There are many reasons why I love my January birthday. It is the same week as my sis so we get to celebrate our birthdays together! It means I am an Aquarius — a truly groovy sign! And, best of all, it means my birthday comes AFTER Christmas!

You see, I get so excited and focused on my favorite part of Christmas – researching, planning and putting together my family’s presents – that I end up finding all of these nifty things that I would not mind having myself!!

So in my case, the gift receiving opportunity does indeed knock twice!! Here are a few things that I found in my holiday gift hunt that would definitely make turning one year older next month a bit more palatable.

Hint.  Ahem.  Nudge, nudge.

Anyone who has seen the fossilized ficas tree standing in the corner of my office knows that the shelf life of any flora in my vicinity is approximate to that of a snowflake in Honolulu. So how cool is this weekly flower delivery service from H. Bloom?! Just about the time I realize the flower stems are sucking air at the bottom of a dry vase; voila! a new bunch of blooms arrive. And we just whisk away that little evidence of negligent watering. 

H. Bloom offers subscriptions starting as low as $29 a month and delivery to home or office is free with your subscription.

An example of a weekly H. Bloom arrangement

I grew up with a mother who quoted Greek mythology and Shakespeare at the dinner table and an older sister who read me practically every Newbery Award book in our town library. My three year old daughter has more books than toys. My sis and I and our best buddy go on an annual vacation where we spend the whole of each day reading – we literally start planning our book list six months in advance. To say that literature is a big part of my life would be an epic understatement.

Bubbly on Your Budget: Live Luxuriously with What You Have by Marjorie Hillis

The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada by Barbara Ireland

It is funny how the little things in life can derail you. And I don’t mean funny in the guffaw sense. I mean funny in the twisted, mind boggling it is winter and my lips are desperately chapped and can it truly be that I have zero time to go someplace to buy chapstick or be someplace where there is chapstick and actually remember at that precise moment to buy chapstick sense?!? Or the two weeks this fall that I completely confused my hormones since I used the love of my life’s AXE deoderant every day for two weeks because the dang Rite Aid with scores of replacement women’s deoderant was just beyond my schedule’s trajectory. So a gift card to Hoseanna, an intuitive monthly women’s essentials delivery service, would really, really be a lifesaver!

Hoseanna

My favorite Christmas ornaments from age three to today have always been the gem colored Shiny Brite brand ball ornaments. How simply marvelous to find shiny bright for every day of the year! Gioielli by Nikki Baker is simply stunning jewelry that you can wear anywhere with anything. And. I. Must. Have.

London Blue Topaz Cushion Drop Earring – Gioielli by Nikki Baker $195

Green Amethyst Ascher Drop Earring – Gioielli by Nikki Baker $195

Denim & Diamonds Earrings – Gioielli by Nikki Baker $225

**Much thanks to So Much to Smile About blog, Doux Rousse blog, and BrandLink DC for providing such fertile holiday hunting grounds for Christmas presents!