Rox and Roll

The Rox and Roll Gift Guide 2011: Think Different

I have a confession to make: Generally speaking, I'm shopping-averse.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm approaching 40 and finally rejecting a culture of consumerism, or if it's because my favorite gifts are those of experiences; I'd always rather do something than buy something.  Or maybe, as a woman of faith, it is not lost on me that the Reason for the Season is not somewhere in Housewares, or even in Target at all.  But I do love this season in which I can choose little unique somethings to express my appreciation for family as well as for a family of friends who enrich my life experience every day.  And while I could show a dear friend that I am mad talented by gifting her with that very special carefully-selected something from her pre-approved Amazon wish list, sometimes I like to go off of the menu and show my appreciation differently.

So ... drum roll please ... I introduce you to theme adopted for this year's Rox and Roll Gift Guide: Think Different.  (Yes, I know that's an advertising slogan created for Apple in 1997.  I didn't say I made it up.  I said I adopted it.)

Here we go:

Subscription commerce: This is the new term for "_____ of the month" club.  Forget fruit: these days, there are options for monthly anything.  No matter who you're gifting or the price you want to spend, there will be something just right.  I ordered three to try in November for the purposes of this list.  Of the three, I recommend two: Foodzie (written up below) and Birchbox, which is monthly trial-size cosmetics box.  I'm also going to be trying Blissmo, organic and eco-friendly products that I discovered at San Francisco's Green Fest.

About my favorite, Foodzie: I squealed with delight when I opened my November Foodzie box, pictured at right.  When I subscribed, it was $19.99/month -- totally worth it.  I learned after the fact that the November and December boxes would be at that old price-point but jacked up to bigger sizes, and then the price woudl rise to match the box at $29.99, which, to me, is discouraging.  That said, I will give it as a gift on occasion for sure; it'll be a great teacher gift, hostess gift, birthday surprise, etc.  In November's box: pickled figs by Boat Street Pickles, dried cranberries by Willow's Cranberries; fruit and nut crostini by Anjou Bakery; garlic onion pistachios by Fiddyment Farms; pistachio and almond nougat by Vadeboncoeur Nougat; and cornmeal pancake and muffin mix by the Nitty Gritty Grain Co. -- ALL things that I'll enjoy immensely.  If there's a foodie in your life, this is the right gift.

(P.S. For more subscription commerce ideas, check out this link on Sean Percival's blog.)

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Betabrand clothing: For years, the Guv has waned a DARPA hoodie.  Why?  Apparently, it's the fusion of science and fashion.  In other words, he's a nerd, and he only wears red t-shirts, so, dear God, please let someone buy him this for Christmas, maybe in blue?

Meanwhile, Betabrand is so crazy that they actually sell something called Discopants.  If anyone buys those for the Guv, s/he has to take him out when he wears them, 'cause I won't.

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The morning-after basket: So you're going to a party, and you're tempted to grab a bottle of wine.  Or, if you're like me, you're tempted to stop at the store on the way to the party and pick up something like Ouzo, 'cause you know nobody else will bring that.  Unless your hosts are hard-core dish-breaking Greek alcoholics, they'll appreciate a morning-after basket much more; plus, nobody else will think of it -- so it's like Ouzo, but healthy!  Someone did this for us after a party, and it blew me away; she had baked huge, awesome muffins and packed them in a basket with fresh fruit, coffee, and a single-cup french press.  It was so nice to wake up in the morning to a special treat after a late-night of post-party clean-up!  And every time I re-use the basket or the french press, I remember who gave it to me.

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A bald eagle: For my conservationist/ecology-minded friends, I'm giving them something they'll love this year: bald eagles.  No, not real ones, silly, that'd be dangerous!  Instead, I'm sponsoring some in their honor through Vermont Institute of Natural Science's bird adoptions. This place and its birds are very near and dear to my heart, as my kids have enjoyed summer camps at VINS for five years and counting.  Their raptor center is truly amazing, with rescued birds ranging from a pair of bald eagles to sawheet owls to songbirds.  Since Vermont was hit so hard during Hurricane Irene, I worry greatly that charitable giving to this phenomental center will suffer -- so I'll be supporting their holiday adoption specials this year for extended family and teacher gifts.  Why should YOU care about VINS?  Their environmental educators and wildlife rehabilitation specialists are among the best in the world.  When's the last time you saw a raptor center?  Protecting our natural habitat is paramount, and these folks are on the front lines.  I am grateful for their service to our earth.  (Psst: If you have a Harry Potter fan in your house, you can also adopt Hedwig, aka a barred owl.)

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Uncommon Goods: Pick anything -- seriously, just about anything.  This is, bar none, my favorite catalogue from which I rarely order anything but covet everything.  My favorite things this year: The Corkcicle wine-chilling icicle; the 7 deadly sins shot glasses, because face it: everyone drinks boring old wine at parties, but you could be a hero if you brought these and a bottle of Old Number 7; and just so y'all don't start thinking I only conjure up gifts having to do with ETOH, here are some crocheted headphones for your teenaged babysitter who dresses like Janis Joplin.  

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Prayer cube: Perfect for households of faith, especially for godchildren, we have fun with these "prayer die" in my house.  We use the table grace one, and there is also one for daily prayers and one for bedtime prayers.  This Episcopal Bookstore on-line has lots of nice faith-based gifts for those so inclined.

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For the Occupiers: If you have a friend on the front lines of the Occupy Movement or on any picket line, here's a fun gift: a book called "Good Chants for a Lively Picket Line."  The website selling it, Syracuse Cultural Workers, has a lot of fun and unusual stuff, including a "Build Community" tee that is a wardrobe staple for me.

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The Fiesta Disc Pitcher: A Piece of American History: Fiesta Dinnerware is made by the Homer Laughlin China Company in Newell, West Virginia.  You've probably eaten off of their dishes at restaurants galore and might be surprised to find out that instead of paying Macy's prices, you can shop factory direct on-line.  I grew up just down the street from the Fiesta factory and have eaten off of these dishes since my aunt and uncle gifted me with an overfull set for my wedding in 1997.  Using Fiestaware makes me feel closer to home, and, as I buy additions and replacements over the years, I feel really good knowing that Americans from my hometown are employed making this awesome stuff.  I'm big on "think global, act local" and stock my house with as much as I can in support of my native Appalachia.  (Fenton Glass is another West Virginian one for those who enjoy it.)

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Fairy House Kits: There's something about this time of year that makes me want to hold on to the magical beliefs in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, leprechauns, and yes, even the Easter Bunny.  At the Dickens Fair in San Francisco, Petunia and I picked up a fairy house kit to build together.  While I'm not really sure I believe that fairies are putting knots in her hair just because she's not leaving her shoes pointed in the right direction before she goes to bed (someone told us that once and totally seriously too), I do like the notion of providing space for their imagination -- even at age 11.  The fairy house vendor linked to here is not the one from which we purchased our kit but looks very similar; she also sells on Etsy.  In any event, I think this is a great gift for anyone in your life who remains a dreamer, from school-aged through advanced-age. 

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Prints Charming: Made by Etsy store Poppy and Pinecone, two prints hang beside our bed in both our East and West Coast homes: one of Vermont with a heart in the center, and one of California with a heart in the center.  It's an artistic expression of our bicoastal life and love.  Especially for someone living far from home -- perhaps a college student -- these prints are heartfelt reminders of a special place.  Equally special and surprising are prints by the big harumph, also on Etsy.  We own "rush less, play more," "imagination is everything," "today is the day," and some images.  I'm a big fan of little reminders.

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A Three-Way Gift: Get your mind out of the gutter.  I'm referencing charitable donations here: a gift from you to someone else that benefits a third party.  Personally, I'm a big believer in supporting local needs, which is why we support Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences, mentioned earlier, as well as Vermont Foodbank, the Ecumenical Hunger Program here in Silicon Valley, and the Shelter Network, also here in Silicon Valley.  For ideas on charities to support, get some ideas from Charity Navigator, described thus: "Charity Navigator, America's premiere independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability and Transparency of America's largest charities."  Check them out to make sure that your dollar is being stretched as far as possible.

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Thanks for checking out the 2011 Rox and Roll Gift Guide.  If you're still fishing for that perfect gift, might I suggest The 2009 Rox and Roll Gift Guide: Stuff for Adults or Stuff for Kids, or The 2010 Rox and Roll Gift Guide: Gifts for a Cause, Books, Movies, Games, In-Home Experiences, Out-of-Home Experiences, Play, and Gratitude.

Happy Holidays!

An Attempt at Meal-Planning

For someone who greatly enjoys experimenting with cooking, having a family that doesn't enjoy eating anything "funky" is a bit frustrating.  Since I'm wheat-allergic (not gluten-free, but close enough), another layer of complexity -- beyond picky eatering -- factors into our meal planning.  If I were to list the amount of things this family does *not* eat ... well, wait, that could be a twitter feed, kind of like "sh*t my dad says," just called "sh*t they won't eat."  I could make millions!  Just not dinner.

For example, my entire family will not eat meat on the bone.  Imagining the standing rib roasts that will never be cooked in my wood-fired oven brings a tear to my eye, as did the chicken cacciatore I cooked with "boneless breast of chicken," which might as well be called "why bother eating."

So, we often solve this problem by going out to dinner.  There's a local Mexican spot that will make hamburgers for the Guv and for Petunia -- who didn't used to be fussy, but who has recently entered preadolescence and, is, therefore, Sick Of Everything.  When I'm there, I eat spicy sopes or albondigas.  At our favorite vegetarian South Indian spot, there are cheese dosas (we call it Indian grilled cheese) and idly (we call it Indian wonder bread) for the Guv and Dash; Petunia and I get a little funky and sample around the menu.  And we also go out for pizza.  Lots and lots of pizza.  (I usually am stuck with salad on these nights.)

With the exception of the South Indian fare, I cook better than most places I eat, so, unless I'm going out for something I never make (e.g. veal at Il Fornaio -- yeah, I know, baby cows, I'll probably get virtually paint-balled by PETA), I should cut back on the dining out as a solution for my picky eaters.  Dining out isn't exactly good for our collective waistlines, either, or for our wallet.  There's a better way, so, this week, I'm cooking.  And, like it or not, family, I'm going to push your palate a wee bit.

Inspired by my friend CityMama, and including one of her recipes, here's my plan for this coming week:

Monday: Turkey Tacos on organic blue corn shells topped with diced tomato, jack cheese, and guacamole; mixed veggies on the side

Tuesday: Crock pot night: something from The Indian Slow Cooker, steamed rice, and homemade mango lassis.  I'm assuming the boys are unlikely to eat whatever's in the crock, so I'll make a side of chicken nuggets, too, that they'll enjoy with the rice and lassis. 

Wednesday: CityMama's Yummy Balls (with oatmeal substituted for bread crumbs and Amy's tomato soup substituted for Campbells so that they're GF) with bread (sourdough baguette for them, homemade Pamela's GF white bread for for me) and a veggie crudite tray

Thursday: Crock pot mac-n-cheese and salad

Friday: Grilled burgers, baked potatoes, fresh tomatoes

Saturday: South Indian for lunch, so a light dinner is in order; possibly a date night since Grandma's here, so she'll have salad (she always does) while the kids do a pick-me-up of leftovers or scrambled eggs and toast

Sunday: No idea.  Leftovers wil be in order for lunch, and Petunia eats at our church youth group, so it's probably pasta night for the rest of us, since Petunia is always sick of pasta.  That's a win-win!

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Wish me luck ... I'll report back next week on how this attempt at planning went ... Meanwhile, what are YOU cooking this week?

Holidays ... huh?

I cannot believe that it is November.  In fact, I cannot even believe that it is actually autumn.  I do not know how Halloween happened.  In fact, it barely happened.  I have two bins of Halloween decorations, one that remained untouched and the other cracked open moments before trick-or-treaters rang the bell.  Somehow we had some decorations, and the kids had costumes, and the trick-or-treaters happened ... and then today, someone mentioned Thanksgiving.

Huh?

Maybe it's being back to work that has me so uninspired ... but that has barely started.  Maybe it's the knowledge that we're alone for Thanksgiving, and alone for Christmas, and not travelling for either, that has made me this chill about the holidays.  Yeah, that's it, I'm chill.

Which is code for denial.

Friends are posting "pinterests" of skittle-flavored vodka gifts and holiday decor projects.  Family members have called to declare their shopping complete.  Complete! 

Which is code for: "Rox, you'd better get on that."

I'm thinking that this year, we need to wake up on Christmas morning with one thing in each stocking: a plane ticket to someplace unexpected -- someplace warm, someplace where our tiny dog is welcome, someplace where we'll all be happy to be.

But there are still a gazillion relatives to buy gifts for, and hundreds of cards that won't make or address themselves, and, and, and.

It's not that I'm all "bah, humbug," but, well, I kind of am.  I don't care for turkey -- none of us do -- and I try to express gratitude regularly, so Thanksgiving?  Contrived, to me.  And Christmas?  I believe in the Reason for the Season, and I really love picking special gifts for people -- really, really love making people happy.  But if I have to go to one more store where I already hear Christmas music playing before Thanksgiving is even here, I'm going to scream.  I shopping on-line this year, Macy's; leave me alone.

And just when I thought: okay, I have an action plan: start the photobooks next week, take the annual picture on the next sunny day, have gifts ordered by the end of the month, I get a message in my inbox:

"What are your kids doing for summer camp?"

In November.

Rox, you'd better get on that.