This is a repost from previous years - Oxfam is a nonprofit organization that funds projects worldwide in an effort to end injustice of poverty. The best gift you can give this holiday season is an Oxfam animal gift. The gifts you purchase for friends, family and colleagues is an actual donation. Oxfam will apply those funds where it is needed and the person you've purchased the gift for will receive a vibrant card. Your gift will bring attention to this worthy cause, put a smile on someones face and benefit those who are less fortunate.
This innovative, charitable concept is brilliant. I would love to receive a card with a cute, baby chick that says, "I Bought A Dozen Chicks For You". A donation made in my honor is the best present. Oxfam gifts has an extensive catalog of charitable gifts that you can choose from. There are animal, sustainable, water, women and children, education, making a living and emergency necessities gifts. The animal gifts range from $25 to $300 for a tribe of goats.
When you choose your gift you have the option to print your own card (download a PDF), eCard (sent via email) or no card. The picture above shows how the printed card will appear. I like to email the cards. The thoughtful designs are well done, colorful and informative. I hope you give or receive an Oxfam animal gift this year. We've all struggled one way or another these past few years - We need to take care of each other and every kind gesture, big or small, counts. 
These two are SO cute! They love camping and of course, they have their own camping bag of stylish outfits and accessories. Grey and Teddy are wearing pink and blue Canada Pooch soft side sweatsuits. I love the Canada Pooch brand. They have a vast selection of high-quality dog apparel and accessories. I purchased the pink dog sunglasses from Amazon. Who wore it best? Grey or Teddy OR both! 
Frisco octopus dog costume (available at chewy.com), Scorpion dog costume (available at Pet Smart), Butterfly dog costume (available at Target), Dinosaur dragon dog hoodie (available at Target), Frisco red lobster dog costume (available at chewy.com) 
Happy birthday girlfriend! This little fashionista is one year old today AND wearing her butterfly outfit. This gorgeous girl is my snuggle partner, lip balm wearing, sassy AF bestie. YES, she loves lip balm - BUT only the expensive one. 
I didn't think I would become an obsessed dog mom in to dog apparel and accessories, BUT after Teddy's first winter and the need for a coat and boots - I was transformed. Grey and Teddy wear summer shoes and winter boots (socks too), as well as sweaters, t-shirts, pajamas and random accessories. You gotta start the little fashionistas out young! My go-to shop is The New York Dog Shop. Grey's Puppia Pinkaholic sweater and Teddy's flamingo shirt (pictured here) are from there. I got the cute cartoon t-shirts at Joom - It takes forever to arrive, but their inexpensive and worth the wait. I purchased Grey's hair bow from Amazon - It came in a variety pack of six. SO CUTE! This is the best part - If you hold up two outfits and ask Teddy which one he wants to wear, he will pick one. Grey just wants to destroy everything! 
If you want your dog to wear boots/shoes, you gotta start when they're a puppy. Both Teddy and Grey started wearing socks as soon as I got them. Then came the boots/shoes. They're both super comfortable walking in shoes - This is beneficial during winter or if you live in the city where the streets tend to be dirty. ALSO, as an avid shoe collector, it's fun to purchase shoes for your dogs. I usually put lined winter boots during the cold season, sporty (waterproof) boots when we go camping and sneakers during the summer months. Combined, Teddy and Grey will so surpase the number of shoes I own! 
Happy Birthday Teddy. You're the love of my life AND a handsome little fella. Loving your "Blue Steal" look. My fur baby is 4 today! This little poodle changed my life - I wake up everyday with a smile, cause his delicious face makes me so happy. 
Repost from last year - The best gift you can give this holiday season is an Oxfam gift. Oxfam is a nonprofit organization that funds projects worldwide in an effort to end injustice of poverty. The gifts you purchase for friends, family and colleagues is an actual donation. Oxfam will apply those funds where it is needed and the person you've purchased the gift for will receive a vibrant card. Your gift will bring attention to this worthy cause, put a smile on someones face and benefit those who are less fortunate.
This innovative, charitable concept is brilliant. I would love to receive a card with a cute, baby chick that says, "I Bought A Dozen Chicks For You". A donation made in my honor is the best present. Oxfam gifts has an extensive catalog of charitable gifts that you can choose from. There are animal, sustainable, water, women and children, education, making a living and emergency necessities gifts. The gifts range from $18 to a $2500 investment in a small business.
When you choose your gift you have the option to print your own card (download a PDF), eCard (sent via email) or no card. The picture above shows how the printed card will appear. I like to email the cards. The thoughtful designs are well done, colorful and informative. The eCard reads, "Hello (insert name). You received an Oxfam gift from (insert name)". As the receiver scrolls through the card the gift is stated and a brief summary about Oxfam Gifts appears. The receiver then has the option to browse other gifts or share the gift they received. If you receive an Oxfam Gift this holiday season, please share. Most of my friends live in other cities, and yes, you'll be getting an Oxfam Gift this year.. 
Being that "glamping" has become the preferred vacation during these "unusual times", a box of individual wines is perfect for the occasion. While your mate cracks open a beer by the fire, you can pop a bottle of red, rosé or brut. Usual Wines come in individual bottles of 6.3 oz, which is equivalent to 1/4 bottle of wine. It's a large glass of wine in a chic little bottle. Enjoy by the glass or by the bottle. I realize this modern way of enjoying wine may be beneath some of you wine snobs, but for the free-spirit wine lovers, it's an innovative method and definitely a conversation starter. AND, just because I'm not a wine connoisseur, doesn't mean I don't appreciate flavor. These wines are delicious.
I prefer the mini version of everything, so it's no surprise that I love Usual Wines. The red, rosé, brut and rosé brut are equally delicious. The brut is my favorite. It has notes of bergamot, elderflower and lemon AND the bubbles are super strong - I love bubbles. The red tastes like chocolate and cherry. I'm not usually a fan of red wine, but I like this one. I realize this goes against the usual, but I refrigerate the red - Cold red wine tastes better to me. The rosé tastes like rhubarb, strawberry and roses. It's refreshing and perfect for summer. I haven't tried the rosé brut, but I imagine it tastes similar, with those super strong Usual Wine bubbles. It's all about the bubbles for me and I'm not a brut connoisseur, but I will say the bubble factor will not disappoint you (like those faux-fizzy wines masquerading as champagne and prosecco).
Usual Wines have no additives, making them slightly healthier than the average wine and easier to digest. The sustainable production method is not only giving us a "cleaner" wine, but is also good for the environment. LOVE that! Back to the chic individually sized bottles. This is genius. Not that any of us are having get togethers in 2020, but when we finally get back to socializing, having individual bottles is chic. You can also serve the wine with a straw, but be careful with the brut, cause the bubbles might overflow (it's happened to me more than once).
Usual Wines come in boxes of 6 small bottles. You can purchase 6, 12, 18 or 24 packs of each or mix and match. The mix-it-up method is a nice feature. There is also a membership program that's easy to navigate, changeable and can be cancelled after two shipments. Of course, I have a membership! 
During these unusual times, camping is the safest, social distancing vacation. My go-to glamping outpost is Getaway House DC in Shenandoah, VA. I camped here a few times last year, but had to stop traveling due to 2020 restrictions (and paranoia). A few months ago, I decided to get out of the city and go back to getaway-glamping. I'm obsessed all over again! The camping outpost in Shenandoah is a 20 acre plot of land with small cabins scattered about. The cabin (Getaway House) is a thoughtfully designed, cozy space, with all the essentials for a relaxing weekend in the woods. The small area surrounding the cabin is perfect. There's a picnic table, Muskoka chairs and a firepit with a grill grate. There's a container containing wood and a few startup logs located by the firepit and basic provisions inside the cabin for purchase.
I've camped at Getaway House in Shenandoah seven times and have stayed in cabins located all over the map. I've stayed in Philip, Hank, Juanita, Carroll, Thelma and Lionel. The Thelma is my absolute favorite. This is the first time I've stayed in this style of cabin and although we only require one bed, now I prefer the double bed cabin. It feels like this cabin is larger than the one bed style and it's nice to have a space to keep your belongings out of the way - We put our stuff on the top bunk. If you've stayed at a Getaway House, you know space is limited and these tiny cabins can get crowded.
When you book your cabin (one or two beds), you can request a cabin style or a specific cabin. Although Getaway House doesn't promise you'll get a particular cabin, they will make a note in your booking and do their best to accommodate you. The location of the Thelma cabin is perfect. It's on the outer edge of the outpost and has a larger area around the cabin. I highly recommend you take a look at the Getaway House map and try to snag a cabin in this area of the outpost.
While you should put your phone, tablet and computer away, I can't help myself. Here I am trying desperately to get service. The reception isn't great, so it does kinda force you to enjoy camping sans electronics. I highly recommend packing board games. My favorites are Bears vs Babies, Exploding Kittens, Throw Throw Burrito and Oh Fruck!
Every camping trip is a little different. Sometimes we explore the outpost, other times we play games all day and I always change up the food and beverage menu. This trip was focused on relaxing, sitting by the fire and taking naps. Of course, I had to snap a few camping inspired pics of the cabin, Teddy and I before messing it up. Here I'm wearing a Moschino Couture! Care Label-Print t-shirt and Pook socks. Pook is one of my favorite brands to shop camping-inspired clothing and accessories. My tote is the Gucci Florentia Lorto Di Giove tote.
My husband, Teddy and I camp at Getaway House at least once a month. It's good to get a change of scenery once in a while, do something different, put down your electronics (discipline required) and simply getaway from everyday life. For more info on Getaway House DC, please see my previous posts in the Lifestyle section of b.a.gorgie.com. 
|
