2014 Gift Guide

A little FFC411 gift guide for anyone panicking! Ho Ho Ho!

For your favorite ladies - everyone loves a pretty desk calendar, and with the great gift box and gold stand this one is my go to!

Lobird $49.95
http://lobird.com/pages/lb_calen_seaside.html

For your debonair husband - spice up his wardrobe with these eye catching shoes. We love the colored soles and super comfortable fit. They also have classic leather and suede styles for the more subtle dresser. However we say go bold or go home! 

Austin Heller $195

http://www.austenheller.com/

For the new homeowner - save them from writing their address 3247 times next year, treat them to an adorable return address stamp! Be sure to include a pretty ink pad as well. 

Pure Joy Paperie $38 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PureJoyPaperie

For the host or hostess - the perfect cutting board for the person who loves to entertain. Steak boards, cheese boards, chopping blocks - something for everyone, in every size! 

Soundview Millworks - price varies by item 

http://www.soundviewmillworks.com/

For the picnic lover - these duraclear stemless wine glasses are awesome for the beach, picnics or everyday use. In heavy duty plastic they are a must have for the wine lover on the go! Add a monogram for a personalize touch. 

William Sonoma $77.95

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/monogrammed-duraclear-outdoor-stemless-white-wine-glass/?pkey=ctabletop-duraclear&cm_src=tabletop-duraclear||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

For the traveler - fulfill their sense of wanderlust with a map of their favorite destination. With tons of custom colors and lots of new locations to choose from, this is also a great gift for a newlywed! We love their signature crests. Email for web access. 

Bank and Surf - prices based on size and frame 

http://www.bankandsurf.com/

For your favorite little ones - these plush animals are just about the cutest new thing I've seen this holiday season. Add some whimsy to their nursery - a gift mom will love as well! 

Rikshaw Design $48-$58

http://rikshawdesign.com/gifting/plush-animals/

For the boater - get your favorite yachtsman ready for summer with one of these awesome cooler bags and bottle openers. Cooler bag keeps ice for up to 24hrs and comes in a size for every outing! Add a boat name, initials or coordinates for a custom touch. And don't forget to include a fun speciality bottle opener!

MW Coastal Goods - $40 

http://www.mwcoastalgoods.com/

Polar Bear Cooler - price varies by size 

http://www.polarbearcoolers.com/

For the guy who has everything - but 400 thread count boxers. The best part of these boxers is the product card that comes with them. Good for a Christmas morning giggle!

Royal Highnies $82 for a pack of two pairs

http://www.royalhighnies.com/shop/his/royal-highnies

For the preppy redneck - most guys these day love a great trucker and these are the perfect blend of sporting and prep, a fun stocking stuffer! 

Duck Head $30 

http://duckhead.com/shop/trucker-dh-circle-embroidery/

For the party hopper - we're always on the hunt for the best "road soda" cups and these are definitely them. Bring a cocktail to your neighbors, the beach, on your bike. Another great stocking stuffer! 

Roadie Cups $20 

http://www.roadiecup.com/roadies/

You have sixteen shopping days left - no sweat! 

Gift Guide: 7 A.M. Enfant

After having lunch in the city with two girlfriends and their babies they wheeled their strollers outside and both popped their hands into these gloves which were attached to their stroller handles. I couldn't help but think genius! These down gloves velcro around the handle and basically create glove "sleeves" - pop your hands in to stay warm but you're still holding tightly to the handle of the stroller for safety. Also quickly pull your hands out to grab a wayward pacifier or send a text. A great gift for a new mom in your life, especially a city girl who spends her days attached to her stroller! 

WarMMuffs by 7 A.M. Enfant - only $38 and comes in lots of fun color combos, even neon! 

J&C take them for a spin 

Loving their cute baby items as well - time to bundle up for the season! 

So wish this came in my size : ) 

Shop at http://7amenfant.com/

Dough & Co to the Rescue!

Let Dough & Co take care of all of your holiday baking needs! Locals, place your order by Monday Nov 25th and pick up your Thanksgiving treats at Flea on Thursday Nov 28th btw 10am-Noon. 

Looking for treats to send to your loved ones around the holidays, check out the items available to ship as well (my favorite featured above!)

Also be sure to swing by Flea in Rowayton to check out their adorable gifts!

Thanksgiving menu!

Treats to ship!

Fresh Direct

I feel like I might be late to this train but I've just subscribed to Fresh Direct and its amazing! If you haven't joined yet I highly recommend it. Some afternoons there is nothing more fun than wondering down every aisle in the super market dreaming up meals to make for the upcoming week. Other nights after a weekend away and a long day back at work the very last thing on earth that I want to do is go grocery shopping. In comes Fresh Direct! Log on and start shopping - order by 5pm and your order could be at your door as early as 6am the next day! You can create a list for weekly basics, specific recipes, party ideas or shop off your old orders so you could be in and out in minutes. Going out of town? Enter your order on a Friday, choose a scheduled delivery of 6-8am on Monday morning and you'll wake up to a weeks worth of groceries! You can also get two months of free delivery as a first time subscriber. I'll still enjoy my Sunday trips to the store but when we're out of town this is 100% my new go to. This time I went for basics but I'm looking forward to trying some of their pre-made foods, fresh pastas, marinated meats and meal kits. This is also amazing for new moms, have all your groceries delivered so no one has to worry about going to the store, and stock up on ready to heat meals so no one had to worry about cooking!

www.freshdirect.com/invite/adarekiely - shop through this link and receive $25 off your first order. And be sure to sign up for the two months of free shipping! 

Voila! Packaged by fresh foods or grocery items. Right to your door. 

A quick Monday night meal - healthy chicken parm, whole wheat pasta and broccoli

I'm hoping to order up a bunch of specialty items next time to start testing our Ina's new recipes

I'm also loving following one of my favorite bloggers, Jenny Steffens, as she does "A Month with the Barefoot Contessa". Read about the recipes she has cooked thus far. Barefoot Contessa Project

Chic Chewbeads

I've been meaning to blog about this adorable jewelry before and finding out that a few more of our closest friends are going to be mommies reminded me! (Congrats mommies to be xx)

Chewbeads was founded in 2009 by a fashionable mom whose son began chewing on all her beautiful necklaces. Worried that they would break or contain unwanted chemicals, she set out to mimic her favorite jewelry in soft, non-toxic material which was colorful, chic and most importantly safe - their tagline "mommy chic, baby safe". Beads are 100% silicone, soft on babies gums, have a breakaway clasp for added safety and are dishwasher safe. And beyond cute! I actually learned about them by asking a friend where she got her cute necklace - she laughed and said it was for teething!

Available in multiple styles - my favorite is the Jane. Classic beads in a rainbow of fun colors! Great for layering and only $29.50! 

Other style include the Hudson Necklace - $36.50

Cornelia Bracelet - $11.50

Charles Bangle - $14.50

Adorable gift sets available too!

What a fun gift for your favorite mom! I might even have to grab myself one so my nephew stops chowing on all my scarves! 

www.chewbeads.com

Tulip Tip

Wanted to re-share this post about adding a penny to your tulips. I'd kindve forgotten all about this tip until my mom brought me some beautiful white tulips and two days later they were all floppy. So I threw a penny in the vase and voila, beautiful perky tulips. Also be sure to check out the list of local places to buy flowers, there are such beautiful blooms in season right now!

http://fairfieldcounty411.blogspot.com/2011/04/tulip-tutorial.html

Winter Beauty Essentials

I've been on a master quest recently to find a new shampoo for my winter hating hair. It's been dry and brittle and generally creating a little halo of spiky straw around my head. I finally found a solution to my quest with Nexxus Color Assure Radiant Color Care Shampoo. I now have happy, bouncy, summer loving hair again!

This little venture got me thinking about all the other beauty essentials I just can't live without once the temperature drops below 50. 

My true "can't live without" moisturizer - Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer in SPF 15. I have rather dry itchy skin but I'm also prone to a breakout of two and this has proven to be the perfect cream for me. Light but nourishing and I feel like it makes my skin glow, perfect for year round. I even use it as my sunblock - it comes in SPF 30 for those more sun conscious consumers. A must have! Available at most drug stores. 

Second in my winter arsenal is Clarins Eau Lactee Auto-Bronzante. I for one believe in a year round tan and as I'm not lucky enough to have monthly vacations to the beach I need to rely instead on this great self tanner. A subtle glow for your face, it creates a perfect base for your favorite bronzer and helps me avoid that whole "Twillight" thing I have going on every January. Available at fine department stores or specialty drug stores. 

When you really need to pull out the big guns my secret weapon is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. This offers a wonderful foundation for when you have a busy day or night out in the cold. Layer over your traditional moisturizer, let dry and then highlight with bronzer. You'll have a sunkissed glow that will stay put throughout the day, even when that cold wind tries to whip the tan right off you! Available at Sephora and fine department stores. 

Lastly, if you don't have one of these in your makeup bag then you've spent one too many mornings looking fatigued. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch is a miracle worker. This luminizing pen highlights skin and erases all signs of dark circles and redness. Dab a little under your eyes and around your noise and chin and voila, no one will know you had one to many pinots last night! Available at Sephora and fine department stores. 

Have a beautiful January! 

Fire Safety

After the very tragic fire in Stamford over the holidays, I have been thinking a lot in the last few weeks about fire safety. With the New Year here and many resolutions being made, I think it's an important time to make a resolution that could affect your life a lot more than losing ten pounds. Take five minutes to read this great post by Summer is a Verb (she's very witty but all the important information is there too), check the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and replace the batteries, purchase and learn to use a fire extinguisher (when your oven is on fire is not the time to be reading the directions or googling), and think about an escape plan for your family in the event of an emergency. I think the ladder in SIAV's post is a excellent investment. A friend of mine slept on the third floor of an older home one of her years in college and her parents got her one of these ladders - what could be a true lifesaver in a house fire. Unfortunately it often takes a neighborhood tragedy to finally push us to do these tasks we've been meaning to do for a long time. So please take this time to check these items off your list, it's a resolution we can all get behind!

Please read!
Fire Safety by Summer is a Verb

Kidde Fire Escape Ladder

Wedding Bible

I've had four friends get engaged in the last few weeks (so exciting!) and the first thing I've said to them, after telling them how incredibly happy I am for them, is to run out and buy Mindy Weiss's The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day. It was the best thing I picked up when I first got engaged and I still refer back to it constantly. This week it assisted me in the proper way to address inner and outer wedding envelopes. It's like having a free wedding planner on speed dial! So as this seems to be the season for engagements I wanted to share this wedding staple with all of you. The next time someone in your life gets engaged snatch this book up for them and they'll be thanking you for months to come!

This also seemed like a fitting post as my very best friend is getting married this weekend! Can't wait!!

Stop & Shop for Discounted Gas

Over the past few weeks I've been wondering why the clerks at Stop & Shop keep highlighting my 'gas points' at the bottom of all my receipts. The smart thing to do would have been to ask them but thankfully Suzy Said filled me in today!

For every dollar you spend at Stop & Shop, you earn a point on your card toward Shell gasoline. Earn 100 points and save 10¢/gallon on gas, earn 200 points and save 20¢/gallon, etc. The more you spend,  the more you save - up to $2.20/gallon. (You'd have to buy a LOT of groceries!) The points are only good for 30 days so be sure to use then ASAP!

At participating Shell stations
1. Follow the prompts at the pump to start
2. Insert your Stop & Shop Card
3. Select payment and fuel grade
4. See you new price per gallon!

Find participating Shell stations here. There's 24 within a 10 mile radius of my house. I'll definitely be heading there this week to fill up!

Beach Stickers

It's May 1st - officially time to get your beach sticker! Here are some helpful links to get you registered if you haven't already. It was a shock when I wanted to go for a walk at Todds Point and realized it was already sticker season!

If you live in Greenwich:
http://greenwichct.virtualtownhall.net/Public_Documents/GreenwichCT_ParkRec/GreenwichCT_Recreation/ParkPasses/passes

If you live in Rowayton:
http://www.rowaytonct.com/images/Currents%20Spring%20Summer%2011/Bayley%20Beach%20Application%202011.pdf

If you live in Darien:
http://www.darienct.gov/content/106/116/616/default.aspx

If you live in Westport:
http://activenet8.active.com/westportrecreation/

If you live in Fairfield:
http://cal.fairfieldct.org/content/2765/2783/3417.aspx

Tulip Tutorial

I always thought putting a penny in a vase with tulips was an old wives tale but the other day I brought home some beautiful tulips and a few wouldn't fit in the vase. So i grabbed a little bud vase to stick the last three in but they were floppy and hanging out the sides due to the vase shape. I figured before I tossed them I would throw a penny in there and see what happened. The next day, voila, perfect tulips!! I'm still shocked that they are standing perfectly upright all on their own, it almost seems like magic. Since it's prime tulip season I had to pass along the tip! Happy Easter!

My favorite local places to buy flowers:

Cos Cob Farms - 61 East Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob

Darien Produce - 27 Tokeneke Road, Darien

Compo Farm - 392 Post Road East, Westport 

Get your Groupon!

I'm sure most of you have already signed up for Groupon Fairfield County but they have had some great deals lately so I just wanted to remind everyone to get involved! I was bummed I forgot to purchase the Darien Sport Shop Groupon last week - $50 for $100 gift certificate! So be sure to sign up today so you don't miss out on any upcoming deals in the Fairfield County area. It's also a great way to hear about some new restaurants and services in town. Happy shopping!

Fear Not!

What's the fastest way to end a fun night with friends? Spill red wine on something in their house! Nothing turns a situation more uncomfortable than watching a hostess try to assure guests that it's no big deal that they just doused her new ottoman in vino! But don't be one of those people who only offers guests clear drinks - get yourself an emergency bottle of Wine Out! My fiance spilled some red wine on one of our chairs while I was away and didn't want to ruin my weekend so held out mentioning it until I came home (clearly I need to loosen up about our furniture!). Unsure how to get it out I called my mom who came to the rescue with Wine Out. After the stain had been sitting for 5 days she was still able to get it out completely and our chair looks like new! There was a small window of time where it turned the fabric bright blue but once it dried everything was perfect, however be sure to spot test in a small area before tackling the entire stain just incase. So now that you're in the know, serve that red wine with reckless abandon!

Learn more about Gonzo Wine Out here!