Monday, December 19, 2022

Should You Or Should You Not Buy Your Boss A Holiday Gift?

In the workplace sometimes a boss gives gifts to his/her staffers in appreciation for all their hard work. But as a general rule, an employee shouldn't buy his/her boss a holiday gift.🎁 

In the US, buying bosses presents is not common, nor expected, and sometimes frowned upon. No matter how much you like your boss, never forget your connection is primarily a business relationship, and you are the subordinate. In certain industries or positions, it could be interpreted as courting favor or a bride, especially if somebody at work is out to get you down the line. 
Companies worry about appearances and so should you. Sometimes corporate policies forbid it. You also want to avoid embarrassing your boss or causing other employees who live paycheck-to-paycheck discomfort by setting a precedent. What's more, I dislike the idea of asking everyone to chip in for a group gift for bosses because of the possibility of someone feeling pressure who can't afford it. If the office has petty cash available, it's fine to get approval for a group gift for the boss, but a better alternative is to get cookies, candies, or refreshments everyone in the department can partake in to build comradery.🎶

Feel free to give your boss a holiday card with a festive note you took time to write but it's also dicey unless one of you is leaving or you write a number of notes to a number of other employees too. I might share my homemade Christmas cookies, or if we have an especially good rapport, give a cute Christmas ornament costing around $10 (taking advantage of those early sales). It's a nice gesture for a boss who gives staff gifts but makes a big salary so s/he in no way needs a gift from a junior employee. Once I had a crafty assistant make me a handmade Christmas ornament, which was so thoughtful, time-consuming, and adorable I still have it years later.

You might also bend the rule if you work freelance and have a long-term, friendly, trusting relationship with no co-workers, office politics or misinterpretation to worry about. But even then good homemade cookies, candies, a craft, or just an inexpensive token gift with a lovely card is safer and gets the job done with aplomb.🔔


You may also enjoy:

Friday, December 16, 2022

Little Sky Stone For Last Minute Gifts


If you're looking for a last-minute gift for your bestie, a well-liked neighbor, or perhaps your cousin who's always got your back, why not give something that will last and not fade away after the holidays? Glut mindless shopping is so yesterday! One thoughtful, well-chosen gift is all you really need for the people in your life.

Little Sky Stone makes artesian, one-of-a-kind jewelry in sterling silver, 14k gold-plated, and 14k gold-filled metals with dainty genuine stones including opal, turquoise, emerald, garnet, citrine, amethyst, pearl, sapphire and druzy. (Druzy quartz is made up of tiny crystals that form on the surface of a stone.)



IMHO, customers aren't getting a super deal, but everyday earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces at reasonable and fair prices. Not great big stones, yet pretty little things with good design ... very appropriate and winning keepsakes for a bestie, a cousin, or a well-liked neighbor whose face you want to put a smile on and to say thanks for being you! 

Moreover, with gift-giving be equally good to yourself by considering your budget. With Little Sky Stone's lovely collection of unique artesian jewelry, there's truly no need to go into debt to spread some holiday cheer.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

The Wittelsbach-Graff Blue Diamond

On the left is the 35.56-carat cushion-shaped Wittelsbach diamond and on the right is the same diamond recut to 31.06 carats. Over billions of years, the element carbon (with a trace of boron) turned into a diamond. It's a stunning stone with a long history that raises a 21st-century conundrum to ponder. Let's begin the journey ...

The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond (↖left) compared to the Hope diamond
The rare blue diamond originates from Kollur Mine, India. King Felip IV of Spain is thought to have bought and included it in the dowry of his beloved 15-year-old daughter, Infanta Margaret Teresa in 1664 when she married Leopold I, the Holy Roman Emperor. The jewel was in the possession of the Habsburg family until it came to Munich, Germany in 1722 when Archduchess Maria Amalia, a Habsburg, married Karl of Bavaria of the Wittelsbach royal house. The gemstone then remained in the Wittelsbach family until it was sold in 1951 to a mystery buyer, then resold a few more times until in 2008 the London jeweler, Laurence Graff, bought it for $24.3 million. In 2010 the billionaire jeweler announced he had recut the diamond to get rid of its 350-year history of nicks, cuts, chips, and scratches from being set and reset into jewelry and a crown.
Erasing the history of the diamond to improve its girdle not only reduced the gemstone by 40%, but it has also started a controversy. Renamed the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond, the alterations enhanced its blue color from grey-blue to blue-blue and clarity from VS1 (very slightly included) to IF (internally flawless), as well as, arguably increased its monetary value by giving it a higher grade and modern cut.

So in the life of this diamond, there are 2 values at play, and what's right isn't always clear-cut, is it? The Habsburgs-Wittelsbachs wouldn't recognize their diamond today. Soooo what would you have done and why?


You may also enjoy:

Monday, December 12, 2022

Milani Rocio Roses Jewel/Gem Kits


If you have the ability to spot quality you'll find fabulous holiday gifts just about anywhere including at Walmart!

Milani is a stellar makeup brand for less on the same par as the luxury brands sold behind cosmetic counters at major department stores. I bought several shades of Milani's top-notch lipstick and blush at Ulta Beauty.

The following holiday kits and under-makeup primers are two examples of Milani's quality cosmetics for all the makeup mavens on your gift list. The 2 kit colors -- Luxe Jewel and Allure Gem --  are special holiday editions offered at an unbelievable steal for $14.97!!!

 

Here's what you get: 
  • What Do We Think? Eyeshadow Palette – 6 rose gold, plum & soft pink mattes & shimmers
  • Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer – All-over complexion luminizer blurs & illuminates for a real-life filter effect for the face & body
  • Color Statement Lipstick – Milani's best-selling cream lipstick formula is infused with nourishing vitamins A & C
🐪🐑🔔🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🐪🐑🔔

Here's what you get:
  • Money Saving Bestie Eyeshadow Palette – 6 bronze & emerald-inspired mattes & shimmers
  • Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer – All-over complexion luminizer blurs & illuminates for a real-life filter effect for the face & body
  • Color Statement Lipstick – Milani's best-selling cream lipstick formula is infused with nourishing vitamins A & C

🐪🐑🔔🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🐪🐑🔔

The primers below are separate buys for stocking stuffers. They give makeup a smooth base with a matte finish to last throughout the day. Cost: $8 - $13.


Milani is so affordable and fabulous, you'll have pocket money left over to get yourself a special edition kit too. Well Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa to you!🎁


You may also enjoy:

Friday, December 9, 2022

Consider A Water Flosser

My teeth are my most valuable possession and yet I hate flossing. Rarely do I have food stuck in between my teeth, it's the formation of plague I worry about and fight by flossing. 

Dentists agree if we don't floss properly or daily, using a water flosser is a good practice. Flossing isn't easy, it's tedious. Sliding dental thread in at just the right angles and not too forcefully ... who the heck knows if we are flossing properly? So right after buying a Philips Sonic Toothbrush for $40 I invested in a water flosser. 

Here are 3 top models both dentists and customers like: 

1) Waterpik ION Professional Cordless Water Flosser - (top image👆).  Very compact for small counters, its handle is detachable from its base during use. You have to plug the water flosser base into the wall to charge it about every 3 weeks.

2) Waterpik Aquarius - Rated as powerful in cleaning teeth as the Waterpik ION, but bulkier and stays in its charger plugged into the wall during use.

3) Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000 - the model I use right now. Philips makes very good dental tools according to several dentists and product review sites. This one also stays in its charging base plugged into the wall during use.

Overall, plug-in-the-wall water flossers are more powerful and clean your teeth better than portable handheld units. While considered a plug-in-the-wall water flosser, the jury is out on how long the Waterpik ION's lithium battery lasts. Although I prefer using it, the inconvenience of possibly having to replace a battery is a  job and expense I'd rather skip.

Using a water flosser requires a learning curve. At first, the process of water flossing is an epic wet mess like a tsunami in your bathroom. You'll shoot water EVERYWHERE! Practice makes perfect. Here are some tips: Hang your head down in the sink. I fill the water tank up past the waterline then leave the lid off in order to floss my entire mouth in one pass. Another trick is to leave the device turned off at the handle until you get it in place inside your mouth. Expect to get your hand drenched unless you master laser-like focus while flossing. I do wish the Philip's water flosser cylinder utensil rotated as you move it over the inside-backside of your teeth, but you still manage, and the reason I leave the lid off the water tank is there is always a little water left in the tank I like to pour out so the tank is completely dry the next time I use it.

I always use the maximum settings of 10 and deep cleaning. Water flossing once per day is enough, and it should be done before (not after) brushing your teeth to loosen and then brush away the plague.

Teeth are strong, yet delicate. Although our teeth are covered with the strongest and hardest mineral in our body, called enamel, that enamel can easily be broken down by sugar or a lack of oral hygiene. Not brushing, flossing, and getting regular teeth cleanings will lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and eventually tooth loss. Once gone, they cannot regenerate and are gone forever.

You'd think a jewelry lover like me would name a sentimental piece of jewelry as my most valuable possession, but you'd be wrong ... it's my pearly whites. A sonic toothbrush or water flosser is by far a more essential gift than a piece of jewelry!🎁


You may also enjoy:

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

5 Uniqlo LifeWear Gifts To Blow Your Mind


Regular readers know that Uniqlo, the Japanese innovator of LifeWear sustainable clothing, is my absolute favorite retailer for basics. I don't know why Uniqlo doesn't just hire me as their spokeswoman already! I wear their outerwear and clothing, plus blog about their quality and great price points frequently. I mean, I'm a true believer in Uniqlo LifeWear! 

Here are 5 of my favorite articles that make awesome holiday gifts and demonstrate how budget-friendly doesn't have to mean a lack of quality, style, or durability! 

I own each of the following pieces and continue to love wearing them again and again, and so with authority I highly recommend every single piece as a perfect, not to mention, ultra-useful holiday gift:

1) Blocktech Coat -  (see top image👆) Lightweight as a cotton shirt, yet serves as a raincoat, as well as, looks stylish as a 3-season (spring, fall, and early winter) all-weather coat when paired with a sweater as temperatures drop. It has pockets, snaps, a zipper, and a hood. When it's pouring rain outdoors, the Blocktech coat keeps me completely dry ... and surprisingly warm. I bought the coat in black for versatility and love the other colors also.
2) Heattech Crew Neck Long-Sleeve T-Shirts - A great layering t-shirt that functions exactly like silk fabric to keep you warm and insulated without overheating. The knit fabric is thin, soft, stretchy, moisture-wicking, and machine washable. I own the t-shirt in two colors.

3) Heattech Beanie and 4) Heattech gloves - You can buy a cashmere beanie and gloves from Uniqlo if you wish, but these are soft and warm like cashmere. Although I must have cashmere scarves against my neck, I have both cashmere hats and a Heattech hat and no longer buy cashmere gloves because the fingers of all knitted gloves wear out quickly. The Heatteck gloves are as warm and nearly as soft as cashmere (i.e., you have to work to tell the difference). I can machine wash the Heatteck gloves and they are also 50% cheaper than cashmere, so I buy a pair to keep in every coat and jacket pocket I own. So affordable I never have to remember to transfer gloves from a coat to a jacket!
5) Uniqlo line of sweaters - Styles and fabrics galore are for the choosing - I bought merino wool cardigans I've worn for nearly a decade as they are well-made and lasting. But there are many other styles, fabrics, patterns, and colors offered, so you're on your own to click the link to take a browse. Turtlenecks, cable, bright, neutrals, cashmere, wool, cotton, you name it!
I write about Uniqlo to the point readers might think the blogs are sponsored, but they are not. I'm only a customer.🙂 A trip to Uniqlo will blow your mind, and you too will become an enthusiast, a true believer of the self-proclaimed LifeWear merchant!

If Patricia of the Red Cardinal reads this post, Tish, please tell us if Uniqlo in Brisbane sells the same items? 


You may also enjoy: