Cool finds of the month: Holiday Edition, part 2

Hi everyone!

Here's the second part of the Cool Find of the Month, Holiday edition. Here you will find a few tips about things you'll need for the Holiday Parties you'll be attending: clothes, accessories, hostess gifts, and even party necessities like decorations and recipes, if YOU will be the one hosting.

I hope you find this helpful!



If you have trouble picking hostess gifts, consider this: those (crazies) who don't like chocolate are few and far between . And when we are talking about one of the scrumptious confections from Recchiuti, the number is even smaller. Order a bunch and be set for all the holiday parties you are going to attend – you'll get 15% off your order using coupon code ARTISAN.

If your hostess is a fashion maven, she will definitely love these cookies by Eleni's! The handbag cookies are fashioned after designer handbags, and will be delivered to your door already in a gift box, ready to give... or keep (they are so pretty!)

A gourmet gift basket is always a welcome present. It includes several things so you can be sure to cater to all tastes. GiftBaskets.com has many different kinds of gift baskets: choose a prepared one of customize it to fit your host's taste. Whatever you pick, you can get 10% off by using this code at checkout: ZK-8978.

If your hostess is a "green goddess", an eco-friendly gift is a must. Browse the Acacia online store for gorgeous eco-friendly gifts that will please anyone, whether they care about their carbon print or not ;-) They also have a clearance section with items priced at 50% off.


I just found the most delicious, affordable natural skincare line ever. Garden Girl is a fantastic line of natural skin care products that do not include parabens, mineral oil, petroleum derivatives or synthetic fragrances. They smell fantastic, have a great texture, and really work. After only 3 days using 3 Garden Girl products on my face, my skin feels incredible and I'm definitely hooked! Today (Saturday 20) is the last day to get $10 off your order, but after hearing my rave review Kristin, the owner of Garden Girl, created a special offer just for readers of this blog: use coupon code HIPMOM through December 31st to get 15% off your entire order!
(Though honestly, even without it, these products are fabulous and a real bargain for the quality!)
Unlikely Housewife pick: Pucker Up Coconut-Line Sugar Scrub, $22

Get pretty and save a pretty penny: use code SAVEGOOD to get 20% any order from Benefit Cosmetics today (Saturday 20) or get FREE next-day shipping (US) on Sunday and Monday with code LASTGIFT, so you can still get your gifts in time for Christmas!


Tobi is a special online store – and what makes it special isn't just the great selection, the multiple search possibilities on the site, the Beauty Bar section or even the section dedicated entirely to Eco-friendly fashion lines – though all those are definitely good reasons to love it :-) What makes it really special is that when you go on Tobi.com you get to chat one on one with a stylist, who will help you choose the best pieces for your party or occasion, suggest how to wear them (like how to accessorize a great dress) and all without charging you a dime more than the price of the merchandise. Yes, it's true. And on top of that, through December 31 you can get 25% off your Tobi purchase with this coupon code: INSTYLE08.

If you prefer a colorful, bohemian style for your party dress, InStyle helps us there too: December 31st to receive 20% off your purchases at the Oyouki online boutique using promo code INSTYLE08. You will find collections from international designers, and you will have lots of fun looking.

If you like the edgy vibe UK fashion has, you will LOVE the party dress/accessory selection at TopShop! Check out their Christmas offers, get recommendations with their party picks and get ideas on how to put your own party look together with their party looks.

The DVF Holiday Collection is on sale, 40% off! Go to DVF.com to see (and shop!).

You can score DVF and more at the Barney's Designer sale - designer clothes, shoes and accessories up to 60% off.

Other great online retailers where you can get fabulous party dresses:
- CoutureCandy: get 25% off already discounted merchandise with code 25DAY
- Fashion Chateau: get 20% off all orders, whether you shop for new designer dresses or choose to browse the sale rack (up to 85% off!!); just use code CHATEAU20. Also while there, enter to win a $1,000 shopping spree!

And if you need some lovely (but affordable) shoes to go with your new dress, check out Chinese Laundry, where you'll get 20% off any order (including new merchandise), through December 23. Discount is applied when item is added to shopping cart.

In other words, why brave the crowds, when you have a veritable goldmine of gorgeous fashion and accessories (and better sales!) at your fingertips?

Not to mention the private sales! If you are reading this on December 20, you are in luck: there is a Catherine Malandrino sale going on at GiltGroupe, and it closes tonight! No one is better than Catherine Malandrino at designing perfect party dresses, and with this sale you can score one at a fraction of the retail price!


If you still need a few decorations to get your home ready for the holidays, here are a few places you can get them at, at better prices:
- The Crate and Barrel Holiday Sale, where you can find ornaments, everything you need to set your holiday table, and even cookies for Santa :-)
- Wrapables.com, which already has lots of stuff on sale, including decorations and "Dining and entertaining" items.
- Pier 1 Imports, which has lots of items on sale at 50% off inclusing some really cute gift bags and decorations.

And if every year you scramble to find your favorite holiday recipes, you really need to get a custom-made cookbook at Tastebook. Find a cookbook, customize it or create your own with recipes from Epicurious, Allrecipes, Food Network, MyRecipes and more, or import your own recipes and mix and match! You can even select the cover. I'm totally in love with Tastebook – it was about time someone came up with this!


So there you have it, the cool finds for this month. I hope they make your holidays more fun, less stressful... enjoy!