Wrapping and Wine

 I've had fun supporting my local businesses and shopping online but it's time to wrap. Every year I end up wrapping gifts on Dec. 22 and 23 in a rush. This year is different. My goal is to find a little Romance of the Season. Wrapping gifts is all about LOVE. Grab a glass of wine, place some holiday tunes and wrap some love.

I suggest a sweet wine to pair with wrapping. 
Have a small dish of chocolates handy for energy.
Avoid salty or greasy items; they will leave marks on the paper.

I set up a wrapping station in my basement (close to where the gifts are hidden in totes).Bins of various sizes contain paper rolls, bags, boxes, bows and ribbons.

Wrapping the largest gifts first makes for easy organization.

Clothing is tucked into boxes with colorful tissue. I sealed each box with tape so nosy boys won't peak. On a corner of each box, in tiny print, I wrote the first initial of who the gift is for.

My "assembly line" is simple:

*One table is cleared so I may wrap the gift.

*Then I select a ribbon and bow. After I attach the decoration, I put the spool of ribbon back in its tote.

*Finally, I attach a tag. This year I found some "fancy" tags at The Christmas Tree Shop but I still have the old fashion stick-on tags.

I sort the gifts by size to be taken upstairs to the tree.

As gifts are wrapped, I place them under the tree. Some gifts are "Santa Gifts" and are set aside to be placed under the tree late Christmas Eve. 

I always thought it would be fun to have a gift wrapping party with my sister and niece or with my girls. 

Do you have any wrapping traditions?

Traditional Anniversary Gift Guide

 

In 1922, Emily Post, the queen of proper etiquette, wrote that only eight anniversaries required traditional gifts. However, records from the mid-1800s show the anniversary gift list with the first fifteen years and every five years after that from the 20th to the 60th, and the 75th. Today, the most commonly followed gift list is the traditional anniversary gift list, approved by Mrs. Emily Post.

	Traditional Anniversary Gifts
1st	Paper
2nd	Cotton
3rd	Leather
4th	Fruit or Flowers
5th	Wood
6th	Candy or Iron
7th	Wool or Copper
8th	Bronze or Pottery
9th	Pottery or Willow
10th	Tin or Aluminum
11th	Steel
12th	Silk or Linen
13th	Lace
14th	Ivory
15th	Crystal
20th	China
25th	Silver
30th	Pearl
35th	Coral
40th	Ruby
45th	Sapphire
50th	Gold
55th	Emerald
60th	Diamond

I enjoy this list rather than the modern, gemstone, or flower lists. I like to be creative with gifts for my honey. While anniversary gift-giving has become a somewhat mandatory practice, it doesn't mean that you have to follow the gift lists. While anniversary gift lists are helpful for sparking ideas, it's more important to give a gift that expresses your love for your partner and comes from the heart.

EMILY POST AND ANNIVERSARY GIFTS GUIDE

Biography Available on AMAZON

Michigan Mixology - My Picks for Father's Day Gifts

My dad always appreciated a good spirit.

A bottle of a smooth whiskey makes a perfect gift 

for the dad who may like a drink synonymous with enjoying life. 

 

I'm a wine drinker but I salute the history filled tradition of making spirits.

With hubby's help, these are my picks for this year's Father's Day gifts.

Absolut Michigan

Yea, I know... Absolut is a New York product 

but the collectible bottle is sooo cool!

Absolut distributed vodka in collector bottles in 2019.

Some of the empty bottles are selling online for $30!

Foggy Mountain Bonfire

This cinnamon flavored whiskey is produced in Boyne Falls, MI. 

The cinnamon reminds me of fall, fun and bonfires.

When hubby kissed me, it was a cinnamon kiss! Give me more!

Visit Foggy Mountain Spirit Company for more info.

Traverse City Whiskey Co. American Cherry Edition

This is a smooth whiskey combined with fermented Montmorency Cherries grown locally.

Hubby likes the flavor, I admire the lovely red color. 

(Hubby is rolling his eyes at my comment.)

This is a good whiskey for those love cherries. 

Squeee! I love cherry!

Traverse City Whiskey Co. Michigan Apple

A special limited edition flavored whiskey may be hard to find but certainly worth it.

Straight bourbon is used as the base. After aging in barrels, it is then steeped with 10 lbs of local fruit for 10 days. The flavor makes you feel like your are drinking a well aged whiskey. 

Grab a cigar, sit back and relax on the deck.

Visit Traverse City Whiskey Co. for more info

All bottles featured in photo belong to hubby and he WILL share or I'm keeping them for myself.