Monday Memo No. 130
This Monday Memo is getting into the holiday spirit. Join her.
L.L. Bean Fleeces
Is my suburbia showing? I have no idea, but I’ve rediscovered and therefore fallen back in love with L.L. Bean fleeces and I don’t care who knows it. I’m currently wearing this fleece (in Sailcloth) and have this one (in the natural color) and this one (in navy) in my shopping cart as we speak. I didn’t anticipate this sartorial journey either, but it’s where we are, and it’s comfortable. I offer no apologies.
Waterford Commemorative Ornaments
I absolutely love the idea of commemorating the milestones that matter most to you with a special Christmas ornament. Waterford ornaments like this one are some of my favorites and make for fantastic gifts because they’re versatile regardless of holiday color scheme or decor. They each have the year embossed on a gold tag that tops each ornament and I love giving them to newlyweds or babies on their first Christmas—or really anyone that’s marking a special year of some kind. I gave this key version to Rich last year to commemorate the first Christmas in our new house and I also gave this cross version to my godson a couple months ago for his baptism.
Tortoise Flatware
Lately, I’ve been hunting for tortoise flatware and decided to go with this option by Southern Living for Dillards. They’re slightly oversized, and a great addition to fall and holiday tablescapes where your basic everyday flatware feels not quite special enough. They’re a fantastic seasonless addition to your collection as they look just as great at the height of summer on a patio as they do set for Thanksgiving dinner.
Apparis Fingerless Gloves
You know what, don’t knock fingerless gloves until you’ve owned this pair. They are especially useful when I take Coco to nursery school or really go anywhere (like the grocery store) where I know that use of fine motor skills for securing coat snaps, zipping zips, fumbling for car keys, opening lipstick caps, etc. is involved. I always need access to my actual fingertips to do many of these things and I’m sick of the constant on-off of gloves and mittens. It’s just more convenient and easier to wear a glove like this for very hands-on moments. I bought the black but they come in several colors including a really pretty camel and ivory.
Hayden Lasher Handbags
Is this me in handbag form? I think yes. I recently discovered Hayden Lasher handbags via The SIL and… my goodness. Classic styles, functionality that goes from work-to-evening, and countless—I do mean countless—colors and styles to choose from. I mean, this red beauty has me on the edge of my desk chair. There are almost too many that speak to me.
Keystone Habits
Have you heard of this? It’s a habit-forming strategy that involves a sort of habit springboard every day. One small habit trains your brain to incorporate more good habits throughout the day, and naturally, this comes with a lovely boost that you get from actually incorporating new practices into your day-to-day. I love this approach, particularly as we head into the stress and packed schedules of the holidays, and who doesn’t love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with achieving goals?
Stokke Mutable Children’s Table
Multi-functional gifts that grow with your kids are an absolute godsend, especially when they’re this stylish. This MuTable activity table is the COOLEST. I’m getting Coco one for Christmas, but let’s please just keep that between us. The table grows with your child and includes four double-sided activity tops. It’s not normal how excited I am to use it with her. Is it also KIND OF a gift for me? I mean, probably. I mean just look at all of these fun accessory options!
Molton Brown Festive Frankincense & All Spice Hand Wash and Lotion
There’s something about switching your home scents over to the holiday versions that simply delights me. If you’ve been searching for holiday spirit of your own, scent around the home is one of the fastest ways to get there. I put out Molton Brown’s Hand Soap and Lotion every year and it is divine. You know it’s good when guests want to write down what it is to buy it themselves.
Porcelain Nutcracker Ornament Set
I’m on a mission to get Coco just as excited to see the Nutcracker ballet as I am, so I’m giving her this precious Lenox porcelain Nutcracker ornament set for St. Nicholas day. I hope that she’s excited to see these ornaments year after year—I know I certainly will be. They are VERY discounted at the moment and I can tell you that the photos do not do them justice. They are gorgeous in person! They’re also very petite (each ornament is roughly 1.5″ tall) which is perfect for small children. I’ve learned in my two years as a parent that small people are weirdly obsessed with small things. Who knew.
Gold Twist Rope Necklace
I perpetually wear my thick twisted rope necklace and of course have to cause great disappointment when I report it’s sold out. HOWEVER, this rope necklace by Kenneth Jay Lane is nearly identical and an absolutely brilliant addition to your collection— particularly as we enter the holiday season when a classic statement piece like this will get lots of wear.
Florence Eiseman Children’s Clothing
Florence Eiseman Children’s Clothing will forever have a place in my heart for being founded and still based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They’ve dressed countless famous kiddos including the Kennedys (in the iconic oval office photos of JFK and his children, the kids are wearing Florence Eiseman). Princess Grace of Monaco dressed her children in the brand, as well as JayZ and Beyonce, and the Obamas had pieces custom-made as baby gifts for friends and dignitaries for their entire presidency. If you’re looking for a truly special gift or a piece for your own kids that you’ll keep and treasure forever, this is the brand to explore. Their holiday collection is absolutely divine and they also have swimwear with an incredibly dedicated fanbase if you’ve got warm-weather trips planned!
Kilte Knitwear
Kilte luxury knitwear brand was founded by a mom and honors the fact that moms are often moms AND many, many other titles so this brand is designed to be worn as you move between roles. I have the Lauren Set in black and the Ruthie Cardigan in cranberry which are both absolutely stunning, but you should know that the Lauren set is made of machine-washable cashmere! THEY GET ME. Naturally, I’m also enamored with their knit hair bows both because they’re incredibly chic but also because when have I met a hairbow I didn’t like?
Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur
This is a female-founded gin liqueur brand that is absolutely delicious and takes you back in time. If you’re a gin fan or a fan of a classic French 75 and the like, add it to your roster of cocktails for entertaining at the holidays. My favorite is to pair it with champagne. SO GOOD. Pomp & Whimsy is made in the classic gin cordial style, with a few updates for modern palettes. I can assure you that you’ve never tasted anything like it before. It’s old-world made new in a delightful, thoroughly imbibable way. The bottle obviously looks stunning on your bar and therefore makes a great hostess gift too!
U Beauty Super Hydrator
You know I don’t take skincare recommendations lightly, so when I tell you this is possibly the best hyaluronic acid product I’ve used yet, you know I’ve just been massively impressed. This hydration product has top-quality longchain hyaluronic acid which delivers a powerful, deep dose of moisture when your skin needs it most (hello, winter, holiday travel, etc etc). Make sure to use code MARY20 for 20% off across the site! I’m also obsessed with their Sculpt Arm Compound.
Amazon Cotton Gingham Napkins
I’m really looking forward to using these rust-colored gingham napkins on our Thanksgiving table. For this price, the quality is unbeatable. Napkins like this are ideal to have in your back pocket for hosting when your table could use a little…something. They’re an Amazon Prime order away, they come in a ton of colorways, and you’ll always be glad you have them.
Corkcicle (Discount Code)
If there are people on your list leaving you puzzled in terms of what to shop for, go with Corkcicle every time. They have something for everyone, from kids cups (we use these DAILY), to coffee mugs (also used daily), to stemless wine glasses (again, daily) that are exceptionally cute for literally being a cooler that you hold in your hand. Use code MARYORTON25 for 25% off sitewide!
Proven Skincare (Discount Code)
I will never stop screaming about how amazing this personalized luxury skincare brand is. Proven Skincare is customized to each individual by Stanford dermatologists and is made of the absolute best ingredients. You take a quick skin quiz on their site (which covers every question a Dermatologist would ask) and they put every active ingredient you need into a streamlined three step system that includes a cleanser, a day cream and a night cream. THAT’S IT. This means that on nights when you’re too tired to do a 20-step routine, you can just do two steps and know that your skin got everything it needs stay healthy, youthful and radiant. Obviously, treat yourself to customized skincare that focuses on what matters to you most, but know that this also makes an amazing gift for the men in your life who might need to improve their skincare but aren’t wild about the idea of multiple-step routines. Use code MARY for 20% off.
Spanx Faux Suede (Discount Code)
Listen, I’m a Spanx devotee. Let’s just get that out there in the open. I’ve ordered a ton of things from the brand in the past year and every single item has been a home run. Most recently, I’ve discovered that their faux suede leggings and pants are HEAVEN. I have leggings in the wine shade and flare pants in chocolate brown, and I wear them endlessly. They are so comfortable, never get saggy and just look extremely realistic and chic despite feeling like your favorite yoga pants. When you find comfort and fit that simply work, stick with the brand that does things right. A good tip is to size up one size in the leggings, as they tend to run small, but Spanx has extended sizing including petite and tall which is incredibly helpful. Stock up for winter with code MARYOXSPANX for 10% off sitewide!
One response to “Monday Memo No. 130”
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Thank you for the discount codes!!!
Kate
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