Gift Guide: Gifts for Him Under $25

Shopping for guys is HARD. 

I spend the better part of my year just trying to think of a few good gifts for Matt that he doesn't already have, would say "I don't need this", or preemptively purchases under my nose. Dang it.

These are all gifts I've gotten him in the past & I've realized would be a great gift for most dads, husbands, boyfriends or brothers. May the odds be ever in your favor.

1 - Dwell Subscription / 2 - Pocket Squares / 3 - Haiti Made Passport Case / 

4 - DSB Bitters / 5 - Leather FOB / 6 - Sphere Ice Molds

Dwell Subscription - $20
Guys love this kind of stuff. Planning out the dream home they'll be building with their own hands.

The Tie Bar Pocket Squares - $8 
Sometimes they have to dress up against their own will. These will jazz up any outfit!

Haiti Made Passport Case - $25
I made Matt a leather passport case for Christmas the first year we were married... it was a painful endeavor & I wish I found this two years ago. Plus, this employs workers for a fair wage in Haiti. Win-win.

DSB Bitters - $20
For the aspiring bar man. He likes to whip up a new cocktail every so often. These add a certain edge to any drink!

Leather Key Fob - $20
Keep those keys where we can find them. Plus the leather adds a manly touch.

Sphere Ice Molds - $11
Once again, the bartender in every man will love these ice molds. Makes every drink look badass.

Look no further for a gift for the men in your life. Happy shopping!
xoLast year's gift guide for Men

Other Gift Guides!

Gifts Guide for Her Under $25

Gifts Guide for Him Under $25

Gift Gide for Travelers Under $25

Gift Guide for 12 Stocking Stuffers Under $12

Travel Diary: 10 Days in Seattle

I'm falling in love with the PNW a little more each time I visit. I've also realized I've spent over 3 weeks there in the last calendar year... wow!

a photo from my trip in January

This time I was able to go out for a bachelorette weekend followed by the wedding... with a lot of time spent with friends in between!

10 Days in Seattle held a lot of activities for me:
Bachelorette weekend at Lake Chelan (Dinner, drinks, wine tasting, laying out, lounging in the cabin, shopping, travel days)
Down time in Seattle (Dinner, coffee, working, shopping, exploring, working out)
Wedding Festivities (Rehearsal dinner, doing the bridal party's hair, wedding ceremony & reception)

Here's how I packed (not pictured: 1 set of work out clothes, 1 set pj pants & tank, 2 earrings, 2 necklaces)

Little Mistress strapless dress, $105 / Topshop black cocktail dress, $56 / Skater dress / Nicole Miller dress, $710 / American Eagle Outfitters blue shirt / MANGO long sleeve sweater, $16 / Abercrombie Fitch white tank top / Alice Olivia sleeveless shirt / T By Alexander Wang white tank top / American Eagle Outfitters black jacket / Jacket / Flower kimono / MICHAEL Michael Kors blue jeans / H&M chino shorts, $8.16 / Bandeau bikini top / Swim suit / Restricted ballet shoes / Madden Girl wedge shoes / Wedge shoes, $115 / MICHAEL Michael Kors leather purse / Ulster Weavers canvas purse, $24 / Michael Kors leather handbag / Michael Stars hat / Phase Eight wrap shawl, $46 / Lightweight scarve, $20 / H M waist belt, $21 / Yves Saint Laurent round glasses

4 tops
2 bottoms
4 dresses
4 outerwear/sweater
2 scarves
3 shoes
3 bags
bathing suit, hat, belt, sunglasses

I'll get into the outfit combos in an upcoming post! Let's just say this is a great set of clothes to work with.... the possibilities are pretty endless.

The first three days were the bachelorette party in Lake Chelan. It was so so so much fun! Another upcoming post. 10 days is so hard to write about in a concise manner :)

Between the girls weekend in Chelan & Matt arriving (he came about 6 days after I did), I stayed with my friend Cait in her apartment in Madison Park.

The view was amazing... and so was the weather! We had that sliding door open 24/7. It was awesome. Plus, Madison Park is adorable! There are tons of little shops and restaurant, and even their Starbucks is cute - it feels like a big ski lodge.

Some fun activities for the week:
- I went to Orange Theory with Cait in Capitol Hill - i've never tried that workout before, have you? It's a 60 minute "class" where you spend half the time doing weight/strength circuits and half the time on the treadmill doing bursts, intermixed with rowing (for recovery). It was tough work but fun! Because you're constantly rotating, the time went really quickly. I'd definitely go again!

- Sitka & Spruce is a restaurant I've wanted to try (as I've been to two of their other concepts - London Plane & Bar Sajour in Pioneer Square) and it definitely impressed me. 

we sat right next to the "kitchen" in the open concept

the menu.... everything was divine!

Everything on the menu was delicious and perfectly prepared, the staff was friendly & knowledgeable (i love when wine recommendations are spot on!) and the atmosphere can not be beat. There are only about 30 spots in the whole restaurant, and it's definitely a leisurely dining experience. Lucky for us, we walked in around 6pm on a Wednesday, but I would recommend reservations if you're really interested in going (especially on the weekend). Oh and I don't care if you're Paleo or Gluten Free (those with Celiac, you get a free pass because I don't actually want to cause you harm) -you NEED to get the London Plane bread. It's worth every cheat day you've ever dreamed of.

- Victrola Coffee Roasters is a coffee shop in Capital Hill that I just loved! Big open windows & tables, great coffee (no drip - large batch french press), free wifi & cool vibe.

It was such a great week with Cait. And her new apartment is amazing!

The wedding was SO MUCH FUN! I was able to do the bride's hair and she looked gorgeous. What do you think?

I'm definitely not a pro... but it's so fun!

Here are a few snaps from the wedding.

On the dance floor with Cait!

My date showed up! 

#TheLondonSemester
Also, i promise that's not a baby bump I've got going on. My dress has pockets and it was opening at an unfortunate time! 

Once Matt arrived, stayed in this AirBNB apartment (more on AirBNB in Seattle, here!) in the Wallingford area, and we absolutely LOVED it! Here are a few pics I borrowed from their listing (it is even more gorgeous in person! Great spot!)

We were obsessed. Bigger than most 1br apartments, and we stayed 3 nights for less than the price of 1 night in a Seattle hotel. We LOVE AirBNB!

Some spots we hit up:
- Zoka Coffee (Greenlake) was about two blocks from our apartment so I walked there to pick up coffee for Matt and I. What a gorgeous walk! And Zoka was buzzing with cute families & puppies on a Saturday morning. I also was able to go to the Zoka in University District with Cait! Try the lavender mocha. 

- Oddfellows Cafe was somewhere I passed by on the bus and decided to look up on Yelp. Turns out, it's a Seattle favorite of many. Awesome vibe & even better food!

inside

We sat at that little table on the back patio... so cozy! Plus the weather was gorgeous that day... definitely doesn't hurt! Definitely try the Baked Eggs... they're amazing! 

- Discovery Park is NW of the city center and feels totally removed. We laid in the grass and enjoyed the sunshine... I could have stayed there forever!

The park is right on the water. Isn't it terrible how much it rains here? Aren't all of my photos gloomy and terrible? This rain business is a LIE.

- We lucked out and Cait's friends were going Boating on Lake Goodwin one afternoon. Again.... gloomy and terrible.

Matt went wake boarding and got some good jumps (not pictured: him being sore for 4 days after haha!) - it was fun!

- Taste of India for dinner with Sharyn & Bryan. Get the Channa Masala!

- Portage Bay Cafe for Brunch. This is our 3rd time eating here.... and it won't be our last.

- Driving around Alki Beach area in West Seattle. It's a cute little beach town! Who would have thought that existed in the PNW?

- Cafe Flora for dinner. This vegetarian restaurant would please even the most carnivorous carnivore. Everything is INSANELY DELICIOUS. I wish I lived down the street, I'd stop cooking and just eat here. We went here for the first time for Sharyn's rehearsal dinner and I've dreamed about it ever since. Try the Beet Gnocchi!

And of course, I'm dying to go back! It was 65 and sunny every day, filled with friends & good coffee. I absolutely love it out there. Looking for an excuse to go back out....

Do you have any must-try restaurants, coffee or activities in Seattle? I have a few more here if you want to check it out!

Stay tuned to how I used my packing list & for the details on Lake Chelan!

Non Traditional Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.... over two weeks late. I hope it was wonderful :) We've been gone since the end of November, but I'm so happy to be home!

We celebrated Friendsgiving the Tuesday before with our Village. I cooked my first turkey and managed not to screw it up! (Thanks, Williams-Sonoma Brine!)

Only 'group photo' we took... whoops. That could have gone better.

Getting ready for dessert!

We had a great time. If you notice all the funny hats, they are from our Christmas Crackers we each had. Have you ever done them? When I lived in London, everyone had them around the holidays and I thought they were so much fun. You always get a paper crown, and some type of toy, riddle or gadget. They're kind of silly, but it's a fun tradition that I stole from the Brits, because it's just fun :) I bought them at TJ Maxx, but have also seen them at Target.

The morning of Thanksgiving, we boarded a plane! We spent 90% of our Turkey Day on three different planes and in four different airports.... whew! Luckily, our second flight had free satellite tv, so I was able to watch the Macy's Parade! Gotta love technology.

I mentioned our Honeymoon in Mexico at a resort called Capella Ixtapa in the Zihuatanejo region. It's beautiful and remote, and we just love it.

there.

We were blessed enough to find that gorgeous resort on a Flash Sale via Jet Setter (seriously, sign up NOW) for about 60% off regular cost, and decided to take a mini-cation to celebrate our first anniversary and have ourselves a non-traditional Thanksgiving. 

We tacked it onto another trip, which I'll explain more about in the next few posts.

But as assumed, it did not disappoint.

We ate and drank to our hearts content, enjoyed every sunset on the balcony, swam in the pool, visited the shops in town, finished a few books and just generally enjoyed each others company while being unplugged. We even saw three whales playing out by the islands in the bay, schools of fish jumping around, and tons of beautiful birds. So pretty!

view from the balcony

inside

outside. Paradise, right?

First sunset.

Reading by the pool!

Enjoying the chips, salsa, guac and cervezas they delivered to our room each night!

Dip in our personal pool.

Down by the hotel pool

Tapas menu and my Diet Coke.... i only drink it in Mexico!

We were really stressed, as you can see.

Matt asked for "Chips and Salsa, Mas Grande" for lunch.... and this is what happened. DELICIOUS.

Sunset.

Never gets old.

bathing suits are on, i promise!

After breakfast one perfect morning.

I mean seriously. What a forecast for November/December!

These are all iPhone pics, I have a few on my camera as well. But I think it's so beautiful, it almost doesn't matter the quality of the pictures!

Can it be our anniversary every day?

I want to go back.... NOW. I asked if the hotel was hiring, and I was only half kidding.... because if I could live there, I think I would! Also, we were leaving Mexico and heading straight to Bozeman, Montana.... aka, the Arctic Tundra. More on that later... but let me give you a hint: 100 degree difference in temperature. YIKES! 

Have you been to Mexico? If you are married, have you ever revisited where you honeymooned?

xo

Wanderlust Wednesday: Atlanta

I never thought I'd say this, but i REALLY am beginning to love Atlanta. Prior to this summer, i was NEVER fond of it. Not even in the slightest. I don't know if it's the traffic, or that it's the *annoyingly close* part of the drive from Florida to Nashville (are we there yetttttttttt), i was always dismissive of Hotlanta. But after going for a friend's wedding in September (the first time i truly spent time there), I started to fall for it's charm.

Atlanta is an interesting mix - but definitely a town with great shopping, boutiques, and amazing restaurants!

We recently returned for our anniversary weekend and stayed at Le Meridian Atlanta Perimeter Hotel, which is a Starwood Hotel. It's very modern/boutique feeling, and is right between ALOFT and W hotels. So it's pretty nice.

in LOVE with this quote about travel. too long to tattoo on my arm?

Since it was our anniversary we got a suite, but I would be perfectly happy with the standard room. The beds were like floating clouds and they had FANTASTIC room service.

just a small feast.

Dinner:
We had dinner at 4th and Swift in the Historic Fourth Ward Park area, and it was DELICIOUS. On top of the fact that the decor was just awesome. The crowd was mixed, from older couples on double dates (the kind of people who order a few bottles of wine!) to girls nights, other couples our age - great variety. The place was buzzing with conversation and smelled of great food. I had the veggie dish, where you get to select four different vegetables they offer (there were about 7 or 8 to choose from) - all were divine.

I should have taken more photos inside because it was cool. Modern industrial look - exposed wood, brick and edison bulbs. You get my drift.

Brunch:
West Egg Cafe was a delight from our trip in September. Named after the area of town that Nick Caraway lived in The Great Gatsby (another reason to love), and they serve brunch all day. SOLD! I had the Black Bean Cakes and Eggs, and shared Banana Bread French Toast with Matt. Delicious. They have a lot of fun options, and the classics! Also the space is very bright an open, so it's nice for any time of day.

they also have a photo booth. Enjoy the top photo of us not knowing it was starting :)

Shopping:
Atlanta is pretty spread out, but there is great shopping everywhere. There is one in particular called Atlantic Station which is an outdoor shopping area, compete with a West Elm, H&M, BCBG, LOFT, Gap, etc. There are also some restaurants, coffee shops and a movie theater. It is a great spot to grab a coffee on a nice day and window shop, or actually shop :) Also, they offer a shuttle to Ikea (not worth it in my opinion if you're actually going to buy, because Ikea has free parking!) if you're interested. We didn't take the shuttle, but we did manage to find a few things.

first timer.

Now we're officially looking for reasons to go back. Luckily for us, it's only about 4 hours of drive time! Atlanta is surprisingly winning its way into my heart. Do you love or hate the ATL? Any other restaurant suggestions?

xo