I have always had a big love for this beauty of a shop, but once it became my go-to store for Christmas shopping…I began to love it even more. I guess one of the best things about this store is the amount of care and appreciation they show for the items you have purchased; if you haven’t been there before, at the check-out they will wrap your fragile items in paper and then put them inside of a fab cardboard box with a handle. We bought Brett’s sister this wonderful soup tureen, matching bowls, and a porcelain ladle for Christmas– each sold separately. The product was so beautiful and they took an additional amount of time to wrap it all up and box it for us (which in the end saved us the struggle of finding a box for the items). I consider the price to be more than reasonable for the quality of the product and it was all worth it when we were able to give her such a marvelous piece of serve ware, with the condition that she had to use it to serve up some soup or chili for us! If you’re looking for some beautiful home decor or some really fantastic serve ware, check out Crate&Barrel: crateandbarrel.com.

Brett got this for me for Christmas and having been able to try it out I am pleased to give you my consumer report: it’s fantastic. If you suffer from sore legs that are tense from strain or tight from stress, this miracle cream works wonders in relaxing the muscles while providing you with a lovely scent of peppermint. This gel reminds me of a sophisticated icy/hot sensation with the tingle…but then there is an added bonus as this gel de-tenses your legs. I typically do not give recommendations for products unless I have tried them and have had success, and in this case I can tell you that I love it and I’ve been very happy with the results. While it doesn’t provide a permanent fix for leg pain, it does offer a bit of relief if you have sore, tired legs that need to be de-tensed. Origins also has products available for your feet and hands, which are also really great. I especially recommend the Make a Difference Hand Cream which I put in my mom’s stocking and we both tried it out and were pleased with the softness of our hands after use and the scent is lovely (which most Origins products are really pleasant). Check out all of their wonderful products that specializing in making you feel wonderful: origins.com.

Mm…I am such a sucker for the sweet taste of a smoothie, especially one that is healthy for you and tastes great! According to the store locator on their website, they have stores in many locations across the country and I know that they have one very close to me and the others are located within the shopping malls (which is a much better alternative than a Cinnabon…). These smoothies are perfect for many different situations whether it is an energy boost, weight loss, wellness, protein, and even smoothies that are perfect for us ladies during the time of the month known as our own, personal hell. If you haven’t been to a Planet Smoothie before, I suggest getting the Spazz which is strawberries, bananas, non fat milk, and booster blast. It tastes delicious and does give you a little dash of oomph to get you through the day if you’re dragging. You get a lot of smoothie for the buck and if you want a sweet treat that’s kind to your body, check out Planet Smoothie: planetsmoothie.com.

A few months ago, I skimmed through the pages of this book and was so intrigued by the adorable, simple craft ideas laid out by author Mark Montano, who may be familiar to some of you as the crafty designer on TLC’s While You Were Out. The book offers easy, affordable suggestions to rising up some of your average household items into really fantastic pieces of art that will be sure to get your friends and family thinking that you are the love child of Betsey Johnson and Martha Stewart (if that was even possible, but let’s pretend). The ideas are so funky and fresh and so lovable, I cannot wait to try them out! Which reminds me….thanks, Mom! The last time I checked Amazon, this book was out-of-stock, but you can order it now and have it delivered later! Check it out at: amazon.com.

Those who know me very well know that I am a big fan of peacocks; they are my favorite animal! They are so beautiful, elegant, majestic…and apparently, they are also the symbol of narcissism. (ouch). I found Christmas paper from The Container Store that had a peacock print and I adorned it with a silver bow and peacock feathers. I could almost dedicate an entire list just to all of the adorable peacock items out there, but…I’m just telling you that I’m really big into them right now and apparently the fashion world is, too! If you want to find home items, clothing, shoes, accessories, etc…check out at Urban Outffiters where you can get your fix on peacock prints in the form of an adorable shirt much like this “1920’s Peacock Deep V Tee” and be sure to check out their hair accessories where you can get a hair clip that is embellished with peacock feathers or a headband with peacock feathers, or even the shoes with a little peacock feather badge…you get where I’m going with this. You can check all of this out for yourself at: urbanoutfitters.com.