Gift Guide 2013

A non-too-subtle hint of what I
want for Christmas.

Wow, it is November! I can hardly believe the year has gone by so fast. I’ve been thinking a lot about the holidays lately as this is my first holiday season in Italy. I am very much looking forward to experiencing a full Christmas season with Italians and can’t wait to go to the Christmas Markets that should be starting in the next few weeks!

I love to buy presents. Seriously. I start thinking about gifts sometime in October and obsess about what to get for whom for the next month or so. I really like to give thoughtful gifts that I think my loved ones will really like/use/want. Then I wrap it up in a pretty box with beautiful wrapping paper (I am addicted to pretty wrapping paper, it broke my heart to give it all away before I moved), and pop on a bow. Since I am in Italy this year, I will be shipping my gifts to family back in Texas so I started obsessing much earlier and need to be more organized so everything can get there in time. Fingers crossed.

All that being said, I have started my internet search on this year's cool gifts and thought I’d share a few with you, in case you too are in shopping mood. Without further ado… my picks. (Please feel free to share any suggestions you might have as well!)

GIFT IDEAS

FInnish wool throw

• Apple Valley Natural Soaps – who doesn’t love pretty soaps and scrubs? This is a family-run small business who uses natural ingredients for their products. I’m a sucker for mom & pop businesses and who doesn’t love to smell good! They can be great stocking stuffers, Secret Santa, or hostess gift.
• Tryst Dusting Silk – Lady Primrose products are not cheap but they are beautifully packaged and smell great!  They have a wide variety of bath and body products that help make a bathroom look and smell great. I use the dusting silk (or powder as we call it in my family – we’re not too fancy) and gave both my sister and mom some last Christmas. It was a huge hit, so if you’re looking for something a little special, check out their site.
• Sweet Life Paper – I found this shop on Etsy (who doesn’t love etsy!) and their stationary is so cute! Teacher gifts, note pads, journals, etc. – they can be personalized and are priced reasonably.
• Finnish Throw - This Finnish company is family owned and makes beautiful wool throws and washed linen kitchen towels - among other things. It's a splurge but really well priced for the quality. They are based in Finland but stores sell their products around the world and also offer direct online sales. 
• Banderole Pencil Set – come on… these are just fun! The link is for a UK site but the USA site has the pencils as well!
• Bottle Opener – this cool bottle opener would be an awesome gift paired with a bottle of wine!
• USB Key Ring – nice leather and useful.  A bit pricey but I’d like it.
• iPad Telephoto Lens – who would’ve thought? And it’s cheap too!
• Macaroon Ear Bud Holder – handy and convenient. Great stocking stuffer.
• Kung Fu Master Flash Drive – for techies of all kinds.
• Alessi Pencil Sharpener – ok, I will admit it. I want this for myself. How cute is a beaver pencil sharpener! It’s a little pricey but the funny factor alone makes it worth it. (It matches this cute paper clip holder too).
• Moleskine Passion Journals – You really can’t go wrong with any Moleskine product but I love the variety of the passion journals. These are great gifts for anyone you know (I have the travel one myself) – and fellow ex-pat blogger Sara Rosso actually contributed to the Dessert journal – how awesome is that?
• Vosges Chocolates – I have to include my favorite chocolate bars. The Mini Chocolate Bar Library is delicious as is everything they make. It is pricier
  than your average chocolate but so so good.
• Whiskey Rocks – no description needed J
• I eight sum pi plates – HAHA. The nerd in me loves these! (also the site has a ton of unique gifts. It’s worth a browse).
• Phaidon City Guides - for someone planning or dreaming of a trip, these guides are beautiful and make a great collection. (sorry if the site comes up in Italian from the link) 

More later…

On looking for chocolate

For those of you who might not be aware if it, one of my favorite foods is chocolate. Seriously, I think chocolate should be its own food group =) AND to make it even better, science now confirms what I've always known deep inside... it's good for you!

So, since it happens to be my passion (hehe) I love to try out and look for new, delicious, cutting edge candies or bars, as the case may be. Imagine my surprise when I went into a little market near my house and found this. Imagine those cartoons where the characters stop in mid stride when they see something. Oh yeah that was me. What is that?Bacon? Chocolate? are you kidding??? I mean these are 2 of my most favorite foods. but together? I am intrigued.... and of course, had to try it. I looked at the box. hmmm - there are directions of how to taste this. cool. and OH. MY. GOSH. heaven in my mouth. The chocolate was a "dark milk chocolate" (41% cacao) which had the deep flavors of dark but not quite so bitter. the bacon is in little pieces. smokey. salty. chocolatey. I am so not kidding - you have to try it. IT IS SO GOOD.

I was feeling pretty good. It was my new favorite chocolate bar. And as an added bonus, it is expensive. meaning - I can't afford to buy it often so I won't eat so much. lol maybe that is not a bonus but for me and my "dieting," price is a good deterrent. Plus, that just makes it all the more special when I do have it. Right? right?? well that is what I am telling myself anyway.

So, I go on living life. content in my new discovery and telling anyone who would listen how delicious that chocolate is. that is until I went back into the store the next week. you see, as I was so distracted and enamored of my bacon bar that I totally missed another tiny display of Vosges chocolate bars. So as I was checking out with my bread and freshly made mozzarella, my eye was caught on a lovely packaged bar. hmm.. what is this one? deep milk chocolate (well, I know I like that). smoked almond. good. grey sea salt. mmmm better! Just a little taste can't hurt. again OH. MY. GOSH. Barcelona bar, thy name is ambrosia. this is everything I love about life. sweet, deep chocolate. smokey from the bits of almonds. and salt. oh sea salt, that little crunch, that salty among the sweet. I decided to taste it like the box instructed me to. and let me tell you. Letting that chocolate melt on my tongue against the roof of my mouth, slowly giving way to the crunch and smokey saltiness of the almonds and sea salt. heaven. simply heaven.

You must try these chocolates. be prepared for a bit of sticker shock but hey its a "treat". feel free to send me as many bars as you'd like. haha and another tip, maybe you should try it once you get home or at least in the car. your murmurs of ecstasy could be a bit embarrassing in public. ::wink::

PS - I think I heard a rumor that this was "delurking" month in the blog world. I may be a month late (my internal calendar is totally screwed) but nonetheless I would really love to hear from ya'll. you don't even have to comment about my going on and on about chocolate - tell me what you'd like to read about? what can I do for you?

More later...