My Favorite Things Link-Up: Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Where have I been?!  Does it matter.... let's act like I didn't miss a couple weeks on here.  I'm excited because this is my first link up!!! with Cheers Y'all, A. Liz Adventures, Miss Dixie and Southern Style.  Today's topic is stocking stuffers!

When it comes to stocking stuffers, I do my best to think small but special.  Just because these little gifts have to fit in a stocking doesn't mean they can't be creative!  I think there are a lot of ways to keep stockings fun and make them exciting to open last (at least in our house!).  Here are my ideas for what I think makes the perfect Christmas stocking!

1. Gift cards

Gift cards are a great stocking stuffer because they show you know what someone likes and give them the fun of picking out exactly what they want!  I think iTunes gift cards are a great gift.  You can find them pretty much everywhere and with the popularity of the iPhone, they are sure to be appreciated!

2. Something Sweet

This stocking stuffer is a no brainer - a sweet treat!  It can be chocolate or gummies or whatever you love, but be careful over a fire place ;)  My favorite chocolate to indulge in comes from Eclat.  This is where to go if you want something truly decedent and delicious.  I recommend trying any of the caramels or, my favorite, the champagne truffles!

3. A "Coupon" Book

Here's a template I found for a DIY coupon book.  If you want something a little more fancy, Datevitation is an awesome site where you can customize a coupon book for any occasion.  They have great ideas and you can even add your pictures into the little coupons!  A coupon that would go over well in my house would be 1 free back scratch... let's be honest you're going to do it anyway so why not make it a "gift" ;)

4. A Date

Tickets to a sports game or to see their favorite band are such a fun gift!  It gives you something to look forward to, and can be a great surprise in a Christmas stocking.

5. Something Silly

I feel like you haaave to have something silly in your Christmas stocking!  A few mini bottles of liquor or a new key chain are a few ideas.  Get creative with this stuffer and really think about things your receiver loves!  I used Breaking Bad keychains as an example because I would love getting one... bitch!

6. Something Warm

I don't think I need to list too many reasons of why socks are a good stocking stuffer; here's a hint: People wear them almost everyday.... so there's that.  Gloves are perfect for this time of year because... well because it's cold.  Think of this stuffer as the practical gift.

7. A Toy

No stocking is complete without a toy.  This is an easy item to go any which way price wise.  Lots of stores have "stocking stuffer" sections where you can find fun toys - last year I found a kit to build a mini wind up helicopter for Scott's stocking.  If you're looking to spend a little more on a "toy" think along the lines of a new iPod or a FitBit.

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Stockings are one of my favorite parts of Christmas!  I hope this list helps spark a few ideas for your stocking stuffers and I'm sure your loved ones will appreciate all the thought put into their stocking this Christmas!  Only 30 days left!

My First Stitch Fix

Last night I came home to my first Stitch Fix box!  Stitch Fix is a subscription service for clothing and accessories.  You can choose to have a box come every couple of weeks, monthly or bi-monthly.  I decided to start with bi-monthly to see how I liked it.

For $20, a personal stylist reviews your style survey as well as your Pinterest boards and anything else you send them.  They pick out five pieces and send them to you.  You have three days to try everything on, decide what you want to keep, and send the rest back (free shipping!).  The $20 stylist fee goes toward anything you buy, but if you don't buy anything, you still pay the fee.

To be honest when I saw the box I thought "hmm.. that's kinda small for five items.  What did they send me?!"  I was definitely interested to see what was inside.  I'm a big fan of packaging, so here's a look inside the box.

There's an adorable card with images of each item and how you could style them.  I actually really appreciated this because I could tell that I had a lot of the items they were pairing pieces with and I felt comfortable with the choices.  There is also a price list so that you know how much each piece is, but we'll get to that.

Here are the five items inside my Stitch Fix box!  I saw an amazing cardigan, a lovely lace sleeved top, a gold statement necklace, a chevron blouse, and maroon printed pants.  When I saw the pants were a medium I laughed out loud like, yeah, this is going to go well.  They looked tiny when I held them up but I figured what the hell, gotta try em!

This is where I need help.  EVERYTHING fits and (I think) looks really cute!  Should I keep a few pieces or all of it?  Please excuse the selfies and dirty mirror here...  First up are three pieces from the box: the lace sleeved top, the pants (that fit awesome!) and the gold necklace.  I took some pictures so you could see the detail (see the pants above and the shirt and necklace below).  I paired the outfit with my ankle booties to see how it would actually look.

Next up is the sweater I'm actually obsessed with.  I tried it on with distressed skinnys, a tan tank and my beloved ankle boots.  I don't think I have to say too much about this BEAUT!

Finally, the last item is the chevron blouse.  I paired it with a Stitch Fix suggested tan skirt and black heels.  I think this would be a great look for work.  The sleeves also roll up and button, so the top could be worn a bit more casually.

I need help decided what to keep!  A (big) part of me just wants to keep the whole box.  If you purchase all 5 items, you get a pretty major discount (for this box it's $75 bucks off).  So, to keep all 5 items would be $229.  If I only keep my top three (the lace top, pants and sweater) it's $204, so for an extra $25, I would get to keep this chevron top and necklace.  Heeeelp!

I will say I am officially in love with Stitch Fix.  The fact that everything in my box fit and I liked everything honestly shocked me.  I'm not a big doubter but I didn't think it would go so smoothly.  Definitely looking forward to my next fix!  I also really loved the fact that I could try everything on at home with pieces that I already have.  It was so convenient to see how each item would fit into my wardrobe.

Please leave a comment here or on my Instagram telling me what you think I should keep!  Have a great weekend y'all J

Weekend in Pictures: Halloween, a Yoga Surprise & the Race for Hope

What a weekend!  We stayed busy all weekend, starting with Halloween on Friday.  I was able to dress up for work, so I went as a ballerina.  I got a whopping 4 votes in the costume contest (3 were bribed with spiced candied pecans) and lost to a man dressed as Diana Ross.  Guess I didn't have much of a chance...

As tradition goes, Scott and I handed out candy at my sister-in-laws while they took the kid out trick-or-treating.  Abby and Chase were dressed as Princess Jasmine (pronounced Jabs-Min according to Abs) and Aladdin.  I loved seeing all the kids come around.  I heard about a drinking game where you take a shot each time you see a Frozen character... I saw 3- whomp whomp.

Cutest family ever!

Saturday was my Mom's 60th birthday and did we have plans for her!  She insisted she didn't want a big party, but we still wanted to get her friends together to celebrate how great she is.  I thought of throwing a surprise yoga party, and my sisters and I started planning.  I tricked her into thinking we were going to a regular class and when we showed up, she was shocked to say the least.

We turned the party into something more important, a food drive!  Thank you to all who donated.

Saturday night I hosted Mom's birthday dinner at my house.  That afternoon her very best friend showed up as another surprise, so we had a full house :).  I put together a chili bar for dinner and it was a big hit.  It was super easy to prepare ahead of time, and everyone could customize their own dish.  We opened gifts and chatted, it was great to have everyone there!

My Aunt Lisa, Mom & Aunt Lydia.

Mom and Hannah.

Happy Birthday Ma!

Sunday morning we got up bright and early to walk in the Race for Hope, an event to help raise awareness for brain cancer research.  Our team, Jim's Geniuses, walks in honor of my dad.  It was a chilly morning, but we had a bunch of great friends join us.  Thank you so much to everyone who donated and walked with us, it means so much to have the support each year.

Sorry my pictures are mostly blurry - I was walking backwards while taking them!

Jim's Geniuses 2014!

Freezing at the end, but we made it!

My love bug :)

The Dwyer Ladies!

A weekend full of family time and fun is awesome, but we were wiped on Sunday.  We got home just in time for the Eagles game, and then I sat on the couch until Melissa reminded me about a sale at AC Moore!  Ha!  After a little shopping, some sushi and TWD were the perfect ending to an awesome weekend.

This week our granite gets installed!!!  I'm just a little excited to get rid of our 1994 Florida teal laminate counter tops.  Happy Monday - have a great week!