I recently discovered the Weatherman Travel Umbrella, and I’m impressed. I’m not the only one. This small-yet-might bumbershoot has a large and loyal following, which a scan of the Amazon reviews makes apparent. It’s compact and light, easily tucking into a tote bag or a carry-on. It’s also an ideal umbrella to leave in the […]

I love Urban Decay eye makeup. I just love it. It has dimension. The shades are so rich, whether subtle or high-impact. And they don’t fade. Like not for hours and hours and hours. (As an aside, I will go on record as saying the Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil is my all-time favorite eyeliner.. […]

I’m always tickled when I find a universal gift. No one thing is right for everyone, obviously, but by universal gift I mean something that will be appreciated by many different types of people. The kind of gift that works for a white elephant party, the sort of gift you like to keep on hand […]

Whether you’re shopping for a student, an entrepreneur, a remote staffer, a busy mom juggling a crazy life, or a grandparent with a genealogy hobby, they all have one thing in common: A laptop. This sturdy yet slim 14-inch laptop sleeve converts to a stand with a quick flip. The angle is adjustable, and it […]

I have quite a few perfumes that I love, for different moods and different seasons, for myself. But it can be hard to gift a perfume, even though it makes a wonderful present. The challenge comes in picking one that is virtually certain to be liked. But here’s one I think is definitely worth considering: […]

A way to make working out fun has been the holy grail of folks trying to get in shape for … ever. It seems like it should be a fairly simple concept, right? But if that person you love has stopped going to the gym because “it’s just so boring,” then here’s a new idea […]

I’m a sucker for little beauty kits. They’re fun and make ideal gifts for so many of the women in my friend group. And the Lanolips #1 Essential Lip Tints Trio in particular I’ve gifted a couple of times. Lanolips makes really nice tinted balms, and they do it without petrolatum, parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, […]

I’m in love.  Full disclosure: I was never the biggest Coach fan, at least of the traditional print. It seemed stuffy somehow. But they’ve really upped their game in recent years in my opinion, and the Tabby is probably the cutest bag I’ve seen from them. The Tabby is a modern take on an iconic 1970s […]

Digital tools, it turns out, are not always the best.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the unexpected resurgence of paper planners (except for maybe in all the independent bookstores popping up). I had never used a paper planner.  I was ferociously loyal to my paper wall calendar, however, where I scribbled in birthdays, […]

$140 at amazon Even if your giftee is a whiz in the kitchen, or a grill master who always says he “just knows” when the ribs are done, using a meat thermometer is really the only way to be 100 percent sure the food is cooked just the way you like it–and safely. The difference […]