Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Holiday Gift Guide and a Giveaway!

Holiday Gift Guide

I thought I would do something a little different this year and make a little holiday gift guide of things that I am loving and/or coveting this season. It's not too late to pick up some last minute things for people on your list! To sweeten the post, I am hosting a giveaway to win one of these fabulous gifts! Scroll down for details.

1. Several cookbooks are on my "to-buy" list including The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, Keys to the Kitchen, and at the very top of the list is Jerusalem, A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, $19.85 on Amazon

2. I love rustic kitchens with a modern edge and this sign fits in to that aesthetic. It would be so cute over my little stove. "Eat" sign made with recycled farm steel by The Steel Fork on Etsy, $40

3. For leftover wine, these stoppers make an excellent stocking stuffer. vinostop "Peace" bottle stoppers on Spin Bucket, $9.95

4. I am feeling much love for my new home town. These necklaces are the perfect expression of pride for whatever city you live in.  City pride necklace on Brevity, $75-$95

5. If you're traveling during the holidays or just listen to a lot of a music, these headphones are a must. The sound quality is amazing, they have a microphone so you can use them on calls, and they are so sturdy, that I feel completely comfortable throwing them in a carry on and not worrying about them.  SOL Republic Tracks HD On-Ear Headphones, $129.99

6. Most of the time I take pictures with a 50mm lens, but it can be difficult in trying to get wide-angled shots of my city's skyline that I love so much. This 35mm lens allows for wider shots, while still being able to get great depth on tighter images. Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide-Angle Lens, $309 on Amazon

7. To know me is to know I love, love my nail polish. I've changed nail colors three times in the past week alone. I am a huge fan of the brand Essie and totally crazy about their Winter 2012 collection. I have already added Leading Lady, Beyond Cozy, and Where's My Chauffer to my ever-expanding collection of colors. These colors are perfect for holiday parties and will make great stocking stuffers for the polish fanatics in your life. Essie nail polish in Leading Lady, $8

8. Winter is almost here! I'm super excited for the snow, but having already experienced the wind chill, I know I need to be prepared. This scarf/shawl combo is great for those super blustery days.  The Chunky Cowl Scarf Shawl Hood by CT Handmade on Etsy, $34.95

9. Who doesn't love a thoughtful, homemade gift? Give the baker in your life something like homemade vanilla extract and they will think of you every time they make a delicious treat. Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe on Saveur

Now for the giveaway! One (1) lucky reader will have a chance to win the SOL Republic Tracks HD Headphones in the color gray, as seen above. Since these are great for listening to music, the rules of the giveaway will be simple: Tell me your favorite holiday song (name of the song and artist). For additional entries, follow me on Twitter @dishingdelights and tweet me  your favorite holiday song or follow my Facebook page and leave a post with your favorite holiday song. Once you have done that, leave another comment to let me know you have done so. This contest is open to US residents only and you have until midnight CST on 12/29/12 to enter. This will be a nice post-holiday gift if you didn't get everything on your list. Good luck!

*Disclosure: I received a pair of SOL Republic headphones to review and another to give away. The opinions expressed are my own.

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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Christmas (the War is Over) by John Lennon

marla said...

Super fun! Thanks for sharing Esi :)

Heather Christo said...

LOVE this stuff. what great ideas!

Olga @ MangoTomato said...

How fun! I want pretty much everything on the list. Even though I don't celebrate xmas, I ♥ Silent Night!!

Unknown said...

some great ideas in there, the smitten kitchen book is at the top of my list ;) i kind of have a soft spot for the song from charlie brown's xmas... no idea who sings it but it came onto pandora and just made me smile!!

dramatic ballads said...

yay! i don't know who sings it but the old school version of jingle bell rock was my favorite when i was a kid and still tops my list!

Mollie @ EatRunRead said...

"Must Be Santa" by Raffi (because apparently I'm still 5 years old)

Cooking Quidnunc said...

Awesome stuff, too bad i'm in Canada!

Joanne said...

I want Keys to the Kitchen and Jerusalem also!! Badly.

BMG said...

"Do they know it's Christmas?" Band Aid

Grace said...

Hello. My favorite song of all time is " Jingle Bell Rock" ,Because I first heard during a Dance Recital as a child, the song was used for a tap dance performance and the teens were dressed in costumes with large sleigh bells,I recall.

A great Christmas list. I like the beg " EAT" sign, the Smitten Kitchen cookbooks, the Cowl scarf looks toasty!!

peelerbill said...

This is such a great list! One of my favorite Christmas carols is 'Little Drummer Boy' as sung by Johnny Cash. This song is especially more poignant with a couple of gin martoonis!

webmailaddress2 said...

Baby It's Cold Outside as sung by Bing Crosby or the Glee crew

Diana said...

Do you even have to ask? "All I Want for Christmas is You"- Mariah Carey. As realized in Love Actually, natch. Merry Christmas!!! :)