gifts

Chocolate + Caramels = Yes, Please!

| kristencastillo

Chocolates are my favorite treat. They’re a great dessert, especially for parties and events, like weddings.

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Recently Fran’s Chocolates sent me their famous salted caramels. These Gray and Smoked Salt Caramels are available in dark and milk chocolate, paired with soft buttery caramel and topped with gray and smoked sea salts.

The caramels look pretty and taste delicious!

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An added bonus? The presentation – box and bow – can be color coordinated.

FullSizeRender 32A tasty and eye-catching option for wedding favors.

 

Something to Savor: Wedding Keepsake Solution

| kristencastillo

Wedding planning is a special time, full of personal moments shared between the couple. The relationships is filled with keepsakes like love notes, the menu from a special date and tickets to a movie. Now add in a wedding and bridal keepsakes can include engagement photos, save the date cards and swatches of fabric, as well as tokens of affection as well, including cards, lists and notes taken during wedding planning.

It’s easy to see how a couple’s mementos could easily stack up as clutter, unless properly organized. It’s nice to keep all these mementos together, as souvenirs of the courtship and the planning process.

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One stylish storage solution comes from Savor, manufacturers of keepsake boxes. Their Wedding Edition Keepsake Box features two custom-dyed, cloth-covered “You & Me” and “Us” books that open to store away special wedding objects.

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The five drawers inside are designed to stash wedding-goodies like the ring pillow, dried flowers, the garter and more.

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The keepsake comes with folders, pre-printed labels and stickers to customize the box. The boxes come in two color schemes: blue/peach and slate/cream. Savor sent me the slate colored keepsake to check out and it’s pretty and practical.

What a practical, thoughtful way to commemorate a couple’s love story and wedding day!

Savor also makes keepsake boxes for curating memories of babies and kids. All the colorful boxes can neatly stack on bookshelves as memories to be treasured.

 

Staying Organized

| kristencastillo

I’m old school about keeping track of information. I handwrite notes, keep to-do lists and organize my life with a calendar.

Sure, I track things in my smartphone – from business meetings and appointments to events, date nights and family activities – but I also like having a hardcopy of my schedule.

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I was pretty excited to check out Day Designer, a strategic planner and daily agenda. They sent me a complimentary 2018 planner and I’m loving it.

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First of all, it’s a hardcover, spiral book – nothing flimsy about this calendar! Plus, it has a durable pocket in the front, which is ideal for stashing those post-it notes and do-lists I make.

Here’s what else I love about this planner – there’s a two-page calendar for every month, as well as individual pages for each day.

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On the daily pages, there are prompts to keep me focused: “Today’s Top Three,” “Notes,” and “Daily Gratitude,” as well as “To-Do” and “Don’t Forget.”

IMG_8002There are daily inspirational quotes too, like, Samuel Johnson’s, ”Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance,” and the proverb, “It is better to begin in the evening than not at all.”

Do you keep a hardcopy planner or calendar?

Must-Have Accessory: Fashionable & Functional Hairtie Bracelets

| kristencastillo

If you have long hair, you know the importance of having a ponytail holder at the ready. Often times that means keeping hair elastics in your pocket, your purse or on your wrist.

Wearing a ponytail holder on your wrist can pinch and that hurts, which is why I’m intrigued about an inventive product: hairband bracelets from Maria Shireen.

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The concept is simple and stylish – wear a bracelet that has a “channel” to hold the hair tie in place. The silver or gold bracelet is fashionable and functional. They even have plastic ones for kids and teens!

I was excited to try one out. Since I frequently write about weddings, Maria Shireen’s team sent me a bracelet from their wedding collection. It’s silver and comes with a baby blue hair tie. I can picture brides and bridesmaids wearing these bracelets throughout wedding planning and all the celebrations, including the reception and after parties.

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I’ve been enjoying wearing the bracelet which is cute and comfortable. Best of all, finding my hair tie to pull my hair back onto a ponytail is easier than ever!

Think about it: you’ll always have your ponytail holder nearby. No more searching the house, office or your bag for a hairtie because you’ll have one ready-to-go on your bracelet.

The bracelet looks pretty on its own and can be worn separate from the hairtie. When worn together, it’s hard to tell you’re rocking a ponytail with your bracelet.

Valentine’s Day Date Tips for Couples & Families

| kristencastillo

Valentine’s Day is coming up! Stumped on what to do? I’ve got some great ideas on how to spend Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart.

Since I’m a writer for San Diego Family Magazine, I had the opportunity today to share some Valentine’s Day date tips for couples and families with Renee Nelson at ABC 10News during a FacebookLive. We talked about specific places to go in San Diego; things to do on a budget and to splurge; ways to keep love sizzling, and more.

Get more Valentine’s Day ideas in the February issue of San Diego Family Magazine, which is available for free at Albertsons, Ralphs, Party City and local libraries, as well as online.

Here are some behind the scenes photos from the shoot.

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With Renee Nelson, 10News reporter
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L-R Michelle Hancock, Marketing Director for San Diego Family Magazine; San Diego Family Magazine writer Kristen Castillo, and 10News reporter Renee Nelson.
February issue of San Diego Family Magazine
February issue of San Diego Family Magazine
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With 10News reporter Renee Nelson

Falling in Love With Fall Fashion

| kristencastillo

Ready for fall? Now’s the time to get your autumn wardrobe together.

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I recently had the opportunity to attend a few Neiman Marcus Fall fashion shows at Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego. This season has lots of stylish trends that are easy to incorporate into your attire. Here’s what to expect for ladies:

 Red is the “it” color this fall.

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All shades of red are in vogue but bold shades and burgundies are particularly hot.

The 90’s are back! “This is the look of the season,” says Alex Yanez, stylist for Neiman Marcus, who explains the 90’s style of graphic makeup including heavy eyeliner is in vogue again.

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Many fall styles are punk and grunge inspired, blending feminine and masculine looks. Yanez describes this style as having a “Courtney Love 90’s feel.”

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Bulky boots are making a return too. One black pair featured in the fashion show had a floral pattern, showcasing that mix of feminine and masculine.

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Suited Up. Modern suiting for women is very sleek and totally inspired by menswear.

Check out Dior’s take on menswear below:

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Covered Legs. Another throwback that’s in fashion this fall? Hosiery. Models wore stylish patterned tights and fishnets with booties and heels. A very polished look!

Cozy up to velvet. This season’s in-demand texture, velvet is smooth and soft. It’s making its mark on jackets, tops and accessories, including shoes and purses. One model demonstrated this trend with a velvet hobo bag. Others showed off velvet pants, paired with velvet shoes.

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Velvet works for night and day. It’s “less seasonal than it has been in the past,” says Yanez.

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Leather jackets can add a little edge to a lot of looks. For example, when paired with a soft dress, a leather jacket can toughen up the attire.

Embellishments. Ruffles and fridge are making their mark on the runway and in real life.  The shows featured ruffled skirts and dresses, as well as fringe and embrodiery on accessories like purses.

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Menswear

Not to ignore the guys, here’s what’s in fashion for men this season:

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Men are rocking red too.

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They’re also looking very seasonally chic in plaid jackets and plaid shirts. Camouflage is also fashionable.

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The velvet trend looks great on guys too. Dark denim, a strong choice for men, pairs well with so many ensembles.

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The big footwear trend for men? Runners, a fashionable and functional shoe.

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What’s fall fashions do you plan to try?

Wrapping Christmas Presents

| kristencastillo

If you’re bored of traditional holiday gift wrap or just want to do something new this Christmas, try some of the gift wrapping ideas in my Creators Syndicate article! There are great ways to involve the kids in wrapping too, including using cookie cutters, shimmer, themes and even scrapbook paper!

Gift Wrap article