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2024 Holiday Gift Guide for the Home Bartender

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Home entertaining is a passion of mine because it helps bring people together. After years of working in restaurants, and tending bar, I particularly like making my home bar area well-stocked and beautiful! If you have someone in your life that enjoys breaking out the cocktail shaker showing of their own bartending skills, then this gift list is for you!

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GIft Ideas for the Home Bartender

Any of these gifts will make for a winning gift for the home bartender in your life. They range in price from less than $20 to around $120. Whether your friend or family member (or yourself) could use a new barcart or some really beautiful glassware, may the shopping commence!

Bar cart
  1. Bar cart: A glass and gold bar cart is a statement maker! I love that this one comes on wheels. The cart comes in gold, rose gold, or black.
  2. Crystal Mixing Glass: I use my crystal mixing glass ALL THE TIME. It is not only a beautiful way to put together a drink, but such a great tool for any home bar.
  3. Shaker Set: Every bartender needs a good shaker, jigger, strainer, etc. This Gold Cocktail Shaker Set has it all! If silver is more the vibe for the home-bartender you’re shopping for, then this cocktail shaker set is an affordable option with all the necessities!

Bitters and Syrups for the Home Bartender

A great way to make a cocktail sing is to add a few dashes of bitters or utilize a delicious syrup as a mixer. Get some great suggestions on ways to use bitters from Food & Wine. These are some of my favorites which would make great gifts. You can purchase them online or you can purchase many of them in a good specialty market or liquor store!

  1. Scrappy’s Bitters: Scrappy’s is a household name for a reason! They make unique and flavorful bitters that brighten an Old Fashioned or make a Manhattan! Two of my favorites from Scrappy’s are the Grapefruit Bitters and their classic Aromatic Bitters.
  2. Portland Syrups: Yes, I am a bit biased since I am based out of Portland, but these syrups are delicious! They work great in cocktails, but are also wonderful with sparkling water to make a tasty soda! Give a gift of a Portland Syrups Sampler or pick out a flavor you’re sure they’ll love!
  3. The Bitter Housewife Cardamom Bitters: This bottle of bitters is a staple in my bar. I love the taste of the cardamom bitters instead of traditional bitters in many of my cocktails over the holidays. Adds such a delicious spice to my drink!

    Beautiful Glassware for the Home Bartender

    I have a lot of glassware in my home bar. I really love the feel of a beautiful glass and how it can highlight a drink be it water or a tasty cocktail. These sets of vintage-inspired designs are both in my bar and on my personal wishlist!

    1. Vintage Flamingo Belle Coupe Glasses: These glasses are in my home bar as we speak. They made for a gorgeous presentation for my Spiced Cranberry Negroni Cocktail during last year’s holiday celebrations! The box that they come in is an added treat. It makes for a truly beautiful gift to open!
    2. Vintage Art-Deco Ribbed Collins Glasses: A collins glass is a classic and is incredibly versatile! This belongs in any home whether they have a bar or not. They make for lovely water glasses on a set table just as well as highlighted glassware sitting upon a bar.
    3. Vintage Art-Deco 1920s Lowball Glasses: Lowball glasses, similar to collins glasses, are versatile and classics for that reason. This size and shape of lowball glasses are great for those cocktails with large ice cubes!
    1. Smoker Kit: If your home bartender is playing with more nuanced drinks, this a cocktail smoker kit is a fun thing to find under the tree!

    Searching for the right gift for someone can be a task, especially during the holiday season. If you have a loved one that enjoys making cocktails and hosting others in their home bar, then you’ll be sure to make their holiday with anything on the above list!

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    The Four Winds Audio Book on Ipad
    A Well Crafted Life

    Audiobook Club: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

    2 Comments A Well Crafted Life

    Listening to an audiobook counts as reading. I stand by that statement 1000%. Audiobooks have gotten me through the last few years when too busy to be able to sit down and devote myself to a written book. After asking friends on Instagram for suggestions I landed on listening to Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds.

    Read on for my thoughts on The Four Winds and for the other suggested titles shared by my friends on Instagram!

    About The Four Winds Audiobook

    The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is a historical fiction novel (not usually my style) that centers around Elsa Martinelli, a Texan woman living through, “hard times.” Set in the time of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, The Four Winds certainly puts into perspective the hard we are living through right now. It highlights many of the same plights that we are facing, but all without the advantage of internet, electricity, and running water.

    The audio version is narrated beautifully by Julia Whelan.

    Two different people suggested this audiobook so I had to give it a shot. I didn’t even look up the summary before purchasing—gotta love having extra Audible credits to burn. I needed a good “read” for a long car ride by myself and thought that two recommendations would seal the deal.

    The Four Winds Audiobook on ipad with earbuds

    The Four Winds: Heartbreaking, Inspiring Look at Female Amecianism

    First, I really was engaged by the book. Second, it was NOT the audiobook for a long car ride alone. SO MANY TEARS. It is also not a book for young ears.

    I really felt drawn by Elsa’s no-nonsense manner, her desire to be loved, her hard-working heart, and the sacrifices she made as a mother. I was moved by the parallels painted between some of the frustrations of now and those of back when.

    It was hard not to think of recent events when listening to the characters repeat the phrase, “this is not America.” Anyone looking to escape from the politics of today may want to hold off for a bit on this audiobook. However, if you want a good kick in the pants of “it could be worse” then listen as soon as possible.

    The story alternates, and not exactly deftly, between Elsa’s character and that of her daughter as the story moves on. I wasn’t a huge fan of this. In general, I’m not a fan of changing between characters unless it is very pronounced– for instance as a chapter changes. I admit that this transition possibly happened, but I didn’t know as a listener instead of a reader.

    In the end, the daughter’s perspective was needed and a vital part of the story. Her experience gave a depth that the story couldn’t have had otherwise.

    Last Words

    In the author’s note at the end of the novel, Kristen Hannah writes about this time we are in.

    “As we know, there are lessons to be learned from history, hope to be derived by hardships faced by others. We’ve gone through bad times before and survived, even thrived. History has shown us the strength and durability of the human spirit. In the end, it is our idealism, and our courage, and our commitment to one another—what we have in common—that will save us.”

    Kristen Hannah

    That stayed with me long after I was done listening. If you like historical fiction or stories about strong women I recommend this book.

    Audiobook Recommendations

    Need more recommendations? Try one of these audiobooks that were suggested by friends on Instagram. Many of them have made my list!

    (Note: The below links are affiliate links)

    Featured photo is from my new home gym! If you haven’t seen the DIY home gym yet, check it out!

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    pear themed holiday gift tags
    Christmas

    Pear Themed Holiday Gift Ideas + Free Printables

    2 Comments Christmas

    Are you like me and are still finishing up some holiday shopping for neighbors, employees, clients, or business partners? While some are already finished for the holiday season… I am not! However, I am just a little bit closer after creating these fun pear themed holiday gifts for my husband’s team at work.

    Holiday gift idea for employees free printable tags

    We needed several holiday gifts that were fairly affordable and ran across these beautiful boxes of Harry and David pears from Trader Joe’s.The addition of some cute printable gift tags and these were personalized and made for a great employee gift.

    You could absolutely do something similar with a gift box, tissue paper, and beautiful pears from your grocery store if your Trader Joe’s doesn’t have these in stock or you are not near a Trader Joe’s store.

    I had made these with no intention of sharing on the blog simply because life has been busy and I was working at 10 PM getting these projects done. Not the best lighting for photos! However, after posting photos in a Facebook group several of the wonderful members of the group requested tags.

    I created tags that will work for employees, neighbors, clients, teachers, and more. All are free for personal use. However, if you’d like to help my blog, please share this post by pinning it on Pinterest or sharing on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

    Instructions:

    • Download the design of your choice by clicking on the link below and saving the file to your computer. The 5 inch tags are the size that are pictured. I did make smaller tags as well so you could get more tags per page if needed.
    • For Tags: Print on 8.5X11 cardstock in full color. Cut out along black lines. Punch a hole in the corner and attach to your gift with ribbon or string.
    • For Labels: Print on 8.5X11 page-sized label paper in full color. Cut along black lines. Adhere to your package.

    Pear Themed Gift Ideas Free Printables

    I hope that these help make someone’s holiday just a little more pear-fect! 😉 Happy holidays to all! And, one last request to please share this post by pinning it on Pinterest or sharing on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. It really helps a gal out!

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