The Pop of Joy Official Holiday Gift Guide 2014

Not many things bring me as much joy as choosing the right gift for someone, and the Christmas season is the best time to get my gifting on.  In fact, picking the perfect gift for someone is way more rewarding than receiving gifts, and the receiver can see that you gave some thought and love their way.  Here are some of my favorite gift ideas this year, in case you are still looking to pick up a few items this season.

For Classy Ladies:

Copper monogram tray - Mark and Graham

This tray is so cute - Mark and Graham has awesome monogram gifts, and this is a versatile tray that can last a long time.  A bit high-end, so look for knockoffs if you can't spring for the real thing here.

Photo via MarkandGraham.com

Bite Beauty Best Bite Lip Crayon Set of 4 - Sephora

I bought these for myself during a moment of weakness in the "impulse purchase bins" while standing in line at Sephora last year, and I am so glad I did.  They have them this year as well, so march right in the store and just get in line to shop.

Photo via Popsugar.com

Baggu Dipped Tote Bag - West Elm

I often can't help but buy a few things for myself when I find cool gifts for others.  This was one of the "one for you, one for me" gifts of last year.  Very sturdy, good size and shape, great adjustable strap that can be worn cross body, and super cute colors.

Photo via Westelm.com

For People Who Like Fun:

Gnome Terrarium - CB2

I don't need to tell you why this is cute.  Plant sold separately.

Photo via CB2.com

Chicken Wine Stopper - Fred and Friends

This is the ultimate rubber chicken gift (that is, other than incessantly chickening people year round).  I hope my sister is ready for her wine to be super-chickened in a few days.

Photo via Fredandfriends.com

Boozers/Foodies:

Wine 2 Go Flask - Flask 2 Go

I know a lot of people whose problems would be solved with this wine container that holds an entire bottle of wine.  Poolside, picnics, shenanigans, you name it.

Photo via flask2go.com

City Tin - Milwaukee Edition

This is available for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but also for Madison.  The tin includes coaster gift cards for $10 off your $25 bill at 20 Milwaukee area restaurants.  I will note that the list of restaurants in the tin is legit, and a fine selection by the tin creators.

Photo via Citytins.com

Kids:

Less stuff - Want, Need, Wear, Read

This was a concept shared with me this year (Thanks, Kathryn!) and I think it is a great idea, especially for young children.  Buy only four items, one item for each category listed.  This helps you and your child prioritize what is really important and what they really want the most.

Experiences

Make a gift out of a family vacation, special day, or other experiences.  Or, buy something that the family can use to make memories or experiences.  One mom I know is picking up a "Go Pro" camera as a family gift, and think of all of the fun things that can come of that with the family!

Kiwi Crate

Okay, if you need more than those four items, check out the Kiwi Crate.  It is a box shipped to your child (age range is 3-8 years) once a month with fun activities in different themes.  You can buy a subscription, a single box activity, holiday boxes, or other smaller items.

Photo via kiwicrate.com

Handmade:

I think that handmade or "hand assembled" gifts are always a nice way to put a personal touch on a gift.  I love a good themed basket or kit for a gift, it is a great way to put together some smaller items and make it feel really thoughtful.  This list from the berry.com is one of my favorite lists of basket ideas for all year round.  The key is throughout the year when you see containers or baskets on sale or clearance, snatch them up so you have a few on hand to make a basket when you need it.  World Market is also a great source for cheap basket and wrap kits in a pinch.

Photo via theberry.com

There you have it!  Only 8 more shopping days before Christmas, so this is your last chance for online shopping without paying a ton for shipping.  Go get 'em, tiger.

Don't change who you are, but let's be real...this isn't a sprint, it's a marathon

Image Source

The concept of not being too weird to early is not foreign to me, I generally refer to this strategy as "time-releasing the crazy."  You don't want to go full Monty before people realize they can handle and enjoy your weirdness.  When I started dating my husband (and I knew that I would marry him very early on), I waited a whole month before I put a little statue of a sleeping gnome in the back of the fridge.  When he finally saw it, he stood there staring at it muttering, "What the...?" in front of an open refrigerator door.  That gnome has lived in our butter drawer ever since.  I knew the hubs appreciated me for being a little nuts when he made a straight-faced joke one day about how high the gnome's cholesterol must be (living by the butter and all).

When I started a new job last year, it took me almost two months to start hiding mini rubber chickens in peoples stuff.  And it took everyone else a few more weeks to figure out just what was going on.  Seeing as I have hidden over 500 chickens in the world, they have some catching up to do at work.

It's not that I advocate people being anything but themselves, because I don't.  But, as a curator of weird shit, I have learned that it is an art and a good strategy to not put all the weirdness out at once.  Hopefully by sharing a little at a time, I can help bring joy to my day and to others, and quietly convince people that it is okay to be funny, and carefree, and weird, and unique, and yourself.  I think that I learned it was okay to be a little weird by one person in my life, and I am glad I came to the realization that being myself would be enough.

If you are feeling unsure sometimes about being yourself and letting the weird out, just do a little bit at a time.  You can also surround yourself with at least one person who really is comfortable with being a little weird.  All the right people will appreciate you for you, not in spite of you.

Awkward is one of my super powers.

Via LaurenConrad.com

I can't be totally sure why, but for some reason I continue to get more awkward with age.  Perhaps it is because over the course of time I got more comfortable with who I am as a person.  A weird, silly person who likes to find joy and wear bright colors.  And the more I am myself, the less makes it through translation to the general population.  And just how did I get this way?

I think that I was lucky enough to come across a few key people in my life who told my by their friendship, their actions, or their support that it was okay to be myself, whatever that might be.  What a nice treasure to have, and most certainly one that I did not know the value of at the time.

I spent many of my younger years with a lot of those crazy theater people, and I love every one of them.  There is something special about the creative theater folk, as in that they often have a creativity and a confidence in who they are.  How wonderful to be surrounded by those crazy, interesting people.

In my twenties I had a few friends who were very comfortable in being their own weird selves, and appreciated me as my own self as well.  Eventually, I figured, I could be fine being weird too.

And so, I just decided to wear a lot of polka dots and hide rubber chickens and eat caramel apples and speak in movie quotenese.  It is okay if not everyone gets it.  Most people don't like sushi or red wine the first time they try it, but they get better with age.  Okay, well maybe that's not true for sushi.

Comfort with myself + enjoying weird things = Awkward girl
Awkward girl - my superhero name.

How to chicken someone, and other good pranks

In the spirit of inserting more fun into work or home, I suggest that you start upping your game on pranking.  It is awesome.  You are missing out if you are not pranking people.  To be clear, I do not mean pranks that are harmful or embarrassing, because then you will just feel bad about it later.  But the harmless ones on people with even a small sense of humor is a hobby worth cultivating.

First, as I have mentioned in other posts, my favorite calling card in the rubber chicken.  In the most amazing showing of love and appreciation for my antics, the hubs bought me Santa Chicken (pictured above) as a stocking stuffer last year.  This is of course something that is hidden, often under pillows or in the shower, all year long.  I usually accompany the prank with a verse of the song "Santa Chicken," also know as the "Santa Baby" tune with different words.  Once the hubs got me back really well when I slept unknowingly on top Santa Chicken for hours and then screamed when I realized that I was under attack.

My day to day prank, though, is of course hiding miniature rubber chickens in people's stuff.  Or adding it to a tip for a funny waitress.  This prank runs in the family, and my sister usually gets me at the holidays when I am distracted and she puts chickens in my shoes.  Curses, just when I am feeling full, and tired, and safe.  The first time I chickened the hubs I put one in his bag of Chex Mix and he almost ate it.  That would have been a tragic and early end to our love affair, and he was not amused.

Here are some other good ideas:

Jello:

Putting things in Jello is as awesome as it looks.  I did not pull this one off, but someone did it to me, and I was impressed.  Yes, that is a gnome.  I leave gnomes in my office so that they do my work at night when I am gone, but so far they appear to be the laziest bunch of garden freaks I have ever met.  Don't Jello anything valuable, that violates the "do no harm" rule, as that gnome could not be saved.

Office reversal or foiling:
We once covered everything in my boss's office with aluminum foil, and I mean everything. Piles of papers on his desk, chairs, even the push pins on the bulletin board were individually wrapped.  The sweater on the back of his door looked like left-over pork chops still hanging up.  I only wish I still had a photo to show you.  On a separate occasion, we completely reversed his office and all of the furniture, pictures, etc.  He either was lazy or liked it, because it stayed that way for years.  The challenge is to get everything as close to mirror image as possible.

Hotel mummy:

Can't wait to try this one on my next hotel stay.  While I won't be there to see the maid's reaction, I can relish in my imagination that it will be immediate fear, followed by confusion, followed by laughter.  This could be equally funny if you ever stay overnight on a visit with your parents.

Saran wrap:

Saran wrapping anything is funny.  Best choices are an office desk, car, or other things around the house.  I hope to do all of my husbands' shoes next.  I hope he didn't read this.

Other than this, you could always leave funny things in public places around town.  Lionel could bring people joy anywhere...

Positude, AKA "This is better than the Zombie Apocalypse"

I will be the first to admit that sometimes it takes a concerted effort to choose to maintain a positive attitude in the face of difficult circumstances.  And by difficult circumstances I mean the day-to-day things that detract from your happiness like an unsatisfying relationship, disliking your job, or other things that slowly suck up your awesomeness.  This is where you come in.

I am going to share a few of my favorite ways to insert "Positude" into my day, but your job is to post a comment of some other suggestions.  We can all learn a few tips, I think.

1. Hide rubber chickens: I like to leave small, funny treasures in my pockets, as well as hide them for other people, and my usual object of choice is of course a miniature rubber chicken.  Nothing bad can ever come from someone finding a bizarre small chicken in their belongings.  Except for when I chickened my husband's Chex Mix, that was a regrettable decision.  I currently have a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur in my purse for my own amusement.
2. Soundtrack your life:  I just imagine that I am in a movie that I don't even know about, like "The Truman Show," and I decide what song would be playing now as part of the movie soundtrack.  When I am driving to work, I imagine a soundtrack like the opening part of "Office Space," or when I am starting my workout, the obvious choice is "Right Now" by Van Halen.
3. Relish in the details: Even if it is the worst day ever, I can still enjoy a really-nice polka dot lining in my purse that only I can see, or the best stacked pile of apples at Whole Foods I have ever seen.  For a good lesson on how to do this, watch the movie Amelie.  And then I try and remind myself that there are worse things in life than my stupid, shitty day.  Like, for instance, the zombie apocalypse.

Your turn.