
Everyone needs a good Sidekick. This crossbody bag is perfect for hiking, camping, travel, passports, festivals, BBQs, running errands, or anywhere your day (or night) might take you.
SIDEKICK FEATURES
Ultra-Durable 1000D Polyester
Water-Resistant
Front/Back Padding for Increased Protection and Shape Hold
Synthetic Leather Details
Premium YKK Zippers
Adjustable Cross Body Strap
2 Front Sleeves
Inside Zippered Pocket for Valuables
8.5 x 6.5 x 2 in.
Awakening the Soul of Power $29.20
Weekly Routine Planner Inserts $13.00
Goldmine and CoCo is an online stationery and lifestyle brand that “sprinkles” planners, stickers, and accessories with Black Girl Magic so women and girls can make a powerful statement and plan for success.
Their stickers, in particular, would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone who loves planners and stickers. Their range includes doll stickers (where you can pick your doll and skin tone), functional stickers, Miss Peyton stickers (she’s part of the Planner Squad), a collection of trunk piece decorative stickers, and Penny stickers (small black doll set), among others.
Come alive in the night time? Their vertical weekly routine inserts allow you the space to knowledge transfer and prioritize your to-do list and create a nightly routine.
Things to Know:
Undated
16 sheets (8 sheets from and back)
Front to back design
Punched and Printed on premium opaque paper stock with a smooth, heavy finish
Can be used in conjunction with the 2020 Aug Dec Monthly Calendar
Cabin Life (Card) $4.00
Nancy Murphy is an acrylic painter living in Austin, Texas. She attributes her discovery of painting to the “Corona Virus.” Prior to that, she didn't know she was artistic.
Boredom drove her to sign up for a 2-hour Facebook painting class. A passion was ignited when she discovered a hidden talent she didn't know existed. It's been non-stop since. What started as a time filler turned into a blessing.
When she's having a good painting day, her whole world improves, including her ability to beat her husband in tennis.
She started using a yellow dot in her signature to signify her painting was finished, like a period at the end of a sentence. She loved the way it dressed it up and added a touch of whimsy.
Come on in and sit by the fire with a warm cup of hot chocolate.
Greeting Card Size: Cards measure 5" X 7” and are printed on high-quality paper stock. Card interior is blank, leaving room for a custom greeting for the Halloween holiday. Envelop included. Packaged in an individual cellophane bag.
ART: All greetings cards come from her original acrylic paintings. This one was inspired by a pumpkin patch she went to in Santa Barbara, California.
Black Makeup Train Case $45.95
Ellis James Design makes luxuriously glamorous bags, organizers, and travel essentials to fit any mobile lifestyle.
The Ellis James Designs Makeup Train Case fits everything your beauty regime needs, including your hair straightener! This dual-purpose travel and organizer bag has enough space for your favorite cosmetics and more. Classic in design and functional in purpose, it's a beautiful addition to any vanity. Whether for adventures or for home organization, it's the perfect gift for the special woman in your life this season.
Makeup Case Details
12 Multi-sized brush compartments and tool slots
Large size for storage with 4 removable velcro dividers
A removable zip pouch for all your on-the-go essentials
About this Makeup Organizer Bag
Dimensions: 8.7 W x 12 L x 4 D (inches)
Materials: Soft Touch Quilted Nylon
Wipe Clean Interior and Padded for Protection
Tru Earth Eco-strips Laundry Detergent
(Fresh Linen) - 64 Loads €25.95
Tru Earth Eco-Strips is the smartest way to clean laundry, period.
The smart formulation effectively seeks out and dislodges dirt molecules and stains, keeping them in suspension until they are rinsed away. It makes your laundry washing chore easier, healthier, more economical, and much kinder to our planet.
Clean, green, and simple!
The laundry detergent you use should be as sensitive to your skin as the environment.
It is their mission to put your family first and that is why their eco-strips are paraben free.
When you use Tru Earth Eco-Strips, you will feel confident that you are taking care of your family, and their future on this planet.
Not only are Tru Earth Eco-Strips incredibly convenient, but they also pride themselves on safety and health. Tru Earth Eco-Strips are vegan, friendly, and Paraben-free and are gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin.
Scratch Off World Map - Personalised Travel Tracker Poster $19.97
RELIVE AND SHARE YOUR ADVENTURES - While you wait for your next holidays, our map will remind you of all the distant places you’ve been to and will help you find exciting new destinations when the travel bug hits you hard. It will also help you to subtly brag about your geographical conquests every time someone comes over!
GET A SECOND MAP, GO EXPLORE LOCALLY – Most of the time, the best things are just around the corner. We hope that the BONUS A4 sized scratchable map of the United States will encourage you to explore your own country.
LIVEN UP THAT BORING WALL – Is your room looking a little dull? Hang their map and add some vacation pictures for some instant ‘wow’ factor and a conversation piece that will surely get many compliments! Designed in 2 color variations with a classy premium feel to find a place in any interior. It will surely look great at your home!
PERFECT GIFT FOR YOUR FRIENDS – inspire others to explore the world and turn your homebody buddies into enthusiastic travelers! Even for the least adventurous, it will work great as a stylish poster or a semi-educational tool for children. Comes in a beautiful gift-ready and eco-friendly recycled cardboard box, so you don’t have to worry about wrapping!
Happily Altered After $27.95
Maya Holihan puts her wealth of experience and knowledge to good use helping today’s bride take the stress out of that all-important purchase—the wedding gown.
For over a decade she was a hands-on owner of multiple bridal businesses in the Greater Norfolk Virginia area. Finding the gown is the prized planning detail for most brides.
Maya shares plenty of inside secrets and do’s and don’ts to guide the bride down the path to wedded bliss. Her valuable commentary equips a bride with the knowledge and mindset she needs to prepare for this momentous time in her life.
Happily Altered After is filled with helpful anecdotes and stunning photos from brides who’ve said, “I do,” and wedding planners who’ve masterfully dodged wedding gown mishaps.
It’s an essential read for brides, mothers, and maids-of-honor, and even fathers will enjoy the useful guidance this book offers. Let Happily Altered After be your compass on the road to Happily Ever After.
USA Mug £19.95
This USA mug is the perfect gift for that lover of US road trips in your life! Let them brag about how many states they've been to during the coffee break and make them daydream every time they take a sip. It's about the small things, right?
This mug is designed and made in Europe with high-quality ceramic.
Features:
• Made in the EU
• Mug capacity: 500 ml/16.9 oz.
• Microwave and dishwasher safe
• Green ceramic brush pen included
Make the mug more colorful with a Set of 4 pens!
How it works*:
• Colour in the places you have visited
• Let the ink dry for about 15 minutes
• Bake at 160°C / 320°F in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes. Leave to cool in the oven.
• Your mug is now personalized! You can put it in the microwave and the dishwasher and the colors won't fade.
• Repeat the process every time you visit a new place
Steeped Miir Octopus Mug $30.00
Make your campfire memories a little warmer with a modern take on Grandpa's old camp cup. The 12 oz custom Steeped Coffee Miir Mug is vacuum insulated so you won't burn your hands when you are at work, home, or camping. Featuring a press-fit lid to prevent spilling and a convenient handle to make picking up your coffee mug a little easier.
Thermo 3D ™ Double Wall Vacuum Insulation Technology
Keeps cold, stays hot
Does not sweat
The lid and cup are BPA free. Press-on lid prevents splashes and keeps drinks warm longer.
18/8 Medical grade stainless steel doesn't transfer flavor or metal aftertaste
One Week Story $22.99
Tellinga (like telling a story) illustrates personalized stories as unique gifts and sends them through traditional mail. They have been interviewed and featured on National Public Radio (NPR), AP News, and CBS.
We live in such a digital world these days as we are always emailing, text messaging and following each other’s social media accounts. Some things, such as traditional mail (mailbox), have been forgotten.
Tellinga offers a way to tap back into the tangible and traditional by providing a product that you can touch and feel on a deeper level rather than staring at another screen. This the anti-social media company!
HOW IT WORKS:
1. First, select your story length
2. Next, upload a photo and add a description of your desired story (reminisce a memory or create a brand new story)
3. After receiving your request, our team of professional artists will start working on your story
4. 24 hours later, the designated recipient of the story will start receiving unique hand-drawn greeting cards sized images every other day in their mailbox until the package ends
The One Week Story consists of three personalized hand-drawn greeting card-sized illustrations sent by mail every other day over one week.
Greeting card stories are shipped through traditional snail mail. Each image is hand-drawn by a talented Tellinga artist on a 5.5" x 8.5" greeting card-sized postcard. It is then placed in a 6" x 9" brown grocery bag style envelope with the customer's address used as the return address.
Before your card is shipped to its desired location, a Tellinga stamp, and custom wax seal are applied. Afterward, the digital copies of your epistolary are uploaded in the "Download Your Story" section of the website and also sent to your email to share online with family and friends.
Every card shipped helps raise funds to fight Alzheimer's disease, support breast cancer research, or helps treat those impacted with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Create your own story or reminisce a memory from your past. Make your own story as unique and as creative as you desire.
Encourage yourself $9.95
A STRESS-RELIEF HOW-TO GUIDE TO HELP YOU GET FROM STUCK TO THRIVING IN 30 DAYS
Ever wish you had your own cheerleader? Somebody who would give you a positive nudge right when you need it the most? Someone who is a rock you can always count on? Well, the great news is that you’ve got you!
This is not just another coloring book, it’s also an invitation for you to delve deeper into who you are so you can find out what makes you come alive. With that in mind, I invite you inside these pages on a creative self-help adventure.
You’ll unleash your artistic side with 60 calming designs & patterns to color while you do daily small-sized activities aimed at:
helping you heal yourself & inspiring you to create a life you love.
Shelli's hope is that you’ll use these pages to ignite your imagination, discard your limitations, & free your inner creator.
Images of mandalas and patterns, animals, flowers, and landscapes
60 images for all skill levels
Journal pages included
Use your favorite coloring tools (pens, markers, crayons, pencils)
FakeFacts $14.99
FakeFacts is the perfect present for people who love weird, hard-to-believe trivia, fast-paced social games, or just fooling their friends. Players can expect to learn (and fabricate!) bizarre, surprising, and totally unpredictable trivia -- and the game’s structure makes it easy to play over video conferences.
A game of trivia, lies, and the fine art of BS.
FakeFacts is easy to learn but hard to win. To get started, gather some scraps of paper, a few pens/pencils, and at least one other person. Find the rules and FAQ cards, read them out loud, and you’ll be playing in minutes! Ages 12+.
The gameplay is simple: the dealer shares a category, and each player creates a "fake fact" on the topic. (Think categories like: Terrible Things That Famous Scientists Did, Surprising History of Household Objects, or Curious Athletic Competitions.) The fake trivia get shuffled with a truth, and everyone votes to spot what's real amidst the lies!
If you're good at crafting BS, spotting BS, or if you just love bizarre trivia, this is the game for you!
Easily playable in person or by video conference, this ain't no trivial pursuit.
Take 3: A Daily Journal of Gratitude & Affirmation $12.97
Achieve inner peace and generate a positive outcome effect in your outer world with this simple, balanced, and enjoyable daily practice that takes just 3 minutes a day. Own Take 3 and experience the life-changing benefits this journal can have!
2020 turned out to be a trying time for everyone around the world, and many are left feeling lost or hopeless about the times ahead.
They created this journal to be the very antidote to these negative feelings and promise that everyone who uses it daily will have a more positive outlook on life and a better self-image overall.
It only takes 3 minutes a day to make this practice a daily habit, making it the perfect journal for anyone hustling or working hard to build their dream life.
Skin Folk: Stories by Nalo Hopkinson $16.99
Winner of the 2002 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection: In Skin folk, with fifteen works ranging from science fiction to Caribbean folklore, passionate love to chilling horror, Nalo Hopkinson is at her award-winning best spinning tales like "Precious," in which the narrator spews valuable coins and gems from her mouth whenever she attempts to talk or sing.
In "A Habit of Waste," a self-conscious woman undergoes elective surgery to alter her appearance; days later she's shocked to see her former body climbing onto a public bus. In "The Glass Bottle Trick," the young protagonist ignores her intuition regarding her new husband's superstitions--to horrifying consequences.
Hopkinson's unique and vibrant sense of pacing and dialogue sets a steady beat for stories that illustrate why she received the 1999 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Entertaining, challenging, and alluring, Skin Folk is not to be missed.
Biographical Note:
Nalo Hopkinson is a Jamaican-born Canadian whose taproots extend to Trinidad and Guyana. She has published numerous novels and short stories and occasionally edits anthologies.
Her writing has received the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Locus Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, and the Andre Norton Award.
Hopkinson is a professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. She has taught numerous times at both the Clarion Writers' Workshop and the Clarion West Writers Workshop. Hopkinson's short story collection Falling in Love With Hominids will appear in 2015.
Paperback. 220 pages.
Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle $29.95
Its patented leak-proof twist cap eliminates spills while protecting the spout from germs, and the wide mouth underneath the cap allows for adding ice and easy cleaning with a bottle brush.
Lightweight with a 25oz capacity, this innovative water bottle includes a durable carry strap, handles hot and cold drinks, is dishwasher safe, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Uniquely portable and incredibly versatile, the Nomader® Collapsible Water Bottle keeps you hydrated NOMADer where you go.
No more spills in your bag. The patented screw cap and lid design ensure a secure airtight seal.
100% health safe materials, free of BPA, BPS, phthalates, and other harmful leaching chemicals.
Made of flexible, shatterproof silicone, Nomader bottles are tough enough to survive those accidental drops.
Designed with unique features and vibrant colors, the Nomader bottle was crafted to look as good as it performs.
In between sips, the hinged cap doubles as a hygienic spout cover, preventing germs from getting onto the mouthpiece.
Full-feature bottle: lightweight, collapsible, freezable, heat resistant, tough carry strap, wide-mouth, large capacity, dishwasher safe
Conveniently folds up or squishes down for compact travel, yet maintains its sturdy shape for comfortable drinking.
As rare as they may be, any and all defects are fully covered under our lifetime warranty.
Vampire Saga Paperback $49.95
Yes, a real printed book or ebook.
Personalized, yes, with 26 bits of info about the starring couple. She becomes the heroine, he the hero. Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks. You can even get their photo printed on the cover.
We have two books specific to the holidays - The Magic Snow Globes and Season's Greetings, Season's Love. There are 50+ titles to choose from, set all over the world.
Vampire saga is a personalized collection of three vampire stories by Gail Gibbs.
Vampires walk among us in this trilogy of romantic paranormal adventures, complete with jealousy, intrigue, and danger. The starring couple must learn to cope with the hidden world of vampires when they encounter a couple whose fiery love has spanned the centuries.
Set among the wild and majestic Rocky Mountains, the couple soon finds themselves drawn into a world of blood lust and supernatural powers and discover that associating with vampires can be both exciting and deadly.
Passion abounds, and not just among the vampires. Love’s eternal power is put to the test as the couple must draw on every ounce of their guile, courage, and devotion to see them through.
Included in this book are Gibbs' three vampire novellas: Vampire Rhapsody, Fresh Blood, and Blood Starved, all of which are still available for individual purchase as eBooks.
Self Care Bucket List $49.99
Make personal healing and growth a daily priority with this card deck filled with 100 helpful, self-love suggestions.
A thoughtful gift to bring out the best in us and practices that will stick with you + your loved ones for a lifetime.
Height: 5.9 inches
Length: 4.5 inches
Width: 2 inches
Weight: 1.6 lbs
Cards: 100
Have you ever spent hours in the hotel room, rummaging through your luggage to find that T-shirt that you wanted to wear?
Those wasted hours could be put into better use, like going out into the city to enjoy the scenic views, which would make your trip a much more enjoyable one.
At ArtosTravel, they have found the exact solution for you with their new portable cube organizer! A hybrid of an organized cube and a unique shelving system that makes packing and unpacking a breeze like never before!
MAKES PACKING & UNPACKING YOUR CLOTHES A BREEZE
Pack your essentials by organizing them into the zippered compartments. To unpack…wait, you don’t even need to unpack, simply use our hanging hooks to hang it in the closet or over the door, transforming it into a shelving system.
KEEP YOUR ESSENTIALS ORGANIZED
Zippered compartments help to organize your essentials, be it clothes, underwear or toiletries. There’s even a bottom expandable compartment to hold your shoes or dirty laundry! Say no more to wasted hours rummaging through your bags!
STURDY HOOKS AND RIPSTOP DURABLE CANVAS MATERIAL
The pride that we put into our products only lets us use the highest quality and sturdiest materials!
And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friends, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
But more, much more than this
I did it my way
Do you remember the song - My Way sung by Frank Sinatra? This means the end of the Holiday Gift Guides for this year. You can always send me a message if you want a feature in next year's Holiday Gift Guides.
You also might want to look at my previous Gift Guides
