I’m shopping now! Christmas is just days away, and to help with your Christmas shopping every day I’m sharing one of my finds! But shhhh, don’t tell: these gift ideas are our little secret!

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Christmas is just one week away, and I’m counting down the days with a holiday shopping guide: Be sure to check every day for gift ideas that will please almost anyone on your list!

If you’re lucky enough to be in Chicago on Saturday, find time to visit the Indie Arts Holiday Market for handmade gifts and drinks and food that will keep your spirits bright!

Only 20 More Days Til Christmas!

Christmas is right around the corner, and we have a new holiday gift idea for every day of the week. If you’re making a list, and checking it twice, here’s a holiday gift idea for everyone on your list!

click here for: 30 Gifts in 30 Days

Be sure to check back every day for a new gift idea… for someone special, or maybe a gift just for you!

Where will you be December 2 ? I’ll be waiting at the doors for the 10th Annual One of A Kind Show Chicago to open!

With over 600 vendor artists from across North America, this is the perfect opportunity for holiday shopping: and a little self-indulgent shopping too! Artisans offer every type of  personally crafted creating including: [Read more →]

With all the world-wide eco-green efforts its shocking how much bottled water is still sold: and how expensive bottled water can be! On long roadtrips we’re often shocked that its cheaper to buy a huge bottle of pop than a small bottle of water: scary thought! So for our wallets and our planet we’re a fan of BYOB Water: Bring Your Own Bottled Water!

The world does not need another bottled water vendor. But apparently we do need another reusable self-filtering water bottle. I’ve had a reusable Brita water bottle for moi long walks, days on the terrace, car rides, and just for convenience in the house. You simply pour tap water into the bottle, and screw on the lid with its built-in, replaceable Brita charcoal water filter. Voila! I bought it at Target over 10 years ago, I buy the charcoal filters online, and throw the bottle and cap into the dishwasher regularly. What could be simpler!

But this week a NYTimes article on a new reusable water bottle caught my eye: The Bobble.It also has a replaceable charcoal water filter, so you can have filtered water on the go. It also comes in several sizes, and the charcoal filters are in multiple colors. Snazzy!

My Brita bottle still works great, but it triggered me to look at Brita’s website: oops, my bottle is no longer made! In fact, although I found references to Brita’s Fill and Go Water Bottle, I couldn’t actually find one for sale. I still can buy the filters on Amazon.com, so I’m good to go.

But when my old-school self-filter water bottle wears out, I’ll be shopping for The Bobble or one like it.

The Bobble and other water bottle filters are available at Bed Bath and Beyond and The Container Store.

Moi tip: self-filtering water bottles are a great Christmas gift: ecological, economical and convenient!

A tweet from Saveur Magazine featured international candy bars that are hard to find in the US: British Cadbury Crunchie Bars, Swedish Daim Toffee Bars, and Indonesian Silver Queens. That’s the problem with being both a traveler and a grocery store junkie: you easily become addicted to foods that may not be easily available.

When I get a craving for  ethnic groceries I head to World Market, a one-stop global shopping bazaar for

• foods: Cadbury chocolates, German cake mixes, Italian olive oils, Indian curries, Dutch cocoa powder, spices of the world
• fashions: jewelry, purses, scarves
• beers and wines from around the world
• furniture and accessories including beds, sofas, candles, rugs and curtains, artwork
• kitchenware: platters, French coffee presses, grilling tools
• bed and bath: towels, soaps and lotions, storage units [Read more →]

Dinner at my brother’s required a fun, unique and inexpensive gift for Moi 2 year old nephew C. I struck-out at Borders, World Market and Walgreens, and then walking Mignette I wandered into a funky new shop around the corner, Inkling, and discovered Chimp Sticks.

These sturdy, reusable rubber chopsticks are perfect for a child’s little fingers, and aren’t just for sushi: imagine the fun of spaghetti and meatballs eaten with Chimp Sticks! Their mottos:

• Monkey around with your meals
• Kids go ape over them

$7 and a fun time for all.

the details:

Inkling

2917 1/2 N. Broadway

Chicago, IL 60657

773.791.8438

M-F: 12-7pm

Sat: 11am-7pm

Sun: 11am-6pm

We just celebrated Christmas in July: our Christmas present to The Queen Mum was a girls trip to Savannah, and we were finally able to coordinate the trip this past weekend. All 5 daughters, 3 daughters-in-law, and Mom: almost everyone made it. So 9 of us flew in from 4 states for a 4 day week-end in Sweat-vannah.

And of course when Moi travels, she shops! Savannah is filled with fun and unusual shops, and we shopped them all! A few of Moi finds were: [Read more →]

Fathers Day is less than 2 weeks away: June 20. These gifts have been personally field-tested by TBG and have earned the very hard to come by TBG smile of approval. One of these is bound to please a father on your list!

For the sports fan:

Cufflinks made by Tokens & Icons from authentic souvenirs of his favorite sports team or stadium: I bought TBG authentic football cufflinks from Roslyn,  276 Columbus in NYC; Spare Parts, 2947 Broadway in Chicago carries similar styles (attn Cubs fans!) But online shoppers can also find them at Uncommon Goods or Cufflinks.com. Expect to pay $130 to $150+. I’ve seen styles made from Notre Dame stadium seats, Cubs game balls, Tokens & Icons also carries pens made from Yankee stadium seats, Dodgers seat bottle openers, Boston Garden floor bottle openers, hockey arena pens and cufflinks (sorry, no Blackhawks: yet!) and lots more.

For the sharp dresser:

Living in rainy or snowy climates is not easy for the guy who always likes to look sharp. Check out Swims:  These classic, classy shoe rubbers easily pull-on over shoes and protect them from the weather. Traditional black is available, but why not step it up a notch with orange or yellow? He’ll love looking good and being practical at the same time. These stylish rubbers are made in Norway of a unique stretchy rubber (similar to diver’s suits) and slip on easily over shoes. We bought TBG’s at Allen Edmonds on Michigan Ave in Chicago, but you can also buy them at Bloomies or Nieman Marcus, or at amazon.com. Around $95 – $125.

For the camera or electronics buff:

These handy camera accessories are practical, inexpensive, and useful: a sure homerun. TBG is a huge camera buff, and has bags and cabinets of high-priced accessories. But accessories are usually heavy and bulky, so not always practical to carry on a long walk, a bike ride, or an outing to the park or zoo. Check these gadgets out. I bought TBG’s online at delight.com

Bottle cap tripod: this tiny tripod screws easily onto a pop or water bottle (better filled so it doesn’t tip over) to provide some distance and stability for your subject: no more stretching your arm as far as possible to try include yourself and that great spot in your shot! About $9.50

Powercup On-the-Go Power Supply Cup: Cameras don’t work well when the battery is dead. Same for mobile phones. Traveling buy car requires multiple adapters and accessories to charge the iPhone, Blackberry, camera, and baby bottle heater. What’s a guy to do? This clever latte-cup shaped adapter plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter and rests in the cup holder. Brilliant: it charges both 120 volt and USB ports. Around $32.50.

For the gourmand:

Wine or chocolates: decisions decisions. Why not combine both with these decadent chocolate covered wine grapes: grapes infused with wine and coated in dark rich chocolate from chocolateur Bissingers? Indulge him! $16 plus shipping.

And what is TBG getting the Fathers’ Day? Shhhh, I’ll never tell. But I will share a shopping tip: I’ve been shopping Mantiques from Treasures by the Antiques Diva!

Friday I made a field trip to Chelsea to personally check-out the much hyped Limelight Marketplace: a former Episcopal church turned trendy and exclusive Gothic nightclub, now reincarnated as a bubble-gum bright and squeaky clean mini-mall whose doors are open to everyone. Calling themselves New York’s Festival of Shops, squeaky clean is definitely the image they’re trying to project.

All the PR is paying off: open just  a week, and Limelight was packed with trendy New Yorkers and tourists.

Limelight definitely has the cool factor: the developers kept many of the original architectural details: stained glass windows, swooping stone archways, dark and hidden stairways. [Read more →]