Susan HornikIt’s that time of year where everyone is thinking about what they should buy for their friends and family. If you need shopping suggestions, Irvine Weekly’s Susan Hornik has found some great ideas for our Holiday Gift Guide!
For That Busy Friend
Healthy eating is a great way to kick off 2019! Check out Anaheim’s Fresh n’ Lean, a delicious, organic meal prep service which is delivered right to your loved one’s door. This is a great gift for those busy office friends, new moms, the elderly – anyone who doesn’t have the time to cook, but wants to eat really well. Their website offers a variety of à la carte meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can order paleo, plant-based or high protein menus. I absolutely loved the Roasted Brussel Sprouts Quinoa with Salmon and the Basil Pasta Pomodoro with Ground Beef.
For The Health Conscious
If you have a friend or family member who is super into a healthy lifestyle, check out Irvine-based Youtheory, a health-themed company who creates health and beauty collagen and turmeric supplements. “We believe everyone deserves to receive the gift of wellness. We offer something for everyone on your holiday list, from collagen powder for the beauty obsessed as well as a probiotic for the health nut,” said Youtheory’s Jamie Beauchamp. The products are available at Mother’s Market & Kitchens throughout Orange County.
For That Person You’re Just Not Sure What To Buy!
If you’re still not sure what to buy, Irvine-based Thoughtfully Gifts can definitely be of help! The company has some wonderful presents to choose from.
“What makes our gifts great is that they’re more than just a product, they’re an entire experience,” said CEO Boaz Shonfeld. “Everything in a Thoughtfully set fits together cohesively, so your present tells the right story. Our gifts are beautifully packaged and designed – we put a lot of thought into what would make our gifts ‘wow’ the recipient.”
Choose from items like holiday cocoa/tea variety gift sets and global cocktail mixers!
Best of all, 10 percent of all profits go toward the Thoughtfully Initiative, which supports local, regional and national nonprofit organizations. “We are donating 1000 gift baskets to the Woolsey fire victims. This is part of our mission to enhance human connection by inspiring others to live and give thoughtfully,” explained Shonfeld.
For Your Son/Hubby
Newport Beach-based TravisMathew is a stylish boy’s and men’s lifestyle brand with lots of cool clothing for work and play, from t-shirts and hats to polos, boxers and sweaters. If your boyfriend doesn’t like to iron, check out their button down, wrinkle resistant shirt, Augustus. Also, the sleek, lightweight Scorpio jacket is perfect for Christmas Day brunch. They even have fun holiday-themed crewneck sweaters with names like “Lump Coal” and “Wise Guy.”
Fashion Island, 1059 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660
For The Golfer
The perfect gift for the golfer in your life, Callaway’s Rogue Driver promotes a boost in ball speed and distance by employing improved Jailbreak Technology. Golf Digest named the Rogue the 2018 Hot List Gold Medal Winner. Also, the Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Ball is a great stocking stuffer for the holidays, combining tour-proven distance and performance for faster ball speed, high launch and increased green-side spin. The softer golf balls compress more easily on off-center hits for incredible distance all over the face.
Available at:
Golftec, 18021 Sky Park Circle, Irvine, CA 92614
Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course, 1 Ethel Coplen Way, Irvine, CA 92612
For Her: Skincare
Kayla Bertagna and Lisa Ballstaedt, two Irvine women formerly from the worlds of finance and fashion, just launched Soon Skincare, a new Korean beauty collection.
They have lovely Biocellulose face masks, which feature an age-defying treatment to combat fine lines and wrinkles. There’s also a firming mask and one that helps brighten dull skin, which make great stocking stuffers.
“Korean skin care is widely regarded as some of the best in the world, and Marie Claire magazine said it is 12 years ahead of the rest of the global skin care industry when it comes to innovation,” according to Ballstaedt. “So we worked with some of the best chemists and manufacturers in Korea to create our line of authentic Korean products that are easy for women everywhere to enjoy.”
For The Pet Lover
What says “adorable” better than sipping hot chocolate by the fire in a matching outfit with your pup?! Irvine-based Zoo Supply features several cozy and fashionable designs made from lovely fabrics, including the camo hacci knit, sno-yarn jersey and baby French terry. Your pet friend and their doggy will look comfortable in their men and women’s apparel! Ridiculously cute pup-friendly styles include lightweight pullovers, athletic inspired T-shirts and custom designed graphic hoodies.Woof!
Available at Fashion Island, 1059 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660
For That Friend With A Sweet Tooth!
The delicious cookies from Sweets Party Treats, made by Rachele Sweetser, are a must buy! This veteran cookie artisan has been creating custom, thematic sugar cookies for everything from backyard birthday parties to celebrity galas. You can also gift private in-home baking classes to your enterprising friends who want to create something special in the kitchen!
Go to SweetsPartyTreats.com and order up some custom cookies or head over to The Dragonfly Shop & Gardens at 260 North Glassell Street in historic Old Towne Orange for one of her fun cooking classes.
For Your Little One
Choosing just the right baby doll for your child can be a bit of a quandary because, as we all know – there are so many out there! This holiday season your kids will adore Adora, the Laguna Hills-based store that offers non-toxic, handcrafted toys and dolls that can be easily cleaned in the laundry. They have many cute items like the Later Alligator Twins Gift Set that comes with 17 pieces for endless hours of fun. Or pick up one of their jewelry or wooden play-sets for creative and imaginative play.
23141 Verdugo, Suite 100 Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Also available at various OC retailers, AdoraPlay.com and Amazon.com.
For The Wine Connoisseur
In case you don’t have time to drive up to Paso Robles to visit Bianchi Winery, you can still purchase their lovely hand crafted red and white wines throughout Orange County. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, the winery will be opening a satellite tasting room in Laguna Beach next year. Its Heritage Collection, made with estate grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah and Merlot, are wonderful buys for the holiday season.
Eastside Mini Mart, 1712 Santa Ana Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Hi-Time Wine Cellars, 250 Ogle Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Provisions Market, 143 N. Glassell Street, Orange, CA 92866
For The Millennial
At Irvine Spectrum Center, Tilly’s has literally any product you can possibly think of under the sun. One of the brands featured there is Others Follow, which have adorable flowing sundresses and super cute tank tops. Perfect for the gal who loves to go to cool music festivals.
Tilly’s 723 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine , CA 92618
For The Last Minute Gift
While most people know they can have their favorite Irvine restaurants delivered to their door via Postmates, what is not as known is that you can also custom order gift cards and non food items from local stores on the app. Huntington Beach’s Luna’s Boutique and Costa Mesa’s Doll Boutique + Gifts are available alongside yoga apparel store Lululemon, Urban Outfitters and many more!
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