Happy Friday! Let the weekend begin! We are closing in on Christmas, and that means parties, and shopping, and decorating, and baking and greeting cards and my oh my! Its enough to make your head spin!

Well we are going to try and help you out a little bit this week with the latest on the sales, and a list of great gift ideas on a budget!

So without further ado, Lets Shop! Here are the sales that I am aware of:

Alex and Ani – 30% off fine jewelry plus free shipping

Anthropologie – 30% off everything! (oh my stars! I love Anthropologie!)

Banana Republic – 50%-70% off everything in the store! That’s bananas!

Bloomingdales – Take 25% off a large selection of items, look for code FRIENDS; Free Shipping, Free Returns

Chicos – 30% off full priced sweaters and jackets, use code 43193

DSW – Free blanket with a $39 or more purchase, extra 25% off cold weather accessories, thousands of boots on sale.

Express – 40% off everything plus free shipping on orders over $50!

JCrew – 35% off full price styles, ends tonight, use code FRIDAY

JJill – 30% off entire purchase use code 30DEC17  (**They have a gorgeous chenille sweater calling my name!)

Kate Spade – 30% off all sale styles with code EXTRATREAT

Kohls – extra 25% off (Code DEAL25) + Kohls Yes To You Double points

Loft – 40% off your purchase! Use code NewNow- in stores and online!

Lord & Taylor –  30% off almost everything plus 15% off almost all beauty, use code FRIENDS

Macy’s – Take an extra 30% off everything, use code FRIEND

Nordstrom – Huge seasonal sale and always free shipping.

Old Navy – entire store on sale up 60% off.

Talbots -30% off one item and 40% two or more items, includes markdowns, use code HOLIDAY

Target – Buy one get one 50% off kids clothes, all shoes, accessories and jewelry. Save up to 30% on Christmas decor.

White House Black Market – 40% off entire purchase! Use Code 85521

Let me know if you see any others!

So on to our Gift Ideas List to help if you are simply stumped on what to do for some of the folks on your list! Many thanks to my sisters, nieces, and amazing friends who gave me suggestions for this list!

Everything is linked below, every picture you can click on to get to a site which carries that item. And its always good to shop around too! Watch for retailers giving a discount on your basket. Some items rarely are included in those discounts but its worth a try!

Planner: Planners make a fantastic gift because they just feel like they are empowering you to organize and plan so you can be on top of things! And there are so many cute ones out there! You can find them from the Book Store to Target to Office Max! The ones below are a little pricier but they are special! The first one is by Lully Pulitzer, and its $25. The second is by Erin Condren ($35) and the 3rd is by Kate Spade ($40)

Soft and warm Scarf: Who wouldn’t love a soft pink scarf to keep you warm and looking so feminine? This one is from Urban Outfitters, ($29) but faux fur has been just about everywhere this year! Really any scarf is a great gift, as long as its not itchy! And if you can pair it with gloves or a cute hat with a pom or slouchy hat or a beret, how cute would that be?

Silk Pillow Case: Ooh la la! Spoil her with the softest pillowcase anywhere! So good for your skin! So good for your sleep! (Ok I want one! I think I want everything on this list!)

 

Portable Charger: $19.99 Available in all shapes and sizes, the portable charger can give your phone a boost on the road when you’re running out of power. These also come in cute designs too. You can find them at places like Target and Best Buy – I’ve heard they can even be found and 5 and Under stores! This one comes from Target.

 

Lipstick: Lipstick is so much fun to wear because it makes such a visible wow factor the minute you put it on. Why not spoil them (or yourself) with some really pretty lipstick? Here are a few fun options below (all of which are tempting me!)

Clinique Party Lipstick Set on sale for $21.25, (at Macy’s, use code FRIEND)

Tarte Trove Collector’s Set – Look at all that fun stuff! 24 pan eyeshadow palette, 3 pan cheek color palette, mascara, eye liner,  glossy lip paint. A $386 value on sale at Macy’s for $40.80, use code FRIEND.

Pretty Tote Bag – A tote bag is so useful for every day, and they now come in such lovely designs! This 1st bag is from Ted Baker $59,

 

This one is from Vera Bradley $80:

 

This one is from Barnes and Noble ($12.96)

Soft and Warm throw blanket from Nordstrom, $39.99 – this one I can attest to, I bought it last week! It was so soft, Stacey (my sister) and I both had to simply stop everything and buy one! Luxuriously soft! Comes in many colors too!

Cozy Cardigan – This cardigan from Nordstrom is so comfy and soft, it will be one of your faves in no time! A great gift this holiday season! And it comes in lots of colors, too! $58

Beautiful V Neck Tunic, Kohls on sale $29 in several colors, simply gorgeous!

The Perfect Necklace for a V Neck – My favorite! The Luna from Stella & Dot! $49 (the Luna is the shorter necklace in the photo below)

Bath Bombs and Candles (Bath and Body Works has tons of these!) Bath bombs are like a large fizzing bath bead that smells amazing and as it desolves, it also provides moisturizers for your skin. Bath bombs run $6.95 for 1 or 3 for $12.50. Bath and body works also has a lovely selection of candles in gorgeous fragrances on sale for $12.95 for the three wick candles.

      

Soap and Lotion in a Caddy Set – Cost Plus World Market $9.99 (lots of lovely fragrances)

Infusing water bottles – Bed Bath & Beyond- $9.99 each, a chamber allows you to add fruit and then it flavors your water!

Yeti Tumbler: ($28) Keeping the hot drinks hot and the cold drinks cold!

Kona French Press Coffee Maker

Give them the gift of great coffee! $25

 

Pretty Yoga Mat – in lots of designs and price ranges, here is one from Target for $29.99 

Gym Bag – Great for inspiring you to get back in the gym, and having a bag to carry your clothing and gear is a great pick me up! This one is from Kohls, $44.95, comes in a variety of colors.

Hopefully those ideas will help! And I have a few fashion items to share with you as well.

I received a Stitch Fix box this week, and I was so happy it had a black denim jacket in it.

The fabric is denim but its really soft! And that means its really comfortable!

The bag is a Ted Baker tote bag, in a fun metallic rose color.

Kasey is once again questioning my choice in the bag. That’s ok. I’m still learning!

Next I have a bright pink cashmere sweater, a V Neck, which honestly if you are carrying any extra weight, the V neck is a flattering friend, at least it seems to be for me. It tends to elongate the upper body and bring attention to your face, and is overall a more flattering look then the higher necklines. So yes I am working on those few extra pounds… but you can see how the different necklines in this post impact the look.

The sweater is a Halogen, and while I don’t do well with itchy fabrics, this one is not too bad.

I have my Luna pendant on from Stella & Dot, and am carrying a black Ted Baker bag.

I just love pink and black together! It makes me think of Kate Spade and Paris! Kasey is the only other girl in our house, so it is a treat to me to go a little bit crazy on the girl talk. She is more interested in the opossum who has shown up twice in our yard in the last week! Which I guess I will chalk that up to her interest in hospitality. She is the same way with the squirrels!

I was a little tired here, our camera was on the fritz last night so we had to retake photos this morning. Always learning, right? That’s a good thing!

You know how sometimes you hear a story and you just know you are hearing it for a reason? This seems to happen to me a lot and I file those stories away because I know I am meant to learn from it, possibly over and over again, Anyway, Maybe 10 years ago, the pastor at our church (Brad) shared a story from his youth that really impacted me. He talks somewhat frequently about his father, his dad was an attorney, and a well respected man. Brad said he was a pretty serious man, very busy. One day his dad told him he wanted to take him to the movies. That was a big deal! Just him and his dad, and the movie was great and he just kept thinking how cool it was to be at the movies with his dad! This was an awesome day! His dad wanted to spend the day with him! And as they walked out of the movies, his dad stopped in the parking lot, looked at him and said, “You wanna go back in and see another one?” Brad’s jaw about hit the floor… two movies? Back to back? Yeah!!!! The impact of that moment was so huge for that young boy. He knew that his father was lavishing him with attention, going to the extreme! That was an amazing feeling! And the memory of that day- that over the top lavishing love brought him memories for a lifetime! I smile when I think about this man of discipline and order throwing the rules out the window for a day to just indulge his son with his time! I like to think of myself in this story both as the parent and the child! I think of that moment as the father stopped in the parking lot and made that fateful decision that would be one of a young boy’s greatest memories, and I daresay one of his father’s greatest memories too!

I don’t want to miss those moments with the ones I love when you are standing there on the precipice of doing the practical or doing something that just lavishes someone with love.

And now Its Christmas time, a time where we give as an expression of the love and joy in our hearts. Its not like an earned thing. Its just a billowing up and bubbling over sense of joy that draws us together. Maybe your gift is baking cookies. Or sending a card in the mail. Or organizing a gathering. Or maybe its just laying your hand on your son or daughter’s shoulder and saying “I love you!” Maybe calling your sibling or cousin or aunt or uncle… or just telling your spouse what they mean to you. Maybe reaching out to a friend or maybe its taking time to treat yourself a little extra kindly. Its Christmastime, and a little of that lavishing love is like Miracle Grow on flowers!

I hope you get to lavish someone a little bit this year, and I hope that someone lavishes you a little bit! You are so worth it and I like to think of you getting that same feeling of being amazed by kindness and love! Have a great weekend!

I’ll be back next Tuesday for another Tasty Tuesday!

Love Always,

Amy

“In case you haven’t been told lately, You are loved. You are important. And You matter.  ~Christie Joyner