2024 Gift Guide: For Him

The gift guide for the guys in our life...you know, the hardest one's to shop for! I hope this list provides some inspiration!

Vuori Sweatpants / Take Back Your Family book (on sale!) / Lounge shorts / Waterproof shell / On Clouds / Freefly sweatshirt / Golf balls  / Smart outlets (on sale!) / Cordless Massager (on sale!) / Untuck It shirt (on sale!) / Socks ($7!)/ Golf Course coffee table book (on sale!) / Blackstone Grill / Solo Stove / Tool Drawer

For your Brother or Brother-in-Law:

Lounge shorts: both my brother and my husband live in these shorts. They'd be a great gift!
Untuck It shirt: these are super good quality and my husband loves the length of them (perfect to not be tucked in ;))

For your Dad or Father-in-Law:

Everyone's dad has their "thing" and my dad's is puns. He loves a good pun! I got him this graphic t-shirt that says Old Fashioned, which is his favorite drink. I also got him a train car for his vintage train collection (it goes around the tree and it's pretty amazing!)
Cordless Massager: this thing is pretty much the best gift for anyone, ever. It's cordless, so you don't have to worry about sitting near an outlet. It gives you such a good massage, I use it all the time!
Golf Course coffee table book: if you have a dad who lives for golf, this is a great gift! You can actually just type in whatever your people's interests are and then attach "coffee table book" to the end on Amazon, and there will be tons of options! 

For your Husband:

Waterproof shell: this is the exact gift I'm getting my husband and he picked it out himself, so it's approved! ;)
Take Back Your Family book: I got McCann this book after hearing the author be interviewed on a podcast. He's been loving it. The concept is our family is our "team"-- it's really great for creating family culture, which is something we're trying to cultivate as we raise our boys.

We have the Solo Stove and absolutely love it, so if you're thinking about it; you won't regret it!

Happy shopping!
xoxo


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2024 Gift Guide: For the Home & Hostess

Gifts for the home are my niche. I found so many things to add to my own list when creating this guide! I hope you find some items that spark joy :)

Beautiful Coffee Table Book / Jolie Shower Head Filter / Green cleaning machine / Weezie Plaid Blanket (monogram it!) / Photo Album / Hydrangea Dish Towel / Ginger Jars / Woven Nook Pillows / Woven Fruit Bowl / Rifle Paper matches / Cake Stand with Cloche / Non-Toxic Frying Pan / Twisted Candles / Floral Plates / Cookie Cutters / Arched Picture Frame / Ina Garten Go To Dinners / Home Team hat / Pedestal trays / Floral Desk Calendar 

For your Sister & your Friends:

Beautiful Coffee Table Book: It is my thought that you can never go wrong with a coffee table book in a subject that your loved one enjoys! This one is absolutely stunning.
 Cookie Cutters: I love tying cookie cutters onto the top of gifts for a cute added touch! These copper ones with rubber rims are the best.

For your Mom & Mother-in-Law:

 Arched Picture Frame: If you have a mom or MIL who has it all, a framed photo of your family in a beautiful frame like this one will be loved for years to come. Go the extra mile and get them a full blown photo album, if you'd like! These are what I use to make our family albums and they're incredible quality.
Twisted Candles: a sweet, yet simple gift for the home decor enthusiast. You just can't go wrong!

For the Hostess:

Hydrangea Dish Towel: arriving with a bottle of wine and a gorgeous dish towel is always the answer. I got these dish towels for a friend, myself and my mom last year and they are SO stunning. Pair this with a bottle of wine and viola! I think giving non-Christmas gifts is nice so they can use it year round.

For You!

Green cleaning machine: this is a must, especially if you're a mom! It literally gets stains out of anything.
Jolie Shower Head Filter: I just got this shower head, that doubles as a water filter and it's so wonderful. My skin and hair is soft, but not too soft-- you know what I mean? I'm so glad to have something filtering out the harsh chemicals in our water!

Okay, you know my obsession with sourdough! I couldn't not make this one:

Starter Jars / Dutch Oven (20% off!) / Banneton Bowls / Scoring Lame / Parchment Paper (doesn't burn!) / Dough Scraper / Kitchen Scale / Bread Bags (so cute for delivering to friends/neighbors) / Bread Slicer (on my wish list!)


Happy Shopping!
xoxo



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2024 Gift Guide: Clean Beauty Favorites

Back today with another gift guide! This time for the beauty-lover. Clean living is a passion of mine, so everything here is low-tox and free of lots of those unwanted chemicals. I've spent years honing my skincare and makeup favorites, so hopefully you find some good ones in the mix below! There's even more finds right under the gift guide. 

Let's get to it!

Ice roller / Merit bronzer / Cell Active Face Serum / Ilia skin tint / Ilia mascara / Olive & June gel polish kit (use code 25OFF for 25% off everything!)/ Olive & June polish (use code 25OFF) / Curling iron (1.25" is what I use) / Wrist bands for face washing / Divi Shampoo & Conditioner (use code MICHAELA15 for 15% off sitewide) / Divi Scalp Serum  / Tula Eye brightener  / Floral makeup case / Weezie Wash Cloths / Primally Pure Deodorant  / Eye Shadow / Velvet Hair Bow

For your Sister & your Friend:

 Wrist bands for face washing: I actually think this is the perfect stocking stuffer, but you could easily stuff a pair or two into a little gift bag for a friend. For me, these are a non-negotiable part of my evening routine. You put them on your wrists so that you don't get water dripping down your elbows (am I right?!) onto the ground while washing your face! Genius.
Weezie Wash Cloths: while you're at it, just throw one of these into the gift bag with the wrist bands! They're the absolute cutest with the little design, and if you've never tried Weezie towels before-- do yourself a favor and let this be your year. They are incredibly soft and fluffy, and I love that they're dark so you don't have to worry about makeup staining your towels. They come in a set of two, which is perfect for gifting. 
Olive & June polish (use code 25OFF for 25% off everything!): this is my favorite clean nail polish! It paints on like a dream and dries quickly. Don't miss their top coat! The best I've ever used.
Teleties Flat Claw Clip: this is one of my hero products of 2024, meaning it's so genius and solved so many problems of a regular claw clip. It's flat, so sitting in a chair / driving with a claw clip in is no longer a problem. I have super thick hair and I use the Large size.

For your Mom or Mother-in-Law:

Towel Warmer: I feel like this is the most luxurious gift you could give, especially for the mom who has everything already ;) As long as they have a bathroom that would fit the towel warmer, it's a sure winner!
Tula Eye brightener: this stuff is amazing! I've been using for a couple months and have really been impressed. You put it on under or over your concealer (I do under) and it has a bit of a brightening quality to it that helps your under eyes seem more illuminated. It also has a soothing cooling feeling to it, so it really makes your eyes feel rejuvenated. 
Whipped Hair Mask (use code MICHAELA15 for 15% off!): Divi is my go-to brand for clean hair care and hair growth. I've been a loyal customer since 2021! This new hair mask is the perfect gift for your moms to give a little extra love to their hair. It moisturizes and shines the hair beautifully!

For you!

Summer Fridays lip butter: this is by far my favorite lip gloss-- you'll never catch me without it! All the flavors all divine, but my favorite are the beige vanilla and poppy. They're sheer, light weight, but super hydrating!
Facial steamer: get the girl's night going with a steam facial. It clears your pores, and honestly, it's just really great to be warm in the winter ;) I've also used this to help with sinus pressure when I've been sick- ha!
Cell Active Face Serum: if you add one thing to your wishlist, let it be this serum! Its main ingredient is hydroxytyrosol, which is a phenolic compound found in olive trees and their leaves. It's a waterless serum, so you're getting your bang for your buck with the powerful active ingredients in here. One bottle lasts me 4 months with use every morning and every other night. I've noticed skin tightening, less breakouts, smaller pores, and even skin tone. It's incredible!
Happy shopping!
xoxo

PAST GIFT GUIDES:For Her




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2024 Gift Guide: For Her

My first gift guide of the season is here, and I'm so excited to share it with you! I have been working on these guides for weeks, and you may know that Gifts is my love language, so a lot of love has been poured into them! I hope my guides make your shopping fun, joyful, and just a bit easier. 
Today's gift guide is for HER: your friend, your sister, your mom, mother-in-law, grandma, aunt...or you! Enjoy!

Ember Mug / Lake Pajamas / Belt Bag / Necklace / Floral Earrings / Slippers / Anea Hill Sunglasses / Monogrammed Floral Playing Cards / ruffle socks  / Planner / Book Lovers book / The Bodyguard book / HydroJug Traveler / Gardening Gloves (if you have roses, get these!) / Flower Snips / Hot Pack / L.L Bean Tote / Monogrammed Travel Pouch / Zinnias Seeds

For Your Friends & Sisters:

The Bodyguard book: this was my favorite read of 2024! It was pure delight-- everything a fun rom-com should be.
LL Bean Tote: this is a Mom staple, so for your friends and sisters who are mamas, just add this right to your cart. You can personalize it, it's super affordable, and it's a great "car tote" (you know, for piling things you need to bring to and from your car), for beach / pool days, etc. We use ours ALL the time!
Belt Bag: Honestly, the most practical gift you could give. I was a purse girlie before having kids, and now that I have no hands to carry one, THIS is my life saver. It's under $50, too.

For the Gardener:

Flower Snips: hands down, my favorite flower shears. They're perfection!
Zinnias Seeds: this fluffy, ruffly new variety caught my eye! Zinnias are the easiest cut flower to grow, so if you want to start a garden but don't know where to begin-- start with these!
Gardening Gloves (if you have roses, get these!): they'll come in handy all garden-season and they're extra cute.

For your Mom & Mother-in-Law:

Floral Earrings: I am obsessed with Susan Shaw's jewelry. Every piece is timeless, elegant, and amazing quality. I have these floral studs and wear them all the time. They're light weight and stay in place, somehow just making every outfit. 
 Lake Pajamas: these need to be on your wishlist, too! But if you need a luxurious gift for your mom or MIL (to say thanks for all the babysitting, let's be honest!), look no further. This Relax Set is my favorite-- my mom has it and loves it, too! But any of Lake's PJ's will be the perfect gift. They're made of 100% pima cotton and when I tell you the fabric is dreamy...you'll just have to trust me. You will never regret giving (or receiving) a set of these!

For YOU:

Hot Pack: if you know me, you know this thing is on my body 90% of the day in the fall and winter. You pop it in the microwave for 90 seconds and then put it on your shoulders, back, stomach (the best for cramps!) It smells like the most pleasant tea and is the emotional support we all need in winter ;) It lasts for years and years.
Anea Hill Sunglasses: these sunnies have been on my wishlist for the year! They're so classic and feel like the perfect size. The quality of this brand is unmatched. If those are too pricey, check these out for a similar look for less.



Happy Shopping!xoxo





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Easter Basket Ideas for Babies

I've always loved holidays, but since having the boys, they really do feel more special and magical. I want to savor their babyhood AND I can't wait for them to actually get excited about holidays, gifts and special traditions, all at the same time! I went back and forth on doing Easter baskets for them this year, but I decided to just go for it, because how cute will they be sitting up next to their Easter baskets as babies?! I'm a big fan of celebrating the big and the little things, so if filling a basket for your baby who won't remember it this year is fun and celebratory to you, then go for it :)
I had so much fun rounding up some fun Easter basket ideas for babies for you! I've tucked away the idea from other mom-friends to fill the baskets with a couple things the babies will be needing around now or come summer. Things like swimsuits, sandals, and a couple new toys or books to pull out over the next few months. 

The Easter Basket

We got these and I had their names personalized on the ears...they are just too cute! Almost all of these options come in multiple colors / patterned liners and with the option to personalize. 

BASKETS from left to right |plain wicker / blue bunny / floral ears white felt bunny / white scallop / blue gingham ears / woven bunny / blue wicker /pink bunny

The Goodies Inside

Here's my round up of some simple toys, cute swimmies, bath toys and books for Easter baskets this year!

SHOP| baby boy rash guard swimsuit / baby girl swimsuit / baby boy sandals / baby girl sandals / stacking boxes / bath toys / Easter is Coming book / Little Blue Truck Springtime book / stuffed animal duck / teethers / baby sunglasses / boat bath set / stuffed animal dog / floral bib (lots of colors/patterns) / mix & match cupcakes / sippy cup with straw / wooden shape sorter / 

The boys are getting those adorable swimsuits, sandals (I mean, can you even?!), stacking boxes, the books, and the bath toys. They already have stuffed bunnies that they haven't played with, so I might put those in there too :)
xoxo
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Gift Guide: For Him

Today's gift guide is for the men! My husband is so hard to buy for because he either has it already, or he can't think of anything he'd need ;) Such a 9 on the enneagram, ha! 

Today I've rounded up some fun items. Everything from tech-savvy gifts, board games, practical things like this amazing beard cape (got it for McCann last year and it's seriously saved us so many arguments about me finding little hairs after he shaves!), golf gifts, and some lounge clothing items. Hope you enjoy it!

 catan board game  / face cleanser / airpods / beard shave towel / smart outlet /  / beard trimmer / pour over coffee set / cable case / ring doorbell / sweatpants / slippers / charcoal bar / yeti traveling mug / code names game / beanie / grilling cook book / lululemon shorts / golf balls / golf glove / 

After I made this gift guide, my husband told me I should add these snowboarding socks that he wants, so here you have them! I also found this leather travel bag (a splurge for sure, but so cool). This airpod case is a great stocking stuffer. Another fun stocking stuffer would be this set of hot sauces. My husband is obsessed with the show Hot Ones and he loves hot sauce, so I'm adding this to my list of things for his stocking!
Let me know what's on the list for your guys this year!
Past Gift Guides:+ For Her+ Beauty

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

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Gift Guide: Clean Beauty

As many of you know, I'm an advocate for safe and non-toxic products for both our homes AND our bodies. All of the products in today's Clean Beauty guide are "safer" beauty options that I would feel totally comfortable using. Just for a little safer beauty education, one of the most important factors to me is that the company discloses the ingredient list so consumers know exactly what's in their products (and in specific fragrances, too!) I'm proud to be apart of a company that takes what it puts into its products seriously! While Beautycounter is my favorite safer beauty brand, I'm also sharing a couple of other brands I love below.  I rounded up some of my favorite products for you, along with some new-to-me items that I added to my own list! 

This gift guide is coming at the perfect time, because Beautycounter is having their 15% off sale + free shipping on orders over $50 right now!

Let's dive in!

quick dry hair wrap / pink nail polish / best top coat / charcoal mask set / aira facial steamer / facial brush / clean perfume / hanging toiletries bag / exfoliating balm & pumice stone / weezie makeup towels / ilia serum tint skin spf / mascara / luminizer highlight / overnight lip mask / face cleanser / curling iron / hair dryer / lip sheer in "terra" 


And now for an up close look at some of my favorite holiday sets, all 15% off + free shipping over $50:

1. Mini Lip Glosses Vault: 4 gorgeous glosses with shimmer for the holidays, in a yummy vanilla scent.

2. Ready, Set, Make Up Trio: this includes my favorite new mascara, a cream eye shadow for some sparkle, and a lip jellie in a delicious caramel scent. 

Here's what the cream eye shadow highlight looks like:

3. Best in Clean Heroes: 5 of our best sellers, all in one! You'll get to try out our vitamin C serum, overnight resurfacing peel, countertime radiance serum, and lip gloss in magnolia shimmer in mini sizes.

4. Clean Sweep Minis: grab this set of our 4 cleansers as a discovery set to find which one you love most, or break these apart for fun stocking stuffers!

5. Good Scents Hand Cream Trio: this set is my favorite for teachers. Everyone could use some hand relief after all that sanitizer these days!! Each is a different, very subtle, soothing scent. 

6. Detox & Done Duo: our best-selling charcoal mask (my favorite!!) now comes with a handy little tool to apply the mask, remove it, and massage your skin afterwards. This silicone tool has many uses and features two sides of texture--one for removing the mask and one for massage. 

7. Mini Must-Haves: if you haven't tried anything from Beautycounter, this would be the perfect starter set for you! It comes with 3 minis: our resurfacing peel (to make dull skin bright and dewy), our vitamin c serum (to lighten dark spots), and our countertime radiance serum (to help diminish fine lines).

There's many more sets here, so be sure to check them out!

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Gift Guide: for Her

It's that time of year!! I truly cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is shortly after, but here we are! I've broken up my gift guides into For Her, Beauty, For Him, and Gifts for the Home (which, let's face it, is also gifts for "her" ;)). Today it's all about the ladies. I hope you find a couple things in this gift guide for your moms, MIL's, friends, sisters and maybe even something to add to your list ;)

hand painted ornament / yeti / ginger jar / 2022 desk calendar / nutcracker mug / gray sweater / green ruffle midi dress  / asymmetrical pullover / sunglasses / beanie / 2022 planner / pajamas / slippers / barefoot dreams cardigan / on cloud shoes / birth flower necklaces / roses coffee table book / 

This is usually how I think of gifting:
Moms & MILs: something soft like this barefoot dreams cardigan, a spa gift card, something sentimental like a classic picture frame, jewelry like this beautiful Kendra Scott set.
Friends & Sisters: something cozy like these lou&grey sweatpants (you cannot go wrong with gifting these!! They're incredibly soft!), something personalized or special like this birth flower necklace, something stylish like this sweater, something to pamper themselves with like these bath oils.


On my list this year:
+ a new sweater (that gray one is on the list! I love anything Madewell)+ the above planner (I've had it for the last 8 years and love it so much!)+ the above slippers (I have the white ones from last year and love them, but they are cheap so they do need to be replaced after a little over a year. Also don't recommend white ;))+ nail polish (in my clean beauty gift guide coming soon!)+ new yoga pants+ a dainty gold necklace+ the above blue pj's!+ warm fleece zip up to wear as a layer under my big snow coat (things we wish for when we live in the midwest haha!) This one looks cozy and I've had my eye on this brand for a while.+ clean perfume + gift cards (I loveee a good shopping spree mid-winter when I feel like I'm wearing the same thing all the time ha!)

What's on yours?!
Happy Shopping!xoxo

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How to Host a Flower Arranging Girls Night

The week of Easter I had a couple friends over for a girls night. We made centerpieces for Easter and decorated eggs! It was so much fun, so I thought I'd share how I put this little evening together so you can do it for your friends, no matter the occasion! 

THE FLOWER BAR

To create this, I just went to Trader Joes and our local wholesaler. But if you don't have a wholesale license, going to a grocery store like TJ's or Whole Foods will be perfect! They'll have all the flowers you'll need. Between the 4 of us, we made 5 arrangements and I asked each girl to contribute $20 for the arrangement so we had plenty of flowers! 

The flowers we got were:

+ ranunculus (usually in stores right around Easter!)

+ stock

+ eucalyptus 

+ spray roses (great bang for your buck since each stem has multiple blooms)

+ small hydrangeas

+ lisianthus 

+ flowering branches

This is Lisianthus and I love them! They have a couple blooms per stem usually, so they're a great option, but they are a little pricey depending on the color and variety. I'm so glad we were able to get them though!

I put each variety in its own vase and set them on my dining room buffet. My house smelled like a flower shop-- it was heavenly!!

I know Easter has passed, but I thought I'd share what we did for the egg decorating craft because they turned out so cute! If you're planning a girls night and it's not around a specific holiday (although, this would be so fun for Valentine's Day or Thanksgiving!), you could always come up with another craft. Otherwise, the flower arrangements could be enough of an activity for the evening!

For our eggs I just got some watercolor and acrylic paint. We used watercolor on the real eggs and acrylic for some white wooden eggs my friend brought. Those will be fun since we'll get to put those out again next year! You can see my finished product below, but I just did really simple floral shapes.

The day before this get together, I had baked and decorated easter sugar cookies, so I put those out with some drinks for our treats!

This was my finished floral arrangement. My friends' turned out so pretty, too! 

Here's how my eggs turned out. I was happy with them! So much more fun for me to do little florals than the normal dip-dying process. And no smell of vinegar ;)

For some floral arranging tips and tricks, check out my Flowers For Your Home posts here.

I hope you can host a sweet little girls night soon!xoxo



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Decorating Easter Sugar Cookies

With Easter this weekend, I wanted to think of a couple ways to welcome the special holiday where we celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection, offering us all eternal hope! One of the things I came up with was decorating cookies and the second is having a couple friends over tonight to decorate eggs and put together Easter floral arrangements. 

My friend Ashley and I got together yesterday to decorate some sugar cookies! I used the recipe my grandma always used (I'll share it at the end of the post) and then we iced them with Ashley's frosting recipe, also below.

For the icing, we start by outlining the cookie to create a border for the color, then filling in from there. The top of this cookie is what it looks like when it's done and smoothed out with the tool (see below) and the bottom is what it looks like after outlining with the frosting and filling in with the color inside the boundary before smoothing it out.

We used this little tool to smooth the frosting out. 

I had to show you this adorable little chick cookie!

Isn't she cute?!

Here's another example of outlining with the frosting first...

Then filling in roughly with the frosting...

This is what it looks like after smoothing it all out!

THE DETAILS:

After the first layer of icing is dry, you can go over it with another layer of outlining to add some texture and dimension!

Another fun thing you can do to fancy up the cookies is adding a gold sheen by mixing the gold powder with vodka to create a little gold paint. When it dries it gives it a pretty sheen!

Here are some of my favorites from our day! They're really yummy, too :)

Old Fashion Butter Sugar Cookies

Sift together:
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt​

Cream:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3/4 c. sugar

Add 1 egg to creamed mixture until incorporated
Add 2 Tbs cream or milk
Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until the dough begins to come together. (Don't over beat)  Divide in half and shape into a round disk (approximately 3/4" thick) Wrap in saran wrap.

Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to slightly less than 1/4" thick.

Use your favorite cookie cutter and place cutout onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with colored sugar (unless you plan to frost the cookies) and bake at 400 degrees for about 6 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

Icing:
3 cups confectioners sugar1/4 tsp cream of tartar1/2 cup milk
Mix together in a mixer, you can add more liquid or more sugar depending on the consistency. 


Of course, you can make this recipe for any holiday or special event. And I have to say, they're yummy without frosting, too!

xoxo



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