LA STYLE WATCH PRESENTS.....
GOOD STUFF! The Best of the Best for YOUR Christmas list!
Someone had to do it! We at LA STYLE WATCH have taken it upon ourselves to personally sample some of the best gift ideas for Christmas, 2006! From fragrances and lotions, to coffee and foodstuff, please duck under the mistletoe and join our team of reviewers, as we unwrap some fabulous gift ideas!
PART ONE:
Melitta Coffee
Hunter's Honey Farm
FOR EVERY BODY Candles
Scents from Fragrance.net
Haute Diggety Dog
Lavender Green
Melitta Coffee
Have you ever wished you could drink in the holidays a little early? When that first taste of fall comes and you remember how spendid it is to cozy up to a warm fire, plush blanket , and oh yeah, someone to love? What if you could pour that feeling into your favorite mug? Welcome to the charged-up up caffeinated world of MELITTA, and my coffee flavor of choice on this morning, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. This scrumptuous blend of creamy vanilla, fluffy white coconut, buttery caramel, and sweet nuts, is, at this moment helping me welcome my day, and I'm feeling an urge to burst out into song...JOY TO THE WORLD!
Melitta boasts a list of flavors so long, it would take the entire year to sample them all (not a bad idea for a New Year's resolution, in fact). The holiday array alone includes mouth-watering flavors like Pecan Pie, Carmel Apple, Pumpkin Spice, Creme Brulee, and Gingerbread. If you visit their website frequently like we do, you will see they are constantly adding new, delicious flavors. Yes, this is one to put on your Christmas list year after year!
Melitta is also unveiling some handy, decadent gift packages for your favorite someone. Luxerious gift boxes include three full-sized bags of flavored coffee and a beautiful coffee mug. LA Style Watch recommends Melitta's coffee and gift sets to help you get through the daily grind...or that special evening by the fire!
MELITTA COFFEE ON THE WEB: www.melitta.com
Hunter's Honey Farm
Heaven. I've died and gone to honey Heaven.
Chocolate? Homemade! Like I had when I was a girl!
We had just barely "dipped" into the big box from Honeycutt Farms and we headed straight for the desert.
Our staff reviewers were already quite gleeful on seeing the multiple bottles of honey teriyaki, honey barbeque, honey hot wing sauce, and salad dressings. Instant plans were made for a future bbq party!
But we quickly gave up those plans in order to eat spoonfuls of chocolate.
Ladies and gentlemen, hear what we say: if you truly want to be the most popular santa at your Christmas party, add this to your list of gifts to give: Hunter's HONEY CHOCOLATE SAUCE.
My two guest for the evening could not believe I sampled it straight from the jar. Then had to keep sampling it. They could not understand it until they did the same.
"Oh my gosh! This is the most amazing thing I've ever tasted, " said reviewer Mary Ellen Bloomingdale.
Stop tasting. This one I can handle all by myself.
This is apparantly a Hunter family recipe (Chris' sister Charlotte, according to their website). Oh to have such family members! Hunters suggests warming this rich and creamy honey chocolate sauce and then drizzling it over your favorite dish of ice cream. They say that this honey chocolate sauce also makes a wonderful chocolate milk or shake. Why bother? It's fine just how it is. Out of the jar.
But this is not all we have to say about Hunter's Honey Farm.
Chef Kathy Kuhn joined us on another evening. Kuhn runs "Food Girl Food Delivery" in San Diego, and is a good friend to have around as she also went to culinary school.
"I LOVE IT!" she exclaims about the Honey Teriyaki. "This is very nice with A LOT of flavor! Yet not overpowering like some teriyakis I've used. I love the hint of honey! Would be delicious on chicken or of course for a stir fry."
I shoved the hot wing sauce in front of her next. "OOO! Oh..that's REALLY good! OH MY GOSH! I know it's honey hot scause but this would be really good in a crock pot with meatballa. I think my clients might have a new dish on the menu soon!"
Kuhn again remarked on the flavor of this sauce. "Some hot sauces are just "hot" without flavor. This one pays off. Would add a lot of flavor to your dishes!"
For true culinary style that will have your friends counting you as one of their Christmas blessings, let your fingers RUN to Hunter's Honey Farm's website.
HUNTER'S HONEY FARM ON THE WEB: www.huntershoneyfarm.com
FOR EVERY BODY Candles
I have a confession. I was already a fan. A big fan of "FOR EVERY BODY" Candles. But there are so many new flavors for Christmas AND 2007 we must review, people.
But a little history first. You may have already spied this brand in fine stores, including Hallmark. They are the ones which are ULTRA ULTRA smelly (in a good way, of course!) and come with a cherry on top. Literally, sort of. Each flavor in most of FOR EVERY BODY's lines has something on top: Blueberry has wax blueberries, Cinnamon has sprinkles of cinnamon, and "Happy Birthday" has meltable confetti. Already a fan of many of its older flavors, we delved into what's new and amazing in this brand.
And we were not disappointed. Burning right now at our reviewer's office is the new line called "Tiny Temptations" in the scent of "Cinnamon Cream Cheese Hearts." In the wings ready to be burned but still giving off an amazing scent is the "Tiny Temptations White Patriot Vanilla Cream."
This "Tiny Temptations" comes with a huge punch, in an adorable lidded jar. Inspired it seems by yummy cupcake flavors, each has a scrumptuous colorful photo, and comes with the beautiful sprinkles. For instance, red hearts in the "Cinnamon Cream Cheese Hearts" and red, white and blue striped stars on top of the "White Patriot Vanilla Cream."
LA STYLE WATCH wants to try every flavor in this line, and then start on the others. They include a "Delicate Florals" line with scents like pink jasmine and lavender, as well as a fruity line that is sure to brighten even the most bleak of winters days. We suggest the guava peach, and also love green apple and vanilla pear.
We reviewers here consider ourselves candle afficionados, so please hear us when we say FOR EVERY BODY is most definitely for you. If you have never had this amazing brand transforming your home, you just aren't being good to yourself! We are all aglow waiting to see what FOR EVERY BODY will offer up for spring!
Coming soon: Home parties for those of you who are gifted at getting your friends and family to buy from you!
ON THE WEB: www.foreverybody.com
Perfumes from fragrance.net
Oh, the shopping that's can be done from our computer! Who would know that I would discover favorite new scents while online? Shopaholics, unite! For the wonderful website fragrance.net has brought us all together! And guess what else? Discounted prices!
It's Jessica McClintock's perfume. We are addicted to this scent and everyone we know LOVES it! It's been around since 1987, and we here rue the years we lived without it! It contains citrus notes of lemon, along with basil, white rose, and white jasmine. I know this because fragrance.net tells me so. Nice to have them pinpoint what Iove!
Yes, I am getting very obsessed over this website. No, euphoric is more like it. How appropriate, as another favorite new fragrances is found on this site: Calvin Klein's "Euphoria."
The bottle itself is a showpiece for your dressing room. You will want this sleek silver piece on your armoire or dressing table because it's so lovely, but also because it's a handy to grab it an life you into a euphoric state with just a nice "spritz" every now and they throughout the day!
I also recommend this site because it has comments at the bottom from previous buyers. For instance, a past purchaser of "Euphoria" writes "My husband is usually allerigic to most perfumes, but this is a scent he approves of. It has fruity notes: but then, becomes all mine!" Another writes "Thank you Calvin Klien I had given up that anyone would make a new Oriental/Spice fragrance again...Euphoria is just wonderful and I am constantanly stopped and asked what I am wearing."
Honorable mention: we also really enjoyed Dolce & Gabbana's LIGHT BLUE. We love it!
ON THE WEB: www.fragrance.net
Haute Diggety Dog
Our tails are wagging over the products of HAUTE DIGGETY DOG of Beverly Hills.
Whether it's a "Chewy Vuitton" stuffed toy or a dogbed fit for a canine queen, this pet boutique has exquisite, imaginitive items for that special pet or pet lover on your Christmas list, and ABC's "Good Morning America" thought so too!
Our test dogs were Palmer and Blue--the greatest weimaraners on earth. They were ready to pounce and play as soon as the box came in the mail. When playtime was over, they just stared at the box and looked mournful. So, I figured what the heck it's the holidays and got all the toys out again for my prized pooches to enjoy. I suggest you do the same!
ON THE WEB: http://hautediggitydog.com/
Lavender Green
Honestly! For real. We are NOT kidding. For a real treat for your beloved, or to buy in bundles for everyone in your office, THIS place offers items for those who have EVERYTHING! We love the Lavender Green Personal Aromatherapy Diffuser as well as the handy Car Diffuser.
The personal diffusers come in flavors Lavender, Focus Friendly, or Road Rage relief aromatherapy. They truly can slip into your purse and travel everywhere. You will become spoiled with all the relief you get from the diffuser filled with essential LavenderGreen E.O. Synergy. Just remove the cap and inhale deeply for the therapeutic benefits. The diffuser can be refilled by removing the case, and adding more oil to the glass chamber (it comes included with your purchase!)
The Car Diffuser comes with a 1/8 oz. sample of both Road Rage Relief and Focus Friendly car aromatherapy synergies. The company hopes it will promote safe and relaxed driving.
Lavender Green's site is lovely and makes you want to sample everything! LA STYLE WATCH says..go ahead!
ON THE WEB: www.lavendergreen.com