gifts i love : nopalera

NOPALERA a stunning artisan natural beauty brand designed to celebrate the richness of Latina culture and the beauty of Mexico. The child of immigrants, founder Sandra Lilia Velasquez, was inspired by the nopales that were abundant around her childhood home near the CA-MX border. The nopal cactus is a highly sustainable + resilient crop and super nourishing, making it the ideal foundation for each of Nopalera’s super natural products. The nopal they use is all wild-harvested and the company’s packaging is entirely reusable or recyclable, though I don’t know why you’d want to throw away any of the AMAZING packaging. I want to wallpaper my dining room with it. Yes, I am a bit biased given my lifelong passion for Mexican Folk Art, but I’m pretty sure it’s objectively stunning.

THE DREAMY Cactus Body Polishes have a super subtle Tangerine or Hibiscus scent. They’re so gentle and not greasy and feel amazing. I also love the Botanical Lotion Bar that leaves your skin feeling so smooth. The unique ingredients are designed for maximum hydration and literally melt into your skin as you rub the bar across all of your dry bits. And I love the Dulce de Cuerpo Cactus Shower Gel, it smells a bit smoky and sexy and totally divine. Any of Nopalera’s gorgeous products would make a lovely gift on their own, but combine a few and you have yourself a REALLY special gift for just about anyone. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo

Nopalera

~~ Nopalera Hibiscus Cactus Flower Exfoliant ~~

~~ Nopalera Dulce de Cuerpo Shower Gel ~~

~~ Nopalera Tangerine Cactus Body Exfoliant ~~

~~ Nopalera Botanical Lotion Bar ~~

MORE IN… clean beauty + wellness

gifts i love : plus plus

OK, LOVELIES, I’m going to let you in on one of my greatest mom [and gift-giving] secrets. If you haven’t already met one of my best friends, Plus Plus, I’d like to introduce you. Plus Plus, this is my lovely friend. Lovely friend, this is Plus Plus, one of the greatest [travel] toys of all time and saver of so many restaurant meals I could never try to count. I have been dragging them with us wherever we go for about 7 years and I kid you not, I’ve never seen my boys make the same thing twice. Total strangers approach our table, initially drawn to the spectacular mix of brilliant color, but then they get sucked in to examining the boys’ magnificent creations. Even when we’re out with other kiddos, the whole lot of them get totally engrossed in building, looking up only to trade colors with the kid next to them.

MADE IN Denmark, Plus Plus’ tagline is “one shape, endless possibilities,” and I can totally attest to that truth. They are so simple in concept, but just brilliant in execution. They make sets of varying sizes and themes, but we just dump ours all together in a big, colorful mess and have at it. I put a heaping pile + a baseplate in a Stasher Bag for each of the boys and I ONLY bust them out at restaurants or traveling (that is part of the trick to keeping them exciting for 7 years). My boys have made epic battle scenes, robots, animals, machines, guys and a hundred other things. It’s just awesome to see the magical creations that come out of their expanding brains. They also have a biggie size for little hands. The colors are just so appealing and they’ve also introduced glittery and glow in the dark pieces, making it nearly impossible to resist buying *just one more* little tube even though we already have SO SO many. They’re a perfect gift, gift topper, party favor, stocking stuffer, Easter basket filler or travel surprise.

PLUS (can’t resist) the Plus Plus factory in Denmark uses 100% wind energy, has a zero-waste facility and both the toys + packaging are totally recyclable. So huge win there. They are also super easy to wash when they get dribbles of soy sauce or ketchup [or germs] on them. So, if you haven’t already met, I highly recommend getting to know my friend Plus Plus before your next adventure or when you just need a few solid minutes of quiet time. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo

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gifts i love : super smalls

I WAS A SUPER girlie girl. I was all about clothes and makeup and Barbie and princesses. I took ice skating lessons just so I could have a Dorothy Hamill dress. I paraded around the house in my sequined dance costumes. And I would have thrown my best friend to the wolves without second thought for some Super Smalls bling. It’s shiny and stylish and adorable and made just for kids who like to rock the hardcore sparkle.

FOUNDED BY a legit fashion industry veteran and certified girl mama of three, Super Smalls mimics the look, feel and presentation of serious luxury jewelry and accessories, but is made just for all-out fun. It’s intended to spark the imagination, power up the the play and straight up wow its wearers. They make over-the-top adorable jewelry, accessories and hair bling that all take glitz and shine to the next level. It’s just plain fun and would make a seriously SHOW-STOPPING gift for any little or t(w)een that’s dazzled by sparkle. Their BFF Twin Stars Necklace Set comes with matching blingy necklaces, one for each pal, along with a super sweet guide that explains what each colorful stone represents about being a good friend. It’s so stinking cute. Super Smalls also has a massive collab with Disney and the MLB so you can really personalize your special li’l person’s gift to their passions.

GRANDMAS AND cool aunties take note, if you love a little that’s super wowed by big time sparkle, Super Smalls is a serious no-brainer AMAZING gift option. I guess it’s a good thing for my elementary school best friend that it wasn’t around when we were kids. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo

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gifts i love : brightland

WHEN I WAS a single gal, dinner for me was whatever looked good in the Whole Foods prepared case that night or maybe, if I was feeling ambitious, a pot of spaghetti. When I started to grow my family, my cooking repertoire slowly started to expand, too. Cooking is now obvs an everyday part of my life (more like 3-5x a day) and probs fueled 70% by love and 30% by necessity depending on the day. I’m super passionate about food and health and want to share that with my family, but I’m for sure still learning how to be a ‘good’ cook. I can follow a good recipe and am a FIRM believer that having the right tools for the job is key, be it your go-to kitchen supplies or the best ingredients you can get your hands on. It’s something I’ve been slowly and intentionally honing over the years, swapping out big piles of mostly useless gadgets for a few of the RIGHT ones. It’s the reason I buy organic when I can and the inspiration for finally splurging on some truly gorgeous Brightland Olive Oil.

I’VE HONESTLY always just bought a simple, inexpensive olive oil believing that anything coming from the Mediterranean was probably pretty good and basically all the same. Um, no. It turns out I could NOT have been more naive. When you dig in, you find out that much imported olive oil sold in the US as ‘extra virgin’ is actually nothing of the sort. It can be [and often is] rancid, moldy, contaminated with larvae and filled up with a bunch of other super junky types of oil. EEW. GROSS. It’s apparently a massive global scandal and actually super fascinating (I now want to read this book for the juicy details). The oil I was buying may not have even had the powerful polyphenols and other awesome health benefits that I was using it for in the first place. So I took the leap to something SO MUCH better. If I’m super honest, my leap started more like a casual wander fueled entirely by Brightland’s stunning branding (I’m like a barracuda drawn to shiny objects), but after learning more, I didn’t hesitate to jump and will never look back.

BRIGHTLAND produces small-batch, high quality, gorgeous olive oils with only locally-grown fruit straight from the rich Cali soil. They source all of the little gems from a family-run farm and know exactly what they’re putting into their final product. So you can rest knowing that you’re not putting mold or larvae into your Taboule. And the flavor is spectacular. It’s bright and herbaceous and so super delicious. I started with their ‘basic’ oils, Awake and Alive plus pretty Spouts for both (quickly now some of those ‘right’ kitchen gadgets). I use Awake for soups and chicken and Alive for all the veggies. Then I added Rosette (garlic) and Ardor (chili pepper) to the lineup and they’re both delicious. Ardor is SO good on roasted broccolini, potatoes and chicken. They also make two gorgeous vinegars, Parasol (champagne) and Rapture (balsamic), made with the same high standards. And they just launched a new line of raw, unfiltered honeys. California Orange Blossom and Kauai Wildflower are both made by small-batch farmers in the US and are gorgeous. Brightland has stunning sets that would be a really beautiful gift for anyone on your list who loves to cook or eat fabulous food.

SO, WHILE I still have plenty of days when I’d rather just grab something from Whole Foods, on all of the other days when I’m excited to chef it up, I’m so happy that I have the right tools for the job. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo

MORE IN… foodies + chefs + bakers

gift idea : origami

fold me up, fold me down

ISN’T IT so fascinating how two kiddos born of the same two parents can be so vastly different? My guys are both kind, funny, bright and loving, but their similarities pretty much end there. My little guy is most frequently found in a fantastical world of his own making. He has a GiGANTIC and wondrous imagination and could spend days fully entertained by a single twisty tie. My older son on the other hand, is firmly rooted in reason. His equally active imagination has never been to The Land of Make Believe, but instead is stirred by Rube Goldberg-style machines, elaborate Danny MacAskill tricks and epic ski lines. When he was little, he asked me in all earnestness if Santa was going to come into his room and watch him sleep. He was super creeped out. I mean, it makes sense. The jolly man’s already in our house, the logical next step is that he might go for a wander. And my guy is ALL about logic. He has always busied himself with tinkering and building and engineering and solving problems. He builds elaborate bike jumps and epic race car tracks. He assembles the big Lego sets so that his little brother can actually play with them. He has folded probably close to one million paper airplanes of every possible combination to test their speed, distance and accuracy. And when he discovered origami in second grade, it was true love at first sight.

IN MY observation, LOTS of kids go through a serious origami phase, often starting around age 7 or 8, and it’s easy to see why. The paper is bright and colorful and sometimes has really cool patterns. And, of course, it’s so satisfying to follow the complicated series of steps and end up with something recognizable. My son would then attempt to make a giant version or a teeny tiny version or a whole family of his latest creation (the frogs might’ve been my favorite). He still loves the Art for Kids Hub videos that teach origami in super understandable steps. He learned the hard way that not everyone on YouTube knows what they’re doing, but Rob does and he makes it fun and sets the kids up for success (also an AWESOME and inexpensive subscription, which you know I’m all over).

THERE ARE TONS of awesome resources out in the world for learning and practicing origami and they make excellent gifts for kids or adults that would enjoy the zen process. It’s such a great activity for busy minds and fidgety hands. Taro’s Origami is an excellent resource for learning all about the art form and the paper-making process. They make some of the best paper you’ll find and the studio even offers live online classes with Taro’s professional folders for all levels, which would be a spectacular gift. And if your folder would be wowed by cool patterns, Aitoh is an authentic brand that has an endless offering of super cool paper to delight. So if you love an analytical little and need a good gift or rainy day distraction, check out these fun origami activities and watch their pride swell as they create something dazzling from a humble sheet of square paper. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo

origami gifts for folders of all ages

> Jumbo Origami Paper is a fun BIG variation on the standard origami paper and it comes in 30 colors >

> Djeco Origami Kits come in fun themes, perfect for learning new shapes >

> Learn to fold 15 different animals with this Origami Zoo Kit that also includes a fold-out map of the zoo and stickers for adding the finishing touches >

> My First Origami Kit is the perfect starting place for beginners with 22 different projects to practice with, plus stickers >

> You can’t actually fold this Origami Boat, it’s a super cute Oli & Carol natural rubber bath toy, perfect for little siblings of avid folders >

> Make 20 different customized paper airplanes with this cool Paper Airplane Squadron Kit >

> Oh man, I loved making Origami Fortune Tellers when I was little and this bright, colorful set comes with lots of different themes >

> There are 200 brightly colored, double-sided sheets in this Rainbow Colors Origami Paper Pack to keep the imagination running wild >

> This Kusudama Origami Book has stunning, elaborate folds to make traditional Japanese paper spheres >

> Learn to fold 30 different origami designs using a single dollar bill with The Dollar Bill Origami Book >

> This Star Wars Origami Kit is a must for any Star Wars lover. Learn to fold all of your favorite characters >

> Foldology is an origami puzzle game for more advanced folders with 100 brain-teasing challenges from beginner to expert >

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