Gifts in Review

Allow me to disingenuously apologize for the photos and bragging to follow. I got good loot this Xmas, all the more appreciated for the crap-ass time I've been having lately.

My gifts fell into 3 categories: delightfully practical (some of my fave kinds of gifts are these), deliciously luxe (some of my other fave kinds of gifts are these) and those that span the gap between the two.

For starters, here's a gap spanner:

iPhone 6

Yeah, I've had the same iPhone (4, in case you're wondering) for half a decade. My husband couldn't stand listening to me complain about how the battery charge had waned to 4 hours - after charging time of 4 hours. To complement and protect it, I got myself a lovely leather fold-over case and this thing is charming. So effective! Next up, Scottie's going to buy me a blue-tooth head set so I don't have to spend 5 minutes trying to put on those stupid earbuds every time the phone rings.

Equally beloved is a totally practical gift - the non-sexy likes of which most ladies might be miffed to receive at the holidays. Not I, mind you. This thing has saved me from refilling a hot water bottle exactly 12 times every evening:

Battle Creek Thermophore Heating Pad

Laugh if you will. I LOVE this thing... It's doing yeoman's work (along with other gizmos) to keep pain at bay.

While we're on the practical track, I asked my parents to buy me these:

ProKinetics Orthotic Insoles

I've had orthotics in the past (as recently as this summer), which worked well enough, but I read about the ProKinetics insoles in one of the more-respected myofascial pain books I've now got on my shelf. Moreover, the woman at the shop spent 30 minutes (long-distance phone call) getting me to do all kinds of assessments and asking me about my gait and step patterns before she'd recommend them to me. Talk about great service. They are working quite well to keep that foot pain I mentioned a while ago in check. FYI, after a lot of research and body work, it seems I've been dealing with the beginnings of Morton's neuroma, which is happily reversible with appropriate treatment. I walked 10 miles on Friday with nary a concern. Alas, walking to work in heels is a thing of the past...

Admittedly, they don't have the luxe cache of my new haul from ça va de soi:

I actually own this sweater already, in navy, and I've worn it to bits. Between hell freezing over last winter and my urge for an elegant - but casual - topper, I got way more use from the first one than I ever thought I would. The new one, however, is a gorgeous shade of ecru with pink undertones. It's made of the same Italian wool as the blue one, but it feels much softer. That's the whack nature of natural fibers...

The blue crew neck sweater below is made from very fine merino and it fits like a glove. It is so gorgeous - and, dare I say, flattering on me, that my mother also had to buy it.

I really do wish that Ca Va would post stock photos of its catalogue. It would seem that they really don't care if you see their wares or not. Of course, they have quite a following, web-presence notwithstanding. This stuff NEVER goes on sale and, let me assure you, it's never affordable. Thing is, when you live in fucking Canada, you can always justify a sweater that costs a zillion bucks. On a very fun note, this time the SA did give me an Egyptian cotton, rather chic, thermal t-shirt as a gift with purchase. (The t-shirt costs 100 bucks.)

What's the moral of this story, besides presents are awesome and I want them all!: You'll note that I was well in the loop on all of these purchases - except for the iPhone (which I truly didn't expect). That's because I hate surprises and I love getting what I want.

But enough of me... What was your fave gift this holiday season? Was it practical? Entirely impractical?? Do you orchestrate these things or do you find that kind of tacky? Let's talk!