GBK 2019 PRE-EMMY AWARDS LUXURY GIFTING LOUNGE

I’m so excited to tell you about this one! It was held at my perennial favorite LA hotel, the Beverly Wilshire. That place has meant so much to me through the years. It’s the very first hotel I ever stayed in in LA, Mr. X threw my surprise thirtieth there, and I had my twentieth birthday dinner there, (on a day that I almost died by going off a cliff in my car, so when I was still alive, I celebrated by going to dinner at this place!) And now…GBK had their Gifting Lounge there! That will for sure go into my Happy Memories Bank!

And what an event it was! It was the absolute most happening-yet-elegant gift lounge ever!!! The lay-out was just stunning, the DJ kept the crowd going with not-too-loud all-day beats, and let me tell you what an absolute delight the food was—OMG!

The very first thing my contributing writer, Lucia, noticed was a table right up front with the classiest spread in recent memory. Since this event took place a few days before the Emmys, we had been on the go all day, without a crumb of food in sight.  So we are uber-thankful to GBK for this oasis. And all the fare was healthful, to boot! There was a delicious quinoa salad, hummus, white bean dip, and all kinds of veggies. And then we were ready to face the world.  But then, lo and behold, they started passing even more sumptuous offerings, which, because of the size of them, I cannot call “tidbits.” There were brisket sandwiches, jumbo shrimp cocktail, goat cheese and mushroom tarts, and…lobster bisque with mini-croutons! I wanted to get a room at the hotel just to nap off my food coma!

Lucia had been to GBK events with me before, and raved, “They outdid themselves with this one,” an assessment with which I wholeheartedly agree. here’s her take on the atmosphere: “Set at the iconic and beautiful Beverly Wilshire, we walked into the room filled with gorgeous flowers, a DJ spinning danceable tunes, and great food, especially the delicious desserts!” (How could I have forgotten about those perfect sweet treats?!)

But, of course, the very many gifts were the stars of the day. So let’s get to those highlights already:

BootySprout—I saw a girl with a great butt working out on this portable butt machine right in the lounge, and I knew right away that I needed to emulate her! In talking with her and the inventor, I learned that this high-resistance at-home glute-training machine is very simple to set-up on a floor, (no assembly required,) and working-out on it is just as uncomplicated. And it looks so much easier on the knees than squats are! Plus, when you have people over, having this in your house will make you look like a real work-out person. So you’ll project a healthy image both ways—on your body and in the eyes of others! What could be better? I’m sure that all the GBK guests who were lucky enough to receive one can’t wait to sprout their own booty! www.bootysprout.com

Spryng Compression Device—As someone who wakes-up every day with cramps in one calf or the other, I was most interested in learning about this very special compression device. You just strap it on to either leg, (or both at the same time—there are two devices in each kit,) and let the compression do the rest. With three intensity settings and two “patterns,” this should work for everybody, athletes and couch potatoes alike. And travelers! Speaking of which, the whole shebang comes in one compact bag, so you can take it anywhere with you. (But, of course, over to the couch is easiest. Or is that just me?) www.spryngme.com

Khi Luxury Bath Tissue—We saw people walking away from this big display with big smiles on their faces and giant boxes in their arms. I could not imagine what was in them, but I understood it all when we got closer. The boxes were three-packs of…toilet paper! And not just any TP—Khi is a luxury brand whose products are environmentally-friendly. That’s because there’s no plastic wrap anywhere on this toilet paper. It comes in either light cardboard gift-packs or just wrapped in paper. Lucia declared it her “favorite product of the day!” She added, “The display at the lounge was beautiful, and after trying the Khi, I can tell you it’s the best butt-wipe someone could ask for, guilt-free!” And here’s a great idea—this is the perfect hostess gift for when you’re a house guest! Nothing will be more appreciated than luxury toilet paper—trust me. www.khiluxury.com

Huggaroo Weighted Blankets—Lucia and I are both big fans of weighted blankets, and our guys are, too! We’ve researched them over time, but we stopped in our tracks when we saw these fabulous, very attractive pink and blue textured numbers in the lounge! Lucia said, “Never have I seen a weighted blanket so cute!” She says the seven-pound ones can be used “for kids or as a throw to relax on the couch with when you need to decompress.” I would just be pulling the blue one up to my eyes so Mr. X can bask in them while I fall asleep! www.huggaroo.com

Burke Williams Day Spa—On top of gifting each guest two of their top H2V products, (a mask and an eye serum,) this famous spa had staff on-site to give hand massages, which I’m sure everyone needed from carrying the many GBK gift bags all day! We appreciated that Phina Bacon, from their Torrance branch, worked on both of our tired phalanges. Lucia said, “What a treat to have a mini hand massage! Given that we use our hands for everything, it was so nice to get a little TLC for them. Plus Phina knew just where the pressure points were to help with fatigue and headaches, and relax those texting muscles!” (And Lucia would know–she’s always on her phone.) I talk with my hands, (in case you hadn’t noticed that on all my YouTube vids,) so they’re constantly in need of help. This was a great little respite at the end of an uber-busy pre-Emmys day! www.burkewilliamsspa.com

Filienna Jewelry—I had actually known this jewelry designer from New York for a few years, but that she created this gorgeous line was a complete surprise to me! The guests were going nuts over them! Lucia described the rings and earrings as “such beautiful and delicate filigree jewelry in gorgeous rose gold.” After speaking with the rep, she added, “The color is created by mixing a blend of precious silver and other metals such as copper.” I was bowled-over by all of its beauty, and I agree with Looch that “you can’t go wrong with any of these delicate and unique pieces.” I was especially drawn to a ring that looks a lot my mother’s wedding band! What a great memory Filienna gave me. www.filienna.com

Austere Wear Eyeglasses—Since Lucia looks at her phone more than anyone I know, I’ll let her explain these glasses that I feel she desperately needs. She tells us, “With frames that are minimalistically-styled and handcrafted out of wood, these blue-light-blocking glasses are the smartest thing ever! No longer do you have to fear going on your phone before bedtime, because you can pop on this stylish pair of glasses, look like a brainiac, and act like one, too, just by reading in bed on your phone! What a great concept for our new technologies.” What she said. www.austerewear.com

Genie Bras—As a duo of big-chested girls, we were thrilled to discover this special bra company! After speaking with the lovely rep for a long time, Lucia exclaimed, “Finally, a wireless bra that will support a woman during high impact sports!” The booth even had a little curtained-off space on the side in which to measure the guests who were interested in doing that, so that each recipient would receive just the right size. What a bonus that was!  www.geniebra.com

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay—Lucia explains that this healing face mask, which you whip-up fresh yourself each time you use it, is “made from Death Valley’s bentonite clay,” and she declares that it “holds superpowers.” She adds, “Everyone who uses this Aztec clay swears by it; I, for one, know that clay can work wonders on your skin, drawing-out impurities and leaving it baby smooth.” And this company was gifting the entire kit and caboodle, which included a big bottle of the apple cider vinegar with which to mix the clay, a bowl to do it in, the tools to use, and three bottles of supplements! Wow–they were a mini gifting suite unto themselves!  www.aztec-secret.com

Just Food For Dogs—A few years ago, Mr. X and I went to a party where one of the dishes looked yummy! When I asked the hostess what it is, she told me it was for her dog, not her guests! Well, this company thinks the same way because their pet food is all made from human-grade ingredients! They were gifting giant bags chockfull of their goodies. Lucia checked-out their Beef and Russet Potato combo, which she said is “laden with beef, carrots, peas, and potatoes,” and told me that “just looking at it” made her hungry! So imagine how happy one’s pets will be with it.  www.justfoodfordogs.com

Butterfly Superfoods—We were drawn to this table by the looks of of the super-cute creator of this company, but we stayed for the taste of his organic sugar-free nut butters! Lucia raved, “What an amazing combination of health and taste these superlative nut butters are! The cinnamon vanilla one is yummy!” She also pointed-out that another reason to love it is they give ten percent of their proceeds to “awesome non-profits who are kicking ass at saving the earth.” This company is a win-win-win. www.butterflysuperfoods.com

Vitani—I don’t imbibe, but I assume that all my time-constrained pals would love this line of pre-mixed drinks! I know that the GBK guests did that day! Lucia, who was a tad skeptical of products like this at first, changed her tune when she saw the attractively-designed bottles, and asks, “Who wouldn’t want to come home to either a pre-made Cosmo, Vitani Mule or Dirty Martini?!” She adds that after all our Emmys Weeks activities, she’s now “ready to buy a case and knock ‘em back!” www.drinkvitani.com

Simple Modern—This company was gifting insulated drink-wear, which Lucia deemed “gorgeous, very nicely made, and simply-designed.” We feel that they’ll also last a long time. The reps told us that they can also do custom orders with any logo or design. Lucia said that’s very cool for corporate holiday gifts or weddings. And we all know they would be even cooler with ItsNotAboutMe.TV emblazoned on them! www.simplemodern.com

Athenaromas Candles—This was a fun one. I originally met this company because they were making products to calm pets down with aromatherapy. But at this event, they were gifting candles for people! I guess they realized that we need to get rid of our stress, as well, especially since our pets can pick-up on it. www.athenaromas.com

Wen–This hair care company was doing hair on site, but, alas, we were too time-constrained to partake this time. But we learned that they have branched-out into the fragrance biz, so they were gifting little rollers of what Lucia calls “delicious perfumes!” She said that the “yummy scent of the vanilla one will even make you hungry!” www.chazdean.com

Beauty Pulse—This CBD-infused products company was gifting their new sunscreen, something that everyone in the world should be wearing every day, inside or outdoors. (But don’t get me started on global warming.) www.beautypulse.shop

Covenant House—Lucia and I agree that this is a wonderful service for the homeless youth of Los Angeles. Ages eighteen to twenty-four are particularly under-served in that community. The on-site reps at this event gave each guest a fleece blanket for us to then give to a homeless youth. And attached is a business card with information about shelters and resources for them.  All they have to do is call the number on the card and a van will pick them up and help get them on their way. (I hope there are still pay phones for them to do that! I have a feeling homeless people don’t possess cell phones.) But even just having a good blanket is a plus for these young souls. Lucia adds, “It’s so important to help youths help turn their lives around. Thank you, Covenant House!” www.covenanthouse.org

St. Bernard Project—I’ve been following this natural disaster relief organization for quite some time, and they’re the ones I’ve gotten all the hurricane warnings from this summer. What a worthwhile charity they are to help with all those recovery efforts in those hardest-hit areas. www.sbpusa.org