Five Love Languages

swanboats
Photo from Diem Design.

Have you ever taken the Five Love Languages Quiz? I’ve sent that link to dozens of friends.

The quiz is based on a book of the same name, which says there are five main ways we give and receive love:

1. Words of affirmation, compliments and the like.
2. Tokens of affection, gifts.
3. Acts of service, favors.
4. Quality time together.
5. Physical touch.

The idea is that everyone gives and receives love differently. For example, words of affirmation don’t mean much to me, but it’s easy for me to tell someone what I appreciate about them. Some people don’t care at all about gifts, but get teary-eyed when you clean out the closet for them.

Take the quiz, and tell me what you think. It for sure changed my approach when I have an impulse to do something nice for someone.

P.S. Relationship Hacks

Valentine’s Gifts for the Ladies

Order now, panic wrap the night before.

heartdoilie

A Handmade Valentine
Gather your scissors, glue, and heart-shaped whatsits! The key here is not to produce something artistic, just something that looks like it took you more than ten minutes. Go classic with Doilies, blank cards, heart-shaped cards. Or buy one of these Rocket-Ship Valentine Kits. Your love is out of this world, Valentine!

goldbarearrings

14K Gold Bar Earrings, $62
The best kind of jewelry is the kind you never need to take off. So you’ll be seeing a lot of these as the evening wears on.

fujiprinter

Fujifilm Instax Share Smartphone Printer, $147

This lets you print polaroids from digital photos stored on your phone or computer. She already wants one.

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Ultra Flannel Throw Blanket, $20

You know that G-string you bought her? That isn’t technically for her. Plus, now she’s cold. Ultra soft cuddling blankets make it possible to wear less clothing. Everyone’s a winner.

lovecoupons

Love Coupons, $12

If she doesn’t care about presents, but loves it when you do things for her, draw up some coupons for gassing up her car, having her shoes shined, grabbing sanitary products at the drugstore without complaint. Romantic stuff.

heartchocolates

A Heart Shaped Box of Chocolate, $45

Sweet both literally and figuratively. Pair these with the cozy blanket and your weekend plans are in place. Happy Valentine’s Day, you crazy kids.

P.S. Classic Gifts for Women, my Mighty Girl Valentine Guide from 2015 (ignore the beard oil), and Mighty Girl Valentine Guide from 2014.

Bug-Bitten Tea

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I was shopping for my favorite oolong tea recently and noticed the phrase “bug-bitten,” which I’d never seen before.

“Before the harvest, this tea was bitten by green leaf hoppers, setting off a chain reaction that ultimately created a unique honey-like flavor within the leaves. This bug-bitten Tung Ting Formosa oolong has the aroma of orange blossom honey, with a rich, thick body redolent of tropical mango and passion fruit, and the finish of buttered rum.”

Besides, honey and obvious pollination requirements, is this a thing? Are there any other foods that are known to taste better because of bug interaction?

Photo from Tea Mountains.

Advent Grab Bags IntraHealth Donation

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If you bought an Advent Grab Bag this year, thank you so much!

As you know, our plan was to donate 20 percent of the profit in hopes of providing two one-year scholarships for nurses training with IntraHealth International.

Thanks to you, we hit our goal and then some! In fact, we’re 20 percent over our goal, and we’re sending our donation to IntraHealth today. YEEEAAAH.

Thank you also for the notes, and Instagrams, and Facebooks about how much your love your kits. It makes us all smiley.

If you’d like to be notified via email when kits go on sale next year, you can sign up here. We won’t send you other stuff, just this:

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First Name

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Gift Guide: Classic Gifts for Women

The upside to buying gifts for women is that many of us hesitate before buying items we want, especially if we feel they are extravagant. We’re getting better at that, but in the meantime you can take advantage of our reserve.

dropcapausten

Pride and Prejudice Penguin Drop Cap Classic, $15

All right. You have to know what you’re doing, we’re building a library here. Maybe she’s an Austen fan, but maybe she’s all about The Joy Luck Club, or Madame Bovary (lucky you). The point being, you’ll want to know what she reads before you commit her to the perfect hardcover copy. And if books are what she loves, unconditionally, the entire set of Penguin Drop Cap Classics is a modest $488. The Precious.

cremedecorps

Creme de Corps body lotion, $18

Skip Bath & BodyWorks. If you want to get her something that makes her feel lovely, Kiehl’s is a solid choice. Unless she has a specific request, avoid products that prevent aging. That is not a gift, my friend, that is an insecurity egg waiting to hatch. Focus on simple products that make her skin soft, like their Kiehls Hydration Essentials kit, $29.

 

 

blackcashmeresweater

Cashmere Sweater, $188

Speaking of soft. What’s kinder than her favorite sweatshirt? This. This is a major sweatshirt upgrade. And if she already has the sweater, consider upgrading her sweatpants instead — cashmere sweatpants, $210. Glorious.

 

 

 

veuve clicquot champagne

NV Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, $65

This is a happy bottle of champagne. If you’d prefer an ecstatic bottle of champagne, go 2006 Dom Perignon Champagne, $195.

 

 

Mr. Bubble

Mr. Bubble Original Bubble Bath, $10
Nostalgia play. Up your game with a Monogrammed Terry Cloth Robe, $95 (on sale).

gold circle studs

Circle Studs, $74 These are a key update on the gold hoop, a pair of earrings she’ll never need to remove.

 

Tung Ting Red Blossom Tea

Tung Ting Mi Xiang Tea, $25

If the lady in question is a tea drinker, like me, Red Blossom offers very high quality teas. My favorite is the Tung Ting, Mi Xiang. Alternately, it’s pretty to watch the Organic Dragon Pearl Jasmine ($13) unfurl in hot water.

 

jcrew womens pajama
Vintage Short-Sleeve Pajama, $85

For whatever reason, it can seem silly to splurge on cute pajamas for yourself. Still, every woman needs a pair she can wear when she’s spending Christmas with your parents, or eating waffles at the vacation place you’re sharing with nine other couples.

 

 

Key Lime Pears
Key Lime Pears, $23
Chocolate is a cliché for a reason. These are crispy, freeze-dried pears coated in dark chocolate and scented with lime. If you’re trying to marry her, consider the aptly named Faves Gift Box, $125.

 

Triple Cream Brie Cowgirl Creamery
Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam Triple Cream Brie Package, $40
Cheese is the gift that says, “Your ass continues to look amazing in those jeans.” This particular cheese is unctuous and coy. It will get you laid. And if you’d like to keep a good thing going, you can sign her up for a cheese club ($225-$695), or just opt for a more ample gift pack.

 

Aloe Free Baby Diapers, Wipes, and Rash Cream

Parenting thing! Putting this here because it was a bear for me to find baby stuff that does not contain Aloe Barbadensis.

Brad gets a severe, burning rash when his skin is exposed to Aloe, and it’s in almost everything you put on or near a baby’s skin. As of December 2015, these are the brands we use that currently do not contain Aloe. If you have some to add to this list, please let us know in comments.

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Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers If you’re just realizing your kiddo might have a reaction to Aloe because rash creams are making things worse, and so forth, Huggies Little Movers also don’t contain Aloe.

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Pampers Softcare Baby Fresh Wipes don’t currently contain Aloe. But! Their “Sensitive” wipes do. This is true of nearly all brands marked “sensitive” or “natural.”

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Boudreaux’s Butt Paste has no Aloe, and it’s terrific.

Anyway, apparently it’s not a common allergy, but if your kid has a rash that won’t go away, even if you’re blow drying his or her bum between diaper changes, this might be something to try.

14 Amazon Stocking Stuffers for Kids

Last year I did 17 One-Click Stocking Stuffers for Kids, because I order most of Hank’s stocking stuff through Amazon. I’m done in 15 minutes, and most of it comes within a few days. Last year’s picks are still good, and here are a few more. They’re affiliate linked, but all stuff I’ve bought for my own kids at one time or another.

ATATLEGO

Lego Star Wars Minis, $6-$10
I’m not sure how many of the Star Wars Mini Lego Kits I bought, but I think all? Every last one? Something like that. My favorite is the AT-AT above, but I also dig the ARC-170 Starfighter, Vulture Droid, Homing Spider Droid, and the Republic Gunship. I could go on.

Schylling Gone Fish’n Game, $7

Flash Drive Creative Cassette Shape (White / 1-Pack), $12
I’ve never made Hank a mixtape before, which seems silly. I just made him one for our Christmas road trip, and I’m excited about it.

RAINBOWPUTTY

ALEX Toys Artist Studio 24-Piece Rainbow Modeling Clay Set, $8

Mad Libs on the Road, $3

Minecraft Collectible Figure Mystery Blind Box, $7

gingerbread

Fresh Baked Mini Gingerbread Men, 50 cents each
This guy makes delicious homemade gingerbread men and then ships them to you in plastic wrap bundles that look suspiciously like drugs. Super good cookies, but I’d unwrap them before you tuck them in the stocking.

EASYLIGHT

Go Anywhere Light, $6
These are cool on hoodie and backpack zippers, and make your kid easier to see at night. Presumably when he or she is out burgling things.

Hand Held Scalp Head Massager – Pack of Two, $1 each

secretset

Secret Message Pens Writing Set, $9

“I Love My Bike” Bicycle Bell, $4

PIPPILONGSTOCKING

Pippi Longstocking (Puffin Chalk), $8
I can’t believe I’ve never read this, so I ordered it and this edition is so cute. Perfect little floppy stocking book, or should I say Longstocking book? Bahaha.

Plus a couple of things for babies, because I’m shopping for one of those now too:

Wooden Cage Hand Bell, $5

Polar Bear Shaker, $9

Christmas Ornaments Roundup, 2015!

I sprained both my ankles, so I’ve been avoiding the Internet due to Vicodin. But I have been doing a lot of online shopping, guys. If you need stuff, I have seen allll of it in the last week, so let’s talk about that.

First, I use ornaments to commemorate fun stuff that happened the previous year. Some cute ones:

balloondog

Balloon Dog Ornament, $6

pizzaornament

Pizza Ornament, $5

raygunornament

Ray Gun Ornament, $25

owlglassesornament

Owl with Glasses Ornament, $5

giraffeornament

Giraffe Gentleman Ornament, $8

See also, Taco Truck $6, burrito christmas ornament $6, pink elephant christmas ornament $5, and tiny piñata ornament $5. Go forth and deck the halls.