The 2013 Gift Guide For....[THE BOOK NERD]

It's here... the FINAL gift guide! Woohoo!

Have you been reading all our gift ideas?! Here are the others we've done!

[The HIPSTER]

[The VEGAN]

[The MUSIC JUNKIE]

[The BLOGGER]

[The DIY ENTHUSIAST]

[The GEEK]

[The VINTAGE LOVER]

[The DRINK SNOB]

Phew! There are a lot of gift guides, but I think we've discovered some pretty great gifts over the past few weeks! 

And guess what?! Our third birthday is in THREE DAYS, and there will be a HUGE birthday celebration with tons of recipes and a multi-blog birthday link up featuring sweet treats and DIY crafts from other bloggers! You don't wanna miss it!

So make sure you visit us on December 26th! 

Okay, this gift guide is for all those friends of yours who love to stick their noses in a book...and keep it there. Aside from school or work, this friend reads. Constantly. And for Christmas, you want to buy them something that is not a book. 

So here we go!

Out of Print Clothing

I love this brand, because they take classic book covers and turn them into jewelry, sweatshirts, t-shirts, coasters, and more. Check them out - you'll love their stuff!

Kindle Case

Chances are your friend has a Kindle or a Nook. If so, why not buy them a nifty case?

Book Scarf

I love this! You can find lots of scarves on Etsy that have book quotes on them. Cute yet nerdy and stylish at the same time!

The Great Gatsby Book Necklace

I have long loved The Great Gatsby (yes, even before it was a movie). Show your love with this necklace. Not a fan of this book? You can find others!

Harry Potter Tank Top

Harry Potter is a classic for Millennials. Wear your love on your shirt! 

A Reconstructed Book

These are pretty cool - you can tell them what kind of book you want to be reconstructed, and they will make it into a planter for flowers!

A Literary Poster Calendar

This cool calendar features different short stories from famous authors each month. Each month you get to read something new when you change the month!

Papa's Pilar

Rum named after Ernest Hemingway's boat. I mean, it's rum. You can't go wrong.

Bookbinding Kit

Now you can bind your own book! Everything is included to assemble your very own book.

Pride & Prejudice Tea Sampler

You never knew you needed this until now. Four teas named after four characters in Pride & Prejudice. Now you can drink your favorite Jane Austin novel!

I hope those gifts gave you some good ideas for your book loving friend!

The 2013 Gift Guide For....[THE DRINK SNOB]

Welcome to the second-to-last gift guide for this holiday season! I've been compiling various gift ideas for those hard-to-shop-for people in your life, and I think we've come up with some pretty good stuff.

Here are the gift guides we've don'e so far...

[The HIPSTER]

[The VEGAN]

[The MUSIC JUNKIE]

[The BLOGGER]

[The DIY ENTHUSIAST]

[The GEEK]

[The VINTAGE LOVER]

& here's what's coming up! Only one left...just in time for Christmas!

[The BOOK NERD]

Today I am appealing to the drink snobs in our life. Those people who can tell you all about the differences between two very similar beers, or who swirl their wine in their wine glass before drinking.

This is for them!

Brew Your Own Beer Kit

Chalk Board Coasters

Corksicle 

Local Beer

mad tree, jackie o's firefly, rivertown brewery

Adult Chocolate Milk

Alcohol Infused Whipped Cream

Cream or Whipped Lightning.

Wine Measuring Glass

Adult Chocolate Sauce

There are my ideas - I hope some of them appeal to you. Let me know if you bought any of the items on the list or if you have some more ideas!

The 2013 Gift Guide For....[THE VINTAGE LOVER]

Vintage inspired clothing and style is all the rage, so it doesn't surprise me that you have a friend who LOVES all things vintage! I love vintage anything, basically.

Here are the gift guides we've don'e so far...

[The HIPSTER]

[The VEGAN]

[The MUSIC JUNKIE]

[The BLOGGER]

[The DIY ENTHUSIAST]

[The GEEK]

& here's what's coming up! Only two left!

[The BOOK NERD]

[The DRINK SNOB]

The following gift list includes lots of retro inspired items to satisfy your friend the vintage lover. Hopefully you find something totally awesome, man. 

Clothing from Shabby Apple

Shabby Apple is an online vintage-inspired clothing and accessories store. I absolutely LOVE their dresses. Other online stores to check out include Ruche and Rusty Zipper.

Style Me Vintage Books

There is an ENTIRE LINE of this "Style Me Vintage" series. You can learn how to do vintage hair, makeup, clothing, and so much more.... all by reading these awesome books! Wanna have a vintage wedding or throw a vintage tea party? They have books on that, too.

That 70's Show

If your friend also likes TV, why not buy them the complete series of That 70's Show? It's hilarious AND every episode is a flash from the modernized past. 

Cat Eye Sunglasses

Oh so stylish. Let's go back to the 1950's!

Vintage Cakes

Now you can learn how to make cakes from back in the day with this awesome, beautiful new cookbook. Doesn't that cake on the cover look divine?!

Vintage Inspired Headbands

I love headbands, and I think this one is super cute. Plus I love anything sort of nautical and looks like it came from the 50s.

Bird Cage Card Holder

Francesca's, a boutique I used to work at, sold these and I absolutely loved them. You can hang jewelry, cards...whatever!

Gift Card to a Thrift Store

Because where else can you find true vintage items?

That's all I've got for you! What did you think?!

FREE PRINTABLE: Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar

I know, I know - it's halfway through December, and I've designed an advent calendar.

But I PROMISE it's never too late to start mine - it's the Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar! And it's never too late to start doing kind things...which means you should print this off, TODAY, and get started!

Pretty sweet, right?

Here's how you use it. 

1. Download the PDF (link below) and print on heavy paper.

2. Cut out the gift tags (cutting out the hearts is optional, but I recommend it!).

3. Glue the numbered tags to the tags with text, so that when you flip them over, you can read the text.

4. Get started doing random acts of kindness! Just flip the tag over on the corresponding day to see what you get to do that day, and then you can leave them flipped. that way, you can see what you've already done this month and feel good about yourself :)

You can glue the white tags to any of the numbers - they don't go in any particular order, although I'd recommend putting "Random Text" and "Relax" on numbers 24 and 25. :)

CLICK HERE to download the Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar!

And be sure to share the kindness with others by pinning this post! Please and thank you :)

What other printables would you like to see?!

Fitness Friday: Overcoming Holiday Weight Gain

Everyone hates the weight gain that the holidays typically bring. It's almost inevitable - there are so many gingerbread men and candy canes, and you just have to try one of every flavor...right?

This year, let's overcome holiday weight gain together. Below are five tips that I think will really help you keep off those extra pounds this holiday season!

1. Plan Your Workouts

....and STICK TO IT. 

I know, it's hard. But you can do it. If you put together your fitness schedule at the beginning of the week, you are more likely to actually get your butt off the couch and into the gym because it's now a part of your schedule. If you just say, "Well, I'll go when I feel like it"....trust me, you will NEVER feel like it. So do yourself a favor and plan ahead. 

2. Bake Vegan

Eating vegan is naturally a lot healthier for you, since that means no eggs or dairy will be in your cookies. That doesn't mean you can still eat five cookies, but it will definitely help keep your weight in check. Plus, if you've never baked vegan before, this gives you a chance to experiment! 

3. Use Alternative Sweeteners

Just make sure you use NATURAL sweeteners, like Stevia or Monk Fruit. Both are zero calories and are much better alternatives to sugar or Splenda! I also like to carry around a little squirt bottle of liquid Stevia in my purse. It's handy, and if you want zero calorie sweetened coffee, it does the trick.

4. Set A Limit

Decide how many cookies or scoops of macaroni and cheese you will allow yourself BEFORE you get to the party. That way, you already know your limit and will be less likely to overload on the crappy {yet delicious} food. Then, load up on the healthier options available - like fruit!

5. Plan Your Meals

Decide what you will eat when you aren't at a Christmas party, and then go grocery shopping so you have your supplies. The more prepared you are, the less likely you will be to stray from your plans. Make sure you plan healthy and light meals (like salads, or seared tuna steaks!) so you aren't already weighed down when you get to the party.

Hopefully those tips will help you fight the urge to overeat this holiday season!

What tips do you have?

What fitness printables would you like me to design?

The 2013 Gift Guide For....[THE VEGAN]

Welcome to the SECOND edition of the Passing Daisies holiday gift guide! Last week, we talked about HIPSTERS.This week, we are focusing on the vegans in our life. Here are the other holiday gift guides you can look forward to!

[The MUSIC JUNKIE]

[The GEEK]

[The BOOK NERD]

[The VINTAGE]

[The TRAVELER]

[The DRINK SNOB]

[The DIY ENTHUSIAST]

[The BLOGGER]

I used to be vegan for a year, and now I will generally eat anything, but I eat dairy in moderation. I shop mostly vegan at the grocery store, and I eat normally when I'm out with friends. Everything is okay in small amounts! 

Still, I like to embrace my vegan roots, and I think I've got a pretty good grasp on what kind of gifts vegans would enjoy. I would love to get any of the gifts below. I hope these help you find the perfect gift for your vegan friend!

Better World Brownies

An all vegan and fair trade brownie mix, you can't possibly go wrong. This company also makes vegan hot chocolate mix, fruit & chocolate snack mixes, and other yummy treats. Everything is fair trade, too.

Crazy Sexy Kitchen

Kris Carr is a vegan celebrity - she beat cancer by switching to a mostly raw, plant-based diet, and has been a role model in the vegan world ever since. This is her new cook book!

Isa Does It

Another famous vegan chef, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, just released a brand new cookbook this month. Everything she makes is delicious, so I'm sure this cookbook won't disappoint.

Vegan White Chocolate Chips

Vegan white chocolate is crazy hard to find in stores, unless you make it yourself. These chips are delicious. Make sure you order a few bags! Wanna hear what I think? Click here!

Vegan Bowls [and other dishes]

This lady's vegan dishes and mugs are pretty famous. They are expensive, but homemade and high quality. They are also cute! If you don't want anything with the word "vegan" on them, she also makes some adorable cake stands, fruit bowls, and other dishware. There is also another etsy shop, Vegan Dish, that you can check out when the owner is back from vacation.

Vegan's Daily Companion

This book features 365 different articles to read, one for each year. It has recipes, health info, animal stories and pictures, and so much more! A great guide for any vegan.

Tofu Xpress

Any true vegan will press tofu at some point in their life. This is a great tool to have in your kitchen so you don't end up pressing your tofu with a stack of books, pots and pans, and cans of soup {in other words, anything heavy}. If you want to see my review of this product, click here.

Hail Merry Macaroons 

These are quite possibly the best macaroons I've ever had, and they are raw! You can find them at Whole Foods stores across the country. Apparently they just released a limited edition, seasonal flavor - Chocolate Chocolate Chip - so run to the stores and buy some now!

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

This is just like Nutella, but it's vegan. They also make a line of peanut butter cups that are AMAZE-BALLS. For a limited time, you can buy their white chocolate peanut butter cups exclusively  at Whole Foods. 

Tea Forte

I have yet to find a flavor of tea by this brand that I dislike. They are crazy delicious, and their triangular shape makes them unique. 

Blackberry Maple Waffle Tea

This is a delicious flavor of tea, and it has real waffle pieces in the mix!

Libre Tea Glass

While we are on the topic of tea, this loose leaf tea "to-go" glass is GREAT for when you want loose leaf tea but are about to walk out the door. The tea stays in a separate compartment, and you just flip upside down to brew. When you are ready to drink, just turn the glass right side up. Check out my review of these glasses here.

Forks Over Knives

This is a great documentary about the way meat and dairy effect our health. Although it does talk about animal rights and welfare, the emphasis of this film is health, and that's why I enjoy it. If you want a documentary that talks more about animals, then check out Food, Inc.

Vegan Makeup

There are multiple great places you can get quality vegan makeup, including Juice Beauty, Tarte, and Urban Decay.

Yes To...

The "Yes To" brand has a TON of quality vegan beauty products, including facial cleansers, lip balm, shampoo & conditioner, and sunscreen, to name just a few. 

Well, I hope those items sparked some ideas for your vegan friend! Let me know if you found other great products you would recommend!