![\"Green](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6238-e1547772872311.jpg\")
<\/a>Green Book’s Linda Cardellini learning about the massage chairs. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
This time, it was laid-out in a very different way, which reminded me of my favorite family story, so that made the event extra<\/em>-special for me. Here\u2019s the brief version of that tale, and then I\u2019ll connect the dots with GBK: When my father was seven, he came to America from Russia all alone on a ship. A relative had given him a box of chocolates to cheer-up his lonely and scary journey. Being the kind kid he was, he went around the boat, sharing the treats with everyone. He then discovered that he gave away every single piece<\/em>, with nary a one left for himself. But when he went to throw away the empty container, he heard a noise in it. It turns-out that the box was a Whitman\u2019s Sampler, which is famous for…its second layer! So he wound-up having the surprise of multiple chocolates for himself! What a wonderful surprise!<\/p>\n Alie Hernandez working on Nina Herzog’s hair. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n And here\u2019s why GBK reminded me of that story: That day, my contributing writer, Nina, and I had met all the sponsors in the only two rooms we noticed, and were on our way out. But as we were leaving, we found-out that there were two more rooms<\/em> to the event!\u00a0 That was a really fun surprise. As were many of the items we discovered there.<\/p>\n Nina (whose comments are all the ones in quotes throughout,) had never been to a GBK Gifting Lounge before, and said, \u201cThe event was crowded with beautiful, very decorated people who all looked happy to be there.\u201d She also noted that there was \u201ca great DJ,\u201d \u201cdelicious\u201d snacks (like a cheese platter and giant cookies,) and the hotel itself was \u201clovely.\u201d Of course, I agree with everything she said!<\/p>\n Now here are the highlights of the gifts we discovered:<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Comfitude<\/strong>\u2014This is perhaps the best, most helpful gift I have ever seen anywhere! Mr. X and I are big fans of weighted blankets, and the ones from this<\/em> company are also very attractive. For those of us who like weight on them to go to sleep, but are annoyed by having to use a ton of blankets to achieve that effect, this is the product for you. I felt the Comfitude quilted cotton blankets at this event, and I wanted to wrap myself in them right then and there and catch some zzzzs. There are several colors to choose from, and I noticed they also come in faux fur varieties and even comforters. If you haven\u2019t gotten a decent night\u2019s sleep in awhile, these luxurious items should come to your rescue! www.comfitude.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Warther Cutlery<\/strong>\u2014I was drawn right over to this display of specialty knives from a company that has been family-run for well over a century! I finally started cooking a couple of years ago, and chopping is what I hate to do most. But I\u2019d look forward to that task with one of these<\/em> knives. And I learned that knives aren\u2019t just for the kitchen\u2014Warther\u2019s inventory consists of all kinds of them, including several for whittling, which is how the company got started to begin with. But I think that I\u2019ll just stick to chopping tomatoes. For now anyway. www.warthercutlery.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Nina Herzog.<\/p><\/div>\n Go Donut<\/strong>\u2014We loved this new product, (despite that I detest real<\/em> donuts to eat! Long story.) And we also loved the upbeat reps! We could have hung-out at that table for much longer than we did\u2014the guys made it seem like a par-tay! What this is is a simple device that holds your phone\/tablet for easier viewing. Boy, do I need this in bed, where my iPad slides all over the place! There\u2019s a swivel version, as well, which Nina says is very useful for \u201cbusinesses to turn the screen around for payment, now that so much payment is happening on iPads.\u201d And we\u2019re fans of there being so many color options. They can even customize them for you. You just know that if my precious Clarence, The Singing Dog, was still on this level of life, I would order one with his paw prints all over it! www.godonut.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Nina Herzog.<\/p><\/div>\n Spektrum Glasses<\/strong>\u2014We both became fans of the \u201csnazzy\u201d looks of these glasses frames from Canada, but what is special about them is actually the lenses. They\u2019re blue-light-blocking computer glasses, which Nina deems \u201cawesome,\u201d and explains, \u201cSince blue light is terrible for sleep, it\u2019s great to keep a pair of these on your nightstand, to use for that before-bed screen-time.\u201d And if you get them without<\/em> prescription lenses, (they come in both with-or-without varieties,) you can share them with your bed-mate! www.spektrumglasses.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Wen<\/strong>\u2014This famous hair care company had a stylist, Alie Hernandez, on-site to doctor-up our tired tresses. On top of that fun service, this uber-generous sponsor was gifting everyone not one but two<\/em> big goodie bags! The first contained their \u201cWinter\u201d line, whose \u201cearthy, woodsy\u201d fragrance Nina said, \u201cSmells so good.\u201d She noted that their \u201ctreatment oil can be used on hair, on the body, and even in the bath!\u201d The other bag was filled with items from their \u201cBella Spirit\u201d line, which concentrates on the lips. We both loved those, with Nina telling us, \u201cThe lip treatments are very moisturizing and exactly what one needs to get through the winter.\u201d We both especially liked the sheer tint product, because, as Nina put it, it \u201cadds only the tiniest bit of color, making it just enhance<\/em> every individual\u2019s natural lip tone.\u201d www.wen.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Yomo Studio<\/strong>\u2014We loved meeting these jewelry-designing brothers. Nina told me that she was \u201camazed to find that the jewelry is not heavy. Some of the pieces, including earrings, look to be made of stone, so I was worried about the idea of having them on my ears. But these are so lightweight!\u201d I<\/em> was just jealous of siblings who get along so well. Maybe they can adopt me! And then I\u2019d have cool bros and jewelry to match! www.yomostudio.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Nina Herzog.<\/p><\/div>\n Jennifer Contini Art<\/strong>\u2014We both really enjoyed meeting this artist, who was one of the most upbeat sponsors there! Nina noted that Jennifer calls herself a “pop heart<\/em>ist\u201d and said, \u201cIt\u2019s no wonder, since she seems to have a heart of gold.\u201d Her paintings feature an assortment of materials, (including acrylics, metals, resins, plastics, marbles, and glazes,) and Nina marvels that they \u201creally pop out of the canvas!\u201d www.jennifercontini.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Snow<\/strong>\u2014This at-home teeth-whitening system was gifting a bag of mouth-watering (get it?,) items. In addition to a gift certificate for the system itself, there was charcoal floss, a lip exfoliator, and a lip gloss. But strangely, both our favorite part was the adorable silver applicators for the lip products, which is so thoughtful of them to include. Nina, a self-described germaphobe, said, \u201cSince I don’t like putting my finger into beauty pots, I appreciated that applicator!\u201d And I<\/em> appreciated everything<\/em> in there! www.trysnow.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Succulent Studios<\/strong>\u2014This is an adorable new entry into the subscription box game! Every month, you receive two different succulent plants, which Nina says are \u201csure to brighten up a room.\u201d Not only are they uber-affordable, but if you like, you can skip a month or even give it to a pal! And succulents not only need very little water, but they produce oxygen, and can even cleanse the air! How perfect is all that?! I\u2019m sure I will be one of their many subscribers because I\u2019d love to receive plants that even I<\/em> cannot kill! www.succulent.studio<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Total Life Changes<\/strong>\u2014This wellness company, whose motto is \u201cLive Well and Party Hard,\u201d (one I totally share with them!,) was gifting several of their detox and energy products. In each little velvety bag was a coffee, a tea, and a couple of energy vitamins, for when you\u2019re out partying a little bit too hard. I\u2019m sure every guest there appreciated all of that after the party-packed awards show week-end! www.totallifechanges.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The Artisan Group<\/strong>–Nina said of these artists wares, in general, \u201cI love that this organization is all about celebrating hand-crafted goods.\u201d Each guest received a gift bag containing a quartet of assorted items. Here are Nina\u2019s thoughts on them: \u201cThe silver earrings from Inchoo Bijoux<\/strong> are beautiful; I love the art deco, astrology, and rocker-inspired design. And the pretty packaging makes them a great gift.\u201d (www.inchoobijoux.com<\/a>) \u201cI just became a fan of Three Sisters<\/strong> Meyer Lemon Scrub. I don\u2019t like using sugar<\/em> scrubs, because I worry that ants or other sugar-loving critters will want to visit my bathtub, but this one is salt<\/em>-based. So it\u2019s perfect!\u201d (www.soapcouldron.com<\/a>) \u201cThe candles by Mahendi<\/strong> are truly unique because there are colorful and artistic little stones in them.\u201d (www.mahendiprojects.com<\/a>) I<\/em> echo all that, and add my love for Chaositi Jewelry<\/strong>\u2019s pendant featuring a purple pendant stone wrapped in wire, on a silver chain. That one ticked all the boxes for me! (www.chaositijewelry.etsy.com<\/a>) www.theartisangroup.org<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Wonderlash<\/strong>\u2014Even though Nina has never<\/em> done lash extensions, while I\u2019m<\/em> a maven of those little beauties, we both were very interested to learn about this company, who had all their choices on display. Nina was thrilled to learn that they last for about a month. And they\u2019re so natural-looking that we kept wondering which guests were already rocking them! \u00a0www.wonderlash.us<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Seraph Design<\/strong>\u2014Usually, I\u2019m not a fan of clothing that features its brand name on it. But the bling-trimmed cropped tees from this local L.A. company are gorgeous! I\u2019m sure all the recipients will be proud to rock them! (I guess I had better start doing my ab crunches right now.) www.seraphdesign.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Nina Herzog.<\/p><\/div>\n Fit Farm<\/strong>\u2014This boot camp near Nashville was gifting a week-end at their place to get in shape and perhaps even lose some weight. After learning some of the deets from their on-site rep, Nina said, \u201cThere\u2019s something nice about the idea of focusing on fitness and wellness for an entire week-end.\u201d And isn\u2019t that something we all<\/em> need? www.fit.farm<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Nicole Frank<\/strong>–This designer was gifting beautiful one-of-a-kind scarves that Nina said are each made from \u201cvarious wonderful fabrics.\u201d I think there really was something for everyone\u2019s<\/em> tastes! www.nicolefranktwe.com<\/a><\/p>\n There were also a couple of massage chairs on-site to try-out, which was a bonus, especially for those carrying heavy gift bags all day. Some guests paired them with an interesting face mask, which probably made the experience more relaxing since that visage cover meant that you got to be anonymous while lying there in plain site. Guessing who everyone was was akin to watching The Masked Singer<\/em>!<\/p>\n A mystery guest, rocking the mask in a massage chair. Who could it be? Photo by Nina Herzog.<\/p><\/div>\n And, as always, GBK chose a charity or two to benefit from this event. This time they were:<\/p>\n Peace 4 Animals–<\/strong>whose mission is basically self-explanatory. www.peace4animals.net<\/a><\/p>\n Story Bikes<\/strong>–Proceeds go to helping provide transportation in impoverished countries. For every one of their electric bikes purchased, a traditional one is donated to children in Zimbabwe so they can get to school.\u00a0www.storybicycles.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GBK\u2019S 2019 PRE-GOLDEN GLOBES GIFTING LOUNGE GBK held its pre-Golden Globes Gifting Lounge at L\u2019Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, a place I really enjoy visiting, so my fun that day was doubled. This time, it was laid-out in a very different way, which reminded me of my favorite family story, so that made the event<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>