Ho, Ho, Ho… The Unpolished Gifts You Need To Know

If you have $13,532.00 you could buy all seventy-two items on the 2014 Gift List of Oprah’s Favorite Things.  If you’re questioning how I came up with that dollar amount, the answer is: YUP I clicked on every single item and added it up!

I don’t know about you but I’m wayyyyy too unpolished to drink my cup of java in a $365 Copper Tray and Mug Set and I don’t have nearly enough swagger to pull off the $700 Golden Beats By Dr. Dre.  However, there are a few items that won’t break the bank if you feel inclined to check out what Ms. Winfrey will be giving Stedman and Gayle this year.

Now that Gwenyth Paltrow has consciously uncoupled herself from Chris Martin, it seems she’s also gonna consciously bankrupt me if I spend $2295 on the Lace Bomber Jacket that Monique Lhuillier has designed especially for Goop. (www.goop.com)

Sure it’s super chic and all, but I think I’ll stick to the faux leather shit I can grab for thirty bucks at Target.  I’m no Rachel Zoe but if you use a little creativity you can pair the crap from Target with a great pair of shoes and some cool accessories and still look like a million bucks.  Goop on that Gwen!

That said, and with the holidays upon us I thought I’d offer some of my own gift giving ideas.  As unpolished as I may be, I absolutely L-O-V-E giving gifts.  I take pride in spending time to find something that I know my friends and family members would appreciate.  Finding the right gift doesn’t mean it has to cost a fortune.  It’s the unpolished thought that counts, right?

Here’s My List Of Affordable Items That In My Opinion ANY UNPOLISHED PERSON Would Love To Receive:

1. Daisy Cakes:  If you watch Shark Tank, then you know about Daisy Cakes.  Whatever flavor you savor, Daisy gets the job done.  The options are endless and everything tastes insane.  Why not ship a fresh cake to someone special for the holidays?  They’ll taste the love in every bite!  Who wouldn’t want that delivered to their front door?  My vote is for the Red Velvet; It’s off the chain!

2. Anything Monogrammed:  I’m a sucker for anything monogrammed.  It makes any great gift that much better.  Sure, a bag or a shirt or a tray or a candle or a makeup pouch is fabulous but it’s even more fabulous when you can have a name or a monogram embroidered right on it.  NKThreads has super cool accessories and clothing for everyone on your list.

3. Butterscotch Blankees:  While we’re on the topic of monogramming, you need to take a look at Butterscotch Blankees.

 It’s blankees… but soooo much more!  There’s hats, scarves, sweaters and ponchos.  The acrylic material is soft and yummy and the cashmere option is deliciously beee-yond!  There’s pillows and leather goods and linens too.

 With a ton of colors to choose from and a multitude of style options, every item can be personalized to suit your specific needs.  Whether the gift is for a baby, big kid, an adult or you want something of your own, you can’t go wrong with Butterscotch Blankees!  Over the years, I’ve given countless BB gifts and it’s always been a big hit.

4. Got Wine?: It would be a crime to run low on wine so save yourself the hassle and join Club W.  For a nominal amount of money you can buy a membership for yourself or others and enjoy quality wine shipped direct.  There are no middlemen so the savings is automatic.  Sounds good, right?  Appropriate wines are selected according to a quick and easy palate profile that is filled out online.

 Why have Christmas only once a year when you can feel like it’s Christmas all year around?  Get your decanters ready because each month something new will arrive!  If that doesn’t make you merry nothing will!

5. Since We’re Already Talking About Wine: As I’ve mentioned, personalization takes an ordinary gift and kicks it up a few more notches.  It shows you’ve put a little more time and attention into the gift.  So if you know someone on your list would love a bottle or a case of wine, why not have it personalized? I’ve been sending my family and friends cases of wine with personalized labels from Windsor Vineyards for many, many years.  Whatever the occasion, a perfect label exsists.  Be it a wedding engagement, anniversary or even the birth of a baby, customizing the label with a photo, season’s greeting or a one-of-a-kind personal message to commemorate a special date makes for a really special gift.  Take my word!

6. Foot Massage Is The New Full Body Massage: Who wants to have their feet rubbed for an hour or maybe even for ninety minutes?  Who wants to have their feet rubbed while lying back in a mac daddy recliner chair in the pitch black darkness with music playing in the background? UMMM, I DO! I DO!  If having your feet rubbed for over an hour, while lying back in a pimped out chair, in the dark and listening to music isn’t the greatest thing ever, what’s even better are the men and women who work there.  Why, you ask?  I’ll tell you why:  THEY DON’T SAY A WORD!  They don’t strike up conversations just for the sake of conversation.  Chatty Cathy masseuses are sooooooo annoying but at Tao & Zen Foot Spa in Delray Beach, Florida or The Studio Day Spa  on the West side of Boca Raton, NO ONE TALKS!  They don’t give a shit about anything except rubbing your feet.  If you think I nap in a yoga class, you can be certain I’m out cold when I’m getting my feet rubbed!  It’s seriously the BEST. GIFT. EVER!

7. Now That Your Feet Feel Nice:  On days when I’m feeling like my unpolishedness has gotten out of control and I need to calm myself down, I log onto Allison’s The House Of Hendrix blog.  I find inspirational quotes and read articles that always bring me back down to Earth which remind me of what’s really important in life.  Last week Allison wrote about her new socks obsession and I was intrigued!  Notes To Self sell socks with uplifting words on their soles.  So basically, the words on your sole are good for the soul!  Hmmm…..Those would polish me up perfectly, I thought to myself.  So I clicked the link.

Then, when I saw the picture of the little babies wearing socks that said Blessed and Grateful I immediately went nutzzzz! I know two little babies who’s Mommies use those words so much that they practically (okay, literally) wear the words around their necks!  So who could resist?  Certainly not me!  I scooped up two pairs for their kids quicker than you can say, “Awwwwww.”

8. Boudoir Photo Shoot: There are givers and there are takers.  Now you can be both!  Take your clothes off, get photographed by an über talented, highly respected, extremely professional photographer and then give the beautiful portraits to your loved one.  There is nobody who handles the camera quite like Alain Martinez. (www.alainmartinez.com)  Trust me!

 It’s quite an experience and I say that from experience because I had a boudoir shoot of my own.  I gave the pics to my husband for our ten year anniversary.  That’s a whole other unpolishedly unpolished story for a whole other blog!  I’ll share the naked details with you all at another time.  I promise.

9. Poloroid Fotobar:  Clothed or unclothed, everybody loves pictures!  You gotta take a spin over to the Poloroid Fotobar.  There’s nothing in the store you would need but there’s plenty in the store you would want.  To me, a want is the perfect gift!  The fotobar uses cutting edge technology to pull photos directly from your smart phone into your own personal account.  From there, you can use your pics to create a million different innovative accessories.  The staff is extremely friendly and very helpful.  Take a look HERE to see some of the neat ideas.  Once you start, you won’t wanna stop!

10. Extreme Couponing:  Relax people.  I’m not suggesting that you give out coupons as a gift.  What I am suggesting is taking a few minutes to skim through the Groupon website.  You would be amazed at how many great deals you can find for men and women.  For a fraction of the regular price, you can buy just about anything.

Gym memberships, beauty salon services and restaurant discounts are just a few of the practical items that are worth looking into.  Some merchandise, albeit less practical like customized Bobbleheads and Naming Your Own Star are also available and offered at a significantly reduced rate.

For the skeptics out there who aren’t sure if anyone really takes advantage of what Groupon has to  offer….Wellllllllll, it appears as though the unpolished people take advantage.  Over 25,000 unpolished people to be exact!  

Might I suggest you get on that [website] now while the deals are still hot!  

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW….As an unpolished reminder, SUP wife beater tanks and tees are available for sale.  It could be a fun stocking stuffer or Hanukkah treat for yourself or one of your unpolished friends!  If interested, contact me for details at silver@silverunpolished.com.

From my unpolished heart to yours, I wish you all a Happy Hanukkah and a very Merry Christmas or whatever unpolished holiday you choose to celebrate!