And holiday gift-giving does not end with Christmas Day\u2014there are always New Year\u2019s presents, especially for hosts and hostesses, and for pals who don\u2019t celebrate denominational holidays.\u00a0 And guess what???\u00a0 With life moving so fast these days, Valentine\u2019s Day will be here before you know it!<\/p>\n
So, I hope these suggestions help now<\/em>, but if you can\u2019t get them on time for Christmas, please mark this page to refer to throughout the year.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get started:<\/p>\n The exterior of the Pasadena Civic at holiday time. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Theatre Tickets<\/strong>\u2014These can be purchased in a nano-second, which makes them as appreciated by the givers<\/em> as they are by the recipients<\/em>.\u00a0 I think that most people don\u2019t even realize how expensive theatrical entertainments have become, so a gift of tickets can be a godsend to many.\u00a0 And, if like Mr. X, your friends don\u2019t want to have any more material items come into an already over-crowded house, tickets are the perfect present.\u00a0 Especially during the holidays when there are so many choices of fun events to see.\u00a0 No matter\u00a0where<\/em>\u00a0your gift recipients live, I\u2019m sure there\u2019s something fabulous for them, especially in New York and Los Angeles.\u00a0 I just reviewed three really special shows here in LA, which will be gone pretty quickly, so check-out my reviews to decide among them.\u00a0 And maybe make a day or night of it, by grabbing a bite someplace close to the theatre before or after.\u00a0 I can\u2019t imagine a more fun treat to give someone you care about.\u00a0 (Here are those review links:\u00a0It\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u00a0at the Pasadena Playhouse<\/em>: itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/theatre-its-a-wonderful-life-a-live-radio-play<\/a>;\u00a0The Wonderful<\/em> Winter of Oz<\/em>\u00a0at the Pasadena Civic: itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/theatre-the-wonderful-winter-of-oz-panto<\/a>; and\u00a0Love Actually Live\u00a0<\/em>at the Wallis in Beverly Hills: itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/theatremusic-love-actually-live<\/a>.)<\/p>\n![\"thumbnail_steamer-bamboo2\"](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/thumbnail_steamer-bamboo2.jpg\")
<\/a>Cuisine Natural Bamboo Steamer<\/strong>\u2014As I\u2019m assuming most of you may know by now, I\u2019m not a big cook. Or even a little one, really. Yes, I do<\/em> come up with the occasional fab recipe (which you can always check-out in my Recipes section of this e-zine,) but I\u2019m mostly too busy (and, okay, too lazy<\/em>) to do much cooking. But recently, a guy pal, who\u2019s as clueless in the kitchen as I<\/em> am, suggested this simple steamer, and because I\u2019m such a fan of Asian dumplings, I figured I should check it out for myself. It\u2019s easy enough, especially because it comes with its own sheets of separator parchment paper, which, trust me, really help. I can\u2019t tell you any more about it now because I have to go steam some more dumplings!!! (And if I<\/em> can do it, you<\/em> can, for sure.) www.cuisinenatural.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Evan\u2019s Scent Candles<\/strong>\u2014I\u2019ve long known photographer, and all-around creative artist, Eamonn Tracy, so when I learned that he is now making beautiful candles, I was thrilled.\u00a0 They\u2019re much in demand at this time of year in his native Ohio, but at the behest of many, he\u2019s making a select few of the candles available to\u00a0all\u00a0<\/em>of us! They\u2019re hand-poured soy, in wonderful holiday scents like Apple Cinnamon, Pumpkin Chai, and my fave, Mistletoe! (I hope that last one works the same way as the real thing! I\u2019ll try it out on Mr. X and let you know.) And every part of the presentation, including the glass<\/em>, is made in the USA! Even better, they\u2019re so affordable that you\u2019ll want a few for yourself<\/em>! The best part about gifting these handmade candles is that a portion of the proceeds are donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in memory of Eamonn\u2019s late sister, the adorable Evan Tracy, after whom his company is named. (And, in case you didn\u2019t figure this out for yourself, \u201cEvan\u2019s Scent\u201d is a play on \u201cHeaven Sent,\u201d which is so appropriate for this angel.) He\u2019s too busy to create a website at the moment, but you can order at this email address: sheila2012@gmail.com<\/strong>. And tell him that I<\/em> sent you, so he knows you\u2019re not some crazy stranger!<\/p>\n<\/a>Cailyn Make-up Primers\/Serums<\/strong>\u2014Face enhancers are always a welcome gift, for\u00a0both<\/em>\u00a0sexes.\u00a0 These make-up primers double as serums, so that eliminates a step from one\u2019s beauty routine, which is a much-appreciated time-saver.\u00a0 But the main reason that they\u2019re in my Gift Guide is because of their beautiful packaging, which means they come camera-ready (as they\u2019re hoping to make\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0be, at all times.)\u00a0 The daytime one comes in a pink bottle adorned with white flowers, and the nighttime one is housed in a similarly embellished dramatic black<\/em> bottle, with boxes to match.\u00a0 This one is a no-brainer, except for which one to gift! www.cailyncosmetics.com\/face\/face-primer<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>