Holiday Gift Guide - For Her

(Thank you to oNecklace for helping sponsor this post. All opinions are my own. This post may also contain affiliate links.)

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us! If you are anything like me, you might need a little inspiration when going shopping for the special people in your life. So today, I've pulled together a list of gift ideas for HER. A lot of these items I either personally own or have on my Christmas list for this year. You can shop these items direct from the numbered links below.

1.) Personalized Jewelry - I have several pieces from oNecklace and I love that everything is personalized for me. My most recent pieces are an "L" letter necklace and Stackable name rings with both names of my children. (See the pictures at the bottom of this post) Because of the personalization, I know that the pieces I am wearing are unique to me. ONecklace has so many beautiful options, you could spend hours on their site drooling over everything. They offer free shipping worldwide and free personalization on all products. Also, each item is custom designed to the clients request and hand finished. Check out this blog post I wrote last year about some other products that I love from oNecklace.
ONecklace has some great BLACK FRIDAY sales going on right now that I want you to know about as well:
15% off All Orders, use coupon code BLACK15
20% off Orders $75+, use coupon code BLACK20
30% off Orders $175+, use coupon code BLACK30

2.) Inverted Umbrella - Why has it taken me so long to add this to a gift list? An inverted umbrella is a genius idea because when you close it, all of the rain water gets trapped inside instead of dripping onto the floor. This specific one comes in so many colors and designs to choose from. I really like the pink and white striped one - this is most certainly on my wish list this year.

3.) PJ set - PJs are always a good gift idea, because I'm sure most women are like me and rarely spend their own money on a pretty set (I'm a tshirt and sweatpants kind of gal). I always think a good gift is something that is needed, but something that the person receiving the gift wouldn't normally spend money on. This set comes in multiple colors, has great ratings and is very reasonably priced.

4.) Soft Robe - A robe is often needed in those cooler months, although I wear a robe year round while I get ready each morning. I saw this in the store recently and got to feel it and I love how soft and luxurious it feels. At a terrific price, it is hard to say no to this. The robe also comes in multiple colors. I think I'm going to buy myself an early Christmas present and scoop this up!
(A note about the link - it might come up and tell you that the site is having technical difficulties. Just click Try Again and it should open. If you have problems, let me know.)

5.) Leopard Cardigan - I don't think I could personally create a gift guide and not include something leopard print! I'm a girl who loves cardigans and longer cardigans are so pretty and definitely needed in the cooler months. For ladies that love pockets, this cardigan is for them!

6.) Compression Leggings - Maybe you have heard of Spanx leggings? They are EVERYWHERE, but since I absolutely hate my legs I cannot bring myself to spend that kind of money. However, I found these and I've heard from multiple people that they are very comparable to Spanx leggings. When they say compression leggings, they really mean it! I love that they are thick and not see through and that they really do suck you in. This is a super affordable option - maybe buy one for a friend and one for yourself!

7.) Soft Pullover - I asked for this for Christmas last year and loved it so much I knew I had to add it to my gift guide this year. The material is so soft, I don't ever want to take it off. I have the coffee color and it is so pretty, but it does come in several other color options. Also, this item is a steal at under $11 plus shipping.

8.) It Cosmetics Finishing Powder - For my makeup obsessed girls, a good finishing powder is needed to set your makeup. I previously tried out several different finishing powders and this one is one of my favorites. In fact, since I wrote that post I have been using this one more frequently than any others.

9.) Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush - Hands down my favorite blushes are the Amazonian Clay blushes from Tarte. They are reasonably pried and a great size, meaning that the blush will last you a long time. I particularly love that the colors are so pigmented. It comes in lots of different colors, my favorite is the Dazzled color.

10.) Mug Warmer - If you have a mom with little ones on your list then get her this gift! Most moms live on coffee, but often have to reheat it because their children required attention and their coffee got cold. This mug warmer keeps mom from having to reheat her coffee. Genius!

11.) Campfire Mugs - One of my favorite places for cute mugs is Sweet Mint. Her designs are unique and oh so pretty. I particularly love the campfire mugs because they feel so cozy in your hands and hold a lot of coffee. Check out the site, I'm sure you can find a mug for almost anyone on your list.

12.) Peach Skin Sheets - These are my favorite sheets EVER. I've never slept on sheets that are so soft and cozy before. In fact, check out this post to see my thoughts the first time I tried them. You guys also seemed to love them as much as I did and you purchased several sets for yourself. I'm going to gift these to some special people this year. The color, the Real Teal, is the color of the month for November. Hurry and scoop this color up and score it for $65! Chocolate and Toasted Marshmallow are also featured as colors of the month if teal isn't your thing.

13.) Steamer - I've been meaning to buy a steamer for months now. I absolutely despise ironing and I've heard that steaming clothes is so much easier. The price point on this one seems to be a great "entry" steamer. I'm excited to get one and I'm sure the lady in your life would love the ease of steaming her clothes as well.

14.) Olaplex Hair Treatment - I've seen this hair treatment everywhere, in fact, the Today Show even covered it recently. In my world, if the Today Show covers it then you know it is good!!! I'm excited to try it and see how silky, shiny it makes my hair.

15.) One Step Hair Dryer - This was an Amazon Prime Day purchase for me and is something I use quite often. I love that the hair dryer helps add volume to my hair. It also cuts my get ready time in half since it not only dries my hair, but styles it at the same time. This is an internet favorite, so I'm sure the lady in your life already added this to her list!


So I've covered jewelry, bed time, clothing, makeup, coffee, home and hair. Did I miss a category that you want to see? Feel free to leave a comment below or message me on instagram (@lindsaytolar) and I will be happy to search for an item for you or even create another gift guide!

What I'm Buying on Amazon

Back in May I shared with you the items I was buying on Amazon and you guys loved that! I get it - I want to know what people are buying too. I'll say it is very similar to wanting to peek inside people's houses to see how they decorate. It is so fun to get ideas from each other and I am happy to help. Because I got such great feedback from you guys, I decided to do another roundup of what we are ordering off of Amazon.

As my daughter is learning, Amazon has everything! Have a need for something, check Amazon first as I am sure they have it! I've made everything shoppable for you if you are interested in purchasing anything. Have questions? Leave a comment or send me an email (lindsay@pursuitofpink.com).

Personal Style

1.) Leopard Print Top ($17.99)
I'm a sucker for leopard print anything. In my book, leopard print is a neutral and can be worn so many different ways. I'm not much of a tshirt girl unless I'm working out or sleeping, but I often find myself looking for casual chic options. This leopard print top fits the bill. It is not dressy at all, but the print definitely helps me feel pulled together.

2.) Off The Shoulder Maxi Dress ($29.99)
This is a MUST BUY. If you have a wedding or a special occasion coming up, I highly recommend you check out this off the shoulder dress. I wore this to a wedding over the summer and got so many compliments. It is pretty lightweight so you won't get hot, fits true to size and is so comfortable and easy to wear. The dress comes in several color options. And at $29.99 the price can't be beat! Now who wants to get married so I can wear this dress again?

3.) Swim CoverUp ($14.99)
If you need a cute and fun swim coverup that doesn't break the bank, here you go! The coverup comes in lots of different colors and includes a cute pom pom detail around the edges. It is long enough to cover your bum and cute enough to have everyone asking you where you bought it.

Jewelry

1.) Tassel Earrings ($12.90)
I've been ALL about the statement earrings this summer. They are such a fun way to add a pop of color to your outfit without costing you a pretty penny. These tassel earrings are pretty large, but not heavy at all. They come in lots of different colors and styles.

2.) Beaded Earrings ($13.50)
Similar to the earrings above, these fun earrings are perfect to add some extra pizzazz to your outfit. I like the tear drop style of these and I love the color. These also are available in lots of different colors.

Kids

1.) Seat Belt Extender (2 pack for $9.99)
When my daughter turned six this summer, we decided to finally switch her out of a five point harness and let her use a booster seat with the seat belt. The only problem is that my car has the seat belt clips installed into the seats, they are not movable at all, which made it difficult for my daughter to buckle herself up. So we bought this extender that buckles into our current belt clip and then she can buckle the seat belt into this.

2.) Sippy Cup with Snack Catcher (2 pack for $14.99)
My son LOVES to drink out of cups with a straw, he much prefers those over his sippy cups. But so often cups with straws will leak if they get turned over. NOT THESE! These cups are spill proof, have handles for little hands to hold and they even have a snack cup on top! We honestly bought these cups just for the straw, but having the additional snack cup is a bonus. Now we only have to remember one item when packing the diaper bag, instead of two.

Hair

1.) Hair Dryer and Volumizer Heat Brush in One ($43.19)
I have seen this product on social media all over the place, but never took the plunge. I finally decided to get it during Prime Day when it was marked way down and so far I like it! Hurry up and get this while you can because the price is actually two bucks cheaper now than when I bought it on Prime Day! This definitely saves me a step when styling my hair and I did like the finished result (smooth hair). It was also very easy to style the back of my hair since I only had one product in my hand, instead of a brush and a hairdryer. My only complaint is that it does get pretty hot, but there is a cool setting if you need it.

Home

1.) Smart Plug ($24.99)
Our house is pretty smart as our doorbell, front door lock, lamps, thermostat and music are all controlled by our voice, with apps or Alexa. We have talked about installing a smart plug in the bathroom for those times when I just cannot remember if I unplugged my curling wand or flat iron. Luckily on Prime Day there was an incredible deal, so we snatched this up. However, my tech loving husband really likes these and recommends them even if not with a discount.

2.) Refrigerator Water Filter (3 pack for $28.99)
Nothing fancy here, but I'm adding this purchase to remind you that you should check Amazon before going straight to the manufacturer. We have a water dispenser on the front of our fridge and Tolar shopped around to see where we could find a good deal. A 3 pack of water filters from Amazon cost us $28.99. The same 3 pack but branded with the manufacturers name on it would have cost us $129! This purchase was a no brainer.

DIY Succulent Wall

If there is one thing that is true about me it is that I have a black thumb. I have successfully killed every plant I've ever had. HA! Which is why it was quite crazy for me to suggest to my husband that we should build a succulent wall to hold NINE plants. He looked at me like I was crazy. But when I showed him how cool the planter was that Holly from Our Faux Farmhouse made, he jumped on board. He's so good to me.

This tutorial is very similar to the one that Holly (and her husband Brad) posted on her instagram page. We used their tutorial and expertise as inspiration for our own, but we decided to make ours extremely budget friendly. The total cost for this project from start to finish was just under $150.

This was our first real DIY project and we both had a lot of fun working on this together. Our planter, once complete, was 31 inches x 41 inches and includes nine different succulents. You can always adjust measurements to make a larger one if you prefer.

Supplies:

lumber
flower pot rings
terracotta pots
spray paint
trim
nails
sand paper/sander
planter bracket kit
plants
potting soil

How to:

1.) We used dog ear wood fence boards to really save on lumber costs. At just $1.48 a board, we got a heck of a deal! In comparison, if we would have bought a 1x6x8 piece of lumber, they cost $6.97 each. My father in-law had the brilliant idea to use the fence board and we are so thankful.
We decided to make the wall 7 boards high. There was no rhyme or reason to that number at first, it just looked good when we laid them out. But in the end, I'm glad we went with 7 because it made everything symmetrical when it was time to place the plants.

2.) We decided to cut the boards to 31 inches each for the width. Before we cut each piece, we did a
quick swipe with a belt sander to make sure everything was smooth. Then we measured and cut each board.

3.) Once everything was cut, we laid all seven pieces on the ground. Then we secured everything by mounting additional pieces of wood on the back, down both the right and left side. Tolar went through and screwed everything together. We also secured extra wood to the backside of the board where we planned to place each plant ring (see the photo below).

4.) After the seven pieces were secured and screwed together, we used a hand sander to make sure the front side was completely smooth.

5.) Next, we attached the flower pot rings. The flower pot rings we used were about $5 a piece and we bought 9. Since we had 7 boards, I decided to place the rings on every other board, 3 rows of 3 plants. We got extremely technical here and eyeballed everything to make sure they were even as we screwed them in place.

6.) To give the piece a finished look, we decided to frame it using a piece of trim. I saw some window and door casing while at Lowe's and quickly grabbed two pieces for us to paint white. The casing was $4.48 a piece. We cut the casing into 4 pieces like a picture frame and secured everything from the back.

7.) We decided to mount the succulent wall over our banister on the front porch. Since we live in Virginia and do experience lots of different weather, I wanted to be able to remove the wall if we needed to put it inside during the winter. We used a planter bracket kit, but we did have to cut the steel brackets. Tolar sawed the part off that would normally hold a trough planter then we secured them to the back of the planter.

8.) I really like white and bright decor, so I decided to paint the terracotta pots white. Spray paint is my best friend! I used spray paint on both the trim to frame the succulent wall and the terracotta pots. The terracotta definitely soaked up the spray paint, so it took about 3 coats to get them completely covered.

9.) When it was time to actually plant the succulents, I used a potting soil that was specifically made for cacti. You can find this at any home improvement store or nursery.
We purchased all of our supplies from Lowe's because it is closest to our house. But I actually purchased all of the succulents from Home Depot as they had a better selection. If you are interested in exactly what type of succulents I purchased, here are their names:
Elephant Bush Spekboom
Pachyphytum Moon Silver
Jade Plant
Graptoveria Bella
Golden Sedum
Pachyveria
Echeveria Perle von Nurnberg
Echeveria Blue Frills
Aloe Vera

10.) The final step was to hang the planter over our banister and enjoy our hard work!

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Family Vacation in Florida

I seem to have been suffering from a post-vacation hangover because it has taken me over a week to feel like I'm caught up on life again! Rest assured, I'm alive and we are all doing great!

If you've been keeping up with me on instagram, you know that our family was lucky enough to have the opportunity for a week long vacation in Florida. Tolar had a work conference scheduled and we decided to head to Florida several days ahead of the conference to enjoy some time together. Of course we visited Disney - our family rarely goes to Florida without going to Disney, it is in our blood! It was great to have lots of time to visit with my Uncle while there. When Tolar's conference started, he was gone from about 8 a.m. until late at night for several days, leaving me and the kids to explore other parts of Orlando ourselves.

The Plane Ride

This was the first time all four of us have flown together. When Kendall was a baby, we flew with her numerous times because we lived in Washington, DC and lived farther away from a lot of our family than we do now. Of course, she doesn't remember all of those flights she took as a baby, so she was very excited for the trip. This was Knox's first time on a plane and this trip also included the first time I took a flight home with just the kids and no Tolar as backup. AH! 

I'll say this about the plane ride home: Do you remember the part in How The Grinch Stole Christmas, after he has stolen everything from the Who's? When his sleigh is packed full of stuff?!?! That is what I looked like at the airport! I had two large suitcases, a purse, a diaper bag, a car seat in a backpack (that was so heavy even if it was on my back) a baby in a stroller with a booster seat strapped to it and a five year old carrying her own backpack. I got a TON of stares, but I'm happy to report that some people did ask me if I needed help. I was able to manage it all and almost broke out in tears when another mom told me I was a Super Hero. The flight home was delayed, causing us to sit on the plane for over an hour and a half before take off...that part was rough but we all survived! And I am very proud of myself and my kids for handling it all!

Our Car for the week

Since we flew to Orlando, we needed a car to get around town. Luckily, Mazda let us borrow a brand new 2019 Mazda 3 during our stay. This car was PERFECT for me and the kids to zip around Orlando while Tolar was at his conference. It wasn't too big and had great visibility, making it easy for me to get where I needed to go. Tolar himself was a pro at fitting all of our stuff inside the car too! In the trunk he could fit (yes, I'm going to list everything off again) our three large suitcases, a full size stroller, the backpack for the car seat, Tolar's backpack and Kendall's backpack. And we were also able to fit both car seats in the back seat with plenty of leg room. There was also ample space up front, especially for Tolar who is 6' tall. Space in a car is important to him and the Mazda 3 had plenty!

The car was very roomy and had top of the line features. We both loved that their was a projection on the windshield in front of the driver that would display the speed the car was traveling and it also included navigation directions if you were using the car's navigation system. This definitely helped keep us from getting distracted by looking down at our phones to see the next direction. The Mazda 3 also included tons of safety features with the cruise control (it would slow down if we got too close to the car in front of us) and it had blind spot notifications in the mirrors.

Of course with Tolar being a Tech guy, we are all about connecting our phones via bluetooth whenever we are in a car. The technology in this car made it extremely easy to connect our phones, without having to troubleshoot at all. I especially liked that you could view what was on your phone on the screen of the car too. I'm just waiting on cars to have wifi installed next.

What We Did While Tolar Was At The Conference

Our hotel had three pools, so honestly my kids would have been just fine hanging out by the pool all day long! However, this mama needed a break, so we did explore around Orlando a bit.

We headed to Disney Springs several times to do some shopping and look around. Must hit stores with littles: World of Disney, Goofy's Candy Company, Once Upon A Toy and The Lego Store.

While in Florida, we did have to deal with some rain, so my Uncle suggested we check out The Crayola Experience and I am so glad we went! You can spend the entire day here, there are so many activities and all of them are hands on for your kiddos. Several of our favorite activities included:

-star in our own coloring pages
-make art out of melted crayons
-create unique filters for photos
-name and wrap Crayola crayons to keep
-use our imagination with molding clay (this was the best consistency of clay I have ever used!)
-create an outfit and bring it to life in a fashion show
We had such a great time at The Crayola Experience and cannot wait to visit another city to go again and show Tolar all of the fun he missed.

Where We Ate

When we were at Disney's Hollywood Studios we went to dinner at Hollywood & Vine and this was probably the highlight of our trip. Mickey and the gang all came around to say hi during dinner. It was so awesome to watch my sometimes shy daughter break out of her shell and hug every single character. Knox had quite the love affair with Minnie and was very happy to meet all of the characters. As far as food goes, my Uncle (he KNOWS Disney) says that this is one of the best buffets at Disney. There were so many choices!!! I highly recommend the salmon - so tasty.

At Disney Springs we stumbled upon the T-Rex Cafe and my dino loving little lady was on cloud nine. The restaurant was interactive and featured life sized dinosaurs all over the place. It was a lot of fun to walk around and see everything. There were even meteor showers that happened several times during our meal. This was such a neat place to visit; if you have a child that loves dinosaurs then you need to add this to your list.

Also at Disney Springs we stopped in the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop and tried the Frozen Hot Cocoa and it was INCREDIBLE. Probably one of the best things I've ever tasted.

Tolar's two best friends also happen to live in Orlando, so one night we got to visit with them and their beautiful wives (and extended family too!). They hosted us and fed us some amazing Italian food! I love going on vacation and still getting to see friends too!

And of course- DISNEY!

We took the kiddos to Disney's Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. We met tons of characters, got to go on a ton of rides (Star Tours was Kendall's favorite - she went on it three times), attended a Disney Junior dance party, marveled at the Magic Kingdom's fireworks and so much more. I won't bore you with lots of text about our trip. I'll let you enjoy the overload of pictures that are about to come!!!! And I have to give a huge shout out to my Uncle for taking us to Disney - he is always so good to us.

Decocrated Subscription Box

Thank you Decocrated for sponsoring this post. All text and opinions are my own!

Since moving into our brand new house almost a year ago, I've been slowly styling and finding the right pieces to go into every single room. We plan to be in this house awhile which means I've got time to truly find pieces that speak to me. While I do like to hit the stores and see what items are available, I recently fell head over heels in love with a subscription box called Decocrated.

If you've been around here for any length of time, you might know my love for subscription boxes runs deep - just ask any busy mom, they can be such time savers. Decocrated might be my most favorite subscription box yet. Decocrated is a quarterly subscription box that includes timeless, unique items to keep your home feeling comfy, on-trend and perfectly you. I feel like Decocrated was created with me in mind because the box I just received included items that are PERFECT for my house. In addition to filling the box with beautiful items that match my style exactly, the box got delivered to my front door. I could probably end this blog post right here: home decor items that look like I personally selected them and then they were delivered to me...Decocrated you are my perfect match!

One of the amazing things about Decocrated is that they send you a box at the start of every season, right on time for a home refresh. Each box is filled with high quality items perfect for the upcoming season, but the amazing people at Decocrated keep the previous season's crate in mind when selecting the new items to send you. I love that they have such attention to detail. This ensures that all of the items will link up together, making sure that you can get full use out of each item. And let me remind you...it is delivered right to your front door!

I received the Spring Box and was blown away by everything included!
-seasonal art print by Jazzdoodles
-2 pillow covers
-cork coasters
-"Things to Remember" clipboard
-faux succulent
-2-sided wood banner
-tabletop clock
-lattice crate

The Spring Box included some terrific pops of color that really helped to add the perfect accents to our home. We have a very neutral color palette with grey wood floors, light grey walls and white kitchen cabinets. These pretty pops of color are helping to add some dimension to each space. Plus the pops of color are all colors that I already use with other accent pieces so it was easy for me to start decorating as soon as I opened the box. I love that this box featured pieces designed by Jazzdoodles (art print, pillow covers and cork coasters) to really create unique pieces for my home. I love that Decocrated supports local artists from around the nation.

REASONS TO ORDER DECOCRATED (in addition to everything I've already mentioned):

1.) Interchangeable decor
Decocrated always includes 2-3 items in each box that are double-sided, allowing you even more design possibilities. For $79.99 a box, they really give you MORE than your money's worth. In the Spring box, the pillows have different designs on either side, the wood banner features a different phrase and the art print is two-sided with two different prints.

2.) Free gift
When you first subscribe to Decocrated they automatically send you a frame as your free welcome gift. The frame is meant to display the art print that is included in each box, but it can also display your favorite photos or child's artwork.

3.) Design booklet included
If you feel overwhelmed upon receiving your box or don't have an idea on where to place a certain decor piece, do not fear! Each box includes a handy design booklet that gives you ideas and tips on how to incorporate the curated items into your home. (They also have a blog and incredible instagram channel featuring even more design tips for you!)

4.) Free shipping and two ordering options
Who doesn't love free shipping?!?! That's right, all US orders receive free shipping. They also have two options for you to order: You can be billed quarterly when each box ships or pay for the entire year up front. If you pay annually you will receive an extra 10% off.

BONUS FOR PURSUIT OF PINK READERS

Here is where everything gets REALLY good for all of you. Decocrated has extended an discount for my readers!!!! Just in time to order the Summer box (which I'm sure is going to include some epic pieces based on all of their previous boxes!!!), you can use code PURSUITOFPINK10 to receive $10 off your first order!