Holiday Stocking Stuffers

It's that time of year again. It's the season of indulging in holiday meals (hello, mashed potatoes!), sharing gifts with loved ones, attending holiday parties, and enjoying quality time with friends and family. When it comes to holiday gifts, that old saying that the best gifts come in small packages rings true. I love stylish accessories, beauty products, and jewelry as stocking stuffers because they allow the recipient to add a special finishing touch to their look. Whether it's a furry pom pom bag charm, a personalized pendant, or an animal print scarf, there are endless gifts that exude personality and charm (like this cute cat mug for $20) without draining your wallet. Below are ten of my favorite stocking stuffers under $130 plus other options under $35.
Holiday 2015 Stocking Stuffers gift ideas, holiday 2015 gift guide under $150
1. Smashbox 'step by step' contour kit, $45
2. Toms 'Dalston' 52mm sunglasses, $78
3. Wool blend beanie, $12.99
4. Kate Spade initial pendant locket necklace, $68
5. Faux fur pom pom charm, $15
6. Bow sequin pouch, $9.99
7. Artemis ear crawlers, $50
8. Animal print scarf, $6.99
9. UGG suede gloves, $79.99
10. Fit Bit activity and sleep tracker, $129.95
More ideas under $35:
$28.00
$20.00
$24.00
$25.00
$8.00
$10.00

ISLAND GARDEN PARTY

Last weekend we went out to the summer house in the archipelago. I don't make it out there that often anymore, just a few days per summer, but it is still the ultimate summer place for the, as it is there that we spent the whole season when we were children.

 This time we were here to celebrate my nephews first birthday.

  Garden party.

I made a vegan chocolate cake with banana and cocoabutter (and a lot more). Will get back to that one later!

 This is my dad's old stroller from the mid 1950's.

And here's the birthday boy riding it.

It's funny; I somehow remember Dag being so much "older" when he turned one but I guess that is a parent-thing. Or forgetting-the-baby-phase-thing. Or, things-go-so-fast-thing. Something it anyways is.

 My other nephew just turned eight months.

 Opening presents.

And of course, the older kids are very eager to help with that one...

Fast forward to ending the day with a archipelago sunset.

The sun suddenly sets so much earlier. August, snap, the evenings are dark!

FLORAL GINGHAM AND JASMINES

Greetings from the archipelago!
Here I am sitting under the jasmines wearing Vivien of Holloway.

And mathcing my nails with my dress.
The very essentials of life.

This is the Kitty Day Dress.  You know I have a soft spot for shirtwaist dresses and, especially if the have some of that pocket magic. This came with a matching scarf as well. I have shortened the dress a bit; the original hemline was longer.

MIDSUMMER SAUNA

The sauna is among the most Finnish things there are. The word sauna itself is a Finnish word. You have the midsummer sauna, Christmas sauna, bridal sauna, the Saturday evenig sauna and the regular everyday sauna as well... Most Finnish summer cottages and cabins will have a separate sauna, and many old apartment buildings has a mutual one, while new apartments tend to have their own small saunas next to the bathroom. I've never been that much of a sauna goer at home really, the sauna at my parents' house was mainly used for drying clothes in . We have a weekly sauna hour in our building that we sometimes manage to make it to. I mostly just go to the sauna when at the gym.

But being in a wooden sauna on an island or by the lake, being able to jump right into the water straight from the heat, is a different thing. This midsummer when out in the archipelago we heated the sauna, which I haven't actually bathed in for a few years, in spite of sleeping in the sauna chamber every time we are over at the island.

The sauna window view.

When we were small gathering pine cones was one of our "duties". It works as a spark together with the wood when you heat the sauna (or any other fire; we mainly collected these for heating the house.)

I like a more mild sauna that is max 80C hot, preferably just a bit over 70. But  it is often heated above that, up to 100 degrees celsius.

(There used to be sauna championships where the contestants tried to out-sit each other in the heat, with very high temperatures. Some years ago one finalist died, while the other got really sick and was in a coma for a long time. That's insane.)

The sauna is something pretty much every one here has grown up with.  Babies under 6 monhts are not recommended to bathe in the sauna though. Kids usually sit on the floor, as the heat is lower there. Women actually used to give birth in the sauna back in the days (it was the cleanest space).

My first plunge for the year! The water was only +12C. That's cold, but it has been colder than usual so far this year.(The sea usually gets around 18-19 in summer, but it can be over 20C as well. It depends not only on the weather but on location as well. Some days during good summers the sea has hit temperatures around 27-28C. Lakes tend to be warmer. In Southern Carelia at my grandmothers cabin the water is often  around +25C.)

Where the harbour opposite of us is, there used to be an island, just in front of the mainland. They blew it away.

Midsummer flowers in newly washed hair.

4 x SUMMER RAIN

Midsummer rain in the archipelago.

MÖLANDET

The day after the party we went to pick up Dag who had spent the weekend in the archipelago with my parents.

First we had some ice cream at shore.

And then we all headed back out to the island. Eddi had some sort of sailor thing going on for the day.

My sister's hubby and the dogs greeted us upon arrival at Mölandet.

My sister is about to pop at any day now.

We had some other things to celebrate as well.

Dag loves playing in the water. "Swimming" as he sees it.

Obligatoire feet-in-water picture.

And it was finally really warm!

Afternoon coffee on top of the hill.

Lilly waiting for crumbs.

I made Dag one of the oldest toys in the world. )This cow/walrus/creature had to be satisfied with only two legs instead of four though.)

And then he took an extempore afternoon nap.

I took a walk.

The garden.

And the garden from outside the gates, in the woods.

The porch on the big house.

The garden shed that's been under construction the past summers is now ready. It's mainly my sister's and her hubby's turf.

I went up to the highest point.

And got some wild strawberries.

Meanwhile Dag woke up.

Checking out some fish the others caught. Apparently fish can come off very scary as Dag started screaming in horror when he saw them.

Then my youngest sister and her fiancé arrived.

They are also having a baby. But still some time to go!

Dinner being set.

Dag has his own little table.

My brother-in-law has started a micro brewery with some of his harbour colleagues, Hopsons!

And it's pretty good!

And then it was time to head home. Here's the same view as last year, when waving goodbye.