thanksgiving;

Happy Thanksgiving!  Although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Ireland, I thought I'd share with you some things (taking my family, pets, and friends as a given) that I have brought me happiness this year.

(1) Ruby and Ruby on Rails:  I thought I'd start off with a rather odd, nerdy one.  Ruby is a programming language and Rails is an application framework, both of which I'm studying this semester.  Despite the obvious stresses associated with being a fourth year student, I'm really glad I chose this class, because it's one of the few modules that I actually enjoy.

(2) Friendship Bracelets:  I don't ever wear jewellery much, but I make an exception for friendship bracelets.  I think that friendship bracelets are just the lovliest, and I adore receiving them.  The one in the picture is a "Swagger Bombs" bracelet  that was given to me by my friend Emma.  Except to shower, I never take it off.  It has nothing but good memories attached to it, and I love the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I think of how great my friends are.

(3) Lana Del Rey - Born To Die:  Until this album came into my life, I really wasn't that into Lana Del Rey.  Now, this album has become my go-to album for all occasions and emotions.  I'm not great at reviewing music, but I'm always at my happiest when belting out a bit of Lana in the shower.

(4) Twinning's Earl Grey:  This one speaks for itself.  Nothing cures a bad mood better than tea, and this tea is my favourite.  Strong.  One sugar.  A bare drop of milk.  Thanks.

(5) Yankee Candle Trick or Treat:  I believe I've already mentioned my love of burning scented candles, and this candle is by far my favourite scent.  I light it in my room every single day, and it makes my room seem calmer and warmer.  Perfect for a good night sleep.  Unfortunately it's only available at Halloween, because mine's almost burnt out already!

(6) Flowers:  Simple yet effective.  Until a couple of months ago, I didn't really care for flowers much.  Now, even the sight of a pretty bouquet is an instant mood-brightener.

What are you thankful for?  Thanks for reading!

gift ideas: €20 or less;

(1) Snow Fairy Gift Set // (2) Yankee Candle Cherry Blossom medium jar // (3) Soap & Glory Small Wonders gift set

(4) Melting Clock hanging shelf clock // (5) Melee Mug // (6) Don't Scare Me wooden sign

December is almost here, which means the coming weeks will be full of secret santa, gift buying, and empty pockets aplenty.  Here are six items that I found that would make a perfect gift this christmas, and all for €20 or less!
 
(1) Snow Fairy Gift Set:  It just wouldn't be christmas without Snow Fairy, would it?  This gift set includes a soap, a shimerring body bar, and a bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel.  For those uneducated few who don't know what Snow Fairy is, it's a bottle of delicious, sugary, christmas-time only, cotton-candy goodness available from LUSH.  Perfect for BFFs.

(2) Yankee Candle Cherry Blossom medium jar:  If your friends/family love burning candles as much as I do, and I'm sure they do, a medium jar candle from Yankee Candle would make a wonderful gift.  Not too big, not too small, a medium jar burns for up to 90 hours!  As for the scent, Cherry Blossom is one of my favourites (*hint*) and the jar is so, so pretty, but Yankee have a gazillion scents to choose from, and they always have special offers coming up to christmas, too!

(3) Soap & Glory Small Wonders gift set:  If you haven't already heard, I am a huge Soap & Glory fan and I have yet to try a product of theirs that I didn't like.  So, I would highly recommend this gift set, which includes miniatures of some of my favourite Soap & Glory products; The Righteous Butter (!!!), Clean on Me, Hand Food, Scrub of your Life.   Another thing I love about Soap & Glory gift sets is that the boxes look super cute and decorative, and I always save them and use them for storage.  This gift set is guaranteed to look, smell, and feel more expensive than it actually is.

(4)  Melting Clock:  This quirky clock, available from Littlewoods, hangs from the edge of a shelf/bookcase/cupboard, and you can't deny that it looks pretty darn cool.  Again, it looks far more expensive than it actually is, and it would make a great gift for that art-buff friend of yours.

(5) Melee Mug:  I don't know about you, but I drink an awful lot of tea.  And what's better than a delicious cup of tea?  A delicious cup of tea in a bad-ass mug.  I think we all know someone who is a serial tea-drinker, or failing that, someone who collects weird mugs.  Available from ThinkGeek for just a few euro, you'd be wrong not to.

(6) Don't Scare Me wooden sign:  Don't judge me, I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this one.  First of all, it's laugh-out-loud hilarious.  Secondly, it's handmade, each one is a little different from the last, making it totally unique (to say the least).  Thirdly, can you think of anything more perfect to give to that one friend with the strange sense of humour?!  And finally, the seller (found this on Etsy, btw) makes several different signs with less vulgar but equally hilarious slogans.

Happy shopping, and thanks for reading!