Christmas Season Special!!!

Hey there cutie.

Guess what.

It’s December. December = Holiday season. My favourite time of the year.

And since we’re pretty much besties, I am just gunna take a shot in the dark here and guess you too enjoy the magical, warm, cheerful, festive glow that Christmas time brings.

Welcome to spark{le}’s

Holiday Season Special

I’m not sure if you can tell but I am bursting at the seams with excitement. I’ve been brainstorming festive holiday activities and anticipating the advent calendar my mom is sending me all week {I mean, a girls gotta eat}. SO I’ve decided to create a detailed, festive holiday blog post to kick off this season.

Before we even BEGIN the gift guides, we need a Starbucks STAT. But not just any Starbucks coffee. Something low-cal-low-carb-high-caffeine and, of course, festive {right ladies?}. Grrrrrrl, I got you covered.

Drea Marie’s Holiday Starbucks Order

Ask for a Grande Americano Misto with soy and 2 pumps sugar-free Peppermint, 1 pump sugar-free Mocha.

Basically an Americano Misto is espresso shots {Tall = 2, Grande = 3, Venti = 4} + water halfway + steamed milk on top. Therefore, more caffeine then your regular boring latte AND less milk {less calories} ;)
PLUS, it’s typically cheaper then your skinny vanilla latté with soy.
AKA you’re being fabulous & frugal at the same time. You’re welcome.

Now we’re ready to get down to business.

 I thrive off getting the perfect gift for that perfect someone. I LOVE giving gifts almost as much as receiving them {almost…}. I know it can be time consuming and that gift hunt can seem never ending. So to make things a bit easier on you I’ve put together a couple gift guides below.

For Da Boys

Whether it be your dad, brother, cousin or lover these gift ideas are guaranteed to please.

The XBOX 1 is not only a video game console but so much more. There is no guy that would be disappointed. Even those that aren’t into gaming. This console lets you jump around from music to TV to movies to gaming all in one.

Every guy wants a bigger, better monitor. If he uses computer’s for work, sports, whatever, he’s gunna love this. Get any widescreen display monitor that fits your budget.

The JamBox is seriously essential. This thing packs huge sound into a convenient portable box. He can throw it in his carry on or whatever. HIGHLY suggest this one. PLUS there are 3 different sizes.

The Louis Vuitton card holder and Burberry belt are splurges but two options any guy would love. The card holder is practical, classy and sleek. The belt doesn’t have to be Burberry but any nice belt will go with every outfit he has.

Tom Ford cologne. The best mens cologne out there. Sure it’s expensive, but we want our guys smelling top notch right? Right. Tobacco Vanille is my fav, check it out.

Kiehl’s Mens face line is unreal. These are things our boys MOST LIKELY won’t buy for themselves. AKA perfect gift to give.

For Momma

Moms are always fun to shop for. You could probably get her a toilet brush and she would be smiling saying “I’ve actually been needing one of these!“. Don’t do that. Check out this collage of great ideas for momma bear :)

The NARS velvet gloss is the EASIEST to apply. Their Orgasm blush is something my momma bear drools over. I’ve also added the NAKED palette. A palette gives a variety of colours for momma to play around with and find her fav.

The BrowZings product y Benefit is the first eyebrow product I bought for myself. It’s super easy application and great starter kit for those looking to spruce up those arches. My mom became drawn to my defined brows and began exploring. Turns out I’m the one buying her BrowZings now. Go figure.

A blanket scarf, statement necklace and lazy blazer are PERFECT options for mommas to create effortless style and sophistication.

In addition to those, I found this UNREAL cook book at Chapters. ‘Calgary Cooks’ is projected to be the top cookbook of 2015. It features top recipes from the top restaurants in Calgary, AB. HELLO. I don’t know about you guys but my mom is ALWAYS telling me to “remember what’s in this dish so we can make it at home“…. :| Well then. Pretty sure this is the best gift ever.

Girlfraaaans

When it comes to my GFs, a little DIY treat is perfect. Cute and sentimental. I suggest these DIY Xmas Emergency kits I made. Super easy, super cute and super affordable.

Go out and buy mini mason jars {check out dollarama, maybe target?}, fill each jar halfway with hot cocoa then fill the second half with mini marshmallows. Tie a mini baileys to the jar and voilá, you’ve got yourself a Xmas Emergency kit :)

FYI – There are a TON of different DIY mason jar ideas on Pinterest.

ALSO, for those GFs or moms or cousins {or even yourself} that are difficult to shop for, I HIGHLY recommend gifting them a subscription to Luxe Box or Vegan Cuts. I have subscriptions to both and they are the best gift ever. Each season Luxe Box puts together full-size and samples of the hottest beauty products today. Right to your doorstep…..

Vegan Cuts is a MONTHLY box delivered right to your doorstep stocked with healthy, vegan food products for you to try! Rather then buying in store, getting home and realizing your $8.00 bag of seaweed chips tastes more like dried grass. Let’s avoid those mistakes ladies.

Xmas Party Gifts

Holiday season = parties. Parties = fun. Fun starts out with being nice to the hostess. You gotta get in her good books and I have a few suggestions in addition to previous gifts mentioned to help make that easy for ya.

Vino

• Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc {GREAT choice, can’t go wrong}
• Mission Hill has some great choices as well
• Kendall Jackson has some great wines
• NV Gruet Brut is hands down the best sparkling wine there is. AND affordable ;)
• Skinny Girl wine is a fun choice. It’s easy to drink and hellooooo low cal.
• Monkey Bay always a hit
• Apothic red or white is one that many people love. I’ve had my share of it so I tend to explore other options but it’s a good choice to satisfy a variety of people.

LASTLY, these unreal salted caramel chocolates from Sobeys {Compliments brand}. Legit heaven.

xxoo Drea Marie