Holiday Gift Guide 2020 (Part 2)

 Welcome to PART 2 of Megan Hubrex's Holiday Gift Guide 2020! Part one was fun for me to put together and part two will be equally as fun! I hope you guys will consider buying from these wonderful small businesses, whether it be gift cards for a friend or a little something for yourself! Any support counts! 

Now, here is PART 2!

Honey Pot & Hive

Let me start off by saying, if you love Twilight, this shop is going to be your favorite. If you DON'T like Twilight, don't worry, there are so many other options! I have gotten 2 headbands and 1 scrunchie (and one on the way). I am obsessed with the designs that are made from this shop; they're something you can't get anywhere else. The owner also does fundraisers each other where they donate money to different charities and that REALLY makes it worthwhile.

What they sell:

Headbands, scrunchies, keychains, greeting cards, shirts, stickers, and SO much more!

Their bestseller: 

Bow-bands

(Dalmatian Dots $12.50)

(Rosie $12.50)

How to contact and buy from Honey Pot & Hive:

Website

Instagram 

Grace Eleanor Jewelry

I have a gold ring made by a lovely girl named Grace and it is my absolute FAVORITE ring. It was made from the handle of a spoon and guess what? ALL of her rings are made from spoons (with a few forks thrown in)! SO COOL! Honestly, I never know how cute spoons could be until I came across Grace Eleanor Jewelry on Instagram. 

What they sell:

Gold and silver rings made from spoons AND forks!

(Size 6-6 1/2 collection $28)

Their bestsellers:
 

Since each ring is unique, it's hard to say that there IS a best seller. But the Exclusive collection has gotten pretty popular and is fast to sell out!

(Exclusives $35.00)

How to contact and buy from Grace Eleanor Jewelry:

Website

Instagram 

Garden Gypsy Collective

For all you crystal lovers out there (and I know many people who fit this category), I have JUST the shop for you! I came across Garden Gypsy through a friend and I know they have a ton of products that anyone could love! 

What they sell: 

Jewelry, cleansing tools, aromatherapy oils, crystals, and SO much more! (As in, you will be on their site for at least 10 minutes looking at all the wonderful things!)

(Peach Selenite from Morocco $4)

Their bestsellers:

Aromatherapy 

(Moon Faerie Aromatherapy Roll On. $15)

Cleansing Tools 

(Palo Santo Wood/ Holy Smudge Stick. One stick is $2.22)

How to contact and buy from Garden Gypsy Collective:

Website

Instagram 

Lucume

I came across this shop because I had a friend recommend it and it was definitely a good one! The owner, Lucia, handmakes earrings from polymer clay and oh gosh are they detailed and beautiful. I suggest following her shop on Instagram (which I'll link below) so you can keep an eye out for restock dates!

What they sell:

Clay earrings 

(Cactus Pot Earring 24k Gold Plated Chain. $30.99)

How to contact and buy from Lucume:

Etsy

Instagram 

Styles by Val

This is a special treat for all my local people in Illinois! Val is an AMAZING hairstylist and she has a holiday voucher! If you live close, GO TO VAL!

What she is offering this season:
 

$45- Includes a shampoo, deep conditioning treatment (interchangeable for haircut, depending what they want) and a blow dry/hot tool style.

**If you want to do any sort of color, she can use the time for a consolation** 

Some of Val's work:

Location:

91 Randhurst Village Drive, 

Suite # 127, Mount Prospect, Illinois, 60056

Contact Val:

224-836-1063

Book an appointment and other offers: 

X

Prospal Desgins

I met the owner of this shop back in middle school (yes, I might be aging myself a bit...) but her designs are so articulate and PRETTY and I just had to share her stuff on this guide guide. Brittani makes a lot of things but the best part: THEY'RE CUSTOMIZABLE! Just ask her to customize for you!

What they sell:

Santa Cams, planters, shirts, cute jars with sayings, and SO many cute things!

(Santa Cam's are nightlights. $10)

 

How to contact and buy from Prospal Designs 

Etsy

Facebook

Stuck On You Designs

Breanna owns and operates Stuck On You Designs and if you aren't obsessed with her Tik Toks of her making her designs, you're not watching enough of them. Stuck On You Designs promises that "all creations are handmade & unique." I ordered a keychain for my friend for Christmas and it is THE cutest thing and is made super well! Don't forget to LIKE the page on Facebook to get notifications about when the holiday items will be arriving.  

What they sell:

Custom vinyl creations such as personalized keychains, mugs / glasses, car window / wall decals, and more

(Customized mugs start at $10)

How to contact and buy from Stuck On You Designs:

Facebook

Instagram

Nicole Ann Creative

Nicole and I met in college when we both went for art, so you know she's good (even if you didn't know, I'm TELLING you she's good). Nicole is super talented at drawing and trying different mediums. This season, she is currently making the cutest things, but don't forget to follow her to get updates on new designs and items when they arrive! Also, reach out to her if you want her to make something just for you! 

What they sell:
Greeting cards, 5x7 watercolor paintings, knit blankets. 

Their bestseller: 
Cards

(Colored cards starting at $5)

How to contact and buy from Nicole Ann Creative:

Website

Etsy

Facebook

Instagram 

True Friend Designs 

Sig, the owner of True Friend Designs, was featured on my gift guide last year but I HAVE to put her on this year too! Since each piece of jewelry she makes in unique, there's always something new in her shop. She made some beautiful Christmas designs this year and I'm in LOVE with them! DISCLAIMER: The pictures I post here will be what Sig has made. They will go fast, so some of them MAY be sold out. But keep browsing on her site; I'm sure you'll find something else you'd like!

What they sell:

Earrings, necklaces, bracelets

Their bestseller:

earrings 

(These snowman earrings are $24 with FREE shipping)

How to contact and buy from True Friend Designs 

Etsy

Facebook

Instagram

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THAT'S A WRAP (yes, that was a holiday pun). I hope you guys enjoyed these 2 holiday gift guide posts and most of all, I hope you shop small and have a great holiday season! 

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Holiday Gift Guide 2020 (Part 1)

 It's that time of year: HOLIDAY SEASON! 

And let me tell you, holiday season 2020 is starting early and approaching fast. Last year I made a small business gift guide for all my lovely readers out there and it was really cool (says me). For this year, I am going to make a small business gift guide once again, but in 2 parts (because I can't fit everyone in one post). Small businesses are popping up like crazy because of the pandemic and we NEED to support them and the people who run them.

Please keep in mind small businesses in mind when shopping this year. Even a gift card purchase or a gift for you will help so much! 

So, here is part 1 of Megan Hubrex's Holiday Gift Guide 2020:

Wild Rae 

Wild Rae's tagline is "Handcrafted Natural Beauty", which automatically pulls you in. Wild Rae also makes their products from plant based ingredients which your skin will love. 

What they sell:

Soaps, bath bombs, felted soaps, bath soaks, solid shampoo, and more! 

 Their best seller: 

Felted Soaps, which are made with merino and cheviot wool. The wool acts as a soap saver and they last about 3 times as long as regular bar soap!

(Felted soaps start at $10 on Wild Rae's shop)

I have bought Wild Rae's Honeycomb soap and Rosewater bath bomb and they were so good! 

How to contact and buy from Wild Rae:

Website

Instagram

Lavender Rae

Not to be confused with Wild Rae, Lavender Rae has handmade accessories and home goods made by the great hands of @DaysofRae AKA Samantha on Instagram. You can tell that the quality of these products are super well made and I may be getting some items for gifts this year...(that means I definitely will be buying). 

Whey they sell:

Macramé coasters, car hangings, scrunchies, earrings and keychains.

(Most coasters start at $12.99)

Their bestseller:

Car hangings 

(Car hangings are $15)

How to contact and buy from Lavender Rae:

Website

Instagram

Honey & Roses Coffee

On their Instagram, they have in their bio: 

*Online coffee marketplace
*Handcrafted and roasted around the US
*Sustainable home and kitchen
#WhereCoffeeMeetsTravel

They got me right away a couple months ago when I saw on Instagram ad for Honey & Roses Coffee. I actually bought my first ever French Press from them (which I'm going to link right HERE) and oh my gosh, I use it at least twice a week. It's so nice because you can move it around and it's not bulky when you store it; I can go on and on. 

What they sell:

Spoons, reusable coffee cups, sweets & treats, and of course, COFFEE!

(Spoon sets start at $28 and go up)

Their bestseller:

I have heard through the grapevine AKA Instagram DM that they have tons of best sellers via coffee. So instead I got some recommendations!

(Tasting notes: rich cacao, sweet caramel, brown sugar. $15.50)

(Tasting notes: Chocolate, almonds, cherries. Medium roast. $20)

How to contact and buy from Honey & Roses Coffee:

Website

Instagram 

Art by cl0uds

Claudia AKA cl0uds is super passionate about making things and it really shows when you talk to her. That's why I wanted to include her in this because 1) I love her shirts 2) she loves doing it. She just started selling recently but if you have any ideas on what you want her to make for you, talk to her about it! She's really cool!

What they sell:

hand-dyed upcycled shirts, tie dye shirts, and various other handmade items. 

(Sweatshirts are around $30)

(Please note these particular styles may not be in stock anymore. They are one of a kind. Shirts are between $12-$15, NOT including shipping.)

Their bestseller: 

cl0uds has just begun her adventure, but I have bought one of these sweatshirts with this stencil. I know someone else has bought this exact one, so this is going to be a bestseller I feel like!

How to contact and buy from Art by cl0uds:

Facebook

Depop

Golden Hippie

I got introduced to Chelsea from Golden Hippie in the middle of this year. I even recorded a podcast with her because I like her so much. I'm also obsessed with her products she sells. "A funky hippie with items that make you feel golden", says her Instagram tagline. Let me tell you, I have 3 pairs of earrings I've bought from Golden Hippie and oh my GOSH I love them!


What they sell:

Earrings, sunglasses, eyelashes, stickers, gift cards (which also helps small businesses, by the way), and MORE!

(These Aaliyah earrings are $13.99)

Their bestseller:

(Pollinate earrings. $15.99)

(Peace earrings. $18.99)

How to contact and buy from Golden Hippie:

Website

Instagram 

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Thank you for reading and SUPPORTING not just me, but the wonderful people in this post. Let me know if you buy anything; I'd love to post it on the blog! 

Stay tuned for part 2 of Megan Hubrex's Holiday Gift Guide 2020!

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My Trip to Las Vegas

 I'd like to start this post off with: I WAS SUPPOSE TO GO TO LONDON THIS YEAR! Drinking tea in the afternoons and going to pubs at night. Well, you all know what happened. Covid happened. I was so bummed because I had plans to meet up with British friends and to rent a cute airBnB. 

But I was determined to go somewhere. And since the borders were closed, I had to stay in the US. 

I texted my friend, Noe (who was suppose to go to London with me), and said "hey, do you want to go to Las Vegas instead?" and he replied with "I'm down."

Fast forward to September 8th 2020 and we were off to Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Noe was so excited and it made ME excited. We both had no idea what to expect since we've never been, especially during Covid times. We had to wear our masks on the plane except when were eating and at the end of the flight, I was getting HOT with the mask on. As in, I was sweating! 

As soon as we got off the plane, we were met with a huge light up sign that read "WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS" We made it after 5 hours on the plane! YAY!

We had THE hardest time getting an Uber or a Lyft and it took maybe 30 minutes to snag one. We were both determined not to take a Taxi and get ripped off. We finally arrived at the hotel, The Flamingo. We got our temperatures checked by security guards and then checked in via Kiosk. 

The room was small but still real cute. We had an amazing view of the High Roller, a huge slow moving Ferris wheel (which we found out lit up at night and it was SO cool!)

To save you from the boring details of us walking to many liquor stores to find the perfect alcohol for our room, I'll just bullet point things that we did, which are totally not in order. I mean, everyone loves a good bullet point, right?

____

* Gambling. I'm 27 years old, of COURSE I brought money to gamble. I just played the easy press-the-button machines. I won $30 on a Playboy machine at Caesar's Palace and that was my only "big" win...but each casino was NOT packed at all and each machine had at least one chair taken away between them. Sometimes two. So yeah, social distancing. 

*Red Rocks Canyon. My friends from back home, Natalia and Laura, moved to Vegas about a year ago and they drove us to the neat canyon and we hiked a little bit. I got splinters on my hands and legs but we took good pictures so it was worth it! Thanks for taking us around ladies!

*Planet 13. The world's largest dispensary. I'm not very good at things like that so I won't get TOO into it, but it was really cool. They definitely make sure you're of age and they were super nice. And let me tell you, as a last note, their stuff is strong...

*The High Roller. In the non-pandemic times, this 30 minute Ferris wheel is known for having a bar INSIDE the pod! But that was taken out because bars are closed every single place except at restaurants (which ruined a lot of my un-made memories....) BUT we went at night and rose to 500 feet in the air. It overlooked the strip but since the Las Vegas Strip is SO big, it barely showed us half of it! I think you would need a helicopter ride to see it all! It was cool but a little long and they let 8 people in a pod and it wasn't really "social distancing".

(The view from our room at sunrise)

* The Pool. So, the pool is WEIRD. As in, you have to text in to get a spot. We thought you just show up? The pool opened at 10 am, I texted at 10:05 am to get a spot and then waited...and waited...and WAITED for a text back to come down to the pool. It took 3 hours and I was getting fed up so Noe and I went to the pool and they go "sorry, we're still on the 10:04 people who texted in." Apparently, if you text past 10:06, you probably won't get a spot at the pool that day. It was wild. We finally got a text and we had only 10 minutes to get there. 10 MINUTES! Then, we had to wear a mask the whole time you were out of the pool. It was...uncomfortable. I got a bit of a tan and then ordered a Pina colada (which ended up costing me $28! OH MY GOD). The pool was...kinda lame. Sorry. 

(me at the pool)

*Dinner. We went to Margaritaville, which was in the hotel, the first night. Then the next night we met up with my friend's godmother and I had the coolest Poke Nachos (it included raw tuna, shredded seaweed, spicy mayo, and wonton nachos. EVERYTHING I LOVE). There are so many good places to eat, but we only had 3 days!

*Free things. Our hotel had a flamingo zoo with live flamingos and that was cute. We also took some pictures at Paris hotel at night. We went into Caesar's Palace to look around at the Fountains of the Gods. And then we went to the famous Bellagio fountain show. It played to the song Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds by the Beatles and I had NO idea how much I would love it! I barely took pictures because I was too busy enjoying it.  

*Other random things: We went during the week. There was NO one on the strip. Barely anyone at the casinos. Noe and I both were like "where are the people?" I guess they all come on Friday then leave Monday. We got there Tuesday and left Thursday. I DO have to say, it really worked out for my anxiety, though. My mom told me people are always dressed "weird" in Vegas. We didn't see any weirdos at all. I was BUMMED. Everyone was dressed in jeans, sometimes a long maxi dress, and pushing their kids in strollers. One night I wore a black glitter off the shoulder body suit with along skirt over top and I felt over dressed! IN LAS VEGAS! Last thing, I wanted a flask so bad and didn't bring one. It cost $17 to get one in the hotel. It cost $6 in a gift shop on the strip for a cuter one. Always shop around. 

(This flask was always full and always in my purse)

All in all, I had a really good time in Vegas. People keep saying "YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS OR THAT!!" Okay, I only had 3 days. Leave me alone. I KNOW I didn't go to Freemont Street. I didn't want to. 

Would I go back to Las Vegas? Yeah, if the time called for it. I don't think it is on my top 5 places I loved, though. 

I had great company (love you, Noe!) and a new experience. It was a really great trip!

 

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