Perfect Holiday Gifts for Everyone

Back for 2018! I’ve compiled a list of all my favorite things (kind of like Oprah, really) from this year that would make great gifts for everyone on your list - young, old, tall, short, etc.

Ready?

Let’s begin.

1. My favorite purse hook! I recommended it here, this little baby stays on your bag, is discreet yet mighty. – Clipa on Amazon.

2. The holidays means time with family and friends and I can only stand the constant roar of sportsball for so long. Also tweens and teens need a reason to get off their phones. Enter the family board game.

Two of our family favorites are this domino game (apologies for the name. There needs to be a new name for this, right? Like Crooked Train?) and my favorite card/ board game, Sequence.

3. Everyone needs cordless bluetooth headphones. I mean, it’s almost 2019!

I’ve bought 3 pairs of these. I use them until they fall apart and then buy another set. For $25, the value can’t be beat.

But if you want to upgrade someone’s listening experience, you can go with some noise canceling ones. My husband got these Bose headphones as a present to himself for business travel and they’re like a spa for your ears.

My cheaper favorite headphones seen out in the wild.

4. Great notebook & pens! Basic? Yes. But a lot of us planner nerds always appreciate a good writing pen and paper. A lot of people I know love a Rhodia Graph notebook. I’m going to ask Santa for a new Ecoqua grid notebook as I’m almost done with my old one.

Seen - the inside of my Ecoqua notebook.

And of course, you already know I’m recommending my favorite Micron Pens.

5. I took a felt message board to a gift swap last year and I think it would still be a hit this year too!

Handy even when one does not have a book that’s been out for one month….

6. Okay, this is the one gift suggestion that I don’t have YET. But I know a lot of people LOVE theirs and I’m definitely asking Santa for an air fryer too.

7. My whole family loves their Swell / Yeti/ Corksicle bottles and tumblers.

My favorite corksicle tumbler with a limited edition HBIC Nation sticker on it!

If you know someone who likes to keep their cold drinks cold and their hot drinks hot, here are a few stainless steel vessels I thought were stylish and practical.

A Corksicle wood “carafe.”

And then this special edition Swell bottle is pretty extra but in a sophisticated way.
Swell MCM:

8. Packing Cubes! The gift that no one knows they need until they get them!

Of course there are the utilitarian ones. Perfectly functional and a great gift.

And the fancy princess ones. You decide who is getting them and how much you love them.

I’d love to hear if you also love these gifts or what your go-to gift for people is this year! ‘Tis the season for sharing all the helpful tips!

Four Simple Tools to Achieve Hygge

Hygge… that Danish buzzword is exactly what I’m craving this time of year. Simplicity, good company, warmth, coziness.

These hygge favorites of mine are probably pretty basic, but I never said I was complicated… much.

1 Something warm on the stove… or in the Instant Pot.

I’m pretty much the queen of soups, stews and chilis. It takes a lot of practice to be as good as me, but you can strive to achieve my level of soup-tasticness with an instant pot. I was converted last year and I use it at least once a week.

But I also love a good bubbly stew on the stove and for that, I recommend a Staub cast iron pot. Yes, Le Creuset has its adherents and I have a few of their products in my kitchen, but I like to be a little different. And you can even buy little knobs to add flair to your pot! How cute is that?

2. A 100% necessary part of the hygge home is a candle. Now, with all that soup and chili going on in the kitchen, you’ll probably just want to stick with unscented, simple candles from Ikea (shout out to Scandanavia!). But if you want to go with scented, I like a Woodwick candle for that extra-hygge crackle. Or, you might want to splurge on this Tom Ford one. Mostly because I want you to tell me what in the world this smells like.

3. Cashmere Gloves

I get cold, alright? I finally decided to pull the trigger on some cashmere fingerless gloves last winter and it made all the difference for this girl who spends a lot of time typing in a cold house.

But I also really like these. They are very reasonable, they say they’re “cashmere-like” and I like the Claire Randall Fraser thing they got going on.

Just waiting on Jaime Fraser to warm me up…

4. Slippers
What’s more cozy than warm toes-ies? (I couldn’t help myself! Sorry!)

I’m a fan of the classic Minnetonka mocassins and also straight up Smart Wool socks. Very practical and necessary and… dare I say it? Basic.

But what’s not basic? Springing for these.

Maybe Santa will remember that I had a royal romance novel come out this year…

What’s your favorite way to practice hygge? Pie? A roaring fire? A luxe blanket? Let me know!

Winter Beauty Survival Kit

Now that the season of cold and dry air is upon us (winter, I think some of you in more Northern climes call it), I have switched up my beauty routine.  Some of this is year-round, of course. Obviously I moisturize and exfoliate all twelve months of the year. But I do switch out the products and up the frequency because I have hair and skin that can easily get very dry and flaky if I don’t take care of it.

Step 1: Exfoliate!

I have dry-brushed for over a decade and I really can’t stop now, can I? This is one of those things that has suddenly gotten trendy (thanks to GOOP - here’s her instructions) but it’s been a must for me. I don’t know about the benefits to the lymphatic system and all that, but removing dead skin and stimulating collagen production is important to me. 

I use a dry brush before showering and a Salux cloth in the shower.

Step 2: Moisturize!

With a good quality face oil. These are too heavy for summer use in Texas but in winter, my skin loves them.

Some options: Snail cream.

I know. Snails, Lindsay? Really? But they’ve been using this ingredient in Asian skin care for forever and you might be surprised how light and lovely this ampoule is.

Another favorite of mine is Boscia Tsubaki Oil: Another import from Asia, supposedly this ingredient was used by geishas. This is the big gun stuff. A little goes a long way. My bottle is only half way done and I’ve had it for years (but now that my teenager has discovered it, it will probably go faster…. Argh.)

And I haven’t tried it, but I know tons of people love Sunday Riley Face Oil.

Step 3: Feel pretty!

After all the focus on dead skin and snail mucus, one wants to know that it’s all for a good cause. To help me feel good about it all, I tend to switch fragrances in the winter, looking for ones that aren’t too heavy but wear a little closer to the skin than my light, bright summer perfumes.

A long time favorite is Narciso Rodriguez For Her.

I also love wearing a light men’s cologne like Dior Homme in the winter – and it has nothing to do with their ad campaigns. Ahem.

And yes, a perfume by J.Lo makes the list. This one is so cozy and unique, I love it for lazy Sundays: J.Lo Still

Step 4: Hydrate!
With water, peppermint tea, vanilla lattes. Okay. But also your lips. Long time readers will know that I always have a lip balm handy.  My current favorites from the drugstore are the Lip Smacker Kiss Therapy balms (seen below). My favorite French brand of lip balm is Nuxe Reve de Miel, seen below or the perennial favorite, Fresh lip balm.

And those are my winter beauty must-haves. Simple, yet luxurious for cozy days. I’d love to know what your favorites are, too!

Test your Royal IQ!

How Well Do you Know Your Queens (and Future Queens?)

Yes, yes, we all know the BRF (British Royal Family) but there are lots of lovely, intelligent, fierce women in other royal families around the globe.  We’ve been having some fun talking about these royals on my Facebook Page, so I thought I’d do a quiz to test your Royal IQ!

Rules: Each right answer is one point. I’ll give you a picture and the country she currently lives in and you have to guess her name! Keep track of your points and you’ll get your own royal title.

Ready?

1. Queen _____ of Jordan

2. Queen ____ of Bhutan

3. Crown Princess _____ of Norway

I think he’s helping her with her dress but the photo pleases me in every way.

4. Crown Princess _____, Duchess of Vastergotland  of Sweden (Sorry, had to include that extra title in there. What a title!)

Y’all know I love her. She makes wearing a crown look fun.

5. Queen _____ of The  Netherlands

She’s a former journalist!

6. Queen ______ of Spain

7. Princess _____ of Liechtenstein

She has a Masters’ degree!

8. Princess _____ of Japan

She’s an Olympian!

9. Her Serene Highness Princess _____ of Monaco

Extra Credit:

What are the birth nationalities of the Queen of Netherlands (1 point), the Liechtenstein princess (1 point) and HSH Princess of Monaco (1 point).

---

ANSWERS!!!

1.       Queen of Jordan

2.       Queen {Jetsun Pema} of Bhutan

3.       Crown Princess of Norway

4.       Crown Princess , Duchess of Vastergotland  of Sweden (Sorry, had to include that extra title in there. What a title!)

5.       Queen of The  Netherlands

6.       Queen of  Spain

7.       Princess of Liechtenstein

8.       Princess of Japan

9.       Her Serene Highness Princess of Monaco

Extra Credit:
1 point: The Queen of The Netherlands was born in Argentina
1 point: Princess Angela of Liechtenstein was born in Panama
1 point: Her Serene Royal Highness Charlene was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)

Tally them up and get ready for your Coronation!

What did you get?                            

8-12 points = You’re Queen Elizabeth II! You’re the Queen!

4-7 points = You’re the Duchess of Cambridge! Keep working and you’ll get there eventually!

0-3 points = You’re Princess Eugenie! At least you’re on the balcony wearing a pretty dress!

All These Things That I Love - Royally Royal Movies - September 2018

A monthly roundup of things that give me life...

Last month I shared some of my favorite romance-adventure movies, so of course, then I was asked, what are some of my favorite royally themed movies?

And I have to admit, I sort of paused. Because I don’t really think of a “princess” movie as being a separate genre. It’s either something I like and want to watch again, or it’s… not.

But I drew up a list anyway, and I definitely started seeing some similarities in the movies I picked. One, they all have royals in them (obviously.) Two, they all have humor and/ or romance. There are good movies and television shows about court intrigue and rising to power, etc., and I like watching those but generally, I need humor and that extra something else to re-watch.

Ready for my recommendations? 

Elizabeth at 90 - this is a documentary, also available on Netflix, prepared and narrated by Prince Charles on the occasion of his mother, Her Majesty’s ninetieth birthday. With never before-seen interviews and home movies, I just adored this peek into the lives of a woman who truly has defined the last century. And I’ll admit it, I cried. I don’t even know what that was about.

The Princess Bride - a true classic. Quotes from this appear in many a writer’s wheelhouse and the mix of adventure, romance and humor will never get old. Or mostly dead.

The Princess Diaries - another classic fantasy. The cast is perfection - who doesn’t love Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway?- and it will always cheer you up on a gloomy day in Genovia.

The Crown - a gorgeous dramatization of Queen Elizabeth’s reign (I mean, that photo alone makes me want to write all the things ^^), I highly recommend watching this and the documentary above. I’ve rewatched the series and I love the actors so much. I’m not quite sure how I’ll feel about Tobias Menzies taking over as Prince Phillip. He was so devastatingly good as Black Jack Randall. I’m sure for the first episode of series 3 I’ll be terrified for the safety of HM. Here’s the most recent news about the third season of The Crown.

The Young Victoria - another gorgeous (I’m using that word a lot, aren’t I? But seriously, I just get lost in all the costume and sets of these period movies) film about, yes, Young Queen Victoria. The depiction of the courtship and early marriage of Victoria and Prince Albert is swoony.

And finally…

The Woman He Loved.

It’s a 1988 film about the love affair that ended a king’s reign - between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII. I don’t even know why this movie still is so firmly implanted in my brain. This was a television movie, and I’m not sure if I would have seen it on TV, or on a VCR (very old technology for those youngsters out there.) But something about this movie stuck with me - maybe it was the glorious angst of a king giving up his throne or the glamour of the 30’s and 40’s costumes, the beauty of Jane Seymour or the very intense furrowed brow of Anthony Andrews… who knows. It definitely made an impression on me as a pre-teen and then I was VERY invested in the same characters in The Crown.

Anyway, the movie is available in its entirety on You Tube here:

So those are my top recommendations for royally-themed movies! I’m putting my silly little self-made movie poster here again for The Royal Runaway. It comes out next month (!!!) and I can’t wait for everyone to read it and let me know who they see playing the roles of Princess Theodora of Drieden and Nick Fraser-Campbell.

No celebrity endorsement implied. Just inspired to play around with a movie poster of my own.

I'd love to hear what royally wonderful movies you love and what I need to add to my rainy day movie queues!

Reserve your copy of THE ROYAL RUNAWAY at:
Amazon || BN.Com || Simon & Schuster ||  Apple Books  ||Amazon UK || Kobo