This time last year, I roped my boyfriend into creating the ultimate gift guide for men. This year, I’ve had no such luck in getting him to put together another gift guide. Since us girls need all the help we can get when it comes to shopping for the mysterious men in our lives, I decided to put together my own gift guide for guys. Here’s a few Aspiring Socialite-approved gift ideas for every budget.
P.S. – If the guy you’re shopping for is a sports fan, you can’t go wrong with tickets to see his favorite team play. It’s something you can do together and if they’re not that good this year, tickets may actually be affordable. You can find the best deals on StubHub.
For many of us, the holidays mean a month filled with parties. Much of these festivities include office parties. While they many seem high pressure, holiday office parties are the perfect opportunity to treat yourself to something new and show your co-workers just how stylish you are. Here’s how to look polished and professional with a holiday spin.
1. Look the part with bold holiday colors
When putting together your perfect party outfit, think ruby reds and emerald greens. If you don’t want to be too seasonal, classic black is always a winning color. Plus it’s slimming and elegant. Men can pair black dress pants with a red shirt and black tie. Ladies can wear a red blouse with a black skirt or go for a little black dress complemented by ruby red accessories, such as a red clutch purse or red shoes. Don’t be afraid to go for other shades as well. Jewel toned shades such as deep purples and blues also look beautiful during the winter months.
2. When in doubt, dress to impress
If you’re not sure you should dress up or down for your holiday party, it’s better to dress up than to dress down. Chances are you’d rather show up dressed more formally than to show up in jeans when others are in dresses and suits. If you’d like to dress business casual, step it up a notch with accessories or a pair of heels.
3. Keep warm
You may be tempted to dress in that snazzy little dress with bare shoulders, but you could end up regretting it if the weather doesn’t permit it. Though you may want to push the envelope a bit, comfort still needs to be kept in mind. You should also avoid wearing uncomfortable shoes, since office Christmas parties may involve standing and mingling with others for hours.
4. Leave large handbags at home
While you may bring a large handbag to work every day, you won’t want to lug it around at your office Christmas party. Instead, carry your belongings in a small baguette handbag or a clutch. Money, lipstick, keys and your cell phone should be all you need.
5. Accessorize your ensemble
Spice up your little black dress with a bold statement necklace. Or you can complement your outfit with a silk tie in holiday colors. If you wear glasses, choose a beautiful frame. Online glasses offers an array of sophisticated and stylish options.
Ever since I was born, I’ve spent every Thanksgiving with my family in New Hampshire. This year, however, it was extra special because I went up with my boyfriend. After discovering that we both have family in New Hampshire, we decided to rent a car and go up together. We were supposed to leave on Wednesday night, but decided not to when we saw how bad the snow was getting. So we made the trek up to New Hampshire from New York City on Thanksgiving Day. In the midst of power outages across New Hampshire and holiday traffic, we made it to Ian’s grandmother’s house with time to spare before dinner. In true New England fashion, we had a wonderful dinner with my boyfriend’s family.
In the days after Thanksgiving, we enjoyed the beauty of the snow, spent time with both our families and took my Dad to see the Syracuse University vs. Boston College football game. I went to Syracuse so I’m not going to share the score. Though it was freezing, we still managed to watch the whole game in the stands. Having spent so many holidays and summers in New Hampshire, I already had tons of great memories there. This Thanksgiving weekend, I made even more.
The best way to prepare for the holidays is by finding out what’s hot for the season. Between shopping, entertaining and finding the perfect dress for that Christmas party or New Year’s Eve soiree, the holidays can often be more stressful than jolly. Luckily, I got the scoop on everything that’s hot this holiday at the Celebrate in Style event hosted by Single Edition Media and InStyle Magazine at the The Glasshouses in Chelsea. With braids, red lips, bold eyes, bejeweled sweaters and pieces that transition perfectly from day to night all on trend for Holiday 2014, it’s going to be an excellent holiday season! After the event, it was great to come home with Rap Protein Gummies, Beautiful Textures hair products, Alassis Candles, holiday home accessories from Balsam Hill and much more. Here are just a few of my fav picks for the 2014 holiday.
No holiday get-together is complete without wine. As an avid white wine drinker, I’m now a big fan of Brancott Estate’s Flight Song Wine in Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. Not only do they have a smooth finish, they’re also crafted to be 20% less calories. Happy Holidays to me!
As a vegetarian, I’ve recently become a huge fan of Gardein and their line of delicious meatless foods. Choosing not to eat meat can often make you feel left out over the holidays, especially on Thanksgiving. But, Gardein’s meatless choices are so tasty that even meat lovers will flock to them. With less fat and calories than their meat-filled counterparts, they’ll satisfy dieters too. Serve Gardein at your next holiday party and you’ll make everyone happy.
A birdcage at the bar
According to the Creative Director of Bulova Watches, winter white is going to be hot for women’s watches this holiday season. After seeing this stunning watch, I can see why.
Want to shine at your next holiday party? Jergens BB Body Cream hydrates, smoothes and illuminates skin to the fullest.
The classic Red Door fragrance by Elizabeth Arden has been modernized making it the perfect holiday gift.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, but the opinions are all my own.
I spent Christmas with my Mom and sister in my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware which is also the home of this fabulously overdecorated house I visit every year.
After sleeping in, opening gifts, and chilling out for a bit
We went to the movies to see Saving Mr. Banks (great movie) and ordered Chinese food. Fortune cookies are a great way to go into the New Year. My fortune made me particularly excited for 2014.
After dinner, we watched my favorite Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life.
It may have been a bit untraditional, but we had a lovely Christmas Day.