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The Gifter :: Outgift the Party

As we head full steam into the holiday season, along with it comes all those parties. Whether it be your office party, neighbor’s holiday open house or intimate dinner with family and friends, it’s bad form to arrive empty handed. Bringing a thoughtful gift for the host or hostess is always appreciated, but what’s appropriate to give? This week, the folks at HomeGoods and POPSUGAR are having #TheGifter crew uncover the best gifts at amazing prices, perfect to “Outgift the Party.” Here are just some of the many ever changing gift ideas I discovered at my local HomeGoods this week… be sure to follow Simplified Bee on Instagram #TheGifter to see them all!

crystal highball glasses - hostess gifts #thegifter

These exquisite crystal highball glasses by a high-end designer are perfect for your bff’s holiday bash or the newlywed’s dinner. The set of four is an absolute steal at $29.99 at HomeGoods compared to $60 at department stores. I’ll drink to that!

gourmet balsamic vinegar - hostess gift #thegifter

Food and wine is always a welcome gift for holiday dinner parties. This gourmet vinegar is a great, unexpected present for the hostess that loves to cook. The packaging is so fabulous, I wouldn’t even wrap it… simply add a gift tag, red bow and you are ready to go!

swedish holiday coasters - hostess gifts #thegifter

These Swedish drink coasters with tree cut-out would be a lovely, practical gift for just about any host or hostess.  The beautiful Alder grain makes each coaster unique.

celebration party crackers - hostess gift #thegifter

For the office party these British celebration crackers with little surprise trinkets inside gets my vote!

What’s your favorite gift to bring to a Christmas party? Be sure to tweet the images of the hostess gifts you discover with #TheGifter and you just may win a TJX $500 gift card!

Happy shopping,

Cristin

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by TJX through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated to write this post about TJX #TheGifter, all opinions are my own.

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Read full story By on December 1, 2013 in Christmas, discounts, Entertaining, Holiday, home accessories, HomeGoods, Parties

The Land of Nod Holiday Party + Discount Code

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of co-hosting  The Land of Nod holiday event in the San Francisco Bay Area. Michaela, my fab intern last summer and blogger, co-hosted with me, and along with The Makery Los Altos and The Land of Nod, we had the best time! Over 100 guests enjoyed a special night of crafting, conversation, and shopping. 

Michaela and I designed a fun holiday vignette using lots of bright & colorful The Land of Nod products – a fabulous shopping destination for baby & children’s furniture, decor, accessories, toys and more. As a nod (no pun intended!) to being at The Markey, we featured a kids’ craft area with the play table, adorable zig zag stockings, and a Christmas tree decked with the cutest pom pom garland and ornaments. To ground the space, we created a chandelier out of brightly hued ornaments. We were thrilled with the way it turned out!

Land of Nod Holiday Partychandelier made of holiday ornaments
white Christmas tree - Land of Nod Holiday Party #NodEvents

Land of Nod gave us an adorable Cottage Dollhouse to decorate for the event. I had so much fun decorating it that I even created valences with left over fabric samples.

Land of Nod Dollhouse by Simplified Bee #NodEvents

It’s now the home of my kids’ “Little Bunny and Blue Bunny” and they are very pleased with the new digs. Always nice to have happy clients! 

The Land of Nod Cottage DollhouseMichaela decorated the outside with  flowers in the window boxes, wreaths and garland. So cute!

The Land of Nod Cottage Dollhouse - Christmas Decor

The Makery hosted our event and if you haven’t heard of their shop and live in the San Francisco Bay Area, get your bootie down there ASAP! It’s a crafters dream 🙂 Full of every craft essential you could imagine, the Makery hosts amazing parties, workshops and has unique supplies and decor for custom parties. Everyone who came to our event had a ball making little adornments for their Elf on the Shelf characters. Each guest left with one, which I thought was the cutest thing ever! 

craft suppliesvintage elf-on-a-shelf decorating - Land of Nod Holiday Party
Holiday cocktail with red straw
Happy Holidays - chalkboard sign

In addition, there were eight other The Land of Nod parties across the whole United States last Thursday…

Atlanta
Joni Lay of Lay Baby Lay
Boise
Kirsten Grove of Simply Grove
Charleston
D.C.
Rebecca + Suzanne of A Feteful Life
Kansas City
Carrie + Morgan of Ampersand Design Studios
Los Angeles
Kelly Lanza of Studio DIY
Nashville 
Salt Lake City / Provo
Kirsten Krason of 6th Street Design School
And to give you a head start on your holiday shopping, The Land of Nod would also like to extend a 15% discount on all of their products using discount code: BEEBLOG

Happy shopping!

Cristin

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Read full story By on November 25, 2013 in baby and children, Christmas, color, discounts, Entertaining, Holiday, Uncategorized

The Gifter :: Black Friday Ops

Black Friday. Just days away, it’s the biggest (and craziest) shopping day of the year. Limited “doorbusters” attract massive crowds and can create endless lines. In many cases bargain items are snatched up in the wee hours of the morning.

So what does one do to best navigate Black Friday Sales? This is the HomeGoods and POPSUGAR mission this week for #TheGifter.

black-friday ops #TheGifter

I’m not one for massive crowds, so when I hit the stores on Black Friday I plan ahead and so should you. Here are some of my strategies on how to best navigate Black Friday sales.

Create a List

Be organized.  It’s faster and less stressful to get in and out when you know what you are shopping for. Create a comprehensive list of specific items and how much you want to spend. This way you will avoid impulse buying and going over budget.

Check Return Policies

Make sure you read the fine print regarding returns before buying. Often times, deep discounted items are final sale and therefore not ideal to give as gifts.

Go Where You Know

Valuable time can be lost when shopping at stores for the first time. For this reason I only shop stores I know on Black Friday. Being familiar with the layout, helps you locate items on your list more quickly.

Say No to the Doorbuster

This may be a little controversial, but I find it’s much easier to navigate store aisles if I avoid the “doorbuster.” These items tend to be in limited quantities, yet attract the masses. I aim for less-coveted deals that still provide real value.

Shopping at HomeGoods gives you Black Friday deals  on ever-changing products anytime.  And during the holidays, they allow you to be the ultimate gifter by offering the best value on designer gifts for everyone on your list. Here are some of the remarkable in-store items I uncovered this week at my local HomeGoods…

acrylic bamboo style chair #thegifter

Acrylic is a huge trend in home decor and can be very pricey. This chic acrylic bamboo style chair caught my eye and the price stopped me in my tracks. It’s a high-end designer look, without breaking the bank.

large-scale zebra art #thegifter

Large-scale black and white photography or artwork is a perfect way to accessorize and elevate your interiors. It also makes a fabulous gift. This beautifully framed large-scale zebra art was a steal at $199.99 compared to $400 at department stores. Love it!

hand-painted serving dishes from Portugal - holiday gifts #thegifter

This exquisite hand-painted serving dish made in Portugal would make a fabulous gift for the cook on your list. Found at HomeGoods for only $20.90 … a HUGE savings from the original $60 price-tag! Now that’s a doorbuster!

It’s your turn to get in on the action and be entered to win a $500 TJX gift card!  Simply tweet your Black Friday tips or a gift idea to any of the TJX brands (HomeGoodsMarshalls and TJMaxx)  using #TheGifter.

Happy shopping!

Cristin

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by TJX through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated to write this post about TJX #TheGifter, all opinions are my own.

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Read full story By on November 24, 2013 in Christmas, discounts, gift guide, Holiday, HomeGoods

Oh (faux) Christmas Tree

Yes I did. Call me crazy. I’ve decorated the Christmas tree already. With Thanksgiving running so late this year, I decided “what the heck!” Don’t worry though, it won’t be a pine-needle-less, fire hazard by the holiday. It’s an artificial tree sent to me by Tree Classics. I’m super impressed with the quality – it’s hard to tell it’s not real even when you are in the same room. The only thing I miss about having a live tree is the lovely pine scent that fills the house.

Christmas tree with white feathers - Simplified Bee

I selected the  7 1/2′ classic Fraser tree with clear lights because of it’s narrow profile – great for small rooms. Love that the lights were already on the tree and that they are LED! Assembly took me about 30 minutes from start to finish. I did have to pull in my hubby to put on the top layers though.

christmas decorating with feathers // Simplified Beeholiday floral arrangement with white peonies // Simplified Beewhite peonies in a mint julep vase // Simplified Beereusable chalkboard gift labels - Simplified Bee #labels

This year I went with a crisp white and rich gold color palette for the tree decorations. Tons of white feathers were placed throughout the tree and along the top of the Chinese cabinet. I also added a new new items this year such as the fab faux fur tree skirt (above), owl snowglobe (next to the white peonies above) and felt snowflake ornaments (below) I picked up at West Elm!

faux christmas tree detail - Simplified Beetwinkle light Christmas tree - Simplified Bee

Have you started decorating your house for the holiday?

Happy Holidays,

Cristin

Land Of Nod: Design for Kids and People That Used to be Kids

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Read full story By on November 21, 2013 in Christmas, Entertaining, flowers, Holiday, holiday decor, owls, product review, simplified bee portfolio